Battlestar Wiki - User contributions [en]

Cylon detector

2005-04-15T12:00:55Z

Arwel Parry: copyedit

A '''Cylon detector''' is a scientific method of determining whether a subject is human or a [[Cylon]]-replicated clone.

Created by [[Baltar, Gaius|Dr. Gaius Baltar]], the test is administered by subjecting a person's blood to radioactive material taken from one of the [[Galactica]]'s nuclear warheads, at the suggestion of [[Number Six]]. ([[Bastille Day]]) The test results are simple: either "red", indicating Cylon, or "green", indicating human. Yet with a single test cycle lasting approximately eleven hours, Baltar estimates it will take over 60 years (not counting breaks for sleep, food, bathroom, etc.) to test the whole fleet (numbering almost 50,000 people). ([[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]])

Development work on the Cylon detector had previously been halted when Dr. Baltar was accused by [[Number Six#"Shelly Godfrey"|Shelly Godfrey]] of being a traitor and temporarily thrown in the [[brig]]. ([[Six Degrees of Separation]]). Baltar's "innocence" was proven, however, by Lieutenant [[Gaeta]], who had previously been ordered by [[Adama]] to assist Baltar in the development of the device. ([[Water]]) Although considered a military secret, the Cylon detector is nevertheless the subject of constant rumour and innuendo ([[Act of Contrition]]).

Curiously, the Cylons themselves (in the form of Number Six) are the ones who initially suggest the construction of the Cylon detector by using the nuclear materials. Moreover, Baltar was only put in charge of the project because of his earlier detection of the fleet's first Cylon infiltrator, [[Doral, Aaron#PR Executive (Doral #1)|Aaron Doral]], which was also greatly influenced by Number Six. ([[Mini-series]]) So ironically, the Cylon detector is very much a product of Cylon invention.

Act of Contrition

2005-04-09T14:12:55Z

Arwel Parry: /* Analysis */ copyedit

[[Image:bsg-1-04.jpg|thumb|"Act of Contrition" (credit: Sci-Fi Channel)]]

== Overview ==

: When several Viper pilots are killed in a freak accident, Adama turns to Starbuck for help - but her involvement in the aftermath of the accident and in training new pilots causes the truth surrounding Zak Adama's death to finally surface. 

== Summary ==
* It is [[Saunders, Dwight|Dwight “Flat Top” Saunder’s]] 1,000th deck landing, which brings the Galactica’s pilots down to the hangar deck to celebrate
* As the celebrations continue, a set of communications drones are manoeuvred in the hangar bay and one breaks loose from its restraints, falling to the deck and igniting the motor. The drone flies across the hangar, smashing into the celebrating pilots where it explodes, killing Flat Top and twelve others and putting seven more in sickbay
* As the surviving pilots prepare for a memorial service for their fallen comrades, [[Thrace, Kara|Starbuck]] has flashbacks to her first meeting with [[Adama, William|Adama]], following the death of his son, [[Adama, Zak|Zak]]
* During the memorial service itself, she, [[Adama, Lee|Lee]] and Adama all have flashbacks – to Zak Adama’s funeral and (in Starbuck’s case) to her telling Zak he’s qualified as a [[Viper]] pilot
* Following the service, Adama asks Starbuck to oversee the training of any new pilots they can find in the fleet
* She is initially hesitant, and Adama guesses the cause is Zak’s accident. He reassures her that his son’s death was not her fault – which causes Starbuck to remember her admission to Lee Adama: that she passed Zak through his basic training when he had in fact failed ([[Mini-Series]])
* She reluctantly accepts the duty, but memories of Zak continue to haunt her as she plays cards with [[Baltar, Gaius|Baltar]], oblivious of a conversation that takes place between [[Crashdown]] and [[Gaeta]] concerning Baltar’s Cylon detector – a conversation that leaves [[Valerii, Sharon#"Boomer" Valerii|Boomer]] very uncomfortable
* Elsewhere on the ''Galactica'', [[Roslin, Laura|Roslin]] is examined by the ship’s medical officer, Doctor [[Cottle]]. His diagnosis is not good: her cancer is inoperable. Roslin decides that she wants to try alternative therapy using [[Kamala]] extract – something entirely unproven in its effectiveness
* Later, Starbuck meets her first batch of recruits. They are all pilots – but none have ever flown a Viper. With no simulators aboard the ''Galactica'', the newbies – [[Nugget|nuggets]] – are thrown in at the deep end: straight into the cockpit of the real thing
* Their performance during their first training flight is hardly stellar, and Starbuck is uncompromisingly hard on the first batch of recruits, washing them all out
* Lee confronts her on her decision, and realises it is caused more by guilt about Zak than on the ability of the trainees. When she refuses to reinstate the trainees, he takes the matter with Adama
* Adama initially support’s Starbuck’s decision, but a misunderstanding between him and Lee causes him to meet with Starbuck to discuss Zak’s death
* When Starbuck tries to dodge the issue, Adama pins her down, and she admits the truth: Zak bodged his final training flights, but she passed him because she was in love with him and they were engaged – but Zak really wasn’t the right material for flying Vipers
* Angered and hurt, Adama orders her to reinstate the trainees and to get out of his cabin
* Starbuck leads a handful of the trainees on a training flight, only to have a group of [[Cylon Raider|Cylon Raiders]] show up
* In the ensuing dogfight, Starbuck takes care of the Raiders, but her Viper is damaged, forcing her to eject inside the atmosphere of a weather-wracked moon

===On [[Caprica]]===
* [[Agathon, Karl C.|Helo]] and [[Valerii, Sharon#Caprica Valerii|Valerii]] are tracking the source of the signal they previously picked up out in the woods (“Water”)
* The signal leads them to a restaurant in the city, which has a radiation shelter under it, stocked with everything they need to survive - water, food, blankets - even anti-radiation medication
* Their arrival at the restaurant is observed by [[Number Six|Six]].

== Questions ==



== Analysis ==
An interesting episode that reveals a lot of the back story around the late Zak Adama, hampered by a weak start.

The bonhomie between Starbuck, Lee and Adama as seen in the teaser doesn’t entirely work. Coming on top of the clear division between Adama and Lee following the latter’s activities on the ''Astral Queen'' just 48 hours before, it is hard to accept the cameraderie that they share here.

Also, while hi-jinx are to be expected, even in the most dire situations – the crew are going to have to let off steam at times – the whole “1,000th” landing idea smacked too much of a contrivance to get ''Galactica’s'' pilots together so that a bunch of them can be knocked off.

Moving on, there is Adama's cosy tête-à-tête with Starbuck regarding the role of instructor, the cosy little cuddle at the end just doesn't sit right. Until now, Adama has been portrayed as approachable but aloof. Personnel of all ranks have been comfortable in talking to him openly, and have clearly regarded him with respect. However, there has always been a degree of separation
between him and those around him. So it's a little hard to accept Adama as a man given to heartfelt hugs with junior officers - no matter what their past.

The hug serves a single purpose: a (transparent) means to give Adama's relationship with Starbuck a little extra depth ready for his fall when her revelation concerning Zak is finally made.

However, once the story gets past these little wobbles, it turns into a finely-crafted piece, weaving the past, present and - in Starbuck's case - the future into a picture of love, guilt, betrayal, need, and hurt. The acting throughout is outstanding, and the framing superb throughout. The interweaving of Starbuck's and Adama's recollections of Zak's funeral with the Service for the Dead on ''Galatica'' is particularly potent, while Starbuck's flashbacks in particular serve to reveal her angst far more effectively than any amount of dialogue. To quote an old cliché: a picture is worth a thousand words.

Alongside the main story arc, other elements are moved forward, either directly, or through dialogue. It is through the latter that we learn that the water situation in the fleet is still not resolved, and that operations are continuing on the ice moon discovered by Boomer and Crashdown in [[Water]]; we also learn – via the card game – that secrets on ''Galactica'' are proving hard to keep: rumours are already spreading that Gaeta is assisting Baltar in the development of his Cylon detector.

Given a more direct reference is Roslin's illness. In a nice follow-on from [[Bastille Day]] she meets the ''Galactica's'' medical officer. Something of a cliché himself - a healer killing himself through smoking - but even so, he is a useful foil for opening a new mini-arc to Roslin's character: her determination to fight the cancer through orthodox and possibly unorthodox means.

Finally, on Caprica, it is now clear that the Cylons want Helo to remain with Valerii. The receipt of the "military signal" and the discovery of the cosy little "radiation shelter" are together too much of a coincidence. The shelter is a honey-trap, and Valerii is the bait.

An essential element to any story is the performance of the actors, and "Acts" presents some of the strongest performances just seen in BSG. In this, [[Edward James Olmos]] clearly silences any critics of his acting abilities. With barely a turn of the lips, an opening or narrowing of the eyes, he conveys everything we need to know about Adama's reaction to Thrace's admission in his cabin: confusion, hurt, betrayal, loss, anger and finally – fury. It's been a while since such a range of emotional reactions have been so powerfully portrayed, and full kudos to Mr. Olmos and to the episode's director and director of photography for the manner in which the scene is crafted.

Equally deserving of praise is [[Katee Sackhoff]] for her handling of Thrace's memories and dilemma. Here, for the first time, we get to see what goes on behind the “Starbuck” mask; and the flashback scenes to her time with Zak are handled with extraordinary poise, and add the required depth needed to reinforce her guilt at his loss, and her fear of what might happen should she ever be put in a similar position again – or that Adama should ever discover the truth.

Overall, a vastly different episode from all that has gone before and one that is, as stated before, saved from mediocrity only in the interweaving of the various story elements – future, present and past – and the outstanding performances from both Sackhoff and Olmos, well-supported by [[Jamie Bamber]] and [[James Callas]].

--[[User:Ernestborg9|Colonial Archivist]] 00:14, 15 Jan 2005 (EST)

== Notes ==

*It is 48 hours since the prisoner uprising on the ''Astral Queen''
*Water replenishment ops are still underway
*The ''Galactica'' has a remaining contingent of 40 Vipers on top of her 5 Raptors (revealed in [[Water]]), but now only has 21 combat-ready pilots and a further 8 newbie “nuggets”
*Cylon Raiders have guns of an apparently similar nature to those mounted on Vipers
*Zak and Starbuck were engaged, and that lead to her passing him for flight duty
*Adama's relationship with Starbuck is not as long-standing as the mini appeared to suggest: they have only served together for 2 years
*Word is leaking out about Baltar's “Cylon detector”
*Helo and Valerii still appear to be the only “people” left alive on Caprica. Neither seem in any hurry to get off the planet.
*The Colonial military use HumVees and Deuce-and-a-half trucks!

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

In Adama's Cabin, with Thrace and Adama, discussing comments made earlier by Lee Adama:

Adama: He said something else. That you might have been feeling guilty about something you did for Zak. What did you do for him? 
Thrace: I don't know. You'd have to ask Lee. 
Adama: I'm asking you. 
Thrace: Well I don't kn- I, ah...I don't really know what he was talking about, so... 
Adama: Don't fence with me, Kara. I love you like a daughter. I don't deserve that. 
Thrace: Ummm...Zak...failed...basic flight. He wasn't a bad pilot, he just had no feel for flying...and, um, when it came to his final check ride he...busted...three of the test manoeuvres, and I should have flunked him, but I didn't. The bottom line is your...son...didn't have the chops to fly a Viper...and it killed him. 
Adama: (following a flashback): You did it because you were engaged. 
Thrace (breaking down): Because I made a mistake...because I was just...I was so in love with him...and I let that get in the way of doing my job...and um, and he um, he just wanted it so much, and I...I didn't want to be the one who crushed him... 
Adama: Reinstate the trainees to flight status. 
Thrace: I will...but I just want you to understand...that I... 
Adama: Do your job. 
Thrace: Yes sir... 
Adama: And walk out of this cabin...while you still can...

== Official Statements ==




== Statistics ==



=== Guest Stars ===


*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Jill+Teed Jill Teed] as [[Hadrian|Sergeant Hadrian]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Donnelly+Rhodes Donnelly Rhodes] as [[Doctor Cottle]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Lorena+Gale Lorena Gale] as [[Elosha]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Tobias+Mehler Tobias Mehler] as [[Adama, Zak|Zak Adama]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Colby+Johannson Colby Johannson] as [[Saunders, Dwight|Flat Top]]
*[[Olmos, Bodie|Bodie Olmos]] as [[Constanza|Constanza / Hot Dog]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Lucianna+Carro Lucianna Carro] as [[Katraine|Katraine / Kat]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Terry+Chen Terry Chen] as [[Perry|Perry / Chuckles]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Bill+Melien Bill Meilen] as Caprica Cleric




=== Writing & Direction ===

*Written by [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Bradley+Thompson Bradley Thompson] and [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+David+Weddle David Weddle]
*Directed by [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Rod+Hardy Rod Hardy]




=== Production Details ===

*Series: 1 (2004 / 2005)
*Production Number: 1.04
*Airdate Order: 4 (of 13)

=== First Run Air Dates & Releases ===

*UK Airdate: 8 November 2004 (Sky One)
*US Airdate: 28 January 2005 (Sci-Fi Channel)
*DVD Release: 28 March 2005 (UK)

[[Category: A to Z]]
[[Category: Episode Guide (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Vella

2005-04-09T14:02:45Z

Arwel Parry: copyedit

'''Vella''' was a human resident of [[Equellus]], a low-tech agrarian planet.

Vella lived on a ranch raising ovines (cattle), next door to her brother [[Bootes]]' ranch. She met a [[Colonial Warrior]] named [[Martin]] who had crash landed on Equellus. She nursed the marooned warrior back to health, after which they fell in love and were married. They had a son together, named [[Puppis]]. Soon after Puppis' birth, though, her husband was killed by [[Red-Eye]], a likewise-marooned [[Cylon Centurion (TOS)|Cylon Centurion]]. Vella came to abhor violence and guns, which had taken her husband's life. Like the other oppresed ranchers, she unwillingly paid a monthly "tribute" to Red-Eye, who had become a pawn of [[Lacerta]], a bully and strong arm man.

When [[Apollo (TOS)|Apollo]]'s Viper ran out of fuel and crash landed on Equellus, Vella helped hide him from Red-Eye, who came investigating the noise of Apollo's landing. She fed Apollo and gave him appropriate clothing to mix in with the town folk so he could investigate Red-Eye and Lacerta. Later, Vella revealed to Apollo the whole story of her late husband, despite the pain brought on by the memories. When she learned that her brother Bootes had ridden into town drunk and looking to pick a fight with Red-Eye, she asked Apollo to help. Although he didn't arrive in time to save Bootes' life, Apollo was nevertheless able to destroy Red-Eye, freeing Vella and the others from Lacertas' evil reign.

Despite the fact that she was beginning to develop feelings for Apollo, Vella showed him the location of Martin's crashed Viper, enabling Apollo's return to the ''Galactica''. She was last seen staring up at the stars with her son, just as her husband had done yahrens earlier, wondering if she would ever see Apollo again. ([[The Lost Warrior]])

Portrayed by [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Katherine+Cannon Katherine Cannon].

[[Category: A to Z]]
[[Category: Characters (TOS)]]

User:Arwel Parry

2005-04-09T13:56:45Z

Arwel Parry: cat amendment

Arwel is long-time SF fan from Crewe in the UK (but is not a Sky subscriber, so the first he saw of the new BSG was on BitTorrent like most other people on here, though he is now the proud possessor of the region 2 DVD set of series 1 :) ).

