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Battlestar goes Sixth – or should that be Seventh Sense as the revelations keep coming. Read no further if you don’t want to know more truths of the opera house.
Pictured: (l-r) Slick by Roark Critchlow, Katee Sackhoff as Kara “Starbuck” Thrace — SCI FI Channel Photo: Carole Segal
Starbuck’s frustrations here remind me of Buffy Summers’ “Going Through the Motions” number in that show’s classic musical episode. In between being tortured by visions of finding her corpse on Earth, she tries to go through the motions and lead what’s left of the Fleet pilots. There are as many Cylons among them as humans, the mutiny having thinned the military’s ranks even further.
A nice nod to classic BSG as Starbuck offers up the prize for the first pilot to spot a “habitable rock.” It’s the last tube of Tauron toothpaste in the universe, known as Felgercarb. That was BSG’s curse word back in the day. It’s nice to see that thrown in, especially as there’s talk of a Galactica movie done in the classic style. And lest we forget, Starbuck’s husband is still in a coma. Sucks to be her right now.
Starbuck drowns her sorrows in the local bar and argues with a piano player about why he even bothers to play. He gives her some artistic answers that she absolutely can’t handle and wants to know if any of his songs ever stopped a missile. His songs trigger memories of Starbuck’s dad and a song she learned to impress him – before he left their family.
Starbuck goes to check in on Helo and Hera, and Hera gives her a pretty picture she drew with lots of stars. Helo got back all the personal items of Kara’s that they had auctioned off. The only one she’s interested in is a cassette tape of her dad, Live at the Opera House. Hey, isn’t there a dying leader around here who knows the truth of the opera house?
Starbuck finally breaks down and helps the mysterious piano player with a song he’s composing. She recognizes a part of the music he’s playing and he notes that for someone who claims to hate music she knows quite a bit about it. She notices a “ring groove” on the player’s hand and wants to know about his family. Turns out he and his wife broke up because he wanted to pursue music and she wanted him to get a real job. Kara’s not happy about that. She does end up confiding in him that she doesn’t know who or what she is.
What do you know, the “stars” Hera drew turn out to be sheet music. Kara and the piano player jam together and Tigh, Tory and Ellen who are all in the same pub realize it’s All Along the Watchtower. They demand to know where she learned it and she explains her father taught it to her. She turns and the mysterious piano player was all in her head. Cylons are good at that, you know. Hera’s not the first hybrid in the fleet, it was Kara Thrace the whole time. Daddy was a Cylon, most likely the “Daniel” model that Cavil killed off. At least one got away, apparently.
The other major storyline going on here is the captivity of Boomer. There’s a Six that gets elected to represent the Cylons in the quorum. Her first demand is the release of Boomer into their custody. Bill Adama is reluctant since Boomer, you know, tried to kill him and all. The Six explains that Boomer will be tried for treason since she sided with Cavil during the Cylon Civil War. She will also likely get to be the first Cylon to undergo capital punishment in this new resurrectionless era. Chief Tyrol,who still has feelings for Boomer, is visibly upset.
Galen talks to Boomer who said she never stopped loving him after dying in his arms. Even on New Caprica when she tried to hate him, she couldn’t make herself do it. Through Cylon projection, she shows him the home they dreamed of having on Picon. He’s not quite ready for all that yet, but does go to President Roslin to plead for compassion. She’s fresh out. Furthermore, Roslin warns Galen not to get sucked in as personal feelings are what Sharon Valerii preys upon. Galen, of all people, should know.
Galen doesn’t get any further with the other Final Five counterparts. Ellen is adamant that they can’t set themselves up as godlike figures. Gee, hasn’t that deification ship already sailed? Saul Tigh is still drinking himself through the loss of his baby and Tory, as usual, is far more concerned with her own self-preservation. The most Galen can get out of this group is Ellen agreeing to testify on Boomer’s behalf. They all know that won’t be enough to save her.
Galen and Boomer go back to their Cylon projection home, complete with a young daughter. After learning his kid with Cally wasn’t his, you know this hits the Chief hard. He’s in for the plan to help Boomer escape. And after seeing Grace Park in the ultimate Cylon projection happy housewife fantasy, find me a man that wouldn’t endanger the ship for her.
So the Chief takes out another Eight that’s working on the ship and cuts the power just long enough to switch her with Boomer. Boomer promptly finds Athena and knocks her out, stuffing her in a closet. Before Boomer can sneak off, Helo shows up to wish her well on her six-day space mission. He notices she smells different and she plays it off as a new soap. Then, cause that’s the kind of girl Boomer is, she and Helo get randy while a bound and gagged Athena is forced to watch. That’s just cold, Sharon.
Boomer then proceeds to kidnap Hera from the daycare and smuggle her onto a Viper. She tells Galen that no matter what happens, she does love him. Athena escapes and tells Helo what happened. Admiral Adama warns Boomer she’ll be shot if she tries to escape, then Boomer reveals Hera is onboard. She prepares to jump and Tigh warns that if she jumps inside the ship, she’ll “tear Galactica guts out.” Remember, this ship is already falling apart.
Boomer gets just outside the ship but the jump does enough damage to seemingly make Galactica a sitting duck. Roslin, still bonded to Hera, calls the child’s name before falling down – dead, perhaps? We’ll find out soon enough.
Pictured: (l-r) Grace Park as Sharon “Boomer” Valerii, Aaron Douglas as Chief Galen Tyrol SCI FI Channel Photo: Justin Stephens
