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For other subjects with the same last name, see: Zarek (disambiguation).
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| Birth Name | Thomas Zarek | |
| Birth Date | {{{birthdate}}} | |
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| Introduced | Bastille Day | |
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| Serial Number | {{{serial}}} | |
| Portrayed by | Richard Hatch | |
| Zarek (disambiguation) is a Human/Cylon Hybrid | ||
| Zarek (disambiguation) is an Original Series Cylon | ||
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| Additional Information | ||
| [[Image:|200px|Zarek (disambiguation)]] | ||
Thomas Zarek, commonly known as Tom Zarek, was a political activist for more than thirty years before the Fall of the Twelve Colonies. He was a charismatic, eloquent, and ideological political agitator who turned to terrorism, and was eventually incarcerated for blowing up a government building on Sagittaron. His twenty-year incarceration culminated in a sojourn on Astral Queen, an FTL-capable prison ship, while in transit to parole hearings. Assigned the prison number of 893893, Zarek is under consideration for parole at the time of the Cylon attack. Afterward, he is elected the Sagitarion delegate to the Quorum of Twelve, before being appointed vice president of the Twelve Colonies under Gaius Baltar. He serves as president for several days before transferring power to Laura Roslin and in turn becoming her vice president. In punishment for leading a coup against the civilian government, Zarek is executed for murder and treason alongside Felix Gaeta.
Biography[edit]
Zarek came from Sagittaron, a colony known to be mistreated by the other eleven Colonies. Through his experiences on that colony he became an advocate of freedom from slavery, and proclaimed himself a voice for the disenfranchised. Along with publishing a book that was virtually banned throughout the Colonies, Zarek actively sought to combat injustices with the aid of his group, the S.F.M.
Though some consider him a terrorist for his often violent tactics (which include the destruction of a government building that results in unspecified casualties), others see him as a freedom fighter and a hero. He believes in the efficacy of violence as a means of change, going as so far as to go to prison over a "matter of conscience" by refusing President Richard Adar's politically motivated conditional pardon (the conditions of the pardon being that he would publicly apologize and pledge to give up violence as a means of change).
Some of his fellow Sagittarons have an intense dislike of him, including Anastasia Dualla. Despite this, he became a public figure whose name had weight and almost became legendary, thanks to public opinion (TRS: "Bastille Day").
After the Fall of the Colonies[edit]
As the Cylons attack the Twelve Colonies, Zarek is on a prison barge called Astral Queen, headed to Caprica for parole hearings with several hundred other inmates. Hiding out in the atmosphere of Ragnar with the rest of humanity's survivors, the captain of Astral Queen suggests that the inmates be euthanized, but his wish is overturned by President Roslin's humanitarian decision to keep all of humanity's remnants alive (TRS: "Miniseries"). This leaves Zarek with time to plot his escape.
With the discovery of a planet that could replenish Galactica's lost water, Commander Adama, Colonel Saul Tigh and President Roslin reluctantly decide to ask the prisoners to volunteer as badly needed manpower, under the condition that they would not be treated as slaves and they would agree of their own volition (TRS: "Water", "Bastille Day").
After Lee Adama's unsuccessful attempt to persuade the prisoners to help in the recovery efforts, Zarek's springs the prisoners' escape plan. The prisoners, under Zarek's command, usurp control of Astral Queen, and takes her crew and Galactica's visitors as prisoners. Zarek states his terms for release of the prisoners: the resignation of Laura Roslin and her administration, and the start of free and open elections for a new President. Zarek deems Roslin's presidency as illegitimate and illegal.
However, Zarek's aims are not in keeping with his demands; he wants a bloodbath to ensue, believing that all that people understand is violence, and that a bloodbath would destroy any credibility that Adama and Roslin have.
When the situation deteriorates near the point of catastrophe for all involved, Zarek, ready to sacrifice his life for his beliefs, is swayed by Lee Adama's promise that he would uphold the Articles of Colonization and hold open elections for a new president, once Roslin had served the remainder of President Adar's term (as dictated by the Articles and Case Orange), as well as give the ship over to the prisoners as a show of good faith (TRS: "Bastille Day").
