Editing 33
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== 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 blog entry of January 13, 2005:<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> | |||
<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 interval | |||
<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> | |||
<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> | |||
<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> | |||
*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}}. | |||
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== Questions == | == Questions == | ||
| Line 207: | Line 195: | ||
*How long was ''Olympic Carrier'' under Cylon control? | *How long was ''Olympic Carrier'' under Cylon control? | ||
== Official Statements == | == Official Statements == | ||
=== | === Note on [["Lest We Forget"]] === | ||
{{From RDM blog}} | {{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." | |||
=== Comments from the Cast and Crew === | |||
" | *"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]], [http://scifi.com/battlestar/bts/video/mov/video_06_320.mov] | ||
*"It was a hard episode, because, you just had to basically fall apart."—[[Katee Sackhoff]], [http://scifi.com/battlestar/bts/video/mov/video_06_320.mov] | |||
*"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]], [http://scifi.com/battlestar/bts/video/mov/video_06_320.mov] | |||
{{ | * ''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> | ||
| | : 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''. | ||
=== | * ''[[Tahmoh 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> | ||
: 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. | |||
* ''[[Bear 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> | |||
: 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. | |||
* ''[[Ronald D. 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> | |||
: 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. | |||
* ''[[Edward James 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> | |||
: I thought '33' was phenomenal. I loved it. It was so damned courageous. | |||
=== 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:<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> | |||
:"''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."" (page 46) | |||
== Noteworthy Dialogue == | == Noteworthy Dialogue == | ||
*''[[Gaius Baltar]] is having a vision of climbing into bed with [[Messenger Six]]:'' | |||
:'''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.<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> | |||
'''Six:''' You know you're not safe. | :'''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. | |||
'''Baltar:''' No, course not. The Cylons will follow us again, as they have the last two hundred and thirty seven times. | |||
''' | |||
' | |||
'''Commander Adama''': | *{{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. | |||
''' | * ''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. | |||
'''Commander Adama''': It's one thing to push the crew. It's another thing to break them. | * ''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 == | == Guest stars == | ||