DPP: From Like to Love

[cynicalshadows.livejournal.com]

As members of Shipper Nation, we love our pilots, both together and singly, but what exactly was it that made us love them? What scene tipped the balance from liking the pilots to loving them? Try to pinpoint what this moment was for you for Kara alone, Lee alone, and Kara/Lee.

Comments

[delle.livejournal.com]

For me, I actually met Jamie at Dragon*Con before I ever watched the show... so I was predisposed to like him/Lee. There are two fantastic Lee moments that I hit very early on - the entire 33 episodes and "The lady's in charge". 'The lady's in charge' moment was, for me, really really important - it set up the universe where women were as powerful as men and the fact that Lee was totally accepting of that notion.

For Kara, I liked her from the start - running through the ship, bantering with the Old Man. I liked this physical, smart-mouthed woman. I started to really adore her at 'Frak me' and knocking over the velvet ropes in the gift shop. I fell head-over-heels for her in 33 when she got into Lee's face.

Which is the moment I fell for Lee/Kara. Here's Lee (looking gorgeous, scruffy and exhausted), trying to reason with Kara. Here's Kara (who *doesn't* look scruffy but still gorgeous), pushing back and telling him in no uncertain terms to do his frakking job. And then they laugh. GUH. He listened, he learned, he pulls rank on her (which is what he needed to do and she had told him so) - so do I have to smack you in the mouth leuitenant? - and she, rather than crowing that's he's obeying her vehement suggestions, steps back and does as ordered.

That's SUCH a kernel of their relationship. He's struggling in his role - he doesn't want to be in charge, he never wanted to be in charge - she smacks him upside the head, pushes him, yells at him, and then steps back to be his support staff, militarily correct.

(I'm tired, does that even make sense?)

Yeah, I was sucked into Pilots in the mini and hopelessly in love by the end of 33.

[workerbee73.livejournal.com]

I still think that is the coolest story ever-- that you met JB before you ever watched the show.

**spazzes and geeks out then demurely straightens skirt and cardigan**

[damao2010.livejournal.com]

I loved all these moments, too. And I definetely agree with about the K/L moment. Though I had liked their chemestry since the mini, that scene really made me fall in love with them as people who complemented each other. And I adore the the fact that they laughed. It made all the difference.

[scifishipper.livejournal.com]

CAPTAIN APOLLO!!!! 
I think I fell in love with Lee when he said, "They lady's in charge." And then stood up to his father with, "Acknowledge receipt of your message." GODS! That was awesome. So frakking cool. And hot. yes, the dick-ish cocky pilot, but it's there that you see the moral edge, the independent decision-making and the respect. Later, when he's talking to Laura and seems to hold her up a bit, (my interpretation) by supporting her and seeming so steady. Gods, I just squeeeeee thinking about it!!!

(http://pics.livejournal.com/sci_fi_shipper/pic/000p838e/)   (http://pics.livejournal.com/sci_fi_shipper/pic/000p9fyf/)

KARA
All hips and ass swagger and a frak all y'all attitude. I fell in love with Kara when I watched her walk out after punching Tigh in the face. Good gods that woman had some moxy. Holy frakking crap. <3<3<3 Just re-watching it to cap screens makes me squeeeee. Gods I love Starbuck!

(http://pics.livejournal.com/sci_fi_shipper/pic/000paqgy/)    (http://pics.livejournal.com/sci_fi_shipper/pic/000pb7kf/)

KARA AND LEE
I felt the tension in the mini, but I was not sure of his feelings until Colonial Day (OMG A DRESS!) and the PUNCH in KLG. There were other indicators, for sure, but for him to let loose and pop her in the mouth when she punches him. That's love, baby!

(http://pics.livejournal.com/sci_fi_shipper/pic/000h02ws/)   (http://pics.livejournal.com/sci_fi_shipper/pic/000pcpf1/)

[damao2010.livejournal.com]

I absolutely agree with you about Lee. That scene was awesome and so him ("angry, proud and stubborn", as Adama once described him, but also with a hint of moral righteousness).

