In the latest bit of news, Eric Stoltz has been cast in the "Caprica" pilot as a main character! Where, oh where, have you been all these years Mr. Stoltz? We certainly have missed you since "Pulp Fiction" and "Killing Zoe." According to The Hollywood Reporter, Stoltz will be playing "...Daniel Graystone, a wealthy computer engineer who, after an emotionally crippling family tragedy, uses his technological wizardry to change the future of Caprica."

So if you haven't been following the news, here is the excellent line-up of other actors thus far:

- Paula Malcomson ("Deadwood") - Graystone's (Stoltz's) wife

- Esai Morales ("Jericho"; "NYPD Blue") - Joseph Adama, father of William Adama. Perfect choice!

- Alessandra Toreson ("Malcom in the Middle") - Zoe Graystone, Daniel's daughter.

Stoltz as a computer genius? You couldn't get more spot-on if you tried. This line-up is good to hear given that the pilot appears to be so character driven. The conflict between the two fathers dramatized by Stoltz and Morales should make for some riveting television!

Tell us what you think of the casting news in the comments!

This week's episode, "Faith," jumps straight into the action from last week, and for many BSG fans, returns the series to form (although we've been loving the slow burn of character development that is now beginning to pay off in big ways). While producer Ron Moore has no qualms talking about things he doesn't like about a particular episode on his podcast, he has to be pretty pleased with the results of this latest episode, which is cranking on all cylinders.

STARBUCK & THE DEMETRIUS

We open in the midst of the mutiny aboard The Demetrius (which we discovered in Greek Mythology is the male form of Demeter; one of Demeter's more interesting abilities given Starbuck's "fate" - the ability to control the seasons, and thus capable of destroying all life on earth). Things quickly spiral out of control. BSG Sharon gets Starbuck in a headlock, which prompts Anders to wave a gun around in an effort to stop Gaeta from jumping back to Galactica. In the chaos, Anders shoots Gaeta!

What's interesting is that this seems to snap Starbuck out of her madness, as if it has taken this shocking turn of events to make her realize what is truly going on aboard the ship. She tries to mend Gaeta's wound (which is way more than a mere flesh wound), and once they restore some semblance of order, Starbuck has the clever idea of taking Leoben and herself via Raptor to the Cylon base ship (too bad she didn't think of this during last week's episode!). Helo and all eventually relent, which leads to Anders joining her crew, as well as BSG Sharon to serve as an interpreter. Helo gives them 15 hours to return before he jumps back to meet Galactica. As they pack the Raptor to leave, a true red shirt volunteers by the name of Barolay, and we begin our own countdown as to how quickly she'll be killed.

Motley crew in tow, the Raptor jumps - and we're treated to one of those BSG moments that really gets our geek juices flowing. Starbuck and company jump into the disastrous remains of the Cylon civil war. A mix of metal and internal Cylon body parts float around the wreckage (even base stars are organic!). Kara looks in amazement as the images from her visions play out right in front of her - there's the ringed planet (that we assumed was Saturn but isn't), there's the star, and there's the comet (which we assumed was going to be a real comet) that turns out to be a damaged base ship. Kara marvels that her visions are coming true, but we have to wonder - did Kara ever really visit Earth, given this new insight? Obviously, her vision was a seering of future events, which are now played out, not a remembrance of where she was during her disappearance.

Whatever the case, she's struck from her reverie as she has to dodge oncoming debris. but too late - the Raptor is smashed, and the picture fades quickly to black.

When Starbuck awakens, they're all safely aboard Leoben's Cylon base ship that resembled the "comet" from her visions (with a sickly sweet organic hatch!). BSG Sharon is immediately confronted by a contingent of other #8's from aboard the ship, and oddly enough want to split from the 6's because of what they perceive as bad decisions the 6's are making. Sharon essentially tells them to frak off. You see, Sharon has chosen a side and plans to remain loyal, a fact of which she reminds the other 8's.

After a tense meeting where Starbuck shows her lack of negotiation skills yet again, Leoben finally manages to convince the "Natalie" #6 to ally to the humans on their quest to Earth. BSG Sharon determines that they are going to have to disconnect the Hybrid in order to repair the Cylon base ship's FTL, while Anders nearly puts his hand into the liquid data-stream (gods only know what would have happened - ah, if only).

In a stunning side-plot, one of the #6's recognizes the red-shirt Barolay from New Caprica - seems Barolay, as a resistance fighter, killed a #6 in a particularly brutal fashion. When Barolay shows no remorse - hell, she says she'd do it again - this #6 snaps in a very human manner and slams Barolay's head into the Raptor's hull, which kills her! Now we've got murder and mayhem aboard the Cylon base ship! But we're not finished. Anders jumps on the #6 and comes close to killing her, but is halted by Starbuck. "Natalie" #6 appears and clearly understands that this #6 model is imperfect, for she is still dealing with the emotional trauma from New Caprica. Natalie #6 pulls the trigger for Anders, killing the #6 model, and throwing out a zinger to Kara about enacting human justice.

