Joe Mallozzi has posted a deleted scene
from the script, that unfortunately had to be cut (and not filmed) from episode 13.
It sheds a little light on events that occurred before the memory wipe.
Thanks for the link, interesting. This solves another little mystery of S1, one of the little ones still open is the question who fired the missiles in the pilot episode (though the Raza undoubtedly doesn't lack enemies and thus candidates). It also seems to point toward one as the target in the pre-mind wipe discussion between two and four; he just didn't manage to fit in, unlike six.
I'm have recently watched the episodes of S1 in a relatively short period of time, and all in all I have to say I like the show, especially considering the budget is limited for this kind of effects-heavy show.
The twist at the end, for example, is in my book a good twist as I didn't see it coming (on the one hand) and yet one can see little hints when rewatching S1 (on the other hand). Like many viewers, I did not consider the possibility that 6 always may have been a GA agent, which explains all his actions nicely. The writing was actually excellent, in this regard, certainly better than the rather non-sensical twists that we sometimes got in BSG.
The show also, in my view, seems to succeed rather well in making you root for what are violent criminals, for the most part. But they have just enough likable elements in them that a large part of the audience probably sympathises with most of the crew.
In the first episode, three asked six who he thought would be considered the most dangerous of the crew (and of course, placed himself at the top). Now that we know some things about them, I'd place them like this:
Out-of-category: six is not a concern for the GA or the general public, if he indeed was an undercover agent all the time (though with memory loss, like the others - no wonder he was often the voice of reason). But from the POV of the rest of the crew, he certainly proved an extremely dangerous opponent, defeating all the others at once while never being suspected (at least not after the mind wipe - and I suspect one, rather than six, was the assassination target before that).
For the rest, I feel 3 characters are very dangerous in their own way:
-Two can be extremely violent (though post mind-wipe at least, she does require some amount of provocation to go to this level and she has proven capable of showing empathy) and she is/was the leader and the brains of the group. Her apparent change in attitude after the mind wipe may indicate that the circumstances of her creation and escape drove her to this life.
-Four is very cold and seems willing to go to any length to reach his goal; and given that this is no less than taking command of stereotypical and anachronistic samurai world (presumably with a lot of inhabitants) the potential for people to die in very large numbers is easily there. That he is sort of in the right in his goal (though aspiring to be an absolute monarch, in an otherwise modern world, is not a lofty goal in itself; it's just that he is the actual heir) does not make him any less frightening.
-One seems like the goody two-shoes of the crew, but not only was he the great proponent of doing Mikkei's bidding re: the "white hole" device, the biography of Derrick Moss states that as CEO of a galactic multicorp, he "regularly fired 10% of his work force" while giving the top 20% bonuses. Given how large such an organisation must be, and what those tactics would do to the atmosphere between the workers of that company, I suspect he may have caused more terror than four could ever hope to even if the latter would cause a full-on war in and around his home world(s). I doubt that there is much of a future for people who have been fired by one of the multi-corps, and I certainly wouldn't want to work in such a company. On the other hand, we don't know his entire story yet, if the company policy was really his idea or not, for example.
For the rest, five caused the mindwipe and is still rather mysterious (we don't know anything of her past, other than that she was living like Oliver Twist shortly before DM started). Three may actually be the least dangerous, as some suspected right after he brought this up. He seems to be exactly what he is, "cause for concern" rather than a menace like two or a potential/actual tyrant like four and one. And the Android (also an interesting character in her own right) seems to be better in combat than he is.
As for next season, for meta-reasons (like the existing sets of the ship, coupled with the low budget of the show) I would expect the Raza to return and probably with mostly the same crew (given some possible additions and/or subtractions). But how could that happen, after they have all been taken by the GA?
Well, there are probably multiple ways out of their situation. I think this depends on what the actual state of the GA is; it seems toothless against the multicorps and possibly is even complicit in letting them run amok (like the operation against the mining colony; where was the GA, other than six, to protect them?).
If the GA leadership, or part of it, doesn't like the status quo (either because they want to be the power themselves, rather than some multicorps, or because they are some sincerely idealist people within GA), they could use the Raza and crew as an asset.
A GA without scruples could act just as a megacorps would; use mercenaries for dirty jobs it doesn't want to be associated with openly.
A morally sound GA (or splinter group within GA) would have reason to gather proof about the misdeeds of the various corporations, maybe Traugott most of all. And the Raza crew knows a lot of things that would be damning to the corps. Proposing a deal, or even letting them go (under some form of supervision - which could get six back on board) in order to gather more proof against the multicorps, would be a seemingly logical move. Six could testify that at least some on the Raza showed signs of a conscience, after the mind wipe.
The options above would lead to a more or less "dirty dozen" like scenario, convicts given a chance to win their freedom by doing a dirty but necessary job.
Other options are an escape - for example, if the GA continues to ignore the crimes of the multicorps, as witnessed by six, he might become disillusioned and come to regret his actions. If it is true that the GA would dissect two, that's also a possible cause for six to re-turn his cloak (and maybe a number of his colleagues). And I guess that some corps could also be interested in getting the Raza crew indebted to them, or evil Wil Wheaton could end up accidentally getting the crew to escape in an attempt to kill them in while in GA custody.
How do you all think the story may continue? Do you feel there is a possibility that the scope of the show will widen and some of the S1 characters may go different ways (while continuing to get screentime, opening a "second front", so to speak).
