Complaining about Battlestar is easy.

I know harping on how crappy Battle Galactica has become is a tired old game. Yet I come back to these familiar waters to indulge once again. If you haven’t seen the latest episode you might skip today’s post.

The episode was bad. Is there nothing interesting that they can do with the show in the final season? I guess it stems from the unfortunate fascination the writers have with the Starbuck and Apollo characters. In the past I’ve noted how much I hate the fact that Apollo is constantly assigned new jobs and roles. The list of jobs he’s held throughout the show is ridiculous…to the point that it’s probably shorter to compile a list of roles he has not had. Last week’s episode was essentially wasted giving Apollo a new job that it was obvious he would receive from the outset. Oh, how I loathe him.

Perhaps even stranger was the minor role Starbuck had in the episode. She was all “commander I don’t want do anything silly or irrational” and “I don’t think I can ask pilots to go on such an unpromising mission.” I can’t tell if her character is managed by two writers that never talk to each other or if they are simply providing more evidence for bi-polar disorder. Whatever the case her character was strikingly different from a couple of weeks ago. Perhaps she’s just more responsible when she’s denied access to arts and crafts supplies… [See bottom for wild tangent off this point].

Dawn was surprised that Starbuck was even allowed to walk around the ship. Evidently no one is the least bit skeptical that Starbuck brought back a bunch of Cylons and vouched for them….and then the Cylons made off with the President. Add in the bit of history where Starbuck was dead, then came back, and people assumed she might be a Cylon…you’d think this would be pretty damning evidence.

[Wild tangent]
I derive a bit of enjoyment imaging some of the more mundane tasks that must be carried out on the show that don’t make it into an episode. One that I’ve been particularly relishing over the last few weeks is the packing of the Demetrius for their secret mission. I like to imagine them checking to ensure they’ve packed everything they need to find their way to Earth. Fuel, check. Rations, check. Construction paper, safety scissors, finger paints, check, check, and check. Pastels and color pencils, check, check. Every major character with a name the audience will recognize besides Adama and the president, check and check. Alright, it looks like we’re all loaded and ready to go.