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Daybreak, Part I

2011-03-25T14:46:15Z

Bunjog:

{{Episode Data
| image=FirstDaybreak.jpg
| title=Daybreak, Part I
| season= 4
| episode=19
| guests=
| writer= [[Ronald D. Moore]]
| story=
| director= [[Michael Rymer]]
| production=421
| rating=1,661,000 viewers (Live+SD)<ref>{{cite_web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/03/17/wwe-raw-cars-hannah-montana-and-spongebob-lead-weekly-cable-viewing/14680|title=WWE RAW, Cars, Hannah Montana and SpongeBob Lead Weekly Cable Viewing|date=17 March 2009|accessdate=25 March 2009|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>
| US airdate=March 13, 2009
| CAN airdate=March 13, 2009
| UK airdate=March 17, 2009
| dvd={{flag|US|notext=Y}} {{Season 4.5 NTSC DVD release date}}
| population=39516
| oldpopulation=39521
| prev=[[Islanded In a Stream of Stars ]]
| next=[[Daybreak, Part II]]
| forumthread= 2994
| hulu=Y
| itunes=http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=VWbyALbmqZY&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewTVSeason%253Fi%253D308282831%2526id%253D287463411%2526s%253D143441%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30
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== Overview ==
: ''As'' [[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]] ''is in its death throes, [[William Adama|Adama]] calls for volunteers for a final mission to save [[Hera Agathon]] from [[John Cavil]].''

== Summary ==

=== Act 1 ===
'''In [[Caprica City]]'''
*The Act opens with a montage, including a galaxy, a bird trapped in a skylight, water falling into a pool, and light over a planet. Establish a modern city: "Caprica City - Before the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|Fall]]".
*[[William Adama]], wearing civilian clothes, converses with another gentleman in a shaded room. Adama talks about his combat experience, commanding billions of cubits of men and materials, but doesn't want to go through with something. The man responds that he's only asking for one hour of his time, and that "sometimes there are things that you gotta do."
*Across the city, Dr. [[Gaius Baltar]] speaks with [[Caprica-Six]] in a limo, talking briefly about having things done for you as opposed to being independent. Baltar and Caprica-Six begin fooling around in the limo, when a call comes through. Baltar is immediately shaken. He apologizes and asks the other person to wait for him. The other person sounds ready to leave, but Baltar tells the person on the other end to wait for him, or he will sue for abandonment.
*[[Laura Roslin]] sees out the last guest from her sister's baby shower. Laura and her two younger sisters sit on the couch, celebrating and laughing together.
*In an apartment kitchen, [[Kara Thrace]] contemplates something and prepares food when the doorbell rings. Kara is surprised, saying they're early, and greets [[Lee Adama]] at the door, carrying flowers. Kara invites him in and calls for Zak. [[Zak Adama]] comes out, greets his brother, and introduces Kara as his girlfriend.
*Baltar pleads with Nurse Barbara to stay with his father [[Julius Baltar|Julius]] at his apartment, after she is stabbed with a steak knife, but she refuses and leaves. Caprica-Six walks in, despite Baltar's instructions to stay in the car. Baltar starts berating his father over the fact that he's driven away three nurses, at great cost to him, while his father starts talking about Baltar's past. Baltar starts yelling and hitting his father, demanding that he shut up. Baltar then sends Caprica-Six away, saying he will be spending the rest of the evening with his father.
*At her apartment, Laura Roslin is informed by two [[Caprica City Police]] officers that the previous night, her father and sisters died in a car accident. The other driver survived, and was intoxicated at the time of the accident. Roslin, upset, calmly asks the officers to leave. She stands in her apartment, alone, thinking, and then walks to a park in her nightgown. She rests her feet in the fountain, and then wades in the water, and rests on a nearby rock, letting the splashing water wash over her. The drops of water falling into the pond match what was seen in the earlier montage.

'''Aboard [[Galactica|''Galactica'']]'''
*An IV drip, overlooking Laura Roslin resting in Sickbay.
*In the Hangar Bay, Lee Adama complains about the amount of materials the ship captains want from ''Galactica''. Lee signs a number of documents (and also sends some back for revision), when a deckhand argues over the fact that the magnetic accelerators are being stripped. While Lee points out that they can be used as autoloaders for the civilian ships, the deckhand says that "it's like tearing the old girl's heart out", as it's used in launching Vipers. Lee compromises that the accelerators will be last thing they remove from ''Galactica'', then they'll "turn out the lights, and let the old girl die in peace."

=== Act 2 ===
'''Aboard [[Galactica|''Galactica'']]'''
*As [[William Adama|Admiral Adama]] finishes packing the last of his belongings to be moved to the Cylon basestar, the hull rattles overhead.
*Paulla tells [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]] that they now control a majority in at least half the ships in the fleet. While Paulla continues to cheer about their political power, Baltar is informed by [[Virtual Six]] that "humanity's final chapter is about to be written," with him as the author. Baltar turns back to Paulla, thinking back.
*In [[Sam Anders|Anders']] room, [[Kara Thrace|Kara]] sits with him, contemplating the notes she got from Hera ([[Someone to Watch Over Me]]). With equations and notes, Kara continues to ponder.
*In the CIC, Lt. [[Hoshi]] cleans up a spill, while Tigh announces that the Admiral will fly out the last Viper personally. He orders that the deck gang keep one launch tube intact and ready for remote activation. Tigh comments on Hoshi's inability to clean up the spill, saying "you won't make Admiral like that."
*In the brig, [[Karl Agathon|Helo]] and an imprisoned [[Galen Tyrol|Tyrol]] argue over the uniqueness of the Eights. Helo points out that Tyrol's relationship with Boomer, much like his with Athena's, are unique. Tyrol scoffs, calling himself a "frakkin' idiot" for not realizing that they're just machines, not people. The Eights are all the same "...because [[Final Five|''we'']] made them the same." Tyrol says that they can't be trusted, at which point, Helo ends the conversation abruptly.

'''In Caprica City'''
*As Baltar escorts a lovely young woman into his house, he walks in to find [[Caprica-Six]] there, sitting. Baltar shoos the young woman upstairs, while Baltar declares Caprica an intruder and orders her out. Caprica-Six mentions that she had Julius moved to the Regency, a full-time care facility. Caprica mentions that he loves his new arrangements, and that the last time she saw him, he seemed happy.

'''Inside [[The_Colony|the Colony]]'''
*Hera draws notes on a large paper, while [[Number One|Cavil]] points out that they're just "little dots." [[Number Four|Simon]] suggests that they feed Hera through tubes, while [[Sharon Valerii|Boomer]] insists that the girl just misses her mother. Cavil rejects this idea coldly, saying Hera is just a hybrid who holds the key to Cylon salvation, nothing more. Cavil leaves as Simon prepares a large needle with Hera and Boomer in view.

