Confession Time

Television, Movies Games and Books BSG-2003
#161

So…“Black Market” was a first for me since I started watching BSG. This is the first episode that utter failed to move me in any emotional way. I don’t even know how I can explain it, but the whole thing just seemed off.
It was almost like Ron D Moore’s cousin, Cletus T Moore, took over for this one.

It was like they invented this “black market” problem, which we’ve never heard of before (at least as far as I can remember) and suddenly it’s everywhere. Even Captain Fisk had his hands way deep in it, despite being with the Fleet for such a short time. The whole thing seemed rushed and forced. And that awkward romantic whatever-it-was between Duala and Lee was just… weird.

They used a ton of cliches like “prostitute with a heart of gold”, “badass bruiser whose the head of a crime syndicate”, and “kids being used for terribleness and the flawed hero coming in to save the day” to little effect.

:: sigh ::

I really don’t want to complain the whole time about this one, but damnit even Baltar was terrible in this episode!

Tomorrow night, I hope I will be able to wash the bad taste of this episode out of my head with the next episode.

Maybe i’m being overly critical, but someone help me, I just can’t find much redeeming about it.

#162

Yeah. If you listen to the podcast commentaries Ron Moore did while the shows aired, he was very apologetic for this episode.

#163

Fear not, you’re not alone in thinking Black Market just didn’t cut it. If every series has a clinker episode or two, this one is imho, one of BSG’s.

#164

I totally remember that. That’s why I loved Ronald D Moore’s commentary podcasts. He was totally honest and open about when things missed the mark.
Black Market is the first one that he really didn’t think came out very well.

Oh, and the next episode is “Scar”! You’re gonna love that one.
One of the best ep of the whole series, I’d say.

#165

Rock. Thank Crom.

#166

I agree, one of my favorites til the very end. I’m still enjoying reading as someone else goes through this awesome experience!

#167

I don’t think I’ve met anyone that liked that episode! It is almost like it is a universal truth that Black Market is a misstep for the show… damn you Cletus! :mad:

#168

I’ll just add my voice in for the WTF Black Market chorus - I actually almost always skip it in my rewatches, because it’s ridiculous. When I watched BSG with spouse, I didn’t make him watch that episode. It’s just… not good.

Happily, though, IMO it’s the only episode like that in the whole series (I know some people have issues with “Dirty Hands” in s3 but I really liked that one).

#169

SUW, Scar is in my top 5 eps and I am sooo looking forward to seeing what you think about it. :smiley:

I just started my rewatch this last weekend and I think its because of this thread.

#170

Cletus, the slack jawed yokel! Yeah…Black Market is BSG probably at its worst. :smiley: On the other hand, you’ve lived through the worst now! :smiley:

Me too! I think both kind of came out of nowhere, as a standalone episode in the series, and both might not have been entirely successful episodes on its own, but the ideas and things seem to come to a character more organically (and also I think the character was a better choice, and made sense) than it did here with Lee and Black Market, which came about a bit random. So, Dirty Hands I felt was a more genuine effort at depicting life outside the military.

Me too! I haven’t started my rewatch, but will do over the holidays coming up.

#171

Yes. Yes I did.

Back to the awesome writing I fell in love with. This one was a standout, reminded me of “33” a bit, being Viper Pilot-centric and all. And that’s never a bad thing.

Man, Kat’s really got a hard on for being the best pilot in the fleet. And it’s almost like Starbuck’s mellowing and Kat is taking her place, even going so far as to call her a drunk (like Kara has done to Tigh) and punch her in the face (also like Kara did to Tigh).

You really see how much Kara is growing as a person in this one. Confronting her feelings of loss over Anders. It’s definitely not an easy transition for her, it’s painful and it’s threatening to tear her apart.

Like Helo said “Now you’ve got something to live for, instead of something to die for”.

