GWC Podcast #155: BSG 4.5 Islanded In A Stream Of Stars

Podcasts Galactic Watercooler
#41

Hi all!

I really enjoyed the 'cast, as always. I especially liked all your insights into the scene after the funeral where Baltar tells everybody about Starbuck being a zombie/angel.

Chuck, I do have a question about your frustration with comments about Adama and Tigh’s relationship as having homosexual undertones, though. Are you talking about the references to their relationship as a “bromance”? If so, then I don’t think the commenters are necessarily saying what you think they’re saying. “Bromance,” though a bit unfortunate in terms of etymology, refers specifically to non-sexual relationships between men. I say etymologically unfortunate because it really isn’t a “romance” in the paperbacks-with-Fabio-on-the-cover sense of the word–it’s a relationship with the intimacy and attachment you’d expect to see from a couple who have been together for a long time, but not the romantic or sexual aspect of such a relationship. I think the term, if used with that meaning, describes Adama and Tigh pretty accurately; even Ellen describes them in a similar way. Anyway, if you’re curious, here’s a good, brief article on “bromance.”

#42

Time it was, yes. Back in the Napoleonic era, the flagship would fly a literal flag identifying itself and the rank of the officer. When that officer switched the ship he was using to command from - usually because the old one was sinking - he would take his flag with him. This is no longer practice, but the expression has lingered.

#43

Awesome antepenultimate episode! (Hopefully there won’t be any confusion as to what that means…;)) And directed by Edward James Olmos, no less!

Tigh preferring his present self and values to his original self after a memory alteration reminds me of Zaphod Beeblebrox in Hitchhiker’s and Aaarnold’s character Quaid/Hauser in Total Recall (a movie which was mentioned this podcast, that’s probably what reminded me).

You notice Helo still has his scar from that bump on the head during the mutiny? That’s some pretty good continuity.

I don’t think Adama’s refusal to let Helo go on a “suicide mission” was that out of character. He’s let people go on long-shot missions, but he tends not to let them go into undisputable danger (like a Cylon colony) unless there was an obvious payoff (letting Boomer take the nuke onto the Base ship). Remember, he didn’t let Kara go back to Cylon-occupied Caprica to rescue Anders for the longest time. (What would Cavil have done if Adama hadn’t changed his mind?)

Sean, you’re right, in general actors in Ancient Rome were despised, but there were a few exceptions for the greatest talents, notably Clodius Aesopus and Quintus Roscius Gallus, who gave Cicero lessons on oratory. There was also an actor named Paris in the time of the Emperor Domitian who was so celebrated he arranged for Juvenal to be exiled and Martial wrote an epigram singing his praises (unusually for Martial, it wasn’t ironic). He came to a bad end, though: he slept with Domitian’s wife, with rather predictable consequences.

#44

A few notes…

  1. Awesome podcast as usual. I should say this more often. I look forward to every podcast as much as I look forward to new episodes of BSG. Thanks for all the hard work and effort.
  2. Someone mentioned something about Anders’ head being bald from becoming a hybrid or something like that. I’m pretty sure Cottle shaved his head in preparation for the brain surgury.
  3. How about those old-school cylon raiders on the landing pad when Boomer landed her stolen Raptor? I hope we get to see some retro-style cylons in the final episodes. Looks like they may be leading up to that. If I remember correctly, there were 2 old raiders, one was on the pad, the other was taking off. Yaaaaay!

Can’t wait for the call-in show. Wish I had time to formulate a suitable call for the show.

#45

Holy crap, Solai, it’s scary how much we think alike. I thot the zact some thing.

#46

According to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, “Islanded” is a legitimate verb, first used as such in 1661. So no, it’s not a newfangled “verbing” thing.

It pretty much means what it sounds like, except check out this alternate definition:

“to dot with or as if with islands”

Sort of like a starscape, eh? In a sea of stars…

#47

The full title seems to come from The Outermost House, by Henry Beston.

"For a moment of night we have a glimpse of ourselves and of our world

islanded in its stream of stars

— pilgrims of mortality, voyaging between horizons across eternal seas of space and time."

It seems to be a yankee transcendentalist bit of nature writing with some WWI memoir mixed in. As wikipedia puts it:

The Outermost House, now considered a Cape Cod nature literary classic, was written after Beston spent what he called “a year of life on the Great Beach of Cape Cod”. Spiritually shaken by his experiences in World War I, Beston retreated to the outer beach at Eastham in search of peace and solitude.

