TVSquad

(S04E13) Galactica, Frak yeah!
Coming again to save the mother-frakkin' day, yeah!
Galactica, Frak yeah!
Frakkin' is 'bout all we say, yeah!*

*With apologies to Trey Parker and Matt Stone

This was an excellent episode. While the whole "coup d'état" storyline has been done before (if memory serves, the last one was lead by Bill Adama himself), this was done in with more grace and subtlety. The experience was very much like an Alfred Hitchcock movie. The audience knew exactly what was happening while the characters didn't. I was practically yelling at the screen "Gaeta is committing treason! Why haven't you figured it out?"

Obviously, this episode is a sequel to the Gaeta-centric webisodes of the mid-season break. It makes sense that everything that the fleet has experienced would lead to this sort of boiling point. The writing in terms of both depth and forethought on this show remains superb, and I like the constant references to previous episodes and events to remind the viewer that this is a serial experience.

Starbuck remains true to character. The only time she doesn't act like a self-absorbed brooding psycho is when she's in a dangerous situation (usually a war or battle). The kiss she initiated with Apollo didn't come as a total surprise to me either (hopefully he understands her a little better now and doesn't go all fat on us again). I figure they'll be shacking up together before the series is done. Either that or she'll go out in a blaze of glory.

And speaking of attractive, psychotic women: with the exception of Starbuck, it looks like Baltar's cult holds the monopoly on them in the fleet. It did lead to a humorous moment in an otherwise tense situation. Baltar also remained true to character, and his survival instinct kicked in at the first sign of trouble. How did Tyrol end up with Baltar's crew anyway? Was he not done kicking the crap out of Hot Dog?

The banter between Baltar and Roslin reminds me of the relationship between G'Kar and Londo on Babylon 5. First it was passive dislike, then intense enmity and finally friendship. It wouldn't surprise me if they were buddies (or at least respected each other) right before Roslin succumbed to her cancer. Roslin currently looks pretty healthy for a dying woman. Has she started taking her meds again?

I've decided that while all the actors on the series are great, Mary McDonnell is the best. The kiss near the end between Roslin and Adama may very well have been the best I've ever seen on television. Despite the fact that both actors aren't the sort of young, nubile models one sees on television, their kiss had the passion and fire of youth. In short, it was hot.

The former Pegasus crew remains consistent in their penchant for rape. And despite his professional demeanor, we were reminded tonight why Zarek was on prison ship when the Cylons destroyed the Twelve Colonies. At least Gaeta is trying not to hurt anyone. If and when Galactica is retaken by our heroes, Zarek will hopefully answer for that murder.

When Apollo and Starbuck were going through the ship, how did they know how to distinguish friend from foe? Everyone is wearing similar uniforms.

The show has probably been using military time for the whole run, but I haven't noticed it until now because I figured the authors were simply trying to tell the story using terminology we understand (after all, the colonies wouldn't likely use a standard Earth day). Now I figure it's a holdover from their Earth origins.

As mentioned, it was an excellent episode. Looking forward to next week.