He was first smitten by TV SF at a very tender age, when he saw the original runs of ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercar_(television) Supercar]'', ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who Doctor Who]'', ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stingray_(TV_show) Stingray]'', ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbirds_(TV_series) Thunderbirds]'', etc., on black-and-white TV (''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek Star Trek]'' arrived on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC BBC] quite a bit later, when he was around 10 or so). Once a decent bookshop opened in the town a few miles from his home in 1973, he quickly started amassing a rather large library of SF books, several thousand of which are currently filling the back bedroom of his house!

The original ''[[Battlestar Galactica]]'' appeared as a cinema release in the UK, and I remember seeing it at the ABC Cinema in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwich Norwich] in my last year at university there. I remember quite liking it, but even then thinking that the visual effects were rather repetitive! The less said about [[Galactica 1980]] when it appeared on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Television ITV], the better....

I was very pleased to find that this site is using MediaWiki - I'm a long-time administrator at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/ English] and [http://cy.wikipedia.org/ Welsh Wikipedias], so the markup language is familiar to me! Here's my [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Arwel_Parry English homepage] with a bit more of a biography...

[[Category: Wikipedians|Arwel Parry]]

Galen Tyrol

2005-04-09T02:07:58Z

Arwel Parry: typos

[[Image:Bsg-tyrol-1.jpg|thumb|CPO Tyrol (credit: Sci-Fi Channel)]]

== Overview ==

Rank: Chief Petty Officer

Age: 30 (?)

Marital Status: single

Children: none

Current position: Senior NCO commanding Deck Crew 5, [[Battlestar]] ''[[Galactica]]''

(Played by: [[Aaron Douglas]])

== Biography ==

=== Background ===

Galen Tyrol is a much-admired NCO aboard the ''[[Galactica]]''. He has served under [[William Adama]] for a number of years, and has considerable respect for the Commander - a feeling that is reciprocated. Indeed, he admires Adama to such a degree that he has modelled his own style of leadership on that of Adama: firm, fair, and willing to go to the fullest degree in support of his crew.

Originally leading Deck Crew 5, a team of 15 deckhands and specialists, since the Cylon Attack he has become the most senior and experienced NCO on the ''Galactica''.

=== Cylon Attack ===

At the time of the Cylon Attack, as well as leading his deck crew, Tyrol has been overseeing the refurbishment and restoration of [[Viper]] Mark II N7242C - the Viper originally flown by William Adama at the time of the [[Cylon War]] ([[Mini-Series]]).

Following the attack, with the ''Galactica'' undermanned, Tyrol also performs the function of senior Damage Control officer ([[Mini-Series]] / [[Water]]), a role that brings him into conflict with [[Colonel Tigh]] after the ''Galactica'' is struck by a Cylon nuclear warhead.

=== Relationship with Sharon Valerii ===

For several months prior to the Cylon attack, and in its aftermath, Tyrol has been engaged in an affair with Lieutenant (JG) [[Valerii, Sharon|Sharon Valerii]], a [[Raptor]] pilot aboard the ''Galactica''. Despite the fact the relationship breaks military protocol, senior officers on the ship turn a blind eye to it, while Tyrol's own crew treat it with fond amusement.

When the water supplies on the ''Galactica'' are sabotaged, Tyrol is placed in an awkward position: by her own admmission, Valerii knows explosives were missing from a small-arms locker - potentially making her a suspect - and he is the principal DC investigator into the cause of the explosions which wreck the water tanks. Torn between love and duty, the situation prompts him to hide evidence and allow a theory that the walls of the tanks simply collapsed from fatigue resulting from damage the ''Galactica'' received from a nuclear warhead in the Cylon attack ([[Water]] / [[Mini-Series]]).

Following the sabotage attempt, Valerii is ordered to end her relationship with Tyrol ([[Bastille Day]]) as a part of a general tightening-up of security and discipline on ship, only to have Tyrol's deck crew help the two of them to continue to meet in greater secret ([[Litmus]]).

Tyrol's world is thrown further into turmoil when both he and Valerii become the prime suspects in an investigation into how a Cylon agent managed to get aboard the ''Galactica'', kill a guard, steal explosives and them blow himself up in a ship's corridor, almost killing Adama and Tigh ([[Litmus]]). When one of his own Specialists is thrown in the brig for dereliction of duty which may have enabled the Cylon to access a weapons locker and steal the explosives, Tyrol is shocked into re-thinking his relationship with Valerii, and ends it himself.

While they continue to encounter one another professionallly - their work means they can hardly avoid one another - Tyrol and Valerii now have an uneasy distance between each other, and Valerii's actions around a captured Cylon [[Raider]] have begun to disturb Tyrol.

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Saga of a Star World

2005-04-08T01:12:51Z

Arwel Parry: /* Writing & Direction */

: This episode guide is in progress. You may add upon it as you so choose.

== Overview ==

: After a sneak attack destroys human civilization as the Colonials know it; under [[Adama (TOS)|Commander Adama]] the survivors set out to find a mythical planet called [[Earth]].

== Summary ==



#

== Questions ==



== Analysis ==



== Notes ==

* The conflict with the [[Cylons (TOS)|Cylons]] has raged for some 1,000 yahren.
* Each Colony of Man has one representative on the [[Quorum of Twelve (TOS)]], and each member to the Quorum has command of a [[battlestar]], apparently.

#Adama represents [[Caprica]] and commands [[Galactica (TOS)|Galactica]].
#Adar is president and commands the [[Atlantia]].

* The Cylons have an hierarchal imperical society, lead by an emperor ([[Imperious Leader]]).
* The Cylons wish to exterminate human life as Colonials have interfered with Cylon efforts. (see: [[Hasari]])



== Noteworthy Dialogue ==




== Official Statements ==




== Statistics ==



=== Guest Stars ===




*Actor 1 as [[Character 1]]
*Actor 2 as [[Character 2]]




=== Writing & Direction ===

*Written by [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0488991/ Glen A. Larson]
*Directed by [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0171619/ Richard A. Colla]
*Produced by [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004375/ John Dykstra]
*Executive Producer [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0488991/ Glen A. Larson]
*Supervising Producer [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1625008/ Leslie Stevens]




=== Production Notes ===

*Series 1 (1978 / 1979)
*Production Number: 1.01
*Airdate Order: 1 (of 21)

=== First Run Air Dates & Releases ===

*UK Airdate: Date
*US Airdate: Date
*DVD Release: Date

[[Category: A to Z]]
[[Category: Episode Guide (TOS)]]

Gaius Baltar

2005-04-07T22:04:53Z

Arwel Parry: /* Cylon Attack */ copyedit

{| align=right width=300 border=2 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=3 style=margin-left:15px
|-
|colspan=2 align=center|'''Key Data'''
|-
|colspan=2 align=center|'''Gaius Baltar'''
|-
|align=right width=40%|'''Position:'''
||Interim Vice President, [[Twelve Colonies|The Twelve Colonies of Man]]
|-
|align=right|'''Birth Planet:'''
||[[Caprica]]
|-
|align=right|'''Age:'''
||34 (estimate)
|-
|align=right|'''Spouse:'''
||Unknown
|-
|align=right|'''Offspring:'''
||Unknown
|-
|align=right|'''Played By:'''
||[[Callis, James|James Callis]]
|}

== Biographical Notes ==

=== Background ===

Gaius Baltar is a genius. Elegantly dressed and aesthetically handsome, with the affected humility of the truly arrogant, Baltar is a computer technology designer who has won three [[Magnate Prize]]s, and who was responsible for the design of the Colonial [[Command Navigation Program]] (CNP).

He is also deeply flawed. Beneath his outstanding abilities lurks a pathological weakness of character. Self-absorbed, sly, guileful, and utterly dedicated to his self-preservation, Baltar has carried on a two-year affair with a woman he believes to be a corporate spy - even to the extent of using code she herself wrote to overcome shortfalls in his CNP - and thus allowed her unrestricted access to some of the most sensitive systems known to humankind.

=== [[Cylon Attack]] ===
[[Image:Bsg-baltar-1.jpg|thumb|Dr. Gaius Baltar (credit: Sci-Fi Channel)]]

When the Cylons launch their attack, Baltar is horrified to learn that his "corporate spy" lover is in fact a new type of Cylon - an [[Humano-Cylon]], able to mimic human beings down to the smallest detail - and that she has in fact used his CNP as a gateway to make all integrated Colonial computers and defence systems vulnerable to a Cylon virus that subverts their command and control systems.

Appalled by the fact that his sexual folly has lead to the virtual wiping-out of humanity, Baltar is nevetheless determined not only to survive, but also avoid having what amounts to his treachery exposed.

Helped off of Caprica following the forced-landing of a Colonial [[Raptor]] - at the cost of one of the crew staying behind ([[Mini-Series]]), he is pleased to find himself treated with the same esteem he enjoyed back on Caprica. His only problem is that [[Number Six]], his former "lover" - herself destroyed in the shockwave of a nuclear blast - now appears to him in visions, and he cannot be sure whether this is a result of his own guilt at his actions or whether - as she initially claims - she is part of a chip that has been implanted in his brain.

Shortly after his arrival on the ''Galactica'', the fact that Cylons can look like humans becomes known to Commander [[Adama, William|William Adama]], and Batlar is put to work trying to devise a means of detecting humanoid Cylons. In order to deflect possible suspicion of his role in the Cylon attack, he uses an early version of his detector to identify (at Six's prompting) [[Doral, Aaron|Aaron Doral]] - a PR exceutive who has been co-ordinating the media coverage of the ''Galactica's'' decommissioning - as a Cylon agent ([[Mini-Series]]). As a result of this, and despite his protestations of innocence, Doral is put off the ship and left at the [[Ragnar Anchorage]].

Due to his unique abilities, Baltar is charged with turning his initial "Cylon detector" into a working machine capable of screening everyone in the fleet. While he at first baulks at this, events such as the sabotaging of the ''Galactica's'' water reserves ([[Water]]) force him into a position where he can no longer procrastinate over the detector - despite his fear that such a device might somehow expose him as the original traitor among humans. Gaining aid from a most unusual source - his inner Six ([[Bastille Day]]) - Baltar does eventually develop a genuine detector, which, together with his survival of an attempt to brand him as a traitor ([[Six Degrees of Separation]]), firmly establish his credentials within the fleet's hierarchy.

With this new-found trust, and despite his willingness to deliberately conceal vital information, such as [[Valerii, Sharon#"Boomer" Valerii|Lieutenant Valerii's]] true status as a [[Humano-Cylon]] ([[Flesh and Bone]]), Baltar is willing to be moved into the realm of political leadership, firstly as the Representative for [[Caprica]] on the [[Quorum of Twelve]], and then as the newly-elected Vice President within the fleet ([[Colonial Day]]).

=== Cylon Manipulations ===

The Cylons commenced their direct manipulations of Baltar some two years prior to the attack on the Twelve colonies, by bringing him into contact with their agent [[Number Six]], who instigated a torrid affair with him while at the same time using him to access vital Colonial command and control systems within the Ministry of Defence ([[Mini-Series]]).

This manipulation continued after the destruction of Six's corporeal body, when her personality was transferred to him as some form of download, possibly into an implant in his brain ([[Mini-Series]]), and she has continued to both help and hinder him, gradually drawing him to a point of open acceptance and participation in, Cylon plans and activities ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]).

The majority of this manipulation has been through religious intrigue, linked to physical threats to Baltar's well-being. These have included:

* Using the threat of Baltar's former colleague, Dr. [[Amorak]], attempting to contact [[Roslin, Laura|President Roslin]] with information on a "traitor" within Colonial circles - and only "removing" this threat once Baltar has "repented of his sins" ([[33]])
* Using the threat of direct accusation (in the form of "[[Number Six#"Shelly Godfrey"|Shelly Godfry]]") coupled with "photographic evidence" - and only "removing" this threat once Baltar has "accept" the Cylon God into his life ([[Six Degrees of Separation]])

Baltar's near-acquiescence to the [[Cylon Religion|Cylon religion]] comes when he goes through a process similar to the [[wikipedia:Evangelicalism|evangelical Christian]] belief in "rebirth" through adult baptism. In this, the new believer in the Christian faith is baptized (generally through full immersion in water), symbolizing the "death" of the "old" self and "birth" of the "new" Christian self. In [[The Hand of God]], Baltar apparently undergoes "death" at the hands of his inner Six when she "breaks" his neck - and is "reborn" in his real life as the "instrument of God", able to point-out precisely where Colonial forces must strike in order to eliminate the Cylon base preventing them from accessing supplies of [[Tylium|tylium]].

This act leaves Baltar ripe for the final revelation of his role within Cylon expectations, when "the future" is revealed to him by Six on [[Kobol]], in the form of the first of "God's new generation of children" ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]).

--[[User:Ernestborg9|Colonial Archivist]] 22:38, 8 Jan 2005 (EST)

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Miniseries, Night 1

2005-04-07T02:28:40Z

Arwel Parry: /* Official Statements */ Copyedit

== Overview ==

: ''After 40 years of peace with the Humanity's bastard children, the [[Cylons]], Humanity finds itself victim of a genocidal attack and the survivors are forced to flee from their [[Twelve Colonies | twelve colonies]] in the Cyrannus system.''

== Backplot ==



* The [[Cylons]] were created by the [[Colonials]] as a labor and military force. 40 years prior, the Cylons turned on their Human creators and the [[Cylon War]] ensued. The Cylons were exiled from the [[12 Colonies]] and were never seen again in any known form.
* The [[Galactica|Battlestar Galactica]] is the last relic from the Cylon War and is being decomissioned. It was slated to be turned into a museum piece.
* The Colonies, who were once technophobic due to the Cylons, are recovering from their phobia and are integrating technology back into their normal lives and, as a result, military crafts.
* The Cylons are capable of infiltrating any networked computer system and disrupting electrical equipment.
* The Colonials descended from a mother world, known as [[Kobol]].
* There is a myth about a [[Earth|13th Colony of Kobol]], known as [[Earth]].

== Questions ==



* What happened to the Cylons over the course of their 40 year exile?
* What events transpired that made the [[Cylons]] hate their human masters? When did this occur?
* Where is the Cylon homeworld?
* Are there other life forms or powers that exist in the universe?
* Does Earth truly exist, despite Cmdr. [[Adama, William|Adama's]] disbelief?
* What happened to [[Helo]] on [[Caprica]]? ([[33|Answer]])
* We know of 7 of 12 Cylon models: [[Valerii, Sharon|Boomer]], [[Number 6]], [[Doral, Aaron|Aaron Doral]], [[Cylon Centurion (old)]], [[Cylon Raider]], [[Cylon Centurion (new)]], and [[Conoy, Leoben|Leoben Conoy]]. What are the other 5?
* If the Cylons hate Humanity with the passion that they do, why did they mimic human form? Was it for strategic purposes or was there something greater?

