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The Hand of God (RDM)

2006-03-25T00:26:33Z

Pickle UK: /* Notes */ more on railway line

:''This article details an episode of the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|re-imagined series]]. For information on the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|original series]] episode of the same name, see [[The Hand of God (TOS)]].''

{{Episode Data|
Image =[[Image:HandofGod.jpg|300px]]
| Title=The Hand of God
| Series=[[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|the Re-imagined Series]]
| Season=[[Season 1 (2004-05)|1]]
| Episode=10
| Guests=
| Writer=[[David Weddle]] & [[Bradley Thompson]]
| Story=
| Director=[[Jeff Woolnough]]
| Production=1.10
| Rating=
| US Airdate=March 11 2005
| UK Airdate=January 3 2005
| DVD=March 28 2005 (UK) September 20 2005 (US)
| Population=47,898
| Prev=[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down|Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]
| Next=[[Colonial Day]]
}}

== Overview ==

: ''With the Fleet short of [[tylium|fuel]], ''[[Galactica]]'' launches a daring attack on a Cylon base.''

== Summary ==
* [[The Fleet (RDM)|The Fleet]] is almost out of fuel, and ''[[Galactica]]'' has [[Raptor|Raptors]] out scouting nearby star systems to find tylium ore - if they don't, the fleet can make two more [[FTL|Jumps]] at best
* Aboard one of the Raptors, [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Boomer]] and [[Crashdown]] find more than tylium – they find an asteroid full of the ore, complete with a Cylon base and refinery
* Faced with hoping to locate tylium elsewhere using their remaining supplies of fuel, or taking the asteroid from the Cylons, [[William Adama|Adama]] opts to take the asteroid
* On ''[[Colonial One]]'', [[Laura Roslin]] reveals she is being affected by taking [[Chamalla]] extract to [[Elosha]] – her dreams about [[Leoben Conoy]] which occurred immediately before he was found on the ''[[Gemenon Traveler]]'' ([[Flesh and Bone]]), and her hallucination about snakes
* On hearing about the snakes, Elosha reveals an ancient text written by [[Pythia]] 3,600 years ago concerning the exodus of humankind
* [[Saul Tigh]] and [[Lee Adama]] draw up an initial plan to take the asteroid, but [[Kara Thrace]] comes up with an unconventional idea to accomplish the mission
* Plans are drawn up for the attack on the Cylon base on the asteroid, and [[Gaius Baltar]] is involved in preparations. In doing so he completes his transition into “an instrument of God” as described by [[Number Six]]
* The attack is launched – at first everything appears to go wrong; but as the situation unfolds, it turns out that there is a plan-within-a-plan (courtesy of Thrace's unconventional thinking). Adama doesn’t trust anyone other than his immediate officers with the full details of the action - not even Roslin.
* Even so, things do not go well until, in a daring maneuver, Lee Adama manages to destroy the Cylon base on the asteroid, and win the supplies of tylium for the Fleet.
[[Image:bsg-1-10.jpg|thumb|Adama and staff plan the attack.]]
=== On Caprica: ===
*[[Karl Agathon|Helo]] and [[Sharon Valerii (Caprica copy)|Valerii]] are hiding-out on a farm on their way to [[Delphi]]
*When Helo offers to fix a meal, Valerii is uncharacteristically sick, leading them to try and settle down for some sleep
*They are interrupted by the arrival of a troop of [[Cylon Centurion]]s - lead by another copy of Six.
*Forcing a stunned Helo into action - he cannot believe the woman he saw Valerii kill is coming after them - Valerii forces him back on the run

== Summary from SciFi.com ==
As its fuel supply dwindles, the fleet must seek out a new supply of tylium ore or risk becoming sitting ducks to any Cylon attack. A recon patrol finds an asteroid full of the fuel, but there's a catch — the Cylons have found it first and established a heavily guarded refining plant.

Kara devises a plan: Jump three decoy ships near the asteroid; when the Cylons attack, destroy their bases, leaving them stranded in space. It's a bold tactic, but it will take luck, skill and daring to pull it off.

Meanwhile, President Roslin begins to hallucinate as a result of the Chamalla she's taking to combat her breast cancer. When she consults Elosha, a priestess who has used Chamalla to induce visions, she learns that her circumstances fulfill a 3,600-year-old prophecy.

On Cylon-occupied Caprica, Sharon and Helo's flight from the Cylon overseers suddenly becomes more complicated when Sharon discovers she's pregnant.
--This section ©2005, [http://www.scifi.com SCI FI]. All rights reserved.

