Battlestar Galactica: “The Farm”

This episode is loaded with a ton of political and social themes, a ton, that I could write pages and pages, especially the theme regarding women’s rights and fertility, the Cylons’ preoccupation with reproduction, and the realization that the only time procreation has happened involving a Cylon has also involved love. But, I’m going to try to stay true to the over-arching theme of this blog and consider the theological implications of this episode, specifically regarding Roslin’s continued journey as a spiritual leader.

We find Lee, Roslin, and Elosha freezing in a meat locker with Tom Zarek, who tells Roslin, “I have communicated your latest message to the Quorum of Twelve. They have decided the question of openly supporting you needs more…deliberation.” Also, Zarek tells them that “Zeus has returned to Olympus. Adama is back in command.” Everyone seems relieved, the god-figure of the fleet has returned. Unfortunately, Zarek chooses this time to suggest that Lee’s denouncing his father, denouncing Zeus/God, would help galvanize the fleet. Lee’s still caught up in the emotions of knowing that his father has survived and, naturally, he cannot speak out against his father. Roslin steps up and says that she’s going to “play the religious card.”

So, now we’re back to dueling positions about Kobol and it seems that Adama, or Zeus, is laying out his thoughts about Roslin’s religious positions more publicly. Adama reads a transcription of Roslin’s broadcast in CIC. “It’s religious crap!” Roslin stated, “It seems I have been chosen to help lead you to the promised land of Earth. I will not question that choice. I’ll simply try to play my part of the plan. Therefore, at the appointed hour, I will give the signal to the fleet. All those wishing to honor the gods and walk the paths of destiny will follow me back to Kobol. It is there we will meet the gods’ servant with the Arrow of Apollo.” Adama slams the clipboard with her message against a console, breaking it in half, just as it appears (from his point of view) that Roslin attempts to break the fleet in half. He believes that no one will follow her, that “no one’s gonna believe this crap. No one’s this stupid.”

On the Astral Queen, Elosha encourages Roslin to give the passengers her blessing. The passengers kneel before her, as though they were kneeling before God or, at the very least, a prophet. Roslin hesitates, saying simply that she cannot do this—it isn’t right. Elosha whispers, “Laura, this is your path. The one that the gods picked for you! The one you picked for yourself.” Roslin had decided as a political tactic to play the religious card, to embrace the path of being a prophet, and she has realized that the scriptures do actually hold some literal truths in them, and now she publicly embraces that role, calling people to follow her banner in the name of their faith. This results in the people looking at her very differently from being merely their political leader, that is their President; this results in the people asking Roslin for her blessing, as they look at her as a prophet, a spokeswoman for the gods. It’s very interesting for me, as an ordained minister, to see how she navigates through various issues in later episodes as a political leader and a spiritual leader, trying to maintain what she truly believes in, trying to lead others according to her beliefs, while not alienating them.

Battlestar Galactica: “Kobol’s Last Gleaming,” Part II

In the first part of this season finale, we see six people, six leaders, converge around a table in Commander Adama’s quarters to discuss how the fleet should approach Kobol, the birthplace of the gods and humanity, the fallen Paradise; in the second part, these six people are propelled and scattered into their own respective faith journeys. After they gathered around the table, they divided, each going their separate ways.

Baltar crashes into the surface after his raptor is struck by the Cylons, leaving him and the rest of the raptor’s crew to survive against the foreign terrain and Cylon occupants, facing that fear and having an epiphany with Head Six. She awakens Baltar and tells him, "You wondered why you were chosen? Why God chose you, above all other humans, to survive and serve his purpose.” She leads him into the Opera House and further explains “life has a melody, Gaius. A rhythm of notes that become your existence once played in harmony with God's plan. It's time to do your part and realize your destiny….You are the guardian and protector of the new generation of God's children. The first member of our family will be with us soon, Gaius. It's time to make your choice." When she shows him the baby in the crib, she tells him that this is the “face of the shape of things to come.” Being the carnal person he is, Gaius seems to accept this role with his kissing Head Six.

Roslin is incarcerated for her beliefs, which resulted in Starbuck’s disobeying Adama’s orders and going back to Caprica for the Arrow of Apollo. She believes that the Temple of Athena, a sign post to Earth, is on Kobol and the Arrow is its key. When Adama finds out that Roslin is behind coercing and turning one of his crew against him, he throws her in the brig.

Elosha does her ministerial duties of praying with Roslin, as the marines cut through Colonial One’s hull to arrest Roslin.

Gaeta, like Elosha, continues to do his regular job; however, it seems he whispers something into Sharon’s ear, just before she shoots Adama. This could be a sort of plot ferret, leading the audience along the wrong tracks believing Gaeta is a Cylon, as it seems that he may have whispered a trigger word that activates Sharon.

Adama is shot by Sharon and his situation looks grave, as the season leaves him splayed on the command table in CIC, the place where he ironically orchestrates attacks. His spiritual journey will be that of one who has tasted their own mortality.

With Adama incapacitated, Tigh will be in charge, the first time we’ve seen him command a ship, much less the fleet.

Season One ends with all these and more balls up in the air and it looks like they will all land in very different places. What they all have in common is that they are in some way connected to Kobol. Now, the story will be about their journeys and how they can/will end up together, again.