Episode 156

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Published on:

15th Jan 2025

BSG S1E4 - Space Nebraska

It's flashbacks all the way down in Battlestar Galactica Season 1, Episode 4: Act of Contrition. Laura and Xhafer need more hidden-door bookcases in their lives. Laura hopes the Space Force gets sashes. Xhafer admires the cinematic artistry of combining two funerals with a love scene.

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Transcript
Laura:

Hello, and welcome to Who Are You?

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We're a reasonably well done sci fi

watch cast and currently watching

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2004's Battlestar Galactica.

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We're A couple of former strangers now

friends, and we're sharing a show that

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Jaffer has watched before, but I have not.

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So I'm Laura,

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Xhafer: I'm Ja'far.

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Laura: and today we have Season

1, Episode 4, Act of Contrition.

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Xhafer: So, this is a surprise two parter.

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Laura: Yeah, I wasn't expecting it.

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I said in the last episode that I

feel like everything has been kind

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of cliffhanger y, like making me

beg for the next episode, but this

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episode they took that very literally.

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Xhafer: They did.

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Um, I was wondering if you have

already watched the next one.

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If you were able to hold back or not.

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Laura: I have not had the time,

and I told you about I spent New

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Year's Eve actually very sick from

a stomach virus, so that sort of,

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like, destroyed my couple of days.

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Xhafer: Fair enough.

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Laura: It's really exciting though.

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I wrote at the top of my notes here,

if we're just jumping into the episode,

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that Starbuck is having a vision of

burning up, but now I'm realizing

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that I guess this whole episode

is told through flashbacks.

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Like, there were some very obvious

flashbacks, but she's doing the thing.

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At the beginning of episode that

she is also doing at end of episode

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and so the whole time she's just

flashing back to different points.

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That's such a neat device.

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I didn't realize it till

I looked at my notes.

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Xhafer: 100%.

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Yep, that is 100 percent

what is going down.

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Um, the entire episode is a

framing device of Starbuck

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crashing at the end of the episode.

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Laura: Yeah,

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Xhafer: It's so good, because you

don't know what's going on at first.

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It's to the

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point where the first time it

happens, it's like so quick

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that like, I rewound it.

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And was all like, was that

part of last episode's recap?

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Cause it feels like it was part of

last episode's recap, but it wasn't.

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And that was all by design.

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How well made this show is.

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Laura: yeah, we're just in media

like falling the whole episode.

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Xhafer: Yeah.

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So we get this brief little quick

falling and then we open truly

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on Flattop's Thousandth Landing,

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Laura: Yeah, a big

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Xhafer: that everyone should be aware

of, and they do this so great because.

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How we find out this is what's

going on, because everyone's

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just doing stuff, right?

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It's very in media still, like, you get

the shock of the, the Starbuck crashing

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and then this, right, immediately.

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And how we find out this is what's going

on is the chief is pissed nobody told him,

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Laura: Oh,

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yeah.

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Xhafer: Flattop's 1000th

landing and nobody told me?

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We need a wagon!

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Like, we gotta do the thing!

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And

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If this were not as well written of

a show, the first scene would have

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been Lee and Starbuck talking about

his thousandth landing while trying

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to paint his helmet, which is what

we find out that they're doing.

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They're setting up

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Laura: Oh, yeah.

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They have the red paint.

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Xhafer: Yeah.

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And a lesser show would have just

had them be all like, Can't believe

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it's Flattop's thousandth landing!

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Wow, what a celebration!

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But that's not this show.

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This show's better than that.

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This show's going to show and

tell in a much subtler way.

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You know, by having it

be the chief be upset.

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And that is like, that is

what makes this show so good.

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It's

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stuff like that.

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That decision is such a

good fucking decision.

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I

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Laura: It's, it's very real life.

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And it's like, you know, Tyrell is like

the co worker who loves birthdays, who

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just found out about the co worker who's

been kind of hiding their birthday.

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It's like, Oh my God, we have to, I

need to go right now to get the cake and

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the candles and we have to do the song.

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And

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Xhafer: it's time.

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Laura: it's beautiful, especially,

I think in this episode we get,

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you know, a day counter again.

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I think it's 14 days.

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Xhafer: Yeah,

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Laura: So like, we haven't had

anything normal in those 14 days

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for sure, but we're having more

normalcy, the new normal, perhaps.

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And we've just been given a reason

to like, have a little party.

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And it's really cute and human,

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and I love it.

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Of course, nothing is going to stay

happy in this show, it seems like.

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Xhafer: uh, No, just give up on that now.

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Laura: Yeah.

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Xhafer: just just just trust me.

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Give up on all of that immediately.

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Laura: Yeah.

