In the ninth episode of the first season of Battlestar Galactica, Colonel Tigh is reunited with someone from his past, which is the first of many moments of chaotic awkwardness that follow. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Battlestar Galactica.
I’m happy to see that this show can still have a sense of humor about itself, especially when dealing with topics that are invariably intense or serious. I could see how the execution of this might have been a misfire, but I think that “Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down,†directed by Edward James Olmos (!!!!) uses humor to expose the absurdity of the paranoid witch hunt occurring on board the Galactica.Â
Spilling over from “Flesh and Bone,†Roslin still can’t escape Conoy’s last reveal, that Adama is a Cylon, and with the news that Baltar’s test is now complete, she can’t help but suggest that Adama go first. It’s the first domino in a long chain that will be tipped over, slowly at first, until everything crashes by the episode’s end. Now, we know there’s no way that Adama is a Cylon. I’m sorry, I just can’t believe that! That would be such a ridiculous twist, so I’m glad that the writers only pursue the idea in order to discredit it as much as possible. (PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON’T MAKE ME REGRET TYPING THAT.) That being said, it doesn’t help that Adama is behaving in a secretive manner. Roslin even recruits Billy (who I’m quickly learning to adore forever) to try and get information from Dualla, who sees through his poor attempts in a heartbeat. That’s what I found both fascinating and hilarious about everyone in this episode. None of them were particularly subtle about whatever it was they chose to do. It’s obvious Billy is spying for Roslin. It’s obvious Roslin suspects Adama by ordering Baltar to do his test first. It’s obvious that Adama is off doing something he probably shouldn’t do. And that’s really the absurdity of the situation: no one is very good at trying to determine the truth without attracting any attention. Hell, I’d say that they are all awful at it, really.
And then Commander Adama brings Ellen Tigh on board the Galactica.
I’m sure everyone in the fleet has said goodbye to their friends, relatives, and loved ones in their own way, given that they sort of have to, as there’s no world left that they could exist in. Tigh did that by burning a hole in Ellen’s face on a photograph, suggesting that something had happened between them before she died in the Cylon attack. And yet, here she is, very much alive. Well…sort of? Because Adama’s trip to get Ellen is put in a new context when Roslin, checking in on Adama’s blood test, finds out that Adama cancelled his own test, replacing it with…Ellen’s.
He thinks Ellen is a Cylon? What the hell? Why would he bring her on board the ship if he suspected that she was a Cylon agent? So now the seed is planted in my head, and, just like everyone else in this episode, all of her actions are filtered through that lens. And I’ll just spell it out right now for everyone: if any of the previous episodes caused me to feel awkward, they pale in comparison to the dinner scene here in “Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down.†If there wasn’t a little bit of humor to break the tension up, I may have turned off the TV just from how unbearable it is to watch Ellen hit on Lee and to see everyone in the room (aside from Tigh) have all their suspicions about Ellen slowly confirmed.
The dinner scene probably contains some of my favorite acting of season one so far, as the people in this scene succeed at balancing themselves between situational humor and the very real fear that the woman in their midst is a Cylon, trying to gain more information from them about Earth and the Cylons. It’s so uncomfortable because, like the other characters, Ellen is not a subtle person either. She is brazen, outspoken, and without any tact at all. (Seriously, trying to play footsie with Lee in such a confined space while everyone stares at you? No tact at all. Though…wow, she’s got guts. I must admit that.) If she’s a Cylon (and at this point, I completely believed she was), she seemed to be rubbing it in the faces of everyone else. Can’t explain how she got onboard the Rising Star? Or why no one knows how she was treated during the three weeks she spent on that ship? Or how she so readily knew of the Cylon-human development? SHE DOESN’T CARE. Literally! She’s drunk, with her husband, and she’s going to flirt like hell with Lee Adama. She’s clearly another space honey badger, obviously.
But she does make a slip, and one awful one at that: she correctly identifies and names Baltar without ever having been introduced to him. I was totally floored by the idea that Six is just as perplexed as Baltar about this woman, and I think I’m comfortable saying that I think she truly is disconnected from the other Cylons at this point. Why would she tell Baltar to pay attention to Ellen? The only thing I can think of is that Six is a manifestation of Baltar’s desire to survive. Time and time again, Six has given Baltar the information or advice he’s needed to protect himself. (Though, to be fair, she has awful timing when it comes to being sexual, as proven when Starbuck unfortunately walks in on him….humping the air. Oh god, this episode is beyond awkward.)
