Battlestar Galactica‘Escape Velocity’
Original Air Date: April 25, 2008
Brittany – TwoCents Reviewer
I have to admit that I’ve had a hard time going back and watching this episode over again. Not because I thought that it was a particularly bad episode, but because it didn’t do such a great job of sucking me in. I’m hoping that with the next episode I’ll be sucked back in again, but I have to be honest and say that I still don’t know how I feel about the Starbuck storyline. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Recap first.
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[photo: Carole Segal/SciFi]
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Battlestar Galactica
ReplyDelete‘Escape Velocity’
Original Air Date: April 25, 2008
Brittany – TwoCents Reviewer
I have to admit that I’ve had a hard time going back and watching this episode over again. Not because I thought that it was a particularly bad episode, but because it didn’t do such a great job of sucking me in. I’m hoping that with the next episode I’ll be sucked back in again, but I have to be honest and say that I still don’t know how I feel about the Starbuck storyline. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Recap first.
The episode starts with Cally’s funeral. Chief is reading a poem and the people in attendance include a ballsy Tory, Tigh, Adama and Laura who is rocking a jet black wig with bangs. She leans over and whispers to Bill that she likes this particular type of service to which Adama responds that he doesn’t. Softly, Laura reiterates her point: “I know. But I want you to know what I like.” Adama’s face says it all. Chief is saying goodbye to the guests and has a lingering moment with Tory and Tigh and he stares after them as they walk away. The two of them gang up on Chief in his quarters where that kid is still crying. Chief is completely confused, not understanding what he is and feeling guilty over Cally’s death. Tory is trying to convince him that he should turn the guilt off because he’s perfect – he shouldn’t have to feel guilt at all. Tigh tells Tory to stop with the Gaius infused crap, then tells Chief that the guilt over his wife’s death will linger and he’ll think of her all the time, every day. Tigh and Tory leave with Tory still insisting that Chief embrace is inner Cylon.
In the Hanger Deck, as he works on a Raptor, Chief flashes back to moments with Cally, including beating her in the face. Moments later, that same Raptor, flown by Racetrack starts to explode, but she manages to land in a ball of fiery flame and explosions that somehow does not kill her. Chief realizes that he never fixed what was broken and yells at everyone, wanting them to yell back and accuse him of frakking up. No one does though, because they feel sorry for him. Later, Adama finds Chief at Joe’s Bar. They argue back and forth about the merits of Cally. Chief says that everyone is putting her up on a pedestal like she was perfect, but she wasn’t. She wasn’t the person he ever wanted to be with in the first place, but he settled, just like he’s settled for this life that he has now. He doesn’t want any of it. Adama ends the scene by demoting Chief and giving him Adama look of doom before marching out.
We have the harem of Baltar again, and Tory is there visiting. She starts pulling out his hair, strand by strand as she has a meet and greet with little Gaius, if you get my point. Gaius looks at her like she’s nuts, which she kind of is. “I think that I preferred it when you cried.” Heh. A militant group storms in, demanding to know where Gaius is. They knock people around as Gaius hides behind a door like the amazing person that he is. The group is called the Sons of Ares, and it amazes me, the stuff Adama doesn’t even care about that is happening on his ship. Or maybe there are bigger problems in the universe, like finding Earth. Gaius charges in on a worship session, screaming about how Zeus was actually a serial rapist, so congratulations for worshipping that. He gets thrown in the brig where Laura goes to pay a visit. She’s sarcastic and flippant with him, and she makes sure that he knows she’s dying, so she’s not frakking around. She’s whisper-talking about how people who are dying don’t care about rules and laws, which actually is a threat, even if she says it isn’t. But it is an awesome one. She releases him, but the military won’t let him back into the harem. Head Six tells Gaius that this is his chance to be a hero and prompts him to challenge authority. He’s hit over and over again, with Head Six literally picking him up again every time until finally, Lee charges in to save the day. Gaius’ story line ends with a riveting speech about religion, about how God made all of his children perfect; all of the people in the harem (there are men too!) are loved by God because they are perfect. Tory eats it up while Lee wonders what the hell he just did, saving this guy’s life.
Tigh has a bit of a spotlight this week as well, frequently visiting Caprica in the brig. He sees Ellen in Six, and he’s confused and enraged at his pull towards the cylon. He keeps asking her how she works; why she wouldn’t just turn off pain. She explains that pain is a learning experience; it was how she learned more about herself. To prove her point, she starts hitting him, asking him if he feels the clarity of learning who he is. Finally, she realizes that he doesn’t need the hits, he needs love, so she bends down to kiss him.
There are two small moments with Adama and Laura. He first explains to her that he can never finish his favorite book, because he doesn’t want it to be over. She comments that maybe she should do that, and there is awkward silence between them until they walk arm and arm back to his quarters. Later, as she’s getting a dose of diloxin, she’s getting upset over Douchebag Lee, because there was a two minute scene of him arguing with her once again. Adama starts reading to her, finishing the book he said he never wanted to. It turns out, he has the ending memorized: “I wasn’t afraid to die. I was afraid of the emptiness I could feel inside.” More along those lines as we realize that Adama is terrified to lose Laura.
And then there’s 2.5 seconds of Starbuck face planted on a table with Anders staring at her like he wants to confess his cylon secrets to her.
At the start, I mentioned that I had a hard time with this episode. So what are your two cents dear readers? Am I the only one who missed the Cylon civil war story line? Am I the only one dreading an all Starbuck episode next week? And where in the fleet did Laura get a wig?
So what are your two cents dear readers? Am I the only one who missed the Cylon civil war story line? Am I the only one dreading an all Starbuck episode next week? And where in the fleet did Laura get a wig?
ReplyDeleteI'm totally onboard with the wig question. No really... I guess there's some civvies out there still pimping Locks of Love. Not particularly surprised that it got waved over in favor of bigger and better storylines, but it does raise an interesting question.
The Starbuck storyline has some promise because of a particular individual who I've heard is making an appearance (not sure how spoilers are dealt with here). Otherwise, yeah, sweaty garbage ship not so interesting (even though I predict they will inevitably be the ones leading the fleet in the right direction).
I loved the Cavil/Cylon genocide storyline. Didn't expect to at all, but Natalie is an interesting new character and I was quite taken. I especially think Centurion sentience is going to be intriguing. Why should they listen to any of the skinjobs now? They're far more powerful...
In terms of the episode, I found it very powerful despite the small amounts of action. I liked seeing the Chief as a bit unforgivable, and liked how powerless Adama seemed in the scene at the bar.
The part I loved despite myself was the Tigh and Six storyline. I found it incredibly compelling, especially given that Tigh has had a strong fear/hate response to the Six all along. Now that he knows he's a Cylon, it makes sense that his reactions to her change suddenly. Can't wait to see where they take that. I thought it was a very strong episode for character development, which is my favorite anyhow ;)
Please, please, please don't call him Douchebag Lee. It threw me off the rest of the recap (which I enjoyed). And please take this a friendly criticism. I know we feel differently about the character. :)
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I'm completely with you at not being sucked into this episode.
I AM interested in the Starbuck storyline. Especially one it heats up (as I assume it's going to) and isn't just a bunch of people getting frustrated! :) And I missed the Cylon Civil War, too. I know this has never been a show that features all the characters and storylines in all the episodes, but this is one of the episodes where that really stood out to be.