BSG 4.08: Sine Qua Non

[icepixie]

So. I'd say this episode could pretty much be summed up in one word: DUDE.

Of course, I'm considerably more verbose than that, so you get more words.

Shocking revelation the first: Lee as president. I...what the HELL? Are they all braindead out there? Getting low on oxygen? I know they only have 39,000-odd people left, but even in that situation, surely they could've come up with someone besides the newest, most inexperienced, vastly naive member of the Quorum, yes? Gah. Even if it couldn't be Zarek, uh, it couldn't be anyone else in the Quorum? Ack. (Also, I'm guessing that in the political allegory this is has turned into, Lee is Obama, bringer of hope?)

Shocking revelation the second: OMGWTFBBQ, Six and Tigh gonna have a baby. Show, you have officially broken my brain. I'm guessing the rationale behind this is that the combination of Tigh being a special Final Fiver and the fact that he was seeing Ellen in Six-->the love necessary in Cylon procreation, and thus two Cylons are able to conceive. So, this should be fun.

(Not-so-)shocking revelation the third: Adama is crazy in love with Roslin. Which we all kind of knew, but I appreciated hearing it from him and half the cast. Although I'm not so sure I like that it's made him so very irrational. What I liked about their relationship from the start was that they stayed competent and rational no matter what. Then again, he did at least realize he was acting foolishly and handed over command to Tigh (which may not have been the BEST idea, but we'll see) and stayed behind so he was only risking his own neck. This same realization took Starbuck, what, three or four episodes? I guess we're improving there. (BTW, that looks like it has to be the most boring thing in the world, sitting there in the raptor waiting for someone who may not ever come. Well, we know they'll be back, because it's inevitable, but he doesn't.)

Short takes:

- Yay, Natalie lived! Oh, wait. Never mind. Damn you, show!

- OUCH. Sucks to be you, Sharon. (Also, EJO was really going for the Shatner resemblance tonight. I think I have flecks of scenery on my TV still.)

- Ooof, Colonial One looks like it took a beating since we saw it last.

- Now, now. Anyone who has spent any time in academia knows that a search committee is pretty much incompatible with ASAP.

- Oh. Lampkin. I hate Lampkin. (I totally was remembering his name as Lamprey before Lee said it.)

- Uh, Tigh. You realize that Six may be able to use what you just told her about Adama being head over heels in love with Roslin for nefarious purposes, yes? (I swear, this show has made me the most suspicious person EVER.)

- Pretty ships in space!

- Okay, I giggled at the model getting broken again, and at Adama's reaction to it. Poor model. (Also, I'm taking bets on how many Adama/Tight slash stories will be written based on that scene.)

- Lampkin imagined Adama a realist? Has he been paying any attention at all over the past three years?

- There was a not-so-small part of me chanting, "Shoot him, shoot him!" when Lampkin had the gun pointed at Lee, I'll admit. (Speaking of which..."Leeland"?)

- Um, can I take the dog? And Lampkin's cat? He's way too creepy for pets. Or any kind of interaction with living things.

- Were there enough cliches exchanged between the Adamas and Starbuck at the end there, or did we need a few more?


Preview spoilers below!
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YAAAAAAAAAAAAY, D'Anna's back! Woot! I love her. Also, I'm VERY VERY CONVINCED that that last bit where she's saying her interlocutor is unaware of their own Cylonicity and then it cuts immediately to Laura is a GIANT FAKEOUT. SO THERE.
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Comments

[laserhead.livejournal.com]

So with you on every point. I'm pretty sure I annoyed my roommate with all the WTF-ing I was screaming. And thank you for providing at least a marginally plausible reason for the Tigh-Six baby. (What's Gaius going to say?)

Lee as president? WORST DECISION EVER! I called it 3 minutes into the 'search committee' but was rather hoping that after Bill resigned, they'd name HIM president. Now that would have been interesting.

[icepixie]

(What's Gaius going to say?)

HA! I hadn't even thought of that. Now I want to know what his Harvey!Six is going to say...

Lee as president? WORST DECISION EVER!

A THOUSAND TIMES YES.

I called it 3 minutes into the 'search committee'

I kind of figured it would happen last week, when the preview included a shot of him raising his hand and swearing an oath, but I was hoping that was some kind of fakeout. Alas, no.

but was rather hoping that after Bill resigned, they'd name HIM president. Now that would have been interesting.

