“Epiphanies” just continues an incredible second season of
Battlestar Galactica. Introduced is a “peace uprising” of humans wanting to
have peace with Cylons, even equipped with a manifesto and a willingness to
sacrifice themselves as martyrs in order to tell them they are legitimate. An
important wrinkle in this new development is the freed Gina Cylon seeking Gaius’
assistance in siding with the peace resistance, hoping he’ll volunteer his
dedication to their cause once President Roslin’s death from cancer occurs.
What makes all of this so fascinating is that Gaius is thrust into a terrifying
dilemma (he loves Six/Gina but also is mortified about once again being
potentially responsible for another attack on the human race) regarding a
looming presidency he might inherit while the subplot involving a peculiar “anomaly”
in Cylon Sharon’s fetal blood could very well be his rescue from that position.
Admiral Adama almost destroys the salvation of the President. He didn’t know (nor
Roslin or Cottle) that the fetal blood (Roslin orders Adama to kill the hybrid
baby due to Dr. Cottle’s concerns) has properties that are different than human
blood…and after tests realizes that the Cylon blood (hybridized with human DNA
thanks to Helo) could very well cure (kill) diseases. And sure enough, the
fetal blood (the fetus Roslin was ordering Adama to execute) saves Roslin. It
was Baltar that halted the death of the fetus and even saved Roslin who was on
the brink of death. “Epiphanies” does so much more, too. Roslin actually had an
affair with the President before the Cylon attack on humankind, flashing back
to the days he planned to quell a teachers strike through violence as she
negotiates a peaceful return to work, offering a communication between the
parties to come to a reasonable conclusion. Before she could return to Caprica
after going to Battlestar Galactica, most of them she knew and cared about were
killed during the Cylon attack. On Caprica, though, a juicy new development
emerges…Roslin recalls seeing Gaius romantically embracing Six! This episode
develops plenty to absorb. Sharon realizes that her baby could be taken from
her at anytime, and no matter how much she fights unless those in power decide
otherwise she’s powerless to stop them. Helo, despite threatening to use his
gun if Adama and his staff carry Sharon towards an abortion, is only spared
really thanks to Baltar. That divisive bone of contention—Cylon Sharon—remains a
sore, ongoing nuisance. She’s a Cylon,
regardless of how much she’s helped the BG. Adama was nearly killed by her
counterpart. Why should he or anyone else trust her, really? Well, Baltar,
influenced by the returning mental Cylon, Six, concludes that Roslin will never
trust him so in order to let Gina know he’s an ally, Gaius sends her a nuclear
warhead!
4/5
***Roslin seen talking reasonably with the leader of the teachers' strike isn't just a flashback to reveal her relationship with the president and his unyielding defensive unhearing, not willing to give up any control despite the setback of her negotiating with his enemy, but agreeing to listen to the Cylons Peace faction isn't as surprising when the episode concludes.
***Sabotage on the ammunition of Vipers, resulting in the investigation unearthing the Cylon Peace faction, is a refreshing and unpredictable development. A Cylon instigating a human faction, with a nuclear warhead given to her, further chums the viewer with some juicy details left to ponder. Baltar further involving himself with them is additional bait for us to nibble
4/5
***Roslin seen talking reasonably with the leader of the teachers' strike isn't just a flashback to reveal her relationship with the president and his unyielding defensive unhearing, not willing to give up any control despite the setback of her negotiating with his enemy, but agreeing to listen to the Cylons Peace faction isn't as surprising when the episode concludes.
***Sabotage on the ammunition of Vipers, resulting in the investigation unearthing the Cylon Peace faction, is a refreshing and unpredictable development. A Cylon instigating a human faction, with a nuclear warhead given to her, further chums the viewer with some juicy details left to ponder. Baltar further involving himself with them is additional bait for us to nibble
Following up on the VERY ill-conceived ending to the "Resurrection Ship," this is one of the worst episodes of the entire series--a real low-point, wherein BSG continues its sudden habit of taking the easy way out of difficult problems, something it had religiously avoided before. Here, we have Magic Baby Blood to save the president! Baltar puts some of it in a petrie dish with some of Roslin's cancer and the cancer cells are eaten away. You know what else will do the same thing? Clorox. Try treating terminal cancer with injections of Clorox.
ReplyDeleteAnd, of course, Roslin, as she's dying, suddenly remembers seeing Baltar with Six. What kind of abject bullsh!t writing is that?
About the same kind of writing that has Baltar, whose overriding drive is self-preservation, suddenly become so upset by a personal slight that he hands over a nuclear device to a Cylon in the same fleet. Not only does he then have to worry--perpetually--about being blown up, how is he going to explain where it is when someone asks? Awful, awful, awful.
The peace movement is just an infuriating insult to viewers. The series has established no basis for any potential rapprochement with the Cylons, who have shown no desire to do anything with humans except exterminate them down to the last man. This was a storyline that was introduced here merely because it appeared in the original series. It was stupid then. It's even worse in this one.
I can see why you feel this way. I knew they were writing themselves in a fix with Roslin, as if they planned to nix her only to have second thoughts about it. So in order to have her escape such a late and keep her in the series, the out is hybrid blood, some unique concoction Baltar unearths. Because he was always told by Head Six that the babys safety was important, Baltar was motivated to use whatever was necessary to preserve it. That's kind of how I was able to accept it. Your points certainly are valid. I guess I'm not as critical as I might should be. The memory, I sort of looked at it as this emerging snapshot that sort of remained distanced until she had some time to reflect on her past with the president. Sort of a memory that jarred loose when recollection occurs. I agree it is more or less a plot device. The peace faction I could do without but Gina's involvement seemed to be what that ultimately served. I just took Baltar's sending her the warhead as a reaction based on his immense ego. To me his Achilles's heel is his ego. Despite his genius, he can sometimes react rather foolishly. Again, that is something I can understand would come under scrutiny. The warhead was simply another plot device used later for emotional impact. Among many of Baltar's mistakes that cost human lives due to his attachment to Gina/Six
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