July 13, 2008
Re-Imagined BSG The Miniseries Part 1 & 2 Episode Commentary
Galaxies: Battlestar Galactica, BSG, Entertainment, TelevisionREAD THE INTRODUCTION HERE FIRST
***These articles are full of Spoilers from the entire series to date as aired in the USA...Continue At Your Own Risk--Moreover, the format assumes the reader has seen all of the episodes and specials aired thru the first half of season 4, up to and including “Revelations”...
Click here for the complete timeline of all the events thus far.
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A Final Look Back...
Miniseries, Night 1 – US Airdate: December 8, 2003
SUMMARY & INFO
WATCH IT HERE
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Miniseries, Night 2 – US Airdate: December 9, 2003
SUMMARY & INFO
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Backstory:
(Copied from the BSG Wiki summary linked above)The Cylons were created by the people of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol as a labor and military force. Approximately 52 years prior, the Cylons turned on their human creators and the Cylon War ensued; after the Armistice was declared, the Cylons left the Colonies, apparently to seek a home world of their own.
The Colonials maintained an Armistice Station as a place where Cylon and Colonial representatives can meet in order to maintain diplomatic relations. However, the Cylons have never sent an ambassador. No one has seen a Cylon since the end of the Cylon War, over 40 years ago...
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The statement made by the 6 at the Armistice Station when she asked the officer if he was alive and then tells him to “prove it” is in many ways a foreshadowing of the idea that the cylons are sentient. A concept that many out here in reality still argue against – most likely due to over inflated feelings of self importance that most humans have. Choosing to believe that if there is a God, humanity is 2nd only to that God and therefore find it incomprehensible that a being for whom all intents and purposes is technically artificial, could be considered “alive”.
However, we as a race cannot even begin to explain or prove scientifically that we ourselves have souls let alone disprove another beings ability to have a soul or not. The fact that the humans created the first cylons is meaningless. Technically speaking we make our children. And we assume them to be alive – albeit very immature when compared to their parents.
For the sake of not stomping on a very good story – all of my comments are based on the assumption that the Cylons, be they skinjob, centurion, raider or even BaseStar, are definitely living and for the most part sentient or have free will. The Cylon skinjobs even went so far as to inhibit the centurions from having free will for fear that they would turn on the skins the way their predecessors turned on the Colonies. This free will was later returned to the centurions at the beginning of season 4, much to the dismay of Brother Cavil.
Throughout the beginning scenes Roslin seems to be flashing back to Caprica and her news about having breast cancer. There is also some time line overlapping from the time 6 accidentally kills the baby and later when she and Baltar are walking thru the plaza. Later in the series Roslin will recall sitting by the pond just after leaving the doctors office and seeing Baltar with 6 in the same Plaza. From this I would gather that Roslin left for Galactica after Baltar and 6 part ways for the afternoon in that scene where Caprica 6 says she is meeting someone and Baltar claims to be “insanely jealous”.
Which puts Roslin on Galactica when 6 returns that night to find Baltar in bed with the other woman. It would seem several more hours pass while 6 details her being a Cylon to Baltar and states that he surely must have known. During this time we also know that Roslin is now enroute back to Caprica with Lee. This scene is interesting in that the 6, now known as Caprica, chastises Baltar for being so self absorbed and even compliments his knack for self-deception.
The Colonial Heavy ship transporting Roslin that later becomes Colonial One, uses sublight speeds to make the journey, so it was likely several hours from point A to point B. Later comments from Col. Tigh indicate that the Galactica has not used her FTL in nearly 20 years. Though comments from Gaeta regarding the missing Armistice officer indicate that as a society FTL is used on a regular basis…but most likely only to specific points over and over making calculations a simple matter of repeating the past. I was given the impression that deep space exploration hadn’t really been a priority for the colonies, perhaps due to fear of the Cylons being “out there”.
If the timeline puts Roslin in the plaza with 6 and Baltar before Roslin left for Galactica – whomever 6 met up with, that they never show and all indications are that they wont, that person had time to get on the ship with Roslin and possibly take that device they found in CIC to the Galactica. However, Gaeta stated it may have been there over a week and he had just figured it was part of the museum stuff. So that leads to me think that device was merely a Cylon homing device or portable long-range sub space communications relay allowing the Cylons to send messages to each other off the grid so to speak.
