Home part II

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

I realized, watching the second part of Home, that the events portrayed in the preceding episodes had to be as horrid as they were. Tigh had to be overwhelmed by the responsibilities of command and screw up spectacularly, civilians had to die at the hands of untrained airmen, the fleet had to splinter. Why? So that Adama could reach a place where he no longer focused on the betrayals of Roslin and Starbuck, where instead he knew that these wounds must be healed without lasting repercussions or damage to the civilian government and its relationship to the military. Thus, his decision at the end of the first part of Home, to journey to Kobol and put the fleet, the human family, back together.

On Kobol, a Cylon is the one to show Roslin and her entourage the way to the Tomb of Athena. Sharon could show them the path, but they have to deal with many challenges along the way. Rain beats down on the pilgrims; no quest can be without misery. Meanwhile, aboard Galactica, Adama and Tigh analyze the data they have on Kobol - both pictoral reconnaissance and from the scriptures. Gorgeous violins overlay this section; I love the music on this show so much. Lee aids Roslin over the rough terrain, making my shipper heart skip a beat. Tyrol reappears behind Adama, having last been seen holding Boomer as she died from Cally’s bullet. I love you Tyrol He relays intelligence from the post-crash period, attempting to make sense of terrain he travelled on foot and how it would correlate to overhead imagery. Adama says he will go to the surface of Kobol - how fast has he recuperated?

Adama is right about being the only one who can reach out to Roslin, though. They need to return together to show that her civilian power is once again at the fore. And Adama has grown to respect Roslin’s visions, her prophesies. I don’t think he would have reached this point had he not experienced the aftermath of Tigh’s reign, seen the chaos caused by the newly appointed CAG. Even the warning of the gods won’t forestall his journey to Kobol. Zeus told the leaders of the thirteen tribes that he would “extract the price of blood,” should they return. I giggled, given Zarek’s propensity to call Adama “Zeus.”

Zarek, of course, has his plan to kill Lee and take over the role as Roslin’s second. Treachery lurks on more than one front. When Zarek wants to contact the exiled fleet, Lee reminds him that all communications traffic must go through him. Zarek hates to be thwarted, but I was interested to see that he was willing to abandon the plot with changed circumstances no matter his desire to grasp power.

I fall more and more in love with the mythology of this show. When Sharon points out the Gates of Hera, I think I squealed. Athena threw herself down from the spot in despair after the exodus of the tribes. Athena always did love her humans, and aided them. Well, unless they said they could spin better than she did. And not “spinning” as in bicycles - no, I mean weaving fabric.

In a Raptor on approach to Kobol, an old friend appears. Billy Yay Tyrol thinks topography is for pansies. Hee. I loved the way Adama revealed that Billy reminded Roslin of President Adar, and that Adama thought Adar was a moron.

The Pilgrims rest in the rain and dark. Lee is creeped out by Helo and Boomer, that Helo can treat a machine like a person. Kara knows Helo loves Sharon, and doesn’t care about her being a machine. Helo feels like he’s back on Caprica, while Boomer feels like she’s back home with the fleet, given Helo and Kara around her. She remembers being Boomer, the uniform, the comforting corridors of Galactica. This week we’re all about exploring the meaning of self and humanity. Zarek is definitely having second thoughts about killing Lee, even though Roslin is still bereft at Elosha’s death. Meyers proposes having Boomer kill Lee with a “found” weapon. Zarek says not until they find the tomb.

Kara relates the Cylon plan for Caprica to Roslin. She talks about the resistance movement, and the need to send a rescue mission. Aw, she hasn’t forgotten Anders even with everything that’s happened since she got back to the fleet. Roslin can’t think about Caprica now, because she needs to focus on finding the tomb. Later, though, I suspect this will be a new point of contention.

Meyers tries to coopt Sharon, spinning tales of betrayal once the tomb is found. He tells her that the other Boomer was murdered and the Galactica crew was complicit in her death. They won’t let the child be born, a potential enemy in their midst. Sharon has no memory of shooting Adama, and tries to disassociate herself from the other Boomer. Meyers tell her that to get off planet alive, Sharon needs to look out for herself.

