The jumbo "BSG season 4.5 thread" [Spoilers!]

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 4:52 pm

If you've not seen upto and including ep 410 (Revelations), get out now now now now now!

I mean it!

The new webisodes started last week, airing I think something like two every Friday until the series resumes on the 16th Jan. "The Face of the Enemy" is set some point during episode 11 and focuses on the adventures of Felix Gaeta, trapped aboard a lost Raptor with the two pilots, a deckhand and a couple of 8s. 10 minisodes total.

Go watch. Or download, or however you roll. To keep your appetite sated. But in the interim, just to drive you crazy...

http://www.youwillknowthetruth.com is being updated on a weekly basis, with a series of "clues". Quotes, audio files, video clips from past and future episodes. All to give you an idea of what questions to be asking.

But that's not all!

Promos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxCxESJ8w44
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXNIwYZqI-c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1doJDT7eI0E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LGw45qD6a8

And I leave you with the fun fact that Dualla's first name is Anastasia. Which is derived from the Greek for Resurrection.

Seriously, need rest now.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 5:51 pm

Righto. A WEEK TO GO.

Webisodes have been funkycool. Not sure if they've all aired yet, but they leaked anyway so you can find 'em online if you know what you're doing.

Really quite nice stuff. Series of flashbacks explains exactly what Felix did on New Caprica - why he stuck around, what his "little secret" that Baltar knew about was, what Gaius whispered to him in season 3, and why Felix tried to kill him.

And it's not what I thought it was! Well, sort of. Turns out what I thought it was is actually true anyway, but is completely separate to the issue at hand.

Seriously hope they don't reveal Gaeta to be the final Cylon.

And Racetrack goes on a mission that doesn't end in disaster! Go Marge!

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 10:04 pm

Do you think its essential to see the webisodes? The last lot I saw were the ones before season 3, and they were a bit dull and cheap looking.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 10:13 pm

I'd recommend watching em... dunno if they'll be rendered inessential by exposition later, but on their own merits they do actually serve a purpose this time out.

The first batch were fairly dodgy. Didn't really contribute much to the plot - Duck and Jammer's motivations were fairly evident in the proper eps, plus the budget didn't really stretch to what they wanted to do.

This lot's far better - it's pretty much all set aboard one Raptor, so the budget constraints actually work in its favour. Pretty straightforward murder mystery, but it's the flashbacks that make it worthwhile. Really fleshes out Gaeta, plus explains exactly what he was upto on Occupied New Caprica (and puts a massive new spin on the conversations he has with Baltar subsequently).

As I say, dunno how essential they'll be to following what comes later, but they put a lot of past stuff into perspective.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:49 am

Yes, I too need to get around to watching those, and fast.

So then who do we think the final Cylon will be? I'm hoping for an Adama.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 12:49 pm

Can't see it being an Adama. Can't see a way for it to be Lee without Bill knowing... can't be Bill without Lee at least being half.

Some people seem convinced it's Zak, but I don't see it, for much the same reason.

Assuming D'Anna was telling the truth about only four being in the fleet (and I'm struggling for a reason she'd lie about it), we're left with the conditions that:
- It was somebody already on the basestar
- It's somebody left behind on the colonies/New Caprica
- The fifth is on Earth already
- They're already dead

Of those on the basestar, if it was Baltar then D'Anna probably would have told him. I think we can rule out Roslin due to the pisstake. Which means one of the pilots. I'd guess at Hotdog, solely because he's EJO's kid, so it'd be the next best meta-thing to being Lee.

Already dead is my bet. It's an epic coincidence that four survived everything that's gone down this far, and managed to work themselves into the positions they did. Though given all the visions knocking about, something manipulating things to that degree wouldn't be outside the realms of possibility.

Billy? Though both of Roslin's aids turning out to be Cylons would be a stretch. Crashdown? Kat? Cally? Kendra Shaw? Ellen would be the most likely suspect in my eyes, though if she's a Cylon I'd lay odds on her actually just being an aged Six.

I love that I'm quite spoiler-drenched, yet still have no ******* clue who it might be.

If D'Anna's wrong and they are in the fleet... I hope it's not Gaeta, as it'd just overload the character, especially off the back of the webisodes. Zarek? Romo Lampkin? Dualla? Is it balanced that only one of the five is female?

I hope it's Nora.

Or maybe the bald tattooed Chinese pilot guy who's never been given a name.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 1:58 pm

What's the latest theory on the whole Head Baltar/Six thing?

