Battlestar Wiki - User contributions [en]

Guess What's Coming to Dinner?

2008-05-17T16:23:30Z

762:

{{Episode Data
| image=4x07-GuessWhatsComingForDinner-Promo1.jpg
| title= Guess What's Coming to Dinner
| season= 4
| episode= 7
| forumthread= 1092
| guests=
| writer=[[Michael Angeli]]
| story=
| director=[[Wayne Rose]]
| production=409
| rating=
| US airdate=16 May 2008
| CAN airdate=16 May 2008
| UK airdate=20 May 2008
| dvd=
| oldpopulation=39675
| population=39673
| prev= [[Faith]]
| next= [[Sine Qua Non]]
| promo= Y
| hulu= Y
}}

== Overview ==
:''Returning with the help of the ''[[Demetrius]]'', the [[Cylon Civil War|rebel Cylon faction]] requests an alliance with the Colonials in order to plan a joint-attack mission against the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]]’ vital [[Resurrection Hub]]. Meanwhile on ''[[Colonial One]]'', [[Lee Adama]] and the [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum]] express their mistrust of President [[Laura Roslin|Roslin]] and her secrecy regarding the new Cylon alliance. Aboard ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'', Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] struggles with the prospect of un-boxing the [[Number Three|Threes]] in order to reveal the identities of the [[Final Five]], and [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]] copes with the amputation of his leg.''

== Summary ==

===Teaser===
* President [[Laura Roslin]] and [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum delegate]] [[Lee Adama]] listen to a taped broadcast from [[Cult of Baltar|cult]] leader [[Gaius Baltar]], claming Roslin is sharing of her [[chamalla|hallucinogenic visions]] with [[Sharon Agathon]] (currently on the secret and overdue ''[[Demetrius]]'' mission) and a [[Caprica-Six|captured Cylon]] in a [[brig]] on ''[[Galactica]]''. Adama brought the recording at the behest of the Quorum, who demand an explanation, as the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] has heard the broadcast as well.
*When Adama presses Roslin for an answer, she asks him first how he think the Fleet would react to such information. Undaunted, he asks again. Roslin confirms Baltar's statement.
*On the [[Basestar (RDM)|baseship]] [[Kara Thrace]] and the ''Demetrius'' crew lead a rebel group of [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]] back to the Fleet rendezvous as Sharon Agathon make last minute [[jump]] preparations..
*Thrace warns [[Natalie]] and [[Leoben Conoy]] that the Cylons of their ship are on a path of no-return when they reach the Fleet, and that there aren't any guarantees when they approach the Fleet. She assumes Natalie will be the spokesperson in trying to avoid any hostilities.
*[[Karl Agathon]] looks at the unconscious and injured [[Felix Gaeta]] before his preps the final calculations for the jump.
*When Natalie brings up [[Hera Agathon]] in conversation as being beautiful, Agathon is shocked to know that she and other Cylons know the child's name.
*''Demetrius'' misses the Fleet in its jump and must take a few moments before it can jump again, but the baseship ''does'' reach the Fleet, leaping right into its heart, where some of the Colonial ships have to scramble out of harm's way. Predictably, Admiral [[William Adama|Adama]] and Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] bring ''Galactica'' up to [[action stations]], scrambling the alert Vipers.
* Agathon tries to contact ''Galactica'' but the jump damaged their [[wireless]], leaving them without communication, and possibly vulnerable to attack.
* Saul Tigh carefully watches [[DRADIS]] as eight Vipers approach the baseship. Tigh orders a weapons hold, stunning Admiral Adama but stopping any attack. Seconds later, ''Demetrius'' appears and verifies with ''Galactica'' that the baseship is disarmed and under Colonial command.

===Act 1===
* Several [[Raptor]]s filled with [[Marine]]s launch from ''Galactica'' and enter the baseship. Colonel Tigh is part of the team. Thrace tells him, "They're with me." "Which one of them shot Gaeta?" he asks.
*Gaeta is rushed to [[sickbay]] in grave condition as Dr. [[Cottle]] yells out orders to his staff to bring a cut-down tray, suggesting an immediate amputation of Gaeta's leg.
*In the [[wardroom]], Natalie explains that the [[Number Two]], [[Number Eight]] and [[Number Six]] models believe that seeking out the [[Final Five]] is important, while the [[Number One]], [[Number One]], [[Number Four]] and [[Number Five]] models violently disagreed.
* When Adama asks Natalie of the seventh model, she explains that the [[Number Three]]s were [[boxing|boxed]], and explains the process and why the D'Annas were boxed: they [[Rapture|saw]] the then-forbidden faces of the Five. She tells that unboxing the Threes could give them information that could lead them all to Earth, since the Fives are believed to have come from there. Kara Thrace, in uniform and standing with Sharon Agathon, confirms Natalie's comment.
* Natalie notes that the baseship can heal itself of its damage, but most of their [[Cylon Raider (RDM)|Raiders]] were destroyed [[The Ties That Bind|in the ambush]] by the dissenting models.
* Roslin pointedly asks why the Fleet should trust these Cylons. Natalie tells that the boxing facility resides within the [[Resurrection Hub]], a facility that controls all [[Resurrection Ship]]s in existence. Natalie gives Roslin a reason to trust her and her renegade Cylons: Vengeance. The Cylon tells her that destroying the elusive Hub will destroy ''all'' Cylons ability to [[download]], making them all effectively mortal. When asked why they would do such a thing, Natalie simply says that she and her comrades are rebels and cannot go back in any case.
*Adama presses for the coordinates of the Hub, but Natalie says she will only take them to the Hub, not give the coordinates. As Adama orders the marines to escort her away, Natalie changes her mind, promising to give the coordinates if Adama gives his word that the Five will stay with the Fleet and the Cylons will be allowed to leave once the Three's identify the Five. Adama grudgingly gives his word.
*Leaving the meeting, Adama asks Tigh how he knew to order a weapons hold at the moment of their attack on Natalie's baseship. Tigh hesitates but says he didn't know why. "What can I say, we got lucky." Adama orders a Raptor to the coordinates of the Hub to investigate.
*[[Margaret Edmondson]] and [[Hamish McCall]] arrive in an asteroid-filled area, and find the massive Hub, which appears to be twice the relative size of a guarding baseship. "It's beautiful," McCall comments. They take pictures and return quickly to the Fleet.
*In sickbay, a gory scene begins as Cottle preps to remove Gaeta's leg. Gaeta wakes and strongly urges to be numbed and not anesthetized, not wanting to wake up to find his leg gone. Cottle accepts. Moments later, a saw's blade is heard tearing through Gaeta's leg as his face registers shock. [[Samuel Anders]], who shot Gaeta to stop him from jumping ''Demetrius'' hours before, looks on with regret from a distance.

