BSG: The Road Less Travelled.

[beccatoria]

Two very obvious points to get out of the way first -

1) I missed Laura.

2) I find Gaius Baltar's Church of Skeez very disturbing, and am still keeping my fingers desperately crossed that the writers know this.

Right, that done with - it was a bit obvious this week, wasn't it? Let's go INSANE! Which isn't to say I disliked it, but equally I'm not sure I have that much to say about it. So this is long, like always, cus it's me, but short by comparison. (I think).

I'm a sucker for Kara and Leoben anywhen, so this was like Christmas for me. And Leoben is way crazy, but the fact that I believe him makes it all the more delicious.

For ages now I've been desperate for Kara to end up human but a figure in cylon religion and scripture (or at least Hybridical Babblings) while Laura ought to be the final cylon, but still be a figure in human religion and scripture. I like the juxtaposition and this whole notion of going to see the hybrid is muchos exciting to me on that front.

I also like Kara's flavour of crazy. I'm not sure I can parse it but it feels the right way for her to snap because she has this obsession in her head she can't get rid of, but can't name either.

It's the joy, I think. It wasn't as present last time, which is probably why I find her more compelling in this episode, but I always love it when Kara returns to that vivacious, gleeful, pure state of expression that despite all her repressed screwedupedness has been her hallmarks since the mini series. And sure, sometimes it's half-faked to pretend to herself like she's having a good time with all her drinking and empty affairs. But...there's something undeniably joyful about Kara Thrace at the most unexpected of times.

I suppose again, this is my dragging out that idea I have about how New Caprica really frakked with her ability to function as an adult. But when Helo shows up to see her art projects at the start of the episode she's so...yeah. Joyful for moments. Furtive, frightening moments, yes. Moments that indicate her joy is a sign of her detachment from reality and that's creepy. But to me, fascinating.

I want to say, "Kara's not tortured by this, she's freed by it." But that doesn't quite work, because she is tortured by it too. Because she feels her body's just this alien thing she's still attached to. Because her mind only runs one way. Because this is the thing that gives her feeling and connection. If I view her return as a rebirth following two months of death, then would it be hyperbolic and pretentious to draw a comparison between these moments of connection and feeling and the pure joy expressed by very small children at the simplest of experiences?

Yes, I think it would, so I'll leave it at that because I can't quite work out how to turn that notion into a point other than...I find it interesting because I love Free Kara and how she smashed herself to pieces last season and now she's building herself up from all these broken bits that don't fit right and never will again, but she doesn't care because she's here.

Also, there's something in there about the way this show so often equates violence and torture with epiphany. It's something I'll have to talk about one day. Not a notion I support, certainly, but a notion I've never seen dealt with more beautifully than in this Star Wars media tie-in novel (no really; weird as I know that sounds) and that makes me want to...do a comparison or something.

So yeah. Kara: alternately psychologically tortured and mind-breakingly exuberant. And there's that.

Tyrol, on the other hand, is just...going off the deep end. I feel for him - really. He's in an ugly, ugly place and it's not his fault. But really, he shouldn't ignore his kid. I don't think he's neglecting Nicky, but I think he is somehow...distancing himself from everything including Nicky. I also don't think it's a sign of a terrible parent just because at one point you listen to the radio instead of immediately rushing to the aid of your kid who isn't really even crying at that point, but this is visual fiction and the things they choose to show us and how they choose to frame it are important.

Chief's gone all nihilistic and I'm not sure I can blame him.

Though, while I don't mind him starting to get suspicious of the circumstances surrounding Cally's death, I do think someone should point out to him that anti-depressants aren't a miracle prevention drug if someone's suicidal. They help, but frankly if someone commits suicide and you later discover they were secretly on anti-depressants that probably goes some way towards explaining it, not making it more suspicious. Not all anti-depressants help all people, and even when they do help people, they don't always help people enough. The fact that it seems very out of character for her - that's what he ought to be concentrating on. Not this notion that she shouldn't have been depressed in the first place because she was being medicated.

I've already said that I hate Gaius Baltar's Church of Skeez and I thought it was utterly shameless the way he tried to use Cally to front for his crowd and get Tyrol to be "saved" or whatever. I was totally with Tyrol losing it. I would have lost it.

