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Humanoid Cylon speculation

2007-02-27T23:40:18Z

Mike Schiraldi: Promoting Anders .. he meets all the criteria, and there's some strong evidence being presented in the TWOP spoilers forum

{{seealso|Characters eliminated from suspicion}}

The [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons']] transformation into [[Humanoid Cylon|humanoid form]] introduces serious problems for the remnant of humanity known as [[The Fleet (RDM)|the Fleet]] to identify Cylon operative from human.

This article details [[Battlestar Wiki:Citation Jihad#Derived content|plausible speculation]] on central and supporting characters in ''[[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Battlestar Galactica]]'' who, based on their behavior, motive, and background, could be a Cylon agent. As of the [[Rapture|second half of Season Three]], [[Cylon Models#Known Models|seven]] Cylon Agents have been revealed both to the population of the Fleet and to the audience. [[Final Five|Five]] Cylons remain unaccounted for.

==Needed Qualifiers for Speculation==

For a character to be logically considered a possible agent, there are a few established parameters to meet:

* '''The suspect must not have any adult children or siblings.''' For purposes of this article, a pregnancy can be generally established as a disqualifier. With [[Sharon Agathon|one exception]], Cylon agents have extreme difficulty with human sexual reproduction to the point of effective infertility.<ref>During a discussion of the reproductive intentions of Cylons in [[The Farm#Noteworthy Dialogue|The Farm]]:<br>
'''Starbuck''': So farms, that’s great. What were they gonna do? Knock me up with some Cylon kid?<br>'''Sharon''': They were gonna try to. We haven’t been successful so far.<br>'''Anders''': Supposedly they can’t reproduce. You know biologically. So they have been trying every which way to produce offspring.</ref> If a character has adult, biological children, it automatically excludes them as being a Cylon agent as the procreation of the child and the age of the child both violate the 2nd qualifier. Although humanoid Cylons have, eventually, proven to be capable of reproduction with humans, the birth of the hybrid child [[Hera]] was considered such a seminal event by the Cylons that it seems safe to conclude that no Cylon ever had a child before that point.
* '''The suspect must not have a verifiable family history''' (other than marriage). A parent would have known their child from birth (unless otherwise specified), and Cylons are not copies of preexisting humans. This is an expansion of the "confirmed character history" point below.
* '''The suspect cannot be confirmed to have witnessed or participated in the [[Cylon War]].''' This is another expansion of the "confirmed character history" point; it is assumed the Cylons had no models advanced enough to plausibly pass as humans (i.e. [[Wikipedia:Android|androids]] and [[Wikipedia:Gynoid|gynoids]]), so if someone is confirmed to have lived during or participated in the war 40 years ago, that person is not a Cylon, e.g. William Adama and Saul Tigh. Note that apparent age is ''not'' a disqualifer; the Cylon agent model known as [[Cavil]] appears as old as William Adama and Saul Tigh.
* '''The suspect must not have been exposed to the [[Lymphocytic encephalitis|lymphocytic encephalitis virus]].''' The virus is lethal to Cylons with the exception of any Cylon that has been impregnated by a human, e.g. [[Sharon Agathon|Athena]]. Therefore, any member of the boarding party in "[[A Measure of Salvation]]" (excluding Athena) cannot be a Cylon. This qualifier is not absolute going forward as [[Cottle]] claimed to be able to create a temporary vaccine. So it is possible that a Cylon could survive exposure to the virus in the future, provided they had access to a sufficient supply of the vaccine. It's possible Athena may have lost her immunity as a result of her download in [[Rapture]], or that the immunity may have downloaded with her, potentially inoculating all Cylons against the virus.
* '''The suspect does not have a reliable history''' involving direct association (i.e. working or personal relationship) with a confirmed human character for '''more than 2 years prior''' to the destruction of the Colonies.<br><br>Based on information from the [[Miniseries]], the Cylon agents began their infiltration and integration into Colonial society approximately 2 years before the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]]. If a character has a direct association with a character that cannot be a Cylon agent, that association excludes them since they are older than the stated time that the agents began to integrate themselves into Colonial society. Note that the 2-year period is based on information given by [[Number Six]] to [[Gaius Baltar]]: Their relationship lasted for 2 years prior to the Cylon attack. There is also supporting information that [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Boomer's]] tour of duty in the Colonial Fleet was also approximately 2 years. However, this date is only for the infiltration by the seven Cylons who carried out the war. The remaining [[Final Five]] have never been seen by those seven, and we have no information about when their own infiltrations of humanity may have begun. (In the extreme, there are suggestions in the [[Temple of Five]] that the final five are connected in some way with the [[Thirteenth Tribe]] who built the temple, and thus are possibly an earlier cycle of Cylons, predating even the Kobol exodus.)

According to [[Ron D. Moore]], the twelve humanoid models are based on human behavior and personality archetypes distilled into twelve varieties. '''Cylon agents are NOT copies or clones of any pre-existing humans, living or dead'''<ref>In an October 24th, 2005 [http://www.thefandom.com/Article50.phtml podcast interview] Ron Moore stated, "The idea is not there was one like an original human model that they were copied from. The idea was that these were...these models of Cylon were developed out of their own study of us. The Cylons on some level looked at humanity and said, 'Well, you know what, there's really only twelve of you...and these are the twelve.' And then if you look at them, they kind of represent different archetypes of what humanity is."</ref>.

Please note that [[Wikipedia:retcon|retroactive continuity changes]] are possible in the series<ref>Retconning has occurred previously, from as the amount of time remaining in the President's term (between "[[Bastille Day]]" and "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]") or the number of prisoners held aboard the ''[[Astral Queen]]'' (between the [[Miniseries]] and "[[Bastille Day]].").</ref> This article is based on plausible speculation, which is also highly fluid in content and can violate {{tl|NPOV}} policies if taken too far.

