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Government of the Twelve Colonies

2008-01-06T04:17:27Z

JefftheBear: /* ''Ex Officio'' Advisers */

:''This article discusses the Colonial government as seen in the [[Re-imagined Series]]. For information on a formal government component of the [[The Twelve Colonies (TOS)|Twelve Colonies]] in the [[Original Series]], see [[Quorum of Twelve (TOS)]].''

The '''Government of the Twelve Colonies''', established by the [[Articles of Colonization]], is a [[w:Federal republic|federal republic]]. The Colonial government was established 52 years prior to the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]] and is lead by a democratically elected president and legislature. Thanks largely to the efforts of President [[Laura Roslin]] the survivors retain their civilian government. The [[Military - Government relations|relationship]] between the civilian government and the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|military]], encapsulated by [[William Adama|Adama]]'s relationship with the president, has been a dynamic feature of the Fleet.

The amount of unity between the colonies prior to the holocaust is unclear. Gaius Baltar claims to have gotten his Gemenese [[Adrien Bauer|lab assistant]] a visa to work on Caprica ([[Taking a Break From All Your Worries]]). It is unknown to what extent this visa program was required for travel and transfer of labor between the colonies. However this indicates, that even unified under a central government, the colonies were still independent to a certain degree <ref>This is contrary to the European Union, in which people can travel with little or no border controls, and can work in other countries largely unrestricted. This has economic advantages, like easier trade due to faster and more unbureaucratic shipping.</ref>.
{{RDM twelve colonies series}}

==Before the Cylon attack==

===Executive Branch===
The President<ref>[[Ron Moore]] has stated in several interviews that there have presumably been female presidents before Laura Roslin, and thus her presidency is not reacted to any differently by characters than if a man were in the office {{citation needed}}. Although some characters question her ability because of her previous office as a low-ranking cabinet member, their objections have little to do with her gender.</ref> at the time of the Cylon Attack was President [[Richard Adar]]. The President is assisted by a Cabinet, consisting of the heads of the various government departments. Under Adar, the the Secretary of Education was [[Laura Roslin]]. A member of the Ministry of Civil Defense, known only as "[[Jack]]", is also identified ([[Miniseries, Night 1]]).

In the event of the death or incapacitation of the President, the Vice President and the Cabinet are included in the line of succession. At the time she assumed the presidency, Roslin was 43rd in succession ([[Miniseries]])<ref>This line of succession is apparently similar to the [[Wikipedia:United States presidential line of succession|United States presidential line of succession]], which only includes 18 officers beneath the President. The US Secretary of Education is number 16.</ref>.

===Legislative Branch===
The Colonial legislature is bicameral. The upper house is the [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum of Twelve]], with each colony represented by a single delegate, each with one vote. When the Vice Presidency becomes vacant, the Quorum is responsible for the both the nomination and confirmation of the successor to that office. The President of the Colonies is also the presiding officer of the Quorum, with the authority to break tie votes. Ceremonial dress for Quorum members includes a sash representing their colony.

The lower house is apparently larger, and may be elected on a proportional basis. This may be the body which Gaius Baltar refers to as the "People's Council" ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]). The government maintains a separate judiciary and recognizes an unelected religious body in an advisory capacity<ref>This is similar to the British [[Wikipedia:House of Lords|House of Lords]].'' ([http://blog.scifi.com/battlestar/archives/2005/01/index.html#a000016 RDM, January 30, 2005]).</ref>.

Plurality of office is apparently forbidden, as Dr. [[Gaius Baltar]] is promptly replaced after being elected to the Vice Presidency from a position on the Quorum ([[Fragged]]).

Numerous civil liberties are guaranteed under the [[Articles of Colonization]]<ref>Many of these are apparently analogous to the [[w:United States Bill of Rights|United States Bill of Rights]].</ref>.

===''Ex Officio'' Advisers===

The peoples of the Twelve Colonies appear to have a single religion based on worship of the [[Religion in the Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Lords of Kobol]]. As such, a religious homogeneity exists that makes a "separation of church and state" unnecessary in the strictest sense. Government officials appear to be able to choose to consult religious leaders to support decisions or gather advice and consensus. [[Elosha]], a priest, was also a member of the Quorum of Twelve for a number of years.

==Government of the Fleet==
===Executive Branch===
====First Roslin Administration====
[[Laura Roslin]], Secretary of Education under President Richard Adar, assumes the presidency after the deaths of Adar and the 42 other secretaries and ministers above her under the [[Case Orange]] contingency system. She apparently never forms an official cabinet of her own, but employs various advisers during the remaining nine months of Adar's unexpired term. Dr. [[Gaius Baltar]] is chosen as her vice president in a special Quorum election 49 days after the Cylon attack.

Baltar is prepared to assume the role of the President during Roslin's imminent death from cancer, but the scientist ''cum'' Vice President manages to save the President's life. Despite the action, Roslin suspects Baltar is a Cylon collaborator, and Baltar chooses to become a candidate for President in the upcoming presidential election.

=====Roslin's Presidential Advisers=====
*[[Billy Keikeya]] - Personal assistant to the President and makeshift press secretary
:Keikeya is killed in the episode "[[Sacrifice]]".
*[[Tory Foster]] - Personal assistant to the President and makeshift press secretary
:Foster succceeds Keikeya in the episode "[[The Captain's Hand]]".
*Priest [[Elosha]] - Formerly a government cleric ([http://blog.scifi.com/battlestar/archives/2005/01/index.html#a000016 RDM, January 30, 2005]) who became President Roslin's spiritual adviser
:Elosha is killed in the episode "[[Home, Part I]]".
*Brother [[Cavil]] - Spiritual adviser
:Cavil apparently succeeds Elosha for a brief period during "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]" prior to his discovery as a [[humanoid Cylon]].
*[[Lee Adama]] - Military adviser ([[Water]])
:It is unclear when Adama's service as Military Adviser ends. He does not appear in that capacity after "[[Home, Part II]]". Roslin's relationship with [[William Adama]] warms considerably following the events of that episode, generally obviating her need for a special military adviser. It can be assumed that Lee Adama's responsibilities as commander of ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' leave him little time for affairs of state following "[[The Captain's Hand]]".
*[[Wallace Gray]] - Economic adviser ([[Colonial Day]])
:Gray apparently severs ties with the Roslin administration following his dismissal as vice presidential candidate in "[[Colonial Day]]".

====Baltar Administration====
[[Gaius Baltar]] announces his candidacy against Roslin one month prior to the presidential elections, with Sagittaron delegate and former opponent [[Tom Zarek]] as his running mate. Baltar runs on a platform opposed to religious interference in government affairs, prompted by the [[Rya Kibby]] affair, and in favor of colonization of [[New Caprica]]. Although Roslin attempts to fix the election in her favor, he is installed as President after the voter fraud is uncovered by Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta]].

