Watch as I do my imitation of a sloth
Jan. 16th, 2006 12:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
itsallovernowAside from a flurry of usefullness on Saturday after rehearsal where I went grocery shopping, cleaned the house and made dinner, I've mostly been a lazy slug all weekend. I'm not terribly worried about this state as it's a fairly normal reaction to being ultra busy the week before.
So busy that I missed Stargate completely (well there were also technology issues involved in that), and slept through part of BSG. I have seen some of the screencaps for SG-1, and I have to say that pretty as BB is, the image of him dressed as any other flyboy out of uniform just doesn't do it for me. It screams - MILITARY - even more loudly than the uniforms (which are growing on me, by the way). Every dumbass flyboy I knew growing up dressed just like that, and while nothing can take away the pretty, I just have far too much of a long standing distaste for the military and military lifestyle. Sigh. Who knew those buttons could still be triggered that easily. Still, I may need to watch in real time. Just, you know, to make sure. (And just an aside, I have tremendous respect for those who choose to serve, but I have some issues with the military itself from the perspective of one who grew up on it's periphery. Those tend to come out with vehemence:)
I had to guilt M. into letting me watch it (and sadly it came down to using that guilt to get me a viewing of BSG or a viewing of SG-1 as I would have been interrupting his precious 19,000 viewing of Diamonds Are Forever. And dude, if someone can explain what makes those of the Y-chromosomed obsessively watch Bond movies I'd be forever grateful. And since it had been a two parter, I chose to use my influence for BSG).
I will say this once more, this is a damned good show - writing, acting, pacing, storytelling - but I really can't take much more of the dour. I just... I don't have it in me. I need something to buoy these people and not having to assasinate a leader of the fleet, well, that's just not screaming happy place to me. I think it's why I liked Baltar so much in Season 1 - he was self-involved, he was criminally negligent, he was reprehensible, but he was smart and fucked up and his relationship with Six was that sort of twisted, funny, absurdist example of dark comedy and real horror that balanced the weight of everything else that was happening to these people.
And there was laughter, moments of people interacting with some joy, trying to take the moments they could get in the face of this apocalypse.
So far this season, I'm having a hard time figuring out why they'd want to keep going. And yeah, I get that this is sort of the point, but still, I need a reason too.
I think my favorite part of this episode, oddly enough, was Starbuck's epitaph for Cain. And the realization that she's right. I don't condone her actions, I'm not sorry that she's dead, but it is likely that they would have been safer from the Cylons with Cain in charge. But safety would also mean a loss of what makes them human, and while Adama makes ridiculously rash decisions, he's also tapping into the elements of humanity that are worth saving. I think Cain is heroic in Kara's eyes because she told her the truth. Adama lied to her, lied to the fleet, manipulated them all - seemingly for their own good. Now they are stuck in the fallout. Cain was honest about the hopelessness and was utterly ruthless in the face of survival. I think that appeals to Starbuck - the ability to be ruthless. I think having the respect of a superior also appeals to her in incomparable ways. She wants approval, is desperate for it, yet can't show it. She's trapped by that constant need to take risks coupled with the need to win the respect and approval of those she respects. These are the elements of her character that I find so compelling, and I'm much happier when the show touches on them instead of turning her into a one woman saviour.
I am, totally against my will, becoming very fond of Cain's second in command and am more relieved that he didn't have to assasinate anyone than I was on Starbuck's behalf. I kind of hate Adama for asking Starbuck and Apollo to do that. Although I don't at all hate Roslin for asking, but then more and more Laura Roslin is the character I show up to watch. Hmmm. Also, I'm tired of the Helo/Chief/Boomer triangle. Well, I'm tired of Helo and Boomer. I liked her evolution, still like it, but I care less on the ship than I did when she was figuring out how to survive. Mostly, my interest in Helo has disappeared.
I finished THUD! and my Pratchett love knows no bounds. Okay, Monstrous Regiment was really dull, but other than that. I'm currently reading Elizabeth Bear's Hammered on![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cofax7's reccomendation and enjoying it so far. I like the roughness of this universe.
Also, for those of you who are helping to choose NC-17 nominations for The Sparky's, I'm going to make a post over at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
the_sporkys and cross post here, so please start compiling!!
So busy that I missed Stargate completely (well there were also technology issues involved in that), and slept through part of BSG. I have seen some of the screencaps for SG-1, and I have to say that pretty as BB is, the image of him dressed as any other flyboy out of uniform just doesn't do it for me. It screams - MILITARY - even more loudly than the uniforms (which are growing on me, by the way). Every dumbass flyboy I knew growing up dressed just like that, and while nothing can take away the pretty, I just have far too much of a long standing distaste for the military and military lifestyle. Sigh. Who knew those buttons could still be triggered that easily. Still, I may need to watch in real time. Just, you know, to make sure. (And just an aside, I have tremendous respect for those who choose to serve, but I have some issues with the military itself from the perspective of one who grew up on it's periphery. Those tend to come out with vehemence:)
I had to guilt M. into letting me watch it (and sadly it came down to using that guilt to get me a viewing of BSG or a viewing of SG-1 as I would have been interrupting his precious 19,000 viewing of Diamonds Are Forever. And dude, if someone can explain what makes those of the Y-chromosomed obsessively watch Bond movies I'd be forever grateful. And since it had been a two parter, I chose to use my influence for BSG).
