Kara's frustration despite Tyrol's evidence shows how quickly mob justice simply becomes mob wrath. She wanted vengeance and when it's pointed out that it's misplaced she in turn gets angry at them instead of herself. The shades of grey depicted on this show is god tier.
Thrace, always the imbecile, was desperate to deflect attention away from the fact that she not only almost murdered an innocent man, but nearly eliminated their best source of intel.
One of the best scenes of the entire series, the humanity of it all, the revenge seeking, the mob justice, the wanting someone to blame, the mistakes we make when seeking justice, blinding us to the truth.
I would argue this was the best scene in the entire series. The acting was phenomenal and Gaeta's response of "I don't know what else I could have done" is positively heartbreaking.
Nobody was "seeking justice" here. Nobody "made a mistake". These people wanted revenge, and they didn't care what it cost. Don't make excuses for them.
Don't forget the fact they tried to find something redeeming in him. They didn't want to end him, they wanted to find just one thing worthwhile to redeem him and it happened. Their responses were pretty typical of human behaviour, both relief and disgust. They needed more reason to finish him but also got a redemption of sorts leaving them all with mixed feelings. BSG does a great job at prodding and probing the human psyche
My favouritest scene. And notice, they want to execute him mainly because they don't like him (Same thing Adama admits to Baltar during his trial in the end of Season 3). And that feeling does not go away even when they learn he is the source. No one says "I am sorry". Later Chief only sits next to him during meal. He is an actual hero, but no one will tell about it. **SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T WATCHED THE ENTIRE SERIES.** Season 4 Gaeta is executed for real, but his attitude for others started here I think. BSG shows also nepotism pretty well. Adama and his group of friends and relatives can get away with anything. But Gaeta and Baltar did not belong to it.
This scene is amazing. Gaeta won't beg or say anything, even though he is the source. Kara wanting to force him, Tyrol saving him. The best part to me, is the all of them leaving and seeming to finally realize what they might have done. Killed someone innocent, even worse. Kill someone who was helping them the entire time. Would expect it also makes them think about everyone else they killed, if they might have actually tried to help people. Really good scene.
@@kinagrill Yes, those who helped the Cylons and were on their side deserve some punishment, but not like what is shown. They deserve a trial, representation, etc. The problem is while they are getting a "trial" by the five, they are not being represented, the evidence may be circumstantial, and have little to no chance to defend themselves. As well, as seen with Gaeta, while he was with the administration, he helped the resistance by using his position to gain them critical information, without they never would have gotten off of New Caprica. But because of the little information the five had, he was found guilty and nearly killed. This is also why Roslin as president again, pardoned everyone. To stop the killing, which was also depleting a very depleted number of humans left.
@@SlewedHydra The Five are also extremely... well, biased. It's like having a Judge and Jury who all know you (at least in part) and have a vested interest in dealing out just one punishment. There's also the fact they want to punish others for doing something in order to survive. Sure if they were those masked security people, it's more warranted cuz literal traitors. But just doing work for the cylons means you have to die? eh, too extreme. Especially when they do not have any 3rd-party people there to be more level-headed and judge on a pure basis of fact - not emotional extremes. Like Starbuck who is all kinds of PTSD'd and merely want someone to pay for what Leoben did to her.
This scene really sent home for the characters how misguided their tribunal had become. How many others had they airlocked, who weren't so lucky to have someone present who had such minute and specific information like this? How many other small details were forgotten or lost and thus couldn't be used to prove people innocent? Gaeta was saved by ridiculously random chance. Gaeta just happened to tell Starbuck about the dog bowl. Starbuck just happened to end up on the council to replace Anders. Starbuck just happened to mention the dog bowl when goading Gaeta, and Tyrol just happened to still be in earshot when she said it. The stars aligned for Gaeta to live. How many others died because pure luck wasn't on their side? This proved that their council wasn't about justice. It wasn't about weeding out collaborators. It was about revenge and nothing else.
When six people declare you guilty until proven innocent by looking over incomplete information, and then you have a terrifying 60 seconds to argue your way out of it, that's so absurd.
Also underscored by a nice little flourish from the writers: the double meaning of the line "I did what I could, I don't know what else I could've done," which could be referring to what he did to help the resistance back on the planet, or what he did to defend his innocence to the tribunal on the ship.
@@TheEDFLegacy That's the pesky little fucker we call hindsight. Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Maybe it wouldn't have happened, but I think there were more than enough disenfranchised crew members at the time that someone else would have done it anyway. Zarek came to Gaeta, so he would have just gone and found another military ally.
***SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T WATCHED THE ENTIRE SERIES.*** The story of Felix Gaeta is a tragic one. He's a good, moral guy who's one of 50,000 survivors after an act of genocide committed by the Cylons. His morality leads to him blowing the whistle on Laura Roslin's plot to steal the election. This act helps Gaius Baltar secure the presidency and ultimately led to the settlement on New Caprica. Despite aiding the resistance during the Cylon occupation on New Caprica, he's condemned as a traitor and collaborator (for being Baltar's chief of staff) and nearly executed. Later in the series, he's shot by Anders (later revealed to by a Cylon) and has to have his leg amputated. He mourns with the others when they find the ruins of Earth. He watches helplessly as his friend Anastasia Dualla bleeds to death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head (in one of the most horrifying and disturbing scenes of the entire series, I might add). And the final straw is when his leaders decide to form a permanent alliance with the rebel Cylons. Viewing this as an act of betrayal and treason against the Twelve Colonies, he leads a mutiny against Adama and Roslin which briefly succeeds but ultimately fails and he's executed along with Tom Zarek. So to summarize, Felix is nearly executed here for allegedly collaborating with Cylons. And later in the series he is executed because he mutinied against the government for actually collaborating with Cylons. Twisted irony, huh? His entire life story can be summarized by his final words in this scene. "I did what I could. I don't know what else I could have done." Poor Felix.
Gaeta is the most "real" character in the show. He's the only one without plot armor protecting him, even though he's generally the one who acts the least-selfishly among all the main characters.
