We Were Centurions (Redux)
New BSG aired tonight: There are many things about the latest episode that made me happy (for instance, some nice, meaty storyline for Lee; fun scenes for Madame President with Bill and Kara (but not so much with Lee, sigh); more crazy Baltar fun with added Head!Baltar goodness.
But what made me happiest? Division amongst the Cylons. The newest incarnation of Six who's fighting back against Cavil's humaniform Cylon dictatorship with her modded Centurion buddies? (Shades of that adorable web cartoon, We Were Centurions (now with additional material!).) For years we've been wondering why the Centurions and other Cylon models never seemed to object to being tools of their humaniform masters. Now we know why -- they've been modded just as the raiders are now being modded. Caste systems amongst the Cylons aren't so neat and orderly as had been suggested, eh?
Again, we have the parallels between humaniform Cylons and Colonial humanity coming closer and closer. What makes "us" different from "them" if Cylons are perpetuating the same abuses for which they condemned humanity? Who has the moral high ground? Nobody! Although someone still has to deal with the whole Cylon culpability in the essential genocide of humanity.
Still, it's all fascinating to see the ways in which the Cylons repeat the mistakes of humanity and get caught up in the same problems. For more on this train of thought, you'll have to wait to read my chapter on BSG in the forthcoming anthology on Science Fiction/Fantasy Television and History (scheduled for Q4 2008).
But what made me happiest? Division amongst the Cylons. The newest incarnation of Six who's fighting back against Cavil's humaniform Cylon dictatorship with her modded Centurion buddies? (Shades of that adorable web cartoon, We Were Centurions (now with additional material!).) For years we've been wondering why the Centurions and other Cylon models never seemed to object to being tools of their humaniform masters. Now we know why -- they've been modded just as the raiders are now being modded. Caste systems amongst the Cylons aren't so neat and orderly as had been suggested, eh?
Again, we have the parallels between humaniform Cylons and Colonial humanity coming closer and closer. What makes "us" different from "them" if Cylons are perpetuating the same abuses for which they condemned humanity? Who has the moral high ground? Nobody! Although someone still has to deal with the whole Cylon culpability in the essential genocide of humanity.
Still, it's all fascinating to see the ways in which the Cylons repeat the mistakes of humanity and get caught up in the same problems. For more on this train of thought, you'll have to wait to read my chapter on BSG in the forthcoming anthology on Science Fiction/Fantasy Television and History (scheduled for Q4 2008).