And then there’s a disturbance, and Lee and Starbuck scout with weapons. It’s Adama Yay! He has a weapon aimed at Lee while Lee does the same. Kara lowers her gun the moment she sees it’s the commander. Adama orders Lee to put down his weapon, then looks. Oh god, the expression on Lee’s face, like he expects to be beaten. Instead, Adama pulls his son into a hug of reunion and forgiveness. Roslin watches, and then Billy appears. It means so much for him to be there for Roslin. Starbuck and Adama too Wah I’m about to cry here, people. Oh my god. Adama pushes Kara’s hair back, and then Boomer appears. Tyrol spots her first, gives warning. Adama is scary now, with an enraged expression as he flashes back to his last encounters with Boomer. He takes her down and tells her, “I want you to die” and I so believe it. Everyone rushes in and tries to convince him to let her go. Roslin tells him, “We need her.” Lee clutches his father, oh god, so much love.

Roslin and Adama discuss what’s happened since they last saw each other. Her interference with a military mission, the way she broke her word to Adama. He forgives her, even though she wouldn’t ask. Zarek and Meyer talk while weeing in the woods. Zarek knows they’re back where they started, and wants to let plan go. Meyers wants to kill them all. Roslin tells Adama about Kara’s news of Caprican survivors, fighting the Cylons. She begins to ask questions: Should they have stayed and fought? Should the President have stayed with her people? Adama didn’t come there for this, to navel-gaze. He thinks their decision to leave was right, and every day since then was a gift from Roslin for convincing him. They would all be dead, had they stayed, instead of only the small numbers who’ve been lost since their exodus. Lee and Kara, talk by the fire; Adama can’t stand thought of Lee being dead. He has so much love for his son. Mistakes were made, but they can’t second-guess their calls in the moment. I love that they’re making up, able to repair their relationship for the good of the fleet. Adama says it’s time to find this tomb.

Helo hears about Cally’s shooting of Boomer, about how it was regarded not as murder, only as waste disposal. Cylons aren’t people to the fleet, but Boomer is to Helo. He promises to protect her. She believes him. Ack Ack Bad things will happen. Any future together means Sharon will have to take matters into her own hands. Helo loves her and trusts her, can’t ask questions. Menace grows Eeeee

Meyers really the snake in the grass of paradise. He’s plotting with Sharon on how to kill the Adamas. They come upon a beehive structure, overgrown with vegetation. Is it the tomb? Billy stands there. Sharon draws gun on Adama, Meyers draws gun on Lee, Sharon shoots Meyers, and tells Adama she makes her own decisions and gives him her gun. Dude. It’s a gamble with her life as the stakes. Quite the little party they have going ther e- tons of people surround them. Roslin is wincing in the background, expecting more violence. Sharon gives up Meyers as instigator, and Zarek and he have a heartwarming moment of slashy goodbye. Damn. Grace Park is so much improved this season. Wow. I really believe her now. She isn’t a sleeper agent, but I still don’t know what she is.

Starbuck tries to fit the Arrow to the Tomb, to open it. Lee also investigates, and between Adama, Helo, and Billy, the door opens under brute force. Roslin can’t believe it, can’t believe that her plan has come to fruition. Starbuck goes first - do they have no clue about traps? Helo stays outside, as does Tyrol to guard Boomer and Zarek and even Helo. They enter into a big ruined round room littered with broken statues that Starbuck recognizes as icons of the twelve tribes. She says, “We all came from this place.” Roslin spots Sagitarron, a statue of the archer. Should the Arrow go there? I feel so loved, Sagitarius is my zodiac sign. The Archer is missing something, missing the Arrow. And here comes Indiana Starbuck and the Arrow of Apollo Starbuck touches arrow to bow, it snaps into place, darkness falls swiftly. The door to the tomb shuts mysteriously.

Suddenly, Lee and Adama, Starbuck, Billy, and Roslin are in a grassy field at night, surrounded by standing stones with constellations burning from the inside. Starbuck thinks the room they came from “was the lobby” - this is the true tomb. Patterns of stars related to the ancient names of the colonies - is this the way to find Earth? Starbuck knows that they’re standing on Earth - the “place where you can look up into the sky and see the constellations of the twelve colonies.” Wow, she really is special, isn’t she? Her knowledge of the scriptures opens the way. But how to search the galaxy to find one star pattern. Lee recognizes a nebula - they have a map and a direction. The supernatural come to the fore And we don’t see how they get out of this magic place.

Instead, we’re back aboard Galactica, where Adama speaks to the crew and the press. They must “remain undivided,” even as some have believed the scriptures will lead to salvation, others have doubted. Maybe the sacred words will lead them, “but the gods shall lift those who lift each other.” Roslin is President again Yay Everything this season has been leading up to this, to the place where Adama could make this speech and mean it. Adama begins to clap again - a strong rhythm, showing his support, his benediction. She looks out with shining eyes. Zarek hates it all, but can’t do anything.

