33: Difference between revisions

From Battlestar Wiki, the free, open content Battlestar Galactica encyclopedia and episode guide
Browse history interactively
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
m (Text replacement - ""," to ","")
 
(331 intermediate revisions by 79 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
[[Image:bsg-1-01.jpg|thumb|"33" (credit: Sci-Fi Channel)]]
{{Episode Data
| image = 33mincount_101_1080i.jpg
| title= 33
| series=
| season= 1
| episode= 1
| guests=
| writer= [[Ronald D. Moore]]
| story=
| goof=Y
| director= [[Michael Rymer]]
| production= 101
| rating= 2.6
| US airdate= 2005-01-14
| CAN airdate= 2005-01-15
| UK airdate= 2004-10-18
| dvd= {{Season 1 NTSC DVD release date}} '''US'''<br/>{{Season 1 PAL DVD release date}} '''UK'''
| population= 50298
| extra= '''Series Premiere'''
| prev= [[Miniseries, Night 2]]
| next= [[Water]]
| itunes=http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=VWbyALbmqZY&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewTVSeason%253Fi%253D102232143%2526id%253D102796450%2526s%253D143441%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30
| itunes CA=http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=VWbyALbmqZY&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewTVSeason%253Fi%253D102232143%2526id%253D102796450%2526s%253D143455%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30
| itunes UK=http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=VWbyALbmqZY&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewTVSeason%253Fi%253D102232143%2526id%253D102796450%2526s%253D143444%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30
| amazon=y
|archives=y}}


== Overview ==


: <i>Continuing from the events of the [[mini-series]], the [[Battlestar]] [[Galactica]] and the fleet must avoid their [[Cylon]] pursuers, which happen upon them every 33 minutes after each successful [[FTL]] jump.  </i>


: Special Note:  This episode marks the premiere of the series.
: ''Continuing from the events of the [[Miniseries]], ''{{RDM|Galactica}}'' and the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] must avoid their [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] pursuers, which ambush them every 33 minutes after each successful [[FTL|jump]].''


== Summary ==  
== Summary ==


*It is 5 days since the events of the [[Mini-Series]]
=== On ''Galactica'' ===
*The Cylons are just over half-an-hour behind the Colonial survivors each time they jump, and have been in that position throughout the 5 days
* The crew of [[Galactica type battlestar|battlestar]] ''{{RDM|Galactica}}'' have been on continuous alert for some 130.35 hours, during which time the Fleet has had to make an [[FTL|FTL jump]] every 33 minutes to escape their [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] pursuers shortly after their initial escape from [[Ragnar Anchorage]].
*The Colonials are growing ragged, their ships subject to increasing failures at each jump
* Everyone in the Fleet is beginning to feel the strain – particularly [[Gaius Baltar]], who is also distracted by [[Number Six|Six’s]] repeated conversations about [[God (RDM)|God]] having a plan for him, and also her wanting to have his children.
*[[Roslin, Laura|Roslin]] receives word from a Dr. Amorak aboard the ''[[Olympic Carrier]]'' that he has information concerning about how the Cylons overcame Colonial defences
* Vessels in the Fleet are also beginning to feel the strain: Jump engines and their controlling computers are starting to breakdown or malfunction, requiring ''Galactica'' to linger longer and longer in the Cylon line of fire while the rest of the fleet complete their jumps.
*Amorak is known to [[Baltar]], the two of them having working together in the Colonial Defence Ministry.
*[[Anastasia Dualla]] finds time to visit a team of people who are [[Fleet registry|cataloging survivors]] in the Fleet. When she cannot leave her photos to aid in searching for her loved ones, she is amazed to see a corridor that has been [[Memorial hallway|converted into a makeshift memorial]].
*It is 5 days since the events of the [[Mini-Series]] and the [[Cylons]] are just over half-an-hour behind the Colonial survivors each time they jump, slowly wearing the fleet down
* Elsewhere, [[Sharon Valerii|Sharon "Boomer" Valerii]] is having problems accepting her new [[ECO]], {{callsign|Crashdown}}, and is feeling guilty about leaving [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]] on {{RDM|Caprica}} to his fate.
*Roslin receives word from a [[Amorak|Dr. Amorak]] aboard the ''[[Olympic Carrier]]'' that he has information concerning about how the Cylons overcame Colonial defences. [[Baltar, Gaius|Baltar]] knows Amorak, and the news that he has information panics Baltar
* Following jump number 237, [[Laura Roslin|President Roslin]] receives word from a Dr. [[Amarak]] aboard the ''[[Olympic Carrier]]'' concerning information on how the Cylons overcame Colonial defenses.
*When the fleet is forced to make another jump, the ''Olympic Carrier'' vanishes, and [[Number Six|Six]] tries to convince Baltar that it is because God is watching over him
* Overhearing the conversation, Baltar is worried: he knew Amarak at the [[Ministry of Defense]]. As Six points out, Amarak might have information on Baltar's complicity with the Cylon attack.
*When Baltar continues to refuse the concept of God, the Olympic Carrier reappears; [[Adama, William|Adama]] orders the fleet to full alert, fearing the worst
* There is insufficient time before the next jump to bring Amarak aboard ''[[Colonial One]]'', but Roslin wants to see him directly after the jump has been completed.
*A [[Combat Air Patrol|CAP]] lead by [[Adama, Lee|Lee Adama]] intercepts the liner, but when the ''Carrier'' fails to heed orders not to approach the fleet, tensions rise, and a radiological alarm reveals there are now nuclear weapons on the liner  
* When the next jump is made, the ''Olympic Carrier'', complete with Dr. Amarak and 1,344 other souls, fails to appear with the rest of the Fleet. Six tries to convince Baltar that it is because God is watching over him.
*Adama seeks [[Roslin, Laura|Roslin's]] permission to destroy the liner; she hesitates. Baltar is terrified she won't give the order. Listening to Six, he finally "repents" of his "sins", as she has been pressuring him to do; as soon as he does, Roslin gives the order to destroy the liner, and Lee Adama and Starbuck open fire, blowing it up
* Thirty-three minutes later, the Fleet is ready to jump, but the Cylons don’t appear. Adama orders a stand-down from the immediate alert, but the Fleet is to maintain a readiness to jump, in case the Cylons do return.
*24 hours later, everyone is living with the consequences of their actions. Only [[Keikeya, Billy|Billy]] has a small nugget of good news: at some point in the proceedings, a couple gave birth to a baby.
* When Baltar continues to refuse the concept of God, the ''Olympic Carrier'' reappears; Commander [[William Adama|Adama]] orders the Fleet to [[Action Stations|Condition One alert]], fearing the worst. He orders the jump clocks reset in anticipation of the Cylons arriving.
*The [[Combat Air Patrol]] lead by [[Lee Adama]] intercepts the [[Intersun|starliner]]. Adama orders all communications with the ''Carrier'' jammed and the ''Carrier'' is ordered (through signal lamps) to remain at its current position. When the ''Carrier'' fails to heed orders not to approach the fleet, tensions rise, and a [[Radiological Alarm|radiological alarm]] reveals there is now a nuclear weapon on the liner.
*As the crisis deepens, the Cylons appear precisely 33 minutes after the return of the ''Carrier'', confirming that the ''Carrier'' was used somehow by the Cylons to track the Fleet. Adama wants to destroy the liner, but Roslin hesitates to give the order, as no one can be sure if the 1,345 people aboard the ''Carrier'' are still alive. Baltar is terrified she won't give the order for fear of Amarak's information.
*Six uses the hesitation to push Baltar into “repenting” before God. As soon as he does, Roslin gives the order to destroy the liner. Apollo and [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] (reluctantly) open fire, destroying the liner. After the Fleet makes a jump once more, the Cylons' relentless pursuit is halted.
*A day later, everyone is living with the consequences of their actions. Only [[Billy Keikeya]] has a small nugget of good news: at some point in the proceedings, a baby was born in the Fleet aboard ''[[Rising Star (TRS)|Rising Star]]''.


=== On Caprica: ===
===On Caprica===
*[[Agathon, Karl C.|Helo]] is on the run, and has C4-type ordinance he uses to blow up pursuing [[Cylon warriors]]
* [[Karl Agathon|Helo]] is on the run in the rainy woodland, and has [[Wikipedia:Claymore mine|Claymore-like ordnance]] he uses to blow up pursuing [[Cylon Centurion]]s.
*However, his 6 days on the run comes to an end when he is captured by the Cylons – only to be rescued by [[Valerii, Sharon|Valerii]].
* Helo's six days on the run comes to an end when he is captured by the Cylons, after being distracted by the appearance of a [[Number Six]], wearing a white raincoat.
*Helo is “rescued” by [[Sharon Agathon|a copy of Sharon Valerii]], who shoots Six and then leads Helo away into the woods. Helo mistakenly believes that this Valerii copy is actually the [[Sharon Valerii|"Boomer"]] copy that left Caprica and returned to rescue him.




== Review ==
== Notes ==  


We open with the traditional, "Previously on..." common to most continuing series nowadays, and we're then treated to a series of flashbacks from the mini, culminating in [[Six]]’s comment that some humanoid Cylons "May not even know they are Cylons at all. They could be sleeper agents programmed to perfectly impersonate human beings until activation." 
=== Episode Notes ===


As she says this, so we are treated to ''[[Boomer]]'' walking on-camera to join the other Cylon humanoids at the Ragnar Anchorage.
*Continuous jumping badly affects the FTL drives and management systems aboard commercial Colonial vessels, which are not as rugged as ''Galactica'''s military-issue drives.
*The Cylons' FTL technology is more precise than the Colonials'. 238 times they manage to pounce on the Colonial fleet, arriving with precise momentum and trajectory to be able to close the distance and launch an attack. In the Season 2 episode "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]," it is explained that the Cylons have far better navigational computers which allow more accurate jump plots and a greater range.
*According to [[Socinus]], there are 5,251 people in the Fleet from [[Sagittaron]].
*The head count of Colonial citizens at the end of the episode is 47,973.
*At first glance, there appears to be an error with Billy Keikeya's math with the [[survivor count]]. The episode starts with the count being 50,298. He informs Roslin this is in error by 300 = 49,998 survivors. When the ''Olympic Carrier'' is destroyed (1,345 people), he reduces the total to 47,972 – that’s a reduction of 2026, or 681 people ''more'' than listed on the ''Carrier''. However, in [[List of Deleted Scenes - Season 1 (RDM)#33|deleted scenes]] from this episode, Keikeya is actually reducing the survivor count additional times set between the beginning of the episode and the destruction of the ''Olympic Carrier''. These other deaths just occur off-screen.


