CLOSING UP SHOP

Hey kids, thanks for all the visits along the way and hope you liked the images and speculation. As it turns out the Last Supper image wasn't much in the way of a set of clues. Like the lame ending Ron Moore served the fans of Battlestar with his finale Daybreak Pts I & 2, there were abandoned ideas, false starts, things just ignored and meaningless atmosphere. The Last Supper image really was about Laura, Natalie, Tigh and the empty space where the grail cup is, and when using the initials plus Tigh makes it L-N-Tigh or Ellen. That's it.


As for the other "clues" in the image, Tyrol's knife could represent his ultimate needless murder of Tory over a girl he didn't really love nor want to be with and wasn't even the mother of his child since it wasn't his. Natalie had a tiny story arc and was killed by that crazy 8, hence her pointing to Athena. Kara ends up with Sam - sort of, but not really. And Laura's pot-o-burning-Kamala was never used nor referenced. Only Laura closed the book on the Old Gods, so the open and closed books really don't mean much either. And the glasses of water - maybe the actors were thirsty on the day of the shoot. On it goes.

I'll still do a posting now-and-again on the Galactica Variants site, and will finish the stories to the fan fiction site Battlestar: Variant 1 [both can be linked upper right] since now more than ever the fans need a good ending and I will give them one. But I don't intend to update this site anymore. It will just fade into oblivion.

Oh, I guess I called it right about Head-Six being an angel ... but it doesn't feel so special since I loathed the ending.

WHO'S WHO & WHAT'S WHAT

For the best breakdown of the exposition explosion we got in the No Exit episode, read Michael Hinman's piece over at SyFyPortal - he lays it all out very cleanly: how the Final Five just worked at a lab and Cavil's petty and jealous nature put all the events in motion in our story.

IT'S ALL RIGHT THERE

Ron Moore said repeatedly "It's all right there" in the Last Supper pic, so let's take another look and devine the outcome of certain characters:

Roslin: Has rejected her newfound faith in the Old Gods but probably lives until the end, and is not going to end up being the "dying leader" since the writers just kept changing things up as they went along.

Natalie-Six: She points at Athena because that crazy-8 shot her. Will she be back for revenge or to seek accomodation?

Tigh: A Final Fiver who now knows his past, he doesn't seem to believe in anything except his floozy-boozy wife, Ellen.

Grail Cup: Supposedly the stand-in for the Final Cylon - so it represents Ellen - the font of knowledge since she rediscovered resurrection tech?

Lee: The Thinking Man, perhaps thinking about how boring they made his character this season. He sits with the faction that has closed the book on the Old Gods.

Baltar: Recoiling at Head-Six - she's baaaaack! Or did the writers just abandon her to the ash-heap of story-threads-we-didn't-know-what-to-do-with ?

Head-Six: She's in the Head-Six dress we've never seen Caprica Six or any other Six wear, and she's the center, so she must be pivotal. One would think, but given how they vomited exposition in No Exit and basically ruined the story, I'm not so sure we'll see her again.

Kara: She is one of the group that lived on Cinder Earth, the lady Anders used to sing his song to with that electric guitar. Is she Daniel? She was a woman, but reborn as a man on Caprica, then a woman again as Kara because Cavil poisoned her goo tank? Manly yes, but Anders likes her too.

Anders: He seems to love Kara - because they were lovers once on Cinder Earth or because she stuck by him after he got shot, or because he saw her glowing like an Opera Houser?

Tyrol: He holds a knife and there is no Tory. I guess we know who he kills. I guess he thought her murdering Callie was wrong, despite Tory and Tyrol being a couple 2000 years earlier on Cinder Earth.

8-Sharon-Athena-Boomer: Who can tell? Probably it's Athena, mother of Hera, still loyal to her husband Helo, who is such a dull character he should die before the show ends, but since he's in the pic, maybe he lives.

Adama: Sitting alone, facing out, looking inward - bitter? He sits with the faction with the book of the Old Gods open, althoug he's never expressed any strong convictions about any religious points of view. Perhaps he is just an old saw who can't see past his own limitations.

DEVILS AND ANGELS AWAIT ?

