Well, is he or isn't he??

Apparently, he's not... didn't I tell you that?

Taking a break from all your worries, 13th aired episode this season, was directed by Edward James Olmos (aka, Admiral William Adama). Edward Olmos ("Eddie") has a far darker, surrealistic vision than I had expected and was quite the dab hand at setting up scenes. Funny thing is, according to Ron Moore's last podcast, this was supposed be a comedy (as initially conceived). I can see a little bit of that, in the bar scenes where Galen and Lee retreat to get drunk and discuss their dysfunctional marriages. But for the rest of it, I would hardly call it a comedy. At least not "funny ha-ha" comedy.

Okay, I'll say this now.. I'm getting sick of who's sleeping with whom on this show. I really could care less if Anders is boinking Starbuck or Apollo is boinking Starbuck. Moore, Eick and company need to revisit those themes that made this show great-- humanity in flight, a merciless enemy bent on our extermination, and lots of whiz-bang. There's been a dearth of whiz-bang since the two part Exodus show at the beginning of the season, and I'm starting to miss it. I understand that the underlying sexual tensions between flight officers is titillating for some people but really, it moves the plot along not a whit and gets horribly repetitive. So I was zoning out a bit on the Lee/Starbuck/Anders/Dualla love quadrangle. They argued a lot, snarled at each other and had some soulful, whistful conversations about their relationships. Kind of like last week, and the week before.

Far more interesting was the almost-suicide of Baltar, foiled by his one-time stooge Gaeta. In Baltar's minds' eye, he hangs himself, and is awakened in a chamber with three number sixes (none of which are Caprica Six, presumably in a brig somewhere). Fantastic performances were given by Mary McDonnell (Laura Rossyln) and Michael Hogan (Colonel Tigh, putting in his outstanding performance). They play bad-cop/bad-cop on Baltar, giving everyone (including the viewing audience) the distinct impression that Baltar will very shortly be breathing vacummn. Hogan (as I have said many times) is at his best when playing the bitter, twisted Sol Tigh in just this sort of situation.. loaded with hate. McDonnell was a real suprise. I thought she was serious.

The attempt to use a hallucigenic drug on Baltar in a ploy to get him to reveal Cylon secrets goes somewhat awry; he reveals nothing of value and babbles on incoherently much like he did under Cylon torture (if he can't forward project, like the Cylons do, then what the heck IS going on in that man's head, eh?). Olmos is great here, bringing Baltar down from his "bad trip".

There's a nice twisty, oogy ending with Gaeta that is worth watching twice for the way Callas (Baltar) and Juliani (Gaeta) play off of each other. As usual, James Callas as the ever-madder Baltar steals the show.

Not the best episode, but far from the worst. Definitely NOT the comedy they were looking for.