Our choice lies in the space between stimulus and response

[cosetteferaud.livejournal.com]

"33" is a relentless hour of enthralling television empathy. The rushed feeling of the episode, the glimpse of people on the verge of breakdown, the sweat, the dirt, the bags under the eyes. The exhaustion, the strain, the sleep-deprivation. Everything seems, tastes and feels real as you witness how the Fleet has been threatened by a Cylon attack every 33 minutes for five days.

It’s the end of the world, boys and girls, and we’ll sleep when we are dead.

 

“33” is arguably one of the best episodes of the series and the perfect trigger for Battlestar. The episode encapsulates the concept of this show: when the enemy doesn’t give a break and humanity fights for its survival at any cost, the boundaries between human and inhuman, between right and wrong, truth or lie become blurry… a nightmare picturing the terrifying threat of losing humanity for the sake of mere existence.

“I'm sorry to make it a numbers game”

This episode has so many moments... Some powerful and some quieter ones, all of them portraying a bunch of people trying to come to terms with the fact that the entire survival of the race depends on the successful execution of the next FTL jump. And the Olympic Carrier is definitely a pivotal moment, since it raises difficult and controversial questions about war, leadership and responsibility.

Starbuck, Apollo and Boomer are out on CAP when the Olympic Carrier, the ship missing from the last cycle of jump, reappears. The ship has more than a thousand civilians aboard and the captain does not respond to demands to stop. Following Adama’s instructions, Starbuck fires a warning shot across the Carrier's bow. The ship doesn't stop. Suddenly, a Basestar reappears and a nuke onboard the ship triggers the radiological alarm. Adama, believing that the Cylons are using the Carrier, tells the President that the only solution left is destroying the it. "There are 1,300 people on that ship", answers Roslin. "It's either them or us.” And then the new elected President harshly tells Adama, "Do it!"

It is an incredibly difficult decision: they kill 1,000 people in order to save 50,000. The reward is survival.

Boomer: We have new orders. We are directed to...destroy the Olympic Carrier and return to Galactica.
Starbuck: It's a civilian ship.
Crashdown: A civilian ship with nukes. I don't see anybody in there, do you?
Apollo (peering at the windows): The Cylons'll be here any second. If we're gonna do this, let's just do it. Starbuck, form up with me, we'll make one pass from astern.
Starbuck: What if you're wrong? Lee, come on...Lee!
Apollo: Okay. Fire on my mark.
Starbuck: No frakkin' way, Lee. Lee...come on!
Apollo (hand hesitating on the trigger): Mark.

Lee follows Adama's orders and fires. Starbuck follows. A few shots hit the side of the Carrier, and then the engines explode. The explosion is blinding, and we see how both pilots shut their eyes. TPTB’s original idea was to show passengers behind the glass as Apollo flies alongside the Carrier, but the network—afraid of the darkness of the show—got in their way and made them go for a more ambiguous choice.

It is still a powerful and haunting moment though, which raises lots of questions on the morality of the characters. The episode portrays an extremely difficult yet necessary decision, but the question becomes murkier from the character point of view. There were innocent people aboard who could have been saved? Was it the right choice? Was Baltar right to argue for the ships' destruction, knowing that he was also saving himself? Did he argue just to save himself?

And what about Lee?

Lee pulls the trigger that destroys the Carrier. The consequences of this event will haunt him forever and shape his growth as a leader. At the end of the episode, we see a short scene between Adama and Lee. Lee is in the ready room setting the next day's flight schedules. His father arrives and he greets Adama with a “Sir,” and continues to write.

Adama answers, shifting from the professional to personal treatment, “Son.” There is a quiet moment between them, and Lee doesn't stop or turn. Adama goes on and say: “I gave the order. It was my responsibility.”

But Lee just looks at him. “I pulled the trigger. That's mine.”

