April 15, 2007
GWC Podcast #39
Surprise! Though it wasn’t on the list, we decided to go ahead and try another “commentary-style” podcast for this week’s re-watch episode, “Water.” We also stick around after the show to discuss the Mini-Series and “33,” plus we take a few more listener calls. Highlights: we gain insight into Cylon “sleeper agents” through watching Boomer struggle with her true nature, enjoy some early-BSG personal moments such as Adama offering fatherly advice to his son and Roslin counseling a distressed pilot, note how Roslin is already learning to “play politics,” discover (through callers) a few things to watch out for in the rest of the re-watch, and play our first “Cylon drinking game” with Audra.
Galactic Watercooler 
Modern Geek 
Save Eureka 
Eff This Week 
FitSmart
Woo-hoo! First post!
Too bad all I have to say is that, once again, I’m about a podcast behind. D’oh! (Still, I’m about two episodes ahead on my own re-watch, so I figure I can afford it…until I fall behind next week, since my wife and I started a Sopranos re-watch last night.)
Anyway, with yet another business trip coming up this week it’s good to know that I’ll have TWO GWC podcasts to keep me company on the road. Keep up the good work, guys.
Just realized I can liveblog this (sorta.) Halfway through.
The previouslies are sometime not even seen before.
Boomer didnt necesarily pick the storage locker at random. That may just have been the detenator locker.
I don’t think that Boomer realizes she’s a Cylon.
Back on Boomer. Chuck nails it. There’s part of her than knows (I’m not even sure it’s a concious part of her, rather than a subroutine that overrides.)
Interesting that Roslin went from carrying a slip of paper to carrying a diary of collaborators.
Post-episode chit chat.
Baltar has definately evolved. He’s now a guy who can actually murder people when he finds it necessary. I don’t think he’s that person in this episode.
I still maintain that Six is enough to shield Baltar. At that distance the blast wave is the big problem. Six is almost certainly toast, but it’s plausible that Baltar could be shielded from glass sufficiently to survive. Once the windows blow past, you’re just dealing with a lot of wind.
Caller Peter, the biggest argument against Head Six being pure craziness is Head Baltar. That’s just too coincidental.
The Cylon device is a Cylon IFF transponder.
http://en.battlestarwiki.org/wiki/Transponder
Current Cylon/s/z in the fleet are Boomer, D’anna, Cavil, Leoben, and Shelly Godfrey, but my count. Gina was on the Pegasus, and I think Doral was already abandoned.
Good podcast. You’ve pretty much got this commentary format down, I think. Might not hurt to do another, just to be sure. 😉
Pike,
I still haven’t gotten around to hearing the podcast commentary, but I’m not so sure I agree with you on Head Six/Head Baltar. I suppose it seems too convenient for coincidence, but I’ve always just seen these characters, especially after the introduction of Head Baltar in “Downloaded,” as manifestations of Gaius Baltar’s and Caprica Six’ subconscious, particularly their guilt at the murder of billions of human lives.
Maybe I’m wrong, though. But maybe I’m not. Who knows? Probably RDM and co. But they’re not saying right now.
Is it January yet?
Hey, since you guys always laugh about the Universal globe (which plays about a BAZILLION times on the Season 2 DVDs, it seems), I have another thing about the DVDs. On the Season 1 DVDs, Six has a wild sparkly outfit on the menus. Maybe I’m being crazy, but when in the world did she wear that?
And a very good podcast. I’m at the post-Water (drought?) part of it.
Hiya, I was listening the podcast and the listener comments, and I remembered that Head Six told Baltar about Athena and Helo’s baby before they got back to Galactica (and maybe even before they left Caprica). So that was a big piece of info that he couldn’t have known on his own, and a piece of info that really has to do with the over-arcing plot line of the story. The interbreeding the two groups may even show the true essence and destiny of humanity…
Maybe in keeping with the theory, Baltar himself is a cylon or prophet, which manifests as his subconscious that’s more in tune with what’s happening. I myself don’t think that he’s a cylon, but the season 3 the cray Baltar Cult could point towards Baltar-as-prophet. Sorry about the run-on thoughts!
The Cylon device on the Dradus tower is later revealed as something like an IFF transponder that activates when in proximity to another of its kind. I believe Mr Gaeta figures it out. Boomer uses it to get on the Basestar orbiting Kobol.
On whether Head Six is “real”: The last time we see her in the miniseries, the camera lingers on her as Baltar walks away, meaning that we are with her p.o.v. It is just for a few seconds, and it may be as simple as a mistake — but it could suggest that she is objectively “there.” I suspect it was just a slip up, as we have not returned to Head Six’s p.o.v. independent of Baltar since, but it has always bothered me.
