Battlestar Galactica has always dealt with questions of identity. One of the main ideas the show presents us with is how frightening it would be to wake up one day and realize that your entire life is a lie. Or, if that’s not a creepy enough notion, what if you discovered that your best friend or significant other wasn’t who you thought they were? It’s these questions that our characters must grapple with on a daily basis, and it makes for some of the best drama on television.
After watching Battlestar Galactica‘s fourth season premiere, “He That Believeth in Me,” I was struck by how lost some of the characters have become. There are at least six people on-board the Galactica who have no clue how they ended up in their current situations. Let’s take a look at this confused bunch and attempt to theorize where their journeys will take them next.
Chief Tyrol
Tyrol (Aaron Douglas) seems to be dealing with his toaster-positive status by throwing himself into his work. If he just goes about his business and doesn’t think about it too much, maybe it’ll all go away. However, fans who remember his freak out in “Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 1,” know that it won’t be quite so easy for him. The Chief is going to have a tough time adjusting, even if the weight of the truth hasn’t hit him yet.
The biggest question I have is what this means for Tyrol’s son, Nicholas. Hera was thought to be special due to being the first Cylon/human hybrid, but what about little Nicky? He could also have some sort of monumental destiny that we’re not aware of.
Colonel Tigh
We’ve already seen at least one of Tigh’s nightmares play out when he dreamed about shooting Adama (Edward James Olmos) in the head. He later insinuated that, should any of them end up like Boomer (Grace Park), they should take themselves out. My guess is that, because of the situation with Ellen and his long-held hatred of the Cylons, he’ll have the most trouble adjusting.
Speaking of Ellen, I expect there to be a scene in the near future where Tigh (Michael Hogan) struggles with the murder of his wife. Now that he’s discovered he’s a toaster, Ellen will be back on his mind more than ever.
Tory Foster
We really haven’t seen enough of Tory to decide how she’ll handle being a Cylon. However, the fact that she’s in a position of power so close to the President is worrisome. Much like Tigh, she often stands right next to one of the most important people humanity has left, which makes her extremely dangerous.
Sam Anders
One of the most interesting moments in Friday night’s episode was when the Cylon raider scanned Anders’ eye, then promptly turned around and fled the scene. My theory is that these four Cylons are some of the oldest models around. They’re the veterans, and now that they’ve been “activated,” the raiders know just how important they are.
Sam attempted to deal with his Cylon-i-tude by turning to Starbuck, but she has absolutely no sympathy for the toasters. Who’s more screwed up? The guy who just found out he’s a robot, or the woman who miraculously came back from the dead?
Starbuck
Kara Thrace (Katee Sackhoff) may be the most lost character of all. Despite the fact that Lee (Jamie Bamber) saw her ship explode, she insists that she went to Earth, took pictures, then magically made it back within six hours. The Galactica crew can prove this isn’t the case, whereas Starbuck has no proof of her journey aside from a few photos.
I have a feeling that this season will center heavily around Kara. We need to understand her journey, how she returned from the “dead,” and what that “harbinger of doom” prophecy in Razor was all about. Is she a Cylon? I highly doubt it, but as Number Six pointed out, the final Cylon is likely somewhere aboard the Galactica.
Gaius Baltar
How strange is it that Baltar finally has people bowing down and worshiping him, and yet he wants no part of it? It seems that he wants to be accepted by the fleet like he was in the olden days, but that’s unlikely to happen again. Baltar (James Callis) finally got what he always wanted, but now it’s no longer something he desires.
In case the messianic overtones didn’t spell it out for you, it’s obvious that Baltar has a huge journey ahead of him. Will he become a latter-day Jesus, spreading word of the One True God amongst the polytheistic fleet? Will he go from being a strong political figure to a strong religious figure? And will we ever figure out what the Six in his head really is? Is she a vision? An implant? A byproduct of a crazed mind?
One of the most interesting aspects of this season is that none of these characters know where they’ll end up. All of them are lost, confused, and obsessively searching through their pasts to figure out where they’ll end up in the future. We’ll just have to tune in again on Friday to see if any of them figure out the next step to take.
– Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
(Image courtesy of the Sci Fi Channel)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
