Battlestar Galactica: Season 2-13: Ephinanies

The Best Scenes in BSG 213:

Epiphanies and Revelations

Abound on the Galactica

By Koenigrules

 One would think that after the Cain trilogy, any episode would be a monumental letdown.  Not so with this series.  A number of threads all interconnect in Episode 213: Epiphanies.  Laura is dying of cancer, Helo and Boomer's child needs to be aborted, and a resistance movement wants to establish peace with the Cylons at all costs.  All three of these separate plot lines intersect and bring Epiphanies to a more than satisfying conclusion.

 Laura Roslin has reached the terminal stages of her breast cancer and while she is dying, she envisions her final days on Caprica where she is told by her doctor that she has the fatal illness.  She also has visions of Baltar making out with Six as well as reminisces about her romantic interludes with President Adar (played by noted Canadian actor Colm Feore).  As she slips back and forth into consciousness, Laura advises Commander Adama that Boomer's pregnancy must be terminated; otherwise, "allowing this thing to be born will have disastrous consequences for the fleet."  

 Adama supports the President in this decision and reminds a despondent Helo that the Cylons are still the enemy.  When Helo relays the Commander's decision to Boomer, the girl goes completely ballistic—banging her head and body into the bars of her cage and warning the guards (as well as Helo) that she will defend her fetus to the death.

 All the while this is going on, Kara and Chief Tyrol discover that some of the Vipers' ammunition has been sabotaged by a pacifistic movement (calling itself Demand Peace) that wants to destroy Galactica's "war machine" so that a true and lasting alliance can be established with the Cylons.  They even succeed in blowing up part of a tylium refinery ship.  Commander Adama then meets with the leader of these Cylon sympathizers, Royan Jahee, and, realizing just how dangerous his views are, imprisons Royan in the hopes that the movement will fall without the man's presence.  Unfortunately, this is not the case as one of the primary Demand Peace agents is none other than Cylon Gina, who now sports a more subdued look with her hair pulled back and glasses covering some of her facial features (ala Wonder Woman's alter ego of Diana Prince).  Baltar is even invited to her quarters aboard Cloud Nine, and Gina tries to convince him to use his political power as the new President to turn the people against Adama.  It would appear that the Cylons have an agenda of their own in supporting the peace movement, or at least the Gina model does.  One would think that if Gina used sex as her negotiating tool, Baltar would come around rather quickly.  Instead, he tells her he will not be responsible for the destruction of mankind. 

 Things quickly come to a head as Laura enters her final death throes and Boomer is sedated and prepped for the abortion.  One of the best scenes of

Epiphanies is when Baltar gives a techno-babble explanation of the miraculous Cylon fetal blood.  He explains to Adama and Doc Cottle that the substance shows a heightened resistance to disease and that it can cure cancer cells.  But before Galactica turns totally Star Trek: Next Generation, it picks up on the action and we see Baltar injecting some of Boomer's fetal blood into Laura.  Immediately, she starts writhing and convulsing, and Baltar (as well as Cottle) fear that the President will die.  But then, just as suddenly, her life signs return to normal and she becomes conscious with all trace of the cancer gone from her system.  It looks like the Cylons, at least their life fluid, can save the human race from the ravages of debilitating illnesses and perhaps even death itself.      

 Two other scenes deserve mentioning.  The first involves Laura, while still in recovery mood, wheeling her chair into Royan Jahee's cell and in diplomatic style telling the man that she will hear him out- but also indicating that there will be no more attacks against the Galactica.  Otherwise, all bets are off and he (and his movement) will be hunted down by the military and crushed.  Royan promises to call off his troops.  Apparently, Laura has learned a thing or two about being President from Adar as she lifts one of his very lines in negotiating with the pacifist leader: namely, "One of the most interesting things about being President is that you don't have to explain yourself—to anyone!"

 The second scene is when Baltar opens up the letter Roslin has left him, should she die and the Presidency falls on his shoulders.  As he reads the communication, Gaius becomes more and more shocked as well as agitated.  Apparently, Roslin has performed an assessment of the man and believes him to be a vain and selfish individual who needs to grow up and become a more compassionate leader of the people, offering them hope and solace.  The truth hurts Baltar, and with a little prodding from Six, he is able to turn his back on Roslin and give comfort to the enemy (in this case, the Demand Peace movement).  He sends Gina a case containing the nuclear device that was to be deployed in his Cylon detection experiments.  Instead, the weapon will be used in the power struggle between the pacifists and the military, with the stakes being the very survival of the fleet.

 All in all, this was an excellent episode as it tied the miniseries and several Season 1 episodes together very nicely.  Plus, it presented a more inspirational image of the Cylons than ever before.  Their very life essence might save the Galactica and lead them on the path to salvation and the one Cylon God!