Saturday, April 26, 2008

Battlestar Galactica, "Escape Velocity": A perfect Six

Spoilers for "Battlestar Galactica" coming up just as soon as I get a wig...

"God only loves that which is perfect, and he loves you, because you are perfect." -Gaius Baltar

"Sometimes, the right thing is a luxury." -Laura Roslin

Oh, boy. This will not end well. But it's going to be amazing to watch.

After laying low or being absent in the last couple of episodes, the Baltar/cult storyline returned in a big, scary way in "Escape Velocity," as Baltar, with a lot of coaching (and physical support, but we'll get back to that) from Head Six, hits upon a seductive, dangerous philosophy for himself and his followers. Some religions draw in their flock by telling them everything they do is in some way wrong (control through fear), but telling people that everything they do is correct because God wouldn't allow otherwise is even more appealing. Look at how Tory's justifying all her current behavior under the "I'm perfect" theory. On the ragtag fleet, where life is so awful and there seems to be no end in sight, who wouldn't be tempted by an anything goes religion, even if it's run by Gaius Baltar? I actually think Baltar means well, for one of the few times in his life, but he's letting Head Six make him her puppet -- at one point in a literal sense -- and this is going to get bloody.

Now, about that puppet moment. There have been times in the past where it seemed like Head Six was pushing Baltar around, but it could always be rationalized as Baltar physically reacting to the picture his mind was showing him. For instance, there was one early episode where Head Six seemed to be yanking on his tie, but when we cut away to the non-Baltar POV of the scene, we saw he was just yanking it himself. But there's no explanation for him getting up off the floor, in that way, other than Head Six physically doing it somehow. I've never bought into the idea that she was a hallucination, but the idea that she's somehow tangible, but visible only to Baltar, is a new and mind-blowing idea.

Whatever Head Six may be, she and Caprica Six (and Natalie, and Gina, and all the other Sixes, I'm guessing) share in common that belief about learning through pain. While some of the other Cylon models are more cerebral, the Sixes have always been physical creatures, forever putting themselves in situations where they wind up either dishing out or receiving pain. So while Head Six is talking Baltar into playing bloody martyr in front of his followers, Caprica Six's in the brig delivering a loving beatdown to poor, confused, Saul Tigh. (Can you blame Tigh for revisiting the Ellen thing? Not only did he murder her for working with the Cylons only a few weeks before she would have been given amnesty, but now it turns out Tigh himself is a Cylon. Of all the Final Four members, I'm stunned Saul hasn't eaten his gun yet.) And then, as if the beatdown itself wasn't disturbing enough, Caprica goes and kisses Saul Mother-Frakking Tigh? Is there any chance Michael Hogan wasn't kidding in that Letterman Top 10 list when he said we'd see him naked this year?

I think I'm officially out of superlatives for the "Galactica" cast. James Callis (who looks 20 years younger without the beards and Jesus hair, even though he's now doing the whole Jesus routine, down to chasing the money-changers out of the temple), Michael Hogan, Tricia Helfer, Aaron Douglas, Mary McDonnell and Edward James Olmos (who doubled as director this week, with Jane Espenson on script) were all so far at the top of their respective games that I didn't mind in the least that we got nothing on the Cylon civil war, and only the briefest glimpse of the Demetrius. "Galactica" has always been a grim, ugly show, and its actors got to show off their ugliest sides this time out.

I've always loved Douglas and am glad that Espenson's script finally brought back the Boomer-Chief affair and its messy end. I know I said last season that I believed Tyrol when he told Lee he didn't think about Sharon anymore, but how could he not -- and how could he not be destroyed by the realization of what he and Boomer could have had had he known the truth about himself back then? This isn't a show that rewrites its own history. (See also Tyrol bringing up Adama's threat to kill Cally during the workers' revolt led by Tyrol.) Tyrol and Cally's relationship was always dysfunctional, and it was always clear he felt he had settled for second-best (if that), and though he said flowery words about her at the funeral, he let his real emotions come flowing out when he decided he was no longer fit to run the flight deck. You could see him staring at the defective Raptor part and its unused replacement thinking, "Did I just forget to swap these, or was I programmed to forget?"