=== Teaser ===
=== [[Continuity errors (TRS)|Continuity Errors and Retcons]] ===


We then fade-in to the teaser, and Gaius [[Baltar]], resting fitfully aboard ''[[Colonial One]]'' as a clock ticks loudly somewhere. In his dream, he is back on [[Caprica]], at his home, a clock still ticking somewhere. We cut to a launch tube aboard ''[[Galactica]]'' as a Viper speeds down it, then switch to an external view as a flight of Vipers emerge into space.  As they do so, ships in the fleet begin to jump out. We briefly see [[Lee Adama]] leading the flight, as he reports, "One minute to mark."
* As of "33," there are 60 civilian ships in the Fleet. This number is [[Continuity errors (RDM)#Retcon|retconned]] up from the Miniseries.
* {{callsign|Crashdown}} wears a patch of the battlestar ''[[Triton (RDM)|Triton]]'' on his flight suit, which fits to Boomer's comment that she has been saddled with a "refugee from ''Triton''". ''Triton'''s [[battlestar group]] number is ''39'', but is erroneously displayed on the patch as ''BS'''T'''-39'' instead of ''BSG-39''. The costuming department very likely assumed that "BSG" stands for "Battlestar ''Galactica''" and changed the last letter accordingly. However, "[[Water]]" and ''{{RDM|Pegasus}}''<nowiki/>' patches establish that it stands for "battlestar group."
* The [[Colonial One co-pilot|''Colonial One'' co-pilot]] appears briefly when he notifies [[Billy Keikeya]] about ''[[Colonial One]]''<nowiki/>'s FTL issue, wearing a [[Colonial Fleet (TRS)|Colonial Fleet]] [[Insignia (RDM)|junior flight wing]] pin instead of the civilian flight wing pin from his appearance in the [[Miniseries]].
* The disparity between "Intersun" featured on ''Colonial One''<nowiki/>'s hull and "[[Eversun]]" on the patches worn by ''One''<nowiki/>'s crew continues.


Back on "[[Caprica]]", Baltar continues to stare out of his window. Aboard ''Galactica'', a dishevelled command crew watch the clocks ticking down and fight to stay awake. On Caprica, Baltar's reveries are interrupted by Six, as she informs him that "God has a plan" for him, but Baltar is distracted. As she asks if he's listening to her, we cut to ''Colonial One'' moving through space and the flight deck informs her passengers they are now 30 seconds to mark. Back on board ''Colonial One'', [[Laura Roslin]] is seen working with [[Billy Keikeya]] and others, before we’re back inside Baltar's head and on Caprica. Six rises from her chair to join him at the window, challenging him that he has to believe in something. "I believe in a world I can and do understand," he replies, "A rational universe, explained through rational means." Moving closer to him, Six rests her head on his shoulder and lightly kisses his cheek, playing with he ear. "I love you," she responds. "That's not rational." Baltar comments, going on to state that she's not rational anyway - that she's not even "here" - and nor is he.
=== Production Notes ===
 
The dream fades as the ship's intercom chimes and a voice from the flight deck requests the attention of the passengers. It informs them that their 33 minutes are almost up "once again," and that they should prepare for an [[FTL]] jump. The announcement fully wakens Baltar, and he looks around nervously.
 
At her desk, Laura Roslin comments to Billy Keikeya that they are cutting it a little close. He replies that the flight crew is having a little trouble with the FTL computer again before looking at a wall-mounted clock.
 
On ''Galactica’s'' hanger deck, another clock shows exactly the same time. Watching it, [[Cally]] asks, "Why do the Cylons come every 33 minutes? Why isn't it 34 or 35...?" [[Tyrol]] admonishes her to shut up. In [[CIC]] [[Gaeta]] announces they have 15 seconds. [[Dualla]] reports that jump 237 is underway, and that 53 ships have successfully jumped, but 10 are reporting problems - ''Colonial One'' among them. [[Adama]] comments to [[Tigh]] that they're getting slower. "Maybe this time," Tigh mutters in reply. The final seconds tick away on digital readouts on ''Galactica'' - and aboard Apollo's Viper. As clocks and displays everywhere reach zero, alarms beep and chime and ring - and out in space a basestar appears.
 
Gaeta confirms the contact as alarms go off in CIC; Tigh swears and Adama states, "Not this time. Maybe the next."
 
On ''Colonial One'', the flight deck reports the arrival of the Cylons, but the FTL drive systems are now operational, and so they will be jumping out. A distressed Baltar reaches across the armrest of the seat next to his and in his mind he clutches Six’s hand. "Five days now," he states, and pauses before nodding. "There are limits...to the human body, to the human mind...tolerances that you can't push beyond." Six strokes his head as he continues, "Well, those are facts. Provable facts." And the camera reveals he is now addressing the couple seated opposite him, "Everyone has their limit."
 
In space, [[Lee Adama]] gives his orders to his Vipers. "Keep them off the civvies - and don't stray beyond the recovery line!" In her Viper, [[Starbuck]] shakes unwanted drowsiness from her head in an attempt to concentrate. Behind them, the ''Galactica’s'' point-defence and main guns open up on the basestar, Tigh warning his crews to keep an eye on the ammo hoists, which are showing a "red light." The basestar opens fire on ''Galactica'', hitting her forward before launching its Raiders, which are engaged by the Vipers. Gaeta reports the last ship - ''Colonial One'' - is away, and Adama orders a recovery of all Vipers. In his ship, Apollo orders combat landings and the Viper wheel for home, making high-speed touchdowns on ''Galactica’s'' landing bay. As soon as the fighters are aboard, Adama orders, "Execute jump," and the ''Galactica'', her pods retracted, leaps out of the fight.
 
She re-emerges in the heart of the fleet. In CIC Gaeta reports jump 237 is complete, and Dualla reports all civilian ships present and accounted for. Adama orders the clocks be restarted, and Tigh adds they should start preparing for the next jump. Gaeta uses the ship's intercom to announce the clock has been reset. On the hanger deck, Tyrol informs his crew they have 32 minutes before the Vipers must be ready for the next launch.
 
On ''Colonial One'', Baltar tries to escape the waking nightmare. He pictures the bedroom of his house, and his hands helping to undress Six. He nods at the mental image and closes his eyes. As he nuzzles Six’s neck, she comments that he knows he's not safe. He confirms this, adding that the Cylons will find them again, "As they have done the last 237 times." As him speaks, they both pull back the bed covers and Six crawls across the bed to him. "You know, you are right. There are limits. Eventually you'll make a mistake."
 
"And then you'll kill us all," Baltar concludes, and she nods. Baltar tells her he knows this, but it won't happen for another 33 minutes and they kiss - only for the dream to vanish in the sound of a ticking clock that wakes Baltar abruptly - and we pass for his look of guilt to the sweep hand of a clock and fade to the opening titles.
 
 
=== Acts ===
 
At the end of the titles we see ''[[Galactica]]'' and her fleet, together with the caption: [[BATTLESTAR]] ''GALACTICA'' CREW 130.35 HOURS WITHOUT SLEEP. We're a little under 20 minutes from the next anticipated jump, and [[Adama]] and [[Tigh]] are in Adama’s cabin. As he shaves, Adama states he wants to try a new plan - splitting the fleet into six groups and jumping to different sets of co-ordinates, re-grouping following the fourth jump. Tigh helps himself to some food noting, "24 jumps to plot and we're breaking our humps calculating one jump every 33 minutes."
 
In the Viper ready room, [[Lee Adama]] is giving yet another briefing to his pilots. He breaks off suddenly, "Look, you've all done this 237 times. You know what to do. No mistakes, and let's make it to 238. Good luck, and be careful out there." His comment seems to meet with a degree of disapproval from [[Starbuck]]. As the pilots leave the room, they each touch a picture mounted on the wall next to the door. It appears to be a lone airman walking back to a distant city.
 
On the hanger deck, the crew is working all-out to get Vipers combat-ready. Standing next to a badly-damaged Mk II, [[Tyrol]] asks someone to do him a favour - tell Captain Apollo he owes him one wing. He then asks [[Cally]] to re-check an item of inventory as she's got some figures wrong.
 
In her [[Raptor]], [[Boomer]] is checking her systems with her new ECO – call sign “[[Crashdown]]”, who informs her of the latest scuttlebutt: "The Cylons look like us now." Boomer continues her checks as Tyrol boards the Raptor and Crashdown mentions that the XO (Tigh) apparently marooned a guy on [[Ragnar]] because he thought he was a Cylon. This generates a sudden angry outburst from Boomer, who orders him to go and check on a red light appearing against one of the ship's thrusters. After Crashdown has left the ship, Tyrol moves up beside Boomer, asking her if she thought she was a little rough with him. Her response is not positive, referring to Crashdown as a "refugee" she's been "saddled with."  She goes on to state she didn't ask Tyrol for an opinion, a rebuke that causes him to tell her flatly that [[Helo]] is gone - which draws another, sharper rebuke from her. Raising his hands at this, Tyrol retreats from the Raptor, ignoring Boomer’s apology.
 
Elsewhere aboard ''Galactica'', crewmembers not on duty are trying to trace whether any relatives or friends made it to the fleet. [[Dualla]], a native of [[Sagittarian]], arrives at the desk handling the searches and is informed 5,251 people escaped her homeworld - at the last count; things still seem to be in a state of flux. Hopeful, she tries to hand over some pictures of her family, but is informed the records-gatherers don't have the facilities to transmit pictures at present. He suggests she post them in the corridor, presumably in the hope that if anyone else aboard ''Galactica'' has seen them, they'll contact her. We are then treated to a 9/11-style wall of pictures, pleas, ribbons and memorabilia. 
 