== Questions ==

* Why did [[William Adama|Commander Adama]] order the fighters to pursue the fleeing [[Cylon Raiders]], instead of securing the area? One possibility for attacking the remaining fighters to prevent them from getting reinforcements from a distant [[Basestar (RDM)|basestar]]. ''(Although Adama will not have discovered this until later episodes, Raiders have the ability to make a jump ''much'' farther than any Colonial vessel.)''
* How many Vipers does ''Galactica'' actually have? Do they have a contingency plan should the majority (or all) of the Vipers be destroyed? Or are they simply fraked? (See [[Galactica (RDM)#Running Tallies|this article for a running tally by episode to-date]])
* Are the Colonials able to build ships, such as [[Viper (RDM)|Vipers]], from scratch? Or can they take destroyed hulks and rebuild off them? (Answer: Vipers are frequently salvaged, but only to a point. [[Flight of the Phoenix|Yes, they can build from scratch]], although the result [[Blackbird|may not be a Viper]]. However, [[Pegasus (RDM)|''Pegasus'']] is able to build Vipers from scratch, when she has the raw materials (metal ore, etc) to do so. ([[Scar]]))
* How exactly can a 3,600 year old text foretell the exodus of humanity, and the leadership of [[Laura Roslin|President Roslin]]? ([[Sacred Scrolls|Answer]].)
* Does someone have time on their hands to build miniatures of the new Cylon Raiders for the [[Situation Room]]!?
* If [[Gaius Baltar]] read the Sacred Scrolls in "... the 6th grade", why, in spite of being the former Secretary of Education, doesn't [[Laura Roslin|President Roslin]] know who [[Pythia]] is?
**Answer: According to RDM, the Sacred Scrolls are much like modern Earth religions, i.e. the vast majority of the general populace often knows many often-quoted phrases and the general philosophy of a religion, but that doesn't mean every person is a theology scholar. Also, like Earth different sections of the Twelve Colonies are more religious than others. [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Caprica|Caprica]], for example, is quite secular in regards to religion, while [[Gemenon]] is religiously fundamentalist, believing in the literal truth of the Sacred Scrolls.
*Is Baltar truly an instrument of "God"?

== Analysis ==

Another powerful episode – if unfortunately contrived in some areas - that did much to further several plot lines and again draw together so much of what has transpired in previous episodes.

The performances throughout were powerful, and it was in some ways good to see one or two of the characters falling back into their old ways – notably Starbuck sliding back towards her conceited, overly-confident “frak off, only I can do this” annoying in-yer-faceness, and Apollo with his “oh woe is me” routine. That both of these two – who have progressed so far in so many different ways in so short a time (36 days, to be exact) can be seen to still have the baggage of their formal lives kicking around their feet, ready to be tripped over, is again a point in BSG’s favour in portraying the reality of the human condition. No-one becomes an ideal role-model overnight – or over the course of a month.

It’s also interesting to see how Roslin’s doubts concerning Adama’s humanity ([[Flesh and Bone]], [[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]) have now reaped their harvest: Adama doesn’t trust her sufficiently enough to reveal all the details of tactical and strategic operations to her. In many respects, this side of their relationship is back to how it was back in "[[33]]".

With the Helo / Valerii situation on Caprica, the procreation element appears to have come to the fore. Despite the time of day, Vallerii's vomiting smacked strongly of "morning sickness". If this is the case, the meaning behind her statement to Helo that she is the one the Cylons are after ([[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]] is doubly clear: not only do they want her back – they want what they suspect she may be carrying inside her. And now he’s seen Six again, Helo can’t go on much longer before he starts stringing at least some of it together.

But of the entire episode, it is the opening of the Roslin and Baltar arcs that are the compelling.

Roslin is interesting on a number of levels. First off, there is the fact that she herself has some limited precognition, presumably as a result of the Chamalla treatment she is taking. But if it has happened once ([[Flesh and Bone]]), will it happen again? What will happen as her cancer grows, and she comes to rely on Chamalla and other medications to a greater degree. Oracles are not uncommon, it would appear from Colonial legend (Pythia) – could we see Roslin travel the road from purely political leader to a more pseudo-religious leader / Sybil; a possible counter-point to Baltar himself?

Then there is the reference to Pythia herself, and a further link to the ancient Greece of our own planet. In Greek mythology, the Pythia was the priestess at Apollo's oracle in Delphi. The name itself comes from Python, the dragon slain by Apollo.

The Pythia operated as a vehicle for Apollo's will to be known to those on earth. A believer would make a sacrifice and present a question to a priest. The priest would then present the question to the Pythia. The Pythia sat on a bronze tripod in the adytum, or inner chamber of Apollo's temple. In this sacred chamber the spirit of Apollo overcame the Pythia and inspired the prophecy.

Note the interesting potential resonances here:

*In our mythology, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythia Pythia] was the servant of Apollo; in BSG, we see a woman foretold by the Colonial’s “Pythia” seeking the counsel of “Apollo” (Lee Adama), and using the knowledge he imparts to her to better understand the likes of Adama
*In our mythology, it is often inferred that Pythia’s trances were induced from chewing laurel leaves (hence depictions of her holding a sprig of laurel) – on BSG, Roslin’s “visions” are induced by her taking an herbal remedy known as [[Chamalla]] extract.

