(S04E12) "There are days when I really hate this job." - Admiral AdamaRon Moore's directorial debut! It was a good one (although not as good as last week). It probably helped that he also wrote the episode.
A long-nagging question of mine was answered in tonight's episode: if Cylons can't procreate and Tyrol was a Cylon, then how could he have a kid with Cally? The answer was that the kid wasn't his. It does leave the question of Tigh and Six's baby. Can the Final Five procreate with other Cylons? And who is that guy that is the father of Cally's son? I didn't recognize him. Has he appeared previously? This plot point seemed out of the blue. Also, they seem certain that Tigh is the father, but could it possibly be Baltar instead?
I just realized that another one of my nagging questions was answered in the last episode during the revelation about Earth. I was wondering how humans that evolved elsewhere in the universe developed such parallel concepts as ties and toothbrushes. Obviously, they were thought up on their ancestral home of Earth.
This episode was more political than action and pretty much focused on Adama's attempts to keep humanity together after the disappointment of Earth. At first, President Roslin seemed to be on a similar train of thought as Dualla was last episode, but it ended more happily. She had someone with whom she could confide and trust.
Gaeta's mental health has always been in question (he was willing to side with the Cylons on New Caprica), and he's been in decline since he lost his leg, so his alliance with Tom Zarek is no surprise. Why was Gaeta even allowed in that meeting with the Cylons? It looks like he's going to lead a riotous mutiny, and that cannot possibly end well.
Why did Baltar sit still while Tyrol was kicking the crap out of Cally's baby-daddy? Did he not want to get his hands dirty? Is his entire "man of peace" visage a sham? Did he not like the man? At first, I thought it would be revealed that Baltar was the father (sleeping around is keeping in character with him), but it didn't quite add up since he was President at the time of conception.
Ron Moore has always been good at examining multiple points of view in his stories. Zarek started off as a criminal and is now Vice-President. Is he grabbing for power or does he legitimately want to eliminate Cylon interference in the fleet? Possibly both. This all seems a set-up to have Lee Adama obtain the V.P. position and eventually become President when the cancer takes Roslin.
It does make sense that Cylons have superior technology since they are a machine race. It's a wonder humanity has lasted this long. Where is the pursuing Cylon fleet?
One of the beautiful aspects of this the final episodes is that anything can truly happen. Ron Moore has dropped various tips that it's likely characters we've grown to know and love are going to bite it. The only two questions are who and when.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
1-24-2009 @ 10:13AM
Whit said...
Nicky's real father is the pilot first deemed "Hot Dog" by Kara back in Season 1. He is played by Bodie Olmos, who is the son of Edward James Olmos.
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1-24-2009 @ 10:30AM
Ashley Boyd said...
Tigh granted Gaeta access to the meeting in the webisode series.
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1-24-2009 @ 10:34AM
Ronny said...
I must say, I'm quite surprised by your questions:
"And who is that guy that is the father of Cally's son? I didn't recognize him. Has he appeared previously?"
Are you kidding me? He's been in more than 20 episodes.
I don't understand how someone could review the show and not know who he is...
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1-26-2009 @ 1:02PM
jason said...
Also, how can someone who reviews the show not understand that Earth is not their ancestral homeland? The Earth colony and the 12 colonies share a common ancestral homeland of Kobol.
1-24-2009 @ 10:42AM
Tim said...
I suspect with the destruction of the Resurrection Hub, we may start seeing other Cylons getting pregnant. I suspect their ability to download somehow interferes with their ability to reproduce.
Hot Dog was a viper jockey from the first couple seasons, who hasn't been seen much in the last couple years.
I think you missed the point of Roslin's sweeping her pills into the garbage can- she's stopped taking her medicines, which accounts for her burst of energy and running around the ship. She's happy, for now- because she's going to die soon. Its a slower form of suicide than Dualla's abrupt ending.
Baltar languor as he sat out Tyrol and Hot Dog's fight appeared to me that he's suddenly on something- or he's disillusioned by his role as a prophet now.
Interesting other points of view: The Cylon (Tyrol) showing the human (Hot Dog) how to be a human. The use of Athena to board and bring back the tylium refinery. The Six and Tigh's esctasy of their child. I suspect we're going to start seeing Cylons bringing back the meaning of humanity to the fleet- and are the humans aware enough to figure this out?
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1-24-2009 @ 10:45AM
Andy said...
"A long-nagging question of mine was answered in tonight's episode: if Cylons can't procreate and Tyrol was a Cylon, then how could he have a kid with Cally? The answer was that the kid wasn't his. It does leave the question of Tigh and Six's baby."
So apparently what you're trying to say here is that you're under the quite arbitrary impression that MALE Cylons can't procreate, since Six is currently pregnant and Sharon had a baby 2 seasons ago.
Although if you didn't know who Hot Dog was, it wouldn't surprise me if you've never heard of Hera.
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1-24-2009 @ 1:51PM
Unknown said...
I think the canon has always been that "two cylons couldn't procreate" (Hera was a half-breed, between Helo and Sharon)
The Six even said as much before the credits in tonight's episode... that no cylon-cylon pairing has managed to produce offspring, etc., etc.
1-24-2009 @ 2:25PM
Andy said...
