FINAL CYLON - BOON OR ANTICLIMAX?

io9's 'No Final Cylon Will Ever Be Good Enough' may be on to something ... or Ron Moore and company may surprise us with some excellent writing that lends meaning as to why the Final Cylon is the last to be revealed and why it is who it is.

So far season 4 has been very uneven, with the episodes Faith and Guess What's Coming to Dinner the high-points. The choices of Tigh, Tyrol, Tory and Anders (or TTTA as I like to call them) as 4 of the 5 were somewhat arbitrary according to some of the writers' own accounts of what went on in plotting for future episodes and actor Michael Hogan was open with displeasure at the choice for his character. But as Moore & Co. tie up the loose threads of BSG's epic story, one hopes they won't go for the boring (Adama, Helo or Lee), the obvious (Kara), the contrived (Ellen, Dualla, Zarek), the reaching for it (Callie, Zak Adama, Doc Cottle, Seelix) and do something daring (or rather did, as it's been like 2 years since they decided) ... something like making Head-Six the Final Cylon, or the rebel Hybrid, or the Galactica vessel itself. It would be nice to be pleasantly surprised, but the story arc they've set up points toward Roslin or Gaeta.

Battlestar Galactica has transitioned from a sleek, chic, sophisticated cerebral science fiction television show to a gritty, action-oriented war story. The miniseries and early episodes' spare evocative music and modern architecture, the adult and matter-of-fact dialog, the sense of danger and menace of an 'enemy within,' Head-Six, the scene of the little girl abandoned on the agro-ship and Dualla and Billie on the observation deck, Roslin's evolution into a leader on Colonial One ... these early high-points bespoke of a more refined, elegant type of science fiction drama. But now, closing in on the final episodes, it feels more like a military war movie - gray, worn, and weary. If the early part of Battlestar was the Ridley Scott brilliance and elegance of Alien, the latter half of the series is James Cameron's Aliens. Both excellent, but entirely different in their artistic presentation. If the end is the beginning, hopefully not only the story, but the look and feel of Battlestar Galactica will return to the look and feel of the miniseries.

KARA PARADOX.TRYOL'S KNIFE.ADAMA BOUND

The new Sci-Fi Battlestar Clue site has an audio clip of Leoben and Kara finding her other body. The fact that Leoben doesn't know what it is must mean that he is not responsible for growing a new Kara. If she is another version of herself she is a Cylon or a clone. If a clone, who re-grew her if not Leoben? How? And why? And if they actually make her the Final Cylon, why is it the hundreds of Cylons she fought (Raiders, Centurions, etc.) never recognized her?

In the teaser for season 4.5 there is a shot of a bunch of Sharons giving Boomer a rubdown - oops, nope, that is not what is happening - it looks upon closer inspection that Tyrol's hammy hand is holding something and aiming for Athena-Sharon's neck as she runs and holds Hera.

And then we have Adama, bound, blindfolded and a note pinned to his chest as he is threatened with being air-locked out into space. Who would do this? He's not the Final Cylon, so it's not the humans. Do they actually kill Adama? Maybe. More likely it's yet another game of brinkmanship and Cylons reach a deal and Adama is spared - perhaps it is Roslin's ultimatum as hinted at in another teaser.

WHITE LIGHT AND POINTS OF INTERSECTION

This is the slo-mo clip from Sci-Fi, showing the faces they tease as the possible Final Cylon: Helo, Zarek, Dualla, Gaeta, Baltar, Kara, Lee, Roslin, Adama. The points of intersection (with SyFyPortal's list - see next post) are Gaeta, Roslin and Lee. My original choices, going back to the early seasons (once we learned of the Final Five) were Roslin and Baltar. Secondary choices were Gaeta, Dualla, Ellen and Zak Adama. Since Sci-Fi always gives away the store in their teasers, the faces they've shown must be considered legit. As portrayed by Ron Moore and company, Lee is the stalwart human, the light Yang to Baltar's dark Yin, so both of them seem to be knocked out of the running. Sci-Fi doesn't show Ellen or Callie, as SyFyPortal does, so that leaves Gaeta and Roslin. Gaeta was foreshadowed in Guess What's Coming to Dinner and Roslin has been foreshadowed at least twice. So it's Roslin or Gaeta. I hope for Roslin, but I expect Gaeta.

