I saw it tonight at the preview in the theater thing and while it wasn't as good as the best Galactica episode, it was very good. Also, disturbing and bloody. Let's just say that Admiral Cain deserved her reputation. And there's some disturbing Kara stuff. And I still wish the regular episodes were airing now, but it's better than nothing. Also, they have the original Toasters and their equipment in spades.
It leaked to the net a week or so back, so I'm guessing some of you have seen it there or at one of the other previews around the country. So to discuss what we've learned... Spoilers below this point.
This is rampant theorizing based on just having seen every episode and some of what RDM has said on the podcast.
My current theory about how the series will end is that they'll get to Earth, find the ruins/abandoned buildings of a prior human civilization, and then start setting up base there, only to be attacked by the Cylons. At the last moment there's some act of compassion/forgiveness by the humans (or the cylon/human hybrid baby) that brings about peace and an eventual merging of the humans/humanform cylons that brings about the end of the human race. Or, they find Earth inhabited by a Cylon or Cylon/Human civilization that they merge into.
So I've been wondering if the hybrid, being a creature of obvious evil birth, has a viewpoint that is twisted to see the evil to the extent that he views the end of the human race in the terms he is comfortable with, thus apocalypse. Obviously the (evil) path of procreation by taking apart humans/injecting human women with Cylon embryos hasn't worked, or if it does it does only halfway — as with this original Hybrid and the others (though those don't seem to be human other than in looks). The only one that does appear to be normal/good is the baby, though obviously as a baby it doesn't really do much, and could pretty easily turn out to be Lucifer. But right now it's cute and saved Laura, so let's assume an innate goodness not explicitly stated by action.
The Cylons do seem to believe in a moral God based on the Judeo-Christian one, though the Cylon's actions (at least the original 7) do seem heavily slanted towards the old Testament god (which would seem to invoke the need for a Christ figure). Now, regardless of at a singular christ figure emerging (though Gaius looks like he may be playing that part, we'll see if he is speaking falsely soon) it does follow that the Cylons need Humanity's forgiveness, and Humanity needs the Cylons' numbers to procreate and survive.
The setup for Gaius being a messianic figure for the (12) Cylons seems decently well set up (though less so if he's number 12, and more so if the humans are the "children of god"). It would also seem that if the twelve Cylon models are each a disciple, that the last one would probably end up being Judas. And since Starbuck doesn't seem to have an omni-magical reset button on her, coupled with the "leading the humans to their end" talk by the (evil) hybrid, well, she seems a natural choice. Also she is somewhat heathen, what with that Arrow of Apollo bit. I'm not a bible scholar, Mr. Tweedy could probably find more parallels if they exist.
It does seem like this will be the season that the religious component comes out in spades — the preview of Season Four had Gaius with even longer hair and some kind of brown robe thing. Also, he's doing the laying on of hands to heal people. Which is a bit creepy coming from him.
Wow. That's a lot longer than I expected it to be. Anyway, feel free to nitpick/propose alternate explanations. I can probably come up with references if asked.
Edit: I just realized that there are two hybrid babies — Boomer and Helo's and the Chief and Callie's. Probably should have realized that months ago, did not. And they're opposite genders (Nicholas and Hera, which name-wise are from opposing traditions). Now I feel stupid.
Five bucks there's a "18-25 years later" sequence.
