Monday, January 29, 2007
Taking a Break From All Your Worries
I neglected to comment on last week's episode, "Rapture," so let me start by saying that Rapture was my favorite episode from Season 3. I almost forgot I was watching left wing propaganda and enjoyed the unfolding of the plot and the mysteries of the five unseen Cylons and the meaning of the Eye of Jupiter. The only annoying part was Helo's treason in sending Sharon the Cylon back to her people and how they once again forgave him. Helo ought to be in the brig next to Gaius.
Now we come to last night's episode, and once again the show has wandered into topics from Iraq, with the issue du jour being the propriety of torturing Baltar for information and whether he deserves a trial.
Gaius is right that treason requires intent. The only intentional treason he committed was giving the nuclear bomb to a Number Six clone. Yet that's the only treason that the writers of the show seem to have forgotten. Baltar is guilty of something for violating his security clearance back on the original Caprica, but he thought he was helping a sexy blonde human gain a government contract. He had no idea he was helping Cylons to destroy the human race. And with regards to New Caprica, he didn't give away the secret location to the Cylons, so I don't see how he's responsible for much that happened. There wasn't any option but to surrender to the Cylons, a strategy that worked out very well in the end because the human race was rescued a few months later by Bill and Lee Adama.
Back in the original miniseries, Roslin was concerned about the welfare of the prisoners about the prison ship, but now she wants to toss Baltar out the airlock without a trial. Consistent? I don't think so.
I, personally, have never been a fan of putting leaders of foreign states on trial, whether it be Saddam Hussein or Philippe Petain who was the head of Vichy France. The purpose of a trial is to determine if a person has violated criminal laws, and in all these kangaroo trials guilt seems to be predetermined, with the purpose of the trial being to savour in the punishment of the defendant.
But I'm all in favor of convicting Baltar for handing that nuclear bomb over to Number Six. And a trial for Helo would be much appreciated also.
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Sorry this was a day late, but my hosting company changed my password and I was unable to update the website. That problem has been fixed.
I thought the reason they "forgot" about the bomb is because Adama and Roslin didn't know about that. I don't think any investigation was done after the blast (since the evidence was dust blowing out in the vacuum of space). I think Baltar is a little too broken up about the aftermath to remember that he did that. Or maybe it doesn't count to him because he didn't set it off. And it wasn't the right Six anyway. He's good at rationalizing like that.
No mention of the situation with Gaeta? I want to see what it was he did that made him want to kill Gaius twice. Baltar saying that he allowed Gaeta to spy is not damaging enough to warrant silencing the witness.
: 1/30/2007 4:17 PMI think it was just Gaeta being mad about Baltar insinuating that Gaeta was actually a traitor.
The problem I have with the trial aspect is that it will end up the circus that Zarek predicted and Roslin decided to avoid by granting a general pardon. And, yes I agree that a trial for Baltar is ridiculous (like other real life leaders). You have three options, kill them, imprison/exile them, or let them go. A trial is just a show. Personally, I would send Baltar out the airlock. Nothing good can come from keeping him alive.
Opinion on both episodes:
Raptue: C-, The whole sun going nova as a sign was a joke. Also, once again we are back where we started with the 5 original Cylons. Showing one might have been nice. Too much of the love square still.
TaBfAYW: B if you exclude the love square. The interrogation scenes were good. Do these people learn nothing about security? At the Nurenburg trials, an MP constantly watched each prisoner.
So are they drinking algae alcohol now?
: 1/30/2007 9:16 PMAnd you don't think Baltar is responsable for anything that happened? He wouldn't have to surrender to the Cylons if he Didn't lead them to New caprica in the first place. Oh but it was tom Zarek pushing his adgenda through Baltar. RUBBISH! Baltar knew what was happening, he used Zarek and the settlement issue to win the election, for himself!
I do Happen to agree with you on Helo though, he is an absolute Idiot. But Execution? That a little extreme for Capt. Agathon ey?
: 1/31/2007 7:55 AMHe's still only responsible for that in an indirect way - since he didn't tell the broken six to set the nuke off, nor he know the cylons were so close.
: 1/31/2007 2:13 PMI think that trying to get as much information out of Baltar is the best idea. And who cares if they torture him he's a murderer whether or not he actually killed every one or if his actions led the everyones death. The man has blood on his hands and should die for it. And about the torturing thing most of what happend to Baltar was is own doing. I mean he was the one who refused to eat and starved himself. The only thing that Adama and Roslin did was basically use non-lethal shot to get hiim to talk, which is really similar to a truth secime.
I like how the writers made Lee and Kara honor their marriages. I think that it shows that how the characters are maturing and I really like how Lee realized that he loved Dee. Even if it was a bit sappy. It's ok because it adds in that humanistic effect to the show as opposed to the original shows black and white concepts were all humans good all cylons bad. I like finally where the writers are going. They got a but off track, but are heading in a good direction, good job.
: 2/01/2007 11:31 AMAlso, Roslin didn't want to toss Baltar out an airlock. That was a bluff.
This was a crappy episode.
: 2/02/2007 2:51 AM : 2/06/2007 4:48 PM : 2/07/2007 7:22 PM : 2/08/2007 9:51 PMHeh! I was just visiting a lefty blog where they were complaining about extreme right wing propaganda in the show.
: 2/09/2007 8:39 PM