Episode 154

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Published on:

1st Jan 2025

BSG S1E2 - Is It Stupid or Is It Cylon?

Laura and Xhafer ring in the New Year with Battlestar Galactica - Season 1, Episode 2: Water. Laura wonders if character stupidity is a symptom of being a Cylon. Xhafer speculates Gaeta will single-handedly keep the Galactica's Kinkos in business.

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Transcript
Laura:

Hello and welcome to Who Are You?

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A reasonably well done sci fi watchcast

hosted by two friends who are currently

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watching 2004's Battlestar Galactica.

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I'm Laura.

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Xhafer: Ja'far.

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Hey, that's the first

time you did the intro!

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The new intro!

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Laura: It is the first

time I did the intro.

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Yeah, I like it.

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It'll get more natural.

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I was definitely reading a

script, but it'll get better.

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Xhafer: I, too was reading the

script, so no worries there.

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yeah, new intro.

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Feels good.

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New pod feels good.

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We got, we got our new pod shoes

on for the new year, you know, is

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episode four of our new show coverage.

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But you know, it's new

year, new us, big vibes.

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Laura: Uh Huh.

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Yeah, and today we're watching

Battlestar Galactica, Season 3,

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Episode 9, Unfinished Business.

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Xhafer: Oh, Oh no.

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Laura: you know this

episode by name, Ja'far?

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Xhafer: Unfinished business.

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Season three, episode nine.

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Which one is that?

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Don't you, how do you know?

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You should know that.

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How do you know that?

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Laura: so I googled it for this joke

because I knew there was a boxing episode

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and today we are recording on Boxing Day.

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Xhafer: that's right.

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We are recording on Boxing Day

and that is the boxing episode.

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Okay.

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Laura: Yeah, it was just a jokey joke.

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I didn't look at anything about

the episode, I just googled

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Battlestar Galactica Boxing.

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Xhafer: All you need to

know is that there's boxing.

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No, we're recording on Boxing Day.

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Yesterday was was Christmas.

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That's it's fun.

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It's good times.

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We're just talking about our our

family travels and traditions.

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Laura: yeah.

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I hope everyone had a nice

holiday of any sort here in

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December.

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yeah,

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Xhafer: this airs on New Year's

Day, which means as you're

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listening to this, I am hungover.

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Probably not actually.

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I, I haven't had a

hangover in a long time.

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I, I, let me, let me correct that.

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Anytime I've earned a hangover,

I've managed to escape.

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I've had little hangovers.

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The, the, the curse of being on the

precipice of 40, is you'll have, like,

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three glasses of wine and wake up with a

hangover, and you didn't even get loaded.

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And, and then sometimes I'll be like, Oh,

it's drinkin drinkin heavy with the boys

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tonight, and I just wake up and feel fine.

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So,

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Laura: Yeah.

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It's those electrolytes.

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Xhafer: mmm,

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Laura: Gotta get those electrolytes.

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Xhafer: in the fridge.

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Can't mess around with that.

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Maybe

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I'm

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underestimating the little drink.

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Maybe that's my problem.

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Laura: I hope everyone

has a lovely new year.

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2025 is going to bring us.

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We can all hang on tight.

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Xhafer: Yeah, we have some life changes.

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I mean, you got your second

semester of school coming up.

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I, I will be, when this airs, I will be

starting a new job in a couple of days.

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as this records, I am finishing my last

day of work at my current employer.

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So in movements.

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Laura: Big congrats to all.

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Xhafer: Hope everyone has

an excellent new year.

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I hope your new year starts better than

this episode starts for the crew of the

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Galactica cause damn, it's a bad day.

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Laura: Yeah.

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So we get, we open this episode,

season one, episode two, water with

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a little last time on, I think, are

we just going to get last times on

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Xhafer: I believe

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Laura: for the show?

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Okay.

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It's helpful.

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I wrote down when I was

watching this question.

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I was just wondering if all the Sharons

are programmed to think they're human.

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Because it seems like we know of two

that seem to think they're human.

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I don't know.

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Xhafer: Do they?

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Laura: Well, it seems like

Battlestar Sharon thinks she's human.

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Don't

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100 percent know about Caprica Sharon.

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Xhafer: I'm gonna, I'm gonna try and

make things a little easier here.

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Why don't we refer to Battlestar

Sharon by her callsign Boomer.

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Laura: Okay,

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Xhafer: And then we, Caprica

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Laura: Caprica

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is just

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Xhafer: is just Sharon.

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for now.

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Laura: Okay.

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Yeah, yeah.

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Good call.

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So, I thought when we opened this

episode after our last time on,

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Where we have Boomer dripping wet.

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I thought it was some kind of lab.

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I thought this was Sharon on Caprica.

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Because when we saw them last,

it was like pouring rain.

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Xhafer: Yeah.

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Laura: And so I thought that they had just

like found something and she was dripping

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wet from that and it took me a little bit

to like catch up to what we were doing.

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Xhafer: They misled you.

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You, one might say Ron Moore has a plan.

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Yeah, so, Boomer is just

like absolutely drenched.

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Sees a, her bag next to her, opens it,

finds a towel, a uniform, and a bomb.

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Laura: Mm hmm.

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Yeah, and she freaks out about

this bomb and disarms it.

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Xhafer: She runs out and has a

brief conversation with Callie.

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And Callie lets her know that more

time has passed than she has thought.

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She thinks it's the night before

and Callie's all like, it's the

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morning, what are you talking about?

