Written by Bradley Thompson & David Weddle
Directed by Michael Rymer
“Remember…run away from the sound of gunfire.”
“What about you?”
“Umm…I’ll be running towards the sound of gunfire.”
Once more Battlestar Galactica trounced my expectations. Going into this episode, I figured I would see something in the age-old tradition of sci-fi adapting Die Hard for its own ends. Everyone from Stargate SG1 to Star Trek-The Next Generation has done it at some point in their broadcast life.
Leave it to Galactica to take the concept and turn it on its head.
We barely see the expected combat and destruction. All we get is the opening salvo…and then…nothing but sporadic sounds of gunfire somewhere in the distance…screaming…and the discovery of dead bodies and shell-shocked crewmen. It ends with a bloody amazing sequence of Apollo blasting a Cylon that’s taken a running leap at its target.
That’s where the Die Hard similarities end. The rest of the episode is glorious character moments of people REACTING to their situation.
On Galactica, it’s heart-pumping, near-death experiences…a terrified Dualla…an even more terrified Billy…President Roslin in charge, even under confinement…CIC in near chaos…and Apollo taking charge as only he can.
On Kobol, it’s Tyrol and Cally supporting each other, in the wake of last week’s massacre…and trying not to fall apart as they’re forced to euthanise the crewman for whom the disastrous medical mission was undertaken in the first place. Meanwhile, Crashdown is slowly, silently losing it…and Baltar is having nightmares about Commander Adama drowning his and Number Six’s child!
Finally, on Caprica, we have Starbuck and Helo putting their relationship back together…busting into her old apartment…and revealing a new and unexpected renaissance-woman side to Kara. The paintings, the classical music, the beat up old jacket, and the converted Hum-Vee…all I can say is…wow!
“Wow” pretty much sums up this episode: its unexpected twists, its manipulation of audience expectations, its gorgeous script, its taut direction. An absolutely perfect episode from a (so far) absolutely perfect series.
10