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We have, like, the humanness of like,

Oh, we spilled the red paint and Adama's

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coming in and he's like, Oh, I'm unhappy.

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You kids have got to

clean up that red paint.

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And,

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Xhafer: yeah,

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Laura: they're like, No, we

got to do the helmet right now.

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This is the thing.

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Like,

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Xhafer: yeah.

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They're so excited, they're so happy.

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Um, and it keeps cutting to

this missile rack ominously.

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Laura: Yeah.

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Xhafer: Um, is one of the straps is slowly

breaking as we learned that when Bill

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Adama did his thousandth landing, he used

it as an opportunity to make a fart joke.

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Laura: I mean, why not?

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If you've got

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Xhafer: you.

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I didn't know he was a host of

this podcast, so that's fun.

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Laura: anytime you want to hop on.

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Yeah.

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Xhafer: Yeah.

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Did make some Dick and fart jokes.

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We're here for it.

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Uh, Edward James Olmos.

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Laura: Right.

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Xhafer: Famous actor and

incredibly well, well spoken man.

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Laura: Well, if he ever wants to

work a dick and fart joke, look us

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up, man.

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Xhafer: to call.

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No one, because we're never putting

our phone numbers on the internet.

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You can send an email

to whoareyoub5 at gmail.

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com like everyone else.

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Laura: Yeah, yeah, and we will

ignore it because it's surely a scam.

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Hahaha.

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Xhafer: we cut back to uh, the

landing here, the celebration,

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as the missile falls and launches

straight for flattop the wagon.

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Laura: It's spinning in the wagon.

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We're just like making this

guy sick round and round.

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And, ahhhhh, so, that's Tethyme.

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Xhafer: Yep.

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When we come back from theme, Starbuck

is spinning out of control briefly.

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As we go back to the master

at arms who fills us in.

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13 dead pilots, more injured, and it's

just fatigue of the old equipment.

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Laura: Yeah, metal fatigue.

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And this is begging the question

again, is it Cylon or is it stupid?

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Xhafer: Yeah,

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Laura: we just have

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a ship that was being

decommissioned, and the stuff is old.

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Probably not sabotaged

this time, but who knows.

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Xhafer: yeah.

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Lee is in his CAG briefing giving

the details for the memorial

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service when Husker walks in.

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Husker is his old call sign.

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Commander Adamus.

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Laura: Oh, I didn't realize.

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Xhafer: think, we've only

seen it painted on the side of

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his old Viper at this point.

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Laura: Yeah, and I certainly

was like, overwhelmed by other

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things and didn't notice.

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Xhafer: I like to call him that

when he's in the pilot room.

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Laura: So is he from Nebraska?

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Xhafer: Well, Space

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Nebra

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Laura: they?

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I don't know.

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Space Nebraska, yeah.

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Xhafer: And actually, no, I think he

grew up in, he grew up in Caprica and I

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think his parents were 1920s mobsters.

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Anyways.

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Laura: And so we

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Get a different Starbuck flashback

at this point as he takes over.

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Xhafer: Starbuck recalls meeting

Commander Adama for the first

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time right before Zack's funeral.

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And we cut back and forth between

Zack's funeral and the one

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that's happening on Galactica.

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At Zack's funeral, I'm surprised

they didn't use Lee's real name.

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Laura: Oh, I didn't even notice

they called him by his call sign.

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Xhafer: They called him Lee.

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Laura: Just Lee.

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Xhafer: Just Lee.

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Not his actual first name.

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Laura: Wait, Lee is not his first name.

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Xhafer: Not entirely.

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Laura: Oh, what is his first name?

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Xhafer: Leland.

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Laura: Oh, I had no idea,

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Xhafer: Yeah, they never say it.

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It's, of like, of all the times to say

it, you'd think this would be the time.

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Laura: Yeah, when so and so is

survived by formal names, right.

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Xhafer: Yeah, 100%.

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Laura: Oh, weird.

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Okay, I had no idea.

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I could have gotten a whole other episode

not knowing his full name was Leland.

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Xhafer: I don't know when they tell us.

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I don't know if they ever tell us.

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They, they

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must.

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They must if I know it.

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Ha ha

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Laura: It's gonna be Leland Watch,

just like we had Lockley Watch on

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Xhafer: When we'll, When we'll,

likely show up on Crusade.

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Laura: Leland Watch 2025.

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Yeah, I really like their

dress uniforms with the sash.

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I think it's a nice touch.

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Xhafer: it's slick.

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It also has big Earth Force uniform vibes.

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So,

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Laura: I just, I had space

force in my head for a second.

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And not Babylon 5 Earthforce.

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Okay.

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Yes, it does have big Earthforce vibes.

