TLP Review January 29 - 30, 2001
The Long Patrol

     I loved these thoughts.  Starbuck is a complex character and I
personally like this episode as we get to see some basic character
traits of Starbuck.
     I agree with Maggie, the only reason he juggled both Cassie and
Athena is because he did not want to deal with either woman being
upset.  
     What would he do if he ever got rich?  Well, Starbuck has a
gambling addiction that has been discussed before.  Even if he amassed
a fortune, he would still be obsessed with how he could double that
fortune.
     Starbuck is an individual who will always be searching for more,
for something bigger and better.  I think that due to his childhood
issues he would never be comfortable with security and the comforts
money does afford.  He would always be waiting for the other boot to
fall...always waiting for something bad to happen.
     Okay, just some random thoughts on this episode.  
     Like I said, I like this episode.  The concept of needing
individuals for long range patrols is excellent.  Starbuck stumbling
upon a penal colony was great, but the best part was his viper landing
in someone else's hands.  That is a real possibility that they
portrayed fairly well.  Robber uses it to try to get his family out of
that sector.  A very real scenario.
     Okay, now on Cassie being the only one who knows that merchant
code....HA HA HA...that is so laughable.  Wouldn't a military code
computer have all the merchant codes already programmed in?  OF COURSE
IT WOULD!!!  Or at the very least, be able to break the
code...sigh...once again, bad writing in an otherwise decent episode.
     Okay, now back to real life, which is incredibly busy right now. 
But you know I couldn't resist commenting on a Starbuck episode!

Vaughn


>Okay, now on Cassie being the only one who knows that  merchant
code....HA HA HA...that is so laughable. <
     About the only halfhearted defense I'd make of that point is that
perhaps the  Galactica's computer, like our own, suffer from the
problem of "hard drive  storage space" and perhaps there was a
shortsighted decision to flush what  were regarded as irrelevant code
material once the Exodus began?    After  all, under the circumstances
I think most people wouldn't be apt to believe  that old merchant codes
would still be used this far out into space. 
     For my money the worst aspect of the writing is the "leaving our
star system"  and "whole new galaxy" bit. 

Eric 


Eric, I agree!  
      The illogical use of "galaxy" bothers me every time I hear it.  I
want to scream, "SOLAR SYSTEM!  Not GALAXY."  I'm just someone who has
a slightly above interest in space and astronomy, but even I can tell
the difference between these terms.   It's quite obvious that they are
traveling from one solar system to another, most likely within the same
galaxy.
 
Maggie

Sanna mentioned:
>Yeah, not the best terms.  But maybe they're easily confused...? :)  I
blame that more on research than writing.  Who wrote it, anyway? 
Larson?<
     No, actually Don Bellisario wrote "The Long Patrol."   And his
writing was much superior to Larson's by the end of the series (compare
the dialogue of  "Experiment In Terra" to "Hand Of God" for instance). 

Eric Paddon 


>What more could anyone ask..? Perhaps this quest for cubits is his
psyches way of extracting some semblance of normality from the strange
existence he leads at the moment. Does he then, revert to habitual
behavior to remain sane?<
     I get the feeling that gambling is more of a release than anything
else for him.  I don't think Starbuck would willingly get drunk when
the fleet is basically 24/7 (or time system of your choice) on alert
from alien attack.  WOTG is a rather... unique exception to that.  And
I also think gambling's a bit of a running gag.
     If I were awake, I could be more coherent.  Ick, I hate getting
over colds.

Sanna



Eldriam, Maggie & Eric,

     Actually, this plot point could be easily fixed if it's Boomer or
someone military who notices the code.  That I could believe.  Or have
Cassie notice that there is no way that Starbuck would even be
transmitting a code of some kind.  (I mean, I love the guy, but he just
ain't that smart.)
     Sigh...yup, it's not a bad one, but it's still there, like a thorn
in my side.

vaughn