Battlestar Galactica - S04E13 - The Oath
154 Posted on Jan 30, 2009 in articles by Conor Kilpatrick |
Tonight's episode - The Oath
I'm really excited about where Battlestar is headed, in this, its final batch of episodes. I really like that it is veering off in unexpected directions and that after so many years of building up Earth, they yanked the rug right out from under us. That was fantastic.
The story now - of the building mutiny within the fleet over the acceptance of the rogue cylons into the community - is such an unexpected yet completely organic story shift that I'm almost giddy with excitement. I'm really intrested to see what happens to a society that has staked its entire existence on one thing - the hope of a new world - only to find that one thing was not the miracel ehty were all hoping it would be. And now that the cylon threat has been, for the most part, neutralized what will they do now? Turn on each other it would seem.
And Gaeta is such a fantastic villain! It's been built up for so long, it's a great extension of his character arc.
Speculations, theories, reactions, live blogs, you know the drill.
Comments
I think if you check out the webisodes they do help flesh out Gaeta's turn to the dark side here.
Even without those though I think its reasonable. The Cylons did murder billions of people. Then, after claiming they wanted to leave humanity alone they pop up and conquer New Caprica. It should be hard for some people to simply forgive and forget all of that and move on with the Cylons as friends and allies.
Posted by Devastron on 01/30/09 at 08:51 PMNot to mention he was almost executed by his friends/crewmates.
Posted by conor on 01/30/09 at 09:03 PMI am so frakken excited for this!
Posted by greendart32 on 01/30/09 at 09:13 PMmy prediction for this evening - serious ass-kickery...and Gaeta will eventually be on the receiving end
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 09:13 PMThanks for posting this, I almost forgot it came on tonight. TV on fridays always throws me way off.
Posted by Jarrett on 01/30/09 at 09:33 PMIt would be cool if Starbuck shot Gaeta in the face.
Posted by ultimatehoratio on 01/30/09 at 09:42 PMI'm just not in the mood tonight. It's been a snowy, rainy, crappy week and I don't need to finish it with doom and gloom, BSG style. I'll catch it on Hulu later. Enjoy, folks.
And check out tonight's Letterman for the long-censored Bill Hicks routine. Funny, funny man. Remember, Bill once had drinks with Rev. Jesse Custer, so there's a comics connection too!
See yins next week.
Posted by RobAbsten on 01/30/09 at 09:53 PM
here we go
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:00 PMprecious look of shock on Tigh's face
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:02 PM"Is this some kind of extended frakkin booty call, Admiral?"
Posted by PaulMontgomery on 01/30/09 at 10:03 PMI almost want an eyepatch
Posted by jforeman on 01/30/09 at 10:03 PM
That's got to be the most unsubtle signal ever.
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:03 PMI am so looking forward to Adama and Tight taking up arms and doing some serious ass kickery
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:04 PMIs that Sonia?
Posted by PaulMontgomery on 01/30/09 at 10:06 PMWas that an acting troupe on the Flight Deck? OH! Pegasus guy!
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:06 PMoh, the new Chief of the Deck is screwed
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:06 PMthats it...Zareck needs a bullet in the brain
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:07 PMGaeta needs to get shot in his other frakkin leg
Posted by jforeman on 01/30/09 at 10:07 PM
Man, I love Richard Hatch on this show. He's really got the bad guy thing down pat. Shame he couldn't do to Dirk Benedict what he did to the Deck Chief. (Knock of sense into it, that is.)
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:08 PMI'm calling it now, Roslin is gonna come riding to the rescue at the very end. Of course that probably isn't a big leap.
Posted by Devastron on 01/30/09 at 10:08 PMI'm rather looking forward to Push...looks like a fun super hero (non-comic) movie)
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:09 PMI was just sitting here wondering if I was nuts for thinking Push looked good. There's no buzz on this movie.
Posted by ultimatehoratio on 01/30/09 at 10:10 PMWhoa Gus from Psyche and Wash from Firefly? Epic commercial.
