BSG SkyCap Review/Recap The Oath - Part 1
THE OATH
Transcribed by: Sky
Written by: Mark Verheiden
Directed by: John Dahl
Well frak me seven ways to Sunday. THIS episode is why I love BSG. Who isn't counting the hours til next week so we find out what the hell happened?
I know!
That said, while everything is still swirling around in my head, let's slow down a little and try to let all the stuff that went down actually sink in. Yeah…hard to do, right? Remember when I said it was gonna hit the fan in a major way? Yep…it so is…
Mark V. outdid himself on this one. LOTS of familiar faces back, which I love…even if I'm creeped out by several of those faces. *LOL* We'll save the reveal of who they are until after the cut.
Fingers crossed that every episode after this one continues in the same vein…seriously…this is the end people…make every damn moment count, you know? They did in this episode, IMO. Not a wasted second and wow…how long has it been since that's happened? Maybe too long…but I want to feel like I do right now for the last seven episodes. Here's hoping I do. And the way I feel right now is different from earlier seasons because there's an underlying sadness/fear/trepidation that instead of duking it out with the Cylons, the humans seem hell bent on destroying themselves and it's a train wreck unfolding right before my eyes and I just can't look away.
I need it to be next week so we know what happens but at the same time I dread Friday night because that means we only have six more episodes left and it's going way too fast. Yeah…I make no sense…but that's normal for me.
Anyway…let's get to it. Standard warnings, blah, blah, blah. You know the drill…liquids=bad news around the keyboard, monitor and electrical current. Weird, bizarre thoughts and personal opinions will be strewn throughout. Bad language is a certainty in this one…seriously. And never, ever forget to keep your hands and feet inside at all times. You just don't know what's lurking around the corner anymore…or who's working against you right under your nose.
I'm not kidding.
Keep 'em locked and loaded…it's gonna be a long, long day.
Yeah…this is going to be so much fun to recap…even though it's one big massive FUBAR situation for the fleet from start to finish. So…I'll just jump right in.
First up? The Previouslies: (Voiced by Michael Hogan)
FTL drive question…labor intensive, grunt work, but possible. Won't be easy to sell the Quorum on it.
Zarek saying the question's been called. Eleven for, one against. Motion carries. No Cylon will board a ship in the fleet without the permission of its people. *sigh*
There's nothing illegal about ten ships refusing orders and twelve not responding to Galactica's hails. Jump drive upgrades is a military decision and Adama does indeed have the right to make the call…even if Gaeta has objections. Leave out the whole Hoshi section and jump right to Helo telling everyone the tylium ship is pulling out of formation and spinning up their FTL drives.
And JUMP! Bye bye fuel for the fleet.
Hell yes. Adama doesn't just think Zarek knows where the ship is…he knows it.
Athena jumps in to bring the runaway home.
The world is frakked, upside down and someone needs to turn it right side up. Is Tom Zarek that man? He's one of them…but he needs a partner. Gaeta makes a deal with Zarek to do just that.
WTF? Odd placement on this one…Zarek voiceovers the fact that every revolution begins with one small act and Gaeta says to shut the hatch…let's talk. Yeah…that happened way before his little back cell deal with Mr. Zarek. *eye roll*
BEGINNING ACTION:
*Dude…you might not want me to take point on this*
0620 Admiral's Quarters
Ugh…I'd skip coffee ground out of algae too. Bleh.
Hrm…three more captains refusing to let Cylon engineers on their ships. Apparently they didn't settle that a few days ago. Good to have a time line though.
Ahh…the tylium ship is being pissy and spreading the word they're being illegally detained by marines. See…this sorta lends credence to the fact that Zarek's been staging his little revolt for quite a while.
Heh…Adama's tired of it. Go to Lee. Tell the Quorum if they don't get their ships in line…they can all share a blanket in Zarek's cell. *snorts* That's gonna go over well.
*LOL* Did anyone else think Tigh was going to swallow his tongue when Roslin sauntered out in Adama's robe? Or that maybe Laura was having a wee bit of fun with him? And Adama's utter nonchalance as he waits for Tigh to spit it out already? Yeah…I'm dying.
But what a damned awesome point. With the mood of the fleet…Adama really should know that having Tigh take point is not a good idea. I mean…duh.
Heh…Roslin's trying so hard to not look interested. Please, please, please let that be a good sign.
0632 Galactica Brig
This however is NOT a good sign. Gaeta's springing Zarek. Get ready for the shit to fly.
EEK!!! What's his name…Gage or whatever…one of the Sunshine Boys is with Gaeta. Oh frak me…this really, really isn't gonna be a good thing.
ACK!! The other one is there too. Vireem or whatever. *shudders* Gaeta, dude, what ARE you thinking?