Attempts for Political Power[edit]
With a degree of freedom obtained by the prisoners - including control of Astral Queen - Zarek engages in a steady effort to gain the goodwill of others of influence within the Fleet. This effort includes physical acts of support for other ships, such as fixing the air filtration system on the ship occupied by Marshall Bagott, a politician from Virgon.
Zarek's efforts result in a nomination as Sagittaron's representative on the Quorum of Twelve. From there, Zarek makes a bid for the position of vice president using the support of those he assisted, and possibly badgered (TRS: "Colonial Day").
While Zarek's attempt at the vice presidency fails after Roslin replaces the somewhat unlikeable Wallace Gray with the charismatic Doctor Gaius Baltar as an alternative candidate, Zarek makes it clear to Roslin that he will be standing against her in the elections. Zarek remains possibly the most powerful and popular representative in the Quorum of Twelve.
When he is interviewed by the press aboard Cloud 9, he makes several comments consistent with a collectivist-oriented political ideology (TRS: "Colonial Day"). Whether these comments reflect Zarek's actual ideology, or if they are a cover he is using for his own purposes, remains unknown.
Breakaway from the Fleet[edit]
The schism created by Commander Adama's unlawful arrest of President Roslin and Colonel Tigh's declaration of martial law presents Zarek with an opportunity to convince others that Adama is after total control of the Fleet. Zarek likely sought to use Tigh's inexperience with dealing with the government and press against the military powers. Zarek and the Quorum soon learn of Roslin's terminal cancer, after Tigh permits the Quorum of Twelve to see her in Galactica's brig (TRS: "Fragged").
After the Gideon incident, where four civilians die, some crewmembers of Galactica orchestrate Roslin's escape. Lee Adama, knowing they would be hunted throughout the Fleet, enlists Zarek's assistance in secreting Roslin away from Tigh and Commander Adama (TRS: "Resistance", "Resistance", "The Farm"). Roslin is initially dismayed to be greeted by Zarek, but realizes that Zarek, no friend to Adama or Tigh, is "the enemy of my enemy."
Zarek and Roslin attempt to use appeals by recorded wireless messages to sway favor in the Fleet to return to Kobol. Zarek convinces Lee Adama at first to create a dissenting message against Galactica's rule, but Lee changes his mind (probably because he swore to his comatose father that it wasn't about them). After Roslin plays the "religious card" to sway support for her cause in the Fleet, Roslin and Zarek lead a separatist fleet back to Kobol to await Kara Thrace's return with the Arrow of Apollo, for use in unlocking the Tomb of Athena.
Zarek, with his associate Meier, plan to eliminate the young Captain Adama on Kobol, using the rationalization about Zeus' warning that any return to Kobol would "exact a price in blood". Zarek feels that removing the young Adama would create a political power vacuum, allowing Zarek to take the position as leader of the fractioned Fleet, while Roslin would remain president (TRS: "Home, Part I").
Zarek abandons the assassination plan when Commander Adama arrives on Kobol to mend fences with Roslin. However, Meier privately revises the plan outside of Zarek's knowledge, now with the goal of eliminating both Adamas by soliciting the help of the Caprica copy of Sharon Valerii that returned with Karl Agathon and Thrace. Unfortunately for Zarek, Sharon Valerii double-crosses Meier, killing him at the entrance to the Tomb of Athena. While none in the group immediately consider Zarek as a suspect in Meier's assassination attempt, Commander Adama remains guarded and leaves Zarek and several others outside of the Tomb under the watchful eye of Chief Tyrol while they unlock its secrets (TRS: "Home, Part II").
After the Fleet's Reunification[edit]
Zarek later gives Lee Adama information regarding the black market, initially claiming not to be a part of it because he needs to keep his hands clean, but ultimately points out that the black market does get supplies where they are needed. Nonetheless, Zarek mentions the central hub of the black market, Prometheus, a ship so lawless that it is practically "off the grid," as well as the name of a "businessman," Phelan. However, soon after Phelan's death at the hands of Captain Adama, Tom Zarek is seen walking through a crowd on Prometheus with one of Phelan's old henchmen in tow. It is unknown how much involvement Tom Zarek has with the organization (TRS: "Black Market").
