Are you reading that on another forum? Or just your impression? I was actually starting to think it myself. It would explain why it took them so long to announced season 4: they were still hashing out all those details.

There was a line early on about the radiation from the planet messing up the dradis. I would wager we were supposed to infer that the radiation noise would hide the RTF long enough from the Cylons to allow the fleet to refuel.

---------------------------

I'm still finding a lot to like in this show. If they can lose the network interference redskull mentioned above, we might have a season 4 that gets things back to where they were.

And of course there's no way she's dead. If Trek could figure out a way to bring back Tasha Yar, Starbuck will be child's play. My theory is she's one of the Final Five, and is the one that constantly argues in favor of the humans.

And it still bodes well for the show overall that they can reference things mentioned and shown all the way back to the first season and actually have them make sense. The thing with the painting of the mandala was pretty mindblowing IMHO.

I really loved the first few episodes of the season, but it has been tanking lately.

Starbuck's ship exploding was the high point of last night's episode... I've gotten to the point of really disliking her character.

Also, I do believe the execs at Sci-Fi are interfering with the show's development and story arc. Read this article at Wiki about the PRESIDENT of the Sci-Fi Channel (who was responsible for cancelling Farscape and replacing it with Tremors: The Series).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnie_Hammer

And more about it here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sci_Fi_...on_controversy

I've known about the Hammer for some time now (I was never a Farscape fan, but I can empathize), I just found it hard to believe even someone of her reputation would meddle with something that was a critical and financial success like BSG.


I mean, I could honestly see taking the storylines from The Woman King, A Day in the Life, and Dirty Hands, rejiggering them over a three episode arc, and instantly making them a little better, just by the fact of them not having neat and tidy endings. The events shown are all things that fans like to see on BSG, the "lower decks" kind of things that Trek never dared to show. I just think the presentation had a lot to do with their reception.

The producer stated that the higher ups wanted more self contained episodes so new viewers could jump in easier. He said it during one of his podcasts last year.

The Woman King episode was originally suppose to be a background story that lasted the season. The producer stated that during that episodes podcast.

I guess I need to get into those podcasts more. That really sucks about The Woman King. It would have made a great backdrop for several episodes. I hope to hell the suits learn to stay out of S4.

This whole Destiny thing reminds me of a Ben Kenobi type of thing.

Well that explains that. It sure as hell seemed like it should've been a background story.

Damn, this show needs to get better in a hurry. Just caught Maelstrom on my DVR and ended up fast forwarding through much of it. Excellent ending, though. Thought for sure Apollo would end up rescuing an ejected-at-the-last-sec Starbuck. Didn't think she'd bite it.

A shame that The Powers That Be feel the need to run so many self-contained eps. You'd think they'd be more leery about tinkering with a formula that worked for the first two seasons: stories that evolved over the course of the series. I mean, The Shield is a success despite its season-long arcs...it hasn't yet pandered to its audience and tried to lure new viewers with less complex and shorter story-lines.

The self contained thing is also a problem that Joss Whedon mentioned was a big deal on the last couple of seasons of Angel. He wanted brood sweeping arcs (like Ron Moore) and got some of them but they also had to do one-two episode "island" stories. Sucks that people who aren't creative or imaginative or even all that bright are in positions of power over people that are.

We'll see Starbuck back, ala the original series episode, in an all white uniform!

Was that Count Iblis I caught a glimpse of saving Starbuck at the last second?

My love of this show has also taken a serious nosedive since this new batch of episodes has started. The earlier comment about the last two "being the best ever" had better turn out to be correct.

Man..I used to love this show....The last 2 shows really haven't done much for me. I feel like there is a lot of dead time in them...

I also hate they killed Starbuck, she was probably my favorite character, although the last few episodes with her have been wasted.

I really feel like this season, there has been either too much Cylons or too much people - with no middle ground. There seemed to be a pretty good split in the first two seasons between Baltar/6 and the crew - now each show has become either a crew episode or a Baltar episode with no middle ground.

At this point, the whole Starbuck destiny thing seems wasted. Although, I thought about the White Light ship from the Original Series as Starbuck started to see things. I wouldn't be surprised if that is how Starbuck comes back.

I really don't mind that they killed her off. She's been throughly annoying all season long.

But I do agree that enough is enough with all these island episodes.

Haven't watched this yet, but I'm a spoiler-whore, so I knew she was going to bite it in this ep...

My guess (unaffected by spoilers) is that she'll show up in the final season eps saying "I've found Earth, follow me!" And that Season 4 will be the last season, with the humans and Cylons fighting for possession of Earth.

Have they said who was Balter's defense lawyer? He was the one who was sending out his books - did they show who it was? I think they already placed Lee to be prosecutor.

I don't understand why this season is getting so much hate. I guess not enough things are blowing up in space.

I figured it was just the "in" thing to do right now. I'd still take any of these episodes over full seasons of Voyager anyday (or a lot of other sci fi TV for that matter).

believe it or not, this probably has been my favorite season with season 2 being a close second.

I think I did a poll last year about which season was better, iirc, most picked season 1 while i picked season 2. after the this season ends, most people probably will stick with last year's choices unless something big happens at the end.

edit to add: i also just watched tonight's repeat and the episode was a bit easier to sit through.

was the episode better for anyone after a second viewing?

People are mostly pissed off at the standalone episodes we've been seeing lately. I don't think anyone is ready to quit watching the show, though.

Why is it when people "hate" an episode of a sci-fi show, it's automatically assumed it's for the lack of explosions? "The Inner Light" is easily one of my favorite TNG episodes, with nary an explosion in site.

Just give me an engaging story (which BG hasn't for weeks).

While I didn't hate the episode as vitriolically as a lot of people seemed to, it wasn't as "epic" as the-show-that-killed-starbuck should be. But enough of the plot has been dissected, I'm going to be a complete "pretty pictures" whore for a second and ask if anyone else was blown away by the effects work on this episode? The scenes in the very beginning with Hot Dog and Starbuck cruising through the clouds were some of the most impressive and photo-realistic imagery I've ever seen on television. Gary Hutzel's team deserves some kudos.

Also, something that absolutely cracked me up. When Adama wrecks his ship at the end, as powerful and moving as it was, I was thinking to myself, "damn, he's going to regret that. There can't be many of them left and that thing was pretty friggin' intricate."

Well for anyone who doesn't listen to the podcast, Ron Moore said that it was actually a real, museum-quality replica on loan to the show and it was worth over a hundred thousand dollars, and the scene did NOT call for it to be wrecked. EJO just did in the moment, much to the chagrin of the props department.




Doc

I was vey moved EJO smashing the model, and when I read that little tidbit over on the SciFi board, it made the scene even more poignant.


And a point I feel needs addressing, we've all complained about the standalone eps of late, but Starbuck apparently punching out is a seed for a big ole story arc if ever I saw one.

There are those that have said that if you freeze the frame you can see Starbucks hand on her eject button. Can anyone confirm this ?

I don't have a freeze frame, but I did see her finger on the eject button.

And the previous poster may be right...this could be setting up a new story arc and not a standalone episode.

Of course, like others here, I am confused how apparently killing off a major character could ever be seen as "filler" or "standalone." As if that story is over after the credits roll.

Just saw this at myspace. The guy at

http://www.myspace.com/battlestargalactica2004

has done an interview with Katee Sackhoff about Starbuck's death. The link is in his blog.

In Summary:
Katee Sackhoff is to busy doing another show on NBC and have no current plans to return to Vancouver . (Vancouver is where they shoot Battlestar Galactica)

If she does return to Battlestar, it will be a minor role since she does not have the time to shoot as a full cast member with her new show.