@@devilpistons1269 the non-razor webisodes are the only things that I have not watched. Binged the series in 2010, followed up with Caprica binge watching soon after, then razor and the plan, and day 1 watch of Blood and Chrome blu-ray release. Still need to watch those but I feel like when I do that that that is the end of the story, no additional Caprica lore or anything else and it will officially be over for me in that story.
I think about Gaeta again and again. If you want to find a thread of greatness in the story of Battlestar Galactica, I think you will find it in the story of Felix Gaeta.
I tell people all the time, if you have never watched this show you truly have missed out on some of the greatest TV in the last 20 years. The look on the chiefs face when he realizes what has just happened is haunting...
The saddest part is that at the end, aside from Tyrol, they almost all look like they still want to kill Gaeta....like they all had been denied their outlet for revenge & were kind of angry about it.
From Starbuck’s rage at them nearly killing an actual hero, to the looks of disbelief and shame across the others faces, this was a powerful scene. Props to all the actors here.
@@bingbongabinga2954 Almost. It shows what they were driven to. Whereas of course the cylon arc is about them instigating it, and then coming to realise what they had done.
gaeta had it pretty rough the entire time he was alive, first he gets blamed for helping the cylons and later he gets executed cause he was against teaming with the cylons
Those specific people were the least qualified to abjudicate anything. They were all personally affected by the Occupation, & were acting out of rage & hatred. It almost cost them dearly... sort of. That's what made this show so riveting; you never expected anything 'normal' to happen.
cmon now, in terms of bias against collaborators those on the ships would be much less impacted. If you're in a position where you only have 40k ppl to pull from to make a jury/juries you have to do the best that you can to mitigate risk. This is just semantics.
Lee wasted Pegasus, defended Baltar at his trial, and instead of a single city for security the preservation of language, science, math and medical technology, he convinced Adams to spread the human race as this as possible with a lame excuse, when it was just so it would be forever before we rose again, IF we even survived. You sure there weren't 6 final Cylons?.....
Poor Felix.I feel sorry for him.He served Adama and Galactica well.He helped the rebels and at the end he was betrayed by his men.Yes,he was the mastermind of the mutiny but we got to admit he was right.Everything he was fighting for was gone. :(
Your argument is reasonable, even, dare I say, sound. Except for one thing - justified or not, if one wears the uniform and/or swear the oath of an armed force, you have a duty to either follow orders given by a superior officer, ask for reassignment to other units, or resign. Real-life militaries have to deal w/all the time. The armed forces are a dictatorship, not a democracy. One can argue the validity of an order, but once the order is given, a soldier has a responsibility to follow it. Gaeta had the choices above if he so strongly opposed Adama's order. Violating the oath he took was an error & a crime.
@@scotcarr3390 the military is hardly a dictatorship. Orders can be disobeyed if they are immoral but most orders are mundane normal operating procedure. The armed forces follow orders from its elected civilian government, which is a democracy.
@@jeffburnham6611 Doesn't matter. Even the lesser charge of disobeying an order is a serious offense, even worse in a time of war. Mutiny... I think even in our modern day navies mutiny is a capital offense. In times of war mutiny is punishable by death. Unless there can be an extremely compelling reason. (My commander was in the service of the enemy and mutiny against him was the only way to save ship and crew for example) Your likely to receive the maximum punishment. Believe me when I saw that a panel of judges for a court martial er on the side of the letter of military law, rather than the spirit.
@@becoolthisisarobbery you are a fucking moron making a strawman argument. That's obviously not the point I was making but you're either trolling or too stupid to actually realize the point.
Imagine the fear Gaeta went through and this situation right there almost getting murdered by also crazy people for a impossible to deal occasion, I will be so bold as to say he did pretty well, chose a side and stuck with it.
the thing is whatr they did to him broke him it gave him the message that he did not do enough so he became a radical so that he not having any regrets again. That is what self justice brings madness and bloodshood until people stop or are dead.
Very strong scene, well complemented by what comes after, especially the very end where Tyrol sits next to Gaeta in the canteen. An apology, an a move on. I keep coming back to this episode just to see all that again
Gaeta was a good man, destroyed by his hatred of the Cylons (how manipulative they can be). His sense of betrayal from his friends. It seemed that everything 'good' he tried to do, turned to sh*t. President Tom Zarek was truly an insidious narcissist. It was his decision to legalise mob justice, almost killing Gaeta with him almost being thrown out of the airlock. And later by murdering the Quorum, sealed Gaeta's fate during the coup. Gaeta felt he had truth on his side. That truth was poisoned by Zarek.
yeah i can see how someone can develop a dislike for someone else who wants to kill him, and mock him, and make him beg for his life...... and then later on gleefully denies him the medical help he needs to save his leg, for choosing a wild goose chase.....cant blame him....
Half of the team calling for revenge are the machines and they handed out death sentences to the humans. LOL, that's why death sentences are not a good punishment option...you never know who are all the players are.
Gaeta did what he could. Gaeta saved the people on New Caprica. Gaeta went with Starbuck to find Earth, lost his leg in the process. And still, after everyone, including the Admiral had agreed that even Baltar deserved a second chance, after Roslin found out that Baltar gave the Cylons access to the defense mainframe... The only one who was ever punished for a serious frak up was Gaeta, who did not get a second chance or mercy. All he got was a bullet.
This is NOT a scifi show, this IS a human drama first and foremost; every word written a masterclass in pursuit of that fact.. it will stand the test of time as one of the greatest examples of what can happen when you build flawed characters so well and place them in impossible situations and watch them either grow or fall apart. I don't believe in God, but I almost want to thank Him for RDM..
There was no closure for Gaeta regarding Starbuck wanting him to beg. One of the others should have forced her to apologize even if it meant Tyrol backhanding slapping her if she didn't. This was missing in this scene...
@@Ares99999 And that was Gaeta's fault how?? Do you understand if the human government had outright refused to cooperate with the Cylons in any form they'd have just straight up annihilated them all?
Therein lies the difference between revenge and justice. Justice is without passion. It is meant to heal society and make it whole. Revenge is petty, and selfish. It’s about making the wronged feel better.
ha you actually think that don't you? lmao justice has nothing to do with healing society, justice is just the fancy word the rich use to punish the poor.
