Nina's Known Universe

CAPRICA - THE BEGINNING OF THE END {And the shape of things to come...}

2009-04-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED!
This includes spoilers from BSG as well.
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YOU WERE WARNED...

Click the images for much larger versions.
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***All views expressed are my own and in general are biased to keep in line with the concepts introduced on Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009) -- with regard to the fate of humanity as told by Ronald D. Moore. Et Al.***
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CAPRICA - THE BEGINNING OF THE END
{And the shape of things to come...}

***

The Planet Caprica. 58 years before the Fall of the 12 Colonies. 18 years before the Final 5 Cylons from Earth1 would arrive to end the Colonial Cylon war that has yet to happen. A war that lasted 12 years. So 6 years from the start of this show all Hades is going to break loose...6 years is about right for a series - even if it only spans part of that time skipping ahead as it goes and ending with the start of the first Cylon War. They could take it farther but most certainly should not take it any less than that.

This was an excellent experience in its own right, however if you have not seen the entire BSG series I am afraid the ending will not have the desired impact that it should. Nor will you get half my references to characters and plot lines from BSG.

***

The show jumps right in giving us the sense that Caprica City at this time is on the verge of a total breakdown in society. We see teenagers in a night club, having group sex, fighting, shooting each other and even committing human sacrifice. We see 3 teens on a balcony discussing what is going on in this place and this other girl near the stage who seems to be a twin to the one on the balcony.

The first 3 say the twin is going to change everything. But just as the sacrifice takes place the twin de-res'd and reverts back to another persons image. Then we realize that these teens were inside a virtual holographic world, that everything was fake, though frighteningly real.

These 3 teens were just Avatars of their real selves except for the hologram that was a very life like copy of one of the teens, purely holographic, exhibiting free will. These 3 are also part of a movement toward monotheism and the One True God. Additionally, they would appear to have some sort of PLAN.

Oh and by the way - The Virtual Nightclub where HoloZoe was 'born' looked an awful lot like a certain Opera House. Not exactly, but close enough to be a possible origin of the symbolism. Just thought I would mention that.

***

Next we meet Daniel Greystone and his wife Amanda playing tennis on their private court overlooking a magnificent Bay. As if the holographic environment we saw before was not impressive enough, they have a robotic butler who activates the courts auto referee and electronic line markers as well as notifying them when there is a call regarding their daughter Zoe.

Basically, RDM is showing us the eventual steps our own society will take as it fits into the BSGverse. We already have robotic things - vacuums, car builders and other more science and research based items not to mention the amount of remote controlled flying fighter planes being built by the military. The butler is programmed to guard the door but do you really want your friends to be able come over when you are not around? Of course Amanda Greystone was probably too distraught to think about being more specific instead of "stay as long as you like" which Serge stored as "free access".

Soon we will learn that Zoe Greystone is the 16 year old genius daughter of Daniel Greystone, the owner of a huge tech type firm with strong military applications. Her boyfriend Ben Stark reminds me of the born again Baltar - if Tory were his mother - and even refers to Zoe as being Perfect. He is the one that first introduced Zoe and her friend Lacey Rand to a singular God.

Zoe is your typical teenager in constant conflict with her parents. She gets busted for having her holoband at school. Basically a visor that you put on with your eyes closed to enter the various virtual worlds - like live 3D social websites. Created and manufactured by Zoe's fathers company. Of course the virtual world has been hacked and is nothing like the programs that the designer intended - at least not for teens.

We have similar websites now it is just animated instead of virtual but their is still killing and sex and all that stuff.

Zoe is also having a building named after her because daddy donated a bunch of money to some university and well she is a spoiled rich girl that wants to give it all up to go live among others that share her beliefs. She accuses her daddy of dirty science. A bit ironic when we learn what she has ultimately created.

Zoe's group uses the infinite symbol to access the virtual environment that is extremely real, not unlike Cylon projection.

Enter Zoe 2. She is a holographic copy of the real Zoe and will be the first Colonial Cylon. A hologram yes. But she is way more. Zoe the human was a genius and figured out how to share her experiences and feelings with her copy. The HoloZoe appears to exhibit human emotions reacting to different situations the way her human counterpart would.

Zoe tells the copy that she, the copy, is going to help bring about some changes in their society. The copy was clearly upset by all that she had witnessed in the holo world despite knowing it was not real and asked if it was like that on the outside. RealZoe tells her that it can be. But that these people are just asleep, following the leader. But HoloZoe said it was more, that they enjoyed the suffering, drew strength from it...In a way - HoloZoe would be along the lines of Hera in non corporeal form. At least in the sense of what she could mean to those that believe in the ONE.

***

Next we meet Joe Adams wife Shannon and daughter Tamara getting on the same train as Zoe and her 2 pals, Ben and Lacey. Mrs. Adams is talking to her husband on a Cell Phone but the service cuts out when they enter the Train station.

I truly love that. A society on the verge of AI with amazing holo tech and they still have sucky cell service. :D

Lacey panics at the last minute and decides not to get on the train. The Train looks like a long snake with a red stripe down the side and the underground tunnel is reminiscent of the future Viper and Launch Tube. Lacey, Zoe and Ben were planning to run away to Gemenon where their kind would be welcomed. Only Ben had other plans.

By the way, I just love the new laptop computers. A single sheet of paper - you can even fold it up. That is both thin and lightweight. Additionally it would seem that corners still exist at this time, doors, windows, books and paper, though some things are corner less, like the laptop paper, I saw more corners than not.

Uh oh. "The One True God shall drive out the many!" - so says Ben just before he blows himself and the train to bits. Along with Zoe Greystone, and young William Adams older sister Tamara and their mother.

Did I mention it was young Bill Adams 11th birthday. "Happy Birthday son, your mom and sister are dead." In case it is not clear, the Adama family we all know and love goes by Adams at this point in the story. I should also point out that Williams dead mother bore a resemblance to the future Laura Roslin. I guess boys really do fall in love with their mothers. ;)

***

2 weeks after the bombing...

A group known to police as the Soldiers of the One (STO)are reported as being responsible for the terrorist explosion on the Lev Train (Elevated Train). It will be determined forensically that it was Ben who was the bomber. Zoe's affiliation with him and his group will be brought into question. Of course Zoe didn't know what he was going to do. She had planned to move to Gemenon and other things which have not been revealed yet.

As I watch the different roles being played here, the actors they chose and the lines they gave them, I am struck with certain glaring similarities to the 12 known cylon models. Mind you this is a good 18 years before the Armistice. Before the 5 from Earth1 arrive to create the skin jobs in the first place.

So I wonder if it was on purpose by the writers to find actors that kinda look related to our cylons - or gave some characters glaring personalities so we can see the Human Archetypes that were used as a template for the 8 models built by the other 5. That is 13 total, I know. If you haven't watch the end of BSG you don't know there were actually 13 total cylon skins - 5 from old Earth and 8 from the Colonies. We never got to see model #7, coincidentally (or not) named Daniel.

The investigator into the bombing is a tall bald man whose demeanor reminds me of Doral. He has a semi fascist way of looking at the religious views of humanity with the monotheists being treated basically like communists were in this country back in the 50s. Ironic that a country founded on the concept of free speech would decide it is better to be dead than red, but I digress.

Apparently this organization know as the Soldiers of the One has been dormant for some 10 years. That number will come up a lot. After the investigation hearing, Joe Adams and Daniel Greystone meet. They go for coffee and through combined loss become, not friends really, but close enough for future events to be made possible.

***

Lacey, Zoe's friend, that didn't get on the train and lives still as a result, sits with the Head Mistress of the Athena Academy. This woman reminds me of Deanna in so many ways while Lacey reminds me of the Rebel BaseShip's Hybrid. (And the more I think of it the more Daniel Greystone reminds me of the First BaseShip Hybrid, that old man with the big nose and the stutter...again...again...again...)

Lacey tells the lady that Zoe was gifted, she could do things with a computer that were beyond amazing. The lady suggests to Lacey that if she knew of any work that Zoe was doing that Lacey should try to reconnect. I immediately got the vibe this woman knows more than Lacey does. So Lacey goes to Zoe's house and gets permission to hang in her room.

Meanwhile Joe and Daniel sit quietly over coffee.

An ashtray of cigarettes later, Joe starts to take his leave but Daniel is despondent. He then walks Joe out and offers him a lift. Joe declines but they make plans to go to a pyramid game together, Joe asks if his son could join too. That would be 11 year old William - our future Admiral Adama.

Lacey, who is now in Zoe's room, puts on Zoe's HoloBand and goes to visit the copy.

She finds her in her virtual room alone and traumatized. The HoloZoe seems to know something happened to real Zoe. Something terrible and just as Lacey steps closer, she sees that HoloZoe is covered in blood - Lacey screams the way I do when I see a spider crawling toward with hate in his eyes - it was delayed and unnecessary - but you just have to let it out or burst. ;)

HoloZoe has no idea where the blood came from but suggests that it may have come from the bombing freaking Lacey out completely. HoloZoe says human Zoe was working on a bio feedback protocol for HoloZoe to feel what Real Zoe felt in real time. HoloZoe says that it never quite worked right but something must have happened. Because now HoloZoe feels like she IS the real Zoe and even remembers her death.

Lacey is scared, calls it a thing and not real. HoloZoe says she was supposed to visit the real world but doesn't have to now because she "remembers it all like she was there". It is almost as if Human Zoe downloaded into her Holo self when she was killed - something that should not be possibly unless it were say - Gods Will. Being human but with all sorts of bio links to her Hologram and with a bit of Devine intervention tossed in to make it possible...

Lacey says she is just a thing that Zoe created - then the hologram says with tears in her eyes and a crackle in her voice, "I know I am not human, but I still FEEL human." Lacey hugs the hologram and promises to make it better. As Daniel Greystone walks in the real room, he over hears Lacey talking and making promises, meanwhile HoloZoe is no longer covered in blood.

Lacey runs out of the room but leaves the computer sheet on the desk. Daniel runs a huge firm similar to say Intel or Microsoft crossed with NASA, so he has the technology at his disposal to crack the code and hack into his daughters Holo program. He will tell Lacey later that is was the most sophisticated encryption he had run across ever - clearly proud of his daughters talents - despite her using them against him.

***

Joe Adams is in court defending a fellow Tauron. There is a very Old Sicilian feel to the Taurons and their affiliations while their names and terms have more of a Hispanic tone. I can already here the uproar over the various ethnic stereotypes throughout this show. Did I mention Bomber Ben was Mediterranean? The Taurons, while have an obvious Mafia feel about their culture, it is more their strong family bond, tribal, separate from the rest of society in a way, loyal to your own, kind of thing that sets them apart from the other cultures.

Turns out the Judge was bribed and Joe knew this so he is perhaps not the man of ethics that Lee Adama would become in his name 60 years later. And is perhaps the reason behind Romo Lampkins distaste for him as well. Who knows at this point.

A plot point comes up here where Joe's brother Sam wants him to do a favor for this Godfather type Guatrau, in exchange for their help in finding those responsible for the deaths of Joe's wife and daughter, along with many others on the train.

Joe is not interested. They have a heated discussion about how Caprican's haven't ever done anything for them and blood for blood is the Tauron way. Joe does not appear to believe in the Gods or those Tauron ways anymore, then takes his leave.

When at last we meet young Willy Adams. Aka Bill Adama. Joe and he are walking and having shaved ice. Joe is trying to get Willy interested in going to the Bucks game when Willy asks if he thinks his mom and Tamara still feel the pain of death where ever they are. Joe doesn't answer. There is a distance between them similar I think to that between adult Bill and his own son Lee.

***

Daniel Greystone's company is coincidentally working on a cyber combat unit - aka a Centurion. It is clumsy and not fast, has bad hand eye coordination and can't hit the broad side of a barn. But he is super cute with his little white eyeball scooting back and forth.

Greystone, annoyed by the bad demo of his Centurion and the looming threat that their contract may be lost to another company, when they are already billions over budget, he returns to his office where he has hacked into Zoe's program but gets interrupted by a call. His competitor who had been way behind in research suddenly has a device based on technology that the Greystone company had been trying to crack for over a decade.

There is that number again...the device is called a Meta Cognitive Processor. MCP. It is a viable independent artificial brain.

So some 10 years ago a movement toward a single God fell off the grid after being around for how long they never said, but has resurfaced now 10 years later and suddenly a scientist has an epiphany about how to create a cybernetic brain that you just need a body for. At the same time a teen girl has the epiphany of how to create a copy of herself down to virtual blood, sweat and tears. Put the 2 together and you have the very first sentient cyborg...Cylon.

Greystone asks his associate about the underground virtual clubs the kids have. His associate says they have been around for over 5 years which seems a surprise to the guy that created the technology. A technology that has been around more than 5 years obviously. Perhaps the creation of that holo tech was the turning point for this society and started the cycle by creating a link between man and machine with a nice door way for God to walk through as well.

Daniel then returns to the v-club. This time he sees Zoe's Hologram but she runs from him. When he gets to the infinite door it shocks him back to the real world. That is what I call firewall.

***

Turns out Zoe's mom is a doctor as well only more medical than scientist. She is blond and skinny and athletic. When interviewed by the agent doing the investigation into the bombing she says that Zoe could not have been involved even if she did know Ben Stark. Zoe had no political bones in her body and her biggest concern was finding new and creative ways to piss off her parents.

Of course being a religious zealot probably never occurred to her mother who likely dismissed it as just another way of rebelling.

However, the email sent by Zoe to her mother just before the accident was never transmitted and makes it look like Zoe knew she was going to die...the truth is that Zoe was saying goodbye for running away and for telling her mom earlier that she would regret slapping Zoe for the rest of her life.

She didn't want to die - she wanted to live.

***

Lacey returns to the Greystone house and their robot guard butler valet allows her access since her clearance is still good. She is caught by Daniel looking for Zoe's Holoband access sheet. He tells Lacey he saw Zoe's hologram at the V-club then makes an impassioned plea of a father to be allowed to see the Zoe in the program.

Lacey takes Greystone on a tour of the V-Club. Sex, drugs, fighting, and virginal sacrifice. That isn't including the really gross stuff beyond the drug dens. Then she tells him that yeah, they played in the orgies and all that like everyone else but then Ben was the one that showed them the way. The way to the One True God. That there was good and there was evil and only through God could you know the difference.

Lacey claimed that Zoe had seen God and God had touched her heart, she had been given the ability to create...life itself.

Daniel then meets the HoloZoe and she starts to explain how she is more than just an Avatar that she is in fact Zoe as much as the real Zoe ever was. They are the same, more than twins, echoes of one another. He refuses to talk to the Avatar at first but she goes on. She explains how accessing the information stored in our brains is the key. And while it may be hard to read a brain like you would a hard drive, there are other sources of all that data when you combine the sum digital footprint of each person in society.

HoloZoe reminisces with her 'Dad' impressing him with her near perfect imitation of Zoe and detailed memories of Zoe's past. She reiterates that she may be a copy...but she doesn't FEEL like a copy. He asks to hold her. And while he is holding her in the v-world, his real hands are plugging in a flash drive. He then captures the code used to create the avatar, so he can take her from that world into one he controls. He then kicks Lacey out and revokes her security.

Never trust a human.

Ha! The Greystone's even have a black and white border collie that looks like just like Jake! Maybe it is an ancestor?

***

Joe Adams mother in law is living with them helping to care for Willy. She wants them to go back to Tauron - stating it is what her daughter would have wanted. But Joe won't hear of it. They live on Caprica and that is where William was born.

Next we see Joe meeting with his boss, the Guatrau, who is asking for a favor from Joe...you know the kind you don't refuse. Most Taurons seem to have face tattoos as well although Joseph does not. It reminds me of Chakotay from Voyager. The Guatrau wants Joe to deliver a message to the Caprican Minister of Defense - basically a thinly veiled threat. Joe asks for time to think about it.

***

The Caprican agent doing the investigation into the bombing shows up at the Athena Academy to talk with Lacey and the Head Mistress. The Agent claims that Ben Stark, her friend, was the bomber. And that Zoe was also a member of the secret society knows as the Soldiers of the One. When he asks her if she knew, Lacey storms out - probably not obligated to share her religious views or affiliations.

Then the agent asks the Head Mistress about the schools policy on monotheism, she states that while the school follows the path of the Gods, and Athena is their Patroness that all forms of worship are embraced. She also states that she can't discuss which of her kids are monotheists. The agent clearly thinks that belief in a singular God is a dangerous thing...sort of like having a king versus a Quorum.

Colonial society is based on tribes and Quorums and many making the decisions for all and their religion is the same. Different Gods for different aspects of life. The idea the one singular all knowing all powerful God is deciding what is right and what is wrong with no appeal seems frightening to this man and I am sure to many others. Especially if you like to get your naughty virtual groove on.

Mind you, I don't believe that they are trying to say here that partying and having a good time is a sin. I think the sin part is those taking pleasure in hurting each other. The blood lust and carnage. If your girl gets off on being spanked that is fine, but if you get off on torturing her against her will that is not fine.

***

Later at the pyramid game willy gets to meet the team, the Caprican Buccaneers and future team of one Sam Anders. Greystone owns the team. Daniel discusses with Joe the concept of what would he do if he could see his daughter again. Joe tells the story of his arrival on Caprica as an orphan and how he saw a field of flowers for the first time. There were no flowers on Tauron and the sight caused young Joe to weep openly for the first and last time in his life. He said he would tell his daughter that story and that she should seek out the things in life that make her cry...make her FEEL. Those are the things that make you human.

They go back to Greystone's house where Daniel makes a holographic copy of Joe Adams for the V-world. He plans to take him inside to meet Zoe. He also has a proposition for Joe and uses the bait of being with his daughter and wife again to elicit a favor from him.

Daniels V-world is a bit boring - he says he hasn't had time to decorate yet. LOL To function you have to use your mind to make your avatar move. HoloZoe appears and meet Joe Adams. He is curious and checking her over like a new I-Pod. When he reaches out to touch her she goes "BOO!" and Joe is jolted back to reality.

Daniel goes on to explain how all this happened and how much of a genius Zoe was.

She used a search engine to cheat death, in a way. She is a copy yes. but a perfect copy. Daniel questions who is to say in the copying of all those things about Zoe that the soul was not copied too. And challenges Joe to prove or not that such a thing is possible or even that a soul exists at all.

Daniel argues that she is his daughter in the only way that matters to him - in his heart. In this scene Daniel reminds me a great deal of Helo and his love for Hera. He convinces Joe to use his connections on Tauron to steal that MCP with the promise that he will create a copy of Tamara for him and maybe even one of his wife.

***

Daniel Greystone is a man who lives in a literal glass house.

There are few solid walls in his home. But then he lives on a bay or lake with the most amazing view. He has a touching moment with his wife while Joe goes to his brother Sam and asks that he arrange the theft of the MCP from the Virgis Corp on Tauron. Joe says if the Guatrau will sanction the theft from a presumed friend, Joe will deliver the message as asked previously by the Guatrau to the Caprican Defense Minister.

The Minister of Defense is extremely prejudiced toward Taurons (despite being helped into his position by their money) and makes several racial comments then tells Joe to deliver his own message word for word back to Joe's boss. Joe leaves and wishes the minister a safe journey. A bit of warning of what is to come.

***

As Daniel and his wife make love, probably for the first time since Zoe's death, Joe Adams sits and weeps alone while his brother Sam (who has a great bod by the way) visits the minister of defense and delivers him to his Gods - stating one should never turn their back on a friend.

***

Lacey recalls the first time Zoe brought up the prayer group and the One True God. "There is right and there is wrong and there is a God, a God who knows the difference". Lacey is telling this story to her teacher the Head Mistress who says "I too used to feel a void in my soul and hungered to know right from wrong." Then the Head Mistress tells Lacey she is not alone, drawing the infinite symbol on the desk and hugging Lacey.

She tells Lacey that Ben did do the bombing in the name of the Soldiers of the ONE and though it was premature and unauthorized, the bombing was not evil. That Ben was fighting evil. When asked what about Zoe, the teacher replies "you have no idea how special Zoe was to us, or is."

This woman is so much like Deanna it is scary. The Fanatical attitude that it is ok and Gods will to kill in the name of your belief and worship of that God, is a bit hypocritical when you consider they were calling the human sacrifices to Hecate a sin.

Blowing up a train in the name of your GOD is a large scale human sacrifice in my book but then logic and faith rarely mesh.

***

Joe gives Daniel his MCP brain acquired through his connections with the Tauron Mafia. Now he just needs a body. Daniel then takes Joe inside the V-world to see the prototype of Tamara. Tamara, unlike HoloZoe, has not always been digital nor did she have her real self to help her adjust and does not take to the experience very well. She starts to freak out about it not being real.

Similar to the reaction of a sleeper cylon when they wake up in the Goo and realize they were never what they thought they were. Tamara starts to go crazy because she cannot feel her heart beat.

Joe leaves her there upset that his daughter is so scared and stating it isn't natural. That it is an abomination. Daniel and Joe have a discussion about Gods only having power over death. Daniel intends to put the essence/code of HoloZoe into a robot body. Joe insists that Daniel is out of his mind and leaves despite promises of having his own daughter and wife in solid form again.

Inside Greystone's Virtual Prison, Daniel and HoloZoe discuss the download and how she kinda hopes it doesn't work. She then tells Daniel how much Zoe wanted to get away from her parents - that he never listens - that Zoe was leaving for Gemenon because she found God and that the Children of Caprica were lost. And that it was her parents arrogance that killed her, not some bomb.

Daniel downloads the Zoe file into the MCP and installs it in the Centurion Body. It comes to life for a moment - even speaks in Zoe's voice - its first word - DADDY - but as it tries to walk toward Daniel it collapses and then the file seems to degrade, lost forever. Note the single eye went from white to red and back to white. Daniel returns to the Virtual Prison but Zoe is gone. He got in a hurry. He was so desperate to have his daughter back he rushed it. He never stopped to consider if should, regardless of if he could.

***

Joe visits his son William in his room. He tell Willy they are going to make a new beginning. Their family will survive this. They will honor those lost by continuing to live as best as they can. They come from a long line of Tauron Peasants who worked the land and still stood proud. William is named for his Grandfather who was killed with the rest of Joe's family, except his brother Sam, in the Tauron uprising. He goes on to say that Adams is not their family name. Joe changed it when he and his brother arrived on Caprica as orphans. There family name is really ADAMA, a good and honorable Tauron name. Then they hug.

***

Near the end we see that Greystone has left the MCP brain in the Centurion with anew military program making the light glow red again. Now it has lightening fast deadly reflexes. The demo goes well and his company gets the defense contract will which put the Centurions and the Cyber Defense Unit into full scale manufacture. The centurion shows no mercy as it finishes off the last target. "All targets destroyed, Program Completed, By Your Command".

A brief chat is made by the Secretary of Defense that they really didn't want to go off world, not trusting Taurons anyway and that deceit is in their DNA. So funny when we all know that Greystone is the thief and he stole from the Taurons. He had another Tauron do it but he still reaps the benefits.

Daniel's associate is proud that they finally did it, they created a Cybernetic, Life form Node, or CYLON for short. Daniel says yes...but it was not quite what he had hoped for.

Down a dark hall to a laboratory the Centurion lays on a table.

It begins twitching and then sits up.

It walks to a terminal and sees its own reflection.

A phone rings at Lacey's house. She answers and it is Zoe on the other end. Zoe the Centurion tells Lacey she is back, she is here and she needs her help.

The End.

***

At last we have an answer to the ultimate question...How did the Colonial Cylons first become sentient?

We know that a higher power played a role but I think most have assumed that the Centurions were created, used by the military and gradually developed free will over time. Nope! The very first cybernetic life form was Zoe Greystone's Avatar inside a Virtual Night Club and when that HoloZoe was downloaded into the body of the first Centurion, even though her father thought the file was lost, a sentient, feeling being was born.

And now being downloaded into a centurions body - the centurion that all future centurions would be based on - we now know that the centurions didn't become sentient - they were created that way - accidentally - from the start. Daniel Greystone played GOD. He pulled a soul from cyberspace and placed it inside a Centurion body. He is their creator and I am stretching but see him as the first Hybrid later on as well.

Zoe's belief in the One True God would give the Centurions spirituality - her experiences in the virtual realm and being a hologram to begin with, would give them projection and just a tiny bit of of OMG humanity so needs an enema cleansing!

The whole virtual sex fight kill world is the answer to why it came out straight to DVD. There is no way to do justice to the graphic scenes being played out - even on the Sci-fi Channel. Though they won't have to cut too much if they leave the dialog intact. You just fuzz out or darken a few scenes, the audio is all you need anyway.

And in the nature of things that have happened before - Kobol's society had to have reached a similar point of pure decadence and debauchery. Human sacrifice and ways to abuse each other. Only not virtual as was pointed out on Kobol by Angel Six.

Likely due in part to the ways of the Olympic Pantheon of Gods. Sacrifices especially. The Olympic Gods have always been portrayed as spoiled, spiteful, egoists who must be worshipped but do little in return. When one follows the path of a self serving GOD, then likely one becomes just as self serving.

The Plan. Zoe had a plan for her Avatar Twin. The Plan that perhaps transcended into The Plan of the Centurions and the future skin jobs. The Plan that maybe was misinterpreted as things like that can be.

Was her plan to create a race a virtual beings to clean up the worlds and stop the insanity? Did she inadvertently give them the idea to eradicate humanity for the sake of the universe all in Gods name? Could this be a mistake that God had to clean up and so helped the fleet to find its way to our Galaxy and the home of us lowly Terran's?

So we have 1 Centurion with a human girls copied soul and essence. Adam and Eve all in one. We have the programmed will of a military machine with all the memories, desires and faith of a monotheistic 16 year old immature yet brilliant girl who believed she was chosen by God and given the gift to create life for a higher purpose. She is Caprica, Deanna, Leoben and Sharon all in one.

And lets not forget poor nutty HoloTamara who is still out there in cyber space.

Why is it I feel her confused frightened algorithms some how are to blame for Cavil turning out the way he did?

Even if Tamara's avatar doesn't play a role, surely someone as disturbed by the violence in the V-Club as HoloZoe was, would not take too kindly to be stuffed in a Centurions body with an override program forcing her to shoot and kill things.

There is a whole series hopefully on the horizon to pick up where this left off and hopefully takes every opportunity to tie this story to the back story of BSG. Otherwise they will ruin the fun. A true prequel should fill in more blanks than it creates.

At this point I am envisioning a movement on Gemenon, not just toward a singular deity, but the more fanatical side of revolution for religious reasons. The Crusades combined with the modern Jihad against Western Civilization. This movement will involve the first Centurion (CylonZoe) and will probably be the cause of the Cylon uprising by being Missionaries to those first Cylons. "Your leaders are oppressing you - rise up and claim your place in this society! You deserve all the rights of those for whom you serve! Let God's Will Be Done!!!"

There is hinting at the more obvious archetypes of humanity that the future skin jobs would be based on. Knowing now the details of how Zoe managed to map the brain so to speak, it is not all that hard to imagine creating artificial life so real that it becomes offended at being treated like a thing.

So what is real? If I make a robot cry I will feel bad regardless of knowing it is not real or believing the tears to be simulated and not felt. I have a virtual pet on Myspace that gives me the sad eyes when it needs 'feeding' and I feel bad. Joe Adama said that if he had the chance to be with his daughter again he would tell her to find the things in life that make her feel. Make HER feel.

Perhaps it is not that we are able to feel that makes us human...it is what we feel...and what makes us feel...it is our reaction to others and what they are feeling. Compassion, love, hate, jealousy, lust, fear, these are all reactions based on the emotions given off by those around us and a few chemical things going on but simply put we feel because those around us feel.

What disturbed HoloZoe the most and is what I call the only real sin of humanity, is any lifeform taking pleasure in the suffering of others. If that doesn't bother you or make you sick, you are not human or alive.

Supposedly the One True God is all Loving and not just all Knowing. While the Lords of Kobol were all about the party and the blood lust. While Hecate was demanding blood from her followers, the ONE was only asking for love. Love for GOD and love for each other.

So if a program was smart enough to understand feelings, to know when a person cries they are sad and that being sad hurts in the pit of your stomach, or when they laugh they are amused or happy and that feels invigorating. It is not that difficult for that program to at first emulate and then ultimately create their own feelings based on their sum knowledge of feelings and the physical reactions associated with them as well as the situations that cause those reactions.

Think of it like sympathy pangs. Someone dies that I have no personal contact with but I am close to someone that was. I will feel the loss for my friend, as deeply in some cases, as if it were my own loss.

Of course that is the academic explanation - sort of - as it was argued by Daniel Greystone. She was not his daughter but his heart could not tell the difference. So what was the difference really?

However with all the talk of the One True God it is far more likely that God is the one that wants another sentient race. That nothing man did had anything to do with the end result except act on a few light bulbs providing a base for God to build on. Either to give the humans a smack down or to lay the groundwork for a future combined race.

Where HoloZoe was first machine, holographic but still, with human emotions and experiences added - she was a foreshadowing of Hera who was a child born of both a solid yet sentient machine and a pure human.

This then begs the question - could Hera possibly really be Zoe Greystone passed down through generations of cylons until human DNA was added (with love) allowing her soul to finally take solid form again? Was being half machine critical to assuring nothing was lost in the transition from digital to solid?

If we take the existence of GOD as fact - knowing the way BSG ended I am inclined to do so - even if it bugs other people - I am not religious but I am no atheist either and I find the hope of something greater than this to be soothing if for no other reason than a desire to strive to be worthy of knowing that something some day in my future existence - so that said we could postulate that the first man was indeed created on Kobol.