Immediately after his inauguration, Baltar signs his first executive order as President ordering the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] to return to New Caprica. However, upon reaching New Caprica, he shows his incompetence when he orders the immediate colonization of the planet rather than an investigation into the nuclear detonation that destroyed ''Cloud Nine'' and several other Colonial ships, or further exploration of planet itself.

One year later, President Baltar appears unsympathetic to the resource problems plaguing the colony and public approval of his administration is quite low. At the same time, a fleet of Cylon ships finds the settlement on New Caprica when they detect a trace radiation signature. Copies of Cylon models [[Five]], [[Six]], and [[Eight]] meet with President Baltar and his cabinet, and with ''Galactica'' and ''Pegasus'' having jumped away he offers the unconditional surrender of humanity ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]] and [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II|Part II]]).

After four months of Cylon occupation, Baltar is still in office although his role is reduced to that of a figurehead as opposed to the legitimate leader of New Caprica. Baltar is deposed after Admiral Adama organizes and executes a daring rescue mission of New Caprica's occupied inhabitants. During the exodus, Baltar chooses to leave with the Cylons ([[Exodus, Part II]]).

=====Baltar's Presidential Advisers=====
*[[Felix Gaeta]] - Personal assistant to the President.
*The [[Cylon Occupation Authority]] - Part advisers, part puppetmasters, the Cylons play an important role in Baltar's administration during their occupation of New Caprica.

====Zarek Administration====
After the escape from New Caprica, Tom Zarek assumes the office of the President, succeeding the missing President Baltar. President Zarek brokers an agreement with Laura Roslin whereby he will nominate her to be his Vice President (subject to the approval of the Quorum of Twelve), he will step down as President, and she will become President again. In return, Roslin would then appoint him as her Vice President.

Zarek's only major action taken in his brief tenure as President of the Twelve Colonies is an executive order authorizing a [[The Circle|secret six-person tribunal]] tasked to find, charge, try, and execute collaborators and traitors. Shortly before stepping down as President, Zarek discloses this to Adama and Roslin. Zarek abides by his agreement with Roslin and goes through with his plan allowing Laura Roslin to resume her role as President ([[Collaborators]]).

====Second Roslin Administration====
Laura Roslin's first act as President is to grant a general pardon to anyone who collaborated with the Cylons. She abides by her agreement with Tom Zarek and nominated him as her Vice President ([[Collaborators]]).

=====Roslin's Presidential Advisers=====
*[[Tory Foster]] - Personal assistant to the President

===The Quorum of Twelve===
46 days after the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]], a new [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum of Twelve ]] is elected by survivors of the Twelve Colonies. It first convenes on ''[[Cloud Nine]]'' on the eve of [[Colonial Day (holiday)|Colonial Day]] and remains in session for some time thereafter ("[[Fragged]]", "[[Final Cut]]"). Quorum representatives include:

*[[Tom Zarek]], Sagittaron
*[[Marshall Bagot]], Virgon
*[[Sarah Porter]], Gemenon
*[[Robin Wenutu]], Canceron (not seen when the Quorum assembles on ''Galactica'' in "[[Fragged]]")
*[[Safiya Sanne]], Picon (not seen when the Quorum assembles on ''Galactica'' in "[[Fragged]]")
*[[Eladio Puasha]], Scorpia

''[[Cloud Nine]]'' is destroyed in a nuclear attack by the [[humanoid Cylon]] [[Gina]]. It is unknown whether any of the Quorum delegates are on board at the time of the attack ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]).

==Elections==

===Vice Presidency (Day 49)===
The new Quorum's first order of business is the election of a Vice President, a motion presented by [[Tom Zarek]] (Sagittaron) and seconded by Dr. Gaius Baltar (Caprica). [[Marshall Bagot]] (Virgon) nominates Zarek for the position, and is seconded by [[Sarah Porter]] (Gemenon). Roslin's supporters select [[Wallace Gray]] to compete with him, but Gray is later replaced with Dr. Baltar.

Zarek loses the election six votes to six, with President Roslin casting the tie-breaker. Based on on-screen evidence, Zarek had the support of the representatives from Aerelon, Aquaria, Gemenon, Picon and Virgon, and his own vote as representative of Sagittaron <ref>This election followed a procedure similar to that laid out in the [[w:Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution]], with two exceptions: under U.S. law, only the president may appoint a nominee; and that nominee must be confirmed by both Houses of Congress, not just the upper house. (The 25th amendment is unclear on tie-breaking scenarios, as it is the Vice-President himself who is empowered to break ties in the U.S. Senate.)</ref>.

===Presidency (c. Day 280)===
The late President [[Richard Adar]]'s unexpired term, which Laura Roslin fills under the provisions of [[Case Orange]], expires roughly nine and a half months post-holocaust. Roslin did not initially expect to run, due to the rapid progression of her cancer, but after her cure ([[Epiphanies]]) she makes it clear that she would stand for re-election.

Tom Zarek, defeated in his earlier bid for the Vice Presidency, privately states his intention to campaign for the presidency early on ([[Colonial Day]]), but withdraws his bid after he realizes that he could not hope to overcome Roslin's popularity. Instead, he throws his backing behind Roslin's Vice President, Gaius Baltar, who publicly breaks ranks with the Roslin administration following the [[Rya Kibby|Kibby affair]] ([[The Captain's Hand]]).

[[Image:Ballot Candidates.jpg||left|thumb|100px|A sample ballot.]]
The election is conducted by popular vote across the entire Fleet, with votes being counted by military staff on ''Galactica'', overseen by civilian officials. The election resulted in victory for Baltar and a strong mandate for his policy of settlement on New Caprica, despite an suppressed attempt at rigging the election by the outgoing administration.

===Vice Presidency (c. Day 800)===
Following Baltar's disappearance in the aftermath of the Cylon occupation of New Caprica, he is succeeded by his former Vice President Tom Zarek. Zarek indicates his intent to nominate Laura Roslin for the Vice Presidency before stepping down himself and allowing her to succeed him. Although unseen in the episode "[[Collaborators]]", this sequence of events apparently takes place without incident.

As part of this deal, Zarek is promised the opportunity to continue on as Vice President ([[Collaborators]]), and is officially Vice President after giving Roslin the presidency ([[The Woman King]]).

<div style="clear:both;"></div>
==Post-holocaust relationship with the military==
:''See [[Military - Government relations]]''

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

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial Society]]
[[Category:Colonial Society (RDM)]]
[[Category:Colonial Government]]
[[Category:Colonial Government (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

{{featured article candidate previous}}

Season 3 (2006-07)

2007-12-01T17:51:07Z

JefftheBear: /* The Occupation */

[[Image:Seas3.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Battlestar Galactica Season 3]]
==Summary==

:''The stranded Colonials struggle to survive under the brutal [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] rule of [[New Caprica]], but when [[Galactica (RDM)| Galactica]] returns to save humanity, the fledgling [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] resumes its search for [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]]. The Cylons, after losing control on [[New Caprica]], depart on their own mysterious quest for [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]].''

