BSG 4.16: "Blood on the Scales"

[icepixie]

Was out running errands and lurking through clearance racks for long-sleeved shirts and being outside enjoying the pretty day (it was 65F and snow as still on the ground, but I can deal with the cognitive dissonance for the pretty) and NOT DOING ANY WORK WHATSOEVER YAY, so I only just now got around to watching BSG.

This episode can be summed up in one word: BADASS. HOLY FRAK.

I have to quote Laura Roslin here: "No. Not now, not ever. Do you hear me? I will use every cannon, every bomb, every bullet, every weapon I have down to my own eyeteeth to end you! I swear it! I'm coming for all of you!"

I didn't think I could love her any more than I already did, but I was wrong. LAURA ROSLIN OWNS MY SOUL.

And Starbuck and Lee and Tigh and all the Cylons were also running around the ship being BADASS AND AWESOME. I could feel my testosterone levels go up fifty percent during this episode.

I loved that there were a ton of what I can only term BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA moments. The Quorum telling Zarek to get out. (Although then they were shot. Which was ICY, but not terribly surprising.) Laura every time she got on the radio and completely flummoxed Team Gaeta. Adama's oh-so-smug expression the first time she gets through, when they're in the middle of the "trial." Tigh & Co. disarming the execution squad. Tyrol pulling out the vital part of the FTL drive. (I'm glad him squirming endlessly through the ducts finally paid off there.) Adama and his ever-growing POSSE at the end.


Questions:

- Are they actually making Baltar (more of) a prophet now, or was the dream sequence just to illustrate the general train of logic everyone on the Cylon ship had to be following?

- Did Baltar actually show a glimmer of honor there? He actually recognized his responsibility for his flock. He refused sexual favors from a Six. This is huge.

- "It stopped." What would that be, Gaeta? Perhaps your little Cylon heart? (I know, I know, it was the itching. But given the previous scene about Gaeta wanting people to know who he was, it seriously sounded like they might be implying he was the fifth. And if they killed the fifth unknowingly, how horrible-yet-awesomely-risky-from-a-writing-POV would that be?)

- UM. Did Tyrol see a claw mark on the wall at the end there? And if so, WHAT THE HELL KIND OF ANIMAL MADE THAT?


Other stuff:

- Cool visuals: Ship guts! I love ship guts! And the Colonial One was inside Galactia. Dude.

- Cool music, too. I liked the flute solos at the beginning while they were trying to shoot Laura's raptor.

- Speaking of which, YAY HOT DOG.

- AND LAMPKIN. (Never thought I'd say that.)

- I figured Anders was done for when he got shot, but I see they're keeping him around. This should be interesting. Maybe he'll get delirious and tap into some kind of Cylon collective unconsciousness and reveal...stuff. I guess there's not much left to reveal now. Hmm.

- Laura Roslin still owns my soul. She was heartbroken and furious and relieved and happy all in the same episode. Mary McDonnell needs an Emmy STAT.

- Well, that was definitely a reckoning. If the episodes keep getting better and more intense than this, I don't think my heart can stand it. But damn, that was awesome.

Comments

[laserhead.livejournal.com]

I don't know how the eps can get more intense, but I don't doubt BSG.

I think the Gaeta/Baltar sequence was all in his head--trying for absolution. Given the previews, Ellen is sticking around (Sorry about that, I know she's not your favorite).

But I think Gaeta would have made a better 5th.

[orangetango.livejournal.com]

The Quorum telling Zarek to get out. (Although then they were shot. Which was ICY, but not terribly surprising.)

I was positively screaming with shock when he had them executed. Just the way he did it was . . . not surprising, but nonetheless intense.

Tyrol pulling out the vital part of the FTL drive.Tyrol pulling out the vital part of the FTL drive.

I was glad his crawling had a point to it. AN AMAZING POINT. OMG. Badass beyond belief.

And if they killed the fifth unknowingly, how horrible-yet-awesomely-risky-from-a-writing-POV would that be?

If it turned out to be true . . . . seriously, it might make this the best show in the history of TV. It would be too damn poetically perfect. I am still hoping it's true.

Although how cool is it going to be when Ellen comes back and finds out Tigh has knocked up a Six?

Did Tyrol see a claw mark on the wall at the end there? And if so, WHAT THE HELL KIND OF ANIMAL MADE THAT?

