Good and complex questions. Let me see if I can do them justice.
If you had to pick a single character from the ensemble to hold up as a primary protagonist for the show, who would you say it is? That's a really tough question. I don't believe the show actually has a primary protagonist, seeing as how it's the epitome of "ensemble." Every highlighted character has a bright and shining moment as well as a moment of complete and utter failure. The sentimentalist in me wants to pinpoint Laura as the primary protagonist, because it's her goal from the moment she takes office to the moment she dies to protect humanity, and that's what's accomplished during the course of the show. If I want to play devil's advocate, though, I can say that it's the Borg collective Cylons in general who are the primary protagonists: they direct the action, they're in control, they even know the outcome. If I have to narrow it down to Angels Six and Baltar I could, but it would be against my better judgment. They become more of a Greek chorus over the course of the show. So in short, I guess I don't really know. I don't believe it's Starbuck or Sharon, though. Maybe the primary protagonist is the ship itself, Galactica. It is the single most consistent entity of all.
Who has the most consistent characterization, in your opinion? Who has the weakest? One of my favorite things about BSG is that for the most part, all the characters are portrayed consistently... except for when they're not. I know, I know. I'm actually going to give my personal award for most consistent characterization to Tom Zarek, he who never changes even though we all really want him to. As far as weakest characterization... oh, brother, this is hard. I wish I could discount the first half of Season Four, because they really screwed the pooch with Starbuck and Tigh, both of whom could easily have been my picks for most consistently characterized until then. As much as I hate to award weak characterization to a character I like, I think (and you can throw things at me now) I have to go with Dee. She started out as such a strong, vibrant woman, but they did some things with her that were just inexplicably stupid. I have no fault with the way Kandyse McClure portrayed her, but I do blame the writers for messing with her personality the way they did. That stated, she still has some absolutely stunning moments and in general I really like Dee, but I feel she was used as a convenient plot device more than any other character in the show.
How do you feel about Chief? Honestly, the first time I watched the series I was entirely neutral on Chief for a long, long time. I think around Eye of Jupiter he starts to get interesting, but before that? Meh, whatever. At this point in the show he really does nothing for me. I'm glad that changed over the course of the series; by the end I appreciated him so much more, although I can't say he was ever a character I loved.
In his position, what would you do? Keep it zipped? I think he really did the only thing he could have done, which was what he deemed best all the way around. Of course he was going to do whatever he could to protect Sharon. He loved her and would do (as he demonstrated) anything for her.
Favorite moments in this episode: Knowing that Sharon has the strength to overcome her programming is a big one, although the hope it engenders is precariously false. I also love Laura being shown having no idea how to pronounce simple military terms like "CAG" and the trust she places in Lee to help her. I like the foreshadowing for later when Gaeta is assigned to help Gaius, and I like the strained relationship between Madam President and Commander Adama. That seems very honest and well-played to me.
I'm glad you didn't ask about my least favorite moments, because I have a fair few of those. It's a rough episode, but I'm going to be saying that about all of them, I'm sure.
The sentimentalist in me wants to pinpoint Laura as the primary protagonist, because it's her goal from the moment she takes office to the moment she dies to protect humanity, and that's what's accomplished during the course of the show.
I like that reasoning. I think she'd be a good choice.
Maybe the primary protagonist is the ship itself, Galactica. It is the single most consistent entity of all.
Heh! A good point.
I'm actually going to give my personal award for most consistent characterization to Tom Zarek, he who never changes even though we all really want him to.
Good call! Zarek is very consistent. I think he's kind of a pleasure to watch. After New Caprica you get just a tiny bit hopeful that he might become an actual friend instead of just an enemy of the enemy, but he never changes his stripes.
I wish I could discount the first half of Season Four, because they really screwed the pooch with Starbuck and Tigh, both of whom could easily have been my picks for most consistently characterized until then.
Yeah. I suppose they're entitled to shake up Starbuck's characterization once she's become a dead-girl tool-of-destiny, but it was jarring. I was relieved that she was acting like herself again by the mutiny. And Tigh... well, on the one hand, season four brings us moments like his firm declaration that the man he's been up until the discovery that he's a Cylon is the man he wants to be. And on the other there's the Six affair.
Keep it zipped?
Ha! Sage advice. Let's try it on Gaius.
It's a rough episode, but I'm going to be saying that about all of them, I'm sure.
Great point about Dee. I felt she was used for exposition or as a sounding board for other characters at points and that was not fair. Plus her ending did not have enough context to understand. In the finale when Bill gives his admiral pins to Gaeta's boyfriend, sorry I forget his name, I remember thinking, that should have been Dee.
Dee's ending was tragic and unexpected. Maybe if she'd had your icon, she wouldn't have been so upset by what happened to Earth. I do think she got a raw deal all the way around, but that's not where the fault lies. Pretty much everyone got a raw deal all the way around, but their characterization didn't suffer for/because of it.
Yeah, for me it goes back to her suddenly dropping Billy in favor of Lee with no real explanation other than they were close physically during a workout? Every time I watch the series, I yell at Dee to stick with Billy. He'd be better for her in so many ways.
You know, I got so distracted by responding to the Zarek part that I forgot to respond to the Dee part. I think you're right on the mark about her. I like her a lot at times but I can only make a little sense out of her character on a long-term basis, particularly beyond, oh, maybe the halfway point of the series.
I remember watching the workout scene between Dee and Lee for the first time and thinking oh, I see what you're doing, BSG writers, but I don't understand why. And I feel like they didn't really give enough of a why.
