Battlestar Galactica (2003)/Blood on the Scales (2)

Blood on the Scales
Season 4, Episode 14
Airdate	February 6, 2009
Production Number	4A16
Written by	Michael Angeli
Directed by	Wayne Rose
Fleet Survivors	39,603
← 4x13 The Oath (1)	4x15 → No Exit
Battlestar Galactica (2003) — Season Four

Blood on the Scales is the fourteenth episode of the fourth season of Battlestar Galactica, and the sixty-seventh episode overall.

Edward James Olmos (Admiral William Adama), Mary McDonnell (Laura Roslin), Katee Sackhoff (Kara "Starbuck" Thrace), Jamie Bamber (Lee Adama), James Callis (Dr. Gaius Baltar), Tricia Helfer (Number Six), Grace Park (Lieutenant Sharon "Athena" Agathon)

Michael Hogan (Colonel Saul Tigh), Aaron Douglas (Chief Galen Tyrol), Tahmoh Penikett (Captain Karl "Helo" Agathon), Michael Trucco (Samuel Anders), Alessandro Juliani (Lt. Felix Gaeta)

Guest Star: Richard Hatch (Tom Zarek)

Guest Star: Callum Keith Rennie (Leoben)

Guest Star: Mark Sheppard (Romo Lampkin)

Guest Star: Rekha Sharma (Tory Foster)

Guest Star: Sebastian Spence (Narcho)

Co-Starring: Bodie Olmos (Hotdog), Mike Dopud (Specialist Gage)

Cast: Ty Olsson (Capt. Aaron Kelly), Leah Cairns (Lt. Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson), Jennifer Halley (SP2 Diana "Hardball" Seelix), Alexandra Thomas (Hera), Derek Delost (Specialist Vireem), Colin Corrigan (Marine Allan Nowart), Andrew McIlroy (Jacob Cantrell), Judith Maxie (Picon Delegate), Iris Paluly (Speaking Delegate Dahlia), Marilyn Norry (Reza Chronides), Veena Sood (Quorum Delegate), Adrian Holmes (Specialist Parr)

Plot Overview

Gaeta begins the process of trying Adama for his treasonable actions, but is conflicted with Zarek's own course of actions. Meanwhile, the small band of resistance on Galactica fights to regain control of the ship as Roslin attempts to maintain leadership as a refugee on the rebel basestar.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Gaeta and Zarek get Lampkin to act as an attorney for Adama, but Adama refuses to play with their ruse. He is put in the airlock, but is rescued before he can be executed.

• Roslin and Baltar make it to the basestar. From there, Roslin is able to broadcast to the fleet.

• The Quorum refuses to recognise Zarek as President. He has them killed.

• While in the FTL's engine room, Tyrol notices large tears along Galactica's hull.

Characters

• Kara and Lee manage to get everyone freed from the brig, but during the escape, Sam is shot in the back of the neck, seriously injuring him.

• Despite his scorn for them, Baltar expresses a feeling of responsibility toward his followers.

• Gaeta spends some time with Baltar, talking about his past dreams. However, he assures Baltar that he is fine with the way everything turned out and he just wants everyone to know who he is.

• Gaeta and Zarek are executed. In his final moments, Gaeta notices his leg stops itching, indicating it might have been psychological.

Referbacks

• Tigh refers to Kelly as "the brig rat", confirming that he was locked up for the bombs he made in "The Son Also Rises" to kill Baltar's lawyer.

Trivia

The Show

• TV Guide ranked this episode #43 on its list of "TV's Top 100 Episodes of All Time".

• Last appearance of Tom Zarek and (aside from archive footage in The Plan) Felix Gaeta.

Behind the Scenes

• Anders getting shot in the back of the neck was written into the series when, during the season hiatus brought on by the writer's strike, Michael Trucco got into a serious car accident, having miraculously survived and without any paralysis, but left with a nasty scar on the back of his neck.

• Ron Moore states in the commentary that there was a moment when Adama reenters the CIC he was going to shoot the first person he sees, as retaliation for Jaffee. He went back and forth between keeping it and cutting it out, all the way up to the last minute.

Quotes

• Anders: Wonder what Gaeta's gonna do.

Tigh: In your case, cut off one of your frakkin' legs.

• Zarek: This is Tom Zarek, President of the Twelve Colonies. It's over, Laura. Saul Tigh was killed attempting to escape. Bill Adama was tried and found guilty of his crimes. Firing squad executed him this morning. It's done, Laura. You need to think about the people of this fleet now and surrender.

Roslin: No. Not now, not ever. Do you hear me? I will use every cannon, every bomb, every bullet, every weapon I have down to my own eyeteeth to end you. I swear it! I'm coming for all of you!

• (at the firing squad)

Adama: Ready. Aim.

Gaeta: (noticing his leg) It stopped.

Adama: Fire.