Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine Battlestar Galactica - Season 4

Because it's just about time...

Seriously, after all this time waiting and waiting I'm ready to go.

Woohoo! Can't wait!!!! We're having friends over to watch the premiere. I've avoided spoilerish images and promos, but I imagine revelations to shock and amaze!

It's only hours away!!!!

I'm bad. I didn't see one episode of season three (not that I can remember). But Comcast just added Sci-Fi in HD so I taped the two part season finale and the season 4 premier. Onto the iPhone they go!

You recorded it in HD, but you're gonna watch it on that tiny little screen? What's the point? We have a 36-inch, and it still wasn't big enough for all the season premiere goodness.

It is so I can watch at work to catch what I miss after watching it on my 50" plasma. BSG always takes me two showings to take it all in.

Well, it's off with a bang. Not that we would expect anything less. I'm most captivated (as I often am) by Baltar's story. Here, we see a take on the Christ figure that could never have occured to me -- what if you had done something so bad, so unforgivable, that you just completely surrender your volition to god(s), but that surrender is viewed as divine inspiration and presence? Having avoided conviction by humans, Baltar has now "convicted" himself. In so doing, he is ready to die, and therefore brings life. It's a fascinating conceit. What if the teachings of Jesus, of Mohammed, of Buddha, sprang from their own seemingly unforgivable sins? Having said all that, I thought James Callis's performance was strangely off; too wide-eyed and incoherent.

The other moment that made the episode was Lee's question to Adama: What if Zak had climbed out of Starbuck's viper, alive again? What if he were a Cylon, had been one from the very beginning? Would you not love him with all your heart? It was such an amazing moment of insight for Lee, and Adama didn't really have a reply.

All of this suggests that, at the heart of the matter, I think it's about...forgiveness. (Sorry, Don Henley). This is about Human and Cylon both forgiving each other their transgressions and finding a common ground on which to go forward.

On more practical points:

1) Last I recall, the Cylons had decided to head to earth too. At that point, wouldn't they have ceased overt hostilities towards the humans? If anything, don't they want to know what the humans know about earth.

2) Given 1), why did the Cylons attack in the first place at the Ionian nebula? Was it self-defense on their part, a pre-emptive strike since they expected the humans to attack? Or, does part of the new plan for earth include killing the neighbors before you move in?

3) The Anders/Centurion stare down (which was just one of many ubercool moments of acting, directing and editing) means that the Cylons now know that Final 5 are in the fleet. That certainly means that the Cylons won't attack again, right? To maintain tension, the humans can't find out very soon. They have to think that the threat of attack is always an imminent one.

1) Perhaps the group of six(the lawless series has been put in stasis right) is divided on what to do?

2) Why share the pie when you can have the whole thing

3) here's what I really liked about that scene:

even though the final five are unknown to the rest of the group(except the lawless series), the Raiders and I presume the Centurions, are programmed to recognize them anyway. which implies to me that one of the final five is the ultimate boss of the other series, or at least was first. after all, somebody had to program in the recognition code. or could their be someone above the final five?

also I don't Starbuck is the final one. my money is on the president. I think her visions and connection to the captured six are a big clue.

by the way, the first 8 minutes were so good I didn't sit down until the commercial break.

Starbuck would be a too-easy choice for the 5th. So might Roslin, too... I'm expecvting something waay out of left field for #5.

I'm assuming Kara was saved/guided by this series' version of the City of Light beings: the shiney-white viper, the 'call' into the gas giant, the star following the fleet... it seems like them.

The cylon attack was a necessary all-out one so the humans would have to feild everyone they had - otherwise Anders might not have made contact. Clearly almost all of the humans were and are expendible towards that end. With contact, we have... what? They were already activated with the song, so this was most likely merely a massive decoy effort to confirm activation.

So how about Baltar's visit to the hooker-deck?

'Cause when I saw the red-curtained, candle-lit, many-beds and no-other-furniture-decorated room full of hotties, and some random dude hurriedly putting his shirt back on, I sure didn't think 'temple.' I thought, 'Hey, this must be where Cassiopiea has been hiding!'

maybe that sort of temple could catch on!

so what about the Chief's child, half cylon, that hasnt been addressed yet and should be interesting.