=== Act 3 ===
'''Aboard [[Galactica|''Galactica'']]'''
*[[William Adama|Admiral Adama]] helps [[Hotdog]] (with child in tow) with some pictures that fell while they crossed paths. Hotdog says that he grabbed photos of pilots from the [[Memorial hallway]] to ensure they weren't "left behind", but mentions there are a lot of photos still on the walls. Adama glances at the photos, stopping at one of [[Sharon Agathon|Athena]] kissing [[Hera Agathon|Hera]] on the head. Adama then walks quickly out of the area, pauses, then walks back and takes the photo off the wall.
*On the Hangar Deck, Baltar pleads Lee Adama to listen to a proposal asking for representation within the new government. Despite Baltar's claims that it will be for thousands of people, Lee is dubious of Baltar's motives as he outed Kara's secret. Baltar contends that Lee is letting his feelings for Kara cloud the possibility of genuine conversation. Lee allows him five minutes to state his case and walks away, with Baltar quickly following.
*Admiral Adama looks over Kara's notes regarding the musical notes inside Anders' room. Kara admits she's reaching, looking for patterns and inspirations by assigning numbers to the notes, but is still unsure. Adama asks Kara about Baltar's declaration, which she confirms, and explains how she discovered and burned her remains on Earth. Kara is unsure of what she is, but Adama is sure that he thinks of her as a "daughter", and tells her not to forget it. Adama wants to ask Anders a question, to which Kara plugs him in. Anders shows signs of movement from his hands as power can be heard. Once powered up, Anders begins to speak in riddles, particularly about Kara. Kara dismisses the statements, and gives Adama the OK to ask his question. Adama decides to have Kara ask the question instead, although the actual question is not heard as the act ends.

'''In Caprica City'''
*In a tub, Anders responds to a reporter's questions about his possibilities for a championship despite his team being in a rebuilding year. The reporter asks if his career would be incomplete without the championship, to which Anders starts by giving some general, seemingly canned responses. Then, in a candid moment, Anders tells the reporter that the championship, statistics, even the games don't really matter to him, but rather the pursuit of the "perfection" of the moment.

=== Act 4 ===
'''Aboard [[Galactica|''Galactica'']]'''
*Inside a Hangar storage area, Baltar tries some pleasantries, but Lee cuts him off and asks for the point. Baltar begins by saying that once ''Galactica'' is gone, that a new life will have begun, to which Baltar believes a different philosophy is needed in the days ahead. Baltar pledges his support to help this new era, but only asks for his people to have a say in government. Lee scoffs at the idea, saying that all he's known of Baltar's actions, is that they have served him in some way, and are all suspect as a result. Lee declines Baltar's request for representation for his group, on the grounds that he can't be trusted. Baltar relents, then leaves.
*As Lee walks out of the storage room and Baltar converses with his followers, Admiral Adama enters, followed by Kara. The Admiral and Kara stretch a line of tape on the floor of the deck. Adama begins to speak to the crew in the Hangar Deck regarding the disappearance of Hera, and that originally a rescue was not practical, but was wrong.
*Across the ship, the crew begins to talk about the rescue plan...
**Hotdog talks with the pilots about where the Admiral got the information. The Admiral didn't say where, but Hotdog speculates that Anders gave the information as Kara was by the Admiral's side.
**Ishay and Cottle discuss the fact that until now, they weren't sure of where Hera was located, but that has apparently changed. Roslin overhears this with a concerned look.
**Tory and Ellen walk through the halls, saying that even with the location, it's not the same as being able to get her. Tory expresses her dislike of the rescue idea, but Ellen argues that Hera's importance is outside their understanding, and that they are all going with them. Tory thinks that Ellen is deciding for the group, but Ellen points out that Tory never liked being alone.
**Tory and Ellen pass Lee Adama, relaying instructions over the phone. Lee mentions that the mission is strictly voluntary, and that any man or woman over the age of 15 may join up, including the ones detained due to the mutiny.
**In the CIC, Colonel Tigh declares that all personnel must make their own choice in person and that the Admiral is waiting on the Hangar Deck. Tigh also gives last minute instructions regarding the watch and watchkeepers, then orders the crew to move. Tigh asks Hoshi what he's going to do, which Hoshi isn't sure about. Tigh mentions that he has "four minutes" to figure it out.
**In their quarters, Helo and Athena discuss the rescue. Helo is very enthusiastic about the attempt, while Athena is convinced Hera's mostly likely dead. Helo still believes that Hera is alive, they will get her back, and everything will be all right. While Athena is still not convinced, Helo says she's wrong and leaves.

'''In [[Caprica City]]'''
*Lee Adama staggers into his apartment, laughing about a "dare" that took place at Zak and Kara's place. As Lee knocks over some glasses, he spots a pigeon inside his apartment. Lee angrily tries to shoo the pigeon out with a broom, but after breaking more things, gives up in frustration.

=== Act 5 ===
'''In [[Caprica City]]'''
*[[Laura Roslin]] is on the phone with someone while dining alone, dismissing the fact that she is a recluse in the 3 months since her father and sisters' death. She is also adamant against joining Mayor Adar's campaign, saying she doesn't like politics. She makes a deal with the person, however, that she will go on a date with a man, Shawn Ellison, if they drop the idea of Roslin joining Adar's campaign.

'''Aboard [[Galactica|''Galactica'']]'''
*In Sickbay, Laura Roslin puts on her wig, getting ready to leave.
*Admiral Adama gives a final impassioned speech to the assembled crew on the Hangar Deck, saying they should not be obligated to join the mission. Adama has made a personal choice to undertake the mission. Should not enough people join the mission to crew Galactica, a Raptor assault will be lead by him in its place. Adama makes it clear that this mission will mostly likely be one-way, so emotion or sentiment should not be considered. Pointing to the line on the deck, Admiral Adama asks for volunteers to move to the Starboard side and those choosing to remain with the fleet to move to Port.
*The crew begins shifting between sides. During the exchange, Adama asks Dr. Cottle to remain with the fleet, but thanks him for the thought. When all the movement has settled, those among the volunteers include Lee Adama, Starbuck, Hotdog, the Final Five (save Anders), Caprica-Six, and a visibly weakened Laura Roslin. Baltar and his followers do not volunteer for the mission.

'''Outside [[The Colony|the Colony]]'''
*Raptor 279, piloted by [[Racetrack]] and [[Skulls]], jump to the coordinates given by Anders. They complete the jump, only to be nearly hit by an asteroid. The two ex-mutineers joke about going on the mission as opposed to being locked up, when Skulls picks up readings of a naked singularity. As the Raptor slides towards the black hole, a DRADIS contact is picked up, to both their amazement.

