BSG: Eye of Jupiter
Dec. 17th, 2006 07:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccatoriaHmm. So, I think I'll know what I think of this episode on the whole once I've seen the second half. What I have to say about this episode at this time isn't so much an overal critique as a serious of comments on various moments / characters.
1. Did it not occur to ANYONE that the Eye of Jupiter might be the big, red circle in a blindingly obvious place? I was looking at that the whole time thinking, "Yeah, but that can't be it, cos that'd be too obvious..." Um. Guess I was wrong. I suppose I should be more charitable since they didn't grow up in a solar system with a planet named Jupiter that had a giant red circular eye-like spot on it, but still. This is like the time I worked out what was up with the nanogenes in the first half of that Doctor Who two-parter. I never work this shit out!
2. The whole supernova thing. That really...pulled me out of the moment. I'm not sure why and I think it might be because I'm too scientifically stupid to get whether or not this is an accurate depiction of how a star goes supernova. But I guess I just figure...wouldn't there be uber radiation or something? Can a star that's so huge really go nova and have everything be safe like a couple of minutes beforehand? I dunno. A little more scifi than I'm used to I guess...
3. Kara's faith is hollow. I was chatting with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
asta77 about how her opinions regarding divorce are highly hypocritical, and they are. But it strikes me that her entire faith is hollow, learned from her mother, based on obediance and fear more than belief or morality. Her gods are indifferent, cold, possibly angry. You appease them, you do what you're told, you get away with what you can.
4. I really, really hope Dee is not stupid. She deserves better. At least she never actually agreed to marry Billy. Plus I like her when the writers aren't writing her as stupid. People are still calling her Dee... Is her name Anastacia Adama now? Or did she keep her surname? Is Kara's name Kara Anders? Are people calling her Captain Thrace still? I can't recall if I've heard...
5. Finally! HERA! WE'VE MISSED YOU! Finally we get a good look at the kid. I am pleased to announce that 1) she's pretty darn cute and 2) she appears to have an afro. Also she is sick and crying. Apparently my biological programming is intact because I found myself very worried and distressed by both these things...
6. Boomer! You are oddly numb to everything! I can't get a handle on her, and I hope it's not Grace Park's acting, but she's...weird. She's given up pretending to be human, and while I think that there's a certain amount of compassion in her and loyalty towards her sister/lost race that makes her tell Athena about her daughter (without quite being able to be friendly - look at what she's stolen from her), she's still...odd. Like she's taken to heart that she'll never get a chance to be human again, and the loss of it, it breaks her. She can't stand to see Athena in her place, but isn't petty enough to deny her the knowledge of her child. The only way she can deal with her new identity is to be numb. At least that's what I think I was supposed to get. And if it's true, it's tragic. But I still feel anchorless regarding the character. And that's a shame.
7. Lee! Laura called him LEE! (I'd make notes about her being solely worried about Lee at the end too, but I think there's also a believable arguement that she's trying to impress upon Adama what he's about to sacrifice). Also, I believe Adama is currently bluffing. I guess if he were about to sacrifice all those people, he would do it very stony-faced, but still. Bluffing. No, actually, this paragraph should end, but still, LEE!
8. Why is it that when Laura walks out on Baltar ("The less this man speaks, the better this will go," - AWESOME!) I am filled with love. But when Adama walks out on Roslin as she's explaining, I am filled with indifference to his big, principled stand? I feel terrible for both Sharon and Helo. I understand why Roslin did what she did, too, and whether or not I agree with the decision, I do have tremendous respect for the fact that she doesn't dodge the issue or make excuses, she just admits what she did, because she'll take the consequences. (Also I am fascinated by her basically warm reaction to the child's survival). I also respect Adama for telling Sharon and Helo and pointing out to them that their kid is alive.
So why do I have such a negative reaction to Adama walking out? I think maybe it's because it suggests disgust on his part, like he thinks he's better than her. Or he's mad cos she lied to him (which doesn't surprise me). Maybe it's just that I think he should know her better by now?
