The Patriot Resource: Battlestar Galactica Season 4.5 Episodes: Blood on the Scales (#414)

Season 4.5 Episode Summaries:
Episode Name: Blood on the Scales
Episode Number: 414
Written by: Michael Angeli
Directed by: Wayne Rose
Original Air Date: 2/6/09 on SciFi Channel

Analysis:

In addition to Gage and Narcho who appeared in the previous episode, one more seldom seen recurring character returns in this episode. Captain Kelly, who had last been seen taking up residence in the brig thanks to some bombings, leads the fire team that captures Adama and Tigh. He then is present on Colonial One when Zarek orders the execution of the Quorum. His encounter with Tyrol seemed to turn him. He ends up joining Lee, Tigh and Athena's rescue of Adama. He's first into CIC along with Lee right behind Adama. He leads Gaeta away. Apparently, he was never fully supportive of the reasons for the mutiny, but rather was grateful for being released.
Vereem, who joined Gage in beating up Helo and Tyrol, also was part of the mutiny.
Also, Lampkin is brought back. As the fleet's foremost lawyer, Zarek coerces Lampkin into taking part in Adama's show trial. Lampkin ends up showing some support for Adama by encouraging him to play along with the trial as a delaying tactic. Lampkin also shows a selfless side by choosing to help Kara with Anders.
Zarek makes his true intentions quite clear when he orders the execution of the Quorum after their rejection of him. When he made that decision, there was absolutely no going back. Either he secured power or he would be as good as dead.
Zarek's execution brings to an end the reoccurring roles of the Quorum.
In addition, Zarek continues to lie in his quest for power. He tells Adama that Tigh is dead when Tigh had actually escaped. He tells Roslin that both Adama and Tigh are dead when neither is. He is desperate to hold power and willing to try anything to retain it.
Though Roslin's arguments to the Cylons had some truth to them, she was close to irrational concerning Adama's fate. Baltar, Tory, the Sixes and Eights seemed to recognize this and thus weren't completely convinced. However, a Leoben helped her contact the fleet and when some in the fleet showed support, the Cylons then appeared to be willing to defer to Roslin.
Baltar appears to have had another epiphany and this one might be genuine since he actually turned down sex.
Since Baltar felt responsible for the well-being of his followers, this might be the beginning of Baltar stepping up and fulfilling Inner Six's prophecy that Baltar is the "guardian of God's children."
When Gaeta talks to Baltar, we glimpse the more idealistic and innocent Gaeta from the miniseries and the first season. That was a Gaeta that was clamoring to impress Baltar. It was a nice closing scene and brought Gaeta (and Baltar to some degree) full circle. Facing his own death, Gaeta finally seemed sure of himself.
The episode picked up at the exact moment the previous episode ended. Most of the episode covered less than five hours based on the first scene being timestamped with 1041 HRS and Adama's return to the CIC as 1532 HRS. Roslin and Adama's reunion, Gaeta and Baltar's conversation and Gaeta and Zarek's execution take place at unknown times after 1532 HRS, but presumably within a few hours.
The mutiny lasts 9 hours starting at 0632 HRS when Gaeta gets Zarek out of the brig and ending with Adama retaking command of CIC at 1532 HRS.
Anders appears to be gravely wounded and in danger of either dying or possibly being paralyzed..
Tyrol has noticed a severe crack in the bulkhead in Galactica's engine room.
Zarek and Gaeta are presumably dead at the hands of the firing squad though we haven't actually seen their bodies. .
The promos seemed to indicate that the two major deaths would be Adama and Tigh, rather than Gaeta and Zarek.
As a result of this mutiny, both the civilian government and military structure are weakened. The Vice Presidency and the Quorum are vacant, while the mutiny on the Galactica involved officers in both command and combat positions. The irony is that because of the mutiny, Roslin and Adama's control over the fleet might have increased.

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