BSG Season 3 Finale Review(?)
Well, here’s a rant about last night’s BSG Season 3 finale, it contains major spoilers, pure speculation, fangirl-like gushing and me going off on tangents. It’s long-winded and well, abuses the English language so consider yourselves warned.
The big Cylon Revelation: So it’s really not Ellen, Kara and some random dude Tory’s slept with? I know they were saying it’s those 4, but still I was kind-of hoping it was that they all slept with cylons thing. I guess though if it was Kara to be revealed as a cylon then Lee and Baltar should’ve heard the music as well… Oh well, my reaction to the confirmation of each one.
Saul: The man doesn’t get a break does he. Every time, every time he seems to be putting his life back together something comes and bites him in the ass. To be honest the fact that it was him doesn’t so much surprise me anymore, repercussions are severe, but the only person in the fleet that means something to him on a personal level is Bill. Though he was right about cylon sabotage through music, thought it wasn’t really sabotage. As I’ve found out his story-line is going to be explored next season, which I’m excited for. I think his convictions and dedication to the fleet are stronger than ever now. I’m also afraid he’s going to die now, and possibly not be resurrected. We’re unsure if the final 5 have copies, or if it’s just their originals. Though Tigh’s always had a suicidal bend, I think it’s going to be more pronounced now that he know’s what he is. Guilt over Ellen, even more so then before is going to eat at him as well, not to mention he’s going to feel like he’s betraying Bill.
Tori: Seriously, I wasn’t expecting Tori to have such a big part as this. She’s been primarily under my radar, (or draidas) I haven’t formed an opinion one way or another and I still haven’t determined that either. I don’t know enough of Tori, haven’t seen enough of her to really form a concrete opinion. I haven’t seen any of her actions or motivations, except for helping Laura rig the election, which included Dee, Tigh and other characters I was putting more attention to. If she had as close of a bond with Laura as Billy did I would feel completely differently. (*Heart is wrenched at the idea if Billy had turned out to be a cylon*)
Sam: SAM? Seriously, SAM?! ….Leoben, cylon-psycho-pseudo-masochists, Lee-Emoing-suicidal-warrior-without-a-cause-turned-lawyer-turned-pilot, and now Sam, Sam who seemed the most stable, the most normal guy that Kara had ever liked (we haven’t seen enough of Zak for me to form a concrete opinion on the guy, suffice to say, he probably had self-esteem issues). The poster child for normality Sam?! Sam who grieves when his wife dies, gets jealous and petty but what man doesn’t when his wife is sleeping with other people? Has a good-heart, one of the few people who despite everything hugged Sharon when he saw her again? Sam?! Yeah that’s my reaction.
Chief: Wow, that must’ve been a shock to his system, he has to re-think his entire life now. And brings up repercussions about his relationship with Sharon and Cally. I wonder how in the world Cally is going to take this news, if she would even find out. Though I’m severely sad it turned out to be Chief. The Chief, the man that speaks up for the oppressed, as a cylon…. Makes for good story I’ll grant you that.
The opening A/R scene: Kristi was nice enough to send me a clip of this that made it’s way to youtube before I saw the ep., so I was well prepared for it.(meaning I didn’t break out in weird gestures, which I realized I end up doing while watching BSG) And it just confirmed what my little shippy heart first thought when I saw it. They are so doing it. I love their understated relationship, it’s not the hit-you-with-a-2x4-repeatedly of Kara/Lee, it’s such a natural, unexpected repoir they found in each other. It was a great way to start the episode.
So it’s Laura, Sharon and Six that are dreaming of the Opera House, or the Temple of Hera, that’s just my nickname, but every time we see this opera house it has to do with her . Sharon (the mother), Laura (who has Hera’s blood in her) and Six (who has an unexplainable attachment to Hera, claiming she is her and Gaius’ child). There’s more to Hera that we don’t know about, though her continued importance raises just more questions about the revelation of Tyrol as a cylon.
Hera, while still the first, is no longer the only half-cylon/half-human child. Granted since the other 7 didn’t know what the other 5 looked like, maybe they completely over-looked Nicky, but still. Does he now have more significance? Are Hera and Nicky supposed to be the Adam and Eve of the new generation? Can Nicky cure Laura this time? But even then Hera was the only one being taken to the final 5, causing grand illusions, etc. Why, what is so significant about Hera but not Nicky? That is actually one of the biggest questions nagging at me after this season finale.