How did CIC not see Viper tubes just randomly open? That's a big frickin' deal. Someone in CIC has a board with the status of each Viper tube lit up. Offline, close on each end, open on one end or the other...
If I was on this "council" I'd make sure someone who sympathizes with the cause is manning that board or have someone sabotage the sensors. Tyrol and Tigh happen to be perfectly placed for either.
The shame that sweeps across their faces when they realise that they may have executed innocent people once the truth comes out about Felix, just a powerful moment. One of the best in the entire show.
one thing so many other previous shows never did, was show the aftermath of a war, or a battle or an insurgency. As much as other shows only show the noble, clean, proper version of humanity...this is a fallacy. Real humanity is messy, grey and probably always will. The best of us rise to the occasion despite the darkness.
The scene always reminds me of the documentary "The sorrow and the pity." About post war France and the brutal reprisals against Vichy collaborators that the government either turned a blind eye towards or silently allowed. Tragic stuff
You mean the people who gave innocent people up for death camps, torture, execution? One of those guys gave away my great-grandpa. So killing these traitors and cowards was complete justice. France did right by letting us take care of the worthless dregs.
To this day, I am still angry that Gaeda was executed. Yes, he was an instrumental part of the mutiny, but at least, Adama could have given him life in the brig/prison.
This scene would have been even better if the writers hadn't previously revealed Gaeta was the source. The audience would have a similar reaction as the council.
That might have been a deleted scene nut they didn't go with it, the same dog was on board after the rescue from New Caprica, it was Lampkins dog, Lee gave him it after Baltars trial, it was even mentioned as being "a genuine hero of the Resistance"
I respectfully disagree. He was given pretty good development throughout the series despite the key players sucking all the oxygen most of the time. Plus, it was the natural progression of a man who had become embittered by the changes around him. I think Dee committing suicide is what drove him over the edge into total darkness and eventually mutinous fury.
Absolutely. Can you imagine how much he'd hate Tigh and Starbuck after this? And the Demetrius? But they're Adama's favorite people, so it's obbvious they wouldn't actually get any really punishment at all. I didn't blame him for the mutiny.
I don’t hate Starbuck but I ABSOLUTELY understand why Gaeta would and why he would mutiny. Two of his former accusers were revealed to be Cylon, a third Cylon (Anders) shot him in the leg, causing him to lose it, and Starbuck came back from the dead, putting her status as human in serious question, yet she was still highly favored. Favoritism was rife in the BSG crew and the cooperation of Cylon and human probably sickened Gaeta to his core.
@@earlyriser03 I'd argue how much Starbuck was really favored after her return. One of the things I can praise about that whole resurrection nonsense is the way it's not treated as a triumphant return at all. Everyone's just way more scared and doubtful about everything now.
@@Onigirli sure, but within the span of a few episodes, she’s allowed to just roam about like as if she didn’t come back from a fiery explosion that should’ve killed her, not unlike a Cylon haha. Yes, suspicion still followed her but ultimately it was business as usual. The old Adama and Roslin would have locked her in the brig and kept her there for ages, like they did with Athena. I think the only argument that can be made is by this point the Colonials were strapped for skilled pilots so they made a judgment call. And, of course, Adams’s favoritism. She was almost his daughter-in-law.
Ironically however, had Gaeta been airlocked, maybe the mutiny later on might not have happened and many lives been spared. So thick is the plot within BSG, what a great show!
Gaeta was just a part of the mutiny, so it would have still happened. You had a civilian who was behind the mutiny and didnt have access to the bridge. Gaeta was a command officer on the bridge. Without Gaeta the mutiny would have been worse as there would have been more fighting to get access and/or defending for the bridge.
@@everybuddy5924 very true! Gaeta was definitely embittered with leadership but he still genuinely cared about the survival of humanity and the crew and civilians at large. He did his best to ensure the safety of as many as possible but it was clear he was not cut out to lead.
It's only a maybe... Gaeta is also the one who understood enough was enough and stopped his own mutiny. Someone else might've kept it going to the bitter end like Zarek pushed for. I think it might still be for the best that an inevitable mutiny was headed by Gaeta.
Didn't we learn later from Gaeta's Eight that all t info he gave t resistance was known about, and deliberately fed to him by t Cylons in power in their effort to better control t resistance?
@@SantomPh He slipped a message into a prisoners clothes with details for a dead drop when the guy was being released. No one knew who left the first message, the guy just found it in his pocket. It was either on a webisode or a deleted scene.
Oh for sure. Kangaroo courts or show trials are a terrifying thought. One of the most notorious examples being the People's Court in Nazi Germany that would bring you up for 15 minutes effectively just to sentence you. Drumhead in TNG has similar thoughts but assuming someone is guilty is no where near as scary as these airlocking incidents.
In WW2 and WW1, the US routinely did things like this and then again in the 1950s. “German Sympathizers” in WW1, Japanese Americans in WW2, Alleged Communists and “Communist Sympathizers” in the 1950s. These are just the most egregious recent ones. The US has always been and always will be a nation of kangaroo courts and mob justice. After observing the US courts in person for more than thirty years, unless you are rich and well connected, a fair trial is virtually impossible to get. Most judges are former prosecutors and openly disparage any defendant who comes before them. It isn’t supposed to happen but it does. In my state, public defenders are only paid if they lose. I have seen many instances where a person was obviously innocent and their public defender deliberately lost in order to get paid. Fair trials are only for the rich.
The woman who said you’ve been found guilty, was she also the cylon in the bathtub? I forget what they called those cylons who controlled the base ships… but her voice is so similar.
Regarding Felix's mutiny, wasn't the final straw the fact that Adama jailed Harvey Zarek and wouldn't recognize him as The President? That's why I sided with Gaeta. I think this show didn't do justice to Zarek, it just turned him into a thug.
What was the secret he and Baltar shared? Remember the seen in the brig? Did the show ever explain that?? I've been confused by that from the beginning.