You get a little choked up near the end when Kara’s naming off all the pilots that have been lost since the series started. You really get a sense of the loss that they have to deal with on a daily basis, that any minute they could be shot out of the sky or the Viper who they just had breakfast with a few hours ago could be gone in a flash of gunfire.

I think I might have to agree with you on that one.

#172

I agree about Black Market… but… the woman king… is the bottom of the barrel. IMHO…

#173

Eh, I was OK with it, though I can understand where people have issues with it. That said: ShutUpWesley: Black Market is the worst of an awesome show. Take comfort, and rejoice :slight_smile:

#174

LOL! A little?! :stuck_out_tongue:

Yeah, great episode. Kara’s losing focus, has lost her eye of the tiger. She’s never been afraid of death or being alone, but now she realizes she needs to live to get back to Caprica to save Sam. And Kat’s got enough skill and the drive to take her place as Topgun.

Hard to believe Black Market and this one were back to back, huh? What a difference a week makes. :smiley:

#175

Well a lot :stuck_out_tongue:

That was kind of a dick move though, brought Kat’s par-tay to a screeching halt.

That’s like “Hey I know this Birthday Party is awesome and all, but I thought we’d have an impromptu memorial service between presents and the cake.”

#176

Yeah, it was a little dickey I guess. I think Kara was just keeping it real though, reminding everybody of what it had taken to get them to where they were. But yes, if somebody did that on Christmas morning at my house I’d be a little P.O.ed :smiley:

#177

So I guess I can’t provide a full defense of this episode, but I always kind of liked it. It did provide some good character development and general badassity to Apollo and gave some good insight into what life was like in the fleet. I would say too that the extended version or deleted scenes on the DVD does flesh it out a bit. However, some aspects do feel to come out of left field: Apollo with a prostitute is surprising (less so after Caprica) and Bill Duke’s character could have been quite intriguing. Had he even been briefly introduced a few episodes earlier then Apollo’s solution at the end would have had much more impact.

#178

There was one good thing to come out of Black Market:

//youtu.be/6iP8Mhriof0

Scar is one of my all time favorites as well. Now hopefully my signature line makes sense.

#179

This would be so much better had it been filmed in Galactica’s CIC.

EDIT: Double so, if in the CIC circa 1978 with the rotating command platform.

#180

Man, I haven’t watched any BSG in over a week. I been using my free TV watching time to catch up with GWC Podcast Fodder so I can listen to some newer 'casts. But enough excuses out of me.

“Sacrifice” was a good divider. It made you step back even more and think about the struggle from both sides of the Fleet.
-You got your Galactica, “we do what we do because we believe it is in the best interest of the fleet and her people”.
-And the general Colonial population’s “we want to know what is happening in our government and allowing enemies to survive is wrong no matter what the reasoning”.
And even though Sesha Abinell’s story is a heart string puller, I still can’t sympathize with her actions at all. Yes, she lost a husband. But with less than 50,000 humans left alive (Caprica freedom fighters notwithstanding), you can’t hold on to anger like that and let it run the very precarious existence they have into the ground. Besides everyone in that Fleet has lost someone they loved to the Cylons, be it in the initial attack or in the subsequent months.
In the immortal words of John Travolta as “Chili Palmer”: “Be cool, baby, be cool.”
I have to comment on that initial scene when they are about to pull out their guns and take the bar hostage. What must have the planning meeting have sounded like before the big heist?
“Okay…first we’ll look around all shifty like. Then we’ll walk around looking at each other and eyeing the door without saying anything to each other.”
“Should we make sure our weapons are well hidden, so that they can’t be seen by people in the room?”
“Meh I wouldn’t worry about it.”

I knew Billy would try something heroic and I thought “He’s gonna Billy Badass it, I know it.”

But him getting shot really caught me off guard.

Me: There’s no way he’s really dead.
BSG: O Hai, Billy, youse in the morgue all blue and deady.
Me: Holy Frak! :eek: