I felt an interesting mix of opinions about tonight's installment of Battlestar Galactica.On the one hand, I was very glad to see that after the big plot developments of the mid-season cliffhanger, the writers didn't just shove everything back in a box to hold in reserve until the season finale. (The episodes between the departure from New Caprica and the mid-season finale, while sometimes good and interesting, also felt often felt like they were marking time.)
On the other hand, I felt like the two particular plot threads that received focus in this episode didn't mesh well together at all. The "love rhombus" that is Lee-Dualla-Kara-Anders was not really peanut butter to "let's pump Gaius for information"'s chocolate.
But I did like both of the two plots when each is looked at separately. On the one hand, they continue with the "love rhombus" to avoid taking easy or predicatable ways out. Lots of shows would have had Anders get killed off last episode to extricate the characters from their tangle. Other shows would now be playing the oh-so-predictable beat of "Kara's changed her mind and will really leave Anders now, but Lee's gone back with Dualla." (Well, they didn't do that this week, anyway. Kudos to them for that, and here's hoping they stick to it.)
The Baltar storyline had an interesting bunch of strange and sometimes creepy imagery. They've done "character floating alone in the water" before with Lee last season in his Blackbird accident, but here, alone in the dark with only a small light shining on his face, Baltar's vision had a completely different tone. The constant tight closeups in the real world of Baltar in his restraints were unsettling, and the burnt children crowded around his Cylon "reboot" tank were the worst (best? depends on your perspective) of all.
I'd say in all not one of Galactica's finest episodes -- but they can't all be 33, Pegasus, or Downloaded. It was a solid and enjoyable enough hour. Despite the goofy title.
4 comments:
Your review was better than the show. Thanks.
I thought the lame-est part was the whole Tyrol having marrige troubles thing, all happening off screen apparently... it's very hard to swallow, considering how well they were getting along while exploring the temple not too long ago.
but I liked all of the Baltar stuff. his delusion of cylon rebirth as he was hanging himself was chilling. and what did he wisper to Gaeta? I can't wait to find out, and by "find out" I mean "not find out for several episodes of course"...
the mole
I hope they're (mostly) done with the love rhombus stuff for the time being. Or at least have put it on the back burner so it doesn't dominate episodes any more. I never like the "Oh, we're in love, but we're with other people who are also great and love us, boo-hoo, poor us" plot lines.
Could just be the cynical bachelor in me, but I'm just sayin'....
I laughed my ass off when I saw the title. I think what's going to happen is that eventually, Baltar will get back to the point where he can walk around Galactica. Everytime he walks onto the bridge they'll all yell "Gaius"! in unison.
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