10.30.06
Posted in Reviews at 11:25 pm by Administrator
Written by Mark Verheiden
Directed by Michael Rymer
It would have been easy to skip over the consequences of the New Caprica Occupation, especially with everyone back on Galactica and dispersing throughout the Colonial Fleet. But the writers for “Battlestar: Galactica” have seldom taken the easy road, and it would be unfortunate to ignore the effects of the Occupation on the general population. This episode manages to explore those effects on a number of individuals while providing a logical excuse to put the Occupation behind them as much as possible.
In the most general terms, this is a case of politics serving the worst impulses of humanity. Zarek’s political goals, taken objectively, make a great deal of sense. Roslin will clearly resume her presidency, but her term of office would be dominated by the search for traitors and the need for justice and revenge. Zarek takes a draconian approach to the matter and creates a “jury” to weigh the evidence against apparent collaborators and execute them quickly and quietly.
One way or another, it seems that Zarek understood that some members of the fleet would be more willing to see the process through than others, so he lets Tigh run the show and pick the jury. On the face of it, using the members of the resistance makes sense, but it is a bit obvious. There’s little doubt that Roslin and Adama will know who stood on that “jury”, and so will a lot of people in the fleet. Why not choose less visible members of the resistance, if the idea is to help clear the air?
Roslin’s solution is purely political, because policy will not and should not change the hearts of the people. She sets a good example, but it’s definitely a case of following through on Zarek’s intentions. Roslin’s hands are clean, and now any action taken against the former collaborators will be illegal. The tensions should remain, however, until something happens to unify humanity once again.
All of this serves the greater purpose of exploring how individual characters are dealing with the post-traumatic stress. It’s not pretty, to say the least. Tigh has returned to some bad habits, but with a streak of resentment that puts him at odds with any moderating authority, including Adama. Part of it is a defense mechanism, because he doesn’t want to admit that he has regrets. But part of it is a belief that his actions were justified. The Occupation has left Tigh a far more interesting character.
Kara is also a complete mess, and it’s painful to see her deal with the self-loathing. Kara is angry for letting her emotions get the better of her, and she’s punishing everyone else around her as a result. She doesn’t feel worthy of happiness, so she acts in a manner that makes it a self-fulfilling prophecy. Within that psychological space, her quick and cruel end to her marriage with Anders is hardly surprising.
In keeping with his characterization this season, Tyrol tries to be the voice of reason. I’m not quite sure how Tyrol and Gaeda could have set up the information exchange without some kind of initial contact, but that’s a minor point of contention. Tyrol tries to find a way to make the process fair and moral, much as he did on New Caprica. He ultimately helps to save Gaeda, and perhaps that’s enough to assuage his conscience. It’s interesting to note, however, that he is the only one of the “jury” with a young child; he cannot help but consider the future consequences of his present actions.
Overall, this episode continued to explore the consequences of the Occupation, paving the way for the next turn in the season arc, which should come in the next couple of episodes. The subplot on the Cylon Basestar will inevitably lead into that next plot turn; otherwise, in terms of this episode, it was a somewhat unsatisfying excuse to explain why the Cylons permit Baltar to live. It will only work if the writers are willing to make it an important plot point. Given how they’ve done so far this season, that shouldn’t be a problem.
(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Current episodes cover “Battlestar: Galactica”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
Permalink
10.23.06
Posted in Reviews at 10:11 pm by Administrator
Written by Bradley Thompson and David Weddle
Directed by Felix Enriquez Alcala
And so ends the experiment of New Caprica, spawning a thousand new crimes against humanity and demonstrating without a doubt the massive difference between Human and Cylon. This episode is the culmination of everything that took place in the second season finale, driving home a number of inevitable consequences and outlining the emotional scars. By the time Adama shaves off that damn moustache, the audience is begging for a sense of normalcy. Thankfully, the writers make it very clear that the wounds of New Caprica may never heal.
They have the rest of the season to deal with the consequences; this episode was all about ending the nightmare and establishing a new status quo, familiar but disturbing. The price of freedom for the people of New Caprica was staggering, and that’s just looking at the immediate cost. How many people died on the ground, and how many resources were lost with the destruction of Battlestar: Pegasus? And how many resources will be needed to repair Galactica from its massive damage? This was the largest battle since “Resurrection Ship: Part II” in the second season, and as is befitting of this series, it was as impressive and horrifying at the same time.
Nothing happens without a price on this series, and everyone paid. I’m surprised that so many of the civilian ships made it off New Caprica. I was expecting the Cylons to start firing on the ships as they took off from the ground. After all, Galactica and Pegasus were outnumbered, and one of those Basestars could have strafed the ground. Of course, there’s the possibility that the Cylons were still willing to let humanity live in the hopes of future reconciliation, but that’s not the most compelling argument.
