Lee Adama is a Cylon

Tom Brady is a Cylon

2007-10-08T07:50:00.001-07:00

I am a die-hard Cowboys fan, looking forward to tonight's game and even more so to next week. This causes a few jokes from my friends:
"So you remember that last year, I referred to the Cowboys as Romostar Gramatica? This year they are Romostar Folkasus. They are going to ram into a Patriotstar and explode, accidentally destroying the Colts. By then Gramatica will be all healed up so it can be Romostar Gramatica again, and then it turns out all the guys on Sportscenter are Cylons because they all hear the Monday Night Football theme over and over in the walls."

I was discussing the game today with another fan (and a reader/poster!)...
Starchild: What if Tony Romo is a Cylon?! That would explain why he is so good.
LAiaC: Nah, Romo is one of the good guys. Brady is a Cylon!

I want to make it perfectly clear that I'll be walking around in hostile territory, sporting my Romo jersey today, as I was shortly after their embarrassing loss to to the Seahawks last year. Go Cowboys!

*edit*

New team name: Romosuck Folkarocks.

Alright, So...

2007-05-29T00:48:00.000-07:00

Although I've missed BSG greatly, other shows like Heroes and...well, just Heroes have been filling that hole in my life. Anyhow, I'm viewing the season finale once again, and I'm wondering...how could they do this to us?

First off, here is the fully updated list (Version 4.0)...

(1.) Brother Kabul
(2.) Tigh
3. D'Anna
(4.) Tyrol
5. Doral
6. Six
(7.) Anders
8. Sharon
(9.) Torri
(10.) Leobon
(11.) Simon the Doc
12. [TBD]

Those in parentheses have been assigned to a number through no merit or faults of their own, or labeling by the writers. Let's take these guys one at a time.

1. Brother Kabul. The priest...it was very ironic discovering him as a Cylon. I recall "Funny. I haven't seen you at any of the Cylon meetings...." Even more ironic is who he said this to. That's right, one of The Five, Chief Tyrol. I've got my complaints about him coming in a bit.

2. Colonel Tigh. Really? The guy who was with Admiral Adama during the beginning of the FIRST Cylon War? Well, I suppose that adds to the circular story-telling path that we've been taken down. All of this has happened before, and, well, you know the rest. I bet that came as a punch in the stomach to people who read up on all of RDM's literature that implied that anyone old being a Cylon would be impossible. Sneaky little man, he is, throwing us off his trail like that.

3. D'Anna. She came in one episode, wreaked a little havoc, then was revealed rather humorously in a theater...it was nice, quaint. Then one of the hers go a little loony and spiritual, and a couple of them are uptight.

4. Tyrol. Did Cally have the baby with someone else, or is their child just not important? Maybe it has something to do with being born of a human mother. In any case, the Chief as a Cylon doesn't make sense to me, but I suppose I'm willing to accept this.

5. Doral. Pretty dull, on the whole, in comparison to everyone else. He was a tool for Baltar to be able to point out someone and have it be an actual Cylon. Convenient and clever. I liked it.

6. Six. Almost too much to say about her. She's the mother of the Cylons, in a way. Always in extremes--the nurturer or the punisher. She's hardcore. Even when she's vulnerable and degraded, she's powerful. (PS, while I'm thinking of it, I totally called the Gaius = Jesus thing)

7. Anders. I have no outstanding objections. If Starbuck is a Cylon (I'll get to that one in a bit), then he's really acttracted to other robots. Sure, he was a resistance leader on the Capricas, Old and New, but all of the Five have shadows in their past. Really, how else would he have gotten his superhuman Pyramid skills?

8. Sharon. Mother of Hera, the hybrid that is going to....well, I don't know what Hera is really meant to or going to do, but she's important.

9. Torri. Why? Just...why? I see no point in making her a Cylon, but I'm sure it will carry forward in grandiose and important ways.

10. Leobon. A personal favorite of mine. He's pretty great. He comes in for an episode or two, and he screws around with Kara's mind. Sometimes she sees him and it isn't actually Leobon (maybe). He throws number 12 into question (oh, aren't you so excited to get there?).

11. Simon the Doc. Gave him the title just in case you forgot. He was there for the ovary farming episodes, and nothing much else. His little bit part plays a role in the decision about number 12...

12a. Starbuck. I've been told that is HAS to be her, give up on this "LAiaC" business. First off, why would the Seven be hunting her down and telling her she's got a destiny, a role to play, when they don't know who the Five are? How could they, as Cylons, do intense medical experimentation on her and not realize "Oh, hey, this chick's a Cylon, too...weird." The Seven were too disgusted to speak about the Five. It makes no sense for them to willingly associate with Starbuck in such an assertive way if she is a Cylon, even if they don't know (after ripping out her ovaries).

12b. Lee Adama. Sure, he wasn't drawn to that room with the other four. He had more important things to do. Instead, he finished the trial and immediately started running to suit up and fly out in his Viper as the rest of them were returning to their jobs. Then he hops out and joins up with his non-Cylon-but-still-special buddy, Starbuck. She tells them she's been to Earth and is going to take them there. I've just got too much invested in the LAiaC theory to take this lying down.

Secondly, "All Along the Watchtower". That song...when Colonel Tigh first said the opening line, I laughed out loud. Honestly..."All Along the Watchtower"? I guess it was one of the cooler montages leading into a random room I've seen in some time, but that's mostly because the song is so awesome. The spoken lyrics from the four of them...not so great. Best part of the whole deal is when Colonel Tigh comes into the room and says, "Whuuuuh."

"Sam, it's true. We're Cylons. And we have been from the start."

I'll see y'all in 2008.

The Return of Good Episodes, The Return of Commentary

2006-12-16T09:44:00.000-08:00

I almost thought of painting a sign and picketing the BSG Episode Factory these past two weeks. There wasn't really....substance to the previous two episodes, so had I posted anything, it would have been short, boring, and just a little mean. The difference this week was incredible. Let's jump to it (just a little pun for old time's sake).

As hokey as this romance is and as doomed for failure, I'll talk a little about Starbuck and Lee. She feels that this whole thing is "not a big deal", and Lee is all torn up. Why? Because this isn't the first time Starbuck has cheated. My guess is it's some kind of problem from her troubled past displaying itself, just like her tough attitude. Leobon touched on that. As far as Lee goes, he should be used to this whole guilt thing, sneaking around behind Billy's back in the early stages of his courtship with Dee. But I'm forgetting, Billy died so it's okay. If only we could arrange Dualla's death, Lee might be happy again. Well, that could happen, what with Cylons, nukes, and a supernova coming after them. Then this whole love quadrangle will be resolved with all four of them obliterated. Hooray, end of a nowhere plot line!

Is there a reason that Gaius looks like an artist's rendering of Jesus? Is he the one that the Basestar called "The Chosen One", or is that the Chief? The obvious pointer would be that he felt drawn to the temple, "I just got this urge to start...walking, and suddenly, here it is." That whole bit that Cally says about his reverence in the temple, "You should see the look on your face when you're in here. There's this...reverence. You even talk softer." "I feel something in here. Something true...the temple of five." What is the connection between the temple of five and the Cylon final five? I'll get to that in a bit.

By the way, when the Chief enters the temple and the shot pulls back...that is totally sweet. It's pretty obvious that when the light being focused down from a point near the ceiling hits the center of that circle, everything is going down. The final five will be revealed (unless the Cylons have got it all wrong), the star is going to go supernova, and the nukes are getting launched. It's all a question of precise timing.

I've always wondered how the writers decide when Adama is going to "take it on the speaker" and when to listen to a call on the headset. When the Cylons jump in and start talking, you would think he would say "patch it through down here" like he has done so many other times when it's a sensitive matter with the possibility of, say, a Cylon activation code being sent through the speakers making all of their sleeper Cylons go on a rampage.

This whole Gaius-Jesus thing has got me thinking...what if Caprica, Baltar, and D'Anna are supposed to emulate the Triune God of Christianity? In that order it would be Mother, Son, and Holy Spirit. Maybe this whole thing is just because Cylon hair doesn't grow. Or...it does, and they just kill themselves and download into a new body when they need a trim. I imagine it's hard to find a barber shop on a Basestar. "The five lights of the apocalypse rising, struggling towards the light, sins revealed only to those who enter the temple, only to the Chosen One. The Chosen One. The Chosen One. The Chosen One. The Chosen One. The Chosen One. The Chosen One." Repeated seven times. Maybe the Son and Holy Spirit really do need to leave the Mother for the world to have the sins revealed.

One of the best lines in this episode when Brother Kabul says, "Yes, we come in peace." What a creepy little man.

Is Laura pregnant? She left the Cylon show-down meeting with a stomachache and is looking a little plump...that might explain why Laura is on Galactica for so much of the time. Later on, she reads, "Five pillars of the temple were fashioned after the five priests devoted to the one whose name cannot be--" There is the reason why the Chief feels that there is a real presence. He's probably a Cylon, really believes in the Cylon God...all of this has happened before and all of it will happen again. Based on Leobon's talks with Kara, that is something that both faiths embrace. Perhaps these 5 priests are the final 5 Cylons in this time through the story. The one they are devoted to takes on a very Jewish face, with an unspeakable or unknowable name. This gives the god of the temple a distinctly monotheistic feel, excepting the Ephesians and their temple to the unknown god (Just in case we missed someone! Please don't get mad at us, Zeus! We didn't mean to forget your 134th son, honest!). So...this is probably a temple to the one Cylon God. I remember there being something about Jupiter from a previous episode that Gaius and D'Anna were fussing about....the connection between the gods of the humans and the God of the Cylons. Is the Eye of Jupiter the face of the Cylon God?

Now...who are the final five?

I Must Apologize

2006-12-04T11:10:00.000-08:00

I am sorry for my inattentiveness to the blog over the past few weeks. Things have gotten really busy for me (again), and this is something that had to be sacrificed. In a week and a half, I will answer all of your questions and comments. Until then, keep commenting and please leave everything on the most recent post. It is an unfortunate part of the blog setup, so if you want people other than me to notice your comment, post on the latest thread.

Happy watching,
LAiAC. (Really, he is. I still believe it.)

I'm Torn, Too.

2006-11-06T14:21:00.000-08:00

Alright, so is Gaius a Cylon or not? Just when I had myself convinced they weren't going to let Gaius be one of the models, they come out with an episode like this (which was incredible, in case anyone didn't notice).

I loved the way they played up the other 5 that "we don't talk about". Do our 7 revealed Cylons know what any of the 5 look like? One of my thoughts is that the other 5 didn't want to destroy humanity in the first place or were otherwise errant and cast away. Maybe they are one-body models, never being resurrected or recopied. Or, perhaps they have a fleet of their own, complete with women in bathtubs squeaking "Jump!". Even better yet, these could be earlier models cloned and altered from human DNA. Who knows? I'm thrilled about this new plot line.