===Act 2===
*The civilian Fleet returns to join ''Galactica''. Adama, Tigh, Roslin and Karl Agathon discuss an attack strategy. With no Raiders and too few resources for ''Galactica'' to fight alone, Agathon suggests to use the baseship as a "trojan horse", entering the Hub's vicinity with half of ''Galactica's'' Vipers to blow the FTL drive on the Hub. Roslin ponders the idea that the Cylons will become mortal enemies.
*Tigh suggests destroying the Hub outright without resurrecting the Threes, reneging on Adama's word. Adama believes the Five could lead the Fleet to Earth but Roslin thinks the Five will be uncooperative after the Hub's destruction. Adama believes that the Five are like the rebel Cylons, but Roslin disagrees. Tigh is [[Final Five|visibly agitated about the discussion]], and again suggests destruction, putting trust in Roslin's way to Earth.
*Roslin suggests a compromise plan: Unbox the D'Annas, destroy the Hub, but hold on to the Five until they all get to Earth, then turn them over to the rebels, believing the rebels will be compelled to wait a bit longer.
*[[Deckhand]]s and [[List of Pilots|pilots]] prepare their fighters ''inside'' the baseship hangar with Cylons and humans working together.
*[[Tom Zarek]] reads a statement to the Quorum: "In 36 hours the Colonies will unite forces with insurgent rebel Cylons and their leaders in an unprecedented joint military operation". Zarek asks Lee Adama why the Quorum weren't consulted, but Adama doesn't know, no longer being in the military chain of command.
*Tigh, [[Tory Foster]], Samuel Anders and [[Galen Tyrol]] talk about the unboxing of the Threes. Tyrol considers that they at least discover the last member of the Five, but Tigh darkly explains that that will only "crowd the [[airlock]] a little more." Tigh doesn't at all believe that the Colonials will see the Five in a good light.
*Anders is distraught over Gaeta and the loss of his leg, talking of how he sings all the time to cope with his pain, possibly [[The Music|suggesting]] that he is the final Cylon.
*Foster meets with Roslin in an office refurbished for her to conduct presidential business while on ''Galactica'' while recovering from another [[diloxin]] treatment and keeping close to sickbay. Roslin first pleasantly comments about Foster's positive change in mood any time she is aboard ''Galactica''. Roslin asks Foster to find out who was sharing the rumors of the president's shared visions to Baltar, then sticks the dagger in, telling Foster she is very aware that she is sleeping with Gaius Baltar.
*Before Foster can say a word, Roslin tells her that there are enough reports of her visitations to "make her a charter member of his [[Cult of Baltar|nymph squad]]." Foster confesses to believing in Baltar's spiritual message, but Roslin is feeling quite betrayed and turns her back on her to do other work, ordering her away.
*On the baseship, Natalie believes that the Colonials won't give the Five to them as promised. She suggests a backup plan of her own: Take hostages after the attack to ensure they get what they want.
*In sickbay, Gaeta continues to sing a sad love ballad as Lee Adama visits Roslin there. He tells her that the Quorum is considering a vote of no-confidence against her. Roslin refuses to cater to the representative's desire to feel involved. Adama describes that the representatives' faces appeared empty, resigned to just consider the no-confidence vote just to cope with the uncertainty. He suggests that Roslin compromise and tell them what she can about the attack to allay the Quorum's fears.

===Act 3===

* In bed but not engaged in sex, Baltar complains. Foster admits being tired of lying to Roslin, of how the rumors have affected the president and Foster's relationship with her, about the rumors of Roslin's collusion with the Cylons.
* Baltar explains the source of the rumors: [[Caprica Six]], who told Baltar (through [[Romo Lampkin|his attorney]]) of the news during [[Crossroads, Part II|his trial]]. Baltar believes that Roslin is keeping everyone in the dark, believing that Roslin's concealing of information is worse than revealing it.
*Roslin meets with the Quorum with Admiral Adama. Roslin brings in Natalie to help emphasize how she trusts the mission's success. Natalie speaks: She tells of her own civil war and how things had began to change. Without a Resurrection Ship, time became a commodity, a realization that mortality is crucial to making humans whole. As the Cylon continues to speak, Thrace has flashbacks of what the [[Hybrid]] told her of her [[The Destiny|destiny]] and the belief that she is the "harbinger of death".
*As Gaeta keeps singing in sickbay, Baltar observes quietly in the background.
*Roslin experiences another vision of the [[Opera House]], searching for Hera Agathon. Caprica Six and Sharon Agathon also share the same vision. When Agathon wakes up, little Hera is there at her bedside and says a darkly prophetic "Bye-bye," suggesting the child knows she will be taken in some way.

===Act 4===

*A wide shot of the Fleet shows the baseship has nearly healed itself of its damage. On ''Galactica'', Kara Thrace sees Roslin in sickbay, who compliments Thrace on her plan to unite the rebels and the Fleet.
*When Thrace asks if Roslin is having visions, the president is quiet. Thrace repeats what the rebel baseship's [[Hybrid]] told her some time before: "This shall it come to pass: the dying leader shall know the truth of the Oprah House."
*Shocked at Thrace's knowledge of the dream's specific content, Roslin asks how the Hybrid would know about her dreams, but Thrace does not know. Roslin pleads with Thrace to help her determine the meaning of the dreams. Thrace accepts without hesitation and Roslin asks her to find Karl Agathon.
*Aboard the baseship, the Cylons are becoming agitated, unsure about the attack. Natalie tells of the feelings she had from the Quorum, their distrust. Natalie believes that the united Five may judge the Cylons for their duplicity with the Colonials, fearing that the Five will refuse to come with them.
*When Natalie suggests to completely abandon the project, to tell the Cylon Centurions to stand down, an Eight in attendance warns that the Colonials will never trust them again. Leoben warns her that the action may be at a point of no return. He tells Natalie to meet with Adama and stall for time while he deals with the Centurions.
*Roslin meets privately with Baltar, confirming the visions. When he asks why he was told now, she replies that he is part of the vision itself.
*In Sharon Agathon's quarters, Hera is drawing. Sharon picks up the drawings to see that Hera has drawn numerous number 6s and blonde women on pages and pages. Agathon turns to find Hera gone from her quarters and goes out to chase her.
*On the baseship, Roslin, Karl Agathon, Baltar, a Leoben and an Eight head under guard into the baseship and the Hybrid, as Cylon Centurions walk by an uneasy group of pilots.
*Natalie arrives on a Raptor on ''Galactica'', obviously uneasy.
*Sharon Agathon chases Hera through the battlestar, but the child is elusive. When she stops to tell Tyrol, working within a corridor, he gives her a unsympathetic stare, but eventually follows her.
*Hera finds herself at a stop in front of Natalie, being escorted by Tigh and a squad of Marines. But Agathon is there immediately and draws her sidearm, warning Natalie away. Tigh keeps the Marines at bay, standing them down.
*At the deactivated Hybrid's pool, Roslin orders the Hybrid reactivated. When Baltar says, "Let God's will be done," Roslin tell him to "Shut up. It's time to get some answers."
*Agathon asks Tyrol to take Hera away, which he does. However, Agathon's visions of the Opera House and a Six's kidnapping of Hera is too strong in her mind. "You are never going to take my child," she says as she shoots Natalie.
*At the moment that the Hybrid awakes, she cries out "Jump!" The baseship disappears from the Fleet with the president and her entourage all aboard.
*Gaeta continues to sing in his bed.

== Notes ==
*The episode title is probably a reference to the 1967 film ''[[w:Guess Who's Coming to Dinner|Guess Who's Coming to Dinner]]'', which dealt with race relations between Caucasian and African Americans in America.
*The [[survivor count]] at the beginning credits (39,673) accounts for the deaths of [[Emily Kowalski]] and [[Jean Barolay]] in the previous episode, "[[Faith]]".
*[[Felix Gaeta]]'s loss of his leg is reminiscent of a similar event in ''[[MemoryAlpha:Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]''. In an episode of that show's seventh and final season, [[MemoryAlpha:Nog|Nog]] loses his leg and, in a future episode, mentally recovers from it by surrounding himself with a holodeck program of [[MemoryAlpha:Vic Fontaine|Vic Fontaine]], a [[w:Frank Sinatra|Frank Sinatra]]-type casino singer.
*Although it is a common Hollywood convention, a gunshot does not cause a person to fly backwards a large distance as shown with [[Natalie]]. The effect is achieved by pulling back the actors with a cable.

== Analysis ==
* [[Samuel Anders]] is distraught over his actions on the ''Demetrius'', notably those concerning Gaeta and having shot him in the leg that is later amputated.
* The Hybrid's prophecy that Kara Thrace is the "harbinger of death" takes on a new significance during Natalie's speech to the Quorum. Thrace herself begins to realize it may have a positive connotation, referring to the potential loss of immortality among the Cylon.