Gaius going secretly and quietly to Tyrol's quarters and apologising, though, was a brilliant scene. I've believed in some of Baltar's repentance and his slowly beginning to buy into his own myth. But his repentance has always been easy: he's been assured not only of forgiveness from his followers, but of even more adoration for daring to be seen as "flawed". It's an utterly safe form of confession, even if it's sincere.

Going to see Tyrol, I really don't think Baltar did have any motive other than...wanting forgiveness. It was a bizarre inversion of Tigh and Six without the sex and violence. Baltar, the awful, awful human being, asking to be forgiven from this character who is usually alien to his circles. Asking forgiveness from someone who is in no fit state to give attention or forgiveness to anyone. Tigh went because he wanted to apologise. Baltar went and did apologise. I'm not really sure I've seen him apologising to anyone like this before. When he wasn't in a moment of utter panic. Just choosing to go to another person and say, "I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

And I'm not sure Balter gets forgiveness. But he gets mercy which is an act of grace that, by definition, is never deserved.

Chief just lying there, watching him, never was his state of mind clearer. This flat, analytical, detached blankness, punctuated by anger and despair, but really always trying to get back to this state of ahedonic safety.

As to why he did it... I'm not sure. I don't think the Chief wants to be where and who he is. The Chief wants absolution as much as Baltar, though I don't think he wants it from Baltar. His shaved head is penitant. He's paring back, losing his own identity. Tory wants him to embrace an identity he believes killed his wife, Tigh wants him to act like nothing happened and refuse to acknowledge that his identity has changed. In the wake of Cally's death everyone wanted the Chief to be a certain sort of man, to help them all feel better about Cally's death.

In the quiet of his quarters, Baltar is the first person to really pay attention to Galen Tyrol, to give him time and space, and to require nothing of him. It's a bit weird that all of this was because Baltar was actually babbling, self-centeredly, about himself, as usual. But at the same time, I think he was prepared to leave that room without getting anything from Tyrol.

This was maybe the first considered choice he's gotten to make since the Nebula. Space becomes a valuable commodity on a refugee ship.

Again, though, I really hope he doesn't decide to follow Baltar and his crappy messianic message. Based on this episode, I don't think he will, but...I admit to being nervous.

Finally, you killed Matthias! You bastards!

Though I loved the way Kara eulogised her. Hand in hand with her unhinged joy is her unhinged emotion of...every sort, really. It was probably utterly unhelpful, and I certainly don't blame her crew for mutinying on her, but I did love the raw hurt and rage and guilt in Katee Sackhoff's performance.

Since the start of season three, and moreso since Razor, everything I see about this show takes on a nihilistic edge, and seeing that, well, truth, I suppose, about Matthias' death slapped out at the universe like an accusation was awesome.

I think the problem is, Kara meant to be including her crew in her rage. She wanted them to be angry with her, on her side, at the way the whole damn world was betraying them. But it came across as anger at them, for thinking it was her fault. It came across as a slap at them, not at everything except them.

Next week looks AWESOME.

Comments

[mymatedave.livejournal.com]

this is just a brilliant, brilliant commentary on the ep. Well done.

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)

[projectcyborg.livejournal.com]

MUTINY ON THE DEMETRIUS! I can't believe you didn't talk about that. The person who wrote the eponymous pir8 crackfic a few weeks ago must have DIED.

I think somewhere around the beginning of S3 I stopped being able to have any real opinion about Kara. I've found the places they've taken her to be true to character and to theology but I haven't been able to follow her there via identification OR desire. I'm still puzzling out how to interpret this "everything feels different now" motif (how to read it as a queer allegory?).

That said, I think it's mainly Kara/Leoben = less Gaius H. Christ that make me like this episode better than last week's overall. TORY GETTING NAKED and reporting that she's TELLING LAURA SECRETS didn't hurt either.

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

It's not that I didn't find the MUTINY ON THE DEMETRIUS interesting, I just...didn't have much to say on it. It's kinda obvious why the crew did it and I sympathise cus Kara's acting batfrak crazy and they want to go home when she said they would. I guess I think that it's kind of acceptable at this point because now she's disobeying her orders from Adama and such... I'm fascinated to see how it'll work out next week of course. I guess I just figured that the mutiny was INEVITABLE as soon as we got creepy!Kara at the start of 4.03? So yeah, I have not-much to say on that front except this babbling paragraph!