I saw those and thought House of Leaves. LOL.

[orangetango.livejournal.com]

Gaeta's head, you mean? Makes sense.

Might be cool if it were in Baltar's head, though.

[icepixie]

I think the Gaeta/Baltar sequence was all in his head--trying for absolution.

I read an interview with Michael Angelli (I am BLOWN AWAY by the fact that this is an Angelli episode--he wrote "The Woman King" and this? Does he have multiple personalities?) where he said that some of that scene had been cut, as had much of Baltar's story in the ep; the upshot was that it was in fact real, although I like the idea of it being in Gaeta's head as well.

Given the previews, Ellen is sticking around (Sorry about that, I know she's not your favorite).

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

But I think Gaeta would have made a better 5th.

As do I. Him or Zarek, anyway. (*sigh* I guess this really puts a bullet in that theory.)

[icepixie]

I was positively screaming with shock when he had them executed. Just the way he did it was . . . not surprising, but nonetheless intense.

From the moment he walked out and we could see the Marines in the shot, I knew what was going to happen. "Oh hell, he's going to kill the Quorum," said I, and lo and behold, there he went.

I was glad his crawling had a point to it. AN AMAZING POINT. OMG. Badass beyond belief.

YES. I liked his scene with the turncoat rebel, too. I guess he, whoever he was, was a synecdoche for the rest of the rebels who had second thoughts about the rebellion.

If it turned out to be true . . . . seriously, it might make this the best show in the history of TV. It would be too damn poetically perfect. I am still hoping it's true.

ME TOO.

Although how cool is it going to be when Ellen comes back and finds out Tigh has knocked up a Six?

*snerk* That will be amusing. I wonder if she's going to be all calm and serene now that she knows she's a Cylon, or if she's still going to be really bitchy?

I saw those and thought House of Leaves. LOL.

Hee. I didn't make that connection, but hee. Internet concensus seems to be that it's a hull breach that would've blown the ship to hell if they'd actually jumped. Eep.

[alto2.livejournal.com]

If you've seen the webisodes, it's fairly clear that the Gaeta/Baltar scene was for real. At least, it never even crossed my mind to doubt it.

[alto2.livejournal.com]

I'm glad him squirming endlessly through the ducts finally paid off there.

Did you seriously think it wouldn't? The fact that they kept coming back to it made it pretty clear to me that he was up to something important, and it was a matter of time before we had enough clues to figure out what it was. Further evidence that these guys, unlike certain writers of certain British shows who win awards for tapping into the national cultural psyche rather than for any actual talent, can write. (Note to Rusty: Sit down. Watch BSG. TAKE NOTES.)

Did Tyrol see a claw mark on the wall at the end there? And if so, WHAT THE HELL KIND OF ANIMAL MADE THAT?

Sure looked like a crack in the hull to me, especially since, when he found it, everything went all blue, which is the Universal Color of Not Much Oxygen. Would explain why he seemed unusually tired there, even for the exertion he'd been through, though seriously? There shouldn't have been ANY air by then if it's really a crack, and things like the engine part should have been flying in that general direction. Oops.

Did Baltar actually show a glimmer of honor there? He actually recognized his responsibility for his flock. He refused sexual favors from a Six. This is huge.

Good point. Maybe at least partially the result of Laura calling him on his finely-tuned instinct for self-preservation? Still, Baltar mit conscience is not a bad thing, I don't think. Not sure about the prophecy thing. I don't think it was a giant leap to assume that the mutineers (wow, that sounds so 18th century) would eventually execute Adama, and everyone had to be thinking about it, but that dream seemed pretty eerily prescient to me (and kinder than reality, where they didn't even give anyone a blindfold!)

[rivrea.livejournal.com]

Wasn't the episode just smashing?

While I have got a few 'ideological' issues with it (read: while Zarek ends the illusion of democracy in the fleet once and for all, its decline actually started with Roslin and Adama...), it worked brilliantly as a piece of action-packed story-telling. And it was emotionally gut-wrenching as well. (I did cry during Gaeta's execution, ahem.)

Are they actually making Baltar (more of) a prophet now, or was the dream sequence just to illustrate the general train of logic everyone on the Cylon ship had to be following?

I think it was simply the latter. It was quite obvious that the mutineers were going to execute Adama, so Baltar doesn't need to be possessed of prophetic powers to come up with this idea.

