Blood on the Scales
I never love BSG more than when it knocks me down, beats the shit out of me and breaks my heart into a billion tiny pieces. And that is what these last two episodes did.
Let's start with the part that I have discussed more than anything else thus far.
Kara and Sam
!!!!!!!!!!!! It is SO nice to finally have validation of that relationship. I'm really sick of all the Kara/Lee shippers who say she doesn't love Sam and who hark on that "put a bullet between your eyes" comment. It is SO incredibly obvious how much she has grown and evolved since she said those words. The Kara/Sam scenes last night were heartbreaking and beautiful and tragic and they tore me apart in the best way possible. She didn't hesistate for a moment. She chose Sam over Adama, even though there was a good chance it would get her killed. THIS IS THE KARA WE KNOW AND LOVE - THE ONE WHO IS WILLING TO DIE FOR THE PEOPLE SHE LOVES, the one who values the lives of her loved ones over her own life. I had a total moment of "Kara Thrace, I love you so frakking much that there are no words!" last night...for the first time in a long time, I felt like we really, truly had our Kara back. Yes, she was awesome last week, but this was the Kara I love so much, the one who tears my heart apart which only makes me love her more.
Last night, she was scared. Kara rarely shows her fear, but she was terrified of losing Sam (Katee's brilliance shining through). It simply can no longer be denied that SHE LOVES HIM. There was far more love in that scene than in last week's K/L kiss. This scene was about love and trust and dependence and truth and so much more. It didn't matter that he's a cylon. It didn't matter that no one, including Kara, knows what the hell she is. All that mattered was them, together, in that moment. Survival and rescue are such huge themes in their relationship. He saved her from the farm. She rescued him from Caprica. He saved her from Leoben's hell. This was the moment for their relationship to come full circle - the moment where his cylonhood and her question of who or what she is had the chance to make or break them...and it didn't break them. It didn't matter. She picked up where they left off - her turn to rescue him.
While I was obviously upset when Sam was shot (though not terribly worried given cylon resurrection and the fact he has literally survived thousands of years), this is possibly one of my favorite scenes of the series. It summed them up so beautifully. With few words. It was just...there...to see. No exposition. It simply existed. And that is truly where the brilliance of this show lies. In facial expressions. In actions. In moments where true feelings shine through without words. Their relationship is so tragically beautiful and I don't think any scene has ever captured it so effectively.
Do you realize I just wrote THREE PARAGRAPHS about a scene that probably lasted a shorter amount of time than it takes to read this? Oh BSG, you kill me in the best way possible.
Also, I remember Michael Trucco saying in an interview that Ron Moore asked him if he minded them working his scar into the show (y'know, the big knarly scar he has from breaking his neck). I can't help but wonder if having Sam get shot in the neck means Ron Moore did just that.
Hot Dog
I don't know whether I love or loathe the fact that he wouldn't shoot down the president. I mean, someone had to refuse Gaeta's orders or she would have been killed - that I understand. The fact that it was Hot Dog, though, bothers me. The show put EVERY prominent secondary character (Seelix, Racetrack, Skulls, Narcho) on Team Gaeta/Zarek, but we're supposed to believe that Hot Dog somehow miraculously survived this disappointing characterization? It felt to me that having the last name Olmos kept him on Team Win which is incredibly disappointing to me as a viewer. It's not that I wanted Hot Dog to be on the bad side. Not at all. But it is awfully suspicious that he is the only prominent secondary character who didn't join in the mutiny.
Gaeta and Zarek
Zarek, you crossed the line when you ordered the Quorum shot. For someone who claims to be fighting for democracy, you did a great job of displaying that you have no faith in or understanding of the term. I liked you because even when I knew you were wrong, I could always understand your point of view, but in that moment, you lost all of my respect.
You both got what was coming to you. I could write more, but frankly, you don't deserve it. Good riddance.
Kara and Lee
I hate to admit it, but Lee was right. If Kara had thought not to pull the pin on the grenade, it would've been hilarious to see Lee ducking and her laughing in his face. That scene totally made me giggle.
Adama
Has Adama totally gone off the deep end? Maybe it's just me, but some of his lines lately have felt terribly out of character. "Shove it up your ass?" REALLY?! WHO IS THIS GUY?! Adama was always so composed, so refined even in moments where he probably wanted to scream bloody murder at people that honestly, I'm not sure who he is anymore. Some of his lines lately feel oddly reminiscent of the blooper where EJO says to Baltar on the phone, "Eat shit and die, *burp*" and it's probably not good when actual lines from the show feel like they belong in a gag reel. It may just be that Adama has changed...at lot. That he is exhausted from maintaining his composure and trying to lead a group of people who find nothing but fault in what he does. It may be that he is emotionally wrecked from the revelation about Tigh. It may be that he's getting laid so he no longer gives a shit about what people think about him. I don't know, but he has felt extremely out of character for me. While I'm glad to have him back in command, I am a bit worried because this is not the same man who has successfully led the fleet for the last three seasons.
