Battlestar Galactica - The Ties That Bind

Cally is fed up

I admit that this episode of Battlestar Galactica was ruined by an announcement with my employer regarding an obvious potential job loss and obviously stuck in quarantine because of the pandemic hasn’t helped matters. And this episode was driven mostly by political intrigue and civil war, with a dark descent for Tory, who takes it upon herself to shoot Cally out an airlock in order to maintain her secret of being a Cylon (“skinjob”). Lee Adama is now part of the Quorum Government in the fleet and it didn’t take long for him to be at odds with President Roslin regarding tribunals and the government seemingly under Roslin’s control, and Starbuck on the Demetrius, with the likes of Gaeta and Anders in the small, makeshift crew, seemingly on route to nowhere. Cally, in this episode, is fed up with Tyrol’s absence in her life, as the baby cries and she feels so alone. Tyrol is caught with Tory at a bar, and Cally takes obvious exception to it…Cally later listens behind a wall as Tigh, Tory, and Tyrol discuss their dilemma with her, a Cylon-hater while they are “skinjobs”. Tory makes sure that she protects the baby while ridding her of Cally, a nuisance that would threaten their identities. It is a potent final scene, along with Admiral Adama talking with Tyrol in his home chamber, consoling him, featuring Cally thrusted into space, frozen and lifeless. Starbuck challenges Anders to make her feel something, insulting their marriage and relationship…I admittedly tire of this on-again/off-again bickering and sex. It is the same with Starbuck and Lee…it just seems to repeat itself cyclically. Starbuck seems unable to chart a correct course and whatever visions or “instinctive feeling” that was quite real to her about earth seems to be evasive. So the crew on the Demertrius accompanying her is restless and losing faith in her. President Roslin trying to maintain her foothold (in keeping what is left of the fleet safe) with the fleet seems to be challenged often as the “press core” and members of the Quorum always request answers…Lee gets under her skin with questions about levels of government in the fleet and just offering an excuse about the Demetrius (regarding its use as another earth course detail) so the press and representatives of the fleet would cut her some slack. Cally’s exist from the series and the growing deteriorating among the skinjobs onboard Galactica is clearly indicating dark times ahead. Tory might have bought them some time, but she clearly demonstrates they have a malevolence that can surface if threatened. 2.5/5

*Cavil pulls a fast one on Six, getting her to believe they have called a truce and will work together, but it is a trap in order to relax them at ease, awaiting them to get some distance ahead before leading an all out attack (without a resurrection ship available to “re-clone”). It displays the annihilation within, as Cavil is willing to truly render extinct members of their own.

**This features the return of Tom Zarek, Roslin’s VP, as he converses with Lee Adama about the President and the Demetrius, with a Confidential file about the tribunal that could be utilized to at least address the potential abuse of power. This is a lot of political subplot that perhaps serves to pad out the season, or could be seen as such. The balance of power and what should be kept from the fleet and what shouldn’t does separate this incarnation of BG from its original source.