'BSG' S04E11 - 'Sometimes A Great Notion'

Wow, what a total mindfrack this eagerly awaited Battlestar Galactica turned out to be. Resuming the fourth season on the desolate ruins of Earth, the show is full of delicious twists as it nears a presumably bitter and bloody end.

During the painful gap between episodes, speculation over the identity over the mysterious Final Cylon has reached fever pitch. The fear was that we wouldn't be given answers, but in this case we were rewarded with too many! At one point, Tigh's murdered wife Ellen seemed a dead cert as her past was unveiled; then Dualla caused a shock by blowing her brains out - presumably because she expects a swift resurrection; and finally Starbuck's discovery of her own corpse caused the head scratching to go into overdrive.

Away from the plot developments, the episode also showcased the fine acting skills of Michael Hogan and Edward James Olmos as Saul Tigh and Admiral Adama. Their relationship has become seriously strained since the former discovered his toaster status, with the emotional repercussions expertly brought out by the veteran actors. It's certainly moving watching Tigh's internal conflict, as his very human feelings and angst are at odds with his synthetic form. His descent into the sea was harrowing to watch unfold.

Several flashbacks from the Galactica Cylons of their existence on Earth before the devastation serve to further extend the brilliant mythology created by Ron Moore and his team. It's going to be very hard to say farewell to this brilliant show.

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