Never Trust an Eight

What betrayal looks like

A review of “Someone to Watch Over Me” by Gem

I may be in the minority here, but I really wasn’t feeling this week’s episode. It had some great moments, but overall I felt like it dragged on. I was expecting more with only four episodes left. It didn’t need to be action-packed or anything, however the plot could’ve progressed a bit further in my opinion.

(Spoilers Behind the Cut)

I did enjoy the opening montage, though. It was well directed and definitely set the pace for Kara’s storyline. The combination of Bear McCreary’s music and the depiction of Starbuck’s’s day to day life over the past few weeks again showcased her despair over not knowing who or what she is. And, kudos to Kara, even in her despondent state, she still managed to scrounge up the last tube of Tauron toothpaste. Now, that’s how you motivate your pilots.

It really wasn’t until Kara pulled out Hera’s “stars” that I began to appreciate her interaction with the piano man. It was awesome when the song from her childhood turned out to be “All Along the Watchtower.” Tigh’s eye summed up what the final five and the viewers were probably feeling in that moment. We now know that Kara used to play this song with her father, so does this revelation allude to her father being Daniel? And, if that’s the case, did Kara unknowingly use cylon projection to interact with him at the bar? And, what is her connection to Hera? It seems that we were left with more questions than answers where Kara is concerned. I’m beginning to believe Anders is the key to revealing Kara’s fate. Even in his coma I still think he’s affecting her and possibly others in some way. I realize “Someone to Watch Over Me” had more of a cerebral progression, but I still think we could’ve learned the things we did about Kara in half the time allowing other stories on the show to get a move on. Or, maybe I’m just being impatient, which is probably the case.

There are only four hours of Battlestar Galactica left and there’s still so much left unanswered. I don’t want to underestimate Ron Moore and company, yet I’m somewhat skeptical that the final episodes are going to be so overloaded with information that the finale may feel a bit forced. Did I really just doubt the genius of Mr. Ron D. Moore…yeah, I’ll probably be eating crow (happily) by finale time.

Now, onto the storyline I enjoyed most. EVIL Boomer. Say what you will about Boomer, but she knows how to get the job done. For a split second, while she was saving Ellen from Cavil, I actually believed there may be a little redemption for Boomer. I’m happy to report that I was wrong. Evil Boomer is so much more fascinating to watch. I think her affections for the Chief are sincere, nevertheless she’s obviously not above manipulating him to get what she wants, in this case, Hera. Not only did Boomer beat up Athena, frak Helo, manipulate the Chief, but she actually poisoned a little girl. Now that’s some impressive evilness. Her manipulations of the Chief were flawless. She knew exactly what to say and do to accomplish her mission. You’ve got to give her credit, she is a resilient little machine.

Oh, Chief Tyrol, when will you learn? One minute I’m sympathizing for him and the next he’s annoying the hell out of me. I get that he loves Boomer and he’s been conflicted since discovering his identity, still at some point rational thought has got to come into play. If he was so blinded by love then why didn’t he go with Boomer when she asked? The President was right on the money when she said Boomer plays on personal feelings. And, despite the Chief’s personal feelings, he should’ve known better than to break her out of the brig. Oh well, I guess he finally learned his lesson this time. I hope  the Chief owns up to his part in Hera’s kidnapping because we all know he isn’t a bad guy. Although, if he does admit to helping Boomer escape, it’s all but over for him, which may be what he wants at this point. I can’t see the Chief bouncing back after Boomer’s latest betrayal.

Boomer also managed to cause further damage to the Galactica. Even with the cylon goo, it doesn’t look good for the old girl. I’ll be heartbroken to see Galactica’s inevitable demise. Perhaps not as heartbroken as her faithful Commander, though. It’s hard to imagine Adama not going down with the ship, particularly if Roslin’s fate comes to fruition.

We haven’t seen much of Roslin lately, even so her connection to Hera was clearly re-established in this episode. Is she still the dying leader the prophecies foretold or is it only the blood transfusion from Hera that makes her unique? Also, what caused Roslin to presumably pass out when Hera jumped away? Now that Hera is gone and Caprica lost the baby, I wonder if Laura, Caprica, and Athena will start sharing visions of the Opera House again. This ongoing plotline is one mystery I’m really anxious to have solved.

Despite “Someone to Watch Over Me” not being one of my favorite episodes, I’m very much looking forward to “Islanded in a Stream of Stars”. I’m not sure if Athena will find Boomer in the next episode or not, but when she does, it’s not going to be pretty. And, putting a few new holes in Galactica’s hull isn’t going to help her cause either. If Boomer wasn’t already a marked woman, she is now.

* millari’s wonderful reviews will return next week. Until then, good hunting.