== Questions ==
* Do William Adama or Saul Tigh know of the complete story surrounding the mutiny on the ''Demetrius''?

== Official Statements ==





== Noteworthy Dialogue ==



== Guest Stars ==

* [[Michael Hogan]] as Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]
* [[Michael Trucco]] as Ensign [[Samuel Anders]]
* [[Tahmoh Penikett]] as Captain [[Karl Agathon]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Alessandro Juliani]] as Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]]
* [[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Number Two]] / [[Leoben Conoy (New Caprica copy)|Leoben Conoy]]
* [[Donnelly Rhodes]] as Doctor [[Cottle]]
* [[Bodie Olmos]] as Lieutenant [[Brendan Costanza|Brendan "Hotdog" Costanza]]
* [[Tiffany Lyndall-Knight]] as [[Hybrid]]
* [[Jennifer Halley]] as Ensign [[Diana Seelix|Diana "Hardball" Seelix]]
* [[Richard Hatch]] as [[Tom Zarek]]
* [[Leo Li Chiang]] as the [[tattooed pilot]] (uncredited)

== External Links ==
*Composer [[Bear McCreary]] discusses the episode's score and specifically the song Gaeta sings: [http://www.bearmccreary.com/blog/?p=349]

== References ==
<div style="font-size:85%"><references/></div>

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:RDM]]

Guess What's Coming to Dinner?

2008-05-17T16:14:47Z

762:

{{Episode Data
| image=4x07-GuessWhatsComingForDinner-Promo1.jpg
| title= Guess What's Coming to Dinner
| season= 4
| episode= 7
| forumthread= 1092
| guests=
| writer=[[Michael Angeli]]
| story=
| director=[[Wayne Rose]]
| production=409
| rating=
| US airdate=16 May 2008
| CAN airdate=16 May 2008
| UK airdate=20 May 2008
| dvd=
| oldpopulation=39675
| population=39673
| prev= [[Faith]]
| next= [[Sine Qua Non]]
| promo= Y
| hulu= Y
}}

== Overview ==
:''Returning with the help of the ''[[Demetrius]]'', the [[Cylon Civil War|rebel Cylon faction]] requests an alliance with the Colonials in order to plan a joint-attack mission against the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]]’ vital [[Resurrection Hub]]. Meanwhile on ''[[Colonial One]]'', [[Lee Adama]] and the [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum]] express their mistrust of President [[Laura Roslin|Roslin]] and her secrecy regarding the new Cylon alliance. Aboard ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'', Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] struggles with the prospect of un-boxing the [[Number Three|Threes]] in order to reveal the identities of the [[Final Five]], and [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]] copes with the amputation of his leg.''

== Summary ==

===Teaser===
* President [[Laura Roslin]] and [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum delegate]] [[Lee Adama]] listen to a taped broadcast from [[Cult of Baltar|cult]] leader [[Gaius Baltar]], claming Roslin is sharing of her [[chamalla|hallucinogenic visions]] with [[Sharon Agathon]] (currently on the secret and overdue ''[[Demetrius]]'' mission) and a [[Caprica-Six|captured Cylon]] in a [[brig]] on ''[[Galactica]]''. Adama brought the recording at the behest of the Quorum, who demand an explanation, as the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] has heard the broadcast as well.
*When Adama presses Roslin for an answer, she asks him first how he think the Fleet would react to such information. Undaunted, he asks again. Roslin confirms Baltar's statement.
*On the [[Basestar (RDM)|baseship]] [[Kara Thrace]] and the ''Demetrius'' crew lead a rebel group of [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]] back to the Fleet rendezvous as Sharon Agathon make last minute [[jump]] preparations..
*Thrace warns [[Natalie]] and [[Leoben Conoy]] that the Cylons of their ship are on a path of no-return when they reach the Fleet, and that there aren't any guarantees when they approach the Fleet. She assumes Natalie will be the spokesperson in trying to avoid any hostilities.
*[[Karl Agathon]] looks at the unconscious and injured [[Felix Gaeta]] before his preps the final calculations for the jump.
*When Natalie brings up [[Hera Agathon]] in conversation as being beautiful, Agathon is shocked to know that she and other Cylons know the child's name.
*''Demetrius'' misses the Fleet in its jump and must take a few moments before it can jump again, but the baseship ''does'' reach the Fleet, leaping right into its heart, where some of the Colonial ships have to scramble out of harm's way. Predictably, Admiral [[William Adama|Adama]] and Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] bring ''Galactica'' up to [[action stations]], scrambling the alert Vipers.
* Agathon tries to contact ''Galactica'' but the jump damaged their [[wireless]], leaving them without communication, and possibly vulnerable to attack.
* Saul Tigh carefully watches [[DRADIS]] as eight Vipers approach the baseship. Tigh orders a weapons hold, stunning Admiral Adama but stopping any attack. Seconds later, ''Demetrius'' appears and verifies with ''Galactica'' that the baseship is disarmed and under Colonial command.

===Act 1===
* Several [[Raptor]]s filled with [[Marine]]s launch from ''Galactica'' and enter the baseship. Colonel Tigh is part of the team. Thrace tells him, "They're with me." "Which one of them shot Gaeta?" he asks.
*Gaeta is rushed to [[sickbay]] in grave condition as Dr. [[Cottle]] yells out orders to his staff to bring a cut-down tray, suggesting an immediate amputation of Gaeta's leg.
*In the [[wardroom]], Natalie explains that the [[Number Two]], [[Number Eight]] and [[Number Six]] models believe that seeking out the [[Final Five]] is important, while the [[Number One]], [[Number One]], [[Number Four]] and [[Number Five]] models violently disagreed.
* When Adama asks Natalie of the seventh model, she explains that the [[Number Three]]s were [[boxing|boxed]], and explains the process and why the D'Annas were boxed: they [[Rapture|saw]] the then-forbidden faces of the Five. She tells that unboxing the Threes could give them information that could lead them all to Earth, since the Fives are believed to have come from there. Kara Thrace, in uniform and standing with Sharon Agathon, confirms Natalie's comment.
* Natalie notes that the baseship can heal itself of its damage, but most of their [[Cylon Raider (RDM)|Raiders]] were destroyed [[The Ties That Bind|in the ambush]] by the dissenting models.
* Roslin pointedly asks why the Fleet should trust these Cylons. Natalie tells that the boxing facility resides within the [[Resurrection Hub]], a facility that controls all [[Resurrection Ship]]s in existence. Natalie gives Roslin a reason to trust her and her renegade Cylons: Vengeance. The Cylon tells her that destroying the elusive Hub will destroy ''all'' Cylons ability to [[download]], making them all effectively mortal. When asked why they would do such a thing, Natalie simply says that she and her comrades are rebels and cannot go back in any case.
*Adama presses for the coordinates of the Hub, but Natalie says she will only take them to the Hub, not give the coordinates. As Adama orders the marines to escort her away, Natalie changes her mind, promising to give the coordinates if Adama gives his word that the Five will stay with the Fleet and the Cylons will be allowed to leave once the Three's identify the Five. Adama grudgingly gives his word.
*Leaving the meeting, Adama asks Tigh how he knew to order a weapons hold at the moment of their attack on Natalie's baseship. Tigh hesitates but says he didn't know why. "What can I say, we got lucky." Adama orders a Raptor to the coordinates of the Hub to investigate.
*[[Margaret Edmondson]] and [[Hamish McCall]] arrive in an asteroid-filled area, and find the massive Hub, which appears to be twice the relative size of a guarding baseship. "It's beautiful," McCall comments. They take pictures and return quickly to the Fleet.
*In sickbay, a gory scene begins as Cottle preps to remove Gaeta's leg. Gaeta wakes and strongly urges to be numbed and not anesthetized, not wanting to wake up to find his leg gone. Cottle accepts. Moments later, a saw's blade is heard tearing through Gaeta's leg as his face registers shock. [[Samuel Anders]], who shot Gaeta to stop him from jumping ''Demetrius'' hours before, looks on with regret from a distance.

