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The Fleet (TRS)

2006-02-13T02:27:31Z

Bactram: fix typo

''For information on the military fleet of the Tweleve Colonies, see [[Colonial Fleet]].''

'''The Fleet''' is the convoy of ships that contain what is effectively the last survivors of humanity after the [[Cylon Attack]], and it forms the backdrop of the drama of the several television series all known as [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Battlestar Galactica]]. Unofficially, off-screen many viewers refer to it as the "RTF"; "Rag Tag Fleet", or more fully, "RTFF"; "Rag Tag Fugitive Fleet", after the voiceover for the original series.

== Overview ==

"The Fleet" began as a convoy of about sixty stranded commercial and civilian ships assembled by [[Laura Roslin]] in the immediate aftermath of the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|Cylon Attack]] as depicted in the [[Mini-Series]]. It is not shown that any of these found ships were Colonial military craft, save [[Raptor 478]], although [[Crashdown]] was mentioned as being a "refugee from [[Triton]]". Of these, twenty ships were abandoned to an imminent Cylon attack because they lacked [[FTL]] drives. The remainder of the Fleet joined with battlestar ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'', the only [[Pegasus (RDM)|known]] surviving warship in the first months after the events of the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]]. The Fleet represents the last vestige of humanity, protected by ''Galactica''. The political and social troubles of the Fleet as it wanders through space function as a metaphor for all of humanity, since the Fleet literally ''is'' what is left of humanity in the television series.

The phrase "the Fleet" functions not only as a signifier for the actual ships of the convoy, but as a substitute for the people on board, and therefore for mankind. Usage of the term "the Fleet" has not gained more than an informal acceptance, as can be seen by President [[Laura Roslin]]'s continued use of the term ''President of the [[Twelve Colonies]].'' This may be interpreted as either an expression of hope that eventually the people on board the ships of the Fleet will reestablish themselves on a new colony permanently, or a psychological inability to confront that the Fleet may be the only home that humanity knows for a very long time.

[[Saul Tigh]]'s assertion in "[[The Farm]]" that the twenty four ships which departed with the [[Laura Roslin faction]] during her insurrection represented "almost a third of the fleet" imply that the number of ships in the Fleet is approximately in the mid-70's.

===Ships===
* ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'', last remaining [[Original battlestar (RDM)|original battlestar]] and main protector and flagship of the Fleet ([[Mini-Series]])
* ''[[Colonial One]]'', President [[Laura Roslin]]'s ship, previously known as ''[[Colonial Heavy 798]]'' ([[Mini-Series]])
* ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'', a [[Mercury class battlestar]] formerly commanded by [[Helena Cain]] ([[Pegasus (episode)]]), currently under the command of [[Jack Fisk]] ([[Resurrection Ship, Part II]])
* ''[[Olympic Carrier]]'', destroyed in "[[33]]" after an apparent Cylon takeover. Multiple ships of the same model, including the ''Pan Galactic'' and ''Sagitarrian Spaceways'' are still part of the fleet.
* ''[[Gemini]]'', FTL-capable freighter which Valerii escorts to the convoy. ([[Mini-Series]])
* ''[[Rising Star (RDM)|Rising Star]]'', mentioned frequently and notable for several reasons:
**First (reported) human birth after the exodus from the Colonies ([[33]])
**Where [[Ellen Tigh]] was suddenly discovered three weeks after the attack ([[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]])
**Where Ellen Tigh intended her husband to meet with allies of [[Tom Zarek]] ([[Colonial Day]])
* ''[[Coronis]]'' ([[Litmus]], [http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/episodes/season01/106/deleted1.html deleted scene])
* ''[[Virgon Express]]'' ([[Water]])
* ''[[Astral Queen]]'', prison ship noted for carrying 1500 prisoners, including [[Tom Zarek]] ([[Bastille Day]])
* ''[[Scorpia Traveler]]'', a civilian ship that carried a suicide bomber copy of [[Aaron Doral]] ([[Litmus]])
* ''[[Gemenon Liner 1701]]'', greeted by Colonial One shortly after Laura Roslin's hasty inauguration.
* ''[[Gemenon Traveler]]'', a civilian ship that a copy of [[Leoben Conoy]] was captured on ([[Flesh and Bone]])
**The above two appear to be of identical configuration, and may be the same ship.
* ''[[Cloud Nine]]'', a luxury liner desgined to mimick the enviroment of a habitable planet.
**Meeting place of the [[Quorum of Twelve]]. ([[Colonial Day]])
**Base of operations for [[Demand Peace]]. ([[Epiphanies]])
* ''[[Zephyr]]'' ([[Fragged]])
* ''[[Tauranian]]'', a refinery ship ([[Resistance]])
* ''[[Gideon]]'', a supply ship involved in an incident where four civilians were killed by ''Galactica'' marines. ([[Resistance]])
* ''[[Kimba Huta]]'', a cold storage vessel on which exiled President Roslin hid from Commander Adama and Colonel Tigh. ([[The Farm]])
* ''[[Monarch]]'', a mining ship that joined the [[Laura Roslin faction]] ([[Home, Part I]])
* ''[[Adriatic]]'', a member of the Roslin faction armed with ship-to-ship missiles ([[Home, Part I]])
* ''[[Striker]]'', damaged in a refuelling operation overseen by Capt. [[George Birch]] ([[Home, Part I]])
* ''[[Celestra]] (Identified on official Sci-Fi Channel web site but not yet seen in aired episode)
* ''[[Space Park]]'' (Identified on official Sci-Fi Channel web site but not yet seen in aired episode)
* ''[[Flattop]]'', a [[salvage and repair]] ship (Identified on official Sci-Fi Channel web site but not yet seen in aired episode)
* ''[[Freighter 212]]'', a ship [[Louanne Katraine]] apparently has some "buddies" on ([[Final Cut]])
* ''[[Baah Pakal]]'', a ship carrying unused [[DDG-62]] engines onboard ([[Flight of the Phoenix]])
*''[[Botanical Cruiser]]'' (While the original was destroyed in the [[Mini-Series]], various background shots have placed an [[FTL]]-equiped Botanical Cruiser in the fleet.)
* ''[[Daru Mozu]]'', a [[tylium]] refinery ship. Damaged by a suicide bomber in [[Epiphanies]].
* ''[[Greenleaf]]'', a freighter where [[Asha Janik]] was a maintenance worker before being recruited to ''Galactica'''s machine shop.
* ''[[McConnell]]'', a supply ship frequented by Commander [[Jack Fisk]].
* ''[[Prometheus]]'', an "off the grid" freighter and the den of mercenary-turned-crime boss [[Phelan]].
* ''[[Majahual]]'', a mining ship seen in "[[Scar]]".
In the episode "[[The Farm]]", 24 ships leave the Fleet to return to Kobol. [[Anastasia Dualla|Dualla]] provides the following breakdown:
*12 transports - incl. the ''Astral Queen'', and the ''Gemenon Traveller''
*7 freighters
*3 construction platforms
*1 private cruiser
*1 mining ship - the ''Monarch''.

===Demographics===

A few points of information are available concerning the demographics of the Fleet. In "[[33]]", before the destruction of the Olympic Carrier, there were 5,251 survivors from Sagittaron and 49,998 total survivors. In "[[Home, Part I]]", the [[Laura Roslin faction]] left the Fleet with 18,000 individuals, of which 9,500 were Gemenons and 6,250 were Capricans. At that time the total population of the fleet was 47,857.

This information is sparse, but it gives a general idea of the population breakdown of the Fleet if a few assumptions are made for the sake of argument.
*Note that Gemenon and Caprica had more citizens in the Roslin faction alone than Sagittaron had in the entire Fleet. The Twelve Colonies are clearly not represented in equal proportion.
*Before the destruction of the ''Olympic Carrier'', Sagittaron natives made up 10.50% of the fleet. Solely for the purpose of argument, we assume that the ''Olympic Carrier'''s population breakdown was identical to the rest of the fleet's and that Sagittaron continues to make up 10.50% of the Fleet's total population.
*The figures from the Roslin faction can be viewed in several ways:
<div style="float:right; margin:10px">[[Image:Demographics1.png]]</div>
:*ASSUMPTION 1: All Gemenons and Capricans jumped to Kobol with the Roslin faction.
::*Caprica: 6,250 persons (13.06%)
::*Gemenon: 9,500 persons (19.85%)
::*Sagittaron: 5,026 persons (10.50%)
::*Others: 27,081 (56.59%) 
<div style="float:right; margin:10px">[[Image:Demographics2.png]]</div>
:*ASSUMPTION 2: All Gemenons jumped to Kobol with the Roslin faction, lured by the "religion card", but Caprican portion of the Roslin faction was representative of the Fleet.
::*Caprica: 28,204 persons (58.93%)
::*Gemenon: 9,500 persons (19.85%)
::*Sagittaron: 5,026 persons (10.50%)
::*Others: 5,127 persons (10.72%) 
<div style="float:right; margin:10px">[[Image:Demographics3.png]]</div>
:*ASSUMPTION 3: Caprican and Gemenon portions of the Roslin faction were representative of the fleet.
::*Caprica: 16,617 persons (34.72%)
::*Gemenon: 25,258 persons (52.78%)
::*Sagittaron: 5,026 persons (10.50%)
::*Others: 956 (2.00%) 
*Although it is plausible that the Caprican population is substantially larger than the other colonies, as ''Colonial Heavy 798'' was in the vicinity when the attack began, and was the nucleus around which the fleet rallied, it is unlikely that the populations of each colony are grossly unequal, or else the [[Quorum of Twelve]] would be a very poor system of government. The likeliest scenario is therefore probably somewhere in between Assumptions 1 and 2, with nearly all of the Gemenon population (drawn by the "religion card") and a large portion of the Caprican population leaving with Roslin.

