'Battlestar Galactica': Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Previously on Battlestar Galactica... Gaeta pulled a Dwight Schrute and asked if Zarek wanted to form an alliance with him. Zarek's response? "Absolutely I do."

Tigh and Adama discuss the situation with the fleet in Adama's chambers but it all falls a little by the wayside when Madame President emerges from the bedroom. Tigh almost swallows his own tongue, it's delightful. Mary McDonnell makes the cutest little face at him too. President Roslin is full to bursting with ideas about handling the quorum but says she's not getting involved. I give that til the end of the episode to change.

Gaeta, Zarek and a mechanic stage a fake fuel leak on the flight deck in order to clear everyone out so they can smuggle Zarek out of prison on Galactica to Colonial One. A redshirt mechanic is suspicious of them and tries to call Adama, so Zarek pulls a Col. Mustard and kills him with a blow to the head with a wrench. Gaeta is uncomfortable with that and a female fleet member sees the whole thing from a catwalk overlooking the flight deck, but Zarek is shuttled off to Colonial One anyway.

In the control room, someone spots the unauthorized launched transport and Gaeta plays evasive, calling it a DRADIS ghost. Tigh and Adama believe him and order diagnostics to be run on DRADIS. At the Quorum, Apollo tries to reason with the quorum members... just as Zarek walks in the door and takes back over.

Diana, a girl from the colonies, reminisces with Sam about playing pyramid together and drinking at Joe's Bar. It's a ruse to distract him so two of the anti-Cylon cronies can jump him, put a bag over his head and kick the absolute crap out of him.

A fire breaks out on C Deck and Gaeta suggests to Adama that it's not an accident and they should evacuate. This is exactly what the Zarek Zealots want, because when the evacuation occurs a bunch of ZZs arm themselves. Both Starbuck and Apollo make an attempt to contact Adama about their various situations but Gaeta the Phone Operator lies to them and hangs up the phone. Apollo takes off for Galactica, because Zarek plants seeds of doubt in his mind about the Admiral's intentions.

When Apollo arrives on Galactica, the Zarek Zealots jump him on the flight deck. One of them pulls a gun on Apollo and Starbuck comes in, guns a-blazin'. She drops two of them before they let Apollo go. If I was the regular recapper, you'd see this alot:  Starbuck is a bad-ass and I want to be her when I grow up. She and Apollo hole up in a room off the flight deck, where Starbuck plants a big ol' smooch on Apollo and tells him it feels good to be alive. Oh goodness.

Helo, Boomer and Athena are raided by some ZZs. The two girls are taken away and Helo is given a gun butt to the face. They are all thrown in a holding cell with Six and Sam.

Gaeta continues to lie, cheat and steal on the control deck and Adama is just starting to get suspicious, so he sends a redshirt down to C deck. Just as the redshirt gets back with reports of the chaos, a bunch of ZZs soldiers burst in and open fire. The redshirt is killed (of course) and Gaeta arrests Adama for treason. Adama warns all of them that if they go through with this, there will be no amnesty. He tells Gaeta, "This boy died honoring his uniform. You... will die with nothing." Oooh, I love me some pissed-off Edward James Olmos.

The Bobsey Twins make their way up to the control deck. Along the way, they hole up in Adama's chambers with President Roslin. They fill her in on the uprising and that they might lose control of the ship. Roslin goes all hard-ass and says she'll address the fleet.

Baltar's Hookah Bar. (What? That's what it looks like!) Tyrol is packing up Gaius so they can protecct him from the Zarek Zealots. The girl from the catwalk over the flight deck was Jean, one of Gaius's followers. Tyrol knows Gaius will be one of the targets. Roslin shows up and Tyrol tells them Adama was led away to the brig and that they can't trust the ship's comm system. Apollo and Starbuck go off to rescue the Admiral. Roslin stays to talk to Gaius. She asks him if she can address the fleet using his wireless. They argue beliefs for a minute and she points out that maybe they are both frauds and this is their chance to atone.

The Admiral challenges his captors to sack up and shoot him, but the Admiral and Tigh overtake them. It's AWESOME. The sight of Colonel Tigh pinning two guys down, wielding two guns? HOT. They question their conscious captor and head for the brig. In a total Scooby-Doo moment, the Admiral and Tigh round a corner and run smack into Apollo and Starbuck. Heh heh. Starbuck wants to shoot the captor, but Adama lets him go. She yells at him, "They are not your men anymore, they are the enemy!"

Back in the CIC, Gaeta calls Zarek, who is disappointed that Adama is still alive. As they are on the phone together, President Roslin comes over the wireless with reassuring and pleading words for trust, tossing words like "fear" and "traitors" out regarding the Zealots. Gaeta finally gets the transmission stopped from the CIC.

Tigh, Adama, Apollo and Starbuck head for the rendezvous point with Tyrol, who can get them off the ship. He, Gaius and Roslin are there waiting, until Gaius picks up the phone and calls Gaeta on the CIC. Oh my god, Baltar, WHAT ARE YOU DOING??? He tells Gaeta this madness needs to stop and tries to appeal to his sense of honor. He also reminds Gaeta of what they did back on New Caprica, which is just the wrong button to push. Gaeta hangs up and then figures out what the Raptor there to transport our intrepid team of Good Guys is up to.

At the rendezvous point, Adama makes out with Roslin in front of everyone, which is awesome. Apollo makes an hilarious face as he turns away. Tyrol gets a heads up about a team of Zealots on their way. Adama and Tigh say they are going to defend the President's Raptor transport. They stake out the doors as Roslin, Starbuck, Apollo and Gaius leave the ship. When the Raptor takes off, the CIC notices and Gaeta orders the Raptor blown out of the sky.

They stand, side-by-side, guns at-the-ready and set to go all Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid on the impending Zealots, with Adama even going so far as to tell Tigh, "It's been an honor to have served with you, my friend." Annnnd THAT's when the water works start. We go to a black "to be continued" screen. Oh man, if they kill Tigh and Adama like THIS, I will NOT be able to handle it.

Well, guys... the sh*t finally hit the fan on BSG. It was great seeing Apollo and Starbuck back in Bobsey Twins mode and the bro-love between Tigh and Adama might be my favorite relationship on the entire show. Next week looks intense, judging by the previews. Le sigh. As a commenter has said (and I meant to type), I can't wait to see Adama commanding the Cylons. That will be a real trip. I also can't wait for the return of Dean Stockwell. Loved him since Quantum Leap.

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