The Tale of Lee "Apollo" Adama, fanvideo and picspam
Here's my new vid exploring the character of Lee "Apollo" Adama by focussing on his relations to his father Bill Adama and "the one who dares him" Kara Thrace. I wanted to express the profound solitude I've always thought was part of him. Torn between his idealism, the "facts on the ground" and his loyalty to the people he loves, he often had to make very lonely decisions and was most of the times very little rewarded for his efforts. That makes him kind of a tragic hero. But in the end - I like to think - he embraced his loneliness as part of an autonomy he was able to achieve, after all the struggles he had to face.
If you want to download the media-file just drop me a note. The links will be given via pm.
In addition I made a picspam of three central Lee scenes that have been kind of a thematical leitmotif for me during the editing of this vid - allthough, or just because they aren't in the video.
The first scene is from "Scattered" (2x01) when Lee is in jail, talking to Roslin about what happened.
Roslin:
Captain, what have they done to you? What's going on?
Lee:
My father's been shot.
Roslin:
What?
Lee:
Someone get this frakkin' thing off me, please?
Guard:
I'm not authorized to do that.
Lee:
I'm behind the frakkin' bars!
(...)
Lee:
Tigh's not letting me out of here.
I put a gun to his head.
He won't forget that anytime soon.
Roslin:
I am so sorry that I got you into this, Captain.
Lee:
No, don't apologize.
I knew what I was doing.
But I didn't do it for you.
I did it for... well, actually, I did it for... nothing, turns out.
Roslin:
That's not true. You took a stand.
Lee:
And now look at us.
"My father's been shot"
"Someone get this frakkin' thing off me, please?"
"I'm behind the frakkin' bars!"
(silent disdain)
"Two bullets in the chest."
"I didn't do it for you."
"I did it for ... well, actually, I did it for ... nothing, turns out."
This last one speaks without words: Covered with the blood of his father, with not just yet dried tears at the corner of his sad eyes and - what hurts the most - a smile on his face, Lee can't even verbalize his original intentions any more. It's amazing how this short scene covers so much of his character (thanks to Jamie's awesome performance, of course). He shifts from sadness over rage to cynism and further to rationalization - with a little bitterness, but like always trying to avoid resignation.
The second scene is from "He that believeth in me" from early season 4. It takes place right after Lee and Bill Adama watched the tape with the explosion of Kara's viper, and Lee hearing his own voice screaming "No!"
Adama:
I want to thank you for suiting up during the fight.
Lee:
We needed everyone up there.
Adama, placing Lee's wings between them:
We still do.
Lee:
I took those off for the wrong reasons.
Adama:
Put them back on.
Lee: Baltar's trial may have been the trigger, but, um...
This is a feeling I've been having for a while.
It's time for a change.
I need to move on.
I've had some feelers from the government.
There's a ... position ... opening up.
And I think I can make a valuable contribution there.
Maybe even more than in the cockpit.
"Put them back on."
"I took those off for the wrong reasons."
"I think I can make a valuable contribution there."
Here is Lee "picking sides", something that Bill has demanded since early season one. I love this scene, it's one of my favorites. Everything is said through the setting and the little dialogue. Three empty chairs like an endless space between them, Lee not being able to look his father in the eyes while telling him about his final decision, and Bill remaining completely silent. And a small wing that has been given, given back and now left forever in that gap between them.
The last one is from "No Exit" (4x15)
Roslin:
I will of course remain by title as president but ...
Lee:
Madam President, you can do a lot more than that.
Roslin:
No, I can't Lee. It's time I let someone else do the heavy lifting.
Lee:
Uhm ... I don't know what to say.... I would be honored, if you think I am the right one.
Roslin:
You are the right one Lee. You have always been the right one.
My only concern about you, is that you're so hellbent on doing the right thing, that you sometimes don't do the smart thing.
Lee:
Well then, uhm, I try do be smarter.... and wronger.
Lee stepping out of the shadow (of Roslin)
"You are the right one Lee. You have always been the right one."
"I would be honored, if you think I am the right one"
"I try to be smarter ... and wronger."
ok, I will not comment on this, because I still have no final opinion about that "right vs. smart" statement. It's poignant. But I feel very much that it's a simplification. Lee has always been smart. He just has his own priorities. And I really don't like that Roslin wants to let him do the "heavy" work and keep the title and the power for herself. But I will have to think more about that before I can say something more eloquent ;)