Another corker, despite what some down-in-the-mouths out in sci-fi review land might otherwise say, and the fact that there appears to be considerable confusion over the episode title.

To get that latter point out of the way first, I’m going to stick with “Secrets and Lies” as the episode’s title until something more definitive turns up. Why? Simply because a) it is more in keeping with the titles of episodes we’ve had to date; and b) “Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down” is too much of a play on a certain Pedro Almodovar film featuring a relatively unknown (at the time) Spanish actor called Antonio Banderas.

Anyway, as with “Flesh and Bone”, I was a little worried about this episode – but for vastly different reasons; several synopses floating around out there suggested this episode was something of a “paranoid farce”. Well, paranoia is nothing new in this particular Battlestar Galactica universe; it’s all part of the staple diet we’re being fed. But farce? Humour I’m only too willing to accept; BSG has already shown it can have some fine moments of beautifully-scripted and marvellously-underplayed humour that sets it head and shoulders above anything we might otherwise class as “light relief” in a drama series (with the possible exception of The West Wing) – witness the brilliant “loo” scene in “Six Degrees of Separation”. Farce, however, is something that would be ill-suited to this particular universe – at least at this point in time.

However, if there is one thing “Flesh and Bone” taught me, it is never under-estimate the ability of the BSG production crew to pull yet another rabbit out of the hat.

Where else is there an on-going drama series not even into double figures with aired episodes (I don’t count the mini as a part of the current run) that is so confident in both itself and the abilities of its cast, it not only brings together four separate main plots into believable tapestry, it uses humour as much as it does drama to bind the various elements of the story together into a near-seamless whole?

So what is Ellen Tigh? Human or Cylon? After recent events, my tick goes into the “Human” box (but then it always did). It would come close to stretching things to the limit to have her turn out to be a Cylon after the events of “Litmus”, “Six Degrees...” and “Flesh and Bone”. Her entire behaviour was very “un-Cylon” in many respects: her love of alcohol, her flirting with Apollo (which seemed to have more to do with his youth and vigour than anything else), etc. While she was clearly trying to drive a wedge between Adama and Tigh, her method seemed crass and heavy-handed compared to the more subtle approaches of the likes of Conoy or Six.

However, crass or not, her actions were in keeping with Adama’s description of Conoy: putting insidious ideas into people’s minds where they will fester. Then there is Adama’s comment at the dinner table – not actually followed-up – about no-one on the Rising Star having any recollection of ever having treated Ellen Tigh prior to a point just a week before her arrival on Galactica. Given she claims to have been unconscious since her dramatic rescue from Picon, one would think someone would remember treating her; given the Galactica’s own medical staff are apparently helping with the sick and injured in the fleet, then surely some record of her would have been recorded a lot earlier than her recovery – even if he details were simply recorded as a “Jane Doe” while she was unconscious. But no, apparently there’s no record of her at all.

It’s also interesting that, just as Tigh takes the final steps in putting his past behind him – getting rid of the drink and her photograph (where it is evident he has only done this to the photograph in the past) – his marital nemesis should once again turn up. Does this mean she’s part of a larger Cylon plot? Maybe, but the more logical explanation is that the turn of events is really down to dramatic licence, which allows for such coincidences

But, again on the flipside, there is her interest in Earth – the first time it has been openly mentioned since the series started – which, while apparently raised in what might be considered an alcoholic haze, came close to being somewhat pushy. Innocent curiosity spurred by too much Ambrosia – or something more? Then there is her casual acceptance of the news that Cylons can now look like humans – news which theoretically would have spread while she was unconscious, and clearly lead to a higher state of wariness among the people of the fleet – yet her response is both flippant and – in keeping with her response to Adama’s comment on her medical care on the Rising Star – somewhat evasive.