===Act 2===
*The civilian Fleet returns to join ''Galactica''. Adama, Tigh, Roslin and Karl Agathon discuss an attack strategy. With no Raiders and too few resources for ''Galactica'' to fight alone, Agathon suggests to use the baseship as a "trojan horse", entering the Hub's vicinity with half of ''Galactica's'' Vipers to blow the FTL drive on the Hub. Roslin ponders the idea that the Cylons will become mortal enemies.
*Tigh suggests destroying the Hub outright without resurrecting the Threes, reneging on Adama's word. Adama believes the Five could lead the Fleet to Earth but Roslin thinks the Five will be uncooperative after the Hub's destruction. Adama believes that the Five are like the rebel Cylons, but Roslin disagrees. Tigh is [[Final Five|visibly agitated about the discussion]], and again suggests destruction, putting trust in Roslin's way to Earth.
*Roslin suggests a compromise plan: Unbox the D'Annas, destroy the Hub, but hold on to the Five until they all get to Earth, then turn them over to the rebels, believing the rebels will be compelled to wait a bit longer.
*[[Deckhand]]s and [[List of Pilots|pilots]] prepare their fighters ''inside'' the baseship hangar with Cylons and humans working together.
*[[Tom Zarek]] reads a statement to the Quorum: "In 36 hours the Colonies will unite forces with insurgent rebel Cylons and their leaders in an unprecedented joint military operation". Zarek asks Lee Adama why the Quorum weren't consulted, but Adama doesn't know, no longer being in the military chain of command.
*Tigh, [[Tory Foster]], Samuel Anders and [[Galen Tyrol]] talk about the unboxing of the Threes. Tyrol considers that they at least discover the last member of the Five, but Tigh darkly explains that that will only "crowd the [[airlock]] a little more." Tigh doesn't at all believe that the Colonials will see the Five in a good light.
*Anders is distraught over Gaeta and the loss of his leg, talking of how he sings all the time to cope with his pain, possibly [[The Music|suggesting]] that he is the final Cylon.
*Foster meets with Roslin in an office refurbished for her to conduct presidential business while on ''Galactica'' while recovering from another [[diloxin]] treatment and keeping close to sickbay. Roslin first pleasantly comments about Foster's positive change in mood any time she is aboard ''Galactica''. Roslin asks Foster to find out who was sharing the rumors of the president's shared visions to Baltar, then sticks the dagger in, telling Foster she is very aware that she is sleeping with Gaius Baltar.
*Before Foster can say a word, Roslin tells her that there are enough reports of her visitations to "make her a charter member of his [[Cult of Baltar|nymph squad]]." Foster confesses to believing in Baltar's spiritual message, but Roslin is feeling quite betrayed and turns her back on her to do other work, ordering her away.
*On the baseship, Natalie believes that the Colonials won't give the Five to them as promised. She suggests a backup plan of her own: Take hostages after the attack to ensure they get what they want.
*In sickbay, Gaeta continues to sing a sad love ballad as Lee Adama visits Roslin there. He tells her that the Quorum is considering a vote of no-confidence against her. Roslin refuses to cater to the representative's desire to feel involved. Adama describes that the representatives' faces appeared empty, resigned to just consider the no-confidence vote just to cope with the uncertainty. He suggests that Roslin compromise and tell them what she can about the attack to allay the Quorum's fears.

===Act 3===

* In bed but not engaged in sex, Baltar complains. Foster admits being tired of lying to Roslin, of how the rumors have affected the president and Foster's relationship with her, about the rumors of Roslin's collusion with the Cylons.
* Baltar explains the source of the rumors: [[Caprica Six]], who told Baltar (through [[Romo Lampkin|his attorney]]) of the news during [[Crossroads, Part II|his trial]]. Baltar believes that Roslin is keeping everyone in the dark, believing that Roslin's concealing of information is worse than revealing it.
*Roslin meets with the Quorum with Admiral Adama. Roslin brings in Natalie to help emphasize how she trusts the mission's success. Natalie speaks: She tells of her own civil war and how things had began to change. Without a Resurrection Ship, time became a commodity, a realization that mortality is crucial to making humans whole. As the Cylon continues to speak, Thrace has flashbacks of what the [[Hybrid]] told her of her [[The Destiny|destiny]] and the belief that she is the "harbinger of death".
*As Gaeta keeps singing in sickbay, Baltar observes quietly in the background.
*Roslin experiences another vision of the [[Opera House]], searching for Hera Agathon. Caprica Six and Sharon Agathon also share the same vision. When Agathon wakes up, little Hera is there at her bedside and says a darkly prophetic "Bye-bye," suggesting the child knows she will be taken in some way.

===Act 4===

*A wide shot of the Fleet shows the baseship has nearly healed itself of its damage. On ''Galactica'', Kara Thrace sees Roslin in sickbay, who compliments Thrace on her plan to unite the rebels and the Fleet.
*When Thrace asks if Roslin is having visions, the president is quiet. Thrace repeats what the rebel baseship's [[Hybrid]] told her some time before: "This shall it come to pass: the dying leader shall know the truth of the Oprah House."
*Shocked at Thrace's knowledge of the dream's specific content, Roslin asks how the Hybrid would know about her dreams, but Thrace does not know. Roslin pleads with Thrace to help her determine the meaning of the dreams. Thrace accepts without hesitation and Roslin asks her to find Karl Agathon.
*Aboard the baseship, the Cylons are becoming agitated, unsure about the attack. Natalie tells of the feelings she had from the Quorum, their distrust. Natalie believes that the united Five may judge the Cylons for their duplicity with the Colonials, fearing that the Five will refuse to come with them.
*When Natalie suggests to completely abandon the project, to tell the Cylon Centurions to stand down, an Eight in attendance warns that the Colonials will never trust them again. Leoben warns her that the action may be at a point of no return. He tells Natalie to meet with Adama and stall for time while he deals with the Centurions.
*Roslin meets privately with Baltar, confirming the visions. When he asks why he was told now, she replies that he is part of the vision itself.
*In Sharon Agathon's quarters, Hera is drawing. Sharon picks up the drawings to see that Hera has drawn numerous number 6s and blonde women on pages and pages. Agathon turns to find Hera gone from her quarters and goes out to chase her.
*On the baseship, Roslin, Karl Agathon, Baltar, a Leoben and an Eight head under guard into the baseship and the Hybrid, as Cylon Centurions walk by an uneasy group of pilots.
*Natalie arrives on a Raptor on ''Galactica'', obviously uneasy.
*Sharon Agathon chases Hera through the battlestar, but the child is elusive. When she stops to tell Tyrol, working within a corridor, he gives her a unsympathetic stare, but eventually follows her.
*Hera finds herself at a stop in front of Natalie, being escorted by Tigh and a squad of Marines. But Agathon is there immediately and draws her sidearm, warning Natalie away. Tigh keeps the Marines at bay, standing them down.
*At the deactivated Hybrid's pool, Roslin orders the Hybrid reactivated. When Baltar says, "Let God's will be done," Roslin tell him to "Shut up. It's time to get some answers."
*Agathon asks Tyrol to take Hera away, which he does. However, Agathon's visions of the Opera House and a Six's kidnapping of Hera is too strong in her mind. "You are never going to take my child," she says as she shoots Natalie.
*At the moment that the Hybrid awakes, she cries out "Jump!" The baseship disappears from the Fleet with the president and her entourage all aboard.
*Gaeta continues to sing in his bed.