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I was like, man, does Space

Force have a dress uniform?

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Damn!

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Xhafer: they do.

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Laura: I'm sure they do.

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I hope it has a sash.

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Xhafer: yeah, it should.

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All good space uniforms have sashes.

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Laura: Exactly.

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puts the flags on the 13

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Xhafer: yeah.

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Laura: bodies.

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We have 13 pilots that we've lost.

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Xhafer: Yep.

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Man, that seems to be a

number that keeps coming up.

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Laura: Huh.

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Xhafer: After the service, the

commander asks Kara to resume her

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previous post of flight instructor.

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She's the only non civilian one left.

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Kara is apprehensive, but

ends up accepting it as Adama

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unknowingly twists the knife with

his professionalism comments.

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Laura: Yeah, this comment about There are

two civilian flight instructors also stuck

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out to me a little bit because I was like,

man, if I'm Roslyn, I would be thinking

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really hard and quick about getting

some more pilots in general, not just

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Galactica pilots, like you need somebody

to be able to pilot every single ship.

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You need a lot of redundancy.

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Just in case, because you never know

if somebody's going to have a medical

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event and one of these other pilots

might have cancer or something like

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her, there's a, there's a logistical

problem there that it goes beyond

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just like having our Viper pilots.

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Xhafer: Yes.

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and I mean, who knows, like they

might need more pilots because

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they could decide to build a ship.

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They could decide they could

end up finding like a ship

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that got lost at some point,

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Laura: A derelict.

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Yeah.

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We, we need more pilots and we

need to be thinking about this.

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I would have loved to see in parallel

if Rosalind was also like, huh.

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We need to get a training program

going with these two civilian flight

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instructors right away, you know,

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Xhafer: there is an implication

that that is happening.

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Uh, Later in the episode So Kara

rejects everyone in a little bit, right?

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And then Lee goes, The next batch

have never been in a cockpit before.

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They're about to start basic flight.

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Laura: Yeah,

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Xhafer: me, tells me that is that

that's those civilian guys running

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basic flight training now for everyone

who is capable, eligible, interested.

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Laura: yeah, you might be right.

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Yeah, that would be super important,

but our focus here is not, like, on

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the nitty gritty logistics of the, you

know, what the president needs to be

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doing with civilians, it's focused on,

like, the past trauma and uh, Adama

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just forgiving her, or telling her

she doesn't even need forgiveness.

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Like, Zach's death is not your fault.

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You just uh, need to go

back and train more pilots.

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And he even gives her the dad hug.

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Oh, no.

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So then we're, we're falling again.

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We're spinning out of control, which

I just realized is an excellent

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metaphor for Starbuck in general.

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Xhafer: Yeah.

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we cut back to a triad game between

Starbuck and Baltar with Crashdown and

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Boomer taking side bets on the game.

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Fun fact here.

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Due to a research error on the

original Battlestar Galactica, the

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games of Triad and Pyramid Both

of which feature in Galactica 78.

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Their names got flipped for the 04 series.

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So the card game was Pyramid, and

the sports ball game was Triad.

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And in this, the sports ball game is

Pyramid, and the card game is Triad.

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Laura: Oh, weird.

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Xhafer: It was literally a clerical error.

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Someone was like making notes about

stuff to bring back, and they just

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wrote it down in the wrong order.

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And so, That carried through to

it making it to air, and the names

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of the game just got flipped.

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Laura: We just got to run with it.

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Especially in that, that day and age.

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yeah,

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Xhafer: Triad,

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slash Old Pyramid from

the original game as well.

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They actually sell this deck

of cards to play Triad with,

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Laura: Oh, fun.

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Xhafer: But they're like a promo item

from the release of the show, and they're

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all like a hundred dollars on eBay now.

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I should check on Etsy.

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I bet you someone's got

them on Etsy for super

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Laura: Yeah.

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that'd be fun.

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So in this crash down, ask Gaeta about

the Cylon detector, which apparently

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people aren't supposed to know about.

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Xhafer: Yeah, but Crashdown knows.

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Laura: If crash down knows,

probably everybody knows.

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Right?

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Xhafer: We get some like, hot

and heavy flashbacks in here too.

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Some

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Laura: Yeah.

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Xhafer: flashbacks.

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Laura: She's just like dissociating hard.

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She's, she's gone a full Gaius, like,

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Xhafer: Yeah.

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Yeah, in the flashback to them

playing cards, she's flashing

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back to having sex with Zack.

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Laura: It's flashbacks all the way down.

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Xhafer: yeah.

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Uh, In a sequence that I could

only describe as directed by

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Werner Herzog, we cut between

present, past funerals, and fuckin

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Laura: Yeah, and especially Zach

telling Starbuck that he doesn't

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want any special treatment

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as as they're uh, in a

compromised position together.

