“The Hub”

“The Hub”, while somewhat overwrought at times, is entertaining if not conclusive and unlike many episodes in Season 4, it is fun to watch again.

Taking it’s cue from previous BSG style, where we open with a sequence and then show what led up to it, this time BSG has done it over the course of two episodes. We learned in the last episode a little about a supposed battle between the rebel Cylons, with a partial Galactica crew and the Hub, which appeared to be destroyed. “The Hub”, to no surprise gives us the full story.

We learn, that the death of Natalie Six is in fact the reason for the jump as the Hybrid has panicked. It is continuously jumping and it is somewhat following a trail towards the Resurrection Hub. The crew can’t unplug the Hybrid again as it has meshed itself with life support now. A little contrivance, yes, but you can ignore it.

The Cylon-Human alliance has to force aside it’s tensions and get ready to do the job it was going to do…but plan it in a much quicker timeframe. In a scene chock full of awkwardness, Helo and an 8 try to figure out the best approach. They are able to come up with a basic framework of allowing the Vipers to go in cold, by having Raiders drag them behind them for a bit and letting them drift into position to take out the Hub FTL drive before powering up.

The 8 steps over the line though by rubbing Helo’s neck in a way that Athena had learned how to. She confesses that she had been curious about Helo and Hera so she had accessed Athena’s memories from her last download. It’s a dramatic scene for Helo and surprisingly it’s handled subtly well. Something the series hasn’t been good at in awhile. If 8 can download Athena’s love in a way, does that make Helo and the real Athena’s relationship less? But as the rest of the episode does, it answers very little, but it at least asks the question.

The most curious aspect with the episode and something that isn’t quite explained is Roslin’s situation. This is obviously Roslin’s episode. During each jump Roslin is torn away from her present state and is awakened on an empty Galactica where she is guided by the last Priestess Elosha. She is led to a sickbay where she finds herself in her final moments due to her cancer and surrounded by the Adamas and Starbuck.

It’s the kind of honest self evaluation that has been lacking from Roslin’s character in awhile. Her Personal Elosha tries to get her to open up to her own feelings, allowing herself to love. I think this may come back into play, a little later in the review.

Roslin orders Helo to bring back the Three directly to her against what was agreed in the Alliance.

Helo and the Eight attempt to brief the Cylon and Viper personnel and they struggle to find common ground until Eight says that the destruction of the Hub will even things out and they’ll have to trust each other in order to survive, as Helo stands by in awkward silence.

Roslin and Baltar share some humorous sequences where they both attempt in their own ways to communicate with the Hybrid. If it wasn’t for their pasts, you could almost see them as friendly rivals.

The Hybrid does announce that the 3 is back online.

On the Hub, a Number 1 and a Number 8 bring D’anna back, just as the rebels finally jump into the system.
The 1 explains that they brought her back to stop the civil war and calls upon D’anna to reach out to the rebel faction. They discover the attack on the Hub and it forces Number 1 to grow desperate as they realize the implications.

Number 3 is almost glad, snapping Number 1’s neck as she tells him that it will be more momentous than.

Baltar begins talking to a chrome job, trying to educate him on the subject of god. It’s a bizarre sequence, but Callis (Baltar) really pulls it off. Suddenly the basestar is hit and Baltar is seriously injured. Roslin grabs him and tries to stop the bleeding.

Then he confesses. He finally confesses to giving the access code to the Cylons even if it was unintentional. He also proclaims he doesn’t feel guilty about it at all and likens himself to a spirtual act of god, saying that humanity had to be challenged like the great floods of the scriptures.

Roslin grows so angry that she shakes and removes the medical gauze stopping Baltar from bleeding out.

Helo and Eight break aboard the Hub and find the 3 and get her off ship as they combined forces destroy the FTL drive on the Hub. After Helo and Eight are back aboard the Basestar, the Hub is destroyed. Helo though then shows humanity’s true colors by telling Eight his orders are to get 3 to the president. Eight seems hurt and shaken. The tenuous alliance is threatened further.

Roslin’s visions are strong enough that she realizes that she need be compassionate and learn to love. It’s not up to her who draws breath, a good man or bad man. She awakens and fervently tries to repatch his wound, saving his life.

Helo brings D’anna in and she says that Baltar will live. In a teasing sequence Roslin demands to know who the Final Five are, and D’anna seems surprised that Roslin knows about the Final Five. She goes on to laugh and say, “You know about the Final Five but don’t know you’re one of them?”

There’s a moment before she cracks up, indicating she’s joking.

But is she? I know Roslin has popped up as one of the bigger theories (Mine included - so I may be biased with the following), so it could seem on the surface that the writers were going to pop one of the theories as a nod to the fans.

Or could it be a swerve. Could it be a reveal meant to throw fans off the track? It’s quite interesting that Roslin’s visions are trying to teach her how to love…the one thing Athena, back in the beginning of the series proclaimed was missing from the Cylons. It would make sense that the Final Cylon needed to learn to love to make a difference.

I’m not certain, but I don’t count her out just yet.

D’anna then tells Roslin that she won’t talk until she knows she’s safe. She trusts no one.

They jump back to the coordinates to find Adama’s raptor waiting. In a somewhat unbelievable sequence, Roslin is there to meet him. So there is no reprisal for the betrayal of Helo and Roslin regarding Number 3? It’s somewhat detracting, and obviously needed simply for stories’ sake as Roslin and Adama finally declare their love for each other in a very Han Solo-Princess Leia fashion.

I love you.

About time.

The episode has more focus than the show has had in quite a while and quite a 180 from the last episode’s debacle.

B+

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