For Lee, it is not that easy. You can’t avoid responsibility like that, just because the order came from a superior officer. Adama tries to absolve Apollo of his guilt, since he is the military leader and—theoretically—the responsible one for the decision. Nevertheless, Lee refuses to absolve himself of his responsibility and the consequences of his acts. He followed orders, but he chose to pull the trigger. There was an alternative—a choice—there. Just sometimes it's a choice between two terrible alternatives

And this question leads me to the old topic of responsibility in war time: who should bear this responsibility? On a daily basis people make ethical judgements in relation of private action. We expect that individuals will act on "universal" principles in their treatment of others independent of race, gender, sexuality, and class. However, the boundaries of moral responsibility and accountability tend to become fuzzier when decisions are made by the system, the leaders or the government. During the Olympic Carrier crisis, Adama acknowledges his overall responsibility as the military leader of the Fleet. He chooses to take accountancy for his decision. And that gesture does him credit and frames him as a valuable leader well aware of the duties and responsibilities of his position.

But what about individuals? Yes, leaders bear great responsibilities, but each individual bears personal responsibility too. However, there is a tendency to deny the responsibility of an individual person, instead attributing blame abstractly to "the system” or “the government.” And what happens in a war context? Who should bear this weight—the leaders who give the orders or the soldiers who carry them out?

During the Olympic Carrier crisis Lee refuses to make excuses for his actions, not letting the consequences of his act to become blurry under the easy “I was following orders” label. Lee is a good soldier who is actually following orders, but in the end, he makes the final choice and decides not to ignore his own agency. It’s always easier to follow the lead of others and turn a blind eye to what the leaders are doing—but this refusal to acknowledge an individual responsibility is often the root cause of terrible crimes.

In “33” we see Lee hesitate as Kara questions him but, in the end, he decides to fire himself first. He will carry that weight with him forever in his conscience and his choice will shape him as the leader he will become. And that is exactly what set Lee apart for me—his moral courage to not run away from responsibility.

“We're not friends. You're the CAG.”

OK. So let’s enjoy pilots for a while. Because this is PILOTS and that’s why I fell for them. The pills scene is the shippy moment of the episode… And I watch it again and the first thought that crosses my mind is: “That’s it. Starbuck and Apollo. CAG and problem pilot and friends.” This is what I love about their interaction here. There is no doubt of the UST between them but what it strikes me is the undeniably friendship vibe—paradoxically, despite Kara’s words, “We are not friends. You are the CAG”.

Apollo: Hey, did you see the note from the XO?
Starbuck: I saw it. No way.
Apollo: Kara, everyone else--
Starbuck: I don't fly with stims. They fudge with your reflexes, your reaction time.
Apollo: Come on, Kara, give me a break. Just--
Starbuck: Why are we arguing about this?
Apollo: I have no idea.
Starbuck: Neither do I. You're the CAG, act like one.
Apollo: What does that mean?
Starbuck:  It means that you're still acting like everyone's best friend. We're not friends. You're the CAG. "Be careful out there?" Our job isn't to be careful, it's to shoot frakking Cylons out of the sky. "Good Hunting" is what you say. And one of your idiot pilots is acting like a child and refusing to take her pills. So she either says "Yes, sir" and obeys a direct order, or you smack her in the mouth and drag her sorry ass to sickbay and you make her take those pills.

(Lee and Kara both start laughing)
Apollo: Well, I'm glad I'm not working for you.
Starbuck: (laughing) Damn right you're glad.
Apollo: So do I have to smack you in the mouth, Lieutenant?
Starbuck: No sir, I'll take my pills. (takes pills from Lee) Perfect.
Apollo: Carry on.
Starbuck (smiling and saluting): Yes, sir

 

Adorable. That’s how I’d describe this scene… It captures in a lovely way this Starbuck and Apollo professional/personal vibe I love about them.  An enraged Kara tells Lee how he should behave towards his pilots—since he is their superior officer, their CAG, and not their friend. So Kara gets up in Lee’s face and criticizes his "Be careful out there" speech in the Ready Room. Apollo looks pissed off but doesn’t react while Starbuck yells. The funny thing is that when Kara stops yelling and they stare at each other for a minute, all the tension fades away. Starbuck starts giggling, and Apollo smirks, "I'm glad I'm not working for you." Kara can’t stop laughing as Lee seductively asks, "So, do I have to smack you in the mouth, Lieutenant?" And this is such a cute moment between them because it so clear that both see the absurdity of the whole situation—and because it frames Kara and Lee’s friendship and electric chemistry in a way I love.

