The Storyteller said:
Yep, its like, the last time they saw each other was him handing her a cup of poison, as she died in his arms....and the first thing they do is make out and frak on a table? Sigh.
The entire episode was a giant poisoning session for Ellen as a character, a rushed return to a previous identity that was never given time to fully develop in the course of the episode. New Caprica was such a perfect end for that character: she was still conniving, still manipulative, but it had turned into a desperate attempt to save her husband. Ellen didn't sell out humanity because she was pure evil, but because her love for Tigh outweighed her view of humanity. The tragedy of that final moment, as Tigh knows all of this but has to poison her anyway, was perhaps the most powerful moment the show has had.
And then here, they are reunited, and Ellen reverts back to someone who is manipulative out of sheer jealousy, hateful out of sheer anger, and is actually willing to place the entire fate of humanity and her own kind, even now with KNOWLEDGE OF HER OWN IDENTITY, in danger over a storyline ripped out of a soap opera. That doesn't add up for me, not with the Ellen we saw last week and not the Ellen we saw on New Caprica. Going from enlightened to Season 1 in two seconds flat? Not something that works for me, at all.
I was trying to keep this reply from being too angry, but I made the mistake of reading an interview with Espenson about the episode that actually only made me angrier. Here's the link, and a few choice excerpts that stood out as prime candidates for my new game: see how many times you ask yourself "Where was that in the frakking episode?" It's FUN.
Jane Espenson talks about 'Deadlock' with Mo Ryan and Alan Sepinwall - Interview - The Watcher
It seems like there are two different factions, among the humans and among the Cylons -- those who want to retain the "purity" of their race and those who are willing to live with a "blended" culture. I sense this will not go well -- looking at history, any time you have two groups like this close proximity, they tend to clash. Thoughts?
Well, I think the clashing of those two factions was carried out pretty well during the recent mutiny.
Uh, no. And also: it was then dropped like a rock in "Blood on the Scales" and "No Exit." If you think that was "carried out," you're crazy.
What had to be cut from "Deadlock"?
I'm watching it now -- as it's going past, I'm trying to recall this. Oh, there was a whole little runner about the possibility of bringing Centurions over to help keep order among the civilians. It was a very cool idea, but there was ultimately no room for it. And there was a big debate about whether Laura/Lee/Adama would allow the Final Five to reunite, with or without witnesses. And there was a really fun exchange between Tigh and Ellen about her poisoning in which she pretended to be furious about it. Tigh: I thought you know it was poison! You asked for the cup! Ellen: I was thirsty!
So wait...you wrote all sorts of actually really interesting story pieces that would have made Baltar's storyline make more sense, would have added greater meaning to the Final Five reunion, and given some more depth to Tigh and Ellen's reunion...and then it got cut out? The mind, it boggles.
Why does Galen Tyrol want to leave the fleet? I thought the fact that he took his old job as Chief meant that he wanted to stay with the Galactica.
He took his job back because Adama asked him to. But he is increasingly distanced from his old life.
He is? Huh, I'd have liked to see that instead of, you know, Adama staring at the same construction over and over again.
Why would Adama -- with Roslin and Lee's apparent agreement -- give Baltar's fringe faction lots of large guns? I know Adama hasn't been himself lately, but this seems like a bad idea.
Adama is having trouble maintaining order on the ship. He lost a lot of marines during the mutiny. If he doesn't get some sort of force that can keep the civilians under control, he will have to consider using Centurions from the base ship, and he fears a civilian insurrection if he did so. Baltar says that this is the last human solution, and Adama has to agree.
"Adama HAS to agree, of course - since we showed you that two other options didn't work, even when there are all sorts of logical leaps necessary, just take our word for it that this was all reasoned out off screen. He HAD to, guys!"
Is there a mythology reason why Head Six has been absent for so long, or why she happened to return at this exact moment? Or have a lot of Head Six (and/or Head Baltar) scenes been left on the cutting room floor for a while for more practical reasons?
There is not a mythology reason for it.
Well, no, not until it's convenient for you (See: Opera House Visions and Caprica's pregnancy).
...okay, I think I'm done now. Bitterness excised. Maybe. Hopefully.