Laura
I love you. I really, really do. And I love when you act like the leader that you are. But you, like Bill, are still off your rocker a little bit. Why on Earth (or a more appropriate planet...) would you think that the cylons GIVE A SINGLE SHIT ABOUT WHAT BILL ADAMA THINKS OF THEM?! Really?! I admire the fact that you didn't want to jump away, but the prospect of losing Tigh, Tyrol and Anders would have been a MUCH more appropriate argument than Bill Frakking Adama. And did you really tell Leoben that Gaeta and Zarek did not have substantial support?! Why the lies?! You are a smart, resourceful woman...tap into that and convince the cylons why leaving would be disastrous, but don't start telling cheap lies. It makes you look like a desperate woman who only cares about her lover, not like the strong, political leader I know you are! And I love your faith in Bill, but I hate that it is now clouded by the fact that you are frakking. I guess my major qualm with you at the moment is that I get the feeling that the only person you care about right now is Bill Adama. President Roslin puts her people, the fleet, above all else and you are not that person anymore. This is incredibly disappointing to me.
Tyrol
Look at you saving the day! I've never been a huge Tyrol fan, but he literally saved Galactica. Too bad she's broken. :(
Baltar
Was that Six in his head or is she on the baseship?! Was I the only one confused by this?! There was no Head!Six music and she's not Head!Six but she didn't feel real? Anyone? Bueller?
Athena
Is she suffering from selective amnesia?! Seriously. This woman killed Natalie because of the Opera House visions. Now, she is letting Caprica Six aka THE ACTUAL PERSON IN THE VISIONS cuddle her child?!?!?!?! I'm sorry, but I fail to see how this makes any sense whatsoever. Writers, what is going on?!?!
Seelix, Racetrack, Narcho, etc.
Still waiting for Seelix to get hers. And I hope it is painful and bloody. Narcho too. Racetrack, I don't so much care whether she lives or dies. It will be interesting to see how Adama deals with a ship full of mutineers. He can't airlock them all, but he also can't trust them. How do you rebuild your ship with a crew who wanted you gone? How do you restore the family that once existed?
Overall, I have loved the last two episodes. They weren't without flaw, but they were deeply fulfilling. Gods, I love this show too much for my own good.
Let's start with the part that I have discussed more than anything else thus far.
Kara and Sam
!!!!!!!!!!!! It is SO nice to finally have validation of that relationship. I'm really sick of all the Kara/Lee shippers who say she doesn't love Sam and who hark on that "put a bullet between your eyes" comment. It is SO incredibly obvious how much she has grown and evolved since she said those words. The Kara/Sam scenes last night were heartbreaking and beautiful and tragic and they tore me apart in the best way possible. She didn't hesistate for a moment. She chose Sam over Adama, even though there was a good chance it would get her killed. THIS IS THE KARA WE KNOW AND LOVE - THE ONE WHO IS WILLING TO DIE FOR THE PEOPLE SHE LOVES, the one who values the lives of her loved ones over her own life. I had a total moment of "Kara Thrace, I love you so frakking much that there are no words!" last night...for the first time in a long time, I felt like we really, truly had our Kara back. Yes, she was awesome last week, but this was the Kara I love so much, the one who tears my heart apart which only makes me love her more.
Last night, she was scared. Kara rarely shows her fear, but she was terrified of losing Sam (Katee's brilliance shining through). It simply can no longer be denied that SHE LOVES HIM. There was far more love in that scene than in last week's K/L kiss. This scene was about love and trust and dependence and truth and so much more. It didn't matter that he's a cylon. It didn't matter that no one, including Kara, knows what the hell she is. All that mattered was them, together, in that moment. Survival and rescue are such huge themes in their relationship. He saved her from the farm. She rescued him from Caprica. He saved her from Leoben's hell. This was the moment for their relationship to come full circle - the moment where his cylonhood and her question of who or what she is had the chance to make or break them...and it didn't break them. It didn't matter. She picked up where they left off - her turn to rescue him.
While I was obviously upset when Sam was shot (though not terribly worried given cylon resurrection and the fact he has literally survived thousands of years), this is possibly one of my favorite scenes of the series. It summed them up so beautifully. With few words. It was just...there...to see. No exposition. It simply existed. And that is truly where the brilliance of this show lies. In facial expressions. In actions. In moments where true feelings shine through without words. Their relationship is so tragically beautiful and I don't think any scene has ever captured it so effectively.
Do you realize I just wrote THREE PARAGRAPHS about a scene that probably lasted a shorter amount of time than it takes to read this? Oh BSG, you kill me in the best way possible.
