The Best Week(s) of T.V. Ever, Part Three: Battlestar Galactica

Battlestar Galactica

This is the third of my three-part series. This one’s a little different, and includes spoilers for everything that has aired so far.

I love this show so frakking much! Surprising me more than anyone, it has managed to climb to the number one spot in my mind. I still consider myself fairly new to my geek cred, and can’t say I ever considered the Sci Fi channel a place to find awesome programming. That’s right—I was one of those elitist snobs who considered this genre “hoaky” or “too unrealistic.” Thanks to a slew of friends, the influence of Joss Whedon, and now Ronald Moore, science fiction dominates my TiVo. Battlestar Galactica (amongst other programs, such as Farscape and the new Doctor Who series) has proven over and over again that this genre is nothing approaching hoaky. And the first arc of this season has surprised me in too many ways to recount. The biggest, though, is that I was in tears over the death of Ellen Tigh, easily my most hated character of Season’s 1 and 2. What the frak?!?

Instead of covering each episode individually, I think it will be much more sensible to discuss each major plot point and/or character arc thus far.

New Caprica
When we left our heroes last season, they had laid down their burdens on an inhabitable planet they named New Caprica, in reference to the major planet of their old homesteads. Thinking themselves finally safe from the always-looming Cylon threat, the majority of citizens created a settlement, while some stayed on Galactica and Pegasus to guard “just in case.” As it turned out, the guard was necessary but not sufficient. One year after they landed on New Caprica, the Cylons invaded, declaring control over the settlers and forcing newly elected President Gaius Baltar into surrender. As chaos broke out amongst the settlers, one thing to note was that Cylon Leoben captured Kara “Starbuck” Thrace as she shared a bed with husband Sam Anders, a relationship that continues to surprise me in its genuineness and consistency. This is where we were left, hugely mindfrakked and going insane for seven months.

When the show triumphantly returned on October 6th, it had only been four months on New Caprica. The Cylons were still in power, Kara was still being held captive, Chief Galen Tyrol and former Crewmen Specialist Cally had their first child, and Colonel Saul Tigh had lost an eye due to Cylon torture and was being held in captivity until his wife, Ellen, offered herself up to one of the Cylon Brothers Cavil for his release.

The Resistance
Unsurprisingly, a resistance has formed on New Caprica; men and women who once lived aboard Galactica and Pegasus have formed a small force to buck the Cylon regime and attempt to regain their freedom. Led by Colonel Tigh, Chief Tyrol, and Sam Anders, the resistance is mostly geared toward blowing up Cylon strongholds and causing trouble as often as possible. Another of their ultimate goals is to contact Galactica, and they have secretly built a radio to do so. The brilliant Webisodes released by the Sci-Fi Channel gave us an incredible introduction to the resistance, and allowed us to form attachments characters Jammer and Tucker “Duck” Clellan, former Viper pilots for Galactica.

Through both the Webisodes and the premier episodes of BSG, we see a great many facets to our beloved characters. Colonel Tigh comes into his own as he commands the Resistance, and we see just how far he will go for what he believes is right. He recognizes completely that the humans are still fighting a full-blown war with the Cylons, no matter what promises of unification and understanding the Cylons declare. Furthermore, he makes the decisions that nobody wants to make in a war -- who is sacrificed and what morals are crossed along the way. Chief Tyrol, who we saw in many moral dilemmas aboard Galactica, remains the center of values in the trio of leaders, asking the questions that must be asked. How far is too far? What do you just not do, even in war? How much can you ask of your fellow soldiers? Is it okay to use a place of worship to store weapons in secret? Then we see Anders, who grows into his own character and is no longer simply “Kara’s lover.” He’s strong, able, and willing to do just about anything to save his fellow settlers and find Kara.

As often happens, the insurgents are aided by an unknown inside man, someone communicating with them anonymously (through an adorable puppy, Jake, and his food bowl) to give a heads-up to the major goings-on in President Baltar’s office. What may be a bit more surprising is that the informant is now-curly haired and gorgeous Lt. Felix Gaeta. Throughout seasons 1 and 2, Gaeta was the fandom’s number one choice of Next Cylon Revealed and usually proved to be Baltar’s shadow, always in awe of the man’s genius. From the Webisodes forward, Gaeta provided the insurgents with vital inside information to aid in their plans and made it possible for them to actually effect change.

The Cylon Enforcers
Along with the usual array of toasters, seven Cylons (all that have been revealed so far) enforce their regime on New Caprica. Each has a unique personality and, most likely, agenda. Number Two, Brother Cavil, continues to show himself as anything but religious and often argues for extreme tactics to maintain control over the humans. Number Three, D’Anna Biers, walks the middle ground and is willing to kill for what she sees as the ultimate goal (presumably a Cylon/Human hybrid race), but it isn’t her initial “go-to” idea, as it is for Two and Number Five, Doral. Since he was first introduced in the BSG miniseries three years ago, Doral has remained something of a mystery, not often involved in the plot. Even now, his character remains somewhat flat, and he usually goes along with what Cavil says.

