In the thirteenth episode of the third season of Battlestar Galactica, Gaius Baltar is ruthlessly interrogated by Roslin and Adama about his involvement with the Cylons. Oh, and there’s a really annoying subplot involving the love square. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Battlestar Galactica.
Let me start off with some negatives so I can get into my normal gushing and flailing about this show. I hope that through my writing, I’ve made it clear that I think that we, as fans, should be able to look upon the things we enjoy and engage them critically. There should always be room for this in the fandoms we’re involved with, and it doesn’t make us any less of a fan or make us hate the show. I think it’s pretty obvious at this point that BSG and I are sneaking out behind the bleachers during breaks between classes to furiously make out when no one is looking. SO DON’T YOU DARE QUESTION OUR ONE TRUE LOVE. But that doesn’t mean I can’t point out flaws along the way, and it doesn’t mean that my enjoyment for this series is waning. (Which is not to say that it eventually can’t wane, but I doubt that this show is going to turn into a shit pile in the future. It is statistically impossible.)
So I’ll just come right out and say it: I am really exhausted by the love square. I got the feeling that “Taking A Break From All Your Worries” would finally resolve the now-ridiculous plot of Starbuck and Lee feeling conflicted about their marriages. In fact, up until that final moment, I genuinely believed we’d see the two of them move on. Instead, they both are accepted back into their marriages, they exchange yet another longing look at each other, and we all know this is going to cycle through the same doubts, anger, and rejection in a future episode.
STOP IT. Oh my god. I am sorry. I love all four of these characters, but I just…look. Writers, you are contrasting their relationship problems (which were interesting until the end of this episode!) with ONE OF THE BEST AND MOST DISTURBING PLOTS OF THE ENTIRE SERIES’ RUN. So not only is it going to suffer just by default, but…I hate saying I don’t care. I do care about these characters and a whole lot, too. Like there is certainly something deep and beautiful about our love. But this plot line is….it becomes ridiculous in the sense that we get an entire story about doubt and rejection, and then NOTHING CHANGES AT THE END. Bah. I just want these people to progress beyond this!
Okay, that’s all I’ve got in terms of complaints. Shall we move on to the bulk of “Taking A Break From All Your Worries”? Cool.
A;ADKL;FAD A;LKAKAKL; ASDK;F A;LKSLDFJADSF AF;DSKJASDF;KL ASF;LDKJ ADS;FKJASDFL; A;LKDFJAF
Got that out of my system. This episode is a testament to the powerful cast of actors and actresses, to the music of Bear McCreary, and to the writing staff who continually shock me over and over again. We are given a haunting cold open to this specific story, which contrasts the silent beauty of space with the horrific atmosphere in the brig on Galactica. It seems that Admiral Adama and Roslin are not as averse to torture as I previously thought: Baltar is being forced to stay awake in the hopes that he’ll spill information on the Cylons. It’s disappointing, to say the least, but, like everything on this show, it’s going to get so much worse.
That much is apparent when we see Baltar fastening a noose out of his sheets and Gaeta, unable to sleep, heads to visit his old friend. As I said in the last review, Baltar can’t die yet; there’s too much at stake for him in this series, so I figured that Gaeta would walk in on him and save his life. Head Six kicks out Baltar’s cot from under him and begins to soothe him, aiding in his suicide. WHICH IS ONE OF MANY CREEPY THINGS IN THIS EPISODE. And I thought I knew exactly what would happen next! Gaeta would burst in and stop him and save his life and then–
WHAT THE FUCK WHY IS BALTAR WAKING UP IN A REBIRTHING TANK OH MY FUCKING GOD HE IS REALLY A CYLON OH MY HEART HOLY SHIT THAT IS WHAT THREE MEANT WHEN SHE SAID HE WAS RIGHT OH MY GOD OH MY GOD !!!!!!!
oh. Oh wait. Why are they scratching him??? OH HOLY SHIT HE’S STILL HUMAN. And I calmed down after the FRIGHT OF MY LIFE to realize that this was just where his mind went as he started cutting off his own oxygen. Oh god, I am so glad I watched this alone because I straight-up made a damn fool of myself when they showed Baltar in a rebirthing tank. It was not cute at all.
