But the characters on Galactica have been acting like idiots since the get-go. I think this meets their standards for a thought-out plan.
Not that that hasn't irritated me
Gimme some milk.
Jayne ,'Jaynestown'
Boxed Set, Vol. II: "It's a Cookbook...A Cookbook!!"
A topic for the discussion of Farscape, Smallville, and Due South. Beware possible invasions of Stargate, Highlander, or pretty much any other "genre" show that captures our fancy. Expect Adult Content and discussion of the Big Gay Sex.
Whitefont all unaired in the U.S. ep discussion, identifying it as such, and including the show and ep title in blackfont.
Blackfont is allowed after the show has aired on the east coast.
This is NOT a general TV discussion thread.
DebetEsse - Jan 07, 2006 8:28:50 pm PST #6216 of 10001
Woe to the fucking wicked.
Strega - Jan 07, 2006 9:18:59 pm PST #6217 of 10001
If the Commander is really sending Kara to her death, which is what seems to be the most likely outcome right now, then where's the acknowledgement of that?
Er. "You'll take Lee with you. He'll watch your back. There'll be the normal chaos and emotional high after the attack. That'll keep their guard down." I'm sure the dialogue, the framing, the editing, Starbuck's reaction, and Adama's tone all could have been even more ominous. Somehow. And then I'd think that the writers believed the audience was feeble-minded.
I'm shooting holes in these plans like a SWAT leader.By pointing out that it's risky? I just watched it again, and didn't get the impression that they expected it to be a cakewalk.
Adama hasn't been aboard the Pegasus. Starbuck has, and will be again. Given her history, I don't think it's unreasonable to think she's aware that there's some risk associated with the mission, and that Adama expects her to evaluate the situation and try to complete her mission in a way that allows her to survive it.
The last line of the episode is Adama giving Starbuck the order to kill Cain. They could have cut other things out so that the whole last act could be Starbuck & Adama discussing contingency plans, I guess. In real life, sure, I would expect more discussion. On a TV show, I will assume that discussion continues off-screen, because it's not gonna be that enlivening, and because I know what I need to know to get the story. The plan for attacking the Cylons takes a couple of minutes to go over, because the fine details (which civilian ships are used as bait, who pilots them, where do the passengers go it the meantime, etc.) aren't worth wasting screen time on.
Mikey - Jan 07, 2006 10:22:35 pm PST #6218 of 10001
All this time, I thought Hunter was a bitch. Turns out she was just hungry.
Mikey skipped and skimmed -- because I commented on the confusingness of the new Who nomenclature, like, one post down.Jeez, miss one post out of 6,000+...
Polter-Cow - Jan 08, 2006 10:06:30 am PST #6219 of 10001
What else besides ramen can you scoop? YOU CAN SCOOP THIS WORLD FROM DARKNESS!
Theodosia - Jan 08, 2006 10:30:55 am PST #6220 of 10001
'we all walk this earth feeling we are frauds. The trick is to be grateful and hope the caper doesn't end any time soon"
I suspect Starbuck is your go-to-girl when you need to staff a sure-death-for-anyone-else mission. Also, Adama knows she's a big girl who can figure things out for herself (she's taught pilots, led missions, conducted important interrogations, and that's just during the series so far) so figuring out the exit strategy could be safely left up to her.
Nutty - Jan 08, 2006 10:40:45 am PST #6221 of 10001
"Mister Spock is on his fanny, sir. Reports heavy damage."
By pointing out that it's risky? I just watched it again, and didn't get the impression that they expected it to be a cakewalk.
I can think of a lot of ways to engineer someone's death that are safer (to the assassin) than walking up to the victim in public and shooting her in the head. Like, bombs or poison or a tragic fork-wielding accident at a private dinner. (Which would be so cool!!)
As you say, it's a dramatic line on which to end an episode. But it's a drama I don't respect, if it's a line not supported by the show's own established infrastructure of logic.
And that goes double when both short-term and long-term planning seem to be absent.
Betsy HP - Jan 08, 2006 10:42:44 am PST #6222 of 10001
If I only had a brain...
As with so much on Galactica, they simply don't have time to set up a decent strategy. You can't really poison somebody unless you're intimate with them or you're willing to kill a lot of other people. Bombs on a spaceship? REALLY not a good idea. That leaves person-to-person assassination, and a shot to the head is the most likely to succeed.
Nutty - Jan 08, 2006 10:45:53 am PST #6223 of 10001
"Mister Spock is on his fanny, sir. Reports heavy damage."
You're not interested in a fork-wielding accident??
Bombs were a part of the plot of the introductory miniseries, IIRC. Of course, because they were wielded by the bad guys, they failed in their objective.
Jessica - Jan 08, 2006 10:47:54 am PST #6224 of 10001
And then Ortus came and said "It's Ortin' time" and they all Orted off into the sunset
Also, neither Adama nor Cain is interested in keeping their assassination plan a secret once it's done -- bombs (tiny, space-safe ones!) and poisoning are the route they'd go if they were after plausable deniability, but they're not. They want their positions to be known, and instantly.
Betsy HP - Jan 08, 2006 10:52:30 am PST #6225 of 10001
If I only had a brain...
Fork-wielding accidents fail to strike the right note of terror, I fear.
I haven't seen the mini-series. I should probably watch it to get a better grasp on the backstory.