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Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II

2012-07-31T01:14:57Z

Godlessmunkey: /* On Caprica */ mislabelled link

{{Episode Data
| image = Baltarlaydownburdensii.jpg
| title= Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II
| season= 2
| episode= 20
| guests= [[Richard Hatch]] as [[Tom Zarek]] [[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]] [[Dean Stockwell]] as [[Cavil|Brother Cavil]]
| writer= [[Anne Cofell Saunders]] [[Mark Verheiden]]
| story=
| director= [[Michael Rymer]]
| production= 220
| rating= 1.9
| US airdate= 2006-03-10
| CAN airdate=2006-05-27
| UK airdate= 2006-05-16
| dvd= {{Season 2.5 NTSC DVD release date}} '''US''' {{Season 2 PAL DVD release date}} '''UK'''
| population= 49550
| oldpopulation= 49579
| extra= '''Season Finale - 90 Minute Episode'''
| syfyname= lay_down_your_burdens_part_2
| prev= [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]
| next= [[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance]]
| podcast= Y
| goof = Y
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== Overview ==

:''Everything turns on its head as the survivors vote for a new president -- and vote for their fate.''

== Summary ==

===On Caprica===

*[[Kara Thrace|Kara "Starbuck" Thrace]], the [[Marines]], and the [[Caprica Resistance]] continue to take fire from [[Cylon Centurion]]s and their artillery. They make their way up a hill, and hold their position.
*The Cylons hold fire, and [[Sharon Agathon|Sharon Agathon]] remarks that the Cylons will attempt to capture them with non-lethal weapons, such as gas.
*Eighteen hours later, they emerge to find that the Cylons have disappeared. [[Cavil]] -- who suddenly appears behind them -- announces that the Cylons have left the Twelve Colonies and that humanity is spared.

===In the Fleet===

*[[Cally]] is cleared for duty by [[Cottle|Dr. Cottle]], despite having her jaw wired shut. [[Galen Tyrol|Chief Tyrol]] visits her, apologizing for the attack. Cally forgives him, saying that she's always cared for him.

*[[Gaius Baltar|Dr. Baltar]] continues to gain in the polls. On ''[[Colonial One]]'', [[Tory Foster|Tory]] mentions an alternative victory plan. [[Laura Roslin|Roslin]] later calls a private meeting with Dr. Baltar, asking to deliver a joint statement of [[Wikipedia:Table (verb)|tabling]] the issue of colonization until after the election. Baltar rejects the idea.

*Roslin, fearing that she has indeed lost the presidential race, confronts [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]] on whether he was with a copy of [[Number Six]] on Caprica before the Cylon attack. Baltar avoids answering the question and states that he may have [[Epiphanies|saved her life]], but he will not save her political life.

*[[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] returns to ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' with the resistance fighters, much to the delight of Admiral [[William Adama]]. She mentions the Cylon retreat from Caprica as Brother Cavil, leaving the Raptor, confirms it. He also says he has a message, but is attacked by Chief [[Galen Tyrol]], who declares a "[[Code blue]]," claiming Cavil is a Cylon. Incensed that Caprica-Valerii did not reveal Cavil's true nature earlier, Admiral Adama orders both Caprica-Valerii and the second Cavil to the brig.

*The ''Galactica''-based Cavil (from last episode) is brought to the brig, claiming he's not a Cylon, but changes his tune upon seeing his "brother", as he calls him. Caprica-Cavil then talks about the fact that the “war heroes” ([[Caprica-Six]] & [[Sharon Valerii|"Boomer" Valerii]]) have convinced their kind that the attack of the colonies and the pursuit of the fleet were mistakes. Caprica-Cavil's mission was to relay the message that man and Cylon will go their separate ways. Both Roslin and Admiral Adama are less than trusting regarding the message.

*In the brig, Caprica-Valerii is completely disillusioned and nihilistic, declaring that since her [[Hera Agathon|child's]] death, nothing -- not Adama's trust or [[Helo]]'s -- matters to her. A frustrated Helo insists that he's not giving up on her, but she seems disinclined to listen.

*Thrace and [[Samuel Anders|Anders]] are getting extremely drunk when Apollo comes in to welcome them back. Starbuck makes a snide remark about Apollo and Dualla and goes back to drunkenly making out with Anders. Apollo, clearly upset with Starbuck, leaves without saying much.

*Election Day has arrived and Baltar has an apparent five thousand-vote lead over Roslin with only five ships left to tally. On ''Colonial One'', Foster activates her alternative victory plan with a call to ''Galactica.''

*Amazingly, Roslin initially appears to have retained the presidency. While most are celebrating, Lt. [[Felix Gaeta]] discovers fraudulent actions in the vote, and informs the Admiral that Col. Tigh (who acts suspiciously when questioned by Gaeta) may be involved in a conspiracy to throw the election.

*Admiral Adama confronts Roslin regarding the conspiracy, saying that Tigh has confessed to rigging the vote. Roslin admits her involvement and Adama is disappointed. The Admiral indicates that, for good or bad, the people's vote must take precedence. Adama secretly buries the conspiracy itself while announcing the startling change in events to Dr. Baltar.

*Initially Baltar vows to have a full investigation on the vote count, but after Adama suggests that Baltar take his victory and leave matters be, Baltar relents and informs Adama that he can be quite generous in victory. President-elect Baltar then orders a course for “[[New Caprica]].”

*Baltar and Gina consummate their relationship after Gina informs Baltar that she would not be part of the colonization.

*[[Gaius Baltar]] is sworn in as the new President of the Twelve Colonies, and orders the immediate colonization of New Caprica.

*Gina activates the nuclear warhead [[Epiphanies|given to her by Baltar]] aboard ''[[Cloud 9]]''. The nuclear blast destroys ''Cloud 9'' and at least three other ships. Admiral Adama warns that this may be a prelude to a Cylon attack, but President Baltar ignores him and presses forward with colonization.

===One Year Later===
[[image:burdens2.jpg|Thrace and Cottle on New Caprica.|thumb]]
*President Baltar's administration appears to be corrupt, lax, and unresponsive. [[Felix Gaeta|Mr. Gaeta]], now the President's aide, reports issues with a worker's union. Baltar is upset, saying there have been no Cylon attacks but the people still complain. He has regressed, turning to alcohol, medication, and womanizing.

*Admiral Adama, now sporting a [[Adamastache|mustache]], walks the corridors of a near-empty ''Galactica'', which is quickly falling into disrepair. Over half of the crew have moved down onto the planet, leaving the ship so short on crew that they barely have enough pilots to fly training missions, much less form up [[Combat Air Patrol]]s. The long absence of the Cylons has left both the remaining crews aboard the [[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]] and the Galactica rusty, causing them to take a long time to go to [[Action Stations]]. Adama asks Tigh to retire from duty to join his [[Ellen Tigh|wife]] on the planet. Tigh reluctantly agrees.

*[[Samuel Anders|Anders]], now Thrace's husband, has pneumonia. Dr. Cottle is unable to treat Anders because there are no [[antibiotics]] available. He can only advise Thrace to make sure Anders gets enough rest in order to recover.

*Thrace runs into the Tighs as [[Galen Tyrol|Tyrol]], now a union boss, is making a speech to begin a strike, with a very pregnant Cally by his side. Col. Tigh mentions to Thrace that ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' keeps a store of backup medical supplies and that Commander [[Lee Adama]] might spring some for her. Thrace disagrees, which prompts Tigh to state that Lee Adama should be over her harsh neglect of Adama's friendship after Anders' arrival a year before.

*Roslin returns to her teaching roots, teaching the settlement's children, and manages to find enjoyment in her new position. [[Maya]] is with her, as is the now one year-old "[[Hera Agathon|Isis]]".

