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February 18, 2006

Battlestar Galactica - 3 episode roundup

BSG offers three fully episodic entries as it runs toward season finale. They each stand on their own, both advancing the storyline in minute ways and advancing the characters.

Scar was the classic worldwar flying-aces movie updated. Over the course of two seasons we've watched Starbuck move from obnoxious, cocky, backtalking but top-of-her-game pilot to suddenly being on the other side of the podium with reponsibilities for other carcasses besides her own. Her growth into these new positions hasn't been even nor smooth; and in this espisode she finds herself hectored and harried by "Kat" an obnoxious, cocky -- well someone just like Kara at the beginning of the series. So there's fighting, drinking and some attempted schtupping by those that may die on the morn and their Bloody Baron Von is a Cylon called Scar.

The fight scenes were excellent and as always I'm impressed with how BSG uses the absense of sound to dramatic effect. The vipers launch down the tubes with furious noise and then it is suddenly silent as they clear the battlestar. Eerie.

The episode ends not just with the destruction of Scar - but with a Kara who realizes she has to be more than just a hot-shit pilot and the clearly demonstrates she knows the cost of her leadership as she stands, drink raised to toast, and recites all pilots killed.

Sacrifice takes us back to the civilian side of the show. As in Blackmarket we find the civilians are acting pretty much the way they did before the Cylon attack - petty, cruel and sometimes downright fanatical. This time a widow who has gone around the bend after her husband was killed in a Cylon attack. She spins conspiracy theories that the Fleet's civilian and military authorities are really in league with the Cylons and then hatches a plot with others to take hostages in order to get Sharon. This episode dealing with terrorism, revenge and madness holds a couple of surprises. BSG never has nicely tied ends and we find Kara's impulsiveness to go into the bar to recon the hostage situation herself triggers a firefight in which she accidently shoots Lee. Also Billy, President Roslin's assistant, is killed as he tries to help.

The Captain's Hand brings us back onto the Pegasus where the new Captain Garner has some extreme territorial issues with Kara trying to train pilots. Adama sends a newly promoted Lee to be Garner's XO and Garner's resentment of "flyboys" spills over onto Lee as yet another point of his suspicion of the "outsiders" from Galatica on his ship. Garner has risen to Captain out of the engineering section and seems ill at ease at commanding or trusting people. Trust is the main theme of this episode that also runs another story thread on the political battles ahead for Roslin and the background machinations by Baltar now in a tentative and unholy league with the power-hungry Tom Zarek. Roslin has to face some harsh realities with the cold hard statistics showing the extinction of the human race in 18 years and Baltar uses her own press conference to cut her off at the knees about her decision to outlaw abortion and announce his candidacy for President.

BSG has never been about a 60 minute episode with a return to status quo at the end.

Now Lee is commander of the Pegasus, Roslin's re-election is in serious jeopardy and the civilians of the Fleet seem as divided along old sectarian lines as before. Looming is the birth of Sharon's child and an election that could put a new President over Adama.

And the nuclear device that Baltar sent to the Cylon sympathizers among the fleet during a snit fit.

The game is afoot.

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Posted by Darleen at February 18, 2006 03:14 PM

Comments

The Scar episode was too disjointed for me. All the jumping back and forth.

Sacrifice was freakin great. I've always had a thing for Dana Delany ever since China Beach. Hell, I didn't even recognize her at first. The loss of Billy was unexpected and I admit I felt a little sad, but not a lot.

The Captain's Hand shows us more on the "goody two shoes" Adama sleeping around. The abortion issue was played very well. I myself am pro-abortion, but when the issue of there only being 50,000 people left I would go along with Roslin and outlaw it. One of the main reasons being that there would be people willing to take on the child and help it along.

Until there's as many people in this country willing to adopt all the children that are aborted every year and THEY ACTUALLY DO IT and not just sit around talking about how evil the aborting mother is, I'll continue to support abortion.

A lot of people out there talking about banning abortion that wouldn't lift a finger to help the baby they saved by outlawing abortion. They'd rather punish the mother for her indiscretions by forcing her into a lifetime of poverty for both her and the child. These people are a bunch of hypocritical control freaks who'd rather tell everyone else what to do and how to live their life. In the end doing nothing themselves.

And if I've offended anyone reading this, how many kids have you adopted? I'm sure there's a few of you, but the majority would rather just sit around and judge others.

Posted by: Digger at February 20, 2006 04:47 AM