# Battlestar Galactica 1.12 — "Kobol's Last Gleaming (1)" (here there be spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 25, 2005, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277 "2005-03-25T23:18:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277/61 "2005-03-28T20:11:08Z")
> [@NoPretentiousCodename](#): > > Well, at least we know one thing for which Starbuck isn’t The Best In The Fleet™. > > She’s not The Best Lay In The Fleet. 😃 My money would be on Boomer. However, if they need a fiar and impartial judge to determine the best, I’d be willing to volunteer ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277/62 "2005-03-28T20:28:51Z")
Ellen’s had the most practice, though. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277/63 "2005-03-29T00:00:21Z")
> [@NoPretentiousCodename](#): > > Well, at least we know one thing for which Starbuck isn’t The Best In The Fleet™. > > She’s not The Best Lay In The Fleet. 😃 I’d say she’s just not the best _Remembering the Name of the Fraking Person I’m Sleeping with in the Fleet™_ C’mon, like we all haven’t done that! ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277/64 "2005-03-29T00:02:13Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I’d say she’s just not the best _Remembering the Name of the Fraking Person I’m Sleeping with in the Fleet™_ > > C’mon, like we all haven’t done that! Well, it could have been worse(better?). She could have yelled out “BOOMER!” ---
**Author:** ![NoPretentiousCodename](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/82dd89/32.png) [@NoPretentiousCodename](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoPretentiousCodename)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277/65 "2005-03-29T00:14:22Z")
Not to chuckle at my own joke, but I keep imagining the following exchange in some future episode: **Tigh:** “So, what do we do?” **Adama:** “We Send Starbuck.” **Tigh:** “She’s dangerous.” **Adama:** “She’s the best lay in the fleet.” Easily amused and all that. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277/66 "2005-03-29T00:40:46Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > Well, it could have been worse(better?). She could have yelled out “BOOMER!” We can only imagine how the Fanboyz would wet themselves over that one! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277/67 "2005-03-29T04:35:58Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > Considering Baltar is so important to the fleet, I just find it very strange that nobody is taking his increasingly erratic behaviour more seriously. I mean, I know he’s a “genius” and supposed to be somewhat strange, and I know Roslin hasn’t been all herself lately, but seriously, this is getting disturbing. Especially since Roslin knows she’s dying and Baltar will probably have to take on her job! BTW, has it been explained what is this “Arrow of Apollo” Starbuck is supposed to fetch back from Caprica? And why they need it? ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277/68 "2005-03-29T05:12:36Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > BTW, has it been explained what is this “Arrow of Apollo” Starbuck is supposed to fetch back from Caprica? And why they need it? There has been no explicit mention of what it is, though apparently Roslin thinks she knows. Personally, I think it’s Metapohrical(like Lincoln’s Gold) or referring to the pilot Apollo… You know what, I bet Apollo’s Arrow refers to him shooting that nuke into the Base star in Part 2, thus clearing the path for the galatica. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277/69 "2005-03-29T05:13:39Z")
And before anyone jumps on me, that is speculation based off the “prophecy” and the previews for the next episode. I have not see Part 2. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277/70 "2005-03-29T05:16:44Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > You know what, I bet Apollo’s Arrow refers to him shooting that nuke into the Base star in Part 2, thus clearing the path for the galatica. Of course, since the Cylons know where Kobol is, it’s useless to the humans – at least for living on. (They might find some clue there that leads them to Earth.) ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277/71 "2005-03-29T09:55:52Z")
> [@Snickers](#): > > Can someone spoil the last five or so minutes of this episode for me? I set the VCR wrong and missed it. I got all the way up to Starbuck asking Adama, “So how much longer until we get to Earth, boss?” and that’s it. I’d be much appreciative. Starbuck questions Adama a bit about Earth and his answers are vague. Then she asks, “are we getting closer?” Adama answers, “I’m sure we are” in a very unconvincing way. So Starbuck figures he was lying. Adama says “good luck with the next test (of the Cylon Raider),” and walks away. Next scene is Starbuck in the Raider, being escorted by Apollo in a Viper. Everything is set for the auto-pilot test. Starbuck hesitates, and asks to speak with Adama on a scrambled channel. She says, “I believed in you, believed in Earth, etc.” Adama says, “I don’t regret anything I did, be sure whatever you’re going to do, you don’t regret it later.” Starbuck says, “I guess we’ll find out.” She spins up the FTL drive on the Raider, everyone reacts, “what’s she doing?” She jumps away. Tigh asks, “where the hell did she go?” Adama answers, “home.” End of show. ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277/72 "2005-03-29T10:15:33Z")