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And Cher is just like, fuck,

fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

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Laura: she goes to look at the

weapons locker She discovers there

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are a whole bunch of G4 detonators

missing, and I guess that was what she

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had in her bag, was a G4 detonator.

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Xhafer: it's like

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Laura: so she, like,

puts that one back, but,

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Xhafer: Yeah, six bombs

are missing to theme.

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Laura: Yeah.

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Beeping ominously, one might say.

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Xhafer: I would say ominous is

the best word for those bombs.

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Laura: Definitely.

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When we come back from theme, Colonel Tai.

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freaking out about

Colonial One showing up.

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And I guess he can't, like, get his

dress uniform together or whatever.

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And then he appears to also be

meticulously rationing his booze stash.

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Xhafer: Yeah, he's, he's

countin the shots, he's

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countin the fingers of whiskey.

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He's got left uh, fingers of

whiskey, of course, being an

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actual measurement of whiskey.

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Um, it's a little

different for everyone, but

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Laura: Maybe because we all

have different finger sizes.

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Xhafer: A hundred percent.

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Uh

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Laura: Yeah, no not a great

situation for Colonel Tai.

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I do wonder now, I bet it's going

to come up that like how much

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booze is left in this fleet, like.

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Xhafer: It's a thing.

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Uh, And it is addressed, and there

are, there, there will be stills.

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I'll, I'll,

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Laura: Yeah, I was gonna say,

there's gotta be some ship that

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like, puts together a still, yeah.

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he can't be the only functional

alcoholic left in a population of

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forty something thousand humans.

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Xhafer: when there's this

much military involved.

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Laura: Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Xhafer: so we see Lee, who's

having a PTSD flashback to

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destroying the Olympic carrier.

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He goes to talk to his dad about

it, and he's like, Son, that

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was three fucking days ago.

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Give it up.

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Laura: Yeah.

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Daddy is not interested in hearing

about your guilt and sadness.

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Xhafer: Yeah.

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Your guilt.

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It's my guilt.

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Fuck off.

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I gave the order.

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Well,

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Laura: to heal a little bit.

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Xhafer: anyways.

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Lee is concerned with his

accountability and things here.

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But

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Laura: Yeah,

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Xhafer: Really can't be bothered.

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Laura: not very satisfying

here at the beginning.

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I think the conversation with Rosalind at

the end is a little more satisfying, but

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Xhafer: Speaking of which, she

comes on board for some ceremonial

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shit while one of the ships in the

fleet docks off to exchange its gray

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and black tanks for clean water.

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Laura: Uh Huh.

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We get some important world building

here about Galactica has these water

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recyclers that can, you know, Make

water clean, and so we can reuse it.

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Xhafer: efficient.

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Laura: Yeah.

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But a lot of our smaller ships

don't have that capability, so they

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have to like, exchange their water

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Xhafer: Mm-hmm . Let let Galactica

systems clean all the water for the fleet.

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Yeah.

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Laura: Yeah,

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Xhafer: We even get some lip service

too, this won't be a problem for years!

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Hehehe.

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Was a

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mistake.

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Laura: So, Roslyn's whole deal

about, Following this pomp and

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circumstance that Adama is putting on.

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She's basically saying, Well, I can

tell this man needs this to feel

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more comfortable, so I'll do it.

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But it's, boy, it's annoying, you know?

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And uh, she, she does make a comment

about only having three outfits left

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to her name and I was like, oh man, I

feel that, like, that's that's hard and

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she's got to do the presidential song

and dance all the time, like, she, she

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doesn't want to do this with Adama, like,

she wants to just get work done, but

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there's a fleet out there that needs her

to do presidential song and dance, right?

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Like, The people are going

to need it at points.

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And she has three pants suits to do it

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Xhafer: right?

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I wonder if like, obviously this is like,

I don't think that this was entirely

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the reason for this, but do you think

in an era of TV where particularly

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female characters weren't allowed to

wear the same outfit multiple shows,

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Laura: Oh yeah.

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Xhafer: that

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Laura: They're making an excuse

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to

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Xhafer: excuse to save some

budget money here and just keep

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her recycling the same three?

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Yeah.

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Laura: to be a fashionista, you guys.

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She's one of the last humans alive.

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Like seriously.

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Yeah.

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Maybe, maybe part of it is like

telling the audience like chill

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and give this woman a break.

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Very interesting.

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Xhafer: Sharon tells the chief about

the missing detonators, and he's gonna

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go to the Master at Arms about it.

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She's not comfortable with

this, but she does trust Tyrell.

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Laura: I get it that she's like

a Cylon and she's programmed to

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like self preserve because it,

it seems like she doesn't know.

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She really feels like she doesn't

know she's a Cylon, but there's

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a thing in her that's going self

preserve, self preserve, self preserve.

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And

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Xhafer: especially at the end of

this episode, where like, it seems

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like she has to notice the bomb a

couple of times to be able to see it.

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Laura: uh, Yeah.

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it seems like some, some things

are not connecting all the way.

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And you know, you're, you're, you just.

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Want her to shut up and be like,

yeah, no, there's protocol.

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We have to follow protocol.

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Master of arms has to know, but she's

like begging to Terrell not to tell.

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And it's like, stop, stop.

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This is bad internal

controls for one thing.

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Xhafer: Yeah.

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At the uh, the docking ceremony or

whatever, Lee and Rosalyn talk, and we

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learned that Adama hates this stuff too.

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He just wants Laura to be, feel like

the president, like the president

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deserves this, so the president gets it

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Laura: Uh Huh.

