Battlestar Post...

So it's totally that time again. Last week I didn't do a BSG post because as awesome as that episode was it was totally WYSIWYG, and aside from, "Holy frak! The President of the colonies just declared war on humanity from the Cylon basestar!", and some really big emotional moments there was nothing to really talk about. I don't do recaps (in that sense) and if that's what you're looking for I suggest Television Without Pity (for BSG at any rate).

I'm not really going to say a lot about this episode because it was explication heavy and therefore fairly WYSIWYG as well. However, it's hilariously tragic just how completely human the Cavils (Johns!) are. He spends the entire episode railing against the final five (specifically Ellen) for creating him with what he feels to be weaknesses. The whole thing is very Paradise Lost. So Cavil spends the episode screaming "Stupid human parts! Why not awesome super powers and better built in gadgets!? You're a shitty god/parent! I'm not your son or a real boy at all! I'm a metal doll that you refused to make out of metal! Apologize!" And Ellen Tigh spends the episode explaining and lovingly calling him on that shit, "Free will and creative thought are better than x-ray vision. You're so completely a real boy that you've spent your existence alternating between jealously of one brother and hatred for the people who abused another. You've traveled across the frakking galaxy to pursue a blood libel." Cavil snits, "Free will is a lie." Ellen responds, "Just because hate is easier, doesn't mean you don't have a choice. You're throwing an epic temper tantrum, but I still love you." Which earns her a "Frak that and you, I want to be God." (See? Milton.)

And that entire exchange was nothing but compassion on Ellen's part because she could have broken his shit down in the hardest way possible. All she had to do was point out that his whole better/best/perfect machine routine was all bull because if that was really what drove him, he'd have spent this time on building his metal body, downloading into it, creating new ways of perceiving the universe, and doing more with his programming than bypassing his sleep routine. Instead, he murdered one brother, assaulted and imprisoned his parents, murdered humanity, boxed an entire line of sisters, fully tried to murder half of his remaining siblings, and is preparing to vivisect his mother. That's just the short list.

Also, Boomer! Finally accepts (or starts to) that she's a real girl. Hopefully this show can refrain from killing her again. In any sense.