Also, I remember Michael Trucco saying in an interview that Ron Moore asked him if he minded them working his scar into the show (y'know, the big knarly scar he has from breaking his neck). I can't help but wonder if having Sam get shot in the neck means Ron Moore did just that.
Hot Dog
I don't know whether I love or loathe the fact that he wouldn't shoot down the president. I mean, someone had to refuse Gaeta's orders or she would have been killed - that I understand. The fact that it was Hot Dog, though, bothers me. The show put EVERY prominent secondary character (Seelix, Racetrack, Skulls, Narcho) on Team Gaeta/Zarek, but we're supposed to believe that Hot Dog somehow miraculously survived this disappointing characterization? It felt to me that having the last name Olmos kept him on Team Win which is incredibly disappointing to me as a viewer. It's not that I wanted Hot Dog to be on the bad side. Not at all. But it is awfully suspicious that he is the only prominent secondary character who didn't join in the mutiny.
Gaeta and Zarek
Zarek, you crossed the line when you ordered the Quorum shot. For someone who claims to be fighting for democracy, you did a great job of displaying that you have no faith in or understanding of the term. I liked you because even when I knew you were wrong, I could always understand your point of view, but in that moment, you lost all of my respect.
You both got what was coming to you. I could write more, but frankly, you don't deserve it. Good riddance.
Kara and Lee
I hate to admit it, but Lee was right. If Kara had thought not to pull the pin on the grenade, it would've been hilarious to see Lee ducking and her laughing in his face. That scene totally made me giggle.
Adama
Has Adama totally gone off the deep end? Maybe it's just me, but some of his lines lately have felt terribly out of character. "Shove it up your ass?" REALLY?! WHO IS THIS GUY?! Adama was always so composed, so refined even in moments where he probably wanted to scream bloody murder at people that honestly, I'm not sure who he is anymore. Some of his lines lately feel oddly reminiscent of the blooper where EJO says to Baltar on the phone, "Eat shit and die, *burp*" and it's probably not good when actual lines from the show feel like they belong in a gag reel. It may just be that Adama has changed...at lot. That he is exhausted from maintaining his composure and trying to lead a group of people who find nothing but fault in what he does. It may be that he is emotionally wrecked from the revelation about Tigh. It may be that he's getting laid so he no longer gives a shit about what people think about him. I don't know, but he has felt extremely out of character for me. While I'm glad to have him back in command, I am a bit worried because this is not the same man who has successfully led the fleet for the last three seasons.
Laura
I love you. I really, really do. And I love when you act like the leader that you are. But you, like Bill, are still off your rocker a little bit. Why on Earth (or a more appropriate planet...) would you think that the cylons GIVE A SINGLE SHIT ABOUT WHAT BILL ADAMA THINKS OF THEM?! Really?! I admire the fact that you didn't want to jump away, but the prospect of losing Tigh, Tyrol and Anders would have been a MUCH more appropriate argument than Bill Frakking Adama. And did you really tell Leoben that Gaeta and Zarek did not have substantial support?! Why the lies?! You are a smart, resourceful woman...tap into that and convince the cylons why leaving would be disastrous, but don't start telling cheap lies. It makes you look like a desperate woman who only cares about her lover, not like the strong, political leader I know you are! And I love your faith in Bill, but I hate that it is now clouded by the fact that you are frakking. I guess my major qualm with you at the moment is that I get the feeling that the only person you care about right now is Bill Adama. President Roslin puts her people, the fleet, above all else and you are not that person anymore. This is incredibly disappointing to me.
Tyrol
Look at you saving the day! I've never been a huge Tyrol fan, but he literally saved Galactica. Too bad she's broken. :(
Baltar
Was that Six in his head or is she on the baseship?! Was I the only one confused by this?! There was no Head!Six music and she's not Head!Six but she didn't feel real? Anyone? Bueller?
Athena
Is she suffering from selective amnesia?! Seriously. This woman killed Natalie because of the Opera House visions. Now, she is letting Caprica Six aka THE ACTUAL PERSON IN THE VISIONS cuddle her child?!?!?!?! I'm sorry, but I fail to see how this makes any sense whatsoever. Writers, what is going on?!?!
Seelix, Racetrack, Narcho, etc.
Still waiting for Seelix to get hers. And I hope it is painful and bloody. Narcho too. Racetrack, I don't so much care whether she lives or dies. It will be interesting to see how Adama deals with a ship full of mutineers. He can't airlock them all, but he also can't trust them. How do you rebuild your ship with a crew who wanted you gone? How do you restore the family that once existed?
Overall, I have loved the last two episodes. They weren't without flaw, but they were deeply fulfilling. Gods, I love this show too much for my own good.