There aren’t many shows on the air that are devoid of complicated love triangles and relationship dramas, even when those shows are set in the cold depths of space. In the third season of Battlestar Galactica, the emotional tension and romantic entanglements really ratcheted up to epic proportions. Throughout the first two seasons of the Sci Fi Channel series, it became quite obvious that Lee “Apollo” Adama and Kara “Starbuck” Thrace were madly in love with each other, even if they had trouble admitting it. Their refusal to admit to their feelings eventually led Apollo to marry Lt. Dualla (Kandyse McClure), while Starbuck got hitched to Sam Anders. This, of course, led to both of them cheating on their spouses and eventually beating each other to a bloody pulp. Where should this crazy mess of a romance go when Battlestar Galactica returns for a fourth season?
The way that Apollo (Jamie Bamber) and Starbuck acted in season 3 turned off a significant portion of the BSG fanbase. Both of them were cruel to their spouses and to each other throughout much of the season, and it took them much too long to call off their scandalous affair. On many shows, such as Smallville or Grey’s Anatomy, the requisite on-again, off-again couple is painted in a soft light where they’re always romantically pining for one another. It’s easy for the audience to root for them to eventually get together. That’s not the case on Battlestar Galactica. Starbuck and Apollo both have so many issues that it’s impossible to decide if they’re good for each other or if they should never interact again.
Of course, their already complicated relationship will become even more complex in season 4, thanks to Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff) coming back from the dead. Is she a Cylon? Is she a ghost? Is she something else entirely? I think these questions need to be answered before there can be any further romantic involvement between her and Apollo. And let’s not forget the marriage issue, which also poses a problem. It seems obvious that both Apollo and Starbuck married the wrong people, but that doesn’t mean they’ll do anything to rectify it anytime soon.
Though some fans are ridiculously fed up with the Starbuck/Apollo drama, I have to admit that I actually want to see them together in the end. They make each other more interesting and bring out the sort of messy, complicated feelings that great romances are made of. However, I don’t want to see them together until they get their issues straightened out. That could take decades, or, at the very least, until the series finale.
– Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
(Image courtesy of the Sci Fi Channel)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
