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Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock

Roslin: "Omigod, that's Ellen Tigh."
Hot Dog: "How many dead chicks are out there?"

This episode was like a soap opera in space. Amusing, and rather sad. Sort of annoying, too. I was disappointed to see Ellen revert to type and spend the entire episode making an ass of herself. Not that Tigh was much better. The Final Five are most emphatically not godlike. Or maybe the message was that gods can be petty and jealous, too.

I'm still having trouble with the idea of Ellen, Saul, and Caprica Six as a love triangle. (It feels like Gaius should be in there somehow.) Tigh was seeing Ellen's face before when he made love with Caprica Six. This time, he saw Six's face on Ellen. There is a resemblance. Ellen made Cavil to look like her father. I don't suppose she made Six to look like her mother?

Gaius had to deal with a small groupie disciple revolt, as well as starvation in Dogsville. The whole thing felt very loaves and fishes. My favorite part was Gaius yelling to the sky, "As God is my witness!"; I could hear Scarlett adding, "I'll never be hungry again!" Just loved the guns. "More guns! Bigger guns! Better guns!" Why did Adama arm Gaius? How could that be a human solution?

Adama is falling apart, like his ship. I couldn't believe he was actually carrying a flask. And he was falling down drunk as he commiserated with Tigh over the loss of baby Liam. The Cylon cartilage goop isn't working, either. The Galactica is going to die, isn't she? The need for a planet to live on is getting dire.

Of course, the point of the episode was that the Cylons couldn't leave. The humans and the Cylons have already blended, and it's not just the goop. Hera, a blend of human and Cylon, is still the only miracle baby. There were even photos of dead Cylons on the memorial walls. Boomer returning to Galactica felt like the story was coming full circle. I loved Tyrol walking right up to Boomer and recognizing her. I think there's hope for those two crazy kids.

Bits and pieces:

— No saga sell. They really don't need one. Is there anyone watching for the first time these days, with only four episodes left in the series?

— The survivor count was 39,556, the same as last week.

— Gaius' Harvey Six was back. I do hope they explain what the Harveys are. I'd hate it if they just left them a mystery at the end of the series. In the last episode, Anders talked about being warned about the end of Earth by seeing people that no one else could see. I really want to know if he was talking about Harveys.

— Starbuck was drinking too much, too. Understandably. Fortunately, Anders appears to be recovering. From brain death.

— The Dogsville people have always reminded me of the lurkers on Babylon 5. I've probably said that before. Hey, all of this has happened before, and it will happen again. :)

Quotes:

Ellen: "Please do not tell me I was your mental porn. That's just sad."

Cottle: "Lot of visitors. Just don't anybody unplug anything."

Starbuck: "Did you see Ellen and Tigh on the wing of that bird? It was like watching my parents make out."

Adama: "So. The five of you together at last. Any mythic revelations?"
Tigh: "No. Nothing to report, sir."

Tigh: "No wonder we had to invent some compassionate god for them to believe in. We couldn't have them deify us, could we?"

I can't believe there are only four more episodes to go,

Billie
---
Billie Doux loves good television and spends way too much time writing about it.

11 comments:

  1. Loved this episode, I'm surprised you didn't mention the best quote though:

    Tigh: "Great-grandfather was a power sander"

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  2. The real kicker for me was Hot Dog's question:

    "How many dead chicks are out there?"

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  3. Billiedoux

    As always, a spot-on commentary, especially of such a problematically sad, amusing, annoying episode. After a semi-heroic speech accusing Cavil of succumbing to the most petty of human motivations (jealousy, etc.), Ellen turns right around and exhibits her own version of the same self-destructive, petty, self-centered behavior -- brutally dashing any convenient hope that Ellen might be some kind of "hero." We are reminded, via Ellen's soliloquy, that it's certainly not easy being one of the last five survivors of one's "race." Nor, apparently, when melding "cylon" and "Human", is there any guarantee that the best attributes of each are necessarily going to prevail, and I credit the writers for keeping Ellen's character so flawed --- albeit, possibly, a bit too mercurial to follow. Not that this makes the outcome any less sad/annoying to watch, happily distacted as I am wondering where Ellen came up with that couturier "Barbie Doll" dress that she wears so very well.

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  4. At first it bothered me as well to see Ellen revert to her bitch persona, but then I kind of started admiring the writers for their consistency. They showed us that Ellen didn't magically transform into a better person in "No Exit" (that would have been bad writing). She was just removed from the environment that obviously brings out the worst in her. And now she's back.

    Hopefully her restored memories will allow her to be less of a bitch this time around.

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  5. Good review, Billie. I, too, like how you described it as amusing, annoying, and sad. Seeing Ellen and Gaius both revert to form was definitely annoying. But not at all surprising. Tigh and Ellen, for all their love, bring out the absolute worst in each other. And Gaius is a slave to his ego and his libido, so his actions all made perfect sense, too. Even though I do think some small part of him maybe did like being altruistic. Perhaps there is hope for him yet.

    I loved seeing Harvey Six again. I didn't realize how much I missed her, until she popped up. I have to give Tricia major props, because she brings something different to each of Six's incarnations and does it convincingly. And she was outstanding as Caprica Six this week. Her scene with Ellen in Tigh's quarters was very powerful. Damn Ellen!

    I was so very sad at the end. After I went and got all invested in Tigh, Six, and their baby, the writers went and killed the baby off. I suppose that's the way it had to be if the blending of human and Cylon is the only option to end the cycle, but I'm so sad that Liam died. Sad for Six and sad for Tigh. I wonder what Caprica will do now? And if the dreams of the Opera House will return now that she's no longer pregnant.

    Not as good an episode as the last few, but still pretty interesting and emotional.

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  6. Gotta agree with Jess, Ellen and Saul are just toxic together. No wonder Cavil is fraked up if they are his parents.

    That said Ellen did have a point about Saul’s true love being Bill Adama. Even Laura can’t get between that bromance. If these are indeed Galactica’s dying days (which they obviously are) then I can see the Admiral going down with the ship with Saul there holding his hand.

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  7. Technically, 5 episode left.. since the series finale will be 2 hour episode?? hehe~

    Great review always~

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  8. Hey, Billie, I just started watching BSG (still at season 1), and just for curiosity, there was another Biblical reference at the miniseries.

    Laura Roslin was number 43 in the presidential line. So, 42 had to die so she would become a president. There were 42 generations until Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:17).

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  9. "The Final Five are most emphatically *not* godlike."

    Absolutely...wrong. Depending on which mythos you're thinking of.
    And seeing as how most of Galactica revolves a lot around the Greek mythos of Athena, Zeus and so on you will see that they are VERY godlike. You only have to look quickly at some of the tales about Zeus to find out that he was indeed extremely petty, jealous and caniving. He slept around too. Put his ... into about every pretty little girl he saw and turned rivals into bulls and stuff.
    It's fascinating, fun, reading if you're interested.

    As always - a great review Billie. Can't believe the series will be over soon! What will I do?

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  10. Update: Just look here:

    http://www.greekmythology.com

    or more specifically (about Zeus) here:

    http://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Zeus/zeus.html

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  11. Powerful ending with the Cylon wall, but I just wasn't as invested with Tighs baby as everyone else seems to be I guess. Don't get me wrong - gold acting stars for everyone involved, but... Meh

    I like the thought of the ending they seem to be aiming for Wight he blending of the two races, but I'm sure it won't be as cheerful as happily ever after :)

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