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.

Comments

[bijoux.livejournal.com]

I have to read your whole post, but this

"So what does scare you?"

"Being forgotten."

that whole part was eerily similar to a WIP fic I wrote after the first season (which never got finished or posted) that I was like "Whoa, RDM, did you read my mind?"

[jeebs83.livejournal.com]

I'm on my 5th glass and i am in no where as good of shape as you are. This episode destroyed me. Ugh, I'm hoping to feel better about it tomorrow...

[bijoux.livejournal.com]

And pretty much YES to everything you mention, good or bad.

I didn't even have any alcohol tonight. I probably should have :|

OFF TO FIND ISHAY AND MAKE MANY MEDICAL BABIES WITH HER.

Ahaha, oh god, REALLY? This makes me smile.

[elly427.livejournal.com]

ALL OF THOSE SCENES I was like "I have read this before!" I am not used to fandom being so prescient, or to the creators reading so much fic and stealing our ideas!

I know we all might disagree with things Ron did, but we as a fandom were more on his wavelength in terms of predicting things than any other fandom I have ever been in.

[bijoux.livejournal.com]

They are the mistake each other kept making - another cycle that needed to be broken, I guess.

This is an interesting way of putting it. I didn't think of this that way.

Though, in an ideal world, them never getting together or being happy was the cycle that needed to be broken by giving them a happily ever after *sigh*

[http://users.livejournal.com/wisteria_/]

Oh, Elly. YES.

(More later. Until then, many hugs.)

[elly427.livejournal.com]

Oh, hello fifth glass in elly's glass, where did you come from?

Man, you have to train for this sort of shit. *g*

My eyes may be so swollen I can hardly see. WHATEV. I'M FINE.

*clings to you*

[elly427.livejournal.com]

I was torn! I thought "clear head, or wine-soaked head?" Wine soaked won, but may have been a mistake. Oh show!

OFF TO FIND ISHAY AND MAKE MANY MEDICAL BABIES WITH HER.

Ok, maybe not, but I kind of want to write it anyway. I just want the medical staff to have a happy ending! ;)

[the-sun-is-up.livejournal.com]

So Kara and Lee weren't the canon ship?

Oh I think they were, just not in a marriage and babies way. More in a EPIC LOVE THAT TRANSCENDS DEATH and SHE WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN BECAUSE HE WILL REMEMBER HER and OMG SHE WAS AN ANGEL SENT TO HELP AND SHE WASN'T ALLOWED TO LEAVE UNTIL SHE KNEW FOR CERTAIN HE'D BE HAPPY IN HIS NEW HOME way.

[elly427.livejournal.com]

GAH. HOW ARE YOU, MY LOVE? I was a little worried. I still don't know what Katee said in Portland, and I think I never want to know, but I was thinking of you between my own sobs.

Oh god. I can't believe it's over. *clutches at you*

Okay, I just teared up again. This has to stop. I am going to be a mess in the morning.

[elly427.livejournal.com]

I love this. I ACCEPT THIS AS CANON. THIS MAKES ME FEEL 100% BETTER.

Except I am leaking tears again at the thought. GAH. SHOW. PILOTS. GAH.

[elly427.livejournal.com]

I think that maybe we were supposed to read the cheating and the EoJ making out differently that I did. It wasn't a sign that they were supposed to be together, that they were each other's one true. I think we were supposed to understand that Kara and Lee made each other make bad choices, but the hotness of pilots blinded us. It may be the wine, but I don't look at this a bad thing. It just makes me sad, and also reconsider watching the whole thing again.

Though, in an ideal world, them never getting together or being happy was the cycle that needed to be broken by giving them a happily ever after *sigh*

I would prefer this cycle, yes. MAYBE the cycle wasn't broken? *hopes, despite it meaning the end of our civilization*

[the-sun-is-up.livejournal.com]

Seriously though, she could have left once she guided them to Earth and her mission was over. But instead she waited around for a day or two to make sure Lee would be okay without her, and only then did she say goodbye. T____T OH PILOTS.

[elly427.livejournal.com]

I love that she had to say goodbye to Lee. I was half convinced she was still on Galactica as it went into the sun, to be honest. I don't know if I could have asked for more. Granted, I may never watch that scene again because it BREAKS MY HEART, but what ev. I'm cool.

