Battlestar Galactica S1 Finale Part 2 (SPOILERS)

[Ninja_Squirrel]

In another thread, Chris Springob wrote the following, regarding a major surprise from BSG's last episode that he was hoping would not be spoiled in the preview commercials:

Since this seems to be the thread for discussion of the BSG airings in the US, I'll repost something I posted at Trek BBS which those of you watching for the first time may want to read:


I've already seen the final two episodes of BSG Season 1 through alternate means, but I thought I'd offer the following heads up for those of you who haven't seen them yet and wish to remain unspoiled. At the beginning of Ep. 13, there's a pretty significant plot development that, because I had not seen any promos or read any synopses, took me completely by surprise. Much of the rest of the episode deals with that development.

The reason I'm telling you this is because I'm afraid that, in the promo for ep13 that they'll be showing after ep12 this Friday in the U.S., they're going to spoil it. I have no inside info to indicate this, just a hunch that, since this is something that happens at the *beginning* of the episode, and a sizable portion of the rest of the ep is about that, they're going to give it away in the promo. So if you want to stay unspoiled, you might want to consider turning off the TV as soon as you see the promo for next week start, and also avoid reading any of those one or two sentence plot synopses they have in TV Guide or at scifi.com/battlestar.

Okay, now that the episode has aired in the U.S., I'm wondering which surprise Chris was referring to. My best, safest guess would be Boomer shooting Cmdr. Adama.

They definitely know how to end a season. Helo is finally rescued, Boomer is finally revealed, the Humans score a major victory by blowing up a Cyclon Basestar, Lee commits mutiny, the President is jailed, etc. Still, the shooting of Adama is the shocking part.

Can someone help me understand how or why Adama has the authority to do what he did to the President. Or is it that he really doesn't have the authority, and he really did just stage a military coup? If so, he did it a little too easy. I'm not convinced his reason was good enough, and subsequently, you'd think someone other than Lee would stand up against him.

Any chance anyone has any insight on what direction the second season will take?

 

[vacantlook]

I'm wondering which surprise Chris was referring to. My best, safest guess would be Boomer shooting Cmdr. Adama.

Well, I don't see how that could be what was being referenced since part of what you quoted from Chris said, "this is something that happens at the *beginning* of the episode," and the shooting is the last thing to happen in the episode.

Can someone help me understand how or why Adama has the authority to do what he did to the President. Or is it that he really doesn't have the authority, and he really did just stage a military coup? If so, he did it a little too easy. I'm not convinced his reason was good enough, and subsequently, you'd think someone other than Lee would stand up against him.

Since we don't know exactly how the Articles of Confederation of the Colonies constructs the government, I don't think one can say for certain whether or not Adama had the authority. I would imagine that there is a process available aside from just the regularly scheduled vote for a new President that could be used to remove a President from power; I'm doubting that that process is that the head of the military arrests the President and throws the President in jail. As such, it seemed quite like a coup to me. Jam transmissions of Colonial One so that those on board cannot communicate that the military is trying to take over to the rest of the fleet, and then move to secure the President and lock her up. I guess it is then possible that Adama would turn control of the civilian government over to Baltar, being that he is the Vice President now, so there's the potential that Adama didn't intend a permanent coup. However, Adama has seemed many times, to me, that he feels his being who he is in the military makes him superior. He's seemed to barely recognize Roslin as President at times in the past, as well. So it's possible he wouldn't release control back to the civilian government once he took it.

I imagine there would probably be quite a number of civilians in the rest of the fleet who would be quite angry at Adama for pulling a coup, so I'm sure some of them would join Lee in being against Adama's actions. But as for the rest of the crew of the Galactica, these are people who've been under direct command of Adama for quite some time being crew on the ship he's Commander of. As such, they're more apt to follow him and be too hesitant to question him and attempt to make him back down. If there were other military ships, there might would be a greater chance they would stand against Adama's actions. Additionally, I think it's possible that Tigh would stand up to him if he found out Adama's lied about knowing how to get to Earth and that Roslin is the best chance that they can find out how to get there.