== Analysis ==



=== Noted Improvements from the Original ===

* The basic story is still present: robotic [[Cylons]] surprisingly attack the 12 Colonies resulting in a holocaust, thus forcing a "rag-tag, fugitive fleet" to coalesce around the last surviving [[battlestar]], [[Galactica]], to seek a mythical [[13th Colony]] where refugees hope to find shelter from the [[Cylons]]. However, many of the fine details are changed, such as:
** The Cylons were created by Humanity, not by a reptilian race (also called Cylons) who hated Humanity.
** The ''Galactica'' is a 50 year old relic on the verge of decommission.
** The names of "Apollo", "Boomer", and "Starbuck" are changed to call signs. Characters have the standard First, Middle and Last Names.
** The futuristic (and often confusing) terminology used to denote distances, measuring, and time in the original series have been replaced with understandable terminology. "Year" was known as a "yahren" in the original.
** The ship designs, save for some revisions to the [[Viper|Mark II Viper]] and the [[Galactica]] and a few noteworthy background ships (such as the [[Freighter Gemenon]] and the [[Botanical Ship]], have been redone.
** The [[Quorum of Twelve]], is not mentioned in the mini-series, and has apparently been replaced by a setup similar to the United States [[WikiPedia:executive branch|executive branch]]. There is a president, vice president, and secretaries (the [[Quorum of Twelve|Quorum]] does not make an appearance until episode 1.11 [[Colonial Day]], in which it appears somewhat similar to the
** Instead of the out worldly, Egyptian-esque clothing and city designs (i.e. pyramids) seen in the original, the clothing and cities are more contemporary in design and function.
* The relationships and characters from the original have been changed slighly as well.
** [[TOS Boomer|Boomer]], who was played as a male character by [[Herb Jefferson Jr.]] in the original, is now the call-sign of a female Lieutenant [[Valerii, Sharon|Sharon Valerii]] ([[Grace Park]]).
** [[TOS Starbuck|Starbuck]], who was played as a male character by [[Dirk Benedict]] in the original, is now the call-sign of a female Lieutenant [[Thrace, Kara|Kara Thrace]] ([[Katee Sackhoff]])
** "Adama" is now a surname.
** The character of [[TOS Adama]], potrayed by [[Lorne Greene]] in the original, now is known as [[Adama, William|William "Husker" Adama]] ([[Edward James Olmos]]). He is a man about to retire, is estranged from his son [[Adama, Lee|Lee]], and is not as religious as the original portrayal of Adama.
** [[TOS Apollo]], portrayed by [[Original Series]] continuation activist [[Richard Hatch]], is the call sign of [[Adama, Lee|Lee Adama]] ([[Jamie Bamber]]). He is a flawed character who hates his father, believing him to be ultimately responsible for the death of [[Adama, Zak|Zack Adama]], and is questioning his life's choices.
** [[TOS Baltar]], who was willingly complicit in the destruction of the [[12 Colonies]] due to his thirst for power, is now a computer genius whose fullname is [[Baltar, Gaius|Gaius Baltar]]. Instead of being the imposing, methodical and mischevious Baltar (portrayed by the late [[John Colicos]]), Gaius ([[James Callis]]) is a cowardly, egotistical man whose ultimate falling for bombshell women is his fait accompli.  His betrayal of the human race was, mostly, due to his lust for [[Number 6]], whom he allowed unfettered access to the [[Colonial Defense Mainframe]].
** The character of Colonel [[ TOS Tigh]], portrayed by [[Terry Carter]], is now separated from his wife and seeing out the rest of his career from inside a bottle in the form of Colonel [[Tigh, Saul|Saul Tigh]] ([[Michael Hogan]]) who hasn't seen military action in a long while.
* The show has taken a more realistic turn. Realistic science, which was painfully absent in the original series, is applied in this series. From the movement of the space vessels to the tactics used in space, to even the noticeably diminished sounds in space (yes, it is muted, which is unrealistic -- but a necessary evil foisted upon the show by the higher-ups), the feeling of realism is in place. Realism is also affirmed by the documentary, hand-held camera style with the use of "snap zooms" and other guerilla documentarian niceties.
* Certain models of Cylons appear human, right down to the blood -- it would take complex tests just to screen for these Humanoid Cylons. Not only is this a budget-saver, but it also generates some very disturbing questions. For one, the Cylons have now managed to merge in with human society, making it easier to manipulate from within. This mirrors terrorist methods of infiltration and delivering destructive results to heavy population centers (a la suicide bombers). It also brings up interesting questions regarding cross-species mating: Can Humanoid Cylons mate with their Human creators?

=== Plot and Character Analyses ===

Since plot and character are so intertwined, both will be covered here.

==== Armistice Station ====

The Armistice Station gave us a chance to understand the conflict between the Cylons and Humanity. It also introduced us to the new Cylons and broke away from conventions set in Science Fiction. Instead of storming the station, the Cylons used [[Number 6]] and sexually assaulted the Armistice Officer. Question is, why was the Armistice Officer assaulted sexually instead of physically? The answer is three fold:

# This defied those who would make the claim that [[Battlestar Galactica]] is a "rip-off" of Star Wars; the same claim that was made against the original.
# This showed that the Cylons understood the devastating effect of sexual molestation. Since when did a Human expect for a Cylon to attack Humanity in this way?
# There is a drive within the Cylons to understand - and possibly experience the sensations of being truly alive.

The armistice station was destroyed by a Cylon [[Basestar|base star]]. Though this was a dramatic blow, this does seem rather unnecessary from a logical point of view. The Cylons present were more than enough to subdue the Armistice Officer and be able to keep the station for future purposes.

==== Commander William Adama & Nostalgia ====

With the [[Galactica]]'s future being a museum piece with gift shops, Commander William Adama is ready to retire, albeit reluctantly. Adama heads to retirement with trepidation, unsure of what he would do with the remainder of his life. His crew will ultimately be disbanded and good-byes abound. There is a sense of a ship seeing its last days, despite some of the joy that some of the crew members have in continuing their military careers.

Adama is presented with his reconditioned Viper, which was rusting in a junkyard on [[Sagittaron]], as well as a picture of himself and his two sons when he was younger.

This is a touching moment, demonstrating the crew's affection for him as a person. It also establishes Adama's legitimacy as a war-hardened commander in the series quite nicely.

==== Starbuck & Tigh Card Fight ====

The "card fight" between a Lieutenant and Colonel sparked a bit of controversy in the fan community before it aired. In the original draft, [[Thrace, Kara|Starbuck]] got off free without being thrown in the brig. However, given the fan's astute observation of a disturbing lack of disciplinary action against Starbuck for striking a superior, the aftermath was changed.

The scene demonstrates Starbuck's mistrust of authority and the antagonistic relationship between [[Tigh, Saul|Tigh]] and herself. The touch of classic Starbuck elements, i.e. the gambling and [[fumarello]] smoking, is a nice homage to the original that fits in nicely. [[Katee Sackhoff]]'s portrayal tells viewers that this isn't the same Starbuck from the original, as she is clearly unbalanced.

Tigh himself comes off as a grouchy, inebriated old man who has seen his glory days, which hammers home the fact that the good ship Galactica is seeing its last days. When he puts Starbuck in the brig, she knows she's stepped over the line -- but so has he, given that he flipped over the table first.

It also nicely puts Starbuck in a confined place from a story standpoint, allowing other characters to be introduced.

==== Laura Roslin's Cancer Storyline ====

The cancer story line for the Secretary of Education [[Laura Roslin]] seems a bit over-the-top from a superficial standpoint, which distracts from the main story. Yet having the cancer story-line helps show that smaller tragedies don't cease simply because another one looms ahead. It also reveals Roslin's vulnerability and puts her character in a realistic ethical conundrum, where she is more concerned about her own well-being when billions of people have been victims of the Cylon genocide.

The scene where she checks her breast does seem extraneous and could have been handled better from a story point of view.

==== The Infanticide Debate ====

One of the more emotional and argued points in the whole mini-series is not the sex changes of two main characters, and certainly not the major change in the Cylons, but the incident where [[Number 6]] kills an infant in the market place.

The question during the debate focused on the immorality of the act and was purported by those against the re-imagining as being an indicator that the source material wasn't being taken seriously.

The intent of the act was never questioned. It is simply assumed that Number 6 killed the baby out of cold blood.

The doubt of Number 6's intent, or possible lack thereof, still surrounds this scene. It was obvious that Number 6 was puzzled by the fraility of the baby and questioned as to how the neck could support the weight of the baby's head. Many items can be deduced from that scene, a few follow:

# It was a deliberate act. Cold and ruthless. Nothing more.
# Number 6 has feelings and is rational. Due to her knowledge of the impending attack and the expectation that the entire human race could be eradicated, could the act be merciful?
# Could it be an act of spite? In "[[33]]", her mental image asked [[Baltar, Gaius|Gaius Baltar]] if he wanted children. With begs the question: Can Humanoid Cylons propogate their race through Human childbirth?
# Could it be a simple lack of knowledge? If so, the infanticide was accidental, and Number 6 had no way of knowing.
# She did demonstrate curiosity as to how much the neck could support. Could the death have been an unethical experiment on her part?

The most disturbing aspect of the whole debate lies in the assumption that a single act of infanticide is unacceptable, whereas the genocide of the entire human race (including born and unborn infants) by Cylon hands seems to be more palatable.

==== The "Glowing Spine" Scene ====

One of the major inconsistencies in the mini-series was gleaned from this scene. The fact is established that Humano-Cylons were, for all intents and purposes, organic. Also established was, even with the most thorough of tests, it is almost impossible to screen Human from Cylon. This begs the question: What caused the spine to glow? It certainly wasn't a human reaction to sex. Since the Cylons went to the very painstaking process of creating an undetectable Humanoid Cylon model, it is conceivable that glowing spinal columns -- and more to the point the chemicals that would cause the aformentioned reaction -- would arouse undue suspicion and thwart Cylon plans.

One possible explanation for the glowing spine would be that the glowing spine is the act of "6" transfering some part of herself into Baltar, as evidenced later. However, this explanation is highly speculative.

Note: Comments from members of the production crew have since suggested that the only reason the glowing spine was included was that it "looked cool" at the time, and in retrospect, may have been a mistake.

==== "Humanity's children are returning home... today." ====

It is interesting to note Baltar's ability to deceive himself even when the human race is being eradicated.

; Additional information can be added later on. Feel free to do so.

== Notes ==



* The miniseries was initially broadcast in two two-hour segments. During re-broadcast (such as with the UK's Sky Movies channel), the two halves were combined into a single 3-hour 56-minute "film"
Initially, there were 12 [[battlestar|battlestars]], one representing each Colony. Battlestar ''[[Galactica]]'' represented [[Caprica]]. These were built with antiquated technolgies, as were their fighter craft, to avoid the [[Cylons]]'s tactical advantage of disrupting complex electrical and computer equipment.
* Networked computers were susceptible to Cylon infiltration, forcing the Colonials to react by reducing their dependance on technology.
* The fleet has been greatly expanded since then, with at least 36 and possibly as many as 120 battlestars, although it is by no means certain all the vessels in the fleet follow the ''Galactica'' design.
* As the Colonials became more confident of their security, integrated systems were re-introduced to their civilian and military craft.
* The Cylons believe in [[God]], whereas the Colonials believe in a pantheon of [[Gods]] mirroring the [[Greek Gods|12 Olympian gods]] of Greek mythology.
* Cylons are also called "chrome toasters", mainly for their original appearance (a nod to the original series).
* All pilots have call signs.
* Commander [[Dash]] was the ''Galactica's'' first Commanding Officer.
* In the mini, [[Valerii, Sharon#"Boomer" Valerii|Boomer]] is referred to as a "rook" by [[Thrace, Kara|Starbuck]], meaning a rookie. In [[Act of Contrition]] [[nugget]] is the chosen name for rookie pilots.

===Blooper Moments===
* At the start of the episode, dialogue is retained from a draft scipt which placed the [[Twelve Colonies]] actually on [[Kobol]], rather than spread among twelve worlds. The giveaway lines are spoken by [[Doral, Aaron|Aaron Doral]] (played by [[Bennett, Matthew|Matthew Bennett]]):

: "Now, as I was saying, form follows function, and nowhere is this axiom of design more readily apparent than on the world famous Battlestar Galactica...now originally there were twelve battlestars, each representing one of Kobol's twelve colonies...."

: Given the show is set among 12 different worlds, and Kobol is now regarded as the birthplace of humanity, abandoned at some point in the distant past, Doral's should have used the words "worlds' famous", and simply referred to the original battlestars representing each of the Twelve Colonies.
* At the time of her first FTL jump, ''Galactica'' retracts her flight pods. However, when the jump is made, the ship is shown with the pods still extended.

=== Nods ===

* The Firefly-class ship, Serenity, from the sci-fi series Firefly makes a brief appearance. It can be seen flying above [[Roslin, Laura|Laura Roslin]] when she is about to hear her prognosis of breast cancer on [[Caprica]].
* The fanfare just prior to [[Adama, William|Commander Adama's]] speech is taken from [[Stu Phillips]]'s theme for the [[TOS Battlestar Galactica|original Battlestar Galactica]].
* The pilot [[Jolly]] makes a brief (verbal) appearance, just prior to the Cylon's massacre of the squad led by [[Spencer, James|James Spencer]], Galactica's previous [[CAG]]. It is not the same actor that played [[Jolly (TOS)|Jolly]] in the original.
* The original [[Cylon Basestar (TOS)|Cylon Basestar]] can be briefly seen in the Galactica museum.
* President [[Roslin]] makes a point of calling [[Adama, Lee|Lee Adama]] "Captain [[Apollo]]", saying that it has a nice ring to it.
* During the attack, ''[[Colonial One|Colonial 798 Heavy]]'' assists Gemenon Liner Seventeen-oh-one (1701). This is a nod to [[Ronald D. Moore|RDM's]] work on Star Trek.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==




==== Adama's Speech at the Galactica's Decommissioning Ceremony ====

"The Cylon War is long over, yet we must not forget the reasons why so many sacrificed so much in the cause of freedom. The cost of wearing the uniform can be high, but --

"Sometimes it's too high.

"You know, when we fought the Cylons, we did it to save ourselves from extinction. But we never answered the question, why? Why are we as a people worth saving? We still commit murder because of greed, spite, jealousy. And we still visit all of our sins upon our children. We refuse to accept the responsibility for anything that we've done.

"Like we did with the Cylons. We decided to play God, create life. When that life turned against us, we comforted ourselves in the knowledge that it really wasn't our fault, not really. You cannot play God then wash your hands of the things that you've created. Sooner or later, the day comes when you can't hide from the things that you've done anymore."

== Official Statements ==




=== Edward James Olmos' (EJO) Statements Regarding the Mini-Series ===

After the announcement of Edward James Olmos' involvement in the mini-series, portraying a role that was previously done by Canadian actor Lorne Greene, many fans contacted him. As is evidenced by the quotes before, Olmos demonstrates his honesty and reaction to the mail, most of which could be classified as fairly negative.

From his [http://hometown.aol.com/ejowebmistress/ official website]:

*"I must say one thing and will say this very clearly. If you are a person who really has a strict belief in the original, I would not advise that you watch this program...We really don't stand true to the kind of characters that were built around the original. It definitely does break the mold. Some of the characters' names are the same, but the intent and the way that we are building the reality is completely not the reality that was built in the original." -- 7/03

*"I'm going to be the first one to say it really clearly. Please tell your readers, do not watch this program...[P]eople get really, really angry. You've got to remember that this is a show that was only on . . . in the late '70s, and to this day has a very strong fan base. Tens of thousands of people who write to each other for 25 years over a program that is not on the air and is not even being rerun. "They didn't want this at all, and I didn't know any of this. . . . All of a sudden, my e-mails went through the roof. Suddenly I was accused of teaming up with Ron Moore and creating just a slap in the face of all these people, and I didn't want to slap anybody."

