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Blood on the Scales

2009-02-08T18:19:53Z

Hmoul: /* Noteworthy Dialogue */ emphasis

{{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 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 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?

== 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 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]]

No Exit

2009-02-07T22:47:55Z

Hmoul: /* Overview */ Preview

{{spoiler}}
{{Episode Data
| image=
| title= No Exit
| season= 4
| episode=15
| guests=
| writer=
| story=
| director=
| production=417
| rating=
| US airdate=February 13, 2009 <ref>http://tv.ign.com/articles/920/920164p1.html</ref>
| CAN airdate=Early 2009
| UK airdate=Early 2009
| dvd=
| population=
| prev= [[Blood on the Scales]]
| next= [[Deadlock]]
}}

== Overview ==

[[Ellen Tigh]] is resurrected, and she knows all the answers.

== Summary ==

=== Teaser ===

=== Act 1 ===

=== Act 2 ===

=== Act 3 ===

=== Act 4 ===

== 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 ends with the notable line, "Hell is other people!"

== Analysis ==

* {{spoilli|Further, the casting sheet contains Laura Roslin's name, which indicates that she may survive up to this episode. Conversely, given that dead characters have become audio and visual halluciations (i.e. [[Ellen Tigh]]), she may appear to [[William Adama]] as one given their relationship; Adama has brought up his dead wife in the past in a similar fashion, namely in "[[A Day in the Life]]".<ref name="flickr"/>}}
*{{spoilli|In the preview for "No Exit", it is revealed that [[Ellen Tigh]] returns and she knows everything. It has also been seen that it has been 18 months since she died. The Canadian preview also reviews that Sam Anders regains his Cylon memories.}}

== Questions ==

== Official Statements ==

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

== Guest Stars ==

* [[Aaron Douglas]] as [[Galen Tyrol]]
* [[Michael Hogan]] as [[Saul Tigh]]
* [[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
*{{spoilli|[[Kate Vernon]] as [[Ellen Tigh]]}}
* [[John Hodgman]]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[ms:No Exit]]

Blood on the Scales

2009-02-01T18:12:05Z

Hmoul: /* Overview */ typo

{{spoiler}}
{{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=Early 2009
| UK airdate=Early 2009
| dvd=
| population=
| prev=[[The Oath]]
| next=[[No Exit]]
}}

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

== Summary ==

=== Teaser ===

=== Act 1 ===

=== Act 2 ===

=== Act 3 ===

=== Act 4 ===

== Notes ==

== Analysis ==

== Questions ==

== Official Statements ==

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

== Guest Stars ==

== 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

2009-02-01T18:11:35Z

Hmoul: /* Overview */ initial entry based on previews

{{spoiler}}
{{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=Early 2009
| UK airdate=Early 2009
| dvd=
| population=
| prev=[[The Oath]]
| next=[[No Exit]]
}}

== Overview ==
[[Felix Geata]]'s mutiny continues while Roslyn finds refuge on the Cylon Basestar.

== Summary ==

=== Teaser ===

=== Act 1 ===

=== Act 2 ===

=== Act 3 ===

=== Act 4 ===

== Notes ==

== Analysis ==

== Questions ==

== Official Statements ==

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

== Guest Stars ==

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

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

The Oath

2009-02-01T18:08:10Z

Hmoul: /* Overview */ sentence structure revision

{{Episode Data
| image=4x12 - Promo Pic - Tyrol Lee - The Oath- .jpg
| title= The Oath
| season= 4
| episode=13
| guests=
| writer= [[Mark Verheiden]] <ref name="verhblog">{{cite_web|url=http://verheiden.blogspot.com/2008/04/battlestar-galactica-episode-415.html|title=Mark Verheiden's blog: Battlestar Galactica - Episode 415!|}}</ref>
| story=
| director= [[John Dahl]] <ref name="verhblog"/>
| production=415
| rating=
| US airdate=January 30, 2009 <ref>http://tv.ign.com/articles/920/920164p1.html</ref>
| CAN airdate=January 30, 2009
| UK airdate=February 3, 2009
| dvd=
| population=
| prev=[[A Disquiet Follows My Soul]]
| next=[[Blood on the Scales]]
| forumthread=2490
}}

==Overview==
The opposition to the alliance with the rebel Cylons reaches its zenith, [[Felix Gaeta]] leads a mutiny aboard Galactica and frees [[Tom Zarek]] from prison.

==Teaser==
* In Admiral [[William Adama|Adama's]] quarters, the admiral offers the entering [[Saul Tigh]] a cup of algae-ground coffee. Tigh's report regarding civilian captains refusing to allow the rebel [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]] to refit their [[FTL|jump]] drives for longer range.
* As Tigh continues his report, [[Laura Roslin]] enters from the bathroom, dressed only in a bathrobe and carrying a book she was reading. Her smile seems to indicate her enjoyment of Tigh's mild shock at her candid appearance and its implications.
* Gathering his composure, Tigh continues. The [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet's]] morale toward all Cylons ([[Final Five|Tigh included]]) would make it challenging for Tigh to pursue work to making progress to solve the problem. Adama agrees.

* [[Felix Gaeta]] arrives at [[Tom Zarek]]'s cell in the [[brig]], accompanied by several [[marines]] and other crew. A crewman informs Gaeta that [[Narcho]] and Private Paley have secured a [[small arms locker]].
* Gaeta and Zarek talk about how to keep the [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum]] from reacting badly to their plans, particularly [[Lee Adama]]. Gaeta advises Zarek to charm Representative Adama as he has before.

* In the admiral's quarters, Roslin talks the issues of the Fleet [[A Disquiet Follows My Soul|for the first time in days]]. When she believes that the Cylon alliance and amnesty is not working, and that Lee Adama's work may not work, Adama agrees. Then Roslin tries to stop talking about the Fleet problems, barely, as the two say goodbye with humorous small talk about having dinner ready for Adama when he returns from his shift.

* Gaeta's team escorts Zarek to the [[hangar deck]]. When [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]] sees the group, she yells out, falsifying a serious [[Raptor]] fuel leak, causing most of the deck's occupants to clear out--all except for [[Jeanne]], who hides back in the upper gangway above the deck.
* As Racetrack tells Gaeta that she's disabled the Raptor's transponder, Deck Chief [[Peter Laird]] steps in, questioning the authorization of flying a Raptor away. When Laird is not dissuaded from calling [[CIC]] to verify the ship's use, Zarek quietly picks up a wrench and strikes Laird on the skull, killing him. Jeanne runs off from the gangway, having witnessed the murder.
* When Gaeta reacts in shock to Zarek, the Vice President tells Gaeta not to hold on to some "operatic ideal" on how his "revolution" must be handled; any hesitation could jeapardize their plans.

==Act 1==

* In [[CIC]], [[Hoshi]] notes a ship launch that he can't authenticate in the flight log--and [[DRADIS]] does not show any transponder ID. Gaeta, taking his place at his station, stalls Hoshi, advising him to look at other logs from the flight deck.
* When Tigh tells Adama quietly that he has had had [[Nowart]] gather marines for further action to compel other civliian ships to comply, Adama warns that doing the same thing as was done with the ''[[Hitei Kan]]'' a few days prior would likely destroy the likelihood of anyone in the Fleet supporting the fragile Cylon alliance.
* Hoshi continues to try to verify the flying contact as Gaeta tries to stall.

* On ''[[Colonial One]]'' as Lee Adama tries to placate an agitated Quorum, Zarek returns, to everyone's shock.

* [[Diana Seelix]] meets with [[Samuel Anders]] in one of the officer's quarters. She slyly talks about her attraction to him as other crew sneak up, blindfold and savagely beat him.

* As Adama hands Private [[Jaffee]] a log to file, Hoshi reports of a fire near the ship's [[wireless antenna array]]. As Adama gives orders for [[damage control]] parties to fix the issue, Gaeta warns that the "fire" might not be an accident. Adama agrees and orders [[marines]] to accompany the DC teams.

* In another officer's quarters, [[Kara Thrace]] jokes with [[Brendan Costanza]] and his new [[Nicholas Tyrol|fatherhood]], commenting how her decision of his pilot nickname of "Hotdog" was an apt one. Constanza angrily replies that Thrace has "[[frak]]ked half the Fleet" and has nothing to show for her similar indiscretions. Thrace throws her bowl of food as Constanza leaves.
* A split second later evacuation alarms ring out. When Thrace steps out to ask Narcho why he, a pilot, is handling damage control, Narcho nastily spurns her senior rank: "Nobody even knows [[The Destiny|what you are]] anymore."
* When Thrace sees a mix of marines and other civilians heading in the opposite direction, she follows them on gut reaction.
* Thrace sees the people break into a small arms locker, gathering everything they can, [[Charlie Connor]] leading the way. She runs back to her quarters to pick up her sidearm and weapons and calls CIC. Gaeta ignores her warning of the break-in.

* On ''Colonial One'', Lee Adama also tries to call his father regarding Zarek's release, but Gaeta blocks Adama's attempt to reach the admiral.
* Zarek steps in, telling Lee that the admiral released him because Zarek would only be a threat if Adama didn't recognize civilian authority. Adama believes otherwise, and leaves for ''Galactica''.

* Gaeta fakes a shipwide communications failure, including backup systems.
* Lee Adama arrives on the hangar deck from his Raptor and is immediately accosted by [[Skulls]] and several others, intent on killing him as Racetrack watches on. "Where are your precious Cylons now?" Connor says as a marine points a gun to Adama's head.
* A shot rings out, but not from the gun Adama stares into. Kara Thrace has shot the marine with the gun and orders Adama's release. When Skulls objects, Thrace doesn't hesitate a second to shoot Skulls in the shoulder. "I can do this all day," she warns, pulling out a second sidearm.
* As Adama runs out, Thrace follows, warning the rest, "Follow me. Please," so she could have a better excuse to shoot him as well.

* As [[Sharon Agathon]] feeds her [[Hera Agathon|daughter]], [[Karl Agathon]] gets his uniform on and warns Sharon to get Hera to daycare.
* Just then, the hatchway on their quarters is being jostled. Someone is trying to get in, and soon succeeds: an angry mob, led by [[Gage]] a former ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' crewman who remembers Agathon's role in the accidental death of [[Alistair Thorne]].
* Gage warns that he plans on raping Sharon Agathon later as marines strike Helo in the head, causing a dreadful head wound as he knocked unconscious.

==Act 2==

* Thrace and Lee Adama seal themselves in a dry storage locker, reviewing what's happened. "Semper frakkin' fi," Thrace hisses after checking a phone, discovering it dead. Adama is astonished how people he's trusted have turned mutinous. He realizes the hangar deck was only the beachhead to a ship-wide takeover of the ship. They leave to work out what to do, gather people who will help. They try to make their way to [[CIC]], passing by allied crewmen as well as avoiding marine teams taking out resistance against Gaeta's men.

* CIC is in confusion as Gaeta continues to throw false report after report, keeping Tigh and the admiral off-base.

* The Agathons are thrown in the Cylon brig along with [[Caprica-Six]] and [[Samuel Anders]]. Caprica-Six warns that this is a start to eradicating the Cylons, especially their children.

* As Jaffe returns to report that the array's damage was faked, Gaeta activates his takeover, ordering marines to enter and arrest Adama. One marine is too trigger-happy and tries to shoot the admiral, but Jaffe protects Adama with his body--and his life.
* Adama orders his group to stand down as Gaeta charges him with treason. Adama angrily warns that, unlike in times past, there will be no forgiveness or amnesty for this takeover.
* Gaeta orders the marines to arrest Adama and Tigh and to place them in a holding cell.

==Act 3==

* Kara Thrace and Lee Adama make it to the admiral's quarters, finding Laura Roslin there, telling them of the uprising, the communications blackout and that Zarek is in control on ''Colonial One.''
* Roslin has had enough; she puts on her coat and leads them all out, knocking of one way to get a message out over wireless.

* Gaeta, now commanding CIC, orders [[Redwing]] and his marine team to secure the engine room. Specialist Gage now sits in Gaeta's old station.

* Surrounded by [[Cult of Baltar|his followers]], [[Gaius Baltar]] wishes his group well as he prepares to leave, believing that the uprising will come to get him as well. [[Galen Tyrol]] confirms Jeanne's fears to Baltar.
* As Roslin, Thrace and Lee Adama arrive, Tyrol briefs them. Using secured wireless handhelds, Tyrol has learned that the admiral is in custody. He tells him that he's in control of an airlock that could be used to get Adama off the ship. When Lee asks why Tyrol is doing this, Tyrol tells him that the "[[The Old Man|old man]]" deserves a better fate.

* Tigh and Adama begin speaking to their two marine escorts. Nowart and Maldonaldo. Tigh and Adama manage to turn the tables, Adama shooting Maldonado and taking Nowart hostage.

* Roslin and Baltar talk. She knows that Baltar's pirate wireless transmitter that he's used to communicate to his followers throughout the Fleet could be used to warn others in the Fleet as well.

* Adama and Tigh watch Connor give orders to other mutineers. Nowart tells them that he was ordered to take them all to the brig. They head there.

* CIC communications are being besieged by confused voices from other Fleet captains as Laura Roslin's voice begins to talk to the Fleet, telling them all, including the Quorum, of the uprising, pleading all to follow the rightful authorities. Gage is unable to stop the pirate signal until Gaeta gets to the station to jam it. But now the Fleet's comm chatter worsens, asking for more information from Roslin and what is happening on the battlestar.

* Lee and Thrace meet up with Adama and Tigh in the brig. Thrace angrily reacts to Nowart's presence as Adama tells him to leave. Thrace shoots at Nowart's way, warning the admiral that they are not his men anymore.

==Act 4==

* In the secondary storage airlock, Roslin and Baltar talk about Gaeta and his duplicitous nature.
* As Adama and team make their way there, Baltar takes a moment to try to get Gaeta to stop his takeover. He reminds him of their failings on [[New Caprica]], suggesting that Gaeta was complicit with the Cylon occupation. Gaeta closes the channel.
* A Raptor is heading towards ''Galactica'' from the Cylon [[Basestar (RDM)|baseship]], but Gaeta realizes the craft isn't heading for the hangar deck.

* The Raptor docks in the bay, piloted by an [[Number Eight|Eight]]. Roslin and Adama greet each other and kiss, causing Lee and Thrace to look at each other in surprise. Tyrol's men get word of marines heading their way.
* Baltar and Roslin board the Raptor, but the admiral orders Tyrol to get Lee and Thrace out and back to his secured area. He and Tigh choose to stay behind to ensure that the Raptor gets away.

* Gaeta orders the [[CAP]] to intercept and destroy the escaping Raptor as the episode ends.

* The marines use welding torches to cut through the airlock locks and open the door slightly. Adama returns fire. "It's been an honor to serve with you, my friend," Adama tells Tigh, as marines through a flash grenade through the doors.

== Notes ==
* The episode's title has been confirmed as "The Oath" by writer Mark Verheiden <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://verheiden.blogspot.com/2008/09/battlestar-galactica-cruise-book.html|title=Battlestar Galactica - Cruise Book!|date=17 September 2008|accessdate=17 September 2008|last=Verheiden|first=Mark|format=|language=}}</ref>.

== Analysis ==

== Questions ==
*What will happen to Adama and Tigh?
*Where are Kara Thrace, Lee Adama, and Galen Tyrol heading off to?
*How much impact has Roslin's speech had on the Fleet?
*Will Zarek get the rest of the Fleet to fall in line?
*Just how far is Gaeta willing to go to rid of the Fleet of the Cylons?
*How will the rebel Cylons react to the uprising?
*Will Roslin enlist the aid of the rebel Cylons is bring down Zarek?
*Where do other crew members such as Hot Dog and Doc Cottle stand?
*Were Gaeta's men actually planning to execute Lee Adama?
*What are Racetrack and Skulls' personal motivations for joining Gaeta?
*How much of ''Galactica'' has Gaeta taken control of?
*Where did Nowart flee to?
*Will any of the mutineers switch sides? What about the loyalists?
*What other loyalists besides Lee Adama and Kara Thrace remain at large on ''Galactica''?
*Will Skulls survive his injuries?

== Official Statements ==

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

== Guest Stars ==
* [[Richard Hatch]] as [[Tom Zarek]]
* [[Brad Dryborough]] as Lieutenant [[Louis Hoshi]]
* [[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]]
* [[Colin Lawrence]] as Lieutenant [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]]
* [[Jennifer Halley]] as Ensign [[Diana Seelix|Diana "Harball" Seelix]]
* [[Vincent Gale]] as Chief [[Peter Laird]]
* [[Colin Corrigan]] as [[Allan Nowart]]
* [[Craig Veroni]] as [[Maldonaldo]]
* [[Michael Leisen]] as Private [[Stewart Jaffee]]
* [[Derek Delost]] as Specialist [[Vireem]]
* [[Mike Dopud]] as Specialist [[Gage]]
* [[Ryan Robbins]] as [[Charlie Connor]]
* [[Alexandra Thomas]] as [[Hera Agathon]]
* [[Keegan Connor Tracy]] as [[Jeanne]]
* [[Lara Gilchrist]] as [[Paulla Schaffer]]
* [[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 [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Tauron Delegate|Tauron Delegate]] (credited as "Speaking Delegate #2)
* [[Veena Sood]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Quorum Delegate|Quorum Delegate]]
* [[Hector Johnson]] as [[Unnamed Galactica and Pegasus crew (RDM)#Marine Lieutenant|Marine Lieutenant]] (uncredited)

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Mark Verheiden]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Fall of the Twelve Colonies

2009-01-29T22:30:22Z

Hmoul: loss of life estimates from "A Disquiet Follows My Soul"

:''This article details the destruction of the Twelve Colonies in the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]]. For information on the fall of the Twelve Colonies in the Original Series, see [[Battle of Cimtar]].''

{{Battle Data
|image=Nukes in Miniseries.jpg
|description=Cylon nuclear bombs detonating on Caprica
|conflict=Second Cylon War
|date=[[Timeline (RDM)|Zero Hour]], concurrent with [[Fall of the Scorpion Fleet Shipyards]]
|place=[[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]] of [[Kobol (RDM)|Kobol]]
|result=Total Cylon victory, destruction of the Twelve Colonies
|combatant1=[[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]] of [[Kobol (RDM)|Kobol]]
|combatant2=[[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]]
|co1=Admiral [[Nagala]] †<br>Commander [[William Adama]]<br>Many other commanders
|co2=[[Basestar command]]
|strength1=Approx. 120 [[Battlestar (RDM)|battlestars]], [[Viper (RDM)|Vipers]], [[Raptor|Raptors]], associated support cruisers
|strength2=Massive number of [[Basestar (RDM)|basestars]], [[Raider|Raiders]], [[Heavy Raider|Heavy Raiders]]
|shiploss1=Virtual destruction of the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]]
|shiploss2=Unknown, minimal
|casualties1=Destruction of major Colonial cities, almost all of the civilian population and military forces (estimated at 50 billion)
|casualties2=Unknown, minimal
|prev=First [[Cylon War]]
|next=[[Fall of the Scorpion Fleet Shipyards]]
|series=RDM
}}
The '''Fall of the Twelve Colonies''' (also known as the '''Cylon attack''', '''Cylon holocaust''' or '''Second Cylon War''') is a devastating, genocidal attack that re-ignites the conflict between the humans of the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies of Kobol]] and their creations, the robotic [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]].

The Cylons compromise Colonial defenses by infiltrating their military and civilian society with [[Humanoid Cylon|models that look human]]. [[Caprica-Six|One such Cylon]] seduces the brilliant Dr. [[Gaius Baltar]], fooling him into contract work that gives her access to the [[Colonial Defense Mainframe]]. Her work on the project compromises Baltar's [[Command Navigation Program]], creating countless programmer [[backdoor]]s.

After Baltar's CNP is sufficiently distributed throughout the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]], the Cylons return from their [[Cylon War|forty-year exile]] and launch a devastating attack on the Colonies. The backdoors in the CNP enable the Cylons to use various electronic attacks that completely by-pass Colonial electronic defenses, and inflict varying degrees of damage to Colonial military computers<ref>Contrary to popular opinion, the Cylons did ''not'' transmit a virus through the CNP, but could electronically command any CNP-equipped ship to shut itself down.</ref>.

Viper squadrons experience complete power loss upon engaging the enemy, while battlestars and other support ships suffer an abnormally-high number of "equipment malfunctions" during their engagement of the enemy. This infiltration of Colonial systems - when combined with the "complete surprise" that they achieve - enables the Cylons to sweep the Colonial Fleet aside with minimal losses; a triumph beyond their most optimistic projections ([[Downloaded]]).

[[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Picon|Picon]] [[Fleet Headquarters]] are destroyed in the opening wave of the attack, as are 30 battlestars<ref>According to Kara Thrace in the Miniseries, the number of battlestars lost to this point was "a quarter of the Fleet."</ref>. In response to this, Admiral [[Nagala]] takes command of the Colonial Fleet aboard the battlestar ''[[Atlantia (RDM)|Atlantia]]'', and instigates a counter-attack against the enemy. Additionally, the Colonial [[government]] orders a full stop on commercial and civilian space-travel, leaving hundreds of non-military vessels stranded in surrounding space-lanes.

After the devastating assault on Picon, Colonial President [[Richard Adar]] [[Jack|broadcasts an unconditional surrender to the Cylons, but his gesture is completely ignored]]. All senior members of the Colonial government, including Adar, are henceforth presumed killed or missing, and an [[Case Orange|emergency government contingency mechanism]] activates to seek out surviving government officials. The space-bound Secretary of Education [[Laura Roslin]] is the only one to acknowledge this beacon. Sworn in on the government-chartered passenger liner ''[[Colonial Heavy 798]]'', she becomes the new President of the Twelve Colonies.

While this exchange of power is taking place, the Cylons proceed to destroy each Colony's population and strategic centers by means of nuclear bombardment. One of the targets - [[Caprica City]] - is annihilated in a 50 megaton nuclear detonation. However, not [[Unnamed cities of Caprica|every city on Caprica]] is destroyed in the attack; much of [[Delphi]] remains intact and is occupied by Cylon ground forces a short time later ([[Bastille Day]]).

Battlestar ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'', approximately 300 million miles from Caprica<ref>See [[Science in the Re-imagined Series]] for this calculation, based on data from the Miniseries.</ref>, is unaffected by the Cylons' computer infiltration as its computer systems were never networked or updated with the compromised CNP. This anti-infiltration policy, used in the First Cylon War, was maintained by all of ''Galactica's'' commanders, including [[William Adama]], through peacetime and despite advances in Colonial technology.

With the primary fight against the Cylons centering around the orbit of [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Virgon|Virgon]] (as determined by a tactical plot of all ships in the solar system by Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]]), ''Galactica'' prepares itself for a confrontation despite the fact that the ship is unarmed, having destroyed all large munitions as part of its decommissioning ceremony<ref>This event occurs in a deleted scene of the Miniseries.</ref>. To complicate matters further, the battlestar has plenty of pilots, but hardly any Vipers left to fly; its last [[Viper Mark VII]] squadron was destroyed in a Cylon attack shortly after the decommissioning ceremony.

Fortunately, the battlestar holds 40 [[Viper Mark II]]s on board as part of its [[Galactica Museum|expected conversion into a museum]]. These Vipers are of an old but robust design resistant to Cylon infiltration; many on-board instruments are analog and were never equipped to use the Command Navigation Program that dooms newer Colonial fighters.

''Galactica'' arms and deploys these old Vipers, repelling several attacking [[Cylon Raider (RDM)|Cylon Raider]]s in its first sortie of the new war. Unable to return fire, the battlestar survives a direct hit from a Raider-launched tactical nuclear missile. However, 85 crew members are lost when damage to the fire suppression system necessitates the venting of the port [[flight pod]]'s atmosphere to prevent the fuel lines from igniting, thus preventing the destruction of the ship.

After the skirmish, ''Galactica'' receives word that ''Atlantia'' has been lost in the counter-offensive against the Cylons. Numerous additional battlestars have been destroyed as well. Commander Adama takes command of the Colonial Fleet, and sends a [[wireless]] transmission to any surviving forces to rendezvous at [[Ragnar Anchorage]], a munitions depot that carries desperately needed ordnance for ''Galactica's'' point-defense batteries and fighters. It is from Ragnar Anchorage that they will commence a second counter-attack against the Cylons. ''Galactica'' successfully [[FTL|jumps]] to Ragnar, skipping past the bulk of the enemy fleet that stands in her way.

Meanwhile, President Roslin begins clustering stranded Colonial vessels and forms a fleet. Roslin's efforts retrieve at least three Mark VII Vipers and find Lt. [[Sharon Valerii|Sharon "Boomer" Valerii]] (the only survivor of ''Galactica's'' compromised Mark VII fighter squadron) and her [[Raptor]]. Boomer successfully locates additional civilian craft before a scouting Raider finds the convoy. Fearing imminent attack but unable to rescue any passengers from the convoy's [[Sublight Propulsion|sublight]] ships in time, Roslin orders the FTL-capable ships to jump to Ragnar, where a re-armed ''Galactica'' can protect them. Shortly after, the defenseless sublight ships and their passengers are destroyed by a Raider squadron.

== Aftermath ==
Few Colonials survive this holocaust and many that do are captured by Cylons for [[farms|experimentation]] ([[The Farm]]). On Caprica, [[Samuel Anders]] and the [[Caprica Buccaneers]] escape the devastation while in high altitude training in the mountains at the time of the attack. Together with other survivors, they later form a [[Caprica Resistance|resistance]] against the Cylons.

Additionally, ''Galactica'' is not the only battlestar to endure the attack. An [[Fall of the Scorpion Fleet Shipyards|attack at the Fleet Shipyards]] at Scorpia destroys several battlestars, but ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'', only partially operational at the time, manages to escape by doing a blind jump. However, ''Galactica'' and ''Pegasus'' remain unaware of one another's fate until [[Pegasus (episode)|months later]].

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

{{Battles (RDM)}}

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

[[de:Fall der Zwölf Kolonien]]
[[zh:拾贰殖民地的陷落]]

{{featured article candidate previous}}

Thirteenth Tribe (RDM)

2009-01-18T17:57:51Z

Hmoul: All Cylon

:''This article is about the Thirteenth Tribe in the [[Re-imagined Series]]. For its [[Original Series]] counterpart, see [[Thirteenth Tribe (TOS)]].''

The '''Thirteenth Tribe''', a group of early generation Cylons, left [[Kobol (RDM)|Kobol]] and its sister tribes some 2,000 years before the remaining tribes left to form the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies of Kobol]] ([[The Eye of Jupiter]]).<ref>In "[[The Eye of Jupiter]]", Tyrol says that "Our initial radiocarbon dating suggests that the temple's at least 4,000 years old, which lines up with the exodus of the Thirteenth Tribe." This is the oldest date noted in the series's timeline, but also conflicts with the prior date of [[Pythia]] and her works as described by [[Elosha]] in "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]", where she states that the exodus of '''all 13 tribes''' occurred approximately 2,000 years ago. Another contradiction occurs in "[[A Measure of Salvation]]", when Adama says that "According to Cottle, the [[Lymphocytic encephalitis|virus]] was an exact match to one reported over 3000 years ago, right around the time that the 13th colony left Kobol." See also, [[Timeline (RDM)#Ancient History]].</ref>

:''"...The [[Sacred Scrolls]] tell that the 13th tribe left Kobol in the early days. They traveled far and made their home upon a planet called '''[[Earth (RDM)|Earth]]'''...which circled a distant and unknown star."'' ([[Miniseries]])

During some period, travel appears to have taken place from Earth to Kobol, as the [[Sacred Scrolls]] give an account of the journey to Earth. The effect of Earth on the 12 other tribes is significant, as [[Laura Roslin]] states that the star patterns from the Earth Zodiac shown in the 3D projection in the [[Tomb of Athena]] were used for the original flags of the Twelve Colonies, and the colonies' original names match the Earth names of the constellations ([[Home, Part II]]).

At least a few of the [[Religion in the Twelve Colonies#The Lords of Kobol|Lords of Kobol]] remained to watch the 12 tribes leave Kobol. One of them is [[Athena, Lord of Kobol|Athena]], who supposedly killed herself in grief over the exodus.

[[Image:Tombmap.jpg|left|thumb|The [[Tomb of Athena]] was the first marker on a path to Earth ([[Home, Part II]])]]
Commander [[William Adama]] falsely claims to know the location of Earth, using the lie to give the battered remnants of humanity a cause and reason to hope after their [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|escape from the devastated Colonies]] ([[Miniseries]]). Later, through the [[Arrow of Apollo|efforts]] of President Roslin, Adama and others locate a tomb on Kobol, which reveals a map and sufficient references to point his [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] to the true general coordinates of the legendary Thirteenth Colony of Earth ([[Home, Part II]]).

[[Image:3x6-Lion's-Head-beacon-1.jpg|right|thumb|A beacon near the [[Lion's Head Nebula]], left by the Thirteenth Tribe, but found by the Cylons ([[Torn]])]]
Over a year later, an [[Lion's Head beacon|ancient probe]], possibly the first tangible evidence of the Thirteenth Tribe's existence, is recovered by the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]] in the [[Lion's Head Nebula]]. The probe contains a [[Lymphocytic encephalitis|virus]] that proves particularly deadly to the Cylons on the [[Basestar (RDM)|baseship]] that recover it. The Cylons fear the virus so much that they abandon the baseship, moving their [[Resurrection Ship]] away to prevent any dying Cylons from resurrecting and transferring the bioelectric component of the pathogen to the Cylon populace. The probe is later destroyed after the baseship self-destructs ("[[Torn]]", "[[A Measure of Salvation]]").

The Thirteenth Tribe apparently has used one planet as a waystation in their journey. They settled on a [[algae planet|planet]] and built a [[Temple of Five|temple]] to five priests that worshiped what was apparently a controversial deity. Over 4,000 years later, the Temple of Five is discovered by the Fleet. The refugee Colonials believe that an artifact called the [[Eye of Jupiter]] resides there, which is another marker on the path to [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] ([[The Eye of Jupiter]]).

[[Image:3x11 Temple of Five discovery.jpg|left|thumb|The [[Temple of Five]], a curious marker ([[Rapture]])]]
No such artifact actually exists, however. The Eye of Jupiter is, in fact, the image created by the planet's dying sun. A strange and highly improbable sequence of events occurs when both Cylon and Colonial forces meet at this unremarkable "algae planet" to find the legendary lost temple near the moment of the star's imminent nova. After they leave the system, the Colonials discover that the nova resembles another older nova that occurred in the time of the Thirteenth Tribe's exodus, located in the [[Ionian system]], and believe that they have found a new marker to Earth.

The Temple was apparently designed for an individual to witness a vision of some kind as the star begins to nova.<ref>The ancient tribes were apparently very good at creating holographic and vision mechanisms. The [[Tomb of Athena]] used an apparent 3-D projection to all to show the initial path to Earth. The vision in the Temple, however, is not seen by Baltar which implies a different technology.</ref> A [[Number Three]] Cylon uses the device, believing that it would reveal the identities of the [[final five]] Cylon models intentionally or accidentally lost to the Cylon history. Only [[Gaius Baltar]] witnesses this mechanism in use, but is reluctant to use it himself until it is too late, when the mechanism shuts down as the nova's light is replaced by the shadow of its shockwave ([[Rapture]]).

[[Image:Ionian Nebula.png|right|thumb|The Ionian nebula, where the turbulent events of the Season 3 finale take place.]]
As the Fleet approaches the Ionian nebula, four Colonials experience what they initially believe is a [[The Music|hallucination of fragments of music]]. [[Laura Roslin]], who has resumed the use of [[chamalla]] as part of her renewed fight against her cancer, begins to experience visions of the [[Opera House]] where she, an image of [[Sharon Agathon]] and [[Caprica Six]] fight to retrieve an image of [[Hera Agathon]] running in the halls. Roslin and Agathon meet with the [[Rapture|incarcerated]] Caprica Six and realize that all three are experiencing the dream.

When the Fleet arrives at the nebula, Roslin nearly faints. The four crewmembers who experience the musical hallucination are drawn to each other and now hear not only a coherent melody but lyrics as well. The four realize that they are [[Final five|Cylons]], but choose to continue their work as Colonials. The entire Fleet loses electrical power for a time, for reasons unknown.

After a Cylon fleet also arrives at the nebula, [[Viper (RDM)|Vipers]] are scrambled to meet them. One pilot, [[Lee Adama|Lee "Apollo" Adama]], detects and intercepts a mysterious target on [[DRADIS]]. Adding to the mystery of the Ionian nebula, [[Kara Thrace]], a pilot [[Maelstrom|believed dead]], flies her [[Viper Mark II]] alongside Apollo and tells him that she has been to and can show the Fleet of the path to [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] ("[[Crossroads, Part II]]", "[[He That Believeth In Me]]").<ref>According to the [[Podcast:Crossroads, Part II|podcast]] for this episode, Lee Adama is '''not''' hallucinating himself when he sees Kara Thrace. This is confirmed by her subsequent landing on ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' and interactions with the crew in "[[He That Believeth In Me]]", and other future [[Season 4 (2008)|Season 4]] episodes.</ref>

After finding Earth, the Fleet's first landing party lands on a coast, near the burned out ruins of a city which had been nuked some 2000 years previously ([[Revelations]]). Excavations skeletons and a previously unknown model of Cylon Centurion. DNA analysis of the skeletons showed that the 13th tribe was all Cylon.

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

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial History]]
[[Category:Colonial History (RDM)]]
[[Category:Organizations]]
[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:Dreizehnter Stamm (RDM)]]
[[ms:Triba Ke-13]]

Revelations

2008-06-15T15:32:09Z

Hmoul: /* Act 2 */ link fix

{{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=
| 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 ==

: ''Lead by [[Number Three]], 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]]. Adama 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. Three 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 Three step out of the Raptor. [[Galen Tyrol]] and [[Samuel Anders]] look on from the catwalk, wondering whether Thee can or will identify them. While William Adama greets his son, Three 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 Three 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. Adama mentions Roslin's recommendation, telling but tells his son that it his his call. President Adama agrees.

=== Act 1 ===
{{cleanup}}
*The Adamas, [[Sharon Agathon|Athena]], Starbuck and Tigh discuss plans for the rescue, Dualla is also present. Tigh expresses skepticism, saying there have to be other options, and Starbuck sarcastically comments that the four could give themselves up.
*On the basestar, Tory is led to the Basestar control room. D'Anna announces that one of the Final Five has arrived. Leoben expresses doubt, D'Anna attests that she saw her in her vision, and Tory smiles.
*In another room, Roslin bandages [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]] and he thanks her for not killing her. Roslin responds by telling him that she told Adama to destroy the basestar if they 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 Tory says that she came with D'Anna to be with her people.
*Baltar attests that he knew, at least subconsciously, that she was one of the Final Five.
*When asked if she had any idea, Roslin says no, and Tory tells her it might be worth pondering other things she's been wrong about, then stars to walk out.
*Roslin tells Tory to stop, and asks her to convince D'Anna to release the hostages. Tory coldly replies that she's done taking orders from her.
*A body flies out of the baseship, in CIC, Lee receives a transmission form D'Anna, who announces that there has been a change of plans, that she has executed the first hostage, and that she will continue to execute hostages every quarter hour until they have the four. Lee tries to reason with D'Anna, attesting that she's not giving them a chance and they are co-operating, but Dualla states that she has terminated the transmission. Lee okays the rescue mission.
*In the hangar, as the pilots and deck crew prepare for the mission, Tyrol begins hearing [[All Along The Watchtower|The Music]], heavily distorted by screeching and static.
*In a [[pilot ready rooms|pilot ready room]], an Starbuck and Athena brief the pilots, Anders likewise hears the music.
*Tigh in CIC and Foster on the rebel Basestar likewise hear the distorted music, Foster falls into Leoben's arms, he asks her what's wrong, and she says she's [[Crossroads, Part II|"hearing it again"]].
*Anders, Tigh and Tyrol are drawn to [[Starbuck's Viper]], Tyrol suggests that something about the Viper has changed, and Anders suggests they get Starbuck, Tigh agrees, then walks out.
*Tigh walks into William Adama's office, telling him to scrub the mission. Adama asks if Tigh has another option. Tigh confesses that he has known he is a Cylon since the [[Ionian Nebula]], and he should have told him but he didn't have the guts.
*Adama expresses doubt, suggesting that he could've been brainwashed on New Caprica and says they should see Cottle. Tigh says he should have airlocked himself when he found out, and suggests that D'Anna will back down if he is used as a hostage.

=== Act 2 ===
{{cleanup}}
*As [[Colonial Marine Corps|Marines]] take Tigh to the airlock, William Adama rampages through his office and drinks heavily.
*As Adama cries, Lee attempts to comfort him. Bill says he can't kill Tigh, and Lee promises to handle things.
*In the airlock, Lee interrogates Tigh, demanding to know who the other Cylons are.
*Dualla announces that D'Anna is on the line. Lee threatens to kill Tigh if she harms one of the hostages, and says that she has ten minutes before he kills him.
*Lee tells Tigh to give him the identities of the rest of the Final Four in order to save the fleet.
*Around Starbuck's Viper, Kara expresses doubt about Anders and Tyrol's suspicion regarding the viper. Marines arrest Anders and Tyrol, when questioned by Starbuck, Sergeant Harder says that they're Cylons like the XO. Kara questions Anders, Tyrol tells him to tell her, and Anders tells her it's true. As he is dragged away, Anders insists that something is different about the Viper.
*On the basestar, an [[Number Eight|Eight]] and two 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.
*In the airlock, Anders concludes that Tigh told Lee that they were Cylons. Lee orders Dualla to get the baseship on the line.
*Starbuck gets into her Viper.
*On the baseship, Roslin and Baltar hear the hostages and Centurions. A [[Number Two|Two]] walks in and Roslin asks what's going on. The Two says that D'Anna is about to start executing more hostages, Roslin requests that she be taken to D'Anna. Baltar insists that D'Anna 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 tells D'Anna that he has Anders and Tyrol are in the airlock, and demands that D'Anna stand down.
*Starbuck begins activating her Viper's systems.
*Foster tells D'Anna that she knows Lee, and he will back down if pressured, and D'Anna gives an order to target nuclear weapons on the civilian fleet. Baltar walks in and begins begins talking to D'Anna.
*Starbuck continues to activate her Viper, and detects a signal.
*Baltar argues that coercion won't work because he's too similar to his father, while Foster argues that he's bluffing.
*Dualla tells Lee that the baseship's nukes have gone hot, Lee and Dualla conclude that the fleet couldn't spool up their [[FTL|jump drives]] quickly enough to escape before the Cylons fire. Lee orders that everyone except Tigh be removed from the tube.
*Baltar suggests that [[God (RDM)|God]] may have brought D'Anna back for a different purpose, to end the conflict peacefully. D'Anna argues that the Colonials will never forgive the Cylons for [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|what they did to the Twelve Colonies]], and gives an order to proceed.
*As the launch tube door closes, Starbuck runs through the ship.
*Baltar argues to D'Anna that brute force did not work for the Cylons on [[New Caprica]] or the [[algae planet]], and that it will not work now.
*Lee asks Dualla for the key and begins the process of activating the launch tube.
*An Eight announces that they have weapons lock on the Colonial ships.
*Tigh tells Lee to stop hesitating and flush the airlock.
*As Lee is about to push the button, Kara runs in, telling Lee to stop, saying that the Cylons just gave them [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]].

=== Act 3 ===
{{cleanup}}
*Lee sits in Starbuck's Viper, recognizing a Colonial emergency locator signal, and states that no other [[wireless]] in the fleet is picking it up. Kara argues to a skeptical Lee 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.
*Kara, Lee, the Final Four, D'Anna, marines and Centurions stand around Starbuck's Viper and an Eight sits inside.
*They discuss the signal. Lee says that he decided to share the information with the Cylons rather than jump away because it would only lead to another confrontation, argues that peace is possible and says that he has granted the Final Four an amnesty.
*D'Anna agrees to release the hostages.
*Lee 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 talks to Roslin about stepping down, and he praises him on resolving the crisis, and says the Fleet will need that kind of leadership in the years to come.
*Admiral Adama returns in uniform, saying they should find Earth, Lee states that he has been working on a recon mission with Kara, the Admiral says 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 [[The Hand of God (RDM)|roll the hard six]], again.

=== Act 4 ===
{{cleanup}}
*In 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.
*Gaeta announces that the constellations match.
*Indeed, the Fleet is in front of a blue planet, namely Earth.
*Adama makes a speech to the fleet, announcing that they have arrived at Earth. There is celebration throughout the fleet.
*A detachment of Vipers, Raptors, and Heavy Raiders fly into the atmosphere, escorting two [[Gemenon Traveler]] type ships to 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.
*Many others, including [[Karl Agathon|Karl]] & Sharon Agathon, Gaius Baltar, Lee Adama, the Final Four, and the Cylons are on the surface as well, walking and standing around what appears to be the ruins of an unknown city, apparently having been destroyed as a result of a nuclear holocaust. The question they are probably asking themselves is, "what happened to Earth?"

== 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>
* As D'Anna 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 Significant Seven Cylons who have now joined them.

== Analysis ==
* D'Anna 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
* How [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] came to the state which the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] found it in is uncertain. Given that the landing party tests the soil with a 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 means that the series is set in the future and not the past (barring that is is set in an alternate universe).
* 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 area the landing party arrives at appears to be the Brooklyn side of 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 East River until the last two seconds of the episode where at the far right edge of the screen stands a wrecked structure with a heavily abbreviated roadway. It appears to be the East Tower (Brooklyn side) of the 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]].
* That the Fleet can plot a jump directly into Earth's orbit with just a bearing is likely dramatic license. With no clear idea about the origin and full nature of the signal, they shouldn't be able to determine the exact distance to its source.

== Questions ==

* Is [[Number Three]] honest in her claim that there are only four of the Final Five in the [[Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]]? If so, where is the fifth and last Cylon? If she's lying, is it because she still harbors distrust for her compatriots and the humans?
* What of the other [[Number One|Ones]], [[Number Four|Fours]], and [[Number Five|Fives]]?
* What happened to [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]]?
* 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]]?
* Where is the [[Thirteenth Tribe (RDM)|Thirteenth Tribe]]?

== Official Statements ==

  

<br>

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

*''[[William Adama]] has a nervous breakdown after the discovering that his decade-long friend [[Saul Tigh]] is a Cylon. [[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].

== Guest Stars ==

* [[Michael Hogan]] as [[Saul Tigh]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Aaron Douglas]] as [[Galen Tyrol]]
* [[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]]
* [[Lucy Lawless]] as [[Number Three]]
* [[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Number Two]] / [[Leoben Conoy]]
* [[Tahmoh Penikett]] as Captain [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
* [[Kandyse McClure]] as Lieutenant [[Anastasia Dualla]]
* [[Alessandro Juliani]] as Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]]
* [[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")
* [[Don Thompson]] as [[Anthony Figurski]]
* [[Brad Dryborough]] as Lieutenant [[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 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_written_by_Bradley_Thompson]]
[[Category:Episodes_written_by_David_Weddle]]
[[Category:RDM]]

[[ms:Revelations]]

Revelations

2008-06-15T15:28:17Z

Hmoul: /* Teaser */ more spelling typos

{{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=
| 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 ==

: ''Lead by [[Number Three]], 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]]. Adama 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. Three 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 Three step out of the Raptor. [[Galen Tyrol]] and [[Samuel Anders]] look on from the catwalk, wondering whether Thee can or will identify them. While William Adama greets his son, Three 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 Three 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. Adama mentions Roslin's recommendation, telling but tells his son that it his his call. President Adama agrees.

=== Act 1 ===
{{cleanup}}
*The Adamas, [[Sharon Agathon|Athena]], Starbuck and Tigh discuss plans for the rescue, Dualla is also present. Tigh expresses skepticism, saying there have to be other options, and Starbuck sarcastically comments that the four could give themselves up.
*On the basestar, Tory is led to the Basestar control room. D'Anna announces that one of the Final Five has arrived. Leoben expresses doubt, D'Anna attests that she saw her in her vision, and Tory smiles.
*In another room, Roslin bandages [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]] and he thanks her for not killing her. Roslin responds by telling him that she told Adama to destroy the basestar if they 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 Tory says that she came with D'Anna to be with her people.
*Baltar attests that he knew, at least subconsciously, that she was one of the Final Five.
*When asked if she had any idea, Roslin says no, and Tory tells her it might be worth pondering other things she's been wrong about, then stars to walk out.
*Roslin tells Tory to stop, and asks her to convince D'Anna to release the hostages. Tory coldly replies that she's done taking orders from her.
*A body flies out of the baseship, in CIC, Lee receives a transmission form D'Anna, who announces that there has been a change of plans, that she has executed the first hostage, and that she will continue to execute hostages every quarter hour until they have the four. Lee tries to reason with D'Anna, attesting that she's not giving them a chance and they are co-operating, but Dualla states that she has terminated the transmission. Lee okays the rescue mission.
*In the hangar, as the pilots and deck crew prepare for the mission, Tyrol begins hearing [[All Along The Watchtower|The Music]], heavily distorted by screeching and static.
*In a [[pilot ready rooms|pilot ready room]], an Starbuck and Athena brief the pilots, Anders likewise hears the music.
*Tigh in CIC and Foster on the rebel Basestar likewise hear the distorted music, Foster falls into Leoben's arms, he asks her what's wrong, and she says she's [[Crossroads, Part II|"hearing it again"]].
*Anders, Tigh and Tyrol are drawn to [[Starbuck's Viper]], Tyrol suggests that something about the Viper has changed, and Anders suggests they get Starbuck, Tigh agrees, then walks out.
*Tigh walks into William Adama's office, telling him to scrub the mission. Adama asks if Tigh has another option. Tigh confesses that he has known he is a Cylon since the [[Ionian Nebula]], and he should have told him but he didn't have the guts.
*Adama expresses doubt, suggesting that he could've been brainwashed on New Caprica and says they should see Cottle. Tigh says he should have airlocked himself when he found out, and suggests that D'Anna will back down if he is used as a hostage.

=== Act 2 ===
{{cleanup}}
*As [[Colonial Marine Corps|Marines]] take Tigh to the airlock, William Adama rampages through his office and drinks heavily.
*As Adama cries, Lee attempts to comfort him. Bill says he can't kill Tigh, and Lee promises to handle things.
*In the airlock, Lee interrogates Tigh, demanding to know who the other Cylons are.
*Dualla announces that D'Anna is on the line. Lee threatens to kill Tigh if she harms one of the hostages, and says that she has ten minutes before he kills him.
*Lee tells Tigh to give him the identities of the rest of the Final Four in order to save the fleet.
*Around Starbuck's Viper, Kara expresses doubt about Anders and Tyrol's suspicion regarding the viper. Marines arrest Anders and Tyrol, when questioned by Starbuck, Sergeant Harder says that they're Cylons like the XO. Kara questions Anders, Tyrol tells him to tell her, and Anders tells her it's true. As he is dragged away, Anders insists that something is different about the Viper.
*On the basestar, an [[Number Eight|Eight]] and two 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.
*In the airlock, Anders concludes that Tigh told Lee that they were Cylons. Lee orders Dualla to get the baseship on the line.
*Starbuck gets into her Viper.
*On the baseship, Roslin and Baltar hear the hostages and Centurions. A [[Number Two|Two]] walks in and Roslin asks what's going on. The Two says that D'Anna is about to start executing more hostages, Roslin requests that she be taken to D'Anna. Baltar insists that D'Anna 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 the Five]], Roslin agrees.
*Lee tells D'Anna that he has Anders and Tyrol are in the airlock, and demands that D'Anna stand down.
*Starbuck begins activating her Viper's systems.
*Foster tells D'Anna that she knows Lee, and he will back down if pressured, and D'Anna gives an order to target nuclear weapons on the civilian fleet. Baltar walks in and begins begins talking to D'Anna.
*Starbuck continues to activate her Viper, and detects a signal.
*Baltar argues that coercion won't work because he's too similar to his father, while Foster argues that he's bluffing.
*Dualla tells Lee that the baseship's nukes have gone hot, Lee and Dualla conclude that the fleet couldn't spool up their [[FTL|jump drives]] quickly enough to escape before the Cylons fire. Lee orders that everyone except Tigh be removed from the tube.
*Baltar suggests that [[God (RDM)|God]] may have brought D'Anna back for a different purpose, to end the conflict peacefully. D'Anna argues that the Colonials will never forgive the Cylons for [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|what they did to the Twelve Colonies]], and gives an order to proceed.
*As the launch tube door closes, Starbuck runs through the ship.
*Baltar argues to D'Anna that brute force did not work for the Cylons on [[New Caprica]] or the [[algae planet]], and that it will not work now.
*Lee asks Dualla for the key and begins the process of activating the launch tube.
*An Eight announces that they have weapons lock on the Colonial ships.
*Tigh tells Lee to stop hesitating and flush the airlock.
*As Lee is about to push the button, Kara runs in, telling Lee to stop, saying that the Cylons just gave them [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]].

=== Act 3 ===
{{cleanup}}
*Lee sits in Starbuck's Viper, recognizing a Colonial emergency locator signal, and states that no other [[wireless]] in the fleet is picking it up. Kara argues to a skeptical Lee 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.
*Kara, Lee, the Final Four, D'Anna, marines and Centurions stand around Starbuck's Viper and an Eight sits inside.
*They discuss the signal. Lee says that he decided to share the information with the Cylons rather than jump away because it would only lead to another confrontation, argues that peace is possible and says that he has granted the Final Four an amnesty.
*D'Anna agrees to release the hostages.
*Lee 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 talks to Roslin about stepping down, and he praises him on resolving the crisis, and says the Fleet will need that kind of leadership in the years to come.
*Admiral Adama returns in uniform, saying they should find Earth, Lee states that he has been working on a recon mission with Kara, the Admiral says 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 [[The Hand of God (RDM)|roll the hard six]], again.

=== Act 4 ===
{{cleanup}}
*In 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.
*Gaeta announces that the constellations match.
*Indeed, the Fleet is in front of a blue planet, namely Earth.
*Adama makes a speech to the fleet, announcing that they have arrived at Earth. There is celebration throughout the fleet.
*A detachment of Vipers, Raptors, and Heavy Raiders fly into the atmosphere, escorting two [[Gemenon Traveler]] type ships to 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.
*Many others, including [[Karl Agathon|Karl]] & Sharon Agathon, Gaius Baltar, Lee Adama, the Final Four, and the Cylons are on the surface as well, walking and standing around what appears to be the ruins of an unknown city, apparently having been destroyed as a result of a nuclear holocaust. The question they are probably asking themselves is, "what happened to Earth?"

== 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>
* As D'Anna 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 Significant Seven Cylons who have now joined them.

== Analysis ==
* D'Anna 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
* How [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] came to the state which the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] found it in is uncertain. Given that the landing party tests the soil with a 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 means that the series is set in the future and not the past (barring that is is set in an alternate universe).
* 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 area the landing party arrives at appears to be the Brooklyn side of 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 East River until the last two seconds of the episode where at the far right edge of the screen stands a wrecked structure with a heavily abbreviated roadway. It appears to be the East Tower (Brooklyn side) of the 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]].
* That the Fleet can plot a jump directly into Earth's orbit with just a bearing is likely dramatic license. With no clear idea about the origin and full nature of the signal, they shouldn't be able to determine the exact distance to its source.

== Questions ==

* Is [[Number Three]] honest in her claim that there are only four of the Final Five in the [[Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]]? If so, where is the fifth and last Cylon? If she's lying, is it because she still harbors distrust for her compatriots and the humans?
* What of the other [[Number One|Ones]], [[Number Four|Fours]], and [[Number Five|Fives]]?
* What happened to [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]]?
* 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]]?
* Where is the [[Thirteenth Tribe (RDM)|Thirteenth Tribe]]?

== Official Statements ==

  

<br>

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

*''[[William Adama]] has a nervous breakdown after the discovering that his decade-long friend [[Saul Tigh]] is a Cylon. [[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].

== Guest Stars ==

* [[Michael Hogan]] as [[Saul Tigh]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Aaron Douglas]] as [[Galen Tyrol]]
* [[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]]
* [[Lucy Lawless]] as [[Number Three]]
* [[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Number Two]] / [[Leoben Conoy]]
* [[Tahmoh Penikett]] as Captain [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
* [[Kandyse McClure]] as Lieutenant [[Anastasia Dualla]]
* [[Alessandro Juliani]] as Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]]
* [[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")
* [[Don Thompson]] as [[Anthony Figurski]]
* [[Brad Dryborough]] as Lieutenant [[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 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_written_by_Bradley_Thompson]]
[[Category:Episodes_written_by_David_Weddle]]
[[Category:RDM]]

[[ms:Revelations]]

Revelations

2008-06-15T15:26:37Z

Hmoul: /* Teaser */ spelling typo

{{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=
| 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 ==

: ''Lead by [[Number Three]], 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]]. Adama 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. Three 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 Three step out of the Raptor. [[Galen Tyrol]] and [[Samuel Anders]] look on from the catwalk, wondering whether Thee can or will identify them. While William Adama greets his son, Three 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 Three 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, 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. Adana mentions Roslin's recommendation, telling but tells his son that it his his call. President Adama agrees.

=== Act 1 ===
{{cleanup}}
*The Adamas, [[Sharon Agathon|Athena]], Starbuck and Tigh discuss plans for the rescue, Dualla is also present. Tigh expresses skepticism, saying there have to be other options, and Starbuck sarcastically comments that the four could give themselves up.
*On the basestar, Tory is led to the Basestar control room. D'Anna announces that one of the Final Five has arrived. Leoben expresses doubt, D'Anna attests that she saw her in her vision, and Tory smiles.
*In another room, Roslin bandages [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]] and he thanks her for not killing her. Roslin responds by telling him that she told Adama to destroy the basestar if they 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 Tory says that she came with D'Anna to be with her people.
*Baltar attests that he knew, at least subconsciously, that she was one of the Final Five.
*When asked if she had any idea, Roslin says no, and Tory tells her it might be worth pondering other things she's been wrong about, then stars to walk out.
*Roslin tells Tory to stop, and asks her to convince D'Anna to release the hostages. Tory coldly replies that she's done taking orders from her.
*A body flies out of the baseship, in CIC, Lee receives a transmission form D'Anna, who announces that there has been a change of plans, that she has executed the first hostage, and that she will continue to execute hostages every quarter hour until they have the four. Lee tries to reason with D'Anna, attesting that she's not giving them a chance and they are co-operating, but Dualla states that she has terminated the transmission. Lee okays the rescue mission.
*In the hangar, as the pilots and deck crew prepare for the mission, Tyrol begins hearing [[All Along The Watchtower|The Music]], heavily distorted by screeching and static.
*In a [[pilot ready rooms|pilot ready room]], an Starbuck and Athena brief the pilots, Anders likewise hears the music.
*Tigh in CIC and Foster on the rebel Basestar likewise hear the distorted music, Foster falls into Leoben's arms, he asks her what's wrong, and she says she's [[Crossroads, Part II|"hearing it again"]].
*Anders, Tigh and Tyrol are drawn to [[Starbuck's Viper]], Tyrol suggests that something about the Viper has changed, and Anders suggests they get Starbuck, Tigh agrees, then walks out.
*Tigh walks into William Adama's office, telling him to scrub the mission. Adama asks if Tigh has another option. Tigh confesses that he has known he is a Cylon since the [[Ionian Nebula]], and he should have told him but he didn't have the guts.
*Adama expresses doubt, suggesting that he could've been brainwashed on New Caprica and says they should see Cottle. Tigh says he should have airlocked himself when he found out, and suggests that D'Anna will back down if he is used as a hostage.

=== Act 2 ===
{{cleanup}}
*As [[Colonial Marine Corps|Marines]] take Tigh to the airlock, William Adama rampages through his office and drinks heavily.
*As Adama cries, Lee attempts to comfort him. Bill says he can't kill Tigh, and Lee promises to handle things.
*In the airlock, Lee interrogates Tigh, demanding to know who the other Cylons are.
*Dualla announces that D'Anna is on the line. Lee threatens to kill Tigh if she harms one of the hostages, and says that she has ten minutes before he kills him.
*Lee tells Tigh to give him the identities of the rest of the Final Four in order to save the fleet.
*Around Starbuck's Viper, Kara expresses doubt about Anders and Tyrol's suspicion regarding the viper. Marines arrest Anders and Tyrol, when questioned by Starbuck, Sergeant Harder says that they're Cylons like the XO. Kara questions Anders, Tyrol tells him to tell her, and Anders tells her it's true. As he is dragged away, Anders insists that something is different about the Viper.
*On the basestar, an [[Number Eight|Eight]] and two 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.
*In the airlock, Anders concludes that Tigh told Lee that they were Cylons. Lee orders Dualla to get the baseship on the line.
*Starbuck gets into her Viper.
*On the baseship, Roslin and Baltar hear the hostages and Centurions. A [[Number Two|Two]] walks in and Roslin asks what's going on. The Two says that D'Anna is about to start executing more hostages, Roslin requests that she be taken to D'Anna. Baltar insists that D'Anna 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 the Five]], Roslin agrees.
*Lee tells D'Anna that he has Anders and Tyrol are in the airlock, and demands that D'Anna stand down.
*Starbuck begins activating her Viper's systems.
*Foster tells D'Anna that she knows Lee, and he will back down if pressured, and D'Anna gives an order to target nuclear weapons on the civilian fleet. Baltar walks in and begins begins talking to D'Anna.
*Starbuck continues to activate her Viper, and detects a signal.
*Baltar argues that coercion won't work because he's too similar to his father, while Foster argues that he's bluffing.
*Dualla tells Lee that the baseship's nukes have gone hot, Lee and Dualla conclude that the fleet couldn't spool up their [[FTL|jump drives]] quickly enough to escape before the Cylons fire. Lee orders that everyone except Tigh be removed from the tube.
*Baltar suggests that [[God (RDM)|God]] may have brought D'Anna back for a different purpose, to end the conflict peacefully. D'Anna argues that the Colonials will never forgive the Cylons for [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|what they did to the Twelve Colonies]], and gives an order to proceed.
*As the launch tube door closes, Starbuck runs through the ship.
*Baltar argues to D'Anna that brute force did not work for the Cylons on [[New Caprica]] or the [[algae planet]], and that it will not work now.
*Lee asks Dualla for the key and begins the process of activating the launch tube.
*An Eight announces that they have weapons lock on the Colonial ships.
*Tigh tells Lee to stop hesitating and flush the airlock.
*As Lee is about to push the button, Kara runs in, telling Lee to stop, saying that the Cylons just gave them [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]].

=== Act 3 ===
{{cleanup}}
*Lee sits in Starbuck's Viper, recognizing a Colonial emergency locator signal, and states that no other [[wireless]] in the fleet is picking it up. Kara argues to a skeptical Lee 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.
*Kara, Lee, the Final Four, D'Anna, marines and Centurions stand around Starbuck's Viper and an Eight sits inside.
*They discuss the signal. Lee says that he decided to share the information with the Cylons rather than jump away because it would only lead to another confrontation, argues that peace is possible and says that he has granted the Final Four an amnesty.
*D'Anna agrees to release the hostages.
*Lee 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 talks to Roslin about stepping down, and he praises him on resolving the crisis, and says the Fleet will need that kind of leadership in the years to come.
*Admiral Adama returns in uniform, saying they should find Earth, Lee states that he has been working on a recon mission with Kara, the Admiral says 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 [[The Hand of God (RDM)|roll the hard six]], again.

=== Act 4 ===
{{cleanup}}
*In 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.
*Gaeta announces that the constellations match.
*Indeed, the Fleet is in front of a blue planet, namely Earth.
*Adama makes a speech to the fleet, announcing that they have arrived at Earth. There is celebration throughout the fleet.
*A detachment of Vipers, Raptors, and Heavy Raiders fly into the atmosphere, escorting two [[Gemenon Traveler]] type ships to 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.
*Many others, including [[Karl Agathon|Karl]] & Sharon Agathon, Gaius Baltar, Lee Adama, the Final Four, and the Cylons are on the surface as well, walking and standing around what appears to be the ruins of an unknown city, apparently having been destroyed as a result of a nuclear holocaust. The question they are probably asking themselves is, "what happened to Earth?"

== 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>
* As D'Anna 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 Significant Seven Cylons who have now joined them.

== Analysis ==
* D'Anna 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
* How [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] came to the state which the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] found it in is uncertain. Given that the landing party tests the soil with a 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 means that the series is set in the future and not the past (barring that is is set in an alternate universe).
* 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 area the landing party arrives at appears to be the Brooklyn side of 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 East River until the last two seconds of the episode where at the far right edge of the screen stands a wrecked structure with a heavily abbreviated roadway. It appears to be the East Tower (Brooklyn side) of the 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]].
* That the Fleet can plot a jump directly into Earth's orbit with just a bearing is likely dramatic license. With no clear idea about the origin and full nature of the signal, they shouldn't be able to determine the exact distance to its source.

== Questions ==

* Is [[Number Three]] honest in her claim that there are only four of the Final Five in the [[Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]]? If so, where is the fifth and last Cylon? If she's lying, is it because she still harbors distrust for her compatriots and the humans?
* What of the other [[Number One|Ones]], [[Number Four|Fours]], and [[Number Five|Fives]]?
* What happened to [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]]?
* 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]]?
* Where is the [[Thirteenth Tribe (RDM)|Thirteenth Tribe]]?

== Official Statements ==

  

<br>

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

*''[[William Adama]] has a nervous breakdown after the discovering that his decade-long friend [[Saul Tigh]] is a Cylon. [[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].

== Guest Stars ==

* [[Michael Hogan]] as [[Saul Tigh]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Aaron Douglas]] as [[Galen Tyrol]]
* [[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]]
* [[Lucy Lawless]] as [[Number Three]]
* [[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Number Two]] / [[Leoben Conoy]]
* [[Tahmoh Penikett]] as Captain [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
* [[Kandyse McClure]] as Lieutenant [[Anastasia Dualla]]
* [[Alessandro Juliani]] as Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]]
* [[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")
* [[Don Thompson]] as [[Anthony Figurski]]
* [[Brad Dryborough]] as Lieutenant [[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 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_written_by_Bradley_Thompson]]
[[Category:Episodes_written_by_David_Weddle]]
[[Category:RDM]]

[[ms:Revelations]]

Revelations

2008-06-15T03:51:05Z

Hmoul: /* Questions */ basestar option

{{Episode Data
| image=4x10 - Revelations - Promo 1.jpg
| title= Revelations
| season= 4
| episode= 10
| forumthread= 1300
| extra=Mid-Season Cliffhanger<br/>Extra Act
| guests=
| writer=[[Bradley Thompson]] <br/>
[[David Weddle]]
| story=
| director=[[Michael Rymer]]
| production=412
| rating=
| 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 ==

: ''Lead by [[Number Three]], 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 ===

=== Act 1 ===

=== Act 2 ===

=== Act 3 ===

=== Act 4 ===

=== Act 5 ===

== 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>

== Analysis ==
* How [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] came to the state which the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] found it in is uncertain. Given that the landing party tests the soil with a 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 means that the series is set in the future and not the past (barring that is is set in an alternate universe).

* The area the landing party arrives at appears to be the Brooklyn side of 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 East River until the last two seconds of the episode where at the far right edge of the screen stands a wrecked structure with a heavily abbreviated roadway. It appears to be the East Tower (Brooklyn side) of the 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]].

* As D'Anna airlocks one prisoner during the course of the episode, the population of the Fleet when it arrives at Earth is 39,664, not counting the Significant Seven Cylons who have now joined them.

== Questions ==

* Is [[Number Three]] honest in her claim that there are only four of the Final Five in the [[Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]]? If so, where is the fifth and last Cylon - already on board the basestar? If she's lying, is it because she still harbors distrust for her compatriots and the humans?
* What of the other [[Number Two|Twos]], [[Number Four|Fours]], and [[Number Five|Fives]]?
* What happened to [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]]?
* 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]]?

== Official Statements ==

  

<br>

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

 

*''Admiral Adama is in a high degree of distress to the point of breakdown and has passed out drunk onto the deck of his quarters. he has just ordered Colonel Saul Tigh, now known publicly to be a Final Five Cylon after his confession to Adama to be used as a bargaining chip in the hostage crisis with the Rebel Cylons; and to his possible death. Lee finds him and drags his father's sobbing form to a bulkhead where he cradles his father from behind.''

:'''Adama:''' [Crying, Sobbing, dispair...]

:'''Lee''' [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.

:'''Adama:''' What have I done? [breathlessly] All of the people I've sent to die? For what? For what!?!

:'''Lee''' [quietly] For Earth...

:'''Adama''' [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!!

:'''Adama:''' I can't...

:'''Lee''' [frustrated]: Yes you can! Come on!

:'''Adama:''' I can't....

:'''Lee''' [frustrated] Yes you ca...

:'''Adama:''' 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]

:'''Adama:''' I can't....

:'''Lee:''' Its....Its gonna be okay....Its gonna be okay... I'll... I'll take care of it.. I'll take care of it [kisses his father's forehead].

== Guest Stars ==

* [[Michael Hogan]] as [[Saul Tigh]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Aaron Douglas]] as [[Galen Tyrol]]
* [[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]]
* [[Lucy Lawless]] as [[Number Three]]
* [[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Number Two]] / [[Leoben Conoy]]
* [[Tahmoh Penikett]] as Captain [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
* [[Kandyse McClure]] as Lieutenant [[Anastasia Dualla]]
* [[Alessandro Juliani]] as Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]]
* [[Bodie Olmos]] as Lieutenant [[Brendan Costanza|Brendan "Hotdog" Costanza]]
* [[Keegan Connor Tracy]] as [[Jeanne]]
* [[Lara Gilchrist]] as [[Paulla Schaffer]]
* [[Finn R. Devitt]] as [[Nicholas Tyrol]] (credited as "Baby Nicky")
* [[Don Thompson]] as [[Anthony Figurski]]
* [[Brad Dryborough]] as Lieutenant [[Hoshi]]
* [[Alexandra Thomas]] as [[Hera Agathon]]
* [[Heather Doerksen]] as [[Unnamed Galactica and Pegasus crew (RDM)#Blonde female Marine|Surveillance Marine]] 
* [[Leo Li Chiang]] as [[Tattooed pilot]] (uncredited)

== References ==

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:Episodes_written_by_Bradley_Thompson]]
[[Category:Episodes_written_by_David_Weddle]]
[[Category:RDM]]

[[ms:Revelations]]

Number Eight

2008-06-07T18:41:35Z

Hmoul: /* Other Copies */memory access

{{Character Data
|photo=eight.jpg
|seen= Miniseries
|actor= [[Grace Park]]
|cylon= y
|name= Sharon
}}
"'''Number Eight'''" is one of the twelve [[humanoid Cylon]] models. She is the youngest in appearance of the eleven known models and generally associated with the name "Sharon" when interacting with humans. Eights are known for being more empathic and compassionate than the other Cylons. They also have been placed in the most pivotal missions involving Cylon-human interactions. Eights have been the Cylons with the most extensive human contact, resulting in at least two interspecies relationships (but see [[Galen Tyrol]]) and a Cylon-human hybrid child. Humans have particularly been exposed to two specific copies, [[Sharon Valerii|Sharon "Boomer" Valerii]], a "sleeper" agent who served on board ''Galactica'', and [[Sharon Agathon|Sharon "Athena" Agathon]], a Cylon defector now appointed as a Colonial Officer.

== Sharon "Boomer" Valerii ==
{{mainarticle|Sharon Valerii}}
'''Sharon "Boomer" Valerii''' is a copy initially planted as a "sleeper" agent in the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]]. Implanted with false memories, she is unaware of her Cylon nature and serves for two years as Lieutenant Valerii on ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'', where she is assigned as a [[Raptor]] pilot and also engaged in a secret relationship with Chief [[Galen Tyrol|Tyrol]]. After the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|Cylon attack]], her underlying programming repeatedly emerges which leads her to unconscious acts of sabotage. Growing confusion about her true self results in a deep depression and a failed suicide attempt. After Valerii returns from a successful mission to destroy a Cylon [[basestar]], she shoots Commander [[William Adama|Adama]] in the chest, wounding him critically. She is incarcerated in the [[brig]] and soon afterwards killed by Specialist [[Cally]].

[[Image:bsg-valerii-1.jpg|224px|right|Athena (left), Boomer (right). |thumb]]

Her consciousness is downloaded and she is reborn in another body. Subsequently, she experiences severe problems integrating into Cylon society and long considers herself more human than Cylon. She eventually works together with [[Caprica-Six]] in an attempt to change Cylon popular opinion about humans and she emerges as one of the Cylon leaders jointly responsible for the end of the occupation of the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]] and later the Cylon occupation on [[New Caprica]]. Following the failure on New Caprica, Valerii abandons her hopes for coexistence with humans and she denounces her past on ''Galactica''.

== Sharon "Athena" Agathon ==
{{mainarticle|Sharon Agathon}}
'''Sharon "Athena" Agathon''' is a copy first encountered by [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]], when he is stranded on [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Caprica|Caprica]]. She is initially assigned to seduce him by impersonating Lieutenant Sharon Valerii (with whom she appears to share some, if not all pre-attack memories), as part of a Cylon cross-breeding experiment, but later turns against her people and helps him escape the planet; pregnant with his child during that time. Helo, first shocked by her true nature, ultimately accepts her as the mother of his child and declares his love for her.

Once on ''[[Galactica]]'', she is imprisoned and long seen as nothing but a "[[toaster]]". 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 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]].

==Other Copies==
[[Image:Boomerraincoat Colonialday.JPG|thumb|left|170px|A Number Eight copy at the [[Delphi]] spaceport.]]
*Shortly after the [[Cylon Attack]] ends, an Eight in a pale blue tunic is one of four 'rebirth nurses' who greet [[Caprica-Six]] following her rebirth (this takes place at the same time as the events of the middle or end of the [[Miniseries]], but is seen in the much later episode [[Downloaded]]).
*At the end of the [[Miniseries]], an Eight wearing a Colonial [[flight suit]] appears to be leading a group of humanoid Cylons who recover the [[Number Five#PR Executive Copy|PR Executive Copy of Number Five]] from [[Ragnar Anchorage]].
*An Eight is witnessed wearing a grey coat at the spaceport at [[Delphi]]. However, she is immediately shot by [[Sharon Agathon]] after noticing and attempting to shoot Helo ([[Colonial Day]]).
*Multiple copies of the Eight model are present on the [[Basestar (RDM)|basestar]] over [[Kobol (RDM)|Kobol]]. It is possible that they are dispatched to the Raptor in order to activate some latent portion of [[Sharon Valerii]]'s underlying Cylon programming ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]).
*An Eight is among a group of rebirth nurses, possibly the same one that midwifed Caprica-Six, who welcome the reborn [[Sharon Valerii]]. Valerii becomes hysterical after seeing and hearing this copy.
*A copy of Number Eight is seen at the end of "[[Final Cut]]", also wearing a grey coat like other Eights on Caprica, remarking in surprise that [[Sharon Agathon]] is still alive (and saying, "I told you" to the Number Five copy sitting next to her).
[[Image:Eights.jpg|right|224px|Eights onboard a Cylon [[basestar]].|thumb]]
*Numerous copies of Eight are seen on Cylon occupied Caprica throughout the episode "[[Downloaded]]".
*Several Eights are part of a group of humanoid Cylons blown up on New Caprica by a bomb planted by [[Samuel Anders]] and [[Galen Tyrol]] as they approach a group of Centurions exiting from a Heavy Raider which has just landed.
*Another Eight sits next to Valerii on ''Colonial One'' during the [[Cylon Occupation Authority]]'s discussion of the suicide bombing of New Caprica City's power station and the subsequent proposal that harsher measures be adopted. She does not speak during the meeting.
*An Eight can be seen practicing a Cylon version of [[Wikipedia:Tai Chi Chuan|Tai Chi]] in the episode "[[Torn]]" while nude.
*Another Eight is among the infected Cylons captured by ''Galactica'' as part of the Colonials's plot to infect the Cylon race with the virus from the [[Lion's Head beacon]]. She and the others are executed by Karl Agathon before the plan can be put into action ([[A Measure of Salvation]]). Because no [[Resurrection Ship]] was in range, her death is final.
*The Number Eights in the episode "[[Six of One]]", with the exception of Sharon Valerii, are supporters of the Number Six [[Natalie]]. They are excited at the prospect of discovering the [[Final Five]] and vote with the [[Number Two|Two]]s and [[Number Six|Six]]es against the lobotomization of the [[Cylon Raider (RDM)|Cylon Raider]]s.
*The Eights in Natalie's group decide that they need to mutiny and turn to Athena to lead the rebellion. She refuses and tells them they need to pick a side and stick with it. One is mortally wounded by a Centurion (which is then killed by Starbuck) while attempting to disconnect the Hybrid. She apologizes to Athena asking for forgiveness admitting that Athena was right. Athena doesn't grant it, but [[Samuel Anders]] holds her hand and comforts her as she dies. Without a Resurrection Ship this copy is dead for good ([[Faith]]).
*Another copy works with Karl Agathon during the attack on the Cylon [[Resurrection Hub]]. When she gives him a massage like his wife does, he asks her about it and she say that she was curious about Athena, so she downloaded her memories from the last time Athena resurrected ([[Rapture]]). This makes her Athena to some extent, complete with an emotional attachment to Helo. She is aware that it is an awkward situation for Agathon, but is still annoyed when he rebuffs her. Shortly after, she helps him by giving a speech to the reluctant Viper pilots that motivate them to trust the Cylons. During the battle she and Agathon take a Raptor to the Hub to retrieve the unboxed [[Number Three]]. Afterwards, she is furious when she learns that the humans double-crossed them and have no intention of handing over the Three ([[The Hub]]).