With Baltar still alive, but obviously not responding positively to what the military is doing to him, Roslin, Adama, and Tigh face a tough group of decisions. I would think that after what had happened in the past, these three might show some hesitation to resort to harsh interrogation techniques. Yet in a desperate attempt to get any information out of Gaius Baltar, it’s clear they’re willing to put aside any reticence they might feel in order to get what they want. And I do think that desperation is warranted, in part because they need to know if they’re on a collision course with the Cylons again, but I don’t like that they don’t consider the consequences of the torture as well. That being said…good lord. I don’t know that I’ve seen anything on this show more electrifying and thrilling than Roslin’s interrogation of Gaius Baltar.
Honestly, there’s nothing I’ve really looked forward to more since she became president again. It’s visually and thematically a reversal of roles from what happened on New Caprica, and Roslin relishes this. She takes joy in knowing that she’s back in power, and I believe this is what motivates what happens right after this. I was so shocked that she went immediately for the jugular, asking him about seeing him with Six on Caprica from the get-go. It sets the tone for things to come as the tension builds rapidly. That’s what is so overwhelming about this sequence: from that first question to the end, things escalate in a matter of minutes.
Well, that, and we’ve never quite seen Roslin like this ever. Has she ever raised her voice like this? Screamed at someone in fury and rage? Been so flippant with the life of another human? Even if this is a technique of hers to get Baltar to talk, it’s not an act. The sheer rage she feels for the loss the human race has experienced at the hands of the Cylons is unlimited, and she knows in her heart that Baltar has played a huge part of it. So she uses her anger to attempt to guilt a confession out of Baltar, but there’s one flaw Roslin can’t see: Baltar still believes that he was wronged, that he was tricked by Six back on Caprica, that he was never fully complicit with what has happened to him. He can’t feel guilt over something he doesn’t believe he was responsible for.
But this doesn’t come out until Admiral Adama suggests an experimental technique of interrogation: the use of a hallucinogenic drug to bring Baltar to the edge of his fear, and trick him into believing that he will survive if he hands over the truth. I admit to being a bit frightened by the look on Roslin’s face as Adama describes this; she’s almost in a trance of awe at the very idea. It’s even more terrifying when you see her face during Baltar’s interrogation because she has to see what the drug has done to him. I was heartbroken to see these characters appear so gung-ho about drugging a fellow human for information. It’s beyond disappointment; I’m almost embarrassed to see them act this way. What are you doing? Is this what you resort to these days?
Still, I do feel the need to commend the cinematography of “Taking A Break From All Your Worries.” I know it’s weird to say WOW I REALLY LIKE HOW THIS TORTURE SCENE IS FILMED, but I thought it was gorgeous to see Baltar floating in a black body of water, his arms spread like the Messiah, a single light shining on his face. I think the way in which the show gave us both sides of the drug-induced interrogation is brilliant; we get to see the horrific experience that Baltar is having, and we are forced to watch the reactions of those administering this horror upon him. It’s made even more terrible when we see that it is working. Baltar starts to reveal information about the Final Five, admits he thought (and hoped) that he was a Cylon so he wouldn’t be betraying humanity, and confesses that he has discovered he is not actually a Cylon himself.
But the man’s sensitive mental state due to the drugs is disrupted by a medic knocking over some equipment and Adama’s intentional use of his flashlight to make Baltar feel like he is about to drown. I’m glad that we get a flash of shock on both Doc Cottle’s and Roslin’s faces when Adama does it; I was horrified myself at how brutal Adama was being during this interrogation. For Baltar, though, his mind takes him back to that Cylon rebirthing tank, only this time, he’s surround by a bunch of children. They aren’t Cylons. Who are they? Why are they all different? Why are they filthy? Why does one of them mimic the same act from Six in Baltar’s earlier hallucination, shoving him into the pool and kissing him?