I think somewhere around the beginning of S3 I stopped being able to have any real opinion about Kara. I've found the places they've taken her to be true to character and to theology but I haven't been able to follow her there via identification OR desire. I'm still puzzling out how to interpret this "everything feels different now" motif (how to read it as a queer allegory?).

Fascinating, since it was at the start of S3 that I really started to care about her a lot more. I think because I decided she was having a breakdown and was going to crash and burn and I found the fact that I wasn't sure the show was aware of that - but kept writing her that way anyway - endlessly fascinating. And then she started getting more actively tied up with the mythological aspects of the show, for which I have always, always been a sucker, and that started being a more active thing - not just something Leoben mentioned once, and a fetch-it quest the President gave her that was mythical but not necessarily about her (though obviously that's the best way to read it!)

So yeah. I really find her fascinating. Though...I'm not sure I could say I identify with her. Especially now, I think that it's even possible to argue that being unable to follow her to where she's going is...of benefit? It's a dangerous and potentially isolating technique, but isn't that the point? Kara is still the same enough that we can latch onto her and recognise her, but different enough it unnerves us utterly?

I'm now not even really talking about what you were talking about... Oops...

If you work out how to interpret this motif though...let me know!

That said, I think it's mainly Kara/Leoben = less Gaius H. Christ that make me like this episode better than last week's overall.

Indeed. ANYTHING that means less Gaius H Christ is good and ANYTHING that means more Kara/Leoben is good so combine them for LARGE AMOUNTS OF WIN.

[projectcyborg.livejournal.com]

I meant to add: I was pondering this further with heyiya, and perhaps a source of my ambivalence is that I find Kara 2.0 much more INTERESTING, but Kara 1.0 much HOTTER. the impulses balance each other out. I was always twitchy about OTPing the two white human ladies (and, you know, writing them from Cylon g0d POV to compensate), so Kara's recurring role on Cylon Runner will never get any complaints from me!

[asta77.livejournal.com]

For ages now I've been desperate for Kara to end up human but a figure in cylon religion and scripture (or at least Hybridical Babblings) while Laura ought to be the final cylon, but still be a figure in human religion and scripture. I like the juxtaposition and this whole notion of going to see the hybrid is muchos exciting to me on that front.

Interesting. The humans following a Cylon leader and the Cylons following (potentially) a human leader. The lines getting blurred even more. And is it another way of laying the groundwork for the two races coming together?

If I view her return as a rebirth following two months of death, then would it be hyperbolic and pretentious to draw a comparison between these moments of connection and feeling and the pure joy expressed by very small children at the simplest of experiences?

While I hated that Kara used sex to feel for a variety of reasons, perhaps it was a necessity to have that scene, to demonstrate that the connections she had before (emotional and physical) that gave her joy no longer do. If we look at the moments that have been anywhere close to joyful for her, they all involve her search for earth. The smile she had after stepping out of that viper wasn't for Lee or Sam, it was for Adama as she told him she knew where earth is. And the joy she does experience is not born out of pure happiness, but simply that she is able to feel something, anything when she is involved in the quest, even if it's fear, anger, or despair. When just having a conversation with someone, she seems distant, but when talking about earth her demeanor changes.

Tory wants him to embrace an identity he believes killed his wife, Tigh wants him to act like nothing happened and refuse to acknowledge that his identity has changed. In the wake of Cally's death everyone wanted the Chief to be a certain sort of man, to help them all feel better about Cally's death.

Tyrol has a lot of reasons to be losing it right now, but one is that he has no one to turn to. He has this huge secret/burden that he cannot share, accept with three other people and of those three, one isn't there, one is trying to reinforce his guilt to protect herself, and the other wants him to just bury his feelings for fear of what it could mean for all of them. I can understand why he picked up the gun (Which was nicely reminiscent of Boomer doing the same to silence her doubts and fears. And interesting that Baltar should be around both times. Hmmmm...) . But while he may not be father of the year right now, he can't bare to leave his son without any parents. It might be the only thing keeping him alive because with no identity and no support system, what does he have to live for?

