Episode Report Card Strega: A+ | 7 USERS: A+ YOU GRADE IT Sex, Drugs, And New Age Music
By Strega | Season 1 | Episode 12 | Aired on 2005.03.25
Rec room. Gaeta tries to bow out of a poker hand, and Baltar pours him a drink. Gaeta declines, explaining that he has a launch later, and turns the conversation to Crashdown's budding romance with Davis. Crashdown says, "Y'know, little bit of this, little bit of that." I have no idea. I think it's guy-speak. Apollo tries to move things back to the game. Baltar, clearly three panels to the solar wind, blusters, "You can't compete with me!" He glares at Apollo and rasps, "I always win." Apollo chuckles that he's sorry without knowing what on earth Baltar is talking about. Six says, "I've ever seen you like this, Gaius. It's disappointing, somehow. Common." Baltar glances at her and then snarks, "So sorry to disappoint you." He catches himself and adds, "Disappoint you all," as he looks at the other players. He calls Apollo's bet. There's a shot of Crashdown and Dualla at the table, and wow, Dualla has nice arms. The hands are laid down and, sure enough, Baltar wins. As he scrapes up his winnings up, he spills a few chips onto the floor and ducks under the table to retrieve them. Right on cue, a cheery Starbuck enters, complaining that nobody invited her to the card game. Everyone except Baltar greets her happily, and Crashdown points out that she's finally walking without the cane. Baltar straightens up and stares at her, and upon seeing him, Starbuck looses some of her spunkiness. Which is all to the good. She offers him a neutral "Gaius" in greeting, and Baltar quietly asks her to address him as "Mr. Vice-President." He sniffs, "Some level of decorum has to be maintained, after all, or is it a pirate ship you're running?" Oh man, I so wish. Crashdown stares at Starbuck, clearly picking up on the sudden mood change. Baltar asks if Starbuck wants to join the game, adding, "Maybe you'd like to sit next to Captain Adama." He glares at Apollo, who agrees, with the tiniest note of bewilderment, to make room for Starbuck. Starbuck just stares at Baltar as she explains that she has things to do. Exit Starbuck. Apollo watches her leave, and then turns back and looks at Baltar. Who looks devastated, covering his mouth with his hand as if he might burst into tears. Hee!
Colonial One. The Prez is meeting with Baltar to discuss future policies, while Billy works at his desk. She mentions that she expects bartering to continue, but she has a plan to return currency into the economy. Baltar's hair is slicked back on top in a failed attempt to look more professional. He takes notes, and Six stares at him. As the Prez finishes a sentence, Six interjects, "Do you love her?" Baltar stares firmly at the Prez, but looks befuddled. More so than usual. The Prez uses her extra-serious voice to explain that Baltar needs to be ready to take over in case something happens to her. She asks, "Do you understand this?" Six adds, "Answer me!" Baltar tells the Prez that he understands, and then quickly says, "My answer is no," glancing at Six on the last word. To the Prez, he says, "No, I don't think that I can handle this right now." He babbles that he can't just pick up all the bureaucratic knowledge that the Prez has spent her lifetime learning. As he airs his grievances, Baltar manages to work in a response to Six as well, telling her, "How you could think that my head could be turned so quickly by a new thing is, uh, it just -- it astounds me." He asks the Prez why she ever thought he could cope with all this. Six sniffs, "I don't believe you." The Prez chimes in, "You're a genius, are you not?" Baltar stands up and loudly declares that he doesn't give a "flying frack" whether she believes him. Either "she." He says he's tired of being pushed around, and concludes, "I'm not your plaything!" Six and the Prez chorus, "'Plaything'?" Hee hee hee. Behind Six, the Whiteboard of Extinction is now at 47,897. Baltar, now fully revved up, shouts, "I don't have to sit any more and take this kind of abuse from either of you!" He waves his hand about the room, and Billy and the Prez glance at each other with perfect timing. Baltar amends himself to suggest that he meant either here in the Prez's office, or somewhere else. Heh. Even Six is looking confused by Baltar at this point, which is also great. Six says that she loves him. Baltar sighs, "Oh, do me a favor," and glares at her. The Prez, in the tones one uses with a sulky toddler, gently suggests that Baltar could use a break. Baltar more calmly agrees, and then tells Six, "We need a break." Dude, did he just dump his imaginary girlfriend? Who lives in his head? That's gonna be awkward. Baltar exits for the bathroom.