== Notes ==
*The episode title is probably a reference to the 1967 film ''[[w:Guess Who's Coming to Dinner|Guess Who's Coming to Dinner]]'', which dealt with race relations between Caucasian and African Americans in America.
*The [[survivor count]] at the beginning credits (39,673) accounts for the deaths of [[Emily Kowalski]] and [[Jean Barolay]] in the previous episode, "[[Faith]]".
*[[Felix Gaeta]]'s loss of his leg is reminiscent of a similar event in ''[[MemoryAlpha:Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]''. In an episode of that show's seventh and final season, [[MemoryAlpha:Nog|Nog]] loses his leg and, in a future episode, mentally recovers from it by surrounding himself with a holodeck program of [[MemoryAlpha:Vic Fontaine|Vic Fontaine]], a [[w:Frank Sinatra|Frank Sinatra]]-type casino singer.
*Although it is a common Hollywood convention, a gunshot does not cause a person to fly backwards a large distance as shown with [[Natalie]]. The effect is achieved by pulling back the actors with a cable.

== Analysis ==
* [[Samuel Anders]] is distraught over his actions on the ''Demetrius'', notably those concerning Gaeta and having shot him in the leg that is later amputated.
* The Hybrid's prophecy that Kara Thrace is the "harbinger of death" takes on a new significance during Natalie's speech to the Quorum. Thrace herself begins to realize it may have a positive connotation, referring to the loss of immortality among the Cylon.

== Questions ==
* Do William Adama or Saul Tigh know of the complete story surrounding the mutiny on the ''Demetrius''?

== Official Statements ==





== Noteworthy Dialogue ==



== Guest Stars ==


== External Links ==
*Composer [[Bear McCreary]] discusses the episode's score and specifically the song Gaeta sings: [http://www.bearmccreary.com/blog/?p=349]

== References ==
<div style="font-size:85%"><references/></div>

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:RDM]]

Faith

2008-05-12T02:53:48Z

762:

{{Episode Data
| image=4x06 - Faith - Promo 1.jpg
| title= Faith
| season= 4
| episode= 6
| forumthread= 1040
| guests=
| writer=[[Seamus Kevin Fahey]]
| story=
| director=[[Michael Nankin]]
| production=408
| rating=
| US airdate=9 May 2008
| CAN airdate=9 May 2008
| UK airdate=13 May 2008
| dvd=
| oldpopulation=39676
| population=39675
| prev= [[The Road Less Traveled]]
| next= [[Guess What's Coming to Dinner]]
| imdb=0993930
| hulu=Y
}}

== Overview ==
:''The cancer-stricken President [[Laura Roslin]] and hotheaded pilot [[Kara Thrace]] both must make difficult leaps of faith in order to accept an uneasy alliance with the Cylons.''

== Summary ==

=== Teaser ===
*Angry and defiant at [[Karl Agathon]]'s refusal to [[The Road Less Traveled|obey orders]] to travel to a [[Basestar (RDM)|basestar]], [[Kara Thrace]] attempts to jump the ship herself when [[Sharon Agathon|Athena]] restrains her.
*Agathon orders [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]] to jump the ship back to ''Galactica''. [[Samuel Anders]] points out that they will be returning as mutineers, but Agathon responds that Admiral Adama will sort things out.
*Anders intervenes with a sidearm, shooting Gaeta in the leg to stop him from following Agathon's order to jump back to the Fleet. Chaos ensues as Marines arrive.
*Everyone stands down as Gaeta is attended to, in severe pain from a leg wound.
*Realizing that taking the ''[[Demetrius]]'' itself to the baseship would be too great a risk, Thrace rescinds her original order, suggesting to fly their only [[Raptor]] to the baseship with Athena and Anders as crew, taking [[Leoben Conoy]] with them. Agathon initially objects but realizes it's the best compromise. He tells her that she has only 15 hours to complete her mission before the ''Demetrius'' must jump to rendezvous with the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] or be left behind.

===Act 1===
*[[Tory Foster]] is packing things up on ''[[Colonial One]]''. [[Laura Roslin]] is at her desk, bald and not wearing her wig. She tells Foster to keep things going as she finishes the last two [[diloxin]] treatments, where she'll be on ''[[Galactica]]'' and indisposed during that time. Roslin tries to encourage Foster to watch out for sudden moves by the [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum]].
*On day 58 of their mission, the crew prepares the Raptor. Athena promises to work with Thrace as does [[Jean Barolay]], who appreciates Thrace's strong reputation.
*The Raptor jumps and finds a massive graveyard of dead baseships and [[Raider (RDM)|Raiders]] floating dead in space. Thrace is amazed. They are by a large gas giant in a trinary star system, just as her visions suggested.
*On the ''Demetrius'', Gaeta is heavily medicated with [[morpha]] for the pain. He asks Agathon not to have Dr. [[Cottle]] amputate his leg, as he realizes that the longer he doesn't get advanced care, the more likely [[w:gangrene|gangrene]] will set in.
*The Raptor carefully searches for the baseship amidst the exploding ordnance. Thrace can hear "music" (Leoben confirms this is a rare trait among some Cylons as well) and takes control to fly the Raptor towards the gas giant. She sees the comet she expected, but not in the form; Leoben's stricken baseship is flying past, trailing gas that gives it a comet-like appearance.
*When approaching the baseship, the Raptor is hit by a piece of debris hurtled at them from an explosion and impacting the cockpit canopy.

===Act 2===
*Thrace awakens to find the Raptor safely landed within the baseship interior.
*Athena arrives to find herself surrounded by an army of other [[Number Eight]]s, who recognize her independence from all things Cylon. They ask her to help mutiny against the [[Number Six|Sixes]], whom they feel have been making a series of mistakes. Athena rejects them, telling them to find their own individuality and help her or get out of her way.
*In sickbay, amidst [[Gaius Baltar]]'s voice on [[wireless]] discussing his [[God (RDM)|God]], Roslin encounters a woman in [[sickbay]], [[Emily Kowalski]], who is gravely ill with cancer as well. When Roslin tries to turn off the wireless and Baltar, the woman becomes very upset and yells for Roslin to leave.
*Thrace's meeting with the surviving leaders of the baseship does not go well, but Leoben succeeds in convincing [[Natalie]] that they must work together.
*Athena accesses the [[datastream]] to determine how to mate the Raptor's jump drive to the baseship. Doing so requires disconnecting the Hybrid. As the group preps, Anders slowly reaches down to touch the [[data-font]] but pulls his hand back when Thrace calls his name.
*A Six sees [[Jean Barolay]] and recognizes her as the human who killed her on [[New Caprica]]. When Barolay doesn't show any remorse and says she would do the same again, the Six attacks her and smashes her head into the Raptor's hull, which kills Barolay. Anders pounces on the Six and is ready to kill the Cylon when Thrace manages to talk him down.
*The Six that killed Barolay speaks to Natalie, obviously dealing with psychological trauma from the death on New Caprica that she had not been able to shake. After kissing the distraught Six, Natalie grabs Anders's hand and pulls the trigger on his gun, killing the Six permanently as there is no [[Resurrection Ship]] nearby, carrying out a form of justice for the Colonials, who are shocked.
*Roslin meets again with Emily Kowalski, who gives her a scarf, a present. The two make small talk of what they will do after they get well. She warns Roslin that her sickness will get worse and to be prepared.

===Act 3===
*Thrace arrives in the Hybrid's chamber, who seems to ignore her, discussing ship functions but repeating one phrase in particular.

*In sickbay, Emily Kowalski tells Roslin why she listens to Baltar. After speaking to Cottle, she tells of a dream where she saw people standing on the opposite side of a river: dead loved ones. She felt a presence, a warm loving presence that calmed her. Roslin questions the dream but Emily notes that the dream is real.

