TVSquad

(S04E06) More than a few people thought last week's episode was filler. Things picked up again this week, with a lot of reveals along with a few more questions. Throw in another "red shirt" death and some other surprises (that I won't mention here in case there are spoiler-phobes about), and you've got the makings of a good episode.

This week I didn't bother with the ten minute preview online. In an interview with Mark Verheiden regarding last week's episode, he indicated that this episode was originally going to start off at a different point. So, in essence, if you were watching the preview today, you were seeing what was meant to be in last week's episode, originally.

First thing's first, I need to bring up Doc Cottle. After reading theories from readers and having suspicions of my own lately, I'd say he's a front-runner for being the final Cylon. Throughout this episode he was mentioned by name. Not "the doctor" or "a doctor," but always "Cottle" or "Doc Cottle," as if to remind us all that he's there and who he is. Gaeta mentioned him when talking about possibly having his leg amputated. Roslin mentioned him by name a time or two as well.

What especially hit me was when the patient Roslin was speaking with discussed her vision and how it was "the night Cottle told me" about her state of illness. Perhaps it's a red herring, but to me that spelled out a big hint.

Speaking of Roslin, the shot of her bald head was a huge surprise. I mean, it was inevitable, but I did not see that coming. I'm impressed that the makeup folks were able to tuck all of her hair away for that prop to work out so well.

One last thing about Cottle. Why is it that he's always the go-to guy when there just has to be more than one doctor tending to the near 40,000 people in the fleet?

Getting off that topic, I have to say that I'm admiring Helo more this season than I had in the past. I think it was in the first or second season that I didn't like him at all, but he did a fine job asserting command these past two episodes, even if it did result in Gaeta getting nearly mortally wounded and having to take orders at gunpoint.

The trip out to retrieve the Base Star was the highlight of the episode, of course. I was happy to see that what most thought was a "ship of lights" from a few episodes ago was, instead, the Base Star and what looked like debris burning up.

One thing that continually fascinates me is Athena and not only her acceptance within the Colonials, but at how she's distanced herself from what she really is. That was brought to a head tonight, as a dying Eight tried to reach out to her and she turned away. While we're seeing more humans coming to accept the notion of the Cylon way of thinking, that there is one God, Sharon almost seems to be heading in the opposite direction. Perhaps she is the key to how things work out (or don't work out) when everyone arrives on Earth.

I'm loving the moments with Anders as he tries to come to grasp what he is. His temptation to touch the controls of the Base Star. The look on his face when the hybrid's riddle was solved. What would have happened if Anders touched those controls? Would the hybrid know of it? I say, likely, yes.

Speaking of the hybrid, if you're wondering what she said, this is how I transcribed it: "A dying leader will know the truth of the opera house. This missing three will give you the five, who have come from the home of the thirteenth. You are the harbinger of death, Kara Thrace. You will lead them all to their end. End of line." We'll call that the quote of the episode.

The biggest news in what the hybrid said was that the final five are from Earth. I think a lot of people already had this theory, though that most likely means that the Earth we see this season will not be one of the past but rather the present or future.

Some other points:

• Now that Caprica Six is dead, what will become of Baltar's "head Six?"
• What were we to take from seeing Sharon's blood enter the hybrid's pool?
• Jean Barolay is the second secondary character to bite it in a pretty non-glamourous way. She helped Anders lead the resistance on Caprica, which is why he was so affected by her death.
• How are the Demitrius crew going to convince Adama that the Base Star is cool to integrate into the fleet? that's going to be an interesting conversation to see.

Current fleet population: 39,673 (-2 for Barolay and the patient)