==Suspected Cylon infiltrators==

===Moderate probability of being a Cylon===

====Gaius Baltar====
{{seealso|Baltar as Cylon speculation}}
* Known siblings or adult children: None
* Known family members: None
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifying character: Unknown (described as a close personal friend of [[Richard Adar|President Adar]])
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:''' Moderate

[[Gaius Baltar]]'s odds of being a Cylon are not good, but not impossible either. The miniseries establishes him as a prominent public figure for years. Cylons talking amongst themselves in "[[Downloaded]]" continually referred to Baltar as a human. In "[[Torn]]" [[Caprica-Six]] mentions that she was (and possibly still is) considering to have a child with Baltar, which would appear impossible if he was a Cylon. However, when learning of the Cylon's "[[projection]]" abilities in "[[Torn]]" and how they may be related to his vision of Number Six, Baltar himself begins to question whether or not he is a Cylon.

Recent information from cast members that portray Cylons confirmed a season 3 storyline that indicates that the revealed agents do not know the identity of the five remaining Cylon agents. This storyline is introduced in the episode, "[[Torn]]."

Under extreme psychological duress Baltar confesses to President Roslin and Admiral Adama that his is '''not''' a Cylon, however the veracity of his confession is questionable ([[Taking a Break From All Your Worries]]).

====Anastasia "Dee" Dualla====
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: No<ref>While Dualla has mentioned her father in the episode, "[[Final Cut]]," he has not been seen on-screen. The [[Battlestar Wiki:Separate continuity|separate continuity]] character of [[Darrin Dualla]] is not canonical with this qualification.</ref>
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Unknown
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:''' Moderate

[[Anastasia Dualla|Dualla]] seems to have a fairly well developed backstory regarding her past; she is a Sagittaron ([[Bastille Day]]), her father disapproved of her joining the military ([[Final Cut]]), but upon closer inspection none of this can be confirmed by a third party: the only source of information about Dualla's past in the series has been Dualla herself. Dualla's position in charge of ''Galactica's'' communications puts her in an ideal position for subversion. In "[[Valley of Darkness]]", Dualla is found in the enlisted head, having suffered a blow to the head from Cylon Centurions that passed through, the only survivor in the compartment. Cylon agents have often demonstrated the ability to physically damage themselves for a cause, including self-destruction<ref>There are numerous instances in the series, including [[Sharon Agathon|Caprica-Valerii's]] attack from a copy of Number Six to give plausibilty for [[Helo]], and a suicide-bombing by a [[Number Five]].</ref>. Dualla could have feigned injury to avoid suspicion. Dualla's relationships with members of both government and military command ([[Billy Keikeya]] and [[Lee Adama]]) increase her involvement with secrets in the Fleet. Dualla's contraction of Mellorak infection in "[[The Woman King]]" would seem to decrease the possibility of her being a Cylon, as the hybrid Hera's blood seemed to have disease (cancer) resistance. However, Hera has herself been sick before and during the episode, and Cylons are also subject to infectious diseases. ([[Torn]])

====Kara "Starbuck" Thrace====
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: Yes (alluded to in "[[The Farm]]" by [[Simon]])
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Yes, with qualifier (the Adama family, Karl Agathon)
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:''' Moderate

[[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] was apparently disproved as being a Cylon: [[Simon]] wanted to use Starbuck's egg cells in Cylon/human hybrid experiments ([[The Farm]]). It would be illogical to take genetic material from another Cylon agent (unless Simon is [[Final five|unaware]] that Thrace is another Cylon agent).

Thrace's association with [[Zak Adama]] occurred over two years prior to the Cylon attack ([[Miniseries]]). Helo notes that he and Thrace have known each other for a "long time" but the actual length of their friendship isn't defined ([[Scattered]]).

[[Image:Valley of Darkness-Starbuck Helo.jpg|right|thumb|Thrace's painting ([[Valley of Darkness]])]]
[[Image:S3-eyeofjupiter.jpg|left|thumb|The symbol in the Temple of Five ([[The Eye of Jupiter]])]]
A strange connection between Thrace, the Cylons, or the ancient Thirteenth Tribe may exist based on the [[Temple of Five]]. A significant similarity exists between a symbol painted by Thrace that's found in her apartment in "[[Valley of Darkness]]" and the symbol in the Temple of Five, found over a year later. When informed of the similarity between her painting and the temple symbol by Helo, Thrace mentions that the symbol was something that she has drawn since childhood almost subconsciously some times.

The events of the second half of season 3, particularly rumors of Thrace's demise or destiny in the episode "[[Maelstrom]]", and the revelation of her drawing the Eye of Jupiter mandala subconsciously return this character's suspicion from "none" to "moderate." Supporting this tenuous level of suspicion is the fact that the [[Final five|five missing Cylons]] are not known to the seven revealed agents, leaving characters with strong levels of direct Cylon interaction (Thrace and Gaius Baltar, particularly) with strange associations that cannot be fully defined, particularly her interactions with the [[Leoben Conoy]] model and his prophetic indications of Thrace's destiny ([[Flesh and Bone]]).

Though clearly meant as a joke, [[Katee Sackhoff]] claims in the Season Three gag reel <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-6307683077762423268&q|title=Battlestar Galactica: Season Three Gag Reel|date=|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=Google Video|language=English}}</ref> that Starbuck is a Cylon and that she dies. Given the rumors surrounding the character and the confirmation that a major cast member will be departing after the episode "[[Maelstrom]]" <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.gateworld.net/galactica/news/2007/01/major_cast_member_to_depart.shtml|title=GateWorld - Battlestar Galatica News: Major cast membet to depart|date=|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=English}}</ref>, there may be more truth to Sackhoff's claim than there seems.
<div style="clear: both;"></div>

====Diana Seelix====
* Known siblings or adult children: None
* Known family members: None
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifying character: Unknown
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:''' Moderate

[[Diana Seelix]]'s odds of being a Cylon were, in retrospect, always somewhat moderate. The only circumstantial disqualifier would be that there were probably many opportunities for her to aid the Cylon cause that she didn't take, particularly when she fought in the resistance under [[Galen Tyrol]]. However, the fact that she took up arms is interesting considering that she stated on [[Kobol]] that she hadn't used a gun "since basic" ([[Fragged]]). Finally, in "[[A Day in the Life]]", Seelix was in a position where she conceivably could have caused the inner airlock doors to close with Galen and [[Cally Tyrol]] inside. Cinematically, extra attention was given to her relatively indecipherable operation of the controls in the airlocks's observation room.

