Can't Stop The Signal
Updated 2006-01-25 16:00:00
In short: being spoiler-free is amazing, everything turns upside-down, and everybody picks a new side to be on. As the President lies dying, we are told the stories of two parallel insurrections: one, a teacher's strike which Roslin resolved back on Caprica toward the end of the world, in defiance of her lover Adar's wishes; the other, a Cylon-sympathetic group within the Fleet that is stupid in precisely the same way as your recapper. In both cases, Roslin takes them in her two hands and shakes them up like a snow globe, revealing that her current gravitas and negotiation skills -- not to mention the habit of doing whatever the hell she wants -- were always a major quality. She makes an executive decision to abort Boomer's child, which is supported by basically everyone but Helo, of course, and Boomer, who loses it so totally.
On the threshold of death, Roslin comes close to discovering a memory in which she saw Gaius and Six canoodling back on Caprica. The miracle cure is earned as well as it can be via one million obstacles, both violent and bureaucratic, but basically amounts to injecting Roslin with the blood of Boomer's baby and curing her cancer. (Slow clap starts here -- I told you I didn't care how they got it done.) Only time will tell if the medical stuff will give her superpowers over and above the ones she has had all along, and I know you hate the idea, but it makes me laugh: I wanna see Slayer Roslin picking up metal desks and Raptors and hurling them around when she gets frustrated.
Gina has set herself up on Cloud Nine as the mind-blowingly beautiful leader of the shadowy Cylon sympathizers, who promise several times to stop sabotaging everything and then continue to sabotage everything. Roslin, nearing full recovery, enters into talks with the group, and what with the Cylon blood and her own history of revolutionary empathy, this will probably prove to be the most interesting storyline yet. Chip Six returns -- hooray! -- acting the part of the jealous ex, and convinces Vice President Baltar that Roslin will never trust or respect him, resulting in Gaius's delivery of a nuclear warhead to Gina's quarters. Idiot. Oh! And Roslin has the ring-a-ding sexiest gams I've ever seen on a political figurehead. You go, Madame President!