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The title of this week’s episode has multiple layers of meaning to it. On one level, it’s about how the warring factions of humans and Cylons are finding they have fewer and fewer options left to them for survival, as they draw closer to an inevitable final battle. On a second level, it’s about accepting yourself for who (and what) you are, while embracing the possibility of change and growth–to be more than you are, as opposed to being something that you aren’t. On a third, it’s a sly reference to the writers trying to explain and explore the many questions faithful viewers have, giving themselves an “exit” from the various continuity headaches while suturing up some plot holes in the process.

Obviously this review contains SPOILERS like whoa, so don’t read past the jump if you don’t want to know.

After the unbelievable one-two punch that was “The Oath” and “Blood On The Scales,” “No Exit” is a drastic shift in tone from the tour de force of action and character definition of the last two weeks. It somehow manages to take the much-needed and yet dreaded exposition of who and what the Final Five are and package it in a way that makes it palatable to the viewer, if still not entirely understandable. The most concise explanations of the information we got from Anders and Ellen can be found on Mo Ryan’s and Alan Sepinwall’s reviews, for my money, so I won’t bother recapping it myself.

The Plot

The cycle of humans creating machines, that evolve into humans, which in turn create their own machines who rebel against their masters now, more than ever, seems to be part of a grand scheme of manipulation by the mysterious third party who’s been orchestrating events from the beginning. (Note Anders’ comments about Tigh and Tory seeing hallucinations and Tyrol thinking he had a chip in his head–sound familiar?) The unseen Lords of Kobol or God(s) who have been orchestrating events from the beginning, clearly have been at this a long time, if the timelines of Earth and Kobol are to be believed. Are they super-evolved humans or Cylons, trying to recreate their lost origins? Or have they lost touch with what it means to be human (Cylon?), and are performing some massive experiment by putting their creations through their paces (the theory I favor)?

What I Liked

• Kate Vernon was a revelation in this episode. The new, post-New Caprica Ellen Tigh is a much more compelling and interesting character than the vampish shrew of Season 1 and 2. She retains the almost playful ability to screw with people’s minds, but tempered with a much deeper intellect and awareness of the world. The idea that she not only engineered the creation of the resurrection technology, but created the first skinjob (John/Cavil) in her father’s image adds an incredible layer of Oedipal/Biblical twistedness when you consider Cavil’s and Ellen’s, ah, “relationship” on New Caprica. (And Cavil/Boomer, Tigh/Caprica Six, Anders/Tory–yeah, these’re some messed-up people all right.)
• Speaking of Cavil, Dean Stockwell also knocked it out of the park. Cavil is a petulant monster driven by rage and refusing to accept that which he is, blaming his parents for all the wrong things he’s done in his life (”I didn’t ask to be born!”). It’s worth noting that Cavil refuses to accept what he is–a synthesis of man and machine, and wants to be pure metal–and yet exhorts Ellen to accept that she is a machine as well, when she clearly isn’t–or at least not one as we understand them to be. John/Cavil’s understandable desire for “justice” for his Centurion brethren is a mask for his resentment at what he perceives as being less than “real”–ironic, given that the prevailing view is that the Cylons are less real than the humans.
• The literal “magic bullet” that enabled Anders to access his memories as one of the Five also enabled Michael Trucco to take his acting skills to a different level, right down to the aphasic ramblings that were very reminiscent of the Hybrid. I sincerely hope this isn’t poor Anders’ fate–brain-death–because he was one of the few characters on the show who could be truly selfless and compassionate, from his unwavering love for Kara to his guilt over shooting Gaeta.
• John “I’m a PC” Hodgman as a neurosurgeon. You know he’s really all about the open source.
• Adama’s grief and rage over watching Roslin dying and the mutiny that cost so many lives is being compounded by watching his other great love–Galactica–fall to pieces before his eyes. The drinking and pill-popping is symbolic of the fact that Adama, the great leader who carried the fleet through exodus, and war, and endless struggle, is also breaking down, and that he may be the “dying leader” in his own way.
• Who wants to bet the Chief/Boomer love story will heat back up once she and Ellen make it back to Galactica? Throw in the inevitable revelation that Tory killed Cally, and I can see Galen’s in for an even rougher time as the series winds to a close.
• So there’s a “colony” out there that contains the technology for resurrection. A 14th tribe, perhaps?

What I Disliked

• The big thing that bothered me about this episode was the lack of follow-up to the mutiny storyline. What happened to Seelix, Racetrack, Narcho, and the other troops who supported Zarek and Gaeta? In fact, I found it odd that so much emphasis was placed on the Quorum, who (until “Blood On The Scales”) were largely shown to be a bunch of arguing bitches.  While I’m glad that their heroic moment and postmortem portrayed them more heroically, I feel like we needed more fallout from the mutiny, because it was such a pivotal storyline.
• The timelines for the events don’t make a lick of sense. It seems like they’re designed to match up with “our” (the viewers) timeline more than anything else. It’s probably better if you don’t think about it too closely.

Overall

As exposition episodes go, “No Exit” does the job of taking a lot of heavy lifting of info and delivering it in a fashion that still provides drama and maintains the viewers’ interest as we start hurtling towards what promises to be a blistering series finale.