Ep 314- The Woman King

What do these two things have in common?

(ans. They are both tools.)

It’s hard to find anything good to say about “The Woman King” (ep 314). Ok, there was a great scene between Helo and Col. Tigh where Tigh proves that the only thing more devastating than taking a punch square in the jaw, is getting up from one (while giving that signature Tigh chuckle).

Otherwise, “The Woman King” stumbles right out of the gate when, during the “previously on Battlestar Galactica” section, we are shown scenes that we’ve never seen. While Ron Moore, in his podcast, has downplayed the cutting of such scenes from the episodes that have aired, the fact that this episode came before we knew that BSG was renewed for a 4th season caused a lot of concern among rational thinking people about the future of the series. For an example of what happens to a series when the studio starts cutting episodes and screwing around with the continuity of a show’s narrative see FIREFLY.

The episode is based on Helo’s attempts to control the massive influx of Sagittaron refugees (who it seems have been confused with the fundamentalist Gemenons) that have come to Galactica for sanctuary and his struggle to convince other officers that one of the civilian doctors may be killing the sagittarons. The episode is conveniently resolved when it turns out that the Doc Robert IS, in fact, killing Sagittarons.

That’s convenient because it obliterates the more interesting issue: is Helo continually putting himself at odds with his superiors, crew, and friends? Is it a character flaw or a noble characteristic? In addition, is the Sagittaron’s suspicion of Doc Robert legitimate or is it a paranoia based on their cultural shunning of organized medicine (for reasons that seem religious but are never explicitly clarified)?

The episode takes the cheap way out. Doc Roberts is a racist and, therefore, is killing the medi-phobic Sagittarons. And, of course, this makes Helo right. Close the book, case solved.
Que up the replay of the Dresden Files.

~ by Joe on February 19, 2007.