> [@Snickers](#): > > Anyone besides me think that… > _\_ > > [spoiler]…Roslyn’s gonna be a little off concerning “Apollo’s arrow”? I don’t think you need to send anyone back to Caprica at all (besides to get Starbuck there to retrieve Helo so they can reveal the GalactiaBoomerBot in a big finish). Remember, we’ve got a good pilot - his name’s Apollo - and his fighter can shoot projectiles - which one could conceivably call arrows. I’m just sayin’. Seems to me the whole “return to Caprica” thing is misdirection, except of course, that you need to get Starbuck there to retrieve Helo to reveal GalacticaBoomerBot. > > At least, I’m really hoping it’s misdirection. I’d be kind of disappointed if going back there and retrieving a statue really is the key to taking out the base star.[/spoiler] Makes sense to me. More speculation: I think they might drive the point home a bit more by having one of the flight crew actually draw an arrow on the bomb Apollo fires (probably with a little message like “point away from face” or “This way to big frakin’ explosion”). ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277/73 "2005-03-29T10:31:55Z")
> [@Snickers](#): > > Can someone spoil the last five or so minutes of this episode for me? I set the VCR wrong and missed it. I got all the way up to Starbuck asking Adama, “So how much longer until we get to Earth, boss?” and that’s it. I’d be much appreciative. Since it’s already aired, I won’t “Spoiler” it. Adama dances around the subject enough to confirm what Pres. Rosalyn told her; Starbuck plays it straight and reveals nothing. So Starbuck, under the guise of a test flight to check out the Auto Pilot she installed in the Raider, gets into space and then pretty much tells Adama (via secure comms) to get bent, she’s going to Caprica to get the Arrow of Apollo. My Thoughts:[ol] [li]The series just has too much going on to fully and richly develop all of the plotlines going on, giving the series a kind of disjointed feeling. I think they could’ve taken half the material they have and stretched it into one season alone; then again, they might be trying to get as much in as possible to try to appeal to as many viewers as possible to avoid cancellation.[/li] [li]Then again, almost every series starts off a little rough-around-the-edges (_The Shield_ being the only exception I can think of), and BSG should be no excpetion. Give it time, I say; what I’ve seen so far has been good, and shows great promise.[/li] [li]The IFF transponders, for instance, were brought up in the mini-series (IIRC), and then never mentioned again until now. But it stands to reason that, once it was figured out that there were probably Cylons in the fleet, that the tech crews would be put to work searching high-and-low for those devices, and that someone would be working on figuring out what they were.[/li] [li]I get the feeling that the limit on the FTL drives is navigation related, not necessarily an inherent limitation of the engines or the technology itself. As one famous pilot put it, “Flying through hyperspace ain’t like dusting crops, boy! Without precise calculations, we’d fly right through a star, or bounce too close to a supernova, and that’d end your trip real quick now, wouldn’t it?” Gaeta’s “Red LIne” is, IMO, either the limit of known navigational data, or the limit of the ship’s sensors to accurately gather and process astronomic data and turn it into usefull navigation data.[/li] [li]I agree that Galactica-Boomer’s botched suicide was the internal conflict between her “Im-a-human-and-just-wanna-be-loved” camouflage programming and her “I’m-a-Cylon-kill-the-meatbags” programming. I think everone is putting it down to an accident, hence her little sickbay scene with Tyrol whence she confesses that it was no accident.[/li] [li]Tyrol & Cally On The Away Team: remember, Kobol is an _abandoned_ world, not a deserted one, and has a remnant of technology still visible from space, so it’s not inconceivable that they might need techy-types to get some power up and running and to access old computers (if any) and their databanks for information.[/li] [li]Did anyone else notice the way Balthar was tweaking as the Raptor was going down? Real Hannibal Lecter. If I personally ever saw anyone grinning at me the way Balthar was on that Raptor, I’d be reaching for a gun.