Review of Battlestar Galactica 4x14: "Blood On the Scales"

[flowrs4ophelia]

This ep was just stunning.

— The ending with Gaeta talking to Baltar and his execution is what's still resounding the most with me, which was kind of a surprise. I said last week that I don't think this problem should just be resolved with who is able to get control of the ship back through force and it's going to take more than that to make most people finally cooperative if that's even possible. But in the end, Gaeta can't change. His experiences have made him into someone who simply can't accept and adjust to the way the tide is turning. This is just one of very many ways we've seen it demonstrated in the whole series that those who are unable to adapt to change and can only hold onto the same things they've always believed in will not be the ones who ultimately survive. He knows that there's no place for him in this world anymore and accepts his fate with complete peace and dignity, having no regrets and knowing he did what he felt he had to do and it couldn't have turned out any other way. And his last words about his leg...Beautiful.

— Kara knocking a guy out to steal his gun while he's taking a piss. LOL. I need to rewind this just one more time. Kara knocking a guy out to steal his gun while he's taking a piss. LOL.

— I was kind of excited about Hotdog possibly doing something really badass like...say...shooting Narcho down, but yay for him being loyal all the same. I got lucky cause none of my favorite minor characters were part of this, haha.

— Tyrol is the man. Fuck. That part with him and Kelly (oh hai Kelly) was made of awesome. And speaking of him, I'm really worried by what that last scene with him looking at part of the ship seems to be hinting at. It's crossed my mind before that it probably wouldn't be realistic for an old ship that's been through as much as Galactica to keep holding together for much longer, and apparently I was right. Oh lords. :(((

— SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS oh Papadama. <3

— As much as I was squeeing over having the Starbuck and Apollo buddy cops duo back together in "The Oath," the real love story of that episode was that between Bill and Saul. LOL. And after all that and their last scene staying and fighting together, Adama's reaction to hearing that Tigh was just killed was too sad.

— Grenade. "Not funny." HAHAHAHA. Are Lee and Kara not sort of reversing their usual roles here? She's all "We only got one chance to take them out I mean I don't know about this we should-" and he's all "Don't think about it, frak, let's do this thing."

— When Six ended up carrying Hera out of the brig I was thinking OOOOHHHH SHIIIIIT ATHENA'S GONNA DIE, HELO'S GONNA DIE since it resembled that vision that made her kill Natalie. Guess not. Not yet at least. D:

— I was freaking out so much when Sam got shot and seeing Kara staying there with him all by herself was devastating. It's really not often we see her that scared and helpless. And Lampkin helping her was perfect and just an interesting moment to see because I don't think she even knows exactly who he is but he knows...well...a little about her, and I have to wonder if his brief pseudo-friendship with Lee is part of what made him unable to just not care.


READ NO FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED FOR STUFF IN PROMOS

So apparently the Final Five can download. Well that just totally fucks with my shit and somewhat disappoints me. I believe Ron Moore or someone in the cast confirmed somewhere that all of the Final Five are unique and have no copies, and as we know they age and therefore cloning a bunch of indentical spare Tighs would be kind of more difficult, so I always assumed they can't resurrect. I had all these vague and crazy ideas about the Final Five actually just being human reincarnations of Cylons, which would be pretty revelatory because it would prove Cylons have souls and both kinds of creations are essentially the same inside. OH WELLLL. Haha. Anyway, I'm excited about seeing Kate Vernon back in the next episode because I'm basically the only person in the world who's satisfied about Ellen being the Fifth.

Comments

[workerbee73.livejournal.com]

That Gaeta/Baltar scene at the end made me cry. So beautiful and powerful-- I think I wrote more about that on my LJ than I did about K/L (which is saying something). You make a really good point about death being the only acceptable option when someone can't conform to a changing environment in those extreme circumstances. Then again, Cpt. Kelly felt the same way once in The Son Also Rises, and man, didn't he come back awesome?? But I guess too much had gone down for Gaeta to hope for that kind of redemption.

Bill & Tigh totally needed a reunion kiss, no? ; )

"I need to rewind this just one more time" Ha! Dude, I think I watched that and the grenade scene about 30 times in a row. Gets better every time.

SPOILERY PROMO STUFF:
I'm worried about the ship too! Is it finally just breaking up? And yeah, the aging cylon + resurrection kinda melts my brain. Also, what's up with the whole 'I remember everything stuff?' Sam said it in the Space promo, and Ellen said it in the Sci-Fi promo. Would they really just tell us what it's all about, then get back to our regularly scheduled programming?!? That would be ballsy-- but I thought they were going to string us along with the whole FF agenda thing until the very end. Eeenteresting.

