DPP: Personalities

[lizziec]

Yesterday we looked at Pilots in historical situations on our Earth - and saw some cracking suggestions. Today's DPP is about our Pilots personalities.

Are there any aspects of their personalities that you wish had been changed, developed further or left completely undeveloped instead of being brought to the fore?

For example, sometimes I wish we'd been able to see them be happy just a tiny bit more. I mean, I like angst as much as the next person, but I think they were both capable of great joy and we rarely see that.

Additionally, looking at the original series bible (here's the bsg wiki page about it too) is there anything there that you think would have improved the series if it had been used or left out?

I know I would have loved to see Lee indulge his supposed love of cooking for example, but I'm not terribly sorry that he never ended up in a romantic relationship with Laura.

As with my other days, drabble, discuss and link to things of interest to your hearts content :)

Comments

[bouncy-nut.livejournal.com]

I loved the exploration of Kara's artistic side with music, painting, and poetry. We got to see a decent amount of that but I would've really enjoyed more. It was one of the only ways I think she was comfortable being at all vulnerable or open about herself, especially early on.

For Lee, I think a deeper look at why he's so driven to always tow the line and do what's conventionally right to the point of damaging himself in the process. Maybe a further peek into his upbringing and past would have illuminated that aspect of his character more fully. I could have done without that random Gianne crap entirely. For me, it didn't really explain anything about who he really was AND I was bored to tears.

In general, I would have done very un-godly things to see more 'family interaction' between Kara, Lee, and Adama all together. Those scenes were always so charged. Plus they never once all talked about Zak together, only separately amongst themselves. For something that was such a huge aspect in ALL of their interactions, we should have eventually got some scenes about it. Waaaa!

[mserrada.livejournal.com]

I definitely think that the show should've looked more at Lee's backstory w/o Gianne. Maybe showing how a similar history could have spawned two totally different personalities like Kara & Lee. I don't know. Anything to erase Gianne basically--so OOC.

And YAY! to more family interactions. Some type of scene where the three of them have it out and work it out some in S3 or S4.

[bouncy-nut.livejournal.com]

Totally. It's almost always kara/lee or kara/adama or lee/adama talking about the hard stuff. But why so few of the trio? They were golden together!

[lizziec]

Maybe showing how a similar history could have spawned two totally different personalities like Kara & Lee.

I really like this idea. I certainly think in the subtext of Pilots scenes (or my wishful thinking) there is an idea of understanding of one another and I like to think it's because they have an unspoken understanding of where the other has come from.

[lizziec]

In general, I would have done very un-godly things to see more 'family interaction' between Kara, Lee, and Adama all together.

I love this idea. I really treasure that deleted scene from "Home" where you get some idea of them being a family.

This one:

(Thanks to the Pilotography site :D)

[elzed.livejournal.com]

Do you know, I had never read the Bible, and didn't realise a couple of key points; such as the fact that there are clear discrepancies from the outset in Lee and Kara's backstory, not least the familiarity between them when they meet in the brig, since apparently they had only met twice before, and one of those was at Zak's funeral. Or the thing about Lee being in the reserves in Final Cut, which clearly contradicts the Bible. I didn't either know that - by the sound of it - Colonial Day was supposed to end with them in bed (or perhaps it's supposed to happen earlier!) - anyhow, their one night stand seems slated for season 1... And Lee/Laura attraction is totally canonical? I definitely would've liked more of that, too...

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

I think Act of Contrition was supposed to open with them in bed like it was some casual thing.

Can you imagine? Ruining that UST like that? I'm glad someone stopped Ron.

[elzed.livejournal.com]

Really???

Jesus, that guy really had no idea how to manage good UST. Or chemistry generally. Or, come to think of it, a decent plot. (when I see that their guiding light was supposed to be making a realistic Sci fi series, and I think of how they fucked it up at the end with the destiny and angels... whoops, getting into a rant, must stop!!!

But come on, that would have been rubbish. Gah.

[winegums.livejournal.com]

I must be one of the few living people who actually is somewhat ok with the end of pilots and with Daybreak, Part 2 in general (except for the pigeon and that anvilicious epilogue with the robots) - in my head, all it proved was that pilots were epic and IT and EVERYTHING to each other no matter whether they're together/living/dead or not.

I just wish Ron had realized he had a good thing going with those two and actually given them more screentime together in S4, when their relationship was actually supportive and not frakked up for once.

As for the whole 'angel' thing....not even Bamber and Sackhoff seem to have a clue what Kara really was. If only that fool hadn't killed her off because he thought it was an awesome, shocking idea (which it was, and I actually liked Maelstrom, but being shocking shouldn't be the point!), we wouldn't have destinies and disappearances, but whatever. I can even live with the religious stuff, prophecies and head!characters, but screwing around with major characters for shits and giggles, seriously?

Great, now I ended up ranting. (sorry)

[lizziec]

I quite enjoy reading people's rants ;) I find they can be quite informative.

If only that fool hadn't killed her off because he thought it was an awesome, shocking idea (which it was, and I actually liked Maelstrom, but being shocking shouldn't be the point!)

