"A Measure of Salvation"
Airdate: Friday, November 10th, 2006

You know, sometimes when I'm writing about this show, I feel like my gush-o-meter goes to 11. I try really hard not to get too foamy at the mouth, but sometimes it just happens. And since this season thus far kicks every kind of ass imaginable, I don't see it letting up too soon.

I mean, this episode where to even begin? I would like to submit it as a nearly ideal hour of Galactica -- it's got the massive moral quandaries, the very personal, character-driven moments, the bits of nail-biting intrigue, and Baltar at his craziest. Yeah, about Baltar -- he doesn't get away with forgetting to mention that beacon thing for even two seconds. Six and Lucy Lawless Cylon totally know what's up and proceed to torture him for intel. Can I just say that I love the scene where they confront him? Most shows would score this particular bit with pounding, tension-filled chords, but Galactica gives us that distinctively Cylon-esque mood music -- kind of a minor-key piano plinking? It's perfect.

Anyway, whilst being tortured, Baltar goes to his sexy Six happy place and they do it on a beach. And he spouts off a bunch of stuff about religion and faith. And then he gets all teary and gazes up at Lucy Lawless Cylon and tells her he loves her. The whole thing is insane, people! Also, completely awesome and intriguing. And I think ol' Baltar may have saved his own ass yet again.

Meanwhile, Sharon, Helo and others investigate that mysterious basestar and discover the infected Cylons. Thanks to Doc Cottle, who always knows the answer to everything, we learn that humans are immune from the virus. And somehow,giving birth to Hera makes Sharon Athena immune, too. Which is great, because I think I would have been seriously devastated if Athena had died right after being awarded her own callsign.

After talking to one of the sickly Cylons, the Galactica crew learns that Baltar is now working with the enemy and also that offing the prisoners near a resurrection ship will kill the entire race for good. NotFat Apollo is all over this. Helo, not so much. Helo, by the way, continues to make that Romulan haircut look really, really good. Just saying.

Roslin decides to go ahead with the plan, but before they reach the resurrection ship, Helo kills the prisoners. Now here's another reason why this episode is so awesome. I have always had fairly pleasant feelings about Helo. You know, like when he shows up, I go "Yay, Helo!" and don't think about it much further.

But he has so much amazing stuff to play in this particular hour and it's as if the character just...I don't know, three-dimensionalized before my eyes. It could be that he was all complex before and I was too blind to see it. But after this eppy, after all of the beautiful moments between him and Sharon -- like when she explains to him her choice and struggle to be human, oh my God -- I'm completely fascinated by and drawn to the character. So now, when I see Helo, it will go beyond "Yay, Helo!" to "Yay, Helo now I shall sit back and watch and think."

All this, plus some really great moments between Roslin and Adama, in which they refer to each other as "Laura" and "Bill." You know how I love that. This season frakking rocks.

On a random note, my DVR description for the episode says that "Starbuck is dispatched to interrogate the dying Cylons onboard the infected baseship." But that's not what happened at all, right? What gives? Is the writer of DVR episode descriptions just a really big Starbuck fan?

iTunes Links

Battlestar Galactica - Series
Battlestar Galactica - Season 3
"A Measure of Salvation"