Episode Report Card Jacob: A- | 1 USERS: B- YOU GRADE IT The Engine You've Built With Your Blood
By Jacob | Season 3 | Episode 16 | Aired on February 24, 2007
"Just get the gas flowing, and then we'll talk. I promise you that," says Laura, just like always. Always tomorrow. Fenner points this out, and goes... I'd say a tad farther than is really smart: "You know, it's funny that when the gas flows, my phone calls don't get returned, but the minute there's a glitch in the fuel supply, I've got face time with the President and the Admiral? Hmm. Maybe we should just start having more glitches." The actor that plays Fenner, in addition to being hot, is also canny in letting you in on all fifteen levels of you know-I know-you know-that I know going on here. Roslin asks if he's threatening them, which is in itself a threat. "It's like the book says: 'If you hear the people, you'll never have to fear the people.'" Laura Roslin's voice goes to a place that is deathly terrifying: "Did you say the book?" He nods; he knows that she knows that he knows what book she knows he's talking about. She goes hard. "Okay, guards? Arrest him for extortion and interrupting vital services during a time of war. Go ahead, take him away, that's it, go. Out of here. Gone." The Marines shuffle him off and Bill asks what the hell just happened. "He was quoting from Baltar's book." She spits it out. I guess my whole assumption that she was somewhat chilled out after freaking out during his MKUltra trial didn't do a thing for her hatred of him. It's so weird to see her still hating him so much, after all that time wishing she'd kill him. Now I'm just scared she will. "He's having it reprinted and passed out among the Fleet." The book he wrote is called My Triumphs, My Mistakes, she spits, and notes how she's "thinking of having a good, old-fashioned book-burning." And if that word scares you, it should: part of speaking truth to power is knowing that if there's nothing to hide, they won't.
Back home, Cally tuts Chief about how he's not allowed his disgusting algae meatloaf, because he's on a date, and when he complains about how today's his cheat day, she just smiles. "The last three days have been your cheat day." He didn't realize. He acts cute with Nicky and notes that she's moving around, proving the bends wrong, and she says she's wigging about Seelix's whole thing. "They should have just told her right off the bat what the Fleet priorities are, should have said that they needed knuckledraggers more than they need pilots." Cally shakes her head, of course, because God forbid reality get in the way of your dreams or your unearned successes. If there's one thing American Idol has permanently ruined for me, it's being sympathetic to people bitching about the way things are. I mean, I appreciate Cally in this episode and I don't have a problem with what she's saying, because somebody has to say it and she's like perfect for this role, but in addition to my general issue with Cally, I have a problem with anybody who says this stuff while thinking it matters. Yeah, it sucks; saying that doesn't change it. Somebody particularly martyriffic and self-obsessed might become a fulcrum for change, but that's not you, and that's not what this is about. This is about freshman year and learning about the evils of capitalism, and my assumption is that we're all older than that, so read your Orwell and don't email me. If you think that's what's going on here, they got you. It's the abortion fight all over again; it's gay marriage 2.0.