*Thrace calls Commander Lee Adama aboard ''Pegasus'' to request the antibiotics. [[Dualla]], ostensibly the ''Pegasus'' [[XO]], notices something on [[DRADIS]], to her horror.

*A massive fleet of [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] [[Basestar (RDM)|basestar]]s arrive in orbit around New Caprica. The Adamas discuss what to do in response, with Lee initially advocating that the remains of the orbiting Fleet [[FTL|jump]] away. Admiral Adama initially resists, but orders the Jump, vowing that they will return.

*A [[Leoben Conoy]]-model [[humanoid Cylon]] shows up at Thrace and Anders' tent, where he asks an ailing Anders about where to find Thrace.

[[Image:Baltarsurrender.JPG|thumb|"On behalf of the People of the Twelve Colonies, I surrender."|125px]]

*Mr. Gaeta informs the President of the Cylon approach. Later, before his assembled staff, copies of Numbers [[Number Five|5]], [[Number Eight|8]], and [[Number Six|6]] approach the President. The Cylons declare that as long as there is no resistance, no harm will come.

*President Baltar surrenders on behalf of the colonists after learning that the Cylons - scouting a star system one light year from New Caprica - discovered the planet because of the nuclear explosion set off by Gina. As Cylon forces occupy the planet, Thrace vows to resist.

== Notes ==
* According to Ron Moore's podcast, although the SciFi Channel was willing to air this episode as a 90-minute special, there also exists an 60-minute version for international distribution. In some markets outside of the United States, viewers might only see the 1 hour version of the episode, which Moore regards as "almost incomprehensible". Many plot threads, such as the entire Cally/Tyrol subplot, were completely removed for the one hour version. However, it appears that most non-American television stations also show the full version.

*In the podcast previous episode, he says that in early drafts of this special 90 minute long episode, the writers actually tried to make it a 2 hour special, but this was soon dropped (these times are including commercials).

*The election board appears to have a definitive list of the names of all of the ships in the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]]. Not all of them are clearly visible, but this means that the writers do have an actual list that they get new ship names from.
**In fact, several ships from this list are mentioned by name in later episodes. For example ''[[Faru Sadin]]'', ''[[Chrion]]'', ''[[Thera Sita]]'', ''[[Demetrius]]'', ''[[Cybele]]'', ''[[Inchon Velle]]'', ''[[Hitei Kan]]'', ''[[Aurora (ship)|Aurora]]'' and ''[[Pyxis]]''.

*There were no Quorum or other local elections. The box of fake ballots from the Zephyr and the vote tally board for all of the ships contained only the names "Roslin" and "Baltar". The names of vice-presidential candidates, if any, were not on the ballots.

*Admiral Adama watches [[pyramid (RDM)|Pyramid]] games and was a fan of the [[Picon Panthers]].

*The framed photo of President Roslin and [[Billy Keikeya]] is still on Roslin's desk during the election.

*When Roslin "won" the rigged election results, Roslin received 24,265 votes, while Baltar recieved 22,266. This means that the eligible voters in the Fleet number at least 46,531. In the podcast, Ron Moore explains that he quickly came up with these numbers, to try to reflect roughly how many survivors are below the voting age.

*Toward the end of the episode, President Baltar refers to a government body called the "People's Council". This may be the proportionally elected lower house mentioned by Ron Moore in his [http://blog.scifi.com/battlestar/archives/2005/01/index.html#a000016 blog post] on January 30, 2005.

*[[Hera Agathon]] is seen on New Caprica in the same white cradle that Baltar had a vision of her being in in "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]" and "[[Scattered]]". According to Ron Moore's podcast it is actually the exact same cradle.

*Tyrol's union speech is an almost word for word quote of Mario Savio's address during the Free Speech Movement at Berkeley in 1964. According to Ron Moore and David Eick in the podcast, they even got permission from Savio's widow to use it (even though, due to the way copyright laws work from back then, they could have just used it without permission, they felt they should get it). As a result, it's even listed in the credits: "Mario Savio speech excerpted courtesy of: Lynne Hollander Savio". Actor Aaron Douglas (Chief [[Galen Tyrol|Tyrol]]) actually studied film of Savio, so all of the hand gestures Tyrol makes when he gives the speech are gestures that Savio actually used.

*Baltar's portrait of himself does not have the 'cut corners' as seen in almost all other papers and photos in the show. Neither do the other framed pictures in the presidential office aboard ''Colonial One'', nor the papers in the classroom on New Caprica.

*[[:Image:LDYBSchool.jpg|Visible]] on the blackboard of Roslin's school are the French verbs ''aller'', ''avoir'', and ''être''. Either English isn't the only language spoken on the Twelve Colonies, or this might be a goof by the set designers trying to make it look more like a generic school.
**French has appeared in the show before. In "[[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]", Six uses the French word for momentum or surge, ''élan''. In "[[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]", Captain [[Cole Taylor|Cole "Stinger" Taylor]] uses the phrase ''esprit de corps''.
**There are also [[:Image:Chinese_characters.png|Chinese ideograms]] in an episode of the ''[[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance|The Resistance]]'' webisodes.
**It is later definitively established that more than one language is spoken in the Colonies, with English being equivalent to Caprican (the common Colonial language, [[CAP]]: "[[Blowback]]"), Ancient Greek being equivalent to Tauron (''[[Caprica (pilot)|Caprica'' pilot]]), and Romanian being equivalent to Old Gemenese ([[TRS]]: "[[Razor]]", [[CAP]]: "[[Blowback]]").
**The official merchandise ''Beyond Caprica: A Visitor's Pocket Guide to the Twelve Colonies'' establishes Leonese as equivalent to French. It can therefore be presumed retroactively that Roslin was teaching Leonese verbs to her students.
* The story of the Fleet settling on New Caprica and being overrun by the Cylons is eerily similar to the story of the first episode of [[Battlestar Galactica (SDS)|Singer and DeSanta's revival attempt]]. The shot of Roslin teaching kids the history of the Colonies is also a, possibly unintentional, reference to that.

*This is the first episode in which all five [[Final Five]] Cylons appear in one way or another.

*Many of the events of LDYB I&II seem to recall events from the miniseries, but in reverse order. The saga begins with a rousing speech from Commander Adama and ends with the Cylons reappearing after no one had seen or heard from them in a long time.

*Admiral Adama's promise to come back to New Caprica parallels US General Douglas MacArthur's promise that "I will return" after he was forced out of the Phillipine Islands by an overwhelming Japanese force during World War II.