The interrogation, though, is largely a failure, both logistically and morally. It’s all so disturbing because these humans are complicit in the suffering of another. I understand that this information is vital to the safety of the fleet, but it is no excuse to make Baltar suffer. Maybe that’s what the realize in this moment, and maybe that’s why their final technique to get information and a confession from Baltar doesn’t involve pain. (YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS FIRST.) It was nice to get Gaeta involved in the story again, and I think that of anyone on the ship, he and Baltar are the closest, especially since Gaeta did assist him for some time on New Caprica. And yes, Roslin exploits this relationship to hopefully get information on where the Cylons are headed next, but it turns out she has misjudged just how much Baltar trusts Gaeta.
I am still bewildered and overwhelmed by what happened in that cell. Gaeta has had a few outbursts over the course of the show, but once Baltar knows he is being watched, he begins to taunt Gaeta about being a traitor. It all builds to a moment when Baltar whispers something into the man’s ear, which we OF COURSE don’t get to hear, and Gaeta, sent into a rage, slams a pen into Baltar’s throat. And it is such a shocking thing to see because, like Roslin’s fury we saw earlier, it is absolutely uncharacteristic for Felix Gaeta.
Which creates an interesting situation: What did Baltar tell Gaeta to make him that angry? What did the man do on New Caprica that might challenge his sense of righteousness? AHHHHH I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE ANYMORE.
At the very least, the end of “Taking A Break From All Your Worries” doesn’t end on such a bleak note as the rest of the episode. I was happy to see Roslin and Adama act affectionate towards one another again. I always want more of that. But there’s a tinge of regret in Roslin’s voice when she discusses what to do with Gaius Baltar, and perhaps that’s what influences her to proclaim what they should do with the man:
Give him his trial.
UM YES PLEASE CAN THIS HAPPEN. Oh my god, THIS SEASON IS GOING TO BE THE BEST THING EVER.
Adama + Roslin + Baltar + Tigh >>>> anything else in this episode.
Flawless math right there.
Because this episode has a lying title that lies, omg, here's a happier and less horrifying musical interlude. Feel free to sing along!
Makin' your way in the world today
Takes everything you've got
Taking a break from all your worries
Sure would help a lot
Wouldn't you like to get away?
Sometimes you wanna go
Where everybody knows your name
And they're always glad you came
You wanna be where you can see
Our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows your name
You wanna go where people know
People are all the same
You wanna go where everybody knows your name
ASDKFJ;ASKDJF;ASJDFA We should really just rename this episode Poor Decisions and Nightmare Fuel
Fuck, rename most BSG episodes Poor Decisions and Nightmare Fuel.
I believe that every single episode of BSG could be retitled "This Won't End Well."
Except the last episode when the entire cast (including everyone who has died except Jammer and Cain) is dancing in a field on Earth, humans and Cylons in unity, with the Agathons at center stage, right? Right!?
(Please let the ending not be something ominous like the Sopranos, my heart can't take it.)
mmmm…. so close! The synchronized swimming musical number IS awesome, though!
XD XD
Let us not go to Earth. It is a silly place.
JAMMER CAN COME TOO. He was not a bad person. 🙁
Ugh, I'm sorry, I just irrationally hate him. That damn yellow jumpsuit left a bad first impression.
<img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/14liypi.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
MY SHIP! MY SHIP! I know there’s a lot of extremely dodgy and very serious stuff going on in this episode that’s probably more deserving of being talked about but I really need happy things right now and MY SHIP! THEY ARE OTP AND I LOVE THEM.
Fb V’z jbaqrevat vs guvf vf nebhaq gur gvzr Ebfyva svaqf bhg fur unf pnapre ntnva. Nf zhpu nf V’yy fuvccvyl synvy nobhg gur fprar, V qba’g guvax jr’ir arire frra ure ylvat va Nqnzn’f orq va uvf dhnegref jurarire gurl zrrg gurer, rfcrpvnyyl fvapr vg’f zber bs n ohfvarff qrpvfvba tbvat ba. Gurl trg pnfhny fher, ohg abg gung pnfhny. V qba’g xabj jul ohg V’ir tbggra vg vagb zl urnq gung fur’f fgnlvat va uvf dhnegref nsgre ivfvgvat Pbggyr. Bu tbq Znex vf fb hacercnerq sbe nyy gur punenpgre natfg gb pbzr.