Probably the most developed of the Cylon models are Numbers Six and Eight (Sharon “Boomer” Valerii). Each is usually seen arguing for peace and gentility with the humans, as their goal truly is to live harmoniously with the humans, so long as they begin to conform to the idea of One True God. Six and Eight both continue to be seen in many forms throughout the series. A version of Six remains firmly lodged in Gaius Baltar’s mind, and an Eight copy remains aboard Galactica, where she has become an officer and Admiral Adama’s chief confidant. These are the two Cylons most likely to see reason, and often try to persuade their fellow enforcers to look at things in a less violent manner.

Finally, Leoben and Simon make up the last of our seven known Cylons. Leoben is rarely in the Colonial One office, as his primary goal is to induce Stockholm syndrome onto Kara as he holds her captive in an apartment somewhere on New Caprica. While he is present at the biggest meetings, his personality is really only evident in the apartment with Kara. Simon, first introduced in the Season 2 episode “The Farm,” where he masqueraded as a helpful doctor while really attempting to use Kara as a baby making machine, is still an enigma. While it’s obvious he’s on board with making a Cylon/Human hybrid (master?) race, the lengths he’ll go to get it are a bit fuzzy.

President Gaius Baltar
Perhaps one of the most fascinating character arcs of the third season thus far is that of Gaius Baltar. Being held hostage in his own office by the Cylon Enforcers, he finds himself spiraling down a tunnel of shame and self-pity, all the while signing commands and orders to spare his own life. Making this all the more interesting, the outside world believes him a traitor to the human race. In reality, he’s simply fearful and still being half-controlled by the Six in his head. Rather than be killed, he authorizes Cylon demands, going so far as to order the public execution of known (or suspected) insurgency leaders.

By the end of the first mini-arc, Gaius remains on New Caprica with Caprica Six, after being confronted by Gaeta, who truly believed in the idea of a peaceful existence and, in truth, the idea of Gaius Baltar. Gaeta “convinces” Baltar (at the point of a gun) to stay behind, do one brave thing in his entire life, and stop Number Three from detonating a nuclear bomb which will destroy New Caprica and any human remaining on or near it. Through no fault of his own, Baltar is ultimately successful and remains safe from the humans who certainly would have executed him on board Galactica.

The New Caprica Police
This third force to arise on New Caprica is perhaps even more hated by the humans than the Cylons themselves. The New Caprica Police is an idea of the Cylons to attempt to bridge the gap between Cylon and human. Underestimating the amount of hate the humans have for them, the Cylons believe that if they recruit humans to enforce their “peace,” the other humans will be less resistant. Instead, the New Caprica Policemen are hated by the settlers more than any other group, as they are seen as traitors and cowards. It does not help that they come during the night, faces covered in ski masks and unnecessarily large guns at the ready, to snatch people believed of being involved in the Resistance from their beds. The Cylons continually tell the Police that they are doing what is necessary to create peace and harmony, while the Resistance makes plans to send a message of their own.

In probably the most morally questionable act of the season thus far, Colonel Tigh recruits Duck, who lost his pregnant wife to an attack by the Cylons during the Webisodes, to go on a suicide mission to the first New Caprica Police Graduation Ceremony. Believing that Baltar will be in attendance, Tigh argues that this is possibly the only chance they will have to kill Gaius. Tyrol believes that this is where they must draw the line with their actions, but Anders and Tigh convince him that since Duck volunteered, the gain is much greater than the loss. Of course, it is this act that forces the Cylon’s hand and inspires them to send the surviving Police to capture Resistance leaders for a public execution. Among the captured are former Vice President Tom Zarek, former President Laura Roslin, and Chief Tyrol’s wife, Cally.

From the looks of the next episode (“Collaborators”), the time has come for believed traitors to be given justice. The question on my mind: will Tyrol and the others realize that Jammer was a member of the New Caprica Police and that Gaeta was their informer? Furthermore, if Jammer is captured, will his rescue of Cally exonerate him?

Kara Thrace
In competition with Gaius Baltar for “most fascinating character arc thus far,” Kara Thrace has been absolutely riveting this season. Held captive by Cylon Leoben, who wants nothing more than her love (even if he has to force her to it), she is kept outside of her comfort zone, which would have been in the Resistance, fighting alongside hubby Anders. Despite this, and the hopelessness that must be settling into her after four months of captivity, Kara remains 100% Kara, and kills Leoben at every opportunity. Naturally, he simply downloads into a new body and continues the process of treating her well and waiting for her love. Eventually, he finds a new way to “break” Kara; he introduces her to her “daughter,” Kacey. Leobon informs Kara that Kacey is a product of the reproductive experimentation Kara endured on The Farm. While Kara initially resists Kacey, she ultimately forms a close attachment, which is what Leoben wanted. He believes that if Kara becomes attached to Kacey, she will also join with him in a parental bond. Unfortunately for him, he underestimated Kara Thrace.

While Kara certainly quickly grows to love Kacey, most likely out of a desire to not do to her what Kara’s mother did to Kara, she never grows to love Leoben. When Anders is finally able to rescue her (in one of the most touching reconciliations ever), she attempts to rescue Kacey. Leoben forces her to declare that she loves him, and we are subjected to a nasty kiss, but Kara soon kills him once more and takes Kacey away. Anders shows his dedication and love for Kara by never questioning this, but when they finally return to Galactica, Kara horrifically learns that Kacey was never hers to begin with. Kacey’s real mother approaches Kara, ecstatic to see her baby again, and takes Kacey away. The absolute devastation written across Kara’s normally stoic face speaks volumes and brought a great many tears to my eyes.

Adamas at War
The whole time Colonel Tigh is leading the resistance on New Caprica, Admiral William Adama and son, Commander Lee “Apollo” Adama, await contact from the inhabitants of New Caprica. Forced to jump their battlestars into safety, the father and son send out daily raptors to await contact. Tensions, and Lee’s weight, mount as the wait gets longer and longer. Without a war to fight, both Adamas seem lost. Lee attempts to build a life with new wife, former Petty Officer Anastasia Dualla (who I still despise for cheating on Billy) while he commands the Pegasus, but becomes stagnant and purposeless, a fact Dualla points out to him. Admiral Adama (aka “The Old Man”) finds himself almost alone with his ship, with only Cylon Sharon Valerii and her husband, Karl “Helo” Agathon, for real company. As he fills his time with growing a porn ‘stache, he remains stoic and hopeful that he will be able to rescue his fellow humans. Father and son continue to clash frequently, as The Old Man insists on waiting for contact from Tigh and the others and Lee argues for continuing the search for Earth and protecting the few humans that remain in their fleet.

When Tigh finally contacts Admiral Adama, a rescue plan is quickly formed. It’s risky, heroic, and relies on a Cylon for its ultimate success. Without getting into too many details (this is long enough already, wouldn’t you say?), the mission is successful and involves the single coolest special effect in the history of the world, as Galactica lowers itself in a straight drop to New Caprica, launches Vipers, and then jumps out. The other major moment of squee during this mission came when Lee jumped the Pegasus into a battle, sacrificing his ship (though not himself) to rescue his father and the Galactica. It was, well, really frakkin’ awesome.

Hera—The Shape of the Future?
As “Exodus Part 2” came to a close, one thing happened which will ultimately shape the future of the show. Number Three found Baby Hera, the offspring of Sharon Valerii and Karl Agathon, a child prophesied in Cylon lore to change the future, and the first Cylon/Human Hybrid. While Laura Roslin had worked tirelessly to conceal her existence to both the Cylons and Hera’s parents (who were led to believe she died shortly after birth), an oracle revealed to Three the truth about Hera. It was this that saved New Caprica, Gaius Baltar, and everyone else, as Three took Hera from Baltar’s hands and, as prophesied, immediately knew what love really is. The existence of Hera on New Caprica has already saved them all. The question is: what else does her existence mean? What will happen when Sharon and Helo discover they were lied to? Will Roslin ever come to know that the child is still safe? These are the questions that season three poses thus far, along with many others. For such a small child, Hera has enormous pressure on her already. Save the world. Save the human race. Join the Cylons and humans together in peace.

In Search of a Place Called Earth
As the first mini-arc came to a conclusion, the inhabitants of Galactica seem prepared to begin their search for Earth anew. It is my theory, however, that even if they do find it, they will be unlikely to leave Galactica very quickly. Despite the exhaustion of living on one spaceship, it is the only place they have ever been truly safe. Even in the beginning, when the Cylons attacked every 33 minutes, the humans survived admirably. It was not until they left the ship and settled onto an Earth substitute that things fell apart and the Cylons truly gained control.

The ramifications of the year and four months spent on New Caprica remain to be seen, but you can bet they will be large. Tigh and Kara probably lost the most, and their stories will be amazing to watch unravel. How loyal Sharon will remain to the humans remains to be seen, and when she and Helo ultimately discover their living, breathing child, chances are both will scoot over to the Cylon camp. And, a final question: what sort of president will Tom Zarek make? As the last elected official, in the office of Vice President, Baltar’s absence should pass the presidency to him. Will the new alliance he formed with Laura Roslin inform his presidency as much as it should? Or will the taste of power go to his head? I don’t know about the rest of you, but I can’t wait to find out all of these answers, and more, in this season of the best show on television.