IMHO "Battlestar Galactica": "The Oath" or Gaeta in Charge

For four seasons, Lt. Felix Gaeta (Alessandro Juliani) has been a steady background presence on the Galactica bridge but as the series heads towards its final chapter, Gaeta has taken a larger presence. Galactica is a series where even the supporting characters are complex, and Gaeta hasn't been an exception. Now that he has been outed to the audience and is playing a larger role, how is Galactica stacking up as a series with gay representation?

As much as Galactica is one of my favorite dramas, I'm having mixed reactions to Gaeta's developments. Thus, I'm giving the episode a frustrated sideways episode. Why?

Gaeta takes charge

Last weekend's Queerview inspired some debate as to whether Gaeta is just another instance of the villainous gay. While Gaeta is working against the series' protagonists, I think his actions make perfect sense considering what he's been through. His first important move came when he stopped Laura Roslin from rigging the Presidential election, a well-intentioned move that left humanity to be occupied by the cylons on New Caprica. There, Gaeta watched Baltar rationalize his choice to surrender to the cylons. While he tried to help the resistance, he recently learned that he was betrayed by the one cylon he trusted there.

Now he sees Adama rationalize incorporating cylon equipment into the fleet as a most practical move. One reason the Galactica survived the initial cylon attack was Adama's refusal to allow modern equipment on the ship, so I can see how Gaeta might see Adama as leading humanity to its doom and blinded by his close relationships to Tigh. As a viewer, Adama's decision makes sense to me but I also see why Gaeta would believe that mutiny were the only way to save humanity.

Gaeta learns of Eight's betrayal in the "Face of the Enemy" webisodes

Being able to sympathize with two opposing sides is the kind of drama that makes Battlestar Galatica such a powerful show. I appreciate seeing a gay character get the same kind of complex characterization, especially the nuanced transition from the earnest and idealistic man at the start of the series to the jaded and bitter Gaeta of today. And yet...

I can't let go of the frustration Gaeta has caused through most of the series. By the end of the first season, fans were already calling him "Lt. Gaydar", blooper reels repeatedly featured Gaeta hitting on guys and cast members saying that they saw Gaeta as gay. Despite all that, Galactica took years not acknowledging that part of Gaeta, as if the Galactica writers couldn't figure out how to work a gay character into the series as they gave us another episode of Lee, Kara, Dee and Anders' dysfunctional world.

Gaeta and Zarek complete their plans

Some of that frustration comes from anticipating the spin-off series, Caprica and hearing creator Ronald Moore making half-hearted promises of gay representation on the series. Will Caprica offer another frustrating wait for gay visibility? As much as I'm looking forward to seeing Polly Walker chew up the scenery, Moore's answers about the potential for gay visibility in Caprica doesn't have my hopes up.

What do you think? Does the evolution of Gaeta make him a compellingly "gray" character or have your hopes for a compelling gay character moved onto Gaeta's boyfriend, Lt. Hoshi (Brad Dryborough)? Is there an accidental message being sent when both of Galactica's major gay characters turn bitter and vengeful after being betrayed by a cylon lover?