MSR3K: Thoughts on Hub - part 1
HUB
Transcribed by: Sky
Written by: Jane Espenson
Directed by: Paul Edwards
Well, now. This was one hell of an episode. Again, the pacing was perfect, IMO. For some reason that makes a big difference to me. And the characterizations…oh…I’m really happy with how things went down here. And yeah…there were a few spots that rubbed me wrong, but the aforementioned pacing and character stuff more than make up for it. IMO.
To be honest…the last two episodes have made my appreciation for the four or five in between the first two episodes take a nosedive. So much utter bullshit for nothing…at least that’s my fear. Did we really need half the stuff we saw? Not from where I’m sitting…and the time wasted makes me sad…and a wee bit pissy about it.
But…
If Revelations is as good as it looks…and the last ten (er…or whatever we end up with) continue in this trajectory…I’m gonna be mucho satisfied at the end.
Yeah, yeah…I know everyone was uber concerned about that. *LOL *
Anyhoo…
Let’s get this recap rolling. Standard warnings…you know the drill. Wild ass speculation and snarky opinions are pretty much always included. It’s a very good idea to keep any form of liquid away from the keyboard, monitor and electrical current. We’re all adults here…so bad language is a given…overuse of the ‘F’ words is pretty much guaranteed. Always, always, always keep your hands and feet inside at all times. Deceit is the name of the game here.
Trust no one (yeah, yeah…wrong show…)
There are sooooo many things I love about this episode. Roslin’s journey is awesome…her character fleshed out like never before, IMO. Baltar is equal parts smarmy bastard and broken man. Helo…oh…I love the stuff he has to face. And yeah…he continues to walk a fine line but in all honesty…he is married to a Cylon so for me…the things he questions make sense. More on this later, of course.
Cavil gets his just desserts…D’Anna is back…and the Eights finally find a voice. The Cylon part of this episode is mixed in quite well, IMO, not too much…just the right amount considering they’re on a Baseship and in the Hub.
And the end…well…we’ll get to that. *grins *
The WTF parts that I hand waved aren’t that many but disappointing just the same. Thankfully the rest of the episode kicks ass and it’s easy to forget them. *LOL *
So…
THE PREVIOUSLIES: (Voiced by Mary McDonnell)
Hmm…doesn’t seem to be anything new…
Athena explains why the Threes were boxed…nice cutting of the scenes…Cavil walking away from the boxed Threes and D’Anna in the opera house.
And…that slides into Natalie saying if they unbox the Three, she can give the final fivers’ identities to them.
Kara jumps in…the five have been to earth…if we help find them…they can help us find earth.
Yeah, yeah…why should the fleet trust Natalie?
The boxing facility…blah, blah, blah…destroy it and the Cylons lose their ability to download. Um yeah…that’s motivation.
Roslin and Baltar being their trippy journey…cause they Hybrid spoke of the opera house and Roslin requires Gaius’ presence because he’s in her visions.
Zarek natters on about Roslin’s unknown fate while the viewer sees Roslin on the Baseship and the Hybrid jumping.
Tigh gives the sitrep to Adama over the creepy scenes of all the carnage and destruction left behind. News looks grim…but Papadama remains convinced it’s NOT Roslin’s Baseship.
Cut to him…alone in the Raptor…while the fleet jumps away…reading the book Roslin had with her. Lee’s voice tells him it sounds like suicide and wants to know why…because Adama can’t live without Laura.
And then we get…
Two Days Ago…
Right. You knew it had to happen this way, yeah?
BEGINNING ACTION:
Hrm…a quick replay of the fjnal moments of GWCTD…cause well…we skipped a whole week, right? Roslin telling Baltar to STFU is just as amusing the second time around. *LOL * Er…but she wants answers and the hybrid ain’t talking…so plug it in.
JUMP!
Ooohhh…uber cool…during the jump…Roslin’s on a really dark, very empty Galactica…trippy.
Elosha! Really damned trippy.
BRIEF PAUSE FOR RANDOM OPINION:
Loved the way Mary played this…and how it was filmed. The look on her face was kind of ‘oooo-kay…WTF is going on’ then the visual slowly pans around, almost as if in Roslin’s POV…and *poof * there’s Elosha.
