(S03E13) This episode turned out better than I thought it would be when basing it on the previews shown for the past week. And y'know, that's the way it should be, if you ask me. Why spoil things for everyone with cheap ploys to lure new viewers when you can just wow them with the actual episode that airs?
The first thing I've got to mention is definitely going to seem nitpicky to some. What's with a bar on the Galactica? Another ship, sure, but on a fracking Battlestar? As if troops stowing away booze in their lockers wasn't bad enough -- now we've got Apollo stumbling around throwing wedding rings around, sobbing like a whino through the decks of Galactica.
The interrogation scenes with Baltar were well done. It's not difficult to imagine the world Baltar felt he was in once under the influence of those drugs. The feeling of floating helplessly in a dark sea, with only a strange, bright light to focus on. The light and the voice, your only grasp at something that makes you not feel alone. I did wonder why they didn't just send in the captive Six to interrogate Baltar by offering her some sort of deal, though judging by the extended extra scene at Sci Fi's website, that plan would have gone nowhere.
I really hope we don't keep seeing significant airtime given to the whole Apollo/Starbuck love angst. There are just so many more interesting storylines and goings-on in this show that it's a waste of time to travel more than three episodes into a relationship such as this one. And can I just say that I'm really hating when Starbuck does that thing where she clears her throat, purses her lips and closes her eyes when she's disapproving or uncomfortable? No wonder why Apollo wanted to get her into the ring for a spell.
random thought (sorry, I seem to be full of them tonight): Is it just me or does everyone ... I dunno ... curse too much on this show? Look, I'm no prude, but there are times when maybe "frack" is used a little too liberally. Try replacing that word with the Earth word it's meant to represent, then tell me if it's overused or not. I guess when it's the only curse word anyone seems to know, maybe it's no so bad.
Something very interesting that none of Baltar's interrogators seemed to pick up on, though they may have just quickly brushed it off as drug-induced nonsense: Baltar said "God's plan. God's resolve." Not "THE gods." Is Cylon divinity rubbing off on Baltar now? Maybe we were all thrown way off the trail of considering Baltar to be a Cylon in this episode, when it's still within the realm of possibility.
A definite big break in the episode was the interaction between Baltar and Gaeta. Does Baltar really know something about Gaeta that he wouldn't want anyone else to know? Was Gaeta worried that Baltar might speak up about him, and that's why he set out to kill him? And there's no denying that Baltar did have a point -- who was the one with a literal gun to his head when it all came down and who didn't? And Baltar knew that Gaeta was delivering intelligence; there's no denying that unless you think Baltar's just a good guesser.
Like I said, I was glad this wasn't a bad episode, but it wasn't stellar. Oh, and if you're wondering where the title of the episode came from, go take a listen to the theme song for Cheers, then add the presence of Joe's Bar, and there you have it.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
1-29-2007 @ 12:11AM
Phish said...
Kieth, as i told you before, Baltar and Starbuck are both CYLONS!
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1-29-2007 @ 12:12AM
Dorv said...
Keith: The concept of a bar on the ship bothered me for like half a second. Then I remembered that there are supposed to be a lot of refugees on board now, and, while not the Enterprise, peoples gotta drink (I love Joe, whom is one of my favorite character actor's on television. His turn on the West Wing was one of the few scenes I ever really, REALLY liked Janney's CJ Craig). And the cursing bit? I mean, the phrase, "Cuss like a sailor" does come from somewhere.
I picked up the "Gods" vs "the Gods" bit, but I think it was scripted well, as it was in the possessive tense, and could have just been confused dribble.
I'm disappointed that the scene with Six got cut. I'm really interested in seeing how that storyline runs itself.
Other than Baltar, the most interesting bits for me:
- Well, I've got some buy in into what happens in the quadangle (Love how everyone is using that word... Even AICN). I wish that the conflict had been slow build over the course of a year instead of rushed into half of a season (really half of a half). I like Starbuck/Apollo, but I like the idea that they can't have each other more.
- Starbuck has the chosen one still has a lot of weight going for it. I hope that everything that I'm hearing out there is just foiler material.
- The Chief and Cally. I'm hoping their troubles alluded to hear was just to further the Apollo plot line. Though, I love the way that he shut Apollo down with the Sharon line of questioning. Methinks he doth protest too much. I mean, maybe its just me, and the fact that I haven't found the woman I want to marry yet, but I always think back to what has happened in the past and how things might have worked out. Though, I just want them to be happy. I love Cally.
I'm sure more will follow, I just had the night off, and wanted to be first to post for once.
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1-29-2007 @ 12:15AM
Dorv said...
Damn, and I didn't even get to be first :(.
Phish, seriously, its going to be enough of a reach for one more of the main cast to be a Cylon, but its incredibly doubtful that two would be. Furthermore, I've heard Sackoff interviewed on the topic, when asked about how she ends up this season, she dodges very poorly... HOwever, during the same interview, when she's asked if she's a Cylon, she answers comfortably and definatively that she is not.
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1-29-2007 @ 12:18AM
radwimp said...
this would have been an absolute amazing episode if the flow wasn't continuously messed up by the love triangle plotline (who's idea was it to combine these stories?). mary, edward and james were fantastic, not to mention it was great to finally see more screen-time for "mindfuck six". i missed her. i was kind of hoping either adama or roslin would make the connection between caprica six that they captured last week and baltar, just to see them together (even though it would make no sense to put them in the same room)
but seriously, the whole apollo/starbuck thing better not be shown over the next few weeks. the scenes in tonights ep were almost as bad as the black market episode. ugh.