Now, you may have noticed that for the first time the teaser trailer begins, transitions and ends with a white background, whereas black has been the constant until now. Perhaps the Ship of Lights subplot from the original series will be worked in?

Only Five Possibilites for the 5th?

SyFy Portal reports that they've known the identity of the Final Cylon for some time and now they are willing to partially reveal what they know. They've winnowed the field down to, appropriately enough, five potential candidates for the Fifth of the so-called Final Five. Here's my take on SyFy Portal's Five and the odds for each:
If we take Ron Moore at his word that the Fifth and Final Cylon is not shown in the Last Supper image, then out of these five that means it must be Gaeta, Ellen, or Callie. It's certainly a relief that it won't be Zak Adama, Seelix, or someone who loaded ammunition on a Viper once. Sing us that song again, Gaeta, you know - the unstruck music.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

In the 4.5 promo (next post) there is a rapid-fire sequence of the Cylons ... in order. At last we have numbers for the rest. 1-Cavil, 2-Leoben, 3-D'Anna, 4-Simon, 5-Doral, 6-Six, 7-???, 8-Sharon, 9-Tigh, 10-Tyrol, 11-Anders, 12-Tory

SEASON 4.5 PROMO - A FLEET FRACTURES

Well, it looks as though calculated bleakness awaits for the final episodes of Battlestar Galactica based upon the above trailer broadcast on Canada's Space channel. Here is the gist of what was in the trailer in case you missed it:
Anders hears something on the beach and turns ... Tory finds a living plant ... Tyrol "remembers" something while sitting next to a building foundation (a temple?) ... Tigh is in a dark place and says "There must be some kind of a way out of here" ... Adama crawls through a sub-floor or a tunnel with pipes in it ... We see the number 39,651 ... Roslin stands alone in a Raptor as the door closes ... Adama carries a gun and is looking for something or someone ... Galactica crew sit in a corridor smoking below graffiti that reads "Frak Earth" ... Lee and Kara kiss and the Sharons seem to be groping Athena ... Roslin says to Adama "If you're a Cylon, I'd like to know," and Adama replies, "If I'm a Cylon, you're really screwed" ... Quick flashes of the Cylons we know, lots of brandishing of guns, the Zarek coup subplot (to Adama) "If you try shoving an alliance with the Cylons down our throat there will be consequences" ... Caprica Six, Athena and Anders are in the brig and worried they'll be killed ... Gaeta tells Zarek, "I never agreed to this," "Yes you did," Zarek replies, to which Gaeta answers, "No, this is murder!" ... Kara and Leoben tromp through a wooded area and she reminds him that the Hybrid told her she would lead humanity to its end ... On the Base Star Tory says, "Fate has been all but decided" ... Then we see Adama accompanied by Marines with Lee carrying weapons down a corridor ... Anders (Lee?) says, "Shoot me now" ... Adama and Roslin kiss but it's not romantic ... Lee and Kara aim guns ... More of the Baltar religious guru stuff, "What have you done to deserve this punishment?" he asks his followers ... We see a burning book of Pythia, probably Kara at her funural pyre ... Kara says to Adama, "They're the enemy" ... Laura shouts (with spooky echo) "I'm coming for all of you" ... Final shot of Adama, tied and blindfolded with a note pinned to his chest.
I'm sure it will be very entertaining, but it looks like the fleet fractures, despair takes hold, and the dazzling promise of the miniseries and early episodes gives way to thematic darkness and cynicism. It's going to be a dirge of drum-and-bass for our crescendo - with very few soaring strings, horns, or woodwinds. And, Roslin, is that a resurrection tank reflected in your glasses? (And is that cider I smell on your breath dear?)

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER?

If you keep up with the spoilers popping up around the web you know what this picture means. So it looks like Gaeta is not the final Cylon if they are going to veer off in this direction with his character. In the infamous word of Eric Cartman, "Wha'eva."

TOO BRILLIANT NOT TO SHARE

Off topic, but hilarious. Spockboy does not like the look of the new Enterprise created for JJ Abrams version of Star Trek coming in May 2009 (I agree with him).



