Subject: Episode sample: TNWNL, pt 1
August, 1996

"The Man With Nine Lives" synopsis, pt. 1

Hi All!

Letitia requested (I _only_ needed one <grin) and I answered!
Here's "The Man With Nine Lives" in-depth review I did along
Randy's standard. I _still_ am only half-done with Take the 
Celestra. <evil grin When I noticed DB's "amazing disappearing
class ring" I gave up because my head hurt. 

Anyway, here's my repost:

_The Man With Nine Lives_

A) What we learned with this episode:
--First appearances:
-First appearance of the Inter-Fleet Broadcast System (IFB), which broadcasts
from the ComTel Ship. 
-It's the first appearance of IFB reporter Zara. Also to be noted, Zara is
played by a different actress when she appears again (and for the last time)
in "Murder on the Rising Star."
-First appearance of the Borellian Nomen, one of the most interesting
subcultures within the fleet. Instead of looking like all the other humans,
they look like off-shoots of cro-magnon man with the raised ridges over the
eyebrows and the coarse look to their hair.
-It's the only episode in which we are actually given a date so we can figure
out the larger Colonial timeline. Starbuck states that he was orphaned in a
Cylon raid on Caprica in 7322, approximately 20 yahren before his meeting up
with Chameleon. This is a different figure than what was given in The
Magnificent Warriors, which gave us the following: Quadant Zeta Startime:
00147002. 

--Initiation of a new sub-arc
-First story that focuses on civilians in the fleet, albeit peripherally.
Lays the groundwork for possible future stories in the same vein, like "Take
The Celestra."
-Adama notes that the Ship of Lights did _not_ include any time references in
their directions to earth, leaving the question open on whether earth was
inhabited by savages or people far evolved ahead of the Colonists.
-The increased incidence of mysterious signs left behind by the Thirteenth
Tribe that Adama notes in his journal have never been mentioned before nor
are they ever mentioned again in the rest of the series. A possibility is
presented here that the off-handed remark will lay the groundwork for future
episodes.

--Major character developments:
-Omega is the star of the "We need you!" recruitment commercials, which
leaves open the question on why the IFB would have commercials to begin with.
He also serves as guide for new recruits as well as trusted aide on the
bridge.
-Starbuck gets a father, though he doesn't know about it.
-First (and only) mention by Starbuck that Cassiopea is the only one he ever
seriously considered getting sealed to "someday, maybe, perhaps, when we find
earth." This development _does_ make sense, provided you've seen the
episodes, in order, from "The Living Legend" onward. 
-Cassiopea gets an inkling from Chameleon that her relationship with Starbuck
may be more serious than she's been lead to believe.

-- Introduction of new technical/social/cultural concepts
-The appearance of the Nomen leaves open interesting possibilities that there
are different "types" of humans, since they are clearly considered human by
all the other survivors, despite their appearance.
-The Nomen culture is also very misunderstood by their fellow survivors. What
is shown in the episode is that they _do_ operate on an honor system, called
"the code," though they seem to have no compunction about deceiving outsiders
(non-Nomen). They also have a strong survivlist instinct and believe that
_they_ will be the only ones to survive "this trek through the stars."
-The mysterious Nomen code requires a certain conduct, at least among its
warrior caste. Only a few points of it are explored here: punishment for
breaking the code is severe and transgressors may be killed or ostracized;
warriors may _not_ draw their weapons unless they plan to use deadly
violence, which means they take the use of violence _very_ seriously; people
who offend the Nomen may become the subject of a "blood hunt" where the
warriors vow to hunt down their prey and kill them. 
-The laser bolls are introduced as weapons. Their operation is fascinating.
Aside from the fact that they _do_ look like the more mundane bolls that
operate with two stones tied together by a length of leather, they must be
used or they will take out the person attempting to use them.

