Well, Starbuck is my favorite character (by a hair), so that's the position I'm coming from, here. I would agree very strongly with sisabet, that in order to get the full picture of Starbuck's character, you really need to see the rest of the series, particularly considering the episodes you've seen. There are only 13 episodes (plus the mini), so it won't take up a ton of your time, and I think it's very well worth it, both to get to know Kara better and to get to know all the characters and the universe better. But, for what it's worth, the episodes that really made me fall in love with her were Act of Contrition (1x04) and You Can't Go Home Again (1x05), as well as Flesh and Bone (1x08).
I would disagree with your dad's assessment of her, in a way. I don't think she's untrustworthy--unpredictable, maybe, though even that's not quite right, since I think Lee's (Apollo) occasional lapses of control are a lot less predictable than Starbuck's habitual hotdogging and flouting of authority. She's predictably unpredictable, if that makes sense. And she is fiercely loyal to her comrades and friends, which goes a long way with me. She's also abrasive and messed-up, but there are reasons for that, and it's that combination of vulnerability and ass-kicking that really gets me. And I love her sense of humor and fun, which is much-needed on this very dark show.
I also think that, aside from having been a flight instructor, Kara hasn't exactly achieved great heights in the military. She was posted/accepted a post to a decrepit old battlestar, based on a personal relationship with its Commander, and she hasn't risen above the rank of Lieutenant (and quite possibly never would have). She's definitely not suited to command, I don't think--at least as we see her now--and we see her succeed at it temporarily in "Hand of God," but there's not much indication that she's known for being particularly good at much beyond flying and, occasionally, tactics.
But basically, I'll go back to what Sisabet said... first impressions are, of course, valid, but if you want to understand why people love Starbuck, that's hard to do without having seen the majority of her character development.
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Date: 2005-07-27 05:19 pm (UTC)Well, Starbuck is my favorite character (by a hair), so that's the position I'm coming from, here. I would agree very strongly with
I would disagree with your dad's assessment of her, in a way. I don't think she's untrustworthy--unpredictable, maybe, though even that's not quite right, since I think Lee's (Apollo) occasional lapses of control are a lot less predictable than Starbuck's habitual hotdogging and flouting of authority. She's predictably unpredictable, if that makes sense. And she is fiercely loyal to her comrades and friends, which goes a long way with me. She's also abrasive and messed-up, but there are reasons for that, and it's that combination of vulnerability and ass-kicking that really gets me. And I love her sense of humor and fun, which is much-needed on this very dark show.
I also think that, aside from having been a flight instructor, Kara hasn't exactly achieved great heights in the military. She was posted/accepted a post to a decrepit old battlestar, based on a personal relationship with its Commander, and she hasn't risen above the rank of Lieutenant (and quite possibly never would have). She's definitely not suited to command, I don't think--at least as we see her now--and we see her succeed at it temporarily in "Hand of God," but there's not much indication that she's known for being particularly good at much beyond flying and, occasionally, tactics.
But basically, I'll go back to what Sisabet said... first impressions are, of course, valid, but if you want to understand why people love Starbuck, that's hard to do without having seen the majority of her character development.