Headliners of the final season of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA(2008).
© Sci-Fi

Mania Grade: A+
Episode: Escape Velocity
Starring: Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackoff
Written By: Jane Espensen
Directed By: Edward James Olmos
Network: Sci-Fi

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BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: Escape Velocity

This episode was surely not as action packed as the previous couple of installments, but it did get into a sociopolitical theme that the series always does perfectly. The episode opens and closes with two religious experiences – Cally’s funeral and Baltar’s first sermon, if you will – and features political wrangling stuck in the middle. Some of the most fantastic episodes of last season mirrored our current global situation and our experiences in the Middle East in particular. Escape Velocity journeys back into that territory with President Roslin attempting to deal with Baltar and his followers, choosing to oppress rather than negotiate and understand. 

Roslin’s intentions are good. She knows better than anyone how dangerous Baltar is when he is in a position of power but if he hasn’t broken any laws, she can’t just prosecute him even in the name of protecting him. It’s a tough call for Roslin with complex repercussions no matter what her decisions. Lee’s character is interesting too. His focus is on the rights of Baltar and his followers but not so much on the big picture of what the fact that Baltar has followers could mean. This is true at least until the final moments of the episode when Lee witnesses Baltar’s sermon and the follows clustered around like Oprah fans waiting for free cars. Just like in our own world, the answers aren’t simple ones and if the series is to remain credible those answers probably won’t come by the time the series is over.

Colonel Tigh and Chief Tyrol are going through a bit of an identity crisis in this episode. Tyrol’s situation is the most dramatic with him going through some realizations about his past that may destroy him. He had originally wanted to be with Boomer. That of course didn’t happen for more reasons than just the fact that she ended up being a Cylon- but that didn’t help. Now that Tyrol has learned he himself is a Cylon, he believes more than ever that he and Boomer were really meant to be and he was just forced into accepting a life with Cally. Of course, most of his ravings in the bar were from sadness and guilt. He believes Tigh and Tory had something to do with Cally’s death and hopefully he’ll avenge her at some point. Tigh is still carrying guilt about his wife and now he’s trying to understand who or what he is. His investigation is unique to say the least. The scenes between he and Six are the best of the episode.