bop_radar | BSG 4.13 The Oath

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BSG 4.13 The Oath

I am meant to start my Insane Vidding Project today, so this is the world's worst timing... but BSG produced an enjoyable episode this week! (

mskatej, I'd still wait until they do so consistently if I were you!) I mean, the show was still batshit, but in a FUN way.

Following last week's format.

Most unwelcome incidental elements
1. The Adama/Roslin nonsense. Sorry, A/R fans... your ship, it does nothing for me. I find it self-indulgent and I hate the way it's written ('I came back so you wouldn't worry about me'?! Bleugh.) The bit where they took a time out of the mutiny for smoochies really annoyed me. At least Kara snogged Lee quickly, damn it!
That's actually all I've got. :D *beams*

Most cracktastic aspects (I've ditched 'annoying' because I actually found these funny and enjoyed them at that level)
1. Adama defends an empty airlock hatch. HAHAHAHAAH, I have never seen anything funnier! That sums up his character right there. Pointless heroics. I would be even more happy if a) he actually died or b) Roslin got blown out of the sky anyway.
2. Adama/Tigh > Adama/Roslin. Oh, wow, the jealousy and the subtext... I love it on principle. (though I really can't go so far as to say I ship two ugly cranky old guys--but if they die together I'd be very happy)
3. How ridiculously out of touch all the leaders of the fleet remain. I lump Lee in with them until he finally came to his senses with Tigh. But yes, the unnamed masses held more of my sympathy--like the soldier that put a gun to Lee's head and asked how he could make a deal with the Cylons after fighting them for so long. I love Lee, but geez... you need to speak to the people more, mate!
4. The ending. Again. I can't get over it! How unbelievably stupid and pointless. Why wouldn't Adama get on the ship with Roslin? Why wouldn't they ALL get on? Why didn't Kara pilot? Why didn't Lee go and try and open an comm link to Gaeta and reason with him? So many questions. So little sense. *lol*
5. Caprica blabbling about the fact that the humans were paranoid that the Cylons could reproduce now. No, honey, I wish they were, but actually no-one even noticed. What, did you read that from one facial expression? Bit of a long shot, dear/writers.
6. Roslin suddenly deciding to be Pres again. What? It takes a mutiny. Just STAND DOWN! Grrr. How long will this last? Until she wants snuggles with her boyfriend again? God, I wish she'd abdicate.

Things I liked (the JOY!)
1. Gaeta, Gaeta, GAETA! OMG, he rocked this episode so much! I like to read it as he finally cracked it with all the bad writing and just took over the show. :) When he asked Adama what had happened to his oath, I felt he was asking 'what has happened to your characterisation?' because yeah, I agree. What happened to the guy who wouldn't allow linked computers in case the Cylons hacked them? Has it not occurred to him that upgrading with Cylon technology could be a Cylon trap?
2. Gaeta fielding phonecalls. I love that the communications aspect of his job was used to such heroic brilliance! I was totally laughing when he fobbed off Kara and then Lee in succession, but the best of all was Gaius. LOVED IT. Oh, Gaeta, I love you so! I'm going to bawl my eyes out when you inevitably get killed.
3. Zarek 'pushing Lee's buttons' (strangely hot line there, from Gaeta!). I don't like Zarek but he was right on the money in that scene. Lee should know better than that, and while I understand why he's being filial (having fought to rebuild that relationship), I think he should give it up, blow off both Adama and Roslin and just take charge himself.
4. KARA, KARA, KARA! Ok, she was absolutely BATSHIT with that killing spree, but I can't help it, I am helplessly in love. Her joie de vivre was so infectious. I did find her completely confusing--that kiss came out of NOWHERE (yeah, yeah, I'm Lee, I react to her exactly the way he does) but I kind of don't care... I loved her 'don't you remember that we're AWESOME?' message to Lee and apparently it's just what he needed to hear because after that he completely levelled up.
5. Leading to the crowning moment of... 'yeah, I got a problem. Your people annhilated the human race'. Ah, the words that needed to be spoken TEN EPISODES AGO. I'll still take 'em though. Thanks, Lee's characterisation, for returning. I have missed you so!
6. One of Sam's girlfriends, even if it wasn't Kara, feeling betrayed by him being a Cylon. Go Seelix! Woot! And indeed, I liked the way everyone's issues with the Cylons came back out again. It wasn't pretty but it was believable for the first time in... oh, well, all season.
7. Shippy heaven! Kara saving Lee will never not be hot (though I still wish it wasn't for a pro-Cylon cause, but hey, I'll take it any way I can). Bonus snoggage-of-complete-unexpectedness (REALLY wish I hadn't been spoiled for that) and lots of fun runing around in corridors. HOORAY! \o/ I didn't think 4.5 would give us that so I'm grateful.
8. Gaius snark FTW! I really liked his scene with Roslin and their mutual arrogant confidence in their own oratory powers. I laughed so hard when Roslin's speech got cut off and breathed a big sigh of relief that the show didn't go down the path of Roslin-speaks-and-insta!calm-returns-to-the-Fleet.

