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« GI Bracelet | Main | Where Have I Been? » March 12, 2005Galactica Blogging: The Hand of GodA return to a more classic style of Galactica this week, pulled off with careful consistency with the universe Ron Moore has established. Just for fun, while I will still have a few kvetches, this week I'll also be discussing a number of the things I like about BSG. While I do spend an inordinate amount of time complaining about various plot issues on BSG, the fact is that BSG is the only TV I watch regularly. The Simpsons jumped the shark several seasons ago, Arrested Development is cute but hardly so good it demands regular viewing, and there's really nothing else out there that captures my interest outside BSG. (Fiction-wise, that is. When baseball season gets here, all bets are off.) For all my commentary about problems I have with BSG, it's still the best show I've seen in quite some time. Now, on to this week's episode. Just as the fleet had to deal with a water shortage, now five weeks of running has left the Galactica and her entourage with only enough fuel for two more jumps. Looking around for tylium ore, the source of fuel for the ships, Boomer finds an asteroid packed full of the stuff. Naturally, it's also home to a Cylon mining outpost guarded by a small horde of Cylon Raiders. But as the creators have established that the universe is not a very bountiful place, the fleet has little choice but to fight the Cylons to secure a fuel supply before they're left at the mercy of the Cylons. Meanwhile, back on Caprica, Helo and Boomer are still on the run from the Cylons. Boomer is throwing up, possibly from radiation sickness, possibly from morning sickness. If it's morning sickness, we've learned something fascinating about Cylon physiology: not only can they cross-breed with humans, but they gestate faster than us, too, since Boomer only seduced Helo about two weeks ago. Then again, maybe Boomer is just throwing up because she's actually living with the fear of being captured or killed by the Cylons now. Continuing the great Hollywood tradition that military men are all dogmatic and stulted, Apollo and Tigh come up with a plan to attack the Cylon base that Starbuck quickly assures them won't work. Meanwhile Baltar is called in to tell them how to strike the Cylon base to destroy it without ruining the tylium on the asteroid. Further cementing his reputation as the slimiest human remaining alive, Baltar gives them a random point on the asteroid and tells them that if they strike there, it will destroy the base without damaging the tylium. Armed with Starbuck's unorthodox and therefore superior plan and Baltar's assurances, the fleet goes in. The character development of Baltar and his relationship with the Cylons continues to mix the fascinating with the annoying. The Cylons' continual references to God are rather annoying, but the fact remains that whenever Number Six tells Baltar to do something for God, it works out. That suggests to me that perhaps the Cylons are using Baltar to guide the humans along a path of their choosing, for reasons we are not yet privy to. This would explain Baltar's uncanny ability to succeed despite his overweening character flaws, and gives the Cylons a valuable ability to direct the fleet in certain ways without arousing the suspicions of the humans. Also explained in a bit more detail this week is President Roslyn's dreams. Apparently the anticancer treatment she is using has certain hallucinogenic side-effects, although the prescient quality of her dream about the captured Cylon remains a mystery at this point. When Roslyn confides in the fleet's spiritual advisor, it turns out that she may be playing a part in fulfilling some ancient colonial prophecy, a message Baltar also receives in part via Number Six. Since the prophecy predates the creation of the Cylons, either someone really was prescient or the Cylons are trying to fulfill the prophecy as part of their warped obsession with God. Doubtless this plotline will continue to develop as the series continues. One thing I particularly like about the show is their fealty to time (Boomer's possible pregnancy being a glaring exception). Normally in TV shows, no matter how badly a character is hurt at the end of one week, they're back in tip-top shape the following week, ready for more adventures. Starbuck got hurt in episode five, however, and here in episode ten she's kept off the attack mission because her knee is not yet fully recovered, making her a spectator in the fleet's biggest fight since the war began. Having been through a similar transition from operator to planner, I enjoyed the scene where Adama reprimands Starbuck for doubting Apollo and correctly identifies her concerns as relating to her inability to affect the outcome of the fight. To his credit, Ron Moore seems to be doing a pretty good job of holding the various plotlines to account. With a large cast and multiple subplots, that's no easy task, and I give him credit. I remain somewhat concerned over his ability to keep this beast intact, but he's earned some trust. I look forward to seeing how he closes out the season, and I'm glad Galactica has been renewed for a (hopefully full) second season. Posted at March 12, 2005 06:01 AM
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