As for population distribution, we know the population of ''Galactica'' (2,693 as of [[Water]]), the ''Olympic Carrier'' (1,345 as of [[33]]) and ''Astral Queen'' (1,500 as of [[Bastille Day]], [[List of retcons (RDM)|retconned]] up from 500 in the mini-series). There are 176 civillians in the cargo hold of [[Colonial One]] in "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]". The fleet is stated at about 75 ships in "[[Resistance]]", retconned up from 40 in the mini.
*Going by the 75 ship count, the remaining ships besides ''Galactica'' and the ''Astral Queen'' each carry about 600 persons on average.
*The 23 ships that left with the [[Laura Roslin faction]], apart from the ''Astral Queen'', would have an average population of about 720 persons per ship.

==Notes==

In the [[Mini-Series]], astute viewers may recognize three spacecraft with notable resemblances of ships from other SF universes. These ships aren't considered a [[Canon|canonical]] part of the series or the Fleet, but their appearance adds a bit of humor and pays homage to other notable science fiction and their creative staff.

* ''Serenity'', the central ship from the TV series "Firefly" and the motion picture, "[http://www.serenitymovie.com/ Serenity]", appears briefly in the sky outside the window of a doctor's office where viewers first see Laura Roslin.

* The original USS ''Enterprise'' (NCC-1701) from the original ''[http://www.startrek.com Star Trek]'' TV series makes a cameo in the last shot of the Fleet as [[Elosha]] chants a prayer in the memorial service near the end of the Mini-Series.

*The ill-fated [[Botanical Cruiser]] was added in homage to the [[Agro Ship]] from the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|original ''Battlestar Galactica'']] TV series, which in turn were the re-used models from the SF film ''[[IMDB:Silent Running|Silent Running]]'', a Universal/MCA movie that special effects guru [[John Dykstra]] worked on a few years prior to the Original Series.

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

Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming

2005-10-29T20:19:19Z

Bactram:

The ''Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming'' project was a proof-of-concept professionally-created mock movie-trailer created, produced, directed, and starred by Original Series star and ''Galactica'' spin-off author [[Richard Hatch]]. Under his production company, Su-Shann, Hatch leveraged the talent of many TOS stars, including the late [[John Colicos]], in an effort to convince Universal Studios, the owners to the rights of the Battlestar Galactica franchise, to greenlight a new series or motion picture.

The highly-elaborate trailer features new concepts, inpressive acting, and very exciting special effects. Hatch visited many science-fiction conventions to show the trailer and proved to be a hit among fans that viewed it.

However, Hatch never succeeded in getting Universal's attention. The BSG project revival would be first given to [[Tom DeSanto]] and ''X-Men'' director [[Bryan Singer]] in coordination with Fox Studios and USA Television in 2001. After that project dissolved primarily due to the withdrawal of Fox Studios as well as Singer;'s committment to a second ''X-Men'' movie, USA Networks chose [[Ronald D. Moore]] and [[David Eick]] to create a new project, which would be a near-complete rewrite of the series, with familiar names, characters, and places, but with none of the original actors and with a much darker overtone.

Richard Hatch was happy to join the new ''Battlestar Galactica'' TV series cast as the recurring character of terrorist-now-politician [[Tom Zarek]].

==External Links==

[http://www.richardhatch.com/battlestar_galactica/bsgtsc.html About the ''Second Coming'' project, from Richard Hatch's official website]

[http://www.battlestargalactica.com/index.htm A Battlestar Galactica News site, also managed by Mr. Hatch]

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category: Revival Efforts]]

33

2005-10-09T19:33:49Z

Bactram: fix grammar and bullet

[[Image:bsg-1-01.jpg|thumb|"33" (credit: Sci-Fi Channel)]]

== Overview ==

: Continuing from the events of the [[mini-series]], the [[Battlestar]] [[Galactica]] and the fleet must avoid their [[Cylon]] pursuers, which happen upon them every 33 minutes after each successful [[FTL]] jump.
: Special Note: This episode marks the premiere of the series.

== Summary ==

* The crew of the [[Battlestar]] ''[[Galactica]]'' have been on continuous alert for some 130.35 hours, during which time the fleet has had to make an [[FTL]] jump every 33 minutes to escape their [[Cylon]] pursuers.
* Everyone in the fleet is beginning to feel the strain – particularly [[Baltar, Gaius|Gaius Baltar]], who is also distracted by [[Number Six|Six’s]] repeated conversations about [[God]] having a plan for him, and also her wanting to have his children.
* Vessels in the fleet are also beginning to feel the strain: FTL jump engines and their controlling computers are starting to breakdown or malfunction, requiring the Galactica to linger longer and longer in the Cylon line of fire while the rest of the fleet makes their jumps.
* Following jump number 237, [[Roslin, Laura|President Roslin]] receives word from a Dr. [[Amorak]] aboard the ''[[Olympic Carrier]]'' that he has information concerning how the Cylons overcame Colonial defences.
* Overhearing the conversation, Baltar is worried: he knew Amorak at the [[Defence Ministry]]. As Six points out, Amorak might have information on Baltar.
* There is insufficient time before the next jump to bring Amorak aboard ''[[Colonial One]]'', but Roslin wants to see him directly after the jump has been completed.
* Elsewhere, [[Valerii, Sharon#"Boomer" Valerii|Boomer Valerii]] is having problems accepting her new [[ECO]], [[Crashdown]], and is feeling guilty about leaving [[Agathon, Karl C.|“Helo” Agathon]] on [[The Twelve Colonies#Caprica|Caprica]].
* When the next jump is made, the ''Olympic Carrier'', complete with Dr. Amorak and 1344 other souls, vanishes. Six tries to convince Baltar that it is because God is watching over him.
* Thirty-three minutes later, the fleet is ready to jump, but the Cylons don’t show up. Adama orders a stand-down from the immediate alert, but the fleet is to maintain a readiness to jump, in case the Cylons do show up.
* When Baltar continues to refuse the concept of God, the ''Olympic Carrier'' reappears; [[Adama, William|Adama]] orders the fleet to full alert, fearing the worst. He orders the jump clocks reset in anticipation of the Cylons arriving.
*A [[CAP]] lead by [[Lee Adama]] intercepts the liner. Adama orders all communications with the ''Carrier'' jammed and the ''Carrier'' is ordered (through signal lamps) to remain at it's current position. When the ''Carrier'' fails to heed orders not to approach the fleet, tensions rise, and a radiological alarm reveals there are now nuclear weapons on the liner
*As the crisis deepens, the Cylons show up. Adama wants to destroy the liner, but Roslin hesitates to give the order, no one can be sure whether or not there aren’t still 1,345 people aboard the Carrier. Baltar is terrified she won't give the order.
*Six uses the hesitation to push Baltar into “repenting” before God. As soon as he does, Roslin gives the order to destroy the liner. Lee Adama and [[Thrace, Kara|Starbuck]] (reluctantly) open fire, destroying the ship.
*24 hours later, everyone is living with the consequences of their actions. Only [[Keikeya, Billy|Billy]] has a small nugget of good news: at some point in the proceedings, a couple gave birth to a baby.

===On Caprica===
* [[Agathon, Karl C.|Helo]] is on the run in woodland, and has C4-type ordinance he uses to blow up pursuing [[Cylon Warrior|Cylon warriors]]
* However, his 6 days on the run comes to an end when he is captured by the Cylons, after being distracted by the appearance of [[Number Six|Six]], wearing a white rain coat
*He is “rescued” by [[Valerii, Sharon#Caprica Valerii|Valerii]], who shoots Six and then leads Helo away into the woods

== Summary from scifi.com ==

In the wake of the Cylon sneak attack, the ragtag fleet of human survivors is forced to play a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with their pursuers. Every 33 minutes, they make a jump to a new location. And every 33 minutes, the Cylons manage to find them. The pilots are on the brink of exhaustion, relying on artificial stimulants to keep fighting, and the civilians are beginning to doubt the leadership of Commander Adama and President Roslin.