Now, Gaius...there is something. After watching this week's episode, I went back and rewatched last week's. The previews at the end of the show included the scene between Gaius and his P-Six, or Projection-Six, where he asks, "Am I a Cylon?" This reconfirmed my belief that spoilers spoil things. I'm not sure what to write about the new character development on Gaius, other than it's not actually that new. He has questioned his identity in the past, only now it is based on more concrete facts from his perspective. He does projection, this thing standard to all Cylon models, to escape the world around him, make everything seem better. (Not to mention the fact that he was blown up by nuclear bombs.) The only issue with projection being a concrete fact is that Caprica-Six woke up in the rebirthing chamber to find a mental Gaius standing over her, and she seemed suprised and interacted with it. To adapt an earlier theory of mine, maybe it was some kind of cross-over in programming during the download process where the other mind was imprinted in the Cylon subconscious. The other mind would simply then play out in the projections, an experience that seems rather tangible. (Instead of losing his mind, this means that Gaius has gained an extra!)

As a different kind of tangible diversion, here is a picture from a recent family birthday. I got a kick out of this cake (decorated with a plastic bag with a hole in it, no less!).

Oi Vey.

2006-10-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

I have been overwhelmed with business, but fear not! I have been watching the stories unfold.

Leobon did lie, this is true. I'm going to have to think about this for a bit. Maybe a metaphorical "our child" like Six and Baltar? He went into too much detail for that, though. "They salvaged your ovaries, I fertilized them, and then...this is your daughter." I'll look at that dialog again.

Interesting thing to note--Gaeta is doodling in the opening sequences of the episode. He has drawn a sword and what appears to be part of a tree. I can't think of a direct significance, but maybe one of you can.

Going back to a previous episode, Roslyn says that Hera may very well be "the shape of things to come"--a line taken directly from Six's dialog with Gaius on Kobol. The priestess in that episode was incredible. "Mm...Kamallah so bitter..."

That's all I've got time for now...it's time to get the nose back to the grindstone. Hopefully I'll be able to play catch-up sometime and give you a full exposition on episodes past. Until then, feel free to discuss!

A New Crew in Town

2006-10-09T22:29:00.000-07:00

I was recently told about a music video on the Sci-fi site that is, dare I say, frakkin' awesome.

Link here: http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/video/index.php?cat=features&vid=35344

Check it out, it's even more worth it than the webisodes.

301 Season Opening Impressions

2006-10-07T10:29:00.000-07:00

Guest post by Model List

Here are some first impressions. The two part episode needs another viewing.

Well, as we knew, Season 3 is definitely going to keep things fresh in any way it can. Almost every character changed hair style or weight! The known Cylons get more chances to play multiple roles in the same scene. It's okay, but the separate storylines showing unique personality has to come back or it will just get too confusing. (Which Six was killed? The hero? Will they download her?) Admiral Adama is in a tight spot and has an interesting remoteness. I think he needs to do more yelling.

Kara's journey from regular killings of Leoben to holding his hand is maybe a little rushed, but it certainly is an interesting plotline. She keeps adding to her internal conflict and list of love interests.

We can actually feel kind of sorry for Gaius. James did a great job acting as usual. Hopefully, he won't have to snivel the rest of his life. Not much of a clue on his Cylon status.

"Jamie Bamber is hot!" ... Not! It sure is fun that all of the fawning fangirls have a chubby Jamie. They did a nice job making his porkyness obvious in every scene. Later in the season, I am sure we will get the montage that gives us those carved "guns" and abs back. A second viewing will give some chance to look for Lee is a Cylon references.

Seinfeld reference? The "twist" and "swirl" reference just didn't seem as funny as in Seinfeld and it really was groaningly obvious.

So, time to update the list of models. The first suicide bomber, Duck, is a cylon since he says "See you soon" to D'Anna Biers.

24 Hours...

2006-10-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

As I was watching the remaining webisodes (and rewatching webisode 8) I noticed something rather obnoxious. The levels of juice in the bottle (the juice that Doral and the filming techniques draw attention to) are inconsistent. They were so good at keeping continuity in the past.

The webisodes altogether comprised a good, solid episode's worth of viewing (minus the juice bit). I can't think of much to say that I didn't talk about in the last post, so I'll just leave it at this...24 hours from now, I'll be watching Battlestar Season Three. It's been a long wait.

Is It October Yet?

2006-09-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

I've been asking myself that for several months now, and now it's finally happening. One Friday from now will be the premiere of season three.

I have been rewatching old episodes (but haven't posted on them...until now), and I have a couple comments on the webisodes for you.

First off, I'd like to say that a review of Epiphanies from season 2 made me remember that the writers drew up a shark on the storyboard over the previous seasons, then made a very obvious jump over it. It's nice that the Cylon-Human hybrid child (who I'd like to think of as Cyman, in a delicious pun) has magical restorative properties in its blood, but really. Just as the president is taking her final breaths, these people write in an escape. At first, I thought that this show would be willing to kill off main characters, a sign of real courage and flexibility in writing, but they have proven that theory wrong. Instead, they did what the likes of, no offense, Stargate would do. They bring in some kind of foreign device to save our heroes at the very last moment (after the last commercial break is always a plus, gets better ratings and makes us stay tuned in for the next show on Sci-fi). That way, the key big-name actors like EJO and Mary can stay on for the whole run of the show, look really cool in the promo shots, and bring in more viewership. I don't have anything against the show getting good ratings. It's a very fine show, fine enough to blog about, but I think the scripts are going to suffer.

That said, the two episodes previous (Resurrection Ship Parts 1 and 2) were phenomenal. I was reminded several times why I believe Lee is a Cylon. Those wonderful little lines such as:
Lee (to Starbuck): Go and get some pictures of our pretty Cylon ship.

Helo: I thought the Cylons were the enemy.
Lee: Yeah, now it's us.

Helo (to Cmdr Adama): I'm a father, just like you, sir.

Then, of course, the floating in a stream part of his near-death experience in Part 2, entirely too much like the reincarnation pods we saw in the episode Downloaded and in Leobon's vision of his consciousness.

Onto the webisodes. Perhaps these are put there as a tactic to ease the second shark-jump with the caricatured Baltar and the flashback 'stached Adama into a somewhat sensical move by the writers. Whatever the intent, these 2-minute glimpses at the Battlestar world have most certainly been worth the watch. One of my favorite features is that we get to see the old Tigh again. I'm pretty sure that his life revolves around disaster. When we first saw the character, he was a grizzly old man that needed some excitement in his life. He gambled and drank, and he provoked Starbuck into getting herself in trouble. Then the big attack happens, the Cylons nuke a few billion people, and he is in his element. He gets rid of the hard liquor, forgets his adulterous wife, and focuses on the fight. The war starts getting into a routine way of life, his wife returns, and he slips back into his original disaster mode, but this time with assistance from Ellen. In the webisodes, we see the Colonel without Ellen, fighting a war again. He will always be seeing carnage. The choice is whether it be in his own life, or in fighting against others. This version of Tigh is certainly more heroic than the drunkard, but he is still Tigh. This is especially apparent in his conversations with Jammer about the ethics of hiding their weapons in the temple, on sacred ground. After the temple massacre he says they got lucky, that, "we're at war. War is messy. People get killed. Nice people. Get that through your head or get out. We don't need any crybabies at this outfit." Saul is cold, calculating, and seems to have no room for human emotions. If this mechanical nature wasn't exactly the opposite of all the Cylons in the show, I might suspect him of being a human model.

I look forward to reading your comments for the season to come. Hopefully, the New Caprica diversion will turn out to be something great.

Sci-Fi Deprivation

2006-05-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it, I've been away from the wonderful world of Sci-fi for far too long. It's been rough...we cancelled our cable for these dull spring months, so no Dr. Who for me. I started up with a whole mess of new activities, and this shoved my precious blog and its accompanying show to the back of my mind. What a mistake that has been! I know that most of you have already seen this month-old release concerning the spin-off and the mini-series, but here it is again...

The following is taken from zap2it:

"The Sci Fi Channel will delve into the backstory of "Battlestar Galactica" with a new series that looks at the years leading up to humanity's devastation by the Cylons.The prequel, called "Caprica," heads a list of development projects the cable network unveiled Wednesday. Also in the works are a miniseries based on the book "Chariots of the Gods" and series from Jesse Alexander ("Alias"), Christopher McQuarrie ("The Usual Suspects"), Eric McCormack and Freddie Prinze Jr.Additionally, legendary B-movie director Roger Corman will produce two films for Sci Fi's Saturday movie franchise: "Cyclops," about the mythical beast wreaking havoc on ancient Rome, and "Supergator," which pretty much explains itself."Caprica" will be set more than 50 years prior to the events of "Battlestar Galactica" and focus on the lives of two families -- the Adamas (ancestors of future Galactica commander William) and the Graystones. Humankind's Twelve Colonies are at peace and on the verge of a technological breakthrough: the first Cylon.As "Battlestar Galactica" is about a lot more than space battles, "Caprica" will be as much family drama as sci-fi tale. Remi Aubuchon ("The Lyon's Den," "24") is writing the pilot script; "Galactica" veterans Ronald D. Moore and David Eick will executive produce it."Chariots of the Gods," Erich von Daniken's book purporting to offer evidence that aliens visited Earth several thousand years ago, is being turned into a six-hour miniseries by writer John Whelpley ("Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Andromeda"). The miniseries will center on a soldier whose souvenir from his tour of duty may hold evidence of alien interference with human life since ancient times. "

We'll see how this all pans out. And now, for a little amusement provided by our friends at the Battlestar Blog.

If you can't read it, the script goes something likes this...
Duck 1: Did you hear what happened to Hot Dawg?
Duck 2: Hunter got him.
1: Yeah, but did you hear how?
2: No.
1: He was swimming up the this beautiful female, right? Then BAM! A shot out of nowhere. Turns out she was a fake, a decoy.
2: Holy shit!
1: That's right, the hunters look like us now.
2: We...we can't trust anyone. Not even Commander Adama.

Well, it says, "Commander Adama", but we all know which Adama it should really be talking about...

Like Father, Maybe not so Much Like Son...

2006-04-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

I was just rewatching Litmus (fantastic episode, by the way), and I came to the part where Commander Adama orders the guard to escort the Sergeant to her quarters. This bears a striking resemblance to the Garner-Apollo incedent toward the end of the second season. Difference is, the guard listened to Bill, but not to Lee. In both cases, listening to the Adama was the "right" choice, but the people listen to Bill, not Lee...why?

