nBSG 403 "The Ties that Bind"

[Wild Karrde]

Anyway, what's really annoying to me is this is going to be a truncated season. That said, I'm interested in Moore's podcasts for this season, but I can't find them on the site yet.

Eh? Season 4 is gonna be 22 episodes.

20 actually. They're counting Razor as 2 episodes. There's also supposedly going to be a delay after the first 10 episodes with the final 10 not airing until the start of 2009.

[Elessar]

I guess the writers felt Tori wasn't enough of a heel yet, but her actions came off as out of character and really forced. First there was the sudden 180 spin that she made for Baltar, and then she started hitting on Tyrol. This coming from someone who had, until that point, been the nice kind lady shadowing the president and making everything nice and cosy.

Sigh.

Also, would have preferred Cally to space herself. If you're going to challenge Starbuck for the most emo-character in an episode, you might as well go for broke.

[Skylon]

Anyway, what's really annoying to me is this is going to be a truncated season. That said, I'm interested in Moore's podcasts for this season, but I can't find them on the site yet.

Eh? Season 4 is gonna be 22 episodes.

20 actually. They're counting Razor as 2 episodes. There's also supposedly going to be a delay after the first 10 episodes with the final 10 not airing until the start of 2009.

Start of '09? Yikes.

I expected a hiatus due to the strike, and the fact that production only restarted this month, but geez.

[avatarxprime]

For everyone complaining about Tori's actions, she's going full Cylon. That's all there is to it. She was manipulative before and remains that way now. The difference is that she no longer cares for the President, but now is focusing on getting the other 3 to embrace the Cylon in them by targeting the links that keep them wanting to be the humans they thought they were.

She manipulated the situation so that Cally would find the note (by picking up Tyrol herself) and before that with touching Tyrol so that Cally would think he's having an affair. Then when Cally goes to kill herself she stops Cally so she can get Nicky as he is a hybrid and must be protected by any Cylon. After this by getting rid of Cally the Chief loses that much more of a connection to humanity. Since Nicky is most likely a hybrid he will maintain love and affection for him regardless, but now he has that much less holding him to not becoming a full Cylon.

She can't target Anders now that he's with Kara, but should something happen to Kara, then Anders will lose the only thing that is keeping him wanting to be human.

Tigh is probably going to be the hardest to turn because he so badly wants to be Saul Tigh, although it looks like the next episode will begin working on that.

[CaptJodan]

Out of curiosity, does anyone else wonder why there are long stretches where the hanger bay is abandoned? I realize they're running shorthanded, but come on! From the outside views they're running a CAP nearly constantly, and there's more than enough work to do on the downed ships. Instead, it seems like it spends half the day empty. With all the airlocking fun of the last two seasons, I'd think there'd at least be a roving patrol.

I actually had a problem with that in this episode, and others prior to it as well. After New Caprica, the Galactica was packed full of people. They lost more ships when they lost Cat. People were crammed in there for one episode with the crazed doctor. Now the hallways are almost deserted, and the hanger bay is completely deserted. I realize the civilians can't get access to the hanger, but I find it hard to believe Galactica is short handed. They probably can draft some of the civies aboard to work on things, which means there really shouldn't be a completely empty hanger.

I guess the writers felt Tori wasn't enough of a heel yet, but her actions came off as out of character and really forced. First there was the sudden 180 spin that she made for Baltar, and then she started hitting on Tyrol. This coming from someone who had, until that point, been the nice kind lady shadowing the president and making everything nice and cosy.

This is news? Honestly, that's one of the biggest complaints I have about nBSG. With the exception of Helo (not counting Cylons) I can't think of anyone who hasn't strayed from their character to become someone completely different, or to go against the very essence of who they've displayed themselves to be at some point. I'm all for 3 dimensional characters, but it often times feels as if the characters are just mouthpieces of the week, where the writers have a specific criteria of conflict they want to portray, and so they change a person's character such that they aren't even recognizable. Next week they may even be back to normal. It's goddamn annoying.

I'll admit, from the start of the show I haven't much liked Helo. He just never stood out as a character. Now, though, he's really starting to stand out. He's the only person with moral fortitude who hasn't compromised on his morality. His choices and actions actually seem halfway logical, compared to some of the magic turn-arounds we've seen from other characters. At this point, Helo's the only sympathetic character left. (Note: I still like Adama, but even he has his mood swings.)

[RogueIce]

I suppose there would be a question of how Cally managed to space herself with the key in the control room. I wonder if anybody on the Galactica will pick up on that. I don't think Tori would be able to put the key back in and get out the hatch before it closed? Unless there's a manual override she can claim to have used to close it down and get in there or something.