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Xhafer: and he's just doing it to

make her feel more comfortable.

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Laura: yeah.

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Apollo's like, Hey, I, I just want

you to know, like, dad is trying

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to show you that you're really the

president, that he's not a threat, like,

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Xhafer: you.

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He's going to do the thing.

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You're in charge.

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Yeah.

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You figure it out.

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Laura: Yeah, yeah, like he, he's putting

on the dog and pony show just to make

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this all real and official because

here's one thing that I suspect this will

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come up or, you know, if it doesn't, it

would, could naturally come up is that

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like rifts happen and people disagree

with the decisions Rosalind makes

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and who are they going to go to next?

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They're going to go to Adama

and try to convince him.

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That he should be running things and

he should be running them his way and

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their way and things would be better

and you could, you could get like a

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fracturing of this remaining humanity

and so he's like trying to put on

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the pomp and circumstance to show

that like, no, we are a united front.

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Xhafer: Yeah.

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Laura: So that's appreciated

at least like the effort is

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Xhafer: It's important.

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Yeah.

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So after Lee and Rosalind were talking

for a few minutes about third pop and

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circumstance and who it's actually for

and why they're actually bothering,

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the bombs that were planted that we saw

ominously before the theme do go off,

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venting all of the water into space.

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Laura: Yeah.

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Xhafer: Bad day.

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Laura: This, this is one that you could

have like, cut this differently and

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ended the cold open with this, but I

think it's much more suspenseful to

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Xhafer: let us, let us languish in the

suspense for a couple minutes, you know.

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And this is a show that's

not afraid to do that.

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That's something that we

will see a number of times.

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They will, I mean, the show states its

intentions early on, by giving you those

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quick little hits of what's going to

happen, those flashes of what to expect.

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And uh, it just lets you languish

knowing that that's what's coming.

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Because there's some stuff

you'll see in those, where you'll

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be all like, Wait, was that?

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And, you know, it's It's, it gets crazy.

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The show gets crazy.

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Laura: Yeah.

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I can feel it.

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Like, so far every ending of a, an episode

has been like, where's the next one?

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Like, Very cliffhanger.

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Xhafer: Yeah, I mean,

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we've destroyed a civilian carrier

that may or may not have been being

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tracked by the Cylons and may or may

not have been loaded with nukes, and

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we vented all of the water into space.

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We're two episodes in, and two

things that in any would easily be

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the catastrophe of the season, if

not the entire show have happened.

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Laura: Yeah.

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Xhafer: And this isn't even close

to how crazy this shit gets.

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This is nothing.

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Laura: Oh, no.

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No, that ship was definitely at

least being tracked by the Cylons.

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I stand on that hill,

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and I'll die there.

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Xhafer: I, honestly don't think it was.

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I think they wanted to see

if the humans would do it.

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And it didn't matter which ship it was.

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It could have been any ship.

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Laura: don't know.

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I don't buy it.

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I don't buy it.

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Xhafer: Anyways!

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Laura: okay.

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Anyway.

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We go to the war room.

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The staff

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Xhafer: our senior staff meeting.

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Laura: Yeah, Tyrell and his team

are looking, I think they're

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actually going in the tanks, right?

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They've got their EVA suits on and,

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Xhafer: Yeah, they're going in.

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They're gonna check out the damage.

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I mean, you gotta go in to

repair those things, I imagine.

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But also, an investigation's gonna be

a lot easier to do from both sides.

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They've got a raptor out

there taking a peek, too.

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Laura: yep.

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So they're ordering rationing because

we have a 60 percent loss of water, is

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Xhafer: It's something like that, yeah.

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Laura: It is a big percent,

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Xhafer: They went from having to not

worry about water for years to water is

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a problem before the end of this week.

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Laura: immediately, yeah.

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Yeah.

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President Rosalynn pushes GATA.

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She wants a guess at the cause.

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She, I think everybody in

this room knows, right?

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We know this is sabotage.

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But Gaeta tries to bullshit a

cause that isn't sabotage to keep

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everyone calm for a minute because

we don't have the evidence yet.

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Xhafer: Gaeta's like got a full

on, he's at a podium, there's

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PowerPoint presentations.

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This job must suck.

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Laura: Oh, Gaeta's got

the worst job on the ship,

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Xhafer: Yeah, and it's

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like,

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can we just call out a minute?

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The fact that these are paper stands.

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This is poster board they're using.

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Right?

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This is not a digital screen.

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This is not a display screen where someone

types some stuff up and put it on there.

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There's a Kinkos on board.

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The Galactica.

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Laura: the, the Kinkos is the

worst job on the Galactic.

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Gaeta is the second.

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Xhafer: Gaeta having to go to the Kinkos

constantly has the second worst job.

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Laura: yeah, yeah.

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And then third is Commander Adama's maid,

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Xhafer: Oh.

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Laura: has to clean up his

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quarters.

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Yeah,

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Xhafer: sure.

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Just a Space Kinkos.

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Laura: Kinkos.

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So Tyrell's team does find

evidence of explosives.

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Mm hmm.

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Mm hmm.

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Mm

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Xhafer: it is bad news.

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Callie's looking around, she finds some.

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And the chief kind of quickly covers

for Sharon, I feel like, here.

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He's just like, well,

you know, stuff happens.

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Like, not pointing any fingers,

despite like, He has to know, right?

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There has to be a part of him

inside that goes, Okay, so I

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talked to the Master at Arms.

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There's six explosives missing.