==Notes==
*[[Ronald D. Moore|Ron D. Moore]] stated in an interview for ''TheFandom.com'', "There is no original human Sharon. The idea is not that there was likely an original human model that they were copied from. The idea was that these models of Cylon were sort of developed out of their own study of us. The Cylons on some level looked at humanity and said 'You know what? There's really only 12 of you.' If these are the 12, and sort of if you look at them they each represent different archetypes of what humanity is."
*The two notable Eights, [[Sharon Valerii]] and [[Sharon Agathon]], met for the first time in the [[Season 3 (2006-07)|Season Three]] midseason finale "[[The Eye of Jupiter]]". Before that, they were often in the same episode but never shared a scene.
*[[w:Valerii|Valerii]] is the male plural form of the Roman name of the family Valeria. Valerius is the singular form.
*Neither Eight with extended time with the Colonials refers to her lover by his first name on screen during the first two seasons. During that time, Sharon Valerii calls [[Chief Tyrol]] by "Chief" instead of "Galen", while Sharon Agathon uses [[Karl Agathon]]'s callsign, Helo. Ronald D. Moore explained in his blog that no one had ever really called Tyrol "Galen" before, and hearing Valerii say it during her death scene would have distracted from the emotional impact of her death. Moore compared it to the Seinfeld episode when Kramer's first name is revealed to be "Cosmo"; i.e. the viewers would be unused to Tyrol's previously unknown first name. As for Agathon, everybody usually just calls him "Helo". Sharon Valerii referred to Chief Tyrol by "Galen" for the first time while speaking to [[Cally]] in the Cylon Detention Center on [[New Caprica]], long after their romantic relationship had ended. Whereas Sharon Agathon calls Helo by his first name, Karl, in "[[The Woman King]]".

{{Characters}}

[[Category:A to Z|Number Eight]]
[[Category:Characters|Number Eight]]
[[Category:Characters (RDM)|Number Eight]]
[[Category:Main Characters (RDM)|Number Eight]]
[[Category:Cylons|Number Eight]]
[[Category:Cylons (RDM)|Number Eight]]
[[Category:RDM|Number Eight]]

[[de:Nummer Acht]]
[[zh:捌号]]

The Hub

2008-06-07T18:31:48Z

Hmoul: /* Questions */ copies of Athena

:''This article discusses the [[Re-imagined Series]] episode. For the eponymous resurrection facility, see: [[Resurrection Hub]].''
{{Episode Data
| image= 4x09 - The Hub - Promo 1 - cropped.jpg
| title= The Hub
| season= 4
| episode= 9
| forumthread= 1262
| guests=
| writer= [[Jane Espenson]]
| story=
| director= [[Paul Edwards]]
| production= 411
| rating=
| US airdate= 06 June 2008
| CAN airdate= 06 June 2008
| UK airdate=10 June 2008
| dvd=
| oldpopulation= 39674
| population= 39673
| prev= [[Sine Qua Non]]
| next= [[Revelations]]
}}

== Overview ==

: ''Pursuing the [[Resurrection Hub]] at the whim of the Hybrid, a team of Viper pilots and Cylon rebels become uneasy collaborators as they formulate a battle plan to un-box the [[Number Three|Three]]s and destroy Cylon resurrection forever. Meanwhile, Roslin and Baltar try desperately to communicate with the panicking [[Hybrid]] and Helo discovers a disturbing characteristic within one of the [[Number Eight|Eights]].''

== Summary ==



=== Teaser ===
=== Act 1 ===
=== Act 2 ===
=== Act 3 ===
=== Act 4 ===

== Notes ==



== Analysis ==

* Baltar, now having found a way to absolve all guilt for any action, takes his scheming to a new extremes while attempting to make an ally out of the Centurions.

* The dichotomy of experienced time when performing an FTL jump (it happens both instantaneously and is drawn out for what seems to be a long time) appears to be yet another avenue for the Lords of Kobol to interact with humans. Other examples are dreams, a hypnotic state, and between death and resurrection.

== Questions ==

*Why do the Cylons have only one Resurrection Hub and the implied inability to build another?
*Are the Cylons capable of building a new Hub, and if so, how long it would it take them?
*Does Boomer make it off of the Hub before it is destroyed?
*Is there time to resurrect Cavil?
*How many other Eights have accessed Athena's memories, and how will this affect her relationship with Helo?

== Official Statements ==




== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

* ''[[Adama]] reading to Roslin during her vision'':
:"'Then I dug into the stump and pulled rocks from the ground until my fingers bled. I collected seeds from the few fruits the island offered and planted them in long straight furrows like the ranks of soldiers. When I finished I looked at what I had done. I did not see a garden; I saw a scar. This island had saved my life and I had done it no service.'"

* ''Roslin and Adama tenderly greeting each other in the Basestar hangar deck:''
:'''Roslin''' [Embracing Adama]: "I love you."
:'''Adama''' [Breaking the embrace; looks into her eyes]: "About time."

== Guest Stars ==
*[[Tahmoh Penikett]] as Captain [[Karl Agathon]]
*[[Lucy Lawless]] as [[Number Three]]/ [[D'Anna Biers]]
*[[Dean Stockwell]] as [[Number One]]/ [[Cavil]]
*[[Jennifer Halley]] as Ensign [[Seelix|Diana "Hardball" Seelix]]
*[[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Number Two]] / [[Leoben Conoy]] (credited only)
*[[Donnelly Rhodes]] as Doctor [[Cottle]]
*[[Tiffany Lyndall-Knight]] as [[Hybrid]]
*[[Bodie Olmos]] as Lieutenant [[Hotdog|Brendan "Hotdog" Costanza]]
*[[Lorena Gale]] as [[Elosha]]
*[[Ryan McDonell]] as Lieutenant [[Eammon Pike|Eammon "Gonzo" Pike]]

== External Links ==
*Composer [[Bear McCreary]] on the episode's score: [http://www.bearmccreary.com/blog/?p=380]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hub, The}}
[[Category:Episodes written by Jane Espenson]]

The Hub

2008-06-07T18:27:40Z

Hmoul: /* Analysis */ Baltar, altered time states

:''This article discusses the [[Re-imagined Series]] episode. For the eponymous resurrection facility, see: [[Resurrection Hub]].''
{{Episode Data
| image= 4x09 - The Hub - Promo 1 - cropped.jpg
| title= The Hub
| season= 4
| episode= 9
| forumthread= 1262
| guests=
| writer= [[Jane Espenson]]
| story=
| director= [[Paul Edwards]]
| production= 411
| rating=
| US airdate= 06 June 2008
| CAN airdate= 06 June 2008
| UK airdate=10 June 2008
| dvd=
| oldpopulation= 39674
| population= 39673
| prev= [[Sine Qua Non]]
| next= [[Revelations]]
}}

== Overview ==

: ''Pursuing the [[Resurrection Hub]] at the whim of the Hybrid, a team of Viper pilots and Cylon rebels become uneasy collaborators as they formulate a battle plan to un-box the [[Number Three|Three]]s and destroy Cylon resurrection forever. Meanwhile, Roslin and Baltar try desperately to communicate with the panicking [[Hybrid]] and Helo discovers a disturbing characteristic within one of the [[Number Eight|Eights]].''

== Summary ==



=== Teaser ===
=== Act 1 ===
=== Act 2 ===
=== Act 3 ===
=== Act 4 ===

== Notes ==



== Analysis ==

* Baltar, now having found a way to absolve all guilt for any action, takes his scheming to a new extremes while attempting to make an ally out of the Centurions.

* The dichotomy of experienced time when performing an FTL jump (it happens both instantaneously and is drawn out for what seems to be a long time) appears to be yet another avenue for the Lords of Kobol to interact with humans. Other examples are dreams, a hypnotic state, and between death and resurrection.

== Questions ==

*Why do the Cylons have only one Resurrection Hub and the implied inability to build another?
*Are the Cylons capable of building a new Hub, and if so, how long it would it take them?
*Does Boomer make it off of the Hub before it is destroyed?
*Is there time to resurrect Cavil?

== Official Statements ==




== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

* ''[[Adama]] reading to Roslin during her vision'':
:"'Then I dug into the stump and pulled rocks from the ground until my fingers bled. I collected seeds from the few fruits the island offered and planted them in long straight furrows like the ranks of soldiers. When I finished I looked at what I had done. I did not see a garden; I saw a scar. This island had saved my life and I had done it no service.'"

* ''Roslin and Adama tenderly greeting each other in the Basestar hangar deck:''
:'''Roslin''' [Embracing Adama]: "I love you."
:'''Adama''' [Breaking the embrace; looks into her eyes]: "About time."

== Guest Stars ==
*[[Tahmoh Penikett]] as Captain [[Karl Agathon]]
*[[Lucy Lawless]] as [[Number Three]]/ [[D'Anna Biers]]
*[[Dean Stockwell]] as [[Number One]]/ [[Cavil]]
*[[Jennifer Halley]] as Ensign [[Seelix|Diana "Hardball" Seelix]]
*[[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Number Two]] / [[Leoben Conoy]] (credited only)
*[[Donnelly Rhodes]] as Doctor [[Cottle]]
*[[Tiffany Lyndall-Knight]] as [[Hybrid]]
*[[Bodie Olmos]] as Lieutenant [[Hotdog|Brendan "Hotdog" Costanza]]
*[[Lorena Gale]] as [[Elosha]]
*[[Ryan McDonell]] as Lieutenant [[Eammon Pike|Eammon "Gonzo" Pike]]

== External Links ==
*Composer [[Bear McCreary]] on the episode's score: [http://www.bearmccreary.com/blog/?p=380]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hub, The}}
[[Category:Episodes written by Jane Espenson]]

Resurrection Ship

2008-05-20T20:14:09Z

Hmoul: /* Cylon Civil War */ word change

: ''This article discusses the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] spacecraft called the Resurrection Ship. For the episodes of the same name, see "[[Resurrection Ship, Part I]]" and "[[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]".''

__NOTOC__
{{Ship Data
| image= Resurrection Ship.jpg
| title= Resurrection Ship
| race= [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]]
| type= Military
| ftl= Yes
| crew= Unknown
| role= Cylon ressurection
| weapons=
| status=
| img=
}}
A '''Resurrection Ship''' is a large vessel specifically dedicated to the "[[Resurrection (RDM)|resurrection]]" of [[humanoid Cylon]]s who are killed. Normally, upon death, their consciousnesses are downloaded into new identical bodies on the [[Cylon homeworld]], but for humanoid Cylons located farther and farther away from home - such as those hidden within the human refugee [[The Fleet (RDM)|fleet]] - this is not possible, as the download range of a humanoid Cylon is limited.

For this reason, when the Cylons began pursuing the Fleet, they incorporated a Resurrection Ship at the center of their pursuit force, to provide their agents with a fallback position; if they were killed, their consciousnesses could be downloaded to new bodies without concern. Without that ship, a killed Cylon would truly die, as their consciousnesses also would be cut off.

It is also apparent that the resurrection process is involuntary in that humanoid Cylons cannot chose to die permanently, nor can other Cylons in control of a Resurrection Ship chose to prevent someone from being downloaded. The only way to prevent a dead Cylon from downloading is to move the Resurrection Ship out of range ([[Torn]]).

Based on testimony provided by former systems analyst [[Gina Inviere]] and on reconnaissance photos taken by [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] (using the [[Blackbird]]), such a ship contains multiple copies of Cylon models, along with all the apparatus necessary for resurrection ([[Resurrection Ship, Part I]]).

The overall function of all Resurrection Ships is mediated by the [[Resurrection Hub]]. If this this disabled all Resurrection Ships fail ([[Guess What's Coming to Dinner]]).

[[Image:Bscap243.jpg|thumb|left| ''Pegasus'' reconnaissance photos]]
===Pursuing the Fleet===
When ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' happened upon a Resurrection Ship, later found to be pursuing the Fleet, they discover the ship was escorted by two [[basestar (RDM)|basestar]]s and approximately a dozen support vessels. It is assumed that the ships were following the Fleet since the exodus from the Colonies. ''Pegasus'' located this ship and its escorts sometime after the [[Fall of the Scorpion Fleet Shipyards]] and in turn used the Cylon fleet's movements to locate ''Galactica''.

[[Image:Res Ship Int.jpg|thumb|right|An interior view of the Cylon Resurrection Ship]]
A copy of [[D'Anna Biers]] on [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] tells of two [[Raider (RDM)|Raider]]s from this Cylon fleet that are destroyed while relaying a documentary on ''Galactica'''s crew back to what she calls "''the'' fleet," presumably the same Cylon fleet guarding this ship ([[Final Cut]]).

Prior to Thrace's recon flight, the function and configuration of the Resurrection Ships were a complete mystery. Admiral [[Helena Cain|Cain]] speculates that it is a command and control ship, while Adama suggests that it might be a Raider factory. The two ships begin planning an offensive strike on it, but tension between Cain and Adama quickly escalates and threatenes to derail the operation ([[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]). The standoff only ends after Thrace's arrival with data regarding the unknown ship.

===Destruction===

In a [[Battle of the Resurrection Ship|joint operation]] by both ''Galactica'' and ''Pegasus'', the Resurrection Ship following the Fleet is disabled and soon destroyed ([[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]) using a number of Colonial civilian transports left to bait the basestar's Raiders away from the Cylon Fleet. The fighters are engaged and kept occupied by the [[Viper (RDM)|Vipers]] protecting the "helpless" Colonial ships.

With the Cylon fleet divided, the two battlestars attack the two basestars, their offensive power greatly diminished by the lack of their Raider forces. As the Resurrection Ship attempts to flee, the [[Blackbird]], piloted by Lieutenant [[Lee Adama]], slips within the ship's superstructure and disables the ship's [[FTL]] drive. As the two escort basestars are hacked to pieces by the battlestars' gun [[battery|batteries]], the Resurrection Ship, without any defensive support or offensive guns of its own, is quickly destroyed by another Viper squadron.

After its destruction, the imprisoned Cylon [[Sharon Agathon|Sharon Valerii]] reveals to Thrace that the Resurrection Ship had also served to resurrect the consciousnesses of destroyed Cylon Raiders. The loss of the ship forces the Cylons to change their attack tactics from direct frontal assaults on the Fleet ''en masse'' to more cautious hit-and-run [[Scar|Raider strikes]] and [[The Captain's Hand|coy traps]]. Moreover, with only one such vessel in operation at that time, the [[Cavil]] copy on Caprica and Inviere cannot be resurrected again ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]).

== Second Exodus ==
[[Image:New Resurrection ship - surrounded by baseships.jpg|thumb|left|Another Resurrection Ship amidst the Cylon Fleet.]]
In the Cylon fleet leaving [[New Caprica]] during the [[Second Exodus]], a second Resurrection Ship's existence is confirmed. The Cylons have assigned at least five basestars to guard it as opposed to only two for the previous ship ([[Collaborators]]).

When a basestar falls prey to a deadly disease, the Resurrection Ship is ordered to jump to a distance outside the downloading area of the ship in order to halt the spread of the disease, thereby resulting in the permanent deaths of the basestar's entire contingent of biological Cylons ([[Torn]]).

[[Image:ResuChamb.jpg|thumb|right|A resurrection chamber and its [[Cylon rebirthing tank|rebirthing tank]] within the ship.]]
Later on, this Resurrection Ship nearly falls victim to a plan formulated by ''Galactica'' to kill their Cylon prisoners infected with the virus so that the it would spread into the Resurrection Ship, presumably resulting in the infection and death of a great majority, if not the entire, Cylon race ([[A Measure of Salvation]]).

After having strange dreams which she believes to be a message from [[God (RDM)|God]], a [[Number Three|Three]] orders a [[Cylon Centurion]] to execute her, which results in her being reborn in the Resurrection Ship that is traveling with the Cylon fleet. This is the first instance in which the interior of a Resurrection Ship is seen clearly, and it proves to be nearly identical in design to the basestars, with the noticeable difference that it does not have the oscillating strip of light along the walls as seen on the basestars ([[Hero]]).

Later, as part of her plan to rescue her [[Hera Agathon|daughter]], Sharon Agathon has her husband shoot and kill her. This causes her to download into a new body on the nearby Resurrection Ship. [[Caprica-Six]] oversees her resurrection and is sympathetic enough to take her to her daughter and ultimately helps to rescue her ([[Rapture]]).

== Cylon Civil War ==

Following the detection of the [[Final Five]] during the [[Battle of the Ionian Nebula]], a [[Number One]], who was shot by a rival Cylon faction in the [[Cylon Civil War]] ([[Six of One]]), successfully downloads into a new body. Subsequently, as part of a trap for [[Natalie]]'s faction, the Resurrection Ship is prevented from jumping to the point where the Cylon fleet would supposedly receive [[Number Three|D'Anna]]'s consciousness ([[The Ties That Bind]]).

Later two of the rebels die (a Six executed for killing a human, and an Eight mortally wounded by a Centurion) and won't be able to come back due to the Resurrection Ship being out of range ([[Faith]]).

== Notes ==
*The Resurrection Ship bears a strong resemblance to the United States [http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Air_Force_Academy_Chapel.html Air Force Academy chapel].

{{Ships}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Cylons]]
[[Category:Cylons (RDM)]]
[[Category:Cylon Craft]]
[[Category:Cylon Craft (RDM)]]
[[Category:Ships]]
[[Category:Ships (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:Auferstehungsschiff]]

{{featured article candidate previous}}

Opera House

2008-05-19T20:43:00Z

Hmoul: /* Notes */significant seven

[[Image:Opera House ruins.jpg|thumb|300px|Ruins of the Opera House on Kobol.]]
The '''Opera House''' is an ancient structure in the [[City of the Gods]] on [[Kobol (RDM)|Kobol]], along with other edifices such as the [[Forum]] and [[Temple]]. By the time of the arrival of the Colonials, the building has been reduced to a few scattered ruins. As a sketch of this area of the city is included in the [[Sacred Scrolls]], the building may have had religious significance.

==First Sight==

[[Image:OperaHouse inside.jpg|thumb|Inside the Opera House ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]).]]
These are the ruins on Kobol near the crash site of [[Raptor 1]], which is forced to land on the planet after being damaged by a [[Cylon Raider (RDM)|Cylon Raider]] as it jumps into Kobol's orbit. Among the surviving passengers are [[Crashdown]], [[Galen Tyrol]], [[Tarn]], [[Diana Seelix|Seelix]], [[Cally]], [[Socinus]], and [[Gaius Baltar]].

==Baltar and Three==

Shortly after the Raptor crash on Kobol, the virtual [[Number Six]] leads Baltar towards the ruins of the Opera House, where viewers and Baltar see the Opera House as it was, millennia ago. It is in that virtual Opera House that Six shows Baltar an image of what she claims is their future [[Hera Agathon|child]] ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]).

Much later a [[Number Three]] would have similar visions of the Opera House and beings of light therein, who she believed to be the [[final five]] ([[Rapture]]).

==Roslin, Sharon, Hera, and Caprica-Six==

The Opera House is also seen in a dream or vision by President [[Laura Roslin]], induced by taking of [[chamalla]]. In the vision, [[Hera Agathon]] is scampering through the halls, pursued by both Roslin and her mother, [[Sharon Agathon]]. But before either can reach her, Hera is picked up by a [[Number Six]] wearing a white dress, ending the dream ([[Crossroads, Part I]]).

Just before the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] reaches the [[Ionian nebula]], Roslin visits the Opera House again while undergoing her [[diloxin]] treatment (but still using chamalla as well) in [[sickbay]]. She and Sharon are still chasing Hera through the lobby. This time, however, when the [[Number Six]] picks the child up, she takes her through a set of doors. Roslin wakes up with to find that Sharon and Hera shared the vision, all three having awakened screaming simultaneously. Agathon and Roslin visit the captive [[Caprica-Six]], who confirms that she, too, had shared the dream.

At the Ionian nebula, Caprica-Six has yet another vision in the Opera House, where she, [[Gaius Baltar]] (possibly [[Virtual Baltar]] since the real Baltar is not seen waking from the vision), and baby Hera see the robed [[Final Five]] ([[Crossroads, Part II]]).

Later, it turns out that the part with Sharon Agathon running after Hera actually takes place on ''Galactica'', where Hera runs into a Six known as [[Natalie]]. Fearing that Natalie will take way her daughter, as seen in the vision, Agathon shoots the Cylon ([[Guess What's Coming To Dinner]]).

== Notes==
*The [[w:Orpheum (Vancouver)|Orpheum Theatre]] in Vancouver (where ''Battlestar Galactica'' is produced) provides the setting of the Opera House interior that Gaius Baltar sees in his dream (Source: [[The Official Companion]]).
*In the vision of the Opera House shown to Baltar by Six, there are eight white drapes (providing seven spaces for the significant seven?). When Number Three sees her vision of it, there are six drapes, with five glowing white-robed figures standing on the rightmost five (from her vantage point).

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial History]]
[[Category:Colonial Religion]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Guess What's Coming to Dinner?

2008-05-18T04:20:45Z

Hmoul: /* Noteworthy Dialogue */ Luara to Tory

{{Episode Data
| image=4x07-GuessWhatsComingForDinner-Promo1.jpg
| title= Guess What's Coming to Dinner
| season= 4
| episode= 7
| forumthread= 1092
| guests=
| writer=[[Michael Angeli]]
| story=
| director=[[Wayne Rose]]
| production=409
| rating=
| US airdate=16 May 2008
| CAN airdate=16 May 2008
| UK airdate=20 May 2008
| dvd=
| oldpopulation=39675
| population=39673
| prev= [[Faith]]
| next= [[Sine Qua Non]]
| promo= Y
| hulu= Y
}}

== Overview ==
:''Returning with the help of the ''[[Demetrius]]'', the [[Cylon Civil War|rebel Cylon faction]] requests an alliance with the Colonials in order to plan a joint-attack mission against the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]]’ vital [[Resurrection Hub]]. Meanwhile on ''[[Colonial One]]'', [[Lee Adama]] and the [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum]] express their mistrust of President [[Laura Roslin|Roslin]] and her secrecy regarding the new Cylon alliance. Aboard ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'', Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] struggles with the prospect of un-boxing the [[Number Three|Threes]] in order to reveal the identities of the [[Final Five]], and [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]] copes with the amputation of his leg.''

== Summary ==

===Teaser===
* President [[Laura Roslin]] and [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum delegate]] [[Lee Adama]] listen to a taped broadcast from [[Cult of Baltar|cult]] leader [[Gaius Baltar]], claming Roslin is sharing of her [[chamalla|hallucinogenic visions]] with [[Sharon Agathon]] (currently on the secret and overdue ''[[Demetrius]]'' mission) and a [[Caprica-Six|captured Cylon]] in a [[brig]] on ''[[Galactica]]''. Adama brought the recording at the behest of the Quorum, who demand an explanation, as the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] has heard the broadcast as well.
*When Adama presses Roslin for an answer, she asks him first how he thinks the Fleet would react to such information. Undaunted, he asks again. Roslin confirms Baltar's statement.
*On the [[Basestar (RDM)|baseship]] [[Kara Thrace]] and the ''Demetrius'' crew lead a rebel group of [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]] back to the Fleet rendezvous as Sharon Agathon make last minute [[jump]] preparations.
*Thrace warns [[Natalie]] and [[Leoben Conoy]] that the Cylons of their ship are on a path of no-return when they reach the Fleet, and that there aren't any guarantees when they approach the Fleet. She assumes Natalie will be the spokesperson in trying to avoid any hostilities.
*[[Karl Agathon]] looks at the unconscious and injured [[Felix Gaeta]] before his preps the final calculations for the jump.
*When Natalie brings up [[Hera Agathon]] in conversation as being beautiful, Agathon is shocked to find out that Natalie and other Cylons know the child's name.
*''Demetrius'' misses the Fleet in its jump and must take a few moments before it can jump again, but the baseship ''does'' reach the Fleet, leaping right into its heart, where some of the Colonial ships have to scramble out of harm's way. Predictably, Admiral [[William Adama|Adama]] and Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] bring ''Galactica'' up to [[action stations]], scrambling the alert Vipers.
* Agathon tries to contact ''Galactica'' but the jump damaged their [[wireless]], leaving them without communication, and possibly vulnerable to attack.
* Saul Tigh carefully watches [[DRADIS]] as eight Vipers approach the baseship. Tigh orders a weapons hold, stunning Admiral Adama but stopping any attack. Seconds later, ''Demetrius'' appears and verifies with ''Galactica'' that the baseship is disarmed and under Colonial command.

===Act 1===
* Several [[Raptor]]s filled with [[Marine]]s launch from ''Galactica'' and enter the baseship. Colonel Tigh is part of the team. Thrace tells him, "They're with me." "Which one of them shot Gaeta?" he asks.
*Gaeta is rushed to [[sickbay]] in grave condition as Dr. [[Cottle]] yells out orders to his staff to bring a cut-down tray, suggesting an immediate amputation of Gaeta's leg.
*In the [[wardroom]], Natalie explains that the [[Number Two]], [[Number Eight]] and [[Number Six]] models believe that seeking out the [[Final Five]] is important, while the [[Number One]], [[Number Four]] and [[Number Five]] models violently disagreed.
* When Adama asks Natalie of the seventh model, she explains that the [[Number Three]]s were [[boxing|boxed]], and explains the process and why the D'Annas were boxed: they [[Rapture|saw]] the then-forbidden faces of the Five. She tells that unboxing the Threes could give them information that could lead them all to Earth, since the Final Five are believed to have come from there. Kara Thrace, in uniform and standing with Sharon Agathon, confirms Natalie's comment.
* Natalie notes that the baseship can heal itself of its damage, but most of their [[Cylon Raider (RDM)|Raiders]] were destroyed [[The Ties That Bind|in the ambush]] by the dissenting models.
* Roslin pointedly asks why the Fleet should trust these Cylons. Natalie tells that the boxing facility resides within the [[Resurrection Hub]], a facility that controls all [[Resurrection Ship]]s in existence. Natalie gives Roslin a reason to trust her and her renegade Cylons: Vengeance. The Cylon tells her that destroying the elusive Hub will destroy ''all'' Cylons ability to [[download]], making them all effectively mortal. When asked why they would do such a thing, Natalie simply says that she and her comrades are rebels and cannot go back in any case.
*Adama presses for the coordinates of the Hub, but Natalie says she will only take them to the Hub, not give the coordinates. As Adama orders the marines to escort her away, Natalie changes her mind, promising to give the coordinates if Adama gives his word that D'Anna will be unboxed and the Cylons will be allowed to leave with the Five once the Threes identify them. Adama grudgingly gives his word.
*Leaving the meeting, Adama asks Tigh how he knew to order a weapons hold at the moment of their attack on Natalie's baseship. Tigh hesitates but says he didn't know why. "What can I say, we got lucky." Adama orders a Raptor to the coordinates of the Hub to investigate.
*[[Racetrack]] and [[Skulls]] arrive in an asteroid-filled area, and find the massive Hub, which appears to be twice the relative size of a guarding baseship. "It's beautiful," Skulls comments. They take pictures and return quickly to the Fleet.
*In sickbay, a gory scene begins as Cottle preps to remove Gaeta's leg. Gaeta wakes and strongly urges to be numbed and not anesthetized, not wanting to wake up to find his leg gone. Cottle accepts. Moments later, a saw's blade is heard tearing through Gaeta's leg as his face registers shock. [[Samuel Anders]], who shot Gaeta to stop him from jumping ''Demetrius'' hours before, looks on with regret from a distance.

===Act 2===
*The civilian Fleet returns to join ''Galactica''. Adama, Tigh, Roslin and Karl Agathon discuss an attack strategy. With no Raiders and too few resources for ''Galactica'' to fight alone, Agathon suggests to use the baseship as a "trojan horse", entering the Hub's vicinity with half of ''Galactica's'' Vipers to blow the FTL drive on the Hub. Roslin ponders the idea that the Cylons will become mortal enemies.
*Tigh suggests destroying the Hub outright without resurrecting the Threes, reneging on Adama's word. Adama believes the Five could lead the Fleet to Earth but Roslin thinks the Five will be uncooperative after the Hub's destruction. Adama believes that the Five are like the rebel Cylons, but Roslin disagrees. Tigh is [[Final Five|visibly agitated about the discussion]], and again suggests destruction, putting trust in Roslin's way to Earth.
*Roslin suggests a compromise plan: Unbox the D'Annas, destroy the Hub, but hold on to the Five until they all get to Earth, then turn them over to the rebels, believing the rebels will be compelled to wait a bit longer.
*[[Deckhand]]s and [[List of Pilots|pilots]] prepare their fighters ''inside'' the baseship hangar with Cylons and humans working together.
*[[Tom Zarek]] reads a statement to the Quorum: "In 36 hours the Colonies will unite forces with insurgent rebel Cylons and their leaders in an unprecedented joint military operation". Zarek asks Lee Adama why the Quorum weren't consulted, but Adama doesn't know, no longer being in the military chain of command.
*Tigh, [[Tory Foster]], Samuel Anders and [[Galen Tyrol]] talk about the unboxing of the Threes. Tyrol considers that they at least discover the last member of the Five, but Tigh darkly explains that such an action will only "crowd the [[airlock]] a little more." Tigh doesn't at all believe that the Colonials will see the Five in a good light.
*Anders does not respond to the others. He is distraught over the loss of Gaeta's leg, talking of how Gaeta sings all the time to cope with his pain.
*Foster meets with Roslin in an office refurbished for her to conduct presidential business while on ''Galactica'' while recovering from another [[diloxin]] treatment and keeping close to sickbay. Roslin first pleasantly comments about Foster's positive change in mood any time she is aboard ''Galactica''. Roslin asks Foster to find out who was sharing the rumors of the president's shared visions to Baltar, then sticks the dagger in, telling Foster she is very aware that she is sleeping with Gaius Baltar.
*Before Foster can say a word, Roslin tells her that there are enough reports of her visitations to "make her a charter member of his [[Cult of Baltar|nymph squad]]." Foster confesses to believing in Baltar's spiritual message, but Roslin is feeling quite betrayed and turns her back on her to do other work, ordering her away.
*On the baseship, Natalie believes that the Colonials won't give the Five to them as promised. She suggests a backup plan of her own: Take hostages after the attack to ensure they get what they want.
*In sickbay, Gaeta continues to sing a [[Gaeta's Lament|sad love ballad]] as Lee Adama visits Roslin there. He tells her that the Quorum is considering a vote of no-confidence against her. Roslin refuses to cater to the representative's desire to feel involved. Adama describes that the representatives' faces appeared empty, resigned to just consider the no-confidence vote just to cope with the uncertainty. He suggests that Roslin compromise and tell them what she can about the attack to allay the Quorum's fears.

===Act 3===

* In bed but not engaged in sex, Baltar complains. Foster admits being tired of lying to Roslin, of how the rumors have affected the president and Foster's relationship with her, about the rumors of Roslin's collusion with the Cylons.
* Baltar explains the source of the rumors: [[Caprica Six]], who told Baltar (through [[Romo Lampkin|his attorney]]) of the news during [[Crossroads, Part II|his trial]]. Baltar believes that Roslin is keeping everyone in the dark, believing that Roslin's concealing of information is worse than revealing it.
*Roslin meets with the Quorum with Admiral Adama. Roslin brings in Natalie to help emphasize how she trusts the mission's success. Natalie speaks: She tells of her own civil war and how things had began to change. Without a Resurrection Ship, time became a commodity, a realization that mortality is crucial to making humans whole. As the Cylon continues to speak, Thrace has flashbacks of what the [[Hybrid]] told her of her [[The Destiny|destiny]] and the belief that she is the "harbinger of death".
*As Gaeta keeps singing in sickbay, Baltar observes quietly in the background.
*Roslin experiences another vision of the [[Opera House]], searching for Hera Agathon. Caprica Six and Sharon Agathon also share the same vision. When Agathon wakes up, little Hera is there at her bedside and says a darkly prophetic "Bye-bye," suggesting the child knows she will be taken in some way.

===Act 4===

*A wide shot of the Fleet shows the baseship has nearly healed itself of its damage. On ''Galactica'', Kara Thrace sees Roslin in sickbay, who compliments Thrace on her plan to unite the rebels and the Fleet.
*When Thrace asks if Roslin is having visions, the president is quiet. Thrace repeats what the rebel baseship's [[Hybrid]] told her some time before: "This shall it come to pass: the dying leader shall know the truth of the Opera House."
*Shocked at Thrace's knowledge of the dream's specific content, Roslin asks how the Hybrid would know about her dreams, but Thrace does not know. Roslin pleads with Thrace to help her determine the meaning of the dreams. Thrace accepts without hesitation and Roslin asks her to find Karl Agathon.
*Aboard the baseship, the Cylons are becoming agitated, unsure about the attack. Natalie tells of the feelings she had from the Quorum, their distrust. Natalie believes that the united Five may judge the Cylons for their duplicity with the Colonials, fearing that the Five will refuse to come with them.
*When Natalie suggests to completely abandon the project, to tell the Cylon Centurions to stand down, an Eight in attendance warns that the Colonials will never trust them again. Leoben warns her that the action may be at a point of no return. He tells Natalie to meet with Adama and stall for time while he deals with the Centurions.
*Roslin meets privately with Baltar, confirming the visions. When he asks why he was told now, she replies that he is part of the vision itself.
*In Sharon Agathon's quarters, Hera is drawing. Sharon picks up the drawings to see that Hera has drawn numerous number 6s and blonde women on pages and pages. The final drawing shown is of Hera smiling and standing by one of the blond women. Distressed, Agathon turns to find Hera gone from her quarters and goes out to chase her.
*On the baseship, Roslin, Karl Agathon, Baltar, a Leoben and an Eight head under guard into the baseship and the Hybrid, as Cylon Centurions walk by an uneasy group of pilots.
*Natalie arrives on a Raptor on ''Galactica'', obviously uneasy.
*Sharon Agathon chases Hera through the battlestar, but the child is elusive. When she stops to tell Tyrol, working within a corridor, he gives her a unsympathetic stare, but eventually follows her.
*Hera finds herself at a stop in front of Natalie, being escorted by Tigh and a squad of Marines. But Agathon is there immediately and draws her sidearm, warning Natalie away. Tigh keeps the Marines at bay, standing them down.
*At the deactivated Hybrid's pool, Roslin orders the Hybrid reactivated. When Baltar says, "Let God's will be done," Roslin tells him to "Shut up. It's time to get some answers."
*Agathon asks Tyrol to take Hera away, which he does. However, Agathon's visions of the Opera House and a Six's kidnapping of Hera are too strong in her mind. "You are never going to take my child," she says as she shoots Natalie.
*At the moment that the Hybrid awakes, she cries out "Jump!" The baseship disappears from the Fleet with the president and her entourage all aboard.
*Gaeta continues to sing in his bed.

== Notes ==
*The episode title is probably a reference to the 1967 film ''[[w:Guess Who's Coming to Dinner|Guess Who's Coming to Dinner]]'', which dealt with race relations between Caucasian and African Americans in America.
*The [[survivor count]] at the beginning credits (39,673) accounts for the deaths of [[Emily Kowalski]] and [[Jean Barolay]] in the previous episode, "[[Faith]]".
*[[Felix Gaeta]]'s loss of his leg is reminiscent of a similar event in ''[[MemoryAlpha:Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]''. In an episode of that show's seventh and final season, [[MemoryAlpha:Nog|Nog]] loses his leg and, in a later episode, mentally recovers from it by surrounding himself with a holodeck program of [[MemoryAlpha:Vic Fontaine|Vic Fontaine]], a [[w:Frank Sinatra|Frank Sinatra]]-type casino singer.
*Although it is a common Hollywood convention, a gunshot does not cause a person to fly backwards a large distance as shown with [[Natalie]]. The effect is achieved by pulling back the actors with a cable.
*The song Gaeta sings throughout the episode is called "[[Gaeta's Lament]]". The lyrics were written by the episode's writer [[Michael Angeli]] and the music is by the series's composer [[Bear McCreary]]. Actor [[Alessandro Juliani]], who studied opera and performed the song live on set, also greatly influenced it. McCreary discusses the song in his [http://www.bearmccreary.com/blog/?p=349 blog].

== Analysis ==
* [[Samuel Anders]] is distraught over his actions on the ''Demetrius'', notably those concerning Gaeta and having shot him in the leg that is later amputated. However, there is no indication yet that Anders will suffer any disciplinary procedures for the shooting. Nor where any indicated for the alleged mutiny on the ''Demetrius''. A cover up by the ''Demetrius'' crew with the Cylon's acquiescence could be a possibility. A possible cover story for Anders shooting Gaeta is that it was blamed on the Six that killed [[Jean Barolay]] in ''[[Faith]]''. Both the crew of the ''Demetrius'' and the Cylons have a vested interest in keeping the affair secret. Felix Gaeta would have to have gone along with it. His silence of course, would be critical, although if so there are no specific reasons that he would outside of loyalty and/or fear of possible mutiny charges. Those are understandable reasons.
*There was no outward on screen reaction to the death of [[Cally Tyrol]] by the ''Demetrius'' crew nor any reaction to Galen Tyrol's demotion. They have certainly been told off screen about both.
* [[Gaius Baltar]] is also drawn to see Gaeta, but the two do not interact; he is out of Gaeta's view and listening to him singing, suggesting that Baltar may have forgiven Gaeta for perjuring himself at Baltar's trial and for the earlier murder attempt.
* The Hybrid's prophecy that Kara Thrace is the "harbinger of death" takes on a new significance during Natalie's speech to the Quorum. Thrace herself begins to realize it may have a positive connotation, referring to the potential loss of immortality among the Cylon.

== Questions ==
* Do William Adama or Saul Tigh know of the complete story surrounding the mutiny on the ''Demetrius''?
* Where does the rebel baseship jump to?
* Does the [[Hybrid]] jump the baseship as an automatic reaction upon reactivation, or with intent?
* How will the Quorum and [[Tom Zarek]] react to the loss of Laura Roslin? What about Admiral Adama?
* Does Natalie survive her gun-shot wounds?
** If Natalie lives, how will the experience of being near death affect her?
* How will the rebel Cylons react when they discover [[Natalie]] has been shot?
* While Thrace quotes the Hybrid as having said, "The dying leader..." the actual line was, "'''A''' dying leader..." Is this significant?
* Will Sharon Agathon's shooting of Natalie further strain her relationship with the Cylons?
* What will Adama do about Agathon?
* What is the meaning of Hera's drawings?
* What will Adama and Tigh think happened to the baseship? Will they assume that the rebels intentionally abducted Roslin and the other humans aboard?
* How will the now-sentient [[Centurion]]s on the rebel baseship react to the large number of humans on board?
* What will the re-activated Hybrid tell Laura Roslin, if anything at all?
* What will [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]] do after he recovers from his amputation?

== Official Statements ==





== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

*''[[Natalie]] negotiating with the Colonials:''
:'''Natalie:''' You asked for a reason to help us? Vengeance. You destroy the [[Resurrection Hub|hub]], the Cylons lose their ability to download. All of us.
:'''Laura Roslin:''' Why would you want to lose your ability to resurrect?
:'''Natalie:''' We're rebels. We can't go back.

*''[[Lee Adama]] talks to [[Laura Roslin]] about the [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum of Twelve]]:''
:'''Lee Adama:''' I was with them. On the emergency jump. And I saw something in the faces of the delegates. Wasn't the anxiety of the waiting. We're beyond that. I was anxious; it was my first time. But they, they...they were empty. The Quorum had given up. And then is struck me, that after going through the same routine so many times, it was the only way they could cope with the uncertainty to presume the worst.
:'''Laura Roslin:''' You felt their suffering. Now trying holding their lives in balance every day.
:'''Lee Adama:''' Talk to them. You don't have to tell them everything. I know how it works. Just talk to the Quorum. Let them put a face to this joint mission. Let them hear from the Cylon leader. Anything. Anything to put their fears to rest.

*''Natalie speaks to the Quorum:''
:"In our [[Cylon Civil War|civil war]], we've seen death. We watched our people die. Gone forever. As terrible as it was, beyond the reach of the Resurrection Ships, something began to change. We could feel a sense of time. As if each moment held its own significance. We began to realize that for our existence to hold any value it must end. To live meaningful lives we must die, and not return. The one human flaw, that you spend your lifetimes distressing over - mortality - is the one thing...well, it's the one thing that makes you whole."

* ''Laura Roslin to Tory about getting the information from Baltar:''
: On your knees praying, or just on your knees

== Guest Stars ==

* [[Michael Hogan]] as Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]
* [[Michael Trucco]] as Ensign [[Samuel Anders]]
* [[Tahmoh Penikett]] as Captain [[Karl Agathon]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Alessandro Juliani]] as Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]]
* [[Kandyse McClure]] as [[Anastasia Dualla]]
* [[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]]
* [[Tiffany Lyndall-Knight]] as [[Hybrid]]
* [[Jennifer Halley]] as Ensign [[Diana Seelix|Diana "Hardball" Seelix]]
* [[Richard Hatch]] as [[Tom Zarek]]
* [[Andrew McIlroy]] as [[Jacob Cantrell]]
* [[Marilyn Norry]] as [[Reza Chronides]]
* [[Judith Maxie]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Picon Delegate|Picon Delegate]]
* [[Donna Soares]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Gemenon Delegate|Gemenon Delegate]]
* [[Iris Paluly]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Speaking Delegate #2|Speaking Delegate #2]]
* [[Leo Li Chiang]] as the [[tattooed pilot]] (uncredited)

== External Links ==
*Composer [[Bear McCreary]] discusses the episode's score and specifically the song Gaeta sings: [http://www.bearmccreary.com/blog/?p=349]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Michael Angeli]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Wayne Rose]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Faith

2008-05-10T15:27:18Z

Hmoul: survivor count

{{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=
| population=39,675
| prev= [[The Road Less Traveled]]
| next= [[Guess What's Coming to Dinner]]
| imdb=0993930
}}

== 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 [[Helo|Helo'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.
*[[Samuel Anders]] intervenes with a sidearm, shooting [[Felix Gaeta]] in the leg to stop him from following Helo'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. Helo initially objects but realizes its the best compromise.
*Helo 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, Starbuck's crew prepare the Raptor. Athena promises to work with Thrace as does another pilot, [[Jean Barolay]], who appreciates Starbuck's strong reputation.
*The Raptor jumps and finds a massive graveyard of dead baseships and [[Raider (RDM)|Raiders]] floating dead in space. Starbuck is amazed. They are by a large gas giant in a trinary star system, just as her visions suggested.

*On Demetrius, Gaeta is heavily medicated with [[morpha]] for the pain. He asks Helo 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. Starbuck can detect "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.

==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 oppressive Sixes. Athena rejects them, telling them to find their own individuality and help her or get out of he way.

*In sickbay, amidst [[Gaius Baltar|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. 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 considers touching the [[data-font]] but stops himself.
*A Six sees and attacks Jean Barolay in retaliation for killing her on New Caprica, killing Barolay in return.
*Anders pounces 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, creating a form of justice for Anders.

*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==
*Starbuck arrives at the Hybrid, 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.

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

*''Demetrius'' has 4 hours left before it must leave. Helo is anxious. Gaeta's condition is worsening.

*Athena is ready to activate the jump augments and disconnect the Hybrid. Irritated at getting nowhere with the Hybrid, Thrace orders the jump.
*When it is unplugged, the Hybrid makes a 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 Starbuck a coherent message before it deactivates: The dying leader will discover the truth about the Opera House, the [[Final Five|three]] will be used to find the others of 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.

*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 Kowalski 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 goes in to comfort the Cylon as she dies.

*The group deciphers the Hybrid's message. All realize that the final five Cylons came from the Thirteenth Tribe and so must also know the way to Earth. They leave to meet the ''Demetrius''.

*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 Kowalski. Kowalski 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 Kowalski but finds her bed empty. She died some time while she slept. Only Baltar's wireless remains, still switched on.

*''Demetrius'' is prepping to leave as seconds count down but Helo lets the clock run over in hesitation to the crew's astonishment. Just as Helo is about to order the jump, the baseship arrives and broadcasts Colonial identity. After communication is established, Helo 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 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 ==
*[[Nana Visitor]], known to genre viewers as [[MemoryAlpha:Kira Nerys|Kira Nerys]] on ''[[MemoryAlpha:Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'', will be playing a cancer patient named [[Emily Kowlski|Emily]] who meets [[Laura Roslin]] in ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'s'' sickbay. Initially annoying Roslin because she listens to wireless broadcasts by [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]], the two bond and eventually discuss their mortality and faith. All of Visitor's scenes are with [[Mary McDonnell]] <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/09/battlestar-ga-1.html|title='Battlestar Galactica' gets a Visitor|date=|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>.

== Analysis ==
* Even though Baltar is preaching for the "one true god", the symbolism of a boat crossing a river to the land of the dead is obviously much a part of the Greek legends involving the River Styx. This would indicate that the Cylon god was likely once one of the Lords of Kobol.
* Emily's description of the Lords of Kobol and their behavior is quite consistent with that of Greek mythology.

== Questions ==
* What would have happened had Anders placed his hand in the data stream?
* Are the Centurions capable of getting an IFF from a skinjob? Could one have exposed Anders if he had gotten too close?

== Official Statements ==





== Noteworthy Dialogue ==



== Guest Stars ==

* [[Nana Visitor]] as [[Emily Kowlski]]<ref name="imdb">This comes from the [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993930/ IMDb entry] for the episode. Please note that IMDb is not the most reliable of resources, so this information may or may not be correct.</ref>
* [[Alana Husband]] as Nurse [[Shashon]]<ref name="imdb"/>
* [[Leela Savasta]] as [[Tracey Anne]]<ref name="imdb"/><ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.leelasavasta.ca/resume.php|title=Leela Savasta's resume|date=|accessdate=19 November 2007|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>
* [[Ryan McDonell]] as Lieutenant [[Eammon Pike|Eammon "Gonzo" Pike]]<ref name="imdb"/>

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:Faith]]

Faith

2008-05-10T15:24:39Z

Hmoul: /* Questions */ Anders

{{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=
| population=
| prev= [[The Road Less Traveled]]
| next= [[Guess What's Coming to Dinner]]
| imdb=0993930
}}

== 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 [[Helo|Helo'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.
*[[Samuel Anders]] intervenes with a sidearm, shooting [[Felix Gaeta]] in the leg to stop him from following Helo'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. Helo initially objects but realizes its the best compromise.
*Helo 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, Starbuck's crew prepare the Raptor. Athena promises to work with Thrace as does another pilot, [[Jean Barolay]], who appreciates Starbuck's strong reputation.
*The Raptor jumps and finds a massive graveyard of dead baseships and [[Raider (RDM)|Raiders]] floating dead in space. Starbuck is amazed. They are by a large gas giant in a trinary star system, just as her visions suggested.

*On Demetrius, Gaeta is heavily medicated with [[morpha]] for the pain. He asks Helo 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. Starbuck can detect "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.

==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 oppressive Sixes. Athena rejects them, telling them to find their own individuality and help her or get out of he way.

*In sickbay, amidst [[Gaius Baltar|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. 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 considers touching the [[data-font]] but stops himself.
*A Six sees and attacks Jean Barolay in retaliation for killing her on New Caprica, killing Barolay in return.
*Anders pounces 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, creating a form of justice for Anders.

*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==
*Starbuck arrives at the Hybrid, 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.

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

*''Demetrius'' has 4 hours left before it must leave. Helo is anxious. Gaeta's condition is worsening.

*Athena is ready to activate the jump augments and disconnect the Hybrid. Irritated at getting nowhere with the Hybrid, Thrace orders the jump.
*When it is unplugged, the Hybrid makes a 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 Starbuck a coherent message before it deactivates: The dying leader will discover the truth about the Opera House, the [[Final Five|three]] will be used to find the others of 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.

*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 Kowalski 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 goes in to comfort the Cylon as she dies.

*The group deciphers the Hybrid's message. All realize that the final five Cylons came from the Thirteenth Tribe and so must also know the way to Earth. They leave to meet the ''Demetrius''.

*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 Kowalski. Kowalski 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 Kowalski but finds her bed empty. She died some time while she slept. Only Baltar's wireless remains, still switched on.

*''Demetrius'' is prepping to leave as seconds count down but Helo lets the clock run over in hesitation to the crew's astonishment. Just as Helo is about to order the jump, the baseship arrives and broadcasts Colonial identity. After communication is established, Helo 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 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 ==
*[[Nana Visitor]], known to genre viewers as [[MemoryAlpha:Kira Nerys|Kira Nerys]] on ''[[MemoryAlpha:Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'', will be playing a cancer patient named [[Emily Kowlski|Emily]] who meets [[Laura Roslin]] in ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'s'' sickbay. Initially annoying Roslin because she listens to wireless broadcasts by [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]], the two bond and eventually discuss their mortality and faith. All of Visitor's scenes are with [[Mary McDonnell]] <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/09/battlestar-ga-1.html|title='Battlestar Galactica' gets a Visitor|date=|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>.

== Analysis ==
* Even though Baltar is preaching for the "one true god", the symbolism of a boat crossing a river to the land of the dead is obviously much a part of the Greek legends involving the River Styx. This would indicate that the Cylon god was likely once one of the Lords of Kobol.
* Emily's description of the Lords of Kobol and their behavior is quite consistent with that of Greek mythology.

== Questions ==
* What would have happened had Anders placed his hand in the data stream?
* Are the Centurions capable of getting an IFF from a skinjob? Could one have exposed Anders if he had gotten too close?

== Official Statements ==





== Noteworthy Dialogue ==



== Guest Stars ==

* [[Nana Visitor]] as [[Emily Kowlski]]<ref name="imdb">This comes from the [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993930/ IMDb entry] for the episode. Please note that IMDb is not the most reliable of resources, so this information may or may not be correct.</ref>
* [[Alana Husband]] as Nurse [[Shashon]]<ref name="imdb"/>
* [[Leela Savasta]] as [[Tracey Anne]]<ref name="imdb"/><ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.leelasavasta.ca/resume.php|title=Leela Savasta's resume|date=|accessdate=19 November 2007|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>
* [[Ryan McDonell]] as Lieutenant [[Eammon Pike|Eammon "Gonzo" Pike]]<ref name="imdb"/>

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:Faith]]

Faith

2008-05-10T15:23:05Z

Hmoul: /* Analysis */ river styx, fallable gods

{{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=
| population=
| prev= [[The Road Less Traveled]]
| next= [[Guess What's Coming to Dinner]]
| imdb=0993930
}}

== 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 [[Helo|Helo'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.
*[[Samuel Anders]] intervenes with a sidearm, shooting [[Felix Gaeta]] in the leg to stop him from following Helo'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. Helo initially objects but realizes its the best compromise.
*Helo 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, Starbuck's crew prepare the Raptor. Athena promises to work with Thrace as does another pilot, [[Jean Barolay]], who appreciates Starbuck's strong reputation.
*The Raptor jumps and finds a massive graveyard of dead baseships and [[Raider (RDM)|Raiders]] floating dead in space. Starbuck is amazed. They are by a large gas giant in a trinary star system, just as her visions suggested.

*On Demetrius, Gaeta is heavily medicated with [[morpha]] for the pain. He asks Helo 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. Starbuck can detect "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.

==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 oppressive Sixes. Athena rejects them, telling them to find their own individuality and help her or get out of he way.

*In sickbay, amidst [[Gaius Baltar|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. 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 considers touching the [[data-font]] but stops himself.
*A Six sees and attacks Jean Barolay in retaliation for killing her on New Caprica, killing Barolay in return.
*Anders pounces 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, creating a form of justice for Anders.

*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==
*Starbuck arrives at the Hybrid, 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.

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

*''Demetrius'' has 4 hours left before it must leave. Helo is anxious. Gaeta's condition is worsening.

*Athena is ready to activate the jump augments and disconnect the Hybrid. Irritated at getting nowhere with the Hybrid, Thrace orders the jump.
*When it is unplugged, the Hybrid makes a 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 Starbuck a coherent message before it deactivates: The dying leader will discover the truth about the Opera House, the [[Final Five|three]] will be used to find the others of 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.

*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 Kowalski 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 goes in to comfort the Cylon as she dies.

*The group deciphers the Hybrid's message. All realize that the final five Cylons came from the Thirteenth Tribe and so must also know the way to Earth. They leave to meet the ''Demetrius''.

*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 Kowalski. Kowalski 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 Kowalski but finds her bed empty. She died some time while she slept. Only Baltar's wireless remains, still switched on.

*''Demetrius'' is prepping to leave as seconds count down but Helo lets the clock run over in hesitation to the crew's astonishment. Just as Helo is about to order the jump, the baseship arrives and broadcasts Colonial identity. After communication is established, Helo 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 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 ==
*[[Nana Visitor]], known to genre viewers as [[MemoryAlpha:Kira Nerys|Kira Nerys]] on ''[[MemoryAlpha:Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'', will be playing a cancer patient named [[Emily Kowlski|Emily]] who meets [[Laura Roslin]] in ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'s'' sickbay. Initially annoying Roslin because she listens to wireless broadcasts by [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]], the two bond and eventually discuss their mortality and faith. All of Visitor's scenes are with [[Mary McDonnell]] <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/09/battlestar-ga-1.html|title='Battlestar Galactica' gets a Visitor|date=|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>.

== Analysis ==
* Even though Baltar is preaching for the "one true god", the symbolism of a boat crossing a river to the land of the dead is obviously much a part of the Greek legends involving the River Styx. This would indicate that the Cylon god was likely once one of the Lords of Kobol.
* Emily's description of the Lords of Kobol and their behavior is quite consistent with that of Greek mythology.

== Questions ==


== Official Statements ==





== Noteworthy Dialogue ==



== Guest Stars ==

* [[Nana Visitor]] as [[Emily Kowlski]]<ref name="imdb">This comes from the [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993930/ IMDb entry] for the episode. Please note that IMDb is not the most reliable of resources, so this information may or may not be correct.</ref>
* [[Alana Husband]] as Nurse [[Shashon]]<ref name="imdb"/>
* [[Leela Savasta]] as [[Tracey Anne]]<ref name="imdb"/><ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.leelasavasta.ca/resume.php|title=Leela Savasta's resume|date=|accessdate=19 November 2007|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>
* [[Ryan McDonell]] as Lieutenant [[Eammon Pike|Eammon "Gonzo" Pike]]<ref name="imdb"/>

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:Faith]]

Escape Velocity

2008-04-30T04:19:59Z

Hmoul: /* Act 4 */ revert to previous edit

{{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 Traveled]]
| 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 [[Callandra Tyrol|wife]] and fails.''

== Summary ==


=== Teaser ===

* In a makeshift [[temple]] aboard ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'', [[Galen Tyrol]] performs a ritual commemoration ceremony in the memory of his wife, [[Callandra Tyrol|Callandra Henderson Tyrol]]. In attendance are [[Laura Roslin]], Admiral [[William Adama|Adama]], Delegate [[Lee Adama]], [[Tory Foster]], Colonel [[Saul Tigh]] and [[Anthony Figurski]].
* After the priest ends the service, Roslin (wearing a wig) tells Adama that she likes the ceremony, insinuating that she wants Adama to perform the same service for her when she dies.
* Tyrol is given condolences by people as they leave the temple. Foster asks Roslin why they have to do "these things at dawn", to which Roslin replies that they have to.
* After Roslin gives her condolences, Tyrol grabs a hold of both Foster and Tigh, who hastily offer their condolences. As they walk out, they complain that Tyrol almost attracted attention to themselves.
* Delegate Adama offers his condolences as Tyrol stares off after Foster and Tigh; Adama leaves without a response from Tyrol.
* Tigh enters the surveillance room adjoining [[Caprica-Six]]'s brig. The Marines inform him that she continues her same routine. When broaching the topic of how Six doesn't go nuts, the [[Unnamed Galactica and Pegasus crew (RDM)#Blonde female Marine|female Marine]] replies that she probably turns off her brain, prompting interest from Tigh.
* Tigh enters the brig, informing Six that her request to see [[Hera Agathon]] has been denied. Six notes that Tigh already told her this, and asks what else he wants from her. During the discussion, Tigh sees [[Ellen Tigh]] in place of Six. Tigh, unsure of what to make of it, tells Six to stay back from him. Six notes that he visits her every day, but doesn't ask questions any more. Tigh leaves, with her saying that she'll see him tomorrow.
* In his quarters, Tyrol sits while [[Nicholas Tyrol]] cries. Foster and Tigh gruffly admonish Tyrol for his behavior at the service.
* Tigh inquires after the baby. Tyrol notes that Nicholas probably needs to be changed; Tigh goes about doing so.
* Foster asks Tyrol if he believes Cally killed herself because of him. Tyrol brings up the alleged affair between them, to which Foster replies that they didn't have one. Tyrol voices his concerns over which of his memories were real, and whether or not there was ever an action in his life that wasn't programmed. Foster espouses what, according to Tigh, is "[[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]]'s crap" when she tells Tyrol that they, as [[humanoid Cylons|Cylons]], don't need guilt since they are perfect. Tigh, on the other hand, believes that Tyrol is feeling what men feel after the death of a loved one. Tigh continues by telling Tyrol that he'll see Cally every day, while referencing his own experience of [[Torn|hearing]] and [[Virtual Ellen|seeing]] his dead wife. Tigh finishes by saying that Tyrol feels what he needs to feel, but not at the expense of being outed as Cylons, while Foster says to think about what they are and embrace their Cylon attributes.

=== Act 1 ===

* [[Tory Foster]] visits [[Gaius Baltar]] in the commune. There, she wakes Baltar by pulling out a hair on his head. Baltar replies "Gods", which Foster questions. She continues by plucking another hair off of Baltar's head, asking about how he was feeling. He replies that it was an intense feeling. She then massages his crotch, then while doing so, plucks out another hair on his head. She asks if the signals of pain and pleasure get crossed, which Baltar replies in the affirmative. As Baltar tries to leave, Foster forces Baltar down on the bed. After noting her strength, she begins to engage in foreplay, running her tongue across his cheek.
* As she babbles on about her beliefs about "pain turning into pleasure" and the like (much to Baltar's testicular displeasure), members of the [[Sons of Ares]] begin their march towards the commune. Their attack on the commune begins by throwing a smoke grenade, which allows them to enter the commune and attack Baltar's cultists with near impunity, painting graffiti and wreaking havoc. They quickly try to find Baltar, but they know they have two minutes to do so before they can expect some kind of military response. At the one minute mark, an announcement over the PA announces a security alert on deck eight, section fourteen.
* During these two minutes, Baltar hides himself behind a support beam near the ceiling. After the attack, Foster looks up at him as the Sons of Ares people clear out of the commune, vowing to find Baltar.
* In the [[hangar bay]], [[Galen Tyrol]] is repairing the [[ECO]] console on [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]]'s [[Raptor]]. Deckhand [[Anthony Figurski]] asks if Tyrol is almost done, Tyrol replies that he just has one more relay, which his hands have a problem in reaching. During this, he has flashbacks of Cally, including one where Cally helps him out during the construction of the [[Blackbird]].
* Tyrol's flashback of his [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II|beating of Cally after his suicidal nightmare]] is interrupted by Edmondson, who asks if he's done with his repairs. Pocketing a fuse, he morosely replies that he's done.
* Edmondson, with [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]], launch, being waived off by crew members on the deck. They meet up with [[Redwing]], who is leading the [[CAP|Combat Air Patrol]], and childes them for driving a school bus. In return, she compares the Vipers to bicycles, to which Redwing replies that the Vipers are race cars much to Edmondson's amusement.
* When they increase speed, the Raptor's forward, lower rear [[RCS]] thruster. She requests for an emergency landing and they crash land on the port landing deck, ramming into a [[landram]] in the process.
* Meanwhile, Baltar is chastising "[[Mr. Officious]]" for his lack of speed in finding out who their attackers are. [[Virtual Six]] prompts him to look at the painted graffiti in the wall, which is written in old text. He reads it, discovering that his attackers were from the Sons of Ares. He asks about their motivations, to which Six replies that "[[Lords of Kobol (RDM)|old Gods]] die hard even among your people". He sees Six next to a woman, whose name he believes starts with an "M", until she corrects him: her name is [[Lilly]]. Baltar discovers a religious artifact belonging to [[Asclepius]] in her hand, which she prays to. She claims that she believes that Baltar will heal their people, but still has belief in Asclepius. Six then adds that the "Gods are fighting back".
* In the hangar bay, Tyrol and Figurski are looking over the remains of the Raptor, whose relays are still hot. When checking under the ECO console, Tyrol discovers the burnt-out fuse he neglected to replace, discovering the replacement in his shirt's pocket. He admits that the crash was his fault.
* McCall angrily confronts Tyrol, but is interdicted by Edmondson, who attempts to defuse the situation. McCall concedes that it's all right, and that no one got hurt. Tyrol presses on however, saying that he doesn't need to be "patted on the head" and that its all right if people told him that he [[frak]]ked up. He becomes more vociferous when Edmondson mentions that "he's only human", but she walks away and no one else comments. He calls them all "cowards".
* Figurski offers to finish looking over the Raptor. In reply, Tyrol tells Figurski to get out of the ship.
* As Baltar looks at the pendant for Asclepius, Virtual Six tells him that people have room for only one great belief, either him or the Gods. Despite Baltar's misgivings about one man standing up to the old Gods, Six convinces him that such a man who does would surely be magnificent. Inspired by this, Baltar tells his members that they have been targeted because of what they believe in, and urges them to take a stand against Gods that have no relevance in their world.
* Baltar then leaves, with [[Jeanne]] and the others following.
* Baltar enters the temple, where the priest is performing a service. He interrupts the ceremony despite the priest's attempts to stop him. Baltar begins asking the parishioners who they serve, blaspheming [[Zeus]] by calling him a "serial rapist" and pointing out the absurdity of giving birth through one's forehead. The priest confronts him, but Baltar calls her an "ignorant witch" and continues discussing the so-called Gods, including how Asclepius demise was brought about by the blood of a [[Gorgon]] and of [[Aphrodite]], in addition to the "other rubbish" as he vandalizes the temple.
* As his other cultists follow his example, Marines storm the temple and forcibly extricate Baltar as the polytheists in the temple try to attack him, yelling out demands to "burn him".

=== Act 2 ===

* [[William Adama]] visits [[Laura Roslin]] in [[sickbay]] after her blood test. He's brought a different book to read named ''[[Searider Falcon]]'', a classic novel. Roslin comments that she hasn't read it in years, and Adama confesses that he's never finished the book, since he finds the book too good to finish. She offers to tell him the ending, but after noting Adama's expression, she corrects herself.
* After Adama offers to take her bag, he notes that "[[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]]'s back home in the brig again". Roslin believes that Baltar's desecration of the temple was revenge for what happened to his commune that morning. Adama replies that he has people looking into the brutal attack on Baltar's cult, but no one is talking about the [[Sons of Ares]]. She replies that Baltar's knowingly provoking the hard-line religious groups from [[Dogsville]], and they agree that they can't have a religious fight in the [[the Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]]. Further, they both agree that Baltar is the crux of the problem, as he has an "uncanny way of stirring up all the crap". They discuss the various options, including locking him away for his own safety to removing him from ''Galactica''. However, Roslin has a better idea and goes to the brig so that Baltar can see her.
* Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] visits [[Caprica-Six]] in the brig. She notes that he didn't even make it to tomorrow. Tigh reveals that he does want something, and asks her how it feels to have the blood of billions of human beings on her hands. She replies that she cannot help but to feel it. Tigh orders the Marines to aim their weapons at her.
* On the hangar deck, Tyrol is welding as Figurski walks by and asks him if he woke up early or never went to sleep. Tyrol doesn't reply and Figurski walks off. After this, Tyrol simply walks off the job, throwing his welder's mask and gloves upon the floor.
* In the brig, Six tells Tigh that she is just as human as he is. During the conversation, he sees [[Ellen Tigh]] in Six's place, and asks her how she deals with the pain. She doesn't answer and Tigh tells the Marines to step outside. After the Marines do so, he tells her that she has nothing to offer him and that she is the same as the rest of the Cylons.
* Also in a brig, Baltar is awakened by Roslin. After Baltar makes a quip about her strip searching him, she tells him that his situation is being looked into "aggressively". She tells him that she is wearing a wig and dying from cancer, but she doesn't want his pity and is still doing her job. She assures him that she's aggressively looking into the men that attacked him. However, there is a caveat to this: she tells him that she wants a quiet little death, and insinuates that Baltar give up his crusade quietly, as she has neither the time nor the patience to indulge him.
* Roslin leaves, telling Baltar that he's being released and to stay safe.
* In [[Joe's Bar]], Adama joins Tyrol at the bar. Adama tells Tyrol that the deck crew misses him and tells him that if he needs time off, or if he wants to work more shifts, all he need to is ask. Tyrol replies that he doesn't need special treatment. In reply, Tyrol hallucinates Adama receiving a shot of alcohol and this reply: "I guess it was just more than she could take, huh? Being married to a Cylon who made her the mother to a half-breed abomination."
* The hallucination ends when Adama gets his drink and comments that Cally was a good woman. Tyrol replies that had Adama really thought that, he wouldn't have threatened to stick her up against a bulkhead and have her shot. Despite Adama's efforts to move their conversation somewhere else, Tyrol then goes into a tirade about how he was stuck with the best of limited options, describing Cally as a "shriek" with "dull, vacant eyes" and a "cabbage smell". He tells Adama that he's sick of his life, a life that he did not choose, and hating to find out that those they really loved were dead, dying, or were Cylons. He pines on his love of [[Sharon Valerii]], and notes that because he tried to stick his head in the sand, he married Cally. He tells her that she was no angel, but notes that Adama has already made her into one. He tells Adama that they are not in the same club, since he never asked the right questions.
* Adama gives him a last chance to recant, but Tyrol refuses, daring Adama to demote him and get him off Adama's ship. Challenged, Adama does so, and orders Specialist Tyrol to report to a Petty Officer to get reassigned, since Tyrol is a danger to others.
* Adama leaves, while Tyrol slowly collapses into his stool at the bar.

=== Act 3 ===

* On ''[[Colonial One]]'' during a [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum]] meeting, [[Lee Adama]] argues with President Roslin over an emergency measure limiting the size of Baltar's groups so they don't provoke attacks from fundamentalist groups, steadfastly contending that "where ever Baltar is, violence happens", and assures Adama and other delgates that her goal is to keep the people safe from harm by preventing such violence. However, Lee's objections are supported by fellow Quorum members, such as [[Reza Chronides]], who are concerned that the emergency measure that Roslin "bulldozed through" may be used against other religious groups, such as the [[Mithraism|Mithraists]]. Roslin assures people that this won't happen, and the emergency measure was enacted because [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]] is a special case, a claim that Lee rebukes by saying that they're making him a special case. During the conversation, [[Tory Foster]] remains silent, but is visibly concerned.
* Despite Lee's assertion that Baltar is not preaching violence and other amoral acts, and objections by the delegates, Roslin tells them to clear their heads and urges the people to remember the tragedy they experienced on [[New Caprica]]. Chronides pointedly asks if Roslin will open the resolution for a full discussion amongst the Quorum, which Roslin quickly and vehemently refuses to do.
* Lee responds by noting that the Quorum can override Roslin, and notes that he's willing to do so since he believes the resolution cannot stand.
* Incensed by this, Roslin replies with rhetoric: should they overturn her decision, the people would win, but at what cost? She implores them to remember what happened when Baltar held political power, and saying they should be terrified at the prospect of Baltar regaining such power again, even through Baltar's cult.
* In the brig, [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] watches [[Caprica-Six|Six]] as she sleeps. He believes he's seeing Ellen. When she awakens, Six asks if she should get familiar to waking up to Tigh's face. She notes the lack of a Marine escort. Tigh tells her that it is an informal chat between them, to which she astutely replies that they're also being watched. Tigh tells her that she hasn't answered his question. She replies that she wants the pain and learns from it. She mentions how she fell in love with Baltar, and understood that she wouldn't have him forever. She continues to discuss Baltar, which breaks Tigh out of his illusion of seeing Ellen. He angrily reacts to this, saying that he refuses to hear about "Gaius Frakking Baltar" and leaves the brig. He enters the adjoining surveillance room to dismiss the Marines and deactivate the surveillance equipment.
* Tigh reenters the brig, where he is prompted with an offer by Six to help him turn off the pain. She reveals that she learns from the pain, the guilt, and she claims that she's found clarity and wisdom from these things. Tigh sits on the cot with her, where he is told how the humanoid Cylon brain is patterned after the human brain, where she claims that the Cylons have learned things about the human mind that the humans themselves are unaware of.
* Six, who Tigh now sees as Ellen, removes his eye patch and offers to give him clarity.
* Baltar and his cultists proceed to the commune, but are stopped by a Marine who tells him of Roslin's emergency measure, [[Emergency Provision 17]], and that no group larger than twelve can be assembled at any time. Baltar insists that he lives in the commune, but the marine will have none of it, even when [[Paulla Schaffer]] offers to leave and allow Baltar to enter. When Baltar tries to make his way into the commune at the urging of his Virtual Six, he is beaten back by the Marine and begins to spit out blood from his mouth.

