Battlestar Season 3 Premiere – Reflections

Yes, after six months of waiting, I can happily say I’ve seen the season premiere of new Battlestar Galactica. My thoughts, as of this point, are a tad muddied. Lots of threads wove together in this episode. You’d also have to be an idiot to not immediately identify the reflection of current events in the plotline of the show. In some ways, I think they might have gone a bit far in that. On the other hand, I give Galactica mad credit (as always) for doing what great science fiction does best: using the future and fantastic to shed light on what is uniquely human.

SPOILERS BELOW:

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Things I loved:

1. Use of ressurection. Favorite points include Starbuck killing Leoban, having dinner, and then having a duplicate Leobon come back into the cell and ask her to sleep with him, as she will be sleeping with either him or his corpse. Fantastic stuff. Also, I loved the death of Number 6, and the immediate reappearance of the incorporeal Number Six in Baltar’s head.

2. Tigh’s Wife: For the first time since the beginning of the series, I actually felt sympathy for Tigh’s wife. This episode shows that she really loves him. Go fig.

3. Boomer and Adama’s relationship: Okay, I have to admit, I truly enjoyed the conversation between Adama and Sharon about forgiveness, and the followup between Adama and Sharon:

Summary:

Sharon:  "How do you know you can trust me?"
Adama: "I don’t, but isn’t that what trust is?"

Those lines really resonated with me, on a personal as well as philosophical level. I’ve been asking myself recently, how could I allow myself to trust and be deceived? At the same time, I’ve always shared Adama’s view of trust is a leap of faith. You either have it or you don’t, and either way you face the consequences. In spite of everything, I do feel that point of view about trust is right. Trust is a leap of faith, and whether or not your faith is misplaced, you are much poorer for the lack of it entirely. At least faith in something.

4. Baltar going off on Roslyn about how suicide bombing is abhorrant, and inhuman. And Roslyn not being able to meet his eyes. Absolutely perfect.

5. The conversation between Baltar and Gaita about signing the execution order. That was such a perfect moment on Baltar’s part, I was totally in love.

6. Absolutely beautiful filmmaking. Nuff said.

Things I’m not sure about:

1. I felt a bit beat upside the head with the Iraq, Abu Ghraib symbolism. Now, visual symbolism of this sort is a staple of the show. Like the 9/11 wall on the Galactica put up by the survivors of the colonies. Usually I find it to be really seamlessly brought in. This time though, I began to feel like "I get it already, okay!" Maybe that was just me. I do like how they are using their god to justify their actions though, and how each faction has their own idea about what their god would like to see done.

2. I admit, I have a love/hate relationship with the Starbuck/Leobon thing. I’m not sure if Starbuck is really turning to appreciate/have feelings for him as the father of her child, or if she’s just working another angle or plan for freedom for herself or maybe her child. I’m putting this in the not sure catagory because honestly, I’m really hoping it’s the plan for escape angle. I’d hate to see Starbuck change sides. But the ambiguity I guess should really put this on the plus side. Not to mention the sheer ton of room for fanfic writing. Yay!

3. Judging from the scenes from next week, the Cylons seem to have really shitty aim this season. I’m hoping that’s not a normal thing. I like my villians to hit what they aim for, especially when they are holding automatic weapons.

In general, I’m solidly looking forward to next season. I think in some ways, the scenes from next week spoiled the cliffhanger ending of this episode, not that it really matters that much, because I’m still hooked. I just wish we could bring back Admiral Kane. But, like Space Above and Beyond, I guess one day I’ll have to learn to let her go.