The same way Deanna would send the footage she shot of Athena and Hera back to the Cylons on Caprica during season 2. This assumption is based on Caprica 6 having one in her case at the same time the one on Galactica existed. It still leaves the possibility open though that whomever it was that Caprica met with in the plaza hitched a ride to Galactica aboard the Colonial Heavy ship with Roslin. Its unlikely this was the case and even more unlikely that it was the final Cylon. It was more likely the Copy of Sharon later to become Athena. We may never know for sure.
Going back to the scene with the baby in the plaza; there are still those out there that think 6 broke the babies neck intentionally; either out of mercy or malice or curiosity. Personally, the look on her face as she walks away was more that of someone that just did something they didn’t mean to do, that they felt bad about, even in the context of everyone is going to die anyway.
When you look at the Cylons desire to procreate, the act of blatantly killing the infant would go against their longing to have children of there own. I honestly feel that she just did not know enough about babies and being freakishly strong, it was an accident. Her comment about the baby not having to cry for much longer I am sure was in reference to the impending attack – not a warning she was about to snap his neck.
With regard to Baltar surviving, I have stated more than once that it just was not a direct hit and merely the shock wave that destroyed his house. Cylons are physically stronger than humans and the 6 endured the full force of the blast protecting him. And lets not forget that Baltar has a destiny too and was therefore meant to survive. A leads to B leads to C. Had the nuke hit his house then no, neither would have lived. But if the guy on crutches could survive why not someone in good shape that had a Cylon for a shield? Unless he is a Cylon but that’s even hard to buy when you take into account that the final five don’t appear to have a resurrection ship or any extra bodies to download into. If he turns out to be the last Cylon – they will have some serious explaining to do. LOL
From the very start of this series, Helo proves that he cares more about humanity on a whole than his own well-being. This is another plot point created by Caprica 6, a Cylon who adamantly believes that God has a plan for them all. She saves Baltar, Baltar makes it to the Raptor where Helo recognizes him giving up his seat and stranding himself on Caprica. Later on in the series, a copy of Sharon, whom Helo had a crush on to begin with, shows up to rescue him but the Cylons get in the way – on purpose. This of course leads to Helo and Sharon hooking up and making Hera. “A leads to B leads to C”. Granted – the sex was planned by the Cylons but they didn’t plan for Athena to fall in love with and then help Helo escape. She was supposed to kill him.
It is also worth noting that Head 6 makes her first appearance at the rescue site as if to assure Baltar he is on the right path. To some degree I think her constant goading of him and accusations of being on the side of the Cylons is intentional on her part to force Baltar to grow and evolve into his destiny – whatever that may be.
I do not believe at this point that Head 6 has any connection to the real Caprica – unless Head 6 and Head Baltar are the same entity. Neither of these virtual beings do I feel were ever cylons but are in fact tied to the power behind the entire mystical angle of the series. I have always believed that the entity or entities merely took on the forms most likely to have to the maximum influence over the subjects chosen for this path.
Caprica 6 on the other hand, is likely the first Cylon to regret the attacks. From her accidental slaying of the baby to believing that Baltar was killed in the blast, she wakes from downloading already upset and guilt ridden. We see Head Baltar for the first time during the episode “Downloaded” which perhaps indicates that it is guilt or regret that created both Head 6 and Head Baltar, or at least explains why these 2 characters were chosen by whatever it is that is playing God(s). Perhaps that entity or entities sought out the most regretful beings on both sides of the war to facilitate the ultimate survival of both races at the end?
Meanwhile on board Galactica we learn a few things about the main characters. We learn that Bill Adama had 2 sons, one dead, one estranged. We learn that he has a soft spot for Kara/Starbuck despite her attitude problem and conflicts with the XO. We learn that the XO has a drinking problem and a wife, whom apparently fools around and everyone knows it. Kara was involved romantically with Zak Adama and in many ways is responsible for his death.