Right…almost lost focus there. Gaeta wishes Zarek luck on keeping a lid on their plans and Zarek thinks the fleet is the least of their worries? Arrogant much? But wait…maybe there was more to having the tylium ship crew mutiny than just hijacking the fuel supply. Interesting thought. Especially if they're stirring the pot among the civilians.
Yeah, yeah…knew Connor was involved. NARCHO!!!! I know…I shouldn't be surprised…it's shaping up to be a former Pegasus crew heavy 'revolution' but DAMMIT, I like Narcho. I have no clue who this Private Paley person is…so 'meh' who cares. But NARCHO! Argh.
MmHmm…have a feeling I'll be saying that a lot tonight. Just saying.
Okay…WTF is up with Gaeta's leg? Is it significant that he keeps rubbing at it or just a tie back to his bitch fit in sickbay? It's distracting me, dammit.
Wait…maybe the point is to show these guys are willing to follow the gimp in a mutiny? Or that Gaeta's mind is intact. *scoffs* Let's hope he didn't put the morpha needle down before planning this shindig and that will catch him out somehow. Cause I've never doubted Felix's intelligence.
Case in point…the deal with the Quorum. Their sense of duty will be trumped by reality…with the exception of one. Listen to Gaeta here:
Gaeta: We've been through this.
Tom: He's a wild card. I'm talking about the admiral's son.
Gaeta: Push his buttons. I hear you're good at that.
Oh…nice set up. Damn straight Lee's sense of duty won't be trumped by Zarek's version of reality…because it's NOT an accurate one. This should get very, very good.
*meep*
BRIEF PAUSE FOR RANDOM COMMENTARY:
Oh, Laura…if only you hadn't been so crushed by discovering earth sucks. This scene is just all kinds of excellent. From Roslin telling Adama the colonel is right…the blanket Cylon amnesty hasn't gone over well with the fleet. And I love that Bill sorta changes the subject…the coffee is terrible…because Laura's made it clear she's on vacation…and taking a much earned rest.
I love what he does…sits all kicked back while she keeps right on going:
Roslin: Siccing Lee on the Quorum is only gonna be seen as a shot across the bow. He can hedge it all he wants but the delegates will see it comes straight from you.
Adama: He can handle it.
Roslin: Yes, he can. And so can you…and I'm not getting involved.
Heh…right. Caught herself just in time.
Roslin: Lee can take of himself. You can take care of yourself…and I am not getting pulled back in.
And Adama just sits, fiddling with his glasses, saying nothing.
Roslin: Ah…the legendary Adama silence. I can see right through it…this passive aggressive pretense that you're okay if I don’t get involved.
Adama: I don't do passive aggressive.
Roslin: Yes you do. You just don't know that's what it is.
I'm sorry…but I quite love this. Aside from the craptastic timing, I love that Roslin explains shit like this to Bill. *LOL* And apparently he does, too.
Adama: Get some rest.
Roslin: Rest.
Adama: I'll try to make it home for supper.
Roslin: I'll have it ready.
Adama heads to the door…but Roslin adds a bit more…
Roslin: Cantrell's the key. Tell Lee if he can get to Cantr-[Adama pauses at the door] I'm not. [Roslin shakes her head]
Seriously…if I didn't know some major shit was going down I would think this is awesome. And maybe it's awesome BECAUSE of that…not sure how I feel about that yet. Roslin's getting back in touch with something, whether it's herself, reality, love…who knows…but yeah…probably too little, too late. I also don't think Adama can really handle it or her any other way and that's part of the tragedy of what will follow, IMO. Which is also kind of great. *LOL*
What? You guys knew I was contrary…I'm proving it in spades this recap.
BRIEF PAUSE FOR RANDOM OPINION:
Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy Shit.
First off…RACETRACK? Is there a manual that says she has to be involved with sneaking people off the damn ship? GAH! I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt at the mo…cause I can totally see Felix roping her in with the same shit he told Laird.
And speaking of Laird? FUCK! That poor guy survives watching his family executed in front of him and being conscripted by Cain for duty on the Pegasus only to end up dead at the hand of the Vice President? The person who is 'running the government'. Frak me. And yeah…more on this in a bit.
And speaking of Gaeta? Like I said, I've never doubted his intelligence…but this is almost scary. I mean even with Laird throwing a monkey wrench into the works (please excuse the pun)…Gaeta seems to have a fallback answer for everything from why Zarek needed to be removed from the ship and how the Admiral didn't want word to leak out. He just didn't plan on Laird mucking things up by pushing for confirmation…and frankly, I'm a little relieved it wasn't flawless…and I'm damn glad that Jeanne Flockleteer chick saw what went down.
