BSG 4.13 The Oath
I am meant to start my Insane Vidding Project today, so this is the world's worst timing... but BSG produced an enjoyable episode this week! (mskatej, I'd still wait until they do so consistently if I were you!) I mean, the show was still batshit, but in a FUN way.
Following last week's format.
Most unwelcome incidental elements
1. The Adama/Roslin nonsense. Sorry, A/R fans... your ship, it does nothing for me. I find it self-indulgent and I hate the way it's written ('I came back so you wouldn't worry about me'?! Bleugh.) The bit where they took a time out of the mutiny for smoochies really annoyed me. At least Kara snogged Lee quickly, damn it!
That's actually all I've got. :D *beams*
Most cracktastic aspects (I've ditched 'annoying' because I actually found these funny and enjoyed them at that level)
1. Adama defends an empty airlock hatch. HAHAHAHAAH, I have never seen anything funnier! That sums up his character right there. Pointless heroics. I would be even more happy if a) he actually died or b) Roslin got blown out of the sky anyway.
2. Adama/Tigh > Adama/Roslin. Oh, wow, the jealousy and the subtext... I love it on principle. (though I really can't go so far as to say I ship two ugly cranky old guys--but if they die together I'd be very happy)
3. How ridiculously out of touch all the leaders of the fleet remain. I lump Lee in with them until he finally came to his senses with Tigh. But yes, the unnamed masses held more of my sympathy--like the soldier that put a gun to Lee's head and asked how he could make a deal with the Cylons after fighting them for so long. I love Lee, but geez... you need to speak to the people more, mate!
4. The ending. Again. I can't get over it! How unbelievably stupid and pointless. Why wouldn't Adama get on the ship with Roslin? Why wouldn't they ALL get on? Why didn't Kara pilot? Why didn't Lee go and try and open an comm link to Gaeta and reason with him? So many questions. So little sense. *lol*
5. Caprica blabbling about the fact that the humans were paranoid that the Cylons could reproduce now. No, honey, I wish they were, but actually no-one even noticed. What, did you read that from one facial expression? Bit of a long shot, dear/writers.
6. Roslin suddenly deciding to be Pres again. What? It takes a mutiny. Just STAND DOWN! Grrr. How long will this last? Until she wants snuggles with her boyfriend again? God, I wish she'd abdicate.
Things I liked (the JOY!)
1. Gaeta, Gaeta, GAETA! OMG, he rocked this episode so much! I like to read it as he finally cracked it with all the bad writing and just took over the show. :) When he asked Adama what had happened to his oath, I felt he was asking 'what has happened to your characterisation?' because yeah, I agree. What happened to the guy who wouldn't allow linked computers in case the Cylons hacked them? Has it not occurred to him that upgrading with Cylon technology could be a Cylon trap?
2. Gaeta fielding phonecalls. I love that the communications aspect of his job was used to such heroic brilliance! I was totally laughing when he fobbed off Kara and then Lee in succession, but the best of all was Gaius. LOVED IT. Oh, Gaeta, I love you so! I'm going to bawl my eyes out when you inevitably get killed.
3. Zarek 'pushing Lee's buttons' (strangely hot line there, from Gaeta!). I don't like Zarek but he was right on the money in that scene. Lee should know better than that, and while I understand why he's being filial (having fought to rebuild that relationship), I think he should give it up, blow off both Adama and Roslin and just take charge himself.
4. KARA, KARA, KARA! Ok, she was absolutely BATSHIT with that killing spree, but I can't help it, I am helplessly in love. Her joie de vivre was so infectious. I did find her completely confusing--that kiss came out of NOWHERE (yeah, yeah, I'm Lee, I react to her exactly the way he does) but I kind of don't care... I loved her 'don't you remember that we're AWESOME?' message to Lee and apparently it's just what he needed to hear because after that he completely levelled up.
5. Leading to the crowning moment of... 'yeah, I got a problem. Your people annhilated the human race'. Ah, the words that needed to be spoken TEN EPISODES AGO. I'll still take 'em though. Thanks, Lee's characterisation, for returning. I have missed you so!
6. One of Sam's girlfriends, even if it wasn't Kara, feeling betrayed by him being a Cylon. Go Seelix! Woot! And indeed, I liked the way everyone's issues with the Cylons came back out again. It wasn't pretty but it was believable for the first time in... oh, well, all season.
