BSG

[lls_mutant]

Oh. My. God.

MY BOYS!!!!!!

I watched this last night and then could barely sleep, because oh my God, the ending. Not just the ending, but the whole thing. My thoughts, in four parts:

Gaeta

I'm really sad that Gaeta died, but let's face it- this was the right ending for him with the plot they'd given him. I'm just glad he didn't die a coward's death. He's at peace now, and I think that could not have been more evident when he said, "It stopped."

I don't agree with what Gaeta did, and I do think he deserved what he got. He deserved the firing squad, because military law is pretty explicit. And I know he knew it, which is why it doesn't bother me. But I understand why he did it. (More on that a little later.) He is also, completely and utterly, Dr. Horrible. You know what broke me today? Listening to the last line of Dr. Horrible, where he sings "And I won't feel... a thing." Gaeta's tone on 'It stopped' was almost identical to Billy's tone on 'a thing,' except one regained his humanity and died, and the other lost it and lived.

I am so glad that they showed him like they did. Hesitating and yet still adamant. Hesitating because he knew the methods were wrong, but going ahead because he fully believed he was right and there was no other course left to him. Adama took away reason when he refused to even listen to him, and all that was left was violence. And I don't believe he died with nothing. In his mind, he still died honoring his uniform, because he truly believed Adama dishonored his, even though deep down he still loved Adama.

And oh,

Adama

They had better show Adama reacting to all this next week. I'm fine with the fact he hasn't, yet, because for Adama, only about 5-6 hours have passed since he's discovered Felix's mutiny, and he's been pretty busy just trying to stay alive and regain control of Galactica. But I desperately want him to ask why one of his men- one that he trusted so much- did this. And I want him to come to the right answers.

I don't think Adama has betrayed humanity. I really don't. I think he's stuck in between a rock and a hard place and he's thinking of survival. And to give Adama credit, the fact that the rebel Cylons gave him the Hub was a HUGE thing. Do I think they should be fully trusted? No. (Although I do think that Chief, Anders, and Tigh should be mostly trusted but watched just a little until everyone understands what their nature is. Because, y'know, BOOMER.) I don't hold him responsible for New Caprica, either, because if Adama had stayed and fought then, he would have lost. He needed to run, regroup, and plan. Four months might have been stretching it, but yes, he needed to run away for a bit.

But has Adama betrayed Felix Gaeta? The answer to that is a deep and resounding yes, and damn it, I hope he realizes it.

Gaeta was Adama's officer, and as such, he was entitled to Adama's protection. I'm okay with the Circle from Adama's POV (for the most part), because Adama didn't know about it, and as soon as he found out he put a stop to it. But none of the Circle were punished. He had Gaeta interrogate Baltar, which was more dumb than cruel. Okay, it was also cruel, but I get why it was necessary. But when Gaeta got shot in the leg, Adama should have investigated. Even punishing Felix (and Helo and Sharon) would have sent a better message than doing nothing. When he did nothing, he essentially told Felix "Your life does not matter to me." Not helped by the fact he never bothered to stop by the sickbay, at least on screen. And the way the Adama's treated Felix right after Dee's suicide? Even worse.

And then there's the webisodes.

I know they're written after and so many people don't watch them and yada yada yada. But Adama commits some major sins against Felix in the webisodes:

1.) He does not send a S&R raptor until 2 days later, and that's only because Hoshi bugs them so much that they let him go. And when they do send Hoshi, it's for his sake, not Gaeta's.
2.) I am assuming that when the Raptor of Death jumped, it was to the original coordinates that the fleet jumped to. Adama couldn't even leave a Raptor there in case they returned?
3.) He covered it up. A Cylon killed three humans and almost a fourth, and obviously Adama believes Gaeta that she did it if he's not in the brig. This is BIG. It should have been addressed. Maybe not outed to the entire fleet, but investigated. Discussed with the Cylons. SOMETHING. Instead, it didn't matter, and Gaeta- who rightfully deserved protection- was shunted to the side.

I don't remotely blame Adama for all of Felix's decline. The answer isn't that simple. The Cylons were at fault, circumstances were at fault, Baltar was at fault, and yes, Felix was at fault. He's not a complete innocent in all of this.

But Adama played a role, and damn it, I want the show to acknowledge that. NO. I want ADAMA to realize and acknowledge that. (Although Felix, honey? That trial was a mockery and YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER)

Zarek

Okay, this is a biggie. To be honest, I really disagree with RDM's assessment of Zarek. It's too cartoony, and my version is more interesting. I think Zarek truly believes what he preaches. He really does believe in all those ideas... but he believes that he needs to use any means possible to accomplish them. I do think he's power hungry, but I think he's blind to it, until that moment he broke when the Quorum called him "Mr. Vice President." That was his breaking moment, and it broke my heart. But Zarek is a more interesting character as a broken idealist who will use any means necessary to achieve his lofty goals, and that's how he's staying in my head. Still violent. Still a terrorist. Still prone to some really sleazy things. But all for the vision. All for the goal.