I like the way you think. That would be pretty awesome.

[orangetango.livejournal.com]

I called it 3 minutes into the 'search committee'

Same here. But still. wtf.

[elflore.livejournal.com]

My theory on the Sigh-Six baby is that the Final Five operate under different rules than the other Cylons. They're more unique, more human...and as Rachael pointed out, presumably Tiggy's been around in the Colonies for 20+ years, during which PapAdama's seen him age, which I didn't think the non-Five Cylons really did.

Agreed on the next week fakeout. Right now I'm really thinking Pop is #5.

And agreed of course on the WTF. Both BSG and Lost, I feel, stopped really being grounded in their characters about half way through. Everything's driven by plot machinery in their later seasons, and even if I'm still intrigued by the stories, I'm not engaged emotionally like I was by both shows' beginnings.

*sighs*

Ah well, my TV cup still runneth over these days.

[icepixie]

I think the baby is a combination of the Five being different/more human and of Tigh seeing Ellen instead of Six and being in love with her. (Six asking, "Saul, do you love me?" is meant to be a big thing, I think.)

I'm sticking with Zarek as #5, with an outside chance it's Lee (though that brings up issues of two humans giving birth to a Cylon...perhaps a changeling baby?).

Everything's driven by plot machinery in their later seasons, and even if I'm still intrigued by the stories, I'm not engaged emotionally like I was by both shows' beginnings.

This. Yes. I've definitely noticed that as a trend in BSG.

[elflore.livejournal.com]

Lee was my theory for a while...I liked the mindfrak of a Cylon son of human parents. And I see your points about Zarek, but I still feel like the last one has to be HUGE, someone we've been invested in big time from the beginning--which kinda means Roslin, Starbuck, or one of the Adamas. Kara was too obvious with all her disappearances and prophecy, Roslin is now too obvious from that clear fakeout preview...so that pretty much leaves the Adama boys. And I'm putting my money on Bill at the moment, because it makes Lee a hybrid baby destined to unite the two peoples.

[icepixie]

And I'm putting my money on Bill at the moment, because it makes Lee a hybrid baby destined to unite the two peoples.

I still have my issues with all the buildup around Hera as the first hybrid if that's the case, but I guess we'll find out this season! :)

[orangetango.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't it be crazy if Lee's deceased brother, whose name I can't remember, returned as #5?

I don't think it would really work, but it's funny to think about.

[icepixie]

Wouldn't it be crazy if Lee's deceased brother, whose name I can't remember, returned as #5?

I've seen that theory batted about online. I think it would be really interesting. (His name is Zak, BTW.)

[alto2.livejournal.com]

(Also, I'm guessing that in the political allegory this is has turned into, Lee is Obama, bringer of hope?)

Considering how long ago this had to have been filmed, I'd say probably not, but I like it way better than the theory I had, which is that Laura = Bush, and Lee = Cheney. After all, Cheney's the clever bastard who was in charge of coming up with a running mate for W and came up with...himself! Oh, hey, who ever said that's not the way it's supposed to work, Dick? ::headdesk::

Can't deny that Lee's looking better and better the longer he's out of uniform. Hair of measurable length, and those suits he's wearing, are seriously working for him.

[icepixie]

Considering how long ago this had to have been filmed, I'd say probably not

I dunno, Obama's been doing the hope/change thing since he started campaigning back in January. It wouldn't surprise me.

Can't deny that Lee's looking better and better the longer he's out of uniform. Hair of measurable length, and those suits he's wearing, are seriously working for him.

This I would have to agree with.

[alto2.livejournal.com]

Obama's been doing the hope/change thing since he started campaigning back in January.

Yeah, but I'd bet these were in the can months before that, especially considering that January was Sci-Fi's original start date (heck, Katee Sackhoff had time to run off and do another show that aired before this one). I suppose it's a possibility, or that they could have assumed things might go the way they have (though who could have predicted this nightmare primary cycle??), but I doubt it's a direct comment on events that recent.

[icepixie]

Would this have been filmed/written before or after they got back from the strike? I don't know much about BSG's filming schedule. I figured this one would have been written around the new year, maybe.

[alto2.livejournal.com]

Did some digging and it looks like the first 11 episodes were filmed before production ended on November 16th, thanks to the strike, so they were definitely written a ways before primary season.

[icepixie]

Good to know! Thanks!