*Thrace and Natalie continue to listen to the [[Hybrid utterances|Hybrid's utterances]]. Leoben instructs Thrace to listen carefully, not to hurry the construct.

*Athena is ready to activate the jump augmentations and disconnect the Hybrid. Irritated at getting nowhere with the Hybrid, Thrace orders the jump.
*When it is unplugged, the Hybrid makes an inhuman scream, which causes a guarding [[Cylon Centurion]] (still in [[Telencephalic inhibitor|sentient mode]]) to fire in defense, severely wounding an Eight before the group manages to take the Centurion down.

*The Hybrid gives Thrace a coherent message as the Eight's blood mixes with the fluid in her tank: The dying leader will discover the truth about the [[Opera House]], the missing Three will be used to find the Five, who come from the home of the [[Thirteenth Tribe (RDM)|Thirteenth Tribe]], and that she, Thrace, is the harbinger of death that will take all to their end. Thrace is horrified at the message. The Hybrid then deactivates.

*Kowalski and Roslin continue to discuss the authenticity of the [[Religion in the Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Lords of Kobol]] and Baltar's God. Roslin becomes upset when she talks of her mother's death from cancer and the striking lack of anything noble or calming at that moment. As Kowalski tries to comfort her, the woman suddenly has a violent seizure of pain. Cottle arrives with medication, but tells Roslin that Kowalski's end is near.

===Act 4===
*As the group waits, the dying Eight speaks to Athena, who reaches out for her, but hesitates when she wants to touch her hand. Anders steps in to tenderly comfort the Cylon as she dies, astonished at how similar she is to a human.

*The group deciphers the Hybrid's message. All come to the conclusion that the final five Cylons came from the Thirteenth Tribe and so must also know the way to Earth. The boxed [[Number Three]]s will lead them to the Final Five. Anders is unnerved by the conversation, likely fearing the exposure of his Cylon identity. The group leave to meet the ''Demetrius'', with Anders leaving last, still puzzled that he is drawn to help the Eight.

*Kowalski's vision of a river comes to pass in a dream Roslin experiences. The two stand on a boat, looking at a shore where human figures begin to appear, smiling and waving at Kowalski. Kowalski disappears to meet them, materializing on the shore. Roslin feels joy, then sees her own mother, smiling and waiting for Roslin to join her. She tells her she is not yet ready, stepping away from the boat's side, as the dream ends.

*Awakening from her dream, Roslin goes to see Kowalski but finds her bed empty. She died some time while she slept. Only her wireless receiver remains, still switched on.

*''Demetrius'' is prepping to leave as seconds count down but Agathon lets the clock run over in hesitation and to the crew's astonishment. Just as he is about to order the jump, the baseship arrives and broadcasts a Colonial identity. After communication is established, Agathon enthusiastically begins to prep both ships to leave for the Fleet.

*On ''Galactica'', Roslin meets with [[William Adama]] in his quarters. She tells him that something may be truthful in Baltar's words, but Adama is reluctant. A sorrowful Adama talks of Thrace's death and return, [[Lee Adama|his son's]] [[Crossroads, Part I|resignation from the military]], and laments all the crew he sent with Thrace, wondering if he will see them again. But Roslin comforts him. The two smile as Adama tells her that Roslin helped him to believe that they really will find Earth.

== Notes ==

*Baltar's radio broadcast contains a number of phrases from the "To be or not to be" soliloquy of Hamlet, including "shuffle off this mortal coil," and "the undiscover'd country, from whose bourn no traveler returns." These phrases refer to death and the afterlife, respectively. The full text of the soliloquy can be found [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Tragedy_of_Hamlet%2C_Prince_of_Denmark/Act_3 here].

== Analysis ==
* Even though Baltar is preaching for the "one true [[God (RDM)|God]]", the symbolism of a boat crossing a river to the land of the dead is very similar to the Greek legends involving the [[w:Styx|River Styx]]. It can be expected that Baltar borrows some of his teachings from an established religion that people are familiar with. This also parallels the rise of Christianity, which adopted things from other religions, including some rites of the established Roman polytheistic religions.
* Emily Kowalski's description of the [[Religion in the Twelve Colonies (RDM)#The Lords of Kobol|Lords of Kobol]] and their behavior is quite consistent with that of Greek mythology.
* When speaking of her mother's death, Laura Roslin mentions the [[w:Elysium|Fields of Elysium]], a portion of the Greek underworld where heroic or virtuous souls end up after death that bears a resemblance to heaven in Christianity. It appears that the Colonials view of the afterlife is almost identical to that of the ancient Greeks.
*Roslin believes that the Lords of Kobol are not to be taken seriously but are metaphors. Roslin's mother took them more literally. This mirrors real life in which some people take the Jewish [[w:Torah|Torah]] ([[w:Old Testament|Old Testament]]), the Christian Bible ([[w:New Testament|New Testament]]) and the Islamic [[w:Koran|Koran]] as literal word for word truth and an accurate record of events, while others believe the stories are metaphors to be used as guidelines in life, but not hard pronouncements or actual history.
* Some of the writers' misdirection from "[[He That Believeth in Me]]" becomes clear. The "giant gas planet with rings", assumed to be [[w:Jupiter|Jupiter]] or [[w:Saturn|Saturn]], is revealed to be at the site of the [[Cylon Civil War|Cylon battle]]. Moreover, the comet is a damaged and drifting basestar. This also explains how Conoy was able to help Thrace paint the scene in the previous episode, since he had already witnessed it himself.
* A close-up of Kara Thrace in the Hybrid's chamber evokes the [[Eye of Jupiter]], with Thrace's blue eye at the center, ringed by her bloodied eyebrow and blonde hair.
* With its inhibitor removed, the Centurion in the Hybrid's chamber seems visibly more aware of its environment. It turns its head to gaze at each member of the group as they enter, and again at Thrace as she questions the Hybrid. This contrasts with what was seen previously, when Centurions on guard duty simply stand immobile unless they perceive a threat, or are given a direct order.

== Questions ==
* Are the Centurions capable of getting an IFF signal from a humanoid Cylon, like a Raider does? Could one have exposed Anders if he had made direct eye contact?
* What does the Hybrid's statement that the five come from the home of the thirteenth mean?
** Were they made on Earth, the home of the thirteenth tribe? Or did they voyage to Earth from Cylon/Colonial space and then return?
** Does "the thirteenth" refer to "[[The One Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken]]" mentioned in "[[The Eye of Jupiter]]", to whom the [[Temple of Five]] was dedicated?
* Will Thrace tell anyone about the Hybrid calling her "the harbinger of death"?
* Will Helo and the others have to answer for their mutiny?
* How will Gaeta's injury affect his duties? Will his leg be amputated?
* What would have happened if Anders had put his hand in the datastream?
* Why should the Cylons have any trouble figuring out the Raptor's FTL system? They have previously used Raptors ([[Torn]]).
* How will the Fleet respond when the ''Demetrius'' returns with the shipwrecked basestar in tow?

== Official Statements ==





== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

* ''An [[Eight]] discussing mutiny with [[Sharon Agathon]]:''
: '''Sharon Agathon:''' You guys make me sick.
: '''Eight:''' Why?
: '''Agathon:''' Because you pick your side and you stick. You don't cut and run when things get ugly. Otherwise you'll never have anything. No love. No family. No life to call your own.