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There were five to six explosions in here.

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Or, or does he only find evidence of

five and says six so that it matches?

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Right?

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Like,

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Laura: question because she still has a

bomb at the end, at the end of this and

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I'm thinking that that is not like a new,

she didn't go back and get a new bomb, you

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know?

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Xhafer: No, it's the one

from the uh, the ship.

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Laura: Yeah.

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Xhafer: So, it's uh, how how much do

we implicate tyral here, you know?

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How much of this

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Laura: He's definitely stupid.

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I mean, is, is it stupid or is it Cylon?

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This is a new, new question for me.

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Like, my, my old forensic accounting

professor used to say that the

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first question you have to ask.

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in any forensic accounting investigation

is, is it fraud or is it stupid?

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And so, Tyrell, the question

is, is it Cylon or is it stupid?

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Like, is he just so enamored with

this woman that he can't possibly

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face the possibility of her being a

Cylon or is he also somehow in this?

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Like, hmm,

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Xhafer: it's hard to say

exactly where that line is, and

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that's very much on purpose.

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Laura: I wonder how much we're

going to be asking ourselves,

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is it stupid or is it Cylon?

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Xhafer: Well, I know.

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So, I will be staring blankly as you ask.

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Laura: It's gonna be a lot

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Xhafer: Yeah, for sure.

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It's a

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ton.

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Yeah.

417

:

I would say it's the crux of

the show for at least these,

418

:

especially these first two seasons.

419

:

As like, more of these silent identities

are revealed over the course of the

420

:

show, it, less of that becomes an option.

421

:

But just statistically speaking,

422

:

Laura: Yeah.

423

:

Xhafer: but it's definitely something

that will be brought up often

424

:

enough where we should get a drop.

425

:

Is it stupid or is it Cylon?

426

:

Laura: Yeah.

427

:

We'll uh, we'll have to

put something together.

428

:

We'll figure it out.

429

:

Xhafer: Tie is going over the

likely sources of water here.

430

:

Lee is sending scout

ships out to check areas.

431

:

The chances of finding water are not good.

432

:

And while we're talking about

problems, food, also a problem.

433

:

Laura: Mm.

434

:

Xhafer: Baltar reads off

the, the food estimates.

435

:

And Lee's all like, oh,

is that for like a month?

436

:

And he's all like, bro, that's a week.

437

:

Laura: Yeah.

438

:

Oh, no.

439

:

Like, and you have to wonder, some

of these smaller ships, how much

440

:

food were they actually carrying?

441

:

Mm.

442

:

Like as this all went down.

443

:

I know it's only been three days

at this point and people probably

444

:

have had low appetites because

they're like Processing a lot.

445

:

But yeah in a short amount of time.

446

:

This is going to be a big deal

447

:

Xhafer: Mm hmm.

448

:

Mm hmm.

449

:

Back on Caprica, the Sharon

takes Helo to the Raptor, but

450

:

it's surrounded by Centurions.

451

:

Is this where they first

call him a toaster, by

452

:

the way?

453

:

Laura: It's the first time I think

I've heard it called a toaster.

454

:

Yeah,

455

:

Xhafer: Yeah.

456

:

Laura: it's pretty funny

457

:

Xhafer: I mean, it's pretty funny.

458

:

It's also racist.

459

:

I haven't decided if I care or not.

460

:

They do kind of look like toasters.

461

:

Laura: Yeah, with the like

dome y head thing going on.

462

:

Yeah, I'm sure that's a joke reference

to that, like the domed head.

463

:

Xhafer: Mm hmm.

464

:

It is definitely used as a slur

The longer the show goes on.

465

:

Tyrell presents at the worst

power point party ever.

466

:

That five, maybe six blasts occurred

and with what is known to be missing,

467

:

possibly one device is unaccounted for.

468

:

Laura: Possibly, lots of like

obfuscating and like hedging.

469

:

in this discussion, and I don't like it.

470

:

Xhafer: Mm hmm.

471

:

They dismiss most of the people

as a domozolic, so there's

472

:

obviously a Cylon on board.

473

:

Laura: Yeah, Adama's ready to

say it, what we're all thinking.

474

:

Xhafer: hmm.

475

:

They ask Baltar about his

screening status, to which he

476

:

daydreams with 6PT, and gets Gaeta

assigned to him for his troubles.

477

:

Laura: Yeah, so, she asks him

specifically, like, when he started lying

478

:

to women, and that was when I went, oh.

479

:

So, he didn't have a process.

480

:

He just made some bullshit up and

threw that guy out of the way.

481

:

off of the Galactica.

482

:

Xhafer: Yep, 100%.

483

:

Laura: Just wild.

484

:

Wild.

485

:

And, and the fact that he was bright.

486

:

I'm just, I guess maybe,

you know, he's had some good

487

:

intuition about the whole thing?

488

:

What

489

:

Xhafer: If the question is, is

Gaius Baltar actually a genius,

490

:

the answer is definitively yes.

491

:

he is a bullshitter, he is self interested

he is a terrible piece of shit, but he is

492

:

also probably the smartest human alive.

493

:

And he was probably

494

:

Laura: Yeah.

495

:

Xhafer: alive before the show started,

and everything went down, and he more

496

:

than likely, definitively is without

getting into anything else he's

497

:

definitely a very, very smart dude.

498

:

So, is it that he just intuited,

as you suggest, and knew?

499

:

I don't know.

500

:

Is it this person was a problem,

and this was his way of solving

501

:

a problem, and he was lucky?