*"Trust me, don't watch it. If you are a real, real staunch 'Battlestar Galactica' person, don't watch it. . . . Just don't write to me, all right? I warned you. I was honest."

*"I've gotten some really strong, strong mail. . . . They're really bitter. They're very angry. And I know the Sci Fi Channel wants to say that everybody's going to enjoy it. They're not."

=== Comments from [[Eick, David|David Eick]] ===

"The goals of the mini series were nothing short of reinventing the science fiction genre. We wanted to present people in a catastrophic situation, in the wake of a tragedy, responding as human beings actually would through the prism of the science ficton genre."

=== Regarding Mini Series Ratings ===

"I think going into it, we all wondered. you know, what the audience numbers were going to be, especially given all the internet, sort of, controversy and the general, sort of, [something] about what we were doing and people objecting. And was it going to be a failure or was it not.

"The first night's numbers were good, but not great. We were waiting to see what the drop-off would be, because there was always a drop off on the second night. And the ratings actually went up." -- Ron D. Moore [http://scifi.com/battlestar/bts/video/mov/video_06_320.mov]

=== Regarding Roslin's Refusal to Leave Her Nascent Fleet ===

{{from_RDM_blog}}

:Someone recently asked:
:"In the mini series, when the [[Cylon Raider|Cylon fighters]] are approaching ''[[Colonial One]]'' (just before [[Adama, Lee|Lee]] saves the day with the EM pulse), [[Roslin, Laura|Roslin]] refuses to run and leave the other civilian ships to their doom... Yet she articulated no alternative plan. What was she hoping to do? It just seemed as though she planned to sit there and hope for the best, refusing to budge from the principle of not leaving defenseless people behind, even if that meant her own virtual suicide. It was an odd moment, she had been so decisive and clear headed up to then, and after that. (sic)

:What were her motivations, did she even have a plan? I still find this moment a little jarring and hard to explain away.I guess it does serve as a contrast to her later decision to leave [[Cami|Cammy]] (sic) etc behind. Thanks for your insights into this issue."

:[[Moore, Ronald D.|RDM]]: Can we talk? Let's be honest here. The show is not perfect. There are compromises made all the time; some for budgetary reasons, some are for political reasons, some are for no reason at all except that the writer could not, or would not, make the changes necessary to resolve a story point.

:Such is The Case of Laura Roslin and the Incoming Cylon.

:The above writer's observation is absolutely correct. Laura, by all rights and all sensible reasoning, should not obstinately stay when it's known for a fact that a Cylon missile is incoming, probably has a nuclear warhead and oh, by the way, she has no armament aboard her ship that would allow her even the remote chance of a possible last-minute, brilliant tactical move which might theoretically prevent the destruction of her ship and her presidency. Her refusal to leave, to Jump away from the impending, obvious threat can be interpreted as an irrational flaw in her character, a case of emotion trumping intellect, or it can be more correctly interpreted simply as a flaw in the script, an accepted error that the writer chooses to ignore in favor of other competing interests of character and plot which take priority in a given moment.

:In this case, I felt that the dramatic moment required that Laura make a committment to staying with her people, and to her nascent fleet, heedless of the consequence and resolute in her decision, even though it meant her certain doom. It was her instinctive response to the situation, her id's judgement, so to speak, that I was interested in, as well as the simpler plot device of having Lee swoop in and save them at the last moment just at the point you'd forgotten he was even there. Neither impulse is wrong, per se, but the error is in my choosing not to expand the moment and its aftermath in order to play out her realization of just how stupid a choice that was.

:If, at some point following the resolution of the crisis, Laura realized that she let her emotional reaction to the situation lead her into making a bad decision which was only saved by the providential intervention of Lee, then the scene would've accomplished everything I had hoped for in the moment as well as providing Laura with a character-building scene where the new president's first major decision nearly got them all killed. It would've been a way to both emphasize her fallibility and the fact that she can't afford to lead with her heart any longer. Her subsequent decision to leave the sublight ships behind, abandoning them to their destruction by the Cylons, would've also been informed by this experience and had a richer, even more textured component to it.

:In the end, it's not a fatal error in the script, and the moment passes by without comment for the most part, but it is something that nags at me whenever I see the sequence and which, frankly, bothered me at the time. So why didn't I fix it? A variety of answers present themselves, from time pressure to budgets, but the truth is, I knew that the emotional, dramatic moment would carry the audience through the scene and that people would be more invested in watching Lee take out the Cylon missile than in examining Laura's decision-making, so I opted to leave it alone rather than make the necessary page cuts and possible budget cuts needed to accommodate additional beats on this one point. It was probably the correct decision in the end, because the moment works and you move on as you're watching the show. However, being a television writer means not only having to make compromises and less than perfect decisions all the time, but as an additional penalty you get to always be reminded of the errors you've accepted when you watch the final product.

:Good catch by an attentive member of the audience.

:Damn you.

=== Additional Comments ===

* ''"Don't know if this has been addressed elsewhere already: Do [[Adama, Lee|Apollo]] and [[Helo]] already know each other at the start of the show? I recently reviewed the mini and noticed that in the [[Ready Room]] scene where Apollo is introduced and told he will fly [[Adama, William|Husker]]'s [[Viper]], when first introduced, Helo waves and Lee gives him one of those "oh, hey!" looks of familiarity, then when Lee isn't thrilled about flying his dad's Viper, Helo is the only one who *doesn't* look confused, he just smiles and turns back around."''

:I don't think they knew each other prior to the pilot. Lee probably had never set foot on the ''[[Galactica]]'' before then. I think the look was something improvised on the set.

== Statistics ==



=== Guest Stars ===




*[[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Conoy, Leoben|Leoben Conoy]]
*[[Matthew Bennett]] as [[Doral, Aaron|Aaron Doral]]
*[[Paul Campbell]] as [[Keikeya, Billy|Billy]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Barclay+Hope Barclay Hope] as Transport Pilot
*[http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0301874/ Lorena Gale] as [[Elosha|Priestess Elosha]]
*[[McClure, Kandyse|Kandyse McClure]] as [[Dualla]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Connor+Widdows Connor Widdows] as [[Boxey]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+John+Mann John Mann] as [[Spencer, Jackson|CAG]]
*[[Juliani, Alessandro|Alessandro Juliani]] as Lieutenant [[Gaeta]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nicki+Clyne Nicki Clyne] as Deckhand [[Cally]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Michael+Eklund Michael Eklund] as Deckhand [[Prosna]]
*[[Penikett, Tahmoh|Tahmoh Penikett]] as [[Agathon, Karl C.|Karl C. Agathon/Helo]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Haili+Page Haili Page] as [[Cami]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Alonso+Oyarzun Alonso Oyarzun] as Deckhand [[Socinus]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Ty+Olsson Ty Olsson] as Captain [[Kelly]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Ron+Blecker Ron Blecker] as Launch Officer
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Ryan+Robbins Ryan Robbins] as [[Armistice Officer]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Tim+Henry Tim Henry] as Doctor (on Caprica)
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Dwesi+Ameyaw Dwesi Ameyaw] as Liner Captain of [[Botonical Ship]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Brenda+McDonald Brenda McDonald] as Old Woman (who though she forgot her glasses)
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Suleka+Mathew Suleka Mathew] as [[Brody, Kellan|Kellan Brody]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Erin+Karpluk Erin Karpluk] as Woman #1
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Jenn+Griffin Jenn Griffin] as Woman #2
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+BJ+Harrison BJ Harrison] as Woman #3
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Moneca+Delain Moneca Delain] as Blonde Woman
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Zahf+Pardo Zahf Pardo] as Man #1
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Robert+Lewis Robert Lewis] as Man #2
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Denzal+Sinclaire Denzal Sinclaire] as Man #3
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nadine+Wright Nadine Wright] as [[Chantara]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Michael+Soltis Michael Soltis] as Chantara's Husband
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Fred+Keating Fred Keating] as Junior Reporter
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Lymari+Nadal Lymari Nadal] as [[Giana]]
*[[Gugushe, Biski|Biski Gugushe]] as Pilot #1
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nahanni+Arntzen Nahanni Arntzen] as Pilot #2
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nogel+Vonas Nogel Vonas] as Pilot #3
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Ryan+Nelson Ryan Nelson] as Pilot #4




=== Writing & Direction ===

*Written by [[Moore, Ronald D.|Ronald D. Moore]] and [[Glen A. Larson|Christopher Eric James]]
*Based off a story by [[Larson, Glen A.|Glen A. Larson]]
*Directed by [[Rymer, Michael|Michael Rymer]]




=== First Run Air Dates & Releases ===

*UK Airdate: 17 February 2004
*US Airdate: 8 December 2003, 9 December 2003 (2-night engagement, Sci-Fi Channel)
*Canadian Airdate: 17 January 2004
*DVD Release: 28 December 2004

[[Category: A to Z]]
[[Category: Episode Guide (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Miniseries, Night 1

2005-04-07T02:19:51Z

Arwel Parry: /* Plot and Character Analyses */ copyedit

== Overview ==

: ''After 40 years of peace with the Humanity's bastard children, the [[Cylons]], Humanity finds itself victim of a genocidal attack and the survivors are forced to flee from their [[Twelve Colonies | twelve colonies]] in the Cyrannus system.''

== Backplot ==



* The [[Cylons]] were created by the [[Colonials]] as a labor and military force. 40 years prior, the Cylons turned on their Human creators and the [[Cylon War]] ensued. The Cylons were exiled from the [[12 Colonies]] and were never seen again in any known form.
* The [[Galactica|Battlestar Galactica]] is the last relic from the Cylon War and is being decomissioned. It was slated to be turned into a museum piece.
* The Colonies, who were once technophobic due to the Cylons, are recovering from their phobia and are integrating technology back into their normal lives and, as a result, military crafts.
* The Cylons are capable of infiltrating any networked computer system and disrupting electrical equipment.
* The Colonials descended from a mother world, known as [[Kobol]].
* There is a myth about a [[Earth|13th Colony of Kobol]], known as [[Earth]].

== Questions ==



* What happened to the Cylons over the course of their 40 year exile?
* What events transpired that made the [[Cylons]] hate their human masters? When did this occur?
* Where is the Cylon homeworld?
* Are there other life forms or powers that exist in the universe?
* Does Earth truly exist, despite Cmdr. [[Adama, William|Adama's]] disbelief?
* What happened to [[Helo]] on [[Caprica]]? ([[33|Answer]])
* We know of 7 of 12 Cylon models: [[Valerii, Sharon|Boomer]], [[Number 6]], [[Doral, Aaron|Aaron Doral]], [[Cylon Centurion (old)]], [[Cylon Raider]], [[Cylon Centurion (new)]], and [[Conoy, Leoben|Leoben Conoy]]. What are the other 5?
* If the Cylons hate Humanity with the passion that they do, why did they mimic human form? Was it for strategic purposes or was there something greater?

== Analysis ==



=== Noted Improvements from the Original ===

* The basic story is still present: robotic [[Cylons]] surprisingly attack the 12 Colonies resulting in a holocaust, thus forcing a "rag-tag, fugitive fleet" to coalesce around the last surviving [[battlestar]], [[Galactica]], to seek a mythical [[13th Colony]] where refugees hope to find shelter from the [[Cylons]]. However, many of the fine details are changed, such as:
** The Cylons were created by Humanity, not by a reptilian race (also called Cylons) who hated Humanity.
** The ''Galactica'' is a 50 year old relic on the verge of decommission.
** The names of "Apollo", "Boomer", and "Starbuck" are changed to call signs. Characters have the standard First, Middle and Last Names.
** The futuristic (and often confusing) terminology used to denote distances, measuring, and time in the original series have been replaced with understandable terminology. "Year" was known as a "yahren" in the original.
** The ship designs, save for some revisions to the [[Viper|Mark II Viper]] and the [[Galactica]] and a few noteworthy background ships (such as the [[Freighter Gemenon]] and the [[Botanical Ship]], have been redone.
** The [[Quorum of Twelve]], is not mentioned in the mini-series, and has apparently been replaced by a setup similar to the United States [[WikiPedia:executive branch|executive branch]]. There is a president, vice president, and secretaries (the [[Quorum of Twelve|Quorum]] does not make an appearance until episode 1.11 [[Colonial Day]], in which it appears somewhat similar to the
** Instead of the out worldly, Egyptian-esque clothing and city designs (i.e. pyramids) seen in the original, the clothing and cities are more contemporary in design and function.
* The relationships and characters from the original have been changed slighly as well.
** [[TOS Boomer|Boomer]], who was played as a male character by [[Herb Jefferson Jr.]] in the original, is now the call-sign of a female Lieutenant [[Valerii, Sharon|Sharon Valerii]] ([[Grace Park]]).
** [[TOS Starbuck|Starbuck]], who was played as a male character by [[Dirk Benedict]] in the original, is now the call-sign of a female Lieutenant [[Thrace, Kara|Kara Thrace]] ([[Katee Sackhoff]])
** "Adama" is now a surname.
** The character of [[TOS Adama]], potrayed by [[Lorne Greene]] in the original, now is known as [[Adama, William|William "Husker" Adama]] ([[Edward James Olmos]]). He is a man about to retire, is estranged from his son [[Adama, Lee|Lee]], and is not as religious as the original portrayal of Adama.
** [[TOS Apollo]], portrayed by [[Original Series]] continuation activist [[Richard Hatch]], is the call sign of [[Adama, Lee|Lee Adama]] ([[Jamie Bamber]]). He is a flawed character who hates his father, believing him to be ultimately responsible for the death of [[Adama, Zak|Zack Adama]], and is questioning his life's choices.
** [[TOS Baltar]], who was willingly complicit in the destruction of the [[12 Colonies]] due to his thirst for power, is now a computer genius whose fullname is [[Baltar, Gaius|Gaius Baltar]]. Instead of being the imposing, methodical and mischevious Baltar (portrayed by the late [[John Colicos]]), Gaius ([[James Callis]]) is a cowardly, egotistical man whose ultimate falling for bombshell women is his fait accompli.  His betrayal of the human race was, mostly, due to his lust for [[Number 6]], whom he allowed unfettered access to the [[Colonial Defense Mainframe]].
** The character of Colonel [[ TOS Tigh]], portrayed by [[Terry Carter]], is now separated from his wife and seeing out the rest of his career from inside a bottle in the form of Colonel [[Tigh, Saul|Saul Tigh]] ([[Michael Hogan]]) who hasn't seen military action in a long while.
* The show has taken a more realistic turn. Realistic science, which was painfully absent in the original series, is applied in this series. From the movement of the space vessels to the tactics used in space, to even the noticeably diminished sounds in space (yes, it is muted, which is unrealistic -- but a necessary evil foisted upon the show by the higher-ups), the feeling of realism is in place. Realism is also affirmed by the documentary, hand-held camera style with the use of "snap zooms" and other guerilla documentarian niceties.
* Certain models of Cylons appear human, right down to the blood -- it would take complex tests just to screen for these Humanoid Cylons. Not only is this a budget-saver, but it also generates some very disturbing questions. For one, the Cylons have now managed to merge in with human society, making it easier to manipulate from within. This mirrors terrorist methods of infiltration and delivering destructive results to heavy population centers (a la suicide bombers). It also brings up interesting questions regarding cross-species mating: Can Humanoid Cylons mate with their Human creators?