When I first considered writing about last night’s show, I was certain I was going to need a ‘Lee-fans approach with caution’ or something of that nature, but in the end my feelings towards Lee were pretty mild after his outburst. When Romo first called him to the stand I was thinking it was going to be a repeat of last week, where Lee would again betray the trust of someone. When he yelled ‘what frakkin’ system!’ I was almost exalted to see that in front of all these people it would be revealed that Lee only took the case as a latent-rebellion to his dad.
Now, now I’m more understanding of where he comes from. I was glad that the show writers didn’t forget that Lee isn’t the most moral character on the show, that he was willing to leave everyone on New Caprica (Kara included) to their deaths. Guilt, especially the fact that he and everyone else has been forgiven their transgression (and no one is without them on this show), is a motivation I can understand. I went into this episode, expecting my dislike of Lee to grow, but in the end, for the first time I could understand his motivations for doing what he does.
As I’ve thought before, Bill is an extremely reasonable man. He may not like decisions people make, but if they make them in a clear conscience to themselves, he’s willing to respect that.
Though I have to be honest I’m not so sure about Lee’s return to a pilot at the end. I understand it’s an emergency, he’s one of the best they have, he still wants to protect the fleet and the whole point of his speech is ‘transgressions were forgiven’ etc., but he chooses to hand in his resignation to the fleet when it suits him and then goes into a viper without telling anyone, then instead of getting into formation of some-sort goes to scout a mysterious ship. Which leads to the next thing:
Kara’s Return: ………Yup, so she’s not dead, supposedly. But then again Bill sees Carol-Anne every year, Baltar sees head!six, Caprica Six sees Head!Baltar, so maybe now Lee has a head!Kara.
Baltar’s trial and verdict: Taking Lee’s outburst out of the equation (as I already covered it), the verdict I think was to be expected. Throwing Baltar out of an airlock would’ve been too simple of a wrap-up for his story-line. Plus I’m one of those with the persuasion that living is harder than dying. As Baltar got a glimpse, his life may have been spared, but how was he going to survive in a fleet where everyone despised him? That is until his cult came along and whisked him away. BTW why does he have a cult and who are these women?
Also Gaeta, what did Gaeta do that prompted him to attempt to murder Baltar when in NC he stopped short of shooting him? What is it that Baltar alluded to that Gaeta did that he doesn’t want others to find out?
On the note of Baltar’s trial, the fact tha Laura just had to look at Bill to know that he cast the swing vote in Baltar’s favor, their whole exchange during that duration, warmed my heart. Laura was this close to walking out right there, and she would’ve in the past, but this time she stayed around to hear him out. This is the first time these two are together at the end of a season, making me very happy.
The last scene in CIC: Why is it that Tigh’s exchange with Bill broke my heart but Tori’s exchange with Laura gave me the chills. With Tori’s close-up near the end it just felt like Boomer before she shot Bill in the first season. Perhaps it’s because I still haven’t really formed an opinion about Tori one way or the other. I don’t doubt that she has a bond with Laura, but I haven’t really seen it, not in the way we saw Billy and Laura forge a connection. Perhaps this is what terrifies me the most, she is at such a close position to Laura, making her all that more vulnerable. But they can’t kill Laura, they just can’t! (Refuses to even contemplate the possibility)
And on a less heavy note; now that we’ve seen 11 of the 12 cylons I have to say this, why is it that the male models range from hunky jock (Anders) to old creepy (brother Cavet) and everything in-between, but all the female models are hot and young? I mean yes most (if not all) main and sub-cast women on the show are good looking anyways so to have a female cylon from the existing characters certainly limits the range, but still. Perhaps the final cylon can be some women that would appear more normal, instead like she could become or was a fashion model.
So to summarize what I want to see in S4:
Explanation of why Hera and not Nicky, more A/R interaction, Tigh telling Bill that he’s a cylon (though I doubt it will happen), Kara/Lee to be completely resolved at the on-set of the season so I don’t have to sit throught it, the final cylon, Laura NOT dying, Gaeta’s part on NC during the occupation, Head!Baltar/Head!Six action, Sharon (Boomer) finding out out that the Chief is a cylon.
