Escape Velocity Review

From TV Squad:

(S04E04) I went on earlier today about how a lot of us were cut short in the early viewing of tonight's episode, which made me think perhaps something "big" happens later that they didn't want revealed early. With the exception of one "maybe big" moment, I can scratch that theory.

I wouldn't exactly call this a throw-away episode, though with what we saw in the past three episodes it did drag is places.

Thankfully we weren't transported days or weeks ahead of the events from last week, giving us a look at Tyrol coming to terms with what happened to Cally ... or at least trying to. How exactly did everyone know Cally ejected out of the ship? If there was video evidence, we all know what that would have shown. Did a Raptor happen upon her lifeless body in space? She was thrown out of there at a pretty good clip, so the chances of her being recovered weren't so hot.

Tyrol's comments about Cally to Bill Adama were harsh to the Nth degree, though it's exactly what I had been thinking all along. We saw how the Chief was with Boomer, and then we saw where he wound up on New Caprica. This wasn't the Tyrol we knew, and neither is the person we're seeing post-Cally. He's in a whirlwind of crap right now and he's quickly spinning out of control. He went from saying she was the "blood in my veins" to saying she had "vacant eyes" -- he's frakked up.

The scenes with Tigh and Number Six were the best of the episode. Are Tigh's visions of Ellen simply a form of guilt or are we supposed to wonder if she is the final Cylon? Tigh and Tyrol are clearly having a much, much harder time coming to terms with what they are. Tigh has decided to go to a resource that might have answers for him, though I started to wonder why none of them don't just go to the Number Eight that's walking amongst them and fess up. Wouldn't she be a bit relieved or delighted to know she's not alone? Sorry, but the whole Cylon being a part of the crew while everyone knows what she is still bugs me, and I don't care what she did to prove herself. Then again, Tigh can't go to Athena while she's on the Demetrius. Well played, writers.

I keep going back to the scenes from past seasons when we saw the tell-tale Cylon glowing, red spine. That, along with Anders' red eye confuse me when someone like Number Six goes on about how there are "no wires" inside Cylons. What-how? Someone explain that bit to me.

To the groans of many I'm sure, we were back with Baltar's story this week. I consider myself on the fence about whether I find his character fascinating or simply annoying. After this episode I'm more on the side of being fascinated. The biggest "wow" moment of the episode was when Number Six picks up Baltar from the floor when he clearly says he doesn't want to get up. I went over that scene several times and I'm convinced Baltar was actually lifted from the floor. So, if that's what really happened, then what the heck? What is "head Six"? Is she an actual force around the ship? He's both mentally and physically a puppet for the Cylons.

Finally, Lee saw Tory having a grand ol' time at Baltar's little service at the end of the episode, so I wonder if he'll use that to his advantage against Roslin in the future. Clearly Lee didn't buy into anything Baltar was going on about, so in seeing Tory there -- the president's aide -- his confidence in Roslin isn't going to gain any points.

Current fleet population: 39,675 (no known births/deaths)