Taking a Break from All Your Worries

Infobox Television episode
Title = Taking a Break From All Your Worries


Caption = "Hello"
Series = Battlestar Galactica
Season = 3
Episode = 13
Airdate = January 28, 2007
Production = 313
Writer = Michael Taylor
Director = Edward James Olmos
Guests =
Episode list = Episode chronology
Prev = Rapture
Next = The Woman King"Taking a Break From All Your Worries" is the thirteenth episode of the third season from the science fiction television series, "Battlestar Galactica". The title is a line from the "Cheers" theme song, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name" (the working title for this episode, as revealed in Ronald D. Moore's podcast commentary for the episode "Rapture", was "Where Everybody Knows Your Name").

Plot

Survivor Count: 41,403

The episode begins with Gaius Baltar, now a prisoner aboard "Galactica", sitting in the brig and crafting a hanging noose from strips of fabric. Number Six appears, as a delusion, sitting next to him and encourages his decision to commit suicide, suggesting that he will soon find out whether he is a Cylon or not. Stirred from his sleep, Felix Gaeta heads down to the brig. He asks the guard permission to see Baltar, but he is refused entry without authorization. At that moment, Baltar hangs himself.

Baltar awakens in a Cylon resurrection tank surrounded by copies of Six. Baltar is ecstatic to be alive as a Six welcomes him back from the dead. However, she quickly turns hostile, telling him he is not a Cylon. The Sixes begin to cut his flesh and attempt to drown him in the liquid. The scene, however, is one of Baltar's hallucinations, and he barely returns to reality as the guard pulls him down from the ceiling and administers mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

In the hangar bay, Apollo introduces Chief Tyrol to "Joe's Bar", a newly established lounge separated from the rest of the hangar by a makeshift wall. It is filled with music and the laughter of off-duty crew indulging in much needed recreation. The two are poured drinks by Joe, the bartender, and they make a toast "to marriage", with Tyrol saying "why we build bars".

Elsewhere, President Roslin and Admiral Adama sit with Dr. Cottle and Gaeta discussing Baltar's situation. Cottle isn't surprised by Baltar's suicide attempt, stating his hunger strike and the sleep deprivation imposed upon him isn't helping his mental state. Roslin just wants Baltar to talk and believes they need to do whatever is necessary to get information out of him. She orders Cottle to force feed Baltar if necessary. Roslin asks Gaeta why he wanted to see Baltar. Gaeta says he believes Baltar trusts him and he was hoping he might at least talk to him, possibly revealing something useful. Adama thanks Gaeta for his help, but tells him to leave Baltar's interrogation to himself and the President.

Meanwhile, Apollo returns exhausted and drunk from the bar to his quarters where his wife Dee sits alone waiting for him. She confronts him about their dissolving relationship, and Apollo tells her that he is still devoted to her. He married her because he loves her and still does, but Dee sees their marriage as nothing more than a lie. She can only love Apollo as long as he and Starbuck allow it. Not wanting to argue any further, Apollo lies down and falls asleep.

Back in Baltar's cell, Roslin pays him a visit. She tells him that she doesn't want to see him suffer any further, but Baltar scoffs telling her about Cottle forcing a feeding tube down his throat. She apologizes for that hoping now the two can talk face-to-face in a more civilized manner. She asks him again if he was involved in the Cylon sneak attack, bringing up the time she saw him with the blond woman. Baltar refuses to incriminate himself demanding that he have a trial by jury. Roslin becomes infuriated calling Colonel Tigh into the cell telling him not to expect Baltar's cooperation and that he is to be jettisoned out an airlock. Tigh calls the guards to remove Baltar from the cell. They drag him away as he shouts that he is a citizen of the Colonies and entitled to a fair trial. Roslin has Baltar dragged down the corridor past the bulletin boards that are covered with photos of those lost in the Cylon sneak attack, dubbed "Memorial Highway". She tells him to look at the faces of all those who died because of him.

Roslin allows Baltar to break free of the guards and he rushes to the board to pull a photo of a man down. He professes his innocence saying the man in the picture was one of his closest associates, and that he is also the godfather of his child. He would never do anything to hurt them begging for anyone to believe him. Instead of carrying out her threat to vent him into space, Roslin has Baltar returned to his cell.

Afterward, Roslin says she is at a loss on what to do next since her scare tactics failed. Tigh admits that Baltar is proving harder to break than he expected, and gives him some credit. At this point, Adama considers using another option, suggesting they administer a powerful hallucinogenic drug, the existence of which was classified. He has seen it used in interrogations saying it works off the subject's fear of death and they'll eventually divulge secrets as a survival mechanism, saying anything as long as they think it will save their life. Roslin is shocked to learn of such a drug, but under the circumstances, she approves of its use if it will force Baltar to talk.

