So...just finished Exodus pt. 2 last night. Just...wow. This whole story arc of the occupation of New Caprica was really good and definitely makes this show a VERY close runner up for best sci-fi show on TV (behind TSCC, of course). And even aside from all the other coolness, the arc was very emotionally satisfying as well. They really nailed giving a perfect mix of triumph at the cost of great personal tragedy.
It also sets up some really great story lines. For one thing, the occupation and exodus should, for all intents and purposes, unite the surviving colonists. I am sure an underlying theme in ongoing episodes will be the tension between this newfound unity vs. the types of division that are sure to naturally spring up for a variety of reasons.
So...humans vs. Cylons. Interesting dynamic. This occupation likely will have made the Cylons' actions toward humanity even more personal to the colonists. The dialog between Baltar and Three toward the end of the episode plays on this. He tells her the Cylons should just leave. And her response is basically, "What then? You'll tell your children about how the evil Cylons tried to wipe out and then enslave humanity, and they will tell their children, and eventually, they will set out to find us and pay us back." The unspoken response, of course, is: "Well, yeah. You DID try to wipe us out and then enslave us. They will probably be consequences for that that cannot simply be erased. But that will just have to dealt with later." This sets up a really interesting dynamic. All in all, any chance for peace is all but gone. The Cylons completely stirred up the hornet's nest, and I think there is likely a renewed fire in the minds and hearts of the Colonials to fight back. Only problem is, they simply do not have the resources. Althought it hasn't been revealed, I would guess they are in even worse shape now than when they first left Caprica, except they may have more vipers. Pegasus is gone, and likely a lot of resources with it. Gallactica is severely damaged. There are less civilian ships. A lot of resources were likely left behind on New Caprica--and given the long stay there, the ships themselves were likely VERY light on resources when they left. And a lot of people have died. The Colonials are in no shape for a fight whatsoever. Yet I'm sure they are itching for one. Interested to see how this plays out.
What about the government? It's logical Roslyn will retake control with no opposition whatsoever. Zarek looks likely to back her, at least for now, and it wouldn't surprise me if he became VP. Down the road? Who knows? Zarek is likely a VERY changed man, but he still doesn't strike me as the type to play nice when he has his own agenda to fullfil. And surely there are others with ambitions as well.
What about the collaborators? The audience I think sympathizes with Gaita because we know a lot more about him than any of the characters do. But as far as the Colonials are concerned, he has some serious 'splaining to do. Similar with Jammer. I'm pretty sure Tyrol and others saw him remove his mask, revealing that he was part of the Cylon police force. He and others will have some things to answer for. Given that the title of the next episode is "Collaborators," I'm sure some of this will be dealt with in short order.
What about Sharon? She's a Cylon in the fleet. Just...wow. This is going to cause some tensions I'm sure. And she and Helo are inevitably going to bring the issue of Hera being alive to a head. Should be interesting.
And what about other Cylons in the fleet? This is really interesting to think about on so many levels. Okay, here's my Cylon count so far in terms of models revealed:
-No. 1: (Cavill)
-No. 2: (Leoben)
-No. 3 (D'Anna Biers)
-No. 4 (Simon)
-No. 5: (Doral)
-No. 6:
-No. 8: (Sharon)
5 undiscovered models (I know what some are, but not others). Some or all of which likely have copies among the fleet. What do? Going back to Adama's conversation on this subject with Sharon, I'm still surprised that he failed to ask the most important question in that dialog. He asked whether she would reveal the other Cylons in the fleet. She said no. The mandatory follow-up question is "why not?" Is she choosing not to? Is she unable to? The answer to this question is perhaps the single most crucial piece of information he can gain from her and could reveal a lot about her motives and the Cylons' plans. Maybe she doesn't know. Maybe per programming actively prevents her from revealing that. Maybe she is sympathetic to the cause(s) some of them may have. Maybe they just want to be left alone and considered human, and she doesn't want to betray that. Maybe they don't know what they are. Lots of possibilities. But especially now that she is an officer, Adama needs to know WHY she won't or can't tell him. This needs to play out soon for the writers to hold their credibility.
What about Starbuck? She has gone through some devastating psychological and emotional manipulation that I am sure will have ramifications.
Lots more questions and comments I could make, but I have to work, so that's enough for now. I may not even watch anymore episodes for a little while. Yeah, there are lots of questions and loose ends (I didn't even really get into issues about what the other Cylons outside the fleet may be up to). But right now, I think I'll just bask in the feeling that everything is okay for now, now that they are freed and the Cylons temporarily beaten.