When the Olympic Carrier, a commercial passenger ship, fails to make a jump and then later mysteriously turns up unharmed, Adama fears it has been infiltrated by the Cylons. His choice: destroy it and the 1,300 souls it might still be carrying, or risk the annihilation of the entire fleet. Adama is not alone in fearing the mystery ship. Baltar, who remains mentally connected with his beautiful and deadly Cylon companion Number Six, panics when he learns one of the ship's passengers has information about a traitor in the president's inner circle.

Meanwhile, down on the ruined, Cylon-occupied colony of Caprica, Helo is on the run from another group of Cylons. He's going to need help to make it back to the Galactica — but there's no help in sight….
--©2005, [http://www.scifi.com SCI FI]. All rights reserved.

== Questions ==

* Billy reports that the number of survivors is down by 300 - some lost through death from injuries, etc., some "lost" through initial inaccurate counts, and the rest of whom have "disappeared". How can people simply "disappear" in the fleet?
* Does Doctor Amorak truly have something on Baltar's involvement in the holocaust?
* Is Six actually in contact with other Cylons, and thus was involved in the disappearance / reappearance of the ''Olympic Carrier''?

==Blooper Moments==
* During the opening titles, the ''Galactica'' is shown to be making a jump with her flight pods extended - not only that, the shot is from the [[Mini-Series]].
* Billy may be a good PA, but he’s not good at math. “33” starts with 50,298 survivors. He informs Roslin this is in error by 300 = 49,998 survivors. When the Olympic Carrier is destroyed (1345 people), he reduces the total to 47,972 – that’s a reduction of 2026, or 681 people MORE than listed on the ''Carrier''!
** Whatever Roslin taught at school, it wasn’t mathematics – she fails to pick up on Billy’s error.
** This is after five sleepless nights and doubtlessly uncertain population figures coming from across the fleet, making the uncertain numbers of survivors partly reasonable. The business of performing an accurate census, after all, is of a comparatively low priority than the business of self-preservation.
* When [[Dee]] admits that she lost the ''[[Olympic Carrier]]'', her headset changes sides during the conversation.
* As Helo fires upon the Cylon warrior that survived the detonation of an anti-personnel mine (similar to a [[Wikipedia:Claymore mine|Claymore mine]]), the first time Helo fires the pistol, it is heard to fire, but there is no accompanying visual spark from the barrel. In contrast, the second shot is accompanied by both a spark and the appropriate sound.
* As the Cylon Warrior approaches Helo from behind, you can see the rain hitting it, but it does not drip off the Warrior's body. In contrast, water is dripping from Helo's face in a fairly consistent and noticeable manner.
* After the disappearance of the Olympic Carrier in jump 238, and the timer is running towards the 33 minute mark, the viewer can see that the clock is at 10 seconds. When focusing on Adama and Tigh, the viewer hears ten seconds counting off, but when the camera quick-pans to the overhead console, it reads that 3 seconds have passed.

== Analysis ==

Overall, a good opening episode that cleverly adds to a number of arcs from the mini: is Boomer a Cylon? What is the Six who is interacting with Baltar? Can the Colonials truly escape the shadow of the Cylons?

The opening sequence of shots ending with the Valerii on the Ragnar Anchorage is interesting: is this a hint to the real identity of Boomer on Galactica? Also, is the good-natured teasing between Starbuck and Boomer during the CAP an indication that others have noticed Boomer seems to be handling the lack of sleep a lot better than others. Could this lead to some kind of rumour-mill starting-up about her?

As to Baltar's Six: three possibilities seem to suggest themselves:

*She is a working of his own psyche; a reaction to his betrayal of his people to the Cylons. Certainly, his increasing psychosis in the episode would seem to point to this; but then, he has - like the rest - been five plus days without sleep, and some degree of paranoia is bound to result.
*She is, as she suggested in the mini, an implant in his head and possibly in communication with the Cylons. However, if this is the case, surely the Cylon hunt for the fleet would continue despite the destruction of the Olympic Carrier - as the Cylons would be tracing the fleet through Baltar. Given the humans are to all intents and purposes "on the ropes", it seems odd that they would break off the attack when they have such a clear advantage.
*She could she actually be a complete download of "Six's" personality, captured at the point of destruction of Baltar's home, and now contained in his head, possibily occupying his subconscious, out of contact with her own kind, but able to fully interact with his thoughts and feelings – even manipulate his thoughts and feelings?

Hopefully, these issues will be addressed in time. Meanwhile, the episode builds on some of the relationships established in the mini: Apollo and Starbuck clearly have a past, one that reaches beyond command hierarchies, exhaustion and tempers. The hanger deck confrontation is a valuable byplay not so much for what it says, but for the way in which it is communicated - a large element of non-verbal communication passing between Thrace and Lee Adama prior to her taking the stims.

Similarly, Roslin's mistrust of Adama, as expressed at the end of the mini following his admission that "earth" was a deception on his part, has begun to grow into an edgy respect: she knows full-well that without his leadership, the fleet would not have survived 5 days of repeated FTL jumps - and she is prepared to admit it.

Then there is Adama's relationship with his son. From the scene where they discuss responsibility, it is evident that there is a gulf between them still - one that may well be held open in part by their relative positions aboard the Galactica: Adama is Lee's father and the Officer Commanding the Galactica. While both again appear to want to bridge the gap – the difference in rank still prevents them openly discussing things: hence Lee's act of rebuffing his father's attempt to console him following the shooting of the Olympic Carrier.

Overall the three storylines evident in the episode – escaping the Cylons, Baltar and Six and Helo on Caprica - are cleverly interwoven, with the main storyline; the Baltar / Six relationship in particular intersecting smoothly through the crisis involving the Olympic Carrier, while the Helo subplot is given enough exposure to engage us and deflect attention from the "A" story sufficiently to heighten the drama, without actually interrupting the overall story flow.

Indeed, such is the subtlety of the Helo sub-plot that the questions it raises don't really reveal themselves until a second viewing, and you realise they are related to the central Cylon theme: why does Six ask him if he is alive? He clearly is, and the question is not a reference to either his leg wound or his radiation-induced sickness. Nor is it simply a throwback to her "sister's" first words to the Colonial officer at Armistice Station. It is something that appears to go to the very centre of Cylon reasoning.

Similarly, while it could be over-sensitivity given the amount of time the Valerii on Caprica was on-screen, but one couldn't help but feel she was perhaps a little too human; too familiar with Helo? It seems odd that she is introduced to Helo through the "killing" of the Six construct. Why resort to the "murder" of one of her own? Was this simply to establish her credibility in the eyes of Helo? Could she not have found another way to make contact with Helo? Contrasted with the comments regarding Boomer's heritage back at Galactica, are the writers attempting to imply something? Could it bee that BOTH the Valerii characters are Cylons that believe themselves to be human?

Time will tell - but it will be interesting to see how the Helo/Valerii/Caprica arc is followed-up.

But, in discussing the role of Cylon agents, there is a potentially interesting throwaway comment in this episode that might be an indication that something is amiss in the fleet: in discussing the number of survivors, Roslin asks why the total has dropped by 300. Billy responds that some over-counts were made (understandable), that there have been deaths from wounds (possibly people picked up from the 12 colonies), and some seem to have simply "disappeared" during the last Cylon attack (witnessed prior to jump 237).

"Disappeared"? How? No ships were destroyed during the attack / jump, so how do people just "disappear"? Again, is this simply an error in the script, or are the writers trying to point at something deeper?

All that said, the episode isn't without some flaws.

===Nit-picks===

*Why is Boomer's Raptor launched alongside Apollo's Vipers for what everyone is expecting to be an interdiction exercise against Cylon Raiders? It is a complete departure from previous actions: in the mini, CAG ordered Boomer to get her Raptor out of the way as his squadron went into to face the Cylon Raiders; at Ragnar, the Raptors weren't deployed against incoming Raiders, nor where they in evidence prior to jump 237 at the start of this episode. It is unclear whether Raptors are armed, or whether they would be effectively in an electronic warfare capability against Raiders, but the sudden presence of a Raptor in a Viper interdiction flight smacks of being a somewhat clumsy means of meeting the needs of the plot: obviously, the writers wanted Boomer there to handle the communications with Olympic Carrier & so heighten the perceived tension.

*The 9/11 scene is, sadly, something of a misplaced element. Yes, 9/11 is a horror that stunned the world, and will always rightfully have a place in the memories of all Americans, but the use of a scene that so closely mirrors the aftermath of the site around the World Trade Centre to try and convey the sense of loss the Colonials are feeling is somewhat heavy-handed. More should have been done to impart this to the audience back in the mini (where Cylon strikes on the Colonial worlds were restricted to a few scenes of Caprica, and even then the outright and inevitable destruction was barely shown).