I am not 100% sure, but I believe it was revealed in a web episode that he was sleeping with an 8 during the occupation that was using him to sniff out and find resistance members.
i *think* it's related to a scene (or webisode) that was never filmed where Baltar had ordered kill squads of certain colonials for some reason and that Gaeta knew about them or (perish the thought) participated in them. RDM mentioned something about that during his podcasts put out after the episodes aired.
Ever noticed what a stupid sound "beg" is? Try it, say beg. Beg. Beg. Beg. Keep saying it. Beg. Beg. Beg. Short words are immensly practical, but often enough they sound ridiculous. This is one of them.
What irritated me the most about this was that Starbuck didn't tell them what he told her which would have avoided all this. And then he wouldn't talk in his defense. I realize they did it this way for the dramatic effect but most of the writing was so good it didn't need this kind of obvious emotional exploit. While the mob seeking revenge is wrong it is understandable. This part was not imo.
Dogs are called, "Daggits." I wonder if the screenwriters knew or research it. The original Muffit, a daggit, runs with Boxey on Caprica during the Cylon sneak attack (Saga of a Star World). A daggit is a canine-like animal used as a domesticated pet, watch animal, or tracker. No daggits survive the Cylon holocaust. Boxey loses his daggit, Muffit, to the destruction on Caprica.
That was the original series. They say in some interview or podcast I believe that they didn't want to over complicate things by using weird names for everyday things. The audience knows what a dog is. No reason to suddenly just change it for the sake of changing it. That was an aspect that is better left to the original show.
Kara's frustration despite Tyrol's evidence shows how quickly mob justice simply becomes mob wrath. She wanted vengeance and when it's pointed out that it's misplaced she in turn gets angry at them instead of herself. The shades of grey depicted on this show is god tier.
Thrace, always the imbecile, was desperate to deflect attention away from the fact that she not only almost murdered an innocent man, but nearly eliminated their best source of intel.
Or maybe she is angry at herself that she was wrong and almost killed innocent man ?
@@marianpazdzioch6632 or maybe what jeyfronowhere said is absolutely true about mob rule?
Imagine making this comment with an ideological flag as you profile picture. The irony is off the charts. 🤣
@@CaptainFancyCat 34 Felonies
Find a new cult leader.
One of the best scenes of the entire series, the humanity of it all, the revenge seeking, the mob justice, the wanting someone to blame, the mistakes we make when seeking justice, blinding us to the truth.
I would argue this was the best scene in the entire series. The acting was phenomenal and Gaeta's response of "I don't know what else I could have done" is positively heartbreaking.
Nobody was "seeking justice" here. Nobody "made a mistake". These people wanted revenge, and they didn't care what it cost. Don't make excuses for them.
Don't forget the fact they tried to find something redeeming in him. They didn't want to end him, they wanted to find just one thing worthwhile to redeem him and it happened. Their responses were pretty typical of human behaviour, both relief and disgust. They needed more reason to finish him but also got a redemption of sorts leaving them all with mixed feelings. BSG does a great job at prodding and probing the human psyche
My favouritest scene. And notice, they want to execute him mainly because they don't like him (Same thing Adama admits to Baltar during his trial in the end of Season 3). And that feeling does not go away even when they learn he is the source. No one says "I am sorry". Later Chief only sits next to him during meal. He is an actual hero, but no one will tell about it.
**SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T WATCHED THE ENTIRE SERIES.**
Season 4 Gaeta is executed for real, but his attitude for others started here I think.
BSG shows also nepotism pretty well. Adama and his group of friends and relatives can get away with anything. But Gaeta and Baltar did not belong to it.
This series is full of amazing scenes that show both the best and worst aspects of humanity. No other show did it better.
This scene is amazing. Gaeta won't beg or say anything, even though he is the source. Kara wanting to force him, Tyrol saving him. The best part to me, is the all of them leaving and seeming to finally realize what they might have done. Killed someone innocent, even worse. Kill someone who was helping them the entire time. Would expect it also makes them think about everyone else they killed, if they might have actually tried to help people. Really good scene.
Well by their own rules. they have killed fellow human beings. Thus dun they deserve to get the same punishment?
@@kinagrill Yes, those who helped the Cylons and were on their side deserve some punishment, but not like what is shown. They deserve a trial, representation, etc. The problem is while they are getting a "trial" by the five, they are not being represented, the evidence may be circumstantial, and have little to no chance to defend themselves. As well, as seen with Gaeta, while he was with the administration, he helped the resistance by using his position to gain them critical information, without they never would have gotten off of New Caprica. But because of the little information the five had, he was found guilty and nearly killed. This is also why Roslin as president again, pardoned everyone. To stop the killing, which was also depleting a very depleted number of humans left.
@@SlewedHydra The Five are also extremely... well, biased. It's like having a Judge and Jury who all know you (at least in part) and have a vested interest in dealing out just one punishment.
There's also the fact they want to punish others for doing something in order to survive. Sure if they were those masked security people, it's more warranted cuz literal traitors. But just doing work for the cylons means you have to die? eh, too extreme. Especially when they do not have any 3rd-party people there to be more level-headed and judge on a pure basis of fact - not emotional extremes. Like Starbuck who is all kinds of PTSD'd and merely want someone to pay for what Leoben did to her.
This scene really sent home for the characters how misguided their tribunal had become. How many others had they airlocked, who weren't so lucky to have someone present who had such minute and specific information like this? How many other small details were forgotten or lost and thus couldn't be used to prove people innocent?
Gaeta was saved by ridiculously random chance. Gaeta just happened to tell Starbuck about the dog bowl. Starbuck just happened to end up on the council to replace Anders. Starbuck just happened to mention the dog bowl when goading Gaeta, and Tyrol just happened to still be in earshot when she said it.
The stars aligned for Gaeta to live. How many others died because pure luck wasn't on their side? This proved that their council wasn't about justice. It wasn't about weeding out collaborators. It was about revenge and nothing else.
When six people declare you guilty until proven innocent by looking over incomplete information, and then you have a terrifying 60 seconds to argue your way out of it, that's so absurd.