As to that? My earlier thought that Maggie was sucked in is now shot to hell…not if Skull is all 'good riddance…frakker's been up Adama's ass blah, blah, blah'. I've always considered her loyal to Adama so I hope we see why she chose the side she did.
And that brings me to Zarek. I think something key happens here with him delivering the fatal blow to Laird. His hands are dirty…and he usually keeps them fairly clean…and since there IS a witness to the murder I hope that means the groundwork is being laid for Zarek's downfall in the very near future. There's not much of a chance he can spin killing Laird in any kind of positive light, IMO.
Not that Zarek seems to be all that worried…Laird won't be the last, which again…seems to almost make Tom happy. His refusal to get on the ship when Gaeta tells him too doesn’t go over all that well either. But I don't think Gaeta's problem is what Zarek assumes it is…because when he makes a pretty speech about knowing a little something about revolutions and how success doesn't hinge on some grand operatic idea of the will of the people. Oh no…it hangs on the cumulative moments…each one building on the next and can be lost by the slightest hesitation.
Um yeah…Zarek…you're the one hesitating right now…throwing Gaeta off his timetable. Felix started this…and he will see it through. Now frak off and get on the damn ship already. To me, that's what it feels like from Gaeta. And I'm not sure how I feel about that just yet. I think he was more upset that his schedule was thrown off than he actually was that Zarek murdered a guy.
Cree-pee. Seriously…just cree-pee.
The one good thing about this? Zarek and Gaeta not being 100% in sync will hopefully be their downfall. *crosses fingers*
And the credits roll…
Survivor Count: 39,643 GRRRRR!!!
Okay…I have to pause for a second before I go stabby on something. Can they NEVER get the frakking count right?
Last episode…Hoshi clearly says the crew aboard the Hetei Kan killed a Cylon and two marines. Does one of those marines not count? Were they a Cylon in disguise? Did they get saved by some miraculous heretofore unheard of medical treatment in the uber busy, over-loaded sickbay? *chokes, snarls, spits, growls*
Seriously…thank the LOK we only have seven more episodes for this to drive me madder than a box of frogs. Grrrr.
Apologies…
BACK TO RECAPPAGE:
0704 HRS
*Cavity searches and Dradis ghosts*
Mmm…looks like Zarek made it off the ship.
Sitrep? CAP is out. No enemy contact. Fleet's still jacked up about Zarek's anti-Cylon bull. Gaeta casually slips in and takes his station. Lee's giving the Quorum a shove…but it would take a cavity search to find the backbone in that sorry bunch.
Tigh gets THE best lines ever. I kid you not.
Oh Felix…you low down dirty liar. Laird did NOT reschedule the launch because he's lying dead in some corner on the flight deck. And shame on you for not even blinking when you tell a big fat whopper to the guy that hearts you. *tsks*
It's good to know Adama really doesn't plan to upgrade every ship at gunpoint. That would suck muchly. Methinks they can still kiss the alliance goodbye though.
Okay…here's a good thing to remember…never let the officer who knows CIC like the back of his hand get massively pissed at you. Gaeta has an answer for everything…and it's damn scary.
BRIEF PAUSE FOR RANDOM OPINION:
Could they have gone with anyone else for this little revolt and have them pull it off this effectively?
I don't think so.
As much as it breaks my heart to see Felix throw in with Zarek…nobody else, except maybe Lee, could have set this up to run as smoothly as it appears to be. I'd love to dive into a comparison between what Lee did back in Resistance to what Gaeta is doing now except the circumstances are so wildly different it would be like apples to oranges.
Felix is the perfect person to set this stuff in motion. The command staff is distracted by everything going on…and Felix is playing nice, being respectful and acting like he's doing his job and not asking any more questions. And yeah…maybe THAT should have been their first clue…but Adama and Tigh ARE dealing with a lot of irons in the fire, so yeah…I totally buy that it blows right past them.
Plus…Gaeta is damned sneaky.
BACK TO RECAPPAGE:
*I'll take it*
0741 HRS - Colonial One Emergency Session
Poor Lee…I think he should invest in muzzles to keep the Quorum noise level to a low roar.
Ack…nothing like being blindsided when you're trying to convince everyone the FTLs are essential. What a great moment though. Richard and Jamie rock.
Heh. Even Adama knows when he's holding a losing hand. Right. Too bad he doesn't know the deck is stacked against him.
Switching gears…
Poor Shiny seems to have lost his ability to play pyramid. Maybe the whole Guitar Hero Rock Star revelation ruined it for him.
Yeah, yeah…I'll shut up now. Cause this is actually a cool scene with Seelix. One of those lovely tie back moments that I love Verheiden for. Let's take a listen…
Shiny: Yeah, I used to be pretty good at this game.
