Written by Mark Verheiden
Directed by Michael Rymer
“The five lights of the apocalypse rising, struggling towards the light… sins revealed only to those who enter the temple… only to the chosen one… the chosen one… the chosen one…”
Six reasons to enjoy The Eye of Jupiter:
(1) Aaron Douglas as Tyrol. Always a fascinating character in his own right, here he gets some extra-special character development. The conflict between his religious parents and his rebellious, profane teenage self…his sixth sense in finding the Temple of Five…his serene calm, as he faces the contradictions of his past….it’s a joy to watch.
(2) Holy juicy love triangle, Batman! The Lee/Kara/Sam problem just gets bigger and bigger…and includes a jaw-dropping revelation that there have been OTHER indiscretions on the part of Starbuck. More than at any other time in the series, you want to give Kara a good smack in the face for her destructive, hypocritical and cavalier attitude to relationships, both overt and illicit. Kudos to Katee Sackhoff for the magnificent energy she brings to her role this week…and the revolting bile she manages to bring up in the viewer!
(3) Cylon-psycho-drama a-go-go. D’Anna finally jumps off the edge of her sanity…and thanks to a visit to the Base Ship’s hybrid, grabs Baltar’s hand and takes him with her! Where do we begin to spread the praise: Lucy Lawless’ unbelievable dreamy conviction, Baltar’s sudden realization that he may well BE the Cylon’s chosen one, Caprica-Six’s complete and utter shock at the turn of events…
(4) …and a special mention to the returning Dean Stockwell as Cavil. He may very well be the most deliciously evil bad guy in all of Battlestar Galactica. He’s oily, banal, creepy, and has an exquisite turn of phrase. His best moment comes when, during the attempt to make a deal with the Fleet’s command, he offers to throw in Baltar for free! Magnificent icing to an exceptionally powerful scene.
(5) Edward James Olmos, who continues to fill every inch of the television frame with his powerful presence. Notable are his scenes after the revelation that baby Hera is still alive: his silent disgust with Roslin’s actions for hiding her, and his stoic, if understanding, bearing under the Agathon’s agonized reaction to the news. The man defies all conventional praise.
(6) Finally, we have a wonderful mid-season cliffhanger. The Cylon’s shoot down Starbuck…Sam and Lee are about to come to blows over her situation…Tyrol is on the verge of some great revelation about the Temple of Five…Adama is ready to nuke the temple AND the continent…all under the watchful eye of a star ready to go supernova. How much more can you ask for?
The entire episode is probably worth only a 9…but in terms of finishing off the first half of a magnificent season with unbelievable style and energy, it easily deserves a 10.