For Baltar, though, his success at avoiding certain death in “Six Degrees of Separation” seems pointless when he is faced with over sixty years worth of lab work. The daunting task of testing over 47,000 samples of blood (requiring eleven hours per sample) frustrates him to near-fatalism. How is he ever going to pull this off?
It really doesn’t take long for all of this to be completely and utterly destroyed, though, and after Baltar is called back to his lab by Adama, Tigh voices his distaste with Ellen’s flirting, given that that is what dissolved their relationship the last time. To me, though, this was where Ellen laid out her entire plan for appearing on the Galactica, and she did so far too obviously. Every Cylon appearance since the start of the season has chipped away (or attempted to) at the camaraderie and trust of those who are still alive. How this fits into a larger “plan†is still a mystery to me, but Ellen was a clear plant to cause the people running things to bicker and fight with one another.
I bet there are those who disliked how the three-way fight in Baltar’s lab was played up as being funny, and I don’t blame them, as it is an odd tonal choice. I, however, firmly land on the side of thinking it was a great way to deal with an uncomfortable situation and to poke fun at the inherent seriousness of everyone involved. They are all allowing their emotions to get the best of them in a way that none of them should, especially as leaders. (I do like that Lee and Baltar are basically helpless to stop the chaos and simply look on in bewilderment.)
I was touched, though, by how much “Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down†gave us a much closer Tigh and Adama. The Cylon Raider that had been malfunctioning suddenly heads toward the Galactica in a suicide mission. Even as they bicker and fight over who is or is not a Cylon, Tigh still manages to put aside the accusation that his wife is a Cylon so he can order Alert Fighters to attack the Cylon Raider in time. It’s a moment of perspective for Adama, who now realizes what a mess he’s made by carrying himself in the way he has. Adama is not one to express his emotions plainly, so I really liked that he spells things out for Tigh, that he truly cares for his colonel and, more important, his friend. And really, it was about time that we got an episode that focused on Colonel Tigh anyway.
Surprisingly, all of this proves to be nothing more than a mistake, as Baltar confirms that Ellen is human. She’s not a Cylon. Can I just echo Lee’s concerns and say that this somehow feels worse than if she’d been a Cylon? Well, at least it did for a whole whopping sixty seconds. As Six tries to commend Baltar for the work he’s done, he admits to her that he has decided that life will be much easier for him if he merely reports that all tests have come back as green.
WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!? Why????? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? So now it’s possible that Ellen is a Cylon? That others will pass through and you’ll just let them? Even from a standpoint of self-survival, this is a HORRIFIC IDEA! What if a Cylon decides to blow up your ship? Life won’t be easier because YOU WON’T HAVE ONE TO LIVE.
Oh my fucking god, what an awful way to end this episode. I wasn’t entirely filled with dread, though, because the plot on Caprica gave me some hope. It really does seem that Boomer wants to save Helo, to keep him away from the other Cylons. He has picked up on the fact that Boomer doesn’t experience any sort of exhaustion at all, and she also seemed to know about the Cylon base at Delphi without having a good reason to. Will he confront her about it soon?
I was far more interested in Six and Doral’s conversation above ground as they continued to try to locate Boomer. They’re aware that they misjudged the mission, as Boomer’s feelings are genuine. It’s another piece of the Cylon puzzle for me. Doral and Six confirm that Cylons don’t experience genuine human emotion: no anguish, no love. Strangely, though, they sound jealous, and Six even begins to sob at the thought that she won’t experience love as long as she exists. Yet how was Boomer able to? What makes her different? How is she able to separate away her Cylon nature?
AHHHHHHH I GET NOTHING.
I have been WAITING AND WAITING for this episode in order to prove the genius of Bear McCreary. The following are the lyrics to the opera song Baltar is listening to (entitled “Battlestar Operatica”)
Woe upon your Cylon heart /
There's a toaster in your head/
And it wears high heels /
Number Six calls to you /
The Cylon Detector beckons /
Your girlfriend is a toaster /
Woe upon your Cylon heart /
Alas, disgrace! Alas, sadness and misery! /
The toaster has a pretty dress /
Red like its glowing spine /
Number Six whispers /
By your command
And this is why I adore this man beyond reason.
HAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHA
AHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA
OH MY GOD
Oh that is just brilliant! The man is a genius, no question.
MTE, Bear McCreary is amazing.
Cool!! Thanks for posting that!
Bear McCreary gets ALL THE HEARTS. I have all the soundtracks and listen to them a lot. I walked down the aisle to Wander, My Friends.