Seelix: Oh yeah?
Shiny: Making the shot. Winning the big game. Can't believe that used to matter to me.
Seelix: You know that life back on the Colonies…it's like a dream to me now. The further away we get…gods, I remember you and me back at Joe's bar slammin' drinks, shootin' pyramid.
Shiny: Hmm. Those were good times.
Ohh…the look on her face. Methinks she's about to bitchslap Shiny.
Seelix: They were, weren't they?
Shiny: MmHmm.
Seelix: I really…I really thought there was something between us, you know? And when that didn't happen I wondered…was it me?
Shiny: No, Diana, I was-
Seelix: Now I'm thinking no. Maybe it was something else. Some Cylon thing. Your programming. Cause I know it's been months, but I just can't let it go.
And SURPRISE! A hood over the head and big ass beat down by two marines…that's more than a bitchslap…it's a fitting revenge for a woman scorned.
BRIEF PAUSE FOR RANDOM OPINION:
Yeah…I'm no fan of Shiny…we all know this. So watching him get pounded on by the marines…eh…whatever…I could take or leave it. But weaving that into Seelix taking her own brand of revenge on Sam for frakking Tory while cozying up to her is awesome, IMO.
And yeah…I'm capable of putting aside my bias long enough to see that Sam was all caught up in the whole Super Cylon Reveal dealio…but…from her perspective? Oh yeah…I can follow her logic completely. But it was cold…the way she was completely devoid of emotion while the two marines wailed on Shiny. I think the one who played Grodin on SGA needs to be watched…he seems to have some anger management issues. : )
Sadly…I really like Seelix…so dammit…yet another one mark in the not to be trusted column is making me stabby. *LOL*
BACK TO RECAPPAGE:
0809 HRS - CIC
Uh oh…Jaffe's in CIC? Hrm…
Gaeta checking his watch…and yep…probably right on cue, Hoshi's got a fire on C-Deck. But is there really a fire? Narcho and Private Paley are ready on C-Deck, remember?
Oh…Felix is frakking brilliant. He's thinking the fire may not be an accident because it's so close to the wireless array. If it goes down they could lose communication across the fleet. As Tigh points out…Zarek's true believers will have a field day with that. And of course, Adama orders the area evacuated…which is exactly what Felix wants. GAH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just GAH!!!
0812 HRS - Jr. Officer's Quarters
Oh…too funny…yet kinda sad all at the same time…
Kara: Look at you, the proud poppa. When I named you Hot Dog I sure as hell got that right.
Hot Dog: Knock it off.
Kara: Oh come on, don’t be shy. There had to have been other conquests for the great Brendan Costanza.
Hot Dog: Well, you've frakked half the fleet…what do you have to show for it.
BURN! Damn…what is it with people leaving scorch marks on Kara? Oh, right…she kinda pushes buttons until it happens…which leads me to…
BRIEF PAUSE FOR RANDOM OPINION:
Between Gaeta last week and Brendan this week…Kara's not faring well. I've read some thoughts that Kara is pushing buttons because she's been spoiling for a fight since discovering her body on earth. I think there's some solid truth to that. If she didn't feel isolated before…she has to be feeling it now, hell I think she's probably choosing to be, in a way, because she hasn't worked out in her head what the frak is going on. Kara tends to push away and lash out when that happens, yeah?
The other thing I find interesting about this? Both Hot Dog and Gaeta were on the Demetrius mission with her. No clue if that's purposeful on the writer's end, but it ties in beautifully nonetheless. I also like that the whole Hot Dog reveal isn't getting dropped in the dirt and forgotten about because honestly? Last season it wouldn't have surprised me if it had been for a couple of episodes, you know?
Anyway…back on point…I'm also wanking that Kara being/feeling isolated from everyone is exactly why she's the first to figure out things aren't kosher on Galactica. And yeah…Narcho all but gives it away when he goes postal on her for trying to get information and questioning why a pilot is in charge of evac, but if she hadn't pushed, he wouldn't have shoved back, IMO, cluing her in that something was very, very wrong.
And if that didn't prove it to her, Connor and his gang raiding the small arms locker…along with Gaeta's non-help did. And yay! for that…because it kicked her into gear and gave her something to focus on…other than freaking out over being dead…but not, you know?
Pi and I were talking about it and it's an awesome throw back to Kara and Karl talking WAAAAAAYYYY back in S2 about why she fights. She doesn't know how to do anything else…and maybe this is reminder of that for her…something she can hold onto and throw herself into. Give Kara a reason to fight and it's kind of like giving her a reason to live.
And that's just awesome.
Makes a good time for the BEEP before part 2…