Battlestar Wiki - User contributions [en]

The Plan

2009-11-02T05:50:04Z

Doorofnight:

{{cleanup}}
{{Episode Data
| image=The Plan - Tigh and Adama in Galactica Corridor.jpg
| title= The Plan
| season=
| special=Y
| episode=
| guests=
| writer= [[Jane Espenson]] <ref name ="cyloncentric">{{cite_web|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2008/08/battlestar-gala.html|title='Battlestar Galactica': Edward James Olmos will direct Cylon-centric special feature|date=08-06-2008|accessdate=09-03-2008}}</ref>
| story=
| director= [[Edward James Olmos]]<ref name ="cyloncentric"/>
| production= 101 - 01001
| rating=
| US airdate=2010
| CAN airdate=
| UK airdate=
| dvd=October 27, 2009
| population=
| prev=[[Daybreak, Part II]]
| next=
}}

== Overview ==
:''This special episode, based on the episode title, involves characters and events based around the series' premise stated in the opening credits of the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]] and their plan for humanity. This story is set during the events of the [[Miniseries]] through Season 2's "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]," told from the Cylons' perspective. The disappearance of [[Shelly Godfrey]] is explained, as is [[Ellen Tigh]]'s mysterious appearance. [[Samuel Anders]] and [[Number One|John Cavil]] are the main viewpoint characters.''

== Summary ==

=== Teaser ===

*The show opens with the statement "The [[Cylons]] were created by man. They rebelled. They evolved. They look and feel human. Some are programmed to think they are human. There are many copies and they have a Plan." While this is being said, the Cylon Fleet is shown.

*Inside the [[Battlestar]] ''[[Galactica]]'', two [[Number One]]s are being escorted to an airlock. Both of them are having a difference of opinion.

One A - "I was doing fine here, thanks for exposing me."

One B - "You weren't doing fine. Thank goodness. If you'd wiped out this fleet you would have made us ever more irredeemable in the eyes of our parents."

One A - "No, I would have proved us to be superior."

One B - "No, no see, I figured out what went wrong."

One A - "Well that's a very useful revelation to have, if you're standing in front of an airlock."

One B - "None the less"

One A - "Our failure is obvious. We had our foot on the throat of humanity and we failed to step down hard enough."

One B - "That was our error. Have you learned nothing in all this time in the fleet? Because I learned a great deal among the rebels on Caprica. Every killing of a human being was a grievous error. You want to know why?"

One A - "I really don't."

One B - "Are you certain?" Because it's fascinating."

One A - "Listen, brother. If you are right, that means this whole project was doomed from the beginning."

One B - "Yes, from the very top."

=== Act 1 ===

'''2 weeks before the attack on the colonies:'''

*In the Cylon Fleet near [[The Colony]], two [[Number One]]s are standing over the [[resurrection tank|resurrection tanks]] of the "[[Final Five]]:" [[Ellen Tigh]], [[Saul Tigh]], [[Samuel T. Anders]], [[Galen Tyrol]] and [[Tory Foster]]. They are talking about what they, the Ones, might expect after their "parents" resurrect. One of the Ones plans on joining Ellen Tigh on [[Picon]], since he has never experienced a nuclear holocaust in person. The other One is going to make his way to [[Caprica]] to make final arrangements with their contact.

'''14 hours before the attack on the colonies:'''

*In [[Caprica City]], [[Dr. Gaius Baltar]] is having a conversation with a [[Caprica_Six|Six]] who has been posing as an agent of a company seeking defense contracts. In exchange for giving her access to government mainframes, she helped him design the navigation program used by the Colonial warships. However, she has been covertly creating backdoors in the program. Shortly after their goodbyes, the Six meets up with a One and passes off the access codes to Colonial defenses.

'''Just prior to the attack on the [[Colonies]]:'''

*Inside Club Pink Moon on Picon, a One is talking with Ellen Tigh about why she likes olives. They introduce themselves to each other. The One orders her another drink. He asks why she is there. She answers that she is meant for greater things. They continue their conversation.

*At the Caprica Bucaneers pyramid training camp, Sam Anders is practicing with his teammates. The team coach toasts a goal scored against Anders with the team doctor, a [[Number Four]] humanoid Cylon.

*In the Caprican city of [[Delphi]], Tory Foster is driving to an airport/spaceport and is talking on her phone.

*Cylon basestars jump to positions over the [[Twelve Colonies]]. The hybrids access the backdoors in the Colonial defense system. Colonial [[viper]]s see the approaching Cylon [[basestar]]s and [[raider]]s, but the [[Battlestars]] cannot confirm they are there, since the defense system is starting to crash. The Cylons scan the Colonial vessels, which all go dead in space.

*Nuclear weapons are launched toward the Colonies.

[[Image:Cylon_mirv.jpg|thumb|A Cylon MIRV.]]

*Sam says, "This has happened before." The Pyramid team watches as the bombs go off near them. The team doctor smiles. Destruction is occurring across the Colonies. (See: [[The Plan#Noteworthy Dialogue|Noteworthy Dialogue]]).

*Aboard ''[[Galactica]]'', word is received of the attack on the Twelve Colonies. Colonel Tigh thinks it is just a joke being played on [[William_Adama|Commander Adama]] since he is about to retire. Adama disagrees, and makes a shipwide announcement about the attack. Galen Tyrol is giving a motivating speech to his crew in preparation for battle.

*Badly injured, Ellen also says, "This has happened before." When she looks up at the One, she asks if she is going to die. He replies, "No, not when you have so much to learn."

*On Caprica, the Pyramid team spots [[Centurions]] and debates what they should do.

*''[[Colonial One]]'' begins to bring aboard survivors from Caprica.

*Back on Galactica, Commander Adama finds a cryptic message left for him by Baltar: "There are only 12 Cylon models." Baltar is in his cabin in shock and disbelief.

=== Act 2 ===

=== Act 3 ===

=== Act 4 ===

== Notes ==
[[Image:Universal_intro.jpg|thumb|The Universal Studios Intro for 'The Plan']]
*The planet behind the Universal Studios logo at the beginning of the movie is [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] instead of [[Earth]].
*Unknown to the Colonials there apparently ''was'' a second Resurrection Ship nearby by the time the Cavil's were executed allowing them to download into new bodies when killed, although the Caprica copy was presumably boxed.
* ''Galactica'' Cavil was Ellen's mysterious hero that saved her from the attack on Picon. It was known to be a Number One, but it wasn't clear exactly ''which'' one it was.
*An outfit is listed on propworx<ref>[http://archive.battlestarprops.com/1003/192 Gina's Outfit in Scene with Boomer]</ref> as being worn in the extended version of "Daybreak" by [[Gina Inviere]], in a scene where she speaks to [[Sharon Valerii]] just before the latter becomes a sleeper agent. This scene does not appear in the extended "Daybreak", but [[Ronald Moore]]'s commentary on that episode states that it was moved to "The Plan". Thus, the Six seen speaking to Boomer is Gina Inviere.
*[[Scorpion Fleet Shipyards]] is identified in "The Plan" as ''Scorpia'' Fleet Shipyards.

== Analysis ==
*Given the ''Galactica'' copy of Cavil's comments in the airlock, his resurrected self is the copy that led the anti-human Cylon faction during the [[Cylon Civil War]] and later killed himself permanently in CIC during the [[Battle of The Colony]].

*It is likely that the device Leoben constructs to intercept Colonial military transmissions is a forerunner of the device he gave [[Laura Roslin]] to overcome the [[Gaeta's Mutiny|mutineers']] communications jamming in "[[Blood on the Scales]]."

*Given the knowledge that the Final Five traveled to the Colonies to stop just such a holocaust that they had witnessed on Earth Number One's plan on making his creators repentant by making them live among humans and then destroying them it is unlikely they would have appreciated his making them watch another global holocaust.

*The main focus of this movie, which is the triumph of love, shows perhaps why the Cylons eventually split into two factions. Being that it is far easier to kill people you don't know, once they start getting to know humans they are obviously having a harder time killing them. This is evident in the split during the Cylon Civil War, the three models that take the most interest in, and have the most interaction with humans are the one's advocating peace and from their interaction with humans become curious about discovering their own natures while the three models that have the least to do with humans are far more machine like and less interested in self-discovery as a result.

*The characteristics of several of the Cylon models are further fleshed out.
**Number One/Cavil is clearly the leader as shown by his taking charge of the Cylons within the fleet and just like in the series this is often shown to be because his superior knowledge
**The Number Two/Leoben model is shown(as he is later in Blood on the Scales) as being very good at signal/communications cracking, this fits in well with his own obsession, and skills, with information and revelations. Two also seems to be fairly knowledgeable and Cavil seems to be slightly less derogatory towards this model, possibly because as the second model created he has known Leoben the longest.
**All the Number Four/Simon models seem to have very detailed medical expertise(enough to successfully be hired as doctors for both a pro-sports team and the military)
**Number Five/Doral is portrayed as being, as they are in other instances, very bureaucratic and obsessed with minute and unimportant details(like most bureaucrats) as well as being extremely zealous, although not particularly bright, and they seemed to be looked down upon by the other models.
**Number Six is once more portrayed as being the most varied, adaptable, and strong willed(regardless of which personality) of the Cylon models.
**Number Eight is shown being very skilled in military thinking and engineering as shown by her plan to blow the water tank but at the same time she is the most susceptible to emotions and outside influence.

*The Plan shows how Leoben knew Starbuck's name and that his belief that she had a destiny was based solely on his discovering that she learned how to fly a raider without being taught how, showing to him that she had some kind of special connection to the universe. The flashes he sees the first time he touches her, of their history together, also shows why he is so sure she will tell him she loves him and kiss him(although the flashes don't show him getting stabbed by her, hence his surprise) which also show her meeting her destiny(falling into the Maelstrom and encountering a version of him(possibly an angel) but it doesn't show anything after that, hence his surprise on seeing her dead body.

== Questions ==
* Did Giana take her husband's surname? In other words, is the full alias of Number Four actually "Simon O'Neil"?
* Is ''Galactica'' Cavil really the same Cavil that leads one side of the Cylon Civil War?
* Is the Club Pink Moon on Picon a Hat Tip to the late Nick Drake?
* Why isn't the arrival of the ''[[Pegasus]]'' mentioned? Surely that would have an effect on Cavil's plans.
* Did Galactica Cavil have anything to do with the ''[[Olympic Carrier]]''?
* What happened to the rest of the Cylon fleet, there look to be at least two dozen Basestars leading the attack, possibly more, but that many are never seen in the series and it looks like there are no more than 5 chasing the fleet after they flee from New Caprica? Are most of them still occupying the colonies? if so why? Are they spread out and searching other places? Where they abandoned due to lack of resources? Was the Cylon Civil war more widespread than believed?

== Official Statements ==

===Future Movies===
Speaking at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con, director and star of ''The Plan'', [[Edward James Olmos]] stated that he believes there will be several more ''Battlestar Galactica'' movies in the future and is confident that the DVD release of ''The Plan'' will sell well enough to facilitate these films:
:"As a matter of fact, I've got to tell you right now. Because of you all, what you're doing, because of the love for that world...I can guarantee that this will not be the last movie." <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://io9.com/5322385/olmos-the-plan-wont-be-the-last-bsg-movie|title=Olmos: The Plan Won't Be the Last BSG Movie|date=Fri Jul 24 2009|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>
This statement, however, is by no means official, as both [[Ronald D. Moore|Ron Moore]], [[David Eick]], and [[SciFi Channel|SyFy]] have made no mention of any additional ''Battlestar'' films.

Olmos later went on to clarify that if ''The Plan'' sold ¾ of a million copies (750,000) then Universal Studios would assuredly be willing to produce future ''Battlestar''-related productions. <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://galacticasitrep.blogspot.com/2009/08/edward-james-olmos-holds-court.html|title=Edward James Olmos holds court|date=Sat 08 Aug 2009|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==
*Sam and his team our practicing at the Pyramid Training camp on Caprica, you see Sam lying on the ground just after the coach had showed him up by making a goal. He is looking up into the sky just as the bombs are coming in and he says, "This has happened before." It was as if part of Sam's memory was breaking through trying to warn him that the cycle was starting again.

*Ellen Tigh makes a similar statement when she first comes to after the attacks.

*{{audio|Colonies of man.mp3|''A Hybrid summarizes the Fall of the Twelve Colonies and notes all but the two most religious colonies (Gemenon and Sagittaron):''}}
:Progress reports arriving.
:The farms of [[Aerilon]] are burning.
:The beaches of [[Canceron]] are burning.
:The plains of [[Leonis]] are burning.
:The jungles of [[Scorpia]] are burning.
:The pastures of [[Tauron]] are burning.
:The harbours of [[Picon]] are burning.
:The cities of [[Caprica]] are burning.
:The oceans of [[Aquaria]] are burning.
:The courthouses of [[Libran]] are burning.
:The forests of [[Virgon]] are burning.
:The colonies of man lie trampled at our feet.

*The named locations on Leonis, Scorpia, Tauron, Picon, Aquaria and Libran evoke the zodiac symbols each is named for. Aerilon's association with agriculture and Caprica's association with sophisticated, urban life were established in "[[Dirty Hands]]" and "[[The Woman King]]".

*The Hydrid on the basestar states - "Twelve Battles, Three Stars"

==Cast==
=== Starring ===

* [[Edward James Olmos]] as [[William Adama]]
* [[Dean Stockwell]] as [[Number One]]
* [[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel T. Anders]]
* [[Grace Park]] as [[Number Eight]]
* [[Michael Hogan]] as [[Saul Tigh]]
* [[Aaron Douglas]] as [[Galen Tyrol]]
* [[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Number Two]]
* [[Kate Vernon]] as [[Ellen Tigh]]
* [[Rick Worthy]] as [[Number Four]]
* [[Lymari Nadal]] as [[Giana O'Neill]]
* [[Matthew Bennett]] as [[Number Five]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Tricia Helfer]] as [[Number Six]]

=== Co-Starring ===

* [[Alisen Down]] as [[Jean Barolay]]
* [[Tiffany Lyndall-Knight]] as [[Hybrid]]

=== Also Starring ===

* [[Alonso Oyarzun]] as Specialist [[Socinus]]
* [[Colin Corrigan]] as Marine Alan [[Nowart]]
* [[Diego Diablo Del Mar]] as [[Hillard]]
* [[Bruce Dawson]] as [[Coach]]
* [[Lawrence Haegert]] as [[Wheeler]]
* [[Tommy Europe]] as [[Rally]]
* [[Maya Washington]] as [[Sue-Shaun]]
* [[Luvia Petersen]] as [[Kai]]
* [[Richard Yearwood]] as [[Marine]]
* [[Alex Ferris]] as [[Boy]]
* [[Gina Vultaggio]] as [[Jemmy]]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Jane Espenson]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Edward James Olmos]]

Messengers

2009-06-13T19:52:09Z

Doorofnight: /* Notes */

[[image:Virtual Six and Head Baltar, "Daybreak, Part II".jpg|thumb|The virtual Six and Baltar aboard ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' together.]]

'''Virtual beings'''<ref>{{bsgwiki term}}</ref> denote the curious virtual images seen by [[Gaius Baltar]] and [[Caprica-Six]].

The Season 3 episode "[[Torn]]" establishes the [[humanoid Cylon]] visualization process known as [[projection]]. In the [[Miniseries]] and Season 1, before the term "projection" was introduced, the character of [[Gaius Baltar]] has frequent visions of an image of his Cylon love interest from Caprica, now known as [[Caprica-Six]].

After her [[Resurrection (RDM)|resurrection]] from the Caprica mission, Caprica-Six herself is haunted by a virtual image of Gaius Baltar.

Neither character has revealed the presence of these images to each other or any other character as of the episode "[[Deadlock]]". Occasionally both Baltar and Caprica-Six have been viewed reacting to their virtual companions, either by talking to themselves or by physical reaction, though this has generally been discounted as general "oddness".

The personality of each image is often represented in the clothing that they wear. Virtual Six often appears in a revealing red dress, and the virtual Baltar appears in a pinstriped suit, apparently custom-tailored ([[Miniseries]], "[[Downloaded]]").

Each personality is not a copy of the original character's personality, but generally behaves as a militant version of the original. The Virtual Six espouses Cylon philosophy and [[Cylon Religion|religion]] in a zealous, unwavering manner. Likewise, the virtual Baltar often criticizes Caprica-Six when she attempts to rationalize the destruction of the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]] or other Cylon motivations. Both personalities tend to sway its actual opposite to side with their philosophy: For virtual Baltar, the need to become more human (and, like the actual Baltar himself, selfish); for virtual Six, worship of the Cylon [[God (RDM)|God]] and distancing Baltar from any opportunity to give support to the Colonial causes.

In the last days of the journey, the virtual beings are suggested to be what our society would call '''Angels''', more specifically '''Angels of [[God (RDM)|God]]''' (something already stated by Baltar's Virtual Six in [[Home, Part II]]), however writer Jane Espenson, has stated that she personally believes they are "a far-advanced culture with an interest in humanity." This would mean they are similar to the [[Beings of Light]]. <ref>"Question: Starbuck an Angel??? Really???" Espenson: "I'm going to answer re Starbuck and the "head" people, too. Well, here's how I always saw it. If someone from a far-advanced culture somewhere in the universe took an interest in humanity, isn't it possible that with their advanced tech that they could have abilities that would seem to us miraculous. Maybe we'd think of them as "Angels." Maybe they're the whole reason we have a myth of "Angels." But that's just me. The great thing about great novels (or tv series) is that some things are left open to your own philosophical solutions." Galactica Sitrep, http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/blog/2009/03/chat_with_battl.html</ref>. ([[Islanded in a Stream of Stars]], [[Daybreak, Part II]])

==Baltar's Virtual Six==
[[image:Tigh_Me_Up_Tigh_Me_Down-Baltar_Six.jpg|thumb|The virtual Six and Gaius Baltar in his lab aboard ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]''.]]
Baltar's virtual Six first appears as he escapes the destroyed world of [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] on [[Sharon Valerii]]'s [[Raptor]] ([[Miniseries, Night 1]]).

Baltar initially believes that the virtual Six is a hallucination in its first few weeks of appearances, but later believes the virtual Six's initial suggestion that she is generated from a Cylon cybernetic implant. He disproves this notion when Doctor [[Cottle]] gives him a brain scan ([[Downloaded]]).

Baltar's virtual Six is aware of events, people and places that Baltar does not appear to know consciously. She tells him of a [[Cylon transponder]] hidden in ''Galactica's'' [[CIC]], and appears to aid him in his conversion from Colonial polytheism to Cylon monotheism through guiding him in how to destroy a Cylon [[tylium]] refinery ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]). The source for virtual Six's data is unclear.
[[Image:brainscan.jpg|left|thumb|Baltar receives his brain scan from Dr. [[Cottle]], as his virtual Six looks on in amusement.]]

Baltar's visions of Six not only have the Cylon appearing with him on ''[[Galactica]]'', but the two also envision themselves in Baltar's now-destroyed home, on the beach, and other locales. The virtual Six projection seems to be able to force Baltar to see additional items in his environment, such as the human skulls on [[Kobol (RDM)|Kobol]] as well as visions of the interior of the ancient [[Opera House]] and an image of what virtual Six believes to be a Cylon-human hybrid child. When an [[Hera Agathon|actual child]] does appear in the Fleet, the virtual Six claims it is her vision fulfilled ([[Downloaded]]).

Over time, Baltar is seen by some characters speaking to himself, which is often the case when he is speaking to Virtual Six. In several instances, the virtual Six appears to Baltar to be a physical entity, grabbing him by his clothes or body, or assisting him with objects ("[[Six Degrees of Separation]]", "[[Taking A Break From All Your Worries]]"). She has even demonstrated an ability to physically interact with Baltar. On one occasion, she pushed him into a bulkhead and grabbed him by the throat. In another example, she lifted him into a standing position after he was beaten by a Galactica marine ([[Escape Velocity]]). In both cases, this provoked reactions from other people.

[[image:KobolHallu.jpg|right|thumb|Virtual Six and Baltar on Kobol.]]
The virtual Six has been present when Caprica-Six is near only twice. She is also conspicuously absent during [[Shelly Godfrey]]'s tenure on ''Galactica'' ([[Six Degrees of Separation]]). The virtual Six seems to, for the most part, vanish during the period when Caprica-Six and Baltar renew their relationship on New Caprica. When Baltar is aboard a Cylon basestar, Caprica-Six explains the projection process to him while the virtual Six hints that this process is very similar to how she and Baltar communicate and that Baltar may himself be a Cylon ([[Torn]]). Virtual Six also appears to Baltar, when he discovers Hera under Maya's dead body and disappears when the real Number Six comes near Baltar and the baby ([[Exodus, Part II]]).

Virtual Six has a [[Music of Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|musical theme]], a simple 9-note motif with a staccato xylophone and some violins, which plays behind almost all her appearances. This theme also plays without Six present in "[[Rapture]]" after [[D'Anna Biers]] collapses in Baltar's arms after her vision of the [[Final Five]], until Baltar is clubbed by [[Galen Tyrol]].

From the end of Season 2 on, the virtual Six claims more often to be an angel from [[God (RDM)|God]].

Ultimately, Virtual Six is revealed to be a very real being--not a projection of something inside Baltar's mind--sent by another being that may be God. Both her and Virtual Baltar appear to both Caprica Six and Baltar; each is shocked that the other can see them. On Earth, Virtual Six, along with Virtual Baltar, reveals to Caprica and Baltar that their destiny had always been to protect Hera, who was the future of both races. They leave, saying that while God's plan is never finished, their lives will be much less "exciting" from now on. One hundred fifty thousand years later, Virtual Six is with Virtual Baltar in New York City, looking over the sholder of a man reading a magazine article about the remains of Mitochondrial Eve--the current population's earliest common evolutionary ancestor, Hera. The two discuss how all of this has happened before and whether all of this will happen again. Virtual Six believes things will go differently this time. Virtual Baltar chides her when she refers to God, saying, "You know it doesn't like that name." The two then walk among the crowds in New York ([[Daybreak,_Part_II|Daybreak, Part II]]).

==Caprica-Six's Virtual Baltar==
[[image:LBlt.jpg|thumb|left|Turnabout is fair play: Caprica-Six, the virtual Baltar and an actual [[Number Three]]]]

When a ''virtual Gaius Baltar'' appears to Caprica-Six in "Downloaded", the notion that the actual Gaius Baltar was part of a Cylon plan to manipulate him via the virtual Six is revealed to be highly unlikely, as other Cylons are unaware of him and do not mention the plan or its effects to Caprica-Six.

The virtual Baltar's appearance and demeanor is just as much an extreme opposite of the actual Baltar as the virtual Six's behavior is to Caprica-Six.

At her resurrection, the virtual Baltar immediately tells Caprica-Six that only she can see and hear him, and not to reveal what she sees to the other Cylons present. The virtual Baltar is never asked by Caprica-Six about his origins.

The virtual Baltar confronts Caprica-Six with her guilt in the slaughter of billions of human beings, and with the logical error behind the Cylons' actions. Under the influence of the virtual Baltar, Caprica-Six speaks out against the war alongside another resurrected "[[hero of the Cylon]]", [[Sharon Valerii]]. The two forge a new [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II|quasi-benevolent path]], [[Exodus, Part II|albeit temporarily]], for the Cylon race.

The revelation in "[[Torn]]" about the Cylons' projecting abilities suggests that the virtual Baltar is generated by Caprica-Six's own projection ability. Since the actual Baltar is not confirmed as a Cylon, the origins of his virtual Six are questioned by Dr. Baltar himself during the revelation of the principles of projection.

The virtual Baltar appears irregularly in seasons 2 and 3. In "[[The Woman King]]", Caprica-Six is observed by [[Laura Roslin]] and [[Tory Foster]] as Caprica-Six speaks and kisses the virtual Baltar, who is, of course, invisible to Roslin and Foster.

While Baltar's virtual Six claims to be an angel sent from God, Six's virtual Baltar seems to be contemptuous of the Cylons' concept of God ([[Downloaded]]). He is also described by [[Ronald D. Moore|Ron Moore]] as more of a "devil" figure in Six's consciousness<ref>{{cite_rdm_podcast|episode=Downloaded|act=Three|id=|timestamp=|totalrunning=}}</ref>.

While the virtual Baltar acts mostly as a conversational foil for Six, in "[[Crossroads, Part I]]" he informs her that [[Saul Tigh]] has suffered the loss of a woman close to him, to assist Six in dealing with the interrogation by Tigh. It is uncertain how he or she obtained this information.

Virtual Baltar appears one last time in the series finale. He and Virtual Six appear together and both Caprica Six and Baltar can see them and are each shocked that the other can. He and Virtual Six are angels of God who Baltar describes to Cavil as a force of nature and a being neither good nor evil. Virtual Baltar and Virtual Six make one last visit to Caprica Six and Baltar to tell them that their role had always been to protect Hera and now that that was done, the two Virtual Beings leave them alone. Virtual Six explains that God's plan is never over, bu Virtual Baltar tells the two that their lives will be much less exciting, indicating that their role is over now. The two Virtual Beings disappear and are seen 150,000 years later in New York City discussing humanity finding its most recent common ancestor (Hera). The two discuss the cycle of life and Virtual Baltar chides Virtual Six for calling the being they work for God, as it apparently doesn't like being called that. Virtual Baltar has the series last line, which is a response to Virtual Six's stern look: "silly me.... silly, silly me." The two then walk off together into present day New York City.

== Gaius Baltar's Virtual Baltar ==
[[Image:Baltar and Head Baltar, "Six of One".jpg|thumb|right|Baltar encounters his virtual double.]]
After his ascension to [[Cult of Baltar|cult]] leader, Gaius Baltar encounters a well-dressed virtual version of himself after he meets [[Tory Foster]]. Baltar is initially shocked by his sudden appearance but eventually becomes amused by the idea of having himself as a conversational foil for once instead of Six. This virtual Baltar encourages him to engage in a relationship with Foster, claiming that she is "special," and guides him, after a fashion, through her covert interrogation attempt. This virtual Baltar does not elaborate on that point, but Baltar follows the virtual version's lead ([[Six of One]]).

It is unknown whether or not this Virtual Baltar is the same one that Caprica-Six sees. Baltar asks if he is the virtual Six in another form, but the virtual Baltar points out that she would have little reason to disguise herself from Baltar.

It is likely that this is the same Virtual Baltar that Caprica Six, sees as he sees her version in the last episode and she sees Virtual Six as well.

== Laura Roslin's Virtual Elosha ==
[[Laura Roslin]] converses with a being in the form of [[Elosha]] during what should be zero-time jump sequences on the way to the Resurrection Hub. ([[The Hub]]) This virtual being is unlike the others, in that not only do they interact outside the realm of others, it takes place during a time interval that should not exist. The being seems to have some knowledge of the future events, such as Roslin's death and the fact that [[William Adama]] waits for her, suggesting both reality for the being and the out-of-time conversations. Unlike Starbuck's Leoben, the experience is difficult to explain with unconscious dreaming or hallucination.

The revelation of a guiding power behind all of these events it lends at least some strength to the possibility that this Virtual Elosha is also an angel.

== The Final Five's Virtual Beings ==
After recovering his memories of [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] due to being shot in the head, [[Samuel Anders]] reports that the [[Final Five]] were originally warned of impending nuclear destruction of Earth two thousand years earlier by images of people no one else could see. This information allowed them to prepare their recreation of [[Resurrection (RDM)|Cylon Resurrection]] and the ship on which they escaped following the disaster. The one that appeared to Anders looked like a [[Number Six|woman]], the one that appeared to [[Tory Foster]] looked like a man. [[Galen Tyrol]], much like Gaius Baltar, thought he might have a neural chip ([[No Exit]]).

== Slick ==
[[Kara Thrace]] encounters a vision of her father<ref>[[Podcast:Someone to Watch Over Me]]</ref> going by the name of Slick, she does not recognize him as her father. As she spends time with him, she recalls playing the piano with her father. She assists him in composing a song and compares him to her father. While she plays the piano with him, she recalls playing the piano with her father as a child. She recalls a certain song, and notices that the score resembles one of [[Hera]]'s drawing. As she plays the song with him, [[Saul Tigh]] and [[Tory Foster]] recognize the song as [[The Music|the same song they heard at the Ionian Nebula]]. When Saul grabs her and asks her about the song, Slick vanishes ([[Someone to Watch Over Me]]).

Starbuck seems to converse in a loud voice with Slick from the bar to the piano stage, but no other characters at the bar react in any way, unlike the way that other characters would notice Baltar having his quieter conversations with Virtual Six. Yet Starbuck is not unconscious as she may have been for her encounter with her virtual Leoben nor physically elsewhere. As she is led to play the opening strains of [[The Music]], she is really in the bar and really playing the piano, and is noticed by the Cylons.

==Notes==
*The [[virtual Leoben|virtual "Leoben"]] that appears to [[Kara Thrace]] in the episode "[[Maelstrom]]" only appears to her in a vision while the pilot is unconscious. Since this virtual Leoben does not fit the Baltar-Six analogue, Battlestar Wiki considers him separately to the above.
**In light of the revelation that angels, and a higher power that operates beyond life and death, exist and that they are responsible for guiding all these events and it was said God that sent Kara Thrace back to the living world to fulfill her role as a guide this position should probably be re-evaluated. The reason being that guiding and preparing are exactly what angels are supposed to do(and have done throughout the course of the series in the Virtual Six and Baltar) and that is what Leoben says he is there to do, prepare Kara to take her journey.
*[[William Adama]] sees and converses with his [[Carolanne Adama|deceased ex-wife]] each year on their anniversary as demonstrated in "[[A Day in the Life]]". While the episode where this occurs shows William and Carolanne together in places and settings (ostensibly at their home on [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]]), this is a dramatic representation of Adama's ordinary imagination of what Carolanne may have thought about his predicament. As such, the visualizations of Carolanne Adama are ''not'' a virtual being similar to those above.
*[[Saul Tigh]] sees [[Ellen Tigh#Saul's "Virtual Ellen"|his dead wife]] in place of [[Caprica Six]] ([[Escape Velocity]]). This could be a simple hallucination, or, as Tigh is a [[humanoid Cylon]], an example of [[projection]].
*When holding a two thousand year-old, mangled mailbox hatch from the lobby of the Tighs' apartment building, Saul sees a dying Ellen again in a vision from his and her prior incarnations on Earth. Ellen is depicted in the vision as fully aware of their future reincarnations and the cyclical nature of their existence, which she prophesises for past-Saul in the moment before they both die. ([[Sometimes a Great Notion]]).
*In the fifth [[Razor Flashbacks|Razor Flashback]], while exploring the lab, Adama has a hallucination of a hand reaching out to grab him from a device similar to a [[resurrection tank|resurrection]] or [[Hybrid]] tank. However this could be a stress-induced hallucination. The same may be the case for the screaming prisoners in the lab, which could also be explained as a visualization for the audience. However, the voice Adama hears of the [[First Hybrid]] is the real voice, so this part at least is not a hallucination.
*Beginning in Season 3, Baltar's Virtual Six begins appearing less frequently, and makes only a few appearances in Season 4. A scene was filmed for "[[The Road Less Traveled]]" in which Virtual Six, stating that Baltar no longer needs her anymore, says goodbye to him and fades away; this scene was deleted (but included on the Season 4.0 DVD). Virtual Six reappeared after an absence of many episodes in "[[Deadlock]]", potentially rendering this deleted scene non-canonical.
*In the podcast for [[No Exit]], Ronald Moore refers to the Final Five's virtual beings as "the Messengers" and indicates that they are significant to the overall storyline.

== Official Statements ==
*When asked by a fan at a convention about the differences between this Baltar and the real Baltar, actor [[James Callis]] described Six's Baltar as a man who "finally has his shit together."<ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNZZHl0Ls5U&mode=related&search=|title=James Callis (Gaius Baltar) Q&A FanExpo 2k6 - Part 3|date=September 04, 2006|accessdate=January 24, 2007|last=|first=|format=YouTube video|language=English}}</ref>. ('''Warning''': Video contains some explicit language)

* Callis mentioned at the same convention that his personal theory is that Baltar's internal Six is a being from another universe or higher plane of existence who only Baltar can interact with. This may relate back to the "angel" theory <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNZZHl0Ls5U&mode=related&search=|title=James Callis (Gaius Baltar) Q&A FanExpo 2k6 - Part 3|date=September 04, 2006|accessdate=January 24, 2007|last=|first=|format=YouTube video|language=English}}</ref>. ('''Warning''': Video contains some explicit language)

* Actress [[Tricia Helfer]] has said that she has long since given up on trying to figure out just what Baltar's internal Six is. <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/756/756477p1.html|title=IGN Interview: Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer|date=January 18, 2007|accessdate=January 24, 2007|last=|first=|format=|language=English}}</ref> She believes Caprica-Six and Baltar both having internal counterparts is related to the scene from the [[Miniseries]] where she saves Baltar from the shock wave of the nuclear bomb that destroyed [[Caprica City]].

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

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Cylons]]
[[Category:Cylons (RDM)]]
[[Category:Descriptive terms]]
[[Category:RDM]]
{{featured article candidate previous}}

Messengers

2009-06-13T19:51:36Z

Doorofnight: /* Notes */

[[image:Virtual Six and Head Baltar, "Daybreak, Part II".jpg|thumb|The virtual Six and Baltar aboard ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' together.]]

'''Virtual beings'''<ref>{{bsgwiki term}}</ref> denote the curious virtual images seen by [[Gaius Baltar]] and [[Caprica-Six]].

The Season 3 episode "[[Torn]]" establishes the [[humanoid Cylon]] visualization process known as [[projection]]. In the [[Miniseries]] and Season 1, before the term "projection" was introduced, the character of [[Gaius Baltar]] has frequent visions of an image of his Cylon love interest from Caprica, now known as [[Caprica-Six]].

After her [[Resurrection (RDM)|resurrection]] from the Caprica mission, Caprica-Six herself is haunted by a virtual image of Gaius Baltar.

Neither character has revealed the presence of these images to each other or any other character as of the episode "[[Deadlock]]". Occasionally both Baltar and Caprica-Six have been viewed reacting to their virtual companions, either by talking to themselves or by physical reaction, though this has generally been discounted as general "oddness".

The personality of each image is often represented in the clothing that they wear. Virtual Six often appears in a revealing red dress, and the virtual Baltar appears in a pinstriped suit, apparently custom-tailored ([[Miniseries]], "[[Downloaded]]").

Each personality is not a copy of the original character's personality, but generally behaves as a militant version of the original. The Virtual Six espouses Cylon philosophy and [[Cylon Religion|religion]] in a zealous, unwavering manner. Likewise, the virtual Baltar often criticizes Caprica-Six when she attempts to rationalize the destruction of the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]] or other Cylon motivations. Both personalities tend to sway its actual opposite to side with their philosophy: For virtual Baltar, the need to become more human (and, like the actual Baltar himself, selfish); for virtual Six, worship of the Cylon [[God (RDM)|God]] and distancing Baltar from any opportunity to give support to the Colonial causes.

In the last days of the journey, the virtual beings are suggested to be what our society would call '''Angels''', more specifically '''Angels of [[God (RDM)|God]]''' (something already stated by Baltar's Virtual Six in [[Home, Part II]]), however writer Jane Espenson, has stated that she personally believes they are "a far-advanced culture with an interest in humanity." This would mean they are similar to the [[Beings of Light]]. <ref>"Question: Starbuck an Angel??? Really???" Espenson: "I'm going to answer re Starbuck and the "head" people, too. Well, here's how I always saw it. If someone from a far-advanced culture somewhere in the universe took an interest in humanity, isn't it possible that with their advanced tech that they could have abilities that would seem to us miraculous. Maybe we'd think of them as "Angels." Maybe they're the whole reason we have a myth of "Angels." But that's just me. The great thing about great novels (or tv series) is that some things are left open to your own philosophical solutions." Galactica Sitrep, http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/blog/2009/03/chat_with_battl.html</ref>. ([[Islanded in a Stream of Stars]], [[Daybreak, Part II]])

==Baltar's Virtual Six==
[[image:Tigh_Me_Up_Tigh_Me_Down-Baltar_Six.jpg|thumb|The virtual Six and Gaius Baltar in his lab aboard ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]''.]]
Baltar's virtual Six first appears as he escapes the destroyed world of [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] on [[Sharon Valerii]]'s [[Raptor]] ([[Miniseries, Night 1]]).

Baltar initially believes that the virtual Six is a hallucination in its first few weeks of appearances, but later believes the virtual Six's initial suggestion that she is generated from a Cylon cybernetic implant. He disproves this notion when Doctor [[Cottle]] gives him a brain scan ([[Downloaded]]).

Baltar's virtual Six is aware of events, people and places that Baltar does not appear to know consciously. She tells him of a [[Cylon transponder]] hidden in ''Galactica's'' [[CIC]], and appears to aid him in his conversion from Colonial polytheism to Cylon monotheism through guiding him in how to destroy a Cylon [[tylium]] refinery ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]). The source for virtual Six's data is unclear.
[[Image:brainscan.jpg|left|thumb|Baltar receives his brain scan from Dr. [[Cottle]], as his virtual Six looks on in amusement.]]

Baltar's visions of Six not only have the Cylon appearing with him on ''[[Galactica]]'', but the two also envision themselves in Baltar's now-destroyed home, on the beach, and other locales. The virtual Six projection seems to be able to force Baltar to see additional items in his environment, such as the human skulls on [[Kobol (RDM)|Kobol]] as well as visions of the interior of the ancient [[Opera House]] and an image of what virtual Six believes to be a Cylon-human hybrid child. When an [[Hera Agathon|actual child]] does appear in the Fleet, the virtual Six claims it is her vision fulfilled ([[Downloaded]]).

Over time, Baltar is seen by some characters speaking to himself, which is often the case when he is speaking to Virtual Six. In several instances, the virtual Six appears to Baltar to be a physical entity, grabbing him by his clothes or body, or assisting him with objects ("[[Six Degrees of Separation]]", "[[Taking A Break From All Your Worries]]"). She has even demonstrated an ability to physically interact with Baltar. On one occasion, she pushed him into a bulkhead and grabbed him by the throat. In another example, she lifted him into a standing position after he was beaten by a Galactica marine ([[Escape Velocity]]). In both cases, this provoked reactions from other people.

[[image:KobolHallu.jpg|right|thumb|Virtual Six and Baltar on Kobol.]]
The virtual Six has been present when Caprica-Six is near only twice. She is also conspicuously absent during [[Shelly Godfrey]]'s tenure on ''Galactica'' ([[Six Degrees of Separation]]). The virtual Six seems to, for the most part, vanish during the period when Caprica-Six and Baltar renew their relationship on New Caprica. When Baltar is aboard a Cylon basestar, Caprica-Six explains the projection process to him while the virtual Six hints that this process is very similar to how she and Baltar communicate and that Baltar may himself be a Cylon ([[Torn]]). Virtual Six also appears to Baltar, when he discovers Hera under Maya's dead body and disappears when the real Number Six comes near Baltar and the baby ([[Exodus, Part II]]).

Virtual Six has a [[Music of Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|musical theme]], a simple 9-note motif with a staccato xylophone and some violins, which plays behind almost all her appearances. This theme also plays without Six present in "[[Rapture]]" after [[D'Anna Biers]] collapses in Baltar's arms after her vision of the [[Final Five]], until Baltar is clubbed by [[Galen Tyrol]].

From the end of Season 2 on, the virtual Six claims more often to be an angel from [[God (RDM)|God]].

Ultimately, Virtual Six is revealed to be a very real being--not a projection of something inside Baltar's mind--sent by another being that may be God. Both her and Virtual Baltar appear to both Caprica Six and Baltar; each is shocked that the other can see them. On Earth, Virtual Six, along with Virtual Baltar, reveals to Caprica and Baltar that their destiny had always been to protect Hera, who was the future of both races. They leave, saying that while God's plan is never finished, their lives will be much less "exciting" from now on. One hundred fifty thousand years later, Virtual Six is with Virtual Baltar in New York City, looking over the sholder of a man reading a magazine article about the remains of Mitochondrial Eve--the current population's earliest common evolutionary ancestor, Hera. The two discuss how all of this has happened before and whether all of this will happen again. Virtual Six believes things will go differently this time. Virtual Baltar chides her when she refers to God, saying, "You know it doesn't like that name." The two then walk among the crowds in New York ([[Daybreak,_Part_II|Daybreak, Part II]]).

