January 5, 2007
GWC Podcast #24
This week we’re joined by science fiction author Tony Daniel, who was kind enough to stop by the studio in person. Those of you who’ve been jonesin’ for some straight Galactica talk in the off-season will love this ‘cast, guaranteed. Highlights: We talk downloading (a major theme in Tony’s novels Metaplanetary and Superluminal), and speculate, speculate, speculate. We predict who’ll die, who’ll be a cylon, and who’ll find Earth — Oh wait, Racetrack’ll do all three!— and even guess where BSG’ll go all the way into season four.
Galactic Watercooler 
Modern Geek 
Save Eureka 
Eff This Week 
FitSmart
Racetrack and Hotdog forever, like Cally and the Chief
Paul hogan? PAUL ITS MICHEL or something. Paul hogan isnt he some australian wrestler Sean your ok nobody cares about the cheif he is to stable………
ya know what tony i was gonna buy superluminary, but because of that teenager crack im gonna get it oput of the library, ha exactly the 13 year old thing to do
at least Audra agrees with me that RaceDog needs to be. Oh man i must be doing something rong
Ha! Racetrack. I forgot about her. Nothing super massive has happened in a while in which the writers needed to use her to “discover” something. They had to use Athena to discover the algae planet just for variety.
IF the trailer is accurate, here are my quickie predictions:
Lee = Cylon (Leoben’s statement)
Starbuck finds Earth (special purpose and all that)
Anders dies (perfectly clears up all current relationship debacles)
I agree that Lee is the Cylon.
Lee was on the sick baseship he cant be a toaster
Lee can’t be the Cylon because of (1) the sick basestar in “A Measure of Salvation and (2) he has a history verified by the fact that he’s Adama’s son, unlike Season 1 Boomer, who really had no real history prior to working for the Colonial Fleet. That would mean that Adama is complicit in the Cylon deception.
We can’t have Anders die. He’s the Han Solo of BSG. Perhaps they kill off Dee (now, THAT would clear up the whole relationship thing). I still say Starbuck is the Cylon.
I still say that Dee Adama is a Cylon.
Frak. If Dee is a Cylon, we’ll never be rid of her…
Remember Billy!
D’oh!! Did I say Paul Hogan? I meant Michael Hogan. Aargh. He could be Crocodile Dundee with a patch I suppose…
Hey Boxy before you were born there were some movies with Paul Hogan the actor, not wrestler. 😉 Although next to Michael Hogan he’s not much of an actor either.
Col. Tigh’s got more awesomeness in his empty eye socket than all of Dundee’s whimpy croc teeth.
And don’t forgot the wonderful Hulk Hogan. One of the greatest actors of our time. Thunder in Paradise, his own cartoon show, a reality show, etc.
Ok, random question. I was rewatching Eye of Jupiter and I’m confused about how Boomer Sharon became so angrily anti-human? When she was downloaded on Caprica, all she wanted was her life on Galactica. Then she’s a cylon nazi along with the rest of ’em. What happened?
As usual, thanks GWC!
I wanted to address the comment during the pod cast about the “fall of Starbuck†being a possible main reason why the ratings are dropping for BSG. I admit that it might be part of it, but I feel the main reason is that the writing and episode decisions have been poor. Now I know that writing is a very difficult process, and I have done some nit picking on BSG on the blog in the past; but in many ways I have been disappointed in season 3.0.
First I think they made a mistake having the New Caprica story arc so short. Yes I know there were the ten webisodes. However I would guess for every one of us who watched them, there was a person who didn’t. Now I don’t know this for a fact, but I do know (and this has been said over and over) that the BSG following is not the normal for a sci fi program. Where for us, going on line to see part of the show seems fine and maybe even normal; to some like my father it would be unheard of. He does not even have internet access.