'''Aboard ''Galactica'''''
*Adama and a few others look over pictures taken by the Raptor, explaining that Anders has given them an accurate location of [[The Colony|the Colony]], but that it sits in orbit of a "naked singularity" (black hole). The only gravitationally stable entry point sits less than one click from the facility, "point-blank range," and that the facility's defenses will naturally be trained on that point. Looking at the pictures, the Admiral declares that they should "get to work".
*"To be continued..."

== Notes ==

* This episode is the first part of a three hour series finale<ref>http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2008/06/battlestars-fin.html</ref>.
* The episode does not have an opening teaser beyond the "Previously..." segment and a brief depiction of Galactica deckhands and several Baseship Number Eight pilots guiding passengers to ships and other ''Galactica'' bound ships from the Baseship. Nor does the opening credits include clips from the episode, the first time this has happened since the start of Season 3. As Part II does not have a standard opening credits sequence, this episode marked the final broadcast of the show's theme music and on-screen tally of human survivors.
*We finally learn [[Sherman Cottle|Cottle]]'s first name: Sherman. Admiral Adama uses the name when telling him he's too valuable for the fleet to lose.
* [[Laura Roslin]] had two sisters (one pregnant), and that they and her father were killed in an automobile accident at some point before she was appointed as Secretary of Education under the Adar Administration.
* Baltar's father appears for the first time. Baltar's accent is confirmed to be an affectation, as previously revealed in [[Dirty Hands]].
*A couple of years before the Fall it seems that Lee Adama liked to get drunk and carouse. This is in stark contrast post Fall to his sober and controlled demeanor who looked on with disdain over Kara's, Colonel Tigh's and even his own father's drinking problems.
* Baltar specifically told [[Caprica Six]] he forgot her name, albeit it is possible that he has yet to learn it, despite having a relationship with her.
* Cultural oddity: keep an eye on the rear window of Baltar's limo for a recognizable Vancouver, B.C. street sign.
* After several episodes leaving the facts open to speculation, it is confirmed that the ''Galactica'' pilots that took part in the mutiny, such as [[Racetrack]], were incarcerated and not executed. Ronald D. Moore had previously said that Racetrack, [[Skulls]] and other mutiny participants were confined on the prison ship ''[[Astral Queen]]'' in his podcast for [[Deadlock]]. Also confirmed [[Galen Tyrol]] was imprisoned for his role in unwittingly helping Boomer to escape with Hera (a scene indicating this was filmed for "[[Islanded in a Stream of Stars]]" but cut from the televised version).
* For the first time in many episodes, the six surviving members of the [[Significant Seven]] appear in the same episode (although [[Leoben]] appears only in the opening recap). This was the first time appearance of a [[Doral]] or a [[Simon]] since [[The Hub]].
* In the flashback to Starbuck's apartment, the painting of the Eye of Jupiter can be seen behind her when she opens the door.
*As [[Hybrid]] [[Samuel Anders|Anders]] recites his seemingly random phrases to a listening Admiral Adama and Captain Thrace he says "Slip the surly bonds of Earth and touch the face of perfection" This is a variation of a quote by [[Wikipedia:John Gillespie Magee, Jr|John Gillespie Magee, Jr.]] in his 1941 poem [[Wikipedia: High Flight|High Flight]]: "Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth, And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings..." [http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/highflig.htm] The poem goes on and concludes with "Put out my hand and touched the face of God." This was quoted by Ronald Reagan much closer to Ander's rendition on January 28, 1986 when addressing the nation after the Challenger disaster "We will never forget them this morning as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God."
*At the end of the episode, Lee Adama wears his old Major's [[Uniforms (RDM)#Regular uniform|uniform]] (with white piping), but without his [[Military Ranks (RDM)#Insignia|rank insignia]] or [[Insignia (RDM)#Pilot wings|pilot wings]].
* The known volunteers for the mission include Laura Roslin, Lee Adama, Kara Thrace, Athena, Helo, Caprica Six, the Final Five, Hoshi, Nurse Ishay, Hot Dog, Racetrack, and Skulls. Doc Cottle initially volunteers for the mission, but stays behind at Adama's request. Although Gaius Baltar does not volunteer, he seems to be highly conflicted with himself.

