BSG 3.01: "Occupation / Precipice"

[annathepiper]

Well now, that was intense, wasn't it?


mamishka's very apt observation that one does not so much enjoy Battlestar Galactica as survive it is definitely still holding true as Season Three gets underway. spazzkat along similar lines compared it to reading The Jungle, wherein you find yourself thinking that things just can't get any worse--and then somebody falls into a meat grinder. This time around it was particularly intense, what with a 2-hour premiere. I mean, damn, one hour of BSG is intense enough, but two?! Yow.

Random reactions, in no particular order:

Part of me is rather impressed that they actually porked Apollo out--I mean, how many TV shows would actually take the handsome dashing former CAG turned battlestar commander and have him pack on a lot of weight once he can stand down from a wartime footing? And even show the same viewers who presumably were ogling the hell out of his buff towel-wrapped bod the previous season what he looks like shirtless and with a paunch now? It's quite believable. But part of me is also whining, "But, but, but, Lee!" (Not that I think he's going to stay porked, mind you, especially given that in the glimpse of what's to come for the rest of the season he looked thin again. I'm still kind of impressed that they did that to him in the first place even if I'm sure it won't be permanent.)

Ellen Tigh literally in bed with a Cylon to try to spring her husband out of detention--nicely fucked up. The same Cylon cheerfully then blackmailing her to get her to get data on the insurgency to him lest he have Tigh hauled back in--also nicely fucked up.

Tigh as one-eyed crufty terrorist leader--very effective.

Former Caprica!Boomer now sworn in as an officer of the Fleet--YAY! It's about time that happened. Also good to see that she's apparently now officially married up with Helo, if her new name--Sharon Agathon--is any indication.

I loved seeing Starbuck kill her Cylon captor only to have him download right into a new body and come back. Very, very creepy--and it would have been funny if they'd done what Paul suggested and shown a brief glimpse of prior Leoben bodies stacked up in the corner. >:) However, I am troubled that she seemed to fall so quickly for the "show her a child and claim she's her mother" trick. Especially given that I am not yet convinced that that ever so conveniently timed accident was accidental in the slightest, or that they couldn't grow another cute little Kacey if they needed to.

Very nice that Gaeta is the insurgency's super-sekrit Source--especially given the argument he had with the Chief, and how the Chief snarled at him about collaborating with the Cylons. I do wonder how much longer Gaeta's going to get away with this, though.

Very, very interesting that Caprica!Six and Galactica!Boomer are rapidly losing control of this cozy little occupation. Especially neat that Six got plugged right in the head in the scene where they're trying to make Baltar sign the execution order, and that as soon as she was 'dead', Baltar suddenly had Hallucination!Six talking to him again. Any bets on whether we're going to go in the direction of this Six and Boomer actually eventually helping the insurgents flee the planet? And wouldn't it be neatly fucked up if the incoming Sharon teams up with them to help the rescue efforts?

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Bill. Please. For the good of the Fleet, LOSE THE MUSTACHE. I'm BEGGING YOU.

solarbird has pointed out quite rightly that the Cylons have absolutely NO, repeat, NO grounds for getting snooty about suicide bombings, given that they did one themselves back in Season One. Like her, I am not entirely sure whether this is a case of the characters being hypocritical, or whether this is a lapse in continuity. We'll have to see what happens with that.

Last but not least, one little throwaway line towards the end of the episode about how the Cylon Centurions can't distinguish Sharon from any other Cylon made me go 'hrmm'--specifically, that line about how the Cylons ever so ironically presumably wanted to avoid their own robot rebellion. My immediate response to that was 'so any bets on whether the insurgents will try to figure out how to reprogram the Centurions to make them self-aware?' 'Cause really, if you take the Centurions out of the equation, the humaniform Cylons will take an interesting hit in their firepower.

Comments

[annathepiper]

Yeah, those bits with Roslin and Zarek were very, very fine. :) I continue to admire Richard Hatch's portrayal of him.

I just hate the implication that an incredibly strong, single-minded woman can inevitably be broken by a curly-haired brat.

Exactly.

And oh my yes, that particular Cylon is deeply, deeply screwed up. Something I just realized--I don't think we saw any of his model in on the core group of Cylons who were bullying Baltar. Just about all of the other models we've seen on camera to date (of which there are seven, I just tallied 'em up), but none of him.

[tiggymalvern.livejournal.com]

Hey, I hadn't noticed that either, but you're right. Maybe all that model are prone to psychological disaster, so they don't get to make policy!

[annathepiper]

Except now though, as of last night's episode, we have a piece of evidence that suggests otherwise. I noticed how the vote as to whether Baltar gets to stay on the base ship was three in favor, three against, and the deciding vote would be with the Sixes... which suggests that all seven of the known models were involved in that little vote.

HRRMRmRmRmmRmRmRMRMmm.

[tiggymalvern.livejournal.com]

I must be missing one, I can only count to six - Six, Lucy Lawless (Three), the Sharon model, the Brother Cavil, the guy with the long face and dark hair, and psycho!Callum. Who've I forgotten?

[annathepiper]

Whoops, late comment but I'll answer this anyway. The one you're missing is the doctor model, the one who introduced himself as Simon to Starbuck in "The Farm". He's played by an African-American dude.

[hesperos-dawn.livejournal.com]

I just hate the implication that caring about a kid to the point of stupidity is being broken. *coughs*

[annathepiper]

And see, that's the thing. The entire scenario of Starbuck being locked up alone with Psycho Cylon Boy and her being cold as ice up until the point he presents her with a child who ever so conveniently gets injured (and therefore rouses her tenderer emotions) leads to the inevitable conclusion that the Cylon has decided that that is exactly how to break Starbuck to his will.

I'm not saying that it's bad that Starbuck cares about the kid. Like I said in an earlier comment on this thread, I'm totally cool with her personal ethics demanding that she not hold an innocent child accountable for the actions of the adults around her. The part that concerns me is that I really don't want to see Starbuck up and decide that Psycho Cylon Boy is okay after all just because he presented her with a child. Or to lose sight of the fact that her top priority is to get the hell out of there.

Much will depend on how Part 2 of "Exodus" plays out tomorrow night. Last week's episode, on which I have not yet been able to post comentary, didn't put my mind at each much about this plotline. But we'll see what happens.