Battlestar Galactica: Season 2-05: The Farm

The Best Scenes in BSG 205:

There"s More Than Crops Growing on "The Farm"

By Koenigrules

We finally get a stand-alone episode, with a very interesting (and even chilling) storyline where more of the Cylon Master Plan is revealed.  Of course, threads from other episodes continue: President Roslin, Zarek and Lee head toward the planet Kobol with a third of the fleet; a recovered Adama assumes command once more amidst cheers from the crew; and Cally is incarcerated for 30 days due to her unauthorized discharging of a firearm (which led to the death of sleeper Cylon agent Boomer in 204).  But this episode is all Starbuck"s and what happens to her when she is wounded in a Cylon attack on the resistance.  So without further ado…. 

The most fascinating exchanges are between Starbuck and the doctor overseeing her care in the "resistance hospital", known only as the mysterious Simon.  He keeps doping her up so she is not conscious for long periods of time.  But when she is awake, Simon discusses that her real function as a woman is to have children, not fly Vipers.  Kara disagrees with his reasoning and when he presses on that a child of abusive parents (like her) does not want to bring new life into the world because of the experienced trauma, she breaks down.  Here we see the sensitive side to Lieutenant Starbuck and are provided with more of her history. 

But, our female heroine quickly snaps back to her Amazon Warrior mode, removes the intravenous tube that is feeding her the powerful medication, stabs Simon rather fiercely in the neck, then gets on her feet, and begins to scout out the territory.  What she finds in one wing of the hospital is probably one of the most horrifying scenes of the entire scenes: women resistance fighters are strapped to breeding machines in which hybrid human-Cylon organisms are attempting to be genetically engineered-  with the female reproductive organs serving as the vessels for these obscene, Frankenstein-like creations.  Naturally, Starbuck puts an end to these abominable experiments by smashing the machines. 

Even though she is rescued by Anders" group, Kara learns through the Boomer copy (who has returned) that this hospital is really one of many "farms" on Caprica where these breeding programs have been established to produce the Cylon"s desired offspring as the Cylons cannot reproduce on their own.  And then it hits the viewer between the eyes: Kara has a second scar on her body where surgery was performed.  One can only guess that something has been implanted in her- but what exactly?  And will she be a breeder vessel for the Cylons?  The open-endedness of this episode is clearly meant to disturb the viewer. 

There are several romantic moments for Starbuck in "The Farm": the first is when she plays around with Anders at the opening of the episode, and the second is at the end when she kisses him goodbye, promising to return as she grasps the Arrow of Apollo & heads back towards the fleet.  Clearly, Kara has a destiny to help the fleet find Earth with the arrow.  But is her destiny also intertwined with the Cylons?  No doubt, those answers will be forthcoming.   

Two other very emotional scenes are played out in 205.  One deals with Lee Adama attempting to denounce his father publicly so that he can convert more people to Roslin"s cause.  But it soon becomes apparent that Lee is not going to be manipulated by Tom Zarek or Laura Roslin, and would rather the fleet come around on their own that his tarnishing Adama"s image.  Lee is definitely showing strong leadership qualities once again. 

There is a puzzling sequence with Adama too.  He looks at Boomer"s body in the morgue, breaks down and cries for several minutes as he recalls her shooting him in the command center.  To put this scene in perspective, Adama did reveal something interesting to Chief Tyrol earlier in the episode.  He asks the Chief, "Can you love a machine?" and then tells him that Boomer "was a living, breathing human being."  His later breakdown might be explained in the following manner: he regards the Cylons not just as machines, but as a life form that can be loved.  And if Adama has adopted this position, then his stereotype of the Cylons being mere silicon relays can no longer be accepted.  Maybe this is the change that Ron Moore has envisioned for the Commander this season.  If it is, it will be interesting to see Adama"s character unfold in future episodes. 

Because this episode is the first to discuss the Cylon Plan in more detail, I rate this a 9 out of 10.  It puts Baltar"s future offspring in perspective.  And it gives some indication as to the pivotal role Kara Thrace will play in the human and Cylon destinies.