=== Act 4 ===

* In the brig, [[Saul Tigh]] tells [[Caprica-Six]] to get her hands off him. She punches him, throwing him from the cot. She then jumps on him and begins punishing him in the face, enjoying it in the process. After this, she asks him if he feels the pain, and the clarity that comes with it. When he does not reply, she continues to punch him.
* [[Virtual Six]] convinces [[Gaius Baltar]] to continue to defy the Marine, assuring him that the gains for doing so outweigh the initial costs. He does so, and is repeatedly beaten back to the ground in front of his followers every time he takes a move towards the commune. "Aided" by his virtual Six, Baltar gets up and continues this action, until Lee Adama arrives with a [[Unnamed Galactica and Pegasus crew (RDM)#Marine Lieutenant|Marine lieutenant]]. He informs them that the provision has been rescinded and right for full public assembly is restored.
* [[Tracey Anne]], [[Jeanne]] and [[Paulla Schaffer]] rush out to help Baltar into the commune. Before entering the commune, Baltar thanks Adama for helping him. Adama replies that he doesn't do these things for Baltar. Baltar agrees, saying that Adama does such things because "your God compels you".
* In [[sickbay]], [[Laura Roslin]] tells [[William Adama]] (who is holding ''[[Searider Falcon]]'' in his hand) that Lee has no idea of what he's doing, believing that there are "pragmatic realities" that Lee refuses to face. Adama agrees to this, saying that Lee's only doing what he thinks is right. Roslin does agree to that, but says that "sometimes the right thing is a luxury" and has its own set of dangerous consequences that Lee doesn't want to be true. She stops herself from continuing, since she realizes that shouldn't get upset during her [[diloxin]] treatment.
* Adama tells her that he's about to get into the part of the book he hasn't read yet and, when asked if he can continue, Adama starts reading. Roslin goes to sleep and Adama continues from the reading, despite having closed the book and apparently knowing the words by rote.
* In the brig, a beaten Tigh begs to Six to continue her assault. However, she changes tactics, saying that being beaten is not what he needs. She then kisses him.
* In the commune, Baltar makes his speech where he notes that while he isn't a perfect man, he believes that something in the universe loves him despite his flaws and faults. Urged on by Virtual Six, he calls this "spark", which dwells in the soul of every living being, "God" and moves the crowd when he says that each and every person is perfect, and that they can love others once they love themselves.
* During Baltar's speech, Lee Adama sees [[Tory Foster]] in attendance. Elsewhere on the ship, [[Galen Tyrol]] stares at [[Nicholas Tyrol|Nicholas]], who is playing in his crib.
* On the ''[[Demetrius]]'', [[Kara Thrace]] is sleeping at a table when [[Samuel Anders]] comes in, watching over her.
* Baltar finishes his speech by saying that God loves that which is perfect, and that people are perfect as they are. Foster is smiling, while the other cultists begin to weep and give him a standing ovation. Clearly displeased, Lee Adama moves to leave the commune while Virtual Six looks over at Foster.

== Notes ==
* [[w:Escape velocity|Escape velocity]] is the minimum initial velocity an unaccelerated object needs to escape a body's gravitational field.
* [[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]]".
* 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 memorial service.
* 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.
* Tory Foster confirms that the [[Final Five]] are stronger than humans.
* [[Redwing]] previously appeared in "[[Exodus, Part II]]" as [[Hot Dog]]'s wingman.

== Analysis ==

=== Characters ===
* [[Galen Tyrol]]'s insubordination that leads Admiral Adama to demote him may have been a deliberate act, conscious or unconscious, to maintain the safety of the ship. While not stated explicitly, Tyrol has been implied to have fears of working against the interest of the Fleet. This fear is almost certainly magnified when he forgets to swap out a burned out component for a new one on [[Margaret Edmondson|Racetrack]]'s Raptor, which subsequently crashes. While his memory lapse may have been innocently brought on by the continuing stress of discovering himself to be a Cylon, the resulting subterfuge, and his wife's death, the experience of [[Sharon Valerii]] with her memory lapses, unconscious acts of sabotage, and the attempted murder of then Commander Adama, are probably on his mind. This is indicated during the tirade against Cally, Adama, and his life in general in [[Joe's bar]]. A demotion in disgrace and transfer could ensure the safety of the ship, without raising any unwanted questions as an official resignation probably would.
* 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 death 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 that. His feelings for Valerii were likely renewed upon realizing that he is a Cylon, which makes 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.
* 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 is also possible that the passage has additional significance for Adama, since by his admission he normally stops reading after it.
* 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.

=== Story ===
* Delegate [[Reza Chronides]] mentions [[Mithraism]], thus further establishing the existence of other religions in the Twelve Colonies. The [[Sons of Ares]] are another religious group, described as [[w:fundamentalism|fundamentalist]].
**This is particularly notable in the context of Baltar's cult, because [[w:Mithraism|Mithraism]] had many things in common with [[w:Christianity|Christianity]]. Yet Christians were prosecuted far more by the ([[w:polytheism|polytheistic]]) Romans, while Mithraism spread throughout the empire and particularly the army, before Christianity became the official religion and [[w:Paganism|paganism]] illegal. This furthers the connection of the [[Religion in the Twelve Colonies (RDM)#The Lords of Kobol|Lords of Kobol]] to the Roman/Greek gods and of Baltar to [[w:Jesus Christ|Christ]].
***However, Baltar's monotheistic theology, while similar on the surface with Judeo-Christian-Islamic beliefs, differs in at least one key aspect: There is no sin. People are perfect. God loves things that are perfect. Perfect things have no faults, therefore God loves one including one's faults. Hence, there is nothing wrong with one despite the questionable things done in life. This is different than in Christian tradition in that while God/Jesus may love one anyway, one still must renounce sin in order to be in His grace. If not, one will not be rewarded in the after life. In other words, serious faults would cause one to be rejected by God in some way. This is unlike Baltar's theology in which God would never reject a person under any circumstance because he or she is perfect regardless of their faults or sins. Under this world view God would regard [[Tory Foster]] as perfect and guiltless despite her murder of [[Cally Tyrol]], which she has convinced herself that she is.
***Batlar's speech about loving one's self, and using that understanding to love and understand others seems thematically aligned with Virtual Six's initial remark in the Miniseries that "God is love." Ironically, Baltar's sinful past now seems to enhance his credibility and provide evidence that someone as sinful as he is, has been given fortune by God. According to Christian traditions, a true believer must repent to God to be forgiven of sin. This does not mean he or she will stop sinning, but that they repay God's love with love in return. Likewise, Baltar has repeatedly repented to God and had seemingly divine providence intervene in his favor several times. Since Baltar is now using his own sinful life as an example, it seems that this dynamic of Christianity is consistent here as well.
*The [[Sons of Ares]] act with military precision, have access to gas grenades and knowledge about the ship's security procedures. From this it is likely that many of them are soldiers and not civilians. This may be expected from a group dedicated to the [[Ares|god of war]].
* [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]] and [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]] have notoriously bad luck with the [[Navigation in the Re-imagined Series#Reaction Control Systems|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. This is the third Raptor mishap to befall the pair, the first being their FTL malfunction causing their mis-jump to the [[New Caprica]] system in "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]".
* When facing down the Marines, the way in which Baltar is standing up, when the scene shifts to [[virtual Six]] being absent, 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 does something to Baltar that isn't clearly presented like Baltar is doing it to himself. While that is still possible, it is implied that virtual Six can actually affect things physically. This, along with the [[virtual Baltar]] appearing to Baltar in "[[Six of One]]" and both virtual beings consistently knowing information that neither Baltar or Caprica-Six could actually know, hints that there is something more to them than simply being illusions. What they are, of course, remains a matter of debate.
** This lends further credence to the theory that virtual Six may be able to interact with the physical world, and possibly hints at the true explanation of [[Shelly Godfrey]]'s strange appearance and disappearance in the episode "[[Six Degrees of Separation]]".
* The scene where 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]].

== 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 have sex?
* What of [[Nicholas Tyrol]]? Will his father 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 should he discover the truth?
* What will Tyrol's new duties be after his demotion to specialist?
* Will Baltar's religion end up helping the people of the Fleet, or will it lead them into a dangerous state which compromises them, as Laura Roslin appears to fear?
* What influence will the new religion have on Roslin's beliefs and actions? Will she convert, will she be proven right, or will she be on the wrong side?

== Official Statements ==





== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

* ''[[William Adama]] and [[Galen Tyrol]]'s argument at Joe's Bar:''
: '''William Adama:''' [[Cally Tyrol|She]] was a good woman.
: '''Galen Tyrol:''' If you ''really'' believe that, you wouldn't have [[Dirty Hands|threatened]] to stick her up against a bulkhead and shoot her. It's OK though, thought about doing it a few times myself. Believe me.
: '''Adama:''' Chief...
: '''Tyrol:''' How many of us ended up with the people we wanted to be with? Got stuck with the best of limited options. And why? Because the ones we really want, that we've really loved, are dead, dying, turned out to be [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]] and they didn't know it. And if [[Sharon Valerii|Boomer]] had...
: '''Adama:''' Let's go. Let's go.
: '''Tyrol:''' No. ''No.'' I didn't know—
: '''Adama:''' Let's go home.
: '''Tyrol:''' ''I didn't know.'' So I buried my head in the sand, and I took it, and I settled. I settled for that shriek. Those dull, vacant eyes. Boiled cabbage stench of her. And why? Because this is my life. This is the life I picked! And that's fine. But you know what, it's not! I didn't pick this life! This isn't my ''[[frak]]kin''<nowiki>'</nowiki> life!
: '''Adama:''' What the hell's gotten in to you? Don't do this. Don't do this to her memory.
: '''Tyrol:''' You know what? I'm sorry if I'm not doing this the way you want me to, the way you might, but I'm not making an angel out of someone who wasn't an angel. But I can see you have. And now you've come down here to be in my club. But you're not in my club. You don't know what frakkin' club I'm in because you never ask the right questions.
: '''Adama:''' Chief, let's get out of here.
: '''Tyrol:''' No. Why don't ''you'' go, take care of your ''precious ship''.
: '''Adama:''' Stop it! Stop all of this! Because if you don't, I'll have to act on it. Now shut up!
: '''Tyrol:''' ''Great!'' Do it! Please! For the love of Gods, please demote me! ''Get me off your frakking ship!''
: '''Adama:''' Specialist Tyrol, I want you off my hangar deck before you endanger another pilot. You're to report to Petty Officer Basim at 0600 for reassignment. Do you understand?

* ''[[Caprica-Six]] tells [[Saul Tigh]] about her feelings:''
:"I want the pain. It's how I learn. I was instrumental in the destruction of humanity, but at the same time I learned, because...because I fell in love...with a human man, and he was mortal and fallible. And he had this incredible pride in himself. He thought he knew everything there was to know. And I loved him, with my whole heart. And then one day, I realized I wouldn't have him forever. I understood what I'd done. How I betrayed him and humanity. And that pain taught me to understand death. [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]] could die. And I loved him. Baltar's heart was ephemeral. Baltar's body was fragile in my hands."

* ''[[Laura Roslin]] about [[Lee Adama]] and his understanding of politics:''
:'''Roslin:''' Lee has no idea. He really has no idea. [...] There are pragmatic realities he refuses to face.
:'''William Adama:''' Well, that's a problem of course. He'd say what he thinks is right.
:'''Roslin:''' Well yeah. He is Lee. Thing is, it probably is the right thing, but...sometimes the right thing is a luxury. And it can have profoundly dangerous consequences. And it's almost as if he doesn't want that to be true.

* ''[[Gaius Baltar]] speaks to his [[Cult of Baltar|followers]]:''
:"I am not a priest. I've never even been a particularly good man. I am in fact a profoundly selfish man. But that doesn't matter, you see. Something in the universe loves me. (smiles) Something in the universe loves the entity that is me. I would choose to call this something "God", a singular spark that dwells in the soul of every living being. If you look inside yourself you will find that spark too. You will. But you have to look deep. Love your faults. Embrace them. If God embraces them, then how can they be faults? Love yourself. You have to love yourself. If we don't love ourselves, how can we love others? And when we know what we are, then we can find the truth out about others, seek what they are; the truth about them. And you know what the truth is? The truth about them? About you? About me? Do you? The truth is, we're all perfect. Just as we are. God only loves that which is perfect and he loves you. He loves you because you are perfect. You are perfect. Just as you are."

== 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 beings#Saul Tigh's Virtual Ellen|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 civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Gemenon Delegate|Speaking Delegate #1]] (Gemenon Delegate)
* [[Andrew McIlroy]] as [[Jacob Cantrell]]
* [[Judith Maxie]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Picon Delegate|Picon Delegate]]
* [[Iris Paluly]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#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]]
* [[Rob Hayter]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Sons of Ares leader|Sons of Ares leader]] (uncredited)
* Unknown as [[Unnamed Galactica and Pegasus crew (RDM)#"Mr. Officious"|"Mr. Officious"]] (uncredited)

== 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]]

Escape Velocity

2008-04-30T04:19:07Z

Hmoul: /* Act 4 */Caprica kisses Tigh

{{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 Traveled]]
| 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 [[Callandra Tyrol|wife]] and fails.''

== Summary ==


=== Teaser ===

* In a makeshift [[temple]] aboard ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'', [[Galen Tyrol]] performs a ritual commemoration ceremony in the memory of his wife, [[Callandra Tyrol|Callandra Henderson Tyrol]]. In attendance are [[Laura Roslin]], Admiral [[William Adama|Adama]], Delegate [[Lee Adama]], [[Tory Foster]], Colonel [[Saul Tigh]] and [[Anthony Figurski]].
* After the priest ends the service, Roslin (wearing a wig) tells Adama that she likes the ceremony, insinuating that she wants Adama to perform the same service for her when she dies.
* Tyrol is given condolences by people as they leave the temple. Foster asks Roslin why they have to do "these things at dawn", to which Roslin replies that they have to.
* After Roslin gives her condolences, Tyrol grabs a hold of both Foster and Tigh, who hastily offer their condolences. As they walk out, they complain that Tyrol almost attracted attention to themselves.
* Delegate Adama offers his condolences as Tyrol stares off after Foster and Tigh; Adama leaves without a response from Tyrol.
* Tigh enters the surveillance room adjoining [[Caprica-Six]]'s brig. The Marines inform him that she continues her same routine. When broaching the topic of how Six doesn't go nuts, the [[Unnamed Galactica and Pegasus crew (RDM)#Blonde female Marine|female Marine]] replies that she probably turns off her brain, prompting interest from Tigh.
* Tigh enters the brig, informing Six that her request to see [[Hera Agathon]] has been denied. Six notes that Tigh already told her this, and asks what else he wants from her. During the discussion, Tigh sees [[Ellen Tigh]] in place of Six. Tigh, unsure of what to make of it, tells Six to stay back from him. Six notes that he visits her every day, but doesn't ask questions any more. Tigh leaves, with her saying that she'll see him tomorrow.
* In his quarters, Tyrol sits while [[Nicholas Tyrol]] cries. Foster and Tigh gruffly admonish Tyrol for his behavior at the service.
* Tigh inquires after the baby. Tyrol notes that Nicholas probably needs to be changed; Tigh goes about doing so.
* Foster asks Tyrol if he believes Cally killed herself because of him. Tyrol brings up the alleged affair between them, to which Foster replies that they didn't have one. Tyrol voices his concerns over which of his memories were real, and whether or not there was ever an action in his life that wasn't programmed. Foster espouses what, according to Tigh, is "[[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]]'s crap" when she tells Tyrol that they, as [[humanoid Cylons|Cylons]], don't need guilt since they are perfect. Tigh, on the other hand, believes that Tyrol is feeling what men feel after the death of a loved one. Tigh continues by telling Tyrol that he'll see Cally every day, while referencing his own experience of [[Torn|hearing]] and [[Virtual Ellen|seeing]] his dead wife. Tigh finishes by saying that Tyrol feels what he needs to feel, but not at the expense of being outed as Cylons, while Foster says to think about what they are and embrace their Cylon attributes.

=== Act 1 ===

* [[Tory Foster]] visits [[Gaius Baltar]] in the commune. There, she wakes Baltar by pulling out a hair on his head. Baltar replies "Gods", which Foster questions. She continues by plucking another hair off of Baltar's head, asking about how he was feeling. He replies that it was an intense feeling. She then massages his crotch, then while doing so, plucks out another hair on his head. She asks if the signals of pain and pleasure get crossed, which Baltar replies in the affirmative. As Baltar tries to leave, Foster forces Baltar down on the bed. After noting her strength, she begins to engage in foreplay, running her tongue across his cheek.
* As she babbles on about her beliefs about "pain turning into pleasure" and the like (much to Baltar's testicular displeasure), members of the [[Sons of Ares]] begin their march towards the commune. Their attack on the commune begins by throwing a smoke grenade, which allows them to enter the commune and attack Baltar's cultists with near impunity, painting graffiti and wreaking havoc. They quickly try to find Baltar, but they know they have two minutes to do so before they can expect some kind of military response. At the one minute mark, an announcement over the PA announces a security alert on deck eight, section fourteen.
* During these two minutes, Baltar hides himself behind a support beam near the ceiling. After the attack, Foster looks up at him as the Sons of Ares people clear out of the commune, vowing to find Baltar.
* In the [[hangar bay]], [[Galen Tyrol]] is repairing the [[ECO]] console on [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]]'s [[Raptor]]. Deckhand [[Anthony Figurski]] asks if Tyrol is almost done, Tyrol replies that he just has one more relay, which his hands have a problem in reaching. During this, he has flashbacks of Cally, including one where Cally helps him out during the construction of the [[Blackbird]].
* Tyrol's flashback of his [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II|beating of Cally after his suicidal nightmare]] is interrupted by Edmondson, who asks if he's done with his repairs. Pocketing a fuse, he morosely replies that he's done.
* Edmondson, with [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]], launch, being waived off by crew members on the deck. They meet up with [[Redwing]], who is leading the [[CAP|Combat Air Patrol]], and childes them for driving a school bus. In return, she compares the Vipers to bicycles, to which Redwing replies that the Vipers are race cars much to Edmondson's amusement.
* When they increase speed, the Raptor's forward, lower rear [[RCS]] thruster. She requests for an emergency landing and they crash land on the port landing deck, ramming into a [[landram]] in the process.
* Meanwhile, Baltar is chastising "[[Mr. Officious]]" for his lack of speed in finding out who their attackers are. [[Virtual Six]] prompts him to look at the painted graffiti in the wall, which is written in old text. He reads it, discovering that his attackers were from the Sons of Ares. He asks about their motivations, to which Six replies that "[[Lords of Kobol (RDM)|old Gods]] die hard even among your people". He sees Six next to a woman, whose name he believes starts with an "M", until she corrects him: her name is [[Lilly]]. Baltar discovers a religious artifact belonging to [[Asclepius]] in her hand, which she prays to. She claims that she believes that Baltar will heal their people, but still has belief in Asclepius. Six then adds that the "Gods are fighting back".
* In the hangar bay, Tyrol and Figurski are looking over the remains of the Raptor, whose relays are still hot. When checking under the ECO console, Tyrol discovers the burnt-out fuse he neglected to replace, discovering the replacement in his shirt's pocket. He admits that the crash was his fault.
* McCall angrily confronts Tyrol, but is interdicted by Edmondson, who attempts to defuse the situation. McCall concedes that it's all right, and that no one got hurt. Tyrol presses on however, saying that he doesn't need to be "patted on the head" and that its all right if people told him that he [[frak]]ked up. He becomes more vociferous when Edmondson mentions that "he's only human", but she walks away and no one else comments. He calls them all "cowards".
* Figurski offers to finish looking over the Raptor. In reply, Tyrol tells Figurski to get out of the ship.
* As Baltar looks at the pendant for Asclepius, Virtual Six tells him that people have room for only one great belief, either him or the Gods. Despite Baltar's misgivings about one man standing up to the old Gods, Six convinces him that such a man who does would surely be magnificent. Inspired by this, Baltar tells his members that they have been targeted because of what they believe in, and urges them to take a stand against Gods that have no relevance in their world.
* Baltar then leaves, with [[Jeanne]] and the others following.
* Baltar enters the temple, where the priest is performing a service. He interrupts the ceremony despite the priest's attempts to stop him. Baltar begins asking the parishioners who they serve, blaspheming [[Zeus]] by calling him a "serial rapist" and pointing out the absurdity of giving birth through one's forehead. The priest confronts him, but Baltar calls her an "ignorant witch" and continues discussing the so-called Gods, including how Asclepius demise was brought about by the blood of a [[Gorgon]] and of [[Aphrodite]], in addition to the "other rubbish" as he vandalizes the temple.
* As his other cultists follow his example, Marines storm the temple and forcibly extricate Baltar as the polytheists in the temple try to attack him, yelling out demands to "burn him".

=== Act 2 ===

* [[William Adama]] visits [[Laura Roslin]] in [[sickbay]] after her blood test. He's brought a different book to read named ''[[Searider Falcon]]'', a classic novel. Roslin comments that she hasn't read it in years, and Adama confesses that he's never finished the book, since he finds the book too good to finish. She offers to tell him the ending, but after noting Adama's expression, she corrects herself.
* After Adama offers to take her bag, he notes that "[[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]]'s back home in the brig again". Roslin believes that Baltar's desecration of the temple was revenge for what happened to his commune that morning. Adama replies that he has people looking into the brutal attack on Baltar's cult, but no one is talking about the [[Sons of Ares]]. She replies that Baltar's knowingly provoking the hard-line religious groups from [[Dogsville]], and they agree that they can't have a religious fight in the [[the Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]]. Further, they both agree that Baltar is the crux of the problem, as he has an "uncanny way of stirring up all the crap". They discuss the various options, including locking him away for his own safety to removing him from ''Galactica''. However, Roslin has a better idea and goes to the brig so that Baltar can see her.
* Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] visits [[Caprica-Six]] in the brig. She notes that he didn't even make it to tomorrow. Tigh reveals that he does want something, and asks her how it feels to have the blood of billions of human beings on her hands. She replies that she cannot help but to feel it. Tigh orders the Marines to aim their weapons at her.
* On the hangar deck, Tyrol is welding as Figurski walks by and asks him if he woke up early or never went to sleep. Tyrol doesn't reply and Figurski walks off. After this, Tyrol simply walks off the job, throwing his welder's mask and gloves upon the floor.
* In the brig, Six tells Tigh that she is just as human as he is. During the conversation, he sees [[Ellen Tigh]] in Six's place, and asks her how she deals with the pain. She doesn't answer and Tigh tells the Marines to step outside. After the Marines do so, he tells her that she has nothing to offer him and that she is the same as the rest of the Cylons.
* Also in a brig, Baltar is awakened by Roslin. After Baltar makes a quip about her strip searching him, she tells him that his situation is being looked into "aggressively". She tells him that she is wearing a wig and dying from cancer, but she doesn't want his pity and is still doing her job. She assures him that she's aggressively looking into the men that attacked him. However, there is a caveat to this: she tells him that she wants a quiet little death, and insinuates that Baltar give up his crusade quietly, as she has neither the time nor the patience to indulge him.
* Roslin leaves, telling Baltar that he's being released and to stay safe.
* In [[Joe's Bar]], Adama joins Tyrol at the bar. Adama tells Tyrol that the deck crew misses him and tells him that if he needs time off, or if he wants to work more shifts, all he need to is ask. Tyrol replies that he doesn't need special treatment. In reply, Tyrol hallucinates Adama receiving a shot of alcohol and this reply: "I guess it was just more than she could take, huh? Being married to a Cylon who made her the mother to a half-breed abomination."
* The hallucination ends when Adama gets his drink and comments that Cally was a good woman. Tyrol replies that had Adama really thought that, he wouldn't have threatened to stick her up against a bulkhead and have her shot. Despite Adama's efforts to move their conversation somewhere else, Tyrol then goes into a tirade about how he was stuck with the best of limited options, describing Cally as a "shriek" with "dull, vacant eyes" and a "cabbage smell". He tells Adama that he's sick of his life, a life that he did not choose, and hating to find out that those they really loved were dead, dying, or were Cylons. He pines on his love of [[Sharon Valerii]], and notes that because he tried to stick his head in the sand, he married Cally. He tells her that she was no angel, but notes that Adama has already made her into one. He tells Adama that they are not in the same club, since he never asked the right questions.
* Adama gives him a last chance to recant, but Tyrol refuses, daring Adama to demote him and get him off Adama's ship. Challenged, Adama does so, and orders Specialist Tyrol to report to a Petty Officer to get reassigned, since Tyrol is a danger to others.
* Adama leaves, while Tyrol slowly collapses into his stool at the bar.

=== Act 3 ===

* On ''[[Colonial One]]'' during a [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum]] meeting, [[Lee Adama]] argues with President Roslin over an emergency measure limiting the size of Baltar's groups so they don't provoke attacks from fundamentalist groups, steadfastly contending that "where ever Baltar is, violence happens", and assures Adama and other delgates that her goal is to keep the people safe from harm by preventing such violence. However, Lee's objections are supported by fellow Quorum members, such as [[Reza Chronides]], who are concerned that the emergency measure that Roslin "bulldozed through" may be used against other religious groups, such as the [[Mithraism|Mithraists]]. Roslin assures people that this won't happen, and the emergency measure was enacted because [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]] is a special case, a claim that Lee rebukes by saying that they're making him a special case. During the conversation, [[Tory Foster]] remains silent, but is visibly concerned.
* Despite Lee's assertion that Baltar is not preaching violence and other amoral acts, and objections by the delegates, Roslin tells them to clear their heads and urges the people to remember the tragedy they experienced on [[New Caprica]]. Chronides pointedly asks if Roslin will open the resolution for a full discussion amongst the Quorum, which Roslin quickly and vehemently refuses to do.
* Lee responds by noting that the Quorum can override Roslin, and notes that he's willing to do so since he believes the resolution cannot stand.
* Incensed by this, Roslin replies with rhetoric: should they overturn her decision, the people would win, but at what cost? She implores them to remember what happened when Baltar held political power, and saying they should be terrified at the prospect of Baltar regaining such power again, even through Baltar's cult.
* In the brig, [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] watches [[Caprica-Six|Six]] as she sleeps. He believes he's seeing Ellen. When she awakens, Six asks if she should get familiar to waking up to Tigh's face. She notes the lack of a Marine escort. Tigh tells her that it is an informal chat between them, to which she astutely replies that they're also being watched. Tigh tells her that she hasn't answered his question. She replies that she wants the pain and learns from it. She mentions how she fell in love with Baltar, and understood that she wouldn't have him forever. She continues to discuss Baltar, which breaks Tigh out of his illusion of seeing Ellen. He angrily reacts to this, saying that he refuses to hear about "Gaius Frakking Baltar" and leaves the brig. He enters the adjoining surveillance room to dismiss the Marines and deactivate the surveillance equipment.
* Tigh reenters the brig, where he is prompted with an offer by Six to help him turn off the pain. She reveals that she learns from the pain, the guilt, and she claims that she's found clarity and wisdom from these things. Tigh sits on the cot with her, where he is told how the humanoid Cylon brain is patterned after the human brain, where she claims that the Cylons have learned things about the human mind that the humans themselves are unaware of.
* Six, who Tigh now sees as Ellen, removes his eye patch and offers to give him clarity.
* Baltar and his cultists proceed to the commune, but are stopped by a Marine who tells him of Roslin's emergency measure, [[Emergency Provision 17]], and that no group larger than twelve can be assembled at any time. Baltar insists that he lives in the commune, but the marine will have none of it, even when [[Paulla Schaffer]] offers to leave and allow Baltar to enter. When Baltar tries to make his way into the commune at the urging of his Virtual Six, he is beaten back by the Marine and begins to spit out blood from his mouth.

=== Act 4 ===

* In the brig, [[Saul Tigh]] tells [[Caprica-Six]] to get her hands off him. She punches him, throwing him from the cot. She then jumps on him and begins punishing him in the face, enjoying it in the process. After this, she asks him if he feels the pain, and the clarity that comes with it. When he does not reply, she continues to punch him.
* Caprica-Six realizes that Tigh's pain is of another sort, proclaiming to understand she begins to kiss him.
* [[Virtual Six]] convinces [[Gaius Baltar]] to continue to defy the Marine, assuring him that the gains for doing so outweigh the initial costs. He does so, and is repeatedly beaten back to the ground in front of his followers every time he takes a move towards the commune. "Aided" by his virtual Six, Baltar gets up and continues this action, until Lee Adama arrives with a [[Unnamed Galactica and Pegasus crew (RDM)#Marine Lieutenant|Marine lieutenant]]. He informs them that the provision has been rescinded and right for full public assembly is restored.
* [[Tracey Anne]], [[Jeanne]] and [[Paulla Schaffer]] rush out to help Baltar into the commune. Before entering the commune, Baltar thanks Adama for helping him. Adama replies that he doesn't do these things for Baltar. Baltar agrees, saying that Adama does such things because "your God compels you".
* In [[sickbay]], [[Laura Roslin]] tells [[William Adama]] (who is holding ''[[Searider Falcon]]'' in his hand) that Lee has no idea of what he's doing, believing that there are "pragmatic realities" that Lee refuses to face. Adama agrees to this, saying that Lee's only doing what he thinks is right. Roslin does agree to that, but says that "sometimes the right thing is a luxury" and has its own set of dangerous consequences that Lee doesn't want to be true. She stops herself from continuing, since she realizes that shouldn't get upset during her [[diloxin]] treatment.
* Adama tells her that he's about to get into the part of the book he hasn't read yet and, when asked if he can continue, Adama starts reading. Roslin goes to sleep and Adama continues from the reading, despite having closed the book and apparently knowing the words by rote.
* In the brig, a beaten Tigh begs to Six to continue her assault. However, she changes tactics, saying that being beaten is not what he needs. She then kisses him.
* In the commune, Baltar makes his speech where he notes that while he isn't a perfect man, he believes that something in the universe loves him despite his flaws and faults. Urged on by Virtual Six, he calls this "spark", which dwells in the soul of every living being, "God" and moves the crowd when he says that each and every person is perfect, and that they can love others once they love themselves.
* During Baltar's speech, Lee Adama sees [[Tory Foster]] in attendance. Elsewhere on the ship, [[Galen Tyrol]] stares at [[Nicholas Tyrol|Nicholas]], who is playing in his crib.
* On the ''[[Demetrius]]'', [[Kara Thrace]] is sleeping at a table when [[Samuel Anders]] comes in, watching over her.
* Baltar finishes his speech by saying that God loves that which is perfect, and that people are perfect as they are. Foster is smiling, while the other cultists begin to weep and give him a standing ovation. Clearly displeased, Lee Adama moves to leave the commune while Virtual Six looks over at Foster.

== Notes ==
* [[w:Escape velocity|Escape velocity]] is the minimum initial velocity an unaccelerated object needs to escape a body's gravitational field.
* [[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]]".
* 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 memorial service.
* 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.
* Tory Foster confirms that the [[Final Five]] are stronger than humans.
* [[Redwing]] previously appeared in "[[Exodus, Part II]]" as [[Hot Dog]]'s wingman.

== Analysis ==

=== Characters ===
* [[Galen Tyrol]]'s insubordination that leads Admiral Adama to demote him may have been a deliberate act, conscious or unconscious, to maintain the safety of the ship. While not stated explicitly, Tyrol has been implied to have fears of working against the interest of the Fleet. This fear is almost certainly magnified when he forgets to swap out a burned out component for a new one on [[Margaret Edmondson|Racetrack]]'s Raptor, which subsequently crashes. While his memory lapse may have been innocently brought on by the continuing stress of discovering himself to be a Cylon, the resulting subterfuge, and his wife's death, the experience of [[Sharon Valerii]] with her memory lapses, unconscious acts of sabotage, and the attempted murder of then Commander Adama, are probably on his mind. This is indicated during the tirade against Cally, Adama, and his life in general in [[Joe's bar]]. A demotion in disgrace and transfer could ensure the safety of the ship, without raising any unwanted questions as an official resignation probably would.
* 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 death 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 that. His feelings for Valerii were likely renewed upon realizing that he is a Cylon, which makes 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.
* 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 is also possible that the passage has additional significance for Adama, since by his admission he normally stops reading after it.
* 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.

=== Story ===
* Delegate [[Reza Chronides]] mentions [[Mithraism]], thus further establishing the existence of other religions in the Twelve Colonies. The [[Sons of Ares]] are another religious group, described as [[w:fundamentalism|fundamentalist]].
**This is particularly notable in the context of Baltar's cult, because [[w:Mithraism|Mithraism]] had many things in common with [[w:Christianity|Christianity]]. Yet Christians were prosecuted far more by the ([[w:polytheism|polytheistic]]) Romans, while Mithraism spread throughout the empire and particularly the army, before Christianity became the official religion and [[w:Paganism|paganism]] illegal. This furthers the connection of the [[Religion in the Twelve Colonies (RDM)#The Lords of Kobol|Lords of Kobol]] to the Roman/Greek gods and of Baltar to [[w:Jesus Christ|Christ]].
***However, Baltar's monotheistic theology, while similar on the surface with Judeo-Christian-Islamic beliefs, differs in at least one key aspect: There is no sin. People are perfect. God loves things that are perfect. Perfect things have no faults, therefore God loves one including one's faults. Hence, there is nothing wrong with one despite the questionable things done in life. This is different than in Christian tradition in that while God/Jesus may love one anyway, one still must renounce sin in order to be in His grace. If not, one will not be rewarded in the after life. In other words, serious faults would cause one to be rejected by God in some way. This is unlike Baltar's theology in which God would never reject a person under any circumstance because he or she is perfect regardless of their faults or sins. Under this world view God would regard [[Tory Foster]] as perfect and guiltless despite her murder of [[Cally Tyrol]], which she has convinced herself that she is.
***Batlar's speech about loving one's self, and using that understanding to love and understand others seems thematically aligned with Virtual Six's initial remark in the Miniseries that "God is love." Ironically, Baltar's sinful past now seems to enhance his credibility and provide evidence that someone as sinful as he is, has been given fortune by God. According to Christian traditions, a true believer must repent to God to be forgiven of sin. This does not mean he or she will stop sinning, but that they repay God's love with love in return. Likewise, Baltar has repeatedly repented to God and had seemingly divine providence intervene in his favor several times. Since Baltar is now using his own sinful life as an example, it seems that this dynamic of Christianity is consistent here as well.
*The [[Sons of Ares]] act with military precision, have access to gas grenades and knowledge about the ship's security procedures. From this it is likely that many of them are soldiers and not civilians. This may be expected from a group dedicated to the [[Ares|god of war]].
* [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]] and [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]] have notoriously bad luck with the [[Navigation in the Re-imagined Series#Reaction Control Systems|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. This is the third Raptor mishap to befall the pair, the first being their FTL malfunction causing their mis-jump to the [[New Caprica]] system in "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]".
* When facing down the Marines, the way in which Baltar is standing up, when the scene shifts to [[virtual Six]] being absent, 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 does something to Baltar that isn't clearly presented like Baltar is doing it to himself. While that is still possible, it is implied that virtual Six can actually affect things physically. This, along with the [[virtual Baltar]] appearing to Baltar in "[[Six of One]]" and both virtual beings consistently knowing information that neither Baltar or Caprica-Six could actually know, hints that there is something more to them than simply being illusions. What they are, of course, remains a matter of debate.
** This lends further credence to the theory that virtual Six may be able to interact with the physical world, and possibly hints at the true explanation of [[Shelly Godfrey]]'s strange appearance and disappearance in the episode "[[Six Degrees of Separation]]".
* The scene where 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]].

== 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 have sex?
* What of [[Nicholas Tyrol]]? Will his father 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 should he discover the truth?
* What will Tyrol's new duties be after his demotion to specialist?
* Will Baltar's religion end up helping the people of the Fleet, or will it lead them into a dangerous state which compromises them, as Laura Roslin appears to fear?
* What influence will the new religion have on Roslin's beliefs and actions? Will she convert, will she be proven right, or will she be on the wrong side?

== Official Statements ==





== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

* ''[[William Adama]] and [[Galen Tyrol]]'s argument at Joe's Bar:''
: '''William Adama:''' [[Cally Tyrol|She]] was a good woman.
: '''Galen Tyrol:''' If you ''really'' believe that, you wouldn't have [[Dirty Hands|threatened]] to stick her up against a bulkhead and shoot her. It's OK though, thought about doing it a few times myself. Believe me.
: '''Adama:''' Chief...
: '''Tyrol:''' How many of us ended up with the people we wanted to be with? Got stuck with the best of limited options. And why? Because the ones we really want, that we've really loved, are dead, dying, turned out to be [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]] and they didn't know it. And if [[Sharon Valerii|Boomer]] had...
: '''Adama:''' Let's go. Let's go.
: '''Tyrol:''' No. ''No.'' I didn't know—
: '''Adama:''' Let's go home.
: '''Tyrol:''' ''I didn't know.'' So I buried my head in the sand, and I took it, and I settled. I settled for that shriek. Those dull, vacant eyes. Boiled cabbage stench of her. And why? Because this is my life. This is the life I picked! And that's fine. But you know what, it's not! I didn't pick this life! This isn't my ''[[frak]]kin''<nowiki>'</nowiki> life!
: '''Adama:''' What the hell's gotten in to you? Don't do this. Don't do this to her memory.
: '''Tyrol:''' You know what? I'm sorry if I'm not doing this the way you want me to, the way you might, but I'm not making an angel out of someone who wasn't an angel. But I can see you have. And now you've come down here to be in my club. But you're not in my club. You don't know what frakkin' club I'm in because you never ask the right questions.
: '''Adama:''' Chief, let's get out of here.
: '''Tyrol:''' No. Why don't ''you'' go, take care of your ''precious ship''.
: '''Adama:''' Stop it! Stop all of this! Because if you don't, I'll have to act on it. Now shut up!
: '''Tyrol:''' ''Great!'' Do it! Please! For the love of Gods, please demote me! ''Get me off your frakking ship!''
: '''Adama:''' Specialist Tyrol, I want you off my hangar deck before you endanger another pilot. You're to report to Petty Officer Basim at 0600 for reassignment. Do you understand?

* ''[[Caprica-Six]] tells [[Saul Tigh]] about her feelings:''
:"I want the pain. It's how I learn. I was instrumental in the destruction of humanity, but at the same time I learned, because...because I fell in love...with a human man, and he was mortal and fallible. And he had this incredible pride in himself. He thought he knew everything there was to know. And I loved him, with my whole heart. And then one day, I realized I wouldn't have him forever. I understood what I'd done. How I betrayed him and humanity. And that pain taught me to understand death. [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]] could die. And I loved him. Baltar's heart was ephemeral. Baltar's body was fragile in my hands."

* ''[[Laura Roslin]] about [[Lee Adama]] and his understanding of politics:''
:'''Roslin:''' Lee has no idea. He really has no idea. [...] There are pragmatic realities he refuses to face.
:'''William Adama:''' Well, that's a problem of course. He'd say what he thinks is right.
:'''Roslin:''' Well yeah. He is Lee. Thing is, it probably is the right thing, but...sometimes the right thing is a luxury. And it can have profoundly dangerous consequences. And it's almost as if he doesn't want that to be true.

* ''[[Gaius Baltar]] speaks to his [[Cult of Baltar|followers]]:''
:"I am not a priest. I've never even been a particularly good man. I am in fact a profoundly selfish man. But that doesn't matter, you see. Something in the universe loves me. (smiles) Something in the universe loves the entity that is me. I would choose to call this something "God", a singular spark that dwells in the soul of every living being. If you look inside yourself you will find that spark too. You will. But you have to look deep. Love your faults. Embrace them. If God embraces them, then how can they be faults? Love yourself. You have to love yourself. If we don't love ourselves, how can we love others? And when we know what we are, then we can find the truth out about others, seek what they are; the truth about them. And you know what the truth is? The truth about them? About you? About me? Do you? The truth is, we're all perfect. Just as we are. God only loves that which is perfect and he loves you. He loves you because you are perfect. You are perfect. Just as you are."

== 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 beings#Saul Tigh's Virtual Ellen|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 civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Gemenon Delegate|Speaking Delegate #1]] (Gemenon Delegate)
* [[Andrew McIlroy]] as [[Jacob Cantrell]]
* [[Judith Maxie]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Picon Delegate|Picon Delegate]]
* [[Iris Paluly]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#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]]
* [[Rob Hayter]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Sons of Ares leader|Sons of Ares leader]] (uncredited)
* Unknown as [[Unnamed Galactica and Pegasus crew (RDM)#"Mr. Officious"|"Mr. Officious"]] (uncredited)

== 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]]

Season 4 (2008-09)

2007-11-30T23:24:09Z

Hmoul: /* General */ correction of tenses for Razor

{{spoiler}}

==Summary==
:''Presently set to air in the United States in March of 2008<ref>This is stated in a trailer for the fourth season that aired during "[[Razor]]".</ref>; this is the final season of the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]], where the last of the [[Final Five]] is revealed.''

== Story ==

=== General ===

* A two hour television movie, called "[[Razor]]" set during the events of [[Season 2 (2005-06)|Season 2]] aired on November 24, 2007. It is a framing story set after the destruction of ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'', but was largely told via flashbacks to a time prior to "[[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]" during [[Helena Cain]]'s command.
* According to [[Katee Sackhoff]], the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] will find [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] <ref name="ign-sackhoff"/>. Ron Moore also says, that Earth will be found and that there is a good chance of finding out in what state the planet is, but is being deliberately vague <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://craveonline.com/filmtv/articles/04648062/battlestar_galactica_ronald_moore_talks_about_earth.html|title=Battlestar Galactica: Ronald Moore talks about Earth|date=13 July 2007|accessdate=13 July 2007|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>.
* Moore indicated that he will make his directorial debut in the second half of this season,<ref name="latimes"/> although this is uncertain in lieu of the Writers Guild of America strike.

=== Character developments ===

* [[Katee Sackhoff]] is signed for this season <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.tvweek.com/news/2007/03/qa_with_battlestar_showrunner.php|title=Q&A with "Battlestar" Showrunner Ron Moore: On the Return of Starbuck, Falling Ratings and 'Caprica' Prequel|date=26 March 2007|accessdate=18 June 2007|last=Hibberd|first=James|format=|language=}}</ref>. Additionally, Sackhoff herself mentions that her character is neither an illusion <ref name="ign-sackhoff">{{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> nor a Cylon. Although Sackhoff later mentions that Thrace ''believes'' she is a Cylon. Thrace also has a lot of material with [[Laura Roslin]] and the "Cylon ladies".<ref name="roadrunner">{{cite_web|url=http://roadrunnerdm.livejournal.com/84288.html|title=Roadrunner - Newsdump from Burbank convention|date=19 November 2007|accessdate=20 November 2007|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>
* The third episode of season four, "[[The Ties That Bind]]", will feature a "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|format=|language=}}</ref>
* [[Mark Sheppard]] has said that he will reprise his role as [[Romo Lampkin]], but not for many episodes <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://community.livejournal.com/battlestar_blog/688838.html|title=Livejournal - Info from Mark Sheppard|date=|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>.
*[[Nana Visitor]], known to genre viewers as [[MemoryAlpha:Kira Nerys|Kira Nerys]] on ''[[MemoryAlpha:Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'', will appear in the episode "[[Faith]]". She is playing a cancer patient named Emily who meets Laura Roslin in ''Galactica'''s sickbay. The two bond and eventually discuss matters of morality and faith. All of Visitor's scenes are with Mary McDonnell <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/09/battlestar-ga-1.html|title='Battlestar Galactica' gets a Visitor|date=|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>.
*According to reports from ComicCon and a radio show, Lee Adama will grow a beard and do more civilian things, Chief Tyrol will shave his head, and Admiral Adama will fly a Viper <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.watchingbsg.com/hairy-spoilers-for-bsgs-fourth-season/|title=Hairy Spoilers for BSG’s Fourth Season|date=|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>.
* Despite the Viper scene in "[[Crossroads, Part II]]", Lee Adama will not be returning to ''Galactica'''s ranks, but instead continue his own path as a civilian.<ref name="roadrunner"/>
*According to a Season 4 promo, [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] will return to ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' and try to lead the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Colonials]] to [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]], but she is said to be a Cylon and is not taken seriously.
* Taylor mentions that [[Jake (New Caprica)|Jake the dog]] will make a return this season.<ref name="thewatcher"/>
* Taylor assured fans that the romantic polygon between [[Lee Adama]]-[[Anastasia Dualla]]-[[Kara Thrace]]-[[Samuel Anders]] was "pretty thoroughly" put to bed in [[Season 3 (2006-07)|Season 3]] and will not be revisited again.<ref name="thewatcher"/>
* As for Dualla, Taylor claimed that: "I think Dee is someone who wears more of her character on the surface. She’s basically a pretty straightforward, upbeat character, someone who says what’s on her mind and is honest about what she’s feeling. And maybe in the context of the show that makes her a bit less dark and tortured, and perhaps less compelling, than a character such as, say, her romantic nemesis in said polygon: Kara. However, I think we may find that even a personality such as Dee’s has its dark side. ‘Nuff said for now."<ref name="thewatcher"/>
* [[Ellen Tigh]] will return this season, but she is not the final Cylon, and most of her scenes will be in the form of flashbacks as [[Saul Tigh]] attempts to deal with his actions on [[New Caprica]] in light of his self-revelation as a member of the [[Final Five]].<ref name="roadrunner"/>
* Sackhoff mentioned that "[[Revelations]]" could act as the series finale were the strike to continue for an inordinate amount of time, if need be.<ref name="roadrunner"/>
* [[Jamie Bamber]] apparently slipped on the fact that Thrace's and [[Leoben Conoy]]'s scenes in "Revelations", which are apparently set in a forest, are set on [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]].<ref name="roadrunner"/>

=== Cylon developments ===
* Moore indicated that the last of the [[Final Five]] will be revealed this season.<ref name="latimes"/>
* MediaBlvd Magazine reports that an early Season 4 episode will deal with a violent rebellion by [[Centurion]]s against their [[Humanoid Cylon|humanoid masters]], after some Centurions regain the intelligence that they lost through the enslavement by the humanoid models.<ref name="latimes"/><ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.mediablvd.com/magazine/Magazine-Home/mbnews7224329329.html|title=Battlestar Galactica: Secrets from the Set|date=26 March 2007|accessdate=4 July 2007|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>.
* [[Number Three]], played by [[Lucy Lawless]], will return for 2 or 3 episodes around episode 10, as revealed at [[w:Comic-Con International|ComicCon]] <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/808/808978p1.html|title=SDCC 07: Battlestar Galactica Gets Lawless|date=|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>. In addition, she and [[Laura Roslin]] will have a face-to-face scene as "there is a lot more contact" between the Cylons and the humans.<ref name="lawless">{{cite_web|url=http://ifmagazine.com/feature.asp?article=2445|title=Lucy Lawless Teases iF Magazine About Her Return to ''Battlestar Galactica''|date=30 October 2007|accessdate=30 October 2007|last=Elliot|first=Sean|format=|language=}}</ref>
* Additionally [[Sharon Valerii|Boomer]] will, in Taylor's words, "be back, big time!"<ref name="thewatcher"/>

== Notes==
* Moore indicates that this season begins the "third act in the three-act structure where we're all moving towards the finale and the climax of all these different plot lines. In my head there's two chapters to go in the story and those can be of varying lengths." <ref name="mtv">{{cite_web|url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1556508/story.jhtml|title=MTV Movie News: 'Battlestar Galactica' Producer Talks Movie(s?), Possible Conclusion|date=6 April 2007|accessdate=8 April 2007|last=Jacks|first=Brian|format=|language=}}</ref>
* On Friday, June 1st 2007 the SciFi Channel issued a statement saying that Season 4 is going to be the final season. Ending the series with the upcoming 22-episode fourth season was a creative decision made by the show's executive producers [[Ronald D. Moore]] and [[David Eick]]. SciFi executive VP of original programming Mark Stern said the channel's brass "respect the producers' decision to end the series." <ref name="bsgending">{{cite_web|url=http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=41709&type=0|title=SciFi Wire: Battlestar Ending Next Season|date=|accessdate=1 June 2007|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>
* According to the [[Soundtrack (Season 3)|press release for the third season soundtrack]] released by [[La-La Land Records]], the fourth season [[He That Believeth In Me|premiere]] was slated to air on Friday, January 11, 2008 on the US SciFi Channel. However, a spokesperson for the SciFi Channel issued a denial regarding the date to SyFy Portal's Michael Hinman, stating only that the show will premiere only in "early 2008" and that it was "not in January".<ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.syfyportal.com/news424324.html|title=Still No Date Set For BSG Premiere|date=19 October 2007|accessdate=19 October 2007|last=Hinman|first=Michael|format=|language=}}</ref>
* It is unclear if the season will be split into two halves of 10 episodes each with a hiatus in between. <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.buddytv.com/articles/battlestar-galactica/battlestar-galactica-season-4-13102.aspx|title=Battlestar Galactica Season 4 Not Starting Until April 2008|date=14 November 2007|accessdate=14 November 2007|last=Papel|first=Simon|format=|language=}}
</ref>
* After filming all producible scripts, the production went dark on 16 November 2007 due to the WGA strike.<ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i9eeb82f00f69cdfdc26e5f3ae9858546|title=Strike shutters 'Bionic,' 'Battlestar' up north|date=16 November 2007|accessdate=16 November 2007|last=Vlessing|first=Etan|format=|language=}}</ref>

==Cast==
===Stars===
* [[Edward James Olmos]] as [[William Adama]]
* [[Mary McDonnell]] as [[Laura Roslin]]
* [[Katee Sackhoff]] as [[Kara Thrace|Kara "Starbuck" Thrace]]
* [[Jamie Bamber]] as [[Lee Adama|Lee "Apollo" Adama]]
* [[James Callis]] as [[Gaius Baltar|Gaius Baltar]]
* [[Tricia Helfer]] as [[Number Six]]
* [[Grace Park]] as [[Number Eight|Sharon Agathon/Number Eight]]

===Co-stars===

* [[Michael Hogan]] as [[Saul Tigh]]
* [[Aaron Douglas]] as [[Galen Tyrol]]
* [[Tahmoh Penikett]] as [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
* [[Kandyse McClure]] as [[Anastasia Dualla]]
* [[Alessandro Juliani]] as [[Felix Gaeta]]
* [[Nicki Clyne]] as [[Cally Tyrol]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Lucy Lawless]] as [[Number Three]]/[[D'Anna Biers]]


==Production Crew==
===Producers===
* [[Ronald D. Moore]] - Developer / Executive Producer / Writer
* [[David Eick]] - Executive Producer
* [[Toni Graphia]] - Co-Executive Producer / Writer
* [[Harvey Frand]] - Producer
* [[Glen A. Larson]] - Consulting Producer

===Directors & Writing Staff===
: ''To view the list of all the directors and staff, go to the [[Portal:Battlestar Galactica (RDM)/Crew#Directors|Battlestar Galactica Crew Guide]] page.''

==Episodes==
: ''To view the list of episodes, go to the [[Portal:Battlestar Galactica (RDM)/Episode Guide - Season 4 Guide|Battlestar Galactica Episode Guide]] page.''

== Official Statements ==
*[http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=40133 Official SciFi.com Release]
* ''[[Ronald D. Moore]] discusses planning the season:''
: It will be a serialized show to an extent. I think what we talked about with the network — because their concern is the drop-off in viewers and giving too many hurdles for new viewers to overcome to watch the show — we're always going to try to provide at least an episodic quality to each show. Even though there are plotlines that are ongoing over the course of the whole season, we'll try to give you something in each episode that you can hold on to that starts and stops within that episode.<ref name="ew rdm">{{cite_web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20036782_20037403_20015932_2,00.html|title=Four-ward, Cylons: RONALD D MOORE|date=|accessdate=31 May 2007|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>
* ''Moore discusses the Final Five:''
: Well, you can see from the end of the third season that they all sort of are still the same people. They're still the same characters. They didn't switch over and become robots suddenly. So essentially you're going to see an extension of that initial moment where they try to figure out what does this mean to them. If they're Cylons, when did that begin? What are their true backstories and what are they meant to do? What are they supposed to do? Are they dangerous to each other? Are they dangerous to the ship? Do they trust any of the people around them? Should they keep the secret only among themselves? That's essentially where their storylines are going to pick up.<ref name="crave">{{cite_web|url=http://www.craveonline.com/filmtv/articles/04648062/battlestar_galactica_ronald_moore_talks_about_earth.html|title=Battlestar Galactica: Ronald Moore talks about Earth|date=13 June 2007|accessdate=15 June 2007|last=Topel|first=Fred|format=|language=}}</ref>
* ''Moore discusses ending the series:''
: Yeah, I mean, the burden [in breaking 20 episodes for this season] then became okay, now we have a great deal to wrap up and bring resolution to and we wanted to pay off a lot of things and we wanted to tie up a lot of loose threads. It felt like we had more than enough to get to where we were going to, whereas usually when you're facing the 20 episode order, it's like, "Okay, whew, we need 20 of these? Where are we going to get 20 of these?" You have to start breaking it down into smaller, bite sized chunks and move yourself along. This time, it was almost like, "Okay, let's make sure we've got enough time to get everywhere we need to go."<ref name="crave"/>
* ''[[Katee Sackhoff]] tells what she can about this final season:''
: We will find [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]]. And [my character, [[Kara Thrace]] is] not a figment of people's imaginations.<ref name="ign-sackhoff"/>
* ''Sackhoff discusses ending the series:''
: I'm happy about it. It is a choice that was made by us. The rug was not pulled out from underneath us. We're going out on a high, with our heads held high. We made the choice and we're going to be able to decide our end and our fate, instead of [having to] wrap it up as fast as we possibly can because we've been cancelled. And it was a smart thing to go out on a high. And you know, this is my fourth series. I think I've done more television than anyone else on the show, except maybe Eddie [James Olmos], because of Miami Vice. He's right there with me! But I've done s**tloads of television, and every single show the rug is pulled from out underneath you, and you're going, "What do I do now?" And this is such a great opportunity to wrap it up, say everything you want to say in your character, and put it to bed.<ref name="ign-sackhoff"/>
* ''[[David Weddle]] on the fourth season:''
: [[Bradley Thompson|Brad]] and I wrote the [[He That Believeth In Me|opening episode]] of year four and we were up in [[w:Vancouver|Vancouver]] for its pre-production and some of the first few days of filming. The revelation at the end of [[Season 3 (2006-07)|last season]] of our [[Final Five#Four Revealed, and their nature|four Cylons]] who didn't know they were Cylons has once again upset all the chess pieces. So the big challenges starting out this season are how do you play those characters going forward and track their emotional development, or unravelling as the case may be, in a way that's organic as well as genuine and not contrived. Also, as most people know, Starbuck reappeared in the final seconds of last year's finale, so there's also the question of how to deal with that character going forward. There are going to be lots of twists and turns this year. You're going to see our characters wrestling with tormenting problems and experiencing, perhaps, some rather jaw-dropping changes and evolutions. All the dynamics that you may have become used to on the Galactica ship itself will be in flux and we think, and hope, that's going to be tremendously fun to watch.<ref name>"Writes of Passage" <u>Cult Times</u> #144. August 26, 2007: 23.</ref>
* ''[[Lucy Lawless]] on the cast and crew reaction behind the scenes:''
: Things seem great actually; far more comfortable than we did on ''[[w:Xena: Warrior Princess|Xena]]'' at this stage, but maybe it hasn’t hit them or maybe it’s an easy adjustment because there are so many of them and several of them are working on ''[[w:Bionic Woman (2007 TV series)|Bionic Woman]]''. The mood is really great. I’m surprised how comfortable they are. Halfway through the last season of ''Xena'', the cast tended to get snappish with one another, and I think it was just anxiety of not knowing where your mortgage payments were coming from. I think the writers’ strike is probably of more significance at this moment; than the end of the show. I don’t think it’s quite real to them yet.<ref name="lawless"/>
* ''[[Michael Taylor]] discusses homosexuality in this season:''
: In Season 4, ''Battlestar'' will be the gayest show on television. Forget [[Final Five|secret Cylons]], all our characters will be revealed to be gay. We will even see gay Centurions and gay [[daggit]]s. Actually, the daggits will object to the use of that term and will insist on simply being called dogs. And Season 4 will indeed see the return of a [[Jake (New Caprica)|favorite dog]], though not necessarily a gay dog… but, um, what was the question again?
: Oh, right: Will we see more gay folks on ''Galactica'' [this] season. Well, to take a more serious tack, I think part of the point about [[Helena Cain|Cain]]’s and [[Gina]]’s relationship is that the fact that they had a same-sex relationship was no big deal. I think we started from the idea of wanting to explore whether Cain’s anger and revulsion at Gina, so evident in her first appearance in [[Season 2 (2005-06)|Season Two]]’s “[[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]],” had a personal component. And the idea that Cain had had an intimate relationship with Gina quickly came to mind. It made Gina’s betrayal that much more devastating for her.<ref name="thewatcher"/>
* ''[[Jamie Bamber]] on the series' ending its run:''
: Inevitably it changes the vibe because there's suddenly a horizon you can see, and we all have personal lives, and coming up to Vancouver for some of us is quite a schlep. Knowing it's the last time changes everything, so yea, it's a different deal.

:There's also a real peace of mind that comes with the fact that we're gonna get to finish the story—the story's always begged an ending—and we get to give it to you, so there's a lot of excitement and anticipation attached to that.

:It feels like every moment that passes is gone forever now, like the last performance of a play on the last night...you know...you start off with your monologue in the first scene and you know when you finish it that's the last time you'll ever do it. There's a nostalgia that goes with every conscious moment.<ref name="acedmag">{{cite_web|url=http://acedmagazine.com/content/view/677/1/|title=ACED Magazine: Battlestar Galactica: Cast Interviews|date=24 November 2007|accessdate=25 November 2007|last=Bensoussan|first=Jenna|format=|language=}}</ref>

== References ==

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

==Related Topics==
* [[List of Recurring Character Appearances (RDM)]]

{{episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Behind the Scenes]]
[[Category:RDM]]
[[Category:Episode Guide (RDM)|*]]

[[zh:第四季（2008）]]

Galactica (TRS)

2007-11-26T07:17:57Z

Hmoul: /* Other Craft */ old model Raider

:''This article discusses the [[Re-imagined Series]] battlestar. For other meanings of '''''Galactica''''', see [[Galactica (disambiguation)]].''
{{Ship Data
| image= Bsg-bsg-1.jpg
| title= Galactica (BS 75)
| race= Colonial
| type= Military
| ftl= Yes
| crew= Approximately 2,650
| co= [[William Adama]]
| xo= [[Saul Tigh]] (resumed position as of "[[The Passage]]")
| role= Carrier / battleship hybrid
| weapons= As many as 506 point-defense dual [[KEW|Kinetic Energy Weapons]], 24 primary dual Kinetic Energy Weapons, at least 12 [[missile tubes]] capable of firing conventional and nuclear missiles, Vipers, Raptors
| status= Active
| img= Y
}}
The '''''Galactica'' (BS 75)''' is a [[Galactica type battlestar|veteran battlestar]] and the last of her kind still in service with the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]] by the time of the destruction of the Twelve Colonies. Built during the early days of the [[Cylon War]], she remains the only military vessel without integrated [[Computers|computer networks]]. Without networked computers, ''Galactica'' never upgrades to the new [[Command Navigation Program|integrated defense system software]] developed by Dr. [[Gaius Baltar]] and his [[Number Six|team]]. Because of this and other factors, she becomes one of only two known battlestars (the other is discovered to be ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'') to survive the renewed [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|Cylon attack]] on the [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]], some 40 years after the end of the first war. At the time of the attack, she was part of the 75th [[Battlestar Group]] (BSG-75).

== History ==

''Galactica'' was one of the first twelve battlestars to be constructed by the Colonials, each representing one of the twelve colonies; ''Galactica'' represented [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]]. As such, she is some 50 years old. Following the outbreak of Cylon hostilities several more battlestars were built. ''Galactica's'' first commander was named [[Nash]].
[[Image:Mini gal top.jpg|left|thumb|A dorsal view of ''Galactica''. The starboard [[flight pod]] is covered by a window to form the [[Galactica Museum|museum area]].]]
The original battlestars were all designed with non-integrated computer systems to avoid the Cylons' demonstrated ability to override or subvert networked command and control systems early in the war ([[Miniseries]]). Rather than technological sophistication, the battlestar depended on its sheer bulk and defensive / offensive capabilities to ward off any threats to itself or the Colonies.

Following the [[Armistice Station|armistice]] with the Cylons, and their withdrawal from Colonial space, ''Galactica'' and her sister ships served the Twelve Colonies in a variety of roles. While her surviving sister ships were scrapped or upgraded to match the systems capabilities of newer Colonial vessels, ''Galactica'' continued in service without her systems being fully networked or integrated, making her unique among Colonial military vessels. Galactica was relegated to intra-system duties for at least 20 years prior to her decommissioning.

With her active career drawing to a close, a decision was taken to retire ''Galactica'' and decommission her from service. Colonial Fleet chose not to scrap her, but to turn her into a combination of living museum to the original Cylon War and an educational center, with her conversion being overseen by her final commander, [[William Adama]].

At the time of her formal decommissioning ceremony, ''Galactica'' is stripped of all but one of her operational [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] Mark VII squadrons, her munitions are destroyed, and her starboard landing pod is a pressurized [[Galactica Museum|museum]] which houses (among other things) a full squadron of [[Viper Mark II|Mk. II Vipers]] as well as a Viper model that appears [[Viper (TOS)|older than the Mark II]] (Miniseries, also in Deleted Scenes).

With the renewed and unexpected Cylon hostilities, ''Galactica'' quickly proves her worthiness as a warship is far from over as she sorties several Mark IIs retrieved from her museum to challenge her first Cylon attack in over 40 years (her last Mark VII squadron was sent to Caprica for reassignment). The old battlestar withstands a direct hit from a tactical nuclear missile while unsuccessfully performing evasive maneuvers, but later [[FTL|jumps]] successfully to [[Ragnar Anchorage]] to retrieve much-needed ammunition stores at this hidden depot.

''Galactica'' finally bares her teeth in this new Cylon war as she single-handedly engages two [[Basestar (RDM)|basestars]] with her gun batteries, providing covering fire for [[The Fleet (RDM)|an assortment of 75 civilian ships]] containing the last survivors of the Twelve Colonies. All ships, with ''Galactica'' last to leave the engagement zone, escape to a destination past the [[Red Line]], never to return to Colonial space ([[Miniseries]]).

Since the exodus of the Colonials from their overrun homeworlds, ''Galactica'' becomes both protector and provider for the Fleet. She provides covering fire for the Fleet during Cylon attacks no fewer than 240 times ("[[33]]", "[[Act of Contrition]]"). The battlestar provides much of the Fleet with recycled water ([[Water]]) and she is the primary source of medical care, where groups of civilians are periodically brought aboard for check-ups and treatment ([[Litmus]]). ''Galactica'' also undertakes internal policing duties within the Fleet ("[[Water]]", "[[Bastille Day]]").

''Galactica'' successfully goes on the offensive against the Cylons, capturing a [[tylium]] fuel mining and processing plant in the process ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]).

The [[Mercury class battlestar|advanced battlestar]] ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'', commanded by Admiral [[Helena Cain]], joins ''Galactica'' approximately 6 months into their exile (See the series [[Timeline (RDM)|timeline]] for special information about this milestone).

''Pegasus'' and ''Galactica'' destroy two [[Basestar (RDM)|basestars]] as well as a critical Cylon support ship known as the [[Resurrection Ship]]. After Admiral Cain's death, President [[Laura Roslin]] promotes William Adama to Admiral, restoring him to overall Fleet command, but now with two battlestars at his disposal ([[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]).

===New Caprica===
Following the founding of [[New Caprica]], ''Galactica'' is assigned to the Orbital Defense Force that protects the planet. During this time the majority of its crew are sent to the surface in an effort to populate the planet and restore the human race – including most of its senior officers — seemingly convinced that the Cylons would never find New Caprica. The diminished staff inevitably results in basic maintenance becoming overlooked or ignored. Basic military responses, such as the launching of alert fighters and routine training exercises become difficult to execute. One year following the founding of New Caprica, a fleet of Cylon ships jump into orbit of the planet. Severely limited in its abilities, Admiral Adama and the defense fleet jumps away from New Caprica — vowing that they'd return to liberate the planet ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]).

===[[Battle of New Caprica]]===
Four months after the escape, ''Galactica'''s staff is still in the process of developing a rescue strategy with 16 training exercises having been completed and a 17th underway when an accident causes its early ending ([[Occupation]]). This forces both a change in strategy and the reformulation of a rescue plan to deal with personnel who have not seen conflict in 16 months. While ''Galactica'' fights to liberate the Colonials on-planet, ''Pegasus'' is assigned to protect the remaining civilian fleet and continue its search for [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]] ("[[Precipice]]", "[[Exodus, Part I]]").

After coordinating with the [[New Caprica Resistance]], ''Galactica'' leaves ''Pegasus'' to guard the last group of humanity while it uses a series of feints using drones to misdirect the bulk of the Cylon Raiders and avoid immediate detection by baseships to allow the civilians on the planet to escape to their ships and flee New Caprica.

"Galactica" then jumps into low orbit above the planet and falls from 100,000 feet. As the ship falls, Admiral Adama orders a launch of all remaining Vipers. Before impacting the planet's surface, "Galactica" jumps back into orbit. In the resulting battle, ''Galactica'' becomes overtaxed and out-gunned, nearing destruction until ''Pegasus'' unexpectedly arrives to initiate a barrage of her own to turn the attention of four baseships away from ''Galactica''. The old battlestar repairs her [[FTL|FTL drives]] and escapes but ''Pegasus'' is sacrificed during the battle ([[Exodus, Part II]]).

''Galactica'' bears the scars of the battle with significant scorching and dents to the hull. Nonetheless, ''Galactica'' is still combat ready, holding off a superior Cylon force for a short duration in the [[Battle_of_NCD2539|Battle of NCD2539]] ([[A Measure of Salvation]]), and threatening to use its nuclear arsenal twice after New Caprica ("[[The Eye of Jupiter]]", "[[Crossroads, Part II]]"). Despite the damage, ''Galactica'' now boasts a larger crew, Viper and Raptor compliment given the loss of ''Pegasus'', even to the point where there are more pilots than ships ([[Torn]]).

===Resuming the search for Earth===
''Galactica'' takes aboard a significant quantity of civilians following the exodus from New Caprica, as several civilian ships are lost during the escape and after the ''[[Cloud 9]]'' incident. Cramped conditions increase as crew and civilians struggle to adapt to life back aboard a ship. Civilians reside in the starboard hangar deck as a refugee camp nicknamed "[[Camp Oil Slick]]" and later "Dogsville" ("[[Torn]]", "[[The Woman King]]").

During a [[The Passage|food shortage crisis]] caused by contamination of the Fleet's food processing systems, ''Galactica'', along with her Raptors acting as pilot ships, guide the civilian Fleet through an area of intense heat, light and radiation caused by a [[Passage (star cluster)|dense star cluster]] to reach edible resources on the [[algae planet]]. ''Galactica's'' heavy armor and radiation shielding protect her from the intense effects of the cluster, but the ship still suffers hull damage and decompressions.

The ship barely escapes both a Cylon fleet and a supernova shock wave during [[Eye of Jupiter|the events over the algae planet]], jumping out at the last moment after recovering its planet teams and data on a new waypoint to Earth, the [[Ionian nebula]] ("[[Eye of Jupiter]]", "[[Rapture]]").

Repairs continue throughout the journey to the next waypoint to earth, with Colonel Tigh commenting that under normal circumstances the ship could use months in drydock. Damage to one particular airlock nearly causes the deaths of Galen and Cally Tyrol ("[[A Day in the Life]]"). When the Fleet reaches the Ionian Nebula, a massive Cylon fleet is detected following a power outage. Unable to flee given the disabling of the civilian fleet, ''Galactica'' scrambles her Vipers and prepares again to fight outnumbered and outgunned ("[[Crossroads, Part II]]").

== Equipment ==
[[Image:BSG-KEW-Turret.jpg|thumb|One of ''Galactica''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> large cannon [[battery|turrets]]]]
''Galactica'' shares the same overall technical specifications as other original Colonial battlestars of [[Galactica type battlestar|her class]], with the following key differences and qualifications:

===Available Flight Pods===
As part of its decommissioning, ''Galactica's'' port [[flight pod]] was the only one in service. The starboard flight pod was enclosed and pressurized as the [[Galactica Museum|main museum display]] for her pending decommission. It is violently depressurized after a [[Heavy Raider]] crashes into it ([[Scattered]]).

The starboard flight pod is apparently brought back into a usable condition, as Major Lee Adama directs his Raptor boarding team to approach and land in the starboard pod. However, it is possible that this is due to a previously issued quarantine order ([[A Measure of Salvation]]).

===Nuclear Warheads===
''Galactica'' has five nuclear warheads as of "[[Bastille Day]]." Commander [[William Adama]] uses one warhead to destroy a Cylon [[Basestar (RDM)|basestar]] ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]). Dr. [[Gaius Baltar]] cannibalizes one to use in his [[Cylon Detector]], which he later gives to [[Gina]], who detonates it aboard ''[[Cloud Nine]]''. This leaves ''Galactica'' with three warheads (It is unknown how many nuclear warheads ''Pegasus'' still has when it encounters ''Galactica''. The two ships pool their nuclear ordnance stockpiles after that, and some warheads are possibly transferred from ''Pegasus'' before her final mission). As of "[[The Eye of Jupiter]]", Galactica has at least seven warheads ([[missile tube]]s 4 through 10) attached to missiles that can be used for ground assault.

:''The yield of these weapons is unknown. It is likely they are of a "dial a yield" design which is common in real-life nuclear weapons. Because the "physics" of nuclear weapon design is a measurable science, and based on the size of the weapons seen on screen, it is likely the yield of ''Galactica's'' weapons are between 5 and 150 kilotons.''<ref>This is extrapolated from the size of the weapon, compared to a modern day ([[w:W80|W80]])-class nuclear warhead used by the United States.</ref>

===Available spacecraft===

:''For information on the fighter squadrons stationed on ''Galactica'' see: [[Squadrons of Galactica]]''

====Vipers====
[[Image:Mini gal side viper.jpg|right|thumb|A stricken and slowly spinning ''Galactica'' after a nuclear missile strike. [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck's]] [[Viper Mark II|Viper]] closes in to survey.]]

Prior to the arrival of ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'', ''Galactica'' has at maximum thirty-four Vipers, of which at least six are Mark VIIs (c.f. [[Viper tally]]).

''Galactica'' receives additional supplies from ''Pegasus'' since her arrival that helps in repair and refurbishment of her original fighter complement; more recently, she receives new Mark VII Vipers built aboard ''Pegasus'' using raw materials mined from an asteroid and the advanced battlestar's Viper construction facilities ("[[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]", "[[Scar]]").

Following the [[Battle of New Caprica]], ''Galactica'' takes the destroyed ''Pegasus's'' Viper squadrons and pilots aboard. It is uncertain how many Vipers in total ''Galactica'' has from there on, given that ''Pegasus's'' Viper complement was never accurately specified.

====Raptors====
The number of [[Raptor|Raptors]] available to ''Galactica'' is portrayed inconsistently. The assumption prior to joining up with ''Pegasus'' is that the battlestar has at least five Raptors, having left [[Ragnar Anchorage]] with at least eight (c.f. [[Raptor tally]]).

After the Battle of New Caprica, ''Galactica'' takes on ''Pegasus's'' Raptors. The number of available craft is unknown, but is at least 20, considering how many Raptors are deployed to rescue to the resistance fighters on Caprica ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]).

====Other Craft====
*''Galactica'' currently possesses two [[Heavy Raider]]s. One is hit by ''Galactica''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> defensive fire and crashes into the starboard flight pod with unknown damage ([[Scattered]]). The other returns in operational status from Caprica ([[Home, Part I]]). One of ''Galactica'''s Heavy Raiders is relieved of its FTL navigation system for use on the rescue mission to [[Caprica]] ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]).
* A Raider from the first Cylon War may be on board ''Galactica'' after one followed [[Starbuck]] into a [[Pegasus]] flight pod and crashed in the episode [[Razor]]
*A second [[Cylon Raider (RDM)|Raider]] is in ''Galactica's'' possession after [[Daniel Novacek]]'s "escape" from a basestar, replacing the one retrieved by [[Kara Thrace]] and lost during the quest for the [[Arrow of Apollo]] ([[Hero]]).
*An experimental stealth fighter, the [[Blackbird]], is constructed using spare parts ([[Flight of the Phoenix]]) and used in a critically successful reconnaissance mission to explore the nature of what comes to be known as the [[Resurrection Ship]]. The Blackbird is later destroyed after completing her last mission during the [[Battle of the Resurrection Ship]] ([[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]).
*''Galactica'' possesses fuel tankers used to supply fuel to Vipers and Raptors in flight without the need to dock with the ship. These may be dedicated craft or specially fitted shuttles or Raptors ([[Occupation]]).

