(S03E18) Since Ron Moore's podcast came out a few days ago, I'll do a little bit of recap of what he said along with the review.
Something that Battlestar does well that has bothered me with some other shows is how, when we have a primary cast of characters amongst a much larger involved population, I'm not left wondering why more background cast doesn't come forward more often. There's a decent balance here. It makes sense why someone like Kara is so highly mourned and regarded, while some other pilots aren't so much. And when a background character comes forward, it's done at the right time and place where it fits.
Moore mentions in the podcast that he needed to come up with a plausible reason for Adama to be selected to be on the tribunal, and the fishbowl scene worked for that. I agree -- I may have raised an eyebrow had they not gone the lottery route. It's definitely interesting to listen to this podcast, even without accompanying video, and hear what decisions were made along the way to help tell the story. I'm fascinated at how easily and naturally Moore can put these podcasts together, many times without even the hint of a pause in his speech, without uttering a key spoiler to the entire series.
In the scene with Lee adding Kara's picture to the wall, Anders drunk on a Raptor, originally that was going to open with Anders and Lee at the wall and a fight would break out. But with the time that had passed on the show since Kara's death, he felt it made sense that they were past that, that the reason for their rivalry was now gone.
Something else Moore points out that I think others have brought up before is how seemingly easy it was for Sharon to be given "human status" while Caprica Six is not, even though she clearly helped the humans. I think that's a point that could be argued to death, but the simple fact right now is that Six's actions have yet to earn her the humans' trust. A couple more human lives saved down the road and maybe we'd see things differently.
The quick mention by Lampkin regarding Adama's tarnished button seems to speak much more than I think was let on. If you put together what the Admiral's been through (including being shot multiple times in the chest), his quasi-relationship with Roslin and then this small revelation of him not caring to keep his uniform in shape, one might conclude that he's considering some sort of retirement. But is that even possible given the situation everyone's in?
Moore made mention of the talk lately of Lee's grandfather, his involvement with Caprican law and his relationship with Bill and Lee. While the spin-off series Caprica hasn't been greenlit yet, this is somewhat a bit of foreshadowing into who Joeseph Adama was and what he was like. Moore mentions that that wasn't his intent, but that it's more to explain Lee's attraction to the law. Actually, can your foreshadow something for a story of what happened in the past? Weird.
Romo's letter to Baltar seems to help put a finer point on what we have to look forward to in the coming episodes. Ever since the fat Apollo days, we've seen Lee and his father at odds with one another. The result of their rift brings up an interesting side effect. Lee's desire to step out of the shadow of his father will outweigh his want of Baltar to lose his case. And as the letter said, there is no greater enemy to the enemy.
I think once again we're going to have people very much on both sides of the fence with this episode. It's guaranteed that a lot of you will be disappointed with it, that it was uneventful and lacked what we've come to love about this show. On the other side of the fence will be the purists, those who loved it and really felt the dynamic between many of the characters. But then there will be those few, like me, who can feel both ways about it.
If I were to judge this episode on its own, I'd say it wasn't great. But if I take what's happened thus far with what I believe will happen in the final two episodes, I think we'll come back to this episode and find it to have been great. A "great" episode to me is one that not only I can explain to non-BSG watching friends and get them to consider watching the show, but one I want to tell them about in the first place. This is not one of those episodes.
Other random things from the podcast:
- Roma Lampkin was originally going to die at the end of this episode, giving Lee sole responsibility for the trial.
- A cat makes its entrance for the first time in this episode. Moore made note of the fascination of online folks with the dog from earlier in the season (yes I was guilty of that, too). The cat was supposed to "run" out of the Raptor, but they sped up the film in order for it to appear that it ran, since it just sauntered out hen they actually shot it. "It's a little bit of Land of the Lost," says Moore. Later the cat runs because he thinks people on the set threw things at it off-camera.
- Some were worried about the sunglasses thing on Romo Lampkin, though Ron liked the idea and wanted to try it. I agree with Moore -- Romo Lampkin does resemble John Cusack in a few scenes.
- In the plot of who the bomber is, in the first few drafts, they were going to have the identity not revealed in this episode but keep him alive as a threat throughout the trial.
- No more kleptomania from Romo in future episodes.
