11.27.07
Razor: Cutting Deeper
Part of the reason that “Razor” works so well is the parallel structure. The “Pegasus” trilogy alluded to the idea that Cain and her crew were a reflection of Adama and his crew: faced with a different set of challenges, Adama could have followed a similar path. In fact, looking back at the mini-series, that Adama would have been very comfortable with some of Cain’s initial policies. Adama was moderated by a formidable Roslin and her decision to counter any attempt at total military control, as he himself would attest.
Any consideration of Cain’s decisions must take into consideration the fine line between survival and self-destruction. Cain began with the intention of fighting a guerilla war. Unlike Adama and Roslin, there was no search for the semi-mystical Earth to unite her people on a different path. Cain only had revenge. The question is whether or not her decisions were born of desperation or madness.
Faced with the destruction of humanity and the personal betrayal represented by Gina, Cain could have suffered a psychotic break. Certainly her decision to allow Gina to be brutally raped and tortured had little to do with winning a guerrilla war. Killing Gina would have been more prudent, especially given how Cain’s story eventually ended. Ultimately, with nothing to hope for, Cain lost her humanity, and she may not have been aware of that loss.
That is the dividing line: hope and despair. Adama and Cain both suffered a personal betrayal at the hands of a Cylon sleeper agent. Adama ultimately chose a more compassionate response, despite pressure to the contrary. As Sharon herself stated during the “Pegasus” trilogy, it was a matter of demonstrating why humanity was worthy of survival. Cain chose revenge, and it slowly but surely killed everyone infected by that choice (including, of course, the Pegasus).
Just as Cain was ultimately the darker side of Adama made manifest, Kendra Shaw was the dark reflection of Kara Thrace. Kara’s entire life was a mess before she came to Galactica and found a father figure in Adama; her later choices, however self-destructive, were still underscored by hope of something more (be it Anders or the call of Destiny). Kendra began prim and proper, but soon fell into adoration of Cain on several levels, ultimately falling into Cain’s madness and lingering within despair. “Razor” shows Kara and Kendra at a similar crossroads, but in the end, there’s no question who must sacrifice herself for atonement.
Despite the clear parallels to Kara, Kendra’s plot arc in this film is dominantly redemptive. Kendra doesn’t quite realize it until the end, but she’s seeking absolution for what she’s done. The opportunity for self-sacrifice is just the most expedient path. Kendra wasn’t part of the cast during the second and third season, so her survival was never a point for debate.
Far more interesting is the consequence of that choice. The writers could have left “Razor” self-contained, telling only Kendra’s story, and it would have succeeded. By tying these events to the big picture, specifically the events to come in the fourth and final season, the writers exceeded expectations. Suddenly one must wonder: would it have been better if Kara Thrace had died in Kendra’s place, as Lee Adama had ordered? It’s not the order itself that is surprising, but rather, what it might have prevented.
It all comes down to the First Hybrid, the product of the First Cylon War and quite possibly the reason why the Cylons chose to agree to an armistice. All things considered, why would machines bother to stop fighting, when they can simply keep attacking, letting attrition work its wonders? The answer is perhaps too simple: a more decisive victory can be achieved through alternative means. The successful creation of the First Hybrid, it seems, gave the Cylons a reason to want to buy time to create a true humaniform Cylon and deliver the internal deathblow seen in the mini-series.
There’s little doubt that the fourth season will expand on that idea, filling in many of the blanks and hopefully revealing the Cylon plan once and for all (if that concept can still be salvaged). The interesting idea is that Kara Thrace, returned from apparent death in the third season finale, will lead humanity to its final destruction. According to the First Hybrid, Kara will bring the apocalypse.
Hardly comforting words, but there is enough room for interpretation to suggest that the obvious meaning is misdirection. Here’s the entire prophecy: “Kara Thrace will lead the human race to its end. She is the heralder of the apocalypse, the harbinger of death. They must not follow her.”
While one might be tempted to take those portents as one cohesive statement, that may not be true. After all, what perspective would a Cylon Hybrid, even a failed experiment, be speaking from? “Kara Thrace will lead the human race to its end” could simply mean that she’ll lead them to the end of their journey to Earth. Or, alternatively, it could be literal, in that the human race will come to an end, but for reasons that can’t be understood at this point. After all, a number of hints have been made regarding a true hybrid race; “humanity” may need to end to save both Humans and Cylons.
“She is the heralder of the apocalypse, the harbinger of death.” This may in fact be true, but if this is coming from the Cylon perspective, it could tie into the “hybrid” speculation or some greater destruction of the Cylon agenda. Or, recalling that Roslin is not meant to survive long enough to get to Earth, Kara could somehow become the new leader, meant to bring them the rest of the way. If so, her return (with the location of Earth) would be, in a certain sense, a “harbinger of death”.
“They must not follow her.” This is probably the most direct reason to believe that Kara’s survival is a very bad thing, but the context is unclear. It may be that the hybrid’s invocation of the Cycle is important here. If Kara leads the fleet to Earth, leading to the end of Humans and Cylons as they are, perhaps that will only perpetuate the Cycle. Perhaps the idea is to break the Cycle and bring the conflict to a final end (ala “Babylon 5”). On the other hand, the “her” in that final statement may not be Kara Thrace at all.
While this is obviously a hint at things to come for the audience, it could also be important in terms of the Kara/Lee dynamic. Lee may have heard enough of Kendra’s warning to wonder, post-“Crossroads”, if Kara is a Cylon. After all, if circumstances unveil Tigh, Tyrol, Anders, and Tori as Cylons, one final revelation remains. Lee could target Kara as the final Cylon, if he puts the pieces together, leaving the true final Cylon free to act. Whatever the case, there are plenty of potential complications for the final season.
