BSG Rewatch - Kobol's Last Gleaming Part I
Episode Overview/Analysis
Main Plot
This is the episode that we finally find Kobol. The second half of the season has lead, step by step to this planet. A beautiful green planet that they could settle on and start over if it weren't for the cylons hounding them. I found it interesting that Crashdown immediately thinks that their troubles are over and this is where they could live. Did he think the cylons would give up and allow the colonists to live in peace? They've been steadily dogging the fleet since the genocide with no signs of flagging.
Concurrent with the discovery of Kobol, Roslin is given the bad news that the cancer has spread to her lymphatic system, giving her six months to live on the outside. I believe it's this knowledge of her imminent death that leads Roslin to recruit Starbuck to her cause. She will die soon and if it is her destiny to lead them to Earth (or at least show them the way), it has to happen now. She no longer has the luxury of waiting and negotiating. Even though Billy warns her of the consequences and questions her connection to the gods, Roslin is unmoved. She has complete faith in herself and in what she feels she needs to do.
Luckily for her, Starbuck is a believer. She believes in the gods and the scripture. So when Roslin tells her that she in the dying leader who will guide them to Earth, she is willing to be persuaded. At least enough that she is willing to question Adama about his knowledge of Earth. Once she knows that he has no idea, her path is clear. She must go to Caprica and find the arrow. She is the only pilot capable of this mission, if only because of her ability to fly the cylon raider, and she know it.
Subplots
There's a lot going on in this episode, so we have several subplots. I'll start with Baltar. The episode starts with Baltar and Kara having sex and apparently enjoying themselves, until, oops, Kara calls out Lee's name. (BTW - Do people really do that? I don't think that I've ever used anyone's name during such activity.) Not only does this cause a fair amount of awkwardness between Kara and Baltar, but Baltar becomes a bit obsessed with what he perceives as a diss. Which leads to head!Six getting pretty pissed off with him. Sex is one thing. Him getting any emotions involved is going to lead to her smashing his head into a mirror. (Don't get me angry. You won't like me when I'm angry.) I have to say that I really adored the scene where he attempting to talk with both Roslin and head!Six and getting completely flustered.
On the Boomer front, she can no longer ignore the subconscious knowledge that she's a cylon. She feels it deep down and hates herself for it. We see her twice attempting to go through with suicide. The first time she's called away for a mission and the second Baltar walks in on her. I wonder, did some part of her realize that she would never be allowed to go through with it? A failed suicide attempt means that she can still carry out her orders, and I'm sure that her subconscious self finds those orders to be very important. If she had gone to Adama and told him that she was a cylon it would have been over.
Caprica Boomer isn't doing much better. Helo has found out what she is and shoots her when she won't give up going after him. Since she was just standing there, telling him to shoot her, I find it very unlikely that he couldn't have killed her. Right now he's completely confused. Can't trust her, can't kill her, can't leave her.
Progress to Earth
They have found Kobol just as Leoben foretold. And, as the first waypoint, Kobol will show them the way to Earth. All they need is the Arrow of Apollo which is back on Caprica. Luckily for them, they do have a captured Cylon raider which is capable of easily jumping back to Caprica. And they have Starbuck who is both capable and willing to go after it.
Hottest Moment
I loved head!Six smashing Baltar's head into the mirror. He should know by now not to piss her off. However, she is very hot when she's angry.
Darkest Moment
Hearing the shot of Boomer trying to kill herself was very dark. Baltar had just delicately talked her into doing it while seeming to be helping her. And then, when she shoots herself, Baltar is in the hall and can hear the shot. He pauses and then moves on, thinking that she is dead. Brrr, that's cold!
Mysticism
All of Roslin's storyline is bound up in mystical elements at this point. She has been anointed the dying leader who will show them the way to Earth. She has her first disciple in Elosha who has become a true believer. And she has the scriptures to tell her what she needs to do.
It's Roslin that makes the first identification of the planet as Kobol. When looking at a picture of the ruins that they surveyed, she sees it for a moment as it was 2000 years ago. With buildings standing and roads intact. This allows Elosha to pull out the relevant pictures in the scriptures of the forum and the opera house on Kobol that match up to Roslin's vision.
The other mystic element in the episode, that doesn't relate to Roslin, is head!Six's repeated assertion to Baltar that he doesn't want to be on Galactica. Something bad is going to happen and he doesn't want to be there when it does. Once again, head!Six has knowledge that Baltar does not share.
