So Baltar (James Callis) is back in the fleet. He doesn’t plan on facing anything, so he attempts to take his own life, with help from Six (Tricia Helfer) – he dreams (?) of resurrecting on a Cylon ship – is he a Cylon? – but Gaeta (Alessandro Juliani) saves him as one of the dream Sixes tells him he’s only human.
Taking a Break From All Your Worries was written by Michael Taylor, and it debuted on 28 January, 2007. It’s directed by Edward James Olmos.
Baltar finds himself dealing and verbally fencing with Adama (Olmos) and Roslin (Mary McDonnell). He’s convinced they plan to kill him after he reveals what he knows about the Cylons. They even plan to use a drug on him to learn everything he knows. The interrogation is unnerving as Adama attempts to get answers. They learn about the existence of the Final Five, but no one has their identity yet.
Apollo (Jamie Bamber) is struggling to keep his marriage to Dualla (Kandyse McClure) alive while trying to reconcile his feelings for Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff). So he spends some time drowning his sorrows in the newly established bar on Galactica with Tyrol (Aaron Douglas) whose own relationship seems to be in trouble.
Starbuck and Anders (Michael Trucco) are also struggling as she begins to wonder about destiny. Anders brings it up; Leoben (Callum Keith Rennie) brought it up, her mother… But Anders is more interested right now in whether or not she loves Apollo.
Can the pair find a way to be together or are they doomed to a self-destructive nature?
This episode is going to set up where we head for the rest of the season: a trial for Baltar.
Olmos directs the episode ably, and all of the character bits are exemplary. We’ve seen these characters go through so much, and they are all broken, just like us.
The Woman King was written by Michael Angeli and first aired on 11 February, 2007.
Much like Black Market in season two, The Woman King is a bit of a standalone, and like Black Market, it’s not as strong as the episodes around it. This one is about medical ethics.
Helo (Tahmoh Penikett) is overseeing refugee processing and quartering when a group of Sagitarrons are brought aboard; their beliefs conflict with the need for vaccines and medical attention.
Dr. Robert (Bruce Davison) is working with the refugees, and it seems curious that a number of them begin to die after receiving an injection they don’t believe will work, and is against their beliefs.
The woman King referred to in the title is Mrs. King played by Gabrielle Rose. She comes to Helo to say that her son was killed, not from the illness, but because she let Dr. Robert tend to him. Is she right?
There’s also a lot of racism towards the Sagitarrons because they refuse to accept medicine and vaccines. There’s an examination of racism, ethics and consent. There’s some really good themes in this episode, and it’s very well-executed, but it didn’t connect as well with the audience because it didn’t move the season forward.
But it’s a great exploration of themes, and it discusses them well, and invites discussion after the episode concludes. Something the best science fiction has always done.
The overall season arc is pushed forward by Roslin and Zarek (Richard Hatch) as they discuss what will happen with Baltar, and the trial that will decide his fate. And Athena (Grace Park) reminds us that we have a Six prisoner who is having Baltar projections.