#48

I think the reason for this is the fact that there are only three cylons that the fleet is dealing with here (not counting the final five). If all the humans were Bill Adamas, Roslins and Lee Adamas we might see the same thing from the humans. The unamed Six knew plenty more about what was going on than that unnamed knuckledragger she was knocking heads with.

#49

Then you should be very, very ashamed of yourself right now…and no, those pants don’t go with that shirt.

#50

Plus, the Cylons know they have to work through the humans being upset about the whole “nuking the colonies” thing.

#51

I have checked with a couple of navy people here at work (a VA hospital) as well as Bossun’s Mate. The steering wheel on a ship is the Helm.

A couple of thoughts on the cast & the episode.

First, Chuck I too am a little tired of the homosexual jokes tossed around about Tigh & Adama. It was cute at first, now it’s just tiresome. I could go on & give my own psycho analysis on the phenominon, but I will refrain.

Second, I am also a little bothered by the demanding of the story being resolved before it is. “THEY PROMISED US ANSWERS WHERE ARE THEY!” At this point, with so little left, I just want to sit back, relax & let it come. The answers are coming, I can wait a little longer for them. Please note, I understand the impatience, I just am tired of reading about it.

Third re: the preview for Friday. A though just occurred to me. We were essentially focussed on the coming confrontation with Cavil. We know it’s coming we just don’t know when. The scene where he’s asking for volunteers on a suicide mission, I was wondering why they would take a skeleton crew of volunteers to confront Cavil. That’s what I assumed is what’s happening in that scene, but on deeper reflection, that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. If you’re going to confront an entrenched enemy you don’t go with a paltry force, Adama obviously wants something out of the mission, not just randomly killing a bunch of volunteers.

So, given my thinking, I do not think that scene is in reference to confronting Cavil or the colony at all. I think they have found a habitable planet & they are going tos cout it out, under Cavil’s nose. It’s a stealth mission, not a confrontation.

#52

I like Pancho’s, but no one can say it’s a) Mexican food, or b) not going to give you a little… well, you know. Same for WBC- it’s delish, but not really like chili.

#53

I wonder if the “Final Mission” is for those on Galactica and the fleet to accept their mistakes in the past a la Adama’s speech in the miniseries, face death in the face a la Baltar’s speech in this past episode, go on a suicied mission to save the Human/Rebel Cylon alliance, die in the process, and then resurrect a la Starbuck in the ‘Promised Land’…

#54

I hope not, Phil…that’s a lttle too woo woo for me.

#55

I wonder if its also metaphorical for the Galactica. The ship’s nickname is “The Bucket” and it quite literally has a big hole in it (many in fact).

Hmmm, now one of the big questions they have to answer is who is Liza??? :wink:

#56

I just wanted to say to the woman who tried to save Starship Troopers with her breasts - a) I really liked your breasts - WAY better than Angelina Jolie’s and b) Starship Trooper didn’t need saving!!!

#57

Let me start by saying that I agree with you in that they put the “Ending” at “The End” for a reason, and a good story will hold out until the end to give us the final answers, at least in this case.

Where I agree with the crew is that these last few episodes are pretty unbalanced. You get “No Exit” where they just VOMITED answers on us, whether it was too much or not is a matter of opinion, but when you consider that it was followed by three episodes that give you very little more, it wouldn’t have been too much to ask to spread it out a little better. Yes we’ll get the remainder of our answers, but I almost would have preferred getting them all spread over the last 3-4 episodes instead.

The got us all antsy a month ago,… like your parents letting you open one or two presents Christmas morning then making you sit and stare at remaining presents under the tree for four weeks before you get to open the rest…

…hell, maybe that was intentional…

#58

I agree. I will be angry about the questions I have that they don’t answer AFTER they don’t answer them.
I have a funny feeling that the last segment of the last episode is going to be full of “holy Craaaaaap!” moments and then its just going to be over. Not unlike the saprano’s

#59

I’m with Hybrid Master. :slight_smile:

#60

My issue with answers coming in the two-part finale is that I would have preferred revelations to be mostly out of the way now, with only action and drama remaining, and I feel like there’s no way to avoid some of the answers we seek without more exposition. I want the three hours’ worth of finale to be as good as the miniseries, but I feel like there’s still too much baggage for the show (despite many answers and deaths to lean out the end) to really zip through like the mini did.