 

[Ninja_Squirrel]

Well, I don't see how that could be what was being referenced since part of what you quoted from Chris said, "this is something that happens at the *beginning* of the episode," and the shooting is the last thing to happen in the episode.

Woops. I missed that part.

 

[Recoil]

Re: Battlestar Galactica S1 Finale Part 2 (SPOILER

The only spoiler that the previews could have spoiled was the Basestar blowing up. They showed a flash on the thing in one of the previews, so you kind of knew it was going to get knocked out. Then again, most probably assumed it would anyway. Other than that, there were no real spoilers that I saw in the previews.

I wouldn't say Helo is rescued yet, but its likely he will be. Boomer being revealed is huge too. But by far the biggest surprise was shooting Adama. The way it was done to was just so sudden.

It will be interesting to see how Baby Helo grows up and what goes on with that thread next season. Im glad that BSG and SG-Atlantis are having their new seasons start in July. Better than waiting a whole year.

 

[Chris Springob]

Re: Battlestar Galactica S1 Finale Part 2 (SPOILER

Okay, now that the episode has aired in the U.S., I'm wondering which surprise Chris was referring to. My best, safest guess would be Boomer shooting Cmdr. Adama.

I was refering to Adama's decision to stage a military coup and have Roslin arrested. That completely shocked me when I first saw it. If I would have known about that a week before I saw the ep, it would have seriously diminished the impact of that storyline for me, as it gives you time to mull over all the implications of the event, rather than let the event hit you on the head as it happens.

The reason why I thought the preview might give it away is because just about any shot they might have shown from the standoff between the Galactica marines and Roslin's security would be a major tipoff. As it happened, the only shot from those scenes that's in the preview is Apollo turning his gun on Tigh. That's definitely more than I ideally would have liked them to include in the preview, but doesn't give away the full meaning of what's going on.

 

[PsionTen]

Can someone help me understand how or why Adama has the authority to do what he did to the President.

Maybe its just the prosecutor in me, but I'd say that a case of treason can be made against the President. The President knew that Starbuck and the Cylon Raider were necessary in the plan to take out the Cylon Basestar, yet she ordered Starbuck to go off to Caprica, thus placing the entire fleet in jeopardy.

As far as Adama's authority to actually arrest the President, the fact that its wartime and he's the highest ranking military officer (not sure if this President also has the title of Commander in Chief) definitely gives him the right to arrest anyone that places his troops in danger -- whether they're military or civillian. Strictly speaking, he has the authority because he has the power, but whether or not his actions are legal is another matter entirely. It really makes me want to find out a little more about military law, because I want to know if a lower ranking officer has the right to arrest or detain a higher ranking officer if there's evidence that the higher ranking officer committed treason. My guess would be that the lower ranking officer would have to go a step above the higher ranking officer in order to get approval, but in this case there wasn't a higher position than that of the president -- all of which tells me that Adama was in a very precarious position ... either he lets a President get away with an act of treason, or he looks the other way and lets a treasonous President remain in power. It's a close call, but I say that he had the legal right to do what he did.

In saying all that, I also think the President had the right to do what she did as well. You can't very well say that she committed an act of treason if she, as Commander in Chief, had the authority to send Starbuck off on another mission. Of course her failure to tell Adama that she had sent off Starbuck, thereby jeopardizing the mission in the final stages could be considered treasonous.

I really want to see how the writers are going to get everyone out of the corners that they've backed everyone into ... it'd be too much of a cop out for everything to simply return to the way it was. Assuming that Adama lives, he's going to have to answer for arresting the President. The President is going to have to answer for placing the entire fleet in jeopardy. And Apollo is going to have to answer for disobeying a direct order and threatening a superior.... I can't wait for Season 2.