Brendocon wrote:I think we can rule out Roslin due to the pisstake .

Unless that was to throw us off...

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:06 pm

Mmm, it's entirely possible that D'Anna was being completely honest when she said Roslin was one of them.

Supposedly none of the characters in the "last supper" promo pic are the final cylon, but that could just be a lie.

Nice round-up of crazy ideas:
http://io9.com/5128659/our-favorite-bsg-fan-theories
The Boomer notion is shot down somewhat by D'Anna flat-out stating that Boomer's an Eight when she got awoken in The Hub.

The Head Six stuff? Seriously, I think she's genuinely an angel, like she claims. Solely because... well... it's the most straightforward explanation. Okay, so it kind of contradicts a purely scientific view, but considering the philosophy of the show and all the wacky prophecies and visions, it's hardly alone in that respect.

Baltar seeing himself is the trippy part, as until then I'd assumed that Head Six, Head Baltar and Dream Leoben were all the same "thing"... if there's multiple "angels" running around, then oh look I've gone crosseyed.

I'm sad that the Unnecessarily Serious Wiki is currently not responding, because I genuinely want to read that "Dirk Benedict as God" claim...

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:30 pm

Brendocon wrote:
The Head Six stuff? Seriously, I think she's genuinely an angel, like she claims. Solely because... well... it's the most straightforward explanation.

My thoughts too... which could make Baltar one too, and tie them both to the Final Cylon somehow.

I see Dream Leoben as just that - a dream.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 4:47 pm

Right, I'm gonna go out on a limb right now and call the final Cylon as Ellen Tigh.

COMMITED. And prepared to be wrong.

Anybody else care to stick their neck out?

stranger · Post by **stranger** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:49 pm

Okay, I'm well behind on finishing Season 4, although I've read an outline of the remainder of the season so...

Starbuck.

Edit: To clarify - I mean the remainder of 4.5... not that I've read the end beyond 4.5 before anyone hangs me by my balls for spoilerage.

saysadie · Post by **saysadie** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:55 pm

Interesting. I'm contemplating touching what I can of the webisodes, even though we're woefully behind in regular viewing and I will probably have no idea what is going on...

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:21 pm

saysadie wrote:I'm contemplating touching what I can of the webisodes, even though we're woefully behind in regular viewing and I will probably have no idea what is going on...

The opening caption of the first one gives away a massive plot point for the first half of season 4.

And I'm talking mondo huge spoilerage.

Don't do it captain!

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:14 pm

Brendocon wrote:Right, I'm gonna go out on a limb right now and call the final Cylon as Ellen Tigh.

COMMITED. And prepared to be wrong.

Anybody else care to stick their neck out?

Well, I was thinking who would it least likely be, because its probably them.

So I came to Lee, cause that would make no sense whatsoever.

If I was to put money on it, I'd go with Roslin.

But Ellen seems very possible now you've made me think about it.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 10:57 am

stranger wrote:Edit: To clarify - I mean the remainder of 4.5... not that I've read the end beyond 4.5 before anyone hangs me by my balls for spoilerage.

Well, there isn't anything beyond the end of 4.5. Except for The Plan, of course, but that's all prequelly and digging in backstory from Cylon perspective.

Supposedly Penikett and McDonnell weren't involved in filming of the aforementioned. Take that to mean what you will. Though Helo not being a Cylon is pretty much the only thing we can be entirely confident of.

[EDIT] Identity's leaked, apparently.
http://galacticasitrep.blogspot.com/200 ... -down.html
^^ doesn't contain the info, just reports the fact that it's allegedly out there. I'm avoiding. Knowledge undermines faith and all that jazz.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 11:43 am

Not surprised. Some secrets are too huge not to get out.

Hope I can remain unspoiled tho.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 12:01 pm

I'm stunned it's lasted this long, to be honest.

Thinking about it, despite all the clips and teasers and trailers and spoilers I've seen... I don't know the context for any of it, so have no frakking clue what's going to actually happen. That makes me feel warm and tingly inside.

MERE DAYS LEFT.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 12:09 pm

It must be one of the biggest telly secrets in history, Dallas be damned!

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 12:15 pm

Yeah, if the intarwebz had existed back when JR got plugged it never would have lasted this long.

Probably.

The fact that BSG has an epically rabid webgeek grounding just makes it even more remarkable.

That said, letting the scripts go onto eBay probably wasn't the smartest move in the brief history of time.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 7:34 pm

Watched the new ep. last night. The important things to take away are....