Posted by Jarrett on 01/30/09 at 10:10 PMYou got "Push?" I got the stupid "T-Mobile Butt Dialer" commercial and the Direct TV commerical with the guy from Psych and Alan Tyduk (Firefly).
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:10 PMThis is sweet.
Posted by GungaDin on 01/30/09 at 10:11 PM@Jarrett...I was thiking of how the mighty have fallen....Wash is now in a DirectTV commercial
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:11 PMWow, they really are giving Tigh some brilliant dialogue this episode.
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:13 PMDrrrrrrradus
Posted by Jarrett on 01/30/09 at 10:13 PMuh oh
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:14 PMIsn't is weird that Tricia Helfer has been pushed WAY into the background?
Posted by ultimatehoratio on 01/30/09 at 10:15 PMdude...she is suckering you in
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:15 PMholy crap!
Posted by piscespaul on 01/30/09 at 10:15 PMI sometimes regret how much I loved Samuel T. Anders in his early appearances.
I take it back! Stop Hurting Sam!!!!
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:15 PMsure are a lot of Marines in on this
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:16 PMI would give good money if someone would cut Hotdog's hair
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:17 PMI refuse to believe Gaeta was this influential.
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:18 PMHow is it we intimately know dozens of pilots, deck crew and officers, but (despite the fact that there seem to be 1000s of them) we know zero marines by name?
Posted by Jarrett on 01/30/09 at 10:18 PMIntroducing cannon fodder.
Posted by ultimatehoratio on 01/30/09 at 10:18 PMoh shit....starbuck just armed up....someone is gonna pay
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:18 PMDamn they have a good plan to take over. This is going to be ugly.
Posted by Devastron on 01/30/09 at 10:20 PMwas Gaeta always in charge of Comm? Or did he take Dee's position after she shot herself?
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:21 PMI want Lee to fuck some shit up.
Posted by SixGun on 01/30/09 at 10:21 PMOkay, this wouldn't be happening if Helo was in the Commander Center.
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:21 PMoh this is a good one!
Posted by piscespaul on 01/30/09 at 10:21 PMSTARBUCK!
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:21 PMclapping ...yeah Starbuck!
Posted by piscespaul on 01/30/09 at 10:21 PMOkay, Starbuck's cool rating just went up really high.
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:22 PMoh crap
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:22 PMI thought that guy that hit Lee was bludgened to deat by one of Baltar's girls way back in 4.0?
Posted by mcbaker on 01/30/09 at 10:22 PMHell yeah Starbuck!
Posted by ultimatehoratio on 01/30/09 at 10:22 PMoh crap....taking Athena from Helo....someone is gonna get it
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:23 PMOuch... those rifle butts felt/looked pretty real. Helo's gonna kill that guy.
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:23 PMLee needs to borrow one of Starbuck's balls and do something for once.
Posted by ultimatehoratio on 01/30/09 at 10:24 PM@ultimatehoratio Amen, Brother.
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:24 PMThat's a wake up call!
Posted by mcbaker on 01/30/09 at 10:26 PMviolence makes Starbuck fiesty apparently
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:27 PMThis is so much awesome. Building building... And this is going to get really, really dark.
Posted by GungaDin on 01/30/09 at 10:27 PMThis is brutal
Posted by SixGun on 01/30/09 at 10:28 PMThose Pegasus folk are really into rape it seems.
Posted by Jarrett on 01/30/09 at 10:28 PMIs anyone else expecting the tipping point of this episode to be Cavil shows up and blows up a good portion of the fleet?
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:28 PM@Jarrett...that dude is definitely gonna get what is coming to him
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:29 PMPrivate Red Shirt Down!!
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:29 PMGaeta = Gollum
Posted by piscespaul on 01/30/09 at 10:30 PMoh shit....Adama's got his angry face on
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:30 PMF'n Felix.
