49,597… minus one more

Well, I bring you the next installment of our counter-culture examination of the current running of Battlestar Galactica. The rest is below the break .

First, I have to admit that I am somewhat disappointed that Fisk got his little head lopped off already. He was developing into a relatively interesting character, and one that would have served nicely as a minor foil to Commander (now Admiral) Adama, if nothing else. Of course, there are few better underworld-deaths than having your arteries severed by piano wire (the Colonies have pianos?), but still… This series seems somewhat prone to introducing new characters, characters that could prove to be influential, powerful entities, and then whacking them almost immediately.
Moving on, I am somewhat surprised that it took the writers this long to get to the whole “black market” storyline… It is almost impossible to believe the fleet survived a week after the attacks against the Colonies without some manner of under-the-table trading, even if it was just for basic foodstuffs and medicines. I suppose the storyline would not have supported the chain of events taking place within this episode until now, so the entire “black market” experience could not be fully enjoyed until this point, but still… Mention of it beforehand would have provided a lot more depth to the story.
Along the same line, I am somewhat confused by Apollo’s newfound fatalism… I mean, sure, their situation is not exactly the best thing in the world, what with their home worlds turned into little glass beads, their fleet being hunted by an unrelenting and remarkably powerful foe, and things just not looking good for the home team. And, sure, his nifty little ship (and it really was rather nifty) got blown out right from underneath him. But… still… what is with these new suicidal impulses, especially after he seems to have returned to his father’s good graces? Why give up now, right after striking the biggest blow against the Cylons in recent history?
However, this new outlook on life has allowed Apollo to become the Right Hand of God… While I will never agree with being the judge, jury, and executioner for a person right on the spot, the “black market” manager had it coming. Running an underground economic empire is one thing. Killing people, using women and children as slave labor (in often unseemly professions), and all that good nonsense… those are problems of an entirely different flavor, and tend to incur some peoples’ wraths. Case in point .
While the guy was a complete scumbag, he was also correct – the fleet stands absolutely no chance of surviving without the “black market”, even though the President may hate it with every fiber of her being. It may not be the best way to ensure that the goods get to the right people, but as it was stated, “People want what they want.” If someone is willing to give up a few rations for a stupid bangle, who is to say that is wrong?
However, the same guy was also dead wrong. Yeah, everyone may have been embroiled in the problems surrounding the “black market”, and everyone may have been using it to their own ends. However, the “moral high ground” was still there, and always was there – people just blinded themselves to it, for a variety of reasons. But that does not remove it from the realm of possibilities, nor does it excuse anyone’s, even Apollo’s, behavior. Supporting an organization that kills and enslaves is wrong, even if it is a means to get the appropriate drugs to care for your child. Does that mean I would not do the same thing myself? Probably not. But I would still be wrong.
And Gaius… Dr. Baltar really is going to literally shoot himself in the foot one of these days…
This was definitely a good episode, though I do not believe the best. That said, I honestly cannot pick out a “best” episode at the moment, so I will have to get back to you on that. However, the episode definitely does raise some questions… Who was the woman in Apollo’s flashbacks? And pregnant? Why was the “thing” between “D” and Apollo even in the storyline, at any point? And what, exactly, does Roslyn remember from her drug-induced dream, and why has she not acted upon it already?
More next week .