On ''[[Colonial One]]'', [[Billy]] gives [[Roslin]] an update on the headcount. We catch a brief glance of a running total on a whiteboard behind Roslin: 50,298. She checks the data card Billy hands her, and asks, "How did we lose three hundred?" He explains that there were some over-counts, some deaths from wounds and - perhaps interestingly - "a few missing during the last attack."
 
Roslin then revises the running total: 49,998.
 
Further back in the cabin, [[Baltar]] sits pensively, and [[Six]] appears beside him, asking a strange question: "Do you want children, Gaius?"
 
He appears to give the question some thought, and then dismisses it with a "No." Six appears mystified by his reaction. "Procreation is one of God's commandments," she informs him. Gaius' sarcasm deepens as he informs her that if she is a good little Cylon, God will reward her with a "little chrome toaster" of her very own. She leans towards him intently: "I wan US to have a child, Gaius." He claims she can't be serious - and we cut to Billy stating, "It's Doctor Amorak." A name that snaps Baltar back to the present: "What was that?" 
 
He looks around and realizes Six has "vanished". Slightly disoriented, and realising he was actually caught between Billy's comment and his own "conversation" with Six, he stands nervously and approaches Roslin and Billy, apologizing for interrupting them. He asks Billy to repeat what he was saying. Billy, slightly confused, responds, saying that a Doctor Amorak has requested a meeting with Roslin. The name clearly unsettles Baltar. "You know him?" Roslin gently prompts. Simultaneously, Six appears alongside Baltar asking, "Have you always been able to multi-task like this?"
 
Confused, Baltar appears to answer her first, "Yes." Realising he is not addressing Roslin, he turns back to her, adding smoothly, "Yes. I used to work with him at the Ministry of Defence." Billy adds that the report states that Amorak has uncovered important information on how the Cylons were able to overcome Colonial defences.
 
Six is again alongside Baltar, "I was always worried he was on to us."
 
"Were you....?" Baltar snaps in reply, then catches himself – to Roslin and Billy, he appears to be addressing empty air. He tries to moderate his tone as he continues, "...Going to speak to him? Perhaps I should speak to him - if you're busy, I -,” Roslin stops him, holding up a hand. Billy interrupts at the same time, stating that the doctor has stated he wishes to speak directly to Roslin in person.   
 
Six is now taunting: "Must be something very, very important. Perhaps about a certain traitor in the President's inner circle?" Baltar's discomfiture is palpable. Roslin instructs Billy that there is not enough time to get Amorak onto ‘‘Colonial One’’ before the next jump, but she wants to see him directly afterwards and then thanks Baltar. He stands bobbing his head in agreement, as Six adds a further taunt: “I'd say you have a serious problem,” and she turns and walks away. Baltar continues nodding, then - as if again realising his behaviour is odd, he adds, "If I can help...." He looks around and hurries after Six, leaving Roslin and Billy watching after him. "He's a strange one, isn't he?" Roslin muses.
 
And we cut to CYLON-OCCUPIED [[CAPRICA]]. Nuclear winter appears to be settling in - it is raining hard, the weather is bad - and [[Karl C. Agathon]], call sign "[[Helo]]", is on the run from two Cylon warriors. Dashing through the trees he jumps a shaped charge - much like a C4 mine - and leaps for cover behind a tree. Pulling a remote detonator from his flight suit, he waits until the Cylons are on top of the mine and detonates it. As the blast clears, two ruined Cylons lay on the ground, one still active despite having its legs and an arm blown off. Helo dispatches it with his handgun. 
 
On ''Galactica'', Dualla hands Adama another report: 12 more cases of nervous exhaustion have been reported in the crew, taking the total to 61. Adama instructs Tigh to have the medical staff to start pumping the crew with stimulants - pilots included; one out of every three crew, every other cycle. Tigh observes, "That's going to come back and bite us in the ass." Adama agrees but notes, "We have too much work and not enough people to do it." As if to prove the point, Dualla hands him a further report - one he has already seen. She apologises, and Adama checks with Tigh as to whose turn it is out of the two of them to get ten minutes rest. Tigh informs him it is his turn. After Adama leaves, Dualla looks at Tigh, pointing out it was his ten minutes. Tigh replies that the "old man" is so tired he can't remember when he last rested.
 
On the hanger deck, Lee Adama confronts Starbuck on the orders from the XO. She states she doesn't fly on stims, "they blunt your reflexes, your reaction time." He tries to gently cajole her, causing a sudden explosion of anger: "Why are we arguing about this? You're the [[CAG]] - act like one!" She goes on to state that Lee can't go on acting like everyone's best friend, that he has to act with authority. She challenges him on his use of "be careful out there," her tone prompting Apollo to look around at the flight crew who can overhear the conversation.
 
Realising she is overstepping the mark, but still tense, Starbuck adds, "And now one of your idiot pilots is acting like a child and refusing to take her pills. She either says, 'yes, sir!' and obeys a direct order or you smack her in the mouth and you drag her sorry ass down to sickbay and you MAKE her take those pills!" She breaks off suddenly, and they stare at each other for a beat before laughter breaks the tension. "I'm glad I'm not working for you," Lee wryly comments. He then asks if he must smack her in the mouth, but Stabuck states she'll take her pills - only to have him produce a container of stimulants. She looks at it, realising she's been rumbled. "Oh, perfect." She takes a pill, pops it in her mouth and then deliberately crunches it between her teeth with a salute and a, "Yes, sir!" as he orders her to carry on.
 
Back on Caprica, Helo is on anti-radiation medication and looking decidedly ill. After injecting himself with another dose, he turns to see he is being observed - Six, dressed in a white raincoat is watching him from a short distance away. Stunned, he draws his sidearm and hauls himself to his feet, taking aim at her. Before he can issue a challenge, he hears a familiar whirring behind him and looks over his shoulder. A Cylon Warrior is standing behind him. As we see it, the left hand folds up under the wrist and a weapon muzzle flips out of the forearm to replace the hand. Helo surrenders.
 
Back at the fleet, the 22 minutes are again up and the Cylons have arrived. ''Galactica'' once again covers the fleet as they jump out. As Raiders swarm towards her, she also jumps. In [[CIC]] [[Gaeta]] reports jump 238 is complete. Tigh orders the clocks restarted, and Dualla reports all civilian ships have reported in - only to correct herself: one ship is missing - the ''[[Olympic Carrier]]''. Adama wants to know if they were left behind. Dualla is unsure, but informs him 1345 people are now missing; Gaeta tries to offer reasons for the missing vessel, but the fact is they simply don't know what has happened to the liner. This prompts an outburst from Tigh to the entire CIC crew, which essentially reminds them that mistakes cannot be afforded. As the tirade subsides, Adama quietly adds, "We make mistakes and people die. There aren't that many of us left.”
 
On ''Colonial One'', Billy updates the survivor total based on the loss of the ''Olympic Carrier'': 47,972. He also informs Roslin that Doctor Amorak was on the liner. Hearing this, Baltar slips back to his home on Caprica, with Six informing him God is watching over him. He counters stating, "The universe is a vast and complex system. Coincidental....serendipitous events...are bound to happen." Six points out the Doctor Amorak posed a threat, and has been removed, ergo logic dictates there is a connection. Baltar admits this but refuses to accept it is due to the intervention of some kind of divine being. Six stops him, warning him to be careful. "That which God gives, he can also take away."
On ''Galactica'' the time for the next jump - 239 - comes and goes. No Cylons arrive. Adama orders the clocks to keep running. "What d'you think?" Tigh hisses. "I think we wait," Adama responds. Twelve minutes pass. Adama confers with Roslin, and they speculate whether the disappearance of the ''Olympic Carrier'' has something to do with the non-arrival of the Cylons. Adama suggests they stand down to "[[Condition Two]]" until they determine whether the Cylons will show up - this will enable some to get some much-needed rest. Roslin thanks him and his crew for their efforts. Without them, the fleet would have been lost. Concluding the call, Adama orders contact be made with Apollo, and that he sets up a CAP - Combat Air Patrol.
 
Taking the message, Lee Adama orders all but Starbuck back to ''Galactica''. He also orders Boomer, who is flying with the fighters, to remain with him. The is a brief moment of teasing between the three craft, and Lee asks Boomer how she's holding out - that she never seems to be tired like everyone else. Starbuck teases it's because she's a Cylon, prompting Boomer to good-naturedly suggest to Thrace that she "comes over there and kick your ass." Lee sets up his patrol.
 
On ''Galactica'' Adama takes time out to congratulate Tigh on keeping off the booze for 5 days, noting there are several in the crew who had been hoping he would fall off the wagon. As they chat, Gaeta announces they have a new contact: the ''Olympic Carrier''. As she approaches the fleet, Adama calls action stations, dissipating the sense of relief that has swept into CIC at the news of the liner’s sudden appearance. Vipers are ordered to the launch tubes, and the fleet ordered to [[Condition One]]. The clocks are re-started.
 
In his "dream world" Baltar is stunned: it's wrong. If the ''Olympic Carrier'' was left behind, why wasn’t she destroyed? Six informs him God is punishing him for his lack of faith. He rejects this, demanding a more logical explanation. Six gives him one: the Olympic Carrier had been infiltrated by Cylon agents, allowing the Cylons to track the ship all along. Baltar tries to reject this as well, but Six points out that, were this to be the case, in order for Baltar to survive, the ''Olympic Carrier'' must be destroyed. 
 
On ''Galactica'', Adama and his crew listen-in as Boomer makes contact with the missing liner, which explains the delay in arrival due to problems with the [[FTL]] systems that took almost 3 hours to fix. Adama wants to know how they escaped the Cylons. The response from the ''Carrier'' is odd: the Cylons just "broke off" after the rest of the fleet jumped out. The voice from the flight deck then states that there is a Doctor Amorak on the Carrier who needs to meet with the President. Boomer pushes for specifics, but all the voice can offer is that the doctor "claims to know something about a traitor in our midst."
 