*Similarly, the failure to openly resolve the issue of whether or not 1345 people were aboard the Olympic Carrier weakens the story. Indeed, Apollo's flyby of the ship is suggestive that she indeed wasn't carrying anyone any more - thus removing our feelings of horror one step further from the drama being played out on screen. In opting to remain ambiguous about the presence of humans aboard the ship, the writers very much weaken the entire "should we / shouldn't we" argument as to whether the Colonials can fire on and destroy the ship. Should they have shown people clinging to the windows of the Carrier, staring back at Apollo in helplessness as he made his final fly-by? Perhaps; perhaps not - but out emotions would have been better engaged if we had at least seen some evidence that lives were going to be destroyed along with the Olympic Carrier.

*A final nit-pick comes with the reminder of Tigh's alcoholism. The by-play here didn't entirely fit, and came across as a clumsy reminder that the writers hadn't forgotten about Tigh's condition and would possibly be returning to it in the future. Better to have kept the focus on Adama's comments regarding driving and managing the crew.

However, all this said, "33" serves as an excellent opening episode: the pacing is smooth, the storylines cleverly interwoven and combined without stepping on one another, and there are no hurried or harried resolutions. Arcs established in the mini are extended and new interactions given birth.

[[The mystery of 33]] remains, despite [[RDM]]s comments below that the number "33" was chosen at random. Random or not, 33 is quite a significant number and adds complexity to this episode, intentionally or not.
** '''Note: The fact that the Cylons attack every 33 minutes may not be so random after all. We see the number 3 featured prominently in the episode [[Scattered]]: in a number of flashbacks that Colonel Tigh has, in a scene where [[Gaeta]] arranges three bars of soap together, and in the firewall that [[Gaeta]] devises to slow down the [[Cylon]] attack on the [[Galactica]]'s network, which involves networking three sub-systems. In addition, the [[Galactica]] sends a compliment of 3 [[Raptor]] dropships to survey the planet of [[Kobol]] in the episode "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part 1]]". While it may be a passing coincidence, it seems there is more to this mystery than meets the eye.
** In many real-life religious traditions, the number "3" has recurrent significance (the Christian trinity, the Hindu trinity of Brahma/Vishnu/Shiva, many others), much like the number "12" (real life: 12 apostles, 12 signs of the Zodiac; BSG: 12 models of Cylon, 12 Lords of Kobol, 12 colonies). "12" is a multiple of 3.

== Notes ==

* Continuous jumping badly affects the FTL drives and management systems aboard Colonial vessels
* The Cylons have the same ability to undertake highly-accurate FTL jumps as the Colonials: 238 times they’ve managed to jump to the Colonial fleet and arrive with precise momentum and trajectory to be able to close the distance and launch an attack
* There are 5,251 people in the fleet from [[The Twelve Colonies#Sagittaron|Sagittaron]]
* As of [[33]], there are 60 civilian ships in the ragtag fleet
* Head Count at the end of the episode 47,273.
* This episode won the 2005 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

*Colonel Tigh: Yes, we're tired. Yes, there is no relief. Yes, the Cylons keep coming after us time after time after time. And yes, we are still expected to do our jobs!

* ''When Lee Adama and Kara Thrace are on the Galactica's flight deck:''
:Lee Adama: Hey, did you see the note from the XO?
:Kara Thrace: I saw it. No way.
:Lee Adama: Kara, everyone else--
:Kara Thrace: I don't fly with stims. They fudge with your reflexes, your reaction time.
:Lee Adama: Come on, Kara, give me a break. Just--
:Kara Thrace: Why are we arguing about this?
:Lee Adama: I have no idea.
:Kara Thrace: Neither do I. You're the [[CAG]], act like one.
:Lee Adama: "What does that mean?" 
:Kara Thrace: It means that you're still acting like everyone's best friend. We're not friends. You're the CAG. "Be careful out there?" Our job isn't to be careful, it's to shoot fracking [[Cylons]] out of the sky. "Good Hunting" is what you say. And one of your idiot pilots is acting like a child and refusing to take her pills. So she either says "Yes, sir" and obeys a direct order, or you smack her in the mouth and drag her sorry ass to sickbay and you make her take those pills.
:(Lee and Kara both start laughing)
:Lee Adama: Well, I'm glad I'm not working for you.
:Kara Thrace: (laughing) Damn right you're glad.
:Lee Adama: So do I have to smack you in the mouth, Lieutenant?
:Kara Thrace: No sir, I'll take my pills. (takes pills from Lee) Perfect.
:Lee Adama: Carry on.
:Kara Thrace: (half-heartedly saluting) Yes, sir.

* ''When Commander Adama and Colonel Tigh are talking outside the CIC:''
:Colonel Tigh: (grunting) Oh...a couple hours rack time does sound awfully sweet right about now...
:Commander Adama: You deserve it.
:Colonel Tigh: You know, the truth is, all this has me feeling...well, more alive than I have in years.
:Commander Adama: You look that way too. It's good to see you without the cup in your hand.
:Colonel Tigh: Ah, don't start.
:Commander Adama: I know there's a whole lot of people on this ship, that wish you weren't feeling as good.
:Colonel Tigh: (laughing) If the crew doesn't hate the XO, then he's not doing his job. Besides, I've gotta make the old man look good.
:Commander Adama: I always look good.
:Colonel Tigh: Look in the mirror.
:Commander Adama: Seriously...
:Colonel Tigh: Sir?
:Commander Adama: It's one thing to push the crew. It's another thing to break them.

* ''As the [[Olympic Carrier]] heads on a suicide run towards the Galactica, Lee Adama, Kara Thrace and Boomer are flying beside the ship:''
:Boomer: (in a Raptor flying beside the Olympic Carrier) We have...new orders. We are directed to...destroy the Olympic Carrier, and return back to Galactica.
:Kara Thrace: (in a Viper flying beside the carrier) It's a civilian ship!
:Crashdown: (inside the Raptor) Yeah...a civilian ship with nukes.
:(Lee Adama looks out the cockpit window of his Viper at the ship, which seems to be barren)
:Crashdown: I don't see anybody in there. Do you?
:Lee Adama: The Cylons will be here any second. If we're gonna do this, let's just do it. Starbuck, form up with me and we'll make one pass from astern.
:(Lee and Kara fall back a fair distance from the ship)
:Kara Thrace: Lee, what if you're wrong? (silence) Lee, come on. Lee!
:Lee Adama: Okay, fire on my mark.
:Kara Thrace: No fracking way, Lee. Lee! Come on!
:Lee Adama: Fire.
:(Lee and Kara both open fire on the Olympic Carrier, and it explodes in a ball of flames)

== Official Statements ==




=== {{from_RDM_blog}}: Note on [["Lest We Forget"]] ===

:"It's probably been asked before, but I'm curious as to whom[sic] is in the picture in the Viper Pilot's briefing room, facing away from the camera . . . the one the pilots, including [[Adama, William|Commander Adama]], touch when they enter and leave? This is touching, and is a wonderful human element to the story. So who is it?"

:There was a scene cut from [[33|"33"]] where we saw [[Roslin, Laura|Laura]] being given her copy of the photo along with a card that said it was taken on the roof of the capitol building on Aerilon during the attack. The photo was inspired by the famous shot of the fire-fighters raising the flag at Ground Zero that became iconic. I thought the Colonies would have their own version of this -- a snapshot taken in the moment that becomes a symbol of the day they can never forget and of all they had lost. The photo itself is of a soldier falling to his knees (possibly shot or simply overcome by emotion) as he stands on the rooftop over looking the devastation of his city, while the Colonial flag waves at the edge of frame. The inscription below the photo on Laura's plaque reads, [["Lest We Forget"]] in itself a reference to the inscription on the watch presented to John Wayne's character in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon."

=== Comments from the Cast ===

*"Insomnia. Nobody has slept. Everyone's just coming to terms with the fact that they have lost everybody that they've loved or relate to." -- [[Jamie Bamber]], [http://scifi.com/battlestar/bts/video/mov/video_06_320.mov]

*"It was a hard episode, because, you just had to basically fall apart." -- [[Katee Sackhoff]], [http://scifi.com/battlestar/bts/video/mov/video_06_320.mov]

*"Episode 1 is extremely docu-style because the characters haven't actually slept for five days (sic) and they have been running from the Cylons for the 250th time. And its very stressful and they're about to lose the plot completely because of sleep deprivation." -- [[Michael Rymer]], [http://scifi.com/battlestar/bts/video/mov/video_06_320.mov]

== Statistics ==



=== Guest Stars ===


*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Alonso+Oyarzun Alonso Oyarzun] as [[Socinus]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nicki+Clyne Nicki Clyne] as [[Cally]]



=== Writing & Direction ===

*Written by {{RDM|33}}
*Directed by {{Michael Rymer|33}}




=== Production Notes ===

*Series: 1 (2004 / 2005)
*Production Number: 1.01
*Airdate Order: 1 (of 13)

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

*UK Airdate: 18 October 2004 (Sky One)
*US Airdate: 14 January 2005 (Sci-Fi Channel)
*DVD Release: 28 March 2005 (UK)

{{Episode List}}

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

== External Links ==
[http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/episodes/season01/101/ "33"] at scifi.com

Battlestar Wiki talk:Spoiler Policy

2005-09-23T18:08:30Z

Bactram:

: ''For an archive on discussions regarding the spoiler policy compromise, [[Battlestar Wiki:Spoiler Policy/Compromise|click here]].''