A lot of Laura's competance as a leader is based on her ability to make extremely difficult decisions, and I feel that Adama wants that competance without being willing to accept the morally difficult positions it may put one in. Not that I can totally back this up. Not that my love of Roslin's ruthlessness and political monopoly doesn't make me uncomfortable at times. Just that Sharon and Helo get to feel horrifically angry about this, they get my sympathy. But Adama? He's mad either because Laura lied to him or because he thinks she's made a morally poor decision?
I think this goes back to my dislike of Adama's attitudes towards morals. I loved him in the first season when his morals were strong and absolute but also very grounded in reality and practicality. The historical examples of why using troops as a police force is bad, the belief in due process in Litmus - his belief in the Chief's right to excercise his right to remain silent and his anger when this was not treated with the respect it should be given within the structures of the law. Now he's all about "but it's wrong!" and "it'll take away a part of your soul!"
I think I wanted him to listen to Laura's "It may interest you to know..." because she's earned that much from him - to hear her reasons. And then, he could say something like, "What you did was wrong because of x," and walk out. That would have satisfied me. What he actually did in the episode looked like him throwing a paddy, and acting like he had the moral high ground (and no, I don't think he did, not even in this episode. Roslin's actions were based on a desire to protect humanity, which she is sworn to do. One could argue that Adama's anger at this course of action is based in large part in his connection to both Athena and Helo; a connection that has only emerged - non-creepily - since this decision was made. Also, his trust in Athena, while I share it, is unverifiable, and was even more unverifiable when this decision was made. One could argue that Adama is putting Athena and her happiness - a matter of personal loyalty - above the safety of the fleet, which is counter to his duties as the Admiral of humanity's only battlestar. But that's the difference between Bill and Laura. Big picture vs personal portrait.)
So yeah. Adama kind of ticked me off here. But I hope that Helo and Sharon get their kid back. And Roslin rules as always.
9. Caprica!Six. WHY WILL THE WRITERS NOT GIVE YOU MORE TO DO? YOU BROKE MY HEART AGAIN BECAUSE TRICIA HELFER FUCKING RULES AS AN ACTRESS! But yeah, not been given much of anything to do lately... Woe. It's so strange to see Caprica!Six as very passive and lost - she has been since Downloaded. I think she was even in the mini series really, very needy towards Gaius. But Head!Six is so aggressive and active it's an odd contrast. A fascinating and clever one, but an odd one. I want to hold her until she feels better, and no, not in a sexual way, in a parental, "I'll take care of you because you just got dumped," kind of way.
10. D'Anna and Gaius and Six - so, that really was a threesome. I believed Caprica, though, when she said she loved them both. It was the desperation, maybe. I keep getting the feeling she made herself love D'Anna because she thought it was the best way to get closer to Gaius, and to keep him safe and to keep him loving her, and then the opposite happened. But it was too late. She loved D'Anna too, by then.
I liked this episode overall, lots and lots of interesting moments, some good acting choices - Kara and Lee's behaviour in the teaser scene was, for instance, so much better for the genuine fear in Lee and the fear in Kara (albeit of different things). But like I said uptop, I'm waiting for the second half before I decide what I think overall.
1. Did it not occur to ANYONE that the Eye of Jupiter might be the big, red circle in a blindingly obvious place? I was looking at that the whole time thinking, "Yeah, but that can't be it, cos that'd be too obvious..." Um. Guess I was wrong. I suppose I should be more charitable since they didn't grow up in a solar system with a planet named Jupiter that had a giant red circular eye-like spot on it, but still. This is like the time I worked out what was up with the nanogenes in the first half of that Doctor Who two-parter. I never work this shit out!
2. The whole supernova thing. That really...pulled me out of the moment. I'm not sure why and I think it might be because I'm too scientifically stupid to get whether or not this is an accurate depiction of how a star goes supernova. But I guess I just figure...wouldn't there be uber radiation or something? Can a star that's so huge really go nova and have everything be safe like a couple of minutes beforehand? I dunno. A little more scifi than I'm used to I guess...