Despite being the presumed opponent of Roslin in the upcoming presidential election, Zarek decides not to run against her because he realizes he probably won't win the election. However, he encourages Vice President Gaius Baltar to run in his place (TRS: "The Captain's Hand").
Baltar's Election Campaign[edit]
When Baltar announces his run for the presidency, Zarek assumes a position as his campaign manager. For all Zarek's personal political talent he has a hard time managing Baltar's campaign and faces the tough issue of whether Baltar is an electable candidate. After being trounced in the first debate by Roslin, Baltar's political future is in deep jeopardy and Zarek is left looking for a stronger wedge-issue other than Roslin's ties to the religious Gemenese. With the accidental discovery of New Caprica, an issue presents itself that they can get on the supposed right side of: the colonization of the newly found planet and a safe-haven from the Cylons. Zarek presses Baltar to pick up this issue and run with it and as soon as he does his political fortunes turn around dramatically. Like he predicted, the people rally around the idea of colonization; Baltar sails out of the final debate with a wide lead on Roslin (TRS: "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II").
With his job of campaign manager all but over on election day, there isn't much for Zarek to do but sit back and wait for the results to come in. When the initial tallies come in suggesting Roslin scored a remarkable come-back victory he says to Baltar that he's seen enough elections to recognize a fixed one. Baltar admonishes Zarek, maintaining that, whatever Laura Roslin is, she is above fixing an election.
Later, with Baltar as president, Zarek becomes his vice president.
The Occupation of New Caprica[edit]
After Baltar's surrender of the Colonial government, Zarek disagrees with the planned collaboration with the Cylons and is sent to a detention camp for four months.
Along with former President Laura Roslin, he and about 200 other dissidents are driven to the Pergamus Flats where they are to be executed by an order Baltar was forced to sign. After exiting the truck, Zarek asks Roslin directly whether she had attempted to steal the past election. After Roslin admits that she had, both agree that they wished she had succeeded. The group of detainees are soon faced with Cylon Centurions preparing to fire, and Zarek pulls Roslin back from the front of the crowd (TRS: "Precipice"). However, members of the resistance successfully prevent the execution.
Zarek attends the final meeting of the resistance to review the plan to escape New Caprica. Zarek and Roslin evacuate together towards their ships, though Roslin chooses to escape on Colonial One. Before departing for his own ship, Zarek gives a gun to Jammer and tells him to protect Roslin (TRS: "Exodus, Part II").
Presidency and the new Roslin Administration[edit]
After the escape of the colonists from New Caprica, Zarek assumes his office as President, succeeding the missing Baltar. He brokers an agreement with Roslin, whereby she is elected as vice president and he steps down, returning her to the office she has held since the Cylon invasion. She would then appoint him as Vice President to her. He asks her to give him a position in the new government and she offers this job to him herself citing his courage in standing up against Baltar. Unknown to Roslin and Adama, Zarek has signed into law an executive order authorizing a secret six-person group tasked to find, charge, try, and execute collaborators and traitors. Sometime after disclosing this to Adama and Roslin, Zarek does go through with his plan, allowing Laura Roslin to resume her role as president. Despite condemning his actions and pardoning collaborators who collaborated with Cylons on New Caprica (TRS: "Collaborators"), Roslin is true to her word and appoints Zarek as her vice president.
Genuinely afraid of the consequences of trying Gaius Baltar after his capture on the algae planet, Zarek argues with Roslin about instituting martial law throughout the Fleet during Baltar's trial, citing potentially dangerous and destructive civil unrest and work stoppages throughout the Fleet (TRS: "The Woman King").
When Cowen, the Caprican delegate to the Quorum of Twelve, dies, Zarek nominates the recently retired Lee Adama to the post, because of his dedication to finding the truth during the Baltar trial. In a benevolent attempt to keep the government from becoming a dictatorship, Zarek wants Adama on the Quorum to question some secretive decisions made by President Roslin. Zarek explains that this is not an attempt to manipulate Roslin in a malevolent way, but to deter her from the temptation of taking away the rights and power of the people for the sake of security. He acknowledges that he still supports Roslin and believes that even her most controversial decisions have been made for the good of the Fleet (TRS: "The Ties That Bind").
