Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I

"Kobol's Last Gleaming Part 1" (credit: Sci-Fi Channel)

Overview

The Galactica discovers Kobol, and a chain of events are set in motion that threaten to change everything.

Summary

Following the Colonial Day celebrations, Baltar finally beds Starbuck, but as they make love, she cries out for Lee Adama, shattering Baltar
Stricken by her apparent rejection of him in their coupling, Baltar in turn comes close to rejecting Six and find it impossible to concentrate on anything – including his duties as Vice President
Elsewhere on ship, Boomer attempts to take her own life, but breaks down in tears before she can shoot herself – and she is called to the Ready Room for a pre-flight briefing
Roslin discovers that her cancer treatment is not going well; her cancer has in fact spread to her lymphatic system, giving her perhaps 6 months to live
Baltar verbally fences with Lee Adama and is somewhat insulting to Starbuck, tipping Lee off that the doctor has slept with Starbuck; later, still thinking about Starbuck, Baltar cracks in front of Roslin
Following a recon mission, Boomer and Crashdown return to the Galactica with evidence they’ve stumbled upon Kobol
Determined to have things out with Starbuck, Lee confronts her in the hanger bay, and the two come to blows, Starbuck realising that her actions with Baltar have hurt Lee Adama
Reviewing the evidence returned by Boomer and Crashdown, Roslin has a vision which Elosha confirms to be the City of the Gods on Kobol
Roslin has two further visions – the Arrow of Apollo and the Tomb of Athena, and accepts the scriptures as fact
Boomer, still confused, attempts to take her own life – “encouraged” by Baltar in defiance of Six
When Adama reviews the evidence, he orders an extensive surface survey of the planet, seeing it as a opportunity for them to settle. Warned his should get off the Galactica by Six, Baltar assigns himself to the survey
Roslin tries to convince Adama that Kobol will point the way to Earth, but they must use the captured [Cylon Raider|Raider]] to return to Caprica and retrieve the Arrow of Apollo
Three Raptors depart the Galactica for Kobol, but on arrival they find themselves in the midst of a Cylon force of Raiders – and a basestar
One Raptor is destroyed, and one - carrying Baltar – is forced down on Kobol
Before a rescue mission can be launched, the basestar must be taken out – and Starbuck hatches a plan to do just this using the captured Raider
Hearing this, Roslin meets with Starbuck and subverts her into going to Caprica instead

On Caprica

Helo is on the run – alone – when he encounters “his” Valerii, and he shoots wounds her. Unable to kill her outright, he takes her with him
When Valerii tries to explain things to him, Helo informs her that all she is to him is a way off the planet.

--Colonial Archivist 09:59, 26 Jan 2005 (EST)

Questions

Why did the people leave Kobol?
What happened to the gods who lived on Kobol “with man?”?
Did the gods remain on Kobol after humanity left?
Given the similarities with the Greek Pantheon, did the gods decide to follow the 13th tribe to Earth, thus establishing the myths of the Olympian gods?
Do the Cylons consider Kobol as their spiritual home as well (“The birthplace of us all” – Leoben Conoy, Flesh and Bone)?
Did Boomer's Cylon personality interfere in her attmept at suicide, resulting in her wounding herself, or did her human personality lack the conviction of the act, resulting in the wound?
If the disk devices investigated by Gaeta is indeed an IFF transponder, why did the Cylons make such an attempt to destory the Galactica during their first attack - up to and including deploying nuclear weapons against her? Was the device inactive - if so, why was it in CIC in the first place (Mini-Series)?

Analysis

The finest episode of Battlestar Galactica to air so far; so finely tuned the it barely misses a beat. This is also the first episode where music is used to its most evocative effect, further lifting the story into the realm of outstanding drama.

From the outset the audience knows it is in for something special; the re-cap of previous episodes so tightly defined, it for once deals with a single strand of the story to date: the Cylons, only opening at the end to reveal the motivating thrust to this episode: the finding of Kobol.

This leads into one of the most beautifully-constructed teasers witnessed in television drama. Evocative, moving – and entirely minimalist in terms of dialogue -, it really is proof that frequently, less really is more. Why waste time with words, when actions and expressions speak so much louder, and music can imbue the underlying emotions.

Battlestar Galactica has not always fared well where music is concerned. The opening theme is one that is either liked or disliked, with little middle ground; incidental music in previous episodes has been sporadic in its ability to act – as music should – as the aural scenery that helps bring the drama to life. Sometimes it has worked, in others – notably the otherwise brilliant The Hand of God – it has been so out of keeping with the atmosphere of the show, it has detracted from the overall enjoyment of the episode.

Here, however, the music is perfect – and it is interesting to see that in immersing the audience into the subtleties of the teaser, the episode uses a “classical” approach through the use of an orchestral sound, rather than the more tribal beats common to Battlestar Galactica.