==Caprica-Six's Virtual Baltar==
[[image:LBlt.jpg|thumb|left|Turnabout is fair play: Caprica-Six, the virtual Baltar and an actual [[Number Three]]]]

When a ''virtual Gaius Baltar'' appears to Caprica-Six in "Downloaded", the notion that the actual Gaius Baltar was part of a Cylon plan to manipulate him via the virtual Six is revealed to be highly unlikely, as other Cylons are unaware of him and do not mention the plan or its effects to Caprica-Six.

The virtual Baltar's appearance and demeanor is just as much an extreme opposite of the actual Baltar as the virtual Six's behavior is to Caprica-Six.

At her resurrection, the virtual Baltar immediately tells Caprica-Six that only she can see and hear him, and not to reveal what she sees to the other Cylons present. The virtual Baltar is never asked by Caprica-Six about his origins.

The virtual Baltar confronts Caprica-Six with her guilt in the slaughter of billions of human beings, and with the logical error behind the Cylons' actions. Under the influence of the virtual Baltar, Caprica-Six speaks out against the war alongside another resurrected "[[hero of the Cylon]]", [[Sharon Valerii]]. The two forge a new [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II|quasi-benevolent path]], [[Exodus, Part II|albeit temporarily]], for the Cylon race.

The revelation in "[[Torn]]" about the Cylons' projecting abilities suggests that the virtual Baltar is generated by Caprica-Six's own projection ability. Since the actual Baltar is not confirmed as a Cylon, the origins of his virtual Six are questioned by Dr. Baltar himself during the revelation of the principles of projection.

The virtual Baltar appears irregularly in seasons 2 and 3. In "[[The Woman King]]", Caprica-Six is observed by [[Laura Roslin]] and [[Tory Foster]] as Caprica-Six speaks and kisses the virtual Baltar, who is, of course, invisible to Roslin and Foster.

While Baltar's virtual Six claims to be an angel sent from God, Six's virtual Baltar seems to be contemptuous of the Cylons' concept of God ([[Downloaded]]). He is also described by [[Ronald D. Moore|Ron Moore]] as more of a "devil" figure in Six's consciousness<ref>{{cite_rdm_podcast|episode=Downloaded|act=Three|id=|timestamp=|totalrunning=}}</ref>.

While the virtual Baltar acts mostly as a conversational foil for Six, in "[[Crossroads, Part I]]" he informs her that [[Saul Tigh]] has suffered the loss of a woman close to him, to assist Six in dealing with the interrogation by Tigh. It is uncertain how he or she obtained this information.

Virtual Baltar appears one last time in the series finale. He and Virtual Six appear together and both Caprica Six and Baltar can see them and are each shocked that the other can. He and Virtual Six are angels of God who Baltar describes to Cavil as a force of nature and a being neither good nor evil. Virtual Baltar and Virtual Six make one last visit to Caprica Six and Baltar to tell them that their role had always been to protect Hera and now that that was done, the two Virtual Beings leave them alone. Virtual Six explains that God's plan is never over, bu Virtual Baltar tells the two that their lives will be much less exciting, indicating that their role is over now. The two Virtual Beings disappear and are seen 150,000 years later in New York City discussing humanity finding its most recent common ancestor (Hera). The two discuss the cycle of life and Virtual Baltar chides Virtual Six for calling the being they work for God, as it apparently doesn't like being called that. Virtual Baltar has the series last line, which is a response to Virtual Six's stern look: "silly me.... silly, silly me." The two then walk off together into present day New York City.

== Gaius Baltar's Virtual Baltar ==
[[Image:Baltar and Head Baltar, "Six of One".jpg|thumb|right|Baltar encounters his virtual double.]]
After his ascension to [[Cult of Baltar|cult]] leader, Gaius Baltar encounters a well-dressed virtual version of himself after he meets [[Tory Foster]]. Baltar is initially shocked by his sudden appearance but eventually becomes amused by the idea of having himself as a conversational foil for once instead of Six. This virtual Baltar encourages him to engage in a relationship with Foster, claiming that she is "special," and guides him, after a fashion, through her covert interrogation attempt. This virtual Baltar does not elaborate on that point, but Baltar follows the virtual version's lead ([[Six of One]]).

It is unknown whether or not this Virtual Baltar is the same one that Caprica-Six sees. Baltar asks if he is the virtual Six in another form, but the virtual Baltar points out that she would have little reason to disguise herself from Baltar.

It is likely that this is the same Virtual Baltar that Caprica Six, sees as he sees her version in the last episode and she sees Virtual Six as well.

== Laura Roslin's Virtual Elosha ==
[[Laura Roslin]] converses with a being in the form of [[Elosha]] during what should be zero-time jump sequences on the way to the Resurrection Hub. ([[The Hub]]) This virtual being is unlike the others, in that not only do they interact outside the realm of others, it takes place during a time interval that should not exist. The being seems to have some knowledge of the future events, such as Roslin's death and the fact that [[William Adama]] waits for her, suggesting both reality for the being and the out-of-time conversations. Unlike Starbuck's Leoben, the experience is difficult to explain with unconscious dreaming or hallucination.

The revelation of a guiding power behind all of these events it lends at least some strength to the possibility that this Virtual Elosha is also an angel.

== The Final Five's Virtual Beings ==
After recovering his memories of [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] due to being shot in the head, [[Samuel Anders]] reports that the [[Final Five]] were originally warned of impending nuclear destruction of Earth two thousand years earlier by images of people no one else could see. This information allowed them to prepare their recreation of [[Resurrection (RDM)|Cylon Resurrection]] and the ship on which they escaped following the disaster. The one that appeared to Anders looked like a [[Number Six|woman]], the one that appeared to [[Tory Foster]] looked like a man. [[Galen Tyrol]], much like Gaius Baltar, thought he might have a neural chip ([[No Exit]]).

== Slick ==
[[Kara Thrace]] encounters a vision of her father<ref>[[Podcast:Someone to Watch Over Me]]</ref> going by the name of Slick, she does not recognize him as her father. As she spends time with him, she recalls playing the piano with her father. She assists him in composing a song and compares him to her father. While she plays the piano with him, she recalls playing the piano with her father as a child. She recalls a certain song, and notices that the score resembles one of [[Hera]]'s drawing. As she plays the song with him, [[Saul Tigh]] and [[Tory Foster]] recognize the song as [[The Music|the same song they heard at the Ionian Nebula]]. When Saul grabs her and asks her about the song, Slick vanishes ([[Someone to Watch Over Me]]).

Starbuck seems to converse in a loud voice with Slick from the bar to the piano stage, but no other characters at the bar react in any way, unlike the way that other characters would notice Baltar having his quieter conversations with Virtual Six. Yet Starbuck is not unconscious as she may have been for her encounter with her virtual Leoben nor physically elsewhere. As she is led to play the opening strains of [[The Music]], she is really in the bar and really playing the piano, and is noticed by the Cylons.

==Notes==
*The [[virtual Leoben|virtual "Leoben"]] that appears to [[Kara Thrace]] in the episode "[[Maelstrom]]" only appears to her in a vision while the pilot is unconscious. Since this virtual Leoben does not fit the Baltar-Six analogue, Battlestar Wiki considers him separately to the above.
**In light of the revelation that angels, and a higher power that operates beyond life and death, exist and that they are responsible for guiding all these events and it was said God that sent Kara Thrace back to the living world to fulfill her role as a guild this position should probably be re-evaluated. The reason being that guiding and preparing are exactly what angels are supposed to do(and have done throughout the course of the series in the Virtual Six and Baltar) and that is what Leoben says he is there to do, prepare Kara to take her journey.
*[[William Adama]] sees and converses with his [[Carolanne Adama|deceased ex-wife]] each year on their anniversary as demonstrated in "[[A Day in the Life]]". While the episode where this occurs shows William and Carolanne together in places and settings (ostensibly at their home on [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]]), this is a dramatic representation of Adama's ordinary imagination of what Carolanne may have thought about his predicament. As such, the visualizations of Carolanne Adama are ''not'' a virtual being similar to those above.
*[[Saul Tigh]] sees [[Ellen Tigh#Saul's "Virtual Ellen"|his dead wife]] in place of [[Caprica Six]] ([[Escape Velocity]]). This could be a simple hallucination, or, as Tigh is a [[humanoid Cylon]], an example of [[projection]].
*When holding a two thousand year-old, mangled mailbox hatch from the lobby of the Tighs' apartment building, Saul sees a dying Ellen again in a vision from his and her prior incarnations on Earth. Ellen is depicted in the vision as fully aware of their future reincarnations and the cyclical nature of their existence, which she prophesises for past-Saul in the moment before they both die. ([[Sometimes a Great Notion]]).
*In the fifth [[Razor Flashbacks|Razor Flashback]], while exploring the lab, Adama has a hallucination of a hand reaching out to grab him from a device similar to a [[resurrection tank|resurrection]] or [[Hybrid]] tank. However this could be a stress-induced hallucination. The same may be the case for the screaming prisoners in the lab, which could also be explained as a visualization for the audience. However, the voice Adama hears of the [[First Hybrid]] is the real voice, so this part at least is not a hallucination.
*Beginning in Season 3, Baltar's Virtual Six begins appearing less frequently, and makes only a few appearances in Season 4. A scene was filmed for "[[The Road Less Traveled]]" in which Virtual Six, stating that Baltar no longer needs her anymore, says goodbye to him and fades away; this scene was deleted (but included on the Season 4.0 DVD). Virtual Six reappeared after an absence of many episodes in "[[Deadlock]]", potentially rendering this deleted scene non-canonical.
*In the podcast for [[No Exit]], Ronald Moore refers to the Final Five's virtual beings as "the Messengers" and indicates that they are significant to the overall storyline.

== Official Statements ==
*When asked by a fan at a convention about the differences between this Baltar and the real Baltar, actor [[James Callis]] described Six's Baltar as a man who "finally has his shit together."<ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNZZHl0Ls5U&mode=related&search=|title=James Callis (Gaius Baltar) Q&A FanExpo 2k6 - Part 3|date=September 04, 2006|accessdate=January 24, 2007|last=|first=|format=YouTube video|language=English}}</ref>. ('''Warning''': Video contains some explicit language)

* Callis mentioned at the same convention that his personal theory is that Baltar's internal Six is a being from another universe or higher plane of existence who only Baltar can interact with. This may relate back to the "angel" theory <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNZZHl0Ls5U&mode=related&search=|title=James Callis (Gaius Baltar) Q&A FanExpo 2k6 - Part 3|date=September 04, 2006|accessdate=January 24, 2007|last=|first=|format=YouTube video|language=English}}</ref>. ('''Warning''': Video contains some explicit language)

* Actress [[Tricia Helfer]] has said that she has long since given up on trying to figure out just what Baltar's internal Six is. <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/756/756477p1.html|title=IGN Interview: Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer|date=January 18, 2007|accessdate=January 24, 2007|last=|first=|format=|language=English}}</ref> She believes Caprica-Six and Baltar both having internal counterparts is related to the scene from the [[Miniseries]] where she saves Baltar from the shock wave of the nuclear bomb that destroyed [[Caprica City]].

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

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Cylons]]
[[Category:Cylons (RDM)]]
[[Category:Descriptive terms]]
[[Category:RDM]]
{{featured article candidate previous}}

Messengers

2009-06-13T19:48:03Z

Doorofnight: /* Laura Roslin's Virtual Elosha */

[[image:Virtual Six and Head Baltar, "Daybreak, Part II".jpg|thumb|The virtual Six and Baltar aboard ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' together.]]

'''Virtual beings'''<ref>{{bsgwiki term}}</ref> denote the curious virtual images seen by [[Gaius Baltar]] and [[Caprica-Six]].

The Season 3 episode "[[Torn]]" establishes the [[humanoid Cylon]] visualization process known as [[projection]]. In the [[Miniseries]] and Season 1, before the term "projection" was introduced, the character of [[Gaius Baltar]] has frequent visions of an image of his Cylon love interest from Caprica, now known as [[Caprica-Six]].

After her [[Resurrection (RDM)|resurrection]] from the Caprica mission, Caprica-Six herself is haunted by a virtual image of Gaius Baltar.

Neither character has revealed the presence of these images to each other or any other character as of the episode "[[Deadlock]]". Occasionally both Baltar and Caprica-Six have been viewed reacting to their virtual companions, either by talking to themselves or by physical reaction, though this has generally been discounted as general "oddness".

The personality of each image is often represented in the clothing that they wear. Virtual Six often appears in a revealing red dress, and the virtual Baltar appears in a pinstriped suit, apparently custom-tailored ([[Miniseries]], "[[Downloaded]]").

Each personality is not a copy of the original character's personality, but generally behaves as a militant version of the original. The Virtual Six espouses Cylon philosophy and [[Cylon Religion|religion]] in a zealous, unwavering manner. Likewise, the virtual Baltar often criticizes Caprica-Six when she attempts to rationalize the destruction of the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]] or other Cylon motivations. Both personalities tend to sway its actual opposite to side with their philosophy: For virtual Baltar, the need to become more human (and, like the actual Baltar himself, selfish); for virtual Six, worship of the Cylon [[God (RDM)|God]] and distancing Baltar from any opportunity to give support to the Colonial causes.

In the last days of the journey, the virtual beings are suggested to be what our society would call '''Angels''', more specifically '''Angels of [[God (RDM)|God]]''' (something already stated by Baltar's Virtual Six in [[Home, Part II]]), however writer Jane Espenson, has stated that she personally believes they are "a far-advanced culture with an interest in humanity." This would mean they are similar to the [[Beings of Light]]. <ref>"Question: Starbuck an Angel??? Really???" Espenson: "I'm going to answer re Starbuck and the "head" people, too. Well, here's how I always saw it. If someone from a far-advanced culture somewhere in the universe took an interest in humanity, isn't it possible that with their advanced tech that they could have abilities that would seem to us miraculous. Maybe we'd think of them as "Angels." Maybe they're the whole reason we have a myth of "Angels." But that's just me. The great thing about great novels (or tv series) is that some things are left open to your own philosophical solutions." Galactica Sitrep, http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/blog/2009/03/chat_with_battl.html</ref>. ([[Islanded in a Stream of Stars]], [[Daybreak, Part II]])

==Baltar's Virtual Six==
[[image:Tigh_Me_Up_Tigh_Me_Down-Baltar_Six.jpg|thumb|The virtual Six and Gaius Baltar in his lab aboard ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]''.]]
Baltar's virtual Six first appears as he escapes the destroyed world of [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] on [[Sharon Valerii]]'s [[Raptor]] ([[Miniseries, Night 1]]).

Baltar initially believes that the virtual Six is a hallucination in its first few weeks of appearances, but later believes the virtual Six's initial suggestion that she is generated from a Cylon cybernetic implant. He disproves this notion when Doctor [[Cottle]] gives him a brain scan ([[Downloaded]]).

Baltar's virtual Six is aware of events, people and places that Baltar does not appear to know consciously. She tells him of a [[Cylon transponder]] hidden in ''Galactica's'' [[CIC]], and appears to aid him in his conversion from Colonial polytheism to Cylon monotheism through guiding him in how to destroy a Cylon [[tylium]] refinery ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]). The source for virtual Six's data is unclear.
[[Image:brainscan.jpg|left|thumb|Baltar receives his brain scan from Dr. [[Cottle]], as his virtual Six looks on in amusement.]]

Baltar's visions of Six not only have the Cylon appearing with him on ''[[Galactica]]'', but the two also envision themselves in Baltar's now-destroyed home, on the beach, and other locales. The virtual Six projection seems to be able to force Baltar to see additional items in his environment, such as the human skulls on [[Kobol (RDM)|Kobol]] as well as visions of the interior of the ancient [[Opera House]] and an image of what virtual Six believes to be a Cylon-human hybrid child. When an [[Hera Agathon|actual child]] does appear in the Fleet, the virtual Six claims it is her vision fulfilled ([[Downloaded]]).

Over time, Baltar is seen by some characters speaking to himself, which is often the case when he is speaking to Virtual Six. In several instances, the virtual Six appears to Baltar to be a physical entity, grabbing him by his clothes or body, or assisting him with objects ("[[Six Degrees of Separation]]", "[[Taking A Break From All Your Worries]]"). She has even demonstrated an ability to physically interact with Baltar. On one occasion, she pushed him into a bulkhead and grabbed him by the throat. In another example, she lifted him into a standing position after he was beaten by a Galactica marine ([[Escape Velocity]]). In both cases, this provoked reactions from other people.

[[image:KobolHallu.jpg|right|thumb|Virtual Six and Baltar on Kobol.]]
The virtual Six has been present when Caprica-Six is near only twice. She is also conspicuously absent during [[Shelly Godfrey]]'s tenure on ''Galactica'' ([[Six Degrees of Separation]]). The virtual Six seems to, for the most part, vanish during the period when Caprica-Six and Baltar renew their relationship on New Caprica. When Baltar is aboard a Cylon basestar, Caprica-Six explains the projection process to him while the virtual Six hints that this process is very similar to how she and Baltar communicate and that Baltar may himself be a Cylon ([[Torn]]). Virtual Six also appears to Baltar, when he discovers Hera under Maya's dead body and disappears when the real Number Six comes near Baltar and the baby ([[Exodus, Part II]]).

Virtual Six has a [[Music of Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|musical theme]], a simple 9-note motif with a staccato xylophone and some violins, which plays behind almost all her appearances. This theme also plays without Six present in "[[Rapture]]" after [[D'Anna Biers]] collapses in Baltar's arms after her vision of the [[Final Five]], until Baltar is clubbed by [[Galen Tyrol]].

From the end of Season 2 on, the virtual Six claims more often to be an angel from [[God (RDM)|God]].

Ultimately, Virtual Six is revealed to be a very real being--not a projection of something inside Baltar's mind--sent by another being that may be God. Both her and Virtual Baltar appear to both Caprica Six and Baltar; each is shocked that the other can see them. On Earth, Virtual Six, along with Virtual Baltar, reveals to Caprica and Baltar that their destiny had always been to protect Hera, who was the future of both races. They leave, saying that while God's plan is never finished, their lives will be much less "exciting" from now on. One hundred fifty thousand years later, Virtual Six is with Virtual Baltar in New York City, looking over the sholder of a man reading a magazine article about the remains of Mitochondrial Eve--the current population's earliest common evolutionary ancestor, Hera. The two discuss how all of this has happened before and whether all of this will happen again. Virtual Six believes things will go differently this time. Virtual Baltar chides her when she refers to God, saying, "You know it doesn't like that name." The two then walk among the crowds in New York ([[Daybreak,_Part_II|Daybreak, Part II]]).

==Caprica-Six's Virtual Baltar==
[[image:LBlt.jpg|thumb|left|Turnabout is fair play: Caprica-Six, the virtual Baltar and an actual [[Number Three]]]]

When a ''virtual Gaius Baltar'' appears to Caprica-Six in "Downloaded", the notion that the actual Gaius Baltar was part of a Cylon plan to manipulate him via the virtual Six is revealed to be highly unlikely, as other Cylons are unaware of him and do not mention the plan or its effects to Caprica-Six.

The virtual Baltar's appearance and demeanor is just as much an extreme opposite of the actual Baltar as the virtual Six's behavior is to Caprica-Six.

At her resurrection, the virtual Baltar immediately tells Caprica-Six that only she can see and hear him, and not to reveal what she sees to the other Cylons present. The virtual Baltar is never asked by Caprica-Six about his origins.

The virtual Baltar confronts Caprica-Six with her guilt in the slaughter of billions of human beings, and with the logical error behind the Cylons' actions. Under the influence of the virtual Baltar, Caprica-Six speaks out against the war alongside another resurrected "[[hero of the Cylon]]", [[Sharon Valerii]]. The two forge a new [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II|quasi-benevolent path]], [[Exodus, Part II|albeit temporarily]], for the Cylon race.

The revelation in "[[Torn]]" about the Cylons' projecting abilities suggests that the virtual Baltar is generated by Caprica-Six's own projection ability. Since the actual Baltar is not confirmed as a Cylon, the origins of his virtual Six are questioned by Dr. Baltar himself during the revelation of the principles of projection.

The virtual Baltar appears irregularly in seasons 2 and 3. In "[[The Woman King]]", Caprica-Six is observed by [[Laura Roslin]] and [[Tory Foster]] as Caprica-Six speaks and kisses the virtual Baltar, who is, of course, invisible to Roslin and Foster.

While Baltar's virtual Six claims to be an angel sent from God, Six's virtual Baltar seems to be contemptuous of the Cylons' concept of God ([[Downloaded]]). He is also described by [[Ronald D. Moore|Ron Moore]] as more of a "devil" figure in Six's consciousness<ref>{{cite_rdm_podcast|episode=Downloaded|act=Three|id=|timestamp=|totalrunning=}}</ref>.

While the virtual Baltar acts mostly as a conversational foil for Six, in "[[Crossroads, Part I]]" he informs her that [[Saul Tigh]] has suffered the loss of a woman close to him, to assist Six in dealing with the interrogation by Tigh. It is uncertain how he or she obtained this information.

Virtual Baltar appears one last time in the series finale. He and Virtual Six appear together and both Caprica Six and Baltar can see them and are each shocked that the other can. He and Virtual Six are angels of God who Baltar describes to Cavil as a force of nature and a being neither good nor evil. Virtual Baltar and Virtual Six make one last visit to Caprica Six and Baltar to tell them that their role had always been to protect Hera and now that that was done, the two Virtual Beings leave them alone. Virtual Six explains that God's plan is never over, bu Virtual Baltar tells the two that their lives will be much less exciting, indicating that their role is over now. The two Virtual Beings disappear and are seen 150,000 years later in New York City discussing humanity finding its most recent common ancestor (Hera). The two discuss the cycle of life and Virtual Baltar chides Virtual Six for calling the being they work for God, as it apparently doesn't like being called that. Virtual Baltar has the series last line, which is a response to Virtual Six's stern look: "silly me.... silly, silly me." The two then walk off together into present day New York City.

== Gaius Baltar's Virtual Baltar ==
[[Image:Baltar and Head Baltar, "Six of One".jpg|thumb|right|Baltar encounters his virtual double.]]
After his ascension to [[Cult of Baltar|cult]] leader, Gaius Baltar encounters a well-dressed virtual version of himself after he meets [[Tory Foster]]. Baltar is initially shocked by his sudden appearance but eventually becomes amused by the idea of having himself as a conversational foil for once instead of Six. This virtual Baltar encourages him to engage in a relationship with Foster, claiming that she is "special," and guides him, after a fashion, through her covert interrogation attempt. This virtual Baltar does not elaborate on that point, but Baltar follows the virtual version's lead ([[Six of One]]).

It is unknown whether or not this Virtual Baltar is the same one that Caprica-Six sees. Baltar asks if he is the virtual Six in another form, but the virtual Baltar points out that she would have little reason to disguise herself from Baltar.

It is likely that this is the same Virtual Baltar that Caprica Six, sees as he sees her version in the last episode and she sees Virtual Six as well.

== Laura Roslin's Virtual Elosha ==
[[Laura Roslin]] converses with a being in the form of [[Elosha]] during what should be zero-time jump sequences on the way to the Resurrection Hub. ([[The Hub]]) This virtual being is unlike the others, in that not only do they interact outside the realm of others, it takes place during a time interval that should not exist. The being seems to have some knowledge of the future events, such as Roslin's death and the fact that [[William Adama]] waits for her, suggesting both reality for the being and the out-of-time conversations. Unlike Starbuck's Leoben, the experience is difficult to explain with unconscious dreaming or hallucination.

The revelation of a guiding power behind all of these events it lends at least some strength to the possibility that this Virtual Elosha is also an angel.

== The Final Five's Virtual Beings ==
After recovering his memories of [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] due to being shot in the head, [[Samuel Anders]] reports that the [[Final Five]] were originally warned of impending nuclear destruction of Earth two thousand years earlier by images of people no one else could see. This information allowed them to prepare their recreation of [[Resurrection (RDM)|Cylon Resurrection]] and the ship on which they escaped following the disaster. The one that appeared to Anders looked like a [[Number Six|woman]], the one that appeared to [[Tory Foster]] looked like a man. [[Galen Tyrol]], much like Gaius Baltar, thought he might have a neural chip ([[No Exit]]).

== Slick ==
[[Kara Thrace]] encounters a vision of her father<ref>[[Podcast:Someone to Watch Over Me]]</ref> going by the name of Slick, she does not recognize him as her father. As she spends time with him, she recalls playing the piano with her father. She assists him in composing a song and compares him to her father. While she plays the piano with him, she recalls playing the piano with her father as a child. She recalls a certain song, and notices that the score resembles one of [[Hera]]'s drawing. As she plays the song with him, [[Saul Tigh]] and [[Tory Foster]] recognize the song as [[The Music|the same song they heard at the Ionian Nebula]]. When Saul grabs her and asks her about the song, Slick vanishes ([[Someone to Watch Over Me]]).

Starbuck seems to converse in a loud voice with Slick from the bar to the piano stage, but no other characters at the bar react in any way, unlike the way that other characters would notice Baltar having his quieter conversations with Virtual Six. Yet Starbuck is not unconscious as she may have been for her encounter with her virtual Leoben nor physically elsewhere. As she is led to play the opening strains of [[The Music]], she is really in the bar and really playing the piano, and is noticed by the Cylons.

==Notes==
*The [[virtual Leoben|virtual "Leoben"]] that appears to [[Kara Thrace]] in the episode "[[Maelstrom]]" only appears to her in a vision while the pilot is unconscious. Since this virtual Leoben does not fit the Baltar-Six analogue, Battlestar Wiki considers him separately to the above.
*[[William Adama]] sees and converses with his [[Carolanne Adama|deceased ex-wife]] each year on their anniversary as demonstrated in "[[A Day in the Life]]". While the episode where this occurs shows William and Carolanne together in places and settings (ostensibly at their home on [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]]), this is a dramatic representation of Adama's ordinary imagination of what Carolanne may have thought about his predicament. As such, the visualizations of Carolanne Adama are ''not'' a virtual being similar to those above.
*[[Saul Tigh]] sees [[Ellen Tigh#Saul's "Virtual Ellen"|his dead wife]] in place of [[Caprica Six]] ([[Escape Velocity]]). This could be a simple hallucination, or, as Tigh is a [[humanoid Cylon]], an example of [[projection]].
*When holding a two thousand year-old, mangled mailbox hatch from the lobby of the Tighs' apartment building, Saul sees a dying Ellen again in a vision from his and her prior incarnations on Earth. Ellen is depicted in the vision as fully aware of their future reincarnations and the cyclical nature of their existence, which she prophesises for past-Saul in the moment before they both die. ([[Sometimes a Great Notion]]).
*In the fifth [[Razor Flashbacks|Razor Flashback]], while exploring the lab, Adama has a hallucination of a hand reaching out to grab him from a device similar to a [[resurrection tank|resurrection]] or [[Hybrid]] tank. However this could be a stress-induced hallucination. The same may be the case for the screaming prisoners in the lab, which could also be explained as a visualization for the audience. However, the voice Adama hears of the [[First Hybrid]] is the real voice, so this part at least is not a hallucination.
*Beginning in Season 3, Baltar's Virtual Six begins appearing less frequently, and makes only a few appearances in Season 4. A scene was filmed for "[[The Road Less Traveled]]" in which Virtual Six, stating that Baltar no longer needs her anymore, says goodbye to him and fades away; this scene was deleted (but included on the Season 4.0 DVD). Virtual Six reappeared after an absence of many episodes in "[[Deadlock]]", potentially rendering this deleted scene non-canonical.
*In the podcast for [[No Exit]], Ronald Moore refers to the Final Five's virtual beings as "the Messengers" and indicates that they are significant to the overall storyline.

== Official Statements ==
*When asked by a fan at a convention about the differences between this Baltar and the real Baltar, actor [[James Callis]] described Six's Baltar as a man who "finally has his shit together."<ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNZZHl0Ls5U&mode=related&search=|title=James Callis (Gaius Baltar) Q&A FanExpo 2k6 - Part 3|date=September 04, 2006|accessdate=January 24, 2007|last=|first=|format=YouTube video|language=English}}</ref>. ('''Warning''': Video contains some explicit language)

* Callis mentioned at the same convention that his personal theory is that Baltar's internal Six is a being from another universe or higher plane of existence who only Baltar can interact with. This may relate back to the "angel" theory <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNZZHl0Ls5U&mode=related&search=|title=James Callis (Gaius Baltar) Q&A FanExpo 2k6 - Part 3|date=September 04, 2006|accessdate=January 24, 2007|last=|first=|format=YouTube video|language=English}}</ref>. ('''Warning''': Video contains some explicit language)

* Actress [[Tricia Helfer]] has said that she has long since given up on trying to figure out just what Baltar's internal Six is. <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/756/756477p1.html|title=IGN Interview: Battlestar Galactica's Tricia Helfer|date=January 18, 2007|accessdate=January 24, 2007|last=|first=|format=|language=English}}</ref> She believes Caprica-Six and Baltar both having internal counterparts is related to the scene from the [[Miniseries]] where she saves Baltar from the shock wave of the nuclear bomb that destroyed [[Caprica City]].

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

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Cylons]]
[[Category:Cylons (RDM)]]
[[Category:Descriptive terms]]
[[Category:RDM]]
{{featured article candidate previous}}

Maelstrom

2009-06-13T19:42:40Z

Doorofnight: /* Questions */

{{Episode Data
| title= Maelstrom
| image= 3X17-Maelstrom-LeobenStarbuck.jpg
| season= 3
| episode= 17
| guests=
| writer= [[David Weddle]] <br/> [[Bradley Thompson]]
| story=
| director= [[Michael Nankin]]
| production= 316
| rating=1.1
| US airdate= 2007-03-04
| CAN airdate=2007-03-04
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| podcast= y
| population= 41400
| oldpopulation= 41400
| prev= [[Dirty Hands]]
| next= [[The Son Also Rises]]
| itunes=http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=VWbyALbmqZY&offerid=78941&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fphobos.apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewTVSeason%253Fi%253D218316472%2526id%253D200852806%2526s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30
| unbox=B000V20PI4
}}

== Overview ==
:''[[Kara Thrace]]'s past comes back to haunt her when [[William Adama|Adama]] has doubts about her fitness for duty.''

== Summary ==

===Teaser===

*[[Kara Thrace]] is dreaming of her old apartment, trying to paint over the [[Eye of Jupiter|strange mandala]]. The dream is augmented when a [[Leoben Conoy]] comes behind her, and the two embrace and begin to have sex, rolling through the white paint that Thrace attempted to use to cover up the mandala. The mandala "pushes" itself through the white paint to reveal itself.
*[[Brendan Costanza|Hot Dog]] looks over to question what Thrace was dreaming in her bunk.
*Thrace meets [[Helo]] in the head. He notes that [[Hera Agathon]] wakes up from frightening dreams as well. Helo suggests a psychologist, but when Thrace declines, he also suggests an [[oracle]] living in [[Dogsville]]. As Helo speaks, Thrace see in her mirror an image of a little girl standing by the hatchway, who appears bruised and beaten. When Thrace looks again for the child, she has disappeared.
*Thrace enters the oracle's tent and finds a small golden figurine of the angelic [[Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn]].
*The oracle, [[Yolanda Brenn]], appears, and tells Thrace to keep the figurine. She asks Thrace to sit before a pool of water. Brenn holds Thrace's hand and begins a reading.
*Brenn knows of the Cylon [[Leoben]] and the dreams. When she repeats the destiny foretold by Leoben, verbatim, Thrace is angered. The oracle continues to repeat Leoben's words which were originally spoken under interrogation ([[Flesh and Bone]]).
*Thrace wonders how the oracle could know what was said. The oracle tells her that her mother, [[Socrata Thrace]], was trying to tell her something.
*The oracle notes that Leoben is the answer, who can see the answers to Thrace. Thrace angrily leaves the tent.

===Act 1===

*The [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] is orbiting a cloudy gas giant planet as they refuel various ships after the fuel crisis had passed ([[Dirty Hands]])
*[[Samuel Anders]], after the two had a lovemaking session, is asking Thrace to join him for some leave time on another ship.
*He complains that the oracle wasn't helpful, and neither was her mother.
*Thrace notes how the two fought, and the injuries she sustained. Thrace recounts her mothers fear of insects, a holdover from the first Cylon war.
*To get revenge on her mother, Thrace placed rubber ants in her mother's closet, causing her to have a panic attack as she furiously tries to stamp the rubber bugs to death. In retaliation, her mother placed her hand in a door jamb and slammed the door on it, breaking all of Thrace's fingers. Thrace states that it "was worth it".
*During a refueling operation, Starbuck and [[Brendan Costanza|Hot Dog]] are on [[Combat Air Patrol|CAP]] when she believes she sees an enemy.
*''[[Galactica]]'' can't see the contact, but Starbuck identifies it as a [[Heavy Raider]]. Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] notes that [[DRADIS]] information is hard to rely on as [[synchrotron radiation]] around the planet affects DRADIS performance.
*As Starbuck goes closer, she sees a storm system that looks remarkably like the mandala. The Raider flies close and, to Starbuck, appears to strike her fighter.
*Starbuck keeps descending into the storm, against [[Lee Adama|Apollo]]'s continuous attempts to warn her back up.
*Eventually, Starbuck struggles successfully to return to space, but not after, during the descent, she sees flashes of sights of an apartment with her mother standing there.

===Act 2===
*Starbuck is back aboard, but as [[Galen Tyrol]] and his deck crew inspect her Viper for damage, there is none.
*Starbuck's gun camera shows nothing, as several pilots including [[Sharon Agathon]], [[Lee Adama]], and [[Racetrack]] review it. They don't see Starbuck firing at anything but clouds.
*Admiral [[William Adama|Adama]] speaks with his son and questions Thrace's competency. The admiral believes she is close to burnout, but the younger Adama believes her "steely-eyed Viper jock" mentality is all that holds Thrace together. The admiral repeats the question: Can she handle the strain?
*Lee Adama and Thrace are standing in the [[memorial hallway]]. Starbuck asks Adama to place her photo next to [[Kat]] if she meets her end before him. Likewise, Adama asks to have his photo next to [[Duck]] and his sweetheart, [[Nora Farmer]], both lost on [[New Caprica]] ("[[Occupation]]", ''[[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance|The Resistance]]'').
*Thrace asks what Lee and Admiral Adama think of her flight readiness. Major Adama tries to give her encouragement but Thrace is distracted by a wax dripping that looks like the mandala.
*Thrace passes by the admiral and President [[Laura Roslin|Roslin]] without noticing them, when Adama greets her with an [[Nothing but the rain|old tag line]] they shared before the new Cylon War ([[Miniseries]]). Before moving on, Thrace gives him the Aurora figurine from the oracle's tent as a masthead for his sailing ship models.
*As Thrace goes through inspection of her Viper, she again sees a little girl, this time in her cockpit--Thrace as a girl. Her face is bruised and bleeding. Thrace has flashbacks of her mother and is shocked into stopping her inspection.

===Act 3===
*A visibly shaken Thrace sits by her Viper when Lee Adama goes back to check on her.
*Thrace says she is not going back out to fly, not trusting herself. Adama volunteers to be her wingman to give her confidence.
*Thrace asks about [[Anastasia Dualla|Adama's wife]] and how their relationship was going. After a moment of discomfort after he notes things are going well, Thrace tells him that she is happy that things are working out. Thrace says that, as it was in the beginning, the two are back to being platonic.
*During Apollo and Starbuck's CAP, Starbuck sees another bogey and engages, but no one can confirm it on [[DRADIS]] again.
*Admiral Adama chooses caution and orders the Fleet to [[Action Stations|Condition One]] status, stopping refueling once more.
*Apollo is again trying to flag down Starbuck, but she is entranced once more and again flying downward in the clouds.
*Starbuck's Viper is hit by debris. Her forward canopy window is punctured, she is knocked unconscious, and her fighter begins to tumble. An alarm sounds in the cockpit, and the scene blurs to find a sleeping Thrace shutting off a radio alarm and awaking in her apartment, with [[Virtual Leoben|who appears to be a Leoben Cylon]] greeting her.
*Thrace believes she is being tricked again, unconscious or on a Cylon ship, but Leoben states otherwise.
*Leoben keeps pointing out how the mandala-shaped cloud attracts her, and that she hasn't told anyone very much about it.
*Leoben tells her of her tendency to cheat death ever since a day with her mother as they materialize to a small apartment, reliving an event six years ago, where Lieutenant Thrace stands before her mother as she reads a letter from a veterans administration. On the wall is a [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]] medal, ostensibly from the [[first Cylon War]].
*[[Socrata Thrace]] first congratulates her daughter for being the first of her family to become an officer, then berates her for being only 16th in her class and having many demerits.
*Kara Thrace retaliates by pointing out that her mother never reached officer status despite serving in the Cylon War.
*She sees a doctor's report and learns that her mother has cancer, which cannot be stopped because it has metastasized.
*Socrata rejects her daughter's pity, and Kara Thrace runs out the door, vowing never to return. The present day Starbuck begins to cry as she relives the moment.
*Socrata Thrace remains in the apartment alone, staring down at a full ashtray of cigarette butts.

===Act 4===
*The scene shifts. Leoben tells Thrace how her mother waited at her apartment in hopes that Kara would return, and died five weeks later -- alone.
*Thrace tells Leoben that she didn't come back because she was afraid of watching her mother die. Leoben leads her to another vision, in which she is able to walk to her mother's deathbed, Socrata has a scrapbook of every doodle and letter that Thrace made, including one of the mandala.
*Thrace tells her mother that something is about to happen, the thing that her mother was preparing her for. Socrata tells her daughter that she is ready as she holds her mother's hand. As she presses Socrata's hand to her face, her mother takes her last breath. Starbuck cries and then smiles at being able to be there to hear her mother's final words.
*Leoben tells her that death is not hard to embrace, that this was the lesson her mother was trying to teach her daughter.
*Thrace realizes that the entity which has shown her these visions [[Virtual Leoben|is not actually a Leoben]]. When asked, he replies that he never claimed to be -- he is there to be her guide to see what lies "between life and death."
*The scene shifts back to the clouds, where Starbuck's Viper is still rapidly losing altitude, approaching the gaseous planet's "hard deck" (minimum safe altitude). Thrace is getting dangerously close to it, and if she passes it, the air pressure will crush the Viper "like a tin can". She reawakens, but continues to lose altitude and chase after the image of the Cylon Raider, ignoring Apollo's pleas over the wireless to turn back before it is too late.
*Apollo finds Starbuck in her dive and the Heavy Raider appears briefly. Apollo sees it for the first time.
*Starbuck finally calls out to Apollo, "Lee, I'll see you on the other side." As Apollo frantically calls her to wave off, she repeats, in a whisper, "Just let me go."
*Starbuck sees a vision of white light in her cockpit, and she smiles. Viewers also see an image of her as a young girl in the same white light.
*A view from the tail of Apollo's Viper clearly shows the Raider, then Starbuck's Viper appears, chasing it. The bogey vanishes into the clouds, and the view cuts to Apollo, looking straight forwarding, declaring "Visual!"
*Shortly after Apollo gains visual of Starbuck, her Viper explodes. There is no ejection or rescue chute.
*Apollo reports the grim news to [[CIC]]. Admiral Adama gives an order for Viper squads to form search and rescue teams, vowing that they'll find her. Lee tells him it's no use. She's gone. Everyone, from Tigh to Gaeta to Admiral Adama, is visibly heartbroken.
*William Adama tries to work on his sailing ship model, with the Aurora figurine now attached, which fits perfectly. But in his anger and grief over the loss of Kara Thrace, he instead destroys the model and begins to weep.

===Bonus Scene===

*The scene begins shortly before Act 3, where, as Starbuck inspects her Viper, she finds hydraulic fluid, and becomes visibly angry at Chief Tyrol. Major Adama moves in to attempt to calm her down.