Another great podcast, you guys. You’re really down on Roslin for not being President Nice anymore, though. I think the arc the creators have shown her on is a very realistic one, even including her feeling that the election had to be stolen. Power corrupts, right, even nice compassionate schoolteachers. And she and Adama did eventually come to their senses and honored the election’s results. To me, it would have been far more problematic if they hadn’t, and *that* would have been a real violation of Roslin’s ideals. I also thought her whole conversation with Lee in “Water” was very political, and not just the end of it. After the whole spiel about Adar carrying the names, there was no way Lee was going to say “no” to her. I don’t say she is lying or being manipulative, exactly, but she is *very* savvy and very aware the whole time of how she can persuade Lee to join her team.
Anyway, thanks again for another great show!
riza – i’m glad I read your comment before posting mine – i was gonna say the same thing about Head Six letting Baltar in on info about Hera’s arrival. I think Head Six is some kind of real thing…and I hope we *do* find out someday. Also Starbuck dissappeard and has now come back as what we don’t know. Baltar that ducked under Caprica 6 may “somehow” not be the same Baltar we see running for the rescue raptor. And Athena that steals Kara’s pet raider may not be the same one that shows back up later in the woods for Helo. rambling….
…and I hate to be the stupid kid in class that asks all the annoying questions that everyone else either knows all the answers to or they just don’t care, but…I’m a bit confused about where to post my comments since we sort of sometimes have 2 posts for one podcast/rewatch. Is it just me?
another girl’s perspective:
any Leoben for me = no shots of ambrosia….yummy
Fuzzy, Head Six didn’t specify it would be Hera, in fact she said it was ‘their’ child.
Post wherever. It’s a bit confusing with their commentary casts, because they do that at the beginning of the rewatch, rather than at the end, so both topics go up at the same time. With the ‘normal’ rewatch, we’ll presumably have more of a delay.
(CA&S, it might be a good idea to consolidate the podcast comments and the frak party on the weeks that y’all do a commentary-style podcast.)
pike: i only used hera’s name as a reference point – i just meant the whole “there’s a baby comin’ thing” I don’t think it matters. I can’t imagine that Baltar has a deep seated desire to have robot babies and that it’s all in his head. But he is smart so I guess he coulda been thinkin’ that eventually the “races” would start mixing…..i just want to believe that head six is more than him being crazy….
Fuzzy, I’m with you there. I think that Baltar isn’t (just) nuts. Head Baltar is my chief argument.
That said, there’s nothing to indicate for sure that Six is an outside influence. He could very well have intuited that a blending of races was the desired/inevitable outcome, and Head Six could just have been his way of realizing that to himself.
I would like to back up Audra’s sense that Baltar couldn’t be trusted even in the beginning. At the end of the Miniseries, after most of humanity has been obliterated because he comprimised security, Baltar wasn’t wracked by guilt, or even like, “Hey, I should probably make better choices next time…” Baltar plainly said to Head Six at the end that he was not on anyone’s side… Therefore he cannot be trusted!
Another great podcast guys!
After rewatching Water (the first time was when it aired), I was surprised by a few things. I thought Adama and Roslin had a lot of sparks and were getting pretty cozy on his couch, even though this was the beginning of their relationship. I just don’t remember all that innuendo before…maybe because I know where they’re headed, but dang.
I was surprised by how little Starbuck had changed (gods love ‘er). Her character may have gone though a lot, but her personality sure hasn’t.
It was surprising how early on in the series that Boomer wonders if she’s a cylon. I thought that happened way later in season 1. It’s great how the writers just got right to the point. Boomer. Cylon. Caprica Boomer. Cylon. Now that’s the way to roll with plot progression. 😉
On a slightly different subject, was anyone else intensely annoyed by Baltar’s arrogance during the card game? Wow. What did Starbuck see in him.
And doesn’t Lee look like he’s twelve? He looks so young!
As always, thanks for the great site and ‘casts CA&S!
I’m on a fast track rewatch (i.e. get bored and watch an episode or two) and just finished Home Part 2 (Season 2) and in it we see that Head Six is not a chip – Baltar gets a brain scan – yet she tells us a baby (their baby) will be born in the holding cell room. At the end of the episode Sharon and Helo are discussing their child and Baltar listens in and realizes it matches up with what Head Six had said when he was talking to her in that room earlier on.
So we’re going in a definite direction with the nature of Head Six… Something specific hopefully, but in any even she is no figment of his imagination.
That’s really interesting M@. I think you’re on to something…and I forgot about Baltar having his head scanned. I agree that Head Six is real, although I’ve only recently begun to believe this. I think that Head Six is going to turn out to be a chip or a sentient version of a cylon.
I also predict that Baltar will turn out to be a cylon, and that Head Baltar is a chip, program or some kind of sentient cylon technology.