A Disquiet Follows My Soul
insta-reaction
That little girl curled up on the floor? So much easier to bear. If you'd told me Adama and Roslin in bed together would end up being one of the most soul crushing scenes in the history of the show, I'd have called you insane. But the dichotomy, that awful contrast between the beautiful, glowing woman, and knowing how completely fucking unglued she is underneath, and that she just doesn't care... I preferred the lost little girl.
The corridor scene (Mary, what can I say) may actually stand out as the most distressing moment in this show's history. The progression, from the manic high, the frenetic energy, to, suddenly stopped, holding onto the insanity before letting the anger and the bitterness creep in, voice breaking, then get your hands off me with a smile, such a twisted mirror of the New Caprica girl who wanted to seize the day, coquettish but in a disturbingly manipulative way, her movements jerky and unglued, everything dead beneath the surface and the mania making her run, run, run... I'm probably not saying this right, not that it matters, you've all seen it... and the one person with the power to fix it, not because There Love is For Real, but because he's her co-commander and it's loneliest at the top and who but Bill has ever come close to saying no to this woman... it's worse than when he walked away, too blinded by her pain (she's always been the strong one, it's why he fell in love)... he jumps off the cliff after her. That final scene, neither do I, it's awful...
Nothing worse than seeing our heroes fall.
I mean, she's right. They have earned their rest. They've earned whatever happiness they can steal. But it always comes back to the fact they're parents. First lesson; when your child's in the hospital, you never leave them alone. The Cabin was always the dream of retirement. When the children were grown, safe, on New Caprica or Earth... when the children were grown. And right now? The children are in the hospital. Bill knows it. Laura, in those moments of clarity... she knows it. There's no peace here. It's a desertion of duty. In the truest sense. They're her people. And she can't abandon them without losing her mind.
Which is what she's wilfully trying to do.
Soul crushing.
Other thoughts:
Of course, with the dream of Earth turned to dust, with hope lost, what else could be taken away from these people? Each other. Civil war. I've seen comment that it's a parrallel to the Cylon nation coming unglued, but, like so much this year, it reminds me more of the days of the Gideon. The 'president' (VP, whatever) arrested, mutiny, a family divided. Laura was right in The Hub, Earth was never home. This is home. So of course it has to fall apart. And there's no Dee anymore. No one to fix things.
Gaius, scotch and cig in hand, cursing the God he so completely came to trust... that hurt. There was a grace to the cult, a peaceful beauty, and to see the grateful tears replaced with bile and rage, prayer replaced by fist fights, people cheering the violence... Like the scenes of despair in Galactica's corridors last week, like 'Frak Earth', I think this was a true look at the Shape of Things to Come.
Gaeta making the deal with Zarek. Such a wonderful mirror of Zarek making that same deal with Baltar. All of this has happened before.
Gaeta goading Kara, like Kara goaded Gaeta, after New Caprica. Only now he's as angry as she was then. The idealist; the man who believed so completely in freedom and democracy he saved the election for Baltar. From then, to lying under oath, to now. The man who got a tattoo and smoked even though he hated it, who tried to be a rebel and always bowed to power. 'Gimp' to one devil after another. Putting his faith in others, disappointed, again and again. And now, finally relying on himself. With one leg to stand on (sorry, bad pun). But what he doesn't know, what Laura can't tell him; the only thing worse than watching our heroes fall is to try to be our own hero, and then to fall ourself. To know... those people who followed you? They're dead.
Oh, and is Adama heading for a heart attack? Eddie's been doing that grimace/pain thing since 'Revelations' and I'm getting scared, whatever RDM says.
Right, think that's enough rambling for now. More after the re-watch.
That little girl curled up on the floor? So much easier to bear. If you'd told me Adama and Roslin in bed together would end up being one of the most soul crushing scenes in the history of the show, I'd have called you insane. But the dichotomy, that awful contrast between the beautiful, glowing woman, and knowing how completely fucking unglued she is underneath, and that she just doesn't care... I preferred the lost little girl.
The corridor scene (Mary, what can I say) may actually stand out as the most distressing moment in this show's history. The progression, from the manic high, the frenetic energy, to, suddenly stopped, holding onto the insanity before letting the anger and the bitterness creep in, voice breaking, then get your hands off me with a smile, such a twisted mirror of the New Caprica girl who wanted to seize the day, coquettish but in a disturbingly manipulative way, her movements jerky and unglued, everything dead beneath the surface and the mania making her run, run, run... I'm probably not saying this right, not that it matters, you've all seen it... and the one person with the power to fix it, not because There Love is For Real, but because he's her co-commander and it's loneliest at the top and who but Bill has ever come close to saying no to this woman... it's worse than when he walked away, too blinded by her pain (she's always been the strong one, it's why he fell in love)... he jumps off the cliff after her. That final scene, neither do I, it's awful...
Nothing worse than seeing our heroes fall.
I mean, she's right. They have earned their rest. They've earned whatever happiness they can steal. But it always comes back to the fact they're parents. First lesson; when your child's in the hospital, you never leave them alone. The Cabin was always the dream of retirement. When the children were grown, safe, on New Caprica or Earth... when the children were grown. And right now? The children are in the hospital. Bill knows it. Laura, in those moments of clarity... she knows it. There's no peace here. It's a desertion of duty. In the truest sense. They're her people. And she can't abandon them without losing her mind.
Which is what she's wilfully trying to do.
Soul crushing.
Other thoughts:
Of course, with the dream of Earth turned to dust, with hope lost, what else could be taken away from these people? Each other. Civil war. I've seen comment that it's a parrallel to the Cylon nation coming unglued, but, like so much this year, it reminds me more of the days of the Gideon. The 'president' (VP, whatever) arrested, mutiny, a family divided. Laura was right in The Hub, Earth was never home. This is home. So of course it has to fall apart. And there's no Dee anymore. No one to fix things.
Gaius, scotch and cig in hand, cursing the God he so completely came to trust... that hurt. There was a grace to the cult, a peaceful beauty, and to see the grateful tears replaced with bile and rage, prayer replaced by fist fights, people cheering the violence... Like the scenes of despair in Galactica's corridors last week, like 'Frak Earth', I think this was a true look at the Shape of Things to Come.
Gaeta making the deal with Zarek. Such a wonderful mirror of Zarek making that same deal with Baltar. All of this has happened before.
Gaeta goading Kara, like Kara goaded Gaeta, after New Caprica. Only now he's as angry as she was then. The idealist; the man who believed so completely in freedom and democracy he saved the election for Baltar. From then, to lying under oath, to now. The man who got a tattoo and smoked even though he hated it, who tried to be a rebel and always bowed to power. 'Gimp' to one devil after another. Putting his faith in others, disappointed, again and again. And now, finally relying on himself. With one leg to stand on (sorry, bad pun). But what he doesn't know, what Laura can't tell him; the only thing worse than watching our heroes fall is to try to be our own hero, and then to fall ourself. To know... those people who followed you? They're dead.
Oh, and is Adama heading for a heart attack? Eddie's been doing that grimace/pain thing since 'Revelations' and I'm getting scared, whatever RDM says.
Right, think that's enough rambling for now. More after the re-watch.