* ''[[Emily Kowalski]] and [[Laura Roslin]] discuss the [[Lords of Kobol]]:''
: '''Emily Kowalski:''' Oh, Laura. And the [[Lords of Kobol (RDM)|Lords of Kobol]] are real? Reigning from a metaphysical mountaintop in those silly outfits? [[Zeus]]? Handing out fates out of an urn like they were lottery tickets? 'You're gonna work on a [[tylium]] ship. You're gonna be an admiral. Your family's gonna be evaporated in [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|an attack]] on the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Colonies]] but you'll survive for three more years on a moldy compartment on a freighter 'til your body starts to eat itself up alive.' Those are the gods that you worship? Capricious, vindictive...
: '''Laura Roslin:''' But they're not meant to be taken literally. They're metaphors, Emily.
: '''Kowalski:''' I don't need metaphors. I need answers.

* ''Laura Roslin on her mother's death:''
: "You're like my mother. She wasn't satisfied with metaphors either. She was convinced that [[Aphrodite]] herself was gonna swoop her away when she died. And she believed it even when the [[diloxin]] and the radiation failed to stop her cancer. She was a teacher! She was... oh, she was something to behold. And the head of a classroom. And her students— Her students loved her. They'd walk through fire for her and then they see this woman who seemed so eternal. She withered away and I find myself having to change her diaper because she couldn't even— At the moment she died there was no gleaming fields of Elysium stretched out before her. There was this dark, black abyss. And she was terrified. She was so scared."

== Guest Stars ==

* [[Michael Trucco]] as Ensign [[Samuel Anders]]
* [[Tahmoh Penikett]] as [[Karl Agathon]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Alessandro Juliani]] as Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]]
* [[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Number Two]] / [[Leoben Conoy (New Caprica copy)|Leoben Conoy]]
* [[Donnelly Rhodes]] as Doctor [[Cottle]]
* [[Bodie Olmos]] as Lieutenant [[Brendan Costanza|Brendan "Hotdog" Costanza]]
* [[Alisen Down]] as [[Jean Barolay]]
* [[Tiffany Lyndall-Knight]] as [[Hybrid]]
* [[Jennifer Halley]] as Ensign [[Diana Seelix|Diana "Hardball" Seelix]]
* [[Nana Visitor]] as [[Emily Kowalski]]
* [[Alana Husband]] as Nurse [[Sashon]]
* [[Leo Li Chiang]] as the [[tattooed pilot]] (uncredited)

== References ==
<div style="font-size:85%"><references/></div>

==External Links==
*Composer [[Bear McCreary]] on the episode's score: [http://www.bearmccreary.com/blog/?p=313]

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:Faith]]

Faith

2008-05-11T03:33:08Z

762:

{{Episode Data
| image=4x06 - Faith - Promo 1.jpg
| title= Faith
| season= 4
| episode= 6
| forumthread= 1040
| guests=
| writer=[[Seamus Kevin Fahey]]
| story=
| director=[[Michael Nankin]]
| production=408
| rating=
| US airdate=9 May 2008
| CAN airdate=9 May 2008
| UK airdate=13 May 2008
| dvd=
| oldpopulation=39676
| population=39675
| prev= [[The Road Less Traveled]]
| next= [[Guess What's Coming to Dinner]]
| imdb=0993930
| hulu=Y
}}

== Overview ==
:''The cancer-stricken President [[Laura Roslin]] and hotheaded pilot [[Kara Thrace]] both must make difficult leaps of faith in order to accept an uneasy alliance with the Cylons.''

== Summary ==

===Teaser===
*Angry and defiant at [[Karl Agathon]]'s refusal to [[The Road Less Traveled|obey orders]] to travel to a [[Basestar (RDM)|baseship]], [[Kara Thrace]] attempts to jump the ship herself when [[Sharon Agathon|Athena]] restrains her.
*Agathon orders [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]] to jump the ship back to ''Galactica''. [[Samuel Anders]] points out that they will be returning as mutineers, but Agathon responds that Admiral Adama will sort things out.
*Anders intervenes with a sidearm, shooting Gaeta in the leg to stop him from following Agathon's order to jump back to the Fleet. Chaos ensues as Marines arrive.
*Everyone stands down as Gaeta is attended to, in severe pain from a leg wound.
*Realizing that taking the ''[[Demetrius]]'' itself to the baseship would be too great a risk, Thrace rescinds her original order, suggesting to fly their only [[Raptor]] to the baseship with Athena and Anders as crew, taking [[Leoben Conoy]] with them. Agathon initially objects but realizes its the best compromise. He tells her that she has only 15 hours to complete her mission before the ''Demetrius'' must jump to rendezvous with the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] or be left behind.

===Act 1===
*[[Tory Foster]] is packing things up on ''[[Colonial One]]''. [[Laura Roslin]] is at her desk, bald and not wearing her wig. She tells Foster to keep things going as she finishes the last two [[diloxin]] treatments, where she'll be on ''[[Galactica]]'' and indisposed during that time. Roslin tries to encourage Foster to watch out for sudden moves by the [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum]].
*On day 58 of their mission, the crew prepares the Raptor. Athena promises to work with Thrace as does [[Jean Barolay]], who appreciates Thrace's strong reputation.
*The Raptor jumps and finds a massive graveyard of dead baseships and [[Raider (RDM)|Raiders]] floating dead in space. Thrace is amazed. They are by a large gas giant in a trinary star system, just as her visions suggested.
*On the ''Demetrius'', Gaeta is heavily medicated with [[morpha]] for the pain. He asks Agathon not to have Dr. [[Cottle]] amputate his leg, as he realizes that the longer he doesn't get advanced care, the more likely [[w:gangrene|gangrene]] will set in.
*The Raptor carefully searches for the baseship amidst the exploding ordinance. Thrace can hear "music" (Leoben confirms this is a rare trait among some Cylons as well) and takes control to fly the Raptor towards the gas giant. She sees the comet she expected, but not in the form; Leoben's stricken baseship is flying past, trailing gas that gives it a comet-like appearance.
*The Raptor cruises past a warhead, which explodes too close to them and damages the cockpit canopy.

===Act 2===
*Thrace awakens to find the Raptor safely landed within the baseship interior.
*Athena arrives to find herself surrounded by an army of other [[Number Eight]]s, who recognize her independence from all things Cylon. They ask her to help mutiny against the [[Number Six|Sixes]], whom they feel have been making a series of mistakes. Athena rejects them, telling them to find their own individuality and help her or get out of her way.
*In sickbay, amidst [[Gaius Baltar]]'s voice on [[wireless]] discussing his [[God (RDM)|God]], Roslin encounters a woman in [[sickbay]], [[Emily Kowalski]], who is gravely ill with cancer as well. When Roslin tries to turn off the wireless and Baltar, the woman becomes very upset and yells for Roslin to leave.
*Thrace's meeting with the surviving leaders of the baseship does not go well, but Leoben succeeds in convincing [[Natalie]] that they must work together.
*Athena accesses the [[datastream]] to determine how to mate the Raptor's jump drive to the baseship. Doing so requires disconnecting the Hybrid. As the group preps, Anders slowly reaches down to touch the [[data-font]] but pulls his hand back when Thrace calls his name.
*A Six sees [[Jean Barolay]] and recognizes her as the human who killed her on [[New Caprica]]. When Barolay doesn't show any remorse and says she would do the same again, the Six attacks her and smashes her head into the Raptor's hull, which kills Barolay. Anders pounces on the Six and is ready to kill the Cylon when Thrace manages to talk him down.
*The Six that killed Barolay speaks to Natalie, obviously dealing with psychological trauma from the death on New Caprica that she had not been able to shake. After kissing the distraught Six, Natalie grabs Anders's hand and pulls the trigger on his gun, killing the Six permanently as there is no [[Resurrection Ship]] nearby, carrying out a form of justice for the Colonials, who are shocked.
*Roslin meets again with Emily Kowalski, who gives her a scarf, a present. The two make small talk of what they will do after they get well. She warns Roslin that her sickness will get worse and to be prepared.

===Act 3===
*Thrace arrives in the Hybrid's chamber, who seems to ignore her, discussing ship functions but repeating one phrase in particular.