== Crew ==
:''For information on Senior Staff, see : [[Senior Staff of Galactica]]''
:''For a list of pilots, see: [[List of Pilots]]''
:''For a list of deckhands, see: [[List of deckhands]]''
:''For a list of marines, see: [[Colonial Marine Corps]]''

Before the attack, ''Galactica'' has approximately 2,800 crewmen, while awaiting its decommissioning. By the time of the arrival of ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'', attrition has reduced this number to about 2,660. (c.f. [[Crew tally]])
*Between "[[Act of Contrition]]" and "[[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]" ''Galactica's'' offensive capability is also greatly hampered by the number of [[List of Pilots|qualified pilots]] available, and their lack of flight simulators with which to train more. Since ''Galactica''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> reunion with ''Pegasus'', this has ceased to be an issue ([[Scar]]).

==Related Imagery==
<gallery>
Image:Galactica Ortho copy.jpg|''Galactica'' - Rendering by [[Zoic]]    
Image:BSG Ortho Bottom.jpg|''Galactica'' - Rendering by Zoic    
Image:Pointdefence2 101 1080i.jpg|''Galactica's'' point defense batteries in action    
Image:Galactica corridor.jpg|The "A-shaped" corridors.
</gallery>

== See also ==
*[[Galactica crew facilities (RDM)|Galactica crew facilities]]
*[[:Category:Galactica Areas (RDM)|Galactica Areas]]

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

{{Ships}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Battlestars]]
[[Category:Battlestars (RDM)]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial Craft]]
[[Category:Colonial Craft (RDM)]]
[[Category:Colonial Military]]
[[Category:Colonial Military (RDM)]]
[[Category:Ships]]
[[Category:Ships (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

{{featured article}}

[[de:Galactica (RDM)]]
[[es:Galactica (RDM)]]
[[fr:Galactica (RDM)]]
[[zh:卡拉狄加 (RDM)]]

Razor

2007-11-26T06:43:44Z

Hmoul: /* Battle of the Cylon Communications Relay */ )

{{Episode Data
| title= Razor
| image= Razor Promo.jpg
| season=
| special= Y
| movie=
| episode=
| guests=
| writer= [[Michael Taylor]]
| story=
| director= [[Félix Enríquez Alcalá]]
| production= 401/402
| rating=
| US airdate= 24 November 2007
| UK airdate= 5 December 2007 <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.dvd.co.uk/DVD/Battlestar-Galactica-Razor/8253257/product.htm|title=DVD.co.uk Battlestar Galactica: Razor DVD Details|date=|accessdate=28 September 2007|last=|first=|format=|language=en}}</ref>
| dvd= 4 December 2007 '''US'''<br/>26 December 2007 '''UK'''
| population= 49,579
| podcast=
| extra= {{flag|US}} 12 November 2007 (theater screening in select U.S. cities)
| prev= [[Razor Flashbacks|Battlestar Galactica: Razor Flashbacks]]
| next= [[He That Believeth In Me]]
| itunes=
| imdb=0991178
}}

== Overview ==

: ''A tale centered around the new ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' officer [[Kendra Shaw]], following her entire tenure on the battlestar from the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]] under Admiral [[Helena Cain|Cain]], to [[Lee Adama]]'s command and a frightful rescue mission to save crew members who have been captured by the Cylons.''

== Summary ==

=== First Cylon War ===

=== The Fall of the Twelve Colonies ===

====Fall of the Scorpion Fleet Shipyards====
*The battlestar ''Pegasus'' is docked at the [[Scorpion Fleet Shipyards]] over [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Scorpia|Scorpia]] for a three-month overhaul. As [[Kendra Shaw]] approaches the ship from [[Raptor 179]], she gazes in awe at the size of the [[Mercury class battlestar]].
*Admiral [[Helena Cain]] is in her quarters, reviewing a crew status report as her [[XO]], Colonel [[Jurgen Belzen]] enters. He lightly encourages her to take her shore leave, but she insists that she could never leave ''Pegasus'' in the hands of the civilian contractors assigned to oversee her overhaul.
*In the port hangar bay, Raptor 179 has recently arrived. With orders to report directly to [[CIC#Pegasus|CIC]], Shaw steps down and asks a pair of passing crewman to help her locate it. The crewman, however, are too busy to notice her.
*Shaw wanders through the port flight pod, past groups of busy civilians, until she finds [[Gina Inviere]], a civilian network administrator assigned to ''Pegasus's'' overhaul. Inviere shows Shaw a map of ''Pegasus'', with a route to the CIC, and the two discuss the origins of Gina's last name.
*Shaw eventually reaches the CIC, where she finds Cain and Belzen at the Command and Control station. Shaw drops her gear and salutes the admiral. Cain is harsh on her new aide. She grills Shaw for being late to the CIC, concluding that she either stopped for a cup of coffee, or got lost. After Shaw leaves, Cain breaks out in laughter with Belzen, revealing that she only had a joke at the lieutenant's expense.
*[[Hoshi]] escorts her to her quarters. As they are walking down the hallway, a large blast shakes ''Pegasus'', and the noise ripples through the hallway. Shaw and Hoshi are immediately thrown to the floor. As Shaw awakens, she is in a daze. She looks around to find Hoshi unconscious on the floor. The hallway has suddenly become a disaster area.
*Admiral Cain, who was on her way to her quarters at the time, finds Shaw and Hoshi in the corridor. She asks Shaw if she is alright, but when she doesn’t respond, Cain slaps her in the face. Shaw immediately awakens. The hallway echoes with screams of horror, and the [[Action Stations|Condition One]] sirens blare. After an aborted attempt to wake Hoshi, the two head to the CIC.
*''Pegasus'' is on fire in space. [[Cylon Raider (RDM)|Cylon Raiders]] flood the shipyard; Missiles strike two helpless [[Valkyrie]]-type battlestars nearby.
*In the CIC, Colonel [[Jack Fisk|Fisk]] and many of the CIC personnel are unconscious. Belzen is coordinating the response effort, but there have been multiple nuclear detonations. Luckily however, the battlestar still has main power and propulsion, but that’s about it. [[DRADIS]] and weapons have both been knocked out.
*The Cylon attack is taking its toll on the shipyards. The two Valkyrie-type battlestars lose their moorings, and one crashes into the shipyards, instantly destroying it.
*Cain orders the ship to seal all hatches and release all moorings in preparation for an immediate departure. As the ship evacuates the shipyards, Cain orders the [[Propulsion in the Re-imagined Series#Faster-Than-Light travel|FTL]] drive spun up for an immediate jump.
*A Cylon Raider fires two nuclear missiles at ''Pegasus'' from across the shipyards. The missiles fly past a [[Galactica type battlestar]] as its moorings are destroyed, and past the wreckage of several other battlestars and support vessels.
*Cain orders an immediate jump, but Shaw says that with the navigational computer down for upgrade, she would have to enter a random set of coordinates, [[Blind jump|which could take the battlestar anywhere]], and in all probability, inside a star or other larger astral body. Cain yells back at her to do it anyway, and the battlestar jumps away.

====So Say We All====
*Two days since the attack on the Scorpion Fleet Shipyards, ''Pegasus'' is four to five jumps away from the Colonies. Belzen reports that many of ''Pegasus's'' [[Viper (RDM)|Vipers]] and [[Raptor]]s are either destroyed or beyond repair, over a quarter of the crew is dead, and rumors are circulating about the destruction of the Twelve Colonies and the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]].
*Shaw has been working without sleep to restore the navigational and defense computer systems, and she has finally done it. Additionally, she has discovered lines of hidden Cylon computer code inside the [[Command Navigation Program]], which was fortunately down during the attack. Shaw suggests that the entire program be purged from the system.
*The time has finally come for Cain to reveal the extent of the devastation at home to her crew. She tells them that their colonies have been destroyed, their cities nuked, their fleet obliterated. While the victory of one ship may seem unattainable when even their very survival is at stake, she tells them that they have revenge to reach for instead.
*In an expression of determination and conviction, the crew resoundingly shouts, “So say we all!” over and over, after hearing Cain’s words.
*Cain, Shaw, Fisk and Belzen are in the admiral’s quarters, looking over recently gathered intelligence for a low-risk attack on a Cylon outpost. They are discussing a somewhat isolated communications relay when Gina Inviere enters. She greets the admiral with a kiss and a flirtatious shoulder pinch, and the five sit down to enjoy some wine and conversation.
*Cain assures her senior staff that while she does want to engage in guerrilla warfare tactics against the Cylons, she is not willing to put the ship and crew in any amount of excessive danger.
*Shaw and Inviere are working on firewalling all of ''Pegasus's'' computer networks to prevent them from being infiltrated by the Cylons, but constantly having to find a senior officer to input their command codes for system access is making the process take exceedingly long. Inviere discreetly complains about it, and Shaw says that under the circumstances, she would speak to Cain about raising her clearance. In the meantime, she gives Inviere her own command code to use. Inviere then discusses her relationship with Cain in greater detail.

====Battle of the Cylon Communications Relay ====
*''Pegasus'' prepares for a hit-and-run attack on what appears to be a somewhat neglected [[Battle of the Communications Relay|Cylon communications relay]]. However, when ''Pegasus'' arrives, there are twelve Cylon Raiders guarding the relay. Despite the increased enemy presence, Cain orders [[Blue Squadron (RDM)|Blue Squadron]] to advance.
*Almost the second after the Vipers are launched, fifteen enemy squadrons of fighters jump into DRADIS range. Cain orders ''Pegasus's'' defensive fire concentrated on the incoming attack squadrons, but Shaw reports that the weapons grid won't respond to commands.
*In spite of the odds, Cain orders Belzen to launch the reserve Vipers, but he insists that taking such an action would cost too many lives and resources. She persists in her orders, but Belzen refuses to carry them out. Cain orders Belzen to hand her his sidearm, which she uses to shoot him in the forehead, in front of the entire bridge crew. <ref>This event is recalled by [[Jack Fisk]] to [[Saul Tigh]] months later, over drinks, in the season 2 episode, "[[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]."</ref>
*Cain turns to a stunned Fisk, tells him that he is now the [[Executive Officer|XO]] and orders him to launch the reserve Vipers. Fisk, nearly petrified by what he just saw, is more than compelled to follow the order. As the last of ''Pegasus’s'' remaining squadrons launch, Cylon batteries pound the hull.
*With the weapons grid down, Cylon [[Heavy Raider]]s easily breach ''Pegasus’s'' defensive perimeter. [[Cylon Centurion|Centurions]] begin pouring into the ship through breached [[airlock]]s. Cain orders fast-response teams of [[Colonial Marine Corps|Marines]] to engage the Centurions, and orders Shaw to Secondary Damage Control, as she fears that the Cylons will use this junction to vent all of ''Pegasus’s'' air into space.<ref>This tactic is reminiscent of a similar tactic attempted by the Cylons in the episode, "[[Valley of Darkness]]."</ref>
*As Shaw heads to Secondary Damage Control, she finds Gina Inviere trying to escape the Centurions, and orders her to the CIC. As she peers around the corner, she is almost seen by a Centurion. She waits for it to leave, and as she turns the corner to go down the hallway, she sees a [[Number Six]] Cylon, following the Centurion. At first, Shaw doesn’t understand what she sees, but then it comes together – [[Humanoid Cylon|the Cylons can mimic human form]], and Gina Inviere is one of them. She pulls up her gun, aims at her target, and kills the Six Cylon. Above the junction where she killed the Number Six, Shaw finds that the security feed for Airlock 4 is conveniently facing the dead Cylon.
*Shaw immediately heads to the CIC to take Inviere, now also in CIC, into custody before she can do any more harm. In the CIC, she directs her weapon at Inviere, and orders the Marines to take her into custody. When Cain belays the order, and Shaw states that Gina is a Cylon infiltrator that they "can look like us". When Cain scoffs, Shaw asks Hoshi to display the security feed from Airlock 4.
*Cain balks at the image of the dead humanoid Cylon in the form of her lover. Feeling betrayed and without any other options, she orders the guards to remove Inviere ("''this thing''") from the bridge. As a Cylon missile strikes ''Pegasus'', Gina uses the moment to flip her captor around by the jaw, and gains control of his [[Weapons in the Re-imagined Series#Handheld weapons|weapon]], which she uses to shoot his comrade. She then snaps the Marine's neck, and trains her weapon on Cain. In a moment of hesitation, Inviere cannot bring herself to shoot Cain, and Shaw sneaks up behind her, clubbing the Cylon over the head with the butt of her rifle.

====The ''Scylla'' incident====

=== Present events ===

* Newly-promoted Commander [[Lee Adama]] is formally appointed commander of ''Pegasus'' by [[Laura Roslin]] in front of the ship's crew. In his speech he promises to change things on the battlestar and announces [[Kara Thrace]]'s appointment as [[CAG]].
* Kendra Shaw follows the speech on the [[wireless]] set, but eventually switches off. She walks to a jar, takes out a syringe and injects herself with a drug. She is still troubled about what happened on the ''Scylla''.
* Next, she is summoned to Adama's office, who reads her service file and points out that she received glowing reports from Cain, but increasingly negatives ones from Fisk and [[Barry Garner|Garner]], who eventually assigned her to kitchen duty because of "persistent insubordinate behavior". After listening to Shaw's candid opinions about him and his predecessors, Adama promotes her to be his executive officer, noting that he intents to give the crew back its pride, but that he also needs someone to uphold Cain's legacy.
* During a firearms drill, she shows competence but also how hard she is on the crew. William Adama comments that his son found an XO meaner than [[Saul Tigh]].
* The Admiral gives Commander Adama his first mission: a [[SAR|search and rescue]] for a civilian science team in an overdue Raptor.
* At their destination, Starbuck and [[Showboat]] conduct a Viper patrol and suddenly encounter enemy fighters of an unfamiliar configuration. Although able to identify them as Cylons, Starbuck doesn't realize that they are in fact [[Raiders (RDM)#Cylon War-era Raider|Raiders like the ones used in the first Cylon War]].
* ''Pegasus'' establishes a defensive perimeter and orders the Vipers to return prior to an FTL jump. When the [[Computers in the Re-imagined Series#Navigation computer|navigational computer]] malfunctions and the Raiders close, Shaw orders to the vessel's offensive flight pod [[Battery|batteries]] turned on the incoming targets, placing Starbuck and Showboat inside the battlestar's deadly firing solution. Struggling their way through the barrage, a Raider follows them into the [[flight pod]], which Starbuck shoots down once inside the landing bay. On the [[hangar deck]], she angrily confronts Shaw over her decision to open fire, but Adama defends his XO.
* Back with the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]], Admiral Adama, Roslin and Tigh inspect the downed Raider on the hangar deck. [[Sharon Valerii]] recalls the "[[Guardians]]", a group of original [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005|original Centurions]] that escaped being scrapped by the [[humanoid Cylons]]. The Guardians guard the [[first Hybrid]] created by the Cylons, a first attempt towards Cylon evolution that was eventually abandoned. This causes Adama to remember the events on the ice planet on the last day of the Cylon War, finally realizing what he saw over 40 years ago.
* After examining the Raider's navigational data, Adama believes that the Raptor crew was captured by the Guardians and orders his son to jump to a possible base of theirs. For the duration of the operation, he transfers his flag to ''Pegasus'', but assures Lee that it will be his mission.
* Shaw drafts an attack plan for ''Pegasus'' to draw Cylon forces away while a Raptor, piloted by Thrace and carrying a strike team, jumps to the Cylon base. Before signing off on the plan, Lee Adama confronts her over the incident on the ''Scylla''. Shaw just replies that she is Cain's legacy - a razor - and that Cain wouldn't have hesitated to execute the plan.
* Before the battle takes another shot of the drug and is caught by Thrace, who is looking for a bottle of [[ambrosia]]. The two realize that they are more alike than thought.
* The plan doesn't work as quite as predicated and the strike team's Raptor is pursued by two Raiders. Simulating an engine malfunction, they jump out of the Raptor from the side hatch before it is destroyed by the Cylons, thus escaping detection. Using EVA thrusters, they make their way to the [[Guardian basestar|basestar]].
* Thrace, Shaw, [[Erin Mathias|Mathias]], [[Dasilva]] and [[Hudson]] find the missing Raptor crew, whom the Cylons mutilate in a manner similar to what William Adama saw in the first Cylon War. As they free the survivors, two Centurions attack, wound Dasilva and begin to drag him away. Unwilling to let him suffer same treatment as the Raptor crew, Shaw shoots Dasilva, but in turn is shot in the abdomen.
* While under cover from the firefight, Mathias reports to ''Pegasus'' that the detonator for the nuclear warhead, which they plan to use to destroy the basestar, is damaged.
* ''Pegasus'' loses wireless contact with the boarding team and Lee Adama orders a [[Missile tubes|nuclear ship to ship missile]] to be armed and readied. Thrace herself considers the "mission outcome doubtful". Assuming that the team is dead, Commander Adama orders the launch of the missile, but is overridden by his father, who wants to give the team a chance.
* After reestablishing contact and learning that an evacuation Raptor is on the way, Shaw orders Mathias to rig a manual detonator for the nuke, determined to complete the mission. While Lee is reluctant to sacrifice someone to detonate the warhead, his father believes that the Cylons would easily shoot down a missile, but leaves the final decision to Lee. He orders the team to leave, but to detonate the nuke manually.
* The team prepares to suit up and leave, when Shaw forces Thrace to hand of the warhead at gunpoint and stays back. Walking through the hallways, she finds the Cylon Hybrid, who knows her name, saying that he has been waiting for her for a long time. He tells her that the Centurions worship him as god, and somehow deduces Shaw's desire to be forgiven for what she has become. The Hybrids also delivers a warning about Thrace: that she "will lead the human race to its end", that she is "the herald of the apocalypse [and] the harbinger of death." and that she must not be followed.
* Shaw tries to contact ''Pegasus'' and relay the warning, but is hindered by Cylon jamming. Failing, she detonates the nuke, killing herself and destroying the basestar.
* Later, the Adamas discuss the outcome for the battle. Thrace has recommended Shaw for a posthumous commendation. Looking back, Admiral Adama says that he can't find any flaws in Cain's tactical decisions, with which his son disagrees vehemently, citing the ''Scylla''. His father replies that he never had to face similar circumstances and also had other people like Lee, Roslin and Tigh to balance him, which kept from doing some things. He tells Lee that his decision to launch the nuclear missile, killing the strike team, wasn't wrong, but necessary in his eyes at the time.
* Outside [[Officer's quarters#Admiral Adama's quarters|Adama's quarters]], Lee meets Thrace, who now has Cain's knife, passed onto her by Shaw. She is unsure if Shaw sacrificed herself to atone for her actions or if she just "had it coming." Thrace tells him that she filed for a re-assignment to ''Galactica'' because Adama would keep trying to get her killed. When being asked if she might deserve that, she jokingly replies that she has a [[The Destiny|destiny]] and plans to live.

== Notes ==

===Production===
*A four-part podcast of the original story meeting for "Razor" is available on the [http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/downloads/podcast/season04/ SciFi website].
* Despite being credited, [[Alessandro Juliani]] ([[Felix Gaeta]]), [[Michael Trucco]] ([[Samuel Anders]]), [[Kandyse McClure]] ([[Anastasia Dualla]]) and [[Matthew Bennett]] ([[Number Five]]/[[Aaron Doral]]) do not appear in the aired version of "Razor".
**Bennett appears briefly in the [[Razor Flashback]] web-episodes as [[Aaron Doral]], in a flashback two days before the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]].
* Scenes involving a young Helena Cain and her father, as well as Kendra Shaw on [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] were cut from the TV version, but will be in the [[Razor (Region 1 DVD)|extended cut on DVD]]. These scenes, which reveal the loss of her entire family to the Cylons<ref name="watcher-forbes">{{cite_web|url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/11/battlestar-ga-1.html|title='Battlestar Galactica: Razor' cuts to the heart of the matter|date=20 November 2007|accessdate=22 November 2007|last=Ryan|first=Maureen|format=|language=}}</ref>, will also explain the significance of Cain's knife, the episode's literal "razor" <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/10/coming-to-a-mov.html|title=Coming to a movie theater near you: 'Battlestar Galactica: Razor'|date=|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>.
* [[Michael Taylor]] noted that the original opening for "Razor" was inspired by ''[[w:Apocalypse Now|Apocalypse Now]]'', but this was later cut <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|format=|language=}}</ref>.
* Scenes with [[Alastair Thorne]] torturing [[Gina]] were filmed but removed as "it played a little too much like an outtake from ''[[w:Spartacus|Spartacus]]''."<ref name="thewatcher"/>
*According to composer [[Bear McCreary]], no specific soundtrack release for "Razor" is currently planned. However, the best tracks will be included on the Season 4 soundtrack <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://bearmccreary.com/html/blog/blogmain.htm|title=Bear McCreary's blog|date=|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>.

===Story===
*The story, in present time, notes Roslin's cancer remission, and still shows [[Sharon Agathon|Caprica-Valerii]] still with a neck restraint, suggesting that the present-day events occur approximately in the time shortly after "[[The Captain's Hand]]" and "[[Epiphanies]]."
* The [[Guardian basestar]] appears to be an evolutionary gap in between the older Cylon War-era [[basestar (RDM)|basestar]] and the newer starfish type basestar.
* The flashback of a young William Adama finding a Cylon lab during the war is part of the fifth, sixth, and seventh episodes of the [[Razor Flashbacks|"Razor" web-episodes]].
* According to [[Sharon Agathon|Caprica-Valerii]], the [[Hybrid]]s were created as a means to grow out of their mechanical roots and into biological ones. The Cylons considered the hybrids a failure and, after creating enough of them to control their baseships, the project was abandoned.
*At the end Thrace asks to be re-assigned to ''Galactica'', currently holding the position of ''Pegasus'''s [[CAG]], which she assumes in "[[The Captain's Hand]]".
*Despite being a major, Kendra Shaw wears a colonel's [[Uniforms (RDM)|uniform]] with white/red trim. As shown on Doctor [[Cottle]] earlier, a major's uniform only has a white trim.
* When ''Pegasus'' jumps away from the Scorpion Fleet Yards, the vacuum created from the jump appears to suck in the surrounding flames and smoke of battle. This effect has been seen before in "[[Exodus, Part II]]" following ''Galactica'''s intra-atmosphere jump.

== Analysis ==

*Given the overall [[survivor count]] and the tally of 49,579 during the credits, "Razor" takes place between "[[The Captain's Hand]]" and "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]". Captions also place the flashback portions 10 months prior to the present events. However this timespan is closer to 9 months.
**This is also the only time during Lee Adama's command of ''Pegasus'' that the episode can even fit, since Starbuck leaves for Caprica in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I". See also ''[[Timeline - Season 2 (RDM)]]''
**Adama's selection of Shaw as his [[XO]] likely takes place very shortly after him taking command of ''Pegasus'', but other parts of the episode might take place slightly later.
**[[Sharon Agathon]]'s appearance ''may indicate'' that this episode takes place before "[[Downloaded]]", however this cannot be confirmed by any visual evidence as her appearance is brief and all camera shots are seemingly aimed to avoid shooting her belly. However, it can be reasonably surmised that because she is still cooperating with the Colonials that [[Hera]]'s birth and her subsequent faked death haven't occurred yet.
*According to Admiral Cain, a razor is someone who can set aside all fear, hesitation, revulsion and natural inhibition in battle (see [[#Noteworthy Dialogue|noteworthy dialogue]]).
**When Cain recruits [[Jack Fisk]] to assassinate Commander Adama, she tells him that he needs to pick Marines who are "Completely reliable. Completely loyal. Razors." ([[Resurrection Ship, Part I]]).
**This bears a passing semblance to a poem by Japanese [[Wikipedia:Isoroku Yamamoto|Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto]]: "I am still the sword/Of my Emperor/I will not be sheathed/Until I die." Admiral Yamamoto knew about America, Americans and their potential from his time as a student at Harvard and as a naval attaché in Washington, DC. Despite misgivings about declaring war on America, he served his Emperor and planned the attack on Pearl Harbor.
**A razor is also physically present in the episode in the form of a folding knife. It is passed from Cain to Shaw and eventually to Kara Thrace. The knife is used by Cain to explain how a person becomes a razor.
*[[Peter Laird]]'s reaction to the dead civilians heavily implies that the woman killed by Shaw is his wife. Especially the shot at the end when he looks at the bodies and the camera pans from him to the woman.
*Given that an evac Raptor successfully retrieves the assault team by docking or at least flying close to the Guardian basestar without incident, it seems that the Guardian basestar itself appears to be unarmed and totally reliant on its Raiders for defense, unlike the standard [[Basestar (RDM)|Cylon basestar]].
*A curious technical gaffe appears to have occurred as the smoke from the various fires in space at the Scorpian Fleet Shipyard traveled upward. Unless the flames (which would appear as a globular shape without gravity) jetted upward, the smoke, with the lack of convection (heat rising upward as lighter gases against gravity) would move in ''any'' direction opposite the flames or venting, not "up" relative to the battlestar or flames.

== Questions ==

* How does the [[Hybrid]] know [[Kendra Shaw]]?
* Is what the Hybrid says about [[Kara Thrace]] being the harbinger of death true?
* Who is ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'s'' [[CAG]] after Thrace steps down?
* Whose decision was it to scrap the [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005|old Centurions]]? Did they resist?
* When the [[first Hybrid]] said "My children believe I am a god", who was he referring two?

== Official Statements ==

* ''[[Michael Taylor]] on the scene with the three [[Guardians]] in the [[Raider (RDM)|Cylon War-era Raider]]:''
: Actually, early references to talking [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005|Centurions]] were cut from early versions of the script, only to be resurrected by one of our VFX guys, [[Adam Lebowitz|Adam “Mojo” Lebowitz]], who ended up giving them very similar dialogue to what I once had. We all mulled the issue and then concluded: What the [heck]; how can we revisit that era and not hear one of the signature lines? And yes, we’re a serious show, but sometimes it’s also not so terrible to acknowledge that this is a show, with a debt to another show, no matter how thoroughly we’ve tried to re-imagine it.<ref name="thewatcher"/>
* ''Taylor discusses the limited appearance of [[Alastair Thorne]] in "Razor":''
: There’s only so many characters and storylines that we could explore in a movie of even nearly two hours, and frankly this was [[Helena Cain|Cain]]’s and [[Kendra Shaw|Kendra]]’s story. As far as the character of the torturer, Lt. Thorne, goes, I think it was scary enough to introduce him and imagine what poor [[Gina]] had in store.<ref name="thewatcher"/>
* ''Taylor discusses the narrative of the story:''
: The script itself is somewhat less flashbacky, telling the story in a more chronological, linear way. Ultimately, we found it more effective to ground the story by relating it through a more present-day frame in which our regular characters, including Lee and Kara, are more front-and-center. But whether intended in the same way or not, what I like about both "Unfinished Business" and "Razor" is the way they fracture time, and show how the past affects and informs the present. I suppose that’s probably one of the themes that interests me most as a writer.<ref name="thewatcher"/>
* ''Taylor discusses the relationship between [[Gina]] and [[Helena Cain]]:''
: I think part of the point about Cain’s and Gina’s relationship is that the fact that they had a same-sex relationship was no big deal. I think we started from the idea of wanting to explore whether Cain’s anger and revulsion at Gina, so evident in her first appearance in Season Two’s “Pegasus,” had a personal component. And the idea that Cain had had an intimate relationship with Gina quickly came to mind. It made Gina’s betrayal that much more devastating for her.

:That being said, we did not want to make much about the idea of Cain being “gay,” if indeed she is gay, or if indeed Colonial society makes much of the distinction between hetero- and homosexual preferences. I tend to think that in this respect, at least, they’re a bit more enlightened than we are. That being said, we honestly have not done much exploring of the sexual orientations of other characters so far in Season 4. If it were to serve a dramatic purpose—as it does in "Razor" —other than to underscore that homosexuality is as much a part of the ''Battlestar'' world as it is of ours, we may well. We still have a season of scripts to write, so who knows: Look out, “[[w:The L Word|The L Word]],” we’re coming for your [[List of Nielsen ratings (RDM)|Nielsen ratings]].<ref name="thewatcher"/>
* ''Taylor discusses how this story originated:''
: A number of ideas were tossed around, but they all centered on using the movie as an opportunity to revisit the series’ past. I believe an early notion of mine may even have touched on a [[w:Terminator|Terminator]]-like time-travel scenario that put some of our characters back on [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] before the attack, but with foreknowledge of what was about to happen. I remember pitching the idea that [William] Adama would have to convince Cain to trust him and then join forces to try to stop the attack.

:All the writers were on a conference call with the show’s creators and executive producers, [[Ron D. Moore|Ron Moore]] and [[David Eick]], and I recall David in particular perking up at the mention of Cain and ''Pegasus''. It quickly became clear that our story would center around Cain’s ship and its own, very different journey in the aftermath of [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|the Cylon attacks]], and with that idea firmly in place the time travel and other kooky stuff quickly fell by the wayside and we began constructing a much more realistic story where our characters’ choices in the face of calamity, rather than through time-travel-enabled hindsight, became the key. But then that’s what ''Battlestar'' has always been about: the pressure of making genuine choices in real, and often horrific situations.<ref name="thewatcher"/>

* ''[[Michelle Forbes]] (Admiral [[Helena Cain]]) discusses [[Gina]]'s betrayal:''

: It was a massive betrayal. This woman is rarely vulnerable with anyone. She doesn’t allow herself that. For her to have taken that step [and become Gina’s lover] and been so ultimately betrayed, it did her head in, it did her heart in.

: She became very misguided at that time. I feel the actions that she took in that misguided place still were along the lines of what she felt she needed to do. And there’s nothing that she did that some world leader has not done.

: It’s very painful, what she did to Gina. There was such a deep sadness, but [for her] duty overrides that sadness, otherwise things don’t get done. There’s a lot of sorrow [in Cain]. It was not a punishment as much of a means to an end.<ref name="watcher-forbes"/>

* ''Forbes on the questions raised in the series:''

: These heightened situations [in ''[[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' bring up] these heightened questions we have to ask. As [Adama] says [[Miniseries, Night 1|in a speech]] [earlier in the series], ‘Are we worthy of survival? Who are we? Who have we become? Have we just become animals and it’s survival at any cost?’ These are important questions to raise.

: I love the fact that they ask these questions but never in a preachy manner. These are painful questions to ask. It’s so relevant it gives me goosebumps sometimes.

: This and ''[[w:The Wire|The Wire]]'' are just the two best written TV shows out there. You can’t just tune in and tune out. It’s not mindless entertainment. Occasionally with ''The Wire'' too I also feel like I need a notebook next to me [laughs]. They’re just fantastic stories with such complexity.

:It’s a very exciting time to be part of television. I feel so fortunate that I’ve been involved in some pretty interesting, odd shows. There are many more cropping up out there.

:[As for ''Battlestar Galactica''] I’ve never guested on a show and walked away a bigger fan. I was so thrilled to see everyone again, I am so fond of this company. They’re lovely people and the crew is fantastic. And this is not just an actor blowing smoke [laughs].<ref name="watcher-forbes"/>

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

*''Admiral [[Helena Cain|Cain]] talks to [[Kendra Shaw]] about her conduct during the crisis:''
:Sometimes we have to do things that we thought we were never capable of, if only to show the enemy our will. Yesterday you showed me that you're capable of setting aside your fear, setting aside your hesitation - and even your revulsion, every natural inhibition that during battle can make the difference between life and death. (opens folding knife.) When you can be this, for as long as you have to be, then you're a razor. (closes knife.) This war is forcing us all to become razors. Because if we don't, we don't survive. And then we don't have the luxury of becoming simply human again. Do you understand me?

*''Opening narration by Kendra Shaw:''
:You're born, you live and you die. There are no do-overs, no second chances to make things right if you frak 'em up the first time. Not in this life anyway.

*''[[Gina]] about Helena Cain and their relationship:''
:She has needs, just like the rest of us. No one can survive entirely on their own. Trust me Lieutenant, in the end, we're all just human.

*''Admiral Cain gives a speech to her crew after the [[Cylon attack]]:''
:This is your admiral. I know there've been a lot of rumors going around...about the destruction that's been visited on our [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|homeworlds]] by the Cylons. I would like to tell you that they're exaggerations, but in fact it can not even come close to convey the horror that's been unleashed upon us. The facts are...that our colonies have been destroyed, our cities have been nuked, and our fleet's gone too. So far there have been no indications of any other survivors. I imagine you're all asking yourselves the same question I am: What do we do now? Do we run? Do we hide? I think those are the easy choices. A philosopher once said "When faced with untenable alternatives you should consider your imperative." Look around you. Our imperative is right here, in our bulkheads, in our planes, in our guns and in ourselves. War is our imperative. And if right now victory seems like an impossibility, then we have something else to reach for: revenge, payback. So we will fight. Because in the end it's the only alternative our enemies have left us. I say let's make these murdering things understand that as long as this crew and this ship survive, that this war, that they started, will not be over. Thank you.

*''[[William Adama|William]] and [[Lee Adama]] discuss Cain's actions:''
:'''William Adama''': I've been going through Cain's log and from a tactical perspective it's hard to find fault in anything she did. Or that Kendra Shaw did.
:'''Lee Adama:''' They [[Scylla|butchered innocent civilians]], Dad. Come on. How can you ignore that?
:'''William Adama:''' I know that I didn't have to face any of the situations that she did. I had the [[Laura Roslin|President]] in my face, arguing for the survival of the [[The Fleet (RDM)|civilian fleet]]. I've Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] keeping me honest, balancing my morality and my tactics. And I had you. Now...you don't have any children, so you might not understand this, but you see yourself reflected in their eyes. And there are some things that I've thought of doing with this fleet, but I've stopped myself, because I knew I'd have to face you the following day.

== Guest Stars ==

* [[Alessandro Juliani]] as Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]] (credit only)
* [[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]] (credit only)
* [[Kandyse McClure]] as [[Anastasia Dualla]] (credit only)
* [[Michelle Forbes]] as Admiral [[Helena Cain]]
* [[Graham Beckel]] as Colonel [[Jack Fisk]]
* [[Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen|Stephanie Jacobsen]] as Lieutenant/Captain/Major [[Kendra Shaw]]
* [[Nico Cortez]] as Young [[William Adama]]
* [[Matthew Bennett]] as [[Number Five]]
* [[Steve Bacic]] as Colonel [[Jurgen Belzen]]
* [[Brad Dryborough]] as Lieutenant [[Hoshi]]
* [[Eileen Pedde]] as Sergeant [[Erin Mathias]]
* [[Fulvio Cecere]] as Lieutenant [[Alastair Thorne]]
* [[Vincent Gale]] as [[Peter Laird]]
* [[Campbell Lane]] as [[First Hybrid|Hybrid]]
* [[Kyra Scott]] as Young [[Helena Cain]]
* [[Chandra Berg]] as Little [[Lucy Cain]]
* [[Peter Flemming]] as Helena's Father
* [[Shaker Paleja]] as Medic [[Hudson]]
* [[Andrew Dunbar]] as Marine [[Dasilva]]
* [[Jacob Blair]] as Squad Leader [[Banzai]]
* [[Peter Bryant]] as [[Frank Bruno]]
* [[Chris Bradford]] as Ops Officer
* [[Tyson Stanley]] as Young [[Marine]]
* [[Trevor Roberts]] as ''[[Scylla]]'' Protestor #1
* [[Cameron Macleod]] as ''Scylla'' Protestor #2
* [[Ingrid Tesch]] as Mother
* [[Joey Pierce]] as Marine [[Riggs]]
* [[Matt Drake]] as Son #1
* [[Dustin Eriksen]] as Son #2
* [[John Hainsworth]] as Man in Cage #1
* [[Victor Ayala]] as Man in Cage #2
* [[Deni Dolory]] as Woman in Cage
* [[Emily Hirst]] as Child in Cage
* [[Ben Cotton]] as Terrified Man
* [[Stefanie von Pfetten]] as Captain [[Marcia Case|Marcia "Showboat" Case]]
* [[Alyssa Minniss]] as Flower Girl
* Uncredited as [[Gus]]

== External Links ==

* Composer [[Bear McCreary]] on the [http://bearmccreary.com/html/blog/blogmain.htm score for "Razor"]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

Razor

2007-11-26T06:43:02Z

Hmoul: /* Battle of the Cylon Communications Relay */ minor expansion of bridge scene

{{Episode Data
| title= Razor
| image= Razor Promo.jpg
| season=
| special= Y
| movie=
| episode=
| guests=
| writer= [[Michael Taylor]]
| story=
| director= [[Félix Enríquez Alcalá]]
| production= 401/402
| rating=
| US airdate= 24 November 2007
| UK airdate= 5 December 2007 <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.dvd.co.uk/DVD/Battlestar-Galactica-Razor/8253257/product.htm|title=DVD.co.uk Battlestar Galactica: Razor DVD Details|date=|accessdate=28 September 2007|last=|first=|format=|language=en}}</ref>
| dvd= 4 December 2007 '''US'''<br/>26 December 2007 '''UK'''
| population= 49,579
| podcast=
| extra= {{flag|US}} 12 November 2007 (theater screening in select U.S. cities)
| prev= [[Razor Flashbacks|Battlestar Galactica: Razor Flashbacks]]
| next= [[He That Believeth In Me]]
| itunes=
| imdb=0991178
}}

== Overview ==

: ''A tale centered around the new ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' officer [[Kendra Shaw]], following her entire tenure on the battlestar from the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]] under Admiral [[Helena Cain|Cain]], to [[Lee Adama]]'s command and a frightful rescue mission to save crew members who have been captured by the Cylons.''

== Summary ==

=== First Cylon War ===

=== The Fall of the Twelve Colonies ===

====Fall of the Scorpion Fleet Shipyards====
*The battlestar ''Pegasus'' is docked at the [[Scorpion Fleet Shipyards]] over [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Scorpia|Scorpia]] for a three-month overhaul. As [[Kendra Shaw]] approaches the ship from [[Raptor 179]], she gazes in awe at the size of the [[Mercury class battlestar]].
*Admiral [[Helena Cain]] is in her quarters, reviewing a crew status report as her [[XO]], Colonel [[Jurgen Belzen]] enters. He lightly encourages her to take her shore leave, but she insists that she could never leave ''Pegasus'' in the hands of the civilian contractors assigned to oversee her overhaul.
*In the port hangar bay, Raptor 179 has recently arrived. With orders to report directly to [[CIC#Pegasus|CIC]], Shaw steps down and asks a pair of passing crewman to help her locate it. The crewman, however, are too busy to notice her.
*Shaw wanders through the port flight pod, past groups of busy civilians, until she finds [[Gina Inviere]], a civilian network administrator assigned to ''Pegasus's'' overhaul. Inviere shows Shaw a map of ''Pegasus'', with a route to the CIC, and the two discuss the origins of Gina's last name.
*Shaw eventually reaches the CIC, where she finds Cain and Belzen at the Command and Control station. Shaw drops her gear and salutes the admiral. Cain is harsh on her new aide. She grills Shaw for being late to the CIC, concluding that she either stopped for a cup of coffee, or got lost. After Shaw leaves, Cain breaks out in laughter with Belzen, revealing that she only had a joke at the lieutenant's expense.
*[[Hoshi]] escorts her to her quarters. As they are walking down the hallway, a large blast shakes ''Pegasus'', and the noise ripples through the hallway. Shaw and Hoshi are immediately thrown to the floor. As Shaw awakens, she is in a daze. She looks around to find Hoshi unconscious on the floor. The hallway has suddenly become a disaster area.
*Admiral Cain, who was on her way to her quarters at the time, finds Shaw and Hoshi in the corridor. She asks Shaw if she is alright, but when she doesn’t respond, Cain slaps her in the face. Shaw immediately awakens. The hallway echoes with screams of horror, and the [[Action Stations|Condition One]] sirens blare. After an aborted attempt to wake Hoshi, the two head to the CIC.
*''Pegasus'' is on fire in space. [[Cylon Raider (RDM)|Cylon Raiders]] flood the shipyard; Missiles strike two helpless [[Valkyrie]]-type battlestars nearby.
*In the CIC, Colonel [[Jack Fisk|Fisk]] and many of the CIC personnel are unconscious. Belzen is coordinating the response effort, but there have been multiple nuclear detonations. Luckily however, the battlestar still has main power and propulsion, but that’s about it. [[DRADIS]] and weapons have both been knocked out.
*The Cylon attack is taking its toll on the shipyards. The two Valkyrie-type battlestars lose their moorings, and one crashes into the shipyards, instantly destroying it.
*Cain orders the ship to seal all hatches and release all moorings in preparation for an immediate departure. As the ship evacuates the shipyards, Cain orders the [[Propulsion in the Re-imagined Series#Faster-Than-Light travel|FTL]] drive spun up for an immediate jump.
*A Cylon Raider fires two nuclear missiles at ''Pegasus'' from across the shipyards. The missiles fly past a [[Galactica type battlestar]] as its moorings are destroyed, and past the wreckage of several other battlestars and support vessels.
*Cain orders an immediate jump, but Shaw says that with the navigational computer down for upgrade, she would have to enter a random set of coordinates, [[Blind jump|which could take the battlestar anywhere]], and in all probability, inside a star or other larger astral body. Cain yells back at her to do it anyway, and the battlestar jumps away.

====So Say We All====
*Two days since the attack on the Scorpion Fleet Shipyards, ''Pegasus'' is four to five jumps away from the Colonies. Belzen reports that many of ''Pegasus's'' [[Viper (RDM)|Vipers]] and [[Raptor]]s are either destroyed or beyond repair, over a quarter of the crew is dead, and rumors are circulating about the destruction of the Twelve Colonies and the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]].
*Shaw has been working without sleep to restore the navigational and defense computer systems, and she has finally done it. Additionally, she has discovered lines of hidden Cylon computer code inside the [[Command Navigation Program]], which was fortunately down during the attack. Shaw suggests that the entire program be purged from the system.
*The time has finally come for Cain to reveal the extent of the devastation at home to her crew. She tells them that their colonies have been destroyed, their cities nuked, their fleet obliterated. While the victory of one ship may seem unattainable when even their very survival is at stake, she tells them that they have revenge to reach for instead.
*In an expression of determination and conviction, the crew resoundingly shouts, “So say we all!” over and over, after hearing Cain’s words.
*Cain, Shaw, Fisk and Belzen are in the admiral’s quarters, looking over recently gathered intelligence for a low-risk attack on a Cylon outpost. They are discussing a somewhat isolated communications relay when Gina Inviere enters. She greets the admiral with a kiss and a flirtatious shoulder pinch, and the five sit down to enjoy some wine and conversation.
*Cain assures her senior staff that while she does want to engage in guerrilla warfare tactics against the Cylons, she is not willing to put the ship and crew in any amount of excessive danger.
*Shaw and Inviere are working on firewalling all of ''Pegasus's'' computer networks to prevent them from being infiltrated by the Cylons, but constantly having to find a senior officer to input their command codes for system access is making the process take exceedingly long. Inviere discreetly complains about it, and Shaw says that under the circumstances, she would speak to Cain about raising her clearance. In the meantime, she gives Inviere her own command code to use. Inviere then discusses her relationship with Cain in greater detail.

====Battle of the Cylon Communications Relay ====
*''Pegasus'' prepares for a hit-and-run attack on what appears to be a somewhat neglected [[Battle of the Communications Relay|Cylon communications relay]]. However, when ''Pegasus'' arrives, there are twelve Cylon Raiders guarding the relay. Despite the increased enemy presence, Cain orders [[Blue Squadron (RDM)|Blue Squadron]] to advance.
*Almost the second after the Vipers are launched, fifteen enemy squadrons of fighters jump into DRADIS range. Cain orders ''Pegasus's'' defensive fire concentrated on the incoming attack squadrons, but Shaw reports that the weapons grid won't respond to commands.
*In spite of the odds, Cain orders Belzen to launch the reserve Vipers, but he insists that taking such an action would cost too many lives and resources. She persists in her orders, but Belzen refuses to carry them out. Cain orders Belzen to hand her his sidearm, which she uses to shoot him in the forehead, in front of the entire bridge crew. <ref>This event is recalled by [[Jack Fisk]] to [[Saul Tigh]] months later, over drinks, in the season 2 episode, "[[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]."</ref>
*Cain turns to a stunned Fisk, tells him that he is now the [[Executive Officer|XO]] and orders him to launch the reserve Vipers. Fisk, nearly petrified by what he just saw, is more than compelled to follow the order. As the last of ''Pegasus’s'' remaining squadrons launch, Cylon batteries pound the hull.
*With the weapons grid down, Cylon [[Heavy Raider]]s easily breach ''Pegasus’s'' defensive perimeter. [[Cylon Centurion|Centurions]] begin pouring into the ship through breached [[airlock]]s. Cain orders fast-response teams of [[Colonial Marine Corps|Marines]] to engage the Centurions, and orders Shaw to Secondary Damage Control, as she fears that the Cylons will use this junction to vent all of ''Pegasus’s'' air into space.<ref>This tactic is reminiscent of a similar tactic attempted by the Cylons in the episode, "[[Valley of Darkness]]."</ref>
*As Shaw heads to Secondary Damage Control, she finds Gina Inviere trying to escape the Centurions, and orders her to the CIC. As she peers around the corner, she is almost seen by a Centurion. She waits for it to leave, and as she turns the corner to go down the hallway, she sees a [[Number Six]] Cylon, following the Centurion. At first, Shaw doesn’t understand what she sees, but then it comes together – [[Humanoid Cylon|the Cylons can mimic human form]], and Gina Inviere is one of them. She pulls up her gun, aims at her target, and kills the Six Cylon. Above the junction where she killed the Number Six, Shaw finds that the security feed for Airlock 4 is conveniently facing the dead Cylon.
*Shaw immediately heads to the CIC to take Inviere, now also in CIC, into custody before she can do any more harm. In the CIC, she directs her weapon at Inviere, and orders the Marines to take her into custody. When Cain belays the order, and Shaw states that Gina is a Cylon infiltrator that they "can look like us". When Cain scoffs, Shaw asks Hoshi to display the security feed from Airlock 4.
*Cain balks at the image of the dead humanoid Cylon in the form of her lover. Feeling betrayed and without any other options, she orders the guards to remove Inviere ("''this thing''" from the bridge. As a Cylon missile strikes ''Pegasus'', Gina uses the moment to flip her captor around by the jaw, and gains control of his [[Weapons in the Re-imagined Series#Handheld weapons|weapon]], which she uses to shoot his comrade. She then snaps the Marine's neck, and trains her weapon on Cain. In a moment of hesitation, Inviere cannot bring herself to shoot Cain, and Shaw sneaks up behind her, clubbing the Cylon over the head with the butt of her rifle.

====The ''Scylla'' incident====

=== Present events ===

* Newly-promoted Commander [[Lee Adama]] is formally appointed commander of ''Pegasus'' by [[Laura Roslin]] in front of the ship's crew. In his speech he promises to change things on the battlestar and announces [[Kara Thrace]]'s appointment as [[CAG]].
* Kendra Shaw follows the speech on the [[wireless]] set, but eventually switches off. She walks to a jar, takes out a syringe and injects herself with a drug. She is still troubled about what happened on the ''Scylla''.
* Next, she is summoned to Adama's office, who reads her service file and points out that she received glowing reports from Cain, but increasingly negatives ones from Fisk and [[Barry Garner|Garner]], who eventually assigned her to kitchen duty because of "persistent insubordinate behavior". After listening to Shaw's candid opinions about him and his predecessors, Adama promotes her to be his executive officer, noting that he intents to give the crew back its pride, but that he also needs someone to uphold Cain's legacy.
* During a firearms drill, she shows competence but also how hard she is on the crew. William Adama comments that his son found an XO meaner than [[Saul Tigh]].
* The Admiral gives Commander Adama his first mission: a [[SAR|search and rescue]] for a civilian science team in an overdue Raptor.
* At their destination, Starbuck and [[Showboat]] conduct a Viper patrol and suddenly encounter enemy fighters of an unfamiliar configuration. Although able to identify them as Cylons, Starbuck doesn't realize that they are in fact [[Raiders (RDM)#Cylon War-era Raider|Raiders like the ones used in the first Cylon War]].
* ''Pegasus'' establishes a defensive perimeter and orders the Vipers to return prior to an FTL jump. When the [[Computers in the Re-imagined Series#Navigation computer|navigational computer]] malfunctions and the Raiders close, Shaw orders to the vessel's offensive flight pod [[Battery|batteries]] turned on the incoming targets, placing Starbuck and Showboat inside the battlestar's deadly firing solution. Struggling their way through the barrage, a Raider follows them into the [[flight pod]], which Starbuck shoots down once inside the landing bay. On the [[hangar deck]], she angrily confronts Shaw over her decision to open fire, but Adama defends his XO.
* Back with the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]], Admiral Adama, Roslin and Tigh inspect the downed Raider on the hangar deck. [[Sharon Valerii]] recalls the "[[Guardians]]", a group of original [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005|original Centurions]] that escaped being scrapped by the [[humanoid Cylons]]. The Guardians guard the [[first Hybrid]] created by the Cylons, a first attempt towards Cylon evolution that was eventually abandoned. This causes Adama to remember the events on the ice planet on the last day of the Cylon War, finally realizing what he saw over 40 years ago.
* After examining the Raider's navigational data, Adama believes that the Raptor crew was captured by the Guardians and orders his son to jump to a possible base of theirs. For the duration of the operation, he transfers his flag to ''Pegasus'', but assures Lee that it will be his mission.
* Shaw drafts an attack plan for ''Pegasus'' to draw Cylon forces away while a Raptor, piloted by Thrace and carrying a strike team, jumps to the Cylon base. Before signing off on the plan, Lee Adama confronts her over the incident on the ''Scylla''. Shaw just replies that she is Cain's legacy - a razor - and that Cain wouldn't have hesitated to execute the plan.
* Before the battle takes another shot of the drug and is caught by Thrace, who is looking for a bottle of [[ambrosia]]. The two realize that they are more alike than thought.
* The plan doesn't work as quite as predicated and the strike team's Raptor is pursued by two Raiders. Simulating an engine malfunction, they jump out of the Raptor from the side hatch before it is destroyed by the Cylons, thus escaping detection. Using EVA thrusters, they make their way to the [[Guardian basestar|basestar]].
* Thrace, Shaw, [[Erin Mathias|Mathias]], [[Dasilva]] and [[Hudson]] find the missing Raptor crew, whom the Cylons mutilate in a manner similar to what William Adama saw in the first Cylon War. As they free the survivors, two Centurions attack, wound Dasilva and begin to drag him away. Unwilling to let him suffer same treatment as the Raptor crew, Shaw shoots Dasilva, but in turn is shot in the abdomen.
* While under cover from the firefight, Mathias reports to ''Pegasus'' that the detonator for the nuclear warhead, which they plan to use to destroy the basestar, is damaged.
* ''Pegasus'' loses wireless contact with the boarding team and Lee Adama orders a [[Missile tubes|nuclear ship to ship missile]] to be armed and readied. Thrace herself considers the "mission outcome doubtful". Assuming that the team is dead, Commander Adama orders the launch of the missile, but is overridden by his father, who wants to give the team a chance.
* After reestablishing contact and learning that an evacuation Raptor is on the way, Shaw orders Mathias to rig a manual detonator for the nuke, determined to complete the mission. While Lee is reluctant to sacrifice someone to detonate the warhead, his father believes that the Cylons would easily shoot down a missile, but leaves the final decision to Lee. He orders the team to leave, but to detonate the nuke manually.
* The team prepares to suit up and leave, when Shaw forces Thrace to hand of the warhead at gunpoint and stays back. Walking through the hallways, she finds the Cylon Hybrid, who knows her name, saying that he has been waiting for her for a long time. He tells her that the Centurions worship him as god, and somehow deduces Shaw's desire to be forgiven for what she has become. The Hybrids also delivers a warning about Thrace: that she "will lead the human race to its end", that she is "the herald of the apocalypse [and] the harbinger of death." and that she must not be followed.
* Shaw tries to contact ''Pegasus'' and relay the warning, but is hindered by Cylon jamming. Failing, she detonates the nuke, killing herself and destroying the basestar.
* Later, the Adamas discuss the outcome for the battle. Thrace has recommended Shaw for a posthumous commendation. Looking back, Admiral Adama says that he can't find any flaws in Cain's tactical decisions, with which his son disagrees vehemently, citing the ''Scylla''. His father replies that he never had to face similar circumstances and also had other people like Lee, Roslin and Tigh to balance him, which kept from doing some things. He tells Lee that his decision to launch the nuclear missile, killing the strike team, wasn't wrong, but necessary in his eyes at the time.
* Outside [[Officer's quarters#Admiral Adama's quarters|Adama's quarters]], Lee meets Thrace, who now has Cain's knife, passed onto her by Shaw. She is unsure if Shaw sacrificed herself to atone for her actions or if she just "had it coming." Thrace tells him that she filed for a re-assignment to ''Galactica'' because Adama would keep trying to get her killed. When being asked if she might deserve that, she jokingly replies that she has a [[The Destiny|destiny]] and plans to live.

== Notes ==

===Production===
*A four-part podcast of the original story meeting for "Razor" is available on the [http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/downloads/podcast/season04/ SciFi website].
* Despite being credited, [[Alessandro Juliani]] ([[Felix Gaeta]]), [[Michael Trucco]] ([[Samuel Anders]]), [[Kandyse McClure]] ([[Anastasia Dualla]]) and [[Matthew Bennett]] ([[Number Five]]/[[Aaron Doral]]) do not appear in the aired version of "Razor".
**Bennett appears briefly in the [[Razor Flashback]] web-episodes as [[Aaron Doral]], in a flashback two days before the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]].
* Scenes involving a young Helena Cain and her father, as well as Kendra Shaw on [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] were cut from the TV version, but will be in the [[Razor (Region 1 DVD)|extended cut on DVD]]. These scenes, which reveal the loss of her entire family to the Cylons<ref name="watcher-forbes">{{cite_web|url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/11/battlestar-ga-1.html|title='Battlestar Galactica: Razor' cuts to the heart of the matter|date=20 November 2007|accessdate=22 November 2007|last=Ryan|first=Maureen|format=|language=}}</ref>, will also explain the significance of Cain's knife, the episode's literal "razor" <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/10/coming-to-a-mov.html|title=Coming to a movie theater near you: 'Battlestar Galactica: Razor'|date=|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>.
* [[Michael Taylor]] noted that the original opening for "Razor" was inspired by ''[[w:Apocalypse Now|Apocalypse Now]]'', but this was later cut <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|format=|language=}}</ref>.
* Scenes with [[Alastair Thorne]] torturing [[Gina]] were filmed but removed as "it played a little too much like an outtake from ''[[w:Spartacus|Spartacus]]''."<ref name="thewatcher"/>
*According to composer [[Bear McCreary]], no specific soundtrack release for "Razor" is currently planned. However, the best tracks will be included on the Season 4 soundtrack <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://bearmccreary.com/html/blog/blogmain.htm|title=Bear McCreary's blog|date=|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>.

===Story===
*The story, in present time, notes Roslin's cancer remission, and still shows [[Sharon Agathon|Caprica-Valerii]] still with a neck restraint, suggesting that the present-day events occur approximately in the time shortly after "[[The Captain's Hand]]" and "[[Epiphanies]]."
* The [[Guardian basestar]] appears to be an evolutionary gap in between the older Cylon War-era [[basestar (RDM)|basestar]] and the newer starfish type basestar.
* The flashback of a young William Adama finding a Cylon lab during the war is part of the fifth, sixth, and seventh episodes of the [[Razor Flashbacks|"Razor" web-episodes]].
* According to [[Sharon Agathon|Caprica-Valerii]], the [[Hybrid]]s were created as a means to grow out of their mechanical roots and into biological ones. The Cylons considered the hybrids a failure and, after creating enough of them to control their baseships, the project was abandoned.
*At the end Thrace asks to be re-assigned to ''Galactica'', currently holding the position of ''Pegasus'''s [[CAG]], which she assumes in "[[The Captain's Hand]]".
*Despite being a major, Kendra Shaw wears a colonel's [[Uniforms (RDM)|uniform]] with white/red trim. As shown on Doctor [[Cottle]] earlier, a major's uniform only has a white trim.
* When ''Pegasus'' jumps away from the Scorpion Fleet Yards, the vacuum created from the jump appears to suck in the surrounding flames and smoke of battle. This effect has been seen before in "[[Exodus, Part II]]" following ''Galactica'''s intra-atmosphere jump.

== Analysis ==

*Given the overall [[survivor count]] and the tally of 49,579 during the credits, "Razor" takes place between "[[The Captain's Hand]]" and "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]". Captions also place the flashback portions 10 months prior to the present events. However this timespan is closer to 9 months.
**This is also the only time during Lee Adama's command of ''Pegasus'' that the episode can even fit, since Starbuck leaves for Caprica in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I". See also ''[[Timeline - Season 2 (RDM)]]''
**Adama's selection of Shaw as his [[XO]] likely takes place very shortly after him taking command of ''Pegasus'', but other parts of the episode might take place slightly later.
**[[Sharon Agathon]]'s appearance ''may indicate'' that this episode takes place before "[[Downloaded]]", however this cannot be confirmed by any visual evidence as her appearance is brief and all camera shots are seemingly aimed to avoid shooting her belly. However, it can be reasonably surmised that because she is still cooperating with the Colonials that [[Hera]]'s birth and her subsequent faked death haven't occurred yet.
*According to Admiral Cain, a razor is someone who can set aside all fear, hesitation, revulsion and natural inhibition in battle (see [[#Noteworthy Dialogue|noteworthy dialogue]]).
**When Cain recruits [[Jack Fisk]] to assassinate Commander Adama, she tells him that he needs to pick Marines who are "Completely reliable. Completely loyal. Razors." ([[Resurrection Ship, Part I]]).
**This bears a passing semblance to a poem by Japanese [[Wikipedia:Isoroku Yamamoto|Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto]]: "I am still the sword/Of my Emperor/I will not be sheathed/Until I die." Admiral Yamamoto knew about America, Americans and their potential from his time as a student at Harvard and as a naval attaché in Washington, DC. Despite misgivings about declaring war on America, he served his Emperor and planned the attack on Pearl Harbor.
**A razor is also physically present in the episode in the form of a folding knife. It is passed from Cain to Shaw and eventually to Kara Thrace. The knife is used by Cain to explain how a person becomes a razor.
*[[Peter Laird]]'s reaction to the dead civilians heavily implies that the woman killed by Shaw is his wife. Especially the shot at the end when he looks at the bodies and the camera pans from him to the woman.
*Given that an evac Raptor successfully retrieves the assault team by docking or at least flying close to the Guardian basestar without incident, it seems that the Guardian basestar itself appears to be unarmed and totally reliant on its Raiders for defense, unlike the standard [[Basestar (RDM)|Cylon basestar]].
*A curious technical gaffe appears to have occurred as the smoke from the various fires in space at the Scorpian Fleet Shipyard traveled upward. Unless the flames (which would appear as a globular shape without gravity) jetted upward, the smoke, with the lack of convection (heat rising upward as lighter gases against gravity) would move in ''any'' direction opposite the flames or venting, not "up" relative to the battlestar or flames.

== Questions ==

* How does the [[Hybrid]] know [[Kendra Shaw]]?
* Is what the Hybrid says about [[Kara Thrace]] being the harbinger of death true?
* Who is ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'s'' [[CAG]] after Thrace steps down?
* Whose decision was it to scrap the [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005|old Centurions]]? Did they resist?
* When the [[first Hybrid]] said "My children believe I am a god", who was he referring two?

== Official Statements ==

* ''[[Michael Taylor]] on the scene with the three [[Guardians]] in the [[Raider (RDM)|Cylon War-era Raider]]:''
: Actually, early references to talking [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005|Centurions]] were cut from early versions of the script, only to be resurrected by one of our VFX guys, [[Adam Lebowitz|Adam “Mojo” Lebowitz]], who ended up giving them very similar dialogue to what I once had. We all mulled the issue and then concluded: What the [heck]; how can we revisit that era and not hear one of the signature lines? And yes, we’re a serious show, but sometimes it’s also not so terrible to acknowledge that this is a show, with a debt to another show, no matter how thoroughly we’ve tried to re-imagine it.<ref name="thewatcher"/>
* ''Taylor discusses the limited appearance of [[Alastair Thorne]] in "Razor":''
: There’s only so many characters and storylines that we could explore in a movie of even nearly two hours, and frankly this was [[Helena Cain|Cain]]’s and [[Kendra Shaw|Kendra]]’s story. As far as the character of the torturer, Lt. Thorne, goes, I think it was scary enough to introduce him and imagine what poor [[Gina]] had in store.<ref name="thewatcher"/>
* ''Taylor discusses the narrative of the story:''
: The script itself is somewhat less flashbacky, telling the story in a more chronological, linear way. Ultimately, we found it more effective to ground the story by relating it through a more present-day frame in which our regular characters, including Lee and Kara, are more front-and-center. But whether intended in the same way or not, what I like about both "Unfinished Business" and "Razor" is the way they fracture time, and show how the past affects and informs the present. I suppose that’s probably one of the themes that interests me most as a writer.<ref name="thewatcher"/>
* ''Taylor discusses the relationship between [[Gina]] and [[Helena Cain]]:''
: I think part of the point about Cain’s and Gina’s relationship is that the fact that they had a same-sex relationship was no big deal. I think we started from the idea of wanting to explore whether Cain’s anger and revulsion at Gina, so evident in her first appearance in Season Two’s “Pegasus,” had a personal component. And the idea that Cain had had an intimate relationship with Gina quickly came to mind. It made Gina’s betrayal that much more devastating for her.

:That being said, we did not want to make much about the idea of Cain being “gay,” if indeed she is gay, or if indeed Colonial society makes much of the distinction between hetero- and homosexual preferences. I tend to think that in this respect, at least, they’re a bit more enlightened than we are. That being said, we honestly have not done much exploring of the sexual orientations of other characters so far in Season 4. If it were to serve a dramatic purpose—as it does in "Razor" —other than to underscore that homosexuality is as much a part of the ''Battlestar'' world as it is of ours, we may well. We still have a season of scripts to write, so who knows: Look out, “[[w:The L Word|The L Word]],” we’re coming for your [[List of Nielsen ratings (RDM)|Nielsen ratings]].<ref name="thewatcher"/>
* ''Taylor discusses how this story originated:''
: A number of ideas were tossed around, but they all centered on using the movie as an opportunity to revisit the series’ past. I believe an early notion of mine may even have touched on a [[w:Terminator|Terminator]]-like time-travel scenario that put some of our characters back on [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] before the attack, but with foreknowledge of what was about to happen. I remember pitching the idea that [William] Adama would have to convince Cain to trust him and then join forces to try to stop the attack.

:All the writers were on a conference call with the show’s creators and executive producers, [[Ron D. Moore|Ron Moore]] and [[David Eick]], and I recall David in particular perking up at the mention of Cain and ''Pegasus''. It quickly became clear that our story would center around Cain’s ship and its own, very different journey in the aftermath of [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|the Cylon attacks]], and with that idea firmly in place the time travel and other kooky stuff quickly fell by the wayside and we began constructing a much more realistic story where our characters’ choices in the face of calamity, rather than through time-travel-enabled hindsight, became the key. But then that’s what ''Battlestar'' has always been about: the pressure of making genuine choices in real, and often horrific situations.<ref name="thewatcher"/>

* ''[[Michelle Forbes]] (Admiral [[Helena Cain]]) discusses [[Gina]]'s betrayal:''

: It was a massive betrayal. This woman is rarely vulnerable with anyone. She doesn’t allow herself that. For her to have taken that step [and become Gina’s lover] and been so ultimately betrayed, it did her head in, it did her heart in.

: She became very misguided at that time. I feel the actions that she took in that misguided place still were along the lines of what she felt she needed to do. And there’s nothing that she did that some world leader has not done.

: It’s very painful, what she did to Gina. There was such a deep sadness, but [for her] duty overrides that sadness, otherwise things don’t get done. There’s a lot of sorrow [in Cain]. It was not a punishment as much of a means to an end.<ref name="watcher-forbes"/>

* ''Forbes on the questions raised in the series:''

: These heightened situations [in ''[[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' bring up] these heightened questions we have to ask. As [Adama] says [[Miniseries, Night 1|in a speech]] [earlier in the series], ‘Are we worthy of survival? Who are we? Who have we become? Have we just become animals and it’s survival at any cost?’ These are important questions to raise.

: I love the fact that they ask these questions but never in a preachy manner. These are painful questions to ask. It’s so relevant it gives me goosebumps sometimes.

: This and ''[[w:The Wire|The Wire]]'' are just the two best written TV shows out there. You can’t just tune in and tune out. It’s not mindless entertainment. Occasionally with ''The Wire'' too I also feel like I need a notebook next to me [laughs]. They’re just fantastic stories with such complexity.

:It’s a very exciting time to be part of television. I feel so fortunate that I’ve been involved in some pretty interesting, odd shows. There are many more cropping up out there.

:[As for ''Battlestar Galactica''] I’ve never guested on a show and walked away a bigger fan. I was so thrilled to see everyone again, I am so fond of this company. They’re lovely people and the crew is fantastic. And this is not just an actor blowing smoke [laughs].<ref name="watcher-forbes"/>

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

*''Admiral [[Helena Cain|Cain]] talks to [[Kendra Shaw]] about her conduct during the crisis:''
:Sometimes we have to do things that we thought we were never capable of, if only to show the enemy our will. Yesterday you showed me that you're capable of setting aside your fear, setting aside your hesitation - and even your revulsion, every natural inhibition that during battle can make the difference between life and death. (opens folding knife.) When you can be this, for as long as you have to be, then you're a razor. (closes knife.) This war is forcing us all to become razors. Because if we don't, we don't survive. And then we don't have the luxury of becoming simply human again. Do you understand me?

*''Opening narration by Kendra Shaw:''
:You're born, you live and you die. There are no do-overs, no second chances to make things right if you frak 'em up the first time. Not in this life anyway.

*''[[Gina]] about Helena Cain and their relationship:''
:She has needs, just like the rest of us. No one can survive entirely on their own. Trust me Lieutenant, in the end, we're all just human.

*''Admiral Cain gives a speech to her crew after the [[Cylon attack]]:''
:This is your admiral. I know there've been a lot of rumors going around...about the destruction that's been visited on our [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|homeworlds]] by the Cylons. I would like to tell you that they're exaggerations, but in fact it can not even come close to convey the horror that's been unleashed upon us. The facts are...that our colonies have been destroyed, our cities have been nuked, and our fleet's gone too. So far there have been no indications of any other survivors. I imagine you're all asking yourselves the same question I am: What do we do now? Do we run? Do we hide? I think those are the easy choices. A philosopher once said "When faced with untenable alternatives you should consider your imperative." Look around you. Our imperative is right here, in our bulkheads, in our planes, in our guns and in ourselves. War is our imperative. And if right now victory seems like an impossibility, then we have something else to reach for: revenge, payback. So we will fight. Because in the end it's the only alternative our enemies have left us. I say let's make these murdering things understand that as long as this crew and this ship survive, that this war, that they started, will not be over. Thank you.

*''[[William Adama|William]] and [[Lee Adama]] discuss Cain's actions:''
:'''William Adama''': I've been going through Cain's log and from a tactical perspective it's hard to find fault in anything she did. Or that Kendra Shaw did.
:'''Lee Adama:''' They [[Scylla|butchered innocent civilians]], Dad. Come on. How can you ignore that?
:'''William Adama:''' I know that I didn't have to face any of the situations that she did. I had the [[Laura Roslin|President]] in my face, arguing for the survival of the [[The Fleet (RDM)|civilian fleet]]. I've Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] keeping me honest, balancing my morality and my tactics. And I had you. Now...you don't have any children, so you might not understand this, but you see yourself reflected in their eyes. And there are some things that I've thought of doing with this fleet, but I've stopped myself, because I knew I'd have to face you the following day.

== Guest Stars ==

* [[Alessandro Juliani]] as Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]] (credit only)
* [[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]] (credit only)
* [[Kandyse McClure]] as [[Anastasia Dualla]] (credit only)
* [[Michelle Forbes]] as Admiral [[Helena Cain]]
* [[Graham Beckel]] as Colonel [[Jack Fisk]]
* [[Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen|Stephanie Jacobsen]] as Lieutenant/Captain/Major [[Kendra Shaw]]
* [[Nico Cortez]] as Young [[William Adama]]
* [[Matthew Bennett]] as [[Number Five]]
* [[Steve Bacic]] as Colonel [[Jurgen Belzen]]
* [[Brad Dryborough]] as Lieutenant [[Hoshi]]
* [[Eileen Pedde]] as Sergeant [[Erin Mathias]]
* [[Fulvio Cecere]] as Lieutenant [[Alastair Thorne]]
* [[Vincent Gale]] as [[Peter Laird]]
* [[Campbell Lane]] as [[First Hybrid|Hybrid]]
* [[Kyra Scott]] as Young [[Helena Cain]]
* [[Chandra Berg]] as Little [[Lucy Cain]]
* [[Peter Flemming]] as Helena's Father
* [[Shaker Paleja]] as Medic [[Hudson]]
* [[Andrew Dunbar]] as Marine [[Dasilva]]
* [[Jacob Blair]] as Squad Leader [[Banzai]]
* [[Peter Bryant]] as [[Frank Bruno]]
* [[Chris Bradford]] as Ops Officer
* [[Tyson Stanley]] as Young [[Marine]]
* [[Trevor Roberts]] as ''[[Scylla]]'' Protestor #1
* [[Cameron Macleod]] as ''Scylla'' Protestor #2
* [[Ingrid Tesch]] as Mother
* [[Joey Pierce]] as Marine [[Riggs]]
* [[Matt Drake]] as Son #1
* [[Dustin Eriksen]] as Son #2
* [[John Hainsworth]] as Man in Cage #1
* [[Victor Ayala]] as Man in Cage #2
* [[Deni Dolory]] as Woman in Cage
* [[Emily Hirst]] as Child in Cage
* [[Ben Cotton]] as Terrified Man
* [[Stefanie von Pfetten]] as Captain [[Marcia Case|Marcia "Showboat" Case]]
* [[Alyssa Minniss]] as Flower Girl
* Uncredited as [[Gus]]

== External Links ==

* Composer [[Bear McCreary]] on the [http://bearmccreary.com/html/blog/blogmain.htm score for "Razor"]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

Battle of the Guardian Basestar

2007-11-25T22:38:08Z

Hmoul: /* Description */ Broken up paragraph into smaller sections for readability

{{expansion}}

{{Battle Data
|image=
|description=Battle of the Guardian Basestar
|conflict=[[Cylon Attack|Second Cylon war]]
|date=Roughly 9 months after the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]]<ref>"[[Razor]]" incorrectly infers this event to occur 10 months after. [[Tom Zarek]] talks about people being cooped up in ships for ''nine'' months at the beginning of "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]", which is after "Razor" in the [[Timeline - Season 3 (RDM)|timeline]].</ref>
|place=In [[FTL|jump]] distance of a supernova event
|result=Colonial victory
|combatant1=Battlestar ''[[Pegasus]]''
|combatant2=[[Guardians]]
|co1=Commander [[Lee Adama]]<ref>While Admiral [[William Adama]] transfers his flag to ''Pegasus'' for the operation, Lee Adama still has overall command.</ref>
|co2=[[First Hybrid]]
|strength1=1 battlestar, [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] squadrons, Raptor, and strike team
|strength2=[[Guardian basestar]]<br/>Unspecified number of Cylon War-era [[Raider (RDM)|Raider]]s<br/>[[Cylon Centurion Model 0005|Centurions]]
|shiploss1= 1 Raptor
|shiploss2=Various Raider losses. Guardian basestar destroyed.
|casualties1=[[Dasilva]] and [[Kendra Shaw]]
|casualties2=Various Centurions<br/>First Hybrid
|prev=[[Battle of the Binary Star System]]
|next=[[Battle of New Caprica]]
|rdm=y
}}

== Description ==
The Battle of the Guardian Basestar was an engagment between the Battlestar Pegasus and the Guardian Basestar. The Pegasus jumps in and launches an attack drawing off the Basestar's Raiders. Pegasus fakes losing FTL Drives by shutting them down and takes off at sublight speed drawing the Raiders futher away. A Raptor jumps in with a rescue team carrying a nuke to destroy the Basestar. Unfortunatly two Raiders nearby spot them and the crew fakes an engine malfunction and abandons ship. The Raiders destroy the [[Raptor]] and break off thinking the crew is dead.

