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So for three weeks running, we've had
the near-death meltdowns of three of the main cast
(Roslin, Lee, and Kara). Next week is called "Sacrifice" and
I'm a little afraid to ask who's next! I know life
is hard, but it worries me that the people running
the outfit are dissolving.
Also for three weeks running we've done
this inside-out narration, which is now officially
annoying. The show isn't complicated enough without
going all Memento on
the presentation? And this week it was really unnecessary.
The drama and stress of Scar's hunting is quite sufficient
without looping back repeatedly into the unfolding
argument. If anything, Kara's suicidal run at Scar
had almost no impact in the teaser, because we didn't understand
the background. Just tell the damn story and knock
off the tricks, Ron.
I understand in a way why Kat insists
on the schlong-waving contest; as Helo points out,
she's trying to establish her reputation and build
herself up as a hotshot -- just like Kara did. But
didn't Kara create her reputation pre-Cylons? Aren't
things way too far gone now to indulge in this kind
of petty sniping and competition? On the other hand,
very little Kat said was wrong. Aren't things way too
far gone now for Kara to be allowed to indulge in so
much drinking and irresponsible behavior in general?
Tigh at least (that we've seen) doesn't let a hangover
get in the way of his duty shift. It's not funny when
people drink to excess. It's a problem. It's a problem
with Tigh and it's become a really big problem with
Kara. Starbuck is supposed to be a drinking womanizing
cigar-smoking rogue, but Starbuck 1.0 only flew hung
over when the
devil made him do it. She's a flawed, messed-up,
traumatized person, but so is Lee, and he's not drinking
himself into stupidity on an hourly basis.
Okay, what is the deal with Anders?
Why is Kara so stuck on the charismatically-challenged
underwear model? Why did she fall for him so hard to
begin with? I never understood the intensity of the
attraction when it first aired. Is she actually still
attached to the idea of Caprica, of the survivors,
more than Anders as a person? I could totally see it
if she's sublimating her guilt at leaving any survivors
behind into an obsession with one individual. But leaving
him behind leaves her wanting to die? Or is it just
that she feels she's screwed her chances one by one
-- Zak, Anders, Lee -- and for a few moments can't
see anything to live for?
I think Scar is supposed to be a reincarnation
of the Raider which Kara took out and brought back
to Galactica in "You Can't Go Home Again," or
they wouldn't have shown it in the highlight reel.
Which makes sense, even if it's a stretch to think
he'd recognize her. I like the idea that even the attack
dogs, so to speak, have some personality and memory.
It's not good for the Colonials if they get near another
Resurrection Ship, but it helps the story along. Scar
was mean and clever, learning the differences
in Viper pilot styles and figuring out how to use that
against them.
The dogfighting was beautiful -- I love
how the Vipers flip end-over-end and fly backwards
-- although the black-box footage was a bit nauseating.
Kudos to the SFX department!
Grace Park was looking particularly lovely
this week. Might just be hair, makeup, and lighting,
but she looked more lushly curved and softer, really
reflecting the pregnancy changes.
We did both sort of gasp when Sharon
said "How many pilots have we lost?...I mean,
have you lost?" That would have been the
point at which she would have lost the goodwill of
nearly any Colonial officer. I'm even surprised that
Kara doesn't bite her head off for "remembering" something
which didn't happen to her, personally. Then Sharon
starts to say "You were like a big sister to me" and
reach out to touch Kara, and the Marines immediately
pull a half-dozen guns on her. A fine mess Kara's in,
when the Cylon is one of the few people she hasn't
managed to enrage or alienate.
Kara gave the new kid the right advice
-- he was just too green to have any experience which
would have given him sufficient judgment to know when
to follow it. However, Kat was also right to give him
the little pep talk. Kara wasn't that type even before
she became depressed; she's just too wild and reckless
and into herself to spend a lot of time thinking about
other people's feelings. That was why she wasn't a
captain and Lee was.
Speaking of Lee -- is he Pegasus CAG
again? Is he Galactica's CAG but Kara is the
officer of the watch? or she runs the squadron? She
seems to be in charge of the group but was reporting
to him. I'm confused.
And still speaking of Lee -- they're
drinking together, Kara says "let's take advantage
of today," and I groan to Moogie, "oh, please don't
let them sleep together." Sho'nuff, next scene
they're down to their tighty-khakies. But wait! Kara
is still thinking of the underwear model! You can tell
because her eyes have gone just as blank as his were!
Lee tries to drag her back to Galactica, and
she flips out. In a wonderful moment of revelation
-- one of those truly satisfying declarations that
I beg on bended knees for people to say onscreen and
they never do -- Kara yells "I am hung up on
a dead guy. And I don't know what I'm doing." Mirabile
dictu, someone is screwed up and knows it and admits
it and admits she's on the wrong track!
The only problem is...aren't Starbuck
and Apollo supposed to be the most important person
in each other's lives? I don't want them to hook up
at this point, but aren't they supposed to be best
friends? They're both coming apart at the mental seams;
when are they going to get a good look at each other
and realize what's going on? Lee clearly still cares
for her, because he supports her in her toast in the
denouement -- he doesn't hold their aborted tryst against
her. But when is she going to let down her defenses
and really trust him to help her?
The scene where Kat tries to dress Kara
down in the briefing room was (deliberately, I'm sure)
sort of odd for the audience. When the rebel takes
on the authority figure and points out all her flaws
-- like Kara did to Tigh in the mini, if I recall correctly
-- we're usually identifying with the rebel and cheering
that she's pointing out the emperor's sartorial slipup.
But here we're sort of rooting for Kat -- because frankly
she's right -- and sort of rooting for Kara because
she's Starbuck, and it's all at cross-loyalties. I
liked that I had to think through the whole thing and
consider whose side I was on, if not both.
Yes, Ron, we get it -- motherfrakker.
Naughty word. Not the real naughty word. Let's all
move on from this particular piece of felgercarb, shall
we?
Nice turning of Kat's victory sneer on
its head and making it a toast to all the lost. Puts
the competition in perspective. |