Also...at the beginning of Six Degrees of Separation, I have noticed three things that amuse me greatly. As we all know, the BSG universe has clipped corners on all their documents. Apparently, the things that should be round (such as CDs) are octagonal. That cracked me up. The second thing...Shelley Godfrey says, "The doctor gave this to me before he died." Gaius responds, "What, as opposed to after?" The last chuckle-worthy element was after the president's overdose. Doc Cottle says, "I'm going to give you a shot." She pulls up her sleeve, and the Doc says, "Not that kind of shot." This reminds me of a Futurama episode (Parasites Lost, season 3) where Fry is invaded by worms. Zoidberg says he is going to investigate his insides with a little camera. Fry opens his mouth, and Zoidberg says, "Guess again!" Oh my, I do love sci-fi comedy.

From the Horse's Mouth

2006-03-12T19:09:00.000-08:00

RDM recently posted the following concerning spoilers on his blog. I understand it's a bit outdated (March 3rd), but I don't have a lot of downtime to search for this stuff anymore. Plus, a lot of stuff out there is chock full of spoilery. So here goes:

Surfed through the official boards and saw a LOT of spoiler photos from the finale. I'm not trying to be snarky, or ruin anyone's fun or trample anyone's speech, but I gotta say, I'm pretty disappointed that so much material is getting posted. There's a lot of people who work really, really hard on the show who are waiting to see the finale and have the pleasure of surprising the audience and it's a bummer when it's ruined this close to the final airdate. Obviously, people can do what they want, it's a free country but I'd really appreciate it if the photos posted so far were confined to that thread and if people resisted the temptation to post any more shots or any more plot details. I've resisted going through the locked-down security regimes that the studios sometimes go through to protect material, but this is the kind of thing that could reverse that policy and make everything harder to access.
Thanks and enjoy the show.

I agree with starchild that RDM is a bit liberal with how much he reveals of plot lines in his podcasts (that's why I avoid them for a large chunk of time after the episode airs). I do, however, fully support his views on the spoiler photos. Imagine if you saw a shot of New Caprica City before the finale, or Starbuck with the long hair (I still can't get over that). What kind of suspense would be there? Why even bother watching? Anyway...I feel that the same goes for plotlines, if not moreso. And there is my take on spoilers.

Season Finale, Part 2

2006-03-10T21:59:00.000-08:00

90 minutes...90 minutes of wonderment. Here goes.

Subtitles would have been nice for Cally. "Eer cre butttt yr." What? Just like Litmus, this shows the deep amount of respect and love the deck crew has for their chief. Maybe too much love there, but it's nice, in a twisted sort of way.

WHAT?! So...the priest IS a Cylon. News flash, everyone: even the most obivous, red herring kinds of people ain't people. (Recall: "I haven't seen you at any of the Cylon meetings.") That's an interesting play by the writers...thing is, they can't possibly do it again, so Ellen's out. Or can they? So...Ellen is in, because they want us to think they won't do it again. They're messing with my head here! Well, if they are indeed by age, this guy has to be number one. No wonder he said prayer to the lords does diddly. Also, the Cylons have had human models for a really long time, apparently. After all, he said he had been preaching since before Tyrol was around. This reveal has opened up a lot of new possibilities. Or, an identical twin of the priest (who is also a priest) fell in with Anders' crowd earlier and we didn't see him and...nah, he's a Cylon. (And now it's confirmed. This running commentary has its advantages and its myriad disadvantages. You all have to cope. Sorry.) I wonder where this "greener pastures" thing will lead. Has this been their plan all along? Doesn't make much sense, rebuilding Caprica only to leave it. I assume this involves G-Boomer and Caprica Six, but where are these green pastures? I find it intriguing that the priest was saying the Cylon needed to be the best machines out there, that they can't muddle the programming with trying to become human, but the two models that held the power were the ones that were most human, the ones that were controlled by love. At this point, we are just at the 36-hour marker, so the number 3 from the garage will upload soon, unless all rebirthing has been abandoned.

Eight...thinking back to first season, Sharon told Baltar there were eight Cylons in the fleet. She is eight. There is the conclusion of all that "subconsciousness or guessing" discussion from earlier. Or maybe she was actually saying there were eight in the fleet, but I like this better. It's more clean.

Gaius' patriotism, wonderfully ironic. Ellen also wants to settle on the planet...theme amongst the Cylon (in-fleet ones, at least)?

Starbuck introducing Anders to her pseudo-daddy. How cute. And now she's skipping. Anders and Apollo really do look the same. How incredibly awkward for Lee.

How many people were involved in the election rigging? How far up does this go? Oh, my, how exciting. I was having flashbacks to 2000, there. Now...Roslin was Reagan last week, and now she still is in the conservative's place, at least by the election of 2000...no clever switch of policitcal ideologies, I guess. But...the night is still young...

Adama says, "I suggest you take your victory, and leave it at that, Doctor." Two weeks ago, Roslin said, "You have your pound of flesh, Sarah. I suggest you take it." Ah...a match made on Kobol.

I love the scene between Baltar and Adama after he first takes office. First off, Colonial One is completely empty. Second, Gaius is crying while saying that he does not have to listen to anyone.

And now we have jumped a year. This keeps happening. I guess the writers are getting bored of the 24-style writing that held for the entire first season and most of the second. I understand it, but it leaves a lot of story-lines to be filled in on, and it confuses me a bit. The first season lasted maybe 2 months, and this season has spanned a year and a half. Starbuck really did take her sweet time getting to Anders. Also, there is the return of the Adama 'stache and Starbuck's newfound long hair to cope with! Cally is pregnant...too much to cope with. With the longer hair up top, the wider face, and the jacket unbuttoned just so, Bamber looks like he has reprised his role from the Horatio Hornblower series.

Gaius has betrayed the humans twice now. How does that feel?

Wonderful closing line by Kara. I've got goosebumps. Is it October yet?

Bittersweet

2006-03-09T20:12:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow will be a bittersweet day. It marks the second season finale (90 minutes, everyone!) of Battlestar Galactica. It promises to be fantastic, but then there will be no more Battlestar for several months--the new season, as far as I know, does not begin until October. In the interim, I plan on watching season one (with commentary) and making some posts about new insights and all that.

Happy watching!

Season Finale, Part 1

2006-03-03T22:01:00.000-08:00

Went a new direction with the teaser music, unified throughout it, culminating to, "Something dark is coming, Helo, I can feel it." Then the strung-out Chief beats Callie with a paperweight? (I'm sure he was holding something, but what was it?)

Gauis keeps referring to "god" in the singular. Reminds me of a deleted scene from season one. Gaius uses the singular, and Six grabbed his face, stared in his eyes, and said, "You referred to god in the singular...it's moments like this that remind me of how much I love you..."

I really like this priest that's "helping" Tyrol. Very blunt and witty. Plus, he's got some crazy eyes. He really reminds me of Commander Adama from TOS...Lorne Greene. That was an amazing moment when the priest said that Tyrol thought he was a Cylon. I think it would be a tad too ironic if either of them was one, especially the priest. (Cylon meetings...so brilliant because they have them!)

We like President Roslin becsue she is our new Ronald Reagan (There he goes again...). Or maybe we like Gaius because he is FDR (Fearing fear itself.)

That was a great cliffhanger. This show is so brilliant. I don't know what my Friday nights would be like without it. Perhaps I would have friends...but who needs friends when you can have such stunning writing and character development...such gorgeous sci-fi.

If Gaius is not a Cylon, I'll EAT MY HAT

2006-02-25T07:18:00.002-08:00

"You were in a house, it was destroyed, a nuclear blast." There is no way Gaius is NOT a Cylon, especially since he is in Six's head!

Eeek. Creepy when birthing-chamber Sharon said, "And we love you." No way to trigger a bit of a crazy reaction than repeating what a bunch of naked hers said to her in a moment of distress, thus revealing to herself that she is a Cylon, confirming he worst fears. Anyway...good writing.

Mechanical crossing of the legs of the three Cylons on the bench (Caprica). Awesome.

"Everyone calls you Caprica Six, like you're the only Six on the planet!" Wonderful tribute to the fans here. Some of D'Anna's lines this episode have been just downright delightful!

I also really enjoy the reversal scenes where Six had a Gaius in her head, telling her what to say in the same manner as Six (biggest parallel I see: "I need a nuclear warhead.." and "I'm different, I had someone...")

"This one thinks she's more human than Cylon...just like someone else I know." -Gaius; Is he talking about himself, or about her, or someone else...?

The baby's name is Hera...wife and sister of Zeus.

The last half of the episode provided me with no points in particular I wanted to bring to your attention. The writing was far too fluid and engaging for that.

After watching the whole episode, how could anyone NOT think that Gaius is a Cylon?! There is no way that he is not one. I do find it rather convenient, however, that after all this time on Caprica, they have only decided to repopulate it with 4 of the 5 declared Cylons, the ones we know about. Why don't we see more?

The List:
1.?
2.?
3. D'Anna
4.?
5. Doral
6. Six
7.?
8. Boomer
9.?
10.?
11.?
12.?
Revealed, still to be "filed": Simon, Leobon
Unrevealed, highly suspect: Gaius, Lee
Unrevealed, uncertain: Ellen, Gaeta

I thought for a while that a large portion of the list was already complete, but we are only halfway there. Only two of the revealed Cylons are ones not shown to us in the mini-series. We're in for quite a ride...and the writing keeps getting better! Can't wait for next week.

[edit]
After the second watching, I have one thing to say...there is a car in the garage that has the license plate "sexymom"...rather appropriate for the subject matter, I'd say.

4-Minute Reaction

2006-02-24T22:07:00.000-08:00

I have to wait for the second broadcast to catch the whole thing...but....the first four minutes! I had my hand in my fist and was making incoherent squeaking sounds when I saw Gaius...then I had to shut off the TV. It just...is not fair. I can't wait to see the rest....oh....boy.

Garner, Babies, and Gunshot Wounds

2006-02-18T00:39:00.000-08:00

So...we jumped forward a month for the first time. No immediate aftershock of the Cloud Nine incedent...we still see Lee's injury holding through. It feels a little awkward to make this jump after the smooth line the rest of the series drew.

Dee is looking less and less like a Cylon to me...unless this is another Baltar-Six relationship.

That was a really intense moment between Lee and Kara. She shot him and feels remorse and anger with herself, he was shot and feels disgust toward his so-called friend. You could still see that Apollo-Starbuck bond come through when she gives him the look that says, "I didn't mean to, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, it was confusing in there...please forgive me." His return is, "I should not have crossed that line. I want to forgive you, but..." (Oh boy....the end of the episode just completely negated this paragraph.)

