Editing 33

{{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]]
| amazon=y
|deleted=y|archives=y}}
: ''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 ==

=== On ''Galactica'' ===
* 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]].
* 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.
* 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.<ref>{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.10, script p.5}}</ref> As reported in the [[Combat Information Center|CIC]], "ten [ships are] still reporting trouble with their FTL drives. Including Colonial One."<ref>{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.9, script p.4}}</ref>
*[[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]].
* 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.<ref>{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.90, script p.85}}</ref>
* 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.<ref>{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.36, script p.31}}</ref>
* 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.<ref>{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.74, script p.69}}</ref> Six tries to convince Baltar that it is because God is watching over him.<ref>{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.32, script p.27}}</ref>
* 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 [[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 {{callsign|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.<ref>{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.49, script p.44}}</ref>
*Six uses the hesitation to push Baltar into "repenting" before God. As soon as he does, Roslin gives the order to destroy the liner.<ref>{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.49, script p.44}}</ref> Apollo and {{callsign|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]]''.<ref>{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.52, script p.47}}</ref>

===On Caprica===
* {{callsign|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.
* 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.

== 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.<ref>{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.44, script p.39}}</ref> Colonel Tigh notes that "damned civilian crews" often don't begin jump preparation "until five minutes before the mark," while ''Galactica'' requires "ten minutes to calculate Jump coordinates [and] another five to program the computers."<ref>{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.44, script p.39}}</ref>
*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.
*The episode shows the devastating effects of sleep deprivation on the crew. In the script, [[Cally Tyrol|Cally]] is described as "mentally burnt, strung-out, right on the edge" while questioning "Why is it always thirty-three minutes?"<ref>{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.15, script p.10}}</ref> Commander Adama cuts himself while shaving due to "sleep deprivation and fatigue causing him to lose focus."<ref>{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.44, script p.39}}</ref>
*The Fleet's deteriorating condition is evident in Adama's reports of "twelve more cases of nervous exhaustion" bringing the total to "sixty-one total. Ten suicides," leading him to order stimulant injections for crew and pilots.<ref>{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.69, script p.64}}</ref>

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

* 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.

=== Production Notes ===

*This episode won the [[Awards and Honors|2005 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form]].
*[[Cally Tyrol|Cally Henderson]]'s scenes were added during the Goldenrod revision phase in May 2004, as indicated by "Cally - ADDED" notation in the cast list, showing her role was expanded after initial script completion.<ref>{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.9, cast list}}</ref>
*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 group="production" name="bassom_olympic_carrier_visual_effects">{{cite book|last=Bassom|first=David|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|page=47|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|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 group="production" name="bassom_sackhoff_viper_sleep">{{cite book|last=Bassom|first=David|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|page=44|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|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 group="production" name="bassom_sleep_deprivation_expert">{{cite book|last=Bassom|first=David|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|page=46|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|id=ISBN 1-84576-0972}}</ref>

== Script Revisions ==

The "33" script underwent extensive revisions during production, with six distinct revision cycles spanning over a month of pre-production work.<ref>{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.4, revision history}}</ref>

=== April 2, 2004: White Pages (1-62) ===
Initial complete script draft encompassing the full 62-page teleplay, establishing the basic structure of the episode across four acts plus teaser.

=== April 12, 2004: Full Blue Revision (1-55) ===
Comprehensive rewrite reducing the script length by 7 pages, indicating significant structural changes. This major revision likely involved cutting entire scenes or consolidating sequences to tighten the narrative pacing.

=== April 13, 2004: Pink Revision ===
Targeted revisions to 24 specific pages affecting key narrative sequences:

* '''Pages 8, 10:''' ''[[Colonial One]]'' [[FTL]] issues and hangar deck scenes with [[Cally Tyrol|Cally]]'s sleep-deprived questioning of the 33-minute pattern
* '''Page 12:''' [[Kara Thrace]] and [[Lee Adama]]'s dialogue about jump counts reaching "two thirty-seven" 
* '''Page 14:''' [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]]'s intimate scene with [[Messenger Six|Six]] in his house, establishing the "Time's up" motif
* '''Pages 18-19:''' Combat sequences with [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] attack aftermath and jump preparations
* '''Pages 21, 21A, 21B:''' Expansion of Act One scenes (new pages 21A and 21B suggest significant additions to character interactions)
* '''Pages 23-24:''' Post-jump sequences with ''Colonial One''{{'|s}} appearance and Baltar's transition between reality and his house visions
* '''Page 26:''' Baltar's philosophical conversation with Six about belief systems
* '''Page 33:''' Jump 237 completion and fleet status reports
* '''Page 35:''' End of Teaser with Baltar and Six's intimate moment as the clock ticks
* '''Pages 38-39:''' [[William Adama|Adama]] and [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]]'s conversation about fleet jump preparations and civilian crew delays  
* '''Page 42:''' [[Memorial hallway]] sequence showing [[Anastasia Dualla|Dualla]]'s emotional encounter with the wall of missing persons
* '''Pages 44-45:''' [["Lest We Forget"]] photo presentation to [[Laura Roslin|President Roslin]] and Baltar's conversation with Six about having children
* '''Pages 47-50:''' Dr. [[Amarak]] introduction, Baltar's panic about potential exposure, and the setup for ''[[Olympic Carrier]]'' plot

