YES. Gaius is isolated. Like...from reality. But it's fascinating because that isolation is represented by this whole other sekrit person. Which is exactly the same thing that HeadGaius does for Caprica except, as you say, it's tragic with her because it's not what she wants and she's always trying to reach out and connect with the world and the world keeps beating the shit out of her.
I actually agree with you that the whole "my head plays it over and over" section with the attacks was sympathetic. I mean, even I find it sympathetic and I worried at the time, that I was making Baltar too sympathetic since I think it plays too easily as "look how tortured he is, he feels so bad!" rather than "look at the lengths he'll go to to deny this." But it would have felt disingenuous not to use it because it is part of his narrative. Even if he isn't aware his head is playing it over and over.
I had surprisingly consistant and startling sympathy for Baltar pretty much until season four and even then until The Hub. Because you have such a good point, that bugfuck insane is one of his only options. I think the point where I stopped being sad for him and his inability to be a decent human being and started being horrified by it was his confession to Laura in 4x09. Which is why the vid ends there. Where I wasn't mad at him for turning the guilt off, but for...not learning anything. For not even saying sorry. I don't know. I rambled about this insanely at the time and I'll run out of comment space if I don't stop now. But the point is, I think that was his most despicable moment.
And I think it emotionally affected me more than I could really articulate. The disappointment in him. I thought I knew him and the depths of his weaselling. But now he's not even weaselling. So I lost my sympathy for him, but I didn't lose my sympathy for him earlier in the story, and that's hard to process?
*dons Obi-Wan mask*
GAIUS, YOU WERE MY BROTHER CRAZY-EYED ACCIDENTAL ARCHITECT OF GENOCIDE, I LOVED YOU! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO SAVE US FROM THE SITH CREEPY RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISTS, NOT JOIN THEM!
Ahem.
I'm so glad you like the last image! I'd be totally interested to know what it means to you. My goal was basically sarcastic clapping. Like, lovely Gaius. Now look where you've ended up, fucktard. But...well, with all the layers Tricia Helfer gives absolutely everything including sarcastic clapping.
Finally, OMG THE CALLYVID! I still love that. And still come down on the side of it being about - as someone else put it - Cally's tragic lack of fabulousness rather than OMGPOORCALLY even though it was tragic all the crap that happened to her. But yeah. I can see what you mean about the split reactions and it's totally amazing that you managed to vid an idea that frakking complex. It's still one of my favourite vids.
I have this idea that at the end of BSG I'll make a vid-rec list. Like, here are all the vids that summarise BSG for me. Different characters/storylines/themes. If I get around to it, Jolene will totally be on it.
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Re: now, love, where have you been?
Date: 2008-12-18 12:16 pm (UTC)I actually agree with you that the whole "my head plays it over and over" section with the attacks was sympathetic. I mean, even I find it sympathetic and I worried at the time, that I was making Baltar too sympathetic since I think it plays too easily as "look how tortured he is, he feels so bad!" rather than "look at the lengths he'll go to to deny this." But it would have felt disingenuous not to use it because it is part of his narrative. Even if he isn't aware his head is playing it over and over.
I had surprisingly consistant and startling sympathy for Baltar pretty much until season four and even then until The Hub. Because you have such a good point, that bugfuck insane is one of his only options. I think the point where I stopped being sad for him and his inability to be a decent human being and started being horrified by it was his confession to Laura in 4x09. Which is why the vid ends there. Where I wasn't mad at him for turning the guilt off, but for...not learning anything. For not even saying sorry. I don't know. I rambled about this insanely at the time and I'll run out of comment space if I don't stop now. But the point is, I think that was his most despicable moment.
And I think it emotionally affected me more than I could really articulate. The disappointment in him. I thought I knew him and the depths of his weaselling. But now he's not even weaselling. So I lost my sympathy for him, but I didn't lose my sympathy for him earlier in the story, and that's hard to process?
*dons Obi-Wan mask*
GAIUS, YOU WERE MY
BROTHERCRAZY-EYED ACCIDENTAL ARCHITECT OF GENOCIDE, I LOVED YOU! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO SAVE US FROMTHE SITHCREEPY RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISTS, NOT JOIN THEM!Ahem.
I'm so glad you like the last image! I'd be totally interested to know what it means to you. My goal was basically sarcastic clapping. Like, lovely Gaius. Now look where you've ended up, fucktard. But...well, with all the layers Tricia Helfer gives absolutely everything including sarcastic clapping.
Finally, OMG THE CALLYVID! I still love that. And still come down on the side of it being about - as someone else put it - Cally's tragic lack of fabulousness rather than OMGPOORCALLY even though it was tragic all the crap that happened to her. But yeah. I can see what you mean about the split reactions and it's totally amazing that you managed to vid an idea that frakking complex. It's still one of my favourite vids.
I have this idea that at the end of BSG I'll make a vid-rec list. Like, here are all the vids that summarise BSG for me. Different characters/storylines/themes. If I get around to it, Jolene will totally be on it.