Neither Kara nor Bill Adama has spoken to Lee Adama since the funeral for Zak some 2 years ago. While Kara blames herself for passing Zak when he didn’t belong in the cockpit, Lee blames his father for pressuring Zak into feeling the need to be a pilot in the first place.
We learn that Galen Tyrol, Deck Chief, is having an affair with Lt. Sharon Valerii-Boomer, a huge no-no in the military at that time – just prior to the attacks on the 12 colonies. She is a Raptor Pilot; apparently a rookie according to Kara. Karl Agathon-Helo is Boomer's ECO.
During the pilots briefing regarding the decommissioning ceremony, Boomer and Helo wave to Lee/Apollo, as if they know him from somewhere else. This is never really explained. Some assume that they just knew of him thru Kara since Kara hasn’t spoken to Lee in 2 yrs – suggesting Lee hadn’t been aboard the Galactica in that time.
The pilots briefing also illustrates the loyalty this crew feels toward Bill Adama – The Old Man or Husker, as was his call sign. Additionally, Lee comes off as very cocky, snooty and way too full of himself from the moment he was informed he had to manually land his Viper, until the daggit doody hit the fan and he realized his old mans dinosaur of a Viper saved his butt and the butts of all those on Colonial One.
We see Bill Adama stand up to Roslin over the networking of any computers on his ship regardless of how much easier it would make things for the teachers. We get the feeling that once Galactica was fully decommissioned and docked, they had plans to make it a school as well as a museum. His foot putting down established him as a strong leader not about to cave to any bureaucracy that may endanger his ship or his crew.
The fun part about rewatching the miniseries after all this time has passed is seeing just how much everyone has changed; some for the better and some for the worse. Roslin is a prime example when you look at her first decision to not leave the civilians behind despite incoming Cylon missiles to her change mid episode to the realization that no matter how bad she may want to, they simply cannot save everyone. As Lee said, it had become a numbers game; sacrifice 1,000 to save 10,000.
It is the harsh cold reality of survival. Roslin’s tune change is even more apparent during the Exodus from New Caprica during season 3, in which she states that everyone has known that a rescue was coming, that they had practiced the evacuation in the form of fire drills or whatever and at some point “these people are just going to have be responsible for saving themselves.”
She further sets the tone for her relationship with Bill from the get go, ordering him to assist with rescue opps, though she didn’t get her way just then, she did manage to convince him that humanities survival depended on the Galactica taking all the civilians and making a run for it. In that scene we see Adama enter the room with all kinds of attitude.
First she makes him wait until she finishes with Billy, (which by the way ensured that 500 prisoners didn’t get air locked, something that Tom Zarek owes her one for – another example of “A leads to B leads to C”,) and then takes control of the conversation by directly asking if he, Cmdr Adama, intended to stage a coup de tat, a question that clearly took him off guard and put him on the defensive. It may have irritated him at that point, but I believe her strength and determination to save those they could even if it meant running and hiding lead to the love and respect he feels for her now. My own views on Roslin in the coming episodes will vary from respect to irritation.
Baltar is another big personality change even though his changes took longer to take hold or for him to embrace them. Admitting you are a flawed coward of a sinner (as he does in season 4) and accepting that you have a higher purpose if you can just get over yourself is something not just out of character for who he was at the start, but also illustrates the very concepts he now shares with his flock.
That concept being that no matter how flawed they are in each other eyes, the one true God loves them all, and because God is perfect, Gods love is also perfect and therefore makes them each perfect in Gods eyes.
Granted, this idea may seem self important, but considering the situation that these people are living through, that kind of unconditional love, even from something intangible, is all some of them have to live for, having lost most of their loved ones at the start or along the way. And its that feeling of being loved that leads so many to follow Baltar as if some kind of Messiah. His role at the end of season 4 should be very interesting to watch played out, especially if Earth really is a desolate wasteland.
Then we have Aaron Doral. I always found Baltar’s guess that he was a Cylon amusingly suspicious. However, if we believe Head 6 that God has chosen Baltar; then it follows that God would give him certain instincts, which are unexplainable. I have been known to be rather intuitive myself on occasion, not that I feel I am chosen by any means, just that we all have instincts and some of us have learned how to listen to and interpret them.
