BSG Recap 5/30 - Sine Qua Non
I know Latin too!
ad hominem; non sequitur;, post hoc ergo propter hoc; futue te ipsum et caballum tuum; salve – nemo nunc ipsum advenire ad longelocutum ad vocem tuam accipiendam potest, sed possis si velis nuntiam tradere dicendo simul ac sonitum audiveris – Memento sonitu praestolare – ave; nullo modo; pro bono.
Spoilers below the fold.
- According to Wikipedia, the show’s title means:
“(a condition) without which it could not be” or “but for…” or “without which (there is) nothing”. It refers to an indispensable and essential action, condition, or ingredient.
- The Caprica prequel TV movie (and possible pilot) is, if you didn’t know, a go. Spoilery details from a script review can be found here.
- Apparently, tonight’s episode was quite popular among the actors for their Emmy submission tapes. (Honestly, I’m not sure why).
- Aaron Douglas (Tyrol) has this to say about the finale (no spoilers): “Frakking awesome!!! Best stuff Ron has ever written!! It will blow your mind. I just finished reading them and I am fighting a fruitless and losing battle with my tears. It is amazing…”
- Yes, you all want BSG LOLcats, I know. Here are some for you.
- For those living in the past, there were fake scenes filmed for last season’s finale. Mark Verheiden discusses them here.
- And yes, the “Final Five” were a rather late addition to the universe (no wonder it still doesn’t make sense to me). Here’s Mark Verheiden again:
Since we only met 7 “skinjobs” during the first three seasons and always knew there were 12, the idea of discovering those “final five” has been floating around the writer’s room for as long as I’ve been on the show (I started about five episodes into Season Two).
Since Anders and Tory weren’t even introduced until several episodes into the series, obviously they weren’t in anybody’s “they’re Cylons!” thinking from the very beginning. But the concept was always there.
The question of “who” was something we discussed at length when we started considering this revelation for season three. Stories and plotlines tend to evolve as a show goes on, so I personally think even if Ron Moore and David Eick had picked five names in the beginning, they may well have changed as the show went on.
The episode itself:
* Cylons projecting themselves into forests. That’s got to be important. Or not.
* I’m not understanding the legal problems here. If Roslin is gone, it seems natural that Zarek would be next in line. This whole “whose in charge of what” was hashed out in season 2. Why is the council talking as though all power reverts to Adama and Zarek has to get permission from Adama to take charge? Yes, Adama doesn’t like Zarek, but I thought Adama had previously decided to not interfere with the civilian government too much. Also, Adama made no moves against Zarek.
* The spacewalk sequence looked like a video game. Not the best CGI I’ve seen on this show.
* If Six is pregnant, then either it really is “love” (as in when Six asked him if he loved her), or the Final Five really are different than the other Cylons, since it’s clear the other Seven can’t impregnate each other.
* My wife is wondering about when Starbuck actually became sane and reasonable. She also thinks Apollo was making a bit of a Fabio pose in the scene with his father.
* It seems with Adam stepping down, the main objections to Zarek would vanish. Why did Lee need to take the top spot? Of course, Tigh is a bit more of a loose cannon and might decide to arrest Zarek or something. Also, he’s a Cylon.
* My wife’s review: “What???” and “I have no review. I don’t get it.”
* My review: Good, but not great. I still don’t understand the underlying politics. It seems like a rather forced way to get Apollo into the Presidency.
It’s kind of like Turkey. Turkey is a democracy because the military says it is a democracy. When the military changes its mind, it won’t be a democracy any more. Adama was about to change his mind about the colonies being a democracy, and the quorum understood that.
The whole process leading up to Apollo becoming president was totally predictable. (Anybody remember Dick Cheney heading his own search committee?) What I don’t get is Zarek’s wussiness. This guy used to be a terrorist? And he meekly hands over the presidency to which he was entitled a second time?
Anyway, next week’s episode looks much better.