Naq gur pbire bs Nyy Nybat gur Jngpugbjre ol uvf oebgure'f onaq? RCVP.
Gung'f zl zbfg yvfgrarq gb fbat ba vGharf, V'z yvfgravat gb vg evtug abj. Fbbb tbbq.
I couldn't remember which one 'Wander my Friends' was, so I just played it on my iTunes. And then burst into tears about halfway through for no reason at all. And then my Dad walked in and asked me what was wrong.
You have been my official provider of Awkward Moment Of The Day.
Be proud. 😛
God that song. What a lovely thing to walk down the aisle to!
I KNOW< RITE?
It was AWESOME. So beautiful, so geeky…and yeah I cried too. XD
That's a good one. I kind of think I might walk down the aisle (in some theoretical future where I have a significant other) to N Cebzvfr gb Erghea.
(I decided to be safe and code it…not that it's a super spoilery title, but it could create…expectations. Wouldn't want that)
That may just be the best thing ever.
I would like to note that these are the lyrics TRANSLATED FROM ITALIAN. If you're wondering, Cylon in Italian is apparently Cylone.
My gut reaction to this episode? "Awkward city. Population? Everyone."
Just sayin'.
"If I'm a Cylon, you're really screwed."
Best line in the whole show.
I could see how the execution of this might have been a misfire
Yeah, I haven't seen this episode since I first saw it, but when I mainlined the first season, this was my least favorite episode. The humor didn't really work for me, and, like you, I thought the idea that Adama was a Cylon was so ridiculous that I was not actually invested in that outcome. And I thought Ellen was annoying.
But, as usual, I did pretty much love anything involving Baltar and Six. They can save any episode for me!
<img src="http://i54.tinypic.com/2vccq6a.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"> ’Well, I think people in sensitive positions should go first.’ ‘I completely agree. How about you?’ ‘Excuse me?’ ‘If you're a Cylon, I'd like to know.’ ‘If I'm a Cylon, you're really screwed.’
Awkward. I love and adore this episode. It’s just great silly fun. The awkwardness, miscommunication, suspicion, soap like fights, it’s just hilarious. I love how they take a very serious issue, is Adama a Cylon, is Ellen a Cylon, and turn it into a comedy.
<img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/33x7ryo.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"> ‘I was afraid that she might be a Cylon. So I brought her blood over here and had it tested.’ ‘That's why you cancelled your test?’ ‘How'd you know about that?’ ‘You didn't tell me he was testing my wife.’ ‘You met with the President?’ ‘Yes. She thought you might be a Cylon.’ ‘I know.’
The scene in Gaius lab is the best ever.
Random things:
-Billy and Dee are too cute.
-Looking at the observation deck I guess Roslin doesn’t have to worry too much about people making babies.
-Gaius frustration with the tests for the cylon detector.
–’Any one of us can be a Cylon.’ ‘BOO!’
–’Ladies and gentlemen, please, please. We're in a laboratory. There are hazardous chemical compounds everywhere. That– that's a thermo-nuclear bomb, for frak's sake.’
-WTF Gaius letting everyone pass the cylon detector test?
-Love Starbuck trying to sneak a peek at Gaius.
<img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/1426hk8.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
That wave would be so adorable if it wasn't in the context of "I think you're the enemy and you're going to kill us!"
No, I take it back. It is cute.
It's still kind of adorable. 😛
I love their awkward wave <3
I love it exactly because of the awkward context and the fact Adama is clueless about it at the part of the episode.
<3<3 that first gif! And the second…okay those are all awesome.
Don't feel bad, Mark, Cylon emotions (or lack of) confuse the hell out of me too. Hopefully we will get more on how this works STAT!
<img src="http://i52.tinypic.com/3308mkk.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
I love you forever Madame President.
Love that moment and later when she tells Ellen to be quiet in the lab scene. Laura Roslin > everyone.
Seriously! I had to rewind that like three times before I could stop laughing.
YESSSS this is one of my favorite moments in the entire season. SHE IS SO GREAT 😀
Baltar has a cylon detector that seems to work, seeing as how it accurately IDs Boomers as one. But he decides to lie about the test results and keep it a secret. And then he decides to pass everyone, ignoring this duty completely. Cause it's easier. He's decidedly not thinking about the good of the endangered human species right now; he's thinking solely in the short-term about himself. Yup, I'm definitely team 'punch Baltar in the face.' I mean, it's possible he can still redeem himself in the future, but that doesn't stop me from wishing violence on him for the decisions he's made here and earlier.
