Blood on the Scales

Battlestar Galactica - Episode 4.14

While "Blood on the Scales" has its share of action, it's the character moments that really sell this episode. Also, with the deaths of a few important recurring characters, the feeling that this show is nearing an endpoint and that no one is safe continue to prevail.

The last time we saw Captain Kelly, he was thrown in the brig for assassinating members of Baltar's legal defense team. This time around, he has to battle conflicting emotions of liberating Galactica from the possibility of Cylon control and his emotional ties to the people he is fighting. It comes to a head when he has Tyrol dead to rights, but lets him go. Yes, Galen is a Cylon, but he's also a guy Kelly worked closely with for years. When he is confronted by Apollo, Athena, and Tigh, Kelly completely commits to switching back over to Adama's side.

Tom Zarak comes across a little too heavy-handed, however. When he realizes that the Quorum might not back him up, he has them all executed. This may have been necessary if Gaeta decided to end the coup after he saw the bodies, but he doesn't. If anything, Zarak's actions help solidify who the good guys and bad guys are for the audience. I prefer my BSG to be a little less black and white.

The best moment in the show comes when Gaeta is sitting in a room with Baltar, having a drink and a smoke while reflecting on things past after Adama has taken back the ship. Gaeta talks about his youthful ambitions and his intellectual background while Baltar sits there on the verge of tears the entire time. It isn't until the next scene that we become fully aware of the true gravity of the situation: this is Felix's last meal.

Considering the death toll and the damage caused by the coup, it's not unreasonable that Adama and Roslin would have Zarak and Gaeta executed. At the same time, this adds symmetry to Zarak's execution of the Quorum and Gaeta's ordering Adama's death by firing squad. Felix's character journey has been interesting to watch over four seasons and it demonstrates how inherently good people can be changed by extreme circumstances.

Other things I liked:
- After watching Tyrol crawl around the guts of the ship for an hour, we get a great payoff. He was making his way to the FTL drive the entire time to take it off-line, and just in time. Nice visuals for the machinery involved, too.

- Romo Lampkin's conflicted expression when he finally decides to help Starbuck with a severely wounded Sam, after stabbing the guard with a pen. This is the second time this has happened. Someone needs to stash all writing tools in the armory.

- Roslin's anger and conviction when she is told that Adama is dead (which was a lie). I think the Cylons were a bit scared of her, too.

8 out of 10