Is she or isn't she?

If you’ll oblige me to have one juvenile, ranting moment here, I’ll just say “I DON'T WANT STARBUCK TO BE DEAD!” I don’t really want her to be a Cylon either, but have been suspecting for some time that she might be one of the Final Five. If she indeed reappears as a Cylon next season, imagine what that will do to Bill Adama, as the second of his beloved Viper pilots, and the daughter of his heart (if not his biological offspring) is revealed to be the “enemy.” Will he shoulder the grief and continue being the father-figure Admiral who somehow manages to balance his love of his crew with the realities of military life? Or will be become more distant and disciplined, a strict tactician with a gulf of detachment between himself and those he commands?

I’m half-inclined to be a bit miffed at Apollo for taking her out on that mission, knowing that she was a few pressure valves shy of a functional tylium refinery… erm, or some other less geeky euphemism for "out of her frackin’ mind." At the same time, it reminds me of a recent episode of Lost in which the mysterious jewelry saleswoman points out to Desmond a man who is about to die, but doesn’t attempt to prevent it. Desmond is appalled at her apparent apathy, but she indicates that even if she prevented him from getting crushed by the scaffolding, the universe has a way of course-correcting. So I suppose that even if Starbuck’s ship didn’t implode due to atmospheric pressure, then the next day she would be killed in a training run with Hot Dog and Selix… Or if she didn’t go on that training run, then the day after that she’d fall out of her bunk and crack her head open, etc…

So here are a few questions that come to mind regarding Starbuck’s death and/or potential Cylon status:

*If she is a Cylon, perhaps that’s why she was particularly suited to understand and fly the Raider in Season 1? Also, maybe that’s why Baltar was so attracted to her? After all, he does seem to dig the robo-chicks! ;o)

*Will Dualla manage to pull her face into some suitable expression of loss and grief, or at least empathy for what poor Apollo will now be going through? (Her actions did contribute to Billy’s death after all!) Or will she be privately smirking and doing the dance of joy? As much as I have disliked Dualla ever since she ripped Billy’s heart out of his chest and used it for target practice, I hope that she isn’t that vindictive. (I, however, am still bitter...)

*How will Apollo react? Will he go back to Dualla and make the best of their marriage? Will he be overcome by another fey mood and try to meet his death in battle? Will he blame himself, indulge in excessive “emotional eating,” and become Chubby Apollo again?

*When is Billy coming back as a Cylon?!?! (Sorry, that’s my own personal dream, not likely to happen…)

For the answers to these and other burning questions, only time will tell, and apparently we are going to have lots of time until we find out the fate of Starbuck… January 2008 according to the SciFi Channel’s website.

Like tylium through the hourglass, so are the days of our fleet…

So say we all.