Battlestar Galactica 2.13: "Epiphaines"
Written by Joel Anderson Thompson
Directed by Rod Hardy
In which Roslin’s impending demise leads to a final order to eliminate the Cylon/Human hybrid, while Adama must deal with the sudden and violent rise of a group of Cylon sympathizers…
As I had anticipated, this episode was a bit of a letdown after the previous installment’s near-perfection. But it wasn’t a complete and total loss by any means. A lot of plot threads are addressed along the way, and the writers put the pieces for the final arc of the season on the board. In fact, one critical piece is dropped right into the center of the board in the final scene, paying off a dangling plot element from early in the first season.
In my review for a recent episode of “Stargate: SG-1” (ep. 9-12), I noted that the episode in question could have benefited from taking the format adopted by “Lost” to explore the past of a main character through flashbacks. This episode actually proves my point. This episode was very much in the vein of “Lost” in terms of Roslin’s flashbacks, and though the circumstances were very different, it allowed events from the past to intersect and influence the present and future.
It makes perfect sense that some segment of the human population would wonder if surrender to the Cylons could be a viable option. It’s likely that they don’t know or willfully forget that surrender was offered during the original attack. Whatever the case, if there were those who were still ready to return to the Colonies and fight back, despite the odds, the opposing point of view would naturally emerge. What’s interesting is how easily they were pushed, presumably by Gina, towards violence.
Of course, that makes sense. With the Cylon fleet now out of the picture, the Cylons within the Colonial Fleet need to take the steps necessary to achieve the overall goal, which means subversion from within. I also expect that these actions will give another Cylon fleet a chance to make a move. (It’s no guarantee that the Cylons don’t already have another fleet in position, but it would make things more interesting if the action focused on the Colonial internal issues for a while.)
Roslin certainly has an interesting past (teachers in a violent strike and sleeping with the President?), but most important, I think, is her memory of Baltar and Six. If she had doubts about Baltar before, she certainly has more of them now! Something tells me Mr. Nice Gaius is going to be a primary focus through the rest of the season, especially his interplay with Gina. Speaking of which, I loved how she reacted to his overtures.
As for the Cylon child and the danger it poses, I can see why Roslon would be so adamant, but exactly what is she afraid of? More importantly, she’s missing something critical. The child is the result of a union between human and Cylon, which means genetic compatibility. Her own restoration is proof enough of that (as convenient, yet inevitable, as it was). Letting the child be born and then studying it is one way to understand the enemy. After all, there’d be a true Cylon (Sharon), humans, and the hybrid…three degrees of differentiation. The real question, morally, is whether or not that study would be on living tissue.
I agree with Ron Moore on one thing. As great as it is to have so many plot threads carried forward in this episode, it just doesn’t come together as well as it could have. For one thing, as the secret leader of the Cylon Sympathizers, Gina is in rather comfortable quarters. Ron says it’s a brothel; there’s nothing in frame to suggest that. It could have been much worse of a letdown, but that said, it’s still a bit of a letdown.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 7/10
Directed by Rod Hardy
In which Roslin’s impending demise leads to a final order to eliminate the Cylon/Human hybrid, while Adama must deal with the sudden and violent rise of a group of Cylon sympathizers…
As I had anticipated, this episode was a bit of a letdown after the previous installment’s near-perfection. But it wasn’t a complete and total loss by any means. A lot of plot threads are addressed along the way, and the writers put the pieces for the final arc of the season on the board. In fact, one critical piece is dropped right into the center of the board in the final scene, paying off a dangling plot element from early in the first season.
In my review for a recent episode of “Stargate: SG-1” (ep. 9-12), I noted that the episode in question could have benefited from taking the format adopted by “Lost” to explore the past of a main character through flashbacks. This episode actually proves my point. This episode was very much in the vein of “Lost” in terms of Roslin’s flashbacks, and though the circumstances were very different, it allowed events from the past to intersect and influence the present and future.
It makes perfect sense that some segment of the human population would wonder if surrender to the Cylons could be a viable option. It’s likely that they don’t know or willfully forget that surrender was offered during the original attack. Whatever the case, if there were those who were still ready to return to the Colonies and fight back, despite the odds, the opposing point of view would naturally emerge. What’s interesting is how easily they were pushed, presumably by Gina, towards violence.
Of course, that makes sense. With the Cylon fleet now out of the picture, the Cylons within the Colonial Fleet need to take the steps necessary to achieve the overall goal, which means subversion from within. I also expect that these actions will give another Cylon fleet a chance to make a move. (It’s no guarantee that the Cylons don’t already have another fleet in position, but it would make things more interesting if the action focused on the Colonial internal issues for a while.)
Roslin certainly has an interesting past (teachers in a violent strike and sleeping with the President?), but most important, I think, is her memory of Baltar and Six. If she had doubts about Baltar before, she certainly has more of them now! Something tells me Mr. Nice Gaius is going to be a primary focus through the rest of the season, especially his interplay with Gina. Speaking of which, I loved how she reacted to his overtures.
As for the Cylon child and the danger it poses, I can see why Roslon would be so adamant, but exactly what is she afraid of? More importantly, she’s missing something critical. The child is the result of a union between human and Cylon, which means genetic compatibility. Her own restoration is proof enough of that (as convenient, yet inevitable, as it was). Letting the child be born and then studying it is one way to understand the enemy. After all, there’d be a true Cylon (Sharon), humans, and the hybrid…three degrees of differentiation. The real question, morally, is whether or not that study would be on living tissue.
I agree with Ron Moore on one thing. As great as it is to have so many plot threads carried forward in this episode, it just doesn’t come together as well as it could have. For one thing, as the secret leader of the Cylon Sympathizers, Gina is in rather comfortable quarters. Ron says it’s a brothel; there’s nothing in frame to suggest that. It could have been much worse of a letdown, but that said, it’s still a bit of a letdown.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 7/10
posted by John Keegan | 17:41
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home