502

:

Is this the machinations of

the Cylon monotheistic god?

503

:

Is this a Cylon chip in his brain giving

him visions of six, pointing him and

504

:

telling him things subconsciously?

505

:

These are all possible answers

to this question, and we can't

506

:

say for certain right now.

507

:

Laura: Right.

508

:

It kind of

509

:

Xhafer: ever, I think.

510

:

I don't know if we ever actually

get an answer on that one.

511

:

Laura: yeah, it kind of seems like

the presence of Six, whether Six is

512

:

an actual chip or an actual imprint

of Six, or just something his mind

513

:

has made up in a panic to process some

things had something to do with it.

514

:

Whether or not it's natural

of origin, and completely, you

515

:

know, benevolent and helpful?

516

:

Don't know.

517

:

Xhafer: Yeah.

518

:

Laura: Hmm.

519

:

But yeah, he's supposed to find a real

Cylon detection method, which, yeah, it's,

520

:

I don't think we're going to get that.

521

:

That doesn't seem like something we

could actually develop in the show.

522

:

Because then you should just roll

it out to every single ship and you

523

:

find all your Cylons and a big source

of conflict is just all gone, right?

524

:

Xhafer: I won't say anything here.

525

:

Laura: I don't think we can get

it or if we get it, it's not

526

:

actually going to work or it's not

actually 100 percent or something.

527

:

There's going to be a problem.

528

:

But we can't get a foolproof

Cylon detection method.

529

:

Xhafer: I mean, for the sake of the plot,

it would seem like something that would

530

:

kind of put a damper on the tension.

531

:

Laura: Mm hmm.

532

:

Mm hmm.

533

:

If we, if we ever get it, it

seems like we won't get it early.

534

:

You can't destroy your

show that, that way.

535

:

Xhafer: The premise of your show.

536

:

Yeah.

537

:

Laura: Yeah, yeah.

538

:

So Boomer is pleading with

Tyrell to believe her and I

539

:

just want to shake them both.

540

:

And for some reason Adama and Roslyn

are in his quarters, I guess, having

541

:

a meeting, talking, talking books.

542

:

Adama goes to wash his

hands and then Refrains.

543

:

nice to know that it's not Rules

for Thee and Not for Me with Adama.

544

:

Xhafer: Yeah he gives her a book.

545

:

He knows the rules.

546

:

You don't lend books, you give them.

547

:

Laura: It's smart.

548

:

Adama has met me.

549

:

Xhafer: I'm, I mean, I'm the same way.

550

:

I, I will, if I really enjoy a

book, if that I want to lend to

551

:

someone, I will make a point of

going out and buying an extra copy.

552

:

Laura: Mm

553

:

Xhafer: Um, I've done

that a number of times.

554

:

The only, the only instance where lending

books is an actual lend is like RPG tomes.

555

:

Like you're building a character.

556

:

You need.

557

:

different thing from the

player's handbook or something,

558

:

you need one of the aux books.

559

:

Those don't

560

:

count.

561

:

Laura: That makes sense.

562

:

Xhafer: Everything else

though, you gift books.

563

:

Laura: Yeah.

564

:

I have a lot of books that were lent to me

that never should have been trusted to me.

565

:

Xhafer: I've had to buy copies of

books like that before because I

566

:

lent them to people and I should

have just known, but I do now.

567

:

Uh,

568

:

Laura: Not an intentional,

like, malfeasance.

569

:

It just hapthings just happen.

570

:

Xhafer: I think it's part of the nature

of how you consume the medium, right?

571

:

Because if, if you are a reader, if

you're someone who's going to want

572

:

to read a book and cause you're

borrowing it with the intention of

573

:

reading it right, you probably also

already reading something else, which

574

:

means you're, you're borrowing it.

575

:

Knowing that you're not going to

read it immediately, and the person

576

:

who's lending it to you, presumably

also a reader, understands the cycle.

577

:

So it's a, you will get to this when you

get to it, and you will read it then.

578

:

Not a, I'm expecting you to pick up this

book the day after I hand it to you.

579

:

Laura: Right.

580

:

Unless you have the organized

structure of a library.

581

:

Like, it's different.

582

:

Yeah.

583

:

Xhafer: for sure.

584

:

Starbuck runs a poker table.

585

:

Gaius puts up some clothes

on the table instead of cash.

586

:

Laura: Ugh, I hate Gaia's Poltar so much.

587

:

Xhafer: Yeah.

588

:

Laura: Yeah, he ditches Gaida, too.

589

:

He's like, Oh, I know we're

supposed to be working, but I'm

590

:

gonna do this poker game now.

591

:

Bye.

592

:

Xhafer: hmm.

593

:

Mm hmm.

594

:

We go back to Adama and Rosalyn.

595

:

Adama refuses to turn the

military into the police here.

596

:

Um, Aaron, actually, could you play

that again for the people in back?

597

:

Laura: Yeah, Rosalind has a problem

in that there's been water riots on a

598

:

cruise ship and there's no immediate

police force to assist with that.

599

:

Xhafer: Yeah.

600

:

Laura: And Adama is

very nervous about that.

601

:

Having his military

get involved with that.

602

:

Rightly so, but I don't see how Rosalyn

really has a choice right now either.

603

:

She can't just put together a

police force out of nothing.

604

:

Like,

605

:

Xhafer: yeah.

606

:

Laura: that untrained civilians

being gung ho about all of a sudden

607

:

taking a police force role is

also dangerous in a different way.