Just thought it was cool.
BACK TO ACTION:
* Life is strange *
Yeah…the freaky jump stuff could prove very interesting. I think I’m gonna like it…every time the Hybrid jumps…Roslin goes somewhere else…I’ll call it Galactica In Between. *nods *
Ah…Hybrid ramblings…you know how much I love those. This one is a little bit interesting and I’m putting it all together for ease of reading:
Hybrid:
Filters, filters
The sublime elevation
Control filters
Wing beats a dove
Drown out the heartbeats of those who follow
Six is back in the stream.
Heh…why’d it jump…where are we? Better yet…where is Roslin actually going when she ‘jumps’?
Ah…the Eight is more concerned about why they’re there. Interesting.
Oh…Baltar thinks he should talk to her…find out why. That outta be a riot.
Poor Helo…it’s all a bit much for him.
JUMP!
And we’re back with Elosha…cool.
Heh…what’s going on indeed. An empty Galactica. I’ve got thoughts on this…but as Elosha says…it feels bigger this way. And creepier. And more dark. Hmmm…
It’s so quiet…strange. A lot of things are strange. Erm…like seeing your dead priestess during an FTL jump? Right. Very strange.
Ouch…nothing like watching your last gasping breath. *meep *
And the credits roll…
Survivor Count: 39,673. So…does this count Natalie? Does she even count? Or maybe it’s Pike? My guess is Sandman doesn’t tally up yet…either that or the lame ass counting people are just damn stupid.
Whatever. *hand waves *
BACK TO ACTION:
*Streams and oceans and streams…oh, my *
And we’re back on the Baseship…with more Hybrid ramblings…and a Roslin who’s still kind of WTF is going on? * LOL *
Oh…the Six is back in the stream…see above and more transcription to follow…
So it is unusual for the Hybrid to jump so soon after completing one. I wanna know what it means too.
Hee…Baltar. ‘Look it knows me…trusts me…I think it even likes me’. Ego is so not a problem for this guy. *LOL *
For some reason, I assumed Roslin would know how the Cylons got the info from the data stream. Maybe she missed that after action report. *shrugs *
Ah…the Hybrid is disorganized…panicking…and the Eight isn’t sure why.
Enter Batlar:
Baltar: Tell me. Why are you jumping the ship?
Hybrid: The Six. The Six who went among the makers is no longer. End of line. Back in the stream that feeds the ocean that feeds the stream.
So…the Hybrid knows Natalie is no more…but can’t tell them why…that we know of. It’s up to the Eight to figure it all out and explain why the Hybrid is freaking out. And Roslin…slays me here. Cause honestly…fish out of water isn’t far off the mark…if you’ll excuse the lame pun.
And speaking of streams and shit…where did Leoben go?
Roslin: So, she’s upset? Okay. Fine. Can you calm her down…can you tell her to jump back?
Eight: It doesn’t work like that. She makes her own decisions. And we can’t unplug her because she’s wired herself into life support.
BRIEF PAUSE FOR RANDOM COMMENTARY:
Okay…I kind of love this. It’s new information isn’t it? The Hybrid making her own decisions? The last we knew the humanoid models could override any objections, right? I think that’s why Baltar had the ‘huh’ look on his face…but notice he said nothing. And I’m pulling this theory from the time D’Anna made the Hybrid jump against her wishes during the whole virus dealio. Baseships under the control of freaked out Hybrids could be a huge ass wrinkle in any kind of plan…Cylon or human.
Cool.
BACK TO ACTION:
* Clear and practical suck ass don’t you know *
Oh.my.gods. *falls over laughing * Baltar’s attempt at calming the Hybrid? HILARIOUS. I’m seriously surprised he hasn’t attempted seduction by this point. I kid you not.
And the Hybrid is all:
Calm your mind…cease countdown…cease countdown. Circulation. Ventilation. Control. Filters. Filters. The sublime elevation…
And good ole Gaius is basking in his own importance again. He just opened himself up to it on a spiritual level…
But…
JUMP!!