[flowrs4ophelia.livejournal.com]

I'm worried about what the Sam/Kara developments could mean for Pilots, too, but that anxiety is kind of nothing new to me since I've been impatient to know what the hell is going to happen with her still being married and all, LOL. Whatever's going to happen, mostly I'm just glad they're finally dealing with the relationship and getting it over with.

After Lee and Kara have been familiarly reunited as this strong team and working together, the one and only thing that can bring her to finally leave his side again is having to protect Sam. It seems appropriate somehow, and is completely understandable but may put some space back in between her and Lee long enough for her to put her focus back on her marriage and figure out what exactly is going on with that anymore. I think him getting hurt is a good way to get the ball rolling with resolving Sam/Kara in some way, but after absolutely NO development and hardly even any screen time devoted to that ship yet this whole season, I can't see it not seeming cheap if she suddenly realizes much deeper feelings for him. She loves him in a way, but with just six episodes left they can't convincingly make the relationship into something more than it's ever been.

[workerbee73.livejournal.com]

I absolutely agree. They've got deal with that ship and resolve it (and without taking some crazy left turn, darnit!!) Someone also pointed out that TPTB seem to be moving Lee and Kara into alignment with each other, but S/K seem to be on separate paths. But they definitely can't do their separate thing completely until we get resolution. So maybe we'll take care of that next week (... and they won't make it too icky to watch... ; )

[swashbuckler332.livejournal.com]

Yes, Kara and Lee are indeed trading places here. It is almost as if Lee is a better badass when he doesn't have the burden of having to be a soldier. This is buttressed by how Lampkin, a character associated with Lee, is at the end of the episode helping her instead.

I loved the brief moment of confusion right after the brig rescue. It's one of those moments that feels very real.

Laura's determination kicked frakkin' ass!!!

(And thank you for the spoiler warning; I don't watch the promos because I want to be fresh each week, and I always avert my eyes during the opening credits because they often have spoilers)

[flowrs4ophelia.livejournal.com]

No problem. :) The SciFi promos can be really stupidly made with how much they give away and I sometimes wish I'd resisted watching them.

[ninety6tears.livejournal.com]

This is just one of very many ways we've seen it demonstrated in the whole series that those who are unable to adapt to change and can only hold onto the same things they've always believed in will not be the ones who ultimately survive. Hell yeah, I've been thinking that since "The Ties That Bind," and it's nice to have a character sort of accept this gracefully instead of angst-vomiting their way out of an airlock.

I got lucky cause none of my favorite minor characters were part of this, haha. Gods, for real. What was up with Racetrack being all giggly with Zarek like a stupid groupie?

I have to wonder if his brief pseudo-friendship with Lee is part of what made him unable to just not care. Huh. That's a very interesting point. It's a pretty captivating moment, especially since I'm not sure if we know how anti-cylon Lampkin's attitudes are, and for all he knows Kara and Sam are both cylons. And, you know, from what we know about him that level of selflessness is unusual enough.

[swashbuckler332.livejournal.com]

I have to admit that after our conversation last week (http://ninety6tears.livejournal.com/28869.html?thread=109253#t109253) about Hotdog, I felt a little vindicated when he refused to fire on the Raptor! ;)

[ninety6tears.livejournal.com]

Oh, I was hardly disillusioned with Hot Dog to the point of thinking he wouldn't do something awesome this week. They kind of set it up in the last episode that something like that would happen and I admit I also wanted so see him take out Narcho or something.

[flowrs4ophelia.livejournal.com]

I always assumed since that scene of him talking to Caprica in the brig that Romo can't be much of a toaster hater. Even if he was just saying all that sympathetic stuff to manipulate her, it showed that he acknowledges her as someone with real emotions and vulnerabilities that can be manipulated. I have a feeling he's the kind of person who just sees both races as being pretty ugly and frakked up, haha.

[ninety6tears.livejournal.com]

Heh. Yeah. I totally forgot about that scene with Caprica. He actually seems to have exceptional perspective now that I remember it.

[flowrs4ophelia.livejournal.com]

How can you forget about that scene? BLAAASPHEMEH.

[flowrs4ophelia.livejournal.com]

Also, I'm convinced the Galactica's going to die during the final episodes. It's fitting, no?
Yes. And I will cry so hard it will be embarrassing. LOL.