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Xhafer: Yeah, mid

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coitus.

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Laura: yeah, that's uh, where she loses

it and bows out of the triad game.

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Xhafer: Over on Caprica,

we are 14 days since C Day.

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Helo and Sharon track down the military

signal they got at the end of last

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ep two episodes ago, at this point

to a diner with a bookcase in front

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of a door that is filled with books.

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Laura: Uh Huh.

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Xhafer: Weird choice.

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Laura: I don't know, maybe you've

got customers who come in solo

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and want to read some stuff.

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Xhafer: I mean, no, the

bookcase makes sense.

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It's just like, you could

never go into this door without

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knocking down that bookcase

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Laura: Yeah.

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Xhafer: if the point is hiding it,

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Laura: you need the, the bookcase door

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that apparently they're selling at Home

Depot now and that I really want one.

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Xhafer: am, so I've been thinking

about like redoing a room,

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finishing a room in my basement.

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And uh, Beth's parents were over yesterday

and convinced me on taking down a couple

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of walls and finishing my entire basement

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and just redoing it and 100 percent you

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can bet I'm gonna have a

bookcase door in that bitch.

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Laura: I want one so bad.

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I, I think that would be so cool.

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Xhafer: Yeah.

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Laura: Anyway, that's how you make

your fallout shelter a little more

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You uh, make the bookcase into a door.

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You probably have to have

two doors though, right?

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Because you got to have one that's

like lead lined or something.

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Yeah,

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Xhafer: I've been in bunkers.

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I've seen some shit.

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Laura: you've, you've got to have

an airlocky kind of situation, you

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know?

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Xhafer: for sure.

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Laura: So this fallout shelter has

a bunch of food and other supplies.

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Xhafer: Yeah, crazy that this

doomsday prepper just went through

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all this trouble and then didn't

make it to the shelter, right Sharon?

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Nothin suspicious about that at all.

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Huh.

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Huh.

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Laura: Yeah.

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She doesn't want to think

about that too hard.

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That's, that's

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depressing.

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Xhafer: Yeah.

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it's depressing, and not that they

found this guy and killed him.

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And then restocked his uh, his shelter.

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For sure.

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Laura: And definitely, there's not a

Six skulking around ominously outside.

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Xhafer: for sure.

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That'd be

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Laura: Definitely, probably not.

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Xhafer: We finally meet Doc Coddle.

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Laura: Galactica's not got the best of

medical personnel on board, do they?

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Like, is this the best that

the, the fleet had to offer?

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I don't think so.

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Xhafer: Easily yes.

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Doc Coddle is one of

my favorite characters.

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Laura: Oh, really?

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Okay.

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He's sure smoking a lot.

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Xhafer: Do you mind?

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Yes, I do.

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Laura: I was just like, you

know, it makes sense because

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Galactica's on its way out, right?

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At the beginning of this whole thing.

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It's being decommissioned.

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It's going to be a museum.

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You probably don't have, like, your

The youngest most ambitious doctor

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personnel on this ship, right?

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He's giving, like, retirement vibes.

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Xhafer: for sure.

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Dot Coddle smokes cigarettes, by

the way, because he is directly

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meant to counterpoint Baltar.

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Laura: I'm gonna need

some more explanation

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Xhafer: so Baltar smokes cigars, right?

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Coddle smokes cigarettes, and

they are both men of science,

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Laura: Okay.

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Xhafer: Um, different types of sciences,

but they are two different things.

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Very bright scientific minds.

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Laura: Okay.

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Xhafer: they are meant to

represent two extremes of science.

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Like, Baltar is a man of no faith and pure

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science, and Kottel is a

man of faith and science.

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Laura: Yeah.

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And I would also say Gaius is kind

of a little bit of a techno jerk.

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Xhafer: sure, yeah, like, like,

Baltar is meant to be a zero morality

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kind of person, and Kottel is very

much meant to be pure science.

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The opposite, but Baltar puts on

a smiling face and everyone loves

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him and Cottle doesn't bother.

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And a lot of people dislike him.

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Laura: Yeah.

415

:

Xhafer: They are really opposite

characters in a lot of fun ways.

416

:

And the fact that he's like even

brought in and established in subtle

417

:

and not subtle ways as that person,

like when, when Rosalind's talking

418

:

about holistic medicine, he scoffs.

419

:

You're one of those, you know, like

he's very much rooted in science.

420

:

Very clear for initially, but also it's

just, it's such a good dichotomy and

421

:

they, I'm sure they interact a couple

of times, but I don't remember when.

422

:

Offhand, I don't remember

too much about it.