== Story ==

====The Occupation====

Four months have passed since the events of "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]". On [[New Caprica]] a Cylon occupation, akin to [[Wikipedia:Vichy France|Vichy France]], is in full swing. The head of the colonial government, Gaius Baltar, reduced to the role of a puppet leader, colludes (albeit, unwillingly) with the Cylons.

The oppression rouses a [[The Resistance|resistance]], led by [[Colonel Tigh]], who task themselves with the objective of disrupting the Cylon occupation force. [[Laura Roslin]], though supportive of the resistance, focuses on concealing [[Hera]] from the Cylons.

During this time, [[Kara Thrace]] has been held in captivity by [[Leoben Conoy]], who subjects her to psychological and manipulative torture. He presents to her a [[Kacey|child]], claiming it to be her own; the result of the [[The Farm|removal]] of one of her ovaries inseminated with his sperm (or his cylon analogy of sperm). Kara eventually etablishes a motherly connection with the girl, and apparently accepts the child, Kacey, as her daughter.

Meanwhile, ''Galactica'' and ''Pegasus'', at a safe distance from New Caprica, are preparing to enact plans to rescue the colonists. Admiral Adama, frustrated with the situation, attempts to spur himself and his crew to action. He orders his son, Lee Adama, commander of ''Pegasus'', to stay behind with the rest of the civilian fleet; now a mere 2000 people. ''Galactica'' will attempt the rescue and in case of failure, ''Pegasus'' will continue the search for Earth with the remnants of the Fleet.

On New Caprica, the humans continue to be subjected to horrific conditions and many must endure torture, notably Colonel Tigh. A [[New Caprica Police|police force]] is created by the Cylons to tackle the resistance, composed of colonists opposed to it. The fact that humans are collaborating with the Cylons disgusts members of the resistance and they plan revenge. They recruit [[Duck]], a former Viper pilot and hopeless widower, as a suicide bomber and enlist him in the New Caprica Police. Upon his graduation he detonates an explosive vest killing some collaborators and destroying some Cylon bodies in the process.

In response to the suicide bombing, the Cylons try to impose order and force President Baltar to sign a mass execution order. Amongst those rounded up for execution are Laura Roslin and [[Cally Tyrol]]. However, the resistance is able to rescue the prisoners before they are killed due to a [[Felix Gaeta|source]] in Baltar's administration providing details of the event ("[[Occupation]]" through "[[Exodus, Part I]]").

====Exodus====

''Galactica'' successfully contacts the resistance and coordinates an escape plan. The resistance shepherds the colonists to the grounded civilian ships, while simultaneously setting off wide-spread explosions all over the city to distract the Cylons. With the ground battle engulfing the whole city, ''Galactica'' jumps into the atmosphere below Cylon DRADIS range and while falling "like a rock", launches Vipers to protect the evacuating colonists before jumping back into orbit. Laura Roslin retakes ''Colonial One'', and the evacuee ships jump to safety. But ''Galactica'', outnumbered four to one, is near destruction. Fortunately ''Pegasus'' joins the battle against orders and attacks the Cylon fleet, allowing ''Galactica'' to escape. In the process, Lee Adama sacrifices ''Pegasus'', destroying two more [[Basestar|bastars]] in a deliberate collision after he and the crew escape in Raptors.

On New Caprica, Baltar, [[Caprica Six]] and [[D'Anna Biers|Number Three]], find baby [[Hera]] crying in the arms of her dead mother. Taking the baby and Baltar with them, the Cylon fleet leaves New Caprica.

The reunification of the Fleet is a bittersweet one; many colonists have had their lives left in tatters. For instance, Colonel [[Tigh]], forced to kill his wife, is in the deepest of inner turmoil, and [[Starbuck]] is forced to come to terms with the tragic realization that [[Kacey]] is not her daughter after all, after her real mother is revealed following the escape ([[Exodus, Part II]]).

====Trials and Tribulations====

The aftermath of the Exodus is marred by the sufferings and betrayals that occured on New Caprica. [[Tom Zarek]], who legitamately succeeds Gaius Baltar as [[President]], commissions the [[Circle]], a secret tribunal of ex-resistance members, to try and convict collaborators. Amongst the members of this group are [[Saul Tigh]], [[Galen Tyrol]] and later [[Kara Thrace]]. Over a dozen death penalties, carried out via venting through the launch tubes into space, lead [[Laura Roslin]] to notice the steady flow of disappearences, which include [[Jammer]]. Tom Zarek explains the situation to her, and she is less than impressed. They make a succession deal which leads to her resumption of the presidency, and as a thank you to Zarek she recruits him as Vice President. Upon her inaurguration as President she controversially declares that all collaborators are pardoned and dissolves the Circle, signalling a new start for the Fleet and its citizens ([[Collaborators]]).

====The search for Earth in jeopardy====

The Fleet gleans a new [[Lion's Head Nebula|direction to Earth]] from Baltar's scientific notes, but the Cylons gain this information directly from Baltar himself. The Cylons find themselves victim to a [[A Measure of Salvation|plague]], and the Colonials attempt and fail to capitalize on weaponizing the disease. After a harrowing [[The Passage|passage]] to find foodstuffs, the Fleet and the Cylons meet, by a strange coincidence, over a planet once used as a waystation for the [[Thirteenth Tribe (RDM)|Thirteenth Tribe]]. There, a [[Temple of Five|mysterious temple]] attracted both Cylon and Colonial alike, albeit for differing reasons by a [[Number Three]] and Gaius Baltar. Before the Temple is destroyed as its home star begins to nova, Baltar is recaptured by the Cylons, [[Hera Agathon]] is rescued, and the Colonials appear to have the upper hand in the path to Earth. A strange revelation finds [[Kara Thrace]] questioning the words of a [[Leoben Conoy|Leoben Cylon]] about her "special destiny."

On the way to the next expected waypoint, the [[Ionian nebula]], the Fleet [[Dirty Hands|manages a fuel crisis]] and takes time out to refuel. An [[Virtual Leoben|unknown compulsion]] results in the [[Maelstrom|death of Kara Thrace]] during a patrol, leaving many of her friends grief-stricken for weeks.

Gaius Baltar is [[Taking a Break From All Your Worries|tortured]] and later [[Crossroads, Part I|put to trial]], but is acquitted when Lee Adama provides a stern testimony to the faults of many other leaders of the Fleet and how they were never brought to trial. During testimony, [[Laura Roslin]] admits to returning to [[chamalla]] treatments as part of a renewed battle against her cancer.

