Thoughts on Home - Part 1

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I have a question. Why do they need the "To Be Continued" text at the end of the show? This is episodic television after all... it would be like putting "To Be Continued" after every episode of Lost or 24. The stories carry over from week to week so I would think we have all picked up on the fact that it is continuing. Just an observation... on with the show.

I don't know why, but this was an episode of goosebumps for me. Maybe I am just getting more excited about this show as time passes... maybe I woke up this morning ready for some awesome science fiction television. I have been living deeply in the scifi universe lately... Reading Building Harlequin's Moon, listening to the podcast novel EarthCore, playing the Xbox game Yager, watching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine DVDs... so I am nothing but excited about absorbing an alternate reality. Maybe I am just getting to a point with this show that I am losing all critical abilities and, good or bad, I just let my self become consumed with the characters, the music, the story.

The beginning of a conclusion
I remembering hearing from Ron Moore (in an interview or somewhere) that he really looks at these first seven episodes of season two as the end of season one. I think that is obvious in this episode in a way that it hasn't been in the past. As the characters have changed since the season one finale there is some sense that they are evolving, but also a feeling that they are diverging from who they are. Adama who was once hard is now softened. Apollo who was once a leader is now subjugated by religious fanaticism. Kara who was so loyal and sure has become doubting. Baltar who was conflicted is now becoming more evil.

This is most likely due to the separation and isolation of all the characters. They have played off each other less due to their diverging agendas. I can feel in this episode that the writers want to pull everyone back to their centers at the end of this seven episode season two run. In the words of Adama, he wants to put the family back together again... make them whole... only then will they continue to function... continue to survive.

Helo, Apollo, Sharon
The first scene that gave me massive goosebumps was the "John Woo" moment after Sharon appears in front of Roslin. The tension was executed so well... the situation so believable. I had played the introduction of Sharon over and over in my head (I assumed it would be on Galactica so this was a nice twist), and I never thought it would be as fulfilling as this scene was. Apollo's passion, Helo's plea, Kara's confused indifference, Sharon's gaze of confident mercy, Laura's hatred. After everything was said and done, I was hoping for more interaction between Helo and Apollo... maybe we will see it on Kobol.

Give me my ball back
It has been a long time since Apollo and Kara had any scenes together and this one just made me smile. They have both been through a lot but they immediately return to the brother-teases-sister antics that really defined them in the first season. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for Kara to spill something to Lee about the farms... about her encounter with Simon... I assumed she wouldn't mention Anders yet, but I would think she would immediately ask for a search of the fleet for anyone looking like Simon. Lee and Kara have great chemistry together. I am glad she is home for more interaction.

Zarek is Zarek after all
The jury is still out, but I am a little disappointed that Zarek is as blatantly evil as he seems to be. Sure he hides his "message" behind a cloak of freedom and a noble cause to unlock the chains he perceives around the fleet... but it is obvious he is a power hungry little man trying to carve a spot for himself in the shattered world around him. I guess that is the mark of a true terrorist... no concern for people, long term goals or pragmatic approaches... just power... at any cost. I keep waiting for Zarek to prove me wrong. After all, it was Lee who saved Zarek's life. Kara could have sniped him in season one but Lee prevented that. Maybe Zarek will remember that and come to his senses. At this point I am not holding out much hope.

Sharon proves herself to Apollo
Nothing like a firefight to make fast friends. It worked for Sharon on Caprica and now it appears to have worked on Kobol. Kill a few toasters and you are in like Flynn. The shoot-out was a great scene. The floating anti-personnel mines... The gun fire... the team work between Kara and Lee... Sharon's success... Lee's astonishment. You can't help but wonder how the Cylons planned that attack so perfectly. I have a feeling the road to Athena's tomb is going to be like running a gauntlet akin to the scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade... only a penitent man will pass.

