Source: SciFi WeeklyI could not believe it when I read Toni Reynolds' letter ("Battlestar's Shackles Offend Viewer"). Here I was, an African-American male, being offended by another African-American taking offense to this issue. I'm not sure what it is Reynolds wants. For African-American Cylons to be treated differently than other Cylons, or for no Cylon to ever be bound?
It was already established that Cylons are stronger than humans. In episode 1.08, "Flesh and Bone," once Leoben is alone with Starbuck, he easily snaps out of his shackles, pins Starbuck to the wall with one hand and holds a door closed with another, preventing help from getting in. From this point on, the Colonials knew that a simple pair of handcuffs just weren't going to cut it.
If you recall, the chains, poles and shackles used on Simon (the African-American Cylon) were identical to the ones used on Athena in episode 2.09, "Flight of the Phoenix," when she was brought into the CIC. She was brought into the CIC with the same poles, same chains and same shackles.
So, as this has obviously become the "safe handling method" for Cylons, why would an exception be made for the Simon model? He's a POW that thinks he's infected with a fatal disease, and given the chance he'd likely take as many humans with [him] as he could when he dies. For a show that strives for realism, having Simon in anything but what they presented him in would've been far-fetched.
Of course, they could have had another Cylon be chosen, but to what end? Cries of "Why wasn't the African-American Cylon used more in the episode?"
Duane Long
blaq_chaos AT yahoo DOT com
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