I do like how there's a whole empty room on Galactica ready for Baltar's hottie cult when they had overcrowed refugee camps on board only recently. And random civilians wandering around the ship like it was Next Generation. I guess Joe's Bar is going to be hiring now. Maybe that'll be Lee's new position.

another good episode. but something I was struck about something by last night's episode.

is it possible that the development/rebellion going on among the Cylons is mirroring what happened among the 12 colonies? did the colonies turn the Centurions on each and the Centurions decided neither side was worthy?

now that the Centurions have 'free will' will they once again rebel against their masters. after all, relatively speaking they are more powerful than the human looking Cylons.

and given this episodes revalations, why don't the human Cyclons recognize the lost ones, but the dumber raiders can. interesting.

lastly, has anyone ever gone to a poetry slam? because I tell ya, the baseship A.I. could win one easily, they just need a jazzy back beat while they riff.

There are episodes where BSG is captivating, others where it goes over the edge with loud histrionics. I think last night sorta crossed the line for me. Starbuck is just too over the top for too much of the time.

Set's point about the "temple" is totally cool and I totally missed it! Of course, "harlotry" was an integral part of many pre-Christian religions, especially goddess worship like Isis/Astarte/Ishtar.

The one thing I appreciated most about this episode was the fact that we really don't know WHO is right -- Adama or Roslyn, and that makes for good drama. I started thinking last night that Starbuck would be the downfall of the humans because they WON'T listen to her, that is, she becomes an agent of dissension and mistrust even though she's right. But I really don't know.

I found the Cylon civil war potential to be very exciting... maybe that was Boomer's intent in switching votes?

Kara was over the top... but it it more or less fit. Kara's a passionate person anyway, and always acts on emotion... so for her to really feel something so intently, it kinda had to be even more than usual. And she was brilliantly balanced by Adama, who grounded her, grounded the situation, and really made it come together (not just in his solution).

Oh, damn, damn, damn. I'm all wrung out after that one. I can't believe it. I watched the last 20 minutes with my hands over my mouth so I wouldn't, I don't know, shout at the screen and wake the family up. That was the most gut-wrenching episode since the Circle was offing Cylon collaborators.
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Not Cally!!! RRRR. Tory is a bad cylon/person/thing. But that's not exactly news is it?

Yeah, Callie's fate was pretty much sealed.

But the biggest shock for me was Boomer kissing whatsisname old cylon dude. I mean, he was all gooey and everything too -- eewwwww.....

Yes, that was pretty unnerving as well. Ew.

Manipulation and betrayal seemed to be a big theme tonight. The Cavils turning on the Sixes, Zarek and Roslin both trying to make Lee a pawn.

Still, seeing ol' Doc Cottle lighting up an bantering with poor Cally was pretty funny. And I love that Gaeta, who I think still hates Kara, is stuck on her crazy go-nowhere loony trip.

Doc Cottle is awesome. he speaks truth, and will smoke when and where he pleases.

Tory is starting to be a lot less conflicted than the others. I wonder if that is just her, or will the others show the same negative development.

it was a quick moment, but one of my favorite parts was the Centurion waiting to be asked please before caring out a request. which makes sense, other than not looking human, and I guess not having verbal speech, they have the same programming don't they? so why should he feel inferior to one of the 12?

and lastly, my hats off to the production crew. I could almost smell the stuffy air and bad odors on that garbage barge.

So far BSGS4 has been a bit slow out of the gates for me for the most part. The developments with the Four nad the Cylon civil war in episode 3 were a little more like it though. I always liked Callie, so it was sad to see her go. I wonder if Tory will tell the other skinjobs how it really went down?

All in all, we just haven't had that 'Final Season' vibe as much as I'd like. It feels like the plots are either going at normal speed, or possibly even a hair slower in some ways. We've only got seven more frakkin' eps to wrap it all up, dammit!

Anyhow, I don't mean to apply that BSGS4 is crap or anything, but I guess I was expecting a little more "pep" or something after waiting a year for it to return, y'know?

I like to think the final season is like a swing-wing jet fighter. they have taken off, they are at cruising altitude, and now they are moving the wings back to hit super sonic.

Lardy - there's another 10 eps in the pipeline that have yet to be scheduled, so things aren't quite so dire. I was actually worried things would be too rushed this year trying to cram it all in, so I've been happy to have a little breathing room in these first few shows.

I actually always hated Callie, so I was happy to see her go... but damn... that was pretty cold-hearted.