The introduction of the new commander I found trivial at first, but he seems to have a clear reputation. From his actions, you see that he is both and imbecile, and that there is a stark lines in the blending of the crews. The Pegasus crews will only listen to the command of another Pegasus original. This speaks to human pride getting in the way of everything, which so far seems to be a theme in the episode.

Quote of the Night:
"What was Garner's flaw?" -Bill
"He was used to working with machines. Command is about people." -Lee

I just bothers me a trifle that the last time we saw Apollo, he was a captain...then he was a major...and now he is a commander. Really working up the chain of command quickly. Speaking of working which....Gaius is certianly aiming for a key position in the government. My "pet Cylons" are certainly falling into place....

He's Not Going to Choose a Cylon Over His Son

2006-02-17T18:13:00.000-08:00

This week has really been...hectic for me, so y'all get a nice little treat. Two posts!

Favorite quotes:
"It's hard, you know...to choose the people that we fall in love with, to love only one person at a time. People like us, we're more complicated." -Ellen
"Us?" -Lee

"You got a plan?" -Gunny
"Lock and load, we'll figure out the rest as we go along." -Starbuck (BIG character statement)

Of course, the title of this post...
"It's his son, he's not gonna choose a Cylon over his son."

"People look for complicated answers, when something goes terribly wrong." -Admiral Adama (While he was actually wrong about this, it's still a good line.)

"What if the terrorists are right?" -Tigh (RDM's political statement, need I say more?)

While I think it is highly possible that Ellen is a red herring, there still are these little quirky things...for instance, she kept telling them to turn over and kill Sharon, the rogue Cylon, who all the "good" Cylons don't like.

When Starbuck came out of the bar, thinking she has killed Lee, my mind jumped right to Zach. How hard on the conscience would it be to have practically murdered one son of your commanding officer (and father-figure), then to think you had murdered the other? To feel the weight of killing your best friend? In the episode just before this, Starbuck decides she has something to live for, she has hope. Then, this incedent comes crushing it all. the suffering these people go through is so extreme, but so close to us, so very real....touching.

They don't want to make deals with terrorists and invite terrorism into the fleet. One has to wonder--what is going to happen with the nuclear warhead?

This final scene in the bar is very emotional, everyone clutching the one they love--"Everyone's got someone they love." The acting in that 15 seconds before they cut to Galactica was beautiful. The President's final moments in front of Billy were wonderfully done.

Role reversal at the end, with Dualla at the bedside of Lee, Starbuck in the shadows; I suppose Dualla can offer what he really needs, where Starbuck cannot. That is one messed up love decagon.

I love the end shot of Boomer's "good cheek". That gave me a chuckle.

Final thought: When Billy finally becomes a man....blam. He's dead. He didn't even need to die. What a crap world to live in.

Wow.

2006-02-10T22:59:00.000-08:00

Uh....wow.

I'm watching that again. Several times. Then maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to comprehend everything that happened. That was a very, very good episode. Some of the best writing for off-ship episodes I have seen. That was....excellent.

Sorry

2006-02-03T00:22:00.000-08:00

This post's title has two meanings, much like everything on this show. I am sorry for the prolonged absence. I did watch the Black Market the following morning (as well as Sunday afternoon), but I was not sure what to post.

What I have finally decided on is this--the "Sorry, Kara" from the previous episode. "Black Market" has reflected and magnified this statement. At first, I was thinking he was sorry because was not there to back her up when she faced Cain. Then I thought maybe it was that he was sorry she had to face a superior officer like that. Now that I have seen "Black Market", I feel that Lee is sorry that he went back on what he said to her at the beginning of the season (I love you), and revisited his love on Caprica by means of an escort.

The general idea behind "Black Market" went back to one of the writers' (all writers, for that matter) favorite motifs, the many flaws of humanity. No matter what, we will have this chink in our flawless civilization, the black market, something that appears to set us back, but really is just part of the flavor.

Tonight's episode....what can I say. Starbuck's character is expanded, and we get a nice, cheery ending of "Oh I hope, I hope he is alive." The Apollo-Starbuck dynamic certainly is even more screwed up than before. I really enjoy that the Raiders get reincarnated, and that the raider, this raw animal, killer-instinct creation, can harbor hatred for its opponents, reivisiting its past deaths. Great episode, but not much to comment on from my POV.

And now for the LAiAC plug: Why did Apollo have a hunch that Scar would be where he was?

Le Migraine

2006-01-27T22:17:00.000-08:00

15 minutes into the episode, and I am caving. There will be no post tonight due to a migraine the size and feel of a pounding jackhammer.

Paternal Instinct

2006-01-20T22:57:00.000-08:00

Surprisingly, not much to say about this episode. Perhaps another look at it will bring out some interesting points, but that is for later this week.

Broad observation of the night: Tahmoh Penikett would have been cast as Starbuck if that character was still a man. Katte Sackhoff and he act--and even look!--the same.

Quote of the night: "I'm a father, just like you, sir." -Helo to Admiral Adama

Resurrection Ship (Part 2)

2006-01-13T22:59:00.000-08:00

West coast time delay means that I have to wait an extra three hours to see the episodes from everyone else in America. It also means I just exited from a one hour mind-job. Before I start my commentary, I would like to say two things about the show that are not related to plot, for once. First off, the near-silence, the muted quality in space is something I have always admired about Battlestar. While no TV show or movie can go so far as to be truly accurate and take out all sounds, BSG comes the closest to reality. Hats off to them for that. However, I will quickly put my hat back on, because it is halfway through the second season, and the wardrobe personnel still have not figured out that they have the crew's shirts on backwards!

Enough of this silliness and on to the show. The first thing I thought of when Lee was floating there in the lake, or river, or whatever it was, was Leoben back in season one. He was talking about being part of the flowing consciousness of god, floating in the river, etc... I have a feeling that this is the parallel the writers are trying to draw, because at the end, Lee tells Kara, "I didn't want to make it back alive." He was experiencing floating on the eternal river, he was one with the Cylon god, until he was rudely interrupted back to life by getting his battery jump-started.

As I composed the previous paragraph, I considered saying that there seems to be a unifed thought on the afterlife and mannerisms of the Cylon god. Then I realized this was not at all true, and would completely contradict my next comment, concerning Natasi vs. Pegasix. Natasi says that over 10,000 Cylons are about to be killed, and god will not forgive this sin. Pegasix, however, says that god forgives everyone. Pegasix is the tender, nuturing person that Gaius has been missing in his multiple-personality universe all this time. Throughout the series, there has been a lot of talk about "love". "Do you love me Gaius?" is a question that has been posed by Natasi a few times now. It seems that Gaius loves the reverse of Natasi (and I do not mean he loves Satan, unless that is Pegasix' true name). He loves the version of Six that has hit rock bottom, gone through the worst kinds of torture anyone can possibly stand. It will be interesting to see where they ended up going and what the dynamic between Baltar and Natasi will be now that he and Pegasix have eloped.

There was a lot of amazingly great lines throughout the episode, all aluding to the end of the episode, but that storyline has pretty much concluded. Not much to say about those, except that they were brilliantly done, and created some amazing tension at the end. (That is, if you didn't read up on some spoilage.)

"Just goes to show you, Bill, never give up hope," says Laura. A very happy-go-lucky quote to end such a dark and tense episode. Last week, I watched Battlestar with my cousin, who had never seen the show before. During one of the scenes between Adama and Roslyn, my cousin turns to me and says, "They love each other." I guess the thought had never dawned on me until then. How their friendship has progressed has been very artfully done. Just goes to show the insights of a fresh pair of eyes.

This brings me to my final point of this week's post...Sharon's line, "Maybe humanity does not deserve to survive." I think what made Adama really reconsider his action against Cain was the moral guidance of a Cylon, the kind of being that was subjected to unending torture by Cain and her crew. The line between friend and foe continues to get more blurry.

"We" Talk Continued-Gaius

2006-01-08T17:23:00.000-08:00

My favorite quote of the whole episode....
Natasi: What you did to me.....
Gaius: What they did to you was wrong. I'm not one of them. You have to believe me.

Gaius is telling you....he is not a human. You people out there who don't think he is....you have to believe him. Aside from this delicious line, his interaction with brain-Six now includes the physical Six's memories of going to the Pyramid court, wishing that Gaius could be there. After re-watching the mini-series, I noticed that brain-Six made her first appearance outside the Raptor, just after Gaius was shown getting blown up in her arms.

Lee is a Cylon (No, Really)

2006-01-08T17:16:00.000-08:00

Two great quotes I noticed Friday night... The first was actually from "Pegasus", but was stuck in the "previously" scenes. Lee says to Kara, "Go take some pretty pictures of our Cylon ship." During this past episode, Tyrol and Helo were talking to Lee; Helo says, "The Cylons used to be our enemy." Lee replies, "Now it's us."

This "we" talk is very tricky...it seems that only suspected Cylons do this. The rest refer to it as "the Cylon" or "their" this-or-that. Pay attention to the possesive forms.

Sci-Fi Marathon Today

2005-12-20T08:02:00.000-08:00

Good morning, space-fans! Today Sci-Fi has selected Battlestar (season 2 part 1) for their daily chain reaction rotation. So, if you're around for several hours and not doing anything today, check it out. Might see something you missed earlier.

Is It January Yet?

2005-12-06T10:39:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, no. Not quite yet. However, one month from this day will be the beginning of the middle of the second season (if that makes sense). That's right, ladies and gentlemen, Battlestar time is nigh. Rejoice!

RDM-Colonial Fleets Contact

2005-10-10T12:43:00.000-07:00

TO: Ronald D. Moore, Executive Producer, Battlestar Galactica

As you may know, Colonial Fleets has long been a supporter of the revival of the original Battlestar Galactica. Despite this, we have had fans from your version of our beloved story who have come in, singing the praises of your show, even at the expense of the original. We have embraced these fans, in the hopes that there might be good communication, discussion, and esprit de corps between them.

Battlestar Galactica, to us, has always represented a story that could be viewed by entire families. Yes, the story deals with a very dark subject (the annihilation of the human race across the stars, and the subsequent horrors and strife that follow), but the show also was a tale of hope and strength in the face of great adversity. It was a story of rising above the challenges the rag tag fleet had to face as a result of being exiled to the stars. And, the show was one of a family united against these processes that no despair could rend asunder.

Your version of this tale has twisted so many of the concepts of Battlestar Galactica into something that is barely recognizable by its fanbase. Constant dysfunction, a military that is far beyond any discipline we acknowledge, and stories far darker than need to be told in the realm of Battlestar Galactica.