Equally of interest was her comment on meeting Baltar – and “Six’s” reaction. She knows exactly who Baltar is. A comment laden with meaning and ambiguity; on the one hand, it could simply be a result of her recognising Baltar as a leading scientist and (no doubt) playboy, and her predatory nature kicking-in. On the other hand, knowing exactly who someone “is” usually means a person is not fooled: they know intimate secrets about the individual they are meeting, and so the comment is usually taken as a veiled threat. Does Ellen Tigh know more than she is letting on?

Certainly that seems to be how Baltar takes the comment. On hearing it, “Six” seems to emerge from his head with the comment, “Something here, isn’t there?” – and it’s doubtful she’s referring to Ellen Tigh’s flirting attraction to Baltar; rather her words are a warning, just as her follow-up comment is, “You should be watching her.” Something has been sensed within Ellen Tigh, and it is something Baltar doesn’t trust.

It is also around Ellen Tigh that we get the strongest visual clues yet to the fact that “Six” really is a part of Baltar’s own mind. The camerawork in these scenes is simply outstanding for the message it appears to convey. As Baltar meets Ellen Tigh, and she simpers at him, we have a marvellous tight angle on James Callis’ head as Baltar looks up at her. As we watch, Tricia Helfer slowly moves her head into the shot, almost as if “Six’s” head is somehow “growing” out of Baltar’s. Even when the angle changes to show us that “Six” is standing behind Baltar, her head is positioned almost is if it belongs more to Baltar than it does to her.

Similarly, just before “Six” gives her warning, we see Baltar and “Six” in profile. “I think you should be watching her,” “Six” murmurs, before Tricia Helfer steps slowly back, giving the appearance that “Six” is almost merging back into Baltar, his inner concerns now voiced.

Both of these shots come across as the writer and director both saying, “Look, she really is a part of his own mind!” A message for which the foundations were cleverly laid just after the opening titles, when Baltar discusses the dual topics of suicide and the 47,905 blood samples he has to analyse. Throughout the entire conversation, we only hear “Six’s” voice – giving us the suggestion that Baltar is in fact talking to himself.

And talking of the lab scene – what another wonderfully-played piece of humour to cap a scene. The entire Baltar / Thrace scene is simply priceless, and does much to set the bar for the humour that is evident elsewhere in the episode – particularly in the dinner party scene and the confrontation scene back in Baltar’s lab. Both of these scenes are heavy in drama and tension – both of which are excellently counterpointed with the clever use of humour: Ellen’s footsie at Lee Adama in one; the series of double-takes, questions and vague admissions around the lab table in the other.

Keeping with Baltar for a moment longer: are we now seeing a part of his response to Roslin, Adama et al hanging the label of “traitor” about his shoulders on the strength of the “evidence” supplied by “Shelly Godfrey”? He’s more-or-less determined that all his tests are going to show up green – whether the subject is human or not. “No muss, less fuss,” he observes. It’s hard to see how such an attitude won’t eventually bounce back on him (assuming another Cylon agent is revealed); but right now he does not appear to be in a mood to care – witness his retreat into a private “fantasy” with “Six” even with the lab full of people talking animatedly and who will more than likely witness more of his “odd” acts. Then there is his reactions to the unfolding row that occurs in his lab as Adama, Roslin and Tigh argue “over” Ellen Tigh. Were he so minded, there is little doubt Baltar could use several of the unguarded comments to his advantage.

Away from Baltar and Ellen Tigh, what amounts to Conoy’s last words have had their effect on Roslin: she is now highly suspicious of Adama – a fact not helped by his secretiveness surrounding his investigations into Ellen Tigh. Unfortunately for Roslin, she’s a pretty transparent woman, and there is only so much that can be hidden behind a plastic political smile. Even before she starts pushing for Adama to take the test, he’s more than a little aware that she’s harbouring negative thoughts about him.

Will this episode see the end of her suspicions? Possibly, but as she herself has stated in the past, rebellion is contagious – and rebellious thoughts, such as doubting the loyalty of a fellow leader – can be equally contagious, giving rise to other concerns and suspicions at the slightest provocation. Will her growing illness also affect her ability to think rationally on matter such as this? She’s clearly beginning to show the strain of fight the cancer and of keeping it a secret from the rest of the fleet. How much longer can she continue to do so? What will Adama’s response be when he finds out? Sympathy, or a withdrawal from consultations with her, and a more autocratic management of the fleet?

