Battlestar Galactica - Escape Velocity

Well, at least President Roslin didn’t have to deal with more questions about the Demetrius in the episode, “Escape Velocity”. She had to deal with one religious sect (Sons of Ares) targeting Gaius Baltar’s female-heavy “cult” (as Roslin says with great distaste), and the fallout as Lee Adama gains traction within the Quorum over Roslin’s political tactics to stabilize the former President, reminding those in her room of New Caprica and its results. Roslin even visits Baltar, after he disrupts a religious ceremony, calling into question the “Old Gods” and their “faults”, in prison, telling him she’s dying and will use her remaining time to keep him safe, quite devoted to seeing him remain as close to unimportant as possible…although that mission already finds resistance when an order—regarding small numbers gathered for Baltar’s group (under the guise of his own protection and security from others who might seek to harm him and his members), and police orders to keep it that way (in other words, when Baltar resists, Head Six telling him to “move forward” and trust her) result in Gaius beaten to the floor and bloodied—is struck down by a Quorum vote. Gaius gives a riveting Messianic speech about all of his members being perfect just the way they are and the members once again able to congregate as one, an applause and jubilation to the message seeming to indicate that the beloved doctor (by his own members) won’t be held down no matter how hard Roslin might try to make it so. Roslin having to deal with her hair falling out and treatments to help fight off the cancer as long as possible are enough on their own, much less contending with the rise of Baltar again, the Demetrius mission remaining a secret as others want to know more about it, and the Cylon threat that continues.

 

Tory Foster has become a compelling character because while at the President’s side as an aid, she killed Cally in the previous episode, tries to keep her true identity as a Cylon (a “skinjob”) under wraps, has fallen in love with Baltar (she wants to have rough sex with Baltar, who isn’t comfortable exactly with jerking hair from his head or forcing him down), and has progressed into an almost Terminator like presence where her stand at a distance grows more intimidating. Speaking of skinjobs, Tyrol is deteriorating after the funeral of Cally, boozes more at the bar, seems to care less about his child, admits to Admiral Adama in a rage that he loved Boomer more than Cally, begs for Adama to demote him in furious anger, rips Cally’s reputation with ridicule, didn’t replace a part in a Viper resulting in a near catastrophic training exercise wreck, rages at his crew for not calling him out for his mistakes that could have killed pilots, and gets his wish when Admiral Adama demotes him after leaving him no choice with a blistering tirade at the bar. Saul can’t get his dead wife’s face and memory out of his “psyche” going to a clone of Six, held in a prison, asking if there is a “switch” that can “turn off” emotions like guilt. Six beats his face into a bloody pulp then kisses him when she realizes he wants her to do whatever it is necessary to silence the demons in his mind. So all the “skinjobs” on Galactica are dealing with their issues in different ways. You can see Saul having a hard time with being a “skinjob”, and hearing how other officers speak of Cylons clearly bothers him.

 

With all the intense drama, there is a sweet moment where Admiral Adama stays at Roslin’s side, reading to her after political talk, while slips into sleep. Clearly the love and respect these two have is more pronounced with every conversation and warm moment they have each passing episode. It is brief solace from all the misery and strife elsewhere, even as Roslin herself contends with misery and strife. And the demand of the job on Adama show most of the time he’s on screen. Adama’s face when Tyrol just unloads on him about Cally—speaking horribly about her and settling for her, practically begging for him to cut it out and just go to his room, even offering to give him time off—is gut-wrenching. Adama just wants him to leave and get some rest, but Tyrol taking him to task (and just trashing Cally, who can’t defend herself) and ripping at him pushes too far…it is a difficult scene to watch because you are seeing Tyrol breakdown and reveal a darkside that is quite jarring. 4/5