*In sickbay, Emily Kowalski tells Roslin why she listens to Baltar. After speaking to Cottle, she tells of a dream where she saw people standing on the opposite side of a river: dead loved ones. She felt a presence, a warm loving presence that calmed her. Roslin questions the dream but Emily notes that the dream is real.

*Thrace and Natalie continue to listen to the [[Hybrid utterances|Hybrid's utterances]]. Leoben instructs Thrace to listen carefully, not to hurry the construct.

*Athena is ready to activate the jump augmentations and disconnect the Hybrid. Irritated at getting nowhere with the Hybrid, Thrace orders the jump.
*When it is unplugged, the Hybrid makes an inhuman scream, which causes a guarding [[Cylon Centurion]] (still in [[Telencephalic inhibitor|sentient mode]]) to fire in defense, severely wounding an Eight before the group manages to take the Centurion down.

*The Hybrid gives Thrace a coherent message as the Eight's blood mixes with the fluid in her tank: The dying leader will discover the truth about the [[Opera House]], the missing Three will be used to find the Five, who come from the home of the [[Thirteenth Tribe (RDM)|Thirteenth Tribe]], and that she, Thrace, is the harbinger of death that will take all to their end. Thrace is horrified at the message. The Hybrid then deactivates.

*Kowalski and Roslin continue to discuss the authenticity of the [[Religion in the Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Lords of Kobol]] and Baltar's God. Roslin becomes upset when she talks of her mother's death from cancer and the striking lack of anything noble or calming at that moment. As Kowlski tries to comfort her, the woman suddenly has a violent seizure of pain. Cottle arrives with medication, but tells Roslin that Kowalski's end is near.

===Act 4===
*As the group waits, the dying Eight speaks to Athena, who reaches out for her, but hesitates when she wants to touch her hand. Anders steps in to tenderly comfort the Cylon as she dies, astonished at how similar she is to a human.

*The group deciphers the Hybrid's message. All come to the conclusion that the final five Cylons came from the Thirteenth Tribe and so must also know the way to Earth. The boxed [[Number Three]]s will lead them to the Final Five. Anders is unnerved by the conversation, likely fearing the exposure of his Cylon identity. The group leave to meet the ''Demetrius'', with Anders leaving last, still puzzled that he is drawn to help the Eight.

*Kowalski's vision of a river comes to pass in a dream Roslin experiences. The two stand on a boat, looking at a shore where human figures begin to appear, smiling and waving at Kowlski. Kowlski disappears to meet them, materializing on the shore. Roslin feels joy, then sees her own mother, smiling and waiting for Roslin to join her. She tells her she is not yet ready, stepping away from the boat's side, as the dream ends.

*Awakening from her dream, Roslin goes to see Kowlski but finds her bed empty. She died some time while she slept. Only her wireless receiver remains, still switched on.

*''Demetrius'' is prepping to leave as seconds count down but Agathon lets the clock run over in hesitation and to the crew's astonishment. Just as he is about to order the jump, the baseship arrives and broadcasts a Colonial identity. After communication is established, Agathon enthusiastically begins to prep both ships to leave for the Fleet.

*On ''Galactica'', Roslin meets with [[William Adama]] in his quarters. She tells him that something may be truthful in Baltar's words, but Adama is reluctant. A sorrowful Adama talks of Thrace's death and return, [[Lee Adama|his son's]] [[Crossroads, Part I|resignation from the military]], and laments all the crew he sent with Thrace, wondering if he will see them again. But Roslin comforts him. The two smile as Adama tells her that Roslin helped him to believe that they really will find Earth.

== Notes ==

*Baltar's radio broadcast contains a number of phrases from the "To be or not to be" soliloquy of Hamlet, including "shuffle off this mortal coil," and "the undiscover'd country, from whose bourn no traveler returns." These phrases refer to death and the afterlife, respectively. The full text of the soliloquy can be found [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Tragedy_of_Hamlet%2C_Prince_of_Denmark/Act_3 here].

== Analysis ==
* Even though Baltar is preaching for the "one true [[God (RDM)|God]]", the symbolism of a boat crossing a river to the land of the dead is very similar to the Greek legends involving the [[w:Styx|River Styx]].
* Emily Kowalski's description of the Lords of Kobol and their behavior is quite consistent with that of Greek mythology.
*Laura Roslin believes that the [[Lords of Kobol]] are not to be taken literally but are metaphors. Emily's mother took them more literally. This mirrors real life in which some people take the Jewish [[w:Torah|Torah]] ([[w:Old Testament|Old Testament]]), the Christian Bible ([[W:New Testament|New Testament]]) and the Islamic [[w:Koran|Koran]] as literal word for word truth and an accurate record of events while others believe the stories are metaphors to be used as guidelines in life, not hard pronouncements or actual history.
* Some of the writers' misdirection from "[[He That Believeth in Me]]" becomes clear. The "giant gas planet with rings", assumed to be [[w:Jupiter|Jupiter]] or [[w:Saturn|Saturn]], is revealed to be at the site of the [[Cylon Civil War|Cylon battle]]. Moreover, the comet is a damaged and drifting basestar. This also explains how Conoy was able to help Thrace paint the scene in the previous episode, since he had already witnessed it himself.
* A close-up of Kara Thrace in the Hybrid's chamber evokes the [[Eye of Jupiter]], with Thrace's blue eye at the center, ringed by her bloodied eyebrow and blonde hair.
* With its inhibitor removed, the Centurion in the Hybrid's chamber seems visibly more aware of its environment. It turns its head to gaze at each member of the group as they enter. Contrast this with what we have seen previously, when Centurions on guard duty simply stand immobile unless they perceive a threat, or are given a direct order.

== Questions ==
* Are the Centurions capable of getting an IFF signal from a humanoid Cylon, like a Raider does? Could one have exposed Anders if he had made direct eye contact?
* What does the Hybrid's statement that the five come from the home of the thirteenth mean?
** Were they made on Earth, the home of the thirteenth tribe? Or did they voyage to Earth from Cylon/Colonial space and then return?
** Does "the thirteenth" refer to "[[The One Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken]]" mentioned in "[[The Eye of Jupiter]]", to whom the [[Temple of Five]] was dedicated?
* Will Thrace tell anyone about the Hybrid calling her "the harbinger of death"?
* Will Helo and the others have to answer for their mutiny?
* How will Gaeta's injury affect his duties? Will his leg be amputated?
* What would have happened if Anders had put his hand in the datastream?
* Why should the Cylons have any trouble figuring out the Raptor's FTL system? They have previously used Raptors ([[Torn]]).

== Official Statements ==





== Noteworthy Dialogue ==



== Guest Stars ==

* [[Michael Trucco]] as Ensign [[Samuel Anders]]
* [[Tahmoh Penikett]] as [[Karl Agathon]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Alessandro Juliani]] as Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]]
* [[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Number Two]] / [[Leoben Conoy (New Caprica copy)|Leoben Conoy]]
* [[Donnelly Rhodes]] as Doctor [[Cottle]]
* [[Bodie Olmos]] as Lieutenant [[Brendan Costanza|Brendan "Hotdog" Costanza]]
* [[Alisen Down]] as [[Jean Barolay]]
* [[Tiffany Lyndall-Knight]] as [[Hybrid]]
* [[Jennifer Halley]] as Ensign [[Diana Seelix|Diana "Hardball" Seelix]]
* [[Nana Visitor]] as [[Emily Kowalski]]
* [[Alana Husband]] as Nurse [[Sashon]]

== References ==
<div style="font-size:85%"><references/></div>

==External Links==
*Composer [[Bear McCreary]] on the episode's score: [http://www.bearmccreary.com/blog/?p=313]

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:Faith]]