The Hub (409)

[kharn the betrayer]

The pacing of it is exactly why I like this relationship so much. I can't stand probably 80-90% of ships on tv/movies because they're so obsessed with creating tension and drama, teasing the fans out, creating false-feeling tension between actors that have no chemistry, etc. And that doesn't feel natural. Because this one has been almost incidental (Resurrection Ship Pt. II being the true catalyst), it flows naturally through the series. These were two characters created to counter-point each other in a non-romantic way. There wasn't that intent on the part of the writers at the beginning to bring them together, and I think that's a huge reason for why it works because it progressed out of the story rather than as the story to the point where there is such a solid foundation for it built upon many small scenes and moments not necessarily designed with the purpose, that it works and it feels very real. That's all the result of brilliant collaboration on the part of the writers and actors.

now compare that to the shippy quadangle of D00M that plagued Season 3

Im not a shipper by any means but A/R is like the complete opposite of how the SQoD and well works

it also has the distinct lack of random people being paired up with the main ''couple'' just to get in the way of said couples ''true love''

[Trek_Girl42]

now compare that to the shippy quadangle of D00M that plagued Season 3

Im not a shipper by any means but A/R is like the complete opposite of how the SQoD and well works

it also has the distinct lack of random people being paired up with the main ''couple'' just to get in the way of said couples ''true love''

I love your example and I hate that. And it's also exactly why I tend not to bother caring about the romantic relationships on shows. The stupid plot devices are pathetic. There are plenty of obstacles and points of interest in a relationship that can keep the audience going, so why resort to triangle crap? The relationship doesn't have to become uninteresting just because the "chase" is over. Agent Dark's sig above reminds me of how on Scrubs for example, Turk and Carla's relationship. They get together in season one and stay together for the entire series, and they are fantastic to watch! It's the most interesting relationship on that show because it feels pretty darn realistic and speaks to a lot of truth while maintaining the necessary dramatic element, not a bunch of contrivances thrown in the way to keep it "interesting".

Good writers and actors can make two characters on their own interesting and engaging enough to carry through the necessary "drama" without tearing the relationship to shreds.


On another note, anyone else catch Orion through the front window of Adama's raptor when the baseship jumps in at the end? Love those little details.

[Kezia]

On another note, anyone else catch Orion through the front window of Adama's raptor when the baseship jumps in at the end? Love those little details.

Hey I noticed that too! (It was one of those omgthatsocool moments )

[TameFarrar]

Ok....what did I like

1) that Laura and Baltar were hilarious trying to talk to the Hybrid. Both of these people are so far into their own heads that they can't see the need to just *reach out and touch* a person could solve a problem....we won't discuss Baltar's way of reaching out and touching children could be present

2) All of Laura's dying scenes. I liked that she had her eyes opened a bit to how far she has fallen on the *Humanity and Compassion* tree. Tonights episode gave me back the character I could feel something for.

3) LOVED the fact that Lee and Kara would lean on each other in a time of death and that Laura AND apparently whomever was directing her *visions* knew that. SO it wasn't even questioned.

4) I have never been a huge Laura/Bill shipper but they are a great pair to use in this drama of a strong couple that can be a couple yet not always be on the same side of things.

5) Laughed myself silly over the moment Deanna told Laura she was a cylon and then was like ...NOT too funny!!! at least Sci-Fi didn't ruin the entire moment...however I would have enjoyed it even more had Sci-Fi not let me know it was coming at all.

6) the battle scenes were incredible

7) completely enjoyed the Stockwell Cylon getting his in the end

what I didn't like..........

1) Laura needs to have her ego taken down about 6 or 7 pegs. She is too full of her own power at this point.

2) That Helo actually obeyed the order to bring Deanna alone. I would have respected the character more had he stood his ground and allowed the one Eight to come along.

3) The speech to the pilots and actually the whole pilot scene was *yawn*...it was stilted and almost comical and IMHO ...waste of scene time.


Overall I can finally add one more episode to my short list of Season 4 episodes I liked.