== Complaints and Concerns ==

I hate the spoiler policy. I don't want to be spoiled. I won't be using or contributing to the site significantly until after the end of the season and before you start spoiling season 3.

Character summaries in particular should be free of spoilers like "died in tbe episode Scattered," (before it aired), especially when the character doesn't die in Scattered after all when it finally airs.

Socinus lives!

-MHall

: I personally go by group consensus. If the consensus is that spoiler information is used, then that's the consensus; if it is vice-versa, then spoiler information isn't used (or packaged so as not to spoil the casual reader). As we're an '''information resource and episode guide''', spoilers are a necessary evil. Some of the spoiler information changes from script to shooting, hence the inaccurate statement of Socinus' death in "Scattered"; it doesn't preclude him dying later on due to his injuries, so he may still die this season.

: For instance, I noted that details often change from the initial script to the final shooting. Permit me to use Boomer as an example: her being a human Cylon was never in the previous versions of the mini-series script, but changed -- indirectly -- after one of Ron Moore's friends made a quip about there not being a "By your command" line in the script. (That information came from the mini-series DVD commentary track.) -- [[User:Joe.Beaudoin|Joe Beaudoin]] 09:41, 17 Jul 2005 (EDT)

Actually, I think that there is no way of making a spoiler-free version for everybody and making it work, too - because some country will always be the last to air the show, and by then, parts of the rest of the world will have forgotten about it already.

There is however one exception: There should really be no spoilers for shows that have not even aired, or at least not anywhere but that episode's summary. Otherwise, there is really no way one can enjoy this wiki ''and'' the show. (Happened for me with Home II.) I would even go as far as extending the no-spoilers for not-yet-aired shows for 24 hrs after the show, again, with the exception of the episodes's page. Because, let's fact it, lots of people will use P2P to see the show, because otherwise it would be years until they get to see it. (And if they are unlucky, they would have to see a synchronised version, too.) So the latter suggestion would enable them to look up things here while not having to wait for the show to arrive.

And one final thing: Spoiling from the scripts does not even make much sense - as the first poster on this page points out; and the audio comments imply the same. So my guess would be that spoiling not-yet aired shows will put off users from using this site, which is hardly a good thing, and it doesn't make much sense in the first place to do so, because the scripts will not air the way they were written, anyway. So I really would suggest a No spoilers for unaired shows policy. -- [[User:Still not king|Still not king]] 12:32, 28 August 2005 (EDT)

::I agree. We gain very little by jumping the gun on upcoming episode spoilers - for example, I didn't need to know that spoileriffic note on the episode summary for [[Resurrection Ship]] at all. There's no reason not to be patient with these things. I do not agree, however, with a 24 hour injunction against posting episode details - we should be able to start wiki-ing as soon as it airs in our respective timezones. If we want to stay spoiler free on the west coast, we can always just not log on during the three hour window. Likewise, when the brits start getting Season 2, Part II before we do, we shouldn't force ourselves to wait for the U.S. airings. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 12:45, 28 August 2005 (EDT)

:::I was intentionally proposing ''just'' 24 hours - that is what it might take to get to see the show if you have to get it by P2P, and in the meantime, one might still want to check out something -- not the episode summary, of course, but a plain page about a character. It's a minor part of my proposal, though -- the important one is No spoilers of unaired shows. -- [[User:Still not king|Still not king]] 20:13, 28 August 2005 (EDT)

::::I really like the idea of not posting regarding unaired shows. There's no way to avoid spoilers for shows that have aired already, but the show doesn't really exist until it's aired, in a way (insofar that it might be changed). I also really like the idea of a 24-hour wait period after the first (and thus, British, right?) air time. A day isn't that long, really, and I'm not sure about anyone else, but these episodes make my mind race and I'd probably be too excited if I went straight from the sofa to the computer after watching. --[[User:Day|Day]] 14:35, 29 August 2005 (EDT)

:::::One of the nice things about the wiki system is that if you post something innacurate or overzealous, someone else can come along and tone it down a bit. I'm starting a vote. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 15:03, 29 August 2005 (EDT)

:This is rediculous. You come onto a site that has a quite obvious spoiler policy on the front fage, you go to read about upcoming episodes, and then you cry about being spoiled. Gee, obviously the best way to solve this is to stop people from posting new information. [[User:Kuralyov|Kuralyov]] 08:51, 31 August 2005 (EDT)

:The whole debate is a bit odd to me. "Spoilers" by definition have to do with un-aired episodes, and anything written about un-aired episodes is, by definition, speculation. That speculation may be more informed or less, but it's still just that, ''speculation''. You have to watch the episode to find out what actually happens. If anything maybe there should be a reminder on un-aired ep pages that the information may or may not be accurate. Back in the day, there was another sci-fi show, "Babylon 5" which had/has a website much like this one - "The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5." The Lurker's Guide, while being an accurate and detailed guide to the show, was also a haven for every kind of spoilage and speculation imaginable, which I and many others found only enhanced our enjoyment of the show. --[[User:Astarte|Astarte]] 05:22, 3 September 2005 (EDT)

::I was also a fan of the lurker's guide. I think an important difference here is that the production staff of B5 (ie, JMS) were very tight-lipped and conscious of avoiding big spoilers. The staff of the Re-imagined series have been much looser, and credible spoilers for various production details have been leaked far and wide throughout the first half of the second season. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 13:25, 3 September 2005 (EDT)

== Spoiler Warning ==

How about episode pages that have not been aired yet get a spoiler tag, so that people that can contribute to them knowing full well that they'll likely be spoiled? Same can be done with character and event pages, so that information introduced to them from episodes not yet aired can also be used on this Wiki without fear of spoiling those that do not wish it. Thoughts?-- [[User:Joe.Beaudoin|Joe Beaudoin]] 09:39, 31 August 2005 (EDT)

:I'm afraid it wouldn't do me much good, since I read the diffs on everything on the recent edits page anyway. Maybe we could allow spoilers on episode summary pages but discourage them elsewhere? Avoiding the episode summaries isn't very hard. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 12:11, 31 August 2005 (EDT)

I found this problem with the Pegasus ep and related data. I wanted to keep the Fall of the Twelve Colonies page accurate with what we knew about surviving Battlestars, but this is still a spoiler, so the data there is left a bit vague unless someone digs for it. Still, a spoiler is a spoiler. The talk page would satisfy both spoiler-hunter and seeker on an episode article. We'd just need to add a "Spoiler" topic there, and note to people that if you are going to see an episode page for a show that hasn't aired, you are asking for it, literally. At least the talk page has an extra layer for avoiders to have, but because of the nature of this wiki, eliminating spoilers takes away a lot of the research fun. Data's gotta go somewhere and we can't commit the juicy bits for the main page to memory until the ep is aired. [[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 12:40, 31 August 2005 (EDT)

::This is going to be awkward, but I feel like we should add this as an option in the vote. Also adding a note on approval voting. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 12:53, 31 August 2005 (EDT)

:::I dislike the thought of having to move massive amounts of text. So far, I've been avoiding pages to do with unaired episodes. That's easy enough. My main concern is someone clicking through and wondering, "Who the ''heck'' is Gina?", thinking it's some pilot who's name they missed or some small character. Then they read about an episode they didn't want to. Or, in another case, someone reading all about Lee and the information going on, at the end, past the most recent episode. I think keeping character pages clear is the better idea. --[[User:Day|Day]] 17:01, 1 September 2005 (EDT)

=== Subpage? ===

How about comitting spoilers to a subpage of an article? For instance, [[Pegasus (episode)]] would have a subpage called [[Pegasus (episode)/Spoilers]]? I believe that would be fairly straight forward, given the title of the subpage. :-)

Then, after the episode airs, we can simply merge the contents together from the spoiler page into the main page of the article in question. Just my view. -- [[User:Joe.Beaudoin|Joe Beaudoin]] 12:48, 31 August 2005 (EDT)

:This sounds like a lot of work. I actually agree with Spencerian that anyone who clicks on the episode page for an unaired episode is explicitly asking for it. Additionally, those are easy edits to avoid reading. I'm going to go and complicate things now... --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 12:53, 31 August 2005 (EDT)