Several months later, Zarek finds himself in direct conflict with Lee Adama and his father. After President Roslin is taken away from the fleet by the rebel basestar (TRS: "Guess What's Coming to Dinner"), Zarek asserts his legal right as vice president to serve as acting president--an assertion that is ignored by Admiral Adama. The younger Adama, after backing his father's decision, convinces Zarek to give grudging approval to a search for another acting president--a search that ultimately puts Lee Adama himself into the position (TRS: "Sine Qua Non").
Post Earth/Coup d'etat[edit]
Following the discovery of a ruined Earth (TRS: "Revelations"), both Adamas advocate a plan for a permanent alliance with the rebel Cylons, a plan that will extend full citizenship and Quorum representation to the Cylons. Zarek angrily opposes the plan, and instead musters near-unanimous support in the Quorum for a law requiring prior permission from the people of each ship in the fleet before any Cylon is allowed to board. Admiral Adama retaliates by forcibly boarding Colonial One and placing Zarek under arrest. Adama compels Zarek to reveal the coordinates of a ship that had left the fleet in protest.
While in prison, Zarek meets with Lieutenant Felix Gaeta and wins his cooperation in resisting the Cylon alliance (TRS: "A Disquiet Follows My Soul"). Sometime later, Zarek is secretly freed from Galactica brig by Gaeta and several of Gaeta's co-conspirators. They are blocked from taking off in a waiting Raptor by deck chief Peter Laird, but Zarek kills Laird with a wrench before the latter can call for confirmation. Zarek returns to Colonial One in the midst of a stormy meeting of the Quorum led by Lee Adama. The vice president explains his surprise release as part of the admiral's decision to finally abandon democratic governance in favor of a military dictatorship: with democratic institutions such as the Quorum now cut off from power, Zarek is supposedly no longer a political threat and is therefore not worth keeping under arrest. While this is occurring, Gaeta's mutiny aboard Galactica continues until the CIC is secure and the senior staff are detained. Zarek calls Gaeta, and expresses his own surprise at the fact that Adama has not been killed (TRS: "The Oath").
During his and Gaeta's rebellion, Zarek uses violence to gain the power he wants. When the Quorum do not support him and order him to leave--addressing him as Vice President rather than President--he orders their execution by the marines outside the door. After the order is carried out, he summons Gaeta, who reacts in horror and says that now all they had were "lies and murder."
He acts as judge in a court-martial for Adama, finds him guilty of treason, and as he had intended all along, orders his execution. When Roslin calls from the Cylon baseship demanding that he and Gaeta surrender, he refuses, claiming that Tigh is dead already and that Adama is going to be executed. His call for Roslin to surrender in order to end the bloodshed infurates her to the point of turning the baseship's weapons on Galactica. Zarek wants to fight, but Gaeta tries to jump away, only to be foiled by Tyrol's sabotage of the FTL drive. Zarek is shocked by Gaeta's order to stand down all weapons. Seconds later, Zarek and Gaeta are arrested by Adama and his supporters, ending the rebellion.
Zarek is later executed by firing squad for his actions alongside Gaeta. He offers Gaeta a smile before the squad opens fire (TRS: "Blood on the Scales").
Notes[edit]
- Tom Zarek is portrayed by actor Richard Hatch, who portrayed the original Apollo in the Original Series. Hatch is the only actor to have had roles in both Battlestar Galactica series.
- A separate continuity comic book series, starting with Battlestar Galactica: Zarek 1, gives a non-canonical tale about this character's more rebellious life.
| Preceded by: unknown |
Sagittaron delegate to the Quorum of Twelve |
Succeeded by: unknown eventually Jacob Cantrell |
| Preceded by: Gaius Baltar |
Vice-President of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol |
Succeeded by: Laura Roslin |
| Preceded by: Gaius Baltar |
President of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol |
Succeeded by: Laura Roslin |
| Preceded by: Laura Roslin |
Vice-President of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol |
Succeeded by: Lee Adama |
Warning: Default sort key "Zarek, Tom" overrides earlier default sort key "Zarek (disambiguation)".