MY BEAUTIFUL SHIP. There's been so few Spaceparents moments lately, I'll take anything I can get.
And Roslin is technically in Adama's bed there so…
Honestly the Quadrangle of Doom makes it really hard for me to enjoy this episode. It is mostly good but I'm just completley ehhh about it. We go through all this drama about who's breaking up with whom…only for everyone to end up more or less right back where they started. I will say that Starbuck looked really hot during her final scene in the bar, that black shirt is really good on her.
Of course then we get Laura in Bill's bed for…well there doesn't seem to be a reason, she's just there. And I don't actually care why. YAY! *shipper squee*
My main complaint though is the lack of Agathons. They're a family again and we don't get to see how they're handling it. Damn it.
My main complaint though is the lack of Agathons. They're a family again and we don't get to see how they're handling it. Damn it.
Yup.
V'z qrrcyl hafngvfsvrq jvgu gur erfbyhgvba bs gung fgbel yvar. Vg'f terng gung Funeba naq Uryb svanyyl trg gurve qnzarq onol onpx, jura fur'f n gbqqyre. V jbhyq unir yvxr gb frr zber bs na rzbgvbany ernpgvba naq qvfgehfg bs gur crbcyr jub qrpvqrq gur sngr bs gurve snzvyl.
V unir n gurbel gung Funeba vf gelvat gb birepbzcrafngr sbe ure Plyba-arff ol orvat nf cresrpg nf fur pna, naq fhccerff nyy bs gur entr gung fur yrtvgvzngryl unf.
Also how is Hera? Wasn't she on the verge of death last episode? 🙁
This episode was okay (the stuff with Baltar was interesting enough and I think you've said pretty much everything I was thinking but better and more succinctly) but it was definitely suffering from Lack of Fighting Agathons and an overabundance of Love Quadrangle of Doom. I need at least a shot of Helo every episode. I think that's a reasonable demand. Also, if Kara and Lee could stop glancing at each other longingly while hugging their spouses, that'd be awesome.
Chief never thinks about Boomer? I don't believe him, although I can understand how he might be just saying that as a survival in his mind thing. But still, how would he have been able to avoid a stray thought or two when he saw someone who looked like her, and it could even have been her, on New Caprica everyday for a year?
And just wondering, what's Caprica Six been doing on Galactica? Has she been allowed to sleep, unlike Baltar?
Also, a yelling Roslin is scary.
I wondered if maybe prolonged exposure to the Number Eights on New Caprica might have actually helped him get over Boomer. I mean, he must have gotten used to it eventually.
That is very true. It probably stopped being incredibly weird seeing her all over the place after a while. But maybe when they talk, the strangeness creeps back in. Like (correct me if I'm wrong or if I completely made up this scene because I don't remember it too well) when he and Boomer are talking about his and Cally's son (was his name Nicholas?) back on New Caprica was hella awkward.
Also, he's in a crowded bar with Lee, most likely after another fight with Cally. Admitting that he thinks 'what if' about Boomer isn't really the wisest course of action there.
And it's not even the scariest Roslin yelling:)
When Roslin said she was going to give him his trial I just thought, "Great. This is going to end well." Like, how on earth would it even be a fair trial. Naq V unir gb fnl…V ybirq Yrr'f fcrrpu. Yvxr NYY GUR GUVATF ur fnvq jrer guvatf gung V'q or lryyvat ng gur GI rirel gvzr crbcyr jrer npphfvat Onygne bs onfvpnyyl orvat gur qrivy. Fb V jnf irel cyrnfnagyl fhecevfrq ng ubj vg nyy ghearq bhg. Nyfb, Znex Furccneq! Ybir uvz! V'z n Fhcreangheny sna fb V jnf nyy "URL PEBJYRL!"
Gung fcrrpu vf zl snibevgr fprar bs nalguvat rire. Frevbhfyl.
