BSG Catch Up
Gary and I sat down for the last two episodes of Season 3 BSG last night, and I was pretty impressed.
The reason why I liked the past two shows - and the series in general - is it puts normal, flawed people - Human or Cylon - and forces them into the sort of situations that make a person draw a line, and decide on which side they stand.
The Trial of Gaius Baltar was as much a comment on the kind of society the colonists want to have (want to return to) at some point - when the running is done as it was a trial of, and for the fleet. I was fascinated to watch these characters - pretty much each of which I have loved and hated in equal amounts at different times - try to decide -who they want to be-. That's why, during Lee's speech, I had tears in my eyes. That's why, when Tigh declared his intent to be Saul Tigh today, no matter what else he might be, I was moved. Deeply so.
Everyone wonders who they are, what they'll become. The end of Season 3, to me, is the beginning of that becoming. The characters are all coming out of trials that have sorely tested the people they want to be - and here, I'm only thinking Chief calling that strike, but there's Lee, and Kara and her dive; there's Sam and his marriage, clinging to it even while it's obvious that it won't work as long as Kara won't face herself. There's Saul and Ellen - that last moment where he lost the only person - other than Bill - he truly loved. (As an aside, I always felt Bill and Ellen's tension was less about what she did and more about territoriality - your wife, your best friend. Who do you choose?) The thing that sort of echoes in my head is from Buffy - Whistler's speech when Buffy finds Kendra's body - "It's in those moments that you find out who you truly are." The smaller moments are past, the big moment is coming. Weather's changing, Felix.
I am fascinated. I will spend the time till the New Year wondering about the questions the finale rasied as much as I did at the end of S2. The fact is, despite the poorer stand-alone episodes and mistakes that were made, it's currently the only thing I -have- to see, have to watch ASAP, given Lost's collasping under its own weight (though the last ep seemed promising), and Prison Break is spinning off into silliness.
I will say, however, that Starbuck was prolly the wrong person to bump off - or it should have come to that much earlier. Her death that close to the end of the season made the return pretty obvious. I'm just hoping Returned!Kara is less of an asshole. It would be nice, as she seems to have faced a lot of what made her so freaking messed up (and thus at times, a total jerk), so maybe.
The reason why I liked the past two shows - and the series in general - is it puts normal, flawed people - Human or Cylon - and forces them into the sort of situations that make a person draw a line, and decide on which side they stand.
The Trial of Gaius Baltar was as much a comment on the kind of society the colonists want to have (want to return to) at some point - when the running is done as it was a trial of, and for the fleet. I was fascinated to watch these characters - pretty much each of which I have loved and hated in equal amounts at different times - try to decide -who they want to be-. That's why, during Lee's speech, I had tears in my eyes. That's why, when Tigh declared his intent to be Saul Tigh today, no matter what else he might be, I was moved. Deeply so.
Everyone wonders who they are, what they'll become. The end of Season 3, to me, is the beginning of that becoming. The characters are all coming out of trials that have sorely tested the people they want to be - and here, I'm only thinking Chief calling that strike, but there's Lee, and Kara and her dive; there's Sam and his marriage, clinging to it even while it's obvious that it won't work as long as Kara won't face herself. There's Saul and Ellen - that last moment where he lost the only person - other than Bill - he truly loved. (As an aside, I always felt Bill and Ellen's tension was less about what she did and more about territoriality - your wife, your best friend. Who do you choose?) The thing that sort of echoes in my head is from Buffy - Whistler's speech when Buffy finds Kendra's body - "It's in those moments that you find out who you truly are." The smaller moments are past, the big moment is coming. Weather's changing, Felix.
I am fascinated. I will spend the time till the New Year wondering about the questions the finale rasied as much as I did at the end of S2. The fact is, despite the poorer stand-alone episodes and mistakes that were made, it's currently the only thing I -have- to see, have to watch ASAP, given Lost's collasping under its own weight (though the last ep seemed promising), and Prison Break is spinning off into silliness.
I will say, however, that Starbuck was prolly the wrong person to bump off - or it should have come to that much earlier. Her death that close to the end of the season made the return pretty obvious. I'm just hoping Returned!Kara is less of an asshole. It would be nice, as she seems to have faced a lot of what made her so freaking messed up (and thus at times, a total jerk), so maybe.