I agree, which is why I don't see his point about Chief and Cally. As far as we know, Cally was a human.
1-26-2009 @ 5:27PM
Tom said...
I think that part of the confusion comes from your point of view, or rather confusion of some of the themes that have been part of the show. It was revealed that Hera was to be special, the savior or future of the Cylon race, because she was the only instance of a human-cylon hybrid--or really, a cylon birth. When it was revealed that Tyrol was a cylon, it made everybody go, "Wait as second, that detracts from the whole 'Hera is special' plotline in a big way." So THAT is what gets answered here! Hera is still special! She remains the only cylon birth ever. (I suspect a cylon miscarriage for Six and Tigh that will introduce the endgame story for how the Cylons will be after Hera, and how she is to become so special and central to the storyline again. Just watch. I mean, the way they were playing up this electronic conception so silly, with Tigh and Six holding hands looking at the baby monitor. That kid ain't got a chance.)
1-24-2009 @ 11:23AM
0megapart!cle said...
Brad, Brad, Brad...
Come on! What's with the spoilers before the jump?! You guys have been really good with this for awhile now, at least with the shows I watch.
I love coming on here and getting a little taste of the show, even if I haven't watched it yet.
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1-24-2009 @ 11:28AM
Melissa said...
Great ep. Lots of layers...so many I don't know where to begin. Seems as though the fleet is becoming un-hinged...except for Adama and a few compatriots.
This reviewer sounds like a newbie...anyone who doesn't recognize EO's own son who has been on BSG since Season 1...well, me thinks we need a new reviewer.
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1-24-2009 @ 12:01PM
Tim-1 said...
Come on guys, Give Brad a break. I would much rather have a blogger that is professionally courteous, than one that is insulting to commenters. Only eight more episodes to go and besides, Brad does just fine. By now I realize that I committed a no-no. I was kind to someone. As BSG seems to punish characters that find happiness, The BSG blogs terrorize polite people....let the brick throwing begin (lol).
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1-24-2009 @ 12:28PM
pumpkinhead said...
I'm with Brad here. I love this show and think it may be the best sci-fi show ever to air on TV, and I've watched this show religiously, but there are so many characters, many of whom resemble each other, with some with the same or similarly obscure names, with so many plotlines, some of which were brief and of unknown significance, and there have been such long breaks between semesters, that I've probably missed and forgotten more than I've absorbed and retained.
I don't think being a reviewer obligates him to tape (an anachronistic term now I guess) and replay the show ad nauseum to absorb every nuance of the most complicated show airing this side of Lost.
I, for one, found it refreshing to read a review where the reviewer was lost on some of the same points I was, and I appreciate the fact that the commenters are multi-replay uber-nerds who can fill me in on what I missed.
And finally, I'll ask the question. I have no recollection of a Ship of Lights, but it is obviously a major plot point in the original series. What was it and why are there such apparent trepidations about its possible appearance in the current series?
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1-24-2009 @ 12:46PM
Rebecca said...
Cylons can procreate - just not with each other as the show has stated in the past. Or so they thought before Six became pregnant with Tigh's child - unless she conceived psychic-ly with former love Baltar :). But the final five are known to be different in many respects from the other Cylons. The weird thing about this is that Calley acted as if her child were a Cylon baby after she found out about Tyrol. Hera's being pregnant was huge in the plots of the show long before Calley and Tyrol had their child.
Sure Baltar is a sham, that has always been made clear. But he's one who can convince himself that he really is anything that pumps up his ego - like this recent religious identity and come to believe it. I think the fight taking place in front of him while he just sat there shows that he is so dispirited that he can barely keep up the pretense or bother with self delusion anymore.
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1-24-2009 @ 1:18PM
Tim-1 said...
Another thing I found curious is why does Baltar recant God now? I mean up until now, he was preaching the concept of the one loving God, acceptence of who you are, etc. There is definately a transformation going on with Baltar. As other commenters point out (or will), there is a long list of loose end tying and a short time to tie them. So if these remaining episodes seem a little rushed on story goading, I can understand why. I'll be reading what the commenters have to add.
C'mon, writers...I want more Athena and Boomer!!!!!!!
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1-24-2009 @ 4:35PM
bsgfan2003 said...
Baltar if anything is a clever survivor, he knows the mood of his followers. By stirring them up against God, perhaps he deflects the anger that might be directed at him. Baltar survives for another day...
1-24-2009 @ 2:32PM
Dean said...
Roslin was never the dying leader in the prophecy. It was and still is Admiral Adama. Did no one notice him popping a couple pills? Tigh commented on how bad he looked at one point.
Just a couple of hints dropped that the search for "Earth" isn't over.
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1-24-2009 @ 3:06PM
JD said...
Very good Dean, very good
1-24-2009 @ 3:25PM
MrMuggs said...
Wow. Good catch!!
1-24-2009 @ 3:27PM
MrMuggs said...
"Why was Gaeta even allowed in that meeting with the Cylons?"
I was wondering the same thing. Gaeta doesn't seem senior enough to be sitting in these high level discussions about the destiny of the colony. Especially considering his past it seems like a horrible choice to include him.
I saw another commenter say that the reason was in a webisode but I didn't have time to watch them. Glad to know this but it still doesn't make sense.
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