Battlestar Galactica, Lay Down Your Burdens, part 1
What an excellent, excellent ep.
In fact, there are so many things going on in it, I'll have to break my thoughts by story strands.
Helo/Sharon
They broke my heart, all over again. Yes, I know, my ship for this show is one half the people on the flist don't like, but I find it one of the things that strongest draws me to BSG. I think it's the hopelessness/hopefullness of it all that draws me.
When Sharon walked into the pilots' room for the briefing, it made me realize a few things all over again:
1. How hard the baby's 'death' hit her. She looks a wreck, someone working on autopilot. And yet she still agreed to help in this highly impressive fashion, even though she thinks humans killed her baby, because Helo asked.
2. The way some of the pilots got up and freaked and how the whole atmosphere changed: brought back all over again how Helo is a stubborn, brave, good guy to keep on loving her, when you see the atmosphere around them. We most often see the two of them isolated from their surroundings (of course, jails tend to do that :P) and I am impressed all anew over the fact that they still care for each other, when I am reminded of the environment I am in. Helo is a pilot who is in love with a Cylon. Unrepentantly, openly so. Seeing how the other pilots (understandably) view Cylons, and how people he interacts with daily must think of this and of him and still to be unwavering? Wow. As to Sharon, after months of imprisonment and having her baby be killed by people (as she thinks) she still loves Helo. Which is equally wow.
Helo asking Sharon not to shut him out (in the aftermath of the baby's death) is...wow. I keep using this word, but hey, it's short, easy to type, and appropriate. I am glad they are sticking close in the aftermath though. Sharon's non-specific warning about bad stuff happening, though? Talk about uselessly general. Also creepily Six-like from S1. Hmmmm.....
The scene with Helo and Sharon in the raptor was painful, painful to watch. They are still cripped by the loss of the child and they can't even have privacy for it. It festers.
Watching this ep really reinforced how Helo takes everything in stride. He is not unfeeling (he is a deeply feeling person) but he has a deep-seated, quirky, laid-back pragmatism in his approach to his life. Stranded on the planet full of Cylons, likely the only person left? As soon as he processes, he takes it in stride and deals with it. Fallen in love with a Cylon? As soon as he decides he loves her anyway, he never wavers. Baby? Ditto. Maintain that relationship in face of everything? Ditto. Once he decides, he decides. Of course he has doubts (love that scene with Tyrol when they were in the brig) but he internalizes them and doesn't allow them to cripple his actions, when action is needed. Sharon(s) definitely know how to pick good guys.
Tyrol, Dreams, and Underachiever Priests
I know why Tyrol went crazy and attacked Cally: the hideous stubble of doom would drive anyone insane. I know you work hard Chief, but shave. For Gods' sake. Or the audience's sake.
Of course, the priest he goes to, ends up being helpful though not too much, not at the start where I thought he was the worst Man of God(s) I've ever seen. Some kind of underachiever sent to a Battlestar to punish him? Because talk about woefully ineffective.
I find Tyrol's dreams interesting though. Are they really an expression of his anxiety that he is a Cylon? No idea.
Roslin, Baltar, Adama and electioneering fun
Do you know what struck me in the scene in Adama's quarters before the debates? Just how married they appear. Like an old married couple. There are jokes and comfortableness and stories and his walking her on his arm to the debates. Though when she broke a pencil, hey wastefulness? How will they make more?
Visible support of Adama, though. Is it a blessing or a curse? Not that many are keen on the military, it seems. I also find it interesting how the Lee/Laura bond seems to have frayed, now that Roslin has Adama on her side, who is after all more important and more suited for her as a companion by age and temperement (I don't mean romantically, I mean friendship, daily interaction-wise).
Baltar and Roslin exchanging jabs that draw blood is very in character and very funny at the same time. Though Baltar, please cut and wash your hair. What is it with the bad hair attack lately? Is it a new Cylon nepharious plan? I dread the day Lee and Helo will succumb to it.
Also, continued props to actors (in this case Zarek) in acting like Tricia Helfer isn't here. Must be hard.
Kara, Lee, Anders and the Glorious Mission
The Kara/Lee scene when she comes to say goodbye before the mission and he is in his vast quarters and he knows she might not come back and she knows he knows and there is all this emotion and neither will admit anything out loud? So good, so laden, it's painful. Lee is rather desperate for her safety, not that he'd say anything. The chemistry continues out of the ballpark, making me wonder why stupid Kara is going all the way to Caprica to get a boyfriend when there is one right here. What sane woman would prefer Anders to Apollo? Of course, he was a big star with the most money before Cylons blew things up, so I suppose there is that. Which wins him what? A kewpie doll. And Starbuck's undying affection, apparently.
Seriously though, much as I thought the reunion between Anders and Kara was cool (I love my Starbuck happy, and happy she definitely was), it sort of falls apart in view of two things: Lee's chemistry with her is so much better it throws things out of whack. Fine, I can shrug it off and say that chemistry or not, Andres is a God in the sack and plus she likes things easier and less messed-up and complicated than they would be with Lee. And of course, for Kara, it's like a second chance to rescue Zack, to remedy her mistakes. But remembering the Farm, she could have taken them all right there so why wait half a year and return. Did they do enough disruption to be justified to leave? What? Because why are they OK with leaving now when they weren't before and they could have left just as easily and spared themselves months of hell.