 

[Demon]

Did anyone else think that the fight Six and Starbuck had was really personal. Six's hatred of Starbuck was intense, and to me indicated an underlying jealousy of what Starbuck and Baltar did together.

Cylons obviously have feelings, as Caprica Boomer has fallen so heavily for Helo. Six is passionate about Baltar and see Starbuck as a rival, so beat the shit out of her!

But that means that someone there is some link between what the Six in Baltar's head (or whatever that is) knows, and what Caprica Six knows.

Interesting

 

[vacantlook]

My memory could be faulty, but didn't Baltar-head Six tell him when he was down on Kobol that he was the father of <and this is the part I can't remember>? I would guess that could then mean that Starbuck is now pregnant by Baltar? So then, would Caprica Six really have killed Starbuck or was she just enjoying beating the crap out of her for a little while without the intentions of permanent damage?

 

[Jendia]

Re: Battlestar Galactica S1 Finale Part 2 (SPOILER

I think the baby is Boomer & Helo's. I think Six said something about Baltar being the protector, not necessarily the father, but maybe we could listen to the Ep 13 podcast commentary and see if that's accurate.
The SciFI boards are in a tizzy over this bit, but no one really thinks it's Starbuck's baby.
There has been fascinating speculation it is 6's, because why would Baltar be overjoyed by Boomer & Helo's...the speculation comes into the fact 6 had a relationship with Baltar for 2 years before Caprica was nuked (according to the mini-series) and theoretically there could have been SEVERAL 6's swapping out, and getting impregnated by Baltar.
Starbuck, however, seems to have an important role to play; the Cylons know about her, as evidenced by her interaction with the Cylon Leoben in "Flesh and Bone."
Wow, her reaction to the fact Boomer was pregnant was powerful, it really threw me!
Damn fine season ender I must say.

 

[Kribu]

Re: Battlestar Galactica S1 Finale Part 2 (SPOILER

That was certainly a powerful season-ender. Didn't see Adama being shot coming.

I watched the whole thing (mini-series + first season) in the course of the last week, the last six episodes yesterday, so by now details are all getting rather mixed up for me, but in any case, I'm definitely looking forward to season 2. This one left... well, pretty much everything totally open.

Damn about Adama being shot though. He became pretty much instantly my favourite character (duh!) and I'd be semi-pissed if he was to be totally dead and gone now. Not that I couldn't deal with that, if that was the case, but I do wonder what the writers have in store for us for the next season also regarding that.

 

[Chris Springob]

Re: Battlestar Galactica S1 Finale Part 2 (SPOILER

There has been fascinating speculation it is 6's, because why would Baltar be overjoyed by Boomer & Helo's.

Six says that Baltar will become father and protector of a new generation of God's children. I think the clear implication is that Baltar is not getting excited about the birth of a single baby, but the birth of an entire race of human/Cylon hybrids, with (most likely) Boomer's baby being the first. Baltar's scientific know-how will allow him to oversee the hybrid project in some way. So I imagine that when he returns to the fleet and finds Caprica Boomer there (I think it's a given that she'll return with Starbuck and probably Helo), he'll insist that they keep Cap-Boomer and her unborn child around for scientific study.

 

[The Juche Warrior]

Re: Battlestar Galactica S1 Finale Part 2 (SPOILER

I bet it is 6's baby. Remember from the miniseries, when 6 and Baltar are strolling through Tolana....er, the building complex that has been in every scifi series filmed in Vancouver. Baltar walks off and 6 sees someone off camera and says something like "It's about time you showed up." My thought is that it was another 6 model there to take the first one's place. The first 6 gets off world and the new one goes to Baltar's place to confess her status as a Cylon.

I love this show. It's so nice to be able to watch a show that doesn't really talk down or assumes that the audience is full of slack-jawed idiots. This has got me hooked more than B5 did. Anybody else think that Zarek is gonna use this to try and get into power?