608

:

Like,

609

:

there, you can't do a

police force without a plan.

610

:

Period.

611

:

Xhafer: Yeah.

612

:

Laura: Need, need a plan and

people who are trained in it

613

:

Xhafer: Mm hmm.

614

:

Laura: don't know how many we have in the

forty something thousand that are left.

615

:

Xhafer: Not a ton, which is

why he acquiesces a little to

616

:

help try and prevent riots.

617

:

But, that will be another

problem another day.

618

:

Boomer and Crashdown

are searching for water.

619

:

And the audience is made aware

of the presence of the last bomb.

620

:

It's on the Raptor.

621

:

Laura: Hey, guess what?

622

:

I didn't realize at this point that

that bomb was actually with her.

623

:

I don't know why.

624

:

It, maybe it was in the cutting and

maybe I wasn't looking close enough.

625

:

I thought she was just having intrusive

thoughts about the bombs that she planted

626

:

earlier and that she just like couldn't,

she was having some kind of like break

627

:

between her like, conscious memory and

the unconscious memory and something was

628

:

coming to the surface and she was like

having existential crisis over remembering

629

:

these bombs and like seeing these bombs.

630

:

And it was not until like the

very end that I realized it was

631

:

an actual bomb on board with her.

632

:

And she's like actually

touching it, isn't she?

633

:

I just thought it was intrusive thoughts.

634

:

And this is the point when I realized

that Boomer at the beginning was Boomer.

635

:

I had thought up until this point

that it was Sharon on Caprica.

636

:

That's how confusing this show

is gonna be for me apparently.

637

:

Xhafer: Oh, no.

638

:

Laura: I'll probably get better at it.

639

:

Practice.

640

:

Practice makes perfect.

641

:

Xhafer: Back at poker Gaius runs the table

over Starbuck leaving her out of sorts.

642

:

These are different, weird space

cards than the uh, the pilot,

643

:

the miniseries, by the way.

644

:

Laura: Oh, we had to

revamp the Space cards?

645

:

That's

646

:

Xhafer: we've got two sets of space

cards now, which is just a blast.

647

:

Laura: Yeah.

648

:

These are a little more

like almost circular, right?

649

:

Xhafer: Yeah, they're a different shape.

650

:

The other ones had like weird

little, like, besides just the

651

:

corner cutouts, they had like other

little like side things that I can't

652

:

imagine serve any practical purpose.

653

:

Laura: Yeah.

654

:

These were more like

hexagonal or something.

655

:

I'm, I'm, said circular,

but that's not what I meant.

656

:

They were just rounder, like, than our

playing cards are very rectangular.

657

:

Xhafer: Mm hmm.

658

:

No water is to be found, as

they're reporting in CIC.

659

:

Only Boomer and Crashdown are left.

660

:

And Boomer, we see on her screen

that she is finding water, but

661

:

she is unable to communicate that

she has found water to Crashdown.

662

:

Laura: Yeah.

663

:

She actually says, I'm having a

hard time saying it at one point.

664

:

Yeah.

665

:

Like, she's trying to make the

mou the words with her mouth

666

:

and nothing is happening.

667

:

Xhafer: lends credence

to how unaware she is.

668

:

Laura: Mm hmm.

669

:

Xhafer: For sure.

670

:

she has a really hard time, yeah.

671

:

Laura: and she's also like fingering

the bomb at this time, right?

672

:

Like she's, it's like a safety system or

something is going, Oh, oh, we just need

673

:

to blow ourselves up because you were

674

:

Xhafer: Mm hmm.

675

:

Laura: Gonna say it.

676

:

Xhafer: You're gonna save the day,

so you should just blow yourself up.

677

:

Laura: Yeah.

678

:

And I'm really mad at Crashdown

here because, like, just get

679

:

up from your goddamn screen

and look at her goddamn screen.

680

:

Like, stop being such a lazy bitch.

681

:

Xhafer: You're not wrong.

682

:

Laura: She said she's having a hard time

saying it, maybe you should look at it.

683

:

Dipshit.

684

:

So mad.

685

:

Xhafer: She eventually cuts

through, says something aloud calls

686

:

in the discovery of water here.

687

:

At this point, she finally becomes

aware of the bomb in a manner

688

:

that allows her to turn it off.

689

:

Laura: Yeah.

690

:

So interesting.

691

:

That's, that's why I'm riding on the like,

boomer doesn't know theory right now.

692

:

I don't know enough about Sharon

on Caprica, but it kind of seems

693

:

like maybe Sharon doesn't either?

694

:

I don't know.

695

:

We'll see.

696

:

Xhafer: I, I would agree.

697

:

That Boomer doesn't know.

698

:

think that's

699

:

made.

700

:

Laura: like that's a strong

701

:

Xhafer: Well, I don't, I

don't think it's a theory.

702

:

It's, it's pretty apparent the way

that this episode is written and

703

:

structured that Boomer doesn't know.

704

:

Laura: Yeah.

705

:

To

706

:

Xhafer: I would just be apprehensive

of applying that logic to all Sharon's.

707

:

Laura: Sharons.

708

:

Yeah, and I think, it seems like it's

designed, this episode is designed right

709

:

now to, because it's led us pretty hard

to the boomer doesn't know, that it's

710

:

making you, it's like, oh, should you

apply this logic to Sharon, hmm, maybe,

711

:

I don't know, like, it's not trying to

give us too many answers on that yet.

712

:

And speaking of Sharon, we have Helo and

Sharon back on Caprica eating in the rain.

