tales of an ordinary girl

Dogic and I have discussed this a little, and it's helped me understand why I like the show. My husband doesn't really care so much for it. Characters like Starbuck and Baltar bug the heck out of him.

I like the characters though. To me they're more real than most tv series I've seen. The events that surround them are fantastical, but the characters react in, what are to me, believable ways.

Last night's episode though left me puzzled. I just hope that something happens later this season or next to redeem it. I'm not a "destiny" type of person, but even if I was, the "destiny" seemed pointless. I'm just hoping there's more to it.

But back to the characters, here's a quote from Dogic based on a conversation we had about why some people are so turned off by the characterizations in BSG. He's much more eloquent than I am and he said what I basically wanted to say.

I think he’s a great character, (as are all the characters in BSG), because it shines light on the fact that many people…probably even most people…have deep down fears and strong emotions over certain issues and events, and when any of us are put into situations that trigger these deep issues, we often will behave emotionally or irrationally or selfishly.

Especially after the last episode, I can relate to a character who grew up very intelligent in an otherwise backward community, and thus has always been an outsider, and is naturally very defensive and afraid of other people, and yet has contempt for other people. Maybe this is just my own observation, but from people I’ve met in my life, I’ve noticed that the more alone a person is, the more insecure (and whiney) they become. Whiney is just the external manifestation of insecurity.

So, ya, Baltar is an unpleasant person, but I really like the character. It’s VERY real.

I've always liked flawed characters. I think people can do bad things and still be good people. That doesn't mean they're not responsible for the bad decisions or they can't be tormented by them. In fact, someone who agonizes over a bad decision is often seen as heroic. But the agonizing can also go too far, eating away all the aspects that make a person good.

They've done a good job of portaying that in the Admiral, his responsiblity as a leader and his desire to do the right thing. Sometimes he comes off as harsh, even unlikeable, but you can always see the internal struggle and what it's cost him.