Thursday, March 02, 2006
Betrayal: The Human Side
The new BSG is much more focused on the interpersonal than on the interplanetary; it's a "drama in space," as opposed to a "space drama." An important part of any drama is transformations in how the characters relate to each other, with popular dramas generally focusing on one kind of change: how characters fall in love. Despite the Sharon/Helo, Sharon/Chief, and #6/Baltar storylines, I feel that BSG focuses more on a different transformation, that of how characters betray each other. This is a central theme to the new BSG.
Betrayal is only possible when a deep, established relationship exists between the parties. The Cylons' previous incarnation meant no real relationship was possible, but the Cylons in human form allow for an incredible depth of connection. It's not easy to love a toaster... but a live, flesh-and-blood, gorgeous woman? That's something quite different. Further, the BSG writers are exploiting a particularly powerful kind of relationship, that between parent and child.
The Cylon (#6) frequently refer to humanity as their parents. This is a more nuanced relationship than that of creator to creation. It's also a stronger bond, since that between creator and creation is, for us, purely abstract - we've never actually created life, so we can't really project what this scenario would entail and how we would feel towards our creations. Much easier to relate to the parent-child paradigm; besides, this dynamic is the basis for so many great tragedies, of which BSG is another. Also, because many of us have direct experience on both sides of the parental equation, we can see ourselves more fully as BSG's humanity and as the Cylons.
The two most engaging Cylons, Sharon and #6, seem almost wired to seek emotional attachment, the former specializing in innocence and need, the latter focusing on sensuality and exoticism. But, the gulf between love's zenith and hatred's nadir seems riddled with wormholes, bringing the two states perilously close together. Adama showed this clearly in one of his rare displays of emotion while confronting "sleeper Sharon's" corpse and uttering a single, anguished syllable: Why? He had plainly cared for Sharon and accepted her somewhat under his wing, which made her betrayal all that more devastating. Then, not much later, he was overcome by his constant rage and nearly choked Helo's Sharon to death. From love to hatred, that quickly.
The ultimate question we all want to know when betrayed by someone we love is... Why? Why does a spouse have an affair? Why does a trusted friend lie? Why does a child hurt its parents? Is it me? Is it my fault?
Unfortunately for Adama, before he has a chance to confront Sharon with these questions, she's killed and taken away - to Caprica, as we now know. Instead, he's left without answers and with no way to really work through his pain. (Note that his attempt to broach the subject with Helo's Sharon, who is far more in command of herself and her motivations, is dry, intellectual, less than satisfying, and deals only in concepts and not with his personal pain. That's too bad - there was an opportunity there for some good interaction there.)
Interestingly, while Adama is personally affected by a loved one's betrayal, he seems less wounded by it than Roslin. Perhaps as one of her flaws, Roslin seems incapable of reconciling her own, more indirect feelings of pain and anger with the potential bridge to the future that Helo's Sharon presents. While Roslin appears reasonable to a certain extent, there's a core of fear and pain that appears to guide her actions. I would have expected that reaction from Adama, given his more visceral and powerful involvement with the betrayal. Still, gotta give the old man credit, I guess. The tension between Roslin's militant intolerance and Adama's more thoughtful attitude will surely make for some great stories!
While Roslin seems to have undergone a transformation after learning of the Cylon sleepers, her inflexible attitude is enlightened when compared to the depths of depravity to which the Pegasus crew sank. It's instructive to see the stark contrast between the way the two groups dealt with the Cylons' betrayal. From Cain on down, the Pegasi appear to have been able to completely dehumanize their #6, removing any inhibitions and allowing the crew to debase themselves horribly.
The Pegasus crew nursed their pain and hurt at #6's betrayal and nurtured it into something terribly ugly. The writers wanted us to be shocked at #6's condition when Baltar came upon her, but what repelled me more strongly was the vile behavior of Pegasus crew's as it spilled over into their dealings with non-Cylons. I believe that part of the environment that allowed the Pegasi to shoot civilians and condemn others to death is a direct result of the way #6 was treated.
Through succumbing to their meanest impulses in torturing #6 and allowing themselves to express their helpless rage at the Cylon's betrayal in such a despicable way, the Pegasus crew harmed themselves terribly. Torture affects not only the tortured but the torturer, as well. These psychic wounds opened the doors to dehumanizing everyone incapable of furthering their ends. Even executing #6 mercifully would have placed them on the road to reconciliation. I get the impression that Cain got nothing from their #6 despite her terrible torment. So, what Cain only did was wither her crew's souls, setting the stage for the Pegasus' future behavior. Hence Adama's need to put Lee in charge to restore the the crew's moral compass.