There is a lot of speculation that Ron Moore will take the final episodes of Battlestar Galactica in the direction of gods and devils, specifically the return of Lord Iblis in some form, perhaps the Lucifer Cylon model, and Head-Six as an angel (possibly for good, or perhaps a dark angel in service to dark forces).

Other observers have pointed out that Moore has been rather faithful to story elements from the original series, so we may yet see a version of the Ship of Lights and alien Seraphs.

And this truly brilliant post from Galactica Science posits a compelling theory as to the meaning of the plant Laura picked up on cinder Earth and its relation to the Thirteenth Tribe, the snakes she saw on her hands (my observation), the 13th sign of the Zodiac, and more.

L N Tigh

As an anonymous poster to the comments section in the below post noted "L" (Laura) "N" (Natalie) Tigh are in a row left-to-right and the blank space next to Tigh is where Ellen would sit - next to her man. As written in Sometimes A Great Notion (see review at Galactica Variants) the reveal of Ellen as the 5th and Final Cylon works. I'm sold so far. We'll see how it spins out.

Now, if there's any truth to this, then is there anything else being spelled out in the image? [letters for most commonly used name]

LOOK AGAIN

Here is a link to a gigantic Last Supper image. Look again. We are told "the answer is staring us in the face."

ALTERNATE ENDING

Regular site visitors may know I've created an alternate ending to the one we'll be getting starting January 16th. I intend to have all 10 'episodes' done by then. Two stories are mostly done, teasers are up for all the others, and the work continues apace to complete them all. If you prefer the sleek to the gritty, science-fiction to action-adventure, and favored the mysticism and mythology of the story over the war story aspects you'll like my version. Click the link above right or here - Battlestar: Variant 1

HEAD-SIX, BLOSSOM OR WITHER ?

I had originally hoped for a wonderful metamorphosis for our beloved Six, the central character to the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica. It seems that the constant dialog references by her character that she is an "angel" was going to be made manifest. What this site presents with the visual of the Last Supper image giving her wings is the most compelling argument other than what the Six character has said herself. Yet, now I think Ron Moore and Co. have decided that she is angel as metaphor - which is a wimp-out. I re-watched io9's vid-clips of the deleted scenes from Season 4 up till now and there is a scene in which Head-Six fades away. Wise decision they cut that - it would have been a pathetic choice. Yet there was that scene in a Galactica corridor in which Head-Six physically lifted and helped carry Baltar after a fight. We were shown this from an observer's point-of-view, not Baltar's. The deleted scenes show that the writing is still fluid because they deleted a scene of Tyrol choking out Callie and instead, as we know, Tory backhanded, then airlocked her. If the end is the beginning and we're going to see who Caprica Six was meeting in that park after she left Baltar, "It's about time," (remember?), then Head-Six must be explained and she must be pivotal. If Baltar ends up being the Final Cylon, then Head-Six is sub-programming. If Baltar is more than human but not Cylon, then Head-Six makes sense (Lord Iblis anyone? Seraph?). If Baltar is human and Caprica Six did not put a physical implant into his brain (organic, so Doc Cottle's MRI didn't pick it up), then how she physically picked him up in that fight and why Caprica Six sees a Head-Baltar needs to make some kind of sense. Head-Six is more sinister and self-assured than the other Sixes. Why? It is baffling that when Baltar was severely injured on the rebel Base Ship Head-Six was not there for him - when he was close to death. We don't want to end up with some lame explanation or we might as well be given Six Headroom.

NEW LAST SUPPER IMAGE - WHERE'S ROSLIN?

Sci-Fi Channel has a clue site up as a promo offering for the return of the series on the January 16th US air-date, and this image of the BSG Last Supper without Roslin is the latest (Dec. 2). In Revelations (first of a two-part episode) D'Anna told Adama, et al, (on the Galactica) she wanted "the four in your fleet" ... Roslin was back on the rebel Base Ship. Does Base Ship Roslin minus Last Supper Roslin = The Fifth? Or will the Last Supper image keep deleting potential Fifth Cylons (Lee, Baltar, Kara, Helo, Adama) until only Cylons are at the table?

HYBRID'S PROPHECY

"And the Fifth, still in shadow, will claw toward the light, hungering for redemption that will only come in the howl of terrible suffering. I can see them all. The seven, now six, self-described machines who believe themselves without sin, but in time, it is sin that will consume them. They will know enmity, bitterness, the wrenching agony of the one splintering into the many, and then they will join the promised-land, gathered on the wings of an angel. Not an end, but a beginning."

