In the first part of my review of the BSG finale, “Daybreak, Part 2”, I examined the conclusion of the story arcs for some of the characters that we’ve been following for a good part of the series run. To start this next part of the review, I want to take a look one character whose internal driving force was only revealed to us in these final episodes of BSG to see whether we got the necessary closure for this particular plot line.

John/Cavil – The Cylon with a plan

In the episode “No Exit”, in addition to the information dump provided by the reawakening of Anders’ original memories of Cylon Earth, we were also given some interesting insight into the John/Cavil character and his unmistakable hatred for both his Cylon creators and the inherent limitations imposed on him thanks to their encasing him in a human body. In the scenes between Ellen and John/Cavil, we learn that John/Cavil is driven in large part by his rage against his creators and the subsequent desire to make each of them endure as much pain and hardship as he can create. The ideas presented in that episode carried on into “Daybreak, Part 1” where we see that John/Cavil clearly relishes how his plan to kidnap Hera would inflict much pain on Ellen to the point where he wishes he could have been there to witness it first-hand. While we’ve always understood that the Cylons saw Hera as being the key to their future – even more so in light of the loss of the Resurrection Hub – these scenes help us to understand that John/Cavil’s drive is also fuelled by his seeking revenge against those he believes have wronged him.

It’s for this reason I found something noticeably lacking in the showdown scene between John/Cavil and the Colonial/rebel Cylon alliance in the CIC. Although the exchange of Cylon resurrection technology for Hera made sense for addressing Click here to continue reading »”BSG “Daybreak, Part 2” – My Final BSG Review, Part 2″

In my earlier BSG post “Four More Days Until It’s ‘Frakkin’ Friday“, I described how one could approach the series as a whole much in the same way as one would a five course meal, with each season playing a specific part in the overall effect of both the meal and its presentation. With most of the episodes in this final chapter of the series now past us, it’s becoming clear that this analogy can also be focused onto this handful of episodes given the variety in character and plot arcs that were dealt with, if not also the manner of their presentation. For example, despite the prevailing disapproval among the BSG audience for “A Disquiet That Follows My Soul”, when viewed in such a context, the episode comes across much like a palate cleanser, something that was meant to wipe away the savoury tastes and textures of episodes past so that we could be prepared for the more elaborate and vibrant dishes to come in the episodes “The Oath” and “Blood on the Scales”. Watching last night’s “Someone To Watch Over Me” evokes the same idea, with its role being to remove the flat and unsatisfying impressions held over from the previous two offerings in this series countdown to what will hopefully be a decadent delight.

Continuing on using this analogy, it’s not uncommon for certain ingredients to be carried over from one dish to another in the meal plan and in some ways that’s what occurred at the start of this episode with the focus being on picking up on where we left the relationship between Boomer and Tyrol. Coming on the heels of last week’s focus on the love triangle between Tigh, Ellen and Caprica Six, it’s obvious that we’re once again revisiting the idea of viewing these characters through the initial lens of being humans – and not Cylons – and what their ability to love and feel pain and hurt means in regards to the distinction between the realities of being human or Cylon. And yet, the history that the audience has shared with Boomer and Tyrol makes their story Click here to continue reading »”BSG “Someone To Watch Over Me” – A Return to the Well Executed and Balanced Meal”

I’m sure it’s become obvious from my previous reviews of BSG that I’m a big fan of examining the inner workings of characters and the subtext behind the events that unfold. From that vantage point, I think you’ll understand why this week’s episode “No Exit” was a little underwhelming due in large part for it being more an exercise in trying to tie up stray loose ends before the end approaches. Of course, that’s not to say that there weren’t some tasty morsels in the offering and it’s those aspects of the episode that I’ll discuss in this review since I don’t have enough interest to dissect all the series’ origins details that were provided courtesy of Anders’ subdural hematoma.

Speaking of Anders, it was clear from Starbuck’s reaction to Anders’ revelation about being able to remember everything that she had some hope that he might be able to shed some light on who – or what – exactly she is. Since her reappearance at the end of Season 3, many fans have speculated that Starbuck must be a Cylon and personally, I’d hate for that to be the case. It’s been clear since the first episode that Starbuck is a character in search of some meaning or grounding in her life. Her fractured sense of identity and subsequently, her relationship with those around her, gave her character a great deal of potential to be an interesting character study, something which sadly was never realized and remains one of the weak points for this series. But having her become a Cylon would be an even greater let down because of the obvious cop-out it presents – Click here to continue reading »”BSG “No Exit” – Time To Accept What We Are”