Battlestar Galactica – Season 4.5 Epi 16: Deadlock

First off, a special shout out to Gus and his Tampa peeps who will hopefully be reading this tonight or tomorrow. Thanks for your kind e-mail the other day. It came during one of those self-doubting times us neurotic writers seem to have all too frequently.

Secondly, I’m so excited for tonight’s episode. I’m a sweaty, geeked-up and giddy mess. Don’t judge me!

As with last week, the recap starts after the second blue header.

Thoughts – Predictions – Questions – Theories Going Into Tonight’s Episode

1. Humans on Kobol created original skinjobs who went to Earth and eventually procreated like humans. Why can’t the skinjobs created by the Five (refuse to call them Final since they were first) reproduce with each other? Did the Five create them with that drawback? Did they just not evolve enough yet? We know the females can get pregnant by both humans (Helo, with his fine ass) and a Five Cylon (Tigh, with his gruff, sexy self), so what’s with the juice of the Dorals, Cavils, Simons, and Leobens? Was that nasty? Yeah, I think it was. Sorry.

2. So, we know that they stole the power of resurrection and creating life from the Kobol Gods and therefore got the boot. Why did the Cylons decide to go to Earth while the humans went another way? Again, how did they even know to call it Earth? It would seem that they had some contact with the 12 colonies because how would the humans even know they made it and called the place Earth!? I may be getting deeper than the show intends to go with that one.

3. Who are these messengers that appeared to the Five on Earth that no one else could see? Does this tie-in to the Head Six that only Gaius could see, and in turn, the Head Gaius that only Caprica Six could see?

4. The Five retraced their ancestors’ steps to find the 12 colonies. They stopped at the Temple of Hope, but Ellen claims they did not set up any “parlor trick” that would allow D’Anna to see their images there. So, who did?

5. We know that John was created first in Ellen’s father’s image and named after him. Will we find out why the other models were fashioned/named as they are? Does Six have a frakkin’ name?! What if it’s something really pedestrian like, Ethel? How funny would that be? She was named after Tigh’s grandmother! LOL OK, I’ll stop now.

6. I still defy anyone to tell me the show provided proof that Gaius’ Cylon-detector test didn’t work. Again, we’ve only seen evidence that it did (Boomer.) Maybe it doesn’t work on Fives because of their origins, but it worked at some point on the skinjobs we knew.

7. Who the hell set off the music that “woke up” Tigh, Tyrol, Anders and Tory? Did Ellen hear it too?

8. I know that the writers didn’t intend to make a big deal out of the Final Five until the point in season three where they realized they were going to have Gaius living aboard a Cylon base ship and only seeing the same 7 models, but how fortunate for them that they had already placed Cavil (John) in such strategic places! He was with Anders’ resistance group on Cylon-occupied Caprica, he counseled Tyrol when he suspected he might be a Cylon (which is extra frakked up since we know now that he planted Tyrol with memories of having a priest father and Oracle mother), he frakked Ellen and tortured Tigh on New Caprica.

9. I still think Starbuck is a Cylon-Human hybrid. Her Mom was military and could have easily encountered Tigh back in the day, or someone else. Her drawings as a kid? Same behavior as Hera. The apparent resurrection… but I have no answer for her brand spanking-new Viper when she returned.

10. What up with Roslin and her visions and the Opera House?

11. How did Boomer know where to find the fleet after escaping with Ellen and where the frak did she get a Raptor?

Do you have questions that I didn’t think of? Will any of these questions get answered tonight? We’re about to find out in about 24 minutes!

Deadlock

Previously on Battlestar Galactica: Galactica is falling apart at the seams, literally. Caprica Six is convinced love is what help conceived her and Saul Tigh’s baby. Before going into surgery, Anders warns Tigh to stay with the fleet. Ellen resurrected 18 months ago aboard a Cylon base ship and escapes with Boomer’s help.

And now…

Various Sixes and Eights work on Galactica alongside humans. Adama shows up and asks Tyrol if he can touch the goo they’re using to fix the ship. Tyrol explains that it hardens like cartilage and becomes really strong and flexible. Adama sticks his hand in it, and then asks if it’s alive. I’m thinking that’s something you should have asked before you touched it!

In the bowels of Galactica, people are so desperate for food they’re eating rodent pellets. OK,  I’m sure that’s not what it is, but it sure looks like it!  Caprica Six is there with a hooded shawl-like thing on like that will disguise her tall, blonde, ass.