== Analysis ==
*Cavil plans to use Hera to find out how she was created in order to continue the Cylon species, presumably through normal reproduction.
**It also proves Cavil intends to dissect Hera to discover the secret of procreation, confirming both Starbuck's and Athena's worst fears.
*Roslin likely feels quite protective of Hera as despite being barely able to walk, she volunteers for the rescue mission (although her love for Adama likely also played a part in her decision).
*Cottle may be either the best doctor in the fleet or one of the only ones as Adama says he's too valuable for the fleet to lose on the rescue mission.
*Baltar seems conflicted when volunteers are called. This inner conflict stems from his earlier conversation with Lee Adama where he confessed that he had never done anything for purely selfless motivations with no gain for himself. He does not, however, cross the line and join the volunteers.
** If Baltar does join, then it would seem likely that all the elements are in place to fulfill the Opera House vision: Athena, Roslin, Caprica Six and Baltar will all be in pursuit of Hera.
** Baltar's Virtual Six has told him many times that he is supposed to be Hera's guardian and "father". It seems incongruous with his destiny for him not to join a mission to rescue Hera.
*It's clear that despite his controversial choices, Adama still commands a great deal of loyalty and respect from the crew. Much of the crew - or at least those that are on the hangar deck at the time - volunteers for the mission. At the very least, Adama has enough people with him to take ''Galactica'' into battle.
** It should be noted that although the non-volunteers appear to outnumber the volunteers at least two-to-one, many of the non-volunteers are civilians.
** It should also be noted that almost all the Marines volunteer for the mission.
** Also, it is likely Adama will have more volunteers than are visible on screen in the hangar deck scene. Certainly not all the crew of ''Galactica'' were on the hangar deck at the time given the size of the combined crew at this point. Doubtless some had to stay on duty (Colonel Tigh confirms this when he says in CIC that those on duty must report to Adama later to declare themselves) or were on the Cylon basestar or civilian ships helping offload Galactica's stripped parts. It was also probably impractical for the producers to muster some 3000 plus extras for this scene to show Galactica's full crew.
** Given that Adama had trouble manning ''Galactica'' during the occupation of [[New Caprica]], when the ship was stated as being at half strength, it is fair to assume the Admiral is going to need roughly half the original crew compliment to carry out this last combat mission - roughly 1300 people. As stated above, this many volunteers are not seen on screen, but given some crew could volunteer later, Adama might well muster about this number in the end.
** In the podcast, Ron Moore said that most of the crowd was created with CGI, not real extras. The view down the hanger deck was of course CGI, since the set isn't that big. The people on the deck actually are supposed to be the entire crew of Galactica, minus those on watch at essential posts (e.g. in CIC). The crowd didn't look big enough to this editor for that to be the case, though. The whole scene is inspired by the Alamo.
** The podcast also explains the thinking behind less than half the people volunteering to go: Everyone thinks they would be the kind of person that would go, but in real life people have families and relationships. It drives home the point that most of them think the chance of coming back alive really is quite low.
*In the brig Tyrol tells Helo (who is surprisingly civil, even sympathetic toward Tyrol given his hand in the abduction) that the Eights are all the same. He says this both as a word of advice and a warning. He says because they made them the same, Helo can only expect the same betrayal from Athena as displayed by Boomer. However, given the fact that Tyrol has no conscious memory of creating the Eights or the other seven Cylon models, and considering the psychological pain Galen suffered at the betrayal, his opinion most likely comes from emotion and not an intellectual analysis in his disregard of the individuality of Athena and the other Eights, particularly given Athena's track record of loyalty.
**This also maybe a case of "misery loves company" and Tyrol, subconsciously or knowingly, wants to see Helo and Athena split up to allay his own feelings of being duped, by saying the Eights are all alike and putting doubt in Helo's mind.
**Also, by claiming that Athena and the other Eights are just machines this could mitigate the guilt for his role in the abduction and possible death of Hera. If Athena is just a machine, then she cannot be hurt emotionally. She has no emotions, just a programmed facsimile. Tyrol wouldn't have to feel responsible for such pain he caused her since, as a machine, she can't really feel it, sparing '''''himself''''' a lot of pain and guilt.
**Tyrol is himself a Cylon machine, so his rant speaks of denial and projected self-hatred as well as bitterness.
*The finale appears to be taking a character-driven approach, devoting significant screen time to pivotal flashbacks for the central characters that relate to their current circumstances.
**We see the first time Starbuck and Apollo' met, with hints alluding to their future romantic relationship.
**Roslin deals with the sudden death of her sisters and father by wading into a fountain, which she uses to disguise the tears that she shed for the loss of her family. The gushing water cuts to a shot of her I.V. drip as she lies dying on Galactica.
**Baltar and Caprica-Six begin their relationship with an act of compassion on Six's part towards Baltar's father. Baltar's selfishness, a theme raised repeatedly in the episode, is contrasted with Caprica Six's seemingly genuine concern for [[Julius Baltar|Julius]].
*One of the shots in the opening sequence is of a sun rising over a blue planet: daybreak. The theme may symbolize an end to the fleet's long four years of gloom and darkness.
**In that image of the planet, Antarctica is clearly seen, specifically the Ronne Ice Shelf, Queen Maud Land, and the Antarctic Peninsula. Where southern South America and southern Africa would be, the surface is covered by clouds, and the location of southern Australia/New Zealand is too dark. Although not as recognizable as the image of North America in [[Crossroads, Part II]], it is clear that the planet shown here is our Earth.
***Despite the similarities, the sun and the stars are in the wrong position for this to be our Earth. More than likely, the planet being depicted is Caprica. Especially when the sequence is taken as a whole: The Galaxy, Sun rise over a planet, In orbit over the planet, then a helicopter like fly over of Caprica City heavily implies that was Caprica as the planet we saw.
*Hera is drawing "dots", as Cavil calls them, on the Colony. These are much more numerous than the simple line that she gave Starbuck, its at least a full page long. It seems to be an entire musical score. However, not knowing that they are music notes, Cavil doesn't see this.
*Someone left a picture of Athena about to kiss Hera on the head on the now abandoned memorial wall. It may have been Athena herself, who has given up on Hera's survival.
* Baltar's reaction to Lee's accusation that he has never done a selfless thing in his life shows how much the character of Baltar has grown, especially in the Fourth Season. Previously, whenever someone called Baltar's motives or attributes (especially his loyalty) into question, he reacted very passionately, and angrily, to defend himself (and often led to him being coaxed into doing what Virtual Six wanted, to the detriment of the humans in the fleet). On this occasion, however, Baltar not only does not even attempt to defend himself, he resignedly admits that he wouldn't trust him either (tacitly admitting both that Lee is correct in his assertion and that his self-serving actions have been extremely detrimental in the past). This change in attitude visibly surprises Lee who seems quite taken aback and appears to momentarily contemplate talking to Baltar again when he returns to the Hangar Deck.
* Adama's decision to rescue Hera was prompted by Costanza's remarks about saving the photos of his fallen comrades because he didn't want to leave them behind. It should not then be surprising to see that Costanza was one of the first pilots (not counting Lee Adama) to cross the line and join in the potential suicide mission with Adama.
* Anders' flashback of his life before the War contains an interesting aspect of Anders not seen before. Though he was implanted with memories of being a "jock", but when he candidly spoke to the sports reporter, he revealed a more intellectual and artistic side of himself. This may be a hint of his former personality (a scientist and musician) before Cavil blocked his memories.
* In a humorous side commentary, Skulls points out that many of the dangerous or lethal Raptor missions are usually given to him and Racetrack. Historically, this has been true as the duo have been pivotal for discoveries such as New Caprica, receiving the first message from the Resistance, discovering that the Cylons were tracking the fleet to the Nebula, propulsion problems (exploding engine) due to contaminated jet fuel.
* Skulls' comment of, "The more things change the more they stay the same." is a different twist of quoting the Pythian Prophecy that "All this has happened before, and all this will happen again." The phrase is a common proverb in English, indicating that surface changes only serve to reveal enduring underlying constants. It is derived from a French epigram by novelist Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr (1808-1890), "plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose." The phrase was used as the last line in another Ron Moore production; "What You Leave Behind", the final episode of ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''.

== Questions ==
=== Flashbacks ===
* To what is Adama's flashback conversation referring? ([[Daybreak, Part II|Answer]])
* Who was the drunk driver that killed Roslin's sisters and father? Is he alive in the fleet today?
* Who is Sean Allison and why does his name sound familiar to Roslin? ([[Daybreak, Part II|Answer]])
* What is the time frame for the flashbacks, and is it the same for all characters?