Ron Moore always said that the situation on New Caprica would be resolved within a few episodes, and that promise was fulfilled. I’m not sure that I’m happy about that, but I can see the thought process. The second half of the second season was fraught with uninspired storytelling; the status quo had become largely entrenched, and something massive needed to happen. New Caprica was, in essence, a plot device, a means of changing characters and stirring up new conflicts. That was largely successful, even if the New Caprica situation was begging for more exploration.
Many of the main characters have issues that will need to be explored. Adama wasn’t himself after Baltar’s victory; he may have called Lee soft, but how much of that was transference? Kara will need to examine her sudden maternal instincts. Tigh needs to deal with the morality of his command decisions. And Lee needs to find his role outside of his brief and unsettling command. (Granted, most of this comes down to the writers explaining why the characters would take such a direction, but if things are explained retroactively, it could all work out in the end.)
Now Baltar and Hera are among the Cylons, and there’s every reason to think that this will continue to challenge the Cylon culture. Hera seems to be the fulfillment of the Cylon agenda from the first season, but just what will that ever-referenced plan turn out to be? Will they be too distracted to keep after the Colonial Fleet, or will they return to the old philosophies with a vengeance?
There were a number of interesting levels to the episode, and all of them made this a thrill ride. That doesn’t mean that the episode was perfect. The opening scene with Lee and Dualla was one of the worst scenes in recent memory, from the dialogue on the page to the stilted and unconvincing delivery. The timely arrival of Pegasus was telegraphed to the point of absurdity, and it’s hard to justify the sacrifice of a more powerful ship in such a dire situation.
Overall, it was a thrilling and entertaining episode with a few rough spots along the way. The effects were excellent, and some of the moments in the final act were gut-wrenching. It all comes down to the scenes that didn’t work and the potential for character decisions to be explained. Only time will tell, but it’s hard not to overlook the negatives by the time the end credits are rolling.
(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Current episodes cover “Battlestar: Galactica”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4
Final Rating: 9/10
Permalink
10.16.06
Posted in Reviews at 10:02 pm by Administrator
Written by Bradley Thompson and David Weddle
Directed by Felix Enriquez Alcala
After a powerful two-episode premiere, the writers jump right into another two-part tale, ramping up the tension for the inevitable rescue attempt on New Caprica. Because of the pacing requirements, the episode is largely transitional in nature. Such episodes are necessary, but they are rarely the most exciting installments of a serialized story. As a result, this is probably the least impressive episode of the season thus far.
That’s not to say that the episode misses the mark. It does exactly what it needs to do. The pieces are in place for the rescue attempt, with Adama and the insurgency working together towards a common goal. The Cylons are on the verge of a violent reprisal, but their own concerns and agendas continue to get in their way. D’Anna, in particular, is distracted by a revelation that will, most likely, complicate the rescue attempt in the next episode.
That aspect of the episode fascinated me, because it has a great deal of potential. Cylons have looked down on the pantheon and mysticism of the Colonials since the very beginning of the series, but now D’Anna is having visions, telling her to meet with a Colonial priestess. If D’Anna’s dream was in fact prophetic, then it would imply some kind of connection between Human and Cylon, an overlapping of their unconscious awareness. The implication is fairly obvious: the divisions between Human and Cylon may be more artificial than natural.
The series introduced the idea of this overlapping when they introduced the humaniform Cylons. While there are aspects to Cylon mechanisms, like relatively simple resurrection, that seem completely alien and inhuman, the distinctiveness of personality and the apparent similarity of biology (close enough to mate, in at least one case) are hints of commonality. Even if the 12 biological Cylon models are copies, their personalities appear to evolve from that common origin. Taking Caprica-Six and Sharon as examples, there is a clear nature vs. nurture exploration at work.
This is also reflected in Roslin’s comments about Hera. Once on the fence about the existence of the hybrid at all, Roslin is now fiercely protecting the child, possibly above all else. She has proclaimed Hera as the “shape of things to come”, whether for good or evil. From my perspective, this suggests that how the child is raised will speak strongly to any hope of peace with the Cylons. It also suggests that a reconciliation of some kind is the possible resolution to the conflict, since Hera is the melding of the two species.
The situation on New Caprica, of course, makes such a future almost impossible. If the surviving Colonials were ready to forget about the genocide of the 12 colonies, then the New Caprica oppression has certainly opened and festered old wounds. Sharon’s defection to the Colonials becomes that much more important, and that’s why D’Anna’s revelation about Hera is so damning. Sharon trusts Adama, but now she has some suspicion that she was betrayed. If that doesn’t play into the conclusion of this two-part story, that will be disappointing.