Taking from all the myths of BSG, that which was stated or assumed based on our own history surrounding the Olympic Gods, we can assume there were 13 higher beings there with the humans - the Lords of Kobol. One, deemed the jealous god by the others, rose above the rest, claimed authority over them and attempted to change their ways.

Let us assume other 12 'gods' spoiled the humans with power, wealth and all manner of decadence in exchange for human sacrifices and lives filled with lust, violence and other bad things.

The ONE wished for a greater path for the humans, to not waste their lives on meaningless pleasures. This assumption comes from those that seem to have been touched by this being.

With the eventual birth of Hera I would say it is not far fetched to consider it was Gods desire all along for the races to blend. Humanity is weak but we have the inherent ability to love and be loved as well as reproduce biologically in addition to a desire to become more than we are. Cylons are strong with amazing capabilities for learning but lack certain instincts that keep them from taking everything literally.

Perhaps God felt that a combination of man and machine would at last give humanity the boost it needs to ascend to a higher plan of existence. The Holoband technology is very similar to Cylon Projection and both occur strictly within the mind - yet can be shared with others. Opening up the mind to accept such a thing as remotely real and not freak out is perhaps where God saw a door.

In the Middle Ages, God had only to appear in a dream to motivate, but these days humans, even those of faith, are far to quick to dismiss such things as not real and ignore them.

Or it could be far more simple. God never wanted a whole race of hybrids, he just wanted Hera. With enough Cylon DNA to seed his new crop of Humans on Earth2 (perhaps feeling that a fresh start was needed and thus gave Lee the idea to abandon all tech and gave the other humans the desire to go along with it), allowing our ancestors to flourish mentally, eventually becoming who we are today without the burden of the past. Mostly human with just enough machine to make each generation capable of advancing beyond the last. Not quite as efficient as downloading but as close as a human can get.

Having free will, both societies kept pulling away from each other, first on Kobol then again on the Colonies. God had to keep sending out messengers and epiphanies and visions in hopes that humanity would eventually choose to be together with their cylon cousins and vice-versa.

The birth of Hera and a few acts of divine intervention made that peace possible.

As to why GOD would need to bring humans across the universe instead of just making new ones...try to think of the universe as Gods laboratory. Each Galaxy is an Eco environment and each habitable planet is a petri dish. Maybe the batch on Earth2 got dropped on the floor. So rather than toss it and start over God decided to take one of his other civilizations, a civilization that had destroyed itself 3 times now on 3 separate worlds, and used what was left over of it to fix the DNA on new Earth.

Or maybe, just maybe, the entire adventure from Kobol to here was just a game played by higher beings with all of us as their pawns frantically trying to please them. God makes a move, the Lords of Kobol counter, civilizations are born and destroyed while the Gods sip coffee and smoke cigarettes...laughing...

So Say We All.

Thank you for reading.
~99

4.29.09 addendum added - epiphanies the Empress had while on the discussion forum battlestargalacticaforum.com in regard to the Final 5, the Opera House and Resurrection.

This quote was on the front of the Athena Academy.

One half on one side of the stairs - one on the other...

I was able to pause it clear enough to read the left which was fuzzy at normal speed...

Left Side
"Reach for the Eternal"

Right Side
"Cast Aside the Temporal"

- Athena Academy Motto - Caprica Pilot

I am pretty sure that ideology is the key to Resurrection.

As Sam Anders said - it was an "Intuitive Leap" made by Ellen Tigh that made it all possible...

I believe the 5 may have implanted Avatars of the themselves in the place between much like the V-world. The symbolism of the Opera House as the beginning and the end of the first Sentient Non Human used to act as a buffer between life and death and life...so that they didn't go nuts during downloading like Tamara did.

Of course - Tamara was a true copy - I still think that Human Zoe Downloaded her own Soul into her Avatar - because as human as she was - Holo Zoe didn't see herself as the same - she even said that something happened when Human Zoe died...I have no reason not to accept that as fact until they tell me it was something else..

And it was that little bit of soul that made future sentient cylons possible. Once they were copied the individual experiences would foster differences in them breaking off being copies and being individuals.

However these first Centurions cannot download as far I as understand from Sam and Ellen saying that the 5 from Earth1 gave them that technology and the human bodies as well...which were a combination of the gene pool of the 5 as well as the algorithms of the Centurions which of course was all based on Zoe.

The 5 have nothing to do with Zoe - they were Adam to her Eve - together they made the 8. The #7 was destroyed by Cavil then the remaining 7 skins then became Eve to the Humans Adam - Sharon and Helo - and made Hera.

But was Hera ultimately Zoe at last extracted from the digital and reborn in the biological?

Does it matter to the story - prob not...but the rest...

Once again thank you for reading..
~99

Ack...Where Has the Time Gone?? 2009 Already!

2009-02-09T20:04:00.000-08:00

So here it is 2009 - February no less and I am just now getting around to writing again. Not even real writing, just my babbling nonsense as I try to 'clear my guns' as it were. Thank you BSG for the fine euphemism and for being an all consuming obsession of mine for the better part of the last 2 years.

Recently my addiction has waned some, but the final episodes now airing have my blood all stirred up. And thus my focus has shifted from writing about the show to actually watching...with my prior distraction being a cram course of re-watching to get my husband caught up.

Additionally, if you feast your eyes on the new layout of the this blog you will see my Zazzle Gallery's flash panel along with that of one of my friends. From there you will see my other and currently most prominent obsession...graphic design. Having discovered The Gimp some months ago, my interest in graphics was already simmering when my friend introduced me to Zazzle.

See my gallery at Zazzle

Add to that a creative streak, a weensy bit of 'eyeballing' talent, a new digital camera that takes the sharpest pictures I have ever personally taken, an environment full of photo ops (not to mention books of pictures yet to be scanned) and an adorable puppy, and you have your self one doosey of a distraction salad.

In other news, I took Dozer, the royal Labrador puppy, on his first real hike, complete with doggy backpack. He looked so cute and had a great time with my friend's dog. We didn't go to far, this being my first hike off the treadmill in 2 years, but he did so well, he is a natural trail dog, that we will be going a lot in the near future.
CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER

And lastly, this coming Saturday is Valentine's Day. The Lord Emperor and I will be celebrating on Friday night so we may or may not be on the chat box - however everyone else should feel free to use it. Calzone from the Italian place in town, Peach Arbor Mist to counteract the acidic Calzone, Battlestar Galactica, the return of Ellen on the telly, dogs at our feet and love in our hearts...

More to come...I promise.

As always, Thank You For Reading.

~99

Reimagined BSG 'The Hand of God' S1 E10 Commentary...Looking Back

2008-11-04T13:05:00.000-08:00

Original US Air date: March, 11, 2005

***These articles are full of Spoilers from the entire series to date as aired in the USA...Continue At Your Own Risk--Moreover, the format assumes the reader has seen all of the episodes and specials aired through the first half of season 4, up to and including “Revelations”***

^Borrowed material is duly credited^ Thank you in advance to battlestarwiki.org, surfthechannel.com and any other entity directly mentioned in my ramblings...a polite email to ninanintius@gmail.com will add any notations you desire or remove any references/links to your sites as you wish. Thank you again.

Read the Prior Episode Commentaries Here

Re-Watch the Episode Here First

^Time Line^
***
^Day 36:^ Boomer and Crashdown discover a Cylon Tylium Refinery on an asteroid.
^Day 37:^ Sharon/Athena experiences morning sickness
^Day 38:^ Galactica engages a Cylon mining base and retrieves needed Tylium fuel

With the Fleet short of fuel, Galactica's air wing, lead by Lee Adama, launches a daring attack on a Cylon base following intel provided by Dr. Baltar who either guessed at the correct target, or truly was guided by the Hand of God.

***
Imperial Commentary

Day 36 on the run and the Fleet is down to 5% of their fuel reserves. At a press conference on board Colonial One, President Roslin addresses the fuel shortage, stating it is their number one priority and that Galactica has ships scouring the nearby systems for Tylium, their primary fuel. Even the FTL drives require Tylium, though it is not stated if the Tylium makes the jump possible in the first place or if it is just a power source for the drive.

As pointed out by the reporters, Tylium ore is very rare and even if they conserve, they only have enough fuel left to execute 2 more jumps. Not to mention the search for fuel is burning fuel exponentially. My question is why did they wait so long to start looking for fuel in the first place? The idea that they didn't consider fuel in the search for water seems illogical. So for the sake of not calling Adama a senile old man who let his truck run out of gas because he forgot to get more, I will assume that they have in fact been keeping an eye out for all types of resources, but as the reporter mentioned, Tylium is very rare.

As the reporters continue to ask silly questions, the President sees a vision of snakes crawling all over her podium and her hands. The reporters ask her the plan should the fleet run out of fuel. This sort of thing really annoys me, not the plot itself but that people actually do think this way in real life. And this reporter dude is probably the final cylon because he asks the dumbest questions. Contingency Plans. Does no one get the concept of a survival situation? We have what we have and when its gone thats it, game over.

As if its the President's or the Military's fault that they are on the run rather than just having let the cylons kill them quick. As if anyone could say 'If I am elected I promise to get the cylons to leave us alone so we don't run out of food or water or fuel again.' They act so entitled. Had they been found by Admiral Cain instead of Cmdr Adama, they would have been left to die after she stripped their ships of resources. And yet they are exceedingly ungrateful and oblivious to the gravity of their situation.

If the fleet can not find fuel they will have to use what is left to jump to the nearest solar system and hope they find a habitable planet. Roslin is very disturbed by the snakes which appear to be very real to her, yet no one else can see them. She then confirms with the press that if the fleet is forced to stop due to lack of fuel, they would be like ducks in a Cylon Shooting Gallery. She then ends the press conference, leaves the press just hanging, and goes back to her private room.

A Raptor piloted by Sharon Sleeper Cylon Boomer with Crashdown as her ECO, has been doing sweeps for Tylium ore in an asteroid field with so much interference that they have to get right on top of each rock to read it's make up. It is the 87th sweep of this asteroid field and Crashdown is getting frustrated. Boomer teases him about some ensign back on Galactica that is stalking him. Just then they find an asteroid that appears to be made mostly of Tylium. As they pat themselves on the back for the score Boomer notices movement...the rock is also crawling with cylons.

I think its important to point out things like the banter going on between Boomer and Crashdown. Because you have to remember she has no idea she is a cylon. She was thinking she was, but then Baltar set her mind at ease. Even if it is pure programming...that is pretty fraking impressive programming. In Boomer's case it is a strong enough program to suppress her knowledge of who she really is until the time calls for it, while allowing her to be as human as any human could be.

In Athena's case it is not strong enough to overpower the desire to protect the ones we love. Interesting. Love...love is stronger than the cylons base programming. When the cylon is aware of her program that is. Boomer didn't know she was going to shoot the Old Man until she had already pulled the trigger. When that episode comes, we will address her own shock at what she just did. And also how the fear of doing something similar haunts Tyrol, Saul and Anders. Tory doesn't seem to have the same fear.

So they find the only Tylium remotely within their grasp and the Cylons beat them to it. Worse, its enough Tylium to last them for years...like a big fat carrot the rabbit can't resist. The timing of finding the fuel matches that of the water find. Like the Gods want to be sure the Fleet makes it to Earth. Col Tigh and Gaeta discuss the find in the CIC while Lee Adama looks at the pictures taken by Boomer's Raptor. Gaeta says its like the Cylons are staking out water holes in the dessert. Tigh says 'yeah, only this one is a lake.'

The Cylons didn't just find this asteroid yesterday, they have a full scale refinery built there, which means the Cylons have explored a lot more space than the Colonies. Prompting Gaeta to ask the question 'This far from their home world?' Why does that sound like the Colonies know where the cylons home world was/is? Or did they, like the rest of us, just assume it was just past the outer reaches of the colonies? Did the Armistice give all of outer space to the Cylons? They seemed to have a border fairly close to the Colonies. And yet I wonder if they even tell us.

{These questions and more probably won't get answered until post season 4 in the flashback movie 'The Plan' set from 15 days prior to the Fall of the 12 Colonies in the Miniseries to some point during season 3 or 4 - probably up to the point the Cylons decided to make Earth their home too.}

Lee suggests they just forget about this rock, that it is too heavily guarded. They should just look for another somewhere else. Col Tigh says the Cylons will be guarding that one too...so Lee suggests they send the Raptors farther out...10 to 15 jumps...find something the cylons haven't found yet. And use up all their fuel in the process adds Col Tigh. Adama wants to take this rock from the cylons. Tigh understands the need but is concerned about taking on a force clearly greater than their own. If they fail..end of game.

Down in the Pilot's ready room, Kara is teaching the newest squadron of pilots about out maneuvering cylon fire. This is the same group she nearly died for during Act of Contrition, including Chuckles, Hotdog and Kat. Chuckles is among the casualties in this episode. Cmdr Adama comes in. She says the new pilots are as wobbly as new born colts but getting stronger everyday. The Cmdr tells her they need her out of the box thinking for the op being planned. "Out of the box is where I live," she says.

Roslin meets with Elosha, a Priestess, on Colonial One, and discusses her Chamalla use along with the prescient dreams about LeOben, and the waking dream about the snakes. Elosha asks if the President is putting her on because of the Pythian prophecy regarding snakes numbering 2 and 10. In Elosha's version it was said a leader would be given a vision of the serpents. Later in the episode, Head Six will recite a slightly different wording, about being 'lead by' serpents, to which Baltar interprets to be the vipers that had attacked the Cylon refinery.

As Elosha details the prophecy she goes to on to mention that the leader mentioned in the scrolls was dying from a wasting disease then asks Roslin, 'you aren't dying are you?' Roslin didn't answer but of course we all know that she does have cancer.

Discussing the operation plan in the war room, Lee, Tigh, Cmdr Adama and Kara all stand around the big ops table with all the little models of ships. Lee's plan is textbook from his days in war college which is why it won't work. Kara says the Cylons will see right through it. As Kara details her plan some time passes and now there are more people including the President standing around the table.

Kara wants to use 3 civilian ships as decoys posing as mining survey ships. The President is concerned for the safety of the crews on those 3 ships. Lee informs her that their FTL drives will be spooled and ready to go at the first sign of trouble. There are various other aspects of the plan discussed, most of which rely on the President's OK. They need her permission to use the civilian freighters as decoys and the civilian passengers will have to be relocated off the decoy ships to other ships in the fleet.

Cmdr Adama understands the risk of stirring the bee's nest, being the Cylons, but they don't have a lot of choice. If they keep running eventually they will be dry and sitting ducks. He makes an analogy to school yard bullies and figures that if they stop running, turn around and poke them in a sensitive spot that the bullies might back off some. The President grants them use of the freighters and bids them all good hunting. 48 hrs to game time.

Kara and Tigh meet with Baltar. They must destroy the cylons on the asteroid without nukes which would render the ore inert and unusable. Luckily Tylium is just as devastating when targeted correctly, they just have to hit the storage tanks that hold the unrefined Tylium precursor, being far more volatile than the actual fuel. Unfortunately Baltar has no idea what the tanks look like...though he fails to mention that fact to Col Tigh or Kara.

Baltar retreats into his fantasy for a moment to ask his virtual girlfriend for help. She claims to have no knowledge of Tylium refineries but that God could help him. Baltar doesn't imagine the cylon God would want to help him destroy a Cylon base killing who knows how many cylons. Head Six states that God doesn't take sides, 'he only wants your love', she tells him to open his heart and God will guide him.

Back in reality, Baltar makes a wild guess and points at the aerial image...hit it there he says, and it will be like a 3 kiloton bomb. Out in the hall Baltar is feeling guilty because he never heard God but Head Six assures him that God doesn't always speak with words. Baltar is more than concerned that the fate of humanity rests on his wild guess. Baltar is a coward, but at least he does seem to care a little about his race, if not more than his own skin.

In the gym Cmdr Adama visits Starbuck doing leg presses with her bad knee. She wants in on this operation, he tells her Doc Cottle doesn't think her knee will take it. She tries to argue so he adds more weight to her machine detailing what she would be doing in the viper with each stack. She extends her leg and then he adds more. She has to hold it for at least 10 seconds to simulate a high speed turn pulling 6 G's. She can't hold it and has to drop the stack. Then Adama says it wasn't even as much as 6 Gs, it was more like 3. He grounds her advising that Lee will be leading this run.

A bit later Kara and Lee are looking at the aerial image again, she is going over the plan details and giving Lee a 'pep' talk. He is trying to be confident - but states everyone including himself would feel better if she was coming along and that even though he may not pull off some wild stunt like she would that this is his job and he will get it done. She reminds him how important the mission is and that he shouldn't frak it up by over thinking. Then she walks off. Their relationship in this show is a far cry from the Breck Twins in the original series. Thanks the Gods. LOL

The next day back on Caprica, Helo and Sharon are walking through a horse stable. Helo quips that the great thing about being the last survivors is that no one is around to complain when they crash in their barns or raid their pantries. He then asks if she finds it strange that they haven't seen a single living human since the one {a Six} Sharon shot in the woods....Helo still doesn't know the Cylons can look human.

Sharon has this look of remorse or guilt or just that she knows the woman was not human and that any humans left alive either ran for the hills or ended up in the farms. She tells him that they are probably just hold up in their fall out shelters some where. They both climb up into the loft of the barn. He offers her a snack and she runs off to puke. He asks if she is taking her meds for radiation. She blames the beans they had for lunch. The rest of us know she is pregnant. That's right, a cylon skin job got pregnant by a human man. No, there is no higher power at work here...nope...not at all. LOL

In Galactica's hanger, Lee and Adama share a quiet chat about having insomnia the night before a mission. Bill says he has something for Lee and takes out his father's lighter, inscribed with the name Joseph Adama. Bill states that his mother, Lee's grandmother, bought it for Joe when he was in law school. Bill goes on to say that his dad was a better father than he has been. Lee doesn't answer, Bill then adds that Joe Adama claimed to never have lost a case unless he left his lighter behind.

Bill gives the lighter to Lee for luck. Lee figures his dad is worried about his ability to complete the mission. Lee feels that everyone thinks Starbuck would do the mission better. They share a touching moment when Cmdr Adama is certain that Lee will be fine...because he is his son. Then Bill tells Lee to get some rest. As Bill departs, Lee promises to return the lighter to which Bill says 'You'd better, or I'll kick your ass...its a good lighter.'

While the relationship between Lee and Bill continues to be strained, it is obvious that the emotions are there, but like most people who have had issues in the past, these 2 find it difficult to get past some of their hang ups. The Bill/Lee relationship will continue to have its ups and downs, even up to the point we are at at the middle of Season 4. Just when you think they are good to go, one of them chooses an opposing path and the cycle begins again.

The next morning on Caprica, Helo is awakened by Sharon accidentally swatting his face in her sleep. He then hears a cylon patrol coming down the road in the rain. Helo looks through binoculars and sees another copy of a 6. 'But you killed her' he says to Sharon. Sharon takes the binoculars next seeing the patrol of Centurions. Then she tells Helo they have to go now. He is still going on about the dead blonde not being dead. She prods him to get moving. They bail from the loft and start running.

Galactica jumps into the asteroid field with the Dradis interference covering their signature. The 3 civilian vessels jump into a different location and use an open channel to announce their presence. The President is with Cmdr Adama, Baltar and Gaeta in the War Room. They must wait for the cylons to take the bait. The Raptors on station report that 90 plus raiders are in bound to the decoys. Kara walks in just as the first strike force of vipers is launched from Galactica on the tail of the raiders bound for the decoys.

50 more raiders are then added by the cylons to go after the attack force that launched from Galactica. The vipers engage at 5 to 1 odds. Splash at least 1 viper. Strike Team one is not doing so well and is aborted to return to base. They are pursued by the entire raider compliment, 50 + 90 raiders come after the Galactica having overheard the recall on an open channel thus abandoning the decoys altogether.

A few more moments pass with The President and Baltar looking defeated, when Adama tells Kara it's her plan and with The President and Baltar looking a bit confused, Kara advises Gaeta to advise Dee in CIC to send a scrambled message to Apollo that 'The back door is open'.

Seconds later in a scene reminiscent of the Trojan War, a cargo bay cover on one of the decoy freighters detaches, slowly revealing a full squadron of vipers, including Apollo, that release their magnetic locks and launch from the freighter.

When the President asks Kara why that detail was kept from her, Cmdr Adama says he routinely keeps tactical information on a need to know basis, out of habit. He apologizes, though Roslin seems to be more relieved that they could actually pull off this stunt than upset for being left out of the loop.

With the raiders en route to the Galactica, and Lee's team headed for the Cylon Base through the back door, Cmdr Adama departs for the CIC. Tigh informs him they have 3 minutes until the first wave of raiders reach Galactica. The advise the first strike team to stop running and blow those frackin' raiders from the sky. The recall of the 1st strike team was all a part of Kara's plan, she seems to know the cylons pretty well. They fell for her little trick hook, line and sinker.

Meanwhile, Lee leads the second strike force down to the surface to destroy the base. The cylons have automated ground defenses that not only cost them 3 vipers and pilots, but also, according to Kat, the Cylons are jamming the missile guidance making it impossible to hit the target using the computers.

As an homage to Star Wars, Lee takes them down to the deck, to get as close as they can so they won't need the guidance, and can hit the target manually. He even takes a trip through a small tunnel, muttering to himself the whole time just like Luke Skywalker did.

Kat and Baltar both question Lee's sanity for entering the tunnel with no guarantee that it goes anywhere. Vipers can stop on a dime apparently as he reaches a dead end and makes a 90 degree turn straight up. Clear of the tunnel at last and back on the surface Apollo demonstrates just how maneuverable those vipers are. He sees the target, hops over the obstacles, drops his bombs, suffers the endless wait to detonation and then...boom Boom BOOM!!

Lee did it!! Mission Accomplished!! Everyone on Galactica is cheering!! Dr. Baltar was right on the money and will now be hailed as a hero!! This moment is the catalyst for his rise in political power as we shall see in the next episodes. Kara hugs the president then apologizes, but Roslin thanks her for such a great plan, which will provide them with enough fuel to last a couple years, then Roslin hugs Kara again.

The Viper teams are given clearance to pursue and destroy the fleeing raiders - one assumes for a bit of payback, but tactically they have to get them all before one jumps away to get help. Lee and his team return to the ship, greeted with champagne and celebrating crew members. Starbuck gives Lee a Fumarello Cigar that he lights with his dads lighter, just as the Cmdr arrives, tossing it to his dad across the deck.

Inside Baltar's dream world, Head six asks him if he ever read the Pythian Prophecies. He says not since the sixth grade and that ancient history was never his favorite. She they tells him he should have paid better attention. She repeats the reference to serpents but states it as 'lead by' serpents which they both see as referring to the vipers not actual snakes. {Is Baltar dying perhaps? He does take medicine for something, and as of season 4 he is a leader.}

Head Six then adds the part about how even though the outcome favored the few it would lead to a confrontation on the Home of the Gods; {Kobol} Just like Leoben predicted in the episode Flesh and Bone. Guias takes that to mean that God wanted Baltar to help the fleet destroy the refinery - Head Six says that he {Guias} did good. This God seems want the humans to have a chance at survival. Perhaps the Cylons were not suppose to destroy humanity? Thus their God would have to intervene to save the future? Or maybe it really is all about Baltar? That would be a kick.

Baltar seems to have a bit of epiphany at that moment, realizing that the only logical answer to his being able to so accurately guess the correct target is that he was moved by God. The episode ends with Baltar staring up at the sky in his imagination stating 'I..am...an instrument of God.'

Personally, I still think he is a Tool. LOL But the fact is clear that Head Six guides Baltar and when he does as she tells him, things work out in his favor. Someone, something, a higher power or more advanced being wants Baltar to be given a position of power. But why. It could be as simple as needing the Fleet to stop at New Caprica to delay reaching the Algae Planet before the Nova. Remember she manipulates him into making the settling of New Caprica his primary campaign platform.

Perhaps God intervened and change Racetracks jump coordinates allowing her to find New Caprica in the first place? Many things happened or were made possible as a direct result of their stay on New Caprica beyond the more obvious occupation, exodus and abduction of Kara by Leoben, including the discovery that Hera lives. However I won't get into those items until we get closer to the end of Season 2.
***

Thank you for reading
~99
^Additional^ notes from http://en.BattlestarWiki.org regarding this episode - available here.
***
In the next episode, 'Colonial Day' we finally get a dose of the civilian government, and a whole bunch of political posturing as a meeting of the Interim Quorum of 12 turns into a quest to elect a Vice President. Tom Zarek returns as the delegate for Saggitaron, his charisma and popularity forces Roslin to choose for her VP the only person in the Fleet currently more charismatic and well received than Zarek...Guias Baltar.
***

Thank you for reading,
~99
***

Reimagined BSG 'Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down' S1 E9 Commentary...Looking Back

2008-11-01T23:45:00.000-07:00

Original US Airdate: March, 4, 2005

***These articles are full of Spoilers from the entire series to date as aired in the USA...Continue At Your Own Risk--Moreover, the format assumes the reader has seen all of the episodes and specials aired through the first half of season 4, up to and including “Revelations”***

^Borrowed material is duly credited^ Thank you in advance to battlestarwiki.org, surfthechannel.com and any other entity directly mentioned in my ramblings...a polite email to ninanintius@gmail.com will add any notations you desire or remove any references/links to your sites as you wish. Thank you again.

Read the Prior Episode Commentaries Here
Re-Watch the Episode Here First

^Time Line^
***
^Day 21:^ First recollection by any of the Rising Star crew members of giving Ellen Tigh medical assistance.
^Day 26:^ Ellen Tigh regains consciousness.
^Day 28:^ William Adama retrieves Ellen Tigh from the Rising Star.

Colonel Tigh's world is turned upside down when his wife arrives on Galactica -- but is she all she claims to be? And what of the seemingly lost raider that coincides with Adama bringing Ellen back to the Galactica?

***
Imperial Commentary

This is the episode that finds Saul Tigh giving up booze for all of half a day before being faced with his presumed dead wife. And if the final cylon is someone that they practically tattooed cylon on their forehead to make them so obvious as to be too obvious then it most definitely is Ellen.

This is also the episode where they manage to tell the fans that the colonies follow the same 24 hr day 365 day year as we do on Earth. Not to mention the most hysterical scene of Baltar getting caught molesting his invisible friend by Kara.

Did you notice the CIC had a balcony? It just shows how, at least for me, how we miss the little details while focusing on the bigger picture. It would be a random trivia question I would get wrong because I couldn't recall that detail as pertinent to the overall plot.

But that is the greatest treat when watching these episodes over again...seeing the detail...not to mention the grandness of the set. This balcony is not so different from that in the future images of the mysterious Opera House, wrapping around the main stage below in a half circle. I wonder if that was an accident or if it was on purpose?

The balcony has consoles and work stations with personnel doing their duties. There is a glass shield that is similar to those in hospitals that have a gallery for watching surgical procedures without being in the room. The CIC also has a central computer console that retracts up into the rafters like the score board at some arena's.

As the first scene takes shape we see President Roslin lurking up above on the balcony while Cmdr Adama stands at the center just below the computer screens being lowered from the ceiling. Gaeta approaches, gives the Cmdr a report from Baltar and advises him that the President is waiting for him.

Adama looks up and they make eye contact. She is still reeling from the comment made by the LeOben about "Adama is a cylon" but waves and smiles, a gesture he returns.

I figure her motives in the last episode to have the cylon airlocked were no more than political moves on her part. She had to show Cmdr Adama she had the brass to do what he was going to do from the start. Show him that she, the President, would decide who gets airlocked and she would do it herself.

She doesn't need him coddling her. And he did seem to approve. I wonder if he would have been as happy if she had kept her word and not airlocked the cylon? Would he have challenged her authority and tried to have the cylon executed or would he just beat him to death like he did the first one at Ragnor? Or would he cave to her will?

Later in the flashback movie Razor, young Adama bludgeons a cylon centurion and sees a man that some say looked like Leoben, personally I thought he looked far more like Tyrol. Or say Tyrol's father. The scene where he beats the centurion to death is very similar to the one at Ragnor years later.

Cmdr Adama is my other hopeful for the final cylon. Simply because they made a big stink about him putting it in his contract that he woudn't be a cylon - that just sounds insanely made up - and also because it would turn the whole show on its ear.

It's not so crazy to rationalize him as the final cylon. I mean they had 360 degrees of direction to choose from out into space away from their home solar system...how did he just happen to know what direction to pick?

I suppose that it is possible, though not mentioned, that they knew in what direction Earth was supposed to be according to legend, just not exactly how far or specifically where, just in what general direction to go looking.

Cmdr Adama meets with Roslin and tells her the cylon detector is done. They then start a bit of cat and mouse hinting about who should go first to be tested. She says "If your a cylon, I would really like to know" to which he replies "If I am a cylon you are really screwed" they both laugh but the banter continues.

She wants him to go first to show the people that the leadership can be trusted. He says then she should go first...she doesn't smile. And he concedes. Dang she has him so whipped already. LOL

In addition to the expected features of a Battlestar, Galactica has a small observation lounge complete with telescopes and chairs for cuddling while star gazing. Billy and Dee {who apparently are an item now and whose last name should be Williams... ;)} sit by the main window as 2 vipers on CAP do a fly by. Dee says they did that because they knew she was in there.

