Entertainment
Battlestar Galactica's Most Controversial Scene Is Secretly Brilliant
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Some fans of Ronald D. Moore’s Battlestar Galactica are still annoyed at the sex scene in “Kobol’s Last Gleaming.” That’s because fan-favorite character Starbuck hooks up with skeezy tech con man Gaius Baltar rather than Captain Adama, a character that many saw as her soul mate. However, this controversial scene is secretly brilliant for a reason most overlook: Adama actor Jamie Bamber was actually performing in this sensual scene until Starbuck called out his character’s first name and it switched to Jamie Callis, which was the show’s way of showing audiences who she really wanted to knock combat boots with.
The Battlestar Galactica Sex Scenes Fans Still Hate
If you don’t remember seeing Jamie Bamber in this Battlestar Galactica sex scene, you’re not going crazy. His face is never actually shown, and the only way that you can tell it’s him is through his body shape, which is subtly different from Baltar actor James Callis. When a fan wrote to Ronald Moore to ask about this scene, the showrunner confirmed that this secret switcheroo was done “to establish who Starbuck would rather be with.”
It may be worth contextualizing these characters and their relationships so that you can better understand the significance of Battlestar Galactica’s sneakiest sex scene. You see, Starbuck’s first real love was Captain Lee Adama’s brother Zak, who tragically died in his first tour of duty due to pilot error while flying his Viper. Before that, she and Zak were engaged, which is one of the reasons she is so tight with Commander Adama, father to both Zak and Lee Adama.
Starbuck always had great chemistry with Captain Adama, something we saw onscreen thanks to the sizzling performances of Katee Sackhoff and Jamie Bamber. They quickly became the show’s big “will they or won’t they” couple, and as early as the first season, fans were frantically wanting the two of them to hook up. Therefore, when that Battlestar Galactica Season 1 finale featured a surprise sex scene between Starbuck and the loathsome Dr. Baltar, it felt like a slap in the face to all those who were rooting for Captain Adama and Starbuck to go make the Viper with two backs.
However, Battlestar Galactica showrunner Ronald Moore confirmed back in 2005 that the Adama/Baltar switcheroo during this sex scene was designed to show us who Starbuck really wanted to hook up with. This is perfectly in line with her personality as we see the hotshot pilot constantly making personal and professional mistakes throughout the show. Outside of the cockpit, she’s almost as messed up as her enemy-turned-friend Colonel Tigh, so having her bang the show’s worst character while secretly wanting to have a relationship with its best one is, frankly, par for the course.
Because we’re huge Battlestar Galactica fans, Moore’s words about this sex scene were fairly reassuring. It drives home the idea that Starbuck never really desired Baltar; she wanted the comparatively wholesome Lee Adama but sublimated her desires so much that she hooked up with the ship’s resident mad scientist. She later made life difficult for Baltar, which shouldn’t have surprised him. After all, he knew more than anyone else just how dangerous a badass blonde can really be.
Entertainment
Buy a $300 Delta gift card and get a free $20 Starbucks gift card
BUY A DELTA GIFT CARD FOR $300+ AND GET A FREE STARBUCKS GIFT CARD: Through May 11, buy a Delta gift card for $300 or more and get a free $20 Starbucks eGift card.
Credit: Delta / Starbucks
The price of flying these days is shocking. If you plan on traveling soon on a route served by Delta, it’s well worth checking out this deal to get something for free. It’ll help ease the pain of the ticket price.
Through May 11, purchase a Delta gift card worth $300 or more and get a free $20 Starbucks eGift card. It’s as simple as that. You can also qualify for the deal by buying multiple gift cards that total at least $300. The deal with apply automatically and you’ll receive a separate email containing the free Starbucks card.
Booking flights these days is not much fun. Prices are ahh…. abnormal, but Delta has eased the pain a bit thanks to this deal. The carrier is positioning this free Starbucks gift card deal as a good option for Mother’s Day, but realistically, it’s useful for anyone who plans to book with Delta soon.
Keep in mind the Delta gift card and Starbucks card will never expire. Delta mentions this offer is valid until May 11 at 11:59 p.m. ET or for the first 11,000 purchasers, whichever comes first. That means it might be smart to hop on this deal soon since there’s no way to know if it’ll last until May 11.
Mashable Deals
If you plan on flying soon or want to gift a special someone a Delta gift card worth $300 or more, snag this deal to get a free $20 Starbucks eGift card. It’s a win-win situation for those who plan to fly with Delta.
Entertainment
Snag a pair of Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones for $50 off
SAVE $50: As of May 6, get the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) for $399 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $449. That’s a discount of 11%.
$399
at Amazon
$449
Save $50
If you want to experience your favorite music to the fullest, you need headphones that are up to the task. Bose can typically be counted on to provide that kind of quality, especially with its QuietComfort lineup. You can try its newest model for less right now for less thanks to this Amazon deal, which heavily discounts the cans so you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg on them.
As of May 6, get the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) for $399 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $449. That’s $50 off and a discount of 11%.
Though an incremental upgrade from the previous QuietComfort model, these have some new features you’ll want to try out. But mostly, these comfortable headphones are all about feeling great on your ears and sounding fantastic. They offer noise cancellation and spatialized audio so it sounds as though you’re right where the music is. The new Cinema Mode can help to spatialize and balance background and sound and sound effects when watching movies to help put you right into the film as well.
Beyond that they can be used to take calls with their built-in microphones. They’ll last a long time while you’re on the phone too, with 30 hours of play time when listening to songs, podcasts, or taking meetings.
Mashable Deals
Mashable Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard took the headphones for a spin in her review and and called them a “well-rounded pair of headphones”, praising their blend of “comfort, noise cancellation, and sound”.
If you’re ready to pick up a new pair of headphones at a discount that’ll tick all the boxes for you, grab these before the discount disappears.
Entertainment
Score up to 64% off at EcoFlow and snag free solar panels with your purchase.
SAVE 64%: Between May 6 and May 17, you can score up to 64% off at EcoFlow and snag free solar panels with your purchase.
Get up to 64% off plus a free solar panel with purchase
I live in an apartment, so I don’t exactly have a “whole home” to back up. But if there’s one thing I hate, it’s losing power. There goes the AC, the internet, the food in the fridge — it’s a total nightmare. If you actually own a house and have been putting off buying a backup power system because it’s pricey, I have some good news.
The DJI Power 1000 Mini portable power station just launched — U.S. availability is pending
Right now, EcoFlow is running a Mother’s Day Sale through May 17 with discounts as high as 64%. They’re also throwing in free hardware to sweeten the deal: All single orders between $600 and $3,000 come with a free 45W solar panel, and orders over $3,000 come with two free 160W solar panels. If you’re looking for something more portable, their RAPID Power Banks are also up to 53% off right now.
Just keep an eye on the countdown clock — it’s for the Flash Sale items that have even better, limited-time price cuts. If you miss the flash window, the standard Mother’s Day and Home Improvement deals (including a $700 installation discount for larger systems) are still valid through mid-May.
Mashable Deals
Here are a few of the best deals I’ve spotted so far:
Buy a $300 Delta gift card and get a free $20 Starbucks gift card
Snag a pair of Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones for $50 off
