'Battlestar Galactica': Felix Gaeta did what?!?!

The coup on "Battlestar Galactica" helped bring back a sense of danger and intrigue that we may not have realized was lost. Starbuck is back to being awesome, Lee has picked up a gun again, Adama and Tigh are back-to-back in the trenches, and despite her objections, Laura Roslin again has taken up the mantle of leadership.

The catalyst for the trouble? A disgruntled Lt. Felix Gaeta. It's understood, to a point. A hero during the occupation, he was almost executed as a traitor. While helping to find Earth, he was shot and lost his leg in a faux mutiny. The Earth was found to be a nuked wasteland, his fellow CIC officer Dee committed suicide (that one still hurts), and there was suddenly an olive branch extended to the murderous Cylons who started this whole thing. Yeah, the reasoning is there. Frustration had built.

But taking over Galactica by force seems a bit extreme.

It's just the sort of thing Tom Zarek would help orchestrate. Yes, it was Felix's idea, but it has taken on Zarekian tones. When things turn, which they will, we'll have to see how honorable Felix's intentions are, or if he was just reacting out of some kind of frustrated rage.

Roslin had just finished telling her lover Adama that she would not be pulled back into the political maelstrom, but the threat of Zarek as president had her quickly denouncing the violence and the coup over the wireless.

It was that action, along with Starbuck and Lee back together again, Chief Tyrol helping others escape, and Baltar just being ineffective, that has helped put the characters back in familiar pockets for viewers.

So, when I was watching the end, I was wondering if it was just a concussion grenade thrown into the small room that may just knock Adama and Tigh around. But from the promos for next week, it seems like it did a bit more than that. Tigh dead? Adama blinded (or just blindfolded), and Roslin screaming in her scary voice, "I'm coming for all of you!"

Been waiting to see what that was all about. And next, we get to see the Cylons on board the base star again. Hopefully the show will  explore what their reaction was to finding Earth, as well. They've been looking for it for a long time, too, and may have some other theories.

-- Jevon Phillips

Photos: Sci-Fi Channel

-- Facebook was possibly built by Cylons
-- Jane Espenson and the 'Buffy' connection
-- Richard Hatch didn't throw popcorn!
-- Michael Hogan, surprised to be a Cylon
-- "Caprica's" coming in 2010

Comments

[tickedoff]

You had to mention the preview of NEXT WEEKS episode? I turned the TV off just to avoid it! Jerk!

[Sheldon]

There's an option your poll missed: Cavil's Cylons will appear - causing a hasty truce between Gaeta's band of mutineers, the Adama/Roslin loyalists and the rebel Cylons in order to survive.

[Ryan]

The webisodes on scfi.com provide further insight into Gaeta's motivations. It dates back to Gaeta's actions on New Caprica, during the Occupation.

[MIchael]

Another option: Adama dies next week (I'm betting the house on it.) Roslin flees. The humans are destroyed, either by Cylons (maybe Cavil's), or they self destruct. Galactica, without leadership, is destroyed in the process. (Bye to Athena, Helo, Six, Hera, and Sam. They might escape if the Rebel base ship attacks, but if Cavil's, they are gone. In any event the rest of the human race including Gaeta and Zarek die. They have shown themselves not worthy of survival. The remainder of the Cylons/humans fulfill their destiny, whatever that may be. It's gonna get ugly! Still not sure of the meaning of the opera house.

[tlsmith1963]

It may have seemed like Gaeta wouldn't have done what he did, but it certainly made for exciting television. Too bad that BSG is ending soon. We'll see if Caprica is as exciting.

[Timber Wolf]

GAETA AND ZAREK ARE RIGHT.
Why do I get the sinking feeling that I'm the only one who sees it like this?
Regardless of Zarek's political ambitions, he was right about a few things:
- The Adam-Roslin administration is a dictatorship
- Roslin abdicated, through her inaction, the role of the presidency but did not hand over power to her legitimately elected replacement, the Vice President
- In an undeclared coup d'etat, Adama declares the civilian government null & void and arrests its head simply because he opposed the military junta
- The head of the military and the President are literally in bed together -- this flies in the face of any kind of legitimate government
- How different are the actions of the fleet under Adama from what the Pegasus did to its civilian fleet???
I am starting to feel like Gaeta is the real patriot. The fleet is starting to resemble a third world dictatorship where one family (Adama the dictator, Roslin his wife, Lee Adama his son, Starbuck his daughter) control everything.

[Gaeta]

To tickedoff: Anyone reading an article about BSG's current season--particularly a review or recap--and then getting angry when a spoiler is revealed is an idiot.

To Ryan: You're absolutely right--the webisodes are an important part of why Gaeta mounted the rebellion, and those who haven't yet watched them definitely should.

[btk]

"Why do I get the sinking feeling that I'm the only one who sees it like this?" -- you're not the only one....maybe just me and you! Gaeta's actions are very understandable and Adama/Roslin is a power-hungry dictatorship. Always has been. But don't worry, Rambo, er, the clone, er, Starbuck will save the day...

[LordGarth]

The promos for next week fairly clearly imply that Adama will be executed and that Roslin is not fleeing, she is coming for her lover's murderers, and to paraphrase the movie Tombstone "Hell (or at least Kara Thrace) is coming with her".

[MAtt]

Galactica being destroyed is a very high possibilty in my opinion heres how i think things will end up

1.Zarek is lying about Tigh being dead(hes probably in the brig with the rest of his buddies)
2.When narcho is ordered to take down the presidents raptor the Basestar defends the raptor (with heavy raiders,normal raiders are malfunctioning)
3.Galactica retaken, with a little help from some Rebel Cylon centurions, but there would be tonnes of confusion and it might give the rest of Roslin/adama supporters to change sides.

4.Worst case scenario in the middle of a rebel cylons vs galactica fight Cavil shows up and shares the love giving awesome presents(nukes) into the side of colonial 1, Galactica etc etc.

[Fnordian]

No, Zarek and Gaeta are WRONG.

You are thinking in terms of a feel good tree hugging "everyone sings kum-bah-yah" democracy. It simply wouldn't work in this situation.

There's a reason the military is structured the way it is and it is not a democracy- it wouldn't work that way.

Adama-Roslyn DOES resemble more of a totalitarian regime than a democracy, true, but then again a democracy would NOT serve this situation well, and the Quorum (sp?) has shown this... almost all they ever do is bicker and follow the lead of someone else anyhow (Zarek or Lee).

Adama and Roslyn have made mistakes, and I'm not happy about Roslyn's irresponsibility in not fulfilling her duties either, but I stand by my convictions that Zarek and Gaeta are not the right choice for leadership - they are WRONG.