So a lot of this episode is just irritating tension with the Adamas, Roslin, and the Tighs. Which I dislike watching. But this episode saves itself for me with that (all too brief) bit on Caprica, where we find out that Sharon is desperate to keep Helo alive and away from the other Cylons. She's feeling emotions that Cylons aren't supposed to have, and basically going in the opposite direction of what she's supposed to be doing. And that Six is very jealous. Very, very interesting. I'm not saying it's a new thing or anything to have aliens/robots/whatever wanting to experience human emotion, but I'd much rather watch that sort of thing than the Ellen drama stuff. That and it gives Grace Park and Tricia Helfer some great stuff to work with.
<img src="http://i51.tinypic.com/2uz5qxj.gif">
(That looks like human emotion to me.)
I loved that scene in your gif <3 I now feel kind of bad for the Cylons? what is going on…
I love the scene with Six and Doral at the end. It's fascinating hearing them be so concerned with love, feelings and being alive.
Team Punch Baltar In The Face!
This needs to be an official team. With a logo. And t-shirts. I swear every single action Baltar has taken up to this point has made me want to punch him in the face. Every. Single. One.
Is that team recruiting? Count me in!
As much as I love Baltar, WHY WOULD YOU LIE ABOUT THE CYLON TESTS WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?? I wanted to reach through my screen and give him a good shake, but that would probably make things worse
To prevent any Cylons from killing him once they're revealed? It makes total slimy-dude sense.
I mean, I understand why but it's SO FRUSTRATING! And it makes me feel weird for kind of liking him… like I'm a bad person too? 🙁
Also, if he's just going to lie about the results, why tell people that the test takes 11 hours? It's a stupid lie anyway, and one he's obviously going to be caught in eventually. And how does the test take 11 hours when he had Boomer's results in minutes?
I guess if he says the tests take 11 hours he can muck about and say he's waiting for results? And if he did get caught or had to perform the test in front of someone it would be weird if all of a sudden a test that normally only takes 3 mintues took 11 hours. I guess it's safer to lie only about the result. Didn't get the Boomer thing either though
He had Boomer's results in minutes after her sample had undergone exposure to the radiation filter for 11 hours.
Ellen Tigh: BOO!
I. Fucking. Died
Seriously it was hilarious XD
The tea was made by man, it rebelled, it evolved
<img src="http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv301/vick1986_album/369300913.jpg">
Now I want tea. Even though it's almost 90 degrees outside.
Uncle Iroh would approve of this idea…
Again, another character I totally forgot was introduced in season one. I thought Ellen Tigh was season two at the very earliest. BSG rewatch, you are making me question my ability to remember basic details about my life.
I request at least two gifs from this episode: The pause in the conversation between Roslin, Adama, and Apollo while they're cleaning up after dinner; and the shot during the confrontation in the lab where Adama and Tigh are nose to nose, headswivel towards the camera, and Adama says "I know."
Such fantastic scenes.
I WOULD LIKE THE HEADSWIVEL TOO.
With the caption
GURRRRRLLLL.
I already have it made so give me two ticks to add text.
Ok not very clear because I don't know how to outline the text but
<img src="http://i51.tinypic.com/vyt9ux.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
Are you using photoshop? Double-click on the text layer or the f at the bottom of the layers window, select stroke, and then make it black and 3 px (or whatever you like).
Great gif!
No I'm using GIMP 2, but thanks for the advice.
Boo. I'm sure there are directions if you google gimp + stroke (and god, I'd hate to see those results without safe search). Good work in any case!
YOU ARE MY FAVORITE!!!!!!
I think someone posted the headswivel above! I for one would love a gif of the screencap I posted – Roslin just holding out the bottle of booze to Ellen without even looking round because she just straight up doesn't give a frack.
President of my heart.
Sorry, I always get this way when I watch Battlestar Galactica. 😛
<img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/11awz14.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
President of my heart.
Same here. I have a ridiculous level of love for Roslin.
<img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/11awz14.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
President of my heart.
Same here. I have a ridiculous level of love for Roslin.
<img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/11awz14.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
President of my heart.
Same here. I have a ridiculous level of love for Roslin.
:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
Totally saving this gif for later use!
If Ellen Tigh is not a Cylon, she's still a horrible, horrible person. "Hi, Honey! Long time, no see. Sorry I was such a bitch to you before, but that's all in the past now. Watch me while I try to build suspicion between you and your best friend while molesting his son!"