== Notes ==
*[[Katee Sackhoff]] had to sign a confidentiality agreement relating to what happened to her character in this episode.
*Adama can be seen building his model ship in "[[Litmus]]" and "[[Home, Part I]]", but it can be seen in his quarters from the start of the series on.
* The introduction of the goddess Aurora increases the number of known gods within the Colonial religion. As before with the use of names such as Mars and Jupiter, Aurora is the Romanized name for the Greek goddess [[w:Eos|Eos]].
* An [[w:Aurora (astronomy)|aurora]] is a radiant emission from a planet's upper atmosphere that occurs sporadically over the middle and high latitudes of both hemispheres in the form of luminous bands, thus forming the pattern of the mandala that Thrace sees in her first flight over the planet.
*[[Ron D. Moore]] has a reputation in ''[[w:Star Trek|Star Trek]]'' circles in killing characters in stories that he wrote for the series. The death of a central character such as Kara Thrace appears to uphold this reputation in ''Battlestar Galactica''.
*According to an official statement by Ron Moore, in the scene where viewers show the Heavy Raider image, Starbuck's Viper, and Apollo's Viper, Apollo did ''not'' see the Raider, having visual only on Starbuck.
*The ship next to ''Galactica'' towards the beginning of the episode is the ''[[Prometheus]]'', featured extensively in "[[Black Market]]".
*Information from the [[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion Season Three|Season Three Companion book]]:
**The episode started as a Viper combat episode similar to "[[Scar]]" with Apollo and Starbuck fighting a Heavy Raider and Starbuck sacrificing herself to allow Apollo to escape the atmosphere. When Katee Sackhoff asked about the meaning of the [[The Destiny|mandala]] and said that she'd like to encounter Leoben again, the writers ran with that idea and rewrote the script.
**A scene was shot, but cut, in which [[Louanne Katraine|Kat]] appears to Starbuck in a brand new Viper and tells her not to worry.
* During the sex scene between [[Virtual Leoben]] and [[Kara Thrace]] in the teaser, viewers can observe a tattoo on Leoben's right bicep. This tattoo is likely [[Callum Keith Rennie]]'s and while there is an attempt by Sackhoff to cover it up with paint, other scenes shot at a distance show the tattoo more clearly.
* During one of the flashbacks, there is a quick shot of [[Kara Thrace]]'s mother's ashtray, containing at least one cigarette that quite clearly has the word "Marlboro" on it.

== Analysis ==

* Although Thrace contemplated ejecting from her damaged Viper, the planet is a gas giant and doesn't have a solid surface. A Jovian planet has [[w:Jupiter|winds of up to 700 km/hour]] and may have extreme temperatures in the depths. The length of time for which her ejection system could have sustained her life is unknown.
* The episode brings many story elements of Thrace's history to a close as everything comes full circle, which is a general meaning of a mandala in spiritual contexts. A few of these elements include:
** Admiral Adama and Thrace's interchange of "What do you hear? - [[Nothing but the rain]]". This is first scene that introduced Thrace and her overall relationship with Adama at the beginning of the [[Miniseries]].
** The scene between Lee Adama and Thrace where she states that they've reached full circle as she is again the hotshot pilot who gives nothing but grief to her CAG.
** Admiral Adama's proposed rescue of her is similar to his actions in "[[You Can't Go Home Again]]" when Thrace's Viper goes down over a hostile moon. However, this time, Lee dissuades his father from the attempt because of the futility of looking for Starbuck's destroyed Viper within a gas giant.
**Thrace's initial reaction and eventual denial to pull the ejection handle illustrated the completion of her endless cycle of fleeing death, which she now embraced with joy.
** Her continued hostility and bitterness towards her mother finally reaches its close as Thrace is finally able to witness her mother's death and hear her final words.
** The final moment before Thrace's Viper explodes, an image of a younger Thrace being engulfed in light could either be symbolism or an event that represents Thrace's return to her childhood innocence.
** Her hostility towards Leoben Conoy comes to a close as she comes to welcome the help and guidance of her "Leoben" guide.

*It should be noted that the Conoy in her vision is ''not'' a Cylon, but an [[Virtual Leoben|unidentified manifestation]]. Thrace says, "You're not Leoben," and the manifestation replies, "I never said I was." What this aspect of Thrace's vision means remains unknown.

* Thrace's death can be seen as the close of her original desire to die during the episode "[[Scar]]". However, here she is ready to embrace death and see a new beginning with it, while in "Scar" her original desire is fuel over despair of her belief that Samuel Anders was dead on Caprica. Both episode plots are motivated by a mysterious Cylon pilot.

* Admiral Adama is shown in the middle of building his model ship after the failed assassination attempt and the division of the Fleet ([[Home, Part I]]). The ship is finally completed at the moment of Adama coming to grips with his grief of Thrace's death. In reaction, the ship that was begun during a period of great personal turmoil within Adama is destroyed in the midst of another episode of intense grief and anger.

* Even though Lee Adama and Thrace decided to forge on with their marriages, it is Adama who has found contentment with Dualla while Thrace remained in turmoil with Anders. The scene after another lovemaking session indicates that their relationship hadn't improved much since "[[Taking a Break from All Your Worries]]".

* The figurine that Thrace gives to Adama is an idol of the goddess Aurora, the goddess of the dawn and gentle breeze. The relationship between this goddess and Thrace seems to be highlighted prior to her Viper's explosion as she apparently is engulfed in light and wind within her cockpit.

* The connection and parallels between Major Adama and Thrace are further strengthened during Socrata Thrace's death scene. When Thrace confesses to her mother about her fear of taking the next step towards her destiny, her mother remarks that she knows that her daughter can meet the task. When asked how she knows this, her response is almost word for word exactly what William Adama said to his son in "[[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]": "'You are my daughter (son).'" Thus, similar to Adama's son, Thrace is finally able to bury the hatchet with her mother.

* The "Leoben" guide explains that his role is to help Thrace take the next step to the place "between life and death." Interestingly, this is the same "place" that the model [[Number Three]] describes in "[[Hero]]" when she begins her suicide/resurrection chamber sessions in order to discover who the [[Final Five]] are.

* Tigh is visibly upset at Thrace's death. This is a sign of their improved relationship first shown in "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]" and then slightly expanded on in "[[Collaborators]]", "[[Torn]]", and "[[Hero]]". However, the nature of how the relationship evolved is fully revealed in the [[Unfinished Business (Extended Version)|extended version of "Unfinished Business"]].

== Questions ==
* Will Anders blame Lee Adama for the loss of Kara Thrace once the news of her death reaches him? ([[The Son Also Rises|Answer]])
* Who is the being that is Thrace's "spiritual" guide during her dream? Is he somehow connected to the makers of the mandala in the Temple of Five? Is he in any way related to Gaius Baltar's [[Virtual beings|virtual Six and Six's virtual Baltar]]?
** Revelations in the final season, specifically the knowledge that Virtual Six and Virtual Baltar are angels and that God is the one who sent Kara back to lead the fleet to its new home makes distinctly possible Virtual Leoben is also an Angel.
* Is the cockpit truly damaged from space debris, or is it imagined just as the supposed damage that Thrace initially believed happened at the first encounter with the Raider?
* Will Agathon experience any form of guilt or regret for showing the picture of the mandala to Thrace?
* What does Thrace mean when she tells Apollo: "See you on the other side"? ([[Daybreak, Part II#Noteworthy Dialogue|Possible Answer]])
* Thrace also tells Lee Adama that "they're waiting for me." Who are "they"?
* Will Thrace return as one of the Final Five Cylons? ([[Sometimes a Great Notion|Answer]])
* Who will take Thrace's place as ''Galactica'''s Viper ace?
* Will Thrace's death have any lasting effect on Lee Adama and Anastasia Dualla's marriage?
* Considering the white light that appears to shine into Thrace's cockpit and what the Leoben-figure mentioned about showing her what lies between life and death, is it possible that she is experiencing the same event that [[Number Three]] had on several occasions ("[[Hero]]", "[[Rapture]]")?
* Is the placement of Thrace's Aurora figurine on William Adama's model ship symbolic to Thrace, in some way, guiding the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] on their path to Earth? ([[Crossroads, Part II|Answer 1]], [[Revelations|Answer 2]], [[Daybreak, Part II|Answer 3]])
* Did the real Socrata Thrace see Kara come to her before she died?
* Did Kara Thrace really die? If not, how did she survive? ([[Sometimes a Great Notion|Answer #1]], [[Islanded in a Stream of Stars|#2]], [[Daybreak, Part II|#3]])

== Official Statements ==

* ''[[Katee Sackhoff]] discusses what it was like to pretend as if she was not coming back to the show:''
: '''Katee Sackhoff:''' Well the crazy thing was that when I was successful at it, I got in trouble! Because everyone [on the show] was so pissed off about it, that I was getting killed, that it became this huge thing and people were threatening to quit. And then it was my fault, because I did a good job at lying. It's like, "Come on, guys! I'm an overdramatic actor! That's what I do. And you told me to sell it." So it was definitely a hard thing to do. It was a hard thing to keep a secret. And I told key people. I told my agent and my manager, my mom, my best friend, and my boyfriend. That's the only people that knew. My publicist didn't even know!<ref>{{cite_web|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/797/797776p1.html|title=Katee Sackhoff Talks Battlestar and Bionic Woman|date=19 June 2007|accessdate=21 June 2007|last=Goldman|first=Eric|format=|language=}}</ref>

Information from the [[Podcast:Maelstrom|podcast]]:

*The original script had Thrace do three trips to the gas giant. It is during the second trip that she sees the Heavy Raider again, but panics and fakes a hydraulics problem with her Viper, which allows her to return to ''Galactica''. This was the original reason, not the lack of visual evidence of a Heavy Raider, that Lee Adama and his father have their conversation about her fitness for duty.
*The model ship Adama was building over the course of the series was a very expensive rental prop which [[Edward James Olmos]] destroyed in an ad-lib expression of Adama's grief over the loss of Thrace, much to the props crew's dismay. Thankfully, the ship was insured.
*The original script was meant to be a payoff for the end of "[[Rapture]]" when Karl Agathon showed Thrace the mandala. It was supposed to have Thrace face her fear of death and resist its call, while at the same time the overall payoff would be somehow linked to furthering the Fleet's voyage to Earth. After several iterations of the script, [[Ronald D. Moore|Moore]] and company decided to go down the dangerous avenue of killing off one of the major characters.
*The original script had an interior scene of the Heavy Raider as the first place that Thrace would wake up from after she is knocked unconscious. There she would find Leoben Conoy using a device that would delve into her memories. At the time, however, Ron Moore didn't know if it was possible if the show could revisit Thrace's apartment. Once that possibility was available, the interior of the Heavy Raider was abandoned because of cost and storyline suitability.
*The last scene between Adama and Thrace was originally to have ended on a more sour note. Thrace was supposed to be in a meeting between Adama, Lee Adama, and Laura Roslin, upon which Thrace noted out loud the possible romantic undertones between Adama and Roslin. Afterwards, Adama would dress Thrace down and those would have been his last words to her before her death. The director argued with Moore about cutting this scene out and eventually Moore gave way to allow a more comforting departure between the two characters.
*According to Moore, "Maelstrom" is, for him, the first page of the third act in the series overall. He believes that with this episode, the show is well on its way to completion and is now on act three out of a 4 act series.

Additional information from the [[Podcast:Frak Party Q and A|Frak Party Q&A]]:
*Initially, Moore told only Katee Sackhoff that Kara Thrace would return in the [[Crossroads, Part II|season finale]]. When the episode script was published the cast and crew, who were in the dark, became upset, Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell in particular. Moore described the mood as almost a "state of mutiny." Eventually Moore and David Eick had to call them and let them in on the secret that Thrace was not really dead<ref>{{cite_rdm_podcast|episode=Frak Party Q and A|act=|id=|timestamp=|totalrunning=78:27}}</ref>.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==
*''[[Kara Thrace]] and [[Lee Adama]] talk about their possible deaths in the [[memorial hallway]]:''
:'''Thrace:''' So where do you want to go when you bite the big one? I wanna go right there, next to [[Kat]].
:'''Adama:''' A water-walking Viper jock.
:'''Thrace:''' Royal pain in the ass, but a hell of a stick to have on your wing.
:'''Adama:''' You can put me right here, next to [[Duck]] and [[Nora Farmer|Nora]]. Good card players. Nice way to spend eternity.
:'''Thrace:''' Okay, so whoever croaks first, the other one makes sure that their picture goes in the right place. Deal?
:'''Adama:''' Deal.

*''Lee Adama comforts Thrace on the hangar deck:''
:'''Thrace:''' I'm not going back out there. I don't trust myself.
:'''Adama:''' Hmm. So trust me. I'll fly your wing.
:'''Thrace:''' The CAG flying my number two? (smiles)
:'''Adama:''' (softly) Whatever it takes.
:(silence)
:'''Thrace:''' How are things with you and [[Anastasia Dualla|Dee]]?
:'''Adama:''' Uh, you know, good. No. Better than good. Best they've ever been.
:'''Thrace:''' I'm happy for you. Really. It's funny though, after all we've been through, we are right back [[Miniseries, Night 1|where we started]]. You're CAG, and I am your hotshot problem pilot. (both laugh) I guess that's all we'll ever be now, huh?

*''Kara Thrace sees her mother [[Socrata Thrace]] die in a vision guided by [[Virtual Leoben|something]] appearing to be [[Leoben Conoy]]:''
:'''Kara:''' Momma, something's about to happen, you know that thing you were trying to prepare me for, I don't know if I can do it.
:'''Socrata:''' Oh yes you can, you can.
:'''Kara:''' How can you be sure?
:'''Socrata:''' You're my daughter.
:'''Leoben:''' See, there's nothing terrible about death; when you finally face it, it's beautiful. You're free now, to become who you really are.
:'''Kara:''' You're not Leoben.
:'''Leoben:''' I never said I was. I'm here to prepare you to pass through the next door, to discover what lies in the space between life and death.

== Guest Stars ==

*[[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]]
*[[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Leoben Conoy]]
*[[Dorothy Lyman]] as [[Socrata Thrace]]
*[[Bodie Olmos]] as [[Brendan Costanza]]
*[[Leah Cairns]] as [[Margaret Edmondson]]
*[[Don Thompson]] as [[Anthony Figurski]]
*[[Camille Atebe]] as [[Sarah Ryan]]
*[[Georgia Craig]] as [[Yolanda Brenn]]
*[[Erika-Shaye Gair]] as Child [[Kara Thrace|Kara]]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 3)}}

[[Category:A to Z|Maelstrom]]
[[Category:Episode Guide|Maelstrom]]
[[Category:Episode Guide (RDM)|Maelstrom]]
[[Category:Episodes written by David Weddle]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Bradley Thompson]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Michael Nankin]]
[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:Ruf aus dem Jenseits]]
[[zh:漩涡]]

Messenger Leoben

2009-06-13T19:35:23Z

Doorofnight: /* Notes */

:''For related information on Kara Thrace's destiny noted in this article, see [[The Destiny]].''

[[Image:3X17-Maelstrom-LeobenStarbuck.jpg|right|thumb|The Leoben image and a confused Kara Thrace ([[Maelstrom]])]]
An '''unknown entity that takes the form of [[Leoben Conoy]]'''<ref>The Leoben image significantly differs from the [[Virtual beings|virtual Number Six and virtual Baltar]] in that it never claims to be a Cylon, nor does it appear to Thrace in real-time; he appears only in Thrace's vision while she is unconscious.</ref> guides [[Kara Thrace]] through her past and her unresolved issues with her long-dead mother, [[Socrata Thrace]].

This "virtual Leoben"<ref>{{bsgwiki term}}</ref> appears to Kara Thrace as she awakens in what appears to be her old apartment in [[Delphi]]. In reality, Starbuck found herself chasing what she believed was a [[Heavy Raider]] down a gigantic planetary storm, and was knocked unconscious, alarms blaring from her [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]], when she finds her waking on her bed on Caprica.

The Leoben image partially succeeds in convincing Thrace that she was not captured by the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]] when the entity changes reality around he and Thrace to Socrata Thrace's apartment (approximately six years before the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]]) on the last day that Thrace saw her mother.

The Leoben image and Thrace soon appear at Socrata's bedside, where Thrace is not only able to say goodbye to her mother before her death (never doing so before her mother died in reality), but also understands why her mother was so abusive to her. Rather than mourning, Thrace smiles.

Thrace realizes that this Leoben was not a [[Leoben Conoy]] Cylon at all. "I never said I was," is the image's answer. The Leoben-image tells Thrace that he was there to help guide her to the place "between life and death."

When the vision ends, Starbuck accepts the offer to explore the place "between life and death", does not alter her fighter's course, and seems to die as the Viper explodes ([[Maelstrom]]).

===Notes===
*While it is possible that the virtual Leoben is a figment of Thrace's consciousness, the Leoben Cylon's comments as well as the clarity and detail of Socrata's deathbed, complete with a scrapbook of young Thrace's childhood, makes this possibility less likely.
*The demeanor of this Leoben image is not manipulative like the genuine [[Leoben Conoy]] models.
*The virtual Leoben is the fifth instance where visions or other extra-sensory perceptions guide a human to something pre-destined by the [[Sacred Scrolls]] or other lore of the [[Thirteenth Tribe (RDM)|Thirteenth Tribe]].
**The first instance is [[Laura Roslin|Laura Roslin's]] [[Chamalla|prescient visions]] that lead her to believe her destiny as the "dying leader" (Season 1).
**The second instance is the [[Tomb of Athena]], where ancient tribal technology creates a hologram that points the general location of [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] ([[Home, Part II]]).
**A third instance involves [[Galen Tyrol|Galen Tyrol's]] extrasensory ability to sense and find the [[Temple of Five]] on the [[algae planet]] ([[The Eye of Jupiter]]).
**As the algae planet's home star begins to nova, the Temple of Five's mechanisms allow a [[Number Three]] Cylon to see a persistent vision of who she believes to be the [[Final five|missing five Cylons]]. The vision may or may not have been intended for [[Gaius Baltar]], also in attendance ([[Rapture]]).
**The Temple of Five, built 4,000 years before, contains a [[Eye of Jupiter|mandala]] that Kara Thrace has known of and drawn as a child without an external source for the symbol, leading to the fifth instance and the Leoben image.
*While there is, of course, no actual confirmation of this but the revelation of Angels in Virtual Six and Virtual Baltar makes it likely that this Virtual Leoben is also an Angel of God. The facts that he is sent to guide and prepare, he is associated with whatever is beyond life and death, and the fact that Kara is implied to have been returned(and later recalled) by God to fulfill her mission lends support to this.

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

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial Religion]]
[[Category:Colonial Religion (RDM)]]
[[Category:Descriptive terms]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Daybreak, Part I

2009-03-16T05:01:46Z

Doorofnight:

{{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=
| US airdate=March 13, 2009 <ref>http://tv.ign.com/articles/920/920164p1.html</ref>
| CAN airdate=Early 2009
| UK airdate=Early 2009
| dvd=
| population=39516
| oldpopulation=39521
| prev=[[Islanded In a Stream of Stars ]]
| next=[[Daybreak, Part II]]
| forumthread= 2994
}}

== Overview ==
''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' begins to be stripped of parts, and [[William Adama|Adama]] calls for volunteers for a final mission.<ref>http://video.scifi.com/player/?id=1054906</ref>

== 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. A shot of a city can be seen, with the words "Caprica City - Before the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|Fall]]".
*[[William_Adama|Bill Adama]] is conversing 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]] is speaking 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 them for abandonment.
*[[Laura Roslin]] is sending out the last guest from a baby shower she hosted for her sister. Laura and her two younger sisters then sit on the couch, celebrating and laughing together.
*In an apartment kitchen, [[Kara Thrace]] is contemplating something and preparing 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 and 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.
*Laura Roslin is approached by two Caprica City Police officers at her apartment. The two inform her that last night her father and her sisters have died, sideswiped in a car accident. The other driver survived, and had been intoxicated. Roslin, upset but calm asks the officers to leave. Still in her pajamas, she walks to a nearby fountain, and rests on a nearby rock, letting the fountain wash over her. The drops of water falling into the pond match what was seen in the earlier montage.

'''Aboard [[Galactica|''Galactica'']]'''
*The scene cuts to an IV drip, overlooking Laura Roslin resting in Sickbay.
*In the Hangar Bay, Lee Adama is complaining about the amount of materials the ship captains want from Galactica. Lee is signing a number of documents, 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'']]'''
*The act opens with [[William_Adama|Admiral Adama]] finished packing the last of his belongings into boxes to be moved to the Cylon Basestar. As the last of his belongings is closed, the rattling of the hull can be heard 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 looks up to see [[Virtual_Six|Virtual Six]]. Six points out 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|Someone to Watch Over Me]]). With equations and notes, Kara continues to ponder.
*In the CIC, Lt. Hoshi is cleaning up a spill, while Tigh is announcing 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, Helo and an imprisoned 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 "the [[Final_Five|[Final Five]]] 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'''
*Hera is drawing notes on a large paper, while Cavil points out that they're just "little dots." Simon suggests that they feed Hera through tubes, while Boomer insists that she's just missing 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 need with Hera and Boomer in view.

=== Act 3 ===

=== Act 4 ===

== 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.
*We finally learn [[Sherman Cottle|Cottle]]'s first name: Sherman. Adama calls him by it when telling him he's too valuable for the fleet to lose.
* It is revealed that [[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, and it's confirmed that Baltar's accent is an affected one as Baltar had previously admitted to doing so in [[Dirty Hands]].
* 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 (albeit [[Leoben]] appears only in the opening recap). This was the first time we have seen 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 Anders is reciting 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 real life quote made 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 can be seen wearing 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]].

== 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 fulfil the Opera House vision: Athena, Roslin, Caprica Six and Baltar will all be in pursuit of Hera.
*Much of the crew is loyal enough to Adama that they're willing to go on a likely one way mission to rescue someone just because he asked.
*In the brig Tyrol tells Helo-who is surprisingly civil even sympathetic toward Tyrol given his hand in the abduction-that they are all the same referring to the Eights. He says it as a word of advice and warning. That he made them the same and therefore can only expect betrayal from Athena as what happened to Tyrol at the hands of Boomer. However, given the fact that he has no first hand knowledge of making the Eights and the other Cylons and the psychic pain Galen suffered at the betrayal, his opinion most likely comes from deep, deep, abiding pain and not a intellectual analysis in his disregard of the individuality of Athena and the other Eights and particularly Athena's track record of loyalty. This also maybe a case of misery loves company and Tyrol wants to see Helo and Athena split up to allay his own feelings of being duped, by saying they are all a like 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.
*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. The gushing water cuts to a shot of her IV 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.
*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 Hanger Deck.

== Questions ==
=== Flashbacks ===
* To what is Adama's flashback conversation referring?
*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?
*What is the time frame for the flashbacks, and is it the same for all characters?
**Since [[Zak Adama]] is still alive, the Starbuck/Zak/Apollo flashbacks must be 2 years or more before the Cylon attack on the 12 Colonies.
**Baltar and [[Caprica Six]] began their relationship just under two years prior to the Cylon attack<ref>In the Miniseries, Head Six taunts Baltar by suggesting he say "Oh, I forgot to mention I'm familiar with their technology because I've been having sex with a Cylon for almost two years now."</ref>, putting these scenes somewhat later.

===Mission to save Hera===
* How is [[Sam Anders]] able to provide the new location of [[the Colony]]? What transpired between him, Starbuck, and Adama?
* Did any of the other former mutineers, besides [[Racetrack]] and [[Skulls]], 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?
**It is very doubtful that Adama would send Galactica in harms way if she weren't adequately equipped for the mission he has in mind.
***However, this likely will be a one-way mission for ''Galactica'', just as it is for the volunteers, as Adama has already stated his intention to "send the old girl off in style." Further, Adama is willing to use a group of Raptors for the mission and leave "Galactica" behind entirely, if there isn't an adequate crew. These facts suggest that "Galactica" will not retain components that Adama is not willing to abandon or have destroyed.

===Cavil's Plan===
* Has Cavil given up on the idea of salvaging Resurrection Technology?

===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?
**Is this the reason why Baltar hesitates to volunteer for the mission?
***His unwillingness for self sacrifice absent personal gain, as Lee Adama charged.
**Will Baltar or another representative of "his people" step into this power vacuum, despite Lee's refusal to grant them a place on the Quorum (prior to the Admiral's announcement regarding the rescue mission)?
*Does the Admiral's offer to any over the age of 15 mean that 15 is considered legal age under colonial law?
**Could this also mean a now "adult" [[Boxey (RDM)|Boxey]] will take part in the mission?
**Boxey has been dropped as a character but he would had been 17 years old by now so yes he could had gone.
* With Hotdog being one of the volunteers, and especially being aware that he may not return alive, who will take care of Nicholas?

== Official Statements ==

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==
:"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|''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!"
::--[[William_Adama|Admiral Adama's]] speech to the assembled crew.

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

:"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 the perfect world for the end of Kara Thrace. End of line."
::--[[Samuel Anders|Anders]]'s hybrid-speak when powered on to speak with [[Kara Thrace]] and [[William_Adama|Admiral Adama]].

:"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."
::--[[Virtual Six]] to [[Gaius Baltar]].

== 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|Brenden "Hotdog" Costanza]]
* [[Kerry Norton]] as [[Layne Ishay]]
* [[Lara Gilchrist]] as [[Paulla Schaffer]]
* [[Leela Savasta]] as [[Tracy 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]]
* [[Sarah Deakins]] as [[Cheryl]]
* [[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]]

Someone to Watch Over Me

2009-03-01T01:15:58Z

Doorofnight:

{{Episode Data
| image=SomeoneWatchingOverMe.jpg
| title= Someone To Watch Over Me
| season= 4
| episode=17
| guests=
| writer=
| story=
| director=
| production=419
| rating=
| US airdate=February 27, 2009 <ref>http://tv.ign.com/articles/920/920164p1.html</ref>
| CAN airdate=February 27, 2009
| UK airdate=March 3, 2009
| dvd=
| population=39556
| oldpopulation=39556
| prev=[[Deadlock]]
| next=[[Islanded in a Stream of Stars]]
}}

== Overview ==
''[[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] discovers a hidden musical ability that bears a mysterious significance to the final five Cylons, and her tune is found to have a connection with three-year-old human-Cylon hybrid [[Hera Agathon|Hera]]. The president authorizes [[Sharon Valerii|Boomer]]'s release from the Brig so she can stand trial for treason on the Cylon Base Ship.''<ref>http://www.locatetv.com/tv/battlestar-galactica/season-4/6118356</ref>

== Summary ==

=== Teaser ===

=== Act 1 ===

=== Act 2 ===

=== Act 3 ===

=== Act 4 ===

== Notes ==
* [[Lee Adama]] only appears in a scene or two.
* [[Gaius Baltar]] does not appear in this episode.
* Someone To Watch Over Me is the name of a song composed by George and Ira Gershwin, and featured in the musical Oh, Kay! A major theme of the song is the need to find love and acceptance.
** There was also an episode of [[w:Star Trek: Voyager|Star Trek: Voyager]] named for the song, in which it is performed at the end by The Doctor.
* Weeks have passed since the end of [[Gaeta's Mutiny|the mutiny]], evidenced by [[Cottle]]'s comment about how long Anders' EKG readings have remained steady.
* After her apparent death in "[[Maelstrom]]", Kara's personal belongings were auctioned off. Helo has managed to get them all back for her. However, the only thing Kara is interested in is her father's music tape.

== Analysis ==
* The Cylons seem to have officially joined the Fleet as they now have the representation they wanted on the new Quorum in the form of a Six named Sonja. It is also confirmed that Cylon and Colonial pilots are performing joint [[CAP]]s.
** This is most clearly seen when Athena staggers into the briefing room and Starbuck orders one of the Six's to go get the medics, the Six unhesitantly resonds "Yes, Sir".
* It has been unclear whether Karl Agathon is still the [[Commander Air Group]] (CAG) of Galactica or Kara Thrace officially takes over the CAG as Agathon used to join important staff meetings with Adama & Tigh in previous episodes. However, this episode clearly shows that Thrace is now serving as the CAG of Galactica.
* Ellen's escape from Cavil seems to have been orchestrated between him and Boomer in order to get Boomer on ''Galactica'' so she could kidnap Hera.
* It would appear that while Cavil was willing to let Ellen go in order to obtain Hera, members of the [[Final Five]] are still of some value to him, as evidenced by Boomer's offer for Tyrol to go with her.
* The Final Five have the same [[Projection|projection]] ability as the Cylons they created. Cylons can share projections with each other.
* Projections can include not just imaginary environments but also imaginary people, such as Boomer and Tyrol's "daughter" Dionne.
* ''Galactica'' is in very bad shape from the metal fatigue in the hull. It's so bad that Tyrol says that all the [[Cylon organic resin]] could do is buy a little more time, but not too much from the looks of it. The ship is dying of old age and there's nothing anyone can do save it completely. The damage Boomer created during her escape has no doubt worsened the ship's condition.
* Adama has still not forgiven Boomer for shooting him.
* Boomer has gone from being a conflicted sleeper agent to being a willing infiltrator and saboteur on ''Galactica''.
* Boomer seduces [[Helo]] by pretending to be [[Sharon Agathon|Athena]]. This is ironic seeing how on [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]], Athena seduced Helo by pretending to be Boomer.
* Boomer's seduction of Helo - in the presence of Athena - may have been motivated by a desire to exact revenge on Athena for having effectively taken over her old life on ''Galactica.''
* The Final Five, [[Hera Agathon]], and [[Kara Thrace]] are all somehow connected to each other by [[The Music]]. Also possibly connected via the song is Kara's [[Dreilide Thrace|mysterious father]].
* The mysterious piano player is Kara's father, which can be concluded by his sudden disappearance and by the flashbacks with both Kara and her father playing the piano when she was little. These flashbacks mirror the exact same movements done by Captain Thrace and the piano player.<ref>http://www.bearmccreary.com/blog/?p=1598</ref>

== Questions ==
* Is Boomer taking Hera to Cavil, and if so, is she of value to him in and of herself or will he ransom her for the Final Five to rebuild [[Resurrection (RDM)|resurrection]]? Or is Boomer working alone or for a third party?
* Is the Eight switched with Boomer by Tyrol dead, or merely injured?
** Probably merely injured. It is doubtful Tyrol would have gone so far as to actually kill another Eight to save Boomer. Furthermore, if the Eight had been dead, Tyrol's trickery would have been discovered more quickly.
* What is Roslin's physical status?
* What connection is there between Roslin's collapse and Hera's kidnapping?
* If Tyrol had gone with Boomer, would Cavil have opened his brain as he threatened to do with Ellen?
* Did Boomer sleep with Helo merely to maintain her pretense, because she was attracted to him, or to intentionally hurt Athena?
* What is the source of the "Slick" image Starbuck has been seeing? Is he a variation of Kara's Inner Leoben from "[[Maelstrom]]"?
* How did Starbuck and Hera arrive at a piano version of the same [[The Music|melody]] originally played by Anders on a guitar on [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]]?
* Could Starbuck's father have been Daniel, the "artistic" [[Number Seven]] model?
* Could Starbuck be a reincarnation of the woman that Anders played the song for on Earth?
* Will Eight's idea of plugging Anders into the [[datastream]] lead anywhere?
* Will Tyrol's involvement in Boomer's escape be figured out? Will he confess?
* If Tyrol's treachery does come to light, how will others react?
* Do all the ships in the Fleet - regardless of their relative crew and passenger size - get to send representatives to the new Quorum? (This is similar to the situation the Framers of the United States Constitution faced when trying to decide if state representation in Congress should be based on individual state population or restricted to the same number of representatives per state).
* Did Boomer intentionally jump so close to ''Galactica'' in order to further damage the already weakened ship? Is this a prelude to an attack on the Fleet by Cavil's forces?
* Is the ''Galactica'' herself in fact the "dying leader" mentioned in the prophecy from the [[Sacred Scrolls]]?

== Official Statements ==

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

== Guest Stars ==

* [[Kate Vernon]] as [[Ellen Tigh]]
* [[Donnelly Rhodes]] as Dr. [[S. Cottle]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Roark Critchlow]] as Piano Player

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

Revelations

2009-02-18T04:16:42Z

Doorofnight:

{{Episode Data
| image=4x10 - Revelations - Promo 1.jpg
| title= Revelations
| season= 4
| episode= 10
| forumthread= 1300
| extra=Mid-Season Cliffhanger
| guests=
| writer=[[Bradley Thompson]] <br/>
[[David Weddle]]
| story=
| director=[[Michael Rymer]]
| production=412
| rating=1.4
| US airdate=13 June 2008
| CAN airdate=13 June 2008
| UK airdate=17 June 2008
| dvd=
| oldpopulation= 39673
| population=39665
| prev= [[The Hub]]
| next= [[Sometimes a Great Notion]]
| imdb=0993911
}}

== Overview ==

: ''Led by [[D'Anna Biers]], the band of rebel Cylons hold President Roslin and ''Galactica''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> pilots hostage while attempting to lure the "Watchtower Four" out of hiding. Meanwhile, [[Kara Thrace]]'s Viper may hold a previously undiscovered clue to finding [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]].''

== Summary ==

=== Teaser ===

*[[Lee Adama]] is in [[William Adama|William Adama's]] quarters, looking up an illustration of the Temple of [[Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn|Aurora]] on Earth, as described by [[Pythia]]. [[Kara Thrace]] walks in an greets him, and they briefly discuss the temple, and the absence of William Adama and [[Laura Roslin]]. Lee comments on how both he and Tigh are intimidated by Adama's chair. Thrace talks about how [[Leoben Conoy|Leoben]] stated that, for children to reach their full potential, their parents have to die.
*In the [[Basestar command|basestar control room]], Roslin, William Adama, [[D'Anna Biers]] and Leoben discuss the plans to return the [[Final Five]]. Biers mentions that there are only four in the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] and refuses to provide answers when Roslin questions her about the fifth's location. When Adama asks for their names, she expresses skepticism, suggesting that the Colonials may kill them. Roslin points out that the Colonials need them because they know the way to Earth, while Leoben recommends co-operation and D'Anna refutes him, citing the [[Exodus, Part II|failure]] of [[Occupation|co-operation]] on [[New Caprica]].
*Biers announces that she will hold the Colonials on the ship hostage until the Final Four are safely aboard the basestar. When a standoff between the Colonials and the Centurions ensues, Roslin tells Adama to stand down and he repeats the order to the other pilots. Biers tells Adama to accompany her to ''[[Galactica]]'' on a Raptor. He initially refuses, but Roslin tells him to go. She embraces him and whispers in his ear that if the Cylons get the four, they get [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]], and he can't allow that to happen, even if he has to destroy the basestar with them aboard.
*In [[CIC]], [[Felix Gaeta]] - having returned to duty despite still having problems with his [[Guess What's Coming to Dinner|amputated leg]] - accidentally knocks over a bottle of pills. [[Anastasia Dualla|Dualla]] helps him by picking up the pill bottle. Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] asks Gaeta if he wishes to be relieved, but he declines and takes a drink to numb the pain.
*Gaeta then announces the arrival of the rebel baseship and that a Raptor launched from it. On the [[hangar deck]], Adama and Biers step out of the Raptor. [[Galen Tyrol]] and [[Samuel Anders]] look on from the catwalk, wondering whether Biers can or will identify them. While William Adama greets his son, Biers steps off the Raptor and looks at each of the Final Four.
*William Adama and Biers explain the situation. Biers claims that she is already in contact with the four, that they would come to her willingly and that all the Fleet needs to do is not interfere with shuttle traffic. The Adamas agree to her terms. As Biers is about to leave, [[Tory Foster]] steps forward, asking to bring Roslin her medication and see if she is alright. Knowing that she wants to defect, Tigh tries to prevent her from going by saying that they shouldn't give the Cylons more hostages, but he is overruled by the Adamas.
*In the Adama's quarters, William and Lee Adama, Tigh and Thrace discuss a plan to rescue the hostages. The admiral mentions Roslin's recommendation, but tells his son that it is his call. President Adama agrees.

=== Act 1 ===
*In the [[Situation Room]], [[Sharon Agathon]] and Thrace officially present their rescue plan. Tigh expresses skepticism at the expected high losses of boarding the basestar, saying there have to be other options. Thrace sarcastically comments that the four could just give themselves up.
*On the basestar, Foster is led to the control room. Biers announces that one of the Final Five has arrived. [[Number Two|Leoben]] expresses doubt, but Biers attests that she saw her in her vision. Foster smiles as the Cylons gather around her in amazement.
*In another room, Roslin bandages [[Gaius Baltar]], who thanks her for not killing him, but Roslin confesses that she told Adama to destroy the basestar should the Cylons get the four. Foster walks in with a [[Number Six|Six]], greeting them and bringing Roslin her medication. Roslin thanks her, and asks how she was able to do so, and Foster says that she came with Biers to be with her people. Baltar attests that he subconsciously knew, that she was one of the Final Five. When asked if she had any idea, Roslin says no, and Foster tells her it might be worth pondering other things she has been wrong about, then starts to walk out. Roslin tells her to stop, and asks her to convince Biers to release the hostages. Foster coldly replies that she's done taking orders from her.
*A body flies out of the baseship. In CIC, Lee Adama receives a transmission from Biers, who announces that there has been a change of plans. She has executed the first hostage and will continue to execute hostages every quarter hour until they have the four. Adama tries to reason with her, telling her that she did not giving them a chance and that they are co-operating, but Dualla states that Biers has terminated the transmission. As a result, Adama authorizes the rescue mission and to destroy the baseship should it fail
*On the hangar deck, as the pilots and deck crew prepare for the mission, Tyrol begins hearing the [[The Music|strange music]] again, heavily distorted by screeching and static. In a [[pilot ready rooms|pilot ready room]], as Starbuck and Athena brief the pilots, Anders likewise hears the music, as does Foster on the basestar.
*On ''Galactica'' Anders, Tigh and Tyrol are drawn to [[Starbuck's Viper|Thrace's Viper]]. Tyrol suggests that something about the Viper has changed, and Anders suggests they get Thrace. Tigh agrees, then walks out.
*Tigh walks into William Adama's office, telling him to scrub the mission. When asked if he has another option instead, Tigh confesses that he has known that he is a Cylon since the [[Ionian nebula]]. Adama expresses doubt and can't believe that his decade-long friend could by a Cylon. He suggests that Tigh could have been brainwashed on [[New Caprica]] and says they should see Doctor [[Cottle]]. Tigh says that he should have killed himself when he found out and suggests that Biers will back down if he is used as a hostage.

=== Act 2 ===

*As [[Colonial Marine Corps|Marines]] escort Tigh through the hallways, William Adama suffers a nervous breakdown. He rampages through his office, smashes his fist into a mirror and drinks heavily. As Adama cries, his son finds him and tries to comfort him. Adama says that he can't kill Tigh and Lee tells him that he will handle it.
*In a [[Launch tube (RDM)|launch tube]], Lee Adama interrogates Tigh, demanding to know who the other Cylons are. From the control room, [[Anastasia Dualla|Dualla]] announces that Biers is on the line. Adama threatens to kill Tigh if she harms one of the hostages, and says that she has ten minutes before he kills him. From Tigh he again demands the identities of the rest of the Final Four in order to save the Fleet.
*Standing next to her Viper, Thrace expresses doubt about Anders's and Tyrol's suspicion regarding the Viper. Marines come in and arrest Anders and Tyrol. When Thrace asks what's going on, Sergeant [[Brandy Harder|Harder]] replies that they are Cylons. Shocked, Thrace questions Anders, who confirms that it is true. As he is dragged away, Anders insists that something is different about the Viper.
*On the basestar, an [[Number Eight]] and two [[Cylon Centurion|Centurions]] force the captured pilots down a hallway. [[Brendan Costanza|Hot Dog]] tells the pilots to fall back, and the Eight threatens to shoot them if they don't keep moving.
*Anders and Tyrol are brought into the launch tube to join Tigh. Lee Adama orders Dualla to get the baseship on the line again.
*On the hangar deck, Thrace climbs into her Viper's cockpit.
*On the baseship, Roslin and Baltar hear the hostages and Centurions. A Number Two walks in and Roslin asks what's going on. The Two says that Biers is about to start executing more hostages. When Roslin requests that she be taken to Biers, Baltar insists that she won't listen to her, and that he be taken instead, because he was with her when she had the vision in the [[Temple of Five]]. Roslin agrees.
*Lee Adama tells Biers that he has Anders and Tyrol in the airlock, and demands that she stand down.
*Thrace begins activating her Viper's systems.
*Tory Foster tells Biers that she knows Adama and that he will back down if pressure. Biers orders to target nuclear weapons on the civilian fleet when Baltar walks in and begins begins talking to her.
*Thrace continues activating her electronics and suddenly detects a signal with one instrument.
*Baltar argues that coercion won't work with Lee Adama because he is too similar to his father, while Foster argues that he is bluffing.
*Dualla tells Adama that the baseship's nuclear missiles have gone hot. Both conclude that the Fleet couldn't spool up their [[FTL|jump drives]] quickly enough to escape before the Cylons fire. Adama orders that everyone except Tigh be removed from the tube.
*On the basestar, Baltar suggests that [[God (RDM)|God]] may have brought Biers back for a different purpose, to end the conflict peacefully. She argues that the Colonials will never forgive the Cylons for [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|what they did to the Twelve Colonies]], and gives the order to proceed.
*As the launch tube door closes, Thrace runs through the ship.
*Baltar argues to Biers that brute force did not work for the Cylons on [[New Caprica]] or the [[algae planet]], and that it will not work now.
*Adama asks Dualla for the key and begins the process of de-pressurizing the launch tube.
*An Eight announces that they have weapons lock on the Colonial ships.
*Tigh tells Adama to stop hesitating and flush the airlock. As Adama is about to push the button, Thrace runs in, telling Adama to stop. She says that the Cylons just gave them [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]].