:: It does, but my intent was to just throw this out there to see what everyone else thought. -- [[User:Joe.Beaudoin|Joe Beaudoin]] 13:01, 31 August 2005 (EDT)

:::See my note above for my thoughts on having to merge things. --[[User:Day|Day]] 17:01, 1 September 2005 (EDT)

== What is a spoiler? ==
In response to Day's query below ("So what constitutes a spoiler for this new voting catagory?"): I believe a spoiler is anything from an as-yet-unaired show. Examples: Lucy Lawless's character, Cain, Gina, etc. I think the revelation about Boomer is fair game, as that was the end of the Mini-Series. It's hard to escape that fact when most press articles now refer to her as a Cylon. For the purposes of my argument and vote, a "spoiler" is any information that has not yet been broadcast. Is that a fair assessment? -- [[User:Ryq|ryq]] 16:40, 1 September 2005 (EDT)

:I concur with this definition. I just thought it would pay to be absolutely clear. --[[User:Day|Day]] 16:56, 1 September 2005 (EDT)

:What about various countries using this page? What an Australian considers a spoiler may already be known via broadcast in the states. Using this logic, spoiler pages could end up lasting for literally months after an original broadcast. --[[User:adedward|Adedward]] 16:15, 3 September 2005 (EDT)

:: Which is a problem with a "no spoiler" spoiler policy... Different countries see episodes at different times. Fact of the matter remains that there will always be spoilers within the wiki, so there will always be an "all spoilers permitted" policy -- in that way. The current discussion, however, is more towards spoiling episodes that haven't aired ''anywhere''. -- [[User:Joe.Beaudoin|Joe Beaudoin]] 18:37, 3 September 2005 (EDT)

::: Precisely. Once an episode has aired for the first time somewhere, then it can be said what's really in it. Before it's aired anywhere, stuff "known" about it can change and so could very well be ''dis''information. Also, regardless of what the MPAA (or whatever the acronym is) wants, once an episode airs in one place, it is very soon available via download on the internet. I don't think this site should condone such downloading, but it's a reality and, as I understand it, Australia is the leader in downloading TV programs. There's also some behavioral patterns that indicate that the SciFi Channel and SkyOne and the peroduction staff might very well be tacitly embracing this method of dissemination with the idea that it actually raises viewership numbers when the things air for the first time in an area. They've, of course, not made any official statement.

::: All that being said, I think the first air date, whether that's in the UK, the US, Australlia or [http://www.google.com/search?q=Kamchatka Kamchatka], should be that date after which comprehensive information about an episode should no longer be considered a spoiler with respect to character pages. Episode pages are, really, a finer-grained debate. --[[User:Day|Day]] 15:15, 6 September 2005 (EDT)

::: I concur with Day in that I believe nothing is canon until a) the episode is legitimately broadcast anywhere, or b) TPTB declare some aspect of the show as canon. It has been proven that scenes or characters or plots are moved, re-written or deleted between the page and the screen. I'm concerned that some "spoilers" (ie, rumours, hear-say, etc) may reflect poorly on this wiki, and therefore spoilers should be left out of the main article (and on the Talk page) unless and until they are proven correct. For example, I do not disagree with Lucy Lawless' character having an article at this time (we know she was part of the cast), but I believe what her character says and does, and what plots involve her, should be kept on the Talk page until they are broadcast. On a related note, I am amazed at all the info you guys find about unaired shows. :) -- [[User:Ryq|ryq]] 16:08, 6 September 2005 (EDT)

==Vote==

Vote for as many options as you agree with. Voting method is [[Wikipedia:Approval Voting|approval voting]] - place your name under every policy which would be acceptable to you; the policy acceptable to the most users wins.

Spoilers in this vote refer to details of unaired episodes. As an encyclopedia, cataloging information from already aired episodes is what we do, and is not in question.

===All spoilers permitted (current policy)===
# [[User:Kuralyov|Kuralyov]] 08:47, 31 August 2005 (EDT)
# --[[User:Wingsandsword|Wingsandsword]] 21:38, 1 September 2005 (EDT) This a reference, let's act like it. If we have reliable information, share it with others.
# --[[User:Astarte|Astarte]] 04:50, 3 September 2005 (EDT)
# --[[User:adedward|Adedward]] 04:11pm, 3 September 2005 (EDT)
# --[[User:Talos|Talos]] 07:50pm, 3 September 2005 (EDT)
# --[[User:Laven|Laven]] 06:00, 5 September 2005 (EDT)
# --[[User:Howlader|Howlader]] 1622, 5 September 2005 (EDT)
# --[[User:finnulf|Finnulf]] 1523, 8 September 2005 (EDT) Visitors should be permitted to use their judgement pertaining to spoilers; banning spoilers amounts to censorship.
# --[[User:Lone Odessan]] 1820, 11 September 2005 (EDT)
# --[[User:Bactram]] 1400 23 September 2005 (EDT)

===No spoilers except for episode pages===
# --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 12:53, 31 August 2005 (EDT)
# --[[User:Joe.Beaudoin|Joe Beaudoin]] 13:04, 31 August 2005 (EDT)
# --Zareck Rocks 15:00, 31 August 2005 (EDT)--
# --[[User:Day|Day]] 16:57, 1 September 2005 (EDT) (I'm apparently being convinced).
# --[[User:Dawn|Dawn]] 02:16, 2 September 2005 (EDT)
# --[[User:Cp.hayes|cp.hayes]] 19:55, 2 September 2005 (EDT)
# --[[User:Redwall|Redwall]] 09:21, 4 September 2005 (EDT)
# --[[User:CrimsonLine|CrimsonLine]] 15:04, 6 September 2005 (EDT)
# --[[User:Fang Aili|Fang Aili]] 14:17, 7 September 2005 (EDT). It could be that people surfing through an episode list would not know that a certain episode has not yet aired. Another example would be folks using the "Random page" button. Thus I suggest putting a spoiler warning at the top of any such articles. But let the speculation flow; it's half the fun.
# --[[User:JohnReese|John Reese]] 11:21, 8 September 2005 (PDT)

===No spoilers except for episode talk pages===
# --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 12:35, 31 August 2005 (EDT) (To compromise, make the episode's TALK page fair game for spoiler data.)
# --[[User:Ryq|ryq]] 19:40, 31 August 2005 (EDT) (I agree with Spencerian's addendum)

===No spoilers until after first episode airdate===
# --[[User:cp.hayes|cp.hayes]] 22:49, 29 August 2005 (EDT)
# --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 12:35, 31 August 2005 (EDT) (To compromise, make the episode's TALK page fair game for spoiler data.)
# --[[User:Ryq|ryq]] 19:40, 31 August 2005 (EDT) (I agree with Spencerian's addendum)
# --[[User:Day|Day]] 22:45, 31 August 2005 (EDT) (So what constitutes a spoiler for this new voting catagory? Does this mean in the Mini-Series episode article, we have to take out the revelation about Boomer's heritage and move it to the talk page? Or does this new thing mean that information about unaired episodes goes on their talk pages until they've aired (or 24 hours after) when we can then move it to the main page? This new thing confuses me, which I think is apparent.)
# [[User:Philwelch|Philwelch]] 22:06, 1 September 2005 (EDT)
# --[[User:Dawn|Dawn]] 02:15, 2 September 2005 (EDT)
# --[[User:BillCook|BillCook]], 6 September 2005
# --[[User:JohnReese|John Reese]] 11:21, 8 September 2005 (PDT)
# --[[User:Ricimer|Ricimer]] 11 Sept, 2005
# --[[User:dhaelis|dhaelis]] Sept 13, 2005
# --[[User:Bactram]] 1400 23 September 2005 (EDT)

===No spoilers until after first episode airdate + 24 hours===
# --[[User:QuintusCinna|QuintusCinna]]
# --[[User:Day|Day]] 00:19, 30 August 2005 (EDT)
# [[User:Philwelch|Philwelch]] 22:06, 1 September 2005 (EDT)
# --[[User:Dawn|Dawn]] 02:15, 2 September 2005 (EDT)

==When does this vote close?==

When does this vote close? The vote is pretty close, but it's been up for a while. I don't want to propose it close right... NOW, because it could look like I'm pushing an agenda (as of this writring one of my acceptable categories is winning), but if we don't make this call ahead of time, it could always look that way. Who has the final say on policy like this, anyway? Is it Joe? If so, does he get to say when the vote ends? I'm not demanding action... just andwers. ^_^ --[[User:Day|Day]] 21:19, 12 September 2005 (EDT)