3. Kara's faith is hollow. I was chatting with
asta77 about how her opinions regarding divorce are highly hypocritical, and they are. But it strikes me that her entire faith is hollow, learned from her mother, based on obediance and fear more than belief or morality. Her gods are indifferent, cold, possibly angry. You appease them, you do what you're told, you get away with what you can. 4. I really, really hope Dee is not stupid. She deserves better. At least she never actually agreed to marry Billy. Plus I like her when the writers aren't writing her as stupid. People are still calling her Dee... Is her name Anastacia Adama now? Or did she keep her surname? Is Kara's name Kara Anders? Are people calling her Captain Thrace still? I can't recall if I've heard...
5. Finally! HERA! WE'VE MISSED YOU! Finally we get a good look at the kid. I am pleased to announce that 1) she's pretty darn cute and 2) she appears to have an afro. Also she is sick and crying. Apparently my biological programming is intact because I found myself very worried and distressed by both these things...
6. Boomer! You are oddly numb to everything! I can't get a handle on her, and I hope it's not Grace Park's acting, but she's...weird. She's given up pretending to be human, and while I think that there's a certain amount of compassion in her and loyalty towards her sister/lost race that makes her tell Athena about her daughter (without quite being able to be friendly - look at what she's stolen from her), she's still...odd. Like she's taken to heart that she'll never get a chance to be human again, and the loss of it, it breaks her. She can't stand to see Athena in her place, but isn't petty enough to deny her the knowledge of her child. The only way she can deal with her new identity is to be numb. At least that's what I think I was supposed to get. And if it's true, it's tragic. But I still feel anchorless regarding the character. And that's a shame.
7. Lee! Laura called him LEE! (I'd make notes about her being solely worried about Lee at the end too, but I think there's also a believable arguement that she's trying to impress upon Adama what he's about to sacrifice). Also, I believe Adama is currently bluffing. I guess if he were about to sacrifice all those people, he would do it very stony-faced, but still. Bluffing. No, actually, this paragraph should end, but still, LEE!
8. Why is it that when Laura walks out on Baltar ("The less this man speaks, the better this will go," - AWESOME!) I am filled with love. But when Adama walks out on Roslin as she's explaining, I am filled with indifference to his big, principled stand? I feel terrible for both Sharon and Helo. I understand why Roslin did what she did, too, and whether or not I agree with the decision, I do have tremendous respect for the fact that she doesn't dodge the issue or make excuses, she just admits what she did, because she'll take the consequences. (Also I am fascinated by her basically warm reaction to the child's survival). I also respect Adama for telling Sharon and Helo and pointing out to them that their kid is alive.
So why do I have such a negative reaction to Adama walking out? I think maybe it's because it suggests disgust on his part, like he thinks he's better than her. Or he's mad cos she lied to him (which doesn't surprise me). Maybe it's just that I think he should know her better by now?
A lot of Laura's competance as a leader is based on her ability to make extremely difficult decisions, and I feel that Adama wants that competance without being willing to accept the morally difficult positions it may put one in. Not that I can totally back this up. Not that my love of Roslin's ruthlessness and political monopoly doesn't make me uncomfortable at times. Just that Sharon and Helo get to feel horrifically angry about this, they get my sympathy. But Adama? He's mad either because Laura lied to him or because he thinks she's made a morally poor decision?
I think this goes back to my dislike of Adama's attitudes towards morals. I loved him in the first season when his morals were strong and absolute but also very grounded in reality and practicality. The historical examples of why using troops as a police force is bad, the belief in due process in Litmus - his belief in the Chief's right to excercise his right to remain silent and his anger when this was not treated with the respect it should be given within the structures of the law. Now he's all about "but it's wrong!" and "it'll take away a part of your soul!"
I think I wanted him to listen to Laura's "It may interest you to know..." because she's earned that much from him - to hear her reasons. And then, he could say something like, "What you did was wrong because of x," and walk out. That would have satisfied me. What he actually did in the episode looked like him throwing a paddy, and acting like he had the moral high ground (and no, I don't think he did, not even in this episode. Roslin's actions were based on a desire to protect humanity, which she is sworn to do. One could argue that Adama's anger at this course of action is based in large part in his connection to both Athena and Helo; a connection that has only emerged - non-creepily - since this decision was made. Also, his trust in Athena, while I share it, is unverifiable, and was even more unverifiable when this decision was made. One could argue that Adama is putting Athena and her happiness - a matter of personal loyalty - above the safety of the fleet, which is counter to his duties as the Admiral of humanity's only battlestar. But that's the difference between Bill and Laura. Big picture vs personal portrait.)