We could argue that Starbuck's confrontation with Lee seems insubordinate, but I believe she is making him a better CAG—and later on, when he says "good hunting", you can see how he's internalized Kara’s advice. This is a beautiful quality of Kara and Lee’s relationship: they challenge and bring out the best of each other. They push their limits in order to be the best they can be. And together, they become an invincible team.

By the way, did you notice the look Chief gives Kara after he sees the whole incident and she snaps “What?". And what about Kara's face chewing the tablets? (heh. Our girl can be so hardcore!).

It is all about the scruff

We all agree that “33” perfectly encapsulates Battlestar Galactica… And not only because of its grittiness and its daring approach to issues like war, survival and humanity. Let’s be shallow for a while, dudes… “33” also means APOLLO'S SCRUFF. So if you need an excuse to rewatch the episode, that is definitely a worthy one ;)

Some questions to ponder

1) This episode contains powerful and “big” moments like the destruction of the Olympic Carrier and “little” ones portraying the crew of the Galactica dealing with the tragedy. What’s your favorite moment of this episode?

2) What was your first impression of about Starbuck and Apollo’s confrontation in the hangar deck? And how do you feel about this scene right now? Starbuck is being a pain in the ass for Lee as she usually is, or is she making him a better CAG?

3) How do you think Lee's decision affected him and the choices he will make later on?

4) Why does everyone look like hell, while Lee Frakkin Adama manages to look incredibly hot? Is it because of the scruff?

5) What do you think it means Chief look at Kara after the pills discussion? Is it a “Good Lord, Starbuck, what a pain in the ass you are for that poor boy” look or a “Please, you two get yourselves a room to work out your issues because it is SO obvious” one?

Comments

[rayruz.livejournal.com]

1) I can't pick a favorite moment for 33. It's the episode I've seen the most because of the "getting people started watching BSG thing. I have to say though? In terms of overall themes being presented... I love the little moment at the very end when Billy reports that a baby was born. It's like everything is dismal and tragic and then... wow... a little bit of hope.

2) Because I started with 33, originally, and not the mini, that scene was the first scene between them that I saw... and my impression was... "WOW." It's such a dynamic scene and I definitely think it's the latter.

"And together, they become an invincible team." YES THIS. That's pretty much what I love about them the most. (I mean yes, the making out and the sexing is great, but more than that, it's the way they make each other better, the teamwork, how they can each hold their own, and knock each other down and build each other back up.

3) This question is too big for my brain to handle right now.

4) Because he's Lee (the guy who made me realize I'm not fully lesbian for frak's sake!)

5) "Please, you two get yourselves a room to work out your issues because it is SO obvious"

[daybreak777.livejournal.com]

I haven't rewatched yet because I forgot. But I will.

1. Strangely not a K/L moment. I'll parapharase:
Cally: Why do the Cylons come every 33 minutes? Why not 32 or 34 . . .
Chief: Cally.
Cally: What?
Chief: Shut up.

Hee! I love Cally snapping back because she's irritated and tired and Cally. And I love Chiefy's response. Banter! I love it.

2. I thought Kara was being a little mean. Lee was trying to be nice. But by the end when she took her pills and saluted I was smiling with her. :-) That was my first impression. Years later, I agreed with her, taking stims could cause them to make a mistake that would get them killed. And now? Now, they are just so cute and obviously know each other so well. I wonder how they got so close, actually.

3. Lee? Seems to pile on the guilt on to himself. I knew he wouldn't forget. Nor would Laura Roslin. I don't think Kara would/did, either though she rationalized it better for herself.

4. IT IS BECAUSE THE SCRUFF. ;-)

5. Chiefy had a look? Hmm, I'll have to go take a look. I guess it's a little of both. It's a bit too early and too soon after the attacks for the room thing. (Though Chiefy does know a thing or two about storerooms. :-)) I don't think he knows them well enough to guess about UST. But he is amused. Who wouldn't be?