The team makes to the Basestar which they got pretty close to on thruster packs and enter through an airlock. Meanwhile Pegasus is successfully fighting off the Raiders albiet with some damage. The rescue team makes its way to where the captured science team is held and frees them but are attacked by Centurions. One of the team is killed and Major Kendra Shaw is badly wounded. At the same time the ship jams comunications and not knowing if the team is dead or not Commander Lee Adama orders a nuclear missile to be fired at the Basestar. [[Admiral Adama]] orders that not to be done and while the two are trying to figure out what to do communications is restored and Starbuck reveals that the nuke's remote detonator is fried. The only way to set it off is to do it manually.

Apollo thinks of evacuating the team and then launching the Pegasus' nuclear missle but Admiral Adama points out that the Raiders will destroy anything they shoot at the Basestar. Apollo reluctantly orders the team to have someone stay behind and detonate the nuke. Pegasus launches a rescue Raptor which jumps close to the Guardian Basestar and lands in a hanger bay. The team prepare to leave and Starbuck plans to stay but Shaw forces her to leave her behind and has Starbuck join the rest of the team. The Raptor heads back to Pegasus as Shaw makes her way through the ship and comes across the Hybrid's chamber.

The [[Hybrid]] knows she wants redemption for her past actions and tells her to come closer as he has something he needs to tell her. He reveals that Starbuck will lead the Fleet to doom and they musn't follow her. Shaw attempts to contact Pegasus and warn them but can't get the entire message through due to the Cylons jamming her again. She detonates the nuke and the Guardian Basestar is destroyed along with Shaw, the First Hybrid and the entire crew of First War Cylons.

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

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

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

Raider (RDM)

2007-11-25T22:28:55Z

Hmoul: /* Cylon War-era Raider */ data from Razor

:''This article is about the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]] Raider fighter craft. For other versions, see [[Cylon Raider]].''

The '''Raider''' is the primary aerospace attack craft used by the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]] against the peoples of the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies of Kobol]].

==Cylon War-era Raider==
{{Ship Data
| title= Cylon War-era Raider
| image= Original Cylon Raider.jpg
| race= Cylon
| type= Military
| ftl= Yes
| crew= Up to 3 [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005|Centurions]]
| role= Space superiority fighter
| weapons= 2 guns (type unknown)
| length=
| height=
| wingspan=
}}

The original Cylon Raider as seen during the [[Cylon War]] resembled a great flying wing.<ref>This fighter design is an homage to the [[Original Series]] version of the [[Raider (TOS)|Raider]].</ref>

Deployed en masse by the original [[Basestar (RDM)|basestar]], Raiders were used to great effect against [[Galactica type battlestar|battlestars]] and were nearly a match in manueverabilty against their opponent, the [[Viper Mark II]].

Raiders, in combination with basestar missile salvos, destroyed the battlestar ''[[Columbia (RDM)|Columbia]]'' during [[Operation Raptor Talon]] ([[Razor Flashbacks]]).
<div style="clear:both;"></div>

As shown in [[Razor]], a Raider had a crew complement of three Centurions. In the rear cockpit position was a gold-plated Command Centurion that gave orders to the two Cylons that piloted, navigated and handled the weapons.

==Modern Raider==
{{Ship Data
| title= Modern Cylon Raider
| image= bsg-raider-A.jpg
| race= Cylon
| type= Military
| ftl= Yes
| crew= None (biomechanical being)
| role= Space superiority fighter
| weapons= 2 [[Weapons in the Re-imagined Series#Viper and Cylon Raider|Kinetic Energy Weapon]]s, missiles
| length= (approx) 8.94 meters
| height= (approx) 1.52 meters
| wingspan= (approx) 5.59 meters
}}

The modern Raider, radically redesigned but still resembling its past incarnation as a giant flying wing, is first encountered more than 40 years after the [[Cylon War]], when the Cylons launch their devastating [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|surprise attack]] on the [[Twelve Colonies of Kobol]].

The new Raider was initially thought to be wholly mechanical in design, with a high-level AI controlling it. However, following the recovery of a Raider forced down during a firefight and recovered by Lieutenant [[Kara Thrace]] ([[Act of Contrition]]), the new Raider is found to be, in fact, biomechanical in nature ([[You Can't Go Home Again]]), incorporating a number of large organs in its design, including a biomechanical brain. In effect, a modern Raider is a creature in itself.

The Cylon Raider's intelligence level is less than that of a [[humanoid Cylon]]; it is more like a trained animal ([[Six Degrees of Separation]]). Much like the humanoids, the biomechanical Raider pilot's consciousness can be transferred into new "bodies" if it is destroyed. (Whether this process requires a nearby [[Basestar (RDM)|basestar]] or [[Resurrection Ship]] for the transfer is not known, although it is heavily implied in "[[Scar]]" that this is indeed the case.) While this death/rebirth process allows the Raider to "learn" from its mistakes and become a more efficient killing machine, the process can also cause Raiders to fight with deadly, almost human-like tactics ([[Scar]]).

Raider weapon configurations include:
* Conventional and/or nuclear missiles carried in internal wing bays ([[Miniseries]])
* Two [[Weapons in the Re-imagined Series#Viper and Cylon Raider|Kinetic Energy Weapon]]s mounted under the leading edge of the wings

During the Cylon attack, the new Raider could transmit commands to any Colonial vessel utilizing the Command Navigation Program ([[CNP]]). The CNP was compromised prior to the attack, and provides a backdoor that allows the Cylons to shut down Colonial vessels with the CNP, rendering the ships defenseless ([[Miniseries]]).

As with their predecessors in the Cylon War, Raiders also use [[wireless]] transmissions directed at Colonial ships, especially battlestars, to attempt to crack, or infiltrate the ship's computer network. If the cracking is successful, a [[Cylon computer virus|virus]] can be transmitted, which can severely damage or disable many battlestar systems ([[Valley of Darkness]]).

The Raider is equipped with a small-scale [[FTL]] drive system ([[Miniseries]]). Following tests on the Raider captured by ''Galactica'', this FTL system is found to be far more efficient in jump calculations than Colonial FTL systems. The drive shows its accuracy when Lt. Thrace takes the Raider from a point somewhere near the vicinity of [[Kobol (RDM)|Kobol]] back to [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Caprica|Caprica]] in a single jump ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]).

As with its nemesis, the [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]], the Raider is capable of atmospheric operations, which explains why it has retained an aerodynamic shape ([[You Can't Go Home Again]]).

The Raider is known as "sparrow" in Colonial pilot jargon ([[Maelstrom]]).

==Notes==
*Like the [[Raider (TOS)|Original Series Raider]], the weapons fire of the Re-imagined Series Cylon Raiders is bluish-white. The nature of this weapon is, again, more of an homage to the Original Series but, given the series' disuse of "energy weapons", should not suggest that this original Raider used an energy weapon as its Original Series counterpart.

==Concept Drawings==

*These concept drawings are very close to the fully realized versions of what we have seen in the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]]. However, there were, of course, many changes made and these drawings should not be considered completely canon.

<gallery>
Image:Brain1.jpg|''Raider brain cavity''
Image:Brain3.jpg|''Internal workings''
Image:Brain4.jpg|''Front view''
Image:Brain 2.jpg|''Starbuck in brain cavity''
</gallery>

{{Ships}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Cylons]]
[[Category:Cylons (RDM)]]
[[Category:Cylon Craft]]
[[Category:Cylon Craft (RDM)]]
[[Category:Cylon Military]]
[[Category:Cylon Military (RDM)]]
[[Category:Ships]]
[[Category:Ships (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

[[es:Raider Cylon]]
[[de:Zylonischer Jäger (RDM)]]

Razor Flashbacks

2007-11-18T08:14:40Z

Hmoul: /* Episode 7: Escape */ basestar note

:''This page covers the webisode series for "Razor," which follows the exploits of the young [[William Adama]] during the [[Cylon War]]. For the two hour television event, see: "[[Razor]]".''
{{Episode Data
| image=Cylon Facility - Razor Flashbacks.jpg
| title=Battlestar Galactica: Razor Flashbacks
| series=
| special= Y
| season=
| episode=
| guests=
| writer=[[Michael Taylor]]
| story=
| director=[[Wayne Rose]]<br/>[[Felix Alcala]]
| production=
| rating=
| US airdate= 2007-10-05 through 2007-11-16
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| population=
| prev= [[Crossroads, Part II]]
| next= [[Razor]]
}}

'''''Battlestar Galactica: Razor Flashbacks''''' are an online series that aims provide the story of a young [[William Adama]]'s ([[Nico Cortez]]) discovery of a [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] experiment during his time in the first [[Cylon War]]. The webisodes are aimed to lay down the back story for events in [[Season 4 (2008)|Season 4]] that will "threaten him, the crew of the ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' and the survival of the human race". The webisodes can be viewed through the official [http://www.scifi.com/pulse Sci Fi Pulse] (SciFi.com's streaming service) or on the screen during airings of ''[[FlashGordonWiki:Flash Gordon (Sci Fi Channel)|Flash Gordon]]'' on Friday at 9/8 P.M. CT.

The webisode series was written by [[Michael Taylor]], and directed by [[Wayne Rose]] and [[Felix Alcala]]. In fact, these flashbacks were cut out of the "[[Razor]]" television movie due to time constraints, but will be reintegrated in the version of "Razor" for the [[Razor (Region 1 DVD)|Region 1 DVD]].

== Summary ==
===Episode 1: Day 4,571===

[[Image:Razor Flashback 1.jpg|thumb|Young [[William Adama|Bill Adama]] with [[Jaycie McGavin]] on ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]''.]]

* Release date: October 5, 2007
* Running time: ~00:02:30
* SCI FI Pulse link: http://video.scifi.com/player/?id=163960

It is day 4,571 of the First [[Cylon War]]. On board ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'', [[Jaycie McGavin]] and [[William Adama]] are having sex in the [[duty locker]], during which McGavin asks if Adama left his boots out. Adama tells her that he ran into the Commander while he was taking off his boots, which leads into them mocking the commander with one of his apparently [[Nothing but the rain|well-known greetings]].

McGavin and Adama talk before joining a battle to attack an ice planet in the "ass end of nowhere", where a rumored [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] superweapon is allegedly being built. It is defended heavily by the Cylons: three [[Cylon Raider (RDM)|Raider]] wings, ground forces, defensive batteries and nuclear weapons.

Another rumor they talk about is that peace negotiations are in progress and that the Cylons may unexpectedly surrender, which McGavin scoffs as unlikely. She runs off to report to a briefing for [[Raptor Squadron 2]], leaving Adama alone as the ship readies itself for possible nuclear attack.

===Episode 2: The Hangar===

[[Image:Razor Flashback 3.jpg|thumb|[[William Adama]] about to participate in [[Operation Raptor Talon]].]]

* Release date: October 12, 2007
* Running time: ~00:02:41
* SCI FI Pulse link: http://video.scifi.com/player/?id=163980

McGavin returns from her mission badly wounded. Adama tries to reassure her that she will live, but she tells him that he was always a bad liar. After medics carry Gavin to [[sickbay]], Adama is filled with anger against the Cylons and cleared to launch in his [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]].

===Episode 3: Operation Raptor Talon===

[[Image:Operation Raptor Talon.jpg|thumb|Combat over the [[ice planet]] during [[Operation Raptor Talon]].]]

* Release date: October 19, 2007
* Running time: ~00:02:41
* SCI FI Pulse link: http://video.scifi.com/player/?id=163962

Adama and his flight lead, [[Banzai]], engage in bloody dogfights against Raiders as [[Operation Raptor Talon]] commences all around them in orbit of an [[ice planet]]. During the battle, the [[Galactica type battlestar|battlestar]] ''[[Columbia (RDM)|Columbia]]'' is pummeled from [[basestar (RDM)|basestar]] salvos and is subsequently destroyed. Adama then spots two Raiders entering the planet's atmosphere. Out for revenge, Adama engages the two. He shoots down one in the high altitudes. Inside a cloud, he suddenly collides with the other and falls to the ground in his disintegrating craft.

===Episode 4: Free Fall===

[[Image:Razor Flashback 4.jpg|thumb|Free falling [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005|Centurion]] pursuing [[William Adama]].]]

* Release date: October 26, 2007
* Running time: ~00:02:45
* SCI FI Pulse link: http://video.scifi.com/player/?id=163961

As [[William Adama]]'s [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] free-falls through the [[ice planet]]'s atmosphere, Adama manages to eject from a parachute-survivable altitude. However, he is not alone: a lone [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005|Centurion]] survives as well. The Centurion fires at the free-falling Adama, while Adama attempts to return the welcome. Quickly, they become entangled with one another, hand-to-hand fighting as they free-fall. As the Centurion's blade slides out of its arm, Adama pulls the rip cord and escapes, deploying the parachute.

Adama lands safely on the ground, crashing through what appears to be a warehouse sky-window. The Cylon seems to have crashed nearby and Adama wails on the Centurion with a pipe, severing the Centurion's head from its body. Adama wipes off the Centurion's oil and, now armed with the Cylon's weapon, leaves.

===Episode 5: The Lab===
* Release date: November 2, 2007
* Running time: ~00:02:40
* SCI FI Pulse link: http://video.scifi.com/player/?id=163976

Adama begins to explore the facility that he had landed in. As he enters what appears to be a laboratory, he finds evidence of human experimentation and human mutilations. He eventually finds a vat filled with a gelatin-like substance which is reminiscent of the [[resurrection tank]]s or [[Hybrid]] tanks that the later [[humanoid Cylon]]s would use. He kneels down and touches the substance, immediately he begins to hear the voices of torture victims and as he looks back at the tank, abruptly a hand grabs Adama's arm. Then the hand abruptly disappears and the visions and voices are gone, but this causes Adama to fall back onto the ground. A voice is heard, quoting from the [[Pythia]]n prophecies: "All this has happened before and will happen again."

Afterwards, a banging sound is heard from a locked chamber. As Adama approaches the portal window, an unidentified person presses his face against the window and begs for him to release him and the other captives. Adama then attempts to break open the door to the chamber.

===Episode 6: Survivors===
* Release date: November 9, 2007
*Running time: ~00:02:11
* SCI FI Pulse link: http://video.scifi.com/player/?id=163977

While Adama tries to open the door in vain, the man tells him that they are civilians from the Gemenese ship ''[[Diana]]'', whose convoy was attacked by the Cylons, and that there were initially 50 of them who were taken away one by one. The room begins to tremble and then the audience is shown that the warehouse is actually next to a grounded basestar that is preparing to take off. Adama manages to open the door a little bit, but not enough to allow the captives to escape. The man urges Adama to leave them and save himself to tell others of what has happened. Adama finally complies after he realizes that he cannot free the prisoners, and runs out of the laboratory.

===Episode 7: Escape===
* Release date: November 16, 2007
*Running time: N/A
* SCI FI Pulse link: http://video.scifi.com/player/?id=163963

Emerging from the laboratory warehouse, Adama sees the new model basestar lifting off in the distance. Radioing his findings about Cylon experimentation on humans to ''Galactica'', the young pilot is shocked to learn that an armistice has been signed, and the war is over.

The episode then flashes forward to Commander Adama standing amongst the relics of the war in ''Galactica's'' [[Galactica Museum|museum]], two days before [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|the renewed Cylon attack]]. As he reflects, [[Aaron Doral]] approaches to inform him that [[Lee Adama|his son]] has been confirmed as the lead pilot in the flyby planned for the ship's decommissioning ceremony. As Doral leaves, Adama ponders the old Centurion in the display case a little longer.

== Notes ==
* With regard to Sci Fi Pulse, only those in the United States can see these Flashbacks, since the player is region-locked. This means that anyone with an [[w:IP address|IP address]] outside of the United States cannot see the Flashbacks via Sci Fi Pulse. However, there are likely "illegal" versions of these episodes onilne -- because of the illegality of these, Battlestar Wiki cannot and will not furnish links to these unauthorized sources.
* The "[[Nothing but the rain]]" greeting apparently originates with ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'s'' wartime commander (presumably [[Nash (RDM)|Commander Nash]]), which would later be passed down by [[William Adama]] to [[Kara Thrace]].
* The [[Cylon War]] has lasted for the past twelve and a half years.
* Raptors were also in operation during the Cylon War.
* Furthermore, the events of [[Operation Raptor Talon]] are billed as occurring forty-one years prior. This means that they occur 41 years prior to the "current" events of "[[Razor]]", which fall in between "[[The Captain's Hand]]" and "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]".
* Adama's final fight with the Cylon in Episode 4 is reminiscent of the fight he has with Conoy in the [[Miniseries]], using an improvised weapon to bludgeon a slightly disabled Cylon to death, and becoming covered in its "blood."
* It is the first time in the Re-imagined Series that the audience is allowed to view the world through the eyes of an [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005|original Cylon Centurion]]. The pulsing red light inversely moves back and forth within their vision, but they can see everything despite it.
* The zoom out away from ''Galactica'' in Episode 7 is a callback to the very beginning of the [[Miniseries]] where the camera zooms past that moon and into the battlestar.

=== Nods to the Original Series ===
* The reference to an ice planet with a superweapon based on it seems reminiscent of [[Arcta]] in the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]] episode "[[The Gun on Ice Planet Zero, Part I]]". The reckless actions of Adama entering the planet's atmosphere to attack two fleeing Cylons is also reminiscent of the reckless behavior of Viper cadets from that episode.
* The braiding around the uniform collar of the pilots, in addition to the segmented uniform vest, appears inspired by the [[Uniforms (TOS)|Colonial uniforms]] of the Original Series.
** In Episode 2, Adama passes a man in ''Galactica'''s hallway wearing the beige tunic of a [[Uniforms (TOS)#Warrior uniforms|warrior uniform]] from the Original Series, without the brown jacket.
* Episode 3 uses CG models based on designs for the Original Series' Cylon craft, mainly the [[Raider (TOS)|Raider]]s and [[Basestar (TOS)|basestar]].
* Some of the music in Episode 3 contains a melodic line that is a very slowed-down version of a portion of the melody from the Original Series' theme song. This is most noticeable during the first 40 seconds of the episode (prior to a big hit on ''[[Columbia (RDM)|Columbia]]''), and again for a few seconds later in the episode, following the destruction of ''Columbia'' and prior to Adama's decision to pursue two Raiders into the atmosphere of the planet.
* In Episode 4 Adama is fighting a [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005]], which is a close visual match for the Original Series Cylon Centurion, but moves with far more agility and speed. Also, joints and other mechanical elements are exposed in this version, to prevent the Centurion from looking like a man in a robot suit. The sound effect of the Centurion's red eye-scanner is reused from the Original Series.

== Analysis ==
* While ''[[Columbia (RDM)|Columbia]]'' seems to have more armor than ''Galactica'' in some places, such as the starboard flight pod, the ribbing is also visible in several locations, thus indicating that this is a design choice and not a result of deliberate removal of the armor.
* The audience is given the opportunity to see for the first time what type of Viper pilot Adama was in the first Cylon War. It becomes clear that he displays some characteristics that are traditionally known to be part of Starbuck's Viper style. This may indicate part of the reason why he, later on in his life, looks upon Starbuck as a daughter.
* It's implied that the Cylons began to perform human experimentation during the first Cylon War. The multiple body parts and discovered captives point out an interesting irony that the [[Cavil]]s also have pointed out. The Cylons, though machines, are desiring to usurp humanity's position within the universe. Even though the Cylons rebelled and hate their former masters, the laboratory scenes and future humanoid Cylon models, indicate that the Cylons also want to be like humanity.

== Questions ==
* Is the planet that Operation Raptor Talon takes place over the eventual [[Cylon homeworld|homeworld]] of the Cylons?
* Based on the point of view perspective given in Episode 4, what function does the Centurion's pulsing red light perform, if not gathering visual data?
* How many captives are still alive by the time Adama discovers them?
* Why is the basestar in Episode 4 grounded on a planet and not in space? Is it incomplete?
* Why are there no signs of security or Cylons in the laboratory?

== Official Statements ==

Not yet available.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

Not yet available.

== Cast ==
These are listed in the order they appear during the 7 episodes.

{| class="messagebox" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2"
! class="infoboxheader" | '''Cast Member'''
! class="infoboxheader" | '''Character'''
! class="infoboxheader" colspan="7" | '''Episode(s)'''
|-
| [[Edward James Olmos]]
| [[William Adama]]
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 7
|-
| [[Nico Cortez]]
| Young [[William Adama]]
| 1
| 2
| 3
| 4
| 5
| 6
| 7
|-
| [[Allison Warnyca]]
| [[Jaycie McGavin]]
| 1
| 2
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| [[Jacob Blair]]
| Squad Leader [[Banzai]]
|
| 2
| 3
|
|
|
|
|-
| [[Campbell Lane]]
| [[Hybrid]]
|
|
|
|
| 5
|
|
|-
| [[Chris Bradford]]
| Ops Officer <ref>This character is not identified on screen. It is speculated that he is the launch tube officer who supervises Adama's launch in Episode 2.</ref>
|
| 2
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| [[Ben Cotton]]
| Terrified man
|
|
|
|
| 5
| 6
|
|-
| [[Matthew Bennett]]
| [[Aaron Doral]]
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 7
|}

== Crew ==

The full list of cast and crew is up on [http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/razor/credits/ the SciFi.com Razor website].

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

{{episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Behind the Scenes]]
[[Category:Episode Guide]]
[[Category:Episode Guide (RDM)|*]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Michael Taylor]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Félix Enríquez Alcalá]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Wayne Rose]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Basestar (TRS)

2007-10-28T18:46:25Z

Hmoul: /* Notes */ update of armament

:''This article is about the basestar as seen in the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]]. For the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]] version, see [[Basestar (TOS)]].''
{{Ship Data
| image= Basestar.jpg
| title= Basestar
| race= [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]]
| type= Military
| ftl= Yes
| crew= [[Humanoid Cylon]]s, [[Cylon Centurion]]s, the [[Hybrid]]
| role= Carrier / battleship hybrid
| weapons= Nuclear and conventional missiles, Raiders, Heavy Raiders
| img= Y
}}
==Overview==
A '''basestar''' (known interchangeably as a "baseship") is the most prominent example of the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] military presence.

Basestars are approximately the same size as a Colonial [[Galactica type battlestar|battlestar]] but appear to be more technologically advanced.<ref>The official SciFi.com website indicates that basestars "dwarf" a battlestar. However, aired information in season 3, which shows ''Galactica'' and ''Pegasus'' in close proximity to a basestar, contradict SciFi.com's information.</ref> While basestars may have a somewhat longer "footprint" due to their "Y" shape, their mass is similar to most battlestars. They are equipped with a superior [[FTL|jump system]] and no visible means of sublight propulsion, lacking any engine pods or nacelles, but remain capable of chasing down a battlestar ([[Exodus, Part II]]).

Basestars operate a fleet of small fighters called [[Cylon Raider|Raiders]] and are capable of deploying hundreds of these simultaneously (see Related Imagery). The enormous amount of Raiders serve as a basestar's primary point-defense system.

Basestars possess several rooms and hallways, that are sleek but generally bland; Cylons [[Projection|project different environments]] to get around the ship more easily. Data and other functions such as analyzing photographs are handled in literal streams of water that go over a lit up computer glass surface. Cylons can [[Cylon data port|interface with the data by simply placing their hands in the basins]].

==Command and Control==
[[Image:Basestarcontol_306_720p.png|thumb|right|Baseship control room. ([[Torn]])]]
A basestar is operated by many [[humanoid Cylon]]s. Up to [[Torn|all seven models]] of them issue commands for the basestar from a central command and control center. Consensus is typically the normal procedure, although the process of deliberating and voting on decisions may cause the basestar to react more slowly than a battlestar's command and control in a [[CIC]].

A basestar's functions are managed by a partially-humanoid Cylon incorporated into the ship, known as a [[Hybrid]]. The Hybrid, for all respects of identity and control, ''is '' the basestar. The ship is an extension of her body and she is the ship's mind. The Hybrid, despite its humanoid appearance, is not a considered a fellow Humanoid Cylon and lacks voting power as other agents have in Cylon affairs.

A basestar has a [[datastream]], or computer network, which interfaces with the Hybrid and all aspects of the basestar's operation.

==Armaments==

A basestar is capable of launching conventional or nuclear missiles from "turrets" mounted throughout the hubs and central axis that rotate to allow the basestar to fire in any direction<ref>Intelligence Debrief: Cylon Basestar, "Battlestar Galactica: The Official Magazine", June/July 2006, page 56.</ref>. Basestar-launched nuclear strikes against Colonial ships are usually carried out only before Raider deployment. One example of a Cylon nuclear attack involved three Cylon basestars that [[The Captain's Hand|ambush]] the battlestar ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]''. They open their attack firing several nuclear missiles before deploying Raiders and switching to a non-nuclear salvo ([[The Captain's Hand]]).

A basestar's complement of Raiders is estimated as high as 792 fighters<ref>Intelligence Debrief: Cylon Basestar, "Battlestar Galactica: The Official Magazine", June/July 2006, page 56.</ref>, not counting fighters in repair or otherwise offline.

This tactic, along with the massive amounts of Raiders that a basestar can unleash, suggest a reliance on overwhelming force to destroy a foe. It is probable that basestars use nuclear weapons to destroy the bulk of the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]] (using their backdoor in the [[CNP]] to compromise their defenses first) in the opening wave of their [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|destruction of the Colonies]].

After the Colonial commanders draw away their Raider wings, [[Battle of the Resurrection Ship|two basestars are torn apart]] by the kinetic guns of the battlestars ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' and ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' in a joint mission to destroy a Cylon [[Resurrection Ship]]. It would seem that that basestars rely heavily on their Raiders for close-range gun defense through sheer numbers of fighters. Since a basestar does not appear to have batteries (the primary offensive/defensive weapons on battlestars), nor any armoring<ref>Intelligence Debrief: Cylon Basestar, "Battlestar Galactica: The Official Magazine", June/July 2006, page 57.</ref>, basestars appear quite vulnerable to battlestars in close-range combat without Raider fighter support ([[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]).

== Synopsis of Encounters with the Colonial Fleet ==
[[Image:Basestar_above_armistice-station_-_00.04.06.jpg|thumb|left|A basestar above the [[Armistice Station]]]]
* As part of an annual offering of diplomacy, the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]] staffs the [[Armistice Station]] in the hopes that the Cylons will attend, but it goes unfulfilled for forty years. Suddenly, without any warning or detection, a Cylon basestar arrives over the station, and dispatches a [[Humanoid Cylon]] to the station. [[Number Six#Armistice Station Copy|This agent]] accosts the [[Armistice Officer]] as the basestar launches a salvo of missiles and obliterates the station.
<div style="clear: both;"></div>

[[Image:Basestarcaprica-00.56.10.jpg|thumb|right|Basestars over Caprica]]
*Days later, the Cylons begin their genocidal campaign against the Twelve Colonies. In all likelihood, several basestars and their support craft arrived at each Colonial world and deploy nuclear missiles, airbursting them to annihilate the populace. Several basestars orbit the ruined planet of [[Caprica]] as [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Lt. Sharon "Boomer" Valerii]] guides her [[Raptor]] to an emergency landing on the planet during the attack. Boomer's Raptor guides by debris of destroyed Colonial units, including the shattered hulk of a battlestar ([[Miniseries]]).
<div style="clear: both;"></div>

[[Image:Basestar-ragnar-02.38.56.jpg|thumb|left|Two basestars over [[Ragnar]]]]
* A substantial Cylon force consisting of no less than two basestars and several hundred fighters and other small craft converge on [[Ragnar Anchorage]] in an attempt to flush out and destroy the fugitive ships led by the battlestar [[Galactica (RDM)|''Galactica'']]. After transferring as many armaments and supplies as possible from the munitions depot, ''Galactica'' departs the station's surrounding EM storm and presents itself as a shield, allowing [[The Fleet (RDM)|the Fleet]] to slip out and make [[FTL|jumps]] away. The entire contingent of civilian ships escape, as does ''Galactica'' after she and her [[Viper (RDM)|Vipers]] endure a [[Battle of Ragnar Anchorage|thorough pounding]] ([[Miniseries]]).
<div style="clear: both;"></div>

[[Image:Basestar-33-00.21.05.jpg|thumb|right|A basestar attacks ''Galactica''.]]
* Basestars pursue ''Galactica'' and the Colonial Fleet for five full days after the escape from Ragnar. ''Galactica'' spurs the Fleet to stay on the move, executing [[FTL|FTL jump after jump]], only to see the Cylons reappear at each location 33 minutes later ([[33]]). The Cylons had apparently infiltrated the ''[[Olympic Carrier]]'', a civilian starliner, and are able to track it through each successive [[FTL|jump]]. Following the 239th jump, the ''Olympic Carrier'' doesn't immediately rendevous at the jump coordinates, and it is feared the ship is lost. She reappears later, but several indications hint that she has been overtaken by Cylon forces, and the Colonials have no recourse but to destroy the liner. As soon as ''Galactica's'' [[Viper (RDM)|Vipers]] destroy the liner, the basestars arrive on the scene, and the Colonial Fleet executes their 240th jump. The Cylons do not immediately follow, ending the pursuit.
<div style="clear: both;"></div>

[[Image:Basestar_over_kobol_nuked_-_00.32.45.jpg|thumb|left|A basestar over [[Kobol (RDM)|Kobol]] is destroyed]]
* The Fleet eludes further contact with the Cylon forces for several weeks. The planet Kobol is discovered by a single Raptor on a probing reconnaissance mission, and a follow-up mission is planned. The reconnaissance team of three Raptors is surprised by a basestar now in orbit over Kobol, and screening Cylon Raiders obliterate one Raptor while shooting down another and forcing it to crash land on the planet below. The remaining Raptor escapes back to battlestar ''Galactica'', relaying the shocking news. [[William Adama|Commander Adama]] devises a plan to eliminate the basestar, using a Raptor fitted with a [[Cylon transponder]] to deploy a nuclear warhead inside. [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Lt. Sharon "Boomer" Valerii]] is [[Arrow of Apollo|later tasked]] to the mission, accompanied by new ECO [[Margaret Edmondson|Lt. Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]]. En route, the transponder works exactly as planned. Despite their anxiety, the Raptor infiltrates the basestar. The interior view of the basestar that Boomer and Racetrack are afforded is overwhelming – a vast, cavernous void of bio-mechanical components lacking a distinctive floor or ceiling. Surfaces appear organic – fleshy if they were to be touched – resembling the interiors of a Raider. During the deployment of the nuclear warhead, Boomer exits the Raptor and removes her helmet, indicating that the interior space is indeed pressurized and oxygenated, more than likely controlled by ventricle-like airlocks evident during the Raptor's entrance. The pair extricate themselves from inside the basestar, and once outside, detonate the warhead. The annihilation of this basestar represents the first aired instance in the series that Colonial forces successfully destroy a basestar ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]).
<div style="clear: both;"></div>

[[Image:Basestar_-_scattered_-_00.31.44.jpg|thumb|right|''Galactica's'' Vipers on approach to a basestar.]]
* Scant moments after this victory, another basestar ambushes ''Galactica'', causing the crew to perform yet another immediate FTL jump. This haphazard jump (due to mishandled coordinate updates) separates the battlestar from the rest of the Fleet, and a few hours are spent developing a course of action. The decision is made to jump back to her previous location to recalculate the jump coordinates, and upon doing so, the battlestar and the basestar square off in a vicious engagement. During the recalculation, a Cylon [[Heavy Raider]] manages to crash-land on ''Galactica's'' starboard flight pod ([[Scattered]]). After the battlestar jumps away, the basestar too departs the area after sending a detachment of [[Cylon Centurion|Centurions]] to Kobol.
<div style="clear: both;"></div>

[[Image:TheEnemysGateIsDown.jpg|thumb|left|A basestar under attack by ''Galactica'' and ''Pegasus'']]
* Upon the reunion of the Colonial Fleet with the assumed-lost [[Mercury-class Battlestar|battlestar]] ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'', Admiral [[Helena Cain]] reveals that a Cylon fleet, consisting of two basestars and a mysterious unknown ship, has been following ''Galactica'' ([[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]). By way of a bold reconnaissance mission in the Colonial [[Blackbird]], the commanding officers discover the identity of the mysterious vessel to be the Cylon [[Resurrection Ship]] ([[Resurrection Ship, Part I]]). The Colonials concoct an aggressive, intricate plan using stealth, deception, and sheer brute force to [[Attack on the Resurrection Ship|eradicate]] the Resurrection Ship, as well as its escorting basestars. In a brilliant display of firepower, the two battlestars make short work of the two basestars, suffering minimal damage in return ([[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]).
<div style="clear: both;"></div>

[[Image:BinaryStar.jpg|thumb|right|''Pegasus'''s batteries hit a basestar in the Battle of the Binary Star System]]
* Over a month later, and now devoid of their Resurrection Ship, the Cylons deploy basestars in a new tactical fashion. Two Raptors from ''Pegasus'' are lured away from their reconnaissance training mission near a [[Wikipedia:Binary star system|binary star cluster]], the crews killed by carefully venting their crew compartments, and the Raptors set adrift. In his zeal to retrieve the Raptors, newly-promoted [[Barry Garner|Commander Barry Garner]] disregards both [[William Adama|Admiral Adama's]] orders and [[Lee Adama|Major Lee Adama's]] advice and takes ''Pegasus'' to the last known location of the missing craft. ''Pegasus'' deploys two more Raptors to scan the located Raptors. As the rescue Raptors discover the lost Raptors' fate, three basestars pounce upon the Colonials and immediately engage by launching salvos of nuclear missiles — the first time they've done so since the destruction of the Colonies. ''Pegasus'' reels under heavy damage, and only through the heroic self-sacrifice of Commander Garner, the sound direction of Major Adama, and the unwavering support of ''Pegasus's'' Vipers (led by [[Kara Thrace|Captain "Starbuck" Thrace]]) the battlestar survives. As a means of buying time until the disabled FTL drive was repaired, Major Adama directs the battlestar's forward gun batteries to barrage the closest basestar, focusing on the core of it until it is forced to withdraw. ''Pegasus'' indeed survives [[Battle of the Binary Star System|this encounter]], albeit with a substantial amount of damage, but it heralds a less brashly aggressive, more subversively calculative approach by the Cylons ([[The Captain's Hand]]).
<div style="clear: both;"></div>

* The next appearance of basestars comes at the [[Fall of New Caprica|fall of New Caprica]] to Cylon occupation. Several, approximately six or seven, basestars emerge from the planet's shrouding nebula, and in the face of overwhelming strength and numbers, an understaffed Colonial Fleet makes a reluctant jump away, and the Cylons take the planet without firing a shot. The Cylons then task at least two basestars with guarding the surrounding space of the planet.
<div style="clear: both;"></div>

[[Image:BONC.jpg|thumb|left|Basestars attacking ''Galactica'' during the Battle of New Caprica]]

*Four months later during the [[Battle of New Caprica]], ''Galactica'' launches its rescue operation of the humans of New Caprica, two basestars move to combat it without any fighter support as the raiders are otherwise occupied. Soon two more basestars jump and move to engage bringing the total to four. Before long, ''Galactica's'' FTL drives and maneuvering thrusters are disabled, and the port side of the ship reaches its structural limits. Battlestar ''Pegasus'' then arrives with its forward batteries blazing, scoring several hits that destroy one basestar. Commander Lee Adama orders his battlestar towards the basestars to give Galactica time to repair its FTL drive and escape. Later with ''Pegasus'' taking phenomenal damage, Commander Adama orders all hands to abandon ship, using standby Raptors to jump away from the battle. He ensures that the weapons are set to autofire and that the ship is on a collision course with one of the basestars before departing. The damaged, unmanned ''Pegasus'' collides into one basestar, destroying both. The remnants of ''Pegasus’s'' starboard flight pod collide with another of the remaining basestars, destroying it ([[Exodus, Part II]]).
<div style="clear: both;"></div>

[[Image:dyingbasestar_306_720p.png|thumb|right|The infected basestar]]

*A basestar is disabled and presumed dead after it encounters a beacon left near a nebula that marked the way to [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]]. The probe apparently contained a pathogen that infects and kills Cylons of all kinds, be it Raider, Centurion, or agent. The [[Resurrection Ship]] is ordered to jump away from the area and thus resulting in the permanent deaths of the ship's contingent of biological Cylons. It later presumably self-destructs soon after the ''Galactica'' investigation team leaves ([[Torn]]).
<div style="clear: both;"></div>

*Five basestars that have been following the Fleet run into a patrol Raptor manned by [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]] and [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]]. The basestars fail to destroy the Raptor, which jumps away only just in time ([[Crossroads, Part I]]).

*Four basestars jump into the [[Ionian system]] just after the Fleet has recovered from a power surge ([[Crossroads, Part II]]).

==Casualties==

By the end of "[[Crossroads, Part II]]," a total of six basestars are confirmed as destroyed by Colonial forces.
*"[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]" - 1
*"[[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]" - 1
*"[[Exodus, Part II]]" - 3
*"[[A Measure of Salvation]]" - 1

One basestar was heavily damaged and possibly destroyed in "Resurrection Ship, Part II," and another in "The Captain's Hand."

==Notes==
[[Image:Basestarinmuseum.jpg|thumb|right|A model of a [[Cylon War]]-era Cylon [[Basestar (TOS)|basestar]] on display in the defunct museum.]]

*In the [[Miniseries]], ''Galactica'''s new museum displays a model of the Cylon basestar used in the [[Cylon War]]. As it happens, this design is identical to the basestars seen in the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]]. However, despite the identical use of the ship design, the universe of the Re-imagined Series does not use the same weapons as that of the Original Series. As shown in the third episode of [[Razor Flashbacks]] these basestars were armed with missile batteries. The museum also displays a deactivated [[Cylon Centurion Model 0005]]--again, the same design of Cylon warrior as used in the Original Series, and indicated in the episodes as the Cylons seen in the Cylon War of the Re-imagined Series continuity.

*Beginning with the episode "[[Collaborators]]", a new exterior design [http://media.battlestarwiki.org/wiki/Image:Change.jpg] was implemented for the basestars, bearing a sharper, more mechanical look than they previously had. This was apparently an upgrade by the VFX crew to make the exterior mirror more the interior design, which we saw for the first time in that episode.
<div style="clear: both;"></div>

== Related Imagery ==

<gallery>
Image:Bsraidersrelease1.jpg|[[Cylon Raider|Raiders]] being released    
Image:Bsraidersrelease2.jpg|[[Cylon Raider|Raiders]] being released    
Image:Bsraidersrelease3.jpg|[[Cylon Raider|Raiders]] being released    
Image:Bsmissiles.jpg|''Basestar'' launching missiles    
</gallery>

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

{{Ships}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Cylons]]
[[Category:Cylons (RDM)]]
[[Category:Cylon Craft]]
[[Category:Cylon Craft (RDM)]]
[[Category:Cylon Military]]
[[Category:Cylon Military (RDM)]]
[[Category:Ships]]
[[Category:Ships (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

{{featured article candidate previous}}

[[de:Basisschiff]]
[[zh:基地之星 (RDM)]]

Cylon Centurion Model 0005

2007-10-28T18:36:35Z

Hmoul: /* Notes */ typo

:''This article discusses the robotic Cylons seen in the [[Cylon War]] of the [[Re-imagined Series]]. For information on the robotic Centurions from the [[Original Series]], see [[Centurion (TOS)]]. For information on the advanced successor to Model 0005, see [[Cylon Centurion]].''

[[Image:Centurion_armor_old.jpg|thumb|Cylon Centurion (Armor) on display ([[Miniseries]]).]]

The '''original Cylon Centurion'''<ref>This model is identical in appearance to the [[Original Series]] version of the [[Centurion (TOS)|Centurion]] as an [[w:homage|homage]] to the original characters. Except for the [[Galactica Museum|museum copy]], this version has not appeared in any episode of the Re-imagined Series.</ref>, created and designed by scientists of the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies of Kobol]], is a model of [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] used in various heavy to light labor and military applications.<ref>Some information was gleaned from the paperwork on the [[Cimtar Peace Accord]] reviewed by the [[Armistice Officer]] in the [[Miniseries]].</ref> Before the [[Cylon War]], the model earned the nickname of "walking chrome [[toaster]]s" due to their physical appearance ([[Miniseries]]).

== Design ==
The original Model 0005 are bipedal [[w:android|androids]]. Physically stronger than a human, the Model 0005 is designed with sufficient dexterity for using weapons as well as tools.

This model averages 6-foot, 6-inches in height and is silver chrome in color. It is neither a fast model nor extremely efficient, due to its bulk. Its iconic feature is the one Cylon "eye" that glows red and pulsates back and forth in a visor-like slot.

==Demeanor==

The Colonial-designed Centurion used [[Silica pathways|artificial intelligence]], and was designed as sentient.<ref>[[William Adama]] and [[Sharon Agathon]] confirm this point in season 3 episodes that explain why the advanced successors to the Model 0005 are not sentient: To prevent an intra-Cylon uprising between the [[Humanoid Cylon]]s and their creations.</ref>

[[Image:Razor Flashback 4.jpg|thumb|right|Centurion aiming its gun in free fall ([[Razor Flashbacks]]).]]
Sometime, 52 years prior to the Fall of the Colonies, the Model 0005 rebels against humanity. For twelve years, the [[Cylon War]] pits the Colonial's constructs against them. Eventually, these models accept an [[Cimtar (RDM)|armistice]] and leave the Colonies to form their own homeworld.

[[Saul Tigh]], a veteran of the Cylon War, recalls the Cylon boarding of the ''[[Brenik]]'', and how he could sense the hatred that the Cylons had for humanity, despite the physical inability for the Cylons to show emotion on their faces (deleted scene from "[[Scattered]]"). This reflection of animosity and intensity is also apparent in the stylized [[Monclair]] painting in [[William Adama]]'s quarters, which shows Model 0005s fighting using relatively primitive weapons.

Before the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|second]] Cylon conflict, this original Cylon model was the only Cylon design known to the Colonials. With the destruction of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol, the Model 0005 is apparently no longer in use, as the Cylons have evolved themselves to the enhanced, agile, non-sentient [[Cylon Centurion|Centurion version]] and the sentient [[humanoid Cylon]]s.

== Connection to the Original Series ==
[[Image:Cylon_centurion_model_0005.jpg|thumb|[[Armistice Officer]]'s paper work on the original Cylon Centurion model. ([[Miniseries]]) Credit: Universal Studios]]

The readable text of the [[Armistice Officer|Armistice Officer's]] Cylon Specifications sheet shows:

:'' <center><b>CYLON SPECIFICATIONS</b></center>''
:'' <center><b>Cylon Centurian </b><ref>There is some debate among fans regarding the canonical spelling of this model's name. [[Wikipedia:Centurion (Roman army)|Centurion]]s were professional officers of the Roman Army, and are widely acknowledged as the basis of the Cylon name. Some official material, such as the on-screen appearance of the Armistice Officer's datasheet and the packaging of the original Mattel action figures, used the spelling "Centurian." For the purposes of this wiki, the spelling "Centurion" is used throughout.</ref>[sic]<b> Model 0005</b></center>''
: ''<b>The Cylon:</b>

<blockquote>''A Cylon is a bipedal robot. They are self-aware, and usually quite logical. They are not especially fast, but they are quite strong. They are artificial in nature, and are larger than a human, around 6' 6" (2m), although this varies with their type. Cylon eyes glow red, and pulse back and forth. A Cylon is powered by internal powercells which allow it to function without outside aid for around nine to ten [[yahren]]s.<ref>A [[Continuity errors (RDM)|continuity error or gaffe]] appears in the Armistice Officer's documents with the use of the word "yahren" (an [[Original Series]] measure of a year).</ref>''</blockquote>

==Notes==

*A Centurion in the [[Razor Flashbacks]] moves with more agility and speed than its Original Series counterparts and uses a [[Weapons in the Re-imagined Series#Handheld_weapons|projectile weapon]] instead of a [[laser pistol]].

*A built-in switchblade knife is part of the left hand/forearm. The blade is approximately 8 inches long and is used in close combat [[Razor Flashbacks]]

*In a scene in the [[Miniseries]], some children can be seen running around in costumes which are patterned after this model.

*The typical catchphrase of the Cylons in both series is the iconic statement "[[By your command]]."

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

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

[[de:Zenturier Modell 0005]]

Cylon Centurion Model 0005

2007-10-28T18:36:13Z

Hmoul: /* Notes */ built-in knife

:''This article discusses the robotic Cylons seen in the [[Cylon War]] of the [[Re-imagined Series]]. For information on the robotic Centurions from the [[Original Series]], see [[Centurion (TOS)]]. For information on the advanced successor to Model 0005, see [[Cylon Centurion]].''

[[Image:Centurion_armor_old.jpg|thumb|Cylon Centurion (Armor) on display ([[Miniseries]]).]]

The '''original Cylon Centurion'''<ref>This model is identical in appearance to the [[Original Series]] version of the [[Centurion (TOS)|Centurion]] as an [[w:homage|homage]] to the original characters. Except for the [[Galactica Museum|museum copy]], this version has not appeared in any episode of the Re-imagined Series.</ref>, created and designed by scientists of the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies of Kobol]], is a model of [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] used in various heavy to light labor and military applications.<ref>Some information was gleaned from the paperwork on the [[Cimtar Peace Accord]] reviewed by the [[Armistice Officer]] in the [[Miniseries]].</ref> Before the [[Cylon War]], the model earned the nickname of "walking chrome [[toaster]]s" due to their physical appearance ([[Miniseries]]).

== Design ==
The original Model 0005 are bipedal [[w:android|androids]]. Physically stronger than a human, the Model 0005 is designed with sufficient dexterity for using weapons as well as tools.

This model averages 6-foot, 6-inches in height and is silver chrome in color. It is neither a fast model nor extremely efficient, due to its bulk. Its iconic feature is the one Cylon "eye" that glows red and pulsates back and forth in a visor-like slot.

==Demeanor==

The Colonial-designed Centurion used [[Silica pathways|artificial intelligence]], and was designed as sentient.<ref>[[William Adama]] and [[Sharon Agathon]] confirm this point in season 3 episodes that explain why the advanced successors to the Model 0005 are not sentient: To prevent an intra-Cylon uprising between the [[Humanoid Cylon]]s and their creations.</ref>

[[Image:Razor Flashback 4.jpg|thumb|right|Centurion aiming its gun in free fall ([[Razor Flashbacks]]).]]
Sometime, 52 years prior to the Fall of the Colonies, the Model 0005 rebels against humanity. For twelve years, the [[Cylon War]] pits the Colonial's constructs against them. Eventually, these models accept an [[Cimtar (RDM)|armistice]] and leave the Colonies to form their own homeworld.

[[Saul Tigh]], a veteran of the Cylon War, recalls the Cylon boarding of the ''[[Brenik]]'', and how he could sense the hatred that the Cylons had for humanity, despite the physical inability for the Cylons to show emotion on their faces (deleted scene from "[[Scattered]]"). This reflection of animosity and intensity is also apparent in the stylized [[Monclair]] painting in [[William Adama]]'s quarters, which shows Model 0005s fighting using relatively primitive weapons.

Before the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|second]] Cylon conflict, this original Cylon model was the only Cylon design known to the Colonials. With the destruction of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol, the Model 0005 is apparently no longer in use, as the Cylons have evolved themselves to the enhanced, agile, non-sentient [[Cylon Centurion|Centurion version]] and the sentient [[humanoid Cylon]]s.

== Connection to the Original Series ==
[[Image:Cylon_centurion_model_0005.jpg|thumb|[[Armistice Officer]]'s paper work on the original Cylon Centurion model. ([[Miniseries]]) Credit: Universal Studios]]

The readable text of the [[Armistice Officer|Armistice Officer's]] Cylon Specifications sheet shows:

:'' <center><b>CYLON SPECIFICATIONS</b></center>''
:'' <center><b>Cylon Centurian </b><ref>There is some debate among fans regarding the canonical spelling of this model's name. [[Wikipedia:Centurion (Roman army)|Centurion]]s were professional officers of the Roman Army, and are widely acknowledged as the basis of the Cylon name. Some official material, such as the on-screen appearance of the Armistice Officer's datasheet and the packaging of the original Mattel action figures, used the spelling "Centurian." For the purposes of this wiki, the spelling "Centurion" is used throughout.</ref>[sic]<b> Model 0005</b></center>''
: ''<b>The Cylon:</b>

<blockquote>''A Cylon is a bipedal robot. They are self-aware, and usually quite logical. They are not especially fast, but they are quite strong. They are artificial in nature, and are larger than a human, around 6' 6" (2m), although this varies with their type. Cylon eyes glow red, and pulse back and forth. A Cylon is powered by internal powercells which allow it to function without outside aid for around nine to ten [[yahren]]s.<ref>A [[Continuity errors (RDM)|continuity error or gaffe]] appears in the Armistice Officer's documents with the use of the word "yahren" (an [[Original Series]] measure of a year).</ref>''</blockquote>

==Notes==

*A Centurion in the [[Razor Flashbacks]] moves with more agility and speed than its Original Series counterparts and uses a [[Weapons in the Re-imagined Series#Handheld_weapons|projectile weapon]] instead of a [[laser pistol]].

*A built-in switchblade knife is part of the left hand/forearm. The blade is approximately 8 inches long and is used in close combat [[Razor Flachbacks]]

*In a scene in the [[Miniseries]], some children can be seen running around in costumes which are patterned after this model.

*The typical catchphrase of the Cylons in both series is the iconic statement "[[By your command]]."

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

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

[[de:Zenturier Modell 0005]]

Crossroads, Part I

2007-03-30T22:05:14Z

Hmoul: /* Teaser */ expansion of teaser ending

{{Episode Data
| title= Crossroads, Part I
| image= 3x19-CrossroadsPartI-TrialJudges.jpg
| season= 3
| episode= 19
| guests=
| writer= [[Michael Taylor]]
| story=
| director= [[Michael Rymer]]
| production= 319
| rating=
| US airdate= 2007-03-18
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| population=
| prev= [[The Son Also Rises]]
| next= [[Crossroads, Part II]]
| 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%253D219291493%2526id%253D200852806%2526s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30
}}

== Overview ==
:''Baltar's trial commences, with the prosecution presenting evidence of treason committed on [[New Caprica]] amid controversial testimonies from Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] and President Roslin.''

== Summary ==
===Teaser===
*[[Laura Roslin]], significantly different in dress and hairstyle, is walking through what appears to be the [[Opera House]]. She searches for and finds little [[Hera Agathon]] walking through the hallways, unable to reach her.
*Also following Hera is her mother [[Sharon Agathon]], who does not appear pleased to see Roslin in pursuit. Both women run down the stairs towards Hera.
*As they turn the corner, a [[Number Six]] in white clothing catches Hera and starts a movement as if to turn. There is a dark figure in the indistinct shadows behind her.
*Roslin wakes up. This has been a dream, though it bears a strong resemblance to Roslin's [[Chamalla|Chamalla extract]] induced visions of the past.
*The [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] is en route to the [[Ionian nebula]], but it is still several days away.
*Colonel [[Saul Tigh]] is trying to tune into [[Talk Wireless]] or music in [[Joe's bar]]. [[Brendan Costanza]], [[Diana Seelix]] and [[Samuel Anders]] are playing [[Pyramid (RDM)|Pyramid]]. Anders notes Tigh's attempts to find the music.
*[[Tory Foster]] speaks with [[Cassidy]], the prosecuting attorney in [[Gaius Baltar]]'s trial. Foster's assertion that [[Epiphanies|Roslin witnessed Baltar and a Six on Caprica]] doesn't convince Cassidy, who stresses the need for hard evidence and the fact that Baltar is only being tried for the charges that can be proved.
*Meanwhile, in the brig, Baltar is visited by a member of the press, who wants to give him a picture of her son, who she claims is sick—she also claims, much to Baltar's bemusement, that Baltar is capable of saving her son by Baltar's simply blessing him. He refuses until she forces it onto him before the [[Colonial Marine Corps|marine]]s remove her.
*Baltar comments that she is the 5th or 6th person to visit in such a manner while [[Virtual beings|virtual Six]] appears to console the emotionally tortured Baltar, noting that an additional 30 to 40 people have written him letters.

===Act 1===
*[[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]] and [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]] are conducting reconnaissance to see if any Cylons are following the Fleet's jumps. Her [[Raptor]] hides behind an asteroid as they play [[Triad (RDM)|cards]] and wait.
*The trial begins. Cassidy asks the courtroom how loss is measured.
*She notes the number of people who settled on New Caprica, the number who escaped in the [[Second Exodus]] and the number lost: 5,197 left behind, killed or otherwise missing.
*The attorney claims that the trust put in Baltar was gravely misplaced, and that the ultimate price must be paid.
*[[Romo Lampkin]], Baltar's attorney, immediately asks to change the plea to guilty as a ploy to use reverse psychology to claim that the power of [[w:Mob rule|mob rule]] is trying to sway opinion in the court.
*Lampkin claims that President Roslin is seeking vengeance on Baltar for [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II|her lost election]], and claims that the [[New Caprica]]ns were victims of a hopeless battle. Baltar's decision to surrender to the Cylons had saved lives, he claims, versus what Lampkin claims Roslin would have done -- stand and fight.
*Back on Racetrack's Raptor, five [[Basestar (RDM)|baseships]] suddenly appear and attack. Racetrack's [[FTL]] drive barely comes online in time to allow them to escape an incoming missile.
*Back on ''[[Galactica]]'', in [[CIC]], Admiral [[William Adama|Adama]] orders a scan for any [[Cylon transponder|tracking devices]] that may have been left on Fleet ships during the New Caprica siege. At the same time [[Tory Foster]] hands Roslin a cup and a thermos can. Roslin insists on asking the incarcerated [[Caprica-Six]] for information. When Tigh objects, Roslin snaps back, uncharacteristically.
*[[Lee Adama]] enters CIC near Roslin, who is collecting herself in the Weapons Control station. He notices Roslin's cup, which she left on the table, and smells it, detecting something unexpected.
*Caprica-Six is questioned. She suggests that the [[Daru Mozu|fuel ship]] is being tracked by a unique radiation signature emitted by the ship. The [[Virtual beings|virtual Baltar]] appears and convinces her not to cooperate further. Caprica Six retaliates to Tigh's interrogation by recalling [[Ellen Tigh]], inciting Tigh to strike her, and Six to strike back before [[Marine]]s intervene and shackle the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]].

===Act 2===
*In court, Tigh is questioned, and asked if Baltar appeared to help the [[New Caprica Resistance|resistance]] in any way. Tigh is noticeably drunk. When questioned about Ellen, Tigh acknowledges her involvement but becomes more withdrawn.
*Lampkin cross-examines about the [[NCP]] [[Precipice|initiation bombing]] and how the resistance attempted to target Baltar. Lampkin continues to question about Ellen Tigh's [[Exodus, Part I|collaboration]] by asking Colonel Tigh if his wife was a collaborator, muddying the differences between Ellen Tigh and Baltar. Lampkin points out that Tigh appears drunk. Matters turn to the worst when Tigh begins to hear the music.
*Tigh is asked the nature of Ellen's death, and Tigh resolutely answers, claiming that Baltar's inaction made him kill his wife. He reflects a portion of his wife's [[Exodus, Part II|last words]] to tell how he would do anything to have Baltar killed. Tigh begins to show increasingly signs of anger as the music in his head continues to increase in volume.
*In Joe's Bar, Anders turns a eye to strange noises from the bar's public wireless and shares a look with Foster.
*Under testimony, Roslin notes the execution of 200 people under Cylon tyranny.
*Lampkin attempts to get Lee Adama to give some insight about Roslin's testimony and Roslin herself, instead of being a passive observer who is simply satisfied in embittering his father.
*Lampkin attempts to play to Lee Adama's sense of justice by putting him between two difficult decisions. One being the betrayal of Roslin and his father, or putting his words about justice into action by sharing the personal information with Lampkin.

===Act 3===
*Admiral Adama drags the drunken Tigh to his quarters. The Fleet is nine jumps away from the nebula, and repairs are being made to the fuel ship to keep it from being tracked.
*Tigh says that he can't "smell her anymore" and apologizes for his actions in court. Adama replies that, as his [[Scattered|oldest friend]], he could never embarrass him.
*In the admiral's quarters, Major Adama suggests the idea of sending the fuel ship on a different course to throw off the Cylons temporarily, and the admiral coldly takes it under advisement.
*The two Adamas verbally spar. Admiral Adama angrily accuses his son of helping Lampkin by telling him about what Tigh did to Ellen.
*In response, Major Adama resigns from military duty, while his father accepts the resignation in anger.
*The mood is tense in court when, instead of Lampkin, Lee Adama asks to address the court.
*Lee Adama (in civilian dress) questions President Roslin, but asks if it was Baltar that [[Epiphanies|saved her from cancer]]. When Admiral Adama objects, Lampkin asks for hostile witness latitude, which is given.
*Roslin tells how the cancer was cured. When asked what medications she was currently taking, she says "I don't remember." Asked specifically about [[chamalla]] use, and if she has had hallucinations recently, Roslin counters in the affirmative but notes how it [[Home, Part II|provided the first clues to Earth]] as well as noting Lee Adama's own involvement.
*Before Lee Adama asks his next question, Roslin whispers to him: "Don't do this." He then asks if she was taking chamalla again.
*Admiral Adama tries to overrule the line of questioning but other tribunal judges overrule him, forcing Roslin to answer. She recalls [[Miniseries, Night 1|her fondness for Lee Adama's early leadership]], how calling him "Captain Apollo" way back then had a nice ring to it, but how sad she was at how his behavior has changed.
*Adama notes that chamalla can be sweetened to mask its bitter taste, recalling the cup of tea that Tory gave Roslin at ''Galactica'''s CIC, which gave him the clue to her use of the drug.
*Roslin confirms that she is taking chamalla again. She then challenges counselor Adama to finished what he had started with his last question. When he asks her why was taking the drug again, she tells the court that she is taking the drug again because her cancer has returned.

===Act 4===
*[[Anastasia Dualla]] packs her bags and leaves her husband in disgust over his questioning of Roslin and his usage of the justice system she believes should be dismantled and rebuilt to make it work again.
*On ''[[Colonial One]]'', reporters pepper President Roslin about her cancer, how it will be treated, and if she planned on using Hera Agathon's blood again. The line of questioning infuriates Foster, but Roslin asks her to leave the press conference. When [[Karen Fallbrook]] asks how long the President has to live, an unflinching Roslin repeats the same question at the reporter, leaving Fallbrook speechless.
*After the press conference, Roslin angrily criticizes her aide, complaining that Foster is off her game. Foster claims that she hasn't been sleeping well.
*In his quarters, the drunken Tigh still hears the mysterious music and tries to track its source.
*[[Helo]] arrives in CIC as interim [[Executive officer]] and finds Lt. [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]], who briefs him. The [[tylium]] fuel ship decoy plan is nearing completion, but there are no further reports of Cylon forces. Three jumps from the nebula.
*Helo remembers a certain smell in the air when trouble was brewing, recalling the weather on Caprica. He believes "something over the horizon" is coming, something that doesn't bode well for the Fleet. "A storm is coming," he says.
*The music that Tigh, Anders, and Foster are hearing appears to be coming from the ship itself.

===Bonus Scene===

* Lee Adama asks Lampkin, "You know he's guilty, right?". Lampkin appeals to Adama's sense of justice, stating that everyone is guilty of something and there is a difference between guilt and criminality.

== Questions ==

* Did Tigh continue drinking all the time, or did he stop for a while after he seemingly pulled himself together again?
* Why does Anders pursue being a pilot?
* Is there a budding romance developing between Anders and Seelix? ([[Crossroads, Part II|Answer]])
* What will Seelix and Anders' callsigns be?
* What is the mysterious music and where is it coming from?
* Why are Tigh, Anders, and Foster apparently the only ones who can hear the ever-increasing music? ([[Crossroads, Part II|Answer]])
* Is the music's loudness and clarity increasing because the Fleet is approaching the Ionian nebula?
* Is Roslin back on using chamalla extract because of prescription from Cottle or is she attempting to receive visions of the future again?
* Did Athena or Caprica-Six receive the same vision that Roslin found herself in during the teaser of the episode? ([[Crossroads, Part II|Possible answer]])
* Who is the shadowy figure behind the Six in Roslin's vision?
* Who is the Six in Roslin's vision? Caprica-Six or Baltar's virtual Six?
* Would Athena and Helo be willing to donate some of Hera's blood to save Roslin from her cancer?
* Barring any effective treatment, how long does Roslin have to live?
* With Helo temporarily assigned as XO, who has replaced him as CAG? Or is he temporarily holding down both posts?
* Why does Roslin look so different in her dream?
* Will Baltar take the stand? ([[Crossroads, Part II|Answer]])
* Will Caprica Six take the stand? ([[Crossroads, Part II|Answer]])
* Where is Zarek in the midst of the trial proceedings?
* How is Caprica's virtual Baltar aware of the details of Saul and Ellen Tigh's relationship and Ellen's death?
* Why has Adama waited so long to order a sweep of tracking devices throughout the Fleet?

== Analysis ==

* [[Samuel Anders]] wears a uniform with rank insignia and hangs around with Seelix and Costanza. Together with being addressed as "you [[nugget]]s", this indicates that he joined the pilot training program.
* The Cylons have apparently been tracking the fleet since the destruction of the Temple of Five. Their strategy was to delay jumping into any system that the Fleet has been until after six plus hours to ensure that the Fleet would not realize that they were being tracked.
* Adama's military experience comes into play again when he orders that the decoy Raptor stay for a total of 12 hours. This is reminiscent of his previous strategies such as the decision to attack the Cylon tylium factory in "[[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]." When he changes the regular pattern and stays longer than the Cylons had expected, he finally catches them in the act.
* Lee Adama immediately displays signs of fear once Roslin challenges him to "finished what you(he) started" after asking her if she is taking chamalla again. This indicates that either he suspected that Roslin's cancer has returned or he was beginning to feel that his actions are treacherous.
*This is not the first time that a belief in taking a principled but unpopular stand in fact leads Lee Adama into a morally dubious area. Ironically one such decision also involves Laura Roslin - Lee's decision to mutiny against his father when the then Commander Adama tries to remove Roslin from office during the events of "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]". He almost precipitates a gun battle aboard ''Colonial One'' when he mutinies against Colonel Tigh, who is commanding the strike team sent to arrest Roslin, who ultimately surrenders and does not back the younger Adama's move. This suggests a continuous personality trait of failing to judge the consequences of a headstrong pursuit of a perceived moral cause. Soon after, Lee exhibits a similar late realization of the dangerous moral territory he wandered into when he hesitates and ultimately finds himself unable to advocate a widespread mutiny against his father's leadership over the wireless ([[The Farm]]).
* Helo's comment to Gaeta about a "'storm is coming'" highlights Adama's comment to him at the end of "[[The Woman King]]", specifically to how Helo has been many times the voice in the wilderness. His ability to sense or remember certain details hails back to the final scene in "[[Rapture]]" when he remembers that Thrace had painted the picture of the mandala. It's also similar to his wife predicting that "Something dark is coming" in "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]".
* Lampkin's opening statement is another prime example of his rhetorical skill. He uses reverse psychology to goad the mob to respond and eventually lead one man in the audience to state his desire to see Baltar die. This display of emotion played in Lampkin's favor as it would make the judges wary of giving into the mob mentality. Secondly, he cleverly paints Roslin as a fanatic by proposing that had Roslin been president when the Cylons invaded New Caprica, the entire human race would have been exterminated. However, as [[Precipice|Zarek has stated to Roslin]], if she had been President, the settlement and eventual invasion of New Caprica would have never taken place.
** The opening statement opens like the opening statement in the film "[[Wikipedia:The Devil's Advocate (film)|The Devil's Advocate]]".
* It appears the closer the Fleet is to the nebula, Tigh, Anders, and Foster hear the music increasingly, even, at least in the case of Foster, to the point of exhaustion.
* Tory Foster appears to be losing it to some extent based on her declining grooming and snappish attitude toward the reporters. Roslin tells her she can be replaced by someone that can handle the pressure and at least run a comb through their hair once a week.
* There is a growing movement in the Fleet that believes Baltar has some sort of healing or divine abilities. His internal-Six doesn't allow him to brush off these devoted followers aside, indicating that his belief about himself that he is the "Chosen One" is coming true.
* Lee Adama's actions towards his father and Roslin have led to another impasse between himself and Dualla. Lee Adama has come to a point where he has been alienated from his father, from Roslin, and his wife, in an attempt to gain some sort of respect from Lampkin and to act in accordance with his noble conceptions of justice by following in his grandfather's footsteps.
* Lee Adama's words to the pilots in "[[A Day in the Life]]" come back to haunt Racetrack when the Cylons jump on top of her Raptor right after the end of a card game. The ship's systems apparently had been powered down as Racetrack can't even maneuver or evade the missile to give the FTL drive a few more moments to spin up.
* Baltar is only being tried for crimes that the prosecution believes can be proven. He is therefore not being tried for the genocide of humanity that occurred during the [[Miniseries]]. Although the show's audience knows his involvement, none of the primary characters in the series who give testimony have to date any hard evidence of his complicity, beyond Laura Roslin's hallucination whilst dying of cancer in "[[Epiphanies]]". This is acknowledged before, when she tries to challenge Baltar about the settlement of New Caprica. She tells him that she saw him together with Six, but knows that she has no concrete evidence ([[Lay Down Your Burdens]]).
* [[Cassidy]]'s numbers for the surviving human population are contradictory. It seems that the number the writers arrived at for the surviving humans only refers to the ''civilian'' population of the Fleet, excluding the military personnel. The regular survivor count in "[[Collaborators]]" is higher. The second confusion stems from her saying "the sum total of survivors [...] who settled on New Caprica". This clearly means only the people down on the planet. However her number of 44,035 also includes the ''total'' population left in orbit, both military and civilian. This writing error makes her statement that 5,197 people were lost entirely inaccurate, but aside from that the numbers fit with what has been established before (see: [[Survivor Count]]):
**41,435 (Collaborators) - 38,838 = 2,597 (the military personnel in the Fleet)
**44,035 - 39,192 (the inhabitants of [[New Caprica City]]) = 4,835 (the total population in orbit)
**4,835 - 2,597 = 2,238 (Lee Adama refers to roughly 2,000 civilians who escaped New Caprica in "[[Precipice]]")
**49,550 (count in "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]") - 39,192 - 4,835 (total population in orbit) = 5,523 (the death toll prior to the occupation, mostly incurred with the destruction of ''Cloud Nine'')
**49,550 - 5,523 - 41,435 = 2,592 (the causalities of the Cylon occupation and the escape from New Caprica)

== Notes ==

*The episode has one of the most sparse musical score yet. The only major pieces are during Roslin's dream at the beginning and the music Tigh keeps hearing. According to a [http://bearmccreary.com/html/blog/blogmain.htm blog entry] by composer [[Bear McCreary]], director [[Michael Rymer]] and the editors decided not to use any music during the court room part, in order to let the scenes speak for themselves.
*It's the first episode without an intro sequence, thus increasing the effective running time a little bit. Because of that, no updated [[Survivor Count]] is available.
*The bitterness of chamalla and that it can be sweetened to make it taste better, is first mentioned by the oracle [[Dodona Selloi]] in "[[Exodus, Part I]]".
*One of the shots of others listening to the trial on the [[wireless]] shows the [[refinery ship]] from "[[Dirty Hands]]".
*A storm is often used as a metaphor for a battle, conflict, or massive upheaval in science fiction. Helo's final line in this episode is almost an exact duplicate of the ending of the movie ''"[[w:The Terminator|The Terminator]]"'', and is very similar to the warning issued by the prophetess in ''"[[w:The Stand|The Stand]]"''. A huge storm (a sandstorm) also takes place during the climax of the novel ''"[[w:Dune (novel)|Dune]]"''.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

* ''The showdown of the Adamas:''
: '''[[Lee Adama]]''': I refuse to serve under someone that questions my integrity.
: '''[[William Adama]]''': And I refuse to have an officer under my command that doesn't have any.

== Official Statements ==
Notes from the podcast:

* The opening teaser is indeed set in the Kobol Opera House that has been seen numerous times. This particular scene in the teaser was a late addition as the director and producers wanted to create a foreboding atmosphere to the episode. This was influenced by the fact that the studio executives were not favorable to the idea of ending the season with Baltar's trial.

* RDM goes more into the original trial storyline that involved the Saggitarons and Baltar. In summary, during their time on New Caprica, the food supply had been contaminated and a famine had fallen on most of the colonists, except the Saggitarons, who had been very careful with their harvests and supplies. This alienation between the Saggitarons and the rest of the colonies came to a collision when Baltar was attempting to have the Saggitaron leadership share their food with the other colonists. Unfortunately, Baltar is forced to kill one of the leaders, and thus began the riots and slaughter directed towards the Saggitarons. This killing was to be eventually revealed that it was a necessity instead of an act of genocide.

* Another component of the original storyline was to have Lee Adama be Baltar's only attorney and Lee's morals come into play when he obtains a video recording of Baltar actually shooting the Saggitaron leader. The cliff hanger of the episode was suppose to leave the audience wondering what will Lee do now that he believes Baltar is guilty.

* Over time, RDM and the director agreed that this storyline involved too many plot elements that the audience had never witnessed about Baltar. Once the decision was made, RDM completely revised the whole trial and rewrote the episodes.

* RDM hints that Athena and Roslin did indeed see each other during the dream sequence. A deleted scene had Roslin in the the restroom attempting to cool her head down while Athena comes out from one of the stalls. They looked at each other briefly in a silent acknowledgment that they did see each other in the dream.

== Guest Stars ==
*[[Michael Hogan]] as [[Saul Tigh]]
*[[Aaron Douglas]] as [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Alessandro Juliani]] as [[Felix Gaeta]]
*[[Tahmoh Penikett]] as [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
*[[Nicki Clyne]] as [[Cally Tyrol]]
*[[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
*[[Jen Halley]] as [[Diana Seelix]]
*[[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]]
*[[Bodie Olmos]] as [[Brendan Costanza|Brendan "Hot Dog" Brendan Costanza]]
*[[Leah Cairns]] as [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]]
*[[Colin Lawrence]] as [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]]
*[[Mark Sheppard]] as [[Romo Lampkin]]
*[[Ryan Robbins]] as [[Charlie Connor]]
*[[Keegan Connor Tracy]] as Young Woman
*[[Chelah Horsdal]] as [[Cassidy]]
*[[Susan Hogan]] as [[Doyle Franks]]
*[[William Samples]] as Judge Number Two
*Lily Duong-Walton as [[Hera Agathon]]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 3)}}

[[Category:A to Z|Crossroads, Part I]]
[[Category:Episode Guide|Crossroads, Part I]]
[[Category:Episode Guide (RDM)|Crossroads, Part I]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Michael Rymer]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Crossroads, Part II

2007-03-27T21:53:11Z

Hmoul: /* Act 2 */expansion of commentary

{{Episode Data
| title= Crossroads, Part II
| image= 3x20-CrossroadsPartII-BaltarSixHera.jpg
| season= 3
| episode= 20
| guests=
| writer= [[Mark Verheiden]]
| story=
| director= [[Michael Rymer]]
| production= 320
| rating=
| US airdate= 2007-03-25
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| population= ?
| extra= '''Season Finale - 50 Minute Episode'''
| prev= [[Crossroads, Part I]]
| next= '''TBA'''
| 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%253D219291495%2526id%253D200852806%2526s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30
}}

== Overview ==
:''As Gaeta testifies against Baltar about the execution list that the accused signed on New Caprica, Roslin finds a disturbing link between her dreams and the [[Opera House]] on Kobol. Lee Adama turns around the trial with an unusual move, and several people make a disturbing discovery about themselves.''