Adama is Adama after all
I was a little worried about him since his awakening after the shooting. It is clear Adama is a changed man and it is now clear that most of his frustration is dealing with those changed. It has taken him a few shows to admit the reality of the situation and his powerlessness within it. When he was shot he fell asleep a man leading with a military/survival purpose. He awoke to find a situation that requires a leader of inspiration and vision. It has taken him awhile to realize that, but I think the talk with Dee was exactly what he needed. She was an outside voice... she is now the conscience Apollo and Kara were.

I am really liking Dualla as a character. She has become such a strong force on the show forging very close relationships with Apollo, Adama and Gaeta. She has come along way from season one being a simple voice of Galactica. I wonder if Adama will remember his discussion with her. I wonder if he will ever find out how she betrayed the ship to free Roslin. It puts her in a very complicated position and we know writers like complicated positions!

I just fell out of my chair when Adama paused in the hall way. The reintroduction of the Gaelic father/son theme from season one Hand of God made me bristle with goosebumps. Without any dialog you knew exactly what Adama was thinking. I was grinning ear to ear when he gave his speech in the CIC. That is the Adama we know and love...

I can't wait until next week
That is about all I have to say this episode. There is a lot of setup for next week. Will Apollo survive? Will Sharon stay on their side? Will they get the answers from the tomb they seek? Will Sharon be accepted? What will Adama say to Sharon? To Kara? To Lee? To Laura? It is going be be a good one.

Where was Tyrol this week? I guess they want to take their time with that one... throwing Sharon in the mix with a grieving Tyrol... that is going to be so damn fun to watch I can barely contain myself!

Principle MVP of the week was a little difficult. By putting everyone back together in the same plot lines screen time is a precious commodity. I keep going back to Edward James Olmos as Adama. I felt like he was in the B storyline, but his transformation this week will have the biggest impact going forward.

Secondary MVP of the week goes to Kandyse McClure as Dualla. Her amazing scene with Adama this week secured her mention the moment I saw it. He tried to put her in her place and she called him out on it. She made him consider her. She made him examine himself. Her contributions over the last few weeks have been huge and I hope we continue to see good things from her.

Additional Resources

• Official episode synopsis
• Episode commentary from Ron Moore

Comments

[John Beeler]

Your comment on Moore seeing this as a wrap-up of season one is interesting, because I felt that same way last night. In fact, as much as I have been loving these episodes I have begun to feel like a fish on hook, being dragged along on the ground.

I actually am starting to feel that they were sacrificing characters for plot. That's not to say that's what happening; but I just feel that that The Plot has taken precedence, that there's always somewhere for the camera to go and it's as if they're always thinking about the next scene.

I am very ready for the Kobol storyline to wrap up.

[John Beeler]

Another point: season one won a lot of converts, but I'm seeing some pretty mixed reactions to season 2.

Does anyone else think they've lost steam?

[The Box]

I'm not sure if it's lost steam, but Season 2 seems to be less coherent to me:
a) Season 1's subplots seemed to dovetail better and nobody really got left out for very long. This season for instance, Baltar appears sporadically, almost as if to remind us that he hasn't left the show.
b) There seemed to be more nervous energy with the first one, mostly flowing from them having to deal with real problems - fuel, water, rioting etc. One of the great thing about the show is that they were refugees, they had real problems.
c) The writing was tighter.

I've also been wondering if limitations are gonna crop up with exposing certain characters as Cylon models. Boomer is now permanently a Cylon for us and for the characters. I’m wondering if this paints the writers into a corner where they’ll have to:
a) Keep killing her off and then replacing her with a new one. Only now with no espionage capabilities since her cover’s blown.
b) Make her the resident enemy-turned-crewmember like Seven of Nine on Star Trek: Voyager.

Neither of which is going to be easy to keep fresh.

I love the show. And there's plenty of time to redeem itself. But Season 1 was incredible, so it's naturally going to be a tough act to follow.