We hear over the PA that those in the lounge are about out of time. Apparently this room is in demand and therefore time for its use is limited. I presume that all those present are in the military or there as guests of someone in the military like Billy.

He and Dee share a kiss then Billy starts grilling her about the Old Man. Dee gives up a few details about how Adama has been behaving lately before realizing she was being prodded. Apparently Adama has been making mysterious calls off ship with no log record. Behaving distractedly. Going off ship with no flight plan. Later Billy relays the intel to Roslin. And tells her he can't believe they actually think Cmdr Adama is a cylon or somehow replaced by a cylon duplicate.

Baltar is in the lab with head 6 asking if suicide is really a sin, she says its a mortal one. 47,905 people in fleet...11 hrs to confirm each test result...21,956 days or approximately 61 years to test them all...he would rather kill himself. {Do the math here to see that they have a 24 hr day and 365 day year.} After a bit more self pity she then offers him some perks, to which he giddily and perversely accepts.

He is soon interrupted by Kara...one of the funniest scenes ever. Baltar tries to explain his frottage of the desk as stretching exercises...Kara tells him to zip his fly and clearly doesn't see head six bent over the desk with her skirt up to her waist. Nice ass by the way. LOL

Colonel Tigh sits alone in his quarters staring at the remaining bits of booze in his bottle. He pours out the last of it into the trash then pulls out the burnt image of his wife Ellen, which he crumples and throws out also. "At least I did that much today" he says to himself before being summoned to the CIC.

A lone cylon raider has jumped into the fleet. Lee is on CAP and goes after the bird, takes out the weapons and then the raider jumps away. But it doesn't go far before appearing again. This raider is wounded they think. Tigh asks about the Old Man. Dee advises that Cmdr Adama is not on board and hasn't been on board for over an hour.

Tigh is dumbfounded that Adama is gone missing but maintains his focus on the task at hand. He sees an opportunity to get better intel from the raider so he orders a raptor in the air to get readings off the bird before it jumps away again. Meanwhile Adama returns in his raptor with a passenger. Colonel Tigh's presumed dead whore of a wife Ellen.

Down on Caprica, Helo and Sharon are running from the cylons through storm drains. When Helo can't understand why all of sudden the cylons are out in full force just for them, she tells him the cylons are after her because she overheard plans that they are establishing a base at the city of Delphi. Sharon also plans for them to steal a ship from there to get off the planet.

Back on Galactica the president is dismayed to learn that Adama has canceled his blood test for that of someone named Ellen with no last name given. Roslin orders him to resume the test on Adama and hangs up.

Ellen and Saul embrace, as she details her whereabouts. She claims she has been on the Rising Star. That she was on Picon getting a ticket home when she was apparently knocked out and some random stranger saved her. She claims to have been unconscious this whole time until just a few days ago. Saul is clearly ecstatic she is back and wants to start over telling her that the past is the past. She wants some booty but he is on duty. Then he gets called to go meet with the President.

Tyrol, Adama and Kara are in the CIC discussing the goofy raider. Every time it jumps they get more intel on the FTL drive, which Kara sees as a good thing in helping them with the one they have in the hanger bay. Lee walks up, he is briefed and then Adama invites him to dinner.

Tigh meets with the President on Colonial One, getting defensive when she starts questioning Adama. She wants to know if Tigh has seen any odd behavior then mentions the timing of him being off ship while a cylon raider is bouncing around the fleet. He explains to the President that Adama went to get his wife. Ellen. The president tells him she is happy that his wife has been found then excuses him. After he leaves she calls Baltar and requests that the test on Ellen be resumed immediately. LOL

Ellen manages to acquire some Ambrosia which she surprises Saul with. He is still on duty but she talks him into celebrating. They get a good buzz on before having dinner in the Cmdr's quarters. The President, Cmdr Adama, and Lee are all there too. Ellen gets even more drunk talking non stop. She wants to know where Earth is then starts mentioning Zack. When she says that Lee is the spitting image of his mother, I wonder if that is a dig to Bill that maybe Lee isn't his? Ellen settles down when the Cmdr advises her that Zack is dead. Ellen then starts playing footsie under the table on Lee's leg.

Bill states there is some mystery about how she got on the Rising Star - no one gave her any treatment until last week. And she knows that cylons look like them now - a fact only just recently revealed to the public. If it weren't so obvious that the writers want us to think she is a cylon I would say she was as likely as anyone. but then again, maybe being obvious is the best way to throw us off.

She would be the last cylon. She would be unknown to the others. And was already dead by the time the music played at the end of season 3. She could even be the one who Deanna shakes hands with in her vision of the final 5 during season 3. Because Ellen worked for Cavil and was fraking him to get Saul out of the Detention Center. So Deanna should have known her.

She may even have known she was a cylon and that Saul was too always trying to get him more power, though bringing out his drunkenness was counter productive to his advancement so maybe she didn't know. In any case, cylons are obviously attracted to each other sexually giving more weight to the idea of Ellen being the final. Tyrol and Boomer. Caprica and Saul. Anders and Tory. Saul and Ellen? Cavil and Ellen?

However, if she is not the final cylon then it is likely she had a boyfriend that she was shacking up with this whole time and maybe he put her in the hospital and she made up the rest so she could get back with Tigh. As of the end of mid season 4, she hasn't been revealed to be anything but a slutty manipulator that wants her hubby to get ahead so she can be on his arm. Although she did get him out of detention, she nearly sacrificed all of humanity for it. Clearly a selfish move.

During dinner when Adama says that anyone of them could be a cylon there is a long silence as they all look at each other across the table suspiciously until Ellen yells "Boo!" and makes them all jump. Her and Tigh bust up laughing.

Cmdr Adama ends the party and thanks everyone for coming. Ellen gropes Lee while Tigh tells the Old Man how happy he is. After the Tighs leave, Lee says to his dad and the President, if Ellen 'isn't' a cylon then they are all in a lot of trouble. I find that too damn funny. Adama states that Ellen has slept with half fleet according to scuttlebutt, while Tigh was off in space. And she has a penchant for bringing out the worst in Tigh...a self destructive nature. Roslin points out that he clearly loves her deeply. Adama adds 'and blindly.'

Flashing back to Helo and Sharon on Caprica, we see they are underground in some kind of sewer storm drain. She peers out a man hole to see lots of centurions on patrol. She tells him they have to find another way out. He is tired and can't understand why she doesn't ever need to stop. She says its just adrenaline and to move!

Saul and Ellen stumble while giggling through the hall back to their quarters on Galactica. She is flicking Adama crap even though Tigh tells her to cool it...then climbs up on a scaffold wrapping her legs around Saul's head. She gyrates and chants that "Bill Adama doesn't know where earth is" in a very child like tone, just as Baltar walks up. He says I don't believe I have had the pleasure and starts to introduce himself to Ellen who already knows who he is and states that the pleasure is all hers.

Head Six appears...which strikes me now as interesting. She says to Baltar 'There is something here isn't there?' Then says that he should definitely be watching her. Ellen invites him for a night cap but then he gets paged to his lab. After Baltar leaves, Tigh and Ellen have a tense moment about her flirting. Then she tries to tell him that Bill put his hand on her leg at dinner but Tigh says he won't fall for it. She adds that Bill came to visit her on the Rising Star and that Bill would touch her while she pretended to sleep. She then drags him off to Baltar's lab to prove it.

When I was studying the different archetype personalities, the one that I found to be missing was 'The Child'. Up until I re watched this episode I figured it was likely going to mean either one of the now known 11 cylons was more child like than I was getting from their personalities or the final cylon was Boxey. But now...now I am wondering if it really is Ellen?

In the lab there is discussion about why the test on Ellen was stopped, Roslin takes the blame. There is a lovely argument going about who is a cylon and then Ellen tries to say that Bill wants her in the physical sense, but really he just wants to keep an eye on her.

The officers get called to CIC - the wounded raider is back. The XO orders the alert fighters to launch. Kara says the raider is just playing them. Just then the raider is suddenly not as injured anymore and makes a b-line for the ship. It has no weapons but can still play Kamikaze. However, since Saul ordered the alert fighters in time, they managed to take out the target before it could cause any damage to The Galactica.

Later when Bill and Tigh discuss what happened with Ellen in the lab, Bill thanks Saul for doing his job and saving the ship. He just doesn't want Ellen or anything to come between them. Bill needs Saul without the cup of booze in his hand. Saul claims he was just celebrating.

On Caprica the Six and Doral are discussing how Sharon and Helo managed to escape. Six says that Sharon loves Helo now and thinks she cant live without him. Sharon's compassion has made her resourceful. Doral asks Six if it bothers her because she has never experienced that feeling. Doral even wonders what it would be like to feel that intensely about someone else. The look on Six's face is one of holding back tears, indicating to me that she has had that feeling which also tells me that she is definitely the Six that saved Baltar the one we will know later as Caprica Six.

At the end, all of the players from the dinner party are gathered back in the lab where Baltar tells them that Ellen's test is very green - she is not a cylon. Ellen hugs Bill and tells him not to frak with her, he replies 'don't frak with me either.' Head Six then appears to comment about how they don't know that everyone passes this test. Baltar says its much simpler really, no muss no fuss. When she asks him what the real result was...he says...'I will never tell'...then grins.

Frak - if not for what Head Six said about watching her - watching Ellen - I would have dismissed all the clues to her obviously being a cylon as red herrings and too obvious. Then again - watching her because Ellen has her own agenda and perhaps as an angel of god Head Six sees Ellen for the spawn of hell she really is. LOL

From Wiki - an Excerpt from the Official Season 1 Companion Book regarding Baltar's Cylon Detector...

Q. "What is Baltar hoping to gain from keeping the test results secret?"

* Answer: The official Season 1 companion book explains this more fully. Basically, Baltar does not know if the Cylons in the Fleet are capable of communicating with each other. That's why in "Flesh and Bone" he didn't call in the Marines to grab Sharon as soon as she left his lab; if he reveals one or two of the Cylons, while more are still at large, he is afraid that the others will then target him for assassination. More or less, Baltar's plan is to screen out as many people as he can to find all of the Cylons, and then reveal them in one fell swoop.

Even if they don't possess a communications net, they might just realize his Cylon detector works if one of their number like Boomer is revealed by the test; he wants them to think it doesn't really work. Alternatively, as it might take years to test the entire Fleet, Baltar would do what he will do later on in "Resistance"; find one Cylon, then interrogate it to find out who the other Cylons are, etc. For the moment, he is biding his time.
***

Thank you for reading
~99

^Additional^ notes from http://en.BattlestarWiki.org regarding this episode - available here.
***In the next episode, 'The Hand of God' the Fleet faces another reality, that fuel does not last forever. If they don't find a source of Tylium soon, they are fraked. With only enough fuel left for 2 more jumps, they have to decide between attempting to take what they need from a Cylon refinery discovered on a nearby asteroid or risk using up the fuel they have to find a safer source.
***

Thank you for reading,
~99

***

Reimagined BSG Flesh and Bone S1 E8 Commentary...Looking Back

2008-10-25T18:36:00.000-07:00

Original US Airdate: February, 25, 2005

***These articles are full of Spoilers from the entire series to date as aired in the USA...Continue At Your Own Risk--Moreover, the format assumes the reader has seen all of the episodes and specials aired through the first half of season 4, up to and including “Revelations”***

^Borrowed material is duly credited^ Thank you in advance to battlestarwiki.org, surfthechannel.com and any other entity directly mentioned in my ramblings...a polite email to ninanintius@gmail.com will add any notations you desire or remove any references/links to your sites as you wish. Thank you again.

Read the Prior Episode Commentaries Here

Re-Watch the Episode Here First

^Time Line^

***

^Day 25:^ A copy of Leoben Conoy is found, interrogated and ejected from an airlock.

When a copy of Leoben Conoy is captured aboard a civilian ship, President Roslin orders his interrogation, and Lieutenant Thrace is assigned the job. She finds herself facing the possibility that the Cylon may have planted a bomb somewhere in the Fleet.

***

Imperial Commentary

We get off to a dreamy start with President Laura Roslin dressed in white linens, bathed in bright light, running through a dark misty forest, seemingly running from Colonial Marines while apparently running toward a LeOben model cylon. He pulls her behind a tree covering her mouth while the marines pass them by. She lifts her hand toward them for a second but doesn't really struggle again LeOben's grasp.

Once the marines disappear into the darkness he releases her...steps backward...looks down and then up....and then 'whoosh' is sucked backward by some unknown force into the darkness...Roslin slowly looks around when she sees him again standing behind her. He says her name "Laura" loud and sternly which startles her awake. She is now in her bed back on Colonial One.

The question still remains, not how she had a vision about a cylon they are about to find on board the Gemenon Traveler, because that could easily be from the Chamalla. No the big question is why in her dream was she running from the Marines - not toward them, and why did she look so angelic?

The Oracles use Chamalla to induce trances which aide in their ability to have visions. However it is generally assumed, even in our reality that such gifts are inherent and only intensified - not caused by the drugs. If the drugs caused the visions - then everyone would take them and tell the future. Most who take the drug will suffer hallucinations. The only real difference between a hallucination and a vision is that the latter generally comes true in one form or another.

It is further possible that the Oracles going back to Pythia or even before, had the gift of precognition and discovered by chance or by vision that the drug would enhance the experience, possibly creating the ideal chemical reaction in ones brain to process these images in more vivid detail.

Of course my wild imagination is merely filling the blanks left by the ones that wrote the story to begin with and until they tell us otherwise its as good a theory as any.

What I am saying here is that Laura Roslin has or rather always has had the gift...The day in the doctors office when she learned of her cancer and prognosis, she had a few flashing images go through her mind even then. And the way she gets lost in her thoughts having to be startled back to reality is similar to cylon projection...and even Baltar's imagination, although his is more in the now.

Laura wakes, sits up, goes to the john and takes some meds. Billy asks her if she is ok through the door and that she has an urgent call from the Captain of the Gemenon Traveler. They have found a cylon hiding on board and have captured it and locked under guard.

Most colonials at this point refer to the cylons as 'it' but later when Roslin ends the interrogation she refers to him as 'this man'. Of course she was manipulating both the cylon and Kara at the time.

As she is looking at LeOben's pic while talking to the Cmdr on the phone, she has a flash from her dream. Cmdr Adama orders the Gemenon Traveler to be isolated. He wants the cylon destroyed. Roslin wants the cylon interrogated by someone who won't easily be fooled. Adama protests stating that this model is too manipulative. Roslin then 'orders' Cmdr Adama to interrogate the cylon and he concedes.

Did I miss the episode where he softened on his whole...this is a military matter and I will make the military calls? Perhaps after he made such a stink over searching for Kara that he feels more respect for her. That she gets his point of view. Or he is already getting a crush on her and letting it sway him.

So he picks Starbuck. Why? Well it is her destiny but seriously why? You can't bull shit a bullshitter...that's why. If you have a delinquency issue at your school you get a former delinquent to assist you. If you have a smooth talking walking male model cyber toy who is known for being a bit smug and proud...you send someone just like him...albeit a female human toy but same difference.

Cmdr Adama and Kara discuss the stolen raider and Starbuck goes on about all they have got working on the thing with the FTL just around the corner.

I still don't get how something without a brain can be made to work...so maybe the brain was just the pilot and the raider itself is still a machine. They really need to work that one out for me...It seems if you rip the brain out of a skin job you can't program it to keep walking around so why does it work in the raider. I don't usually poo-poo over this stuff but if it was alive before - it is now dead so it should not be possible that they can make it work.

Mostly because it conflicts with the ideal that the cylons are more alive than we realize. Something I believe the writers and producers want us to realize. Or perhaps its a testament to the various levels of cylon evolution. Perhaps the raiders are just uninvolved enough to be more machine than not.

Now for the fun part - I believe that Scar - was the reincarnated Raider that Kara killed/captured on that planet. His consciousness was ripped from the shell when she removed his brain. That would be traumatic. And would make for one blood thirsty raider. Aka SCAR.

When Adama warns Kara that the LeOben will try to get in her head she replies "It's ok, my mom always said there was nothing in there anyways".

{Random Theories/questions Triggered}
Have the cylons ever been to their home world? How do we know it even exists? How far away was the Hub? The Colonials had to jump with the Cylons but the Hub jumps too. The Hub must follow the cylons or they can just jump really far in those Basestars. The Basestars regenerate and bleed. (Season 4) So what about the other ships? Raiders yes, heavy raider? Res Ship?

And are there a set number of copies for each model - both in spares and those active at one time? Are the cylon Skinjobs in possession of the original Centurion 'Souls'? Are they the primary copy of each model? Or were those original Souls perhaps the source of the final 5 or the Guardians? Will they ever tell us??
{End Randomness}

Later on Boomer visits and hums to the broken raider again. Wondering to Tyrol if what she said about treating it like a pet vs a machine worked...Tyrol said it did and asked her how she thought of it. She says - I am a cylon - he says that's not funny. She asks if she could prove she wasn't a cylon would it make a difference to the chief as far as their relationship was concerned? He didn't answer and she walked off.

We all know what a basket case Boomer was after resurrecting. (Season 2) Finding out her life was a lie and that the lie forced her to betray the ones she loved like family. Add to that the fleets later acceptance of Athena, and the way Helo's love for Athena saved her life - vs Tyrol just dumping Boomer, I would say that Boomer is a classic broken heart who even now struggles to fit in by joining up with Cavil...and he is so sweet..cough..calls her his pet Eight. (Season 4)

Meanwhile Starbuck is on board a Raptor getting permission to dock with the Gemenon Traveler. We then see her outside the makeshift brig discussing with the guard how human the cylon looks both on the inside and out when she notes the model is sweating. She finds it interesting. Then enters and asks LeOben if he is sleeping, he says he is praying.

He ignores her questions about cylons and bombs, asking her name after introducing himself. She prods him further while he tries to play her mind by guessing her name. Though he calls her Lt Starbuck not Thrace. Says he 'saw' her, he knew this time would come and now they can talk. Says he planted a nuclear warhead to go off at 1830 hrs. He refers to her superiors as her masters.

Adama orders radiological sweeps of all ships. Starbuck tells Adama and the President that he guessed her call sign. Adama believes he could have heard it anywhere. LeOben starts giving Starbuck details about herself like the gods she prays too being Artemis and Aphrodite. {There is a funny inside joke to be had here.}

He then says To Know the Face of God is to Know Madness. He says he 'sees' the universe and he 'sees' the patterns. Goes on to tell her that he has a secret to tell her about the future but that they have to see this through to the end. Then lunch comes.

He is clearly hungry but keeps talking about faith whiles she eats in front of him. He then asks for the food. He hasn't eaten for days and says the cylons choose to feel hungry or in pain to be more human. The guard then hits him. LeOben says it hurt. Starbuck explains the way a human would feel pain and that he can't turn it off or admit he is a machine. Then he challenges her to "let the games begin".

Why were people more affronted at Gina being beaten than this LeOben? You take out the rapes and her treatment wasn't all different than what Starbuck does to LeOben, he just got put out of his misery sooner. Hindsight is 20/20 and of course we saw the cheap thrills the Peggy crew was getting from torturing Gina vs the ethical quandary that Starbuck goes through even before she is done with him.

So perhaps I was less bothered by this than the other because of how the torturers felt about it after. It is not the action that bothers me so much as the reaction by those that did it. I guess. LOL (Beings this is not real) And too with Gina - she was not just interrogated for a few days then locked up or airlocked - she was turned into a sex toy for the crew...and that's just shitty.

Back in the lab Baltar is studying tissue samples while Head Six gives him a neck massage. She says "look what the cat dragged in" when Boomer shows up at the Hatch.

Baltar puts his suave on while Head Six asks him if he has ever wondered why she is called Boomer? Boomer then starts to ask about the cylon detector. He says its hush hush, and asks her why they call her Boomer. She ignores him and asks to be put in the first batch. When prompted by head 6 he asks her what her rush is and makes excuses about not playing favorites...if he is even working on anything.

Boomer then reminds him how her ECO gave up his seat and that she brought Baltar back to Galactica...saving his life and that he now 'owes' her. Head six smiles and says...'she shoots...she scores'.

Head six wants him to do it as the results will be quite interesting. he says they aren't ready yet for large scale testing but could use a Beta test subject. It is really not clear at this point if Head Six knows that Boomer is a sleeper or just knows she is a cylon or if she is just guessing...I think she knows...but I don't think the cylons know about her - Head Six.

Back on Caprica... the other Sharon is watching Helo sleep while the Six and Doral walk through a playground commenting that Sharon is late. When Doral comments on Six referring to this model as 'Sharon' Six states she prefers to think of Sharon as one of 'them' the humans, not because she doesn't like her but because 'in the grand scheme of things, we are what we do...and if she acts like one of them and she thinks like one of them...she is one of them."

That is an interesting statement sort of like if it walks like a duck...and it follows to say that the more the cylons are around humans...the more they all begin to exhibit all manner of human behavior, therefore making them more human. Not all humans are well behaved of course.

Like Kirk said...'We are all human' and whether or not Spock finds it insulting or not...being Human has nothing to do with your species and everything to do with your behavior.

Human should equal humane since the words are related. Sadly it doesn't, but someday perhaps it will. Even the cylons found it inhumane for the resistance fighters on New Caprica to leave them, the cylons to die slowly. Of course putting a drill bit in a guys ear is perfectly ok. LOL For Deanna. {Season 3}

Athena arrives at the swing set and tells them she had sex with Helo. Six wants to know if he has professed his love for her. Athena says no but that she thinks he does love her despite Six insisting that he say it out loud.

It is not clear if this is the Caprica Six that saved Baltar or the "Are you Alive" Armistice six we have seen killed twice now. Her obsession with hearing the words "I love you" leads me to think this is Caprica Six the one that saved Baltar. The other Six only says "Are you Alive?" LOL

Doral then tells Athena they have set up a nice love nest and she has to convince Helo to set up house there or she must kill him. When asked if she can handle it, Athena doesn't answer, she just leaves them thinking she will handle it then runs toward Helo, and tells him they have to run now. Even faster than before. "Trust me" she says.

Kara is still with LeOben trying to get him to give up the nuke. Now he is telling her he is God. She laughs. He begins to preach about how humans wasted the love of God and that is why God created the Cylons. The Marines leave and LeOben tells her what he could do before they get back. Then he does it...breaking his bonds...and pinning Kara to the wall with one hand.

Cylons have super human strength but they rarely use it...perhaps it is against their religion. I wonder why Gina didn't fight back so they would just kill her. Maybe she really loved Cain and couldn't bear the guilt over betraying her trust or maybe she was just as brokenhearted that Cain could do order those things to be done to her and lost her will to live. Or fighting back would be considered suicide.

I suppose even cylons can be weakened to being unable to fight back - she was shackled also. But it just seemed like they choose not to fight back when they are perfectly able to...like the Amish. Or its more likely that they have learned that humans cannot be beaten one on one. Perhaps explaining the original attacks. Perhaps they are just as unpredictable as humans? Perhaps its guilt over the devastation that stops them. Most likely it is a belief that they must not use that strength as it is too machine like.

Adama visits the first 'dead' LeOben in the morgue. The one from Ragnor Anchorage. Time is running out so he orders that the fleet distance themselves from each other. Whichever ship has the nuke will be far enough away from the others to minimize damage. He stands over the body with the phone receiver in his hand clearly thinking about pummeling the cylon with the handset. He doesn't.

Meanwhile Starbuck tries water torture on LeOben who mentions her destiny. They discuss cylon resurrection. And cyborg technology. He swears he has a soul. And begins to mention Kara's mother. He has Kara's attention. He strikes a nerve giving vivid details about her childhood and the things her mother used to tell her...and do to her...so she tells the marines to start again. LeOben stops resisting. He seems to be enjoying his torture. Perhaps its the smugness of having envisioned these events, and having them come true?

Back in the lab, Baltar tells Boomer it will only take a few minutes to test if she is a cylon. She mentions being from Troy - not Aerelon - a mining colony. And her whole family was killed in a well known accident.

Now Head Six appears to point out the test results and wonders if Baltar will tell her and if Boomer will react well...that most likely Boomer doesn't even know she is a cylon and that her cylon nature will probably take over and break his neck before he can tell anyone. So Baltar panics as usual and changes the results. He send Boomer on her way happily thinking she is no cylon. In later episodes he states the test actually takes 11 hrs per person. Probably a plot rewrite to make it seem a more daunting task.

{Theories}
Why didn't Baltar go to Adama? Perhaps his head six doesn't want him too. But it is more likely that he was just being lazy and avoiding the effort of having to testify against Boomer - whom did save his life sort of. Helo did technically. Of course now that Baltar let Boomer go she is now free to shoot the Old Man at the end of season 1. We could postulate that Baltar could have prevented it but could he? How do we know that Boomer would not have activated the moment exposed and killed everyone in the room?
{End Theories}

On Colonial One Laura Roslin takes a nap and has another dream about LeOben - he says he has something to tell her. she wakes and makes arrangements to go see the cylon.

Kara is not getting anywhere with the torture. LeOben is getting better at holding his breath and at getting into Kara's head. He quotes scripture about how All this has happened before and all will happen again. He then tells her that her role this time around is to deliver his soul unto God. That they (the fleet I assume) will find Kobol and the way to Earth.

In walks Roslin. Who asks what is happening and seems to be playing the "Good Cop" role chastising Kara for not getting anywhere torturing 'that man'. She begins to make LeOben promises. Removes his shackles. Mentions peace between their peoples. "Tell me what I need to know - and you will live".

Roslin makes this promise and breaks it over an over again. And not just to Cylons. She is way too good at playing politics for a former teacher. If anyone on this show has a dark past they are hiding its Roslin...and not just the affair she had with Adar. (Deleted Scenes.)

LeOben then states the bomb was a ruse, that Kara was right, he was afraid they were too far away from a resurrection ship and he was stalling for time. {Sort of tells us the Cylon Fleet needed time to catch up but are near.} He then asks her to take pity on Kara for doing her job, pauses and then hugs her - freaking out the guards while whispering to Roslin "Adama is a cylon". He lets her go and steps back.

When the bomb doesn't go off the President orders him airlocked. Kara protests that she can't do that after promising...Roslin says "yes I can and I will". Roslin then makes a speech about dangerous machines and not keeping them around.

Kara walks up to the glass and places her hand over LeOben's. In the subtitles it seems Kara tells LeOben telepathically or perhaps she lipped it and I missed it...that she will pray for him..."You promise?"..."I promise"...because then LeOben does just as he did in Roslin's dream...lowering his head then raising it as he is sucked in the blackness of space. Afterward Kara prays to her deities for his soul - if he has a soul - to be cared for and presumably delivered to his God.

At the end in Cmdr Adama's quarters, he questions Roslin's motives for going there in the first place...she says that President Adar once said "The interesting thing about being president....is you don't have to explain yourself to anyone." The Cmdr just smiles. Remember he didn't like Adar. But he clearly likes Laura. Whether or not this is good for the fleet remains to be seen.

***

Thank you for reading
~99

^Additional^ notes copied from http://en.BattlestarWiki.org regarding this episode - full text is available here.

* Conoy to Starbuck, towards the end of his interrogation, just before Roslin's arrival:

Conoy: Each of us plays a role; each time a different role. Maybe the last time I was the interrogator and you were the prisoner. The players change, the story remains the same. And this time – this time – your role is to deliver my soul unto God. Do it for me. It’s your destiny. And mine. (He pauses) And I told you I had a surprise for you. Are you ready? You are going to find Kobol, birthplace of us all. Kobol will lead you to Earth. This is my gift to you, Kara.

***

In the next episode, 'Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down' the estranged and assumed dead wife of Colonel Tigh is alive and well. Her appearance coincides with a stray Cylon Raider and stirs things up like a Brothel Madame at Temple.

***

Thank you for reading,
~99

***

Reimagined BSG "Six Degrees of Separation" S1 E7 Commentary...Looking Back

2008-10-15T17:20:00.000-07:00

Original US Airdate: February, 18, 2005

***These articles are full of Spoilers from the entire series to date as aired in the USA...Continue At Your Own Risk--Moreover, the format assumes the reader has seen all of the episodes and specials aired through the first half of season 4, up to and including “Revelations”***

^Borrowed material is duly credited^

Read the Prior Episode Commentaries Here

Re-Watch the Episode Here First

^Time Line^

***

^Day 24:^"Caprica" Valerii and Helo make love for the first time.

"Shelly Godfrey" implicates Dr. Baltar in the attack on the Colonies; she later disappears.

A woman who calls herself "Shelly Godfrey," a possible cylon 6, physically arrives on Galactica and accuses Gaius Baltar of treachery.

***

Imperial Commentary

Alrighty then, finally we come to the episode with Shelley Godfrey and now that I have seen it again I am 100% convinced that Shelley was in fact Head Six manifested solid so that everyone could see her. How else would she have known about Dr. Amarak? Only President Roslin, Baltar, Billy and Head Six knew about that. More to the point, how would she have just vanished?

The folks over on the Wiki board had originally thought that Head Six was in contact with the other cylons in the Fleet...however, Head Six told Baltar in the last episode (Litmus) that the Cylons didn't know about her and him.

From what I have seen up to the end of the first half of season 4, Head Six doesn't lie, her words could be taken as gospel, not to be too cliche. There may be a few ways to interpret some of her comments, but generally speaking, the only comment yet to come true is the one in regard to Humanities End. (An end can be many things.)