== Analysis ==

=== Characters ===

*[[Gaius Baltar|Baltar's]] arrogance seems to have led to corrupt rule during his year on [[New Caprica]]; he replaces [[Laura Roslin|Roslin's]] modest desk with a more elaborate one, replaces the population count whiteboard with a portrait of himself, and keeps a harem aboard the grounded ''Colonial One''.
*It is ironic that the obligations of duty keep [[Lee Adama]] aboard ''[[Pegasus]]'' while everyone else goes planet-side. He is a reserve officer, and promised to build his pilots a bar as soon as they found a habitable planet.
**It is possible the bar was built and a bar area is seen in "[[Unfinished Business]]".
*Apparently, [[Kara Thrace|Thrace's]] comments about Lee Adama and [[Dualla]] have taken their toll on their relationship. Whether the comments escalated is unknown, but, from Dualla's expression of annoyance when she hands the receiver to Adama when Thrace calls, it is clear that the three never reconciled with each other (See "[[Unfinished Business]]" for the answer).
*The Six and Eight that are part of the Cylon delegation that greets Baltar's cabinet are almost certainly [[Caprica-Six]] and [[Sharon Valerii]]. This is implied from Six's reaction upon seeing Baltar and her intimation that she knows who Baltar is. The two are also wearing the exact same clothes as in "[[Downloaded]]".
*Dualla's commission at that time is peculiar. She was not a flight student, nor was this a typical "battlefield commission" of an outstanding sergeant in recognition of outstanding leadership; she was a so-called "desk jockey" who rarely supervised or led anyone. Moreover, her commission came at a time of a massive demobilization of the colonial military. In real-world militaries, reductions in force typically result in many officers being forced to accept enlisted rank as a condition of staying in service, rather than enlisted personnel being commissioned. There are at least two explanations.
**[[William Adama|Adama]] could have commissioned her in order to ensure her silence about the details of the rigged election which, despite his lack of involvement in, he wished to leave forgotten and unexamined. As a lieutenant, she had much more to lose by talking about it and was reassured that she would not be made a scapegoat.
**Alternatively, Admiral Adama knew of the seriousness of Dualla's relationship with Lee and made her an officer before they became public. A commissioned officer - particularly a ''commanding'' officer and the son of the supreme commander - openly and notoriously bedding a junior enlisted soldier would have been severely detrimental to discipline and morale, and not something to which Adama could have turned a blind eye as he had the the Tyrol-Valerii coupling.
:Exactly who would have had the legal authority to grant commissions at that point is also not known. In the real-life United States, regular commissions (vice temporary "battlefield" commissions permitted under special circumstances in war zones) are issued by the President, with the consent of the Senate (to be sure, it is essentially a "rubber stamp" processing of the list provided by the individual services, but that was not so much the case in the era of a small standing military). It is possible that [[Felix Gaeta]], as senior advisor to the President, arranged for the commission as a gift to his former colleague; this is made less likely, however, by his disapproval of the election fraud.
*In the "one year later" segment, most of the regular characters appear more or less as they did prior to the settlement, with two exceptions: Admiral Adama now sports a moustache (possibly a nod to Olmos' famous Castillo character in ''Miami Vice''), and Lee Adama appears noticeably heavier (which becomes a plot point in [[Occupation]]).

=== New Caprica ===

*The events of the Cylon invasion and occupation of New Caprica were, according to Ron Moore, inspired by the 1940 German invasion of France and the subsequent collaborationist [[Wikipedia:Vichy France|Vichy regime]].
*After a year, everyone still lives in tents. Shortages of medicine abound, the military is of no use, and labor conditions are apparently intolerable. Baltar's administration is apparently as incompetent as Roslin feared, when she said he was ridiculously unqualified and had no idea how to be president. It is not clear to what extent these conditions are the result of administrative incompetence or the inherent difficulties of colonizing a marginally habitable planet.
*The population of New Caprica City is given as 39,192. There were just under 50,000 people in the Fleet before establishing the settlement, with the difference being due to the people remaining on the ships in orbit (roughly 2,200 military personnel and 2,000 civilians) and those having died in the nuclear explosion on ''Cloud Nine'' or later from accidents and the harsh conditions on New Caprica (calculated at about 5,700 to 6,200, offset by births during the first year). See the ''Precipe'' section on [[Survivor Count]] for details.
*Any "industrial" vessels - such as the mining ships, tanker ships, repair ships, agricultural ships - would have landed on the planet and been dismebarked, dismantled, or converted to form the foundation for industrial efforts. Some of the vessels in the Fleet that left [[Ragnar Anchorage]] were not designed for prolonged interstellar journeys, and were basically running on a hope and a prayer, and would have been rendered promptly upon finding a more permanent home. The nineteen-or-so ships seen are, more than likely, the last space-worthy vessels in the fleet that are not needed (or capable of landing) planet-side.
**After a year, people are still living in tents and using landed ships as buildings, so it does not look like much has been dismantled or converted into raw production. Other than the miners, who are apparently extremely unhappy at how things have been run, we see little evidence of industry or production over the year.

=== Other ===

*According to Ron Moore's podcast, the events of "One Year Later" are real and were meant to solidify to the audience that the show is taking a path that cannot be reversed. In order to make the colonization of New Caprica real, Moore felt that the show would need to jump ahead in a span of year to show that indeed Baltar has followed through with his political promise.
*In the podcast for "[[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]" Ron Moore comments on how everyone assumed that ''Pegasus'' would be destroyed by the end of the episode, and thus he thought it would be a good twist to keep ''Pegasus'' alive as another ship in the Fleet. Speculators mistakenly assumed that the nuke that Baltar gave to Gina in "[[Epiphanies]]" would be used to destroy ''Pegasus'' (keeping in tune with the assumed destruction of the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]] ''[[Pegasus (TOS)|Pegasus'']]).
*Twenty-nine people died between this episode and the preceding one. One or two Raptors were lost, and some Marines died on Caprica, but that doesn't seem high enough to account for this loss. Even if more people died during the attack on Caprica than shown, losses should be offset by the rescued resistance fighters.
* The Cylons were slightly over a light year away, according to the Number Five at the surrender. The radiation from the nuclear explosion on ''[[Cloud 9]]'' would, of course, only be traveling at the speed of light. There is inconclusive evidence whether the Cylon download process is limited to the speed of light or not. While it is likely that it is, an FTL capability in this area would indicate that [[Gina Inviere]] didn't manage to download. It should be noted that comments by the writers and subsequent episodes point out that she is truly dead.
*Initially it remains open whether Roslin's threat to 'airlock' two Cavils was actually carried out. This is answered in a [[List of Deleted Scenes - Season 2 (RDM)#Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II|deleted scene]]. During their drinking scene, Tyrol tells Cally that the execution happened the previous night. It is later seen carried out in ''[[The Plan]]''.
*In the Season 3 trailer that followed the end of the episode, Six narrates, saying that humanity has finally surrendered and the war is over. According to Six, the Cylons can finally fulfill their "''true destiny''" and take care of humanity. They desire to show humanity the "''glory of peace''," mercy; like God, their mercy can only be matched by their power and complete control. So apparently, the war heroes have indeed changed the Cylons' prejudices toward humans, but unfortunately this also means that the Cylons believe that the only way to care for humanity is to control it.
**This narrative sounds more like Baltar's [[Virtual Six|internal Six]] (superior, controlling, zealous) than Caprica-Six (who is more of a people person).
*During the destruction of ''Cloud 9'', debris strikes the screen and knocks it away, cracking the glass, giving the viewer the impression that they are literally watching the action through a camera floating in space. The same effect was seen at the very start of the [[Miniseries, Night 1|Miniseries]].