As the Fleet approaches the nebula, four Colonials, [[Samuel Anders]], [[Tory Foster]], [[Galen Tyrol]], and [[Saul Tigh]] experience hallucinations of music. As the [[Crossroads, Part II|Fleet arrived at the Ionian nebula]], [[The Music|the music]] drew the four together to meet, where they are shocked to realize that they are [[Final five|Cylons themselves]]. Despite the shock, the four return to their duties.

The Fleet loses all electrical power briefly on arrival, and President Roslin nearly faints. Moments later, a Cylon fleet enters the system and ''Galactica'' manages to scramble [[alert fighters]]. Apollo detects a target and pursues it, and reunites, in amazement, with the believed-dead Kara Thrace, who tells him that she can lead the Fleet to [[Earth (RDM)|Earth]].

==Major Plotlines==

*The relationship between [[Helo]] and [[Sharon Valerii (Caprica copy)|Sharon]] continues. Helo is Galactica's XO at the beginning of Season 3 ("[[Occupation]]", "[[Precipice]]").
*Dualla is indeed married to Lee Adama after the "one year later" leap forward in time ([[Occupation]]).
*The humans on New Caprica are freed from the Cylons, but the price is high. ''Pegasus'' is destroyed, [[Saul Tigh]] loses an eye and forced to kill his wife, [[Hera]] falls into the hand of the Cylons. Baltar joins the Cylons. Roughly 2000 people [[survivor count|die]] ("[[Occupation]]" trough "[[Exodus, Part II]]").

*The presidential succession:
**Zarek was indeed Baltar's Vice-President, but the relationship soured rather quickly with Zarek refusing to cooperate completely after the occupation ([[Exodus, Part I]]).
**He initially becomes President, but realizes he would not be allowed, due to his past, to remain in office. He creates a [[Circle|secret tribunal]], albeit legal according to military law, to try and sentence collaborators, in order to rid the Fleet of the worst of the collaborators, while still keeping President Roslin's term free of any scandal.
**Roslin returns to the presidency, but makes Zarek her Vice President ([[Collaborators]]).

* There is a large storyline told exclusively from the Cylons' (and Baltar's) point of view ("[[Collaborators]]" through "[[Rapture]]").
*Not all of the Cylons may believe that Baltar is the Hand of God, "Guardian of the New Order", etc., and he himself begins to question whether he is a Cylon ("[[Torn]]", "[[The Passage]]").

*A two-part story has ''Galactica'' discover a dying Cylon baseship, and deals with a plague that has befallen the Cylons. The Colonials contemplate using the plague to exterminate the Cylons. ("[[Torn]]" and "[[A Measure of Salvation]]").
*"[[Unfinished Business]]" reveals some of the events that transpired during the year-long time gap in "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]". One of the flashbacks shows what happened between Apollo and Starbuck that caused a rift between them, and involves a boxing match between them.
*The Fleet comes close to starvation and [[Louanne Katraine]] dies when leading a civilian ship to a [[algae planet|food source]] ([[The Passage]]).
*The mid-season cliffhanger story, spanning episodes , centers on "discovering the next [[The Temple of Five|big clue]] on the road to Earth ("[[The Eye of Jupiter]]" and "[[Rapture]]").
*[[Number Three]] is permanently resigned by the Cylons themselves. Her entire line is [[boxed]]. Even the thought of execution is so repulsive to the Cylons that reaching this point is an extraordinary event for them.
*Hera is retrieved by Sharon Agathon. Caprica-Six is captured by the humans.
*[[Kara Thrace]] apparently dies in "[[Maelstrom]]".
*Baltar is captured by the Colonials ([[The Eye of Jupiter]]), tortured for information about the Cylons ([[Taking a Break From All Your Worries]]) and put on trial for his actions on New Caprica ([[Crossroads, Part I]]). Lee Adama's testimony in defense of Baltar turns the trial in favor of Baltar who is found not guilty.
*President Roslin's cancer returns.
*[[Samuel Anders]], [[Tory Foster]], [[Saul Tigh]], and [[Galen Tyrol]] discover that they are Cylons, though are unaware as to why (or even that they are members of the [[Final Five]]).
*Kara Thrace returns under very mysterious circumstances.

==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 Valerii/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]]
* [[Richard Hatch]] as [[Tom Zarek]]
* [[Alessandro Juliani]] as [[Felix Gaeta]]
* [[Leah Cairns]] as [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]]
* [[Nicki Clyne]] as [[Cally]]
* [[Luciana Carro]] as [[Louanne Katraine|Louanne "Kat" Katraine]]
* [[Kate Vernon]] as [[Ellen Tigh]]
* [[Lucy Lawless]] as [[Number Three|D'anna Biers/Number Three]]
* [[Dean Stockwell]] as [[Cavil]]

==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 3 Guide|Battlestar Galactica Episode Guide]] page.''

== Official Statements ==

* ''[[David Eick]] discusses the season:''

: The opening episodes to this season are as much a story rooted in political tales like the Vichy France or Vietnam. There are a lot of different sort of reference points for us that aren't necessarily current that inform our culture in profound ways. Battles from the second world war have been used for several of our more actiony episodes. I've always said from the beginning, it's a war show - that was always our initial touchstone. We watched the movie ''[[w:Black Hawk Down|Black Hawk Down]]'' as a reference more than any science fiction film. Though I have to say between ''Black Hawk Down'', ''[[w:Alien (movie)|Alien]]'' and ''[[w:Blade Runner|Blade Runner]]'', we should probably be cutting [[w:Ridley Scott|Ridley Scott]] a cheque after every episode.<ref name="eick_guardian">{{cite_web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguide/features/story/0,,1987999,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=21#article_continue|title=Battlestar Galactica, the only award-winning drama that dares tackle the war on terror|date=13 January 2007|accessdate=22 June 2007|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>

*''[[Lucy Lawless]] discusses the changes in the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] culture:''
: Right. You see the schism starting to happen. Basically, its individuation, where as before there was all a collective thought and consensus about everything they were doing. Its like the humans are the serpent in the garden and the mere contact with them has splintered the Cylon collective psyche and everyone is individual again, even within each model. They do not know how to handle individuality; it’s a great threat to their way of life and their programming.{{citation needed}}

* ''[[Jamie Bamber]] discusses being "Fat Lee":''

: I am [glad that Lee's skinny again]. Having said that, I really enjoyed it. The first few times I did it, it was so exciting to put on that different look and to change the character and go there with it. It got a little stale the 12th time. I spent a lot of my life in that makeup trailer. But I'm glad we did it, and I enjoyed the challenge. There are only so many facial gestures you can get away with when your face is half gelatin. I think it was a bold move on the part of the producers and I think it is why our show works, because we do stuff like that.<ref name="TV Guide">{{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=23 February 2007|accessdate=23 February 2007|last=Cohn|first=Angel|format=|language=}}</ref>