Yea! So now you finally get the Quadrangle of Doom = love square. So sick of it. I think that's why many people hated S3. And because it cannot be said enough. More James Callis and Mary McDonnell together doing anything ever and always. I just LOVE their chemistry. Is it wrong that I secretly shipped Baltar and Roslin?
Lastly, Mark, you're not prepared. I worry for you for how not prepared you are.
My favourite moment from this episode is when Gaius admits that he wanted to discover he was a Cylon, and Roslin just looks completely bemused and asks him 'Why?'
I feel like that little moment is the first time Roslin gets a bit of insight into his real character – that anyone would want to be a Cylon is inconceivable to her, but Gaius is so miserable with his life, has frakked everything up so badly, that this is his only chance of redemption. I'd certainly hesitate to say she felt sorry for him in that moment, but I do think it's kind of an eye opener for her, and it might be part of the reason she decided to give him a trial in the end. It's evidence that he isn't just some arrogant, self-serving douchebag, but that he does in some way feel guilt (if not actual responsibility) for what he's done. To the extent that he would see Roslin's worst nightmare (discovering oneself to be a Cylon) as a relief.
I always took away that the zombie children were like…the ghosts of the kids killed on New Caprica? A manifestation of Baltar's subconscious guilt? Who knows. Zombie kids are always creepy.
I agree with what you said about the quadrangle of doom. My stance until now has been: if you don't like the actions of the characters, that's FINE, but get angry at the characters, not the writing. As far as I'm concerned, you can't get angry at writers for writing people in character. (Ex: if Baltar does something shitty, it's because he's kind of a shitty human being who's made a lot of bad choices. That's who he is. You can like that or not, but what you're responding to is his character, plain and simple. It's not because of "bad writing.") But the decision to continue it here, at the end of the episode when it finally comes to a resolution, IS a poor writing choice because it's a rehash of what we've just seen.
In other news, Roslin losing her shit at Baltar is easily my favorite scene of this entire series.
Aww, poor Baltar! It's not his fault he was born without a spine….
It's a personal theory (theory? belief?) of mine that cowardice is an inherent personality trait that should be pitied, rather than resented. A kind of psychological disability, if you will, that is very difficult to overcome and definitely not the fault of the individual.
I do feel sorry for Baltar, as a terrible coward thrust into these stressful and life threatening situations. He bears no-one any malice, he just wants to be safe. In the end, is that really so bad?
It's bad when he puts himself into a position of power over others. If one is going to be a coward, one should find a nice, unassuming job that no one's life depends on. One should not, for example, run for president when the survival of humanity hangs in the balance.
Ok, I'll concede he's also an arrogant asshat who makes terrible decisions and lets his pride get in the way far too often. 😛
I certainly don't like the guy, but I can't help feeling just a little sorry for him. he does go through a hell of a lot. It seems like these days he'll be hated and tortured by both sides with equal gusto.
I don't know. I guess I see cowardice as synonymous with extreme self-interest, which I think is one of the more common characteristics of humanity. And from an evolutionary standpoint, it's a good thing. Brave people tend not to get as many chances to pass on their DNA due to all the running into battles and not running away they do.
While I'm going on about it, I think it's weird to talk about characters in extreme situations being cowards, when I think most people put in the same situation would also make the self-interested choice. I mean, you give the average person the choice between dying and protecting other people or living at the expense of someone else? I bet the majority chooses to live.
Yeah, it's easy for us to say what we'd do, because we HAVEN'T had a gun pointed to our heads while a death list sits on the desk for us to sign. There's a reason why heroes are so exalted–it's because they're rare.
It's not his fault he was born without a spine….
And he really wanted a glowy one, too….
Sorry, this is a bit off topic, but I was talking about this to a friend today, and I thought I'd ask…what it everyone's favourite all time episode of BSG? One episode. No counting two-parters as one thing either, you have to pick a part. 😛
It can be an episode yet to come if you Rot13 the title, since I don't think it's a spoiler to say that you personally think an upcoming episode is great. It is all subjective, after all.
Mine is 'Qvegl Unaqf' (Rot13 because it's yet to come)
"Downloaded." I'm a bit of a Cylon-lover.