=== Plot and Character Analyses ===

Since plot and character are so intertwined, both will be covered here.

==== Armistice Station ====

The Armistice Station gave us a chance to understand the conflict between the Cylons and Humanity. It also introduced us to the new Cylons and broke away from conventions set in Science Fiction. Instead of storming the station, the Cylons used [[Number 6]] and sexually assaulted the Armistice Officer. Question is, why was the Armistice Officer assaulted sexually instead of physically? The answer is three fold:

# This defied those who would make the claim that [[Battlestar Galactica]] is a "rip-off" of Star Wars; the same claim that was made against the original.
# This showed that the Cylons understood the devastating effect of sexual molestation. Since when did a Human expect for a Cylon to attack Humanity in this way?
# There is a drive within the Cylons to understand - and possibly experience the sensations of being truly alive.

The armistice station was destroyed by a Cylon [[Basestar|base star]]. Though this was a dramatic blow, this does seem rather unnecessary from a logical point of view. The Cylons present were more than enough to subdue the Armistice Officer and be able to keep the station for future purposes.

==== Commander William Adama & Nostalgia ====

With the [[Galactica]]'s future being a museum piece with gift shops, Commander William Adama is ready to retire, albeit reluctantly. Adama heads to retirement with trepidation, unsure of what he would do with the remainder of his life. His crew will ultimately be disbanded and good-byes abound. There is a sense of a ship seeing its last days, despite some of the joy that some of the crew members have in continuing their military careers.

Adama is presented with his reconditioned Viper, which was rusting in a junkyard on [[Sagittaron]], as well as a picture of himself and his two sons when he was younger.

This is a touching moment, demonstrating the crew's affection for him as a person. It also establishes Adama's legitimacy as a war-hardened commander in the series quite nicely.

==== Starbuck & Tigh Card Fight ====

The "card fight" between a Lieutenant and Colonel sparked a bit of controversy in the fan community before it aired. In the original draft, [[Thrace, Kara|Starbuck]] got off free without being thrown in the brig. However, given the fan's astute observation of a disturbing lack of disciplinary action against Starbuck for striking a superior, the aftermath was changed.

The scene demonstrates Starbuck's mistrust of authority and the antagonistic relationship between [[Tigh, Saul|Tigh]] and herself. The touch of classic Starbuck elements, i.e. the gambling and [[fumarello]] smoking, is a nice homage to the original that fits in nicely. [[Katee Sackhoff]]'s portrayal tells viewers that this isn't the same Starbuck from the original, as she is clearly unbalanced.

Tigh himself comes off as a grouchy, inebriated old man who has seen his glory days, which hammers home the fact that the good ship Galactica is seeing its last days. When he puts Starbuck in the brig, she knows she's stepped over the line -- but so has he, given that he flipped over the table first.

It also nicely puts Starbuck in a confined place from a story standpoint, allowing other characters to be introduced.

==== Laura Roslin's Cancer Storyline ====

The cancer story line for the Secretary of Education [[Laura Roslin]] seems a bit over-the-top from a superficial standpoint, which distracts from the main story. Yet having the cancer story-line helps show that smaller tragedies don't cease simply because another one looms ahead. It also reveals Roslin's vulnerability and puts her character in a realistic ethical conundrum, where she is more concerned about her own well-being when billions of people have been victims of the Cylon genocide.

The scene where she checks her breast does seem extraneous and could have been handled better from a story point of view.

==== The Infanticide Debate ====

One of the more emotional and argued points in the whole mini-series is not the sex changes of two main characters, and certainly not the major change in the Cylons, but the incident where [[Number 6]] kills an infant in the market place.

The question during the debate focused on the immorality of the act and was purported by those against the re-imagining as being an indicator that the source material wasn't being taken seriously.

The intent of the act was never questioned. It is simply assumed that Number 6 killed the baby out of cold blood.

The doubt of Number 6's intent, or possible lack thereof, still surrounds this scene. It was obvious that Number 6 was puzzled by the fraility of the baby and questioned as to how the neck could support the weight of the baby's head. Many items can be deduced from that scene, a few follow:

# It was a deliberate act. Cold and ruthless. Nothing more.
# Number 6 has feelings and is rational. Due to her knowledge of the impending attack and the expectation that the entire human race could be eradicated, could the act be merciful?
# Could it be an act of spite? In "[[33]]", her mental image asked [[Baltar, Gaius|Gaius Baltar]] if he wanted children. With begs the question: Can Humanoid Cylons propogate their race through Human childbirth?
# Could it be a simple lack of knowledge? If so, the infanticide was accidental, and Number 6 had no way of knowing.
# She did demonstrate curiosity as to how much the neck could support. Could the death have been an unethical experiment on her part?

The most disturbing aspect of the whole debate lies in the assumption that a single act of infanticide is unacceptable, whereas the genocide of the entire human race (including born and unborn infants) by Cylon hands seems to be more palatable.

==== The "Glowing Spine" Scene ====

One of the major inconsistencies in the mini-series was gleaned from this scene. The fact is established that Humano-Cylons were, for all intents and purposes, organic. Also established was, even with the most thorough of tests, it is almost impossible to screen Human from Cylon. This begs the question: What caused the spine to glow? It certainly wasn't a human reaction to sex. Since the Cylons went to the very painstaking process of creating an undetectable Humanoid Cylon model, it is conceivable that glowing spinal columns -- and more to the point the chemicals that would cause the aformentioned reaction -- would arouse undue suspicion and thwart Cylon plans.

One possible explanation for the glowing spine would be that the glowing spine is the act of "6" transfering some part of herself into Baltar, as evidenced later. However, this explanation is highly speculative.

Note: Comments from members of the production crew have since suggested that the only reason the glowing spine was included was that it "looked cool" at the time, and in retrospect, may have been a mistake.

==== "Humanity's children are returning home... today." ====

It is interesting to note Baltar's ability to deceive himself even when the human race is being eradicated.

; Additional information can be added later on. Feel free to do so.

== Notes ==



* The miniseries was initially broadcast in two two-hour segments. During re-broadcast (such as with the UK's Sky Movies channel), the two halves were combined into a single 3-hour 56-minute "film"
Initially, there were 12 [[battlestar|battlestars]], one representing each Colony. Battlestar ''[[Galactica]]'' represented [[Caprica]]. These were built with antiquated technolgies, as were their fighter craft, to avoid the [[Cylons]]'s tactical advantage of disrupting complex electrical and computer equipment.
* Networked computers were susceptible to Cylon infiltration, forcing the Colonials to react by reducing their dependance on technology.
* The fleet has been greatly expanded since then, with at least 36 and possibly as many as 120 battlestars, although it is by no means certain all the vessels in the fleet follow the ''Galactica'' design.
* As the Colonials became more confident of their security, integrated systems were re-introduced to their civilian and military craft.
* The Cylons believe in [[God]], whereas the Colonials believe in a pantheon of [[Gods]] mirroring the [[Greek Gods|12 Olympian gods]] of Greek mythology.
* Cylons are also called "chrome toasters", mainly for their original appearance (a nod to the original series).
* All pilots have call signs.
* Commander [[Dash]] was the ''Galactica's'' first Commanding Officer.
* In the mini, [[Valerii, Sharon#"Boomer" Valerii|Boomer]] is referred to as a "rook" by [[Thrace, Kara|Starbuck]], meaning a rookie. In [[Act of Contrition]] [[nugget]] is the chosen name for rookie pilots.

===Blooper Moments===
* At the start of the episode, dialogue is retained from a draft scipt which placed the [[Twelve Colonies]] actually on [[Kobol]], rather than spread among twelve worlds. The giveaway lines are spoken by [[Doral, Aaron|Aaron Doral]] (played by [[Bennett, Matthew|Matthew Bennett]]):

: "Now, as I was saying, form follows function, and nowhere is this axiom of design more readily apparent than on the world famous Battlestar Galactica...now originally there were twelve battlestars, each representing one of Kobol's twelve colonies...."

: Given the show is set among 12 different worlds, and Kobol is now regarded as the birthplace of humanity, abandoned at some point in the distant past, Doral's should have used the words "worlds' famous", and simply referred to the original battlestars representing each of the Twelve Colonies.
* At the time of her first FTL jump, ''Galactica'' retracts her flight pods. However, when the jump is made, the ship is shown with the pods still extended.

=== Nods ===

* The Firefly-class ship, Serenity, from the sci-fi series Firefly makes a brief appearance. It can be seen flying above [[Roslin, Laura|Laura Roslin]] when she is about to hear her prognosis of breast cancer on [[Caprica]].
* The fanfare just prior to [[Adama, William|Commander Adama's]] speech is taken from [[Stu Phillips]]'s theme for the [[TOS Battlestar Galactica|original Battlestar Galactica]].
* The pilot [[Jolly]] makes a brief (verbal) appearance, just prior to the Cylon's massacre of the squad led by [[Spencer, James|James Spencer]], Galactica's previous [[CAG]]. It is not the same actor that played [[Jolly (TOS)|Jolly]] in the original.
* The original [[Cylon Basestar (TOS)|Cylon Basestar]] can be briefly seen in the Galactica museum.
* President [[Roslin]] makes a point of calling [[Adama, Lee|Lee Adama]] "Captain [[Apollo]]", saying that it has a nice ring to it.
* During the attack, ''[[Colonial One|Colonial 798 Heavy]]'' assists Gemenon Liner Seventeen-oh-one (1701). This is a nod to [[Ronald D. Moore|RDM's]] work on Star Trek.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==




==== Adama's Speech at the Galactica's Decommissioning Ceremony ====

"The Cylon War is long over, yet we must not forget the reasons why so many sacrificed so much in the cause of freedom. The cost of wearing the uniform can be high, but --

"Sometimes it's too high.

"You know, when we fought the Cylons, we did it to save ourselves from extinction. But we never answered the question, why? Why are we as a people worth saving? We still commit murder because of greed, spite, jealousy. And we still visit all of our sins upon our children. We refuse to accept the responsibility for anything that we've done.

"Like we did with the Cylons. We decided to play God, create life. When that life turned against us, we comforted ourselves in the knowledge that it really wasn't our fault, not really. You cannot play God then wash your hands of the things that you've created. Sooner or later, the day comes when you can't hide from the things that you've done anymore."

== Official Statements ==




=== Edward James Olmos' (EJO) Statements Regarding the Mini-Series ===

After the announcement of Edward James Olmos' involvement in the mini-series, portraying a role that was previously done by Candian actor Lorne Greene, many fans contacted him. As is evidenced by the quotes before, Olmos demonstrates his honesty and reaction to the mail, most of which could be classified as fairly negative.

From his [http://hometown.aol.com/ejowebmistress/ official website]:

*"I must say one thing and will say this very clearly. If you are a person who really has a strict belief in the original, I would not advise that you watch this program...We really don't stand true to the kind of characters that were built around the original. It definitely does break the mold. Some of the characters' names are the same, but the intent and the way that we are building the reality is completely not the reality that was built in the original." -- 7/03

*"I'm going to be the first one to say it really clearly. Please tell your readers, do not watch this program...[P]eople get really, really angry. You've got to remember that this is a show that was only on . . . in the late '70s, and to this day has a very strong fan base. Tens of thousands of people who write to each other for 25 years over a program that is not on the air and is not even being rerun. "They didn't want this at all, and I didn't know any of this. . . . All of a sudden, my e-mails went through the roof. Suddenly I was accused of teaming up with Ron Moore and creating just a slap in the face of all these people, and I didn't want to slap anybody."

*"Trust me, don't watch it. If you are a real, real staunch 'Battlestar Galactica' person, don't watch it. . . . Just don't write to me, all right? I warned you. I was honest."

*"I've gotten some really strong, strong mail. . . . They're really bitter. They're very angry. And I know the Sci Fi Channel wants to say that everybody's going to enjoy it. They're not."

=== Comments from [[Eick, David|David Eick]] ===

"The goals of the mini series were nothing short of reinventing the science fiction genre. We wanted to present people in a catastrophic situation, in the wake of a tragedy, responding as human beings actually would through the prism of the science ficton genre."

=== Regarding Mini Series Ratings ===

"I think going into it, we all wondered. you know, what the audience numbers were going to be, especially given all the internet, sort of, controversey and the general, sort of, [something] about what we were doing and people objecting. And was it going to be a failure or was it not.

"The first night's numbers were good, but not great. We were waiting to see what the drop-off would be, because there was always a drop off on the second night. And the ratings actually went up." -- Ron D. Moore [http://scifi.com/battlestar/bts/video/mov/video_06_320.mov]

=== Regarding Roslin's Refusal to Leave Her Nascent Fleet ===

{{from_RDM_blog}}

:Someone recently asked:
:"In the mini series, when the [[Cylon Raider|Cylon fighters]] are approaching ''[[Colonial One]]'' (just before [[Adama, Lee|Lee]] saves the day with the EM pulse), [[Roslin, Laura|Roslin]] refuses to run and leave the other civilian ships to their doom... Yet she articulated no alternative plan.What was she hoping to do? It just seemed as though she planned to sit there and hope for the best, refusing to budge from the principle of not leaving defenseless people behind, even if that meant her own virtual suicide. It was an odd moment, she had been so decisive and clear headed up to then, and after that. (sic)

:What were her motivations, did she even have a plan? I still find this moment a little jarring and hard to explain away.I guess it does serve as a contrast to her later decision to leave [[Cami|Cammy]] (sic) etc behind. Thanks for your insights into this issue."

:[[Moore, Ronald D.|RDM]]: Can we talk? Let's be honest here. The show is not perfect. There are compromises made all the time; some for budgetary reasons, some are for political reasons, some are for no reason at all except that the writer could not, or would not, make the changes necessary to resolve a story point.

:Such is The Case of Laura Roslin and the Incoming Cylon.

:The above writer's observation is absolutely correct. Laura, by all rights and all sensible reasoning, should not obstinately stay when it's known for a fact that a Cylon missile is incoming, probably has a nuclear warhead and oh, by the way, she has no armament aboard her ship that would allow her even the remote chance of a possible last-minute, brilliant tactical move which might theoretically prevent the destruction of her ship and her presidency. Her refusal to leave, to Jump away from the impending, obvious threat can be interpreted as an irrational flaw in her character, a case of emotion trumping intellect, or it can be more correctly interpreted simply as a flaw in the script, an accepted error that the writer chooses to ignore in favor of other competing interests of character and plot which take priority in a given moment.

:In this case, I felt that the dramatic moment required that Laura make a committment to staying with her people, and to her nascent fleet, heedless of the consequence and resolute in her decision, even though it meant her certain doom. It was her instinctive response to the situation, her id's judgement, so to speak, that I was interested in, as well as the simpler plot device of having Lee swoop in and save them at the last moment just at the point you'd forgotten he was even there. Neither impulse is wrong, per se, but the error is in my choosing not to expand the moment and its aftermath in order to play out her realization of just how stupid a choice that was.

:If, at some point following the resolution of the crisis, Laura realized that she let her emotional reaction to the situation lead her into making a bad decision which was only saved by the providential intervention of Lee, then the scene would've accomplished everything I had hoped for in the moment as well as providing Laura with a character-building scene where the new president's first major decision nearly got them all killed. It would've been a way to both emphasize her fallibility and the fact that she can't afford to lead with her heart any longer. Her subsequent decision to leave the sublight ships behind, abandoning them to their destruction by the Cylons, would've also been informed by this experience and had a richer, even more textured component to it.