===Mission to save Hera===
* How many of the jailed mutineers volunteer to participate in the mission?
* As the episode began, ''Galactica'' was already being cannibalized for parts; does this mean it will be lacking vital components during the upcoming mission, or has Adama stopped the salvaging?
* Will Boomer help Hera escape? ([[Daybreak, Part II|Answer]])

===Cavil's Plan===
* Has Cavil given up on the idea of salvaging Resurrection Technology? ([[Daybreak, Part II|Answer]])

===Miscellaneous===
*With [[William Adama|Commander Adama]], [[Saul Tigh|XO Tigh]], [[Laura Roslin|President Roslin]] and [[Lee Adama|Vice-President Lee Adama]] all joining the Hera rescue mission, who will assume military and political leadership of the Fleet? ([[Daybreak, Part II|Answer]])
* With [[Hotdog]] being one of the volunteers, and especially being aware that he may not return alive, who will take care of Nicholas?
*With Tyrol on the rebound from Sharon Valerii, will Tory Foster and Tyrol renew their romance despite not having their original memories? ([[Daybreak, Part II|Answer]])
* At the very beginning of the episode, an image of the galaxy is displayed which includes several prominent stars in bright colors... is there a connection to Hera's multicolored "dots"? Do her notes represent stars, and will the sequence provide a map that leads to somewhere?
* Will the Cylon baseship remain with the civilian fleet or will they also join in on the rescue mission to save Hera? ([[Daybreak, Part II|Answer]])

== Official Statements ==
*''In his podcast for [[Islanded in a Stream of Stars]], Ronald D. Moore stated that there will be no independent podcast for Daybreak Part I. Instead a single podcast would be made for all three hours including the two hour series finale [[Daybreak, Part II]] and posted at the scifi.com site.'' [http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/downloads/podcast.php] (00':30")

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

* ''[[William Adama]] speech to those assembled in on [[hangar deck]]:''
: No one should feel obligated to join this mission in any way. This is a decision I have made for myself. If it turns out that there are not enough personnel to crew ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'', I will lead a [[Raptor]] assault with anyone who is willing to join me. Let there be no illusions; this is likely to be a one-way trip! So don't volunteer out of sentiment or emotion. There is a line running down this deck. Volunteers, move to the starboard side. Everyone else, to the port. Make your choice!

* ''[[Laura Roslin]] volunteering for the rescue mission despite barely being able to walk:''
: You didn't think you were gonna to take off without me Admiral, did you?

* ''[[Samuel Anders]]'s [[Hybrid]]-speak after being powered on to speak with [[Kara Thrace]] and William Adama:''
: Spins and turns, angles and curves. The shape of dreams, half remembered. Slip the surly bonds of earth and touch the face of perfection - a perfect face, perfect lace. Find [[Earth (RDM)|the perfect world]] for the end of Kara Thrace. End of line.

* ''[[Head Six]] to [[Gaius Baltar]]:''
: She’s right, Gaius. The end times are approaching. Humanity’s final chapters are about to be written. And you - you will be its author.

* ''[[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]] and [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]] on a recon mission to find [[The Colony]]:''
: '''Margaret Edmondson''': [[FTL|Jump]] complete... [[Frak]]! Plot us the way the hell back outta here!
: '''Hamish McCall''': All right, you've got it.
: '''Edmondson''': Figures that [[Samuel Anders|brain damaged Cylon]] would send us hunting in the middle of an asteroid field.
: '''McCall''': The more things change, the more they stay the same. Well, you've got a recon mission where someone needs to hang their ass over the edge and wait for a bite—send Racetrack and Skulls!
: '''Edmondson''': Yeah, well it beats sittin' in a cell!

== Guest Stars ==
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Kate Vernon]] as [[Ellen Tigh]]
* [[Dean Stockwell]] as [[Number One]]
* [[Rick Worthy]] as [[Number Four]]
* [[Matthew Bennett]] as [[Number Five]]
* [[Donnelly Rhodes]] as Dr. [[Sherman Cottle]]
* [[Bodie Olmos]] as Lieutenant [[Brendan Costanza|Brendan "Hot Dog" Costanza]]
* [[Kerry Norton]] as [[Layne Ishay]]
* [[Lara Gilchrist]] as [[Paulla Schaffer]]
* [[Leela Savasta]] as [[Tracey Anne]]
* [[Tobias Mehler]] as [[Zak Adama]]
* [[Leah Cairns]] as Lieutenant [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]]
* [[Brad Dryborough]] as Lieutenant [[Louis Hoshi]]
* [[Colin Lawrence]] as Lieutenant [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]]
* [[Colin Corrigan]] as Marine [[Allan Nowart]]
* [[Darcy Laurie]] as [[Dealino]]
* [[Finn R. Devitt]] as [[Nicholas Tyrol]]
* [[Iliana Gomez-Martinez]] as [[Hera Agathon]]
* [[Antony Holland]] as [[Julius Baltar]]
* [[Simone Bailly]] as [[Shona]]
* [[Elan Ross Gibson]] as Nurse [[Barbara]]
* [[France Perras]] as [[Sandra Roslin]]
* [[Sarah Deakins]] as [[Cheryl Roslin]]
* [[Tiffany Burns]] as Reporter [[Carolyn]]
* [[Kevin McNulty]] as [[Frank Porthos]]
* [[Stefanie Samuels]] as Police Officer
* [[Richard Jollymore]] as Marine #1
* [[Anthony St. John]] as Marine #2
* [[Leo Li Chiang]] as the [[tattooed pilot]] (uncredited)

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Ronald D. Moore]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Michael Rymer]]

[[de:Götterdämmerung, Teil I]]

Islanded in a Stream of Stars

2011-03-24T20:41:33Z

Bunjog:

{{Episode Data
| image=IslandintheStars.jpg
| title=Islanded In a Stream of Stars
| season= 4
| episode=18
| guests=
| writer= [[Michael Taylor]]
| story=
| director= [[Edward James Olmos]]
| production=420
| rating=1,568,000 viewers (Live+SD)<ref>{{cite_web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/03/10/icarly-burn-notice-and-wwe-raw-top-cable-charts/14228|title=iCarly, Burn Notice and WWE RAW top cable charts|date=10 March 2009|accessdate=11 March 2009|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>
| US airdate=March 6, 2009
| CAN airdate=March 6, 2009
| UK airdate=March 10, 2009
| dvd={{flag|US|notext=Y}} {{Season 4.5 NTSC DVD release date}}
| population=39521
| oldpopulation=39556
| prev=[[Someone to Watch Over Me]]
| next=[[Daybreak, Part I]]
| forumthread= 2892
| hulu=Y
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| amazon=Y
}}

== Overview ==
: ''As [[Galactica (RDM)|''Galactica'']]'s condition worsens, [[William Adama|Adama]] is faced with the possibility of abandoning ship. In the meantime, [[Sharon Valerii|Boomer]] winds up forming an unexpected bond with [[Hera Agathon|Hera]] and [[Gaius Baltar]] learns a surprising truth about [[Kara Thrace]].''