:Of the three leading options, they're all within a vote of each other. I don't believe that constitutes an acceptable margin of victory to call it. If a consensus fails to emerge, we should probably throw out the results (which means we retain the status quo, ie, all spoilers permitted) and engage in another round of debate. I say this all with an eye toward pissing as few people off as possible, although at the moment the issue appears quite contentious. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 21:27, 12 September 2005 (EDT)
::Another round of debate? I would object, but there are only 2 more new episodes, and after that we have a few months to debate. I *would* like to get this decided soon, but it appears there isn't a majority. --[[User:Fang Aili|Fang Aili]] 22:36, 13 September 2005 (EDT)
:::Unfortunately, if there were an obvious compromise position it would have revealed its self by now. We could possibly call for a re-vote among the three tied "winners" using a [[Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranked_Choice_Voting|ranked voting system]]. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 22:52, 13 September 2005 (EDT)

:::: I kinda thought "Spoilers on Episode Pages only" was a compromise and voted accordingly, but that's obviously subjective. I like the ranked voting idea. I've had a positive experience using what's called a Smith//Minmax system. Note I said "using" though. I have only the slightest idea how those are actually set up. My main concern, really, is character pages. I don't care if Gina has a page now, or not, but I'd rather not have a bit about how Kara will get pregnant by ''Felix'' in three episodes. If you take my meaning. --[[User:Day|Day]] 23:51, 13 September 2005 (EDT)

::::: Yes, but you're one of only about three people who gave approval to both Episode pages and post-airdate. If the other voters were willing to take one or the other, I assume they'd have said so. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 23:55, 13 September 2005 (EDT)

:::: I agree with Peter, a solution would have come up by now. Thus, I am officially ending the vote -- though the issue is, by not means, settled. Instead, I have come up with a [[Battlestar Wiki talk:Spoiler Policy/Compromise|draft of a revised spoiler policy]] (a compromise, if you will) that I would like to run by our users. I believe it will help piss off as few people as humanly possible. :-) -- [[User:Joe.Beaudoin|Joe Beaudoin]] 23:56, 13 September 2005 (EDT)

Act of Contrition

2005-09-22T18:45:26Z

Bactram: correct grammar

[[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, [[Lee Adama|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 [[Chamalla]] 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 up 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 [[The Twelve Colonies#Caprica|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]].

==Summary from scifi.com ==
After a flight deck accident kills 13 pilots and wounds many others, Kara is thrust into service as a flight instructor and ordered to turn a group of civilian pilots and academy washouts into full-fledged Viper pilots.

The assignment brings back painful memories for Kara. She can't forget how she let Zak — Commander Adama's son and her lover — pass Basic Flight when he wasn't ready, and how it ultimately cost him his life. Determined never to repeat the mistake, she flunks out the would-be pilots on their first day.

She is immediately confronted, first by Lee, then by Adama, and forced to admit to the Commander her role in Zak's death. Adama orders her to continue training the "nuggets." Meanwhile, Sgt. Hadrian continues her investigation into the detonators found in Sharon's spacecraft, and President Roslin consults the ship's doctor about her cancer.

Far away on Cylon-occupied Caprica, Sharon and Helo find a secret cache of food.
--This section ©2005, [http://www.scifi.com SCI FI]. All rights reserved.

== Questions ==


* Did the scene with the viper burning and Starbuck's ejection at the end actually happen then? The problem is that it was also shown earlier in the episode, in two parts, apparently as flashbacks for Starbuck. (This is the case in the Australian version, at least.)

== 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]].

== 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 led 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!
*While the viper is burning on entry into the atmosphere, the viper's [[Altimeter|altimeter]] is going in reverse, indicating altitude gain.

== 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)

==External Links ==
[http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/episodes/season01/104/ "Act of Contrition"] at scifi.com.

[[Wikipedia:Contrition|Contrition]] defined on Wikipedia.
{{Episode List}}

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

Bastille Day

2005-09-22T17:23:31Z

Bactram: Fix italics

[[Image:bsg-1-03.jpg|thumb|"Bastille Day" (credit: Sci-Fi Channel)]]

== Overview ==

: ''Continuing from the events of [[Water]], the [[Battlestar]] [[Galactica]] and the [[fleet]] face a chronic water shortage. Their only recourse: persuade 1,500 prisoners on the transport vessel [[Astral Queen]] to help them mine ice from a nearby moon. ''

== Summary ==
* The ''[[Galactica]]'''s water fleet-critical supplies have been sabotaged ([[Water]])
* A source of water has been located on a nearby moon - but it is in the form of ice, and must be mined, which will require a crew of around 1,000
* As that number cannot be spared from ''Galactica's'' crew, and it is unlikely civilians will volunteer, it is determined to try and enlist the help of the prisoners on the ''[[Astral Queen]]''
* [[Laura Roslin|Roslin]] won’t have the prisoners forced into the work, so [[Lee Adama]] suggests the prisoners who volunteer could be awarded points to go towards their freedom
* This idea does not go down well with [[William Adama|Adama]], who is already at odds with his son over his new position as "special advisor" to the president ([[Water]])
* However, Roslin decides to send a delegation lead by Lee Adama to the ''Astral Queen'' to put the idea to the prisoners. To address Adama's fears that they might inadvertently release dangerous prisoners into the fleet's community, [[Billy Keikeya]] is selected to go as well and screen the prisoners prior to selection
* As a further snub to his son, Adama insists military personnel also go – one to assist in the screening, who will report directly to him – and one to ensure the selected prisoners can handle the equipment that will be used to extract the ice
* [[Anastasia Dualla]] is "volunteered" by Billy for the first role, [[Cally]] is eventually selected for the second
* Arriving on the ''Astral Queen'', Lee puts the situation to the prisoners, and outlines the deal: help us and earn points towards your freedom
* No-one volunteers. Instead, the nominated leader of the prisoners politely refuses the offer. Billy Keikeya recognises him as [[Tom Zarek]], a political agitator from [[The Twelve Colonies#Sagittaron|Sagittaron]]
* While Dualla and Billy argue the merits of Zarek as a "prisoner of conscience" or terrorist – Billy almost idolising him, Lee meets with Zarek to try and persuade him to help the fleet
* On the ''Galactica'', Adama meets with [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]], who is still equivocating over his [[Cylon detector]]. When Adama pushes Baltar into a corner, the doctor tries to admit he can’t actually build the detector
* This releases a torrent of anger from Baltar’s [[Number Six|Six]], which terrifies him into submission. She then instructs him on what to ask for in order to make the detector: a nuclear warhead
* When Six only reveals a part of how this can be used to make the detector, Baltar is forced to think things through himself, and realizes it will actually work. Adama agrees to let Baltar have a warhead
* On the ''Astral Queen'', a planned break-out takes place, and the ''Galactica’s'' delegation is taken hostage
* With the ship in his control, Zarek demands the immediate resignation of Roslin and her government on the grounds that, having never been elected, they do not represent the people
* As Zarek uses Lee to try and gain insight into the dynamic between Roslin and Adama, an assault mission, led by [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]], is put together using the ''Galactica’s'' [[Raptor]]s and marine contingent. As a crack shot, Starbuck is ordered by Adama to kill Zarek if she gets the chance
* Adama then tries to negotiate with Zarek himself, but is rebuffed. Lee Adama realises the truth: Zarek wants Adama to send in the troops, believing a bloodbath aboard the ''Queen'' will bring down Roslin’s government
* The marines and Starbuck arrive in the Raptors and start cutting their way into the ship
* In the cells, one of the prisoners decides he doesn’t like the way Cally has been “mocking” him, and decides to teach her a lesson
* As the Starbuck and her marines enter the ship, matters come to a head as the prisoner shoots Cally, wounding her, after he clearly tried to rape her, and she bit off a piece of his ear
* Lee Adama and Zarek rush to the cell where the prisoner is holding Cally. In the confusion, Lee obtains a handgun and puts it to Zarek’s head, giving him a choice: die immediately, or work with his men to supply the fleet with water, and in return he’ll get to keep the ''Astral Queen'' and get his elections
* The marines then make their presence felt, as Starbuck takes a shot at Zarek – who is saved by Lee Adama
* Roslin and Adama are initially less than pleased at these arrangements. Lee doesn’t really care. The prisoners are helping with the water, even if they have control of the ''Astral Queen'' they are still reliant on the fleet for supplies, and under Colonial law, Roslin would have to face elections in seven months anyway
* Later, Lee informs Roslin that he didn’t mean to offend her with his views, and that when the elections come, he’ll vote for her. His honesty causes her to reveal the truth about her cancer and the fact that she might not be alive come the elections.

===On Caprica===
* [[Karl C. Agathon|Helo]] and [[Sharon Valerii#Caprica Valerii|Valerii]] reach a relatively undamaged city
* As they explore the city, they are observed by [[Aaron Doral|Doral]] and [[Number Six|Six]] from a rooftop
* Doral and Six discuss their heritage as Cylons - the "children of humanity", Six expressing regret that humans must be destroyed. Doral is less compassionate: parents need to die to let the children come into their own

==Summary from scifi.com ==
The fleet has found a source of water, but who will take on the difficult and dangerous job of mining it from the icy planet? Commander Adama and President Roslin send Lee to the Astral Queen, a prisoner transport ship, with an offer for its inmates: Volunteer for this mission and earn "freedom points."