What? I blend!

Some ruffians, yes I called them ruffians, approach her. “Hey, Cylon.” She tells them they don’t want none of this, but they don’t listen. They insist they do. And she gives them some in the form of smacks and kicks. Looky-loos are like, “You just got your ass beat by a pregnant Cylon, son.”

Doc Cottle is checking Caprica’s baby and insists he’s fine. Tigh wants Caprica to stay in the hospital for the night, but she says she’ll be fine at home. She and the baby, Liam, are fine.

At CIC,  unidentified Raptor is picked up on Dradis. It was reported missing a year ago. So, now we know how Boomer got it – she jacked their ride!  Vipers and a heavy Raider are deployed to investigate. The Cylons confirm that there’s an Eight on board. Adama orders it brought in.

Everyone rushes to see who their visitor is. I guess it’s a slow day on Galactica. It’s Ellen. “How many dead chicks are out there?,” Hot Dog wants to know.  Tyrol approaches Boomer and gets all up in her grill. They’re practically sniffing each other like animals. It’s kinda hot!

“Nice to see you again,” he says. Awwww. Is this the first time they’ve been face-to-face since his bloated, pale face wife, Cally killed her? I think it is. She was aboard Galactica before when she, D’Anna, and Cavil wanted to make a deal concerning the Eye of Jupiter, but Athena called her out and she had to wait in the hall. That’s when she told Athena that Hera was alive and aboard the Cylon base ship.

Anyway, Chief calls her out and Adama orders her taken to the brig. They will throw a mofo in the brig in a second. Adama does not play.

Tigh shows up and can’t believe his eye! He and Ellen hug and kiss hello.

And we have credits….

While we watch credits, can I just say that my Chinese food tonight arrived ten minutes before show time? How perfect was that? And for some reason, no matter how long it takes to arrive, the Chinese food always arrives pipin’ hot! How do they do it? Ancient Chinese secret, I suppose.

Ellen fills in Tigh, Lee, Roslin and Adama on John’s plan. She explains that John wants them to rebuild resurrection because he can’t be bothered with biological trial and error and evolution and all the rest. She can tell they’re all taken aback by her fancy talk. They’re not used to her not slurring her words and stuff. To make them feel at ease she asks for a drink and Adama produces a flask from his hip. Hey, don’t judge him! It’s been a rough few days!

Now THAT'S the Ellen we all know and loathe!

Ellen wants to see the other Five. She asks them to imagine what it would be like if instead of 50,000 survivors, there were only five. Imagine how close they’d be, and then to have it all torn away by John’s evil ass. Tigh tells her not to worry, that it’s all over now. Um, no it ain’t! John is still out there!

She wants to know how much he remembers and he says not much, just flashes. Lee chooses THAT moment to jump in and tell her about Anders. Information cockblocker! I hate Lee. He’s so annoying. Why did he pick that moment when we could have gotten some more Five info? Ellen insists again that she wants to see the others. Adama tells her they’ll see.

Everyone leaves her and Tigh alone and they get busy on the table. He sees her as Caprica Six before they do the do. Classy.

Even Tigh doesn't know who he's frakkin' anymore.

Meanwhile, Caprica is having tummy pains in her quarters.

Gaius returns to his Nymph Squad of Crazy Ass Followers. (NSCAF) They’re all happy to see him except one girl I’ve never seen before. Her name is Pauls. She appears to have been the leader while he was gone. Paula explains that anytime they got supplies, men would come and take them away. Now they have weapons and can protect their food and themselves.  Gaius claims he stayed away just so they could discover how strong they are. Paula ain’t having it. Head Six appears and tells Gaius that Paula’s gonna be a problem.

In the afterglow, Ellen wants to know who Tigh has frakked while she was gone. She insists she’s not mad because he thought she was dead. Dude, don’t answer it! It’s a classic woman trap! “Just tell the truth and I won’t be mad!”

He tells her he’s been frakking Caprica Six, but he thought of her every time. Ellen is not impressed to find she’s been his mental porn. She’s all on her high horse saying they made Caprica Six! Pot, meet kettle, thy name is Ellen Tigh. Conveniently, she’s forgotten that she was doing The Swirl with Cavil who looks like her Daddy, but she treats him like a son. Ick!

