The McGuffin Review: Battlestar Galactica Season 4, Episode 5

Posted by Cory Johnson on 05.09.2008

Chief goes Private Pile and Starbuck pushes her crew beyond the limit by listening to.....

Previously on Battlestar Galactica…..The crew of the Demetrius wondered if Starbuck had any clue what she was doing while they searched in vain for Earth….Cavil killed the rebellious Cylon Six, Sharon, and Leoben models. Tory blew Cally out the airlock into space after Cally discovered the secret Cylons…. Tory told Chief that Cally committed suicide…Baltar found his faith and delivered his first true sermon about God loving everyone just as they are-perfect….

Demetrius, Day 58
Helo enters Starbucks room and finds her painting. Starbuck doesn’t hear him calling her, Helo thinks it is time to rejoin with the fleet. Starbuck wants them to recon an area of space they have already searched twice. Starbuck looks manic, like she hasn’t slept in weeks, she confirms it and mentions that the signals to Earth just aren’t as strong as they were when she first got back. Starbuck is going to fly recon this time.

Galacitca
A woman shows Baltar the family she lost in the Cylon attacks. Baltar asks how she feels when she sees this and Baltar lets her list off people until she mentions the gods. Baltar takes the opportunity to blast the ineffective gods and hugs the woman. Baltar has a radio show now, where he denounces the inability of the gods to help, because they cannot. We cut to Chief, who has shaved his head and looks exactly like Private Pyle from Full Metal Jacket, jumping rope as he listens to Baltar’s radio show. The baby cries when Chief shuts it off so he turns it back on. Chief is seriously freaky looking.

Demetrius
Athena is upset that they are searching the same area again. Athena argues that Starbuck is just stalling so that they miss their deadline to rejoin the fleet. Helo shuts the crew up trying to get them to stay on task. Starbuck and the Vipers blast off in a sweet scene. Starbuck is talking to….herself? Earth? Dradis sounds the alarm and the Demetrius has incoming. It’s a Raider, damaged, belching smoke, sparking and spiraling out of control. Leoban tells Starbuck that this is not an attack, he knew that she would be out here searching, offers her a truce and a chance to complete her journey…..as we open episode 68, The Road Less Traveled with 39,676 survivors.

The Raider is docked with the Demetrius. Gaida says that the animal portion of the Raider appears to be dead and there is only one Leoban on board. Gaida thinks this is too risky; Helo says that they would all be dead if that is what Leoban wanted. Athena coldly offers that he must want something else then. Leoban is brought on board at gunpoint and thanks Starbuck for being the miracle he was hoping for; Starbuck knew that he was going to be out there. Mathias reports no nukes onboard the Raider, and Helo has her check for tracking devices. Leoban tells Starbuck that she looks so much different now that the gods have taken her by the hand and opened her up to questions and doubt. Leoban tells her that the ones that he left behind need her help, but not as much as Starbuck needs theirs. Leoban whispers that her crew doesn’t trust her and mentions the blue planet surrounded by clouds and tells her that the hybrid will tell her things, amazing things. As Helo attempts to have Leoban removed, Starbuck orders them to take Leoban to her quarters. Oh yeah, that is going to sit well. The crew looks dumbfounded.

Galacitca
Chief is standing and staring at the hanger bay when Tory arrives to tell him that Cally’s death may never make sense. Chief talked to Coddle and learned that Cally was on two antidepressants. Chief doesn’t believe that Cally would have left Nicky behind. Tory asks him so coyly if he thinks that someone killed her and tells him to let it go. Chief says that he has to figure out what happened. Tory asks him what if she knew, sensed it somehow, how different he had been since the nebula, maybe this was god’s will. Tory tells him that she is there for him, and that she has learned from Baltar that the past doesn’t matter and we can still change. Chief walks off, remarking that she spends too much time with Baltar.

Demetrius
Anders returns to the ship, and finds Leoban holding Starbuck and helping her paint. Anders decks Leoban and orders the guards to lock him in storage. Starbuck thinks that the Cylons understand “mother Earth” and that Leoban can help them. Helo reminds Starbuck how Leoban kept her locked up on New Caprica and all the mental torture he put her through. A crazed-looking Starbuck can only muster that this isn’t a dream.