- Moore always had qualms about both Lee and his father being in on the same case and went over it over and over in the writing room. He felt the dynamic between these two characters was important to show here.
Current fleet population: 41,399 (I'm figuring the death prior to the first act was counted in that number already and that nobody died in the explosion Lampkin was involved in.)
The Cheers episode Ken Levine's still writing in his head
Giveaway Tuesday: Fastlane - The Complete Series
Giveaway Monday: The X-Files: Revelations on DVD
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
3-11-2007 @ 11:46PM
Dorv said...
I haven't read the post, I just wanted to be the first to post the following:
Romo Lampkin was the most nuanced, interesting character introduced on this show in a long, long time. Mark Sheppard did a HELL of a job tonight, and I'm glad he'll be around for a couple of episodes.
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3-12-2007 @ 12:00AM
Dorv said...
Ok, now that's done:
Keith: Nice job including the Podcast information, but I think that I'll be listening to them before checking this post in the future... I like the podcasts a great deal, but reading this post is like reading spoilers for the podcast :)
Tim-1: I know this comment is coming, so I better head it off at the pass: Yes, even I thought Cally was over the line. If they keep pushing her down this road in the future, I will be very disappointed. I did love the, "Oh Snap, Tim-1's gonna be pissed" moment the scene did invoke, though.
I know I've already mentioned, but I truly enjoyed Sheppard's (For those that are trying desparetly to figure it out without going to IMDB, I'll give you a big hint: On another world, he might be a fan of the University of Wisconsin) Lampkin. While this episode was mainly a setup to the next two (and I'd agree a little slow), I think that the introduction to his character, and especially considering how he interacted with Baltar, Six, and Apollo was some of the more interesting stuff I've seen on the show in a long time.
I like that I got my scene, and at the end of the day, I was kind of happy to see Sam there. As incredible the final scene was last week, I felt that we were kind of robbed of Apollo in the Memorial Hallway. However, seeing Apollo hesitant about it at first, and then having it eventually be the scene where Apollo and Anders made nice, was an interesting touch.
Overall, I thought it was a pretty darn good episode, and I think it will definitely look ALOT better when you factor in the season as a whole.
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3-12-2007 @ 12:02AM
Bill said...
"Romo Lampkin does resemble John Cusack in a few scenes."
Really? I actually thought the first lawyer *was* John Cusack for a second, but don't see the resemblance to Lampkin at all.
The podcast notes are interesting... I'm always too lazy to listen, but it's at least nice to know that they thought about all the things that struck me as odd. The conflicts of interest for this trial all are all over the place, but at least they're aware of it, and I guess if they want to sacrifice a little realism for the drama... Ron Moore is certainly better at making a TV show than I am, so I'll trust his judgment.
Also, when the President mentioned that she couldn't find her glasses, that was right on the heels of Apollo telling Lampkin that he should panic if anything in his quarters was out of place. I was all ready for an explosion, which obviously never came. But I'm glad it turned out to be significant anyway.
http://popculturejunk.blogspot.com/
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3-12-2007 @ 12:06AM
Bill said...
Sorry if this is a double-post, but my first attempt seems to have disappeared into the ether:
"Romo Lampkin does resemble John Cusack in a few scenes."
Really? I actually thought the first lawyer *was* John Cusack for a second, but don't see the resemblance to Lampkin at all.
The podcast notes are interesting... I'm always too lazy to listen, but it's at least nice to know that they thought about all the things that struck me as odd. The conflicts of interest for this trial all are all over the place, but at least they're aware of it, and I guess if they want to sacrifice a little realism for the drama... Ron Moore is certainly better at making a TV show than I am, so I'll trust his judgment.
Also, when the President mentioned that she couldn't find her glasses, that was right on the heels of Apollo telling Lampkin that he should panic if anything in his quarters was out of place. I was all ready for an explosion, which obviously never came. But I'm glad it turned out to be significant anyway.
http://popculturejunk.blogspot.com/
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3-12-2007 @ 1:19AM
1iPete said...
This episode may have been slow but I really liked it. I am glad they chose not to have Sam & Lee become adversaries in the wake of Kara's demise. I appreciated how they showed how much her death affected the viper pilots, Lee and Adama.
