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Topic:
The End of the World: The New Battlestar Galactica (Spoilers Allowed)
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Chancellor_Ewok
Registered:
Nov '04
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Date Posted:
6/7 11:03am
Subject:
RE: The End of the World: The New Battlestar Galactica (Spoilers Allowed)
- Date Edited:
6/7 11:04am (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Chancellor_Ewok
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Leto II posted:
The company that handles the SFX for this show have really stepped up their game this season, and in this episode in particular. What an amazing sequence, that attack on the Resurrection Ship. And that music? Gorgeous.
Agreed. One of the things that has always impressed me about Battlestar is the fact that its a weekly TV show with effects and sets that look like they come from a $200 million epic.
Leto II posted:
An even better tease, to me, was Baltar proselytizing to the Cylon Centurion, planting the seeds of an uprising, only to have the poor thing blown to smithereens like a red-shirted Starfleet ensign. Denied!
Agreed. I actually found Baltar to be quite funny in that scene, in a subtle sort of way.
Leto II posted:
Baltar's admission of guilt of his role in the attack on the Twelve Colonies was great, and the look on Laura's face when she thought for a moment that she was one of the Final Five was priceless.
QFT. I've been waiting for that particular skeleton to come out of the closet for a long time. Forget about Roslin, I think the look on my face was also pretty priceless.
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I killed a man with this thumb.
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Vaderize03
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Oct '99
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Date Posted:
6/7 1:50pm
Subject:
RE: The End of the World: The New Battlestar Galactica (Spoilers Allowed)
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Anyone catch the shot of a raptor and two vipers departing Galactica for Earth?
Or Roslin and D'ianna (sp?) standing on the surface of the planet?
Peace,
V-03
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"Bring your pretty face to my axe....."
B-O-H-I-C-A !! (that was funny DM!)
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Bodknocks
Title: Hoosier Alliance Jedi Council
Registered:
Jul '03
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Date Posted:
6/8 12:24am
Subject:
RE: The End of the World: The New Battlestar Galactica (Spoilers Allowed)
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Good lord, the next episode looks intense! Things I noticed in the preview:
- It looks like Centurions standing around on the Galactica hanger deck, just chillin'.
- Centurions commanded by Whorey -- er, uh, Tory.
- Mark Shepard (Romo) is listed as a guest star for this episode.
- The "All will be revealed" wording might actually be true regarding the final cylon -- especially if the final cylon is big name, because that would match the tagline for the next episode after "Revelations": "[...] and a devastating discovery plunges the fleet into chaos and despair".
- I can't make it out, but that looks like Dualla standing next to Lee when Starbuck rushes in to stop them for giving their old pals the Jammer Treatment.
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http://boards.theforce.net/Board.aspx?brd=10417 -- The Hoosier Alliance "Yub, yub, Commander." -- Wes Janson to Wedge Antilles Recipient of Thrawn McEwok's Twin Twi'lek Masseuses™
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Leto II
Registered:
Jan '00
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Date Posted:
6/8 12:45am
Subject:
RE: The End of the World: The New Battlestar Galactica (Spoilers Allowed)
- Date Edited:
6/8 1:32am (13 edits total)
Edited By:
Leto II
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All right, so...a more lengthy write-up on my thoughts for "The Hub":
As much as I waxed poetic about not seeing the Baseship's point-of-view last episode, and what a refreshing throwback to the first season it was, this episode totally changed my mind. The concept is exquisitely elegant; roughly the same period of time from the two different perspectives. How powerful it was this way, as opposed to an intercut two-parter -- first we saw things from the limited perspective of the Colonial Fleet, then got all of the gaps filled in by following a Basestar storyline with enough action to overcome the lack of mystery.
We got to spend 40-something-minutes totally inside each perspective, rather than having the two cancel each other out. There was the occasional acknowledgment of the previous episode, like the Raptor pilot jumping back though he was already dead, but nothing that pulled the focus away from Laura Roslin, Gaius Baltar, and Helo. The surreal, confused geography of the Cylon Basestar was the ideal environment for each to play out their inner journeys; each occupied a space alone with their thoughts, each paired with a doppelganger on which to bounce those thoughts off of.