[jeebs83.livejournal.com]

clings back. I need it. I'm ready for my 6th glass. Tonight I feel like I was dumped by my boyfriend but had no idea he was ending the relationship.

[indigo419.livejournal.com]

They are the mistake each other kept making - another cycle that needed to be broken, I guess.

Hmm. Interesting thought.

not be forgotten
I started something for QoT where Starbuck and Apollo were revered, almost deified as heroes long after their deaths, and only a few people remember that they were human. Real. Messy and complicated and *passionate*, godsdammit.

I have decided that they were on New Earth for quite a while - long enough to put up those tents and huts - and that K/L had lots of farewell sex before Kara disappeared. *nods*

[glamaphonic]

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!

I do not see it this way! MUCH AS the_sun_is_up SAID.

I felt like what they were trying to portray is that they are a TRAGIC LOVE STORY and they are never quite on the right page. It is never quite the right time regardless of how much they want it, how much they click, how much they mean to each other, how much they are ~*~MFEO~*~, LEE CAN NEVER QUITE HOLD ONTO THE PIGEON THAT MUST ALWAYS FLY AWAY.

Remember, in Maelstrom, she died loving him. (And promised to see him on the other side.) She came back loving him. And, of course, he always, always loved her. In the end, I think it was supposed to be understood, that love, but also that bad timing and that missed opportunity. So, in the end, she understands that she's dead and gone and has been for a while, hanging on to serve her purpose. Then she hangs on a little bit longer to let him know that she's going. And he's the only one left to love her, to carry her memory, like he carries her heart in his heart and is never without it blah blah poetry blah.

Point being, I didn't see THEY WERE ALWAYS A MISTAKE. I saw THEIR LOVE WAS ALWAYS DOOMED. Which is different!

[elly427.livejournal.com]

I may have found a bottle of rum from my last cross-border trip. Ahem. THERE IS NO MORE WINE. HOW AM I TO FACE THIS WITHOUT BOOZE?

AHEM.

Man. I still don't know if I can ever watch this show again. It feels like that, like a punch in the gut.

[elly427.livejournal.com]

I don't have any other explanation for pilots. All signs point to yes, to quote the Magic 8 Ball. Er, that may be a sign to put down the wine.

I have decided that they were on New Earth for quite a while - long enough to put up those tents and huts - and that K/L had lots of farewell sex before Kara disappeared. *nods*

Filthy, passionate, almost-got-caught, kinky sexy. Yes. I believe it to be true. (Have I told you about the alternate S4 they had in my head? Suffice it to say, they had a lot of sex.)

[indigo419.livejournal.com]

(Have I told you about the alternate S4 they had in my head? Suffice it to say, they had a lot of sex.)

Oooh. Bring it on. :D

[greycoupon.livejournal.com]

RON READ YOUR K/L/Z fic.

[jadengreen36.livejournal.com]

OF COURSE!

[jadengreen36.livejournal.com]

Oh, Elly, I waitied up until almost 3am for you to post, and then I went to bed. How wonderful to wake up to this. {{{{{{Elly}}}}}} Yes to almost everything you said, <3333333333

Re K/L, I also thought that K/L were/are the canon ship, but always star-crossed DOOMED. The full names and the handshaking! And Kara came on to him FIRST! He was never meant to keep her, but always to chase her but never quite catch her, though even when he tried to chase her, she seemed to fly away, but she stayed. Stayed until he was okay, and then she left.

Yes, indeed, MANY DAYS may have passed between the time they came out of the moon's shadow until we see them down in the green savannahs. A lot of K/L could have happened in that time... Write it and they will come./

{{{Elly}}}

[catku.livejournal.com]

Hoshi's first name is Louis, canon per the webisodes where we learn about him and Gaeta.

And yes Ron definitely fic :). I paused the scene mid ways and turned to my husband and said " I am POSITIVE I've read this scene before"

I've read alot of Kara meets Lee fic so sometimes it blurs but it was weird to not be suprised by this. The ending yes, but not the drunken part.

[the-sun-is-up.livejournal.com]

like he carries her heart in his heart and is never without it blah blah poetry blah.

I LOL'D. Best description of a plot point ever. XD

[marenfic.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I read it as she just wasn't his to have and hold in that life, but that they had something that transcended all of the realties of their lives.

Maybe they can never have each other in a physical sense, but they always had each other.

[zorb]

I really should've prepared for last night with alcohol. Had Kleenex, though.