Metamorphosis? A Bright Theme to a Dark Finish?

Roslin's scarf from The Hub episode reveals a pattern of butterflies. These images are from her encounters with Head-Elosha during that space-between time when the Hybrid is jumping the Base Ship. Series creator Ron Moore seems intent on a bleak finish to the series, but the wings I've found on Six in the Last Supper image and the scarf give me hope it won't be completely depressing - that there will be that green sprig of life emerging from the ashes. In the meantime, read Battlestar: Variant 1 fan fiction to sate your appetite until January 2009.

Do You See What I See?

An Angel made flesh. And to think I ignored all those "[I'm] an angel sent by god," declarations by Six to Baltar. But this publicity image keeps getting altered. Six has been moved. And now there it is, before your eyes.

The actors in the image all claim that it was a rather informal photo shoot (those who have spoken publicly about it), but clearly they have been staged very carefully - especially putting Six in the center and with those near her falling away from her (which also conforms to the Da Vinci original) - allowing the form of the wings from the door pattern behind her to take shape associated with her figure. And is that the divine light of knowledge above her?

Head-Six has claimed to be an angel many times to Baltar (and she's physically intervened on Baltar's behalf more than once), but the wings look more like a butterfly's - (perhaps to evoke thoughts of metamorphosis?).

inVerse

6 arch supports. 6 lights. 6 overhead light panels ... and note the V formation ... and central to it all ... Six ... The 11 tiny spotlights may represent the known Cylons and perhaps this is what the ceiling will look like when the 12th and Final Cylon is revealed:

PERSPECTIVE

In a nod to Renaissance painter Leonardo Da Vinci's original, I've highlighted the perspective.

Notable Objects

Several objects are put on display and some seem more important than others.

I've omitted the knife Tyrol holds because I think it may hold more value to his personal story than to the fate of all the survivors. I think he will kill Tory and/or his son Nicholas - perhaps Athena-Sharon and Hera ... somebody gon' die from his knife.

The pot of fire Roslin lights is probably Kamala. Since she is likely a convert to monotheism and allied with Natalie-Tigh-Baltar (possibly Lee) and Six, then it may not be Kamala since that is the sacred root for worship of the Old Gods. The closed book of the Old Gods in front of the Roslin faction seems to indicate they have rejected the polytheism of the Colonies. The Grail Cup represents the missing Final Cylon according to Ron Moore.

The open book of the Old Gods in front of Kara, Anders, Tyrol, Athena-Sharon, Helo and Adama seems to represent that they reject the new monotheism and remain faithful to the Old Gods.

Lastly, I've omitted the clipboard of Lee's, the little book of Kara's, Natalie's bracelet, Six's bracelet, the water glasses and Adama's wedding ring as not meaningful to the final resolution of the story (however the fact that Adama wears the wedding ring probably means he retreats into the past and he and Roslin do not end up a couple).

Turn On the Lights

On the Sci-Fi Channel website - which we can regard as the official representation of the BSG Last Supper image - the image loads on the page in sequence from dark to progressively lighter, then you can click on it to activate the interactive aspect of the image. Here is the sequence in stills of the dark-to-light. This is also the most recent variation of the image and Caprica Six has been moved to the exact center from slightly off-center (see bottom Sci-Fi Channel promotional image)

Dark beginning:Six's Angel Wings appear

Into the light: 2 Panels On ...

Lights on - backlit, silhouette:Officialdom (Six off-center before being moved recently):

In addition to Six's angel wings, the only other character in the image with background imagery interacting with their body is Athena-Sharon, who has two pipes forming parallel lines emanating from her head. I was reminded of two things: the lightning-rod that pierced the body of that hapless priest in the film The Omen, and the tiny air passageway in the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza, which some scholars believe was meant to be a pathway for the Pharaoh's soul to ascend to heaven to reside with Osiris in the afterlife given the constellation alignments at that time.