A further interesting – possibly coincidental – resonance is that the Pythia in ancient Greece were the oracle of Delphi – and on Caprica, Helo and Valerii are making for the religious centre of Delphi.

On Baltar’s part, things are equally interesting – both in their religious context, and with the evolving situation with “his” Six.

Following his seeking God’s forgiveness ([[33]]) and his repentance of his sins ([[Six Degrees of Separation]]), Baltar finally becomes God’s “instrument”. He literally becomes the hand of God referenced in the episode title: he is the one that points out the target that will destroy the Cylon base.

This in itself is interesting. Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen Baltar move through the five emotional states that tend to guide our reactions to a new “truth” we’d rather not face:

*Denial (dismissing the “disappearance” of the ''Olympic Carrier'' after the call from Dr. Amorak as anything more than a serendipitous event - [[33]])
*Anger (his outright hostility towards Six as she continues to "bore" him with talk of God - [[Six Degrees of Separation]])
*Bargaining (praying to God for his safety in return for his obedience - [[Six Degrees of Separation]])
*Depression (leaving the Situation Room without having “heard” God’s voice & facing up to the fact that he had to – again - lie)
*Acceptance his messianic response to Six’s coaxing at the end of this episode.

Another interesting aspect of Baltar’s acceptance that he is indeed an “instrument of God” is in the fact that – as with many [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_Christianity fundamentalist Christian]] teachings here on Earth (which state that to truly become a Christian, one must undergo “death” and rebirth - hence the baptism) - Baltar experiences his own “death” as Six apparently breaks his neck while in his fantasy world, and he is “reborn” in the present, facing Tigh and Starbuck, and points out the tylium precursor tanks on the asteroid.

Given all this, is it any wonder we have a somewhat messianic Baltar at the end of the episode?

But what is the driving force behind Baltar’s “conversion”? The concept of a pseudo-Christian God is very much a Cylon concept, being repeatedly expressed by both Baltar’s Six and Leoben Conoy. It is also a concept alien to Colonial thinking. Taking it as read that Baltar is a human – one who prides himself on being a rational genius and “above” the need for religious “flim-flam” - why should he fixate on a Cylon religious concept?

Could it simply be a part of his mind playing on something Six said to him before Caprica was attacked? Or could it be the fact that “his” Six really is something more than a simple manifestation of his own psychosis? That she is an ideology / personality “downloaded” into him?

Again, this episode points towards Six being an ideology / personality downloaded into Baltar. To dismiss all that has happened around Baltar as a simple string of coincidences he has been able to knit together into his own personal version of reality is, on the basis of the events in this episode, becoming increasingly hard to accept.

And it is Six who brings the story circle – returning to the writings of Pythia and the two and ten serpents – only in this case, an alternative meaning is deduced (by Baltar): the 12 serpents are in fact the 12 Vipers lead by Apollo on the raid on the Cylon base. And again, notice the careful counterpoint: when Roslin reveals her hallucination to Elosha, the priestess reveals the writings of Pythia to her, essentially anointing Roslin as the leader Pythia once foretold. In the closing scene we have Six using the same writings to finally convince Baltar that he is also “anointed” – an instrument of God.

Is it mere coincidence that Six picks on the same passages as those identified by Elosha?

Away from these two threads, Adama further reconciles himself with his son – the scene played out in the Viper bay with the lighter is exceptionally well-handled, and fully in keeping with all that we’ve seen between Adama and Lee since the events of [[You Can’t Go Home Again]]. Indeed, in this, it is far more in keeping with the nature of both characters than the somewhat clumsy scene between Adama and Thrace that took place in Adama’s cabin during [[Act of Contrition]].

Similarly, and as mentioned, the re-bubbling of animosity between Lee Adama and Kara Thrace is handled by the writers and the actors with the right level of intensity that makes the situation so believable: Lee Adama’s resurfacing self-doubt; Thrace’s returning arrogance (born no doubt of her inability to fly herself): a careful mix that fully reminds us that there is still a lot of history to these characters – to all our cast – and past attitudes and doubts are not easily put aside.

Returning to the main thrust of the episode: the need of tylium and the attack on the Cylon base. In setting it up, the producers are making it clear that, as with the fall-out from the events of [[Water]], they are not going to forget logistical matters. We’ve had a water shortage, now we’ve had a fuel shortage. However, they’ve also very cleverly made it clear that such problems are not going to become an easy fall-back for writers stuck for ideas to use: in [[Water]] it was made abundantly clear that, saving sabotage or serious damage, ''[[Galactica]]'' can keep the majority of the fleet supplied with clean water (and it was intimated that other vessels in the fleet can take care of their own water needs). Here, it is fuel that is currently the issue of the day – providing the Cylon base is taken; we’re informed that fuel supplies needn’t be a problem for the fleet for another couple of years – again barring mishaps.