Posted by PaulMontgomery on 01/30/09 at 10:30 PMBest show since the premier last January
Posted by SixGun on 01/30/09 at 10:30 PMGaeta is so going to get what's coming to him
Posted by jforeman on 01/30/09 at 10:30 PMAdama's teeth are so clenched! They are inside each other.
Posted by Jarrett on 01/30/09 at 10:31 PM"you'll die with nothing" Frakkin right
Posted by jforeman on 01/30/09 at 10:31 PMSeriously? We couldn't come up with names for these people? I keep thinking Gaeta is asking for the character from He-Man! (Whose name is Man at Arms, but you know what I mean)
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:31 PMWatch Hoshii become a badass...
Posted by mcbaker on 01/30/09 at 10:32 PMI think Adam is gonna kill Gaeta with his bare hands.
Posted by Devastron on 01/30/09 at 10:32 PMI'm about to poop my pants.
Posted by ultimatehoratio on 01/30/09 at 10:32 PMAdama has such a... yes.... That's *the* line.
Posted by GungaDin on 01/30/09 at 10:32 PMChuck in 3D!!!
Posted by jforeman on 01/30/09 at 10:33 PM
@SixGun Yeah, they really lit a fire under the season's ass.
@psyguy411 I fully expect this to be the re-imagined episode of when Starbuck and Co. mimicked Magnificent 7 on the classic series.
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:34 PMNothing like a mutiny to get Roslin back in the game eh?
Posted by SamMacBastard on 01/30/09 at 10:36 PMFelix is like parents getting divorced or falling off your bike and skinning your knee.
F'n Felix.
Posted by PaulMontgomery on 01/30/09 at 10:36 PMI wanna see Starbuck shoot some more idiots
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:36 PMApparently it makes a major mutiny for Roslin to break out the wig and makeup.
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:36 PMThat prop contest is the first and probably only thing that will ever get me excited about 'signed paperwork'
Posted by Jarrett on 01/30/09 at 10:37 PM@PraxJarvin I couldn't tell you how amazing that would be!
Posted by mcbaker on 01/30/09 at 10:37 PMFrakkin Zarek
Posted by jforeman on 01/30/09 at 10:37 PMLee - "I'm takin' my tie off, now I mean business"
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:37 PMwaaah? Tyrol is hanging out with Baltar?
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:38 PMMan Baltar has quite the harem
Posted by jforeman on 01/30/09 at 10:38 PMFunny Baltar is back! ... kind of
Posted by SixGun on 01/30/09 at 10:39 PMI wanna see Tyrol working out some of his rage issues on the mutineers
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:39 PMOl 'Tyrol back...nice!
Posted by piscespaul on 01/30/09 at 10:40 PMTyrol's nobility is just making Gaeta look like that much more of a leech.
Posted by Jarrett on 01/30/09 at 10:40 PM@PraxJarvin you got some marine's names
Posted by jforeman on 01/30/09 at 10:40 PMIt's on like Donkey Kong!
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:40 PMAce Adama.What a guy.
Posted by SamMacBastard on 01/30/09 at 10:40 PMOH YEAH! the old man still has a lot of fight in him
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:41 PMthat was....AWESOME/!
Posted by piscespaul on 01/30/09 at 10:41 PMI thin Tigh took the Master Chief dual weilding stance.
Posted by mcbaker on 01/30/09 at 10:41 PMI love it when the old men kick ass
Posted by SixGun on 01/30/09 at 10:41 PMman Baltar needs to keep his ladies in line
Posted by jforeman on 01/30/09 at 10:42 PMI'm digging the "Baltar has had enough of his followers sycophancy" angle of this episode. Also, it's nice to see the old Baltar back.
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:42 PMsuck it Zarack
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:44 PMLaura Roslin: Spoken Word artist.
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:45 PMSpecialist Rapist does not have teh communications array skills.
Posted by SamMacBastard on 01/30/09 at 10:45 PM"Sir, I'm an idiot who can't even work a playschool plastic phone"
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:45 PMStarbuck doesn't take frakkin' prisoners!