== Summary ==

===Teaser===
*[[Admiral Adama]] shaves, cutting himself when the lights flicker.
*[[Laura Roslin]] calls, seeking a bit of humorous motivation to get out of bed and face the [[Crossroads, Part I|trial]] again, which she does not relish.
*After one feeble attempt, Adama manages "get your fat, lazy ass out of that rack, Roslin!" which makes Roslin laugh and give a heartfelt thank you. Adama tells her, "Don't let 'em see you sweat, Laura."
*[[Samuel Anders]] and [[Tory Foster]] are sexually engaged when she hears a strange music. When she notes it to Anders, he's surprised at the revelation, having heard it before himself.
*[[Diana Seelix]] knocks on the duty locker door and Anders opens it. An unconfortable silence between Seelix, Anders and Foster begins.
*[[Galen Tyrol]] is half-asleep, humming the music. He leaves his bed and quarters and goes to a section of ventilation to hear the music elsewhere on ''[[Galactica]]''.
*[[Lee Adama]] recommends a mistrial for [[Gaius Baltar]], using his grandfather's written advice, believing that their successes are actually worsening the issue. Baltar is incensed at the suggestion, believing that Adama wants to leave the case.
*[[Romo Lampkin]], Baltar's attorney, is inclined to agree with Adama, but young Adama's comment about his father's words about the "treacherous" Baltar leaves him to ponder.
*Baltar doesn't want to repeat the terror he's experienced in the time before the trial.
*[[Racetrack]] is training Seelix, Anders, and other [[Raptor]] [[nugget]]s, when Anders overhears Chief Tyrol humming. Together, they realize that the melody feels like something out of childhood, and they hear only a part of the melody.
*Before they can analyze further, Racetrack yells for Anders to return to the group.

===Act 1===
*Roslin takes [[diloxin]] treatment in [[sickbay]]. As she lies down and dreams, she experiences the same dream as [[Sharon Agathon]], also in sickbay with [[Hera Agathon|her daughter]], and both scream simultaneously. The two ask to talk privately.
*Later, Roslin and Sharon Agathon meet with [[Caprica-Six]], who has also experienced the dreams. When asked why Six is trying to reach Hera, she says that she felt she had to protect her "with (my) life."
*[[Saul Tigh]] tells Admiral Adama about the music. The admiral tells Tigh that he will look into it later as he leaves for court.
*The trial resumes. Lt. [[Felix Gaeta]] is on the stand. The [[Precipice|execution order]] from [[New Caprica]] is admitted as evidence by [[Cassidy]], the prosecutor.
*Gaeta lies, as viewers are shown the actual events where Baltar is forced to sign at gunpoint, where Gaeta says that Baltar did not resist.
*Lampkin chooses not to cross-examine, to Baltar's great horror. The prosecution rests.

===Act 2===
*After a recess, the defense begins its case.
*Lampkin motions for a mistrial, as Baltar objects, due to prejudicial comments by Admiral Adama four days before. He asks for Mr. Lee Adama to take the stand.
*The prosecuting attorney strongly objects, but after Lampkin warns of much case law (he can think of seven examples off the top of his head) that permits such a procedure, the tribunal allows Mr. Adama to testify.
*Mr. Adama refuses to confirm his father's comments. As Lampkin tries to intimidate Mr. Adama, he restates, asking if Baltar deserves a fair trial.
*Asked why, Mr. Adama believes Baltar is not guilty, but Admiral Adama asks for the questioning to continue.
*Pressed for more clarification, Mr. Adama states that Baltar did not commit treason. He asks the tribunal what anyone else would do in that situation. He notes that all other conspirators and resistance fighters were pardoned, as were many, many other mistakes of the past, from [[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I|Roslin]], to [[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II|Admiral Adama]], and himself in the destruction of the ''[[Olympic Carrier]]'' and running from [[New Caprica]], recommending never to return with [[Pegasus (RDM)|his battlestar]].
*Mr. Adama believes that new laws are needed because they are less of a civilization now and more of a gang. He states that, unlike everyone else, Baltar is being prosecuted because of his arrogance and other considerable character flaws and is not being accorded the same forgiveness as others.
*Adama believes that the trial is built on emotions and shame from the events of New Caprica, and the shame of those that ran away. Mr. Adama looks to his father as he speaks.
*He believes that Baltar is a scapegoat for all the guilt of the people.
*The prosecuting attorney does not cross-examine, and the defense rests.
*The tribunal steps out to deliberate as Roslin steps down to congratulate Cassidy for her work.

===Act 3===
*Baltar is acquitted, 3 votes to 2 against. Yelling turns into a riot in the gallery as marines try to get Baltar to safety while the [[Fleet News Service|press]] tries to interview many players.
*Baltar is happily discussing the victory but makes a mistake in insulting Admiral Adama. Lee Adama warns him, "Don't push it, doctor."
*When Baltar asks Lampkin to aid him in a book tour and other profitable matters, Lampkin tells him that his association with Baltar is done.
*Baltar suddenly realizes that, despite his apparent freedom, he is a man without a country, without work, friends, or even quarters.
*Lampkin and Mr. Adama say their goodbyes. Lee Adama, on seeing Lampkin walking away without his cane, realizes that he had used the cane as yet another psychological tactic.
*Gaius Baltar tries to be inconspicuous as he moves files elsewhere, but all eyes are on him.
*Roslin and Admiral Adama speak in [[CIC]]. She is incensed at the verdict. Adama reminds Roslin that "not guilty" does not mean "innocent."
*Roslin assumes that Adama cast a guilty vote, when, to Roslin's shock and anger, the admiral states he voted not guilty, feeling that the prosecution did not hold their case.
*Adama tells Roslin that no one is asking anyone to forgive or forget, but they must look to the future.
*Adama orders the last jump to the [[Ionian nebula]]. The jump is successful, and Adama orders a [[DRADIS]] scan when Roslin becomes immediately dazed and stunned.
*As Admiral Adama looks to Roslin to check on her health, main power on every ship of the Fleet fails, leaving each one, including ''Galactica'', drifting dangerously close to each other.

===Act 4===
*Pilots scramble with [[flashlight]]s to their stations while CIC tries to get to auxiliary power, but battery power is the best they can muster.
*The scene shifts to a dream in the [[Opera House]] again, with Gaius Baltar holding Hera and Caprica-Six next to him. Above them, the glowing images of the [[Final Five]] appear. Caprica-Six awakens from the dream.
*Baltar tries to take advantage of the darkness and chaos when three women confront him. Frightened, Baltar is told by the women that they will take him to safety.
*The mysterious music gets louder, and Tigh, Galen Tyrol, Tory Foster and Anders begin quoting lyrics from an [[The Music|increasingly coherent melody]].
*As viewers watch, the music gets louder and more dynamic, forming a rock song. Each of the four are drawn to the gym on ''Galactica'', where they discover each other. Each are stunned and shocked.
*Tyrol believes the impossible; that all of them are [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]]. Each of them begin to hum the music, together, coherently, in full. Tigh angrily stops them and closes the hatches while they talk.
*Tigh states his time in service, and his history, trying to believe that none of it was in vain. Anders objects as well.
*As power is restored, DRADIS picks up a large Cylon fleet coming their way. [[Viper (RDM)|Vipers]] manage to scramble. [[Helo]], as acting XO, notes the mass power outage will mean that it will take at least 20 minutes for the [[FTL]] jump drives on the civilian ships to be ready. The admiral doesn't believe they have the time.
*In the closed room, Tigh states that, despite what they believe about themselves, that he is going to do his job as a Colonial officer, and heads to CIC. The others follow suit.
*The hangar deck is abuzz with activity as Chief Tyrol tries to resume his usual work.
*Lee Adama, after watching other pilots run from duty lockers to flight preparation, heads there himself to prep.
*Admiral Adama orders the preparation of the battlestar's nuclear weapons. Tigh reports on station, keeping his face stony.
*The Vipers launch. [[Helo]] is confused about the pilot of Viper 3.
*Apollo, in Viper 3, picks up a target on his [[Viper Mark VII|Viper's]] DRADIS, and tracks it down. As he looks around, an image of a [[Viper Mark II]] keeps appearing and disappearing in the clouds. The image buzzes overhead and alarms the pilot momentarily.
*Pulling alongside in her undamaged Viper, [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] greets Apollo. She tells him not to "freak out," that it really is her.
*The [[Maelstrom|believed-dead]] pilot tells Apollo that she has been to [[Earth]], and that she can guide the Fleet there.
*As the music continues to play, the episode concludes as the shot pulls swiftly and violently away from Apollo and Starbuck's Viper, past the Colonial fleet, the Cylon fleet and several planets to show an arm of the galaxy.
*The shot suddenly zooms forward and through another nearby galactic arm to the familiar blue-green planet of Earth and what is known to viewers as the North American continent (in its current shape, long after the tectonic drift that split the [[w:Pangaea|Pangaea]] super-continent millions of years earlier in the planet's history).

== Questions ==
* What is the source of the music?
* Are we supposed to interpret the music as the actual Dylan song, and therefore a connection to Earth? ([[#Official Statements|Answer]])
* Is Saul Tigh the oldest humanoid Cylon model?
* Who is the twelfth Cylon?
* Did the Cylons develop humanoid models before the first [[Cylon War]]?
* Why does Number Six feel the need to protect [[Hera]] with her life?
* How are [[Laura Roslin]], [[Hera]], [[Sharon Agathon]], and [[Caprica-Six]] spiritually connected, and what is the nature of said connection?
* How will those close to the four revealed Cylons react when they learn the truth about their friends/loved ones?
* Will Colonel Tigh's hatred of the Cylons persist in light of his discovery of his Cylon nature?
* Will Cally's hatred of the Cylons persist if she discovers that her husband is a Cylon and that [[Nicholas Tyrol|her son]] is a human-Cylon hybrid?
* What is the importance of the [[Opera House]]?
* Who are the women who spirit [[Gaius Baltar]] to safety and what are their plans?
* What is the current state of [[Earth]]?
* What phenomenon causes the simultaneous power loss and equally simultaneous power restoration throughout the Fleet after jumping to the [[Ionian nebula]]?
* As [[William Adama]] is the deciding vote for Baltar's 'not guilty' verdict, how will this act (and Lee Adama's testimony) affect their relationship with each other?
* How will Kara Thrace's "resurrection" from the dead be viewed by the Colonials?
* What convinces [[Laura Roslin]] to take the [[diloxin]] treatments she scoffed earlier?
* How were Kara Thrace and her Viper, unharmed and without any explicable means, able to survive the events of "[[Maelstrom]]" and transport from the "interior" of a gas planet to Earth and then to the Ionian nebula within a relatively short span of time?
* With the revelation that they are Cylons, will their allegiances to the Colonials change as they begin to accept their Cylon natures?
* If any of the Final Five were to die, would they be resurrected in a Cylon Resurrection Ship?
* Are any of their histories, such as Tigh's 40 years of service and Tyrol's memories of his parents true?
* Does Lee Adama truly see Starbuck in a Viper or has she become an apparition, similar in nature to Baltar's internal-Six?
* Are the Cylons affected by the same power outage phenomenon?
* Do the Final Five Cylons have the same physiology as the other seven, such as their innate immulogy, the ability to interface with computer equipment via optical link, and general inability to conceive children?
* Will Roslin's appearance in future episodes change drastically because of her cancer treatments?
* Will the six other active Cylon models discover the identities of the Final Five?
* How far is the Fleet away from Earth's Solar System?
* Did Baltar or Hera have the same dream as Caprica-Six, Athena, and Roslin?
* Why did Tigh ask, "What about Ellen?"

== Analysis ==

* With the revelation that [[Galen Tyrol]] is a [[Humanoid Cylon|Cylon]], the second known Human-Cylon hybrid known to exist is in the form of [[Nicholas Tyrol]]. His birth reinforces the Cylon belief that love is a necessary component to successful procreation. This would make one male and one female hybrid born to date. There may be significant biological differences between the two hybrids; one was carried to term by a human while the other was carried to term by a Cylon.
* The reason for Tyrol's discovery of the [[Temple of Five]] on the [[algae planet]] is better explained here, however it is clearly apparent that his conscious mind is unable to rationalize the reason he discovers it.
* It is also reaffirmed that none of the original seven, are aware of the final five. As demonstrated by [[Sharon Valerii]]'s lack of knowledge about Galen Tyrol's true nature during her relationship with him in [[Season 1 (2004-05)|Season 1]] and the torture of Saul Tigh on New Caprica by the Cylons.
* Saul Tigh has been known to physically exist for roughly 23 years as of this episode. While Tigh claims to have fought in the first Cylon War, aside from likely military documentation about his service in the war, there are no supporting non-Cylon witnesses to support his claim. This predates the two-year marker previously indicated by two known infiltrators, [[Caprica-Six]] and [[Sharon Valerii]].
* The final scene of the episode depicts Earth, notably the North America content, definitively indicating the existence of this planet.
* As described by Tyrol when the four meet, the music and the Fleet's arrival to the nebula set off a switch within the minds of the four Cylons. However, unlike Boomer, their Cylon natures did not come with a different set of memories of personality.
* All four new Cylons all hold very important or potentially important roles within the Fleet. Tigh is the right hand man for Adama. Foster is the right hand woman for Roslin. Tyrol is the chief in charge of all military maintenance and repairs on the Vipers and Raptors. Anders is a new pilot amongst the soldiers of the Fleet.
* According to Lampkin, Joseph Adama was a brilliant defense attorney, but not an honest man. This may allude to one of the reasons why Lampkin despised Joseph Adama, but explains Lampkin's tactics as he also respected Joseph as a mentor.
* Lee Adama finally realizes the full extent of how he was manipulated once he sees Lampkin walk off on his own with no cane. Lampkin's ruse was successful in putting a wedge between the Adamas to allow Baltar to be pronounced not guilty.
* Another tendency for the younger Adama is that when faced with the option of completely severing and opposing his father, he will relent and attempt to return to his father's good graces. This has been seen when Lee Adama was given the chance to denounce his father to the Fleet during the military coup, but eventually told Zarek that he couldn't.
* Ironically, it was Roslin who originally wanted Lee Adama to lead a panel to determine who is fit to be on the tribunal. Her reasons being that she believed Lee Adama has a sense of right and wrong that others don't have at that time. Her belief about Lee comes back to haunt her as he rightly pointed out that her broad forgiveness policy for all within the Fleet after the second Exodus should be applied to Baltar as well. Her fear and knowledge of Baltar's involvement with the genocide of the Colonies has clouded her judgment to extend her original act of grace to Baltar.
* Lampkin, apparently was telling the truth that all he had wanted was to have the glory of being the attorney for the most hated man of the Fleet. Once his job is accomplished, he cleans his hands of Baltar, and makes it clear that besides the trial, he does not want to be associated with Baltar.
* The events in the Opera House apparently take place much further in the future of the show as Baltar is clean shaven as he stands next to Caprica-Six.
* Starbuck's last words in the episode allude back to "[[Maelstrom]]" as she is taking on the role of the [[Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn|Aurora]] idol that she gave to Adama before her "death". She claims that, like the idol placed on the model ship, she will be leading the way to Earth.

== Notes ==
* Four of the so-called "[[Final Five]]" are revealed to be [[Galen Tyrol]], [[Samuel Anders]], [[Saul Tigh]], and [[Tory Foster]].
* Lee Adama points out a string of incidents throughout the series that would have resulted in serious consequences under normal circumstances, but where the persons involved weren't punished: his destruction of the ''Olympic Carrier'' ([[33]]), William Adama's coup against Roslin, Lee putting a weapon to Colonel Tigh's head and supporting a munity ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]), Helo and Chief Tyrol killing Lt. [[Thorne]] ([[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]), Tigh's use of suicide bombers on New Caprica ([[Occupation]]), people supporting the Cylons on New Caprica ([[Collaborators]]).

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==
* ''[[Saul Tigh]], [[Tory Foster]], [[Samuel Anders]] and [[Galen Tyrol]] decide what to do now they know they're Cylons:''
: '''[[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]]''': (over the intercom) Inbound Cylon Fleet. I repeat. Action stations, action stations. Set condition one throughout the ship. This is not a drill.
: '''Tory Foster''': My Gods, what are we going do?
: '''Saul Tigh''': The ship is under attack, we do our jobs. Report to your stations.
: '''Galen Tyrol''': What is this?
: '''Saul Tigh''': My name is Saul Tigh, I am an officer in the Colonial Fleet. Whatever else I am, whatever else it means, that's the man I want to be. And if I die today, that's the man I'll be.
* ''[[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] pulls alongside [[Lee Adama|Apollo]] in her undamaged Viper:''
: '''Starbuck''': Hi, Lee.
: '''Apollo''': (his eyes widen in disbelief) Kara?
: '''Starbuck''': Dont freak out, it really is me (laughs). It's going to be okay. I've been to Earth. I know where it is. And I'm going to take us there.

== Official Statements ==

* ''[[Jamie Bamber]] discusses the finale:''
: It is a different finale in the sense that the previous ones have been about fragmenting the characters and spreading them all over different parts of space, and this one, everyone is really on board ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]''. Every major character is on ''Galactica'', and the stuff going on down on ''Galactica'' is where the drama is.<ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/News-Views/Interviews-Features/Article/default.aspx?posting=%7BAC4FC1D4-115F-457C-8E4A-01A539D77D39%7D|title=''Galactica'''s Jamie Bamber Visits a Heavenly ''Ghost''|date=2007-02-23|accessdate=2007-02-23|last=Cohn|first=Angel|format=|language=}}</ref>
* ''SciFi.com Forums Admin discusses the running time:''
: The Sunday, March 25, season finale of ''Battlestar Galactica'' will run five minutes longer than usual. If you plan on recording the episode, set your DVR or VCR to continue for five to 10 minutes after the end of the hour so you do not miss anything.<ref>{{cite_news|first=|last=|url=http://forums.scifi.com/index.php?showtopic=2266869|title=BSG Season Finale on March 25 will run 5 minutes overtime|publisher=|page=|date=2007-03-07|accessdate=2007-03-08|language=English}}</ref>
* Bear McCreary discusses the use of the [[w:Bob Dylan|Bob Dylan]] song:
: ''I learned that the idea was not that Bob Dylan necessarily exists in the characters' universe, but that an artist on one of the colonies may have recorded a song with the exact same melody and lyrics. Perhaps this unknown performer and Dylan pulled inspiration from a common, ethereal source.''<ref>Bear McCreary's blog, {{cite_web|url=http://www.bearmccreary.com/html/blog/blogmain.htm|title="Crossroads, Pt. II"|date=2007-03-25|accessdate=2007-03-27}}</ref>
*RDM has confirmed in [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07085/770732-352.stm this] interview that Tyrol, Tigh, Tory, and Anders are indeed Cylons and members of the Final Five.

== Guest Stars ==

*[[Michael Hogan]] as [[Saul Tigh]]
*[[Aaron Douglas]] as [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Nicki Clyne]] as [[Cally Tyrol]]
*[[Tahmoh Penikett]] as [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
*[[Alessandro Juliani]] as [[Felix Gaeta]]
*[[Kandyse McClure]] as [[Anastasia Dualla]]
*[[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]]
*[[Donnelly Rhodes]] as [[Dr. Cottle]]
*[[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
*[[Chelah Horsdal]] as [[Cassidy]]
*[[Katee Sackhoff]] as [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]]
*[[Leah Cairns]] as [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]]
*[[Jen Halley]] as [[Diana Seelix]]
*[[Brad Dryborough]] as [[Hoshi]]
*[[Alison Matthews]] as Fallbrook
*[[Susan Hogan]] as [[Doyle Franks]]
*[[Stephen Holmes]] as Reporter #2
*[[Keegan Connor Tracy]] as Young Woman
*[[William Samples]] as Judge #2
*[[Lily Duong-Walton]] as [[Hera Agathon]] (uncredited)

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 3)}}

[[Category:A to Z|Crossroads, Part II]]
[[Category:Episode Guide|Crossroads, Part II]]
[[Category:Episode Guide (RDM)|Crossroads, Part II]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Mark Verheiden]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Michael Rymer]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Crossroads, Part II

2007-03-25T23:13:58Z

Hmoul: /* Summary */setup for entries

{{spoiler}}

{{Episode Data
| title= Crossroads, Part II
| image= 3x20-CrossroadsPartII-BaltarSixHera.jpg
| season= 3
| episode= 20
| guests=
| writer= [[Mark Verheiden]]
| story=
| director= [[Michael Rymer]]
| production= 320
| rating=
| US airdate= 2007-03-25
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| population= ?
| extra= '''Season Finale - 50 Minute Episode'''
| prev= [[Crossroads, Part I]]
| next= '''TBA'''
}}

== Overview ==
:''As Gaeta testifies against Baltar about the execution list that the accused signed on New Caprica, Roslin finds a disturbing link between her dreams and the [[Opera House]] on Kobol. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/detail/tv-show.aspx?tvobjectid=191395&more=ucepisodelist&episodeid=6434876?tag=ep_list;title;19|title=Crossroads, Part II }}</ref>''

== Summary ==

=== Teaser ===

=== Act 1 ===

=== Act 2 ===

=== Act 3 ===

=== Act 4 ===

== Questions ==

== Analysis ==

== Notes ==

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

== Official Statements ==

* ''[[Jamie Bamber]] discusses the finale:''
: It is a different finale in the sense that the previous ones have been about fragmenting the characters and spreading them all over different parts of space, and this one, everyone is really on board ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]''. Every major character is on ''Galactica'', and the stuff going on down on ''Galactica'' is where the drama is.<ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/News-Views/Interviews-Features/Article/default.aspx?posting=%7BAC4FC1D4-115F-457C-8E4A-01A539D77D39%7D|title=''Galactica'''s Jamie Bamber Visits a Heavenly ''Ghost''|date=2007-02-23|accessdate=2007-02-23|last=Cohn|first=Angel|format=|language=}}</ref>
* ''SciFi.com Forums Admin discusses the running time:''
: The Sunday, March 25, season finale of ''Battlestar Galactica'' will run five minutes longer than usual. If you plan on recording the episode, set your DVR or VCR to continue for five to 10 minutes after the end of the hour so you do not miss anything.<ref>{{cite_news|first=|last=|url=http://forums.scifi.com/index.php?showtopic=2266869|title=BSG Season Finale on March 25 will run 5 minutes overtime|publisher=|page=|date=2007-03-07|accessdate=2007-03-08|language=English}}</ref>

== Guest Stars ==
*[[Mark Sheppard]] as [[Romo Lampkin]]
*[[Leah Cairns]] as [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]]
*[[Nicki Clyne]] as [[Cally Tyrol]]
*Lily Duong-Walton as [[Hera Agathon]]
{{spoilli|*[[Katee Sackhoff]] as [[Starbuck]]}}

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 3)}}

[[Category:A to Z|Crossroads, Part II]]
[[Category:Episode Guide|Crossroads, Part II]]
[[Category:Episode Guide (RDM)|Crossroads, Part II]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Mark Verheiden]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Michael Rymer]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Crossroads, Part I

2007-03-23T00:13:22Z

Hmoul: /* Analysis */ Tory Foster

{{Episode Data
| title= Crossroads, Part I
| image= 3x19-CrossroadsPartI-TrialJudges.jpg
| season= 3
| episode= 19
| guests=
| writer= [[Michael Taylor]]
| story=
| director= [[Michael Rymer]]
| production= 319
| rating=
| US airdate= 2007-04-18
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| population= ?
| prev= [[The Son Also Rises]]
| next= [[Crossroads, Part II]]
| 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%253D219291493%2526id%253D200852806%2526s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30
}}

== Overview ==
:''Baltar's trial commences, with the prosecution presenting evidence of treason committed on New Caprica amid controversial testimonies from Colonel Tigh and President Roslin.''

== Summary ==
===Teaser===
*[[Laura Roslin]], significantly different in dress and hairstyle, is walking through what appears to be the [[Opera House]]. She searches for and finds little [[Hera Agathon]] walking through the hallways, unable to reach her.
*Also following Hera is her mother [[Sharon Agathon]], who does not appear pleased to see Roslin in pursuit. Both women run down the stairs towards Hera.
*As they turn the corner, a [[Number Six]] in white clothing catches Hera and starts a movement as if to turn. There is a dark figure in the indistinct shadows behind her.
*Roslin wakes up. This has been a dream, though it bears a strong resemblance to Roslin's [[Chamalla|Chamalla extract]] induced visions of the past.
*The [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] is en route to the [[Ionian nebula]], but it is still several days away.
*Colonel [[Saul Tigh]] is trying to tune into [[Talk Wireless]] or music in [[Joe's bar]]. [[Brendan Costanza]], [[Diana Seelix]] and [[Samuel Anders]] are playing [[Pyramid (RDM)|Pyramid]]. Anders notes Tigh's attempts to find the music.
*[[Tory Foster]] speaks with [[Cassidy]], the prosecuting attorney in [[Gaius Baltar]]'s trial. Foster's assertion that [[Epiphanies|Roslin witnessed Baltar and a Six on Caprica]] doesn't convince Cassidy, who stresses the need for hard evidence and the fact that Baltar is only being tried for the charges that can be proved.
*Meanwhile, in the brig, Baltar is visited by a member of the press, who wants to give him a picture of her son, who she claims is sick—she also claims, much to Baltar's bemusement, that Baltar is capable of saving her son by Baltar's simply blessing him. He refuses until she forces it onto him before the [[Colonial Marine Corps|marine]]s remove her.
*The [[Virtual beings|virtual Six]] appears to console the emotionally tortured Baltar, noting that 30 to 40 people have written him letters.

===Act 1===
*[[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]] and [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]] are conducting reconnaissance to see if any Cylons are following the Fleet's jumps. Her [[Raptor]] hides behind an asteroid as they play [[Triad (RDM)|cards]] and wait.
*The trial begins. Cassidy asks the courtroom how loss is measured.
*She notes the number of people who settled on New Caprica, the number who escaped in the [[Second Exodus]] and the number lost: 5,197 left behind, killed or otherwise missing.
*The attorney claims that the trust put in Baltar was gravely misplaced, and that the ultimate price must be paid.
*[[Romo Lampkin]], Baltar's attorney, immediately asks to change the plea to guilty as a ploy to use reverse psychology to claim that the power of [[w:Mob rule|mob rule]] is trying to sway opinion in the court.
*Lampkin claims that President Roslin is seeking vengeance on Baltar for [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II|her lost election]], and claims that the [[New Caprica]]ns were victims of a hopeless battle. Baltar's decision to surrender to the Cylons had saved lives, he claims, versus what Lampkin claims Roslin would have done -- stand and fight.
*Back on Racetrack's Raptor, five [[Basestar (RDM)|baseships]] suddenly appear and attack. Racetrack's [[FTL]] drive barely comes online in time to allow them to escape an incoming missile.
*Back on ''[[Galactica]]'', in [[CIC]], Admiral [[William Adama|Adama]] orders a scan for any [[Cylon transponder|tracking devices]] that may have been left on Fleet ships during the New Caprica siege. At the same time [[Tory Foster]] hands Roslin a cup and a thermos can. Roslin insists on asking the incarcerated [[Caprica-Six]] for information. When Tigh objects, Roslin snaps back, uncharacteristically.
*[[Lee Adama]] enters CIC near Roslin, who is collecting herself in the Weapons Control station. He notices Roslin's cup, which she left on the table, and smells it, detecting something unexpected.
*Caprica-Six is questioned. She suggests that the [[Daru Mozu|fuel ship]] is being tracked by a unique radiation signature emitted by the ship. The [[Virtual beings|virtual Baltar]] appears and convinces her not to cooperate further. Caprica Six retaliates to Tigh's interrogation by recalling [[Ellen Tigh]], inciting Tigh to strike her, and Six to strike back before [[Marine]]s intervene and shackle the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]].

===Act 2===
*In court, Tigh is questioned, and asked if Baltar appeared to help the [[New Caprica Resistance|resistance]] in any way. Tigh is noticeably drunk. When questioned about Ellen, Tigh acknowledges her involvement but becomes more withdrawn.
*Lampkin cross-examines about the [[NCP]] [[Precipice|initiation bombing]] and how the resistance attempted to target Baltar. Lampkin continues to question about Ellen Tigh's [[Exodus, Part I|collaboration]] by asking Colonel Tigh if his wife was a collaborator, muddying the differences between Ellen Tigh and Baltar. Lampkin points out that Tigh appears drunk. Matters turn to the worst when Tigh begins to hear the music.
*Tigh is asked the nature of Ellen's death, and Tigh resolutely answers, claiming that Baltar's inaction made him kill his wife. He reflects a portion of his wife's [[Exodus, Part II|last words]] to tell how he would do anything to have Baltar killed. Tigh begins to show increasingly signs of anger as the music in his head continues to increase in volume.
*In Joe's Bar, Anders turns a eye to strange noises from the bar's public wireless and shares a look with Foster.
*Under testimony, Roslin notes the execution of 200 people under Cylon tyranny.
*Lampkin attempts to get Lee Adama to give some insight about Roslin's testimony and Roslin herself, instead of being a passive observer who is simply satisfied in embittering his father.
*Lampkin attempts to play to Lee Adama's sense of justice by putting him between two difficult decisions. One being the betrayal of Roslin and his father, or putting his words about justice into action by sharing the personal information with Lampkin.

===Act 3===
*Admiral Adama drags the drunken Tigh to his quarters. The Fleet is nine jumps away from the nebula, and repairs are being made to the fuel ship to keep it from being tracked.
*Tigh says that he can't "smell her anymore" and apologizes for his actions in court. Adama replies that, as his [[Scattered|oldest friend]], he could never embarrass him.
*In the admiral's quarters, Major Adama suggests the idea of sending the fuel ship on a different course to throw off the Cylons temporarily, and the admiral coldly takes it under advisement.
*The two Adamas verbally spar. Admiral Adama angrily accuses his son of helping Lampkin by telling him about what Tigh did to Ellen.
*In response, Major Adama resigns from military duty, while his father accepts the resignation in anger.
*The mood is tense in court when, instead of Lampkin, Lee Adama asks to address the court.
*Lee Adama (in civilian dress) questions President Roslin, but asks if it was Baltar that [[Epiphanies|saved her from cancer]]. When Admiral Adama objects, Lampkin asks for hostile witness latitude, which is given.
*Roslin tells how the cancer was cured. When asked what medications she was currently taking, she says "I don't remember." Asked specifically about [[chamalla]] use, and if she has had hallucinations recently, Roslin counters in the affirmative but notes how it [[Home, Part II|provided the first clues to Earth]] as well as noting Lee Adama's own involvement.
*Before Lee Adama asks his next question, Roslin whispers to him: "Don't do this." He then asks if she was taking chamalla again.
*Admiral Adama tries to overrule the line of questioning but other tribunal judges overrule him, forcing Roslin to answer. She recalls [[Miniseries, Night 1|her fondness for Lee Adama's early leadership]], how calling him "Captain Apollo" way back then had a nice ring to it, but how sad she was at how his behavior has changed.
*Adama notes that chamalla can be sweetened to mask its bitter taste, recalling the cup of tea that Tory gave Roslin at ''Galactica'''s CIC, which gave him the clue to her use of the drug.
*Roslin confirms that she is taking chamalla again. She then challenges counselor Adama to finished what he had started with his last question. When he asks her why was taking the drug again, she tells the court that she is taking the drug again because her cancer has returned.

===Act 4===
*[[Anastasia Dualla]] packs her bags and leaves her husband in disgust over his questioning of Roslin and his usage of the justice system she believes should be dismantled and rebuilt to make it work again.
*On ''[[Colonial One]]'', reporters pepper President Roslin about her cancer, how it will be treated, and if she planned on using Hera Agathon's blood again. The line of questioning infuriates Foster, but Roslin asks her to leave the press conference. When [[Karen Fallbrook]] asks how long the President has to live, an unflinching Roslin repeats the same question at the reporter, leaving Fallbrook speechless.
*After the press conference, Roslin angrily criticizes her aide, complaining that Foster is off her game. Foster claims that she hasn't been sleeping well.
*In his quarters, the drunken Tigh still hears the mysterious music and tries to track its source.
*[[Helo]] arrives in CIC as interim [[Executive officer]] and finds Lt. [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]], who briefs him. The [[tylium]] fuel ship decoy plan is nearing completion, but there are no further reports of Cylon forces. Three jumps from the nebula.
*Helo remembers a certain smell in the air when trouble was brewing, recalling the weather on Caprica. He believes "something over the horizon" is coming, something that doesn't bode well for the Fleet. "A storm is coming," he says.
*The music that Tigh, Anders, and Foster are hearing appears to be coming from the ship itself.

===Bonus Scene===

* Lee Adama asks Lampkin, "You know he's guilty, right?". Lampkin appeals to Adama's sense of justice, stating that everyone is guilty of something and there is a difference between guilt and criminality.

== Questions ==

* Did Tigh continue drinking all the time, or did he stop for a while after he seemingly pulled himself together again?
* Why does Anders pursue being a pilot?
* Is there a budding romance developing between Anders and Seelix?
* What is the mysterious music and where is it coming from?
* Why are Tigh, Anders, and Foster apparently the only ones who can hear the ever-increasing music?
* Does Foster actually hear the music?
* Is the music's loudness and clarity increasing because the Fleet is approaching the Ionian nebula?
* Is Roslin back on using chamalla extract because of prescription from Cottle or is she attempting to receive visions of the future again?
* Did Athena or Caprica-Six receive the same vision that Roslin found herself in during the teaser of the episode?
* Who is the shadowy figure behind the Six in Roslin's vision?
* Would Athena and Helo be willing to donate some of Hera's blood to save Roslin from her cancer?
* Barring any effective treatment, how long does Roslin have to live?
* Would Hera's blood have any effect on the cancer now since the cancer has apparently resisted Hera's innate immunology?
* With Helo temporarily assigned as XO, who has replaced him as CAG? Or is he temporarily holding down both posts?
* Why does Roslin look so different in her dream?
* Will Baltar take the stand?
* Where is Zarek in the midst of the trial proceedings?
* How is Caprica's virtual Baltar aware of the details of Saul and Ellen Tigh's relationship and Ellen's death?
* Why has Adama waited so long to order a sweep of tracking devices throughout the Fleet?

== Analysis ==

* [[Samuel Anders]] wears a uniform with rank insignia and hangs around with Seelix and Costanza. Together with being addressed as "you [[nugget]]s", this indicates that he joined the pilot training program.
* The Cylons have apparently been tracking the fleet since the destruction of the Temple of Five. Their strategy was to delay jumping into any system that the Fleet has been until after six plus hours to ensure that the Fleet would not realize that they were being tracked.
* Adama's military experience comes into play again when he orders that the decoy Raptor stay for a total of 12 hours. This is reminiscent of his previous strategies such as the decision to attack the Cylon tylium factory in "[[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]." When he changes the regular pattern and stays longer than the Cylons had expected, he finally caught them in the act.
* Lee Adama immediately displays signs of fear once Roslin challenges him to "finished what you(he) started" after asking her if she is taking chamalla again. This indicates that either he suspected that Roslin's cancer has returned or he was beginning to feel that his actions are treacherous.
* Helo's comment to Gaeta about a "'storm is coming'" highlights Adama's comment to him at the end of "[[The Woman King]]", specifically to how Helo has been many times the voice in the wilderness. His ability to sense or remember certain details hails back to the final scene in "[[Rapture]]" when he remembers that Thrace had painted the picture of the mandala. It's also similar to his wife predicting that "Something dark is coming" in "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]".
* Lampkin's opening statement is another prime example of his rhetorical skill. He uses reverse psychology to goad the mob to respond and eventually lead one man in the audience to state his desire to see Baltar die. This display of emotion played in Lampkin's favor as it would make the judges wary of giving into the mob mentality. Secondly, he cleverly paints Roslin as a fanatic by proposing that had Roslin been president when the Cylons invaded New Caprica, the entire human race would have been exterminated. However, as [[Precipice|Zarek has stated to Roslin]], if she had been President, the settlement and eventual invasion of New Caprica would have never taken place.
* It appears the closer the Fleet is to the nebula, Tigh, Anders, and Foster hear the music increasingly, even, at least in the case of Foster, to the point of exhaustion.
* Tory Foster appears to be losing it to some extent based on her declining grooming and snappish attitude toward the reporters. Roslin tells her she can be replaced by someone that can handle the pressure and at least run a comb through their hair once a week.
* There is a growing movement in the Fleet that believes Baltar has some sort of healing or divine abilities. His internal-Six doesn't allow him to brush off these devoted followers aside, indicating that his belief about himself that he is the "Chosen One" is coming true.
* Lee Adama's actions towards his father and Roslin have led to another impasse between himself and Dualla. Lee Adama has come to a point where he has been alienated from his father, from Roslin, and his wife, in an attempt to gain some sort of respect from Lampkin and to act in accordance with his noble conceptions of justice by following in his grandfather's footsteps.
* Lee Adama's words to the pilots in "[[A Day in the Life]]" come back to haunt Racetrack when the Cylons jump on top of her Raptor right after the end of a card game. The ship's systems apparently had been powered down as Racetrack can't even maneuver or evade the missile to give the FTL drive a few more moments to spin up.
* Baltar is only being tried for crimes that the prosecution believes can be proven. He is therefore not being tried for the genocide of humanity that occurred during the [[Miniseries]]. Although the show's audience knows his involvement, none of the primary characters in the series who give testimony have to date any hard evidence of his complicity, beyond Laura Roslin's hallucination whilst dying of cancer in "[[Epiphanies]]". This is acknowledged before, when she tries to challenge Baltar about the settlement of New Caprica. She tells him that she saw him together with Six, but knows that she has no concrete evidence ([[Lay Down Your Burdens]]).
* [[Cassidy]]'s numbers for the surviving human population are contradictory. It seems that the number the writers arrived at for the surviving humans only refers to the ''civilian'' population of the Fleet, excluding the military personnel. The regular survivor count in "[[Collaborators]]" is higher. The second confusion stems from her saying "the sum total of survivors [...] who settled on New Caprica". This clearly means only the people down on the planet. However her number of 44,035 also includes the ''total'' population left in orbit, both military and civilian. This writing error makes her statement that 5,197 people were lost entirely inaccurate, but aside from that the numbers fit with what has been established before (see: [[Survivor Count]]):
**41,435 (Collaborators) - 38,838 = 2,597 (the military personnel in the Fleet)
**44,035 - 39,192 (the inhabitants of [[New Caprica City]]) = 4,835 (the total population in orbit)
**4,835 - 2,597 = 2,238 (Lee Adama refers to roughly 2,000 civilians who escaped New Caprica in "[[Precipice]]")
**49,550 (count in "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]") - 39,192 - 4,835 (total population in orbit) = 5,523 (the death toll prior to the occupation, mostly incurred with the destruction of ''Cloud Nine'')
**49,550 - 5,523 - 41,435 = 2,592 (the causalities of the Cylon occupation and the escape from New Caprica)

== Notes ==

*The episode has one of the most sparse musical score yet. The only major pieces are during Roslin's dream at the beginning and the music Tigh keeps hearing. According to a [http://bearmccreary.com/html/blog/blogmain.htm blog entry] by composer [[Bear McCreary]], director [[Michael Rymer]] and the editors decided not to use any music during the court room part, in order to let the scenes speak for themselves.
*It's the first episode without an intro sequence, thus increasing the effective running time a little bit. Because of that, no updated [[Survivor Count]] is available.
*The bitterness of chamalla and that it can be sweetened to make it taste better, is first mentioned by the oracle [[Dodona Selloi]] in "[[Exodus, Part I]]".
*One of the shots of others listening to the trial on the [[wireless]] shows the [[refinery ship]] from "[[Dirty Hands]]".
*A storm is often used as a metaphor for a battle, conflict, or massive upheaval in science fiction. Helo's final line in this episode is almost an exact duplicate of the ending of the movie ''[[w:The Terminator|The Terminator]]'', and a huge storm (a sandstorm) takes place during the climax of the novel ''[[w:Dune (novel)|Dune]]''.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

Apollo - "I refuse to serve under someone that questions my integrity"

Admiral Adama - "And I refuse to have an officer serve under me that has none"

== Official Statements ==
Notes from the podcast:

* The opening teaser is indeed set in the Kobol Opera House that has been seen numerous times. This particular scene in the teaser was a late addition as the director and producers wanted to create a foreboding atmosphere to the episode. This was influenced by the fact that the studio executives were not favorable to the idea of ending the season with Baltar's trial.

* RDM goes more into the original trial storyline that involved the Saggitarons and Baltar. In summary, during their time on New Caprica, the food supply had been contaminated and a famine had fallen on most of the colonists, except the Saggitarons, who had been very careful with their harvests and supplies. This alienation between the Saggitarons and the rest of the colonies came to a collision when Baltar was attempting to have the Saggitaron leadership share their food with the other colonists. Unfortunately, Baltar is forced to kill one of the leaders, and thus began the riots and slaughter directed towards the Saggitarons. This killing was to be eventually revealed that it was a necessity instead of an act of genocide.

* Another component of the original storyline was to have Lee Adama be Baltar's only attorney and Lee's morals come into play when he obtains a video recording of Baltar actually shooting the Saggitaron leader. The cliff hanger of the episode was suppose to leave the audience wondering what will Lee do now that he believes Baltar is guilty.

* Over time, RDM and the director agreed that this storyline involved too many plot elements that the audience had never witnessed about Baltar. Once the decision was made, RDM completely revised the whole trial and rewrote the episodes.

* RDM hints that Athena and Roslin did indeed see each other during the dream sequence. A deleted scene had Roslin in the the restroom attempting to cool her head down while Athena comes out from one of the stalls. They looked at each other briefly in a silent acknowledgment that they did see each other in the dream.

== Guest Stars ==
*[[Michael Hogan]] as [[Saul Tigh]]
*[[Aaron Douglas]] as [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Alessandro Juliani]] as [[Felix Gaeta]]
*[[Tahmoh Penikett]] as [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
*[[Nicki Clyne]] as [[Cally Tyrol]]
*[[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
*[[Jen Halley]] as [[Diana Seelix]]
*[[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]]
*[[Bodie Olmos]] as [[Brendan Costanza|Brendan "Hot Dog" Brendan Costanza]]
*[[Leah Cairns]] as [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]]
*[[Colin Lawrence]] as [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]]
*[[Mark Sheppard]] as [[Romo Lampkin]]
*[[Ryan Robbins]] as [[Charlie Connor]]
*[[Keegan Connor Tracy]] as Young Woman
*[[Chelah Horsdal]] as [[Cassidy]]
*[[Susan Hogan]] as [[Franks]]
*[[William Samples]] as Judge Number Two
*Lily Duong-Walton as [[Hera Agathon]]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 3)}}

[[Category:A to Z|Crossroads, Part I]]
[[Category:Episode Guide|Crossroads, Part I]]
[[Category:Episode Guide (RDM)|Crossroads, Part I]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Michael Rymer]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Daru Mozu

2007-03-23T00:08:59Z

Hmoul: radiation leak

{{Ship Data
| image= Tankerback.jpg
| race= Colonial
| type= Civilian
| ftl= Yes
| role= Tylium refinery ship
| img= Y
}}

'''''Daru Mozu''''', also known as '''Refinery 322'''<ref>[[:md:Image:Refinery 322.jpg|Nameplate on the ''Daru Mozu'''s hull.]]</ref> and operating under Tauranian registry, is the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]]'s [[tylium]] refinery ship. Refinery ships process raw minerals and metals gathered by a mining ship. Unlike a [[mining ship]], a refinery vessel has large processing and storage facilities, and can serve as a fueling vessel. In the storage compartments small excavators and chutes are used to move the raw, granular tylium to long conveyor belts on the lower decks. There manual labor is involved in refining it to a liquid fuel, but the exact further process is unknown.

After the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]] it is found by [[Boomer]]'s recon Raptor and brought to Roslin's amassing civilian fleet ([[Miniseries]]).

The ''Daru Mozu'' is used to process the immense reserves of tylium mined from an asteroid [[Battle for the Tylium Asteroid|liberated]] from a [[Cylon]] base ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]).

Following President Roslin's imprisonment and Col. Tigh's subsequent declaration of martial law, the crew refuses to continue refining tylium in protest ([[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]]).

The ship is damaged in a collision with the ''[[Striker]]'' under the incompetent oversight of recently promoted Captain [[George Birch]], ''Galactica'''s [[CAG]] in [[Lee Adama]]'s absence ([[Home, Part I]]).

A suicide bomber who was part of a [[Cylon]] [[Demand Peace|peace movement]] damages the forward section of the ''Daru Mozu'', killing several of its crew ([[Epiphanies]]).

The ''Daru Mozu'' is the site of a short-lived, but large labor strike threatening to spill over to other vessels in the Fleet. The strike is later resolved when a union, originally based on [[New Caprica]], is reinstated to aid with worker needs ([[Dirty Hands]]).

It was revealed that the ships unique radiation signature was being used by the Cylons to track the fleet to the Ionian Nebula. The signature was described as "a leak" and was then used to lead the Cylons away from the fleet.

==Notes==
* The ''Daru Mozu'' isn't identified by name until "[[Epiphanies]]" and earlier episodes just call it "refinery ship", but dialogue - especially from the episode "[[Dirty Hands]]" - continually refers to it in the singular. Combined with visual evidence, this indicates that the same ship is meant.
* In "[[Home, Part I]]" the ship is referred to as "[[refueling tanker]]", but the configuration of the ship is identical to ''Daru Mozu''.

== Related Imagery ==

<gallery>
Image:Daru_mozu_213_1080i.jpg|Damaged by a bomb in "[[Epiphanies]]".    
Image:Tanker_206_1080i.jpg|Schematic view ([[Home, Part I]]).   
Image:Tankerfront.jpg|Front and top view (Home, Part I).    
Image:RefineryBottomView.jpg|Bottom view ([[Dirty Hands]]).    
Image:RefineryInside.jpg|Inside one of the storage rooms (Dirty Hands).    
</gallery>

==References==
<references/>

{{Ships}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial Craft]]
[[Category:Colonial Craft (RDM)]]
[[Category:Ships]]
[[Category:Ships (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:Daru Mozu]]

Crossroads, Part I

2007-03-23T00:01:22Z

Hmoul: /* Noteworthy Dialogue */ OK - I'm remembering this as best I can, someone please double check the actual dialogue between Apollo and the Admiral

{{Episode Data
| title= Crossroads, Part I
| image= 3x19-CrossroadsPartI-TrialJudges.jpg
| season= 3
| episode= 19
| guests=
| writer= [[Michael Taylor]]
| story=
| director= [[Michael Rymer]]
| production= 319
| rating=
| US airdate= 2007-04-18
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| population= ?
| prev= [[The Son Also Rises]]
| next= [[Crossroads, Part II]]
| 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%253D219291493%2526id%253D200852806%2526s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30
}}

== Overview ==
:''Baltar's trial commences, with the prosecution presenting evidence of treason committed on New Caprica amid controversial testimonies from Colonel Tigh and President Roslin.''

== Summary ==
===Teaser===
*[[Laura Roslin]], significantly different in dress and hairstyle, is walking through what appears to be the [[Opera House]]. She searches for and finds little [[Hera Agathon]] walking through the hallways, unable to reach her.
*Also following Hera is her mother [[Sharon Agathon]], who does not appear pleased to see Roslin in pursuit. Both women run down the stairs towards Hera.
*As they turn the corner, a [[Number Six]] in white clothing catches Hera and starts a movement as if to turn. There is a dark figure in the indistinct shadows behind her.
*Roslin wakes up. This has been a dream, though it bears a strong resemblance to Roslin's [[Chamalla|Chamalla extract]] induced visions of the past.
*The [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] is en route to the [[Ionian nebula]], but it is still several days away.
*Colonel [[Saul Tigh]] is trying to tune into [[Talk Wireless]] or music in [[Joe's bar]]. [[Brendan Costanza]], [[Diana Seelix]] and [[Samuel Anders]] are playing [[Pyramid (RDM)|Pyramid]]. Anders notes Tigh's attempts to find the music.
*[[Tory Foster]] speaks with [[Cassidy]], the prosecuting attorney in [[Gaius Baltar]]'s trial. Foster's assertion that [[Epiphanies|Roslin witnessed Baltar and a Six on Caprica]] doesn't convince Cassidy, who stresses the need for hard evidence and the fact that Baltar is only being tried for the charges that can be proved.
*Meanwhile, in the brig, Baltar is visited by a member of the press, who wants to give him a picture of her son, who she claims is sick—she also claims, much to Baltar's bemusement, that Baltar is capable of saving her son by Baltar's simply blessing him. He refuses until she forces it onto him before the [[Colonial Marine Corps|marine]]s remove her.
*The [[Virtual beings|virtual Six]] appears to console the emotionally tortured Baltar, noting that 30 to 40 people have written him letters.

===Act 1===
*[[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]] and [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]] are conducting reconnaissance to see if any Cylons are following the Fleet's jumps. Her [[Raptor]] hides behind an asteroid as they play [[Triad (RDM)|cards]] and wait.
*The trial begins. Cassidy asks the courtroom how loss is measured.
*She notes the number of people who settled on New Caprica, the number who escaped in the [[Second Exodus]] and the number lost: 5,197 left behind, killed or otherwise missing.
*The attorney claims that the trust put in Baltar was gravely misplaced, and that the ultimate price must be paid.
*[[Romo Lampkin]], Baltar's attorney, immediately asks to change the plea to guilty as a ploy to use reverse psychology to claim that the power of [[w:Mob rule|mob rule]] is trying to sway opinion in the court.
*Lampkin claims that President Roslin is seeking vengeance on Baltar for [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II|her lost election]], and claims that the [[New Caprica]]ns were victims of a hopeless battle. Baltar's decision to surrender to the Cylons had saved lives, he claims, versus what Lampkin claims Roslin would have done -- stand and fight.
*Back on Racetrack's Raptor, five [[Basestar (RDM)|baseships]] suddenly appear and attack. Racetrack's [[FTL]] drive barely comes online in time to allow them to escape an incoming missile.
*Back on ''[[Galactica]]'', in [[CIC]], Admiral [[William Adama|Adama]] orders a scan for any [[Cylon transponder|tracking devices]] that may have been left on Fleet ships during the New Caprica siege. At the same time [[Tory Foster]] hands Roslin a cup and a thermos can. Roslin insists on asking the incarcerated [[Caprica-Six]] for information. When Tigh objects, Roslin snaps back, uncharacteristically.
*[[Lee Adama]] enters CIC near Roslin, who is collecting herself in the Weapons Control station. He notices Roslin's cup, which she left on the table, and smells it, detecting something unexpected.
*Caprica-Six is questioned. She suggests that the [[Daru Mozu|fuel ship]] is being tracked by a unique radiation signature emitted by the ship. The [[Virtual beings|virtual Baltar]] appears and convinces her not to cooperate further. Caprica Six retaliates to Tigh's interrogation by recalling [[Ellen Tigh]], inciting Tigh to strike her, and Six to strike back before [[Marine]]s intervene and shackle the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]].

===Act 2===
*In court, Tigh is questioned, and asked if Baltar appeared to help the [[New Caprica Resistance|resistance]] in any way. Tigh is noticeably drunk. When questioned about Ellen, Tigh acknowledges her involvement but becomes more withdrawn.
*Lampkin cross-examines about the [[NCP]] [[Precipice|initiation bombing]] and how the resistance attempted to target Baltar. Lampkin continues to question about Ellen Tigh's [[Exodus, Part I|collaboration]] by asking Colonel Tigh if his wife was a collaborator, muddying the differences between Ellen Tigh and Baltar. Lampkin points out that Tigh appears drunk. Matters turn to the worst when Tigh begins to hear the music.
*Tigh is asked the nature of Ellen's death, and Tigh resolutely answers, claiming that Baltar's inaction made him kill his wife. He reflects a portion of his wife's [[Exodus, Part II|last words]] to tell how he would do anything to have Baltar killed. Tigh begins to show increasingly signs of anger as the music in his head continues to increase in volume.
*In Joe's Bar, Anders turns a eye to strange noises from the bar's public wireless and shares a look with Foster.
*Under testimony, Roslin notes the execution of 200 people under Cylon tyranny.
*Lampkin attempts to get Lee Adama to give some insight about Roslin's testimony and Roslin herself, instead of being a passive observer who is simply satisfied in embittering his father.
*Lampkin attempts to play to Lee Adama's sense of justice by putting him between two difficult decisions. One being the betrayal of Roslin and his father, or putting his words about justice into action by sharing the personal information with Lampkin.

===Act 3===
*Admiral Adama drags the drunken Tigh to his quarters. The Fleet is nine jumps away from the nebula, and repairs are being made to the fuel ship to keep it from being tracked.
*Tigh says that he can't "smell her anymore" and apologizes for his actions in court. Adama replies that, as his [[Scattered|oldest friend]], he could never embarrass him.
*In the admiral's quarters, Major Adama suggests the idea of sending the fuel ship on a different course to throw off the Cylons temporarily, and the admiral coldly takes it under advisement.
*The two Adamas verbally spar. Admiral Adama angrily accuses his son of helping Lampkin by telling him about what Tigh did to Ellen.
*In response, Major Adama resigns from military duty, while his father accepts the resignation in anger.
*The mood is tense in court when, instead of Lampkin, Lee Adama asks to address the court.
*Lee Adama (in civilian dress) questions President Roslin, but asks if it was Baltar that [[Epiphanies|saved her from cancer]]. When Admiral Adama objects, Lampkin asks for hostile witness latitude, which is given.
*Roslin tells how the cancer was cured. When asked what medications she was currently taking, she says "I don't remember." Asked specifically about [[chamalla]] use, and if she has had hallucinations recently, Roslin counters in the affirmative but notes how it [[Home, Part II|provided the first clues to Earth]] as well as noting Lee Adama's own involvement.
*Before Lee Adama asks his next question, Roslin whispers to him: "Don't do this." He then asks if she was taking chamalla again.
*Admiral Adama tries to overrule the line of questioning but other tribunal judges overrule him, forcing Roslin to answer. She recalls [[Miniseries, Night 1|her fondness for Lee Adama's early leadership]], how calling him "Captain Apollo" way back then had a nice ring to it, but how sad she was at how his behavior has changed.
*Adama notes that chamalla can be sweetened to mask its bitter taste, recalling the cup of tea that Tory gave Roslin at ''Galactica'''s CIC, which gave him the clue to her use of the drug.
*Roslin confirms that she is taking chamalla again. She then challenges counselor Adama to finished what he had started with his last question. When he asks her why was taking the drug again, she tells the court that she is taking the drug again because her cancer has returned.

===Act 4===
*[[Anastasia Dualla]] packs her bags and leaves her husband in disgust over his questioning of Roslin and his usage of the justice system she believes should be dismantled and rebuilt to make it work again.
*On ''[[Colonial One]]'', reporters pepper President Roslin about her cancer, how it will be treated, and if she planned on using Hera Agathon's blood again. The line of questioning infuriates Foster, but Roslin asks her to leave the press conference. When [[Karen Fallbrook]] asks how long the President has to live, an unflinching Roslin repeats the same question at the reporter, leaving Fallbrook speechless.
*After the press conference, Roslin angrily criticizes her aide, complaining that Foster is off her game. Foster claims that she hasn't been sleeping well.
*In his quarters, the drunken Tigh still hears the mysterious music and tries to track its source.
*[[Helo]] arrives in CIC as interim [[Executive officer]] and finds Lt. [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]], who briefs him. The [[tylium]] fuel ship decoy plan is nearing completion, but there are no further reports of Cylon forces. Three jumps from the nebula.
*Helo remembers a certain smell in the air when trouble was brewing, recalling the weather on Caprica. He believes "something over the horizon" is coming, something that doesn't bode well for the Fleet. "A storm is coming," he says.
*The music that Tigh, Anders, and Foster are hearing appears to be coming from the ship itself.

===Bonus Scene===

* Lee Adama asks Lampkin, "You know he's guilty, right?". Lampkin appeals to Adama's sense of justice, stating that everyone is guilty of something and there is a difference between guilt and criminality.

== Questions ==

* Did Tigh continue drinking all the time, or did he stop for a while after he seemingly pulled himself together again?
* Why does Anders pursue being a pilot?
* Is there a budding romance developing between Anders and Seelix?
* What is the mysterious music and where is it coming from?
* Why are Tigh, Anders, and Foster apparently the only ones who can hear the ever-increasing music?
* Does Foster actually hear the music?
* Is the music's loudness and clarity increasing because the Fleet is approaching the Ionian nebula?
* Is Roslin back on using chamalla extract because of prescription from Cottle or is she attempting to receive visions of the future again?
* Did Athena or Caprica-Six receive the same vision that Roslin found herself in during the teaser of the episode?
* Who is the shadowy figure behind the Six in Roslin's vision?
* Would Athena and Helo be willing to donate some of Hera's blood to save Roslin from her cancer?
* Barring any effective treatment, how long does Roslin have to live?
* Would Hera's blood have any effect on the cancer now since the cancer has apparently resisted Hera's innate immunology?
* With Helo temporarily assigned as XO, who has replaced him as CAG? Or is he temporarily holding down both posts?
* Why does Roslin look so different in her dream?
* Will Baltar take the stand?
* Where is Zarek in the midst of the trial proceedings?
* How is Caprica's virtual Baltar aware of the details of Saul and Ellen Tigh's relationship and Ellen's death?
* Why has Adama waited so long to order a sweep of tracking devices throughout the Fleet?

== Analysis ==

* [[Samuel Anders]] wears a uniform with rank insignia and hangs around with Seelix and Costanza. Together with being addressed as "you [[nugget]]s", this indicates that he joined the pilot training program.
* The Cylons have apparently been tracking the fleet since the destruction of the Temple of Five. Their strategy was to delay jumping into any system that the Fleet has been until after six plus hours to ensure that the Fleet would not realize that they were being tracked.
* Adama's military experience comes into play again when he orders that the decoy Raptor stay for a total of 12 hours. This is reminiscent of his previous strategies such as the decision to attack the Cylon tylium factory in "[[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]." When he changes the regular pattern and stays longer than the Cylons had expected, he finally caught them in the act.
* Lee Adama immediately displays signs of fear once Roslin challenges him to "finished what you(he) started" after asking her if she is taking chamalla again. This indicates that either he suspected that Roslin's cancer has returned or he was beginning to feel that his actions are treacherous.
* Helo's comment to Gaeta about a "'storm is coming'" highlights Adama's comment to him at the end of "[[The Woman King]]", specifically to how Helo has been many times the voice in the wilderness. His ability to sense or remember certain details hails back to the final scene in "[[Rapture]]" when he remembers that Thrace had painted the picture of the mandala. It's also similar to his wife predicting that "Something dark is coming" in "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]".
* Lampkin's opening statement is another prime example of his rhetorical skill. He uses reverse psychology to goad the mob to respond and eventually lead one man in the audience to state his desire to see Baltar die. This display of emotion played in Lampkin's favor as it would make the judges wary of giving into the mob mentality. Secondly, he cleverly paints Roslin as a fanatic by proposing that had Roslin been president when the Cylons invaded New Caprica, the entire human race would have been exterminated. However, as [[Precipice|Zarek has stated to Roslin]], if she had been President, the settlement and eventual invasion of New Caprica would have never taken place.
* It appears the closer the Fleet is to the nebula, Tigh, Anders, and Foster hear the music increasingly, even, at least in the case of Foster, to the point of exhaustion.
* There is a growing movement in the Fleet that believes Baltar has some sort of healing or divine abilities. His internal-Six doesn't allow him to brush off these devoted followers aside, indicating that his belief about himself that he is the "Chosen One" is coming true.
* Lee Adama's actions towards his father and Roslin have led to another impasse between himself and Dualla. Lee Adama has come to a point where he has been alienated from his father, from Roslin, and his wife, in an attempt to gain some sort of respect from Lampkin and to act in accordance with his noble conceptions of justice by following in his grandfather's footsteps.
* Lee Adama's words to the pilots in "[[A Day in the Life]]" come back to haunt Racetrack when the Cylons jump on top of her Raptor right after the end of a card game. The ship's systems apparently had been powered down as Racetrack can't even maneuver or evade the missile to give the FTL drive a few more moments to spin up.
* Baltar is only being tried for crimes that the prosecution believes can be proven. He is therefore not being tried for the genocide of humanity that occurred during the [[Miniseries]]. Although the show's audience knows his involvement, none of the primary characters in the series who give testimony have to date any hard evidence of his complicity, beyond Laura Roslin's hallucination whilst dying of cancer in "[[Epiphanies]]". This is acknowledged before, when she tries to challenge Baltar about the settlement of New Caprica. She tells him that she saw him together with Six, but knows that she has no concrete evidence ([[Lay Down Your Burdens]]).
* [[Cassidy]]'s numbers for the surviving human population are contradictory. It seems that the number the writers arrived at for the surviving humans only refers to the ''civilian'' population of the Fleet, excluding the military personnel. The regular survivor count in "[[Collaborators]]" is higher. The second confusion stems from her saying "the sum total of survivors [...] who settled on New Caprica". This clearly means only the people down on the planet. However her number of 44,035 also includes the ''total'' population left in orbit, both military and civilian. This writing error makes her statement that 5,197 people were lost entirely inaccurate, but aside from that the numbers fit with what has been established before (see: [[Survivor Count]]):
**41,435 (Collaborators) - 38,838 = 2,597 (the military personnel in the Fleet)
**44,035 - 39,192 (the inhabitants of [[New Caprica City]]) = 4,835 (the total population in orbit)
**4,835 - 2,597 = 2,238 (Lee Adama refers to roughly 2,000 civilians who escaped New Caprica in "[[Precipice]]")
**49,550 (count in "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]") - 39,192 - 4,835 (total population in orbit) = 5,523 (the death toll prior to the occupation, mostly incurred with the destruction of ''Cloud Nine'')
**49,550 - 5,523 - 41,435 = 2,592 (the causalities of the Cylon occupation and the escape from New Caprica)

== Notes ==

*The episode has one of the most sparse musical score yet. The only major pieces are during Roslin's dream at the beginning and the music Tigh keeps hearing. According to a [http://bearmccreary.com/html/blog/blogmain.htm blog entry] by composer [[Bear McCreary]], director [[Michael Rymer]] and the editors decided not to use any music during the court room part, in order to let the scenes speak for themselves.
*It's the first episode without an intro sequence, thus increasing the effective running time a little bit. Because of that, no updated [[Survivor Count]] is available.
*The bitterness of chamalla and that it can be sweetened to make it taste better, is first mentioned by the oracle [[Dodona Selloi]] in "[[Exodus, Part I]]".
*One of the shots of others listening to the trial on the [[wireless]] shows the [[refinery ship]] from "[[Dirty Hands]]".
*A storm is often used as a metaphor for a battle, conflict, or massive upheaval in science fiction. Helo's final line in this episode is almost an exact duplicate of the ending of the movie ''[[w:The Terminator|The Terminator]]'', and a huge storm (a sandstorm) takes place during the climax of the novel ''[[w:Dune (novel)|Dune]]''.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

Apollo - "I refuse to serve under someone that questions my integrity"

Admiral Adama - "And I refuse to have an officer serve under me that has none"

== Official Statements ==
Notes from the podcast:

* The opening teaser is indeed set in the Kobol Opera House that has been seen numerous times. This particular scene in the teaser was a late addition as the director and producers wanted to create a foreboding atmosphere to the episode. This was influenced by the fact that the studio executives were not favorable to the idea of ending the season with Baltar's trial.

* RDM goes more into the original trial storyline that involved the Saggitarons and Baltar. In summary, during their time on New Caprica, the food supply had been contaminated and a famine had fallen on most of the colonists, except the Saggitarons, who had been very careful with their harvests and supplies. This alienation between the Saggitarons and the rest of the colonies came to a collision when Baltar was attempting to have the Saggitaron leadership share their food with the other colonists. Unfortunately, Baltar is forced to kill one of the leaders, and thus began the riots and slaughter directed towards the Saggitarons. This killing was to be eventually revealed that it was a necessity instead of an act of genocide.

* Another component of the original storyline was to have Lee Adama be Baltar's only attorney and Lee's morals come into play when he obtains a video recording of Baltar actually shooting the Saggitaron leader. The cliff hanger of the episode was suppose to leave the audience wondering what will Lee do now that he believes Baltar is guilty.

* Over time, RDM and the director agreed that this storyline involved too many plot elements that the audience had never witnessed about Baltar. Once the decision was made, RDM completely revised the whole trial and rewrote the episodes.

* RDM hints that Athena and Roslin did indeed see each other during the dream sequence. A deleted scene had Roslin in the the restroom attempting to cool her head down while Athena comes out from one of the stalls. They looked at each other briefly in a silent acknowledgment that they did see each other in the dream.

== Guest Stars ==
*[[Michael Hogan]] as [[Saul Tigh]]
*[[Aaron Douglas]] as [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Alessandro Juliani]] as [[Felix Gaeta]]
*[[Tahmoh Penikett]] as [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
*[[Nicki Clyne]] as [[Cally Tyrol]]
*[[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
*[[Jen Halley]] as [[Diana Seelix]]
*[[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]]
*[[Bodie Olmos]] as [[Brendan Costanza|Brendan "Hot Dog" Brendan Costanza]]
*[[Leah Cairns]] as [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]]
*[[Colin Lawrence]] as [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]]
*[[Mark Sheppard]] as [[Romo Lampkin]]
*[[Ryan Robbins]] as [[Charlie Connor]]
*[[Keegan Connor Tracy]] as Young Woman
*[[Chelah Horsdal]] as [[Cassidy]]
*[[Susan Hogan]] as [[Franks]]
*[[William Samples]] as Judge Number Two
*Lily Duong-Walton as [[Hera Agathon]]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 3)}}

[[Category:A to Z|Crossroads, Part I]]
[[Category:Episode Guide|Crossroads, Part I]]
[[Category:Episode Guide (RDM)|Crossroads, Part I]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Michael Rymer]]
[[Category:RDM]]

The Son Also Rises

2007-03-14T00:05:27Z

Hmoul: /* Act 4 */ Anders' cast

{{Episode Data
| title= The Son Also Rises
| image= 3x18-TheSonAlsoRises-ApolloBaltarLampkin.jpg
| season= 3
| episode= 18
| guests=
| writer= [[Michael Angeli]]
| story=
| director= [[Sergio Mimica-Gezzan]]
| production= 318
| rating=
| US airdate= 2007-03-11
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| population= 41399
| oldpopulation= 41400
| prev= [[Maelstrom]]
| next= [[Crossroads, Part I]]
| 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%253D219074621%2526id%253D200852806%2526s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30
}}

== Overview ==
:''With [[Gaius Baltar]]'s trial merely two weeks away, [[Lee Adama]] is tasked with protecting [[Romo Lampkin]], Baltar's second lawyer, which finds himself going up against [[William Adama|his own father]], who himself is appointed as one of the five judges in Baltar's trial.''

== Summary ==

=== Teaser ===

[[Image:Adama's b-day card.jpg|thumb|right|Adama happens upon an old, self-made birthday card from [[Kara Thrace]], while reviewing her jacket.]]
* [[William Adama]] reviews [[Kara Thrace]]'s service record file, which includes various disciplinary notices, commendations, and citations.
* Meanwhile, on ''[[Colonial One]]'', [[Laura Roslin]] presides over a drawing of ship captains who will comprise of the five judges of [[Gaius Baltar]]'s tribunal. [[Tory Foster]] picks up a folded card from the bowl, handing it to Roslin. It reads: Captain [[Elias Meeker]], ''[[Gideon]]''.
* Adama happens upon more records, including a commendation for bravery regarding her actions in recovering the civilians from [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Caprica|Caprica]].
* Foster draws out one last name from the bowl. When Roslin opens it, she initially begins to read the card aloud, but stops herself as she reads the name, clearly shocked.
* As Adama continues to slowly run through the jacket, he happens across a self-made birthday card she made for him. The cover reads: "You were always like a father to me...". Upon opening the card, he sees a picture of Thrace, who is wearing his glasses and has a hand-drawn mushdache. Above the picture are the words: "See the resemblance?"; below: "Happy birthday, <u>young</u> <u>man</u>" signing it with "much love, Kara". This elicits a laugh from Adama, who begins to tear up and sniffle.
* On the flight deck, a grieving and inebriated [[Samuel Anders]] stands on top of a [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]], who is tossing a coined-[[cubit]], calling "heads" correctly for the fourth time in a row. Watching him are [[Anthony Figurski]], [[Hamish McCall]] and [[Margaret Edmondson]].
* In the [[memorial hallway]], [[Lee Adama]] stands in front of the section containing [[Louanne Katraine|Kat's]] picture. He thumbs with a photo of Thrace, keeping it close to his belly, then pocketing it as he hears the sound of Racetrack's footsteps. Edmondson then gets his attention by calling Adama by his rank.
* Still standing above the cockpit of the Viper, Anders holds out the cubit, saying that his "girl is too lucky to check out". Adama and Edmondson approach; Adama joins Anders on top of the Viper and attempts to talk him down. Emotionally distraught, he initially sits down, then jumps up, saying he has somewhere to go, but he doesn't complete his words as he slips and falls from the Viper. Adama climbs down from the Viper as some of the spectators begin to cluster near the fallen Anders, who says "I think I fell".
* As Adama checks Anders over for injuries, Anders asks him: "She's still alive, right?" Adama replies in the negative, which Anders tearfully claims he knows.
* In [[CIC]], Colonel [[Saul Tigh]] tells Adama he's been selected as one of the five ship captains that form Baltar's tribunal.
* On the hangar deck, Racetrack complains about having to fly [[Alan Hughes|Baltar's lawyer]] back and forth from the ''[[Zephyr]]'', saying he whispers into her ear and takes his shoes off on board.
* Skulls wonders why Baltar is even given a trial while he's obviously guilty, to which Cally replies it's justice.
* An explosive charge detonates aboard the [[Raptor]]. Racetrack walks out unharmed, but Baltar's lawyer is dead.

===Act 1===
*A press conference on Baltar's fate on ''[[Colonial One]]'' asks questions about the trial, a lawyer replacement, and other matters. Roslin stands firm against any terrorist acts affecting the trial.
*In the [[Pilot ready rooms|pilot ready room]], the mood is also somber. Major Adama is making mistakes and distracted. A reconnaissance operation is planned.
*After a joke, Adama says "Starbuck" and not "Racetrack" after the [[Raptor]] pilot makes a joke to [[Sharon Agathon]] about checking under her seat, and an overwhelming awkwardness settles within the room. Adama dismisses the group hurriedly.
*Roslin interviews the new attorney, [[Romo Lampkin]] with Admiral Adama present. Lampkin abruptly introduces the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet leaders]] to his [[Lampkin's cat|cat]], who is in a foul mood.
*Adama asks his son to aid with attorney's affairs. When the younger Adama objects to being grounded as [[CAG]] and indicating that he's "okay", the admiral tells him that he knows that his son isn't okay because the admiral himself is also still in grief over Thrace's death.
*Lampkin is given his quarters and asks to see Baltar. Lampkin wants to choose a room that is unlikely to be wired for surveillance. He tells Major Adama that he was a student of his grandfather, [[Joseph Adama]].
*The scene shifts to see someone's hands preparing explosive charges.