423

:

Laura: Mm hmm.

424

:

Xhafer: And even if I did,

I wouldn't say anything.

425

:

But, just like, having that frame

in mind for those two characters

426

:

going forward is meant to be

427

:

Laura: Okay.

428

:

Xhafer: at this point.

429

:

Laura: Yeah.

430

:

It's certainly not a flattering

first impression for Doc Cottle.

431

:

you know, he's hassling Rosalind

about like, well, why didn't you

432

:

go do your breast exams, silly?

433

:

And then immediately lights

up a cigarette in her face.

434

:

And it's

435

:

just like, the hypocrisy, my man.

436

:

Oh, it's so strong.

437

:

And he's, he's not really interested

in bedside manner, but okay, Gaius

438

:

definitely has a lot of style over

substance, and maybe Cottle's gonna show

439

:

me some more substance to go with his

lack of style here but he hasn't yet.

440

:

So I was just like, ugh,

don't like you, my dude.

441

:

Xhafer: Mm hmm.

442

:

Laura: The, the big hypocrisy

vibes was, was a lot.

443

:

And so he offers her something

called deloxan, I think.

444

:

I wasn't quite 100 percent

sure when I wrote it down.

445

:

but she talks about watching her

mother having wasted away on deloxan.

446

:

Xhafer: Yeah.

447

:

Laura: And she wants to

consider this Kamala extract.

448

:

I'm a little nervous about this because

we live in a time now of wellness

449

:

influencers who want to convince people

that they can manage their cancer through

450

:

their particular brand of snake oil.

451

:

So I don't know where

that's going with this show.

452

:

But boy, evidence based medicine, uh.

453

:

um, but he also tells her, that at

this point she might want to also

454

:

add prayer in her follow up care.

455

:

Xhafer: Worth considering.

456

:

Laura: Interesting interaction.

457

:

I am curious about how

this is going to resolve.

458

:

I sure hope that we're not going to

go too far down the snake oil route.

459

:

Hope there's no snake oil.

460

:

Xhafer: Eh, we'll find out.

461

:

Um.

462

:

Heh Heh Lee.

463

:

Uh, Hans Starbucks.

464

:

A list of washouts would have

been, and anyone otherwise

465

:

who's left to train up to pilot.

466

:

And since there are no flight simulators

on board, they're flying today.

467

:

Laura: Immediately.

468

:

Xhafer: My notes state,

I'm sure this will go well.

469

:

Laura: Yeah.

470

:

She's not impressed already.

471

:

She's very biased.

472

:

We know that this is some of,

you know, trauma influenced

473

:

reaction on Starbucks part.

474

:

But I cannot imagine being a civilian

drafted from a fleet and being told, Oh,

475

:

by the way, this is the first day and

we're just going to go get out there.

476

:

And

477

:

in the.

478

:

Vehicle with all the mass

and inertia and go for it.

479

:

Xhafer: We're just doing it.

480

:

Laura: So at least one of

them fails the landing.

481

:

I think they all must fail

the landing, but we see one

482

:

of them really blow it, right?

483

:

Xhafer: Yeah, Cat blows it real bad,

484

:

and Starbuck washes the whole class.

485

:

But Lee objects, as Starbuck ejects,

as we flash back to our framing story.

486

:

Laura: Yeah.

487

:

Xhafer: Lee goes to Dadmander and lets

it slip that That Zach was given his

488

:

wings when he shouldn't have been a

domicile starbuck to his quarters to

489

:

get the rest of this puzzle together.

490

:

Kara admits that she let her feelings for

Zach cloud her judgment and he is furious.

491

:

Laura: Yeah.

492

:

Dad is mad and disappointed.

493

:

Xhafer: yeah, it's a rough combo.

494

:

And the one person that she probably needs

most to be there for her can't because

495

:

he is the one that she has wronged.

496

:

Well, Zach, It's

497

:

Laura: Yeah.

498

:

It's complicated.

499

:

Adama starts out really admirable here.

500

:

Um, having Starbucks back with Apollo

being like, no, this is her call.

501

:

If she said they're not good

enough, they're not good enough.

502

:

I'm going to let her do the thing.

503

:

And Adama even opens the

door accidentally for Lee to.

504

:

almost step over that line and tell him

the whole thing because he says, I know

505

:

about Zach and this isn't about that.

506

:

And she's very competent.

507

:

We've talked about it.

508

:

And so Lee says, well, you know, I've

thought things were the other way.

509

:

And then he realizes, Adama realizes

like, oh, we are not on the same page.

510

:

And, oh, just watching Starbuck,

trying to obfuscate and being like,

511

:

well, you need to talk to Lee.

