I'm stacking firewood right now, so a quick note, 'cos I want to get done before Battlestar Galactica comes on, and this is important to me (and it's my frickin' blog, dangit).
Anyway, Sharon is the enemy. In the context of the show, I comprehend this. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. She is representative of those who are responsible for nothing less than the genocide of humanity, and no matter what the actions and the purposes of this model, she is the irredeemable, unreachable other. Furthermore, no matter what she says, who knows what she'd be capable of in the future? Despite her prior good acts, when she was first brought on board with Helo and Starbuck, I implicitly understood and sympathized with the president's first lying to gain Helo's trust, then ordering the guards to "throw that thing out the airlock." That is her job, and in that moment, my heart was more with Kara Thrace than with Agathon; Roslin's decision was somewhat wrenching, but not to be questioned.
Cut to the scene where Sharon's been transferred to custody aboard the Pegasus. Under the color of Admiral Cain's authority, she is to be tortured and raped by the XO. In rush Helo and the chief to stop him. In the process, they kill him. And in that moment, I cheered their action; I cheered his death. I'm not usually a sucker for the emotional plays of teevee drama, but I felt a visceral loathing for everything the Admiral and hers seemed to represent: a point too far, something beyond madness. And I was glad to see that motive thwarted.
One can cross a line, beyond which one's side ceases to be something worth saving, worth fighting for. It's not about any "them," dramatic or otherwise. It's about us. You cannot effectively fight evil by doing evil. You cannot save yourself by destroying who you are.
Yes, it's geeky. But this has resonance with me right now, and I'm keen to see how this is resolved.
UPDATE: Wow. Now I can't wait for next week's. [Bit of spoilerage for those to frackin' lame to catch it tonight] Okay, so I was pretty aware from the get-go that Cain was bad news, but I had no idea she was that bad. I thought she would be portrayed a little more ambiguously, as someone who meant well and whose decisions in their contexts could reasonably seen as defensible by someone who is not me. But wow, the revelations. This bitch is hardcore. And she needs to get buried.
Fortunately, Adama and the prez seem up to the challenge.
This is how you make good drama, folks, by hewing as close to reality as possible. And ain't it true that IT'S ALWAYS WORSE THAN YOU IMAGINE AT FIRST???
[ back home ]
Comments for Skiffy!
Battlestar Galactica is so frackin' cool.
What was the word for 'fuck' in Farscape? Frel?
What was the word for 'fuck' in Farscape? Frel?
- Posted at 7:05 PM | By
Smartypants
PP: However, you and I were cheering an action taken in the heat of the moment -- one, moreover, that was basically accidental.
And most importantly, one that happened in a work of fiction.
I trust you recognize the distinction.
Smartypants: Yeah, something lame like that. Frell, frelling, whatevs. I mean, Farscape had potential, but it was a little too Dark Crystal meets Muppets for me to take it seriously...
elmo: thank you.
gmcqnrd: physics-themed cruise ship.
And most importantly, one that happened in a work of fiction.
I trust you recognize the distinction.
Smartypants: Yeah, something lame like that. Frell, frelling, whatevs. I mean, Farscape had potential, but it was a little too Dark Crystal meets Muppets for me to take it seriously...
elmo: thank you.
gmcqnrd: physics-themed cruise ship.
I really like Battlestar Galactica. I think one of the central themes is the moral turpitude of the humans. While the Cylons are out to exterminate the humans, and are the ostensible 'bad guys,' I like how the show's creators let us see just how bad the humans can be, especially to each other.
Cain is a high-quality cypher; the revelations of her depravity-- through actions taken in the interest of 'survival'-- raise serious doubts about the moral fitness of the human race as it exists in the show. Just to up the ante, Roslin and Adama wrestle with the question of just how far they're willing to sink in order to purge themselves of such an apparently self-destructive evil.
This is good shit. I'm almost rooting for the Cylons, and that's the sign of great human drama.
By the way, teh, if you were trying to take Farscape seriously, methinks you were missing the point. Me and the Mrs. were quite fond of that show, primarily because of its barely restrained camp. That, and she thinks Ben Browder has a nice ass. Alas, there is precious little sex appeal for me in today's sci-fi universe; I'll just have to settle for the keen human insight.
Cain is a high-quality cypher; the revelations of her depravity-- through actions taken in the interest of 'survival'-- raise serious doubts about the moral fitness of the human race as it exists in the show. Just to up the ante, Roslin and Adama wrestle with the question of just how far they're willing to sink in order to purge themselves of such an apparently self-destructive evil.
This is good shit. I'm almost rooting for the Cylons, and that's the sign of great human drama.
By the way, teh, if you were trying to take Farscape seriously, methinks you were missing the point. Me and the Mrs. were quite fond of that show, primarily because of its barely restrained camp. That, and she thinks Ben Browder has a nice ass. Alas, there is precious little sex appeal for me in today's sci-fi universe; I'll just have to settle for the keen human insight.
- Posted at 4:13 AM | By Sam Holloway
PP: "Were you creeped out to the max by the pres talking to Adama?"
Honestly? No. I was surprised by her insight and wisdom which, with regards to Cain, seemed to exceed Adama's; she knew the score right away, but he needed to hear some more scuttlebut and see a little more of what Cain was about to get the score.
The president's "bloody-minded"-ness, as Adama puts it, is a necessity in this situation. Cain, as much as any Cylon, represents a dire threat to what humanity is.
I just wish she had made a sassy comeback to Cain's "I don't know how you survived this long" snap, but then I realized doing so would have tipped her hand. The pres is smart.
And she might be a cylon. I don't know. Her little joke to that effect perked up my ears. But then, I've always thought it would come out that Adama's a cylon. Who knows?
CS: but that's the point, isn't it? At least Adama and Roslin *ask* the questions, even if the answers lead them to do things we might find morally dubious. Cain acts like a frickin' computer -- the ultimate Randian heroine if there ever was one.
Honestly? No. I was surprised by her insight and wisdom which, with regards to Cain, seemed to exceed Adama's; she knew the score right away, but he needed to hear some more scuttlebut and see a little more of what Cain was about to get the score.
The president's "bloody-minded"-ness, as Adama puts it, is a necessity in this situation. Cain, as much as any Cylon, represents a dire threat to what humanity is.
I just wish she had made a sassy comeback to Cain's "I don't know how you survived this long" snap, but then I realized doing so would have tipped her hand. The pres is smart.
And she might be a cylon. I don't know. Her little joke to that effect perked up my ears. But then, I've always thought it would come out that Adama's a cylon. Who knows?
CS: but that's the point, isn't it? At least Adama and Roslin *ask* the questions, even if the answers lead them to do things we might find morally dubious. Cain acts like a frickin' computer -- the ultimate Randian heroine if there ever was one.
Cain is a randy hero? She seemed more of an ice queen to me.
I am going to have to check my nerdness at the door. I missed the show to see a guy I know's band play. And hang with a pal I haven't seen in a month. I'll just catch it on the replay Monday night.
I am going to have to check my nerdness at the door. I missed the show to see a guy I know's band play. And hang with a pal I haven't seen in a month. I'll just catch it on the replay Monday night.
I hadn't even considered that Roslin might be a Cylon until ya'll mentioned it.
Freedom Camp | Blogger Templates by layoutstudios.com and Gecko & Fly.
No part of the content or the blog may be reproduced without prior written permission.
Learn how to Make Money Online at GeckoandFly