Main Plot
This is the episode that we finally find Kobol. The second half of the season has lead, step by step to this planet. A beautiful green planet that they could settle on and start over if it weren't for the cylons hounding them. I found it interesting that Crashdown immediately thinks that their troubles are over and this is where they could live. Did he think the cylons would give up and allow the colonists to live in peace? They've been steadily dogging the fleet since the genocide with no signs of flagging.
Concurrent with the discovery of Kobol, Roslin is given the bad news that the cancer has spread to her lymphatic system, giving her six months to live on the outside. I believe it's this knowledge of her imminent death that leads Roslin to recruit Starbuck to her cause. She will die soon and if it is her destiny to lead them to Earth (or at least show them the way), it has to happen now. She no longer has the luxury of waiting and negotiating. Even though Billy warns her of the consequences and questions her connection to the gods, Roslin is unmoved. She has complete faith in herself and in what she feels she needs to do.
Luckily for her, Starbuck is a believer. She believes in the gods and the scripture. So when Roslin tells her that she in the dying leader who will guide them to Earth, she is willing to be persuaded. At least enough that she is willing to question Adama about his knowledge of Earth. Once she knows that he has no idea, her path is clear. She must go to Caprica and find the arrow. She is the only pilot capable of this mission, if only because of her ability to fly the cylon raider, and she know it.
Subplots
There's a lot going on in this episode, so we have several subplots. I'll start with Baltar. The episode starts with Baltar and Kara having sex and apparently enjoying themselves, until, oops, Kara calls out Lee's name. (BTW - Do people really do that? I don't think that I've ever used anyone's name during such activity.) Not only does this cause a fair amount of awkwardness between Kara and Baltar, but Baltar becomes a bit obsessed with what he perceives as a diss. Which leads to head!Six getting pretty pissed off with him. Sex is one thing. Him getting any emotions involved is going to lead to her smashing his head into a mirror. (Don't get me angry. You won't like me when I'm angry.) I have to say that I really adored the scene where he attempting to talk with both Roslin and head!Six and getting completely flustered.
On the Boomer front, she can no longer ignore the subconscious knowledge that she's a cylon. She feels it deep down and hates herself for it. We see her twice attempting to go through with suicide. The first time she's called away for a mission and the second Baltar walks in on her. I wonder, did some part of her realize that she would never be allowed to go through with it? A failed suicide attempt means that she can still carry out her orders, and I'm sure that her subconscious self finds those orders to be very important. If she had gone to Adama and told him that she was a cylon it would have been over.
Caprica Boomer isn't doing much better. Helo has found out what she is and shoots her when she won't give up going after him. Since she was just standing there, telling him to shoot her, I find it very unlikely that he couldn't have killed her. Right now he's completely confused. Can't trust her, can't kill her, can't leave her.
Progress to Earth
They have found Kobol just as Leoben foretold. And, as the first waypoint, Kobol will show them the way to Earth. All they need is the Arrow of Apollo which is back on Caprica. Luckily for them, they do have a captured Cylon raider which is capable of easily jumping back to Caprica. And they have Starbuck who is both capable and willing to go after it.
Hottest Moment
I loved head!Six smashing Baltar's head into the mirror. He should know by now not to piss her off. However, she is very hot when she's angry.
Darkest Moment
Hearing the shot of Boomer trying to kill herself was very dark. Baltar had just delicately talked her into doing it while seeming to be helping her. And then, when she shoots herself, Baltar is in the hall and can hear the shot. He pauses and then moves on, thinking that she is dead. Brrr, that's cold!
Mysticism
All of Roslin's storyline is bound up in mystical elements at this point. She has been anointed the dying leader who will show them the way to Earth. She has her first disciple in Elosha who has become a true believer. And she has the scriptures to tell her what she needs to do.
It's Roslin that makes the first identification of the planet as Kobol. When looking at a picture of the ruins that they surveyed, she sees it for a moment as it was 2000 years ago. With buildings standing and roads intact. This allows Elosha to pull out the relevant pictures in the scriptures of the forum and the opera house on Kobol that match up to Roslin's vision.
The other mystic element in the episode, that doesn't relate to Roslin, is head!Six's repeated assertion to Baltar that he doesn't want to be on Galactica. Something bad is going to happen and he doesn't want to be there when it does. Once again, head!Six has knowledge that Baltar does not share.