Adama looks at the repairs being done to Galactica.

A Six, an Eight, Tyrol, and Tory sit by Anders’ bedside. Doc Cottle is like, “It sure is crowded in here.” He is always so crotchety! Ellen shows up and strokes on Tory’s and Tyrol’s faces. She is sad to see Anders hurt. The Six tells her that they’ve been talking about taking the Cylon base ship and jumping away. They don’t feel safe in the fleet.

Ellen says it won’t work. That Hera is the hope of a blended future. (I guess John filled her in on Hera) Tory tells her that used to be true, but Caprica Six’s baby is pure Cylon and now, they can all go off and frak their hearts out to make more Cylon babies.

I see a problem with this. Unless I’m mistaken, the only male skinjobs on their side are Leobens. And according to Caprica, they’re shooting blanks. So, does Tory think that she, the Sixes, the Eights, and Ellen will be frakkin’ Anders, Tyrol, and Tigh to repopulate the race? I think that’s asking a lot of Tigh, Tyrol, and Anders. Just sayin’.

"Settle down, ladies. There's enough Anders to go around."

They think that they can live indefinitely on the Cylon base ship even if they don’t find a planet to colonize and they can take better care of Anders. I don’t think Ellen heard anything after, “Caprica Six’s unborn baby…”

“Caprica Six… is pregnant?”

And Tigh stares at Tory for a good five seconds before finally reacting to Ellen’s question. In those five seconds, you can totally read in his one good eye, “Thanks a lot, big mouth!”

Ellen is disgusted. “You are our children!” Tigh is stammering that he didn’t know, and that it was a surprise… as if that makes her any less pregnant or that he frakked her less. Men.

Tyrol is all, “Um, this is nice, but can we save this for Maury Povich? Are we up outta here or not?”

I loves me some Chief Tyrol!

Tigh says they are not going anywhere. They can’t abandon the fleet. They need to listen to what Anders said. Ellen is going on and on how even after her death, Tigh can’t stop poisoning her.
The Eight, Six, and Tyrol and Tory look on helplessly. “Mommy and Daddy please stop fighting!” Any minute I expect the Eight to go to her happy place.

Tigh says Ellen can go, but he’s staying. Six says they won’t leave without only some of the five. It’s all or nothing. Eight tells them to vote and majority rules. It’s the way Cylons roll and they got it from The Five.

Tyrol votes to go, which surprises the hell outta me. Tory votes to go ’cause she’s a bitch like that. Tyrol says they know Anders would want to stay and Tigh has already made known how he feels. It’s two against two. She looks to Ellen, but she’s going on about how all those years she and Tigh couldn’t get pregnant must mean that he didn’t really love her. I forgot, Cylons believe that conception is only possible with love. Those crazy kids! Ellen refuses to cast her deciding vote and storms out.

Down in the bowels of the ship, Gaius’ followers show him how they don’t need to hide themselves anymore. They’ve been trading the jewelry they make for food. Um, if people are starving why the frak would they trade their hamster pellets for some homemade bracelets? But, whatever. Gaius comes across a pretty girl with a cute son named Gaius. Little Gaius is starving and Gaius proclaims for all to hear that he’s gonna come back and feed everyone if it’s the last thing he does. Paula does not look pleased.

Roslin approaches Caprica in the hallway and congratulates her on the baby and apologizes to her for the attack in Dogsville (?) So, the bowels have a name! As they walk through the halls people stare like, “Well, ain’t that a bitch. Three years on the run from the bastards and now they’re all chummy chummy.”

Roslin and Caprica agree that they haven’t had visions since Caprica’s been pregnant. Roslin wants to know if that means Liam is important. And Caprica is all, “Heifer, he’s important no matter what! He’s my baby!” Roslin is properly put in her place.

Starbuck’s at the bar and wonders when the bartender got a piano in the joint. He doesn’t answer. Rude. Tyrol shows up for a drink and Starbuck asks if he’s gone to see Boomer yet. No. Well, she says, you should go watch her while she sleeps. It’s what I do with Anders and it’s not at all creepy. Tyrol takes the whole bottle and leaves. You know, I’m not sure I like a bar on Galactica. I miss the days of everyone drinking in their quarters to hide their dependency and depression. This all out in the open business is for the birds. Galactica is going to shit.