Starbuck heads to see the Hybrid along with Leoben and Natalie. The Hybrid is being a little more coherent than usual, spouting commands that must be involved with repairing the ship. When Starbuck can't glean any information from the Hybrid, she OK's Sharon to begin the FTL repair. But when the Hybrid is unplugged, it lets out an ungodly moaning sound (this actually raised the hairs on my arm!), which in turn alarms the nearby Centurion, who turns and shoots a #8! The group manages to shoot the Centurion down as the #8's blood seeps into the Hybrid's chamber.

It's at this moment that the Hybrid grabs Kara and communicates a semi-vague, yet straightforward message:

- The dying leader will discover the truth about the Opera House.
- The missing 3 will be used to find the Final 5.
- The final 5 come from the home of the 13th tribe.
- Starbuck is the harbinger of death that will take them all to their end.

The Hybrid passes out (shuts down?), leaving Starbuck to gaze in horror at the prophesy.

The dying #8 reaches out her hand to BSG Sharon for comfort, but BSG Sharon shrugs off her offer. Anders steps in, and in a moment where surely he must feel some sort of Cylon connection, comforts the #8 as she passes.

Having heard the Hybrid's prophesy, the group manages to decipher that the Final 5 came from the 13th colony and must know the way to Earth. The boxed #3's (D'Anna), they realize, will point them to the Final 5. Anders gulps.

The FTL restored, the group jumps back to the Demetrius, where Helo has been waiting the 15 hours (and more) for their return. Bet he didn't plan on seeing that big-arse base ship jump in right on top of him!

All I gotta say is - oh hell! So does the group jump back to Galactica first and then go to resurrect the 3's, leaving the Sleeper 4 in a quandary up front, or do they resurrect the 3's first and then jump back to Galactica, causing an all-out riot?! Holy crap, my geekometer has just gone off the scale!

OTHER POINTS

The B-stories in this episode involve Roslin and Gaeta, which we'll summarize below:

- Roslin tells Tory to keep things running (she's bald!) while she goes off for her treatments. Wow - power of the fleet in the hands of a Cylon that is appearing to be a power-monger. Not good!

- Roslin, in her treatments, has an experience with a fellow cancer patient, and a subsequent vision, that gets her to possibly be on-board with Baltar's blatherings. What's ironic is that her vision is similar to the Greek legend of the River Styx, not Christian notions of death as Baltar's "one true God" would seem to point to.

- Adama's closing line to Roslin about the fact that it was Roslin that convinced him of Earth's reality was possibly the most tender moment between them of the series.

- Gaeta might lose his leg. We're not sure, but it didn't look to good when they flashed to it during the episode. And the fact that Helo waited the entire 15 hours probably didn't help matters.

That's it! Get ready for next week, the title of which I love - "Guess What's Coming to Dinner":

What did you think? Leave your comments below!

This episode's alcohol: Woodford Reserve bourbon
No smokes this time since he recorded it right after the first one.

- As RDM does this podcast, he has just come from writing the finale!

- They refer to the #6 on the Cylon baseship as Natalie-6 internally.

- The Raiders are as alive (have a 'right to life,' as it were) as the other Cylons.

- Starbuck originally was put in #6's cell, but RDM felt it didn't work and so they put her in her own cell.

- Interesting scene after Lee's pilot send-off where afterwards he and Adama are drunk and Adama warns him he will eventually have a call to return as a pilot. Scene will be on DVD deleted scenes.

- The Galactica will look more and more worn as the season progresses.

- They didn't play with the Centurions new awareness as much as RDM thought they would, so don't look for major moves in that direction (boo!)

- Helo wasn't originally in the drafts as going with Kara on the Demetrius. The network noticed Helo wasn't getting a lot of scenes, and RDM realized they needed more and made him XO of the Demetrius mission.

More podcast notes coming soon!

Here are the highlights gleaned from the podcast for the premiere episode:

Regular listeners know that RDM frequently drinks and smokes during the podcast, and has announced the respective brands at the request of the fans.

This week's scotch: Macallen 17
Smokes: none

- The Razor movie was technically labeled episodes 1 and 2 of this season, which is why you see the labelling for the premiere as episode 3.

- RDM wanted to cut the scene of Tigh shooting Adama, but thought it worked once he saw the way director Michael Rhymer shot it.

- He mentions what would seem to be a cool deleted scene with multiple raiders around Anders during the combat sequence instead of just one. He hated it since it didn't play like the style of the show, but hopes it will be on the DVD deleted scenes.

- They call Baltar's quarters "Baltar's lair" internally.

- Kara's viper will play an interesting and pivotal role later in the season.

- They are aware of the Jesus imagery of Baltar, but they're not necessarily trying to play it overtly; Baltar is not Jesus.

- Kara nearly chucked Gaeta out an airlock early in Season 3, so it felt natural to turn the tables and have Gaeta doubt Kara, and have lingering resentment.

- Baltar is sincere when he prays for the child.

- RDM wasn't entirely happy with the Baltar confrontation scene - something didn't play right with the zealot chick (Paula).

Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, or visit the BSG site directly and download the podcasts in the Downloads section.

Ready then? We're breaking into character pieces again since BSG has been so focused on the downward spiral of all of our beloveds.

