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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>The suicide is not what I have a problem with. I actually
found that quite funny and awesome, and pretty in character given how he’s
acted. Dean Stockwell played him extraordinarily well. I
think looking for explanations for a lot of the narrative problems is
fruitless. RDM is not Gene Wolfe. Nor is he Daniel Knauf, or Alan
Moore, or even J. Michael Straczysnki , to draw together a few different
superlative writers from varying mediums. The explanation for why things
don’t make sense is easy: he didn’t think things through at the
beginning of the series, and thus we have the quagmire of dead-end plotlines
and weird plot changes. Easy example: the Temple of the Five. For
those thinking of a knee jerk reaction: no, I enjoyed the series! There
is enough cool stuff in there to keep me satisfied. However, a lot
of the explanations feel forced. The fact our “Earth” and the
13<sup>th</sup> tribe had no connection, for example. It is far more simplistic
to simply ascribe the failings of the narrative to writer oversight.
Searching for explanations that are tenuous reeks of fanboy activities, at
least in this context (definitely not so with respect to subtle writers where
you’re meant to draw these connections). It’s still an
enjoyable series. And I’ll admit I wanted a futuristic Earth to
blow those uppity Colonials out of space.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
urth-bounces@lists.urth.net [mailto:urth-bounces@lists.urth.net] <b>On Behalf
Of </b>John Watkins<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, 23 March 2009 12:09 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> The Urth Mailing List<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: (urth) BSG Spoiler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>I watched it last night with some friends and just want to
say on record that I loved it from beginning to almost the very very end when
the robot dance montage started. But even that was a forgivable
indulgence.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>I agree with Jeff's take on Cavil's motives in his last
scenes. While expressly an atheist character, who, like Baltar,
manipulated the beliefs of others, I thought that he convincingly had a moment
of doubt there with Gaius talking to him. But that doesn't really matter,
as the offer of resurrection technology is what convinced him anyway. The
suicide made sense--he was probably about to die anyway and his life was, in
his own mind, worthless without Hera, so he ended it on his own terms. Of
course, I wanted worse things for him because I hated him, but in a way
committing suicide over one's metaphysical despair is as bad as it gets.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>I think there's still some mystery about Starbuck.
Unlike the angels, she wasn't aware of her nature until the end, and it's
got to be more complex than just "eidolon." That only explains
her corpse and disappearance, not her knowledge of the song. As for
Harbinger of Death status, there's any number of plausible meanings to it--one
of which is just that she's a harbinger sent from the realm of the dead.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal>On Sun, Mar 22, 2009 at 6:32 AM, Jeremy Francis <<a
href="mailto:francisj@iinet.net.au">francisj@iinet.net.au</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>The head angels were actually
inter-dimensional insects? But of course!</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> <a href="mailto:urth-bounces@lists.urth.net" target="_blank">urth-bounces@lists.urth.net</a>
[mailto:<a href="mailto:urth-bounces@lists.urth.net" target="_blank">urth-bounces@lists.urth.net</a>]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Chris P<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Sunday, 22 March 2009 7:28 PM<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><br>
<b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:urth@lists.urth.net" target="_blank">urth@lists.urth.net</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>Subject:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'> Re: (urth) BSG Spoiler<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>> Jeremy
Francis wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><br>
> > I doubt they'll have an easier time of it. Again, I think you
underestimate<br>
> > the power of a centralised population, and overestimate how plentiful<br>
> > sustenance will be. They will have a HARDER time of it on Earth than
they<br>
> > did on New Caprica, and New Caprica forced privation on the populace.<br>
> <br>
> I agree that it would be easier all in one place, network effects and <br>
> all that, and if they were serious about natural disasters they'd have <br>
> landed a couple of ships to use for shelters and/or emergency <br>
> evacuation. But it's not fair to say the ending is logistically dumb <br>
> when the ubiquitous cigarettes and good grooming would imply they had <br>
> entire ships full of cigarettes and hair-care products along for the <br>
> ride all along.<br>
<br>
Given that Wolfe was writing all this, I think we need to consider more complex
interpretations.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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