The creation of pages 21A and 21B suggests significant expansion of early Act One material, likely enhancing character development and tension-building sequences.

=== April 16, 2004: Yellow Revision ===
Extensive changes to 31 pages with significant scene expansions:

* '''Pages 2-3:''' Opening [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] squadron sequences and [[Lee Adama]]'s countdown dialogue in his cockpit
* '''Page 5:''' [[Combat Information Center|CIC]] scenes with [[William Adama|Adama]], [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]], [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]], and [[Anastasia Dualla|Dualla]] monitoring jump preparations
* '''Pages 7-8:''' ''[[Colonial One]]'' [[FTL]] computer issues and [[Laura Roslin]]'s attempts to maintain confidence
* '''Page 10:''' [[Cally Tyrol|Cally]]'s sleep-deprived questioning about the 33-minute pattern on the [[hangar deck]]
* '''Pages 12, 12A:''' Expanded Viper pilot dialogue with new page 12A adding [[Lee Adama]] and [[Kara Thrace]]'s conversation about jump counts reaching 237
* '''Pages 13, 15:''' [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]]'s house sequences and transition between reality and his visions
* '''Pages 18-20:''' Extended combat aftermath and CIC activity during [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] attacks
* '''Pages 21, 21A, 21B:''' Continued expansion of Act One character development scenes
* '''Pages 48-50, 50A:''' ''[[Olympic Carrier]]'' plot development with new page 50A likely expanding the resolution sequences
* '''Pages 51-53:''' Final act sequences including the aftermath of the ''Olympic Carrier'' destruction

The addition of pages 12A and 50A indicates significant scene expansions at crucial narrative moments - the Viper pilot interactions and the episode's conclusion.

=== April 19, 2004: Green Revision ===
Focused changes to 6 pages for final dialogue polish and technical adjustments:

* '''Page 18:''' Combat sequences and Cylon attack aftermath refinements
* '''Page 23:''' Post-jump sequences with ''Colonial One''{{'|s}} appearance and fleet regrouping
* '''Pages 29-30:''' Mid-episode character development and plot progression moments
* '''Page 33:''' Jump 237 completion and critical fleet status reports
* '''Page 45:''' Dr. [[Amarak]] introduction and [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]]'s growing panic about potential exposure

This targeted revision suggests final dialogue polish and technical adjustments to key dramatic moments, including scenes involving Cylon attacks, jump completions, and character interactions.

=== May 10, 2004: Goldenrod Revision ===
Final pre-production changes to 4 pages with last-minute scene additions:

* '''Pages 3, 3A:''' Opening episode sequences with new page 3A expanding [[Lee Adama]]'s [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] cockpit scenes and the countdown to the jump
* '''Pages 4, 4A:''' Early teaser material with new page 4A likely expanding [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]]'s house sequences and [[Messenger Six|Six]]'s philosophical discussions about [[God (RDM)|God]]'s plan

The addition of pages 3A and 4A represents last-minute scene additions or expansions to the opening sequences of the episode. This revision occurred just four days before the final script compilation on May 14, 2004, suggesting final refinements to the crucial opening moments that establish the episode's tone and the 33-minute cycle premise.

=== Notable Omissions and Plot Changes ===

The final script shows significant content removal that affected key character development and world-building elements:

'''Scenes 46-63 (End of Act One):''' These 18 omitted scenes originally followed the establishment of Dr. [[Amarak]]'s importance and [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]]'s growing panic.<ref name="moore_33_script_omitted_scenes_act_one">{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.50, script p.45}}</ref> Based on the surviving content, this likely included extended character interactions and setup for the memorial hallway sequence.

