The McGuffin Review: Battlestar Galactica - Season 4, Episode 4

Posted by Cory Johnson on 05.01.2008

Six is back in Baltar's head, Tigh gets his ass handed to him, and Chief is so consumed by Cally's death that he almost...

Battlestar Galactica Season 4 Episode 4 (65) Escape Velocity

Previously on BSG....Baltar "saved" a sick child through prayer. Tory came to grips with her Cylon nature after sharing some quality bed time with Baltar. Tigh killed his wife back on New Caprica for being a Cylon spy. Cally found out that Tory, Tigh, and Chief were all secretly Cylons (along with the missing Anders) and Tory murdered Cally by shooting her out the hanger bay into space.

Chief eulogizes Cally at her funeral, talking passionately about all that she meant to him, and how empty he is now. Roselyn tells Adama that she likes the service; Adama replies that it's not for him. Roselyn wants Adama to know what kind of service she would like for herself. Tory bitches to Roselyn about doing the funeral at dawn. When Tory and Tigh try to leave the service, Chief grabs them for a moment, but doesn't speak. When he lets go, Tory says that he is going to get them all killed. Chief doesn't even acknowledge Lee's condolences as he is fixed on watching them leave.

Tigh asks the guards how what Six is up to today and wonders how "it" doesn't loose its mind. The guards remark that the fracking toaster probably turns its brain off. Tigh grumbles in agreement. Tigh tells Six that her request to see Hera has been denied. Six wonders why he had to tell her himself again. Six looks weirdly for a moment like Ellen, Tigh's wife, and wonders why he comes every day but does not ask questions. Tight looks panicked for a moment, realizing that everything they say can be heard by the guards. Six asks if there is something that he wants or needs from her. Tigh offers a weak "stay back" and Six says that she will see him tomorrow. I love it when Six taunts someone.

Chief's baby is screaming as Tory and Tigh arrive to ask what happened at the service. Tory tells Chief not to blame himself for Cally's suicide, and Chief replies that she thought he was having an affair with Tory. Chief wonders if every action he has ever taken has been programmed and what part of him is real anymore. Tory tells him that he is perfect and doesn't need guilt because he was made to be perfect. Tigh roars at this, wondering if this is more of Baltar's crap. Tory says that she shuts down her guilt. Tory notes that they are not human, and that makes them stronger. Tigh tells him that what he is feeling is normal and human, and gets wistful, noting that he will see her everywhere. He leaves telling Chief that he needs to be a man, and not expose them in the process. Tory tells Chief to think about what they are...as we open Episode 65 of BSG with 39,675 survivors (-1, Cally).

Tory comes to a sleeping Baltar and pulls a hair out of his head. Baltar whines and Tory slips her hand below the covers to say that it doesn't hurt if it happens at the same time as a pleasurable touch, as signals get crossed and it's hard to tell which is which. Baltar tries to get up, but Tory pins him to the bed. Baltar jokes that he preferred it when she cried. Tory asks Baltar about forgiveness as we cut to images of soldiers rushing somewhere. Tory, at her seductive best, says that if you become one with god, you can never do wrong. Baltar disagrees, arguing that that would make them all perfect. A gas bomb goes off in Baltar's follower's room as Tory goes down on Baltar. The soldiers interrogate some of the followers about where Baltar is by slapping them around. An intercom announces a security alert and the soldiers announce that they are coming back for Baltar. Tory looks at Baltar cowering in a corner.

Chief works on a Raptor while he flashes back to memories of Cally. Racetrack asks Chief if she is ready to go and Chief tells her to go ahead. Her Raptor shorts out and has no front control. They request an emergency landing but they cannot control the ship and the crash into the flight deck nose down.

Baltar demands to see Adama. Six (his Six is FINALLY BACK in all her platinum blonde glory) asks Baltar if he can read the old text graffiti the soldiers wrote. Baltar stumbles though it to read "The Sons of Aries", a fundamentalist splinter group. Six says that old gods die hard. Baltar leans down to talk with one of his followers named Lilly, who is holding onto a medallion of the god of healing. Six thinks that the old gods are fighting back.

On the flight deck, the crews work on the trashed Raptor. Chief finds a part that he did not replace. Skull tries to blow up at Chief, but Racetrack warns him off. Chief says this is not ok and he fracked up and Racetrack replies that he is only human. Chief blows up, wants them all to tell him that he fracked up. Chief orders everyone else out of the Raptor.

Baltar looks at the medallion as Six tells him that people have room in their hearts for one great belief, and teases him, wondering if it will be for Baltar or the old gods. Baltar wonders why he can't just be a man, why must he take on the gods by himself. Six tells him to imagine the kind of man he will be when he does and calls him magnificent; almost god-like in that way of hers that is completely seductive and inspiring. Baltar walks around and tells his followers to stop, as this is unacceptable, that they have been targeted for their faith. Baltar says that it is time to make a stand. He walks out of the room as his followers plead with him to stop and explain.