[narya86.livejournal.com]

I played the game before I had any clue about the show. I picked Lee as a playing figure because I thought he looked pretty, and a friend of mine picked Kara. Another friend, who knew the show, said that those two kinda were together, sometimes, so they were together in my head before I even watched the first episode. Which was, ironically, one where she was already married to Sam. And I was like, "WTF? That's just wrong!", to what my friend said, "Well, considering how they're looking at each other right now while both in the arms of their actual spouses, they obviously think so too."
And then I watched the show from start to finish and not once wavered in my love for them. Despite all the frustrations they brought me.

[coffeesuperhero.livejournal.com]

Loved 'em both from the minute we saw their little faces. From the minute he walked into the brig to see her, I knew they had a history, and by the time the OMG-YOU'RE-NOT-REALLY-DEAD scene was over, that was that. Creation of one K/L Shipper: MISSION VERY FRAKKING ACCOMPLISHED. :D

[nazkey.livejournal.com]

I fell in love with Kara the minute she said "make a hole" in the mini. She was just so sure of herself, so confident. Here was a woman who wouldn't take crap from anyone.

I don't know if I ever fell in love with Lee. Definitely love Jamie cuz he's just so frakking hot, but Lee as a character? Probably not until the moment when Kara comes back from the dead and he just jumps out of his viper, runs over and squishes the daylights out of her.

Having said that, I became a K/L shipper in 33 when she yells at him to do his job and be the CAG. My favorite part of the scene is when she rolls her eyes at Lee and then pops the pills in her mouth. Right there, I knew that she was perfect for him. And the look on Tyrol's face after Lee leaves? Priceless. Kara: "What?" Tyrol: "Nothing." Yeah, that.

[utenatai.livejournal.com]

I fell in love with Kara the minute she said "make a hole" in the mini. She was just so sure of herself, so confident. Here was a woman who wouldn't take crap from anyone.

I'll second (third?) this.

[cosetteferaud.livejournal.com]

I liked them from the start –-from their first scene in the brig— because… well, look at their chemistry, the prettiness, the messy backstory! Who could resist that? But even though I was drawn to their dynamic from the beginning, I am a person who needs time to fall in love (or realize that I am in love, I dunno). The thing is that although I enjoyed immensely all their interactions throughout S1, the moment I became fully aware that I was utterly, completely lost was KLG I and, specifically, their flight deck fight… I remember I was all “Whoa, this is just too awesome to words!!!” What can I say? I am a sucker for pilots’ dysfunctionality (especially at this point of the series) and this scene pushed all my buttons.

[bookmarmf.livejournal.com]

I was a child fan of the original and the original Apollo as well so as soon Lee exited his viper and was "chippy" I was a goner. He was playing the character so different and with a lot more rebellion that I was hooked!. The pretty helped...

Kare is the one that I'm not sure I ever have loved. She has frustrated me so much so I must care about her but not to the levels that I love Lee.

Together- When he helps her up in the mini and they are like two awkward teenagers who have just realized that they may be in love with their friend.

[rdave1.livejournal.com]

My first introduction to BSG was the pilots' first brig scene and from that moment on... I was like OMG! I have to know what's going on with these two. I completely fell for both of them as a couple right there and then. Of course then I started watching the mini and Kara just blows you away as she first comes on screen but the moment I fell in love with her was when she went toe to toe with Tigh in the rec room.

Lee! I was iffy about him at first but then he stood up to his father for Roslin and "the Lady is in charge" and I knew that he wasn't just the typical jock pilot and a pretty face. He was going to be a force to be reckoned with.

Then there was their banter and there was no turning back, I had become a shipper!:D

[utenatai.livejournal.com]

I'll be honest, I was in love from the 'I thought you were dead' conversation in the mini. It was like "People kissing.. people kissing.. people kissing.. pilots staring awkwardly at each other- THOSE TWO ARE TOTALLY MY SHIP."

I think I love that their connection is so understated and yet so obvious all at the same time. It's not some grand "remember the house with the white picket fence we were going to build" romance, and yet they so obviously belong together.

[kag523.livejournal.com]

I love this answer! :>D

[olaf47.livejournal.com]

I had sort of decided to watch the show months before I actually watched it (I had to wait until my semester ended and I had time.) I saw a picspam of Lee Adama's arms and was immediately hooked.

And so I heard a bit about Lee and Kara before watching, and before even seeing the first episode I was fairly certain that Kara was the coolest person ever.