Hearing this, an increasingly agitated Baltar requests - demands - communications with the ''Olympic Carrier'' are curtailed. When asked why, he comes close to cracking, babbling out Six’s reason for the ''Carrier's'' arrival, and adding that the Colonials must cut off contact with the ''Olympic Carrier'' before it broadcasts another computer virus that could infect the entire fleet. Hearing the Doctor’s outburst over the radio link, Adama concurs. Boomer is ordered to jam all transmissions from the liner and only communicate by beacon light - and to order the liner to stop.
 
The message is relayed, but the ''Carrier'' fails to obey. Instead, she picks up speed and heads for the fleet. Lee Adama orders Boomer to break radio silence and verbally order the liner to a stop. She does so using voice and beacon lights, but the Carrier does not respond. She even ignores a shot across the bows fired by Starbuck.
 
Adama orders the fleet to commence its next jump, and for the ''Galactica'' to position herself between the ''Carrier'' and the civilian ships. At the same time, Gaeta reports multiple contacts jumping-in. Cylon basestars have arrived and immediately commence launching Raiders. The fleet has less than 2 minutes before they are in combat range.
 
At the same time radiological alarms go off in the Raptor and aboard ''Galactica'' - the source is the ''Olympic Carrier'': she is carrying nuclear warheads. Adama informs Roslin they must eliminate the ''Carrier'' immediately. Roslin responds that there are 1300 people on the ship. Adama counters that they don't know that for sure. Further back in the ship, Baltar is convinced Roslin isn't going to give the order. Six informs him it is not her decision; it's God's choice and he wants Baltar to repent.
 
As the discussion between Adama and Roslin grows ever more tense, Six presses Baltar to repent and "accept God's true love." Near panic, Baltar repents....Almost immediately Roslin relents and orders Adama to destroy the ''Olympic Carrier''.
 
Still following the ''Carrier', Starbuck is stunned by the order, stating they are being asked to fire on a civilian ship. [[Crashndown]] points out it is a ship with nukes. Lee Adama makes a fly-by of the ''Carrier'', and fails to see anyone in her flight cabins. He orders Starbuck to form up with him and to make one pass from astern the ''Carrier''. Thrace obeys but pleads with him: "What if you're wrong? Lee....?" He orders her to fire on his mark. She refuses, but when he opens fire, she does as well, and the ''Olympic Carrier'' is destroyed.
 
=== Tag ===
 
On Caprica, a captured [[Helo]] is confronted by Six, who asks him, "Are you alive?" He gives his name, rank and serial number. Removing his bonds, she replies she knows who he is, uses his call sign, and kisses him. Mid-kiss, she is shot in the back, and a stunned Helo finds [[Valerii]] coming through the rain to him. Confused, he accepts her help as she leads him away from the "dead" Six. As they retreat, another Six steps out of the trees, a warrior beside her. She smiles enigmatically at the departing Helo and "Valerii", before looking down at her dead twin...
 
Following their last jump, Adama faces his son over the destruction of the ''Olympic Carrier'', trying to consol him. "I gave the order. It’s my responsibility." He states. Lee replies that he pulled the trigger, so the responsibility is his. On ''Colonial One'', Billy tries to consol Roslin, stating that 24 hours have passed without further Cylon intervention - at least she knows she made the right choice. Roslin replies that she'd like to be alone. Billy informs her he has an update on the headcount - that they can add one more person:  a baby was born aboard the ''[[Rising Star]]'' - a boy. Roslin accepts the news and stands as Billy leaves her. She turns to the whiteboard and updates the count: 47,973, before coming close to tears as we fade out.
 
 
--[[User:Ernestborg9|Colonial Archivist]] 12:50, 5 Jan 2005 (EST)
 
== Questions ==
 
<!-- Use bulleted lists.  Try to list questions in number of importance.  If the question was answered in a future episode, make a link to the episode. -->


*Does Doctor Amorak truly have something on Baltar's involvement in the holocaust?
*This episode won the [[Awards and Honors|2005 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form]].
*When Season 1 premiered in the United States, "33" and "[[Water]]" aired back-to-back as a two hour TV event. This was also the case when [[Season 3 (2006-07)|Season 3]] first aired in the United States with the episodes "[[Occupation]]" and "[[Precipice]]". 
*When the first few episodes of the series began airing in the US on the [[Sci Fi Channel]], title cards were shown at the beginning of each episode, i.e. "33" or "Water" flashing in white letters on a black screen, and then the episode would begin. These episode titles stopped midway in Season 1.
*[[Zoic]] visual effects artists hid small signs of movement within the ''Olympic Carrier'' in close-up effect shots as something of a morbid joke.  Lights in the windows appear to flicker on and off rather rapidly and when slowed down there is some kind of movement visible on the inside of the ship. Originally, the scene was to confirm the existence of civilians inside the ship by showing civilians peering out the windows.<ref>{{cite_book|last=Bassom|first=David|authorlink=|authorlinkurl=|coauthors=|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|pages=47|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|location=|id=ISBN 1-84576-0972}}</ref>
*In the DVD commentary for this episode, Ron D. Moore states that during the scene when Dualla hands Commander Adama a set of reports that he reads aloud (including fuel shortages, dozens of crewmen breaking down from nervous exhaustion, etc), Edward James Olmos ad-libbed "and ten suicides" in one take.  The production team really liked the ad-lib, and thought the way Olmos acted the scene was fantastic.  However, there were concerns that the network would think this would make an already ''extremely'' "dark" episode far '''too''' dark and alienate the audience during the premiere, and the line was reluctantly cut.
*While waiting to film a Viper sequence for this episode at 11 or 12 o'clock at night, [[Katee Sackhoff]] fell asleep inside the Viper cockpit.<ref>{{cite_book|last=Bassom|first=David|authorlink=|authorlinkurl=|coauthors=|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|pages=44|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|location=|id=ISBN 1-84576-0972}}</ref>
*To add realism to the sleep deprivation motif, Olmos enlisted the aid of a sleep deprivation expert and also curtailed his sleeping habits to a maximum of three hours per night, noting how it affected him. With the help of this expert, he relayed to the rest of the crew how deprivation affects the human body and mind. Additionally, director [[Michael Rymer]] told the actors to choose one symptom to play, so as to avoid distracting repetition.<ref>{{cite_book|last=Bassom|first=David|authorlink=|authorlinkurl=|coauthors=|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|pages=46|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|location=|id=ISBN 1-84576-0972}}</ref>


== Analysis ==
== Analysis ==
*'''Why did the Cylons come "every 33 minutes"?''' Short answer:  it was a number Ron Moore has stated he picked at random, with no other significance. The long answer is available in Ron Moore's [http://blogs.scifi.com/battlestar/archives/2005/01/why-33-minutes.php blog entry] of January 13, 2005:


Overall, a good opening episode that cleverly adds to a number of arcs from the mini: is Boomer a Cylon? What is the Six who is interacting with Baltar? Can the Colonials truly escape the shadow of the Cylons?
<blockquote>The truth is, there's no real answer. It's just a random number that felt right when I came up with the idea that our people were under continuous, relentless attack since the end of the pilot. I wanted it to be a short interval, just long enough for them to grab a bite to eat, jump in the shower and maybe try to catch a catnap before dragging themselves back to their duty stations and begin the whole tedious, terrifying ordeal all over again.</blockquote>


The opening sequence of shots ending with the Valerii on the Ragnar Anchorage is interesting: is this a hint to the real identity of Boomer on Galactica? Also, is the good-natured teasing between Starbuck and Boomer during the CAP an indication that others have noticed Boomer seems to be handling the lack of sleep a lot better than others. Could this lead to some kind of rumour-mill starting-up about her?
<blockquote>A deeper truth is, I was never interested in coming up with an explanation for Why? Never. I mean, I suppose I could've come up with a sufficiently important-sounding bit of technobabble that would've made sense (you see, the Cylon double-talk sensors tracking the Olympic Carrier's nonsense drive signature needed 15 minutes to relay the made-up data wave through the pretend continuum, then the Cylon navigational hyper silly system needed another 10 minutes to recalculate the flux capacitor, etc.) but what would that have really added to the drama? How does explaining that 33 minute interval help our understanding of Laura's terrible moment of decision, or bring us to any greater knowledge of Dualla's search for her missing family and friends, or yield insight into Baltar's morally shattered psyche?</blockquote>


As to Baltar's Six: three possibilities seem to suggest themselves:
<blockquote>It doesn't, of course. The answer, however artfully it may (or may not) have been crafted can only subtract from the experience we have in watching the episode. Not knowing the how's or why's of the Cylon attack puts us in the same seat as the characters we're watching. They're in the dark, and we're in the dark. The relentless attack is unfathomable in its origin and unstoppable in its execution. It's mortality coming at you on a loop. If you only had 33 minutes before the next time you could die, what would you do? And what about the time after that? And the time after that? At a certain point, you stop caring about why it's happening, all you know is that it is happening, and it's happening to you.</blockquote>


*She is a working of his own psyche; a reaction to his betrayal of his people to the Cylons. Certainly, his increasing psychosis in the episode would seem to point to this; but then, he has - like the rest - been five plus days without sleep, and some degree of paranoia is bound to result.
<blockquote>So the mystery of 33 will be permanent on this show. No explanation, not even the attempt. Let it just be a number that seemed like an eternity for five long days on the battlestar Galactica.</blockquote>
*She is, as she suggested in the mini, an implant in his head and possibly in communication with the Cylons. However, if this is the case, surely the Cylon hunt for the fleet would continue despite the destruction of the Olympic Carrier - as the Cylons would be tracing the fleet through Baltar. Given the humans are to all intents and purposes "on the ropes", it seems odd that they would break off the attack when they have such a clear advantage.
*She could she actually be a complete download of "Six's" personality, captured at the point of destruction of Baltar's home, and now contained in his head, possibily occupying his subconscious, out of contact with her own kind, but able to fully interact with his thoughts and feelings – even manipulate his thoughts and feelings?