But perhaps the most interesting question surrounding the entire tylium situation is: was it actually a set-up by the Cylons?

We know from Leoben Conoy’s promise to Starbuck ([[Flesh and Bone]]) that the Colonials are going to find Kobol. To do so, they are going to need fuel – and the chances are that the Cylons are aware of this fact, either through deduction (the Fleet has been burning fuel at a considerable rate – no fewer than 238 jumps in the first five days of the “chase”) or via possible contact with their agents within the Fleet. What better to ensure they reach Kobol that to not only provide them with raw tylium, but also with the facilities to rapidly mine it? Certainly, considering their vast numerical superiority (some 140 Raiders facing around 18-20 Vipers) – the Cylons gave up easily enough once the base had been destroyed.

Further, given the way they appear to set so much by Colonial religious writings – Six and Conoy both quoting scripture and ancient texts – allowing the Colonials to “win” the battle at the tylium asteroid could been seen as a means of fulfilling the prophesy quoted by Six to Baltar, and thus helping “ensure” the upcoming confrontation at Kobol.

Which is not to say the story is not without a few hiccups; for a start, how does a seasoned tactical officer like Tigh come up with a plan of attack on the Cylon base that is so fundamentally flawed in its concept from the outset: jumping the Galactica in “behind” the enemy, without considering the nature and extent of the enemy’s likely fighter patrols? One might forgive Lee Adama such a mistake – he’s hardly a veteran war planner; but Tigh? He of all people should know that this far outside of a friendly sphere of influence, when the enemy (the Colonials) have a warship capable of jumping in on them from any point in space, the Cylons are bound to have the most obvious hiding-places staked out with fighter patrols or automated scanning systems.

No, the flawed planning is designed to open the door to Starbuck’s “out-of-the-box” thinking and the planting of the decoy mission. Sadly, while it does this, the way the opening is played diminishes Tigh for his lack of foresight.

Then there is the question of why is Starbuck so upset that the first part of the plan - the attack by Viper Strike Force One is going “wrong”? It is her plan – as Adama states – and so she should be aware that it is the “Strike Force” that is in fact the decoy, not the freighters. As such, the decoys stand a good chance of “being cut to pieces” – yet her reaction, in facing Adama is accusatory, as if she had no idea this would happen.

Next up is the fact that - despite the loss of their base – the Cylons have a massive numerical superiority over the Colonial Vipers (some 18-20 Vipers (after losses), split into two small groups facing-off against 140-ish Raiders) – yet they failed to ram this advantage home. Part of the Cylon plan? Possibly, but the way it was handled in the episode (the Raiders simply “bugging out”) doesn’t really support this. Nor does the idea of those same 140-odd Raiders simply running away from a force of just 8 Vipers (the remaining ships of Strike Force One) without making some attempt at taking out several more Vipers.

Finally, there is Adama’s apparently reckless response to the news the Cylons are bugging out – ordering his fighters after them when a) the Cylons do have a massive numerical superiority that could quickly put his fighters at risk; b) the Cylons have FTL and so could easily evade the Vipers (after drawing them out) prior to jumping, re-grouping and then jumping back in (to, say, launch an attack directly on ''Galactica'' herself while she is still sans fighters.

But these really are minor glitches in what is otherwise an episode that again operates on several levels and cleverly interweaves a number of different threads.

== Notes ==
*Nine days have passed since the events of [[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]].
*Tylium ore is use to power FTL systems, but probably not through any fissionable reaction.
*Tylium has an energy density of about 5e14 J/kg, comparable to that of nuclear fusion.
*Cylon technology is clearly a Colonial off-shoot, as one would expect: from the use of tylium down to the shape of doorways.
*William Adama’s father was Joseph Adama.
*Sharon Valerii on Caprica may well be pregnant.
*Lt. Gaeta makes mention in passing conversation to Apollo that the Colonials actually know where the [[Cylon homeworld]] is ("they'd build a refinery this far from their homeworld?" "Why not? They need fuel out here just as much as we do").
*There is an ancient text some 3,600 years old foretelling humanity’s flight – and apparently, Roslin’s leadership.
*Mark II Vipers can carry both missiles and munitions pods (bombs).
*The Mark VII Vipers all appear to be out of commission - even Apollo is now regularly flying a Mk II.
*The religious overtones to the human / Cylon struggle are becoming more pronounced, with a now-promised confrontation due at the “home of the Gods”.
*The Colonial fleet has a tylium refinery ship among its number.
*With the capture of the tylium mining facilities on the asteroid, the Colonials should be able to gather enough tylium to keep them going for about 2 years – assuming they can shift that much tylium to their refinery ship before the Cylons return.
*A railway line can be seen below the balcony of Baltar's house on Caprica (at the end of the episode). Single track, mounted on apparently wooden (as oppsoed to conrete sleepers), on a bed of gravel, without any form of electrifcation (3rd rail or overhead wires)
*The "R&D TV Animation" skit consists of David Eick slicing Ron Moore's face open with a piece of paper.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

