Battlestar Galactica: Rapture (2)

January 23rd, 2007

Season 3, Episode 12

After far too long, the second half of a mid season cliff hanger Rapture wrapped up The Eye Of Jupiter – a mythical something that’s supposed to point the way towards Earth. The episode also served to clear up the thick clouds of dramatic tension that makes Galactica such tense, delicious fun.

I don’t really know how this episode could have resolved all my questions and satisfied all my hopes, so despite being entertained the whole way through, some aspects didn’t feel quite right.

When we last left Galactica, Adama was about to fire nuclear weapons onto the algae planet, even with Apollo, Starbuck and several other humans still trying to sort things out down there.

Meanwhile, Athena and Helo decide to rescue their half-Cylon baby Hera, captive aboard a nearby Cylon base star. Athena has Helo kill her, so she can be downloaded and resurrected on the Cylon ship. Once aboard the basestar, Athena is brought to see her sick daughter for the first time in ages. Athena says she needs to return to Galactica and have the baby examined by a human doctor. Number 6 feels the child is worth saving and agrees to help Athena take Hera back to Galactica, betraying her Cylon brethren.

Down on the algae planet, Chief and Callie try to figure out the meaning of the temple presumably containing the Eye of Jupiter. Number Three and Baltar have landed and are on a cliff looking down at the temple. Both feel some sort of prophetic reason for why they are there.

Starbuck is still alive in her crashed ship, and of course it’s Dualla who comes to her aid – she gets to demonstrate her cool, no-frills attitude and be the better person by putting their differences aside for a higher cause of survival. Starbuck, despite her pain and injuries, has to fly the downed ship out of the valley. I’m starting to wonder what Apollo sees in Starbuck.

Eventually, the star goes nova, and everyone realizes that it’s the Eye of Jupiter (I think you could have seen that coming). All the ships jump away, but with a few characters changing places: Sharon is back on Galactica with Hera, but so is Baltar and the traitorous model of Number 6.

Anyhow, to sum up my thoughts regarding this episode, I don’t completely follow the backstabbing of the Cylons, who seem to be helping the humans much more than they’re receiving help in return. Since this is the first time the Cylons and humans were in such close quarters, I rather wonder why nobody went nuts and started tearing the other side to pieces with bare hands.

Plus, after all the build up, there were only two surprises: Starbuck might be a Cylon. Two, Number Three (Lucy Lawless) is having her model discontinued – it seems she won’t be on the show anymore. Most frustratingly, Batlar is back on Galactica, who also might be a Cylon. I’m starting to think I’d take anybody being a Cylon, so long as we get a definitive answer one way or the other.

Another minor gripe: I wish a different model of Cylon ended on Galactica. We already had two Number 8s and several Number 6s aboard. Plus, now there are no humans on the Cylon base star, meaning less glimpses into the strange workings of the toasters.

Still, it was a pretty decent, above average episode in my book. I’m looking forward to more.

Next Episode: Taking A Break From All Your Worries
Previous Episode: The Eye of Jupiter (1)

TV Shows: Battlestar Galactica

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