== Questions ==

*Who is Baltar's vice president? ([[Exodus, Part I|Answer]])
*Who was Roslin's running mate? If Baltar hadn't announced his candidacy, would he have been?
*Has Gaeta's view of Baltar changed since Baltar's ascension to the presidency? If so, is Gaeta planning to do anything about it? ([[Exodus, Part II|Answer]])
*Where do the remains of the Fleet escape to?
*Where is Caprica-Sharon? ([[Occupation|Answer]])
*Why is Leoben looking for Starbuck, specifically? ([[Occupation|Answer]])
*Why has the population (until Tyrol's recent union speech) accepted Baltar's imperious rule? People were hardly so passive under Roslin.
*What were the workers being asked to do which was so "odious", "so sick[ening] at heart" that Tyrol was willing to call a general strike, and so important to Baltar that he was willing to use illegal imprisonment to break it?
*Baltar surrenders to copies of Six and Eight. Are these Cylons the reincarnated [[Caprica-Six]] and [[Sharon Valerii|"Boomer" Valerii]]? (see [[#Analysis|Analysis]])
*If "Galactica-Sharon" is present on New Caprica, will she attempt to rekindle ties with Tyrol? If she does, what kind of effect will that have on his relationship with Cally? (see "[[Occupation]]" and "[[Precipice]]")
*Where did the Cylon fleets go, after they left the Twelve Colonies? Cavil is deliberately vague when asked if they simply returned to the [[Cylon homeworld]].
*Why didn't the nuclear device trigger the radiological alarms on either battlestar?
*After the [[cylon detector]] was deemed a failure, why had the military not taken back Baltar's device, or at least kept strict tabs on it?
*How many people died in ''Cloud 9'''s destruction? (See the "Precipice" section of [[Survivor Count]])
*Were the Quorum of Twelve killed on ''Cloud Nine''? ([[The Ties That Bind|Possible answer]])
*Were [[Shevon]] and [[Paya]] killed on ''Cloud Nine''?
*When Gina was instantly vaporized due to being only two feet from a nuclear detonation, did she still transmit her consciousness? Was she even capable of transmitting considering that any internal hardware responsible for this task would have been instantly destroyed? (see [[#Analysis|Analysis]])
*How did Gina commit suicide, given [[Resurrection Ship, Part II|her statement that Cylons could not do so]]?
*Given that her ally Baltar is now in power, and the Fleet has been ordered to settle on New Caprica, thereby satisfying numerous conditions of her peace movement, why did Gina decide to detonate the nuke? Her desire to die has been stated previously, but throwing herself an airlock or taking poison would have created less collateral damage.
*Given Roslin's memories of Baltar with Six, why didn't Admiral Adama suspect Baltar of handing over the nuclear warhead to the cylons? If he did suspect him, why not act on it? (see [[#Analysis|Analysis]])
*At a minimum, Baltar was grossly negligent by failing to keep the warhead secure and guilty of failing to report it missing. Why not have a public investigation to ascertain the truth, undermine Baltar's administration and push the Quorum Of Twelve to assert itself on settlement and other issues?
*Why did Adama suspect that Cylons detonated the warhead, or did so as part of an impending attack? Why would Cylons move the warhead from Baltar's lab to a civilian ship instead of detonating it on board Galactica?
*Did Baltar's internal Six disappear at any point during the New Caprica year? If so, when and why? If so, did the events of her disappearance contribute to Baltar's regression?
*Why is it so easy for Adama to hide the collusion of the rigged election from the press, and why are there no consequences?
*If the Cylons really left the Twelve Colonies, leaving behind a nuked-out wasteland, what happened to all of the human captives in the [[farms]]?
*Why have the Cylons returned after suggesting that they were willing to go their "separate ways"?
*Will the Adamas resort to Cain's tactic of conscripting civilians to fill the gaps?
*What happened between Apollo and Starbuck? ([[Unfinished Business|Answer]])
*What led to Starbuck's reconciliation with Colonel Tigh after the two have been in conflict since the [[Miniseries]]? ([[Unfinished Business (Extended Version)|Answer]])
*When Adama informs Baltar that the nuke used to blow up ''[[Cloud 9]]'' was probably stolen from Baltar's lab, why is he not suspicious about the fact that Baltar never reported that it was missing?
*Are the Cylons that appear at the end representative of the whole Cylon race, or are they a faction that broke off after the two "Cylon Heroes" began to speak out against the war on the humans?
*If it is true that the Cylons now believe the attack on humanity was a mistake, is the occupation on New Caprica viewed by the Cylons as an act of mercy and kindness vs. oppression from the human perspective? (see [[#Analysis|Analysis]])
*Could it be the intent of the Cylons to actually help the colonization of New Caprica, helping with the construction of infrastructure, new homes, etc., in order to make up for the holocaust? (see [[#Analysis|Analysis]])
**Could the Cylons be fortifying New Caprica to protect the humans from hostile Cylons? There should still be some, that Number Three in "Downloaded" was pretty fanatical, and if the political winds have changed as they so often do...
**Is there a Cylon civil "cold" war?
**Could the occupation of New Caprica be a compromise between pro-human and anti-human factions, with war breaking out between them after it fails?
*Is time after the arrival on New Caprica being measured in New Caprican days and years?
*Were the rescued Caprican resistance fighters allowed to vote in the election?
*Why did the Admiral only send a rescue mission to Caprica, and not send one to each colony or all twelve at once? Also, what stopped them from making repeated trips over the course of the following year (to say nothing of the ''four months'' of the Cylon Occupation) to Colonial space to rescue as many survivors as possible?
*Though conditions on New Caprica may have been preferable to living in space, they were nonetheless harsh. Since they could now use Cylon FTL drives on Colonial craft, why didn't they establish temporary settlements and continue scouting for better conditions elsewhere? Indeed, why didn't Roslin propose this as a compromise in the election?

== Official Statements ==

From the official site (http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/):
When Baltar wins the vote, Roslin considers stealing the election because she believes he is a Cylon collaborator.

RDM's blog ([http://blog.scifi.com/battlestar/archives/2006/03/#a000409 March 28, 2006]) gives details. (''Due to article size requirements, the blog entry is not reproduced here.'')

=== Interviews ===

* '''[[Paul Campbell]] discussess his thoughts on the story post-"[[Sacrifice]]":'''

:'''MB/TSFW:''' So what do you think about the story after you left, and the trouble [[Mary McDonnell|Mary]]’s [[Laura Roslin|character]] got herself into? After your [[Tory Foster|replacement]] came in she kind of had a fall there. Do you think that would have happened if you were still there to watch her back?

: '''Paul:''' You know, I don’t know if they could have. [[Billy Keikeya|Billy]] had so much integrity, that under his watch, I don’t think that would have happened. And maybe he would have had to step down, and Mary would have gone about that route with someone else. But I don’t think if he would have been in the picture, that would have gone down. Because that’s some shady crap, and I don’t think it would have cut it. We obviously butted heads on a few things like that in the past. In particular when I ended up leaving her at the ship. As it turned out, I had another pilot to go shoot. As it turned out, it was more my schedule that didn’t work out, but it worked in the writing. But no, I don’t think that would have flown had I been in the picture. So I don’t know what they would have done. I’m sure that was the story line from the beginning, but how they would have worked me into it, I don’t really know. [http://mediablvd.com/magazine/index.php?option=com_magazine&func=show_article&id=84 MediaBlvd]

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

*''Starbuck returns from her succesful rescue mission on Caprica''
:'''Colonel Tigh''': There will be no living with her after this!

*''After being uncovered as a Cylon upon on arrival from Caprica:''
:'''Brother Cavil''': Well, this is an awkward moment…. Yes, he's right, I'm a Cylon. And I have a message. So…take me to your leader.
:'''Admiral Adama''': Take him to the brig.

*''After arrest on Galactica:''
:'''Brother Cavil''': Would you mind telling me what's going on? I'm not a frakking Cylon, I'm not…(sees the other Cavil from Caprica in the cell)…oh. Well, okay then.

*''On Caprica during the fight with the Cylons:''
:'''Anders:''' You got any great ideas in that military brain of yours?
:'''Starbuck:''' Do the same thing we always do; fight 'em 'till we can't.

*''After the Cylons occupy New Caprica:''
:'''Tyrol:''' What do you want to do now, Captain?
:'''Starbuck:''' The same thing we always do. Fight them until we can't.

*''Number Six heralds the Cylons' arrival to Baltar:''
:'''Head Six:''' Judgment day.