[rayruz.livejournal.com]

I love the Big Bro/Little Sis kind of dynamic that Chief and Cally had... that's kind why their marriage squicks the hell out of me...

[workerbee73.livejournal.com]

Fantastic mix of meta, thinky thoughts and SCRUFF my darling!!! Love it to tiny bits. : )

And now, on to the questions:

1. Definitely the moment at the end about the baby. This whole episode is so dark and bleak and relentless and then that part at the end is like such a fresh beath of hope. Just perfect.

2. I think it's a perfect encapsulation of their realtionship, how they interact and what they mean to each other. And I love your assessment of it, so I shall simply nod my head and agree. ; )

3. He's always carried a lot of responsibility on his shoulders (I suscribe to the theory that with an absentee father and alcoholic mother, he became a parent figure to Zak at a young age), but this really ratchets up the responsiblity to a whole new level. Now it's about so much more. This decision is a defining point for Lee, and one that greatly shapes him throughout the rest of the series.

4. Because he's justy so darn purty. *g*

5. Dude, Chief's ahd their number from the very beginning. Love that.

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Funny, that's what a lot of people say about Starbuck/Apollo.

See I thought it was obvious from the first moment of the miniseries when we meet her that Cally had a crush on Chief. And I had an idea that they would be endgame for Chief and this Boomer stuff was shortlived at best (and this was before the cylon reveal at the end of course. It just seemed clear to me somehow that eventually they'd be together romantically from the way they were set up (though I have no idea if the writers actually planned that. Most likely not.)

ETA: Oops, I clicked on the wrong icon. But it's too damn good to replace, so I'm leaving it.

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Lovely encapsulation/recap.

1. Some of my favorite moments didn't even make it into this episode. The bit (I think it's a deleted) where Kara and Lee are in the head and she requests a transfer and he says all forms need to be submitted in writing and she says I'll go find a pen. They're both so damn tired but still bantering heh and it's so second-nature to them. Love it. I also like the this patrol is 100% stimulated deleted scene because they're actually laughing for a moment. And I adore the deleted scene (that was included on the Razor movie as a flashback) to them sitting in the ready room going over the footage of the Olympic Carrier and Lee's trying to see if there are shadows of people in the windows and Kara is telling him to stop beating himself up about it, but...they just keep sitting there (possibly passing a bottle back and forth). Oh pilots.

2. I actually didn't like that they busted into laughter when I first saw it. I actually thought it was more forced/contrived/cutesy than them just straight arguing. But it grew on me over the years. I like the way she goes to touch his shoulder but pulls back, knowing she shouldn't do it. I think Starbuck is making him a better CAG by being a pain in his ass. So both. Tough love, baby. But then Starbuck and Apollo disappear for a moment and Kara and Lee show up. :)

3. I think Lee's decision was key to one of the themes of the series, that you need to roll the hard six sometimes. It's proof that for all he doesn't want to be military like his father, Lee's got the chops to do it. It's the first inkling that he will, like Roslin, err on the side of the greater good always, even if it means making personal sacrifices. It's an echo of what happens later in Razor when he has to order Kara to stay back and detonate that nuke. (I also think it's very telling that no matter how much she protests, Kara fires very quickly after Lee does.)

4. Who doesn't love the Scruff?

5. Chief was thinking "On my deck? You know the rest of us have the courtesy to find ourselves a storage compartment... These two are gonna be so much fun."

[rayruz.livejournal.com]

Yeah but the age difference. It's not spelled out but from hints in the dialogue there is a good 7-11 years between Chief and Cally. Therein lies my squick. And I will shut up now.

[workerbee73.livejournal.com]

(I also think it's very telling that no matter how much she protests, Kara fires very quickly after Lee does.)