I wrote my review before reading yours and am amused at how similar the parts about Kara are. :)) And fic! Damn, this fandom is good.

Every time something reminds me it's over I start getting teary again. I'm so glad this show airs on Fridays. I would not function right if I actually had to be out in the world today.

[asta77.livejournal.com]

I think we are in the minority that didn't think it was awful. I actually have more problems after thinking about it and reading others reactions (and have been working on a second post all frakking day), but, overall, I still like it and some things make quite a bit of sense to me. Though I find myself analyzing why Lee and Kara couldn't, possibly, have a future together which is just weird! ;)

Originally, Tigh was to kill Cavil but Dean Stockwell suggested the suicide. He felt that Cavil would realize he lost and would choose to end his life. I assumed he would soon be killed by the humans he loathed and would rather die by his own hand.

[elzed.livejournal.com]

Nice to read a positive review! I'm not entirely convinced by the finale (not least because I am pissed off at the amount of desperate retconning that's going on, that and the whole religious thing which makes me foam at the mouth). But I am not desperately upset - unlike quite a lot of my flisters...

Having said that, I laughed at the attempted table sex - total fanfic shout out!

I should muster my thoughts and post them at some point, but who knows when...
;)

[elly427.livejournal.com]

OMG I REALLY HOPE NOT BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE MORTIFYING. My porn should never touch those actually involved in the show.

BUT SERIOUSLY. THE THREE OF THEM ON THE COUCH. COME ON.

[elly427.livejournal.com]

Oh, muffin! {{{{{you}}}}}

I still am not sure on the doomed love part! Part of me really, really wants to rewatch the entire thing (okay, the Kara/Lee scenes. I will be honest) and see how it all plays out now that I know how they started and how they ended. I don't doubt they loved each other - let me be clear! I just still feel like the lesson they needed to learn was they weren't for each other. And I am okay with that - I like my angst, after all.

And I love that shipdom is reading her staying to say goodbye as proof of her feelings for him - she might have said she loved Sam out loud, but Kara has always been about action. The moment Lee was happy, she was free.

(Crap, I am tearing up again! I can't start crying again!)

Anyways, I wait with baited breath for the fic. *eye flist, looks innocent.*

[elly427.livejournal.com]

Louis! That's it! I knew we knew, but I couldn't remember.

The flashbacks were weird to watch because it was so close to fic. I've never been in a fandom that has been so able to predict what was going to happen on a show as this one (the other event being Kara sleeping with Lee and then running away on New Caprica. Man. So obvious, all the fic writters were coming up with crazier stuff because there was no way it could be that obvious.)

[elly427.livejournal.com]

Ohhhhh, the wine was a terrible idea. I would have been a mess without the wine, it just made things worse.

Fandom! I can't believe how presceint this fandom was in terms of our fic.

I can hardly imagine going in to work tomorrow. I was thanking my lucky stars the show moved from Sundays back to Fridays.

[elly427.livejournal.com]

Man, when we've got you thinking about a Kara/Lee ending, I feel shipdom's point has been made ;)

That's really interesting about Cavil. Makes perfect sense to me - I still think it was a little over the top, but how else could have it been played?

A day and half later I had to force myself to leave the house so I'd stop thinking about the show. I still liked the finale, but I think it had as much to do with loving the show as anything else.

[elly427.livejournal.com]

I think maybe I am one of the few who's always liked the religious, mythical stuff on the show. Was it heavy handed? Hells yes (also, why, if God is uncaring and neither good nor evil, did he send Kara to guide one side to earth? These are the questions that will drive me mad forever, I know) But BSG always has been. (Except the cute robots at the end. WAY TO RUIN ANY SENSE OF DIGNITY AND SUBTLY YOU MIGHT HAVE HAD, RON.)

Ahem.

All of the Kara/Lee stuff - seriously, is Ron trolling fanfic.net and sasa_hq? Because there were points where I was like "wait. I have TOTALLY read this before." I guess I am happy fandom was so spot on, because now people can rewrite the ending and I can believe it to be true!

[cattm.livejournal.com]

Yay, a positive review. I liked the finale (liked, not loved). I have some issues with it, but on the whole I enjoyed it. I definitely loved the Opera House scenes. The last part with robots and head!Gaius and head!Caprica talking about our present-day world wasn't exactly subtle, but I was glad it was there so I could recover from the crying a little.