Also underscored by a nice little flourish from the writers: the double meaning of the line "I did what I could, I don't know what else I could've done," which could be referring to what he did to help the resistance back on the planet, or what he did to defend his innocence to the tribunal on the ship.
Devil's advocate, what if Gaeta WAS airlocked? Would the mutuny have happened? Much like what if Hitler was killed in WWI, instead of wounded?
@@TheEDFLegacy That's a sad irony--Gaeta later collaborating with the same sociopath who authorized his would-be executioners.
@@TheEDFLegacy That's the pesky little fucker we call hindsight. Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Maybe it wouldn't have happened, but I think there were more than enough disenfranchised crew members at the time that someone else would have done it anyway. Zarek came to Gaeta, so he would have just gone and found another military ally.
***SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T WATCHED THE ENTIRE SERIES.***
The story of Felix Gaeta is a tragic one. He's a good, moral guy who's one of 50,000 survivors after an act of genocide committed by the Cylons. His morality leads to him blowing the whistle on Laura Roslin's plot to steal the election. This act helps Gaius Baltar secure the presidency and ultimately led to the settlement on New Caprica. Despite aiding the resistance during the Cylon occupation on New Caprica, he's condemned as a traitor and collaborator (for being Baltar's chief of staff) and nearly executed. Later in the series, he's shot by Anders (later revealed to by a Cylon) and has to have his leg amputated. He mourns with the others when they find the ruins of Earth. He watches helplessly as his friend Anastasia Dualla bleeds to death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head (in one of the most horrifying and disturbing scenes of the entire series, I might add). And the final straw is when his leaders decide to form a permanent alliance with the rebel Cylons. Viewing this as an act of betrayal and treason against the Twelve Colonies, he leads a mutiny against Adama and Roslin which briefly succeeds but ultimately fails and he's executed along with Tom Zarek. So to summarize, Felix is nearly executed here for allegedly collaborating with Cylons. And later in the series he is executed because he mutinied against the government for actually collaborating with Cylons. Twisted irony, huh? His entire life story can be summarized by his final words in this scene. "I did what I could. I don't know what else I could have done." Poor Felix.
Gaeta is the most "real" character in the show. He's the only one without plot armor protecting him, even though he's generally the one who acts the least-selfishly among all the main characters.
Thank you! Right words👍
Nice review!
The webisodes and Gaeta's interactions with that Number Eight model might make him more or less sympathetic, depending on how you look at it.
@@devilpistons1269 the non-razor webisodes are the only things that I have not watched. Binged the series in 2010, followed up with Caprica binge watching soon after, then razor and the plan, and day 1 watch of Blood and Chrome blu-ray release. Still need to watch those but I feel like when I do that that that is the end of the story, no additional Caprica lore or anything else and it will officially be over for me in that story.
I think about Gaeta again and again. If you want to find a thread of greatness in the story of Battlestar Galactica, I think you will find it in the story of Felix Gaeta.
Greatness and tragic fall.
It's finally stopped hurting :(
I tell people all the time, if you have never watched this show you truly have missed out on some of the greatest TV in the last 20 years.
The look on the chiefs face when he realizes what has just happened is haunting...
Hilarious when you realize two of his accusers are Cylons.
C Wilson three actually.
@@BaldyBuildsBric I thought Anders was out of the circle by then. Or was it because of Gaeta? Now I have to go rewatch.
C Wilson good point
Also hilarious that he used some of the same people in his own mutiny (Connor, Seelix).
3 Cylons and an angel
The saddest part is that at the end, aside from Tyrol, they almost all look like they still want to kill Gaeta....like they all had been denied their outlet for revenge & were kind of angry about it.
They look ashamed more than anything else.
He saved them all...and they were about to flush him out...chief felt that
And most of all, Gaeta still felt guilty for not doing more and was going to let them
From Starbuck’s rage at them nearly killing an actual hero, to the looks of disbelief and shame across the others faces, this was a powerful scene. Props to all the actors here.
Gaeta got such a shit deal over and over. I almost didn't blame him for rebelling.
@Elthenar But you did blame him for rebelling. And you were right. Nothing that happened to him excused his rebellion.
@kinerry What president?
@Rulerful Okay, irrelevant of how great he is or isn't, how does that in anyway relate to the present scene?
@RulerzfulYea greatest at dividing the country and turning into a near xenophobic nation
@@Lightingwarrior That's what the MSM and Hollywood is doing. I give you The Hunt that glorifies killing conservatives for sport.
This episode is gritty and powerful. I always thought it was one of the best episodes of BSG. One of many. The best show ever produced for television.
Yeah, that band had shown they were not any better than cylons.
@@ShepardCZ That's the whole point. The entire series is the whole point.
@@bingbongabinga2954 Almost. It shows what they were driven to. Whereas of course the cylon arc is about them instigating it, and then coming to realise what they had done.
gaeta had it pretty rough the entire time he was alive, first he gets blamed for helping the cylons and later he gets executed cause he was against teaming with the cylons
He got executed because he lead a bloody coup.
@@blusafe1 well that blood stuff was mostly on Zarek, gaeta wanted a bloodless takeover.
@@colin8696908 No they share equal responsibility. Doesn't matter Gaeta's "intent". Good people died.
@@blusafe1 And yet Baltar who kick started the entire thing found his way to Earth.
@@voteDCDid he kick start the entire thing? Have responsibility, sure. Cavil acted long before, probably before Baltar was born.
Those specific people were the least qualified to abjudicate anything. They were all personally affected by the Occupation, & were acting out of rage & hatred. It almost cost them dearly... sort of.
That's what made this show so riveting; you never expected anything 'normal' to happen.
cleekmaker00 ya it’s pretty much everyone who shouldn’t ever be on a jury concerning this issue
cleekmaker00. Who wasnt effected?
DrewLSsix ppl who were on the ships during the new caprica story arc
Evan Collins. They were still directly effected.
cmon now, in terms of bias against collaborators those on the ships would be much less impacted. If you're in a position where you only have 40k ppl to pull from to make a jury/juries you have to do the best that you can to mitigate risk. This is just semantics.