713

:

Lots of rain.

714

:

I guess this is a nuclear

fallout effect, perhaps.

715

:

Right?

716

:

Xhafer: That's a

717

:

Laura: we're supposed to think it is.

718

:

I don't, I don't know

about real nuclear fallout.

719

:

But yeah.

720

:

He asks her why she came back.

721

:

And she says she just

couldn't leave him behind.

722

:

And then Helo's walkie talkie lights up

and they're getting like military signals.

723

:

So somewhere on Caprica we still

have some other military personnel.

724

:

what we're supposed to

725

:

Xhafer: There's something else going on.

726

:

Yeah, something is on the planet still

Did they tell us what happened with all

727

:

those other civilians he stayed with

728

:

Laura: No.

729

:

No.

730

:

Nope.

731

:

I mean, we just pretty much come back on,

we get a little bit of him in 33, right?

732

:

He's just running.

733

:

It seems like maybe he's just, maybe he

was trying to create a diversion because

734

:

he had actual like weapons and stuff.

735

:

Like you wouldn't want to keep, if you

were like, if you could actually threaten

736

:

the enemy, like maybe you wouldn't

want to be around the helpless people.

737

:

So.

738

:

Lead them astray.

739

:

Xhafer: I just thought about that

740

:

Laura: Yeah.

741

:

I hope that's it.

742

:

Xhafer: Boomer sends the Chief to check

her seat and he finds the bomb there.

743

:

Laura: And that's where I

realized it was a real bomb.

744

:

Xhafer: yeah.

745

:

Lee and Rosalyn uh, just kind

of talk over last episode.

746

:

Uh, She offers Lee a role within

the government side of things,

747

:

as her advisor on the military.

748

:

Not her advisor to the military,

but her advisor on, like,

749

:

military procedure and shit.

750

:

Laura: Yeah.

751

:

Like, you understood what your dad was

doing with all this pomp and circumstance

752

:

when I was just being kind of annoyed.

753

:

So maybe I need someone like you to

tell me like, Hey, here's the things

754

:

that might be important

to us in this situation.

755

:

Xhafer: hmm.

756

:

Why would you do This This is why.

757

:

Laura: she tells him a little

story about the old president.

758

:

And he had to send the military

in, or police action in to some

759

:

terrorist thing or something.

760

:

Xhafer: Mm hmm.

761

:

Laura: and I think maybe, it was

a small number I think that, She

762

:

named as they, they were killed.

763

:

There was like eight of them or something.

764

:

Xhafer: Yeah.

765

:

Laura: And he had to carry around their

names to remind himself, of the stakes

766

:

and the consequences and like, you will

probably never know a hundred percent

767

:

sure if you were right when you take an

768

:

action

769

:

Xhafer: hmm.

770

:

Laura: and it's important to keep thinking

about that and not to just toss it aside.

771

:

Xhafer: 100%.

772

:

You have to keep these things in mind.

773

:

You know, you have to

learn from your mistakes.

774

:

This is the accountability that

Lee was looking for from his

775

:

father that he did not see.

776

:

Laura: Yeah.

777

:

So, Rosalind is, is still thinking

about that, and not that Adama is wrong

778

:

either, but there's something more

satisfying about Rosalind's answer.

779

:

Xhafer: For sure.

780

:

Well, it should be.

781

:

It's good that it's more satisfying.

782

:

Laura: Yeah, yeah.

783

:

I, everybody's doing their best at this

point, at least in the series, I think,

784

:

but Rosalind is still connected to

some more traditional ethics, I guess.

785

:

Yeah.

786

:

Yeah.

787

:

Xhafer: Yeah.

788

:

for sure.

789

:

Uh, Tiro tells Boomer

he returned the bomb.

790

:

And she does this like weird

robot walk thing to end credits.

791

:

I don't know how else to describe this.

792

:

Laura: She goes full robot.

793

:

Xhafer: hmm.

794

:

Laura: Uh, It does support the

like split personality of Boomer.

795

:

Xhafer: hmm.

796

:

Laura: She is not 100

percent connected to herself.

797

:

So what a cliffhanger too.

798

:

Like every moment, there's a resolution

in this episode, but then there's also

799

:

like, Oh no, what about next time?

800

:

Xhafer: Mm hmm.

801

:

Laura: It's very exciting.

802

:

Xhafer: Yeah.

803

:

You know what else is very exciting?

804

:

Laura: A scale where we rate things.

805

:

Xhafer: Yes.

806

:

Uh, How do you feel about this

on a scale of one to 12 colonies?

807

:

Laura: I think I've given everything

12 and above so far, right?

808

:

Xhafer: you have.

809

:

Laura: And I'm still excited about it.

810

:

I'm still like, it was very compelling.

811

:

I was worried about the water issue.

812

:

maybe I'll bump this

one down to, maybe a 10.

813

:

Xhafer: Okay.

814

:

Laura: Because of the

confusion that I experienced.

815

:

On the one hand, the confusion is

confusing, but on the other hand,

816

:

I think it is a good sign of a well

written episode, in that I had to

817

:

think about it a little harder.

818

:

It didn't lead me to everything,

819

:

Xhafer: Yeah, it's not just

giving you the answers.

820

:

Laura: Mm hmm.

821

:

Xhafer: no, that's solid.

822

:

I was going to give it an eight.

823

:

I like this episode.

824

:

It's above average, but nothing

particularly special in the

825

:

grand scheme of the show.

