The opening sex scenes with Kara and Leoben were hot. It's a fine line I walk with enjoying that, because on one hand, it was well shot and very sexy. I can't help but wondering what that would be like. Then, on the other hand, my OCD takes over and I start obsessing about how long it would take to clean up all the paint off the floor and furniture. And get the paint out of your hair. And off your skin. And out of your clothes.
The SFX were incredible. The viper shots conveyed speed and the atmospheres were outstanding. BSG always does incredible things with clouds, and last night was no exception. The physical "maelstrom" itself was spooky and yet realistic. Also, some great new angles of the Galactica. And the final explosion of the viper was sad, but awesome to watch in a perverse roman candle way. Well done.
The acting, all around, was just top shelf. Obviously, it was Kara's episode and Katee Sackhoff just rocked the house. EJO's bewilderment and resignation in the CIC was also superb, as usual, and his breakdown at the end with the model ship was astonishing. And though I've long complained about the "Quandrangle of Doom," in those moments on the steps between Starbuck and Apollo, I bought the whole Kara/Lee relationship much more than I have through several angsty episodes of "Dawson's Planet."
The lights going out in that scene with Kara, Adama and Madame Prez was interesting foreshadowing. But of what, exactly? More on "lights" in a moment.
And what kind of a world do we live in where Starbuck is dead, and Cally is alive?
Okay, now to what it means and where "we" go from here.
Was there a "real" cylon heavy raider in the clouds or not? It was definitely left ambiguous, and mostly we were lead to believe that Starbuck was hallucinating it. But if so, what exactly cracked her windshield? The pressure? Something else? Hitting a pigeon? And towards the end, we see a shot from Lee's POV, and you can make out BOTH Kara's viper and the raider. Does this mean that it existed outside of Kara's mind? And if it was there all along, why didn't it signal the rest of the cylon fleet and bring basestars and raiders jumping in? Could it have been a cylon -- perhaps Leoben -- on a non-sanctioned mission? If it was Leoben, was he really there for Kara? After all, we heard several times that "Leoben is coming for you."
Did Kara somehow make it out of the explosion? We clearly saw she was reaching for the ejection seat lever. But we did not see her pull it. And if she did eject, could the raider have gotten to her before the pressure crushed her like a walnut? Or was the shot of the ejection seat more to establish that Kara had finally accepted her fate and became at peace with her decision to let go of her "earthly" torment? Also, thank the gods for TiVo, because I believe that if you pause the viper just before the explosion, you can see that the canopy is still intact, indicating that there was no ejection. Of course, it's also possible that Kara made it out through the shattering canopy windshields, or that this was a detail simply not handled by the SFX crew (and didn't assume people would freeze the scene and press their noses to their big screens) if indeed they are going to later go with the ejection theory.
Is there more to the "special destiny" than meets the eye? Could the "special destiny" mean Starbuck simply cracking up, accepting her "fate" and putting an end to her human suffering? Would the destiny have been teased that much, would they have brought up the points about "this has happened before" if it all just leads to going out in a flaming explosion on a random planet with a cloud that eerily resembled the symbol Kara has been doodling her whole life (but that was also in the temple that supposedly connects the way to Earth and give D'Anna a view of the final five cylons?). From a psychological standpoint, I completely understand the role it plays in Kara accepting (and even taking a hand in) her demise and being at peace with it. And I also understand the need to have "pointless" deaths to show the horror of war and inherent danger of the show's premise. But I think too much groundwork has been laid for this to be the end of the character, without some type of payoff down the road.
And was that really Leoben? Kara asks him this, and he replies "I never said I was." Was this just a form that was manifested by Kara's subconscious or whatever entity was in contact with her? ChipSix has often spoken to Gaius of being an "angel." Could this be the same type of entity or manifestation, taking the form of someone who could reach her or provoke an emotional response (much like Six does in Baltar's head?)
Could Starbuck be a cylon, or even a "final fiver?" If she was a cylon, then the premise of the events of "The Farm" would have to be further explored. Why would they treat one of their own in such a way, harvesting her ovaries, unless they didn't know amongst themselves she was a cylon. Or, perhaps she was a cylon-human hybrid that had developed reproductive capabilities (much like Sharon) that didn't realize her programming and had come to believe she was truly human. Or, if she was/is a final fiver, then maybe their "purpose" has yet to be explained and their intentions were less malevolent than those of the other 7 and the centurions -- an emissary or catalyst of peace between the cylons and the humans? Also pointing to the cylon theory are the "flashbacks" with Leoben and her mother. It's well established that one of the capabilities of the cylons is the power of "projection," making your environment be what you want, or need, it to be within the mind's eye. Were the events that Kara has experienced part of a "projection" or part of a real (and possibly repeating) history?
Lastly, could there be another plot element from the original Battlestar series? Moore and Eick have long said that there were only a small number of elements from the original story that would eventually find their way into this reimagining. One that was a fan favorite in both shows, and exceptionally well done in this incarnation, was the Pegasus and Admiral Cain. Could another possibly be the "ship of lights?" (If you recall from the original, there was a mysterious "ship of lights" that took Apollo from his apparent death to a place outside of normal time and space, and also featured a character named "Count Iblis"). The "lights out" scene mentioned previously could factor into this, as could the use of bright light at various times in the viper cockpit. (And this may be a stretch, but is Glen Larson, creator the original show, always listed as a consulting producer in every episode? I noticed it tonight, but honestly can't recall it being there every week. Hmmm). D'Anna also tried to bridge the gap between life and death (which was swathed in bright lights at various points) and seemed to apologize to "what" she found there and with the final five. What if it was someone they had fought, tortured and tried to kill?
I simply cannot believe that the character of Starbuck/Kara is gone for good. Shows often kill off a character, but ostensibly one of the leads? And for good? So what are we left with as options?
- Kara is truly dead. And won't return except in some type of flashback.
- Kara was saved, in her "human" form, by Leoben, or whomever was in the heavy raider. Assuming of course, it existed.
- Kara is a cylon, and at some point, we'll see her wake up in a tub of goo.
- Kara is a cylon final fiver, and will wake up in whatever form they do, and return to fulfill some type of "destiny."
- Kara will return as a clone of Starbuck, created from the genetic material taken during the events of "The Farm."
- The "ship of lights" from the original series will factor in somehow, and Kara will play a role.
- Kara will exist, and return in some form, that plays into her talk of "see you on the other side" and in the bridge between "life and death."
Whatever way the producers take it, I'm along for the ride. A truly gripping, involving, moving and exhilarating hour of television. A+
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