Most of the central characters in this episode were facing some kind of identity crisis. Tigh and Tyrol can't deal with the guilt of being Cylons and how that reflects on decisions they've made in the past. Baltar, having finally developed something resembling a conscience, wants to be neither exploiter nor hero, but as always can't resist whatever Six tells him to do. And Roslin, her death so close that she's starting to plan her own funeral, is so impatient to get things done before she goes that she keeps undercutting herself with the rest of the Quorum. We know she has every reason to fear Baltar, and that's even before he gives his speech on perfection and we see how that concept's going to spread like a virus through the whole fleet, but she's going about things in a way guaranteed to make people like Lee and Zarek push back, and to make Baltar look every bit the martyr she doesn't want him to be.

Some other thoughts on "Escape Velocity":
  • I loved the moment when Laura suggests she might follow Bill's example and not read the last chapter of his favorite book, only to remember that -- oh yeah! -- she's dying.
  • This episode didn't have the same nightmarish look as last week's "The Ties That Bind," but the image of Ellen-as-Six is going to stick with me a long time, even though I know it was just Kate Vernon in a platinum wig.
  • Speaking of wigs -- and of characters morphing into other characters -- it can't be a coincidence that Laura's is cut in the same style that Helena Cain wore, can it? In her dying days, Laura's become just as ends-justify-the-means as ol' Cain used to be. How frakkin' scary is that?
  • The Sons of Ares looked a little too much like the bandits from the Mad Max films, I think. Took me out of that scene.
  • What kind of airbags do Raptors have that Racetrack and her navigator would emerge from that crash without a scratch on them?
What did everybody else think?

39 comments:

Nicole said...

There were many standout moments, but the one that still resonates for me is the scene between Tyrol and Adama at the bar. The emotions were just so raw and intense that I still think about it the next day.

I didn't pick up that Roslyn's hair was the same cut as Cain's, although I did notice it was different. They have probably always been very alike, only the crazy trigger took a bit longer for Roslyn because Adama was there to control it. And his feelings of love or pity, or both, are currently making him blind to her behaviour. He would have picked up on this pre-New Caprica.

Barry Hertz said...

I agree with the Raptor comment: I thought for sure Racetrack and her navigator were done for.

Tyrol's rant against Cally in the bar was stunning, but at the same time horrifying. Boiled cabbage smell? Yikes.

The Baltar-puppet moment has to mean something significant, or else there's no other way they would have filmed it like that. I wasn't sure if Lee noticed it, or if anyone is truly shocked at the "miracle" event of his rise after that punch. Intriguing where that might go.

I thought the Soldiers of Aries guys or some such were a bit like the commandos this week on Lost, which was amusing.

Too bad Baltar doesn't have the beard anymore, since his Jesus role is now more complete than ever. (Notice the part where he's being picked up like a puppet is a little too much like the position of Jesus on the cross.)

Odd shot of Starbuck there ... I'll have to rewatch the point where they show her and Anders to see which part of Baltar's speech it matches up to. Somethings got to be there, too, or else they wouldn't have cut to it.

Peter said...

I really think the only way all of this ends up making sense is that it turns out EVERYONE has been a cylon from the start. It's the only
way to logically explain the return of Starbuck, how the President, Six and Eight can all share the same vision of Hira in the Opera house and how Baltar can project himself back on Caprica and the chip Six visions.

Starbuck will lead them to Earth all right, but it will also lead to the destruction of humanity. It will either be OUR destruction, 21st Centruy Earth's destruction as the Colonial fleet along side the Cylon fleet blow us to kingdom come or Starbuck leading them to Earth will somehow reveal everyone to be a Cylon thus "destroying" humanity.

Once humanity is wiped out and the war is over, and after enough time it's forgotten that everyone is a machine the centurians will rebel (something already hinted at now that they can think for themselves) thus starting a new "human" vs. cylon war and everything that has happened before will happen again.

Anonymous said...

The thing that got me every time last night was when Roslin would mention her impending death. First telling Bill what she wants from her funeral, then at her blood test and her later treatment, and when she told Baltar she was dying, and I think she told the quorum too. I cannot imagine this show without Mary McDonnell every week, and I seriously hope they don't go there--at least not till the second half of the season, please! For us it's basically a fifth season--I don't see how they won't. As everyone's been saying, there is a palpable sense of impending doom surrounding everything on this show. I'm scared.

Jason said...

I don't know Alan, I thought this episode was dreadfully boring. It advanced many threads while not adding a whole lot that was new. I'm a fan of the religion content in BSG, but found the Baltar scenes to go on way too long. This felt like an episode that was just running out the clock, stalling the plot until later episodes. And of course the two most interesting developments from last week - the Cylon civil war and the issues involving Starbuck's mission - were completely ignored.

