"I just want to hurt someone and it might as well be you."
SO SAY WE ALL: A secret jury executes traitors to humanity.
REVIEW: BSG wastes no time addressing the problem of Cylon collaborators in their midst. Jammer's been the stand-in for this, and is a good one too, because he's an ambivalent figure. Yes, he joined the Cylon's human police, which led him down dark corners, but he did it to try and help from the inside, never betrayed the identities of the Resistance members even though he could have, and even helped Cally - just to make it extra personal - escape a firing squad. He's guilty, but is he any worse than a Resistance member who killed human civilians in a terrorist attack? More than a dozen executions in, the "Circle" is fraying at the edges. Anders quits at the question of Gaeta, whose guilt is circumstantial. Tyrol is more and more on the fence - after Jammer, this isn't a case of executing strangers. We can respect Tigh for refusing to take shortcuts, but he can't show mercy because he had to kill Ellen. If she doesn't get a pass, neither should colleagues like Gaeta. To replace Anders, they go and get Starbuck, a ringer if there ever was one. She's so traumatized from her Cylon captivity that she'll render a verdict of guilty no matter what. This certainly doesn't help her relationship with Anders, which has been short-circuited by Leoben's mindfrack. When we see them together, she's refusing his advances, which makes sense for someone who was just abused in that way. But once she joins the Circle, it becomes clear to both of them that she's back to her old self-destructive ways, and is so angry, she'll take it out on Anders (so it's over), on Gaeta, on anyone who's available.
More than in Jammer's case, Gaeta's execution would be unfair. He was, after all, the source inside Baltar's government, feeding information to the Resistance all this time. I thought the one scene Tyrol and Gaeta had let the cat out of the bag towards the end there. I guess not. We see him say this to Starbuck, but not to anyone else until it's almost too late. Unfortunately, these moments feel rather manufactured. Kara feels these are lame justifications, and forces him to repeat them at his execution, which in turn denies her the blood she craves. It's meant to be irony, but the characters are acting stupidly. Gaeta's descent into bitterness certainly begins here.
The Circle's authority plays out as a mystery, as they claim to be doing the president's work and have little time in which to complete their work. At first, you think maybe it's because Adama is on their trail, and can't believe Roslin would actually condone such a thing, except she DID work with the Resistance, so maybe. All is explained when we realize Zarek is actually president at this point (he was Baltar's VP), and that he's planning to step down to get Roslin reinstated. It's interesting that the Occupation has made friends of enemies, and Zarek, knowing his limits, is okay with being Roslin's VP, but one wonders if the deal is still on the table after this revelation. Fact is, he's right about what could happen unless the collaborators are dealt with. Absolutely right. He's just wrong about HOW to deal with them. Roslin's solution is marvelous and inspirational, a full pardon offered to everyone, and a process through which people tell their stories and learn to forgive each other. In a context where humanity is down to barely 40,000 souls, executions - state-mandated or vigilante - is a dangerous exercise. We must move past this and learn from it, not continue the cycle of violence. A great resolution (and more interesting than the "TV reconciliation" trope of Tyrol eating with Gaeta).
An episode about collaborators wouldn't be complete with the Collaborator-in-Chief Gaius Baltar. He's on a Cylon ship - new sets have been built for it, because we're going to be spending some time there from now on - as a prisoner. As am mirror to the Circle, his fate is also being decided by a jury. Six remains undecided, and the other six models are deadlocked 3 to 3. Six is UNDECIDED?! Doesn't bode well for him when his staunchest ally, Caprica-6, is questioning her love for him and blaming him for everything he's made her do. I wonder who the 3 on each side are. For now, he's got Sharon's old role, trapped in a cell, having to prove his worth to an antagonistic crew.
ALL THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE AND IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN: The "Circle" was also the name of a Bajoran terrorist group rounding up aliens in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Roslin's Reconciliation Commission has historical precedent; similar initiatives were enacted in South Africa, Peru, Chile and Sierra Leone, normally in the wake of civil wars or dictatorships.
HUMAN DEATH TOLL: The head count is back and 8,115 short of the last one we got at 41,435. Most of the loss is probably from the Cloud 9 explosion, the rest dying during the Cylon Occupation and subsequent retreat. Going by the next episode's count, the Circle's executions, including Jammer's, are not part of the toll here. The Circle executes 13 people as part of its activities, including Jammer. If Galactica seems over-crowded despite the small population, it's because the fleet has fewer ships now (Cloud 9 destroyed other ships, and of course, they just lost Pegasus).
VERSIONS: Deleted scenes include Starbuck's tense conversation with Anders about her reenlisting as a pilot and her betraying their marriage vows by not discussing it with him. Inside sources also recount scenes shot and cut, but not included on the DVD, including the execution of Chadwick, and Tory supplying information to the Circle. In the original draft, Gaeta was actually killed. In the last draft, he did indeed beg for his life, but a change was made at the actor's request.
REWATCHABILITY: Medium-High - A very adult episode about consequences. A bit of a reset button, sure, and Gaeta's execution is weirdly handled, but the pros definitely outweigh the cons.
