It took tonight's Battlestar Galactica 45 broadcast minutes to get to a great 15 minutes at the conclusion of the episode.
The plot thread of Kara Thrace trying to come to grips with seeing her own dead body could have been interesting, except that it didn't really lead to any meaningful revelation or emotional payoff this week. Anyone who didn't see the reemergence of All Along the Watchtower by episode's end really hasn't been paying attention to the show this season; that hardly counts as revelation.
It seemed like the Boomer/Tyrol thread wasn't really going anywhere, either. There were a few nice beats in remembering back to their relationship back in the first season, but nothing too extraordinary. It kind of seemed like this week would be a total wash.
But then there was the final act, where some serious drama started playing out. There were a lot of horrifying notions. Helo, a husband unable to tell that the woman he was making love to was not his wife. Boomer, coldly exploiting a past relationship with Tyrol, a man she actually did have feelings for at the time. A small child being abducted from her parents. Regardless of the mythological significance of Hera, or what her abduction means for the plot, these were all just some terrible events to behold and contemplate. And there, once again, is what Galactica seems to do best -- portray awful events, and deal truthfully with the emotional aftermath.
I wish the pacing had been better leading up to that conclusion, but I do think it redeemed what would have been another less powerful episode in this final run of 10.
Three to go...
5 comments:
I'm not sure if I missed something along the way -- I still have a few episodes that I haven't watched on DVD -- but who the heck was that piano player? I don't recognize him as an existing character.
I'm not sure he existed, period. I think he might have been Kara imagining her dad.
**Possible spoiler musings, even though I think it's pretty damn obvious**
I think it's safe to say that the piano player was Kara's father (in a head-trip fantasy portrayal). It could also be inferred that he may have been the Number Seven Cylon "Daniel" since he fits all of the criteria given for that model...making Kara a possible cylon offspring.
Three episodes to go, and I still have no idea where it's heading...
I liked the slow-pitch style of this episode. it kinda didn't seem like it was going anywhere and then wham! the abduction of Hera is the true beginning of the endgame.
ugh poor tortured Tyrol. that guy got seriously worked over this episode. Boomer's last speech to him has me wondering if she really does have feelings for him, or if she was just saying that so he'd "rescue" her again later? it was so carefully worded to not give away the truth. great stuff. I'd like to believe she does have feelings (since it makes it more tourturous for Chief) but either way he'll probably shoot her the next time he sees her. I'll predict the classic "hug shot" where he'll go to hug her and then blammo in the gut.
the one thing that makes me feel like she is not pure mechanical evil is that she left Athena alive. it might have been a comic-booky thing to let a favorite character live, but really she should have killed Athena. but didn't. on purpose? hmmm...
the mole
Yes, I agree, the piano player was definitely meant to be Dad, or some version of him through Kara's hazy memories.
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