Baltar busts in on the same priestess who held the service for Cally, asking who they are serving. Baltar goes off in a sweet scene where he basically blasphemes all the gods and smashes the chapel and religious implements until the guards take him away.

Adama shares a moment with Roeselyn in sick bay. He tells her that Baltar is in the brig for desecration. Adama says that he cannot have a religious war as Roselyn notes that they have 30,000 people that aren't happy unless they are going after each other. Adama blames Baltar for stirring the pot and hopes that he will stay voluntarily in the brig for his own protection. Roselyn thinks that would make him a martyr. Roselyn is going to the brig, because she wants him to see her.

Tigh approaches the imprisoned Six and asks how it feels to have killed six billion people. Six says that she feels it. Tigh wonders if there is a switch to turn it off and Six tells him that they are not different. Tigh calls for the guards to point their guns at her.

Chief has been working all night on the Raptor.

Six says that she is not made of switches and relays and shows Tigh her veins. Six becomes Ellen again as she tells Tigh they are the same. Tigh looks horrified and asks her how she lives with what she has done. Six calls him SAUL (?!?), and asks him sweetly if he is asking for forgiveness-Six tells him that she can give it to him. Tigh orders the guards to stand down and step outside. Six wants to know what the trouble is; Tigh leaves, grousing that she has nothing to offer him.

Roselyn tells Baltar that she is dying and says that she is going after the people that attacked Baltar and will limit the size of assemblies to protect his people. Roselyn has read that some people that are close to death don't care as much as morality and laws and tells Baltar that as long as he has a quiet life, she will have a quiet death. Roselyn threatens that she is done indulging Baltar and he is free to go.

Chief is drinking heavily when Adama sits down noting that we all miss her. Adama would understand if he needs time off or more shifts to keep himself busy. Chief doesn't want any special treatment. Adama thinks that Cally just couldn't take it, being married to a Cylon and mother to a half-breed. Chief looks at Adama, not sure he heard that right, as that clearly didn't happen. Adama drinks to Cally being a good woman. Chief wonders how many of us got stuck with the best of limited options because everyone else was dead or turned out to be Cylons (Chief has a serious thing for Boomer). Adama tries to pull Chief out of there, as he is making a scene. Chief complains that he settled, and this is not his fracking life. Adama wants to know what the hell has gotten into him. Chief says that he will not make an angel out of someone who isn't. Chief tells Adama that he is not in his club, because he never asked the right questions. Adama tells Chief to get out of here and stop this before he has to act on it. Chief begs him to demote him and get him off this ship. Adama orders him off the hanger deck and reassigns him to a petty officer. Chief looks shocked and maybe relieved.

Lee challenges Roselyn on her crowd control measure. Lee says that this measure could be used to limit other religious groups; this sparks other representatives to speak up. Roselyn says that they all have experienced tragedy at Baltar's hands on New Caprica. Roselyn refuses to open this matter up to the Quorum. Lee says that they can override that. Roselyn asks them to consider what this will mean if Baltar gains political power with blind religious devotion and how they will explain that to the voters.

Six with Ellen's face is sleeping as Tigh hovers over her. Six startles and asks Tigh if she should get used to waking up to his face. Six is surprised that there are no guards. Tigh wants to know how she works and if she can turn off pain. Six wants the pain, it helps her learn. Six has felt love with a human and suddenly switches to Ellen. Six/Ellen says that her love was so great that she began to understand that one day she would lose him to death. Ellen/Six talks about how fragile Baltar is in her hands and Tigh looses it, screaming that they will not talk about how fragile Giaus Fracking Baltar is and calls for the door. He orders the guards out as they wonder what he is going to do to her. Six teases that she can tell him how to turn it off, pain is how she learned from the guilt. Cylon minds were based on human minds and they have figured out the human mind and use it in ways that humans have never known. Ellen now says that pain is how they learn who they really are, that they can focus sharply in those moments. She pulls off his eye patch and tells him that she can give him that focus again.

Baltar and his followers are not allowed back home by armed guards, as there are already 12 people inside. They warn Baltar that he is in danger of breaking the Executive Order. Six appears telling Baltar that this is his moment to make a stand. Six promises Baltar that he will not be hurt if he moves forward. Baltar moves toward the room and the guard hits him with the butt of his rifle. Baltar is bleeding from the mouth on the floor.

Tigh tells Ellen to get her machine hands off him and Six clocks him. Six beats him down on the floor and asks him if he can feel the clarity of it. Tigh is too battered to reply. Six punches him again.

