Welcome to page 2 of my Battlestar Galactica extravaganza. Be warned here there be Season 3 Spoilers, along with some mild speculation about Season 4.
Sci-Fi has posted this excellent trailer that recaps the shocking end of Season 3 and gives us a preview of what’s to come:
Recap and Speculation, Character by Character
Last season, Admiral Bill Adama saved humanity from the Cylon occupation using one of the most breathtaking maneuvers ever seen on TV. He was also able to get a little lovin’ from (then ex-)President Roslin, grow a ridiculous mustache, and get punched in the face a lot by Chief Tyrol. At the end of the season, he ended up being the swing vote in deciding that Baltar was Not Guilty for collaborating with the Cylons (though as he succinctly put it “Not Guilty isn’t the same thing as Innocent”). He was also on the outs with his son and still grieving over the apparent demise of Kara Thrace. This season should be interesting as he’ll have to deal with the un-demise of Kara and the probable loss of President Roslin to cancer. Also, he now has a Cylon standing no further than five feet from him at most times, so him taking another bullet suddenly seems more likely.
As for the other Adama, Lee, he managed to gain a comical amount of weight, get married to Dee Dualla and get the Battlestar Pegasus blown up. At the end of the season, he was conflicting with his dad (again), had resigned his post as a military officer, and successfully helped defend Gaius Baltar at his trial. His end of the season admonishment about why the trial against Baltar was unfair was one of the highlights of the season, as was his discovery of Kara Thrace. This season he’ll have to deal with his failing marriage, the return of Kara (whom he thought was dead), and his place in the fleet. To me, Lee is a real wild card character this season and one of the most difficult to peg down as far as future roles in the developing plot. I could see him going a lot of different ways, so it will be really exciting to see where his character goes.
Early on, President Roslin lost the presidency, was almost executed, spent some quality time with Admiral Adama, and managed to restrain herself from throwing another Cylon out the Airlock, all before regaining the Presidency through some somewhat questionable tactics. (Those Roslin/Airlock ‘08 shirts are awful catchy). At the end of the season she dramatically revealed that she has cancer again and, for some unknown reason (*cough*shesacylon*cough*), started to share hallucinations with Athena. This season, she once again has to deal with her brain cancer; and I have a feeling, that this being the last season, it really could be fatal this time. As much as I’d love the season to end with Admiral Adama and Roslin arm in arm on Earth, surrounding by flaming wreckage, I just don’t see it happening. She, much like Adama, also has a Cylon that is now no further than five feet from her at any given time. A mite bit convenient for the Cylons, I think (perhaps, too convenient).
Naturally, Kara Thrace is going to be a big focus of Season 4. For one, she is the most popular character on the show. For two, the whole shock ending of Season 3 was based on her. Kara had a hell of a third season. First she was imprisoned and mentally toyed with by the Cylons. More specifically one Cylon named Leoben who wants her to fall in love with him and to be his baby-momma. Then after beating the crap out of / reconciling with Lee, she ends up dying, whilst simultaneously envisioning her Cylon captor. Natch, she comes back from the dead. However, she doesn’t just resurrect, no, she also comes with the news that she’s been to Earth. All of this of course, sparking all sorts of rumors that she could be a Cylon (superhuman piloting skills, dying and coming back, the 60v outlet on her back, it all adds up). I for one, don’t think she will be (it’s wayyy to obvious). Though I do think the story of her escape from death will be interesting. She also has one bear of a fight coming up to prove to everyone that she is a) not a cylon and b) not insane. Considering that she is insane, that second one will be hard to prove. I also expect that she’ll find out that Anders is a toaster, which will really screw with her head. Maybe she’ll realize she has a thing for robots, and go for Leoben after all.
Colonel Saul Tigh is a Cylon. Tigh a Cylon. Tigh Cylon. Tilon.That one honestly took me by complete surprise. I knew that there was going to be some sort of shock and awe as to who made up the final five, but I never, ever would have suspected Tigh. Never, not even on this show. Which is why it works. Last season he proved that his meddle was made of metal in more ways than one (Pun most definitely intended). There was a slight twinge of comedy at the beginning of the third season, when they showed the passing of time in some humorous ways. Lee had gained weight,Adama had grown a bizarre mustache, Saul had lost a freakin’ eye. Wait a second, that last one wasn’t funny. Neither is Tigh. What happens when the gruff drunk is pushed over the limit? He becomes the most intense character on television. To put it one way, Jack Bauer ain’t got shit on Col. Tigh. The man was tortured by Cylons - to the point that he lost an eye and still kept fighting, led the resistance - which included using suicide bombers to blow up cylons and collaborators (in a very eerie parallel to the US/Iraq occupation), and even killed his own wife - because she had been sleeping with a Cylon to keep him out of prison. Then when he finally gets back and the Captain offers him praise for ‘bringin’ em back”, he just looks at the Captain (with his one eye) and says “Not all of ‘em”. It’s a powerful moment, one that makes the inevitable revealing of Tigh being a Cylon that much more shocking and gripping. I couldn’t begin to predict what’s going to happen with Tigh this season. I imagine it will have something to do with him going further insane about being the one thing he always despised above all else, but past that, I can’t even hazard a guess.