====Samuel Anders====
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: No
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Unknown (Was Pyramid Ball player but not known for how long)
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:''' Low

[[Samuel Anders|Anders]] was a well known public figure as a sports star, although the length of his time in [[Pyramid (RDM)|pyramid sport]] is not known. In "[[Downloaded]]", a copy of [[Number Three]] and [[Caprica-Six]] refer to Anders as human, however if he were a Cylon agent they would not be aware of it (see [[Final five]]).

===Low probability of being a Cylon===

====Tory Foster====
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: No
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Unknown (Was Precinct Captain but not known for how long)
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:''' Low

[[Tory Foster]] was said to be precinct captain for the Federalist Party in Delphi for five years prior to the Cylon attack ([[The Captain's Hand]]). However at this point is unknown if this has been corroberrated by any disqualifying character.

Tory was a strong voice and hand in the attempt to rig the Presidential election in Roslin's favor. The ruse is uncovered and suppressed by Admiral [[William Adama|Adama]] and Lieutenant [[Gaeta]] ([[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]). While [[Gaius Baltar]] winning the election was a boon to the Cylon fortunes, rigging the election for [[Laura Roslin]] would have hedged Cylon bets since evidence of vote rigging could have provoked rebellion in the fleet even if Roslin won outright.

During the occupation of [[New Caprica]], Foster aides Roslin in some insurgent activities, but we do not see enough of her activities to know for sure if she is soley aiding the human cause. She is tasked, and fails, with ensuring the safe transport of Maya and [[Hera|Hera/Isis]] off the planet. Maya is killed trying to escape New Caprica with the child. Hera survives but is found by the Cylons ([[Occupation]], [[Exodus, Part I|Exodus, Part I]] & [[Exodus, Part II|II]]). Since this fortuitous event was possibly the only benefit that the Cylons permanently gained from their occupation of New Caprica, we should question if Foster truly tried her best, or if she tipped off the Cylons. However, it is unlikely that a targeted Cylon ambush of Maya and her accompanying guards would shoot her while she is carrying Hera.

====Felix Gaeta====
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: No
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
* Association with known disqualifing character: Yes (William Adama)
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:''' Moderate

As tactical officer, [[Felix Gaeta]], being technically minded, is initially fond of [[Gaius Baltar|Dr. Baltar's work]]. He admitted to ignoring the [[Cylon transponder|Cylon device]] found below the [[DRADIS]] console in the [[Miniseries]], believing it to be part of the new [[Galactica Museum|museum]]. Gaeta neglects an update to [[emergency jump coordinates]] to the Fleet ([[Scattered]]), and proposes creating a [[Computers|computer]] network to fix the matter, leaving the ship vulnerable (and compromised twice).

Gaeta's recent behavioral changes from the stress of working at evading the Cylons shows by "[[Final Cut]]" as Gaeta is shown in his interview drunk, smoking, and wearing a new tattoo. By the following episode, "[[Flight of the Phoenix]]", Gaeta angrily snaps at Colonel Tigh for giving a difficult order, causing surprise throughout [[CIC]] as Gaeta is normally a calm, reserved officer even under the worst of conditions. Contrast this behavior with "Boomer" Valerii, who still appeared quite alert after 5 continuous days of combat status. Note the following dialogue from the first regular series episode, "[[33]]":

::'''[[Lee Adama|Apollo]]''': Hey, how about you, Boomer? [[Cottle|Doc]] tells me you're holding up better than anybody in the squadron.
::'''Boomer''': I'm tired, like everybody else.
::'''Apollo''': You never seem it.
::'''[[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]]''': 'Cause she's a Cylon.
::'''Boomer''': You're just gonna make me come over there and kick your ass, aren't you?

While even Cylon agents develop severe behavioral and physiological issues after extended work and abuse ([[Number Six#Gina|Pegasus]]), Cylon agents appear to be more resilient than humans, which may limit the likelihood of Gaeta's possible Cylon connection. On the other hand, if he were a Cylon, Gaeta's human personality may have finally been overtaxed by that time, suggesting that an actual human might have snapped earlier in their exodus in contrast.
Boomer, however, was unaware of her Cylon nature and thus would not have hidden her enhanced physique. An aware infiltrator would presumably feign more ordinary levels of endurance.

The seven known Humanoid Cylons appear to have integrated human agents into the Colonies no earlier than 2 years before the events of the Miniseries. No information is available on dates of infiltration by the [[Final Five]], whose activities are unknown to the seven. Gaeta has served with Commander Adama for three years ([[Miniseries]]). Saul Tigh confirms that he has worked with Gaeta for 4 years ([[Collaborators]]).

Gaeta chose to stay with Baltar's puppet administrator on New Caprica to feed inside information to the resistance, which Galen Tyrol confirms ("[[Occupation]]", "[[Precipice]]", "[[Collaborators]]"). Since humanoid Cylons are not clones of actual humans, the likelihood of Gaeta as a Cylon agent would depend on the start of Final Five infiltration into Colonial society.

