Current mood:	apathetic
Entry tags:	bsg

Thoughts on BSG 2.08 and also Cylon notions of individuated self v. the collective self
Thoughts on BSG 2.08 and also Cylon notions of individuated self v. the collective self:

Hmmmm. Not sure one way or another how I feel about this ep. There was a ton of great stuff in it, but it didn't seem to fall into place as a coherent whole. The kind of ep I can see myself rewatching for certain terrific scenes and FF-ing through other bits, rather than rewatching the whole ep start to finish as I do when I really like an episode as a whole. It felt like some stuff had been left on the cutting room floor, and maybe that was why the end product was a bit disjointed. But as I said, some really great scenes.

Cutting for spoilers:

Interesting notes re: the movie theatre scene: Both the Boomer model and the Biers model use the word "I" when referring to another copy of their model. The Boomer (wearing the white cropped jacket we saw on a Boomer copy in the mini, and then again on the Boomer whom Turncoat-Boomer shot in the scene outside Koerner Library in Colonial Day. I guess that model really likes that jacket) first said "I", referring to Turncoat-Boomer, then amended it to "she" in her next line. But her gut reaction upon seeing her wayward 'twin' was to say "I". Maybe she said "she" after she got over the shock because Sharon rebelled and ran away, and she wanted to dissociate herself from a disloyal copy. Also, Caprica-Biers said "I" when referring to getting the information in the documentary and the deleted footage to Caprica by using those Raiders. But since Fleet-Biers can't be in the Fleet and on Caprica at the same time, Cap-Biers must be another copy of the same model.

Interesting that Sharon is the only model who consistently uses third person pronouns when referring to other copies of her model. And yet in Home Part II she says "I" when referring to Galactica-Boomer's memories of life on Galactica before the attacks. Maybe innocuous memories are easier for her to consider herself as sharing with other copies than current or recent events. She may be dissociating for practical reasons, given that Galactica-Boomer hardly endeared herself to the Colonials by shooting Adama. She says, "That wasn't me," or "They thought of her as a thing," or "They probably threw her in the brig." But this copy does consistently draw a line between herself as an individuated Sharon and the choices she's been making lately as a self-declared individual with free will, though she goes back to I for 'safe' things like fond memories. But she seems to be thinking more like a human, observing in Home Part II that it's "weird" she can remember Gal-Boomer's memories as though they happened to her. But the movie theatre scene suggests that it's not weird at all for Cylons, in fact it's commonplace.

Note: I don't know yet if this Sharon really does have free will. It's possible she has programming of which she is not yet aware (I doubt it, though, simply because they've gone that route already with Gal-Boomer). But the movie theatre scene suggests that at least one faction of Cylons were not expecting to see her on Galactica, and lends credence to the idea that she has been acting out of more-or-less benign motives. When I say more-or-less, it's because I don't think Sharon is on the Colonials' side. She's on the side of whoever will keep her lover and herself alive. I enjoyed the character's calculating sincerity in The Farm and Home Parts I and II. She makes very calculated moves in order to manipulate people into trusting her, but she is sincere in her intentions. Very like Roslin, "playing the religion card" in The Farm. Roslin genuinely believes the prophecy is true, but she still refers to it cynically, and uses it cynically. They both know that sometimes it's not enough simply to be sincere, you must also appear sincere.

But getting back to the CYlons and this notion of the collective self, note that it doesn't appear to go between different models. I think of the Cylon copies as being like identical twins. Genetically identical, and with extremely similar personalities, but gradually becoming distinguishable from one another as a result of their experiences. I'm betting the longer they're around the more idiosyncratic and individual they become. Note that Six-in-Baltar's-head was on a deep cover mission on Caprica for at least two years prior to the attacks, and as we've seen, she has a deep attachment (not a very healthy attachment, but definitely deep) to Gaius which none of the other Sixes seem to have. But how much do they share in the way of memories? I can buy Galactica-Boomer's memories all being accessible to all other copies, because she's a sleeper agent. She didn't know if what she was seeing is useful to the Cylon cause, so somebody has the job of sorting through her downloaded memories for the important stuff(maybe she was set to automatically download every time another Cylon came within a certain range?). Do non-sleeper copies of the same model share all their memories, though? There does seem to be an element of choice in the matter, given that Sharon was able to avoid being tracked by her handlers.

I wonder if the Sharon now on Galactica has memories from all the Boomer copies. Or do they merely download useful information? If one copy works in a 'farm' and learns a lot about reproductive medical technology, or flies Raptors, or studies scripture, or builds neutron bombs, is that knowledge shared with all the other copies so only one of them has to go through the process of learning it in person? That would make them easy to replace. Obviously the theoretical knowledge might not be enough to flawlessly step into a role which involves manual dexterity, but certainly any training time would be sufficiently reduced.

Is sharing emotions and unimportant experiences (unimportant in the sense of furthering Cylon goals) with other copies technically optional but strongly encouraged, so as to encourage loyalty and the sense of the collective self? Did they even have a concept of loyalty before Sharon's defection? I mean, as far as we know she's the first Cylon who knows what she is (and always has known it) who has chosen to betray her 'siblings'. She prioritized her lover's life over the Plan, and presumably is intending to raise her child (the baby Six-in-Baltar's-head refers to as her own baby, suggesting the Cylons think of it as belonging to all of them) among the enemy. Do they even have a frame of reference to understand such behaviour? And will such behaviour happen more often, maybe in other copies? We've already seen that Six-in-Baltar's-head does not always appear to be 'on message'. However, unlike with Sharon, the other Cylons don't seem to be aware that her loyalty is questionable. Yet, anyway. Human 'contamination' seems to be a pretty important factor in developing a sense of selfishness, indeed a sense of self as apart from the other copies of one's model.