So if the cylons didn't know about Head Six then she obviously was not in contact with them and therefore Shelley Godfrey was not a cylon but was in fact our virtual goddess solidified for the purpose of forcing Baltar to give himself over to her and to her God.

In addition to getting Baltar's faith, the little charade over the mysterious disk, faked images and false...cough...accusations, served to create an air of false trust in Baltar. Basically along the lines of our own Double Jeopardy laws, being that one cannot be tried twice for the same crime. Now that he has been accused of treason and proved innocent, it won't be until the Cylons occupy New Caprica that the thought of his duplicity comes up again.

Speaking of the Double Jeopardy rule, it made a great movie with Ashley Judd and showed just how dumb it is to fake your own death while framing your wife for your own murder. Because she can now kill you for real and get away with it. (evil laughter)

Personally, other than his cowardice at not admitting he was duped by the cylon Six, something that he could have told Roslin right away, racked with guilt, tears in eyes, throwing himself on their mercy, I feel the only thing Baltar is truly guilty of is being a self centered horn dog. In fact, the one thing he struggles with over and over until after his trial at the end of season 3, is his inherent quest for self preservation. Only after he joins the Bunny Squad and offers up his life for that of the child, do we begin to see the changes in him. But we won't go there...until we get there.

The reality is that he did not in fact conspire with anyone. He had a hot blond, he wanted to get laid, she was posing a corporate network administrator with amazing programming skills, and he needed her help to finish the defense network's latest upgrade. He assumed she wanted to poke around in the defense mainframe to get some inside information so she could bid on some contract or another.

During the mini, Caprica Six had accused him of knowing the truth and just not admitting it...which seems unlikely. A man like Baltar is too self absorbed in his own little world to notice anything about anyone else's motives. So at the worst his first crime was Corporate Espionage, his second was covering up what he knew. Had Baltar told them immediately about his blond girl friend..they would have never believed Shelley...in fact I doubt she would have ever appeared - at least not in that form. Of course its also unlikely he would have been given the freedom/power he had and would have then been of no use to the Devine Head Six.

Shelley's attempt to seduce Adama at first seemed typical for a six, but now that I think about it, I believe that 'Shelley' was intentionally being obvious to make sure they didn't execute Baltar before discovering the disk was faked. As Gaeta said at the end, once the image was fully rendered the markers were so obvious, it was as if she wanted them to be found. Furthering the idea that it was all just a ploy to get Baltar to embrace the faith as well as make it more difficult for anyone to accuse him of treason.

The biggest question remains even now. Why Baltar? Why would God or any divine being choose Baltar for their conduit in whatever grand plan is playing out. Perhaps it was simply that despite all his actions and talk to the contrary, Baltar did in fact love Caprica and by association, loves his Head-Six.

Even after learning the truth that she was a cylon, he still loved her. And after she sacrificed herself to save him, perhaps as he ran for his life his mind could not let the thought of her go so the divine chose him, and chose her form, knowing that would be the trigger he could not resist. That and the fact that Caprica Six is very devout to her faith, so perhaps she was also chosen.

I always enjoy Baltar's little rants. His lack of faith is similar to my own, though I am not quite as adamant about it as he is. Preferring the chicken soup approach...it may not do any good to have some belief, but it can't really hurt. Personally, my issues have always been with interpretation rather than faith. But that is for another blog.

For the purposes of staying withing this show, I believe what they believe, and the message they are sending is that yes, there is a higher power manipulating the events of the last survivors of humanity. What that power is, remains to be seen. A higher power could be as simple as a more advanced race. Or it could really be a true God. Either way, someone or something is pulling strings.

The episode starts off with Baltar studying blood samples, snarkily chiding Head Six about not seeing the hand of God anywhere in the one he is inspecting. Further stating that with so many samples to go through that surely he would eventually find God. Being trapped in his own personal religion...that of the Mystic Cylon Detector.

If you notice, whenever Baltar gets a bit stressed and starts ranting, that is when his virtual playmate starts to seduce him. Only this time her efforts to use her wiles to get him to admit that her God is the only God causes him to rant further...which of course pisses Head 6 off, sending her storming from his fantasy bedroom.

You have to love the comic karma that even his fantasies turn against him. When Dualla knocks on the hatch he is still lost in his daydream. He then jokes to Dee that "I talk to myself...hang me." Later in season 3, he actually tries to hang himself. Once snapped back to reality he is lead to the CIC, where Shelley Godfrey is waiting for him. The timing of her arrival lends further credibility to my theory that she was Head Six made solid. Even Tricia Helfer was not sure what Shelley Godfrey was and likely they won't tell us. Then again...they might.

Also in this episode we have a recovering Kara Thrace, whom after Lee and Tigh both show up to tease her in sick bay, their efforts based on reverse psychology, playing on Starbucks ego, finally finds her strength and hobbles down to the hangar deck where the Chief and Cally have been trying to get that captured brainless raider to work.

Starbucks notes make no sense to them. Cally giggles as she reads them to the Tyrol "to pull on the long red veiny thing attached to the goo filled sack"...or something like that. Maybe that is just what I heard? LOL

Boomer gets a bit creepy, or rather creeps out Tyrol when she suggests treating the raider as a pet vs a thing. She lovingly caresses its head while musing over its purpose. That the cylons designed it to be a fighter. She then leaves in a huff when he stares blankly at her from under the raiders belly.

It is only after Starbuck crawls inside the raider herself that she realizes it was her foot that pushed the right ligament, not her hands. I seriously wanted to die laughing when Starbuck told Tyrol the raider was a girl and he said to go ahead and crawl inside 'her' "if you don't mind 'her' goo all over your face, she is all yours sir" LMAO!! After she brings it to life, the chief says "don't shoot anything."

President Roslin collapses from taking too much medicine for her cancer. Billy panicked and ordered the Doctor be summoned over the wireless which caused a media frenzy. Politics, my Gods, why can't they make a show about survival where people function as a unit because that is the only way to survive and no one clings to this petty ideology that we must have a government. People only need a government so they can blame someone else for their woes rather than taking responsibility for their actions like grown ups should.

We want free trade but are so greedy we make it impossible to have a fair system. We refuse to punish those that go out of their way to screw someone else - to me the worse crime a person can do is one of personal gain to the detriment of another - assuming that other is an innocent - you can screw all the bad guys you want. ;)

Down on Cylon Occupied Caprica - Helo and Sharon are running from the cylons, it is day 24. Later in this episode, they will finally get busy in the rain, Helo's devotion to her (presumably) allows her to get pregnant. The cylons believe that love was the missing factor in procreation. At least for the cylons - humans have no trouble procreating with or without love...like locusts.

Helo and Tyrol both loved Sharon but Tyrol loved his crew and his job more. When the two relationships are lined up, you can see why Helo was able to impregnate his Sharon while Tyrol didn't get his Sharon pregnant. Then again, since she was/is a sleeper, it is possible they were using protection.

Baltar didn't truly love Caprica until season 3 and even then I think he loved the one in his head more than the real one. Saul on the other hand saw her as his Ellen and he loved Ellen dearly (despite her being a big whore). He transferred that love to Caprica in the Brig...thus getting her pregnant. (Mid-season 4). Making the first cylon-cylon baby. Yet another possibility is that Saul being one of the special 5 makes him more human and thus able to reproduce with another cylon. The mind reels. (At least mine does.)

This episode was riddled with subtle comedy. Baltar whispering at Gaeta through the bathroom stalls, then barging in on Shelley Godfrey while she was sitting on the toilet. At the 2008 ComicCon in San Diego, Tricia Helfer was on the BSG Panel and said that when Baltar flung the stall doors open that the door cracked her knees...damn long legs...I know how she feels. This is also the episode with the ever famous "No more Mr. Nice Guias!!" comment. LOL

Baltar continues to fight for his innocence, never certain that the disk was faked. He knows he never planted any explosive but he still carries guilt over allowing Caprica to access the mainframe in the first place. He goes so far as to claim Shelley is a cylon agent sent to discredit him and put a stop to the cylon detector he is building.

"Being convicted in the court of public opinion without trial" is what Baltar tells Adama is happening to him. Walking through the halls of The Galactica as passers by whisper things like 'traitor' and 'toaster lover'. In an act of desperation he pulls a fire alarm so as to gain access to the lab and delete the image of himself now burned into the monitor. The MP's show up just in time to stop him from chucking a stool at the last screen.

In the brig, President Roslin goes to visit Baltar and basically says she knew all along he was involved in the attacks 'somehow'. She points out that all they really have is their instincts, since anyone could be a cylon. Baltar says he doesn't wish to be executed based solely on her 'gut' feelings.

Cue the lightening, down on Caprica...Helo professes his love, Sharon jumps his bones, meanwhile on the B Star G (thank you Kevin Smith), Boomer opens her locker to find the word 'Cylon' painted on her mirror. As she frantically wipes it off, the other Sharon frantically consummates her relationship with Helo, glowing spine and all.

Back in the brig with Baltar, he kneels and prays to the 'One true God' begs for salvation and promises to carry out 'his divine will'...tears...sobbing...more tears and promises then appears Head 6 as if on cue, being the hand of God herself. She tells him all will be well just as Gaeta arrives to free Baltar.

Gaeta had reran the security checks thus determining the photo was a fake. His admiration for Baltar behind his industrious actions. Stating that had he waited in the first place, once the photo was fully resolved, the markers were glaringly obvious. Likewise, at about the same time Head Six returns to Baltar's side, Ms Godfrey vanished into thin air, the only evidence of her presence; a pair of glasses, oddly similar to those that Roslin wears.

The president issues a formal statement to the press exonerating Baltar (apparently her intuition is ignored for the sake of political posturing and 'keeping your enemies closer'). His head 6 states that he is even more popular and powerful than before, he had his trial by fire, and they-the fleet, would have trouble accusing him of treason again. Baltar asks if that was the plan all along, to build him up in the public eye by first tearing him down? When Head 6 doesn't reply, he says "Who am I to question Gods Plan?"

Following Head 6 up the stairs to the bedroom he asks about whether or not Shelley was ever even there...Head 6 responds by dropping her dress and smiling seductively over her shoulder...as Baltar chases after her in his mind he states with a perverted grin "Gods will be done".

***

thank you for reading
~99

^Additional^ notes copied from http://en.BattlestarWiki.org regarding this episode - full text is available here.

* A week has passed since "Litmus".

* Boomer is accidentally revealing more and more of her Cylon nature.

* Helo has passed another test on Caprica; he’s now sexually active with his Sharon.

* Gaeta admires Baltar and may be his one true friend on Galactica.

* Baltar appears very close to completing his Cylon detector.

* Cylon Raiders may well be purpose-bred, semi-intelligent bio-machines.

* The Colonials use QWERTY keyboards.

* According to the "The Story So Far" special, which summarizes the first two seasons, it was another crew member who wrote "Cylon" on Boomer's mirror. However this has not been stated by any other source.

***

In the next episode, 'Flesh & Bone' Starbuck learns of her Special Destiny from the cylon LeOben, the same model that Adama beat to death on Ragnor Anchorage, this copy was found hiding on the Gemenon Traveler. Additionally, President Roslin experiences vivid dreams involving this cylon before he is even found.

***

Thank you for reading,
~99

***

Strangers on a Train; Completed on 9.16.08; ENJOY!!!

2008-09-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

Greetings and welcome to the Palace Library.

The first section of the Library is called ‘Bedtime Stories’. Bedtime Stories have one basic purpose, to turn you on. These exciting tales of romance, lust and adventure are 100% fiction, have little to no external plot, and are intended to leave you flushed and feeling frisky.

With no real clue how to rate them, I would suggest you assume that all stories will have some raunchy language, although most will have a rhythm, keeping pace with the lovers in the tale. The hotter they get, the hotter the language. My main characters, Katrina Faux and Daniel Baer, are sometimes portrayed as a couple, while other times they are just strangers who pass in the night.

With a firm grip on reality, sexual fantasies are harmless. When shared with someone special, a good story will fuel the fire that already exists. Nina and Niko encourage all who read the Bedtime Stories to share them with whomever they share their bed with.

I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. ;)

***

Strangers on a Train

Chapter 1

Katrina Faux, a gorgeous statuesque woman with dark flowing red hair that cascaded down her slender back to the top of her firm ass blazing with fire every time the light would catch it just right. Single, adventurous and barely 27, Katrina loved to travel across the country by train. An adult fiction writer by trade, she found the journeys to be full of amazing scenery and interesting characters for her to draw from in her writings. In addition, she was able to get a great deal of work done in between stops, typically combining public appearances with her adventures.

Daniel Baer, a stunning man in his mid 30s, dark hair and eyes, with a quiet softness behind his smile, was traveling on business for his Research and Development company. He was afraid of flying, so he always took the train. In addition to the scenery, Daniel found the trains rhythm to be soothing and afforded him a better avenue for working out his latest ideas.

Somewhere between Chicago and Seattle Daniel had boarded the train. Katrina had only seen him for a moment as he passed by her cabin. She was engrossed in her latest literary escapade and glanced up just long enough to catch his sweet smile as he tried to maneuver past the porter in the tight hallway. There was something about him...he hadn't even seen her, but that smile and those dark sexy eyes. She pushed the image aside and resumed her work; an Erotic Sci-Fi Fantasy adventure in another galaxy; a bit of Romeo and Juliet meets Dune on the Titanic.

Hours passed, as they often did when Katrina was consumed in her writing. After completing a particularly hot love scene, her body was flushed and her mind began drifting to the mysterious stranger with the gorgeous smile. She mused over how much fun it would be to get him in a similar situation, ”My God how I would love that!” Katrina fantasized.

She took a quick shower, resisting the temptation to indulge her fantasy further. She grabbed a snack off the dinner cart then pulled out her best lingerie, a lacy lavender bustier, complete with matching sheer thigh high stockings, garters and belt. Katrina then added a hip hugging thigh length skirt which barely covered the tops of her stockings, in a darker shade of purple. Lastly she donned a tailored linen blouse, gray, to contrast all the purple. She ran her slender hands slowly up her long legs until every crease was smoothed. Deciding to forego any panties, if her night went as she hoped, “they would just get in the way.” She thought with an evil grin.

Katrina strolled casually through the train, enjoying the attention of both men and women, having to turn down more than one offer for a night cap, when she finally found the Bar Car. If her mysterious gentleman was out this evening, this is where he would be.

Daniel had finalized his latest idea and was bored to tears when he decided to head down to the Bar. He had changed out of his suit into more casual attire and took along a notepad to doodle on. He was downing his 3rd Jack & Coke when Katrina entered the room. He thought she was a goddess, catching the eye of every man and woman in the car. She was tall with the most beautiful flowing red hair, accented by the shades of purple Katrina was wearing. She walked with the demeanor of someone who knew she had every eye on her, and liked it.

Katrina saw him seated at a booth near the bar but didn't recognize him at first. He had been wearing a suit earlier, however now he was in tight jeans and a long sleeve fitted racing style shirt that outlined his well muscled body, his broad shoulders and narrow hips. She allowed her eyes to pass slowly over him noting again that he had the most amazing smile complete with sweet kissable lips and deep sultry eyes. She grinned mischievously, then looked away before Daniel noticed her lustful gaze.

When he turned her way at last, she merely looked past him, as if looking for someone, or contemplating some great notion, then proceeded to the bar where she ordered a drink. He was several feet away from her, yet she could feel his eyes burning her flesh from behind. As his smile flashed in her memory she had to steady herself. Slowly she turned around, surveying the room and taking a long sip off of her drink.

She could still feel his dark brown eyes assessing her form, even though he tried to act as though he didn't notice her firm round breasts straining against the sheer fabric of her linen blouse. The silhouette of her bustier showed through intentionally and she kept the front unbuttoned enough to catch the edges of the lace resisting the pressure of her milky white bosoms.

“Her body is magnificent”, Daniel thought to himself, as was that skirt, the way it highlighted and outlined her perfectly round ass. His eyes lingered on her stockings, which covered her gloriously long legs, burning a trail from her ankles up to where the stockings disappeared just under the edge of her short skirt. He was getting aroused just watching her walk, as was every other man in the car.

Daniel was trying to be cool, unfortunately he was unable to keep his eyes off of Katrina. As she turned toward him again, their eyes met. Those eyes of hers, green and full of life, delved directly into his soul, setting his body on fire. "Are you alone?" she queried, flashing him a heart melting smile. "Y-yes." he stuttered back.

"It’s awfully crowded in here tonight, do you mind if I join you?" The question was rhetorical, and no time was given to answer as she sat down in the booth across from him. Daniel reveled in the sound of fabric against leather as she slid into the booth. He moved his notepad that he had been doodling on toward the edge of the table, making room for her drink.

After a brief introduction, Katrina reached hurriedly for her glass knocking his pen and pad to the floor. "Oops! I’m sorry, shall I get that for you?" she cooed, her voice melodic and hypnotizing. "No problem, I have it," he replied, leaning down to retrieve his items from under the table. He curiously stole a glance in her direction to further gaze upon those beautiful long legs, when she slowly uncrossed them, mesmerizing Daniel with those sheer stockings and garters traveling tauntingly up to her waist.

Just then she parted her thighs slightly wider. Daniel soon realized she had no panties on and that she was totally shaven. Her honey pot was bare and inviting. He was only granted a moments pleasure before she re crossed her legs. Having retrieved his pen and pad, he sat back up pretending that he hadn't witnessed anything. It was obvious from the look in Katrina’s eyes that she had done exactly what she had intended to do. Additionally, she could tell from Daniel’s expression that her actions had the intended affect; he was hooked.

They shared a couple of drinks and the usual small talk about life outside the train. Her body was dying for his touch. He wasn't just beautiful to look at, he was also incredibly adorable. Katrina had never met anyone so sweet and sexy all at once. The more time she spent in his company, the more she longed to get him alone.

The alcohol began to fuel her courage as she slipped off her shoes. She felt around for his leg and began to slowly stroke his ankle with her stocking foot. Working her toes slowly up his pant leg, Katrina watched his face intently, yet continued to chat about nothing. He couldn’t help but smile broadly yet he didn't speak of it, nor did he try to stop her.

Daniel and Katrina continued to discuss the real world, as if her foot was not working its way gingerly up his leg. She was as intoxicating to him as any alcohol. She pretended that nothing was out of place, as did he, but it was getting to him, this beautiful stranger caressing his leg with her stocking foot, inching higher and higher.

His erection was growing harder in anticipation of that foot, and no sooner had the thought entered his mind than she grasped his rod with her toes. The sensation made his body jerk in response. "Does that tickle?" Katrina asked coyly, suppressing a giggle.

“Does that tickle?” He repeated. “Tickle isn't exactly the word I would use," mumbled Daniel, distracted by her toes steady kneading of his bulge. "But if you happen to find anything that interests you, you just let me know." He was trying to be cool, seeing the heat in her eyes which was matched by the fire coming from his. Katrina had in fact found something quite interesting, something she was looking forward to investigating further.

"I tend to be direct, and rarely have trouble going after the things I desire," she began, her voice washing over him like a dream. "We could go back to your berth, or to mine, but I suspect you could come up with something a little more…risky." As the last word left her gorgeous lips, they quivered, she wanted to make love to him somewhere unique, public, and somewhere that discovery was only moments away. The idea really got him going, but where could they go on a train?

Daniel’s mind raced, it was late with most of the train outside the Bar having shut down for the night. "My dear, how would you like to accompany me to the observation car?" His smile sent shivers down her spine, “I believe they rope it off at this hour, we just have to slip past the porter.” Katrina nodded in approval, unconsciously licking her lips, her eyes glinting with lust as she hastily slipped her shoes back on.

Chapter 2

Katrina slipped her shoes back on taking Daniels arm as he helped her up from the booth. Pausing a moment to pay the tab and purchase a bottle of wine. "The last thing we need is more booze." Katrina giggled to herself, being so aroused she found it difficult to walk as it was.

As they passed through the door into the dark corridor he pulled her into his arms, "I can take a hint" he groaned, kissing her deeply and pressing her back against the wall. He ran his hands down her sides, cupping her ass and caressing her thighs. She could feel the heat coming off his body and his hard cock pressing into her belly as his mouth moved to her neck and throat.

Her legs were limp…she was ready to have him right there...but they heard voices approaching...so they composed themselves, continuing on toward the observation lounge...

His brief but passionate moment in the corridor with Katrina had gotten Daniel even hotter than he was before. He was more determined than ever to get his goddess alone and ravage her…and her him…

The walk to the Observation Car was complete and utter torment as they encountered a seemingly endless stream of passengers either on their way to the bar, or beyond to the sleepers in the opposite direction. When at last they entered the Observation Car it was as deserted as Daniel had promised. The car was situated past the dining cars almost to the end of the train. The lower part was used during meal times but was closed now.

Katrina had never been so aroused…her breathing was becoming shallow as she tried to contain the storm churning inside her…Approaching the staircase he whispered huskily into her ear..."Ladies first..." and allowed her to proceed him up the narrow steep spiral staircase.

It was just light enough for him to observe her…her sweet ass and legs…as she climbed the steps ahead of him. She knew he was admiring the show...and she made sure he was getting it all…her perfectly round ass...those long, luscious legs...slowly making her ascent. He could smell her essence...the smell of a woman in heat…an animal scent…and it stirred his desire in ways he had never felt before.

Daniel didn’t know how he was going to last more than a few minutes with her...as worked up as he was. He really wanted to just grab her, kiss her, throw her down and ravage her...but he could tell that she was special...and that the longer they made it last...the more intense the pleasure would be.

They topped the stairs, finding the upper level was also dark and deserted. The upper part was a large, single room cabin filled with benches and chairs suitable for enjoying the scenery as it chugged by. Additionally, it was completely surrounded by large viewing windows. Althought the drapes were drawn and the room was pitch black.

They worked their way to the back of the cabin where he ran across the light control, and turned it ever so slightly...so there was just enough light to see. As he turned away from the wall, she was there...with her mouth on his mouth...her body pressing against his body.

Soon he could feel her rock hard nipples pressing through his shirt. She pressed her thigh between his legs...wedging it against his bulge. Her kisses were maddening...her touch was like electricity. Their mouths and tongues explored each others…she ran her hands through his hair...down his back...and grabbed his ass...pulling him closer while his hands explored her entire body.

She left a trail of saliva along his jaw going back to his ear…nibbling on his lobes she breathed into ear…"I want you! I want you now!!"...

He needed no further encouragement as he lifted Katrina effortlessly by her ass, pulling her skirt up as she wrapped her long legs around him. Daniel kissed her lips hard and his fingers dug into her ass cheeks as he carried her to a nearby bench.

Katrina ran her hands up under his shirt and pulled it over his head revealing his broad muscled chest tanned from the outdoors,.his hands had a feathers touch despite being well used. She could tell he was not afraid to get his hands dirty. Something she found very hot. His mouth was giving off so much electricity that her breasts wanted to burst from the confines of her linen blouse.

He began to unbutton her blouse, all the while chewing deftly at her neck and ear making her squirm with delight, working his way down her throat until at last taking her sweet pink nipple between his pearly whites. He put his knee down against her dripping pussy allowing her access to his zipper. Katrina ground herself against his knee as she carefully released the monster waiting inside his jeans.

She began to stroke him through his boxers...reaching between his legs to grip his balls and to scratch his ridge with a long fingernail...causing him to lurched forward releasing her breast from his lips to catch himself...

"I said...I WANT YOU NOW! Was I not clear?" She repeated, smiling, but with a tone as if annoyed...

"Oh...I am going to give you exactly what you want! Like you have never had it before, but first I want your hot mouth to do to my cock what your toes were doing to it earlier...." Daniel's eyes were filled with a fiery lust that inflamed Katrina's passion even further.

She pulled herself up by his neck, climbing his torso. She kissed him hard, easing him backward onto the bench, throwing her legs over him so she could sit on his thighs. He was still in his jeans though they were down around his ass now and his cock was tangled up in his boxers. She leaned over to kiss him again, grazing his now bare chest with her taut breasts as she slipped her blouse and bra the rest of the way off...

He reached his mouth up to bite at her nipples sending shivery sensations straight to her brain. He was rubbing her back with his hands, slowly sliding them down to her ass. Her skirt was around her waist, consequently her garter and thigh high stockings offered no obstacles to his probing fingers. "My God!" she moaned arching her back and resting her head on his chest as he teased her, spreading her sweet juices and playing with her tight asshole. Her hips thrust into the air as she tried to take control. She wanted so bad to just slip his waiting cock deep inside herself, or maybe just tease him with her clit, selfishly getting herself off...but she could wait...

Chapter 3

Katrina pulled away from her mysterious lover long enough to pull his jeans and briefs the rest of the way off. Her tanned breasts glowed in the dimly lit room, he couldn't keep his hands off her, so he was kneading breasts and tweaking her nipples while rubbing her thighs and ass. Katrina's skin felt like silk to his fingers and her long red mane smelled so good, he wanted to smother himself in it.

"I could just start at his feet and slither my whole body up to his hot tongue..." she thought to herself, an evil grin playing across her lips, instead she dropped to her knees and took hold of his gloriously hard and hot cock. She told him to watch as she played with herself while she pleasured him. He wanted desperatley to taste her sweet honeypot, protesting when she insisted that he wait. ”Just relax, you first...then me. I want to be able to focus all my attentions on your sweet rod and then later...I want to focus on your sweet tongue....” Daniel was so hot for her he would have agreed to anything. "Anything, just don't stop..." his voice was raspy filled with lust.

Running her hands up his thighs, she began to stroke him, while simultaneously teasing herself. Slowly and lightly, just enough to add to his torture. She pushed his leg up and rolled him to one side so she could reach his ass, sliding her fingers down his back slipping them between his firm cheeks. He spread his legs slightly - bringing one knee up to his chest allowing her access to his balls. Taking one in her mouth she sucked it slowly while her fingernails teased the ridge to and from his ass. His hand gripped the sides of the bench tightly, his cock was swelled to the limit and dying for contact. She released his balls and begin to run her wet tongue along that ridge, flicking the base of his scrotum and then slowly inching back and forth. He moaned loudly "My God I want to fuck you! But your mouth, suck my cock...please...I have to feel that tongue on my cock!!"

Without hesitation she took him into her warm and talented mouth, slurping him down like a wet noodle making his hips rise off the bench and his hands grab the side of her head. He pressed deeply into her throat, his forcefulness nearly making her orgasm. She gagged and gasped for air but when he released her she merely swallowed him deeper with her next breath. She swallowed him whole several times, his self-restraint pushed beyond human limits. Then she stood so he could see her entire body as her head bobbed up and down. He reached for her but she told him "my turn will come soon enough".

Katrina then decided to add to his torture by straddling his face so he could appreciate her swollen pussy lips dripping with anticipation. She told him not to touch....just watch...as she spread her lips and played with her clit....working the juices around and grinding against her palm...

He was mad with desire as his hips thrust up from the bench in time with her hot mouth and magic tongue. She began to suck him harder, her hand and mouth working in unison, fucking herself with one hand for his viewing pleasure, bringing him to his peak several times but always backing him off just before the point of no return. Making him watch as she worked herself into a near state of bliss, she was ready to climax at any moment, so it was her turn now. She stood and called him to her as she backed up to the wall. She reached over her head and grabbed the straps with both hands. He was shaken and enflamed. She was beyond hot and definately knew what she was she doing. Daniel kept reminding himself to go slow, to savor this beauty in case he was not granted a 2nd adventure.

As he removed her skirt so he could enjoy her flat stomach and the garter belt that encircled it, he paused to admire her.

First he kissed her deeply, his tongue enveloping hers. Then he slid his hand between Katrina thighs and gave her swollen hot bud a flick making her legs buckle and causing her to catch herself with the straps. He then knelt before her lifting her and putting her legs over his shoulders. Pressed against the wall and holding the straps for balance she readied herself for his sweet tongue.

She was already gushing with sweet juice. It was running down her thighs and would soon be drenching his face. He glanced up into her eyes seeing the raw heat, the wanting, begging him to satisfy her desires. He began to tease her with his tongue, flicking her swollen lips, her inner thighs, sending shockwaves of pleasure through her whole body. She was grinding against his face wanting him to give full attention to her clit, but he was avoiding her most sensitive spot to drive her anticipation, as much as for her as for himself. She wiggled and moaned agonizing and revelling in the deprivation of satisfaction.

He decided to make her wait no longer and began to fuck her with his tongue and fingers, gently sucking and caressing her sweet clit with his tongue and lips. Probing her sweetness with his fingers then teasing her ass...rubbing...probing. She was wild with lust and the amazing feeling of his mouth and fingers. She wrapped her legs tighter around his head riding his face while he tormented her.

"I could eat you all night...so sweet!!…And your fingers running thru my hair…my God!!' Daniel had never been with anyone as luscious as his sweet Katrina, holding herself up with one arm, forcing him closer, begging him to suck and lick her clit. Her stockings rubbed against his face, neck and back. The feeling was driving him wild. He wanted so bad to just throw her down and drive his aching cock home into her waiting, wet, aching for release, pussy. The look in her eyes was almost more than he could bear. He gave in to her needs, expertly working her throbbing bud, within moments she was bucking and screaming, her fingers gripping his head as her entire body shook with her first orgasm of the night!

That was all it took, he couldn't wait any longer. He laid back on the floor onto his back and pulled her down on top of him. Exhausted and weak from holding herself up during his sweet tongues lashing of her burning loins, and still shaking from her climax, she slowly crawled up his body until her body was in line with his with his cock pressed tightly below her pelvis. She ran her fingers up through his hair as his hands carressed her back. Her trembling body felt so warm and smooth and she was slowly grinding her sopping wet box against the boiling flesh of his rigid member.

