Battlestar Galactica 4x15 Reaction!! "No Exit"

My first time watching season 4 episode 15 of Battlestar Galactica - No Exit
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Hi, I'm Chris! Welcome to my channel. I react to movies & tv shows hoping to represent what it's really like to experience them for the first time. If you enjoy, you can support me by liking the video, subscribing to the channel, and letting me know your thoughts in the comments.
HOLY INFORMATION DUMP BATMAN! This was an AMAZING episode and wow I can’t wait to see how all this new information plays out in the final batch of episodes.
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Original Series: Battlestar Galactica (2004)

[@dougmoodie8713]

When Cavill rages about his human limitations, im always drawn to the death scene in blade runner when Rutger Hauers robot character talks about the wonders he’s seen. The contrast in their outlooks is amazing

About Daniel - the reason he exists is because of Sharon (or, more specifically, Grace Park, the actress playing Number Eight). At the beginning, the actors playing humanoid Cylons were allowed to pick their numbers, and Park picked eight, because "there are twelve models". Once the Final Five showed up as a concept separate from the Cylons shown thus far, number eight became a problem, because those numbers weren't adding up. And so, another model of the same "type" as the other seven was invented and killed off in the past with everyone's memories removed so the numbers would fit - the Earth Cylons created eight models (thus allowing the show to have been correct in having Number Eight) but one of them is no longer alive (therefore the number of 12 models in total is correct). Side note: Older brother killing his younger because their maker enjoyed the fruits of the younger brother's labour more? How biblical.

[@Educated2Extinction]

Gotta give 'em credit for making the effort, as opposed to GOT and Gendry's magical rescue run, the impossibility of which the showrunners dismissed with "most people don't care".

[@adam1third]

I loved this episode. The anger and contempt that Cavil has for Ellen and his viewpoint on being a machine was such an amazing stretch of writing and acting.

[@derrisreaditbefore]

THANK you Chris, I love how invested you are with the series, and while I know in real time you've finished the finale, I can't wait to share the final stretch. As someone else already commented, the Daniel model was possibly the only obvious retro-fit in closing out the loose ends BUT it also gave the writers something monstrous to lay at the feet of Cavil. Where up until this point he was the 'worst' and most petty of the Cylon models, when we get this act on top of the other scripted motivations, he becomes chillingly Machiavellian. Kate Vernon shows her serious acting chops from this point out. Her Ellen without the cylon memories is still present in the 'updated' presence we have now. One with a core of mother-ness and caring, where she clearly wants the best for her 'children' and her sadness that Cavil doesn't understand is obvious. Getting to see her interact with Dean Stockwell in this episode was enthralling, together they were compellingly convincing as part of a dysfunctional family. You said it yourself, even though this episode wasn't the break-neck, action-packed craziness of the last couple, there's an intensity that doesn't let you go. Very much looking forward to next week!

[@chrisfraser5088]

What an episode! Now you know the real Cavill. At the end of the end day, he’s a broken little boy who never quite grew up. Evil, to be sure. But tragic as well. And the first time I saw the damage to Galactica…it genuinely broke my heart. 😢 Our guardian angel may be mortally wounded, and it’s almost too much to bear.

[@darthroden]

I would classify Cavill as insane. He's evil for sure, but ironically not irredeemable. Wait till he gets to The Plan and this becomes clear (no spoilers).

[@GoobiesFunZone]

The dying leader is supposed to have a wasting disease that means she would not live to enter the new land. This fits the Battlestar to a T, as she is dying a slow death Galactica was a leader in the sense that she was the flagship, and would have lead a battle group before the exodus even. Her wasting disease was of course the metal fatigue that eventually killed her.

[@guyvanooteghem8531]

This really is a heavy exposition episode. The loose ends are being tied up, and I love it.

I don't know if this was the intention (though it feels quite likely), but "No Exit" is the name of the famous Jean-Paul Sartre's play (the one with the quote "Hell is other people").

[@ghostsurfer23]

A lot of the bigger TV shows I watch, I only watch once. Because of this, I tend to only remember the broad strokes of some of them, BSG included. However, one plot point I always go back to, or look at recaps of, is the story of the Final Five. It's really what ties the plot of the entire show together, and it is so good. I also forgot how good the Cavil/Number 1 stuff is, about how he wants to be less Human, how he should be able to see Gamma Rays and hear X-Rays. A demi-god raging against his divine parent, really; great writing/character work.

