Battlestar Galactica: Season 1-13: Kobol's last Gleaming pt2

An extraordinary ending to a remarkable first season; not by any means a traditional cliff-hanger episode so frequently used by sci-fi writers, it nevertheless fulfils the same purpose by both bringing several of the on-going arcs of the season together, without actually tying the thread together nor leaving them dangling in the wind. The result is to confirm much of the speculation developed throughout the first season, while simultaneously opening the overall arc of the series by providing both crises and a glimpse of the future.

As with “Kobol’s Last Gleaming, Part 1”, music plays an important part of the episode – particularly with reference to Baltar’s visions in the ruins of Kobol, where the string orchestration used in the teaser of Part 1 becomes the motif for Baltar’s transition from confused pawn to willing participant in the Cylon’s plan. Similarly, music is used to indicate Boomer’s shifts between her human and Cylon selves. And the counterpoint couldn’t be more interesting: while both utilise strings, the harmony around Baltar’s enlightenment indicates - as Six points out – the rhythm of his life falling into line with God’s will, whereas the discordant working of strings around Boomer’s contact with her “sisters” underscores the final collapse of her human will, opening the door to her Cylon personality to take control of her conscious actions and shoot Adama when the time comes.

And it is with Boomer that some of the arcs of season one draw together: yes, Valerii on Caprica is pregnant; yes love and procreation were the keys to Cylon desire with her and Helo; yes her true nature would be revealed to her crewmates – if not directly through her actions in shooting Adama, then certainly through Starbuck’s return to the Galactica. While Starbuck is liable to be thrown into the brig on her return, that’s no reason for Tigh and others not to believe claims about Boomer in light of what she has seen on Caprica and what has happened in CIC.

Another element that is finally revealed is what the Cylon’s really want out of Baltar – but this in itself raises questions. Not only about his relationship with Six, but also about the future of the Helo / Valerii storyline, and those questions centre on what he saw in the crib.

That he was seeing into the future is clear: but is the child he sees the product of Helo’s relationship with Valerii, or his own (future) relationship with a corporeal Six? On the one hand, much of what is seen points to the child being born of Valerii: she admits her condition to Helo (and thus opens the door to him remaining on Caprica with her while Starbuck returns to the Galactica with the Arrow) and the Cylons were apparently aiming for her to become pregnant by Helo (or at least, Doral and Six showed no surprised when she reported her lovemaking with him). But – Six’s words to Baltar as she prepares him to see the future are interesting: “You are the guardian and protector of a new generation of God’s children,” – a somewhat neutral explanation that comes before she smiles, catches her breath and adds, “The first member of our family will be with us soon, Gaius.” This could be a reference to the fact that Valerii is pregnant; however the shift to the possessive “our family” and “with us” could be seen to indicate the child could be Baltar’s own.

And again, how much more of an effective guardian and protector will Baltar be, if he is in fact protecting his own offspring, rather than that of another Cylon / human relationship? And if this is the case, where does that leave the Valerii / Helo relationship?

This episode also reveals some more about Six: if the offspring on the crib she sees with Baltar is that of Valerii and Helo, then it would more or less confirm that she is in contact with corporeal Cylons elsewhere – how else would she know of the developing Valerii / Helo situation otherwise as it started after her “death”? Similarly, it is interesting to note the degree of savagery involved in the beating Six gives Starbuck. In many respects, it mirrors the beating she gave Valerii in “Litmus”; at the time, the viciousness she showed seemed to be linked to the jealousy evident between her and Valerii. We now know that Six has been affected by Baltar’s reaction to sleeping with Starbuck (“Kobol’s Last Gleaming, Part 1”); could the physical beating Starbuck receives be a manifestation of the jealousy she feels for what happened on the Galactica, transmitted to her corporeal sister?

But the key question is what will happen to Adama? It is very hard to conceive of the series progressing without his presence. While the ensemble cast is one of the best put together on-screen, and while many of them – Callis in particular – have put in powerful performances, it is fair to say that Olmos is very much the anchor of this series. Without his strength and gravitas, Battlestar Galactica could end up drifting very badly. Therefore, while it will be interesting to see what new dynamics may develop while Adama is out of commission – how will Tigh handle the vagaries of command, who will he nominate as his XO, etc, – it is essential Adama’s presence is felt sooner rather than later in the next season.

While discussing Adama, it may be interesting to note that his shooting almost brings the story full-circle. As he was dying on Ragnar Anchorage, the LeobenConoy warns Adama that, “Sooner or later, the day comes when you can’t hide from the things you’ve done” (Mini-Series). Adama has waged war on the Cylons – both as a young officer during the Cylon War and now in his efforts to protect his people and the fleet. He has just been responsible for the destruction of a Cylon baseship, complete with many copies of Valerii; and now Valerii has shot him.

And how will the fleet react once word of Roslin’s arrest breaks through the communications blackout the Galactica inflicted on Colonial One? What can the civilians do? In many respects Adama holds all the cards – or would do, were he in a fit condition. His ship is the key to the protection of the fleet. She is pretty much unassailable, and without her facilities, 16,000 people in the fleet would very soon be without water (“Water”). Therefore, it is hard to see anyone stepping too far out of line when it comes to making major decisions: where the fleet will go, what it will do, etc. But within the civilian community, it is hard not so see repercussions: Roslin has been arrested; Baltar is missing, possibly dead. Who is available to take the civil reigns? Wallace Gray (“Colonial Day”)? Tom Zarek (“Bastille Day”; “Colonial Day”). Is it a coincidence that not too long before, at the Quorum of Twelve, Zarek himself raised the spectre of a military coup – and that’s more-or-less what they now have on their hands?

All told, this episode generates outstanding drama that demands a successful renewal and second season. It brings what has been an excellent first season to a powerful close, reflecting the almost unbroken run of quality drama evidenced by the show. Indeed the overall quality in terms of production, writing, casting and acting more than demonstrates both Ronald Moore and David Eick are correct in limiting the show to 13-episode runs.

Review from Battlestar wiki

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