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“Lost Planet of the Gods” part 2 of 2

This may well be the last one I do. The plan was to go through all the old episodes, 1980, and the new series to do a proper comparison. The goal was to show why the old fans were annoyed at the changes, while also giving the new series a shot. However, it’s been a lot of work trying to do these. First I have to watch the episode, then watch it again to get the screen captures (and you can’t pause Hulu because it puts this huge play symbol up there when paused).

And yet when I look at last week’s installment there were no viewers at all. Seriously, nobody. Now sure it’s a new blog and I don’t expect to be getting hundreds of readers on any post thus far (I’m surprised how high the numbers are for the Mary’s Boy Child video), and the post was late, but no readers at all? It just seems I should focus my attention elsewhere, to something that might bring readers without the headaches. We’ll see what happens, but I can’t end on a cliffhanger.

When we last left the crew of the Galactica, they were headed into a starless void, the lady shuttle pilots were standing in for a plague-ridden fighter pilots, and one of them was Apollo’s wife-to-be, Serena. Meanwhile, Baltar had been given control of a Cylon Base Star, and wanted to kidnap a fighter pilot on patrol to give the Fleet a message of peace between the Cylons and humans. (However, while the pilot’s ending shows genuine peace designs by the new Imperious Leader, Baltar may be leading them into a trap.)

So after a mission to find a cure for the plague, it seems the pilots are going to be ok. (Yay!) Meanwhile, Adama has a reason for steering the fleet towards the magnetic void. In the Colony scripture, all the colonies decended from tribe who escaped the planet Kobol. Well, based on that scripture, this may be the very area they escape from, which means Kobol is somewhere in that void, and Adama thinks this might lead to the 13th tribe and Earth.

Adama show the doubting Tigh a medallion which is the key to his power and part of their religious heritage. I’m sure that won’t come up later. It’s just really nice looking.

Just another night out with the girls.

Cute scene where the temp fighter pilot ladies are discussing their victory over the Cylons, while Apollo and Starbuck discuss the new living arrangements for the soon-to-be couple. However, the ship detects a ship just outside the void. Apollo and Starbuck are sent to investigate, until Serina informs Tigh that sheis supposed to be Apollo’s wingman. Starbuck takes matters into his own hands and launches anway, only to be the pilot Baltar wanted captured.

Starbuck is taken before Baltar (which he takes in typical Starbuck style, with snark and using a Centurion to light his match). Baltar give Starbuck his message, but nobody’s buying it. Not even Lucifer, who is later revealed to be jealous that he didn’t become the new Imperious Leader, and wants to retain the previous Leader’s plan to wipe out the human race. Jerk!

I can't tell, are they on a high platform, or is the wedding photographer just short?

Back on the ship, Apollo takes Starbuck’s presumed death hard, and Serina, afraid she’ll lose Apollo, asks him to move the wedding ceremony hard. And so we get a look at a Colony “sealing” ceremony. (A term that must come later, as I’ve read it in extended media and fansites, but they’re still using “marriage” here.) Boxey is the only one to give the bride away, as her “protector”. It’s a very nice scene, and always interesting to see how a fictional culture handles ceremonies like weddings.  Just as the ceremony ends, a star is scene in the skylight that Adama is sure will lead them to Kobol, homeworld of the Colonies.

There’s an Egyptian vibe to the city they walk through, which Adama believe might be the captial city of Eden. Here he searches for the tomb of the 9th Lord of Kobol, where he believes there may be information as to the location of the 13th Colony. The medallion acts as a key into the tomb and past a trap, but we learn Baltar also has a medallion key. He tries to convince Adama to abandon the Earth quest and instead use the Imperious Leader’s peace offering as a way to attack the Cylon homeworld and take down the entire empire. Although he seems to charm some of the pilots, Adama and Apollo aren’t falling for it.

Lucifer, meanwhile, decides to betray Baltar, not trusting him any more than Adama. It’s here that he also reveals his own plans to become the Imperious Leader. Starbuck is returned in the show of good faith Baltar arranged, but while they’re happy to see him our heroes aren’t so happy that there’s a Base Star in their midst. Apollo, Athena, and Adama are even less happy when Lucifer launches his attack while they’re trapped in the lower part of the tomb. Adama does indeed find records that could lead to the tribe, but the ancient tomb walls are damaged during the aerial attack. The Warriors on the ground are sitting ducks.

Or are they? Back on the ship, the other pilots feel well enough to aid their comrades. Tigh isn’t convinced that they can even stand, which leads to a great line by Boomer.

The Viper is flown from the seated position, sir.

I wonder if sexy lady Boomer delivers lines that that. I also wish I could put up the audio or video for that, but WordPress.com isn’t Hulu compatable, and I don’t know if the Battlestar Wiki would allow me to use their bandwidth to link to their audio file. So the Cylons are caught in the counter attack and get their robot butts handed to them. Back in the tomb, Baltar is trapped beneath a piller. Serina and the boys can’t lift it, and are forced (wink, wink) to leave him behind, cursing Lucifer’s name. (That could be read more than one way, couldn’t it? 🙂 )

Then comes a moment that feels tacked on. According to that Wiki page, Serina was originally going to die of Pluton poisoning, perhaps from the bad food, in the pilot. That or “space cancer”. However, she makes it to this episode and no further. For some reason, I thought she was blown up in her Viper, but instead she’s killed by a Cylon on the planet in what feels like a last-minute decision. It is a touching scene as Apollo and Boxey say goodbye to the woman they love most (for different reasons, obviously) and leave together as a family. It’s too bad that Jane Seymore didn’t stay on (or that they didn’t find someone else to take on the role), but it’s also too bad that Serina’s death feels like it’s there to be there. Even Zac got a better sendoff, and he was a 10 minute cameo.

So what will it be, kids? Do I keep reviewing the various Battlestar Galactica episodes and series, or complain about the Spider-Marriage demise some more? 🙂 We’ll all find out in a week or two, depending on how the holidays mess with me.