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Spoilers.
Battlestar Galactica Official Site
The Time: Fridays, 9:00 PM, Sci-Fi Channel
The Show
In
this reimagining of the 1978 space epic, the human survivors of the
Cylon massacre of the Twelve Colonies struggle to survive in a ragtag
fleet of ships led by the last human warship, the Battlestar
Galactica. Shepherded by Admiral William Adama and President
Laura Roslin, the Colonial Fleet are under constant threat of attack by
the Cylon Armada, who seek nothing short of their
extermination. Adding to the danger is the fact the Cylons
have infiltrated the fleet with twelve models that look
human. Eleven of those models have been discovered, but one
still remains. The quest to find Earth, the mythical
thirteenth colony, has just been fulfilled, with devastating
results. As the joint human / renegade Cylon alliance
discovers a destroyed planet, the question remains of what to do next
as this storied television series counts down its final ten episodes.
The Stars
• Edward James Olmos – Admiral William Adama
• Mary McDonell – President Laura Roslin
• Katee Sackhoff – Captain Kara “Starbuck” Thrace
• Jamie Bamber – Lee “Apollo” Adama
• James Callis – Dr. Gaius Baltar
• Michael Hogan – Colonel Saul Tigh
• Tricia Helfer – Cylon Model Six / Caprica / Natalie / Head 6
• Grace Park – Cylon Model Eight / Sharon Agathon / Boomer
• Aaron Douglas – Galen Tyrol / Cylon Final Five
• Tahmoh Penikett – Captain Karl “Helo” Agathon
• Allessandro Juliani – Felix Gaeta
• Lucy Lawless – Cylon Model #3 / Deanna
• Dean Stockwell – Cylon Model One / Cavil
• Richard Hatch – Vice President Tom Zarek
• Kate Vernon – Ellen Tigh / Final Cylon
The Episode: “Deadlock”
The realities of the fleet becoming irreversibly integrated with the Cylons are becoming more and more prevalent, for all the benefits and problems that go along with it. While Adama is directly overseeing the “Basification” of Galactica with Cylon technology, Saul is going through the oddest love triangle imaginable when his dead wife returns to find him having a child with one of their children: Caprica. Meanwhile, Baltar is looking to reclaim his spot among his followers.
The Lowdown
Another internal episode with not much going on outside of the fleet, but this episode addresses some pivotal issues and provides the fireworks we’ve been waiting for when Saul and Ellen are reunited. This is a Saul / Ellen / Caprica-centric episode as they seek to unravel all the feelings and frakkings and foibles that go along with Cylon love triangles. Saul almost doesn’t know which way to go as Caprica is pulling him one way and Ellen is pulling him another. Although it’s not that long after he sees Ellen that they’re shining the first table they come across. Probably the best line of the episode: “How many dead chicks are out there anyway?”
Of course Ellen and Saul aren’t the first former lovers to be reunited. Boomer is the Cylon pilot that escorts her to the fleet and Tyrol is happy to see her again. Of course, Adama isn’t though and she’s quickly shown to the brig. Speaking of Adama, he’s personally overseeing the application of the Base Star metal goop that’s going to heal Galactica’s structural integrity. He’s obsessing over it in fact. In his own words, once they’re done, Galactica won’t know what she is anymore, which is quickly becoming the story with the fleet itself as well.
Once the Final Five are finally reunited, the question is raised as to whether or not they should abandon the fleet and go off, now that they know that reproduction is a possibility. Surprisingly, Tyrol is for it, as is Tory, but of course Saul isn’t and Anders made his feelings known before he went comatose. Of course Ellen is the deciding vote, and she isn’t taking Saul’s impending fatherhood well and votes to leave. And the question is raised as to just how important Hera is to the Cylons, now that Saul’s son, named Liam, will be born and what that means.
But Saul doesn’t care and reveals whom he loves more than anyone else: Bill frakkin’ Adama. That’s right, the manlove rules all, bitches. They can take their skinny toaster asses and frak right off because he’s Saul frakking Tigh and he ain’t going anywhere as long as Bill Adama needs him. As for Baltar, he’s seeking to skulk back into his little enclave after leaving them to the wolves during the mutiny, but finds that someone else, Paulla (Lara Gilchrist), is the new man. Baltar gets some guidance from an old friend – Head Six – back from cranial oblivion in gods knows how long.
Couple things stood out to me. One, how were Boomer and Ellen able to find the fleet? Was that ever explained? I wondered that even before the episode aired actually. Secondly, I’ve missed Head Six and damned near forgotten about her. Where the hell has she been? Baltar has proven that he’s nothing – and nowhere near as interesting – without her. Maybe Head Six found Head Baltar and were off having Head sex somewhere. She’s been missed.
And on the subject of Baltar, he’s finally starting to show some life again. I enjoyed that little final exchange he had with Gaeta before his execution a few weeks ago. Now he’s starting to get the passion back and even takes on Adama to push his agenda of getting guns for his flock so they can defend their food from the Sons of Ares, who are regularly stealing it. And of course this gets him back in the catbird seat with his people and lets Baltar do what he does best: scheme, if only a little bit. I also wonder why they’ve just tossed aside the Baltar / Caprica relationship. Not sure if they’ve ever broached that subject since the abandonment of New Caprica.
All in all, a pretty good episode. Digging on the Adama / Tigh friendship most of all, stonger than ever. Two friends getting drunk and then consoling each other when one loses his son and the other is losing his ship. Ellen realizing that is also a highlight. However, all this internal stuff is fine now and then, but I want a friggin’ space battle, man. Hell give me a Viper on Raider, a Raptor on cargo ship, anything. I’ve missed that more than Head Six.