Redstick SF

Tyrol: “Cue the Twisted Sister CD, we’re on STRIKE!”

“Dirty Hands” is a peculiar episode. If you’re a big fan of (1) child labor, (2) Slavery/ Exploitation, (3)throwing people in jail for the books they read, and (4) killing Cally, then this is your episode!

Ok, so maybe most of us are for killing Cally.

Some quick thoughts about this episode:
1. Science fiction was supposed to be the genre that allowed for a space in which we could explore possibilities and solutions to these kinds of problems with only our imaginations as the limit. It looks like this episode (and increasing this show) suffers from a lack of imagination. The best way to deal with a labor strike is to threaten to kill someone’s wife? Really?

More than anything, we should feel disappointed.

2. Anybody else think that the ending was strange? Roslyn basically falls over herself to grant the laborers rights and concessions. That struck me as disingenuous. Isn’t it fun that she handled the strike situation the same way that Pres. Adar did with the educators union? “Yes, but the threat of the cylons justified her actions,” you’re saying to yourself. And that’s when the writers got you. What else is justifiable? What are the limits of what is justifiable by the Cylon threat? Killing Tyrol’s wife? Child labor? Two things we find morally repugnant, they skated right on through.

3. Extracting a worker’s labor power without compensation is called…wait for it…slavery. Work for a month without your boss paying you for your time. Yeah, that sucks eh?

These guys were working 16 hour shifts. Meanwhile, Apollo is arguing (and crying) with Dualla and sexin-up Starbuck. Yeah, that’s fair.

4. The ad hominem fallacy gets a good work out in this episode. Having Baltar, who many see as the villain of the show, provide the critique of class, invites the audience to dismiss it completely. Because Baltar may or may not have betrayed the human race to the Cylons does not mean that his criticisms of race and class are any less valid.

Then, to make matters worse, have Cally stammer something about the “ruling class” to remind the audience that if Cally thinks it, it certainly isn’t worthwhile.

Overall, probably a very frustrating episode for people who aren’t fascists.