==Summary==

===Teaser===
* With [[Sharon Valerii]]'s kidnapping of [[Hera Agathon]] and her escape, the spatial disruption caused by the close-proximity [[FTL|jump]] of her [[Raptor]] causes an immense breach in the port side of the alligator's head of ''[[Galactica]]''
* [[Hera]] is in the [[War Room]] playing with models of ''Galactica'', three [[Cylon Raider (RDM)|Cylon Raiders]] and a [[Basestar (RDM)|baseship]]. A quick cut depicts her running down a hallway in the [[Opera House]]. She moves the ''Galactica'' model in to collide with the baseship as the scene fades to the actual ''Galactica'' and her [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]].
* Inside, crew of all kinds, both from the allied Cylons and Colonials, are trying to seal the breach. Tempers are high: a [[Number Six]] and a human crew member argue. Eventually a [[Number Eight]] comes to break the two up.
* In Admiral [[William Adama|Adama's]] quarters, [[Ellen Tigh]] speaks about Hera's abduction as [[Lee Adama]], [[Kara Thrace]] and [[Saul Tigh]] listen. Ellen believes that [[Cavil]] will take Hera to the [[Cylon homeworld]] for study, to determine how Cylon procreation is possible. Saul completes Ellen's thought by saying that she knows the Cylon colony's location.
* While Lee Adama objects to the disproportionate risk in retrieving Hera, not only does Ellen indicate that the child is important for the survival of all the Cylons, but Thrace tells Lee that Hera is vital to the humans' survival as well.
* She explains how Hera wrote some [[The Music|music]]--notes that Thrace's father wrote--the same song that switched on the [[Final Five]] and led them all to [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]].
* But the admiral is "had it up to here" with prophesies and destinies. He doesn't want to endanger what's left of his people.
* When Saul convinces Adama to at least check out the colony, Adama permits a [[Heavy Raider]] to go, preferring that the Agathons not know.
* In the Agathons' quarters, [[Sharon Agathon|Sharon]] is breaking down, as her [[Karl Agathon|husband]] tries to get her to talk and vent her feelings.
* [[Laura Roslin]], now in sickbay and noticeably weakened, experiences the [[Opera House]] dream of Hera running through it, eventually being picked up by a Number Six and [[Gaius Baltar]]. She wakes to find the admiral at her side, and tells him of the dream.
* A seam on the battlestar's hull fractures with cataclysmic results. Dozens of people, both Cylon and human, are trapped inside, the rushing air and falling pressure sealing their fate.
* The Six and human male who argued earlier are closest to a bulkhead door. With all her strength, she pushes the Colonial in front and to the door's edge as two other Colonials pull him in. She screams to close the door behind her and lock it.
* As the door is sealed, the Six loses her grip and is blown out into space. At least 61 are dead or missing.

===Act 1 and beyond===

{{cleanup}}

Lee Adama struggles to convince the newly-elected Fleet Quorum that ''Galactica'' can be saved, but many councilors are worried about becoming dependent on the Cylons for military protection. Once the Galactica meets its inevitable demise, the basestar will be the logical choice for the new flagship. [[Number Six#Sonja|Sonja]] assures them that the Cylons will continue to respect William Adama's military authority when he transfers to the Basestar, along with the rest of Galactica's crew and their planes and munitions. Other representatives begin calling first dibs on certain parts of ''Galactica'', which will of course be stripped once its time is up. Laura Roslin's cancer is killing her, and she is now confined to bed in the ship's hospital. She gradually convinces Admiral Adama that he has to abandon Galactica and move everyone over to the Cylon Basestar. Ellen Tigh tries to convince Colonel Saul Tigh that Roslin is right, but he refuses: The decision is Adm. Adama's alone.

Karl Agathon's marriage to Sharon Valerii is falling apart, as she cannot overcome the loss of her child, Hera, or the knowledge that her husband had sexual intercourse with the Number Eight known as "Boomer". Trying to save his marriage, Helo tries to get Adm. Adama to approve the launching of a Raptor to find Hera. Adama has already permitted Sonja, the Cylon representative on the new Quorum, to secretly take a Heavy Raider to the Cylon homeworld, known as "[[the Colony]]". The Colony though has already been moved to a new location by Cavil prior to the [[Cylon Civil War]]; sending Helo out in a Raptor to look for it would be a suicide mission. Adama finally refuses to give permission, to which Helo appears devastated.

Gaius Baltar continues his religious broadcasts to the Fleet, and his latest message focuses on angels walking among humanity. Baltar encounters Caprica Six, who rejects his romantic overtures. She tells him she's changed and that he has not. Baltar breaks down over the loss of his former lover. Later, Kara Thrace meets Baltar while they are both in the ship's head. Kara tells him that she died on Earth, and discovered her own body there. She gives him her dog tag to analyze. He scrapes blood from the dog tag, and finds it came from a body which was already dead. When the ''Galactica'' crew, Cylons, and Baltar's believers meet on ''Galactica'''s flight deck to bury those who died in the hull breach, Baltar reveals what he discovered about Starbuck and calls her an angel. He preaches about eternal life, but Starbuck slaps him and the service breaks up. Later, Apollo meets with Starbuck and offers her his unconditional love and support. They part as friends. Starbuck puts a photo of herself on the memorial wall of the dead.

Aboard the stolen Raptor, Hera keeps crying for her mother, infuriating Boomer. Boomer almost sedates the child, but cannot bring herself to do so; they keep jumping toward their destination. In an attempt to calm Hera, Boomer reveals her "Cylon projection" dreamworld to Hera. Hera can see the world, too, and bonds with Boomer. Boomer begins to develop strong emotional ties to the child. When the two arrive at [[the Colony]], a large Cylon space station, Cavil takes Hera from Boomer and declares that soon she will have many playmates. The child weeps and calls out for Boomer, and Boomer also sheds copious tears unwilling to part from Hera.

After an emotional breakdown, Adm. Adama realizes the ship must be abandoned. He meets with Col. Tigh, who initially resists the evacuation order but gives in after a brief discussion. All civilians are to be removed over the next few days, arrangements are to be made to put the military personnel aboard the basestar, and ''Galactica'' is to be stripped for parts. Rather than let the ship break down, Adama intends to "send her off in style."