====Cally Tyrol====
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: No
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Unknown
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:''' Low to None

[[Cally Tyrol|Cally Henderson]] shoots "Boomer" Valerii in a "Jack Ruby-style" assassination, preventing the Fleet from interrogating her further. While this might benefit the Cylon agenda, Henderson had a perfectly understandable reason for doing it, which she has openly stated: she hates Boomer for her association with Chief Tyrol and for her betrayal in shooting Adama.

Henderson is married to Galen Tyrol and has a son, [[Nicholas Tyrol|Nicholas]] as of season 3. Given the magnitude of problems in creating Cylon or Cylon/human offspring, Cally Tyrol's pregnancy is a substantially powerful disqualifier as an agent. At the very least, it is impossible for them both to be Cylons.

====Galen Tyrol====
* Known siblings or adult children: No
* Known family members: No
* Confirmed to have lived during the Cylon War: No
* Three-year or longer association with disqualifing character: Yes (William Adama)
* '''Chances of being a Cylon:''' Low to None

Chief [[Galen Tyrol]] was in an illicit relationship with "Boomer" Valerii, and later has recurring nightmares based on his fear of being a Cylon sleeper agent. Having served under Commander Adama for 5 years, Adama noted that, if Tyrol was a Cylon, he has had plenty of resources and opportunity to destroy the battlestar.

Galen and Cally Tyrol's child, [[Nicholas Tyrol]], all but removes suspicion for this character, given the difficulties in Cylon- or Cylon/human conception. At the very least, it is impossible for them both to be Cylons.

Tyrol survived decompression far better than Cally.

Tyrol came under a mysterious compulsion to enter the hills and find the [[Temple of Five]]. When ordered to destroy it to stop the Cylons from getting to it, he was unwilling to carry out the order, and the Cylons disabled the explosives.

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

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

Exodus, Part II

2006-10-26T00:03:39Z

Mike Schiraldi:

{{Episode Data
| title= Exodus, Part II
| image=TighAdamaReunion.jpg
| season= 3
| episode= 4
| guests= [[Lucy Lawless]] as [[Number Three]]
| writer= [[Bradley Thompson]] <br/> [[David Weddle]]
| story=
| director= [[Félix Enríquez Alcalá]]
| production= 304
| rating=
| US airdate= 2006-10-20
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| population=
| prev= [[Exodus, Part I]]
| next= [[Collaborators]]
}}

== Overview ==

:''Commander [[Lee Adama]] of the battlestar ''[[Pegasus (RDM)| Pegasus]]'' has serious doubts about the success of the [[New Caprica]] rescue mission by ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]''. On New Caprica, [[Saul Tigh]] decides the consequences for his [[Ellen Tigh |wife's]] betrayal of [[The Resistance | the Resistance]]. Aboard ''Galactica'', Admiral [[William Adama]] executes a dramatic rescue plan.''

== Summary ==

*On ''Pegasus'', [[Lee Adama]] and [[Anastasia Dualla|Dualla]] talk of ''[[Galactica]]'s'' mission. Adama worries heavily that Admiral Adama's mission will fail and of what future responsibilities he may have as the leader of the rest of mankind. His wife tells him to not give up hope.
*On New Caprica, [[Samuel Anders]] confronts [[Saul Tigh]] about [[Ellen Tigh|his wife Ellen's]] betrayal and tells him that either Tigh "takes care" of Ellen, or someone else less sympathetic will do so.
*Ellen Tigh explains her recent actions, that she would do absolutely anything to save Saul, including betraying the resistance. Tigh consoles her and provides her a drink when she asks. She falls unconscious, her drink having been poisoned by her husband. He says that he loves her, rests his head on her corpse, and weeps.
*On ''[[Colonial One]]'', [[Gaius Baltar]] tells the Cylons that they have failed in their experiment and suggests the Cylons simply leave. A [[Number Three|Three]] voices the concern that one day the descendants of mankind might exact vengeance upon the Cylons, should they be left to their own devices.
[[Image:Saulellen.jpg|Saul handing Ellen her poisoned drink.|thumb]]