Posted by mcbaker on 01/30/09 at 10:46 PMYeah Starbuck, kill'em all, let the gods sort them out
Posted by jforeman on 01/30/09 at 10:47 PMThat was a jarring cut to commercial.
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:47 PMshit...Starbuck is kinda batshit crazy
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:47 PMStarbuck's turning me on right now.
Posted by ultimatehoratio on 01/30/09 at 10:47 PMYeah, crazy, violent Starbuck is pretty hot
Posted by jforeman on 01/30/09 at 10:48 PMIs this going to be a two parter, or are is the resolution of this ep gonna be shoved into 10 minutes?
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:49 PMThose long guns are real. http://www.targetsports.co.uk/images/berettacx4co2.jpg
Aside from the pistol used in the mini and the first season, every gun on the show is real, they're motif is just European weapons.
Posted by SixGun on 01/30/09 at 10:50 PMWYVERN looks AWESOME! It's the astronaut guy from Northern Exposure!
Posted by PaulMontgomery on 01/30/09 at 10:50 PMSigh, I guess we gotta wait another week to watch Gaeta die.
Wyvern and Gaeta are equally evil.
Posted by ultimatehoratio on 01/30/09 at 10:51 PMOhhh... Baltar Burn!
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:51 PMGaeta is just Cy-curious.
Posted by SamMacBastard on 01/30/09 at 10:51 PMapollo has turned into a bit a whiny ninny
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:52 PM@Paul admittedly the graphics for their Sci-Fi movies are improving.
Posted by mcbaker on 01/30/09 at 10:52 PMI had all kinds of plans for tomorrow night, but now that I've seen the commercial for Wyvern I'm staying home
Posted by jforeman on 01/30/09 at 10:52 PMooooh "our little secret"
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:53 PMlet the world know
Posted by jforeman on 01/30/09 at 10:53 PMGaeta is Cycho. He's also suicCYdal.
Groan.
Posted by ultimatehoratio on 01/30/09 at 10:54 PMsmoochy smoochy
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:54 PMSeeing Adama and Roslins inevitably doomed romance does not make me weepy. Honest.
Posted by SamMacBastard on 01/30/09 at 10:54 PMawkward
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:54 PMThere's never a bad time for 'tang.
Posted by ultimatehoratio on 01/30/09 at 10:55 PMin other words Adama's ready to kick-ass and take names( so he doesn't forgive said names)!
Posted by mcbaker on 01/30/09 at 10:56 PMseriously, why did they hae to stay? the raptor was away long before the marines cut through
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:56 PMDo I need to make the 'Shove it up your ass.' joke or does some else want to?
Posted by SamMacBastard on 01/30/09 at 10:58 PMWHAT THE FRAK!?!?
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 10:58 PMDaaaaaaaaaaaamn.
Posted by PaulMontgomery on 01/30/09 at 10:58 PMFantastic
Posted by SixGun on 01/30/09 at 10:58 PMwow, is it next friday yet
Posted by jforeman on 01/30/09 at 10:59 PMsweet jesus..."I'm coming for all of you" Thats wrath of god kinda talk
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 10:59 PMis there going to be anyone alive at the end of the series?
Posted by jforeman on 01/30/09 at 11:00 PMto paraphrase "Well...stuff happened" man o mano
Posted by piscespaul on 01/30/09 at 11:00 PMSpeaking of Tudyk, N Fillion has a new series coming out.
I am totally hot for Wyvern.
Posted by ultimatehoratio on 01/30/09 at 11:01 PMThat was so good.
Posted by GungaDin on 01/30/09 at 11:01 PMman, that was awesome...see everyone next week
Posted by CaptainPrimate on 01/30/09 at 11:02 PMI think we should liveblog Wyvern. I'll talk to the brass.
Posted by PaulMontgomery on 01/30/09 at 11:02 PM@PaulMontgomery I may just have to do it...
Great episode. Finally there's a sense of finality to these last few episodes. I was a bit sad that Helo was taken out so easily. Hopefully he can get in on the kick assery next episode. Specialist Rapist has it coming.
