2.2 Valley Of Darkness

This is Battlestar Galactica at its best for me. Our heroes deep in shit, the odds stacked against, them and those scheming, ruthless Cylons turning the screw. This episode's pressure was applied in the shape of the small gang of Cylons that had crashed onto Galactica. Tigh outlined their plan in stark terms: They were headed for the front and rear of the ship where they could release the airlocks and vent all of the crew into space. And then they would turn the Galactica's guns on the rest of the fleet and wipe everyone out.

If this was a game of chess, it's like sending a Queen into a crowd of pawns.

So the darkness element of the title was inspired from how all the lights in the ship were out, just to notch up the tension a little more. Shots and screams peppered the episode off-screen, and then occasionally there were some firefights on screen that showed how nasty and efficient the Centurion Cylons could be. The day was saved by good old Lee and his team, but not without a few close calls and sense that these guys weren't feeling 100% heroic to keep the grit.

That part of the episode, the main part, all top class stuff.

There are other plot threads ongoing though, and I wonder how long these strands will continue to remain separate. It may be a while, it might all be tied up in the next few episodes. There's Starbuck and Helo on Caprica (potentially for a good buddy relationship, those two - they just need something meaty to get involved in and hopefully not suffer the fate that the Boomer and Helo duet endured with their cameo appearances dragged out across the first season).

And then there's the Kobol crew, with Tyrell being the main guy there, with Callie (surely those two are going to get it together, it's been obvious since the start!) and a bunch of others in limbo between awaiting rescue and staying alive. Gaius is with them, of course, with Six in his ear constantly turning him twisted and filling his mind with talk of Commander Adama being a threat, but I'm getting tired of moaning about him and how irritating his plot thread his.

Either something happens with them, or their bullshit will continue. At present, he can't get much worse than the hindrance to the drama and flow than he is already - unless Gaius and Six get more screentime!

Still, this season has certainly set out a lot darker, with more action - but I suspect this will eventually give way to a more settled down phase where the Season gathers itself together to explore whatever big ideas and plot threads it wants to pursue.