--What questions are raised that could/should be answered by later episodes
in the story arc. 
-The Nomen are brought back for the last time in "Baltar's Escape." Other
than the fact that we learn they are superb fighters, we learn little else. A
further exploration of the Nomen culture (and any other human culture
surviving in the fleet) is certainly worth exploring.
-Since Starbuck is responsible for putting a halt to a blood hunt, is he also
targeted for death by other Nomen warriors?
-Chameleon promises to tell Starbuck about his parentage "someday." One
wonders how the lieutenant will react upon finding out that his father and
Cassiopea conspired to keep the information secret. One wonders if he'll ever
be told at all.
-This episode certainly lays the groundwork for futher developments in
Starbuck and Cassiopea's relationship as a subplot.

B) Strengths of the episode: 
--Strengths
-Oddly enough, that there really aren't that many special effects. This is
strictly a "character" story that backfills some information about Starbuck. 
-The story is carried strictly by the writing and acting. Interestingly, it's
an episode where we can actually judge the different strengths and weaknesses
of the actors themselves, since they aren't overwhelmed by special effects.
Most manage to aquit themselves very nicely.
-Though bits and pieces of the mold Starbuck was cast from were chipped away
in earlier episodes, this is the one that finally breaks it since we finally
see how emotionally vulnerable Starbuck really is, despite his best attempts
to hide that fact.

--Good character touches/scenes/dialogue
-Adama states that this incident takes place 12 sectons after Baltar's
surrender in "War of the Gods." 
-Given that Chameleon is a con man who constantly changes identies and
occupations, the name "Chameleon" is _very_ fitting for his character.
-What makes Chameleon's con so effective and insidious is that there is a
grain of truth in everything he says. Even when Apollo and Boomer confront
him about the Nomen being after him, Chameleon readily admits that it may be
true before spinning a yarn on why he didn't feel like he needed protection.
-The mysterious incident at the Gambling Chancery at Pineas where Apollo lost
a secton's pay is refered to again at the end of the episode when Chameleon
mentions that he "once knew a three-handed dealer at Pineas."
-The best summation of Starbuck's and Apollo's relationship in the entire
series is made in the best quote of the episode when the duo first meet
Chameleon: "I'm Starbuck and this is my conscience, Apollo."
-When Chameleon, Apollo and Starbuck settle down for drinks on the Rising
Star, Starbuck is obviously bored and is just being polite. When Chameleon
mentions that he's a genetic tracer and reunites children with their
families, he immediately captures Starbuck's attention _before_ he mentions
losing a family at Umbra. It's a nice character touch that hints at a broader
hidden interest of the lieutenant's.
-In "Saga of a Star World," we're told that Boomer is familiar with Gemonese
culture (or at least the Gemonese dialect). We find out in this episode that
he's familiar with Borellian Nomen culture, as well. We can conclude that one
of the lieutenant's talents is knowlege of non-Caprican cultures. 
-Even when they are in deep background and not the focus of a scene, Starbuck
and Chameleon are constantly talking in a very animated manner. Watching the
background in the scene where Starbuck and Chameleon are being shuttled back
to the Galactica is quite amusing since at one point they're using the exact
same hand movements.
-When Boomer and Apollo first enter the Life Center, Starbuck and Chameleon
are already in the sound-proof room awaiting the start of the genetic test.
As they ask Cassiopea to keep Starbuck in the Life Center so they can have a
private talk with Chameleon, Boomer and Starbuck "shoot" each other through
the glass.
-The heart-to-heart conversation Starbuck and Chameleon have in the launch
bay is rather sweet, especially since Starbuck is obviously starved for a
past _and_ a family. The lieutenant's eagerness is so heart-wrenching to
Chameleon that he almost confesses then and there.
-Starbuck shrugs off his disappointment in the fact that Chameleon conned him
by saying, "I'm a little old to be breaking in a father now."
-An interesting character trait of Starbuck's is underscored when he is
willing to be Chameleon's friend, even after finding out that he was conned.
It actually fits in with what we know about the character since throughout
the series Starbuck is loathe to let go of people with whom he forms
"emotional attachments."

-When Starbuck and Chameleon walk out of Adama's quarters at the end of the
episode and it becomes clear that Chameleon is not about to reform,
Cassiopea's look of shock in the background is one of the best facial
expressions in the episode, especially considering she's the only one who
knows that Starbuck _is_ Chameleon's son.
-Apollo is shown to be a true friend because he refrains from saying, "I told
you so" at the end of the episode, though his face clearly shows that he
wants to say it.