*Suddenly, dozens of explosions can be felt and seen. The [[Battle of New Caprica]] has begun.
*Anders and the resistance team has set a series of explosions that mimic a Colonial attack and causes chaos. [[Tory Foster]] commands a team of section leaders in the evacuation and orders [[Maya]] to head for her ship with [[Hera|Isis]].
*Anders and a large group of resistance fighters retrieve weapons from beneath the [[Pyramid (RDM)|Pyramid]] court to rescue the detainees in the [[New Caprica Detention Center|detention center]].
*In space above New Caprica, ''Galactica'' deploys a squadron of Raptors and Vipers. The Raptors launch [[swallow]]s to mimic the EM signature of two Colonial battlestars. The Cylons pick them up and fall for the ruse, moving two basestars with their Raiders away from the planet.
*When [[Leoben Conoy]] leaves the residence inside the Detention Center to aid with the fighting, he keeps [[Kara Thrace]] inside. She assaults him and tries to escape, but he knocks her unconscious.
*[[Tom Zarek]] tasks [[James Lyman|Jammer]] to protect [[Laura Roslin]] as she makes her way to ''Colonial One''.
*At the entrance to the shipyard, where the Cylons keep the grounded Colonial vessels, a team under Tigh and [[Galen Tyrol]] are pinned down by [[Cylon Centurion]]s.
*The Cylons detect the decoy drones, but ''Galactica'' jumps into the planet's upper atmosphere and plunges rapidly towards the planet. Mid-descent, ''Galactica'' launches its Vipers. Before colliding with the ground, the ship jumps back into space. The Vipers begin to attack targets on the ground and clear the way.
*As others are freed from the Detention Center, Anders finds his unconscious wife and carries her away, but when Thrace awakens, she goes back to retrieve [[Kacey]].
*The battle is turning against ''Galactica''. Her FTL drives are down, weapons are offline and there is heavy structural damage from the atmospheric entry. Four Cylon basestars are closing in and the battlestar is soon bombarded from all sides with no hope of survival. At that moment ''Pegasus'' joins the battle, Lee Adama having disobeyed his father's orders. He opens fire with the forward batteries and destroys one basestar in the opening salvo.
*The Cylons realize that they have lost and decide to evacuate the planet. [[Number Three]] volunteers to stay behind and set off the nuclear weapon that was left in the city for such a contingency. She offers Baltar a place with the Cylons and leaves.
*The Colonial ships initiate intra-atmosphere [[FTL|jumps]] from New Caprica as soon as they become airborne.
*''Pegasus'' is heavily bombarded by missiles, having left all of her Vipers back with the rest of the civilian Fleet. Admiral Adama realizes that his son has planned a one-way mission for ''Pegasus'', and orders recall of ''Galactica's'' fighters.
*On ''Colonial One'', [[Felix Gaeta]] accuses Baltar at gunpoint of having betrayed everyone. Gaeta admits his guilt in idealistically believing in Baltar's initial vision, but realized in the end that Baltar was only thinking about himself. Baltar admits his own guilt and begs Gaeta to shoot him. However, Gaeta relents, giving Baltar a final chance to redeem himself: stop Three from setting off the nuclear bomb.
*With ''Pegasus'' dying, Lee Adama orders everyone to abandon ship. He sets the ship [[CBDR]] with a basestar as the last of the crew leaves in Raptors. ''Pegasus’'' collides with a basestar, destroying it; The remains of ''Pegasus’'' starboard [[flight pod]] collides with and destroys yet another basestar.
*Kara Thrace retrieves Kacey, but Conoy has returned and confronts her. She appears to give in to his demands, says "I love you," and kisses him. However, Thrace uses the diversion to stab him. She picks up Kacey and leaves with Anders.
*Three searches [[Dodona Selloi]]'s tent, but the [[oracle]] has left. Outside, [[Caprica-Six]] and Baltar find Hera next to [[Maya]]'s body, still alive. Three arrives, asks to hold the child, and leaves with her. [[Caprica-Six]] says Three no longer intends to detonate the nuke, then leaves the planet with Baltar.
*Laura Roslin and a group of resistance fighters enter the now abandoned ''Colonial One'' and are the last ship to leave the planet.
*On ''Galactica'', many people are reunited as Tyrol immediately takes charge of ushering the incoming refugees. When Thrace shows Kacey to Tyrol, another woman walks by and recognizes the girl as her daughter, whom the Cylons had taken away. The mother thanks Thrace for rescuing Kacey. Thrace is shocked by the revelation that Kacey is not her daughter after all, but gives her up.
*Admiral Adama welcomes Tigh back aboard, and tells him he brought everyone back. Tigh quietly replies, "[[Ellen Tigh|Not all of them]]." The colonists in ''Galactica's'' [[hangar deck]] begin chanting "A-dam-a, A-dam-a..." and carry the admiral on their shoulders. Adama turns to see Tigh wandering off, numbed with grief.
*Tory Foster tells Roslin that neither Maya nor Hera can be found, and it seems likely neither made it off the planet. Foster apologizes, but Roslin muses that this was part of something bigger than them.
*Admiral Adama shaves off his mustache and returns to a fully staffed [[CIC]], aboard the now very loud, bustling corridors of ''Galactica''.