I will say this once more, this is a damned good show - writing, acting, pacing, storytelling - but I really can't take much more of the dour. I just... I don't have it in me. I need something to buoy these people and not having to assasinate a leader of the fleet, well, that's just not screaming happy place to me. I think it's why I liked Baltar so much in Season 1 - he was self-involved, he was criminally negligent, he was reprehensible, but he was smart and fucked up and his relationship with Six was that sort of twisted, funny, absurdist example of dark comedy and real horror that balanced the weight of everything else that was happening to these people.
And there was laughter, moments of people interacting with some joy, trying to take the moments they could get in the face of this apocalypse.
So far this season, I'm having a hard time figuring out why they'd want to keep going. And yeah, I get that this is sort of the point, but still, I need a reason too.
I think my favorite part of this episode, oddly enough, was Starbuck's epitaph for Cain. And the realization that she's right. I don't condone her actions, I'm not sorry that she's dead, but it is likely that they would have been safer from the Cylons with Cain in charge. But safety would also mean a loss of what makes them human, and while Adama makes ridiculously rash decisions, he's also tapping into the elements of humanity that are worth saving. I think Cain is heroic in Kara's eyes because she told her the truth. Adama lied to her, lied to the fleet, manipulated them all - seemingly for their own good. Now they are stuck in the fallout. Cain was honest about the hopelessness and was utterly ruthless in the face of survival. I think that appeals to Starbuck - the ability to be ruthless. I think having the respect of a superior also appeals to her in incomparable ways. She wants approval, is desperate for it, yet can't show it. She's trapped by that constant need to take risks coupled with the need to win the respect and approval of those she respects. These are the elements of her character that I find so compelling, and I'm much happier when the show touches on them instead of turning her into a one woman saviour.
I am, totally against my will, becoming very fond of Cain's second in command and am more relieved that he didn't have to assasinate anyone than I was on Starbuck's behalf. I kind of hate Adama for asking Starbuck and Apollo to do that. Although I don't at all hate Roslin for asking, but then more and more Laura Roslin is the character I show up to watch. Hmmm. Also, I'm tired of the Helo/Chief/Boomer triangle. Well, I'm tired of Helo and Boomer. I liked her evolution, still like it, but I care less on the ship than I did when she was figuring out how to survive. Mostly, my interest in Helo has disappeared.
I finished THUD! and my Pratchett love knows no bounds. Okay, Monstrous Regiment was really dull, but other than that. I'm currently reading Elizabeth Bear's Hammered on
cofax7's reccomendation and enjoying it so far. I like the roughness of this universe.Also, for those of you who are helping to choose NC-17 nominations for The Sparky's, I'm going to make a post over at
the_sporkys and cross post here, so please start compiling!!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 08:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 09:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 08:50 pm (UTC)And again, I'm so, so sorry for being such a spazz and forgetting about Saturday.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 09:26 pm (UTC)I've gotta work at 5:30 so I can't go to the movie, but enjoy!!!
no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 09:13 pm (UTC)Who is "they" in that case? Not, I take it, the forty or so ships that make up the civilian fleet, but only Pegasus and Galactica. The forty or so other ships would have been left at the mercy of the Cylons, minus useful engineers, if they were lucky. Or, if they had done what they did during the Tigh Regime and had started a protest, they'd have ended up getting shot at by both battleships. I thought the epitaph was an illustration of Kara getting it wrong from A to Z myself. Which was in character, as was her admiration for Cain, but completely wrong from an outside pov.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 09:25 pm (UTC)And yeah, the civillians aren't safe under any regime as far as I can tell.
But I do think that as far as leadership goes, she's a stronger leader than Adama. Not necessarily better, but stronger, more willing to make impossible decisions without backing down. Kara isn't wrong in that assessment. However, the decisions that Cain did make were ruthless, awful, and again, that's the trade off isn't it? If humanity is worth saving it has to prove itself so, and Cain certainly wasn't making a very good case for it.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 09:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 09:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 09:40 pm (UTC)I had issues with Hammered but I got over them by the time I finished the trilogy.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 10:44 pm (UTC)I'm finding Hammered to be interesting and compelling, and I'm not bothered by the first person stuff, but I've just started it. I'll be curious to see what issues you had with it!!
no subject
Date: 2006-01-16 11:06 pm (UTC)still, i also want to see them get some joy and peace at this point. i wonder how the direction the show is taking might possibly reflect layers of despair in our own culture at this time? how would they have made this show in another decade? er, not thinking of the original series, or the 1980 series.....just wondering how these actors, writers, producers etc might have been shaped by the last few years in this country? er, hopefully that makes sense. :)