512

:

Yeah.

513

:

And he's like, no, I need to talk to you.

514

:

you need to tell me exactly

what Lee meant here about this.

515

:

And she has to own up to it.

516

:

God, it hurts.

517

:

It hurts.

518

:

I think we've all been in a sort

of a situation like that at some

519

:

point in our lives, whether it

was with our dad figures or not.

520

:

Xhafer: as she emotionally spins

out here Kara physically spins out.

521

:

As we go back to our flashback we

see the nuggets get reinstated.

522

:

Laura: Yeah, this is cute.

523

:

I like that we call them nuggets.

524

:

That's probably a real thing

in the military, right?

525

:

Xhafer: Yeah.

526

:

Laura: We're gonna go

right back in the cockpits.

527

:

But it, she's, she's taking, she's,

Adama's suggestion, seriously,

528

:

that she needs to do her job.

529

:

And instead of a big group, she's going

to take them out a few at a time, give

530

:

them more individualized attention.

531

:

You know, maybe taking them out in

the big group was just a, a problem

532

:

waiting to happen because you know,

you've got too much on your plate.

533

:

That makes sense to me.

534

:

Xhafer: it does.

535

:

Laura: Like maybe you were setting

yourself up to just have them all fail

536

:

by the way you designed it instead

of actually doing a good course.

537

:

Xhafer: hmm.

538

:

Laura: It's, it's a

pedagogy thing, I think.

539

:

Xhafer: For sure.

540

:

During this flight exercise, a group of

Cylon Raiders without a base ship show up.

541

:

It's a small patrol.

542

:

Laura: Interesting.

543

:

Xhafer: And Starbuck goes to

fight the Raiders as she sends

544

:

everyone back to the barn.

545

:

Um, Hot Dog pulls a hard

six and goes to assist.

546

:

And he does get a kill

before getting disabled.

547

:

Laura: yeah, I think that Hot Dog's

justification here is actually, like,

548

:

pretty good Starbuck did say, I don't

remember if it was in the first training

549

:

session or in the second training session

she says, you don't want to be alone

550

:

out here and don't leave your leader.

551

:

As these raiders show up, she

says you guys go back to the barn.

552

:

I'm going to take them on alone

553

:

and I mean, she just told you not to

do that in a way like hot dog is like,

554

:

Oh, yeah, she should not be alone

with these fighters and goes back.

555

:

I, I, I'm into it.

556

:

I agree in a way with hot dog.

557

:

I don't know anything about him

yet, but I imagine he's that he's

558

:

going to be a recurring person.

559

:

Now he's going to take over for the

flat top or the crash down or something.

560

:

Xhafer: I will refrain from comment.

561

:

Um, yeah, so, uh, Starbuck goes to fight

these, was it, eight Raiders herself?

562

:

Hot Dog gets one, Starbuck

gets the other seven.

563

:

Laura: Yeah.

564

:

Well, one on your first day out, I'm,

565

:

Xhafer: hey,

566

:

Laura: job, Hotdog.

567

:

Xhafer: that's more than most

of the people who Cylons.

568

:

Laura: for sure, he does wind

up losing all engines, which is,

569

:

you know, not great, not ideal.

570

:

Xhafer: Yeah.

571

:

Laura: But one kill.

572

:

Xhafer: Starbuck takes some damage

here including they, whatever,

573

:

like her transponder or something,

so they lose her dratus contact.

574

:

Laura: Right.

575

:

Xhafer: Which doesn't make sense because

they can't hear her, but I wouldn't

576

:

think you'd lose Tratus because that's

577

:

the

578

:

Laura: Yeah, it should

just be like visual kind of

579

:

Xhafer: right?

580

:

You should know where she's at still.

581

:

Cause you're just seeing the ship.

582

:

It might not identify as a Viper

anymore, but I would think that

583

:

you would, you'd know where it is.

584

:

Laura: Yeah.

585

:

I kind of wrote it off that like, maybe

we're too close to the planet, because

586

:

obviously we are close to a planet.

587

:

She gets like, wanged by

the last Cylon fighter.

588

:

Does that take it out

when they, they collide?

589

:

Xhafer: Yeah.

590

:

It drifts off into space to, Starts

heading into the gravity well of the

591

:

planet that Starbuck is being pulled

into and It's very apparent that this

592

:

is the same Atmosphere that we've

seen her spinning around in it's

593

:

got kind of a unique coloring like

594

:

it's that this is the place

595

:

Laura: And we're reusing a little

bit of shots, like, and as we

596

:

should, we need to make it clear

that she wasn't, like, flashing

597

:

back earlier to an earlier problem.

598

:

I wondered at first when we're doing

these flashbacks if this had something to

599

:

do with Zach's accident, like if she had

actually been or something at the time.