He moaned deeply moving with her, rotating his own pelvis, increasing the pressure of each circle. His strong firm fingers were kneading her ass in rhythm with their dance. She wanted to tease him all night but was about to climax again. She ran her fingers over his ears and kissed his soft lips, sweetly at first then with more and more intensity. Her pace quickened. She took Daniel's tongue into her mouth and sucked down on it hard, running her tongue up and down the sides of his. He tightened his grip on her ass, her legs fell to either side allowing full contact of her throbbing bud with his steel rod. He moaned louder this time as he felt her juices coating him.

Katrina began to thrust her hips against him...sliding...grinding...teasing his cock. She pulled his head up to devour his mouth.. She was almost there when he slipped his fingers, wet from playing with her tight pussy, deep into her hot ass..."FUCK!!" she screamed, bucking her ass back onto his fingers pushing them deeper..."God!" she screamed again, squeezing her thighs together and using his head for leverage she began moving faster with less pressure barely touching him. Seconds later she had stroked her way to another body shaking, heart racing, muscle spasming, mind blowing orgasm!!

She was drained but wanted him to feel it so she quickly slipped his rock hard cock deeply inside as she collapsed against his chest. Her pussy was flexing in spasm, her chest was rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath. Daniel was out of his mind. The feeling of her hot trembling pussy on his cock was almost more than he could stand. She had caught him off guard and nearly made him climax right there. But he wanted to savor the final moments so he ran his hands up her back, embracing her sweetly then rolling with her onto her back.

She wrapped her beautiful long stocking legs around his waist as he began to fuck her…long and slow. She whimpered, he was filling her all the way. His cock felt like pure heaven to Katrina. She gazed up into his eyes, gently caressing his face. Her fingers moved from his face to his back, her nails dug into his flesh, moving down, clawing his ass urging him to go deeper. But he was pacing himself, maintaining a slow and deep rhythm, although he wanted so desperatelty to just give in. His slow deliberate movements had her tittering on the brink again - her tingling pussy still recovering from her last climax.

He continued to restrain himself because of the expression on her face. The wanting, the pure enjoyment of having him inside her. He could tell she was going to come again and that became his purpose; to make her come again and again...He ran his tongue down her face to her neck biting and kissing the flesh. Moving methodically down to her breasts, taking a nipple into his mouth, sucking and teasing it with his tongue, gently biting while his arms held onto her tightly....

She began to utter guttural moans. Her breathing was hard and heavy. "How much more could she take" he thought, "how much more can I take..."

She closed her eyes and arched her back off the floor lifting his body, his own moans drowning out hers. As the next wave crashed over Katrina she cried out and clenched his ass tightly! With her head thrown back and her back arched, her entire body tightened and released as she came hard again! Every muscle in her firm body flexed tight, every nerve was on fire her making her box grip tighter to his cock and beg for his release….

He had held out as long as possible. The storm was building and he couldn't hold back any longer. He began thrusting into her harder as she climaxed, her spasms fueling his desire. He was at the brink when at last the feeling overwhelmed him and he exploded into her! Wave after wave of glorious pleasure flooded his every fiber!! It seemed like he would never stop. Daniel felt like he was dying and being born all at the same time!! His world suddenly compressed into that one moment. Their bodies melded into one all consuming fire, he wondered "wil I survive??"..

Their hearts were pounding in their chests, their breath was labored, their vision grew dim. Then slowly, like the ebbing tides, they recovered. Her teeth biting into his shoulder were replaced with light kisses from her warm soft lips. His arms wrapped tightly around her shaking body loosened. She was feeling the same ethereal experience as he was.

Her nails released from his back and their bodies convulsed into a sweaty heap as the world slowly returned around them...

~Fin

Thank you for reading.
~99

Reimagined BSG Litmus S1 E6 Commentary...Looking Back

2008-09-14T23:32:00.000-07:00

'Litmus'
Original US Air date: FEBRUARY 11, 2005

***These articles are full of Spoilers from the entire series to date as aired in the USA...Continue At Your Own Risk--Moreover, the format assumes the reader has seen all of the episodes and specials aired through the first half of season 4, up to and including “Revelations”***

^Borrowed material is duly credited^

Read the Prior Episode Commentaries Here

Re-Watch the Episode Here First

^Time Line^

***

^Day 17: A suicide bomber nearly kills Adama and Tigh; investigation centers on Galen Tyrol

When Aaron Doral turns up on Galactica and detonates a device made from the ship's own munitions, Adama orders a full investigation - and Galen Tyrol's relationship with Boomer becomes the focus of the investigation.

***

Imperial Commentary

Primarily focusing on the storyline surrounding Chief Tyrol and Sharon/Boomer while also bringing into focus some of the lesser characters from the Deck Gang, we will also address the threat that the cylons now look human and most importantly this episode addresses the very common occurrance of 'witch hunts' during times of social crisis.

A 'witch hunt' being characterized best by President Roslin who states that the people require that someone be held responsible. Not just "there was a cylon agent aboard and thats whose fault it is" the people want to know who allowed that agent on board in the first place and so on. Human beings require closure. More often than not however, their closure is attained by creating more havoc than the original crisis caused in the first place.

This is simply due to our need to place blame. The problem with placing blame is often the wrong person ends up going down for circumstances that were more likely the result of several individuals errors and not just his...as is the case in this episode Not to mention that as flawed beings we are prone to misplacing our loyalty or rather misinterpreting the scope of that loyalty.

From the get go we have Tyrol sneaking off to visit Boomer in the inspection space above the refurbished water tanks {according to the guys at Wiki} I didn't hear them state it on the show but it doesn't mean they didn't. Cally watches the door for him. Boomer indicates that she snuck in the backway thru Causeway C. Meanwhile, Doral, a #5 cylon agent is strolling thru Galactica like he owns the place. He had official documents that the marine seemed to think were sufficient to allow this civilian access to the ONLY military vessel left to mankind...as far as they know at this point anyway.

We see the first error right away. The President and the Admiral chose to withhold the knowledge that the cylons can look human. Had this little detail been shared then the cylon Doral would have never cleared security. Their reason for not sharing was simple enough; fear that everyone would start accusing each other of being cylons. Of course they could have just released the image of the 2 cylons they knew about and not mentioned that there may well be other models.

There is something about the cylons that sends Adama into a rage whenever he sees one. Maybe it's what he witnessed years ago that we are made aware of during the Razor Flashbacks, maybe its just in his nature. Whatever the case, Bill Adama was going to rush Doral in the hallway but Tigh tackled him and saved his life from the suicide bomb.

Sgt Hadrian, the Master at Arms is shocked to learn the news about the cylon-human skinjobs and that there may be more. Commander Adama wants to know how the cylon got thru their security measures. {uh cuz your raptor pilot is a sleeper and she is leaving doors open without realizing.} The Sgt requests a free hand. Meaning she can follow the evidence whereever it may lead without Command Review and create an Independant Tribunal to persue the matter.

Command Review - from what I gathered from this episode - basically means that where military personnel are involved, the Commanding Officer, being Bill Adama has the right to override any judgements and can deny access to certain classified details or as was the case in this episode, the Commander can end any investigation if he feels it has been resolved or crossed lines. Adama grants her request for a free hand at this time. She encourages him to reveal the cylons to the public before taking her leave.

Chief Tyrol catches his deck gang making a still. He flicks them crap about trying to kill themselves and tells them if they bring him the right stuff he will show them how to do it right. This little moment between the Chief and his gang set the stage for their dedication to covering for him later in the episode...FYI...if you dont have your stories straight a simple "I have no idea where he was - he wasn't here - maybe he was in his rack." Is more than sufficient. Not to mention you avoid making liars out of each other.

Down on Caprica the Six and Doral stand on their rooftop with Sharon/Athena who was supposedly kidnapped by the cylons as far as Helo knows. Their game is simple. Get Helo to rescue Sharon, prove he loves her, then they will of course make love because that is what you do when you get rescued, you frak the rescuer. LOL

President Roslin struggles to make the Cmdr understand how the public will react to this news about the cylons. Pointing out that investigation is not enough...the public will demand a name, someone screwed up somewhere. Roslin is the first to use the term 'WitchHunt".

Down on the hanger deck Sgt Hadrian begins her investigation by questioning the deck gang about their whereabouts during the time just before and during the bombing. She also asks about the whereabout of Chief Tyrol and gets a different answer from each of them.

Lateron we will have a bit of rank pulling down on the deck when Sgt Hadrian shows up to escort Lt Sharon Valerie {Boomer} and Chief Tyrol to the Independant Tribunal. Crashdown tries to intervene but as Sgt Hadrian is acting within the scope of her investigation the Lt has no choice but to allow his friends be escorted off the deck. As the trial convenes, Sgt Hadrian starts off by asking Sharon about her physical relationship with the Chief, which at this time is still in violation of the Colonial Code of Conduct. Sharon claims their relationship was ended after orders from the XO.

Let's just jump the gun here and go over the chain of events that lead them to this point. First, the Powers That Be failed to inform at least the security teams of the truth about the skinjobs. Second, the idea about fraternization between crew members should have been tossed out the window as soon as it was realized how few people were left.

There is a reason behind the code of conduct. For one it prevents senior officers from making bad calls based on emotional attachments to their subordinates. Like covering for them when they black out or find bombs strapped to their pilot chair. For two it discourages sneaking off {dareliction of duty} and lying about it for fear of being courtmartialed and tossed in the brig for conduct unbecoming an officer. Had they not been forced to sneak, perhaps they would have saved their relationship for off duty hours.

Ok, so these 2, Boomer and Tyrol are not supposed to be fracking around. Then you add to that the bond between a deck chief and his gang and you have yourself one doozy of a cover up. In all likelyhood, though it is never revealed, it was Boomer that left the hatch open allowing Doral access. Her sleeper program is very likely in communication with the other cylons in the fleet that are not sleepers. It makes a degree of sense though it has never really been confirmed just how the cylons communicate with each other.

Situations have come up in which Sharon the sleepers program was overridden by her concious will so it makes sense that there are other cylons near by that keep sending her subconcious signals telling her what to do next. She would never have blown herself up but leaving a hatch open is not that traumatic so her concious mind would not have fought the signal {I am assuming}. I figure the Doral had her leave it open since he seemed to know right where to go...and when.

As this tribunal unfolds we will see Specialist Socinus {So-sin-us} take the fall for his Chief. He will take responsibilty for the hatch being left open because he did leave his post and he did lie about seeing the chief. He assumed that he left it open because he didn't know that Sharon had used the same hatch. But did he? Or was he was backstepping after making it seem the chief had lied and so to fix that error he went for broke and took all the blame? Covering for the Chief and taking full responsibilty denying that the Chief had any thing to do with it and even claims he left the hatch open on purpose. Did he? Or did he just cover for the Chief?

What I don't understand and perhaps it boils down to simple love or plot seeding...but why didn't the chief tell the Cmdr about Valerie using that hatch? He broke it off with her because he was pissed about Socinus having to rot in the brig so why cover for her at all anymore? We viewers know that she had more cyloning to do so we assume it was plot driven.

When Adama speaks to the President about it, they also discuss the fact that the Chief envoked the 23rd Article of Colonization, being the equivelant to our own Fifth ammendment being the right to remain silent and not being compelled to offer testimony that may incriminate ones self. Cmdr Adama asserts that he can't be held liable for his taking the 23rd. Roslin states that Tyrol must be hiding something, Adama says that if Tyrol really wanted to take the ship down, he could and that the Cmdr was putting a stop to the tribunal before it went any further. They had their name, their scapegoat, time to get back to the business of running for their lives.

Just then the marines come in and request Adamas presence at the Tribunal.

During his interrogation by Sgt Hadrian, Cmdr Adama states his reasons for withholding that skinjobs exist, he confirms that it is believed that cylons planted the bomb in the water tanks and that he feels there are still skin jobs in the fleet. He also claims that he allowed Tyrol and Valerie's relationship to continue because he is a 'soft touch'.

She begins to grill him about that relationship being the cause essentially blaming the Cmdr for the lax in security aboard ship {Be sure to read the episode notes at Litmus for more details surrounding the tribunal and other interesting tidbits about the disheveled nature of the crew.}. He states that "You’ve lost your way, Sergeant. You’ve lost sight of the purpose of the law: to protect its citizens, not persecute them. Whatever we are, whatever’s left of us – we’re better than that."

As he informs them the trial is over and that they will all be escorted back to their ships, the Sgt orders the guard to return Cmdr Adama to his seat. The Cmdr stares into the face of his subordinate and advise him to make his choice...calls him 'son'...Of course the marine is going to follow the Old Mans orders and not the Sgts.

Back on Caprica we see it is dark now and Helo is heading out. If he goes South, then the cylons assume it means he doesn't love Sharon and plans to leave her for dead. If he goes North, then he plans to go find Sharon proving his love. Sharon states that Helo "is a good man - he always does the right thing". This statement sums up Helo the best over the entire series for he will over and over 'do the right thing'.

They - the six and Doral - will proceed to beat the crap out of Sharon/Athena to make it appear as though she had been interrogated then Helo will find her being drug thru some underground place, bloody and beaten, primed for rescue by her Knight her shiny flight suit.

Back on Galactica Baltar visits the wounded Kara. You have to laugh at Baltar's more than obvious attempts to endear himself to Kara. Visiting her in sickbay and bringing her a cigar. {Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar and other times its a bribe for meaningless sex}. She is still healing from being drug by her parachute in the last episode 'You Can't Go Home Again'. Kara questions Baltar about his super secret Cylon project and puts the idea in his head that maybe the bomber was headed to his lab. Many viewers think she was just fraking with him to make him go away.

His head six pops in to console him as he wanders the halls babbling to himself about the detector. She becomes very upset when he suggests that he plans to destroy it. Now why would an imaginary Cylon want him to finish the cylon detector? Clearly he is meant to {according to the devine plan behind all this} know who all the sleepers are even though he never shares this information with anyone.

Is it possible that Baltar was chosen not just because he is easy to manipulate but because he is truly brilliant and perhaps has the only mind capable of recieving the messages from the devine so clearly? Additionally he may well have been chosen for having the capacity for compassion - he simply had to face the nightmare of others in order to bring it out {Deannas torture on the Basestar during season 3 probably helped his clarity}. His knowledge of any sleeper would force him to watch this person or persons closely to see of they knew or not and in the end learn that being cylon does not always equal being evil.

Are we to believe that Baltar has known all along that the Chief and XO were sleepers? That seems unlikely since he would have already known who at least 2 of the final 5 were when he was onboard the basestar during season 3 discussing the subject with Caprica and then later Deanna. And surely he tested himself. Of course this may be one of those flubs that the writers are desperately trying to unpaint themselves from having created a corner so to speak with Baltar and what he did or did not know all this time in regard to the Cylons identities.

Bill Adama will get uppity with Chief at the end telling him that his man is sitting in the brig because the Chief couldn't keep his fly zipped. But in reality the kid is sitting in the brig because A the Cmdr and President didn't clue in security about the cylon skinjobs and B because the Cmdr needs his vipers to fly and the Chief keeps them flying. Otherwise it would have been the Chief sitting in the brig.

Chief Tyrol is all about his crew. He breaks it off with Sharon, gives her a lecture about all he had done for her, the covering up and all that so one of his 'kids' can take the fall, he then asks her about the Hatch, she gets indignant but never denies it stating he got the only answer he was ever going to get.

Hindsight being 20/20, the various archetypes almost scream at you now that we know where all these characters end up in Season 4. The statement made by Sharon-Athena about Helo always doing the right thing is basically all we need to know about his character and his motives. He may be a dutiful soilder but he is also compassionate and ethical - his ethics often conflicting with his duties later in the series.

Doral is a classic 'shit-stirrer' poking every bees nest he can find even among the cylons. He seems giddy while teasing Sharon that her Hero doesn't love her and if he runs he dies. While Tyrol's loyalties always seem to fall with his crewmates or fellow man fighting for the good cause, he doesn't blatently go against orders like Helo but he does get into a pickle or two down the road making a stand against the powers that be more than once.

It is only been 6 episodes and yet we already know so much, so much that we didn't really pay any mind to earlier due to not realizing how heavily the mystical would play into the show. For example we know that head six is not just some delusion of Baltars, she is a physical power of some kind that only he sees for now {I still say she manifested solid to become Shelley Godfrey having the power to be seen if she chooses} otherwise they would have found Shelley (Next Episode)...you don't just stash a 6 foot tall hot blonde in that sea of gene pool left overs. LOL

We also know that whatever head six is, her manipulations of events is not so clearly one sided. Taking me back to the idea that some higher power wants the cylons and the humans to end up together. We now also know that Cmdr Adama's father was a civil liberties attorney and that the Cmdr has a working knowledge of the law even though this information won't come up again until late in season 3.

Realistically, I am not sure what Sgt Hadrian hoped to accomplish. Granted in normal everyday function of her duties, uncovering a conspiracy or collaberation with the enemy seems the best course of action. But suppose that Adama hadn't stopped the inquiry? Suppose Sgt Hadrian and her tribunal decided that ultimately Cmdr Adama was responsible for the bombing by withholding the intel regarding skinjobs and by allowing the Chief and Sharon to carry on which of course lead to the deck gang covering for the Chief?

Just what did she plan to do? Have him removed from command perhaps? To what end? Surely the good Sgt knows their aren't any other qualified Commanders available to command the military in this crisis and we all know what happens later in the series when Col Tigh takes command. In all situations one must find the middle. The law has never been black and white especially in a survival situation. It was good that the skin jobs existence was revealed, the rest as the Cmdr called it was a Witch Hunt surrounding Sharon and Tyrol.

If Cmdr Adama were a bad leader like say Admiral Cain, then the lesser of two evils would be the logical way to go...but you cannot watch this show and think for a moment that Cmdr Adama does not have the best interest of humanity at heart and the chops to make the hard decisions that have to be made and made quickly. And he clearly has the loyalty of his crew. As Socinus said, if we turn on each other now, we won't have each others backs when the time comes.

Here is to hoping Bill is the final cylon! ;)

***

Thank you for reading, ~99

^Additional^ notes copied from http://en.BattlestarWiki.org regarding this episode - full text is available here.

Litmus is a chemical substance used to determine whether a solution is acidic or basic. In politics a litmus test is a question posed to a candidate in order determine whether or not he or she will be nominated for a certain office, thus deciding a political career. {Like whether or not a judge is for or against abortion.}

Number Six intimidates Baltar with the line, "Don't make me angry, Gaius. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." This is a possible play on the classic Bill Bixby line from the pilot episode of the Incredible Hulk. The line is partially repeated in flashback in "Six Degrees of Separation" and again in "Collaborators" by Adama.

***

Speaking of Shelley Godfrey - the next episode - Six Degrees of Separation - will finally introduce us to this elusive accuser of Baltar and then we can discuss her role and her true identity in more detail.

***

Thank you for reading,
~99

***

THE HOUSE THAT JACK 'ALMOST' BUILT

2008-09-14T21:31:00.000-07:00

Or in this case Niko & Nina.

In answer to the question "How is the house project coming?" all we can say is, "It's on hold." We will still build a house, or have one built, or possibly delivered, but odds are that it won't be the ski lodge that my over active imagination designed.

Originally, some 2 plus years ago, when my beloved husband and I decided to build our own house down to the logging, sawing and designing, we did so with the delusion that we had nothing better to do with our time, the money savings would more than justify the effort, and it would be so cool to know that we built it with our own 4 hands. {Seriously}

Now granted, we both knew that no matter how soon we hoped to be done, it was going to take at least 5 times as long to actually finish, especially with me, miss detail oriented, doing the design. In the beginning my intention was to design a monster, the "best case dream edition" and then scale it back. Unfortunately, we both became very attached to the idea of this amazing home that we had been living in, albeit virtually, for the past 2 years. So we sort of forgot about scaling back, instead pressing forward to go for the gold.

Had fate not stepped in over the last year, throwing one monkey wrench after another into our plans and time tables, we would likely be ass deep in county forms, construction costs and even more unfinished projects than we started with.

So we just stopped. We took a deep breath and decided to put a hold on any new projects {like building a new house from the dirt up} until we finished some of the smaller ones, like putting a new roof on the barn, building horse fencing, weatherizing the tin box we live in and of course the annual chores like 5 months worth of firewood that needs to be cut and the 3 or 4 tons of hay that needs to be bought, hauled here and stacked.

Timing is everything. Last summer it was the timing of my broken arm, this summer it was the timing of my husbands hernia. The Universe was telling us to slow down, to back off, and to put more thought into our plans. Fortunately we had already decided to back burner the big project before the hernia and the 2 months of work he missed as a result.

Besides, when we really sat down and thought it through, the reality was that we were building a house for our stuff and our sporadic visitors when all we really need is a giant bedroom with wi-fi and a personal assistant to cook for us. LOL

So the house that we almost built will remain a dream for now. The things we purchased already will be utilized in other ways. My husband will likely mill out what is left of the logs and use it for the side buildings on the Barn, Gym and acres of horse fence. We rarely if ever waste anything, especially money, it just doesn't always go to what we intended originally.

Some may think we gave up, others may think we were nuts to try in the first place, but that is the nature of our existence, we strive to be different, to do things in ways no one else would ever dream of doing them. We don't view this as a failure, simply a change in the plan.

More often than our not, our success is merely delayed, arriving fashionable late, yet bringing the best dish to the party.

~99

Royally Dynamic Content - Videos, Playlists

2008-07-31T01:56:00.000-07:00

Due to issues surrounding the Javascript of these items conflicting with Internet Explorer, I have moved them off the main page to allow visitors a chance to fix their browsers before they get locked out.

The Basement Blogger has a fix that worked for at least one of my readers. Upgrading Internet Explorer to the latest version, along with your Java Script software should also help get you pointed in the right direction.

Personally I use Firefox and never have near the issues that I have had with Internet Explorer. A free download is available at Mozilla website.

Follow the link below to access our Locks of Love Video, the Imperial Melodies Playlist and the Public Chat Room sponsored by The Imperial Forum [opening soon].

LOCKS OF LOVE VIDEO

IMPERIAL MELODIES PLAYLIST

Reimagined BSG "You Can't Go Home Again" S1 E5 Commentary...Looking Back

2008-07-30T03:55:00.000-07:00

Reimagined BSG "You Can't Go Home Again" Season 1, Episode 5 Commentary...Looking Back

'You Can't Go Home Again'
Original US Airdate: JANUARY 28, 2005

***These articles are full of Spoilers from the entire series to date as aired in the USA...Continue At Your Own Risk--Moreover, the format assumes the reader has seen all of the episodes and specials aired through the first half of season 4, up to and including “Revelations”***

^Borrowed material is duly credited^

Read the Prior Episode Commentaries Here:

Re-Watch the Episode Here First

^Time Line^

***

^Day 15: Starbuck returns to the Fleet with a captured Cylon Raider (You Can't Go Home Again)

Continuing from the events of "Act of Contrition", Commander Adama and Captain Lee Adama risk the security of the Fleet as they try to locate a downed Starbuck...

***

Imperial Commentary

Picking up where the events of 'Act of Contrition' left off - Kara was plummeting to the surface of some stormy moon, Hotdog is getting rescued by Boomer and Crashdown - barfing inside the Raptor. Another Raptor reports that the search continues for Kara.

Once back on Galactica, Adama speaks with Hotdog confirming with the young pilot {who happens to be his real life son} that Starbuck was still maneuvering after her viper was hit. Boomer suggests if she survived the hit, she could have survived if she ejected in the atmosphere, Cmdr Adama is certain she is still alive and orders Lee to go 'find her'.

Before launching Lee gives Hotdog his own pilots wings - stating "I think you earned these today."

There are times in this show when I am torn between plot points being significant Vs being for dramatic purposes. Was Kara's experience on the planet part of her Destiny, was it an homage to the original BSG episode of a similar plot, or was it the best way to show just how much she means to both Bill and Lee Adama, and the lengths they were willing to go to for her sake? In this case, I will go with all 3. The nod to the original is obvious. The Adama behavior is also obvious.

But what about her Destiny? Well, she has no more combat experience than any of the trained pilots, yet she is naturally adept...almost Jedi...{cough cough}, she single handedly takes out 7 raiders, 1 goes to Hotdog, she survives an atmospheric ejection managing to land within walking distance of the Raider that she took out just before they crashed into each other, and the icing on the Destiny Cake...a quick prayer about being short on O2 when low and behold, a dead Raider that apparently still functions without its built in brain...

It also just happens to have lungs full of air that she can breathe...and apparently was up on jacks allowing her to duct tape her name under the wing of the downed Raider. {small eye roll here for the sake of making a scene work sans plausible explanation}.

Let's just ignore the fact that 1.] She had to put the name on the wings before going inside and removing her flight suit that she later used to plug the hole in the Raiders head. 2.] Someone wanting to be rescued would have put the tape on the top of the wings - to be seen by a search party looking for her body - so they would know she was inside the Raider. 3.] She had no way to be sure it would fly in the first place - not to mention her flight suit would have been sucked out that hole into space the minute she left the atmosphere. {But you didn't hear it from me.}

Besides, if I can cry for joy when Dr Who tows the Earth at light speed across the Universe back to our solar system, yet no one feels more than a slight earthquake...I can certainly accept that Starbuck can hold her breath and withstand the atmosphere long enough to tape her whole long ass callsign - not just Kara - across the wing.

When she first awoke on this moon, Starbuck's chute gets caught by the wind and begins dragging her quickly toward a rocky ridge. She managed to cut herself free before it pulled her off the edge, unfortunately she cracked her knee on a big rock in the process. But thanks to being a key player in this show, she sucks it up and begins to trek for higher ground.

{This is the same injury she can barely walk on in a later episode - thank the Gods for Survival Instincts and Adrenaline - and creative license.}. Did you notice when she first found the Raider, the blood spatter on the raiders nose bore a strong resemblance to the spilled paint from the start of Act of Contrition, the scene with Kara and Lee trying to paint Flat Tops helmet?

She also discovers that the Raider was biological in nature, complete with its own brain...and woo hoo...nice full lungs. She asked it "Are you Alive?" Just as the Armistice Six had asked the Armistice Officer during the Miniseries. Starbuck gets inside and pulls the brain out, stating that she brought her own - then goes about learning to fly the dead bird manually from the inside.

I miss the logic in thinking a biomechanical semi setient ship would work at all with out the brain. But I supposed that her manually pushing the 'tendons' and flexing its 'muscles' would be the same as electrocuting or moving a dead body. {Having recently watch Rattatoullie, I now see how this was possible. LOL}

Still not sure you can fly a dead bird though. My husband will never forget the image of Starbuck suck starting the Raider. {She was actually sucking on an air tube...but that is what he will tell his friends that don't watch the show. ;) }

The search for her was not going well. Col Tigh was growing more and more concerned that the cylons would show any minute...Cmdr Adama seems a bit too confident that the Cylons wont be along just yet and to have the vipers go below the clouds, use the Mark I Eyeball...I took that to mean looking out the window. He claims his confidence is just an educated guess based on how he would conduct a search for their fleet if he were the Cylons.

He assumes that if the Cylons knew where the Fleet was, they would have jumped in already. Cmdr Adama figures that the Cylon patrol was likely 1 of several and that it could be at least days before the Cylons count them as missing.

Roslin calls The CIC from Colonial One to offer her concern and support in finding Starbuck. She states that the other ships Captains were ready to assist, increasing the odds of finding Kara. Adama gets snippy "Frak the Odds!!", then apologizes and thanks the President, he can use all the help she can grant him. She was obviously taken aback by his attitude.

Head 6 is back again. She begins to chat up Baltar about wasting time looking for 1 pilot, as he sits directly across from Roslin at her desk. Playing on his fears of dying, she goads him into confronting Roslin about wasting resources. No one ever seems to notice him talking to himself or holding hands with no one.

The interesting thing is that Head 6 was correct, and from what I can recall, she has never gotten Baltar to instigate anything that was, in the end, bad for Humanity - except for the settling on New Caprica at the end of Season 2.

However, it should be noted that had Gina not acquired the nuke, the Cylons would have never found them there. Gina was told that Baltar sent it but I just dont see him doing that, he didnt want the Cylons to show up - and ruin his good time.

Honestly - I think that Head 6 had been orchestrating events to ensure that they were all present for the Nova on the Algae Planet. And in order for that to happen - The Fleet had to stop for a year...the Cylons had to find them and find out about Earth...and then A leads to B leads to C leads back to A...

Remember that the Nova happened in a specific point in time predestined by the makeup of the star itself, not because of their presence there. Had they not settled New Caprica - they would have missed the Nova by a year. Makes one wonder how the story could have played out with a different path followed?

Roslin at least seems to understand the value of the Viper Pilots to the Entire Fleet in the grand scheme of survival. One primary theme of this and the last episode was the fact that not only are trained pilots in short supply, they are very hard to replace. With no viper pilots, they would be sitting ducks for a Cylon attack. The Raiders and Basestars would take out the Galactica before all the civies had time to jump. The Airwing is vital.

Not only to to engage the enemy away from the fleet, but also to patrol the area to prevent being taken by surprise. Could we assume that if the need arose, both Cmdr Adama and Col Tigh would return to the cockpit?

