Battlestar: Galactica 3.17: "Maelstrom"

Written by David Weddle and Bradley Thompson
Directed by Michael Nankin

A number of people asked me, after my review for “The Passage”, what I was actually looking for out of an episode that led to the death of a character. I had outlined in great detail how “The Passage” felt contrived, and how Kat’s death didn’t feel earned. The episode pushed very hard to establish a history for Kat that would make her sacrifice sensible, when it was unnecessary. Yet I was asked: how could it have been done better? “Maelstrom” is exactly the right answer to the question.

In this episode, everything that leads into the inevitable final act is an extension of something that was established in a previous episode. In other words, this is an episode that relies heavily on character continuity and long-term character arc considerations. There was no need to manufacture a new side to Starbuck’s history or personality. Instead, the writers pulled the trigger on something already sitting in plain sight.

Kara Thrace has always been a complicated character. Wounded and troubled, Kara was always on the edge of sanity. She’s also been a tool of destiny, as seen in the first season. Kara was devoted to the Lords of Kobol because she could feel, on some level, their hand in her fate. Yet she was also searching for meaning in her life, something that her abusive past (again, established in the first season) prevented her from finding. All that Kara had was her sense of superiority, her ability to control the skies and space in that Viper. Take away that sense of control, and a flameout is just a matter of time.

The process has been a long one. It began early in the second season with “The Farm”, and continued in episodes like “Scar”. Kara lost control of her emotional detachment with Anders, which led further loss of control after her brutal treatment on New Caprica. She couldn’t leave well enough alone with Lee, and the revelation about the mandala in the Temple of the Five was the last straw. Kara was being pushed towards something out of her hands, and her flashes of Leoben in past and present were a representation of the hand of something greater than herself, pushing her towards destiny.

From a storytelling perspective, Kara’s death can only be apparent. If she is truly dead, then the writers failed dramatically. This season’s arc only makes sense if Kara is, in fact, one of the final five Cylons. D’Anna’s entire character thread was devoted to the revelation of the final five Cylons and their nature, as revealed in the space between life and death. And that is exactly where the vision of Leoben was leading Kara Thrace.

More than that, there is the prominent symbol of Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn. Aurora (and her many counterparts in the lore and myth) is also a figure strongly connected to Rebirth. The Dawn, after all, is the restoration of light after a period of darkness. Aurora is therefore a symbol of rebirth and resurrection.

The final piece of the puzzle is Leoben himself. D’Anna’s character arc demonstrated that frequent resurrection could lead to revelations about the space between life and death, a place where the final five Cylons are revealed. This, in turn, leads to madness. Could that have been the source of Leoben’s unusual behavior? If Leoben knew that Kara was a Cylon, wouldn’t that explain his insistence that he understood Kara better than she understood herself?

Just as Sharon/Boomer was used in the first season to explore the common ground between Human and Cylon, Kara would be the perfect tool for exploring the next level of that commonality. If some of the Cylons are unaware of their true identity, and if they believe themselves to be human in every way, what keeps them from being human in truth? Could a Cylon be given a set of memories so perfect that they never suspect the truth about themselves, until the time comes for them to be reborn in a resurrection ship?

If so, then when Kara comes to the realization that her mother’s abuse and Leoben’s madness was leading her to her destiny, it could be true in some unexpected ways. Her mother may have been a construct built within her mind. Her memories as a child could have been nothing more than programming. After all, if Sharon Valerii could be a Cylon, despite her apparent human past, why not Kara Thrace?

All of this rich narrative ground is predicated on the assumption that Kara’s story is not over, and that she is one of the final five Cylons. The writers could allow her to survive in some other way, since she could have ejected before the end, with equally satisfying implications if Leoben was there to rescue her. If the speculation is wrong and this is Kara’s final appearance, then it’s hard to imagine how the writers could possibly salvage such a misstep. For the moment, at least until the season finale, I choose to have faith.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4

Final Rating: 9/10