Many segments of your show have been extremely controversial. Many TOS fans have spoken out against such events. In the miniseries, you depicted the murder of an infant in what you perceived to be an effort to show just how EVIL the Cylon race is supposed to be. We feel this was nothing more than "shock jock" material. In your efforts to evoke a sense of "The Cylons will PAY!" among your intended fanbase, you have instead evoked a response of "does RDM, et al, have no decency!?"

We have tolerated fans of your show giving lavish praise to your show, and quite at our own sufferance. However, your recent episode "Pegasus-Part One" has sparked more than just a controversy among the Battlestar Galactica fanbase. It has evoked such a negative emotional response among those who took an hour out of their lives to see what you had done with a classic, staple tale of Galactica, that we can no longer abide any continued support from this site for your show. Many families within our Galactica communities have suffered even as far as episodes of Post Traumatic Stress when witnessing the sickening scene you decided to air (regardless of how much "restraint" you'd shown). This has caused a sense of distress, outrage, and indignation among these good and decent people. AND, you also seem to have managed to drive away a segment of your own fanbase. For what? For the sake of shock?! The scene you filmed and aired doesn't even qualify as good drama. And the warning/advisory that was posted before that segment was insufficient to prepare potentially sensitive viewers for what they were about to witness.

Mr. Moore, your show has had many events which have driven us away from its potential enjoyment, but the negatives have far outweighed the positives, and in this case, the negatives have finally come to a head that cannot be ignored.

Yes, there are people still praising your show for its "gritty realism". Its "darker take". Its "grand reinvention of the genre". We have seen none of what you claim you've set out to do. Yes, you may have written off the fanbase of the original series. Yes, you may have spit and defecated all over a property we have long treasured for nearly thirty years. For all your airs, all you have served to do is destroy the name of something that was once considered a "family friendly" show.

Do not think for an instant that what we want from a revival for Battlestar Galactica is the exact same elements that existed in 1978. Yes, we would like to see an updated version of Battlestar Galactica. Perhaps a little darker, and more mature. But what you have given in your version of the show has pushed the boundaries of decency.

We, the staff, therefore withdraw any support that Colonial Fleets may have given your show.

We will still welcome fans of the new show to Colonial Fleets, but they will have to understand that your version of Battlestar Galactica is no longer a subject we choose to discuss here.

Please understand, Mr.Moore that we do not hold the flaws of the show against you, as a person. Not at all. But, as a professional, we cannot support your production. Our criticisms of your show are stictly at the professional level...not personally toward you.

Sincerely,
The Staff of Colonial Fleets

RDM's Response:

To the Administrative Board,
Thank you for the email regarding the changes atColonial Fleets.

It saddens me to read of the changes that have been made at Colonial Fleets, an exemplary forum where respectful discussion and debate flourished due to the dedication of the owners and moderators in providing ahome for all of the fans. In a fandom where less than ideal behavior often runs unchecked and is sometimes encouraged, Colonial Fleets' zero tolerance policy for personal attacks and rude off topic threads set astandard of tolerance and civility that other forums could only emulate, but not surpass. It was a place where all viewpoints were welcome (often in spite of the personal feelings of those same moderators and owners), and I often saw it held up as an example of what all boards both could and should be.

Colonial Fleets, is, of course, your property and you should do with it what you wish, and therefore I fully support you determining your own rules of behavior, etiquette or topic regardless of whether it has any relationship with Galactica or not. As for the topic at hand, think it worth noting that contrary to what some believe, I have yet, in my many years as a writer to write a scene -- ever -- strictly for shock value.I have no patience with the idea of a show that brings in an audience based on shock value alone, and have no interest in doing the dramatic equivalent of "FearFactor." I do try to write stories to provoke thought and passionate debate and I'm gratified that "Pegasus" has managed to do both, as evidenced by the debates on many boards on topics ranging from the historic dehumanization of prisoners throughout the world to the question of whether abusing a machine even counts as abuse.

On a personal level, I will say it's sad to see one of the oldest Galactica boards out there shut down discussion of Galactica. Colonial Fleets, by providing a meeting place between old and the new, provided a gateway for fans of the new to learn about, and possibly come to an appreciation of, the old. It goes without saying that the new series has broughtnew eyes and attention to Galactica, and it's unfortunate that Colonial Fleets will no longer provide an arena of discussion that can -- and has --instilled in new fans the same passion and respect forthe original that you on the Administrative Board obviously feel with such vigor.

One has only to look to newcomers such as Tabitha, who came to your board as a fan of TNS, only to join the ranks of those who value TOS, to see how openness and inclusivity can redound to the benefit of TOS. Certainly other TNS/TOS boards and forums exist out there, but I wonder if Tabitha would've come to the same appreciation of the old show had she not come to Colonial Fleets?

I am more than happy to let the audience decide whether this version of Galactica should continue or not based on nothing more than their willingness to watch it or not. If they decide to turn it off because of storylines or scenes they find offensive or morally repugnant, and as a result it gets cancelled, then so be it. I also find it a continuing source of fascination that the show is cited by publications as diverse as the National Review and The New York Timesas not only worthy viewing, but also as supposedly espousing views similar to those found on their own editorial pages.

There are those who will say: that all of the above is a lie and a manipulation, and simply further proof that I am a liar, that I have no morals, no respect for my audience, my country or our military institutions, that I am a misogynist, a pervert, and a drop out and and am only interested in dragging the American public into the muck. There is no way for me to prove otherwise. Perhaps if they knew me, my family, my friends, they might see things differently.

But that is not possible, and I am happy to be judged by the words that I write and more than willing to accept that many will judge me harshly.

If writers chose their words to win friends, there would be many great works that would have never seen the light of day. I think that it is essential that we all hold true to our values and beliefs and not be cowed by the views of those who may disagree with us.We live in a world where too few neither hold, nor are willing to stand by, core values and principles. I cannot argue with, and indeed have the greatest respect for, those who choose to stand by theirs, just as I choose to stand by mine.

I wish you all well in your new approach and look forward to seeing your commentary and opinions about the new show on the other forums so many of you still frequent.

All the best,
Ronald D. Moore

One thing: Post Traumatic Stress?

Knowledge of the Masses

2005-10-06T12:03:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow will offically be two weeks since the summer finale of Battlestar. No doubt many of you, like myself, have been distracted from constant theorizing by work, school, family, pets, etc... However, I have the greatest confidence that someone out there has a valid yet debatable theory. This post is dedicated to your ideas about the direction(s) of the show (instead of me prattling on about my own).

Starbuck is NOT a Cylon

2005-10-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

There have been a few ideas buzzing around that Starbuck is a Cylon. I wholeheartedly disagree. If she were a Cylon, the whole episode, "The Farm" would be useless. Another Cylon would not abduct her body and cut into her, rip out her ovaries if she were one of them. She also has a complex past of abuse which led to artistic expression, something we have certainly not seen in any Cylon character (or any other character, for that matter). Starbuck is special, but she is NOT a Cylon.

Gritty Reality or Just Disgusting?

2005-09-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

Colonial Fleets recently sent out a letter due to the last episode. The letter is as follows:

"“Give it a chance.”

That was the oft –repeated mantra of the folks on the old Sci-Fi board. Give the new show a chance, don’t pre-judge it; watch it, see what you think. So we did. We watched it and in the spirit of fairness, we matched words with deeds, here at Colonial Fleets, and created a completely separate but equal sub-forum, strictly for new show conversation. It seemed to be the right choice, at the time.

Since then, we have been educated to the mindset of the author that the offerings on this show, called Battlestar Galactica (2003), were to be a reflection of society and we were challenged to “think about it”; that there would be parallels to real-life events such as the Sept 11 attacks and told, by the author, to “make your own judgments as to what they say to you”; and that this new show would completely “re-invent” the sci-fi genre.

Well, we have thought about it and have spoken those thoughts on these forum pages, for much of the past 2 years. Ever since the new series came about, this fanbase has been in a tenuous place and Colonial Fleets was often a tension spring within the fanbase for allowing and even promoting, at times, discussion of the new series. Through that time, we made a concerted effort to separate the comments from the commentator and to keep the debates focused on the issue. Primarily, though, each of us has strived to employ our own personal standards of morality and decency when presenting these thoughts.

An example of these standards of decency and morality can be witnessed by the following remarks by our good friend, Malkyte, who very eloquently expressed the thoughts of many members, here and elsewhere:

“Throughout the many years of human existence, there has always been a line. A line that represented on one side, the best of human decency and morality, and on the other, the pure animalistic and monstrous evil that humans can be. This line has moved back and forth throughout those same years, and depending on individual experiences, it has always been in different places.”

“Society in general has appeared to become more tolerant of rude and disrespectful behavior, to the point where it is celebrated when someone is deviant or rebellious. It’s rather disheartening and disturbing at the same time. But our society more and more rewards liars, killers and celebrity deviants, who in some cases are only in the news because of the crap they do, and not for any talent they may possess.”

We share those same concerns about society and can see, for ourselves, the truth in the remarks. In addition, we agree that the “line” has been shifting back and forth with a decided tilt toward the less than desirable aspect of human society. We also realize that the entertainment industry has “pushed the envelope as far as they could”, only because we have allowed them to do so.

We have allowed the entertainment industry to tell us that it was "ok" to have a baby's neck snapped (the script originally called for Number Six to drive her finger through the baby's skull); it was "ok" to draw a parallel of sympathy toward the terrorists who carried out the Sept 11 attacks - in other words, we got what we deserved; but, the straw that snapped the proverbial camel's back was the use of rape as a military torture tool in the "Pegasus" episode.

We will NOT allow the entertainment industry to tell us that it is "ok", at any time, for a rape to occur. It does not "advance the story", it glorifies a horrible aggression upon another human being. After nearly 2 years of this “educational experience”, we have reached the conclusion that the movement of the line must cease. While we absolutely hold no ill will toward our Fleets family members who are attracted to the show, we can no longer willingly sanction discussion about a show which goes against so many of our innermost values.

Mr. Moore, your show has had many events which have driven us away from its potential enjoyment. The negatives have far outweighed the positives, and in this case, the negatives have finally come to a head that cannot be ignored.

Effective with the posting of this announcement, the “New Battlestar Galactica Forum” as well as all of its related sub-forums will be permanently closed and removed from the Forum Index Page.

As mentioned above, the decision to close the "New Battlestar Galactica Forum", etal, is done with no malice toward any of our members attracted to the new show.

