April 23, 2008: My Battlestar Galactica Theory
We've been watching the entire series of Battlestar Galatica in a row from season one up to season four (including Razor, airborne fisticuffs and all). A small cabal of our friends comes over, watches a few episodes, and then theorizes about what we've seen.
My latest theory, simplified:
We have not yet seen a human being in the series. They're ALL Cylons. Some generations of Cylon are simply more advanced or aware than others.
A common phrase throughout the series is that "this has happened before and will happen again." I take that to mean that each generation of humanoid Cylons builds a generation of Cylons to follow that then rebel against it.
The successive generations are jealous of the preceding ones for their closer proximity to the source, humanity. They aspire to have the feelings, passions, and free will they assume their creators have--but don't because they're Cylons, too!
Only the people of the thirteenth tribe on Earth are really human. They built the first generation of Cylons long ago and fled. Then those Cylons built new ones, and those built new ones, and so on--each generation with greater angst about being further from the source.
It's also possible that the thirteenth tribe are actually Cylons, too. Then the original humans are just further back.
That seems to be the only way to explain the effectiveness in the series of prophecy and Kara Thrace's latent "destiny": certain Cylons of every generation are programmed to do certain things at certain times.
What about free will? Characters like Adama and Tigh, with all their flaws, demonstrate that it isn't our source that matters but the decisions we make with the limited information or even programming that we have. That's the humanistic message of the series: where we come from isn't as important as where we choose to go.
If that isn't what's going on in BSG, it should be. Most of the other explanations would be feeble indeed, and the reveal of the final Cylon can't be as dramatic as all the build-up has made it.
Either that or the final Cylon is Boxey.
Comments
I have two theories that I actually wouldn't like to see as the end of the series, but may fit their current clues:
1) It has all been an elaborate simulation by the Cylons that tests scenarios for different encounters with humanity. (b/c of the 'this has happened before, it will happen again' comments)
2) The 'Starbuck will lead humanity to Earth / Doom' suggests to me that the 13th tribe may already be dead, slaughtered by their own Cylon equivalents. And wil proceed to destroy the remainder of the fleet and possibly their inferior Cylon counterparts.
Neither ending is good.
Posted by: Richard | May 7, 2008 1:57 PM
yep....I was was watching the last show and it all just clicked for me. The only way that they all could be having this premonitions and visions is if they were all cylons. That good ending too to the show. I did a google tonight to see if anyone else has this theory. Seems like just you and me. I am 99% we are right:)
Posted by: nick | July 5, 2008 12:24 AM
My roommate and I have just finished watching the 3rd season and we have come to this same conclusion.
We are a bit behind, obviously ...but it really seems the only way the series can tie up all the mysticism and such.
I wouldn't mind such a plot at all.. and even feeling 99% sure that it is the correct assumption to make doesn't make me want to see the rest of the series any less.
Even if I somehow discovered I was right for certain I'd still want to see how it played out. The series has incredible drama and great stories, but the acting and the "way it's told" are what draw me in.
Posted by: Fred | July 26, 2008 11:18 AM