Ladyghosts of TV Past: Battlestar Galactica: 4.03 “The Ties that Bind”

At some point, we are going to need to talk about this season’s opening credits, which tell us that the Cylons have a plan. As soon as there is evidence of said plan, that is. Previously on Battlestar Galactica, Tyrol, Tigh, Anders and Tory are Cylons, Lee’s giving up military life for politics, Kara’s been given a ship to go find Earth, D’Anna (hey girl!) was boxed for trying to find out about the final five Cylons, and Gina the Six removed whatever it was that prevented the centurions from independent thought, so the toaster Cylons killed everyone on that baseship that lobotomized the raiders (namely, Cavil, Doral, and Simon).

Brother Cavil resurrects, and we find out that the Cylon fleet is divided, based on the fight between Cavil and Gina. Also, Boomer kissed Cavil, so that’s a thing.

On Galactica, we’re in Tyrol and Cally’s quarters, and it seems Cally is not doing so well. She and Tyrol have been fighting, and Nicky’s crying and she’s not going to him. Well, she does after a minute, but the kid won’t stop that sort of screaming that evolution created to be as annoying as possible. Cally finds a napkin from Joe’s bar in Tyrol’s pocket. Meanwhile, Tyrol is indeed at Joe’s, drinking with Tory and talking about being a Cylon. Cally shows up with Nicky at the bar, and everything looks blurry and disjointed. Tory is going on about how she kind of likes being a Cylon – flirting with Tyrol? Cally gets to their table and promptly pukes, and then storms out. Is she taking too much of something, is she sick?

In sick bay,  Roslin’s getting a cancer treatment, and Adama shows up and reads to her from a crime novel – remember how they both love those?

On Capital One, Lee is giving a press conference – he’s now Caprica’s junior representative on the Quorum of Twelve. Roslin voices her support for Lee, Adama shuts down rumors about the Demetrius, and Roslin cuts the conference short. Roslin seems pissed about the Demetrius, and not supportive of Adama’s decision there.

Speaking of there, here’s the Demetrius! We see Kara behind a desk, consulting maps and papers and photos of space. Gaeta’s here too! Kara has made a decision. Before we find out what that is, let’s meet the new Demetrius gang! Seelix, Sam, Helo, Athena – lovely people all around. And some others whom I don’t recognize, because being good with faces is not a skill I have. We also learn that the crew is already frustrated with Kara, who is being even pricklier than usual. It also seems really hot and sweaty in there.

In Tyrol’s quarters, Galen is trying to convince Cally that he’s not having an affair. Things are not going well there either.

Cavil returns to the renegade baseship, and he seems angry, but that’s his default position. He wants to negotiate. The Sixes and Eights tell him that he has to stop lobotomizing the raiders, and unbox D’Anna. Cavil agrees to the first point, disputes the second, and leaves the ship. And oh, the centurions now need to be asked politely before they’ll do things.

Lee sits down at the empty Quorum table on Colonial One, and Zarek shows up – apparently Lee is permanently out of Roslin’s good graces. Zarek goes on about how increasingly dictatorial Roslin has become. He talks about Lee being the kind of man who can’t ignore the truth when it stares him in the face, and then hands him a classified file.

Cally asks Doc Cottle if she can sleep in the sick bay – Cottle’s supportive in a rough sort of fashion, but Cally’s frustrated and exhausted.

On the Demetrius, Sam goes to see Kara, who is painting a mural of her vision of Earth (WHERE DID YOU GET PAINT?!). Kara’s mean to him, and Sam calls her out, saying that their marriage and their matching tattoos are what’s real, not the visions in her head. She replies that she only married him because he was safe, and tries to kick him out, and her shoves turn to embraces, real quick. All of a sudden, Kara wants to frak, and Sam obliges. Wrapped in her dropcloth post-coital, Kara wonders if they really were married, and how things feel different now – her body feels alien to her, and the whole “where the hell did you GO for two months, Starbuck” thing comes back into play.

The Cavils visit the rebellious Eights and the Sixes, and it seems that the Cylons have voted to unbox the D’Annas, to try and restore unity among the fleets.

On Colonial One, the Quorum is meeting (have they been meeting this whole time and we’ve just not cared? Aight). One of the members questions the Demetrius, and Roslin again refuses to talk about the ship. Disagreements break out, and Lee gets up. He defends the Roslin/Adama secrecy in relation to the Demetrius, and Roslin shuts him down – she doesn’t want his help. Someone starts going on about something else, and Lee breaks out the classified info Zarek gave him. It seems that Roslin authorized tribunals, answerable only to her. Roslin gets all political, backpedaling, saying that the tribunals are a plan in progress and once the details had been worked out, the Quorum would have been informed. Basically, Lee created a shitstorm for the President.

In Cylon world, the Six and Eight baseship is getting fired upon by other baseships – and there’s no resurrection ship in range. Cavil says that Boomer should remember that they started it. Also, machines have no souls.

Cally’s doing worse – looking at some pills, remembering moments of tenderness between her and Tyrol, and she grabs a full pill bottle and leaves Nicky alone in the room. She finds a piece of paper just outside her door – a time and a meeting place, and remembers Tory’s hand on Tyrol. She watches Tigh, Tory and Tyrol enter a room, and then sneaks precariously into an air vent (or maintenance shaft, whatever). Tigh says that he left the note, Tyrol freaks out, because he never got it. Tigh says the last thing Cally needs to find out is that there are a bunch of Cylons on the ship, including her husband. Cally’s world kind of explodes inside her head and she runs away, barely making it out before the door opens. Tory sees the entrance into the vent, and assumedly puts two and two together. In their quarters, Cally lies to Tyrol, saying she’s fine, and remembers the good times in their life together. Tyrol sounds far away in Cally’s head, as he promises that he’s not having an affair. He goes so far as to say they should have another baby, and Cally picks up a wrench and brains him, knocking him out. She takes Nicky and leaves. Girl does not look good. (Also, watching them haul around giant-looking babies is a good reminder of how tiny so many actresses are.) She heads to an airlock, looks out at the stars. CALLY GET THE HELL OUT OF THIS AIRLOCK YOU ARE NOT IN THE RIGHT FRAME OF MIND TO MAKE ANY DECISIONS RIGHT NOW.

Per usual, no one listens to me, and instead Cally takes out a key and starts to close the airlock. And then Tory shows up! Cally locks them both in the airlock. Tory tries to explain that Tyrol didn’t know, that they’re the same people, they’re not evil, etc. Cally says that this is a nightmare and sinks to her knees. Tory says everything’s going to be okay, offers to hold Nicky, and as soon as she gets him, cold cocks Cally. When she comes to, Tory has Nicky in the control booth, and she presses the release button – Cally is sent out into open space. The last shot is of Adama sitting with Tyrol.

Oh Cally. You joined the military because you wanted to pay for dental school. So it goes.

Thanks to monchichi for the screencaps!