I've been thinking about the things that bother me about Adama and Roslin and I think I've narrowed it down to what I'm going to call their core values.
Adama's is his ship. Other things can slide. He's especially a poor performer as a father, often. But he will not allow his ship to malfunction. He told Chief Tyrol he'd line up ten Callys and kill them for mutiny if that's what it took. He faced down Starbuck and Tigh when they were sowing dissension.
(I don't think this accounts for his hateful behavior toward Lee in the penultimate episode of season 3, relative to Lee defending Baltar. Unless maybe it's because of how the defense tore apart Tigh.)
Roslin's is the survival of humanity. Now I like many things about Laura. But her willingness to commit crimes against Cylons, even in a time of war - that's a problem. Strangely enough, I'm not really thinking of Season 3, Episode 7 where they have the chance to infect the Cylon race with a deadly virus. My thinking is probably not justified on this, but they attacked first and they won't let up and they are often monstrous.
The main one that occurs to me is switching Sharon's baby for a stillborn one and raising her in secret. That just seems over the line to me.
And I think there are some more for Laura, but I can't think of them right now.
I'm not saying the characters should be portrayed this way. It sure makes for interesting drama.
But I'd say they're in the neighborhood of character flaws or character obsessions. Not to be emulated.
What do you think?
Thursday, December 20
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4 comments:
Are these characters some class of alien? Please don't start speaking Klingon or whatever they speak to me.
Remember that WSJ on Wars of Discipline vs Wars of Survival? If we were in the latter- like the characters of Battlestar Galactica are- what character flaws of ours would come to the fore?
oh, Madhu, you really lack proper appreciation for science fiction ;-)
(Adama and Roslin are human. the Cylons are AIs created by humans that turned against them.)
Michael: very interesting correlation! good horizontal thinking!
answer: i probably wouldn't survive, because i don't think i would choose survival at all costs. (but who really knows?)
For yourself, maybe not. For your family members? Maybe.
Bear in mind, though, I've been re-reading the Hellsing manga. Between that and being pissed at a friend of mine (he's being a butthead and hurting his sort-of gf's feelings), I'm in a bit of a bleak mood.
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