Starbuck (Kara Thrace)/ Katee Sackhoff -- appreciation thread

[deepspace]

This is a thread for discussion about the character of Kara Thrace, call sign of 'Starbuck', played by Katee Stackhoff. Of all the characters in Battlestar Galactica, in my opinion she has the most substance. She seems like a real person.
Kara Thrace plays the insubordinate military officer brilliantly. She's rough, tough, rebellious, and is Galactica's best pilot.

I think that the best episode for Starbuck so far this season was episode 5:You Can't Go Home Again. It showed her toughing it out, trying to survive, and finding a solution to get herself out of trouble, by figuring out how to fly the cylon ship. I loved how she made herself identifiable as her and not just another cylon by taping STAR BUCK to the underside of the ship. And I loved the comment Lee made about 'flying with attitude'. We are currently up to episode 11:Colonial Day here in Australia. It seems for the latter part of the season, since sustaining the knee injury in ep 5, Starbuck has been less of the pilot, and has been given bigger responsibilities. It will be interesting to see where the next few episodes, and the next season, will take her character.

[Jeff O'Connor]

Yes! Kara Thrace is awesome. She's the badass to end all badasses, with Aeryn Sun pulling in directly behind, IMHO. She is amazing, intense... she has the typical tough girl demeanor but with some added qualities from the get-go and over the course of the seventeen hours we've seen thus far of the show, she's progressed into so many other things, so many wonderful things, while still maintaining the very nifty attributes of a badass.

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what direction she takes in the second year, which will actually be longer than the miniseries and first year put together, essentially meaning we'll see even more of Starbuck starting July than we've seen already!

[Ses]

Starbuck is certainly one of my favourite BSG characters. Its good to see a strong female lead with such unique character.

I can not wait to meet Katee at Collectormania tomorrow *bounce*

[deepspace]

Thankyou for your wonderful post Jeff O'Connor! I totally agree, she is a badass, but so much more as well. I think after the first couple of episodes thay gave her a little more emotion and a bit more humanity than she seemed to have to start off with. Also, she's good at what she does, and she knows it. She's not, however, perfect. She makes mistakes.
She's tough girl, but in many ways I think she pretends to be tougher than she is.

Ses, wow, you are meeting Katee Stackhoff tomorrow? Amazing. Please do tell all about it when you get back .

[Jeff O'Connor]

Completely agreed again, deepspace. And I echo his sentiments, Ses -- tell us, tell us, tell us.

[ChopinGal]

... I totally agree, she is a badass, but so much more as well. I think after the first couple of episodes thay gave her a little more emotion and a bit more humanity than she seemed to have to start off with. Also, she's good at what she does, and she knows it. She's not, however, perfect. She makes mistakes.

She's tough girl, but in many ways I think she pretends to be tougher than she is.

Crawling through the Cylon ship, getting it up and flying - rescuing herself was one example of her toughness and her human emotions came through when the Commander Adama told her how proud he was of her as she was recuperating in the infirmary.

I would love to see Starbuck meet Sam Carter one day and have them both kick butt together!

[NearlyCircular]

Yes, Starbuck is the main reason I'm still watching BSG. I'm old enough to remember the original series, and IMO, Kara is a huge improvement over the old (male) Starbuck. They've kept some of the same characteristics, but it just seems so much fresher now that the character is female. It's not a cliche for her to be a cigar smoking, poker playing, rule-breaking, pant-chasing,(the female equivalent of skirt chasing ?), brawling, loyal at all costs, hot-shot pilot. It's been fun watching her come into her own, demonstrating how good she can really be, in spite of herself.

NC

[tsaxlady]

Deepspace I'm glad you started this thread - Starbuck is my favorite character in the new Battlestar Galactica. I also remember watching the original as a kid and the new one has a much darker look and feel to it. I really like the change of making Starbuck a female pilot instead of keeping the character a male like the original it has made for a really good and different dynamic between the characters of Apollo and Starbuck.

[sg-1fanintn]

I too watched the original BSG, and when I heard the new Starbuck was going to be a woman, I was skeptical. But the character is wonderful, and so is Katee Sackhoff! I like the darker element to the new show. The first was somewhat campy.

The only thing I've seen Starbuck do so far that I didn't approve of was sleeping with Baltaar. It just gave me the creeps.....he gives me the creeps! Hard to believe it's the same guy who played Dr. Brasheer on Deep Space 9, isn't it?

Do you think Starbuck will eventually be paired with Apollo?