== Guest Stars ==
*[[Michael Hogan]] as Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]
*[[Aaron Douglas]] as Chief [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Tahmoh Penikett]] as Lt. [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
*[[Nicki Clyne]] as Specialist [[Cally Tyrol|Cally Henderson]]
*[[Alessandro Juliani]] as Lt. [[Felix Gaeta]]
*[[Kandyse McClure]] as Petty Officer [[Anastasia Dualla]]
*[[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Leoben Conoy]]
*[[Kate Vernon]] as [[Ellen Tigh]]
*[[Donnelly Rhodes]] as Dr. [[Cottle]]
*[[Matthew Bennett]] as [[Aaron Doral]]
*[[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
*[[Alisen Down]] as [[Jean Barolay]]
*[[Erica Cerra]] as [[Maya]]
*[[Winston Rekert]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Priest|Priest]]
*[[David Kaye]] as [[James McManus]]

{{episode list (RDM season 2)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Anne Cofell Saunders]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Mark Verheiden]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Michael Rymer]]
[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:Das neue Caprica, Teil II]]
[[fr:Posez votre fardeau - 2e partie]]

Sharon Agathon

2012-07-31T00:48:09Z

Godlessmunkey: spelling

:''This article concerns the second [[Number Eight]] Cylon who falls in love with [[Helo]], is commissioned a Colonial officer with the callsign of "Athena", and from whom all modern (real-world) humans descend.''
:''For information on the "sleeper agent" with the callsign of "Boomer", see [[Sharon Valerii]].''
:''For information on the [[Original Series]] character with a similar name, see [[Athena (TOS)]].''
{{Character Data
|photo=Sharon Agathon.jpg
|age=
|colony=
|birthname=
|death=1. Shot by Helo so that she could download and rescue Hera. 2. Unknown cause presumably in or near Tanzania, c. 148,000 BCE.
|servicen=
|callsign= Athena
|seen= 33
|parents=
|siblings=
|children= [[Hera Agathon|Hera]] (Human-Cylon hybrid); all modern humans are her descendants through Hera
|marital status= Married to [[Karl Agathon]]
|role= Cylon experimental mother; enemy prisoner of war/defector; confidant of & consultant to, Adm. Adama; liaison to New Caprica resistance; Raptor pilot assigned to Battlestar ''Galactica''; mother of humanity
|rank= Junior Lieutenant
|serial= 312743<ref>This number was confirmed by the studios to QMX, who produces dogtags based off the show. It is the same number as [[Sharon Valerii|Sharon "Boomer" Valerii]], suggesting that she was not assigned another serial number to distinguish herself from "Boomer".</ref>
|actor= [[Grace Park]]
|cylon= y
|name= Sharon Agathon
}}
The [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] known as '''Sharon "Athena" Agathon''' (by the start of [[season 3]]) is a [[Number Eight]] [[humanoid Cylon]] copy.

She is first encountered<ref>Fans have often speculated that the [[Number Eight|Eight]] seen on [[Ragnar Anchorage]] at [[Miniseries, Night 2|the end of the Miniseries]], who wears a Colonial flightsuit and receives a "[[by your command]]" from a [[Number Six|Six]], is this version of Sharon. However, this is unconfirmed, and there is no known reason why she would be present in a flightsuit at Ragnar before appearing on occupied [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]]; therefore, the character is considered to have been introduced in the episode "[[33]]".</ref> by [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]], when he is stranded on [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Caprica|Caprica]]. Initially assigned to seduce him by impersonating Lieutenant [[Sharon Valerii|Sharon "Boomer" Valerii]], as part of a Cylon cross-breeding experiment, she turns against her people and helps him escape the planet. Pregnant with Helo's child, Helo is shocked by her true nature but ultimately accepts her lovingly as the mother of his child.

Once on ''[[Galactica]]'', she is imprisoned and long seen as a mere object. She frequently provides intelligence, but is severely mistreated by an interrogator from ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' who beats and sexually assaults her. Over time, she earns Admiral [[William Adama|Adama's]] trust by helping the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]] escape peril several times, and she is eventually appointed as a Colonial Officer and marries Karl Agathon. Agathon gives birth on ''Galactica'', but her daughter, [[Hera Agathon|Hera]], is subsequently hidden from her, because President [[Laura Roslin|Roslin]] considers the baby a threat to the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]]. Agathon believes Hera to be dead for more than a year, but after learning the truth about her child during a confrontation with Valerii, she is able to regain her daughter from the Cylons with the help of [[Caprica-Six]].

She later has to deal with Boomer returning, beating her terribly, seducing Helo and kidnapping Hera. This causes her to fall into a depression until she finally rescues Hera during a final battle that destroys the Cylons. Also she gets some revenge for what Boomer did by being the one to permanently kill her. Afterwards, she gets to live out a peaceful existence on new Earth with her husband and daughter.

== Biography ==
=== Cylon cross-breeding experiment on Caprica ===
Sharon is a [[Number Eight]] model first seen on [[Caprica]] shortly after the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]] and the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]] decide to use her in an elaborate experiment focused on [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]] who is stranded on the planet after an emergency landing in [[Raptor 314]]. She is an identical copy of the same model as Helo's friend and co-pilot, the Cylon sleeper agent Lieutenant [[Sharon Valerii]], and the Cylons hope to explore the possibilities of Cylon-human procreation by getting Helo to fall in love with her ([[The Farm]]). Sharon appears to Helo to rescue him after he is captured by a [[Number Six|Six]] and several [[Cylon Centurion|Cylon Centurions]]. Unaware that Cylons have developed human models, Helo believes her to be Sharon Valerii from ''Galactica'', returning to rescue him ([[33]]). Following this staged rescue, she leads Helo to a Raptor, now surrounded by Cylon Centurions, and convinces him that they have no direct way off the planet ([[Water]]). Sharon is able to impersonate Lieutenant Valerii convincingly, since she has accessed Valerii's memories at least up until the point of Helo being left behind on Caprica ([[Flesh and Bone]], [[Scattered]], [[Home, Part II]], [[Flight of the Phoenix]], [[Scar]]).

After receiving a feigned Colonial signal on a radio receiver they carry, Sharon leads Helo to a city where they find a fully-equipped fallout shelter in which two people can live in reasonable security, hidden from above-ground Cylon operations, and with sufficient supplies to last a considerable period of time ([[Act of Contrition]]). The purpose in establishing this retreat is to elicit an emotional response in Helo towards his Cylon companion. When this fails and Helo continues to seek a way off Caprica, the Cylons lead him to believe that Sharon has been captured, concluding that if Helo does not seek to rescue her, the experiment has failed and he must be killed ([[You Can't Go Home Again]]).

Helo does undertake a successful rescue attempt and shortly after, the two of them have sex for the first time in a nearby forest. Helo had always been fond of the original Valerii on ''Galactica'', but his affection for her was stilled by her relationship with Chief [[Galen Tyrol]] ([[Six Degrees of Separation]]). Pleased with the progress, the Cylons set up a new hideout, a cabin in the woods, and Sharon is instructed to lead him there and have him stay with her – or kill him, if he attempts to leave ([[Flesh and Bone]]). But she begins to question the Cylons' overall goal. Realizing that she has herself fallen in love with Helo, Sharon disobeys her instructions and leads Helo to [[Delphi]], where they hope to steal a vehicle and get off the planet ([[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]). On their way to Delphi, she shows signs of being pregnant, succumbing to a bout of morning sickness ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]) and developing a ravenous appetite ([[Colonial Day]]).

===Revelation of her true identity and arrival at the Fleet ===
[[Image:Boomerhelokara.jpg|235px|left|[[Helo]] attempts to stop Lt. [[Kara Thrace|Thrace]] from shooting Sharon, in the [[Delphi Museum]].|thumb]]
On reaching Delphi, Sharon and Helo break into the Cylon facilities to gain access to the spaceport. But as Helo encounters yet another [[Number Eight]] model, he draws the initial conclusion that Sharon is a human clone created by the Cylons and goes on the run alone ([[Colonial Day]]). When Sharon catches up with him, she tried to calm him down and eventually challenges him to shoot her, after he tells her to stay away ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]). Helo can only bring himself to wound her, and he takes Sharon with him to use her in some way to get off Caprica. While Helo keeps her at gunpoint, Sharon leads him to the [[Delphi Museum]]. Waiting out a storm in a nearby ruined building, she explains to him that she is “Sharon”, not a mere clone or a copy, and that she is as real as [[Sharon Valerii]] on ''Galactica''. She also tells him that her love for him is real and that she is pregnant with his child.

