MBTI Type: ESTP

Adama calls Ellen a “negative influence” on her husband, because she often causes him to indulge in his “baser natures.” Ellen is the embodiment of “live in the moment” – she wants what she wants, right now and to excess—sex, alcohol, good food, whatever life has to offer. She is also opportunistic, seeing Adama’s attempted assassination and near death as a chance for her husband to leap on a promotion and take control over the fleet. Her ambitiousness in this department, in sizing up and warning him about possible troublemakers, cause them to have many arguments, since he has no desire to attain the kind of status that she wants for him. She literally thinks through none of her decisions, when it comes to fulfilling her Se-dom desire for intense sensory experiences—she makes overt moves on Lee in public, and thinks he wants a sexual fling with her in a public restroom, never bothering to think how much conflict that could cause between Adama and her husband. Her Ni mainly focuses on an idealized future of “power” for herself and her husband. She is logical, always. She sees the tactical advantage of her husband taking control, she offers him sound solutions for the fleet, she is detached in analyzing the people who may be problematic for his command, and she advocates for taking a strong hand with the cadets. Ellen isn’t encumbered by a sense of moral conscience; if it’s a logical way to get ahead in life, she wants to take it. She often finds ways to poke at and provoke her husband, using Fe manipulation – she will attack his manliness and sense of self, call him a coward, or abuse him for not being ambitious enough. She hysterically overreacts to danger in an attempt to get men to act on her behalf. Ellen loves to use people just to get what she wants, but has no real sense of their emotional needs (showing underdeveloped Fe).

Enneagram: 8w7 sp/sx

Ellen embodies the spirit of an 8 – the desire to have everything they want, right now, and to excess. She is an enormous personality that dominates whatever room she is in, that has no shame about pursuing her desires (even if they are inadvisable and in public), and that sees easily where the power balance lies and how to take advantage of it. She urges Tigh not to be dominated by Adama and sees him as “weak” for not seizing the chance to be a leader. Her 7 wing wants to avoid pain at all costs, and pursue fun, distracting abilities (in her case, to want all the “best” things in life, from the finest wines to nice apartments).