Battlestar Galactica 2.17: The Captain's Hand
It is apparently my way to be intelligent about the shallow shows and shallow about the intelligent shows, so I'm just going to do lists today.
What I loved:
- a real Lee/Dualla scene, in which not only do we see that they have a genuinely endearing affectionate connection, but they are also lacking in clothing (pretty! squee!)
- all Lee/Kara interactions, complete with angst, tension, yelling, bitchiness, intense gazes, handshakes, hugs and humour ('You have a brain?')
- that the population issue was raised again (yay continuity!). The show was back to tackling difficult issues
- that Roslin took a rational decision over a religious one, showing her true nature as a politician
- that she choked on the words as she banned abortion
- Gaius and his tricksy ways! I was genuinely delighted at his return and I await the showdown with interest
- that once again Gaius's actions ultimately support the cylons in the destruction of the human race
- Lee gets command (his stunned 'I have the con' line was gorgeous)
- that Lee was all downplaying being made major at the start of the ep, but was genuinely moved by his father promoting him to Commander of the Pegasus at the end
- that Lee says command is about people, and his father validates that. I loved it because Lee's touch with people is what makes him a good commander, and he frequently underestimates his own ability but it was recognised in this scene.
What I didn't love so much:
- Sure, it's great that people actually die in BSG, but I found the Pegasus Commander a bit of a throwaway character with his whole 'machines' not 'people' thing. He wasn't around long enough to have that explored in a subtle or interesting way so it came out a bit clumsily. But he obviously had some strengths as a commander and had we seen more of him, his points could have been quite valid.
- Roslin moping over Billy. Ok, I'll come out and say it. I don't get what was so great about Billy. So I understand that Roslin feels deeply about his death, but I'm not going to enjoy her moping about it. Hopefully we won't have to see it for too long (if Lee can get over suicidal thoughts in a few months then Roslin can get over Billy's death by next ep). The new girl seems fab--way more what I would want or expect from a political aide. Where's the bad?
- (at first) that Kara and Lee hadn't talked about the shooting. But I'm only listing it to say that then I was totally won over, because it provided the wonderful scene where Lee is triggered into mentioning being shot by Kara and they both go into shock but he doesn't leave. That moment was so wonderful, it was worth the implausibility I initially felt.
- I was also going to list Lee's rapid return to perkiness, which I still have issues with. However, then I realised that this would make me an incredible hypocrite. I bitched so badly about how boring Angel's mopey/depression phase was… I can hardly complain now if the writers of BSG have decided that it doesn't make for good TV. I can, however, say that I wish they had shown us some reason for the internal shift, other than a new romantic relationship.
What I loved about Lee and Kara in this episode in a little more detail:
- the tension and distance between them when Lee comes on board the Pegasus. I love Kara's discomfort with him being there. Perhaps because I really sympathise with Kara following recent episodes, I felt I was able to see their scenes from both perspectives this week. Kara feels guilty and hides this by being resentful that Lee doesn't do more to back her up. Lee wishes he could but is trapped both by his need to be impartial as major and his own annoyance at having to fix her frak-ups again.
- Lee: 'knock off the schoolyard crap and start doing your frakking jobs' (he's so great when he cracks it, and I reckon Kara secretly likes it!)
- Kara's appeal with her eyes to Lee when she's getting yelled at by the Pegasus Commander. Lee is too hesistant with his support, attempting to dampen her down first. And of course this has the reverse affect of triggering Kara to greater insubordination in her wonderful 'I was just venting. Accurately' line. Hee!
- that Kara and Lee are so true to type in this episode: Lee toes the line, Kara breaks the rules. They're both 'right'.
- Lee walking up while Kara's doing push-ups, a great echo to the 'punching a superior asshole' scene in the miniseries. Here we go again! And sure enough, they're soon bickering again. (I just love them grr-y at each other!)
- that the little war of 'what is your problem?', which would seemingly have been aiming at a cathartic ending, ended on the startling, disconsonant note of 'you mean since I got shot?'. That scene was wonderfully played, with Lee looking almost frightened by his own words.
- I loved that Lee got Kara back where she should be (in the pilot seat) and then circumstances allowed him to be where he belongs (in command) too. Kara calling out 'I've got your back' and laughing delightedly while firing at cylons was squeefully great.
- I loved, in the final Lee-Kara scene, that it was Kara, not Lee, who was looking for some emotional resolution from their discussion. She needed to know they had their friendship intact still, and I was pleased to see it meant that much to her. Her little handshake was really cute too. And of course I loved that they just couldn't let go of each other's hands once they held on.
- I liked Lee telling Kara why he was angry for once, and admitting that it was an emotiona, illogical reaction due to his own personal projections.
- Total joy at Kara's 'you should see the way my brain works sometimes'. Hee! Yes. Poor Kara and her brain and the way it makes her think of someone else when she's trying to have sex! (not that I think that's what she was referring too, but it was cute because we've seen the quirks of Kara's brain)
- The relief at the hug and Kara easing into it and then smiling as if she can't believe her luck.