And didn't you have to laugh at the insertion of Starbuck and Anders into the end-of-episode montage, since we hadn't seen them for the entire episode?

As for Tigh and Six, the concept was kind of interesting, but did we need scene after scene of the same thing? I got it the first time. In fact, Saul's "What about Ellen?" line in the finale last year said it all. This is just repetition.

BSG can be one of the best shows on TV, but it has always been maddeningly inconsistent. This episode, to me, was ultimately a waste of time. It's a shame that, with only 20 episodes left to go, one of them had to be as empty as this.

Mrglass said...

About the "puppet" moment: I wouldn't make too much of it, after re-watching the scene Baltar seems to move on his own, the fact that he is "floating" for 1/10 a second could be a small blooper. In my opinion the writers didn't intend to solve the mystery of Head Six here. There has been similar shots in the show, like when Head Six pushed the bed to hang Baltar.

The omni-presence of religion this season in BSG is starting to get worrying, I hope they don't ever use a literal "deus ex machina" to resolve and explain everything.

The actor playing (ex-)Chief Tyrol gave another amazing performance; Will BSG cast ever get recognized at the Emmys?

K J Gillenwater said...

I loved Chief Tyrol's tirade about Cally in the bar...come on, wasn't that what we all were thinking about Cally? She was a mealy-mouthed shrew most of the time. Or just without a personality. Kind of like Lee and his choice of 'wife.' Neither of these men would have chosen these women if they were back on Caprica and the war hadn't happened.

I find Tori very intriguing still. I don't know what to expect from her at all...and her fascination with Baltar is interesting. I was expecting him to KNOW that she was a Cylon when she started to act a bit like Six in her aggressive sexuality.

Once again, I go back to my complaint from last week. Too much is happening inside the Galactica. The best episodes tend to be those that involve some external worry as well..Cylons chasing them, needing food, needing fuel. They've just been drifting in space, and I don't get a sense that they are headed anywhere. There used to be a lot more purpose to their actions every episode...now they are floundering.

Next week looks good, though.

Anonymous said...

Why the frak did the Final Five survive the Cylon plague?

I mean, no one human on Galactica got shots; even Hera and Boomer didn't need them, and I assume Caprica Six was taken care of, in return for her continued cooperation. How did they survive the spread of the bug once quarantine protocols were recinded?

They sure as hell haven't explained how Tory, et al. could consider themselves perfect, when they couldn't stop their real brothers and sisters from being genocided, and they don't explain how their God was perfect, if it took one freaky, frakky human to stop the Cylons from being wiped out.

Tory really hasn't thought this thing through, has she? Head Six and Baltar, I understand, because he needs to whip up some religious mania on his side if they're going to throw down a jihad successfully.

Anonymous said...

Contrary to some of the others here, I thought this episode was amazing. Sure, aside from the Raptor crash, it didn't have much action. But it advanced many of the main character's story arcs in really interesting ways, and had a number of chilling moments - Tyrol's tirade, Tigh's Six kiss, Baltar's exegesis on religion, Adama's reading to Roslin.

Regarding the Baltar puppet, I am now fully convinced that Chip Six, Chip Gaius and Chip Leoben are all angels of some sort guiding the humans and Cylons towards their interlocking destinies.

On the inclusion of the Demetrius, I think the point was not so much to see Starbuck as to see Anders. If I am remembering correctly, a number of the "hidden four" are featured in the montage that accompanies Baltar's moving speech. We see Chief staring at his child, Anders watching over Starbuck, and Tori gazing admiringly at Baltar.

I assumed that the choice to do this is because each of the hidden Cylon's are grappling with their feelings of otherness, yet Baltar's speech seems to hint at a powerful alternative - that Human and Cylon alike are perfect because they are all created in God's image. (Tori may believe her perfection allows her to airlock anyone she pleases, but that's another issue).

Anna said...

Aaron Douglas is amazing. Even in the miniseries, he was one of the very few actors who didn't suck (even EJO was phoning it in; thank god everyone brought their A-game for the actual series), and the Chief was the first character on the show that I loved. It's heartbreaking, and kind of frightening, to see him this way, but I'm loving it.