Hopefully, these issues will be addressed in time. Meanwhile, the episode builds on some of the relationships established in the mini: Apollo and Starbuck clearly have a past, one that reaches beyond command hierarchies, exhaustion and tempers. The hanger deck confrontation is a valuable byplay not so much for what it says, but for the way in which it is communicated - a large element of non-verbal communication passing between Thrace and Lee Adama prior to her taking the stims.  
*The cast actually consulted with a sleep deprivation expert before this episode, making a large effort to accurately depict the effects of sleep deprivation on their characters, and it really comes through on screen. Rather than simply yawning alot and constantly saying "wow, I'm so tired," the cast met the series' goal of realistically portraying their symptoms: they behave aggravated, they start to forget things, their minds just start "slowing down". 
*The [[Messengers|Messenger Six]]'s motives, and her origins, become murkier, and Baltar's tendency to listen to her advice increases.
*Raptors are general purpose vehicles that handle reconnaissance, electronic countersurveillance on [[Combat Air Patrol|CAP]]s, troop deploys and other tasks. In a [[You Can't Go Home Again|later episode]] a Raptor is used for rescuing ejected pilots during combat.
*The [[Memorial hallway]] scene continues the writers' allusion to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States to the events of the Miniseries through the use of the many memorials, the confusion in finding lost loved ones, and Dualla's amazement at the size of the memorial. (A [[Lest We Forget|picture of a Colonial soldier]] on one of the Colonies during its destruction also plays on the intense feelings felt by many Americans when they saw similar pictures of New York City firefighters at the ruins of the World Trade Center.)
*Despite his age, [[Saul Tigh|Colonel Tigh]] seems to be taking the sleep deprivation better than others.  He is shown waking people up in the CIC.  [[Chief Tyrol]] is seen doing the same on the hangar deck. Perhaps this is an early clue to their true nature {{TRS|Crossroads, Part II}}.


Similarly, Roslin's mistrust of Adama, as expressed at the end of the mini following his admission that "earth" was a deception on his part, has begun to grow into an edgy respect: she knows full-well that without his leadership, the fleet would not have survived 5 days of repeated FTL jumps - and she is prepared to admit it.
== Questions ==


Then there is Adama's relationship with his son. From the scene where they discuss responsibility, it is evident that there is a gulf between them still - one that may well be held open in part by their relative positions aboard the Galactica: Adama is Lee's father and the Officer Commanding the Galactica. While both again appear to want to bridge the gap – the difference in rank still prevents them openly discussing things: hence Lee's act of rebuffing his father's attempt to console him following the shooting of the Olympic Carrier.
=== Answered Questions ===


Overall the three storylines evident in the episode – escaping the Cylons, Baltar and Six and Helo on Caprica - are cleverly interwoven, with the main storyline; the Baltar / Six relationship in particular intersecting smoothly through the crisis involving the Olympic Carrier, while the Helo subplot is given enough exposure to engage us and deflect attention from the "A" story sufficiently to heighten the drama, without actually interrupting the overall story flow.
{{answered questions|season=1|series=RDM|episode=33}}


Indeed, such is the subtlety of the Helo sub-plot that the questions it raises don't really reveal themselves until a second viewing, and you realise they are related to the central Cylon theme: why does Six ask him if he is alive? He clearly is, and the question is not a reference to either his leg wound or his radiation-induced sickness. Nor is it simply a throwback to her "sister's" first words to the Colonial officer at Armistice Station. It is something that appears to go to the very centre of Cylon reasoning.
*[[Billy Keikeya]] reports that the [[Survivor count|number of survivors]] is down by 300 as a result of some being lost through death from injuries, initial inaccurate counts, and others having "disappeared." How can people simply "disappear" in the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]]?
*Is [[Messenger Six]] actually in contact with other [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]], and thus involved in the disappearance and reappearance of ''[[Olympic Carrier]]''?
*What happened to the group of survivors [[Karl Agathon]] was left with in the [[Miniseries]]?
*Was the person speaking over the wireless when the ''Olympic Carrier'' returned really its captain, or a humanoid Cylon?
*Were there any people aboard ''Olympic Carrier'' when it was destroyed?
*What is the Cylons' plan?


Similarly, while it could be over-sensitivity given the amount of time the Valerii on Caprica was on-screen, but one couldn't help but feel she was perhaps a little too human; too familiar with Helo? It seems odd that she is introduced to Helo through the "killing" of the Six construct. Why resort to the "murder" of one of her own? Was this simply to establish her credibility in the eyes of Helo? Could she not have found another way to make contact with Helo? Contrasted with the comments regarding Boomer's heritage back at Galactica, are the writers attempting to imply something?  Could it bee that BOTH the Valerii characters are Cylons that believe themselves to be human?
=== Unanswered Questions ===


Time will tell - but it will be interesting to see how the Helo/Valerii/Caprica arc is followed-up.
*Did Doctor [[Amarak]] truly have something on Baltar's involvement in the holocaust?
*Was Amarak even aboard ''Olympic Carrier''?
*How long was ''Olympic Carrier'' under Cylon control?


But, in discussing the role of Cylon agents, there is a potentially interesting throwaway comment in this episode that might be an indication that something is amiss in the fleet: in discussing the number of survivors, Roslin asks why the total has dropped by 300. Billy responds that some over-counts were made (understandable), that there have been deaths from wounds (possibly people picked up from the 12 colonies), and some seem to have simply "disappeared" during the last Cylon attack (witnessed prior to jump 237).
== Official Statements ==


"Disappeared"? How? No ships were destroyed during the attack / jump, so how do people just "disappear"? Again, is this simply an error in the script, or are the writers trying to point at something deeper?
=== Note on [["Lest We Forget"]] ===
{{From RDM blog}}


All that said, the episode isn't without some flaws.  
:"It's probably been asked before, but I'm curious as to whom[sic] is in the picture in the Viper Pilot's briefing room, facing away from the camera . . . the one the pilots, including [[William Adama|Commander Adama]], touch when they enter and leave? This is touching, and is a wonderful human element to the story. So who is it?"


Nit-picks:
:There was a scene cut from [[33|"33"]] where we saw [[Laura Roslin]] being given her copy of the photo along with a card that said it was taken on the roof of the capitol building on Aerilon during the attack. The photo was inspired by the famous shot of the fire-fighters raising the flag at Ground Zero that became iconic. I thought the Colonies would have their own version of this&mdash;a snapshot taken in the moment that becomes a symbol of the day they can never forget and of all they had lost. The photo itself is of a soldier falling to his knees (possibly shot or simply overcome by emotion) as he stands on the rooftop overlooking the devastation of his city, while the Colonial flag waves at the edge of frame. The inscription below the photo on Laura's plaque reads, [["Lest We Forget"]] in itself a reference to the inscription on the watch presented to John Wayne's character in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon."


*Why is Boomer's Raptor launched alongside Apollo's Vipers for what everyone is expecting to be an interdiction exercise against Cylon Raiders? It is a complete departure from previous actions: in the mini, CAG ordered Boomer to get her Raptor out of the way as his squadron went into to face the Cylon Raiders; at Ragnar, the Raptors weren't deployed against incoming Raiders, nor where they in evidence prior to jump 237 at the start of this episode. It is unclear whether Raptors are armed, or whether they would be effectively in an electronic warfare capability against Raiders, but the sudden presence of a Raptor in a Viper interdiction flight smacks of being a somewhat clumsy means of meeting the needs of the plot: obviously, the writers wanted Boomer there to handle the communications with Olympic Carrier & so heighten the perceived tension.
=== Comments from the Cast ===


*The 9/11 scene is, sadly, something of a misplaced element. Yes, 9/11 is a horror that stunned the world, and will always rightfully have a place in the memories of all Americans, but the use of a scene that so closely mirrors the aftermath of the site around the World Trade Centre to try and convey the sense of loss the Colonials are feeling is somewhat heavy-handed. More should have been done to impart this to the audience back in the mini (where Cylon strikes on the Colonial worlds were restricted to a few scenes of Caprica, and even then the outright and inevitable destruction was barely shown).
*"Insomnia.  Nobody has slept. Everyone's just coming to terms with the fact that they have lost everybody that they've loved or relate to."&mdash;[[Jamie Bamber]], [http://scifi.com/battlestar/bts/video/mov/video_06_320.mov]


*Similarly, the failure to openly resolve the issue of whether or not 1345 people were aboard the Olympic Carrier weakens the story. Indeed, Apollo's flyby of the ship is suggestive that she indeed wasn't carrying anyone any more - thus removing our feelings of horror one step further from the drama being played out on screen. In opting to remain ambiguous about the presence of humans aboard the ship, the writers very much weaken the entire “should we / shouldn’t we” argument as to whether the Colonials can fire on and destroy the ship. Should they have shown people clinging to the windows of the Carrier, staring back at Apollo in helplessness as he made his final fly-by? Perhaps; perhaps not - but out emotions would have been better engaged if we had at least seen some evidence that lives were going to be destroyed along with the Olympic Carrier.
*"It was a hard episode, because, you just had to basically fall apart."&mdash;[[Katee Sackhoff]], [http://scifi.com/battlestar/bts/video/mov/video_06_320.mov]


*A final nit-pick comes with the reminder of Tigh's alcoholism. The by-play here didn't entirely fit, and came across as a clumsy reminder that the writers hadn't forgotten about Tigh's condition and would possibly be returning to it in the future. Better to have kept the focus on Adama's comments regarding driving and managing the crew.
*"Episode 1 is extremely docu-style because the characters haven't actually slept for five days (sic) and they have been running from the Cylons for the 250th time.  And it's very stressful and they're about to lose the plot completely because of sleep deprivation."&mdash;[[Michael Rymer]], [http://scifi.com/battlestar/bts/video/mov/video_06_320.mov]


However, all this said, "33" serves as an excellent opening episode: the pacing is smooth, the storylines cleverly interwoven and combined without stepping on one another, and there are no hurried or harried resolutions. Arcs established in the mini are extended and new interactions given birth.
* ''Bamber discusses why "33" is his favorite episode:''
--[[User:Ernestborg9|Colonial Archivist]] 11:59, 6 Jan 2005 (EST)
: My favorite episode...I'd say "33"...the very first one, just because that was the unknown. We were in an unknown situation. We'd made a decent [[Miniseries|mini-series]] and we were all very excited. To read that script, I thought structurally it was really compelling. It was kind of a nutshell of what the whole of our story is, which is a nightmare, waking up constantly to find that the monster is on you again, and that's basically the modus operandi of the show, and Ron [Moore] captured it in one episode. I think that is really the perfect episode of ''Battlestar Galactica''.<ref name="acedmag">{{cite_web|url=http://acedmagazine.com/content/view/677/1/|title=ACED Magazine: Battlestar Galactica: Cast Interviews|date=24 November 2007|accessdate=25 November 2007|last=Bensoussan|first=Jenna|format=|language=}}</ref>


== Notes ==  
=== Excerpt from the Official Companion ===
In ''[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]'', the dedicated performance by the cast, trying to accurately and realistically depict extensive sleep deprivation on-screen, was explained:
:"''Battlestar Galactica<nowiki>'</nowiki>''s first season première required the show's cast members to depict their characters under extreme physical and emotional duress, as they faced sleep deprivation and the constant threat of Cylon attack.  This unique and intriguing acting challenge prompted Edward James Olmos to enlist the assistance of a sleep deprivation expert, who met with the cast shortly prior to the starting of shooting.  Olmos and several other cast members also restricted their sleeping patterns a few days before filming, to gain a better understanding of sleep deprivation. 