[Gil Hamilton]

I suppose there would be a question of how Cally managed to space herself with the key in the control room. I wonder if anybody on the Galactica will pick up on that. I don't think Tori would be able to put the key back in and get out the hatch before it closed? Unless there's a manual override she can claim to have used to close it down and get in there or something.

Actually, I'm pretty sure they not only will but will have a strong notion how it went down. At least Tyrol will. I think the end of that episode was Tyrol coming clean to Adama, at least about his own Cylonitude. Cally found out, clearly, and someone whacked her to keep her quiet. It couldn't have been Tyrol himself, because he was knocked out on the floor after getting the BioShock treatment. Therefore, there must be another Cylon.

Of course, Tori probably won't be revealed, since it the next episode she's exposed, they can't do the Final Five thing because President Airlock will sort her out, but Tyrol IS going to know and is going to be pissed. It has to be one of the others in the group and Anders is on the Garabagescow Demetrius. That leaves Tigh or Tori. Interestingly, given Tyrol's previous experience with Tigh, he might well point the finger at Tigh.

[DPDarkPrimus]

Oh yeah right, Gil.

The end of the episode was Adama delivering the bad news to Tyrol. "Sorry buddy your wife got spaced."

I will eat my shirt if it was Tyrol outing himself.

[Gil Hamilton]

Oh yeah right, Gil.

The end of the episode was Adama delivering the bad news to Tyrol. "Sorry buddy your wife got spaced."

I will eat my shirt if it was Tyrol outing himself.

Yes, that was probably in the discussion too, but I think Tyrol is going to tell him part of the reason why. So get some honey mustard for your shirt.

[RogueIce]

Actually, I'm pretty sure they not only will but will have a strong notion how it went down. At least Tyrol will. I think the end of that episode was Tyrol coming clean to Adama, at least about his own Cylonitude. Cally found out, clearly, and someone whacked her to keep her quiet. It couldn't have been Tyrol himself, because he was knocked out on the floor after getting the BioShock treatment. Therefore, there must be another Cylon.

Of course, Tori probably won't be revealed, since it the next episode she's exposed, they can't do the Final Five thing because President Airlock will sort her out, but Tyrol IS going to know and is going to be pissed. It has to be one of the others in the group and Anders is on the Garabagescow Demetrius. That leaves Tigh or Tori. Interestingly, given Tyrol's previous experience with Tigh, he might well point the finger at Tigh.

I'm not sure how you feel about the next episode previews, but it seems to me with Tyrol's words ("crazy shrieker" or whatever), he's covering for Cally being suicidal.

He may come clean, but I doubt it.

[tim31]

None of the Five will be killed this early in the season. Not until Everyone Knows.

[Coyote]

Can you imagine how fun it must be to be packed into that ship. Tight, smelly quarters with a wack job leading the way and going off all the time. I thought they did a pretty good job of selling how annoyed some of the people were getting in the brief time they showed the Dimitrious. It also showed another reason Helo is there because even in the best of times Starbuck is a dubious commanding officer she's going to need someone rock steady like Helo backing her up.

Previously, on Garbage Scow Dimitrious

Sounds like a homage to the old sci-fi comedy, Quark.

Short-lived 1978 TV show. From 1978, that would make it the same year as the original Battlestar Galactica.

[NecronLord]

Y'know, they need to get a safeguard installed on those launch tubes to stop people getting shot out of them. It seems to happen rather a lot.

[The Spartan]

Y'know, they need to get a safeguard installed on those launch tubes to stop people getting shot out of them. It seems to happen rather a lot.

I thought that's what the key was supposed to be.

[Anguirus]

^ Yeah, even Cally, who was shouting orders in "Crossroads" and generally appeared to be a higher-up mechanic, had to steal the key off Tyrol. Now we know the real reason why Tyrol was asked to join the Circle, eh?

[Gandalf]

3.5/5.

The Cylon thing was pretty interesting. Dean Stockwell really kicks arse as the old guy.

I'm curious to know how they found out about Cally's death. Did Dualla "happen to be in the area", and see her get sucked out?

Dualla?

Sorry. Tori.

I'm horrible with names and faces. It took me about two seasons to be able to tell the male pilots apart. Lee/Helo/Anders all sort of ran together.

[Gil Hamilton]

I'm not sure how you feel about the next episode previews, but it seems to me with Tyrol's words ("crazy shrieker" or whatever), he's covering for Cally being suicidal.

He may come clean, but I doubt it.

Except it can't be a suicide. There is no way she could have spaced herself from inside the airlock if it was activated from the outside. Any investigation will show that.

