Holy Frak! I just finished watching the season 3 finale for Battlestar Galactica, and it was quite a ride. This series is, hands down, one of the best shows currently in production. They continuously surprise me with what they are able to pull out. Sure, there is a sub-par episode every now and then, but even those are better than a lot of other television out there. This episode, "Crossroads, Part 2," is one where they pulled out all the stops, and we are now left to wonder and wait, impatiently, for season four which is not slated to air until January 2008 (though there will be a two hour made-for television movie this fall). Man, do they know how to deliver a cliffhanger.
For those of you who don't watch the show, you must. I do not care what types of shows you normally watch, you will surely find something to like here and become addicted, just like the rest of us have, and with the extended layoff, you have plenty of time to catch up on everything on DVD. Now, if you haven't already seen the episode, you may want to stop reading, as the surprises will all be spoiled for you, and none of us want that to happen.
This season has already had its share of surprises, from the Galactica breaking through the atmosphere for a dramatic rescue of the captive humans on New Caprica from Cylon control, to the spiritual crisis of a certain Cylon who ended up having her model boxed, to the return of Baltar and his incarceration, to the apparent death of Starbuck. All that and a lot more has gone down, all of it building towards the season-ending trial of Baltar for crimes against humanity, treason, and whatever else they could lay on.
In "Crossroads, Part 1," in a somewhat surprising turn, Lee joined Baltar's defense team, despite his despising the man he was defending. This led to him questioning Roslin on the stand, where he forced her to reveal that her cancer had returned. Also in this episode was the appearance of staticy music heard playing throughout the ship, although only a select few seem to be hearing it: Tigh, Tyrol, Tory, and Anders. What does it mean? Hmmm, I wonder.... could it be..... Cylons? We also got the return of the Cylon fleet, found to be following the colonial fleet from a distance, by a radiation signature from one of the Colonial fleet's vessels.
In "Crossroads, Part 2" we start off with the trial of Baltar. If you have followed the series, you know how slimy, manipulative, and generally untrustworthy Baltar can be. You also know his involvement in the attack on the colonies and during the occupation. We all want to see him be found guilty (sort of, I love the character on the show and a guilty verdict may put a damper on that), but a not guilty verdict would be even more interesting. The trial continues with Gaeta on the stand, clearly lying about what he knows, telling a modified version of the truth. We all know of his dislike for his former boss and this shows it once again.
Article comments
1 - Andrew Samuelson
The third season finale of Battlestar Galactica raised a number of questions concerning the revelation of the final 5 cylons and the connection to these cylons hearing “All Along the Watchtower.” Let’s review what was presented, what we know of cylons, and what it might mean for next season.
1. Human cylon models did not exist in mass prior to the Cylon Wars which occurred 40 years prior to the start of the series.
2. The ultimate goal of the cylons is to eradicate humanity, including those that might exist in a 13th tribe.
3. Cylons do not know the location of Earth. They were using Gaius Baltar to obtain information about the most probable location of Earth.
4. Cylons can believe that they are human and be unaware of their true nature until a signal activates them.
5. When cylon programming is asserted, the human persona is dropped and the cylon completes it’s mission.
6. In the long run, shedding the human persona can be difficult for a cylon who unaware of their true nature. The human persona can be completely dropped to complete a mission, but there can long-term problems in dealing with human memories and past loyalties.
7. The four people revealed to be cylons were all critical components of the resistance on New Caprica, whose efforts ultimately led to a resumption of the search for Earth (and the abandonment of New Caprica).
8. Four of the “final five” cylons all became self-aware of there cylon nature through hearing parts of “All Along the Watchtower”. Yet they were not compelled to activate any specific mission.
9. “All Along the Watchtower” is an Earth song. It would have originated there and would go into space through radio waves.
10. In the final seconds of the end of the third season finale, we see Earth, and it is relatively close to the current position of the colonial fleet.
Based on these observations I propose the following model:
Keeping in mind that the ultimate goal of the cylons is to eradicate all humanity, including any 13th tribe, one plausible cylon strategy to achieve that end would be to use the colonial fleet to lead them to Earth. The cylons already took out most of humanity in the initial attacks on the colonies, Earth would be the last serious thread to ultimate cylon victory. Thus the mission of the final five cylons would be to ensure that the colonial fleet finds Earth. At that point, they could be activated to aid in the destruction of humanity, the colonial fleet, and Earth.
However, something went wrong in the cylon plan. The radio frequency of “All Along the Watchtower” from Earth prematurely triggered part of the latent cylon programming. Anders, Tigh, Galen, and Tory didn’t suddenly know they were cylons and they didn’t suddenly start to execute a cylon mission. The transition was slow and confusing, and the result was self-awareness without direction or instruction. It made them self-aware of their nature without causing them to shed their human persona. The signal was untended and the result was a mistake. This will create an interesting scenario next season: cylons who are aware of their nature, yet not compelled to act in the interests of the cylons. In essence the character of the four of the final cylons could remain protagonist characters working for humanity and not as cylon villains bent on the destruction of humanity. They will retain the very human idea of free will to decide their destiny and the future of humanity.
-Andrew Samuelson
3/27/07
2 - Borgatomic
Where can I get a copy of Bear McCreary's version of "All Along the Watchtower?"
Borgatomic
3 - Leo Maia
Man, I was completelly stoned after the season finale. But I think the biggest problem will be explain how Col. Tigh is a Cylon, since he is serving the Colonial fleet for over 40 years.
The other thing is that they kept one last Cylon to reveal next season, so it has to be the most unexpected of all 12 Cylons. Who will it be?
4 - Rhane
"Where can I get a copy of Bear McCreary's version of "All Along the Watchtower?"
Borgatomic
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The soundtrack will be released in August along with the DVD for season 3.