Another Point of Singularity

Episode 219: "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part One"

SPOILERS, SPOILERS, SPOILERS.

This is the first part of a two-parter, leading towards the 90 minute season finale this Friday.

Quite an episode last week! We find a planet that can support life. It's not exactly the garden spot of the universe, but we can support life. Do we go on? Do we stay? And the political ramifications of it all between Baltar and Laura... VERY well written, indeed. I love the little touches of humanity at the very beginning, where Rosslyn gets the giggles. This show is ALL about real people (not paragons) in space, and that's just a great example of what I've been talking about.

Of course, Starbuck gets to (finally!) try out her pet project, rescuing her boyfriend and his gang of guerilla fighters. Not much else is known, however, as they get ambushed pretty much right after they get to "hello"... did the Cylons get tipped off? Hmmmm...

The highlight of the episode, for me, was the appearance of veteran genre player Dean Stockwell (Dune, Blue Velvet, Quantum Leap, Dunwich Horror and countless others). Stockwell is the character actor's character actor: his part as the world-weary and cynical Brother Cadell, the priest who doesn't believe in God, was the best writing of the episode. He played very well against Tyrell, the son of a priest. I'm thinking that BG is starting to become like the old show "Batman" back in the 60s.. guest stars are cropping up all over the place (Lawless, Delaney, etc.) and unlike Dana Delaney a few episodes back, Stockwell's talents were NOT wasted by any stretch.

Of course, Part Ones are lead ups and builders to Part Twos, and I suspect the upcoming Part Two is going to be dramatic, frustrating and will anger legions of BG groupies.

My predictions:

In his podcast for ep. 219, starring the charming Mrs. Moore this week, Ron Moore predicts that we (the viewers) will be "very angry" about the episode coming up, and that they (the BG production staff) are "betting the farm" and "risking it all" with this finale.

What does that tell us? Like as not, a major character death? Perhaps. I doubt they would go so far as to kill off Adama or Rosslyn, as the chemistry between those characters is worth keeping. However, just about any secondary lead might have his or her head on the block. And why not? Just about all of them except for Lee Adama leave off in a very hazardous situation. It's believable.

Furthermore, Baltar will win the race, and Rosslyn will rat him out about his Cylon dealings. That's what the promos seem to be hinting at. The status quo of the show cannot be sustained with a Cylon sympathizer as president of the colonies, so something will transpire to depose Baltar (and possibly imprison him, like the Baltar of the old show), during the course of the plot for next season).

I'm not sure if Tyrell is a cylon or not... I'd give even odds that he is-- if you recall, Boomer had very similar dreams and premonitions when SHE thought she was a cylon.

I think that the nuclear weapon sent to the Cylon apologists is going to go off next season, and probably take out the Pegasus or one of the major ships, like the big pleasure ship. This may be instrumental in exposing Baltar.

That's just my guess, based on how things are going.