When Sharon and Helo come across Lieutenant [[Kara Thrace]] who has landed near the museum to retrieve the [[Arrow of Apollo]], Thrace realizes on-sight that Sharon is a Cylon (having left Valerii behind on ''Galactica'') and she attempts to shoot her. Helo stops Thrace and reveals to her that Sharon is pregnant with his child ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]). Thrace also wrongly concludes that she must be a Cylon copy of the real Valerii on ''Galactica''; Sharon's attempts to explain her identity to her are unsuccessful. While Thrace and Helo argue over her, Sharon escapes in Thrace's [[Cylon Raider]] to save herself and the life of her unborn child ([[Scattered]]).

Several days later, Sharon returns to Helo who is now with a human [[Caprica Resistance|resistance movement]] that has formed on Caprica. She offers her help in finding Thrace who was abducted during a Cylon ambush ([[The Farm]]). Thrace manages to escape to the outside of the hospital where she was imprisoned and Sharon arrives at the rescue scene in a stolen Cylon [[Heavy Raider]], destroying several [[Cylon Centurion|Cylon Centurions]] that attack the Resistance rescue party. Following the successful rescue, Sharon accompanies Helo and Thrace on their way back to the human [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] in the Heavy Raider.

When they arrive at the Fleet and Sharon walks aboard the ''[[Astral Queen]]'', Captain [[Lee Adama]] reacts violently. The son of Commander [[William Adama|Adama]] who was shot by the Cylon "sleeper" agent Valerii grabs her and places his gun to her head. Helo draws his sidearm against Adama, forcing a standoff. President [[Laura Roslin]] urges both men to withdraw their weapons, but then immediately orders Sharon to be ejected out an airlock. Sharon tells Roslin she knows the location of the [[Tomb of Athena]], an ancient place Roslin is trying to find, and she reconsiders, placing Sharon in the brig. Roslin later explains that she suspects Sharon is willing to cooperate, because she wants to protect Helo and her unborn child, something Roslin interprets as a mothering instinct.

=== Guide on Kobol ===
[[image:sharonhome.jpg|235px|Sharon on Kobol, with [[Helo]], Priestess [[Elosha]] and President [[Roslin]].|thumb]]
Sharon accompanies [[Laura Roslin|Roslin's]] party to [[Kobol (RDM)|Kobol]]. She recites specific passages of the [[Tomb of Athena]] in the scriptures of the [[Sacred Scrolls]] and plots the group's path on the planet. On their way they are ambushed by [[Cylon Centurion|Cylon Centurions]] who open fire. As the others take cover and return fire, Sharon vaults away, with Captain [[Lee Adama|Adama]] in pursuit, believing she is trying to escape. Sharon picks up a grenade launcher lying ahead, and as Adama thinks she is about to shoot him, she aims for the remaining Centurion and destroys it ([[Home, Part I]]). At camp, Adama voices suspicions about Helo who still loves Sharon, despite his awareness of her true nature as a Cylon. During the trek, Sharon casually tells Helo that their child is a girl.

Shortly after, Commander [[William Adama|Adama’s]] search party arrives at Roslin's camp. When Adama sees Sharon, who looks exactly like the Cylon who shot him, he looks her over while remembering events that had happened and tries to choke her to death shortly thereafter. However, chest pain from his fresh wound forces him to release her. After the attempted strangulation, Sharon enigmatically references what Adama said over [[Sharon Valerii|Sharon Valerii’s]] dead body, saying “and you asked why” aloud.

Later, one of [[Tom Zarek|Tom Zarek's]] followers, [[Meier]], tries to convince Sharon to help him kill both Adamas, as part of a plan to gain control of the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]]. Sharon initially believed that Sharon Valerii was being held in the [[brig]], but Meier informs her that she was killed. She expresses her outrage to Helo that [[Cally]] received only a minor punishment for this murder. Sharon deduces that the Colonials do not see humanoid Cylons as people and that she must take matters into her own hands to prove her trustworthiness. Sharon appears to take up Meier's proposal to kill both Commander Adama and Captain Adama, but as Meier draws his weapon, she kills him instead, saving the lives of both Adamas. She announces to Commander Adama that she is not the same Cylon who shot him, and that she has no hidden protocols waiting to be activated; she makes her own choices. She then surrenders her weapon to Adama and successfully leads them to the Tomb of Athena.

=== Cooperation with the human Fleet ===
[[Image:Valerii_virus.jpg|thumb|170px|left|Sharon connected to ''Galactica's'' main [[Computers|computer]].]]
Sharon is brought aboard ''Galactica'' and imprisoned in a new reinforced cell that was originally designed to incarcerate [[Sharon Valerii]]. The virtual [[Number Six]] tells Dr. [[Gaius Baltar]] that Sharon's baby will be born in that cell and that the child belongs to Baltar and her ([[Home, Part II]]).

During her imprisonment, Sharon nearly has a miscarriage, and is brought to [[sickbay]] where Dr. [[Cottle]] succeeds in saving the fetus. A [[Number Three]] model who poses as the reporter [[D'anna Biers]] in the [[Fleet News Service]], stumbles upon Sharon while filming a documentary on board ''Galactica'' and she manages to send footage of Sharon back to Caprica. The Cylons are surprised, yet overjoyed, that Sharon is still alive. They are concerned that her hybrid child survives; saying that it must be protected at all costs ([[Final Cut]]).

When ''Galactica'' experiences mysterious computer failures and system malfunctions from a mutated version of a Cylon virus, Commander [[William Adama|Adama]] orders Helo to show the incarcerated Sharon the strange Cylon code. Sharon identifies it as a virulent [[logic bomb]] that will take control of the ship and kill off the crew without her help. Reluctantly, on advice from President [[Laura Roslin|Roslin]], Adama brings Sharon to [[CIC]], where she cuts her arm open and [[Cylon data port|connects herself to a fiber optic data line]] to communicate with ''Galactica's'' mainframe [[Computers|computer]]. On accessing the computer, she takes into her a portion of the logic bomb code, and then instructs Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]] to wipe the system's hard drives to erase all Cylon virus traces. As the crew restarts the ship’s computers, a massive Cylon fighter force jumps into range, leaving ''Galactica'' defenseless. Sharon makes adjustments to the code and transmits the altered virus from ''Galactica'' to the Cylons, [[Great Cylon Turkey Shoot|disabling]] the entire fleet of Cylon fighters allowing ''Galactica's'' fighters to easily destroy them ([[Flight of the Phoenix]]).

=== Interrogation and abuse ===
[[image:Pegasus-Thorne_Boomer.jpg|235px|Sharon is beaten and sexually assaulted during an interrogation by Lt. [[Alastair Thorne|Thorne]].|thumb]]
After ''Galactica'' reunites with battlestar ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'', Admiral [[Helena Cain]] sends Lieutenant [[Alastair Thorne]] to inspect the incarcerated Sharon. He beats and sexually assaults her with the help of several of his guards. Helo and Chief [[Galen Tyrol|Tyrol]] find out about Thorne and what was done to his previous [[Gina Inviere|prisoner]], and they arrive in time to stop him, but Tyrol accidentally kills Thorne in the process. Both Tyrol and Helo are arrested by the ''Pegasus'' guards and taken to Admiral Cain's Battlestar, where Cain hastily convenes courts-martial for them, sentencing both to death ([[Resurrection Ship, Part I]]).