The big Cylon Revelation: So it’s really not Ellen, Kara and some random dude Tory’s slept with? I know they were saying it’s those 4, but still I was kind-of hoping it was that they all slept with cylons thing. I guess though if it was Kara to be revealed as a cylon then Lee and Baltar should’ve heard the music as well… Oh well, my reaction to the confirmation of each one.
Saul: The man doesn’t get a break does he. Every time, every time he seems to be putting his life back together something comes and bites him in the ass. To be honest the fact that it was him doesn’t so much surprise me anymore, repercussions are severe, but the only person in the fleet that means something to him on a personal level is Bill. Though he was right about cylon sabotage through music, thought it wasn’t really sabotage. As I’ve found out his story-line is going to be explored next season, which I’m excited for. I think his convictions and dedication to the fleet are stronger than ever now. I’m also afraid he’s going to die now, and possibly not be resurrected. We’re unsure if the final 5 have copies, or if it’s just their originals. Though Tigh’s always had a suicidal bend, I think it’s going to be more pronounced now that he know’s what he is. Guilt over Ellen, even more so then before is going to eat at him as well, not to mention he’s going to feel like he’s betraying Bill.
Tori: Seriously, I wasn’t expecting Tori to have such a big part as this. She’s been primarily under my radar, (or draidas) I haven’t formed an opinion one way or another and I still haven’t determined that either. I don’t know enough of Tori, haven’t seen enough of her to really form a concrete opinion. I haven’t seen any of her actions or motivations, except for helping Laura rig the election, which included Dee, Tigh and other characters I was putting more attention to. If she had as close of a bond with Laura as Billy did I would feel completely differently. (*Heart is wrenched at the idea if Billy had turned out to be a cylon*)
Sam: SAM? Seriously, SAM?! ….Leoben, cylon-psycho-pseudo-masochists, Lee-Emoing-suicidal-warrior-without-a-cause-turned-lawyer-turned-pilot, and now Sam, Sam who seemed the most stable, the most normal guy that Kara had ever liked (we haven’t seen enough of Zak for me to form a concrete opinion on the guy, suffice to say, he probably had self-esteem issues). The poster child for normality Sam?! Sam who grieves when his wife dies, gets jealous and petty but what man doesn’t when his wife is sleeping with other people? Has a good-heart, one of the few people who despite everything hugged Sharon when he saw her again? Sam?! Yeah that’s my reaction.
Chief: Wow, that must’ve been a shock to his system, he has to re-think his entire life now. And brings up repercussions about his relationship with Sharon and Cally. I wonder how in the world Cally is going to take this news, if she would even find out. Though I’m severely sad it turned out to be Chief. The Chief, the man that speaks up for the oppressed, as a cylon…. Makes for good story I’ll grant you that.
The opening A/R scene: Kristi was nice enough to send me a clip of this that made it’s way to youtube before I saw the ep., so I was well prepared for it.(meaning I didn’t break out in weird gestures, which I realized I end up doing while watching BSG) And it just confirmed what my little shippy heart first thought when I saw it. They are so doing it. I love their understated relationship, it’s not the hit-you-with-a-2x4-repeatedly of Kara/Lee, it’s such a natural, unexpected repoir they found in each other. It was a great way to start the episode.
So it’s Laura, Sharon and Six that are dreaming of the Opera House, or the Temple of Hera, that’s just my nickname, but every time we see this opera house it has to do with her . Sharon (the mother), Laura (who has Hera’s blood in her) and Six (who has an unexplainable attachment to Hera, claiming she is her and Gaius’ child). There’s more to Hera that we don’t know about, though her continued importance raises just more questions about the revelation of Tyrol as a cylon.
Hera, while still the first, is no longer the only half-cylon/half-human child. Granted since the other 7 didn’t know what the other 5 looked like, maybe they completely over-looked Nicky, but still. Does he now have more significance? Are Hera and Nicky supposed to be the Adam and Eve of the new generation? Can Nicky cure Laura this time? But even then Hera was the only one being taken to the final 5, causing grand illusions, etc. Why, what is so significant about Hera but not Nicky? That is actually one of the biggest questions nagging at me after this season finale.