*Lee Adama sits with a battered Viper before the mission. He is joined by his father, who after a short conversation, Adama hands Lee a lighter:
:Commander Adama: It belonged to your grandfather. My mother bought it for him when he was in law school. See the engraving on it?
:Lee Adama: (reading the name "Joseph Adama") Yes I...can barely make it out...
:Commander Adama: He was a better father than I was. Dad used to carry that into court cases. He claimed he never lost unless he left it behind.
:Lee Adama: So you’re worried too.
:Commander Adama: About what?
:Lee Adama: Sometimes it feels like the whole ship thinks...Starbuck...would do better.
:Commander Adama: I don’t.
:Lee Adama: How can you be so sure?
:Commander Adama: Because you’re my son.

*During the briefing with Apollo, Tigh, Starbuck, Adama, and Roslin.
:Commander Adama: Sometimes, you gotta roll the hard six.

== Official Statements ==




== Guest stars ==
[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Michael+Hogan Michael Hogan] (COL [[Saul Tigh]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Tahmoh+Penikett Tahmoh Penikett] ([[Karl Agathon|Helo]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Aaron+Dougl(Aaron Douglas] (CPO [[Galen Tyrol]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Lorena+Gale Lorena Gale] ([[Elosha]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nicki+Clyne Nicki Clyne] (SPC [[Cally]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Cailin+Stadnyk Cailin Stadnyk] (Ensign [[Davis]]) [[Bodie Olmos]] ([[Brendan Constanza|Hot Dog]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Lucianna+Carro Lucianna Carro] ([[Louanne Katraine|Kat]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Terry+Chen Terry Chen] ([[Perry|Chuckles]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Christina+Schild Christina Schild] ([[Playa Kohn]]) [[Biski Gugushe]] ([[Sekou Hamilton]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Paul+Cummings Paul Cummings] ([[Fireball]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Camille+Sullivan Camille Sullivan] ([[Stepchild]])

== Statistics ==


== External Links ==
[http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/episodes/season01/110/ "The Hand of God"] at scifi.com
{{Episode List}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Episode Guide (RDM)|Hand of God, The]]
[[Category:RDM]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Bradley Thompson]]
[[Category:Episodes written by David Weddle]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Jeff Woolnough]]

[[es:La Mano de Dios]]

The Hand of God (RDM)

2006-03-25T00:24:12Z

Pickle UK: /* Notes */ railway line on Caprica

:''This article details an episode of the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|re-imagined series]]. For information on the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|original series]] episode of the same name, see [[The Hand of God (TOS)]].''

{{Episode Data|
Image =[[Image:HandofGod.jpg|300px]]
| Title=The Hand of God
| Series=[[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|the Re-imagined Series]]
| Season=[[Season 1 (2004-05)|1]]
| Episode=10
| Guests=
| Writer=[[David Weddle]] & [[Bradley Thompson]]
| Story=
| Director=[[Jeff Woolnough]]
| Production=1.10
| Rating=
| US Airdate=March 11 2005
| UK Airdate=January 3 2005
| DVD=March 28 2005 (UK) September 20 2005 (US)
| Population=47,898
| Prev=[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down|Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]
| Next=[[Colonial Day]]
}}

== Overview ==

: ''With the Fleet short of [[tylium|fuel]], ''[[Galactica]]'' launches a daring attack on a Cylon base.''