 

[Recoil]

Re: Battlestar Galactica S1 Finale Part 2 (SPOILER

Wow, her [Starbuck's] reaction to the fact Boomer was pregnant was powerful, it really threw me!

What threw me more than Starbuck's reaction was HELO'S! He went from calling Boomer a "thing" to not wanting her killed because she is pregnant. Talk about a guy doing a dime-turn. THAT was more surprising to me than Starbucks reaction (first her reaction to Boomer being a Cylon, then to her being pregnant). Helo really shocked me with the way her protected her though...

I'd be surprised if Adama actually dies. He is a major character, almost like a Sheridan type. However he took a couple of close-range shots to the chest, so thats going to be hard to recover from...

 

[Demon]

Re: Battlestar Galactica S1 Finale Part 2 (SPOILER

I think it's a given that she'll return with Starbuck and probably Helo

I'm struggling to see how all 3 of them are going to fit in that fighter!

 

[Chris Springob]

Re: Battlestar Galactica S1 Finale Part 2 (SPOILER

I'm struggling to see how all 3 of them are going to fit in that fighter!

It doesn't matter. The laws of drama demand it. You have to get Boomer back to the fleet so they can deal with the Cylon/human hybrid issue. And Helo can't stay behind unless they want to fire the actor, as there would no longer be a reason for us to keep checking in on his character once he's there by himself.

If nothing else, they'll steal a second fighter.

 

[Jendia]

Re: Battlestar Galactica S1 Finale Part 2 (SPOILER

I was thinking about that one scene in the miniseries also.
We never did find out who 6 was waiting for.
Yes, Helo's reaction was also pretty messed up. The guy would be pretty conflicted on a lot of issues, probably.
I mean, he knocked up a toaster!

 

[vacantlook]

Re: Battlestar Galactica S1 Finale Part 2 (SPOILER

I've noticed an interesting parallel going on in the show.

We have Six who's wanted desperately for Baltar to love her, and we have the potential that one or several Sixes have gotten pregnant back before the Cylons attacked in the miniseries.

We also have Boomer who seems to want Helo to love her, and we have her telling him that she's pregnant.

We also have had some comments from Six about her opinion of Boomer being that she's weak.

It almost seems as if there might be some kind of competition even between the two over which of them can get a human to love them.

 

[haze]

Re: Battlestar Galactica S1 Finale Part 2 (SPOILER

Anyone else think Lt. Gaeta might be a Cylon?

When Boomer first enters CiC, Gaeta greets her and the camera briefly pans down to his hand, but you can't see if they just shook hands or not. I think he gave her the weapon. She has a look of surprise on her face right after this takes place, but it could be from seeing Lee in cuffs.

Also, Gaeta is the one that "verified" that the video of Baltar bombing the defense network on Caprica was a fake. Convenient.

In the pilot, they found a Cylon transponder in CiC and they don't know who put it there. Gaeta certainly has access.

This reminds me of when I was watching DS9 and always wondering who might be a changeling.

-Haze

 

[Ninja_Squirrel]

Re: Battlestar Galactica S1 Finale Part 2 (SPOILER

One thing I was wondering... Did anyone restrain Boomer after the shooting. Most people seemed focused on Adama, but Boomer just lay on the floor looking up at everyone. Just barely on screen you can see a little bit of someone off to her side. I'm hoping that I was seeing that correctly and that it was someone restraining her. I'd hate to think she could shoot Adama and everyone be content to have her just lie on the floor unrestrained.

 

[Recoil]

Re: Battlestar Galactica S1 Finale Part 2 (SPOILER

Good points about Gaeta. I would have to re-watch that scene to get an opinion on that, as I didnt catch it. It could be possible.

On the other hand, I assumed Boomer just had the gun, and it was her own. I mean, she just got back from a mission, and she is in the military. Its not crazy for her to be carrying her side-arm if she just got off of the ship.