A Number Eight and Number Six have hooked [[Samuel Anders]] up to a [[Hybrid]] tank in a an attempt to help his brain reboot, but there is no apparent change. Kara Thrace goes to Anders' bedside alone, and decides to kill him rather than let him live in a vegetative state. But as she aims a gun at his head, Anders comes awake. He babbles like a Hybrid, but his ravings also indicate that he's aware of the threat to his life. With one hand, he subdues Starbuck and she drops the pistol. Anders continues to babble, but some of his rants indicate that he is reintegrating, perhaps even repairing, his mind. ''Galactica'''s power and temperature fluctuations were because Anders was connecting to the ship, as the Hybrid tank and the Cylon polymer used to repair the battlestar are giving him the power to interact with the ship's computers. Tigh deems this too dangerous to continue, as Anders might jump the ship. Anders is disconnected from the Hybrid tank, and he falls into a coma again.

A few days later, Starbuck meets with the comatose Anders. She brings Hera's drawing of the song (the song which helped awaken the Final Five in the episode "Crossroads", and about which further complications were revealed in the episode prior to this one, "Someone to Watch Over Me"), and states assertively, that together, they will discover what is going on. She reconnects him to the ship's power systems. He awakens again, and begins speaking in the unique phrases of a hybrid.

== Notes ==

* The title comes from the book ''[[w:The Outermost House|The Outermost House]]'', by [[w:Henry Beston|Henry Beston]], where he chronicles his time spent living on an isolated beach in Cape Cod. In the chapter "Night on the Great Beach" he wrote, "For a moment of night we have a glimpse of ourselves and of our world ''islanded in its stream of stars''— pilgrims of mortality, voyaging between horizons across eternal seas of space and time."

* Two original Cylon Raiders can be seen inside the Colony.

* [[Ellen Tigh]] leads the Cylons in performing the [[Prayer to the Cloud of Unknowing]] at the service.

* The Six that gives her life to save that of a ''Galactica'' crewmember is yet another example of a Six with a unique personality, this time one closer in tone to the "working-class" attitude exhibited by ''Galactica's'' human maintenance crew (aka the "knuckle-draggers").

* At the funeral, Cylons display the [[Soldiers of the One|infinity symbol]] of [[Cylon religion|their monotheistic religion]]. This symbol was passed down from their [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005|Centurion]] forebearers and [[Monotheist Church|human monotheist]] evangelist [[Clarice Willow]].

*The extended DVD version of this episode contains a different arrangement of key events, particular at the end. In the aired version, Boomer delivers Hera to the colony, then Starbuck visits Anders to discuss the music, and the episode ends with Adama and Tigh toasting Galactica after deciding to abandon the ship. In the DVD version, Adama and Tigh do their toast, then Boomer delivers Hera, then comes a scene of Adama and Tigh watching the evacuation of the civilians on the hangar deck (parts of which were included in the opening of the next episode), and this version ends with Starbuck visiting Anders.

== Analysis ==
* This episode is the first to show repairs to the outer hull of ''Galactica''. As with the earlier repairs to the [[Space Park]], scaffolding, support Raptors and repair crewmen in space suits are seen trying to patch the breach. Presumably this is not the first time ''Galactica'' has undergone makeshift repairs given the pounding she has taken. However, this time the endemic damage to the hull makes the repairs much more challenging.

*When [[Caprica-Six]] is at [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar's]] congregation he spoke to her about hearing about her living arrangement and offered a place to stay. From this it seems after the in utero death of [[Liam|Liam Tigh]], [[Saul Tigh]] and Caprica Six have broken up as a couple. As a side effect, Col. Tigh has reverted to his "us" and "them" attitude{{fact}} toward Cylons as a whole despite himself and his wife being Cylons including an increase of anti-Cylon "racial" slurs.

*[[Chief Tyrol]] is nowhere to be seen in this episode. Even crewman [[Dealino]] gives a report to both [[Admiral Adama]] and [[Saul Tigh|Colonel Tigh]] of what the attitudes of the Cylons, particularly the [[Leoben]]s, thought as to how many jumps ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' has left in her.
**An extended DVD version of the episode contains a scene in which Athena visits Tyrol in the brig. She tells him that she has Boomer's memories from before the war, that it's ironic Boomer posed as Athena to seduce Helo since Athena posed as Boomer to do the same thing, that Boomer loved the Chief and betraying him like that must have been tough, that she respects Tyrol for turning himself in after realizing he had been duped, and that she will never forgive Tyrol for letting Boomer escape.

*[[Hera Agathon|Hera]] demonstrates the ability to [[projection|project]], which surprises Boomer.
* It is possible that the opening shot of the episode is a projection of Hera's. If so, it is also possible that Hera's projections are prophetic in nature. Her movement of the basestar and ''Galactica'' models foreshadows the events of "Daybreak".

*In sickbay, Adama and Roslin reminisce about New Caprica and about the cabin they wanted to build but can't. This scene is in its own way similar to the scene in which Boomer and Tyrol share a projection of the house they had intended to build on Picon. As humans, Adama and Roslin can only conjure up fond memories and regrets in their own mind's eyes. Both couples know that it is never to be, building their dream houses.

*Helo wants Athena to say that she hates him because he saw it in her eyes. She almost does. In a close up of her lips her mouth parts slightly, but then closes. This is most likely for him sleeping with Boomer, who subsequently took Hera. Athena probably understands that Helo couldn't prevent the kidnapping, but she probably feels that he should had known that it was not Athena he was sleeping with. It is, however, conceivable she could blame him for the taking of Hera if she thinks that if he realized that it wasn't her he could have had Boomer captured even before she got near Hera.

*In the episode we see what is essentially the [[The Colony|Cylon homeworld]]. [[Ellen Tigh]] explains in a meeting with Admiral Adama, Lee Adama, Tory Foster, Saul Tigh, and Kara Thrace where the Cylons (including the [[Final Five]]) were for the past 40 years: "I guess you can call it home. It's where we and the Centurions went after the [[Cylon War|First War]] once we convinced them to abandon their own experiments with evolution in exchange for [[Resurrection (RDM)|resurrection]] technology." In the show's timeline Cavil's faction moved the Colony to its present location five months ago just prior to the Cylon Civil War. It is a huge space station built with the same biological design principles as the [[basestar (RDM)|baseships]].

*Adama's heavy drinking, pill-popping and unprofessional behavior over the last few episodes seems to recall [[Romo Lampkin]]'s comment that "the soldier in him has had enough" in "[[The Son Also Rises]]".

* ''Galactica'', nicknamed [[the Bucket]], suffers a severe hull breach at the beginning of the episode. Among the "random" phrases hybrid-Anders spouts are the lyrics of the Earth folk song "[[w:There's a Hole in My Bucket|There's a Hole in My Bucket]]". Helo tells Adama that he is "painting over the holes in this bucket."
** "There's a Hole in My Bucket" is an example of an infinite loop. After several verses describing the intermediate steps required to fix the bucket, it is ultimately revealed that the initial problem--the hole--may only be resolved by gathering water in the self-same bucket. In other words, all this has happened before, and will happen again.

