Battlestar Galactica-Final Season (4) 4/18/08--The Ties That Bind

[evildmguy]

I also managed to avoid any previews or spoilers, so all of it was new to me.

And I found it a bit lacking but I think it was me.

I liked the character of Cally and was sorry to see this happen to her. I also didn't care for Tory, cylon or not. Not hate but apathy. I just didn't care. Anyway, after her speech to Cally about how she wasn't evil and didn't know what she was, I expected her to live up to that. I expected some good drama with Cally knowing and pushing her husband to reveal it. That's not what happened.

And, honestly, I feel cheated and that the writer(s) took the easy road out and just killed her, rather than have that drama. It would have really added to the tension of Cally and the chief's relationship and put a new level on it. Instead, it went away.

I also found Tory here to be strange. She wasn't especially vocal in anything prior to this, in terms of being a cylon, and to do this seemed way too sudden. Further, apparently we are to believe she is evil, because she was able to kill Cally with no hesitation. So, is that because she was a cylon? Or was she always that evil? If this is the last season, I don't think we have seen Tory enough to answer that, and so it's another reason I am confused. (Mark Hope: How is Tory clearly evil? What have we seen to back this up?) I am more than willing to say I have forgotten something as I haven't watched any previous seasons since they aired.

As for the plot with Lee . . . hmmm. Are we to believe that he willingly undermined the President for the VP? Did he see something that was wrong and work to correct it now? Did he know the consequences of revealing her plan but did it anyway? I guess things didn't seem obvious to me, whether it was the acting or the writing, I don't know. For me, there were too many questions in what we saw. It's as if the actors weren't told their character motivations and did what they could with what they had but the edits don't work.

In contrast, I knew exactly what was happening with the cylons. I knew as soon as the basestars arrived what they were going to do. So, again, I am perplexed. Is that group better at acting the subtleties? Was the writing for those scenes better?

All in all, more of a confusing episode but perhaps future episodes will help bring things together.

edg

 

[mrtauntaun]

I can't believe they started blowing up basestars and just left it at that. I want to know what happened!

And the Baltar-to-Baltar dialogue was priceless.

 

[Mallus]

Anyway, after her speech to Cally about how she wasn't evil and didn't know what she was, I expected her to live up to that.

I think the show was suggesting that Tori was no more or less evil than Cally, who was about to walk out the Viper launch tube with her own child.

I'm not convinced that they won't go the 'evil hedonist robot' route w/Tori, but if past performances --of Six, specifically-- are any indication, the writers have more up their sleeves. If not, I'll be disappointed.

So far, I'm loving Season 4. In blurb-speak, nBSG is the best military science fiction that Philip K. Dick never wrote, but should have.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I also managed to avoid any previews or spoilers, so all of it was new to me.

And I found it a bit lacking but I think it was me.

I liked the character of Cally and was sorry to see this happen to her. I also didn't care for Tory, cylon or not. Not hate but apathy. I just didn't care. Anyway, after her speech to Cally about how she wasn't evil and didn't know what she was, I expected her to live up to that. I expected some good drama with Cally knowing and pushing her husband to reveal it. That's not what happened.

And, honestly, I feel cheated and that the writer(s) took the easy road out and just killed her, rather than have that drama. It would have really added to the tension of Cally and the chief's relationship and put a new level on it. Instead, it went away.

I also found Tory here to be strange. She wasn't especially vocal in anything prior to this, in terms of being a cylon, and to do this seemed way too sudden. Further, apparently we are to believe she is evil, because she was able to kill Cally with no hesitation. So, is that because she was a cylon? Or was she always that evil? If this is the last season, I don't think we have seen Tory enough to answer that, and so it's another reason I am confused. (Mark Hope: How is Tory clearly evil? What have we seen to back this up?) I am more than willing to say I have forgotten something as I haven't watched any previous seasons since they aired.

I think she always had a tendency to be evil, or at least do what's most convenient. Wasn't she also one of the few that were trying to rig the election?

As for the plot with Lee . . . hmmm. Are we to believe that he willingly undermined the President for the VP? Did he see something that was wrong and work to correct it now? Did he know the consequences of revealing her plan but did it anyway? I guess things didn't seem obvious to me, whether it was the acting or the writing, I don't know. For me, there were too many questions in what we saw. It's as if the actors weren't told their character motivations and did what they could with what they had but the edits don't work.

I think he honestly wanted to know about the order himself. The question might be more what Zarek wanted to achieve and giving it to him? Did he want Apollo to stumble? Or did he want to make Apollo stand up to Roslin, so everybody would learn that he has his own opinions and goals, and he's willing to stand for them? Did he want to show Apollo - and the rest - that Roslin is doing good things, and one can trust her (which would assume Zarek knew what would happen?)