I am grateful to

supacat for explaining Kara to me, and I'm thrilled to find Kara solidly back in character in this half-season. Kara's been spoiling for a fight, as her only coping mechanism once she wasn't able to open up to Lee about her find on Earth... and yeah, I still hate the writers for constructing it that way, but at least it makes character sense. I found her eagerness to kill humans pretty chilling, but I get that she just needs to feel alive now, any way she can, and she has a lot of suppressed rage issues that she has no other outlet for. I just hope the show gives her a chance to grow beyond this. Meanwhile, it was least fun (and funny) to watch.

The only downer is where this is going to go... I would have been way more excited by the ending if I thought either Roslin or Adama or both of them would actually die, but we know they won't. (God, I would LOVE for Adama to die this pointlessly, I really really would. Bonus points if Roslin died too, but saving her still seems redundant since a) she's dying anyway and b) she's abdicated the presidency!) Also, obviously, people (aka the characters who are sympathetic to me right now) are going to die... Gaeta, Zarek, maybe Racetrack (I really worried Kara was going to top her for emotional shock value in this ep!). Ouchy.

Still, until that happens I'm happy. The episode elated me so much I actually had HAPPY Battlestar dreams for the first time in months. (The recurring nightmare about the show that I've been having is that it turns out Kara's a computer program designed to send Lee insane and all other characters are figments of the computer's imagination.) But last night? I got pilots having sex in a clawfoot bath (yeah, really don't know where they got one of those... there were romantic floating curtains and everything, lol) and Lee could FLY (like, without a viper)! :D :D :D He also talked to God (yeah, lame, I know) and God told him that he was AWESOME. So I forgave the lameness and decided to just go with it... which pretty much sums up where I am with the show this week. BSG, I forgive your lameness as long as Lee retains awesome. :)

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Adama/Tigh > Adama/Roslin. Oh, wow, the jealousy and the subtext... I love it on principle. (though I really can't go so far as to say I ship two ugly cranky old guys--but if they die together I'd be very happy)

This made me think about how awesome it would be to see like a faux movie trailer vid with Adama and Tigh as the classic "Old man buddies who really love each other" like in The Bucket List and Grumpy Old Men and shit.

Re: your dream. That's hilarious. LEE CAN FLY. He really is Clark Kent..or superman. I dreamed about Anders and The Chief coming to an office where I worked (not my real office) and getting jobs there. Chief was head of security and Anders was tall and they were both knocking me out with hotness. (yeah I know I think the Chief is hot...)

Hahaha, well it's cute that we each get BSG dreams in our own ways. ;) (I'll stick with my dream thanks *g*)

This made me think about how awesome it would be to see like a faux movie trailer vid with Adama and Tigh as the classic "Old man buddies who really love each other" like in The Bucket List and Grumpy Old Men and shit.
They are SO Bucket List! I would love to see a satire vid of them along those lines...

(Aside: I am in an absolute panic about Vidding Project. I have lost all will to vid!!!!!)