Hopefully next week will be yet another

[DeltaWhiskey]

Vipers with nukes. Nice. Very nice.

Some interesting music in this episode. The queue surrounding the Hub battle scenes requires some additional listening. The new twist on the Roslin and Adama theme was quite nice.

I thought the visual of the camera following the missile salvo between Basestars was stunning. Very nicely done.

I guess the theme of this post would be..."nice." Good ep. I lost my thesaurus.

Also, the Centurion had a little spinny-looking thing in its chest. Why?

[Garbo]

The pacing of it is exactly why I like this relationship so much. I can't stand probably 80-90% of ships on tv/movies because they're so obsessed with creating tension and drama, teasing the fans out, creating false-feeling tension between actors that have no chemistry, etc. And that doesn't feel natural. Because this one has been almost incidental (Resurrection Ship Pt. II being the true catalyst), it flows naturally through the series. These were two characters created to counter-point each other in a non-romantic way. There wasn't that intent on the part of the writers at the beginning to bring them together, and I think that's a huge reason for why it works because it progressed out of the story rather than as the story to the point where there is such a solid foundation for it built upon many small scenes and moments not necessarily designed with the purpose, that it works and it feels very real. That's all the result of brilliant collaboration on the part of the writers and actors.

Exactly.

This is what I wrote elsewhere concerning the pace and their relationship (I got kind of... uh... off topic at some points, hahaha)

"The literary critic is unleashed!

Even when I stand back and look at it as a critic (and not as an A/R or BSG fan), the love story between them is one of the most stunning love stories portrayed on screen (actually, in fact, even in fiction). I attribute it a lot to the acting and natural chemistry, but also the pace. It's been drawn out and well balanced (timing is hard with romance) and also there is a tragic element to it (even if the story does not end tragically; at this point we do not know and can only guess). The way to write an excellent love story is timing; Adam dropping the garlands as he views Eve after she has eaten of the fruit and the glory of God is fading from her; Juliet looking down from the balcony and viewing Romeo as a ghost-like being whom she loves beyond measure, the audience realizing they are going to die; Gertrude being rescued from the stake at the last minute by her knight in shining armour (Lancelot); Denys washing Karen's hair (the simplest of pleasures) in Out of Africa. There is a certain way to write and express romance and it's not easy to convey romance eloquently and believably, hence why so many romantic comedies or romantic films/books have failed because you can follow a convention, but there is a way to know how to follow the convention and succeed at it.

The story as a work of fiction follows the pattern perfectly: it sets up two characters who oppose each other and who gradually begin to see somewhat eye to eye and to eventually have respect for each other. The audience sees what is going on, that these two in fact have some sort of kinship between each other whether it be romantic or not (as they deny it to themselves), and watch as it blossoms like the most luxurious of wild flowers into something that is breathtaking. It's not and never will be "let's jump into bed"; it's deeper than that. Their intimacy defies sexual intercourse and all sex would do would be to add to the overwhelming love and respect these two individuals have for each other.

In other words: they are two beautiful humans who find their humanity in each other.

Romance/love is very complicated and I'm finding that out as I work on my dissertation (or rather stare into space trying to figure out what I'm trying to figure out). It's not on love per say, but seeking out God and sex/rape as comfort (for John Donne via his Holy Sonnets) and why he does this. (In general) Why is there a need for intense intimacy that sometimes it means something forceful and terrifying? It's very romantic, it's very anti-idealistic, it's very intimidating. What is romance? What is love? What does it mean to say "I love you"? Can it mean nothing? Or can it mean more than what is intended to be said? Also self love to reach humanity (how Laura reaches her own understanding and her own humanity). She's been lying to herself and through her being forced to be honest she finds her own humanity (which is, cheesily enough, love). Uh... "

[GateDragon]

forgive my confusen but wasn't sam on the baseship?????

in "Sine Qua Non" skulls mentions that it's sam's vipers that was giving off the distress beacon ...rght???

but i don't remember seeing him in Sine Qua Non or the hub

[Kezia]

forgive my confusen but wasn't sam on the baseship?????

in "Sine Qua Non" skulls mentions that it's sam's vipers that was giving off the distress beacon ...rght???

but i don't remember seeing him in Sine Qua Non or the hub

I think he's now on galactica...

