1. Can’t we all just get along?
“Pegasus” left us hanging with battle imminent between the Galactica and the Pegasus, but due to a set of serendipitous circumstances, the attack is called off with Cain and Adama agreeing to meet on neutral ground, Colonial One. In a meeting between the Admiral, Commander, and President, it’s clear Cain is determined to execute Tyrol and Agathon, while Adama is committed to commuting their sentences. It’s made to clear to Cain in this exchange that Adama and Roslin have been working together, strategizing together, and considering the law together for some time, situations that have made the two close, making Cain the outsider, or even third wheel. It’s agreed to postpone the execution for after a defeat of the Cylons, leaving Cain dissatisfied and fired up, she’s used to getting what she wants.
2. Cain and Starabuck
Outwardly, these are two of the strongest characters in this series, I’d argue Roslin is up there too, but her strength is less forceful, more diplomatic. Starbuck defies Admiral Cain’s orders and takes the Blackbird on a secret ops mission to photograph a mysterious Cylon ship the Admiral has been tracking over some time. Cain wants answers, and Starbuck is determined enough to get them; Apollo gives her the go ahead as the two always work together well when they agree. Cain is impressed with Starabucks’, excuse me, balls and skills, and promotes her to CAG aboard the Pegasus, leaving us to assume if you impress the Admiral and give her what she wants, you will be rewarded. Disappoint her, and it’s not pretty. Starbuck isn’t one to back down from any fight, and Cain echoes those sentiments by telling her CAG that she’s willing to go back to Caprica to rescue those left behind, like Anders. Not just that, Cain also believes the fleet should return to the 12 Colonies and kill those fracking Cylons. Sure, she could really believe this, we know Cain pretty well by now and it tracks, or is she just playing to Starbuck, trying to lure her away from Adama, a man she’s been loyal to for years.
3. By the way…
After meeting with Admiral Cain, Roslin tells Adama they have to KILL her. Yep, you got it, kill her. Which is shocking. Based on who it’s coming from. But Roslin is sharp and no one’s fool; she knows Cain is dangerous and that she’d kill Adama given the opportunity. Adama and Roslin have spent their time protecting the civilian fleet at all costs, and Roslin asks Adama what he thinks Cain would do with those ships if he was gone.
4. Death is forever, except for Cylons
Baltar has managed to win over Pegasus Six in some way, but Cain almost undoes his work by renewing the physical abuse Six has been forced to endure during her time on the Battlestar. Cain doubles down with the abuse, using language meant to diminish and dehumanize, by calling her “it,” and “this thing.” Cain is an expert abuser; we’ve seen it with her crew and with her treatment of the civilian fleet that had been traveling with the Pegasus, and we see it here. Despite this, the Six does give Baltar the information he needs; the ship they’re investigating is a resurrection ship, where a Cylons’ consciousness is downloaded into a new body after death, but this Six wants to die, forever, like a human. The abuse she’s suffered has just been too much for her, which means helping the humans destroy the ship is exactly what she wants to do.
5. We all have plans
The last 10 minutes of this episode is shot incredibly well, heightening tension and suspense while driving the plot quickly forward. Adama is assigning a mission to Starbuck: assassinate Cain. While Cain is assigning a mission to her XO: watch Adama and our Marines will execute him when the time is right. All of this is happening directly after the plan of attack on the Resurrection ship is laid out for the Galactica.
During his discussion with Roslin, Adama asks if the whole world’s gone mad, and by the end of the episode, it seems like it most certainly has.