*Continuous jumping badly affects the FTL drives and management systems aboard Colonial vessels
:"I rested just before we actually shot the episode, because I didn't want to go on-camera exhausted," explains Olmos.  "But in the week before shooting, I only had about three hours of sleep per night and I studied myself to get to know how to pay the symptoms of sleep deprivation.  About two days away from shooting, I was sitting in this meeting and everyone was looking at me as I tried to make sense. I told everyone, "This is what happens when you go without sleep — you don't act funny or yawn all the time, it's more the case that your mind doesn't function correctly". The doctor later expanded on this, and pretty soon everyone was tuned in. So when we went into the episode, everyone knew exactly what they were doing, and it was beautiful to watch."" (page 46)
*The Cylons have the same ability to undertake highly-accurate FTL jumps as the Colonials: 238 times they’ve managed to jump to the Colonial fleet and arrive with precise momentum and trajectory to be able to close the distance and launch an attack
*Billy may be a good PA but he’s crap at maths. “33” starts with 50,298 survivors. He informs Roslin this is in error by 300 = 49,998 survivors. When the Olympic Carrier is destroyed (1345 people), he reduces the total to 47,972 – that’s a reduction of 2026!!
*Whatever Roslin taught at school, it wasn’t mathematics – she fails to pick up on Billy’s error!


== Noteworthy Dialogue ==
== Noteworthy Dialogue ==


<!-- You can use bullets here, or you can use standard paragraph form. -->
*''[[Gaius Baltar]] is having a vision of climbing into bed with [[Messenger Six]]:''
<!-- Try to keep to the following format
:'''Six:''' You know you're not safe.
    <b>Person 1:</b> Question
:'''Baltar:''' No, course not.  The Cylons will follow us again, as they have the last two hundred and thirty seven times.
    <b>Person 2:</b> Reply
:'''Six:''' You're right, you know. There are limits. Eventually you'll make a mistake.
    <b>Person 1:</b> Statement
:'''Baltar:''' And then you'll kill us all. Yes. Yes, I know, but... not for another thirty-three minutes.


    and so on, and so on...
*{{audio|33tighspeech.mp3|''Tigh and Adama addressing the CIC crew:''}}
-->
:'''Colonel Tigh''': Yes, we're tired. Yes, there is no relief. Yes, the Cylons keep coming after us time after time after time. And yes, we are still expected to do our jobs!
:'''Commander Adama''': We make mistakes, people die. There aren't many of us left.


=== Discussion on Stims between Lee & Kara ===
* ''When Lee Adama and Kara Thrace are on ''Galactica'''s flight deck:''
:'''Lee Adama''': Hey, did you see the note from the XO?
:'''Kara Thrace''': I saw it. No way.
:'''Lee Adama''': Kara, everyone else--
:'''Kara Thrace''': I don't fly with stims. They fudge with your reflexes, your reaction time.
:'''Lee Adama''':  Come on, Kara, give me a break. Just--
:'''Kara Thrace''': Why are we arguing about this?
:'''Lee Adama''': I have no idea.
:'''Kara Thrace''': Neither do I. You're the [[CAG]], act like one.
:'''Lee Adama''':  What does that mean?
:'''Kara Thrace''': It means that you're still acting like everyone's best friend. We're not friends. You're the CAG. "Be careful out there?" Our job isn't to be careful, it's to shoot frakking [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]] out of the sky. "Good Hunting" is what you say. And one of your idiot pilots is acting like a child and refusing to take her pills. So she either says "Yes, sir" and obeys a direct order, or you smack her in the mouth and drag her sorry ass to [[sickbay]] and you make her take those pills.
:(Lee and Kara both start laughing)
:'''Lee Adama''': Well, I'm glad I'm not working for you.
:'''Kara Thrace''': (laughing) Damn right you're glad.
:'''Lee Adama''': So do I have to smack you in the mouth, Lieutenant?
:'''Kara Thrace''': No sir, I'll take my pills. (takes pills from Lee) Perfect.
:'''Lee Adama''': Carry on.
:'''Kara Thrace''': (half-heartedly saluting) Yes, sir.


'''Lee:'''  "Hey, um, did you see the note from the XO?"<br>
* ''When Commander Adama and Colonel Tigh are talking outside the [[CIC]]:''
'''Kara:''' "I saw it. No way."<br>
:'''Colonel Tigh''': (grunting) Oh...a couple hours rack time does sound awfully sweet right about now...
'''Lee:''' "Kara, everyone else--"<br>
:'''Commander Adama''': You deserve it.
'''Kara:''' "I don't fly with stims. They fudge with your reflexes, reaction time."<br>
:'''Colonel Tigh''': You know, the truth is, all this has me feeling...well, more alive than I have in years.
'''Lee:''' "C'mon Kara, give me a break. Just--"<br>
:'''Commander Adama''': You look that way too. It's good to see you without the cup in your hand.
'''Kara:''' "Why are we arguing about this?"<br>
:'''Colonel Tigh''': Ah, don't start.
'''Lee:'''  "I have no idea."<br>
:'''Commander Adama''': I know there's a whole lot of people on this ship, that wish you weren't feeling as good.
'''Kara:''' "Neither do I.  You're the [[CAG]], act like one."<br>
:'''Colonel Tigh''': (laughing) If the crew doesn't hate the XO, then he's not doing his job. Besides, I've gotta make the old man look good.
'''Lee:''' "What does that mean?"<br>
:'''Commander Adama''': I always look good.
'''Kara:'''  "It means that you're still acting like everyone's best friend.  We're not friends. You're the CAG. (beat)  'Be careful out there?' Our job isn't to be careful, it's to shoot fraking [[Cylons]] out of the sky. 'Good Hunting' is what you say.  And one of your idiot pilots is acting like a child and refusing to take her pills.  So she either says 'Yes, sir' and obeys a direct order, or you smack her in the mouth and drag her sorry ass to sickbay and you make her take those pills."<br>
:'''Colonel Tigh''': Look in the mirror.
(beat; Lee bursts out with a chortle)<br>
:'''Commander Adama''': Seriously...
'''Lee:''' "Well, I'm glad I'm not working for you."<br>
:'''Colonel Tigh''': Sir?
'''Kara:''' "Damn right you're glad."<br?
:'''Commander Adama''': It's one thing to push the crew. It's another thing to break them.
'''Lee:''' "So do I have to smack you in the mouth, Lieutenant?"<br>
'''Kara:'''  "No sir, I'll take my pills."<br>


== Official Statements ==  
== Guest stars ==
*[[Michael Hogan]] as Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]
*[[Aaron Douglas]] as Chief [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Tahmoh Penikett]] as Lieutenant [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
*[[Kandyse McClure]] as Petty Officer [[Anastasia Dualla]]
*[[Paul Campbell]] as [[Billy Keikeya]]
*[[Alessandro Juliani]] as Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]]
*[[Samuel Witwer]] as {{callsign|Crashdown}}
*[[Alonso Oyarzun]] as Specialist [[Socinus]]
*[[Nicki Clyne]] as Specialist [[Cally Tyrol|Cally Henderson]]
*[[Guyle Fraizer]] as [[Colonial One co-pilot|''Colonial One'' co-pilot]] (uncredited)
*[[Wayne Rose]] as [["Lest We Forget"|"Lest We Forget" Soldier]] (uncredited)


<!-- Use bullets or standard paragraph form.  Please use links to sources!!! -->
==References==
<!-- If you wish to create the source within the Battlestar Wiki, then do so! -->
{{reflist}}


== Statistics ==
{{episode list (RDM season 1)}}
 
<!-- All the odds and ends items go here. -->
 
=== Guest Stars ===
<!-- Please use this format when listing actor/characters. -->
<!-- Also don't forget to link characters through the Wiki by using the brackets: [[ ]] -->
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Alonso+Oyarzun Alonso Oyarzun] as [[Socinus]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nicki+Clyne Nicki Clyne] as [[Cally]]
<!-- Please link people to the Internet Movie DataBase (IMDB). -->
<!-- Example of Link [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Edward+James+Olomos Edward James Olmos] -->
 
=== Writing & Direction ===
 
*Written by [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Ronald+D.+Moore Ronald D. Moore]
*Directed by [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Michael+Rymer) Michael Rymer]
 
<!-- Please link people to the Internet Movie DataBase (IMDB). -->
<!-- Example of Link [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Edward+James+Olmos Edward James Olomos] -->
 
=== Production Notes ===


*Series: 1 (2004 / 2005)
[[Category:Episodes written by Ronald D. Moore]]
*Production Number: 1.01
[[Category:Episodes directed by Michael Rymer]]
*Airdate Order: 1 (of 13)
[[Category:RDM]]


=== First Run Air Dates & Releases ===
{{audio playback
| diff= 87831
| filename= 33_episodeguide.mp3
}}


*UK Airdate: 18 October 2004 (Sky One)
[[de:33 Minuten]]
*US Airdate: 14 January 2005 (Sci-Fi Channel)
[[fr:Épisode:33 minutes]]
*DVD Release: N/A


{{Category: Episode Guide}}
{{#related:Olympic Carrier}}
{{#related:The Plan}}

Latest revision as of 22:15, 20 February 2024

33
"33"
An episode of the Re-imagined Series
Episode No. Season 1, Episode 1
Writer(s) Ronald D. Moore
Story by
Director Michael Rymer
Assistant Director
Special guest(s)
Production No. 101
Nielsen Rating 2.6
US airdate USA 2005-01-14
CAN airdate CAN 2005-01-15
UK airdate UK 2004-10-18
DVD release 20 September 2005 US
28 March 2005 UK
Population 50,298 survivors
Additional Info Series Premiere
Full Credits
Episode Chronology
Previous Next
Miniseries, Night 2 33 Water
Related Information
Official Summary
R&D Skit – View
Continuity Errors Present – View
[[IMDB:tt{{{imdb}}}|IMDb entry]]
Listing of props for this episode
Related Media
Photo Gallery @ BW Media
Promotional Materials
Online Purchasing
Amazon: Standard Definition | High Definition
iTunes: USA | Canada | UK



Continuing from the events of the Miniseries, Galactica and the Fleet must avoid their Cylon pursuers, which ambush them every 33 minutes after each successful jump.