Did Baltar actually show a glimmer of honor there?

Yes. Yes, he did. Boy is starting to grow up.

[icepixie]

Did you seriously think it wouldn't? The fact that they kept coming back to it made it pretty clear to me that he was up to something important, and it was a matter of time before we had enough clues to figure out what it was.

I figured something would eventually happen, but odds were fifty-fifty on whether it would be worth it. By the fourth or fifth shot of him squirming, I thought it was getting old. Could've used fewer shots of that.

(Note to Rusty: Sit down. Watch BSG. TAKE NOTES.)

Indeed.

Sure looked like a crack in the hull to me, especially since, when he found it, everything went all blue, which is the Universal Color of Not Much Oxygen.

Huh. It didn't go blue on my computer screen at all.

Would explain why he seemed unusually tired there, even for the exertion he'd been through, though seriously? There shouldn't have been ANY air by then if it's really a crack, and things like the engine part should have been flying in that general direction. Oops.

Yeah, that's why it never even crossed my mind that it was a hull breach. I mean, vacuum is pretty insistent. Give it a micrometer and it'll take everything in the room. Plus, it kind of looks like clawmarks. From a bear the size of the Empire State Building.

Good point. Maybe at least partially the result of Laura calling him on his finely-tuned instinct for self-preservation?

Maybe!

Still, Baltar mit conscience is not a bad thing, I don't think.

It's only what I've been hoping for since the mini!

Not sure about the prophecy thing. I don't think it was a giant leap to assume that the mutineers (wow, that sounds so 18th century) would eventually execute Adama, and everyone had to be thinking about it, but that dream seemed pretty eerily prescient to me (and kinder than reality, where they didn't even give anyone a blindfold!)

You're probably right. Besides, Baltar's already involved in the Opera House thing, so I guess he's already some kind of visionary.

[icepixie]

Wasn't the episode just smashing?

YES.

While I have got a few 'ideological' issues with it (read: while Zarek ends the illusion of democracy in the fleet once and for all, its decline actually started with Roslin and Adama...)

Yes, I seem to remember him fighting for democracy for a few episodes at some point, or at least against Roslin-as-autocrat. But he's also a terrorist, so I can totally buy him killing the entire Quorum.

(I did cry during Gaeta's execution, ahem.)

I used to love Gaeta. Love him. I'm sad he's gone, although more sad that he led the rebellion.

I think it was simply the latter. It was quite obvious that the mutineers were going to execute Adama, so Baltar doesn't need to be possessed of prophetic powers to come up with this idea.

Yeah, you're probably right.

Boy is starting to grow up.

Finally!

[alto2.livejournal.com]

Huh. It didn't go blue on my computer screen at all.

You know, I think I misspoke slightly there. It wasn't "all blue" so much as things had a bluish cast. It was enough that I noticed it, in any case, and assumed the oxygen thing. Though, I suppose there's no reason why it had to be a complete breach--it could be most of the way there, but not at the point of sucking all the air out yet, though I'm not sure why you'd bother to show it in that case. (And yeah, I realized after I posted this comment that, duh, Tyrol woulda been flying around, too!)

I didn't mind the shots of him crawling around because they were very short and just served to remind us that he was out there, doing something. I thought it was a pretty effective way of upping the tension, m'self.

Baltar's already involved in the Opera House thing

That's true! This is the bad thing about the seasons (half-seasons) being so spread out, because the details tend to get lost. He did have one of the visions, right? Or is he just in everyone else's?

[alorarose.livejournal.com]

I love Mary so much. and I cried when she and daddy were reunited. so. totally. cried.

[rivrea.livejournal.com]

But he's also a terrorist, so I can totally buy him killing the entire Quorum.

Oh, I didn't have any problems with Zarek slaughtering the Quorum -- he was indeed capable of stooping so low. But I do hope that Adama's and Roslin's own failures might be adressed as well. A benevolent autocracy is an autocracy nonetheless.

[icepixie]

He did have one of the visions, right? Or is he just in everyone else's?

I'm 99% sure he's had visions himself. I think they may have stared later than everyone else's, though; I do remember a period where it was only women who were having them (Roslin, Six, Athena). But yeah, the seasons being spread out have done a number on my memory. And there's so much to remember, too...

[icepixie]

Mary rules.

[icepixie]

Perhaps A&R will step down soon and just spend the rest of their days cuddling or something.