Off-Center Six, and Who's In the Light

In the Entertainment Weekly interactive Last Supper image Caprica Six has been placed left in the image - with the dotted line denoting the fold in the hard-copy magazine format. Some other of this type of image have floated around. What is notable in this version of the image is that those on the left are bathed in light, while those on the right have no lights above them. [click images for larger views]

Conclusion: The Roslin-Natalie-Tigh-Baltar-Six faction have seen the light. The Kara-Anders-Tyrol-Athena-Helo-Adama faction have not. [For a giant image (a Sci-Fi promo ad) Six is again clearly left and the high resolution allows for clearer details:

http://www.popcritics.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/bsg_lastsupper.jpg ]

MOVING CENTER: Six has clearly been moved from left to center over time (the most recent image from the Sci-Fi Channel website Sci-Fi.com is the source of the right image), and thus the angel wings from the door pattern behind her can be seen. Evidently they didn't want to reveal this right away. I've put in a register mark near her head so you can see the movement more clearly. They've also raised the point-of-view a bit, as if the camera had been raised higher toward Six's eye level.

Here's Looking At You

Who's looking at whom ... and pointing

Natalie points at Athena-Sharon and Helo (and they physically quake when you mouseover their image(s) in the Sci-Fi.com Last Supper interactive image) ... Athena-Sharon subtley points to Adama ... Tyrol stares at the edge of his knife ... Lee stares inward, looking like August Rodin's Thinking Man ... Tigh stares at Sharon/Helo ... Roslin peers over at Bill Adama ... Adama looks ahead and stares inward ... Baltar reacts with surprise at Six ... and Six stares ahead and slightly upward (as if touched by divine light?)

The conflict in the image comes from an accusatory finger on the outstretched arm of Natalie-Six pointing to Athena-Sharon and Helo. They must do something that is central to the culmination of the story. What they have that is unique is their hybrid half-human, half-Cylon child Hera. They must make a choice concerning Hera which divides the factions and angers Natalie-Six.

Caprica Six's middle finger in her left hand seems to point toward the viewer (heh heh, a message?)

Analyzing the Image

THE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE
The actors are real, most everything else is CGI or has been modified/altered through CGI.

Location and Arrangement: An empty half-lit Hangar Deck, a long table partially covered with ceremonial Colonial bunting, the people are formed into two groups - three of the six on the left on one bench, five of six on the right on the second bench, with only Roslin and Adama sit/standing in front of the table. All have their feet on the ground except Roslin, who dangles one in the air, Tyrol who has a foot on the right bench, and Helo who has one on the right bench. They are placed under 6 arch supports, with painted set of blast doors composing the wall behind them. There are eleven little round spotlights, six large rectangular lights, and six overhead light panels. Six of the people wear the Colonial military uniform, two in casual off-duty military gear. The image shows their legs and many are formed into shapes.

WHO'S AT THE TABLE
#1 Laura Roslin (President) - Lighting ceremonial fire (Kamala?) - in an outfit we've never seen - with a serene confidence peering over to look at Adama ... she holds fire ... most likely she will take a large amount of Kamala and have a singular revelatory vision. Her hair looks healthy, not like a wig.
#2 Natalie (Six Model) - Pointing an accusatory finger at Sharon and Helo (or possibly Caprica Six)
#3 Col. Saul Tigh - sits stolidly - looking across table to either Kara or Sharon (if you follow his eye-level) - a closed religious book in front of him ... his fist is closed
* the Grail Cup - Moore teases that the Final Cylon is not at the table and the cup represents that person
#4 Lee Adama (Apollo) - Stares ahead - aloof, interior - a grail cup in front of him between he and Tigh as well as a clipboard and pen ... he sits as if he is August Rodin's Thinking Man statue

