1.10: The Hand Of God

[Dave]

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The Galactica launches a daring attack on a Cylon base.

 

[Rik_the_Riff]

Well, I liked it, though I've a few problems here and there.

For once, I didn't find myself disliking any of the characters, although I'm very much wondering how Galactica can sustain such casualties.

Also, why would the Cylons who'd just lost their base break off? Where would they go?

This prophecy stuff is bothering me. I like having God playing the same game. But two possible Messiahs? This is just going to annoy me. I think No.6 must be playing games with Baltar - the 'Vipers' vision doesn't cut it with me. Baltar's certainly far enough adrift from his reason to fall for her words though.

And is the game up for the Cylons following Helo? We shall see...

The action bits were good though, weren't they?

Just a thought,

Rik

 

[Dave]

Originally posted by Rik_the_Riff
The action bits were good though, weren't they?

They were pretty good.

About the only thing that I didn't like was their 'Star Trek'-style need to invent a totally new element (Trillium) to keep the engines running. And it had to be a highly explosive one, of course, but also rendered completely inert by radiation exposure, and the Cylons want it too! It could have been worse I guess, they could have discovered that it was a jewel worn in the necklace of a princess.

TRIVIA: This episode is the first adaptation of an episode from the classic 'Battlestar Galactica' series. "The Hand of God" served as the finale of the original series, and it also involved Adama taking the fight to the Cylons. In it they used a captured Cylon Raider. They have already captured a Cylon Raider in this series but they didn't use it.

 

[ray gower]

Don't think they did fall into Star Trek proportions. We know the BG needs fuel and it has to be something that offers more 'Bang for your buck' than anything we have or know about at present. Unfortunately, I think the chemists and physics chaps have invented Trillium, it is one of the 'theoretical' elements up above 120 on the periodic table.

Similarly it would be sensible for the raiders to break off, they would need the fuel to get somewhere safe.

Where it irritated was the double bluff played on all and sundry. e.g. Cylons go after the decoy, then leave it alone to intercept the BG's attack squadron. But this is okay, because unbeknownst to everybody, the real attack was the decoy attack in the first place.
Either Adam knows he has a spy in the leading echlons of the command team, or somebody is suffering an extreme dose of cleverness?
What would have happened if the plan had worked as originally intended?

As for No6, Balta and Caprica, I get ever more confused. Beginning to think the only solution that makes sense is that No6, Boomer etc. are some sort of anti-Cylon Cylon brigade?

 

[Brit Chick]

OK - I am STILL not seeing where the Helo and Boomer on Caprica thing is going - does anyone have a clue about that ?

Caprica Boomer has certainly decided to go against the Cylons on that planet and obviously has feelings for Helo. And she was sick, why ? were they near an element that causes the cylons sickness - or have they made the human cylons really way too human and boomer is pregnant - bit far fetched I know, but hey, would make an interesting twist !

and Ray - "more bang for your buck" I heard that on another show the other day and can't remember which one - must be either Stargate or Smallville as I've been having a bit of a DVD fest on those two shows this New Year !

 

[ray gower]

OT- More Bang for Your Buck- Origin

It is claimed the phrase originated from Cold War deliberations concerning funding new weapons. For example, the US Air Force habitually claimed that ballistic missiles such as ICBM's could do more damage to an enemy country for a given expenditure than a Navy aircraft carrier could.

Thus, they claimed, missiles give more "bang for the buck" than ships.

More on topic, do we actually know that Boomer, Caprica, is a Cylon?

As far as I remember we have only had proof that the BG one is

 

[RangerOne SG13 SOR]

Another great episode, not so much Star Trek but Star Wars with Apollo doing the tunnel run "use the force Apollo" LOL

A great mission well executed with some definate "out of the box" Starbuck thinking.

I must admit the double bluff added a lot more to the episode, as the initial fighter wing retreated I was expecting things to turn differently.

Adama restricting info, well it is only wise not so much on suspicion but remember Mrs Tye is now on the scene so reading between the lines there could be an element of doubt around.

The link to the Prophecy finally started to tie down the religeous plot that No6 and the Omen were talking about and adds a lot more wieght to N06`s character,

"God has a plan for you Gyus"

Especially as the padre informed the President of its writings.

I am curious though as to how the Cylons discovered the writings and if it was their perception of them that set them on a path to destroy humanity in that they saw it as their roile within the prophecy itself.

hmmm, one to think about...

The action was very good with a lot of awesome CGI, that episode has made some great backdrops

As for Cylon occupied Caprica, we now know the intentions of the Cylon Boomer (Ray we do know she is cylon) that being to go to the Cylon base and steal a ship and escape. I too saw the sickness as a link to her being pregnant to Helo,

I think that explains the whole Caprica element in that as there are only 12 models of Cylon/Human maybe further creations are beyond them so they are experimenting with a 2nd Generation Cylon (Cylon/human Hybrid) but the flaw with my guess is that they could use any human for that so why Helo, unless they wanted a "free minded" person unaware he was under watch to raise the child free of Cylon influence/doctrine.


Thanks for the Trivia note Dave and keep them coming, its great to see the links to the old series, it adds a lot of recognition and warmth to this version.

I pray to Kobol and the Gods, they add a 2nd season to this...

Ranger

 

[Rik_the_Riff]

"use the force Apollo"

roflmao

I know I've said this before, but It's more relevant here;

Rik's latest wild-ball theory:

The Cylon God is the real one, and is also the root of human mythology. God is on the human's side - which is why Galactica has had some unexplained lucky escapes (cf. Starbuck in that episode where she had to fly the Cylon raider). No.6 is a manifestation of Baltar's guilt causing him to slowly slide into madness because he *believes* (wrongly) that he is the messiah. The president really *is* the messiah, the prophecy will come true, but only if God decides we're ready - which is what the Helo experiment is about.

Just a thought,

Rik

 

[Hawkshaw_245]

I absolutely LOVED this ep.
It gave the audience something to CHEER about for a change. Though I like the dark and brooding tone of the show in general, it needs a few light moments to ward off fill-blown melancholy.

Great action and FX. Good scenes for virtually all the characters. A nice closing scene, with cool festive music playing, while the corks popped, and liquor flowed, my inner warrior felt genuinely satisfied after a job well done.

 

[Thadlerian]

What happened to all the cylon raiders? Wasn't there 50+90 of them going for Galactica near the end? "They're being massacred," Starbuck said about the fighters engaging the cylons, but by the end of the episode, it had turned into "Tear them apart!" What happened in between?

Perhaps Baltar is God.

 

[Delvo]

The second group of Vipers came back, and the Galactica was there with its guns.