I could go on - I find this subject powerful and gripping. The terrorists' reactions in "Sacrifice"; Lee's deathwish after learning his father wanted his help to assassinate Cain... all reactions to betrayal. But I'd love to hear how you feel about betrayal and the humans' reaction. What great stories!
Good hunting.
Betrayal is only possible when a deep, established relationship exists between the parties. The Cylons' previous incarnation meant no real relationship was possible, but the Cylons in human form allow for an incredible depth of connection. It's not easy to love a toaster... but a live, flesh-and-blood, gorgeous woman? That's something quite different. Further, the BSG writers are exploiting a particularly powerful kind of relationship, that between parent and child.
The Cylon (#6) frequently refer to humanity as their parents. This is a more nuanced relationship than that of creator to creation. It's also a stronger bond, since that between creator and creation is, for us, purely abstract - we've never actually created life, so we can't really project what this scenario would entail and how we would feel towards our creations. Much easier to relate to the parent-child paradigm; besides, this dynamic is the basis for so many great tragedies, of which BSG is another. Also, because many of us have direct experience on both sides of the parental equation, we can see ourselves more fully as BSG's humanity and as the Cylons.
The two most engaging Cylons, Sharon and #6, seem almost wired to seek emotional attachment, the former specializing in innocence and need, the latter focusing on sensuality and exoticism. But, the gulf between love's zenith and hatred's nadir seems riddled with wormholes, bringing the two states perilously close together. Adama showed this clearly in one of his rare displays of emotion while confronting "sleeper Sharon's" corpse and uttering a single, anguished syllable: Why? He had plainly cared for Sharon and accepted her somewhat under his wing, which made her betrayal all that more devastating. Then, not much later, he was overcome by his constant rage and nearly choked Helo's Sharon to death. From love to hatred, that quickly.
The ultimate question we all want to know when betrayed by someone we love is... Why? Why does a spouse have an affair? Why does a trusted friend lie? Why does a child hurt its parents? Is it me? Is it my fault?
Unfortunately for Adama, before he has a chance to confront Sharon with these questions, she's killed and taken away - to Caprica, as we now know. Instead, he's left without answers and with no way to really work through his pain. (Note that his attempt to broach the subject with Helo's Sharon, who is far more in command of herself and her motivations, is dry, intellectual, less than satisfying, and deals only in concepts and not with his personal pain. That's too bad - there was an opportunity there for some good interaction there.)
Interestingly, while Adama is personally affected by a loved one's betrayal, he seems less wounded by it than Roslin. Perhaps as one of her flaws, Roslin seems incapable of reconciling her own, more indirect feelings of pain and anger with the potential bridge to the future that Helo's Sharon presents. While Roslin appears reasonable to a certain extent, there's a core of fear and pain that appears to guide her actions. I would have expected that reaction from Adama, given his more visceral and powerful involvement with the betrayal. Still, gotta give the old man credit, I guess. The tension between Roslin's militant intolerance and Adama's more thoughtful attitude will surely make for some great stories!
While Roslin seems to have undergone a transformation after learning of the Cylon sleepers, her inflexible attitude is enlightened when compared to the depths of depravity to which the Pegasus crew sank. It's instructive to see the stark contrast between the way the two groups dealt with the Cylons' betrayal. From Cain on down, the Pegasi appear to have been able to completely dehumanize their #6, removing any inhibitions and allowing the crew to debase themselves horribly.
The Pegasus crew nursed their pain and hurt at #6's betrayal and nurtured it into something terribly ugly. The writers wanted us to be shocked at #6's condition when Baltar came upon her, but what repelled me more strongly was the vile behavior of Pegasus crew's as it spilled over into their dealings with non-Cylons. I believe that part of the environment that allowed the Pegasi to shoot civilians and condemn others to death is a direct result of the way #6 was treated.
Through succumbing to their meanest impulses in torturing #6 and allowing themselves to express their helpless rage at the Cylon's betrayal in such a despicable way, the Pegasus crew harmed themselves terribly. Torture affects not only the tortured but the torturer, as well. These psychic wounds opened the doors to dehumanizing everyone incapable of furthering their ends. Even executing #6 mercifully would have placed them on the road to reconciliation. I get the impression that Cain got nothing from their #6 despite her terrible torment. So, what Cain only did was wither her crew's souls, setting the stage for the Pegasus' future behavior. Hence Adama's need to put Lee in charge to restore the the crew's moral compass.
I could go on - I find this subject powerful and gripping. The terrorists' reactions in "Sacrifice"; Lee's deathwish after learning his father wanted his help to assassinate Cain... all reactions to betrayal. But I'd love to hear how you feel about betrayal and the humans' reaction. What great stories!
Good hunting.