'''Memorial Hallway Sequence:''' The script contains detailed scenes showing [[Anastasia Dualla|Dualla]]'s visit to a communications office where she attempts to locate missing family members from [[Sagittaron]], learning that 5,251 survivors from her home colony have been accounted for.<ref name="moore_33_script_dualla_sagittaron_survivors">{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.45, script p.40}}</ref> This leads to the powerful [[memorial hallway]] scene where "the sheer number of the faces...hits Dualla in the chest" as she encounters the improvised memorial wall covered with "photos, descriptions of loved ones, small drawings, tributes" where crew members are "putting up photos, touching the faces of missing loved ones, praying, or just staring at the faces."<ref name="moore_33_script_memorial_wall_description">{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.47, script p.42}}</ref>

'''Pilots' Ready Room "Lest We Forget" Photo:''' The script provides extensive detail about the iconic photo that pilots touch before missions, describing it as showing "a Colonial soldier with his back to the camera, standing on a rooftop, looking out over a city. Dark clouds of smoke rise up from the city. A Colonial flag ripples in the breeze above his head."<ref name="moore_33_script_lest_we_forget_photo_description">{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.46, script p.41}}</ref>

'''Scenes 87-93 (Act Two):''' Seven consecutive scenes were omitted between the patrol setup and [[Laura Roslin]]'s exhausted late-night work session.<ref name="moore_33_script_omitted_scenes_act_two">{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.91, script p.86}}</ref> These likely contained additional character development showing the psychological toll of the relentless [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] pursuit.

'''Scene 68 (Act Three):''' A single omitted scene at the beginning of Act Three,<ref name="moore_33_script_omitted_scene_68">{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.73, script p.68}}</ref> likely involving setup for the discovery of the ''[[Olympic Carrier]]''{{'|s}} disappearance.

'''Character Development Elements:''' The revisions particularly affected scenes showing the human cost of the crisis, including Dualla's personal search for family members, detailed casualty reports mentioning specific numbers of "nervous exhaustion" cases and suicides, and extended sequences showing crew members coping with grief and loss through the memorial wall.

== Analysis ==

=== The "33 Minutes" Mystery ===
The interval between Cylon attacks was a key plot device intended to induce maximum psychological stress. Short answer: it was a number Ron Moore has stated he picked at random, with no other significance. 

{{Dialogue
| context = [[Ronald D. Moore]] on the random nature of the 33-minute interval:
| lines = 
"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... 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?"

"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?"

"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."
| source = RDM Blog: "Why 33 Minutes?" <ref group="commentary" name="moore_blog_33_minutes_random">{{cite web|url=http://blogs.scifi.com/battlestar/archives/2005/01/why-33-minutes.php|title=Why 33 Minutes?|author=[[Ronald D. Moore]]|date=13 January 2005|publisher=SciFi.com Blog|accessdate=25 August 2025}}</ref>
}}

=== Production and Performance ===
* '''Depicting Sleep Deprivation:''' The cast consulted with a sleep deprivation expert before this episode, making a large effort to accurately depict the effects on their characters. Rather than simply yawning, the performances focus on cognitive decline: aggravation, forgetfulness, and the mind "slowing down."
* '''Resilience and Nature:''' Despite his age, [[Saul Tigh|Colonel Tigh]] seems to be taking the sleep deprivation better than others, as seen when he wakes personnel in the CIC. [[Chief Tyrol]] is seen doing the same on the hangar deck. This higher level of function serves as an early, subtle clue to their [[Final Five|true nature]] {{TRS|Crossroads, Part II}}.

=== Symbology and Allusion ===
* '''9/11 Parallels:''' The [[Memorial hallway]] scene continues the writers' allusion to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The confusion in finding lost loved ones and the size of the memorial (along with the [[Lest We Forget|briefing room photo]]) mirror the intense feelings and iconic imagery associated with the ruins of the World Trade Center.
* '''Raptor Utility:''' [[Raptor]]s are shown as general purpose vehicles handling reconnaissance, electronic countersurveillance on [[Combat Air Patrol|CAP]]s, and troop deploys. Their versatility is further established in [[You Can't Go Home Again|later episodes]] where they are used for combat search and rescue.

=== Character Arcs ===
* '''Baltar and the Messenger:''' The motives and origins of [[Messenger Six]] become murkier in this episode. As the pressure of the pursuit increases, Baltar's tendency to listen to her advice—and his reliance on her presence—increases significantly.

== Questions ==

=== Answered Questions ===

{{answered questions|season=1|series=RDM|episode=33}}

*[[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 {{callsign|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 ==

=== Concept and Symbolism ===

{{Dialogue
| context = [[Ronald D. Moore]] on the [["Lest We Forget"]] photo:
| lines = 
{{From RDM 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 [[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?"

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—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."
}}



=== Depicting Sleep Deprivation ===

{{Dialogue
| context = On the process of accurately depicting sleep deprivation (from ''[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]''):
| lines = 
"''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.