7. Shippy heaven! Kara saving Lee will never not be hot (though I still wish it wasn't for a pro-Cylon cause, but hey, I'll take it any way I can). Bonus snoggage-of-complete-unexpectedness (REALLY wish I hadn't been spoiled for that) and lots of fun runing around in corridors. HOORAY! \o/ I didn't think 4.5 would give us that so I'm grateful.
8. Gaius snark FTW! I really liked his scene with Roslin and their mutual arrogant confidence in their own oratory powers. I laughed so hard when Roslin's speech got cut off and breathed a big sigh of relief that the show didn't go down the path of Roslin-speaks-and-insta!calm-returns-to-the-Fleet.
I am grateful to supacat for explaining Kara to me, and I'm thrilled to find Kara solidly back in character in this half-season. Kara's been spoiling for a fight, as her only coping mechanism once she wasn't able to open up to Lee about her find on Earth... and yeah, I still hate the writers for constructing it that way, but at least it makes character sense. I found her eagerness to kill humans pretty chilling, but I get that she just needs to feel alive now, any way she can, and she has a lot of suppressed rage issues that she has no other outlet for. I just hope the show gives her a chance to grow beyond this. Meanwhile, it was least fun (and funny) to watch.
The only downer is where this is going to go... I would have been way more excited by the ending if I thought either Roslin or Adama or both of them would actually die, but we know they won't. (God, I would LOVE for Adama to die this pointlessly, I really really would. Bonus points if Roslin died too, but saving her still seems redundant since a) she's dying anyway and b) she's abdicated the presidency!) Also, obviously, people (aka the characters who are sympathetic to me right now) are going to die... Gaeta, Zarek, maybe Racetrack (I really worried Kara was going to top her for emotional shock value in this ep!). Ouchy.
Still, until that happens I'm happy. The episode elated me so much I actually had HAPPY Battlestar dreams for the first time in months. (The recurring nightmare about the show that I've been having is that it turns out Kara's a computer program designed to send Lee insane and all other characters are figments of the computer's imagination.) But last night? I got pilots having sex in a clawfoot bath (yeah, really don't know where they got one of those... there were romantic floating curtains and everything, lol) and Lee could FLY (like, without a viper)! :D :D :D He also talked to God (yeah, lame, I know) and God told him that he was AWESOME. So I forgave the lameness and decided to just go with it... which pretty much sums up where I am with the show this week. BSG, I forgive your lameness as long as Lee retains awesome. :)
Following last week's format.
Most unwelcome incidental elements
1. The Adama/Roslin nonsense. Sorry, A/R fans... your ship, it does nothing for me. I find it self-indulgent and I hate the way it's written ('I came back so you wouldn't worry about me'?! Bleugh.) The bit where they took a time out of the mutiny for smoochies really annoyed me. At least Kara snogged Lee quickly, damn it!
That's actually all I've got. :D *beams*
Most cracktastic aspects (I've ditched 'annoying' because I actually found these funny and enjoyed them at that level)
1. Adama defends an empty airlock hatch. HAHAHAHAAH, I have never seen anything funnier! That sums up his character right there. Pointless heroics. I would be even more happy if a) he actually died or b) Roslin got blown out of the sky anyway.
2. Adama/Tigh > Adama/Roslin. Oh, wow, the jealousy and the subtext... I love it on principle. (though I really can't go so far as to say I ship two ugly cranky old guys--but if they die together I'd be very happy)
3. How ridiculously out of touch all the leaders of the fleet remain. I lump Lee in with them until he finally came to his senses with Tigh. But yes, the unnamed masses held more of my sympathy--like the soldier that put a gun to Lee's head and asked how he could make a deal with the Cylons after fighting them for so long. I love Lee, but geez... you need to speak to the people more, mate!
4. The ending. Again. I can't get over it! How unbelievably stupid and pointless. Why wouldn't Adama get on the ship with Roslin? Why wouldn't they ALL get on? Why didn't Kara pilot? Why didn't Lee go and try and open an comm link to Gaeta and reason with him? So many questions. So little sense. *lol*
5. Caprica blabbling about the fact that the humans were paranoid that the Cylons could reproduce now. No, honey, I wish they were, but actually no-one even noticed. What, did you read that from one facial expression? Bit of a long shot, dear/writers.
6. Roslin suddenly deciding to be Pres again. What? It takes a mutiny. Just STAND DOWN! Grrr. How long will this last? Until she wants snuggles with her boyfriend again? God, I wish she'd abdicate.
Things I liked (the JOY!)
