Welcome To Dogsville!

Ronald D. Moore’s revised “Battlestar Galactica” series is at its best when it’s dealing with the complex emotional state of the characters through a long-running and equally complicated story-arc filled with twists, turns, loops and rolls. It’s stand-alone episodes however are generally problematic, often dividing the fan base completely (“Black Market” and “Hero” for example). Some sit in boredom, hoping for the upward twist that never comes whilst others enjoy every dizzying moment of the episodes.

But no matter what camp you belong to, when you read the description of this episode, it does sound like this episode will be just another B-class filler:

“The Sagittarons allege that a doctor is discriminating against them. As Helo investigates, he becomes concerned that the doctor may even be murdering patients. Meanwhile, Athena unwittingly brings Herra to the doctor for treatment.”

By all accounts, it seemed like the episode was going to be a lumbering dinosaur looking to stretch the season out a little between the hardcore mythology episodes that are such a joy to watch. However, let’s be clear – “The Woman King” is not another “Black Market,” nor is it one of those awkwardly pieced together episodes previously mentioned. Now while the episode is indeed an individual story, it is told with more savvy and genuine emotion than any other episode since the exodus from New Caprica.

It could be because the Apollo (Jamie Bamber) and Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff) love affair was reduced to a single fleeting glance, or it could be that Tahmoh Penikett (Karl "Helo" Agathon) is one hell of a talented actor and this episode saw him take a step forward into the spotlight as the assigned mayor of Dogsville, the makeshift city for the New Caprican refugees.

Penikett makes use of all of his usual charisma, while simultaneously stripping away the usual affability Helo generally has. In the end, what you get is an emotionally vulnerable character who once again goes against his own people for a cause he thinks is just only to be constantly berated by his peers.

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