* ''Bamber discusses being a lawyer prosecuting Baltar:''

: Amazing stuff! Talk about [[Crossroads, Part I|getting out of the uniform]]. I get to wear a civilian suit towards the end. I do a bit of playing the lawyer. He has a real sort of [moment] at the end where he gets prodded and pursued by so many different people that he finally comes out and says exactly what is on his mind [[Crossroads, Part II|in a very high-profile situation]]. I think it is quite dramatic. He's got a new relationship with [[Romo Lampkin|a new character]] that is coming in, a male character who is very different from any character we've seen before. He becomes an alternate mentor to Apollo. There's a lot going on.<ref name="TV Guide"/>

* ''[[Michael Rymer]] responds to the change in the tone for the later half of season three:''

: I tracked that response and I found it very educational. We had always talked about ways to do more "bottle shows" - stories that were self-contained, that resolved themselves with a beginning, middle and an end. What I didn't understand until I heard the feedback was that our show doesn't work like that. Its a piece of epic poetry that meanders along like "[[w:The Illiad|The Illiad]]" or perhaps more relevant, "[[w:The Odyssey|The Odyssey]]". It can have "cycles" of story that build and resolve themselves, but the "bottle show" is not organic to what we do well. I think "[[Collaborators]]" is about as self-contained as we can go. I like that show a lot. I'm very happy with "[[Hero]]" and "[[The Woman King]]", but I can see why a fan of the big story would be frustrated and pissed off.<ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.thescifiworld.net/interviews/michael_rymer_01.htm|title=Michael Rymer interview at The Scifi World|date=5 May 2007|accessdate=29 May 2007|last=Nuytens|first=Gilles|format=|language=}}</ref>

* ''[[Ronald D. Moore]] discusses feedback regarding the stand-alone episodes:''
: Yeah, I thought [that criticism regarding the quality issues with season three's standalone episodes] was a valid criticism, and I think ultimately that provides the answer for the show about how much serialized [episodes we do] versus non-serialized. I don't know that it was a direct result of there being 20 episodes instead of 13, but certainly having a longer order, we said, okay, maybe there's a few here that are more stand-alone and are more accessible to people who aren't following the story as [closely]. There were a couple of good ones in those stand-alones, but by and large I'd say our serialized storytelling is more successful.<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>

=== From RDM's blog ([http://blog.scifi.com/battlestar/archives/2006/03/#a000409 March 26, 2006]) ===

* '''Regarding [[William Adama]] and the reduction of the Colonial military:'''

: '' "What happened to Adama in the season finale to change him so much? Why would a man who spent decades of his adult life standing watch for the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] return suddenly give in and allow the military to stand down? How could he convince himself that the Cylons weren't coming back after 1 year when the last time they waited 40 years? He knew settlement was wrong so why didn't he offer any resistance? "''

: I think people have a remarkable ability to convince themselves of just about anything. Adama, like everyone else in [[The Fleet (RDM)|the fleet]], had been constantly on the run, constantly under stress, and constantly in danger of losing his life for months on end, with virtually no break from the metal walls surrounding him day in and day out. When, finally, the people decided to end the long sojourn and settle on [[New Caprica]], he had little choice but to comply with the results of a democratic election which hinged on that very question. And as the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months, people began to relax, to believe that maybe they had really turned a corner, had really found a place to lay down their burdens and start a new life. Adama was just as vulnerable to that attractive idea as anyone else, and as the men and women under him began to clamor for a new life, as the political leadership of New Caprica began to demand more and more military resources to support the civilian population, there came the point where Adama began to believe in the mirage too. He's not perfect. He never was. He couldn't bring himself to leave his ship, but as age and fatigue began to set in, he started to let down his guard just a little -- not all at once and never completely, but just enough.

: There were also practical considerations. He was entirely alone out here. No Admiralty to call for reinforcements or intelligence, no Justice Ministry to prosecute soldiers who simply never came back from the surface of [[New Caprica]], and no friendly ear in the office of the president to get needed resources for the military ships maintaining their lonely vigil up in orbit. He was alone and he was tired. It's almost as simple as that.

: I remember one of my most vivid memories from the immediate post 9/11 period was opening up the newspaper and reading about a physical confrontation in the streets between members of the New York police department and the New York fire department. It was heartbreaking, it was infuriating and it was illuminating. People are people. Enormous events happen, history pivots around us and we tell ourselves that everything has changed, that we're irrevocably different from this day forward -- until the next time everything changes. Adama made a mistake. They all did. And as he is wont to say, they will all have to live with it.

== References ==
{{sourcebox|Scifi Neilsen Press Release for Season 3}}
<div style="font-size:85%"><references/></div>

==Related Topics==
* [[List of Season 3 Guest Actors (RDM)]]
* [[List of Recurring Character Appearances (RDM)]]

{{episode list (RDM season 3)}}

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

[[de:Staffel 3 (2006-07)]]
[[fr:Saison 3 (2006-07)]]
[[zh:第三季（2006-07）]]

Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II

2006-09-23T04:40:18Z

JefftheBear: /* One Year Later */

{{Episode Data
| image = Baltarlaydownburdensii.jpg
| title= Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II
| season= 2
| episode= 20
| guests= [[Richard Hatch]] as [[Tom Zarek]]<br/>[[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]]<br/>[[Dean Stockwell]] as [[Cavil|Brother Cavil]]
| writer= [[Anne Cofell Saunders]]<br/>[[Mark Verheiden]]
| story=
| director= [[Michael Rymer]]
| production=
| rating= 1.9
| US airdate= 2006-04-10
| UK airdate= 2006-05-16
| dvd= {{Season 2.5 NTSC DVD release date}} '''US'''<br/>{{Season 2 PAL DVD release date}} '''UK'''
| population= 49,550
| prev= [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]
| next= [[Occupation]]
| podcast= Y
}}

== Overview ==

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

== Summary ==

===On Caprica===

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

===In the Fleet===

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*Mr. Gaeta informs the President of the Cylon approach. Later, before his assembled staff, copies of Numbers [[Number Five|5]], [[Number Eight|8]], and [[Number Six|6]] approach the President. The Cylons declare that as long as there’s no resistance, no harm will come. President Baltar, after learning that the Cylons discovered New Caprica because of the nuclear explosion set off by Gina, declares surrender on behalf of the colonists. As Cylon armies occupy the planet, Thrace vows to resist.

== Questions ==

*Who is Baltar's vice president?

*Is Gaeta Baltar's assistant or his Vice President?
:Based on Ron Moore's comment (see the spoiler text), it is probable that Gaeta is merely an assistant.

