Lemme at him!

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Question of the Day: If Kara had killed Zarek...how would it have changed the rest of the show? No one to help smuggle Laura to safety on Astral Queen, but maybe we need to go back earlier to Colonial Day...

Comments

[rachelindeed.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. Interesting question. I have to admit, I would have been sorry if Kara had killed Zarek off here, because I found him the most interesting villian of the series (not that that's saying a whole lot), more multi-layered than the Cylons and harder to predict. I always wished they would have done more with him, I think he had interesting potential. I like the way he always teams up with people rather than working alone -- he has his criminal partners in Bastille Day and Home, he has his oddly entertaining little partnership with Roslin in the New Caprica arc, and of course his complicated final partnership with Gaeta. He's very good at pushing people's buttons, and he reads people quite well I think.

Kara never says so much as a word to him, that I can recall. She leaves him to Lee from start to finish.

I'm not sure how much of the plot would have changed if he hadn't been around. The most important things he seems to have done were: 1) push Roslin into making Baltar VP in order to beat him out, 2) find Baltar his winning campaign issue, namely settlement on New Caprica, 3) work with Gaeta to conduct the mutiny, and 4) help hide Roslin and Lee during their jailbreak.

I think Roslin and Lee could have found other places to hide during the jailbreak, and I think the mutiny would have happened with or without him. But I think it's quite possible Baltar would never have had a political career without Zarek. Interesting.

Of course, he also appoints Lee to the Quorum, thus sponsoring his political career as well. I think Lee probably could have figured out a way into government on his own somehow, but Zarek certainly facilitated his rise at a time when Roslin wouldn't have given him the time of day, let alone a political appointment.

Ah, Zarek. The kingmaker for everyone but yourself.

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Did he also save Laura when they were taken on New Caprica? Nah, maybe he just tried to help her/look out for her.

I agree that he was somewhat interesting. I remember being shocked (as I was supposed to be) that he had killed off the entire quorum.

Heh, Kingmaker. How fitting and tragic for him.

[rachelindeed.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think you're right that on New Caprica he doesn't save her life, he's just protective and buddy-buddy. But he does give her the Presidency after New Caprica -- he appoints her to be his VP and then resigns so she can legally take over. So he's personally responsible for Baltar, Roslin, AND Lee's Presidencies. *pats Zarek on the head*