[Trapper Markelz]

It is interesting that there are people thinking the quality this season is less than last season. I really feel like the show is actually getting better... more complex... The first season was really clean because a lot of the conflict was wrapped up each episode. The stories now are much more drawn out with many different threads.

From what I gather from all the opinions I am reading (and I go through over 300+ feed items about BSG per day) everyone is really positive about the show so far this season... lots of comments like "It just keeps getting better and better" and I have to agree.

Also, I think what we have seen are some concentrations on characters that aren't as "popular" as the others. Focus on Adama, Lee, Kara, Baltar has been much less lately while people like Tigh, Tyrol, Crashdown, Helo, Dualla, etc have been more important in the stories.

So I wouldn't say the storytelling is better or worse than last year. I think it is equal... but different.

[Zot]

Trapper, I'm with you on this. For me it has continued to get better and better. I now believe this show is absolutely the best TV series I have ever seen, and that's really saying something for me.

Sorry to disagree with John Beeler and The Box, because you both make valid points, but in my humble opinion we're now seeing more depth in a lot of the characters, and more intricate subplots to go along with it. This it the natural progression of a show that doesn't attempt to pander in the way that a lot of shows do. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this season being different to Season one. I think if we found it was the same we'd all feel like it was formulaic.

[John Beeler]

I dont' want to go down on the record as saying it's worse, because I don't really feel that way. The most I could honestly say is that it's changed.

But I think that if they don't start wrapping a few things up, it will have been worse. I'm afraid of them catching what I'll call the Mulderscully Virus, in which they become so reliant on plot device that they have to keep contriving new secrets and not answering old ones.

What drove me in the first season were not plot questions, it was character. The only major plot question was, in the beginning, "Who's a cylon" and then later, "Is Adama a Cylon?" Here, I probably walk away from 4 or 5 as monumentous questions. The show is being driven by the plot right now, not by the characters, although character is still there.

You're right, Zot, about falling into formula though. Complex characters are good. Complex plots...eeee...not so sure I see that one. Can you imagine a new viewer coming in on the last episode? How much you'd have to explain to them?

[Trapper Markelz]

John, I guess I don't see why a complex plot is bad. There is room for both. Sure, the barrier to entry is higher, but that is episodic TV. Look at Lost or 24... you cannot start those in the middle of the season at all.

BSG is about good story and good character. You could have all the character development in the world, but if they have nothing to do or no where to go or no problems to solve or mysteries to uncover what would be the point?

I was never an X-files fan so I am not aware of the Mulderscully disease... so you may be seeing something I am not... but at the moment I am content to let the writers take me where they are going. It is only the second season so there is plenty of story to tell and characters to develop.

[Zot]

John, thanks for your follow up, it clarifies things a great deal.

Your point is well made. You're saying that the show may not survive if it does not continue to attract new viewers.

I guess I was not engaging with that issue because I just don't think BSG fits so neatly into the typical ratings-inspired TV series.

It's important to remember that shows like X-Files and the Star Treks are fundamentally different from BSG. They are for all intents and purposes TV serials with a very broad back-story. BSG isn't. It doesn't have episodes that neatly contain one story. The story unfolds (often at lightning pace) as you watch it. You have to watch each episode in order. As I discovered last year, you really needed to see the Mini Series to get the whole picture and put the first series in context.

Now that we're into the second series, this causes a major problem for the writers, I believe. Yet they show no signs of letting up. It's my belief that now that they are committed to creating a TV series with an ongoing story, they're right to keep pursuing it without thinking too much about what a new viewer will think. When I came into Series 1 at episode 5 I was struck by the quality of the show in its own right. So I went back and found the previous episodes and the mini series. This is a great argument for them to get the DVDs on to the marketplace as quickly as they can, and also for networks in other countries to release the episodes soon after the original US (or UK) release.

[John Beeler]

I love the sense of inevitability in the show. For example, all of us knew something bad would happen when Boomer, Helio, and Starbuck met up with the fleet. It's taking the "look behind you" to another level.