Battlestar Galactica 2.3: "Fragged"

Written by Dawn Prestwich and Nicole Yorkin
Directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan

In which Col. Tigh continues his downward spiral as he struggles with calls to free the president, while the situation on Kobol comes to a disturbing head as Baltar’s conversion continues…


Every time I think that things can’t get worse for the Colonials, the writers up the ante. This time, it’s all about the interplay of the plot threads on Galactica and Kobol. As situations go completely downhill, it’s all about how fortunes change, present and future. Tigh’s decisions lead to Roslin’s unexpected return to power as a spiritual leader and another step towards a conflict between religious and warrior factions, which is always a lot of fun. Meanwhile, Crashdown’s inevitable loss of perspective leads to a disturbing consequence involving Baltar.

I suppose it was inevitable that Tigh would return to his drinking, and it sure as hell doesn’t help him make better decisions! It’s not very helpful that the entire crew seems to know that he’s losing stability, thanks to his past history, and that they don’t feel like they can do anything about it. After all, what would they do? They’re already reeling from the loss of Adama’s strong and consistent leadership. There’s really no one else that they could rally support behind, is there?

Except Roslin, of course, and that’s the problem. Tigh has never respected Roslin, and apparently, he respects the whole idea of the Scrolls of Phylia even less. But when people are seeking a sense of direction, religious leaders are particularly compelling. Roslin also knows the value of when to claim some kind of foretold authority. She truly believes herself to be the instrument of the Lords of Kobol, and what’s more, the Quorum of Twelve believes her.

So Adama basically threw down the gauntlet, because the “religious leader” compelled one of his warriors to defy orders. The response was the assumption of total control by Adama, who was then the victim of a brutal attempt on his life by the enemy. Now the reversal of fortune is in play: Roslin is regaining a purpose and political strength, while the military leadership struggles to retain control. Tigh is simply not Roslin’s equal, and so rather than convince others of the strength of his political stance, he seeks to impose his will.

While Roslin believes that she is following the Lords of Kobol, Baltar continues to operate under the impression that he is the instrument of God. Of course, he has no idea what God wants of him, other than the fact that he is meant to embrace the more violent aspects of his humanity. This is perhaps indicative of how the Cylons think, but that’s not necessarily a given. It’s what Six wants Baltar to hear, and that’s about all I get out of it.

Whatever the case, the question I have in my mind is how Baltar’s ongoing conversion is going to be used to support Roslin or transform her message into something that will benefit the Cylons. If Six is not speaking for the rest of the Cylons, then it’s even more of a blurred picture. It feels like Baltar is being honed into an instrument, a willing strike at the heart of the Colonials. Beyond that, there’s still a lot of story to be told before motivations are likely to be clarified.

If Ellen Tigh is a Cylon, as strongly hinted in the first season, then it makes sense that she would want her husband to take control. He’s so far out of his depth that his “leadership” would be catastrophic. Undermining Roslin was her apparent goal (and that once again suggests that Baltar is being groomed to pervert or subvert her message). How much worse would it be if she turned out to be simply human, indulging some love of chaos?

The end of the struggle on Kobol came together quite nicely. I never expected things to get quite so intense, but then, I suppose I should have known better. I really believed that Crashdown would shoot Kally right then and there! I love how things get out of hand, even within the structure of a rather predictable resolution. I expected the Colonials to save the SAR team at the last possible moment, and for the Raptors to arrive when all seemed lost. It’s how the writers managed to sneak in a little doubt that made the episode for me.

With the Kobol situation more or less over, I expect that the next episode will actually bring an update of the situation on Caprica. The prophecies related to the Arrow and the Temple were mentioned again, so clearly that’s something that will continue to unfold. And then there’s the timetable suggested by Roslin’s admission of impending death. If she is the foretold leader, then she’s got very little time to point the Colonials towards Earth. My bet is that the entire season will be the process of getting to that part of the tale.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10