'DOWNLOADED' FOR ALL THE AWARDS EVER
It's a tie between "Six Degrees of Seperation" and "Downloaded".
I'm gonna go with Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down. Is it the most brilliant episode? No. Does it have the most character development, or the most amazing plot twists? No. But it's just so fucking funny. That one and Six Degrees are maybe the only ones out of the whole series that I would rewatch on their own just for the hell of it. And I love the whole series, don't get me wrong, but it's so intense. It kind of puts me through the wringer in a way that those two, relatively light episodes don't do.
I agree, Tigh Me Up is hilarious. I love it.
Mine is Pebffebnqf Cneg Gjb, closely followed by "Unfinished Business" and "Lay Down you Burdens Part 2". Other favs are "Downloaded", "Tigh me Up, Tigh me Down", "Six Degrees of Separation", and "Flight of the Phoenix"..
Black Market! No, just kidding. Honestly I think it might be Home Part 2. That entire episode is just stunning, and has Athena being awesome and establishing herself as her own person, and the whole thing with the Tomb of Athena (ha, not that one) and the Zodiac makes me so excited for the rest of the show and is also a pretty damn awesome "map." Also guvf jnf orsber gurl fperjrq vg nyy hc.
TRIAL SCHMIAL
<img src="http://www.thechicagoloop.net/tzikeh/ontd/bsgairlock.jpg">
(You know she's thinking it.)
She's not called Madame Airlock for nothing. (This is not a spoiler)
Damn you, Quadrangle, for making me dread Starbuck's scenes rather than living for them.
You four have five minutes to work out your problems once and for all or we're going to airlock the lot of you.
Tnrgn, frag vagb n entr, fynzf n cra vagb Onygne’f guebng.
Ohggresvatref!
LEE IS THE LITERAL WORST IN THIS EPISODE. OH MY GOD. WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM?
I just cannot with him anymore. Denying the affair that he is having is bad enough, but then to try and make it all about Dee and her insecurities? NOT OK. Ugh. Gross. Gross. Gross. Gross. My girl deserves so much better.
I can't stand people who… I don't know how to describe it. People who don't argue by the rules? I have a very specific set of rules for how to morally argue, and one of them is Own Your Shit, i.e., don't make it about the other person when YOU are either the cause or a major contributor. I don't know if there's a name for this or if it's just my own personal moral code, but it's dishonest and manipulative and I can't stand it.
Should I just expect the comments from here on out to be mostly rot13? I have never felt a fandom cackle at me like this in my whole life.
You're the one who chose to watch Battlestar: Unprepared.
some of them are Veronica Mars today. .
But, YES :D.
Well, if you would just hurry up and watch it al, like today, we wouldn't have to Rot 13 you all day long 🙂
oh yes, the cackling will continue…
*evil laugh*
What do you expect when we're sitting on information that would shatter your brain into ten thousand pieces?
I'm starting to wonder if we shouldn't have some sort of button that just rot13 everyone so we can stop copying and pasting everything, hahaha! But, sorry Mark. One day you will understand.
My favorited moment in this episode comes when Roslin is talking to Baltar (before she loses her shit) and Head!Six says something to him and he focuses on that, and Roslin flicks the lighter in his eyeline to get him to pay attention to things that are actually there and not in his head. And she looks so irritated, but also totally resigned to the fact that he's crazy and that's just the way it is. It's so great.
Please don't use "crazy" on this site.
But s/he's using it in the literal sense, rather than the perjorative.
I'm just gonna copy/paste a comment Mark wrote not too long ago towards someone expressing the same confusion about the site policy re the use of the word "crazy":
(Source) (And edits in brackets are my own)
Also, here's two different links about discussing how the use of "crazy" in any sense can be hurtful:
On the ubiquitous use of “crazy”
Ableist Word Profile: Crazy
Thank you for the links!
You're very welcome, and thank you for being open to reading those links.
they exchange yet another longing look at each other, and we all know this is going to cycle through the same doubts, anger, and rejection in a future episode.