When I first considered writing about last night’s show, I was certain I was going to need a ‘Lee-fans approach with caution’ or something of that nature, but in the end my feelings towards Lee were pretty mild after his outburst. When Romo first called him to the stand I was thinking it was going to be a repeat of last week, where Lee would again betray the trust of someone. When he yelled ‘what frakkin’ system!’ I was almost exalted to see that in front of all these people it would be revealed that Lee only took the case as a latent-rebellion to his dad.
Now, now I’m more understanding of where he comes from. I was glad that the show writers didn’t forget that Lee isn’t the most moral character on the show, that he was willing to leave everyone on New Caprica (Kara included) to their deaths. Guilt, especially the fact that he and everyone else has been forgiven their transgression (and no one is without them on this show), is a motivation I can understand. I went into this episode, expecting my dislike of Lee to grow, but in the end, for the first time I could understand his motivations for doing what he does.
As I’ve thought before, Bill is an extremely reasonable man. He may not like decisions people make, but if they make them in a clear conscience to themselves, he’s willing to respect that.
Though I have to be honest I’m not so sure about Lee’s return to a pilot at the end. I understand it’s an emergency, he’s one of the best they have, he still wants to protect the fleet and the whole point of his speech is ‘transgressions were forgiven’ etc., but he chooses to hand in his resignation to the fleet when it suits him and then goes into a viper without telling anyone, then instead of getting into formation of some-sort goes to scout a mysterious ship. Which leads to the next thing:
Kara’s Return: ………Yup, so she’s not dead, supposedly. But then again Bill sees Carol-Anne every year, Baltar sees head!six, Caprica Six sees Head!Baltar, so maybe now Lee has a head!Kara.
Baltar’s trial and verdict: Taking Lee’s outburst out of the equation (as I already covered it), the verdict I think was to be expected. Throwing Baltar out of an airlock would’ve been too simple of a wrap-up for his story-line. Plus I’m one of those with the persuasion that living is harder than dying. As Baltar got a glimpse, his life may have been spared, but how was he going to survive in a fleet where everyone despised him? That is until his cult came along and whisked him away. BTW why does he have a cult and who are these women?
Also Gaeta, what did Gaeta do that prompted him to attempt to murder Baltar when in NC he stopped short of shooting him? What is it that Baltar alluded to that Gaeta did that he doesn’t want others to find out?
On the note of Baltar’s trial, the fact tha Laura just had to look at Bill to know that he cast the swing vote in Baltar’s favor, their whole exchange during that duration, warmed my heart. Laura was this close to walking out right there, and she would’ve in the past, but this time she stayed around to hear him out. This is the first time these two are together at the end of a season, making me very happy.
The last scene in CIC: Why is it that Tigh’s exchange with Bill broke my heart but Tori’s exchange with Laura gave me the chills. With Tori’s close-up near the end it just felt like Boomer before she shot Bill in the first season. Perhaps it’s because I still haven’t really formed an opinion about Tori one way or the other. I don’t doubt that she has a bond with Laura, but I haven’t really seen it, not in the way we saw Billy and Laura forge a connection. Perhaps this is what terrifies me the most, she is at such a close position to Laura, making her all that more vulnerable. But they can’t kill Laura, they just can’t! (Refuses to even contemplate the possibility)
And on a less heavy note; now that we’ve seen 11 of the 12 cylons I have to say this, why is it that the male models range from hunky jock (Anders) to old creepy (brother Cavet) and everything in-between, but all the female models are hot and young? I mean yes most (if not all) main and sub-cast women on the show are good looking anyways so to have a female cylon from the existing characters certainly limits the range, but still. Perhaps the final cylon can be some women that would appear more normal, instead like she could become or was a fashion model.
So to summarize what I want to see in S4:
Explanation of why Hera and not Nicky, more A/R interaction, Tigh telling Bill that he’s a cylon (though I doubt it will happen), Kara/Lee to be completely resolved at the on-set of the season so I don’t have to sit throught it, the final cylon, Laura NOT dying, Gaeta’s part on NC during the occupation, Head!Baltar/Head!Six action, Sharon (Boomer) finding out out that the Chief is a cylon.