We value the contributions of all members of the Fleets family and will continue our journey as a Battlestar Galactica artists' site as well as a discussion forum centered on the Original Battlestar Galactica and, of course, the "fun" areas in the Rejuvenation Center. The Original Battlestar Galactica is the show whose revival this site was built to support and that is what this site will continue to focus on and support wholeheartedly. The "New Battlestar Galactica" series has shown it's true colors and it is time for us to bid it adieu.

The decision to close the "New Battlestar Galactica Forum", et. al., is based entirely on the content of the show and is FINAL and IRREVOKABLE.

Signed,
The Owner, Administrators, and Moderators of Colonial Fleets
Titon
Warrior
BST
Dawg
Fragmentary
Gemini1999
Jewels
Martok2112"

I do not agree with this statement. The line is indeed leaning more towards allowing "rude and disrespectful behavior", and the creators of Galactica are trying to point that out to us. They are pointing out the faults in society, and they are pushing the envelope of tolerance simply because they are showing, nearly uncensored and uncut, what happens out in society and in our military. I understand that some people get squeamish from seeing what is really happening, what humanity has become. This is, of course, the intent of the show.

This post was created per request to vent. Have at it, ladies and gentlemen.

Spoilers...

2005-09-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

I'd like to keep this site as spoiler-free as possible. If you have a speculation, that is fine--that's what the site is about. As a courtesy, give a precursor, "I think..." If not, I'm going to take it as spoilery (especially if you are revealing a major plot element), and I will delete the comment as such. Sorry for any inconvenience.

The Sketchy Command of Pegasus

2005-09-23T23:51:00.000-07:00

What exactly is the deal with Pegasus? Reports of an officer being shot in front of the crew by the Admiral. Sexual abuse of Cylon prisoners. Two men not getting a fair trial. In this whole guessing game of "who's a Cylon", it sure seems like Admiral Cain is one of them. "She had no choice" but to launch her alert fighters. To borrow the phrase, "What Would Adama Do?" In this situation, he would have negotiated, talked it through with the insurgent bunch, and found a better end. (I just loved that moment when Adama froze, then gave his orders to launch Vipers.)

It would be nice to think that all of this is "just a dream", but this is not the case. It's a fun little game to watch for the survivor count at the beginning of the show and track the additions and subtractions. Last week there were around 47,859, and this week that increased to 48,604 (for those of you who are reading this in the wee hours of the morning, that's about 750 more people). If this was "all a dream", R&D probably would not have added them to the running total--this tally usually includes everything that happens in the episode. So, Pegasus is not a dream, but there is still something very odd about it. Take everything carnal and essentially evil about humanity and stick it on a ship with a pig of a Lieutenant and a bloodthirsty Admiral at the helm, and you have the Pegasus (what an elegant name for such a savage ship). On Galactica, there is a love for life. Sharon is being treated more like a person, and the bonds of friendship are their source for morale (i.e. the building of the Blackbird). On Pegasus, their is a love for death and detruction. Gross mental and physical abuse* of a Cylon prisoner, running totals of kills on the sides of the Vipers, seemingly regular executions. To me, the most likely explanation is that Admiral Cain is a Cylon, and most of the rest are humans.

*Yet another tantalizing hint from the horse's mouth that Cylons can be crazy, just like humans.

No Really, Dee or Gaeta?

2005-09-16T23:01:00.000-07:00

Gaeta called Boomer "Sharon" when handing her the fiber optic (I will not get into how ridiculous that part is) cable. He also completed several of her sentences during the marathon Cylon virus run-down, and was cleverly placed next to Baltar, where they once again finished each other's sentences.

As far as Dee goes, she had a bigger part and is somehow getting involved with Lee (who I think still loves Starbuck due to his reaction to the blackbird "getting lost").

In general, both of them were highly connected to the virus, and nothing can really be proved as of now...but later this will all come back as evidence.

Homage to the Blackbird

2005-09-16T22:59:00.000-07:00

Chief Tyrol's Blackbird is a tribute to the Lockheed's SR-71 Blackbird, the spy plane developed in the Skunkworks. www.sr-71.org

Olympians, Lords of Kobol, and the Cylon Models

2005-09-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

There were 12 Olympian gods, which, as far as I can tell, correspond to the Lords of Kobol. One of my pet theories is that the 12 Cylon models correspond to the Lords of Kobol/Olympians.

Aphrodite-goddess of love, beauty, fertility
Six (made evident by the cover to the British DVD), Boomer (gave birth), or Ellen (if she is indeed a Cylon)

Apollo-god of prophesy, music, healing
Apollo (by name only), maybe Leobon (his prophesying to Comm. Adama, Roslyn, and Starbuck)

Ares- god of war
Possibly Apollo or any other Cylon on the Battlestar

Artemis-virgin goddess of the hunt, helped women in childbirth
Simon (obvious reasons, this one is the one I'm most certain on)

Athena-goddess of crafts and domestic arts, war
Dualla (if she is a Cylon)

Demeter-goddess of agriculture, sister of Zeus
Not sure on this one, most likely is Boomer--"mining" background

Dionysus-god of wine
Ellen (if she is a Cylon) for obvious reasons

Hephaestus-god of fire and crafts, lame in one leg
Doral (exploded on board, P.R. "craft" man)

Hera-goddess of marriage, wife of Zeus
Six if Baltar is Zeus

Hermes-messenger of the gods, guide of dead souls to underworld
Perhaps Gaius ("I am an instrument of the gods") or D'Anna (cinematography=messenger)

Poseidon-god of the sea, earthquakes and horses
Clueless on this one.

Zeus-supreme god of the Olympians, father of a lot of god-human hybrids
This could be Gaius, due to the Six "I am the mother, you are the father" speech. In this case, Six would be Hera.
This could also be Boomer (even though she is a woman) because she gave birth to the Cylon-human hybrid, and Zeus was active in god-hybrid children production.

Cally

2005-09-12T10:22:00.000-07:00

Several people across the Galactica-blog-and-forum world have brought up this one--is Cally a Cylon? I have finally succumbed to dicussing this (but only after she was absent from 3-4 episodes).

Baltar's Degenerate Mind

2005-09-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

What exactly is happening to Baltar? Are the writers too focused on everyone else to mind too much about him, or is there some real, dynamic character change occuring?

Dee or Gaeta?

2005-09-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

Personally, I think there is a toss-up between Dualla and Gaeta as Cylon agents. Currently my position is leaning towards Gaeta (all he knows is this stuff...he trained all his life for this, harder than anyone in his unit). This thread is dedicated to the Dee-Gaeta arguement: are either of them Cylons? Are both? Or are they truly mutually exclusive?

Updated List

2005-09-09T23:01:00.000-07:00

Well, that was a nice little twist they stuck at the end of the episode there. Here's the list of human-form Cylons thus far (with some requested changes):
1. D'Anna
2. Doral
3. Leobon
4. Boomer
5. Simon (the doctor from 205)
6. Six
7. Apollo
8. Gaius
9. Ellen?
10. Gaeta or Dee (mutually exclusive)
11. Cally???
12. ?

Odd Couples

2005-08-29T21:55:00.000-07:00

"Gives me the creeps, seein' her actin' like that with him." -Apollo
"He loves her. And yeah, he knows she's a machine. He doesn't care he loves her anyway." -Starbuck
"Frack. How can one of us get that roped in by one of them? We should keep an eye on him, too." -Apollo

Ah...very tricky here. Two similar pairs of Cylon-human lovers. (We know Apollo loves Starbuck, and she was quite vocal about her feelings halfway through season one.) The us-them talk comes back into play here. Adama the Cylon is saying, "How can one of us machines get roped in by a human?" It's that whole love thing coming back--what sets "Sharon" apart. Adama the deceived human is pleading, "Why Helo? How did that happen to him?" I just love these loaded double-meanings.

"Cylons are People" Two

2005-08-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

"Sharon" said it herself: "to them, I'm not a person. I'm just a thing." I think that this Sharon really is different. It is shown in her name. She is Sharon, the others were Boomer. She chose to hand her gun over to the Commander, G-Boomer only handed some bullets over. Perhaps it's the maternal instinct taking over--or maybe that's all she is programmed for. Her objective while on Caprica was to get pregnant by Helo and make sure he loved her.

On a related note, the Gaius-Six interaction took an interesting turn this episode. Six is not a chip in his head. At the end, she repeats that Boomer is carrying our child. I'm not sure how many times the writers can beat this dead horse, but Gaius is a Cylon. I understand tht some may say "our child means the human-Cylon hybrid". This is true. The child is a hybrid of Boomer and Helo. The Cylons speak in us-them terms. Us means Cylons, them means humans. "She is carrying our child," means the Cylon's child. Gaius is a Cylon.

The creepiest line, drenched with the most foreshadowing from this episode: "I am an angel sent from god...I will lead you to the end of the human race."

"Anonymous" Comments

2005-08-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

Due to all the varying theories being posted by "anonymous", I make a humble request that everyone pick an alias to post comments under. Hopefully this will sort everything out and avoid confusion.

The Arrow of Apollo

2005-08-24T10:44:00.000-07:00

A few readers have brought up the idea that the Arrow of Apollo is actually a person. I can agree with that statement. What I disagree on is who the Arrow is. Those of you who commented have said the Arrow is Starbuck, for various valid reasons that I myself considered (she is the star pilot, she went to Caprica on a her special mission, she has the physical arrow in hand, Apollo is in love with her, etc...). However, it was brought to my attention that the mission on Caprica so far seems to point to Boomer as the Arrow. She has guided the colonists using the scriptures the entire time they have been down on Kobol. This will, I believe, be more evident now that the Geminon priestess has been killed. Starbuck's role actually factors into this quite well. She was sent to retrieve the Arrow of Apollo from Caprica. What did she come back with? A relic from the museum and Boomer. Boomer is the Arrow.

The Most Important Moments in Sci-Fi

2005-08-21T14:25:00.000-07:00

Boomer arrives with Starbuck in the President's faction of the fleet. Apollo lunges at her and hold his gun to her head. Helo reacts quickly, sticks his gun on Apollo. In this tense moment, Lee asks Helo, "What, are you a Cylon, too?" This is just so perfect. Lee himself gives out one of those "hidden in plain sight" clues that he is a Cylon. So what have we got now? "Adama is a Cylon, are you a Cylon too?"

The second great line from the show was Boomer trying to console Apollo. She said, "I know how you feel. I get it." That's sweet--the Cylon knows exactly how Lee feels. Small wonder.

Us and Them

2005-08-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

"They have it easy, don't they?" -Six
"They? Why are you speaking like I'm one of you?" -Baltar

This whole scene was quite interesting. Baltar is really starting to become suspicious of his relationship with Six, of his own humanity. Everything Six keeps saying just doesn't add up anymore. Does she want him to find out he's a Cylon? Or is she simply messing up by saying, "we, them, us" and he's still not meant to know?