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 11:05 PMThe ice storm here in the South has cut me off from my booty call so I'll probably be spending my evening with Wyvern.
Posted by ultimatehoratio on 01/30/09 at 11:06 PM@Paul it would be the blog version of MST3K
Posted by piscespaul on 01/30/09 at 11:07 PM@PraxJarvin Hopefully his comeuppance involves a bolt to the brain. You know just for symmetry.
Posted by SamMacBastard on 01/30/09 at 11:13 PMWow, I really love what this show has evolved into. They're really building on all of the history that they've set up over the last however-many episodes and using that to play into this confrontation. They've done a great job of positioning just about every character who's been important to the show at some point, so this should build to a great climax next week.
Does anybody think Racetrack is going to have a key role? She sided with the coup but she has a history as a pilot with Starbuck and Apollo, and there were several shots of her looking conflicted.
Posted by ohcaroline on 01/31/09 at 12:59 PMShe didn't look conflicted to me, all I'm hoping for is that she meets with an exectution post haste.
Posted by eocine on 01/31/09 at 04:25 PMI want to see Specialist Gage cut up into pieces and have each piece airlocked in front of his eyes so he can watch himself shrivel up in empty space before he finally bleeds out. I've pretty much wanted that every time he's ever been on screen since the rape-is-fun discussion in "Pegasus."
Also, Zarek deserves an unceremonious death to take him off his high horse one last time. Killing Laird was just over the line, the sort of true colors moment that reminds you what an epic bastard he really is.
Posted by bansidhewail on 01/31/09 at 04:36 PMDoes anyone else sympathize with Gaeta? I know he's wrong to go to such extreme measures, but in his eyes he's doing the right thing, and given his history I just can't hate him as a villain. I'm just dreading his inevitable death scene, and hope it isn't too dark and disturbing. Seems like that's how the show is going out, though, and I'm not sure I like it. One thing that is great, though, is that there's no clear sense of who's good and who's evil. The entire show is very gray, which is how the real world is.
Posted by Paradiddle on 01/31/09 at 05:17 PM@Paradiddle I think that Gaeta and Zarek believe they're doing the right thing to save humanity, yeah. I don't agree with what they're doing but I think the show's written even-handedly enough that I understand it. Roslin and Adama have done a lot of things I didn't agree with, too.
Posted by ohcaroline on 01/31/09 at 10:27 PMA bit late on this, but my god that was a great episode. Best in a long, long time.
Posted by josh on 01/31/09 at 11:51 PMThat was just amazing! Everytime I think I've seen Battlestar's best episode in a while they up the ante again. The bittersweet thing here, and yet it's something that's become a blessing, is that with so few episodes left to tie everything up they're really pulling the story together.
I can't remember the last full-on action episode of Battlestar (it may have been Exodus), but when they do one... boy, they show everyone how it should be done :)
Posted by Eyun on 02/01/09 at 06:03 PMThat was awesome. So awesome I almost want to skip NYCC next week to stay home to see Roslyn shout.
Posted by conor on 02/02/09 at 04:04 AMI just now got around to watching this (I'm at work). And yeah...that was definitely the best episode in a long while. I am kinda glad I watched it Monday so now there are only 4 days left till the next one!
Posted by MaddieDaddy on 02/02/09 at 03:28 PMI just got to see this episode & ... WOW. How does this show continue to ramp upwards in awesomeness??? I can't believe how consistantly good this is, what an episode. Starbuck coming in & saving Lee was the highlight for me, that was so good.
Posted by WadeWilson on 02/03/09 at 06:28 AM


I kind of feel like Gaeta is channeling Anakin Skywalker, here. "Boohoo, I lost a extremity, I'm taking it out on those Robot-lovers and then I aline with the only the holdover actor from the previous installments of this concept and he'll replace my physical and mental anguish with emotional pain!"
Hey, that analogy worked really well!
Posted by PraxJarvin on 01/30/09 at 08:49 PM