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This article discusses an aspect of the Re-imagined Series version of the Twelve Colonies. For information on the Original Series version, see The Twelve Colonies of Man.
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The Twelve Colonies, like most civilizations, have a rich historical record of arts and literature as well as other works. Their democratic republic gives its citizens many freedoms of expression in addition to freedom of the press. Colonials have paintings, abstract designs and a variety of musical traditions.
Additionally, many functional items produced on the Colonies adhere to an aesthetic, even at a cost to efficiency.
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Literature[edit]
Autobiographical[edit]
The Man Who Could See the Future[edit]
The Man Who Could See the Future is the autobiography of Daniel Graystone, published as of YR42.
Baxter Sarno references it in his show's monologue, joking that it should have instead been titled Wow, I Didn't See That Coming following the public revelation regarding Zoe Graystone's involvement in the Maglev 23 bombing (CAP: "Reins of a Waterfall").
Religion[edit]
My Place in Heaven[edit]
A copy of My Place in Heaven resides on Zoe Graystone's desk, and is often moved aside by Lacy Rand when attempting to find the e-sheet that allows her to access the V-Club and the last remnant of Zoe (CAP: "Pilot").
The Physics of Religion and Spirituality[edit]
A copy of The Physics of Religion and Spirituality is included in the package of Zoe Graystone's personal effects that Natalie Stark gives to Amanda Graystone at Apollo Park (CAP: "Rebirth").
Political[edit]
Tom Zarek's book[edit]
Tom Zarek's book is a political book of Tom Zarek's beliefs, which he wrote while imprisoned. The manuscript is smuggled from his prison and published, but due to its yet-unspecified content, the book became banned in certain places throughout the Twelve Colonies, particularly the fleet academy.
During the incident on the Astral Queen, Captain Lee Adama tells Zarek that he read the book and that it challenged the way he thought about things on the Colonies (TRS: "Bastille Day").
My Triumphs, My Mistakes[edit]
- Main article: My Triumphs, My Mistakes
After returning to the The Fleet months after the exodus from New Caprica, Gaius Baltar wrote his manifesto, in which he criticizes the Colonial government system and highlights the class factions between the "Caprican elite" and the lower classes in the Colonies. Much like Tom Zarek's book, Baltar's manifesto was smuggled out by his lawyer and published, despite attempts to ban and destroy the book by Laura Roslin and her supporters (TRS: "Dirty Hands", "The Son Also Rises").
Prose[edit]
Dark Day[edit]
Edward Prima is the author of the novel Dark Day.
William Adama, who had Dark Day in his personal library on Galactica, gives it to Laura Roslin as a gift (TRS: "Water"). She considers it to be "one of those classics I've never gotten around to reading." Given the context of their conversation, notably Roslin's reference to A Murder on Picon, it is likely a mystery.
Roslin returns the book, to Adama's consternation, after the prognosis of her illness sharply worsens (TRS: "Flight of the Phoenix").
The French Lieutenant's Woman[edit]
The French Lieutenant's Woman[1] is part of William Adama's formidable library of books on Galactica.
It is located on the shelf behind the couch in Adama's quarters (TRS: "Black Market").
A Murder on Picon[edit]
A Murder on Picon is a mystery novel, apparently taking place on Picon.
Laura Roslin brought the book with her on the trip to Galactica prior to its decommissioning ceremonies (TRS: "Miniseries", "Water").
Blood Runs at Midnight[edit]
A mystery novel given to William Adama by President Roslin as a gift (TRS: "A Day in the Life").
Love and Bullets[edit]
A murder mystery written by Nick Taylo that is set in Caprica City. Adama reads part of the book to Roslin when she lies in Galactica's sickbay to receive Doloxan treatments (TRS: "The Ties That Bind").
- See The Ties That Bind#Noteworthy Dialogue for an excerpt.
