“The Woman King” is episode fourteen of season three of the new Battlestar Galactica.
The ‘Previously…’ scene may make a viewer think they’ve missed an episode, as it talks about Helo dealing with refugees on Galactica on the unused hanger deck. This is because that never actually happened.
Helo is in bed but is having problems sleeping. Athena, when she gets up, discovers he’s fallen asleep on the couch. She speaks to him about it the next day and he says it’s a stupid dream. She says he’s going to have more refugees today. Yes, and he doesn’t know where to put them.
Helo is greeting the Sagittarons as they arrive; Colonel Tigh is with him. Tigh’s version of diplomacy is not the same as Helo’s. One of the arrivals looks sick and a doctor, Robert, is trying to examine him, as Sagittarons don’t believe in medicine. Dee comes over and explains she’s Sagittaron too and their beliefs will be respected. The sick person’s mother decides that Robert has done enough examining and another won’t let him look at his father. A lot of them look ill and the doctor looks worried. When Tigh, who knows Robert, greets him, Robert tells Tigh to get out of there. Helo comments that a lot look sick. The young man Robert was examining collapses and Helo is looking at just how many people look sick.
At a meeting with Tigh, Adama, Dr Cottle, Dr Robert and Helo, it’s explained that Mellorak infection is treatable, but if not treated is fatal. It’s spread by human contact and right now is confined to the Sagittarons. It’s easily curable, though supplies are limited, and some won’t get sick with proper hygiene. Though they don’t have to worry about running out of medicine on the Sagittarons, because most will refuse to be treated. It seems many do not have a high opinion of them.
On Colonial One, President Roslin and Tory are briefing Tom Zarek on Gaius Baltar’s trial. Zarek tells the president that things will be bad; a hurricane of violence and unrest, at a level never seen before. The trial could bring the entire fleet down. Tory explains they have a security plan but Zarek says he would declare martial law during the trial. After he leaves, the president says she’s never seen Zarek like that. Truly frightened.
Helo is dealing with grievances from the civilians when Portia King, whose son Willie Robert examined, comes to see him. Her son is dead and they are talking at cross-purposes; Helo thinks Willie is dead because treatment was refused but apparently his mother decided to let Robert give him the medication anyway. She thinks Robert killed her son.
Helo speaks to Dr Robert; the doctor says Willie was sick for too long, contrary to what Willie’s mother said. He did explain this, but what was he supposed to say? That she caused her son’s death? Robert is going to vaccinate Helo; he doesn’t want the only person helping him to fall sick.
Helo arrives at the bar, where Tyrol has no sympathy for Sagittarons. Apollo tells him to knock it off – the chief had forgotten Dee was a Sagittaron. Except she shares his opinion.
Athena has gone to see Caprica Six in the brig, to thank her for helping Athena and Hera escape from the base ship in “Rapture”. Though she isn’t sure why she did it. Caprica’s version of Gaius isn’t sure either. Athena tells Caprica her best chance for survival is to work with Galactica to expose Baltar’s crimes. Roslin and Tory are listening in. After Athena leaves, Gaius asks Caprica what she’s doing here. She says she’s still trying to figure that out. Gaius says it’s because she wants to be human, and the trick to being human is you have to only think about yourself.
Meanwhile, Helo is getting very suspicious of Dr Robert. No-one else is worried.