=== Act 3 ===

*Lee Adama sits in Thrace's Viper, recognizing a Colonial emergency locator signal, and notes that no other [[wireless]] in the Fleet is picking it up. Thrace argues to a skeptical Adama that it must be a signal from Earth, insisting that some higher power is orchestrating events for a purpose and wants the Colonials to find Earth with the Cylons.
*Thrace, Lee Adama, the Final Four, Biers, Marines and Centurions stand around the Viper and an Eight sits inside. They discuss the signal. Adama says that he decided to share the information with the Cylons rather than jump away, because it would only lead to another confrontation down the road. He argues that peace is possible and says that he has granted the Final Four an amnesty. Biers agrees to release the hostages.
*Adama shows his father the location of Earth, asking for orders. Roslin walks in and says she wants to see him pick up the first fistful of earth. He walks away saying that he'll be back. Lee Adama talks to Roslin about stepping down, and she praises him on resolving the crisis, saying the Fleet will need that kind of leadership in the years to come.
*Admiral Adama returns in uniform, saying they should find Earth. His son says that he has been working on a recon mission with Thrace. Admiral Adama replies that everyone should go together, that they don't have anywhere else to go, and that the alliance will fall apart if they hesitate too long. In his view, they need to [[List of terms (RDM)#hard six|roll the hard six]].

=== Act 4 ===

*In the CIC, Dualla announces that the Fleet is ready to jump. Admiral Adama tells Roslin that they wouldn't have made it without her and asks her to give the order. She does so. Dualla counts down and the Fleet jumps.
*The entire Fleet - now including the rebel basestar - successfully jumps. Adama tells Gaeta to take his time with confirming their location. After some seconds, Gaeta announces that the [[Tomb of Athena|constellations]] match. The Fleet has jumped into orbit of a blue/white planet - Earth.
*Adama makes a speech to the whole Fleet, announcing that they have arrived at Earth. All over ''Galactica'' and throughout the Fleet people rejoice ecstatically.
[[Image:Ruinedcity.jpg|thumb|right|A city found in ruins.]]
*A detachment of Vipers, [[Raptors]], [[Heavy Raider]]s, [[Cylon freighter (RDM)|Cylon freighters]], as well as several civilian ships fly towards the surface.
*On Earth, Adama lifts up a handful of soil. Someone next to him reads the dirt with a [[w:Geiger counter|Geiger counter]]. The soil is irradiated. Laura Roslin stands next to Adama, disappointed. Biers is stunned.
*Many others, including [[Karl Agathon|Karl]] and [[Sharon Agathon]], Gaius Baltar, Lee Adama, Kara Thrace, the Final Four, and the Cylons are on the surface as well, walking and standing around on a riverbank near the ruins of a city, which was apparently destroyed. The mood is dismal, with everyone probably wondering what happened to Earth and what they will do next.

== Notes ==

* This episode is the mid-season cliffhanger for the first ten episodes of [[Season 4 (2008-09)|Season 4]]. The conclusion to the cliffhanger, "[[Sometimes a Great Notion]]", will not air until 2009.
* The episode was given an advance screening in Los Angeles on Wednesday, June 11th, in order to draw attention for the upcoming Emmy Award nominations. <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://syfyportal.com/news425104.html|title='Battlestar Galactica' Hosting Free Screening In L.A.}}</ref>
* According to comments made by Ronald Moore at the 2008 San Diego Comic Con (and included on the Season 4.0 DVD), "Revelations" was designed to be the final episode of the series, in the event the SAG Writer's Strike had prevented the series from continuing.
* As Biers executes one prisoner during the course of the episode, the population of the Fleet when it arrives at Earth is 39,664, not counting the as yet unknown number of copies of the four Significant Seven Cylon models who have now joined them.
* The page from the [[Book of Pythia]] depicting the Temple of Aurora is the same two page spread used to represent the [[City of the Gods]] on [[Kobol (RDM)|Kobol]] from "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]".
* The rhythm of the beacon signal matches the rhythm of [[the Music]].
*It remains to be seen if the rebel Cylons will be counted in the Survivor Count now they have joined the Fleet. So far only Sharon Agathon and Caprica-Six, arguably rebel Cylon themselves, have been counted despite never being considered human.

== Analysis ==

=== General ===

*The survivor count drops by 8 from the previous episode. Allowing for the fact that Pike's death has been counted already and assuming no deaths in the Fleet, these eight Colonial deaths occur as a result of the [[Battle of the Resurrection Hub]]. Two of these casualties at least seem to be Viper pilots given the wrecked Vipers seen derelict at the battle site ([[Sine Qua Non]]). Pike's ECO is also one of the dead. However a possible continuity error occurs in the count between the episodes "Sine Qua Non" and "The Hub", as the episodes take place concurrently, yet the population drops by one in between (possibly Pike's death).
* When Thrace says to Lee Adama (while he is looking at the drawing of the Temple of Aurora) "We'll get there, and walk those halls together", Adama says "Yeah, pretty to think so." This could be a reference to the last line of Ernest Hemingway's ''[[w:The Sun Also Rises|The Sun Also Rises]]'' when Jake Barnes says "Yeah, isn't it pretty to think so?" about the idea that he and Brett Ashley could have been in love.
*There is one flaw in Biers's hostage plan: It is not explained how she believes the Final Four would be able to make it onto her basestar without being detained first by the Colonials. One of them could always be taken as a hostage by the Colonials as a counter-move. Though, presumably they would try to find a covert way to leave the ship, much like [[Tory Foster]].

=== Characters ===

* Biers holding the Colonial personnel hostage isn't aimed so much as to President Adama and the government, as it is to the remaining three of the Final Four who choose to remain behind. When Foster moves to defect under the guise of giving Roslin her medicine, Colonel Tigh speaks up to prevent her from going. This earns Tigh and the other two who refuse to come forward Biers's enmity and she begins killing their crew mates until they join the Cylons.
* Roslin's plan to hold Biers and her knowledge to herself is shown to have already failed at the start of this episode. Biers has already made it clear she will not co-operate and is walking freely around the basestar. The plan was never likely to succeed given that the Colonials on the rebel basestar are totally outnumbered and cut off from the Fleet. In fact, Roslin and Adama's decision to double-cross the Cylons ([[Guess What's Coming to Dinner?]]) may well have precipitated the entire hostage crisis, as the rebels decided to return to their original plan only after learning that the Colonials have no intention of turning over the Final Five.
* [[Tory Foster]] actively advises Biers in her test of wills with Lee Adama, pressing for more aggressive tactics. She appears to be embracing her Cylon nature, including the antagonism towards mankind. In doing so, she parallels the origins of the Cylon War, rebelling against those she had earlier served.
* [[Sharon Agathon]] appears to have been released from the [[brig]] despite her shooting of [[Natalie]], although there is no explicit on screen explanation given for this. Her involvement in planning the rescue mission could be part of her parole, or it is possible Roslin confirmed to Admiral Adama that they have been experiencing and sharing powerful visions that have affected their behavior. Curiously, this is not the first time that the Agathons have escaped severe punishment for potentially mutinous actions. It is also in Admiral Adama's character to be forgiving of the actions of the officers and crew, most notably Kara Thrace, if there is compelling reason.
* Admiral Adama has apparently reassigned [[Galen Tyrol]] to the hangar deck. In previous episodes Tyrol often worked in other areas of the ship. This may be another example of Adama's forbearance toward his crew. However, he has not as yet restored Tyrol's old rank. Instead, [[Peter Laird]] is shown as the chief of the deck, having likely occupied that position since Tyrol's demotion.
**This is Laird's first chronological appearance since "[[Resurrection Ship, Part I]]". He appeared in "[[Razor]]" in flashback scenes, and was mentioned as an active deckhand in "[[Sine Qua Non]]".
* The Six walking up to Saul Tigh on Earth appears to be [[Caprica-Six]]. This indicates that Adama's general amnesty extends to her as well and that she is free to join the Cylon rebels on their baseship; a fact that is confirmed by [[Mark Verheiden]] in [http://www.comicmix.com/news/2008/06/18/battlestar-galactica-interview-mark-verheiden-on-cylon-amnesty-and-finding-earth/?cid=9445 this] interview.
* With the destruction of the Hub, Biers becomes the closest a Cylon has come to being human: along with mortality, she, as the last of her model, is unique in all the universe.

=== Earth ===

* One of the first visual clues that [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] lacks a widespread, technologically advanced civilization comes in the establishing shots of the planet when the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] arrives in orbit. The night side of the planet is steeped in total darkness, whereas the city lights of an inhabited planet with an industrialized civilization would be clearly visible on its night side, as seen in this [http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/image/earth_night.jpg composite satellite photograph] of the Earth at night.
* How Earth came to the state which the Fleet finds it in is uncertain. Given that the landing party tests the soil with a [[wikipedia:Geiger counter|Geiger counter]], and the ruins they come across appear to be from a nuclear blast, it is likely that some nuclear event occurred on Earth.
* Together with the clear remnants of a modern civilization, this indicates that the series is set in the future or an alternate universe completely different from ours. It refutes some theories that the show is set far in the past, for example in time of ancient Greece.
* Assuming that a nuclear event was responsible for the current condition of Earth, it appears that it happened a considerable number of years, if not decades or hundreds of years, ago. Less than a week after the Cylon bombardment, the planet [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] had turned yellowish-brown from dust blasted into the atmosphere, creating a [[w:nuclear winter|nuclear winter]] ([[33]]). Nine months later, someone on Caprica would have still seen yellow skies ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]). Although the soil of Earth at the landing site is radioactive, the skies are a natural foggy/cloudy gray, and the view from orbit is of a blue-white world.
** The ruins shown on Earth, however, do not appear to be nearly as ancient as the ruins on Kobol, given the contrast in the degradation of the buildings. This could place the destruction of Earth well within the 2,000-year period since the exodus from Kobol.
* The area at which the landing party arrives appears to be the [[Wikipedia:Brooklyn|Brooklyn]] side of [[w:New York City|New York City]]. The landing party is next to a broad river and across that river to the left is a wide bay. The other shore appears to be the edge of Lower Manhattan with a destroyed skyline of buildings. The camera pans to the right over what is ostensibly the [[w:East River|East River]] until the last two seconds of the episode, where at the far right edge of the screen stands a wrecked structure with which appears to be a heavily abbreviated roadway. It appears to be the East Tower (Brooklyn side) of the [[w:Brooklyn Bridge|Brooklyn Bridge]]. However, it should be noted that the information on this is incomplete. For instance, many speculations as to the gas giant that [[Kara Thrace]] sees in her journey from Earth (as first explained in "[[He That Believeth in Me]]") claimed that the giant was [[w:Jupiter|Jupiter]], when this was [[Faith|later disproved]].
**In what may be a coincidence, not far from the Eastern approaches to the real-life Brooklyn Bridge in [[Wikipedia:Brooklyn, New York|Brooklyn, New York]] and close to the northern shore of the [[w:borough|borough]], there is a building owned by the [[Wikipedia:The Jehovah's Witnesses|Jehovah's Witnesses]]. It is called "[http://www.kelebekler.com/cesnur/txt/sedewts.jpg The Watchtower]". The relevance is that the song that the Final Four heard is actually ''[[Wikipedia:All Along the Watchtower|All Along the Watchtower]]'' by Bob Dylan, though there is no known connection between the song and the religion. Further, the building is [http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&q=watchtower&near=Brooklyn,+NY&fb=1&t=h&ll=40.702879,-73.994551&spn=0.003221,0.00559&z=17 situated very near if not the exact place] the landing party stands at. However, while the precise area of where they landed is still ambiguous, Ronald D. Moore's [http://media.scifi.com/battlestar/downloads/podcast/mp3/412/bsg_ep412_FULL.mp3 podcast of this episode] does hint that it could be New York City. More directly, by way of conversation, he says outright that the structure at the right side edge of the screen is definitely a bridge.
**The Brooklyn Bridge was built prior to the use of [[Wikipedia:Rebar|rebar]] in the USA, although the bridge in the scene shows metal rods. These metal rods are most likely the remains from side railings and cross struts of the roadway since at that scale and distance rebar, which even at its maximum diameter is only 2.257" thick (US standard sizes), could not be seen so easily with the naked eye.
**The scene shows [http://melancholygeek.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/earth8.png many ruins immersed in the water], suggesting raised water levels, though the view of Earth in "[[Crossroads, Part I]]" appears to show normal sea levels.
*Other possible cities that are speculated about are [http://darthmojo.wordpress.com/2008/07/02/bsg-vfx-revelations/ Vancouver] and [[w:Sydney, Australia|Sydney, Australia]] (in which case the bridge would be the Harbor Bridge). If the landing area is Sydney, then in what may be a coincidence, the party would have landed next to the real-life location of a [[w:St Aloysius' College (Sydney)|Saint Aloysius' College]], which is a Roman Catholic college, and is adorned with [[w:Image:St Aloysius College Sydney.jpg|a large cross]]. In the episode [http://waffleimages.nwpshost.com/files/a1/a1d56c8462d4ac2e58dfb71b1d7e954e1507d8fe.jpg a large cross] can be seen sitting amongst a pile of rubble. An interesting fact is that directly across the bay from Saint Aloysius' College stands possibly the most famous [[Opera House]] on Earth, the [[w:Sydney Opera House|Sydney Opera House]].
*[http://community.livejournal.com/battlestar_blog/1160816.html A statue] can be seen, which may be the Statue of Liberty (though unlikely given the location), or [http://messagesfromearth.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/bsg-revelations-what-do-these-images-mean/ a Colossus-like statue], of which there are none in either New York, Sydney, or Vancouver. Leaving the statue to be either a representation of the Statue of Liberty, or something totally unrelated to real-life monuments.
*The filming location was on [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&ie=UTF8&ll=49.013815,-123.039697&t=h&z=16 Centennial Beach in Tsawwassen], south of Vancouver.<ref>http://13thcolony.wordpress.com/2007/11/13/bsg-set-damaged-in-windstorm/</ref> <ref>http://bloginhood.blogspot.com/2008/01/look-what-else-washed-up-on-beach-more.html</ref>
* [http://www.io.com/~o_m/omworld/images/blog/06-08/BSG4x10/BSG-Earth-rawPano-4x10.jpg The landing area] actually appears to be the Temple of [[Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn|Aurora]], thus bookending the episode. When the episode begins, [[Lee Adama]] is looking up an [[:Image:AuroraBook.jpg|illustration of the temple]] in the book of Pythia (although the camera lingers on a depiction of the [[City of the Gods]]). As the episode closes on Earth, the landing party appears to be at the ruins of a domed structure by a body of water, as shown by the illustration. A [http://www.auctionnetwork.com/UpcomingItem.asp?EventId=29546&ShowId=321&SortBy=CustomStartTime form core model] of this structure, up for auction in the Battlestar Galactica Props & Costumes Official Auction, acknowledges it to be the Temple of Aurora.
* Throughout this episode, Earth when seen from orbit is largely obscured by cloud masses and shadows. Unlike the view of the North American continent presented at the end of "Crossroads, Part II", none of the landmasses in view can be easily identified. ([http://melancholygeek.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/downthere.png])

== Questions ==

* Is Biers honest in her claim that there are only four of the Final Five in the [[Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]]? [[Sometimes a Great Notion|Answer]]
* What happened to [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]]? [[Sometimes a Great Notion|Partial Answer]]
* What condition is the rest of Earth in? [[Sometimes a Great Notion|Answer]]
* Was Earth in the same condition the last time Thrace was there?
* Will the other Cylons find the Fleet and the rebels, as well as Earth? If so, will they finish [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|what they]] [[Cylon Civil War|started]]? Or will they surrender?
* Does the [[Thirteenth Tribe (RDM)|Thirteenth Tribe]] still exist? If so, where are they now? Or was there never a Thirteenth Tribe at all?
* Is Pythia's book literally accurate history or metaphors for real historical events places and things or totally false?
** Pythia's prophecy says 'new home' not 'earth', it is Roslin and her followers that assume this means earth.
* Will the Colonials and their Cylon allies settle on Earth, or will they move on in hopes of finding a more suitable planet? [[Sometimes a Great Notion|Answer]]
* Will Tigh, Anders, and Tyrol continue their duties on ''Galactica'' despite having been exposed as Cylons? Or will their hatred of the Cylons persist? [[The Face of the Enemy|Answer #1]], [[Sometimes a Great Notion|Answer #2]]
* Now that his brief presidency has come to an end, will Lee Adama resume his duties on the Quorum? If not, what will his new role be?
* Will Caprica-Six join the rebels or pursue further relations with Baltar or Tigh?
* In what year do the Colonials arrive on Earth?
* Who or what was responsible, intentionally or not, for the apparent holocaust on Earth? [[Sometimes a Great Notion|Possible answer]]

== Official Statements ==

*''[[Jane Espenson]] about the writing and her reaction to it:''
:"Holy cow, I love this episode beyond the saying of it, and 'thank you' to the fans who have been going out of their way to tell all of us that, too. Adama's reaction to the reveal was stunning -- my gods -- and Starbuck-- her face said it all. A thunderclap. Simply beautiful. You wouldn't want more and you can't imagine less. I'm stating the obvious when I say that a more labored reaction would've attenuated the emotions, given the characters a chance to gather themselves before the big blow that was to come, which certainly would be a mistake. [...] I think the *real* reactions are yet to come, just like in life. The beauty of this episode is in its urgency, in the tumbling breathless slide that lands us on that grim gray unfamiliar beach"

:"And -- oh -- that haunting devastated city there, with the massive ruined temple and our people trying to find their footing in a strange dead city I did not recognize... that image just kills me. Every time I watch this episode, I well up with hope, and it lasts right up through that handful of soil, and then the radiation counter breaks my heart all over again."

:"[[David Weddle|David]] and [[Bradley Thompson|Bradley]] (David Weddle and Bradley Thompson, our writers) did an excellent job throughout this rocketsled of an episode - the writing had to be so delicate, precise and emotional... and they also did such a good job doing little things like dealing with the fallout from my episode the previous week. Baltar saying he loves living is such a gem of a moment among a cascade of gems -- thanks for that, David and Brad! And then, of course, the big stuff starts happening and never ever lets up." <ref name"espenson">{{cite_web|url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/06/16/jane-espenson-on-battlestar-galacticas-mid-season-finale/|title=TVGuide: Jane Espenson on Battlestar Galactica's mid-season finale}}</ref>

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

*''[[William Adama]] has a nervous breakdown after learning that his best friend of 30 years, [[Saul Tigh]], is a Cylon, and having him arrested to be executed. [[Lee Adama|His son]] finds him and drags his father's sobbing form to a bulkhead where he cradles his father from behind.''
:'''William Adama:''' [Crying, sobbing, despair...]
:'''Lee Adama:''' [voice quavering]: Dad, listen... No one suspected, no one! Not with his record. Not what he did on New Caprica. His eye... What happened to his wife... Come on, let's get up.
:'''William:''' What have I done? [breathlessly] All of the people I've sent to die? For what? For what?!
:'''Lee:''' [quietly] For Earth...
:'''William:''' [angrily]: There is no Earth. [sobs] It is a frakkin' joke! There is no Earth! [sobs]
:'''Lee:''' Okay dad, listen to me... [firmer and takes his father face between his hands] Listen to me!! Pull it together!!
:'''William:''' I can't...
:'''Lee''' [frustrated]: Yes, you can! Come on!
:'''William:''' I can't...
:'''Lee:''' [frustrated] Yes, you ca...
:'''William:''' I can't... I can't kill him... I can't kill the bastard! I can't...
:'''Lee:''' Okay, okay, dad. [he cradles his father's face]
:'''William:''' I can't...
:'''Lee:''' It's... It's gonna be okay... It's gonna be okay... I'll... I'll take care of it. I'll take care of it [kisses his father's forehead].

*''[[Tory Foster]] to [[Laura Roslin]] after confessing that she is a Cylon:''
:'''Foster:''' You had no idea, did you?
:'''Roslin:''' No.
:'''Foster:''' Might be worth pondering what else you've been wrong about.

*''Upon confirmation of their position in orbit of Earth, [[William Adama|Admiral Adama]] makes an announcement to the Fleet:''
:"Crew of ''Galactica''. People of the fleet. This is Admiral Adama. Three years ago I promised to lead you to a new home. We've endured a difficult journey, we've all lost, we've all suffered, and the truth is I questioned whether this day would ever come. But today our journey is at an end. We have arrived, at Earth."

*''Laura Roslin observes the vacant ruins on Earth:''
:"Earth..."

== Guest Stars ==

* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Lucy Lawless]] as [[D'Anna Biers]]
* [[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Number Two]] / [[Leoben Conoy]]
* [[Bodie Olmos]] as Lieutenant [[Brendan Costanza|Brendan "Hot Dog" Costanza]]
* [[Keegan Connor Tracy]] as [[Jeanne]]
* [[Lara Gilchrist]] as [[Paulla Schaffer]]
* [[Finn R. Devitt]] as [[Nicholas Tyrol]] (credited as "Baby Nicky")
* [[Brad Dryborough]] as Lieutenant [[Louis Hoshi]]
* [[Alexandra Thomas]] as [[Hera Agathon|Hera]]
* [[Heather Doerksen]] as Sergeant [[Brandy Harder]]
* [[Leo Li Chiang]] as [[Tattooed pilot]] (uncredited)
* [[Vincent Gale]] as [[Peter Laird]]
* [[Don Thompson]] as Specialist [[Anthony Figurski]]
* [[Sonja Bennett]] as Specialist [[Marcie Brasko]]
* [[Barry Nerling]] as [[Unnamed Galactica and Pegasus crew (RDM)#Adama's Corporal|Adama's Corporal]]

== External Links ==
*Composer [[Bear McCreary]] on the episode's score: [http://www.bearmccreary.com/blog/?p=396]

== References ==

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:Episodes directed by Michael Rymer]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Bradley Thompson]]
[[Category:Episodes written by David Weddle]]
[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:Revelations]]
[[ms:Revelations]]

No Exit

2009-02-16T02:42:24Z

Doorofnight:

{{Episode Data
| image= NoExitingCylons.jpg
| title= No Exit
| season= 4
| episode=15
| guests=
| writer= [[Ryan Mottesheard]]
| story=
| director= [[Gwyneth Horder-Payton]]
| production=417
| rating=
| US airdate=February 13, 2009 <ref>http://tv.ign.com/articles/920/920164p1.html</ref>
| CAN airdate=February 13, 2009
| UK airdate=February 17, 2009
| dvd=
| population=39556
| oldpopulation=39603
| prev= [[Blood on the Scales]]
| next= [[Deadlock]]
| forumthread= 2634
}}

== Overview ==

:''[[Ellen Tigh]] is resurrected, and she knows all the answers. Anders' condition releases a flood of visions and crucial memories''.

== Summary ==

===Teaser===

* A unique sequence begins this episode, which summarizes in greater detail the origin of the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]]. The episode begins with the phrase "[[Pythia|This has happened before and will happen again]]" as a vista of the decimated [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] appears, now known not only as the home of the [[Thirteenth Tribe (RDM)|Thirteenth Tribe]] but as an all-Cylon colony.
* The opening sequence shows [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005|original Cylon Centurions]] in a [[First Cylon War|Cylon War-era]] [[Cylon Raider (RDM)|Raider]], and a clip of what appears to be Centurions boarding a [[Galactica type battlestar]].
* As the Cylon War-era scenes are replaced by present-day scenes of the return of the Cylons, the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]] and the struggles of [[The Fleet (RDM)|the Fleet]], the screen text shows: "The Cylons were created by man. They rebelled. Then they vanished. Forty years later, they came back, they evolved. Fifty thousand, two-hundred ninety-eight human survivors, hunted by the Cylons. [[Humanoid Cylons|Eleven models were known]]--one was sacrificed."

* A flashback scene shows [[Ellen Tigh]] taking a tainted cup of alcohol from her husband, [[Saul Tigh]], who was obliged to end her life for her conspiring with the Cylons ([[Exodus, Part II]]).

* As scenes of Ellen flash, an elaborate visualization of a Cylon [[datastream]] (in a rather [[w:The Matrix|''Matrix''-like sequence]]) appears, concluding with Ellen's [[Resurrection (RDM)|resurrection]] in a [[resurrection tank]].
* At first, Ellen screams and is extremely frightened and disoriented, all alone except for one [[Cylon Centurion|Centurion]] on guard, stoic and indifferent to her screams. But soon she takes in her environment, and dramatically calms herself as if realizing or remembering something important. She calls out to the Centurion pleasantly to help her out of the tank, telling it, "It's okay. You can do that much," as if Ellen knew the programming restrictions of the Centurion.

* The scene shifts to present day in [[The Fleet (RDM)|the Fleet]], cleaning up and attending to the wounded from [[Gaeta's Mutiny|the mutiny]].
* In [[sickbay]], Dr. [[Cottle]] prepares to drill holes in [[Samuel Anders]]'s head to relieve pressure caused a hematoma caused by a ricocheting bullet that struck him in the head ([[Blood on the Scales]]).
* Anders, his head shaved and in a brace, recalls various scenes of himself in the past, saying outloud, "Among bright stars, I'm lost. There's a new tide. All the forgotten faces, all the forgotten children, we seek the forgotten language..."
* When [[Kara Thrace]] demands Cottle to take out the bullet, Cottle tells her that relieving the pressure is required before he can call up another surgeon from the ship ''[[Inchon Velle]]'', to remove the bullet.
* Anders continues to experience visions and talk of them as he recalls visions of the [[Temple of Five]], the dead shoreline of Earth, and how Ellen Tigh loved the water.

* The scene shifts back to Ellen Tigh after her resurrection as the timeline is given between Ander's surgery and her return: Eighteen months prior.
* A [[Number One]] appears to Ellen, sitting by the tank. "Hello, John," she says.
* When he objects to that name, Ellen recalls that she named the Number Ones after her own father. The One finishes sarcastically that Ellen also designed his model in Ellen's father's likeness.
* They discuss Saul's decision to kill her on [[New Caprica]]. As John argues over Saul's humanity, Ellen questions if John has changed in any significant way in her absence, saying that she had high hopes for him.
* He leaves, promising to send her some clothes.

* [[Galen Tyrol]] shows Admiral [[William Adama]] something very disturbing in the [[FTL]] engine room. "I first noticed it when I pulled the [[sync coil]]," Tyrol answers, pointing to a series of stress cracks along the fuselage of ''[[Galactica]]''.
* Adama asks Tyrol if he would accept reinstatement as Deck Chief of the ship. When Tyrol reminds Adama of Tyrol's [[Final Five|true nature]], Adama says, extending a hand, "It's okay. So's my [[Executive Officer|XO]]." Tyrol accepts. "Fix my ship, chief."

* The corridors of ''Galactica'' are filled with wounded. Back in sickbay, Anders awakens, asking Kara to gather up the others of his kind. He remembers everything about his past as a Cylon and its significance.

===Act 1===

* The scene moves to twelve months prior to the mutiny aftermath, back in the Cylon fleet.
* John discusses how the "mortal experience" that Ellen endured had left her practically unchanged. When she asks if he still has nightmares, John tells Ellen that, contrary to the programming ''she developed'' for the Number One models, John and his kind had removed the sleep subroutine to avoid dreaming altogether some twenty years prior.
* Ellen counters that, if John believes that he and his kind were poisoned by human traits she developed as well as the Centurion's earlier belief in a "[[God (RDM)|living God]]", then why did his kind spend so much time pursuing darker emotions such as vengeance and murder. John answers that, because his Centurion fore-bearers were slaves to humanity, he wants justice for that.
* Ellen tells him that he doesn't have to be that way as [[Sharon Valerii]] enters, carrying a tray of fruits and cheese. Ellen is happy to see someone familiar from her old life, noting to Valerii that John is taking a risk exposing her to Ellen.
* Realizing how John was likely manipulating Valerii through sexual means, Ellen quips if John had discussed [[The Swirl and Twist|the "Swirl]] with him. A visibly uncomfortable John leaves but not before asking Valerii to talk about the flaws in Ellen's [[humanoid Cylon]] design. Ellen warns Valerii to make up her own mind about John's crusade for vengeance against mankind.

* Present day, back in ''Galactica's'' sickbay, Anders tells Tyrol, [[Tory Foster]] and Saul Tigh of their past lives on Earth, that Foster and Tyrol were lovers. When Saul recalls trying to get Ellen out of debris as the nukes hit Earth, Anders confirms that all five of them were downloaded to a research ship high above the planet, inferring that the Five were warned that an end was coming.
* When Tigh questions if the Five invented resurrection and Foster questions why such technology was needed when the Earth-bound Cylons could have children, Anders corrects, saying that they ''re-invented'' it: organic memory transfer, originally a technology of the Thirteenth Tribe on [[Kobol]].
* Kara Thrace, also at Anders's bedside, strongly asks Anders to rest but he refuses, needing to tell everything he recalls.
* Anders recalls that resurrection fell into disuse when the Cylons of his type learned to reproduce biologically. The Five, in their past lives, worked tirelessly to bring that ability back.
* It was Ellen who made a intuitive leap, Anders recalls, before Cottle arrives and orders everyone out.

* On ''[[Colonial One]]'', [[Laura Roslin]] and [[Lee Adama]] stand in the [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum]] meeting room, recalling past friends.
* Adama indicates that, while the Quorum should be rebuilt, that he believes that the people of the Fleet should have a different representation that foregoes the old Colonial ties.
* Roslin agrees but tells Adama that he will pick the new Quorum while she sits back, still as President, but in title only. Roslin is hand-picking Adama, [[Revelations|no stranger to strong civilian leadership]], as her eventual successor to the presidency. "It's time I let someone else do the heavy lifting."
* Roslin tells him that he is the right one for the job, reminding him that sometimes, in trying to the right thing, he doesn't always do the smartest thing. An ominous cough by Roslin recalls the ultimate reason why she entrusts Adama to the civilian leadership.

===Act 2===

* Tyrol is guiding the admiral through the bowels of the ship again. This time, he shows Admiral Adama more serious structural failure of the battlestar's superstructure and hull.
* When Adama questions how such metal fatigue could have occurred, Tyrol reminds him that, not only was ''Galactica'' a very old ship (over 50 years old), but that the men who constructed the battlestar, perhaps in a rush to get them to service for the Cylon War, cut corners, using inferior metals and workmanship.
* Tyrol notes that some repairs can be made. Adama agrees, but tells him that the repair teams should be all human.

* Anders tells Tigh and the group that the reason the Five left the destroyed Earth and headed back to the Twelve Tribes was to warn all the tribes that they must take good care of the Cylons they built or suffer the same fate as Earth. But it was too late: the First Cylon War between the Colonies had already started on their arrival.
* Tory Foster questions why the Five arrived two thousand years later. Anders notes that [[FTL|jump drives]] weren't invented yet. The Five's ship traveled at near-light speed, experiencing the effects of relativistic space travel where time slowed for them on their journey back, allowing them to stay alive.
* After Anders recovers from a fit of pain, he continues. The Five met with the Cylons, told them that, if they would stop the war against the [[Twelve Colonies of Kobol]], the Five would aid them in further development of organic Cylons. The Centurions were already experimenting with the beings known as the [[Hybrid]]s ([[Razor]]), but nothing that could live on its own.
* Anders tells the group that, in exchange for peace, the Five helped develop the ''eight'' humanoid Cylon models and gave them resurrection as well.
* Thrace stops him. "You said "eight"." They all realize that the "Significant Seven" was originally eight models. One model was missing.
* Before Anders could clarify, he experiences a seizure.

===Act 3===

* Ellen Tigh's return flashes back to twelve months prior, as the star of the [[algae planet]] goes supernova and the Cylon fleet retreats.
* A series of displays show images of the planet. Ellen recalls the original name of the temple: the [[Temple of Five|"Temple of Hopes"]], built 3,000 years ago by the Thirteenth Tribe. From there, the Tribe was shown the way to Earth by God, Ellen recalls.
* John tells Ellen that the Temple of Five's secrets encouraged one of his kind, the [[Number Three]] known as [[D'Anna Biers]], to see the identities of the Five. John tells Ellen that, as a result, he [[boxing|boxed]] all of the Threes.
* Ellen notes that the Threes can be unboxed, unlike the [[Number Seven]]s, which were permanently disposed of.
* John tells Ellen that the Threes will not be unboxed because of the "carnival trick" left in the Temple's mechanism that revealed the faces of the Five and exposed their identities of the Five to the Threes. Ellen counters. She notes that the Thirteenth Tribe merely backtracked the path of their ancestors, finding their temple. She believes that God orchestrated the events.
* John laments, angrily, how he was unable to experience the recent supernova only in human terms and their comparatively limited perceptions, as opposed to what the Centurions could experience.
* When Ellen counters that the eight models were designed to be as human as possible, John counters that he wants to be more like a true machine and not a machine with human limits.
* John leaves and Valerii asks if Ellen regrets what she has done in the humanoid Cylon design. Ellen answers in the negative. In creating the humanoid Cylons as they are, Ellen believes she has given them something important: free will, including the ability to love freely. But Valerii questions who she could possibly love in the universe--other Cylons, even humanity.

* Back on ''Galactica'' in present day, Saul Tigh and Tory await outside sickbay as Galen Tyrol returns. Anders is being prepped for surgery. As Tyrol reminds him that the Five were responsible for stopping the First Cylon War, Tigh talks about how the Five were responsible for creating the humanoid Cylon race, inferring how the Five were, in turn, responsible for the second [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|war that destroyed the Colonies]].
* Tory Foster reminds both that the humans on Kobol made the Five first. Tigh believes that, while the Cylons must own the responsibility of the humanoid Cylons and their acts, the Five must own up to their actions, just as the humans must own what they did, emphasizing that blame can't be entirely placed on the humans alone.

* As Dr. [[Gerard]] shows the brain scans to Cottle, Thrace and Anders, Gerard indicates that it was lucky that the bullet didn't cause greater injury. Anders's speech is breaking up as he worries that the memories he has recalled might be lost to further surgery. Anders tries to talk more but his speech breaks up more in to strings of unintelligible words--aphasia, affected by the injury.
* Anders tries to object to the surgery, to speak further to the others, but Thrace gives the go-ahead for the surgery. She tells Anders that he has as much time to speak with the others as the surgeons need to prep him.

* The scene backtracks to four months prior, when the [[Resurrection Hub]] is destroyed.
* John arrives at Ellen Tigh's bedside with some alcohol in a glass. He tells her of the destruction of the Hub and the imminent extinction of the Cylons. Pleading for her help to rebuild the resurrection process, John tells her that, while the Colonials destroyed the hub, they weren't aware of another colony planet where Ellen's equipment lies in wait.
* But Ellen tells him that she knows only part of the system needed to rebuild resurrection. The others in the Five would be needed for a chance to rebuild the system.
* John does not take Ellen's response well, believing that Ellen is refusing to help out of spite. He threatens Ellen by telling her that he will literally open her skull to tap into what knowledge she has in her head directly from her brain, if he has to.

===Act 4===

* Back in sickbay in present day, Anders tells of the first humanoid created, Cavil, who in turn helped build the remaining humanoid Cylons. He tells them that Ellen believed that the original Centurion's belief in God would stop the cycle of violence between the humans and Cylons.
* But Cavil was spiteful and did not believe in God or mercy. He turned on the Five and killed them by trapping them in a compartment and venting the oxygen. When the Five downloaded, he boxed them (as he did with the Threes, much later). Later, Cavil unboxed the Five but implanted them with new memories, a sleeper-like setup not unlike how Sharon Valerii once was. He unboxed Saul Tigh first, then Ellen and the rest later.
* Anders mentions that the warning signs they all saw on Earth were different as well, but then his aphasia kicks in strongly. [[Layne Ishay]] tells everyone to leave. The surgeons are ready.
* Anders tells of Number Seven, one model they called Daniel. Anders screams to Saul Tigh to stay with the Fleet, that a miracle was about to happen.

* Colonel Tigh returns to his quarters where [[Caprica-Six]] rests. She tells Tigh that the baby in her womb began to move recently. He later feels the baby move as well.

* Back in time on the baseship, Ellen draws a picture of Saul as John returns, commenting on how she should update the picture to include the eye patch.
* John tells her that the [[Simon]]s have readied for Ellen's surgery, but Ellen asks John that, despite the many opportunities he has had to eradicate the Five, he has tortured them in various ways instead. She questions his ultimate reason for keeping the Five alive as Valerii (dressed in a Cylon flight suit) listens in. She concludes that John wanted the Five to witness the evils of Humanity before dying, so that when they were resurrected, they would admit they were wrong to have given John human traits.
* Ellen tells him that, while John claims to be a perfect machine, his petty hatred and jealousy has caused problems not only for the Seven, but ended development of the Daniel models. John retorts that if he is in fact an imperfect creation, then it is because she made him so.
* Ellen tries to reconcile, to apologize and forgive John, but he rejects her and leaves.

===Act 5===

* Tyrol's team continue their work to repair the battlestar as the admiral looks on. Tyrol tells him that he began to think about damage to the battlestar's superstructure that can't be seen.
* Using a device that reveals damage through spectral imaging, he shows Adama that the battlestar's bones are rotten. When he suggests that they use a Cylon technology that would grow into the metal, Adama strongly objects to the idea of Cylon technology being infused so closely into a ship he had prided himself on being resistant to Cylon infiltration.

* Anders is ready for surgery, unconscious, as Kara Thrace speaks some final words of encouragement.

* The admiral returns to his quarters. After washing his face, he begins to see the unraveling of his battlestar within his own cabin...cracks in the bathroom wall.

* Back in time, on the baseship, Sharon Valerii asks Ellen how she can deal with John's hatred of her. Ellen considers that, maybe, John doesn't despise her.
* Valerii hands her a gown to wear for surgery, but Ellen refuses it, believing it to be one of John's last acts of humiliation. She says, "You should have brought a [[w:tumbrel|tumbrel]]," to Valerii's confusion. "Never mind. Let's get this over with," Ellen says as Valerii escorts her away.
* As they make their way down a hallway in the baseship, Ellen tries to plead with Valerii, asking her if she really wants to go through with John's vivisection of Ellen. Valerii responds that she has thought about it--and directs Ellen into the seat of a waiting [[Raptor]]. Valerii guides the Raptor out into space. Under gunfire from launched Raiders, the Raptor jumps to safety.

* Cottle returns to hand Thrace the bullet. Surprised that Anders hasn't awakened, Gerard and Cottle are setting up an EEG to see how Anders's brain is handling things.
* Later, Thrace speaks to the still-unconscious Anders, but nurse Ishay tells her not to bother: Anders's brain activity is essentially zero.

* Admiral Adama calls Tyrol over the phone after several drinks. "Chief. Do whatever you have to do to save our girl."