Searider Falcon[edit]
Another book Adama reads to Roslin. Adama calls it a classic, and both say that it is one of their favorites (TRS: "Escape Velocity"). Roslin takes it with her when she visits the rebel baseship (TRS: Guess What's Coming to Dinner) and Adama finds it shortly later in a derelict Raptor that escaped from a battle with the Cylons. When Adama decides to stay behind the Fleet in a Raptor in order to find Roslin, he takes the book with him (TRS: "Sine Qua Non").
- The raft was not as seaworthy as I'd hoped. The waves repeatedly threatened to swamp it. I wasn't afraid to die. I was afraid of the emptiness that I felt inside. I couldn't feel anything. And that's what scared me. You came into my thoughts. I felt them. It felt good.
Poetry[edit]
A Poet's Dream[edit]
A Poet's Dream is a compilation of poems from the Caprican poet Kataris. Lieutenant Palladino owns a bound edition of this book and threatens Colonel Tigh with lines from a poem within:
From the darkness you must fall
Failed and weak, to darkness all.
At least one of the poems from this compilation is quite well-known amongst Colonials. Kara Thrace recognizes the above quotation, recalls from which piece it comes, and knows the poem's quality relative to his other works. D'Anna Biers identifies Palladino's copy on sight in a recording she is editing (TRS: "Final Cut"). Later, Gaius Baltar has a copy of this book in his cell on Galactica (TRS: "Dirty Hands").
Children[edit]
Muffit's Really Big Adventure[edit]
Featuring the character of Muffit, this book was written by Vincent Uytdehaag and illustrated by Shay Hilliard (CAP: "False Labor," eBay & Propworx).
Dragon Fighters of Kobol[edit]
A fantasy book, Dragon Fighters of Kobol featured dangerous monsters as part of its story. Zoe Graystone was a fan of the book as a child (CAP: "Here Be Dragons").
Periodicals[edit]
Pre-Armistice[edit]
True Confessions[edit]
A periodical of interest to Clarice Willow, who picks up a copy at a news stand across from a dive bar (CAP: "Rebirth").
Post-Armistice[edit]
Law books[edit]
Caprican Criminal Codes is a multi-volume collection of Caprican law (TRS: "A Day in the Life").
Trial Tactics and Strategies and Law and Mind: The Psychology of Legal Practice are two books about the the practice of law, written by Joseph Adama, William Adama's father (TRS: "The Son Also Rises", "Crossroads, Part I").
Visual Arts[edit]
Representationalist[edit]
Monclair[edit]
Monclair was a Colonial painter. One of his original paintings, a stylized depiction of the Cylon War, adorns William Adama's quarters on Galactica. He is apparently of considerable renown, given Gaius Baltar's impressed reaction to the piece (TRS: "Bastille Day").
Notes[edit]
- In Battlestar Galactica: Season Zero 4 (which exists in a separate continuity), Colonial Intelligence agent Levin comments on the painting, noting Adama's "expensive tastes". Additionally, Levin knowingly mentions that the painting was a gift from Julian DiMarco, Adama's friend and former commander.
- According to Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion, the painting hanging in Adama's quarters was made by additional art director Ken Rabehl.
Abstract[edit]
Kara Thrace[edit]
Between tours of duty, Kara Thrace was an enthusiastic painter. Karl Agathon is surprised to discover this side of her when they visit her apartment in Delphi (TRS: "Valley of Darkness"). Curiously, a specific design that Thrace has doodled as a child would be found more than two years later inside an ancient temple of the Thirteenth Tribe, without Thrace or Helo understanding why she would be aware of the design (TRS: "Rapture").
Film[edit]
The Tauron Line[edit]
The Tauron Line is a war film produced several decades before the Fall of the Twelve Colonies. It is possibly set during the Tauron Civil War.
The plot of the film is unknown. At one point in the film, the antagonists booby-trap an item with explosives, then wait for the protagonists to pick it up and take it somewhere before detonating it. Samuel Anders uses this scene as inspiration for the Caprica Resistance's first attack on the Cylons (TRS: "The Plan").
According to Serge's Twitter Account, Daniel and Amanda Graystone are fans of the film.