I'm looking forward to the politicking I assume we'll see in upcoming eps, and I'm glad my pilots are back how I like 'em.
What I loved:
- a real Lee/Dualla scene, in which not only do we see that they have a genuinely endearing affectionate connection, but they are also lacking in clothing (pretty! squee!)
- all Lee/Kara interactions, complete with angst, tension, yelling, bitchiness, intense gazes, handshakes, hugs and humour ('You have a brain?')
- that the population issue was raised again (yay continuity!). The show was back to tackling difficult issues
- that Roslin took a rational decision over a religious one, showing her true nature as a politician
- that she choked on the words as she banned abortion
- Gaius and his tricksy ways! I was genuinely delighted at his return and I await the showdown with interest
- that once again Gaius's actions ultimately support the cylons in the destruction of the human race
- Lee gets command (his stunned 'I have the con' line was gorgeous)
- that Lee was all downplaying being made major at the start of the ep, but was genuinely moved by his father promoting him to Commander of the Pegasus at the end
- that Lee says command is about people, and his father validates that. I loved it because Lee's touch with people is what makes him a good commander, and he frequently underestimates his own ability but it was recognised in this scene.
What I didn't love so much:
- Sure, it's great that people actually die in BSG, but I found the Pegasus Commander a bit of a throwaway character with his whole 'machines' not 'people' thing. He wasn't around long enough to have that explored in a subtle or interesting way so it came out a bit clumsily. But he obviously had some strengths as a commander and had we seen more of him, his points could have been quite valid.
- Roslin moping over Billy. Ok, I'll come out and say it. I don't get what was so great about Billy. So I understand that Roslin feels deeply about his death, but I'm not going to enjoy her moping about it. Hopefully we won't have to see it for too long (if Lee can get over suicidal thoughts in a few months then Roslin can get over Billy's death by next ep). The new girl seems fab--way more what I would want or expect from a political aide. Where's the bad?
- (at first) that Kara and Lee hadn't talked about the shooting. But I'm only listing it to say that then I was totally won over, because it provided the wonderful scene where Lee is triggered into mentioning being shot by Kara and they both go into shock but he doesn't leave. That moment was so wonderful, it was worth the implausibility I initially felt.
- I was also going to list Lee's rapid return to perkiness, which I still have issues with. However, then I realised that this would make me an incredible hypocrite. I bitched so badly about how boring Angel's mopey/depression phase was… I can hardly complain now if the writers of BSG have decided that it doesn't make for good TV. I can, however, say that I wish they had shown us some reason for the internal shift, other than a new romantic relationship.
What I loved about Lee and Kara in this episode in a little more detail:
- the tension and distance between them when Lee comes on board the Pegasus. I love Kara's discomfort with him being there. Perhaps because I really sympathise with Kara following recent episodes, I felt I was able to see their scenes from both perspectives this week. Kara feels guilty and hides this by being resentful that Lee doesn't do more to back her up. Lee wishes he could but is trapped both by his need to be impartial as major and his own annoyance at having to fix her frak-ups again.
- Lee: 'knock off the schoolyard crap and start doing your frakking jobs' (he's so great when he cracks it, and I reckon Kara secretly likes it!)
- Kara's appeal with her eyes to Lee when she's getting yelled at by the Pegasus Commander. Lee is too hesistant with his support, attempting to dampen her down first. And of course this has the reverse affect of triggering Kara to greater insubordination in her wonderful 'I was just venting. Accurately' line. Hee!
- that Kara and Lee are so true to type in this episode: Lee toes the line, Kara breaks the rules. They're both 'right'.
- Lee walking up while Kara's doing push-ups, a great echo to the 'punching a superior asshole' scene in the miniseries. Here we go again! And sure enough, they're soon bickering again. (I just love them grr-y at each other!)
- that the little war of 'what is your problem?', which would seemingly have been aiming at a cathartic ending, ended on the startling, disconsonant note of 'you mean since I got shot?'. That scene was wonderfully played, with Lee looking almost frightened by his own words.
- I loved that Lee got Kara back where she should be (in the pilot seat) and then circumstances allowed him to be where he belongs (in command) too. Kara calling out 'I've got your back' and laughing delightedly while firing at cylons was squeefully great.
- I loved, in the final Lee-Kara scene, that it was Kara, not Lee, who was looking for some emotional resolution from their discussion. She needed to know they had their friendship intact still, and I was pleased to see it meant that much to her. Her little handshake was really cute too. And of course I loved that they just couldn't let go of each other's hands once they held on.
- I liked Lee telling Kara why he was angry for once, and admitting that it was an emotiona, illogical reaction due to his own personal projections.
- Total joy at Kara's 'you should see the way my brain works sometimes'. Hee! Yes. Poor Kara and her brain and the way it makes her think of someone else when she's trying to have sex! (not that I think that's what she was referring too, but it was cute because we've seen the quirks of Kara's brain)
- The relief at the hug and Kara easing into it and then smiling as if she can't believe her luck.
I'm looking forward to the politicking I assume we'll see in upcoming eps, and I'm glad my pilots are back how I like 'em.