Battlestar Galactica 1x02-1x03

[oyceter]

GIP! I made myself a nifty Roslin icon! Looks sort of weird because I gave in and started experimenting with that washed out look that everyone and their mother does.

1x02 - Water

Wargh, am irritated that Boomer keep falling to pieces and has to be comforted perpetually by the chief whose name I have forgotten. She's a pilot! And I don't think it's some sort of Cylon ploy, since the previouslies are implying that she's a sleeper agent who doesn't even know that she's a Cylon.

Um, to be honest, I don't remember that much of this episode, because I watched it a couple of days ago. I did like the small exchange between Adama and Roslin about books (squee! any character who loves books is good with me).

I don't know. I wasn't that interested in Boomer's dilemma, particularly since she kept freaking out about it. I think that sounds rather cold-hearted of me, but I want a tough, kickass Asian military woman! Oh well. Have lots of kickass girls on this show, as well as Roslin, who is on a whole 'nother level. Caprica!Boomer is also rather annoying, and I have no idea why Helo didn't question her killing the blonde woman. Does Helo know that Cylons look like humans? Caprica!Boomer probably told him and I just forgot about it. But doesn't he wonder how Caprica!Boomer know?

I do like how they include the detail about radiation shots.

And yay, Lee is personal advisor to Roslin! I loved the tension between Roslin and Adama and their mututal dislike of ceremony and their very differing reasons for going along with it. And I love Rosling's reasoning to Billy and dismissing it as politics. For some reason I am not particularly shippy about this show. It seems like Lee/Kara is the main ship (so rilina has told me, but to be honest, I'm much more interested in the push and pull between Roslin and Adama and the parental-ish relationship between Lee and Roslin. I don't know for sure, but I have the impression that there are many more father-daughter, father-son or mother-daughter relationships in TV than mother-son ones, and so I'm really enjoying the Roslin-Lee one. Also, more tension between Lee and Adama is interesting.

Roslin and Adama's talk about the military as a police force was a dig at politics today, and a good point to bring up, even though they're gonig to go ahead with it anyhow. And I thought it was interesting how it was the normally civilian-affairs minded Roslin who brought it up and the normally military-affairs minded Adama who opposed it.

1x03 - Bastille Day

Annoyed again that Caprica!Boomer freaks out and turns to male companionship as well. Oh well. Will console myself with the fact that this one could be a Cylon ploy, although I have no idea why the Cylons are mucking around with Helo's mind. Maybe he has critical info? Who knows.

I am pleased that this is right after "Water" and that they have to worry about logistics and things! Yay! One thing I really like is how the show worries about things like food supply and water and whatnot, assorted civilian concerns, as opposed to blowing things up and conquering the next planet. I suppose it is an extension of the philosophy that Roslin lays out in the miniseries.

I really am enjoying how this show is using Kara. I like her interaction with Tight, particularly the snub he gives her in the end that mirrors her snub of him in the miniseries, and I adore that she smokes cigars and is the typical Rogue Male figure. And I find it interesting to contrast her and Lee, especially on board the Astral Queen. Lee is for democracy and all those things, and he actually does negotiate with what's-his-name terrorist/dissident guy. I think it's interesting that Lee seems to hold the moral center of the show in this episode, which is arguably a stereotypically female role, particularly when contrasted with Kara's eagerness to snipe the dissident and her annoyance at Lee's reliance on talking and negotiation. I like that they aren't playing down the cockiness and the swagger for her, that she is such a typical maverick hotshot pilot character... only female!

Ahem, sorry. I'm not sure if I even know how to watch things without thinking about gender roles anymore.

Was slightly annoyed at the small girl threatened by big hairy prisoner and rescued by Lee plot, but Callie gets bonus points for biting his ear off, and Dualla gets bonus points for noting that Callie can take care of herself. Would still rather that she had rescued herself though. Le sigh.

And the tension between Lee and Adama and Adama and Roslin becomes a threeway thing! Joy!

Gaius continues to annoy me. You know, I think it's something as shallow as his constant twitchiness. Also, the whole "your secret will be found out!" type thing tends to just make me squirmy and uncomfortable, so it's always not fun for me watching Six boss him around. I like Six more though, particularly when she yelled at him. I want to know what in the world the Cylons are planning, because I honestly have no idea.

Comments

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Helo has no idea that Cylons look like humans, and no, Caprica!Boomer didn't tell him. (He thinks the Six model was a collaborator at this point.) Bear this in mind as the plot unfolds.

It seems like Lee/Kara is the main ship (so rilina has told me, but to be honest, I'm much more interested in the push and pull between Roslin and Adama and the parental-ish relationship between Lee and Roslin.

Oh, same here. You're not alone. It's just like in every other fandom - majority preference for the young and pretty. Thankfully, the show itself doesn't do that and devotes ample screentime to everyone.

[rilina.livejournal.com]

I like Six more though, particularly when she yelled at him.

Word. Six definitely won me over during the season, though I was bored to tears by Six and Gaius during the miniseries and "33."