Episode 205

2005-08-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

Starbuck + Anders.

Whoa. Starbuck being shot was a surprise. It launches the main storyline for this episode.

Zarek says, "Adama is back in command." Lee is visibly emotional and it's important to say "my father" (we have to keep those Adamas straight.) Then Lee continues to show his independent thinking by not crossing his father. This sends the (former) President into action.

The Doctor is creepy and Kara nails him as a Cylon. On second viewing it is important to note that she just says she is Kara Thrace, not Starbuck. The Doctor was clearly trying to fool her with the Anders is dead deal. You can see that she almost grabs the IV in the second scene with him, but gets drugged; she is obviously suspicious.

Back on Galactica there is a nice scene with the Commander and the Chief. Adama states that Boomer was more than a machine. They knew her for two years! The significance of love is stressed. Remember G-Boomer's last words were "I love you Chief." "You'll see her again. There are many copies." Great reference.

Back on Caprica, Simon is throwing out good excuses to make things seem normal, but like a true Cylon he is mainly interested in breeding. They have this in common with the human survivors.

Interesting character development on Starbuck's abuse as a child.

In the fleet, the religious message from Rosilyn is out. Adama denies the obvious that the people will follow her. We see with the powerful blessing scene that many will follow her.

Anders lives! Starbuck is right. Sharon is now with them. Yikes another incision. Have they taken her ovary or what?

This time she does grab the IV and catches the Doctor with Six. The act ends with Kara praying for help.

Next act:
The Doctor does suspect something is up. The IV is not empty enough. She never told him she was "Starbuck." As he dies he says "You can't kill me." Just in case we were not sure he was a Cylon.

Now we see the farm that give the episode its title. The Cylons are breeding a lot of women.

Yea! As things look bad, C-Boomer comes to save the day. The next scene we see the Commander's grief over Boomer being a Cylon. 1/3 of the fleet - 24 ships have gone.

The one thing they were missing was love. (For successful breeding...) C-Boomer is now an accepted part of the resistence even though she is a Cylon. Her whole situation is out in the open.

We know Kara is special; another of Leoben's prophecies.

It is so cool that Kara has lost an eybrow along the way. Bye Anders, sniff...doesn't he look like Lee???

This post written by "Model List"

Opening Introduction

2005-08-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

The opening introduction on the Cylons makes a powerful statement on Baltar. Pay attention and you see There are many copies... then the base star Boomers and then without a pause...Baltar and Six with her sly smile.

There it is right in the open in BSG style. Baltar is a Cylon.

The later opening credits show Baltar blown up each week, so this is not really a surprise as this blog has clearly covered.

More to come on last nights show, but this post stands on its own.

This post written by "Model List"

Cylons Are People Too

2005-08-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

So much happened in last night's episode. It feels like all of the storylines are once again taking off. There was a lot to keep track of, but I'll try my best to remember it all.

Starbuck and Helo get lost in the Humvee, start getting shot at by none other than a tie-in to the original series. Now, I am too young to have seen TOS with all the Galactica purists, but the one episode I saw was when Starbuck or Apollo gets framed for killing someone after a match of pyramid. Now they meet a team, and Starbuck has a great scene of a little one-on-one. This shows that she is still the same Starbuck--still powerful, pushing past injuries. She is also still a woman, shown by that little smirk at the end.

The military officers going behind Tigh's back to get the President free was totally believable. It seems like they are good, honest people, and when the C.O. is cracking under the pressure and drinking on duty, making all kinds of bad calls (I will get to the vunerability of Tigh in a moment), then they do what is right, but are so incredibly careful not to get caught. From my second-hand experiences witht he modern-day military, this is vaguely what happens. Towards the end of the episode, Tigh shows his mental weakness to the physically weak Commander Adama. As a great leader and friend, Adama says, "we'll pick up the pieces together." Basically, command isn't easy, everyone is bound to screw up.

The Tryol and G-Boomer dynamic copied Helo and C-Boomer almost exactly. It starts out, "I hate you, you're a machine, you have no feelings, I feel loveand you don't." At the end of this episode (which was beautifully played out), Tyrol realizes that they aren't so different from one another. The visual of this, which is probably the best elements of the show so far, was that stream of blood running down the face to meet the pool on the deck. I did a little prodding around on the forums before writing this up, and most people (who, admittedly usually have nothing good to say about TNS, but their opinions are interesting) are saying that the blood was just a silly dramatic effect to rub in the whole "innocent prisoner" thing, drawing parallels to the Abu Ghraib scandal. Instead, I would say that the blood running down the face shows that Cylons are people, too. They bleed the same blood, feel the same kind of feelings, and want the same kinds of things. Sometimes they just go and try to assasinate someone or explode in the middle of a ship. We have already seen that C-Boomer can love Helo, but incase you missed that one, the Cylon programming can even be overcome by love. Baltar is killing the Chief, and under the pressure, G-Boomer is able to spurt out "Eight! There are eight!" There are eight Cylon agents in the fleet. It is a little unclear whether this includes the likes of Six, Leobon, and Doral, who have made appearances from time-to-time. I don't think it does, since Baltar was asking how many were in the fleet at that moment. He also specified agents, meaning human-form. there are eight in the fleet right now, which means that the other knowns make the number of agents equal 11. That means we have one unknown Cylon not in the fleet, and three or four unknowns in the fleet (I'm still not too sure about Dualla.)

Drip.

Cylon Empathy

2005-07-30T16:14:00.000-07:00

Now, obviously we are supposed to like Boomer. However, I find myself feeling sympathetic, even piteous for Six. Someone on one of the BSG forums said that last night's episode made them hate Six even more, but I like her more and more as the season goes on. Any thoughts on why this is?

Running Commentary on 203

2005-07-29T23:35:00.000-07:00

I'm trying something new tonight...

We might see Prez go public this episode.
The funeral scene is good...nervous Crashdown, cool-headed Chief. I think Baltar is the one who will turn on the rest of them. Six and Kobol...why are their souls just going to oblivion? What is it about Kobol?
Love the smoking doctor...it's maybe a little cliche, but gives a little dimension to a completely minor character.
Billy, "Nobody put me there." (In the brig.) Brilliant.
Tigh is clueless. Dee and Lee (Cylons) are in control, know everything that is going on. Funny how Lee manages to keep a fair amount of power when he is on perole.
The President is hopped up on drugs and can't think straight. She is showing real human characterstics here. No way is she a Cylon.
Baltar is showing more signs of turning over to Cylons. Direct vengence of the Cylons...the children of the humans taking it from the parents. This anti-aircraft battery...Lee is leading the search and rescue mission against the battery. We'll see how this one goes.
Love the blank stares Tigh gets when he starts screaming that 90 minutes isn't good enough. Didn't he say that if there were survivors, they would have to wait? Funny that Dee, the communications officer "never was much of one for public speaking."
The governors are governing themselves. "All in favor?" I don't know why, but this strikes me as odd. What's with the pen in the water? Tigh will, "take their demand under advisement." He has no idea what he's doing. Plus, he's back on the drinkies again.
Ellen visits the Prez...she is the strong one, Prez is bumbling all over the place. She is going to get to the bottom of this I feel. Ellen has a way of finding out things. Maybe she'll expose her. The President better be freaking out about now. Beautiful little prayer snip.
Baltar's little foolish error. This is really gonna cost him. The centurions saw Gaius, but just walked away. Oh my...Callie gets more depth. For once, I think that Crashdown is right. It's crazy, but what else can they do? Let their buddies from Galactica get smashed to bits? Way to go Chief on bringing Gaius in line. Told you he'd turn. (And so what if that's the old Baltar character from TOS? It's his character!)
The guard is really good...so much depth on such a minor character.
Stinkin' little Ellen "Cylon" Tigh trying to sabatoge the school teacher's rep. During the attack, someone will turn. Okay...so Six is calling the Lords false gods, the Cylon god the only one. Humans have gone astray, the Cylons are cleansing them by hunting them down and killing resisting humans. Is the turning away on Kobol the reason why the Cylon god has turn his back on Kobol?
Oh boy, Billy got the Kamallah. President wins again.
Wow...so, it was Crashdown in the end. Wasn't he dating Callie? That's messed up. So...is Six saying you have to kill to be a man? He's a man, not a Cylon because he killed, because he crossed over into the evil barbarianism of backstabbing, the horrible human sacrificing that Gaius caught a glimpse of? You will have to be a man soon, meaning kill another human.
Hah! Great effect. I was totally convinced Chief blew up the Cylons for a second.
Ah...and here she goes, revealing it all. Now, if the Cylon god is the only one, how are these Scriptures correct? What is really the truth? I want to believe the Cylons, believe it or not.
Gaius atanding up for Crashdown...this is a little cliche, but I like the way Chief agreed. "Yeah, he was a hero. The end."
Taking a life.."Makes you human." "Is it." "Poetry, art, literature. Murder is my heritage." "Sh...it'll be alright Gaius. I'll be your conscience." Who wouldn't want Six as their conscience?
I think Tigh has a lot more to him than what I thought at first. (Great music here, by the way.) he has assumed command now, it seems. No more respect for the Commander's wishes. And then he takes a swig.

What a great episode....however...nothing on Caprica...a little disappointing, but I didn't notice until now.
In hindsight, Tigh really has no control over the ship. He is feigning power, but once the Commander wakes up....who knows what will happen. Right now the ship is controlled by the rest of the high-ranking officers. He's going to take the full force of the Colonials' dissatisfaction. Ellen's mission is probably to get Tigh more power, thereby screwing over the whole fleet.

And just so you all know, anyone can comment on this site. I'd love to hear what everyone has to say about the episodes and their own theories, but please don't leave any spoilers.

Dee

2005-07-26T20:58:00.000-07:00

Now, there has been a little discussion about Gaeta being a Cylon due to his failures in communicating to the fleet the coordinates for the next jump (2.01). Who is the communications officer? Why, one Petty Officer Dualla, not the Tactical Officer Gaeta. During the mini-series, she was also a little Cylon-like in her ideas of reproduction (in layman's terms, she was obsessed with sex.) This seems to be a bit of a trend in the human-form Cylons community. Granted, the humans are also supposed to be breeding like bunny rabbits, but all we really see are the Cylons and the Cylon-elect. Now, this theory is incredibly sketchy, just an idea for now. Let me know what you think...

Comrade

2005-07-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

Before I address the tense moment between a charging centurion and a frozen Apollo, let's fast-forward towards the end of the last episode. Two centurions are running down the hall to aft damage control. As soon as they see humans, they start firing like mad with total disregard for the casualties. Back to the beginning of the episode--one centurion is headed straight for Apollo at a dead run. He doesn't fire. Coincidence? Or just comeraderie....