Gaius Baltar, the man who so wanted to be a Cylon, is not. After having a gun put to his head by the Cylons, you would think he would avoid them. I suppose when the alternative is staying with the humans (who want nothing more than to impale him on something quite sharp and pointy), the genocidal human-haters seem like a better choice. After spending much of the season kavitzing around with the Cylons on one of their baseships (kavitzing of course means having as many threesomes as possible with Lucy Lawless and Tricia Helfer), he ends up getting captured by the humans and put on trial for crimes against humanity. The sad thing is, if they knew exactly what his role was in the genocide of the human race, he probably wouldn’t have gotten off as easily as he did, slick lawyer or not. While he’s on trial, he sets himself up as a sort of Che Guevara-esque Messiah, first by growing a bitchin’ beard (as all Messiah-type figures are required to, by law), then by telling everyone that he was just a common man from a backwater planet and the Adamas are the blue-blooded aristocrats that need to be brought down. It was a very interesting turn of events, to say the least, and one has to wonder what Baltar intends to get out of all of this. Surely he hasn’t deluded himself that far has he? As self-serving as he is, I’m sure there is some sort of plan behind all of this. I really look forward to seeing what the Prophet/Messiah Baltar has in store for us in Season 4.
Speaking of Plans, boy do the Cylons ever have one. The show reminds of this every time we turn it on, though none of us really have any idea at this point what this big and elaborate plan could be. It might involve a human/cylon hybrid (okay, it probably does), but it could also involve the galaxies biggest quiche (which looks unlikely at this point, I’ll admit). Though, who here didn’t love the fact that Six had her own Baltar running around in her subconscious? The six model has always seemed ruthless and cunning, so the sudden turn of Baltar’s Six is a bit suspicious. She’s been awfully cooperative in her cell on Galactica. I’m also very anxious to see what she’ll make of Baltar’s new found religious calling. Will we learn the reason for her sexually activated glowing spine? Will she reactivate Lucy Lawless’s model? What plans does she have for the (now two) human/cylon babies? All very good questions, and ones we should have answers to soon. Outside of six’s story, the other 6 cylons have more questions within questions. But it all boils down to one big question… what’s so special about the final five cylons and how will the other seven cylons react when they find out who they are?
The insane thing about the revealing of the final four, is the ramifications that they mean. For example, this means that Chief Tyrol (who is now a toaster) and Cally have the second human/cylon baby. Rumor has it that Cally doesn’t take it very well when she finds out that the Chief is a Cylon. In fact, knowing the Chief, I imagine he won’t take it very well either. Will their baby have playdates with the other hybrid? I doubt it. Last season the Couple went through the requisite rough patch, with Tyrol being overly-dedicated to his job, and less-than-dedicated to his son. They managed to get this patched up, but probably no longer. The Chief has always been a bit intense, one of his watershed moments this season being when he shut down the fuel processing ship to protest the working conditions. He ended up relenting to the military to have it turned back on, but only after they threatened to shoot Cally (even then there was some deliberation). Like I said, this season for the two will be all about coping with his new found heritage and the ramifications for their child, and I definitely predict dire results.
As for the rest of the crew, Anders and Tory will have to deal with being a cylon. Anders, especially, will have to deal with the return of his wife. Though, I don’t see the two of them being together for very much longer, if at all. Their relationship always seemed sort of awkward and forced, not so much on Earth at first, but after they got married. That could be a sign of good acting and writing actually, considering the back story of their sudden elopement. What I could actually see is Anders and Tory remaining in a relationship, comforted by the secret that they each possess of each other and drawing strength off of one another. Though, this is Galactica, so I could also lead meeting brain-matter in either case.
Helo and Athena, honestly seem to have most of their tribulations behind them at this point. They’ve both become somewhat accepted by the crew, their baby is safely in their hands (for now), and they’ve somewhat settled into a nice life together. Of course, I’m sure this will all change somehow, but for now they’ve got it pretty good (at least in Galactica’s measure). Their child is still a hybrid baby, though, so who knows what nefarious plan (and boy do they have one(!)) the cylons have in store for them.
All in all, my excitement for this season is cranked up way past eleven. I’m sure I’ll blog again with my impressions of each new episode, but until then I leave you with a video from one of my favorite moments of Season 3, the so-called “Adama Maneuver”.
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Chris Fairfield: is an avid gamer and web surfer who happens to be hellbent on World Domination. But who isn't these days?
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Chris Fairfield
is an avid gamer and web surfer who happens to be hellbent on World Domination. But who isn't these days?