Home Featured TV Shows All TV Shows Movie Reviews Book Reviews Articles Frequently Asked Questions About Us

Battlestar Galactica: The Face of the Enemy #10

Recap

Aboard raptor 718, everyone's dead bar Gaeta. He injects himself with a syringe of morpha and prepares to administer a second, fatal dose. He starts to sing when suddenly the ship's interior is illuminated from outside and Hoshi's voice comes through on the com. Finally help has arrived.

After receiving medical treatment back on Galactica, Gaeta is in CIC with Tigh. Saul tells him there will be no investigation into the incident for fear of jeopardising the alliance. Gaeta tells him there shouldn't be an alliance and requests an audience with Adama. Tigh wants to know why and Gaeta tells him, “Because you're a Cylon... Sir.”

Gaeta leaves CIC. Outside he bumps into Hoshi who wants to know what's going on. Gaeta implies that he has a plan, but seems less than confident as to its outcome. He tells Hoshi to have a bright future and keep his head down.

Thoughts

An ambiguous ending. What's Gaeta planning? He made it sound awfully important. But what exactly could he tell Adama? That he was fooled back on New Caprica? That the Eights have traitorous tendencies? Well, Adama's already au fait with that notion, having been shot by one back in the first season. Or is his plan nothing to do with Adama at all?

I thought Tigh took the “Because you're a Cylon” comment well. A little too well, in fact. What's up with that? You could almost see the mental cogs grinding... but instead of anger and abuse, he came out with the last thing I expected... a reasonable response. That's not the Saul we know and love. He's chucked people out the airlock for less.

Five dead and no investigation pending? Gaeta must be clapping his hands. He must surely be the prime suspect. His prints were all over the scalpel used to murder Esrin, Finn and Sweet Eight. And what about the morpha that killed Brooks? That was Gaeta's, too. Ostensibly he's as guilty as hell. So lucky break for him.

Overall, a pretty good series... scuppered somewhat by a confusing or maybe just incomplete ending. It had me fooled from the word go and still had me guessing right up until the last episode. I wonder what the knock on effect of the webisodes will be? More tension over the current alliance? Gaeta's trust in the Cylons has certainly taken a knock. I just hope we get some answers in the series proper.

Quotes

Hoshi: “You're nowhere near the fleet baby, but you're good.”

Gaeta: “I need to speak to the Admiral directly.”
Tigh: “And why would that be?”
Gaeta: “Because you're a Cylon... Sir!”

10 comments:

  1. Paul,
    Thanks for the reviews. It helped me appreciate the web episodes. I did not really get into this story until about episode 6 or 7. It answered the question as to what Baltar whispered to Gaeta in the jail cell in S3 and certainly fleshed out Gaeta's character. I think the ending was designed to be incomplete. I believe the repercussions will be seen in the last nine episodes of S4.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Still confused.
    Even after the full episode last night, there was still no explanation for the ending to the webisodes. What was Gaeta planning?

    Color me disappointed.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi guys,

    Yeah, I did expect a little more from the last webisode. I was even watching "Sometimes a great notion" this morning, almost willing Gaeta to say or do something. I'm sure he will. In time maybe.

    But let's face it, they turned a crappy line of dead dialgue into a whole series of webisodes. So I can't see them dropping the ball on this one. As Peter said, I think the last episode was deliberately incomplete. We'll get our answers sooner or later. Whether we'll like them is another matter entirely ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I had the same general reaction to the last webisode. That was it? I'm sure it is meant to feed into or provide better context for events to come, but it felt very anti-climatic. Especially after Ep. 9. I loved that they brought in that scene between Baltar and Gaeta from Season 3. Great way to tie into the overall continuity.

    I think the events of the webisodes take place after the events of "Sometimes a Great Notion," which is why we haven't seen any fallout on the main show yet. Although I can't help wondering, Paul, if the reaction that you noted in Tigh is related to that final reveal from 4.11. Maybe that knowledge has changed his outlook and demeanor somewhat.

    Thanks for the reviews! Your rundown on what happened in each ep. often helped me to suss out what exactly was going on. And I enjoyed your analysis.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Jess,

    I'm wondering too exactly where, time wise, the webisodes fit in. When Gaeta came on screen in 4.11 I was expecting something from him relating to the webisodes, but we got nothing.

    I don't recall them giving us a timeline for 4.11....but in the webisodes they were back in space....or seemed to be...so maybe you're right...maybe the webisodes events have yet to take place. Perhaps 4.11 fits in between 4.10 and the webisodes?!

    A little confusing...lol. And thank you for your kind words. Peter too.

    Paul

    ReplyDelete
  6. Will you also review the second series of webisodes?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hello Daniel,

    By the "second series of webisodes" do you mean those that preceded Razor or the Resistance Webisodes that came between season 2 and 3 of BSG? Or are there more webisodes to come that I'm not aware of.

    PK

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am talking about the ones that covered young Adama. I do not know, when they were initially released. (I watched them via Xbox Live)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Daniel,

    Those sound like the Razor webisodes. I do intend to get to the rest of the BSG webisodes in due time. I'm half way through the Resistance series now, but I'm concentrating on reviewing Doctor Who at the moment. I'll probably complete the BSG webisodes once I'm done with those.

    PK

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Paul!

    Concetrating on Doctor Who is a good idea, if you ask me. I am loking forward to read them.

    Right now I am watching my way through season 3. (I started with Utopia, because I want to know what happens to Jack after the end of Torchwood season 1)

    ReplyDelete

We love comments! We moderate because of spam and trolls, but don't let that stop you! It’s never too late to comment on an old show, but please don’t spoil future episodes for newbies.