#5 Dr. Gaius Baltar - dressed in nice new clothes including a royal purple jacket, reacting with apparent surprise to Caprica Six standing behind him - a glass half-full of water in front of him (the glass reflects nothing), as well as one of the seals on the bunting
#6 Six - in the sixth position, of course - in the red dress Head-Six likes to wear and from the original miniseries' ads - she seems open, vulnerable, surprised even - she seems to look into the distance or possibly at Natalie - she wears a bracelet on her right wrist
#7 Kara Thrace - Starbuck - she seems distant but physically responds to the embrace by Anders, her dogtag dangling about her neck. A small closed book sits in front of her as well as the second seal of the bunting.
#8 Samual T. Anders - gently kisses Kara's head and embraces her - they seem in their own world, apart from the others - his tags hang around his neck also. A full glass of water sits in front of Anders's elbow. Where are his tattoos?
#9 Chief Gaelen Tyrol - Intense, his body compact as he clutches a knife and stares intently at it - he seems in his own world also and is between the full glass (which reflects much skin - his hand possibly, or Anders' arm) and an open religious book
#10 Sharon Valerii - recoiling in fear or to the safety of her husband - seemingly from Natalie's accusation - she is dressed in her Colonial Fleet uniform and raises an arm defensively (or is she pointing at Adama?) ... the bible of the 12 colonies sits open in front of her
#11 Lt. Karl C. "Helo" Agathon - He seems protective of his wife -enfolding himself around her, his face full of resolve
#12 Commander William "Husker" Adama - He seems removed, staring off into the distance before him

WHAT RON MOORE HAS TEASED ABOUT THE IMAGE
Roslin - "She's burning something of importance that has to do with a plot turn midseason"
Natalie - "She assumes a leadership position for a group of Cylons that has a separate agenda from the rest of them"
Tigh - "Turning a blind eye"
Lee - "He does not return to flight status" and there is a Judas reference in the EW interactive image
Baltar - says Baltar's savior track "is not what the story is about"
Six - "Baltar's Six has proclaimed that she is delivering the gospel of the [Cylon's] one true god, so it seemed natural to place her at the center of the photo" [He specified Head Six and/or Caprica Six]
Kara - "The only one embracing Starbuck is Anders"
Anders - ibid
Tyrol - "The Chief does not have a pleasant time of it this season." His child with Callie would be the second human-Cylon hybrid "One should consider the knife in his hand in that context"
Athena-Sharon - "The person they're [Sharon and Helo] are looking at is definitely reacting" [Sharon's and Helo's eyes are up so it can only be Natalie to whom they are reacting] Helo - ibid
Adama ... it should be noted that Adama sits with one group opposite his son, Roslin and Tigh, "They are turned toward each other," referencing Roslin and Adama

TWO GROUPS:

On the left it is Roslin, Natalie, Tigh, Lee, Baltar and Six. The book of the Old Gods is closed.

On the right is Kara, Anders, Tyrol, Sharon, Helo and Adama. The book of the Old Gods is open.

Are these the opposing sides of the conflict to embroil the story until its conclusion?

The SpaceWesterns article (link below) references the water glasses as possible register marks.

Here's what the image looks like if you cut out what's inbetween the water glasses[click on images for larger, clearer views]. Natalie is now obviously pointing at Helo/Athena, and Roslin is certainly looking at Adama, and Tyrol's knife is at Baltar's head.

Here's the cut-out part of the image (two sets of lovers, one apart, one together).

Who is NOT in the Image and Who IS the Final Cylon

Now, let us contemplate who was OMITTED from the image:
#1 Tory Foster - as one of the hidden Final Five we have to assume she plays no part in the ending of the story, so she is likely killed before they get to Earth - possibly by Tyrol as revenge for Callie's murder
#2 Baby Hera - the female child of Sharon and Helo
#3 Baby Nicholas - the male child of Tyrol and Callie - possibly killed by Tyrol
#4 Gaeta - the braniac and officious C&C officer, and now singer
#5 Dualla - the empathetic, soulful, loyal soldier - interesting theory on Dualla as the Final Cylon: http://www.cellounge.com/2008/04/27/the-final-cylon-will-be-revealed-now/
#6 Romo - the all-too-clever Lawyer from Baltar's trial

Who is NOT the Final Cylon:
#1 Romo - You do not introduce a primary character in the Third Act
#2 Adama* - It would elicit groans from the audience if they would be so unimaginative as to pick Bill Adama as the final Cylon. He has been the rock upon which the others have relied. *It would make no sense except for the fact that the Leoben named him as a Cylon.
#3 Kara - She is the most flawed of all the major characters (except perhaps Baltar) and thus the most human - it would be a contradiction in terms to make her the Final Cylon - further, her story arc is half of the 'star-crossed lovers' and by definition she cannot be the same as her lover
#4 Lee - The younger Adama is the voice of conscience for the humans
#5 Helo - Hera is not important as a "Hybrid child" if Helo is a Cylon - and he's a dull character, so it would be a letdown
#6 Ellen Tigh - Her story arc is essentially over, except for Saul Tigh projecting her image onto Caprica Six
#7 Billy - He's dead, as in really dead
#8 Admiral Cain - Michelle Forbes will not be back, sorry kids
#9 Doc Cottle - Are you kidding?
#10 Callie - You did just see her flash-frozen in space