I can not tell you how happy I am that it seemed like Gaeta and Zarek actually cared about each other. Yes, they were obviously at odds, but good God- they had their hands on each other a lot :) There was a moment where Zarek had Felix by the arms- I think it was right after he shot the Quorum- and his hand was actually very supportive and almost rubbing. Like he was trying to calm Felix down physically.

And then there was the smile. When they smiled at each other at the end, and then faced the firing squad bravely, still believing that they were right, and met death squarely... that broke my heart. Oh, show.... At least they had each other in the end. Because damn it, they did. The ONLY thing that's been truly jossed about Youth's Final Luxury is the secret. And yes, I'm writing a part 7.

Other Thoughts

-Baltar and Gaeta, OH MY GOD. Look, I love Hoshi/Gaeta (and Narcho/Gaeta), but Baltar is Gaeta's love. And he got his last wish- someone to sit and care about him for a minute, and for it to be Baltar. Heart broke.

-Narcho. I love you even more now, and now I feel like I can. After writing The Touch of Your Grace, I felt like I liked the Narcho/Gaeta relationship more than the Gaeta/Hoshi one. And after seeing this episode ("Can I count on you, Noel?" AH!), I think I still feel that way. We'll see if we get any Hoshi moments when he has to take Gaeta's place.

-Roslin, you fucking used civilians as a shield for the Cylons. Tactically, it was brilliant. Morally, you may now shut the fuck up for a while. I love you, girl, but you don't get to be on any high horses about that move. (Even though you were right about Felix not shooting civilians.) Oh, and shouting into the wireless won't work if the signal is jammed.

-Starbuck, glad you gave a shit about your husband! Good girl!

-Romo and the stabby pen FTW!!!!!!!!!! Was it the same pen?

-Chief, you foiled my boy, but you also made me laugh. I love you. You and Baltar, who managed to get laid this episode. Heee. Oooh- that reminds me. When Baltar saw that Six, he REALLY reacted. Did anyone else think that maybe that was originally meant to be Gaeta's Six, back when his Cylon was a Six and not an Eight? (I also noticed Adama got a dig in about loving a Cylon.)

-Gaeta's future. Alessandro Juliani said he had just shot episode 18. I don't think he lied, because the interview read a little too casual for that. One of two things: 1.) a lot got moved around in editing, or 2.) flashback or Head!Gaeta. While I'd like to see him be a head!Gaeta/spiritual guide to Adama, I think Baltar might be more likely. Baltar seemed to be having an epiphany about the kind of leader he needs to be. Who better to be his guide and kick his spiritual ass than the first man who believed in him so completely, with such passion? (Plus, Juliani mentioned an intense scene with Callis. While I think that might have been the Restaurants shaped like food scene, I could also believe it's a Head!Gaeta/Baltar scene.)

-The prosthetic leg was left in Adama's office. PLEASE let him find it on screen! I'm really hoping that Gaeta's not never mentioned again.

Okay. I need to do something besides blog today. Amazing episode and I loved it, but it also broke my heart.

Yup. That's BSG.

Comments

[tin-o-biscuits.livejournal.com]

The only thing about last night that broke my sobbing a bit was Felix talking about his childhood because I immediately wondered if you would incorporate it into your fanon with his two dads. :') I love your overall analysis and can't wait for ficness. Oh, and I'm using the cash I got for my birthday to get Dr. Horrible and Firefly. :)

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

Yes- it totally goes into my two dads :) I have to keep the het parents-miracle baby scenario for YFL, because I've been explicit about that, but the rest of my fanon totally has the two dads :)

And now that my sinus infection is clearing up, maybe I'll be able to concentrate long enough to fic (although my mom is still here for another week and we still have eating hospital.)

I think you'll love Dr. Horrible and Firefly. Firefly is much better when you watch the real pilot first. I really want to write a Firefly/BSG crossover, that ends up with Felix on Serenity. Maybe one of these days I'll get around to it!

[trovia.livejournal.com]

I completely agree with everything you said. We're on the same page about everything this week.

Yes, they were obviously at odds, but good God- they had their hands on each other a lot :) There was a moment where Zarek had Felix by the arms- I think it was right after he shot the Quorum- and his hand was actually very supportive and almost rubbing. Like he was trying to calm Felix down physically.

That's totally true. I noticed this in the last episode when Gaeta stumbled and Zarek reached out for him to steady him. It's so sad to think that Gaeta wasn't even extended this little common courtesy by people like Tigh and Adama (we didn't see Gaeta and Adama interact much since "Faith" but they were in the CIC together, and I just can't see it happening anyway). Zarek just cares and helps on a level that's not even special, it's just average and polite.