Source Article (scroll down for more fun pics) @: Trek Movie

ENJOY BATTLESTAR NOW - DON'T WAIT

For those of us who can't believe we have to wait 10 more weeks for Part II of Season 4 of Battlestar Galactica, the 'webisodes', Caprica, and The Plan, I've created some fan fiction to tide us over: Battlestar: Variant 1 Enjoy! Who is Lord Iblis? Who is the Fifth? Is it Earth or not? Is Cavil coming for them all?

AARON DOUGLAS: SPOILER MACHINE

Well, we must assume one of two things, that Ron Moore and Sci-Fi Channel are quite intentionally floating the spoilers coming out of Aaron Douglas's mouth, or he is an unstoppable spoiler-machine and eventually someone in a suit is gonna put the hurt on his paycheck due to his violating, repeatedly, his non-disclosure agreement. Here is his latest spoiler [very very mega-spoilery, so don't click if you don't want to know]

AARON DOUGLAS SPOILER - MISDIRECTION?

The online world is ablaze with discussion of a supposed "massive" spoiler by actor Aaron Douglas about the Final Five Cylons and their origins and outcomes in the new issue of a British Sci-Fi magazine SFX #174 [the supposed spoiler is linked here - you must highlight the hidden text - and don't click and don't read it if you don't want to know, obviously] . Personally, I think it is calculated misdirection to throw off the fans yet keep them energized. It would be hard to believe that Douglas, who gets the starring role in the post-series Cylon-centric telemovie, would be so loose-lipped. I'm sure his non-disclosure agreement carries penalties. If it is true, or mostly true, then clearly the BSG story has been morphed and shaped in service to conforming it with the Caprica story. If so, then Slot A may fit into Tab B, but its functional prose certainly has trumped its former artistic poetry and the tail is now wagging the dog. What had been so compelling about the new Battlestar Galactica was its relentless propulsion forward to destiny - the gnawing mysteries were to be answered and the underlying logic of the universe would be revealed. If the time-loop aspect of the story (you know the refrain: "All of this has happened before, and all of it will happen again.") is going to be addressed, one hopes they won't muck it up. The brilliant and sometimes campy series Lexx used the repeating cycles of time theme beautifully - so it can be done well.

CYLON PERSPECTIVE EPISODE STARS TYROL?

SyFyPortal is reporting that the post-series telemovie featuring a story as told from the Cylon perspective is going to star Aaron Douglas - "Chief" Tyrol - as the central character [the other two featured characters are Anders and Cavil, yea for the latter]. Hmmm. Was Lucy Lawless's schedule booked with singing dates? Of all the Cylons, hidden Final Five or otherwise, his storyline was about the least compelling. And did we not get a great deal of Tyrol at the beginning of the series with his relationship with sleeper agent Cylon Boomer? Unless the story focuses on his childhood and his parents' ties to the Temple of Five as compelling backstory to flesh out Cylon motivations, it seems a weird choice. We've gone from possibly three post-series telemovies down to one; Caprica is now a single pilot with maybe a pickup to series; and the latter half of season 4 of BSG looks to be a sad, bleak, heartbreaker according to series star Eddie Olmos. Aren't we sick of calculated bleakness? It's been done to death (pun intended). See my earlier post on the subject here.

Summer Speculation - Fif and Final Cylon

In the running for the 5th and Final Cylon are the following, in order of probability: Roslin, Baltar, Zack Adama, Dualla, Gaeta, Lee Adama, Ellen, Kara, Romo, and Bill Adama. It's hard to imagine Ron Moore, et al, picking anyone else not listed. Zack Adama is certainly a stretch since it would be introducing a pivotal character late in the 3rd Act - a cardinal no-no in drama. But comments and spoiler images from San Diego's recent Comic Con [see Triumph the Insult Comic Dog's hilarious take on the overall event here] saw Ron Moore teasing that the Final Cylon is someone we've "seen before," and "not a guest star" and Zack fits both. My other blog BSG Last Supper picks apart the pros and cons. And scanning through YouTube vids came up with these two images an observant person found in an Opera House dream sequence. Athena-Sharon seems to stand next to the Final Cylon as she understands the reason for Hera being taken (her body language is now relaxed and she leans against the wall rather than chasing) and Roslin, on the stage staring down the faces of the Final Five and glaring intently at one (so it must be her face or Bill Adama's to elicit that reaction).