In a word, this episode was graceful.
The biggest development, bigger even than the destruction of the Resurrection Hub, was the thawing of Ice Queen Roslin. This is a woman who served under President Adar because she thought she loved him. Who ascended to the presidency, even though no one thought her capable. She should be the very image of vulnerability, but she shut everything inconvenient down. And that's reflected in a lot of what we've seen from her, especially since regaining the presidency after New Caprica. She was pushed to the brink here, the first human to learn of Baltar's great betrayal, learning the horrible truth when Baltar was at his most vulnerable. Her ultimate decision to spare his life, in fact, saved hers.
In a showcase episode for Mary McDonnell, with a lot of brilliant moments, big and small, her reaction after waking from her vision was perhaps the best. Roslin was neither regretful, forgiving, or philosophical as she patched him back up -- she was panicked! In re-embracing her humanity, she was panicked by the idea that he might die, and make herself a murderer. The sanctity of life, the sanctity of living, breathing human life, was restored in her.
It's the mirror to the moment when she watches her own death, and sees in it Admiral Adama's love for her. The decency and humanity that we all love in him is finally seen by her from an outside perspective. And seeing his love in such a way, she finally allows herself to love him back. I can't imagine a more meaningful death than that.
Baltar's storyline, though much briefer than Roslin's, was also fascinating. The bit with the dead Centurion was par for the course so far this season, with a bit of a wink and a nod to the Original Series, but his deathbed scene was something new. We've seen him on the brink of death many times in this series, and he faced it every time like a coward. But not this time. As Roslin bandaged him the first time, his fate uncertain, his only emotion was gratitude. There was no guilt to drive his desperation, proof of his assertion that he has been transformed by the religion that Caprica Six brought into his life.
When his admission, volunteered upon request, and not blurted out as a desperate confession, drove Roslin to remove his bandages, he didn't beg her for his life, scream to let him live. His plea was quieter and more gentle. As he asked her not to do it, he could have as easily been begging on her behalf, as for his own. Either he has mastered the role of preacher as sham-artist, or he has genuinely embraced his role as prophet of the new religion.
Helo's reaction to Rebel Eight was unexpected. Still the follow-orders, get-it-done kind of guy, the violation of his wife's memories served to broaden his empathy, instead of alienating the Cylons further. The lines between Human and Cylon, right and wrong, continue to blur.
Meanwhile, D'Anna escapes the nuclear destruction of the Resurrection Hub as the sole remaining Three now left in the universe. She is effectively human, as unique and one-of-a-kind as any homo sapiens. It makes her more of a wild-card, and casts her immediately in a more relatable light. Here is a woman who holds the answers to some of the great questions, and she's using them as a bargaining chip as part of her new focus primarily on self-preservation.
After all of the online speculation about the trailer clip implying that Roslin is the final Cylon, I loved the punchline that D'Anna was just screwing with Roslin. The bit effectively confirms Roslin's human status, which is a relief. Having either of the two leaders being a Cylon would cheapen what has happened even more than the reveals at the end of the third season did. For that reason, I don't want any of the key levers of power within the human ranks (Adama, Roslin, Apollo, Starbuck, Helo, Zarek) to be the final Cylon.
Last week's episode was awkward in every way that this one was smooth. Easily my favorite episode of the season, and probably one of my favorites for the entire series -- if only for the last scene: "I love you." "...About time." The happiness in her reaction moved me to the core, as it did my wife. Elosha gave them the chance to have a life together before she's gone.
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"Pronouncing the first 'r' in 'February' is like making a homemade seaQuest DSV uniform -- it's a crime
against breeding, taste, intelligence, and humanity itself; and very few people appreciate the effort."
-- Lore Fitzgerald Sjoberg
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Leto II
Registered:
Jan '00
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Date Posted:
6/8 1:09am
Subject:
RE: The End of the World: The New Battlestar Galactica (Spoilers Allowed)
- Date Edited:
6/8 1:24am (3 edits total)
Edited By:
Leto II
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One more quick thing:
Word around town (i.e., from certain people close to the series in a position to know) is that the grand finale could likely be a two-to-three-hour movie (or three separate hours, like the LOST Season 4 finale). Reportedly, Sci-Fi may spring for the extra hour, meaning BSG's Season 4 would be even longer.