The greatest thing about his freakout to Adama in the bar is that I actually don't know exactly how much is truth and how much is denial. Hell, I don't even think the Chief knows. Because, while I don't doubt for a second that he settled for Cally, I do believe that he cared about her, and there's no way he ever fantasized about putting her up against a bulkhead and shooting her. So some of it was truth, some of it was misplaced anger, and I'm sure at least a tiny bit of it was alcohol. And that's what makes it absolutely brilliant.

R.A. Porter said...

Aaron Douglas again stole the show. And how weird is it he's not a CPO anymore? Spc Tyrol? That's going to be hard to get used to.

His actions and reactions throughout the episode were brilliant, especially his rant to Adama. Unlike Anna, I don't think much of Tyrol's spleen was misplaced, and I don't think any of it was the alcohol talking. Cally was a woman whom, I'm pretty sure, he married out of guilt and regret for beating the crap out of. The woman who shot his lover. The woman who hated all the frakin' toasters. And she smelled like cabbage, too. :)

For a bleak episode, it did have one bright moment, an Espenson joke if ever I heard one. The burnt out component of the Raptor was a flux capacitor.

Anonymous said...

Yes: Aaron Douglas for the win.

I sure hope they finally get the podcasts up soon, because I really want to hear what Ron Moore says during Baltar's marionette act.

Bill White said...

Aaron Douglas, indeed. This episode showed him to be a remarkable physical actor - he can convey his character's meaning and intent just through the way he carries himself, even in close-ups - like Harrison Ford in Witness.

But if I have to sit through another frakkin Quorum of Twelve/Lee Adama bitch session... grrr.

By the way, this post was the best review of S04E04 I've seen yet. Thanks for the insights - they helped me take parts of the episode a little more seriously.

Sara Ann said...

No way Tigh eats his gun. Risk coming to on a Cyclon ship? Better the nightmare he knows...

Alan Sepinwall said...

No way Tigh eats his gun. Risk coming to on a Cyclon ship? Better the nightmare he knows...

Frakkin' resurrection ships. Hadn't even thought of that. But do the Final Five even resurrect? And isn't it a safe assumption that, since the fleet hasn't seen the Cylons in a long time (show-time), there wouldn't be a resurrection ship in range?

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure Roslin's cut is supposed to resemble Admiral Cain's, but I did notice that her new stick-straight hair now more-or-less matches the straight hair she was sporting in her own visions of the Opera House, Hera and the Final Five. They're all definitely getting closer to something.

Anna said...

I don't want to get into another argument here, but I guess I just can't believe that the Chief is a man who would fantasize about shooting his wife ("many times"), no matter how shrieking and vacant she may have been. I think there is much more going on in that scene than just what they're saying on the surface.

I don't think the Final Five would resurrect. In the previous episode both Cally and Cavil made reference to the cylons' "spare bodies." That must mean they have spare bodies sitting in the resurrection goo just waiting for a soul/consciousness/whatever to fill them, and seeing as the Seven don't know who the Final Five are, I don't see how they could have spare bodies for them lying around.

Ooh, good observation, sunspot. Anyone remember what Baltar's hair looked like in that scene?

Anonymous said...

I'm really enjoying the Baltar storyline. There were some real flashes of humor early in the episode -- before he got the crap kicked outta him -- when he was reacting to getting his hair-plucked, and trying to take Six's suggestions in real time. It's this odd mixture of knowing he's pulling a fast one, but really believing in it too. The Kris Kristofferson (sic?)/Taxi driver "Walking Contradiction" line comes to mind …

Also, I was thinking Rosilyn's hair was like that because it's a wig, due to the chemo. It did look real thin.

As always, love the write-up!

Chip said...

It was a tiny moment, but how about seeing Tigh's maternal side. Saul Frakkin' Tigh knew how to change a diaper?

Anonymous said...

Also, I was thinking Rosilyn's hair was like that because it's a wig, due to the chemo.

That's what she told Baltar.

I didn't even make the connection between the wig and how she looked in the opera house visions! Nice one.

Tony Dayoub said...

BSG can be one of the best shows on TV, but it has always been maddeningly inconsistent. This episode, to me, was ultimately a waste of time.

I disagree. Generally even the "weak" episodes become stronger once the storylines playout. Can't tell you how many times I've caught a "weak" episode in a marathon, or in context with other episodes on DVD, where one can watch large chunks at a time, and they seem so much stronger as the throughline becomes more apparent.