And the result is remarkable. Utilising the string section in the foreground – violins and cellos slowly building a theme to which is added further instruments as new revelations are made concerning the moods and responses of the various characters; providing an aural tapestry through which everything is linked; the bringing together and the falling apart of relationships; the expression of needs, and emotions.

The music perfectly underpins one of the main thrusts of the teaser: a demonstration of how alive the humans are; how driven by passion and instinct. It was in “Flesh and Bone” that Doral stated his envy of a human’s ability to experience such extremes. Now we’re cleverly shown everything the Cylon’s aspire to experience themselves: passions unbounded by the need for constraint, given form in both the boxing and in Starbuck’s fantasy view of her coupling with Baltar (“Lee”).

Turning to the boxing, it is evident more is going on here than a simple father-and-son sparring match. Aggression and frustration are being dealt with here – as witnessed by the clear satisfaction Lee gets from striking and hurting his father. When he lands his first big punch, he asks, “Are you OK?” not out of concern, but out of satisfaction; it could have so easily been followed by, “Because there’s plenty more where that came from.” Even so, his frustrations are released guardedly, whereas his father’s response is not. He allows himself to enjoy striking his son, giving his instincts the freedom of expression they need.

Another fascinating element of the teaser is the manner in which Boomer’s situation is offset with Valerii on Caprica. As Boomer takes her handgun and prepares to shoot herself, Valerii finds Helo, and tells him to shoot her. Both of them have reached the same point in their existence, both of them because of their entirely human responses – in Boomer’s case fear and in Valerii’s the anguish of lost love. Fear and love – perhaps the strongest of emotions we can experience; and both have driven these instances of Valerii to despair. In doing so, these emotions reveal both the “flaw” within the Valerii model that makes it “weak” in Six’s eyes while also demonstrating the Cylon experiment has succeeded – perhaps in a way the Cylons could not have conceived.

The rest of the episode is no less rich. Roslin’s acceptance of her roll and the reality of the scriptures, though sudden, is entirely in keeping with all that has been shown in recent episodes. The issues arising from this are both immediate and long-term. She has already subverted the strike against the Cylon basestar – putting the entire fleet at risk, as well as the lives of some 8-10 members of the Galactica’s crew stranded on Kobol. Whether Adama be willing to let this go if / when Starbuck returns with the Arrow of Apollo remains to be seen. However, as Billy points out, if she continues to act upon what he sees (and no doubt others will believe) as “drug-induced hallucinations”, then the stability of the entire government within the fleet will be put at risk – possibly well before the scheduled elections.

In a similar way, the flare-up of jealousy and anger between Lee and Starbuck is entirely in keeping with recent events: their potential attraction has been seen in brief flashes throughout, while their frustrations with one another have been witnessed through the likes of “Act of Contrition” and most recently, “The Hand of God”. Beyond that, they have a history together that bonds them from their time at flight school, where Zak Adama initially brought them together as friends through to Lee’s arrival aboard the Galactica. Thus, Lee’s very evident attraction to her during the Colonial Day party, is fully in keeping with what we have seen: but she ends up bedding Baltar.

While this latter point is somewhat surprising given the degree of open contempt she has shown him of late (“Bastille Day”, “Litmus”, “Secrets and Lies”), given the availability of drinks aboard the “Cloud Nine” their coupling could be put down to the effects of alcohol. Certainly, Baltar has never hidden his lust for Starbuck, and it is hard to see him missing the opportunity to take advantage of his new-found position as Vice President and the fact that Six has given her permission to sleep with whoever he likes.

Why did she do it? Probably because, despite his attraction to her, and her to him (hence her orgasm-induced cry) Starbuck sees Lee as unobtainable – possibly because of that same history they share. So in her inebriation, she opts for the closest available target – Baltar. Whatever the reason, her actions are more than enough to both become the perfect catalyst for Baltar’s conflicts with Six and his apparent desire to confound her (as evidenced through his conversation with Boomer), and to act as a catalyst to bring Lee’s jealousy to the surface.

Baltar’s time with Boomer is interesting. Taking heed of Six’s warning concerning the danger the Galactica while face and acting in defiance of her mocking comments in the bunkroom itself, he acts in defiance of her, gently bringing Boomer to the point where she can carry out the attempt on her own life. Through it all, Six is obviously confused by his actions. That Boomer’s Cylon persona more than likely stopped her killing herself, the fact that Baltar was willing to act as he does has a major impact on Six – hence her more gentle reminder to him when the survey of Kobol is being planned.

The episode also can’t be faulted for the standard of performance turned in. Across the board all of the ensemble cast put in sterling performances that serve to ratchet-up “Kobol’s Last Gleaming Part 1” so it stands head and shoulders above what has already been a remarkable first season run. Thus, to single any individual member of the cast out at the expense of the others would be somewhat unfair; everyone appearing on-screen – be it for 40 minutes or 4 – makes their character utterly engrossing to watch.