600

:

But it all became clear in this

moment here at the very end that,

601

:

like, this is an active problem.

602

:

Xhafer: we've caught up to the frame

of our story And as soon as we're

603

:

caught up, we're to be continued.

604

:

Laura: Ugh.

605

:

It just hurts so much.

606

:

I think this was very of the time,

though, to like, make everything

607

:

a You you Have an incentive to

come back for the next episode.

608

:

Xhafer: Yeah.

609

:

Laura: We were talking about the, the

shows that were set around this time

610

:

with, you know, we've discussed the

lost problem, I think in one of the

611

:

first episodes we talked about, but

lost had this feel a lot of the time of

612

:

like, Oh, we've just uncovered the next

thing that you want to know more about.

613

:

Xhafer: Yeah.

614

:

We've answered a question with a question

615

:

Laura: uh,

616

:

Xhafer: have more questions.

617

:

Laura: gosh it hurts.

618

:

It hurts.

619

:

Xhafer: that's, that's the app.

620

:

Laura: Yeah.

621

:

So exciting.

622

:

Xhafer: it's, it's very action

packed if it moved very quickly.

623

:

Laura: and it gives me another question,

and you don't have to have an answer

624

:

for it, but I wonder if this show is a

little bit also telling us that, hey,

625

:

this military actually isn't very good.

626

:

Because, you know, you think

about the just gross failure.

627

:

That it is that there was no sort of fail

safe in place that we had an, a instructor

628

:

involved with a student able to override

atrocious flight scores apparently

629

:

without any sort of fail safe in place.

630

:

Xhafer: Yeah,

631

:

Laura: And I, gosh, that just

seems like a bad, bad business.

632

:

Xhafer: I mean, I wonder how much of it

is not necessarily On Starbuck there.

633

:

like

634

:

like this is,

635

:

Laura: system.

636

:

Xhafer: Oh, I mean, this is war

Hill hero, Bill Adama's son.

637

:

Of course he passes flight school,

like a little nepotism maybe, maybe

638

:

not from Adama directly, but From

639

:

Laura: From people around her, yeah.

640

:

That are like, well

641

:

Xhafer: Kara said he's okay.

642

:

And we know who this is, so does

anyone doubt that the son of the

643

:

fighter ace of the first Cylon

War is gonna get his wings?

644

:

No, I think everyone was expecting that.

645

:

So, of course

646

:

he gets his wings.

647

:

And also it's very low stakes, like

for a group of people whose parents

648

:

fought in a war, they sure seem

impervious to the idea as a society

649

:

that they will ever be at war again.

650

:

Laura: sure.

651

:

Yeah.

652

:

Forty years of peace, or relative

peace, I suppose, because we still

653

:

have people out there like Tom

Zarek who are disturbing the peace.

654

:

Just not to the magnitude of silence.

655

:

Uh, But yeah, it speaks to like an

inexperience and, you know, maybe a decay.

656

:

Xhafer: mm

657

:

Laura: the systems and the, the culture.

658

:

interesting.

659

:

I don't know.

660

:

It, I just wondered.

661

:

I was like, this military

doesn't seem that great.

662

:

A lot of things about pre Cylon

society seem to have little

663

:

cracks in the foundation.

664

:

Xhafer: Yeah.

665

:

Laura: Interesting.

666

:

Xhafer: All right.

667

:

Well, what's all that said?

668

:

We should probably rate this episode

669

:

Laura: Yeah, it's so, raiding

is so hard in the show for me.

670

:

Xhafer: Well,

671

:

it's this first season.

672

:

It's just so fucking good

673

:

Laura: Yeah.

674

:

Okay.

675

:

It's not just me then.

676

:

Xhafer: It's not just you this season is

I would like without pulling up a list in

677

:

front of me I think if I were to Google

the best single seasons of television

678

:

That the first season of Battlestar

Galactica would probably be on the

679

:

majority of the lists that I saw.

680

:

Laura: Okay.

681

:

I did notice, you know, we have

a nice spreadsheet where we keep

682

:

track of those who would like to be

a guest consultant on our episode.

683

:

And season one is pretty full.

684

:

Xhafer: Yeah, I mean, it helps

that season one is half of the

685

:

length of the other seasons.

686

:

And also, I haven't asked

anyone about season two yet.

687

:

So,

688

:

Laura: Right.

689

:

Right.

690

:

But it, it's pretty much like

everyone we have had as a guest so

691

:

far was excited and wanted to be in

on something in the first season.

692

:

Xhafer: Well, and just like, people

that we haven't had as guests that

693

:

are In the podcast fam, we're all

694

:

like, hey, BSG, get me on.

