Ah, Lee.... My favorite character by far of any show/movie - ever. *sighs*
I remember watching the show and feeling incredibly connected to Lee's struggle to do the right thing under unspeakable circumstances. Time and time again, he is thrust into situations where weaker, more morally ambiguous men and women might falter. One of the things I love about him is his bravery - not in the face of physical injury, but his bravery to do what he feels is morally appropriate. Yes, at times, he does this because of *his* judgments about right and wrong. But, in the end, I think that's all anyone has - to make a set of judgments about a situation and to choose an action that falls in line with those judgments. His judgments make sense to me most of the time and fit in line with many of my own beliefs about right and wrong. So, for intensely personal reasons, his character speaks to me.
I also remember that he was the center of the show for me, followed by Adama, then Kara. (Recently, fandom has shifted my perspective and I am now much more focused on the ship than Lee himself. That said, it's nice to consider Lee as a character again.) I always felt that Lee and Adama were very morally grounded, although Adama's decisions were often made with a nod to his military training while Lee's were based on his personal set of beliefs and often against the mores of the military.
In thinking back, I remember being struck by Lee's loneliness. I know he never really made with the puppydog eyes or acknowledged his loneliness, but aside from Dee, I don't think he really ever spoke to anyone about his feelings. Even Kara, whom he loved, never really got to know how he ticked on some levels. Thinking about it now, it reminds me how much I dislike that Dee left Lee because he decided to defend Baltar. I imagine better from her (WRITER!FAIL) because she alone had an opportunity to really understand him. In my mind, she did - but on the show - not so much. Funny, though, that Kara seemed to understand his moral side a bit more clearly than Dee and never seemed to find it strange that he defended Baltar (although who knows since they were separated at the time and forever).
But I digress. I am attracted to Lee's passionate beliefs because they are tempered with thoughtfulness and sensitivity. Yes, he rages about right and wrong, but he always takes personal responsibility for his own flaws. He rarely points the finger at someone else without first pointing it at himself. (There are exceptions, of course, because he is also wonderfully flawed). I respond to passionate people who know what the believe and don't falter. I feel drawn to Lee's own struggle to think about right and wrong and admire his ability to use rationality over emotion.
In general, I have a hard time with morally ambiguous characters. While I might enjoy their antics, they are not people I'd probably be too comfortable being around. Lee gives me a sense that despite all of the horribleness in the BSG-verse, he will always be the same. I'm guessing there's a lot of arguable territory with that statement, given the writer!fail in S4, but even as his character changed from pilot to prez, I think he was able to maintain his moral center. That was enough for me.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2010-07-16 05:09 pm (UTC)I remember watching the show and feeling incredibly connected to Lee's struggle to do the right thing under unspeakable circumstances. Time and time again, he is thrust into situations where weaker, more morally ambiguous men and women might falter. One of the things I love about him is his bravery - not in the face of physical injury, but his bravery to do what he feels is morally appropriate. Yes, at times, he does this because of *his* judgments about right and wrong. But, in the end, I think that's all anyone has - to make a set of judgments about a situation and to choose an action that falls in line with those judgments. His judgments make sense to me most of the time and fit in line with many of my own beliefs about right and wrong. So, for intensely personal reasons, his character speaks to me.
I also remember that he was the center of the show for me, followed by Adama, then Kara. (Recently, fandom has shifted my perspective and I am now much more focused on the ship than Lee himself. That said, it's nice to consider Lee as a character again.) I always felt that Lee and Adama were very morally grounded, although Adama's decisions were often made with a nod to his military training while Lee's were based on his personal set of beliefs and often against the mores of the military.
In thinking back, I remember being struck by Lee's loneliness. I know he never really made with the puppydog eyes or acknowledged his loneliness, but aside from Dee, I don't think he really ever spoke to anyone about his feelings. Even Kara, whom he loved, never really got to know how he ticked on some levels. Thinking about it now, it reminds me how much I dislike that Dee left Lee because he decided to defend Baltar. I imagine better from her (WRITER!FAIL) because she alone had an opportunity to really understand him. In my mind, she did - but on the show - not so much. Funny, though, that Kara seemed to understand his moral side a bit more clearly than Dee and never seemed to find it strange that he defended Baltar (although who knows since they were separated at the time and forever).
But I digress. I am attracted to Lee's passionate beliefs because they are tempered with thoughtfulness and sensitivity. Yes, he rages about right and wrong, but he always takes personal responsibility for his own flaws. He rarely points the finger at someone else without first pointing it at himself. (There are exceptions, of course, because he is also wonderfully flawed). I respond to passionate people who know what the believe and don't falter. I feel drawn to Lee's own struggle to think about right and wrong and admire his ability to use rationality over emotion.
In general, I have a hard time with morally ambiguous characters. While I might enjoy their antics, they are not people I'd probably be too comfortable being around. Lee gives me a sense that despite all of the horribleness in the BSG-verse, he will always be the same. I'm guessing there's a lot of arguable territory with that statement, given the writer!fail in S4, but even as his character changed from pilot to prez, I think he was able to maintain his moral center. That was enough for me.