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Interesting. The humans following a Cylon leader and the Cylons following (potentially) a human leader. The lines getting blurred even more. And is it another way of laying the groundwork for the two races coming together?

Yeah, that's sort of the way I'm running with it. Although I think it's fascinating even if they don't ever learn to "live in harmony" and whatnot. It's...a problem I know you share. The cylon killed nearly all the humans. Kara shrieking, "that is sin, that is evil!" is a true emotional response from the core of most human beings in the fleet. It's an important emotional response and not one that, I think, could be expunged in a few short years still actively on the run.

I don't want there to be a peace treaty with people living happily ever afer.

On the flip side, thematically, with all this hybridity and the way the cylon are evolving and changing, and with the religions (that I find awesome) converging evermore, I think that there's no way they could end this show with integrity unless they go for that whole "merging together" thing.

I'm hoping for some sort of middle ground. With, like, the truth of their similarities being accepted, with the line between human and cylon rendered irrelevant both practically and metaphysically, and then...you just have one group of people who launched an unprovoked and horrific attack on another group of people.

Or something?

If we look at the moments that have been anywhere close to joyful for her, they all involve her search for earth. The smile she had after stepping out of that viper wasn't for Lee or Sam, it was for Adama as she told him she knew where earth is. When just having a conversation with someone, she seems distant, but when talking about earth her demeanor changes.

Yes! Yes that! Exactly that!

I'm glad you see it too. She lives for it, and it's beautiful to see her so happy, but creepy because...because of what it is and because it's punctuated by such detachment.

I can understand why he picked up the gun (Which was nicely reminiscent of Boomer doing the same to silence her doubts and fears. And interesting that Baltar should be around both times. Hmmmm...) . But while he may not be father of the year right now, he can't bare to leave his son without any parents. It might be the only thing keeping him alive because with no identity and no support system, what does he have to live for?

Again, I'm in complete agreement. I noticed the parallel with the gun though I totally forgot to mention it in my review. But at the time I thought about how Tyrol was so agitated, he kept moving, couldn't keep the gun pointed at him for more than half a second before tearing at his non-existant hair again, while Boomer was utterly still. I think that you're right - it's because he at least has someone to live for, even if that someone is incapable of offering him the support he needs in return. Boomer was terrified and for her the idea of just not existing might even have seemed peaceful. For the Chief, there is nothing but failure and betrayal whatever choice he makes.

I feel so bad for him right now.

First: Tyrol

[nightxade.livejournal.com]

This is going to encompass this episode as well as elements from the last since there was a particular point you expressed that I wanted to touch on - namely, Bill's treatment of Tyrol:

We all know that Bill is not a good parent and doesn't quite grasp the concept of a big hug FIRST being the better solution. It works with some of his children, but it certainly doesn't work with his actual child, Lee, who knows better. In the case of Tyrol though, I think the big hug is exactly what he doesn't need and has never needed. In fact, he was literally asking for what Adama gave him and I think he needed it. Tyrol needs the slap in the face to bring him back to reality. Whether it's someone slapping him, or him slapping Cally. What I loved most about that scene though, is that Tyrol spoke the truth about settling for Cally and expressed a level of loathing for her (boiled cabbage -- heehee). There have been several relationships like this on board Galactica, but only some of them have admitted to the truth and none as strongly and deeply as this.

When I see Tyrol now looking at images of Cally, I don't believe that he's fondly missing his wife. I don't even think he wants to know the truth about her death for the sake of avenging his 'beloved.' I wonder, in fact, if he's trying to figure out if he was the one who did it. He was the one closest to Boomer and knew that she knew nothing about her Cylon self.

His interaction - or lack thereof - with Nicky is beautiful and painful, and it's here that I am getting a lot of my thoughts on how he feels about Cally. Nicky is Cally. And he's also part Cylon. I don't think Nicky or a sense of duty as a father is enough of a reason for Tyrol to keep holding on. As for the 'attempted suicide?' I think that was just a reaction out of anger. As you said, Boomer was deliberate with the gun but failed. Tyrol just doesn't know what to do with himself and where to go.