Tigh apparently forgot Baltar’s explanation as to how he proved that Doral was a Cylon when Baltar’s new Cylon detector was far more complex than simply burning some hair. I simply chalk that up to the series getting green lighted and the writers deciding it needed to be more difficult to determine human from Cylon skin job. After re-watching the Episode Water, we see that Baltar claimed he had used some long winded sounding chemicals to do the first test and those items are just not available now.
The thing about Doral, a model #5 Cylon, is his obvious quest to stir dissent. A sort of Cylon busy body, doing what he can to prevent order and make it easier for the Cylons to win. He seems almost shocked by how well Laura Roslin takes charge – likely assuming the death of the primary leadership would leave humanity lost, confused and easy to pick off.
When Roslin takes charge, even before being named next in line for President, Doral goes to great lengths to countermand her authority. He even actively pushes the guilt factor over leaving the civilians knowing that they would all be destroyed when the Cylons arrived. I found Lee’s comment rather funny “the ladies in charge”. Even funnier was her comment to Lee after the EM pulse in which she said, “The lesson here is to not ask follow-up questions, but to just say thanks for saving our collective asses!”
LeOben Conoy, aka Philosopher Cylon, tries to screw with Bill Adama on the Ragnar Anchorage Munitions Depot. The irony of Bill saving LeOben when the bomb went off by grabbing him and bailing inside that passage way, only to beat him to death later when he realizes he is a Cylon sets the initial tone of vengeance in the hearts of most of the colonials.
It always sounds good on paper but the reality of vengeance is that you have to lower yourself to that of the ones you take revenge against, ultimately making you no more worthy of survival than they are. As Adama mentioned in his speech, in all the years since the first Cylon War, humanity had never asked itself what made them worthy as a species to live.
While LeOben is known for double talk and manipulation through half truths, so far the only statements he has made to not come true was that Adama was a Cylon. Unless one of the Adamas ends up being the last Cylon - that may be the only real lie he has ever told beyond the claim that he had allergies and was an arms dealer.
He told Kara they would find Kobol and they did. He told her that he would hold her in his arms and she would tell him she loved him, which she did, albeit to get him to give her Kasey during season 3s Exodus from New Caprica, she still said the words. He told Kara during the episode “Flesh and Bone” that she had a destiny and we seem to be learning that is also correct.
It would certainly be interesting and great big twist if the final Cylon turns out to be Bill Adama. Him being the final Cylon would make Lee and Zak either hybrids, or it would make them not his biological children. Another twist would be to have Joseph Adama, Bills father be the final Cylon, making Bill a hybrid with Lee and Zak being ¼ Cylon each. Or Bill may not Joseph’s biological son. Always a way to open a door that seems closed.
Throughout the miniseries, there are several nods to the original show, both to appease fans as well as highlight the point that too much technology is not always a good thing when your enemy is a product of that technology with the skill and will to use it against you. The old vipers being immune to the Cylon virus that “flipped off a switch” and left the entire squad of Mark VII’s sitting ducks is a testament to that theme in this show. The – you can’t play God and then wipe your hands of things you have you done - theme.
Another plot point of note was the decision to vent those compartments of the port flight pod to put out the fires before they reached critical fuel lines putting the entire ship at risk. Tyrol’s attitude toward Tigh is either telling of Tyrol’s desire to put his crew above the rest of the ship or telling of a general lack of respect for Tigh as a leader.
Commander Adama even stated he would have made the same call. In a survival situation where the sum total of humanity is relying on the last Battlestar for protection from a relentless enemy, sacrifices are inevitable. The risk was too great. Any attempt to delay would have risked not just the ship but the civilian ships as well. Without Galactica for protection and leadership, the civilians would have been easy targets for the Cylons. Therefore the cost to save 85 lives was too great when weighed against the last of humanity. It doesn’t matter if Tyrol had time to save them or not. Giving him that chance would have put the ship at risk and that’s the point of Risk vs. Reward, or Cost vs. Benefit.