[/li] [li]Billy looks to the president as a kind of mother figure, figuratively and personally, IMO. Hence his protective, nurturing attitude towards her. Since he’s not a doctor, and he’s really nothing more than an aide, his concern can’t find too many ways to express itself other than trying to play gopher for her. I get this from having nursed my own mother through chemo and radiation therapy, and generally being fairly helpless to assist my mom through the nausea and weakness beyond bringing blankets, water, weak tea, crackers, etc.[/li] [li]I agree that, as presented, someone should have noticed Balthar’s wierd behavior by now; but, what’s not being adequately shown, IMO, is that _everyone_ is working double or triple shifts and wearing multiple hats just to keep everyone in food, air and water, and are too preoccupied, too tired to notice Blathar’s erratic behavior.[/li] [li]Then again, after his performance in the President’s office in this episode, Pres. Roalyn should be thinking _real hard_ about finding a way to gracefully ease him out and find a replacement; I sure as hell would. Then I’d be finding someone I’d trust to go back and double-check all of his work.[/ol][/li] Insomnia’s a bitch; thank Og for the SDMB. If I just had late-night TV to keep me occupied, I’d have gone nuts by now. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277/74 "2005-03-29T13:44:43Z")
**BrainGlutton** - Cheese-o-rama alert: The Arrow of Apollo fits into a receptacle of some kind in the Temple of Athena on Kobol, and points the way to Earth. Let’s hope they use some originality. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277/75 "2005-03-29T13:52:25Z")
Excellent - thanks for bringing me up to speed. It reaired last night, but I was tired and didn’t want to wait until 10:50 just to catch the little bit I missed. Many thanks. This series rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277/76 "2005-03-29T17:47:07Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > **BrainGlutton** - Cheese-o-rama alert: The Arrow of Apollo fits into a receptacle of some kind in the Temple of Athena on Kobol, and points the way to Earth. Let’s hope they use some originality. Okay, that’s pretty much how I thought things would work out, but can you tell me how you know this? Because it sure don’t happen in 1.13 -Joe ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277/77 "2005-03-29T18:00:04Z")
[spoiler]It sure _do_. Roslin told Starbuck about the Arrow in their little prayer meeting, when trying to determine how strong a Believer Starbuck was and if she could be trusted to follow the Prophecies over her orders (“Orders? _Starbuck_?” I hear you say). Starbuck wasn’t convinced it was the best way to find Earth, or even that the prophecy was true, since she still believed Adama knew where Earth is even though Roslin told her Adama had confided that he didn’t know. Starbuck went and pumped Adama, decided based on his evasiveness that he really didn’t know, and concluded that the only way to find Earth was to follow the prophecies as Roslin laid them out. Starbuck told Adama she wanted to go to Caprica and retrieve the Arrow, he ordered her not to but gave her the keys to the family Raider anyway (she’s the best Raider pilot in the fleet, don’tcha know - nobody else knows where to stroke it), and she Jumped anyway. [/spoiler]The above was already shown in the US, so highlight away if you like. Speculation: We know she’ll find Helo there because there’s no way Moore would let her \*not \* do that, and either she sees a Boomerbot or Helo tells her about them. Starbuck already knows about the humanoid models anyway. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277/78 "2005-03-29T18:09:49Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > Okay, that’s pretty much how I thought things would work out, but can you tell me how you know this? > > Because it sure don’t happen in 1.13 > > -Joe It was also shown in the previews for this week’s show. Starbuck was looking at an arrow. Bronze or gold, about 24" long, IIRC clasped in the hand of a statue (Apollo?) ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277/79 "2005-03-29T18:20:39Z")
If Starbuck brings Helo back and they blow G-Boomer’s cover, it’s not going to do much for Baltar’s reputation. After all, she “passed” his Cylon detecting test. I wonder if G-Boomer becomes the BSG version of the enemy turncoat on the good guys side, like they had on “V.” (I can’t remember that actor’s name. He also played Freddie Krueger). ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277/80 "2005-03-29T18:44:45Z")
Robert Englund. Nobody knows about G-B’s false negative except G-B and Baltar themselves. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/battlestar-galactica-1-12-kobols-last-gleaming-1-here-there-be-spoilers/296277.md?page=5)