In counterbalance to the philosophical questions, which were a clear highlight, there were some odd mistakes. Callie’s escape in this episode doesn’t match what happened at the end of “Precipice” at all. Neither does the Cylon attack on the meeting between Sharon and Anders. It feels like the kind of mistake that comes when one writer hands off to the next, long before the scripts are shot and the directors shift details. Still, despite understanding the possible cause of each continuity error, it takes away from the illusion of a seamless production.
(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Current episodes cover “Battlestar: Galactica”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 7/10
Permalink
10.10.06
Posted in Reviews at 1:20 am by Administrator
Written by Ron Moore
Directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan
If the season premire was all about introducing the new status quo to new and long-time viewers alike, then this is the beginning of the real story. As originally aired in the United States, this was the second hour of a two-hour premiere. This worked well because the first episode was stuffed with necessary exposition. No matter how well it was handled, the audience was left wanting more, some sense of where the story would logically progress.
As it happens, this second episode also introduces some expository elements, but they are targeted and precise. Most notably, the captive Kara finds herself under manipulation when her supposed daughter is brought into her cell. According to Leoben, Kara’s ovary (extracted in “The Farm”) was used to create, using his genetic material, a hybrid child. This child, especially once injured by Kara’s negligence, rips through her defenses and leaves her vulnerable, Stockholm Syndrome style. (Of course, I have my suspicions that Kara may still be playing for time to escape.)
Another major development is the rounding up of certain insurgents, including Callie. It appears that the Cylons have plenty of collaborators among the humans, and they know a lot about the resistance. Ellen Tigh becomes a far more important character than ever expected as a result. Callie was probably chosen to send a message to the rest of the population, along with visible targets like Roslin and Zarek. I like the fact that they now respect each other a little more, though the adversarial nature of the relationship remains. All of this serves to expose Gaeda as the insurgency’s mole in the government, which cannot go well for him.
One very impressive aspect to all of this is the use of Jammer and Duck, featured heavily in the “webisodes” released in the US before the season began. Duck, of course, was the first suicide bomber in the premiere, and Jammer finds himself in a tough situation as one of the first members of the New Caprica Police. This gives the “webisodes” a lot of weight, and I appreciate the fact that such content was relevant to the overall story.
On the other side of the equation, the in-fighting within the Cylon regime is becoming violent. The “new way” of the Cylon was introduced by Caprica-Six and Boomer in “Downloaded”, but time seems to have tempered the enthusiasm of the Cylon for this twist on God’s intentions. If they continue to press their reforms, the hardliners among the Cylon could simply decide to get rid of the “liberal influence” and return to their genocidal tendencies.
That could, if handled well, resolve one of the major questions of the series: what is the Cylon agenda? So far, this season has done much to flesh out (no pun intended) that side of the conflict, but there’s a lot more to be revealed and explored. How will the Cylons respond when they discover that Sharon is now an officer for the Colonials? Adama was willing to trust one Cylon, but will that become the exception that proves the rule?
On top of all of that, there’s some progress for Lee and his restoration. For all his apparent softness and loss of edge, he does have a very good point. Even if they fight, humanity must be preserved, even if it’s just a few thousand souls. No matter what his reasons, Adama cannot be certain that Sharon can be trusted, and it may be a disaster for Galactica to return to New Caprica. If it does go badly, Adama can do everything possible to keep the Cylons busy while Lee leads the remaining fleet as far away as possible.
As with all good episodes of “Galactica”, there’s more to discuss and debate than a simple review can hope to cover. While Tigh’s insurgency brings up interesting question about Iraq, there are obvious parallels to occupied Europe in the 1940s. In essence, the writers continue to delve into history, psychology, and philosophy as inspirations.
(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Current episodes cover “Battlestar: Galactica”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4
Final Rating: 9/10
Permalink
Posted in Reviews at 1:17 am by Administrator
Written by Ron Moore
Directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan
It’s been a long wait for fans of “Battlestar: Galactica”, but the third season is finally here. In a number of interviews leading into this season, the producers discussed how a strong premiere was needed to show new viewers why the series has such critical acclaim. I can’t think of a more thought-provoking situation to start with than the Cylon Occupation. Whether or not Ron Moore saw this as the perfect platform for taking the series to the next level, I cannot say. I can only sit back and be amazed at the chances being taken.
This first episode is dominated by exposition, but given how much time has passed since the relatively familiar world of “Lay Down Your Burdens”, it’s not a bad writing choice. This is almost like a pilot episode in tone, laying out the conflicts as they now stand and fleshing out the changes to familiar characters and relationships. There’s a lot of information to communicate in a short time, and Moore manages to do it well. More to the point, it gives the new viewer enough information to understand the nature of the story, while answering some lingering questions for the more experienced audience.