Tattoos[edit]
Tauron Tattoos[edit]
Many Taurons sport tattoos, from which can be read essential aspects of their life stories, including familial connections. The most extensive tattoos are found among members of the Ha'la'tha crime syndicate, and many Capricans associate the practice with the Ha'la'tha (CAP: Gravedancing). However, members of the Heracleides militia were also thusly illustrated (CAP: Dirteaters).
Kara Thrace & Samuel Anders[edit]
Instead of wearing wedding rings, Samuel Anders and Kara Thrace[2] created tattoos on their arms that, when they embrace, form a unified circle with wings. The symbol for the colony of Caprica is also in view[3].
From a behind-the-scenes perspective, Michael Trucco adds that it is their wedding band, but that this is never fully explained in the show. Further, these matching tattoos are applied by the makeup department.
Other[edit]
Felix Gaeta displays a tattoo of a rather large tiger during his interview with D'Anna Biers (TRS: "Final Cut"). Gaeta indicated he was quite inebriated with ambrosia to minimize the pain of the tattoo.
Socinus has a tattoo of an Aries design on his right arm (TRS: Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I).[4]
An unnamed pilot has many tattoos on both upper arms, depicting a tiger and a dragon, among other things.
Vireem, specialist aboard the battlestar Pegasus, has a complex tattoo on his shoulder (TRS: "Pegasus")[5].
-
Gaeta's tiger tattoo. -
Socinus's tattoo. -
The unnamed tattooed pilot.
Sculpture[edit]
In addition to the Arrow of Apollo, the Delphi Museum of the Colonies contains a large collection of ancient pottery. Located in numerous display cases in the exhibit halls spanning the museum's levels, this large collection of vases, jars, pots and stone fragments form a rough outline of the Colonials' artistic history. Many of the artifacts and art pieces are quite elaborate and appear to be in the detailed Corinthian Style.
Music[edit]
Dreilide Thrace[edit]
Dreilide Thrace was a pianist. His daughter Kara kept recordings of some of his piano arrangements in her Delphi apartment (TRS: "Valley of Darkness").[6] At some point in his career, he recorded an album, Dreilide Thrace: Live at the Helice Opera House (TRS: "Someone to Watch Over Me").
Colonial Anthem[edit]
The Colonial anthem is heard as a short fanfare over the Viper flyby during Galactica's decommissioning ceremony and as a background music at the beginning of Baltar's television interview (TRS: "Miniseries"). Its third, and longer, appearance is as background music for the rousing closing speech of D'anna Biers' documentary on the Colonial military (TRS: "Final Cut").[7]
Popular music[edit]
Popular Colonial music can be heard in Boomer's apartment on Caprica in the episode "Downloaded" and in Joe's bar in "Taking a Break From All Your Worries". Another song is playing as Lee Adama enters the bar on Prometheus (TRS: "Black Market") [8].
In addition, a popular sing-a-long song is "99 Bottles of Ambrosia"[9], which Marcia Case throws out there as a recommendation after Kara Thrace comments on the humdrum of their up-until-then-uneventful search and rescue mission for a missing Raptor (TRS: "Razor").
Roughly 60 BCH, musical styles emerged on Caprica and Tauron, themselves later repeated more than 150,000 years later on the second Earth; these include alternative hip-hop, of which the only known artists are Tauron (CAP: Reins of a Waterfall) as well as forms of punk rock and dance music (CAP: "Pilot").[10]
Aesthetics[edit]
Colonial aesthetics lead to an avoidance of right angles.
Octagons[edit]
Colonial printouts, photographs, videos, and data discs are rarely rectangular; the corners are trimmed at 45 degree angles, creating snub rectangles, i.e. octagons. The reasoning for this is likely based on their aversion to right angles, as rectangles are, particularly for paper, more efficient[11].
This design choice is also evident in Colonial computer systems with windows and menus often having clipped corners.
Hexagons[edit]
In the Re-imagined Series, hexagons feature significantly as dog tags, playing cards, glass bottles and many other objects. This likely reflects both the dislike of right angles and the simplicity of polygons over curved shapes.
