BSG 3:09 Bad timing

[hazelk]

I really think this episode would have worked better just after Collaborators. They would have had to change Tigh’s part in the proceeding but those flashbacks of Ellen would have been even more painful. Moreover, Adama’s various odd decisions might have made more sense, the problem with most of them (particularly the idea that he was being soft on the crew) being that they were precipitated by things that happened on New Caprica, which feels an age away now. For example, the decision to use Tyroll to make his point suggested that either he had some previously undisclosed personal issues with the Chief or that, because the more obvious recent example of his being too lenient (Helo) would clearly have wiped the floor with him in any fight without holds barred, he was picking on the physically less able.

A boxing episode would be a hard sell in any case, it’s a sport that does little for me. Not sadly so much because of the exploitation and the head injuries - it just always seems so incongruous that people involved in displays of supposedly naked aggression restrict themselves to using their fists. Where are the noble arts of head-butting or groin-kneeing? Admittedly the latter would give women an advantage and the mixed nature of the ‘dance’ in this episode was thought provoking. The strict weight categories in boxing imply that, gender aside, height and reach do make a big difference. Although presented as such would Sackoff vs Bamber really be any kind of fair fight? It was symbolically apt but did raise the question of how realistic the equal opportunities policy on Galactica is supposed to be. On re-watching the Pegasus episodes I was struck by how that crew was quite overwhelmingly male, a single token female fighter pilot and some women communications officers (the Uhuru position). It would make sense if the Pegasus actually represented the norm, allowing for a few exceptional women to rise to the top but for the most part the more prestigious appointments going to men. Galactica being an old bucket that nobody stays on who can do better might appear more progressive.

Back to the episode – it was pretty and the glimpse of hope on New Caprica before the fall made sense of why they went there and what actually happened seem even sadder. Lee and Kara just feels a little creepy. Mildly incestuous although I suppose Adama’s usually disowned one or the other at any given time. And Lee, I love you but you seem to have no idea of who this woman is if you think drunken sex means she’s going to stay with you. Sex is Kara’s way of maintaining her distance even when she’s sober. The ending was cute (though not so much for Sam and Dee) but I hope it implies a re-affirmation of friendship not the beginning of another doomed romance.

Comments

[par-avion.livejournal.com]

I wasn't wild about the ep, but some things made more sense to me on the 2nd pass.

Adama picks on the chief for multiple reasons: I think he's mad at chief for asking and him for granting the muster out; and he was mad that the chief was being lenient with his crew when there was work to be done. As much as Adama is the leader and therefore can't treat the crew like his friends, Tyrol is Deck Chief (?) and also a leader of men, he can't treat *his* crew like friends.

Kara and Lee have punched each other before, each taking as good as they got, and Kara has been shown working out with a punching bag as well. I don't think it's a completely realistic set-up, but they fought to a draw, and Apollo had taken quite a beating from Helo while Kara won her earlier fight easily.

And I'm surprised at myself how attached I've grown to Anders. I really don't want to see Kara/Lee at all now, whereas earlier in the show I thought they could be a wonderful trainwreck. It's less fun to watch when third parties are being hurt. And I'm really pissed at Lee for the way he treated Dee, both in the flashback and in the present.

[aycheb.livejournal.com]

You're right, Tyrol also being a leader is a good point and one they very deliberately made in the show but having him let the guy slack off when there'd been no sign of that sort of thing going in in the previous 4 episodes while he's been back on the Galactica felt contived to me. I may be forgetting things though. I still think a big part of the problem was the placement of the episode and the difference between viewer time and writer time, I suspect that for the writers it probably feels more like when you watch on DVD, the episodes run together and it's easier to accept that lots of stuff might be going on off camera.

And I'm surprised at myself how attached I've grown to Anders.
Agreed about Anders and I really thought he was a gratuitous love interest in Scar but now he seems as if he would be much much better for Kara than Lee, he doesn't idealise her. Well Lee doesn't exactly idealise her but he doesn't seem to see through her the way Sam does.

[abrakadabrah.livejournal.com]

Chief is chief petty officer, not Deck Chief. Unless that means the same thing as Chief Petty Officer elsewhere.

I did wonder what animosity Helo and Lee were working out together. That wasn't clear to me.

I think Adama picked Chief because Adama's decision to treat his soldiers differently, to be more lenient, less disciplined, started when Chief asked to be relieved of duty. So Chief summed it up for him.

So, yeah, it was somewhat contrived.

I think one way they got around the unreality of different boxing categories was making Kara adept at various martial arts techniques. She was the only one using that variety in the ring, I believe. Everyone else did traditional boxing.

I guess you Brits haven't yet been swept with the boxing craze. It's fairly popular and widespread in gyms here to work out on bags, far more than it used to be 10 years ago. So, while actual boxing is different than working out on a bag, the whole thing is very familiar at this point. - in fact, I'm going to stop writing this right now to get to my 5:00 boxing class. ;->

[aycheb.livejournal.com]

And there I was thinking it was just that she was cheating *g*

I do think of boxing as a more American thing. Not so much as baseball but in both cases I think the impression comes from movies. I mean obviously baseball *is* an American thing but anyway the not getting of boxing is probably more a personal than a national quirk. I have the same kind of disconnect watching football (soccer) - why don't they just pick up the damn ball instead of poking at it with their feet?

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

I share you hope about the last scene.

As for Adama's leniency, if there's someone he should have picked for a fight it would have been Saul then! It took him years to realize that he could no longer let Tigh get away with his behaviour.

Now I wonder if Tyroll wasn't just chosen precisely because he's called "Chief", and therefore he mirrored Adama's job.

[aycheb.livejournal.com]

Saul would have made more emotional sense but Adama would have looked really bad beating up a one-eyed cripple. Or being beaten by one. {g}