Battlestar Galactica #13: The Oath/2009/Season 4 Finale

[Grymar]

Shocking, brutal, difficult to anticipate.

Without a doubt one of the best episodes in a while. (this doesn't mean that the others have been poor)

 

[Grymar]

I thought it was very interesting to see all the established characters involved in the mutiny. Obviously the series won't end with Gaeta in charge of Galactica and Zarek running the government, but I kind of agree with them. I never liked the whole arc of humanizing the Cylons. I can see why the alliance is a bad idea, and why the ship captains should be within their rights to refuse Cylons on board. Of course the mutineers aren't perfect either, and the situation does seem to call for desperation. It's very well presented as a two-sided issue.

And this is why BSG is one of the best shows on TV. Right and wrong are not always clear. Damn straight, the mutineers do have a great point and a sympathetic view of the conflict. Especially if you spend some time watching Gaeta's great story through the years up to and including the webisodes.

While I do have a side I'm rooting for, even Zarek can make a good case for some of the crap he pulls.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Wow, just wow.

I didn't realize that it was "full mutiny" time at first - I wondered how they wanted to cover up Lairds death (poor Laird, he didn't deserve that - but then, who did?), until it slowly showed that they weren't just getting Zarek out - they were starting the whole coup!

And seeing how many of the "known" characters end up on the "wrong side". Racetrack? Not you!

And "Yeahaw" boy #1 is back. I am glad to see him again, and I hope it means a bloody end for him.

Several characters got "back" in a way - Apollo and Starbuck working as a combat team together, Adama and Tigh overpowering their guards, Roslin organizing the Wireless and giving a speech (and previously trying to give Adama tips). Awesome.
But even Gaeta - I think he is kinda "underestimated". He organized the whole thing, and seeing how he manipulated the information in the CIC to get his men into position. Pretty impressive - and frightening, too.

I wonder how this will work out. We tend to assume that Gaeta will eventually fail, but it might be interesting to think about what would happen if he won't!

BSG is just awesome.

 

[Krug]

Finally! Some things are moving! And you go Gaeta! A smart, intelligent hero-turned-villain; frankly I'm rooting for him.

 

[TwistedBishop]

The ending made no sense. "We'll hold them off"? But the shuttle launches long before they breach the door....What are they going to do, open up the airlock and fire a missile at the shuttle? It was very contrived. There's a much better logic there with Adama refusing to leave his own ship to the mutineers that I wish they had played up.

Otherwise, good episode. Hopefully this foreshadows the end of Baltar's messianic plotline and a return form. I miss how much fun he could be.

 

[Blastin]

I loved this episode!

Best of all - in what was a very strong episode all around - was Starbuck. Ron Moore has made it very clear in some of his past podcasts that Kara Thrace is really not very good at "peace". In those times, she's revealed as a tremendously flawed human being who is not able to cope.

But in times of stress and battle? She shines. War is her thing; it's what she does better than anyone else.

Her lack of hesitation on the flight deck was just awesome to behold. I literally cheered out loud during that scene. So often, these stand-off tension moments on TV and in the movies does not end with the gun holder just shooting, damn it. I keep wanting the hero to shoot, and they almost never do. Ahhh. FINALLY!

Ron Moore and Company are taking-no-prisoners here.

Yeah, I loved when she told them: "Follow me.....please!" and you could tell...she really was hoping they would

 

[LightPhoenix]

The ending made no sense. "We'll hold them off"? But the shuttle launches long before they breach the door....What are they going to do, open up the airlock and fire a missile at the shuttle? It was very contrived. There's a much better logic there with Adama refusing to leave his own ship to the mutineers that I wish they had played up.

That was the part I had a problem with myself. I keep trying to fan-wank it in my mind, but it never works. There's just no logical reason for them not to get on.

Well, okay, there are a couple. One is that Adama wants to die. Notice how Tigh takes up a defensive position and bars the door, but Adama just sits his butt down casually. That's not a military officer looking to defend a position. A second is that it's tactically unsound to have all of your main players in one very vulnerable position. I'm going to have a tough time swallowing why Galactica won't be able to take down the shuttle easily. A third is that no one is really on the shuttle - the shot of Lee/Kara leaving the way they came in is them getting Roslin/Baltar/Tyrol away to somewhere else on Galactica, and the shuttle is a decoy, and Adama and Tigh are there to sell the deception.

 

[Mark]

That was the part I had a problem with myself. I keep trying to fan-wank it in my mind, but it never works. There's just no logical reason for them not to get on.

Well, okay, there are a couple. One is that Adama wants to die. Notice how Tigh takes up a defensive position and bars the door, but Adama just sits his butt down casually. That's not a military officer looking to defend a position. A second is that it's tactically unsound to have all of your main players in one very vulnerable position. I'm going to have a tough time swallowing why Galactica won't be able to take down the shuttle easily. A third is that no one is really on the shuttle - the shot of Lee/Kara leaving the way they came in is them getting Roslin/Baltar/Tyrol away to somewhere else on Galactica, and the shuttle is a decoy, and Adama and Tigh are there to sell the deception.

If the marines trying to take the hanger radio up to say that Adama is still alive and not on the shuttle then maybe the shuttle doesn't get shot up.

 

[Grymar]

That was the part I had a problem with myself. I keep trying to fan-wank it in my mind, but it never works. There's just no logical reason for them not to get on.

Well, okay, there are a couple. One is that Adama wants to die. Notice how Tigh takes up a defensive position and bars the door, but Adama just sits his butt down casually. That's not a military officer looking to defend a position. A second is that it's tactically unsound to have all of your main players in one very vulnerable position. I'm going to have a tough time swallowing why Galactica won't be able to take down the shuttle easily. A third is that no one is really on the shuttle - the shot of Lee/Kara leaving the way they came in is them getting Roslin/Baltar/Tyrol away to somewhere else on Galactica, and the shuttle is a decoy, and Adama and Tigh are there to sell the deception.

Adama will NOT be run off of his ship. There was no way that he was ever going to get on that shuttle. His people are dying on his ship because of mutineers. He will stay and fight. I think that is entirely within the spirit of the character and completely understandable.

Tigh has always been the more tactical one. He's still there to support his old friend, but will naturally take any efforts to make their position defensible and last as long as possible.

Adama is there as much for the image as for effectiveness. If he dies, he'll do so happily.

 

[Arnwyn]

Her lack of hesitation on the flight deck was just awesome to behold. I literally cheered out loud during that scene. So often, these stand-off tension moments on TV and in the movies does not end with the gun holder just shooting, damn it. I keep wanting the hero to shoot, and they almost never do. Ahhh. FINALLY!

Totally agreed. Best part of the episode by far, and very... satisfying.

The great thing about this is that I'm not cheering for a side... the more people that get blown all to hell, the better. Really, it's a fight between toaster-lovers and human-killers. I'm loving the carnage, and hope the body count increases on both sides. Both sides are unlikeable to me, and both deserve to meet an unpleasant end.