The Hand of God (TOS)

"The Hand of God (TOS)" An episode of the Re-imagined Series
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Overview

Commander Adama decides to quit running from the Cylons, and launches an all-out attack on a basestar.

Boomer analyzing a Gamma frequency transmission (credit:Universal Studios/ABC)

Summary

• Receiving a mysterious radio signal possibly from Earth, Adama and the crew are wary of a Cylon trap, and decide to turn the tables by attacking the Cylons with a stolen Cylon Raider. Apollo and Starbuck, in the series finale's last scene, narrowly miss receiving Apollo-11 moon-landing transmissions from Earth.

Questions

• Boomer speculated that the signal they recorded could have been on a harmonic frequency, doubling or quadrupling the original frequency. If it was a harmonic it came from nearby. The planetary system they scouted had a large Jupiter like gas giant, a Venus like planet with a compressed carbon dioxide atmosphere, and a lifeless red Mars like world. It could have been our solar system but wasn't explored further for fear another Cylon basestar might be coming to investigate.
• Baltar was to have been marooned on a planet capable of sustaining life with rations and a short range transmitter. Were the Cylons to have rescued him so he could resume command of a basestar in season two?

• If and when the Galactica had reached Earth (No Galactica 1980) it would be easy to speculate that the Earth would indeed be far enough long tecnologically and politcally to help their brothers from the Colonies since the transmission received came from the Earth time of July 20th, 1969. Enough time would have passed given the theories of time and space that indeed the Earth would have matured. It would have been interesting if Glen Larson was intending his two Sci-Fi series (Galactica and Buck Rogers) to merge together somewhere down the road.

• Some open ended questions were left. What was the true fate of Baltar? Where was Apollo and Sheba's relationship going? Would Starbuck and Cassiopea take the seal? It's really a shame the series was ended at this point as alot of interesting plot developments were beginning.

Analysis

• Overall a very good episode and it seemed to show from this episode that the series was beginning to finally come together, relationships were being developed and cemented, characters were coming into their own and future plot lines were beginning to take shape that would have given the series life.

• Had the series been done in the 90's along with other shows like Star Trek:TNG and Babylon 5, etc. the show probably would have lasted five or more seasons and it would have been a well rounded television show with great characters and stories.

• It would be nice to have an updated tele-movie or even a series of direct to DVD releases to give this franchise a proper send-off. Richard Hatch's novels are a great continuation of TOS even if there are some slight plot errors (such as Rigel being male) and his self made promo video for the contiuation of the series are all nice teasers and fillers. But a true movie or mini-series should be made to wrap things up. There is room for both "Galactica" series.

Notes

• Season (and series) finale of the original series.
• The title was reused for the tenth episode of the re-imagined series. Aside from both Adamas launching an offensive strike against Cylon forces, there is little comparison between the two episodes.
• Galactica intercepts a TV transmission of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, but characters leave the room before the voiceover.
• The basestar core set appears to have been filmed in a Skylab mockup.
• Apollo gives the age of The Galactica as being 500 yahrens (years old).

Re-imagined Series definition: battlestar landing bay mechanism that arrests a landing Viper, Raptor or other small craft (TRS: "Final Cut")

Original Series definition: marriage