And off Roslin goes to Galactica In Between. Adama and Cottle hover over her…quick cut to RealRoslin as she takes in the scene…then back and wow…now it’s Adama, Cottle, Lee and Kara keeping vigil.
Elosha is back by her side…then *poof * she’s leaning over the fading DyingRoslin saying: Don’t you just hate these people? And one of the Roslin’s tells her no. And the next part…wow…go Elosha.
Elosha: Oh…but you don’t love them either. The people in this room are the closest thing you’ve got to family…
[RealRoslin walks further into the room]
Elosha: And you? You’ve been their president.
[Kara and Lee embrace/hug]
Elosha: Watch them try to comfort each other. At least you haven’t taken that away from them. Yet.
[Adama strokes DyingRoslin’s brow]
Elosha: You didn’t rob them of their empathy. Yet.
[Lee and Kara regain composure]
Elosha: You just don’t make room for people anymore. You don’t love people. Is that clear enough…practical enough for you? Ma-dame President?
Flash…and…jump complete.
Whew.
BRIEF PAUSE FOR RANDOM COMMENTARY:
Dayum. Roslin’s needed to hear that for a good long time now. IMO.
So far…I’m totally on this journey. I love the way it’s filmed…I like the parallel that RealRoslin is maybe in that place between life and death that gets bandied about so frequently by the Cylons…and I truly enjoy the fact that Elosha is the person she sees. Billy was Roslin’s heart…Elosha was her guide. In losing both people, she lost the tempering influence they had on her. And she needs it.
I’m finding it truly interesting that of the four people she ‘sees’ with her close to her end are Adama, Lee, and Kara. I’m very happy they’re woven in…whether it’s Roslin’s subconscious, some kind of freakish flash forward, or whatever the hell it is…I’d be very disappointed if these three were NOT there. They’ve been the core characters and the central familial unit from the beginning. Acknowledgment is due here…and I’m glad we’ve got some semblance of that.
I’m even more thrilled that on some level of consciousness…Roslin realizes these are the people that give a damn. I was seriously starting it wonder about that.
And to go off on a bit of a tangent (yeah, yeah…you can skip this part if you want)…I freely admit to being all aflail over Lee and Kara and the whole comfort-seeking thing. Neither allow themselves to let their guards down often enough to even admit they need support most of the time…especially Kara (erm…except maybe in deleted and/or discussed but not used scenes) so seeing it happen was uber awesome.
Then it hit me that…dammit…this is all a subconscious whateverthehell and probably won’t happen. *LOL * Grrr.
But I really do hope that along with Roslin’s journey…we’re maybe getting a look at how characters are developing. To me, it’s kind of a big thing that not only is Kara offering physical comfort…she seeks it as well. And yeah…I’ve read how over the top and out of character that is for her…but really? It’s kind of not. We know she feels things deeply. And we’ve seen her come close to but not quite reach out. Kat’s death comes to mind as an example. And the scene under the Viper in Maelstrom.
And if you take a big step back and look at things, not so much from an episode arc…but an entire story arc…it really makes sense that Kara would be there at Roslin’s end. Yeah…Roslin has been a Queen Bitch to Kara…tried to shoot her, refused to even remotely consider that Kara might have a valid, if differing, vision from her own and more or less thinks she’s a Cylon. But Kara unselfishly helped Roslin after all that…they’ve got a connection, a long standing one, not just with the whole ‘find earth’ thing…but also through the Adama men.
Roslin knows this. She knows how both men feel about Kara…that they believe in her. I also believe Laura knows that even if Kara hated her…she’d be there for Bill and Lee. Kara’s proven that on numerous occasions…um…Cain murder plot anyone…she’ll put whatever grudge she has aside for either one of them.
And I’m thinking that’s the entire point of this scene (er…other than the opportunity it gives Elosha to point out how utterly detached and dictatorish Roslin’s become)…you know?
Family.
