A big question about this Friday's BSG: Eye of Jupiter

[tzikeh]

Why didn't the Cylons just blow up the Galactica?

I think I'm pretty good, usually, at catching subtle plot points and character things and "oh, that matters because" bits on first viewing, but even on second viewing I'm lost on this one. Seriously. Why did they send over a delegation, with Baltar of all people, and set up a chat to negotiate... what? What were they negotiating? I mean, if it were me, I'd blow up the Galactica, send Centurions down to the planet, kill the remaining humans, get the Eye.

Still thinking... still not getting it. They have set the cliff-hanger up as a "stand-off" - you want this, we want that, if you try to take The Eye we will blow up the planet, if you don't let us have The Eye we will blow up your ship... but why did any of this have to happen in the first place? Other than the fact that the series would then be over, why didn't the Cylons just blow up the Galactica?

Seriously, am I being incredibly dim, or what?

Comments

[umbo.livejournal.com]

That makes a lot of sense. I mean, it's not as if Galactica could take out four baseships, so, yeah, why didn't they? I haven't been terribly thrilled with the past couple episodes, but this is more like the kind of sloppy writing you'd expect on other series. Unless I'm missing the same thing you are.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

I adored "Unfinished Business", was totally meh on the Espenson one (what was it called, anyway - the one where Kat bites it) - but this one... I would totally have been on the edge of my seat if I hadn't been thinking "why didn't you just blow them up?" through the whole thing.

If this is a for-real plothole, no amount of hand-waving or fan-wanking can save it. Wow.

[theodosia.livejournal.com]

Perhaps the peace faction among the Cylons is still strong enough to hold them back from committing complete genocide?

I'm intrigued by the thought that Baltar may get to meet "God"...

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Perhaps the peace faction among the Cylons is still strong enough to hold them back from committing complete genocide?

Except that's what they've said they're going to do unless they get the Eye. So... I mean, I *suppose* that could be it? But one line of dialog would have cleared that right up, and I fear we aren't going to get any kind of explanation.

[raincitygirl.livejournal.com]

But Galactica is the only ship left. The civilian fleet all jumped away, which means the majority of what's left of the human race is elsewhere and blowing up Galactica would only kill about 10% of the population.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

yes, but it's the only *armed* ship. So the human race would no longer pose a threat to the Cylons in any way, shape, or form, and should the Cylons meet up with the civilian fleet, they could just pick them off.

[heresluck]

Yeah, I spotted that too. I can think of some possible explanations, like maybe the Cylons need the humans to do something to/with the Eye that the Cylons are worried they won't be able to do, to interact with it in some way the Cylons can't; but I am making that up out of thin air, with no textual support whatsoever from the ep itself.

Although -- hmm. Doesn't Baltar say something to Adama & Roslin about having saved them again? Does he say (or imply) that the Cylons wanted to blow away the Galactica and he talked them out of it? I'm too apathetic to rewatch to see whether I'm remembering that right...

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Making it up out of thin air - yeah, I can do a few of those as well, but as you say, there's nothing in the episode to suggest a reason.

I just don't see us getting the question answered. Which is going to bug me far more than it should.

[tv-elf.livejournal.com]

My theory? The Cylons have no clue what the Eye of Jupiter is. They have theories, but no real facts. They couldn't chance the fact that it was already on Galactica. By the time they knew it wasn't, the humans had rigged the temple to blow.

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

Another possible theory, sure. But simply watching the 42 minutes of show, one can only ask - why didn't they just blow up the Galactica? And it was never answered. I feel kind of like Kathy Bates in Misery - "He didn't get out of the cacadoody CAR!"

[par-avion.livejournal.com]

I'm with Abby. and they don't know where the Eye is and they don't want it blown up. Cavill and the others are fishing for info. And since our guys are stalling for time, they don't examine the issue too closely.

(I almost said that they weren't expecting to find Galactica there, but Three's later reveal about the heavy raider puts the kibosh on that. I think.)

[tzikeh.livejournal.com]

I get that these are all good and possible theories - but I'm asking why the episode gave us absolutely no explanation as to why they didn't just blow them up. A single line of dialog could have given any one of these explanations. Now it's just... uh... why didn't you blow them up?!

[theodosia.livejournal.com]

>A single line of dialog could have given any one of these explanations. Now it's just... uh... why didn't you blow them up?!

Sometimes stuff gets cut in editing?

I do feel that this episode was lop-sided -- so many plotlines were left suspended so that we'd have an over-manipulative cliffhanger(s) that perhaps a valid reason to stay the Cylons from just blowing up Galactica may yet be revealed. (I'm really curious to listen to the podcast when it appears to see if this gets hinted at....)