1. Gaeta, Gaeta, GAETA! OMG, he rocked this episode so much! I like to read it as he finally cracked it with all the bad writing and just took over the show. :) When he asked Adama what had happened to his oath, I felt he was asking 'what has happened to your characterisation?' because yeah, I agree. What happened to the guy who wouldn't allow linked computers in case the Cylons hacked them? Has it not occurred to him that upgrading with Cylon technology could be a Cylon trap?
2. Gaeta fielding phonecalls. I love that the communications aspect of his job was used to such heroic brilliance! I was totally laughing when he fobbed off Kara and then Lee in succession, but the best of all was Gaius. LOVED IT. Oh, Gaeta, I love you so! I'm going to bawl my eyes out when you inevitably get killed.
3. Zarek 'pushing Lee's buttons' (strangely hot line there, from Gaeta!). I don't like Zarek but he was right on the money in that scene. Lee should know better than that, and while I understand why he's being filial (having fought to rebuild that relationship), I think he should give it up, blow off both Adama and Roslin and just take charge himself.
4. KARA, KARA, KARA! Ok, she was absolutely BATSHIT with that killing spree, but I can't help it, I am helplessly in love. Her joie de vivre was so infectious. I did find her completely confusing--that kiss came out of NOWHERE (yeah, yeah, I'm Lee, I react to her exactly the way he does) but I kind of don't care... I loved her 'don't you remember that we're AWESOME?' message to Lee and apparently it's just what he needed to hear because after that he completely levelled up.
5. Leading to the crowning moment of... 'yeah, I got a problem. Your people annhilated the human race'. Ah, the words that needed to be spoken TEN EPISODES AGO. I'll still take 'em though. Thanks, Lee's characterisation, for returning. I have missed you so!
6. One of Sam's girlfriends, even if it wasn't Kara, feeling betrayed by him being a Cylon. Go Seelix! Woot! And indeed, I liked the way everyone's issues with the Cylons came back out again. It wasn't pretty but it was believable for the first time in... oh, well, all season.
7. Shippy heaven! Kara saving Lee will never not be hot (though I still wish it wasn't for a pro-Cylon cause, but hey, I'll take it any way I can). Bonus snoggage-of-complete-unexpectedness (REALLY wish I hadn't been spoiled for that) and lots of fun runing around in corridors. HOORAY! \o/ I didn't think 4.5 would give us that so I'm grateful.
8. Gaius snark FTW! I really liked his scene with Roslin and their mutual arrogant confidence in their own oratory powers. I laughed so hard when Roslin's speech got cut off and breathed a big sigh of relief that the show didn't go down the path of Roslin-speaks-and-insta!calm-returns-to-the-Fleet.
I am grateful to supacat for explaining Kara to me, and I'm thrilled to find Kara solidly back in character in this half-season. Kara's been spoiling for a fight, as her only coping mechanism once she wasn't able to open up to Lee about her find on Earth... and yeah, I still hate the writers for constructing it that way, but at least it makes character sense. I found her eagerness to kill humans pretty chilling, but I get that she just needs to feel alive now, any way she can, and she has a lot of suppressed rage issues that she has no other outlet for. I just hope the show gives her a chance to grow beyond this. Meanwhile, it was least fun (and funny) to watch.
The only downer is where this is going to go... I would have been way more excited by the ending if I thought either Roslin or Adama or both of them would actually die, but we know they won't. (God, I would LOVE for Adama to die this pointlessly, I really really would. Bonus points if Roslin died too, but saving her still seems redundant since a) she's dying anyway and b) she's abdicated the presidency!) Also, obviously, people (aka the characters who are sympathetic to me right now) are going to die... Gaeta, Zarek, maybe Racetrack (I really worried Kara was going to top her for emotional shock value in this ep!). Ouchy.
Still, until that happens I'm happy. The episode elated me so much I actually had HAPPY Battlestar dreams for the first time in months. (The recurring nightmare about the show that I've been having is that it turns out Kara's a computer program designed to send Lee insane and all other characters are figments of the computer's imagination.) But last night? I got pilots having sex in a clawfoot bath (yeah, really don't know where they got one of those... there were romantic floating curtains and everything, lol) and Lee could FLY (like, without a viper)! :D :D :D He also talked to God (yeah, lame, I know) and God told him that he was AWESOME. So I forgave the lameness and decided to just go with it... which pretty much sums up where I am with the show this week. BSG, I forgive your lameness as long as Lee retains awesome. :)