I like the idea that Kara was putting Lee's needs first in turning away from Lee's bedside. I think that's a plausible reading, and one I hadn't considered. To be honest, I was so busy having heartache for her over the shooting, that I was more in the reading whereby she simply doesn't think she's worthy in comparison to Dee--so more of a self-centred/self-pitying turning away. I guess we can't know for sure *why* she walks away, but you're right that the result is that she doesn't put her own need for absolution over Lee's needs. I just hope she doesn't beat herself up too badly!
I found your suggestion of a split between the 'Starbuck' persona or identity and Kara Thrace interesting. Certainly in this ep Kara showed maturity beyond the simple cocky bravado of Starbuck in her confession to Adama. That was really moving.
I think it's important that she realises that Starbuck doesn't always save the day ... as long as she draws the RIGHT lesson from it, which is not that she always hurts the ones she loves, but that sometimes she's not the center of everything Yes, I'd like to see her learning that lesson too. If her not going to Lee was not just self-pity, but a genuine realisation that she's not the best person for him right now, then great--it's character development!
I think Lee's love for Kara is wonderful, but I also think he needs to have someone love HIM that way I both agree and disagree (to be tricksy!). I do want to see Lee have someone love him fully, and it feels like a nice balance to the Kara/Anders idyllic romance. However, I'd also like something a bit more interesting than just devoted-girlfriend out of Dee. It's quite possible that it *will* be more interesting than that (I'm spoiler-free) but I haven't really seen enough to tell yet. Kara is not capable of it at the moment because she doesn't even love herself I think that holds equally true of Lee right now. And that's where I do have a little confusion about Lee/Dee as a relationship, because I had understood from Black Market that he was not in any place to hold down a real two-way relationship with anyone right now. As we've already discussed, it's as if that ep never happened, because now he's dating her, no explanation given. So do I assume that he's got over his emotional baggage? Or do I assume that he's still got it but is willing to burden Dee with it? If it's the former, than I don't feel it was well explained on the show. And if it's the latter, then I *am* a little uncomfortable with Lee/Dee, simply because I don't like the idea of the woman doing the man's emotional work for him in a relationship. That's very untypical of BSG's gender politics, so I suspect that's not the case. But I'm still waiting to see what the dynamic in their relationship will be like.
You are right that the double level of heroes but flawed is still there. I exaggerated! Or rather, I didn't make my question/concern specific enough. The question I have in my mind is what the writers' direction is at the moment. They seem to be focussing on the flaws in the Starbuck and Apollo identities. If, as you argue, this works to show greater complexity and character growth, then that's great. But I don't instincively (yet!) have that understanding myself from watching the eps to date. The recent exploration of flaws has been interesting, but I want it to be leading somewhere/to be integrated into the overall plot.
it makes them no less heroic if they are also human and flawed and imperfect Oh absolutely. I'd argue it makes them *more* heroic, and it certainly makes me love them more. My question or concern is really more about where the writers are going with them: I'd like to be confident that it was really about character growth/insight. Because the disconnected eps of Scar and Black Market have left a, well, scar (bad pun!) on my trust. (Just to be more contrary (*g), I don't even really want to know for sure what's planned, as I prefer to be spoiler-free: but it's still frustrating not to know!)
Mm. Yes, to so much of that, especially the difficulties of being a Lee fan at the moment. I have a fair degree of anger at the moment. You nailed it with not being able to figure out what my favourite character is thinking right now. So frustrating! So unusual. I'm clinging to the hope that the plots will pick up and this is just a bad patch. And I agree--Sacrifice seemed good in comparison to recent eps, but not compared to the best eps. Grrr. This is the first really big letdown for me from BSG. I demand a lot of it. I forgive waaaaay more easily in my other fandom, because sloppy writing is par for the course there... but I'll be way more mad if BSG continues in this way, because it had so much more potential and really was pulling it off for a while.
Yes. When you know that something has the potential to get it right, it's a lot harder to forgive errors. Especially as BSG held out so much hope of avoiding all the usual sci-fi clangers of implausibility.
It's still an above-par show for me. 'The Captain's Hand' was definitely getting back to form, if not the best ep ever. I guess the Honeymoon Phase is over, though! ;)
I found your suggestion of a split between the 'Starbuck' persona or identity and Kara Thrace interesting. Certainly in this ep Kara showed maturity beyond the simple cocky bravado of Starbuck in her confession to Adama. That was really moving.
I think it's important that she realises that Starbuck doesn't always save the day ... as long as she draws the RIGHT lesson from it, which is not that she always hurts the ones she loves, but that sometimes she's not the center of everything
Yes, I'd like to see her learning that lesson too. If her not going to Lee was not just self-pity, but a genuine realisation that she's not the best person for him right now, then great--it's character development!
I think Lee's love for Kara is wonderful, but I also think he needs to have someone love HIM that way
I both agree and disagree (to be tricksy!). I do want to see Lee have someone love him fully, and it feels like a nice balance to the Kara/Anders idyllic romance. However, I'd also like something a bit more interesting than just devoted-girlfriend out of Dee. It's quite possible that it *will* be more interesting than that (I'm spoiler-free) but I haven't really seen enough to tell yet.
Kara is not capable of it at the moment because she doesn't even love herself
I think that holds equally true of Lee right now. And that's where I do have a little confusion about Lee/Dee as a relationship, because I had understood from Black Market that he was not in any place to hold down a real two-way relationship with anyone right now. As we've already discussed, it's as if that ep never happened, because now he's dating her, no explanation given. So do I assume that he's got over his emotional baggage? Or do I assume that he's still got it but is willing to burden Dee with it? If it's the former, than I don't feel it was well explained on the show. And if it's the latter, then I *am* a little uncomfortable with Lee/Dee, simply because I don't like the idea of the woman doing the man's emotional work for him in a relationship. That's very untypical of BSG's gender politics, so I suspect that's not the case. But I'm still waiting to see what the dynamic in their relationship will be like.
You are right that the double level of heroes but flawed is still there. I exaggerated! Or rather, I didn't make my question/concern specific enough. The question I have in my mind is what the writers' direction is at the moment. They seem to be focussing on the flaws in the Starbuck and Apollo identities. If, as you argue, this works to show greater complexity and character growth, then that's great. But I don't instincively (yet!) have that understanding myself from watching the eps to date. The recent exploration of flaws has been interesting, but I want it to be leading somewhere/to be integrated into the overall plot.
it makes them no less heroic if they are also human and flawed and imperfect
Oh absolutely. I'd argue it makes them *more* heroic, and it certainly makes me love them more. My question or concern is really more about where the writers are going with them: I'd like to be confident that it was really about character growth/insight. Because the disconnected eps of Scar and Black Market have left a, well, scar (bad pun!) on my trust. (Just to be more contrary (*g), I don't even really want to know for sure what's planned, as I prefer to be spoiler-free: but it's still frustrating not to know!)
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
It's still an above-par show for me. 'The Captain's Hand' was definitely getting back to form, if not the best ep ever. I guess the Honeymoon Phase is over, though! ;)
Reply
Leave a comment