Battlestar Galactica (TV Series) A Measure of Salvation (2006) User Reviews

Ethics 101

[mstomaso · 8/10 · 30 December 2007]

Perhaps the most depressing episode of BSG since the mini-series' destruction of 99% of the human species, A Measure of Salvation has the Adamas and newly reinstalled President Roslin contemplating the use of the virus that destroyed the base star they encountered in "Torn" to exterminate the cylons forever. Things are no better for Baltar, whose duplicity is now a well-known fact among the cylons. These sad and tragic themes will eventually weave together as the two populations converge for the first time since Exodus.

There is a little inconsistency in the scripted characterizations of the main characters in A Measure of Salvation. This detracts only a little from what is otherwise a very powerful and well-crafted story.

Tahmoh Penikett's performance is, perhaps, his best in season 3.

Just how far will humanity go in the war with the Cylons?

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 22 November 2011]

When the Cylons learn that Baltar lied to them when he said he found nothing out of the ordinary on the base ship it at first looks as if they are going to kill him; in fact they 'only' torture him; he is helped through this by 'Head Six'. Meanwhile the main story of the episode is happening back on the fleet; they have discovered the crippled base star and a search leads them to discover a room full of dying Cylons. When they realise they are dealing with a potentially deadly infection they return along with Cylon prisoners who were brought back because Dr. Cottle belied they might aid his quest for a cure; it turns out they need not have worried as humans are immune to the virus and after a brief worry it is established that Athena is immune too because she has carried a half human child. The realisation that they are safe isn't the end of the story however; Apollo suggests that they could use the infected Cylons as a biological weapon to wipe out the rest of the Cylons by killing them within range of a resurrection ship. Helo strongly objects claiming that it would be genocide, however his objections are over ruled and Adama sets about ambushing the Cylons.

This was another fine episode with gripping moments and a nice moral dilemma. While it never seemed likely that the Cylons would be successfully infected… the series needs them to provide an ongoing threat, however how the plan would be stopped was unsure till the end. When that was revealed it wasn't a huge surprise however it was well handled. As usually the acting was good; in particular Grace Park and Tahmoh Penikett who played Athena and Helo… Athena's speech about keeping her word even if it meant the end of her people was touching and well delivered. While it was mainly a character driven episode there was some action; this was however fairly brief. There were one or two plot holes the main one being; why were there no guards watching the prisoners? It seems the only answer to that is so that Helo wouldn't have to kill any people when he killed the prisoners… that said it is a small thing; most stories have necessary flaws.

Nice episode, but not one of the best

[sarastro7 · 7/10 · 2 July 2007]

When you see a bunch of the Cylons succumbing to some mysterious disease, and Sharon then goes aboard their baseship and does everything she can to get infected, it's pretty clear that much of the impetus of this episode is that Sharon will get sick. Only, that's not what happens. My question is: Why not? What else was the point of this episode?

A disease like the common cold, easily curable for the humans, and the Cylons think it is beyond their capacity to find a cure? Not likely, you'll agree. And, this disease can download wireless into their new bodies?! Even less likely. I mean, how's that supposed to work. Sorry, no can do.

These were the serious shortcomings of this episode, but it did have some things going for it as well. The whole Baltar bit was pretty cool, all round; I think that subplot is turning out well.

So, not one of the best episodes, but still pretty good. 7 out of 10.

No Thanks

[jblesus · 17 January 2009]

I found this episode to be ridiculous. First, what virus stays active for THREE THOUSAND YEARS in space? On top of this, this "rat virus" or whatever it was was bio-electric, making it capable of being transmitted via radio waves? Give me a break. Moving on, Why would Cylons have torture chairs in their basestars? Why introduce this deadly Cylon-virus-thing only to have Boomer be immune to it from some cockamamie explanation about carrying a child? Also, you mean to tell me these highly valuable prisoners didn't have a guard posted to keep an eye on them? And after all the crap that has gone on in their lives, they just let Helo wander around the ship knowing full well he was in opposition to the plan? You would think they would have kept him under watch too. I'm sorry, but this episode forced me to suspend my disbelief too much. Everything ended up being WAY too convenient, blatantly deus ex machina. This was the episode that made me stop watching the show.

The Cylons are forced to abandon their own, in order to save their species.

[catalin_din_nord · 10/10 · 12 November 2006]

Like most episodes of Gallactica this season, I just have to say it's brilliant! The thing that haunts me is what happened to former president Baltar, which is one of my favorite characters. As we know, he left New Caprica with the Cylons and was accommodated on a Basestar, and the Cylons are thinking about reasons to keep him alive.