*What of [[Tom Zarek]]?

{{spoiltext|According to RDM's blog, Tom Zarek was initially the Vice President but he had a falling out with Baltar over the regime.}}

*Has Gaeta's view of Baltar changed since Baltar's ascension to the presidency? If so, is Gaeta planning to do anything about it?

*Was Roslin's threat to put the two Cavils into space actually carried out?

*Where did the remains of the Fleet escape to?

*Where is Caprica-Valerii?
:It is probable that Valerii remains in the brig, as she is well-known as a Cylon agent. Her anger at the "death" of her child and her true nature would make her a liability in public. Helo's continued presence on ''Galactica'' supports this, provided his feelings for Valerii have not changed in the lapsed year.
{{spoiltext|A [http://galacticastation.com/Gallery/hi%20res/Season3/3012/images/1BSGafC06.jpg still] from [[Occupation]] shows that at least one copy of Valerii is present with Adama at some point during the episode. Though it is possible this is from a flashback to the missing year.}}

*Why is Leoben looking for Starbuck, specifically?
{{spoiltext|According to some Q&A that RDM gave at a recent convention to people from the website 'The Pegasus Galaxy', Starbuck's missing ovary has been "under Leoben's pillow". Could the Cylons have made a hybrid child from her eggs and Leoben's sperm?
Also, there is the possibility that this particular Conoy is the resurrection of the model that Thrace tortured in "[[Flesh and Bone]]," and he is seeking payback.

Plus, in the Season Three preview aired during Sci Fi's premiere of Eureka, Leoben is shown holding a baby and saying "This is Kara, your mother."}}

*Why has the population (until Tyrol's recent union speech) accepted Baltar's imperious rule? People were hardly so passive under Roslin. Indeed, Adama executed a [[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II|military coup]] over a rather less important issue than giving a nuclear weapon to a Cylon agent.

*What were the workers being asked to do which was so "odious", "so sick[ening] at heart" that Tyrol was willing to call a general strike, and so important to Baltar that he was willing to use illegal imprisonment to break it?
**Since Tyrol's speech is an exact copy of a historical one, its words might not fully apply to the situation at hand.

*Baltar surrenders to copies of Cylon agents Six and Eight. Are these agents the reincarnated [[Caprica-Six]] and [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|"Boomer" Valerii]]? (see [[#Analysis|Analysis]])

*Where did the Cylon fleets go, after they left the Twelve Colonies? Cavil was deliberately vague when asked if they simply returned to the [[Cylon homeworld]].

*Why didn't the nuclear device trigger the radiological alarms on either battlestar?
**Radiological alarms are set to ignore nukes on certain ships (e.g. Galactica and Pegasus themselves). With his tech skills and close friendship with Lt. Gaeta, Baltar probably found a way to make the radiologicals ignore Cloud 9, or ignore that particular nuke (if the latter is possible).

*How many people died in ''Cloud 9'' destruction? (see [[#Analysis|Analysis]])

*Were the Quorum of Twelve killed on ''Cloud 9''?

*Were [[Shevon]] and [[Paya]] killed on ''Cloud 9''?

*When Gina was instantly vaporized due to being only two feet from a nuclear detonation, did she still transmit her consciousness? Was she even capable of transmitting considering that any internal hardware responsible for this task would have been instantly destroyed? (see [[#Analysis|Analysis]])

*Given Roslin's memories of Baltar with Six, why didn't Admiral Adama suspect Baltar of handing over the nuclear warhead to the cylons? If he did suspect him, why not act on it? (see [[#Analysis|Analysis]])
**Perhaps Adama disregarded it as another attempt of Roslin's to discredit Baltar and retain the Presidency.

*Did Baltar's internal Six disappear at any point during the New Caprica year? If so, when and why? If so, did the events of her disappearance contribute to Baltar's regression?

*Why was it so easy for Adama to hide the collusion of the rigged election from the press, and why were there no consequences?
**They could've disguised it as a counting mistake, since Lt. Gaeta, Col.Tigh and Adama are the only ones who actually know what happened.

*If the Cylons really left the Twelve Colonies, leaving behind a nuked-out wasteland, what happened to all of the human captives in the [[Farms]]?

*Why have the Cylons returned after suggesting that they were willing to go their "separate ways"?

*Did the Cavils lie about the pursuit of humanity being a mistake? Or were they telling the truth?

*Will the Cylons resume their pursuit of the Fleet?

*How many people are left in the Fleet? (see [[#Analysis|Analysis]])

*Have the remaining ships in the defense fleet been armed during the past year?

*Will the Adamas resort to Cain's tactic of conscripting civilians to fill the gaps?

*What happened between Apollo and Starbuck? (see [[#Analysis|Analysis]])

*What led to Starbuck's reconciliation with Col. Tigh? The two had been in conflict since the [[Miniseries]], what led them to bury the hatchet and become the close friends they now appear to be?
**Perhaps they realized they have a positive influence on eachother: Tigh managed to taunt Starbuck back on her feet, and Starbuck confronted Tigh with his drinking problem in early Season 1, which resulted in Tigh making a (failed) attempt to give up drinking.

*Has it become public knowledge that Baltar killed [[Crashdown]] on [[Kobol]]? Now that Chief and Cally are Baltar's open adversaries they could attempt to use this information against him.

*When Adama informs Baltar that the nuke used to blow up ''[[Cloud 9]]'' was probably stolen from Baltar's lab, why is he not suspicious about the fact that Baltar never reported that it was missing? Had it really been stolen from his lab, he would surely notice.
**One could argue that a man doesn't have much time to spot missing objects when he's running for President.
**Also, the Doral copy that blew himself up was probably heading for Baltar's lab. After that a break-in in the same lab should come as no surprise.
***The thing Adama should be suspicious about, is that the (alleged) thief didn't blow it right there on Galactica, but chose to blow up Cloud 9 instead.

*Are the Cylons that appear at the end representative of the whole Cylon race, or are they a faction that broke off after the two "Cylon Heroes" began to speak out against the war on the humans?

*If it is true that the Cylons now believe the attack on humanity was a mistake, is the occupation on New Caprica viewed by the Cylons as an act of mercy and kindness vs. oppression from the human perspective? (see [[#Analysis|Analysis]])

*Could it be the intent of the Cylons to actually help the colonization of New Caprica, helping with the construction of infrastructure, new homes, etc, in order to make up for the holocaust? (see [[#Analysis|Analysis]])
**If the Cylons intend to help, that would be consistent with Cavil's comment that the Cylon path to enlightenment is to be "the best machines the universe has ever seen." The purpose of a machine is arguably to assist human beings. On the other hand, the Cylons, if they are here to help, are presumably intending to do so in a highly authoritarian fashion.
***Could the Cylons be wanting to maintain control over the Colonials so that in some future the colonials would not be able to return and exact revenge on the Cylons?
**Could the Cylons be fortifying New Caprica to protect the humans from hostile Cylons? There should still be some, that Number Three in "Downloaded" was pretty fanatical, and if the political winds have changed as they so often do...
***Is there a Cylon civil "cold" war?
****Could the occupation of New Caprica be a compromise between pro-human and anti-human factions, with war breaking out between them after it fails?