Heh, if you're right about Gaeta coming back as spiritual guide or Head!Gaeta, there sure is one hell of a scene coming up for Adama or Baltar. Imagine the surprise.

BTW, very glad to hear you're writing Part 7. :)

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

Yeah- I haven't had a chance to comment on people's entries because my mom is here this week and my computer time's a little more limited, but I agreed with everything you said, too :) And I was pleased for you when Hot Dog took the high road.

I REALLY need to rewatch this episode. I want to enjoy the Gaeta/Narcho goodness a little more (i think he was totally going to make Narcho his XO), and Gaeta and Tom.... You know, it would have been interesting if they'd decided to make Tom the boyfriend in the webisodes. I'm glad they didn't in a way, because while Felix is a sympathetic antagonist, Tom is not, and yeah, making them a couple really sends a LOVELY message. (Plus, the dynamics would have been pretty weird.) But if they'd written the episodes with more foresight... it might have been interesting. Especially since Adama basically put his girlfriend into the Presidency. Having Zarek/Gaeta being canon would have been a nice irony.

It would be awesome if Gaeta came back, but I'm not holding my breath. My guess is more that either there will be a flashback, there were flashbacks and maybe they got cut, or stuff got moved around in editing. Or AJ WAS lying in that interview. I would love to see Gaeta still be a part of Baltar's arc, because he really did believe in him, and I think Baltar finally realized that. I'd love to see that be part of what spurns Baltar into action. Something that was honestly good and pure in his life was just destroyed. But I fear that Baltar was more important to Gaeta's arc than Gaeta is to Baltar's.

A snippet of a scene I would love to see, though...

Adama glared at him. "He was one of my crew. I never betrayed Gaeta."

"Oh?" Gaius said, pulling himself up. "Then tell me, Admiral. How long has he known Tom Zarek? What happened to him on New Caprica? Why did he stab me with a pen? What did I tell him? What happened between him and Kara Thrace to make them hate each other so passionately? How did he end up getting shot in the leg? What were the lyrics of the song he sang as he recovered? When he went missing, why didn't you send a search and rescue mission right away? Why was he found on board that Raptor with five needles of morpha and four corpses? Why did he lock up Louis Hoshi, who obviously loved him enough to go searching through space for him? Why were his last words It stopped? If you can answer any of these questions, Admiral, then no. You did not betray him."

Adama looked at him for a long time. "Get out of my sight," he finally growled.

Gaius stood up and bowed mockingly. But as he left, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Admiral bow his head.

[trovia.livejournal.com]

I love your snippet. Just some time ago, I would have thought it would be funny to see Baltar have the moral high ground but it really isn't because damn, he has a point.

You know what fic I'd really love to read? "A Christmas Carol," BSG style, with Adama as Scrooge. Gaeta could be one of his ghosts (or all of them). Or better even, somebody really annoying (like Baltar or Zarek) could force Adama to face the ways he's failed Felix. Sadly, I've never actually read "A Christmas Carol," so I'm not the right person for the job.

Talking of wank!fic, you wouldn't happen to plan on writing some? Not necessarily the Scrooge one of course. Your last one was so great. I think we all need wank!fic right now. I wish I had a plotbunny (that I can actually write).

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

Thanks! And yeah, he does have a point. I really, really, REALLY hope we see consequences from this.

I was thinking that Christmas Carol idea as well!!!! Gaeta would almost have to be the present, depending on how it was done. Dee could be the past and Laura or Starbuck or a Cylon could be the future.

I'm not sure exactly what I'll be writing. I'm fired up for part 7 of YFL. I want to write the BSG/Firefly crossover where Zarek and Gaeta go off on Serenity. (Zarek ends up on one of the moons running things, and Felix ends up the new pilot of Serenity.) I still have to do the Felix/Jake (sort of) fic that I have in my head. But I feel like... I don't know. For all that it was sad, I was happy with the ending. It was right, and I'm glad our boy got such a huge arc and episodes to exit on. Oh yeah, I have to do a fic challenge fic, too. Oops. I also was thinking I might do an afterlife ficlet, because I love it and I want Tom and Felix to go fishing together :)

Head!Gaeta. I really might have to write more head!Gaeta.

::sigh:: A lot really depends on what happens next week. If Gaeta's not mentioned at all, there will be much ranting and wank fic. If he is... probably much less :P

[prophetkristy.livejournal.com]

I have such mixed feelings. I'm not surprised that he's gone, but I just can't accept it. I'm a little miffed at TPTB for taking what feels like the easy way out. I agree with you 100000% about needing Adama to think back on things, but I do not in any way expect it to happen. Felix has gotten short shrift so very many times.