One of these reasons is that he is human and can go where cylons can't, like infested Battlestars, which is the main plot tag-line of this episode. The plot, as usual is brilliant and brings up, among other things serious human issues, like genocide. Here's a question for you: is the extinction of the Cylon race genocide?

Show Getting Worse and Worse

[jengle9 · 3/10 · 11 May 2011]

This is yet another episode of a show that continues to defy all logic and reason. I thoroughly enjoyed season 1 and most of season 2. Season 3 has been okay at best (although I thought the Exodus episodes were great).

In this episode, a Cylon ship looking for Earth is infected with some sort of virus that is killing them. Somehow, this virus is able to transmit itself back to the Cylon Resurrection ship when one dies. This is absurd, as we find out later that the virus is a 3000 year old virus that humans have now become immune to. It is absolutely impossible for a virus capable of infecting humans to somehow be transmitted back via radio waves to the Cylon ship.

But that isn't even the worst part of this episode. Throughout the series, we have seen the Cylons systematically hunting down the entire human race (after they slaughtered close to 12 billion people). I am getting sick and tired of this show attempting to make me feel sorry for the Cylons or even feel any sympathy towards them at all, which it has tried to do on countless occasions. Here, the humans finally have a way to eliminate the Cylons for good, but enter the idiot Helo. He thinks it would be genocide to wipe or the entire Cylon race, but somehow conveniently forgets that they are fighting a fracking war against them, and have been for the past few years or so. Helo ends up successfully sabotaging the plan to wipe out the Cylons, again conveniently forgetting that he has just signed the death warrants for countless other humans. What makes this even worse is that he sees no punishment for his ludicrous actions. Adama just decides to "close the book" on the whole incident, even though it is clear who is at fault.

The show seems to be getting worse and worse. The writers are obviously running out of ideas, and it is painfully showing. Next time I'm in a war with an advanced race of computers who have wiped out almost my entire species, I think I'll sit and debate whether wiping out their entire race to end the war will "take a piece of my soul." Ridiculous. Helo is a traitor and should have been put out the airlock.

This has been my biggest issue with this show. Things seem to be finally working out, but then out of nowhere, one dumb idiot makes a ridiculous decision that fracks everything up for the entire human race. This has happened so many times in this show it is getting extremely tiresome.

I love this show but its these kind of episodes that makes me question why

[deependrasingh191 · 4/10 · 23 December 2011]

Miniseries and 1st season was awesome. But slowly slowly its again going back to worse.Ending episodes of season 2nd again brought back interest but now this. After watching this i was like, what i mean what??? Cylons have killed billions of humans and they continuing to kill and are the reason why humans are at the verge of extinction but what humans are thinking is its unethical to kill the entire race of Cylons.

On top of that the admiral adama is closing the book on halo. He's a traitor as simple as that and has lost his mind.It just takes all logic away from this world.There is no sense what so ever i just was mind boggled by the event that happened in this show.

I guess i should tone down a little its not good for me.

Missed Opportunity

[thisglimpse-1 · 20 September 2008]

One of the only times I've seen the writers miss an opportunity -- and a big one.

What we have here is essentially an opening for Mutually Assured Destruction. The humans could've forged a lasting peace, but blew it by going for genocide.

Here's what you do: Take the five Cylon prisoners. Distribute them throughout the fleet in secret locations. Sue for peace with the Cylons. Let them know that you have the prisoners, and any attack upon humans will result in an execution of a prisoner. Any attempt to discover the location of the prisoners will result in the execution of a prisoner.

Then return to Caprica and move back into your homes.

And tell the Cylons to stay the hell away. Or else.

One for the bleeding hearts

[grantss · 4/10 · 19 November 2023]

Apollo and a landing party board a derelict Cylon battlestar to find almost all the Cylons aboard dead. Five humanoid Cylons are still alive, barely, and it is discovered that they are suffering from a deadly virus. Mankind now has the means to entirely wipe out the Cylons but not everyone wants to see it used.

An episode that started interestingly enough with the discovery of the virus, its implications, how this could be used as well as other intelligence gathered from the captured Cylons.

However, the episode becomes an unnecessary, misplaced moralistic sermon along the lines of "Oh, no, we can't wipe out the Cylons, that would be genocide. M'kay." Seriously? You're at war and you do whatever it takes to win and, in this case, preserve your species. If you don't take the option, every human that dies from then on is a death you could easily have prevented. Besides, they're just machines.

Quite stupid and another example of the uneven writing that prevailed since late in Season 2. This after the season started so well and seemed to have taken the series in a new, unexpected and intriguing direction.