Six Of One - Episode Review

A big gear switch - down - from episode 1. Melancholy and a bit scattershot. Two tracks to the story: Cylon civil war is beginning to take shape and the Galactica fleet has a hangover, literally.

We finally get to know the numbers of the cylons as yet unnumbered (Cavil is #1, Leoben is #2, Simon and Doral, 4s & 5s), and Boomer is the betrayer yet again.

Kara doesn't pull the trigger, but Roslin does - and misses. Kara screams and writhes and agonizes, you've seen the trailers "We're going the wrong way!" Kara thrown in the brig.

Adama agonizes over Kara. Great scene with Roslin and Adama - she lays it out as only the amazing talent of Mary McDonnell can bring life to a writer's words. Lee and Kara have a goodbye kiss in the brig. Lee takes a Quorum position, nominated by Tom Zarek. There's a perfunctory going away ceremony for Lee and a laaaaame goodbye moment with Dualla.

The Cavils have decided to lobotomize the raiders so they will comply and attack the human fleet, the vote is 3-3 with the Dorals and Simons supporting the Cavils (and the lone Boomer as the swing vote for the Cavil side), and the Sixes and Sharons and Leobens understanding that the raiders sense the Final Five among the human fleet. This aspect of the story really deserves much greater exposition but they totally rushed it and the Sixes bring centurions and - as turnabout is fair play - reveal that they have removed the inhibitor devices from the metal models and now they are sentient and angry that the Cavil faction has harmed the raiders. Gunfire ensues and presumably now the entire model lines of the 1s, 4s and 5s are toast (pun intended).

The Baltar subplot thickened with a lame scene in which Tigh urges Tory to sleep with Baltar to gain access to him to discover if he is the Final Cylon. A follow up scene has Baltar seeing Head Baltar (!?!?) - absolutely baffling. How they will tie this development up is a mystery. The Head Six and Head Baltar subplot is a story stream they would do well to wrap up sooner rather than later - it is a distraction at this point. There must be some culmination to the Head Six character - a final reveal of her purpose and then be done with it. The subplot with the groupies and the "one god" messiah thing with Baltar just isn't gaining traction for this viewer. We'll see how it develops.

Adama wrestles with his conscience and feelings and secretly arranges to release Kara and give her a waste processing vessel (no doubt with many an obvious "we're in the sh*t" metaphors to follow) and go on her own to find Earth.

A bit disappointing this episode - they went down a gear or two too many from the powerful punch of episode 1. And if they are all eating algae slop now, where o where does the endless supply of alcohol come from?

[Ed Note: Upon repeated viewing, the episode holds up better - such were the nuances to the story. Clearly Six is portraying Head Baltar if you look at the feline body language James Callis so deftly emulated (see pic above). The Adama-Roslin scene is one of the best of the whole series and perhaps the best work by Eddie Olmos thus far.]