Is BG lost in space

[GoldCylon]

Is BG lost in space

Battlestar Galactica Season 2
"Sacrifice"
Feb. 10, 2006

It's official. Battlestar Galactica is adrift.

Is it too soon to start a "Save Battlestar Galactica" movement? Not to save it from bad ratings -- not yet anyway -- but from the mid-season doldrums. Is BG going to now be one of those series that only really comes alive at the end and beginning of each season?

"Sacrifice" was yet another self-contained episode that treads water and goes nowhere. With one big exception: A major character dies. Aside from the intense attitudes, strong acting and BG sets and lighting, which distinguishes even the lamest episodes of the series, this could have been a humdrum installment of any crime show. The death of an important character doesn't cover up that the story was pat and the resolution just a lame action sequence.

"Sacrifice" found half the cast taking a break in the lounge of the Cloud Nine Luxury Liner, which looks a lot spiffier than in former episodes. After saying no to Billy Keikeya's rather abrupt marriage proposal, Anastasia -- looking very fine in evening clothes -- is there on a date with Apollo Adama. Col Tigh's wife Ellen is hanging at the bar, looking to get loaded or bedded or, with luck, both. Gotta love that woman, she's consistent.

Billy shows up to run into Anastasia and Apollo, and go all kick-faced when he realizes they're a couple. (Are they a couple?) Apollo acts guilty when Billy arrives and retreats to the bar, and Ellen, so Billy and Anastasia can work it out. If he'd been watching recent episodes, he'd know he didn't have to go. Lately Battlestar Galactica has been resolving most problems by just killing off the complicating character.

So lots of majors players are on hand when a fanatic contingent of disgruntled colonists takes everyone in the lounge hostage. Their leader is Dana Delaney, attractive as always but not very convincing as either an aggrieved widow -- her husband was killed in a Cylon attack -- or the leader of a dangerous faction. In fact, the motivation for the entire take-over is pretty weak. They want Cylon Sharon killed. OK, why not start with a protest, a letter campaign, a sit-in? Anything would be more reasonable that starting out shooting, a move guaranteed to get them either killed or imprisoned forever.

From there it is a completely ordinary hostage situation story. The strong acting and characters carry it along and keep it interesting -- the scene where Starbuck tells Adama that, after contributing to the death of his other son, she may now have killed Apollo, is a standout moment -- but basically, not much happens. Until Billy gets to go out like a hero. Ah, Billy, you were just too ordinary and peaceful for this crew.

Trusting Sharon is the one major issue brought up on the show. Can this Cylon really be trying to help the crew? If so, why? Does she even know what she is ultimately going to do. Certainly the first Sharon, Boomer, was confused about it all. OK, to be fair, this was a pretty good way to give the show some momentum in the overall BG saga. It gave the episode a hint of resonance.

Again this week we saw the baby teaser. The baby that will change everything. This is a lot of warning they are giving us. Let's hope they will deliver. Season finale?

Think twice before getting involved with petty office Anastasia Dualla. She looks harmless but dating her needs a surgeon generals warning: bad for your health.

Apollo has been taking quite a beating of late. We like our heroes tough, but this is getting to be a bit ridiculous. Bullet wounds in TV shows are often little more than annoyances. Seldom do we see the real effects of a high-caliber slug ripping through a characters body, especially a star. But teasers from next weeks show, The Captain's Hand, seem to show Apollo in fine shape. Unless it's set months after from this week's show, that would be a disappointing snub to logic and continuity. On the old Star Trek shows, we expected doctors to magically heal any wound, but Battlestar has been more realistic. Well, aside from Presient Roslin's miraculously cured cancer.

Which leads us back to Starbuck shooting Apollo. This is a pretty major event in their lives and relationship. So much could be done with this. I'd hate to see it just dismissed after this episode.