As for Baltar fudging the test results, I think he's concerned that, if he starts reporting Cylons, they might really give away his part in the initial Cylon attack. If he continues to cover up for them, he probably thinks he will continue to be protected. I am quickly losing patience with his character. He seems like the type of character who would usually get a redemptive arc at some point, usually resulting in his heroic death. If only he would stop being such a weasel for five minutes.
Good point about a Cylon agent being able to finger him. Although, since he's the one exposing them, that would be a very predictable and not believable lie on their part.
Aaaah the beginning of the PreviousLIES. The reshot clip of Tigh burning Ellen's picture to put Kate Vernon in the picture instead of David Eick's wife. Sneaky producers, very sneaky!
Apparently the comedic tone was chosen when Flesh and Bone turned out so dark and disturbing.
Billy you are the worst spy ever and Dee you're not doing much better, blabbing about Bill's calls and trips off ship. The little observation deck they're in is a nice addition to the ship.
She’s clearly another space honey badger, obviously.
ROFL, she really is. Honestly my opinion of Ellen at this point is WHY ARE YOU SO AWFUL? Stop doing things like hitting on poor uncomfortable Lee (who probably wishes he could be excused and go back to studying the Raider with the other kids).
Bill, Lee and Laura talking about Ellen after the dinner party is a scene I really enjoy. Aside from giving us more information about Ellen and the perspective of those around her it's also a moment where all three of them are on more or less the same page. It's only for a few minutes but it's nice to see anyway. Them quickly going back to tidying up after Lee says "Used to?" makes me lol.
The beginning of the PreviousLIES was actually a few episodes ago, with the change in dialogue about the purpose and population of the Astral Queen. In the miniseries it was a cargo vessel, transporting prisoners to a penal colony, and in Bastille Day it was a prison transport ship, transporting them to parole hearings. They re-dubbed Billy's lines about it for the previouslies on Bastille Day.
I never caught that one! Very sneaky indeed!
Also, I totally think Lee was like "why do I have to eat dinner with the grown-ups?" while he was sitting there. They could at least have allowed him to bring Starbuck as a date or something!
Imagining how the evening would have gone with Starbuck in the mix, missed opportunity there.
That would've been spectacular.
Sigh. Every time I will myself to give Baltar a chance, he goes and does something like this, "Oh, lalala, I'll just say everyone's green and it'll make my life easier." It's not even about covering his own ass anymore–what Six did to him with the supposed reflection that turned out to be false pretty much exonerated him from all future accusations of treason. It's just because he's lazy and doesn't want to deal with reality. I just. Can I punch him in the face? Can I punch him in ALL THE FACES? (Insert general seething hatred here.)
OH THIS EPISODE!! I feel like this episode is as close as Battlestar will ever come to being a Farce. Especially the lab scene where everyone was all "I thought YOU were a Cylon! LOL!". This episode basically turns into a Neil Simon play for a bit. Which I didn't really like when I first saw it, but now I'm fondly remembering. I clearly need to rewatch it later tonight!
This is probably my least favorite episode of the season, yet I do laugh at it a whole lot.
And wow, I feel more uncomfortable talking about this show at all than any other thing you've done, for fear of even vague speculation-y spoilers. It's hard for me to even talk about the characters while trying to cut away any taint that talk would have from what I know already.
So, incredibly random thing! I'm just going to point out two aspects of Six's behavior in the last two episodes:
– In "Flesh and Bone," while Six and Doral are waiting for the Boomer on Caprica to meet them, Six notices that she and Doral are standing next to a swing set. And she smiles, and sits on the swing, even swaying slightly on it. Which isn't a huge thing, except that she is a machine. A serious business (adult?) machine. That smiles and sits on a swing.
– In this episode, she and Doral discuss love as though it were some alien, unfathomable thing. But as they're doing it, Six is clearly upset, even appearing to break into tears.
And yep, cutting myself off there.
Oh god, Starbuck walking in on Baltar, and then him twirling in his chair in a daze with an invisible Six on his lap? How much more awkward can this get?
I liked how upset Six and Doral were are the end, especially Six. I think that was anguish on her face (by the way, Tricia Helfer does a great job with facial expressions). I felt bad for them. Which is weird.
I don't know what to make of Ellen. She knew about Earth, she knew about Baltar, but she didn't know that Cylons look human? She's confusing. Baltar's plan to make everyone show up as human makes sense from a survival perspective. Unless, of course, someone he clears blows something up and people wanna know why his test failed.
She had heard about Cylons looking human, she said so at the dinner table. Roslin and co thought it was suspicious, but then the news *had* been circulating.