2018 and i still love this show
I think this show was so underrated. Great show with a great ending
Lee wasted Pegasus, defended Baltar at his trial, and instead of a single city for security the preservation of language, science, math and medical technology, he convinced Adams to spread the human race as this as possible with a lame excuse, when it was just so it would be forever before we rose again, IF we even survived. You sure there weren't 6 final Cylons?.....
Gaeta remained true to his beliefs in protecting humanity until the very end. It isn't clear that he was wrong.
Yeah, it is.
One of the greatest parts of any show l ever watched.....so human and mechanical at the same time
For me this is one of the most powerful scenes from any television show ever. Even now, years later, nothing comes close.
Poor Felix.I feel sorry for him.He served Adama and Galactica well.He helped the rebels and at the end he was betrayed by his men.Yes,he was the mastermind of the mutiny but we got to admit he was right.Everything he was fighting for was gone. :(
Your argument is reasonable, even, dare I say, sound. Except for one thing - justified or not, if one wears the uniform and/or swear the oath of an armed force, you have a duty to either follow orders given by a superior officer, ask for reassignment to other units, or resign.
Real-life militaries have to deal w/all the time. The armed forces are a dictatorship, not a democracy. One can argue the validity of an order, but once the order is given, a soldier has a responsibility to follow it. Gaeta had the choices above if he so strongly opposed Adama's order. Violating the oath he took was an error & a crime.
@@scotcarr3390 the military is hardly a dictatorship. Orders can be disobeyed if they are immoral but most orders are mundane normal operating procedure. The armed forces follow orders from its elected civilian government, which is a democracy.
@@jeffburnham6611 Doesn't matter. Even the lesser charge of disobeying an order is a serious offense, even worse in a time of war. Mutiny... I think even in our modern day navies mutiny is a capital offense. In times of war mutiny is punishable by death. Unless there can be an extremely compelling reason. (My commander was in the service of the enemy and mutiny against him was the only way to save ship and crew for example) Your likely to receive the maximum punishment. Believe me when I saw that a panel of judges for a court martial er on the side of the letter of military law, rather than the spirit.
@@hunterg24 Do you realize most of nuremberg defendants defense was "i was following orders". You are saying they were in the right ?
@@becoolthisisarobbery you are a fucking moron making a strawman argument. That's obviously not the point I was making but you're either trolling or too stupid to actually realize the point.
Okay binging these BSG clips again have me thinking this might be the greatest network tv show ever
Imagine the fear Gaeta went through and this situation right there almost getting murdered by also crazy people for a impossible to deal occasion, I will be so bold as to say he did pretty well, chose a side and stuck with it.
I enjoy that whenever the morality of something comes into question, they play the final strings from the Olympic Carrier OST.
This is what a court of the mob is
Yup a room full of very angry vengful people.
It's a shame that Gaeta eventually lost himself in the hatred for cylons and made some really bad decisions.
Kris Gietkowski. I dont think a single person didnt lose them selves, he just didnt get the second chance this group did.
the thing is whatr they did to him broke him it gave him the message that he did not do enough so he became a radical so that he not having any regrets again. That is what self justice brings madness and bloodshood until people stop or are dead.
@@Siegberg91, Wise observation.
Poor guy ended up getting shot anyway.
Long live Commander Gaeta
Very strong scene, well complemented by what comes after, especially the very end where Tyrol sits next to Gaeta in the canteen. An apology, an a move on. I keep coming back to this episode just to see all that again
They did my boy Gaeta wrong.
Gaeta was a good man, destroyed by his hatred of the Cylons (how manipulative they can be). His sense of betrayal from his friends. It seemed that everything 'good' he tried to do, turned to sh*t. President Tom Zarek was truly an insidious narcissist. It was his decision to legalise mob justice, almost killing Gaeta with him almost being thrown out of the airlock. And later by murdering the Quorum, sealed Gaeta's fate during the coup. Gaeta felt he had truth on his side. That truth was poisoned by Zarek.
One of the best all around characters on the show.
3:33 - that look when it dawns on you that you almost flushed an innocent person out the airlock in a twisted quest for "justice" ...
Not only an innocent person, an ally who saved your lives.
I hated Starbuck so much in this episode.
They really knew how to throw the cliffhangers in BSG
This was such a good scene. I always think of this one whenever I think about BSG.
Although he lived....this started his downfall and his dislike for Starbuck.
yeah i can see how someone can develop a dislike for someone else who wants to kill him, and mock him, and make him beg for his life......
and then later on gleefully denies him the medical help he needs to save his leg, for choosing a wild goose chase.....cant blame him....
Half of the team calling for revenge are the machines and they handed out death sentences to the humans.
LOL, that's why death sentences are not a good punishment option...you never know who are all the players are.
2020 and yep its still better than anything else I watched during lock down
Gaeta did what he could. Gaeta saved the people on New Caprica. Gaeta went with Starbuck to find Earth, lost his leg in the process.
And still, after everyone, including the Admiral had agreed that even Baltar deserved a second chance, after Roslin found out that Baltar gave the Cylons access to the defense mainframe...
The only one who was ever punished for a serious frak up was Gaeta, who did not get a second chance or mercy. All he got was a bullet.
The timing was different and he was an instigator.
This is NOT a scifi show, this IS a human drama first and foremost; every word written a masterclass in pursuit of that fact.. it will stand the test of time as one of the greatest examples of what can happen when you build flawed characters so well and place them in impossible situations and watch them either grow or fall apart. I don't believe in God, but I almost want to thank Him for RDM..
French resistance allegory.
Thanks for uploading these clips! Much appreciated!
Meanwhile, the dog had no water.
There was no closure for Gaeta regarding Starbuck wanting him to beg. One of the others should have forced her to apologize even if it meant Tyrol backhanding slapping her if she didn't. This was missing in this scene...
That's your personal preference. Me, I remember the sheer Hell that Kara had to endure at the 'farm', and I'm more understanding.
@@Ares99999 And that was Gaeta's fault how?? Do you understand if the human government had outright refused to cooperate with the Cylons in any form they'd have just straight up annihilated them all?