The prisoners not only reject the offer but stage a uprising and hold Lee and his crew hostage. Their leader is Tom Zarek, a freedom fighter convicted of terrorism 20 years earlier. Zarek demands that Roslin step down as president and call for immediate elections to choose a new leader.

While Adama and Roslin organize an assault on the ship, Lee, who read Zarek's radical manifesto while at college, negotiates with his captor. Back on the Galactica, Adama pressures Baltar to develop a device that can distinguish Cylons from humans.

Many light-years away on Caprica, Sharon and Helo struggle to evade the Cylons, unaware that they are being observed by Doral and Number Six.
--©2005, [http://www.scifi.com SCI FI]. All rights reserved.

== Questions ==

*Both Six and Zarek make references to "humanity's children", is there a connection?
*Is Zarek genuinely willing to die for the cause of anarchy?
*Can Baltar really use a nuclear warhead to build a Cylon detector, or does Six have some other plan? ([[Flesh and Bone|Answer]])

== Analysis ==

Another good episode, if a little contrived towards the end.

Certainly, this is Lee Adama's episode through and through, and the kid is finding his feet: he stands by those principles he signed-up to in joining the military, he faces off against his father and risks earning Roslin's scorn, and he handles himself with Zarek admirably well. He not only grows dimensionally as a character as the episode progresses he also matures as a man, finally and truly stepping out of his father's long shadow.

[[Jamie Bamber]] turns in an excellent performance as Lee Adama, hitting his mark perfectly throughout, and his scenes with [[Richard Hatch]] are perfect for not only the dynamic that grows between the two characters, but also for the amount of background information that is very carefully crafted into the dialogue.

Indeed, alongside Jamie Bamber, this is very much Richard Hatch's episode. He turns in a fine performance as Zarek and one can instantly understand why he has been invited back. It would be interesting to put Hatch's Zarek face-to-face against Olmos' Adama; both hold a tremendous amount of power when on-screen.

It is interesting how the imagery abounds in this episode: how the old cliché that "one man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist" is subtlety reviewed against the more traditional lines of argument (the byplay between Zarek and Lee Adama played out behind the deliberate verbalising of the cliché through Dualla and Billy); how the question of “taking sides” and reconciling conflicts are encompassed in Lee Adama’s ability to resolve the hostage situation through actions that are neither aligned with Adama or with Roslin.

Dynamics are strong elsewhere in the episode as well - most obviously between Baltar and, respectively, Six and Adama.

The former dynamic again takes a new twist as this is the first time we see her "angry" with Baltar and able to go beyond gentle manipulation of his thoughts and move into outright domination of his conscious thinking.

In his confrontation with Adama, Baltar manages to come across as simultaneously weak, intelligent, child-like and borne of wisdom beyond his years. Genius personified? Perhaps - but that is precisely what Baltar is supposed to be; albeit flawed, and [[James Callis]] combines all of it so powerfully on screen.

As with previous episodes, "Bastille Day" continues to touch on pieces from the mini and earlier episodes. Despite all that is packed into this one, we still find three minutes in which the Boomer / detonator plot is moved forward, and we get the confirmation that the Boomer / Tyrol relationship is well-known throughout the ship. At the same time, Tigh's alcoholism is touched upon; and the Starbuck / Tigh conflict renews itself - this time with more subtlety than in the [[Mini Series]].

At the conclusion of the [[Mini Series|mini]], Tigh made overtures to Starbuck following her manoeuvres that rescued Lee Adama when his Viper was crippled. At the time, Starbuck rejected Tigh's attempts at reaching an understanding out-of-hand. Now, in "Bastille Day", it is Starbuck's turn to make overtures following Tigh's support of her in putting together the plan to re-take the ''Astral Queen'' - only to be rejected by Tigh. In keeping with one of the motifs of the episode, Starbuck reaps what she has sown.

However, there are a few minor irritants in the episode:
*The resolution to the hostage crisis being precipitated by problems within the ranks of the hostage-takers (Cally being taken away by another prisoner) came across as a trifle contrived, having been done often enough one way or another in the past to be considered in some ways trite.
*The way Helo, supposedly deep in enemy-held territory walks around town shouting at the top of his lungs – an act he could reasonably expect would bring any nearby Cylons down on him and Valerii like a tonne of bricks.
*The fact that, despite hearing about and seeing the nuclear bombardment of Caprica in the mini-series, the city Helo and Valerii enter is totally undamaged. Not a broken window, not a collapsed building not a single uprooted tree. Given the size of the warheads the Cylons were using and the devastation they wrought (witness the shockwave that took out Baltar’s house in the mini-series), this is unfortunate. At least some of the skyline of the city could have been CGI’d to look as if it had been bombed (though it's possible the Cylons spared the city ''intentionally'' for use in their plans).

== Notes ==

* Richard Hatch played the character of [[Apollo (TOS)|Apollo]] in the [[TOS|original ''Battlestar Galactica'']] television series.
* Events here take place 4 days after those of [[Water]].
* In the [[Mini-Series]] the ''[[Astral Queen]]'' is apparently a liner, rather than a prison ship.
** During a briefing, [[Billy Keikeya|Billy]] informs [[Laura Roslin|President Roslin]] that: "The Captain of the ''Astral Queen'' wants you to know that he has nearly 500 convicted criminals under heavy guard in his cargo hold. They were being transported to a penal station when the attack happened."
** In the re-cap clip shown at the top of this episode, Billy's lines are re-dubbed so that he says, "The Captain of the ''Astral Queen'' wants you to know that he has 1500 prisoners under heavy guard."
** Instead of being taken to a penal station, as in the [[Mini-Series]], [[Lee Adama]] states that the prisoners were being transferred to [[The Twelve Colonies#Caprica|Caprica]] for parole hearings
** For the purposes of the increased number of prisoners, the ''Astral Queen'' becomes a prison ship
* [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] is a crack shot with a rifle.
* The Colonials are going to be facing a fuel shortage at some point.
* [[Raptor]]s are designed for marine assault and include an extendable docking skirt in their underside that can be pressurised (and possibly used in rescue operations?).
* The ''Galactica'' has a small contingent of marines onboard - perhaps around the 20-30 mark.
* The ''Galactica'' has five "remaining" nuclear warheads.
* The [[Lords of Kobol]] are modelled on the [[Greek Gods|Olympian gods]] of Greek mythology.
* The quip made by the ''[[Astral Queen]]'''s captain, "I'm a bus driver, not a warden", is a homage to the original ''Star Trek'' television series. It is similar to Doctor Leonard McCoy's trademark quote, "I'm a doctor, not a bricklayer", or whatever fits at the time in the latter portion of the statement.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

=== Choosing Sides ===

Adama: Every man has to decide for themselves which side they are on. 
Apollo: I didn't know we were picking sides. (walks off) 
Adama: That's why you haven't picked one yet.

=== Children of Humanity ===

On Cylon-occupied Caprica:

Doral: She's good. Six: So far. Doral: Jealous? Six: This all makes me so sad. Doral: (matter-of-fact) They would have destroyed themselves anyway. They deserve what they got. Six: We're the children of humanity. That makes them our parents in a sense. Doral: True - but parents have to die. It's the only way children come into their own.

Later, aboard the 'Astral Queen', in a broadcast by Tom Zarek:

Tom Zarek: I make these demands not for me....but for you, the people. The survivors of the holocaust and the children of humanity's future. I am Tom Zarek, and this is the first day of a new era.

== Official Statements ==




== Statistics ==



=== Guest Stars ===


*[[Richard Hatch]] as [[Tom Zarek]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Alonso+Oyarzun Alonso Oyarzun] as [[Socinus]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nicki+Clyne Nicki Clyne] as [[Cally]]
*[[Bennett, Matthew|Matthew Bennett]] as [[Aaron Doral]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Pat+Adren+Dornal Pat Adren Dornal] as [[Wikens]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Ron+Selmour Ron Selmour] as [[Seaborne]]




=== Writing & Direction ===

*Written by [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Toni+Graphia Toni Graphia]
*Directed by [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Alan+Kroeker Alan Kroeker]




=== Production Notes ===

*Series: 1 (2004 / 2005)
*Production Number: 1.03
*Airdate Order: 3 (of 13)

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

*UK Airdate: 1 November 2004 (Sky One)
*US Airdate: 28 January 2005 (Sci-Fi Channel)
*DVD Release: 28 March 2005 (UK)

== External Links ==
[http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/episodes/season01/103/ "Bastille Day"] at scifi.com

{{Episode List}}

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[[Category: Episode Guide (RDM)]]
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