Now Boomer is in cell built for her dead sister. Helo comes to call, quite literally, since they have to speak on phones through the glass. He doesn’t want their baby to be born in the cell, but I suspect she feels it’s better for her to be confined if it means their baby will be accepted.

The Angel of God

Baltar follows his own path of revelation this episode. He begins in the cell Sharon never occupied. Six sits naked on a chair, sexy as ever. Go Six Baltar’s had enough, he’s been thinking about everything she’s told him, about their baby, about his role in the future of the Cylon race. And his belief has trembled, he can no longer believe in this “mythical baby” of theirs. Six is not his fantasy woman anymore, she’s just a common tease. Baltar begins to guess what warnings of doom she’ll spout this week, hilariously. And Six suddenly transforms to a no-nonsense sweatsuit and ponytail, no longer the seductress. Even her voice changes as she tries to tell Baltar that he’s just crazy, not getting secret messages from the Cylons. She tells him there’s no chip in his brain, leading to the question of who Six is. She says she’s his “subconcious frakking with your mind.” Psychotic break, here we come I always preferred that theory, but Baltar doesn’t like it at all- he wants to be special, unique.

Baltar goes to Doc Cottle for a brain scan, but a mischievous Six and her sex games distract the patient. Bad Six “God has a plan” for Baltar. Doc Cottle gets to be nicely cranky as he tells Baltar to “stop going crazy in there ” The brain scan results are negative -there’s no chip. Baltar is twitchy as hell, but Cottle is not impressed.

At the end of the episode, Baltar monitors Sharon’s conversation with Helo. At Helo’s words, that he doesn’ “want our baby born in this cell,” the seductive Six is back. She won’t question god’s will, even if Sharon isn’t worthy of the honor. Six is not a chip, but also not just a manifestation of Baltar’s subconscious. Baltar wants to know what she is, if he’s not crazy. And Six says she’s an angel of God sent to protect, to love him, until the end of the human race.

Reconciliation

And this the crisis ends, with Roslin returned to office, with her relationship to Adama repaired. Six and Baltar have weathered their own crisis, and he’s once again under her thrall. I’m curious to see how future episodes deal with the betrayals of Lee and Kara. Adama’s manner this week would seem to indicate that his brush with mortality has led him to treasure his son and informally adopted daughter no matter their previous transgressions. We’ll have to see if that’s true. I just know that other conflict will arise to keep me on the edge of my seat.

Comments

[timian.livejournal.com]

Beautiful, poetic essay, as always. :)


Sharon has no memory of shooting Adama

I wonder if this is true. After Adama tries to strangle her, while they're still on the ground, Sharon says to him, "And you ask why." Thing is, he said that to Sharon v1.0's corpse. So.


Six suddenly transforms to a no-nonsense sweatsuit and ponytail, no longer the seductress.

Watching that, I felt sure Six was impersonating Starbuck. The mannerisms certainly matched.

[sunstriped.livejournal.com]

i agree with both points. boomer said before she's not "wired in" and yet knew things she shouldn't have but the "why" thing was rather creepy considering she was dead at the time.

and six was definitely supposed to be starbuck. they even went from one frame with six with her ponytail to the next with starbuck with hers. i thought six looked and sounded sooo weird though, so completely different than usual that it was crazy.

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

That's a really good point about Sharon's knowledge. Had there been another time that Adama asked "why"? That's what I'm wondering, now. The Cylons are so creepy!

Everybody but me seems to have gotten the Starbuck impersonation. I only watched the episode once, and I totally missed that Six was trying to do anything other than not be seductive.

[koalathebear.livejournal.com]

Great recap. I also loved the reconciliation moments. I thought Roslin was very moving in this episode as well, given that she seemed so cold and ruthless in Home Part 1 - I really felt her sense of loss and doubt.

I know what you mean about the Ack ack ack. I adore Boomer and Helo and predict much pain and angst ahead for everyone. Anyway much to say but you've already said it so I'll disappear now :)

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

I've always loved Roslin, and her conversation with Adama only made me love her more. It was also so in line with what she told Lee after 33, about always being aware of mistakes that might have been made.

Boomer and Helo and Tyrol - it'll lead to heartache, I just know it.

[koalathebear.livejournal.com]

Don't go breakin' my heart .... ;) I just wrote my own long rambling discourse on why I hope things work out for those crazy kids! I so hope you're wrong!!! :)

[munchkin62.livejournal.com]

I'm a Sagittarius too, and I felt special as well during that scene... HEE!

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

I was all "archer! Yay!"