Holy Frak.
"Revelations" was a simply spectacular and heart-rending episode of television's best drama. Stuffed with Emmy-caliber performances, breathtaking special effects, jaw-dropping plot development and stellar writing and directing, BSG saw the rag-tag fleet of colonials (and Cylons!) reach their final destination: Earth.
Yep, after three and a half seasons, and no assurances that Earth was anything more than a myth developed just to keep hope alive, the fleet jumped into orbit with a clear view of Big Blue, and sent a group of ships down to the surface, only to find things weren't quite what they, or we, expected. In a beautiful tracking shot, with only one spoken word (Roslin's "Earth"), we see the reactions of all the primary characters to being on the planet they were all seeking and the supposed home of the lost 13th tribe. Instead of a lush paradise, or pre-civilization world, or a modern-day reception, we see scorched earth and a post-apocalyptic nightmare. Radioactive dirt and the hollowed out remains of what looks like our not too distant future society. Were they standing in New York? It would be only fitting, given the many allusions to our culture shaken by 9-11, and that last shot would seem to suggest (in a nod to the end of Planet of the Apes) the carrion of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Before you think about the implications of this, which I'm sure we all will for at least the next six month (remaining eps not coming back until early 2009!), let's just appreciate all the beautiful moments that brought us to this horrific image.
The scene with Lee and Kara, where she tells him Leoben's quote about children only reaching their full potential once their parents die? A perfect set up for gut-wrenching scene where Adama completely breaks down following the revelation of Tigh's true Cylon nature, and has only Lee to comfort him and tell him that everything's going to be alright. While Bill didn't literally die, it was a spiritual death and the demise of his ability to continue to hold things together even in the darkest of hours. For the entire show, Bill has been the rock and the strength of the fleet. And then, in just a matter of hours, he realized and acted upon his feelings for Laura and then found out that his lifelong best friend was a frakkin' skinjob. Olmos, as usual, was fantastic. His primal howl after Saul's confession was chilling, and his breakdown in Lee's arms was excruciating. Bamber was also top-notch. Too often, he's given the "stick in the mud" role as Lee has bounced around the plot without truly finding his footing. But in "Revelations," President Adama acted intelligently, decisively and with conviction. Qualms about the exact mechanics of how he got to the presidency aside, I'm glad he was able to take the reigns here and show a sureness of character.
As usual, how awesome was Saul MotherFucking Tigh? Frequently standing still, with his face hidden behind an eyepatch, Michael Hogan brilliantly showcased a powerhouse performance, summoning all of Tigh's conflict, guilt, self-loathing and duty. Once he realized D'Anna was going to kill the hostages, including his best friend's true love, unless the rest of the Final Four (not counting the mysterious Fifth) revealed themselves, he stepped up and told Bill what he really was. And that he'd gladly sacrifice himself. Part obligation, part end to his torment, part tactical reality, Tigh was mesmerizing. And in a sly wink to the fans (much like when some of the Losties ask Hurley about his weight or question other happenings on Craphole Island), Bill peppered SMFT with queries about his "Cylon-ness:" "You're bald! You're old! How is this possible?"
Though they didn't get quite as much to play as last week, James Callis and Mary McDonnell rocked the house, too. Laura has regained some of her strength and now seems more at peace, following her tour through the subconcious cancer ward in "The Hub" and her acceptance of Baltar for what he is and what he's done. On one hand, she wasn't afraid to tell Bill to blow the baseship out of the sky, and yet on the other, she's quick and nimble enough to realize that Gaius might be able to actually get through to D'Anna. Which he did, of course.
D'Anna continues to be great, snarky fun. Her self-assured, "I've got a secret" cockiness and single-minded ruthlessness was wonderful to watch, and if anything, she's less about the doctrine and more about the pragmatism.
The scene with Tyrol, Anders and Starbuck was also masterful. Searching for answers in Kara's viper, with Anders and Tyrol both knowing what they were, yet not quite able to bring themselves to say it out loud to Kara. And once the soldiers burst in and let the cat out of the bag, both Cylon actors portrayed it beautifully, from Sam's heartbreak to Galen's relief. I'm not quite sure what to make of the Deux Ex Machina about the Easy Earth GPS on Starbuck's ship, but I was so caught up in the captivating performances and breakneck pace of the revelations that I was willing to let it slide for now.
The "we've found Earth" montage was also well done, touching on a number of background characters (like the new chief and the refinery ship inhabitants) who made the joy and release at the culmination of the search palpable.
Really, this was just a top shelf episode and one of the best in the history of the show.
So, what do we have to think about for the next few months?
- When exactly did they arrive on Earth, and what happened to it?
- When and how did the "13th tribe" arrive on Earth?
- What the hell is up with Kara's viper, and how did it signal the way to Earth?
- What about the hybrid's prediction of Kara as the "harbinger of death?" Could you interpret that statement about her leading the human race to its destruction as what just happened? That she led them to a world where they find out that the rest of their race had indeed destroyed itself, or will Kara bring about another apocalypse of her own?
- Will D'Anna and her crew of Cylons truly exist in peach with the humans?
- Did Cavil have a chance to resurrect after D'Anna snapped his neck, but before the Hub blew up?
- What's up with Tigh and Six's child?
- Does D'Anna really know who the final Cylon is? Why did she "apologize" to him/her during her vision on the algae planet? And last night, she said that "four of the five were in the fleet." Does this mean that the other one was actually on the basestar (Roslin or Gaius?), or that it was elsewhere? (I'm still guessing that it's Zak Adama).
- How the hell did Kara come back from the dead, and is that really Kara?
- If Cylons couldn't have children, don't we now have three examples of them doing it? (Tigh, Boomer and Tyrol)
- What is the story behind the Final Five? How are they different? Why can they age? Why were they "sleepers?"
- What's the deal with "All Along The Watchtower?" And what was the "signal" the Four heard last night?
- What's up with the book that Roslin and Adama keep reading, and is there more to this than meets the eye?
- What's up with "Head Six" and how does she appear to Baltar?
- The opera house vision and Hera - what's the deal?
I'm sure there are many, many more questions to ponder, but I can't think of a better way to send this "half-season" off with a mind-frakkin' capper.
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