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1-29-2007 @ 12:45AM
Joey Geraci said...
I must be the only one that generally really likes the Starbuck/Apollo plotline and wishes a little more time was spent on it. I wished they didn't have to squeeze the conclusion (looks like?) of that plotline into an already packed episode.
Overall, very good episode and I enjoyed it.
Dresden Files is such an unbelievable disappointment though.
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1-29-2007 @ 12:50AM
kaufman said...
Baltar has been using single-God for a very long time - 6 praised him for it way back, like possibly first season. I think that the BSG folks not picking up on it was simply as Dorv said - attributed to confused ramblings and possibly mishearing of it in context.
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1-29-2007 @ 12:58AM
Akbar Fazil said...
Baltar has been using "God" as far back as Season 1, episode 10 "The Hand of God"
End of the episode his final line after sixinthehead convinces him divine intervention made it possible to destroy the cylon base was "I am an instrument of god."
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1-29-2007 @ 1:23AM
Dorv said...
Akbar, correct me if I'm wrong, but he's never spoken about 'God' to a human. Once, I think and then corrected himself quickly.
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1-29-2007 @ 2:17AM
Akbar Fazil said...
I would have to agree with you on that Dorv.
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1-29-2007 @ 2:40AM
Rodney said...
Come on, guys, the title of the episode is a reference to Cheers:
Making your way in the world today
takes everything you’ve got
Taking a break from all your worries,
sure would help a lot.
Wouldn’t you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
where everybody knows your name,
And they’re always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows your name.
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1-29-2007 @ 3:23AM
Brett said...
Hey, they don't call it "swearing like a sailor" for nothing. :)
I'm a little confused why they would have to torture Baltar to get him to help them. Are his loyalties completely with the Cylons now? Aren't his loyalties supposed to be a pretty fluid concept?
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1-29-2007 @ 6:50AM
Underdog said...
Perhaps Baltar informed Gaeta that he is a Cylon? Having been in the service the amount of swearing on board Galactica is tame.
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1-29-2007 @ 7:10AM
Keith McDuffee said...
Rodney -- Um, I did mention where the title came from.
As for Baltar knowing Gaeta is a Cylon, I *highly* doubt it for several reasons not worth going into really, since I think it's pretty obvious.
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1-29-2007 @ 7:12AM
Keith McDuffee said...
Oh and as for the swearing bit, there was one use of it in this episode that I think made me more aware of it than ever before, when I think Apollo says "I love you so fracking much." It just sorta made me cringe
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1-29-2007 @ 9:30AM
Ian said...
Q: Has Baltar seen something at the Temple that he has not yet admitted to?
My Baltar gets tortured by the Cylons and now by the humans. He can't get no love can he? Anyone notice how much more "savior" like this character is becoming in words and physical appearance?????????
My oh my Ms President! The Admiral says interrogation is strictly for the trained military and up pops the President to ramp up and lead the fracking torture factor. She seems to enjoy it, doesn't she? Ugly!
And C 6 gets off almost free of any interrogation when she said she was "freindly". Surel;y she would have spilled a lot fo info is asked, "nicely"?
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1-29-2007 @ 9:30AM
Ian said...
Oh I forgot to mention:
Baltar "dreams" he is being resurrected, but wakes up being "saved". This neither proves, nor disproves that he is a Cylon. Question is why does his "dream" C 6 friend kick the footstool away? How could she have known he would be "saved".
Note again that Baltar is the guy who is reviled, persecuted and tortured by both sides. And yet C 6 says he's the "chosen one". We are going down an obvious road here, aren't we?
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1-29-2007 @ 9:39AM
Keith McDuffee said...
That brings up a good point, Ian. What if the reason Gaeta couldn't sleep was actually because he was sort-of "sent" to go save Baltar, whether he realized it or not, and Six in Baltar's head knew this.
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1-29-2007 @ 10:14AM
adhonus said...
I thought the episode was a continuation of greatness. It was a character episode, sorely needed after several action-oriented installments in a row.
This show keeps paying off on the investments of previous shows, including the Black Market episode. I didn't really care for that episode, but it was important to set up Lee as having questionable morals.
As for the swearing, people say the F word a lot, and so would you if you were being threatened with being execution without a trial.
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1-29-2007 @ 10:30AM
Sean said...
One thing that confuses me about the future trial of Baltar is I thought that Preident Roslin pardoned everyone for crimes committed on New Caprica.
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1-29-2007 @ 10:48AM
Akbar Fazil said...
Sean,
A. Baltar was not in the fleet at the time of the blanket pardon. Roslin said the pardon was for everyone in the fleet.
B. Baltar did a little bit more than your regular-joe collaborator. He needs a big trial.
Ian,
I found Gaeta showing up at the right moment just a coincidence. He came to kill him. Or at least take out his frustration on him. I don't think sixinthehead knew at all. If you deny that sixinthehead is an "angel" and accept she is just a manifestation of a genius who has had a mental break then all of her actions are justified. She is is coping mechanism. Having her kick the chair is just Baltar's way since he can never make the big decisions by himself. He must have his "comfort blankie" do it for him.
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