What really made the episode was the introduction of the Badger (ok, Roma Lampkin) as Baltar's defense attorney. His character and interactions were very interesting and fun to watch. I hope and expect him to dazzle during the trial episodes.
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3-12-2007 @ 1:53AM
David said...
Very glad they didn't kill another lawyer, that would be kind of lame.
"Later the cat runs because he thinks people on the set threw things at it off-camera."
PETA will now be sueing.
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3-12-2007 @ 7:20AM
DudeBoyz said...
The lawer was a great character. He seemed to me to be very much like a cylon would be.
Baltar has pretty much gone stark raving mad, which I guess may be leading up to him eventually joining full-on with the cylons and lead their campaign to destroy humanity.
It will be interesting to see if the fanatical following of Baltar as a deity comes into play. Fanatics following a nearly insane fanatic in his own right.
I didn't understand the President's comment when she was watching Six and listening to what the lawyer was saying. It seemed rather out of place given all of the anger she has exhibited about all of this.
What I did miss was Six in Baltars head and Baltar in Six's head. I thought it would have been good to include that in the episode.
Still, it did set the groundwork for the final 2 shows of the season. I hope it does not end in a cliffhanger but gets resolved. Perhaps instead of the death penalty, they exile Baltar and Six somehow and then just leave that hanging until next season. I could live with that.
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3-12-2007 @ 10:58AM
Joel said...
Good episode. I thought the scenes with Sam & Lee were very well done, especially the one in the memorial hall. Romo's character was excellent- the only minor complaint I would have is that I had to give the rewind button on my tivo remote a major workout because of his mumbling- very cool guy though.
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3-12-2007 @ 11:00AM
Pamela said...
I would give this episode a B+.
I love the Romo Lampkin character and have always enjoyed Mark Sheppard as an actor. His witty articulate irreverent personality is perfect for BSG. I was worried that he would over shadow Baltar, but it seems to be a nice touch having them together with Lee supporting. They make a nice threesome and with the addition of Six? This trial is already becoming quite interesting. I like the father-son rift and the idea of Lee as a Baltar attorney.
I do not care too much for the Cally character, but we all have those people in our lives that make us want to put tape over their mouths to shut their whining. How Tyrol went from Sharon to Cally is beyond me. That said the actress playing Cally does a wonderful job.
I'm still smarting from the loss of Starbuck. She was my favorite character and will be missed. While applauding RM and DE for a ballsy writing move, I wonder if her demise will lead to something or was it simply done for the shock value. If it is the later then I'm sorely disappointed. If the former then it is a brilliant story arc depending on how it all ends and I do not say that loosely. I'm very aware of the realism of the Starbuck death and the grief and anger that accompanies it so says my left brain, but my right brain is screaming with want of a happy resolution for her and while many of the die hard BSG fans did not like her romance with Lee, I thought it made for a nice departure from the original series. I'm not a 'shipper', but realize as a writer that when you get two actors that play characters that have that kind of intense chemistry? It is poor writing not to take advantage of it and the writers have been excellent at writing the actors into the characters thus far.
I am eagerly waiting the next two episodes.
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3-12-2007 @ 11:35AM
Mike said...
So is Lampkin playing Lee? His note to Baltar makes it sound like he wants Lee to face off with his father. Was his story of knowing Joseph Adama true or all part of the ploy?
I thought when he was with six and he left the pen on the table and kept pushing how much she hurt..he wanted her to end her suffering by taking the pen and use it to take her life.
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3-12-2007 @ 11:37AM
Mike said...
is there really only 2 shows left? and next season doesn't start till Jan 08....DAMN
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3-12-2007 @ 11:48AM
David said...
Just be happy there is a season 4. And we might get the movie out by Christmas. lol
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3-12-2007 @ 1:16PM
Ryan said...
I thought it was a very well done episode. Romo Lampkin was pretty geat. He just fit in.
I can't wait for the last two episodes!
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3-12-2007 @ 5:40PM
Tim-1 said...
If one of the shows premise is to depict a democratic and lawful society for the remaining human population, then consistency should be observed. The evesdropping by Roslin and company (of Lampkin and six) when in the brig was disturbing. There is supposed to be client/attorney confidentiality here (although six is not on trial, she is a chesspiece in the defences case). There can be no fair trial if that tenent is violated, no matter whom is on trial. Roslins snooping has all the makings of a kangaroo court.