Or in other words: all of this has happened before and all this will happen again? Teehee… 😛
I don't think those were longing looks. It looks to me like they've "moved on", but it's not like all their feelings of attraction for each other were just cut off. Doesn't mean they're going act on it anymore now that they've gotten their heads on straight.
OK, so I fell way, way behind in BSG (the last episode I watched was in the Pegasus arc) and had basically resigned myself to just reading reviews and not rewatching alongside Mark. EXCEPT then I was bored, and checked out the appropriate DVDs from the library, and oh my gosh my delight when it was this episode!
Because I skipped a large segment of the show, I was not as annoyed at the love quadrangle as everyone else, I think. I remember detesting the entire ordeal as it aired, but I have reached some sort of STATE OF ZEN when it comes to tuning out Lee and Kara being complete and utter jerks to their respective spouses (especially when I downright adore both D and Anders).
But anyway, that meant I could focus on THE GLORY OF GAIUS BALTAR AND HIS ETERNAL JERKWADDERY. Oh my gosh, his cowardice and self-interest and sheer patheticness are all so wonderfully portrayed, and watching Roslin and Adama interrogate him was easily one of the most uncomfortable moments of the show. I think my favorite part was the moment when he realized that Gaeta was there as yet another ploy–I honestly think that up until that moment of revelation crossed his face, he was just happy to see someone he had previously trusted, and, frankly, happy to have his intelligence acknowledged via whatever calculations Felix had shown him. And ugh, the whispering followed by the pen-stabbing! TERRIBLE. GAIUS, WTF DID YOU SAY.
On a MUCH lighter note, because of my unintentional timeskip, I had the pleasant surprise of remembering Lee's rank, which meant I got to giggle at my favorite pun.
you see, he's
MAJORLY ADAMA (dohohohoho)
Spoilery Questions:
V unir jvcrq gur ragver frg bs jrovfbqrf vaibyivat Tnrgn sebz zl oenva; V ernyyl jvfu gung gur juvfcre jnf erfbyirq va fbzr fngvfsnpgbel jnl. V qba'g erzrzore cerpvfryl jung unccrarq jvgu Tnrgn naq gur Rvtug; pna fbzrbar erserfu zl zrzbel?
Nyfb, vf vg ovmneer gung engure guna ybbxvat sbejneq gb Znex'f urnq rkcybqvat sebz Znryfgebz, V whfg jnag gur GEVNY BS TNVHF ONYGNE naq nyfb NCBYYB WHFGVPR: NPR NGGBEARL?
Tnrgn tnir gur Rvtug n yvfg, cbffvoyl zber guna bar, bs uhznaf va qrgragvba. Ur gubhtug fur jnf urycvat gb trg gurz eryrnfrq ohg fur jnf npghnyyl univat gurz xvyyrq. Fur'q pynvz gurl'q orra eryrnfrq naq ur whfg unqa'g frra gurz bhgfvqr lrg. V guvax fur fnlf bar be gjb jrer trahvaryl eryrnfrq fb ur'q xrrc gehfgvat ure ohg zbfg bs gurz jrer xvyyrq. Tnrgn qbrfa'g svaq bhg jung fur jnf ernyyl qbvat hagvy gur jrovfbqrf gubhtu.
Pre-watching thoughts: “Taking a Break From All Your Worries”? That sounds like a number from a 50’s musical or something. Hey, maybe it IS a musical. Some shows do musical episodes, right? That’s it! They’re giving us a break from the usual angst and tension and terror in favor of song and dance and joy! What? No I am not in denial about this show’s nature. Shut up! BSG musical episode, here I come!
While watching thoughts: ……..You lie, title. You lied to me.
Anyway, I hope the title was, in actuality, referring to the Quadrangle of Doom. As in, from here on they're taking a break from this storyline that caused all my worries about the show.
All this rot-13 is making me nervous. What? WHAT ARE YOU ALL TALKING ABOUT?
This was the episode where I got tired of the love quadrangal too, but I will say I did think things sort or resolved at the end of the episode. At least Lee did, he decided that whatever he felt for Kara he made an obligation to someone he cared about and that meant more to him ultimately. So I liked how that ended, though Kara didn't get the same closure.