== Summary ==
* [[The Fleet (RDM)|The Fleet]] is almost out of fuel, and ''[[Galactica]]'' has [[Raptor|Raptors]] out scouting nearby star systems to find tylium ore - if they don't, the fleet can make two more [[FTL|Jumps]] at best
* Aboard one of the Raptors, [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Boomer]] and [[Crashdown]] find more than tylium – they find an asteroid full of the ore, complete with a Cylon base and refinery
* Faced with hoping to locate tylium elsewhere using their remaining supplies of fuel, or taking the asteroid from the Cylons, [[William Adama|Adama]] opts to take the asteroid
* On ''[[Colonial One]]'', [[Laura Roslin]] reveals she is being affected by taking [[Chamalla]] extract to [[Elosha]] – her dreams about [[Leoben Conoy]] which occurred immediately before he was found on the ''[[Gemenon Traveler]]'' ([[Flesh and Bone]]), and her hallucination about snakes
* On hearing about the snakes, Elosha reveals an ancient text written by [[Pythia]] 3,600 years ago concerning the exodus of humankind
* [[Saul Tigh]] and [[Lee Adama]] draw up an initial plan to take the asteroid, but [[Kara Thrace]] comes up with an unconventional idea to accomplish the mission
* Plans are drawn up for the attack on the Cylon base on the asteroid, and [[Gaius Baltar]] is involved in preparations. In doing so he completes his transition into “an instrument of God” as described by [[Number Six]]
* The attack is launched – at first everything appears to go wrong; but as the situation unfolds, it turns out that there is a plan-within-a-plan (courtesy of Thrace's unconventional thinking). Adama doesn’t trust anyone other than his immediate officers with the full details of the action - not even Roslin.
* Even so, things do not go well until, in a daring maneuver, Lee Adama manages to destroy the Cylon base on the asteroid, and win the supplies of tylium for the Fleet.
[[Image:bsg-1-10.jpg|thumb|Adama and staff plan the attack.]]
=== On Caprica: ===
*[[Karl Agathon|Helo]] and [[Sharon Valerii (Caprica copy)|Valerii]] are hiding-out on a farm on their way to [[Delphi]]
*When Helo offers to fix a meal, Valerii is uncharacteristically sick, leading them to try and settle down for some sleep
*They are interrupted by the arrival of a troop of [[Cylon Centurion]]s - lead by another copy of Six.
*Forcing a stunned Helo into action - he cannot believe the woman he saw Valerii kill is coming after them - Valerii forces him back on the run

== Summary from SciFi.com ==
As its fuel supply dwindles, the fleet must seek out a new supply of tylium ore or risk becoming sitting ducks to any Cylon attack. A recon patrol finds an asteroid full of the fuel, but there's a catch — the Cylons have found it first and established a heavily guarded refining plant.

Kara devises a plan: Jump three decoy ships near the asteroid; when the Cylons attack, destroy their bases, leaving them stranded in space. It's a bold tactic, but it will take luck, skill and daring to pull it off.

Meanwhile, President Roslin begins to hallucinate as a result of the Chamalla she's taking to combat her breast cancer. When she consults Elosha, a priestess who has used Chamalla to induce visions, she learns that her circumstances fulfill a 3,600-year-old prophecy.

On Cylon-occupied Caprica, Sharon and Helo's flight from the Cylon overseers suddenly becomes more complicated when Sharon discovers she's pregnant.
--This section ©2005, [http://www.scifi.com SCI FI]. All rights reserved.

== Questions ==

* Why did [[William Adama|Commander Adama]] order the fighters to pursue the fleeing [[Cylon Raiders]], instead of securing the area? One possibility for attacking the remaining fighters to prevent them from getting reinforcements from a distant [[Basestar (RDM)|basestar]]. ''(Although Adama will not have discovered this until later episodes, Raiders have the ability to make a jump ''much'' farther than any Colonial vessel.)''
* How many Vipers does ''Galactica'' actually have? Do they have a contingency plan should the majority (or all) of the Vipers be destroyed? Or are they simply fraked? (See [[Galactica (RDM)#Running Tallies|this article for a running tally by episode to-date]])
* Are the Colonials able to build ships, such as [[Viper (RDM)|Vipers]], from scratch? Or can they take destroyed hulks and rebuild off them? (Answer: Vipers are frequently salvaged, but only to a point. [[Flight of the Phoenix|Yes, they can build from scratch]], although the result [[Blackbird|may not be a Viper]]. However, [[Pegasus (RDM)|''Pegasus'']] is able to build Vipers from scratch, when she has the raw materials (metal ore, etc) to do so. ([[Scar]]))
* How exactly can a 3,600 year old text foretell the exodus of humanity, and the leadership of [[Laura Roslin|President Roslin]]? ([[Sacred Scrolls|Answer]].)
* Does someone have time on their hands to build miniatures of the new Cylon Raiders for the [[Situation Room]]!?
* If [[Gaius Baltar]] read the Sacred Scrolls in "... the 6th grade", why, in spite of being the former Secretary of Education, doesn't [[Laura Roslin|President Roslin]] know who [[Pythia]] is?
**Answer: According to RDM, the Sacred Scrolls are much like modern Earth religions, i.e. the vast majority of the general populace often knows many often-quoted phrases and the general philosophy of a religion, but that doesn't mean every person is a theology scholar. Also, like Earth different sections of the Twelve Colonies are more religious than others. [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Caprica|Caprica]], for example, is quite secular in regards to religion, while [[Gemenon]] is religiously fundamentalist, believing in the literal truth of the Sacred Scrolls.
*Is Baltar truly an instrument of "God"?

== Analysis ==

Another powerful episode – if unfortunately contrived in some areas - that did much to further several plot lines and again draw together so much of what has transpired in previous episodes.

