System 13

Last night was the last episode of Battlestar Galactica for the year. The episode, The Eye of Jupiter, was an excellent one. It was also one hell of a cliffhanger, which is to be expected from the mid-season finale. I’m spoiled when it comes to BSG cliffhangers, though. When I watched the first 2 seasons of Battlestar Galactica on DVD, I didn’t have to deal with commercials, and I certainly didn’t have to deal with the usual 1 week gap between each episode. If an episode ended in a cliffhanger, if I had the time, why, I just started up the next episode. At worst I had to wait until the next day to check out how the story panned out.

Now here I am, after a knuckle-whitening cliffhanger, having to wait over a month for the next episode. Yes, it’s dismaying: the next episode of Battlestar Galactica won’t be airing until January 21st of 2007. When I heard about this, I very seriously considered crying (but decided against it).

To help me get over my anguish, I’ve written out some thoughts about last night’s episodes. Most definitely spoiler-full (including a few from the preview of the next episode), so don’t read it if you’re anti-spoiler.

• When Gaius Baltar boarded the Galactica with the Cylons, I honestly expected (and wanted) Admiral Adama to punch Baltar in the face. Or perhaps for Laura Roslin to say, “Shoot him out the airlock.” That’s been one of her often-used solutions. Got a problem with someone? Out the airlock with you, ye’ brigand!
• I don’t really know what to think about Lee, cheating on D. with Starbuck. Starbuck I can understand. I love the character, but she’s never exactly been a good girl. Hell, the very foundation of her character is being a badass with a vulnerable side. But Lee? I never saw the cheating coming from him. Of all the character, I probably would have bet on him as not doing it.
• Ending the show with Adama getting ready to nuke the planet is a bit silly. We essentially know that he won’t really nuke the planet. Even if the nukes are launched, they won’t detonate. Half of the main cast is on the ground! Sadly, they ruined the little bit of suspense about that with the preview for the next episode (did I mention it’s not until January 21st?): they showed some of the crew from the ground on Galactica. So we went from “we basically know they won’t nuke the planet and kill half of the cast” to “okay, they just showed the cast on the Galactica, no nukes went off.”
• Speaking of the preview for the next episode, it also showed D. talking to Starbuck, saying that Lee had sent her to save Starbuck. Wow. That’s a bit of a slap in the face, isn’t it? Lee cheats on D. with Starbuck, and then sends D. out to save her? Ouch.
• So is Baltar a Cylon or not? With them bringing it up over and over, and being all mysterious about the 5 unseen Cylons, I’m starting to really consider it. I really hope he isn’t though, because that would mean he could die repeatedly and still be on the show. Just think: a never-ending stream of Baltars. Yuck. I don’t like Baltar at all, can you tell?

Sigh. January 21st of 2007. I wonder, do you all think if I mailed the SciFi channel a dozen times a day, they’d air it early? Yeah, me neither…