Amongst the unforgettable and pivotal scenes in this incredible capper of a storyline, comes the quietest and the saddest in Gaeta‘s reconciliatory final smoke and drink with Gaius Baltar. A reminder, perhaps, of the inherent goodness in Felix Gaeta. In a way, he is the perfect microcosm of so many who lost their livelihoods after the attack on the Cylons. Dreams left behind in the radioactive mushroom cloud. Trapped into a war you never asked for, suffering life-changing injuries in a way that’s so random and meaningless, and having to deal with changing alliances and purpose without rhyme or reason. Just follow the commander and have faith in his judgment.
It just became too much for Gaeta’s gentle soul.
Make no mistake, though, amongst the yelling, explosions, and blood spilt ultimately this is an episode that celebrates gentility and humanity. For a lot of death and darkness there was also a lot of humor as a saving grace.
So many times humor saved Colonial bacon. Intentionally with Lee frakking with the guards (and Kara) by throwing a dud, naturally when Tyrol spoke his mind and got a laugh and a shake of a bemused head as a sharing of the absurdity, sarcastically when Tigh told Anders that he’d better kiss his leg goodbye and maybe made Anders not focus on himself and his predicament, even Zarek told a joke and on some level appreciated the circumstance. Sumbitch asked for it. What more can you say?
Nothing. So you smile and face the music.
Then there were the moments that went against everything you’re supposed to do when you try to stage a coup. It’s simple, really. Take out the leaders, power vacuum, people will look to someone to fill the void, and you fill the void. All you have to do is take a life. Two of them. That’s all you have to do.
So what if you don’t? Not an option. You do or we lose.
They didn’t and from the moment Hotdog couldn’t pull the trigger that pesky humanity crept up. Gaeta needed a trial for Adama and neither he or Lampkin were having it. Yet Gaeta went with it because, well, it’s human.
Unfortunately, that’s not how you win bloody revolutions and Zarek understands that. Demonstrating just how far he’ll go when he executes the Quorum. Humanity here is a luxury he can’t afford.
Just to make sure we don’t have the good guys looking lickety-split goody-goody here, we learn they’re quite capable of cruelty Starbuck’s little bathroom incident reminded me why I always use a stall. But then it is Starbuck so…might be fun. Giggity-giggity. Sorry. Reflex thing.
And even Tigh tries to persuade Adama to shoot the traitor, just like Starbuck told he and Adama to do in the last episode. But as Tyrol demonstrated sometimes you have to make a moral stand as well as a military one. You have to remind yourself why what you believe is right and why you’re better than them.
Because unlike the traitors, you are not a barbaric, unthinking animal. You can make choices. And what separates the animal from the human is preservation and respect for life. So Adama grants mercy and ties the soldier up.
But even then within the rebellion choices are made. Kelly comes to the conclusion that he’s supporting a losing cause so he joins up with Adama even if his right hand guy is a Cylon. Thanks to his experience with Tyrol, it’s no longer a black-and-white issue.
Even those who show pretty unlikable human traits can rise to the occasion. Thus we get one of Baltar’s few-and-far-between selfless acts. Thinking nothing of himself, except perhaps self-loathing for his cowardice, he goes back to Galactica to be back with his flock. He may disdain them, but he feels responsible for them nevertheless. Progress.
Meanwhile, Zarek and Gaeta try to wade through the flood of bloody feces their shit storm has rapidly become.. And riding that wave is a very righteously angry admiral with the stirring battle cry of his dying beloved inspiring him. Inspiring them all. The walls are caving in, literally and figuratively, on board Galactica. For good and ill.
At some point in battle thought out plans and strategies devolve into desperation. And while at one end of the desperate spectrum Tyrol acts heroically, Zarek panics. Then gentle Gaeta who Adama accused of not having any real stones displays them, saving at least part of his tarnished soul by calling off the impending slaughter of more of them.
Then two opposing viewpoints uneasily merge. Adama grants not the slaughter of Gaeta and Zarek but the execution. There’s a bittersweet difference. Gaeta is granted a final meal and drink. And perhaps absolution by Baltar as he sits in communion with his old sometime friend and ally.
And then the final mercy, though it must at first not seem like it. But granted Adama could have thrown them out of the airlock where the depressurization would have been cruel. A gunshot is a small mercy. And who knows? Maybe Baltar’s absolution stuck because Gaeta’s leg doesn’t hurt anymore, another mercy granted. Then the guns fire and it’s finished.
Since I sat on this so long, I made a prediction that the next one would be a flop. I figured law of averages would catch up with Battlestar. But like the old war horse that defies the odds as Laura so eloquently stated, gnashing her eye teeth, this run of Galactica’s has not floundered. The last show I remember that had a really impressive final run was the Sopranos…and then came that final episode. I have trepidations about that, but I can honestly say that Battlestar’s odds have steadily improved with each week, the newest one included. Things look good for a helluva finish.
Tallgent
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