As for Baltar as a cult leader: any Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fans out there? Ron Moore cut his teeth writing for that show, and BSG is almost a revisionist version of that series. Notice the parallels between: Sisko and both Adama (single father) and Roslin (messianic leader); the hierarchical Dominion with its hide-in-plain-sight Changeling leadership, and the similar Cylon culture; the "occupation" of DS9storyline and the "occupation" of New Caprica storyline. My point is Baltar's cult figurehead status is predated by the same storyline in DS9 when "frenemy" Gul Dukat ended up as a cult leader with so-called "good intentions" before the true depth of his self-serving evil was revealed.

Don't get me wrong. Though DS9 may be a sci-fi classic, derivative or not, BSG is far superior because it transcends its genre trappings. But methinks they travel a familiar road.

Anonymous said...

Chip, I noticed Tigh and the diaper, and pointed it out to my husband, who just shrugged and said, "He's Tigh, he's the XO; he gets things done."

Do others see a parallel of how Ellen appeared to Tigh and how Head Six and Baltar appear to one another?

I did NOT like how Tyrol was looking at his kid at the end; that look told me that when he said he often wanted to kill Cally, he wasn't exaggerating.

In the "previously on" they edited Sam into the confrontation that Cally heard, even though he was on the Demetrius already.

And as he approached Starbuck, Baltar's words were something like recognizing others for what they are and how they're like you.

Lee's hair looked really poofy--I think this is another signal that he's a civilian now.

Anonymous said...

"Why the frak did the Final Five survive the Cylon plague?"

Ronald D. Moore has already said that the Final Five are real Cylons but fundamentally different - it's a bit of a cop-out, but it'll have to do for now..

"On the inclusion of the Demetrius, I think the point was not so much to see Starbuck as to see Anders."

I can't remember what the words were exactly, but we saw the shot of the Demitrius and Starbuck and Anders at the point where Baltar was speaking of seeing through the lies/deception of others. Most obviously that refers to Anders, but it could also be about Starbuck.

I do think the shot was there to remind us of them, though, but it was done pretty gracefully.

At the bit where Tirol hears Adama say he's a filthy Cylon etc. I loved how they showed us it didn't actually happen - the imagined Adama said those lines and immediately downed his whiskey, next shot he says he still misses Cally and only then gets his glass. I thought that was nice and subtle.

Jason said...

Tony said: "Generally even the 'weak' episodes become stronger once the storylines playout. Can't tell you how many times I've caught a "weak" episode in a marathon, or in context with other episodes on DVD, where one can watch large chunks at a time, and they seem so much stronger as the throughline becomes more apparent."

I understand what you mean, but I'd argue that a weak episode is still a weak episode. In the context of marathon viewing, you may forgive a weak episode because it's got a lot of stuff that ends up paying off later. But as a single hourlong (okay, 42 minutes long) block followed by a week of waiting, this episode was weak. Not "Black Market" bad, but not good.

It might be somewhat redeemed in the larger context, but it still felt to me like 20 minutes of material. What some saw as good stuff I saw as going over material the show has already covered.

But I guess I'm in the minority on this one. I thought the Tyrol-Adama confrontation was a laugher. How many times have we seen an out-of-control person tell off their commanding officer and be demoted? Tyrol's rant didn't ring true to me, either.

Maybe I was in a bad mood when I saw this episode, but it was completely flat. And be honest, when was the last time you saw a location DURING A MONTAGE that had to be subtitled to explain where it was taking place? To me that's another sign of how slapdash the production of this show can sometimes be, with stuff shot one way and then saved in editing, other things omitted entirely.

It's usually a glorious mess. This one, I wouldn't call glorious.

R.A. Porter said...

Going back to the first season (maybe the pilot, too, but I'd have to rewatch to confirm,) BSG has always provided title text when jumping to one of the other locales. It was always obvious that Boomer and Helo were on Caprica, for example, but they always told us. It's just part of the BSG house style.

Anonymous said...

What if Starbuck doesn't know the way to Earth?

What if she does, but she's been told the moment the RTF find it, the Cylons will too, and they will destroy each other?

What if her tantrums were solely to get the 'best' of humanity onto a separate vessel, to preserve them until the battle has passed?

What if she represents the end of humanity because once she settles where she can with the Demetrius, once Anders interbreeds with Kara or someone else, humanity's humanity no more?

Kenrick said...