:In the end, it's not a fatal error in the script, and the moment passes by without comment for the most part, but it is something that nags at me whenever I see the sequence and which, frankly, bothered me at the time. So why didn't I fix it? A variety of answers present themselves, from time pressure to budgets, but the truth is, I knew that the emotional, dramatic moment would carry the audience through the scene and that people would be more invested in watching Lee take out the Cylon missile than in examining Laura's decision-making, so I opted to leave it alone rather than make the necessary page cuts and possible budget cuts needed to accommodate additional beats on this one point. It was probably the correct decision in the end, because the moment works and you move on as you're watching the show. However, being a television writer means not only having to make compromises and less than perfect decisions all the time, but as an additional penalty you get to always be reminded of the errors you've accepted when you watch the final product.

:Good catch by an attentive member of the audience.

:Damn you.

=== Additional Comments ===

* ''"Don't know if this has been addressed elsewhere already: Do [[Adama, Lee|Apollo]] and [[Helo]] already know each other at the start of the show? I recently reviewed the mini and noticed that in the [[Ready Room]] scene where Apollo is introduced and told he will fly [[Adama, William|Husker]]'s [[Viper]], when first introduced, Helo waves and Lee gives him one of those "oh, hey!" looks of familiarity, then when Lee isn't thrilled about flying his dad's Viper, Helo is the only one who *doesn't* look confused, he just smiles and turns back around."''

:I don't think they knew each other prior to the pilot. Lee probably had never set foot on the ''[[Galactica]]'' before then. I think the look was something improvised on the set.

== Statistics ==



=== Guest Stars ===




*[[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Conoy, Leoben|Leoben Conoy]]
*[[Matthew Bennett]] as [[Doral, Aaron|Aaron Doral]]
*[[Paul Campbell]] as [[Keikeya, Billy|Billy]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Barclay+Hope Barclay Hope] as Transport Pilot
*[http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0301874/ Lorena Gale] as [[Elosha|Priestess Elosha]]
*[[McClure, Kandyse|Kandyse McClure]] as [[Dualla]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Connor+Widdows Connor Widdows] as [[Boxey]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+John+Mann John Mann] as [[Spencer, Jackson|CAG]]
*[[Juliani, Alessandro|Alessandro Juliani]] as Lieutenant [[Gaeta]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nicki+Clyne Nicki Clyne] as Deckhand [[Cally]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Michael+Eklund Michael Eklund] as Deckhand [[Prosna]]
*[[Penikett, Tahmoh|Tahmoh Penikett]] as [[Agathon, Karl C.|Karl C. Agathon/Helo]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Haili+Page Haili Page] as [[Cami]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Alonso+Oyarzun Alonso Oyarzun] as Deckhand [[Socinus]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Ty+Olsson Ty Olsson] as Captain [[Kelly]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Ron+Blecker Ron Blecker] as Launch Officer
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Ryan+Robbins Ryan Robbins] as [[Armistice Officer]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Tim+Henry Tim Henry] as Doctor (on Caprica)
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Dwesi+Ameyaw Dwesi Ameyaw] as Liner Captain of [[Botonical Ship]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Brenda+McDonald Brenda McDonald] as Old Woman (who though she forgot her glasses)
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Suleka+Mathew Suleka Mathew] as [[Brody, Kellan|Kellan Brody]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Erin+Karpluk Erin Karpluk] as Woman #1
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Jenn+Griffin Jenn Griffin] as Woman #2
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+BJ+Harrison BJ Harrison] as Woman #3
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Moneca+Delain Moneca Delain] as Blonde Woman
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Zahf+Pardo Zahf Pardo] as Man #1
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Robert+Lewis Robert Lewis] as Man #2
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Denzal+Sinclaire Denzal Sinclaire] as Man #3
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nadine+Wright Nadine Wright] as [[Chantara]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Michael+Soltis Michael Soltis] as Chantara's Husband
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Fred+Keating Fred Keating] as Junior Reporter
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Lymari+Nadal Lymari Nadal] as [[Giana]]
*[[Gugushe, Biski|Biski Gugushe]] as Pilot #1
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nahanni+Arntzen Nahanni Arntzen] as Pilot #2
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nogel+Vonas Nogel Vonas] as Pilot #3
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Ryan+Nelson Ryan Nelson] as Pilot #4




=== Writing & Direction ===

*Written by [[Moore, Ronald D.|Ronald D. Moore]] and [[Glen A. Larson|Christopher Eric James]]
*Based off a story by [[Larson, Glen A.|Glen A. Larson]]
*Directed by [[Rymer, Michael|Michael Rymer]]




=== First Run Air Dates & Releases ===

*UK Airdate: 17 February 2004
*US Airdate: 8 December 2003, 9 December 2003 (2-night engagement, Sci-Fi Channel)
*Canadian Airdate: 17 January 2004
*DVD Release: 28 December 2004

[[Category: A to Z]]
[[Category: Episode Guide (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Miniseries, Night 1

2005-04-07T02:05:43Z

Arwel Parry: /* Noted Improvements from the Original */ John Colicos, not James

== Overview ==

: ''After 40 years of peace with the Humanity's bastard children, the [[Cylons]], Humanity finds itself victim of a genocidal attack and the survivors are forced to flee from their [[Twelve Colonies | twelve colonies]] in the Cyrannus system.''

== Backplot ==



* The [[Cylons]] were created by the [[Colonials]] as a labor and military force. 40 years prior, the Cylons turned on their Human creators and the [[Cylon War]] ensued. The Cylons were exiled from the [[12 Colonies]] and were never seen again in any known form.
* The [[Galactica|Battlestar Galactica]] is the last relic from the Cylon War and is being decomissioned. It was slated to be turned into a museum piece.
* The Colonies, who were once technophobic due to the Cylons, are recovering from their phobia and are integrating technology back into their normal lives and, as a result, military crafts.
* The Cylons are capable of infiltrating any networked computer system and disrupting electrical equipment.
* The Colonials descended from a mother world, known as [[Kobol]].
* There is a myth about a [[Earth|13th Colony of Kobol]], known as [[Earth]].

== Questions ==



* What happened to the Cylons over the course of their 40 year exile?
* What events transpired that made the [[Cylons]] hate their human masters? When did this occur?
* Where is the Cylon homeworld?
* Are there other life forms or powers that exist in the universe?
* Does Earth truly exist, despite Cmdr. [[Adama, William|Adama's]] disbelief?
* What happened to [[Helo]] on [[Caprica]]? ([[33|Answer]])
* We know of 7 of 12 Cylon models: [[Valerii, Sharon|Boomer]], [[Number 6]], [[Doral, Aaron|Aaron Doral]], [[Cylon Centurion (old)]], [[Cylon Raider]], [[Cylon Centurion (new)]], and [[Conoy, Leoben|Leoben Conoy]]. What are the other 5?
* If the Cylons hate Humanity with the passion that they do, why did they mimic human form? Was it for strategic purposes or was there something greater?

== Analysis ==



=== Noted Improvements from the Original ===

* The basic story is still present: robotic [[Cylons]] surprisingly attack the 12 Colonies resulting in a holocaust, thus forcing a "rag-tag, fugitive fleet" to coalesce around the last surviving [[battlestar]], [[Galactica]], to seek a mythical [[13th Colony]] where refugees hope to find shelter from the [[Cylons]]. However, many of the fine details are changed, such as:
** The Cylons were created by Humanity, not by a reptilian race (also called Cylons) who hated Humanity.
** The ''Galactica'' is a 50 year old relic on the verge of decommission.
** The names of "Apollo", "Boomer", and "Starbuck" are changed to call signs. Characters have the standard First, Middle and Last Names.
** The futuristic (and often confusing) terminology used to denote distances, measuring, and time in the original series have been replaced with understandable terminology. "Year" was known as a "yahren" in the original.
** The ship designs, save for some revisions to the [[Viper|Mark II Viper]] and the [[Galactica]] and a few noteworthy background ships (such as the [[Freighter Gemenon]] and the [[Botanical Ship]], have been redone.
** The [[Quorum of Twelve]], is not mentioned in the mini-series, and has apparently been replaced by a setup similar to the United States [[WikiPedia:executive branch|executive branch]]. There is a president, vice president, and secretaries (the [[Quorum of Twelve|Quorum]] does not make an appearance until episode 1.11 [[Colonial Day]], in which it appears somewhat similar to the
** Instead of the out worldly, Egyptian-esque clothing and city designs (i.e. pyramids) seen in the original, the clothing and cities are more contemporary in design and function.
* The relationships and characters from the original have been changed slighly as well.
** [[TOS Boomer|Boomer]], who was played as a male character by [[Herb Jefferson Jr.]] in the original, is now the call-sign of a female Lieutenant [[Valerii, Sharon|Sharon Valerii]] ([[Grace Park]]).
** [[TOS Starbuck|Starbuck]], who was played as a male character by [[Dirk Benedict]] in the original, is now the call-sign of a female Lieutenant [[Thrace, Kara|Kara Thrace]] ([[Katee Sackhoff]])
** "Adama" is now a surname.
** The character of [[TOS Adama]], potrayed by [[Lorne Greene]] in the original, now is known as [[Adama, William|William "Husker" Adama]] ([[Edward James Olmos]]). He is a man about to retire, is estranged from his son [[Adama, Lee|Lee]], and is not as religious as the original portrayal of Adama.
** [[TOS Apollo]], portrayed by [[Original Series]] continuation activist [[Richard Hatch]], is the call sign of [[Adama, Lee|Lee Adama]] ([[Jamie Bamber]]). He is a flawed character who hates his father, believing him to be ultimately responsible for the death of [[Adama, Zak|Zack Adama]], and is questioning his life's choices.
** [[TOS Baltar]], who was willingly complicit in the destruction of the [[12 Colonies]] due to his thirst for power, is now a computer genius whose fullname is [[Baltar, Gaius|Gaius Baltar]]. Instead of being the imposing, methodical and mischevious Baltar (portrayed by the late [[John Colicos]]), Gaius ([[James Callis]]) is a cowardly, egotistical man whose ultimate falling for bombshell women is his fait accompli.  His betrayal of the human race was, mostly, due to his lust for [[Number 6]], whom he allowed unfettered access to the [[Colonial Defense Mainframe]].
** The character of Colonel [[ TOS Tigh]], portrayed by [[Terry Carter]], is now separated from his wife and seeing out the rest of his career from inside a bottle in the form of Colonel [[Tigh, Saul|Saul Tigh]] ([[Michael Hogan]]) who hasn't seen military action in a long while.
* The show has taken a more realistic turn. Realistic science, which was painfully absent in the original series, is applied in this series. From the movement of the space vessels to the tactics used in space, to even the noticeably diminished sounds in space (yes, it is muted, which is unrealistic -- but a necessary evil foisted upon the show by the higher-ups), the feeling of realism is in place. Realism is also affirmed by the documentary, hand-held camera style with the use of "snap zooms" and other guerilla documentarian niceties.
* Certain models of Cylons appear human, right down to the blood -- it would take complex tests just to screen for these Humanoid Cylons. Not only is this a budget-saver, but it also generates some very disturbing questions. For one, the Cylons have now managed to merge in with human society, making it easier to manipulate from within. This mirrors terrorist methods of infiltration and delivering destructive results to heavy population centers (a la suicide bombers). It also brings up interesting questions regarding cross-species mating: Can Humanoid Cylons mate with their Human creators?

=== Plot and Character Analyses ===

Since plot and character are so intertwined, both will be covered here.

==== Armistice Station ====

The Armistice Station gave us a chance to understand the conflict between the Cylons and Humanity. It also introduced us to the new Cylons and broke away from conventions set in Science Fiction. Instead of storming the station, the Cylons used [[Number 6]] and sexually assaulted the Armistice Officer. Question is, why was the Armistice Officer assaulted sexually instead of physically? The answer is three fold:

# This defied those who would make the claim that [[Battlestar Galactica]] is a "rip-off" of Star Wars; the same claim that was made against the original.
# This showed that the Cylons understood the devestating effect of sexual molestation. Since when did a Human expect for a Cylon to attack Humanity in this way?
# There is a drive within the Cylons to understand - and possibly experience the sensations of being truly alive.

The armistice station was destroyed by a Cylon [[Basestar|base star]]. Though this was a dramatic blow, this does seem rather unnecessary from a logical point of view. The Cylons present were more than enough to subdue the Armistice Officer and be able to keep the station for future purposes.

==== Commander William Adama & Nostalgia ====

With the [[Galactica]]'s future being a museum piece with gift shops, Commander William Adama is ready to retire, albeit reluctantly. Adama heads to retirement with tredipation, unsure of what he would do with the remainder of his life. His crew will ultimately be disbanded and good-byes are abound. There is a sense of a ship seeing its last days, despite some of the joy that some of the crew members have in continuing their military careers.

Adama is presented with his reconditioned Viper, which was rusting in a junkyard on [[Sagittaron]], as well as a picture of himself and his two sons when he was younger.

This is a touching moment, demonstrating the crew's affection for him as a person. It also establishes Adama's legitimacy as a war-hardened commander in the series quite nicely.

==== Starbuck & Tigh Card Fight ====

The "card fight" between a Lieutenant and Colonel sparked a bit of controversy in the fan community before it aired. In the original draft, [[Thrace, Kara|Starbuck]] got off free without being thrown in the brig. However, given the fan's astute observation of a disturbing lack of disciplinary action against Starbuck for striking a superior, the aftermath was changed.

The scene demonstrates Starbuck's mistrust of authority and the antagonistic relationship between [[Tigh, Saul|Tigh]] and herself. The touch of classic Starbuck elements, i.e. the gambling and [[fumarello]] smoking, is a nice homage to the original that fits in nicely. [[Katee Sackhoff]]'s portrayal tells viewers that this isn't the same Starbuck from the original, as she is clearly unbalanced.

Tigh himself comes off as a grouchy, inebriated old man who has seen his glory days, which hammers home the fact that the good ship Galactica is seeing its last days. When he puts Starbuck in the brig, she knows she's stepped over the line -- but so has he, given that he flipped over the table first.

It also nicely puts Starbuck in a confined place from a story standpoint, allowing other characters to be introduced.

==== Laura Roslin's Cancer Storyline ====

The cancer story line for the Secretary of Education [[Laura Roslin]] seems a bit over-the-top from a superficial standpoint, which distracts from the main story. Yet having the cancer story-line helps show that smaller tragedies don't cease simply because another one looms ahead. It also reveals Roslin's vulnerability and puts her character in a realistic ethical conundrum, where she is more concerned about her own well-being when billions of people have been victims of the Cylon genocide.

The scene where she checks her breast does seem extraneous and could have been handled better from a story point of view.

==== The Infanticide Debate ====

One of the more emotional and argued points in the whole mini-series is not the sex changes of two main characters, and certainly not the major change in the Cylons, but the incident where [[Number 6]] kills an infant in the market place.

The question during the debate focused on the immorality of the act and was purported by those against the re-imagining as being an indicator that the source material wasn't being taken seriously.

The intent of the act was never questioned. It is simply assumed that Number 6 killed the baby out of cold blood.