Finally, Baltar's visit. Tyrol's stare was just... wow. Was he listening? Was he hearing? Did he just need, as you said, someone to understand? I don't believe he'll become a follower either. That would be cheap. But he needs something and Baltar was the only one who offered it, though Baltar doesn't exactly know what it was he gave to Tyrol.

Re: First: Tyrol

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

We all know that Bill is not a good parent and doesn't quite grasp the concept of a big hug FIRST being the better solution.

*giggle* great way of putting it.

In fact, he was literally asking for what Adama gave him and I think he needed it. Tyrol needs the slap in the face to bring him back to reality.

I actually agree with you here. I think Tyrol knew exactly what he was doing and got what he wanted. I just think that Adama was...unaware of the way he was being manipulated and as a result Adama responded with Anger instead of Tough Love. It's a subtle difference that may not have had much of a literal effect on the outcome, but it means the difference between Adama internally holding a grudge and feeling betrayed, and understanding what Tyrol's going through.

in fact, if he's trying to figure out if he was the one who did it.

Interesting! I had a similar reaction to you in wondering if he was wondering if he was to blame. If he drove her to it, if it was his fault somehow, but I hadn't considered him literally wondering if his programming kicked in and he threw her out the airlock himself. *shiver*

I don't think Nicky or a sense of duty as a father is enough of a reason for Tyrol to keep holding on.

I'm conflicted on this point. I understand what you're saying, but at the moment I think that Nicky is one of the reasons why he's holding on and just going through the motions. But...I am also willing to believe that that's...habit? Like, something he tells himself but isn't sure he feels anymore? Like you I think he's trapped with no idea what to do with himself so he's responding by doing nothing, just going through the motions, except when he's provoked into a response by, say, Baltar.

But he needs something and Baltar was the only one who offered it, though Baltar doesn't exactly know what it was he gave to Tyrol.

Yeah, and I kind of like that part of it. Tyrol still hasn't been understood by anyone, but someone looked at him and didn't demand anything which was...interesting. And like you, I'm fascinated by that blank stare. You think he's ignoring him until the end, when he moves. Wow.

Re: First: Tyrol

[nightxade.livejournal.com]

Adama: Ah yes, good point. Perhaps Adama walked away from this one thinkin "Ah WTF? I am trying to be a better dad by being nice first but then he goes and does this! Punk!"

Nicky: Yes going through the motions with him. But he seems totally detached from him for whatever reason. Even though Cally was considering calling Nicky with her, there was still that maternal thing that, well, had him with her. Tyrol seems to want to be far away from him, but as you said, motions. (Oh and <3 the scene a few episodes back when Tigh actually went to calm the crying Nicky and he silenced right away. teehee.

The stare: I didn't think that he was ignoring him. There was a kind of pleading in his eyes that made him seem childlike. But then when he reached out his hand to Baltar, I felt a switch - Tyrol had somehow become the superior (again?).

[nightxade.livejournal.com]

KARA: Agreed on all counts on how Katee is working this and about how animated she becomes when she speaks about it. She's working the crazy! Previously, we had her trying to feel by demanding sex from Sam. I think that actually served to focus her into the realization (though she might not actually realize it) that such things are mundane and fleeting and ultimately empty. It helped refocus her on Earth and she consequently has gotten a wee bit crazier about it. Thankfully, they didn't drag the crazy into tedium though. I'm glad things are going to go somewhere awesome next episode.

HELO and MUTINY: It was annoying that the mutiny took so damn long and that Helo was such a pushover about it -- which is why it took so damn long, of course. Even when he defied Kara at the end, he allowed the pressure to fall on Gaeta first before relieving Kara of command. It's one thing to believe in Kara and Adama, but Helo needed to step up a lot sooner.

TIGH: I'm up in the air about the Tigh/Ellen/SIx thing. Or at least, how it ended. As you said, the show (too) equates violence with epiphany, but in this case, it just didn't ring true for me.

CYLON/HUMAN PEACE: Could come to this. We know, obviously, that some Cylon's can get over their prejudice to live with humans, however, the prejudice is too strong with the humans* and the Cylons are still their children. We can see with the civil war within the Cylon group that there are those who are quite staunch in their separation from humans.

