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Don't be fooled into thinking this feature is some covert New Labour attempt to win back a few votes from the Conservatives. It might make a good headline on Have I Got News For You, but Gordon Brown's spin doctors don't stand a chance of infiltrating our lair. Instead, this article continues Cult Spy's recent morbid trend by looking at the traumatic details of Toaster-loathing Cally's death at the hands of Tory Foster in Battlestar Galactica's fourth season episode 'The Ties That Bind'.
Why is this scene so great?
The precise manner of Cally's death and Tory's manipulative involvement provided a real jolt to the viewer. We had huge empathy with Cally because of her understandable horror at learning that her husband was a Cylon, and hoped that she would come to her senses before killing herself and her son during a moment of diminished responsibility.
Then out sprung hope in an unlikely form - the secret Cylon Tory. She had previously been a dependable aide to President Laura Roslin and we could only assume that the revelation over her identity wouldn't change her, just like Tigh, Anders and Tyrol still supported humanity. But just as we let out a huge sigh of relief when Tory worked her magic and saved the day, she clobbered Cally, grabbed the child and sent the horrified Cally on a one-way trip into space. She wasn't the only one who felt like she had the air sucked out of her, as the turnaround in events and heightened emotions was remarkably quick and full of impact.
For many episodes it looked like Tory had got away with it, and viewers soon forgot the startling scenes too. Yet it all came flooding back during the pivotal moment of the last ever BSG episode, as some serious comeuppance was dished out...
The Context
Despite Galen Tyrol beating up Cally after semi-consciously awakening from a violent dream, romance blossomed between the pair on the New Caprica settlement. They married and Cally soon gave birth to a child, although she lied to Tyrol by claiming it was his. When they returned to Galactica, their already turbulent marriage was put under strain by Tyrol's erratic behaviour once he discovered he was actually a Cylon. Cally became suspicious and noticed her husband was spending a lot of time with fellow closeted Cylon Tory, which led the aggrieved wife to mistakenly assume they were having an affair.
However, Tory was on their trail and arrived before Cally could commit the murder-suicide. But the trouble was only beginning...
The Moment
Tory approaches the pair and tries to talk Cally out of her plans, but the airlock doors are sealed off. She heads up to an observation room and explains to Cally that the Final Four Cylons weren't aware of their own identity until recently and are struggling to come to terms with it themselves. Tory emphasises that they are as scared as Cally and that Tyrol is the very same person she fell in love with.
These words make huge inroads into Cally's psyche and she comes to her senses, realising the horrors of what she was about to do. Cally lets Tory into the airlock and passes the child into her hands, but before she can leave the chamber, a sudden blow from her saviour knocks her unconscious. She awakens to find herself still in the airlock, with Tory in the adjacent control room cradling her son. Moments later, Tory opens the airlock and an aghast Cally is sucked out into oblivion.
The Aftermath
The moment that Tyrol absorbed the knowledge from the 'mindpool' (which was instigated with the intention of reinstating the Cylons' resurrection capabilities in a bid to reach a peace settlement in the war) he broke off the connection and furiously launched himself at Tory. She didn't last long with his hands locked around her neck, squeezing the life out of her. These actions caused the Cylons, led by Cavil, to open fire believing the last ditch attempt at peace was a trick. Bloodshed ensued in typical BSG style...
