The Ties That Bind (Battlestar Galactica)

Infobox Television episode
Title =The Ties That Bind


Caption =No image yet available
Series =Battlestar Galactica
Season =4
Episode =5
Airdate =April 18, 2008
Production =405
Writer =Michael Taylor
Director =Michael Nankin
Guests =
Episode list =Episode chronology
Prev =Six of One
Next =Escape Velocity

The Ties That Bind is the fifth episode in the fourth season of the science fiction television series "Battlestar Galactica". It first aired on both the web and TV on April 18, 2008.

Plot

Survivor Count: 39,676

The episode begins aboard a Cylon Resurrection Ship with the resurrection and debriefing of Brother Cavil. At first disoriented, he is soon reminded by another Cavil and Boomer that the Sixes have begun a dangerous rebellion among the Cylons and must be stopped. The resurrected Cavil agrees as Boomer gives him a kiss.

On "Galactica", crew chief Galen Tyrol and his wife Cally grow more distant. After an argument between them, Galen privately confides with Tory Foster but Cally catches sight of her caressing his arm. She confronts her husband who tries to explain himself, but she storms away.

On "Colonial One", Lee Adama accepts his new Quorum seat for Caprica before a press conference, but the media's real attention is on the "Demetrius", and the rumor of its "classified military assignment". Both President Roslin and Admiral Adama refuse to elaborate on the mission. Later in private, Roslin still questions Adama's decision to let Starbuck go fearing repercussions from the cover up.

Aboard the "Demetrius", Starbuck has led a fruitless 22-day search for the triple star system with a ringed gas giant and a comet that she envisioned. After a series of course changes, the patience of her crew – which consists of, among others, Gaeta, Helo, Seelix, Athena, and Anders – wears thin.

At the Cylon fleet, Cavil sits with Six and Eight to hear their terms. Eight demands an end to the Raider lobotomies and Six wants the D'Anna series unboxed. She stresses that it is time for the twelve Cylon models to unite. Cavil says he will discuss it with the others but warns that she has opened up a can of worms.

On "Colonial One", Lee settles into his new Quorum position and is paid a visit by Vice President Zarek who tells him that Roslin and Adama have continued to suppress information and draw concerns. He believes the "Demetrius" affair will create more tension if Roslin doesn't come clean about its mission. He ends saying that he hopes, as a Quorum member, Lee will not ignore the truth.

On the "Demetrius", Starbuck paints a mural above her bunk which appears to be the elusive star system. Anders enters to inform her that the crew is losing faith in the mission and he also brings up their diminishing relationship. Starbuck tries to throw him out, but the struggle ends up in an aggressive kiss. She tells him that what she really wants to do is frak and the two quickly move to the bunk. Afterward, She tells him that she has been feeling different – no longer human, but like she is some "alien thing" she does not understand.

At the Cylon fleet, the Cavils announce, to the surprise of the others, that his side has agreed to Six and Eight's terms. He explains that the Resurrection Ship will have to jump back into the range of the nearest Cylon server to upload D'Anna's information. Six says she will have her own ships escort it to the coordinates.

On "Colonial One", the Quorum gathers with Roslin and Zarek leading the meeting. Again, the issue of the "Demetrius" is brought up, but Lee tries to put the matter to rest by adding that he feels, no matter the secrecy, that the President's main objective is to find Earth. Instead of replying favorably, Roslin tells Lee that she does not need a junior delegate as a spokesperson. To show Zarek that he won't be sidelined by Roslin so easily, Lee brings up another issue – Executive Order 112, which deals with the method by which the President establishes a tribunal and he believes it gives the President too much power. Roslin responds that she intended to discuss the order at the next Quorum meeting.

Elsewhere in space, the Cylon Basestars under Six's command jump to the coordinates provided by Cavil, but the Resurrection Ship does not follow. Instead, a group of Cavil's Basestars lie in ambush and attack. As Six's ships are destroyed, the lead Cavil sits with Boomer who weeps for what they have done. Cavil says God will save the rebel Cylon's immortal souls, but when Boomer asks what of their own souls, he responds: "We're machines, dear. Remember. We don't have souls."

On "Galactica", Cally finds a paper wedged in the door for Tyrol – a note from Colonel Tigh about a meeting in a weapons locker. Cally shadows Tyrol to the locker and crawls inside a maintenance tunnel to eavesdrop. She overhears, to her horror, Tigh's warning that Cally is suspicious that Tyrol and Tory are having an affair, and that she could learn the truth that he is a Cylon. In a panic, Cally hurriedly leaves, but bangs a piece of equipment which alerts the others. With no time to close the hatch, Cally leaves it ajar and Tory takes notice.

Cally returns to her quarters, and when Galen enters to talk, she knocks him out with a wrench. She steals a key from him, and grabbing up her infant son Nicholas, she runs out of the room. She then enters a Viper launch tube and uses the key to activate the airlock. Tory enters to calm her down and explains that Galen didn't know he was Cylon until they reached the Ionian Nebula. She says that unlike the others, they are not evil and are the same people they have always been. Cally relents and tearfully breaks down. Tory takes Nicholas, but then, with seemingly-superhuman force, knocks Cally across the room. By the time Cally gets back on her feet, she sees Tory in the adjacent launch room holding Nicholas. Tory presses the launch button and vents Cally into space. Later, Tyrol is shown mourning her loss as Admiral Adama sits next to him (presumably after breaking the news of Cally's death).

Cultural references

* The weapons locker where the final four members secretly meet is marked "1701D", referencing the registry number of the "" era Starship "Enterprise".

* When Six's fleet is ambushed by Cavil's, the Orion constellation (as seen from Earth) can be seen in the background stars (approximately at 28:22 minutes into the episode). Whether this was intentional and signifies something is unknown. Towards the end of the show, you again see the Orion constellation through the porthole right before Cally inserted the key to activate the Viper launch tube.

Ratings

Total viewership for "The Ties That Bind" mostly held steady from the previous week's new episode, "Six of One." The episode garnered 1.741 million viewers for a 1.1 household rating and 2 percent share, down just 60,000 viewers from the week before. [http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/04/15/more-battlestar-galactica-nielsen-ratings-and-they-arent-great/3355 Seidman, Robert. "More Battlestar Galactica Nielsen Ratings: They Aren't Great." "TV By The Numbers." April 15, 2008.] ] In the important 18-to-49-year-old demographic, viewership fell by 12 percent to just 800,000 viewers (a 0.8 household rating and 3 percent share of this demographic). One source estimated that fewer than 500,000 additional viewers watch the show on DVRs, because the Nielsen rating estimates for DVR watching (calculated over the seven days following the episode's initial airing) do not count shows with fewer than 500,000 viewers. [ [http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/04/21/what-youre-watching-on-your-dvrs-weekly-dvr-nielsen-ratings/3440 Seidman, Robert. "What You're Watching on Your DVRS: Weekly DVR Nielsen Ratings." "TV By The Numbers." April 21, 2008.] ]

Notes

External links

* at the Battlestar Wiki