Most of the conflicts match expectation. Adama wants to mount a mission to free humanity on New Caprica; Lee is less certain, having lost much of his fire in the past 18 months. Tigh is running the insurgency on New Caprica, with allies like Tyrol, Anders, and Roslin, and they disagree about methods. Baltar is a puppet president ruled by a fractious Cylon council. None of these details are particularly surprising to long-time fans, but it’s the starting point for a massive amount of drama.
The plot for this episode centers on Tigh’s decision to step up the war against the Cylons by using suicide bombers. The target is the first contingent of New Caprica Police, an all-human police force trained and directed as faceless terror troops against the rest of the human population. From the Cylon point of view, they have all the best intentions at heart: they believe God wants them to find a way to live with humans in peace. Their methods, however, are harsh, making it clear that the reforms introduced among the Cylon after “Downloaded” are not universally accepted. They might be following a new path, but the old desire to dominate and eliminate lingers.
With all this intrigue designed to set the stage for even more disturbing plot twists to come, it’s amazing to think that other plot threads managed to stand out so dramatically. Starbuck’s situation is particularly surprising and unsettling. If the Cylons have changed because of their discovery of love, then it has expressed itself in a particularly nasty way for Kara. She has been abducted from her husband, held captive in a fake house, and forced to deal with a psycho’s manipulation. All horrific enough, but as with so many elements of the story, the ability of the Cylons to resurrect in a new body means that any violence against them is moot. It makes a hopeless situation even worse.
As fan of complex shows with a science fiction twist, all of this would be enough to hold my interest. However, Ron Moore takes it to the next logical step by introducing more than a little social commentary. Just as the Cylons question each and every choice and fight amongst themselves, the insurgents are divided over the idea of suicide troops. The humans are, after all, supposed to be our heroes.
But the heroes in this case are, from a certain point of view, terrorists. While the details are different, the question is still raised: if a population feels oppressed by an unwelcome occupying force, what measures are reasonable to resist and fight back? What targets are acceptable? There are clear analogies to the situation in Iraq, and one could debate the particulars of such an analogy for days without losing steam. The purpose, however, is to ask questions that might otherwise never come to mind. If there is one flaw in the execution so far, it’s that the Cylons are still too overtly evil, making it impossible to see them as anything but a threat to be resisted at all costs.
As I said, entire chapters could be written on the psychological, sociological, and philosophical aspects of this episode. Certainly the writers don’t back off with the second season of the season, either, and things are unlikely to resolve quickly or easily. As difficult as this material might be for the average audience (and it is unapologetically dark), it might be the turning point in the fight for humanity’s survival. After all, the survivors of New Caprica are likely to be the most resilient, and there’s no telling how this will change the Cylons.
(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Current episodes cover “Battlestar: Galactica”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4
Final Rating: 9/10
Permalink
10.02.06
Posted in Reviews at 9:50 pm by Administrator
I didn’t have a lot to say about the second week of webisodes, so I figured I would consolidate the third and fourth weeks of this mini-event into one commentary. Sure enough, a lot has happened in a short period of time. I like how each week seems to focus on one aspect of the concept, building up towards what is likely to happen in the season premiere.
As someone mentioned in a comment to my earlier posts on “The Resistance”, Duck and Jammer have been on the series proper in a support role now and then, and armed with that knowledge, it makes their appearance in the webisodes all that more impressive. None of this material is critical to the series itself, but it is like getting a ton of inter-connected deleted scenes from the show. The production values are still fairly low-tech, but it makes perfect sense and manages to work within the expectations of what New Caprica must look like.
The third week is all about the reactions to Nora’s death. Duck is not pleased to discover that Tigh and the other leaders of the resistance are ready to use Nora’s death as propaganda fodder, and indeed, it is disturbing. If the writers were looking to work Tigh’s questionable morals into guerilla warfare, then they have laid the right kind of foundation. Jammer’s disagreement with Tigh becomes very important in the fourth week, which included some surprises.
I found the conversation between Doral and Jammer to be quite impressive. It’s not an unexpected turn of events, but there was a lot of tension and the acting was rather good for something distributed on the web. It also included a few interesting ideas about the Cylons and their goals. From my perspective, it’s a lot more interesting if the “villains” have a reasonable basis for doing what they do, and there’s a certain logic to what Doral suggests.
At the same time, the writers are leading into a season where the heroes are under an occupying force, using questionable methods to throw off the enemy and regain freedoms. The Cylons are definitely the villains, and their claims of wanting to hand over control of New Caprica back to humanity when they can all work in harmony is hard to swallow. It’s doubtful that many in the audience will think that it’s a good thing for the Cylons to be there, and there will be many who agree with Tigh’s methods in fighting the Cylon oppression. Apply similar logic to the current state of world affairs, and it brings up very uncomfortable considerations.
Whether or not you agree with the point being raised, that, my friends, is good writing.
Permalink
