Battlestar Galactica: Season 1-06: Litmus : by ernestborg9

Once again, an immensely powerful character story, when survives a potentially damaging cliché in the tribunal: how many times have we seen this situation - the over-zealous prosecuting investigator / officer / lawyer who’s motives either go further than the need to get to the truth, or become so bound up with the letter of the law, he or she loses sight of the spirit of the law? As the episode reached the start of the inquiry, I was worried that we were about to take that same route and become lost in melodrama.

After all that we’ve seen so far, I should have had more faith. While Sergeant Hadrian did turn out to be something of the clichéd prosecutor, it’s not down to melodramatics or poor writing. Rather, it is very evident that Messrs Moore and Eick opted to tread this path quite deliberately into order to avoid playing all of their cards at once – as the context of the investigation into Boomer and Tyrol could so easily have done – and instead use the inquiry as window dressing, allowing the deeper truths to be revealed elsewhere and with greater effect - such as in Thrace down in sickbay being the only one to hit on what might be the actual intention of the attack.

Like “Act of Contrition”, it is the rich layering and interweaving of individual storylines within this segment, coupled with the developing complexities of the dynamics between the various players that lifts it from the realm of the potentially hum-drum to create some of the finest drama seen on television.

Nowhere else is the interweaving better demonstrated than in the way the two major thrusts of the story – the investigation on Galactica, and Helo’s situation on Caprica – are brought together as a seamless whole: a clever period of testing that reveals so much about the Cylons without actually telling us very much at all.

In the fleet – to us Tigh’s words – the cat is most certainly out of the bag. The people now know Cylons can perfectly imitate humans – but will this help or hinder the Colonials in their struggle to survive? Will it really make moving among the humans that much harder for the Cylons? The manipulation of paranoia is a powerful tool, and while the admission by Roslin may help increase levels of caution and alertness throughout the fleet, it leaves open the door for further, more subtle manipulations on the part of the Cylons.

When considering this, it is interesting to note how BSG really does embody the principal of cause and effect: just as in real life, every action and reaction; every decision and counter-decision, has a consequence. We’ve seen this played out beautifully in “Act…” and “You Can’t…” at the individual character level. Now, in “Litmus”, followed as it is by “Six Degrees…” we may well be seeing it played out in terms of the story arc as a whole. The human leaders have admitted there are humanoid Cylons, the Cylons respond by resuming their attempts to prevent Baltar creating his “Cylon detector” by mounting an open assault on his credibility, rather than “merely” trying to blow him up.

And what of the Cylons themselves? Clearly, those that remain in among the people of the fleet consider Baltar’s detector a threat – but what about their compatriots on Caprica? This is the first episode we’ve had that starts to give a real hint about their motives. In keeping with the overall theme of the episode (“Litmus” as in litmus paper), we learn that they are indeed putting Helo to the test – and that within the test, as watershed has been reached; one that will either see him pass to the “next level” - or finish up dead.

And while Helo is going through a test – it is also evident that Valerii herself is under scrutiny by her peers – or at least Six; the success of the experiment very clearly hinges on the extent to which she has affected Helo during their time on Caprica. What’s more – and assuming there is more to Doral’s comment than an oblique reference to the beating she later gets – it appears the “next level” could well be trying for her as well.

But – as to what, exactly, the experiment is about still remains unclear; although all the references to love, attraction, etc., still seems to lead back to the possible fixation Cylons may have with procreation…

We also learn that humanoid Cylons (I prefer that term to “bioCylon”, given we now know Raiders are in part organic) can be pretty vindictive towards one another: there is no mistaking the sadistic pleasure on Six’s face as she sets about beating seven bells out of Valerii. Was she simply jealous of another of her kind playing the role of the honey trap – or could her savagery be a found of “payback” for what happened to her “sister” when Valerii first “rescued” Helo? Either way, the scene again demonstrates the humanoid Cylons are not responding to some form of script or programming per se.

Returning to the Galactica herself, one of the joys of this episode is seeing Aaron Douglas flex his acting muscle. While all the characters – and the actors behind them – are uniformly strong in this episode (even the clichéd Sergeant Hadrian), it is Douglas who gets most of the centre spotlight – and Tyrol gets a good deal of very natural support from other characters (Cally, Socinus and their booze-making buddy) to round him out in the eyes of the viewer.

Throughout the episode, Douglas plays his character with the right mix of strength, stubbornness, confusion, concern, respect, parental care and deep affection. In many ways he demonstrates that, after Adama, he is perhaps the most respected member of the Galactica’s crew. While the scene with the bootleg still was clearly contrived to further establish Tyrol’s standing in the eyes of his crew, it is played so well it works. Indeed, coupled with his reaction after the fire in the hanger pod during the mini, the “still scene” very much reinforces what we already know about Tyrol, so much so that the flag (“this guy is cool, his people will back him when he’s in trouble”) is only quietly waved in the background.

During his interrogation, Douglas is even more subtle in his approach. Taking a leaf from Olmos’ book, he lets his facial expression do his talking for him, conveying the depth of Tyrol’s concern, resentment, suspicion (of both Hadrian and Valerii as Hadrian’s questions raise issues in his mind), anger and confusion.