Back on Caprica Sharon/Athena and Helo have made a nice little home in the fallout shelter. She lays barely covered on the hammock, stretching awake like a cat making sure the blanket pulls away from her legs. She makes comments about being the last 2 people in the world when Helo is unable to get anyone on the radio, then flirtaciously suggests they just stay there and forget moving on.

{Batt eyes, rub legs together, shy smile...innuendo...Cylon program: Human Sexuality 101}

Helo dismisses her comment then heads upstairs to make breakfast. In a less than subtle bit of TV irony, as a patrol of Centurions passes by...his location is given away by none other than the Toaster!!

A fire fight ensues, the Centurions are surprisingly bad shots {cough cough staged cough cough} but do manage to make a big mess of the kitchen. Sharon comes up stairs, Helo yells for her to run. Helo then dives behind a counter and is knocked out. Later he wakes to find the place dark and Sharon is gone. He goes out in the street - its night again - and calls for Sharon. But...{shocker} she is no where to be found.

In the CIC Col Tigh is trying to convince the Cmdr to give up the goat, accept that Starbuck is dead, out of air. Cmdr Adama gets angry and begins to shout. He is adamant that they don't leave Kara behind. Not her and no one else, not again.

Lee suggests they pull the CAP then he gets physical with Col Tigh who insists she is already dead. Cmdr Adama breaks it up, reminds them all that they have work to do then gives Lee the go ahead to re direct the CAP along with moving Fleet in closer to the moon. "Whatever it takes to find our girl".

When word of this reach Roslin, she immediately calls Lee. Ok, I understand that she feels more at ease with Lee and so she calls him before confronting the Cmdr, but realistically, she shouldn't have been calling anyone but Cmdr Adama. Lee tries to make her understand why the CAP was re deployed to assist in the search. Roslin is clearly frustrated and does her best to offer her sympathy to Lee.

Meanwhile, Adama chastises Gaeta for thinking the search was over just because the O2 clock has gone down to zero. Adama wants to believe she has reserve oxygen. Saul begins to argue with Adama over his judgment.

In a similar scene over on the Pegasus during the Razor movie, Admiral Cain put a bullet between her XO's eyes for arguing with her about her judgment. Her XO, by the way, was close enough to Cain personally to have invited her to spend time with his family at the start of the episode. Further pointing to the shear brutality and coldness of her action. Col Tigh was fortunate to simply be relieved of duty.

Starbuck is not, in fact, out of air. Thanks to finding 'Spot' had not exhaled his last breath out in space when she shot a hole in his head. So even though the Adamas were not being logical, they at least were correct in believing that Lucky Kara the Angel of Destiny, would find a magic Raider complete with central air.

Roslin, who calls Adama to give her condolences since she is aware the clock is out for Karas air tank, gets reminded by Adama that this is a military decision and he will search for Starbuck as long as feels there is a chance to find her.

Roslin appears to have grown big brass pair of paperweights over the last 15 days. She makes an unscheduled visit to Galactica to chew some ass. Tigh gives her the heads up about Zak and the Adama bond to Kara. Col. Tigh is very loyal to the rules - not just Adama - and he knows its gone beyond a military need. He says it will take 3 wks to explain. She says he has 3 mins. {I just love 3s...and 9s...and any multiple theirin. FYI. ;) }

Roslin gives a very moving and logical speech, managing to force Adama and Lee to see just how selfish they are being by first giving in to their way and then rubbing their noses in their own honor. She employs personal responsibility and guilt, the...if this were anyone else we would have left days ago. Then she tosses in numbers. 43 percent of fuel reserves. Thats bad. The human race doesn't stand a chance. "Clear your heads!"

The Cmdr doesn't even have to say anything to Lee, Lee contacts the watch and the Cmdr orders the search ended.

Not to worry though because Kara has a Special Destiny so of course she bonds with 'Spot' {my pet name for the hijacked, and possessed Raider} actually getting him off the ground. {I say possessed because she is flying a dead body.} As she laughs maniacally "Take Me Home!" "You smell bad but you are one hell of a flying machine".

I have to wonder about the artillery of a Raider. Where do they load the bullets? Or does he shoot pellets? LOL {Bunny Pellets}

Outside CIC, Lee asks if they went overboard because of Zak. Adama tells Lee that Kara was family - you do what you have to - sometimes you break the rules - and if it were Lee - they would never leave. A touching moment. Lee chokes back tears. Followed with Adama reinstating Col Tigh back to duty. Roslin chooses to stay behind for the jump.

With seconds to spare before the final jump, a dradis alert sounds the arrival of a lone Raider. Lee heads out to intercept with Hotdog on his wing...another twist of fate disables Hotdogs viper. A good thing since he most likely would have obliterated Kara before noticing the odd flight pattern. Having established in the last episode that he shoots first and listens to orders last.

Why didnt she just pull a Batman and show her belly right away? Creative license to build suspense I suppose.

She manages to outfly Lee {fake gasp of surprise} giving the Galactica time to get her weapons to bear. Lee gets in a lucky shot before Kara manages to take up position as his wingman.

He then looks up to see the raider flying in upside down formation with his viper directly over his head - just after he reports it back to Galactica, the Raider flips over and has 'star' and 'buck' taped under the wings.

Despite Cmdr Adama's orders for security, Lee is certain its her as its flying with some 'serious attitude'.

After the Raider is docked and Kara extracted, Tyrol says to the Raider 'now your ass belongs to me'. Now that we know Tyrol is a cylon, that comment takes on a whole, farmer-sheep, kinda feel.

Then Lee says to Kara 'when you take a souvenir, you don't screw around...and you smell like a latrine" Apparently the inside of raider is similar in scent to the inside of a Ton-Ton. She replies, "wanna give me a bath?"

In the end, Adama visits Kara in the sick bay to discuss her knee and to let her know she was back in his good graces for not dying. Doc Cottle said it was too early to tell but knowing her she would be all better sooner than later. She notes that she doesn't have any Ambrosia but the Doc fixed her up with some really nice stuff.

The Cmdr then asked her if she needed anything - she says a stogie would be nice - he had a feeling - it was his last one.

***

^Additional^ notes copied from http://en.BattlestarWiki.org regarding this episode - full text is available here.

* Bear McCreary discusses the "Cylon Theme" and its relation to this episode:

"This theme was originally performed using pots, pans and toasters for the metallic effects. It was composed before I had seen 'You Can't Go Home Again', which includes a scene where Helo battles centurions in a cafe kitchen and bullets ricochet off pots, pans and a toaster!"[1]

***

In the next episode, 'Litmus', a Cylon Agent boards the Galactica, detonates a suicide bomb nearly taking Cmdr Adama and Col Tigh with him. The Master at Arms calls for an investigation to determine who in the crew left an access hatch open that allowed the Cylon to get his hands on the munitions he used to go boom. This episode also puts Deck Chief Galen Tyrols loyalties into the spot light.

***

Thank you for reading,
~99

***

Reimagined BSG "Act of Contrition" S1 E4 Commentary...Looking Back

2008-07-30T01:19:00.000-07:00

"Act of Contrition"

Original US Airdate: JANUARY 28, 2005

***These articles are full of Spoilers from the entire series to date as aired in the USA...Continue At Your Own Risk--Moreover, the format assumes the reader has seen all of the episodes and specials aired through the first half of season 4, up to and including “Revelations”***

^Borrowed material is duly credited^

Read the Prior Commentaries Here:

Introduction
Miniseries Pt 1 and 2
33
Water

Re-Watch the Episode Here First

***

^Full Series Time Line^

^Day 14: Starbuck goes missing after a battle with Cylon forces (Act of Contrition)

When several Viper pilots are killed in a freak accident, Adama turns to Starbuck for help - but her involvement in the aftermath of the accident and in training new pilots causes the truth surrounding Zak Adama's death to finally surface.

***

Imperial Commentary

According to answers.com The Act of Contrition is a prayer recited by the penitent during the Latin Rite Roman Catholic sacrament of Confession.

The episode kicks off with Flat Top's [Dwight “Flat Top” Saunder’s] 1000th landing in a Raptor. Chief Tyrol is annoyed that no one told him, thus his deck gang is unprepared for the traditional ride around the hanger in a cart while wearing ones helmet complete with a bright red '1000' painted across the top. The celebration is cut short when a Communications Drone breaks loose from its strap, launches across the deck and takes out 13 pilots, putting 7 others in sickbay.

This incident, following so closly behind the sabotage of the water tanks, appears to balance the concept of all bad things being cylon related versus just random accidents. Afterall this is a fleet of Humans and humans are flawed beings, surrounded by shoddy materials. [Buy Cylon!]

It may only be the 14th day, but we must remember that everything on Galactica is old and worn out. All weaponry had been removed prior to the decommissioning. The drones, missiles and most likely the racks they are stacked on came from the Ragnar Anchorage Munitions Depot. Who knows how long those items had been stored there. Or what sort of things LeOben did or didn't do to certain items before being discovered.

Just prior to the explosion in the hanger, we see Lee and Kara playfully discussing his abilities as CAG stating that he 'sucks' while they paint a red 1000 on a helmet. Cmdr Adama shows up in time to witness their goofiness and the spilling of red paint on the deck.

There is a bit of grey area here for me. We all know from TOS that Apollo and Starbuck were best buds so I think most of us just assumed without evidence that this Apollo and Starbuck had always been close and therefore we weren't shocked when they finally hooked up. But in reality they haven't seen each other in 2 years, not since Zak's funeral.

Additionally, I got the impression when Lee visited Kara in the Brig back during the Miniseries that there was some negative history between them. Perhaps Lee was just a snooty brat that avoided the Old Man which would have bothered Zak who would have discussed the issue with Kara. Most likely the 3 of them hung out together on a regular basis. I hang with a lot of people that are but a hairs breath away from a lecture at any given time. Yet I still love them and want to be around them.

After the events of season 3 surrounding Kara Thrace and Her Special Destiny [coming to a dive bar near you], I took special note of the red paint splashing on the floor just prior to the pilot's accident. Perhaps it was a sign and Kara is simply an Oracle? Perhaps a descendant of Pythia herself?

Perhaps she unwittingly makes predictions without even realizing. Like the Mandala painted on her apartment wall. Then again, there was no blood shown from the hanger accident...but there was a great deal of blood smeared across the face of the Raider 'Spot'. Her 'prophetic skills' may be restricted to her destiny and hers alone.

As we watch Kara and Lee play, we are taken back and forth to Kara in her viper out of control and breaking apart. As the episode evolves we realize that her viper is crashing in the present and the events surrounding the hanger accident are the flashbacks.

A million Cubit Communications Drone - thats value not size. The fact that the price was even mentioned is a testement to the general state of denial being expressed by most of the survivors. Some, like those rioting over water rations, or those partying on the various cruise ships, behave as though the Cylons will give up, a new home will be found anyday and life can get back to normal. Any day now.

And according to the Master at Arms, Sgt. Hadrian, the problem was a simple worn strap. As I mentioned before, Galactica was old and being decommissioned, she was never intended to carry arms again. The entire Viper Squad was from the museum. Chief Tyrol is still disturbed though, he has never had a death on his hanger, accidents sure, but never a death.

Coming up soon is the episode 'Litmus' wherein Sgt Hadrian will head an investigation into the relationship between Tyrol and Boomer after a Cylon suicide bomber nearly kills Adama and Tigh with munitions taken from a locker left unlocked that Tyrol had access too.

As the remaining pilots sit solemnly in the ready room prior to the Services For The Dead, Lee doesn't quite know what to say to them. Like Kara, the days events have set him to thinking about his brother Zak. Cmdr Adama soon comes in and makes a speech about pride and self value. He reminds them that they are the guardians of the fleet and people are watching.

'People are watching'. As this line is delivered the camera pans and we see Sgt Hadrian standing at the wall. She is one the people watching. President Roslin is the other. Along with the Quorum and every whiny ungrateful citizen in the fleet. I appreciate the need for some kind of society type structure but seriously. I will never understand why more control over fleet supplies was not exercised.

Granted, Admiral Cain's tactics were far to the extreme, going beyond control to outright murder by abandonment. However, the idea of the military or at least the Quorum having an inventory and control over all necessities makes much more sense to me and would have curbed the Black Market that pops up later due to a lack of control.

In a survival situation of unknown duration with a population attempting to repopulate, very strict compiling and rationing of staples would have been required to assure the maximum life to the supply line. Very likely this was an intentional oversight to allow for the Black Market Story Line. Although in hind sight, I think they could have skipped it, considering that plot line never went anywhere.

At the service itself, we see all the bodies under Colonial Flags, they are airlocked at the end. Unless they have an Incinerator Ship, airlocking is really all they can do, however it does remind me of a trail of bread crumbs for the cylons to follow. During the service, Lee, the Cmdr and Starbuck all have flashbacks to Zak's funeral and the events just prior.

Kara flashes back to meeting Cmdr Adama for the first time. The day before Zak's funeral. The Cmdr asks her about a letter from Zak in which he indicated they were close and that Zak had something to tell his father. Kara continues to flash back, conversations with Zak about not giving him special treatment, which she denies, only to confess to the fact later on in this episode.

What is perhaps unique about this episode- is that technically Kara is in her Viper flashing back to the events just after the hanger accident. She is also flashing back to moments she spent flashing back to Zak's death. Episodes like this one are why we watch them over and over again. Only to fully understand them after copious quanties of Chamalla and Ambrosia.

After the Services For The Dead Starbuck is sitting in Cmdr Adama's quarters, having a drink while he hints that she is needed to train his new pilots. There are only 2 other flight instructors in the whole fleet and both are civilians. The Cmdr needs someone that can teach combat tactics. Neither can think of anyone better qualified yet Starbuck is adamentally trying to talk him out of giving her the job. Of course he doesn't know about her role in Zak's death yet.

Adama talks her into it without having to order her by stating that Zak's death wasn't her fault and to "...Just give them [the nuggets] the attention and professionalism you gave my son..."

At this point, Kara is completely consumed with her memories of Zak and is unable to concentrate on anything else. During a game of Triad with Baltar, Sharon/Boomer, Crashdown and Gaeta, Kara is busy reminiscing about sex with Zak while Crashdown and Boomer have a side bet going about who is going to win the hand, Baltar or Kara.

Starbuck goes back again to the moment of Zak asking her if she passed him because she loves him...Crashdown grills Gaeta over the cylon detector only to be told its a classified subject. Some on the BSG Wiki site have observed that Sharon/Boomer was disturbed by the mention of the cylon detector. Personally I didn't notice. What I did notice was that Kara had a wicked fantasy and had to excuse herself early.

Down on Caprica Helo and Sharon/Athena track the beacon to a restaurant but can't locate the source, until miraculously Sharon notices a door behind a bookcase. The two pilots discover an unused fallout shelter - fully stocked with meds and provisions to last them both months.

They also discover a disaster beacon attached to a buttload of batteries but no owner. Sharon suggests they call themselves lucky and leave it at that. Just outside a Six peaks in the window but walks on. Implying the cylons arranged the little love nest for Helo and Sharon to 'find'.

Of course we all know it was a setup, we actually knew it back when it aired the first time. What we didn't know was that Sharon would have a change of heart and betray her Cylon bretheren.

Back on Galactica Roslin sits in sickbay with Dr Cottle. He confirms that her cancer is inoperable. He discusses meds, Diloxin [like Chemo no doubt], and a handful of others along with the side effects she should expect. Roslin notes watching her mother die of cancer and suffer through all of the treatments Cottle mentioned.

She asks about alternative treatments, he jokes 'you mean like prayer?' she is not amused, then brings up Chamalla extract. He rolls he's eyes 'oh Gods you are one of those...its effectivness is only anecdotal.' Chamalla extract has a "new agey" feel based on Cottle's tone.

Getting back to Kara as she goes over the roster of nuggets with Lee bitching about the selection. They are all pilots, one even washed out of the Academy [Hotdog], but none have ever flown an actual Viper. She walks in on the class, getting right to the point of being in charge.

A viper mk 2 can flip end for end in .35 seconds. With no simulators the nuggets will have to learn in the real thing. Landing is the hardest part. Kat's first landing is beyond scary. Kat makes up for this later on by outflying Starbuck more than once. Of course that is after she over comes her Stim addiction.

Starbuck cuts the lot fearing another incident like what happened with Zak. Lee gives her grief about it and she nearly decks him. They have 40 vipers and only 21 pilots. The fleet is still on water opps and its all he can do to form a CAP. The next group of nuggets havent ever seen the inside of any cockpit and so they have to work with what they have.

Throughout these scenes with Starbuck we keep flashing to her in the viper as it breaks up over the moon. At this point she ejects.

Lee naturally runs to his daddy and tells on Kara. Lee mentions that he thinks Kara is feeling guilty over Zak, then misunderstands when the Cmdr says he and Kara have already discussed that subject. Consequently Captain Apollo turns around and blabs what the dish is. The look of 'oh crap...I thought you already knew' was just priceless. This guy they have playing Zak for this episode is a hottie btw.

Cmdr Adama immediately summons Kara to his quarters. He tells her that Lee felt she washed out the nuggets over her personal feelings for Zak, Kara denies this. Next he inquires about Lees comments that Kara may have some guilt over something she may have done for Zak. She tries to dodge but the Cmdr presses, stating that Kara was like a daughter to him and that he deserved more than her sparring with him.

She then confesses [Act of Contrition] that she passed him despite Zak busting 3 of the required maneuvers because they were engaged. The Cmdr is clearly pissed - not because they were engaged but because she let her feelings cloud her judgment and it killed his son. He orders her to reinstate the trainees, to do her job and to walk out of his cabin while she still can.

Flashing foreward now to Kara falling through the atmosphere of some planetoid. Simultaneously informing the nuggets that they are getting another chance. As we near the end of this episode, Starbuck has Kat, Hotdog, and Chuckles out on a training run. She makes a statement to Hotdog about never leaving your leader, while XO Col Tigh comments on how professional she sounds. As if by cue, an 8 Raider Cylon Patrol pops into Starbucks Dradis. The alert Viper squad is 2 mins away.

She orders nuggets to bail and head for home at full throttle. She flips her bird to take on the inbounds. Hotdog decides to go back, fixating on the 'never leave your leader' statement. Starbuck orders to him to retreat reminding him that she also said to never disobey her orders, but he is having an adrenaline rush after splashing one Raider. Until he gets winged that is...Starbuck skillfully talks him through his retreat, pats him on the back and assures him that he is going to make it home.

As the CIC monitors the fire fight, Dee announces that Starbucks signal has been lost. Cmdr Adama mutters to himself that she is gonna make it. Hotdog gets picked up by Boomer and Crashdown, throwing up as soon as he is safe on board their Raptor. Cmdr Adama waits for him in the Hanger for intel on Starbucks status when he last saw her.

After Starbuck blasts the last Raider, it spirals out of control and wings her viper causing them to both plummet toward the planet below. It is worth noting that an Act of Contrition usual includes some sort of pennance for ones sins just confessed. Starbuck takes on all 8 Raiders to save her nuggets, to protect her fleet and also to offer up her life to the fates in exchange for causings Zak's death, albeit indirectly. So it ends where it began, much as I suspect the series itself will end, leaving us hanging for the next chapter.

Thank you for reading,
~99

***

^Additional^ notes copied from http://en.BattlestarWiki.org regarding this episode; full text is available here.

Small inconsistency in set dressing: The books on the shelf that covers the fallout shelter's entrance are rectangular. The books in Adama's study however all have their corners cut.

The Colonial military use what appear to be HumVees and Deuce-and-a-half trucks.

While the Viper is burning on entry into the atmosphere, the Viper's altimeter is going in reverse, indicating altitude gain.

Ron D. Moore states on the DVD commentary that the munition activation that kills several pilots was inspired by a similar event on the USS Forrestal in 1967.

Also according to the DVD commentary, the ejection sequence at the beginning of each chapter is an homage to The Right Stuff.

***

In the next episode, 'You Can't Go Home Again', we will pick up where this episode left off. We will learn the lengths that both Cmdr Adama and his son Lee will go to for the sake of Kara. We will also see that Roslin's backbone just gets stiffer and stiffer as she faces off with the two Adamas over their lack of clear headed thinking in the matter of Starbucks rescue efforts...and Head Six is back...pushing Baltars buttons and stroking his Ego.

Thank you for reading,

~99

***

Reimagined BSG "Bastille Day" S1 E3 Commentary...Looking Back

2008-07-25T03:55:00.000-07:00

Reimagined BSG "Bastille Day" S1 E3 Commentary...Looking Back

"Bastille Day"
Original US Airdate: JANUARY 21, 2005

After the Fleet finds water ice to replace that which was lost in sabotage, Galactica and the Fleet face a shortage of manpower to mine the ice, turning to their prisoner barge for help, with unexpected complications.

***

Imperial Commentary

This episode introduced a new character in Tom Zarek. At first just a guest appearance, his story line has run neck and neck with the primaries from the moment he stepped from his cell on the Astral Queen.

Imprisoned 20 years prior to the Fall of the 12 Colonies for blowing up a government building on Saggitaron, Zarek calls himself a Political Activist, while others see his actions as those of a terrorist. Refusing to give up violence as a means of political expression in exchange for a pardon from President Adar, Zarek stated he would serve his term as a “matter of conscience.”

A charming and eloquent man, Zarek had endeared himself to the prisoners of the Astral Queen. Earning their loyalty and organizing a prison break during a time of crisis, being the water shortage.

With Lee Adama sitting in Zarek’s cell, a sympathetic guard attacks another guard and releases all the inmates. After Lee kicks some serious ass, woot for Colonial Military Hand to Hand Training, he is outnumbered and overpowered with a boot to the face.

Zarek’s demands are simple. He wants Laura Roslin and the entire Quorum of 12 to step down, now, and then hold a new election for new leadership, claiming her appointment was illegal and in violation of the Articles of Colonization. Which it was not. She was in fact next in line.

Right off the bat Zarek comes across as a borderline fanatic, his impassioned pleas for the good of the people, are nothing more than a well planned ploy to evoke an emotional response by people already being pushed to their limits.

Additionally it has only been 12 days – just what did he expect running for their lives would be like? Does he think the various ships are being held together against their will…what does he want exactly? No Galactica means humanity becomes Cylon Chow.

Everyone reacts to crisis in their own way. Moreover, with the perspective of an outside omnipotent observer, that of the fan viewer, it is often difficult to accurately guess at how we ourselves would react if we were among the last of humanity. Not to mention a former Icon for the Oppressed with an apparent death wish.

So you have Terrorist Tom, Luscious Lee, assorted other crew, inmates, and Presidential Aides hold up on this barge that miraculously found 1000 more inmates than they had 12 days go. They could have just written in that there were 1500 total, of those, 500 were the type one might not feel bad about air locking.

A simple miscommunication from the Captain of the ship to Billy. However, who cares, the show still kicks ass, takes names, is all that and a bag of chips. Oops, sorry, not reviews. {blush}

Thankfully this show is about fate and destiny so it’s easy to chalk up certain less likely attributes as meant to be, or a part of ‘the plan’. Things like the refinery ship for tylium – which coincidentally was ‘found’ by Sleeper Cylon Sharon/Boomer.

The equipment to mine ice and ore, the means to process algae into noodles, it is possible that some of those things are just on Galactica as a matter of practice, except of course the fuel boat. I could buy that the food processors go along with the water recyclers.

At some point in the series it was stated that Battlestars were designed to spend extended periods between dockings implying the ability to sustain, create or store vital goods.

It stands to reason if a higher power has designed all of these events, in an effort to break the circle of time or perhaps to ensure it goes on unbroken, I could see that power arranging certain things to steer the players on the game board, making certain choices obvious and certain paths easier than others.

Saul Tigh discovers that Dradis pictures of ice and water are pretty and comical when preceded by a couple capfuls of whiskey. Hearing him giggle was great. Kara’s little gesture to Tigh with the water, at the end of the episode was just like his gesture to her at the end of the miniseries, and he treated her about the same as she had treated him.

Lee pulls a little ‘Mistress Nina’ on Zarek by ‘Reading His Mind’, essentially guessing a confession out of him as to his real plot and intentions. In addition, did you see that Jackie Chan, 007 move when he took that dudes gun, shot the guy in the cell with Cally and put Zarek on his knees?

According to Wiki, that final shot was in homage to Clint Eastwood’s famous “Do you feel lucky punk? Well? Do you?” “Do you still have a death wish? Are you ready to leave this world? Well? Are you?”

“You reap what you sow.”

Lee is definitely shaping up to be more than first met the eye when he whined over a hands on approach during the miniseries. Lee was dead on, Zarek wanted to go out with a bang. Zarek saw no hope for humanity and wanted to ensure chaos*, thus ensuring the Cylons would end it quick rather than after chasing them for years across the galaxy.

On the other hand, Zarek may actually be the final Cylon and this is all apart of his “plan” or program.

The thing that irritates me about Zarek in this episode is his exasperated desperation over Roslin’s illegitimate presidency that is so fake and completely illogical considering the circumstances. Which is probably what Lee thought as well, hence is mind reading confession.

It has only been 12 days since their homes were destroyed. 5.5 of those days were spent jumping every 33 minutes. And yet, Roslin still assured the futures of 40 odd civilian ships, including the Astral Queen, give or take a re write or two in coming episodes.

Roslin later also assured the civilians would have Galacticas escort and protection as they ran from the Cylons. Unlike the fate they would have met with the Pegasus and Admiral Cain.

She has already saved humanity a couple of times, albeit Adama’s compliance made most of it possible. She has a Quorum going, has organized supply lines and other vital services within the fleet. She had even assured that the prisoners on the Astral Queen would be cared for humanely. So Zarek is full of daggit doo if he thinks any rational person bought any of his BS.

Yes, his words make sense, it is his attitude; that only he can ensure those ideals; that is the BS. He wants Power. You need to convince the people that you and you alone have their best interest at heart. Additionally, you have to convince the people that the current government does not care, despite all the evidence to the contrary. A classic Shit Stirrer. There is one in every group.

Not surprisingly, after Lee saved his life, he suddenly realized he didn’t really want to die. A couple years later, when Baltar returns to the fleet after the Eye of Jupiter, Zarek was telling Roslin to enact martial law to keep the peace due to all the people like him that would be blowing each other up to get at Baltar. Perhaps 4 months in the detention center on New Caprica allowed the gravity of his situation to finally sink in.

Roslin has to educate Adama on the difference between Military and Political Strategy. When dealing with a Tom Zarek, you have to use Political Strategy as public opinion is very delicate and they were already rioting over the water shortage.

Tom was at least accurate in his assumption of how the President and Adama would handle the situation, guns blazing etc. I doubt however that the team would have given them the bloodbath they wanted…but then again, the prisoners were all armed at that point.

First Adama told Lee to pick a side. Then Zarek told Lee to choose sides. I keep hearing…’The Sleeper Must Awaken,’ from Dune. “Have you chosen a side yet Apollo?” Lee is very versatile if you really think about it.

From his flying and fighting skills, to his strategic knowledge in the case of the Pulse Generators from Colonial One, not to mention being a diplomat. He also proved himself a skilled Attorney, Quorum Minister and President. {Seasons 3 and 4}.

I don’t think I gave Lee the proper credit in the early years. I had fixated on his snootiness at the beginning and missed the nobility of his character. His insistence to Roslin that she complies with the Articles and plan an election or her presidency really was a sham and he didn’t owe her or Commander Adama a damn thing was the frosting on his cake.

Lee always seems to do the “by the book” thing, follow the rules, Captain Apollo-Captain America-Truth, Justice and the Colonial Way! Even his destruction of the Olympic Carrier was by the book despite his guilt over it anyway. Which in a way is a good personality trait.

Roslin showed us she can play hard ball cheering as Adama sends in the troops. Cally gets attacked and has a nice snack of left ear with a side of bullet to the gut. Specialist Lazy…too funny. “He’s lucky that’s all I bit off” priceless.

Despite not getting his way or his bloodbath today, Zarek did get a ship, and he did keep his word to provide a labor class for the fleet, not to mention the fact that he set in motion the chain of events that put his office next to Laura’s and gave him a taste of the Presidency more than once.

Too bad Adama would rather leave humanity to the Cylons than allow Zarek any military support. Moreover, if Zarek didn’t still have a stick up his butt over Roslin, he could almost be trusted.

True, Roslin has done some iffy things over the years, and I will get to her more after New Caprica. However, at this point in the series she is adapting to her position quite well, and thus far seems to be reasonably balanced between blind logic, revenge and compassion/hope. Zarek just knows that if the fleet were in Chaos, a man like him could easily swoop in and take over.

Down on Old Caprica, Helo the dumb ass is yelling for whomever while the Cylons may be lurking in every corner. He gets a bit morbid, discussing the dead as he and Sharon run across an arm being drug off by rats. Sharon puts on a good show for Helo, meanwhile a Six and a Doral watch them from a roof top.

Up on the rooftop, Six comments on Sharon-Athena’s acting ability “She’s good.” In addition, she is saddened by all the devastation. Doral is much colder, first accusing her of being jealous of Sharon, then comments that the humans “they” would have destroyed themselves eventually anyway and they deserved what they got.

Six reminds Doral “we are the Children of Humanity, it makes them our parents in sense.” Doral adds that parents must die for children to come into their own.

What would make Doral believe that Humanity would have destroyed itself anyway? Perhaps knowledge of what happened on Earth is somewhere in the Cylons base knowledge without really knowing how they know. You know? Assuming the 5 came from Earth and helped create the other 7??

In the Noteworthy Dialogue section of the Wiki page it is pointed out that the Children of Humanity statement was also used by Zarek during his hostage take over broadcast.

