Writer: Ronald D. Moore
Grade: A
I’ve watched this part of the finale four times now, and as disappointed as I am with the finale as a whole, I have to say that I love this first part, even though it’s a) slow, and b) setup for the bloated two hour wrap-up to follow.
Out of all the pre-holocaust backstories woven throughout this episode and the next, I think Gaius Baltar’s was my favorite, which was a surprise (and a first). As angry and frustrated as he was with his father, he still loved him and was devastated that he didn’t have the man’s approval—it’s an old story, but James Callis hit all the right emotions and made me care about Baltar, which almost never happens. It was pretty obvious that Gaius didn’t send Caprica away so he could yell at his father some more, but rather intended to try to make amends and keep the old guy company by playing cards or some such thing. Conveying that without words requires a deft touch, and despite all the yelling, this was actually the most kind, normal, and relatable I’ve ever found Gaius to be.
It was also interesting that Caprica was willing and able to show such kindness to Gaius and his father when she was fully aware that she was the lynchpin of a plan that would blow both of them--and everyone else on the planet--to bits.
Seeing Kara and Lee’s first meeting was lovely. Katee showed her range with bubbly, sweet Kara, and I had no trouble believing that Starbuck was once able to put on that face.
I’m still not sure how I felt about Laura Roslin’s backstory. I didn’t hate it, and Mary McDonnell was fucking fabulous as always, but Laura’s story felt so tragic that I had a hard time believing that we didn’t know these things already, which called my attention to the writing.
It’s interesting that Moore chose to have Roslin’s family killed by a drunk driver. That information adds a new facet to how she must have felt about Bill’s drinking. We’ve seen her have a few drinks herself—she certainly hasn’t sworn off the booze—but I’m sure the memory of what we saw in these flashbacks would have crossed her mind when faced with ineffectual, drunken Bill Adama.
That part I could deal with and work into her story, but the larger fact here—that she lost not just her mother, but her entire immediate family on Caprica prior to the Cylon attack—well, it’s going to take me a while to work that into the history of Laura Roslin that I already knew. I mean, that never came up before now? Really? I know we’re supposed to realize that we don’t see every moment of these people’s lives on the screen, but still, that’s a pretty significant detail to drop into the series finale, which makes it smell like retcon. Not a character assassinating retcon, at least, but why was it necessary? Is it supposed to make us think back to the Roslin we saw in the miniseries and understand how she handled the loss of most of the human race with such poise? Because she’d already lost the people she cared about most?
Though Roslin’s flashback bugged a bit, the flashback I liked least was Sam’s. His monologue to the reporter seemed to indicate that Moore wants viewers to accept that Sam has achieved his bliss by becoming a hybrid, but I just can’t believe that an almost complete absence of personhood is the ideal state for warm, loving, loyal Sam Anders. For someone, somewhere, sure. But not for him. And I didn’t realize how much I liked Sam until he was gone. I can really empathize with how Starbuck must be feeling.
Moving away from the flashbacks, I do think Lee had a point about the self-serving nature of Gaius Baltar, but I don’t think that has anything to do with whether or not Lee should offer a religious group special representation. That possibility should depend on weighing the importance of a separation of church and state rather than on Baltar’s personality type. I fail to see why the popularity of Baltar’s religious cult/sect means that they should be singled out for representation. How are they disenfranchised (any more than anyone else) by the new ship-based form of representation that’s been discussed and utilized thus far? What was Moore even trying to convey? I hope I wasn’t supposed to think that Baltar had a point, because his argument made little sense, and the only part of that conflict that ended up having a meaningful follow-through was Lee’s personal judgment of Gaius.
A few other details stood out in this episode:
-Bill telling Kara essentially the same thing Lee did--what we have between us is what you are--was lovely.
-I’m a little disturbed that Hotdog was one of the first people to volunteer for a mission that Adama basically called a suicide run, considering that he’s now solely responsible for Nicky. I understand how the empathy born of that fact could have influenced his decision to help Helo and Athena get their own kid back, but damn.
-I loved Galen’s “Like you’ve got something better to do” upon dragging Tori onto the volunteer side of the deck. Seriously, when does she ever have anything to do, period?
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