'Battlestar Galactica' Retro Recap: 'Lay Down Your Burdens (Part 1)'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

One of the many things that I adore about Battlestar Galactica, and this point I'm realizing that list is so long that I could do a year's worth of blogs upon that alone...is that the show can set the mood or the tone for an episode, in a matter of seconds, and for proof, look no further than the first half of the season two finale, 'Lay Down Your Burdens (Part 1)'. Because this particular tale was able to tell in a simple matter of moments that things were about to get extremely dark for this story and for the characters and the fact that a show can set the tone in such quick and powerful fashion speaks volumes to the brilliance that came about in the writing room.

Speaking of that brilliance, it also went above and beyond merely setting a mood in this particular episode, because this two part finale more or less finds a way to tie up the three themes its been playing with all season long by introducing a new concept into the fold...purpose and the need for having one period in life. Granted it's a touch more subtle in the first half of the finale, but it's clear that the fleet has lost a sense of purpose in general and is beginning to crack under the weight of that, and the desperate grab to find one is what makes this episode so dark and so perfect for what awaits us in part two and for proof that people are starting to reach their breaking point...look no further than the Chief's story this go round.  

Because in essence, the man snaps. He attacks Cally without provocation and the fallout from that attack lets us know that the Chief feels lost in life now, in fact he's even questioning his humanity and whether or not he's a Cylon for that matter, and a recurring dream where he sees himself committing suicide has put him in a real funk. Thankfully, a new character, the ship's priest Father Cavill, reassures the Chief that he's not evil or a Cylon and that he can handle his duties just fine, but what made this story so fascinating is the sheer fact that the Chief, a guy who always finds a way to make peace with anything happening around him is going a little stir crazy at the moment and his story would set up the grander scale for this episode, in that...he's not alone.

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Fleet wide there is a sense of claustrophobia and frustration in this episode and it stems from one simple reason; everyone is cooped up and tired of living inside a ship and that only gets worse when the big plan to rescue the remaining rebels on Caprica gets underway. Because after a problem with the jump, Racetrack and Skulls find themselves lost in a Nebula and stumble upon a massive planet that can support human life within its thick clouds, and those clouds are equally as important, because they create enough DRADIS interference that there's a fair chance the Cylons would not be able to spot the fleet if they were anywhere near this planet. 

This of course leads to instant joy in the fleet, despite the scientific evidence that indicates this place won't support human life forever, but that doesn't stop Baltar from seizing the moment and using the planet as the centerpiece of his run at the Presidency, because at this point Baltar is desperate to move ahead in the polls and he quickly paints Laura Roslin as a fear monger and that this new world and the potential colonization of it will be the answer to all their problems and when all is said and done let's be honest, this is Gaius Baltar pushing the fleet past its breaking point. They're already antsy to find a place to settle down and live upon, and the promise of a safe place is forcing them to lose sight of everything because Gaius suddenly surges in the polls and this is quite the slippery slope to head down because suddenly the people of the fleet are not working together or in level headed fashion. They aren't thinking about the mortal consequences that could come with the rash decision to land and live in a place they don't understand enough about and well...they're forgetting about their greater purpose...to keep humanity going and no good can come of this.

But the good news is the episode wasn't 100% darkness, just 95%, because Kara's plan to return to Caprica does work out in the end and she is reunited with her love at last, but the joy of that reunion is quickly dashed once the Cylons begin to attack and that's where this episode leaves us, with a cliffhanger and so much hanging in the balance and well, I truly forgot how much I love this episode. It sets up everything in the smoothest of fashion and what it leaves the audience with is a true sense of anxiety since the possibility is real now that the people of the fleet may choose a quick out over finishing their goals and that's a wonderful thing to explore and I honestly cannot wait to revisit the rest of the season two finale with a fresh perspective, which means it is time for me to hit play on the ol' Blu Ray player and see this season through to its epic end. Until next time.

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