The main characters continue on their separate journeys in “Fragged,” continuing the arc set up at the end of Season One. There are a couple of significant theological discussions in this episode, that are rich for the series.
On Kobol, Crashdown, the leader of the raptor team stranded on the planet, says a prayer over the makeshift grave for Socinus and Tarn: “Lords of Kobol, take these brave men into your arms. Take upon your arms the spirits of our fallen friends, so that they may share in the everlasting life that awaits us all beyond the vale of tears. So say we all.” Head Six comes up next to Baltar at this ceremony and tells him that “nothing awaits them. No eternal life, no damnation, only oblivion.” “Because they haven’t seen the face of God, I take it,” Baltar responds. “Because they died here…on Kobol.” While Baltar acknowledges with a simple “I see,” as though he fully understands, I’m left with questions about the meaning of her statement. It is interesting that they won’t go to the eternal life because of where they died, not because they do not know the Cylon God, not because they have not converted to the Cylon religion. Baltar could be still reacting to the horrors of the skulls he saw in the previous episode, that these soldiers have died in a place where atrocities have taken place, that these soldiers were some how tainted by what has happened in the past on this planet, even though they did not have a hand in what occurred those thousands of years ago. Baltar is clearly unnerved by these thoughts, as he reacts strongly to being called “Doc” by Tyrol. He exclaims to him that a “dock is a platform for loading and unloading material. My title is doctor, or Mr. Vice President, if you don’t mind.” His title gives him some implied power in this situation, some control in a situation in which he is not the leader, has no experience, and is scared out of his mind. In a later conversation, we hear more about why those who die on Kobol will not see an afterlife, as Head Six explains to Baltar that “God turned his back on Kobol. Turned his back on man and the false gods he worshipped. What happens on Kobol is not his will.” It seems that this planet is cursed. In fact, the medieval philosophy of Hell as being where God is not would imply that Kobol is, in fact, Hell. This is an interesting concept—Kobol was at one time the home of the gods and humanity, a sort of paradise, and now it is a Hell.
A little later, Baltar is still pondering the cruelness of the world around him and he escapes back to his home in Caprica with Head Six. He argues with her about cyclical violence:
Back on the ship, Roslin seems to have things going on in her head, like Baltar. She’s been having religious visions and continues to talk to herself in the brig. Venner, the marine guard, hears her say “I have been given the opportunity to perceive the scriptures more clearly. Anything that impedes that I have to view as contrary to the survival of the human species.” It turns out that Venner is from Geminon, where its inhabitants believe in the infallibility of the scriptures. He is very familiar with the scrolls of Pythia and immediately recognizes that Roslin is quoting the prophet. She has been reading the scriptures and sees the pieces falling together and now sees and accepts her role in these passages. Ron Moore one time discussed Roslin’s understanding of scriptures: “I think she just goes, ‘Well, I don’t know why this all works but it sure seems to work, so we should do this because it looks like it’s going to help us all survive.’ She kind of approaches [scripture] more practically” (Now Playing, 9/16/2005).
When the Quorum of Twelve sees her, she tells them what she has been called to do: “Everything I’ve done is consistent and logical. We have found Kobol, we have found the city of the gods, and when we retrieve the arrow, we will open the Tomb of Athena and we will find the road to Earth.” Sarah Porter, the Quorum representative from Geminon, asks her if she is familiar with the Scrolls of Pythia, and Roslin tells her that she has carefully read them many times and that she believes she is fulfilling the role of the Leader. She then reveals that she has terminal breast cancer, with a few months left to live, and “in that time, I will lead the people to salvation. It is my sole purpose.” Porter and other Quorum members recognize Roslin’s Scriptural authority and kneel by the bars and try to touch her, thus undermining Tigh’s political authority. “Praise be to the gods. Here is our salvation.”
So, we are left with dueling positions of salvation and dueling interpretations of scripture—Baltar believes that the baby will be salvation and the “shape of things to come”; Roslin and others in the fleet believe that Roslin is salvation.