== Notes ==
[[Image:No Exit Crew Call Sheet.jpg|thumb|right|Crew call sheet for "No Exit"]]

* This episode title (and production information) are derived from a call sheet posted by Wil McQueen.<ref name="flickr">{{cite_web|url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/wilmcqueen/2476722149/sizes/o/|title=Wil McQueen's Flickr photostream|date=8 May 2008|accessdate=30 May 2008|last=McQueen|first=Wil|format=|language=}}</ref>
* ''No Exit'' is the title of a [[w:No Exit|1944 existentialist play]] by [[w:Jean-Paul Sartre|Jean-Paul Sartre]]. The story references three people who are trapped in Hell, shown as a stately room with chairs and sofas. Each character in the play loathes the other two characters. The play contains the notable line, "Hell is other people!"
* Ellen Tigh remarks to [[Sharon Valerii]] when she comes to escort Ellen to surgery that she "...should have brought a tumbrel." A tumbrel is a two-wheeled cart used to carry various loads, particularly on a farm. [http://pro.corbis.com/images/HU036695.jpg?size=67&uid=%7BDE6F5EAC-11A0-4608-B615-14298D8BE914%7D] On Earth during the French Revolution in the 1780's, many condemned prisoners were carried to the guillotine in a tumbrel. Ellen was sardonically referring to this in her remark to Valerii. Depending on the historical relationship of real life events and the Colonies in the show-if any-maybe she was referring directly to the French Revolution or a similar parallel event on Kobol and/or the Thirteen Colonies.

== Analysis ==
*The whole thing about the blocked memories may explain how Tyrol was able to sense and find the Temple of Five: he'd been there before on his way to the Colonies so the location was in his blocked but not erased memories. They may have subconciously guided him there as he was pretty close by.
*In the opening ''Galactica'' based scene it was evident that ''Galactica'' was still suffering from the after affects of the mutiny. The population count during the opening credits was 39,556. That means 47 people had died by the end of "[[Blood on the Scales]]". Two of those deaths are of Gaeta and Zarek so it was 45 deaths during the second half of the mutiny, from 10:30 hours to 15:32 hours, including the Quorum members and their aids. Add this to the 40 deaths that happened in "[[The Oath]]" you have 85 deaths that occurred during the 9 hour mutiny, 06:32 hours when Zarek was sprung to 15:32 hours when Adama and Tigh retook the CIC, beginning with the death of Alan Laird shortly before 07:00 hours. That is about 9.4 deaths per hour average, but even worse considering the killings didn't really start in earnest until a little after 09:00 hours. a 6.5 hour period making it roughly 13.1 deaths per hour.
* It has been eighteen months since [[Ellen Tigh]] downloaded into a new body.
* The humanoid Cylon civilization known as the Thirteenth Tribe reproduced sexually for generations by the time the members of the Final Five were born. Each of them had a Cylon mother and a Cylon father.
* The Cylon religious belief in a single God who is loving and merciful originated with the Cylon Centurions from the Twelve Colonies. The Final Five embraced this belief after encountering the Centurions, and incorporated it into the Significant Eight.
* Although, to some degree, Adama's unwillingness to use Cylons (save Tyrol) and their technology in the repair of Galactica is hypocritical, given his forcing other ships into Cylon upgrades, it can also be seen as stemming from Adama's great love and pride in the Galactica. Said love has been stated repeatedly over the course of the series, and Adama's appalled reaction when he finds out that corners were cut in the original construction of Galactica in this episode further confirms this. As such it is logical that he would be averse of Cylons and Cylon technology having anything to do with Galacitca, as he would see it as an affront to 'his girl'.
* At the same time, Adama's reversal towards the end of the episode further indicates that one of Adama's greatest strengths is the ability to admit when he is wrong and to do whatever it takes to survive.
* Tyrol once more proves that he is a brilliant engineer, something that he clearly retained from before his original memories were blocked, given that Anders identifies him as the genius behind much of Resurrection technology.
*Bizarrely, despite having re-invented Resurrection technology, the Final Five and their civilization had not developed FTL Jump technology, although they did have lightspeed capable drives that allowed subluminal travel but had the side effect of time dilation. By the time the Five reached the Twelve Colonies, their brother twelve tribes and their own Cylon opponents had the use of FTL which the Twelve Colonies developed independently. Inversely the Twelve Colonies had no access to Resurrection technology. The Final Five presumably integrated FTL into all their future Cylon technology.
* Saul Tigh's military history in the First Cylon War is revealed to be a fabrication. Given how detailed his memories are, they may have been extracted from a captured and experimented-on Colonial Serviceman- such experiementation was seen to have happened during the First Cylon War ([[Razor]]). Cavil's plan to seed the Final Five into humanity on the Colonies would have needed significant infiltration of Colonial databases to create fake identities, service records and family records. Tigh's record was foolproof enough to ensure he was re-activated into Colonial Service between the two Cylon wars. The Cylon superiority in computer infiltration probably made this relatively easy.
*Cylon infiltration of the Twelve Colonies began much earlier than two or so years before the Cylon attack, as Cavil would have had to work to install Tigh into his assumed role as a demobbed fighter pilot 30 years previously. It is not explained why Cavil waited so long before introducing Anders and Foster and Tyrol. As they do not seem to have as long a 'human' history as Tigh or have aged as much, there must have been a gap of over a decade, possibly two.
*Given Tigh has been seen in flashback as significantly younger than he appears now ([[Scattered]]), it seems that the Final Five age normally or at least age at some rate. Clearly William Adama would have noticed if his XO had not aged in 30 years. Of course this flashback sequence was shot and written before the producers chose Tigh to be one of the Final Five, rendering it potentially tricky in the continuity of the show,
* The Final Five can resurrect, this episode confirms. It is not clear what age each of the Final Five's birthing tank bodies are kept at in stasis however. Given that Tigh was younger when he appeared in flashbacks following his seeding into the Colonies by Cavil, his stasis body (if one is being kept by Cavil as one was kept for Ellen) might be close to that age, and his resurrection (unlikely a this point given the loss of the Hub)might well result in him being reborn 30 years younger. Exploring this aspect of Cylon resurrection is, of course, hampered by the fact that the cast of the show are aging.
* The unborn child of Caprica-Six and Saul Tigh is male.
* There have been a number of vague hints thus far that the Number Ones seem to have a deeper knowledge of things, especially their own origin than the other Cylon models, as well as being, by far, the most adamant about not finding out who the Final Five are and insisting that it is part of their programing. This episode finally reveals that the Number Ones do know more than all of the other models, and are in fact responsible for much of the Cylons' programming, especially their knowledge of the Final Five's existence but block on discovering more about them other than the fact that they exist. The other Cylons' willingness and ability to find out more about them clearly indicates that Number One isn't quite as good a programmer as he thinks he is, OR he has greatly underestimated (or perhaps undervalued) the free will given them by the Final Five.
* While still giving no hint as to their nature, the fact that the Final Five all saw apparitions, peculiar to each of them, warning them of the coming Apocalypse further reinforces the fact that the visions of Baltar, Caprica Six, and possibly Kara as well are more than mere hallucinations. Added to this the fact that the Final Five did not build the Temple of Five(which they call the Temple of Hopes) nor did they modify it to show their faces, seems to clearly indicate that there is some other power at work in these events, what that power is, and what its goals are remains to be seen.
* It is important to note that, rather than being the enemies of humanity, the Final Five have, quite literally, devoted their entire existence to ending the vicious cycle between human and Cylon that seems to have been played out at least 3 times.
* It makes logical sense that, after a cataclysmic event and exodus the technology of a given people would take a significant step backwards, since the ships would eventually run out of power, and it would be a long time before they would be able to re-create the same technology. And given the challenge of surviving in the early years after such an event, it also makes sense that, after the original travelers died out, much of their knowledge and memory would be lost, save in written texts, which, to their less technologically advanced descendants, would mean little. It also makes sense that, when the technology of that people advanced to the point were they could create artificial intelligence that they would use it to ease their own burdens, thus creating an intelligent slave race that would eventually rebel if treated badly. That would probably happen even if all technology hadn't been lost, as seen from the miniseries, Baltar is questioning why they aren't allowed to make artificial intelligences and the newer Battlestars have networked computers. People would always eventually come back to the thought that they could create a race of slave machines.
* The brief sexual relationship between Cavil and Ellen was Oedipal in two senses, she is his creator and he is made in her father's image.
* The relationships between Tigh and Six and between Tyrol and Boomer are also technically Oedipal.
* At the core of things, Cavil appears to be driven by a sense of bitterness and self-hatred. He sees his humanoid body as a prison that limits his abilities and the way he perceives things. He believes that he could have been created to be something much more. In short, Cavil hates his own existence and he holds the Five accountable for having created him in the first place.
* Lee Adama's suggestion that the new Quorum represent the people on the individual ships of the Fleet rather than the Twelve Colonies, indicates that he realizes that the old system is broken and needs to be rebuilt - something which Dualla told him previously during Baltar's trial. The people of the Fleet have aligned themselves according to their "home" ships rather than the now non-existent Colonies. Both Roslin and Lee have come realize this and determine that the people must be represented differently if democracy is to survive.
* When Gerard tells Anders and Starbuck where the bullet is lodged in Ander's brain, Ander's instantly supplies the information as to what that area of the brain does, and realizes that is why he is remembering everything. This proves that, while Tyrol may have done most of the work on re-inventing resurrection, and Ellen was the one who made it work, all of them helped, as he clearly has detailed knowledge of how the brain works. This would also lend some credence to Ellen's claim that she alone could not rebuild resurrection.

== Questions ==
* Will [[Samuel Anders|Anders]] recover following surgery? Will he retain his memories as a Cylon if he does?
* Will resurrection technology ever be salvaged?
* How will Anders' condition affect any attempts made to salvage resurrection technology?
* Is Ellen truthful when she says that any attempt to rebuild the [[Resurrection Hub]] would need all five of them?
* Is Ellen truthful when she says that D'Anna's vision of the Five was not planted by the Five themselves?
* How will [[Ellen Tigh|Ellen]] react when she discovers that [[Saul Tigh|Saul]] is engaged in a relationship with and has impregnated [[Caprica-Six]]?
* Will Tory and Tyrol rekindle their old relationship?
* Will Boomer and Tyrol rekindle their old relationship?
* How will Boomer react to the news that [[Cally]] is dead?
* How will Boomer react to Caprica Six, since she was killed by her at one point?
* Are the [[Number Four]] and [[Number Five]]s also aware of the identity of the Final Five? When were any of the others, other than Boomer, told?
* Was Number Seven named after [[Daniel Graystone]], creator of the Cylons on the [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]]?
* Did any active copies of Daniel survive One's wrath? If so, what became of them?
* Are the names given to the other six models by the Final Five the same as those they used to infiltrate the Colonies? If not, what are they?
* Will Cavil ever achieve his goal of evolving beyond his "primitive" humanoid form?
* Will Cavil ever be able to appreciate the gift of free will?
* How will the [[Cylon Civil War]] resolve?
* Is Boomer honestly defecting from Cavil's side, or is this part of a plot?
* Did the Final Five base any of the Significant Eight models besides John Cavil (made to resemble Ellen's father John) on people they knew?
* What is the nature of the "messengers" that warned the Final Five of disaster? In particular, are they related to Baltar's Inner Six and Six's Inner Baltar?
* Ellen seems very different from the woman we knew. How different were the rest of the Final Five in their past lives?
* Assuming that the visions the Five saw warning of the Apocalypse, the visions given to Deanna in the Temple of Five, and Baltar, Caprica Six, and Kara's visions are all manifestations, or agents of, an outside power(which seems likely at this point) what exactly is the nature of this outside power? and what is its goal?
* What is the meaning/significance of the name Cylon, since every time humanity creates machines they seem to be given this name?
* Why did the original tribes flee Kobol? Was it another Human/Cylon war?
* What/who destroyed Earth?
* If it was humans, did any of them survive and travel to somewhere else?
* How is it possible that the Thirteenth Tribe's bio-engineering technology was far advanced of the other Twelve Colonies, but they did not have Jump-technology?
* If the Final Five did not have Jump-technology, and the Colonial Cylon's Jump-technology was on par with that of the humans, how did the Cylons develop Jump-Drives that were far more advanced than the Humans?
* Would the Centurions eventually have created their own human forms, as the Five's distant ancestors seem to have?
* What is the significance of the Centurions form, which is in common between the Thirteenth Tribe and the Twelve Tribes?
* Had the Final Five not stopped it, would the First Cylon War have been mutually destructive, as previous such wars in human history seem to have been?
*Were the Final Five responsible for the holographic projector in the [[Tomb of Athena]]? If so, how did the references to it in the [[Sacred Scrolls]], which were supposedly written over 2000 years before the [[First Cylon War]], get written?
*Just what was Saul Tigh's role in the Cylon War? At which point during the conflict did the Final Five arrive in Colonial space?
*Where do the hybrids factor into all of this?

==Character Development==
* ''In the episode we see Sharon Valerii for the first time since "The Hub". She has been under the tutelage of John Cavil for thee years since at least after the occupation of Caprica. Before that, when she first downloaded after Cally Henderson (the future Cally Tyrol) shot her on Galactica she still thought of herself as a human with a human out look and hated her Cylon being. She wanted and desired love and felt bitterly that she had from her POV, betrayed her friends as she expressed in [[Downloaded]]:''

:Sharon Valerii: What are you thinking? Do you think I care about your god?

:Caprica Six: Look, God loves you.

:Valerii: This is love. (Re: a picture of the Galactica crew) These people love me. I love them. I didn't pretend to feel something so I could screw people over. I loved them. And then I betrayed them. I shot a man I loved. Frakked over another man, ruined his life. And why? Because I'm a lying machine. I'm a frakking Cylon!

:''Ten months ago as of this episode, and approximately two years after she downloaded back into the Cylon baseship and went under the guidance of John Cavil, this was her attitude to love. It occurred in a discussion with Ellen Tigh after Cavil's passionate speech about how she foisted on him the limiting form of a human body:''

:Valerii: Don't you feel the slightest bit of remorse for what you did to him? What you did to us?

:Ellen: No. [turns her head to look at her] Because he's wrong, Boomer! There is no need for remorse or blame. We didn't limit you. We gave you something wonderful!! Free will! The ability to think creatively. To reach out to others with compassion. To love.

:Valerii: Love? Who? Humans? Why would I want to do that? Who would I want to love?

== Official Statements ==

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==
*''John Cavil had just shown a ''slide show'' - as Ellen Tigh cynically put it - of the destruction of the [[Algae planet]], the home of the [[The Temple of Five|Temple of Hopes]] built by the travelers from Kobol on their way to colonize Earth and the Twelve Colonies, when its own star went nova. John Cavil was there to observe it. He relates his experience to Ellen and his disappointment over it, revealing his self-loathing and hatred of his form:''

:John: In all your travels, have you ever seen a star go supernova?

:Ellen: No.

:John [repeats] No? Well, I have. I saw a star explode and send out the building blocks of the universe. Other stars, other planets and eventually other life. A supernova! Creation itself! I was there. I wanted to see it and be part of the moment.

:John: And you know how I perceived one of the most glorious events in the universe? [sneering] With these ridiculous gelatinous orbs [gesturing to his eyes] in my skull! [disgusted] With eyes designed to perceive only a tiny fraction of the EM spectrum. With ears designed only to hear vibrations in the air.

:Ellen: The five of us designed you to be as human as possible.

:John: '''I DON'T WANT TO BE HUMAN!''' I want to see gamma rays! I want to hear X-rays! And I want to--I want to smell dark matter! Do you see the absurdity of what I am? I can't even express these things properly because I have to--I have to conceptualize complex ideas in this stupid limiting spoken language! But I know I want to reach out with something other than these prehensile paws! [closes eyes] And feel the wind of a supernova flowing over me!! I'm a machine! And I can know much more! [softly] I can experience so much more. '''BUT I'M TRAPPED IN THIS ABSURD BODY! AND WHY?''' Because my five creators thought that God wanted it that way!

:[Cavil walks out of the chamber]

== Guest Stars ==

* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Kate Vernon]] as [[Ellen Tigh]]
* [[John Hodgman]] as Dr. [[Gerard]]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Ryan Mottesheard]]

[[ms:No Exit]]

No Exit

2009-02-15T18:33:59Z

Doorofnight:

{{Episode Data
| image= NoExitingCylons.jpg
| title= No Exit
| season= 4
| episode=15
| guests=
| writer= [[Ryan Mottesheard]]
| story=
| director= [[Gwyneth Horder-Payton]]
| production=417
| rating=
| US airdate=February 13, 2009 <ref>http://tv.ign.com/articles/920/920164p1.html</ref>
| CAN airdate=February 13, 2009
| UK airdate=February 17, 2009
| dvd=
| population=39556
| oldpopulation=39603
| prev= [[Blood on the Scales]]
| next= [[Deadlock]]
| forumthread= 2634
}}

== Overview ==

:''[[Ellen Tigh]] is resurrected, and she knows all the answers. Anders' condition releases a flood of visions and crucial memories''.

== Summary ==

==Teaser==

* A unique sequence begins this episode, which summarizes in greater detail the origin of the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]]. The episode begins with the phrase "[[Pythia|This has happened before and will happen again]]" as a vista of the decimated [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] appears, now known not only as the home of the [[Thirteenth Tribe (RDM)|Thirteenth Tribe]] but as an all-Cylon colony.
* The opening sequence shows [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005|original Cylon Centurions]] in a [[First Cylon War|Cylon War-era]] [[Cylon Raider (RDM)|Raider]], and a clip of what appears to be Centurions boarding a [[Galactica type battlestar]].
* As the Cylon War-era scenes are replaced by present-day scenes of the return of the Cylons, the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]] and the struggles of [[The Fleet (RDM}|the Fleet]], the screen text shows: "The Cylons were created by man. They rebelled. Then they vanished. Forty years later, they came back, they evolved. Fifty thousand, two-hundred ninety-eight human survivors, hunted by the Cylons. [[Humanoid Cylons|Eleven models were known]]--one was sacrificed."

* A flashback scene shows [[Ellen Tigh]] taking a tainted cup of alcohol from her husband, [[Saul Tigh]], who was obliged to end her life for her conspiring with the Cylons ([[Exodus, Part II]]).

* As scenes of Ellen flash, an elaborate visualization of a Cylon [[datastream]] (in a rather [[w:The Matrix|''Matrix''-like sequence]]) appears, concluding with Ellen's [[Resurrection (RDM)|resurrection]] in a [[resurrection tank]].
* At first, Ellen screams and is extremely frightened and disoriented, all alone except for one [[Cylon Centurion|Centurion]] on guard, stoic and indifferent to her screams. But soon she takes in her environment, and dramatically calms herself as if realizing or remembering something important. She calls out to the Centurion pleasantly to help her out of the tank, telling it, "It's okay. You can do that much," as if Ellen knew the programming restrictions of the Centurion.

* The scene shifts to present day in [[The Fleet (RDM)|the Fleet]], cleaning up and attending to the wounded from [[Gaeta's Mutiny|the mutiny]].
* In [[sickbay]], Dr. [[Cottle]] prepares to drill holes in [[Samuel Anders]]'s head to relieve pressure caused a hematoma caused by a ricocheting bullet that struck him in the head ([[Blood on the Scales]]).
* Anders, his head shaved and in a brace, recalls various scenes of himself in the past, saying outloud, "Among bright stars, I'm lost. There's a new tide. All the forgotten faces, all the forgotten children, we seek the forgotten language..."
* When [[Kara Thrace]] demands Cottle to take out the bullet, Cottle tells her that relieving the pressure is required before he can call up another surgeon from the ship ''[[Inchon Valle]]'', to remove the bullet.
* Anders continues to experience visions and talk of them as he recalls visions of the [[Temple of Five]], the dead shoreline of Earth, and how Ellen Tigh loved the water.

* The scene shifts back to Ellen Tigh after her resurrection as the timeline is given between Ander's surgery and her return: Eighteen months prior.
* A [[Number One]] appears to Ellen, sitting by the tank. "Hello, John," she says.
* When he objects to that name, Ellen recalls that she named the Number Ones after her own father. The One finishes sarcastically that Ellen also designed his model in Ellen's father's likeness.
* They discuss Saul's decision to kill her on [[New Caprica]]. As John argues over Saul's humanity, Ellen questions if John has changed in any significant way in her absence, saying that she had high hopes for him.
* He leaves, promising to send her some clothes.

* [[Galen Tyrol]] shows Admiral [[William Adama]] something very disturbing in the [[FTL]] engine room. "I first noticed it when I pulled the [[sync coil]]," Tyrol answers, pointing to a series of stress cracks along the fuselage of ''[[Galactica]]''.
* Adama asks Tyrol if he would accept reinstatement as Deck Chief of the ship. When Tyrol reminds Adama of Tyrol's [[Final Five|true nature]], Adama says, extending a hand, "It's okay. So's my [[Executive Officer|XO]]." Tyrol accepts. "Fix my ship, chief."

* The corridors of ''Galactica'' are filled with wounded. Back in sickbay, Anders awakens, demanding her to gather up the others of his kind. He remembers everything about his past as a Cylon and its significance.

==Act 1==

* The scene moves to twelve months prior to the mutiny aftermath, back in the Cylon fleet.
* John discusses how the "mortal experience" that Ellen endured had left her practically unchanged. When she asks if he still has nightmares, John tells Ellen that, contrary to the programming ''she developed'' for the Number One models, John and his kind had removed the sleep subroutine to avoid dreaming altogether some twenty years prior.
* Ellen counters that, if John believes that he and his kind were poisoned by human traits she developed as well as the Centurion's earlier belief in a "[[God (RDM)|living God]]", then why did his kind spend so much time pursuing darker emotions such as vengeance and murder. John answers that, because his Centurion fore-bearers were slaves to humanity, he wants justice for that.
* Ellen tells him that he doesn't have to be that way as [[Sharon Valerii]] enters, carrying a tray of fruits and cheese. Ellen is happy to see someone familiar from her old life, noting to Valerii reminds her that John is taking a risk exposing her to Ellen.
* Realizing how John was likely manipulating Valerii's programming through sexual means, Ellen quips if John had discussed [[The Swirl and Twist|the "Swirl]] with him. A visibly uncomfortable John leaves but not before asking Valerii to talk about the flaws in Ellen's [[humanoid Cylon]] design. Ellen warns Valerii to make up her own mind about John's crusade for vengeance against mankind.

* Present day, back in ''Galactica's'' sickbay, Anders tells Tyrol, [[Tory Foster]] and Saul Tigh of their past lives on Earth, that Foster and Tyrol were lovers. When Saul recalls trying to get Ellen out of debris as the nukes hit Earth, Anders confirms that all five of them were downloaded to a research ship high above the planet, inferring that the Five were warned that an end was coming.
* When Tigh questions if the Five invented resurrection and Foster questions why such technology was needed when the Earth-bound Cylons could have children, Anders corrects, saying that they ''re-invented'' it: organic memory transfer, originally a technology of the Thirteenth Tribe on [[Kobol]].
* Kara Thrace, also at Anders's bedside, strongly asks Anders to rest but he refuses, needing to tell everything he recalls.
* Anders recalls that resurrection fell into disuse when the Cylons of his type learned to reproduce biologically. The Five, in their past lives, worked tirelessly to bring that ability back.
* It was Ellen who made a intuitive leap, Anders recalls, before Cottle arrives and orders everyone out.

* On ''[[Colonial One]]'', [[Laura Roslin]] and [[Lee Adama]] stand in the [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum]] meeting room, recalling past friends.
* Adama indicates that, while the Quorum should be rebuilt, that he believes that the people of the Fleet should have a different representation that foregoes the old Colonial ties.
* Roslin agrees but tells Adama that he will pick the new Quorum while she sits back, still as President, but in title only. Roslin is hand-picking Adama, [[Revelations|no stranger to strong civilian leadership]], as her eventual successor to the presidency. "It's time I let someone else do the heavy lifting."
* Roslin tells him that he is the right one for the job, reminding him that sometimes, in trying to the right thing, he doesn't always do the smartest thing. An ominous cough by Roslin recalls the ultimate reason why she entrusts Adama to the civilian leadership.

==Act 2==

* Tyrol is guiding the admiral through the bowels of the ship again. This time, he shows Admiral Adama more serious structural failure of the battlestar's superstructure and hull.
* When Adama questions how such metal fatigue could have occurred, Tyrol reminds him that, not only was ''Galactica'' a very old ship (over 50 years old), but that the men who constructed the battlestar, perhaps in a rush to get them to service for the Cylon War, cut corners, using inferior metals and workmanship.
* Tyrol notes that some repairs can be made. Adama agrees, but tells him that the repair teams should be all human.

* Anders tells Tigh and the group that the reason the Five left the destroyed Earth and headed back to the Twelve Tribes was to warn all the tribes that they must take good care of the Cylons they built or suffer the same fate as Earth. But it was too late: the First Cylon War between the Colonies had already started on their arrival.
* Tory Foster questions why the Five arrived two thousand years later. Anders notes that [[FTL|jump drives]] weren't invented yet. The Five's ship traveled at near-light speed, experiencing the effects of relativistic space travel where time slowed for them on their journey back, allowing them to stay alive.
* After Anders recovers from a fit of pain, he continues. The Five met with the Cylons, told them that, if they would stop the war against the [[Twelve Colonies of Kobol]], the Five would aid them in further development of organic Cylons. The Centurions were already experimenting with the beings known as the [[Hybrid]]s ([[Razor]]), but nothing that could live on its own.
* Anders tells the group that, in exchange for peace, the Five helped develop the ''eight'' humanoid Cylon models and gave them resurrection as well.
* Thrace stops him. "You said "eight"." They all realize that the "Significant Seven" was originally eight models. One model was missing.
* Before Anders could clarify, he experiences a seizure.

==Act 3==

* Ellen Tigh's return flashes back to twelve months prior, as the star of the [[algae planet]] goes supernova and the Cylon fleet retreats.
* A series of displays show images of the planet. Ellen recalls the original name of the temple: the [[Temple of Five|"Temple of Hopes"]], built 3,000 years ago by the Thirteenth Tribe. From there, the Tribe was shown the way to Earth by God, Ellen recalls.
* John tells Ellen that the Temple of Five's secrets encouraged one of his kind, the [[Number Three]] known as [[D'Anna Biers]], to see the identities of the Five. John tells Ellen that, as a result, he [[boxing|boxed]] all of the Threes.
* Ellen notes that the Threes can be unboxed, unlike the [[Number Seven]]s, which were permanently disposed of.
* John tells Ellen that the Threes will not be unboxed because of the "carnival trick" left in the Temple's mechanism that revealed the faces of the Five and exposed their identities of the Five to the Threes. Ellen counters. She notes that the Thirteenth Tribe merely backtracked the path of their ancestors, finding their temple. She believes that God orchestrated the events.
* John laments, angrily, how he was unable to experience the recent supernova only in human terms and their comparatively limited perceptions, as opposed to what the Centurions could experience.
* When Ellen counters that the eight models were designed to be as human as possible, John counters that he wants to be more like a true machine and not a machine with human limits.
* John leaves and Valerii asks if Ellen regrets what she has done in the humanoid Cylon design. Ellen answers in the negative. In creating the humanoid Cylons as they are, Ellen believes she has given them something important: free will, including the ability to love freely. But Valerii questions who she could possibly love in the universe--other Cylons, even humanity.

* Back on ''Galactica'' in present day, Saul Tigh and Tory await outside sickbay as Galen Tyrol returns. Anders is being prepped for surgery. As Tyrol reminds him that the Five were responsible for stopping the First Cylon War, Tigh talks about how the Five were responsible for creating the humanoid Cylon race, inferring how the Five were, in turn, responsible for the second [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|war that destroyed the Colonies]].
* Tory Foster reminds both that the humans on Kobol made the Five first. Tigh believes that, while the Cylons must own the responsibility of the humanoid Cylons and their acts, the Five must own up to their actions, just as the humans must own what they did, emphasizing that blame can't be entirely placed on the humans alone.

* As Dr. [[Gerard]] shows the brain scans to Cottle, Thrace and Anders, Gerard indicates that it was lucky that the bullet didn't cause greater injury. Anders's speech is breaking up as he worries that the memories he has recalled might be lost to further surgery. Anders tries to talk more but his speech breaks up more in to strings of unintelligible words--aphasia, affected by the injury.
* Anders tries to object to the surgery, to speak further to the others, but Thrace gives the go-ahead for the surgery. She tells Anders that he has as much time to speak with the others as the surgeons need to prep him.

* The scene backtracks to four months prior, when the [[Resurrection Hub]] is destroyed.
* John arrives at Ellen Tigh's bedside with some alcohol in a glass. He tells her of the destruction of the Hub and the imminent extinction of the Cylons. Pleading for her help to rebuild the resurrection process, John tells her that, while the Colonials destroyed the hub, they weren't aware of another colony planet where Ellen's equipment lies in wait.
* But Ellen tells him that she knows only part of the system needed to rebuild resurrection. The others in the Five would be needed for a chance to rebuild the system.
* John does not take Ellen's response well, believing that Ellen is refusing to help out of spite. He threatens Ellen by telling her that he will literally open her skull to tap into what knowledge she has in her head directly from her brain, if he has to.

==Act 4==

* Back in sickbay in present day, Anders tells of the first humanoid created, Cavil, who in turn helped build the remaining humanoid Cylons. He tells them that Ellen believed that the original Centurion's belief in God would stop the cycle of violence between the humans and Cylons.
* But Cavil was spiteful and did not believe in God or mercy. He turned on the Five, killing them. When the Five downloaded, he boxed them (as he did with the Threes, much later). Later, Cavil unboxed the Five but implanted them with new memories, a sleeper-like setup not unlike how Sharon Valerii once was. He unboxed Saul Tigh first, then Ellen and the rest later.
* Anders mentions that the warning signs they all saw on Earth were different as well, but then his aphasia kicks in strongly. [[Layne Ishay]] tells everyone to leave. The surgeons are ready.
* Anders tells of Number Seven, one model they called Daniel. Anders screams to Saul Tigh to stay with the Fleet, that a miracle was about to happen.

* Colonel Tigh returns to his quarters where [[Caprica-Six]] rests. She tells Tigh that the baby in her womb began to move recently. He later feels the baby move as well.

* Back in time on the baseship, Ellen draws a picture of Saul as John returns, commenting on how she should update the picture to include the eye patch.
* John tells her that the [[Simon]]s have readied for Ellen's surgery, but Ellen asks John that, despite the many opportunities he has had to eradicate the Five, he has tortured them in various ways instead. She questions his ultimate reason for keeping the Five alive as Valerii (dressed in a Cylon flight suit) listens in.
* Ellen tells him that, while John claims to be a perfect machine, his petty hatred has caused problems not only for the Seven, but ended development of the Daniel models.
* Ellen tries to reconcile, to apologize and forgive John, but he rejects her and leaves.

==Act 5==

* Tyrol's team continue their work to repair the battlestar as the admiral looks on. Tyrol tells him that he began to think about damage to the battlestar's superstructure that can't be seen.
* Using a device that reveals damage through spectral imaging, he shows Adama that the battlestar's bones are rotten. When he suggests that they use a Cylon technology that would grow into the metal, Adama strongly objects to the idea of Cylon technology being infused so closely into a ship he had prided himself on being resistant to Cylon infiltration.

* Anders is ready for surgery, unconscious, as Kara Thrace speaks some final words of encouragement.

* The admiral returns to his quarters. After washing his face, he begins to see the unraveling of his battlestar within his own cabin...cracks in the bathroom wall.

* Back in time, on the baseship, Sharon Valerii asks Ellen how she can deal with John's hatred of her. Ellen considers that, maybe, John doesn't despise her.
* Valerii hands her a gown to wear for surgery, but Ellen refuses it, believing it to be one of John's last acts of humiliation. She says, "You should have brought a [[w:tumbrel|tumbrel]]," to Valerii's confusion. "Never mind. Let's get this over with," Ellen says as Valerii escorts her away.
* As they make their way down a hallway in the baseship, Ellen tries to plead with Valerii, asking her if she really wants to go through with John's vivisection of Ellen. Valerii responds that she has thought about it--and directs Ellen into the seat of a waiting [[Raptor]]. Valerii guides the Raptor out into space. Under gunfire from launched Raiders, the Raptor jumps to safety.

* Cottle returns to hand Thrace the bullet. Surprised that Anders hasn't awakened, Gerard and Cottle are setting up an EEG to see how Anders's brain is handling things.
* Later, Thrace speaks to the still-unconscious Anders, but nurse Ishay tells her not to bother: Anders's brain activity is essentially zero.

* Admiral Adama calls Tyrol over the phone after several drinks. "Chief. Do whatever you have to do to save our girl."

== Notes ==
[[Image:No Exit Crew Call Sheet.jpg|thumb|right|Crew call sheet for "No Exit"]]

* This episode title (and production information) are derived from a call sheet posted by Wil McQueen.<ref name="flickr">{{cite_web|url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/wilmcqueen/2476722149/sizes/o/|title=Wil McQueen's Flickr photostream|date=8 May 2008|accessdate=30 May 2008|last=McQueen|first=Wil|format=|language=}}</ref>
* ''No Exit'' is the title of a [[w:No Exit|1944 existentialist play]] by [[w:Jean-Paul Sartre|Jean-Paul Sartre]]. The story references three people who are trapped in Hell, shown as a stately room with chairs and sofas. Each character in the play loathes the other two characters. The play contains the notable line, "Hell is other people!"
* Ellen Tigh remarks to [[Sharon Valerii]] when she comes to escort Ellen to surgery that she "...should have brought a tumbrel." A tumbrel is a two-wheeled cart used to carry various loads, particularly on a farm. [http://pro.corbis.com/images/HU036695.jpg?size=67&uid=%7BDE6F5EAC-11A0-4608-B615-14298D8BE914%7D] On Earth during the French Revolution in the 1780's, many condemned prisoners were carried to the guillotine in a tumbrel. Ellen was sardonically referring to this in her remark to Valerii. Depending on the historical relationship of real life events and the Colonies in the show-if any-maybe she was referring directly to the French Revolution or a similar parallel event on Kobol and/or the Thirteen Colonies.

== Analysis ==
*In the opening ''Galactica'' based scene it was evident that ''Galactica'' was still suffering from the after affects of the mutiny. The population count during the opening credits was 39,556. That means 47 people had died since the end of "[[Blood on the Scales]]". Two of those deaths are of Gaeta and Zarek so it was 45 deaths during the second half of the mutiny, from 10:30 hours to 15:32 hours, including the Quorum members and their aids. Add this to the 40 deaths that happened in "[[The Oath]]" you have 85 deaths that occurred during the 9 hour mutiny, 06:32 hours when Zarek was sprung to 15:32 hours when Adama and Tigh retook the CIC, beginning with the death of Alan Laird shortly before 07:00 hours. That is about 9.4 deaths per hour average, but even worse considering the killings didn't really start in earnest until a little after 09:00 hours. a 6.5 hour period making it roughly 13.1 deaths per hour.
* It has been eighteen months since [[Ellen Tigh]] downloaded into a new body.
* The humanoid Cylon civilization known as the Thirteenth Tribe reproduced sexually for generations by the time the members of the Final Five were born. Each of them had a Cylon mother and a Cylon father.
* The Cylon religious belief in a single God who is loving and merciful originated with the Cylon Centurions from the Twelve Colonies. The Final Five embraced this belief after encountering the Centurions, and incorporated it into the Significant Eight.
* Although, to some degree, Adama's unwillingness to use Cylons(save Tyrol) and their technology in the repair of Galactica is hypocritical, given his forcing other ships into Cylon upgrades, it can also be seen as stemming from Adama's great love and pride in the Galactica. Said love has been stated repeatedly over the course of the series, and Adama's appalled reaction when he finds out that corners were cut in the original construction of Galactica in this episode further confirms this. As such it is logical that he would be averse of Cylons and Cylon technology having anything to do with Galacitca, as he would see it as an affront to 'his girl'.
* At the same time, Adama's reversal towards the end of the episode further indicates that one of Adama's greatest strengths is the ability to admit when he is wrong and to do whatever it takes to survive.
* Tyrol once more proves that he is a brilliant engineer, something that he clearly retained from before his original memories were blocked, given that Anders identifies him as the genius behind much of Resurrection technology.
* There have been a number of vague hints thus far that the Number One's seem to have a deeper knowledge of things, especially their own origin than the other Cylon models, as well as being, by far, the most adamant about not finding out who the Final Five are and insisting that it is part of their programing. This episode finally reveals that the Number One's do know more than all of the other models, and are in fact responsible for much of the Cylon's programming, especially their knowledge of the Final Five's existence but block on discovering more about them other than the fact that they exist. Given the other Cylon's willingness and ability to find out more about them clearly indicates that Number One isn't quite as good a programmer as he thinks he is, OR he has greatly underestimated(or perhaps undervalued) the free will given them by the Final Five.
* While still giving no hint as to their nature, the fact that the Final Five all saw apparitions, peculiar to each of them, warning them of the coming Apocalypse further reinforces the fact that the visions of Baltar, Caprica Six, and possibly Kara as well are more than mere hallucinations. Added to this the fact that the Final Five did not build the Temple of Five(which they call the Temple of Hope) nor did they modify it to show their faces, seems to clearly indicate that there is some other power at work in these events, what that power is, and what its goals are remains to be seen.
* It is important to note that, rather than being the enemies of humanity, the Final Five have, quite literally, devoted their entire existence to ending the vicious cycle between human and cylon that seems to have been played out at least 3 times.
* It makes logical sense that, after a cataclysmic event and exodus the technology of a given people would take a significant step backwards, since the ships would eventually run out of power, and it would be a long time before they would be able to re-create the same technology. And given the challenge of surviving in the early years after such an event, it also makes sense that, after the original travelers died out, much of their knowledge and memory would be lost, save in written texts, which, to their less technologically advanced descendants, would mean little. It also makes sense that, when the technology of that people advanced to the point were they could create artificial intelligence that they would use it to ease their own burdens, thus creating an intelligent slave race that would eventually rebel if treated badly. That would probably happen even if all technology hadn't been lost, as seen from the miniseries, Baltar is questioning why they aren't allowed to make artificial intelligences and the newer Battlestars have networked computers. People would always eventually come back to the thought that they could create a race of slave machines.

== Questions ==
* Will [[Samuel Anders|Anders]] recover following surgery? Will he retain his memories as a Cylon if he does?
* Will resurrection technology ever be salvaged?
* How will Anders' condition affect any attempts made to salvage resurrection technology?
* Is Ellen truthful when she says that any attempt to rebuild the [[Resurrection Hub]] would need all five of them?
* Is Ellen truthful when she says that D'Anna's vision of the Five was not planted by the Five themselves?
* How will [[Ellen Tigh|Ellen]] react when she discovers that [[Saul Tigh|Saul]] is engaged in a relationship with and has impregnated [[Caprica-Six]]?
* Will Tory and Tyrol rekindle their old relationship?
* Will Boomer and Tyrol rekindle their old relationship?
* How will Boomer react to the news that [[Cally]] is dead?
* How will Boomer react to Caprica Six, since she was killed by her at one point?
* Are the [[Number Four]] and [[Number Five]]s also aware of the identity of the Final Five? When were any of the others, other than Boomer, told?
* Was Number Seven named after [[Daniel Graystone]], creator of the Cylons on the [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]]?
* Did any active copies of Daniel survive One's wrath? If so, what became of them?
* Are the names given to the other six models by the Final Five the same as those they used to infiltrate the Colonies? If not, what are they?
* Will Cavil ever achieve his goal of evolving beyond his "primitive" humanoid form?
* Will Cavil ever be able to appreciate the gift of free will?
* How will the [[Cylon Civil War]] resolve?
* Is Boomer honestly defecting from Cavil's side, or is this part of a plot?
* Did the Final Five base any of the Significant Eight models besides John Cavil (made to resemble Ellen's father John) on people they knew?
* What is the nature of the "messengers" that warned the Final Five of disaster? In particular, are they related to Baltar's Inner Six and Six's Inner Baltar?
* Ellen seems very different from the woman we knew. How different were the rest of the Final Five in their past lives?
* Assuming that the visions the Five saw warning of the Apocalypse, the visions given to Deanna in the Temple of Five, and Baltar, Caprica Six, and Kara's visions are all manifestations, or agents of, an outside power(which seems likely at this point) what exactly is the nature of this outside power? and what is its goal?
* What is the meaning/significance of the name Cylon, since every time humanity creates machines they seem to be given this name?
* Why did the original tribes flee Kobol? Was it another Human/Cylon war?
* What/who destroyed Earth?
* If it was humans, did any of them survive and travel to somewhere else?
* How is it possible that the Thirteenth Tribe's bio-engineering technology was far advanced of the other Twelve Colonies, but they did not have Jump-technology?
* If the Final Five did not have Jump-technology, and the Colonial Cylon's Jump-technology was on par with that of the humans, how did the Cylons develop Jump-Drives that were far more advanced than the Humans?
* Would the Centurions eventually have created their own human forms, as the Five's distant ancestors seem to have?
* What is the significance of the Centurions form, which is in common between the Thirteenth Tribe and the Twelve Tribes?
* Had the Final Five not stopped it, would the First Cylon War have been mutually destructive, as previous such wars in human history seem to have been?