Speaking of which, we get yet another scene of Adama staring at the busted seams of Galactica and the Cylon goo doing its thing.

Ellen shows up at Tigh’s quarters to see Caprica. She wants to talk and she wants booze. Ah, this is the Ellen I remember. When I watched last week’s episode with commentary (podcast) from R. Moore, he said, “She’s still the same Ellen. She still likes to smoke, drink, and fuck.” He wasn’t lying! Anyway…

Ellen makes sure that Caprica knows she and Tigh had sex. She also tells her that when they were trying to have a baby, Tigh liked the name Liam. Damn, she plays dirty! Ellen tells Caprica that if Simon knew about the baby, he’d want it. And Caprica is all, “Let his ass try.”

This is Simon. In case you forgot. They only show the brotha every 12 episodes.

Ellen insists she won’t make Tigh choose. He loves Caprica and there’s not much he loves more. For some reason, I can’t help but think Ellen is about to snap Caprica’s neck. But she doesn’t. She just leaves.

Gaius is in Dogsville (?) handing out food when some… more ruffians show up to take the food. They have big guns so they get their way.

Ok, where the frak is Adama?! How is this allowed aboard the ship?

Ah, there’s Adama. He’s getting to’ up from the flo’ up with Tigh in his quarters. They are drunk off their asses. Adama asks Tigh if he was born. Tigh says he was. Born on Earth, but he doesn’t remember it. And even if he did, he wouldn’t ’cause no one remembers being born. Duh.

Adama talks about the Galactica not being the same once the goo takes hold, but he know they need the Cylons’ help. Hey, I just thought of something. Last week, when Adama found out about the structural damage, Tyrol told him that the engineers cut corners; a nod to the fact that they were under a budget when making the mini-series and joked about cutting corners. This lead to them cutting the corners off all paper products in the show as an inside joke. OK, back to tonight… Adama says that Lee and Roslin don’t think he sees it, but he does. They are becoming integrated with the Cylons.

Gaius is railing against Paula for not telling him that the Sons of Aires were involved in the stealing of food. So, the ruffians have a name too! Now there are organized gangs running around Galactica? What the frak?

Head Six asks Gaius if he really wanted to feed those people, and he admits that he enjoyed it. The more he did it, the better he felt. She tells him he should tell his flock that because Paula sure isn’t being that inspirational.  He delivers an inspirational speech, with the help of Head Six, about how they can help the people and help themselves.

And yet another scene of Adama staring at the beams and pipes… blah blah blah.

Tigh meets with Ellen and asks her not to do this. Galactica needs the base ship. She should put aside her anger at him to do what’s right. All she wants to talk about is the fact that Caprica’s brush is where hers used to be and he threw out all of her dresses. It’s called Baby Mama Drama, and even Cylons aren’t immune.

Tyrol, Caprica, Tory, the Six, and the Eight show up because Ellen asked them to. Ellen votes to go. Which means that Caprica has to go too. Tigh says that an all Cylon nation doesn’t work and neither does all human. They need to stick together. Ellen accuses Tigh of not wanting to leave who he really loves. Adama.

“What is this?” Caprica wants to know.

“It’s petty and vile,” says Tigh. Love how he delivered that line. And he’s right.

Tigh’s not going. Tyrol says they agreed on majority rule.

“Well, frak apparently we invented majority rule, but I don’t remember it so frak that!”

Michael Hogan is awesome. I love me some Colonel Tigh! He drops more F-bombs than anybody.

Tigh says that Ellen doesn’t even want to go, but she’s doing this to hurt him. Ellen says how he loves the ship, the uniform, and Adama more than anything else. A quick shot of Tyrol’s face and I’m positive he has regressed to his happy place. He doesn’t like it when Mommy and Daddy fight either.

Caprica crumples to her knees in pain. Tyrol, Tigh, and the others rush to her side. Ellen looks all stupid.

Caprica’s baby is in distress and she accuses Ellen of wanting it to happen. Doc Cottle gives Caprica an oxygen mask to help the baby. Ellen insists that she knew humans and Cylons should be together, but that she was blinded by trying to hurt Tigh. She never meant to hurt Caprica or her baby. Tigh counters that she should have thought how it would hurt Caprica if he were forced to choose and let her go. He says it’s no wonder they had to invent a God for the skinjobs to worship; they sure couldn’t have them deify the Five. Ellen says the didn’t invent anything… and we are once again stopped from getting more info on the One True God because Caprica orders them both to shut the frak up.