===Act 2===
*Baltar, in a bulletproof vest, is escorted by [[marine]]s to his attorney in Major Adama's quarters. The major is present under client confidentiality.
*Baltar is agitated as he writes more quick notes for his [[My Triumphs, My Mistakes|manifesto]]. He knows that the tribunal will use [[Caprica Six]] against him.
*When Lampkin asks to be taken to ''Colonial One'', Adama objects. When he insults Adama, the major reacts violently, his stress over the events of the last two weeks coming forth briefly.
*Adama manages to convince Captain [[Aaron Kelly]] to fly the Raptor with [[Sharon Agathon|Athena]] and Lampkin aboard, despite the admiral's grounding order for the major.
*As the Raptor's door is almost closed, Lampkin's cat escapes through the hatchway, and the door is reopened while other deckhands scramble to chase the cat.
*As Chief Tyrol crawls under the Raptor to reach the cat, he discovers the bomb, and everyone madly scrambles away.
*Later, Admiral Adama is infuriated at his son for disobeying orders, noting how everyone is out of sorts since Thrace's death two weeks prior. The admiral orders his son to do his job, properly, for he will be on the other side of the courtroom as a tribunal member.

===Act 3===
*The bomb is dissected and analyzed. Deck crew and officers discuss the problem: One of them is a conspirator. [[Cally Tyrol]] states her opinion, and accuses the Cylons, and more indirectly Sharon Agathon, for the bombings and inciting the riots within the Fleet.
*Major Adama warns Lampkin to watch himself, but Lampkin is philosophical, realizing that someone will eventually get to him, no matter what.
*On ''Colonial One'', Roslin grants Lampkin permission to interview [[Caprica-Six]] in the usual interrogation room. Tory Foster apologizes to Apollo for the difficulty and delay in getting the files Lampkin requested shipped to him.
*As Lampkin interviews Six, she notes her love for him. Lampkin relates his experiences in love, which moves Six. On asking if Baltar asked about her, Lampkin removes his glasses and shows Baltar's pen, telling her that his sacrifice of his one limited freedom is an expression of his love.
*Lampkin tells her, that unlike Baltar, she won't get a trial.
*Later, [[Anthony Figurski]] delivers the papers Lampkin requested from ''[[Colonial One]]'', noting that Captain Kelley had inspected them. The [[marine]] escort is suspicious, and both they and Lampkin inspect the paper box to their satisfaction.
*As Lampkin enters his key code for opening his quarter's hatch, one marine notices a screw on the floor, and realizes that the key lock had been tampered with. He tackles Lampkin, pushing him to safety just as the hatchway explodes.

===Act 4===
*Lampkin survives the bomb attack, but is in [[sickbay]]. Major Adama speaks with him and has brought a bag containing Lampkin's possessions.
*Lampkin states that he is a kleptomaniac, and master slight-of-hand thief. Major Adama begins to remove the items with Lampkin commenting on the signifigance of each: Roslin's glasses, a shoe from the prosecuting attorney, a button from the admiral's jacket. "I borrow things," he says. When the major asks what Lampkin took from him, he tells him that he found Thrace's picture, but didn't take it.
*Adama discovers a special object that could only come from an officer. He asks who Lampkin burgled to get this object.
*Major Adama interview Captain Kelly, who admits to be the bomber, warning that he would continue the attacks if left on duty.
*The admiral reinstates his son as [[CAG]], but the younger Adama wants to help Lampkin, to his father's repeated objections. Eventually, the admiral, furious with the major, orders that the major be removed from the board and re-instate [[Helo]] as temporary CAG.
*Thrace's picture makes it on the memorial board as she requested, next to [[Kat]]. Anders, on crutches and with his left leg in a cast, comes in. The two come to terms with Thrace's death and possibly mend a friendship.
*Baltar finds an envelope with his pen, and a note from his attorney.
*The note contains a poetic line, telling Baltar that there is no more powerful ally than a son who decides to step away from his father's shadow.

===Bonus Scene===

*The scene begins with Athena and Cally Tyrol in the hangar deck while the rest of the deck gang is away.
*Athena begins to ask Cally why she accused her of being the bomber, upon which Cally denies ever making a direct accusation.
*Athena responds that she didn't accuse or even indirectly imply that Cally is the bomber, even though Cally was the last deck hand to inspect the Raptor.
*Athena allows Cally to take her gun and hold it to her chest, while Athena states why she knows Cally, despite her intense hatred for the Cylons, wouldn't shoot her. It is because she knows Athena loves her husband, her daughter, and ''Galactica''. Cally, according to Athena, would never dare take a child's mother away.
*After a few tense moments, Athena grabs the gun, points it next to Cally's head and states in unambiguous terms that if Cally is discovered to be the bomber, Athena will kill Cally herself.

== Questions ==
* Is Lampkin's statement to Roslin and Adama that he is seeking the fame (or infamy) of being Baltar's lawyer true, or is there an ulterior motive?

* Will Captain Kelly be punished and if yes, how?

* Besides the attacks caused by Kelly, have there been any other incidents of violence on the scale that Zarek warned Roslin about?

* Will the death of Thrace bring Lee Adama and Sam Anders closer as friends in the future?

* Would the bomb on the Raptor have gone off if Tyrol hadn't discovered it? Is Kelly telling the truth that he would not have triggered it with Lee Adama inside?

* Is Cally's hatred of the Cylons truly towards all Cylons or is she afraid of Athena because of her connection to Tyrol's former lover, Boomer?

* Why does Lampkin wear sunglasses in most of his encounters with people?

* What caused the rift between William Adama and his own father?

* Given Karl Agathon's temporary promotion to CAG, does he have previous flight experience as a Viper pilot?

== Analysis ==
* A noticeable pattern between the two Adamas can be seen whenever both are going through a stressful or traumatic situation. Whereas the [[William Adama|elder Adama]] has the experience and the desire to focus on the job that he has to do, the [[Lee Adama|younger Adama]] consistently displays an inability to cope and process his emotions. This difference between the two has often led to sharp divisions, causing another tear in their damaged relationship:
** When the two Adamas do not agree on the same method of coping with the destruction of the ''Olympic Carrier'' in "[[33]]". This eventually leads to Lee Adama becoming [[Laura Roslin|Roslin]]'s military adviser and eventual co-conspirator during the hunt of Arrow of Apollo.
** During the planning for the [[Battle of New Caprica]], the two Adamas butt heads again over strategy and whether it is worth the risk of losing the last remnants of humanity that were with [[Galactica (RDM)|''Galactica'']] and [[Pegasus (RDM)|''Pegasus'']] at the time.

* Lee Adama has consistently shown a tendency to prove that he is not like his father, even though both are described as stubborn by [[Anastasia Dualla|Dualla]] and [[Carolanne Adama]]. This tendency is evident in the last argument between the two when Apollo accuses Adama of not wanting him to become like his grandfather.

* When Lee Adama mistakenly thinks and calls [[Racetrack]] "Starbuck", his mental state is reminiscent of "[[Black Market]]" when he constantly found himself recollecting events on Caprica before the genocide.

* William Adama's failure to listen to Carolanne Adama's pleas and advice to tell his son how proud he is of him comes back with a vengeance when Apollo repeatedly asks his father if he is giving him an order, the implication being that Apollo wanted to know if his father is treating him as a son or as a soldier. Adama's refusal to ask Apollo to obey his orders as his son will probably lead to further dissension between the two.

* [[Romo Lampkin]], though he appears to be a lawyer with little courtroom experience, has demonstrated a deep understanding of the human psyche. He takes Roslin's glasses to prevent her from being taken seriously during the trial. His other feats such as raising doubt and bringing out [[Caprica-Six]]'s feelings for [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]], and his slow but sure persuasion of Lee Adama into helping with Baltar's case, give hints to a man who obviously has immense experience with the art of manipulation.

* Lee Adama honors [[Kara Thrace|Thrace]]'s request of having her photo posted next to [[Louanne Katraine|Kat]]'s. His inability to let go of the photo may represent a possible marriage conflict with Dualla if he is unable to truly move on.

* [[Cally Tyrol]] correctly states that the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]] wouldn't need to even fire one shot because they may find the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] had torn itself apart because of humanity's tendency towards self-destruction. However, it is also clear that she has not realized that she and the many workers are just as much a part of the problems when they essentially risked the existence of the Fleet with their work strikes, refusal to refine [[tylium]], and disobedience toward military orders ([[Dirty Hands]]). The summary of all those acts cannot be attributed to Cylon intervention as Cally Tryol was implying that Athena was responsible for the bombings.

* Two weeks have passed since the events of "[[Maelstrom]]". During this time, Adama apparently has been mulling over his memories of Starbuck, including a review of her military record. The audience sees, amongst the items in the folder, a hand-made birthday card which Thrace gave Adama for his birthday once. It jokingly shows Thrace with a color pen mustache and glasses, and asks if Adama can see the resemblance. This moment reinforces the theme that Starbuck was very much a daughter to Adama, even though he stated otherwise in "[[Torn]]". It is very clear that he still sees Thrace as a daughter to him.

* After the events of "[[The Woman King]]", Helo has been reinstated amongst the pilots of ''Galactica'', as the original purpose of assigning him to [[Dogsville]] was in response to his objections and sabotage of the Cylon biological weapon. Starting with "[[Dirty Hands]]", Helo is present at briefings in the ready room, and by the implications of this episode, he appears to be one of the four squadron leaders. Thus, once Apollo's flight status is revoked it is only natural for Adama to promote Helo to the CAG position because of seniority and trust.

* It is unclear whether Helo has experience with a Viper, but numerous Viper pilots have been flying Raptors so far. Whether this goes both ways it yet to be seen, but with Helo's position as head of a squadron and now CAG, it appears that he has at least enough operational and tactical knowledge to do the necessary organizational and administrative duties.

* Though Kelly tells Apollo that he would have never detonated the bomb with him inside, the fact that the bomb had been planted and that Kelly couldn't anticipate Apollo's impromptu decision to join Lampkin, makes it clear that Kelly's original intention was to kill Lampkin ''and'' Athena. Whether this is an indirect statement on Kelly's view on Athena's Cylon heritage or his desire to raise the stakes by not only killing Baltar's lawyer, but sacrifice a member of the crew, is unclear.

== Notes ==
*This episode's title is a pun on the title of the 1926 Hemingway novel "[[w:The Sun Also Rises|The Sun Also Rises]]".
*The population count at the start of this episode is 41,399, accounting for [[Kara Thrace]]'s death in "[[Maelstrom]]". At least one birth must have occurred to set off [[Alan Hughes]]'s death in the teaser.
*[[Karl Agathon]] is temporarily assigned as [[CAG]], despite not having any previously known experience as a [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] pilot. This might have been done for production reasons. After Apollo, Helo is the highest-ranking established pilot left. In-universe [[Marcia Case]] or [[Ricky Richardson]] are probably better qualified for the position.
*The model ship which [[William Adama|Adama]] destroyed in [[Maelstrom|the previous episode]] is still sitting on a shelf in his quarters.
*[[Romo Lampkin]] exhibits symptoms of [[w:Kleptomania|kleptomania]]. Over the course of the episode he steals many objects, including [[Laura Roslin|President Roslin]]'s glasses and [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]]'s fountain pen. These objects are stolen from those whom Lampkin views as important from a psychological perspective, which provides him with knowledge of a person. Among the objects stolen:
** Gaius Baltar's worn fountain pen
** Laura Roslin's glasses
** Admiral Adama's uniform button (which he searches for when Lampkin talks to [[Caprica-Six]])
** Ms. [[Cassidy]]'s shoe

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

* ''[[Romo Lampkin]] replies to [[William Adama]]'s question regarding his qualifications for defending [[Gaius Baltar]]:''
: '''Lampkin:''' I was born for this. That, and the fact I have a pulse.

* ''Lampkin's cat jumps on [[Laura Roslin]]'s desk:''
: '''Lampkin:''' Cat's belonged to my wife. Don't worry, he doesn't scratch or bite like she did. If it's any comfort, I despise him as much as you do, having to hire me. So, there it is. Shall we get started?

* ''Admiral Adama rips [[Lee Adama]] another one:''
: '''William Adama:''' What the hell were you doing out there? I gave you an order. To do a job.
: '''Lee Adama:''' Excuse me, I was ''doing my job''.
: '''Bill:''' Yeah, being led around by the nose! This [[Romo Lampkin|bastard]] yanks your chain and you jump.
: '''Lee:''' He wanted files from ''[[Colonial One]]''–
: '''Bill:''' It was the middle of the night.
: '''Lee:''' Well, you assigned me to security.
: '''Bill:''' Yeah. And there was a bomb on [[Raptor|that ship]]. And you ''missed it''. Security? I gave you ''explicit orders''.
: '''Lee:''' [[Sharon Agathon|Athena]] was piloting.
: '''Bill:''' You coulda died. Plain and simple. ''You're a soldier. Live like one. Start acting like one!''
: '''Lee:''' [[Kara Thrace|She]]'s [[Maelstrom|been gone]] two weeks. I didn't realize the clock was running.
: '''Bill:''' (softly) Stop.
: '''Lee:''' No, I'm sorry. Maybe because we're just built differently.
: '''Bill:''' You stop. Don't you dare quantify my loss.
: '''Lee:''' You have no idea. ''You have no frakking idea.''
: '''Bill:''' What, you think yours is deeper?
: '''Lee:''' Well–
: '''Bill:''' Yours is greater? (Lee doesn't respond) ''In two weeks, there's going to be a trial. And I'm going to do what I was chosen to do, and so are you! You build a frakking nest around this man and you '''protect his ass'''!''

* ''[[Aaron Kelly]] opines on shuttling [[Gaius Baltar]]'s [[Romo Lampkin|lawyer]]:''
: '''Kelly:''' Every day I wave jocks out there. A lot of them are my friends. People I care for and love. It's hard enough watching them die in battle, but rickshawing Baltar's frakking attorney around? Frak that.

* ''[[Cally Tyrol]] apparently learns from her [[Dirty Hands|mistakes]]:''
: '''Tyrol:''' I believe that the Cylons want us to destroy ourselves and this is how they're doing it. By planting bombs, making us suspicious of each other. You know what's funny? By the time the Cylons catch up with us, they won't even have to attack. They'll just clean up the mess we made.

* ''Baltar muses over adding to his [[My Triumphs, My Mistakes|manifesto]], before discovering his pen has gone missing:''
: '''Baltar:''' The nature of our life is obsession.

* ''Lee Adama discovers Lampkin's kleptomania:''
: '''Adama:''' So what did you take from me?
: '''Lampkin:''' I was thinkin' the photograph that you carry. [[Kara Thrace|The girl. The pilot.]] The one you carry [in your pocket]. But... you've had enough stolen from you already.

* ''Lee Adama confronts Kelly about the bomb:''
: '''Kelly:''' I would have never let [[Sharon Agathon|Athena]] airborne with you on the Raptor. I would have stopped it. You know that.
: '''Adama:''' Yeah, I know that.
: '''Kelly:''' You better lock me up. And I don't want any trial. I won't stop. I will keep trying. I'll keep at it, I will. I did my job, sir. And I have done my job for two years. Every day I've sent people out to fight. I cleared them all to die. So many people... I just got tired of living with that. You ask that man, if you had to choose between giving up his life for a Cylon or human, what do you think he'd say? I had to do somethin'.

* ''Baltar reads a note from Lampkin, after retrieving his pen from the envelope:''
: '''Lampkin:''' There's no greater ally, no force more powerful, no enemy more resolved than [[Lee Adama|the son]] who chooses to step from [[William Adama|his father's shadow]].

== Official Statements ==

Information from the podcast:
* Ron Moore admits that it's a stretch to have both Adamas involved intimately in the trial and even on opposite sides. But the writers decided to go for increased drama, since the trial would otherwise only be carried by guest stars with the show's main characters sidelined. Moore also believes that Admiral Adama is capable to make fair and rational decisions.
* Romo Lampkin's cat was supposed to be run out of the Raptor, but when shooting the cat only strolled. Since it's difficult to teach cats what to do, the film was sped up instead.
* That Lampkin always wears sunglasses was a decision made by the director.

== Guest Stars ==
* [[Michael Hogan]] as Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]
* [[Aaron Douglas]] as Chief [[Galen Tyrol]]
* [[Nicki Clyne]] as Specialist [[Cally Tyrol]]
* [[Tahmoh Penikett]] as Capt. [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
* [[Alessandro Juliani]] as Lt. [[Felix Gaeta]]
* [[Kandyse McClure]] as Lt. [[Anastasia Dualla]]
* [[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Sebastian Spence]] as Lt. [[Noel Allison|Noel "Narcho" Allison]]
* [[Mark Sheppard]] as [[Romo Lampkin]]
* [[Colin Lawrence]] as [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]]
* [[Leah Cairns]] as Lt. [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]]
* [[Ty Olsson]] as Cpt. [[Aaron Kelly]]
* [[Bodie Olmos]] as Lt. [[Brendan Costanza|Brendan "Hotdog" Costanza]]
* [[Don Thompson]] as [[Anthony Figurski]]
* [[Tyler McClendon]] as [[Alan Hughes]]
* [[Stephen Holmes]] as Reporter #1
* [[Christina Schild]] as [[Playa Palacios]]
* [[Alison Matthews]] as [[Karen Fallbrook|Fallbrook]]
* [[Chris Boyd]] as Marine [[Cheadle]]
* [[Colin Corringan]] as Marine [[Nowart]]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 3)}}

[[Category:A to Z|The Son Also Rises]]
[[Category:Episode Guide|The Son Also Rises]]
[[Category:Episode Guide (RDM)|The Son Also Rises]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Michael Angeli]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan]]
[[Category:RDM]]

The Son Also Rises

2007-03-13T17:52:19Z

Hmoul: /* Summary */ reorg for major editing

{{Episode Data
| title= The Son Also Rises
| image= 3x18-TheSonAlsoRises-ApolloBaltarLampkin.jpg
| season= 3
| episode= 18
| guests=
| writer= [[Michael Angeli]]
| story=
| director= [[Sergio Mimica-Gezzan]]
| production= 318
| rating=
| US airdate= 2007-03-11
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| population= 41399
| oldpopulation= 41400
| prev= [[Maelstrom]]
| next= [[Crossroads, Part I]]
| 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%253D219074621%2526id%253D200852806%2526s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30
}}

== Overview ==
:''With [[Gaius Baltar]]'s trial merely two weeks away, [[Lee Adama]] is tasked with protecting [[Romo Lampkin]], Baltar's second lawyer, which finds himself going up against [[William Adama|his own father]], who himself is appointed as one of the five judges in Baltar's trial.''

== Summary ==

=== Teaser ===

[[Image:Adama's b-day card.jpg|thumb|left|Adama happens upon an old, self-made birthday card from [[Kara Thrace]], while reviewing her jacket.]]

* [[William Adama]] reviews [[Kara Thrace]]'s jacket, which includes various disciplinary notices, commendations, and citations.
* Meanwhile, on ''[[Colonial One]]'', [[Laura Roslin]] presides over a drawing of ship captains who will comprise of the five judges of [[Gaius Baltar]]'s tribunal. [[Tory Foster]] picks up a folded card from the bowl, handing it to Roslin. It reads: Captain [[Elias Meeker]], ''[[Gideon]]''.
* Adama happens upon more records, including a commendation for bravery regarding her actions in recovering the civilians from [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Caprica|Caprica]].
* Foster draws out one last name from the bowl. When Roslin opens it, she initially begins to read the card aloud, but stops herself as she reads the name, clearly shocked.
* As Adama continues to slowly run through the jacket, he happens across a self-made birthday card she made for him. The cover reads: "You were always like a father to me...". Upon opening the card, he sees a picture of Thrace, who is wearing his glasses and has a hand-drawn mushdache. Above the picture are the words: "See the resemblance?"; below: "Happy birthday, <u>young</u> <u>man</u>" signing it with "much love, Kara". This elicits a laugh from Adama, who begins to tear up and sniffle.
* On the flight deck, a grieving and inebriated [[Samuel Anders]] stands on top of a [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]], who is tossing a coined-[[cubit]], calling "heads" correctly for the fourth time in a row. Watching him are [[Anthony Figurski]], [[Hamish McCall]] and [[Margaret Edmondson]].
* In the [[memorial hallway]], [[Lee Adama]] stands in front of the section containing [[Louanne Katraine|Kat's]] picture. He thumbs with a photo of Thrace, keeping it close to his belly, then pocketing it as he hears the sound of Racetrack's footsteps. Edmondson then gets his attention by calling Adama by his rank.
* Still standing above the cockpit of the Viper, Anders holds out the cubit, saying that his "girl is too lucky to check out". Adama and Edmondson approach; Adama joins Anders on top of the Viper and attempts to talk him down. Emotionally distraught, he initially sits down, then jumps up, saying he has somewhere to go, but he doesn't complete his words as he slips and falls from the Viper. Adama climbs down from the Viper as some of the spectators begin to cluster near the fallen Anders, who says "I think I fell".
* As Adama checks Anders over for injuries, Anders asks him: "She's still alive, right?" Adama replies in the negative, which Anders tearfully claims he knows.

=== Act 1 ===

=== Act 2 ===

=== Act 3 ===

=== Act 4 ===

== Questions ==
* Is Lampkin's statement to Roslin and Adama that he is seeking the fame (or infamy) of being Baltar's lawyer true, or is there an ulterior motive?

* Will Captain Kelly be punished and if yes, how?

* Besides the attacks caused by Kelly, have there been any other incidents of violence on the scale that Zarek warned Roslin about?

* Will the death of Thrace bring Lee Adama and Sam Anders closer as friends in future episodes?

* Would the bomb on the Raptor have gone off if Tyrol hadn't discovered it? Is Kelly telling the truth that he would not have triggered it with Lee Adama inside?

* Is Cally's hatred of the Cylons truly towards all Cylons or is she afraid of Athena because of her connection to Tyrol's former lover, Boomer?

* Why does Lampkin wear sunglasses in most of his encounters with people? What was the significance of him taking the sunglasses off when he was "telling" Caprica-Six what Baltar wanted to tell her?

* What caused the rift between William Adama and his own father?

* Given Karl Agathon's temporary promotion to CAG, does he have previous flight experience as a Viper pilot?

== Analysis ==
* A noticeable pattern between the two Adamas can be seen whenever both are going through a stressful or traumatic situation. Whereas the [[William Adama|elder Adama]] has the experience and the desire to focus on the job that he has to do, the [[Lee Adama|younger Adama]] consistently displays an inability to cope and process his emotions. This difference between the two has often led to sharp divisions, causing another tear in their damaged relationship:
** When the two Adamas do not agree on the same method of coping with the destruction of the ''Olympic Carrier'' in "[[33]]". This eventually leads to Lee Adama becoming [[Laura Roslin|Roslin]]'s military adviser and eventual co-conspirator during the hunt of Arrow of Apollo.
** During the planning for the [[Battle of New Caprica]], the two Adamas butt heads again over strategy and whether it is worth the risk of losing the last remnants of humanity that were with [[Galactica (RDM)|''Galactica'']] and [[Pegasus (RDM)|''Pegasus'']] at the time.

* Lee Adama has consistently shown a tendency to prove that he is not like his father, even though both are described as stubborn by [[Anastasia Dualla|Dualla]] and [[Carolanne Adama]]. This tendency is evident in the last argument between the two when Apollo accuses Adama of not wanting him to become like his grandfather.

* When Lee Adama mistakenly thinks and calls [[Racetrack]] "Starbuck", his mental state is reminiscent of "[[Black Market]]" when he constantly found himself recollecting events on Caprica before the genocide.

* William Adama's failure to listen to Carolanne Adama's pleas and advice to tell his son how proud he is of him comes back with a vengeance when Apollo repeatedly asks his father if he is giving him an order, the implication being that Apollo wanted to know if his father is treating him as a son or as a soldier. Adama's refusal to ask Apollo to obey his orders as his son will probably lead to further dissension between the two.

* [[Romo Lampkin]], though he appears to be a lawyer with little courtroom experience, has demonstrated a deep understanding of the human psyche. He takes Roslin's glasses to prevent her from being taken seriously during the trial. His other feats such as raising doubt and bringing out [[Caprica-Six]]'s feelings for [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]], and his slow but sure persuasion of Lee Adama into helping with Baltar's case, give hints to a man who obviously has immense experience with the art of manipulation.

* Lee Adama honors [[Kara Thrace|Thrace]]'s request of having her photo posted next to [[Louanne Katraine|Kat]]'s. His inability to let go of the photo may represent a possible marriage conflict with Dualla if he is unable to truly move on.

* [[Cally Tyrol]] correctly states that the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]] wouldn't need to even fire one shot because they may find the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] had torn itself apart because of humanity's tendency towards self-destruction. However, it is also clear that she has not realized that she and the many workers are just as much a part of the problems when they essentially risked the existence of the Fleet with their work strikes, refusal to refine [[tylium]], and disobedience toward military orders ([[Dirty Hands]]). The summary of all those acts cannot be attributed to Cylon intervention as Cally Tryol was implying that Athena was responsible for the bombings.

* Two weeks have passed since the events of "[[Maelstrom]]". During this time, Adama apparently has been mulling over his memories of Starbuck, including a review of her military record. The audience sees, amongst the items in the folder, a hand-made birthday card which Thrace gave Adama for his birthday once. It jokingly shows Thrace with a color pen mustache and glasses, and asks if Adama can see the resemblance. This moment reinforces the theme that Starbuck was very much a daughter to Adama, even though he stated otherwise in "[[Torn]]". It is very clear that he still sees Thrace as a daughter to him.

* After the events of "[[The Woman King]]", Helo has been reinstated amongst the pilots of ''Galactica'', as the original purpose of assigning him to [[Dogsville]] was in response to his objections and sabotage of the Cylon biological weapon. Starting with "[[Dirty Hands]]", Helo is present at briefings in the ready room, and by the implications of this episode, he appears to be one of the four squadron leaders. Thus, once Apollo's flight status is revoked it is only natural for Adama to promote Helo to the CAG position because of seniority and trust.

* It is unclear whether Helo has experience with a Viper, but numerous Viper pilots have been flying Raptors so far. Whether this goes both ways it yet to be seen, but with Helo's position as head of a squadron and now CAG, it appears that he has at least enough operational and tactical knowledge to do the necessary organizational and administrative duties.

== Notes ==
*This episode's title is a pun on the title of the 1926 Hemingway novel "[[w:The Sun Also Rises|The Sun Also Rises]]".
*The population count at the start of this episode is 41,399, accounting for [[Kara Thrace]]'s death in "[[Maelstrom]]". At least one birth must have occurred to set off [[Alan Hughes]]'s death in the teaser.
*[[Karl Agathon]] is temporarily assigned as [[CAG]], despite not having any previously known experience as a [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] pilot. This might have been done for production reasons. After Apollo, Helo is the highest-ranking established pilot left. In-universe [[Marcia Case]] or [[Ricky Richardson]] are probably better qualified for the position.
*The model ship which [[William Adama|Adama]] destroyed in [[Maelstrom|the previous episode]] is still sitting on a shelf in his quarters.
*[[Romo Lampkin]] exhibits symptoms of [[w:Kleptomania|kleptomania]]. Over the course of the episode he steals many objects, including [[Laura Roslin|President Roslin]]'s glasses and [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]]'s fountain pen. These objects are stolen from those whom Lampkin views as important from a psychological perspective, which provides him with knowledge of a person. Among the objects stolen:
** Gaius Baltar's worn fountain pen
** Laura Roslin's glasses
** Admiral Adama's uniform button (which he searches for when Lampkin talks to [[Caprica-Six]])
** Ms. [[Cassidy]]'s shoe

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

* ''[[Romo Lampkin]] replies to [[William Adama]]'s question regarding his qualifications for defending [[Gaius Baltar]]:''
: '''Lampkin:''' I was born for this. That, and the fact I have a pulse.

* ''Lampkin's cat jumps on [[Laura Roslin]]'s desk:''
: '''Lampkin:''' Cat's belonged to my wife. Don't worry, he doesn't scratch or bite like she did. If it's any comfort, I despise him as much as you do, having to hire me. So, there it is. Shall we get started?

* ''Admiral Adama rips [[Lee Adama]] another one:''
: '''William Adama:''' What the hell were you doing out there? I gave you an order. To do a job.
: '''Lee Adama:''' Excuse me, I was ''doing my job''.
: '''Bill:''' Yeah, being led around by the nose! This [[Romo Lampkin|bastard]] yanks your chain and you jump.
: '''Lee:''' He wanted files from ''[[Colonial One]]''–
: '''Bill:''' It was the middle of the night.
: '''Lee:''' Well, you assigned me to security.
: '''Bill:''' Yeah. And there was a bomb on [[Raptor|that ship]]. And you ''missed it''. Security? I gave you ''explicit orders''.
: '''Lee:''' [[Sharon Agathon|Athena]] was piloting.
: '''Bill:''' You coulda died. Plain and simple. ''You're a soldier. Live like one. Start acting like one!''
: '''Lee:''' [[Kara Thrace|She]]'s [[Maelstrom|been gone]] two weeks. I didn't realize the clock was running.
: '''Bill:''' (softly) Stop.
: '''Lee:''' No, I'm sorry. Maybe because we're just built differently.
: '''Bill:''' You stop. Don't you dare quantify my loss.
: '''Lee:''' You have no idea. ''You have no frakking idea.''
: '''Bill:''' What, you think yours is deeper?
: '''Lee:''' Well–
: '''Bill:''' Yours is greater? (Lee doesn't respond) ''In two weeks, there's going to be a trial. And I'm going to do what I was chosen to do, and so are you! You build a frakking nest around this man and you '''protect his ass'''!''

* ''[[Aaron Kelly]] opines on shuttling [[Gaius Baltar]]'s [[Romo Lampkin|lawyer]]:''
: '''Kelly:''' Every day I wave jocks out there. A lot of them are my friends. People I care for and love. It's hard enough watching them die in battle, but rickshawing Baltar's frakking attorney around? Frak that.

* ''[[Cally Tyrol]] apparently learns from her [[Dirty Hands|mistakes]]:''
: '''Tyrol:''' I believe that the Cylons want us to destroy ourselves and this is how they're doing it. By planting bombs, making us suspicious of each other. You know what's funny? By the time the Cylons catch up with us, they won't even have to attack. They'll just clean up the mess we made.

* ''Baltar muses over adding to his [[My Triumphs, My Mistakes|manifesto]], before discovering his pen has gone missing:''
: '''Baltar:''' The nature of our life is obsession.

* ''Lee Adama discovers Lampkin's kleptomania:''
: '''Adama:''' So what did you take from me?
: '''Lampkin:''' I was thinkin' the photograph that you carry. [[Kara Thrace|The girl. The pilot.]] The one you carry [in your pocket]. But... you've had enough stolen from you already.

* ''Lee Adama confronts Kelly about the bomb:''
: '''Kelly:''' I would have never let [[Sharon Agathon|Athena]] airborne with you on the Raptor. I would have stopped it. You know that.
: '''Adama:''' Yeah, I know that.
: '''Kelly:''' You better lock me up. And I don't want any trial. I won't stop. I will keep trying. I'll keep at it, I will. I did my job, sir. And I have done my job for two years. Every day I've sent people out to fight. I cleared them all to die. So many people... I just got tired of living with that. You ask that man, if you had to choose between giving up his life for a Cylon or human, what do you think he'd say? I had to do somethin'.

* ''Baltar reads a note from Lampkin, after retrieving his pen from the envelope:''
: '''Lampkin:''' There's no greater ally, no force more powerful, no enemy more resolved than [[Lee Adama|the son]] who chooses to step from [[William Adama|his father's shadow]].

== Official Statements ==

Information from the podcast:
* Ron Moore admits that it's a stretch to have both Adamas involved intimately in the trial and even on opposite sides. But the writers decided to go for increased drama, since the trial would otherwise only be carried by guest stars with the show's main characters sidelined. Moore also believes that Admiral Adama is capable to make fair and rational decisions.
* Romo Lampkin's cat was supposed to be run out of the Raptor, but when shooting the cat only strolled. Since it's difficult to teach cats what to do, the film was sped up instead.
* That Lampkin always wears sunglasses was a decision made by the director.

== Guest Stars ==
* [[Michael Hogan]] as Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]
* [[Aaron Douglas]] as Chief [[Galen Tyrol]]
* [[Nicki Clyne]] as Specialist [[Cally Tyrol]]
* [[Tahmoh Penikett]] as Capt. [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
* [[Alessandro Juliani]] as Lt. [[Felix Gaeta]]
* [[Kandyse McClure]] as Lt. [[Anastasia Dualla]]
* [[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Sebastian Spence]] as Lt. [[Noel Allison|Noel "Narcho" Allison]]
* [[Mark Sheppard]] as [[Romo Lampkin]]
* [[Colin Lawrence]] as [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]]
* [[Leah Cairns]] as Lt. [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racketrack" Edmondson]]
* [[Ty Olsson]] as Cpt. [[Aaron Kelly]]
* [[Bodie Olmos]] as Lt. [[Brendan Costanza|Brendan "Hotdog" Costanza]]
* [[Don Thompson]] as [[Anthony Figurski]]
* [[Tyler McClendon]] as [[Alan Hughes]]
* [[Stephen Holmes]] as Reporter #1
* [[Christina Schild]] as [[Playa Palacios]]
* [[Alison Matthews]] as [[Karen Fallbrook|Fallbrook]]
* [[Chris Boyd]] as Marine [[Cheadle]]
* [[Colin Corringan]] as Marine [[Nowart]]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 3)}}

[[Category:A to Z|The Son Also Rises]]
[[Category:Episode Guide|The Son Also Rises]]
[[Category:Episode Guide (RDM)|The Son Also Rises]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Michael Angeli]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Maelstrom

2007-03-07T02:01:28Z

Hmoul: /* Analysis */ship of lights, ancient origin of the Cylon DNA

{{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= 317
| rating=
| US airdate=
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| podcast=
| population= 41,400
| prev= [[Dirty Hands]]
| next= [[The Son Also Rises]]
}}

== 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.
*[[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]] camp in [[Dogsville]]. She also sees, 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 camp and finds a small golden figurine of the angelic [[Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn]].
*An oracle, [[Yolanda Brenn]], appears, who tells Thrace to keep the figurine. She asks Thrace to sit before a pool of water. The oracle holds Thrace's hand and begins a reading.
*The oracle 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 Fleet (RDM)|The 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 Thrace's hand. Thrace states that it "was worth it".
*During a refueling operation, Starbuck and [[Hot Dog]] are on [[CAP]] when she believes she sees an enemy.
*''[[Galactica]]'' can't see the contact, but Starbuck identifies it as a [[Heavy Raider]].
*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 Major 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]], both lost on [[New Caprica]] ([[Battlestar Galactica: 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]] 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 a Leoben greeting her.
*Thrace believes she is being tricked again, unconscious or on a Cylon ship, but Leoben states otherwise.
*Leoben keeps noting how the mandala shape cloud attracts her, and that she has told anyone little 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 of honor, 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 discussing her mother never reaching officer status despite serving in the Cylon War.
*The lieutenant sees a doctor's report that tells that her mother has cancer that has spread rapidly.
*Socrata rejects any attempts of her daughter's sympathy, and Kara Thrace runs out the door, vowing never to return. The "real-world" Starbuck begins to cry as she relives the moment.
*Socrata Thrace stares at a filled dish of cigarette butts.

===Act 4===
*The scene shifts. Leoben tells Thrace how her mother waited at her apartment and died five weeks later.
*When Thrace tells her reluctance to return, Leoben presents her with another image, where she is able to walk to her mother's deathbed, Socata has a scrapbook of every doodle and letter that Thrace made, including one with 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.
*When Thrace realizes that 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 cloud where Starbuck fails to climb. She reawakens, but continues to drop and chase the Raider image. The planetary cloud boundary, the point of no-return, also called the "hard deck", is getting closer, upon which the air pressure would crush the Viper.
*Apollo finds Starbuck in her dive, and briefly sees the heavy raider.
*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 herself 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]]. Everyone, from [[Saul 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 his anger and grief over the loss of Kara Thrace leads him to destroy the model and begin to cry heavily.

==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.

== Questions ==
* Will Anders blame Apollo for the loss of Starbuck once the news of her death reaches him?
* Who is the being that was Starbuck's "spiritual" guide during her dream? Is he somehow connected to the makers of the mandala in the Temple of Five?
* Is the cockpit truly damaged from space debris, or is it imagined just as the supposed damage that Starbuck initially believed happened at the first encounter with the Raider?
* Is Starbuck in the cockpit of the Viper as it explodes?
* Is the Heavy Raider real or a hallucination?
* Did Apollo see the Heavy Raider, as indicated by this [http://www.templetons.com/images/leeview2.jpg point-of-view] shot?
* If the Heavy Raider was real, why would the Cylons not include a fighter escort or other ships within the vicinity?
* Will Helo experience any form of guilt or regret for showing the picture of the mandala to Starbuck?
* What did Starbuck mean when she told Lee: "See you on the other side."?
* Who will take Starbuck's place as ''Galactica's'' Viper ace?
* Will Starbuck's death have any lasting effect on Dualla's marriage?
* Considering the white light that appears to shine into Starbuck'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 Starbuck's Leoben-figure in any way related to [[Baltar]]'s internal [[Six]]?
* Is the placement of Starbuck's Aurora figurine on Adama's model ship symbolic to Starbuck, in some way, guiding the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] on their path to Earth?
* Based on what the oracle says, is it possible that the real Leoben model knows something about what may have happened during Starbuck's death?

== Analysis ==

* Although Kara is contemplating to eject from her damaged Viper, the planet is a gas giant. It doesn't have a solid surface and the atmosphere would crush her just like her ship. Thus, even if she successfully ejected, her survival is doubtful.
* The episode brings many story elements of Starbuck's history to a close as everything comes to a 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 Kara and her overall relationship with Adama at the beginning of the [[Miniseries]].
** The scene between Apollo and Starbuck 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.
**Kara'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 Thace'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 comes to a close as she comes to welcome the help and guidance of her "Leoben" guide.

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

* Thrace's death can be seen as the close of her origin 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 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 love making 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 furthered 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 was to help Thrace take the next step to the place between life and death. Interestingly, this is the type of "location" that the model [[Number Three|D'Anna]] described when she begun her suicide/resurrection chamber sessions in order to discover who the [[Final Five]] were.

* In many ways this episode is reminiscent of the [[Ship of Lights]] and the angelic beings that occupied it in the original series.

* Yet again, hints are given as to the ancient origin of the Cylon skinjob templates. The entity that spoke to Kara quite obviously wasn't Leoben, yet had his appearance. Number 3 recognized one of the [[Final Five]] during a vision at the [[Eye of Jupiter]] even though it was 4000 years old. Finally, the Cylons were susceptible to a 2000 year old virus that modern humanity was immune to.

== 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 "[[Home, Part I]]".
* 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 Eos.
* An 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 Kara sees in her first flight over the planet.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==
''[[Kara Thrace]] sees [[Socrata Thrace]] die in a vision guided by [[Leoben Conoy]]:''
:'''Thrace''': "Mama, 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, Kara."
:'''Thrace''': "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."
:'''Thrace''': "You're not Leoben, are you?."
:'''Leoben''': "I never said I was. I'm here to prepare you to pass through the next door, to discover what happens in the space between life and death."

== Official Statements ==

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

*The original script had Kara 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 and Adama had their conversation about her competency as a pilot.

*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 Starbuck, much to the props crew's dismay as the model was worthed in the range of the $100,000s. Thankfully, the ship was insured.

*The original script was meant to be a payoff for the end of "[[Rapture]]" when Helo 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|RDM]] 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 Kara would wake up from after she is knocked unconscious. There she would find Leoben using a device that would delve into her memories. At the time, however, RDM 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, and 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 RDM about cutting this scene out and eventually RDM 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.

== Guest Stars ==

*[[Georgia Craig]] as [[Brenn|Oracle Brenn]]
*[[Dorothy Lyman]] as [[Socrata Thrace]]
*[[Leah Cairns]] as [[Margaret Edmondson]]
*[[Bodie Olmos]] as [[Brendan Constanza]]
*[[Samantha Ferris]] as [[Pollux]]
*[[Don Thompson]] as [[Anthony Figurski]]
*Erika-Shaye Gair as Child 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]]

Maelstrom

2007-03-06T07:11:01Z

Hmoul: /* Teaser */link fix

{{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= 317
| rating=
| US airdate=
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| podcast=
| population= 41,400
| prev= [[Dirty Hands]]
| next= [[The Son Also Rises]]
}}

== Overview ==
:''[[Kara Thrace|Kara]]'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.
*[[Hotdog]] 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 notes a psychologist, but when Thrace declines, he also suggests an [[oracle]] camp in [[Dogsville]]. She also sees, 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 camp and finds a small golden angelic figurine of the goddess [[Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn]].
*An oracle, [[Brenn]], appears, who tells Thrace to keep the figurine. She asks Thrace to sit before a pool of water. The oracle holds Thrace's hand and begins a reading.
*The oracle knows of the Leoben Cylon and the dreams. When the oracle repeats the destiny that Leoben has said, verbatum, Thrace is angered. The oracle continues to repeat Leoben's past words to Thrace, done back when she interrogated a captured copy long ago ([[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 leaves angrily from the tent.

===Act 1===

*[[The Fleet (RDM)|The 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, Kara places 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, Kara's mother places her hand in a door jamb and slams the door on it, breaking Kara's hand. Kara states that it "was worth it".
*During a refueling operation, Starbuck and [[Hot Dog]] are on [[CAP]] when she thinks she sees an enemy.
*''[[Galactica]]'' can't see the contact, but soon someone finds the bogey: [[Starbuck's Raider]].
*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.
*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 Major 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]], both lost on [[New Caprica]] ([[Battlestar Galactica: 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]] 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 a Leoben greeting her.
*Thrace believes she is being tricked again, unconscious or on a Cylon ship, but Leoben states otherwise.
*Leoben keeps noting how the mandala shape cloud attracts her, and that she has told anyone little 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 of honor, 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 discussing her mother never reaching officer status despite serving in the Cylon War.
*The lieutenant sees a doctor's report that tells that her mother has cancer that has spread rapidly.
*Socrata rejects any attempts of her daughter's sympathy, and Kara Thrace runs out the door, vowing never to return. The "real-world" Starbuck begins to cry as she relives the moment.
*Socrata Thrace stares at a filled dish of cigarette butts.

===Act 4===
*The scene shifts. Leoben tells Thrace how her mother waited at her apartment and died five weeks later.
*When Thrace tells her reluctance to return, Leoben presents her with another image, where she is able to walk to her mother's deathbed, Socata has a scrapbook of every doodle and letter that Thrace made, including one with 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.
*When Thrace realizes that Leoben is not actually a Leoben, 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 cloud where Starbuck fails to climb. She reawakens, but continues to drop and chase the Raider image. The planetary cloud boundary, the point of no-return, also called the "hard deck", is getting closer, upon which the air pressure would crush the Viper.
*Apollo finds Starbuck in her dive, and briefly sees the heavy raider.
*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 herself as a young girl in the same white light.
*A view from the tail of Apollo's Viper clearly shows the UFO/Raider, then Starbuck's Viper appears, chasing it. The UFO 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]]. Everyone, from [[Saul 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 his anger and grief over the loss of Kara Thrace leads him to destroy the model and begin to cry heavily.

==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.

== Questions ==
* Will Anders blame Apollo for the loss of Kara once the news of her death reaches him?
* Who is the being that was Kara's "spiritual" guide during her dream? Is he somehow connected to the makers of the mandala in the Temple of Five?
* Is Kara in the cockpit of the Viper as it explodes?
* Is Kara a Cylon, more specifically, one of the [[Final five|final five]]?
* Is the [[Starbuck's Raider|Heavy Raider]] real or a hallucination?
* Did Lee see the Heavy Raider, as indicated by this [http://www.templetons.com/images/leeview2.jpg point-of-view] shot?
* Is the cockpit truly damaged from space debris, or is it imagined just as the supposed damage that Kara initially believed happened at the first encounter with the Raider.
* Will Helo experience any form of guilt or regret for showing the picture of the mandala to Kara?
* What did Kara mean when she told Lee: "See you on the other side."
* Who will take Kara's place as Galactica's Viper ace?

== Analysis ==

* Although Starbuck is contemplating to eject from her damaged Viper, the planet is a gas giant. It doesn't have a solid surface and the atmosphere would crush her just like a ship. Thus, even if she successfully ejected, her survival is doubtful.

* The episode brings many story elements of Kara's history to a close as everything comes to a full circle, which is a general meaning of a mandala in spiritual contexts. A few of these elements include:
** Admiral Adama and Thace's interchange of "What do you hear? - [[Nothing but the rain]]". This is first scene that introduced Kara and her overall relationship with Adama at the beginning of the [[Miniseries]].
** The scene between Apollo aand Starbuck 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 proposed rescue of her shows his a to rescue his pilots. Similar "[[You Can't Go Home Again]]" when Kara is lost on a hostile planet, Adama wants to use search and rescue team to attempt to find her. However, this time, it is Lee who denies his father the attempt because of futility of looking for her Viper's broken pieces.
** Her continued hostility and bitterness towards her mother finally reach its close as Kara is finally able to witness her mother's death and hear her final words.
** The final moment before Thace's Viper explodes, an image of a younger Kara being engulfed in light could either be symbolism or an event that represents Thace's return to her childhood innocence.
** Her hostility towards Leoben comes to a close as she comes to welcome the help and guidance of her "Leoben" guide.

*It should be noted that the Leoben in her vision is *not* a cylon, but an unidentified manifestation. Kara says "You're not Leoben, are you?" and the manifestation replies "I never said I was." What this aspect of Kara's vision means remains unknown.

** Kara's death can be seen as the close of her origin desire to die during the episode, "[[Scar]]". However, Kara 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 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 Kara'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 and Kara decided to forge on with their marriages, it is Lee who has found contentment with Dualla while Kara remained in turmoil with Anders. The scene after another love making session indicates that their relationship hadn't improved much since "[[Taking a Break from All Your Worries]]".

* The figurine that Kara gives to Adama is an idol of the goddess Aurora, the goddess of the dawn and gentle breeze. The relationship between this goddess and Kara 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 Lee and Kara are furthered strengthened during Socrata Thrace's death scene. When Kara confesses to her mother about her fear of taking the next step towards her destiny, her mother remarks that she knows that Kara 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 Lee, Kara is finally able to bury the hatchet with her mother.

== 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 "[[Home, Part I]]".
* 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 Eos.
* An 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 Kara sees in her first flight over the planet.
*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 Starbuck, much to [[Ron Moore]]'s dismay.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

:Kara: "Mama, 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, Kara."
: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, are you?."
:Leoben: "I never said I was. I'm here to prepare you to pass through the next door, to discover what happens in the space between life and death."

== Official Statements ==

== Guest Stars ==

*[[Georgia Craig]] as [[Brenn|Oracle Brenn]]
*[[Dorothy Lyman]] as [[Socrata Thrace]]

== 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]]

Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn

2007-03-06T07:06:43Z

Hmoul: Original entry

'''Aurora''' is the Greek goddess of the dawn, and likely one of the [[Lords of Kobol]]. When [[Kara Thrace]] visited the oracle in Dogtown in the episode [[Maelstrom]], she touched a small winged icon of the goddess, which was then given to her by the oracle.

She later gave the icon to [[Admiral Adama]] as a figurehead to place on the mast of the model sailing ship he was building.

Religion in the Twelve Colonies (RDM)

2007-03-06T06:58:35Z

Hmoul: /* The Lords of Kobol */ update of count

:''This article discusses the religion of the Colonies as seen in the [[Re-imagined Series]]. For summary information on the Kobollian religion from the [[Original Series]], see [[Religion in the Twelve Colonies (TOS)]].''

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}

The '''religion of the Twelve Colonies''', which the various characters of ''Battlestar Galactica'' practice to greater or lesser extent, is a polytheistic faith. Their deities have an interesting parallelism to the [[Wikipedia:Greek mythology|Olympic gods]], with a strong emphasis on the philosophy of [[Wikipedia:Eternal return|eternal return]].

==Origin==
[[Image:Pythia.jpg|right|thumb|A portion of the Sacred Scrolls, specifically, a portion of the Book of [[Pythia]].]]
The eternal return aspect between the peoples of Kobol and Earth suggest a parallel or reverse-origin with humanity as a whole or the [[Thirteenth Tribe]] that presumably populated it. See [[History of the Twelve Colonies]] for more analysis.

In the burial scene of the [[Miniseries]], [[William Adama]] states, "Life here began out there,<ref>This phrase is a homage to the [[Original Series]], where each episode began with this phrase in a voice-over introduction.</ref>" reminding the assembly that this was the first line of the [[Sacred Scrolls]], the principle religious tome of the Colonial faith, told to them by the Lords Of Kobol many centuries ago.

==Belief==

===The Lords of Kobol===

Colonial religion is centered on the Lords of Kobol. In the Re-imagined Series, eight Lords of Kobol have been positively identified:

* [[Zeus]] - The leader of the gods. [[Tom Zarek]] has twice referred to [[William Adama|Commander Adama]] as "Zeus" ([[Bastille Day]], [[The Farm]]).
* [[Apollo, Lord of Kobol|Apollo]] - Zeus' son, said to be the god of the hunt and of healing ([[Bastille Day]]).
* [[Ares]] - The god of war. The [[Nicholas Tyrol|infant son]] of [[Cally]] and [[Galen Tyrol]] is [[dedication ceremony|dedicated]] to this Lord of Kobol ([[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance|The Resistance, Episode 10]]).
* [[Artemis]] - Twin sister of Apollo, goddess of the hunt. [[Kara Thrace]] prays often to this lord ([[Flesh and Bone]]).
* [[Aphrodite]] - The goddess of love and sexuality. Kara Thrace prays often to this lord ([[Flesh and Bone]]).
* [[Athena, Lord of Kobol|Athena]] - This lord committed suicide "out of despair over the exodus of the thirteen tribes" ([[Home, Part II]]). Her [[Tomb of Athena|tomb]] holds a map to [[Earth]] ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]).
* [[Hera, Lord of Kobol|Hera]] - Wife and sister of Zeus. A [[Gates of Hera|mountain ridge]] on Kobol is named after her ([[Home, Part II]]), and the [[Hera|first Cylon/human hybrid child]] is named for this lord ([[Downloaded]]).
* [[Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn]] - [[Maelstrom]]

The Colonials appear to use multiple names for their gods, interchanging "Mars" for "Ares," "Jupiter" for "Zeus," and so on.<ref>Curiously, [[Laura Roslin]] mentions that the 134th day of the Cylon occupation of [[New Caprica]] is Mars Day ([[Occupation]]), suggesting that Ares may also be called by his alternate Roman pantheon's name. The same happens again in "[[The Passage]]" when Zeus is referred to by the name of his Roman counterpart Jupiter.</ref>

==== Paradise Lost ====

According to the [[Sacred Scrolls]], the gods once shared a paradise-like existence with the people of [[Kobol]]. Later circumstances forced the exodus of the human population of Kobol to [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|the Twelve Colonies]] and [[Earth]], and lead to Athena's suicide.

The existence of the Lords of Kobol is attested to by the survival of numerous artifacts, including the [[Arrow of Apollo]], the [[Tomb of Athena]] and the [[Gates of Hera]]. However, although she accepts their historicity, [[Sharon Agathon|Caprica-Valerii]], a [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]], questions their actual divinity.<ref>There is a notion in fan circles that there are twelve lords of Kobol, by analogy to the twelve Cylon models, twelve Colonies, and perhaps the [[Wikipedia:Twelve Olympians|Twelve Olympians]] of Greek mythology. A post from [[Ron D. Moore]]'s blog [http://blog.scifi.com/battlestar/archives/2005/03/index.html#a000023 on March 12, 2005] loosely alludes on this coincidence, but further official sourcing has not been revealed.</ref>

====The Jealous God====

[[Elosha]] states that the exodus from Kobol was precipitated when "one jealous god began to desire that he be elevated above all the other gods, and the war on Kobol began."<ref>From a [http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/episodes/season01/112/mov/bsg_del_112_regret.mov deleted scene] cut from the episode "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]."</ref>

====The Path of Olympus====

[[Tom Zarek]] conveys to [[Laura Roslin]] and members of her command staff of [[Laura Roslin faction|factioners]] the news that Commander [[William Adama]] had resumed command of ''[[Galactica]]'' after the attempt on his life by saying: "Zeus has returned to '''Olympus''' " ([[The Farm]]).<ref>In Greek mythology, the home of the gods on Earth resided high atop Greece's highest mountain, Mount Olympus, at a time where access to the mountain summit would be almost impossible with the inhabitants' technology of that age.</ref> By Zarek's comment we can infer that Colonial religion appears to acknowledge the existence of a place called Olympus. It cannot yet be determined, however, if Olympus was thought of as the residence of the gods at a specific physical or ''metaphysical'' location of Kobol, as there has been no mention of Olympus elsewhere in the series. If Olympus is a metaphysical locale, this may contradict [[Elosha]]'s comment that the gods and man lived on Kobol together in harmony.

===Other Mythological Names in Colonial Culture===

Various items have been identified which are apparently named after other gods and legendary figures of their faith, although these have not been explicitly identified as Lords of Kobol.

:''See main article: [[Mythological references]]''

===The Cycle of Time===

''"All this has happened before, and all this will happen again."''

According to [[Gaius Baltar]], this line from the [[Pythia]]n prophecy is very well known ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]). [[Laura Roslin]] later expands on it, reminding [[Kara Thrace]],

<blockquote>"If you believe in the gods, then you believe in the cycle of time that we are all playing our parts in a story that is told again, and again, and again throughout eternity" ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]).</blockquote>

Various events throughout the series have led some characters to believe that they are playing out another turn of this cycle<ref>The notion of a circular progression of time (also known as [[Wikipedia:eternal return|eternal return]] or eternal recurrence) is a common theme in other faiths, particularly [[Wikipedia:Maya#Religion|Mayan]] mythology and is a cornerstone of the Hindu and Buddhist faiths. Moreover, [[Wikipedia:Stoic|Stoic]] philosophy did believe in the concept of ''ekpyrosis'', the fire which consumes the old world and signals the birth of a new world, identical to the old, for a recurring cycle of birth, death and rebirth.</ref>. (See [[Sacred Scrolls]] for more detailed analysis.)

===Sanctity of Life===

According to the Sacred Scrolls, abortion is "an abomination in the eyes of the Gods". The more fundamentalist [[The_Twelve_Colonies_%28RDM%29#Gemenon|Gemenese]] strictly adhere to this commandment, however the more secular Colonies such as Caprica apparently do not follow this as strictly: officially, Colonies-wide Federal law guaranteed a woman the right to an abortion, at least at the time of the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]] ([[The Captain's Hand]]).

==Individual Practice==

The Colonials display a wide spectrum of religious practice, ranging from [[Billy Keikeya]]'s atheism ([[Home, Part II]], [http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/episodes/season02/207/deleted4.html cut scene]) to Corporal [[Venner]]'s literalistic readings of the Sacred Scrolls.

While not fully explained in the Re-imagined Series, it appears, based on the information from a [[dedication ceremony]] for [[Nicholas Tyrol]] and the prayers of [[Kara Thrace]], that each Colonial is paired, or "placed in the service" with one or more of the Lords. Based on the dedication ceremony blessing, Zeus is a considered "almighty" or foremost of the gods, while other Lords are prayed to by Colonials as a proxy to Zeus.<ref>This practice is similar to a Catholic practice of prayer to Mary, mother of Jesus. While Mary is a human, followers believe that, by praying to Mary, she can intercede to aid the acceptance of the prayer by the [[w:Trinity|Trinity]], the godhead of the Catholic faith.</ref>

===[[Temple]]===
While not seen in season 1, the worship sites known as temples have appeared on [[New Caprica]]. Temples may have been more elaborate places on the Twelve Colonies, but the spaceborne remnants of humanity presumably use any space they can find on their ships to form a basic temple. As seen on [[New Caprica]], a basic temple may consist of a simple altar with candles, idols of the Lords of Kobol, and what meager offerings the Colonials can give as a tithe. Some prayers are written and paper and burned ([[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance]]).

The temple on New Caprica was known as the Temple of Artemis ([[Collaborators]]), suggesting that temples are named after a Lord or Lords, and may be related to the pairing of Colonials to a specific set of Lords at their dedication ceremony.
<br clear="all">

===Dress===
[[Image:Season 3 - Promo - Epi 1 - 2 - Oracle Selloi.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The robes of [[Dodona Selloi]] ([[Exodus, Part I]])]]
As seen by the various [[Laura Roslin faction|separatists]] orbiting [[Kobol]] in "[[Home, Part I]]," it appears that many Colonials have clothing that suggests a religious deference. In the scene, one older, white-bearded gentleman is dressed in simple colored robes and a round, flat head covering<ref>These robes may remind viewers of the tradition dress of Hasidic Jews, Islamic clerics, or Eastern Orthodox clerics of the real-world Earth.</ref> Other distinctive dress styles of other characters in the scene increase the sense of the dedication of religion in the Gemenese people (which appeared to comprise the majority of Roslin's separatists).

The [[oracle]] [[Dodona Selloi]] dresses in a turban and robes, suggesting a special role in Colonial society or its religious hierarchy ([[Exodus, Part I]]).
<br clear="all">

===Idols===
<div style="float:left; margin-right:1em;">[[Image:Idols.jpg|100px]]</div>
At the end of the episode "[[Flesh and Bone]]," Kara Thrace, a devotee of Artemis and Aphrodite (as stated by [[Leoben Conoy]] in the same episode), prays to them on Conoy's behalf using figurines that bear a similarity to classic representations of Artemis and Athena. Artemis is depicted with her bow and arrow, and Athena with her helmet of war.
<br clear="all">

===Rosaries===
<div style="float:left; margin-right:1em;">[[Image:Rosary.jpg|100px]]</div>
As Roslin begins to suffer from Chamalla withdrawal in "[[Fragged]]," Corporal [[Venner]], a fundamentalist from [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Gemenon|Gemenon]], anxiously clutches a set of white prayer beads.
<br clear="all">

===Group prayer===
<div style="float:left; margin-right:1em;">[[Image:The_Farm-Group_Worship.jpg|100px]]</div>
Some prisoners on the ''[[Astral Queen]]'' seeking rehabilitation have turned to group prayer. In the episode "[[The Farm]]", they greet Laura Roslin as a prophet and she provides them with a blessing.

Priestess [[Elosha]] sings a group prayer in the service for the dead at the conclusion of the [[Miniseries]].<ref>Curiously, the language she sings is [[w:Sanskrit|Sanskrit]], a classical language of real-world Earth's Hindu/Indian peoples. More about the verses that she sings and their meaning can be found in the [[Language in the Twelve Colonies#Liturgy|Language in the Twelve Colonies]] article.</ref><br clear="all">

===Artifacts===
<div style="float:left; margin-right:1em;">[[Image:Bsg-arrow-apollo.jpg|75px]]</div>
Despite Gemenon's fundamentalist climate, the city of [[Delphi]] on [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Caprica|Caprica]] was apparently of a mind to store an important religious artifact, the [[Arrow of Apollo]], in a [[Delphi Museum of the Colonies|museum]], rather than a devotional institution.

Ancient temples may be also be the repository of special artifacts such as the [[Eye of Jupiter]], believed to be stored inside the legendary [[Temple of Five]].
<br clear="all">

===Sagittaron beliefs ===

Orthodox [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Sagittaron|Sagittaron]] beliefs are more anachronistic than the Gemenese's, believing that the mind and body are myths, and that medicine is "an abomination, a sin against the Gods". Sagittarons also blame physicians for the spread of disease due to their ignorance of the aforementioned "myth" of the body and mind. They traditionally do not believe in violence, even to the point of not aiding the [[New Caprica Resistance]] in their fight against the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] occupation of [[New Caprica]] ([[The Woman King]]).

==The Clergy==
[[Image:Season 3 - Promo - Collaborators - Priest.jpg|right|thumb|A male priest. ([[Collaborators]]).]]
The religious and government bodies of the Twelve Colonies work together. This association is likely based on the religious homogeneity of the Colonies.<ref>This differs from the United States, whose government is based on religious tolerance through the separation of religious practice and legislature. While the real-world Earth has many, many religions, the Twelve Colonies, as yet, appear to have only one religion and as such does not suffer greatly from schisms or other religious factions, although colonists such as the Gemenese show a different emphasis on how they interpret the religious writings.</ref>

[[Laura Roslin]] [[Case Orange|is sworn into the presidency]] by a ''priest'', [[Elosha]], who continues on in an advisory capacity within Roslin's administration. However the oath of office itself contained no religious content. Priests also preside over military funerals, without regard for the beliefs of the deceased.

[[Image:Elosha1.jpg|thumb|left|Elosha, priest and friend of President Roslin. ([[Home, Part I]])]]
Priests in the Twelve Colonies are apparently not required to practice celibacy, as in some Christian denominations. Priests can also be male or female. In the episode "[[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]]," Chief [[Galen Tyrol]] states that his father was a priest and his mother an oracle.

According to Billy Keikeya, some priests use the [[chamalla]] plant for its hallucinogenic properties. The prescient dreams it imparted to Laura Roslin may imply the use of something similar by [[Pythia]], an ancient prophet.

The term ''Brother'' is used as a title for male members of the clergy, although it is not fully apparent whether this is used in the real-world Earth's common usage as the title of a [[Wikipedia:Monk|monk]]. As with priests, a brother offers consultation and leads prayer.

The only instance of this clergy is Brother [[Cavil]], who offers guidance to Chief Tyrol. Cavil, however, is revealed as a [[Humanoid Cylon]] some time later. Because of Cavil's nature, there may be doubt as to whether Cavil is a useful example of the work of a Brother in Colonial religion.
<div style="clear: both;"></div>

[[Image:Tivenan.jpg|right|thumb|Sister Tivenan (right) at a [[dedication ceremony]] ([[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance|The Resistance: Episode 10]])]]
As with Brothers in the clergy, there are ''Sisters'' as well. Sister [[Tivenan]] is briefly seen tending to business in the temple on [[New Caprica]], guiding prayer and officiating a [[dedication ceremony]] for the [[Nicholas Tyrol|newborn son]] of [[Galen Tyrol|Galen]] and [[Cally Tyrol]] ([[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance]]).

Based on their viewed works, as well as their simple dress and frequency of appearance, it is probable that Brothers and Sisters are lay clergy (unlike priests and oracles, who appear to have political status as well as their religious status).

Other than the works of Pythia and the mention of Chief Tyrol's mother, there is little information as to the functions of an ''[[oracle]]''.

[[Dodona Selloi]] is the only oracle seen in the Re-imagined Series. She confirms the dreams of a copy of [[Number Three]] and the existence of [[Hera]]. It is not clear if Selloi was sitting in a tent designated as a temple, but there were numerous ornate or curious inscriptions surrounding and inside her tent that suggest the significance of the oracle's tent or her presence.

Priests and oracles may assume their roles due to an personal, possibly inherited affinity to sense spiritual changes or conditions. [[Galen Tyrol]], the son of a priest and oracle, detects the presence of and finds the [[Temple of Five]] alone, based only on his senses, apparently detecting the hidden temple on the otherwise-unremarkable (and undocumented) [[algae planet]] ([[The Eye of Jupiter]]).

== Cylon Interpretations ==

Many Humanoid Cylons show a strict, firm belief in a monotheistic [[God]]. When agents such as Leoben Conoy, Cavil, and [[Sharon Agathon|Caprica-Valerii]] begin talking of Cylon beliefs, they are ridiculed and threatened with death. They refer to the Lords of Kobol as "false idols." They also claim to have more insight into Colonial religion than the Colonials themselves, as shown by Caprica-Valerii in "[[Home, Part II]]."

However, a connection between the Cylon God and the Lords of Kobol may exist. In "[[Exodus, Part I]]," an [[Selloi|oracle]] tells [[Number Three]] (a [[Humanoid Cylon]] who has a ''dream'' of the oracle's tent and of holding the believed-dead hybrid child [[Hera]]) that she has a message from the one that Number Three worships. How would an oracle of the Lords of Kobol be able to hear the messages of the Cylon god?

One possibility involves the fates of the Lords of Kobol. If a Kobollian god(s) was separated from the others (per [[Religion in the Twelve Colonies#The Jealous God|the deleted scene about a jealous god]]), could that deity have influenced the Cylons later, compelling them to deny the existence of the other Lords?<ref>The Olympian gods had many enemies, including the ones they deposed, the [[Wikipedia: Titan (mythology)|titans]].</ref> While the notion of a fallen Lord is speculative in the Re-imagined Series, there is already a parallel series of characters from the [[Original Series]]: The [[Beings of Light]] and their fallen member, [[Iblis]].

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

{{featured article}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial History]]
[[Category:Colonial History (RDM)]]
[[Category:Colonial Religion]]
[[Category:Colonial Religion (RDM)]]
[[Category:Colonial Society]]
[[Category:Colonial Society (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Religion in the Twelve Colonies (RDM)

2007-03-06T06:57:01Z

Hmoul: /* The Lords of Kobol */ Entry for the goddess Aurora

:''This article discusses the religion of the Colonies as seen in the [[Re-imagined Series]]. For summary information on the Kobollian religion from the [[Original Series]], see [[Religion in the Twelve Colonies (TOS)]].''

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}

The '''religion of the Twelve Colonies''', which the various characters of ''Battlestar Galactica'' practice to greater or lesser extent, is a polytheistic faith. Their deities have an interesting parallelism to the [[Wikipedia:Greek mythology|Olympic gods]], with a strong emphasis on the philosophy of [[Wikipedia:Eternal return|eternal return]].

==Origin==
[[Image:Pythia.jpg|right|thumb|A portion of the Sacred Scrolls, specifically, a portion of the Book of [[Pythia]].]]
The eternal return aspect between the peoples of Kobol and Earth suggest a parallel or reverse-origin with humanity as a whole or the [[Thirteenth Tribe]] that presumably populated it. See [[History of the Twelve Colonies]] for more analysis.

In the burial scene of the [[Miniseries]], [[William Adama]] states, "Life here began out there,<ref>This phrase is a homage to the [[Original Series]], where each episode began with this phrase in a voice-over introduction.</ref>" reminding the assembly that this was the first line of the [[Sacred Scrolls]], the principle religious tome of the Colonial faith, told to them by the Lords Of Kobol many centuries ago.

==Belief==

===The Lords of Kobol===

Colonial religion is centered on the Lords of Kobol. In the Re-imagined Series, seven Lords of Kobol have been positively identified:

* [[Zeus]] - The leader of the gods. [[Tom Zarek]] has twice referred to [[William Adama|Commander Adama]] as "Zeus" ([[Bastille Day]], [[The Farm]]).
* [[Apollo, Lord of Kobol|Apollo]] - Zeus' son, said to be the god of the hunt and of healing ([[Bastille Day]]).
* [[Ares]] - The god of war. The [[Nicholas Tyrol|infant son]] of [[Cally]] and [[Galen Tyrol]] is [[dedication ceremony|dedicated]] to this Lord of Kobol ([[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance|The Resistance, Episode 10]]).
* [[Artemis]] - Twin sister of Apollo, goddess of the hunt. [[Kara Thrace]] prays often to this lord ([[Flesh and Bone]]).
* [[Aphrodite]] - The goddess of love and sexuality. Kara Thrace prays often to this lord ([[Flesh and Bone]]).
* [[Athena, Lord of Kobol|Athena]] - This lord committed suicide "out of despair over the exodus of the thirteen tribes" ([[Home, Part II]]). Her [[Tomb of Athena|tomb]] holds a map to [[Earth]] ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]).
* [[Hera, Lord of Kobol|Hera]] - Wife and sister of Zeus. A [[Gates of Hera|mountain ridge]] on Kobol is named after her ([[Home, Part II]]), and the [[Hera|first Cylon/human hybrid child]] is named for this lord ([[Downloaded]]).
* [[Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn]] - [[Maelstrom]]

The Colonials appear to use multiple names for their gods, interchanging "Mars" for "Ares," "Jupiter" for "Zeus," and so on.<ref>Curiously, [[Laura Roslin]] mentions that the 134th day of the Cylon occupation of [[New Caprica]] is Mars Day ([[Occupation]]), suggesting that Ares may also be called by his alternate Roman pantheon's name. The same happens again in "[[The Passage]]" when Zeus is referred to by the name of his Roman counterpart Jupiter.</ref>

==== Paradise Lost ====

According to the [[Sacred Scrolls]], the gods once shared a paradise-like existence with the people of [[Kobol]]. Later circumstances forced the exodus of the human population of Kobol to [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|the Twelve Colonies]] and [[Earth]], and lead to Athena's suicide.

The existence of the Lords of Kobol is attested to by the survival of numerous artifacts, including the [[Arrow of Apollo]], the [[Tomb of Athena]] and the [[Gates of Hera]]. However, although she accepts their historicity, [[Sharon Agathon|Caprica-Valerii]], a [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]], questions their actual divinity.<ref>There is a notion in fan circles that there are twelve lords of Kobol, by analogy to the twelve Cylon models, twelve Colonies, and perhaps the [[Wikipedia:Twelve Olympians|Twelve Olympians]] of Greek mythology. A post from [[Ron D. Moore]]'s blog [http://blog.scifi.com/battlestar/archives/2005/03/index.html#a000023 on March 12, 2005] loosely alludes on this coincidence, but further official sourcing has not been revealed.</ref>

====The Jealous God====

[[Elosha]] states that the exodus from Kobol was precipitated when "one jealous god began to desire that he be elevated above all the other gods, and the war on Kobol began."<ref>From a [http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/episodes/season01/112/mov/bsg_del_112_regret.mov deleted scene] cut from the episode "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]."</ref>

====The Path of Olympus====

[[Tom Zarek]] conveys to [[Laura Roslin]] and members of her command staff of [[Laura Roslin faction|factioners]] the news that Commander [[William Adama]] had resumed command of ''[[Galactica]]'' after the attempt on his life by saying: "Zeus has returned to '''Olympus''' " ([[The Farm]]).<ref>In Greek mythology, the home of the gods on Earth resided high atop Greece's highest mountain, Mount Olympus, at a time where access to the mountain summit would be almost impossible with the inhabitants' technology of that age.</ref> By Zarek's comment we can infer that Colonial religion appears to acknowledge the existence of a place called Olympus. It cannot yet be determined, however, if Olympus was thought of as the residence of the gods at a specific physical or ''metaphysical'' location of Kobol, as there has been no mention of Olympus elsewhere in the series. If Olympus is a metaphysical locale, this may contradict [[Elosha]]'s comment that the gods and man lived on Kobol together in harmony.

===Other Mythological Names in Colonial Culture===

Various items have been identified which are apparently named after other gods and legendary figures of their faith, although these have not been explicitly identified as Lords of Kobol.

:''See main article: [[Mythological references]]''

===The Cycle of Time===

''"All this has happened before, and all this will happen again."''

According to [[Gaius Baltar]], this line from the [[Pythia]]n prophecy is very well known ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]). [[Laura Roslin]] later expands on it, reminding [[Kara Thrace]],

<blockquote>"If you believe in the gods, then you believe in the cycle of time that we are all playing our parts in a story that is told again, and again, and again throughout eternity" ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]).</blockquote>

Various events throughout the series have led some characters to believe that they are playing out another turn of this cycle<ref>The notion of a circular progression of time (also known as [[Wikipedia:eternal return|eternal return]] or eternal recurrence) is a common theme in other faiths, particularly [[Wikipedia:Maya#Religion|Mayan]] mythology and is a cornerstone of the Hindu and Buddhist faiths. Moreover, [[Wikipedia:Stoic|Stoic]] philosophy did believe in the concept of ''ekpyrosis'', the fire which consumes the old world and signals the birth of a new world, identical to the old, for a recurring cycle of birth, death and rebirth.</ref>. (See [[Sacred Scrolls]] for more detailed analysis.)