So yeah. Adama kind of ticked me off here. But I hope that Helo and Sharon get their kid back. And Roslin rules as always.
9. Caprica!Six. WHY WILL THE WRITERS NOT GIVE YOU MORE TO DO? YOU BROKE MY HEART AGAIN BECAUSE TRICIA HELFER FUCKING RULES AS AN ACTRESS! But yeah, not been given much of anything to do lately... Woe. It's so strange to see Caprica!Six as very passive and lost - she has been since Downloaded. I think she was even in the mini series really, very needy towards Gaius. But Head!Six is so aggressive and active it's an odd contrast. A fascinating and clever one, but an odd one. I want to hold her until she feels better, and no, not in a sexual way, in a parental, "I'll take care of you because you just got dumped," kind of way.
10. D'Anna and Gaius and Six - so, that really was a threesome. I believed Caprica, though, when she said she loved them both. It was the desperation, maybe. I keep getting the feeling she made herself love D'Anna because she thought it was the best way to get closer to Gaius, and to keep him safe and to keep him loving her, and then the opposite happened. But it was too late. She loved D'Anna too, by then.
I liked this episode overall, lots and lots of interesting moments, some good acting choices - Kara and Lee's behaviour in the teaser scene was, for instance, so much better for the genuine fear in Lee and the fear in Kara (albeit of different things). But like I said uptop, I'm waiting for the second half before I decide what I think overall.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-12-17 11:19 pm (UTC)1. I'm so hoping it won't be it. I kept thinking about it, whenever it popped up on screen, I really hope it's not sth so obvious.
2. excellent points. sth bothered me about that plot thread, now that you've brought it up I know what it was.
3. totally forgot that Kara was actually portrayed as the most religious of the bunch. they didn't go with it anywhere, so it feels a bit off, her mentioning it at this point and especially in such circumstances.
4. yep, liking how Dee was in this ep. I'm pretty convinced she *knows*
5. LOL
6. Boomer! You are oddly numb to everything!
exactly!! Bommer was/is? my fav character. I shipped her and Chief till s2 finale!! man, she used to have the most wrenching scenes in the series ...till season 3. and now what!? we're just supposed to accept she let go of all that?!
She can't stand to see Athena in her place, but isn't petty enough to deny her the knowledge of her child.
excellent points!! --I seem to be repeating myself but yours *is* an excellent review!
8. I can't bring my head around the fact that Adama supposedly did not know about Roslin hiding baby Hera from Sharon...!?
9. seriously what's with Tricia not having *any* worthy material to work with this season!!
I so want Lucy Lawless of this show soon!!! nth against the actress mind you, just the character. she's stealing all the scenes Tricia would normally have and it pisses me off! hate the D'anna storyline. I'm so glad it ends with the next eppie, one way or the other.
this ep left me cold. it was...blah and to think I was cursing my screen this time last year when Cain entered the scene. man, those were the good times. it was only *one* character, but she made for one heck of a cliffhanger, but this? this is so blah. good the hiatus this yr is not that long...
no subject
Date: 2006-12-18 06:25 pm (UTC)I sort of get what you mean about Kara's background religious issues, but I think it's sort of reasonable in terms of her character. I don't think it's something she likes about herself or is comfortable with, but it's scarred into her, like fear.
I feel for you with Boomer - if she were my favourite I think I'd be feeling pretty shafted right about now.
I'm torn on Lucy Lawless, though. I really like the character and I'm enjoying the story arc, but I do suspect that it's cutting down on Six's storytime. Maybe considering the way she just got ditched, Caprica will become a more active agent - especially since Lucy Lawless' stint as a regular will be over soon...
