Battlestar Galactica Final Season *** Spoilers ***

[TimberWolf]

Watched the season opener and it brought out more questions than we were left with in the end of last season.

*SPOILERS if you haven't seen the season opener*

Some questions:
1. Starbucks Viper is brand new, how and why?
2. What was with Tyes day dream of shooting Adama in the right eye?
3. Why did Sanders eyes turn red in response to the Raider?
4. If Starbuck isn't the 5th Cylon then how does she feel the path?
5. How is it that the Cylons can feel the final 5?
6. What is the difference between the 7 known and the final 5?
7. Whats with all the young girls digging Baltar?


Comments:
Great graphics. The battle picks right up from where they left us hanging. It was sad to see the fleet actually taking hits but it is realistic to expect such casualties. The hole thing with Starbuck doesn't add up at the moment. With her Viper seemingly fresh from the machine shop, and two months having passed for everyone but her. I didn't get a very good look at the pictures of Earth she had, but from what I remember none of them were of the planet it self but rather of the moon. So I guess we have to wait another week to get more of BSG.

[XMEN Gambit]

Yes the graphics were quite impressive. I noticed the Galatica's guns fired very differently; they look more like energy bolts now.

The whole thing with Starbuck is a huge mystery. If she's Cylon, then why did they take her ovaries when they captured her that time? So maybe she's not Cylon, and there is another player. That might fit, actually, since there's been enough weird stuff going on all around to think that something has been manipulating BOTH the Cylons and humans for some time now. I did like Lee's line: "What if Starbuck is the sign we were supposed to find?"

If Sam is truly a Cylon as would seem to be the case, then I believe we are to assume the raider recognized him as such, and that has something to do with why the fleet left. Maybe because they didn't want to fight other cylons, maybe because they recogized their agents were in place, maybe because the flash in the eye was some last-minute re-programming. "Something's changed."

That batch of four (Tigh, Tryol, assistant, and Sam) still leaves us with one unidentified.

Tigh could have been having a waking nightmare or he could be feeling a compulsion. Since Boomer didn't really show any signs before her revelation other than blackout periods while she was activated, logically I'd lean against compulsion but can't rule it out.

I don't get the "feeling" the five. Known Cylons have been close to these people individually and en masse repeatedly throughout the series. We know D'anna was "feeling" a lot before she was boxed, and she ran around the fleet as a reporter, for example.

Girls digging Baltar - dunno. Guess he's an intelligent, handsome devil? Maybe it's the accent! He's proved many times that he does like the ladies, tho. I do really like the way they've written him. Rather than the villainous, hateful Baltar from the old series, we're left with an almost tragicomic character who's alternately spineless and stubborn (mostly spineless), just at the wrong times, driven by circumstance and has poor judgement. Obviously he's sorry, but I didn't see much real repentance regardless of what was said in earlier seasons.

[TimberWolf]

I didn't notice any difference in the Galactica's weapons. If there is any difference you have to take into account that they were destroyed during the escape from New Caprica and then rebuilt.

If I remember correctly it was stated in a blog that Starbuck was not a Cylon. Can't remember which director/writer said it though.

It was stated by D'anna that the final 5 Models were fundamentally different and that the others were never to think about them. This is reinforced when the captured 6 said she was programmed not to think about them when the President asked about them.

The dream the Tigh had may have been his own fear or it was what his programming wanted him to do but instead of following it he was able to over ride it.

Maybe the feeling thing is nothing more than the final 5 being activated and exerting a presence in the Cylon network. This idea is supported by Sam's un-intended communication with the Raider that then relaid the information to call off the attack. It is unclear how the Cylon wireless network works, seeing as they can download instantly from light years away from a resurrection ship. For all we know the final 5 maybe able to actively communicate through that network and alter the commands the raiders and basestars follow.

Also, if I remember correctly, when D'anna saw the face of one of the final 5 she said she was sorry and that she didn't know. Then her model series was shut down before she could tell anyone. It was said that she will appear again in the final season meaning someone reactivated her. Her feeling didn't develop until after she started talking with Baltar and learned about the theater. She was seeking that same connection that Baltar appeared to have.