Also, did anyone catch the fairly obvious shot of the constellation Orion through Adama's front canopy right after the Baseship jumped in? They're clearly in Earth's immediate stellar neighborhood, now.
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against breeding, taste, intelligence, and humanity itself; and very few people appreciate the effort."
-- Lore Fitzgerald Sjoberg
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Vaderize03
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Oct '99
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Date Posted:
6/8 6:40am
Subject:
RE: The End of the World: The New Battlestar Galactica (Spoilers Allowed)
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Great analysis, Leto.
I think the discover that "plunges the fleet into chaos and despair" is what they find on Earth.
Another question:
Any word on when the final episodes will air?
I'm guessing they will show the pilot for Caprica first, then segue into the last ten episodes, sometime in January '09.
Peace,
V-03
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"Bring your pretty face to my axe....."
B-O-H-I-C-A !! (that was funny DM!)
"I'm what Willis was talking about"
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Chancellor_Ewok
Registered:
Nov '04
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Date Posted:
6/8 9:38am
Subject:
RE: The End of the World: The New Battlestar Galactica (Spoilers Allowed)
- Date Edited:
6/8 10:46am (4 edits total)
Edited By:
Chancellor_Ewok
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Bodknocks posted:
- I can't make it out, but that looks like Dualla standing next to Lee when Starbuck rushes in to stop them for giving their old pals the Jammer Treatment.
Yeah. The promo for next week's episode kind of made it look like Tigh gets airlocked.
LetoII posted:
Also, did anyone catch the fairly obvious shot of the constellation Orion through Adama's front canopy right after the Baseship jumped in?
No, I didn't notice that. I don't suppose anyone has screen cap or pic that they can post?
EDIT:That was interesting. I just caught a promo for this week's episode of Battlestar on Space. They called it the season finale. Is season 4.5 now season 5? 
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I killed a man with this thumb.
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Leto II
Registered:
Jan '00
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Date Posted:
6/8 11:14am
Subject:
RE: The End of the World: The New Battlestar Galactica (Spoilers Allowed)
- Date Edited:
6/8 11:57am (9 edits total)
Edited By:
Leto II
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All of the episodes shot since Razor are still considered part of Season 4 -- for instance, Razor's production numbers were 401 and 402; "He That Believeth In Me" is 403; "Six of One" is 404, et al.
Probably just a case of blonde-moment brain-fart on the part of the Space programmers up there.
Another scene which I forgot to single out in my previous review was that of Rebel Eight telling Helo he made her look the fool after she rallied the Cylon troops for the Colonials, doing him and Roslin a big solid, which ultimately aided the battle's outcome. And then she just walked away from him, and let him carry out his orders, when she could've simply snapped his neck and taken D'Anna with her.
If I read into that, I come away with the feeling that she was willing to let him break the alliance so that there could still be an alliance. That she was willing to do more than the Humans to earn their trust, even after learning that Natalie had died. Good stuff in an episode totally devoid of Apollo and Starbuck. I'm not a fan that has lost patience with the storylines or anything, but it's been awhile since they've been involved in some of the better arcs since the Demetrius mission ended.
As a whole, this season has definitely delivered after a couple of eps that caused people to wonder if it had lost its direction.
Speaking of Baltar, his scene where he's bleeding out and talking to Roslin really strongly reminded me of the Hybrid -- lying back, stream-of-consciousness speech, far-away stare. If both Ronald D. Moore and the Cylons hadn't already come out and said outright that Baltar wasn't one of them, I would have taken that as a huge honking hint, right there.
Vaderize03 posted:
Another question:
Any word on when the final episodes will air?
I'm guessing they will show the pilot for Caprica first, then segue into the last ten episodes, sometime in January '09.