I feel a little odd about the cliffhanger. It does what it's meant to in that I have NO idea how they'll get out of it, but it's certainly lacking in the tension department because I really don't believe that he'll nuke the planet at this point.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-18 03:19 am (UTC)Ya know, they kept focusing on the damn thing, yet I too thought it was too obvious. I think it was
I'm no expert either, but I sensed a lot of problems with the explanation of the supernova. The only thing that seemed right was that you couldn't predict exactly when it would happen.
But it strikes me that her entire faith is hollow, learned from her mother, based on obediance and fear more than belief or morality. Her gods are indifferent, cold, possibly angry. You appease them, you do what you're told, you get away with what you can.
Hmmm, interesting. I don't 100% agree because I think she does truly believe in higher powers and that they can have a positive force in your life. Since her life has been so crappy she has to believe there is something more than this existence, something better. But it strikes me that 'you do what you're told, you get away with what you can' also applies to her military career. As much as Kara breaks the rules, she seems to need them; as much as they challenge her, she challenges them. She's looking for acceptance from above, whether it's the gods or Adama (her commander) and, yes, she fears crossing a line in which there will be no forgiveness.
Lee called Dee Anastacia? I totally missed that. He's been calling her Dee so that seems odd. I don't think she took his last name and Kara is still called Capt Thrace. I felt Sharon took the name Agathon to further prove she was distancing herself from the Cylons and embracing this as her life now. There may be thousands of Sharon's, but only one Sharon Agathon.
Boomer! You are oddly numb to everything! I can't get a handle on her, and I hope it's not Grace Park's acting, but she's...weird.
You are the only other person I've seen mention this. THANK YOU! Yeah, Boomer seemed off. The only way I could rationalize it was that she was pissed another Sharon had usurped her life on Galactica.
I wasn't happy with Adama either. I'm not certain Laura made the right decision, but she believes she did and Adama didn't even give her a chance to tell her side of things. Again, it scares me a bit how quick he is to side with Sharon.
Apparently they can't write for every character on the show so now that Lee has something resembling a storyline again, Six/Tricia gets screwed. My big gripe is that they were so excited to get Lucy and write for her they forgot about the Cylons they already had. In addition to Caprica Six, shouldn't we be seeing more of Galactica Boomer? I thought the whole point of 'Downloaded' was that the two of them were going to lead the Cylons in a new direction and that plot thread has disappeared.
In closing...SHE CALLED HIM LEE! :)
no subject
Date: 2006-12-18 06:50 pm (UTC)...err...no...that would be me accidentally minorly spoiling people reading the post due to having just watched the most recent video blog. Edited into oblivion now...
Hmmm, interesting. I don't 100% agree because I think she does truly believe in higher powers and that they can have a positive force in your life. Since her life has been so crappy she has to believe there is something more than this existence, something better.
Yes, but also, she thinks she deserves the punishment of the gods, same as she thinks she deserves the punishment she gets in the military. She needs rules to frak up against, you're right. I think she'd like to disbelieve in the gods, or believe in benevolent gods, but the she can't quite manage it. I'm sure there's also an element of keeping her escape routes open, but I also think there's a real compulsion to keep these traditions. And if, as we've sometimes seen and you say above, she sometimes believes in the positive aspects of the gods and she knows she's screwing up in their eyes, I can see her clinging to the letters of her vows if not the implicit meanings. Again, Kara is six. Again, Kara retreats towards the structure that will punish her when she fraks up (on purpose).
I hypothisized that Tyrol pushes the center the same time the nukes are fired and disables them, puts up a shield, something that saves their asses.
Firstly, that sounds plausible. Secondly, with your track record, I definitely wouldn't be surprised. Thirdly, I hope it doesn't seem lame. I was all right with the Tomb of Athena hologram thing so...we'll see.
Yeah, Boomer seemed off. The only way I could rationalize it was that she was pissed another Sharon had usurped her life on Galactica.
I think it was that and also that she's only managing to accept her identity as a cylon by clinging to the idea that she was never a human, that she wouldn't be accepted, that she can't go back. So not only has Athena taken her place as a lieutenant on board the Galactica, she's succeeding at the thing Boomer has to believe is impossible. "You'll never be one of them!" seemed very self-directed and hurtful. But yes, after hearing that she was talking to the Chief in Resistance and seeing her talking to Cally and knowing she was one of the forces behind the whole "let's live in peace!" philosophy... Yeah. What happened there?