BALTAR & TYROL

Amazingly enough, we're actually able to type those names together this week. You see, Tyrol (doing his best Private Pyle impersonation), is sick of hearing the religious mumbo jumbo pirate broadcasts that Baltar is sending out across the ship. It doesn't help that Tory tries to convince him of how correct Baltar is during one of Tyrol's visit-the-airlock-and-brood sessions. It's also during this session we learn of Tyrol's suspicion of Cally's "suicide." Oh, how twisted the future is going to be when Tyrol finds out what really happened (you did see "Full Metal Jacket," right?).

When Tyrol later shows up during one of Baltar's sickening religious oratories, we first believed that Tyrol may have been drinking Baltar's Kool-Aid. Boy did he proves us wrong by delivering an unholy smiting upon Baltar's face. For Baltar, it's a good thing Tory has no qualms with speaking her mind - by delivering the verbal sting that the President would ignore him because he had not converted anyone of consequence, you know Baltar is going to do whatever he can to get the lost Tyrol on his side.

Later, Baltar visits Tyrol in the ex-chief's quarters and delivers what we can only suppose is a heart-felt apology for not being more sympathetic to Tyrol's feelings. He drones on again about the one true God, his thoughts about Cally, and when it appears he's said his piece without breaking through Tyrol's stoic veneer, Tyrol reaches out and take Baltar's hand.

We'll have to wait and see how this develops - will Tyrol become a religious zealot and reek havoc aboard Galactica? Will Baltar begin using him as a tool? And if so, when Roslin finds out Baltar broke the unsigned truce between them, how will she retaliate? Or will Tyrol self-combust and blow Baltar's head off?

Ah, things are looking brighter, no?

STARBUCK

Speaking of bright futures...oh, wait, we're talking about Starbuck, so everything must be gloom and doom. Starbuck is not doing much better than Tyrol. In fact, watching their madness intertwined together in parallel made for some interesting comparisons throughout the episode.

Things are not any better this week aboard the Demetrius. The crew is ever-mutinous, held in check only by Helo who has managed to somehow keep his military training intact. When Starbuck forces herself into one of their recon missions, Helo warily concedes.

If the BSG bridge thought Starbuck was a whacked out pilot before, they should see her these days - wild-eyed, muttering to herself, searching for signs that only she knows exists. As fate would have it, they finally make a discovery in the dead of space this time out - a blasted heavy raider, with none other than Leoben on board.

With a Cylon aboard, specifically this Cylon, you know things are going to get nasty with a restless crew that is already pissed at Starbuck. Tempers flare as Starbuck gets hornswoggled into Leoben's hooks again.

Leoben later informs Anders that he wants Starbuck and crew to team up with the Cylons that have been ousted by Cavil, while the Demetrius crew desperately wants to meet the rendezvous with Galactica (and presumably tell Adama how insane Starbuck is). Matters are made worse when Starbuck informs the crew that they are teaming up with the Cylons.

It doesn't help matters that a crew member gets blown up inspecting Leoben's ship (they should have put a red shirt on her). This incident cements the crew's belief that things are amiss, but now puts Starbuck's trust in Leoben on hold as well. After she lays the smack down on Leoben, Leoben waxes eloquent again about Starbuck's destiny, calling her an angel.

After Starbuck delivers a matter-of-fact speech about the dead crewman's death, she informs them that they're going to jump to meet the Cylons, which is when Helo has had enough (can you really blame him?). You can tell that he is reluctant to do so, but feels it's for the crew's survival that he not obey her orders to jump. She relieves him of command, gives Gaeta the orders, who flat out refuses as well, and the mutiny is on! Flashbacks of Admiral Cain shooting down her XO in cold blood come to mind.

We end the episode treated to Starbuck's characteristically cold stare.

NEXT WEEK:

Leave us your thoughts in the comments!

"See a 10-minute sneak peek of each week's episode of Battlestar Galactica on SCIFI.COM!

Log on every Friday to watch a special LIVE streaming-video preview of the first act of that evening's new episode before it airs on SCI FI.

Live video streams will run on SCIFI.COM at the start of every hour from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. To view the stream, you must have the latest version of Windows Media installed on your computer.

While the episode sneak peek is streaming live, you will not be able to pause it, rewind it, or fast-forward through it."

So there you have it. At least they're being up front about how much of the episode they are going to stream. Last week they cut it off 20 minutes in!

Episodes like this week's "Escape Velocity" are tough ones for a lot of fans to swallow. Slow-burn drama where the producers and writers are setting up plot-lines for the future tend to divide audiences straight down the middle.

At Battlestar Fodder, we're on the side of the folks that love these kinds of intriguing character pieces. We can tell that strands are beginning to be woven in the story that will pay off later in the series. And if you don't think that we the viewers will get any payoff, then I suggest you watch "Deep Space Nine," especially the final seven episodes where Ron Moore and company blew our collective scifi minds with the way in which they resolved the series. Have faith, Dear Watchers - all will be revealed.

Since they managed to stay on board the Galactica this week, we'll break this week's review into the various character pieces.

TYROL

Tyrol, of course, is still reeling from the realization of Cally's death, as well as his Cylon nature. After an eloquent speech at Cally's funeral, he grabs the arms of his Sleeper Cylon cohorts, Tigh and Tory, and stares a hole through their souls (if indeed they have them). Tigh later reprimands Tyrol during one of their cabals for "trying to give them away." Tigh, dealing with his own dead wife issues, unhelpfully informs Tyrol that he will see her everyday. Tory, still relishing her newfound power, tells Tyrol to embrace the advantages that being a Cylon brings.