== Questions ==

*With Baltar missing at the conclusion of this episode, who will become the President of the Twelve Colonies?
**[[Tom Zarek]], as Vice President, seems to have the best claim. Since he chose to become a political prisoner rather than collaborate with the Cylons, he has probably retained his good standing in the public eye. If Baltar had him removed from office, he could probably make a good case that such an action was illegal.
**Laura Roslin's decision to evacuate on Colonial One may not have been an expression of her intent to claim the presidency. Colonial One had been her home for the first nine months that the fleet spent on the run. Zarek may have deliberately opted to evacuate aboard the ''[[Astral Queen]]'' for non-political reasons, as he previously served as a leader and representative of that vessel and her passengers.
**However, [[Saul Tigh]] seemed to expect that Roslin would assume the presidency ([[Precipice]]), and when boarding Colonial One, she makes herself at home at Baltar's desk as if she intends to do so.
**The Colonial Government holds regular elections ([[Bastille Day]]), although it has also called special elections before ([[Colonial Day]]). As of this episode, it has been about a year and five months since the last presidential election, so it is unlikely that another is scheduled in the near future.
*What will be the final disposition of the ''Pegasus'' officers, and the former military personnel who have returned from New Caprica?
**Saul Tigh's injuries may prevent him from resuming his post as XO of ''Galactica''. Additionally, he has been outranked by [[Lee Adama]] since "[[The Captain's Hand]]".
**Lee Adama's command, the ''Pegasus'', has been destroyed. Given Tigh's incapacity, he may begin service as XO of ''Galactica''. He has also expressed dissatisfaction with his military career ([[Final Cut]]) and may wish to retire from fleet service, or resume his earlier duties of military liaison to the civilian government.
**It will be difficult to justify replacing [[Louanne Katraine]] as CAG, given the length of her service since the foundation of New Caprica, and her skill as a pilot, shown to have rivaled or outstripped even that of Kara Thrace by the time of "[[Scar]]".
**[[Kara Thrace]] is separated from Fleet service, and although she will probably return to active duty, it is unlikely that she will resume her former duty position as CAG, ''Galactica'' so long as Katraine is serving competently in that position.
**[[Anastasia Dualla]] is now an officer, and will not be expected to resume NCO-level tasks. [[Hoshi]] held her former position on ''Pegasus'', and is now available to serve on ''Galactica''.
**[[Felix Gaeta]] is separated, and will have to answer for the crimes of Baltar's administration, despite his covert affiliation with the resistance. [[Karl Agathon]] and [[Aaron Kelly]] have both been shown performing Gaeta's duties in CIC on ''Galactica'', and one of them may replace him.
**[[Cally Tyrol]], [[Galen Tyrol]], or both may choose to remain separated (from fleet service) to raise their son, Nicholas. We have not yet seen young children being raised on board ''Galactica'', although there is a [[Boxey (RDM)|precedent]] for keeping a civilian minor onboard.
**We may also see characters assume roles not previously shown onboard ''Galactica''.
*What consequences will Ellen Tigh's death have for her husband?
**Will Saul Tigh again drink to excess?
***A Chicago Tribune interview with Ron Moore answers this.<ref>{{cite_web|url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2006/10/battlestar_gala.html|title=Chicago Tribune|date=October 2, 2006|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=en}}</ref>
*What equipment and personnel were left behind on [[New Caprica]]?
**In order to build [[New Caprica City]], the ships were at least partially stripped and supplies were offloaded.
**Medical supplies were running low as of "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]", although apparently the colonists were resupplied by the Cylons.
**Are there any people alive remaining on New Caprica after the exodus, due to wounds or infirmity? Were there any detention facilities which the [[New Caprica Resistance]] failed to liberate? Did anyone besides [[Gaius Baltar]] stay behind willingly?
*If the civilian ships only needed to get a few hundred feet off the ground in order to use their FTL drives and escape, why do ''Galcatica'' and ''Pegasus'' need to engage the basestars? Is this just to keep the Raiders, Heavy Raiders, and missiles from being used on the civilian fleet, on the surface below? (Note: it is not in dispute that having ''Galactica'' launch its fighters within the atmosphere is important so they could attack the Centurions and few raiders there.)
**As with the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]], the Cylons could destroy the city with a single nuclear bomb in orbit. The plan appears to force the Cylons to be too distracted by the battlestar's offenses (Raptors at first, then the battlestar itself) to worry about the actions on the planet. ''Galactica'' jumps intra-atmosphere to minimize detection by the basestars.
**As part of Adama's strategy, after the intra-atmospheric jump, he probably wanted to jump the Galactica to the lowest possible orbit such that when the planetary rescue effort was complete that he could recover the vipers in the shortest possible time. To jump the Galactica to an extremely high orbit could add hours to viper recovery and allowing far too much time for Basestars and Raiders alike to close into their position.
*Will Gaeta be the target of persecution or assassination as a collaborator? Or will people believe in him when he is found out to be the secret informant?
*Will [[Cally Tyrol]] identify Jammer as the NCP officer who released her, based on his voice?
*''Galactica's'' escape seems questionable. Most or all of ''Galactica's'' Vipers were launched during the atmospheric maneuver. Later, after the four basestars start pummelling ''Galactica'', its situation is dire, facing explosive decompressions and with its FTL disabled. Adama says, "Then that's it. It's been an honor." ''Pegasus'' immediately appears and uses its superior weaponry to engage the basestars, destroying one in the first volley, so Adama orders the FTL to be fixed. Soon, Helo reports that most of the civilian ships have jumped, that FTL is back online, and that ''Pegasus'' is taking "a hell of a pounding." Adama orders his Vipers to land so that ''Galactica'' can leave. The next shot is Vipers landing, but weren't they all at the surface? How long does it take a Viper to climb into orbit? Real-world atmospheric escapes take several minutes, at least. How much damage were the basestars and battlestars doing to each other in this time?
**We aren't seeing events in real-time. Several minutes can lie between scenes that appear to happen right after another. Sometimes it is simply necessary to compress things in order to fit them into one episode.
**There may be several key differences at play between an escape from New Caprica's atmosphere and a real-world atmospheric departure, such as a lower [[Wikipedia:Karman line|atmospheric boundary]], more powerful thrusters on the Vipers, etc.
***In a real-world example, the [[Wikipedia:Space Shuttle|Space Shuttle]] takes approximately 10 minutes to attain escape velocity. The length of this time is partly due to the fact that the Space Shuttle's engines are occassionally throttled back to keep acceleration below 3 G to reduce discomfort to the crew. Additionally, typically it takes several hours for the Space Shuttle to attain the same orbit as the [[Wikipedia:International Space Station|ISS]]. For convenience of fiction, from the time of escape velocity of the vipers to attaining the same orbit of the Galactica could be said to be several minutes. Therefore, the entire sequence probably took in real-time 1/2 hour from the time the order was given by Adama to retrieve the Vipers to the time that all Vipers were aboard the Galactica. This is not taking into account that all craft can't land simultaneously on a carrier. The Pegasus probably took a pounding from 1/2 to 1 hour from the 3 remaining Basestars before it reached its final demise, a process that was beyond the timeframe of the show.
***Also, the Vipers might already have been en route to Galactica by the time Adama gives the order to "bring them home." That order might have referred to landing them. (The combat-landing shot, fwiw, was recycled from the mini-series.)
*Why did Kara Thrace wait so long to stab Leoben? She could have done it before even kissing him.
**Possibly, Thrace intended to insult to injury by her quick betrayal, but also, she needed to ensure that the Cylon agent was completely off his guard.
**It's also possible she is not as strong as we think, and truly felt something for Leoben in those few moments.
***That seems unlikely considering that after she shoved a 6" blade into his belly, she watched his face as she twisted it. That would be taken as an indication of extreme hatred by most people.
**She does, of course, have a well-demonstrated flair for the dramatic.
*What about the Cylons, such as Leoben, who were killed during the insurection? If they were dependant on a resurrection facility on New Caprica, is said facility still operational? If not, is there a resurrection ship in range?
*What, besides ''Galactica'' and her crew, was gained by the sacrifice of ''Pegasus''? Most of the civilian ships had already jumped to safety, and ''Pegasus'' did not bring any Vipers along to escort the remainder, opting instead to leave them to defend the small civilian fleet it had been protecting. If nothing was gained besides the survival of ''Galactica'', the sacrifice was a costly and foolish mistake - the fleet has lost the more advanced of its two battlestars, and along with it, its ability to manufacture new Vipers ([[Scar]]).
**From a purely military mission perspective that is correct. ''Pegasus''' intervention seems to have been made solely because of the personal feelings of its commander. For the Cylons, the destruction of Pegasus and the retrieval of Hera compensate to an extent for the loss of three base stars and 39,000 human prisoners.
** Actually the mission was to rescue the 39,000 humans, the bulk of the survivors of the human race. The military perspective would be the sacrifice was worth the loss (though it would have been better, perhaps, if ''Galactica'' would have done the suicide run). It seems, though, that ''Pegasus'' would have jumped out if it could do so, but the ship lost its FTL drive during the pounding. This seems to happen relatively frequently for heavily defended warships designed to engage in brutal combat -- both Battlestars lost FTL during this battle. Also, ''Galactica's'' facilities to manufacture Vipers may have been greatly improved during the year at New Caprica.
** From a tactical point of view, the survival of Admiral Adama, the best tactician in the rag-tag fleet, was more important that the survival of the superior battlestar.
** All of which raises the question of whether the loss of the ''Pegasus'' could have been averted had Lee gone along with the rescue plan in the first place, rather than arriving at the halfway mark.
** The loss of ''Pegasus'' is a blow to the Colonials, but it also serves the intention of the writing staff. The ''Pegasus'' was an off-balanced factor to the strength of the human fleet. Without ''Pegasus'', the show returns to the rag-tag fleet that was established in the first season. This will make the survival of the human race more difficult, but the story of the show is to watch the struggle on the search for Earth.
* Now that ''Galactica'' is carrying the Viper squadrons from both battlestars, will the starboard flight pod be returned to service?