And indeed, I loved Kara from the beginning. It was immediate. My love for Lee was less so, though "The lady's in charge" was pretty great. When it comes right down to it though, I don't love Lee without Kara. If Kara never existed, Lee would be okay, in my mind, but I wouldn't love him the way I do now. I love Lee partly (or, perhaps, mostly) due to his relationship with Kara. I love the way she can make him laugh, or make him want to punch something. I love the way she brings things out in him--I love his relationship with his family, seen through her.

So true, undying love for both of them came to me when she finds out he's alive. Because what I love about them is that they can be strong and badass and everything else that they are, but they're also sort of lost for each other, a beat behind everything else, unable to break eye contact.

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Hee. MINDMELD. See my answers below.

[scifishipper.livejournal.com]

You are totally rocking that icon. Awesome! I love it!

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Lol! I am so ridiculously proud of myself for basically teaching myself two new software programs and spending...um...a lot of hours when I should have been working today making it!!

[scifishipper.livejournal.com]

Excellent! What did you use for the animation? I'd love to make some animated gifs. (That icons is really mesmerizing, she is so frakking cute and I am in love with her shoulders.) LOL!

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Ok you're going to regret asking but let's see I took the gif that I made at gifsoup.com from the youtube file and used gifninja.com (I think) to split it into separate frames. Then I downloaded the frames (there were 19) and I used MS Office Picture Manager to turn them all B&W, then I opened them in MS PAINT to resize them all to 100 x 80 and add the little name part at the bottom. THEN I uploaded some of the frames to gickr.com and experimented with which ones I wanted until i had a nice animation. Then I saved it.

BUT the gif was 60 MB so I couldn't upload it as a userpic. Therefore I downloaded GIMP (which is like a ghetto free photoshop) and found a tutorial online that showed me how to tinker with the color profile so that it used less colors which brought the size down to 40KB and I could finally upload it.

WHEW! I am sure there are way way easier ways to make an icon, but yeah, that's how I did it. (And uh the reason why I got no other work done today! Sometimes being one-track is a real problem.) ;)

[scifishipper.livejournal.com]

I am SOOO loving that you gave me the details. All those steps seem about right - when I've tried to make them they're always huge and I can't reduce them and re-gif them, so I give up. I've also tried gifninja and like it, but it gets cranky and doesn't have a lot of speed options, so you get teh-superfast-outmaking sometimes! I am def going to try gifsoup - there are lots of clips that I'd love to have gifs of and it rocks that you can go straight from youtube. Yeah, I wondered why it was BW, forgot about the 40k limit.

And, heh, there are easier ways, but they cost $49.99. Ugh.

Awesomesauce, bb. That icon is totally worth the effort!! :D

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Believe it or not--reducing them was the easiest part!!
You just go into GIMP (or maybe Photoshop if it works the same way) and click on IMAGE, then MODE, and click Indexed (if it's already on Indexed, click RGB, then click Indexed). A new window will open and where it says Generate Optimum Color Palette, you can reduce the number of colors from 265 to whatever will get the final size small enough. I used 80 I think? and that brought it right down to 40K. Hope that's helpful at some point.

Yeah gifninja isn't the best and you can't resize it. Gifsoup and gickr seemed cool.

[kag523.livejournal.com]

I'm not going to explain mine, because you've already done it brilliantly.

Yes. THIS.

[damao2010.livejournal.com]

Although I really loved Lee from the beginning and, despite his shortcomings, even without Kara in the picture, he would always be way more than OK to me, I simply LOVED your description of the ways they are so much better together. That is one of the reasons they are my favorite couple ever.

[olaf47.livejournal.com]

I think saying he'd be okay was probably an overstatement. Because I do love him too, but I just love him with Kara. And everything he is with her and because of her.

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

I really liked Kara from her first moment of running and yelling "MAKE A HOLE" and obviously annoyed by the tourists on her ship. But I think the moment I loved her was that second when she rolls out from under the viper to see not-dead Lee and she has to kind of hug herself/rub her own arm so as not to reach out for him. That gesture (and okay the look on her incredibly expressive face) said so much to me about who she was and what their relationship was like and it only took a second.