More Comments...

2005-07-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

"The child on kobol is not real yet, I think Baltar-Six's vision is showing him Boomer's baby post birth."

I believe this to be false. She said, "It's our child." Gaius responded by asking if it was their child, as in a child between Six and himself. ("So, you're the mother, I'm the father.") She answered with something along the lines of, "Yes, it is the child of you, Dr. Gaius Baltar, and myself, the number Six inside your head. She has not been born, but will be." I think there maybe are two children, but I am not too sure how number Six could be the mother, nor what significance a double-Cylon parented child would have in the story. I think this is one of those things we just have to wait and see on...

In Response to Your Comments...

2005-07-20T13:54:00.000-07:00

"So do we count the "new bogey" as one of the twelve models or is it really a "new" model. "

This new bogey will be counted as one of the twelve models. I think this is a set number for all the models we will see in the show. It is, however, possible that the "Twelve" only refer to the human-form Cylons, seeing as it directly corresponds to the number of colonies as well as to that of the Lords of Kobol. ("Why do they call you Apollo? Apollo was a god..." "It's just my callsign.") If this is indeed the case, then we only know 7 of the 12, instead of 11. The twelve Cylon models representing the 12 Lords of Kobol would certainly make sense in relation to the repeating history bit. "This has all happened before and it will all happen again." It is interesting that all the Cylons who know they are Cylons worship one single god, perhaps because they are the new incarnation, so to speak, of the Lords of Kobol leading their people to a new land. This people would be the new Cylon-human hybrids that will be revealed this season with the coming of Gaius and Six's daughter, as well as Helo and Boomer's child. I am prepared to change my hypothesis to be that there are 12 human-form Cylon models. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Apollo obviously corresponds to the Lord Apollo, and I'm thinking Six represents Aphrodite (just a hunch...). I'll do a little research on who the other 10 Lords of Kobol are and try to match up the known Cylons. This might actually help in predicting the next few Cylon's identities based on their characters (or even nicknames, such as with Apollo).

"Where did the "12 model" printout come from? I always thought Baltar."

We aren't really sure where the prinout came from. Baltar is the "Cylon expert". Maybe it was from him, or maybe it was from some other Cylon source. I don't think that the source is nearly as important as the content.

"In "Scattered" (201), I felt there were hints toward Gaeta being a Cylon. I think this is false, but he may come under suspicion due to his BIG mistake."

I heard a rumor that Gaeta slipped "something" to Boomer before she shot the Commander in the season 1 finale. I think he was just congratulating her like everyone else. The trigger itself would not have come from Gaeta, but rather from the Commander himself. Interesting timing she had, wasn't it? Almost a revenge for killing her fellow Cylons. Or maybe it was just so we'd have suspense going into season 2. Either way, it was dramatic.

"I think most of Lee's actions could still be human reactions. When he boxes with his "dad" that hints at Cylon. That exchange is worth some discussion."

Good point. Commander says, "You have to lose control, follow your instincts." This could be seen many ways, but for now I'd like to see it as an invitation to be who he really is (which could be really dangerous, but Cylons do have more fun...) I thought it was interesting that in this same sequence the audience was fooled into thinking that the *ahem* interaction between Starbuck and Gaius was in fact between Lee and Starbuck. But wait...Apollo is already over here, boxing with Dad...another copy? Oh, no, it's just that other Cylon, Gaius.

As far as this goes...
"The other characters that reminded me of Lance Armstrong.... just a little, were all cylons. It's not the faces exactly.... it's the shape of their heads. I think that the actors playing cylons were all selected in part to have a specific head profile... like if you turn out the lights you would have difficulty telling them apart. Same with Lee. "

Something makes me think that the Cylons would not be limited to one certain head shape. I think the creation and copying process is a bit more sophisticated than a one-size-fits-all mold. Although this Lance Armstrong thing does raise interesting questions...could the creators of Battlestar be indirectly accusing the real Lance Armstrong of being more than a human? Could they indeed be accusing him of being a well-developed android? Has this been the secret to his sucess all along??

We Have a New Bogey

2005-07-15T22:59:00.000-07:00

During tonight's episode, a new machine-style Cylon was introduced. This appears to be a troop transport to take Centurions (and possibly human form Cylons) onto Colonial ships. This is extremely hard to combat, as evident by Apollo's, "Almost had 'im."

The Premiere

2005-07-15T21:46:00.000-07:00

Less than 15 minutes from now marks the next season and entourage of storylines in Battlestar Galactica. Watch out for tell-tale signs of Cylon behavior, especially in Lee and Gaius, and most importantly, enjoy!

He "Thought of Something"

2005-07-09T22:23:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed that Boomer has intuitions that are strongly connected to her Cylon status? For instance, I just rewatched the scene in "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part 2" where she lands in the Base Star, and one line caught my attention. Concerning docking in the Base Star, she says, "It will work. I just know it."

In "The Hand of God", Apollo is in an attack force of Vipers. Everyone else around him is getting slaughtered. He is one of two or three Vipers that survives the initial Cylon defenses. What does he do? He "thinks of something". He finds a hole in the Cylon defenses, slips in there, and bombs the whole place to smithereens. Oh, and by the way, Gaius had a similar "lucky guess" when he pointed out the place to bomb. The Cylon expert was right, but how was his hand just lead to that exact spot? He has a really specially dynamic with Six and with his own self-confidence, which I will get into later.

The New Season

2005-07-08T17:15:00.000-07:00

One week from now is the premiere of the new season of Battlestar Galactica. With more characters coming on board and old favorites undergoing dramatic changes, we all look forward to an exciting bout of episodes.

More on Gaius

2005-03-04T23:41:00.000-08:00

At the end of tonight's episode, Ellen Tigh was "proven" not a Cylon. Why?

Six: "If only they knew everyone passes these days."
Baltar: "Well, it's much simpler then. No muss, no fuss."

This adds more support to the arguement that Gaius is not totally honest, consciously or unconsciously, in his intent to reveal the sleeper Cylons in the fleet.

Leobon Does Not Lie

2005-03-04T23:37:00.000-08:00

WARNING: This post may upset readers who want to be lead on by President Roslin's irrational fears!

Now, at first I was skeptical of Commander Adama myself, but this just didn't add up. Of course, someone high up in the fleet is going to be a Cylon, but who could it be? Having the Commander be a Cylon just does not seem reasonable. All of the Cylons we have seen so far have not had children. They are in the same basic generation--about ready to have children, not about to be grandparents. If Commander Adama was a Cylon, he would have been replaced by one somewhere along the line. This would not have been too easy, seeing as he has been on the Battlestar all this time. If he was not replaced, then he would have had half-cylon children, and Lee and Zak would both be at least part Cylon.

The basic motivations for placing a Cylon in charge of the entire ship are sketchy, at best. This lead my chain of thought to the other Adama on board and in a command position. (Note: While Zak is an Adama, he died, this causes tension between the Commander, Lee, and Starbuck. It is highly unlikely that he will come back in a way almost exactly like Ellen Tigh. That just would be irresponsible on the part of the writers.) Lee Adama is the perfect character to be a Cylon. Let's say he's somewhere between the age of 25 and 35. The Cylons have been gone for 40 years. That gives them plenty of time to replace the original with (or even to have made the original,) a Cylon. Having the original Apollo be a Cylon is actually fairly plausible--with the actors chosen for the new show, he looks nothing like his father. Ellen speculated in tonight's episode, "And I bet you look just like your mother." The mother we have never seen, even in a picture. Coincidence? I think there is more to the mother thread, if not in development of Lee's Cylon status, then for the sheer drama. Anyway, after 40 years, the Cylons come back and decide to wage war on the humans. Apollo returns and takes a command position on the only Battlestar to survive the original attack.

When Leobon shows up, Commander Adama tells Lt. Thrace to be wary of what the Cylon says, that there is always a grain of truth with which he uses to sow the seeds of doubt. When Leobon tells Roslin that Adama is a Cylon, her thoughts automatically jump to the suspicious actions of Commander Adama, rather than anything Lee Adama does (her "adviser on the military"), who is more quickly thought of as "Apollo" than "Adama". No one thus far has suspected Lee, the true Cylon. Instead, they doubt the leader of the entire fleet.

Dr. Gaius Baltar, Cylon

2005-02-28T15:43:00.000-08:00

The next human Cylon model is our very own Dr. Gaius Baltar. Now some of you may be thinking, "But he made a Cylon detector! Something in his programming would have stopped him from revealing his fellow Cylons." Remember that he changed the results of Boomer's test from a flashing red to the nice, bold green, telling her, "You couldn't be more human if you tried." Everyone passes his test, even though it is perfectly effective.

The first clue that he was a Cylon, or at least replaced by a Cylon occured at the beginning of the Mini-series, and re-occurs at the beginning of every episode. A nuclear explosion killed him. There's not much of a way for him to have survived. We see that Six shields him from the blast, but she isn't an impenetrable barrier from explosions and radiation. Helo has to have his radiation therapy or else he dies, and he didn't have the challenge of surviving a nuclear bomb.

If the obvious death of Dr. Baltar is not enough for you, what about Six? She lives inside his head and can be seen only by him, excepting, of course, the episode "Six Degrees of Separation". Not only does this cause moments of awkward and clever humor, it adds one more reason why Baltar is a Cylon. We know that when a human-Cylon dies, its consciousness is transferred to another body. Perhaps this version of the Baltar model has both his and Six's consciousness downloaded into the body.

There are Twelve Models

2005-02-26T11:26:00.000-08:00

"There are twelve Cylon models." -Battlestar Galactica Mini-series

Keep in mind that this is not only talking about the human-Cylon models, but also the other, larger models. At the end of the miniseries we saw a number of human models.

First off, we know that the Cylon base star is one of the models. This large ship holds over 250 raiders and is more powerful than the Battlestar in every single way.

Second, there are the aforementioned Cylon raiders. These are basically equivalent to the humans' viper, but have more advanced hyperlight Jump capabilities. In "You Can't Go Home Again", we learned through Starbuck's actions that the raiders are not manned. They are their own individual Cylon unit.

Last of the more mechanical Cylons are the centurions. This is the basic land-fighting unit, and is often used as a sort of personal guard for Six while on Caprica.

So let's say that the mechanical ones are 1, 2, and 3. Six is obviously number six of the models. Four and Five can be Doral (the PR guy) and Leobon. Number seven will be Boomer, who was among the human models that walked out at the end of the Mini-series. Keep in mind that these are not their set model numbers. They are just for the purpose of keeping track of all of them.

Who are models 8-12? More to follow...