SPOILER EXPLOSION

It's a spoiler explosion over at io9. Their post features part of the wrap video, several stills and yet another behind-the-scenes video. I hope that part of what we were given was designed specifically as diversion to throw off the fans, because otherwise I'm very worried as to where the story is going. In one vid we see Kat (seemingly in character), Callie (there as a visitor to the set looks like), and Ellen - also in character. Many of the still images and clips from the vids give us plenty to chew on as far as speculation. Let's break it down, shall we?

First we must consider that this is officialdom talking. These images have been around and not pulled down, so they must be up with the blessing of Ron Moore, Sci-Fi Channel, et al.

The stills:

Doral has taken a head shot and is shooting back (perhaps at Baltar and Six? Doral did threaten Baltar's life on New Caprica). Roslin is in a casual dress and dancing in the fountain at the outdoor market we saw in the miniseries - she seems elated and the water seeems to represent that she has become cleansed (is it a dream?). Six and Baltar seem quite pleased with themselves and each other and Head Six is prominent (red dress) - in several scenes. Baltar is in various uniforms: casual suit, formal pimp suit, and commando outfit. Six is also seen alone in modern New York - waiting? Adama and Roslin are together in a Raptor, in civilian clothes and seeming very much the couple. Ellen is in a red dress similar to Head Six's looking her best. Helo, Lee and Kara are in commando-style uniforms - perhaps with new insignia for Kara and Helo (denoting some new faction?). And Adama and Tigh are together, in civilian clothes, at a strip club !!??!!

I'm pleased that the end is the beginning, as I'd hoped - for there are several shots of that park/outdoor market area from the miniseries. My guess is it will all be resolved when we find out who Caprica Six was meeting after she sent Baltar on his way and turned (to camera) and said, "It's about time" ... My guess is that the Final Cylon will be the person Caprica Six was meeting ... and Baltar is wearing that other outfit, so he is a prime candidate ... Not long after Six meets the unseen person the attack on the Colonies began. I'm worried, however, with the modern representations of Earth (newsstand, strip club [flashback], Kara at a piano player's [from Patriot Resource spoilers], and the ruined Earth we've seen in Revelations) that time-travel is going to play a part. Time-travel is a cheap gimmick. Or that there will be two Earths. Or that it all have been a dream - (perhaps by them all) and it re-sets at the end of the story to the beginning (Mulholland Drive anyone? Will Cowboy show up and say, "Wake up" ?). Or, will it be one of countless iterations of possibilities similar to what the Architect talked about in the Matrix when Neo finally gets to meet him? The actors have all raved about the ending in the final episode, so fingers crossed.

Over on Mark Verheiden's blog (BSG writer/exec. producer) he teases that the post-series tv movie will deal with the Cylon "plan." He likes to play with words and his blog post title does so.

COMIC CON 4.5 TRAILER, SEASON 4 TEASES

[*spoilers* ... you've been warned] The San Diego Comic Con has loosened lips and provided a venue for a 4.5 trailer to tease the fans - yet also provides a treasure-trove of clues for the sleuths. When Battlestar returns in January with Sometimes a Great Notion, the body count begins, and tragically with D'Anna. Actor Lucy Lawless only filmed three episodes and this will be her last so what else can be her fate? It looks like a pine box for D'Anna this time. Regrettable to the extreme - hers is one of the 3 best characters, and my favorite [pun intended]. Or, Juicy Lucy is left behind and Wall-E isn't the only robot abandoned on Earth. Evidently Lee has a fall from grace somehow (even ending up in the brig) and Zarek is made president (my guess is a coup d'état), and dies. He ups the body count before he checks out though, sounds like. I'm worried this is a cheap bait-and-switch regarding the "dying leader" aspect to the story. Baltar comes to "surprising" resolution with his female cult [What, we finally get a gay character? There was that whisper between Baltar and Gaeta before the trial, but were there cries as well on New Caprica?]. And Adama is blindfolded in an airlock and questioned by Roslin, "Are you a Cylon?" [Oh dear. Did I just get punched in the stomach?]

DON'T GO HUNGRY - FAN FICTION

For those of us who can't believe we have to wait 6 months for Part II of Season 4 of Battlestar Galactica, I've created some fan fiction to tide us over: Battlestar: Variant 1