Daybreak

[elly427]

Hey, do you know what's a terrible idea? That third fourth glass of red wine I just poured.



I know I'm as affected as I am because I let myself be affected. When a friend called to wish me well on finale day (I have awesome friends) they asked if I had the kleenex ready and lo, I did. Good thing too, since I am still breaking out into tears a little bit here and there.

This wasn't the ending I was expecting. I figured everyone was marked for death in interesting and painful ways. Then they found earth and I was shouting "wait! There's 20 minutes left! There are a hundred interesting ways left that you could all die!" I think because I expected the fire and brimstone, the last 20 felt a little slow and a little indulgent to me. Please don't take that as a complaint! I loved them, as a fan of the show and as a fan of the characters. It was fan service, but done with the best of intentions and in the best way.

I love the idea of all of them splintering and trying again. I'm sure Lee has his personal reasons for thinking New Caprica didn't work, but he was right. They had to break the cycle. And I love that he suggested it, in one last presidential-as-an-adject act.

I cried when Laura died - of course, I was kind of maybe sobbing at that point. But how lovely and sad that she did get to see the promised land? And I finally remembered why I liked Adama in those last scenes with Laura and Lee and Kara. Just a man, and a good man.

What an utterly satisfying ending for Lee. (Whoops, just had to stop for a random sob session.) He finally gets a chance to live his life: no father to live up to, no Starbuck shadow to live under, no presidental expectations, just Lee. Gah. I really think it's wonderful, despite the fact that I keep breaking into tears at the thought. Oh, Lee. I know he's a ficitional character, but I wish him every happiness.

And Kara. Oh Kara. I never really expected her to make it out alive - how could she? People don't come back from the dead, no matter how beloved by the people in their lives. I guess I should have known when she told Anders a few eps back "the old me is getting gone." I had tried to articulate to wisteria_ last June about how Kara felt "off" to me, how she was her but not her. I feel like I understand that sentiment better now. Whether she was an angel or a mass hallucination or a projection or an avatar of God (Aurora, goddess of the dawn, Daybreak, I don't think it's a coincidence) she led them to their end and now she can have some peace.

As for pilots! well, I never figured we'd get a happy ending. Things never worked like that on this show, and even if others got their new beginnings, everyone couldn't. I never expected Kara and Lee happy together with fat pilot babies. It makes me sad for them (and for my little corner of fandom) but I get it. I understand why they were never going to be together. I do. Still love them, though.

That won't stop me from writing fic, though.

Gah. I am running out of kleenex. I am going to feel really dumb if everyone else hated this.

Let's talk about BAAAAAAAAAAAAABY PILOTS for a moment. Were they playing truth or dare? Did I miss that? That entire bit I had this odd sense of deja vu. Seriously, has Ron been reading fic? Because it was uncannily unlike fic I have read. (elzed, I feel like Ron found Decline and Fall and made notes.)

I don't know how I feel about their scenes. I feel like we didn't really need confirmation that Kara and Lee were attracted to each other from the first night they met, or that Lee's always been a bit of a cynic (thought I think he is more of a romantic than Zak knew). Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for backstory - which reminds me, have we ever had Lee mention the academy? Or attending? War college, yes, but the academy? I can't remember. Anyways, I understand where it was leading: yes, Pilots have and have always had crazy chemistry. I understand the moral: acting on it hurts the people they love: Zak, Sam, Dee. What I'm not sure of is why this is the conclusion (I have a rant half formed about Kara and desitny and being unhappy, but this ep seemed to disprove that for the rest of her life, so why not Lee?) They are the mistake each other kept making - another cycle that needed to be broken, I guess.

(Part of me - the canon shipper part - is a little stunned. So Kara and Lee weren't the canon ship? That's - that's fine I guess, I just - man! I was so sure! )

And, crazy chemistry aside, I'm not sure why Kara came on so strong to Lee. Last week Zak referred to Kara as his "better half." That means serious relationship, yes? If this was just one more example of Kara "tomcatting around" as Ron referred to it once, I have a nasty letter to send him. Also, way to make Lee look like a real heel, Ron.