I'm gonna have to agree with Jason here. I kinda just sat through it, checking my watch along the way, and towards the end I was like... that's it? My summary for the episode would be... there is no summary. Nothing happened.

The most eventful thing was Tyrol's tirade and his demotion. Sure there were some interesting moments, like Roslin threatening Baltar, and Lee's WTF look at the end of the episode (that's how I viewed his reaction anyway). But I could've completely skipped this episode and not have noticed anything different.

As for character development... well I dunno, the show's been on long enough and we've had so many of these types of episodes/conflicts that I don't really care about that anymore and just want them to move the plot along. But I know that's what makes the show so great for others. They just didn't strike a good enough balance here for me.

Anonymous said...

Great recap, Alan, even though I didn't like the episode that much. We found the episode pretty boring and badly paced. The exception was the Tyrol ty-rade at the bar. Jesus, that was some cruel crap; but brilliantly acted. As much as I disliked Callie, hearing Tyrol say those things about her was incredibly disturbing.

Hartzler said...

Maybe everybody hates Callie because she was a really good actress. I mean everyone seems to dislike her character. Could Nicki Clyne actually be pretty good?

R.A. Porter said...

hartzler: I can't speak for anyone else, but I've never seen Nicki Clyne in anything other than BSG, so I don't know if she's got chops or not. However, considering that Cally was clearly written to be unlikeable and that Cally ended up incredibly despicable, Clyne probably contributed a lot to that. So yeah, she might be really good.

Anonymous said...

Too much is happening inside the Galactica. The best episodes tend to be those that involve some external worry as well..Cylons chasing them...."

They can't have too many military action shots since most of that part of the cast is on the Demetrius. I'm assuming this decision will pay off later, but I keep wondering who's defending the fleet.

I hope this episode gets Aaron Douglas some recognition and meaty post-BSG roles. Chief (he'll always be Chief to me) has always been my favorite character, and his speech to Adama shows just how stoic he's been through all this. Everyone else has been allowed a meltdown except him.

Anonymous said...

I am a loyal follower of the show but i simply have lost track of who the different versions of each cylon are (natalie, caprica6, head 6, Boomer, Athena). Is there any site that breaks down each different cyclon version and where each is currently?

Freevo said...

Hi, this is my first comment here, and I'm not native english speaker so: I have a pretty simple explanation of the scene with Starbuck. It is not about clues or signs to the future, it's just a simple parallel to the concurrent events on Galactica.
See, there is a struggling Baltar, who, after being beaten up, finds love between his followers. There is Laura, who, after being outvoted, finds comfort with Adama. Six beats down Tigh, but then expresses her love for her own kind to him. It is all about struggling to get somewhere (usually, to a point in the characters lives where they didn't event want to be at first), and then finding comfort and love there. Everybody embraces their new role in the world.

Unknown said...

Re: airbags

One of the reasons the movie Demolition Man is a guilty pleasure is when Stallone exclaims that his car "turned into a cannoli". Maybe they have some similar tech.

Anonymous said...

Is it just me, or did it seem like Baltar had a mini revelation at the end of the episode when he saw Head Six turn her head and look at Tory...

Darren

Anonymous said...

I didn't catch that, I'd have to take another look.

I did expect Tory to turn and look at Head Six and acknowledging her, which would've been kind of insane.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous loyal follower:

There's a dedicated Battlestar Wiki. It sometimes can be a bit slow in loading but it's very comprehensive and detailed.

Try this:

http://en.battlestarwiki.org/wiki/Humanoid_Cylon#Significant_Seven

The different known 'versions' of each model are listed.

Anonymous said...

They can't have too many military action shots since most of that part of the cast is on the Demetrius. I'm assuming this decision will pay off later, but I keep wondering who's defending the fleet.

Yeah, it's kind of weird that Helo and Gaeta and Boomer are all on the Demetrius, since they're three of Adama's most trusted people. I'd be OK with two of them, but all three is stretching it.

According to the podcast, Helo wasn't originally going to be there; the network wanted him there. It would've made more sense to me if he had stayed back, even if it wouldn't have given the actor much to do.

Unknown said...

I've watched this show from the start and it has just become dreadfully boring and needlessly dark. It is almost TOO dark and I don't mind dark (Sweeney Todd is my new favorite movie.) I don't mind the human element but and yes, they all have gone through hell bhut come one, not everyone is this messed up. Show some happiness now and then. This episode made me want to stop watching. I will give it a few more to get back on track.