Oh yours definitely sounds better. ;)

I know. I should totally be vidding right now, I just can't! TOO DISTRACTED. I'm going to have nothing to post tomorrow. I'd planned to do an introductory post, but I ended up writing one yesterday instead. WOOPS.

Well mine had sex! *wins* :p

I saw your introductory post! I had jealousy that you got it done. I only have today to really vid hard, because I only get an hour or two a day on week days... I'm screwed.

I know, I know. Just remember though no pressure! This should be fun. And yours are all going to be very short to show one effect right? You can do that! :)

*laughing* Yeah, but I have to LEARN THE EFFECT, first! *headdesk*

OMG, this is too funny. I have been waiting for weeks for this, all psyched up, and one good episode of BSG and all my will is sapped away...

maybe I should go, I don't know, take a shower or something, and get my head together. My f'list is VERY distracting right now!

I think that I agree with everything you said here (especially about Adama/Roslin -- though I have always had issues with their relationship because the civilian and military heads shouldn't be in one at all. Especially when both parties are prone to dictator-eske personalities to begin with).

Oh, totally! I found Roslin sympathetic for a long time, even when she was prone to autocratism, but eventually my goodwill for the character gave way. I think the Adama/Roslin dictatorship, because that's what it is, needs to go. The fact that they're literally in bed with each other makes it even worse.

Icon love!

I wouldn't have such a problem with it if I thought that the creators of the show wanted us to see Adama/Roslin as a bad thing, but I get the impression that they think the relationship is humanizing and sympathetic.

Oh, they totally do! It's like the way they think Adama is the hero, not an arrogant, limited, selfish old man with anger management issues and alcoholism.

It's like... I see where they are going with Adama but there's all these dead people scattered about entirely because of Bill.

And Gaeta - but who made Gaeta? Bill.

Yeah. You could put a case that it's Bill's complete mismanagement of his subordinates that has led to this. Just as it's Roslin's complete out-of-touchness with the people that voted for her.

They brought it on themselves, they really did. (It just bugs me that they'll come out of it a) alive and b) victorious.)

Well... I will be honest. I have already mentally disconnected here. I think, based on spoilers that I have figured out the end, and if it goes where I think it is going... Rdm ain't so creative.

As for this plot? Duh, Bill is gonna win because he's main cast and Gaeta, and Gaeta's minions Skulls, Racetrack, and Seelix are all secondaries. Likewise, duh, Dee is dead because she's not main cast and it just makes me sad that this is what BSG has come to. Because its pretty damn dumb.

Message me if you want my prediction -its based on spoilers or else i would put it here.

I want to remain unspoiled. It's the only joy left. I believe you that disappointment will come, and that it will be predictable and disappointing, but... I want one week of bubble. ;)

Okay, first: Your dream? So. AWESOME. Why can't I have dreams like that? *pouts*

Annnnnd second: So glad you enjoyed the ep! I was just bouncing off the walls myself, as you probably picked up from my ginormous post of squee! ;)

Third: I loved her 'don't you remember that we're AWESOME?' message to Lee and apparently it's just what he needed to hear because after that he completely levelled up. YES YES YES! I loved this too. So wonderful to have Apollo back, even if Kara did have to rescue him and then kick his ass into gear first. :)

Fourth: Even when I don't feel the same about something, your comments just CRACK ME UP! For instance, I still do like Roslin and Adama a great deal (though I didn't need to see all the outmaking and such--seriously, Kara and Lee totally knew when to keep it quick!), but omg your Adama/Tigh comments were hilarious! So I just wanted to tell you that--I do so enjoy your reviews, 'cause they always make me think and sometimes even reconsider my own interpretations of/opinions on certain things. :)

I enjoyed it!!! \o/ I even just read fic. For the first time in months! :D I'm ... recovering! I'm whizzing through reading everyone's posts and enjoying all the squee.

I thought it was hilarious that Kara had to reboot Lee into awesome with a kiss, but brilliant! I especially liked her wild-eyed 'are you kidding?!' look right before hand.

