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‘Battlestar Galactica’: The beginning of ‘Daybreak’

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The flashbacks were nice on ‘Battlestar Galactica’ -- anything to satisfy the fans’ insatiable desire for more backstory about their favorite characters -- but I was worried. Then right when I was about to go a bit crazy, like Laura-Roslin-in-the-fountain crazy, we were shifted back to present time in the there and then.

Not at all saying that they weren’t great scenes. Roslin throwing her sister a baby shower, only to wake up later to have police inform her that her father, little sister and pregnant sister were killed by a drunk driver. Her reaction was silent, internal, touching, symbolic and brave all in one action. But, and don’t get mad, we know who Roslin is, and after three seasons we may not have needed to see what helped shape her in this, the second to last episode.

Gaius Baltar. His dad seemed like such a fun old guy, but you never know what parents and children have been through privately to shape their relationship. Baltar yelled at his dad pretty harshly for scaring off his third nurse. He also had Caprica Six by his side, and she even helped out his poor old dad. So, basically, we got to see Baltar living a life of excess (limos and pretty women), and being selfish and belittling towards his own dad. But, did we need to see that? Did anyone think Gaius was some kind of heroic figure before the Cylons attacked?

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Lee ‘Apollo’ Adama / Kara ‘Starbuck’ Thrace. Cool to see Zack, Bill Adama’s other son, alive and well and happily dating Kara. No revelations here, or in Lee’s I-know-why-the-caged-bird-sings moment in his apartment (‘...frakking bird!’). Metaphorically, I think everyone got it.

Back in the current time and place, Laura is beginning to embrace her fate and doesn’t want to take any more pain meds. Maybe we were shown the flashback earlier because Laura will see members of her family soon, spiritually and/or psychically?

Surprisingly (according to Athena), Hera’s still alive and whole as Cavil and his fellow Cylons figure out how best to extract the information they need. As the saw makes its sounds, I keep thinking ‘if you all are so smart and innovative, why can’t you get all the info you need from Hera’s blood’? Why the need to chop her up?

Meanwhile, preparations to get off of the aging Galactica are underway. It’s during this prep and last look around on the wall of the dead for Admiral Adama, that he is struck with the idea that they need to mount a rescue mission for little Hera.

It’s most likely a suicide mission, so it’s volunteer. Adama and Starbuck dramatically divide the ship’s docking bay into two sections, and we have to wait to see who’ll be on which side. After having earlier asked Lee Adama for a spot on the new governing council, and being told that he was too selfish, Gaius contemplates which side he should be on.

Helo needs no contemplation. The distraught father, who earlier met with Chief Tyrol and Athena separately, is finally getting the full scale help that he asked for a couple of episodes ago. But will the search for one little girl, arguably the most important being in the universe, doom the human race?

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This episode was a tease. An angry, unnecessary tease setting up what will be the ultimate battle. It’s hard to criticize a show that is about the be over, but this episode strung us along with bits and pieces of a past that may or may not matter in the grand scheme. Did it offer us more insight into the characters? Sure. It showed how the characters dealt with adversity when not faced with the pressures of deep space or having the lives of thousands in their hands. And ultimately, which side of the deck they would step on. Did it advance the overall plot? Of course, but not much, and not enough when facing the end of such a great and revered series.

After three years of fighting off the enemy, being conquered by the enemy, fighting back and crippling the enemy, then joining the enemy, ‘Battlestar Galactica’ comes to an end next week. We will try to bring you more thoughts from some of the cast and crew, leading up to a chat Friday in which we can all air grievances and heap praise upon this once-in-a-generation show.

-- Jevon Phillips

Related

-- ‘Battlestar Galactica’: Choose your side
-- Katee Sackhoff on the final days of ‘Battlestar Galactica’
-- Hera, Boomer and the sounds of a Cylon
-- Battlestar Galactica’s Ron Moore on serialized shows versus procedurals

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