Battlestar Galactica 3.16 Dirty Hands

[bop_radar]

Comments

[asta77]

Um, isn't that exactly what he was fighting against: people being given roles because of who they've been in the past and who they know.

Hee! Good point. :)

And I had another one in this ep with him threatening to kill Cally. I think it was just taken to an extreme degree and it didn't feel entirely in character. But it served a purpose within the episode.

I, too, felt his threat of executing Cally on the spot was extreme. And I've seen a few others mention the disturbing parallel this draws with Cain. It hadn't dawned on me until now, but remember the story Fisk told Tigh about the guy who refused to serve on Pegasus and leave his family behind? Cain had the familt lined up against the bulkhead and shot. Adama was threatening to do the EXACT same thing unless he got his way. Was this intentional by the writers?! And, if so, maybe we need the other Adama in charge of the fleet.

[bop_radar]

Oh, I like the Cain connection! Nice! I liked the Cain plot because I felt that she was what Adama could so easily have become under different circumstances--and maybe I was right. I say, put the other Adama in charge YESTERDAY! :-)

[beeej]

It is just me, or does Cally seem to be about 12 years old? She may be a good mechanic, but she's not terribly bright or complex. I think Chief thinks of her more as a child than as a life partner. He's taken responsibility for her...but does he really love her?

I also thought that Adama's threatening to shoot Cally felt extreme, but agree that it served a purpose. Strikes and labor disputes in a normal world can be dealt with more diplomatically, but when there's only a tiny bit of the world left, and its very existence is at risk by said dispute, then extreme measures are necessary.

[bop_radar]

She does seem 12 years old, yes. And I get that creepy feeling about the Chief too--it's hard not to read him as protective of Cally rather than loving her as a partner/an equal. Their relationship squicks me out a great deal.

[mskatej]

I really enjoyed this episode. There were just so many exhilarating moments in it! Although I did also find the "we're on strike" bit completely OTT.

I *loved* Gaius, and I'm fully on board with all the new information we found out about him. Unlike you, I believed him when he talked about his background. While it was a fantastic performance (that's Gaius, he's a show stopper), it also rang incredibly true to me, especially his mourning of the fact that he's not from Caprica. That doesn't strike me as something you just make up, but it *is* something that a man like Gaius would feel if he was raised on Aerelon. I think my faith in Gaius's story has a lot to do with me *liking* it a lot, but I dunno...that he left his family behind and is wilfully indifferent about the fact that they're all dead...that's Gaius to me. That's in character. Basically I'm taking it as fact until proven otherwise. *g*

[bop_radar]

I just suspected that as with his broader political writing, there was a lot of truth in it, but he was painting everything in a certain light. For instance, I could easily believe that he did grow up on Aerelon but wasn't from quite the typical farming family he described. I certainly didn't disbelieve his entire history--I just got more of a kick out of the idea that he was manipulating it for a certain audience. I did love the idea that he left his family behind and doesn't care--I agree, that's very Gaius! *g*

We'll probably never get any external confirmation of the truth or falsity of his origins and that doesn't bother me. It fascinates me that he's chosen this time to reveal his origins in this way and put a positive spin on them. Definitely interesting concept! Best Gaius stuff in ages!

[bop_radar]

Yeah, I must confess, (with apologies to mskatej above), I didn't find Callis's accent-change that convincing either. I struggled with it. But I guess I liked the concept of him as a poor farmboy. Though I still suspect that he exaggerated his family's circumstances. That's far more believable and human to me than the romantic vision he painted. It would also tie with the rest of his writing--because he tapped a vein of truth, but he ignored some of the subtelties. Ideally, for me, his life story would be similar--the overall gist could be 'true', but the reality would be far more complex and subtle.

[bloodygoodgirl]

Laura was absolutely fabolous in this. I LOVED her and Bill's dialogue and the way she handled the situation.

There IS a privileged inner circle. So I do kind of believe in that but I found it interesting that Chief was fighting against it when he's recieved favors too. Adama didn't want them to go down to New Caprica becuase he'd be losing valuable workers but after talking directly to the Admiral him and Cally were allowed to settle on the surface. Also when Cally was taken to be executed (because of an order Baltar signed yet now she reads his literature and believes it, stupid stupid girl) Chief wasn't all gung-ho to save everyone, it was all about his wife and Tigh let him go even though strategically speaking it was a bad move to show their hand before the fleet came back to rescue them.

Conceptually, I found the idea of Gaius writing subversive literature from his prisoncell rather wonderful. He's such an evil genuis.

[bop_radar]

I agree--the Chief has received favours too, which is why I found it rather odd--especially him accepting the role as union chief without being elected--double standards much?!