Later, obviously still cursed by his wife's death (and no doubt in some limbo state of trying to understand who he really is), Tyrol loses focus on his job and nearly causes the deaths of two Galactica pilots as they barely survive a nasty crash into the hangar and it's all Tyrol's fault. His mental state is deteriorating quickly.

After working a shift for too long, Tyrol finally decides that he needs a break and heads to Joe's Bar, where Adama appears to console him and give the Chief some time off if need be. Instead, Tyrol lets his drink and his raw emotions control him, letting it be known to all around the bar that he settled when he married Cally, throws insults around (boiled-cabbage stench? ouch!), and then dares Adama to send him off the ship. Didn't anyone tell him that it's stupid to threaten Adama? Adama demotes him on the spot.

TIGH

It's been a while since we've seen Tigh deal with the fact that he killed his wife, but boy does that self-torture reappear this week. You see, Tigh has been visiting #6 in her cell aboard the Galactica, evidently trying to pry some details on how Cylon brains work. After all, it'd be rather handy if there was some way he could shut off the pain of his wife's death as easy as flipping a switch.

Unfortunately, #6 informs him (sometimes with Tigh creepily envisioning Ellen's head on #6's shoulders) that it is the pain and the love of Baltar that helped her understand death. Pain is where you learn, and focus, sharp as a knife. And she wants to teach Tigh all the things the Cylons learned when they studied the human brain to make Cylon brains.

It's too bad Tigh has run all the soldiers and the personnel out of the viewing room, for after this speech #6 clocks him, and with a sweet smile on her face pummels his face in, asking if he can feel the clarity through the pain now.

When we think Tigh has had enough, he requests for more, but #6 suddenly realizes that it is not pain that he needed, but something else - AND THEN PROCEEDS TO KISS HIM! The ratio of hotties kissing old men on this show has exponentially grown this season!

BALTAR

Ah, Gaeius Baltar. The religious threads that began last season and emerged full force during the previous few episodes comes to a violent fruition this week.

The twisted relationship between Tory and Baltar makes an even more bizarre and disgusting turn this week. While Tory teaches Baltar the finer points of perfection by feeling pleasure and pain together, a group of radicals called the Sons of Ares break into his harem, beat his female followers, and demand that Baltar be handed over.

The fact that the Sons of Ares represent the old gods of the colonies stirs up Head Six, who convinces Baltar to hoist up the banner of the one true God and make a stand. His new resolution to not be beaten into submission culminates in him storming into a religious ceremony being held by worshipers of the old religion, where he lambastes the old Gods, calls the temple leader a witch, and is carried off by soldiers as he destroys votives and yells at them for what they believe.

After Roslin releases Baltar from jail (more on that later), he returns to his quarters only to find the entrance blocked by Galactica's soldiers. Head Six convinces Baltar to stand up for his beliefs, which results in him getting beat down by the guard. Things look bad for Baltar until Lee appears and decrees that the full right of assembly has been restored so Baltar can return to his harem.

With his followers collected again (and Lee and Tory watching), Baltar brings his congregation to tears as he preaches to them about loving themselves, and to know the truth about themselves, which is that they are perfect just as they are, and that God only loves that which is perfect.

The room erupts in applause, and Lee vacates the room with a look of semi-disgust. He may have realized that he made a mistake. Head Six and Tory smile at Baltar's newfound zeal and apparent influence.

ROSLIN

We discover that Adama is still helping Roslin through her treatments by reading to her. As he walks her back to his quarters, they discuss the commotion that Baltar is causing on the ship, and that Baltar always seems to be able to stir up the crap.

Roslin visits Baltar in his cell and lets him know, in no uncertain terms, that since she is dying she cares less and less about rules and regulations, and that if Baltar will lead a quiet little life, she'll lead a quiet little death. That said, she releases him back into the wild.

During a Quorum meeting, Roslin limits public assembly, obviously in an attempt to curb Baltar's influence among the fleet. As the Quorum moves to vote on the measure, she reminds them of what Baltar did as President - only imagine what he'd do with blind religious devotion.

The Quorum repeals the mandate, and later, as Roslin gets her treatment, she worries that Lee is making a momentous mistake. Adama reads her to sleep, quoting a sentimental and touching phrase about death.

So, no space battles. No hyper-jumping to the surface of a planet in a crazy rescue attempt. But the intrigue of what is developing in the lives of these characters as they deal with spiritual matters and question themselves is as compelling a drama as any of the previous seasons.

Next Week:

Comment away!

If this week's episode did not convince people that this is the best show on television, then they need to box their entire line of Cylon selves and call it a day.

If you haven't been watching Scifi.com's recaps of each episode entitled "What the frak is going on?" then you're missing out on a hilarious treat. So, I'm going to let Scifi.com do the recap for me, since this will be the only humor we get this week:

Caught up? Then let's get to it!

Now that the show is split into 3 distinct storylines, I'm changing the format this week to follow those plot threads by separating the arcs into their own sections. Let's start with the Cylon 7.