== Analysis ==
*According to Ron Moore's podcast, the events of "One Year Later" are real and were meant to solidify to the audience that the show is taking a path that cannot be reversed. In order to make the colonization of New Caprica real, Moore felt that the show would need to jump ahead in a span of year to show that indeed Baltar has followed through with his political promise.

*The events of the Cylon invasion of New Caprica parallel the Nazi invasion of France, with the fleet's escape a parallel to the Allied evacuation of Dunkirk and Baltar's surrender a parallel to Petain's surrender. If the parallel continues, Baltar will establish a puppet regime under Cylon rule akin to [[Wikipedia:Vichy France|Vichy France]] while Colonials still loyal to humanity will establish a resistance movement. Ron Moore has actually said in the podcast for this episode that it is inspired by Vichy France.

*Baltar's arrogance seems to have led to corrupt rule during his year on New Caprica; he replaces Roslin's modest desk with a more elaborate one, replaces the population count whiteboard with a portrait of himself, and keeps a harem aboard the grounded ''Colonial One''.

*After a year, everyone still lives in tents. Shortages of medicine abound, the military is of no use, and labor conditions are apparently intolerable. Baltar's administration is apparently as incompetent as Roslin feared, when she said he was ridiculously unqualified and had no idea how to be president.
**It is not clear whether these conditions are the result of administrative incompetence or the inherent difficulties of colonizing a marginally habitable planet.
***Of course, it was Baltar's idea to settle on a marginally habitable planet in the first place.
****Tory Foster points out that Baltar was winning the election because he was "holding out hope for breathing real air, growing real food, sleeping in a bed instead of a bunk. Living in a house instead of a ship"; hopefully the irony of this wasn't lost on Baltar voters who even a full year later are sleeping in hammocks and living in tents.

*It's ironic that the obligations of duty keep Lee Adama aboard ''Pegasus'' while everyone else goes planet-side. He is a reserve officer, and promised to build his pilots a bar as soon as they found a habitable planet.
**It's possible the bar ''was'' built.

*In the podcast for "[[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]" Moore commented on how everyone assumed that ''Pegasus'' would be destroyed by the end of the episode, and thus he thought it would be a good twist to keep ''Pegasus'' alive as another ship in the Fleet. Speculators mistakenly assumed that the nuke that Baltar gave to Gina in "[[Epiphanies]]" would be used to destroy ''Pegasus'' (keeping in tune with the assumed destruction of the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series']] ''[[Pegasus (TOS)|Pegasus'']]).

*Twenty-nine people died between this episode and the preceding one? One or two Raptors were lost, and some Marines died on Caprica, but that doesn't seem high enough.
**It's possible they took out all of the people who left in the raptors because they were not apart of the fleet at the end of the previous episode?
***Starbuck remained in the count during her time on Caprica at the beginning of Season 2. When she and Helo returned to the fleet in "[[Home, Part I]]," the count only rose by one.
**Perhaps more people died during the attack on Caprica than was shown.
***Yet another possibility is the inclusion of the Caprica survivors in the count to offset many of the losses that had incurred in the rescue mission.
***Although they didn't actually talk about the losses, there was a shot of a wounded person being taken away on a stretcher after the Raptors returned from the [[Caprica]] [[SAR]] mission.
***There may have been a series of election-related riots or murders.

*The year gap for the Cylons to find the fleet at first seems odd. However, it was stated in the previous episode that the interference from the gas cloud surrounding it would hide the planet fairly well. The Cylons were slightly over a light year away, according to the Number Five at the surrenderring. Searching something as large as the gas cloud likely is for a planet or fleet is, given the sensor range limitations, quite impressive to accomplish in months, even with general directional information from a light-year out. In addition, the radiation from the nuclear explosion aboard ''[[Cloud Nine]]'' would, of course, only be traveling at the speed of light. Even a less catastrophic attempt to communicate the Colonial's new location would be limited to the speed of light. Of course, once the location was pinpointed, an FTL Jump by the Cylons to pounce would be instantaneous.
**Even though the Cylons were able to find New Caprica from the detected nuclear blast that occurred a year prior, the initial detection would have only pointed them in the right general direction. The planet would have moved from the location the initial blast occurred as it orbits around its sun. So the Cylons would only have been able to pinpoint the planet's last location a year prior. They could have used astronomical surveying to detect the planet or send their fleets to other positions using FTL ahead of the blast radiation to triangulate the nuclear blast. Then send recon elements to scout for the planet, which could have been the initial blips picked up by DRADIS by Lt. Dualla of recon Raiders. As soon as the planet was found the main Cylon Fleet would jump in from their staging areas.
***It is also clear that Gina truly did die in the nuclear explosion on ''Cloud 9'' as she would have been able to inform the Cylons of the whereabouts of the Fleet. This indicates that no new Resurrection Ship had been constructed and that Gina's suicidal thoughts finally prevailed. This may explain why she was willing to consummate her relationship with Baltar as it would be the last time she could be with him.
****If a transmission of Gina's consciousness is also bound by the speed of light, then the signal would radiate at the same speed as the radiation from the explosion. So the Cylons could have captured the signal at the same time they discover the radiation. A new resurrection ship could be in place by this time. So the [[#questions|above question]] of whether she was able to transmit when the hardware responsible for this was destroyed is still valid.
*****To contrast, as evidenced by "Downloaded", Cylon transmissions occur at a higher speed as Boomer's consciousness was able to be transmitted to the Resurrection Ship, and then transmitted to Caprica almost immediately after her death on ''Galactica.'' It also must be pointed out that ''Galactica'''s Fleet is well into deep space, light-years away from the Colonies. The time for Boomer's transmission to reach Caprica in "Downloaded" would have taken years if not hundreds of years if the speed was limited to the speed of light.
******Her consciousness might have been downloaded into a nearby Resurrection Ship, which then jumped into Caprica orbit to deliver it there. It could also have been carried in an FTL-capable 'carrier ship' (which would be quite useful for the Cylons in some cases).
*******For this to work, it would require that the Cylons had constructed a new Resurrection Ship, had it at a location that was close enough to receive the transmission, and that the transmission would have been able to cut through all of the interference that occurs from a nuke and the star system itself. Plus, if her consciousness was indeed saved, why did it take over a year to find the planet and why was the radiation signature mentioned as the method for which the Cylons tracked the Fleet? Plus, please take into account of how the Cylons had changed their warfare tactics after the Resurrection Ship was destroyed. No longer does one Basestar engage the Fleet, instead a whole Fleet of Basestars will appear to minimize the risk of destruction and overwhelming the battlestars. Either case, it seems less likely that Gina survived, as it was also her expressed wish to commit suicide. Even if she was transmited, would it not be more likely that she would have been "boxed" as her personality was highly unstable after the gang rapes on Pegasus?