In fact, there are so many things going on in it, I'll have to break my thoughts by story strands.
Helo/Sharon
They broke my heart, all over again. Yes, I know, my ship for this show is one half the people on the flist don't like, but I find it one of the things that strongest draws me to BSG. I think it's the hopelessness/hopefullness of it all that draws me.
When Sharon walked into the pilots' room for the briefing, it made me realize a few things all over again:
1. How hard the baby's 'death' hit her. She looks a wreck, someone working on autopilot. And yet she still agreed to help in this highly impressive fashion, even though she thinks humans killed her baby, because Helo asked.
2. The way some of the pilots got up and freaked and how the whole atmosphere changed: brought back all over again how Helo is a stubborn, brave, good guy to keep on loving her, when you see the atmosphere around them. We most often see the two of them isolated from their surroundings (of course, jails tend to do that :P) and I am impressed all anew over the fact that they still care for each other, when I am reminded of the environment I am in. Helo is a pilot who is in love with a Cylon. Unrepentantly, openly so. Seeing how the other pilots (understandably) view Cylons, and how people he interacts with daily must think of this and of him and still to be unwavering? Wow. As to Sharon, after months of imprisonment and having her baby be killed by people (as she thinks) she still loves Helo. Which is equally wow.
Helo asking Sharon not to shut him out (in the aftermath of the baby's death) is...wow. I keep using this word, but hey, it's short, easy to type, and appropriate. I am glad they are sticking close in the aftermath though. Sharon's non-specific warning about bad stuff happening, though? Talk about uselessly general. Also creepily Six-like from S1. Hmmmm.....
The scene with Helo and Sharon in the raptor was painful, painful to watch. They are still cripped by the loss of the child and they can't even have privacy for it. It festers.
Watching this ep really reinforced how Helo takes everything in stride. He is not unfeeling (he is a deeply feeling person) but he has a deep-seated, quirky, laid-back pragmatism in his approach to his life. Stranded on the planet full of Cylons, likely the only person left? As soon as he processes, he takes it in stride and deals with it. Fallen in love with a Cylon? As soon as he decides he loves her anyway, he never wavers. Baby? Ditto. Maintain that relationship in face of everything? Ditto. Once he decides, he decides. Of course he has doubts (love that scene with Tyrol when they were in the brig) but he internalizes them and doesn't allow them to cripple his actions, when action is needed. Sharon(s) definitely know how to pick good guys.
Tyrol, Dreams, and Underachiever Priests
I know why Tyrol went crazy and attacked Cally: the hideous stubble of doom would drive anyone insane. I know you work hard Chief, but shave. For Gods' sake. Or the audience's sake.
Of course, the priest he goes to, ends up being helpful though not too much, not at the start where I thought he was the worst Man of God(s) I've ever seen. Some kind of underachiever sent to a Battlestar to punish him? Because talk about woefully ineffective.
I find Tyrol's dreams interesting though. Are they really an expression of his anxiety that he is a Cylon? No idea.
Roslin, Baltar, Adama and electioneering fun
Do you know what struck me in the scene in Adama's quarters before the debates? Just how married they appear. Like an old married couple. There are jokes and comfortableness and stories and his walking her on his arm to the debates. Though when she broke a pencil, hey wastefulness? How will they make more?
Visible support of Adama, though. Is it a blessing or a curse? Not that many are keen on the military, it seems. I also find it interesting how the Lee/Laura bond seems to have frayed, now that Roslin has Adama on her side, who is after all more important and more suited for her as a companion by age and temperement (I don't mean romantically, I mean friendship, daily interaction-wise).
Baltar and Roslin exchanging jabs that draw blood is very in character and very funny at the same time. Though Baltar, please cut and wash your hair. What is it with the bad hair attack lately? Is it a new Cylon nepharious plan? I dread the day Lee and Helo will succumb to it.
Also, continued props to actors (in this case Zarek) in acting like Tricia Helfer isn't here. Must be hard.
Kara, Lee, Anders and the Glorious Mission
The Kara/Lee scene when she comes to say goodbye before the mission and he is in his vast quarters and he knows she might not come back and she knows he knows and there is all this emotion and neither will admit anything out loud? So good, so laden, it's painful. Lee is rather desperate for her safety, not that he'd say anything. The chemistry continues out of the ballpark, making me wonder why stupid Kara is going all the way to Caprica to get a boyfriend when there is one right here. What sane woman would prefer Anders to Apollo? Of course, he was a big star with the most money before Cylons blew things up, so I suppose there is that. Which wins him what? A kewpie doll. And Starbuck's undying affection, apparently.
Seriously though, much as I thought the reunion between Anders and Kara was cool (I love my Starbuck happy, and happy she definitely was), it sort of falls apart in view of two things: Lee's chemistry with her is so much better it throws things out of whack. Fine, I can shrug it off and say that chemistry or not, Andres is a God in the sack and plus she likes things easier and less messed-up and complicated than they would be with Lee. And of course, for Kara, it's like a second chance to rescue Zack, to remedy her mistakes. But remembering the Farm, she could have taken them all right there so why wait half a year and return. Did they do enough disruption to be justified to leave? What? Because why are they OK with leaving now when they weren't before and they could have left just as easily and spared themselves months of hell.