THE CYLONS

BSG begins this week aboard the Cylon resurrection ship where Cavil is being reborn from his newly-met demise at the hands of the Centurions. The Sharon and Cavil models are there to clothe his naked butt, and newly-minted Cavil learns that the fleet is split right down the middle again, and that he can't return to his ship due to 6 using the Centurions for a little "ethnic cleansing." Why does Cavil not remember what just happened to him? I thought their memories downloaded to the new model? The sequence ends with Sharon kissing Cavil (ew!), and now we know that the topless-dance was not just a one-off event.

Later, Cavil meets with 6 and two Sharon models to discuss how they can all play nice together again. Suspiciously, he agrees to their terms of stopping the raider lobotomies, and to confer with the others regarding unboxing the entire line of D'Annas.

Interestingly, #6 has to say "Please" to get a nearby Centurion to escort Cavil off the ship. And what was that - did that Centurion that was assigned clean-up duty just turn its head as if to say "We're gonna clean up all yall's butts here in a bit"?? We think Cavil is probably right - they have indeed opened Pandora's Box by removing the Centurion inhibitors.

Cavil returns after an unknown amount of time and declares that the Cylons on his side voted to go ahead and resurrect the model 3's. The D'Anna model's core consciousness would be downloaded at the main server, which is half a dozen jumps from their current location. #6 agrees, as long as they make the journey in their own ships.

When the jump is made to this supposed central server, things are amiss as the resurrection ship oddly does not make the jump. Cavil's base ships suddenly move in. #6 and Sharon realize they've been had. And then - CAVIL'S SHIPS BEGIN FIRING ON THE OTHERS! THE #6's and Sharon line could possibly be wiped out for good! As Cavil and the lone Sharon model look on, Cavil reminds her that "they started it." The traitorous Sharon worries over their souls, but Cavil states that they are machines, and do not have souls.

THE DEMETRIUS

Aboard Starbuck's garbage ship floating in search for Earth, we see Kara in various states of confusion, as she's having a hard time mapping out the correct route. Shockingly, we find Gaeta is on the flying boat as well, apparently serving as the navigator.

The crew - consisting of Anders, Helo, BSG Sharon, Seelix, and several other unmentionables - is in a state of weary near-mutiny, as we get a sense that they believe Starbuck has no idea where she's going and are not thrilled to be aboard. Helo is the only one that appears to be keeping any semblance of military order.

Later we see Starbuck decorating her bunk with what she surely hopes is a memory of her voyage to Earth, as Anders appears and wonders what the hell is going on with her. After some hateful words where Starbuck insults his intelligence, they bicker their way into bed, where Starbuck declares over and over that she just wants to frak (and over and over).

Once the deed is done, Starbuck tells Anders that she has not been feeling herself since she returned, like her body is just this "alien thing she's attached to."

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

All is not well on the marital front between Tyrol and Cally, as we would expect upon the news that Tyrol is a Cylon. It appears Cally is not getting a lot of sleep these days, and her relationship with Tyrol is escalating into more and more domestic in-fighting. She wakes one night to their crying child, and Tyrol is absent. Finding a napkin with Joe's Bar insciribed upon it, Cally takes the child with her to investigate why Tyrol is not home in bed.

She indeed finds him in Joe's Bar - chatting with Tory in what she confuses for a secret affair between the two. Cally confronts her husband, who tries to convince her that the meeting is not what it appears. Cally storms off in anger, unwilling to hear out an explanation.

In an effort to continue her bid for an Emmy nomination, Roslin receives her cancer treatment in solitude. Adama appears, and in a move that makes later scenes all the more painful, begins to read "Love and Bullets" to her to pass the time. McDonnell communicates the appreciation and yet pain and loneliness Roslin feels with nary a word spoken.

Lee Adama later publicly accepts his new position into the Quorum, a deliberative body with representatives from each of the colonies. Lee is asked how the President feels about his election given that he defended Baltar, and Roslin steps in to cut the question off with a response that could have come straight from the White House's Press Secretary. She's then asked about the rumors surrounding the departure of The Demetrius, the ship Starbuck was given in the previous episode, but Roslin hands the question over to Admiral Adama who says the ship was sent on a military mission. When asked about the rumor that Starbuck was aboard, Adama replies with a very curt "I don't respond to rumors."

Later, in the President's quarters, Roslin admits to Bill that she is not happy with his decision to send Starbuck in search for Earth. This scene's pain is augmented by the earlier tenderness of Adama reading her the book, because we sense that this rift is going to cause more scars between the two down the line.

Elsewhere, the fighting between Tyrol and Cally continues as their relationship spirals downward. Cally has taken on a cold facade to Tyrol's assumed unfaithfulness.

Before the Quorum Q&A, Lee is approached by Zarek, who plants seeds of doubt into Lee's mind about Roslin's presidency, whom Zarek feels is leaning toward being a tyrant. He hands Lee a confidential document and tells him that he hopes Lee is not the type of person that will ignore the truth right in front of his face.

Cally visits Doc Cottle, and it is here that we really see how desperate and disillusioned she is about her marriage. Cottle uncharacteristically pries into the couple's home life, and entreats Cally to get Tyrol into sick bay if she can. Cally actually takes a drag from Cottle's cigarette (!) as he tells her to get some sleep and clear her head.