As much as I enjoyed the New Caprica arc, I was very disappointed in the death of the Pegasus and the demotion of Lee Adama afterwards. When the Pegasus was introduced I was so worried that they would do the same thing as they did in the old series and only have it for 2 episodes. When they kept it I was thrilled, and when it was destroyed I was pissed. The RDM pod cast said in the next episode that there is now a sense of reset back to the beginning of the series, and he was right. However I liked how they had moved on, gained assets (like the Pegasus) and were even building new vipers. I didn’t want to see a reset; if I did I would just put in a season one DVD.
Now all of this you can over look, but not when more mistakes are coming. The virus arc for one, that could have been great but the opportunity was wasted. Enough said.
We had running out of food episode, which even adds to the reset feeling. Anyone remember when they were running out of water? How about when they were running out of fuel? Maybe Starbuck can crash land with a Heavy Raider and she can cut it open while she is running out of air and fly it to safety?
For weeks we have had Baltar and Caprica Six together, would have been a great time to have showed Baltar talking to head Six while Caprica was talking to head Baltar.
I know that no season is going to be perfect, but I do feel they are having a “losing†first half of the season. I still love the show, but I fear where I see it going at times.
Pearsonaly the first 4 and the last were awesome. What if 6 knows what baltar is saying to head 6, and Baltar knows what Caprica is saying to phantom Blatar
I think that generally the first and the last episodes in a season (if you think of it as 1, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, etc) are the best. Typically the middle ones are “stand alone” episodes, and while I enjoy them as well, they usually don’t contribute as much to the big picture (which is why they’re stand alone episodes).
Cavatar,
I disagree with you. I think season 3, so far, has been the strongest yet with some of the best and tightest writing in this show’s history. We haven’t had any episodes along the lines of “Black Market” or “Sacrifice” this season. I think the ratings are more likely due to the schedule change and starting the season in the fall, rather than the summer (plus the fact that it seems this show is watched more on DVRs, DVD and online than “live” on air, so the ratings don’t reflect the show’s true popularity. Apparently, Universal is on to this and is planning a direct to DVD movie and SciFi has apprently renewed the show or will make an official announcement to this in the next few weeks).
As to the teaser theories: there’s no way Lee is the Cylon. My bet, and this will wreak havoc with the mythology, is that Helo will turn out to be one of the final five. Starbuck will find earth (although there’s a rumor going around that Katie Sakhoff is leaving the show. Could that mean the bell tolls for Starbuck?) and either Anders or Chief Tyrol will die.
Just my crazy theory.
oh hahahahahaha (evil laugh) Helo is a cylon. Why couldnt cylons reproduce on the farm. Could cylons really need love to reproduce. what if the hybrad isnt a hybrad
you know what’s funny? What if Helo is a cylon … I seem to remember one of the deleted scenes was when the cylon’s found out about Hera, and DeAnna said not to call the baby Hera … call her 13. Maybe helo is the first hot guy cylon and just doens’t know it
Bah! More iTunes problems. It appears iTunes is trying to convince me that there’s an issue with this ‘cast.
Now I got it on iTunes!
I think all the criticism of Helo about killing the prisoners has merit but I think the point being made is that humans are accepting the cylons as “human”. Helo by his actions and the rest by their inaction to his deed. They were relieved that they did not commit genocide of a “human race”. Some still only see machines but most have accepted Athena so it’s changing. That sets up a new dynamic between the groups which leads to the following:
I agree with Audra that we should see a group of humans and cylons banding together for some purpose. Maybe a separate small ship. Perhaps there will be a situation where they need each other to survive and find common ground. Wouldn’t it be a hoot if a human finds Cavil’s sense of humour hilarious and Cavil loves it. “Finally, someone gets me.”
Helo can’t be a cylon. He was chosen to impregnate Athena because he’s human.
Why would Baltar not have done the tests he needs to prove he’s a human? I suppose the question forgets that he’s having a huge guilt trip and he’s nuts. I never bought into him giving Gena a nuke. He doesn’t want to die. That made no sense at all but, hey he’s nuts.