The guards order Baltar to stay down while Six whispers in his ear that the gain will outweigh the cost. Baltar stands up and gets hit again with the rifle. Baltar says that he really wants to stay down, but Six holds him up. Baltar looks like a puppet, as nobody else can see Six. Six holds Baltar up and the guard drives his rifle into his gut. Baltar collapses and Lee appears out of nowhere and tells the guard to stand down. Lee announces that the Quorum has just met in emergency session and the right to assemble has been restored. Baltar's groupies pick him up and tend to him. Baltar thanks Lee, who says that he doesn't do these things for Baltar. Baltar says that he does them because his god compels him.

Roselyn tells Adama that Lee has no idea what he is doing. Adama says he is doing what he thinks is right. Roselyn says that sometimes the right thing is a luxury with dangerous consequences. Roselyn asks Adama to keep reading to her.

Tigh asks Six for more. Six says that she made a mistake; this isn't what he needs and kisses him.

Baltar tells his followers that he is no priest and confesses that he has not been a religious man, but none of that matters, as something in the universe loves him. Baltar is looking at Six, who is standing by Tory. Baltar says that there is a single god that loves him and that god is inside everyone if they look deep. We cut away, as Chief stares at his son, almost menacingly as Baltar says that they must all learn to love themselves before learning to love others. We cut to the Demetrius as Baltar's voice-over continues, to see Starbuck passed out over navigational charts. Baltar preaches that god only loves perfect things and that god loves all of them because they are perfect; perfect just as they are. Tory smiles and Six looks at her. Baltar's followers applaud.

Analysis
Last weeks episode was so good that this episode felt like a let-down in comparison. The overtly religious focus was too preachy for me; it's strange, because when I first saw Baltar with his beard I thought, hmm, going for that Jesus Christ pose, huh? Its not that I mind that they are exploring religion, because religion is the one thing that nobody dares to talk about, but the parallels they are drawing feel very forced. Yes, western civilization went from a pantheon of gods to a monotheistic model. Yes, we are currently in a state of fear over religious zealots who can justify killing and debating how much our constitutional rights matter when it may be a life or death situation. I get it, it just doesn't do anything for me.

The Six/Ellen thing was just strange and I really don't like anyone messing with my view of Six, so I might have been prejudiced against this from the start.

Lee just bores me as a character and what did they do with him but turn him into a boring politician. Ugh, just make him President already.

My biggest complaint about this episode was what didn't happen, we didn't explore the fallout from the Cylon assassinations, and the Demetrius plotline was only glanced at. I understand that they are probably holding these off until we are closer to wrapping up the series, but come on, you could at least cut to the Cylons once.

I did like this episode, though, the Raptor's crash landing was really sweet and, as an aside, the special effects team has really stepped up this season. Roselyn's struggled to provide as much direction as she can before she dies has been really well handled. Adama has looked like a puttering old man much of this season, but he showed some fire when he handed Chief his ass. I usually prefer Tigh in smaller doses, but I love listening to him bitch and moan and he did plenty of that. Six is back with Baltar, and at the end of day, that is all that matters in the BSG world.

Things I Wonder
So what happened to Baltar's other alter ego?
Why didn't Baltar tell Six about that immediately or at least ask where she had been?
Ok, here goes, so was Tigh projecting Ellen onto Six or was Six projecting Ellen for Tigh? She called him Saul, but she could have found that out anywhere.
Is Tory just waiting to kill the whole fleet and how long until she stops caring about being human altogether?
Is Six going to wind up jealous of Tory and are they going to fight over him?
Did anyone else remember Chief and Boomer?
So what will Chief do now that he's been demoted? Who is going to replace him on the hanger deck and how long until he's back, really?
Why aren't there cameras on Galactica? How long until someone finds out that Tory killed Cally?
Isn't it strange that most of the secret Cylons have been beaten up by humans before-Tigh multiple times by Starbuck, Chief kinda by Adama and Cally, and Anders by Starbuck.
What do you think the Cylons next move is going to be?
Do the other Sixes know what Cavil did?
Where can they possibly be going with the Tigh-Six thing? Does she know what he is?
Why didn't the Cylons recognize Tigh as a skin-job when they took out his eye on New Caprica?
Didn't Chief meet with a Cylon and ask him if he was one?
How long until Starbuck kills someone on the Demetrius?

Thanks for reading, comments and feedback always appreciated. I'll be back next week, which according to the previews will feature a mutiny and a Cylon arrival on the Demetrius in the first five minutes. I'm not worried; there cannot be too much Starbuck on my TV. Until then, this is Cory, keep watching.

The 411: Based on how great last week's episode was, there were probably unrealistic expectations for this episode. Nothing was actively bad, it just felt like a hangover after all the tension and drama of last week.

Final Score:  7.0   [ Good ]