I'm glad my comments amuse you because I definitely don't mean them in a mean way to fans who have different opinions. It's very much a show where everyone has their 'own' characters and I think it's great that the characters I don't like at least speak to SOMEone. I did find Adama/Tigh very amusing in this episode.

Adama: Hi, Laura, let me snog you goodbye before dying a heroically pointless death with my BFF-Cylon buddy. Don't you see how romantic that will be?

;)

Why wouldn't Adama get on the ship with Roslin? Why wouldn't they ALL get on? Why didn't Kara pilot? Why didn't Lee go and try and open a comm link to Gaeta and reason with him? So many questions. So little sense. *lol*
Good points all! I had the same questions. Except about the Lee and Gaeta talk. Because I don't think those two have ever exchanged words. Like ever. It must be some rule or something.

Gaeta, Gaeta, GAETA! OMG, he rocked this episode so much! I like to read it as he finally cracked it with all the bad writing and just took over the show. :)
GAETA TOTALLY PWNED. The show, CIC, my heart. Everything. I loved him and the phone calls. That was soo funny!

I loved her 'don't you remember that we're AWESOME?' message to Lee and apparently it's just what he needed to hear because after that he completely levelled up.
How could Lee forget the awesomeness of THEM? Yes, Kara kissed the knowledge back into him. There are other ways too, but they were short on time. :-) Next week, maybe?

I don't know. I do think Roslin may die aboard the basestar. That kiss seemed like goodbye to me. Even if they don't die, nothing is the same again. They can't just take back over and lead the way they used to. People have died. No. I think Adama and Roslin are done. Laura doesn't even really want it anymore. And she's looking too good. It's the beginning of the end. But I'll think about that another time.

Yay, sexy BSG dreams! Your dreams have inspired so much fic from me, Boppy! I'm SO GLAD you are happy with the show. Enjoy it while it last and don't think about tomorrow. Woot!!!!!

Yeah, you're right... Lee and Gaeta don't talk. Which is annoying because I think they've got very similar minds, and I think they could get through to one another.

(love your icon, btw!)

I have less faith than you, I don't think this ep will see the end of either Adama or Roslin from leadership, but oh well. That's next week.

The happiness is such a relief. I haven't felt this way for months. It's not even elation, it's just... RELIEF. My dream was so peaceful and dreamlike. There was this one bit with Lee in a sunbeam... *giggles at self*

Hi, I don't comment here often (if ever?) but I couldn't resist today. Your dream is awesome, and you are so right about the leaders and Adama's pointless heroics. I hope he and Roslin get out of the way soon and let the kids take over already.

But I also wanted to comment on this:
I found her eagerness to kill humans pretty chilling, but I get that she just needs to feel alive now, any way she can, and she has a lot of suppressed rage issues that she has no other outlet for.
While yes, eagerness to kill humans is not exactly a good thing, I think it's more than just an outlet. Right now, Kara can't be thinking in terms of human vs. Cylon, since not only did she marry a Cylon, but she has strong reason to believe that she's not human. So it's all about her loyalties (a little bit like what Athena said in 4.0, about picking a side and sticking with it). It doesn't matter if you're human; you're either on her side or your her enemy. Maybe not the best mindset, but Kara's never been the picture of mental health.

Anyway, that's my Kara interpretation for the week.

Hey there! Yeah, please take over, kids! :)

I like your Kara interpretation! Kara draws some pretty strange lines sometimes, but I think you're absolutely right. And I really think I can't judge her too harshly after all she's gone through--I can see why she'd feel like it's her (and the few people like Lee who she draws a line around as being in her circle) against the world. Her 'life' stopped making sense a long time ago.

Well...(to jump in just a little), I think that in the first case at least...how can I put this?

You don't threaten Lee Adama in front of Kara Thrace. You just don't. If you do, it's your own fault if bad things happen to you. I would have expected Racetrack and Skulls to know that when it comes to Lee Adama, Kara Thrace will NOT hesitate. If it's a choice between their lives and Lee Adama's, well that's just too bad for them - no one gets to hurt Lee.