During the Quorum Q&A, Roslin is pelted by the Quorum with questions about the Demetrius, which Roslin deflects handily. When Lee asks a softball question regarding the fact they are probably searching for all routes to Earth, Roslin delivers a minor insult that she doesn't need a junior delegate to be her spokesperson. In a decisive moment for Lee, harkening back to the boldness he took during Baltar's trial, Lee questions her about Executive Order 112, presumably the confidential memo that Zarek handed him earlier. The order would establish a justice system that would confer a scary amount of power into Roslin's hands. Roslin rebuts that the order is merely a draft, and that the outline will change dramatically by the time it is finalized. Lee sits, burned by his own tenacity.

Cally's condition worsens. Between flashbacks of her relationship with Tyrol and the drugs she is taking, she still is not getting any asleep. She goes to close the door to their room, and finds a hidden note in the hinge: Weapons Locker 1701D 1330 HRS (did you catch this not-so-subtle reference to a show that producer Ron Moore used to work on?)

Surely with the thought that she is about to get certain evidence of Tyrol's affair, Cally hides at Weapons Locker 1701D. Instead of a secret tryst between only Tyrol and Tory, however, she witnesses one of the clandestine meetings of the Sleeper 4 (minus Anders, of course, who is aboard the Demetrius). Curiosity peaked, she finds her way into an access panel that leads behind the chamber and overhears - that her husband is a Cylon! Immediately her mind pieces together memories that had been bothering her, causing her to freak out and knock over a panel she'd removed. The Sleeper Cylons freeze, but hear no other sound. They dismiss the meeting.

Cally scrambles to get the hell outta dodge, and manages to get out of the corridor just in time. But as Tory closes the door to the weapons locker, she notices the access panel askew. She's obviously put 2 and 2 together.

The entire 4th Act is made of the Cally story, and for good reason. Properly freaked out now that she's discovered the Sleeper 4's secret, Cally is in a state of distress when she returns to her quarters. Tyrol returns and asks if she's ok, and Cally, facing away, manages to bite back her fear and reassure Tyrol that all is ok. Tyrol approaches the baby as he discusses his desire to have more, but when he turns around - WHAM! Cally whacks him over the head with a wrench. BAM! she nails him again, and Tyrol is out for good.

Cally grabs a key from his pocket, picks up the baby, and then walks in what can only be described as a fugue state to the airlock where they release the Vipers into space. She walks to the panel and inserts the key, and it becomes evident that she is going to launch herself, as well as her newly-discovered Cylon baby, out of the airlock!

It is at this moment that Tory appears, and manages to keep Cally from tossing them all out the airlock by instilling doubt as to the nature of Cylons, as they had only just discovered their nature. Tory helps Cally up, taking the baby in her arms - and then delivers a #6-sized smackdown to Cally's face!

When Cally comes out of her stupor, Tory is in the control room with the key. She coldly opens the airlock, killing Cally in the vacuum of space.

As the episode comes to a close, we see Adama sitting silently with Tyrol in his room, obviously having already broken the news. The camera pans backwards as Cally's swan song plays us out.

HOLY. FRAK.

The producers were not kidding that things were going to get darker than they've ever been. Next Friday can't get here soon enough!

To tide you over, here is the promo for next week, entitled "Escape Velocity," and it looks like things are not going to slow down one bit:

THE INTRO

Starbuck is still pointing the gun at Roslin, as Tigh and Helo make their way to Adama's chambers to figure out what all the commotion is about. Starbuck reminds the President (at gunpoint, mind you) that their trip to the Tomb of Athena was Roslin's idea in the first place (touché, Madame Starbuck). Roslin looks on doe-eyed as Starbuck hands her weapon over, telling Roslin to go ahead and shoot her if she thinks she's a Cylon. As Starbuck walks away with a dramatic flourish - BAM! Roslin fires the gun, and as Tigh and Helo force their way into the room with soldiers in tow, we find...

...Roslin is holding a smoking gun, and somehow has missed Starbuck at point-blank range. The soldiers pin Starbuck to the ground as Adama bursts into the room, and Starbuck recommences her litany that the more jumps they take, the less she'll "feel" the way to Earth. She's dragged away screaming like a maniac.

Survivor count: 39,676

ACT 1
The opening notes played out during this episode are going to send shockwaves throughout the entire season. For the first time we're really seeing a rift appear inside the Cylon 7 that had merely been hinted at before. Six, Boomer, and Leoben believe that The Hybrid is trying to tell them that the Final 5 are aboard the human fleet, but Cavil is having none of it. He argues for the status quo, and scolds the others for wishing to discover who the Final 5 are.

Two interesting tidbits arise during this heated opening debate. First, that the "original programmers" wished them not to think about the Final 5. Will we learn why this is so, or are we going to have to wait until the Caprica prequel? Second, we learn that Raiders and Centurions are more sentient than we first believed, and that Cavil is for dumbing down these robots he says are tools and not pets. The other 3 wish to follow the will of the one true God. Thus begins the deepening of the schism.