There was also a hint that was given that in the "Final Supper" image on Scifi.com for the show contained the final 5 cylons or the hint as to who the final is. If you examine it, you can get details on all the characters in the image. They do state that there are two cylon hybrid children. I'm kind of leaning towards the president being the final cylon at this moment. My reason being that it appears the final 5 were placed to make sure that sure the humans make it by being in positions of power and influence. Either that or to make sure they follow the path laid out by the scriptures and are worthy to survive. Kind of like parents watching over their children without the kids knowing it.

[XMENPorsche]

Wow - lots to think about here.

How certain are we that Tyrol, Tigh, Sam, and the assistant are really Cylons? I saw the episode where they heard the music, but they came to the conclusion on their own that they are Cylon. Haven't really seen much else to really confirm it - except for Sam's eyes during the dogfight with the raider.

I dunno. Lot's to think about. I'm also wondering if Rosalyn is Cylon and my wife suggested Bill Adama (Cylon males cannot reproduce, and we know that the Admiral has done so, therefore - not a Cylon).

Not sure how I feel about where Baltar is going. It almost seems like they're trying to paint him as some sort of a Jesus figure. His character really is an enigma to me.

[XMEN Gambit]

Yes, those four are cylons. The last one now is the mystery, Ron Moore said so.
Dunno about the president. On the one hand, very dramatic and all. On the other hand, if Cylons were looking to put someone in a position of power, why'd this one get into an educational career, etc.? No one could have planned on her being where she is now. Same could be said for Tigh, though. Can't be either of the Adamas. Can't be Callie.

No, I don't think Starbuck is a cylon. But that puts us back to another player- a god, the gods, another ET group, a super-secret faction among the Cylons.... Hmm. Though if the latter, pretty nifty trick with the millennia-old prophecies and all. But then haven't we been told repeatedly that this has all happened before?

I always thought Dee would be a good cylon. BTW, in the last supper pic, who's that behind the pres on the left, pointing? Can't quite tell.

[TimberWolf]

Thats another 6 pointing behind the president.

For all we know these models learned of the history early on and had shaped themselves to ensure that everything did repeat. There may have been real versions of each of the final 4 and they were replaced by a cylon that would work into a particular position using the memories of that human. The final 5 may have the ability to hide their own memories to ensure that they act as human as possible and to make ensure that their motives never are shown.

Remember when Tigh was in command when Adama was shot? He didn't want it at all. He never wanted command. But then why is he an XO? That seems contradictory as being in a command position puts you on the path to commanding your own unit or ship.

Another thing, the Chief heard the sound that led him to the Temple of Jupiter. No one else heard it. This further enforces in my mind that the final five hid themselves to ensure that everything would repeat as stated in the scriptures. Who knows, there might be another race out there thats made up of those cylons that put all those road signs in place and are maintaining Earth for them until they get there, then after a "golden age" with the Humans, they all go off on their separate paths.

In a nutshell, I'm starting to think that the Final 5 Cylons have something to do with the 13 Tribe.

[DarkKnife]

Okay starting with when the Cylon ship scanned the Sanders. It seemed to me that the Cylon fleet was surprised to see him there (as in there i ment in the cockpit of a fighter). I know its kind of hard to 'read' the intentions of robots but heres what I think. The final five are off on their own 'quest' seperate from the main Cylon force or at least a different means to get the end result. When encountered by the Cylons it seemed there was a big "Oh Crap" moment by the Cylons followed by "Sorry well be off." The red eye to me seems to be an automated system in him giving 'security' verification. Might the Final five also be an Origional Five? That might explain why the 7 arn't allowed to think about them.

Anybody notice that all the other Cylons kind of bicker with each other. Could there be a power vacuume there that the final (missing) five could have created by going off on their own. Could the Five (or at least four of them) not like the Cylons?

