{"id":673,"date":"2011-10-18T13:00:41","date_gmt":"2011-10-18T20:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/?p=673"},"modified":"2011-10-14T22:14:14","modified_gmt":"2011-10-15T05:14:14","slug":"mark-watches-battlestar-galactica-s03e16-dirty-hands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/2011\/10\/mark-watches-battlestar-galactica-s03e16-dirty-hands\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Watches ‘Battlestar Galactica’: S03E16 – Dirty Hands"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the sixteenth episode of the third season of Battlestar Galactica<\/em>, Cally and Tyrol get more screentime (VICTORY!!!!) when Tyrol is tapped to lead a possible labor revolt in the fleet. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Battlestar Galactica<\/em>.<\/p>\n

You know, this is a really<\/em> solid episode of the show. I don’t think it’s the most amazing one we’ve seen so far, and it doesn’t really have that OH SHIT WHAT THE FUCK moment until nearly the end of the story, but instead chooses to gradually build the story and the characters in a more thoughtful way. In a way, it’s an expansion of what “The Woman King” dealt with, though this time, the show more explicitly addresses class.<\/p>\n

Like “The Woman King,” I think that, in a general sense, the analogy is built well. We see how different people, born in different places, have a higher chance towards getting a “better” job, and how this system has become so intrinsic to human life that even in the tiny population of the human race that is left over, the class system still remains.<\/p>\n

But I’m getting ahead of myself. The impetus for this entire story hinges on the logistics of space travel. The crew is tired, overworked, understaffed, and resources are low. And this is a constant<\/em> thing. I don’t know what the timeline is on this show in terms of dates, so I can’t quote any measurement of time to say how long this has been going on, but we’ve been getting signs from the very beginning of the show that led us to this very moment. The frustration that we see throughout “Dirty Hands” is justified, and I’m happy that no matter what happens by the end, this is never explained away. The anger that people like Seelix feel–who’s stuck in a paltry job due to lack of personnel–is real and valid. Why should<\/em> she be stuck doing things below her ability because she has “mission-essential duties”?<\/p>\n

And to be fair, we do get to hear the other side of this situation, though I’m glad that ultimately, the show sides with the overworked. I think that what Xeno Fenner does is desperate and dangerous, and the fuel contamination that sparks all of this could have killed Racetrack, Skulls, Tory, Roslin, and any of the other people onboard the Colonial One<\/em>. This show is not about making excuses, though; it gives reasons<\/em>, and that’s an important distinction to make. Xeno does<\/em> do something terrible that could have had much more horrific consequences, but the rest of “Dirty Hands” takes us through the events that would inspire a person to lash out so violently. It seems simple enough: Xeno is upset at the long hours, exhaustion, and general lack of any attention from the powers-at-be. (At least, that is, until the fuel supply is disrupted; then, plenty of attention is paid to him.) As expected, Roslin and Adama assure the man that they know things are difficult, but there’s only enough fuel for one or two jumps. A halt in production puts the whole fleet in danger. And that’s true. I won’t ignore that.<\/p>\n

But things become much more complicated at the revelation that Gaius Baltar has taken it upon himself to write a book (or manifesto) that extols the working class against the ruling power. And while I admit that the episode’s understanding of class is limited, I also can’t ignore that there’s a whole lot of truth to what Baltar writes. (BSG, I love that you do this to me. LOVE.) As Cally later explains, class divisions based on where people were born plays heavily into what jobs they get later. And that<\/em> is something that impresses me about this episode; it’s something that can absolutely be applied to the real world\u00c2\u00a0 with a frightening accuracy. Cally points out how this is about access<\/em> and status<\/em>. The people from colonies like Gemenon, Sagittaron, and Aerilon are no less qualified than those from the more “prosperous” colonies, but they are provided with less options and chances right from the start, with nothing done to ever address this disparity that people are born into.<\/p>\n

It was really inevitable, then, that Tyrol would be the one to be chosen to head to the refinery ship to sort things out with the workers. We get a portrait of a man torn between military duty and social empathy, especially since Tyrol has a past with labor organization. The conditions aboard the refinery ship don’t make anything easier for the man either. Aside from being overworked, the place is filthy and the equipment has a high chance of breaking down.<\/p>\n

It’s here that we witness an intense game of chicken as the two sides in conflict begin to demand more and more from one another, sticking Tyrol in the middle of it all. The workers begin by hiding pressure seals to buy them time, but the bluff doesn’t work. Initially, I thought Roslin made a fair point: those who are working on algae processing, munitions, or waste all have difficult and dangerous jobs, so why should the refinery ship get special treatment? However, Roslin’s statement that labor demands amount to extortion was a bit too much for me, and this is just the beginning of the awful<\/em>. Like I said before, though, this episode has a slow build. (I do concede that the scene with Cabbot clawing at his face was just\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6jesus goddamn christ, so fucking intense. NO THANK YOU.) From here, though, the escalation continues: Tyrol returns to the workers with defeat. And I say that because it’s clear from the way he acts and looks at these people that he knows he is in the wrong, at least in a personal moral sense.<\/p>\n

