BSG He That Believeth In Me, first thoughts

What a great start to the last season of Television's Greatest Show.  And those that are leery of such an honorific, know that I was just as leery of it myself until I watched it and realized that it is the only honorific with which to describe this show.

Recently the thought about what is the most Religiously Themed television show on right now has been raised.

Obviously the new show on ABC, Eli Stone, would have to be considered.

The show it follows (duh, people, LOST, stay with me here) has lots of religious themes (often pointed out by yours truly every Friday following a new episode).

Last Thursday was the return of My Name Is Earl, and the show has always had an underlying idea of religion, but it became more blatant last week with one of the finest episodes the show has ever had.  (Paris Hilton notwithstanding.  She was horrible, even playing herself.  It wasn't funny and was completely unnecessary, making me even more impressed with the Britney Spears performance a few weeks ago on HIMYM.)

But I think that the actual answer to the question is none other then BSG itself, and the premiere episode looked like it will continue that into the fourth season.

Dr. Baltar (the best and most complicated "bad guy" in television history) is now the messenger for the One True God amongst the religious pluralist human survivors and their gods of Kobal.  As I've rewatched the earlier seasons recently I've come to the conclusion that the 6 in Baltar's head and the Baltar in 6's head are some manifestation of God, or Angels of God as imaginary 6 said earlier in the Series.

That being said, I don't think that the Cylons have a good handle on what it is that God is or wants, as often Baltar and Caprica 6 are at odds not only with the survivors, but with the Cylons as well, following a separate path all together.  They get points for recognizing that Zeus, Hera, Apollo, et al. are mythical and that there is only one true God, but they're understanding of that God (and actions because of it) are very Old Testament (with the understanding that the God of the Hebrew Bible is actually misunderstood, so there really isn't an Old Testament and New Testament God, they are the same, and the characteristics of God are consistent in both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, but that is a post for another time, and probably my other blog).

How odd would it be if Baltar gives the Cylons a New Testament understanding?

Meanwhile, Starbuck has returned from the dead (wow, resurrection, what do you know) setting up an interesting quandary, who are we going to side with, President Roslin or Starbuck?

The scrolls tell us that a dying leader (President Roslin) will lead humanity to safe haven (Earth) but not live to see it (Moses, see why this show is the most Religiously Themed yet?).  Her belief is that the reappearance of Starbuck is somehow a Cylon trick.

The fact that Apollo saw Starbuck's ship explode and that the Chief has shown that Starbuck's Viper is not actually the one she left in but a completely new version seem to back the President.

It's Starbuck, though, and Leobin (I know he's a Cylon, but still, he seemed to know what he was talking about) said that Starbuck had an important destiny in regards to Earth.  Starbuck also has pictures and remembers Saturn, although she has no idea that the planet was called Saturn and seeing that no one else has been to Earth, no one else has an idea that seeing Saturn means Starbuck was likely actually at Earth.

I personally think that Starbuck has been to Earth and that the fleet does need to follow her.

That being said, I can't agree with her decision to try and make the President listen to her.  I don't think Laura Roslin will respond very well to a gun in her face.

I can't wait to see what happens next.

Until Next Time, I think that it was funny who sponsored the episode when it was shown early online.  The episode was brought to us by Intel Inside and Iron Man.  The Intel commercials were about computers becoming alive and Iron Man is about a robot looking thing that kicks butt, both of which totally reminded my of Cylons.  I wonder if that was intentional or not.