"Ellen's Hissy Fit" better title than "Deadlock"

[clickclickboom]

I was not disappointed with it at all. I seriously loved Ellen in this episode. I think that many women would react the same way given the situation - not rational but very realistic. I think Ellen’s personality is just more layered now than it was before but she’s still the same person.

I thought she was great, but I got the sense that she was being very manipulative the entire time. She knows more than she’s letting on and she completely reminded me of the Ellen Tigh from “Tigh me up, Tigh me down”. They’ve said it numerous times that a cylon can’t conceive a child without love and when Ellen showed up C6 immediately began having trouble like Ellen could affect her health by taking back Saul’s love (or interest at least).

Ya, I’m going with that she knows something that the others can’t remember yet.

[WashIsMyHero]

Ellen is as a god. A Greek one, and persnickety as they. It is just like Hera (the Goddess) to act as she did; Zeus, too–both of them would say “Frak Humanity! You knocked her up?!” The “gods” (Tigh and Ellen, too) have both had sex with their children (Ellen did Cavil) which also fits with the Greek myth. I liked the ep.

The thought had floating across my brain that Ellen’s doing a fine Hera impersonation. But I didn’t think about the whole having sex with their children bit.

[Strikitrich]

The Last Days of Our Lives

This episode was weak.

[avoidswork]

Don’t forget the now defunct Passions or (possibly) Guiding Beings of Light

---

This certainly wasn’t my favorite episode in a while, but I will consider it a placeholder for things to come. Random impressions:

The Ellen/Tigh scenes were fantastic and completely in step with Saul and Ellen. When all is said and done, Final Five Ellen is still Ellen Tigh, just more of a leader and still a woman crazy in love with Saul.

The first Cylon/Cylon child in millenia has just passed. I’d rather think it was nature-driven vs. the “love” concept. Between (1) Tigh admitting he loves Caprica; (2) Caprica loves Tigh (loved him in S4.0); (3) what we’ve seen in S4.5 with them and the child; and (4) the fact that Liam is a derivative of William – Liam was more than loved by his parents. Add that Athena’s pregnancy had problems and did not go to full term. Although, I did notice that when Tigh/Ellen got it on, Caprica had a pain. And then during the cylon meeting argument, she had more pains. Although to me, Caprica looked like crap from the beginning of the episode. But with all that love talk from Ellen…

Forgive me for not knowing which thread I saw this on, but the Six and Eight by Anders’ bedside were not ones we know, but presumably Leader Six (post-Natalie) and Leader Eight. ((Leader Leoben sends his regrets as he is still crying in a corner by the Hybrid, wondering “why?”)) But, come one, the Cylon Anders bedside watch, coupled with a Cylon decision and Ellen/Tigh arguing over Caprica’s pregnancy – classic.

Baltar feeling displaced amongst his Balcubines upon his return, necessitating a return of HeadSix, watching Paula looking at him like the man he truly is, to the end where Roslin/Adama strike a deal with him that involves guns. You know Adama will be drinking a lot more now that he’s armed the Balcubuines with guns. And Laura will find more shizz to burn.

But I now need more from the next episode…

[NothingButheRain]

The way Kate Vernon said, “you got her pregnant” was just incredible. She was so shocked, in such disbelief, such… I can’t think of the words. Amazing work

I agree, it would have been a disservice to devote less than a full episode to a marriage thousands of years old in such a place.

I agree completely.

[smarx]

I agree with numerous others that Ellen was going to have some reaction to the baby, but I thought her character took a step back. I, like clickclickboom, thought she behaved very much like she did in “Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down”.

To me, I rang a little false after last week’s version of her. Previously, she was able to forgive (and apparently love) Cavil, and this in spite of the fact that he took Tigh’s eye and forced her into a degrading sexual relationship with him. But she is unable to have the same calm and loving state of mind about Tigh falling in love after he was convinced that she was dead? It felt like they hit the reboot button for her character once she came on board the ship.

If Jane Espenson was intending to her to indicate that she was, at her heart, the hard drinking, manipulative character that we had seen before, maybe her behavior with Cavil was the exception and not the rule. It just didn’t seem like that was the point of interaction in “No Exit”, at least to me.

[Jarathen]

It made me think that with Cavil she was merely playing benevlonce, a strategy she hoped would win her favor or at least hold her above him in strength and power.

[Pan]

The endless shots of Adama/Galactica were a bit gratuitous, and yeah, the Cylon drama doesn’t work for me on the same level as the characters I love that have been pushed aside just about since 4.5 began, with the exception of the great mutiny that seemed to put my favorite people back in the saddle.