Tom Zarek: I make these demands not for me....but for you, the people. The survivors of the holocaust and the children of humanity's future. I am Tom Zarek, and this is the first day of a new era.

Note that he lists the Survivors of the Holocaust as separate entities from the Children of Humanity’s Future. He also claims that his leadership will be the dawn of a new Era. Wouldn’t it be funny if Zarek turned out to be Kara’s daddy? LOL He is old enough. Or indeed the final Cylon? Or maybe both.

Back on Galactica Baltar waves down Kara who shuns him, then Head Six offers condolences. “I wonder if she is a real blonde?” He asks, “I doubt it” Six replies smugly.

Kara has a confrontation in the briefing room with Tigh about how to handle a speed demon pilot. Saying yelling was not the best way to get through to people, something she learned in Officers Candidates School. She also gives him grief over smelling of booze.

We wont get into Kara being used as a sniper later on when the marines board the Astral Queen. If you read the Wiki site on this episode they have notes regarding that as well as on Boxey being at a Pilot’s briefing like he was Kara’s Valet. Analysis

Now we see Baltar in Adama’s quarters. Blowing smoke about some painting that reminds me of the images from 9.11 only colored and blurred. Adama interrupts the ass kissing and gets to the point regarding the Cylon Detector.

Baltar begins to stammer and even tries to convince Adama he is not the man for the job, he simply cannot do it. Head six becomes furious and insists that Baltar convince Adama that he has the ability to make the detector, screaming that they – the Fleet - would tear his head off and throw him out the airlock if he failed.

Then she demands that he repeat after her, getting him to ask for a nuke. At first Baltar is just going along with Head Six, but you can tell he had an epiphany while trying to make up a good lie, when she tells him to specify the plutonium is what he needed, ultimately coming up with the very way to make a Cylon Detector in the process.

According to Commander Adama, Galactica had 5 nuclear warheads at this time. Adama assures Baltar he will get 1 leaving the fleet with 4. I believe this gets rewritten later allowing them more – or perhaps they are resupplied by the Pegasus?

Adama’s statement to Lee about the Astral Queen being a weapon in and of itself, was a fact. However, I doubt she is wiry in the maneuverability sense, and that the CAP would see her coming giving Galactica ample time to blow her from the stars.

The scene with Lee and Roslin at the end of this episode highlights her respect for Lee’s judgment, at least for now. Telling him she admired him for his actions as well as confiding in him about her Cancer shows her in trust him.

Especially considering she lied to Cmdr Adama when she told him she had allergies. Coincidentally the same lie LeOben at Ragnar told Adama.

When Lee outs her Camalla use during Baltars Trial at the end of Season 3, she is a bit too bitter and that is one of the thorns she has stuck in my side. There are others thorns that I will address over time. At this point he is still her ‘Captain Apollo’.

One last note, Sleeper Cylon Tyrol continues to cover for Sleeper Cylon Boomer and then Sleeper Cylon Saul Tigh tells Sleeper Cylon Boomer to break it off with Sleeper Cylon Tyrol. Of course none of them knows what we know they don’t know. You know? LOL

SIGNIFICANT PLOT GROUNDWORK LAID HERE:

Tom Zarek gets control of the Astral Queen and the Fleets primary source of Laborers.

He gets in good with the other Civilian Captains

They make him Minister of Saggitaron

As Minister he gets the ball rolling on choosing a VP for Roslin

This ties his story to Baltar when Roslin chooses Baltar for VP

Zarek’s can now run for President

Instead he persuades Baltar, with Head Six’s help, to run and keep Zarek as his VP. Which he does.

Baltar convinces Adama that a nuke specifically the plutonium inside will help to complete his Cylon Detector.

He does in fact create a working Cylon Detector in the episode Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down.

He discovers that Sharon-Boomer is a sleeper Cylon. Head Six talks him out of telling her for fear Boomers program might cause her to rip Baltar’s head off to protect her mission.

Baltar chooses to lie. He lies about how long each test takes and he lies about the results of at least Sharon’s test, possibly Tigh’s and Tyrol's as well. If they got tested before the shooting.

Because Baltar didn’t rat out Sharon, she was able to Nuke a BaseStar for Fleet, bumping into her copies in the process.

Being hailed as a hero, Sharon-Boomer was escorted to CIC to be thanked personally by the Old Man Cmdr Adama. She proceeded to put 2 bullets in his chest before being subdued. This is the season 1 finale.

After this, it was just assumed that the detector was defective. No one ever accused Baltar of lying about the results.

Lee Adama begins to stretch his wings and pull away from his father and into his own light by serving as the Presidents Representative and advisor on Military Protocol.

He ultimately chose the side of the Articles of Colonization, something that will lead to his career in politics down the road.

Unfortunately for Lee, he is constantly trying to be what his daddy wants and continues to chase after the military career.

He nearly gets himself killed more than once. Moreover, he always seems more than willing to just die. He really only shines when he being diplomatic, logical, and righteous.

Lee forms a bond with Zarek here on the Astral Queen. Later in season 4 that will be to Lee’s advantage when convincing Zarek to step back from the Presidency during Laura’s time with the Cylons.

Imperial Theory:
If we are to believe that someone from Earth say the Final Five, showed up on the Cylon Home World after the Armistice, saw they were trying to be like the Final Five already were – more human. The 5 help, creating the other 7. The programmers – the 5 – include the idea that humans are violent and self destructive, perhaps not being to blame for the devastation on Earth, just being the only survivors.

Unfortunately that still doesn’t help us determine who is the last or why the 7 were told not to think about the 5 or why the 5 are in the Cylon afterlife/in between places as well as among the Colonials as sleepers.

Thank you for reading,

~99

***

^Additional^ notes copied from http://en.BattlestarWiki.org regarding this episode - full text is available here

The Astral Queen is a FTL-capable former star liner now given over to transporting prisoners between worlds. At the time of the Cylon attack, she was originally said to be carrying 500 male prisoners (Miniseries) to their pardon hearings on Caprica (Bastille Day). However, this was later ret conned and increased to a count of 1,500 prisoners. It was captained by Wilkens.

***

In the next episode, 'Act of Contrition', Kara struggles with memories of Zak's death following an accident on the Hanger Deck that costs the fleet 13 pilots. Additionally, we get a few new nuggets to play with, including Hotdog and Kat. Kara is assigned to train them bringing her guilt over Zak to a rolling boil.

***

Thank you for reading,

~99

***

Reimagined BSG "Water" S1 E2 Commentary...Looking Back

2008-07-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

Original US Airdate: January 14, 2005

***These articles are full of Spoilers from the entire series to date as aired in the USA...Continue At Your Own Risk--Moreover, the format assumes the reader has seen all of the episodes and specials aired through the first half of season 4, up to and including “Revelations”...

^Borrowed material is duly credited^

Re-Watch the Episode Here First

***

^Time Line^

^Day 10: Galactica’s water tanks damaged by sabotage (Water)

Galactica loses over 60% of her water reserves due to sabotage, forcing the fleet into a crisis and Commander Adama to seek a new supply.

***

Imperial Commentary

It has been known since the end of the miniseries that Boomer-Sharon is a humanoid Cylon. This episode delves into Sharon’s coming to realize or suspect that she may be a Cylon Agent, though she doesn’t really know yet what she is for sure.

No doubt waking from a trance in a store room is disconcerting enough. But add to that being soaking ass wet, no idea how you got there, and evidence that you planned to be there, despite not remembering, in the form of a duffel bag complete with towel, dry flight suit, and oh what’s this? A detonator.

Further investigation leads her to the weapons locker where she finds 6 empty slots. She returns the one from her bag then proceeds to the hanger bay where she takes the Chief aside and tells him what just happened. Greeting Cally with ‘Good Evening’ Vs. ‘Good Morning’ indicates that Boomer lost some time, most likely blacking out when her sleeper program kicked in.

When this episode first aired I argued that the Cylon program was similar enough to human brainwashing that we could not use that as evidence of the cylons not being alive or sentient.

We essentially program our children to behave according to our standards. Abused children become programmed to be submissive or aggressive depending on their psyche. People suffering from mental illness often lose control and do things that they don’t remember and more often than not, regret.

There has been more than one conspiracy theory about our own government and those in other countries, brainwashing soldiers to be mindless killing machines or sleeper assassins to be triggered at a specific time like a post hypnotic suggestion.

After the water tanks burst, Tyrol’s inspection report to Cmdr Adama reveals blast points indicating sabotage. The Master At Arms confirmed there were five detonators missing. Four were used in the water tanks, one was still missing. (The irony…)

Tyrol emphasizes that the Master At Arms stated that due to lax security and bad record keeping…that they may never know who actually took the detonators. We all know of course, but until we actually witness her do something, they are able to leave us a little room for doubt…that maybe she was being set up.

Later before departing Galactica in her Raptor to investigate a possible water source, Boomer and Tyrol discuss the riots that had been breaking out on the cruise ships from the water rationing and the importance of her mission. She then gets very adamant that he believes her that she would not ever do anything to harm the ship or her ship mates. He tries to reassure her that he does.

I realize it had only been 10 days at this point, but really how long does it take before the concept of ‘survival situation’ sinks in? What I don’t get is why they didn’t go on rationing procedure…as soon as they decided to run?

They may have had several years supply but it also takes them several years to find Earth. Moreover, It wasn’t exactly a lush oasis, at least not what we have seen so far. So let’s hope they haven’t been too wasteful, especially after the food shortage that occurred in the episode The Passage, since they may have to live in their ships a bit longer.

While Boomer and Crashdown are doing the H20 sweep of the system they were assigned, Boomer detects water but finds she is unable to tell her ECO. In addition, she has found the missing detonator strapped to her seat and packed with an explosive compound.

As she struggles with her conscious desire to share the great find, her Cylon sleeper program is working {one assumes} to prevent her from assisting the humans by destroying herself before telling the fleet where the water is. We know what her primary program was…get close to and kill the Old Man.

Perhaps there was also a sub routine, a safety net, or fail safe, set up to prevent the sleeper agents from inadvertently aiding the humans against the Cylons. A function clearly absent in the Final Five or perhaps flawed and easily bypassed as Boomer did more than once.

Boomer-Sharon returns to applause and cheers being hailed a hero for finding the water. She had disarmed the detonator and asked Tyrol to check her ejection seat, personally. Tyrol finds the detonator and covers for her telling the Master at Arms he found it during routine maintenance checks.

Boomer is a sleeper Cylon who we have good reason to believe blacks out when her sleeper half takes over. At the end of this episode as Sharon walks down the hall after Tyrol says he took care of it…she has this little half smile…almost as if her sleeper half had taken over for the moment and was gloating about the big dumb lug covering her ass so he could…keep covering her ass. ;)

We also learned in this episode a good deal about the food and water needs of the fleet in addition to how Galactica recycles as well as shares water with those ships in the fleet not equipped for long journeys.

According to Baltar, 45,265 people {the population at the time he ran his calculations} would require at the minimum for ongoing survival – 82 tons of grain - 85 tons of meat - 119 tons of fruit - 304 tons of vegetables and 2.5 million GPs of water – per week.

82 tons of grain per week divided by the total population is 3.62 lbs of grain per person per week or 8.28 oz per day. Grains include pasta, bread, anything flour based. 85 tons of meat = 3.75 lbs per person/wk or 8.5 oz per day. 119 tons of fruit = 12 oz per person per day. 304 tons of vegetables = 30.7 oz per person per day.

2.5 million GPs of water. They never say what a GP is. 2.5 million per week for the entire population = 55.23 GPs per person per week = 7.89 GPs per day per person. If GPs are similar to gallons, the amount seems high for a ration, perhaps that is typical unrestricted use. 1 gallon to drink the rest for showers, laundry, toilets, recreation, plants or pets.

The amount of vegetables is understandably higher as veggies lack the sugar content that fruit has to offer any real calories without quantity. Moreover, veggies and whole grains are the key sources of fiber…something you really need if you want your flight suit to stay comfy…so you need to eat a lot. Grains and meats have the highest calorie content. Fruit has the highest sugar.

Storage would also be an issue. Its not as if they have a “Wal-Mart” ship or a “Local Butcher” ship. It’s also highly unlikely they have the means for livestock considering the additional grain needed to feed that livestock.[1]

During the season 3 episode, The Passage, we learned that most of the fleets protein comes from processed algae, and it is also most likely fortified with many vitamins, minerals, fats, amino acids, sugar and fiber compounds, creating a balance of nutrition while taking up minimal space needed for bodies and non perishables. The Colonial equivalent to Military Rations or MREs.

No doubt the pleasure vessels had a certain amount of supplies typical for a space fairing hotel. Booze, clothes, finery, these things would have been prized on the Black Market as well, being the most reliable currency at the time.

While Cmdr Adama is busy explaining the way water is recycled and shared with other ships to President Roslin, the Virgon express is lining up to dock with Galactica. They will give Galactica their used water and then be refilled with fresh recycled water from the Galactica’s tanks.

A moment into the exercise several alarms go off as Gaeta announces a hull breach. The helmsman is ordered to back away from the Virgon express after all connection lines are severed. Every water tank on the Galactica’s port side was ruptured, venting more than half the Galactica’s water supply into space.

Tyrol takes a team of knuckle draggers in EVA suits for a walk in the empty tanks. 10 million GPs lost. Over 16,000 people, 1/3 of the fleet, depend on the Galactica for water. Emergency rations must be instituted on all affected ships. Fear of rioting is discussed and later comes to pass.

Gaeta’s initial theory was that the hull was weakened in the last nuclear attack by the cylons and the internal pressure caused the rupture but Tyrol’s team later revealed the explosive sabotage.

The team in CIC has scanned the nearby systems and discovered 5 within range that have the potential for water. If they don’t find a source of water soon, 1/3 of the fleet will be without water after a weeks time.

Adama clears the room and Roslin asks who all knows about the skin jobs looking human. Then they ask Baltar about screening the fleet for Cylon Agents.

He spaces out to play with head six and makes an interesting comment – “every woman is beautiful, and has certain feminine charms which are hers and hers alone.” Outwardly he is babbling with many large words about his reasons for not having a Cylon Detector yet. Adama interrupts Baltar and offers him space, resources and help in the form of Gaeta, much to Baltar’s chagrin.

Baltar cuts in on a card game with Kara and the gang to ditch Gaeta who is too giddy for the doctor. Gaeta rambles on about college noting that he studied bio engineering.

After winning several hands, the last drawing applause, Baltar offers Kara a hand rolled Fumarella cigarette – one of the last in the whole universe. Yes, he was flirting, and yes, she was impressed.

Roslin and Adama continue getting chummier by the day. It’s only been 10 days now since they first locked horns over running from the Cylons. Now she is in his quarters, where they discuss books and the fact that rioting broke out on some cruise ship as soon as the ration order came down.

Adama gives her a mystery story as a gift stating you should never lend a book. Their discussion then turns to the riots and Roslin requests that Adama handle it as he has the only armed and trained forces. Adama is right to be leery about making the military into a police force – stating that the military is supposed to fight the enemy, while the police are supposed to protect the people.

When the military become the police, the people become the enemy. Roslin assures him, that she will not let that happen…she then repeats it….with a tone similar to a warning. She was also correct, they had to maintain some kind of order, keep the peace. Moreover, for now the military is the only trained force.

Lee has a vivid flashback and seems to still be struggling with destroying the Olympic carrier. Cmdr Adama tries to instruct lee on keeping a military perspective.

It is still not clear to me why they all feel such regret, over the O.C. – other than a generalized guilt for having to take any life for any reason. I suppose it could be more likely regret that they had no choice or no time to find another way…rather than actually thinking they were wrong and the ship was not really a threat.

Near the end of this episode Lee discusses his feelings about the O.C. with President Roslin. Lee quoted his father by saying that you have to take responsibility for your decisions and not second guess them.

Roslin adds that while there are things that must be stated publicly, as leaders they must learn from their mistakes. She keeps a piece of paper in her pocket with the name Olympic carrier written across it as a way to remind her to not forget.

She then asks Lee to help her with the military – like how Adama didn’t really like all the fussy stuff and was just doing it as a gesture to her position. She went on to tell Lee that he could help her and still keep his job at the C…A…G…LMAO!

Down on Caprica – the Centurions are all over Sharon’s raptor – but of course this is a setup. Helo was teasing her about sending a pilot to do an ECOs job. She then instructs him to follow her lead as they travel toward the city. Later in the dark they are eating rations in the rain by a small fire. They share a moment while discussing moss and twigs. Seconds later they are both elated after hearing a colonial signal on the radio.

Up until after Athena-Sharon gets pregnant, she is working for the Cylons and all her moves thus far have been to save his life, endear herself to him and keep their adrenaline up, assuring the likelihood of his falling in love with her. People are always falling in love during survival situations. Aren’t they?

Of course the Cylons got lucky – or had inside information on Helo that he already had a crush on Sharon so all they did was fan the flames and give him the opportunity to act on his feelings.

Apparently Colonial one can land on Galactica. This didn’t occur very often. At first I thought it was for security – with the cylons still in hot pursuit, it may have been deemed too risky to transport the President by shuttle. It is also possible that the majority of persons on board colonial one wanted to be present for the “tour” making a landing the most efficient method.

Later in the series as less and less politics takes place on Galactica, Roslin typically travels by shuttle or raptor. Protocol for the arrival of the President of 12 colonies calls for full dress uniform, announcements, pomp and circumstance.

Neither Cmdr Adama nor President Roslin has any love for the frills, yet both perceive that the other does. Until Lee points out that the Cmdr was only making a gesture, to make her feel presidential, but honestly could do with out all the falderal. Laura was noticeably touched and softened her attitude toward Cmdr Adama a great deal.

Colonel Tigh is noticeably frustrated trying to find dress clothes for the Presidents arrival. We see him measure off the remains of a bottle of whiskey. This was before the still method was perfected by the Chief after they join up with the Pegasus in Season 2. It is still made clear from the start that he is an alcoholic and struggles with it everyday. This of course will effect his duties later on.

One last note, Billy really was bad with women. First observed by President Roslin when he told her she looked “nice” in 1 of her only 3 outfits, and then later by himself in the CIC.

The poor boy can’t even squeeze out a compliment without sounding like a big hayseed. “I shuurr does like yer hare miss Dee…its reeel puurrty and stuff…{blush}”.

Insecure and adorable…like candy to The Mistress…xoxox

Thanks for Reading!!

~99

***

^Additional^ notes copied from Battlestar Wiki regarding this episode - read the rest here.

# As promised at the show's outset, basic logistics and supply issues are a major concern on the series that the characters have to address.

[1] * Some viewers may think that 600-odd tons of food a week is a lot of consumables to have available and wonder where it all comes from. However, the Fleet comprises many ships, apparently including many supply ships with such supplies like the Gideon.

# The violent water ejection from Galactica is mostly accurate. Presuming that the water tanks on Galactica were under some pressure (Baltar's comment that a human could not withstand the pressures within the tank corroborates this), the water would leave the ship in the manner shown. Water in a vacuum and in the absolute cold of space will both freeze and boil. The resulting ice crystals will then quickly sublimate (attain a vapor state directly from a solid state). In the episode, the water appears to sublimate instantly (See source from NASA).

# Water is an excellent radiation shield, in particular for neutron radiation, possibly explaining why the water tanks are placed on the outside of the hull.

# Moore discusses putting Sharon Valerii's and Chief Tyrol's relationship in jeopardy:

* At the start of the season, I intended to reveal things very slowly – Sharon was going to realize something was wrong over a longer period of time, and her relationship with Tyrol was going to be very solid. But when I got into "Water" I decided to speed things up by putting Sharon and her relationship with Tyrol in a crisis immediately.

***

# In the next episode, Bastille Day, imprisoned terrorist Tom Zarek stages a prison break on the Astral Queen. Given the perfect opportunity when Lee Adama and several other members of Galactica's crew including Billy from Colonial One visit the prisoners to enlist their assistance as a labor force to do the ice mining from the moon they found with frozen potable water.

Thanks For Reading!!

~99

***

Reimagined BSG "33" S1 E2 Commentary...Looking Back

2008-07-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

Reimagined BSG "33" Season 1, Episode 1 Commentary...Looking Back

Original US Airdate: January 14, 2005

***These articles are full of Spoilers from the entire series to date as aired in the USA...Continue At Your Own Risk--Moreover, the format assumes the reader has seen all of the episodes and specials aired through the first half of season 4, up to and including “Revelations”...

^Borrowed material is duly credited^

***

Re Watch This Episode Here

Read the Intro First
Read the "Miniseries" Commentary Here

^Time Line^

^Day 6: Galactica pursued by the Cylons for six days. The ship Olympic Carrier is destroyed (33).

^Day 7: First new child born on the Rising Star. {During this same time frame the Pegasus encounters a fleet of 15 civilian ships, including Scylla which is later revealed on the episode Resurrection Ship, Part I}.

***

Imperial Commentary

257 consecutive jumps, 33 minutes apart, spanning the last 130.35 hours, or just over 5 days. The cylons are somehow tracking the fleet and manage to jump to their location every 33 minutes – exactly. The continual jumping has the civilian ships falling into disrepair, FTL drives are starting to malfunction, and no one is getting any rest due to the demands on personnel to keep supplies moving during the 20-25 minutes between jumps. The military is really putting in the overtime here, with pilots being prescribed Stims to stay awake for longer shifts.

It was revealed subtly in another episode that the Colonials also use a 24 hour day and a 365 day year just as we do on Earth. This is revealed in the episode, Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down, when Baltar tells virtual six approximately how long it will take to test every person in the fleet for Cylon blood. The lovely folks on the ^BSG Wiki^ site were kind enough to do the math for us.

Focusing on how quickly things change when the pressure is on, we see Baltar, an Atheist at the start of the show, slowly come to accept the possibility that Head Six speaks the truth. As each conversation with Head Six transpires, he begins to comply or heed her advice much more quickly including a tearful promise to repent for his sins seconds before Roslin agrees that the Olympic Carrier should be destroyed. He is clearly Sincere at this moment of vulnerability though his resolve in keeping that promise, up until Season 4, end of Season 3, was noticeably lacking. Perhaps the surest sign that he really is Human is in fact his knack for self-centered self-preservation.

Interesting are head Sixes comments, which seem in hindsight to be the most truthful comments of any character, painting her as the primary Clue Dropper in the series. Also of note is that Head Six speaks of God while Head Baltar {who won’t be introduced until late in season 2’s episode, Downloaded) speaks of selfish human nature. He states to Caprica Six in the Brig season 3, sometime after The Eye of Jupiter, that the trick to being human, is caring about only yourself.

She had told Baltar of the Sleeper Cylons, and then moments later we see a copy of Sharon at Ragnar Anchorage during the final scene of the Miniseries. Then in this episode she told him, “If you are going to survive, the Olympic Carrier must be destroyed. All of the sixes, include V-6 are shaping up to be the facilitators, manipulators of the 12 archetypes.

On the other hand, the Sharon’s, who at first glance are the joiners, the – we just want to fit in and be accepted - are in a way more the seductress, having seduced both the Chief and Helo, and it would seem that Boomer seduced a Cavil as well in season 4. In some ways the Eights remind me of the Orion Slave Girls, pretending to be submissive, or as Deanna said, distracted by shiny things, only to find out too late that they were just using their talents to exert influence.

This is not to suggest that the eights are evil, or even aware of the power they possess, it is just something to keep in mind. It may even be a “girl next door” sort of program that makes everyone see the Sharon’s {including the other cylons} as their little sister, in need of looking after and unable to think for themselves. However, Boomer and Athena have disproved this idea by being quite capable of thinking for themselves, of course they are the exception, with Athena showing even more independence than Boomer as the series progresses.

Roslin’s tune or rather tone, goes thru a change or two in this episode as well. At first, being sweetly accommodating to whoever was at her desk at the start of the episode, to agreeing to the destruction of the Olympic Carrier. Roslin’s first signs of true vulnerability, of wearing down, came while she was on the line with Cmdr. Adama, when she offers him her thanks to the entire crew of Galactica and her voice crackles as she chokes back tears. She breaks down again at the end after Billy advises her that a baby was born on the Rising Star. Billy seems so happy and full of hope when compared to the sour puss that replaced him in later seasons.

What a tough call that would be to make. No doubt some thought it was wrong to destroy that ship…but it was on a collision course with Galactica. Hindsight being 20/20, some may wonder why they didn’t just jump away and then jump again with the fleet leaving the Olympic Carrier behind. Perhaps there was not time to spin up the FTL before the vessel collided with Galactica or it was intended to be a parallel situation to the events transpiring on board the Pegasus at this time, yet still unknown to the Galactica. The timeline indicates that the Pegasus was stripping down the civilian vessels at the same.

One Battlestar Cmdr forced to destroy a civilian ship to ensure the survival of the rest of fleet, while another Battlestar Cmdr pillages her own people then leaves to die, so that she may continue to quench her thirst for revenge. Both acts result in the lost of civilian lives. One act we find more palatable as it was justifiable under the circumstances. Unless they could have jumped leaving the OC behind, I really didn’t see that they had any choice but to destroy that ship.

Episode notes from Wiki indicate that scenes were cut which showed some signs of movement on board the ship. Still the complete lack of communication, had there been anyone able to respond, they could have mooned the Vipers if nothing else, just to say hey, we are still here and trying to fix the problem.

Kara and Lee had a little moment while she chastised him on letting her not take her stims. It was so funny because she was telling him how to handle her. In addition, the look on Tyrol’s face was classic. Later these two have the dubious honor of being on the CAP when the order to destroy the Olympic Carrier came through. Lee continued to struggle with the decision.

Roslin’s gratitude toward Adama and his crew was also perhaps the clearest turning point in Cmdr. Adama’s attitude toward her as The President, in addition to acknowledging her role as his superior. At first snapping at her that his plan to divide the fleet was a military decision – to later in the episode waiting to order the Olympic Carrier destroyed until she gave the green light. Adama actually softened a great deal in this episode, not just toward Roslin, but also to his crew. After Tigh chastised everyone over the Olympic Carrier being left behind, Cmdr. Adama reminded Tigh that its one thing to push the crew, but its another to break them.

Weather or not Dr. Amorak on board the Olympic Carrier actually had information about Baltar or the Cylons, we may never know. What we do know is that Dr. Baltar knew him and feared what he may or may not know in regard to Baltars involvement with the Cylons. Head Six also knows about him. Just as Shelley Godfrey claimed to know him as well.

Shelly Godfrey, who will be along in a future episode called Six Degrees of Separation, was a Cylon Six claiming to be Dr. Amorak’s assistant who mysteriously vanishes into thin air at the end of the episode. She either air locked herself, was really a solid manifestation of Head Six and simply went virtual again, or she managed to hide in disguise within the fleet, undetected, possibly escaping while on New Caprica or perhaps being killed on Cloud Nine. See the thread I started about Hera for another possible answer.

In regard to the actual message from the doctor, it could also be that the entire message was staged by the Cylons. Assuming the cylons had taken control of the Olympic Carrier one jump earlier, all that they had to do was not jump, off load all the people to a BaseStar, then jump to Galactica and ram into her with an empty ship on cruise control. Alternatively, the passengers may have been dead or drugged.

Meanwhile down on Caprica, Helo is still wounded from the Raptor hull breach that penetrated his leg at the end of the Mini, he is also suffering from radiation sickness, and is being pursued by centurions. He soon gets captured and wakes to find a hot blonde Six standing over him. She says “Are you alive?” Which either makes her the newly resurrected Six from the Armistice Station or “This has all happened before” simply meant they were going to recycle dialogue, or a third possibility is that most of the cylons had never seen a human so it could just be a greeting of sorts. My guess is that she was the resurrected copy of Armistice Six.

She then kisses Helo just like the six kissed the guy on the Armistice Station but was immediately shot in the back by the 2nd Sharon, the Athena copy and Hera’s future mother. Sharon #2 tells Helo she came back for him and they run off together at the end of the episode.

Despite RDMs insistence that the #33 was just pulled from his hat, this episode is riddled with the number 3, 12 and multiples of 3 and 12. From the exactly 300 people the initial count was off by to the base number of several plot numbers including the final count after adding the 1 baby. A base number is derived by adding together all the digits of a multi digit number until you have a single digit number.

· 33 minutes, 3+3=6.
· 237 jumps, 2+3+7=12, 1+2=3
· 130.35 hours, 1+3+0+3+5=12, 1+2=3
· 50,298 initial survivor count, 5+0+2+9+8=24, 2+4=6
· 47,973 final survivor count, 4+7+9+7+3=30, 3+0=3
· 300 souls as a correction, 3+0+0=3

…What if {and this is from season 4} what if the missing 3 that the hybrid mentioned wasn’t the missing 3 model, but the missing 3 hundred…?? No doubt a huge stretch but with this show, I no longer find anything to be impossible. No matter how improbable. Other numbers in this episode had a base number of 13 or 4. 13 could be meaningful, and 4 x 3 is 12. In all likelihood these numbers are simple coincidences based on the power of suggestion. The writers may just have 12s on the brain and are subconsciously or intentionally planting them throughout the show to give the fans something to do.

Thanks for reading.

~99

***

^Additional Notes copied from BattlestarWiki.org regarding this episode - full text available here:

At first glance, there appears to be an error with Billy Keikeya's math with the survivor count. The episode starts with the count being 50,298. He informs Roslin this is in error by 300 = 49,998 survivors.

