BSG: The Jane Espenson Touch
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spoilers for “The Hub” (4.09)
When I heard that Jane Espenson was going to join Battlestar Galactica full time for this last season, I was excited. Still, as good of a writer that I know she is, I didn’t think that she was going to make that big of a difference in this always solid show. With “The Hub,” I have changed my mind.
Here are her previous episodes:
- “The Passage” about Kat’s last flight
- “Dirty Hands” featuring Chief
- “Escape Velocity” with the Final Five (Four) and Baltar going nuts
I know she can do character development and is often the go-to on that front at her previous gigs. What I liked about her work on this episode is that she added her ability to portray drama comedically. We’ve had funny moments before on this show. Off the top of my head, I can think of Gaeta’s bathroom stall conversation with a very agitated Baltar, the numerous times when Head Six interfered with Baltar’s semblance of sanity, and the mealtime meeting of Baltar and Head Baltar. Hmm, it seems like Baltar gets the jester role quite often.
So here, he gets to be in comedic scenes again, but so do a lot of other characters. I loved the fake-out with Three and the president. I liked that Roslin got snippy with Elosha, her vision guide. (I guess this is all old hat to her by now.) Three was interestingly bemused as she ran along in her bathrobe while the entire Cylon world fell down around her.
I was entranced, fascinated, and terrified at the conversion conversation between Baltar and the Centurion. But the best one of all is the scene in which Roslin and Baltar try to out-prophet the other by yelling at the Hybrid.
Jane Espenson has worked on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gilmore Girls. People didn’t know how to classify them. They, and I, called them dramedies because we’re not imaginative enough to come up with something better.
While I don’t think this particular BSG episode went completely into that blend, it did open my mind into thinking that such an episode would be possible. The ability of a series to flirt towards a different tone while not losing any of the storytelling heart speaks glowingly of its staff, cast, and crew.
I thought I was going to be able to sit back and let the show run to the end. Instead, I get this little creative detour, which I enjoyed very much. It was a for-your-consideration episode that had all the acting, action, and plot development that I could have wished for. Emmys, are you listening?
Postscript (added June 10th): I just watched the episode again so I’m going to add these two points. 1) Seriously, what’s with the right eye? We focused on Gaeta’s post-surgery. Now, Adama kisses Roslin on hers. 2) Did Mary McDonnell choose to have Laura Roslin affect the Adama rasp when she was making the tough command decisions in that Raptor with Helo? If so, she deserves an Emmy more than ever.