Was it all for nothing?

It will never be your desk, Felix.

Our usual reviewer, millari, is off at NYCC this weekend (Yes, we are all jealous but yes, we expect a con report), so we get a different point of view this week.

What follows is a review of “Blood on the Scales” by Gem.  Contains Spoilers.

In an episode filled with mass executions, near executions, and one dead DRADIS monkey (thank you millari), was anything really accomplished by this mutiny? Will Adama and Roslin learn from their mistakes and consult with fleet leaders more often, or will they continue to leave everyone in the dark? When left in the dark, one will inevitably seek out light. Unlike Adama and Roslin, Gaeta and Zarek provided the fleet with answers and reassurances (and, yes played on their fears), but their coup was nearly successful because of it. However, Zarek being, well…Zarek, went too far and ended up appointing himself judge, jury, and executioner. Not a smart decision on his part. The former Vice-President has consistently put his needs above all else, therefore he could never be the man at the top, even if he is the man with the plan.

I’d be the first to admit the Admiral and President have not been the leaders they once were, be that as it may, it is not wise to back either of them into a corner. Gaeta and Zarek were the ones that ultimately found themselves in a corner (or an airlock as it were). Adama and Roslin are by no means perfect, despite that fact, they are humanity’s best hope for survival. Accepting cylon technology is essential at this stage of the game. The crack in Galactica’s hull seems like a strong indication that the “bucket” requires a serious overhaul.

Speaking of Laura Roslin, I was thrilled to see Madame President back in action. Mary McDonnell was terrific in this episode. Of course, she’s always amazing, but it was especially enjoyable watching Roslin throw her weight around on the cylon baseship. Besides that one moment when Tory, undoubtedly, convinced the cylon fleet to jump away, Roslin was in complete command. And, Zarek, you fool, don’t tell Laura Roslin you killed Bill Adama and expect not to feel her wrath. Roslin’s grief turned to rage in a matter of seconds. Seriously, how many presidents threaten you with their own eye teeth? Scary!

I wasn’t sorry to witness Tom Zarek’s demise, particularly after he executed the entire Quorum. Ok, so none of us loved the Quorum, that’s a given. Hell, their inability to take turns while speaking was down right annoying, nonetheless, there was no way of justifying Zarek’s order to kill them. Whatever truth he had on his side was lost in that moment. So, good riddence, Tom. Richard Hatch, on the other hand, will be missed.

So, my question is, now that the Quorom are no more, does this mean Adama and Roslin are officially King and Queen of the battlestar? Granted, they’ve basically been dictators for quite some time now,  however I’m still curious to see what becomes of the government at this point. Will another Quorum be assembled? Will Lee become Vice Prez?

On a happy note, welcome back Romo Lampkin. It always makes things more interesting when Romo gets involved. Turns out he can do some serious damage with a pen, and not just by writing legal briefs. Stupid marine never should’ve taken his sunglasses. Lucky for Kara (and Anders) that Romo came along when he did. It would appear that Sam has seen better days. What will become of him in the next episode?

While we’re on the topic of the Final Five, Tyrol got a hell of a workout during the Coup d’etat. For awhile there I was wondering where he was going, but as it turns out, the Chief was just doing what he does best, saving the day. Failed access codes won’t keep him from shutting down the FTL. I hope he takes charge of the hangar deck again, especially considering the Galactica is now deck-chiefless. RIP Laird.

Surprise, surprise. Baltar found himself in bed with a new Six. It’s really comforting to know Gaius can still find time for a little TLC during a crisis. His conscience did surface, though, and he made the decision to return to Galactica after realizing he had once again narrowly escaped, leaving his people behind. After spending the past four seasons loving to hate this character, I now catch myself routing for his transformation.

In the end, I did have sympathy for Gaeta, albeit not nearly as much as I would’ve had he died prior to this season. I understood his POV, and believe most of him wanted what was best for the fleet, but I also think his thought process was clouded by bitterness, allowing him to rationalize acts the old Felix never could have accepted. Yeah, he had a lot of crap thrown at him, but who hasn’t in this fleet? In my opinion, the best Gaeta/Baltar scene of the series was the one preceding Gaeta’s execution. It’s quite evident that Gaius will always feel some measure of responsibility for Gaeta’s actions, and until the end, believed Felix to be a good man. James Callis did a marvelous job expressing Baltar’s torment over Gaeta’s impending death. And, Alessandro Juliani, well he was just spectacular throughout the entire mutiny story arc.

Now that the mutiny has wrapped up, the Galactica crew will be on to another crisis in the next episode, No Exit. Will some of our longstanding questions be answered? Will Anders survive? Will Tory die? Ok, so she’s not in any immediate danger, but a girl can dream, right?

-Gem

* Not to fear, millari will be back next week *