BSG: stuff

Before 3.14: "The Woman King"

Over the last week or so, I got to bounce a little BSG off of a few people. Joshua and I lamented the melodrama for a few minutes at a vball tournament. He's concerned about what the writers are doing w the show. Bruno is super charged over the whole show in general, never mind the romantic trapezoid, having watched the first two seasons in huge gulps of DVDs. Zorky and I talked on the phone for an hour or so and we believe the writers know what they're doing in a big picture way, but may not have the details worked out, and may be stretching things out by playing a bit to more segments of their perhaps unexpected demographics.

I liked the marriage/infidelity/romance stuff when it could be used to give us more about the human culture and civilization, set up conflicts, like sending Dee to rescue Starbuck, and reveal some history and character, as in the boxing episode. But like I said, elevating the issue to the level of treason (by juxtaposition in the last episode) seems way puritan and out of line to me. Also, Starbuck spinning on a dime on the divorce thing... I mean, altho I can sorta defend it by playing the fear of love/commitment card with Anders, that was just too fast, and would've felt not-so-clunky if saved up for at least another episode, or some event or events that implied a real passage of time.

Something that could save it all is a radical sacrifice play by one of them. Anyone remember the "space angels" from the original series? =)

Bleah. Enough w that.

Zorky and I got to talking about a possible end game in our convo, and the one theory I think we both really like, and fits the show very well so far, is the notion that humans and cylons are reading these "signposts to earth" all backwards. That the 13th colony didn't leave Kobol and just happen to choose to go way out to galactic left field by chance, in fact, the path to earth is a path *from* earth. The signs and portents that the scriptures or whatever speak of, they mark the path from earth to Kobol. So humans evolved and developed science and civilization on Earth. Then launched themselves into space, marking their journey at their interstellar rest stops, ultimately finding and colonizing Kobol. Perhaps they lose a huge chunk of their advanced tech on the way, or on arrival, or once settled, natural disaster or war brings on a twilight age in which knowledge is lost and history obscured. Humanity on Kobol rises from this again and then sets out across space to establish the twelve colonies that eventually spawn the Cylon klankers. And now, the Humans and Cylons are backtracking, and encountering technology that surpasses, or at least surprises, both races, but is actually higher science mastered by the civilization that gave birth to both of them.

In this theory, there's no obvious way to insert the (Cylon) Five into the history and lore. Perhaps Cylon skinbags also travelled from Earth in a more advanced form, truly indistinguishable from Humans? Fewer in number (exactly five?) but genetically appearing in every generation as sleepers, carriers, guardians of their history from before the twelve colonies.

Hey, that sounds pretty good, actually. But you've gotta buy the idea of "Cylons" before Cylons. Maybe a little too much...

It doesn't necessarily mean that Earth's gone, or abandoned or anything, but that's certainly possible. Here's some kooky what-ifs...

What if Earth's denizens and civilization was utter anathema to both humans and Cylons and they had to team up to escape or wack them?

What if Earthicans had gone fascist and enslaved a Cylon-like race in the process.

What if Earthican Cylons had gone fascist and kept Earthican humans as slaves.

And either of the last two is discovered after the Cylons and Humans had cooperated to reach Earth. And the dominant Earthicans the fleet of humans and Cylons are weak and contaminated.

Heh. Wacky fun ensues, you see? =)

Baltar. Okay. I guess I'm ready to buy that he's *not* a Cylon. As Dan and Zorky have said, it almost doesn't matter if he is or isn't. If he *is* a Cylon all that it does is make his actions and character thus far *weaker* because he does not get to be held accountable for them. I enjoyed the doubt because Baltar was wracked by it, questioning and hoping for it. He was like a story photon, wave or particle, depending on what worked in the moment.

Or something.

Although, I have to say, I don't think the "Owl Creek" way the show played his revelation was decisive (it *was* FUN, tho =). However, in a big picture way, I realize that that must be what the intent of it was. Baltar is not a Cylon. He may still have his "special destiny," but he's not one of the Five. And now, he gets to stand trial, as a human, for his betrayal. This should be fun!

Provided this other thread I've seen in the commercials doesn't sod it up. The one with the racist doctor (who, when he's not Senator Kelly from X-MEN, is almost always some kind of shifty doctor or haunted man)? Not sure if that's racist as within humanity (different colonies?) or as human-vs-cylon (hence Helo's concern over his care for Hera). Would be interesting if we could see what happened to those Cylon sympathizers that had taken root back when Pegasus Six went into hiding in the fleet. They probably wouldn't have lasted the year on New Caprica, but who knows?

I was really hoping the trial would be the whole episode. No distractions. BSG: Court TV. =)

Keep on keepin on~