== Analysis ==

*There is a major plot hole concerning the continuity of the story from Exodus, Part I. In Part I, D'Anna sees Caprica-Sharon in the detention center and is shot by her. Yet in Part II, D'Anna is in Colonial One, apparently unharmed, and has not alerted the Cylons to Sharon's presence.
**That is a different D'Anna. You'll note the D'Anna in Colonial One before the attack is wearing all black, whereas the D'Anna that encountered Sharon typically wears lighter colors. The two D'Annas are seen together in The Occupation.
***This is NOT a different D'Anna. This is the same D'Anna that dreamt about Hera and relayed this information to Sharon Agathon, and later carried Hera in her arms as her dreams foretold. The plot hole stands.
****Some time had passed once the fleet received news that Sharon retrieved the command codes. D'Anna might have been released/resurrected within that time span. We are not told whether she had informed the Cylon leadership of Sharon's presence.

*Either the scenes aren't in order or Baltar is not aware of what is going on. In the Gaeta-Baltar scene, Baltar says, "The Cylons have a nuke in this complex. Nobody, and I mean nobody, is getting off this planet alive unless I stop D'Anna." But this is after most of the civilian ships have already jumped.

*Further, until Hera is discovered by Baltar, Three is still looking to set off the nuke -- even though it is clear that the colonists are all long gone.
**It's possible Three wasn't seeking to set off the nuke, but said she was as a ruse to go seek answers about her premonitions concerning Hera.
*** Any nuke held by the Cylons would likely be stored somewhere inside the guarded Cylon perimeter. It appears that this Three made a beeline to the Oracle, and was upset that she was not there. While going through the tent, knocking things over, she is quoted as saying "frackking liar!".
*It is hard to believe that the Cylons were not keeping closer tabs on the whereabouts of the launch keys -- no alarms, etc -- and didn't notice they were gone until the attack started.
*In general, the Cylons seem to have left the planet implausibly underguarded. Considering the strategic nature of the site, as well as the well-known fact that two battlestars remained at large, one would have expected the Cylons to have an overwhelming amount of protection for the planet -- perhaps dozens of basestars.
**It has been established beforehand that the Cylons are overstretched with the occupation. This could account for the lack of protection. At any rate, four basestars against two battlestars is hardly an even match, let alone two half-strength battlestars.
***A Basestar does not seem to be a 1 to 1 match for a Battlestar. They lack offensive and defensive gun batteries, the ability to maneuver quickly, and have a critical design flaw that is easily exploited (central hub holding the six arms together). Basestars depend on missiles and large numbers of Raiders. Adama felt that the Galactica, even barely manned, could hold up to two Cylon Basestars.
****Additionally, RDM has mentioned in his podcasts that the Cylons do have major operations elsewhere hinting at future storylines in the season. It is possible that the Cylon higher command made a strategic decision to guard the planet with what they deemed the minimal required number of basestars to defend against 2 battlestars.
*****One may also be prone to over estimating the number of Basestars the Cylons have. When preparing the attack on the twelve colonies, the Cylons knew that they had surprise and the backdoor computer virus on their side. As such they may not have produced a very large number of basestars (perhaps not even enough to match the number of battlestars the Colonies had). Furthermore, the knowledge that the colonials were ignorant of the location of the Cylon homeworld may have also played a part in them having a smaller fleet. If, for some reason, the attack failed, the cylons could simply retreat and bide their time before trying again. After all, when one is sure he can render his enemy defenseless, there's no real need to produce a pointlessly large army.
*With the former crew of ''Pegasus'' onboard ''Galactica'' now, the ship has something close to its standard crew size. (''Galactica's'' crew was deduced to be 2,693 in the episode "[[Water]]", and ''Pegasus's'' was introduced with a crew count of 1,752 in "[[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]" (see [[Crew tally]]). William Adama notes that over half of the crew has settled on [[New Caprica]] in "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]", and Lee confirms that both ships are at half-strength in "[[Occupation]]".) Military operations should be much smoother now, and repairs to the ship in general are more feasible.
**However, many repairs, such as structural, will require shipyard or dockyard facilities equiped with replacement parts and heavy repair machinery required for such repairs, and these facilities are no longer available. The ''Galactica'' may never again be the fighting force that it once was.
*While the combination of the ''Pegasus'' and ''Galactica'' air groups give the latter battlestar a full-strength fighter wing, the Fleet has suffered the loss of its most advanced and best-armed warship. With it also went the capability to build replacement Vipers, unless one of the civilian ships can be converted for such a purpose. Defensively, the Fleet is pretty much back to the position it was in when it left the Colonies.
**However, the Galactica did take significant structural damage during the conflict, therefore, it currently isn't in the same state of battle readiness as it was at the time it left the Colonies.
*It appears during the whole conflict in atmospheric combat that the Raiders were spending most of their time running from the Vipers. This may be due to the fact that Colonial Vipers have a far superior atmospheric design where Raiders are optimized for space operations. The Viper has a stabilizing vertical wing which aids the pilot in manuevering through the atmosphere just like all real-life combat aircraft. The Raider lacks this stabilizer wing much reducing their effectiveness in aeronautic combat and manuevering thrusters are not as effective in air as in space due to resistance. This made the tactic of depositing the ''Galactica's'' Vipers into a solely air-support role for evacuating ships very effective once the Space-borne Raiders were decoyed away from the planet so that the ''Galactica'' only had to face the Basestars, not the Raiders.
*''Pegasus'' seemed to fulfill its role just like the [[Pegasus (TOS)|original ''Pegasus'']], as it fought to the end to defeat two basetars and allowed ''Galactica'' along with the last of the fleet to escape from the Cylons.

