This seventh episode of season one focuses, almost exclusively, on Dr. Gaius Baltar. “Six Degrees of Separation” begins with the camera zooming in on the fleet, specifically on Galactica, and onto Baltar. He, and his actions, are the driving forces of this episode.
1. Baltar and God
We’re looking at Dr. Baltar looking at, what we can assume, are human cells. He reveals his lack of belief in a God or Gods by stating that he doesn’t see the hand of God within the cells themselves and this simply further reinforces the conflicting points of view between Six and Baltar. Siz asks him what it is that causes him to commit blasphemy, and, as usual, he deflects her serious question with humor and states he’s trapped in something that could be called his own religion, The Church of the Mystic Cylon Detector. Six believes it’s important for Baltar to form a personal relationship with God, while he believes it’s all just metaphysical nonsense. If this Six is all in Baltar’s head, I guess it’s just his subconscious fighting with itself at this point in time. I don’t think this is something I thought about in detail during my first watch of the series. I kind of always took this Six to be a Six, not another personality, or point of view, within Baltar’s own mind. This internal conflict does add to the complexity of Baltar’s character and I’m curious to see how this influences my opinions of his forthcoming actions within the series.
2. Baltar and self-preservation
Dr. Gaius Baltar cares most about Dr. Gaius Baltar. A Six shows up on Galactica, going by the name Shelly Godfrey, and she’s wielding wild accusations concerning the doctor. Miss. Godfrey tells everyone within earshot that Baltar sold out the human race, and that she has photographic proof. This proof is on what looks like a CD-ROM – totally early 2000s. Plus, the CD even has cut edges, like most objects in this world, like paper, photographs, and frames. How do those cut edges work in a CD player? I have no idea. But back to Baltar, he denies these charges wholeheartedly and seems to be willing to stop at nothing to fight. Does he accost Gaeta in a bathroom? Oh, yes, he sure does. Does he accost Shelly Godfrey in that same bathroom? Oh, yes, he sure does. Baltar accuses her of being a Cylon copy, and even says to her, “No more Mr. Nice Gaius.” He says this. Baltar is so smart, yet so infantile in so many ways. The doctor doesn’t stop here; he raises a false alarm of fire, and attempts to destroy the photographic evidence Gaeta has just discovered that proves Baltar’s guilt. He’s sent to the brig, and in the ultimate act of self-preservation, in a time of desperate crisis, Baltar speaks to God and tells him he will devote the rest of his life to carrying out his divine will, if God delivers him from this evil. Magically, or by divine will, it is discovered that the photo of Baltar is a fake and he is exonerated of all charges. Is this all Six, Godfrey, wanted in the first place? Baltar’s devotion to God? Is he that important to her? But is his pledge of devotion even true? He’s always shown himself to be self-serving and thoughtless.
3. Baltar’s fantasy world
Caprica Six has full on turned into another aspect of Gaius Baltar’s personality. She shows up on Galactica, as well as in what appears to be his fantasy world, his life back on Caprica before the Cylon attack. Why do some events occur on Caprica? Is this the place for his most private thoughts? I don’t remember how often he returns to his fantasy world throughout the season, or really throughout the series, but I’m curious to see how Caprica Six’s appearance develops over time and what her appearance says about Baltar himself.
4. Baltar and Adama and Roslin
Commander Adama and President Roslin have a vested interest in Baltar being found innocent of the treasonous charges brought by Miss. Godfrey. Neither want to believe they’ve made such egregious errors in judgement concerning the doctor. Roslin visits Baltar while he’s in the brig, and she tells him she has to trust her instincts, and her instincts tell her he was involved in the attack, which is going to be awkward once he’s cleared of all charges. I’m pretty sure I remember this setting up a conflict between the two that reaches grand proportions later on in the series. Adama, on the other hand, is very suspicious of Shelly Godfrey, and rightfully so; she even tries to seduce the Commander, which is something he in no way falls for. Adama does not suffer fools. Baltar may be book smart, but Adama is wise to the ways of the world. He wants Godfrey surveilled, and will not rest until she is found once she disappears off of Galactica without a trace.
Continued below5. Baltar and comic relief
The juxtaposition of Gaius Baltar’s personality is integral to the series of Battlestar Galactica. He is tasked with some of the most serious work on the ship, the Cylon detector, and he is accused of the most serious of crimes, treason, yet he is one of the few characters that provides comic relief, of any sort, within the series. When Baltar confronts Gaeta in the bathroom, he’s desperate to clear his name and escape death, but he’s interrupting the Lieutenant while he’s sitting on the toilet, and says to him, “You’re busy, I know. I don’t want to distract you. Don’t let me interrupt you.” Then, when Baltar is confronted by Adama and his security forces, he moves slowly to stand in front of the picture he’s attempting to destroy, as it proves his guilt. This summary does not do any of this comic relief justice. Baltar is supposedly a genius, but he’s also a hilarious idiot.
Baltar is the last character we see in this episode, and then the camera pulls back from him, Galactica, the fleet, leaving us where we started: outside the action. I have to say, Baltar is one of my favorite characters, despite being the character I hate the most. I guess that’s a result of the duplicity of his nature. James Callis is an excellent actor, and I’m sorry the only other thing I’ve enjoyed seeing him in are the Bridget Jones movies – but those are reviews for another day.