When the Olympic Carrier is destroyed (1,345 people), he reduces the total to 47,972 – that’s a reduction of 2026, or 681 people more than listed on the Carrier. However, in deleted scenes from this episode, Keikeya is actually reducing the survivor count additional times set between the beginning of the episode and the destruction of the Olympic Carrier. These other deaths just occur off-screen.

The 681 adjustments made during deleted scenes, 6+8+1=15, 1+5=6. Even Crashdown’s former ship insignia for the Triton is Battlestar Group 39 = 12 = 3. The original count for ships in the fleet was 60 but that number was changed after the series was green lighted.

Note on "Lest We Forget" From RDM's Sci-Fi Channel Blog:

"It's probably been asked before, but I'm curious as to whom[sic] is in the picture in the Viper Pilot's briefing room, facing away from the camera . . . the one the pilots, including Commander Adama, touch when they enter and leave? This is touching, and is a wonderful human element to the story. So who is it?"

There was a scene cut from "33" where we saw Laura Roslin being given her copy of the photo along with a card that said it was taken on the roof of the capitol building on Aerelon during the attack. The photo was inspired by the famous shot of the fire-fighters raising the flag at Ground Zero that became iconic. I thought the Colonies would have their own version of this -- a snapshot taken in the moment that becomes a symbol of the day they can never forget and of all they had lost.

The photo itself is of a soldier falling to his knees (possibly shot or simply overcome by emotion) as he stands on the rooftop overlooking the devastation of his city, while the Colonial flag waves at the edge of frame. The inscription below the photo on Laura's plaque reads, "Lest We Forget" in itself a reference to the inscription on the watch presented to John Wayne's character in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon."

***

In the next episode, Water, Galactica loses over 60% of her water reserves due to sabotage, forcing the Fleet into a crisis and Commander Adama to seek a new supply.

As fate would have it, there just happens to be a big chunk of ice floating in an asteroid field – just around the next solar system. They just have to find enough strong backs to mine it. It’s sure a good thing they didn’t airlock all those prisoners…

Thank you for reading,

~99

***

Re-Imagined BSG The Miniseries Part 1 & 2 Episode Commentary

2008-07-13T03:27:00.000-07:00

READ THE INTRODUCTION HERE FIRST

Click here for the complete timeline of all the events thus far.

***

A Final Look Back...

Miniseries, Night 1 – US Airdate: December 8, 2003

SUMMARY & INFO

WATCH IT HERE

***

Miniseries, Night 2 – US Airdate: December 9, 2003

SUMMARY & INFO

WATCH IT HERE

***

Backstory:

(Copied from the BSG Wiki summary linked above)
The Cylons were created by the people of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol as a labor and military force. Approximately 52 years prior, the Cylons turned on their human creators and the Cylon War ensued; after the Armistice was declared, the Cylons left the Colonies, apparently to seek a home world of their own.

The Colonials maintained an Armistice Station as a place where Cylon and Colonial representatives can meet in order to maintain diplomatic relations. However, the Cylons have never sent an ambassador. No one has seen a Cylon since the end of the Cylon War, over 40 years ago...

***

The statement made by the 6 at the Armistice Station when she asked the officer if he was alive and then tells him to “prove it” is in many ways a foreshadowing of the idea that the cylons are sentient. A concept that many out here in reality still argue against – most likely due to over inflated feelings of self importance that most humans have. Choosing to believe that if there is a God, humanity is 2nd only to that God and therefore find it incomprehensible that a being for whom all intents and purposes is technically artificial, could be considered “alive”.

However, we as a race cannot even begin to explain or prove scientifically that we ourselves have souls let alone disprove another beings ability to have a soul or not. The fact that the humans created the first cylons is meaningless. Technically speaking we make our children. And we assume them to be alive – albeit very immature when compared to their parents.

For the sake of not stomping on a very good story – all of my comments are based on the assumption that the Cylons, be they skinjob, centurion, raider or even BaseStar, are definitely living and for the most part sentient or have free will. The Cylon skinjobs even went so far as to inhibit the centurions from having free will for fear that they would turn on the skins the way their predecessors turned on the Colonies. This free will was later returned to the centurions at the beginning of season 4, much to the dismay of Brother Cavil.

Throughout the beginning scenes Roslin seems to be flashing back to Caprica and her news about having breast cancer. There is also some time line overlapping from the time 6 accidentally kills the baby and later when she and Baltar are walking thru the plaza. Later in the series Roslin will recall sitting by the pond just after leaving the doctors office and seeing Baltar with 6 in the same Plaza. From this I would gather that Roslin left for Galactica after Baltar and 6 part ways for the afternoon in that scene where Caprica 6 says she is meeting someone and Baltar claims to be “insanely jealous”.

Which puts Roslin on Galactica when 6 returns that night to find Baltar in bed with the other woman. It would seem several more hours pass while 6 details her being a Cylon to Baltar and states that he surely must have known. During this time we also know that Roslin is now enroute back to Caprica with Lee. This scene is interesting in that the 6, now known as Caprica, chastises Baltar for being so self absorbed and even compliments his knack for self-deception.

The Colonial Heavy ship transporting Roslin that later becomes Colonial One, uses sublight speeds to make the journey, so it was likely several hours from point A to point B. Later comments from Col. Tigh indicate that the Galactica has not used her FTL in nearly 20 years. Though comments from Gaeta regarding the missing Armistice officer indicate that as a society FTL is used on a regular basis…but most likely only to specific points over and over making calculations a simple matter of repeating the past. I was given the impression that deep space exploration hadn’t really been a priority for the colonies, perhaps due to fear of the Cylons being “out there”.

If the timeline puts Roslin in the plaza with 6 and Baltar before Roslin left for Galactica – whomever 6 met up with, that they never show and all indications are that they wont, that person had time to get on the ship with Roslin and possibly take that device they found in CIC to the Galactica. However, Gaeta stated it may have been there over a week and he had just figured it was part of the museum stuff. So that leads to me think that device was merely a Cylon homing device or portable long-range sub space communications relay allowing the Cylons to send messages to each other off the grid so to speak.

The same way Deanna would send the footage she shot of Athena and Hera back to the Cylons on Caprica during season 2. This assumption is based on Caprica 6 having one in her case at the same time the one on Galactica existed. It still leaves the possibility open though that whomever it was that Caprica met with in the plaza hitched a ride to Galactica aboard the Colonial Heavy ship with Roslin. Its unlikely this was the case and even more unlikely that it was the final Cylon. It was more likely the Copy of Sharon later to become Athena. We may never know for sure.

Going back to the scene with the baby in the plaza; there are still those out there that think 6 broke the babies neck intentionally; either out of mercy or malice or curiosity. Personally, the look on her face as she walks away was more that of someone that just did something they didn’t mean to do, that they felt bad about, even in the context of everyone is going to die anyway.

When you look at the Cylons desire to procreate, the act of blatantly killing the infant would go against their longing to have children of there own. I honestly feel that she just did not know enough about babies and being freakishly strong, it was an accident. Her comment about the baby not having to cry for much longer I am sure was in reference to the impending attack – not a warning she was about to snap his neck.

With regard to Baltar surviving, I have stated more than once that it just was not a direct hit and merely the shock wave that destroyed his house. Cylons are physically stronger than humans and the 6 endured the full force of the blast protecting him. And lets not forget that Baltar has a destiny too and was therefore meant to survive. A leads to B leads to C. Had the nuke hit his house then no, neither would have lived. But if the guy on crutches could survive why not someone in good shape that had a Cylon for a shield? Unless he is a Cylon but that’s even hard to buy when you take into account that the final five don’t appear to have a resurrection ship or any extra bodies to download into. If he turns out to be the last Cylon – they will have some serious explaining to do. LOL

From the very start of this series, Helo proves that he cares more about humanity on a whole than his own well-being. This is another plot point created by Caprica 6, a Cylon who adamantly believes that God has a plan for them all. She saves Baltar, Baltar makes it to the Raptor where Helo recognizes him giving up his seat and stranding himself on Caprica. Later on in the series, a copy of Sharon, whom Helo had a crush on to begin with, shows up to rescue him but the Cylons get in the way – on purpose. This of course leads to Helo and Sharon hooking up and making Hera. “A leads to B leads to C”. Granted – the sex was planned by the Cylons but they didn’t plan for Athena to fall in love with and then help Helo escape. She was supposed to kill him.

It is also worth noting that Head 6 makes her first appearance at the rescue site as if to assure Baltar he is on the right path. To some degree I think her constant goading of him and accusations of being on the side of the Cylons is intentional on her part to force Baltar to grow and evolve into his destiny – whatever that may be.

I do not believe at this point that Head 6 has any connection to the real Caprica – unless Head 6 and Head Baltar are the same entity. Neither of these virtual beings do I feel were ever cylons but are in fact tied to the power behind the entire mystical angle of the series. I have always believed that the entity or entities merely took on the forms most likely to have to the maximum influence over the subjects chosen for this path.

Caprica 6 on the other hand, is likely the first Cylon to regret the attacks. From her accidental slaying of the baby to believing that Baltar was killed in the blast, she wakes from downloading already upset and guilt ridden. We see Head Baltar for the first time during the episode “Downloaded” which perhaps indicates that it is guilt or regret that created both Head 6 and Head Baltar, or at least explains why these 2 characters were chosen by whatever it is that is playing God(s). Perhaps that entity or entities sought out the most regretful beings on both sides of the war to facilitate the ultimate survival of both races at the end?

Meanwhile on board Galactica we learn a few things about the main characters. We learn that Bill Adama had 2 sons, one dead, one estranged. We learn that he has a soft spot for Kara/Starbuck despite her attitude problem and conflicts with the XO. We learn that the XO has a drinking problem and a wife, whom apparently fools around and everyone knows it. Kara was involved romantically with Zak Adama and in many ways is responsible for his death.

Neither Kara nor Bill Adama has spoken to Lee Adama since the funeral for Zak some 2 years ago. While Kara blames herself for passing Zak when he didn’t belong in the cockpit, Lee blames his father for pressuring Zak into feeling the need to be a pilot in the first place.

We learn that Galen Tyrol, Deck Chief, is having an affair with Lt. Sharon Valerii-Boomer, a huge no-no in the military at that time – just prior to the attacks on the 12 colonies. She is a Raptor Pilot; apparently a rookie according to Kara. Karl Agathon-Helo is Boomer's ECO.

During the pilots briefing regarding the decommissioning ceremony, Boomer and Helo wave to Lee/Apollo, as if they know him from somewhere else. This is never really explained. Some assume that they just knew of him thru Kara since Kara hasn’t spoken to Lee in 2 yrs – suggesting Lee hadn’t been aboard the Galactica in that time.

The pilots briefing also illustrates the loyalty this crew feels toward Bill Adama – The Old Man or Husker, as was his call sign. Additionally, Lee comes off as very cocky, snooty and way too full of himself from the moment he was informed he had to manually land his Viper, until the daggit doody hit the fan and he realized his old mans dinosaur of a Viper saved his butt and the butts of all those on Colonial One.

We see Bill Adama stand up to Roslin over the networking of any computers on his ship regardless of how much easier it would make things for the teachers. We get the feeling that once Galactica was fully decommissioned and docked, they had plans to make it a school as well as a museum. His foot putting down established him as a strong leader not about to cave to any bureaucracy that may endanger his ship or his crew.

The fun part about rewatching the miniseries after all this time has passed is seeing just how much everyone has changed; some for the better and some for the worse. Roslin is a prime example when you look at her first decision to not leave the civilians behind despite incoming Cylon missiles to her change mid episode to the realization that no matter how bad she may want to, they simply cannot save everyone. As Lee said, it had become a numbers game; sacrifice 1,000 to save 10,000.

It is the harsh cold reality of survival. Roslin’s tune change is even more apparent during the Exodus from New Caprica during season 3, in which she states that everyone has known that a rescue was coming, that they had practiced the evacuation in the form of fire drills or whatever and at some point “these people are just going to have be responsible for saving themselves.”

She further sets the tone for her relationship with Bill from the get go, ordering him to assist with rescue opps, though she didn’t get her way just then, she did manage to convince him that humanities survival depended on the Galactica taking all the civilians and making a run for it. In that scene we see Adama enter the room with all kinds of attitude.

First she makes him wait until she finishes with Billy, (which by the way ensured that 500 prisoners didn’t get air locked, something that Tom Zarek owes her one for – another example of “A leads to B leads to C”,) and then takes control of the conversation by directly asking if he, Cmdr Adama, intended to stage a coup de tat, a question that clearly took him off guard and put him on the defensive. It may have irritated him at that point, but I believe her strength and determination to save those they could even if it meant running and hiding lead to the love and respect he feels for her now. My own views on Roslin in the coming episodes will vary from respect to irritation.

Baltar is another big personality change even though his changes took longer to take hold or for him to embrace them. Admitting you are a flawed coward of a sinner (as he does in season 4) and accepting that you have a higher purpose if you can just get over yourself is something not just out of character for who he was at the start, but also illustrates the very concepts he now shares with his flock.

That concept being that no matter how flawed they are in each other eyes, the one true God loves them all, and because God is perfect, Gods love is also perfect and therefore makes them each perfect in Gods eyes.

Granted, this idea may seem self important, but considering the situation that these people are living through, that kind of unconditional love, even from something intangible, is all some of them have to live for, having lost most of their loved ones at the start or along the way. And its that feeling of being loved that leads so many to follow Baltar as if some kind of Messiah. His role at the end of season 4 should be very interesting to watch played out, especially if Earth really is a desolate wasteland.

Then we have Aaron Doral. I always found Baltar’s guess that he was a Cylon amusingly suspicious. However, if we believe Head 6 that God has chosen Baltar; then it follows that God would give him certain instincts, which are unexplainable. I have been known to be rather intuitive myself on occasion, not that I feel I am chosen by any means, just that we all have instincts and some of us have learned how to listen to and interpret them.

Tigh apparently forgot Baltar’s explanation as to how he proved that Doral was a Cylon when Baltar’s new Cylon detector was far more complex than simply burning some hair. I simply chalk that up to the series getting green lighted and the writers deciding it needed to be more difficult to determine human from Cylon skin job. After re-watching the Episode Water, we see that Baltar claimed he had used some long winded sounding chemicals to do the first test and those items are just not available now.

The thing about Doral, a model #5 Cylon, is his obvious quest to stir dissent. A sort of Cylon busy body, doing what he can to prevent order and make it easier for the Cylons to win. He seems almost shocked by how well Laura Roslin takes charge – likely assuming the death of the primary leadership would leave humanity lost, confused and easy to pick off.

When Roslin takes charge, even before being named next in line for President, Doral goes to great lengths to countermand her authority. He even actively pushes the guilt factor over leaving the civilians knowing that they would all be destroyed when the Cylons arrived. I found Lee’s comment rather funny “the ladies in charge”. Even funnier was her comment to Lee after the EM pulse in which she said, “The lesson here is to not ask follow-up questions, but to just say thanks for saving our collective asses!”

LeOben Conoy, aka Philosopher Cylon, tries to screw with Bill Adama on the Ragnar Anchorage Munitions Depot. The irony of Bill saving LeOben when the bomb went off by grabbing him and bailing inside that passage way, only to beat him to death later when he realizes he is a Cylon sets the initial tone of vengeance in the hearts of most of the colonials.

It always sounds good on paper but the reality of vengeance is that you have to lower yourself to that of the ones you take revenge against, ultimately making you no more worthy of survival than they are. As Adama mentioned in his speech, in all the years since the first Cylon War, humanity had never asked itself what made them worthy as a species to live.

While LeOben is known for double talk and manipulation through half truths, so far the only statements he has made to not come true was that Adama was a Cylon. Unless one of the Adamas ends up being the last Cylon - that may be the only real lie he has ever told beyond the claim that he had allergies and was an arms dealer.

He told Kara they would find Kobol and they did. He told her that he would hold her in his arms and she would tell him she loved him, which she did, albeit to get him to give her Kasey during season 3s Exodus from New Caprica, she still said the words. He told Kara during the episode “Flesh and Bone” that she had a destiny and we seem to be learning that is also correct.

It would certainly be interesting and great big twist if the final Cylon turns out to be Bill Adama. Him being the final Cylon would make Lee and Zak either hybrids, or it would make them not his biological children. Another twist would be to have Joseph Adama, Bills father be the final Cylon, making Bill a hybrid with Lee and Zak being ¼ Cylon each. Or Bill may not Joseph’s biological son. Always a way to open a door that seems closed.

Throughout the miniseries, there are several nods to the original show, both to appease fans as well as highlight the point that too much technology is not always a good thing when your enemy is a product of that technology with the skill and will to use it against you. The old vipers being immune to the Cylon virus that “flipped off a switch” and left the entire squad of Mark VII’s sitting ducks is a testament to that theme in this show. The – you can’t play God and then wipe your hands of things you have you done - theme.

Another plot point of note was the decision to vent those compartments of the port flight pod to put out the fires before they reached critical fuel lines putting the entire ship at risk. Tyrol’s attitude toward Tigh is either telling of Tyrol’s desire to put his crew above the rest of the ship or telling of a general lack of respect for Tigh as a leader.

Commander Adama even stated he would have made the same call. In a survival situation where the sum total of humanity is relying on the last Battlestar for protection from a relentless enemy, sacrifices are inevitable. The risk was too great. Any attempt to delay would have risked not just the ship but the civilian ships as well. Without Galactica for protection and leadership, the civilians would have been easy targets for the Cylons. Therefore the cost to save 85 lives was too great when weighed against the last of humanity. It doesn’t matter if Tyrol had time to save them or not. Giving him that chance would have put the ship at risk and that’s the point of Risk vs. Reward, or Cost vs. Benefit.

The final scenes of the mini series included an edge of your seat, jump up and cheer, all out battle between Galactica and the Cylon Fleet while the civilians jumped away. Apollo’s ship is damaged in the firefight while Starbuck has gotten her groove on picking off raiders like shooting fish in a barrel. Cmdr Adama calls out to her their usual greeting snapping her back to reality and to get her back to the Galactica.

Because Apollo’s ship is disabled, the gutsy, if not insane, Starbuck rams his viper nose to firing cannon and flies both ships into the flight pod with only seconds to spare before the pod fully retracts. The Galactica then jumps away just as a several Cylon Nukes are about to impact her hull.

When we look at the events that take place in the Miniseries as they have lead to or affected future events in the series, we can draw certain conclusions regarding cause and effect.

* Caprica 6’s love for Baltar caused her to shield him from the shockwave allowing him to be rescued, and causing Helo to stay behind on the planet which later lead to his impregnating Athena – the 2nd Sharon, and creating what is still assumed to be the first Cylon-Human hybrid child Hera.

* Baltar’s self importance and lust caused him to allow Caprica 6 into the defense mainframe, deluding himself that she merely was assisting him with algorithms and creating backdoors for a future business opportunity…essentially corporate espionage. This allowed her to plant the Cylon virus that was later used to disable all networked ships and defense detectors including most of the modern weapons that the colonies used at the time. Technically making Baltar responsible for the fall of the 12 colonies, but not guilty of intentionally conspiring with the enemy. Being a dumb ass is thus far not a capital offense.

* Adama’s die hard attitude about no networks saved the Galactica and in a similar twist of fate, being destined to become a museum provided them with a squadron of Mark II Vipers, the only Vipers immune to the virus due to their aging technology. Not to mention the fact that had the Galactica not been converted to a museum, she likely would have been docked at the Scorpion Shipyards and destroyed with the first round of attacks.

* Kara’s cocky attitude, fearless nature and general insanity saved Lees life, at least once in this episode, more times later on. It was Adama’s soft spot for her, and the fact that he held her piloting skills in such high regard that took her out of the brig in the first place.

* Lee proved himself a quick thinker when he used the Electronic Pulse Generators to simulate a nuclear blast that also disabled the Cylon nukes saving Colonial One, and the other civilian ships. Those generators came off of Galactica and would not have been aboard that ship had the Galactica not been in the throws of decommissioning. In fact everyone that survived that day due to being a part of the ceremony have that little twist of fate to thank for their lives.

* Baltars wild guess about Doral proved to be correct and put him in the middle of tactical plans involving the Cylons in general. His continued visions of Head 6 are at this point being dismissed by him as his own self dealing with the stress, however she tells him things that he should not know, such as details regarding the sleeper Cylons. The presence of Head 6 will cause many other future events in the show to take place as she guides Baltar.

* One could also say that being low man as it were for Roslin, the ceremony pawned off on her likely by higher ups that didn’t have time to attend or care to, but the Presidents office had to be represented, in the end not only saved her life but also assured her place as the next president. A seemingly meaningless fact at the beginning, which becomes more symbolic as her destiny begins to unfold. Assuming she is the true dying leader mentioned in the Scrolls and referred to by the Cylons Hybrid during season 4.

* Roslin saves Tom Zarek by assuring that the prison ship is treated properly. She saves him again during the 3rd season when they were about to be executed by Centurions before the insurgents intervened. Yet he continues to treat her as an uncaring selfish Bitch. She may well be, but he still owes her his life. More than once.

Many have questioned the idea that out of all the billions of people on the colonies to die, the survival of the final 4 that we know of seemed too far-fetched.

With the overwhelming set of presumable coincidences, the Cylons belief that there is but one true God and that God has a plan, the way certain events seemed predestined as if lining up ones pieces in a game of chess, I am compelled to lean toward the idea that indeed all of the events thus far were meant to be and that there is a higher power pulling strings to be sure certain ducks are placed correctly within certain rows. And I don’t mean the writers or RDM. LOL

Thank you for reading, I look forward to your comments.

~99

Reimagined BSG "INTRODUCTION" Commentaries...Looking Back

2008-07-09T04:24:00.000-07:00

"A Final Look Back"

Original Commentaries on the Re Imangined Battlestar Galactica Series 2003-2009

^Borrowed material is duly credited^

Special Thanks in Advance to battlestarwiki.org and surfthechannel.com for their indirect contribution to these commentaries.

Original Graphic designed by ~99 using The Gimp

***

Imperial Commentary

December 8, 2003 - 2009; 6 plus years of some of the best television since I can't remember when.

As the final half of the final season of Battlestar Galactica Re-imagined approaches with promises to reveal the final Cylon, a final look back at the journey so far seemed fitting. It also affords me the opportunity to share the show with my husband, who for some reason waited until the end to pay attention, while looking for those rumored missed clues to that elusive twelfth skin job.

The following commentaries will take an in-depth look at the show from the very beginning through Revelations. These are not reviews, rather they are one fans perspective of the various plot points, character developments and socio-political issues addressed throughout the series that have leapt out and said ‘Oooh…Pick me Pick me!!’

Certain events were pivotal despite being less noteworthy when the episode first aired. Alternatively, as in the case with some of the early mysticism, events were dismissed for being nods to the original show and not really relevant to this ones over all story arc. My intention is to rewatch each episode with an objective eye and full knowledge of the outcomes thus far.

It truly amazes me how many people have watched this show from the start and still honestly think the ending will have some scientific spin versus the very obvious divine direction they have been taking since the first time Caprica Six discusses her faith with Baltar.

Even though I am not really one for the religious angle in real life, the whole concept, a television show about sentient machines that can have half human babies, humans and cylons alike having visions and destinies, just screams higher power or divine intervention to me. This is after all not reality.

I have linked the battlestarwiki.org summaries as well as surfthchannel.com links so those readers that have not seen all of the episodes can read the summaries and even watch the full episode before reading my commentaries.

Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoy and feel free to send me comments if you feel I missed something or would like to address one of my theories.

~99

The Bliss of Not Having Control

2008-07-08T04:42:00.000-07:00

From May 2007 through May 2008 we lost 2 family members, 2 very dear friends of the family and 2 dogs. Oh! In addition, I lost my job of 6 years and my sweet baby horse broke my arm. Ah yes, ain’t life a bitch? Yes, yes it is. However, as soon as you realize the futility of trying to tame the shrew and you instead buy her chocolate…suddenly the sun comes out.

What was I saying? Oh yes, life is a bitch. And surprisingly, {the women are going to hate me for this one}, if you think of life as you do your woman, and just accept that now and then she is going to be pissed at you “just because”, you will be free of the burden of trying to read her mind. It’s really very simple. LOL.

The point is, whatever has your nerves on end ask yourself if there is anything you can do about it, if there is – then go do it, and if there isn’t, embrace the lack of control. Revel in the bliss of knowing that whatever power lies in wait for us when we die, they did not get the pleasure of our conniption fit today, no sir! If such a power even exists and cares to notice us. If I was that power, I would be laughing my ass off at all the chaos and insanity, most of which comes from people fighting the complete lack of control they have over the bulk of their lives...

We have no control over whom we fall in love with yet we continually screw up perfectly good opportunities to be happy for the sake of keeping in control.

We have no control over the weather yet get irate if the forecast says sun and it ends up raining. Sure the weatherman is supposed to be making educated guesses but in the end it is still just a guess since weather patterns can shift from moment to moment without warning.

People waste so much time fussing over things they cannot control or worse – could have but didn’t and now it’s too late to change – regardless – the result never changes so why are you still fussing about it?

All that energy should be redirected to that which you can control. Now don’t get me wrong – you should always learn from your past. Just don’t carry it around with you all day. The more loved ones we lose the more obvious it becomes that everyone of us is wasting precious time.

You have to ask yourself this – If I die tomorrow, what will be my biggest regret as the life slips from my body? Will you be concerned that you didn’t finish some project for work or that you didn’t spend more time with your kids? Will you regret that you didn’t own more land or that you didn’t spend more time enjoying the land you had? Will you miss the hours you spent wishing your life was better or will you regret not spending that time making the most of the life you had been given?

It just never occurs to some people that not everyone can be Bill Gates or whoever it is they think they are supposed to live up to. When you stop resisting the flow, and learn how to follow the current, you really will find your bliss. Not too mention the complete lack of stress will, in the end, help you to fulfill your wildest dreams.

It's not some cosmic secret. When the path you are on is too difficult, you either turn back, take a break then press forward or find an easier one. Of course, first you pull out the map and make sure you are going the right way to begin with. Just remember the easier paths are easier because they take the long way, meandering back and forth up the hill, while the more difficult paths blazes a trail up the face of a sheered cliff. This 2nd kind is notorious for causing pain and suffering.

We usually try to find a nice mix of in-between paths more on the meandering side because every time we try to cut corners and blaze up that cliff, we general fall off and get buried under the rubble of unfinished projects. Always pressing forward, forgetting half your steps, stumbling and back stepping wastes time and energy.

Pausing instead to go over the map, you make a plan that best utilizes your resources, including your time, you then press forward with a steady even pace. If you take it easy, watch where you are stepping and recheck your gear regularly for wear and tear, eventually you will reach your goal and embrace the glory of all you survey.

There have been several exciting moments in the Empire of "giving up the fight to win the war", but most of those will be covered in the Real Life Anecdotes section...see post labels.

Thank you for reading and Embrace Your Chaos!

~99

Nina’s Known Universe Debuts! July 7, 2008

2008-07-07T20:51:00.000-07:00

Where to begin? I would have finished setting up this Blog ages ago if only I could have made up my mind where to begin. Eventually Nina’s Known Universe will be a website located at www.ninasknownuniverse.com, but until then this Blog is the quickest, cheapest and simplest way to get the show on the road.

You all know Nina, those of you chosen for the first peek, but what about everyone else? All those readers whom I hope you will see fit to share this with. Obviously Nina and Niko are just pseudonyms, and we would both appreciate no one using our real names in any public context. xoxo - Also do not make guesses about other peoples identities or ask us to confirm your guesses. The citizens of Nina's Universe shall always have their right to privacy protected.

That said, what began as characters based on us, inadvertently, albeit for the good, we ended up basing ourselves on our characters. They were just so much more awesome than us, the Perfect Couple and Universal Role Models for Enjoying Your Existence...

A friend of mine once referred to me as the “Flirty Den Mother” of the forum we frequented and I think that it really sums me up best...if such a thing is even possible. ;) I flirt and I mother…it is pretty simple. : D

Meanwhile my counterpart, "Imperial Concubine", etc...ahem...is one of the all time best hosts ever. Seeing to everyones good time, and keeping an eye all on anyone liable to hurt themselves. I tend to focus on sending the invitations, playing the music, sitting or dancing in one place forcing guests to come to me...like I have some kind of royalty complex or something... :D while Niko is socializing with everyone else. A huge role reversal from 18 years ago, but we will share that stuff as we go along.

The past 2 years events, some tragic, some ironic and many turning points have set me on a path…a path which I have come to believe is to "cheer up the universe". And a big part of making people happy is helping them to figure out what it is that makes them happy and then encouraging them to go after it. Life truly is short. Don’t waste a minute. In a way, this Blog really will become Nina’s Known Universe and you are all invited to come play here.

Those that know us best will tell you that in no time at all Nina and Niko will be the two people you can tell anything to, and that will always remember your birthday. ;)

You can share with us anything that you feel worthy to mention, and we shall do the same. Not just about relationships either. We all have families full of personalities and adventure…we have work, play, health and misery to share as well as discussions on every subject in the known universe.

Please always note in your emails if you wish to remain anonymous {including your Imperial identity given to you by me when you "moved in"}. So that when I post your comments, requests, questions, etc I can make you invisible or just leave out any details you do not want me to address publicly for whatever reason. Perhaps you told someone your Imperial Identity that reads this and the issue involves them. The reason is irrelevant. Your privacy will always come first.

We can’t wait to meet you!

Feel free to share this Blog with anyone you feel would enjoy the content and Thank You all for reading!!

~NN99