God, I'm terrible at paying attention. Thanks. I swear there was something she was suspiciously unaware of, but maybe it was just her popping up recently. Oh, well. She's still disturbing as hell.
She seemingly didn't know or was pretending not to know about Zak's death. Given that it happened two or so years ago and she's the wife of the Commander's best friend, it seems weird that she wouldn't know that.
Ah, thank you!
Baltar's only M.O. in his life has been to look out for himself. Give a hot girl (that you've presumably known for less than a significant period of time) access to the defense mainframe? Sure, if that'll get you laid! Lie about the result of important tests? Well, it saves his skin for the moment, and he'll figure out the rest later!
Baltar is my favorite character on BSG (and possibly in sci-fi) because he is the rare well-characterized True Neutral on television.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Six say in the miniseries that they had been sleeping together for about three years? I mean, it still a damn stupid thing to do, but I guess at least that would give him a little more justification in trusting her.
Two years. But that doesn't mean he gave her access only recently, it could have been from the beginning of their relationship.
My favorite things about this episode, in no particular order:
1. The music that's playing as Baltar and Six . . . ah . . . get intimate abruptly stops when Starbuck walks into the room, meaning that it was never really there in the first place. Baltar's hallucinations are now coming complete with their own soundtrack. FANTASTIC.
2. This screencap from the episode:
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v58/Not_An_Addict/109_cap225.jpg">
Yes, the only writing utensil in that holder on her desk is the dry erase marker for the whiteboard with the running tally of the human population. MY HEART.
3. The bit at the end of the dinner scene with Adama, Lee, and President Roslin where Adama says Ellen used to bring out the worst in her husband, and Lee says, "Used to?" The beat where they all pause with that "Oh, frak," expression, then in perfect sync just sort of shrug and go on with cleaning up.
4. The implication in Six and Doral's conversation about Helo's love for Boomer, that love like that is what makes someone truly alive, and Six's heartbroken expression. Oh god, is that what her question is all about? ARE CYLONS TRYING TO MATE WITH HUMANS WHO LOVE THEM BECAUSE ONLY LOVE MAKES SOMEONE ALIVE ENOUGH TO CONCEIVE? It . . . I don't . . . THIS SHOW I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
5. Baltar's expression in the very last shot. If I didn't already believe he was at least half-mad, that shot would've done it. I don't mean that metaphorically, either; I think this is a strong indication that he is actually mentally ill. He's completely lost in his own world here, blissfully oblivious to everyone and everything around him, and it is freaking creepy. In fact, in an episode full of creepiness and tension, that might be the thing that made me shudder the most.
6. Doral's red jacket. I just love it, I don't know why.
Yes, the only writing utensil in that holder on her desk is the dry erase marker for the whiteboard with the running tally of the human population. MY HEART.
Oh Laura <3<3
ARE CYLONS TRYING TO MATE WITH HUMANS WHO LOVE THEM BECAUSE ONLY LOVE MAKES SOMEONE ALIVE ENOUGH TO CONCEIVE? It . . . I don't . . . THIS SHOW I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
Maybe Cylon reproductive systems only become activated when certain emotion induced hormones are present? Wait- why would they have reproductive systems at all….or hormones….gahh :head esplodes:
If I didn't already believe he was at least half-mad, that shot would've done it. I don't mean that metaphorically, either; I think this is a strong indication that he is actually mentally ill.
Yeah, I kind of agree with you there. I imagine he was a bit of an unstable personality before all of this happened, and now he's pretty much gone over the edge. He certainly doesn't appear to be completely sane any more, even for someone in his difficult situation. He's twitchy and neurotic, he makes completely illogical choices based on whatever seems like a good idea at the time, and he's stopped caring about anyone but himself.
I like to think that it's sort of a coping mechanism to help with his guilt; shutting out reality. It would be nice to think he felt SOME guilt for what he did, however much he might say otherwise.
…I'm still Team Punch Baltar In The Face though. For the moment, at least.
I agree with everything except #6. God, I hate that jacket.
I CAN'T EXPLAIN MY LOVE FOR IT. It's just so . . . so red and fitted and is it velvet? It looks like it might be. It is a jacket that SAYS SOMETHING. What that might be, I have no idea, but it's being said loudly and with great enthusiasm. ^_^
See, the velvet is what repulses me. The color is pretty bad, too. I will agree that it's very enthusiastic, lol.
I hate both of Doral's Leisure Suits. The only outfit I liked that he's worn was the one when he was a suicide bomber. Whee.
I have such mixed feeling on Ellen Tigh. On the one hand, she's a vaguely repulsive character; brash, rude and manipulative. On the other hand…she's like the biggest troll in the universe and you've gotta love that.
