Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica

Episode Report Card
Strega: A- | 876 USERS: B-
YOU GRADE IT
Murder By Number

The Prez has collapsed at her desk. Billy tries to awaken her while we hear Baltar saying, "Hello?" on the phone. Billy flicks on the intercom and tells someone, "Get Cottle over here now -- the President has collapsed."

Baltar raps his phone against the wall and repeats, "Hello?" Hee. He's got such terrible luck.

Commercials. In Wild Things 2, the best line so far is, "They love their volleyball here in Blue Bay." They actually waste time on exposition to set up the T&A shots!

Oh, crap, it's another press conference. The reporters are advancing on Billy like zombies looking for a meal. Although it's lucky they aren't, because this is Billy we're talking about. Now I'm sad, just imagining the starving zombies. Aw. Billy tries to explain that the Prez is being treated for what they think is stomach flu. He dives behind a protective curtain while the reporters go on yammering. Dear Ron Moore: Pick one reporter, and make her a recurring character. Give her a dozen co-workers, fine. Some of them can even be rivals. Let that be your window on the civilians. You can do interesting things with that. But this thing with the press conferences just makes me feel embarrassed for the whole show. All my conditional love, Strega.

Cottle eyes a medicine bottle and asks the Prez how many pills she took. She's sitting up in bed, looking grumpy, and finally admits to taking two. And then, after Cottle gives her a "pull the other one" look, she admits, "Three." Cottle tells her she's lucky she's not in a coma. Billy enters and tells the Prez, "The story's all over the fleet -- I am so sorry." Apparently, the reporters all caught the radio transmission asking for Cottle. The Prez says it's okay, and figures she needs to hold a press appearance before the end of the day to reassure everyone that she's all right. Cottle says, "I could give you a shot, but you wouldn't like the side effects." The Prez doesn't even ask what they are, and tells him to do it. While Cottle prepares the shot, he says that eventually she won't be able to hide her illness. The Prez smiles tightly and starts to roll up her sleeve. Cottle says, "It's not that kind of a shot." The Prez raises her eyes to look at Cottle, and I crack up at her expression.

Adama's quarters. Adama hands Godfrey a drink, and wheezily notes, "Baltar's correct. About the convenience of it all." He asks how she just happens to have this evidence against Baltar. Godfrey says that Amarak told her that the Olympic Carrier had been infiltrated by the Cylons, so he gave her some stuff for safekeeping. Adama does not ask, "When exactly did this happen? Because this is when we were going FTL every thirty-three minutes, right? When did you have time to pop over for a chat with him?" I like the episode a lot, but for me that's the most glaring problem with anyone buying Godfrey's story for more than five minutes. Adama asks why Amarak trusted her. Godfrey holds a tragic pause before saying, "We were friends." And then she bursts into dignified tears and says that she was in love with Amarak. This is such a Sam Spade scene. They should have gone nuts and filmed the episode in black & white. Like they'd do on Magnum sometimes! And he'd go back in time or whatever, and there'd be a little "What a crazy dream -- or was it?" tag! Sorry, I got a little overexcited. Adama stays stoic as Godfrey sobs against his shoulder about how lonely she is. She asks if Adama ever feels alone, and Adama looks at her. She kisses the corner of his mouth softly. I start to complain to Scooter, "What the hell? Adama's not this stupid."

Battlestar Galactica

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