As viewers, we’ve seen the Adamas rip each other to shreds only to put it aside, turn things around and be a rock of support. We’ve also witnessed the lengths they’ll go to…to protect family. And Kara’s part of that. Roslin is more than aware of that connection…and I also think she knows there’s a bond between herself and the other three…Kara’s visions bring that aspect into tighter focus…even if Roslin may not want to admit it. Again…part of the point may be to bring that home to her. None of them have to agree on anything…but being a family means it doesn’t matter, you know?
And frankly…even if you completely discount all of the above…just go back to when we last saw Elosha…WAAAAY back in season two. Remember? Right…SHE was round when our little foursome was much more familial minded toward each other. * LOL *
And who knew Elosha could totally kick ass like that?
BACK TO ACTION:
*Sometimes it’s six hours…sometimes six minutes *
Wow…Roslin looks like she’d kind of like to stick to real time, yeah? *LOL *
AH!!! The Hybrid is heading for the Resurrection Hub…mission still on. WooHoo!
Hrm…or not. ETA to the Hub can’t be determined. They have no idea when they’ll catch up to it. Fun.
BRIEF PAUSE FOR RANDOM OPINION:
Ah…I like the stuff with Helo and the Eight. Tahmoh plays it so well…so does Grace. Helo’s all comfortable bouncing plan ideas back and forth with the Eight…gets all excited about it…then realizes…duh…not his wife. He’s got no idea if she’ll have his back or not.
And the Eight…very interesting isn’t it? She got curious enough to access the memories of Athena. The whole massage deal is a cool way to introduce that plot point. And if she knows that…the big ass question is…what the frak else does she know? Everything up to the point Athena downloaded? I love that it’s kind of left hanging…and we don’t know for sure.
I also love that it sort of draws Helo in…even as she pretty much admits it’s a total invasion of their privacy and not exactly the best way to establish trust. And yep…that’ll totally bite her in the ass later. I loved the look on Tahmoh’s face when the Eight told him that Athena’s memories were hers now, too…they’re as real as her own…cause yeah…that’s not completely fucked up or anything.
And she doesn’t want it to be strange? Sorry…but they’ve passed strange and rounded the to corner to freaky weird, yeah? The utter lack of conviction in Helo’s voice when he’s like yeah…okay…sure…is just too cool. Cause it’s so not okay with him. *LOL * But honestly? The Eight having Athena’s memories ends up being an advantage…whether Helo can deal with it or not.
Oh…and the plan they discussed…pretty kick ass…all things considered. More on that later.
BACK TO ACTION:
* The Cylons will not be an audience to that information *
Aww…Roslin needed something familiar so she’s hanging out in a Raptor…
OH!!! The book…she must be in Whiny’s Raptor…
Yep…and she’ll give it right back to Whiny as soon as he needs it.
ARGH!!! Helo…you better not go all wishy-washy on the mission, dammit.
Yeah…what she said…if there’s a chance they can level the playing they have to take it…and no way are they walking away from it. *nods * Sky approves. Er…this time. *LOL *
Ah…good man, Helo. Yes, sir is exactly the right answer.
Hrm…Roslin wants Helo to bring D’Anna directly to her…if and when she makes it out of the goo vat. We knew this was going to happen, right? But Helo didn’t…strap in folks.
MmHmm…Helo’s trying to tell Roslin the Cylons’ think the Three will be interrogated by both groups together. The look on Roslin’s face says she knew he’d go there. I kind of love that…cause she asked for him specifically…I think I know why now.
Yeah…I see Roslin’s point…but a matter of human security? Jane, Jane, Jane…I expect more from you. Subtlety is a usually a strong point with you. *sigh *
Wow…two, count em, two ‘yes, sirs’ from Helo…and no arguing. Have to admit I’m a little stunned by that. Also have to express that I highly doubt that’s all that’ll be said on the matter.
Hmm…D’Anna breathes her first gasp of air…didn’t expect that. And wow…nobody goes all soothing and calming for her.
Well now…Looks like Cavil got the to Hub first. With Boomer.
Ha! D’Anna did have to go through the goo vat process again. Cavil lied. Who’s shocked by that? Right. No one. *LOL *
Ohhh…this is cool:
D’Anna: You thought you were putting me away forever. So what changed?