REVIEW: BSG wastes no time addressing the problem of Cylon collaborators in their midst. Jammer's been the stand-in for this, and is a good one too, because he's an ambivalent figure. Yes, he joined the Cylon's human police, which led him down dark corners, but he did it to try and help from the inside, never betrayed the identities of the Resistance members even though he could have, and even helped Cally - just to make it extra personal - escape a firing squad. He's guilty, but is he any worse than a Resistance member who killed human civilians in a terrorist attack? More than a dozen executions in, the "Circle" is fraying at the edges. Anders quits at the question of Gaeta, whose guilt is circumstantial. Tyrol is more and more on the fence - after Jammer, this isn't a case of executing strangers. We can respect Tigh for refusing to take shortcuts, but he can't show mercy because he had to kill Ellen. If she doesn't get a pass, neither should colleagues like Gaeta. To replace Anders, they go and get Starbuck, a ringer if there ever was one. She's so traumatized from her Cylon captivity that she'll render a verdict of guilty no matter what. This certainly doesn't help her relationship with Anders, which has been short-circuited by Leoben's mindfrack. When we see them together, she's refusing his advances, which makes sense for someone who was just abused in that way. But once she joins the Circle, it becomes clear to both of them that she's back to her old self-destructive ways, and is so angry, she'll take it out on Anders (so it's over), on Gaeta, on anyone who's available.
More than in Jammer's case, Gaeta's execution would be unfair. He was, after all, the source inside Baltar's government, feeding information to the Resistance all this time. I thought the one scene Tyrol and Gaeta had let the cat out of the bag towards the end there. I guess not. We see him say this to Starbuck, but not to anyone else until it's almost too late. Unfortunately, these moments feel rather manufactured. Kara feels these are lame justifications, and forces him to repeat them at his execution, which in turn denies her the blood she craves. It's meant to be irony, but the characters are acting stupidly. Gaeta's descent into bitterness certainly begins here.
The Circle's authority plays out as a mystery, as they claim to be doing the president's work and have little time in which to complete their work. At first, you think maybe it's because Adama is on their trail, and can't believe Roslin would actually condone such a thing, except she DID work with the Resistance, so maybe. All is explained when we realize Zarek is actually president at this point (he was Baltar's VP), and that he's planning to step down to get Roslin reinstated. It's interesting that the Occupation has made friends of enemies, and Zarek, knowing his limits, is okay with being Roslin's VP, but one wonders if the deal is still on the table after this revelation. Fact is, he's right about what could happen unless the collaborators are dealt with. Absolutely right. He's just wrong about HOW to deal with them. Roslin's solution is marvelous and inspirational, a full pardon offered to everyone, and a process through which people tell their stories and learn to forgive each other. In a context where humanity is down to barely 40,000 souls, executions - state-mandated or vigilante - is a dangerous exercise. We must move past this and learn from it, not continue the cycle of violence. A great resolution (and more interesting than the "TV reconciliation" trope of Tyrol eating with Gaeta).
An episode about collaborators wouldn't be complete with the Collaborator-in-Chief Gaius Baltar. He's on a Cylon ship - new sets have been built for it, because we're going to be spending some time there from now on - as a prisoner. As am mirror to the Circle, his fate is also being decided by a jury. Six remains undecided, and the other six models are deadlocked 3 to 3. Six is UNDECIDED?! Doesn't bode well for him when his staunchest ally, Caprica-6, is questioning her love for him and blaming him for everything he's made her do. I wonder who the 3 on each side are. For now, he's got Sharon's old role, trapped in a cell, having to prove his worth to an antagonistic crew.
ALL THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE AND IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN: The "Circle" was also the name of a Bajoran terrorist group rounding up aliens in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Roslin's Reconciliation Commission has historical precedent; similar initiatives were enacted in South Africa, Peru, Chile and Sierra Leone, normally in the wake of civil wars or dictatorships.
HUMAN DEATH TOLL: The head count is back and 8,115 short of the last one we got at 41,435. Most of the loss is probably from the Cloud 9 explosion, the rest dying during the Cylon Occupation and subsequent retreat. Going by the next episode's count, the Circle's executions, including Jammer's, are not part of the toll here. The Circle executes 13 people as part of its activities, including Jammer. If Galactica seems over-crowded despite the small population, it's because the fleet has fewer ships now (Cloud 9 destroyed other ships, and of course, they just lost Pegasus).
VERSIONS: Deleted scenes include Starbuck's tense conversation with Anders about her reenlisting as a pilot and her betraying their marriage vows by not discussing it with him. Inside sources also recount scenes shot and cut, but not included on the DVD, including the execution of Chadwick, and Tory supplying information to the Circle. In the original draft, Gaeta was actually killed. In the last draft, he did indeed beg for his life, but a change was made at the actor's request.
REWATCHABILITY: Medium-High - A very adult episode about consequences. A bit of a reset button, sure, and Gaeta's execution is weirdly handled, but the pros definitely outweigh the cons.
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