Meanwhile, back on Battlestar SoapOperica, the Sleeper 4 are holding their weekly cabal, this time with a bent toward Starbuck's erratic behavior, and the realization (via Tigh) that they now more than ever will have to keep themselves hidden given that Roslin nearly put a bullet in Starbuck's head. The discussion quickly turns to the final Cylon, and Tyrol suggests that Baltar may know who it is given that he was seen in the temple on the algae planet with D'anna (interesting that Tyrol is still calling Cylons "skin jobs"). As they discuss the best way to get to Baltar, Tigh utters one great line in an episode full of great lines: "Well, he is accomplished at two things - lying in a cell and lying in a woman." Seeing that Tory is the only woman in the group, it appears that she's automatically elected. When she balks at this, Tigh quips, "You don't have to get on your back for him." Zing!

Starbuck, as we find out, is lying on her back in a cell of her own. Adama pays an uncordial visit and tells her that she's blown her only ally, that she didn't have the guts to hold on. In a heated exchange, Starbuck tells Adama that he's the President's wet nurse, and that he's the one that doesn't have the guts. KERPOW! Adama slams her to the ground in a fit of rage, and just as it appears Adama is going to pulverize her, Starbuck says "nice to know you still care Admiral." Adama nearly slams her head into the floor, and then walks away in a huff with Starbuck screaming "WE'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!"

ACT 2
The Cylons have held their Democratic Primary to see if the raiders should continue to be lobotomized so that they can continue to act like Hillary Clinton (ha! see what we did there?!). The 1's, 4's, and 5's vote to continue to "reconfigure" the raiders, while the 2's, 6's, and 8's vote against it, resulting in a stalemate. But wait, what is this? Cavil throws out the trump card - a sole 8 model (Sharon) has voted against her line and in favor of reconfiguring the raiders. For the first time we're seeing individualization arise from the Cylons, and while this is titillating to us, the viewing audience, 6 is none too pleased. It appears the Cylons are headed for a downward spiral the likes of which hasn't been seen since - oh, yeah, since the bitter romance between Lee and Starbuck.

Back on the Fleet, the pilots are having one final frat party for Lee's departure into guv'ment work (he's going to work with Zarek!). What begins with a good ol' farewell toast accompanied by shots of strange looking liquor ends in a classic BSG moment as Lee soberly dedicates the final shot to "absent friends." Admiral Adama looks with remorse at a picture of Starbuck on the wall. Dissolve to Adama's chambers as he gazes upon the pendant Starbuck gave him. Is the Admiral having a change of heart?

In the mess room, Tory sets her feminine trap for an unsuspecting Baltar. He saunters over, revealing that he's seen her spying on him. Tory tries to play it off that she's interested in the miracle she heard about, but Baltar can see right through her lie. And this is when Head Baltar appears and tells Real Baltar to play nice. That's right - not Head Six, but Head Baltar. The one that appeared in Six's head originally. Now I'm corn-fused. What are we supposed to take from this? Sure, you could say merely that "Baltar is talking to himself," but that's an easy out. Surely there is something more to this development in Baltar's psychosis? Hopefully RDM will give us insight during his podcast.

Regardless, it makes for a hilarious exchange between the trio. Baltar's offers a quick monologue on being an instrument of God - which turns out to be an amazing piece of writing tying in the song the Sleeper 4 heard that activated them - Tory gets spooked and leaves him there to talk to himself.

ACT 3
This act starts with one of the most excruciating scenes it has ever been my non-pleasure to cover (nevermind that this is only my second review). The relationship that Adama and Roslin have developed since New Caprica has been a tender one to watch unfold. But we know that Bill can be a mean drunk, and boy does he ever shoot an arrow into Roslin's heart on this one.

Adama returns from Lee's party quite sauced, and it's a mistake on Roslin's part that she chooses that moment to get him to sit down and talk about the fate of Starbuck. Adama drops the bomb - in a drunken state mind you - that he may believe Starbuck's return is a miracle - although he doesn't actually say the word. Roslin is still determined not to let Cylon Starbuck lead the fleet to what she believes is certain doom (you'll remember that The Hybrid cylon in "Razor" said that Starbuck would lead the humans to their doom). In their pain, they both take shots at each other. Roslin tells him that he's so afraid to live alone, and Adama says that she's afraid to die that way. "You're afraid that you may not be the dying leader you thought you were, or that your death may be as meaningless as everyone else's." Ouch. Bill stumbles away. Roslin, with tears in her eyes, pulls at her hair only to find that pieces are beginning to fall out. Way to go Bill.

Damn, give these two an Emmy already.

Lee, dressed in sharp pinstripes, visits Starbuck in jail. He's there to say his official goodbye before heading off to be a government mule, but he just can't get enough. He turns back and gives her one final kiss, whispering "I believe you" in her ear. Somehow we don't believe that this will be the last exchange between these two.

After a brief trip down memory lane in the pilots' ready-room, Lee heads to his shuttle to leave Galactica, where he's greeted by a surprise military departure from the crew. As he says "good-luck" and goodbye to each in turn, he makes a final awkward gesture of closure to Dee. Man, that bagpipe and drum crescendo never fails to get me charged up with emotion every time it plays.

The very next scene we're greeted with a gruesome picture of a Cylon raider's brain being drilled - bone and blood and all - before cutting to a meeting room where 6 implores Cavil to stop the lobotomies. When Cavil says no for the last time, the tension comes to a head as 6 summons two Centurions into the room - who spin up their guns.