==Character Development==
* ''In the episode we see Sharon Valerii for the first time since "The Hub". She has been under the tutelage of John Cavil for thee years since at least after the occupation of Caprica. Before that, when she first downloaded after Cally Henderson (the future Cally Tyrol) shot her on Galactica she still thought of herself as a human with a human out look and hated her Cylon being. She wanted and desired love and felt bitterly that she had from her POV, betrayed her friends as she expressed in [[Downloaded]]:''

:Sharon Valerii: What are you thinking? Do you think I care about your god?

:Caprica Six: Look, God loves you.

:Valerii: This is love. (Re: a picture of the Galactica crew) These people love me. I love them. I didn't pretend to feel something so I could screw people over. I loved them. And then I betrayed them. I shot a man I loved. Frakked over another man, ruined his life. And why? Because I'm a lying machine. I'm a frakking Cylon!

:''Ten months ago as of this episode, and approximately two years after she downloaded back into the Cylon baseship and went under the guidance of John Cavil, this was her attitude to love. It occurred in a discussion with Ellen Tigh after Cavil's passionate speech about how she foisted on him the limiting form of a human body:''

:Valerii: Don't you feel the slightest bit of remorse for what you did to him? What you did to us?

:Ellen: No. [turns her head to look at her] Because he's wrong, Boomer! There is no need for remorse or blame. We didn't limit you. We gave you something wonderful!! Free will! The ability to think creatively. To reach out to others with compassion. To love.

:Valerii: Love? Who? Humans? Why would I want to do that? Who would I want to love?

== Official Statements ==

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==
*''John Cavil had just shown a ''slide show'' - as Ellen Tigh cynically put it - of the destruction of the [[Algae planet]], the home of the [[Temple of Hopes]] built by the travelers from Kobol on their way to colonize Earth and the Twelve Colonies, when its own star went nova. John Cavil was there to observe it. He relates his experience to Ellen and his disappointment over it, revealing his self-loathing and hatred of his form:''

:John: In all your travels, have you ever seen a star go supernova?

:Ellen: No.

:John [repeats] No? Well, I have. I saw a star explode and send out the building blocks of the universe. Other stars, other planets and eventually other life. A supernova! Creation itself! I was there. I wanted to see it and be part of the moment.

:John: And you know how I perceived one of the most glorious events in the universe? [sneering] With these ridiculous gelatinous orbs [gesturing to his eyes] in my skull! [disgusted] With eyes designed to perceive only a tiny fraction of the EM spectrum. With ears designed only to hear vibrations in the air.

:Ellen: The five of us designed you to be as human as possible.

:John: '''I DON'T WANT TO BE HUMAN!''' I want to see gamma rays! I want to hear X-rays! And I want to--I want to smell dark matter! Do you see the absurdity of what I am? I can't even express these things properly because I have to--I have to conceptualize complex ideas in this stupid limiting spoken language! But I know I want to reach out with something other than these prehensile paws! [closes eyes] And feel the wind of a supernova flowing over me!! I'm a machine! And I can know much more! [softly] I can experience so much more. '''BUT I'M TRAPPED IN THIS ABSURD BODY! AND WHY?''' Because my five creators thought that God wanted it that way!

:[Cavil walks out of the chamber]

== Guest Stars ==

* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Kate Vernon]] as [[Ellen Tigh]]
* [[John Hodgman]] as Dr. [[Gerard]]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Ryan Mottesheard]]

[[ms:No Exit]]

Blood on the Scales

2009-02-11T03:52:37Z

Doorofnight:

{{Episode Data
| image=
| title= Blood on the Scales
| season= 4
| episode=14
| guests=
| writer= [[Michael Angeli]] <ref name="battlestarsitrep">{{cite_web|url=http://galacticasitrep.blogspot.com/2008/05/angeli-also-rises.html|title=Angeli Also Rises|}}</ref>
| story=
| director=
| production=416
| rating=
| US airdate=February 6, 2009 <ref>http://tv.ign.com/articles/920/920164p1.html</ref>
| CAN airdate=February 6, 2009
| UK airdate=February 10 2009
| dvd=
| population=39603
| oldpopulation= 39643
| prev=[[The Oath]]
| next=[[No Exit]]
| forumthread= 2552
}}

== Overview ==
:''[[Felix Gaeta]]'s mutiny continues while Roslin finds refuge on the Cylon Basestar.''

== Summary ==

=== Teaser ===
* Rebel marines led by [[Aaron Kelly]] storm the airlock and capture [[Admiral Adama]] and [[Saul Tigh]] both of whom were knocked out by a stun grenade.
* Tigh recognizes Kelly and calls him "the brig rat." Kelly is visibly uneasy about all this.
* Meanwhile, the [[Raptor]] with President [[Roslin]] and [[Gaius Baltar]] on board heads for the [[Basestar]].
* A pair of Vipers, piloted by Narcho and Hotdog, pursue the Raptor. Hotdog, who is unaware of the mutiny on ''Galactica'', gets the Raptor in his sights, but doesn't fire. Instead he orders the Raptor to identify itself.
* Narcho tells Hotdog to destroy the Raptor, but Hotdog continues to ask for the target's identification.
* Roslin transmits a message from the Raptor saying that she is aboard the Raptor. [[Gage]] blocks the transmission, but not before Hotdog receives it.
* [[Gaeta]], now in command of the CIC, contacts Hotdog and orders him to destroy the Raptor. When Hotdog continues to hold his fire, Narcho goes in and launches a pair of missiles at the Raptor.
* The [[Eight]] piloting the Raptor successfully avoids the missiles, which hit the Basestar instead. The Raptor successfully docks at the Basestar.
* Gaeta orders Colonel Tigh to be placed in the brig with the other Cylons, but orders Admiral Adama to be brought to the CIC.
* On board the Basestar, the Cylons demand to know why they're being fired upon. Roslin explains the situation. Fearing that the government has been overthrown, the Cylons want to jump away from the Fleet.
* Roslin insists that they give Adama a chance to retake ''Galactica''. Baltar points out that it's unlikely that Adama will win and that Gaeta and Zarek have the majority of support on ''Galactica''. Roslin counters that they've already seen evidence that not all of ''Galactica'''s crew support the mutiny.
* Roslin tells the Cylons to move their ship into the middle of the Fleet, so that ''Galactica'' won't be able to fire upon them.
* Back on ''Galactica'', Adama is brought to the CIC. Gaeta asks him to call Roslin and convince her to surrender.
* Adama refuses and instead pulls off his admiral pins. He throws them to Gaeta and sarcastically tells Gaeta that he's the admiral now and to make the call himself.
* Gaeta orders gun batteries to target the Basestar, but before they can do so, the Basestar moves into the middle of the Fleet. Gaeta calls off the attack and orders the Basestar to be quarantined. He also gives orders to prepare for [[Tom Zarek]]'s arrival.
* Adama asks Gaeta if he's planning on shooting him. Gaeta gives no response.

=== Act 1 ===

=== Act 2 ===

=== Act 3 ===

=== Act 4 ===

== Notes ==
*The [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum of Twelve]] were murdered on Zarek's order for supporting President Roslin. [[Lee Adama]] survived as he wasn't present during the Quorum session. Two other regular Quorum members (Gemenon Delegate and one other delegate) were replaced by temporary stand-ins (who were killed), and their fate is unknown.
*Romo Lampkin while being forced to serve as Adama's lawyer during his trial he referred to two looming Marine guards as "Wynken and Blynken". This was in reference to the poem of ''[[Wikipedia:Wynken, Blynken, and Nod|Wynken, Blynken, and Nod]]'', a late 19th century Dutch child's lullaby by [[Wikipedia:Eugene Field|Eugene Field]] about three fishermen fishing in the starry night in the sky with the help of the moon and uses a magic wooden shoe as as their boat.<ref>[http://www3.amherst.edu/~rjyanco94/literature/eugenefield/poems/poemsofchildhood/wynkenblynkenandnod.html Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" Lullaby]</ref>
*This episode marks the death of Felix Gaeta and Tom Zarek who are executed by firing squad for their mutiny against Adama and the government.
*The character Captain Kelly was last seen during season 3 when he was arrested for his bombing and assassinations of Baltar's lawyers. His character has appeared intermittently since the show began and it is fitting that he would be a double-turn coat as he was part of the original senior staff and his love for Admiral Adama is proven to be stronger than his hatred for the Cylons.
*The events depicted in "The Oath" and "Blood on the Scales" cover approximately nine hours: Tigh enters Adama's quarters at 0620 at the beginning of "The Oath", culminates with Gaeta seizing the CIC at 0922, and concludes with Adama and his loyalists retaking the CIC at 1532 in "Blood on the Scales". The executions of Gaeta and Zarek, however, take place at an unspecified time later.
*The ship's FTL drive is seen for the first time.

== Analysis ==
*Despite all of the support that Gaeta and Zarek seemed to have at the beginning of the mutiny, Roslin and Adama had more support from people opposed to it and possibly people who rethought it like Kelly. On Roslin and Adama's side were ''Galactica's'' senior staff (the members of CIC were either people on Gaeta's side or forced to work at gunpoint by marines), at least most of the crew given how many people joined Adama's march to CIC, the Quorum of Twelve and the Cylons and Baltar's followers. Gaeta and Zarek had the supporters they'd managed to gather amongst ''Galactica's'' crew and about 25 ships who refused Roslin's order to stand down FTL drives. In the end Adama and Roslin were successful because the people supported them more and Adama had enough respect from his crew that he was able to turn a lot back to his side just by stating his intention to retake the ship and walking by others. Gaeta and Zarek had to use force to get what they wanted. Many people, both in support of Gaeta/Zarek and in opposition, were killed. Given the death count, 40 in the first four hours of the mutiny, from 06:32 hours when Zarek was released from the Brig to sometime after 10:30 hours when Adama and Tigh are captured in the stowage bay (with most of the killing starting shortly after 09:02 hours after Capt. [[Kara Thrace]] rescues Delegate [[Lee Adama]] in the Hanger Deck. [[Peter Laird]] was the very first death, occuring shortly before 07:00 hours.), the attack on those Loyal to Adama was vicious. The break down of mutineer and loyalist deaths hasn't been given yet, but it is most likely that most of these deaths were those loyal to Adama since Gaeta/Zarek forces had the elements of both surprise and preparation in their favor. The 40 figure only represents the deaths by the end of "[[The Oath]]", the approximate halfway point of the mutiny at 10:30 hours. With the retaking of CIC by Adama and Tigh, the mutiny ended at 15:32 hours, approximately 8 hours and 40 minutes elapsed time (they may have been resisters after that time not wishing to be taken into custody). Mutiny death figures since 10:30 hours, including the murder of the Quorum delegates, will be reflected in the survivor population count after the teaser of "[[No Exit]]" unless otherwise indicated.
*Gaeta's sudden lack of pain in his amputated leg signals that his chronic pain (which he tried to numb with painkillers during the webisodes) was partially psychological. Once he was at peace with who he was and what he had done, his mental pain and much of his physical pain and itching disappeared. His last words acknowledged that the irritation had stopped.
*The marines who eventually joined Adama's side near the end of the episode indicates that other mutineers simply were part of the coup out of self-preservation or at least wanting to be on the "winning" side. Once it was clear that Adama and the senior staff were rising up and reclaiming the ship, the marines, and others finally arose as well.
*By sparing Narcho's life, Admiral Adama characteristically shows his love and compassion for those who serve under him. Despite his speech of "no forgiveness" in "The Oath", it is clear that Adama will attempt to give the some of the mutineers a second chance.
*From a pragmatic standpoint, Humanity, such at the verge of extinction anyways, can not afford to lose large numbers of people.
*The mutineers at no point subdued all resistance aboard ''Galactica''. As Adama marched on CIC, many crew members rushed to join him, indicating that they were either still resisting or were waiting for a sign that the tide had turned. CIC also was controlled by Gaeta through the use of marines who held most of the staff at gunpoint.
* Tyrol, while attempting to disable Galactica's jump drive notices odd tears in the hull near the FTL assembly. It is not known whether this was hull stress caused by Tyrol disabling the FTL as the ship was about to jump, or an as-yet unexplained problem that has an impact on Galactica's hull.
**The ''Galactica'' may be suffering from serious long term metal fatigue and/or cumulative battle damage, as evidenced by the bulkhead deformation Tyrol discovers in the FTL drive room. Over the course of the series, Tigh has made a number of comments on ''Galactica's'' worsening structural condition, especially in absence of any possibility for repair at a shipyard. The ship itself is 50+ years old and has seen combat in two wars against the Cylons, and after all the damage its taken - the [[Battle of New Caprica]] being the most obvious example - it is not all that surprising to see the ship's structural integrity begin to fail like this.
** It is extremely unlikely that the damage witnessed by Tyrol was a result of his improper shut-down of the FTL, a tear of that size in metal would likely have been extremely loud and Tyrol does not notice the damage until he just happens to glance up at it. While it is possible that the FTL drive spun up would be louder than the sound of such a crack there is also no strong vibrations shown either in engineering or on the bridge, which would no doubt accompany such a large tear. Given that the area where Tyrol is an auxiliary control center, which is unlikely the be manned unless there is a problem with the FTL drives, it is eminently possible that the tear has been there for some time since it has been quite some time since Galactica has been depicted as having FTL problem. However, as were are dealing with a device that can bend time and space, nothing can be completely discredited at this point.
*Roslin threatens to attack ''Galactica'' if Gaeta and Zarek do not surrender. Numerous missile emplacements are then shown opening along the arms of the rebel basestar. Due to the known incompetence of ''Galactica's'' mutineer crew (Gage being unable to jam Roslin's transmission in [[The Oath]] without Gaeta's help), the chaos aboard ''Galactica'' with a mutiny still ongoing, and ''Galatica's'' status as an undermanned vessel, it is possible that the basestar could have successfully engaged and destroyed ''Galactica'' or at least severely damaged her enough to prevent her escaping.
*Captain Kelly, after having been locked up in the brig for his attempts to assassinate Baltar's lawyers, still holds a deep love for the Galactica and her commander. As he was a part of the original senior leadership (3rd in command as shown after Adama's near-assassination), his nostalgic comments with Tyrol indicated his withering resolve to be part of the coup. In addition, being a witness to the cruelty of Zarek with the Quorum was probably the first catalyst for his repentance.
*Gaeta, prior to his execution, is shown smoking and having drinks with Baltar. This is significant as Gaeta is rarely shown smoking during the show, and when it is shown, it was done when Gaeta finally felt free to be who he wanted to be. The first time was during his taped interview with D'Anna where he "let his hair down" so to speak. Incorporating a final smoke for Gaeta seemed appropriate to allow the audience to see a humanized Gaeta again.
*Gaeta and Baltar have a civil conversation before Gaeta's execution indicating that the two have forgiven each other for thier past transgressions: Gaeta trying to kill Baltar and Baltar's involvement with the Cylons on New Caprica.
*Baltar, despite admitting to not really liking his followers, has developed a sense of responsibility towards them as shown when he's speaking with [[Number Six#Lida|Lida]] about them and deciding to go back. This is the first time that Baltar has been shown to truly care about something besides himself indicating he may have changed somewhat.
*Dialogue in this episode indicates there are 35 civilian ships left in the fleet. This is the first time since abandoning [[New Caprica]] that significant information on the number of ships left in the fleet has emerged. This number doesn't seem to tally with the observed losses in the fleet since the first season, although the number of ships has been portrayed inconsistently throughout the miniseries and the main seasons (a figure in the mid 70s being mentioned in [[Home, Part I]]). The figure of 35 stated here- indicating a loss of half the fleet's ships- seems somewhat inconsistent with a the human population that has only declined by about one fifth since the arrival of Pegasus's crew which bolstered the number of survivors to close to 50,000. Ships being abandoned on New Caprica or afterwards may explain this strikingly low number unless it is a continuity error. If 35 is a correct figure, the other ships in the fleet must have somehow found a way to take a huge number of extra people aboard.
*Ronald D Moore has commented that ''Galactica'' is severely undermanned at this point and therefore large parts of the ship are empty, making it easier for mutineers and counter-mutineers to move around unobserved. This however is contracted by the fact that ''Galactica'' now has the crew of ''Pegasus'' aboard and the ship has in fact been seen to be overcrowded. Even allowing for losses on New Caprica and the fact that ''Pegasus'' was undermanned, the ship should still have a larger crew compliment than when she began her journey. In orbit around New Caprica the two ships still had over 2000 personnel still serving and doubtless most if not all former crew re-enlisted after the evacuation of New Caprica. Galactica's combined crew have not been seen to have taken any substantial losses since leaving New Caprica that would leave much of the ship empty. This may be a retcon or continuity error. It should be noted, however, that a large proportion of the people on the ship following the escape from New Caprica were civilians who may have since been relocated. Furthermore, it may be that only certain areas of the ship - such as the living quarters - are overcrowded. The exact number of personnel that a fully manned ''Galactica'' should have is unknown.
*Despite [[Sharon Agathon]]'s vision-induced paranoia of a Six taking her daughter, [[Hera Agathon|Hera]]<ref>Sharon kills [[Natalie]] in "[[Sine Qua Non]]" when she sees the latter with Hera in a corridor after Sharon, President Roslin, and Caprica-Six all have a vision of a Six absconding with Hera at the opera house.</ref>, she does not protest [[Caprica-Six]] carrying Hera while Sharon supports her injured husband, [[Karl Agathon|Karl]]. It must be remembered that it was Caprica Six who aided in the escape of Athena with Hera from the Baseship after she got Helo to kill her so she would resurrect on the Baseship and recover their daughter. Caprica Six killed [[Sharon Valerii]] ("Boomer") after she tried to kill Hera for rejecting her and then helped get both Athena and Hera off the Baseship. Ironically, Caprica-Six is the only character who has been seen specifically committing infanticide (not counting Baltar's dream about Adama drowning Hera).<ref>Caprica-Six snaps a human infant's neck in her first scene in the [[Miniseries]].</ref>
*Assuming the writers maintained their preference to mirror real-world military traditions, the firing squad assembled to execute Gaeta and Zarek would likely be composed of low-level mutineers who were treated with leniency and then required to seal their loyalty (and feelings of guilt) by executing their former conspirators.
*It isn't clear whether Gaeta and Zarek were given any sort of trial before being executed. Given Adama and Roslin's preference (albeit sometimes waveringly so) for maintaining the rule of law, it would be surprising if the lead mutineers were just shot out of hand.
* During Tyrol and Kelly's discussion in the arms locker, Kelly mentions that he could have told Tyrol that Cally was trouble, Tyrol's response "Thanks, it wouldn't have mattered", indicates that, even if you had known that Cally had been sleeping with Hot Dog, he would still have married her. This clearly indicates that Tyrol loved her, and the way in which he says it clearly indicates that he still does. This means that Tyrol's tirade against the Admiral after his wife's death was an act, possibly out of grief, possibly to get himself dismissed from the Deck Crew so he couldn't sabotage anything should he have any hidden programming.

== Questions ==
* What will become of the other mutineers (Racetrack, Narcho, Seelix, etc)? Will Adama follow through with his promise of "no forgiveness"?
* Will Kelly be allowed to resume his duties on Galactica?
* Who will take over Gaeta's duties?
* What repercussions will the Quorum's assassination have on the Fleet?
* What is the significance of the damage Tyrol discovers in the engine room? Has it been there long, or is it a result of the improper shut down of the FTL drive? Do other areas of the ship show similar signs of damage?
* Is the same structural deficiency present near the other FTL drive?
* In the [[Miniseries]], Colonel Tigh tells Lt. Gaeta to "spin up FTL drives 1 and 2". Why did Tyrol's deactivation of one FTL drive stop Gaeta from ordering the other's use? Is the other FTL drive still functional?
** The ship may need both FTL drives to make a proper jump.
** Only one of the FTL drives damaged during [[Exodus, Part II]] may have been repaired.
* Will Anders survive his injuries? Were Starbuck and Lampkin even successful in getting him to sickbay?
* Will the rebel Cylons become less trusting of the humans as a result of this mutiny? Or will they be more inclined to trust certain humans, such as Roslin, since she managed to convince them to stay and follow her leadership?
* What was that device Roslin and Leoben were using to communicate with the rest of the Fleet?
* Why was Lee Adama - as opposed to Roslin - present at Zarek and Gaeta's execution?
* What will be done to the 25 ships who did not obey Roslin's order to power down their FTL drives?
* Will the FTL upgrades proceed once order has been brought back completely?
* Will there be a faction that will attempt to portray Zarek or Gaeta as martyrs?
* Will Helo survive his injuries?
** There is no reason to suppose that Helo is seriously injured, He was merely hit hard enough in the head to give him a concussion and for him to require medical treatment. Since the entire mutiny takes place in less than 9 hours that injury is more than enough to incapacitate him for the entire duration of the mutiny. Additionally, the wound likely looks worse than it actually is, since all head wounds bleed very badly, but he will likely need stitches.
***Helo was hit in the head with a rifle butt twice in quick succession. From the looks of things he was out for several hours. Head wounds of such force are '''''always''''' serious and not to be taken lightly.
* How will Baltar's new-found sense of responsibility toward his flock change his behavior?
* Will the Cylons' assistance of, and subordination to, President Roslin (and/or Colonial political leaders' fears of being associated with the failed coup d'état) secure them the citizenship and Quorum representation they seek?
* With Zarek dead and Lee Adama being the only surviving member of the Quorum (or one of the few surviving members, considering that two regular delegates were replaced by stand-ins), will he become the new Vice President?
* Are ''Galactica'''s computers now networked?
* With most of the Quorum dead, will Roslin and Adama use the attempted mutiny as a basis to declare martial law?
== The first on screen meeting of Gaeta and Adama ==
*''In the [[Miniseries]] (in the teaser) the first time we see Lt. Felix Gaeta and (back then) Commander Adama Gaeta was handing him routine reports-and also unknown to them the first indications of trouble-while he was practicing his public address on the occasion of ''Galactica'''s-and his-retirement. It is of note considering what we now know of what the unimaginable future had for them:''

:'''Gaeta''': Morning, sir. (hands him messages) Com traffic from the midwatch.

:'''Adama:''' Morning. (re: messages) Anything interesting?

:'''Gaeta:''' Mostly housekeeping. Oh, there is one odd message we were copied on. (shows him the message) The one from Fleet headquarters. Courier officer's overdue coming back from Armistice station.

:'''Adama:''' Hm.

:'''Gaeta:''' They're asking for a status report on all FTL capable ships in case they need someone to Jump out there tomorrow and see if his ship's had a mechanical problem.

:'''Adama:''' I think we're a little busy tomorrow, Mr. Gaeta. What do you think?

:'''Gaeta:''' (grins) Yes, sir. And may I also take this opportunity to say it's been both a pleasure and an honor to serve under you these past three years.

:'''Adama:''' Thank you, Mister Gaeta. The honor's been mine.

== Official Statements ==
*[http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2009/02/battlestar-galactica-gaeta-blood-scales-angeli.html Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune interviews Michael Angeli about the episode:], The Six who sleeps with Baltar on the baseship is named [[Number Six#Lida|Lida]].

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==
*'''''Tom Zarek''' delivers his ultimatum to '''Laura Roslin''''':
:'''Zarek''': This is Tom Zarek, President of the Twelve Colonies. It's over, Laura. Saul Tigh was killed attempting to escape. Bill Adama was tried and found guilty of his crimes. A firing squad executed him this morning. It's done, Laura. You want to think about the people of this fleet now, and surrender.
:'''Roslin''': No. Not now. Not ever. Do you hear me? I will use every cannon, every bomb, every bullet, every weapon I have down to my own eyeteeth to end you. I swear it!''' ''I'm coming for all of you!'''''
*'''''Felix Gaeta''' is disturbed by the sight of the slaughtered Quorum delegates:
:'''Gaeta''': We--we had the truth on our side. Now . . . now . . .
:'''Zarek''': The truth is told by whoever is left standing.
*'''''Lee Adama''' has just thrown a grenade towards the marines guarding the Cylon Prisoners, allowing him and '''Kara Thrace''' to kill them, after which Kara takes cover and Lee looks at her both amused and pleased with himself:
:'''Lee Adama''': ''walking forward and picking up the Grenade'' I never pulled the pin.
:'''Kara Thrace''': Ok, that is not funny.
:'''Lee Adama''': It would have been if you had thought of it.
:'''Kara Thrace''': No, still not funny.
*'''''Laura Roslin''''' broadcasting to the fleet:
:'''Roslin''': This is President Laura Roslin speaking from the Cylon baseship. Felix Gaeta has seized ''Galactica'' by force. The Cylons were defending themselves. They will not harm you. I repeat, the Cylons will not harm you. I am asking all ships' captains not to jump. Do not jump! Shut down your FTL drives!
*'''''Felix Gaeta''' is about to be executed for his crimes:
:'''Gaeta''': (referring to the pain from his lost leg) It stopped.

== Guest Stars ==
* [[Mark Sheppard]] as [[Romo Lampkin]]
* [[Richard Hatch]] as [[Tom Zarek]]
* [[Sebastian Spence]] as Lieutenant [[Noel Allison|Noel "Narcho" Allison]]
* [[Bodie Olmos]] as Lieutenant [[Brendan Costanza|Brendan "Hot Dog" Costanza]]
* [[Leah Cairns]] as Lieutenant [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]]
* [[Jennifer Halley]] as Ensign [[Diana Seelix|Diana "Hardball" Seelix]]
* [[Ty Olsson]] as Captain [[Aaron Kelly]]
* [[Derek Delost]] as Specialist [[Vireem]]
* [[Mike Dopud]] as Specialist [[Gage]]
* [[Colin Corrigan]] as Sergeant [[Allan Nowart]]
* [[Alexandra Thomas]] as [[Hera Agathon]]
* [[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Number Two]] / [[Leoben Conoy]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Andrew McIlroy]] as [[Jacob Cantrell]]
* [[Marilyn Norry]] as [[Reza Chronides]]
* [[Judith Maxie]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Picon Delegate|Picon Delegate]]
* [[Iris Paluly]] as Speaking Delegate [[Dahlia]]
* [[Veena Sood]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Quorum Delegate|Quorum Delegate]]
* [[Adrian Holmes]] as Marine [[Parr]]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Michael Angeli]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Blood on the Scales

2009-02-10T01:17:13Z

Doorofnight:

{{Episode Data
| image=
| title= Blood on the Scales
| season= 4
| episode=14
| guests=
| writer= [[Michael Angeli]] <ref name="battlestarsitrep">{{cite_web|url=http://galacticasitrep.blogspot.com/2008/05/angeli-also-rises.html|title=Angeli Also Rises|}}</ref>
| story=
| director=
| production=416
| rating=
| US airdate=February 6, 2009 <ref>http://tv.ign.com/articles/920/920164p1.html</ref>
| CAN airdate=February 6, 2009
| UK airdate=February 10 2009
| dvd=
| population=39603
| oldpopulation= 39643
| prev=[[The Oath]]
| next=[[No Exit]]
| forumthread= 2552
}}

== Overview ==
:''[[Felix Gaeta]]'s mutiny continues while Roslin finds refuge on the Cylon Basestar.''

== Summary ==

=== Teaser ===
* Rebel marines led by [[Aaron Kelly]] storm the airlock and capture [[Admiral Adama]] and [[Saul Tigh]] both of whom were knocked out by a stun grenade.
* Tigh recognizes Kelly and calls him "the brig rat." Kelly is visibly uneasy about all this.
* Meanwhile, the [[Raptor]] with President [[Roslin]] and [[Gaius Baltar]] on board heads for the [[Basestar]].
* A pair of Vipers, piloted by Narcho and Hotdog, pursue the Raptor. Hotdog, who is unaware of the mutiny on ''Galactica'', gets the Raptor in his sights, but doesn't fire. Instead he orders the Raptor to identify itself.
* Narcho tells Hotdog to destroy the Raptor, but Hotdog continues to ask for the target's identification.
* Roslin transmits a message from the Raptor saying that she is aboard the Raptor. [[Gage]] blocks the transmission, but not before Hotdog receives it.
* [[Gaeta]], now in command of the CIC, contacts Hotdog and orders him to destroy the Raptor. When Hotdog continues to hold his fire, Narcho goes in and launches a pair of missiles at the Raptor.
* The [[Eight]] piloting the Raptor successfully avoids the missiles, which hit the Basestar instead. The Raptor successfully docks at the Basestar.
* Gaeta orders Colonel Tigh to be placed in the brig with the other Cylons, but orders Admiral Adama to be brought to the CIC.
* On board the Basestar, the Cylons demand to know why they're being fired upon. Roslin explains the situation. Fearing that the government has been overthrown, the Cylons want to jump away from the Fleet.
* Roslin insists that they give Adama a chance to retake ''Galactica''. Baltar points out that it's unlikely that Adama will win and that Gaeta and Zarek have the majority of support on ''Galactica''. Roslin counters that they've already seen evidence that not all of ''Galactica'''s crew support the mutiny.
* Roslin tells the Cylons to move their ship into the middle of the Fleet, so that ''Galactica'' won't be able to fire upon them.
* Back on ''Galactica'', Adama is brought to the CIC. Gaeta asks him to call Roslin and convince her to surrender.
* Adama refuses and instead pulls off his admiral pins. He throws them to Gaeta and sarcastically tells Gaeta that he's the admiral now and to make the call himself.
* Gaeta orders gun batteries to target the Basestar, but before they can do so, the Basestar moves into the middle of the Fleet. Gaeta calls off the attack and orders the Basestar to be quarantined. He also gives orders to prepare for [[Tom Zarek]]'s arrival.
* Adama asks Gaeta if he's planning on shooting him. Gaeta gives no response.

=== Act 1 ===

=== Act 2 ===

=== Act 3 ===

=== Act 4 ===

== Notes ==
*The [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum of Twelve]] were murdered on Zarek's order for supporting President Roslin. [[Lee Adama]] survived as he wasn't present during the Quorum session. Two other regular Quorum members (Gemenon Delegate and one other delegate) were replaced by temporary stand-ins (who were killed), and their fate is unknown.
*Romo Lampkin while being compled to serve as Adama's lawyer during his trial he refered to two looming Marine guards as "Wynken and Blynken". This was in reference to the poem of ''[[Wikipedia:Wynken, Blynken, and Nod|Wynken, Blynken, and Nod]]'', a late 19th century Dutch child's lullaby by [[Wikipedia:Eugene Field|Eugene Field]] about three fishermen fishing in the stary night in the sky with the help of the moon and uses a magic wooden shoe as as their boat.<ref>[http://www3.amherst.edu/~rjyanco94/literature/eugenefield/poems/poemsofchildhood/wynkenblynkenandnod.html Wynken, Blynken, and Nod" Lullaby]</ref>
*This episode marks the death of Felix Gaeta and Tom Zarek who are executed by firing squad for their mutiny against Adama and the government.
*The character Captain Kelly was last seen during season 3 when he was arrested for his bombing and assassinations of Baltar's lawyers. His character has appear intermittently since the show began and is fitting that he would be the double-turn coat as he was part of the original senior staff and his love for Admiral Adama is proven to be stronger than his hatred of the Cylons.
*The events depicted in "The Oath" and "Blood on the Scales" cover approximately nine hours: Tigh enters Adama's quarters at 0620 at the beginning of "The Oath", culminates with Gaeta seizing the CIC at 0922, and concludes with Adama and his loyalists retaking the CIC at 1532 in "Blood on the Scales". The execution of Gaeta and Zarek, however, take place an unspecified time later.
*The ship's FTL drive is seen for the first time.

== Analysis ==
*Despite all of the support that Gaeta and Zarek seemed to have at the beginning of the mutiny, Roslin and Adama had more support from people opposed to it and possibly people who rethought it like Kelly. On Roslin and Adama's side were ''Galactica's'' senior staff (the members of CIC were either people on Gaeta's side or forced to work at gunpoint by marines), at least most of the crew given how many people joined Adama's march to CIC, the Quorum of Twelve and the Cylons and Baltar's followers. Gaeta and Zarek had the supporters they'd managed to gather amongst ''Galactica's'' crew and about 25 ships who refused Roslin's order to stand down FTL drives. In the end Adama and Roslin were successful because the people supported them more and Adama had enough respect from his crew that he was able to turn a lot back to his side just by stating his intention to retake the ship and walking by others. Gaeta and Zarek had to use force to get what they wanted. Many people, both in support of Gaeta/Zarek and in opposition, were killed. Given the death count, 40 in the first four hours of the mutiny, from 06:32 hours when Zarek was released from the Brig to sometime after 10:30 hours when Adama and Tigh are captured in the stowage bay (with most of the killing starting shortly after 09:02 hours after Capt. [[Kara Thrace]] rescues Delegate [[Lee Adama]] in the Hanger Deck), the attack on those Loyal to Adama was vicious. The break down of mutineer and loyalist deaths hasn't been given yet, but it is most likely that most of these deaths were those loyal to Adama since Gaeta/Zarek forces had the element of both surprise and preparation in their favor. [[Peter Laird]] was the first death, occuring shortly before 07:00 hours. The 40 figure only represents the deaths by the end of "[[The Oath]]". With the retaking of CIC by Adama and Tigh, the mutiny ended at 15:32 hours, approximately 8 hours and 40 minutes elapsed time (they may have been resisters after that time not wishing to be taken into custody). Mutiny death figures since 10:30 hours, including the murder of the Quorum delegates, will be reflected in the survivor population count after the teaser of "[[No Exit]]" unless otherwise indicated.
*Gaeta's sudden lack of pain in his amputated leg signals that his chronic pain (which he tried to numb with painkillers during the webisodes) was partially psychological. Once he was at peace with who he was and what he had done, his mental pain and much of his physical pain and itching disappeared. His last words acknowledged that the irritation had stopped.
*The marines who eventually joined Adama's side near the end of the episode indicates that other mutineers simply were part of the coup out of self-preservation or at least wanting to be on the "winning" side. Once it was clear that Adama and the senior staff were rising up and reclaiming the ship, the marines, and others finally arose as well.
*By sparing Narcho's life, Admiral Adama characteristically shows his love and compassion for those who serve under him. Despite his speech of "no forgiveness" in "The Oath", it is clear that Adama will attempt to give the mutineers a second chance if it is reasonable.
*The mutineers at no point subdued all resistance aboard ''Galactica''. As Adama marched on CIC, many crew members rushed to join him, indicating that they were either still resisting or were waiting for a sign that the tide had turned. CIC also was controlled by Gaeta through the use of marines who held most of the staff at gunpoint.
* Tyrol, while attempting to disable Galactica's jump drive notices odd tears in the hull near the FTL assembly. It is not known whether this was hull stress caused by Tyrol disabling the FTL as the ship was about to jump, or an as-yet unexplained problem that has an impact on Galactica's hull.
**The ''Galactica'' may be suffering from serious long term metal fatigue and/or cumulative battle damage, as evidenced by the bulkhead deformation Tyrol discovers in the FTL drive room. Over the course of the series, Tigh has made a number of comments on ''Galactica's'' worsening structural condition, especially in absence of any possibility for repair at a shipyard. The ship itself is 50+ years old and has seen combat in two wars against the Cylons, and after all the damage its taken - the [[Battle of New Caprica]] being the most obvious example - it is not all that surprising to see the ship's structural integrity begin to fail like this.
** It is extremely unlikely that the damage witnessed by Tyrol was a result of his improper shut-down of the FTL, a tear of that size in metal would likely have been extremely loud and Tyrol does not notice the damage until he just happens to glance up at it. While it is possible that the FTL drive spun up would be louder than the sound of such a crack there is also no strong vibrations shown either in engineering or on the bridge, which would no doubt accompany such a large tear. Given that the area where Tyrol is an auxiliary control center, which is unlikely the be manned unless there is a problem with the FTL drives, it is eminently possible that the tear has been there for some time since it has been quite some time since Galactica has been depicted as having FTL problem. However, as were are dealing with a device that can bend time and space, nothing can be completely discredited at this point.
*Roslin threatens to attack ''Galactica'' if Gaeta and Zarek do not surrender. Numerous missile emplacements are then shown opening along the arms of the rebel basestar. Due to the known incompetence of ''Galactica's'' mutineer crew (Gage being unable to jam Roslin's transmission in [[The Oath]] without Gaeta's help), the chaos aboard ''Galactica'' with a mutiny still ongoing, and ''Galatica's'' status as an undermanned vessel, it is possible that the basestar could have successfully engaged and destroyed ''Galactica'' or at least severely damaged her enough to prevent her escaping.
*Captain Kelly, after having been locked up in the brig for his attempts to assassinate Baltar's lawyers, still holds a deep love for the Galactica and her commander. As he was a part of the original senior leadership (3rd in command as shown after Adama's near-assassination), his nostalgic comments with Tyrol indicated his withering resolve to be part of the coup. In addition, being a witness to the cruelty of Zarek with the Quorum was probably the first catalyst for his repentance.
*Gaeta, prior to his execution, is shown smoking and having drinks with Baltar. This is significant as Gaeta is rarely shown smoking during the show, and when it is shown, it was done when Gaeta finally felt free to be who he wanted to be. The first time was during his taped interview with D'Anna where he "let his hair down" so to speak. Incorporating a final smoke for Gaeta seemed appropriate to allow the audience to see a humanized Gaeta again.
*Gaeta and Baltar have a civil conversation before Gaeta's execution indicating that the two have forgiven each other for thier past transgressions: Gaeta trying to kill Baltar and Baltar's involvement with the Cylons on New Caprica.
*Baltar, despite admitting to not really liking his followers, has developed a sense of responsibility towards them as shown when he's speaking with [[Number Six#Lida|Lida]] about them and deciding to go back. This is the first time that Baltar has been shown to truly care about something besides himself indicating he may have changed somewhat.
*Dialogue in this episode indicates there are 35 civilian ships left in the fleet. This is the first time since abandoning [[New Caprica]] that significant information on the number of ships left in the fleet has emerged. This number doesn't seem to tally with the observed losses in the fleet since the first season, although the number of ships has been portrayed inconsistently throughout the miniseries and the main seasons (a figure in the mid 70s being mentioned in [[Home, Part I]]). The figure of 35 stated here- indicating a loss of half the fleet's ships- seems somewhat inconsistent with a the human population that has only declined by about one fifth since the arrival of Pegasus's crew which bolstered the number of survivors to close to 50,000. Ships being abandoned on New Caprica or afterwards may explain this strikingly low number unless it is a continuity error. If 35 is a correct figure, the other ships in the fleet must have somehow found a way to take a huge number of extra people aboard.
*Ronald D Moore has commented that ''Galactica'' is severely undermanned at this point and therefore large parts of the ship are empty, making it easier for mutineers and counter-mutineers to move around unobserved. This however is contracted by the fact that ''Galactica'' now has the crew of ''Pegasus'' aboard and the ship has in fact been seen to be overcrowded. Even allowing for losses on New Caprica and the fact that ''Pegasus'' was undermanned, the ship should still have a larger crew compliment than when she began her journey. In orbit around New Caprica the two ships still had over 2000 personnel still serving and doubtless most if not all former crew re-enlisted after the evacuation of New Caprica. Galactica's combined crew have not been seen to have taken any substantial losses since leaving New Caprica that would leave much of the ship empty. This may be a retcon or continuity error. It should be noted, however, that a large proportion of the people on the ship following the escape from New Caprica were civilians who may have since been relocated. Furthermore, it may be that only certain areas of the ship - such as the living quarters - are overcrowded. The exact number of personnel that a fully manned ''Galactica'' should have is unknown.
*Despite [[Sharon Agathon]]'s vision-induced paranoia of a Six taking her daughter, [[Hera Agathon|Hera]]<ref>Sharon kills [[Natalie]] in "[[Sine Qua Non]]" when she sees the latter with Hera in a corridor after Sharon, President Roslin, and Caprica-Six all have a vision of a Six absconding with Hera at the opera house.</ref>, she does not protest [[Caprica-Six]] carrying Hera while Sharon supports her injured husband, [[Karl Agathon|Karl]]. It must be remembered that it was Caprica Six who aided in the escape of Athena with Hera from the Baseship after she got Helo to kill her so she would resurrect on the Baseship and recover their daughter. Caprica Six killed [[Sharon Valerii]] ("Boomer") after she tried to kill Hera for rejecting her and then helped get both Athena and Hera off the Baseship. Ironically, Caprica-Six is the only character who has been seen specifically committing infanticide (not counting Baltar's dream about Adama drowning Hera).<ref>Caprica-Six snaps a human infant's neck in her first scene in the [[Miniseries]].</ref>
*Assuming the writers maintained their preference to mirror real-world military traditions, the firing squad assembled to execute Gaeta and Zarek would likely be composed of low-level mutineers who were treated with leniency and then required to seal their loyalty (and feelings of guilt) by executing their former conspirators.
*It isn't clear whether Gaeta and Zarek were given any sort of trial before being executed. Given Adama and Roslin's preference (albeit sometimes waveringly so) for maintaining the rule of law, it would be surprising if the lead mutineers were just shot out of hand.