Anyway, the interrogation scenes are just riveting. Roslin losing her nut is one of my favorite scenes ever.
Also I love this exhange:
Baltar: "Can you help me?"
Head!Six: "I don't know Gaius. Pain is one thing, but this… Without free will, what are you? Can God even pity such a creature?"
My husband and I discuss Baltar at length after almost every episode…(this is our second watch through, we just finished Maelstrom). This episode is so pivotal for his character….
For Baltar to even consider committing suicide, when the primary focus of his very existence has been self-preservation is revealing: he's given up his violent self-preservation, the one thing that Gaeta said was Baltar's strongest characteristic.
By the end of the episode, you have a confident, self-assured Baltar, a peace and purpose that he's never had before. Dun dun dun!!!!
Also, we argue about Baltar's guilt. First watch through, I was prepared to send him out the airlock myself, but watching it a second time…he doesn't seem as guilty. Yes, he made a mistake out of lust/love, but he didn't wish destruction of the human race. He sought to be president out of a wounded ego (Roslin never really understood him enough to know how to handle him), and truly was just incompetent for the job (better as a scientist on his own, with no true leadership qualities).
But now, he's truly dangerous.
Baltar trial! Bring it.
I'll be honest, I don't really care about the love square thing. It really has nothing to do with the characters, because I love each individually but honestly I am over this love triangle/square business period. I'm tired of it being a focus in movies/books/shows. Seriously writers, you honestly can't come up with a new plot device? Granted this one is the better of this sort of storyline but still, tired of seeing this plot device every time I turn around it seems. Nothing huge against BSG because it's still a great show I just wish this idea could be used a little less then it is.
I WILL GET CAUGHT UP BY THE TIME MARK WATCHES MONDAY'S EPISODE. I WILL.
So yeah how can Head Six kick a chair out from under someone SHE DOES NOT CORPOREALLY EXIST OR DOES SHE
Aw, Joe's bar! I forgot about Joe's bar. Where everybody knows your name, and also your marital problems.
"To marriage, why we build bars." Now I'm fondly remembering Jacob's recaps and how much he made of that phrase. Not enough to want to go back and read them all though. I mean, they're like thirty pages long.
I think this might have been when I started watching in real-time? Not exactly sure. I was watching the DVDs (and, uh, completely legal downloads!) up until some point in season 3, when I caught up and started watching the episodes when they aired.
Laura's smoking cloves now too?! Oh, no, it's for Baltar. Phew.
"I did not collude in the genocide of my own people." This is what makes Baltar so complicated–he DIDN'T. He gave some secrets to a sexy lady; he didn't say "oh, you want to kill everyone? I'm all for it!" I don't really blame him in this. He made a mistake that others have made with far less severe consequences. It's just his unfortunate luck (or destiny, or whatever) that she turned out to be a Cylon.
"The only problem is that you don't trust me." I kind of hate you right now, Lee. Dualla, just dump him and find someone else. Yay, you are taking my advice and walking out! FINALLY.
Having someone strap you down and force you to take drugs would be pretty horrific in any case. Hallucinogens just makes it worse. 🙁
It's really interesting to get the truth from Baltar, though. I like truth-telling Baltar. He's way more interesting than snivelling Lee, anyway. Stop cutting between them!
OH HEY IS THIS THE PEN-STABBING SCENE? IS IT??
NO DEE DON'T TAKE HIM BACK. AND LEE AND KARA, STOP LOOKING AT EACH OTHER. JUST STAAAAP IT.
PEN STABBING YAY! Hee hee. Such an amazing scene.
"He sees himself as the victim, not the criminal." I'm pretty sure MOST people do this at one point or another. Our minds are almost always biased in favor of our own narrative about our lives. Baltar is not unique in this.
I WILL CATCH UP.
It took seeing this comment and the one about Lee deflecting blame on my dashboard to make me realize that he and Baltar are behaving pretty similarly in this episode! They're both refusing to acknowledge that they've done something wrong, and insulting Laura and Dee with their denials. Jerks.
Watch, read, review, quick quick quick!