Cue commercial Break!

ACT 4
We return to the action - oh wait, there's some faint groaning sounds, and what appears to be someone's butt - oh crap. Baltar is shagging Tory. We learn that Tory cries during sex, which leads to more unremarkable acting on her part as she stirs up the whole Cylon emotion/lack of emotion debate. Baltar appears to be ready to unleash a whole lot of hellfire and brimstone upon the fleet, as he realizes that he's tired of holding in his beliefs toward the one true God.

On the Cylon base ship, Cavil tries to command the Centurions to leave, which falls on deaf cybernetically-enhanced ears. 6 reveals that they have removed the inhibitors that kept the Centurions from a higher plane of intelligence, much to the dismay of Cavil. 6 also shares that when the Centurions found out what the others were doing to the raiders that the Centurions were a tad upset, to say the least. The Centurions close in on Cavil and his cohort Cylons in the room - and commence to blowing them all away! Oh. Hell. Things are gonna get nasty from here!

In the closing moments of the episode, Adama has Starbuck released from her cell and taken to the flight deck, where she believes he's going to give her the Roslin treatment and have her tossed out the airlock. Instead, Adama informs her that she'll be taking a small crew in a garbage freighter to find Earth, under the guise of a scouting mission. Adama may or may not believe her, but he's tired of turning away from the things he believes in, which is that Starbuck won't stop trying to find Earth or will die trying. And he won't lose her again.

Group hug!

Overall, this episode improved upon the themes from last week's premiere, and cemented in my mind once and for all that we're in for one hell of a ride this season.

Post your thoughts in the comments!

Next: "The Ties that Bind" - Kara Thrace seeks her own path in the search for Earth while the Cylons face the threat of sentient Centurions. A member of Galactica's crew learns a dark secret about a loved one. - TV.com

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But enough of the violin-twiddling, let's get cracking!

It's been over a year (A FRAKKING YEAR!) since the Season 3 mind-blower, so here are some quick bullets to get us up to speed:

- Starbuck "dies" in a fiery explosion
- Baltar goes on trial; Lee Adama joins his defense
- Baltar is acquitted
- The fleet jumps to the Ionian Nebula and loses power
- Tyrol, Anders, Tori, and Tigh (Tigh!) discover they are sleeper Cylons
- Power returns to the the fleet
- Cylon fleet jumps in from nowhere
- Starbuck returns; tells Lee she has found Earth

Lets. Get. To it!

The opening clues us into the fact that this season is going to be something special, for a new mantra greets us during the intro:

Twelve cylon models
Seven are known
Four live in secret
One will be revealed

This week's opening encapsulated everything we love about this series - all before the titles rolled!

We pick up right where we left off - Starbuck tries to convince Lee that she's really back, and she's been to Earth, but before Lee can really wrap his mind around it they're in the heat of battle - and oh what a sweet battle it is! Look - 'splosions!

Tigh shoots Adama during this sequence, but we pretty much figured it was Cylon wish-fulfillment fantasy, which sure enough it turned out to be. The most captivating beat during the battle, however, came when Anders, who was newly-minted as a Viper pilot, joins the fray and is scanned by a Cylon raider. The Cylon squadrons immediately back off, return to their ships, and jump out of the system. As everyone aboard Galactica scratches their heads, Tori suggests that something may have changed. Oh yes, Tori - things have changed indeed!

KEY POINTS

- Starbuck: Starbuck's return is not a welcome one. Everyone is unsure of whether she is a Cylon or not. The Cylon test, while negative, is discredited by Tigh (natch!). Starbuck's Viper is immaculately clean, with nary a scratch to be seen. The ships logs are also missing. Just where in the hell has Starbuck been, and who is she really? She also now "feels" that the fleet is headed in the wrong direction in their journey to Earth, holding Roslin at gunpoint with convinction. This plotline, played out alongside the Final 5 subplot, is going to make for a crazy-interesting final season.

- Baltar: Baltar's emergence as a spiritual leader, given his dynamic character, will make for intriguing viewing as well. Is he really beginning to believe in "the one true God" and the power of his own prayer, or is he playing some game the likes of which we'll discover as the season progresses? Baltar playing Jesus among a cabal of women zealots? You couldn't imagine a more fitting place to stroke his already ginormous ego. Oh, and he loses the beard.

- Lee Adama: In a discussion with his father over the identity of Starbuck, Lee reveals that he's going to stick to governmental work. Will the occupational distance give the father-son duo a chance to mend the fence between them, or separate them even further?

- The Galactica 4: Tyrol, Anders, Tori, and Tigh are still muddled over how they're going to react to the newfound discovery of what they are, although Anders and Tori seem to be in more of a shocked daze than the others. Tigh and Tyrol appear determined to continue their roles, with Tigh fighting his realized "nature" more than anyone else. Fascinating times indeed.

Ron Moore's podcast is delayed until later this week, so we'll be sure to bring you any interesting details we gleen from it. Until then, discuss away in the comments!

Next week: The Cylons learn that the Final Five are in the Colonial fleet. Some of the Cylons want the Cavil model to stop lobotomizing the Raider ships. Starbuck desperately tries to convince the others that the fleet is going the wrong way in their search for Earth (TV.com).