Summary

On Galactica

  • The crew of battlestar Galactica have been on continuous alert for some 130.35 hours, during which time the Fleet has had to make an FTL jump every 33 minutes to escape their Cylon pursuers shortly after their initial escape from Ragnar Anchorage.
  • Everyone in the Fleet is beginning to feel the strain – particularly Gaius Baltar, who is also distracted by Six’s repeated conversations about God having a plan for him, and also her wanting to have his children.
  • Vessels in the Fleet are also beginning to feel the strain: Jump engines and their controlling computers are starting to breakdown or malfunction, requiring Galactica to linger longer and longer in the Cylon line of fire while the rest of the fleet complete their jumps.
  • Anastasia Dualla finds time to visit a team of people who are cataloging survivors in the Fleet. When she cannot leave her photos to aid in searching for her loved ones, she is amazed to see a corridor that has been converted into a makeshift memorial.
  • Elsewhere, Sharon "Boomer" Valerii is having problems accepting her new ECO, Alex "Crashdown" Quartararo, and is feeling guilty about leaving Karl "Helo" Agathon on Caprica to his fate.
  • Following jump number 237, President Roslin receives word from a Dr. Amarak aboard the Olympic Carrier concerning information on how the Cylons overcame Colonial defenses.
  • Overhearing the conversation, Baltar is worried: he knew Amarak at the Ministry of Defense. As Six points out, Amarak might have information on Baltar's complicity with the Cylon attack.
  • There is insufficient time before the next jump to bring Amarak aboard Colonial One, but Roslin wants to see him directly after the jump has been completed.
  • When the next jump is made, the Olympic Carrier, complete with Dr. Amarak and 1,344 other souls, fails to appear with the rest of the Fleet. Six tries to convince Baltar that it is because God is watching over him.
  • Thirty-three minutes later, the Fleet is ready to jump, but the Cylons don’t appear. Adama orders a stand-down from the immediate alert, but the Fleet is to maintain a readiness to jump, in case the Cylons do return.
  • When Baltar continues to refuse the concept of God, the Olympic Carrier reappears; Commander Adama orders the Fleet to Condition One alert, fearing the worst. He orders the jump clocks reset in anticipation of the Cylons arriving.
  • The Combat Air Patrol lead by Lee Adama intercepts the starliner. Adama orders all communications with the Carrier jammed and the Carrier is ordered (through signal lamps) to remain at its current position. When the Carrier fails to heed orders not to approach the fleet, tensions rise, and a radiological alarm reveals there is now a nuclear weapon on the liner.
  • As the crisis deepens, the Cylons appear precisely 33 minutes after the return of the Carrier, confirming that the Carrier was used somehow by the Cylons to track the Fleet. Adama wants to destroy the liner, but Roslin hesitates to give the order, as no one can be sure if the 1,345 people aboard the Carrier are still alive. Baltar is terrified she won't give the order for fear of Amarak's information.
  • Six uses the hesitation to push Baltar into “repenting” before God. As soon as he does, Roslin gives the order to destroy the liner. Apollo and Starbuck (reluctantly) open fire, destroying the liner. After the Fleet makes a jump once more, the Cylons' relentless pursuit is halted.
  • A day later, everyone is living with the consequences of their actions. Only Billy Keikeya has a small nugget of good news: at some point in the proceedings, a baby was born in the Fleet aboard Rising Star.

On Caprica

  • Helo is on the run in the rainy woodland, and has Claymore-like ordnance he uses to blow up pursuing Cylon Centurions.
  • Helo's six days on the run comes to an end when he is captured by the Cylons, after being distracted by the appearance of a Number Six, wearing a white raincoat.
  • Helo is “rescued” by a copy of Sharon Valerii, who shoots Six and then leads Helo away into the woods. Helo mistakenly believes that this Valerii copy is actually the "Boomer" copy that left Caprica and returned to rescue him.


Notes

Episode Notes

  • Continuous jumping badly affects the FTL drives and management systems aboard commercial Colonial vessels, which are not as rugged as Galactica's military-issue drives.
  • The Cylons' FTL technology is more precise than the Colonials'. 238 times they manage to pounce on the Colonial fleet, arriving with precise momentum and trajectory to be able to close the distance and launch an attack. In the Season 2 episode "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I," it is explained that the Cylons have far better navigational computers which allow more accurate jump plots and a greater range.
  • According to Socinus, there are 5,251 people in the Fleet from Sagittaron.
  • The head count of Colonial citizens at the end of the episode is 47,973.
  • At first glance, there appears to be an error with Billy Keikeya's math with the survivor count. The episode starts with the count being 50,298. He informs Roslin this is in error by 300 = 49,998 survivors. When the Olympic Carrier is destroyed (1,345 people), he reduces the total to 47,972 – that’s a reduction of 2026, or 681 people more than listed on the Carrier. However, in deleted scenes from this episode, Keikeya is actually reducing the survivor count additional times set between the beginning of the episode and the destruction of the Olympic Carrier. These other deaths just occur off-screen.

Continuity Errors and Retcons

  • As of "33," there are 60 civilian ships in the Fleet. This number is retconned up from the Miniseries.
  • Alex "Crashdown" Quartararo wears a patch of the battlestar Triton on his flight suit, which fits to Boomer's comment that she has been saddled with a "refugee from Triton". Triton's battlestar group number is 39, but is erroneously displayed on the patch as BST-39 instead of BSG-39. The costuming department very likely assumed that "BSG" stands for "Battlestar Galactica" and changed the last letter accordingly. However, "Water" and Pegasus' patches establish that it stands for "battlestar group."
  • The Colonial One co-pilot appears briefly when he notifies Billy Keikeya about Colonial One's FTL issue, wearing a Colonial Fleet junior flight wing pin instead of the civilian flight wing pin from his appearance in the Miniseries.
  • The disparity between "Intersun" featured on Colonial One's hull and "Eversun" on the patches worn by One's crew continues.

Production Notes

  • This episode won the 2005 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.
  • When Season 1 premiered in the United States, "33" and "Water" aired back-to-back as a two hour TV event. This was also the case when Season 3 first aired in the United States with the episodes "Occupation" and "Precipice".
  • When the first few episodes of the series began airing in the US on the Sci Fi Channel, title cards were shown at the beginning of each episode, i.e. "33" or "Water" flashing in white letters on a black screen, and then the episode would begin. These episode titles stopped midway in Season 1.
  • Zoic visual effects artists hid small signs of movement within the Olympic Carrier in close-up effect shots as something of a morbid joke. Lights in the windows appear to flicker on and off rather rapidly and when slowed down there is some kind of movement visible on the inside of the ship. Originally, the scene was to confirm the existence of civilians inside the ship by showing civilians peering out the windows.[1]
  • In the DVD commentary for this episode, Ron D. Moore states that during the scene when Dualla hands Commander Adama a set of reports that he reads aloud (including fuel shortages, dozens of crewmen breaking down from nervous exhaustion, etc), Edward James Olmos ad-libbed "and ten suicides" in one take. The production team really liked the ad-lib, and thought the way Olmos acted the scene was fantastic. However, there were concerns that the network would think this would make an already extremely "dark" episode far too dark and alienate the audience during the premiere, and the line was reluctantly cut.
  • While waiting to film a Viper sequence for this episode at 11 or 12 o'clock at night, Katee Sackhoff fell asleep inside the Viper cockpit.[2]
  • To add realism to the sleep deprivation motif, Olmos enlisted the aid of a sleep deprivation expert and also curtailed his sleeping habits to a maximum of three hours per night, noting how it affected him. With the help of this expert, he relayed to the rest of the crew how deprivation affects the human body and mind. Additionally, director Michael Rymer told the actors to choose one symptom to play, so as to avoid distracting repetition.[3]

Analysis

  • Why did the Cylons come "every 33 minutes"? Short answer: it was a number Ron Moore has stated he picked at random, with no other significance. The long answer is available in Ron Moore's blog entry of January 13, 2005:

The truth is, there's no real answer. It's just a random number that felt right when I came up with the idea that our people were under continuous, relentless attack since the end of the pilot. I wanted it to be a short interval, just long enough for them to grab a bite to eat, jump in the shower and maybe try to catch a catnap before dragging themselves back to their duty stations and begin the whole tedious, terrifying ordeal all over again.

A deeper truth is, I was never interested in coming up with an explanation for Why? Never. I mean, I suppose I could've come up with a sufficiently important-sounding bit of technobabble that would've made sense (you see, the Cylon double-talk sensors tracking the Olympic Carrier's nonsense drive signature needed 15 minutes to relay the made-up data wave through the pretend continuum, then the Cylon navigational hyper silly system needed another 10 minutes to recalculate the flux capacitor, etc.) but what would that have really added to the drama? How does explaining that 33 minute interval help our understanding of Laura's terrible moment of decision, or bring us to any greater knowledge of Dualla's search for her missing family and friends, or yield insight into Baltar's morally shattered psyche?