(Er, also, let's talk about them being in each other's space and Kara putting her hands on his chest and leaning way in and Lee looking at her mouth like he wants to swallow her whole and Kara getting him drunk enough he would consider starting something on the dining room table while his brother was six feet away on the couch. But the lesson here is sexual chemistry is bad. Ahem.)

(I just went back and watched BABYPILOTSONATABLE. I, uh, wow. Hi chemistry! Hi hi hi! Nice to know we haven't just been seeing that. ALSO. LEE ADAMA. STAY AWAY FROM ATTEMPTING TO BE SEXING ON TABLES FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. IT NEVER ENDS WELL.)

(Also, when the three of them collasped on the couch, I had bad thinky thoughts of a threesome nature. DON'T JUDGE ME.)

(ALSO, KARA THINKING OF CONFESSING TO LEE THAT SHE'S NOT SCARED OF DYING WHILE CALCULATING THE FTL COORDINATES.

"So what does scare you?"

"Being forgotten."

*SOB*

Also, Lee clearly does remember that night.)

(ALSO. KARA IS THE PIGEON? I . . . don't get it. I really don't, beyond the metaphor of her flying away.)

(ALSO. AN EXPLANATION FOR FULL NAMES. AND CALLBACKS TO THE MINI HANDSHAKING. HUH.)

Other moments I loved:

- Hot Dog leading the vipers. Oh, nugget! Last of the nugget class, I think. I got choked up when he lead the charge. I think I said outloud "oh no, I'm not ready for Hot Dog die.
- I would have put money on Helo to die, but there he was at the end. HELOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
- It makes me happy to think Hera grew up and met someone and fell in love and had lots of fat babies. I hope someone invented cupcakes for her.
- Caprica and Gaius. That's one thread I am happy they picked up.
- I love Zak Adama. I do.
- Ron Moore showing up actually made me laugh out loud. Like anyone was going to miss those flowing locks. Did I miss David Eick somewhere? I've always liked David.
- ADMIRAL HOSHI. Does Hoshi have a first name?
- Raptor wranglers: always looking for creative new ways to die.
- Dead(?) Racetrack nuking the colony.
- Hera's little dress matched the hospital gown they put Kara in back on Caprica.
- Petty human shit like murder and jealousy ruining the whole deal between Cavil and the humans.
- Galactica's back breaking. It was sort of like see a character die.
- Sam leading the fleet into the sun.
- DOC COTTLE. DOC COTTLE IN THE GRASSES OF EARTH. OFF TO FIND ISHAY AND MAKE MANY MEDICAL BABIES WITH HER. Just me?
- Oh Chief. Off to Scotland (or Vancouver Island?) to live your life alone. I think maybe he got the best ending.

Things I did not like so much
- Hey, there, vomit covered face of Adama! I could have spent less time looking into you as you stared drunkenly at the sky. WE GET IT.
- Also, I never need to see Edward James Olmos grimace through another fake shot again.
- Also, no more strippers, pls.
- I understand the need to differentiate centurions, but was it necessary to do it in blood? Did they not have any black paint? Green? Blue?
- Did Lee disapear there in the CIC after all the shooting? I thought for sure he was dead for at least 10 minutes. He was there, and then they never showed him again. Did he leave and I missed it?
- Ok, the ending. Maybe it was just my version but the dubbing was a little off.
- Also, I get the point, robots seem cute and cuddly and like they can break dance and then they will NUKE YOUR CIVILIZATION. Still. After the final gut wrenching hour and fifty minutes, it felt wrong.
- Also, a bit heavy handed with the speechifying by Head Six and Head Gaius there, Ron.
- Cavil shooting himself. I suppose there is no appropriate expression when putting a gun in your mouth, but Cavil looked ridiculous.
- Lee's hair. The only time I found it marginally acceptable was in the field (INNAFIELD!) (SOB) when Adama was leaving and he was saying good bye to Kara. Jamie Bamber: pretty in natural light.

GUYS. MY SHOW. MY FANDOM. I still can't believe it's over.

I don't know if I can ever watch this again, but I want to. I want to watch it all.



I really would like to wrap my arms around all of you tonight. Or at least pour you a glass of wine. Cheers, flist. Cheers.