Battlestar Galactica - Six of One

What an episode. Kara insists that the fleet is going the wrong the way. She will hold a gun on President Roslin, then give her the gun to prove a point…Starbuck will let Roslin shoot her to prove she’s not a Cylon as many seem to believe because of the passionate desire to get to earth. “Six of One” has a lot of plot specific to Battlestar Galactica—Lee Adama is leaving the military for a government gig, as he respectfully denied his father’s offer to take back his position within the Viper division (Major) from the first episode—but also features a major development within the “seven council” of the Cylons. In the previous episode one of the raiders (often nicknamed “toasters”) realized that Sam Anders (in a Viper as the two faced each other during the great Cylon attack on the fleet at the beginning of the first episode) was one of the “five”, and because of this, we learn why the Cylons left the fight when they had the fleet dead to rites. I really like when events lead to an unexpected result and those involved in telling this story don’t just go into explanation immediately, or even specifically in that particular episode…the second episode, where the Cylons are given more time, even the raiders are allowed development. The mechanical Cylons, more significant in the original series, have been more or less relegated to special effects background weaponry. Six and Eight confront the others about the raiders having sentience, and that the other five were on the Galactica. Cavil (Stockwell) believes the raiders should be “reprogrammed” and follow instructions like “obedient warriors”…Six fights them and ultimately she removes the mechanism that deprives them of their ability to question, to challenge, to have a choice, to reason, to function beyond being just robots sent out to kill. That debate, the feuding within the Cylon council, the arguing back and forth about the raiders…this is the most interest in the raiders than all the previous seasons combined, it seems. The raiders firing upon the Cylon council members (Cavil, Simon (Rick Worthy), and Doral (Matthew Bennett)) that wanted them “dumbed down” to follow orders (while all clones of them were being executed for what they were doing to the raiders, their screams heard outside the chamber) is quite a twist I didn’t expect after the previous episode. You’d think the Cylons would be unified since the fleet appears weakened since the previous episode’s space fight. Debates on God being in charge and the raiders developing sentience come up, but when Tory is nudged by the other three (Tigh, Tyrol, and Anders) to “get close” to Gaius in order to hopefully figure out who might be the one remaining mystery Cylon and yet they, too, talk about the “One True God”…during sex no less, as Tory is tearing up with Gaius telling her not to be ashamed of crying. Gaius leaves the table of his female flock to join Tory for a conversation, with Head Six all of a sudden becoming Head Gaius. Seeing Gaius talking to Head Gaius is just bizarre. I like not knowing where Tory and Gaius is going even if it happened quite fast within one episode.

With all the tension between Admiral Adama, Roslin, and Starbuck, it was nice to see Lee getting a good send-off from the troops and crew; starting with a boozy tribute, where Lee takes a swig and commends those among him deserved of mad props, a visit to Starbuck in prison where Lee can kiss and hug her before leaving, and right before he is to leave as his men and women stand and salute, complete with Dualla giving him a plaque with his badge encased, the former marrieds saying goodbye proper. Lee’s story is relief as is the ending where Admiral Adama and Helo come up with a plan that allows Starbuck to pilot her own ship (the Demetrius, released to her use) for earth while the fleet continues with Roslin’s plan. All the jumping and moving according to Roslin’s orders leaves Starbuck agonizing, with Adama confronting her after the episode in Roslin’s chambers. Starbuck knows earth is available if she is listened to, but Adama is following Roslin, so the compromise of the piloting the Demetrius (and Adama not losing Kara again) seems the most viable option. There is an emotionally raw scene between Roslin and Adama about Starbuck, Lee leaving, and Roslin’s cancer that is as intense as Adama confronting Starbuck angrily about her decision to pull a gun on the President and then demand to be shot out of belief she’s a Cylon…but the acting is stellar because these characters have been rode hard by the Cylon threat, the loss of so much life, the time spent in ships in space, the unfortunate issues with Gaius, etc. And on top of that drama, the Cylons in certain lofty positions on the Galactica, having to convene in secret and determine what actions are best to keep their true identities hidden from the human crew! 5/5