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

Earth was populated with Cylon skinjobs, not the Seven, but at least the Final Four - Ellen is the Fifth Cylon? - But Starbuck has died and come back with a new viper for sure - Everyone is wallowing in their own misery - And Dee.....oh, Dee!

Ozz · Post by **Ozz** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 10:26 pm

As usual, lots of crazy stuff, which hopefully will make sense in the end.

Can we use spoilers freely in this topic (with a warning in the title), or should another be made?

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 7:25 pm

just watched the latest episode online, its good to be back with BSG, i forget just so fraking awesome this series is, it never ceases to amaze. I didnt know who the final Cylon was so it was surprise for me. as was the starbuck revelation and 13th colony explenation. whats ace is apart from a few questions answered im not sure where its all going to go now?

fraking good stuff!!!

Hound · Post by **Hound** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:28 pm

Gobsmacking!

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 10:37 am

Bloody hell

Didn't see *any* of that coming

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 6:26 pm

Awesomez0r sauce!

All of this has definitely happened before!

My dl cut out immediately after "you're the fifth". Was there anything after that or was it just straight fade to black?

I'm quite peeved somewhat (partly with myself) for reading an interview with Aaron Douglas a while ago where he was asked "will we ever see the Cylon homeworld?" (meaning the planet they lived on for the forty years between wars) and he said "you've just seen it" and basically proceeded to explain the whole "the 13th colony were Cylons" thing.

Of course I dismissed it on the grounds that it didn't make any frakking sense at all.

But it's true! All of it! And I'm just annoyed I knew what was coming. No more spoilers for me EVAR.

Epic awesome though. Has Starbuck been wearing her dogtags and ring since she got back? I can't remember.

And well chuffed with my call on the fifth. w00tination! Having guessed it doesn't make it less awesome in any way on that score!

And she planned it! She's got the answers! She's responsible for the how and the why! And she's dead! Or is she? Ooooooh. If she arranged the whole thing, maybe she's God?

Hoping there's a reason all five died in that exact location... and, y'know, it being where they all landed.

AWESOMEAWESOMEAWESOMEAWESOMEAWESOMEAWESOME.

Pitch ******* perfect from everybody, too. Adama, Roslin, Seelix... ZOMGAGE.

Poor Dee.

I'm going to watch that again [/Locke]

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 7:58 pm

it's so good!!!!

Ozz · Post by **Ozz** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 7:49 am

Brendocon wrote:My dl cut out immediately after "you're the fifth". Was there anything after that or was it just straight fade to black?

Mine did too (we probably had the same version), but apparently there wasn't anything more.

Brendocon wrote:And well chuffed with my call on the fifth. w00tination! Having guessed it doesn't make it less awesome in any way on that score!

It would me more awesome if you'd guessed it's Kendra Shaw and you were right and there would be more of her in the series.

Brendocon wrote:And she planned it! She's got the answers! She's responsible for the how and the why! And she's dead! Or is she? Ooooooh. If she arranged the whole thing, maybe she's God?

Don't know about her being the mastermind. She could just be referring to some kind of downloading procedure. Of course that brings more questions. Why these five? Or maybe there's more of them? Seven Cylons might simply not know about others (they didn't even know how the Five look like). Did Baltar's test actually show that she was a Cylon in her first appearance? If the Seven were programmed to not think about the Five, does that mean they were created by them? Were Centurions and Raiders too? Or the people who built them 60 years ago were somehow influenced? If so, why? Was it some kind of PLAN to get revenge for destroying Earth? If only there could be some special episode that would show the pre-war years from the Cylon perspective, right? Right? Waitasec...

Oh, on Wiki it says that Ellen might be just an aged Six (somebody lend that theory from you, Brend?

) and not the Final Fifth. Which would explain why Saul saw her face while looking at Caprica and why nobody noticed when she downloaded into Ressurection Hub after she was poisoned (of course that would mean that she actually could download) because she was revived as one the Sixes. That's funny, cause that would mean that she might be running around in a younger body.

Anyway, the writers apparently confirmed that she's the Fifth.

BTW, who first came with the idea that the Final Five have been to Earth? Starbuck? Hybrid? Leoben? D'Anna?

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 10:03 am

Ozz wrote:Oh, on Wiki it says that Ellen might be just an aged Six (somebody lend that theory from you, Brend? )

Which wiki? The dedicated Battlestar wiki is so up its own arse and drooling in literalness and idiots that I seldom bother with it.