He was on the baseship previously when he was part of the demetrius crew

[Bl4de]

So Elosha shows Roslin images of her on her death bed and Adama reading to her, Kara/Lee, etc. and at the end, Bill puts a wedding band from his finger on her finger... is this all going to happen, or was this just a possible outcome? It didn't appear to be a vision of the future, but who knows? She only saw this when they jumped, perhaps jumping was giving her "visions" a little extra juice to see into the future. If that's the case, do Bill and Roslin get married?

I don't know but it's sad at any rate.

[daniel9]

we'll see in the next ep. of course with rosslin standing on earth with d'anna(who isnt in anymore eps after 11) is not a good sign

[Kezia]

I would have a fit if Roslin OR D'Anna gets killed off
But I'd say there's a strong possibility that one or both of them would bite the dust before the end.

Spoiler:

The scene with everyone gathered around her deathbed was a real tearjerker...

[Major Tyler]

Please don't put spoilers in thread titles. It's extremely thoughtless and inconsiderate.

[DigiFluid]

I doubt that Roslin's 'jump visions' were genuine visions of the future. The whole sequence seemed to me to be more of an internal struggle with herself: who she's become vs. who she wants to be. Seeing herself on her deathbed was a means to that end.

That said though, I don't believe Roslin will survive this whole misadventure. I'm a bit undecided whether or not she'll see Earth, but I'm convinced she'll be dead before the series is over.

[wurlitzer153]

Also, the Centurion had a little spinny-looking thing in its chest. Why?

It was a gyroscope (presumably for balance)

[Darth_Bicyclist]

Yup.....Roslin has had some good lines this year.

Actually, Jane Espenson has written some great lines this year, for many characters. Personally, my favorite line from this episode was, "If you're my subconscious, I've got to say you're a little full of myself."

-----

Also, forgive me, but I have to mention this: at the end of the Ghost of Christmas Future sequence, I kept thinking of that sappy Eagles song Desperado: "You better let somebody love you, before it's too late."

Okay, my own geeky moment, whatever. But note that on the Wikipedia page for the song, it says:

Don Henley stated in the notes written in the booklet to Eagles' 2003 "The Very Best Of" compilation, that Desperado was a piece of a song that he had written in 1968. He said,

It was called something else, but it was the same melody, same chords. I think it had something to do with Astrology [Chuckles].

Hmm, Astrology, as in the twelve Zodiac signs? In a song written one year after All Along the Watchtower? Maybe Don Henley and Bob Dylan and hanging out together in some kind of Cylon afterlife? Nah, that's got to be too much of a stretch. Although if you're reading this, Bear, maybe you could give Don a ring?

Anyway, here's my little "Wierd Al" take on this episode:


Laura Roslin, why don't you come to your senses?
You been usin' the airlock for so long now
Oh, you're a hard one
I know that you got your reasons
These Final Five in the fleet
Can hurt you somehow

Don't you trust the Three of Cylons, no
She'll fool you if she's able
Starbuck's destiny is always your best bet
Now it seemed to you that Hera's blood
Had saved you on the table
But Baltar's blood's the one you just can't let

Laura Roslin, oh, you ain't gettin' no younger
Your relatives on the shore, they're callin' you home
And Earth, oh the thirteenth, that's just some people talkin'
Your prison is swimming through the stream all alone

Don't your head get cold at Diloxin time?
Chamalla snakes in your visions shine
It's hard to tell the real life from the dream
The hybrid jumps and Elosha shows
Ain't it funny how there's somethin' in between?

Laura Roslin, why don't you come to your senses?
Come down from your basestar, open the gate
You may be dyin', but there's an angel to guide you
You better let somebody love you, before it's too late