Dualla: "That's one perspective."
This episode was like extreme wish fulfillment. For me, anyway.
Yes, let's do some heavy-duty flashbacks to what happened on New Caprica. Yes, let's have the characters work out their resentments by beating the crap out of each other. Yes, let's finally address the romantic vibes between Lee and Kara, and even Adama and Roslin. Gods. Who does this? Ron Moore does this. Thank you, Ron Moore.
I've always thought Anders was a substitute for Lee; he even looks like Lee. Kara finally had sex with Lee, and admitted that she loved him. They both stood naked in the desert and screamed about their love for each other. And then she decided to leave him sleeping alone and run off to marry Anders, causing a serious case of dual relationship whiplash. No wonder Lee stayed on Pegasus and married Dualla. That also explains his weight gain.
Kara is an emotional mess. Lee was ready to break up with Dualla and be with her. When the chips (and the pants) were down, why couldn't Kara commit? Was it because her relationship with Anders was just surface, and that was all she could handle? (Anders wants a real marriage now, and she doesn't want him any more.) Was it because of Zak? Because she can't ever seem to let herself have anything good because she doesn't think she deserves it? Does it go back to her mother?
Lee and Kara have always had a combative relationship. (Yeah, state the obvious, Billie.) The final scene with them battered and bloody and in each other's arms said it all. Now what? Are they going to continue lying to themselves? Or do we have a couple of broken marriages?
The Lee/Kara debacle wasn't the only emotional bombshell. The Adama versus Tyrol boxing match really got to me. Tyrol was basically standing in for the rest of the Galactica crew who left their jobs and defected to New Caprica. Every one of them must have been carrying guilt for that defection. By allowing Tyrol to beat the crap out of him and then apologizing to them all, Adama took the guilt and blame onto himself. What a superior human being he is.
Finally, we learned that Adama and Roslin were sleeping together on New Caprica. (And may I add, how utterly delightful.) Are they still? I hope so. "Madame President." "Admiral." (Okay, I've gotten some dissent about this. Yes, I saw the two of them lying down in each other's arms, cuddling alone under the stars, and I jumped to conclusions. Or, as Buffy says, I took one tiny step, and there conclusions were. If they're not sleeping together, they should be.)
Bits and pieces:
— This week's survivor number: 41,422 survivors. Maybe they didn't count Bulldog last time. Or maybe someone had a baby.
— The flashbacks (the important ones with the sex, anyway) took place seventeen months ago, eight months before the Cylon occupation. New Caprica looked a lot better in the flashbacks than it did later on. Greener and more temperate. Maybe it was summer.
— The first big match was Lee vs. Helo. Second in command issues? Interesting that Helo won that one.
— In keeping with the exceptionally romantic theme, we saw Tigh and Ellen smooching and flirting. That had to be the most romantic, non-combative scene they've ever done together.
— Tigh was referee. Oddly appropriate.
— Adama: "Chief. Get your fat, lazy ass up here." The look on Chief's face was comical.
— Lee: "Wow. Look at that. You literally drank Anders under the table."
— Adama: "I dropped my guard. I gave some of you breaks, let some of you go before the fight was really over. I let this crew, this family, disband. And we paid the price in lives. That can't happen again."
I'd like to personally thank the writers for giving me exactly what I didn't know I wanted. Four out of four stars,
Billie
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Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.
Much, much better. The romantic in me sighs with pleasure.
ReplyDeleteThe best bit? The Admiral and the President stoned. Sheer bliss. By the way, I'm not sure they were sleeping together, but I agree that they should be.
That Helo vs Apollo fight was genocide versus being humane. So no wonder Helo won.
ReplyDeleteThis was one of those give them what they need not what they want episodes. Could have been bad filer like Black Market but in the end wasn't. It was good and even very good.
I also think that Adama nad Rosling didn't do it. But maybe in the future they will.
So noone wanted to beat up Athena? It seems everyone is really on board with her. But some of them were on New Caprica, those wouldn't be so quick to accept. No matter there wasn't enough time to show it anyways. :)
I think Patryk has a good point with the first fight outcome - humane always wins.... In TVland anyway!
ReplyDeleteThis was a good one, I liked the flashbacks, and am glad we finally understand why Lee was such a mess. I'm surprised how messed up Starbuck must be to have done that to Lee, and feel sorry for Anders and Dee, neither of them deserve what they are having done to their relationships.
I loved the flashbacks but didn't really enjoy the boxing. It was interesting to realize there was a point where there was happiness and hope on New Caprica. The show launched jumped skipped those better times to go straight to the Occupation.
ReplyDeleteI also love that Battlestar Galactica has space for the romantic lives of older people. It also reminded me that one of the things that the New Caprica episodes did (which I wouldn't have thought possible based on season 2) was generate sympathy for Ellen.
Lee's actor really is underrated, loved his reaction to finding out Starbuck got married right after their night together. Some of the flashbacks were annoying (obviously not the Adama/Roslin ones, give me more) but by the end of it I was completely moved by punished Lee and Starbuck saying they missed each other.
ReplyDeleteI was expecting to notice this time how bad Starbuck's actor is at fighting but outside of how weirdly it's edited I never actually noticed it on my own. Not that I'm an expert at it.