Ms. Smarty Pants Know It All

The wide variety of the reactions and write-ups of the past several days surprised me a lot. Some people liked the start of the final season. Some did not. But everyone felt the way they did for different reasons.

I read complaints about there not being enough action in the first two episodes. I heard people questioning the scientific validity of the show’s conclusions about Earth. There were those who wanted more sci-fi elements. There were those warning against throwing unnecessary sci-fi fluffies into a very humanistic story.

Less politics. More politics. And on and on and on.

It occurred to me that we, the viewers, were as united (meaning more than we are now) as the members of the fleet when there was a mission. The mission was Earth and the identify of the Final Cylon. Now, they are without a path, and so are we. It’s been interesting reading to see all the ways that we are reacting to their (and the show’s) newly unknown resolution.

By the way, if you are not reading Jacob at Television Without Pity, you’re missing out on a truly lovely experience. The links below go to:

• Sometimes a Great Notion
• The Face of the Enemy (webisodes)
• A Disquiet Follows My Soul

Caution: spoilers for “The Oath” (4.13) below

So much for not enough action.

This is a show for which the phrase Just when you think it can’t get any worse … seems to have been destined to describe. And the powers behind the scenes promise that there will definitely be even more worse in future episodes.

I can’t even imagine.

There is something about mutiny that I just can’t stand. I wrote before that the Admiral was making a very questionable call by pushing for the FTL upgrades. I even believe in the benefit of someone like Zarek checking the established governmental power.

But there is something so ugly about uniforms betraying each other. A political coup is a political coup. A military mutiny is treason and a betrayal on the most personal of levels.

I have an academic background in military history and a personal interest in such matters. For me, the sides in this storyline did not make me as conflicted as other dilemmas in the past. The main regret I have is for Racetrack. Oh, Racetrack, why are you on the other side?

Strangely, although everything has hit the fan, this episodes brought a lot of comfort to me. It felt nice to see so many characters back to how we first knew them.

• Starbuck is at her best when the world around her is as crazy as she is.
• Lee rejoins the Wonder Twins act and becomes the stable, calming presence. He understands the other side even as he acts decisively.
• Roslin gets hardcore in a way that inspires. She sees the angles and what needs to be done.
• Adama leads. As a father. As an Admiral.
• Tigh clicks back into place by Adama’s side. Still steadfast. Still flawed.
• Tyrol fixes away. He makes things work even as everything is falling apart.
• And Baltar. Yes, I even smiled to have him back.

It felt so good to reconnect with everybody. This fictional universe somehow felt more right in this episode than it has in a long time. I didn’t realize that there was so much dissonance until now.

And I smiled at all the kisses.

Now BSG has had some cruel cut-to-blacks in the past, but I’m thinking that if you didn’t curse when this one happened, then maybe this isn’t the show for you. :)

At the very least, Tigh would have jumped on that grenade. Man, I don’t want to lose his character.

I will offer this quick critique though. With the way that sequence was edited, it wasn’t clear that Bill and Saul needed to stay behind. The Admiral wouldn’t have left his ship so the farewell with Laura is still sound. And Tigh wouldn’t have left if Bill was staying. They should have just cut that line about making sure the Raptor would get away.

Want to read more about this episode? Why not check out the So Say We All Blog Carnival?

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