Episode Name: The Woman King Episode Number: 313 Written by: Michael Angeli Directed by: Michael Rymer Original Air Date: 2/11/07 on SciFi Channel Review Posted: 2/17/07
Helo is carrying out his duties down with the refugees. He and Mrs. King share a meaningful look when Athena appears. She asks about Hera and it turns out that no one bothered to tell Helo that Hera was sick and had been taken to Dr. Robert. Helo hasn't let go of his suspicions and is alarmed. Once at the clinic, all must have been well because Athena holds Hera as Dr. Robert gives her a shot. Helo looks anxious and Robert tries to put him at ease.
After Athena and Hera leave, Dr. Robert gives him Willie King's bracelet and figures that Mrs. King wants it back. The gesture mellows Helo a bit. He takes it to Mrs. King, who is nearly incredulous that Robert gave it back. After Helo asks, Mrs. King says that she took Willie to Robert in spite of the warnings because she couldn't believe what she had heard. He wants to know more, but it's clear that Mrs. King is done talking.
Back in his quarters, Helo hasn't let it go. Athena is concerned about him and tells him that it's okay for him to loathe his job. Apparently, what Tigh had to say has gotten inside Helo's head because he echoes the statement to Athena. Athena still tries to reassure him, but instead he turns her words around to imply that she was belittling him. He then starts to leave and claims he doesn't know where he's going.
As long as this kind of scene between Athena and Helo doesn't get played out over and over the way the Lee/Dee/Kara/Anders stuff has been repeated again and again, it's great to glimpse this moment. Helo and Athena carry on like any other couple. Though their relationship has basically been portrayed as indestructible and transcends everything that comes at them, it's nice to see that it has cracks in it like everyone else's. Even as they show that they have to deal with issues of prejudice that no one else deals with.
Helo has apparently decided to do some investigating of his own. He turns up at sick bay and once he knows no one is around, he starts going through the medical records from New Caprica, which must be where the Sagittarons had their problems with Dr. Robert. Cottle finally catches him and goes off on Helo. Helo attempts to stand his ground and points out the extremely high mortality rate of only the Sagittarons in Dr. Robert's care. Cottle still isn't listening. Helo then begs Cottle to do an autopsy on Willie King and if he finds nothing, Helo will drop it. Cottle claims that he alreadydid and found nothing. True to his word, Helo goes silent and leaves.
Dee turns up at Dr. Robert's clinic and wants the medicine since she isn't well. Mrs. King witnesses the exchange. In their quarters, Helo and Athena are woken up by frantic knocking at the door. It turns out to Mrs. King who has managed to make her way far from the hangar deck to warn Helo that Dee is now in Dr. Robert's care and that two more Sagittarons have died under Dr. Robert's care. Just then, the MPs arrive, haul her off and apologize.
Helo starts to get dressed as Athena points out that Dee has a husband. Lee is conveniently off on CAP (with Kara?). Athena says that Dee will be fine and that the whole ship is talking about how Helo is listening to the Sagittarons. Guess this means that Athena is not an outsider since news on the grapevine about her husband has reached her. He counters that looking after them is his job. Athena echoes everyone else's argument that they are dying because they refuse to take the medicine. Helo then goes on the attack. He says that as long as the Sagittarons are around, no one is talking about her being a Cylon. That ticks her off and says that she has to prove herself day in and day out no matter what. He counters that this whole problem has nothing to do with her and that he's not just "the guy married to a Cylon." He tells her that he believes that Robert is a liar and a murderer. He then leaves, and heads down to the hangar bay to find Dee lying a in a bed in Robert's clinic.
This scene between Helo and Athena was along the same lines as the previous argument scene. Although, this one got strange since the characters say things to each other without prompting. At the same time, that made it more like a real argument since the arguing parties rarely stay logical, but rather turn defensive or go on the attack with whatever they can think of. Either it was brilliant writing or hackneyed to get in what they wanted. Helo's line about being known as the guy married to the Cylon sounds like a response to fans who feel that is all his character has been.