Dorv....I commend you not so much for noting Cally's "out of line" remarks to Sharon, but for the objectivity and depth of the connotations involved.
The continuation of suspicion to Sharon would be curious (to put it mildly) in many ways. Spock would say it's illogical. If Sharon wanted to jeopardize the humans, she had ample opportunities to do so, as we know by now. In fact, if Sharon had really wanted to compromise the humans, she could have merely taken no action at all. By that I mean simply NOT HELPING the humans would have done the humans in on more than one occasion. And don't forget that to antaganize the humans would endanger Sharons reunion with Hera. She wouldn't risk it. Even the staunchest critic of Sharon would have to concede that. For the humans (that know Sharon's history) to continue to persecute Sharon, would reflect a meanness and vindictiveness on the humans part. Flawed as they are, I wouldn't think the writers would want to portray humanity that far over on the dark side. But then...we do have Roslin.
As for Cally....(forgive me Dorv, but I can no longer hold back this than King Canute could will the waves from rolling in) I wish I could have had two...TWO minutes of writing freedom in this episode. On that deleted scene it would have went something like this:
Sharon: Good news for you Cally.
Cally: Oh....what's that?
Sharon: Well, you don't have to beat around the bush anymore about your feelings toward me. And....I'm not going to kill you.
Cally: And just what is THAT supposed to mean?!
Sharon: It means that you are not frakking around with BOOMER here. It means that if you don't get off my (PERFECT) ass....I'm going to bitch slap you to within an inch of your life. So shut your pie-hole or I'll give you a real reason to hate me.
(scene fades to black)....
Oh I know, Sharon is much too classy to put it quite that way. But I just thought since the woman of my dreams wasn't getting enough lines of late, I would lend a couple of ideas (just for fun).
Ah...the benefits of fantasy....
ps: I liked the cat.
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3-12-2007 @ 8:44PM
Akbar Fazil said...
Flaw in your argument Tim.
Caprica Six is not a Colonial Citizen. She is an enemy combantant. She has no rights.
Regardless, how any part of this trial could not be considered a kangaroo court is clear imo. As Cally mentioned "justice must be served" no matter how biased every member of the tribunal will be towards Baltar.
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3-12-2007 @ 11:21PM
Ian said...
Lampkin has gotta be a Cylon.
His words and actions to C6 appeared to be coded stuff IMHO. They both knew they were being observed.
A build ep.
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3-12-2007 @ 11:57PM
Dorv said...
Akbar: What is justice though? Is Baltar on trial for his crimes as President or his supposed crimes on Caprica (I don't think him guilt in that case of anything other than being duped)?
Isn't there an arguement somewhere that he was forced to comply, and that nothing he did would have changed anything on New Caprica?
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3-13-2007 @ 12:13AM
Tim-1 said...
Akbar: You are correct that in the case of Six the client/Confidentiality rule would not have to be recognized. But in this case I was thinking since Lampkin is apparently using her for some part of Baltars defence that tenet should still be honored (for the sake of his client). At least I would think Lampkin should be informed he is being surveyed. His client as a non-combatent human should earn him that right. Maybe Lamkin knew he was being watched or maybe he didn't, but the fact Roslin is utilizing that practice seems unethical. But even if I am wrong about it, I would not like to be in Baltars shoes with this hanging pary.
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3-13-2007 @ 1:00AM
Dorv said...
Also, having listen to the first bit of the Podcast, Moore WAS actually referring to the first lawyer when making the John Cusack reference.
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3-13-2007 @ 12:36PM
Akbar Fazil said...
I do not think we have been fully told exactly what Baltar is on trial for. Hopefully next week when we get to the trial we will see that.
A for Six and Lampkin, Lampkin KNEW he was being monitored. He even mentioned it to Six when talking to her.
Also, I do not feel that Roslin monitoring the interview has any implication on Baltar's justice. Roslin is not the prosecuting attorney. I doubt she is relaying any information back about that interview. My main beef is with Adama being there but if he did witness the other attorney interviewing Six then I guess in all fairness it is good. As I mentioned before, it is impossible for anyone to be unbiased about this case.
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