The final scenes of the mini series included an edge of your seat, jump up and cheer, all out battle between Galactica and the Cylon Fleet while the civilians jumped away. Apollo’s ship is damaged in the firefight while Starbuck has gotten her groove on picking off raiders like shooting fish in a barrel. Cmdr Adama calls out to her their usual greeting snapping her back to reality and to get her back to the Galactica.
Because Apollo’s ship is disabled, the gutsy, if not insane, Starbuck rams his viper nose to firing cannon and flies both ships into the flight pod with only seconds to spare before the pod fully retracts. The Galactica then jumps away just as a several Cylon Nukes are about to impact her hull.
When we look at the events that take place in the Miniseries as they have lead to or affected future events in the series, we can draw certain conclusions regarding cause and effect.
* Caprica 6’s love for Baltar caused her to shield him from the shockwave allowing him to be rescued, and causing Helo to stay behind on the planet which later lead to his impregnating Athena – the 2nd Sharon, and creating what is still assumed to be the first Cylon-Human hybrid child Hera.
* Baltar’s self importance and lust caused him to allow Caprica 6 into the defense mainframe, deluding himself that she merely was assisting him with algorithms and creating backdoors for a future business opportunity…essentially corporate espionage. This allowed her to plant the Cylon virus that was later used to disable all networked ships and defense detectors including most of the modern weapons that the colonies used at the time. Technically making Baltar responsible for the fall of the 12 colonies, but not guilty of intentionally conspiring with the enemy. Being a dumb ass is thus far not a capital offense.
* Adama’s die hard attitude about no networks saved the Galactica and in a similar twist of fate, being destined to become a museum provided them with a squadron of Mark II Vipers, the only Vipers immune to the virus due to their aging technology. Not to mention the fact that had the Galactica not been converted to a museum, she likely would have been docked at the Scorpion Shipyards and destroyed with the first round of attacks.
* Kara’s cocky attitude, fearless nature and general insanity saved Lees life, at least once in this episode, more times later on. It was Adama’s soft spot for her, and the fact that he held her piloting skills in such high regard that took her out of the brig in the first place.
* Lee proved himself a quick thinker when he used the Electronic Pulse Generators to simulate a nuclear blast that also disabled the Cylon nukes saving Colonial One, and the other civilian ships. Those generators came off of Galactica and would not have been aboard that ship had the Galactica not been in the throws of decommissioning. In fact everyone that survived that day due to being a part of the ceremony have that little twist of fate to thank for their lives.
* Baltars wild guess about Doral proved to be correct and put him in the middle of tactical plans involving the Cylons in general. His continued visions of Head 6 are at this point being dismissed by him as his own self dealing with the stress, however she tells him things that he should not know, such as details regarding the sleeper Cylons. The presence of Head 6 will cause many other future events in the show to take place as she guides Baltar.
* One could also say that being low man as it were for Roslin, the ceremony pawned off on her likely by higher ups that didn’t have time to attend or care to, but the Presidents office had to be represented, in the end not only saved her life but also assured her place as the next president. A seemingly meaningless fact at the beginning, which becomes more symbolic as her destiny begins to unfold. Assuming she is the true dying leader mentioned in the Scrolls and referred to by the Cylons Hybrid during season 4.
* Roslin saves Tom Zarek by assuring that the prison ship is treated properly. She saves him again during the 3rd season when they were about to be executed by Centurions before the insurgents intervened. Yet he continues to treat her as an uncaring selfish Bitch. She may well be, but he still owes her his life. More than once.
Many have questioned the idea that out of all the billions of people on the colonies to die, the survival of the final 4 that we know of seemed too far-fetched.
With the overwhelming set of presumable coincidences, the Cylons belief that there is but one true God and that God has a plan, the way certain events seemed predestined as if lining up ones pieces in a game of chess, I am compelled to lean toward the idea that indeed all of the events thus far were meant to be and that there is a higher power pulling strings to be sure certain ducks are placed correctly within certain rows. And I don’t mean the writers or RDM. LOL
Thank you for reading, I look forward to your comments.
~99
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