--Information used from earlier episodes
-The fact that Starbuck is an orphan was actually established earlier in the
series. In a scene that is edited out of the Sci Fi Channel version of "The
Living Legend," Starbuck does come out and say that he never had a family
during a conversation with Apollo. That revelation did not have a whole lot
to do with the plot of "The Living Legend," so obviously there were plans to
explore this aspect of the character at a fairly early stage.

C)Problems with the episode:
--What plot points were handled poorly
-Given limited resources, most notably fuel, why are people allowed to take
joy-rides over to the Rising Star for r&r?
-It's highly doubtful that the process used to determine blood relationships
in the episode would actually work. A more realistic test would've been to
"fingerprint" the pair's DNA. If they were father and son, half of Starbuck's
DNA would've matched half Chameleon's DNA. 
-Cassiopea has a personal interest in Starbuck. Under normal medical
proceedures as we understand it, she should not be the one conducting the
genetic tests, or performing any medical services for him, for that matter,
unless its an emergency situation and she is the only one with the skills to
act. This is pointed up in the episode itself, since she has a stake in the
final outcome alters the medical records to suit her purposes, albiet at
Chameleon's request.
-One of the most painful quotes uttered in the episode is by Cassiopea when
Apollo asks her to distract Starbuck while he and Boomer talk privately with
Chameleon: "Apollo, you know I have more than just a medical interest in
Starbuck."
-In a sense, the episode tries to have it both ways concerning Chameleon's
knowlege of Starbuck's parentage before the final result is given. There are
strong hints throughout the episode that he _knows_ he's Starbuck's father,
starting with his _intense_ interest in Starbuck's IFB interview, his
eagerness to complete the genetic tests, his talk with Starbuck in the launch
bay and his calling Starbuck "son" at several points. Yet, at the end of the
episode, Chameleon is shocked when Cassiopea tells him the match is positive.
-Starbuck states that he doesn't know his real age. If we assume the
character is about the same age as Dirk Benedict was at the time (33) we can
guess he was orphaned around the age of 13. However, Chameleon states that
his own son was still a toddler when lost, which would make Starbuck younger
than Boxey when he was orphaned and approximately 10 years younger than the
actor portraying him. This supposition is based on the fact that we're never
told how long a Colonial yahren is in earth terms within the broadcast
version of BSG.
-Chameleon refers to the Cylon attack on Umbra as one of the first raids on
Caprica. Considering that the war with the Cylons had been going on for
almost 1,000 yahren at that point, it's a dubious claim at best, unless it's
a clear sign that the Colonies were already starting to lose the war even as
far back as 20 yahren before the Destruction.
-When the Borellian Nomen see Chameleon leaving the Rising Star in the
company of warriors, all they know is that he's found protection with "a
warrior named Starbuck." This part makes sense, since they do hear Apollo
address Starbuck. However, when they get to the Galactica, they know
Starbuck's rank. Since the episode clearly states that the Nomen do not mix
with other Colonists and we see that no one is willing to talk to them, how
did they find out that Starbuck is a lieutenant?
-When the Borellian Nomen mysteriously show up as recruits on the Galactica,
the most attention they get is a questioning look from Tigh. Since it was
clearly stated that they don't mix with other Colonists, you would think that
someone would've immediately run a check on them to make sure they were
legitimate recruits.

--Plot points that came out of left field
-If the Borellian Nomen have been hoarding food, medicine and spare parts,
given the limited resources in the fleet, why wasn't it hinted there was a
problem before this? The whole issue seems to be dismissed when Adama
off-handedly remarks that, thanks to Chameleon, the fleet has solved its
"internal problem."

--Character inconsistencies
-Since the warriors are on furlon, you would think that Apollo would want to
spend a little quality time with his son instead of going with Starbuck to
the Rising Star to lose a secton's pay in another hair-brained gambling
system. And who is taking care of Boxey while Apollo's hanging out with
Starbuck?
-Sheba's long slide into "thick-as-a-brick" status makes its final appearance
here when she actually says that she can't see any connection between
Chameleon claiming to be Starbuck's father and the fact that the Borellian
Nomen may be out for his scalp.