On Kobol, Crashdown, the leader of the raptor team stranded on the planet, says a prayer over the makeshift grave for Socinus and Tarn: “Lords of Kobol, take these brave men into your arms. Take upon your arms the spirits of our fallen friends, so that they may share in the everlasting life that awaits us all beyond the vale of tears. So say we all.” Head Six comes up next to Baltar at this ceremony and tells him that “nothing awaits them. No eternal life, no damnation, only oblivion.” “Because they haven’t seen the face of God, I take it,” Baltar responds. “Because they died here…on Kobol.” While Baltar acknowledges with a simple “I see,” as though he fully understands, I’m left with questions about the meaning of her statement. It is interesting that they won’t go to the eternal life because of where they died, not because they do not know the Cylon God, not because they have not converted to the Cylon religion. Baltar could be still reacting to the horrors of the skulls he saw in the previous episode, that these soldiers have died in a place where atrocities have taken place, that these soldiers were some how tainted by what has happened in the past on this planet, even though they did not have a hand in what occurred those thousands of years ago. Baltar is clearly unnerved by these thoughts, as he reacts strongly to being called “Doc” by Tyrol. He exclaims to him that a “dock is a platform for loading and unloading material. My title is doctor, or Mr. Vice President, if you don’t mind.” His title gives him some implied power in this situation, some control in a situation in which he is not the leader, has no experience, and is scared out of his mind. In a later conversation, we hear more about why those who die on Kobol will not see an afterlife, as Head Six explains to Baltar that “God turned his back on Kobol. Turned his back on man and the false gods he worshipped. What happens on Kobol is not his will.” It seems that this planet is cursed. In fact, the medieval philosophy of Hell as being where God is not would imply that Kobol is, in fact, Hell. This is an interesting concept—Kobol was at one time the home of the gods and humanity, a sort of paradise, and now it is a Hell.
A little later, Baltar is still pondering the cruelness of the world around him and he escapes back to his home in Caprica with Head Six. He argues with her about cyclical violence:
Baltar: It’s all so pointless. We kill them. And they killSo often I have heard that question asked by young couples—why should they have children, bring them into a world of wars, random acts of violence, hate, and egocentrism. I’ve even wondered that myself, especially as a mother to young children. But my hope is that with each new baby, there is the potential for someone to lead us out of this cycle of hatred, that each new child has the potential to do good and lead others out of despair and anger into hope and love. Each child brings with her/him salvific potential for individuals and for the human race.
us. So we kill more of them. They kill more of us. What’s the
point anymore?
Six: You and your race invented murder. Invented
killing for sport, greed, envy. It’s man’s one true art
form.
Baltar: You’ve done some killing of your own, I
think.
Six: Yes, well, we’re your children. You taught us
well.
Baltar: Why does God want to bring a child into this kind of
world anyway?
Six: Because, despite everything, despite all of it, he
still wants to offer you salvation. Our child will bring that salvation,
but only if you accept your role as her father. And her
guardian.
Baltar: I’m not ready for that. Alright? I’m not
a father, I’m not a guardian. I’m not a moral leader capable of leading
anyone, let alone a baby.
Six: Be a man, Gaius. Whatever else you
are, you are that. The time is coming when you’ll have to act like
one.
Back on the ship, Roslin seems to have things going on in her head, like Baltar. She’s been having religious visions and continues to talk to herself in the brig. Venner, the marine guard, hears her say “I have been given the opportunity to perceive the scriptures more clearly. Anything that impedes that I have to view as contrary to the survival of the human species.” It turns out that Venner is from Geminon, where its inhabitants believe in the infallibility of the scriptures. He is very familiar with the scrolls of Pythia and immediately recognizes that Roslin is quoting the prophet. She has been reading the scriptures and sees the pieces falling together and now sees and accepts her role in these passages. Ron Moore one time discussed Roslin’s understanding of scriptures: “I think she just goes, ‘Well, I don’t know why this all works but it sure seems to work, so we should do this because it looks like it’s going to help us all survive.’ She kind of approaches [scripture] more practically” (Now Playing, 9/16/2005).
When the Quorum of Twelve sees her, she tells them what she has been called to do: “Everything I’ve done is consistent and logical. We have found Kobol, we have found the city of the gods, and when we retrieve the arrow, we will open the Tomb of Athena and we will find the road to Earth.” Sarah Porter, the Quorum representative from Geminon, asks her if she is familiar with the Scrolls of Pythia, and Roslin tells her that she has carefully read them many times and that she believes she is fulfilling the role of the Leader. She then reveals that she has terminal breast cancer, with a few months left to live, and “in that time, I will lead the people to salvation. It is my sole purpose.” Porter and other Quorum members recognize Roslin’s Scriptural authority and kneel by the bars and try to touch her, thus undermining Tigh’s political authority. “Praise be to the gods. Here is our salvation.”
So, we are left with dueling positions of salvation and dueling interpretations of scripture—Baltar believes that the baby will be salvation and the “shape of things to come”; Roslin and others in the fleet believe that Roslin is salvation.
No comments:
Post a Comment