TV Watch: More On Starbuck

This is the text to warn you of a spoiler ... this is the text to warn you of a spoiler. All work and no play make Jack a something something.

OK? OK.

So Starbuck (Katee Sackoff) blew up in that swirly storm full of visions or whatever -- it was possibly the stupidest and most pointless death imaginable for a kickass pilot and awesome pivotal character. Delving into Starbuck's childhood abuse and turning it into a flimsy excuse for a sudden mental breakdown made no sense whatsoever. And what about the whole Leoben paint-sex scene, coupled with his puppy-eyed sympathy as she remembers her dead mom? As they say in Australia: yucko.

Why the hell do we want Leoben to help Starbuck "pass over into the space between life and death"? He's the creepy asswipe who tortured her repeatedly on New Caprica. But redeeming the creepy is apparently the whole point of this episode. Not only is Kara's abusive, finger-crushing mom recast as a nice lady in her deathbed scene, but Leoben is recontextualized as spirit guide. WTF? I'm feeling nothing but the squick.

-- Starbuck: Is She or Isn't She?

I agree with the sentiment if not the empasis of the text. Part of me, though, is happy that the show did something really controversial for fans of the show to chew on for a while. Personally, here's my theory -

We haven't seen the last of Starbuck because yes, true believers, she is one of the "missing" Cylon versions. Her projected version of Leoben and even her mom were unrealistic because they had to serve a purpose - to get her to hit the "in between" that we saw Three abusing so much. Death can be a spiritual adventure for a Cylon and with Xena boxed ... the race might be looking for a new messiah.

So I'm guessing Sackoff will be getting loads of time off from the show ... but she won't be completely off the roster just yet.

Fun Fact! According to Ronald Moore, Centurions do not download into new bodies upon death like the humanoid infiltrators. (Wikipedia)

tagged: television, galactica