In closing...SHE CALLED HIM LEE!
Yes. Yes she did. And in a casual, she-calls-him-Lee-all-the-time kind of way. Yes. Lee.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-19 05:05 am (UTC)7. when Laura said that, I went "well, the Laura/Lee shippers are going to squee!"
8. yes. Roslin pwnz, Adama whines. and praised be Her name, amen!
no subject
Date: 2006-12-19 05:32 pm (UTC)You see, this is what happens when I am away from the girlslash goggles for too long. I fail to notice UTTERLY OBVIOUS THINGS LIKE THIS. How will I cope without the vlog? I am doomed to a life of heterosexual television...
Re: 7. I did. I really did.
Re: 8. Roslin pwnz me. Yes she does. And praised be Her name, amen.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-23 01:58 am (UTC)Maybe the reason Roslin didn't tell Adama about the dead baby swap was excatly the reson we saw, She Knew that Adama wouldn't have allowed it.
Adama: remember Adama lost a child he knows how that feels, he knows that hell. Aside from the fact that no-one has been able to tell me why taking Hera from Sharon and Helo made the fleet any safer, maybe there are some things that Adama just wouldn't do and what Roslin did was one of them. And, yes I do think Adama connection with Sharon (surrogate daughter) has a lot to do with his reaction, Sharon is Adama's friend and he knows that he does truly owe his and everybody elses life to Sharon. Roslin with her action put him in a terrible situation.
Bob W
no subject
Date: 2006-12-23 10:21 am (UTC)I never thought she told him, pretty much because, yes, Adama wouldn't have allowed it.
I think that the baby situation could be argued both ways. The kid could be a superb high profile hostage vs the Cylons - "Hey - don't shoot at our ship, we have your messiah!"
On the other hand, thinking about this logically, as distasteful as it may sound, Roslin couldn't (and can't) trust Sharon. When she's pissed she does stuff like refuse to tell people who Cavil is. Is she having an incredibly rough time and having prove everything a million more times than everyone else? Totally, but given that her species destroyed billions of humans - and she isn't even particularly remorseful about that - I can understand the caution. To be honest, while I do trust her now, and while I find her character interesting to watch and empathise with her - were I in Roslin's place, I'd worry that I shoudln't.
One could also look at the fact that while Roslin made the decision to disregard Sharon & Helo's feelings rather callously, she appears genuinely fond of the child and one of her main motivations in removing it was to protect Hera. One has to wonder what kind of life she would have had had she been raised with her parents. How long until someone got a gun and Cally'd her for being a freak. I'm not saying it's not distasteful and harsh. I'm just saying it's completely in keeping with Roslin's willingness to make decisions like that, considering how best to keep everyone, including the kid, safe.
It's tough. On an emotionally simple level it's much easier to sympathise with Adama - as a man who has also lost a child - as you note - he is in a strong position to sympathise with his friends. On the other hand, I do think I often come down on the side of Roslin and not Adama because, while they both make bad calls sometimes, Roslin looks at the big picture and doesn't let her personal feelings get in the way. That's something I appreciate in someone taking care of me - knowing that I matter as much as every other person even if they don't know me personally.
Would Adama have been so mad if Roslin had stolen the child of two people he despised or just plain didn't know? If not would that be hypocritical?
Alas...I have no answers.
Thanks for commenting. :)
no subject
Date: 2006-12-26 12:07 pm (UTC)I agree Adama goes out of his way for his friends, i.e, burning up a ton of fuel looking for Kara in season I.
After everything though, I still think Hera would have been better off and safer with Sharon and Helo.
Bob
no subject
Date: 2007-02-20 04:51 pm (UTC)As for his level of sympathy at losing a child - yes he can sympathize there, but he argues that their child is alive. What use is that when they are not being allowed to see her, especially when they have heard she is sick? Add to that the immense betrayal of the entire situation... much more weighing in here than a not-so-dead baby.
Now. What I would like to see is how a reunion between Hera and Roslin would play out.