== Notes ==

* There is also a TOS comic named ''[[Exodus!]]''
* Both parts of "Exodus" were originally planned as one episode. However, it was quickly realized that the story was far too large for one episode and it was split in two. This happened before with "[[Scattered]]" and "[[Valley of Darkness]]" and "[[Resurrection Ship, Part I|Resurrection Ship]]." It also helped save money because the construction of New Caprica, the extensive location shooting, the number of actors, as well as the special effects for "Exodus, Part II" were very expensive and the production was over budget.
* Apparently, the viper Mk.VIIs deployed by Galactica in this episode have a yellow engine-glow instead of their usual blue. This may be a visual-effects-gaffe or the engines may have been effected by the nebular gas or even using a diffrent type of fuel or engine.
* The moment where Lee pauses to look back at the ''Pegasus'' CIC and says "thank you" references a parallel moment in the [http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Ds9 Deep Space Nine] episode [http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/The_Changing_Face_of_Evil "The Changing Face of Evil"], in which, after the doomed Defiant is ordered evacuated, Captain Sisko takes a long look back at his ruined bridge. As with the ''Pegasus'', in the next shot, the ship is destroyed. Bradley Thompson and David Weddle, who wrote of "Exodus, Part II", were staff writers on DS9.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

*''Discussing the failure of the occupation:''
:'''Number Three''': What would you have us do, Gaius?
:'''Gaius Baltar''': Leave. Pack up your centurions, and go. Please. Go.
:'''Number Three''': And then what? What would you do if we really just left you here? You'd live out your lives in peace and never trouble yourselves with thoughts of us again? Or would you raise your children with stories of the Cylon, the mechanical slaves who once did your bidding, only to turn against you? Killers who committed genocide against your race, the occupiers of this city until we just ran away? Would you tell them to tell the story to their children, and to their childrens' children, and nurse a dream of vengeance down through the years so that one day they could just go out into the stars and hunt the Cylon once more?
:'''Gaius Baltar''': Blood for blood ...has to stop one day.

*''Roslin heads to Colonial One''
:'''Roslin''': My ship's up there.
:'''Zarek''': You sure have a sense of the dramatic.

*''Adama comes to accept ''Galactica'''s end''
:'''Admiral Adama:''' Then that's it. It's been an honor.

*''After Hearing Pegasus Has Joined Galactica
:'''Admiral William Adama''': Damn You, Lee ...Thank You, Lee.

*''The Pegasus is evacuated before its destruction''
:'''Dualla:''' Alright, people, let's move. Out! Let's go. (To Lee): You too, Commander.
:'''Commander Lee Adama:''' Yes, sir. (Begins to leave, then stops and looks around at Pegasus): Thank you.

*''As the two Adamas reunite after the battle:''
:'''Admiral William Adama''': I guess you didn't understand my orders.
:'''Commander Lee Adama''': I never could read your handwriting.

*''Adama welcomes Col. Tigh back to ''Galactica''
:'''Adama:''' You did it, Saul. You brought them back.
:'''Tigh:''' Not all of them.

== Official Statements ==

== Guest Stars ==
*[[Michael Hogan]] as [[Saul Tigh]]
*[[Aaron Douglas]] as [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Tahmoh Penikett]] as Lt. [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
*[[Nicki Clyne]] as [[Cally Henderson Tyrol|Cally Tyrol]]
*[[Alessandro Juliani]] as [[Felix Gaeta]]
*[[Kandyse McClure]] as [[Anastasia Dualla]]
*[[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]]
*[[Richard Hatch]] as [[Tom Zarek]]
*[[Rick Worthy]] as [[Simon]]
*[[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Leoben Conoy]]
*[[Kate Vernon]] as [[Ellen Tigh]]
*[[Matthew Bennett]] as [[Number Five]]
*[[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
*[[Luciana Carro]] as Lt. [[Louanne Katraine|Louanne "Kat" Katraine]]

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

{{episode list (RDM season 3)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Bradley Thompson]]
[[Category:Episodes written by David Weddle]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Félix Enríquez Alcalá]]
[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:Exodus, Part II]]

Exodus, Part II

2006-10-22T04:17:00Z

Mike Schiraldi: /* Analysis */