===Sanctity of Life===

According to the Sacred Scrolls, abortion is "an abomination in the eyes of the Gods". The more fundamentalist [[The_Twelve_Colonies_%28RDM%29#Gemenon|Gemenese]] strictly adhere to this commandment, however the more secular Colonies such as Caprica apparently do not follow this as strictly: officially, Colonies-wide Federal law guaranteed a woman the right to an abortion, at least at the time of the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]] ([[The Captain's Hand]]).

==Individual Practice==

The Colonials display a wide spectrum of religious practice, ranging from [[Billy Keikeya]]'s atheism ([[Home, Part II]], [http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/episodes/season02/207/deleted4.html cut scene]) to Corporal [[Venner]]'s literalistic readings of the Sacred Scrolls.

While not fully explained in the Re-imagined Series, it appears, based on the information from a [[dedication ceremony]] for [[Nicholas Tyrol]] and the prayers of [[Kara Thrace]], that each Colonial is paired, or "placed in the service" with one or more of the Lords. Based on the dedication ceremony blessing, Zeus is a considered "almighty" or foremost of the gods, while other Lords are prayed to by Colonials as a proxy to Zeus.<ref>This practice is similar to a Catholic practice of prayer to Mary, mother of Jesus. While Mary is a human, followers believe that, by praying to Mary, she can intercede to aid the acceptance of the prayer by the [[w:Trinity|Trinity]], the godhead of the Catholic faith.</ref>

===[[Temple]]===
While not seen in season 1, the worship sites known as temples have appeared on [[New Caprica]]. Temples may have been more elaborate places on the Twelve Colonies, but the spaceborne remnants of humanity presumably use any space they can find on their ships to form a basic temple. As seen on [[New Caprica]], a basic temple may consist of a simple altar with candles, idols of the Lords of Kobol, and what meager offerings the Colonials can give as a tithe. Some prayers are written and paper and burned ([[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance]]).

The temple on New Caprica was known as the Temple of Artemis ([[Collaborators]]), suggesting that temples are named after a Lord or Lords, and may be related to the pairing of Colonials to a specific set of Lords at their dedication ceremony.
<br clear="all">

===Dress===
[[Image:Season 3 - Promo - Epi 1 - 2 - Oracle Selloi.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The robes of [[Dodona Selloi]] ([[Exodus, Part I]])]]
As seen by the various [[Laura Roslin faction|separatists]] orbiting [[Kobol]] in "[[Home, Part I]]," it appears that many Colonials have clothing that suggests a religious deference. In the scene, one older, white-bearded gentleman is dressed in simple colored robes and a round, flat head covering<ref>These robes may remind viewers of the tradition dress of Hasidic Jews, Islamic clerics, or Eastern Orthodox clerics of the real-world Earth.</ref> Other distinctive dress styles of other characters in the scene increase the sense of the dedication of religion in the Gemenese people (which appeared to comprise the majority of Roslin's separatists).

The [[oracle]] [[Dodona Selloi]] dresses in a turban and robes, suggesting a special role in Colonial society or its religious hierarchy ([[Exodus, Part I]]).
<br clear="all">

===Idols===
<div style="float:left; margin-right:1em;">[[Image:Idols.jpg|100px]]</div>
At the end of the episode "[[Flesh and Bone]]," Kara Thrace, a devotee of Artemis and Aphrodite (as stated by [[Leoben Conoy]] in the same episode), prays to them on Conoy's behalf using figurines that bear a similarity to classic representations of Artemis and Athena. Artemis is depicted with her bow and arrow, and Athena with her helmet of war.
<br clear="all">

===Rosaries===
<div style="float:left; margin-right:1em;">[[Image:Rosary.jpg|100px]]</div>
As Roslin begins to suffer from Chamalla withdrawal in "[[Fragged]]," Corporal [[Venner]], a fundamentalist from [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Gemenon|Gemenon]], anxiously clutches a set of white prayer beads.
<br clear="all">

===Group prayer===
<div style="float:left; margin-right:1em;">[[Image:The_Farm-Group_Worship.jpg|100px]]</div>
Some prisoners on the ''[[Astral Queen]]'' seeking rehabilitation have turned to group prayer. In the episode "[[The Farm]]", they greet Laura Roslin as a prophet and she provides them with a blessing.

Priestess [[Elosha]] sings a group prayer in the service for the dead at the conclusion of the [[Miniseries]].<ref>Curiously, the language she sings is [[w:Sanskrit|Sanskrit]], a classical language of real-world Earth's Hindu/Indian peoples. More about the verses that she sings and their meaning can be found in the [[Language in the Twelve Colonies#Liturgy|Language in the Twelve Colonies]] article.</ref><br clear="all">

===Artifacts===
<div style="float:left; margin-right:1em;">[[Image:Bsg-arrow-apollo.jpg|75px]]</div>
Despite Gemenon's fundamentalist climate, the city of [[Delphi]] on [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Caprica|Caprica]] was apparently of a mind to store an important religious artifact, the [[Arrow of Apollo]], in a [[Delphi Museum of the Colonies|museum]], rather than a devotional institution.

Ancient temples may be also be the repository of special artifacts such as the [[Eye of Jupiter]], believed to be stored inside the legendary [[Temple of Five]].
<br clear="all">

===Sagittaron beliefs ===

Orthodox [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Sagittaron|Sagittaron]] beliefs are more anachronistic than the Gemenese's, believing that the mind and body are myths, and that medicine is "an abomination, a sin against the Gods". Sagittarons also blame physicians for the spread of disease due to their ignorance of the aforementioned "myth" of the body and mind. They traditionally do not believe in violence, even to the point of not aiding the [[New Caprica Resistance]] in their fight against the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] occupation of [[New Caprica]] ([[The Woman King]]).

==The Clergy==
[[Image:Season 3 - Promo - Collaborators - Priest.jpg|right|thumb|A male priest. ([[Collaborators]]).]]
The religious and government bodies of the Twelve Colonies work together. This association is likely based on the religious homogeneity of the Colonies.<ref>This differs from the United States, whose government is based on religious tolerance through the separation of religious practice and legislature. While the real-world Earth has many, many religions, the Twelve Colonies, as yet, appear to have only one religion and as such does not suffer greatly from schisms or other religious factions, although colonists such as the Gemenese show a different emphasis on how they interpret the religious writings.</ref>

[[Laura Roslin]] [[Case Orange|is sworn into the presidency]] by a ''priest'', [[Elosha]], who continues on in an advisory capacity within Roslin's administration. However the oath of office itself contained no religious content. Priests also preside over military funerals, without regard for the beliefs of the deceased.

[[Image:Elosha1.jpg|thumb|left|Elosha, priest and friend of President Roslin. ([[Home, Part I]])]]
Priests in the Twelve Colonies are apparently not required to practice celibacy, as in some Christian denominations. Priests can also be male or female. In the episode "[[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]]," Chief [[Galen Tyrol]] states that his father was a priest and his mother an oracle.

According to Billy Keikeya, some priests use the [[chamalla]] plant for its hallucinogenic properties. The prescient dreams it imparted to Laura Roslin may imply the use of something similar by [[Pythia]], an ancient prophet.

The term ''Brother'' is used as a title for male members of the clergy, although it is not fully apparent whether this is used in the real-world Earth's common usage as the title of a [[Wikipedia:Monk|monk]]. As with priests, a brother offers consultation and leads prayer.

The only instance of this clergy is Brother [[Cavil]], who offers guidance to Chief Tyrol. Cavil, however, is revealed as a [[Humanoid Cylon]] some time later. Because of Cavil's nature, there may be doubt as to whether Cavil is a useful example of the work of a Brother in Colonial religion.
<div style="clear: both;"></div>

[[Image:Tivenan.jpg|right|thumb|Sister Tivenan (right) at a [[dedication ceremony]] ([[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance|The Resistance: Episode 10]])]]
As with Brothers in the clergy, there are ''Sisters'' as well. Sister [[Tivenan]] is briefly seen tending to business in the temple on [[New Caprica]], guiding prayer and officiating a [[dedication ceremony]] for the [[Nicholas Tyrol|newborn son]] of [[Galen Tyrol|Galen]] and [[Cally Tyrol]] ([[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance]]).

Based on their viewed works, as well as their simple dress and frequency of appearance, it is probable that Brothers and Sisters are lay clergy (unlike priests and oracles, who appear to have political status as well as their religious status).

Other than the works of Pythia and the mention of Chief Tyrol's mother, there is little information as to the functions of an ''[[oracle]]''.

[[Dodona Selloi]] is the only oracle seen in the Re-imagined Series. She confirms the dreams of a copy of [[Number Three]] and the existence of [[Hera]]. It is not clear if Selloi was sitting in a tent designated as a temple, but there were numerous ornate or curious inscriptions surrounding and inside her tent that suggest the significance of the oracle's tent or her presence.

Priests and oracles may assume their roles due to an personal, possibly inherited affinity to sense spiritual changes or conditions. [[Galen Tyrol]], the son of a priest and oracle, detects the presence of and finds the [[Temple of Five]] alone, based only on his senses, apparently detecting the hidden temple on the otherwise-unremarkable (and undocumented) [[algae planet]] ([[The Eye of Jupiter]]).

== Cylon Interpretations ==

Many Humanoid Cylons show a strict, firm belief in a monotheistic [[God]]. When agents such as Leoben Conoy, Cavil, and [[Sharon Agathon|Caprica-Valerii]] begin talking of Cylon beliefs, they are ridiculed and threatened with death. They refer to the Lords of Kobol as "false idols." They also claim to have more insight into Colonial religion than the Colonials themselves, as shown by Caprica-Valerii in "[[Home, Part II]]."

However, a connection between the Cylon God and the Lords of Kobol may exist. In "[[Exodus, Part I]]," an [[Selloi|oracle]] tells [[Number Three]] (a [[Humanoid Cylon]] who has a ''dream'' of the oracle's tent and of holding the believed-dead hybrid child [[Hera]]) that she has a message from the one that Number Three worships. How would an oracle of the Lords of Kobol be able to hear the messages of the Cylon god?

One possibility involves the fates of the Lords of Kobol. If a Kobollian god(s) was separated from the others (per [[Religion in the Twelve Colonies#The Jealous God|the deleted scene about a jealous god]]), could that deity have influenced the Cylons later, compelling them to deny the existence of the other Lords?<ref>The Olympian gods had many enemies, including the ones they deposed, the [[Wikipedia: Titan (mythology)|titans]].</ref> While the notion of a fallen Lord is speculative in the Re-imagined Series, there is already a parallel series of characters from the [[Original Series]]: The [[Beings of Light]] and their fallen member, [[Iblis]].

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

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[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial History]]
[[Category:Colonial History (RDM)]]
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Maelstrom

2007-03-06T06:51:05Z

Hmoul: /* Act 4 */ Loeben and expansion of detail

{{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= 317
| rating=
| US airdate=
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| podcast=
| population= 41,400
| prev= [[Dirty Hands]]
| next= [[The Son Also Rises]]
}}

== Overview ==
:''[[Kara Thrace|Kara]]'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.
*[[Hotdog]] 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 notes a psychologist, but when Thrace declines, he also suggests an [[oracle]] camp in [[Dogsville]]. She also sees, 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 camp and finds a small golden angelic figurine of the goddess [[Aurora]].
*An oracle, [[Brenn]], appears, who tells Thrace to keep the figurine. She asks Thrace to sit before a pool of water. The oracle holds Thrace's hand and begins a reading.
*The oracle knows of the Leoben Cylon and the dreams. When the oracle repeats the destiny that Leoben has said, verbatum, Thrace is angered. The oracle continues to repeat Leoben's past words to Thrace, done back when she interrogated a captured copy long ago ([[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 leaves angrily from the tent.

===Act 1===

*[[The Fleet (RDM)|The 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, Kara places 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, Kara's mother places her hand in a door jamb and slams the door on it, breaking Kara's hand. Kara states that it "was worth it".
*During a refueling operation, Starbuck and [[Hot Dog]] are on [[CAP]] when she thinks she sees an enemy.
*''[[Galactica]]'' can't see the contact, but soon someone finds the bogey: [[Starbuck's Raider]].
*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.
*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 Major 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]], both lost on [[New Caprica]] ([[Battlestar Galactica: 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]] 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 a Leoben greeting her.
*Thrace believes she is being tricked again, unconscious or on a Cylon ship, but Leoben states otherwise.
*Leoben keeps noting how the mandala shape cloud attracts her, and that she has told anyone little 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 of honor, 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 discussing her mother never reaching officer status despite serving in the Cylon War.
*The lieutenant sees a doctor's report that tells that her mother has cancer that has spread rapidly.
*Socrata rejects any attempts of her daughter's sympathy, and Kara Thrace runs out the door, vowing never to return. The "real-world" Starbuck begins to cry as she relives the moment.
*Socrata Thrace stares at a filled dish of cigarette butts.

===Act 4===
*The scene shifts. Leoben tells Thrace how her mother waited at her apartment and died five weeks later.
*When Thrace tells her reluctance to return, Leoben presents her with another image, where she is able to walk to her mother's deathbed, Socata has a scrapbook of every doodle and letter that Thrace made, including one with 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.
*When Thrace realizes that Leoben is not actually a Leoben, 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 cloud where Starbuck fails to climb. She reawakens, but continues to drop and chase the Raider image. The planetary cloud boundary, the point of no-return, also called the "hard deck", is getting closer, upon which the air pressure would crush the Viper.
*Apollo finds Starbuck in her dive, and briefly sees the heavy raider.
*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 herself as a young girl in the same white light.
*A view from the tail of Apollo's Viper clearly shows the UFO/Raider, then Starbuck's Viper appears, chasing it. The UFO 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]]. Everyone, from [[Saul 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 his anger and grief over the loss of Kara Thrace leads him to destroy the model and begin to cry heavily.

==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.

== Questions ==
* Will Anders blame Apollo for the loss of Kara once the news of her death reaches him?
* Who is the being that was Kara's "spiritual" guide during her dream? Is he somehow connected to the makers of the mandala in the Temple of Five?
* Is Kara in the cockpit of the Viper as it explodes?
* Is Kara a Cylon, more specifically, one of the [[Final five|final five]]?
* Is the [[Starbuck's Raider|Heavy Raider]] real or a hallucination?
* Did Lee see the Heavy Raider, as indicated by this [http://www.templetons.com/images/leeview2.jpg point-of-view] shot?
* Is the cockpit truly damaged from space debris, or is it imagined just as the supposed damage that Kara initially believed happened at the first encounter with the Raider.
* Will Helo experience any form of guilt or regret for showing the picture of the mandala to Kara?
* What did Kara mean when she told Lee: "See you on the other side."
* Who will take Kara's place as Galactica's Viper ace?

== Analysis ==

* Although Starbuck is contemplating to eject from her damaged Viper, the planet is a gas giant. It doesn't have a solid surface and the atmosphere would crush her just like a ship. Thus, even if she successfully ejected, her survival is doubtful.

* The episode brings many story elements of Kara's history to a close as everything comes to a full circle, which is a general meaning of a mandala in spiritual contexts. A few of these elements include:
** Admiral Adama and Thace's interchange of "What do you hear? - [[Nothing but the rain]]". This is first scene that introduced Kara and her overall relationship with Adama at the beginning of the [[Miniseries]].
** The scene between Apollo aand Starbuck 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 proposed rescue of her shows his a to rescue his pilots. Similar "[[You Can't Go Home Again]]" when Kara is lost on a hostile planet, Adama wants to use search and rescue team to attempt to find her. However, this time, it is Lee who denies his father the attempt because of futility of looking for her Viper's broken pieces.
** Her continued hostility and bitterness towards her mother finally reach its close as Kara is finally able to witness her mother's death and hear her final words.
** The final moment before Thace's Viper explodes, an image of a younger Kara being engulfed in light could either be symbolism or an event that represents Thace's return to her childhood innocence.
** Her hostility towards Leoben comes to a close as she comes to welcome the help and guidance of her "Leoben" guide.

*It should be noted that the Leoben in her vision is *not* a cylon, but an unidentified manifestation. Kara says "You're not Leoben, are you?" and the manifestation replies "I never said I was." What this aspect of Kara's vision means remains unknown.

** Kara's death can be seen as the close of her origin desire to die during the episode, "[[Scar]]". However, Kara 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 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 Kara'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 and Kara decided to forge on with their marriages, it is Lee who has found contentment with Dualla while Kara remained in turmoil with Anders. The scene after another love making session indicates that their relationship hadn't improved much since "[[Taking a Break from All Your Worries]]".

* The figurine that Kara gives to Adama is an idol of the goddess Aurora, the goddess of the dawn and gentle breeze. The relationship between this goddess and Kara 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 Lee and Kara are furthered strengthened during Socrata Thrace's death scene. When Kara confesses to her mother about her fear of taking the next step towards her destiny, her mother remarks that she knows that Kara 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 Lee, Kara is finally able to bury the hatchet with her mother.

== 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 "[[Home, Part I]]".
* 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 Eos.
* An 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 Kara sees in her first flight over the planet.
*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 Starbuck, much to [[Ron Moore]]'s dismay.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

:Kara: "Mama, 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, Kara."
: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, are you?."
:Leoben: "I never said I was. I'm here to prepare you to pass through the next door, to discover what happens in the space between life and death."

== Official Statements ==

== Guest Stars ==

*[[Georgia Craig]] as [[Brenn|Oracle Brenn]]
*[[Dorothy Lyman]] as [[Socrata Thrace]]

== 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]]

Maelstrom

2007-03-06T06:46:39Z

Hmoul: /* Teaser */ link

{{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= 317
| rating=
| US airdate=
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| podcast=
| population= 41,400
| prev= [[Dirty Hands]]
| next= [[The Son Also Rises]]
}}

== Overview ==
:''[[Kara Thrace|Kara]]'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.
*[[Hotdog]] 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 notes a psychologist, but when Thrace declines, he also suggests an [[oracle]] camp in [[Dogsville]]. She also sees, 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 camp and finds a small golden angelic figurine of the goddess [[Aurora]].
*An oracle, [[Brenn]], appears, who tells Thrace to keep the figurine. She asks Thrace to sit before a pool of water. The oracle holds Thrace's hand and begins a reading.
*The oracle knows of the Leoben Cylon and the dreams. When the oracle repeats the destiny that Leoben has said, verbatum, Thrace is angered. The oracle continues to repeat Leoben's past words to Thrace, done back when she interrogated a captured copy long ago ([[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 leaves angrily from the tent.

===Act 1===

*[[The Fleet (RDM)|The 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, Kara places 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, Kara's mother places her hand in a door jamb and slams the door on it, breaking Kara's hand. Kara states that it "was worth it".
*During a refueling operation, Starbuck and [[Hot Dog]] are on [[CAP]] when she thinks she sees an enemy.
*''[[Galactica]]'' can't see the contact, but soon someone finds the bogey: [[Starbuck's Raider]].
*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.
*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 Major 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]], both lost on [[New Caprica]] ([[Battlestar Galactica: 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]] 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 a Leoben greeting her.
*Thrace believes she is being tricked again, unconscious or on a Cylon ship, but Leoben states otherwise.
*Leoben keeps noting how the mandala shape cloud attracts her, and that she has told anyone little 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 of honor, 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 discussing her mother never reaching officer status despite serving in the Cylon War.
*The lieutenant sees a doctor's report that tells that her mother has cancer that has spread rapidly.
*Socrata rejects any attempts of her daughter's sympathy, and Kara Thrace runs out the door, vowing never to return. The "real-world" Starbuck begins to cry as she relives the moment.
*Socrata Thrace stares at a filled dish of cigarette butts.

===Act 4===
*The scene shifts. Leoben tells Thrace how her mother waited at her apartment and died five weeks later.
*When Thrace tells her reluctance to return, Leoben presents her with another image, where she is able to walk to her mother's deathbed, Socata has a scrapbook of every doodle and letter that Thrace made, including one with 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.
*When Thrace realizes that Leoben is not actually a Leoben, he replies that he never claimed to be.
*The scene shifts back to the cloud where Starbuck fails to climb. She reawakens, but continues to drop and chase the Raider image. The planetary cloud boundary, the point of no-return, also called the "hard deck", is getting closer, upon which the air pressure would crush the Viper.
*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 herself as a young girl in the same white light.
*A view from the tail of Apollo's Viper clearly shows the UFO/Raider, then Starbuck's Viper appears, chasing it. The UFO 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]]. Everyone, from [[Saul 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 his anger and grief over the loss of Kara Thrace leads him to destroy the model and begin to cry heavily.

==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.

== Questions ==
* Will Anders blame Apollo for the loss of Kara once the news of her death reaches him?
* Who is the being that was Kara's "spiritual" guide during her dream? Is he somehow connected to the makers of the mandala in the Temple of Five?
* Is Kara in the cockpit of the Viper as it explodes?
* Is Kara a Cylon, more specifically, one of the [[Final five|final five]]?
* Is the [[Starbuck's Raider|Heavy Raider]] real or a hallucination?
* Did Lee see the Heavy Raider, as indicated by this [http://www.templetons.com/images/leeview2.jpg point-of-view] shot?
* Is the cockpit truly damaged from space debris, or is it imagined just as the supposed damage that Kara initially believed happened at the first encounter with the Raider.
* Will Helo experience any form of guilt or regret for showing the picture of the mandala to Kara?
* What did Kara mean when she told Lee: "See you on the other side."
* Who will take Kara's place as Galactica's Viper ace?

== Analysis ==

* Although Starbuck is contemplating to eject from her damaged Viper, the planet is a gas giant. It doesn't have a solid surface and the atmosphere would crush her just like a ship. Thus, even if she successfully ejected, her survival is doubtful.

* The episode brings many story elements of Kara's history to a close as everything comes to a full circle, which is a general meaning of a mandala in spiritual contexts. A few of these elements include:
** Admiral Adama and Thace's interchange of "What do you hear? - [[Nothing but the rain]]". This is first scene that introduced Kara and her overall relationship with Adama at the beginning of the [[Miniseries]].
** The scene between Apollo aand Starbuck 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 proposed rescue of her shows his a to rescue his pilots. Similar "[[You Can't Go Home Again]]" when Kara is lost on a hostile planet, Adama wants to use search and rescue team to attempt to find her. However, this time, it is Lee who denies his father the attempt because of futility of looking for her Viper's broken pieces.
** Her continued hostility and bitterness towards her mother finally reach its close as Kara is finally able to witness her mother's death and hear her final words.
** The final moment before Thace's Viper explodes, an image of a younger Kara being engulfed in light could either be symbolism or an event that represents Thace's return to her childhood innocence.
** Her hostility towards Leoben comes to a close as she comes to welcome the help and guidance of her "Leoben" guide.

*It should be noted that the Leoben in her vision is *not* a cylon, but an unidentified manifestation. Kara says "You're not Leoben, are you?" and the manifestation replies "I never said I was." What this aspect of Kara's vision means remains unknown.

** Kara's death can be seen as the close of her origin desire to die during the episode, "[[Scar]]". However, Kara 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 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 Kara'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 and Kara decided to forge on with their marriages, it is Lee who has found contentment with Dualla while Kara remained in turmoil with Anders. The scene after another love making session indicates that their relationship hadn't improved much since "[[Taking a Break from All Your Worries]]".

* The figurine that Kara gives to Adama is an idol of the goddess Aurora, the goddess of the dawn and gentle breeze. The relationship between this goddess and Kara 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 Lee and Kara are furthered strengthened during Socrata Thrace's death scene. When Kara confesses to her mother about her fear of taking the next step towards her destiny, her mother remarks that she knows that Kara 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 Lee, Kara is finally able to bury the hatchet with her mother.

== 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 "[[Home, Part I]]".
* 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 Eos.
* An 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 Kara sees in her first flight over the planet.
*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 Starbuck, much to [[Ron Moore]]'s dismay.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

:Kara: "Mama, 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, Kara."
: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, are you?."
:Leoben: "I never said I was. I'm here to prepare you to pass through the next door, to discover what happens in the space between life and death."

== Official Statements ==

== Guest Stars ==

*[[Georgia Craig]] as [[Brenn|Oracle Brenn]]
*[[Dorothy Lyman]] as [[Socrata Thrace]]

== 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]]

Maelstrom

2007-03-06T06:45:46Z

Hmoul: /* Act 1 */ expansion of insect scene

{{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= 317
| rating=
| US airdate=
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| podcast=
| population= 41,400
| prev= [[Dirty Hands]]
| next= [[The Son Also Rises]]
}}

== Overview ==
:''[[Kara Thrace|Kara]]'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.
*[[Hotdog]] 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 notes a psychologist, but when Thrace declines, he also suggests an [[oracle]] camp in [[Dogsville]]. She also sees, 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 camp and finds a small golden angelic figurine of the goddess Aurora.
*An oracle, [[Brenn]], appears, who tells Thrace to keep the figurine. She asks Thrace to sit before a pool of water. The oracle holds Thrace's hand and begins a reading.
*The oracle knows of the Leoben Cylon and the dreams. When the oracle repeats the destiny that Leoben has said, verbatum, Thrace is angered. The oracle continues to repeat Leoben's past words to Thrace, done back when she interrogated a captured copy long ago ([[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 leaves angrily from the tent.

===Act 1===

*[[The Fleet (RDM)|The 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, Kara places 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, Kara's mother places her hand in a door jamb and slams the door on it, breaking Kara's hand. Kara states that it "was worth it".
*During a refueling operation, Starbuck and [[Hot Dog]] are on [[CAP]] when she thinks she sees an enemy.
*''[[Galactica]]'' can't see the contact, but soon someone finds the bogey: [[Starbuck's Raider]].
*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.
*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 Major 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]], both lost on [[New Caprica]] ([[Battlestar Galactica: 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]] 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 a Leoben greeting her.
*Thrace believes she is being tricked again, unconscious or on a Cylon ship, but Leoben states otherwise.
*Leoben keeps noting how the mandala shape cloud attracts her, and that she has told anyone little 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 of honor, 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 discussing her mother never reaching officer status despite serving in the Cylon War.
*The lieutenant sees a doctor's report that tells that her mother has cancer that has spread rapidly.
*Socrata rejects any attempts of her daughter's sympathy, and Kara Thrace runs out the door, vowing never to return. The "real-world" Starbuck begins to cry as she relives the moment.
*Socrata Thrace stares at a filled dish of cigarette butts.

===Act 4===
*The scene shifts. Leoben tells Thrace how her mother waited at her apartment and died five weeks later.
*When Thrace tells her reluctance to return, Leoben presents her with another image, where she is able to walk to her mother's deathbed, Socata has a scrapbook of every doodle and letter that Thrace made, including one with 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.
*When Thrace realizes that Leoben is not actually a Leoben, he replies that he never claimed to be.
*The scene shifts back to the cloud where Starbuck fails to climb. She reawakens, but continues to drop and chase the Raider image. The planetary cloud boundary, the point of no-return, also called the "hard deck", is getting closer, upon which the air pressure would crush the Viper.
*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 herself as a young girl in the same white light.
*A view from the tail of Apollo's Viper clearly shows the UFO/Raider, then Starbuck's Viper appears, chasing it. The UFO 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]]. Everyone, from [[Saul 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 his anger and grief over the loss of Kara Thrace leads him to destroy the model and begin to cry heavily.

==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.

== Questions ==
* Will Anders blame Apollo for the loss of Kara once the news of her death reaches him?
* Who is the being that was Kara's "spiritual" guide during her dream? Is he somehow connected to the makers of the mandala in the Temple of Five?
* Is Kara in the cockpit of the Viper as it explodes?
* Is Kara a Cylon, more specifically, one of the [[Final five|final five]]?
* Is the [[Starbuck's Raider|Heavy Raider]] real or a hallucination?
* Did Lee see the Heavy Raider, as indicated by this [http://www.templetons.com/images/leeview2.jpg point-of-view] shot?
* Is the cockpit truly damaged from space debris, or is it imagined just as the supposed damage that Kara initially believed happened at the first encounter with the Raider.
* Will Helo experience any form of guilt or regret for showing the picture of the mandala to Kara?
* What did Kara mean when she told Lee: "See you on the other side."
* Who will take Kara's place as Galactica's Viper ace?

== Analysis ==

* Although Starbuck is contemplating to eject from her damaged Viper, the planet is a gas giant. It doesn't have a solid surface and the atmosphere would crush her just like a ship. Thus, even if she successfully ejected, her survival is doubtful.

* The episode brings many story elements of Kara's history to a close as everything comes to a full circle, which is a general meaning of a mandala in spiritual contexts. A few of these elements include:
** Admiral Adama and Thace's interchange of "What do you hear? - [[Nothing but the rain]]". This is first scene that introduced Kara and her overall relationship with Adama at the beginning of the [[Miniseries]].
** The scene between Apollo aand Starbuck 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 proposed rescue of her shows his a to rescue his pilots. Similar "[[You Can't Go Home Again]]" when Kara is lost on a hostile planet, Adama wants to use search and rescue team to attempt to find her. However, this time, it is Lee who denies his father the attempt because of futility of looking for her Viper's broken pieces.
** Her continued hostility and bitterness towards her mother finally reach its close as Kara is finally able to witness her mother's death and hear her final words.
** The final moment before Thace's Viper explodes, an image of a younger Kara being engulfed in light could either be symbolism or an event that represents Thace's return to her childhood innocence.
** Her hostility towards Leoben comes to a close as she comes to welcome the help and guidance of her "Leoben" guide.

*It should be noted that the Leoben in her vision is *not* a cylon, but an unidentified manifestation. Kara says "You're not Leoben, are you?" and the manifestation replies "I never said I was." What this aspect of Kara's vision means remains unknown.

** Kara's death can be seen as the close of her origin desire to die during the episode, "[[Scar]]". However, Kara 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 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 Kara'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 and Kara decided to forge on with their marriages, it is Lee who has found contentment with Dualla while Kara remained in turmoil with Anders. The scene after another love making session indicates that their relationship hadn't improved much since "[[Taking a Break from All Your Worries]]".

* The figurine that Kara gives to Adama is an idol of the goddess Aurora, the goddess of the dawn and gentle breeze. The relationship between this goddess and Kara 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 Lee and Kara are furthered strengthened during Socrata Thrace's death scene. When Kara confesses to her mother about her fear of taking the next step towards her destiny, her mother remarks that she knows that Kara 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 Lee, Kara is finally able to bury the hatchet with her mother.

== 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 "[[Home, Part I]]".
* 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 Eos.
* An 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 Kara sees in her first flight over the planet.
*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 Starbuck, much to [[Ron Moore]]'s dismay.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

:Kara: "Mama, 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, Kara."
: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, are you?."
:Leoben: "I never said I was. I'm here to prepare you to pass through the next door, to discover what happens in the space between life and death."

== Official Statements ==

== Guest Stars ==

*[[Georgia Craig]] as [[Brenn|Oracle Brenn]]
*[[Dorothy Lyman]] as [[Socrata Thrace]]

== 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]]

Dirty Hands

2007-02-27T07:34:33Z

Hmoul: /* Analysis */ analysis of Baltar's mental state

{{Episode Data
| title= Dirty Hands
| image= 3x16-DirtyHands-TyrolSelix.jpg
| season= 3
| episode= 16
| guests=
| writer= [[Anne Cofell Saunders]] <br/> [[Jane Espenson]]
| story=
| director= [[Wayne Rose]]
| production= 316
| rating=
| US airdate= 2007-02-25
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| population=41,400
| prev=[[A Day in the Life]]
| next=[[Maelstrom]]
| 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%253D215973805%2526id%253D200852806%2526s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30
}}

== Overview ==

: ''Amidst unsafe and harsh conditions in the maintenance and production areas of the Fleet, as well [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]]'s [[My Triumphs, My Mistakes|personal diatribe]] stirring feelings of dissent amongst the working class, Chief [[Galen Tyrol|Tyrol]] must wrestle whether or not to resurrect the worker's union he began on [[New Caprica]].''

== Summary ==
===Teaser===

*A group of deckhands, with Chief [[Galen Tyrol]] at the head, are prepping [[Margaret Edmondson|Racetrack's]] [[Raptor]] for a mission.
*Tyrol reminds [[Anthony Figurski|Figurski]], [[Pollux]] and [[Sanchez]] not to leave as they have to work on additional engine refits. A number of deckhands, one literally missing a hand and using a prosthetic arm, are busy with their work. Complaints about fatigue are deflected by Tyrol.
*Viewers see [[tylium]] fuel, refined from its ore state into a gasoline-like liquified state, being pumped into the Raptor.
*[[Diana Seelix|Seelix]] is returning bags of cleaned laundry to Figurski, Pollux, and [[Redford]]. She's not too happy as, despite high marks on the written exam for [[Viper (RDM)|Viper pilot]] flight training, Seelix has been denied promotion because she was considered to have mission-essential duties and could not be transferred. Pollux is left surprised, believing that others don't want the "knuckledraggers" to rise in rank.
*Tyrol, who heard about the failed promotion from the [[CAG]], apologizes to Seelix. Figurski teases too much about Seelix's fate and her unglamorous laundry work, which causes Seelix to attack Figurski before Chief Tyrol breaks it up. Seelix goes back to laundry delivery, obviously depressed in spite of Tyrol's attempt to have her look at her work on the [[hangar deck]] as critical to the Fleet's safety.
*Racetrack and [[Skulls]], her [[ECO]], launch from the lift from the hangar deck to the port [[flight pod]]. They fly through the motley of civilian ships and begin plotting their course, passing the [[Space Park]], when a malfunction occurs in the reaction control jets and one of the main engines. The vehicle is out of control.
*Racetrack yells for Skulls to sit in the copilot seat and moments later, both eject from the wayward vehicle. The Raptor tumbles on a collision course with ''[[Colonial One]]'' at the same area of the ship where President [[Laura Roslin]] and [[Tory Foster]] are handling their daily business.

=== Act 1 ===
*Admiral [[William Adama]] is assisting President Roslin with moving her office area to another section of ''Colonial One'' while the damaged bulkhead of the ship is repaired. The presidential flagship suffered only a glancing blow from Racetrack's Raptor, but hit with sufficient force to cause a dozen injuries, including to Tory Foster. No one was killed, fortunately.
*When Roslin notes the cramped confines, Adama offers Roslin any of his beds on ''[[Galactica]]''. A moment of humorous silence hangs as Adama realizes the unintended double-meaning and Roslin smiles.
*The two leaders of the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] discuss the cause of the Raptor's malfunction. So far, the investigation suggests a fuel contamination problem. Roslin finds the matter unsettling since, before, the refinery ship was always reliable and timely.
*The leaders discuss [[Xeno Fenner]], who has complained about numerous labor-related problems despite the overall significance of the overall survival of humanity. Adama is impatient with Fenner's effectiveness over the last two weeks and wants to get the Fleet back on its path to [[Earth]].
*Roslin, who [[Home, Part II|began the serious quest for Earth]], can't resist teasing Adama, a [[Home, Part I|skeptic about the legends of Earth]] despite his claims of [[Miniseries, Night 2|knowing where it was]]. Adama plays along with Roslin, asking "Have I ever doubted it?"
*Fenner meets with President Roslin and Admiral Adama. Fenner complains of exhaustion, very long shift hours and other problems that go unheeded throughout his operation by the senior staff. Adama reminds Fenner that, because of the backlog of fuel processing and distribution between the ships of the Fleet, they have fuel for maybe one or two [[FTL|jumps]]. Both leaders warn that safety is in danger and that fuel resupply is imperative.
*Fenner questions if intentionally causing a slowdown or other problems with the fuel processing would yield some results.
*When Fenner quotes a passage from an underground book written by [[Gaius Baltar]] to reinforce his case ("If you hear the people, you never have to fear the people") Roslin is incensed by the quote and has the [[marine]]s in the room arrest Fenner.
*Roslin explains to Adama that Baltar's lawyer had snuck out the book, called ''[[My Triumphs, My Mistakes]]'', which has been copied about the Fleet. Roslin and Adama discuss how it is causing class strife throughout the Fleet. A visibly angered Roslin, her voice quieting to almost a whisper in her usual manner when in such a state, says, "I am thinking of having a good old-fashioned book burning."
*In their quarters, the Tyrols are having a meal. [[Cally Tyrol]] adminishes her husband from eating too much, recalling their recovery from [[A Day In The Life|vacuum exposure]] and apparent diet requirements to aid in it.
*The two eventually discuss the recent labor problems. Cally, reciting passages from Baltar's book, notes how work throughout the Fleet is divided by class lines, which also happen to be related to how work was culturally based on the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]]. Prosperous colonists from Caprica, Tauron and Virgon were mostly in administrative or professional jobs such as politicians and pilots, while colonists from places such as Gemenon, Sagittaron, and Aerelon, which were agrarian or otherwise raw-material sources, had primarily blue-collar populations. When Galen comments that [[Anastasia Dualla|Lieutenant Dualla]] was from Sagittaron, Cally answers that she was promoted only because of her [[Lee Adama|husband's Caprica status]].
*Chief Tyrol gets a call from Admiral Adama, who tells him of Fenner's arrest for "pissing off the President." Adama orders him to get to the refinery ship and get the fuel supply running. Cally recalls the old union on [[New Caprica]] and that, while the scenery has changed, the people who desired change in then-President Baltar's leadership were still around.
*Roslin visits Gaius Baltar with marine contingent, intent on confiscating any further passages of his clandestine book. She lies to Baltar, telling him that the book was intercepted before it could be mass-produced, and that was dying to read the latest entries. Roslin objects to Baltar's portrayal as a "man of the people" in his book.
*She forces a strip search of Baltar before his [[Cylon-Related Hallucinations|virtual Six]] convinces him to give up the passages to save his dignity.
*Tyrol arrives to investigate the refinery ship's operation and meets with Cavett. Cavett remembers Tyrol's work as the union leader. Cavett shows him a large cavernous room with a single comparatively small pile of tylium in its center. When asked about the amount of tylium available, Cavett notes that the Fleet would be lucky to get out of this system.
*Cavett notes that the ship is as loud as an "A-bomb" when in full production, and as equally safe.
*The conditions are squalid at best, as many workers move the granular tylium through its conversion process from ore to precursor and fuel. The working conditions are less of the problem, as workers are tired and have very little time off. Work is going much too slowly, and Cavett reminds Tyrol of the harsh work schedules that have greatly reduced fuel production.
*The group enters a conveyor area, where many workers appear to be cleaning or making minor repairs. The refining process appears to have stopped. Despite Cavett's pleas, Tyrol asks him to stop up the process. A laborer named [[Milo]] tells Tyrol that the system won't work. When pressed as to the reason, Milo is silent.
*Tyrol looks around to find that several critical pressure relief seals are missing, making the machinery unusable. The workers have intentionally hidden the seals as a protest for Fenner's arrest and an attempt to get improved working conditions.
*Later, on ''Galactica'', Tyrol reports to Admiral Adama and Roslin on his initial investigations on the refinery ship. A search has not turned up the seals. Since the group did not harm him or have contaminated the existing fuel, he believes that the workers are buying time to get their pleas heard.
*He notes that some of the people on the refinery ship have been working almost continuously since the original [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|Cylon attack on the Colonies]] with no chance to transfer or take a break.
*Roslin acknowledges the hard work, but notes that work is equally hard on the algae processing, or munitions or waste processing teams. When Tyrol asks to cede to some labor demands to get things working again, Roslin objects, calling it extortion, and asks for the names of the leaders to put them under arrest, which Tyrol reluctantly notes Cavett. Roslin curtly dismisses Tyrol when he tries to continue his pleas.

===Act 2===
*Tyrol visits Fenner and Cavett. Cavett, who was incarcerated on New Caprica by the Cylons, is experiencing hallucinations and is injuring himself. Tyrol asks for the seals, to Fenner's anger.
*Tyrol yells at both to tell him where, when Fenner relents and tells the location of the seals.
*The seals are replaced. Milo asks to flip the switch. Tyrol asks Milo's age: 12. The production resumes. Tyrol looks around to see many very young faces; many of the refinery workers are children and adolescents.
*On ''Colonial One'', Tyrol explains that the parents are passing down their skills to their children, and that the children are thus automatically stuck in their parent's careers instead of choosing an own path for their future. Roslin understands the problem, and offers to gather a list of colonists with any relevant experience that can be used to supplement the workers on the refinery ship.
*A young man named [[Danny Noon]], pulled from [[Dogsville]], questions Tyrol on the hangar deck on why he is tasked to work on the refinery ship. As Figurski tells Tyrol of the young man's farming experience, Noon denies any actual experience, having worked for one summer for money for college before the Cylon attack on the Colonies. Before Tyrol can consider reassigning the man, Figurski warns that letting the young man go may cause more to deny their experience as well, setting back the conscription process. Tyrol does not interfere.
*As Tyrol walks away, he finds a copy of Baltar's underground manifesto. Turning the page, he notes one page entitled "The Emerging Aristocracy and the Emerging Underclass." He decides to go to Baltar.
*Interviewing Baltar (who now knows that his book has circulated), Tyrol tries to separate fact from fiction. Baltar (now possessing only a mattress on the floor, with no bed frame) explains that he is really born on a dairy farm outside of [[Cuffle's Breath Wash]] on Aerelon. When Tyrol questions further, particularly Baltar's posh accent, Baltar explains (as he begins to speak in his native Aerelon voice) that he began to mimic Caprican speech starting at 10 years old so that people would not believe he was from Aerelon, a "drab, ugly rock condemned to be the food basket for the twelve worlds." Baltar left Aerelon after his 18th birthday.
*When Tyrol indicates that the strife was left on the Colonies and begins to leave the [[brig]], Baltar disagrees, indicating that the social strife has followed the people, and that the aristocracy will continue to hold on to their power.

===Act 3===
*The fresh labor on the refinery ship is helping and tylium ore is again being refined, per Fenner. He notes that some problems in the process was where the contaminants were accumulating and that work is being done to clean up the process.
*A malfunction occurs on the refinery ship conveyor, but Fenner warns that the belt has to be repaired while running, else, shutting it down will seize the whole system. Worse, not fixing the problem soon could cause an explosive chain reaction with the ore stuck in the system.
*Tyrol tries to get the problem part, but can't reach it. Danny Noon manages to reach underneath to restore the belt to operation but suffers a piercing injury as he exits from under the belt.
*Watching this suffering becomes too much for Tyrol. He slowly walks over to the belt systems main power levers and pulls them, shutting down the entire fuel operation. He tells everyone that the plant is offline and that the workers are on strike.
*Several pilots, including [[Kara Thrace]], are trying to get a flight, but Pollux tells them that they are on strike, and that only vital missions are being serviced.
*Chief Tyrol is arrested in placed in ''Galactica's'' brig. Admiral Adama tells him that the Colonial Fleet shoots mutineers like Tyrol and the deckhands.

===Act 4===
*Tyrol tries to explain his side, but Adama warns that no one on this ship can disobey orders. To prove how far he will go, he makes a phone call.
*Adama orders Cally Tyrol to be taken to the starboard hangar deck. When the Chief asks why, Adama tells him he is taking her there to be shot as a mutineer. He then states that he will continue with the executions, starting with the rebellious deck crew, if he has to.
*Tyrol is terrified, but Adama continues to elaborate: Orders, no matter how one feels about them, must be adhered to. If even one person hesitates to fulfill an order or feels that orders are optional, everyone will perish, including Tyrol's [[Nicholas Tyrol|son]]. Adama tells him that this is not his desire, but that he would put ten Callys against the wall to be shot to ensure the survival of the Fleet.
*Tyrol resigns. Adama releases him and lets him speak to Cally, who mistakenly believes that Tyrol has won. Adama releases her. Adama releases the Chief as well, reminding him that he wanted to speak with the President on the labor issues.
*On ''Colonial One'', Tyrol and President Roslin talk over drinks about the cultural vocations that some colonists are locked into by birth, which Roslin understands but cannot see how to change. Tyrol suggests a plan where other colonists, including professional types who inhabit ''Colonial One,'' get their hands dirty with many tasks, allowing some sharing of low-level chores. For high-stress jobs, Tyrol recommends that crew rotations are recommended. Roslin agrees.
*Tyrol recommends a training program, but Roslin defers it and wants Tyrol's union to give some ground in collective bargaining. When Tyrol is confused about the mention of a union he believed long gone, Roslin explains the necessity of the union and his leadership to ensure that the Fleet doesn't tear itself apart.
*Later, back on the hangar deck, Chief Tyrol is announcing work assignments when Captain Thrace arrives to complain about a missing [[nugget]] who did not report for training. She asks for Diana Seelix, who is both visibly confused and excited.
* After berating Seelix for not checking the duty roster to see where she should have reported, Thrace then tells her that she is "out of uniform". Tyrol, in on the ruse, states that he can fix that part of the problem and presents Seelix with ensign pins, promoting her to the basic officer's rank needed to train as a pilot.
*Thrace continues to play the nasty drill officer and orders the smiling Seelix off to the pilots ready room. Thrace herself cracks a smile as Tyrol asks her to "be nice" to her new recruit.

===Bonus Scene===
*Chief Tyrol has finished sorting out a handful of children who were mistakenly picked in the pool of conscripts to aid on the refinery ship. He returns to his quarters to pick up some paperwork.
*Cally Tyrol notes that most of the conscripts are from poor colonies, and that the work involved actually doesn't involve any genuine skills. She noticed that no one from ''Colonial One'' was in the list of conscripts.
*Galen berates Cally for what he feels is yet another recitation from Gaius Baltar's book. He warns her that, if he pushes too hard with the Fleet's leadership, they may pull him off of the assignment of assigning conscripts, where someone like Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] may be ordered to manage, with more dire results for everyone.
*Cally tries to encourage her husband to continue fighting for the rights of the workers as he did as the union leader on [[New Caprica]]. As she continues to press for his support, he tells her that the New Caprica union is over and leaves without further discussion.

== Questions ==
* Will Baltar's book help his image among the working class of the [[the Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] in his upcoming trial?
* Is it possible that [[Tom Zarek]] somehow assisted Baltar in the writing and distribution of his book?
* Has [[the Fleet (RDM)|the Fleet]]'s [[tylium]] reserve been re-stocked at all since "[[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]"?
* Have these class differentiations amongst the colonies been problematic before the destruction of the Twelve Colonies?
* Besides occupations that are related to the "working class" and other professions such as news reporters, what other occupations exist within the fleet besides those positions found on ''Colonial One'' and ''Galactica''?
* Have the Colonials truly lost the Cylons or are the Cylons continuing on different plans?
* Why wasn't [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] mentioned along with [[Anastasia Dualla|Dualla]] as another member of the "working class" that rose to be part of the Fleet leadership as he was born on [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Aerelon|Aerelon]] and started his career as an enlisted man?
* Besides Baltar's testimony, is there any real solid evidence that Baltar was born on Aerelon?
* With the information provided by "[[Unfinished Business]]" and "[[A Day in the Life]]", have the attitude and admiration towards Admiral Adama changed significantly to the point that his crew feel more indifferent or resentful of him?
* Besides the six Colonies that were mentioned, how were the other colonies, such as Picon considered?

== Analysis ==
* Not having any real options for defending his actions during the Cylon occupation of New Caprica, Baltar has opted to use class warfare as a distraction from the real issues and to drum up support as a victim of "the aristocracy". His booklet appears to inspired by classic Marxist/Leninist rhetoric. Historically, such approaches to political change and power are most effective when conditions are unacceptable and dangerous for large numbers of workers.
* Baltar's actions and attitudes reflect a great deal of hypocrisy and self loathing. One one hand he is the ultimate aristocrat, living luxuriously with many expensive vices with an affected accent, and on the other hand he appears to hold the upper class in as much contempt as the working class people he grew up with. His words condemn the life and people he knew as he grew up, casting those people in the light of being nothing more than ignorant drunks and barroom brawlers that "worked with their hands", and he did everything he could to make sure that he was never actually identified with his roots.
* Adama's explanation and pending orders to execute Cally and the rest of the knuckledraggers to force Tyrol to call off the strike is reminiscent of the style of leadership found with Admiral Cain. However, once Tyrol relented and called off the strike, Adama immediately displayed his familiar style of leadership by informing Tyrol of his meeting with Roslin.
* This is the first time that an emergency cockpit ejection from a Raptor is shown during the series.
* Ever since her murder of Boomer and following detention and eventual release, Cally has displayed an attitude of disrespect towards the Fleet leadership, especially to Adama recently. Her recent demeanor and naive assumption that Adama would not do anything more than arrest the strikers may highlight a growing problem amongst the military workers that are beginning to dissent from the leadership.
* This episode, as well as "[[The Woman King]]" display an ongoing theme since Season 2 that focuses on how human beings are self-destructive by nature without any Cylon intervention. As was stated in "[[A Day In The Life]]", the Fleet hadn't encountered any Cylon forces for approximately 2 months. This state of complacency has allowed the typical in-fighting amongst the colonials to resume, especially with the depreciating state of quality of life amongst the ships in the fleet.

== Notes ==

* A number of main characters are not present at all during this episode: [[Lee Adama]], [[Sharon Agathon]], [[Karl Agathon]], [[Saul Tigh]], [[Felix Gaeta]], and [[Anastasia Dualla]].
* According to [[Bradley Thompson]], this episode was originally a different story titled "Our Enemies, Ourselves". When developing "[[The Woman King]]", it was felt that both episodes dealt with the same themes. As a result, "Dirty Hands" was created instead.
* The [[w:79th Academy Awards|79th Academy Awards]] were shown during the episode. The ratings should be taken ''lightly''.
* The prop department still hasn't produced any Ensign [[Military Ranks (RDM)|rank insignia]] yet. Like in "[[Scar]]", Lieutenant j.g. insignia are used instead.
* Cally is still dealing with the injuries she sustained in "[[A Day in the Life]]".
* One of the deckhands has lost an arm, but is using a prosthesis to work.
* [[Dogsville]] is still in use.
* Baltar reveals that he is allegedly from [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Aerelon|Aerelon]]. He displays his native accent, traces of which he claimed to have heard in Sharon Valerii's voice in "[[Flesh and Bone]]".

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

* ''[[Galen Tyrol|Tyrol]] talking to [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]] about his [[My_Triumphs%2C_My_Mistakes|Book:]]''
: '''Baltar''': I don't sound like I'm from [[Aerelon|Aerelon]]?
: '''Tyrol''': No
: '''Baltar''': Well you know I take that as a particular complement. I don't know about you, but I've always found the Aerelon dialact to be particularly hard on the ears.
:''Baltar begins speaking with an Aerelon accent''
: '''Baltar''': Something about the consonates that scrape the back of the throat. Course I should know an aweful lot about my native tongue, I spent hours on it in trying to overcome it. Do you have any idea how hard it is for a ten year old boy to change the way he speaks? To unlearn everything he ever learned, so that one day, one day there might be the small hope that he might be considered as not commin' from Aerelon.
:''Baltar speaks with his usual accent''
: '''Baltar''': Maybe I don't know, Caprica... Caprica... oh to be Caprican, the seat of politics, culture, art, science, learning. And what was Aerelon, just a drab ugly rock condemned to be the food basket for the twelve worlds, and thats how we were treated, like servants, like labourers, like working-class. You know you would have fitted right in there Chief, lots of men who like to work with their hands, and uh, grab a pint down at the pub and...
:''Baltar again speaks with his Aerelon accent''
: '''Baltar''': ...finish off the evenin' with a good old fashioned fight.
:''Baltar returns to speaking as he normally does''
: '''Baltar''': Oh yes, I left Aerelon after my eighteenth birthday, I turned my back on my family, my heritage, all of them, of course it doesn't matter though, they're all dead now...

== Official Statements ==
Jane Espenson, in an interview with tvsquad.com, made the following remark: "The episode, co-written with Anne Cofell Saunders, is called 'Dirty Hands,' and as you might guess, it's a look at the people who do the dirty work in the fleet. Knuckle-dragging fun!" <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/06/jane-espenson-answers-your-battlestar-questions/|title=TV Squad: Jane Espenson answers your Battlestar questions|date=6 December 2006|accessdate=11 December 2006|last=McDuffee|first=Keith|format=|language=English}}</ref>

== Guest Stars ==
*[[David Patrick Green]] as [[Xeno Fenner]]

== External Links ==

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 3)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Anne Cofell Saunders]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Jane Espenson]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Wayne Rose]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Dirty Hands

2007-02-27T01:16:26Z

Hmoul: /* Act 4 */expansion of promotion scene

{{Episode Data
| title= Dirty Hands
| image= 3x16-DirtyHands-TyrolSelix.jpg
| season= 3
| episode= 16
| guests=
| writer= [[Anne Cofell Saunders]] <br/> [[Jane Espenson]]
| story=
| director= [[Wayne Rose]]
| production= 316
| rating=
| US airdate= 2007-02-25
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| population=41,400
| prev=[[A Day in the Life]]
| next=[[Maelstrom]]
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== Overview ==

: ''Amidst unsafe and harsh conditions in the maintenance and production areas of the Fleet, as well [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]]'s [[My Triumphs, My Mistakes|personal diatribe]] stirring feelings of dissent amongst the working class, Chief [[Galen Tyrol|Tyrol]] must wrestle whether or not to resurrect the worker's union he began on [[New Caprica]].''

== Summary ==
===Teaser===

*A group of deckhands, with Chief [[Galen Tyrol]] at the head, are prepping [[Margaret Edmondson|Racetrack's]] [[Raptor]] for a mission.
*Tyrol reminds [[Anthony Figurski|Figurski]], [[Pollux]] and [[Sanchez]] not to leave as they have to work on additional engine refits. A number of deckhands, one literally missing a hand and using a prosthetic arm, are busy with their work. Complaints about fatigue are deflected by Tyrol.
*Viewers see [[tylium]] fuel, refined from its ore state into a gasoline-like liquified state, being pumped into the Raptor.
*[[Diana Seelix|Seelix]] is returning bags of cleaned laundry to Figurski, Pollux, and [[Redford]]. She's not too happy as, despite high marks on the written exam for [[Viper (RDM)|Viper pilot]] flight training, Seelix has been denied promotion because she was considered to have mission-essential duties and could not be transferred. Pollux is left surprised, believing that others don't want the "knuckledraggers" to rise in rank.
*Tyrol, who heard about the failed promotion from the [[CAG]], apologizes to Seelix. Figurski teases too much about Seelix's fate and her unglamorous laundry work, which causes Seelix to attack Figurski before Chief Tyrol breaks it up. Seelix goes back to laundry delivery, obviously depressed in spite of Tyrol's attempt to have her look at her work on the [[hangar deck]] as critical to the Fleet's safety.
*Racetrack and [[Skulls]], her [[ECO]], launch from the lift from the hangar deck to the port [[flight pod]]. They fly through the motley of civilian ships and begin plotting their course, passing the [[Space Park]], when a malfunction occurs in the reaction control jets and one of the main engines. The vehicle is out of control.
*Racetrack yells for Skulls to sit in the copilot seat and moments later, both eject from the wayward vehicle. The Raptor tumbles on a collision course with ''[[Colonial One]]'' at the same area of the ship where President [[Laura Roslin]] and [[Tory Foster]] are handling their daily business.

=== Act 1 ===
*Admiral [[William Adama]] is assisting President Roslin with moving her office area to another section of ''Colonial One'' while the damaged bulkhead of the ship is repaired. The presidential flagship suffered only a glancing blow from Racetrack's Raptor, but hit with sufficient force to cause a dozen injuries, including to Tory Foster. No one was killed, fortunately.
*When Roslin notes the cramped confines, Adama offers Roslin any of his beds on ''[[Galactica]]''. A moment of humorous silence hangs as Adama realizes the unintended double-meaning and Roslin smiles.
*The two leaders of the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] discuss the cause of the Raptor's malfunction. So far, the investigation suggests a fuel contamination problem. Roslin finds the matter unsettling since, before, the refinery ship was always reliable and timely.
*The leaders discuss [[Xeno Fenner]], who has complained about numerous labor-related problems despite the overall significance of the overall survival of humanity. Adama is impatient with Fenner's effectiveness over the last two weeks and wants to get the Fleet back on its path to [[Earth]].
*Roslin, who [[Home, Part II|began the serious quest for Earth]], can't resist teasing Adama, a [[Home, Part I|skeptic about the legends of Earth]] despite his claims of [[Miniseries, Night 2|knowing where it was]]. Adama plays along with Roslin, asking "Have I ever doubted it?"
*Fenner meets with President Roslin and Admiral Adama. Fenner complains of exhaustion, very long shift hours and other problems that go unheeded throughout his operation by the senior staff. Adama reminds Fenner that, because of the backlog of fuel processing and distribution between the ships of the Fleet, they have fuel for maybe one or two [[FTL|jumps]]. Both leaders warn that safety is in danger and that fuel resupply is imperative.
*Fenner questions if intentionally causing a slowdown or other problems with the fuel processing would yield some results.
*When Fenner quotes a passage from an underground book written by [[Gaius Baltar]] to reinforce his case ("If you hear the people, you never have to fear the people") Roslin is incensed by the quote and has the [[marine]]s in the room arrest Fenner.
*Roslin explains to Adama that Baltar's lawyer had snuck out the book, called ''[[My Triumphs, My Mistakes]]'', which has been copied about the Fleet. Roslin and Adama discuss how it is causing class strife throughout the Fleet. A visibly angered Roslin, her voice quieting to almost a whisper in her usual manner when in such a state, says, "I am thinking of having a good old-fashioned book burning."
*In their quarters, the Tyrols are having a meal. [[Cally Tyrol]] adminishes her husband from eating too much, recalling their recovery from [[A Day In The Life|vacuum exposure]] and apparent diet requirements to aid in it.
*The two eventually discuss the recent labor problems. Cally, reciting passages from Baltar's book, notes how work throughout the Fleet is divided by class lines, which also happen to be related to how work was culturally based on the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]]. Prosperous colonists from Caprica, Tauron and Virgon were mostly in administrative or professional jobs such as politicians and pilots, while colonists from places such as Gemenon, Sagittaron, and Aerelon, which were agrarian or otherwise raw-material sources, had primarily blue-collar populations. When Galen comments that [[Anastasia Dualla|Lieutenant Dualla]] was from Sagittaron, Cally answers that she was promoted only because of her [[Lee Adama|husband's Caprica status]].
*Chief Tyrol gets a call from Admiral Adama, who tells him of Fenner's arrest for "pissing off the President." Adama orders him to get to the refinery ship and get the fuel supply running. Cally recalls the old union on [[New Caprica]] and that, while the scenery has changed, the people who desired change in then-President Baltar's leadership were still around.
*Roslin visits Gaius Baltar with marine contingent, intent on confiscating any further passages of his clandestine book. She lies to Baltar, telling him that the book was intercepted before it could be mass-produced, and that was dying to read the latest entries. Roslin objects to Baltar's portrayal as a "man of the people" in his book.
*She forces a strip search of Baltar before his [[Cylon-Related Hallucinations|virtual Six]] convinces him to give up the passages to save his dignity.
*Tyrol arrives to investigate the refinery ship's operation and meets with Cavett. Cavett remembers Tyrol's work as the union leader. Cavett shows him a large cavernous room with a single comparatively small pile of tylium in its center. When asked about the amount of tylium available, Cavett notes that the Fleet would be lucky to get out of this system.
*Cavett notes that the ship is as loud as an "A-bomb" when in full production, and as equally safe.
*The conditions are squalid at best, as many workers move the granular tylium through its conversion process from ore to precursor and fuel. The working conditions are less of the problem, as workers are tired and have very little time off. Work is going much too slowly, and Cavett reminds Tyrol of the harsh work schedules that have greatly reduced fuel production.
*The group enters a conveyor area, where many workers appear to be cleaning or making minor repairs. The refining process appears to have stopped. Despite Cavett's pleas, Tyrol asks him to stop up the process. A laborer named [[Milo]] tells Tyrol that the system won't work. When pressed as to the reason, Milo is silent.
*Tyrol looks around to find that several critical pressure relief seals are missing, making the machinery unusable. The workers have intentionally hidden the seals as a protest for Fenner's arrest and an attempt to get improved working conditions.
*Later, on ''Galactica'', Tyrol reports to Admiral Adama and Roslin on his initial investigations on the refinery ship. A search has not turned up the seals. Since the group did not harm him or have contaminated the existing fuel, he believes that the workers are buying time to get their pleas heard.
*He notes that some of the people on the refinery ship have been working almost continuously since the original [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|Cylon attack on the Colonies]] with no chance to transfer or take a break.
*Roslin acknowledges the hard work, but notes that work is equally hard on the algae processing, or munitions or waste processing teams. When Tyrol asks to cede to some labor demands to get things working again, Roslin objects, calling it extortion, and asks for the names of the leaders to put them under arrest, which Tyrol reluctantly notes Cavett. Roslin curtly dismisses Tyrol when he tries to continue his pleas.

===Act 2===
*Tyrol visits Fenner and Cavett. Cavett, who was incarcerated on New Caprica by the Cylons, is experiencing hallucinations and is injuring himself. Tyrol asks for the seals, to Fenner's anger.
*Tyrol yells at both to tell him where, when Fenner relents and tells the location of the seals.
*The seals are replaced. Milo asks to flip the switch. Tyrol asks Milo's age: 12. The production resumes. Tyrol looks around to see many very young faces; many of the refinery workers are children and adolescents.
*On ''Colonial One'', Tyrol explains that the parents are passing down their skills to their children, and that the children are thus automatically stuck in their parent's careers instead of choosing an own path for their future. Roslin understands the problem, and offers to gather a list of colonists with any relevant experience that can be used to supplement the workers on the refinery ship.
*A young man named [[Danny Noon]], pulled from [[Dogsville]], questions Tyrol on the hangar deck on why he is tasked to work on the refinery ship. As Figurski tells Tyrol of the young man's farming experience, Noon denies any actual experience, having worked for one summer for money for college before the Cylon attack on the Colonies. Before Tyrol can consider reassigning the man, Figurski warns that letting the young man go may cause more to deny their experience as well, setting back the conscription process. Tyrol does not interfere.
*As Tyrol walks away, he finds a copy of Baltar's underground manifesto. Turning the page, he notes one page entitled "The Emerging Aristocracy and the Emerging Underclass." He decides to go to Baltar.
*Interviewing Baltar (who now knows that his book has circulated), Tyrol tries to separate fact from fiction. Baltar (now possessing only a mattress on the floor, with no bed frame) explains that he is really born on a dairy farm outside of [[Cuffle's Breath Wash]] on Aerelon. When Tyrol questions further, particularly Baltar's posh accent, Baltar explains (as he begins to speak in his native Aerelon voice) that he began to mimic Caprican speech starting at 10 years old so that people would not believe he was from Aerelon, a "drab, ugly rock condemned to be the food basket for the twelve worlds." Baltar left Aerelon after his 18th birthday.
*When Tyrol indicates that the strife was left on the Colonies and begins to leave the [[brig]], Baltar disagrees, indicating that the social strife has followed the people, and that the aristocracy will continue to hold on to their power.

===Act 3===
*The fresh labor on the refinery ship is helping and tylium ore is again being refined, per Fenner. He notes that some problems in the process was where the contaminants were accumulating and that work is being done to clean up the process.
*A malfunction occurs on the refinery ship conveyor, but Fenner warns that the belt has to be repaired while running, else, shutting it down will seize the whole system. Worse, not fixing the problem soon could cause an explosive chain reaction with the ore stuck in the system.
*Tyrol tries to get the problem part, but can't reach it. Danny Noon manages to reach underneath to restore the belt to operation but suffers a piercing injury as he exits from under the belt.
*Watching this suffering becomes too much for Tyrol. He slowly walks over to the belt systems main power levers and pulls them, shutting down the entire fuel operation. He tells everyone that the plant is offline and that the workers are on strike.
*Several pilots, including [[Kara Thrace]], are trying to get a flight, but Pollux tells them that they are on strike, and that only vital missions are being serviced.
*Chief Tyrol is arrested in placed in ''Galactica's'' brig. Admiral Adama tells him that the Colonial Fleet shoots mutineers like Tyrol and the deckhands.

===Act 4===
*Tyrol tries to explain his side, but Adama warns that no one on this ship can disobey orders. To prove how far he will go, he makes a phone call.
*Adama orders Cally Tyrol to be taken to the starboard hangar deck. When the Chief asks why, Adama tells him he is taking her there to be shot as a mutineer. He then states that he will continue with the executions, starting with the rebellious deck crew, if he has to.
*Tyrol is terrified, but Adama continues to elaborate: Orders, no matter how one feels about them, must be adhered to. If even one person hesitates to fulfill an order or feels that orders are optional, everyone will perish, including Tyrol's [[Nicholas Tyrol|son]]. Adama tells him that this is not his desire, but that he would put ten Callys against the wall to be shot to ensure the survival of the Fleet.
*Tyrol resigns. Adama releases him and lets him speak to Cally, who mistakenly believes that Tyrol has won. Adama releases her. Adama releases the Chief as well, reminding him that he wanted to speak with the President on the labor issues.
*On ''Colonial One'', Tyrol and President Roslin talk over drinks about the cultural vocations that some colonists are locked into by birth, which Roslin understands but cannot see how to change. Tyrol suggests a plan where other colonists, including professional types who inhabit ''Colonial One,'' get their hands dirty with many tasks, allowing some sharing of low-level chores. For high-stress jobs, Tyrol recommends that crew rotations are recommended. Roslin agrees.
*Tyrol recommends a training program, but Roslin defers it and wants Tyrol's union to give some ground in collective bargaining. When Tyrol is confused about the mention of a union he believed long gone, Roslin explains the necessity of the union and his leadership to ensure that the Fleet doesn't tear itself apart.
*Later, back on the hangar deck, Chief Tyrol is announcing work assignments when Captain Thrace arrives to complain about a missing [[nugget]] who did not report for training. She asks for Diana Seelix, who is both visibly confused and excited.
* After berating Seelix for not checking the duty roster to see where she should have reported, Thrace then tells her that she is "out of uniform". Tyrol, in on the ruse, states that he can fix that part of the problem and presents Seelix with ensign pins, promoting her to the basic officer's rank needed to train as a pilot.
*Thrace continues to play the nasty drill officer and orders the smiling Seelix off to the pilots ready room. Thrace herself cracks a smile as Tyrol asks her to "be nice" to her new recruit.

===Bonus Scene===
*Chief Tyrol has finished sorting out a handful of children who were mistakenly picked in the pool of conscripts to aid on the refinery ship. He returns to his quarters to pick up some paperwork.
*Cally Tyrol notes that most of the conscripts are from poor colonies, and that the work involved actually doesn't involve any genuine skills. She noticed that no one from ''Colonial One'' was in the list of conscripts.
*Galen berates Cally for what he feels is yet another recitation from Gaius Baltar's book. He warns her that, if he pushes too hard with the Fleet's leadership, they may pull him off of the assignment of assigning conscripts, where someone like Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] may be ordered to manage, with more dire results for everyone.
*Cally tries to encourage her husband to continue fighting for the rights of the workers as he did as the union leader on [[New Caprica]]. As she continues to press for his support, he tells her that the New Caprica union is over and leaves without further discussion.

== Questions ==
* Will Baltar's book help his image among the working class of the [[the Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] in his upcoming trial?
* Is it possible that [[Tom Zarek]] somehow assisted Baltar in the writing and distribution of his book?
* Has [[the Fleet (RDM)|the Fleet]]'s [[tylium]] reserve been re-stocked at all since "[[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]"?
* Have these class differentiations amongst the colonies been problematic before the destruction of the Twelve Colonies?
* Besides occupations that are related to the "working class" and other professions such as news reporters, what other occupations exist within the fleet besides those positions found on ''Colonial One'' and ''Galactica''?
* Have the Colonials truly lost the Cylons or are the Cylons continuing on different plans?
* Why wasn't [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] mentioned along with [[Anastasia Dualla|Dualla]] as another member of the "working class" that rose to be part of the Fleet leadership as he was born on [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Aerelon|Aerelon]] and started his career as an enlisted man?
* Besides Baltar's testimony, is there any real solid evidence that Baltar was born on Aerelon?
* With the information provided by "[[Unfinished Business]]" and "[[A Day in the Life]]", have the attitude and admiration towards Admiral Adama changed significantly to the point that his crew feel more indifferent or resentful of him?
* Besides the six Colonies that were mentioned, how were the other colonies, such as Picon considered?

== Analysis ==
* Not having any real options for defending his actions during the Cylon occupation of New Caprica, Baltar has opted to use class warfare as a distraction from the real issues and to drum up support as a victim of "the aristocracy". His booklet appears to inspired by classic Marxist/Leninist rhetoric. Historically, such approaches to political change and power are most effective when conditions are unacceptable and dangerous for large numbers of workers.
* Adama's explanation and pending orders to execute Cally and the rest of the knuckledraggers to force Tyrol to call off the strike is reminiscent of the style of leadership found with Admiral Cain. However, once Tyrol relented and called off the strike, Adama immediately displayed his familiar style of leadership by informing Tyrol of his meeting with Roslin.
* This is the first time that an emergency cockpit ejection from a Raptor is shown during the series.
* Ever since her murder of Boomer and following detention and eventual release, Cally has displayed an attitude of disrespect towards the Fleet leadership, especially to Adama recently. Her recent demeanor and naive assumption that Adama would not do anything more than arrest the strikers may highlight a growing problem amongst the military workers that are beginning to dissent from the leadership.
* This episode, as well as "[[The Woman King]]" display an ongoing theme since Season 2 that focuses on how human beings are self-destructive by nature without any Cylon intervention. As was stated in "[[A Day In The Life]]", the Fleet hadn't encountered any Cylon forces for approximately 2 months. This state of complacency has allowed the typical in-fighting amongst the colonials to resume, especially with the depreciating state of quality of life amongst the ships in the fleet.

== Notes ==

* A number of main characters are not present at all during this episode: [[Lee Adama]], [[Sharon Agathon]], [[Karl Agathon]], [[Saul Tigh]], [[Felix Gaeta]], and [[Anastasia Dualla]].
* According to [[Bradley Thompson]], this episode was originally a different story titled "Our Enemies, Ourselves". When developing "[[The Woman King]]", it was felt that both episodes dealt with the same themes. As a result, "Dirty Hands" was created instead.
* The [[w:79th Academy Awards|79th Academy Awards]] were shown during the episode. The ratings should be taken ''lightly''.
* The prop department still hasn't produced any Ensign [[Military Ranks (RDM)|rank insignia]] yet. Like in "[[Scar]]", Lieutenant j.g. insignia are used instead.
* Cally is still dealing with the injuries she sustained in "[[A Day in the Life]]".
* One of the deckhands has lost an arm, but is using a prosthesis to work.
* [[Dogsville]] is still in use.
* Baltar reveals that he is allegedly from [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Aerelon|Aerelon]]. He displays his native accent, traces of which he claimed to have heard in Sharon Valerii's voice in "[[Flesh and Bone]]".

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

== Official Statements ==
Jane Espenson, in an interview with tvsquad.com, made the following remark: "The episode, co-written with Anne Cofell Saunders, is called 'Dirty Hands,' and as you might guess, it's a look at the people who do the dirty work in the fleet. Knuckle-dragging fun!" <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/12/06/jane-espenson-answers-your-battlestar-questions/|title=TV Squad: Jane Espenson answers your Battlestar questions|date=6 December 2006|accessdate=11 December 2006|last=McDuffee|first=Keith|format=|language=English}}</ref>

== Guest Stars ==
*[[David Patrick Green]] as [[Xeno Fenner]]

== External Links ==

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 3)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Anne Cofell Saunders]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Jane Espenson]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Wayne Rose]]
[[Category:RDM]]