[Jeff O'Connor]

Hahaha! Wow, people have made comments that the two actors look alike but no, they aren't the same. Baltar's actor and Bashir's actor are not the same people. One is James Callis, the other is... oh, what was Julian's name... ugh... Alexander Siddig, I believe. Both from the same general region, some say quite remarkably similar but not the same people.

[NearlyCircular]

I too watched the original BSG, and when I heard the new Starbuck was going to be a woman, I was skeptical. But the character is wonderful, and so is Katee Sackhoff! I like the darker element to the new show. The first was somewhat campy.

The only thing I've seen Starbuck do so far that I didn't approve of was sleeping with Baltaar. It just gave me the creeps.....he gives me the creeps! Hard to believe it's the same guy who played Dr. Brasheer on Deep Space 9, isn't it?

Do you think Starbuck will eventually be paired with Apollo?

Oh, I hope not. I don't think I could stand another series with UST that goes on for years. (and I'm not necessarily talking about SG1, but JAG, Moonlighting, etc.) I'm not anti-ship, but it seems like whenever the two main characters in a show do finally get together, the show seems to be doomed. It would be good to see a show that lets a man and a woman be friends and colleagues without forcing a different type of relationship on them.

I totally agree with you about Starbuck sleeping with Baltaar. Yikes! I tend to fast forward through all the scenes with him and his imaginary friend. But I guess Starbuck's bad choice there just demonstrates that she's not your average heroine. Off hours, she's a walking disaster, but she's an amazing pilot and even started demonstrating other skills later in the season when she was injured.

NC

[tsaxlady]

Oh, I hope not. I don't think I could stand another series with UST that goes on for years. (and I'm not necessarily talking about SG1, but JAG, Moonlighting, etc.) I'm not anti-ship, but it seems like whenever the two main characters in a show do finally get together, the show seems to be doomed. It would be good to see a show that lets a man and a woman be friends and colleagues without forcing a different type of relationship on them.

I totally agree with you about Starbuck sleeping with Baltaar. Yikes! I tend to fast forward through all the scenes with him and his imaginary friend. But I guess Starbuck's bad choice there just demonstrates that she's not your average heroine. Off hours, she's a walking disaster, but she's an amazing pilot and even started demonstrating other skills later in the season when she was injured.

NC

I so agree with you. Starbuck had a relationship with Apollo's brother let's not get one started with him as well. I was really disappointed when she ended up sleeping with Baltaar as well.

It is going to be interesting to see how they develop the character next season. So far we have seen a great pilot with a gift for uncoventional combat thinking that does not always listen and follow the orders of her commander.

Defendantly a character I want to see more fully developed next season.

[Carterslave]

I'm still rather 'meh' about BSG but I've done a 180 on Starbuck. At first I couldn't stand her; now I think she's the most entertaining character on the show. Kate Sackhoff's swagger has won me over. Yes, the Baltar thing is squicky (everything about Baltar is squicky) but I've been dreading the seemingly foreordained Starbuck/Adama Jr. pairing, mainly b/c the two actors have all the chemistry of a pair of rocks. As written, Apollo is Mr. Dull and Jamie Bamber doesn't seem to have found a way around that problem.

[deepspace]

Thankyou to everyone who's posted.
You've all got some wonderful points. It is interesting to hear the perspectives of people who've seen the original series, and know how the two versions of Starbuck differ. From the point of view of someone who hasn't, I find that Starbuck is unique in that you don't get many female characters who smoke cigars, gamble, break rules, and fly a viper with attitude. Now, understand, these are not my favourite attributes in people, so I'm not quite sure why I like them in Starbuck so much, except that it just seems to suit her.
I'm not pleased to hear that she sleeps with Guyus (evidently haven't had that episode yet). He is my very least favourite character. I have loathed every minute that centres on him and his stupid imaginary cylon girlfriend partner.
I personally find the series a little too dark and edgy. It hasn't really got any of the lighthearted humour of Stargate SG1, but, they are completely different shows.
That's why I am greatful for the opportunity that the new Gateworld Battlestar Galactica folder opened for me to discuss Starbuck somewhere else but the Sam Carter thread. Whenever I posted about Starbuck there I felt like it would be seen as comparing the characters, which I wasn't trying to do. Especially as they are uncomparable. The brilliance of Sam Carter has been around on tv for eight seasons, Starbuck for one. Besides that they have no similarities except that they are both military.
However, I believe that the character of Kara Thrace deserves to be discussed, because she is a great character, played by a great actor.

[NearlyCircular]

This was a great idea for a thread, deepspace. Starbuck is such a rich character, so multi-dimensional. If the writers can keep it up, it's going to be fun seeing what she does next.

NC