@@antred11 Well said
I'm waiting for the day that NETFLIX will air the entire BSG
series
Available on amazon prime video.
Been and gone years back, sadly.
Its back. I just finished watching them last month.
It's also on Hulu. I'm watching it right now. And for the second time.
It Was On Netflix Several Years Back.
That moment when you realized you nearly executed the man who single handedly saved the human race from extinction.
Therein lies the difference between revenge and justice. Justice is without passion. It is meant to heal society and make it whole. Revenge is petty, and selfish. It’s about making the wronged feel better.
ha you actually think that don't you? lmao justice has nothing to do with healing society, justice is just the fancy word the rich use to punish the poor.
@@archangel6676 Okay…
Vice President Thom Zarek authorized those tribunals.
Was it any small wonder why he joined the mutiny?
One of my top 3 shows of all time. Up there with the wire and breaking bad
How did CIC not see Viper tubes just randomly open? That's a big frickin' deal.
Someone in CIC has a board with the status of each Viper tube lit up. Offline, close on each end, open on one end or the other...
If I was on this "council" I'd make sure someone who sympathizes with the cause is manning that board or have someone sabotage the sensors. Tyrol and Tigh happen to be perfectly placed for either.
This is why vigilante justice is a bad thing.
Such a powerful scene. Haunting.
The shame that sweeps across their faces when they realise that they may have executed innocent people once the truth comes out about Felix, just a powerful moment. One of the best in the entire show.
one thing so many other previous shows never did, was show the aftermath of a war, or a battle or an insurgency.
As much as other shows only show the noble, clean, proper version of humanity...this is a fallacy. Real humanity is messy, grey and probably always will. The best of us rise to the occasion despite the darkness.
This one hits hard
The scene always reminds me of the documentary "The sorrow and the pity." About post war France and the brutal reprisals against Vichy collaborators that the government either turned a blind eye towards or silently allowed. Tragic stuff
You mean the people who gave innocent people up for death camps, torture, execution? One of those guys gave away my great-grandpa. So killing these traitors and cowards was complete justice. France did right by letting us take care of the worthless dregs.
To this day, I am still angry that Gaeda was executed. Yes, he was an instrumental part of the mutiny, but at least, Adama could have given him life in the brig/prison.
His execution is harder to swallow seeing some of the other mutineers spared (like Racetrack) and showing up again
such a beautiful show.
This scene would have been even better if the writers hadn't previously revealed Gaeta was the source. The audience would have a similar reaction as the council.
All I think with this scene is that I hope they didn't leave poor doggy on New Caprica.
They had to.
It was gunned down in a deleted scene. 😢
That might have been a deleted scene nut they didn't go with it, the same dog was on board after the rescue from New Caprica, it was Lampkins dog, Lee gave him it after Baltars trial, it was even mentioned as being "a genuine hero of the Resistance"
But like, how’d he set up such a specific dead drop operation without telling the chief beforehand?
I've been wondering that for a while and came back to find the scene specifically to see if they mentioned it. Not sure how they'd do that.
Gaeta’s story arc ended so badly.
I respectfully disagree. He was given pretty good development throughout the series despite the key players sucking all the oxygen most of the time. Plus, it was the natural progression of a man who had become embittered by the changes around him. I think Dee committing suicide is what drove him over the edge into total darkness and eventually mutinous fury.
I usually push for the darker alternatives but I'm really really glad they didn't kill Gaeta here
And this is why we should allow closed courts, death squads and the like. Obviously, make governments disagree, in private if not publicly
I would've had the biggest grudge against the guy that took those first two swings out of nowhere.
That man is Charlie Connor. The irony is that, later on the series, Gaeta led a mutiny, and Connor was an ally in it.
“Vakama, stop it leave him lone” Nokama said
it was a good show,glad to watch.
"Whatever...one of you frakkers owes me a drink and a lay."
Gaeta was the hero only for a short time then he lost his leg and got bitter.
After my second viewing of the show I realised how much I hate Starbuck. The mutiny was justified
Absolutely. Can you imagine how much he'd hate Tigh and Starbuck after this? And the Demetrius? But they're Adama's favorite people, so it's obbvious they wouldn't actually get any really punishment at all. I didn't blame him for the mutiny.
I don’t hate Starbuck but I ABSOLUTELY understand why Gaeta would and why he would mutiny. Two of his former accusers were revealed to be Cylon, a third Cylon (Anders) shot him in the leg, causing him to lose it, and Starbuck came back from the dead, putting her status as human in serious question, yet she was still highly favored. Favoritism was rife in the BSG crew and the cooperation of Cylon and human probably sickened Gaeta to his core.
@@earlyriser03 I'd argue how much Starbuck was really favored after her return. One of the things I can praise about that whole resurrection nonsense is the way it's not treated as a triumphant return at all. Everyone's just way more scared and doubtful about everything now.
@@Onigirli sure, but within the span of a few episodes, she’s allowed to just roam about like as if she didn’t come back from a fiery explosion that should’ve killed her, not unlike a Cylon haha.
Yes, suspicion still followed her but ultimately it was business as usual.
The old Adama and Roslin would have locked her in the brig and kept her there for ages, like they did with Athena. I think the only argument that can be made is by this point the Colonials were strapped for skilled pilots so they made a judgment call. And, of course, Adams’s favoritism. She was almost his daughter-in-law.
This scene was 1 of my favorites part of them they almost killed off th reason there alive
Ironically however, had Gaeta been airlocked, maybe the mutiny later on might not have happened and many lives been spared. So thick is the plot within BSG, what a great show!
Gaeta was just a part of the mutiny, so it would have still happened. You had a civilian who was behind the mutiny and didnt have access to the bridge. Gaeta was a command officer on the bridge. Without Gaeta the mutiny would have been worse as there would have been more fighting to get access and/or defending for the bridge.
@@everybuddy5924 very true! Gaeta was definitely embittered with leadership but he still genuinely cared about the survival of humanity and the crew and civilians at large. He did his best to ensure the safety of as many as possible but it was clear he was not cut out to lead.