Pentagons[edit]
While not a part of Colonial society per se, pentagons play a large part in the architecture of the lone Thirteenth Tribe structure encountered by the Colonials thus far, the Temple of Five. Much like the Colonials, it appears at least the ancient members of the Thirteenth Tribe were also wary of right angles.
Architecture[edit]
Federal Period[edit]
This style was mix of older and newer trends, utilizing traditional stone facades along with glass and steel. This architecture was found throughout Caprica City, Delphi, and other unnamed cities prior to the Cylon attack.
Several buildings in Caprica City had the form of a pyramid, but the cultural significance of this design choice is unknown [12].
Ancient Kobol[edit]
In "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I," Roslin looks at schematics for the City of the Gods on Kobol. Its buildings, such as the Temple, Forum, and the Opera House, were made of stone and range in shape and size, and resemble classical Greco-Roman architecture.
Later, the ruins of the Opera House are seen when Gaius Baltar and others crash-land nearby. The building was made of stone and utilized decorative columns and pillars. While there, Baltar has a vision which may have represented the original appearance of the Opera House before it fell into disrepair.
Polygonal Architecture[edit]
Many places and objects within Galactica reflect early aesthetic choices that eschew right-angular forms. Many corridors, including ship bulkhead doors, are hexagonal. CIC elements, particularly the Command & Control Center table, the tactical station table, and even the alignment of the displays of the DRADIS console, form a hexagonal appearance.
This aesthetic appears to have waned during the construction of more advanced battlestars such as Pegasus, which uses far fewer hexagonal shapes.[13]
References[edit]
- ↑ This is likely a gaffe and never intended to be seen on screen in detail. See: Continuity errors (RDM) for additional information on this book's appearance.
- ↑ Actress Katee Sackhoff has a number of personal tattoos on her body. The crew uses various means to cover or block these tattoos from view during filming, but the results are not always perfect. See the article on Katee Sackhoff for details.
- ↑ In a TV Guide photoshoot video interview, Katee Sackhoff comments: "...the tattoos that Anders and Starbuck got when they got married and uh, it kinda looks like the Redwings sign doesn't it? Or logo, but its, um... when he's holding me the rings match up and it becomes one ring with two wings. So it's very cool there's some signs in there like the Caprica symbol and some space things and its all very intricate and very cool and the guys over at Twin Villain Tattoo down in Gastown designed it so we're all very excited about it."
- ↑ It is not yet known if the tattoo belongs to Alonso Oyarzun or if it is purely for the character of Socinus, as both the actor was born under the sign of Aries and the character is a colonist of Aerelon.
- ↑ Visible on his left shoulder in the "little robot girl" sequence, apparently a Chinese-style dragon and a Chinese character over a spiral background that could be a galaxy.
- ↑ According to Battlestar Galactica composer Bear McCreary, the piece attributed to Thrace's father is actually Metamorphosis Five, composed by Philip Glass, from his 1989 album Solo Piano.
- ↑ In reality, this is the Original Series theme by Stu Phillips. For "Final Cut," the piece was specially re-arranged by Bear McCreary.
- ↑ This is only a small part of the song that was composed for the episode by Bear McCreary. The full 5 minute long version is available on the Season 2 soundtrack.
- ↑ This is clearly the Colonial version of "99 Bottles of Beer".
- ↑ McCreary, Bear (23 April 2009). The Themes of "Caprica" (backup available on Archive.org) (in ). Retrieved on 26 February 2010.
- ↑ This developed out of a discussion between Richard Hudolin, Ron Moore, David Eick and Michael Rymer. It was felt that cutting the corner of most documents is an easy way to make the look a bit unconventional and unfamiliar. Hudolin also states that not all documents are clipped, but that classified ones definitely are (Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion, p.140)
- ↑ This is a reference to the Caprica of the Original Series, which was influenced by Egyptian mythology and symbolism.
- ↑ The sets for Pegasus were purchased from a failed series pilot for a Lost in Space series remake. As such, the sets adhere to "earthly" rectangular design, and budget constraints for Battlestar Galactica likely limited any large modifications.