The doubt of Number 6's intent, or possible lack thereof, still surrounds this scene. It was obvious that Number 6 was puzzled by the fraility of the baby and questioned as to how the neck could support the weight of the baby's head. Many items can be deduced from that scene, a few follow:

# It was a deliberate act. Cold and ruthless. Nothing more.
# Number 6 has feelings and is rational. Due to her knowledge of the impending attack and the expectation that the entire human race could be eradicated, could the act be merciful?
# Could it be an act of spite? In "[[33]]", her mental image asked [[Baltar, Gaius|Gaius Baltar]] if he wanted children. With begs the question: Can Humanoid Cylons propogate their race through Human childbirth?
# Could it be a simple lack of knowledge? If so, the infanticide was accidental, and Number 6 had no way of knowing.
# She did demonstrate curiousity as to how much the neck could support. Could the death have been an unethical experiment on her part?

The most disturbing aspect of the whole debate lies in the assumed assumption that a single act of infanticide is unacceptable, whereas the genocide of the entire human race (including born and unborn infants) by Cylon hands seems to be more palatable.

==== The "Glowing Spine" Scene ====

One of the major inconsitencies in the mini-series was gleaned from this scene. The fact is established that Humano-Cylons were, for all intents and purposes, organic. Also established was, even with the most thorough of tests, it is almost impossible to screen Human from Cylon. Thus begs the question: What caused the spine to glow? It certainly wasn't a human reaction to sex. Since the Cylons went to the very painstaking process of creating an undetectable Humanoid Cylon model, it is conceivable that glowing spinal columns -- and more to the point the chemicals that would cause the aformentioned reaction -- would arouse undue suspicion and thwart Cylon plans.

One possible explanation for the glowing spine would be that the glowing spine is the act of "6" transfering some part of herself into Baltar, as evidenced later. However, this explanation is highly speculative.

Note: Comments from members of the production crew have since suggested that the only reason the glowing spine was included was that it "looked cool" at the time, and in retrospect, may have been a mistake.

==== "Humanity's children are returning home... today." ====

It is interesting to note Baltar's ability to deceive himself even when the human race is being eradicated.

; Additional information can be added later on. Feel free to do so.

== Notes ==



* The miniseries was initially broadcast in two two-hour segments. During re-broadcast (such as with the UK's Sky Movies channel), the two halves were combined into a single 3-hour 56-minute "film"
Initially, there were 12 [[battlestar|battlestars]], one representing each Colony. Battlestar ''[[Galactica]]'' represented [[Caprica]]. These were built with antiquated technolgies, as were their fighter craft, to avoid the [[Cylons]]'s tactical advantage of disrupting complex electrical and computer equipment.
* Networked computers were susceptible to Cylon infiltration, forcing the Colonials to react by reducing their dependance on technology.
* The fleet has been greatly expanded since then, with at least 36 and possibly as many as 120 battlestars, although it is by no means certain all the vessels in the fleet follow the ''Galactica'' design.
* As the Colonials became more confident of their security, integrated systems were re-introduced to their civilian and military craft.
* The Cylons believe in [[God]], whereas the Colonials believe in a pantheon of [[Gods]] mirroring the [[Greek Gods|12 Olympian gods]] of Greek mythology.
* Cylons are also called "chrome toasters", mainly for their original appearance (a nod to the original series).
* All pilots have call signs.
* Commander [[Dash]] was the ''Galactica's'' first Commanding Officer.
* In the mini, [[Valerii, Sharon#"Boomer" Valerii|Boomer]] is referred to as a "rook" by [[Thrace, Kara|Starbuck]], meaning a rookie. In [[Act of Contrition]] [[nugget]] is the chosen name for rookie pilots.

===Blooper Moments===
* At the start of the episode, dialogue is retained from a draft scipt which placed the [[Twelve Colonies]] actually on [[Kobol]], rather than spread among twelve worlds. The giveaway lines are spoken by [[Doral, Aaron|Aaron Doral]] (played by [[Bennett, Matthew|Matthew Bennett]]):

: "Now, as I was saying, form follows function, and nowhere is this axiom of design more readily apparent than on the world famous Battlestar Galactica...now originally there were twelve battlestars, each representing one of Kobol's twelve colonies...."

: Given the show is set among 12 different worlds, and Kobol is now regarded as the birthplace of humanity, abandoned at some point in the distant past, Doral's should have used the words "worlds' famous", and simply referred to the original battlestars representing each of the Twelve Colonies.
* At the time of her first FTL jump, ''Galactica'' retracts her flight pods. However, when the jump is made, the ship is shown with the pods still extended.

=== Nods ===

* The Firefly-class ship, Serenity, from the sci-fi series Firefly makes a brief appearance. It can be seen flying above [[Roslin, Laura|Laura Roslin]] when she is about to hear her prognosis of breast cancer on [[Caprica]].
* The fanfare just prior to [[Adama, William|Commander Adama's]] speech is taken from [[Stu Phillips]]'s theme for the [[TOS Battlestar Galactica|original Battlestar Galactica]].
* The pilot [[Jolly]] makes a brief (verbal) appearance, just prior to the Cylon's massacre of the squad led by [[Spencer, James|James Spencer]], Galactica's previous [[CAG]]. It is not the same actor that played [[Jolly (TOS)|Jolly]] in the original.
* The original [[Cylon Basestar (TOS)|Cylon Basestar]] can be briefly seen in the Galactica museum.
* President [[Roslin]] makes a point of calling [[Adama, Lee|Lee Adama]] "Captain [[Apollo]]", saying that it has a nice ring to it.
* During the attack, ''[[Colonial One|Colonial 798 Heavy]]'' assists Gemenon Liner Seventeen-oh-one (1701). This is a nod to [[Ronald D. Moore|RDM's]] work on Star Trek.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==




==== Adama's Speech at the Galactica's Decommissioning Ceremony ====

"The Cylon War is long over, yet we must not forget the reasons why so many sacrificed so much in the cause of freedom. The cost of wearing the uniform can be high, but --

"Sometimes it's too high.

"You know, when we fought the Cylons, we did it to save ourselves from extinction. But we never answered the question, why? Why are we as a people worth saving? We still commit murder because of greed, spite, jealousy. And we still visit all of our sins upon our children. We refuse to accept the responsibility for anything that we've done.

"Like we did with the Cylons. We decided to play God, create life. When that life turned against us, we comforted ourselves in the knowledge that it really wasn't our fault, not really. You cannot play God then wash your hands of the things that you've created. Sooner or later, the day comes when you can't hide from the things that you've done anymore."

== Official Statements ==




=== Edward James Olmos' (EJO) Statements Regarding the Mini-Series ===

After the announcement of Edward James Olmos' involvement in the mini-series, portraying a role that was previously done by Candian actor Lorne Greene, many fans contacted him. As is evidenced by the quotes before, Olmos demonstrates his honesty and reaction to the mail, most of which could be classified as fairly negative.

From his [http://hometown.aol.com/ejowebmistress/ official website]:

*"I must say one thing and will say this very clearly. If you are a person who really has a strict belief in the original, I would not advise that you watch this program...We really don't stand true to the kind of characters that were built around the original. It definitely does break the mold. Some of the characters' names are the same, but the intent and the way that we are building the reality is completely not the reality that was built in the original." -- 7/03

*"I'm going to be the first one to say it really clearly. Please tell your readers, do not watch this program...[P]eople get really, really angry. You've got to remember that this is a show that was only on . . . in the late '70s, and to this day has a very strong fan base. Tens of thousands of people who write to each other for 25 years over a program that is not on the air and is not even being rerun. "They didn't want this at all, and I didn't know any of this. . . . All of a sudden, my e-mails went through the roof. Suddenly I was accused of teaming up with Ron Moore and creating just a slap in the face of all these people, and I didn't want to slap anybody."

*"Trust me, don't watch it. If you are a real, real staunch 'Battlestar Galactica' person, don't watch it. . . . Just don't write to me, all right? I warned you. I was honest."

*"I've gotten some really strong, strong mail. . . . They're really bitter. They're very angry. And I know the Sci Fi Channel wants to say that everybody's going to enjoy it. They're not."

=== Comments from [[Eick, David|David Eick]] ===

"The goals of the mini series were nothing short of reinventing the science fiction genre. We wanted to present people in a catastrophic situation, in the wake of a tragedy, responding as human beings actually would through the prism of the science ficton genre."

=== Regarding Mini Series Ratings ===

"I think going into it, we all wondered. you know, what the audience numbers were going to be, especially given all the internet, sort of, controversey and the general, sort of, [something] about what we were doing and people objecting. And was it going to be a failure or was it not.

"The first night's numbers were good, but not great. We were waiting to see what the drop-off would be, because there was always a drop off on the second night. And the ratings actually went up." -- Ron D. Moore [http://scifi.com/battlestar/bts/video/mov/video_06_320.mov]

=== Regarding Roslin's Refusal to Leave Her Nascent Fleet ===

{{from_RDM_blog}}

:Someone recently asked:
:"In the mini series, when the [[Cylon Raider|Cylon fighters]] are approaching ''[[Colonial One]]'' (just before [[Adama, Lee|Lee]] saves the day with the EM pulse), [[Roslin, Laura|Roslin]] refuses to run and leave the other civilian ships to their doom... Yet she articulated no alternative plan.What was she hoping to do? It just seemed as though she planned to sit there and hope for the best, refusing to budge from the principle of not leaving defenseless people behind, even if that meant her own virtual suicide. It was an odd moment, she had been so decisive and clear headed up to then, and after that. (sic)

:What were her motivations, did she even have a plan? I still find this moment a little jarring and hard to explain away.I guess it does serve as a contrast to her later decision to leave [[Cami|Cammy]] (sic) etc behind. Thanks for your insights into this issue."

:[[Moore, Ronald D.|RDM]]: Can we talk? Let's be honest here. The show is not perfect. There are compromises made all the time; some for budgetary reasons, some are for political reasons, some are for no reason at all except that the writer could not, or would not, make the changes necessary to resolve a story point.

:Such is The Case of Laura Roslin and the Incoming Cylon.

:The above writer's observation is absolutely correct. Laura, by all rights and all sensible reasoning, should not obstinately stay when it's known for a fact that a Cylon missile is incoming, probably has a nuclear warhead and oh, by the way, she has no armament aboard her ship that would allow her even the remote chance of a possible last-minute, brilliant tactical move which might theoretically prevent the destruction of her ship and her presidency. Her refusal to leave, to Jump away from the impending, obvious threat can be interpreted as an irrational flaw in her character, a case of emotion trumping intellect, or it can be more correctly interpreted simply as a flaw in the script, an accepted error that the writer chooses to ignore in favor of other competing interests of character and plot which take priority in a given moment.

:In this case, I felt that the dramatic moment required that Laura make a committment to staying with her people, and to her nascent fleet, heedless of the consequence and resolute in her decision, even though it meant her certain doom. It was her instinctive response to the situation, her id's judgement, so to speak, that I was interested in, as well as the simpler plot device of having Lee swoop in and save them at the last moment just at the point you'd forgotten he was even there. Neither impulse is wrong, per se, but the error is in my choosing not to expand the moment and its aftermath in order to play out her realization of just how stupid a choice that was.

:If, at some point following the resolution of the crisis, Laura realized that she let her emotional reaction to the situation lead her into making a bad decision which was only saved by the providential intervention of Lee, then the scene would've accomplished everything I had hoped for in the moment as well as providing Laura with a character-building scene where the new president's first major decision nearly got them all killed. It would've been a way to both emphasize her fallibility and the fact that she can't afford to lead with her heart any longer. Her subsequent decision to leave the sublight ships behind, abandoning them to their destruction by the Cylons, would've also been informed by this experience and had a richer, even more textured component to it.

:In the end, it's not a fatal error in the script, and the moment passes by without comment for the most part, but it is something that nags at me whenever I see the sequence and which, frankly, bothered me at the time. So why didn't I fix it? A variety of answers present themselves, from time pressure to budgets, but the truth is, I knew that the emotional, dramatic moment would carry the audience through the scene and that people would be more invested in watching Lee take out the Cylon missile than in examining Laura's decision-making, so I opted to leave it alone rather than make the necessary page cuts and possible budget cuts needed to accommodate additional beats on this one point. It was probably the correct decision in the end, because the moment works and you move on as you're watching the show. However, being a television writer means not only having to make compromises and less than perfect decisions all the time, but as an additional penalty you get to always be reminded of the errors you've accepted when you watch the final product.

:Good catch by an attentive member of the audience.

:Damn you.

=== Additional Comments ===

* ''"Don't know if this has been addressed elsewhere already: Do [[Adama, Lee|Apollo]] and [[Helo]] already know each other at the start of the show? I recently reviewed the mini and noticed that in the [[Ready Room]] scene where Apollo is introduced and told he will fly [[Adama, William|Husker]]'s [[Viper]], when first introduced, Helo waves and Lee gives him one of those "oh, hey!" looks of familiarity, then when Lee isn't thrilled about flying his dad's Viper, Helo is the only one who *doesn't* look confused, he just smiles and turns back around."''

:I don't think they knew each other prior to the pilot. Lee probably had never set foot on the ''[[Galactica]]'' before then. I think the look was something improvised on the set.

== Statistics ==



=== Guest Stars ===




*[[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Conoy, Leoben|Leoben Conoy]]
*[[Matthew Bennett]] as [[Doral, Aaron|Aaron Doral]]
*[[Paul Campbell]] as [[Keikeya, Billy|Billy]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Barclay+Hope Barclay Hope] as Transport Pilot
*[http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0301874/ Lorena Gale] as [[Elosha|Priestess Elosha]]
*[[McClure, Kandyse|Kandyse McClure]] as [[Dualla]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Connor+Widdows Connor Widdows] as [[Boxey]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+John+Mann John Mann] as [[Spencer, Jackson|CAG]]
*[[Juliani, Alessandro|Alessandro Juliani]] as Lieutenant [[Gaeta]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nicki+Clyne Nicki Clyne] as Deckhand [[Cally]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Michael+Eklund Michael Eklund] as Deckhand [[Prosna]]
*[[Penikett, Tahmoh|Tahmoh Penikett]] as [[Agathon, Karl C.|Karl C. Agathon/Helo]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Haili+Page Haili Page] as [[Cami]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Alonso+Oyarzun Alonso Oyarzun] as Deckhand [[Socinus]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Ty+Olsson Ty Olsson] as Captain [[Kelly]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Ron+Blecker Ron Blecker] as Launch Officer
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Ryan+Robbins Ryan Robbins] as [[Armistice Officer]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Tim+Henry Tim Henry] as Doctor (on Caprica)
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Dwesi+Ameyaw Dwesi Ameyaw] as Liner Captain of [[Botonical Ship]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Brenda+McDonald Brenda McDonald] as Old Woman (who though she forgot her glasses)
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Suleka+Mathew Suleka Mathew] as [[Brody, Kellan|Kellan Brody]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Erin+Karpluk Erin Karpluk] as Woman #1
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Jenn+Griffin Jenn Griffin] as Woman #2
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+BJ+Harrison BJ Harrison] as Woman #3
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Moneca+Delain Moneca Delain] as Blonde Woman
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Zahf+Pardo Zahf Pardo] as Man #1
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Robert+Lewis Robert Lewis] as Man #2
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Denzal+Sinclaire Denzal Sinclaire] as Man #3
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nadine+Wright Nadine Wright] as [[Chantara]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Michael+Soltis Michael Soltis] as Chantara's Husband
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Fred+Keating Fred Keating] as Junior Reporter
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Lymari+Nadal Lymari Nadal] as [[Giana]]
*[[Gugushe, Biski|Biski Gugushe]] as Pilot #1
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nahanni+Arntzen Nahanni Arntzen] as Pilot #2
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nogel+Vonas Nogel Vonas] as Pilot #3
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Ryan+Nelson Ryan Nelson] as Pilot #4




=== Writing & Direction ===

*Written by [[Moore, Ronald D.|Ronald D. Moore]] and [[Glen A. Larson|Christopher Eric James]]
*Based off a story by [[Larson, Glen A.|Glen A. Larson]]
*Directed by [[Rymer, Michael|Michael Rymer]]




=== First Run Air Dates & Releases ===

*UK Airdate: 17 February 2004
*US Airdate: 8 December 2003, 9 December 2003 (2-night engagement, Sci-Fi Channel)
*Canadian Airdate: 17 January 2004
*DVD Release: 28 December 2004

[[Category: A to Z]]
[[Category: Episode Guide (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Galactica

2005-04-07T00:57:44Z

Arwel Parry: copyedit

==[[RDM Battlestar Galactica|Re-imagined ''Galactica'']]==

=== Overview ===

[[Battlestar]] ''Galactica'' is the most famous warship in the Colonial fleet. Built in time to participate in the [[Cylon War]] she remained the only military vessel not to be upgraded with the new integrated defence systems developed by Dr. [[Baltar, Gaius|Gaius Baltar]] and his team. Because of this, she became the only battlestar to survive the renewed Cylon attack on the 12 colonies, some 40 years after the end of the first war.