Cavil: War. A genuine Cylon civil war. Ones and Fours and Fives against Twos and Sixes and Eights that objected to your ‘retirement’. Now your supporters are working with humans against all the rest of us. All in your name.
Heh…D’Anna has to love that.
D’Anna: Boomer’s an Eight. Shouldn’t she be on the other side?
Cavil: Uh, Boomer’s my pet Eight. She’s seen the light of reason. And an Eight can make a passionate ally.
D’Anna: Until she sees something shiny.
Ouch. Burn! But damn…that’s funny as hell. *LOL *
Heh…Cavil brought D’Anna back to heal them…the ‘sister’ lays it on a bit thick, yeah? Oh…and also to end ‘this shameful war’. Funny thing about that…Cavil started the shameful war…gotta be more to it, right?
BRIEF PAUSE FOR RANDOM OPINION:
I’m kind of loving the stuff about the Eights. Makes all the stuff the Six used to say in the first season about that model come into focus. And it adds some interesting wrinkles to the storylines they’re involved in.
Personally…I think the Eights are the wild cards. And I love it. It adds depth to their characterization…you never know for sure what they’ll do…and while that can be annoying to some, I like the aura of unpredictability it allows. *shrugs * Don’t ask me why I like the back and forth from the Eights but hate it from Shiny. I think it’s because there are lots of versions/models of Sharon…and only one frakking version of Sam…
BACK TO ACTION:
* Kissing a gashole bites big ones *
Hmm…interesting that Hot Dog wants to scrub the frakking mission. Maybe he’s not real good with reading the numbers they’re going to paint the Heavy Raiders with?
Hinkey? Sorry…I know that word didn’t originate on Scooby Doo…but really? Who didn’t go there in their head? Come on, Jane…WAY too earth slangish, IMO.
Ohhh…Red Wing gets a speaking bit…without a helmet…how cool.
Anyone else not feeling the tension here? To me it just sounds like a bunch of pissy people being…well…pissy. Shouldn’t there be some kind of urgency or I don’t know…something? Think about The Passage…I felt how tired and wiped out the pilots were…and how freaked out they were. This is a huge op…and I feel…nada.
Oh Whiny…I’m so glad you’re still being a royal pain in the ass. Questioning everything…being totally paranoid…throwing your opinion out there…and generally stirring shit up. ‘Kissing their gasholes’ is a mucho awesome line though. Points for that. *LOL *
Seriously…I kinda love the plan. Um..except for all the mistrust stuff. It sounds really, really cool. Vipers go in…comms and nav stuff off…towed by the Heavy Raiders via cables…then they slingshot under the Cylon ships and BAM! Hit the FTL of the Hub and wait for the fun to start.
Geez…I really, really wish Pike would shut the hell up. All he’s doing is planting ideas for ways the Cylon pilots could take them out. He’s already listed off at least two…stupid ass hat.
Well…that rousing speechification from the Eight was certainly to the point. Like how she emphasized ‘people’ as a collective.
Awesomely good reminder that when the hub is taken out…EVERYONE’S lives will be at risk…so working together would be mutually beneficial unless they all want to die.
Hee…’Moving on’…I’m sorta loving Helo.
BRIEF PAUSE FOR RANDOM COMMENTARY:
Oh…Roslin and Baltar are highly entertaining when they’re together…even with some of the most bizarre crap I’ve ever seen with the Hybrid. Honestly…the only reason any of that worked for me is because Mary and James sold it as well as they could.
Cause frankly…unless you remember that Baltar’s only had limited experience with the Hybrid and Roslin’s had none…this whole scene just plays like a travesty of wasted time because the info the Hybrid imparts about the opera house is almost lost in the stupid, IMO.
Baltar and Roslin snarking at each other is the best part…and kudos to James for playing Baltar as desperately wanting to think he was protecting Hera while at the same time letting his colossal ego shine through, too. *LOL * We know HeadSix has led him to believe he’s an advocate for Hera…but Roslin doesn’t. Just think that part was cool.
But the other loopy stuff? Eh…parts were cool…like Baltar telling Roslin she wasn’t doing the same thing he was…he actually focuses on the Hybrid when speaking to it. But then he like shouts at it and that kinda loses me. *shrugs * Like I said…only the snarking back and forth saves it, IMO.
