BSG: Black Market

Since it worked two weeks ago, they decided to do it again. The episode opens with Apollo in a life and death situation then the rest of the episode is a flashback to how he got into the situation. The episode centers on how the non-military half of the fleet lives, but since the POV is Apollo’s, we’re still not getting the full story.

As is to be expected, there are supply shortages in the fleet, and a black market has emerged to meet the people’s needs. Laura wants it stopped. Predictable conflicts of interest follow.

Things I Liked:

• If you still weren’t sure that this Apollo has nothing to do with the original Apollo, the fact that Lee regularly visits a prostitute who has a young child should settle that debate.


• Lee really sucks with kids. I can’t believe he gave that ugly-ass Raggedy Ann doll to the prostitute’s daughter. Of course she was scared.


• Lee seems to be unaware of what a freaking hypocrite he is. It’s okay for him to buy black market medicine for his ho, but if Tigh wants booze or Baltar wants cigars, they’re evil.


• Lee has several flashbacks that involve some blond chick he had an argument with. From the looks of things, he broke up with her and she may have been pregnant. Yet another indication that Lee is a sleaze. Maybe Baltar isn’t the biggest cad on Galactica, eh?


• Zarek shows up to give Apollo some advice. It’s always cool to see him. And at the end of the show, it looks like he will fill the power vacuum opened up by Apollo’s assassination of the black market leader.


• Lee’s prostitute turns down his offer to come back to the Galactica. She’s tired of playing the role of the girl he kicked to the curb on Caprica. Good for her -- he’d have ditched her sooner rather than later anyway.

Things I Didn’t Like:

• Cain’s second in command got killed moments into the show. Waste of a potentially interesting character. Same with Bill Duke's black market character.
  


• Lee is asked to investigate the murder. He’s a pilot and a detective. I hate that kind of weak storytelling.


• Dee continues to flirt with Lee, then goes back to flirting with Billy. Is that all she’s going to be used for in this series now?


• Laura is totally healthy. Come on.


• How come it’s okay for Apollo to blow away the black market dude? He can’t even call it self defense.


• After Lee shoots the guy, he tells the guy’s henchmen that he’s not shutting down the black market. He wants them to continue serving the fleet and they’re not to hold back supplies or harm children. Talk about mixed signals. Furthermore, exactly how is he going to enforce that?

Fears:

• I don’t want them to be like Star Trek, and I don't want to see any aliens, but are they going to land on any planets at all this season?


• I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again -- where are they? Is the fleet going in any particular direction?