[@paulpenna5615]

Daniel is only important to "John's" backstory. And it establishes why Sharon is Eight, when we've only met Seven regular human Cylon models. There are only 12 human Cylon models, there were 13, but Daniel is dead and gone. The name Daniel is slightly significant. But you'll only learn why if you watch *Caprica (2010).* I do love this episode. It is one of my favourites.

[@joseliano325]

There are some very interesting fan theories about #8 Daniel. These were once dismissed by Ron Moore, but most think that even he overlooked the connections. Details, after a later episode.

[@ItsNyssa]

I can't wait to dump all my thoughts in your comment session when the series is over. I love this show so much and have really enjoyed your reactions.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Thanks for waiting!! :) after this episode I looked at my calendar and made some changes to move the finale date a little closer. It’s looking like May 13th for channel members. Assuming I don’t fall behind. I gave myself an aggressive schedule for the next few weeks.

[@ItsNyssa]

YAY! What I can say about this episode is Iove the shift in Ellen. This much more thoughtful and ....intentional person is so much more interesting to me.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

Oh yea! I don’t think I even commented on it, but that was so great. Her transition in the opening immediately eradicated any remaining doubt about the choice to make her a cylon.

[@russellward4624]

I love this episode. For me, this is the show and why the cylons did what they did and I would have liked more of Cavil's story and motivations. Its just so interesting.

[@davidedwards1705]

14:54 Welcome to our world. We had to wait weeks thankfully you don't.

[@gogaonzhezhora8640]

Now you understand better why he is called Cavill. Constantly caviling with his "mom". It's hilarious that in the presence of Helen he becomes a petulant child. And he dislikes the name John originally given to him which is also meaningful.

[@DugTheDog]

I want to see Gamma Rays, I want to hear X rays...

[@BrianKoppe]

Daniel is, in fact, a throwaway fact. Much like Hotdog being Nicky's father, its them closing loose ends. When they decided that Boomer was Number 8 (of 12) they hadn't yet conceived of the Final Five. Once they introduced the Final Five, it wouldn't make sense for any of them to be Number 7, mixed in with the other models. So they invented Daniel to explain away the missing Number 7. That's all it is. There are a lot of fan theories about Daniel, but that's all they are - fan theories with no basis at all in the actual writing of the show. (And, for what it's worth, none of them make any sense and all require jumping through various hoops to explain away ways in which they contradict what the show clearly shows us.)

[@gogaonzhezhora8640]

It is still very fine how they made John a brother murderer. That's important from the religion perspective that is so very present in the show.

[@BrianKoppe]

@@gogaonzhezhora8640 Definitely. I think BSG actually does a pretty good job with incorporating retcons like Daniel into the story. Didn't mean to imply otherwise. I just think acknowledging the real-world reasons behind these retcons helps avoid placing any more importance on them than what's on the surface.

[@MHLegacy]

(08:50) Oh my God, I forgot all about those commercials until you said that! That is totally the guy. Now, where's Justin Long? 🤣

[@CasualNerdReactions]

He probably played Daniel, but they cut his scene.

[@menolikey_]

Damnit. Don't wait!

[@youdyed]

I've seen this show 5 times, haven't put it together until now. Ellen made "John" in the image of her father. How did she get Saul out of New Caprica detention again? Let that sink in.

[@CasualNerdReactions]

She didn’t know at the time, but she’ll have the memory forever.

[@hazarozgen6508]

@@CasualNerdReactions yeah, but HE did.

[@tenchraven]

And with what we've learned from Cavil, from John, about who he was patterned after in appearance, look at a Six. Then look at Ellen. Then at Caprica. Then at Ellen. When we learned that Saul was was one of the Five, I started joking about Caprica's "daddy issues". And after this episode... 🤢The new question is, did John think that Boomer would take Ellen? As for Galactica... "The ship is my mother. She shelters me from the night and the storm, she protects me from my enemies. She takes me and my sisters and my brothers home. And I shall protect her, for if she flounders, if she is lost, I will be lost. Adrift."

[@GoobiesFunZone]

R u going to watch blood an chrome and the plan

[@Sephiroth144]

Reproducing the "normal" way...? RACIST! Daniel was a hole filler; with the Final Five not being "normal" Cylons (honestly, being completely different), that meant The Eights needed an explanation Fun fact; Raya Yarbrough, Bear's (now) wife, and I ran into each other a lot while the show was airing- we kept debating which one of us was the 13th Cylon; we reached detente with Raya getting to be the 13th, but I was the Zeroth. (Daniel who?)

[@cathyvickers9063]

Watching Boomer be broken is so painful...