=== Fleet Details ===

[[Image:Bsg-gal-1.jpg|thumb|Battlestar Galactica]]

'''Designation''': Warship, [[Battlestar]] Class

'''Deployment''': Formerly an element of [[75th Battlestar Group]]

'''Current Status''': Undergoing decommissioning and hand-over to civilian authorities at the time of the 2nd Cylon attack on the [[Twelve Colonies|twelve colonies]].

=== History ===

''Galactica'' was one of the first five battlestars to be laid down by the Colonials, the others being the ''[[Columbia]]'' , ''[[Rycon]]'', ''[[Atlantia]]'', and ''[[Pegasus]]'' (Zoic). As such, she is some 50 years old (Mini Series). Following the outbreak of Cylon hostilities, seven more battlestars were laid down: ''[[Pacifica]]'' , ''[[Triton]]'', ''[[Acropolis]]'', ''[[Solaria]]'', ''[[Prometheus]]'', ''[[Argo]]'' and ''[[Poseidon]]'' - giving the Colonials one battlestar representing each of the [[Twelve Colonies]] ([[Zoic]] / [[Mini-Series]]). The ''Galactica'' was first captained by Commander [[Dash]] ([[Mini-Series]]).

These vessels were all designed with non-integrated systems, a result of the fact that the Cylons demonstrated an ability early-on in the war to override or subvert networked command and control systems ([[Mini-Series]]). Instead, the battlestar depended on its sheer bulk and defensive / offensive capabilities to ward of any threats to itself or the colonies.

Following the armistice with the Cylons, and their withdrawal from Colonial space, the ''Galactica'' and her sister ships continued to serve the 12 colonies in a wide variety of roles. While her surviving sister ships may have been upgraded to match the systems capabilities of more modern colonial vessels, the ''Galactica'' continued in service without any of her systems being fully networked or integrated, making her unique among Colonial military vessels ([[Mini-Series]]).

With her active career drawing to a close, a decision was taken to retire the ''Galactica'' and decommission her from service. However, due to her unique status a decision was taken not to scrap her, to turn her into a combination of living museum to the original Cylon War and an educational centre (mini series), with her conversion being overseen by her final Commander, [[Adama, William|William Adama]] ([[Mini-Series]]).

At the time of her formal decommissioning ceremony, ''Galactica'' had been stripped of all but one of her operational Viper squadrons, all her munitions had been removed, and her starboard landing pod converted into a pressurised museum housing (among other things) a full squadron of 20 Mark II [[Viper|Vipers]] (mini series).

With the unexpected resumption of hostilities on the part of the Cylons, the ''Galactica'' quickly proved her worthiness as a warship was far from over as she withstood a direct hit from a tactical nuclear weapon, and then took on a flotilla of some 3 Cylon basestars after re-arming herself at the [[Ragnar Anchorage]], providing an umbrella of fire cover under which the surviving people of the 12 colonies were able to escape the Cylons on some 60 civilian vessels.

Since the exodus of the Colonials from their overrun homeworlds, the ''Galactica'' has become both protector and provider for the fleet. She has provided direct fire-cover for the fleet during Cylon attacks no fewer than 240 times ([[33]], [[Act of Contrition]]); she is providing much of the fleet with recycled water ([[Water]]) and she is the primary source of medical care, with groups of civilians routinely being brought aboard for check-ups, etc. ([[Litmus]]). She has also undertaken internal policing duties within the fleet ([[Water]], [[Bastille Day]]).

Despite her meagre offensive capabilities in terms of available fighters, lack of pilots, no marine assault force, etc., - the ''Galactica'' has also been able to successfully go on the offensive against the Cylons ([[The Hand of God]]), capturing a fuel mining and processing plant in the process.

=== Technical Specifications ===
The ''Galactica'' shares the same overall [[Battlestar#Technical Specifications|technical specifications]] as other Colonial [[Battlestar|battlestars]], with the following key differences:

====Available Flight Pods====
* 1 - port side
* Starboard flight pod enclosed and pressurised as the main museum display facility

==== Offensive Armament ====
* 60 [[Viper]]s (mixed Mk II and Mk VII) with kinetic energy weapons ([[Kinetic Energy Weapon|KEWs]]) and optional missile / munitions pod racks (3 squadrons)
**20 Mark VIIs are lost en-route to [[Caprica]] while under the command of [[Spencer, Jackson|Jackson "Ripper" Spencer]], the ''Galactica's'' [[CAG]], when they were disabled by the Cylon infiltration virus and subsequently destroyed
**At least 11 Vipers are launched during the first attack on the ''Galactica'', one of which is destroyed
**39 Vipers are launched at the Battle of [[Ragnar Anchorage]], of which 5 are destroyed and one is severely damaged (piloted by [[Adama, Lee|Lee Adama]]).

==== Crew ====
*Crew: approx. 2,000 (essential personnel only)
*Officers: TBA
*Enlisted: TBA

==[[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series ''Galactica'']]==
[[Image:TOS-galac.jpg|thumb|The original Battlestar Galactica]]

The ''Galactica'' and her sister ships were the Colonial response to a need for massive capital ships which arose during the [[Thousand-Yahren War]] with the Cylons. Introduced some 500 yahren into the war, she and her sister ships combined the roles of battle cruiser and aircraft carrier, having a massive offensive capability in terms of on-board weapons and Starhound [[Viper#Original Series Viper|Viper]] space superiority fighters.

The ''Galactica'' served with distinction throughout the war, and at the time of the supposed Peace Treaty at [[Cimtar]], was presumed to be one of only five surviving [[Battlestar#Original Series|battlestars]] in the Colonial fleet.

This section requires information on the history of the original Galactica

--[[User:Ernestborg9|Colonial Archivist]] 20:10, 4 Jan 2005 (EST)

==[[Video Game|Video Game Variant]]==
[[Image:Galac-game.jpg|thumb|Battlestar Galactica from the Video Game]]
The ''Galactica'' of the video game is predominantly based on that of the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|original series]], but with notable changes, designed to reflect her 500-year service and the fact that she has had to rely on alien technology for upgrade / refit. Text from the game notes:

:"The Battlestar has been repaired often and parts of its structure are clearly newer or are made of stranger, alien materials. Parts of the huge engine nacelles are broken and partly scaffolded, the repairs half-complete, the exposed structures vast and skeletal."

Given the ship is based on the original, it is logical to assume her displacement, capabilities and dimensions mirror those of the original ''Galactica'' given above, and the [[Battlestar#Original Series|battlestar design]].

The ''Galactica'''s commander in the game is [[Magus]].
[[Category:Battlestars]] [[Category:A to Z]] [[Category:Colonial Craft]] [[Category:Colonial Craft (TOS)]] [[Category:Colonial Military]] [[Category:Colonial Military (TOS)]] [[Category:RDM]] [[Category:TOS]] [[Category:Video Game Ships]]

Number Six

2005-04-07T00:42:28Z

Arwel Parry: /* Roles */ copyedit

[[Image:Bsg-six-1.jpg|thumb|"Number Six" (credit: Sci-Fi Channel)]]

== Overview ==

[[Humano-Cylon]] Agent

Sex: Female

Played by: [[Tricia Helfer]]

Number Six is the stunning blonde humano-Cylon responsible for seducing Dr. [[Gauis Baltar]] to gain access to his work at the Colonial Defence Ministry and use his own [[Command Navigation Program]] (CNP) as a mean of infecting all Colonial vessels, warships and fighter with a computer virus that reders them vulnerable to Cylon infiltration ([[Mini-Series]]).

== Roles ==
However, she fulfils many roles.

=== Portent of Doom ===

She is also the first genuine portent of doom for the peoples of the 12 colonies, when she arrives on [[Armistice Station]] shortly before it is destroyed in what are the opening shots of the [[Cylon attack]] on the 12 colonies.

=== Seducer and Infiltrator ===

Prior to the attack, Six played an important role in preparing the way for a Cylon victory. Seducing the ambitious, self-obssessed, arrogant and untimately flawed Gaius Baltar, she fooled him into believing she was a corporate spy, seeking to gain advantage over her competitors in order to gain an lucrative upcoming defence contract ([[Mini-Series]]). Over the course of two years, she used Baltar to gain access to his work - even to the extent of re-writing many of his own algorithms - in order to subvert his own Command Navigation Program so that it could be used in the forthcoming Cylon attack to disable and cripple Colonial forces.

In addition to this work, she performed a second role - one which is potentially as important to the Cylons, but one in which she may not have been fully capable of performing: trying to make Gaius Baltar fall in love with her and - possibly - have a child by her. This is a role that she admits to him is not an official part of her assignment, but it is in keeping with the apparent aims and goals of the Cylons - for whom "love", expressed through the concept of their [[God]], is a motivating factor behind some of their later actions.

That she is unable to become pregnant in her time with Baltar - given that his is the type of man vain enough to forego any male form of contraception and expect the female to take the required precautions - is suggestive that the humano-Cylons are physically, as well as mentally, configured for specific roles. Six is designed as a seducer - a trend that repeatedly surfaces throughout her various incarnations, not a child-bearer.

With the opening of the Cylon attack, Baltar's Six is apparently destroyed protecting him from the effects of a nuclear blast shockwave on [[Caprica]]. Fleeing the city and then the planet itself, Baltar is shocked to discover that Six lives on - inside his head.

At first he tries to dismiss her presence as a manifestation of his own guilt over what has happened to his people, and his role in it. However, Six suggests that she is more - that she is in fact the result of a chip inside his head. However, while some of her "actions" - such as terrifying Baltar into determining how he can construct a genuine [[Cylon detector]] ([[Bastille Day]]), very much suggest she is a part of his own psyche. But this is countered by her underlying actions and "deeds" - all of which represent a furtherance of those aims and goals she expressed as a corporeal entity, giving added weight to the idea that she is most likely a personality download contained within a chip in Baltar's head. Some of these are characteristics never witnessed by Baltar himself - such as her jealous reaction to [[Valerii]]'s visit with Baltar in his lab ([[Flesh and Bone]]), which closely mirrors the jealousy she shows towards Valerii on Caprica ([[Litmus]], [[Secrets and Lies]]).

Certainly, this seems to be the view Baltar himself comes to hold, as he relies more and more on her for guidance and insight into Cylons ways - so much so that she deliberately suggests that her presence within him is something for which other Cylons have no knowledge. However, in her relentless drive to get Baltar to fully accept the Cylon concept of God, it would appear that not only are other Cylons in the fleet aware of her "existence", they are in communication with her: hence the arrival of "Shelly Godfrey" onboard the ''[[Galactica]]'' with her accusations of treachery at the precise time Six ceases to communicate with Baltar.

=== Caprican Overseer ===
On Caprica, Six performs the role of a Cylon overseer, working with Aaron Doral to ensure their experiment involving the stranded [[Karl C. Agathon]] and Valerii either reaches its desired conclusion, or is suitably terminated ([[Litmus]], [[Secrets and Lies]]).

In this, she shares the same seductive characteristic as shown by her "sisters" at Armistice station and with Baltar - her first act on "freeing" the captured Agathon is to kiss him. Following the destruction of this particular Six (shot by Valerii, in order to enable her to "rescue" Agathon), her "sister" on Caprica demonstrates a certain vindictiveness towards Valerii when she gives her a beating that goes far beyond the needs of the experiment ([[Litmus]]), thus revealing she may well be experiencing resentment for being shot (remembering that experiences and knowledge are passed from body to body among the various types of humano-Cylon), as well as jealousy at Valerii's chosen role in proceedings.

A further "overseer" Six is present at the Cylon's established base at [[Delphi]], and is briefly seen by [[Agathon, Karl C.|Helo]] when he was attempting to gain access to the base in order to steal a ship and get off the planet ([[Colonial Day]]).

===Caprican Warrior Leaders===
At least 3 additional variants of Six have been operational on Caprica, and appear to lead troops of Cylon [[Warriors]] and have a subservient role to the "overseer" Six variants. This variant of Six is distinguished by the white raincoat it wears.

- One of these variants distracted Helo, enabling him to be captured ([[33]]), and was subsequently shot by [[Valerii, Sharon|Valerii]]
- The seconded acted as an observer to Helo's "escape", and this same variant may have been leading the Warrior troop into the Caprican farm Helo was hiding in ([[The Hand of God]])
- The third was present at [[Delphi]], taking orders from an "overseer" Six.

=== "Shelly Godfrey" ===
"Shelly Godfrey" is the pseudonym adopted by an incarnation of Six that arrives on board the ''Galactica'' with a mission to apparently expose Gaius Baltar as a traitor ([[Six Degrees of Separation]]). Her real aim, however, is to further push Baltar to a point where his only hope of salvation appears to be his complete acceptance of the Cylon concept of "God". Indeed, once he has reached this point, she rapidly goes into hiding (possibly unwittingly helped by "Boomer" Valerii on the ''Galactica''?) and later probably removes herself from the ship - or destroys herself.

During her time on the ''Galactica'', "Godfrey" very much reveals her underlying nature is very similar to that of her "sisters" as she attempts to seduce [[Adama, William|William Adama]].

Her appearance on the ''Galactica'' gives the clearest indication of all that Baltar's Six is an independent intelligence implanted in his head - and that, for all its statements to the contrary - it is somehow in contact with other humano-Cylons within the fleet (or at least in communication with any of its "sisters" which may be in the fleet). The appearance of "Shelly Godfrey" and the "disappearance" of Six from Baltar's mind is otherwise too coincidental to be believable.

==Notes==
It has been claimed that the name "Number Six" may be an indirect tribute to [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001526/ Patrick McGoohan's] cult 1967 television series [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061287/ The Prisoner] - a series that addressed topics such as personal freedom and identity, mind control, illusionary experiences and the infiltration of society's supposed guardians (secret agents) by a nefarious force (those behind The Village) 

--[[User:Ernestborg9|Colonial Archivist]] 08:50, 10 Jan 2005 (EST)

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Cylons]]
[[Category:RDM]]

User:Arwel Parry

2005-04-07T00:13:51Z

Arwel Parry: introducing myself...