It's only a maybe... Gaeta is also the one who understood enough was enough and stopped his own mutiny. Someone else might've kept it going to the bitter end like Zarek pushed for. I think it might still be for the best that an inevitable mutiny was headed by Gaeta.
The same thing happened in France post WW2, around 10 000 people "disappeared" due to revenge from the Résistance.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Good Guys. The race that definitely deserved to survive.
I hated this scene yet loved it at the same time. Incredible.
Didn't we learn later from Gaeta's Eight that all t info he gave t resistance was known about, and deliberately fed to him by t Cylons in power in their effort to better control t resistance?
yup
do you have an issue using the word 'the'?
yes we did, although Felix's information was key to the eventual rescue by the Galactica.
Extremely realistic storytelling during those episodes. . . very relevant to today's issues.
What tune is that at the end?
Yas! I wondered that too... I'm sorry to hear nobody replied to your question. If I ever figure it out, I'll come back on here and post an update.
How exactly would this get set up? How would the Chief know, the first time, that the dog bowl meant to go to the dump?
Gaeta knew several resistance members already in prison and presumably used their contacts to set up the initial dead drop without revealing himself.
@@SantomPh He slipped a message into a prisoners clothes with details for a dead drop when the guy was being released. No one knew who left the first message, the guy just found it in his pocket.
It was either on a webisode or a deleted scene.
It just delayed his trip out the airlock.
Buster Bear, He wasn't airlocked, he was shot (executed). The disposition of his corpse afterwards, is irrelevant.
I hope they constantly wondered how many others like him did they kill?. IMO these kinds of "trials" should never be implemented.
Well yeah there's a reason practically the entire western civilized world doesn't allow this sort of bullshit.
Oh for sure. Kangaroo courts or show trials are a terrifying thought. One of the most notorious examples being the People's Court in Nazi Germany that would bring you up for 15 minutes effectively just to sentence you. Drumhead in TNG has similar thoughts but assuming someone is guilty is no where near as scary as these airlocking incidents.
In WW2 and WW1, the US routinely did things like this and then again in the 1950s. “German Sympathizers” in WW1, Japanese Americans in WW2, Alleged Communists and “Communist Sympathizers” in the 1950s. These are just the most egregious recent ones. The US has always been and always will be a nation of kangaroo courts and mob justice. After observing the US courts in person for more than thirty years, unless you are rich and well connected, a fair trial is virtually impossible to get. Most judges are former prosecutors and openly disparage any defendant who comes before them. It isn’t supposed to happen but it does. In my state, public defenders are only paid if they lose. I have seen many instances where a person was obviously innocent and their public defender deliberately lost in order to get paid. Fair trials are only for the rich.
poor gaeta i felt so sorry for him
Alcohol water time
The woman who said you’ve been found guilty, was she also the cylon in the bathtub? I forget what they called those cylons who controlled the base ships… but her voice is so similar.
Hybrids. And I'm not sure but good question, Seelix's actress does look identical to them, maybe they used her
No, she's Jennifer Halley, the actress playing the hybrids is Tiffany Lyndall-Knight.
Regarding Felix's mutiny, wasn't the final straw the fact that Adama jailed Harvey Zarek and wouldn't recognize him as The President? That's why I sided with Gaeta. I think this show didn't do justice to Zarek, it just turned him into a thug.
It makes you wonder why he eventually turned and tried to overthrow the ship huh?
What was the secret he and Baltar shared? Remember the seen in the brig? Did the show ever explain that?? I've been confused by that from the beginning.
I am not 100% sure, but I believe it was revealed in a web episode that he was sleeping with an 8 during the occupation that was using him to sniff out and find resistance members.
@@Riku-zv5dk I'll have to go back and watch the web episodes. I don't recall Him sleeping with 8 . or was is implied that he was?
It is in The 'Face of the Enemy' series of episodes
i *think* it's related to a scene (or webisode) that was never filmed where Baltar had ordered kill squads of certain colonials for some reason and that Gaeta knew about them or (perish the thought) participated in them. RDM mentioned something about that during his podcasts put out after the episodes aired.
Ever noticed what a stupid sound "beg" is? Try it, say beg. Beg. Beg. Beg. Keep saying it. Beg. Beg. Beg.
Short words are immensly practical, but often enough they sound ridiculous. This is one of them.
Why did they put his head in a bag and take him to a part of Galactica he surely knows about by people he already knows?
in 1945/46 probably many tibunals were like that
Anyone know where I can watch the series? I live in the US so Netflix doesn't have it.
Amazon prime has the entire series.
Brittany Robinson buy it
Peacock has them for free
Who would be the traitors to me?
🇦🇶
Picking on others and up to what i addressed and how.
🇦🇶
Oops, our bad. No hard feelings, though, right? :)
Why is there a guillotine in the background?
What irritated me the most about this was that Starbuck didn't tell them what he told her which would have avoided all this. And then he wouldn't talk in his defense. I realize they did it this way for the dramatic effect but most of the writing was so good it didn't need this kind of obvious emotional exploit. While the mob seeking revenge is wrong it is understandable. This part was not imo.
Does saul know his wife was a collaborater at this point?
Yes, he killed her.
He knew she was a collaborator. He din't know she was a Cylon...or that he was.
Sure he did. And he dealt with her accordingly, so I don't see the issue
Funny, two of them are cylons.
Actually three
Technically three. Wasn't anders originally on the council too? I think starbuck was his replacement.
Dogs are called, "Daggits." I wonder if the screenwriters knew or research it. The original Muffit, a daggit, runs with Boxey on Caprica during the Cylon sneak attack (Saga of a Star World). A daggit is a canine-like animal used as a domesticated pet, watch animal, or tracker. No daggits survive the Cylon holocaust. Boxey loses his daggit, Muffit, to the destruction on Caprica.
outstanding post
That was the original series. They say in some interview or podcast I believe that they didn't want to over complicate things by using weird names for everyday things. The audience knows what a dog is. No reason to suddenly just change it for the sake of changing it. That was an aspect that is better left to the original show.
Gaeta did nothing wrong.
Turn up on em.
how many of those standing over him went on to follow him later ?
Two.