The old Six thing was a random stab in the dark for if she wasn't the fifth, in order to explain the projection. Which can now just be chalked down to Saul projecting.

I love the fact that the series has now always been about Mr & Mrs Tigh's epic 2000 year love story, even from the mini (even if she was played by somebody else in the original photo).

(of course that would mean that she actually could download)

Mhm. If she did organise the first batch of resurrections, she plausibly did download again after New Caprica... which is of course prior to The Hub blowing, so it's more than possible she's out there. Again, Saul's subconcious could have been projecting her onto Six because he knew she was still alive.

BTW, who first came with the idea that the Final Five have been to Earth? Starbuck? Hybrid? Leoben? D'Anna?

Basestar Hybrid mentioned it first.

I was trying to reconcile it all with the First Hybrid's spiel in Razor (the fifth, still in shadow, redemption that'll only come in the howl of terrible suffering) and was struggling until I remembered that it was set before New Caprica and that Ellen had betrayed them.

Fits dagnabit!

Ellen makes perfect sense on so many levels that I'm still geeking out massively. But then you probably guessed that, being as if I'd planned it based on what we already knew, I'd have made it her.

But yeah, so many more questions because of it. Did she download? If so, to where? Did she send the Watchtower trigger? If so how and why, and why didn't the humans hear it? Was it just on a different frequency?

How long were the Five in the colonies? Are their backstories actually true? Has Tyrol served on Battlestars since he was 18? Did Saul fight in the first war (although it was never stated on screen)? Is Anders who he really thought he was?

Where did the Tribe of Cylons originate? Did it all happen before on Kobol? Is that why they left? Because the 12 tribes built robots who rose up against them? Then evolved, then after an armistice was signed they went off and found Earth?

Was it always planned that the One God nutcases came from our planet? Because that's an awesome theological kick in the nuts.

And who the hell is Kara Thrace's papa anyway?

Ozz · Post by **Ozz** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 11:26 am

Brendocon wrote:Which wiki? The dedicated Battlestar wiki is so up its own arse and drooling in literalness and idiots that I seldom bother with it.

The regular Wiki. I noticed it because that comment was added after initial summary of the episode was posted.

As for Battlestar Wikis, I saw at least two, and the one I read before seeing Season 4 had quite good summaries and analisys.

Brendocon wrote:Did she download? If so, to where?

She couldn't download in Cylon fleet, right? Because it seemed that there was always someone assisting the download and would have notice new model.

Brendocon wrote:How long were the Five in the colonies? Are their backstories actually true? Has Tyrol served on Battlestars since he was 18? Did Saul fight in the first war (although it was never stated on screen)? Is Anders who he really thought he was?

Yeah, I wonder if whatever procedure it was that brought them back to life was just programmed to bring them back specifically during this time period or were they resurrected many many times during those 2000 years. Or reincarnated or somesuch, because I believe they weren't planted as a sleeper agents on the colonies the way models of seven Cylons were. Come to that, was it ever said how it was done? They forged themselves a fictional family who just happen to be already dead? I mean, Boomer couldn't have had real parents somewhere in the colonies, right?

Brendocon wrote:Where did the Tribe of Cylons originate? Did it all happen before on Kobol? Is that why they left? Because the 12 tribes built robots who rose up against them? Then evolved, then after an armistice was signed they went off and found Earth?

Don't get it... You mean that few thousand years ago on Cobol there was a Cylon-Human war exactly like it happened 60 years ago on Colonies? Would be consistent with the whole "was before and will happen again".

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:13 pm

So as far as I can see, both Starbuck and Ellen have equal evidence pointing to them being Final Cylon material.

Would they give it away this early?

Good shock twist with Dualla being killed off. But I'm realising that we have a hell of a lot of characters now, and I hope the scripts do them all justice.

Awesome acting from EJO in this episode.

The flashbacks pre-holocaust, are they set in our own present day?

Re: the webisodes, I'm 4 parts in. If Gaeta's homosexuality isn't referenced in the main series thats a cop out. They've no problem going big on the lesbo action after all.

Ozz wrote:
Can we use spoilers freely in this topic (with a warning in the title), or should another be made?

Spoil away in this topic, but only about episodes that have been broadcast.

Obviously some big spoilers have leaked online ahead of the broadcasts - if anyone wants to discuss these, find another thread.

You have no idea how wary I am round the internet right now!