I also don't understand while she'll stick with Lee through the ongoing Starbuck business only to promptly leave him when he defends Gaius. I understand how Dee probably felt about Gaius and the idea of her husband defending the guy, but I don't really understand her actions.
I agree with all these points. Dee keeps sucking it up and dealing where Leemo's concerned, but damn if she isn't strong enough to put it all aside and go rescue Starbuck without too much enmity. And then it's kindness that kills her? I'm not so sure about that.
Part of me thinks that toward the end, the BSG writers were just jamming on that +10 TRAGEDY button until it wore out.
If you had to pick a single character from the ensemble to hold up as a primary protagonist for the show, who would you say it is?
That's a really tough question. I don't believe the show actually has a primary protagonist, seeing as how it's the epitome of "ensemble." Every highlighted character has a bright and shining moment as well as a moment of complete and utter failure. The sentimentalist in me wants to pinpoint Laura as the primary protagonist, because it's her goal from the moment she takes office to the moment she dies to protect humanity, and that's what's accomplished during the course of the show. If I want to play devil's advocate, though, I can say that it's the Borg collective Cylons in general who are the primary protagonists: they direct the action, they're in control, they even know the outcome. If I have to narrow it down to Angels Six and Baltar I could, but it would be against my better judgment. They become more of a Greek chorus over the course of the show. So in short, I guess I don't really know. I don't believe it's Starbuck or Sharon, though. Maybe the primary protagonist is the ship itself, Galactica. It is the single most consistent entity of all.
Who has the most consistent characterization, in your opinion? Who has the weakest?
One of my favorite things about BSG is that for the most part, all the characters are portrayed consistently... except for when they're not. I know, I know. I'm actually going to give my personal award for most consistent characterization to Tom Zarek, he who never changes even though we all really want him to. As far as weakest characterization... oh, brother, this is hard. I wish I could discount the first half of Season Four, because they really screwed the pooch with Starbuck and Tigh, both of whom could easily have been my picks for most consistently characterized until then. As much as I hate to award weak characterization to a character I like, I think (and you can throw things at me now) I have to go with Dee. She started out as such a strong, vibrant woman, but they did some things with her that were just inexplicably stupid. I have no fault with the way Kandyse McClure portrayed her, but I do blame the writers for messing with her personality the way they did. That stated, she still has some absolutely stunning moments and in general I really like Dee, but I feel she was used as a convenient plot device more than any other character in the show.
How do you feel about Chief?
Honestly, the first time I watched the series I was entirely neutral on Chief for a long, long time. I think around Eye of Jupiter he starts to get interesting, but before that? Meh, whatever. At this point in the show he really does nothing for me. I'm glad that changed over the course of the series; by the end I appreciated him so much more, although I can't say he was ever a character I loved.
In his position, what would you do?
Keep it zipped? I think he really did the only thing he could have done, which was what he deemed best all the way around. Of course he was going to do whatever he could to protect Sharon. He loved her and would do (as he demonstrated) anything for her.
Favorite moments in this episode:
Knowing that Sharon has the strength to overcome her programming is a big one, although the hope it engenders is precariously false. I also love Laura being shown having no idea how to pronounce simple military terms like "CAG" and the trust she places in Lee to help her. I like the foreshadowing for later when Gaeta is assigned to help Gaius, and I like the strained relationship between Madam President and Commander Adama. That seems very honest and well-played to me.
I'm glad you didn't ask about my least favorite moments, because I have a fair few of those. It's a rough episode, but I'm going to be saying that about all of them, I'm sure.
Reply
I like that reasoning. I think she'd be a good choice.
Maybe the primary protagonist is the ship itself, Galactica. It is the single most consistent entity of all.
Heh! A good point.
I'm actually going to give my personal award for most consistent characterization to Tom Zarek, he who never changes even though we all really want him to.
Good call! Zarek is very consistent. I think he's kind of a pleasure to watch. After New Caprica you get just a tiny bit hopeful that he might become an actual friend instead of just an enemy of the enemy, but he never changes his stripes.
I wish I could discount the first half of Season Four, because they really screwed the pooch with Starbuck and Tigh, both of whom could easily have been my picks for most consistently characterized until then.
Yeah. I suppose they're entitled to shake up Starbuck's characterization once she's become a dead-girl tool-of-destiny, but it was jarring. I was relieved that she was acting like herself again by the mutiny. And Tigh... well, on the one hand, season four brings us moments like his firm declaration that the man he's been up until the discovery that he's a Cylon is the man he wants to be. And on the other there's the Six affair.
Keep it zipped?
Ha! Sage advice. Let's try it on Gaius.
It's a rough episode, but I'm going to be saying that about all of them, I'm sure.
We can keep a running tally!
Reply
Reply
Dee's ending was tragic and unexpected. Maybe if she'd had your icon, she wouldn't have been so upset by what happened to Earth. I do think she got a raw deal all the way around, but that's not where the fault lies. Pretty much everyone got a raw deal all the way around, but their characterization didn't suffer for/because of it.
(I really am so enamored with your icon!)
Reply
I think we lost Dee's perspective around the time she started dating Lee and was swallowed by the more dominant personalities in the triangle.
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
It never works, though.
Reply
I also don't understand while she'll stick with Lee through the ongoing Starbuck business only to promptly leave him when he defends Gaius. I understand how Dee probably felt about Gaius and the idea of her husband defending the guy, but I don't really understand her actions.
Reply
Part of me thinks that toward the end, the BSG writers were just jamming on that +10 TRAGEDY button until it wore out.
Reply
Leave a comment