Anders interrogates Leoban by kicking him and asking what he wants from Starbuck. Leoban wants her to understand her destiny. Leoban mocks Anders sport superstar past and gets nasty, challenging Anders entire meaningless existence as a face selling magazines. Anders pulls his gun and threatens Leoban, implying that he just had his moment of focus. Leoban says that if he dies, Starbuck’s dream will die too. Anders says that he will just download into a new body and spread more lies. Leoban informs Anders that the Cylons were betrayed by Cavil and set adrift. Leoban says that civil war has broken out between the Cylons that embrace their nature and those who fear it. Leoban presses for an alliance, saying that the hybrid can show Starbuck how to find Earth.

Anders explains Leoban’s alliance offer to the command crew, who are more than skeptical, especially as it would mean bringing the Cylon Baseship back to Galactica and the fleet. Athena says that Starbuck is out of control, and can’t be trusted to make this decision. Helo says that this sounds like mutiny, and tells everyone to shut the frack up. Athena counters that if the Cylons capture the Demetrius, they will be able to find the fleet. Starbuck suddenly appears, thinking that they should prevent that. Starbuck orders them to prepare to jump as soon as they have the coordinates. If it is a chance to find Earth, she is going to take it.

Galactica
Tory and Baltar have cute pillow talk, and Baltar wonders if the President knows about his pirate radio show. Tory says that she told her, and that Baltar is not worth making an issue over, especially since none of his followers are anyone of importance. Tory comes ridiculously close to being very nude as she gets dressed.

Chief overhears some of Baltar’s followers talking about his meeting and decides to follow them. Baltar asks why so many of them live in the past, instead of in awe of what they might do. Tigh sidles up to Chief and tells him that he needs to pull himself together. Chief says that Tigh told him that nothing was going change, and asks him if he is still the same Saul Tigh. Tigh growls that anything he has done, he can live with. Chief says that he can’t, and curiously brings up that Tory thinks that they can be the salvation of the human race before going back to Baltar’s gathering.

Demetrius
Mathias is on a space walk, inspecting the Raider when she spots a red musclely-type leak in the hull with some kind of gas coming out of it. The Raider suddenly explodes, killing Mathias.

Galactica
Baltar spots Chief and calls him out and asks Chief to come and take his hand. If not for himself, than for Cally because she would have wanted this. Chief says that Cally isn’t like her, that she forgave him for New Caprica, but some sins cannot be forgiven. Baltar asks him to take his hand for Cally. Chief grabs Baltar by the throat, but lets him go and roars that Baltar didn’t know her before leaving.

Chief is panting and kicks his table over when he returns to his room. He grabs his gun, still panting and very twitchy. He spots a photo of Cally and Nicky on the floor.

Demetrius
Leoban asks Starbuck if she is alright, he heard an explosion. Starbuck backhands him and wants to know what he did. Starbuck pounds on Leoban who only says that he didn’t do anything and that is the Starbuck he knows. Starbuck wasn’t even there watching out for her crew. Leoban tells her to kill him again like she did so many times on New Caprica, there is no resurrection ship. Leoban notes that nothing feels like it did before. He tells Starbuck that all her life she has forced back the truth, lashed out at those around her, numbing herself with booze and empty affairs, and now those things feel empty. Starbuck asks him what happened to her the two months she was missing. Leobans claims that he doesn’t know and that she must make peace with her past. Leoban calls her an angel, blazing with the light of god, an angel who will lead the people home.

The mourning crew say that there is no way to explain this away. Helo reminds them that Starbuck has more kills then anyone in the fleet. The crew doesn’t believe that this is Starbuck. Starbuck enters and the room comes to attention. Starbuck eulogizes Mathias, saying that none of this makes any sense anymore, and that she is dead because of her. Starbuck knows that this has been a difficult mission and maybe she hasn’t….. Gaida breaks the silence, telling her that they are ready to jump back to the fleet. Starbuck says they are not going back, they haven’t completed their mission and she knows that the Cylon Baseship has something to do with it. Starbuck tells Helo to prepare to jump. A crewman begins to protest, saying this was not their mission. Helo tells him to walk away; he says that Helo would be the one to protect that Cylon thing. Helo knocks him out. In a nice touch, Athena looks at Helo with a “not this shit again” look.

Galactica
Chief holds the photos of Cally while laying on his bed with the gun on his stomach. Baltar knocks and enters, and asks Chief to forgive him for presuming that he understood Cally. Baltar keeps glancing at the gun. Baltar says that it’s hard to make sense of things, and notes that he joined this ship as a man of science and reason, and now he has changed, maybe evolved. Baltar admits to his crimes and says that he has been given one last chance, and that he is not going to fight it anymore. He offers his condolences for Cally. Chief offers Baltar his hand.