Sharon's attempted rape results in a hairline fracture in one of her ribs and minor bruising. Commander [[William Adama|Adama]] who has reached a détente with Admiral Cain over Helo and Tyrol's execution personally apologizes to Sharon over the incident; this is also the first time that Adama refers to Sharon as "her," instead of "it." Later, Adama asks to speak with her in private, questioning her why the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]] hate humanity. She responds by reminding him of a speech he gave before the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|attacks]], in which he suggested that humanity is a flawed creation, and she implies that therefore humanity might not deserve to survive. Sharon is later reunited with Helo and Tyrol when the two are released after Cain's death, as Adama resumes full command of the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] ([[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]).

Weeks later, President [[Laura Roslin|Roslin]], on her deathbed, orders that Sharon's fetus be aborted, fearing the baby might be dangerous for the Fleet. On hearing this news, Sharon is enraged, having cooperated fully to aid the Fleet to save herself and her child, and to show that not all Cylons are dangerous. Marines are sent to take her to [[sickbay]] to forcibly perform the abortion procedure. At the last minute, Dr. [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]] learns that the fetal blood of Sharon's baby has the ability to destroy cancer cells. He takes a small blood sample and injects it into the dying Roslin; moments later, her cancer disappears. The abortion procedure is cancelled ([[Epiphanies]]).

Despite her mistreatment, Sharon continues to support the Fleet and provides intelligence. She helps Captain [[Kara Thrace|Thrace]] to understand the behavior of [[Raider (RDM)|Cylon Raiders]] ([[Scar]]), and frequently assists Admiral Adama to plot the Fleet's course in order to avoid Cylon confrontation. Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] remains extremely skeptical of her increased involvement ([[Sacrifice]]).

===Birth of her daughter Hera===
[[Image:Sharondownloaded.jpg|170px|thumb|left|[[Helo]] comforts Sharon, as Dr. [[Cottle]] start to perform an emergency birth procedure.]]
When Sharon begins to bleed due to a detached placenta, Dr. [[Cottle]] performs an emergency birth procedure to save both her and the baby's life. Sharon and Helo name the baby girl [[Hera Agathon|Hera]]. After her parents believe Hera is out of danger, the baby apparently dies due to her underdeveloped lungs and Dr. Cottle's failure to intubate her in time. Sharon, suspecting her child was killed deliberately, nearly strangles Dr. Cottle before being subdued, and she subsequently falls into a deep depression.

However, unbeknownst to Sharon and Helo, Hera is still alive. President [[Laura Roslin|Roslin]] who still considers the child a danger for the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] had Sharon's baby switched with the body of a dead child and, with the help of Dr. Cottle and her aide [[Tory Foster]], places Hera in the care of [[Maya]], a foster mother. Maya is told a cover story that disguises Hera's true identity ([[Downloaded]]). Admiral [[William Adama|Adama]] is not informed of Roslin's plan ([[The Eye of Jupiter]]).

Sharon's depression over losing her child worsens and Helo convinces her to aid in the rescue of [[Samuel Anders]] and other survivors on [[Caprica]], in part to try and draw her out of her depression. Sharon's knowledge of Cylon [[FTL]] technology makes the rescue possible. She acts as a conduit between the Colonial Raptors and the far more advanced FTL computer salvaged from the Cylon Heavy Raider she once brought back to ''Galactica'' ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]).

On Caprica, Captain [[Kara Thrace|Thrace]] demonstrates a new level of trust for Sharon by handing her a gun during a firefight with ambushing [[Cylon Centurion|Cylon Centurions]]. Later, Sharon is as perplexed as everyone else when the Cylons disengage and apparently leave the planet. She is aware, however, that [[Cavil]], a man who approaches the group and loudly proclaims the end of the occupation to be a miracle, is a [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]]. On ''Galactica'', Cavil is exposed by Chief [[Tyrol]], and Admiral [[William Adama|Adama]] sends Sharon back to the brig. When asked by a distraught Helo why she did not mention that Cavil is Cylon, she replies "They killed my baby. Do you think I care about you, or us, or whether or not Adama trusts me anymore?" Sharon withdraws further, shutting Helo out completely ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]).

===Officer of the Colonial Fleet===
[[Image:Season 3 - Promo - Epi 1 - 2 - C-Number Eight, Adama, Helo.jpg|235px|Sharon Agathon is commissioned as a Colonial Officer.|thumb]]
More than a year later, and four months after ''Galactica'' and ''Pegasus's'' retreat from [[New Caprica]], Sharon Agathon is now married to Karl "Helo" Agathon. In the year that has passed, Admiral [[William Adama|Adama]] has taken Sharon into his confidence and she seems to have become his advisor of sorts having apparently fully gained his trust. The two periodically sit down to tea; her cell now has a couch, a table, and other amenities ([[Occupation]]). Thanks to her giving him his confidence back, Adama decides to forgive himself for leaving most of the Fleet behind and go ahead with the rescue mission. As part of the plan Adama commissions Agathon into the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]] as a lieutenant (junior grade). When she asks how he knows if she won't betray him, he simply replies he doesn't, but "that's what trust is." On her first mission, Agathon leads an insertion force that will serve as a liaison between the [[New Caprica Resistance]] and ''Galactica'' during the extraction of the population. She commands two Raptors in an intra-atmosphere jump and links up with [[Samuel Anders]] and his squad at the [[Breeders Canyon]] ([[Precipice]]).

On the following day, Agathon covertly enters the Cylon [[New Caprica Detention Center|detention center]] to recover the [[launch key|launch keys]] for the grounded Colonial ships, bypassing human and Centurion guards that cannot distinguish Agathon from other Eights. After interfacing with a [[Datastream|data terminal]] and obtaining the keys, a [[Number Three]] enters the room and challenges her loyalty. The Three tells her that Hera is still alive, but Agathon rejects the notion saying that Adama wouldn't lie to her (he didn't: he didn't know the truth), shoots the Three in each leg to slow her eventual report back to other Cylons. When she hands over the launch keys to Chief [[Tyrol]], she asks him if he had actually seen Hera's ashes, which he affirms ([[Exodus, Part I]]).

Following the [[Battle of New Caprica]], the Agathons and many other pilots eat in the mess hall. After [[Margaret Edmondson|Racetrack]] addresses Agathon as "Boomer," Helo asks the crew for suggestions for a more appropriate callsign. A number of humorous and affectionate responses, including "Chrome-dome" and "The Raptor Adaptor" arise, reflecting Agathon's grown trust and comfort amongst the human crew, but Helo opts for [[Brendan Costanza|Hot Dog]]'s suggestion, "Athena" ([[Torn]]).

Agathon undertakes a solo recon mission through a high radiation cluster to look for a planet with suitable material to replenish the Fleet's lost food supplies. Agathon's Cylon physiology withstands radiation levels that would have killed a human, although not without some discomfort. The successful mission confirms the foodstuffs on [[algae planet|a planet with algae]] and gives needed data to safely attempt the guide the Fleet ([[The Passage]]).

=== Reunion with her child ===
During a stand-off at the [[Algae planet]], a Cylon delegation boards ''Galactica'' to negotiate for the [[Eye of Jupiter]]. Agathon, near the conference area, instantly identifies the Eight from the baseship delegation as Boomer. [[Sharon Valerii|Valerii]] tells Agathon that her daughter, Hera, is still alive and also notes President [[Laura Roslin|Roslin's]] involvement in her daughter's disappearance. After confirming the matter with Roslin, Admiral Adama informs Agathon that Hera's death was indeed fabricated without his knowledge. Agathon angrily demands to see her child ([[The Eye of Jupiter]]).