695

:

no, it's exciting, um, to uh, to see.

696

:

I mean, it's a very well regarded

season of a very well regarded show.

697

:

Laura: Mm

698

:

hmm.

699

:

Yeah.

700

:

All of that was me obfuscating because

it's hard to uh, rate this episode,

701

:

but I feel like perhaps this is a

step down from the previous for me.

702

:

part of that is I hate watching

Starbuck, like, dither around

703

:

on something this important.

704

:

And letting her past, like,

not dealing with her past

705

:

until she is forced to do so.

706

:

Xhafer: Mm hmm.

707

:

Laura: So I guess I would have

to, like, Bump this one down to

708

:

a nine from the previous ten,

709

:

uh, but it's not a bad episode.

710

:

Xhafer: I put this one at a nine.

711

:

Laura: Yeah.

712

:

Xhafer: that's a good rating.

713

:

Laura: I mean, I, I

understand the dithering.

714

:

I think it's extremely well

written, but it's so hard to watch.

715

:

It, it's, it's uncomfortable and it's

supposed to be and have you, but I'm

716

:

Xhafer: when Chara's like, about

to cry, and Adama's like, holding

717

:

back every ounce of fury behind his

professionalism as much as he can.

718

:

Like, that scene is so well acted.

719

:

Laura: Yeah.

720

:

Like, he has clearly been established

as kind of like, her dad, we don't

721

:

know what her family situation was

like, but he brought her in when

722

:

Zach died, because like, Zach had

intended to make her his daughter, and

723

:

he He lived up to that promise, and

in that moment, he's no longer dad.

724

:

He is just a boss.

725

:

And that's so gutting.

726

:

It's so horrid.

727

:

Xhafer: Alright,

728

:

Laura: Do tell me the description

for the next episode where

729

:

we resolve being cliff hung.

730

:

Xhafer: Um, Oh, I wouldn't go that far,

but we've got season one, episode five.

731

:

You can't go home again.

732

:

When Lieutenant Cara Thrace goes

missing in action after encountering

733

:

a Cylon patrol while on a training

mission, Commander Adama feels

734

:

responsible, especially in light of

her recent admission that she blames

735

:

herself for his son, Zach's death.

736

:

Laura: Yeah.

737

:

Okay.

738

:

Xhafer: Not a whole lot there, but that's.

739

:

That's how I like these

episode descriptions.

740

:

I remember the original

source I was pulling from was

741

:

Everything is Spoiled Forever.

742

:

I think if when I pulled the first,

the first description I looked

743

:

at for the miniseries part two

even ruined the Sharon reveal.

744

:

Like, it's just like,

come the fuck on guys.

745

:

Laura: Yeah.

746

:

Stop.

747

:

Stop.

748

:

Stop.

749

:

I have a whole bunch of

questions about this planet.

750

:

Like, we were just kind of doing a thing,

like, that's probably not an, as Star Trek

751

:

would say, an M class planet down there.

752

:

Uh, Hopefully They have enough protection

from their suits and such, and I

753

:

wonder if she's going to be grappling

with more demons on the ground.

754

:

Probably.

755

:

Uh, yeah.

756

:

Xhafer: All right, well,

that's for next week.

757

:

But before we go, we have to say

thank you to Jeremy Siegel for

758

:

composing our lovely theme music.

759

:

Thanks so much, Jeremy.

760

:

You can find more of Jeremy's

work at jeremysiegel42.

761

:

bandcamp.

762

:

com or on streaming

services as Nuclear Jaguar.

763

:

Laura: And thank you to Angry

Duck Time Machine on Instagram

764

:

for the podcast artwork.

765

:

Xhafer: Aaron, thanks so much for

editing this episode, and editing

766

:

all of our episodes, and making sure

our episodes release on time, and

767

:

doing so much fucking admin work.

768

:

Really appreciate it.

769

:

Thank you.

770

:

Laura: And thanks, listener,

for being here with us as we end

771

:

another just edge of our seat

episode of Battlestar Galactica.

772

:

I hope you are having Just on the

edge of your butt for the next week,

773

:

waiting to hear the next episode.

774

:

and if you can't wait to talk about

it with someone, make sure to join

775

:

us in the discord, check out the

776

:

Xhafer: Yeah.

777

:

Yeah, jump on the Discord.

778

:

We have a hidden spoiler

channel that Laura can't see.

779

:

Laura: Yeah.

780

:

It's apparently quite popular

and I feel very left out.

781

:

Xhafer: The FOMO is real.

782

:

But, yeah.

783

:

Yeah, we'll see you over there, and

uh, we'll see you next week, Internet.

784

:

Laura: bye.

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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.