Last I heard, this was indeed the plan; for the fall broadcast of Caprica, followed by the back-ten of Season 4, with the webisodes coming somewhere in between, prior to episode 11. The further rumored telefilms under consideration at Sci-Fi wouldn't air until late in 2009 at the earliest, as they'd be shot after BSG completes its series run.
Also, recent word is that Sci-Fi might in fact be putting in a full series-order for Caprica before the pilot even airs; this means that they'd go straight into production on the weekly series after the pilot (which has already began principal photography) finishes shooting.
Personally, I'm of two minds about this -- one the one hand, a full series commitment would indicate that the product is likely quite good (or at the very least, "commercial" enough for a mass audience), but on the other hand, the BSG producers had long months after the mini-series ended to analyze and assess what went right, what didn't, and it let them determine exactly where to put their creative firepower during the weekly series.
And most folks would agree that the series was far the better for this break; Caprica itself could likewise benefit from such a holiday, and the other factor is whether RDM decides to stay on as co-showrunner with Eick and Aubuchon.
Having a longer lead-time between pilot and series would allow them to get more scripts into the pipeline, and to fine-tune those same scripts with the advantage of 20/20 hindsight, the same as Galactica.
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"Pronouncing the first 'r' in 'February' is like making a homemade seaQuest DSV uniform -- it's a crime
against breeding, taste, intelligence, and humanity itself; and very few people appreciate the effort."
-- Lore Fitzgerald Sjoberg
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rumsmuggler
Registered:
Aug '00
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Date Posted:
6/8 12:13pm
Subject:
RE: The End of the World: The New Battlestar Galactica (Spoilers Allowed)
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The rebel 8 probably creeped the hell out of Agathon by telling him that she downloaded Athena's memories. I doubt that I would have fully trusted her either.
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" Conan, what's best in life?" " Crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentations of the women."
W.W.L.D. What Would Lando Do
"Why is the rum always gone?"
Retcons = making the dumb stuff look even dumber.
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Leto II
Registered:
Jan '00
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Date Posted:
6/8 12:20pm
Subject:
RE: The End of the World: The New Battlestar Galactica (Spoilers Allowed)
- Date Edited:
6/8 12:23pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Leto II
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Ayup...that entire time, I was just thinking how weirded out Helo must've felt right at that moment.
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"Pronouncing the first 'r' in 'February' is like making a homemade seaQuest DSV uniform -- it's a crime
against breeding, taste, intelligence, and humanity itself; and very few people appreciate the effort."
-- Lore Fitzgerald Sjoberg
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Chancellor_Ewok
Registered:
Nov '04
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Date Posted:
6/8 1:55pm
Subject:
RE: The End of the World: The New Battlestar Galactica (Spoilers Allowed)
- Date Edited:
6/8 2:41pm (2 edits total)
Edited By:
Chancellor_Ewok
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Leto II posted:
Another scene which I forgot to single out in my previous review was that of Rebel Eight telling Helo he made her look the fool after she rallied the Cylon troops for the Colonials, doing him and Roslin a big solid, which ultimately aided the battle's outcome. And then she just walked away from him, and let him carry out his orders, when she could've simply snapped his neck and taken D'Anna with her.
The thought that I had during that scene is that because she has Athena's memories, she knows Helo well enough to know that he's not lying when he says that he doesn't agree with his orders and that he's not afraid of saying so, even to Roslin or Adama.
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For more information about the crack spider's bitch contact the Canadian Wildlife Service in Ottawa.
I robbed the second largest bank in France using only a ballpoint pen
I killed a man with this thumb.
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Juliet316
Title: SFF Trivia Winner
Registered:
Apr '05
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Date Posted:
6/8 9:48pm
Subject:
RE: The End of the World: The New Battlestar Galactica (Spoilers Allowed)
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Depending on whether Sci - Fi Channel's Shows are covered by AFTRA or SAG, they may get a long break in between anyhow come June 30th.
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Vaderize03
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Oct '99
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Date Posted:
6/9 3:48am
Subject:
RE: The End of the World: The New Battlestar Galactica (Spoilers Allowed)
- Date Edited:
6/9 3:49am (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Vaderize03
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Despite all the buzz, I doubt they'll be another strike.
