Battlestar Galactica: Dirty Hands
(S03E16) I have to be honest, I have no experience at all with unions, how they work or what it's like being involved in one. Even so, it wasn't difficult to feel something for workers who'd have to endure what the Tylium crew had to deal with for so long.
Usually an episode like this would leave me well disappointed, as there wasn't anything significantly advancing the story. I realize now, with the help of several commenters, that it's episodes like this that are working to help us get a deeper understanding of what's going on with the humans on these ships and especially with the main players.Why didn't Adama just tell Tyrol that he'd get a sit-down with the President if he'd call off the strike, then continue on with his threats? It just seemed odd that Adama would be so harsh with his threats, then turn around and allow Tyrol a nice, peaceful meeting with Roslin. Then again, Adama certainly established his authority by coming down so strongly at the start.
I know I've said this before, but by far one of the most talented actors on this show is James Callis as Baltar. The scene with Chief was the best of the episode, especially when he demonstrates the true dialect he'd lived with for the earlier part of his live. What I don't get is how Baltar had access to a computer/typewriter to get that book done.
Random thought: Something I missed in an earlier episode that was shown in the "previously on" portion of tonight's episode -- Tyrol's mother was an oracle. I just found it as an interesting point when thinking back to when Chief miraculously located that temple within the mountain a few episodes back.
I'm near certain the lot of you will say this was a major "throwaway" episode, and I'm inclined to agree. Though it does help us gain a deeper understanding of what some of these characters are experiencing, it's likely a majority of viewers just don't care that much to be bothered with it. That's just the sad truth. (Jane Espenson co-wrote this episode, and so now I have to say to her: "forgive me.")
Oh, and wouldn't you know it that as soon as I said I'd incorporate the weekly podcast into this review, they've been late. In any case, I'll be sure to do that one they've started up on time again.
Current fleet population: 41,400
Overall, I was frustrated by this episode, and am convinced that Roslin's somewhat Bipolar, based on her rapid change in attitude towards Tyrol and the people. She was the secretary of Education and didn't blink an eye when Tyrol told her that there were children working in the fleet? Why didn't they just work with them to begin with? I just didn't make sense to me. It did have some cool moments though. Nice CGI, and the storyline with Seelix (and it was nice to see her again) would have been a better primary storyline.
2 comments:
I thought this was one of the best episodes since the series moved back to the ship. The grittiness of the fuel factory and its workers was very realistic. It almost had a industrial revolution feel, complete with child workers. It also embraced the classic scifi motif of framing current social issues in a different context. I suppose the "bigot doctor" episode could be in the same vein, but the writing in this one seemed so much stronger.
I thought this episode returned to the standard of asking tough questions with no clear cut answer -- the moral dilemmas that make the show agonizingly realistic.
However, it seems like this season (after the break), they've sort of forgotten how to tell the big story and the little story at the same time.
Post a Comment