01.29.07
Posted in Reviews at 3:26 pm by Administrator
Written by Michael Taylor
Directed by Edward James Olmos
The title of this episode apparently refers to the theme song from “Cheers”, which is relatively appropriate, given one of the two major plot threads. Seemingly out of nowhere, a bar emerges, where the various officers gather to complain about their relationships and get rip-roaring drunk. This is integral to the Love Polygon between Kara, Anders, Lee, and Dee, which certainly doesn’t help.
It’s hard to tell why the writers chose to add a makeshift bar to Galactica. One might assume that the underground establishments from “Black Market” were wiped out at the end of the second season, and they were never recreated on other surviving ships. Whatever the case, having a bar around implies that the crew has enough downtime to make it worthwhile, and that enough alcohol exists to keep the thing running. Perhaps it was addressed in passing in the episode, but does this really make much sense?
It does give Lee a source of alcohol, however, which provides him with the time-honored means of drowning his sorrows and self-pity. One can only hope that this is the end of the relationship issues for a while, because this plot thread was a mess. Unfortunately, Lee’s decision to save his marriage still feels temporary, and that means more excruciating scenes between Lee and Dee. Kara and Anders aren’t much better, but Anders’ unusual attitude regarding his wife makes it somewhat tolerable.
The lead writer for this episode also wrote “Unfinished Business”, and so he seems to be the one who writes episodes with heavy soap opera content. Michael Taylor has an interesting list of genre credits. He wrote some of the best episodes of “DS9” before taking a substantial role on “Voyager” as story editor and author of some of the most reviled episodes of that series. So far, his episodes of “BSG” have been loved or despised. There’s not much in the way of middle ground, and the strong focus on the agonizing Love Polygon.
That might change based on the other prominent plot thread. The interrogation of Baltar could have been the entire episode, as far as I’m concerned. This pays off the deep hostility and anger shown in “The Eye of Jupiter”, especially when it comes to Roslin and Adama. One doesn’t expect restraint from Tigh, after all. Roslin and Adama put Baltar through some serious torture, most of it psychological, and that’s rather revealing about everyone involved.
It’s always interesting to see the similarities between the Humans and the Cylons, and in this case, we see the Humans turning on one of their own in an especially brutal manner. Roslin’s “airlock” scene was one of the highlights of the hour, and it was far more visceral in its effect than the Cylon vote to keep Baltar alive. Plot elements from “Epiphanies” and “Collaborators” came back with a vengeance, with Roslin and Gaeta both grabbing a chance for their pound of flesh. The effect was a mixture of satisfaction and pity for Baltar. As Adama said, Baltar sees himself as the victim, despite the reality of his choices, and there’s enough truth in that to keep his fate in doubt.
The writer tries to draw a strong correlation between Baltar and Lee, and it doesn’t quite come together as well as one would hope. There’s a difference in scale and effect that cannot be surmounted. Baltar feels like the victim, but his choices led to his current torturous existence. The same may be true of Lee, but his choices didn’t lead to genocide or collaboration with the enemy. One might argue that both are devastating psychological states for these individuals, but it just doesn’t seem to work. That leaves the episode itself in a curious and frustrating middle ground.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 6/10
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01.22.07
Posted in Reviews at 6:21 pm by Administrator
Written by Bradley Thompson and David Weddle
Directed by Michael Rymer
The wait between seasons 3.0 and 3.5 was much shorter than in the past, much to the pleasure of BSG fans awaiting closure on the mid-season cliffhanger. Despite the short break, a number of changes have struck the Galactica universe. The most important change is the shift to Sunday nights, an attempt to capitalize on demographic gains and reverse an overall slump in ratings. It remains to be seen if this questionable strategy will yield positive results; the fact that the AFC Championship game spilled over into the same timeslot will certainly not help the ratings for the triumphant return.
The episode deals with the items open from the end of “The Eye of Jupiter” well enough, but some of the situations evolve in ways that seem watered down or lackluster. The most obvious example is the tension between Lee and Anders. For all the sniping and staring-down in the previous episode, they set it all aside quickly enough once Lee sends his wife to find Kara. If that writing choice deferred some of the Lee/Anders hostility for another day, it did lead into one of the more interesting subplots: Dee’s reaction to being sent to rescue her husband’s possible lover. It might feel like soap opera, but the show is all about broken character relationships, and love polygons come with the territory.
As predicted, the Eye of Jupiter was the super-nova, once again playing on the idea that “all of this has happened before”. Kara’s childhood premonitions and possible visions tie into her role at the end of the first season rather nicely, and it also presents some interesting possibilities. At the very least, one could wonder if Kara and Roslin are both fulfilling roles in ancient prophecy, but it could be something more ominous. What if Kara is, in fact, one of the final five Cylons?
Setting aside the oddity of the Cylons themselves referring to the “final five” in that particular way, D’Anna clearly recognized at least one of them during her religious experience. Looking back at the scene, her expression suggests that she recognized all of them to one degree or another, but that one fact in particular struck a chord. Her expression and plea for forgiveness suggests that one of the final five had been sorely mistreated by the Cylons during the genocide.
The implication fits with the possibility that Kara is a Cylon, because that might explain why the experiments with her ova have yet to yield much in terms of results (or so it would seem). But others fit the criteria. Baltar is another obvious possibility, as strongly suggested by the staging of the “vision” scene. But wouldn’t it also apply to someone like Saul Tigh? That would be incredibly ironic and a huge revelation. Right now, it’s all speculation, but the writers are doing an effective job of stringing out the mystery.
The other major subplot was Sharon’s rescue of Hera. I love how Sharon manages to get back among the Cylons, and that Caprica-Six is forced to choose between her previous co-conspirator (Boomer) and the more human Sharon. It would appear that Caprica-Six retains her stance that Cylons and Humans are meant to co-exist, while the rest of the Cylons are still unsure. Each model seems to be the embodiment of a certain philosophy. The Cavills want to destroy Humanity, the Boomers are pushing for going separate ways, the Sixes want to bring the species together. It’s still not entirely clear where the other models stand, but I expect them all to demonstrate similarities that serve to amplify the differences among them. (And, for that matter, how the Cylons among Humans have evolved as individuals.)
It should be exciting to see how Roslin reacts to the fact that Sharon was, in the end, apparently loyal. Will she continue to question Sharon’s motives, and if so, will those suspicions be rewarded? After all, Sharon’s loyalty might have been a function of Hera’s condition, and the fact that the Cylons couldn’t treat Hera correctly. What if the condition could have been treated on the Basestar? Whatever the case, Roslin’s suspicions, if they exist, will likely be undermined by her own deceptions regarding Hera. I expect this to be a thorny issue for the rest of the season.
There were a lot of other aspects that worked well. The final fate of the D’Anna model follows through on a concept introduced in “Downloaded”, and represents the most substantial shift in the Cylon mindset. What used to be a united front is now revealed as anything but unified, as models turn on one another. Perhaps it is the introduction of Human traits into the culture? Meanwhile, there’s the capture of Baltar, which ought to have unusual ramifications. Where exactly will Baltar’s desire for personal survival take him next?
Unfortunately, this installment also had many of the problems evident in “The Eye of Jupiter”. In particular, the pacing felt choppy, especially in the final act, as though the episode had to be cut for time. One has to wonder if a longer version will emerge on DVD. Also, the dialogue lacked a certain sophistication, as though the writers were simply trying to get through the plot points as efficiently as possible. Both of these items have been repeated offenses, however, so there’s no reason to focus on this episode alone.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
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