The performances throughout were powerful, and it was in some ways good to see one or two of the characters falling back into their old ways – notably Starbuck sliding back towards her conceited, overly-confident “frak off, only I can do this” annoying in-yer-faceness, and Apollo with his “oh woe is me” routine. That both of these two – who have progressed so far in so many different ways in so short a time (36 days, to be exact) can be seen to still have the baggage of their formal lives kicking around their feet, ready to be tripped over, is again a point in BSG’s favour in portraying the reality of the human condition. No-one becomes an ideal role-model overnight – or over the course of a month.

It’s also interesting to see how Roslin’s doubts concerning Adama’s humanity ([[Flesh and Bone]], [[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]) have now reaped their harvest: Adama doesn’t trust her sufficiently enough to reveal all the details of tactical and strategic operations to her. In many respects, this side of their relationship is back to how it was back in "[[33]]".

With the Helo / Valerii situation on Caprica, the procreation element appears to have come to the fore. Despite the time of day, Vallerii's vomiting smacked strongly of "morning sickness". If this is the case, the meaning behind her statement to Helo that she is the one the Cylons are after ([[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]] is doubly clear: not only do they want her back – they want what they suspect she may be carrying inside her. And now he’s seen Six again, Helo can’t go on much longer before he starts stringing at least some of it together.

But of the entire episode, it is the opening of the Roslin and Baltar arcs that are the compelling.

Roslin is interesting on a number of levels. First off, there is the fact that she herself has some limited precognition, presumably as a result of the Chamalla treatment she is taking. But if it has happened once ([[Flesh and Bone]]), will it happen again? What will happen as her cancer grows, and she comes to rely on Chamalla and other medications to a greater degree. Oracles are not uncommon, it would appear from Colonial legend (Pythia) – could we see Roslin travel the road from purely political leader to a more pseudo-religious leader / Sybil; a possible counter-point to Baltar himself?

Then there is the reference to Pythia herself, and a further link to the ancient Greece of our own planet. In Greek mythology, the Pythia was the priestess at Apollo's oracle in Delphi. The name itself comes from Python, the dragon slain by Apollo.

The Pythia operated as a vehicle for Apollo's will to be known to those on earth. A believer would make a sacrifice and present a question to a priest. The priest would then present the question to the Pythia. The Pythia sat on a bronze tripod in the adytum, or inner chamber of Apollo's temple. In this sacred chamber the spirit of Apollo overcame the Pythia and inspired the prophecy.

Note the interesting potential resonances here:

*In our mythology, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythia Pythia] was the servant of Apollo; in BSG, we see a woman foretold by the Colonial’s “Pythia” seeking the counsel of “Apollo” (Lee Adama), and using the knowledge he imparts to her to better understand the likes of Adama
*In our mythology, it is often inferred that Pythia’s trances were induced from chewing laurel leaves (hence depictions of her holding a sprig of laurel) – on BSG, Roslin’s “visions” are induced by her taking an herbal remedy known as [[Chamalla]] extract.

A further interesting – possibly coincidental – resonance is that the Pythia in ancient Greece were the oracle of Delphi – and on Caprica, Helo and Valerii are making for the religious centre of Delphi.

On Baltar’s part, things are equally interesting – both in their religious context, and with the evolving situation with “his” Six.

Following his seeking God’s forgiveness ([[33]]) and his repentance of his sins ([[Six Degrees of Separation]]), Baltar finally becomes God’s “instrument”. He literally becomes the hand of God referenced in the episode title: he is the one that points out the target that will destroy the Cylon base.

This in itself is interesting. Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen Baltar move through the five emotional states that tend to guide our reactions to a new “truth” we’d rather not face:

*Denial (dismissing the “disappearance” of the ''Olympic Carrier'' after the call from Dr. Amorak as anything more than a serendipitous event - [[33]])
*Anger (his outright hostility towards Six as she continues to "bore" him with talk of God - [[Six Degrees of Separation]])
*Bargaining (praying to God for his safety in return for his obedience - [[Six Degrees of Separation]])
*Depression (leaving the Situation Room without having “heard” God’s voice & facing up to the fact that he had to – again - lie)
*Acceptance his messianic response to Six’s coaxing at the end of this episode.

Another interesting aspect of Baltar’s acceptance that he is indeed an “instrument of God” is in the fact that – as with many [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_Christianity fundamentalist Christian]] teachings here on Earth (which state that to truly become a Christian, one must undergo “death” and rebirth - hence the baptism) - Baltar experiences his own “death” as Six apparently breaks his neck while in his fantasy world, and he is “reborn” in the present, facing Tigh and Starbuck, and points out the tylium precursor tanks on the asteroid.

Given all this, is it any wonder we have a somewhat messianic Baltar at the end of the episode?

But what is the driving force behind Baltar’s “conversion”? The concept of a pseudo-Christian God is very much a Cylon concept, being repeatedly expressed by both Baltar’s Six and Leoben Conoy. It is also a concept alien to Colonial thinking. Taking it as read that Baltar is a human – one who prides himself on being a rational genius and “above” the need for religious “flim-flam” - why should he fixate on a Cylon religious concept?