== Questions ==
* What will become of the other mutineers (Racetrack, Narcho, Seelix, etc)? Will Adama follow through with his promise of "no forgiveness"?
* Will Kelly be allowed to resume his duties on Galactica?
* Who will take over Gaeta's duties?
* What repercussions will the Quorum's assassination have on the Fleet?
* What is the significance of the damage Tyrol discovers in the engine room? Has it been there long, or is it a result of the improper shut down of the FTL drive? Do other areas of the ship show similar signs of damage?
* Is the same structural deficiency present near the other FTL drive?
* In the [[Miniseries]], Colonel Tigh tells Lt. Gaeta to "spin up FTL drives 1 and 2". Why did Tyrol's deactivation of one FTL drive stop Gaeta from ordering the other's use? Is the other FTL drive still functional?
** The ship may need both FTL drives to make a proper jump.
** Only one of the FTL drives damaged during [[Exodus, Part II]] may have been repaired.
* Will Anders survive his injuries? Were Starbuck and Lampkin even successful in getting him to sickbay?
* Will the rebel Cylons become less trusting of the humans as a result of this mutiny? Or will they be more inclined to trust certain humans, such as Roslin, since she managed to convince them to stay and follow her leadership?
* What was that device Roslin and Leoben were using to communicate with the rest of the Fleet?
* Why was Lee Adama - as opposed to Roslin - present at Zarek and Gaeta's execution?
* What will be done to the 25 ships who did not obey Roslin's order to power down their FTL drives?
* Will the FTL upgrades proceed once order has been brought back completely?
* Will there be a faction that will attempt to portray Zarek or Gaeta as martyrs?
* Will Helo survive his injuries?
** There is no reason to suppose that Helo is seriously injured, He was merely hit hard enough in the head to give him a concussion and for him to require medical treatment. Since the entire mutiny takes place in less than 9 hours that injury is more than enough to incapacitate him for the entire duration of the mutiny. Additionally, the wound likely looks worse than it actually is, since all head wounds bleed very badly, but he will likely need stitches.
* How will Baltar's new-found sense of responsibility toward his flock change his behaviour?
* Will the Cylons' assistance of, and subordination to, President Roslin (and/or Colonial political leaders' fears of being associated with the failed coup d'état) secure them the citizenship and Quorum representation they seek?
* With Zarek dead and Lee Adama being the only surviving member of the Quorum (or one of the few surviving members, considering that two regular delegates were replaced by stand-ins), will he become the new Vice President?
* Are Galactica's computers now networked?
* With most of the Quorum dead, will Roslin and Adama use the attempted mutiny as a basis to declare martial law?
== Official Statements ==
*[http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2009/02/battlestar-galactica-gaeta-blood-scales-angeli.html Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune interviews Michael Angeli about the episode:], The Six who sleeps with Baltar on the baseship is named [[Number Six#Lida|Lida]].

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==
*'''''Tom Zarek''' delivers his ultimatum to '''Laura Roslin''''':
:'''Zarek''': This is Tom Zarek, President of the Twelve Colonies. It's over, Laura. Saul Tigh was killed attempting to escape. Bill Adama was tried and found guilty of his crimes. A firing squad executed him this morning. It's done, Laura. You want to think about the people of this fleet now, and surrender.
:'''Roslin''': No. Not now. Not ever. Do you hear me? I will use every cannon, every bomb, every bullet, every weapon I have down to my own eyeteeth to end you. I swear it!''' ''I'm coming for all of you!'''''
*'''''Felix Gaeta''' is disturbed by the sight of the slaughtered Quorum delegates:
:'''Gaeta''': We--we had the truth on our side. Now . . . now . . .
:'''Zarek''': The truth is told by whoever is left standing.
*'''''Lee Adama''' has just thrown a grenade towards the marines guarding the Cylon Prisoners, allowing him and '''Kara Thrace''' to kill them, after which Kara takes cover and Lee looks at her both amused and pleased with himself:
:'''Lee Adama''': ''walking forward and picking up the Grenade'' I never pulled the pin.
:'''Kara Thrace''': Ok, that is not funny.
:'''Lee Adama''': It would have been if you had thought of it.
:'''Kara Thrace''': No, still not funny.
*'''''Felix Gaeta''' is about to be executed for his crimes:
:'''Gaeta''': (referring to the pain from his lost leg) It stopped.

== Guest Stars ==
* [[Mark Sheppard]] as [[Romo Lampkin]]
* [[Richard Hatch]] as [[Tom Zarek]]
* [[Sebastian Spence]] as Lieutenant [[Noel Allison|Noel "Narcho" Allison]]
* [[Bodie Olmos]] as Lieutenant [[Brendan Costanza|Brendan "Hot Dog" Costanza]]
* [[Leah Cairns]] as Lieutenant [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]]
* [[Jennifer Halley]] as Ensign [[Diana Seelix|Diana "Hardball" Seelix]]
* [[Ty Olsson]] as Captain [[Aaron Kelly]]
* [[Derek Delost]] as Specialist [[Vireem]]
* [[Mike Dopud]] as Specialist [[Gage]]
* [[Colin Corrigan]] as Sergeant [[Allan Nowart]]
* [[Alexandra Thomas]] as [[Hera Agathon]]
* [[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Number Two]] / [[Leoben Conoy]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Andrew McIlroy]] as [[Jacob Cantrell]]
* [[Marilyn Norry]] as [[Reza Chronides]]
* [[Judith Maxie]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Picon Delegate|Picon Delegate]]
* [[Iris Paluly]] as Speaking Delegate [[Dahlia]]
* [[Veena Sood]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Quorum Delegate|Quorum Delegate]]
* [[Adrian Holmes]] as Marine [[Parr]]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Michael Angeli]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Blood on the Scales

2009-02-08T16:26:14Z

Doorofnight:

{{Episode Data
| image=
| title= Blood on the Scales
| season= 4
| episode=14
| guests=
| writer= [[Michael Angeli]] <ref name="battlestarsitrep">{{cite_web|url=http://galacticasitrep.blogspot.com/2008/05/angeli-also-rises.html|title=Angeli Also Rises|}}</ref>
| story=
| director=
| production=416
| rating=
| US airdate=February 6, 2009 <ref>http://tv.ign.com/articles/920/920164p1.html</ref>
| CAN airdate=February 6, 2009
| UK airdate=February 10 2009
| dvd=
| population=39603
| oldpopulation= 39643
| prev=[[The Oath]]
| next=[[No Exit]]
| forumthread= 2552
}}

== Overview ==
:''[[Felix Gaeta]]'s mutiny continues while Roslin finds refuge on the Cylon Basestar.''

== Summary ==

=== Teaser ===
* Rebel marines led by [[Aaron Kelly]] storm the airlock and capture [[Admiral Adama]] and [[Saul Tigh]] both of whom were knocked out by a concussion grenade.
* Tigh recognizes Kelly and calls him "the brig rat." Kelly is visibly uneasy about all this.
* Meanwhile, the [[Raptor]] with President [[Roslin]] and [[Gaius Baltar]] on board heads for the [[Basestar]].
* A pair of Vipers, piloted by Narcho and Hotdog, pursue the Raptor. Hotdog, who is unaware of the mutiny on ''Galactica'', gets the Raptor in his sights, but doesn't fire. Instead he orders the Raptor to identify itself.
* Narcho tells Hotdog to destroy the Raptor, but Hotdog continues to ask for the target's identification.
* Roslin transmits a message from the Raptor saying that she is aboard the Raptor. [[Gage]] blocks the transmission, but not before Hotdog receives it.
* [[Gaeta]], now in command of the CIC, contacts Hotdog and orders him to destroy the Raptor. When Hotdog continues to hold his fire, Narcho goes in and launches a pair of missiles at the Raptor.
* The [[Eight]] piloting the Raptor successfully avoids the missiles, which hit the Basestar instead. The Raptor successfully docks at the Basestar.
* Gaeta orders Colonel Tigh to be placed in the brig with the other Cylons, but orders Admiral Adama to be brought to the CIC.
* On board the Basestar, the Cylons demand to know why they're being fired upon. Roslin explains the situation. Fearing that the government has been overthrown, the Cylons want to jump away from the Fleet.
* Roslin insists that they give Adama a chance to retake ''Galactica''. Baltar points out that it's unlikely that Adama will win and that Gaeta and Zarek have the majority of support on ''Galactica''. Roslin counters that they've already seen evidence that not all of ''Galactica'''s crew support the mutiny.
* Roslin tells the Cylons to move their ship into the middle of the Fleet, so that ''Galactica'' won't be able to fire upon them.
* Back on ''Galactica'', Adama is brought to the CIC. Gaeta asks him to call Roslin and convince her to surrender.
* Adama refuses and instead pulls off his admiral pins. He throws them to Gaeta and sarcastically tells Gaeta that he's the admiral now and to make the call himself.
* Gaeta orders gun batteries to target the Basestar, but before they can do so, the Basestar moves into the middle of the Fleet. Gaeta calls off the attack and orders the Basestar to be quarantined. He also gives orders to prepare for [[Tom Zarek]]'s arrival.
* Adama asks Gaeta if he's planning on shooting him. Gaeta gives no response.

=== Act 1 ===

=== Act 2 ===

=== Act 3 ===

=== Act 4 ===

== Notes ==
*The [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum of Twelve]] were murdered on Zarek's order for supporting President Roslin. [[Lee Adama]] survived as he wasn't present during the Quorum session. Two other regular Quorum members (Gemenon Delegate and one other delegate) were replaced by temporary stand-ins (who were killed), and their fate is unknown.
*This episode marks the death of Felix Gaeta and Tom Zarek who are executed by firing squad for their mutiny against Adama and the government.
*The character Captain Kelly was last seen during season 3 when he was arrested for his bombing and assassinations of Baltar's lawyers. His character has appear intermittently since the show began and is fitting that he would be the double-turn coat as he was part of the original senior staff and his love for Admiral Adama is proven to be stronger than his hatred of the Cylons.

== Analysis ==
*Despite all of the support that Gaeta and Zarek seemed to have at the beginning of the mutiny, Roslin and Adama had more support from people opposed to it and possibly people who rethought it like Lieutenant Kelly. On Roslin and Adama's side were ''Galactica's'' senior staff (the members of CIC were either people on Gaeta's side or forced to work at gunpoint by marines), at least most of the crew given how many people joined Adama's march to CIC, the Quorum of Twelve and the Cylons and Baltar's followers. Gaeta and Zarek had the supporters they'd managed to gather amongst ''Galactica's'' crew and about 25 ships who refused Roslin's order to stand down FTL drives. In the end Adama and Roslin were successful because the people supported them more and Adama had enough respect from his crew that he was able to turn a lot back to his side just by stating his intention to retake the ship and walking by others. Gaeta and Zarek had to use force to get what they wanted while Adama and his men used very little force and ultimately retook the ship without firing a shot once they stormed the CIC. Gaeta's takeover had many people killed (given the survivor count, over 40) while the people on Adama's side killed very few.
*Gaeta's sudden lack of pain in his amputated leg signals that his chronic pain (which he tried to numb with painkillers during the webisodes) was partially psychological. Once he was at peace with who he was and what he had done, his mental pain and much of his physical pain and itching disappeared. His last words acknowledged that the itching had stopped.
*The marines who eventually joined Adama's side near the end of the episode indicates that other mutineers simply were part of the coup out of self-preservation or at least wanting to be on the "winning" side. Once it was clear that Adama and the senior staff were rising up and reclaiming the ship, the marines, and others finally arose as well.
*By sparing Narcho's life, Admiral Adama characteristically shows his love and compassion for those who serve under him. Despite his speech of "no forgiveness" in "[[The Oath]]", it is clear that Adama will attempt to give the mutineers a second chance if it is reasonable.
*The mutineers at no point subdued all resistance aboard ''Galactica''. As Adama marched on CIC, many crewmembers rushed to join him, indicating that they were either still resisting or were waiting for a sign that the tide had turned. CIC also was controlled by Gaeta through the use of marines who held most of the staff at gunpoint.
* Tyrol, while attempting to disable Galactica's jump drive (in order to stop the jump of the 25 ship mutineer fleet, since they will not jump without Galactica), notices odd tears in the hull near the FTL assembly. It is not known whether this was hull stress caused by Tyrol disabling the FTL as the ship was about to jump, or an as-yet unexplained problem that has an impact on Galactica's hull.
**The ''Galactica'' may be suffering from serious long term metal fatigue and/or cumulative battle damage, as evidenced by the bulkhead deformation Tyrol discovers in the FTL drive room. Over the course of the series, Tigh has made a number of comments on ''Galactica's'' worsening structural condition, especially in absence of any possibility for repair at a shipyard. The ship itself is 50+ years old and has seen combat in two wars against the Cylons, and after all the damage its taken - the [[Battle of New Caprica]] being the most obvious example - it is not all that surprising to see the ship's structual integrity begin to fail like this.
** It is extremely unlikely that the damage witnessed by Tyrol was a result of his improper shut-down of the FTL, a tear of that size in metal would likely have been extremely loud and Tyrol does not notice the damage until he just happens to glance up at it. While it is possible that the FTL drive spun up would be louder than the sound of such a crack there is also no strong vibrations shown either in engineering or on the bridge, which would no doubt accompany such a large tear. Given that the area where Tyrol is an auxiliary control center, which is unlikely the be manned unless there is a problem with the FTL drives, it is eminently possible that the tear has been there for some time since It has been quite some time since Galactica has been depicted as having FTL problem.
*Roslin threatens to attack ''Galactica'' if Gaeta and Zarek do not surrender. Numerous missile emplacements are then shown opening along the arms of the rebel basestar. Due to the known incompetence of ''Galactica's'' mutineer crew (Gage being unable to jam Roslin's transmission in [[The Oath]] without Gaeta's help), the chaos aboard ''Galactica'' with a mutiny still ongoing, and ''Galatica's'' status as an undermanned vessel, it is possible that the basestar could have successfully engaged and destroyed ''Galactica'' or at least severely damaged her enough to prevent her escaping.
*Captain Kelly, after having been locked up in the brig for his attempts to assassinate Baltar's lawyers, still holds a deep love for the Galactica and her commander. As he was a part of the original senior leadership (3rd in command as shown after Adama's near-assassination), his nostalgic comments with Tyrol indicated his withering resolve to be part of the coup. In addition, being a witness to the cruelty of Zarek with the Quorum was probably the first catalyst for his repentance.
*Gaeta, prior to his execution, is shown smoking and having drinks with Baltar. This is significant as Gaeta is rarely shown smoking during the show, and when it is shown, it was done when Gaeta finally felt free to be who he wanted to be. The first time was during his taped interview with D'Anna where he "let his hair down" so to speak. Incorporating a final smoke for Gaeta seemed appropriate to allow the audience to see a humanized Gaeta again.
*Gaeta and Baltar have a civil conversation before Gaeta's execution indicating that the two have forgiven each other for thier past transgressions: Gaeta trying to kill Baltar and Baltar's involvement with the Cylons on New Caprica.
*Baltar, despite admitting to not really liking his followers, has developed a sense of responsibility towards them as shown when he's speaking with [[Number Six#Lida|Lida]] about them and deciding to go back. This is the first time that Baltar has been shown to truly care about something besides himself indicating he may have changed somewhat.
*Dialogue in this episode indicates there are 35 civilian ships left in the fleet. This is the first time since abandoning New Caprice that significant information on the number of ships left in the fleet has emerged. This number doesn't seem to tally with the observed losses in the fleet since the first season, although the number of ships has been portrayed inconsistently throughout the miniseries and the main seasons (a figure in the mid 70s being mentioned in [[Home, Part I]]). The figure of 35 stated here- indicating a loss of half the fleet's ships- seems somewhat inconsistent with a the human population that has only declined by about one fifth since the arrival of Pegasus's crew which bolstered the number of survivors to close to 50,000. Ships being abandoned on New Caprica or afterwards may explain this strikingly low number unless it is a continuity error. If 35 is a correct figure, the other ships in the fleet must have somehow found a way to take a huge number of extra people aboard.
*Ronald D Moore has commented that ''Galactica'' is severely undermanned at this point and therefore large parts of the ship are empty, making it easier for mutineers and counter-mutineers to move around unobserved. This however is contracted by the fact that ''Galactica'' now has the crew of ''Pegasus'' aboard and the ship has in fact been seen to be overcrowded. Even allowing for losses on New Caprica and the fact that ''Pegasus'' was undermanned, the ship should still have a larger crew compliment than when she began her journey. In orbit around New Caprica the two ships still had over 2000 personnel still serving and doubtless most if not all former crew re-enlisted after the evacuation of New Caprica. Galactica's combined crew have not been seen to have taken any substantial losses since leaving New Caprica that would leave much of the ship empty. This may be a retcon or continuity error. It should be noted, however, that a large proportion of the people on the ship following the escape from New Caprica were civilians who may have since been relocated. Furthermore, it may be that only certain areas of the ship - such as the living quarters - are overcrowded. The exact number of personnel that a fully manned ''Galactica'' should have is unknown.
*Despite [[Sharon Agathon]]'s vision-induced paranoia of a Six taking her daughter, [[Hera Agathon|Hera]]<ref>Sharon kills [[Natalie]] in "[[Sine Qua Non]]" when she sees the latter with Hera in a corridor after Sharon, President Roslin, and Caprica-Six all have a vision of a Six absconding with Hera at the opera house.</ref>, she does not protest [[Caprica-Six]] carrying Hera while Sharon supports her injured husband, [[Karl Agathon|Karl]]. Ironically, Caprica-Six is the only character who has been seen specifically committing infanticide (not counting Baltar's dream about Adama drowning Hera).<ref>Caprica-Six snaps a human infant's neck in her first scene in the [[Miniseries]].</ref>
*Assuming the writers maintained their preference to mirror real-world military traditions, the firing squad assembled to execute Gaeta and Zarek would likely be composed of low-level mutineers who were treated with leniency and then required to seal their loyalty (and feelings of guilt) by executing their former conspirators.
*It isn't clear whether Gaeta and Zarek were given any sort of trial before being executed. Given Adama and Roslin's preference (albeit sometimes waveringly so) for maintaining the rule of law, it would be surprising if the lead mutineers were just shot out of hand.

== Questions ==
* What will become of the other mutineers (Racetrack, Narcho, Seelix, etc)? Will Adama follow through with his promise of "no forgiveness"?
* Will Kelly be allowed to resume his duties on Galactica?
* Who will take over Gaeta's duties?
* What repercussions will the Quorum's assassination have on the Fleet?
* What is the significance of the damage Tyrol discovers in the engine room? Has it been there long, or is it a result of the improper shut down of the FTL drive? Do other areas of the ship show similar signs of damage?
* Is the same structural deficiency present near the other FTL drive?
* In the [[Miniseries]], Colonel Tigh tells Lt. Gaeta to "spin up FTL drives 1 and 2". Why did Tyrol's deactivation of one FTL drive stop Gaeta from ordering the other's use? Is the other FTL drive still functional?
** The ship may need both FTL drives to make a proper jump.
* Will Anders survive his injuries?
* Will the rebel Cylons become less trusting of the humans as a result of this mutiny? Or will the they be more inclined to trust certain humans, such as Roslin, since she managed to convince them to stay and follow her leadership?
* What was that device Roslin and Leoben were using to communicate with the rest of the Fleet?
* Why was Lee Adama - as opposed to Roslin - present at Zarek and Gaeta's execution?
* What will be done to the 25 ships who did not obey Roslin's order to power down their FTL drives?
* Will the FTL upgrades proceed once order has been brought back completely?
* Will there be a faction that will attempt to portray Zarek or Gaeta as martyrs?
* Will Helo survive his injuries?
* How will Baltar's new-found sense of responsibility toward his flock change his behaviour?
* Will the Cylons' assistance of, and subordination to, President Roslin (and/or Colonial political leaders' fears of being associated with the failed coup d'état) secure them the citizenship and Quorum representation they seek?
* What is the nature of the dream Baltar has of Adama's execution?

== Official Statements ==
*[http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2009/02/battlestar-galactica-gaeta-blood-scales-angeli.html A Chicago Tribune interview with Michael Angeli about the episode:], The Six who sleeps with Baltar on the baseship is named [[Number Six#Lida|Lida]].

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==
*'''''Tom Zarek''' delivers his ultimatum to '''Laura Roslin''''':
:'''Zarek''': This is Tom Zarek. President of the Twelve Colonies. It's over Laura. Saul Tigh was killed attempting to escape. Bill Adama was tried and found guilty of his crimes. A firing squad executed him this moring. It's done, Laura. You want to think about the people of this fleet now, and surrender.
:'''Roslin''': No. Not now. Not ever. Do you hear me? I will use every cannon, every bomb, every bullet, every weapon I have down to my own eye teeth to end you. I swear it! I'm coming for all of you!
*'''''Felix Gaeta''' is disturbed by the site of the slaughtered Quorum delegates:
:'''Gaeta''': We--we had the truth on our side. Now . . . now . . .
:'''Zarek''': The truth is told by whoever is left standing.
*'''''Lee Adama''' has just thrown a grenade towards the marines guarding the Cylon Prisoners, allowing him and '''Kara Thrace''' to kill them, after which Kara takes cover and Lee looks at her both amused and pleased with himself:
:'''Lee Adama''': ''walking forward and picking up the Grenade'' I never pulled the pin.
:'''Kara Thrace''': Ok, that is not funny.
:'''Lee Adama''': It would have been if you had thought of it.
:'''Kara Thrace''': No, still not funny.

== Guest Stars ==
* [[Mark Sheppard]] as [[Romo Lampkin]]
* [[Richard Hatch]] as [[Tom Zarek]]
* [[Sebastian Spence]] as Lieutenant [[Noel Allison|Noel "Narcho" Allison]]
* [[Bodie Olmos]] as Lieutenant [[Brendan Costanza|Brendan "Hot Dog" Costanza]]
* [[Leah Cairns]] as Lieutenant [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]]
* [[Jennifer Halley]] as Ensign [[Diana Seelix|Diana "Hardball" Seelix]]
* [[Ty Olsson]] as Captain [[Aaron Kelly]]
* [[Derek Delost]] as Specialist [[Vireem]]
* [[Mike Dopud]] as Specialist [[Gage]]
* [[Colin Corrigan]] as Sergeant [[Allan Nowart]]
* [[Alexandra Thomas]] as [[Hera Agathon]]
* [[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Number Two]] / [[Leoben Conoy]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Andrew McIlroy]] as [[Jacob Cantrell]]
* [[Marilyn Norry]] as [[Reza Chronides]]
* [[Judith Maxie]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Picon Delegate|Picon Delegate]]
* [[Iris Paluly]] as Speaking Delegate [[Dahlia]]
* [[Veena Sood]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Quorum Delegate|Quorum Delegate]]
* [[Adrian Holmes]] as Marine [[Parr]]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Michael Angeli]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Blood on the Scales

2009-02-08T15:55:05Z

Doorofnight:

{{Episode Data
| image=
| title= Blood on the Scales
| season= 4
| episode=14
| guests=
| writer= [[Michael Angeli]] <ref name="battlestarsitrep">{{cite_web|url=http://galacticasitrep.blogspot.com/2008/05/angeli-also-rises.html|title=Angeli Also Rises|}}</ref>
| story=
| director=
| production=416
| rating=
| US airdate=February 6, 2009 <ref>http://tv.ign.com/articles/920/920164p1.html</ref>
| CAN airdate=February 6, 2009
| UK airdate=February 10 2009
| dvd=
| population=39603
| oldpopulation= 39643
| prev=[[The Oath]]
| next=[[No Exit]]
| forumthread= 2552
}}

== Overview ==
:''[[Felix Gaeta]]'s mutiny continues while Roslin finds refuge on the Cylon Basestar.''

== Summary ==

=== Teaser ===
* Rebel marines led by [[Aaron Kelly]] storm the airlock and capture [[Admiral Adama]] and [[Saul Tigh]] both of whom were knocked out by a concussion grenade.
* Tigh recognizes Kelly and calls him "the brig rat." Kelly is visibly uneasy about all this.
* Meanwhile, the [[Raptor]] with President [[Roslin]] and [[Gaius Baltar]] on board heads for the [[Basestar]].
* A pair of Vipers, piloted by Narcho and Hotdog, pursue the Raptor. Hotdog, who is unaware of the mutiny on ''Galactica'', gets the Raptor in his sights, but doesn't fire. Instead he orders the Raptor to identify itself.
* Narcho tells Hotdog to destroy the Raptor, but Hotdog continues to ask for the target's identification.
* Roslin transmits a message from the Raptor saying that she is aboard the Raptor. [[Gage]] blocks the transmission, but not before Hotdog receives it.
* [[Gaeta]], now in command of the CIC, contacts Hotdog and orders him to destroy the Raptor. When Hotdog continues to hold his fire, Narcho goes in and launches a pair of missiles at the Raptor.
* The [[Eight]] piloting the Raptor successfully avoids the missiles, which hit the Basestar instead. The Raptor successfully docks at the Basestar.
* Gaeta orders Colonel Tigh to be placed in the brig with the other Cylons, but orders Admiral Adama to be brought to the CIC.
* On board the Basestar, the Cylons demand to know why they're being fired upon. Roslin explains the situation. Fearing that the government has been overthrown, the Cylons want to jump away from the Fleet.
* Roslin insists that they give Adama a chance to retake ''Galactica''. Baltar points out that it's unlikely that Adama will win and that Gaeta and Zarek have the majority of support on ''Galactica''. Roslin counters that they've already seen evidence that not all of ''Galactica'''s crew support the mutiny.
* Roslin tells the Cylons to move their ship into the middle of the Fleet, so that ''Galactica'' won't be able to fire upon them.
* Back on ''Galactica'', Adama is brought to the CIC. Gaeta asks him to call Roslin and convince her to surrender.
* Adama refuses and instead pulls off his admiral pins. He throws them to Gaeta and sarcastically tells Gaeta that he's the admiral now and to make the call himself.
* Gaeta orders gun batteries to target the Basestar, but before they can do so, the Basestar moves into the middle of the Fleet. Gaeta calls off the attack and orders the Basestar to be quarantined. He also gives orders to prepare for [[Tom Zarek]]'s arrival.
* Adama asks Gaeta if he's planning on shooting him. Gaeta gives no response.

=== Act 1 ===

=== Act 2 ===

=== Act 3 ===

=== Act 4 ===

== Notes ==
*The [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum of Twelve]] were murdered on Zarek's order for supporting President Roslin. [[Lee Adama]] survived as he wasn't present during the Quorum session. Two other regular Quorum members (Gemenon Delegate and one other delegate) were replaced by temporary stand-ins (who were killed), and their fate is unknown.
*This episode marks the death of Felix Gaeta and Tom Zarek who are executed by firing squad for their mutiny against Adama and the government.
*The character Captain Kelly was last seen during season 3 when he was arrested for his bombing and assassinations of Baltar's lawyers. His character has appear intermittently since the show began and is fitting that he would be the double-turn coat as he was part of the original senior staff and his love for Admiral Adama is proven to be stronger than his hatred of the Cylons.

== Analysis ==
*Despite all of the support that Gaeta and Zarek seemed to have at the beginning of the mutiny, Roslin and Adama had more support from people opposed to it and possibly people who rethought it like Lieutenant Kelly. On Roslin and Adama's side were ''Galactica's'' senior staff (the members of CIC were either people on Gaeta's side or forced to work at gunpoint by marines), at least most of the crew given how many people joined Adama's march to CIC, the Quorum of Twelve and the Cylons and Baltar's followers. Gaeta and Zarek had the supporters they'd managed to gather amongst ''Galactica's'' crew and about 25 ships who refused Roslin's order to stand down FTL drives. In the end Adama and Roslin were successful because the people supported them more and Adama had enough respect from his crew that he was able to turn a lot back to his side just by stating his intention to retake the ship and walking by others. Gaeta and Zarek had to use force to get what they wanted while Adama and his men used very little force and ultimately retook the ship without firing a shot once they stormed the CIC. Gaeta's takeover had many people killed (given the survivor count, over 40) while the people on Adama's side killed very few.
*Gaeta's sudden lack of pain in his amputated leg signals that his chronic pain (which he tried to numb with painkillers during the webisodes) was partially psychological. Once he was at peace with who he was and what he had done, his mental pain and much of his physical pain and itching disappeared. His last words acknowledged that the itching had stopped.
*The marines who eventually joined Adama's side near the end of the episode indicates that other mutineers simply were part of the coup out of self-preservation or at least wanting to be on the "winning" side. Once it was clear that Adama and the senior staff were rising up and reclaiming the ship, the marines, and others finally arose as well.
*By sparing Narcho's life, Admiral Adama characteristically shows his love and compassion for those who serve under him. Despite his speech of "no forgiveness" in "[[The Oath]]", it is clear that Adama will attempt to give the mutineers a second chance if it is reasonable.
*The mutineers at no point subdued all resistance aboard ''Galactica''. As Adama marched on CIC, many crewmembers rushed to join him, indicating that they were either still resisting or were waiting for a sign that the tide had turned. CIC also was controlled by Gaeta through the use of marines who held most of the staff at gunpoint.
* Tyrol, while attempting to disable Galactica's jump drive (in order to stop the jump of the 25 ship mutineer fleet, since they will not jump without Galactica), notices odd tears in the hull near the FTL assembly. It is not known whether this was hull stress caused by Tyrol disabling the FTL as the ship was about to jump, or an as-yet unexplained problem that has an impact on Galactica's hull.
**The ''Galactica'' may be suffering from serious long term metal fatigue and/or cumulative battle damage, as evidenced by the bulkhead deformation Tyrol discovers in the FTL drive room. Over the course of the series, Tigh has made a number of comments on ''Galactica's'' worsening structural condition, especially in absence of any possibility for repair at a shipyard. The ship itself is 50+ years old and has seen combat in two wars against the Cylons, and after all the damage its taken - the [[Battle of New Caprica]] being the most obvious example - it is not all that surprising to see the ship's structual integrity begin to fail like this.
** It is extremely unlikely that the damage witnessed by Tyrol was a result of his improper shut-down of the FTL, a tear of that size in metal would likely have been extremely loud and Tyrol does not notice the damage until he just happens to glance up at it. While it is possible that the FTL drive spun up would be louder than the sound of such a crack there is also no strong vibrations shown either in engineering or on the bridge, which would no doubt accompany such a large tear. Given that the area where Tyrol is an auxiliary control center, which is unlikely the be manned unless there is a problem with the FTL drives, it is eminently possible that the tear has been there for some time since It has been quite some time since Galactica has been depicted as having FTL problem.
*Roslin threatens to attack ''Galactica'' if Gaeta and Zarek do not surrender. Numerous missile emplacements are then shown opening along the arms of the rebel basestar. Due to the known incompetence of ''Galactica's'' mutineer crew (Gage being unable to jam Roslin's transmission in [[The Oath]] without Gaeta's help), the chaos aboard ''Galactica'' with a mutiny still ongoing, and ''Galatica's'' status as an undermanned vessel, it is possible that the basestar could have successfully engaged and destroyed ''Galactica'' or at least severely damaged her enough to prevent her escaping.
*Captain Kelly, after having been locked up in the brig for his attempts to assassinate Baltar's lawyers, still holds a deep love for the Galactica and her commander. As he was a part of the original senior leadership (3rd in command as shown after Adama's near-assassination), his nostalgic comments with Tyrol indicated his withering resolve to be part of the coup. In addition, being a witness to the cruelty of Zarek with the Quorum was probably the first catalyst for his repentance.
*Gaeta, prior to his execution, is shown smoking and having drinks with Baltar. This is significant as Gaeta is rarely shown smoking during the show, and when it is shown, it was done when Gaeta finally felt free to be who he wanted to be. The first time was during his taped interview with D'Anna where he "let his hair down" so to speak. Incorporating a final smoke for Gaeta seemed appropriate to allow the audience to see a humanized Gaeta again.
*Gaeta and Baltar have a civil conversation before Gaeta's execution indicating that the two have forgiven each other for thier past transgressions: Gaeta trying to kill Baltar and Baltar's involvement with the Cylons on New Caprica.
*Baltar, despite admitting to not really liking his followers, has developed a sense of responsibility towards them as shown when he's speaking with [[Number Six#Lida|Lida]] about them and deciding to go back. This is the first time that Baltar has been shown to truly care about something besides himself indicating he may have changed somewhat.
*Dialogue in this episode indicates there are 35 civilian ships left in the fleet. This is the first time since abandoning New Caprice that significant information on the number of ships left in the fleet has emerged. This number doesn't seem to tally with the observed losses in the fleet since the first season, although the number of ships has been portrayed inconsistently throughout the miniseries and the main seasons (a figure in the mid 70s being mentioned in [[Home, Part I]]). The figure of 35 stated here- indicating a loss of half the fleet's ships- seems somewhat inconsistent with a the human population that has only declined by about one fifth since the arrival of Pegasus's crew which bolstered the number of survivors to close to 50,000. Ships being abandoned on New Caprica or afterwards may explain this strikingly low number unless it is a continuity error. If 35 is a correct figure, the other ships in the fleet must have somehow found a way to take a huge number of extra people aboard.
*Ronald D Moore has commented that ''Galactica'' is severely undermanned at this point and therefore large parts of the ship are empty, making it easier for mutineers and counter-mutineers to move around unobserved. This however is contracted by the fact that ''Galactica'' now has the crew of ''Pegasus'' aboard and the ship has in fact been seen to be overcrowded. Even allowing for losses on New Caprica and the fact that ''Pegasus'' was undermanned, the ship should still have a larger crew compliment than when she began her journey. In orbit around New Caprica the two ships still had over 2000 personnel still serving and doubtless most if not all former crew re-enlisted after the evacuation of New Caprica. Galactica's combined crew have not been seen to have taken any substantial losses since leaving New Caprica that would leave much of the ship empty. This may be a retcon or continuity error. It should be noted, however, that a large proportion of the people on the ship following the escape from New Caprica were civilians who may have since been relocated. Furthermore, it may be that only certain areas of the ship - such as the living quarters - are overcrowded. The exact number of personnel that a fully manned ''Galactica'' should have is unknown.
*Despite [[Sharon Agathon]]'s vision-induced paranoia of a Six taking her daughter, [[Hera Agathon|Hera]]<ref>Sharon kills [[Natalie]] in "[[Sine Qua Non]]" when she sees the latter with Hera in a corridor after Sharon, President Roslin, and Caprica-Six all have a vision of a Six absconding with Hera at the opera house.</ref>, she does not protest [[Caprica-Six]] carrying Hera while Sharon supports her injured husband, [[Karl Agathon|Karl]]. Ironically, Caprica-Six is the only character who has been seen specifically committing infanticide (not counting Baltar's dream about Adama drowning Hera).<ref>Caprica-Six snaps a human infant's neck in her first scene in the [[Miniseries]].</ref>
*Assuming the writers maintained their preference to mirror real-world military traditions, the firing squad assembled to execute Gaeta and Zarek would likely be composed of low-level mutineers who were treated with leniency and then required to seal their loyalty (and feelings of guilt) by executing their former conspirators.
*It isn't clear whether Gaeta and Zarek were given any sort of trial before being executed. Given Adama and Roslin's preference (albeit sometimes waveringly so) for maintaining the rule of law, it would be surprising if the lead mutineers were just shot out of hand.

== Questions ==
* What will become of the other mutineers (Racetrack, Narcho, Seelix, etc)? Will Adama follow through with his promise of "no forgiveness"?
* Will Kelly be allowed to resume his duties on Galactica?
* Who will take over Gaeta's duties?
* What repercussions will the Quorum's assassination have on the Fleet?
* What is the significance of the damage Tyrol discovers in the engine room? Has it been there long, or is it a result of the improper shut down of the FTL drive? Do other areas of the ship show similar signs of damage?
* Is the same structural deficiency present near the other FTL drive?
* In the [[Miniseries]], Colonel Tigh tells Lt. Gaeta to "spin up FTL drives 1 and 2". Why did Tyrol's deactivation of one FTL drive stop Gaeta from ordering the other's use? Is the other FTL drive still functional?
** The ship may need both FTL drives to make a proper jump.
* Will Anders survive his injuries?
* Will the rebel Cylons become less trusting of the humans as a result of this mutiny? Or will the they be more inclined to trust certain humans, such as Roslin, since she managed to convince them to stay and follow her leadership?
* What was that device Roslin and Leoben were using to communicate with the rest of the Fleet?
* Why was Lee Adama - as opposed to Roslin - present at Zarek and Gaeta's execution?
* What will be done to the 25 ships who did not obey Roslin's order to power down their FTL drives?
* Will the FTL upgrades proceed once order has been brought back completely?
* Will there be a faction that will attempt to portray Zarek or Gaeta as martyrs?
* Will Helo survive his injuries?
* How will Baltar's new-found sense of responsibility toward his flock change his behaviour?
* Will the Cylons' assistance of, and subordination to, President Roslin (and/or Colonial political leaders' fears of being associated with the failed coup d'état) secure them the citizenship and Quorum representation they seek?
* What is the nature of the dream Baltar has of Adama's execution?

== Official Statements ==
*[http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2009/02/battlestar-galactica-gaeta-blood-scales-angeli.html A Chicago Tribune interview with Michael Angeli about the episode:], The Six who sleeps with Baltar on the baseship is named [[Number Six#Lida|Lida]].

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==
*'''''Tom Zarek''' delivers his ultimatum to '''Laura Roslin''''':
:'''Zarek''': This is Tom Zarek. President of the Twelve Colonies. It's over Laura. Saul Tigh was killed attempting to escape. Bill Adama was tried and found guilty of his crimes. A firing squad executed him this moring. It's done, Laura. You want to think about the people of this fleet now, and surrender.
:'''Roslin''': No. Not now. Not ever. Do you hear me? I will use every cannon, every bomb, every bullet, every weapon I have down to my own eye teeth to end you. I swear it! I'm coming for all of you!
*'''''Felix Gaeta''' is disturbed by the site of the slaughtered Quorum delegates:
:'''Gaeta''': We--we had the truth on our side. Now . . . now . . .
:'''Zarek''': The truth is told by whoever is left standing.