(I did find myself giggling during the episode though because Gaeta, seriously? Your first priority should have been tossing Kara out an airlock if you wanted the mutiny to work out at all...)

Sorry, I actually loved this episode immensely, and I still love the show to an enormous degree, but I think it's worth noting that Kara probably wouldn't have defaulted to 'insanely hardcore' so quickly if it hadn't been Lee they'd threatened. I still love everyone (well...maybe not Zarek, and definitely not Connor, but everyone else) and this episode hurt to watch, but I...well, I loved that almost everyone else was still sympathetic, and still, from their point of view, logical in their course of action, and yet...no matter what they do, it all ends horribly and nastily, and won't help...and, well, weirdly, when I was watching this episode I kept thinking of the Irish Civil War. No one was 'wrong' there either, everyone had good reasons for what they did, everyone had been wounded and...well, to be honest you don't often see that kind of 'messiness' represented in drama. It's too confusing, too difficult to follow, and I love that BSG actually went there...that it could present precisely the vicious human catastrophe of a civil war where no one is entirely wrong and have make sense, because we have so much history with these characters, and understand their positions so well.

Sorry, didn't mean to rant at you!

Wow, that's your idea of a rant?! It sounded more like squee to me. ;) Nice jump-in!

My best friend said the same thing: that it was particularly because it was Lee that they'd threatened that made Kara so hardcore. It was almost impossible for me to read it that way because I (still!) find it so hard to see Kara's love for Lee, but... I have to admit... your reading does make a lot of sense. I guess I'm just too scared of believing she really cares that much for Lee in case I get let down again. ;)

Yeah, I don't LIKE Zarek, but I do understand his motivations. BSG's definitely done well at that. I guess that the fact that I feel more sympathetic to the mutineers than 'our heroes' is, in one way, a testament to that... though it's largely frustration at the show that's driving that sympathy. I like the Civil War parallel because there are definite similarities in terms of how (self-)destructive it is, and also how it gets driven out of people feeling like they've reached a point of no return and have to force change at any cost. There's no doubt that civil war is destructive... and yet, I see why people get driven to that extreme. This is a better crafted tragedy to me than the kind of too-heavily-foreshadowed-to-be-a-shock deaths we've had so far this season.

(I did find myself giggling during the episode though because Gaeta, seriously? Your first priority should have been tossing Kara out an airlock if you wanted the mutiny to work out at all...)

Seriously...you think he'd know this by now. But still, I can let it go because hello badass Kara and Lee (who you never ever threaten because Kara will kill you dead)! And that can forgive nearly anything. :)

Ha, thanks! I am quite interested in seeing the Kara/Lee kissing, but I can wait. :D

The kissing is ace, obviously, and some of the big gaping silences on the big issues this season have been addressed, but I still fear it's shortlived and too late...

I love reading your thoughts, even when you are scratching your head about the show.

YAY for clawfoot bathtubs....

I got a strong reminder when Kara was practically bouncing that she finally felt like her for the first time in a while... back to when she and Karl were in her apartment and she said 'I'm fighting cause I don't know how to do anything else" (I think that's it, I'm away from my DVDs!)....

And maybe this time, she does have something to really fight for.... :)

There have been lots of call backs in this last season... I kinda like it...

Hee! I hope I provide amusement in my frustration, at least.

I'm not sure if Kara knows what she's fighting for, exactly, but it evidently feels right regardless and that seems like a good start for finding herself. :)

I enjoyed the callbacks in this episode. The writing has improved! I'm trying really hard not to get too excited but I was pleased/surprised this week.

Cracktastic. Excellent word! I still think it's hilarious that Adama chose to defend the secondary aft airlock of plot deviceness. It's an empty airlock! It must be defended! Otherwise the marines might open the airlock and throw rocks at the really fast Raptor flying away.

This'll probably end up being one of the episodes I enjoy more with hindsight - assuming it all doesn't shift to complete insanity over the next few episodes.

