4.13 The Oath

I don’t have anything intelligent to say about this episode. My reaction is not an intellectual one. This episode stirred up pure emotional and physical response that I don’t recall a TV show firing up in a long time. For almost the entire episode I was on edge, and getting angrier, and more tense.

Gaeta and Zarek’s coup attempt got under way, big time. With Zarek over on Colonial One, he was poised to assume the presidency just as soon as Gaeta had seized control of Galactica and its firepower (no doubt to use as a means to subdue unrest in the fleet – so much for democracy!). From the moment Zarek hit, and killed, that poor engineer (had his family taken from him by Kane and Pegasus, survived New Caprica and got finished off by treachery – poor engineer indeed) it was clear that there were to be no half measures.

The coup was going for the throat in its attempt to succeed. And it all happened alarmingly quickly.

The fake fire alarm moved people away from the arms lockers, Gaeta could filter communications and traffic in the CIC and, as stated, Zarek had Colonial One. Things were looking bleak. The moment the crunch came, and Adama narrowly-avoided taking a bullet, his unmasked fury at Gaeta and promise of no mercy was as terrifying as it was necessary.

Was there anyone I hated more than Gaeta right at that precise moment? It was great to have the nerd with a cold-heart (following his leg amputation most recently, but really the seeds were sown since New Capirica) be the man responsible. You just knew that anyone could beat the hell out of him, and that escalated the sense of powerlessness Adama and Tigh were put under.

I liked that Adama and Tigh actually got themselves free and armed independently. The expectation was that Starbuck (never been cooler than when she rescued Lee) and Apollo (reminding us there’s a soldier beneath the suit) would find them and help them out, but the two old men showed they’ve still got game when they need to bring it on and it was great to see.

(Amidst all this, Starbuck and Apollo shared a kiss. Their on-off romance just got rekindled, I think.)

Old vendettas from the Pegasus crew towards Helo and Athena served to ramp up the animosity, also. That guy threatening to rape Athena before knocking Helo out stirred up all those old feelings of anger that were generated from the Pegasus episodes of Season 2 (which were, in hindsight, one of BSG’s finest moments). By the end of the episode the fate of those locked in the brig still hung in the balance.

In fact, everything hung in the balance.

Gaius and Roslin had managed to escape on a ship (potentially having forged an accord with one another, and Laura should now have fire in her belly to resume her presidency), but Gaeta had ordered Viper’s after them. I can only hope that either ‘good’ Viper pilots against the mutiny, like Hot Dog, spot what’s happening and help them out. Or maybe Gaeta will have a change of heart and cancel the strike. It seems unlikely, but Gaius did try to appeal to his guilt by reminding him of his role in the death lists that were produced on New Caprica.

(Admittedly, this reference was kept somewhat oblique – but anyone who had seen the ‘minisodes’ would have learned that Gaeta was part-collaborator in the production of the death lists (despite him convincing himself he was helping the resistance).)

So the episode ended on a crunching ‘to be continue’. Adama and Tigh appeared to be in point blank range of a grenade blast, but I seriously doubt either one are dead just yet! Still, loved them standing side by side, guns readied, soldiers to the last. We saw Starbuck and Apollo sneak off up ladders, surely putting their part of a plan into action. I expect this coup to be quashed, for the likes of Gaeta and Zarek to be put against the wall, and I relish it occurring. But what next for the fleet is of most interest. How will they re-group for this? Where do they go?

Yet forget the intellectual ponderings for now. This episode evoked a primal response, and I frakking loved it. Thrilling tension with genuine emotional heft – I can’t imagine any other show even capable of producing such action-packed, nerve-shredding heights. I loved every minute of it.