Oh yes, excellent point. No matter how much she's against it, at the end of the day, she won't let him take the heat alone. Oh pilots. **sigh**

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Ah I gotcha. I'm not a big age difference fan usually either. It didn't bother me much with them though, because I assumed Cally just looked really young and Chief didn't seem that much older. In fact in the mini and 33 he's so babyfaced, I had trouble believing he could be chief of the deck. I also had trouble believing they didn't have a single senior officer/pilot who should have been made CAG before Lee but, whatever. ;)

[workerbee73.livejournal.com]

I kind of feel that too, Baka. You could tell that Cally always had a crush on Chief, but Chief always seem to regard her as a little sister, which makes it kind of icky that he would later marry her. Add on to that the whol beating the crap out of her later and the fact that Cally Jack Ruby-ed Boomer and well, yeah-- their whole dynamic just never worked for me. Talk about baggage....

And as for the whole Kara/Lee sibling thing--- HOW could you watch that very first bring scene and not get the UST? How? I just... don't understand. It was there from the very beginning. Ok, now I'm shutting up. : )

[cosetteferaud.livejournal.com]

Funny, that's what a lot of people say about Starbuck/Apollo.

Frankly, I don't get that. I see some sort of sibling/family vibe between them, but the friendship and the UST is much more obvious, imo. But it is true that a lot of people only see the sibling vibe in those first eps... I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

And I agree about Chief/Cally... I knew the Boomer/Chief relationship was doomed when we learned that she was a cylon (and theirs is such a sad story).

HA! Love the icon!

[cosetteferaud.livejournal.com]

Love that moment too. It is a good way to end the ep after all the darkness... And now that I rewatching, every time I see Billy I can't help but think "He should have been one of the final five!" lol. I like his interactions with Roslin (and with Dualla, too. Thay were cute together).

the way they make each other better, the teamwork, how they can each hold their own, and knock each other down and build each other back up.

I afore how they always support each other. As you say, the chemistry, the sex and the UST is great but the trait I love most about pilots is their friendship. It is the very core of their relationship, imo. No matter how frakked up is their relationship on a romantic level and how dark and painful can get their friendship, they still remain friends.

the guy who made me realize I'm not fully lesbian for frak's sake

HA! That's funny... Kara is the girl that made me wonder if I am bi ;)

[daybreak777.livejournal.com]

Later on I went on not to like Cally much. But here, she's asking the question we are also asking. And we realize why we have to suspend reality a bit and not ask questions. Survival first. 33 really got us into BSG mode right away and I certainly just rolled with it. I also liked that Cally wasn't afraid of Chiefy. The way she snapped, "What?" She could care less that he's scolding her. Same like she was on Bastille Day. But somehow we lost that Cally along the way. But rewatching helps me remember.

[cosetteferaud.livejournal.com]

Rewatch it, rewatch it! It's a damn good ep! :)

Now, they are just so cute and obviously know each other so well. I wonder how they got so close, actually.

I thought they were really cute the first time I watched the ep. And I loved Kara's being a pain the ass for Lee... and then how they start laughing. Loved the fact that they seemed really close. And like you, I wonder how became best friends (but well, that's nothing new, I have always been fascinated by pilots' backstory, it seems so juicy).

Chiefy had a look? Hmm, I'll have to go take a look.

That little details are why you should rewatch ;). Yeah, his look was really funny (and it was something that wasn't on the script, btw). I think Chief knew that something was going on between them from the very beginning (the chemistry between them was undeniable! ;))

[daybreak777.livejournal.com]

I see the almost sibling thing with Kara and Lee. I mean she was almost his sister-in-law and Adama loves her like a daughter. And they have a similar rivalry in the beginning.

But there is so much more to Kara and Lee than that! I like all of their levels, I do. And they aren't actually brother and sister. I do like that they have banter like kids sometimes. Or friends who've known each other a long time and can get away with saying certain things. :-D

[daybreak777.livejournal.com]

She always has his back and vice versa. Oh, Them. :-D

I love them. *hugs pilots*

[daybreak777.livejournal.com]

Oh, of course I'll watch it! But I had to nap first. Then there's food. All systems must be go before a pilots-centered rewatch. :-D

I'll report back on Chiefy's look later! I love Chiefy in season 1.

[cosetteferaud.livejournal.com]

Heee! Nap and eat, girl! (I watched the ep yesterday, I like watching BSG on Friday night ;)).

Love S1 Chief too! He was one of my faves, really.