The final elements that round-out this episode are the writing and direction. With this story, Eick and Moore demonstrate they have a clear vision for where the series will hopefully go (allowing for future renewals), the territories it may cover and the ways in which the various threads can be intertwined and then neatly separated again to build a complex picture of humanity and circumstance. Furthermore, in ramping-up the Roslin arc, they are simultaneously bringing some of the threads that have formed the fabric of this first season to an end, while opening new potential avenues for exploration in future seasons.

Having veteran BSG director Rymer (mini-series, “33”) helm this episode is also a smart move. In both the mini and “33”, Rymer firmly established the look and feel of the finished Galactica product, and here he demonstrates his finesse with the docu-drama style the production has striven for; using the technique to draw the audience into the drama almost as if they are themselves participants.

--Colonial Archivist 13:06, 19 Jan 2005 (EST)

Notes

It is 3 days since the events of Colonial Day
There are now 47,897 survivors in the fleet
The fleet is beginning to run short of supplies
Humans departed Kobol some 2,000 years prior to the setting of the series
Kobol is a place where the “gods and man lived together in paradise”
Some of the "gods" appear to be buried on Kobol (Athena's tomb)
Socinus has been released from the brig and returned to duty.

Blooper Moments

When Sharon shoots herself, she is holding an automatic pistol, but the sound was that of the larger sidearms carried by pilots when flying off-ship missions (only slightly suppresed), rather than the report of a "normal" pistol being fired.

Nods

The use of IFF transponders by the Cylons is an indirect nod to the original series, in which Apollo and Starbuck use an IFF-type device to identify their Raider to Colonial forces when they launch an attack on a Cylon Basestar (The Hand of God (TOS)

Noteworthy Dialogue

In the bunk room, as Baltar interrupts Boomer’s second attempt on her life.

Boomer (as she pretends to be cleaning her hand gun): What’s going on?
Baltar (cautiously): Well, I was going to ask you the same question….Actually, I was looking for Lieutenant Thrace but, ah…(sitting alongside her on the bunk)…sometimes it’s good to, ah, talk these things over.
Six (feigning pity): Deep down she knows she’s a Cylon, but her conscious mind just won’t accept it.
Boomer: Sometimes I have these dark thoughts…
Baltar: What kind of dark thoughts?
Six: Her model is weak (she allows herself a knowing smile), always has been. But in the end she’ll carry out her mission.
Boomer: I don’t know, but I’m afraid I’m going to hurt someone. I feel like I ought to be stopped.
Six (moving to the other side of Boomer): She can’t be stopped. She’s a Cylon. (Pity entering her voice again) You can’t help her, Gaius…(tone turning to a sneer) but you could probably sleep with her.

(Baltar reacts with a look of disgust at Six.)

Six: That’s what you want, right?
Baltar (to Boomer): I’m not sure why….sometimes…we must embrace that which opens up for us.
Boomer: Embrace?
Baltar: Life can be a curse as well as a blessing.

(Six reacts in confusion; this is not what she expected to hear from Baltar.)

Baltar (becoming more intense): You will believe me when I tell you: there are far worse things than death in this world…
Boomer: So you’re saying…?
Baltar: No. No, no, no. Ah…What I say…is meaningless. Listen to your heart. Embrace that which you know to be the right decision.

(They look at each other as Six regards Baltar with a look of complete incomprehension, then Baltar stands and kisses Boomer on the forehead before walking out of the bunkroom. Seconds later there is the sound of a single gunshot from inside.)

Official Statements

===

From RDM's Sci-Fi Channel Blog Regarding Lack of Definitive Information Regarding Kobol ===

"In the last two episodes it is noted by the priestess that the the thirteen tribes left Kobol about "2000 years ago" and the initial esitmate of the age of the ruins is the same, but nothing is concrete of course. This is where I have a problem: They were obviously a star faring civilization to leave Kobol to being with. To do so requires information technology. Why is their history of that time so sketchy and lacking of concrete records? Yes it was 2000 years in the past but come on, it's not like they only had papyrus to write on. "

I've been presupposing some kind of cataclysm or crisis that occured soon after mankind settled on the 12 worlds which either wiped out the knowledge base or had it deliberately destroyed for some reason. This doesn't seem that implausible when one considers that a tremendous amount of knowledge from the Greco-Roman tradition was lost after the fall of the Roman Empire and plunged the western world into the so called Dark Ages. Clearly, the Colonials did not fall all the way back to papyrus, and they do in fact, know that they are descendants of refugees from Kobol, hence the term "Colonies." They must have possessed star-faring technology at the time of the exodus, but I don't know how far we'll go into this specific backstory in the series, however.

Statistics

Guest Stars

Writing & Direction

Story by David Eick
Teleplay by Ronald D. Moore
Directed by Michael Rymer

Production Notes

Series: 1 (2004 / 2005)
Production Number: 1.12
Airdate Order: 12 (of 13)

First Run Air Dates & Releases

UK Airdate: 17 January 2005 (Sky One)
US Airdate: (Sci-Fi Channel)
DVD Release: 28 March 2005 (UK)