* A corpse produces "death enzymes" as it decomposes. It's likely Baltar found high concentrations of these enzymes on Starbuck's dogtags.

* This episode specifically highlights the existence of 'angels' that walk amongst the humans. Baltar may be referring to his Virtual-Six, but it applies to Caprica-Six's own Virtual-Baltar and the other unseen characters that have appeared throughout the show as well. Another interesting fact to note is that the [[First Hybrid]]'s prophecy before his death was how the humans and Cylons will be gathered in the arms of an angel and carried into the promised land.

* Kara Thrace is called an angel by Baltar during his declaration of eternal life after he examined Thrace's dogtag. She has also been referred or linked to the Goddess Aurora, who guides ships to safe harbors and who resembles what is typically thought of as 'angels.' Thrace's other title from the Hybrids as the "harbinger of death" may be another spin on her 'angelic' nature; the manifestations of angels in modern day world religions are considered to be signs of the end times.
**A deleted scene included in the extended DVD cut shows Starbuck and Helo getting drunk at Joe's Bar, and Starbuck ruminating on her destiny as the Harbinger of Death. She says finding nuked Earth pretty much fulfilled that part of the plan and she wonders what her purpose is now. Helo suggests other meanings for Harbinger, such as herald, to suggest her destiny could be positive. This scene foreshadows Starbuck's use of the music to find the second Earth in "Daybreak," and implies her role in leading the human race to its end refers to finding the planet where human and Cylon can live a blended existence.

* This episode establishes that Final Five Cylons can interface with the [[datastream]]. Thus, if Anders had placed his hand on the Cylon [[data-font]] in the episode "[[Faith]]", it would have responded to him.

*Cottle says the accident caused 61 deaths or injuries, including 26 Cylons. The difference of 35 Colonials would account for the updated survivor total, meaning the only survivors with injuries would be Cylons.

== Questions ==
* What does Cavil mean when he tells Hera that she will soon have new playmates?
* How conscious is Anders?
* Is there a parallel between Anders' recitation of a real-world folk song, "There's a Hole in My Bucket," and the use of the real-world song "All Along the Watchtower"?
* Will Boomer defect from Cavil because of her new attachment to Hera? ([[Daybreak, Part II|Answer]])
* Does the presence of First Cylon War-era Cylon Raiders at the Colony indicate the presence of older-model [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005|Cylon Centurions]], too? ([[Daybreak, Part II|Answer]])
* Does Cavil intend to pursue biological reproduction, recreate the resurrection process, or both?
* Is there some way of finding the Colony? ([[Daybreak, Part I|Answer]])
* Do the Eights consider the rest of the Final Five their parents, as they consider Saul Tigh to be their father? Do other models also regard some or all of the Final Five as parental figures?
* Is the Colony the Final Five's original ship, or an outgrowth of it? ([[Islanded in a Stream of Stars#Official Statements|Answer]])
* Why is Tory Foster not seen at the funeral?

== Official Statements ==
*''In his podcast for this episode Ronald D. Moore stated:''
:That Gas Giant that Boomer jumped in next to while she was heading for [[The Colony]] with Hera was '''''not''''' Jupiter.(14':10")
:Kara Thrace was going to kill Sam Anders. In other words if he didn't grab her arm she would have '''definitely''' pulled the trigger (22':30")
:In response to some fans criticisms that the show focused too much on relationships and not enough on action, RDM says the show was ''first'' a drama and second a science fiction series. The show was about people and their relationship to each other that was foremost. (25':10")
:Daniel is not Kara Thrace's father. Further, Daniel plays no role in events other than being Abel to Cavil's Cain. Daniel's murder and the destruction of his line was a point of illustration on the character of John Cavil, nothing more.
:The Colony was built around the Final Five's original sublight ship.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==
* ''[[Saul Tigh|Colonel Tigh]] fulfills a request to comfort to a dying [[Number Eight]]:''
:'''Number Eight:''' (weakly, child like) Thank you.
:'''Tigh:''' Thank me? For what?
:'''Number Eight:''' For the privilege of finally being able to meet my father before I die.
:'''Tigh:''' You shouldn't be thanking me. I spent most of my life trying to kill your kind.
:'''Number Eight:''' [[The Music|Too much confusion]].
:''(Death rattle, the Eight flatlines)''

* ''[[Bill Adama]] is talking with Kara Thrace about looking for Hera:''
: '''Adama:''' In other words, it's our destiny to go after her, right?
: '''Thrace:''' ''(facial expressions and body language indicates "yes")''
: '''Adama:''' Wrong. I've had it up to here with destiny, prophecy, with God or the Gods. Look where it's left us. The ass end of nowhere; nearly half of our people are gone; Earth, a worthless cinder; and I can't even walk down the halls of my ship without wondering if I'm gonna catch a bullet for getting us into this mess.

*'' Ellen Tigh and Saul Tigh are in their quarters and Ellen is trying to get a reluctant Saul to acknowledge his responsibility for his fellow Cylon's interest in survival.''

:'''Ellen:''' Whether you remember that life or not, at least you must understand what we were trying to do. We wanted to end the cycle of war between man and machine.

:'''Tigh:''' That was a bust.

:'''Ellen''' ''(frustrated)'': Yes, we failed, but we have a second chance now: Hera. Without her our children are going to die off one by one, just like they're dying right now in Cottle's sickbay.

:'''Tigh:''' I had a child. He died.

:'''Ellen''' ''(thinks for a moment)'': You're wrong Saul ''(caresses his left cheek, shakes her head)'' You have millions.

== Guest Stars ==

* [[Kate Vernon]] as [[Ellen Tigh]]
* [[Donnelly Rhodes]] as Dr. [[Sherman Cottle]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Iliana Gomez-Martinez]] as [[Hera Agathon]]
* [[Dean Stockwell]] as [[Number One]]
*[[Bodie Olmos]] as Lieutenant [[Brendan Costanza|Brenden "Hotdog" Costanza]]
* [[David Patrick Green]] as Captain [[Xeno Fenner]]
* [[Kerry Norton]] as [[Layne Ishay]]
* [[Lara Gilchrist]] as [[Paulla Schaffer]]
* [[Leela Savasta]] as [[Tracey Anne]]
* [[Darcy Laurie]] as [[Dealino]]
* [[Susan Hogan]] Captain [[Doyle Franks]]
* [[William Samples]] as Captain [[Greene]]

== References ==

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}
[[Category:Episodes written by Michael Taylor]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Edward James Olmos]]

[[de:Gestrandet in den Sternen]]