That’s really what’s at play here, though. For all the talk of class warfare (MY LEAST FAVORITE TERM, FYI), this episode is deeply personal for Tyrol. What do you do when your morals clash with your duty? How do you deal with that sort of conflict? What impresses me so much about the character of Galen Tyrol is that he talks things through<\/em>. It’s such a huge growth for him, too, especially when you think how secretive he was in season one. He talks<\/em> to Roslin about the genuine grievances the workers have, namely that there’s no real choice for the children of the workers in the current system. And it actually gets Roslin to concede a plan to find workers from other ships\/colonies! Holy shit sometimes this works<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Even when he finds one of Baltar’s makeshift “books,” he has to talk that through with Baltar as well. It’s this logical process that we witness, and it’s fascinating to me. But I can’t talk about this scene without discussing James Callis’s brilliant performance. When he switched to the Aerilon accent, not only did he convince me that Gaius actually grew up there, but I got chills. It seems I can’t go more than a single episode without being reminded what a phenomenal cast this is. Callis sells<\/em> this moment to me and it doesn’t even look like he’s trying at all. HOW ARE THESE PEOPLE REAL.<\/p>\n

But with the thoughts of Baltar’s ideas (genuine or not, they’re still frighteningly accurate) deep in his brain, Tyrol returns to the refinery ship. After a horrific accident involving a teenage boy, it becomes clear to the man that people are going to start dying<\/em> if he doesn’t help them stand up to the officers in charge. Even if he is<\/em> an officer in charge, I might add. And while I certainly cheered on the inside for the action, I wasn’t ready to celebrate. This wasn’t going to end well, was it? Oh, BSG, I’m starting to get<\/em> you!<\/p>\n

And here is where I admit how surprised and terrified I was by the ramifications of the general strike across the fleet. I expected a strong response, sure. That was sensical. I expected Tyrol to either remain on the refinery ship, or to accept arrest as a symbolic gesture. He took the latter, so I thought I knew what I was getting into.<\/p>\n

And then Admiral Adama has Cally arrested.<\/p>\n

And then he says he is going to execute her for being a mutineer.<\/p>\n

And he says he will continue with the rest of the deck crew until Tyrol relents.<\/p>\n

And then he actually orders the execution.<\/p>\n

In contrast with “A Day in the Life,” it’s especially gutting. After all of that, Adama is willing to permanently tear this family apart. Make no mistake: I don’t doubt for one second that Adama was telling the truth. This was not a bluff, and Adama even spells out why: military orders must<\/em> be obeyed at all times or else the entire point of command will fall apart. Which\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6okay, in hindsight, hasn’t Adama himself disobeyed commands out of a moral imperative? Admiral Cain, anyone?<\/p>\n

Okay, so maybe this reasoning is a bit faulty, but I didn’t think about this until long after the episode ended. In the moment, I felt awful<\/em>. It’s hard to pick a side in this, even though I sympathize entirely with Tyrol and the workers. If it is indeed true that the strike would have stranded the fleet, then perhaps Adama is right in asking for these demands to be met at a later time when things are more stable. But at the same time, this is a crew that’s been working every<\/em> day since the original Cylon invasion. What if there’s no stability for five years? What if people start dying every day?<\/p>\n

I felt so deflated<\/em> when Tyrol ordered the strike to end. The energy was ramped up to an absurd level, and like a needle to a ballon, it was gone in an instant. Tyrol lost. Would he be fired? Demoted? Forced to spend time in the brig? God, when he calls Cally and Cally thinks he won???<\/em> This could not have a good end. This could not be a victory.<\/p>\n

Which is precisely why I was SHOCKED that Admiral Adama awards Tyrol with time alone with President Roslin. UM WHAT. WHAT???? So the execution threat was just to end the strike, not<\/em> to silence the labor force? oh my god this is actually a good<\/em> ending??? Look, I cannot believe that an episode of this show (especially this far into the series) has what might very well be a happy<\/em> ending.<\/p>\n

Wait, are you unsure if this counts as a happy ending? I’m sorry, did you watch<\/em> Tyrol and Roslin hanging out and being reasonable? I don’t think the two have ever been on their own like this, and the scene is rich with energy and hope. It is beautiful. If wasn’t already on board the Adama\/Roslin ship, I might even start shipping Tyrol\/Roslin. Might<\/em>. It would take the power of a trillion dying suns to make me jump ship on Adama\/Roslin, but\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6this dynamic is so fascinating to me!<\/p>\n

And even if that<\/em> isn’t enough\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6Seelix becomes a nugget. That<\/em> deserves some joy, doesn’t it?<\/p>\n

I like “Dirty Hands” a lot. I don’t think it’s the strongest episode of season three, but I appreciated the way this show dealt with how class combines with the pure chance of where you are born to strip people of options. It’s not that people actively oppress those who are poor. (Well\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6okay, that does<\/em> happen, to be fair.) What we’re show is how a system<\/em> can develop over the years, becoming so pervasive and accepted that until people stop to examine it, it presses on. We see people like Milo, Xeno, and then Baltar and Tyrol become involved in fighting against this, and while I don’t think it’s the most ~genius~ or ~100% accurate analogy~ for class oppression, I was pleased to see the show address it.<\/p>\n

oh god just four episodes left of season three someone help me<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"