I did love Baltar’s scenes, from his attempt to lead his flock again to his humanity managing to bust through again when he sees a little Gaius (that’s not his son) to HEAD SIX, whcih I will not be letting go until an explanation is reached to the sheer fury to the sons of Aeres (or however BSG spells it) stealing food from innocent people. I’d love to know how he sold Adama on giving civvies high-powered weaponry beyond what was said.

Yeah, I could have done without half of those Adama-walks-around-Galactica-looking-at repairs shots. Oh well. But, I do think
[spoiler]that things are going to move fast, very soon. I mean, Ellen and Boomer arrive on Galactica, what? two days after fleeing Cavil’s basestar? I’m really surprised no one is asking them how they found the fleet so fast. Likely Cavil can’t be very far behind. And if so, with Galactica unable to do much, if any, jumping, Adama and Co. may be very thankful there is a secret army/cache of some very big guns in Baltar’s Angels. Of course, that’s just one way to look at it. I’m sure it will happen differently, but at least it isn’t impossible to see how we could be setup for action and very soon.[/spoiler]

[Jarathen]

I assume they found Galactica so fast based on the fleet’s relative proximity to Erf, which Ellen should recall the location of.

I also think they’re hoping no one will ask because they don’t have the time to address the issue.

[glare]

It made me think that with Cavil she was merely playing benevlonce, a strategy she hoped would win her favor or at least hold her above him in strength and power.

I agree but I also think that we saw a less-than-angelic Ellen in that ep as well. I didn’t think she was motherly. I’ve made stuff too that I’ve loved “because I made you!” (to a few term papers for example! LOL!)

Ellen and Saul arguing about the baby while the others try to talk about jumping away in the baseship - that was excellent.

[sarcasticwriter]

I think the episode would have been better if Ellen’s story had been the B plot rather than the A plot.

I like Ellen, but I’ve never been all that invested in her, and the writers never asked me to be. Before, she would show up for a scene or two, stir crap up, then fade into the background, leaving Tigh to deal with the fallout. Now, for the past 2 episodes, she’s the most important being in the universe and I just can’t care. I want to know about the other characters, the ones I’ve been watching for since the beginning. The Cylon family drama, while beautifully played by all of the actors, just doesn’t feel to me like the best way to spend one of the final episodes.

I agree with everyone that Ellen’s reaction to Tigh/Caprica was realistic. I just wish that I’d had to watch less of it.

Oh and anytime Tory wants to go play in the airlock, that’s fine with me.

Gachnar, I literally registered just so I could tell you that you expressed what I’m feeling EXACTLY. Especially when you said “I want to know about the other characters, the ones I’ve been watching for since the beginning.”

I had tremendous faith that RDM was going to pull off an astonishing conclusion to this amazing series, but I’m starting to think that it’s just going to quietly peter out. Most of the fan theories seem to be more exciting, profound, and conclusive then whatever it is RDM intends to do (especially having reintroduced Ellen as such a profoundly important character when she never was before). We have four episodes left, but that’s only three hours of screen time - and I can’t see how they’re going to resolve everything if they don’t get a serious move on.

[Moe]

I agree with Gachnar and Sarcastic about this episode missing the mark for me.

Sometimes it feels like the producers have let their affections for actors drive the story. I loved the performances of Romo and Ellen but I feel like they’ve been brought back just a little clumsily.

Ellen makes sense in that they did need a fifth but Romo seemed to be a bit of a reach.

BSG’s proven track record has earned them a ton of leeway, but I’m getting just a little bit nervous. I’m confident they will be able to wrap it up with a fantastic finish, but the last two eps haven’t been among the best.

[Radio_Picon]

BSG’s proven track record has earned them a ton of leeway, but I’m getting just a little bit nervous. I’m confident they will be able to wrap it up with a fantastic finish, but the last two eps haven’t been among the best.

See, I’m no longer so confident, and this is my favorite show (evah!) so it’s particularly distressing to say that. Over at Galactica Sitrep they put together some reviews of Deadlock and we ain’t the only ones saying this stuff!
It’s also very telling when our very own GWC Podcast folks take about 30 minutes to actually start talking about a new episode of BSG. That just ain’t normal for them.

I think Galactica Variants said something that is really resonating with me unfortunately…
This episode is one of the worst, for sure Woman King is worse, but it may be the second worst. This reimagined series of Battlestar Galactica is dying a very undignified death right before our eyes.

[sinewav]

Overall I think the episode was a BSG episode through and through and IMO even a bad BSG episode kicks the frak out of most shows on their best days.

That said while I didn’t hate the Ellen-Tigh-Six arc in Deadlock I do feel that RDM and company greatly overestimated viewer interest in these characters and made this arc way too long. I will say that the story arc was necessary and it did continue the story however by about act three I was already thinking enough is enough and was ready for the next story.

The ending however was powerful and the loss of the unborn child was a great moment, in my mind it made up for most (but not all) of the rest of the episode.