Tahmoh Penikett gets lucky

Penikett was in Chicago a few weeks ago to promote both shows. I pumped him for information about what will happen to his "BSG" character, Capt. Karl "Helo" Agathon, his Cylon wife Sharon "Athena" Valerie (Park) and their hybrid child, Hera.

He was, as you would expect, evasive.

"Sorry man," he told me over tea. "I know everyone's dying to know. But I can't say any more."

What we do know about Friday's "BSG" finale is that Helo, Athena and a group of volunteers led by Admiral Adama will attack the Cylons and attempt to rescue Hera, who could be the savior of humanity (and the Cylons, come to think of it).

"It's such an epic finale--epic and just," Penikett said. "I think of it so much like a feature [film], because it has that weight and resonance. It's going to stick around for a long time in people's minds. It's clearly one of the biggest finales and it's going to blow people away."

Penikett did say that he and Park share a "massive, emotional" final scene together, and that he is pleased with the unpredictable way Helo's story ends.

"There will be some conclusions and a lot of questions, which is perfect and the way it should be," he said.

As for Friday's "Dollhouse," Penikett said the show hits its stride with the "Man on the Street" episode.

"'Man on the Street' and the last five episodes [are] so strong," he said. "It's so obvious the show has found its feet."

Penikett's character, loner FBI agent Paul Ballard, comes face to face with Echo (Dushku), the operative who is implanted with a new identity for every mission she is sent on by the mysterious Dollhouse organization. Up to this point, Ballard has been thwarted at every turn as he investigates the Dollhouse.

He's been tipped off about Echo and her past life before her real personality was erased. He wants to save her, but their meeting isn't a pleasant one.

"You'll see an interaction, for sure, and it's going to be violent," Penikett said.

Below you'll find more excerpts from the interview.

Tahmoh Penikett stars in Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse."

On the similarities between Ballard to Helo:

They're very different in a lot of ways. Helo's very much a family man. His life is very much focused on protecting his family. He's got such a strong ethical sense of right and wrong and he's known for that. He's incredibly ambitious and driven.

I think that drive is probably what they do share. Paul is one of those guys, and I think Helo is, that once you challenge them in any way they just work harder. They have to see it through. If something doesn't sit right. If something doesn't sit right they are incredibly ambitious and motivated.

Paul has a lot of demons. He's a much darker character than Helo. ... I think that's one of the most compelling things about the character. What's happened to him in the past that's made him like this? Why's he so self-righteous? Why's he so insistent on working by himself? Why does he have to antagonize the people he works with?

On a Helo-Ballard cage match:

Whoa, I don't know. Helo's a bad ass, man; he's tough. He's a good boxer too. The advantage that Paul has is that Moi Tai [martial arts, which Penikett knows] is his specialty. He might have a little bit of an edge there.

I think that'd be a good fight; I want to see that fight. I hope something comes up in a video game to get those guys going at. It'd be rough and tumble, depending on the location, how much space they have. If it's close quarters, I think Helo might be more adept at grappling. He might be able to take advantage of the close quarters battles. If Paul had a little bit of room to move around in, I think his Moi Tai might beat Helo.

On his exposure to sci fi before "BSG":

I watched the original "Battlestar," "Star Trek." "Star Wars" was just massive. "Blade Runner" was probably one of my favorite movies at a very young age. I was probably a little young to see that movie. I went with my father. It was the first time I was introduced to Edward James Olmos and I was blown away by his character. Funny enough, years later I end up working with him. It's truly an honor. It was a big surprise.

On Grace Park:

Grace is gorgeous, man. I love her. She's one of the prettiest women I've ever met. And I mean that in the best way; she's a beautiful spirit. She's a very dear friend of mine.

On "BSG" fans:

"Battlestar" fans are the best; they're so passionate. They're affected to the core by it. I've often talked to people who are shaking [because] they're so moved by what's going on. They need to see the next episode. It's moving how affected they are and how involved they are in the show.

On his worries after he learned "BSG" would be ending:

We all started to come to grips with it over a year. "Hey, the show's coming to an end." It was definitely a concern for a lot of us; what's the next gig going to be like. ["BSG"] was incredible. It was incredibly written. It was one of the best-written shows on television. And it set a really high precedent; will we be able to go on to projects that are even close to this?

When you get a call from someone like Joss Whedon, it gives you a lot of confidence; you know you are in good hands.

On the Dollhouse premise that someone might erase a person's personality:

This is wrong. You can't do that to people--erase their memories. If this technology was in the wrong hands you could do whatever you want. That's a god-like power. That's scary. But how many people would actually want to use it? There are a lot of questions.

You're killing someone's personality and imprinting them with another. It's a dangerous power to have.