Episode Report Card Jacob: D | 1419 USERS: C+ YOU GRADE IT BattleNoir Redactica
By Jacob | Season 2 | Episode 14 | Aired on 2006.01.27
In fact, they're closer than we think. Flashback to Cloud 9, where Siobhan is complaining to Lee about Paya's worsening cough. "I'll bring her something on my next trip," he valiantly promises, and Siobhan notes that, pending another Cylon attack, this could be weeks from now. Lee's clearly affected by the coughing in the other room. Siobhan: "I keep hearing about shortages on the other ships -- people trading anything they can for food and for medicine." Lee's so shocked to learn this obvious thing that he will subsequently forget it again until the scene before this one: "Really?" Siobhan looks in awe of Apollo's naïveté, as one so often does: "Have you seen all the new working girls outside?" The ones who only just now have managed gainful employment? What were they doing previously? There's currency and a capitalist system in place; it's the scarcity that creates the black market, not necessarily any kind of socialism. Maybe the rent is paid, because the numerator is apparently way over the denominator in terms of survivors/berths -- I can see that. But capitalism can cover the rest, and I think it's just the vague language that made this more confusing than it should be. Maybe it's the West Wing factor again, and we're only ever seeing the story at the level of, say, the Federal Reserve, which makes it look like Roslin's responsible for the disposition of food, coffee, etc., when it fact it's just a matter of fair trade between ships. Maybe these are dumb questions, and the truth is staring us in the face, but we shouldn't have to ask them in the first place. It's distracting, and takes a line or two. But we've hit a whole other kind of exposition depot: "Lee, when your baby's crying because it's hungry, you'll do anything to make it stop." Anything? Even...prostitution? Like you were already doing? Apollo comforts Siobhan and they snuggle to the sound of Paya coughing up a lung. He sadly watches her tend to her daughter because it's so, so rough when a black market forces even prostitutes to turn to prostitution.