Spoilers. I'm not sure how much we needed a flashback episode so close to the series finale, but "Daybreak: Part 1" takes its opportunity to remind us of certain character's evolution from prosperous paradise to disintegrating battlestar.Opening with some truly astounding CGI-assisted aerial shots of Caprica City before "The Fall" (seriously, wow), we dip into the past lives of Bill Adama (Edward James Olmos), Gaius Baltar (James Callis), Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell), Kara Thrace (Katee Sackhoff), Samuel Anders (Michael Trucco) and Lee Adama (Jamie Bamber), before the Cylon attack that will decimate their planet.
Three of the flashback subplots get short shrift here, sadly. Adama only gets one Caprica-set scene, showing him anxious about attending a one-hour meeting, with no details given -- although I assume he's been offered a job. Anders, a famous athlete before the genocide, is interviewed by a foxy reporter in his team's locker room and becomes philosophical about sporting perfection. Starbuck's story merely shows us how happy she was living with her boyfriend Zak Adama (Tobias Mehler), although a later scene with Lee arriving home drunk perhaps indicates he's heard about his brother's infamous death.Speaking of death, one of the best subplots focused on Roslin (a humble schoolteacher here), who has to face the overwhelming tragedy of losing her two sisters and father in a car accident. The script had to make us believe in Roslin's connection to her siblings after just one shared scene together, and the moment she was told of their death by cops landed its punch. A later scene, with a traumatized Roslin walking underneath her favourite fountain in a city park, to shower in its revitalizing waters, was beautifully handled. It all gave us the impression that, for Roslin, "the end of the world" came before the Cylon attack. Indeed, thanks to Caprica's downfall, Roslin found political power, spirituality, purpose and love.
Baltar's story was also strong, as we find him in the back of a limo with his lover Caprica Six (Tricia Helfer), before she was revealed to be a humanoid Cylon who manipulated him into aiding mankind's near-extinction. We also meet Baltar's cantankerous father Julius (Antony Holland), who has scared away his nurse after attacking her with a steak knife, meaning Baltar's forced home to deal with his misbehaving dad.
The Baltar's clearly have a tempestuous relationship (ex-farmer Julius hates retirement, blames Gaius for his troubles, and ridicules his son's posh accent), although Caprica Six ironically shows more humanity by helping Julius move to a more appealing residence soon after. She does this in secret, only telling Baltar of her philanthropy when she interrupts him bringing another floozy back home. Baltar seems intrigued by her show of compassion for a relative stranger, and this was probably the moment Baltar saw beyond her statuesque beauty at the apparently kind soul underneath. Unaware she's likely faking munificence to win his heart and trust, so she can move forward with her plan to nuke the planet.
The flashbacks don't totally dominate the episode, thankfully. In the present-day, Starbuck is trying to decipher Anders' cryptic babble, with no luck. Meanwhile, Adama begins to feel that the kidnapped Hera (Iliana Gomez-Martinez) stands for something and decides to offer his crew the opportunity of one last mission to retrieve the youngster from Cavil (Dean Stockwell) at the Cylon Colony -- which recon Raptors discover has been built near a dangerous singularity, swathed with asteroids.
Cavil himself is planning to subject Hera to tests to unlock the secret of her human-Cylon DNA -- but I'm still confused about why he's so concerned about that, as recent episodes have revealed he hates humans and his fellow "skinjobs" that ape humans. So why doesn't he just kill Hera and resolve to only ever build pure-metal centurions? I hope we're just missing a piece of the puzzle that explains his plan. It feels a bit wooly right now.
I wasn't convinced the majority of Galactica's crew would decide to follow Adama to rescue Hera, either. But it did make for a wonderful scene, with the crew asked to step over a red line Adama and Starbuck stick down the middle of the hangar deck, and it was interesting to see who crossed over (Gaius didn't). It was also a nice emotional touch when Roslin left her bed to pick a side, helped across the line by Adama.Still, I felt more could have been done to remind us why these people would volunteer for a mission with such a low chance of success -- by stressing how Hera is evidence that the diminishing human race could rebuild itself with Cylon-kind, or just by reminding us that everyone's anxious for something to focus on after the disappointment of Earth. True, these reasons are already part of BSG's tapestry, but I felt they needed reiterating at this crucial juncture.
Overall, I enjoyed "Daybreak: Part 1" as a scene-setting exercise in the present, with a few enlightening flashbacks. The Roslin/Baltar subplots were particularly excellent, although it's slightly odd the histories of these characters are being fleshed-out so close to the finish. Anyway, BSG has been missing a sense of direction ever since they found Earth mid-season, so rescuing Hera will at least give the characters something to try and accomplish in the concluding episodes. I can hardly believe it's the two-hour SERIES finale next, and sincerely hope they manage to pull of a resolution that sits well.
17 March 2009
Sky1, 9pm
Writer: Ronald D. Moore
Director: Michael Rymer
Cast: Tricia Helfer (Caprica Six), James Callis (Baltar), Jamie Bamber (Lee), Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck), Mary McDonnell (Roslin), Edward James Olmos (Adama), Bodie Olmos (Hot Dog), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo), Michael Trucco (Anders), Aaron Douglas (Tyrol), Donnelly Rhodes (Doc Cottle), Kate Vernon (Ellen), Michael Hogan (Saul), Matthew Bennett (Aaron Doral), Finn R. Devitt (Nicky), Leela Savasta (Tracey Anne), Colin Corrigan (Marine Allan Nowart), Lara Gilchrist (Paulla Schaffer), Colin Lawrence (Skulls), Brad Dryborough (Lt. Hoshi), Leah Cairns (Racetrack), Dean Stockwell (Cavil), Kerry Norton (Layne Ishay), Rick Worthy (Simon), Rekha Sharma (Tory), Anthony St. John (Marine #2), Richard Jollymore (Marine #1), Stefanie Samuels (Police Officer), Kevin McNulty (Frank Porthos), Tiffany Burns (Reporter Carolyn), Sarah Deakins (Cheryl), France Perras (Sandra), Elan Ross Gibson (Nurse Barbara), Simone Bailly (Shona), Antony Holland (Julius Baltar), Tobias Mehler (Zak Adama), Iliana Gomez-Martinez (Hera) & Darcy Laurie (Dealino)
