2.18 Downloaded

This episode had an absolute mindfrak of a revelation. In the pre-credits sequence we saw the Cylon that was named ‘Caprica Six’ be reborn in her regeneration tank. Traumatised since she died in a nuclear blast, it took her some moments to come round. And around her were various Cylons. A different Six. A Boomer. A Xena Warrior Princess.

And then Gaius’ head popped into view.

WHAT THE FRAK?

And just when I had a second to process the notion that Gaius was a Cylon after all, it turned out he was just a figment of Caprica Six’s imagination. So Gaius on Galactica has a fictional Six. And Six has a fictional Gaius. What the hell is all that about? Is it that their souls, spirits, or whatever are just so strongly connected some form of residual bond has stayed with them? What exactly happened when that blast hit? How the hell did Gaius get out of it alive?

So this episode focused on Cylon Boomer (the original one, the one that still felt human) and Caprica Six being regarded as faulty Cylons by Xena Cylon and potentially set to have their minds ‘frozen’. It was good to spend some time with the Cylons, and it’s certainly bizarre to see all of the same types dotted around, replicated. I noted there were no other moulds visible. . . No sneak peaks at who else might be a Cylon!

That being said, the Cylons do require a lot more explanation for me. Caprica Six, for example, believes by the end that the attack on the human race may have been a mistake as it would be considered a sin by their God. Well, considering they appear hardwired to be devoted to their God how could they have ever made such a monumentally catastrophic (blasphemous?) error? That definitely needs clarification. Because Caprica Six and Cylon Boomer now appear set, by the end of the episode, to try and change the Cylons – but I am not wholly clear on what they are changing them FROM!

Elsewhere on Galactica, Boomer’s baby was born and it wasn’t quite the dramatic fanfare climax of a birth I was expecting. The issue was not what the baby was, rather what they were going to do with it. The upshot was that they convinced Boomer and Helo the baby was dead whilst secreting it away with a new, unsuspecting parent onboard another ship.

It’s got that total Luke Skywalker vibe about it, though Laura’s request to keep popping in to see the child suggests it probably won’t turn out to be quite so good and wholesome. But more immediate consequences perhaps await Gaius, as the Six in his head is not at all happy with him.

Since we know now that the Six in his head is, apparently, created by Gaius and is not some outside source communicating with him, this does create the idea that Gaius is deeply, deeply insane. Even his own pretend friend is psychotically angry with him! There’s not much getting away from that situation!

So next up is the season finale! Bit of an odd lead-in, given there’s no sense of anything building up to a climax here (relatively speaking). I suppose it’ll be a self-contained piece of excitement. I hope so. Nothing makes for a good season like a top class finale, and this season, though patchy, I would say has been consistently good more often than not.