November 12, 2007
GWC Podcast #71
This week’s rewatch episode marks the beginning of a brilliant story arc that ends with what Rolling Stone quoted us in describing as “the coolest moment in on-screen sci-fi since the Millenium Falcon arrived at the end of Star Wars.” We also get into this week’s not-so-action-packed ‘sode. Highlights: We discuss Baltar’s incredible approval poll numbers (and the heated discussions that’ve followed in their wake), talk about Duck’s final act and how it fits into the Colonial plan, compare Gaeta’s actions to Baltars, question the Cylons’ ability to handle freedom, note (yet again) that New Caprica is totally a craaaaphole, marvel at the fact that the resistance is run completely by Cylons, review Casey’s true parentage in true hindsight, wonder about the origins of the Cylon basestar we see in the ‘sode, debate how RDM will handle Adama’s possible early knowledge of human-appearing Cylons, and give props to Larry, the underachieving original toaster. Note: We ran long and couldn’t include a lot of the calls we received this week. We’ll get ’em in next week!
Galactic Watercooler 
Modern Geek 
Save Eureka 
Eff This Week 
FitSmart
Yeah, right. Audra doesn’t say frak for all the past presidential episodes and says the most recent one was “unscientific” when each poll before it has exactly the same wording. Audra only wants to twist the facts when she doesn’t like the results. I see why see likes Roslin.
I agree in the first commenter. I voted for Roslin each presidential vote and Audra just invalidated every presidential vote before this most recent one! How can you say it was unscientific??!! This was the same poll in every previous poll, only the name of the president was changed! Stop talking about the merits of the statistics when you are not a statisticians. I don’t post on these polls but had to. I am a statistician and the poll here is scientific. Actually the most recent poll was perhaps the most convincing since it had the most data. All previous polls had barely the same amount of data!!! Keep reading your dictionary and leave the statistics to the statisticians!
Right On! I voted for Roslin in the same poll al the past weeks. Audra just gave us all the finger by saying that the polls are unscientific. I’m not votin no more.
In polling, “scientific” refers to the use of accurate sampling methods. Any poll that doesn’t use these methods is “unscientific.” This includes almost all internet polls, including all the polls on this blog and in the forums.
This is a statement about methodology, not value.
Personally, I’ve voted both ways in various instances of the Presidential Approval poll: with either a viewer’s or an in-fleet perspective.
Pike is, as usual, absolutely right.
Man, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry about the attitude of the previous comments. I do know you guys are taking a poll about fictional characters on a TV show far too seriously.
Hang in there Audra! Startin’ to smell a bit “skiffy” around here. 🙁
Pike says: Personally, I’ve voted both ways
you freak….LOL
My Gods, I HOPE the first couple of commenters (commentors??) were being sarcastic. Geez.
If anyone should get upset with the GWC crew, it should only be when Chuck, Sean, or Audra are not fast enough to put the “z” behind Cylon, when talking about the Cylon(z) plural. Gorammit, that’s annoying!!!
Hey, I’ve got Audra’s back, so back the frak off!
The only really viable solution to all of this democracy in space craaaaaaaaaaaap is for my beloved Adama to become president. Yes, it’s only a dream, but with him and Starbuck as his VP what could go wrong?! :()
>>Audra doesn’t say frak for all the past presidential episodes…Audra only wants to twist the facts when she doesn’t like the results.
>>Keep reading your dictionary and leave the statistics to the statisticians!
>>Audra just gave us all the finger by saying that the polls are unscientific.
For the newcomers ’round here, you might not know from previous ‘casts and a long-time general attitude of goodwill that GWC tries to keep a friendly atmosphere on the web for BSG and other sci-fi fans. Y’all are of course free to feel how you do, but before you attack, how about hanging around the forum a bit to get the feel for the community? We work hard to have civil discussions, and that means civil disagreement sometimes too.
FWIW, I only meant to point out that the polls have always been for fun only, especially when there’s no clear distinction as to whether we vote as viewers or as hypothetical fleet members. I accept the results of the poll, whatever they are, because it’s a reflection of current thought, not something to take personally.
agreed Audra
let’s play nice
There\’s too much confusion here. No reason to get excited. There must be some way out of here. I voted for Baltar.
