136 replies to this topic

[Jim Ohara]

By the end...I don't think I'll have one unanswered question...because all of the other questions I had during my rewatch are already getting answered.

What was Starbuck when she came back from the dead?

[Henry Blanco]

What was Starbuck when she came back from the dead?

I think she was supposed to be an angel, like Head Six and Head Baltar, but visible to everyone.

[Don Lerch]

What was Starbuck when she came back from the dead?

Don't ruin it for him, Jim. He'll discover the Shitsnack the last season turned into on his own.

[The Lorcan Nagle]

What was Starbuck when she came back from the dead?

Does it matter?

[Jim Ohara]

Does it matter?

In the grand scheme of my life? Nope. But Stephen says he's got all questions answered and resurrected Starbuck was the biggest bunch of bullshit 'we-have-no-idea-what-we're-writing' in the entire series. He says he has an answer, I just wonder what it is.

I suspect it's magic.

[The Lorcan Nagle]

No, I mean does it matter to the story of BSG? It's an unanswered question, but I think it's far more important that Starbuck's personal story - being able to come to terms with having a destiny, finding peace in her relationship with Lee, Zak and Bill Adama, and getting a measure of internal peace - comes to a conclusion than we discover exactly how she came back to life.

When Stephen said all the questions were answered, I think it's fairer to say that the important ones were.

[Jim Ohara]

No, I mean does it matter to the story of BSG? It's an unanswered question, but I think it's far more important that Starbuck's personal story - being able to come to terms with having a destiny, finding peace in her relationship with Lee, Zak and Bill Adama, and getting a measure of internal peace - comes to a conclusion than we discover exactly how she came back to life.

For me it's up there with Lost not identifying what the Island was. It's a fundamental part of the story, maybe the biggest piece of the story when you look back on it. And utterly unnecessary to add in too. These stories set universes with rules and structure and details to give a frame of reference for the viewer. So when something egregious is incorporated into the main story, and then the series ends with the writers basically saying 'yeah, that part was just crazy shit, we have nothing to explain what it was about' it's pretty offensive.

It'd be up there with Frodo shooting Sauron with a ray gun or Ned Stark flying away from the Sept of Baelor after super punching Joffery in the face. Or the Doctor having Jedi powers.

[Dave Wallace]

When Stephen said all the questions were answered, I think it's fairer to say that the important ones were.

Given how disappointing the answers were to a lot of the questions, I think it's probably a blessing that some of the questions (like the Starbuck thing) went unanswered.

[The Lorcan Nagle]

For me it's up there with Lost not identifying what the Island was. It's a fundamental part of the story, maybe the biggest piece of the story when you look back on it. And utterly unnecessary to add in too. These stories set universes with rules and structure and details to give a frame of reference for the viewer. So when something egregious is incorporated into the main story, and then the series ends with the writers basically saying 'yeah, that part was just crazy shit, we have nothing to explain what it was about' it's pretty offensive.

It'd be up there with Frodo shooting Sauron with a ray gun or Ned Stark flying away from the Sept of Baelor after super punching Joffery in the face. Or the Doctor having Jedi powers.

Again: Why is it that important?

[Jim Ohara]

Again: Why is it that important?

The main plot driver of the show changed from 'will they find Earth?' to 'how the hell did Starbuck come back from the dead?' after season 3. It took the show from mostly sci-fi to mostly religious mumbo jumbo. It was the single biggest change in the story. And yet, when the dust settled, they never explained why. That's why it's important to be at least. They ruined the show for me with that move.

I think they lacked courage to simply make Starbuck a cylon. But then the final five reveal turned out to be a load of rubbish too.

[The Lorcan Nagle]

The main plot driver of the show changed from 'will they find Earth?' to 'how the hell did Starbuck come back from the dead?' after season 3. It took the show from mostly sci-fi to mostly religious mumbo jumbo. It was the single biggest change in the story. And yet, when the dust settled, they never explained why. That's why it's important to be at least. They ruined the show for me with that move.

I think they lacked courage to simply make Starbuck a cylon. But then the final five reveal turned out to be a load of rubbish too.

I'm going to have to disagree totally with the change in theme, because the show wasn't really about finding earth to begin with. IMO, it was about the pressure cooker environment. You have a handful of people in an amazinly stressful situation - literally the wrong people at the wrong time trying to survive as best they can, and not always making the right choices. The spacships, the mythology, the quests were just window dressing. It doesn't matter why Starbuck came back to life, it matters how the humans react, and how she reacts to the sudden knowledge that something much weirder happened to her than she thought. It matters more that half the crew think she's a Cylon and discriminate against her than explaining exactly what happened.

If you listen to Moore's commentaries or read interviews you can see that every choice they made was to further the personal drama. The mythology was secondary to that drama at every point.

[Jim Ohara]

Lord of the Rings wasn't about Frodo going to Mordor either, but it wouldn't have worked if he'd used a jetpack to get there.

[The Lorcan Nagle]

That's a false analogy.

[Jim Ohara]

How about Boromir coming back from the dead with a brand new attitude towards Hobbits?

[The Lorcan Nagle]

Still not accurate. To me, it's like you were watching the Wire and expecting car chases and shootouts, but that's just not what the Wire is about. I get why you were disappointed, I just think you were barking up the wrong tree in thinking there was ever going to be an explanation.

Were the roles reversed, I'm not sure what analogy I'd use TBH...

[Jason Hendriks]

What was Starbuck when she came back from the dead?

It was my take that it was really Starbuck. "God" (who doesn't like to be called that) lead her to her death, and then returned her to life in a new body to lead the remaining Colonials and friendly Cylons back to the new Earth and their ultimate destiny.

However...

There is a theory that the resurrected Starbuck was a manifestation of Aurora, one of the Lords of Kobol. Aurora is the Goddess of Dawn, and has been shown to have a connection with Starbuck; recall that little winged figurine she given and that Adama put on the bow of his model ship in the episode "Malestrom."

This idea is strongly implied in the "Final Five" comic book series from Dynamite, which was purported to be canonical with the series. (Unlike all of the other BSG comics.)

[Sarah Horrocks]

I think she was supposed to be an angel, like Head Six and Head Baltar, but visible to everyone.

My thoughts as well. I didn't really think about that plot more than any other part though. The pressure cookery drama was why I watched it and loved it.

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[Nicholas Taggart]

Was Starbuck's Viper an angel too?

[Dave Wallace]

And was Bob Dylan a Cylon?

[Henry Blanco]

How about Boromir coming back from the dead with a brand new attitude towards Hobbits?

http://grognardia.bl...iam-flayer.html

My thoughts as well. I didn't really think about that plot more than any other part though. The pressure cookery drama was why I watched it and loved it.

I watched for the character/drama as well, but I dont see why one can't enjoy the show for its philosophical aspects as well -- the religious themes of the show are what fueled half the conflicts in the first place.