Comment Stream

Re: BSG S4: Daybreak, Part 2

It was a great show to watch (for the first time!) during the pandemic (Friday night routine). Despite a few duff episodes, extremely gripping. Having said that, I felt disappointed that some (what seemed to me like) fascinating opportunities were missed. After 'Downloaded', I was hoping that there was going to be exploration of Cylon psychology, what it is actually like to be a Cylon, the effects of memory and experience on changing that - it seemed like this was perfectly set up by the situation that Boomer and Caprica Six were in, and it seemed potentially fascinating. But none of that happened, which seemed a big wasted opportunity. (Boomer's later 'character development' is completely implausible to my mind, and even if you accept the idea, as Niall says in a comment somewhere, we are never shown the character development properly.)

Having said all that, another way of looking at this might be that exploring 'different' Cylon psychology is impossible for the BSG writers because, actually, the Cylons are no different from humans - in fact, they are human aside from things like being stronger and having glowing spines while having sex! Still, I would have liked to see the attempt.

Re: BSG S4: Someone to Watch Over Me

Niall, excellent comment: 'we haven't really been shown how and why Boomer suddenly became such a villain. She was a highly sympathetic character right up until her assassination - so plagued by her fear of being a Cylon that she attempted suicide. And when resurrected, she and Caprica attempted to convince the Cylons the human genocide had been a mistake - apparently to little avail. Since then, we've hardly seen her apart from a few cameos, notably in "Rapture" - and suddenly her identity and allegiance are 100% Cylon. Is she trying to find her new place in the world by being as Cylon as she possibly can? Driven by resentment towards her former friends on Galactica and towards Athena, who replaced her in every way? All of this is perfectly conceivable, we just haven't been shown it. ' To be honest, I think the writers just turned Boomer into a plot device. Her character development is completely implausible, but she 'has' to behave as she does for the plot to work. And the coincidence of Helo walking in on her at just the wrong moment is simply emotional manipulation of the audience - make her more of a villain and set up the next episode. When you think of what a compelling character she was in season 1, and the potential there was to explore the character and her dilemmas further - what a waste.

Re: BSG S4: Deadlock

Unfortunately by this point plausible characterisation has gone out the window, subjected to the need to pull the implausible plot to a conclusion, no matter how forced.

Re: BSG S3: Rapture

Coffeeteamix, you are so right about the characterisation of Boomer. Unfortunately the writers see fit to change her from one of the most compelling characters in the series into a caricature and a plot device. Painful to watch and a horrible waste when you think what might have been done.