Also I dont think that the Cylons were led to the fleet by at least the four ones that we know of.

[Jester]

There is a manufactory ship that is producing ships. Thats why they were protecting that mining outfit around that asteroid when they were trying to kill the raider "Scar" remember?

[XMEN Gambit]

Ok, this season is just playing mind games. Now (after the 5/2 airing) they're setting us up to think that maybe Starbuck IS the last of the final five. I'm sure we'll have some more reversals.

I've decided I'm not going to worry about predicting events or trying to analyze the darn thing anymore. I'm just going to finish this season out and THEN try to make sense of it.

[XMEN Iceman]

Ok, my money is on Starbuck being the last Cylon. She is just getting too freaky.

[TimberWolf]

To my understanding, I believe it was said that the last cylon wasn't in the "last supper" picture but that clues were in there. I also think that it was said either in Moores blog or in an interview that Starbuck wasn't it even though they are doing all they can to imply it. They did say that the final Cylon character was introduced in season one.

The question is who was introduced in season one and hasn't been killed off or remained as a secondary character? It would be evil if the Doctor was the last Cylon.

I read on the BSG forums that some postulated that the ship itself was the final cylon as it has been there since the beginning and that Tigh believed the music was coming from the ship itself. All other ideas were just pointing fingers at different characters and picking apart things they have done that would support it. Thought this was at least an interesting idea, even though it wouldn't work.

[XMEN Gambit]

5/16 episode, in no particular order:

"JUMP!" was completely unexpected. Yay! I think they REALLY overdid the suspense leading up to it, though.

I was looking forward to the reaction when the rebel baseship met the fleet. Mwahahah. That was nice.

And, darn it, Natalie (the golden, not platinum, 6 model) was the one Cylon I ever actually liked.

I thought Roslyn going to try to get answers out of a hybrid would be both interesting and ineffective. Starbuck's similar experience bore fruit, so who knows. "How does a hybrid know what's in my dreams?" indeed.

[TimberWolf]

From what I gather in the preview for next week is that Natalie isn't dead. The Doc attempts to save her but they need similar blood so they do a test on Caprica 6 to make sure she could donate blood or something. It is then that Adama finds out that Tigh has been getting close to Caprica.

It was interesting to see the fleet squirm and try to avoid the base ship when it literally jumped in the middle. All those little ships just dodging the base ship by small gaps.

I wasn't expecting Athena to shoot Natalie or for the base ship to jump when the hybrid was plugged back in. It's interesting how they have played Hera who also appears to be having the same vision as the others and how she actually appears to understand it more then the rest. But what gets me is that the vision has always showed Caprica 6 taking Hera yet she goes off to Natalie 6.

As for the base ship jumping, the question is what are the Centurions set to do? Are they going to begin taking prisoners quietly as the Vipers and assault troops launch or are they going to wait a little longer before doing so? The Centurions on that ship all have the logic device installed allowing them to make their own judgment calls so how will they react when the Skin Jobs tell them not to do anything to the Humans.

[XMEN Gambit]

Your transfusion comment is interesting, but not consistent. Don't know whether that's you or the show; you could be perfectly right.

If human & cylon blood is different, then it should be easy to tell who's cylon by running a simple blood test. If they're close enough that a normal blood test can't tell the difference, they're close enough to give a transfusion! After all, the whole concept of blood types came into being because of human-to-human blood incompatibilities.

[TimberWolf]

Well, they did have that Cylon detector in season one that used blood samples and a series of tests. It found Boomer but Baltar quickly cleared the screen and said she was human fearing that she might kill him when she found out she was indeed a Cylon. The test was also conducted on the Chief when he was dreaming that he was a Cylon and it showed green. The same test was also done on Tigh as well as the rest of Galactica's crew. So the original Cylon detector worked on the normal 7 models but now on the final 5.

The question that still sits in my mind: what is the fundamental difference between the final 5 and the other 7 models?

We know that they are from Earth. They only have one body unlike the other 7 models. What do we know?