--Especially bad scenes
-Starbuck's temper tantrum when he finds out that Apollo and Boomer ordered a
security check on Chemeleon is a realistic reaction, given the character.
However, declaring his friendship with them as "over" is painfully awkward to
watch. When you consider how loyal Starbuck is to Apollo before and after
this episode, it seems unlikely that he would disown his friends over a man
he just met.

--Action/special effects sequences that were not thought through
-When the Borellian Nomen interrupt Starbuck and Chameleon's heart-to-heart
talk in the launch bay, they step off the lift literally yards away from the
conversing pair, yet they don't see Starbuck sitting on top of his viper or
the fact that there's someone sitting in the cockpit.
-When the Nomen are chasing Starbuck down the launch tube, he dives
_underneath_ the launch skids to avoid getting hit by a laser boll. When the
Nomen pass him and he tries to backtrack out, he jumps down from a position
that's _above_ the launch skids. 
-When Chameleon fires the viper's lasers into the launch tube, the Nomen are
seriously injured, yet Starbuck, who was closer to the viper when the lasers
went off, is merely stunned. When he comes to moments later, he's only shaken
up and covered in soot. Even though he clearly does "hit the deck" in the
launch tube on Chameleon's warning, he should've been more seriously injured
than he was.

D) Episode Trivia:
--Differences between versions
-SciFi Channel Edits
a) The scene where Apollo, Boomer and Sheba are discussing the sudden
appearance of Chameleon in Adama's quarters is slightly edited, though Apollo
asking Sheba to get Tigh to run a security check on their guest is left in,
leaving episode continuity intact.
 
--Repeating actors in different roles
-Lance LeGault, who played Bootes in "The Lost Warrior" at the beginning of
the series, returns, this time playing Maga, leader of the Borellian Nomen.
While his voice is recognizable, he isn't since he is under heavy make-up.
-Bruce Wright, who plays the hapless Cpl. Lomas, also shows up several times
in the series as a Council Security officer in "Lost Planet of the Gods",
"War of the Gods" and "Baltar's Escape" as well as a deck hand in "Saga of a
Star World." 

--Outstanding guest stars
-Film legend Fred Astaire is easily the most famous star that ever graced
BSG's guest cast. According to an interview he did during that time, he said
he approached Glen Larson to do the guest shot because his grandchildren were
huge fans of the show.

--Other trivia to wow your friends with
-Before anyone asks, yes, that is actually Dirk Benedict running like a bat
out of hell down the launch tube and getting blown out of it when Chameleon
fires off the viper's lasers. You can clearly see his face at several points
if you watch the scene in slow motion.

E) Miscellaneous Items
-This whole episode seems to have one moral: Breeding will show. Though
Starbuck is unaware that he and Chameleon are father and son, their
personalities are frighteningly similar.
-Also, their taste in women are similar. Chameleon remarks that Cassiopea is
remarkably like his wife (Starbuck's mother): same hair, same eyes and same
sense of humor. Judging by Starbuck's reaction to this news, it's clear that
he doesn't remember his mother any more than he remembers his father and asks
if Cassiopea is a lot like Chameleon's wife. When Chameleon says that she is,
_that's_ when Starbuck choses to confide his plans to ask Cassiopea to get
sealed. Though it's a logical progression of this particular conversation,
there's a disturbing Oedepus Complex undertone to it, especially since
Starbuck is convinced at this point that he's found his father. 