[rayruz.livejournal.com]

I loved her in the beginning. She was also the first to use the phrase motherfrakker which endeared me to her to no end. But I think she lost something when she admits her love to someone who just pounded her face in. Even if Chief didn't mean to.

[rayruz.livejournal.com]

I know some gay men who wouldn't kick her out of bed either.

[daybreak777.livejournal.com]

I agree. Even Chief thought it was wrong. But he married her anyway. I think they both lost something there. :-(

[eugis.livejournal.com]

Loved loved the recap, Cosette!! ♥

1) It's difficult to pick only one moment, the entire episode is great, one of the best of the whole series, no doubt. If I had to choose, I'd probably pick the end, when Billy tells Roslin a baby was born. There still was hope among all the tragedy.

2) That scene is so them. They amke each other better by being a pain in the ass, they have each other's backs, they are a team. And they are so much more than just that, too.

3) Because he's the one who pulled the trigger (first), he feels responsible and he carries the guilt of that decision. And that definitely shaped the kind of person he'd become.

4) If there's anyone who can make scruffy and tired hot, it's Lee. Why lose the style even if it's the end of world? ;)

5) "Please, you two get yourselves a room to work out your issues because it is SO obvious.” Most def.

[reginaspina.livejournal.com]

1) This episode contains powerful and “big” moments like the destruction of the Olympic Carrier and “little” ones portraying the crew of the Galactica dealing with the tragedy. What’s your favorite moment of this episode?

Well, aside from the pilots' scene, which is awesome, I think my favorite moment of the episode is probably what you highlight at the end, where Lee refuses the absolution offered to him by his father and accepts his own responsibility for the destruction of the Olympic Carrier. I love that we find out in "Crossroads" that this moment haunts him years later.

2) ... Starbuck is being a pain in the ass for Lee as she usually is, or is she making him a better CAG?

I think it is something of both of these things. Kara is telling Lee to make a hard choice (because some of his pilots will die and he will have to order them to die and that's why he has to be CAG and not their friend) but later on in the episode, Lee makes a far harder choice regarding the Olympic Carrier. So ... I feel like Lee obviously has it in him to make those difficult choices (as we know already from the miniseries and abandoning the non-FTL ships) but Kara is also making him aware of something else, which is that he can't always be a friend to his pilots. OTOH, I think Kara is never happy when Lee internalizes the advice she gives him here in regards to herself - she does want him to be HER friend, not her CAG :P

3) How do you think Lee's decision affected him and the choices he will make later on?

I think this moment and the moment in "Water" when Lee talks to Roslin kind of crystallize his ability to a) not just follow orders (we'll see this with Zarek in "Bastille Day" and in KLG) AND b) the thing that makes me love him even when he's being self-righteous and judgmental, because Lee is harder on himself than he is on anyone else.

4) ...Is it because of the scruff?

Aye aye! I definitely agree that it's because of the scruff.

5) What do you think it means Chief look at Kara after the pills discussion?

I think Chief has never seen Kara interact with anyone else the way she interacts with Lee, so I'm not sure if it's a conscious "get a room" thought or just a "wow, this is a totally different side of Starbuck that I've never seen before!"

[reginaspina.livejournal.com]

I also had trouble believing they didn't have a single senior officer/pilot who should have been made CAG before Lee but, whatever. ;)

I think that's actually quite simple: almost all of Galactica's senior pilots died in the initial attacks. The original CAG looked like a much older man and so did many of the other pilots, but I don't have too much trouble believing that there just wasn't anyone else (unless they wanted to stick Tigh in a plane??) It's certainly not as unbelievable to me as the later seasons' use of Helo in EVERY SINGLE POSITION. Hee!

[ninety6tears.livejournal.com]

re: 5...God, I have always ADORED that he gives them that look. I think it's a very realistic beat for them to throw in, because we have to keep in mind that while everyone already knows Kara, Lee is a newbie and people aren't really used to their relationship. Considering that she probably hardly ever mentioned her relationship with Adama's living son before the fall of the colonies, I can imagine Chief and a lot of other people are a little thrown through a loop by how their friendship takes on this immediately close dynamic.