Demetrius
Athena asks Helo if he is going to do this and tells him that he does have a choice. Helo asks Starbuck to reconsider. Starbuck says that they do not have time. Helo reminds her of Galactica’s standing orders, and that if they miss the rendezvous, they will be assumed dead and left behind. Starbucks refuses to believe that Adama would ever do that. Gaida doesn’t help, listing all the types of traps they could be jumping into, based on Leoban‘s infor. Helo feels like they can jump back and resupply and check with Adama and jump to the Baseship with much more military support. Starbuck tells him not to do this, that when Adama put her in command, he told her to trust my instincts. Starbuck orders Helo to prepare to jump. Helo says that he cannot obey that order. Starbuck relieves him of his duty. Starbuck promotes Gaida to XO and orders him to prepare to jump. Gaida refuses. Starbuck calls this is a mutiny. Helo relieves Starbuck of command and we are TO BE CONTINUED…..


Analysis
This episode was all about ratcheting up the tension level. Starbuck was incredible in this episode, appearing completely crazy and vulnerable in a way that we haven’t seen from her. They did a great job making her look unhinged as well, she looked dirty and unkempt, desperate and driven. Tremendous performance. It was great to see some of “classic” traits that we love about Starbuck finally show up as well, especially when she thrashed Leoban and at the final showdown.

Leoban is still creepy, and unfortunately, the least interesting of all the Cylon models. He just does nothing for me. He did at least give us a version of what happened to the Cylon rebels that I did not anticipate, as I thought those Cylons were destroyed.

I liked how they actually found roles and places for Athena and Helo in this episode, they have become afterthoughts so far this season.

Chief took a really odd twist, but people suffering a loss like that often make drastic life changes. His new look is very freaky. His conversion to Baltar’s vision has some interesting possibilities.

Toning down Baltar’s extended religious preaching was also the right move, his thesis is out there, so there is no need to bash it over our heads. I am curious to see where they take the religious themes.

I have to say that the special effects continue to take center stage whenever there are space or ship scenes. They really seem committed to making those the best looking shots in every episode, and this is a welcome addition.

Things I Wonder
Did anyone really think that Chief was going to shoot himself?
Was anyone wondering if Chief would resurrect if he shot himself?
How seductively great is Tory becoming? Is this some kind of Cylon trait?
If Chief is pouring over the scene of the crime, isn’t there some kind of record of what station opened the airlock (that would prove that Cally didn’t kill herself)?
Where is my Six fix? Damnit, it is the final season, so there are only so many more opportunities out there.
Why is a radio show illegal?
What exactly is Chief’s new job and who replaced him?
Cylons sure do love their pain, don’t they?
Is Baltar based on Jim Baker? Just wiki him if you just went “who?”.
Does anyone see Chief in a St. Paul role soon? Just wiki him if you’re not up on your road to Damascus.
Did the Raider blow up exactly when planned or was it an accident?
How does Starbuck steal every scene she is in?
Is anyone else dreading that damn hybrid coming back next week?
Am I the only one who misses Boomer and Helo?
Where are Baltar’s voices/visions? When are they going to explain Baltar’s vision of himself?
Now that I think of it, wouldn’t it be a great way to reveal the final secret Cylon by having someone die and suddenly resurrect in the next episode?
Was Leoban inflicting all that pain on Starbuck back on New Caprica to get her to realize something?
Is someone on the Demetrius going to die before that is over?
So how exactly is the Demetrius supposed to find Galactica if they miss the rendezvous? The way they were talking, it was as if they didn’t have another way to contact or track them. Makes my head hurt.
Why would Cavil, the logic model, have left the rebel Cylons alive? Doesn’t make any sense to me.
They can travel through space, but can’t get a SINGLE antidepressant that works? Maybe that is science fiction.

Thanks for reading. All comments and feedback much appreciated. To those of you that have emailed me, thank you, I get paid in feedback here. This is Cory and I’ll be back next week with the conclusion of this episode, titled “Faith“. Until then, keep watching.

The 411: This episode was all about ratcheting up the tension and they succeeded in spades. Baltar the preacher finally clicked as a concept. Chief's grieving was very well done and the mutiny scene itself is exceptional. I can't wait for the conclusion. After an off week, BSG shows off why they are so acclaimed.

Final Score:  7.8   [ Good ]