11. Lay Down Your Burdens (Battlestar Galactica , Season 2)
Arriving at what would ultimately be the mid-way point of the series, Lay Down Your Burdens serves as a true dividing line for the lives of all the characters, and the series Battlestar Galactica itself. Quite simply, from this point going forward, nothing would ever be the same again. The presidential election between Roslin and Baltar is looming, with Baltar pressing the issue of permanent settlement on New Caprica as a means to rise in the polls. Kara and Helo lead a rescue mission back to the Colonies to find Anders and his resistance group. Another Cylon skin-job is found to be living in the fleet. When Roslins plan to steal the election is uncovered, Baltar wins and as his first act as president, orders the people to make New Caprica their home. What occurs next was one of the most audacious decisions for a TV series ever. In the span of one long take, the series jumps ahead in time one year, showing how the lives of the characters have progressed (Hint: its not all that great). The audience watches the remaining twenty minutes all the while wondering how things got so bleak. What happened in that missing year? And then as those questions are being wrestled with, the Cylons show up, occupying the planet. Galactica and Pegasus are forced to jump away, abandoning the settlement. The events that follow during the New Caprica storyline would form the dark, tortured soul of the show, continuing to haunt the characters and drive the decisions they would make, for the remainder of the series.
I've been a huge sci-fi fan ever since going to see "Star Wars" at the tender age of 3 (and yes I actually do remember it! I love pretty much any intelligent and entertaining film and television series (some of my all time favorites are 2001, Lawrence of Arabia, Battlestar Galactica [SyFy], and The West Wing). Must thank the stars above for such things as HBOGO and Netflix (Am thoroughly enjoying Ripper Street btw). I've also been an avid comic book collector since childhood. I earned a bachelor's degree in creative writing with a second emphasis in film studies from Florida State University (Go Noles!) and definitely enjoy sitting back and watching pretty much any sports. I wish I had a joke to end with, but I don't so I'll simply say "The End."
Arriving at what would ultimately be the mid-way point of the series, Lay Down Your Burdens serves as a true dividing line for the lives of all the characters, and the series Battlestar Galactica itself. Quite simply, from this point going forward, nothing would ever be the same again. The presidential election between Roslin and Baltar is looming, with Baltar pressing the issue of permanent settlement on New Caprica as a means to rise in the polls. Kara and Helo lead a rescue mission back to the Colonies to find Anders and his resistance group. Another Cylon skin-job is found to be living in the fleet. When Roslins plan to steal the election is uncovered, Baltar wins and as his first act as president, orders the people to make New Caprica their home. What occurs next was one of the most audacious decisions for a TV series ever. In the span of one long take, the series jumps ahead in time one year, showing how the lives of the characters have progressed (Hint: its not all that great). The audience watches the remaining twenty minutes all the while wondering how things got so bleak. What happened in that missing year? And then as those questions are being wrestled with, the Cylons show up, occupying the planet. Galactica and Pegasus are forced to jump away, abandoning the settlement. The events that follow during the New Caprica storyline would form the dark, tortured soul of the show, continuing to haunt the characters and drive the decisions they would make, for the remainder of the series.