Anyhoo, the show will be finished shooting by the end of the month.
An actor's strike affects Caprica far more than the conclusion of BSG, at this point. Also, shows that are almost near completion, such as Battlestar, may get an exemption to finish a finale, or "pickups", should a strike occur, which probably wouldn't happen until at least mid-July.
Even if a strike occurs, I do not think it affects airing new shows once they are filmed, unless RDM and the crew refuse to work on the filmed episodes out of solidarity with the actors, which is a distinct but still unlikely possibility (and I don't know if that is legal for them, contractually).
Peace,
V-03
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"Bring your pretty face to my axe....."
B-O-H-I-C-A !! (that was funny DM!)
"I'm what Willis was talking about"
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Jedimarine
Registered:
Feb '01
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Date Posted:
6/9 5:42am
Subject:
RE: The End of the World: The New Battlestar Galactica (Spoilers Allowed)
- Date Edited:
6/9 5:45am (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Jedimarine
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Ok...where to begin.
Took the whole weekend to process the episode.
Not really...but it turned out this way.
Anyway...yeah...they got me on Roslin...it so could've worked, especially given he inner conflict...to have reached that peace and saved Baltar, and then get that bomb dropped on her...but no...ok...fine, she's not a Cylon...she's just the most evil human left alive...but then, perhaps this episode is a fresh face on that too.
Until there is a power struggle between Apollo and her when they meet back up.
Anyway...
1) Did anyone wonder how it is the "panicking" hybrid was still staying on mission? I mean, was it really necessary? Couldn't they just spring the rebel plan into action and not have the hybrid "freak"? They left us with the impression that something entirely different was about to happen, and they ended up going along as was laid out for us.
2) Ok, The Sharon monologue to the pilots was some of the worst writing I've heard in this series...that was a lowpoint for the episode...while the pilots reaction was very good.
The digitally assembled group of cylon pilots looked it...very specific frame and such...don't know if they ran out of time there or what.
3) I thought the rejuve ship traveled alone? where did the other basestars come from?
4) As wrong as I was about Roslin...I am so going to see Baltar surrounded by toasters by the end of this show...Yes, it was sad that his new "friend" got blown up...but he wasn't just preaching to one toaster...they all know what he said...expect GREAT things there in short order...and as someone else said, Baltar has slipped right over from self-interested toad to self-righteous maniac...the look in his eyes as he speaks to the Centurion...perhaps the pressure of the situation, or the opportunity it presents away from Galactica and Roslin's powerbase...Baltar has crossed a point of no return.
5) The Helo/Sharon bit could make this very bad, especially if it takes a long time to get back to the fleet. I could see Helo turning on Roslin for the comfort of a psuedo wife...and then, all kinds of issues when they get back to the fleet and Helo is faced with the face that his wife really is like an exact twin...a million in a million.
6) And Yeah...as much as I hate Roslin...it was a good moment at the end with Adama...maybe a sign of better times to come.
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JediWampa
Registered:
Feb '00
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Date Posted:
6/9 6:31am
Subject:
RE: The End of the World: The New Battlestar Galactica (Spoilers Allowed)
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Jedimarine posted:
1) Did anyone wonder how it is the "panicking" hybrid was still staying on mission? I mean, was it really necessary? Couldn't they just spring the rebel plan into action and not have the hybrid "freak"? They left us with the impression that something entirely different was about to happen, and they ended up going along as was laid out for us.
They HAD to have the hybrid stay on track. Two reasons - They had to get to the Res-Hub to get D'Anna back, so that part had to go forward so D'Anna can reveal the 5. The Hybrid had to do it because Roslin insisted on reactivating the Hybrid to ask it a question. When reawakened, the first thing it did was jump the BaseStar. So, if they would have pulled the plug again, since they didn't know at the time they were still on-mission, they would have assumed it was a random jump and been lost, so, again, they had to trust the Hybrid to get them where they needed to go...
3) I thought the rejuve ship traveled alone? where did the other basestars come from?
The other faction of the Cylon Civil War were already there to bring back D'Anna. It wasn't a guard or escort or anything, the 'other guys' just got there first...
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