Review: Battlestar Galactica 4.14
by Paul Talon on Feb.09, 2009, under BSG, Reviews by Paul Talon, Television
“Blood On The Scales”
Well, that was quite an end. Continuing the storyline from the previous episode, Blood on the Scales also continues the manic pace and rapid fire delivery of the story. So quick, you can barely see the holes in the plot.
And even if you do see them, you don’t really care too much.
As Gaeta and Zarek continue their mutiny, including re-arresting Tigh and Adama, the stakes get a little higher. As the Quorum of Twelve begin to show their dissatisfaction with the military coup, Zarek has them all killed except for Lee Adama who was still with Kara and Tyrol.
While Tyrol works his long solo mission to disable the FTL drive, keeping Galactica from jumping, Adama and Kara begin the rescue missions, trying to save Admiral Adama and the captured Cylons.
Admiral Adama meanwhile is being put up in a kangaroo court to answer his “crimes”. This is the major hole of the plot. Gaeta. While Gaeta had his beliefs in hand when this began and even cringed at the Quorum of Twelve’s demise, it just doesn’t add up. Gaeta is simply NOT naive enough to not know exactly what is going to happen during a military coup, and yet he acts bewildered. He clings to having the “truth” on his side, and yet he acts no differently with it.
It’s out of character for the normally intelligent character and I understand that was what was needed for the plot, so it is forgivable.
As time goes on Gaeta’s coup begins failing because people begin to doubt, like Aaron Kelly, disgraced former officer. Eventually Gaeta himself stops believing in Zarek’s bloody regime and when push eventually comes to shove and the Roslin-led Battlestar and Admiral Adama and his loyalists fight back, Gaeta realizes that his plan has failed and rather than risk more lives, he surrenders much to Zarek’s disbelief.
The episode ends with Zarek and Gaeta being executed for the coup but Gaeta is at last at peace with himself finally.
It is a worthy episode overall with the only negatives being Gaeta and the nagging feeling that not enough is happening with the overall arc with time running out. It almost seems as if this arc, while exciting and well done, just seems pointless. Everything should be driving towards the series finale and this just doesn’t read that way.