The Madness of Gaius Baltar
A study of Battlestar Galactica’s character that people love to hate

When we first meet Dr. Gaius Baltar he is in his element and at the top of his form. He is a brilliant successful secular humanist scientist who has access to the mainframe of the Caprican defense system. Every inch of him reeks of the narcissistic, hedonistic creature he has made himself into. It is clear that his talent for living the good life has not brought him the capacity to give or even really receive love. His ability to be a chameleon as much as his talent has given him the aptitude to pass as a whole human being at least to those he works with and the women he seduces. His current lover when the series begins is a statuesque platinum blond who he recognizes to be his equal or even superior in the field of computers. To Gaius’s amusement and even befuddlement she is also religious. This woman who is later called Caprica 6 loves him and she can see through the mask that he uses to keep people from knowing who he really is and the wall that prevents him from knowing himself. She is one of the twelve models of flesh and blood Cylons, called skinjobs by humans once their existence has been made known. Read More→