I'd think Adama must have asked him why, exactly, Cally tried to beat Tyrol's brains in with a wrench and went running for the airlock, clearly with their child (who would now be missing, so Cally must have taken him). I don't know if Tyrol is going to lie about that, since at the point they are now, trying to cover up for them being a Cylon now is only going to get them blown out an airlock later.

Telling Adama now that he didn't know and that he was triggered recently but that something is different with him is probably the only thing that will save his life in the long run. It makes all the sense in the world to tell him, since Adama is probably the only person who COULD save his life if that got out.

[tim31]

Depends how Adama's mood is swinging, whether he's in sympathy mode or hardarse mode. I would actually prefer to see what you've put on the table, largely because I'm worried that Cally's death will be largely forgotten by the next episode.

I take it you don't expect Tyrol to out the others at the same time though?

[Tsyroc]

Sounds like a homage to the old sci-fi comedy, Quark.

Short-lived 1978 TV show. From 1978, that would make it the same year as the original Battlestar Galactica.

Really?

I can remember Quark being on before BSG because I lived one place when it was on and had moved twice by the time BSG was on TV.

I thought Quark started somewhere between Space 1999 and BSG.

IMD has Quark as 1977. I only vaguely remember the show being on tv and that my dad thought it was funny.

[Coyote]

Sounds like a homage to the old sci-fi comedy, Quark.

Short-lived 1978 TV show. From 1978, that would make it the same year as the original Battlestar Galactica.

Really?

I can remember Quark being on before BSG because I lived one place when it was on and had moved twice by the time BSG was on TV.

I thought Quark started somewhere between Space 1999 and BSG.

IMD has Quark as 1977. I only vaguely remember the show being on tv and that my dad thought it was funny.

It was hilarious, I thought. I was thinking that Moore, going back and looking at oBSG, may have also remembered Quark from the same time, and threw the garbage-scow ship out there as a sort of inside joke.

I could just be over-interpreting, though.

[Tsyroc]

It was hilarious, I thought. I was thinking that Moore, going back and looking at oBSG, may have also remembered Quark from the same time, and threw the garbage-scow ship out there as a sort of inside joke.

I could just be over-interpreting, though.

I don't know. Considering this episode also had the 1701D weapons locker I think you might be right about the Quark nod.

Now if they make it to Earth and the moon has been blasted out of orbit because of all the nuclear waste that had been stored on it....

[CaptJodan]

He may come clean, but I doubt it.

Except it can't be a suicide. There is no way she could have spaced herself from inside the airlock if it was activated from the outside. Any investigation will show that.[/quote]

The light was still green when she woke up. Now, I don't remember whether Tori put the key in on the outside on screen, but I thought she did, in which case the key on the inside lock already unlocked the system for her to blow herself out.

At least that's what I took it as.

Actually, I'm pretty sure they not only will but will have a strong notion how it went down. At least Tyrol will. I think the end of that episode was Tyrol coming clean to Adama, at least about his own Cylonitude.

Yeah, you know, I realize that the show has been doing a hell of a lot of stuff in the background without giving the audience any hint about it until it is almost over (Cally drugging herself and going nuts, for example) but I doubt they're going to leave a big reveal like that off screen. There's no way that Tyrol told Adama what he was. Beyond the fact that that is terrible storytelling, Adama would have no reason NOT to throw him in the brig.

[Gil Hamilton]

The light was still green when she woke up. Now, I don't remember whether Tori put the key in on the outside on screen, but I thought she did, in which case the key on the inside lock already unlocked the system for her to blow herself out.

At least that's what I took it as.

Yes, but the key wasn't in it. If she had blown herself out the airlock with the filched key, then it would still be in the keyhole when she shot herself into space. Its absence is telling, even if they don't maintain a log recording what activated what.

Yeah, you know, I realize that the show has been doing a hell of a lot of stuff in the background without giving the audience any hint about it until it is almost over (Cally drugging herself and going nuts, for example) but I doubt they're going to leave a big reveal like that off screen. There's no way that Tyrol told Adama what he was. Beyond the fact that that is terrible storytelling, Adama would have no reason NOT to throw him in the brig.

I suppose I can't argue with that, but it doesn't make much sense for Tyrol not to tell Adama what happened.

[Thanas]

So everybody is up in arms about Cally, but noone noticed how Roslin is trying to play little dictator once again?

As for Cally, she should have died a long time ago, e.g. in the execution on New Caprica. Would have made for better TV and since then, she has not done much to advance the plot.

[Gil Hamilton]

So everybody is up in arms about Cally, but noone noticed how Roslin is trying to play little dictator once again?

As for Cally, she should have died a long time ago, e.g. in the execution on New Caprica. Would have made for better TV and since then, she has not done much to advance the plot.

Yeah, I saw that too. I guess they sort of have to in order to give Apollo a plot.