Agathon convinces Helo that the only way to rescue Hera is for her to [[download]] to the Cylon fleet and infiltrate the [[Basestar (RDM)|basestar]] where Hera is kept. Reluctantly, Helo agrees to shoot her and Agathon is subsequently downloaded into a new body and resurrected on the nearby [[Resurrection Ship|resurrection ship]] where she is greeted by [[Caprica-Six]] upon rebirth. Agathon pretends that she wants to stay with the Cylons and Caprica-Six leads her to Hera as Caprica-Six is apparently at least somewhat sympathetic to her. Her daughter is ill and apparently rejecting Valerii who has been taking care of the child on board the Cylon vessel. Following Agathon's demand that Hera needs to see a human doctor, Valerii threatens to kill Hera, but Caprica-Six intervenes and kills Valerii instead. Accompanied by Caprica-Six, Agathon and her daughter leave the basetar in a captured Raptor and return to ''Galactica'' ([[Rapture]]).

===Strange visions and the search for Earth===

Several weeks later Agathon is assigned to fly Major [[Adama]] and [[Gaius Baltar]]'s new defense attorney [[Romo Lampkin]] to ''[[Colonial One]]'' to retrieve documents needed for the up-coming trial. Before take off, a remote-detonation bomb attached to the Raptor is fortuitously discovered. [[Cally Tyrol]] brings up Agathon's name and indirectly asserts she is the the unknown bomber. When confronted by Agathon, Tyrol denies making such an accusation, though Agathon goes on to note how she did not accuse her despite equal circumstantial evidence implicating her. Agathon points out Tyrol's deep hatred for all Cylons and hands over her sidearm, challenging Tyrol to shoot her. When she fails to pull the trigger, Agathon grabs the gun back and threatens to kill Tyrol if it is discovered she was responsible for the bomb on her ship. It is later revealed that the explosive was the work of fellow ''Galactica'' officer Captain [[Aaron Kelly|Kelly]] and was designed to kill Lampkin ([[The Son Also Rises]]). During the time of Baltar's trial, Agathon is experiencing [[Opera House Prophecy|mysterious dreams]] of President Roslin, Caprica-Six and her child Hera in the Kobol [[Opera House]]. She later finds out that both Roslin and Caprica-Six deal with the same dreams, but their meaning remains unclear at first ([[Crossroads, Part II]]).

Along with her husband, Agathon is among the crew of the ''[[Demetrius]]'' ([[The Ties That Bind]]). 58 days into their mission to find [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]], Sharon Agathon and others show concern that Thrace cannot be trusted, and that they have to meet up with the Fleet for refueling ([[The Road Less Traveled]]). She physically restrains Thrace to prevent her from executing an FTL jump to a Cylon fleet. When Thrace decides to take a Raptor instead, Agathon accompanies her. On the basestar she meets other Eights who ask her to lead a mutiny against [[Natalie]], but Agathon is disgusted at their lack of conviction, saying that they have to stick with the side they chose ([[Faith]]).

After they return with the [[Cylon Civil War|Cylon rebels]], Agathon has another vision of the Opera House. She wakes up to see her daughter standing next to her bed and finds out that she has filled an entire scrapbook with drawings of a blond woman and the number "six". Shocked at the drawings, she notices that Hera has left the room and runs out into the hallways. Her search for Hera on ''Galactica'' parallels the Opera House visions. At the same time Natalie is escorted to a meeting with Admiral Adama and she and her guards run right into Hera. Fascinated, Natalie kneels down to be close to the child. When Agathon catches up to them, she draws her sidearm and tells Natalie to back off. Then, after ensuring that Hera is taken to safety, Agathon shoots Natalie, mortally wounding her, fearing that she would take her daughter from her, like the Six in the vision ([[Guess What's Coming to Dinner?]]).

After the shooting she is taken to see Admiral Adama who demands an explanation from her. She describes the vision to Adama who finds the explanation from her inadequate and decides to send her to the [[brig]]. She requests to keep her child, but Adama declines, believing that the brig is no place for a child. After Adama goes through his own emotional turmoil and making questionable decisions vis a vis the abduction of President Roslin and many of his pilots by the rebel Cylons, he instructs Colonel Tigh to give her Hera back despite her being imprisoned ([[Sine Qua Non]]). She is later released from the brig to assist with a rescue plan during a hostage situation aboard the Cylon rebel baseship.

When the [[Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] finally arrives at [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]], she is with her family in her quarters. She and her husband are among the first team to land on the planet, but, to their despair, only discover a destroyed city ([[Revelations]]).

Athena is incarcerated in the Cylon brig with her husband, her daughter, Caprica-Six, Tigh, and Anders during [[Gaeta's Mutiny|the mutiny]], and is released by Starbuck and Apollo to help put down the rebellion ([[The Oath]], [[Blood on the Scales]]). After Boomer returns and escapes imprisonment, she assaults Athena and steals her uniform to impersonate her and abduct Hera ([[Someone to Watch Over Me]]). Even after a rescue mission for Hera is put into motion, Athena remains emotionally devastated as she does not expect to find her child alive ([[Daybreak, Part I]]). Athena, Helo, Starbuck, Apollo, and a force of free Centurions board [[the Colony]] to retrieve Hera. Boomer returns the child to her parents after a change of heart. Athena then shoots Boomer dead, which Boomer expected. The Agathon family settle on the newly discovered [[Earth (RDM)#A New Earth|Earth]]. Athena is a direct ancestress of all modern-day humans through her daughter Hera ([[Daybreak, Part II]]).

==Notes==
* This [[Number Eight]] is usually called "Sharon" and after the events of [[New Caprica]] "Athena", while [[Sharon Valerii]] is often just called "Boomer", as that callsign is more closely associated with her. This Sharon has only been called "Boomer" twice onscreen, once by Baltar in "[[Home, Part II]]" and once by Racetrack in "[[Torn]]". In the latter case, she requests to be called something else. Until Season 3, this copy was referred to by fans and members of the cast & crew as the Caprica copy ("Caprica-Sharon" or "Caprica-Boomer"), because she was first encountered on Caprica.
*Sharon Agathon's callsign, "Athena", may be a reference to her nature as a Cylon, if the Colonists share the Greek myth that Pallas Athene sprung from the head of Zeus fully grown without ever having a childhood – much as a Cylon does.
* Athena is one of the [[Religion in the Twelve Colonies#The Lords of Kobol|Lords of Kobol]]. In "[[Home, Part II]]", Sharon relates the death of Athena on Kobol, "Athena [threw] herself down [from the Gates of Hera] onto the rocks below, out of despair over the Exodus of the thirteen tribes."
* Her callsign also creates a parallel with the [[Original Series]] character of [[Athena (TOS)|Athena]]. In the Original Series, Athena was the daughter of [[Adama (TOS)|Adama]]. In the Re-imagined Series, Agathon's relationship with Adama is very similar, as he develops a close fatherly bond to her.
* Despite being in many episodes with Boomer, Athena only actually meets her four times and none are friendly meetings. The first meeting is when Boomer boards ''Galactica'' as part of a delegation and is stopped after Athena identifies her. Boomer tells Athena Hera is alive and is mean to her causing Athena to storm off. Their second meeting is when Athena downloads into the Cylon fleet to rescue Hera. Boomer is taking care of Hera and gladly passes her off to her mother, but refuses to let her take Hera to ''Galactica'' for treatmeant and threatens to kill her. Athena manages to convince Caprica-Six to help and she kills Boomer who later downloads into a new body. The third meeting is after Boomer has been captured and escaped. Boomer enters the same bathroom as Athena who doesn't realize who it is until too late and beaten severly by Boomer and is forced to watch as Boomer seduces Helo. The fourth and final meeting is during Hera's rescue where Boomer somewhat reedeems herself for her actions by returning Hera to her parents without a fight after saving her from disection. Athena refuses to forgive Boomer who knew she wouldn't and then kills her. Boomer lets Athena kill her, and with resurrection destroyed Boomer's death is final.

== References ==

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