(Yeah, I was a little WTF? about the "trial". I can see Felix wanting one, yes, but wanting, y'know, a REAL one.)

The stabby pen: when that shot started and it was just hands and a pen, I was SURE it was Felix. heh.

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it probably won't. But it would make me sad if it didn't, because Felix had points and Adama needs to realize that, especially since half his crew agreed with him. Adama needs to ask himself why Felix almost succeeded. That's important.

What a ride, though. ::Sigh::

[daybreak777.livejournal.com]

But has Adama betrayed Felix Gaeta? The answer to that is a deep and resounding yes, and damn it, I hope he realizes it.
Yes, yes and YES.

Although Felix, honey? That trial was a mockery and YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER
Yes, but he was hurt and angry and past the point of reason. And at least Adama got some frakked up trial. A lawyer was in the room. What did Felix get? Baltar got a trial. Baltar!

Morally, you may now shut the fuck up for a while. I love you, girl, but you don't get to be on any high horses about that move.
Hee! I love this mini-rant! I am all about the rants this weekened. That's right, Laura. STFU.

Amazing episode and I loved it, but it also broke my heart.
Right there with you. Tiny pieces. But damn it was a good ep.

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

. What did Felix get? Baltar got a trial. Baltar!

I don't mind, actually, because he was so guilty. He did deserve what he got, and I really hope not much time passed between the end of the mutiny and the execution, because damn it, I WANT ADAMA'S REACTION! I will be pissed if there are no consequences from this. ::sigh::

I think I'll know more about how I feel next weekend.

[falafel-musings.livejournal.com]

I'm finally catching up with reading other LJers reviews. I agree with a lot of your feelings, especially regarding Adama. I'm going to have real trouble with the Old Man if he has no reflection on executing Felix. Especially since Baltar can apparently forgive Felix not only for the mutiny, but for trying to kill him several times over. Gaius understands that this is just how crazy lil Felix shows his love.

I really like your Zarek meta. You help me to like Zarek more than I do watching the show. Zarek's smile to Felix at the end reminded me of how Zarek tried to cheer up Laura when they were facing the New Caprica firing squad. You get the feeling that Zarek always thought he might end his life up against the wall. It felt like he'd always been prepared for it, so when it happened he was strong enough to try to give support to someone else. I can't wait for more YFL. It'll be amazing to go through the mutiny arc with your own personal Gaeta/Zarek backstory. I'm hoping to return to my Baltar/Gaeta saga soon now I know my ships destination (*sniffles* so much LOVE in that final scene! Heart Broke, indeed)

I can imagine several ways we might see AJ again. Head!Gaeta would be amazing. But there's also dreams and flashbacks. With Zak Adama returning in the last episode there are rumours that they might go through some sort of time loop, in which case we might see a LOT of characters back from the dead. My dream scenario would be another Opera House vision which features Gaeta singing centre-stage in a tuxedo. It does seem like AJ stayed close to the 4.5 production even after his death ep, but maybe that was because they were busy developing the Webisodes? If nothing else, these last few eps are supposed to have LOADs of deleted material so I'm sure we'll see Gaeta again in deleted scenes.

Do you have a link for the RDM podcast for this ep?

[lls-mutant.livejournal.com]

Re: the Old Man and lack of reflection:

I'm holding judgement on that one for right now. I'm glad they didn't show anything in Blood on the Scales, because there wasn't time. The way it was written, it was all about Felix (and Tom, to a lesser extent, but more Felix). Reflection from Adama would have made it about him. I am very much hoping we'll open the next episode with something about that. I agree- I want to see Adama realize that Felix fell, and that he did love the kid, and he did play a role in this. And if it doesn't happen in future episodes, I'll be ticked. But I can forgive it not happening in this one, since I'd MUCH rather have that Baltar/Gaeta scene that we got than anything with Adama!

You get the feeling that Zarek always thought he might end his life up against the wall.

I think he wanted it this way, truthfully :) Which might be part of why we never saw much more with Zarek.

REALLY looking forward to more of your Baltar/Gaeta. I have to say, that's one thing that was AWESOME, was that they really gave us some excellent closure there. And it was caring. SNIFF.

I'm really hoping we'll see more Gaeta. I'm also hoping we'll see some sort of reaction from Hoshi. I know not a lover reaction, but he's just had to take over for Dee AND Felix. Some sort of reaction is necessary. (And I'm so writing a fic where he finds what amounts to a suicide note from Felix on the DRADIS computer.)

You know what else I'd love? To see someone unconsciously humming or singing Gaeta's Lament. That could be really powerful.

I've only got the scifi link- haven't found the Youtube. I've heard the podcast is a major disappointment- Ron doesn't really say much.