Perhaps the one weak link in the episode is the arrival of the Cylon Raider. Despite all the material the production crew have to play with in this episode, this one thread sticks out from the rest and almost screams “Padding!” at the top of its voice.

As an attempt to heighten concern about Adama’s real motivations (the Raider turning up while he is out and about in a Raptor), it is nothing short of clumsy. As a means of confirming the fact that the Colonials don’t have FTL systems of a comparable size to those contained in the captured Raider, and are thus keen to find out all they can about a “working” version, it is short on drama. Was the Raider really crippled? Was it playing a game with the Colonials? What caused Thrace to come to the latter conclusion? None of the answers to these questions are even hinted at, leaving the entire Raider situation something of a meaningless mess that has a big “So what,” hanging over it.

Of course, we can all speculate on what was going on. Maybe the Raider was on a recon mission and came on the fleet by chance. Maybe the shoot-up that followed did damage its FTL systems as well as taking out its weapons. Maybe, after hours of going in circles and unable to call assistance, it simply got itself to a point where it could control its flight and then it opted to suicide itself against Galactica in the hope of slowing her down sufficiently to allow its comrades to find her. Whatever the reasoning, the scenes relating to it simply fail to engage, and thus leave the audience without a genuine care as to the significance of the Raider or its actions.

The only thing that interested me through the whole Raider episode is that, according to Galactica’s displays, the Raider first popped-up in very close proximity to a Colonial Raptor (designated “Raptor 43”). Was this merely an error (stock footage) – or was said Raptor actually the vehicle under Adama’s command? If so, what was he doing so far out from the fleet? If it was another Raptor (rather than a re-use of previous footage), why did Tigh order a Raptor launched to gather intel on the Raider, rather than ordering “43” to do the job?

Elsewhere – well on Caprica to be precise – things do move along. Now fugitives together, Helo and Valerii do now seem to be making an attempt to get off the planet, and Valerii is reaching the point where if she doesn’t admit her status to Helo, he’s going to guess. Either that or he’s stupid. Above them – literally, on the streets of the city – we are again given insight into Cylon motivations for what was occurring around Helo, and once again it all seems to boil down to the responses created by love: the drive, the loyalty, the need, the protectiveness, the desire, the motivations it creates – all of which appear to be beyond Cylon understanding, even though they are capable of other, baser emotional responses, as witnessed by Six’s tears and Doral’s hurt envy.

Had this episode avoided the weakness of the Raider scenes, and if we could be sure that all that has been intimated through this episode will be followed-through in the future, I’d be prepared to give this one another 4.5 out of 5. But, as it stands, while it is very good drama, it does suffer from a poorly-conceived plot element, and we are left with the possibility that parts of what we’ve seen may not be adequately followed-up. Therefore, in fairness, I can only award it a maximum of 4 out of 5.
 

What we learn in this episode:

It is 3 days since the events of “Flesh and Bone”

There are now 47,905. That’s a loss of some 52 people (given he knows Boomer is a Cylon) in that time.

Billy’s relationship with Dualla is picking up, despite his attempts to pump her for information

Tigh’s alcoholism was more than likely kicked-off by his wife – either directly or through her infidelity – or possibly both

The Colonials do not have small-scale FTL systems

Baltar apparently has no intention of being honest about the results of his Cylon tests

The test themselves apparently take 11 hours to generate results (although Boomer’s result in “Flesh and Bone” was obtained in far less time than this – less than 8 hours, in fact)

The Galactica has a forward observation lounge that has become a much sought-after trysting-placing, with individuals and couples rotated through it at regular intervals

The Cylons have established a major base at “Delphi” on Caprica – a place clearly of some (religious?) significance to Colonials, given Helo’s reaction to the news