It doesn't, of course. The answer, however artfully it may (or may not) have been crafted can only subtract from the experience we have in watching the episode. Not knowing the how's or why's of the Cylon attack puts us in the same seat as the characters we're watching. They're in the dark, and we're in the dark. The relentless attack is unfathomable in its origin and unstoppable in its execution. It's mortality coming at you on a loop. If you only had 33 minutes before the next time you could die, what would you do? And what about the time after that? And the time after that? At a certain point, you stop caring about why it's happening, all you know is that it is happening, and it's happening to you.

So the mystery of 33 will be permanent on this show. No explanation, not even the attempt. Let it just be a number that seemed like an eternity for five long days on the battlestar Galactica.

  • The cast actually consulted with a sleep deprivation expert before this episode, making a large effort to accurately depict the effects of sleep deprivation on their characters, and it really comes through on screen. Rather than simply yawning alot and constantly saying "wow, I'm so tired," the cast met the series' goal of realistically portraying their symptoms: they behave aggravated, they start to forget things, their minds just start "slowing down".
  • The Messenger Six's motives, and her origins, become murkier, and Baltar's tendency to listen to her advice increases.
  • Raptors are general purpose vehicles that handle reconnaissance, electronic countersurveillance on CAPs, troop deploys and other tasks. In a later episode a Raptor is used for rescuing ejected pilots during combat.
  • The Memorial hallway scene continues the writers' allusion to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States to the events of the Miniseries through the use of the many memorials, the confusion in finding lost loved ones, and Dualla's amazement at the size of the memorial. (A picture of a Colonial soldier on one of the Colonies during its destruction also plays on the intense feelings felt by many Americans when they saw similar pictures of New York City firefighters at the ruins of the World Trade Center.)
  • Despite his age, Colonel Tigh seems to be taking the sleep deprivation better than others. He is shown waking people up in the CIC. Chief Tyrol is seen doing the same on the hangar deck. Perhaps this is an early clue to their true nature (TRS: "Crossroads, Part II").

Questions

Answered Questions

For answers to the questions in this section, click here.
  • Billy Keikeya reports that the number of survivors is down by 300 as a result of some being lost through death from injuries, initial inaccurate counts, and others having "disappeared." How can people simply "disappear" in the Fleet?
  • Is Messenger Six actually in contact with other Cylons, and thus involved in the disappearance and reappearance of Olympic Carrier?
  • What happened to the group of survivors Karl Agathon was left with in the Miniseries?
  • Was the person speaking over the wireless when the Olympic Carrier returned really its captain, or a humanoid Cylon?
  • Were there any people aboard Olympic Carrier when it was destroyed?
  • What is the Cylons' plan?

Unanswered Questions

  • Did Doctor Amarak truly have something on Baltar's involvement in the holocaust?
  • Was Amarak even aboard Olympic Carrier?
  • How long was Olympic Carrier under Cylon control?

Official Statements

Note on "Lest We Forget"

From RDM's Sci-Fi Channel Blog

"It's probably been asked before, but I'm curious as to whom[sic] is in the picture in the Viper Pilot's briefing room, facing away from the camera . . . the one the pilots, including Commander Adama, touch when they enter and leave? This is touching, and is a wonderful human element to the story. So who is it?"
There was a scene cut from "33" where we saw Laura Roslin being given her copy of the photo along with a card that said it was taken on the roof of the capitol building on Aerilon during the attack. The photo was inspired by the famous shot of the fire-fighters raising the flag at Ground Zero that became iconic. I thought the Colonies would have their own version of this—a snapshot taken in the moment that becomes a symbol of the day they can never forget and of all they had lost. The photo itself is of a soldier falling to his knees (possibly shot or simply overcome by emotion) as he stands on the rooftop overlooking the devastation of his city, while the Colonial flag waves at the edge of frame. The inscription below the photo on Laura's plaque reads, "Lest We Forget" in itself a reference to the inscription on the watch presented to John Wayne's character in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon."

Comments from the Cast

  • "Insomnia. Nobody has slept. Everyone's just coming to terms with the fact that they have lost everybody that they've loved or relate to."—Jamie Bamber, [1]
  • "It was a hard episode, because, you just had to basically fall apart."—Katee Sackhoff, [2]
  • "Episode 1 is extremely docu-style because the characters haven't actually slept for five days (sic) and they have been running from the Cylons for the 250th time. And it's very stressful and they're about to lose the plot completely because of sleep deprivation."—Michael Rymer, [3]
  • Bamber discusses why "33" is his favorite episode:
My favorite episode...I'd say "33"...the very first one, just because that was the unknown. We were in an unknown situation. We'd made a decent mini-series and we were all very excited. To read that script, I thought structurally it was really compelling. It was kind of a nutshell of what the whole of our story is, which is a nightmare, waking up constantly to find that the monster is on you again, and that's basically the modus operandi of the show, and Ron [Moore] captured it in one episode. I think that is really the perfect episode of Battlestar Galactica.[4]

Excerpt from the Official Companion

In Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion, the dedicated performance by the cast, trying to accurately and realistically depict extensive sleep deprivation on-screen, was explained:

"Battlestar Galactica's first season première required the show's cast members to depict their characters under extreme physical and emotional duress, as they faced sleep deprivation and the constant threat of Cylon attack. This unique and intriguing acting challenge prompted Edward James Olmos to enlist the assistance of a sleep deprivation expert, who met with the cast shortly prior to the starting of shooting. Olmos and several other cast members also restricted their sleeping patterns a few days before filming, to gain a better understanding of sleep deprivation.
"I rested just before we actually shot the episode, because I didn't want to go on-camera exhausted," explains Olmos. "But in the week before shooting, I only had about three hours of sleep per night and I studied myself to get to know how to pay the symptoms of sleep deprivation. About two days away from shooting, I was sitting in this meeting and everyone was looking at me as I tried to make sense. I told everyone, "This is what happens when you go without sleep — you don't act funny or yawn all the time, it's more the case that your mind doesn't function correctly". The doctor later expanded on this, and pretty soon everyone was tuned in. So when we went into the episode, everyone knew exactly what they were doing, and it was beautiful to watch."" (page 46)

Noteworthy Dialogue

Six: You know you're not safe.
Baltar: No, course not. The Cylons will follow us again, as they have the last two hundred and thirty seven times.
Six: You're right, you know. There are limits. Eventually you'll make a mistake.
Baltar: And then you'll kill us all. Yes. Yes, I know, but... not for another thirty-three minutes.
Colonel Tigh: Yes, we're tired. Yes, there is no relief. Yes, the Cylons keep coming after us time after time after time. And yes, we are still expected to do our jobs!
Commander Adama: We make mistakes, people die. There aren't many of us left.
  • When Lee Adama and Kara Thrace are on Galactica's flight deck:
Lee Adama: Hey, did you see the note from the XO?
Kara Thrace: I saw it. No way.
Lee Adama: Kara, everyone else--
Kara Thrace: I don't fly with stims. They fudge with your reflexes, your reaction time.
Lee Adama: Come on, Kara, give me a break. Just--
Kara Thrace: Why are we arguing about this?
Lee Adama: I have no idea.
Kara Thrace: Neither do I. You're the CAG, act like one.
Lee Adama: What does that mean?
Kara Thrace: It means that you're still acting like everyone's best friend. We're not friends. You're the CAG. "Be careful out there?" Our job isn't to be careful, it's to shoot frakking Cylons out of the sky. "Good Hunting" is what you say. And one of your idiot pilots is acting like a child and refusing to take her pills. So she either says "Yes, sir" and obeys a direct order, or you smack her in the mouth and drag her sorry ass to sickbay and you make her take those pills.
(Lee and Kara both start laughing)
Lee Adama: Well, I'm glad I'm not working for you.
Kara Thrace: (laughing) Damn right you're glad.
Lee Adama: So do I have to smack you in the mouth, Lieutenant?
Kara Thrace: No sir, I'll take my pills. (takes pills from Lee) Perfect.
Lee Adama: Carry on.
Kara Thrace: (half-heartedly saluting) Yes, sir.
  • When Commander Adama and Colonel Tigh are talking outside the CIC:
Colonel Tigh: (grunting) Oh...a couple hours rack time does sound awfully sweet right about now...
Commander Adama: You deserve it.
Colonel Tigh: You know, the truth is, all this has me feeling...well, more alive than I have in years.
Commander Adama: You look that way too. It's good to see you without the cup in your hand.
Colonel Tigh: Ah, don't start.
Commander Adama: I know there's a whole lot of people on this ship, that wish you weren't feeling as good.
Colonel Tigh: (laughing) If the crew doesn't hate the XO, then he's not doing his job. Besides, I've gotta make the old man look good.
Commander Adama: I always look good.
Colonel Tigh: Look in the mirror.
Commander Adama: Seriously...
Colonel Tigh: Sir?
Commander Adama: It's one thing to push the crew. It's another thing to break them.

Guest stars

References

  1. ↑ Bassom, David (2005). ed. Adam "Adama" Newell Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion. Titan Books. ISBN 1-84576-0972, p. 47.
  2. ↑ Bassom, David (2005). ed. Adam "Adama" Newell Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion. Titan Books. ISBN 1-84576-0972, p. 44.
  3. ↑ Bassom, David (2005). ed. Adam "Adama" Newell Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion. Titan Books. ISBN 1-84576-0972, p. 46.
  4. ↑ Bensoussan, Jenna (24 November 2007). ACED Magazine: Battlestar Galactica: Cast Interviews (backup available on Archive.org) (in ). Retrieved on 25 November 2007.
Re-imagined Series Episode List — Miniseries and Season 1


Battlestar Galactica (Re-Imagined) Miniseries (2003): Miniseries, Night 1 | Miniseries, Night 2

Battlestar Galactica (Re-Imagined) Season 1 (2004-2005) Episode List

33 | Water | Bastille Day | Act of Contrition | You Can't Go Home Again | Litmus | Six Degrees of Separation | Flesh and Bone | Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down | The Hand of God | Colonial Day | Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I | Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II | Next Season Episode >



Retrieved from "https://en.battlestarwiki.org/w/index.php?title=33&oldid=246970"