[rilina.livejournal.com]

Also, as far as shipping, I find myself somewhat interested in the Lee/Kara aspect of the show, but not so much that I would call myself a Lee/Kara shipper. The subtext is certainly there, but it's not the only thing that makes their friendship interesting.

[leadensky.livejournal.com]

One thing I really like is how the show worries about things like food supply and water and whatnot, assorted civilian concerns, as opposed to blowing things up and conquering the next planet. I suppose it is an extension of the philosophy that Roslin lays out in the miniseries.

Or it could be an extension of the old military saw an army travels on its stomach, or that "amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics." *g*

I think it's interesting that Lee seems to hold the moral center of the show in this episode

Yes. Lee as a character is tremendously more complex than many we see on tv. I tend to think the male/female moral role playing - as you pointed out earlier with Roslin and Adama's discussion of the military-as-police - is more a factor of badly done tv than something intrinsic to the species.

Was slightly annoyed at the small girl threatened by big hairy prisoner and rescued by Lee plot

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who caught that impression. Most people didn't - and I came around to the idea that all the prisoners (Billy and Lee included) were helpless at the hands of...well, monsters, and Cally was simply the one that got picked. I think this more subtle reading has good points, but it's still not what I went away from my first viewing with.

Good thoughts, though - can't wait to see what else you think of the show.

- hossgal

[oyceter]

Yeah, I like the very ensemble cast feeling to the show. Rather like Firefly, actually. And I am greatly enjoying that all the characters have various interactions with each other that show their different sides (ex. Starbuck-Tight, Starbuck-Lee, Starbuck-Adama)... for some reason, I feel like that's something that's not emphasized so much in most shows with a lead character. At least not to the same extent? Hrm.

[oyceter]

I was really bored by Six in the miniseries, especially because she got introduced by the baby-killing incidence, which just screams "evil robot who does not understand the value of life" in loud capital letters and no subtlety at all.

I like the Lee-Kara interaction very much (esp. now that I've gotten to ep. 4), and I like the camaraderie, but I seem to be more interested with what they're doing with the gender role reversals and whatnot than the actual interaction? Or something. Brain is so dead.

[oyceter]

Or it could be an extension of the old military saw an army travels on its stomach, or that "amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics." *g*

Hee, yes ^_^. Although the whole logistics thing would seemingly be a big point in most military type shows, it always seems like it's glossed over for the shinier guns and explosions and stuff. So I'm glad that the show creators are including it, and it does seem to be a reflection of the creators' willingness to think beyond standard "blow up the enemy!" type plots that seem to be the norm in military thriller things.

I tend to think the male/female moral role playing - as you pointed out earlier with Roslin and Adama's discussion of the military-as-police - is more a factor of badly done tv than something intrinsic to the species.

Very agree! The whole women-are-intrinsically-peaceful-and-moral thing makes me want to throw something against a wall. I find that I'm really interested in how the show has Roslin making several of the hard decisions (particularly in the miniseries) and that Adama is the one who will sometimes balk at sacrificing a few to save many, though much of that is just from their actions in the miniseries. selenak told me that that trend will continue, so I'm really interested in seeing how it'll play out!

And after watching episode 4, I also really like how they seem to be reversing the usual gender stereotypes with Lee and Kara, esp. with Lee as the quiet moral center of the show and Kara as the more Rogue-figure hotshot pilot, ala Maverick in Top Gun.

Wah, must get thoughts together more.

[leadensky.livejournal.com]

Although the whole logistics thing would seemingly be a big point in most military type shows, it always seems like it's glossed over for the shinier guns and explosions and stuff.

It's like how romance in most tv shows gets boiled down to either sex or a wedding, and no mention of what it's like to figure out you want to spend all the rest of your mornings drinking coffee with this person.

I agree that they seem to be more interested in saying "what will this person do in this situation" rather than "what will a woman do here". Which is both nice and makes for some excellent tv. *g*

Keep watching. I think it only gets better.

- hg

[oyceter]

It's like how romance in most tv shows gets boiled down to either sex or a wedding, and no mention of what it's like to figure out you want to spend all the rest of your mornings drinking coffee with this person.

Yes! And most books centered around romance too! This constantly irks me.

I'm torn between wanting to watch all of BSG so I can binge on episode commentaries and fic and the like and wanting to slowly watch it so that I won't feel bereft.

[leadensky.livejournal.com]

I had to tape the first half of the final (a two-parter) and was considering waiting until the next week to watch both at the same time.

However, the very excellent suggestion was made to me that the producers were shaping the show and the flow of the eps with the idea of the week-long pause between them, and that if I was partly into the show for the ideas and what-if and the what are they going to do next, then I might be best served by watching the taped ep as soon as I could, so as to have as long as I could before the last ep aired, rather than going straight from the next to last to the last ep, with no time in between to mull it over.

I thought about it, agreed, and watched the first half of the finale that night.

And the suggestion was exactly right.

- hg