Baltar deciding to go for a walk and daring Roslin to do any better was cool…but the reveal that D’Anna was back ‘online’ sucked. I was glad the Hybrid decided to jump right after that.
BACK TO ACTION:
* I gotta say you’re a little full of myself *
And we’re back with Elosha…and wow…RealRoslin is cranky. She doesn’t want to watch the family comfort each other over DyingRoslin. So it’s all ‘why are we doing this again…why are we here?’ Um…maybe because you’re more like Baltar than you think…unwilling to face the worst part of yourself.
Oh…this I like:
Elosha: The ancients used to say that people are only as strong as the body of its leader.
Okay…first…ancients? How about priests? Oracles? Or hell…even gods? Why ancients? This isn’t the Stargate universe. Now that I’ve got that out of the way…I LOVE the comparison between Roslin’s cancer and the state of the fleet. More on this in a bit…
Roslin: If I follow that thought…are you saying that humanity died because I died? If you’re my subconscious, I’ve gotta say you’re a little full of myself.
THANK YOU! And wow…about time.
Elosha: Humanity didn’t die because you did. The ancients…they got a lot of things wrong. The fate of the people is not the same as the body of its leader. But the soul and the spirit might be.
Roslin: Oh, I see…so you’re only laying morality at my feet. That’s okay…I can take that. I mean there are a lot of people who have sins far greater than mine.
Elosha: You’re thinking of Gaius Baltar.
BRIEF PAUSE FOR RANDOM COMMENTARY:
That exchange was so cool. Picking up with my earlier thought…Roslin commented a while ago that the general populous isn’t happy unless they’re kicking each other’s teeth in…the Quorum is nothing but twelve perpetually unhappy people who don’t do anything but bitch and moan (yeah…I paraphrased that one) and she has neither the time nor the inclination to do anything but focus on finding earth…to the detriment of herself and the fleet some might say. And I think that’s the message Elosha is trying to convey (er…skipping the stupid ancients crapola). Roslin’s lost her spirit…the fighting one that gave people hope, IMO.
So when she chidingly talks about having morality laid at her feet…she’s kinda missing the point. Roslin is still caught up in anger and bitterness over Baltar…and believing her sole purpose is to lead the people to earth…whether they deserve to make it there or not. At least that’s the vibe I’m getting. And I think the fleet is feeling that emanate off her. Maybe that’s why the Flockleteers are gathering around Baltar…he’s the only one providing hope…er…even if it’s kind of a pretentious thing.
How’s that for irony?
And speaking of…doesn’t it seem like BSG has been HEAVY on the ironic undertones this season? Not saying that’s a bad thing…just that it smacks me in the face a lot more than I’ve noticed previously. *shrugs * Winding down to the end, I guess it should be expected…especially with the adage of ‘all this has happened before…and will again’ dealio. But I digress…
Let’s see what Adama was reading to DyingRoslin…
Adama: I went outside and I dug into the soil and pulled rocks from the ground until my fingers bled. I collected seeds from a few fruits the island offered and planted them in long, straight furrows…like the ranks of soldiers. When I finished, I looked at what I had done. I did not see a garden. I saw a scar. The Cylon had saved my life and I had done it no service.
To me…that’s fucking profound. And it describes Roslin in a way that she doesn’t want to face. But she is…facing it. And living with it.
She’s just not doing it very well. I’m thinking an entire post could be dedicated to Roslin’s grief, guilt and guile and what all of those have done to turn her into the lonely, solitary person she’s become. Then another one could be done to dissect the rage, anger, and betrayal she carries around with her but has no outlet for.
Personally, I think Roslin should have gone on the wireless and told the entire fleet to kiss her ass…she was right…Baltar was the WORST president ever. That outta go a long way toward venting some of the bile she’s carrying around all the time. Then she should go to Helo and Athena and apologize for taking their daughter. I personally feel she owes them that. But I also love her inability to do so…cause she really did think she was doing the right thing.
Anyhoo…this is a perfect time for the BEEP!!
Head on over for part 2…