Who MIGHT be the Final Cylon:
#4 Daniel 'Bulldog' Novacek - only if they pull a Dr. Daystrom out-of-a-hat
#3 Tom Zarek - a curveball choice, but not a good one since his character has been so weasely

#2 Dualla - Evidently she shares family ties with the Adamas in the Caprica series so that greatly boosts her chances, and from a 6.5.8 Zap3It interview, Jamie Bamber had this to say about Dualla, "Lee now lives on Colonial One and she lives on Galactica, but there’s a big Dualla story coming up that will answer all your questions before the end." Hmmmm

#1 Felix Gaeta - The strongest of the misdirection choices - but his character lacks the heft, yet he was strongly teased in the Guess What's Coming to Dinner episode - he sings now which Final Five Cylon Anders thinks is important and Leoben did say, "The unstruck music vibrates within us all, few can hear it." Well, Gaeta is singing it.

The FINAL CYLON:
This leaves only two characters with the heft to be the Final Cylon: Roslin or Baltar.It only makes sense that the Final Cylon would be at the heart of the action all along, not at the periphery. Why the Final Cylon's self-knowledge would be triggered last bears some serious explaining. Roslin is the obvious choice, for she has been the Earth Mother to her flock all along, and the writers have foreshadowed her character twice - she's felt something in her head prior to Cylon attacks. Baltar is the more interesting choice, given his craven self-obsession. If the show ends at an Earth which could give rise to the ancient Greek God structure referenced in the story (circa 1500 B.C. in the eastern Mediterranean), that would favor Baltar - for he could be the equivalent to Zeus, a seriously venal and capricious god. The writers have been throwing Jesus references around in the story of late, which I sincerely hope is just misdirection for if they decide upon that as an ending - ugh, it will suck. It would violate their own trap they've devised for themselves with the endless "all of this has happened before and all it will happen again," refrains. The end would be the beginning, and the beginning had the Greek God structure of the Twelve Colonies and Kobol.
Roslin or Baltar.
(Be sure to see post on Galactica Variants "Final Cylon Must Be Roslin or Baltar")

An excellent article over at SpaceWesterns http://www.spacewesterns.com/articles/60/
offers theories on the Last Supper image. Terrific analysis by N.E. Lilly & Galactica Sitrep's Logan Gawain [Lilly seems convinced that it is Kara who is the Final Cylon]. One vital fact most of the thoughtful suggestions seem to omit is the central Six. Remember, she is the first Cylon we met. Also remember that the Cylons are always pointing out that the cycles of time repeat, "All of this happened before and all of it will happen again." If time repeats, the end is the beginning, and Six must be there.

Zodiac Connections?

The 12 Colonies are named after astrological signs, slightly modified:
Aerelon (Aries), Aquaria (Aquarius), Canceron, (Cancer), Caprica, (Capricorn), Gemenon, (Gemini), Leonis (Leo), Libris (Libra), Picon (Pisces), Sagittaron (Sagittarius), Scorpia (Scorpio), Tauron (Taurus), Virgon (Virgo)

Caprica is the main colony among the many - the center of political power and culture. The Gemenese are the spiritual leaders and true believers. The Picons seem to be considered malcontents by the Capricans. The Aquarians, Cancerons, Leonese, Librisans, Scorpians have hardly been mentioned or not at all on BSG.

It is unusual to photograph legs in portraits, and given the seemingly strange arrangement of some legs, perhaps there are Zodiac signs hidden in the image? Above is a sample. It was Lee in the Temple of Athena on Kobol [Season 2, Episode Home, Pt. 2] that noticed the constellation of Scorpio and the Lagoon Nebula as a marker to find Earth, "I've seen that before he says." "Astral body M-8," Adama continues, "It's a long way from here." Lee adds, "But at least we have a map and a direction."