I think I hated her the first time I watched this episode, but now I kind of loved watching it.
I adore that the whole thing with anyone possibly being a Cylon actually turns the show into Three's Company for a while. And it perfectly obeys the most important rule of comedy: nothing is funny to the people who are actually going through it.
Is it ever explained why the test now takes 11 hours even though last episode with Boomer it only seemed to take a few minutes? Did I miss something?
We only saw the end of her test.
Really? I thought we saw her asking for the test and then waiting while it was done.
There was a cutaway between those things.
There's some debate about this on the Wiki. Explanations: 1. It takes eleven hours to confirm someone as human, but confirming them as a Cylon takes less time. 2. We only saw the beginning and end of Boomer's test. 3. Continuity error. Which is my explanation. 😛
How is it a slip for Ellen to identify Baltar? He was a very well-known media figure before the attack.
I'd say Six and Doral haven't had the experience of human emotion because of their environment, not an inability.
But Ellen demonstrates a bizarre knowledge of "media" ideas, as shown when Adama brings up Cylons looking like humans to her.
I think she could have picked that up anywhere, since she's been awake for at least a few days, and she was on a ship with a lot of other people, all of whom know that fact (and I can't imagine that she would avoid talking to them).
Yeah, it just seems suspicious to people inclined to be paranoid.
I love this episode so much. I just like knowing that they're capable of doing a light-hearted humorous episode in the midst of everything. And throwing Ellen Tigh into the pot to mix everything up was just inspired. Her relationship with Saul is so interesting, and I love the play on it in the title. They are so bad for each other.
I really adore Gaius' sleaze. Maybe I just love to hate him? But I seriously love the character and can't get enough of him. He's just too ridiculous and even his awful decisions tend to make me laugh. All that trouble to make a cylon detector and now he's not even going to use it.
Personally, I think this is an extension of Six's manipulation. He's so terrified of retribution from the cylons and the humans that he's trying to play Switzerland at this point. He really doesn't want to take a side and, in doing so, appears to have ended up on the cylon side by default. At least for now.
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I just have to take a moment to praise Tricia Helfer and Grace Park for how good they are at portraying multiple characters. While the two Sharons have similarities between them and so do black-suited Six vs. the Six that was in love with Baltar, it's completely believable that these are separate people with their own internal complexities.
Nah, it's okay to like characters who are terrible. They keep things interesting!
I like this episode because it DOESN'T MENTION GOD. And because it's good. EJO directed this one!
Adama and Roslin: *Awkward wave* OH, YOU TWO.
Awww romantic flight-watching. This is like Makeout Point on the Galactica.
I'm sorry, but did Tigh actually pour his whiskey out into a MESH GARBAGE CAN? Yeah, someone's going to have to clean that up.
"Dr. Gaius Baltar, Department of Cylon Detection, how may I direct your call?"
"You have dinner plans?" "What??"
I like how within minutes of Ellen and Tigh reuniting, you can almost see their entire relationship and how it must have played out. But at the end of the world, you have to try and make it work, right? These people are all you have left.
That said, PLEASE stop enabling his drinking, Ellen.
"I think they can do without you for a day." No, no they really can't. There are like five people left in the military.
Most awkward dinner party ever. MOST AWKWARD.
THE LOOK ON LEE'S FACE WHEN SHE STARTS PLAYING FOOTSIE. Ahahahaha.
Roslin wordlessly holding out the bottle. aksjldfj;adksfjkals;fd
"Bill put his hand on my leg." No he did NOT. If Six can't get to him, there's no way Ellen is going to inspire him to act completely out of character.
That moment when Tigh and Adama turn in unison to look at Roslin–I need a gif of that. (I SEE SOMEONE HAS ALREADY PROVIDED IN THE PREVIOUS COMMENTS. I love you guys.)
DAMMIT BALTAR. No fair keeping all the who-is-a-Cylon knowledge to yourself!
From the Wiki, it says that the Season 1 companion book explains Gaius's motivations in a bit more detail. Basically, the previous episode gives you the explanation. When Baltar figures out that Boomer is a Cylon, he decides not to tell her because if other Cylons in the fleet figure out that his detector works, they might come after him. He's acting out of self-preservation, as usual.
I don't think Caprica-Boomer is necessarily different from the other Cylons. I think it was spending so much time with Helo, pretending she loves him, that changed her. I think if Six or Doral were put into a situation where they had to grow close to a human, they might start feeling that kind of emotion too. Six even looks like she's about to cry when she talks about it. 🙁
This episode was pretty good, but OMG. I get really bad secondhand embarrassment, so I wanted to die during the whole dinner scene. SO AWKWARD. IT WAS HORRIFIC.