*The population of New Caprica City is given as 39,192. There were just under 50,000 people in the Fleet before establishing the settlement, so that gives a figure of roughly 10,000 missing. It is uncertain how many were killed in the destruction of ''Cloud 9'' and surrounding Fleet ships, but this loss along with any births and deaths that have taken place during the year since the election, leaves very few military personnel in the Orbital Defense. This almost certainly means that both ''Galactica'' and ''Pegasus'' will be extremely short on crew, as many military personnel will have been left on the planet. There was clearly no time to retrieve even selected members of the crews before the Fleet jumped.
**The figure may not necessarily be 10,000 missing, but those who are not part of New Caprica City's population. The figure of 10,000 is spread amongst those remaining up in orbit with the fleet's remaining ships, out in independent, peripheral, or small settlements not part of New Caprica City proper, and casaulties.
**Watching the Fleet jump in slow-motion, you can count approximately 19 ships, which also gives a rough impression of the reduced size of the Fleet. Other ships, including ''Colonial One'' and some Raptors, are landed on New Caprica and have presumably fallen into the hands of the Cylons.
**It is not explicitly said that all members of the New Caprica colony reside in New Caprica City. There may be outlying settlements, though none are named. One reason for this would simply be as a safeguard to keep a single nuclear strike from wiping out all of the fleet survivors.
***Baltar's surrender may demonstrate prudence uncharacteristic of him, or simply be a matter of self-preservation.

**Any "industrial" vessels — such as the mining ships, tanker ships, repair ships, agricultural ships — would have landed on the planet and been debarked, dismantled, or converted to form the foundation for industrial / production efforts. Some of the vessels in the fleet that left [[Ragnar Anchorage]] weren't designed for prolonged interstellar journeys, and were basically running on a hope and a prayer, and would have been rendered promptly upon finding a more permanent home. The nineteen-or-so ships seen are, more than likely, the last space-worthy vessels in the fleet that are not needed (or capable of landing) planet-side.
***After a year, people are still living in tents and using landed ships as buildings, so it doesn't look like much has been dismantled or converted into raw production. Other than the miners, who are apparently extremely unhappy at how things have been run, we see little evidence of industry or production over the year.

*Apparently, Thrace's comments about Lee Adama and Dualla have taken their toll on their relationship. Whether the comments escalated is unknown, but, from Dualla's expression of annoyance when she hands the receiver to Adama when Thrace calls, it is clear that the three never reconciled with each other.

*The Six and Eight that are part of the Cylon delegation that greets Baltar's cabinet are almost certainly [[Caprica-Six]] and [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|"Boomer" Valerii]]. This is implied from Six's reaction upon seeing Baltar and her intimation that she knew who Baltar was. The two are also wearing the exact same clothes as in "[[Downloaded]]."

*In the Season 3 trailer that followed the end of the episode, Six narrates, saying that humanity has finally surrendered and the war is over. According to Six, the Cylons can finally fulfill their "''true destiny''" and take care of humanity. They desire to show humanity the "''glory of peace''," mercy; like God, their mercy can only be matched by their power and complete control. So apparently, the war heroes have indeed changed the Cylons' prejudices toward humans, but unfortunately this also means that the Cylons believe that the only way to care for humanity is to control it.
**This narrative sounds more like Baltar's internal Six (superior, controlling, zealous) than Caprica-Six (more of a people person).

== Notes ==
* According to Ron Moore's podcast, although the Sci-Fi Channel was willing to air this episode as a 90-minute special, it had to be heavily edited down for international distribution; outside of the United States, viewers will only see a 1 hour version of the episode, which Moore regards as "almost incomprehensible". Many plot threads, such as the entire Cally/Tyrol subplot, were completely removed from the one hour version. This may not be the case in the UK however as Skyone (the channel that broadcasts the show in that country) previously showed the full 90 minute version of Stargate SG1 episode 'Threads' and may well do the same for this episode.
**In the UK, Sky One did indeed show the episode as a 90 minute special.
**In Latin America, as aired by TNT LA, the 90 minute special was shown as well.

*Admiral Adama watches [[Pyramid]] games and was a fan of the [[Picon Panthers]].

*In RDM's podcast for the previous episode, he said that in early drafts of this special 90 minute long episode, the writers actually tried to make it a 2 hour special, but this was soon dropped (these times are including commercials).
*The election board appears to have a definitive list of the names of all of the ships in [[The Fleet (RDM)]]. Not all of them are clearly visible, but this would seem to indicate that the writers do have an actual list that they get new ship names from.

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

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

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

*[[Hera]] is seen on New Caprica in the same white cradle that Baltar had a vision of her being in "[[Scattered]]", etc. According to RDM's podcast it's actually the exact same cradle.

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

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

*[[:Image:Wtfk1tn.jpg|Visible]] on the blackboard of Roslin's school are the French verbs ''aller'', ''avoir'', and ''etre''. The Colonials appear to just speak English, so this might be a goof by the set designers trying to make it look more like a generic school.
**Not necessarily, as French has appeared in the show before. In [[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]], Six uses the French word for impetuous ardor.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

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

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

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

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

== Official Statements ==

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

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

=== Interviews ===

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

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

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

== Guest Stars ==
*[[Richard Hatch]] as [[Tom Zarek]]
*[[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]]
*[[Dean Stockwell]] as [[Cavil|Brother Cavil]]
*[[Aaron Douglas]] as Chief Petty Officer [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Nicki Clyne]] as Specialist [[Cally]]
*[[Kate Vernon]] as [[Ellen Tigh]]
*[[Donnelly Rhodes]] as Dr. [[Cottle]]
*[[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Leoben Conoy]]
*[[Matthew Bennett]] as [[Aaron Doral]]
*[[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
*[[imdb:nm0443286|David Kaye]] as [[James McManus]]
*[[Alisen Down]] as [[Jean Barolay]]
*[[imdb:nm0718759|Winston Rekert]] as Priest

== External Links ==
[http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/episodes/season02/220/ "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II"] at scifi.com

{{episode list (RDM season 2)}}

[[Category: A to Z]]
[[Category: RDM]]
[[Category:Episode Guide (RDM)]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Anne Cofell Saunders]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Mark Verheiden]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Michael Rymer]]

[[de:Legt eure Bürden nieder, Teil II]]