WhateverThings

This was, as Ronald Moore (producer) said in the podcast commentary, nothing particularly new as far as the overall plotline. It’s a basic story about racism. Although in some sense, it’s not really racism but prejudice to do with religion more than skin color, etc. Here, we have the Sagittarons, who seem to follow something of a Christian Scientist mindse with the significant trait being their refusal of medicine. Though the storyline has been done, it was a good show. Some thoughts …

The show revolves a lot around Helo who has been a good character particularly in terms of moral questions. There was the earlier episode in which Helo objected to the use of a biological weapons of sort, suggesting that to do so would cause the people to lose their souls. Near the end of the show Adama refers to Helo as the “lone voice in the wilderness” which is an interesting choice of words, making Helo a prophet of sorts which is the role he does play. It’s been done before, but … it is always good to see a character who knows what needs to be done, that sees that things are not quite right and continues to pursue it.

A few scenes/lines that stood out:

In a conversation between Caprica 6 and “head” Baltar. Baltar is asking 6 about her captivity and suggesting ways for her to survive. Baltar says to her, “You are here because you want to be human.” And then, “There’s a trick to being human … you have to think only about yourself.” Of course there are questions about head Baltar - is it simply part of 6’s imagination or is there some connection with the real Baltar. So are these Baltar’s thoughts or simply what 6 thinks that humans believe? In some sense, this is a good analysis of the human condition, that one of our defining characteristics is that we often think only of ourselves. How will what I am doing benefit me? I am reading Miroslav Volf’s Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace. We’ll be doing a series using the book during Lent and in it he speaks of how even in the acts of giving and forgiving our motivations are sometimes centered on self. In his chapter on “How can we give?” Volf quotes Martin Luther who says that a human being, “in all that he does or leaves undone, seeks his own advantage and his own way.” Our selfishness prevents us from giving.
Near the end, Adama says to Apollo, “There’s hate and there’s allowing hate. Two sides of the same coin, really.” A good summary of our responsibility to others. Sometimes we are tempted to feel smug because we ourselves are not guilty of racism, but we allow systems to exist that continue injustice or we laugh along with racist jokes or nod our heads in agreement.

The story may have been done before, but until racism and other prejudices disappear, we must continue to tell the story of the one who died for all. So say we al!