Season 3, Episode 14:
The Woman King
Helo is going about various activities in the course of his day, including trying to get some rest and overseeing the needs of the displaced residents living in Galactica's unused starboard hangar deck, nicknamed "Dogtown".
As he goes about his rounds, he finds several people who ask him to keep them separate from Sagittaron refugees. He continues along, and finds a Sagittaron woman named Portia King and her son, Willie, trying to refuse the help of a nearby doctor, Michael Robert. As Tigh comes down to the area to survey the situation, Dr. Robert tells both of them that there is a strain of sickness afflicting the refugees, and Willie collapses to the floor while suffering from the same ailment.
Later, Bill holds a meeting with Tigh, Drs. Cottle and Robert to discuss the situation. Robert explains that the sickness, Mellorak infection, is curable with a specific drug if caught early, but the Sagittarons are refusing medical treatment due to their beliefs.
Elsewhere in the fleet, Roslin is discussing Baltar's trial with Tom Zarek. Zarek warns that the trial could cause dissension and pandemonium in the fleet, while Roslin mulls on her decision.
In Dogtown, Helo is confronted by Portia, who tells him that Willie died as a result of the sickness. She says that her son was only sick for 12 hours but still died despite Dr. Robert's claim that it was curable if cured early, causing Helo to become suspicious.
At Joe's Bar, a group of pilots are hanging out with Charlie Connor, Tyrol, Gaeta, Lee, Kara and Dualla. Tyrol becomes drunk and begins insulting the Sagittarons, insinuating that they did nothing to help the resistance on New Caprica, and says they don't deserve any medication. Lee tells him to stop his ramblings because Dualla is also a Sagittaron.
In Galactica's brig, Sharon goes to visit Caprica-Six, and they briefly discuss the upcoming trial. Afterwards, Caprica-Six converses with HeadBaltar, while Roslin and Tory watching from a camera feed and wonder who she is talking to.
In Dogtown, a riot breaks out and Helo leads a group of Marines to rescue Dr. Robert, who is being besieged by the angry Sagittarons. When Helo arrives, they are accusing him of administering the drug without their consent, and believe he is trying to kill him. Although Helo takes his concerns to Bill and Tigh, but the report is brushed and he is threatened over making wild accusations.
Helo begins his own investigation after Hera and Dualla get sick, checking into the sickbay's records illegally and discovering that the mortality rate of Sagittarons is unusually high. After a conversation with Portia, Helo finds out that Dr. Robert is trying to "treat" Dualla, and runs to Dogtown to find her. He discovers her in the nick of time, heavily weakened from Robert's medication.
As he attempts to move her out of the area, he is impeded by Robert, who orders Marines to arrest Agathon. However, Tigh and Cottle arrive and order the Marines to arrest Robert. Cottle reveals that he did a toxicology report on Willie and discovered that the drug Robert was administering was toxic and left little trace behind, noting that Robert was killing the Sagittarons to save on resources.
Afterwards, Bill apologizes to Helo for not believing him earlier, and says that he will trust his judgement in the future. Helo salutes him, and goes back home to be with Sharon and Hera.
Tropes:
- Affectionate Nickname: Charlie Connor (and seemingly others) refers to Racetrack as "Marge", the short-form of her first name (Margaret).
- Conflict Ball: Everyone suddenly has a problem with the Sagittarons so that Helo can be the hero for the episode, even Dee, who is a Sagittaron. Dee also suddenly has a problem with being treated by Cottle because of his alleged near-sightedness (an Informed Flaw), just so that there can be dramatic tension from her being treated by Robert instead.
- Continuity Nod: In The Stinger, Helo is in Bill's office after the latter has apologized, and attempts to make amends for sabotaging the planned anti-Cylon virus.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Tom Zarek, who has always strongly opposed military oppression, suggests to Roslin she declare martial law during Baltar's trial because of the complete upheaval it will cause in the fleet. Roslin points out that it is the first time she's ever seen him afraid.
- Only Sane Man: Nobody believes Helo's assertions about Robert's behavior against the Sagittarons, forcing him to take drastic measures to prove he's right.
- Precision F-Strike: Tigh's exclamation for Robert to "Shut the frak up!"
- Properly Paranoid: The Sagittarons' wariness of Robert turns out to be justified as he was deliberately killing their people.
- Really Gets Around: Racetrack openly tells Helo that she's looking to seduce a rookie pilot.
- Reassigned to Antarctica: Helo has been put in charge of the refugees aboard Galactica as an implied punishment for his recent insubordinate actions.Helo: What if I'm flying a desk not because I'm good at it, not because I'm right guy for the job, but because it's the right punishment for the guy who crosses the line, and everybody knows it?
- Remember the New Guy?: Dr Mike Robert is a civilian doctor who's apparently been around in the Fleet and on New Caprica all this time, and an old friend of Colonel Tigh.
- Title Drop: When Tigh asks about who is making complaints against Robert, Cottle replies, "The woman, King."
- Too Dumb to Live: The Sagittarons refuse medical treatment because it goes against their religion, to the point that they might have been wiped out completely if Robert had his way (via infecting them and refusing to give them a cure).