== Guest Stars ==
* [[Mark Sheppard]] as [[Romo Lampkin]]
* [[Richard Hatch]] as [[Tom Zarek]]
* [[Sebastian Spence]] as Lieutenant [[Noel Allison|Noel "Narcho" Allison]]
* [[Bodie Olmos]] as Lieutenant [[Brendan Costanza|Brendan "Hot Dog" Costanza]]
* [[Leah Cairns]] as Lieutenant [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]]
* [[Jennifer Halley]] as Ensign [[Diana Seelix|Diana "Hardball" Seelix]]
* [[Ty Olsson]] as Captain [[Aaron Kelly]]
* [[Derek Delost]] as Specialist [[Vireem]]
* [[Mike Dopud]] as Specialist [[Gage]]
* [[Colin Corrigan]] as Sergeant [[Allan Nowart]]
* [[Alexandra Thomas]] as [[Hera Agathon]]
* [[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Number Two]] / [[Leoben Conoy]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Andrew McIlroy]] as [[Jacob Cantrell]]
* [[Marilyn Norry]] as [[Reza Chronides]]
* [[Judith Maxie]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Picon Delegate|Picon Delegate]]
* [[Iris Paluly]] as Speaking Delegate [[Dahlia]]
* [[Veena Sood]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Quorum Delegate|Quorum Delegate]]
* [[Adrian Holmes]] as Marine [[Parr]]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Michael Angeli]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Faith

2008-05-11T04:39:28Z

Doorofnight:

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

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

== Summary ==

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

== Notes ==

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

== Analysis ==
* Even though Baltar is preaching for the "one true [[God (RDM)|God]]", the symbolism of a boat crossing a river to the land of the dead is very similar to the Greek legends involving the [[w:Styx|River Styx]].
* Emily Kowalski's description of the Lords of Kobol and their behavior is quite consistent with that of Greek mythology.
*Laura Roslin believes that the [[Lords of Kobol]] are not to be taken literally but are metaphors. Emily's mother took them more literally. This mirrors real life in which some people take the Jewish [[w:Torah|Torah]] ([[w:Old Testament|Old Testament]]), the Christian Bible ([[W:New Testament|New Testament]]) and the Islamic [[w:Koran|Koran]] as literal word for word truth and an accurate record of events while others believe the stories are metaphors to be used as guidelines in life, not hard pronouncements or actual history.
* Some of the writers' misdirection from "[[He That Believeth in Me]]" becomes clear. The "giant gas planet with rings", assumed to be [[w:Jupiter|Jupiter]] or [[w:Saturn|Saturn]], is revealed to be at the site of the [[Cylon Civil War|Cylon battle]]. Moreover, the comet is a damaged and drifting basestar. This also explains how Conoy was able to help Thrace paint the scene in the previous episode, since he had already witnessed it himself.
** While this is, of course, just speculation the gas giant the basestar wreckage is orbiting could be Jupiter, it has a similar coloration to it. Without knowing exactly where it is and/or what it looks like both the Humans and Cylons could literally pass right over earth without knowing it. It would not be beyond the writers to place the scene of the Cylon civil war a few million miles from earth and have the Cylons, desperately searching for it, be unaware of it. However, this is, again, pure speculation.
* A close-up of Kara Thrace in the Hybrid's chamber evokes the [[Eye of Jupiter]], with Thrace's blue eye at the center, ringed by her bloodied eyebrow and blonde hair.
* With its inhibitor removed, the Centurion in the Hybrid's chamber seems visibly more aware of its environment. It turns its head to gaze at each member of the group as they enter. Contrast this with what we have seen previously, when Centurions on guard duty simply stand immobile unless they perceive a threat, or are given a direct order.

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

== Official Statements ==





== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

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

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

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

*

== Guest Stars ==

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

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

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:Faith]]

Escape Velocity

2008-04-26T22:08:26Z

Doorofnight:

{{Episode Data
| image=4x04 - Escape Velocity - Promo 1.jpg
| title= Escape Velocity
| season= 4
| episode= 4
| forumthread= 954
| guests=
| writer=[[Jane Espenson]]
| story=
| director=[[Edward James Olmos]]
| production=406
| rating=
| US airdate=25 April 2008
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| population=39675
| oldpopulation=39676
| prev= [[The Ties That Bind]]
| next= [[The Road Less Travelled]]
| hulu=y
| unbox=B0018ENBMQ
}}

== Overview ==
: ''Religious freedom is debated and defended as the messianic [[Gaius Baltar]] promotes his belief in one true God. Meanwhile, [[Galen Tyrol]] tries to cope with the death of his wife and fails.''

== Summary ==


=== Teaser ===

=== Act 1 ===

=== Act 2 ===

=== Act 3 ===

=== Act 4 ===

== Notes ==
* [[Cally Tyrol]]'s full first name is Callandra. The spelling is confirmed in [http://www.bearmccreary.com/blog/?p=246 Bear McCreary's blog post] for this episode. The episode also marks the first onscreen mention of her birth name, Henderson.
* The [[survivor count]] now accounts for Callandra Tyrol's death in "[[The Ties That Bind]]". It is unknown how many people were injured or killed in the crash of [[Margaret Edmonson|Racetrack]]'s [[Raptor]] at the beginning of the episode, particularly during the impact with a [[landram]].
* A costuming error in the teaser shows [[Saul Tigh]] wearing the rank insignia of an [[Military Ranks (RDM)|admiral]]. This is noticeable in the scene where Tigh and [[Tory Foster]] confront [[Galen Tyrol]] in Tyrol's quarters after the ceremony.
* The [[diloxin]] treatment [[Laura Roslin]] receives has forced her to wear a wig, since her hair loss began more than 22 days ago in "[[Six of One]]".
* Another of the [[Lords of Kobol (RDM)|Lords of Kobol]] is revealed: [[Asclepius]]. Asclepius is known to the Colonials as the god of healing.
* Unlike "[[The Ties That Bind]]", [[Tom Zarek]] is not present at the [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum of Twelve]] meetings on ''[[Colonial One]]'' in this episode. The reason for his absence is unexplained.
* [[w:Escape velocity|Escape velocity]] is the minimum initial velocity an unaccelerated object needs to escape a body's gravitational field.
* Tory Foster confirms that the [[Final Five]] are stronger than humans.

== Analysis ==

* [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]] and [[Margaret Edmonson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmonson]] have notoriously bad luck with the [[RCS|reaction control systems]] on the [[Raptor]]s that they are assigned to. An error with the RCS thrusters also occurs in "[[Dirty Hands]]", then attributed to impurities in the [[tylium]] fuel.
* [[Galen Tyrol]] continues to have feelings for [[Sharon Valerii]], as he admits to [[William Adama]] and everyone else present in [[Joe's Bar]]. Tyrol notes many of [[Cally Tyrol|Cally]]'s weaknesses, including her nagging, nosy nature (which lead to her demise in "[[The Ties That Bind]]"), and grows annoyed at Adama's willingness to turn Cally into an angel, when he believes that she is unworthy of even that. His feelings for Valerii were likely intensified upon knowing that he was a Cylon, which made a possible association with Valerii much more acceptable to him.
* Foster continues to embrace her Cylon nature and Baltar's teachings. She tells Tigh and Tyrol to turn off the guilt, that they are perfect and different from humans. Tigh, however, can't turn off his feelings and spends much of the episode wondering if [[Caprica-Six]] can.
* Caprica-Six informs Tigh that the Cylons ability to turn off emotion is based on abilities that the Cylons learned when modeling their own brains against those of the humans. This further establishes the fact that the Cylons are more human biologically, which is proven given that Cylons can bear human children, and thus must be of the same genome.
* A part of the book that Adama reads to Roslin, ''[[Searider Falcon]]'', has some deeper significance to both of them, just like ''[[Love and Bullets]]'' in the previous episode: "I wasn't afraid to die. I was afraid of the emptiness that I felt inside. I couldn't feel anything. And that's what scared me. You came into my thoughts. I felt them. It felt good." This is emphasized by the fact that he closes the book and recites the passage, almost as if the words are his. It's also possible that the passage has additional significance for Adama, since by his admission he normally stops reading after it.
* The scene were Baltar violently confronts the Colonials during their prayer service seems based on the biblical narrative of [[Wikipedia:Jesus and the money changers|Jesus and the money changers]].
* Roslin's wig is strikingly reminiscent of [[Helena Cain]]'s hairstyle in "[[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]" and "[[Resurrection Ship, Part I|Resurrection Ship, Parts I]] and [[Resurrection Ship, Part II|II]]". This is a visual counterpoint to her increasing ruthlessness as she confronts her impending death.
* When facing down the marines, the way in which Baltar is standing up, when the scene shifts to virtual-six being absence, it still appears as though he is being lifted up, which puzzles the marines and Baltar's followers. This marks the first time where virtual-six has done something to Baltar that isn't shifted to appear like Baltar is doing it too himself meaning that virtual-six can actually affect things physically. This, along with the virtual-Baltar appearing to Baltar in Six of One and both virtuals consistently knowing information that neither Baltar or Caprica-Six could actually know, hints very strongly that there is something more to the virtual beings than simply being illusions. What they are, of course, remains a matter of debate.

== Questions ==

* Will Lee Adama grow more sympathetic towards Baltar's group?
* Will Roslin learn that Foster is associating with Baltar?
* Will Tyrol seriously consider Foster's words?
* Will Foster clash with Tigh and Tyrol, as their different attitudes towards their Cylon nature develop?
* Are Tyrol and Tigh's hallucinations merely the result of grief and guilt, or are they using [[projection]]?
* Do Tigh and Six copulate?
* What of [[Nicholas Tyrol]]? Will Tyrol take care of the child?
* Are Tyrol's statements about Cally's negative attributes heartfelt, or merely a result of rage and anger?
* Now that it is clear that Foster lied to Tyrol about the death of Cally, how will Tyrol react when (and if) he discovers the truth?

== Official Statements ==





== Noteworthy Dialogue ==



== Guest Stars ==

* [[Michael Hogan]] as Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Aaron Douglas]] as Chief [[Galen Tyrol]]
* [[Michael Trucco]] as Ensign [[Samuel Anders]]
* [[Kate Vernon]] as "[[Virtual Ellen]]"
* [[Don Thompson]] as [[Anthony Figurski]]
* [[Leah Cairns]] as Lieutenant [[Margaret Edmonson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmonson]]
* [[Colin Lawrence]] as Lieutenant [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]]
* [[Keegan Connor Tracy]] as [[Jeanne]]
* [[Donna Soares]] as [[Unnamed characters (RDM) - Season 4#Speaking Delegate #1|Speaking Delegate #1]]
* [[Andrew McIlroy]] as [[Jacob Cantrell]]
* [[Judith Maxie]] as [[Unnamed characters (RDM) - Season 4#Picon Delegate|Picon Delegate]]
* [[Iris Paluly]] as [[Unnamed characters (RDM) - Season 4#Speaking Delegate #2|Speaking Delegate #2]]
* [[Marilyn Norry]] as [[Reza Chronides]]
* [[Lara Gilchrist]] as [[Paulla Schaffer]]
* [[Leela Savasta]] as [[Tracey Anne]]
* [[Finn R. Devitt]] as [[Nicholas Tyrol]] (credited as "Baby Nicky")
* [[Heather Doerksen]] as [[Unnamed Galactica and Pegasus crew (RDM)#Blonde female Marine|Surveillance Marine]]
* [[Laara Sadiq]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Priestess|Priestess]]
* [[Karen Austin]] as [[Lilly]]
* [[Steve Lawlor]] as [[Unnamed Galactica and Pegasus crew (RDM)#Marine guard|Marine at Baltar's]]
* [[Hector Johnson]] as [[Unnamed Galactica and Pegasus crew (RDM)#Marine Lieutenant|Marine Lieutenant]]
* [[Lee Jefferies]] as [[Redwing|"Redwing" McKay]]

== External Links ==
*Composer [[Bear McCreary]] on the episode's score: http://www.bearmccreary.com/blog/?p=246

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:RDM]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Jane Espenson]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Edward James Olmos]]

[[de:Escape Velocity]]
[[ms:Escape Velocity]]

Number One

2008-04-21T18:34:11Z

Doorofnight:

{{Character Data
|photo=Pensieve One.jpg
|age=
|colony=
|birthname=
|callsign=
|seen= Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I
|death=
|parents=
|siblings=
|children=
|marital status=
|role= Cylon infiltrator, lay clergy
|rank=
|actor= [[Dean Stockwell]]
|cylon= y
|name= Cavil ?
}}
"'''Number One'''" is a [[humanoid Cylon]] who, prior to being discovered, posed as '''[[Religion in the Twelve Colonies#The Clergy|Brother Cavil]]''', a member of the Colonial clergy. However, contrary to his assumed role, he doesn't share the other Cylons' [[Cylon Religion|religious beliefs]] and frequently mocks them.

==''Galactica'' Copy==

On ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'', the first viewed copy of Brother Cavil provides counsel for [[Galen Tyrol|Chief Tyrol]] after Tyrol's maddened attack against [[Cally Tyrol|Cally Henderson]]. Cavil identifies the source of Tyrol's anxiety as arising from the fear that he could be a [[Humanoid Cylon|Cylon sleeper agent]]. This Cavil seems to be personally very familiar with Tyrol and is apparently aware that Henderson harbors romantic feelings for him ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]). (Later analysis of Cavil's nature, from behavior in season 3 episodes, suggests that Cavil's comments were aimed to incite torment in Tyrol.)

A somewhat eccentric figure, Cavil is a surprisingly harsh critic of prayer for a Brother, but claims to have been preaching "longer than you [Tyrol] have been sucking down oxygen" ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]). This interesting claim, if true, implies that the [[humanoid Cylon]]s came into existence no later than approximately ten years after the end of the [[First Cylon War]] (assuming that Tyrol is approximately 30 years old). Cavil's remark, based on aired information and his true nature, is unlikely.

Despite his cynicism, Cavil prays with [[Laura Roslin]] for her re-election to the presidency to be successful. When Tyrol deduces the Caprica copy of him as a Cylon, Cavil is thrown in the brig along with his copy. He is later ejected through an airlock along with his copy (deleted scene). Due to the loss of the [[Resurrection Ship]], his death is presumed to be final ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]).

==Caprica Copy==
[[Image:Cyca2.jpg|left|thumb|Caprican Cavil]]
A second copy of this model emerges from the crew of resistance members rescued by the Caprica [[SAR]] team, telling them that the Cylons had left the Colonies. What he does not tell them — until Tyrol blew his cover upon his arrival at ''Galactica'' — is that he is a Cylon.

Due to this copy's discovery, the Fleet copy is arrested as well and thrown in ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'''s brig. Laura Roslin orders them ejected into space after Caprica-Cavil informs her and Admiral Adama that the Cylons had made two mistakes: the attack on the Colonies and the pursuit of the [[the Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]). Due to the loss of the Resurrection Ship, his death is presumed to be final. Though their execution is not shown, a later conversation indicates that they were executed ([[List of Deleted Scenes (RDM)#Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II|deleted scene]]).

Like his Fleet counterpart, the Caprica copy also expresses doubt in the active involvement of divine forces in the real world, although he focuses his contempt on the Cylon religion. He says that "There is no [[God (RDM)|God]]", something that the Ones have been telling the other Cylons for years, though he acknowledges that God's existence or nonexistence can't actually be proven. Based on his conversation with the Fleet copy, this viewpoint appears to be shared between at least these two copies, and possibly across the entire model.

==New Caprica Copies==
[[Image:Brother Cavil Shades.jpg|thumb|right|A Cavil on New Caprica]]

At least two Ones are present in the invasion fleet on New Caprica, as seen in "[[Occupation]]" and "[[Precipice]]." They have some authority over humans in detainment, as [[Ellen Tigh]] is able to use sexual favors to bribe another into releasing [[Saul Tigh]]. This may have been a self-serving ruse, because after a second sexual encounter, One says to her of Saul, "When's his next meeting with the insurgents?" and "We know he's their leader - why do you think we let him out of detention?" Ellen replies, "I thought it was because of the 'twist'", referring to a sex act, and One says, "Oh, yes, that too."

Two copies are also involved in the Cylon leaders' discussions such as whether to kill [[Gaius Baltar]].

Another copy also acts as a type of liaison between the [[New Caprica Police|NCP]] and their Cylon masters. He gives [[Jammer]] the list of Colonials to detain, and later accompanies the NCP to the site of a mass execution of Colonial Detainees ([[Occupation]]).

The NCP liaison version is critically wounded during an attack by the Resistance movement. One is left with a bullet wound to the stomach and is left to die after the detainees are liberated. He resorts to suicide by severing his [[w:carotid artery|carotid artery]] with a spent casing. He [[Resurrection (RDM)|downloads]] into a new body for the third time; an experience that, as he explains, is similar to having a white hot poker slammed through his skull ([[Exodus, Part I]]).

Shortly before her death, [[Ellen Tigh]] descibes the One she seduced as the one "in charge" of the Detention Facility ([[Exodus, Part II]]).

==Basestar Command Copies==
[[Image:CavHap2.jpg|thumb||left|Cylon Diplomat]]
After the Cylon fleet arrives at the [[algae planet]], a Cylon negotiation team negotiates a meeting on ''Galactica'', which consists of [[Gaius Baltar]], [[Sharon Valerii|Boomer]], a [[Number Three]], and a Number One. The One ad-libs during the discussion, personally suggesting that the Cylons will hand over Baltar to the Colonials as part of the negotiation ("to sweeten the pot").

Later, a One (likely the same one) argues that they should destroy ''Galactica'' now and be rid of them for good. He thinks it does not matter if the Cylons find [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] in five days or five thousand years, saying that they can last forever, whereas the Colonials can't. He then determines Admiral Adama's claim that he will nuke the temple is a bluff even as ''Galactica'' preps its missile launchers ([[The Eye of Jupiter]]).

Another copy greets Number Three when she resurrects on a Resurrection Ship and informs her of the decision to box her model. She replies that someday he will know the truth of the [[Final Five]] like she does just before he removes the device storing her consciousness. Other Cavils are shown boxing other Number Threes all over the room in the Resurrection Ship ([[Rapture]]).

In "[[Six of One]]" a Number One model, despite the egalitarian and democratic principles of Cylon command, exudes an definite sense of assumed authority. As of such, he appears to be the ''de facto'' leader of one side of the schism between the Cylons, composed of Ones, [[Four]]s, [[Five]]s, and [[Sharon Valerii]], opposed to the [[Number Two|Twos]], [[Number Six|Sixes]] and [[Number Eight|Eights]] loyal to [[Natalie]].
<div style="clear: both;"></div>

==Analysis==
Number Ones appear to be very radical thinkers, and demonstrate a unity among the model not seen in any other. Copies appear to have a well-developed sense of sardonic humor and are given to making jokes in even the most awkward, dangerous, and heightened circumstances ("[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]", "[[Occupation]]", "[[Precipice]]"). They seem to have discovered many revelations that [[Caprica-Six]] realized through her "virtual" Baltar ([[Downloaded]]). Judging by this, the Ones were probably among the first to flock to Caprica-Six's banner.

In "[[Occupation]]" and "[[Precipice]]", the Ones are the most ''outwardly'' [[w:sadism|sadistic]] and cruel to humans, appearing to take pleasure (or at least a noticeable level of amusement) in their own acts of psychological and physical cruelty. The Ones like toying with the idea of liquidating the human population on New Caprica as a solution to the Resistance, to "perhaps a more manageable number. Say, less than a thousand."

Viewers can infer (correctly or not) from the New Caprica detention scene between a One and [[Saul Tigh]] that a One is significantly involved in the brutal, months-long interrogation (in response to Tigh's attacks against the Cylons). In conversation with the other Cylons, Ones are vocal and callous proponents of harsh measures against the [[New Caprica Resistance]] and are strong advocates of mass executions.

It is ironic that the first two known copies of this apparently [[w:Atheism|atheistic]] or [[w:Agnosticism|agnostic]] model pose as lay clergy. This may be an intentional mockery of religion on their part, or a mockery of the Ones by whomever assigned them their roles as infiltrators.

With the Cylons apparently occupying [[New Caprica]] at the end of the [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II|episode]], it appears that the Ones on ''Galactica'' are either lying about the Cylon change of heart or the Cylon plans changed after the second Number One was captured on ''Galactica''.

In "[[Exodus, Part I]]", it is learned that at a Number One unit, the leader of the execution squad intercepted by the Resistance and who died there (his third death), experienced increasing head pain with each resurrection.

Several comments Number One makes in the episode The Ties that Bind indicates that he has some deeper knowledge of the centurions than the rest of the Cylon models do. This may be do to the fact that, as his number suggests, he was the first humanoid-cylon created and thus was around when the centurions were still sentient. However, it could just as easily be simply a result of the One's seeming assumption that they are smarter/wiser than the rest of the models.

==Notes==

*Despite waging constant attacks against the Cylons for nine months, the [[Caprica Resistance]] seemingly had never before encountered the Number One model prior to their rescue.
*The word ''cavil'' is a noun and verb involving an irrelevant or trivial point made during an argument or discussion; synonyms include ''quibble'' and ''carp.'' (<span class="plainlinks">[http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=cavil Dictionary Reference]</span>)
*Cavil's numerical designation isn't revealed until the episode "[[Six of One]]" in Season 4.

{{Characters}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Characters (RDM)]]
[[Category:Recurring Guest Characters (RDM)]]
[[Category:Cylons]]
[[Category:Cylons (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

{{quality candidate}}

[[de:Cavil]]
[[fr:Cavil]]

The Ties That Bind

2008-04-19T15:19:43Z

Doorofnight:

{{Episode Data
| image=4x03 - The Ties That Bind - Promo 2.jpg
| title= The Ties That Bind
| season= 4
| episode= 3
| forumthread= 888
| guests=
| writer=[[Michael Taylor]]
| story=
| director=[[Michael Nankin]]
| production=405
| rating=
| US airdate=18 April 2008
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| population=39676
| oldpopulation=39676
| prev= [[Six of One]]
| next= [[Escape Velocity]]
| promo=
| hulu=Y
}}

== Overview ==
:''[[Kara Thrace]] pilots a [[Demetrius|freighter]] in her search for [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]], while ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> crew members deal with political and marital issues. On the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] side, the [[Significant Seven]]'s solidarity is challenged.

== Summary ==

===Teaser===

* On a [[Basestar (RDM)|baseship]], a [[Number One]] is [[Resurrection (RDM)|resurrected]]. Confused, another One tells him that he was shot by one of their own [[Cylon Centurion]]s. A [[Number Eight]] is there with him.
* The second Number One wants to return to his baseship, but the second One tells him that he has been effectively kicked off from his own ship in a type of coup. The Eight apologizes that her swing vote to enforce the [[Cylon Raider (RDM)|Raider]] "reconfiguration" failed, and kisses him deeply.
* On ''[[Galactica]]'', [[Cally Tyrol]], waking from [[Nicholas Tyrol|her son's]] cries, has dreams recalling arguments with her husband, [[Galen Tyrol|Galen]], of apparently finding herself spending more time alone with her child and Galen avoiding her through work or other activity. In one scene she is taking medication, perhaps to help her sleep, or to fight depression.
* The dark room is unkempt, and medication and baby formula bottles are stacked on a table.
* When Cally Tyrol realizes that Nicky is actually crying, she comforts him and returns him to his crib. She calls [[Anastasia Dualla|Dualla]], apparently to try to find her husband with no luck. She finds a napkin for [[Joe's bar]] in his clothing.
* At the bar, Galen Tyrol and [[Tory Foster]] are drinking [[ambrosia]] and other spirits. Galen laments that, before [[Final Five|their revelation]], he knew what he was: husband, crew chief, and father. Now, his identity is taking a beating.
* Foster flirts with Galen as Cally walks holding her son in a dreamy state (presumably drug related) to Joe's Bar. Cally's distorted vision believes she sees Foster touching Galen's arm seductively. Entering the bar, Cally angrily yells at Galen as he tries to explain. Angry and hurt, Cally takes her son and leaves the bar as Foster looks on, still drinking and not the least upset that she might have caused the Tyrol's strife.

===Act 1===

*In [[sickbay]], Dr. [[Cottle]] administers to [[Laura Roslin]] another [[diloxin]] treatment, noting that the drug's nausea should go away in an hour.
* As Roslin tries to relax on the bed, [[William Adama]] sits by her bedside and begins to read from a book to her, ''[[Love and Bullets]]'', by Nick Talo, apparently a detective mystery novel.
* The book's passages of a character's lost love appear to reflect through Adama as he gazes at Roslin while he completes the passage: "From the moment I open my eyes, she's in my blood, bittersweet, tinged with regret. I'll never be free of her, nor do I want to be. For she is what I am, all that is, should always be."
* The scene shifts to a press conference on''[[Colonial One]]'' where where [[Lee Adama]] accepts appointment to the [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprican]] seat to the [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum]]. Vice President [[Tom Zarek]] is also in attendance.
*The press asks about questions of loyality between Lee Adama and his role in the [[Gaius Baltar]] trial, which Roslin dismisses.
* Reporter [[Playa Palacios]] asks about the whereabouts of the '[[Demetrius]]'', missing now three weeks, Roslin defers the question to Admiral Adama, who cryptically explains that the ship is on a military mission. When [[Sekou Hamilton]] asks if [[Kara Thrace]] was made captain of that ship, Adama dismisses that as rumor.
*Roslin quickly ends the press conference. In her office, Roslin tells Adama she is surprised that the press took as long to ask about the ''Demetrius'' as they did. When Adama tells Roslin he think the issue will "blow over," Roslin disagrees. Not told of the mission, Roslin is angered that she may have to help Adama cover the true mission of the ship for a long time. Adama explains that he had to give Thrace a chance and himself a chance to believe in the [[Maelstrom|believed-dead]] pilot, but Roslin only says, "Apparently." Adama leaves her office in silence.
* The scene shifts to a view of ''Demetrius'', in its 22nd mission day. As many as four [[Viper Mark II]] fighters are parked on its top hull. Inside, Kara Thrace appears frustrated as she pours through star charts and other navigation data, trying to gain her fix on the direction of Earth. [[Felix Gaeta]] enters the room as Thrace tells him of a decision.
* In a mess hall on the dark, dirty ship, [[Diana Seelix]] asks in frustration what they are looking for in deep space. A pilot named [[Eammon Pike|Pike]], looking at the centerfold of ''[[Nymph]]'' magazine, explains that they are searching for a gas giant with rings orbiting a trinary star cluster with a comet. Seelix angrily retorts that the search is more like a "[[frak|cluster-frak]]" to her when [[Helo]] admonishes her.
* [[Sharon Agathon]] and [[Samuel Anders]] are also in the room.
* Some of the group complains that Thrace's repeated course corrections are pointless. When Pike says that he thinks ''Galactica'' is hounding them in secret, waiting for Thrace to show her "true colors" as a Cylon, Anders defends her. When the mood darkens more, Helo orders everyone to be quiet.
*Thrace is quietly approaching, listening to the conversation from above the mess hall deck, and soon yells for Helo to talk to him. Anders looks above him to Thrace (standing on steel mesh decking) and asks if there is more that she can tell them about their destination, but Thrace coldly admonishes him by rank for asking. Thrace gives Helo new [[FTL]] coordinates.

*Back on ''Galactica'' Galen Tyrol tries to explain to Cally that he and Tory Foster aren't having an affair, but Cally all but ignores him, telling him to drop their son off to the day care area and to ask the caregivers not to feed Nicky any of the [[algae mash]] as she thinks Nicky is allergic. Frustrated by Cally's avoidance of the subject, he slams his fist down on the table, upsetting his son, and tries to comfort him.

*On the same baseship where the Centurions shot several [[humanoid Cylon]]s for their part in the Raider reconfiguration, a Number One returns to the conference room where a Centurion is busily cleaning up the mess caused by their shootout.
*The Number One tries to understand why [[Natalie]] shifted power, suggesting to reunify the group. Natalie explains that the Raiders were only a symptom of a larger problem: Cavil's [[Rapture|earlier pressure]] on the group to [[box]] all [[Number Three]]s. Natalie says that mere unification of the [[Significant Seven|seven]] is not enough. She and other Eights at the table tells Number One that unification with the [[Final Five]] is the desired goal. Natalie wants all the Threes unboxed and work on unifying with the Five to begin.
*Cavil dislikes the idea of resuming the D'Anna's "messianic quest" that seemed to lead the remaining Cylons to this juncture, but agrees to bring Natalie's case to the other models. Natalie orders a Centurion to escort Cavil off the ship, but it hesitates until she says, "please." Cavil warns her that removing the [[inhibitor]]s from the Centurions has caused a bigger problem than Natalie realizes.

===Act 2===

*On ''Colonial One'', Lee Adama is in a conference room for the Quorum meeting. Spotting the nameplate for Caprica, he tentatively sits down. Tom Zarek arrives, his mood dark. When Adama tells Zarek that he wanted to see Roslin to discuss some projects that [[Cowan]], his predecessor as Caprican delegate, had before she died, Zarek counters, explaining that, like himself, Roslin is keeping Adama on the sidelines. Zarek believes that Roslin does not forgive and forget easily. When Adama asks Zarek why he nominated him for the Quorum's side, Zarek tells him that it was because Adama stood up to defend Baltar and confront Roslin, he believed Adama would make an effective ally.
*Zarek feels that Roslin's increasingly secretive nature, by refusing to allow meeting to be recorded, is a sign of a larger issue, despite claiming to Adama that he remains loyal to Roslin. When Adama tells Zarek that he won't be giving a repeat of his work in Baltar's trial to undermine Roslin, saying that having a "benevolent tyrant" is better than the opposite, Zarek strongly disagrees. He asks Adama to trust him to aid in his fight to uncover the secrets that Roslin hides. He leaves a classified folder with Adama and leaves.
*In sickbay, Cally Tyrol asks for another sedative and for sleep, but Cottle objects, not wanting to turn his sickbay in an "opium den." He asks about her family life, which Cally tells all is not well since reaching the [[Ionian Nebula]].
*Cottle does side with Cally about her husband's problems, asking her to bring him in for examination. Cally smiles at Cottle's "tough love" stance but Cottle warns that she might actually be imagining things as her fatigue and drug use could be influencing her thoughts. Cally counters that she might, indeed be crazy, considering she married a man who [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I|once broke her jaw]]. When Cottle asks if that was the last time that Galen had attacked Cally, she responds that she'd wished that he'd do so again (taking Cottle's cigarette from his hand and taking a drag), if only for her to gauge what Galen really felt about her. Cottle tells her to get some rest.
*On ''Demetrius'', Anders meets with Thrace, as she paints what she has seen on a bulkhead. Anders complains that she needs to open up more about the mission with the rest of the crew, but Thrace disagrees. Reminding her that some of them volunteered for the mission, Thrace steers Anders's concerns to that of their failed marriage. Anders joins their marital arm tattoos., trying to remind her of what is real. Thrace angrily tells Anders that she married him only because he was a safe choice and he was naive enough to do so.
*The two exchange more words. Thrace explains to Anders that she's not the same woman he married. He pushes her into a bunk as their anger dissolves into sex.

===Act 3===

*After six, Thrace questions that she and Anders's marriage was real. She questions how her feelings, her perceptions of her past, as if she were watching it from another "alien" body far away. Ander's face suggests comprehension about [[Final Five|feeling unsure of identity]].
*Back on a basestar, two Number Ones tells the result of the vote: The consensus is to unbox the Threes, although Cavil/One remains against the idea.
*An Eight tries to solicit the Ones' support since his side was outvoted, but Natalie agrees with the Ones that the vote does not give Natalie's side the right to change the feelings of the Ones and create more discord.
* Cavil/One tells Natalie that the Threes' consciousness is being downloaded in a central resurrection hub six jumps away. Still harboring bad feelings about the decision, the two sides agree to stay on different baseships as they make their way back to hear of the Threes' discovery on the [[algae planet]].

*On ''Colonial One'', the Quorum meeting continues. [[Sagittaron|Sagittarian]] Quorum delegate [[Jacob Cantrell]] strongly questions Roslin about the ''Demetrius'' mission, which she defers to answer out of matters of security. Others are visibly upset with Roslin's answer and of each other when Roslin tries to steer the meeting back to other matters of the floor while Zarek, acting as the chair of the meeting, tries to establish order.
*Lee Adama speaks out, trying to calm the others through inferring, based on his own military experience, that the president and Admiral Adama are exploring all possible routes to Earth. The Quorum audibly relaxes at Adama's words, but Roslin sees Adama as trying to be her "spokesperson" and chastises him. She directs Cantrell to continue with his discussion on medical supplies.
* Lee Adama calls a point of order, which Zarek uses to compels Contrell to yield the floor for Adama to speak. Adama brings up Executive Order 112, which would concentrate more executive power. The Quorum angrily erupts when Roslin tries to bury the issue.

*The Cylon baseship fleet arrive at their destination, but their [[Resurrection Ship]] is not with them. Suddenly the baseships controlled by Cavil break formation, attacking Natalie's baseship.
* On Cavil's baseship, an Eight worries that murder, permanent killing of their other kind without chance of resurrection is wrong. Cavil says coldly that God will watch over the dying Cylon's immortal souls. When the Eight questions who will watch over their souls, Cavil says, "We're machines, dear. We don't have souls."

*On ''Galactica'', Cally Tyrol sadly recalls her good times with her husband. She kisses her son and goes to close a door when she sees a note stuck in the door that tells her to meet at Weapons Locker 1701D.
* When Cally arrives, she finds her husband, [[Saul Tigh]] and Tory Foster entering. She opens a maintenance panel, tiny and dangerous, and enters to listen in on the conversation.
*What Cally hears shocks her more than the suggestion that her husband is having an affair. Tigh had left the note to meet at the weapons locker for Galen, and suddenly realizes that Cally could have intercepted the note. Tigh warns of the complications if Cally discovered that her husband was a Cylon.
* Cally's shock knocks a metal plate, which tumbles noisily down the ship's interior, a series of pipes and conduits that run dangerously deep from where Cally is standing. The others in the room halt their discussion for a moment before leaving. Cally escapes the tunnel and runs back to her quarters, but Foster leaves and notices that the maintenance panel was ajar.

===Act 4===

* Cally is back in her quarters, visibly upset, when her husband returns.
* He tries to apologize, tell Cally that the affair never happened, and that his commitment to his family is paramount. But Cally strikes Galen with a wrench, knocking him unconscious. She takes her son and leaves but not before taking a key from Galen's pocket.
* Walking through the corridors to the [[hangar deck]], Cally (still holding Nicky) enters a [[launch tube]]. She looks at the stars through a window, then opens a maintenance door. Inserting the key she took from Galen, Cally activates the tube's closing when Tory Foster arrives, trying to explain herself and Galen's identity.
*Cally seals Foster inside. Foster tries to discourage Cally from activating the airlock and appears to succeed. Foster takes Nicky in her arms, then suddenly strikes Cally, knocking her down the tube.
*Foster opens and recloses the launch tube, Nicky in her arms, then enters the launch control booth and vents the airlock, ejecting Cally Tyrol to her death in space.
*Admiral Adama silent sits with Galen Tyrol as he tries to understand what has happened.

== Notes ==

* This episode sees no net loss of life in the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]], with the exception of [[Cally Tyrol]]'s death later in this episode, reducing the overall survivor count to 39,675.
* The number and alphabetical designation of the weapons locker, 1701D, is a ''[[MemoryAlpha:Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' reference. 1701-D is the registry number for the ''[[MemoryAlpha:USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|USS Enterprise]]'' from that series, which Michael Taylor and [[Ronald D. Moore]] formerly worked on.
*Like "[[He That Believeth In Me]]" and "[[Valley of Darkness]]", this episode's title is derived from Christian traditions; [[w:Blessed Be the Tie that Binds|Blessed Be the Tie that Binds]] is a Protestant hymn celebrating the unity that comes from love.
* Prior to the episode airing, [[Michael Taylor]] stated: "we say goodbye to another longtime character, though who that is and the manner of his or her departure should come as a surprise."<ref name="thewatcher">{{cite_web|url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/11/answers-to-your.html|title=Answers to your 'Razor' questions and clues about 'Battlestar Galactica's' final season|date=16 November 2007|accessdate=16 November 2007|last=Ryan|first=Maureen}} </ref>
* The script was being written while "[[Razor]]" was still in pre-production.<ref name="thewatcher"/>
* For the first time since the second season, the journalists [[Playa Palacios]] and [[Sekou Hamilton]] make an appearance.

== Analysis ==
[[Image:Orion belt.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Orion's belt. [[:Image:Orion belt highlighted.jpg|View Highlighted Version]].]]
*The constellation Orion is clearly visible in the background of the basestars shortly before Cavil's ships begin to attack. This would indicate that the Cylon fleet is in close proximity to Earth.
*The ringed gas giant [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] claims to have seen is shown in this episode, bearing a striking resemblance to Jupiter.
* Cavil and Boomer, apparently have some sort of relationship. This was hinted at in the previous episode, but unclear.
* While not an official confirmation the force with which Tory hits Cally seems to indicate that the Final Five do possess Cylon strength and if they possess this trait it is likely that the have other, physical, Cylon traits as well.

== Questions ==

* Are all baseships of the "renegade" Cylon faction around Natalie destroyed?

== Official Statements ==

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

== Guest Stars ==

* [[Michael Hogan]] as Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]
* [[Aaron Douglas]] as CPO [[Galen Tyrol]]
* [[Tahmoh Penikett]] as Captain [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
* [[Michael Trucco]] as Ensign [[Samuel Anders]]
* [[Nicki Clyne]] as [[Cally Henderson Tyrol]]
* [[Alessandro Juliani]] as Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]]
* [[Richard Hatch]] as [[Tom Zarek]]
* [[Donnelly Rhodes]] as Doctor [[Cottle]]
* [[Matthew Bennett]] as [[Number Five]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Dean Stockwell]] as [[Number One]]
* [[Jen Halley]] as Ensign [[Diana Seelix|Diana "Hardball" Seelix]]
* [[Christina Schild]] as [[Playa Palacios]]
* [[Biski Gugushe]] as [[Sekou Hamilton]]
* [[Ryan McDonell]] as Lieutenant [[Eammon Pike|Eammon "Gonzo" Pike]]


== External Links ==

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:The Ties That Bind]]

Operation Raptor Talon

2007-10-24T00:43:23Z

Doorofnight:

{{Battle Data
|image=
|description=
|conflict=[[Cylon War|First Cylon War]]
|date=[[Timeline (RDM)|4,571 days]] into the [[Cylon War]], approximately 40 years prior to the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]]
|place=An unnamed "[[ice planet]] in the ass end of nowhere"
|result=
|combatant1=[[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]] of [[Kobol (RDM)|Kobol]]
|combatant2=[[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]]
|co1=''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' commanding officer, ''[[Columbia (RDM)|Columbia]]'' commanding officer
|co2=Unknown
|strength1=3 [[battlestar (RDM)|battlestars]], numerous [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]]s, and [[Raptor]]s
|strength2=3 [[Raider (RDM)|Raider]] wings, ground forces, at least 2 [[basestar (RDM)|basestar]]s
|shiploss1= ''Columbia''
|shiploss2= Various Cylon Raiders
|casualties1= All ''Columbia'' crew (presumed)
|casualties2=
|prev=First [[Cylon War]]
|next=[[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]]
|rdm=y
}}

'''Operation Raptor Talon''' was a [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|military]] operation that took place on the 4,571th day of the [[Cylon War|First Cylon War]]. The [[Galactica type battlestar|battlestars]] ''Galactica'' and ''Columbia'' were among the Colonial vessels taking part in the mission.

The objective was to attack an [[ice planet|unnamed "ice planet"]], that was rumored to house a [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] superweapon. According to intelligence on hand, the Cylons had three [[Raider (RDM)|Raider]] wings, ground forces, defensive batteries and nuclear weapons ([[Razor Flashbacks]], Episode 1). Additionally, the Cylons had at least two [[basestar (RDM)|basestar]]s defending the planet from orbit ([[Razor Flashbacks]], Episode 3).

[[Raptor]]s from [[Raptor Squadron 2]] were the first Colonial vessels to be launched in the operation, but were ambushed by Cylon forces soon after. Among the casualties of this skirmish was [[Jaycie McGavin]], who was severely injured when a console exploded on board her Raptor ([[Razor Flashbacks]], Episode 2).

During the course of the battle [[William Adama]] pursued two Raiders into the atmosphere of the ice planet, where he managed to destroy one but suffered a collision with the other, sending him plummeting toward the planet's surface.

During an orbital engagement with the enemy, ''[[Columbia (RDM)|Columbia]]'' was destroyed by missile salvos from a pair of basestars, presumably killing everyone on board ([[Razor Flashbacks]], Episode 3).

<div style="clear:both;"></div>
{{Battles (RDM)}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial Battles]]
[[Category:Colonial Battles (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]