826

:

Laura: Yeah.

827

:

Okay.

828

:

Xhafer: All right.

829

:

Well, we got another one next week.

830

:

An infamous episode.

831

:

Laura: I was gonna say, I feel

like I've heard about Battlestar

832

:

Galactica Bastille Day.

833

:

Xhafer: It's I've seen it on, like, the

list of the top ten episodes of the show.

834

:

Laura: Huh.

835

:

Xhafer: Um, it also introduces one of the

show's more interesting characters, who

836

:

is played by someone from the original

Battlestar It's the first actor they

837

:

bring back, but the role is very different

838

:

.

Um, playing a character you'll meet next week named Tom Zarek.

839

:

So we get a Season one,

episode three, best yield day.

840

:

We're going to be joined from Scott

uh, from gray 17 and the new deep

841

:

space nine podcast, especially the

lies, which I'm going to make an extra

842

:

point of calling out because I believe

it either drops the same day as this

843

:

episode or the day after this episode.

844

:

I, I'm not sure if it's the first or the

second uh, when that drops, but A handful

845

:

of the Grey 17 crew, um, and actually we

gotta pick episodes to be on for that,

846

:

Laura: Yay!

847

:

I'm

848

:

Xhafer: Yeah so I got, we got to,

we'll talk about that with Scott

849

:

when we record the next episode.

850

:

But uh, while I remember go

check out, especially the lies.

851

:

If you're interested in a

deep space nine podcast.

852

:

Um, I believe it's in the

same format as gray 17.

853

:

If you listen to that show which if

you haven't go listen to that, if you

854

:

want some Babylon five coverage uh,

gray 17 is a, is an excellent podcast.

855

:

They have a bunch of people who

have seen the show, a bunch of

856

:

people who have never seen the show.

857

:

And then.

858

:

They talk about the show with everyone.

859

:

Then they kick all of the newbies

out and talk about its implications

860

:

as part of the broader story arc.

861

:

Um, it's fun podcast, great.

862

:

Listen, go give it a shot if you haven't.

863

:

And especially the lies is going

to be following that same format.

864

:

So go ahead and give them a listen when

they drop either today or tomorrow.

865

:

Or if you're not listening to this on

release day, whenever you're listening

866

:

to this, if you're looking for a

deep space nine podcast, I couldn't

867

:

recommend the folks over there more.

868

:

It's

869

:

Laura: Yes.

870

:

Excellent, good people over at

Gray17 and especially The Wise.

871

:

And it their format boggles my

mind a little bit because I have

872

:

such a hard time picturing people

who haven't seen Deep Space Nine!

873

:

But, yeah.

874

:

show.

875

:

Xhafer: I don't like have any

insider information on that one.

876

:

I haven't talked to Scott about it at all.

877

:

Um, but I'm, I'm looking forward to

it dropping because they're covering

878

:

something that I'm not podcasting about

or not about to podcast about, so I can.

879

:

Actually fucking listen to the podcast.

880

:

Laura: Would love to, yeah.

881

:

Xhafer: Leodama tries to persuade

the Astral Queen, a prison ship

882

:

to help pump water onto Galactica.

883

:

Once on board, however, the

prisoners have different plans.

884

:

Laura: Oh, no.

885

:

Scary.

886

:

Xhafer: about prison labor.

887

:

Laura: Whew.

888

:

All right.

889

:

Heavy topic.

890

:

Let's

891

:

Xhafer: Yeah.

892

:

But we'll be back with that next week.

893

:

Until then, we of course have

to say a couple of thank yous.

894

:

Hey Jeremy Jeremy Siegel, the

Jeremy Siegel, the only Jeremy

895

:

Siegel we care about on Bandcamp

896

:

Thanks so much for our theme music,

appreciate the hell out of it.

897

:

You can find more of Jeremy's work

at the aforementioned Bandcamp or on

898

:

streaming services as NuclearJaguar.

899

:

And then, I think he just

started recording with one

900

:

of the bands he's in, too.

901

:

I think I saw some

Facebook posts about that.

902

:

So, I believe that was

The Savants is that band.

903

:

He's in a few right now.

904

:

So, I don't know if

they've got anything else.

905

:

Published, but go give them a try to

906

:

Laura: Yeah.

907

:

And thank you to Angry Duck Time Machine

on Instagram for our podcast artwork.

908

:

Xhafer: major work for this one.

909

:

Aaron, appreciate it.

910

:

Thank you for editing the

podcast and making me sound

911

:

like a competent human being.

912

:

Laura: Hey, and thanks listener

for being here with us.

913

:

We got some cool feedback

today in the discord about how

914

:

hard the discord is to find.

915

:

So we're going to make it easier,

hopefully by the next time you hear this.

916

:

Xhafer: I've already updated the website

where if you listen to it on captivate,

917

:

it now has the link at the very top.

918

:

Laura: Yes.

919

:

So better in the website and then

maybe in your episode descriptions.

920

:

We're trying to figure that

out because it's a little

921

:

different to get a link on there.

922

:

Xhafer: We hope you

join us on the discord.

923

:

And if you can't find it, just shoot

us an email Who are you b5 at gmail.

924

:

com?

925

:

It's also in our episode description

and all of our other social media

926

:

and We'll see you next week internet.

927

:

Laura: Bye.

928

:

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About the Podcast

Who Are You?
A Babylon 5 Watchcast
Join Laura and Xhafer, two internet strangers as they get to know each other while making jokes about one of their favorite TV shows from their childhood, Babylon 5.