It took much longer for Lee. I liked The Lady's in Charge, I liked his confrontation with Kara in AoC and his concern for Kara in YCGHA, I liked his face when she hobbled out on those crutches in Six Degrees of Separation, I really liked the kiss in Home and telling Kara he loved her, but I don't think I really really loved Lee until he stood up at the end of Scar and completed Kara's toast. That said so much to me about the kind of man he at least wanted to be and could be at times.

[lotus79.livejournal.com]

For me, it was the miniseries, and UB. I shall need to explain this...

Some weird background for you:

I watched the original BSG as wee one, and had a total crush on Starbuck. I was one of those people who cried "philistine!" at the very idea of Starbuck-as-a-woman. I didn't intend to watch BSG at all, and pretty much forgot about it until a friend of mine (misscam, with whom I often share fandoms but rarely ships - case in point: she is a Bill/Laura shipper and doesn't care for K/L) started trying to persuade me to give it a go around the beginning of the 4th season.

I was in the middle of a B5 revival kick at the time and kept resisting. She tempted me with cast photos saying "look at the pretty!" I was unimpressed, and out of all of them I pinpointed Baltar as the one I found most attractive (I know!! She laughed at me too. I never had much of a taste for short hair before, you see. :P)

So anyway, under duress, I downloaded the mini to give it a watch and see what I thought, fully prepared to list all the wrongness of the aforementioned 'travesty' of Starbuck-as-a-woman. Only then as for many people, Katie appeared and that was that.

In truth, my appetite was whet by the very first brig scene. Their first scene together. I am that easy, folks! Also, a sucker for mysterious angsty backstories.

Anyhow, I have no patience, so immediately after watching the mini I read a plot summary of the entire series up to that point to see when they would finally "do it". Unfinished Business was mentioned so that was the very next episode I downloaded. (Did I mention I have no patience? :P)

Then I sat back and watched from the beginning to see the delicious UST unfold. ;)

I hate when shows stretch the UST forever and never have a resolution, so I wanted to check there would be something before I committed to it. Little did I know!

[scifishipper.livejournal.com]

I love this story. The romantic in me loves that Kara and Lee won you over despite your reservations, particularly about Starbuck as a woman. The UST is epic, right? Lovely. :D

[kag523.livejournal.com]

*hugs* I have found my BSG soulmate! We might just share a brain. Your comment that "I hate when shows stretch the UST forever and never have a resolution, so I wanted to check there would be something before I committed to it." made me laugh out loud. I THOUGHT I WAS ALONE!

I refused to watch BSG at all, until I could watch the entire thing from beginning to end. (Which makes me the latest of latecomers to this fandom.) I too, remembered the original, and even though a number of my sci fi friends kept insisting I was going to LOVE the updated version I was hesitant to jump in. And, well, they were right.

Awesome comment!

K :>D

[damao2010.livejournal.com]

I also watched the first BSG as a kid and I couldn't imagine Starbuck as a woman (although back then I already had a thing for Apollo). So I refused to watch it for a veeeery long time. However, I kept reading reviews that spoke so highly of the series that I decided to give it a try. I sort of watched a episode but didn't understand anything (I thought Baltar was crazy, I had no idea who the blonde girl he kept talking to was, I would never have imagined that she was a cylon, I didn't know Lee was Apollo and Kara was Starbuck, and they didn't seem to be friends, I found the lack of modern technology abord Galactica ridiculous... In short, I didn't like it.) But the positive reviews kept coming and, because I really like everything sci-f, I decided to try again. This time from the beginning. So I downloaded the mini and got hooked. I suddenly understood all the changes, I loved everything and everybody. I fell in love with Lee right away, I really liked Kara and I just LOVED them together.

[utenatai.livejournal.com]

Anyhow, I have no patience, so immediately after watching the mini I read a plot summary of the entire series up to that point to see when they would finally "do it". Unfinished Business was mentioned so that was the very next episode I downloaded. (Did I mention I have no patience? :P)

Oh shit, I did this, too. I've never been sure if I regret it or not... knowing they got a crappy ending took some of the hope out of watching the UST unfold for me. At the same time, I think I might have been more devastated by the ending they did get if I hadn't had time to brace myself for it.

Glad I wasn't alone in that, anyway!