"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."
| source = ''Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion'', page 46 <ref group="production" name="bassom_olmos_sleep_deprivation_process">{{cite book|last=Bassom|first=David|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|page=46|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|id=ISBN 1-84576-0972}}</ref>
}}

{{Quote
| text = 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.
| sign = [[Jamie Bamber]]
| source = [http://scifi.com/battlestar/bts/video/mov/video_06_320.mov Behind the Scenes Video]
}}

{{Quote
| text = It was a hard episode, because, you just had to basically fall apart.
| sign = [[Katee Sackhoff]]
| source = [http://scifi.com/battlestar/bts/video/mov/video_06_320.mov Behind the Scenes Video]
}}

{{Quote
| text = 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.
| sign = [[Michael Rymer]]
| source = [http://scifi.com/battlestar/bts/video_06_320.mov Behind the Scenes Video]
}}

=== Production and Score ===

{{Quote
| text = 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''.
| sign = [[Jamie Bamber]]
| source = Bamber discusses why "33" is his favorite episode <ref group="commentary" name="bensoussan_bamber_33_favorite">{{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}}</ref>
}}

{{Quote
| text = I loved doing '33'. It was great to come back to Helo and show him trying to survive on the planet. It was grueling to shoot that episode — I did so much running that I was a little sore the next day! But that was just an awesome episode to work on.
| sign = [[Tahmoh Penikett]]
| source = Penikett on filming the Caprica sequences <ref group="commentary" name="bassom_penikett_33_caprica_filming">{{cite book|last=Bassom|first=David|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|page=46|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|id=ISBN 1-84576-0972}}</ref>
}}

{{Quote
| text = At a surface level, that sequence looks like an action scene, so I put it against a backdrop of driving frame drums and taikos. But as the scene ultimately boils down to the terrifying decision that the main characters must make, I layered in dark orchestral textures and ambient soloists to play more to the drama and less to the spectacle. The result was one of my favorite cues for the entire series.
| sign = [[Bear McCreary]]
| source = McCreary on scoring the [[Olympic Carrier]] destruction <ref group="commentary" name="bassom_mccreary_olympic_carrier_score">{{cite book|last=Bassom|first=David|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|page=47|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|id=ISBN 1-84576-0972}}</ref>
}}



=== Critical Reception and Success ===

{{Quote
| text = I was very pleased with '33'. I think the teaser is terrific, the thirty-three minute loop is an interesting concept, and it's just interesting to watch the characters getting exhausted. I think it turned out great.
| sign = [[Ronald D. Moore]]
| source = Moore on the episode's success <ref group="commentary" name="bassom_moore_33_assessment">{{cite book|last=Bassom|first=David|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|page=47|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|id=ISBN 1-84576-0972}}</ref>
}}

{{Quote
| text = I thought '33' was phenomenal. I loved it. It was so damned courageous.
| sign = [[Edward James Olmos]]
| source = Olmos on the episode's impact <ref group="commentary" name="bassom_olmos_33_courageous">{{cite book|last=Bassom|first=David|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|page=47|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|id=ISBN 1-84576-0972}}</ref>
}}

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

{{Dialogue
| context = [[Gaius Baltar]] is having a vision of climbing into bed with [[Messenger Six]]:
| lines = 
'''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.
| source = [[33]]<ref>{{cite script|writer=Ronald D. Moore|script=33|title="33" Script|url=https://en.battlestarwiki.org/Sources:33|pages=PDF p.36, script p.31}}</ref>
}}

{{Dialogue
| context = {{audio|33tighspeech.mp3|Tigh and Adama addressing the CIC crew:}}
| lines = 
'''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.
| source = [[33]]
}}

{{Dialogue
| context = When [[Lee Adama]] and [[Kara Thrace]] are on ''[[Galactica (TRS)|Galactica]]'''s flight deck:
| lines = '''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.
| source = [[33]]
}}

{{Dialogue
| context = When [[Commander Adama]] and [[Colonel Tigh]] are talking outside the [[CIC]]:
| lines = 
'''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.
| source = [[33]]
}}

== 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)

== References ==

=== Commentary and Interviews ===
{{reflist|group=commentary}}

=== Production History ===
{{reflist|group=production}}

{{episode list (RDM season 1)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Ronald D. Moore]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Michael Rymer]]
[[Category:RDM]]

{{audio playback
| diff= 87831
| filename= 33_episodeguide.mp3
}}

[[de:33 Minuten]]
[[fr:Épisode:33 minutes]]

{{#related:Olympic Carrier}}
{{#related:The Plan}}