Comment by Last Lemming — May 31, 2008 @ 1:16 pm
You know, the only really weak part for me was Romo Lampkin, at least his dialogue whilst holding a gun to Apollo. The two of them were just not hitting it well for me. Everything else? Pretty great.
Comment by Supergenius — May 31, 2008 @ 5:39 pm
since it’s clear the other Seven can’t impregnate each other.
Ummm. Isn’t that because they are missing the crucial impregnation device? If you know what I mean…
Comment by clark — May 31, 2008 @ 10:40 pm
What about that spoiler at the end that Rosalyn is the final Cylon? I can’t believe you didn’t mention that!
I agree that it was good but not great. Better than most this season.
The problem is that if all this is a plan, as it seems like it must be, then it doesn’t make a whole ton of sense. I’m willing to give them a break now that we’re (thankfully) rid of the whole Starbuck bit.
I agree about the Zarek bit. But then he was an infamous terrorist and I suspect many wouldn’t want him in power.
What was up with all the hallucinations of the cat though? I was beginning to think our Irish lawyer friend was the final cylon there for a while.
Personally I think the show went astray when they created New Caprica and never quite recovered (although the four episodes up to the rescue were very, very good)
Comment by clark — May 31, 2008 @ 10:43 pm
Isn’t that because they are missing the crucial impregnation device? If you know what I mean
Probably, but I don’t think they’ve ever come out and said specifically why…
Comment by Ivan — June 1, 2008 @ 8:03 am
What about that spoiler at the end that Rosalyn is the final Cylon?
You mean that foiler from the promo? I don’t buy it. It seems clear to me that either D’anna is lying, or there’s someone else in the room, or that those are two different scenes edited together for the promo.
Comment by Ivan — June 1, 2008 @ 8:05 am
anyone got a link to the promo?
Comment by Supergenius — June 1, 2008 @ 10:18 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Aeq_Awi6ho
Comment by Rebecca — June 1, 2008 @ 11:47 am
Yeah, no way they’d give away Roslyn as being the final cylon in a promo. She’s probably sitting in the room with whoever was just told they’re cylon.
Annoying things in this episode.
Starbuck complaining that Adama is sending people on a wild goose chase that could get them killed, two weeks after she returned from a wild goose chase that could have killed a crew of people under her leadership.
I saw President Lee coming from mile away.
Cylons can impregnate cylons? Nobody tried that before? I mean I guess the final five could be some weird cylon/human hybrid, but then why would they be the final five, wouldn’t they be in a category by themselves? It’s all very confusing.
Comment by jjohnsen — June 1, 2008 @ 5:42 pm
There’s a lot to explain about the Cylon plans and purpose. I hope it doesn’t turn out to be ad hoc and unsatisfying.
Comment by clark — June 1, 2008 @ 9:36 pm
Keep in mind that Anders is on the Basestar with Roslin and Baltar (these latter two are of course not Cylons, if only for the very good reason that each of them appear in the dream with the Final Five).
Comment by Supergenius — June 2, 2008 @ 8:57 am
Supergenius -
good point. D’anna may be talking to Anders. After all, she has no idea that 4 of the final 5 have figured out they are Cylons.
Comment by Ivan — June 2, 2008 @ 1:30 pm
This episode was crappy, if you ask me. After the promising previous episodes this was a huge let down.
What a bunch of silly speechifying between Apollo and Romo. Even a blind coma victim could have seen Apollo being president coming.
Where’s the drama? This show used to be about humanity on the brink of destruction and facing an overwhelming enemy. Now it’s about spinning wheels. It gets more Heroes-esque every episode.
Comment by Brian G — June 5, 2008 @ 8:19 pm
Sadly I have to agree Brian. I’m still into it but it really lost its way in the third season.
Comment by clark — June 6, 2008 @ 12:00 am
Agreed, for the most part.
Comment by Supergenius — June 6, 2008 @ 10:05 am