I can almost see him sitting in a meeting saying "hey, I just had the most awesome idea - let's kill off Starbuck"
<groaning from the room, mumbling about how they don't think killing off Starbuck would work because there's still stories to tell with her, whatever>
"...no, wait, you haven't heard the most awesome part yet! We bring her back again two episodes later!"
<someone in the room asks what that means for her character arc and how they can make it gel with the existing tentative plan for where the series is going and what has already been established>
"yeah, whatever, we'll make it fit somehow. Can you imagine what it'll do to the ratings? And to the fans? And wouldn't it be totally awesome?!"

[lizziec]

Jesus, that guy really had no idea how to manage good UST. Or chemistry generally.

This. I'm pretty sure that Pilot UST and and chemistry all happened in spite of RDM rather than because of anything he did.

[elzed.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think you're absolutely right. A lot of it stemmed from the natural chemistry between Jamie and Katee, imho. And some of the writers's wish to exploit a situation - and two characters - just made for angsty, hot UST.

[anastashial.livejournal.com]

Would have loved to see some Lee indulging in the cooking. I tried to use that in a roleplay and they dropped him because they felt I was playing him out of character.

[lizziec]

That's kind of sad :( I bet Lee would have been an awesome cook. Surely they could have shown just one scene somewhere? (Surely the happy time on New Caprica would have been a perfect time to indulge in some cooking?)

[winegums.livejournal.com]

How funny that it's supposed to be his passion and yet it's Kara we see fussing over stoves and pots right before they met for the first time.

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

And again on New Caprica... KARA THRACE: SECRET CHEF!

[winegums.livejournal.com]

I think the Series Bible was more of a collection of rough guidelines than, well, a Bible. IMO the story arcs in it are def. not canon since aired episodes and info given in them clearly deviated from it, like Baltar being from Aerilon instead of Saggitaron and Laura's family dying when she was a teenager instead of just a few years before the attacks.

I mean, Lee and Kara were supposed to have known each other for all of one weekend and then never come face-to-face again till Zak's funeral and Galactica, as per the SB, and Daybreak/the miniseries clearly tell us that's not what happened - that they did meet again, and even became good friends before Zak's death and Kara ending up on Galactica. (a deviation I like).


And honestly, I'm glad about some of the changes they made - from scratching the prospect of Kara and Baltar becoming more than a one night stand and the proposed Lee/Laura/DadAdama triangle

[bouncy-nut.livejournal.com]

'the prospect of Kara and Baltar becoming more than a one night stand and the proposed Lee/Laura/DadAdama triangle'



OMG could you imagine? That's just mega creepy on both counts. Like . . . twins in a hallway in The Shining Creepy. Like . . . Clowns creepy. Blech!

[winegums.livejournal.com]

I know, one love triangle in that family is enough, ha.

[lizziec]

OMG could you imagine? That's just mega creepy on both counts. Like . . . twins in a hallway in The Shining Creepy. Like . . . Clowns creepy. Blech!

Lol, this describes it perfectly :D

[winegums.livejournal.com]

One thing I wish the show had retained from the series bible is the snippet about Lee having basically no personal life for the two years after Zak's death.
At least that seems more in keeping with the Lee we know than Gianne (seriously, why give Lee a pregnant former girlfriend and sudden issues about being a dad out of nowhere, when he hasn't made so much as a peep about her for nearly two seasons?). Though I'm just going to treat that as a case of Canon Discontinuity since even everyone involved says it sucks.

I'm glad that the series gave Lee and Kara more of a backstory and an actual friendship than the bible did, though.

[lizziec]

I wish the show had retained from the series bible is the snippet about Lee having basically no personal life for the two years after Zak's death.

Except for Black Market I think that's pretty much what Canon supports. And Black Market confused the hell out of me because if he had a pregnant (ex-)girlfriend then why wasn't that brought up earlier? Why no apparent grieving for her? That would be an absolutely huge thing for him to lose. Surely there would be some mention somewhere in all those episodes before Black Market. Even a throwaway line?

I'm glad that the series gave Lee and Kara more of a backstory and an actual friendship than the bible did, though.

Definitely. For starters, one of the things that attracted me to Pilots was how they sparked off each other from the mini onwards. I'm not sure that would have been the same without a shared history.

[winegums.livejournal.com]

*Hmph*. Black Market, what Black Market? In my head, it doesn't exist - I can accept Lee going to a hooker to misguidedly try to deal with his funk after the Resurrection Ship mission/work through his feelings for Kara by sleeping with someone else, but the dead fiancee just shouldn't have happened. I think memory erasure is pretty much the only way to deal with that episode after it aired, really.

And re: pilots and history, that is what made me a shipper too. Usually it's so ho-hum with leads who've just met and are dealing with UST (we're genre-savvy enough to know) but the fact that they had that shared past was what made me think "oh hey, there's something already there! Must keep watching.."

[lanalucy]

I have decided that Black Market was a dream episode, or a hallucination, only they forgot to have someone wake up all "Oh, thank the Lords of Kobol it was just a dream!" Nothing in that episode, or very little, is ever referred to again, so....none of it actually happened. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it. :)

[winegums.livejournal.com]

well, Fisk (Pegasus commander) dies, but we can just pretend he fell out of an airlock.

I would have loved Black Market if Kara had had a presence in that storyline - I mean, HOW do you make an episode about the complicated love life of Lee Adama.....and leave Kara Thrace out of it? But 'it didn't happen' is the best approach to take imo.