Elsewhere, Starbuck sits in her bunk with her husband Samuel Anders. Anders thinks about Starbuck's sickening ordeal with the Cylon Leoben Conoy back on New Caprica. He doesn't understand how she handled being manipulated into believing she had a hybrid child with that "skinjob". He also wonders about Conoy's spiel about Starbuck having a special destiny. Starbuck remains uncertain herself, choosing not to discuss it any further. Anders then brings up Apollo, telling her that if she really loves him, she should go to him.

In the sick bay, Baltar is strapped to a table and given the drug. He falls unconscious and his head is strapped down. Baltar then finds himself alone in utter darkness and floating in cold water. A strange light shines down on his face and he shouts, "Where am I?". Baltar then hears Adama's voice from the darkness asking him questions. Baltar tries to answer hoping to be saved from drowning. Under the effects of the drug he recalls the events back on Caprica during the attack — how Caprica Six saved his life by shielding him from the nuclear blast, and that he was an unwitting participant in the Cylon's plans.

Adama asks what the Cylon's interest was in the Eye of Jupiter and if they found the way to Earth. Baltar confesses they were there to discover the identities of the "final five", the unseen Cylons, wondering if he is a Cylon himself. Baltar now finds himself in a resurrection tank surrounded by figures who are revealed to be children, horribly disfigured and scarred with burns. Roslin asks Baltar what he sees and if he is a Cylon. Baltar responds "no" and falls back to unconsciousness. At this point, Cottle demands that the interrogation end as Baltar's vitals are falling. Adama and Roslin relent their questions and allow Cottle to wake Baltar.

Elsewhere, Apollo and Starbuck have a moment alone to talk. Starbuck asks Apollo if he would be willing to leave Dee if she left Anders. Apollo can't give an answer, to which Starbuck tells him to think about it since it's what he's best at. Apollo, with torn feelings between his wife and Starbuck, heads back to Joe's bar and drinks himself into a stupor. He leaves the bar inebriated, stumbling down a corridor and causing a scene after he trips and drops his wedding ring. He begins kicking containers open in a panic looking for his ring until he collapses in tears.

Meanwhile, Roslin and Adama decide to allow Gaeta to talk to Baltar, hoping he can get some useful information. Unknown to Baltar, a small camera has been installed in the ceiling of the brig to secretly record the conversation. In the cell, Gaeta asks Baltar to at least help him solve the navigation problems he's run into, suggesting to Baltar that if he cooperates he may get better treatment. Baltar looks over Gaeta's charts and begins by correcting his math. When Gaeta glances to the ceiling, Baltar becomes suspicious and notices the camera.

Baltar then accuses Gaeta of deceiving him. Gaeta is confused, but Baltar tells him he knew about his helping the resistance back on New Caprica. He allowed him access to documents knowing Gaeta would sneak them back to the very people who were working against him. Baltar grabs Gaeta's head, hissing in his ear that Gaeta's operation wouldn't have worked if it wasn't for him and asks where his loyalties lie. Infuriated, Gaeta stabs Baltar in the neck with his pen.

Monitoring from another room, Roslin, Admiral Adama, Cottle and Tigh rush to the cell. Gaeta has Baltar in a strangle hold and is threatening to kill him. Roslin tells him to let Baltar go, saying she knows why Gaeta wanted the opportunity to talk with Baltar — so he could kill him. While Gaeta is distracted, Adama punches him in the face, knocking him unconscious. Baltar is checked out by Cottle, who has him taken to sickbay for the stab wound on his neck, which missed the artery.

Later at Joe's, Apollo sits with Dee while Starbuck and Anders sit at the bar. Apollo tries to reconcile his relationship with his wife, but periodically makes eye contact with Starbuck. Dee takes his hand and he tells her that he did not know what it meant to love her until he was going to lose her.

As Baltar recovers, Adama asks Roslin what she plans to do next. Roslin says Baltar will get his trial.

Added scene

The episode ends with a brief extra scene of Roslin confronting Number Six in her cell. (This scene is truncated in the broadcast, with the full scene made available on Scifi's website at http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/video/ Sci Fi Pulse] . US IP addresses only are allowed to view the full scene, however.)

Roslin asks Six if she is willing to cooperate in testifying against Baltar in his upcoming trial. Six tells Roslin that she believes that she will be "airlocked" whatever she does. Roslin gives her word that this won't happen, but Six reminds Roslin that she once gave Leoben her word, and then airlocked him anyway. (The broadcast version ends here).

(In the web site version) Six goes on to say that if Baltar is given a fair trial, then she will be chief witness.

This scene can also be found on the DVD release for this episode, as a "Deleted Scene."

Trivia

*In his podcast for this episode, Ronald D. Moore mentions that a subplot had been planned concerning an incident where several Sagittarons died, which Baltar was involved in. What Baltar whispers in Gaeta's ear, inciting him to threaten Baltar's life, is that he will implicate Gaeta in this tragedy.

External links

* at the Battlestar Wiki