One thing I didn't like was the suicide of Dualla. I didn't particularly like that character -- she was just sort of there, didn't really do that much, but was part of the character scenery, for the most part. All the same, her suicide just came out of nowhere, which, on the face of things, was, of course, shocking. As intended. Like somebody lobbing a firecracker at you for no good reason. But that was part of the problem with that -- no good reason. Dualla had always been a stoic character, had always done her duty by the group, through thick and thin. And, of course, when the grand disappointment hits the fleet near the end, everybody is hit strongly by it. Just the same, her reaction to it felt contrived and I didn't buy the motivation for it. Was she really THAT disappointed that she'd take her own life? We don't get to see it in her characterization. No hint of the disappointment. In fact, she goes on a date with her estranged husband, Apollo, just 45 minutes before she commits suicide. And, at least there, she gives no indication of her intentions. She seems to be happy and at peace.
So, in light of the plot vacuum that claimed Dualla (maybe the actress had another gig coming up, and asked to be written out of the story?) I'm going to believe that her date with Apollo shattered her faith in humanity, and in a just universe. It wasn't the disappointment of Earth that hit her; no, it was Apollo's staggering lameness that made her realize that her life was no longer worth living. Of course, this is a darkly comic counter-read of what actually happened, but it at least offers some satisfying cause-and-effect for me.
I mean, everything Apollo touches, he destroys:
- Blackbird stealth Viper prototype
- Battlestar Pegasus
- Lieutenant Dualla
- The Quorum (just because his machinations with them ultimately led to their liquidation by Tom Zarek -- who, ironically enough, is played by Richard Hatch, the ORIGINAL Apollo)
I'm sure I can add to this list on a second viewing, watching for it.