I think, as someone else mentioned already (either here or in the episode the last weak) Apollo might be set up to become the next president. And to be a viable president, he needs to confront Roslin and to stand up to her. He needs to make his own mark.

As a side note, Roslin is not the grateful type - she wanted to execute Baltar and gave him no benefit of the doubt, despite him helping and even saving her life a few times. And that Apollo stood up against his own father and commander is also forgotten quickly.
Strangely enough, I still like her character.

In contrast, I knew exactly what was happening with the cylons. I knew as soon as the basestars arrived what they were going to do. So, again, I am perplexed. Is that group better at acting the subtleties? Was the writing for those scenes better?

I am not sure it had anything to do with acting, unless you tell me that the Basetars are better actors then the real actors . Basically, anyone could have said "the ressourection ship didn't make the jump" - you can't fail to deliver that line. The movement of the Basestars was all that was needed to understand what would happen next.

All in all, more of a confusing episode but perhaps future episodes will help bring things together.

edg

The most confusing part for me where the scenes with Cally - we basically saw the scenes from her drugged perspective, and the muted voice of Tyrol and the scenes with Torys were ... blurred. But that nonetheless meant it was confusing, probably just as confused as Cally was.


The old prophecy that the "Dying Leader will not reach Earth" might come true alone through the fact that it's Starbuck that is now searching for it, while the fleet itself seems off-course since it ignored her at the Nebula. So don't get to attached to the Roslin/Adama relationship (how nice him reading books to her might be), because she'll die soon.

 

[evildmguy]

I think the show was suggesting that Tori was no more or less evil than Cally, who was about to walk out the Viper launch tube with her own child.

I'm not convinced that they won't go the 'evil hedonist robot' route w/Tori, but if past performances --of Six, specifically-- are any indication, the writers have more up their sleeves. If not, I'll be disappointed.

So far, I'm loving Season 4. In blurb-speak, nBSG is the best military science fiction that Philip K. Dick never wrote, but should have.

I like this season so far. I am mostly nit picking.

I just didn't get that from what I say about Tori. She gave the speech about not being evil but then coldly, imo, pressed the button and killed Cally. It didn't seem to work for me.

Same for Lee and the meeting. I couldn't tell why he did it. To gain some recognition after being slighted at the conference? To jump into politics? To back the VP? To show the Prez he would still question her? It was too ambiguous for me, I guess.

Thanks!

edg

 

[evildmguy]

Mustrum: Good points as well.

It wasn't just the movements of the basestars! It was their expressions! Wait. No, I guess I meant that in the scenes with the cylons, I figured out that Al, er One, was going to betray them. I was confused about the cylon cleaning the blood but otherwise figured it out.

You are right. I forgot about Tori rigging the election. However, I can't take that and killing someone as the same thing. It still seems to abrupt that Tori could do it and be so cold about it, which is my big point. She didn't look conflicted at all. She just pushed the button no problem. That's what I think doesn't fit.

Could be me.

edg

 

[Shalimar]

I thought it was just Lee being Lee. He just can't miss an opportunity to call down the people in power for being despotic whether or not he likes them personally. I think he called her out on it because he was legitimately worried about it.

 

[Arnwyn]

Could be me.

It's not just you.

 

[Fast Learner]

I think he honestly wanted to know about the order himself. The question might be more what Zarek wanted to achieve and giving it to him? Did he want Apollo to stumble? Or did he want to make Apollo stand up to Roslin, so everybody would learn that he has his own opinions and goals, and he's willing to stand for them? Did he want to show Apollo - and the rest - that Roslin is doing good things, and one can trust her (which would assume Zarek knew what would happen?)

I think we saw that scene very differently. What I saw was Roslin The Dictator skillfully outmaneuver Lee because she's a better politician. I think Zarek didn't want to take the heat, true, but I do think he's opposed to Roslin's actions and wanted someone to stand up and try to make a difference.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Frankly, I think Zarek is trying to maneuver himself into power by having Roslin exposed and removed, and he's using Lee as his cat's paw.

As to Tori, I agree there are better things they could have done with her. We gtet to see "Ooh, now I'm a Cylon, so I'll decide I'm better than everyone and I'll become a homicidal maniac." It will only be interesting in contrast to how the other newly-revealed cylons decide to act.

I'm getting more and more the "Starbuck is the saviour of the Cylons" vibe after that episode, which is probably what they intended with the "it doesn't feel like my body anymore" speech.