Y’all are skiffy here. It just a damn tv show! LOL
First time commenting but I had to, I’m listening to the podcast at the moment, and your comments about Baltar not signing the death sentence ignores the fact that Baltar is above all else, a survivor.
You could even go as far as saying that he did it while talking to head!six and wasn’t in his right mind at the time of signing.
Are any of *you* saying that you’d be happy to die? It’s the classic Godfather line, to paraphrase:
“Either your signature or your brains will be on the dotted line, choose.”
What I really love about the Baltar signing the executiong list scene is how Head Six pulls in Admiral Cain language – sometimes horrible things have to be done – in order to fight another day….. I didn’t catch that the first few times around, but after obsessing/I mean rewatching the Pegasus arc it just really struck me. This scene always gives me the chills and highlights how blurred the line between right and wrong can become, how it can change based on perspective, and how Baltar is just so right on. Frakked up, but still has a conscience, just trying to stay alive – kind of like Fisk, he knows that even if he gives his own life for principal, Ro’s just going to find someone to do what she wants, as will the Cylons here. The real question is, would Felix have given his life rather than sign the warrant???
Stupid side note: with all of the Cylon technology, one would think they could program a centurion to forge Baltar’s signature……just a thought……
Hybrid Master: I wondered why the Cylons didn’t just forge it, too, but I guess a forgery wouldn’t “cover their existential asses.” (That’s got to be one of my favorite lines from the series. I don’t like Brother Cavil at all as a person, but he’s incredibly entertaining as a character.)
I haven’t gotten a chance to listen to the podcast yet, but has the difference between Baltar’s being morally responsible for the execution versus his being legally responsible come up at all? Because it seems to me that, if Colonial law is anything like U.S. law, Baltar shouldn’t be held legally accountable for his signature since he had a gun to his head. He was under duress (forced to do something against his will because of an imminent threat of harm), which under U.S. law is both a defense to criminal charges and to void contracts. Granted, the execution order isn’t a contract, but I don’t know anything about the rules for signing executive orders under duress. Lawyer Bill, are you out there somewhere?
Really unrelated thought, though slightly related to mymatedave’s post (welcome, by the way!): Maybe Baltar should have thought about pleading insanity in the trial. He *does* have a Cylon woman in his head telling him what to do, after all.
Second or third time posting, listening since episode 3 was released…
One – Audra… just admin that you’re in love with Cavil.
Two – Chuck… you’re always right, they’re just jealous.
Three – Sean… Centurion + Bad Aim + Poor Depth Perception = Gardener?
Four – Saul Tigh is the Chuck Norris of the Galactica Universe.
Five – I think I’ll wait a year to reveal this.
Regards,
BDGroundHog
PS: There is no scar under Saul Tighs’ eye patch. There is only another fist.
PSS: Saul Tigh VS Master Chief… thoughts?
In response to the last post, all I can say is
OOoooooOh!
I’ve neglected you guys lately. Need to get caught back up! Suggestion for a non-BSG rewatch—Firefly/Serenity! Duh!
Minnesotia Actual
I definitely find the polls to be useful and FUN but in terms of a representative sample, they don’t capture probably even 10% of BSG watchers, and it isn’t clearly defined in the wording whether one is supposed to answer as if one were a member of the RTF living on the spinny ship or the parallel market ship or whether one is supposed to answer as the limited-omniscient viewer that one is. That means that the poll is unscientific, but it certainly doesn’t mean it’s not fun and worth voting each week.
Sometimes I vote as myself, a viewer, and other times I vote as I think I would vote if I were a fleet civilian. Of course, I’d probably be trying to find a way to work for my Quorum member as her executive assistant, Billy-style, so my perceptions would probably be pretty different from the tyllium ship Every Man. But if the RTF is anything like many western democracies, which it seems to resemble, elections aren’t really decided by the Regular Joes because only about 40% of the Joes make it to the polls.
I also approve of Roslyn most weeks and disapprove of her about 25% of the time. People are unscientific, in many ways. It makes us, and GWC, so much fun.