But I did like getting to see this other side of Tigh. And yeah. Decent episode if not the BEST. But WTF? Why being so coy about whether or not Ellen is a Cylon, Baltar? BOOOOO.
I have to say, I totally love Ellen. She's just so her, and so utterly unapologetic about it. She and Tigh have this great Edward Albee thing going on with their dysfunctional-but-still-crazy-about-each-other marriage, and it's nice seeing that in an older couple rather than just angsty twentysomethings.
Plus, she causes shenanigans. You know if she hadn't shown up at this point, Roslin and Adama would've just been exchanging tight little smiles with each other and the subtextual distrust would have simmered boringly for ages. Instead, there is shouting, and flailing, and inappropriate footsie! And now they're even more like family. Awesome.
Basically, I would never want to know her in real life? (Although she might be fun to sit next to at a party, since she would be hogging all the good booze and telling you all the good dirt about everyone.) But she is great to watch onscreen.
Agreed, I totally love Ellen. Although I think most of my love is cause by the effect she has on Saul. Is that weird? I mean, I hated him deeply until this episode for being hard on Starbuck, (I am head over heels for that woman OKAY?) even though she deserved it. But with their relationship, idk you get a sense already of ridiculously in love with her he is. And I sort of pity him, because right now it doesn't look like she feels the same way.
Also, she reminds me of my aunt who, yes, hogs the booze and knows everybody's business. Ah, family…
I was thinking earlier that it wouldn't matter too much that he's faking results because Starbuck seemingly came in to drop off her sample completely unescorted (with a little bandage or something on her finger suggesting that she could have taken the sample without anyone else present), meaning it would be relatively easy for a Cylon to simply get blood from someone else and pass it off as their own. But then I was looking at images from this episode and BBCA seems to have one that depicts Baltar in the process of taking blood from Starbuck's arm, so I guess I'll just go with that version of events.
It seems really, really strange to me that Baltar would be allowed to be alone in his lab without guards in and/or around it. He was alone when Boomer came into the lab for a test (which I guess makes sense because her request was completely unexpected), but it seems like he would realize then and there that the only feasible thing to do is have protection in and around the lab to make sure nothing can happen to him if someone tests positive. But then in this episode the test apparently takes eleven hours, so the test subject probably isn't even in the room with him at the time. Which means that even if the test subject comes and asks him about the results (which would be easy enough to for Adama to forbid/any guards to prevent), he can just lie and say it came out negative and give the real findings to Adama or someone else to deal with. The only reason I can figure he wouldn't want guards posted is because he knows he's acting strangely because of Six and doesn't want people to be able to see that (and, you know, values that above the lives of all the people in the fleet).
Even if he has a reason not to want security in his lab, though, it doesn't explain why seemingly no one else came up with this idea. The lack of guards/supervision doesn't make sense from anyone but a Cylon's perspective, because as it is anyone can just come in, threaten to kill Baltar if he doesn't lie about their test results, and continue pretending to be human for the rest of forever. As far as we know there's nothing in place except for Baltar's [pretty much nonexistent] sense of honor and self-sacrifice to keep him from being intimidated into giving false intel.
Somewhere in my many rewatches I got past my second hand embarrassment during the dinner scene and now I just giggle and giggle and giggle.
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Battlestar Operatica was already discussed, but I also really love the Dinner Party. How often do you hear (original) straight up classical music on scifi? I mean, it's not unheard of, but not often….I'm not even that big on classical music, but this is fun. Somehow, it sounds boozy to me. In a good way.
[youtube 3eTz5m6ifhc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eTz5m6ifhc youtube]
Oh! And I forgot to mention my favourite fan nickname for Ellen…Lady MacTigh.
I'm going to say it now: I greatly dislike Ellen Tigh. She just annoys the hell out of me. And I wanted to shoot lasers out of my eyes when she was feeling up Lee like that and he was clearly disturbed. I just hope if she gets a lot more screen time from now on, she gets less annoying and gropey (is that a word? It is now)
And seriously, Gaius, what the fuck are you doing? Now I'll have to wait forever to find out who is a Cylon and who isn't because you're holding back the results! Before, when you betrayed the human race, you honestly didn't know what was happening. But now, you are going to be fully responsible if a Cylon that you tested gets off and fucks everything up again. And he doesn't even care.