I think I overuse 'cracktastic' these days. ;)

I think of Adama's pointless stand occasionally throughout the day and laugh. :) I spluttered my morning coffee when I read your comment--thank you!

I loved her 'don't you remember that we're AWESOME?' message to Lee and apparently it's just what he needed to hear because after that he completely levelled up.

Well put! That is pretty much exactly how I read the scene too. The adrenaline and exhilaration of finding herself and them as duo in a situation where they MAKE SENSE and kick ass. For someone who has been lost inside of her own identity dilemma for a while, this much have been an amazing relief: I know how to do this. I know how to fight. And Lee is my partner.

That's a great way of putting it! The relief you describe is exactly what I saw on my screen--and I was exhilerated for her. Kara's catharsis was very infectious!

A few day late but...amen to all of the above. I think my initial reaction was a bit over the top but that is a direct result of FINALLY getting a good episode that at least reminded me of why I love this show.

That said...I get that Adama isn't going to abandon his ship but what exactly are you going to do? Keep repelling pointless attacks on an empty room until you run out of bullets and hope that Kara and Lee retake the CIC in time to save your ass? Because I'm not really seeing the point here.

Kara and Lee...SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! The kiss was totally random and out of the blue but I don't really care because it led to them being kick ass again. That's all I really need to be happy. Kara and Lee kicking ass, side by side.

Hoping for more next week.

Hee! Yes, FINALLY is the appropriate word this week. ;) And yeah... there was ZERO point to Adama's last stand. ZERO. You can't tell me he's too fat to make it up a ladder? If he's going to fight at all then fight with Kara and Lee. Surely they're where it's at?!?!

Yeah, I am actually hardly interested in analysing what the kiss means for them ship-wise because it seemed to serve its purpose which was kickstarting them as a team again, and I want THAT more than ANYTHING.

I daren't hope. I daren't.

I don't want to hope either. I really really don't but there's this little ember that won't go out no matter how hard I stomp. Grrr.

Dastardly little ember! It is true.

Oh I am so glad that you enjoyed this one Bobby!

I loved it with unrestrained enthsusiasm!

I have decided to ignore the faults this series, and just strap in and enjoy the ride, especially because it is the last one.

I loved seeing Lee and Kara working together, I loved the kiss - I refuse to analyse it (too much of that at work this week) - I am just glad that it happened and that Kara initiated it - Lee's befuddlement was just gorgeous. I was saying over at Latte's journal that it was almost like Kara the hero striding in, gun's blazing, rescuing Lee, and waking up sleeping beauty Apollo with a kiss. It was so great to see Lee and Kara working seamlessly together again *squee!*

I loved the pace of this episode, and although the execution / writing has been a tad flawed, I am loving this arc - it had to happen - and I can't wait for next week. I particularly can't wait for more buddy cop Lee and Kara.

Thank you! I have been in a very good frame of mind post-BSG this week. I don't want to speak to soon but I may be easing my way into just accepting the show again, warts and all.

SleepingBeauty!Apollo! :D YES! It was very much like that. So thrilling!

omg I've only seen ten minutes of it but KARA KISSED LEE OMGOMG HE DIDN'T START IT FOR ONCE OMG SOMEONE FINALLY APPRECIATES THE WONDER THAT IS LEE.

Of course, now the rest of the episode will totally negate the scene and poo on me but OMG DID YOU SEE THAT?

Don't worry, the negation doesn't come until next episode. :p

But YES IT WAS SO AMAZING, SHE JUST GRABBED HIM, WHEEEEE!!!!!!!!

Gah. Still, I don't expect too much any more. BUT I MEAN SHE JUST WENT FOR HIM LIKE ANY NORMAL WOMAN AND ZOMG and his hands went straight round her head like old times aw awww.

Hee! Yeah, it's like Kara just finally came to her senses! And then she seemed to 'reboot' Lee as well! \o/ \o/ I like that despite his surprise he completely responded on instinct. Only after he looked confused. As you would be! I mean, that came out of nowhere! Very much awwwwwwwwwwwwwness while it lasts.

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BSG 4.13 The Oath

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