But where Douglas shines the most is in his epilogue scene with Olmos. Here we have a further reverberation of another of Galactica’s motifs: you reap what you sow. Tyrol goes to Adama to plead the case for Socinus, convinced he can persuade Adama – a man with whom he has a long-standing bond – to release the young Specialist. Instead, he’s confronted with the brutal truth: while he may be liked and respected by his crew, Tyrol’s own example of constantly slipping off to rendezvous with Boomer has undermined discipline on his decks: his actions have encouraged those under his command to do very much as he does: slip away when the urge calls. So what if Socinus wasn’t off getting laid by a senior officer? His dereliction of duty resulted – as far as Adama is concerned - in the deaths of three men.

And this is where we see the other edge of the sword: Tyrol knows full well that Boomer used the same access way as Socinus; she may have been just as responsible for leaving the hatch comb open as the Specialist. But to admit as much to Adama would do as much harm as good: it may secure Socinus’ release - but it would bring the full weight of Adama’s suspicion down on Valerii, perhaps unfairly. And without further proof, it is evident this is not something Tyrol is willing to risk – for now. But the wheels are turning: as evidenced in his final question to Boomer.

Through Adama’s firm words, the depths of Tyrol’s own involvement in, and responsibility for, events aboard Galactica become clear to the Chief, and Aaron Douglas conveys this again through a masterful use of non-verbal communication that equals the pain and betrayal behind Adama’s glasses. Bravo!

Olmos also reinforces his stature as the central figure in this series. In closing down Hadrian’s inquisition, Adama again demonstrates his strength of character, that he can command words as effectively the men and women under his authority. It is his physical presence, coupled with the quiet voice of authority that brings the investigation to a close without the need for any overt show of command or position on his part.

The other player that deserves extra special mention in this episode is again James Callis. One cannot help but further admire him in his portrayal of Gaius Baltar – and full marks to the director of this segment for some beautiful use of the camera. Baltar may only be on-screen for around 5 minutes – but what a five minutes! Starting with his obvious attempt at flirting with Thrace, Callis’ performance as Baltar is stunning. From sexual cockiness through to concern, worry and then panic at the thought the Cylons were after him, Baltar runs his own gamut of emotions – and drawers the audience along with him. But what really marks out Baltar’s appearance on-screen is the marvellous use of the camera as Baltar converses with “Six”. As they move down a corridor on Galactica, we see them walking hand-in-hand, “Six” chiding and teasing him. As the camera tracks them, they momentarily pass from view as the camera pans. In a flawless cut, “Six” and Baltar, hand-in-hand pass for view, their conversation continuing unbroken – but only Callis comes back into frame, walking down the corridor, holding his hand out, as if Baltar is still holding “Six’s” hand – with Callis continuing a now one-sided conversation – to the confusion of those he passes in the corridor.

Equally effective is the manner in which “Six’s” assault on Baltar is shown: we see her pin him to the wall, warning him, Banner-eque, “You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry…”; we see them kiss – and then we get a shot of Baltar, backed up against a bulkhead, almost as if he’s trying to vanish into the metal, head cocked over at an angle – being watched by a security guard.

Not only are these two scenes a visual reinforcement of “Six’s” comment that she is “only in his head”, they also stand as a possible neat foreshadowing of what we might be seeing in “Six Degrees…”, when an incarnate Six arrives on Galactica, apparently to confront him with his “treachery”: how many people are going to remember Baltar’s odd public displays and lone conversations?

This brings us almost full circle, back to the propulsive force behind this episode: the bombing of the Galactica. If indeed Doral’s real target was Baltar, then the question must be asked as to how the Cylons knew he was working on a detector? While scuttlebutt about Baltar’s work seems to be bubbling through the Galactica, it’s hard to accept that the same scuttlebutt has spread throughout the fleet. That would tend to leave only one of two possibilities:

There is either another, yet to be revealed Cylon agent on the Galactica; or

Boomer – already revealed to be aware of Baltar’s work in “Act” – is in communication with other Cylons in the fleet, and alerted them to the “threat”, possibly without realising it
Perhaps we’ll learn more in “Six Degrees….”!

All-in-all another intense and well-written episode, with excellent performances from all the principals involved – and from Sergeant Hadrian herself.

Rating: another good 4 out of 5
 

What we learn in this episode:
 

-Some 24 hours have passed since the events of “You Can’t…”

-We now know there was at least one additional Doral in the fleet

-Underground activities are beginning to take place on Galactica – as shown by the creation of the still

-Baltar’s “Six” comes clean and reveals she is not in contact with the Cylons. Doesn’t mean that she is not a chip in his head – just that she’s not communication with them – and may not wish to contact them were she, in actual fact, turn out to be a chip

-Adama’s father was a civil liberties lawyer on Caprica

-Adama has a hobby: constructing large models of sailing vessels

-Baltar is now actively working on his Cylon detector. Does this mean he now has the nuke “Six” had him request? Given he was obtaining Roslin’s authorisation in “You Can’t…”, one would tend to say “yes”

-The Cylons definitely have no plans to let Helo leave Caprica – yet

-Civilians appear to routinely pass through the Galactica.

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