Also, while Cylons seem to have a childlike view of romantic and sexual love, do they have a sense of sibling-type love? If they're that close to other copies of their own model, do they experience nurturing from the other copies? Remember, they have no parents to provide nurturing. In KLG Part II when Gal-Boomer was confronted with what I like to call The Whole Bloody Chorus Line of Boomers, they said they loved her. Do Cylons turn to other copies of their own model for emotional support, or do they try and suppress their need for it, and behave efficiently?

Note: Lucy Lawless is a very beautiful woman. That having been said, however, she should not try to be a blonde. Her hair looked brassy. Sadly, I had been spoiled for the big reveal re: her true nature, so that didn't come as a surprise. Grrrr. I wasn't spoiled on purpose, you understand. I've never watched Xena, so I don't know much about her as an actress, but I liked what she did.

I liked Tigh's ordeal, and the way he dealt with it. He's a deeply flawed man, but he's not a coward. And strangely enough, he and Ellen seem to genuinely love each other, in their own toxic, Baltar-and-Six-type way. Ellen may well cheat on him for the sake of sexual variety, and push him to make 'bold' career decisions (and sweetie, you're not smart enough to play with the big kids. You try for Lady Macbeth, but you don't have her brains or grasp of strategic realities), but she was genuinely worried for him. I still think they should get a divorce and stay the hell away from each other, because that is one frakked-up marriage and they bring out the worst in each other, but I'm starting to see what keeps them together as well as what should keep them apart.

I very much liked the way continuing fallout from the Gideon is affecting relations between Galactica and the rest of the fleet. It makes sense that it would,b ut it's nice to see a show with good continuity. Adama's non-reaction (in the sense of an investigation or disciplinary action) is consistent with his usual desire to ignore situations he dislikes until they shut up and go away. But the point first made in Litmus that he can't afford to discipline competent personnel for infractions because he needs them doing their jobs is re-emphasized, both with Adama's own reactions, and other crew members pointing out that there is no relief, they need every trained body they have.

I'm also annoyed that we didn't get a scene in which the Fleet's PTB (i.e. Roslin, Adama, and Co.) discussed the improbability of a human managing to impregnate a Cylon, given that the Cylons are supposed to be a whole separate species, and by the way, synthetically created, though from biological materials! I'm stealing this line from someone else but it's odd how in Home they were perfectly willing to accept the unlikely tale that she was pregnant, while highly skeptical of the slightly more likely tale that she had changed sides. I mean, given that the Cylons were TRYING to get her pregnant, you'd think TPTB could muster a little bit of worry about what this development could mean. Nothing the Cylons do on purpose has worked out very well for the humans so far, after all.

Also, why wasn't Adama worried that Biers would talk in public about Galactica's resident Cylon even after he took what he thought was the tape in question? I mean, she could've gone on the air and said, "There's a Cylon on Galactica and the military is conspiring to keep it a secret. I had footage but they confiscated it." He seemed to think it was game over as soon as he had physical possession of the tape. Why not simply answer Biers by saying, "We're not harbouring her, she's a prisoner, and we're keeping her presence on board classified for good reason. Kindly forget you saw her, please." instead of just doing the Stare of Death.

I loved that a civilian character was allowed to say that they disliked their patriotism being brought into question just because they happened to disagree with the military or the civilian government on an issue. LOVED! It's a shame the character who got to say that turned out to be a bad guy, though, because it lessens the impact.

So what's the deal with Turncoat-Boomer? Is Sharon telepathic now, capable of beaming distress signals into Helo's brain even when she's all woozy from blood loss? He looked freaked out from the moment he arrived, and presumably visiting hours aren't usually in the middle of the night.

How come she didn't have so much as spotting when she spent most of her first trimester hiking cross-country, hauling Helo through sewers, getting SHOT, hiking cross-country some more, stealing a heavy Raider, getting thrown against walls, wrestling a guy for a grenade launcher, hiking through ravines in pneumonia-inducing conditions, and getting thrown down onto the ground and strangled, but now suddenly she starts haemmoraging for no reason at all? It seemed like they just tacked on those scenes without any context so they could have the movie theatre scene on Caprica in the end. Were there other scenes which got cut for length?

From the movie theatre scene it appears as though Six-in-Baltar's-head has been less than forthcoming with her buddies elsewhere. Maybe she's off the reservation, and not transmitting all the info she knows back to the others. ORemember, prior to Sharon being brought to sickbay, very few people would've probably known she was onboard. That info would've likely been VERY classified. Maybe that particular Six wants to keep the BoomerBaby for herself. Sharon and Helo should both watch their backs once that kid's born, because methinks Six will find them disposable.

Events in 33, Six Degrees of Separation, and KLG suggest Six has some level of communication with other Cylons, but apparently she hasn't been giving them all the info she has. How, I wonder, did she know about Sharon's pregnancy and predict that Sharon would be in that cell? Presumably her pregnancy has been common knowledge at the Cylon parties for a while. Note the Cylons in the movie theatre weren't surprised she was pregnant, just surprised she was still alive and on Galactica.

Maybe Six-in-Baltar's-head knew Sharon was on Kobol because she was the closest other Cylon around, and correctly predicted that after the fleet was reunited, they'd put Sharon in the cell designed for her dead 'twin'. Sharon says she's not "wired in" and this ep would suggest she was telling the truth. Maybe, though, she communicated by accident (dropped her concentration or something? I wish we knew how Cylon communication worked) and Six, being relatively close by, was the only one who picked up on it. Or maybe Six-in-Baltar's-head is communicating with only one faction of the Cylons, and the ones in the movie theatre are in a different faction. Or Six-in-Baltar's-head is making predictions based on a prophecy.

It's all very mysterious.

Cross-posting to 13th_colony and hidden_elysium