Battlestar Galactica - A Day in the Life

“A Day in the Life” gives us quite a suspenseful dilemma as Tyrol and wife, Cally, seemingly just trying to repair a damaged airlock chamber, when they are shut in due to a hull breach. Losing oxygen and freezing to death, Tyrol and Cally will need to be rescued or else. Admiral Adama, Apollo, and Tigh decide on a dangerous course of action by ejecting the air lock and having Apollo, Starbuck, and Sharon Agathon pilot a Viper right outside with an open door to catch them immediately. The mission would seem to be a major focal point of the entire episode, but Admiral Adama’s anniversary (he divorced Apollo’s mom after a tumultuous marriage) day, an annual day of misery where he suffers to the memories of what went wrong, Carolanne, the wife, emerging to remind him of what all went wrong, is indeed of greater significance. Olmos’ work is once again first-rate, the inner-workings of self-abuse and hearing his wife’s voice taking him to task for not being a father and husband, forgoing family for his great military career. That gnaws at his psyche while Adama tends to the Tyrol/Cally situation on Airlock 12 and contemplating the upcoming trial for Baltar. It is revealed Apollo had an interest in law and Admiral Adama knew it, as Roslin wonders if Lee would like to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps, studying the appropriate legal machinery needed to try Baltar fairly. But Admiral Adama and his jurist father often were at odds, even though Apollo quietly had an interest in law. The law books left in Apollo’s room as he meets up with a tired Dee is a warm scene that tells us that despite his father and grandfather’s rift, Admiral Adama obviously respected his dad (or he wouldn’t have kept those books with him).

On the Battlestar Galactica, relationships endure “rough patches” (used by Tyrol to explain away Cally’s frustrations in their marriage) because of the claustrophobic nature of being confined to a ship in space. Duties demanding constant work, with very little time available to spend together in domestic bliss, marriages and relationships will obviously suffer. Tyrol and Cally, with little time for their baby, show the wear and tear of overtime and a lack of real together time that isn’t devoted to fixing machines and operational/maintenance. This near-death experience (they must recover in the sick bay, hyperbaric chambers used to recuperate them) does indeed give pause for reevaluation. Tyrol will consider how to adopt a better work schedule, conducive to raising their baby/child, the close call a wakeup call.

Admiral Adama and President Roslin flirt a lot, as the two converse about time on New Caprica and what might have been had the Cylons not landed and spoiled the potential of any hope for a fresh start for the Colonial fleet. Roslin wanted to get some time away from Colonial One, requesting a day on the BG. Adama seems to be allowing his feelings for her to show, even if he still reveals little in terms of dialogue. Just mentioning their talk of Roslin’s cabin (and her in that “bright red dress”) indicates to her that Adama does appear to think about her. By taking us into Adama’s mind and seeing him lonely and reflective, with regret and disappointment in the marriage that didn’t work—especially when talking to Apollo, the son trying to assure him that Carolanne’s failings can’t be glossed over and were very real—the potential for something more (a second chance, if you will) with Roslin could be in store for him. Roslin just laughing as Adama amuses her with little asides provides comfort considering the pressures and baggage of all the Colonial Fleet and BG have endured. [3/5]