*It irks me every time someone makes a derogatory (sp) comment against the Cylon's in Athena's presence.

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Thankfully, they didn't drag the crazy into tedium though. I'm glad things are going to go somewhere awesome next episode.

I agree, they could have overdone it but didn't, and YES NEXT WEEK!!!


HELO and MUTINY: It was annoying that the mutiny took so damn long and that Helo was such a pushover about it -- which is why it took so damn long, of course

I kind of agree though at the same time I can see why he would hold out until the last second. Because he has his orders and he feels he can't mutiny until Kara breaks her orders. But yeah, tough moment. I like to think that Helo was giving Gaeta a chance to make his own decision but you're right, it can come across as him letting Gaeta take the heat for a few moments before committing to his course of action.

TIGH: I'm up in the air about the Tigh/Ellen/SIx thing. Or at least, how it ended. As you said, the show (too) equates violence with epiphany, but in this case, it just didn't ring true for me.

I kind of like it, but I will admit that a large part of that is just that it's so weird...

*It irks me every time someone makes a derogatory (sp) comment against the Cylon's in Athena's presence.

Yeah, it's...understandable given the situation but very ugly to watch. Like you want to believe people would be better than that, but also believe that realistically they wouldn't be?

You may interested to know that there were some cut scenes from this episode where Athena and Helo are discussing her position in the crew and she's talking about how she really believes and feels that she fits in and it's great, and then later when the cylon-ist stuff comes out about Kara from the stressed crew it's like a huge slap in the fact to her and really upsets her. I really wish they hadn't cut that.

[pellucid.livejournal.com]

Wandered over from galacticanews.

For ages now I've been desperate for Kara to end up human but a figure in cylon religion and scripture (or at least Hybridical Babblings) while Laura ought to be the final cylon, but still be a figure in human religion and scripture. I like the juxtaposition and this whole notion of going to see the hybrid is muchos exciting to me on that front.

YES!!! My own pet theory is that Roslin is both the final Cylon and the dying leader, and that part of what she needs to do to bring these groups together is teach the Cylons how to die. And I've also thought Kara is integral to the whole thing but have worked out that part of the theory somewhat less thoroughly, and I really love the way you frame it here with the juxtaposition. Oh, let it be so!!!

And Hybridical Babblings FTW, always!

I find Gaius Baltar's Church of Skeez very disturbing, and am still keeping my fingers desperately crossed that the writers know this.

Is it possible that all of our collective desperate finger-crossing will actually amount to results on this front? I'm a little obsessed with what the show is doing theologically right now, and I can't say I have a great deal of trust on this front right now.

[beccatoria.livejournal.com]

Hi! :D

YES!!! My own pet theory is that Roslin is both the final Cylon and the dying leader, and that part of what she needs to do to bring these groups together is teach the Cylons how to die.

Dude, that's an awesome notion! I totally hadn't considered that. Because yeah, mortality is an important part of humanity and one the cylon are only just starting to understand the implications of. Hmm. THINKY!

And Hybridical Babblings FTW, always!

Yes!

I'm a little obsessed with what the show is doing theologically right now, and I can't say I have a great deal of trust on this front right now.

Yeah...ditto. It's all so damned fascinating but I suppose I'm so invested in it it becomes a little...fragile? They have this marvelously complex set up. Let's just hope they don't wreck it? *nervous*

[pellucid.livejournal.com]

I wonder if the writers have been as nervous about the whole thing coming together as the fans are! The thing that sometimes alleviates my anxiety somewhat is that whether or not RDM, et. al. actually had a plan from the start, they do seem to be rather astute readers of their own text--and the pieces are there, I think, so I do have some hope they'll figure that out. I think the keys to most of it are in the two "Home" episodes; I hope they remember that! But I'm nervous, too!

As for my theory about Laura and Cylon eschatology, I, um, wrote a fic about it, if you're interested. Please feel absolutely no obligation to be interested, of course!!! But the extent to which I've played with that theory, it's mostly in fictional form.

And I adore your icon!!! Oh, Laura Roslin, how are you so awesome?!?!?! :)