I don’t believe Baltar is a cylon which I explained in the What’s Your Theory Section. My theory hints at how they might be in each others heads as well.
I also believe Baltar was merely a prisoner in a guilded cage. Too comfortable and too threatened to act. Gaeta had more freedom than Baltar.
Lastly, I see Racetrack with Gaeta. That’s a good match. Hot Dog can hook up with Seelix. Gaeta’s probably still miffed at Seelix for trying to space him, besides Felix and Seelix is too much.
hey I just wanted to chime in … cause I’m an attention whore … although I do have a something to say. I’m not sure why we take these cylons at their word, but why does everyone believe that Leoeben is telling the truth when he says “adama is a cylon.” First aren’t we sure that the seven don’t know who the five are? I mean isn’t that chick killing herself over and over again just to see who the final five are? So if she is going to such great lengths to find out who they are, why would we even assume (even a little) that the other guy even knows to say? but lets say it’s a working theory, has anyone even considered Zach Adama? As someone who studied literature, I think that zach is someone who has a huge influence on this show, beginning with defining the relationship between adama and lee, and later lee’s relationhip with kara. It wouldn’t be something soooo weird that zach downloaded after he died, and found out he was a cylon … just a though.
Les, maybe Felix and Seelix could double-date with Dee and Lee.
e-m, there are some problems with that theory as far as the established ‘facts’ of the story goes, but it’s an RDM production, so who knows? It would be an interesting twist, and we know the writers are suckers for that.
Well Joss Whedon always had a saying that was something like always respect the series cannon 100%, unless it makes for a really great story.
Perhaps Seelix will dump Felix and instead hook up with Neelix (from ST Voyager).
nice ryming, now that iv seem almost all og RDM’sBSG i think Leobens the one, just a thought, he reminds me of baltar, Baltar’s awesome He betrayed the humans, is going to betray the cylons sometime soon, and still sleeps with 6, 3, and head 6, and after that drunken frat party Boomer
Speaking of all this -elix stuff, did you realize that Boxey’s dad from the miniseries (the man Six kisses and says “Are you alive?”) is played by the same guy who plays Connor (Tigh slams his head down on the table during the jury after the exodus). Actually, that has very little to do with the -elix folks, just thought it was a wonderful morsel of info.
Les Vogt said:
I never bought into him giving Gena a nuke. He doesn’t want to die. That made no sense at all but, hey he’s nuts.
I don’t see why you equate giving Gena the nuke as wanting to die? They use nukes all the time as weapons, they obviously aren’t as damaging to the ships as you’d expect. I guess it was safe to assume she could take out one of the civvies’ ships, but probably not Galactica/Pegasus.
As for theories, I like the idea of Dee being a cylon. Well, not really like it, but I can see it making sense. And either her or Anders needs to die – having a Lee/Kara/* triangle is less confusing than Lee/Kara/Dee/Anders square!
Only 11 days to go!
Zig, spot on about what nukes are worth.
(It’s Gina (which is a play on TOS fans, who called the RDM version ‘Galactica In Name Only’ (GINO)))
As for Dee being a Cylon, while I can’t actually counter that, I’ll just say:
Nooooooooooooooooooo! We’ll never be rid of her! Billy-killing bitch!
Zigdon said
“I don’t see why you equate giving Gena the nuke as wanting to die?”
I didn’t mean giving her the nuke meant he wanted to die I meant, because he didn’t want to die it was illogical for him to do something so patently reckless and potentially dangerous to himself. She was a suicidal robot soldier programmed with a mission to kill humans and he knew it and she did. She took out a whole bunch of ships. I cannot suspend disbelief in this scenario.
I don’t like the idea of Dee being a cylon either and maybe she isn’t… but…
Dee didint kill Billy I did ha im that masked terrorist hahahaha i kiled Billy