-Though this is not implicitly stated in the episode, we're also left to
wonder if Starbuck is _really_ Starbuck's name, since Chameleon is stunned to
discover the lieutenant is his son at the end of the episode.
  One theory that has made the rounds is that "Starbuck" is actually a
nickname. However, there is no evidence in the series to support this, since
Starbuck _always_ introduces himself as Starbuck, even when faced with a man
who may be his father.
 The most likely theory is that Starbuck suffers from traumatic amnesia and
may not remember anything about his life before the attack on Umbra,
including his real name. This theory _does_ have the support of evidence as
offered in the episode since, during his IFB interview, Starbuck actually
states: "Thousands of nameless orphans were found wandering in the Thorn
Forest (after the attack on Umbra) and I was one of them."
  If we accept the fact that Starbuck _doesn't_ know what his real name is,
it goes a long way to explaining what struck me as an odd observation made by
the lieutenant when he first meets Cassiopea in "Saga of a Star World." Even
though he doesn't know anything about the Gemonese, language or culture, he
_does_ know what her name means (Fairy Queen), even though Cassiopea herself
isn't sure of it. Though it's played as someone who's trying to calm a
frightened woman, it struck me as slightly out-of-character, given what we
knew of Starbuck up to that point.
  Though it's doubtful that Starbuck's background was set that early in the
show, especially when you consider that it was supposed to be a mini-series
when that scene was shot (the dead giveaway is that Cassiopea uses the term
"years" instead of "yahren"), it leaves open some interesting future
developments for the character, although Starbuck was the most used/abused
character in BSG and, consequently, the most consistently developed one. It's
enough to make viewers wonder, at least in Starbuck's case, whether the
writers did their homework and looked back at older episodes to build on the
character.
-Starbuck's desperate hope that Chameleon is his father is one of the most
touching points of this episode, especially since it does underscore how his
emotional vulnerability. What's especially interesting about this is that
Starbuck is accutely aware that this his weak spot and says as much during
his discussion with Apollo in "The Living Legend."
   In a way, it's difficult to discuss episde without refering to "The Living
Legend" since much of the ground work was laid then. Upon finding out that
Cassiopea _still_ loves Cain, he actually sought Apollo out, though,
ostensibly, to announce that it doesn't bother him. Apollo sees right through
this and starts poking holes in the facade. It's at _that_ point that
Starbuck notes that he didn't have a family so he shielded himself by keeping
the number of people around him as large as he could. Apollo observes that it
was so Starbuck couldn't be hurt. The lieutenant _never_ denies this point.
   In "The Man With Nine Lives," Starbuck is actually in a more precarious
emotional position than he was in "The Living Legend." While the background
situation is unchanged between the two episodes, namely, they're still
wandering through the cosmos looking for a planet that may not exist, his
situation has. This incident takes place twelve sectons after the fleet's
encounter with Count Iblis. During that time period, Starbuck has watched
nine warriors disappear, confronted Iblis, seen Apollo killed in front of his
eyes and had to come face-to-face with the Ship of Lights. Furthermore, in
this episode, we're told that his relationship with Cassiopea has taken a
_very_ serious turn, something that is probably a _very_ frightening
development for a man terrified of getting hurt. It's certainly frightening
enough that Starbuck doesn't even tell Apollo about his plans for someday
asking Cassiopea to get sealed.
   By the time Starbuck does meet up with Chameleon, he's taken some serious
emotional shots. Chameleon represents himself as a man any orphan would
imagine to be their father, someone who's looked for them through the yahrens
and never gave up. Furthermore, the experience of losing a child was enough
to get such a man to change professions in order to reunite other orphans
with their families. In fact, Starbuck specifically points out these things
when he tells Chameleon that he'll resign from the Colonial Service to become
a genetic tracer. It's doubtful that if Chameleon was being entirely truthful
about what he did for a living that Starbuck would've made the same offer
since it wasn't _just_ the fact that Chameleon _might_ be his father that was
important. It was the fact that his "father" worked with orphans that played
equal role.
   As it has been pointed out by others, someone in Starbuck's emotional
situation would be desperate to find some security, especially a type of
security that's been denied him his entire life: knowlege of who he is, his
age, where he came from, who is family members are and even a family medical
history. The question is left open, however, on whether Chameleon and
Cassiopea did the right thing in denying Starbuck his right to know these
things, especially since both of them were acting on selfish motives.
Chameleon doesn't want Starbuck to know his father is "worthless," a word he
uses, and Cassiopea doesn't want to lose Starbuck.
   We are also left to wonder how bad Starbuck's childhood was since he is so
willing to believe in the remote possibility that Chameleon is his father and
literally eats up everything Chameleon tells him. He also seems to revert to
being a child when in Chameleon's presence, even after it's "proven" that
Chameleon isn't his father.

There 'tis!
Liz ;)
lizbeth258@aol.com