BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: Scattered

By: Jason Davis
Review Date: Monday, July 18, 2005

As he able proved in the freshman season of CARNIVALE, Ronald D. Moore is a master of the intricate set-up that later lets stories tell themselves with seeming ease and elegance. "Scattered" is emblematic of this technique as Colonel Saul Tigh is left in command of the fleet in the wake of Boomer's assassination attempt on the old man. Throughout the first season, Tigh's difficulties have been made abundantly clear and the weight of his personal and professional unsuitability add a dramatic weight to this episode that would easily be absent in another series.

This episode is really a showcase for Michael Hogan's not inconsiderable talents. After reluctantly assuming command of Galactica and locking Apollo in the brig, Tigh executes an emergency faster than light jump only to discover that he's misplaced the entire fleet including the much needed medical attention that will keep Adama alive, and the burden of command from his shoulders. Throughout the episode, flashbacks to Adama and Tigh when they first met offer inklings of their history along with some wonderfully seventies vintage aesthetics in their respective appearances. Though brief, the glimpses into the past fill in much of the history between the two men creating a cogent picture of how they came to be commanding and executive officer of the titular warship.

In keeping with Tigh's storyline, the other plots running throughout the hour touch on the theme of filling a position that's uncomfortable, or beyond one's capacities. On Kobol, Chief Tyrol finds himself commanding the beleaguered landing party after the CO is brutally gunned down in what must be one of the more violent shootings ever seen on basic cable. Likewise, the medic treating Adama must play doctor in the absence of qualified medical assistance--her declaration that "From now on, I'm sticking to pills and enemas," no doubt stands as a statement for her two subtextual brothers as well. Lastly, and most philosophically complicated, are the plights of Helo and Baltar. Two men now find themselves in unimaginable straits as the fathers of Human-Cylon hybrids to be. Perhaps the ultimate in finding one's self in a unexpected and undesired position, these guys have got an interesting journey ahead of them and their disparate personalities will likely make for fascinating television as they come to their undoubtedly different conclusions about their impending roles.


With the second season having begun with a boom, courtesy of well-named Boomer, there are a lot of philosophical and narrative notions to re-immerse the audience in. Perhaps this year will bring illumination upon the nature of the Boomers--was there ever a real Sharon Valleri, or has she always been a Cylon living among humans? If the Cylons regard the humans as their gods, what responsibility does that place upon mankind? How does the birth of a human-Cylon hybrid affect that dynamic? Will it lead to a religion as such mingling of creator and creation often do? Only time, and continued ratings success, will tell.