Ellen says she shouldn’t be there and leaves. Tigh is so torn up over what’s going on. Ellen comes back and puts her hand on his shoulder. He grips it and cries out his one good eye.

And yet ANOTHER shot of Adama looking at the pipes and seams. Ok, seriously. We get it. He’s worried about his decision to let the Cylon goo run amok in Galactica’s veins. We get it!

All Edward James Olmos has done this episode is drink and stare at the walls.

"I'll have more to do next week."

Caprica is resting with Ellen and Tigh at her side. Ellen says Tigh has to tell her he loves her. He does.  But then…

“This is nonsense. She knows it. I don’t need to say it. I shouldn’t need to say it. To anyone. Isn’t it enough that I feel it? I feel it. For her, for you, for Liam. I shouldn’t need to spout the words. I feel it less with words. Just let me Gods damn feel it and I’ll fill the frakkin’ room.”

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what makes this show so great. To all the people complaining that this episode was too soap opera, they haven’t been paying attention for four seasons. This show has always been about humanity. Not every episode needs a dog fight. You care about what happens to the people (and Cylons) more during the dog fights when you’re invested. Scenes like this make you invested.

There have been some great moments of dialogue on this show; Adama’s “you can’t run from the things you’ve created” speech, Lee’s testimony as Gaius’ trial, Roslin’s “who are you going to be” speech to the Cylons during the mutiny, and now that from Tigh. Good stuff.

Doc Cottle says the baby is in distress and it doesn’t look good. Caprica wants the baby cut out even if it kills her. Doc Cottle refuses. The baby won’t survive. Ellen says that she will leave and they can be together. She says Tigh loves her and the baby is proof. Little Liam dies anyway. That’s some sad shit.

Gaius is in Adama’s quarters. He has something to say to Adama, Roslin, and Lee.

“The two of you can stay and listen to this,” Adama says. “I’m gonna go to head. Do something constructive. A little project I’ve been working on.”

Brilliant! That is so much better than, “going to drop the kids off at the pool.”

Lee convinces Adama to stay and listen.

Gaius tells Adama that everyone sees the Cylon workforce aboard the ship and the Cylon pilots. They know about the construction. When are the Centurions coming over for dinner? The moment it happens, the ship will be fully integrated and then all hell will break loose. He only has one option…

Next thing you know, Gaius and crew are given heavy weapons. Did I miss something? The solution to the hell breaking loose is to arm MORE civilians?! Paula looks a little too happy with her gun and I suspect someone’s gonna need to bust a cap in her ass before series’ end.

Tyrol watches Boomer sleep in the brig. And you know, it’s not… no, it is creepy. In the sick bay, Anders’ brain activity returns.

Tigh goes to see Adama and they hug it out, bitches. Adama expresses his condolences. He says Liam is a good name. Short for William. Sure, Adama, everything is about you.

Roslin and Adama walk through the halls of Galactica and watch as the Cylon Sixes and Eights walk around like they pay rent. A Six is looking lovingly at a wall and strokes it. Roslin pauses to see what she was looking at. For one second I thought she was lovingly stroking the wall because it had the Cylon goo in it. Adama would lose his shit. But, it turns out that the Cylons have been putting up photos of the Cylons that have died with them since the alliance.

“It’s already happened, hasn’t it?” Adama asks.

Questions Answered and New Ones Posed This Episode

Not many answered. We know that Ellen’s personality wasn’t totally made up by John, she has a touch of that bitchy manipulation in her.  Boomer jacked someone’s ride, and that’s how she got the Raptor. Maybe next week, in what looks to be a very Boomer-centric episode, she’ll explain how she knew where to find the fleet.

The One True God was danced around again this week, and I’m curious to see when Anders wakes up, will he still have his original Five memories like Ellen does. I suspect he will.

So, what are your thoughts, predictions, theories, and questions?

* After the series’ finale in a few weeks, look for Battlestar Galactica: The Plan to air on SciFi Network. It’s a two hour movie told from the Cylons’ perspective. You’ll see a lot of new stuff (and some old stuff), but it’s not a clip show. It’s directed by Edward James Olmos and written by Jane Espenson.

*Also, for more BSG blogging, check out The TV Tyrant on Tuesdays.