Could it simply be a part of his mind playing on something Six said to him before Caprica was attacked? Or could it be the fact that “his” Six really is something more than a simple manifestation of his own psychosis? That she is an ideology / personality “downloaded” into him?

Again, this episode points towards Six being an ideology / personality downloaded into Baltar. To dismiss all that has happened around Baltar as a simple string of coincidences he has been able to knit together into his own personal version of reality is, on the basis of the events in this episode, becoming increasingly hard to accept.

And it is Six who brings the story circle – returning to the writings of Pythia and the two and ten serpents – only in this case, an alternative meaning is deduced (by Baltar): the 12 serpents are in fact the 12 Vipers lead by Apollo on the raid on the Cylon base. And again, notice the careful counterpoint: when Roslin reveals her hallucination to Elosha, the priestess reveals the writings of Pythia to her, essentially anointing Roslin as the leader Pythia once foretold. In the closing scene we have Six using the same writings to finally convince Baltar that he is also “anointed” – an instrument of God.

Is it mere coincidence that Six picks on the same passages as those identified by Elosha?

Away from these two threads, Adama further reconciles himself with his son – the scene played out in the Viper bay with the lighter is exceptionally well-handled, and fully in keeping with all that we’ve seen between Adama and Lee since the events of [[You Can’t Go Home Again]]. Indeed, in this, it is far more in keeping with the nature of both characters than the somewhat clumsy scene between Adama and Thrace that took place in Adama’s cabin during [[Act of Contrition]].

Similarly, and as mentioned, the re-bubbling of animosity between Lee Adama and Kara Thrace is handled by the writers and the actors with the right level of intensity that makes the situation so believable: Lee Adama’s resurfacing self-doubt; Thrace’s returning arrogance (born no doubt of her inability to fly herself): a careful mix that fully reminds us that there is still a lot of history to these characters – to all our cast – and past attitudes and doubts are not easily put aside.

Returning to the main thrust of the episode: the need of tylium and the attack on the Cylon base. In setting it up, the producers are making it clear that, as with the fall-out from the events of [[Water]], they are not going to forget logistical matters. We’ve had a water shortage, now we’ve had a fuel shortage. However, they’ve also very cleverly made it clear that such problems are not going to become an easy fall-back for writers stuck for ideas to use: in [[Water]] it was made abundantly clear that, saving sabotage or serious damage, ''[[Galactica]]'' can keep the majority of the fleet supplied with clean water (and it was intimated that other vessels in the fleet can take care of their own water needs). Here, it is fuel that is currently the issue of the day – providing the Cylon base is taken; we’re informed that fuel supplies needn’t be a problem for the fleet for another couple of years – again barring mishaps.

But perhaps the most interesting question surrounding the entire tylium situation is: was it actually a set-up by the Cylons?

We know from Leoben Conoy’s promise to Starbuck ([[Flesh and Bone]]) that the Colonials are going to find Kobol. To do so, they are going to need fuel – and the chances are that the Cylons are aware of this fact, either through deduction (the Fleet has been burning fuel at a considerable rate – no fewer than 238 jumps in the first five days of the “chase”) or via possible contact with their agents within the Fleet. What better to ensure they reach Kobol that to not only provide them with raw tylium, but also with the facilities to rapidly mine it? Certainly, considering their vast numerical superiority (some 140 Raiders facing around 18-20 Vipers) – the Cylons gave up easily enough once the base had been destroyed.

Further, given the way they appear to set so much by Colonial religious writings – Six and Conoy both quoting scripture and ancient texts – allowing the Colonials to “win” the battle at the tylium asteroid could been seen as a means of fulfilling the prophesy quoted by Six to Baltar, and thus helping “ensure” the upcoming confrontation at Kobol.

Which is not to say the story is not without a few hiccups; for a start, how does a seasoned tactical officer like Tigh come up with a plan of attack on the Cylon base that is so fundamentally flawed in its concept from the outset: jumping the Galactica in “behind” the enemy, without considering the nature and extent of the enemy’s likely fighter patrols? One might forgive Lee Adama such a mistake – he’s hardly a veteran war planner; but Tigh? He of all people should know that this far outside of a friendly sphere of influence, when the enemy (the Colonials) have a warship capable of jumping in on them from any point in space, the Cylons are bound to have the most obvious hiding-places staked out with fighter patrols or automated scanning systems.

No, the flawed planning is designed to open the door to Starbuck’s “out-of-the-box” thinking and the planting of the decoy mission. Sadly, while it does this, the way the opening is played diminishes Tigh for his lack of foresight.

Then there is the question of why is Starbuck so upset that the first part of the plan - the attack by Viper Strike Force One is going “wrong”? It is her plan – as Adama states – and so she should be aware that it is the “Strike Force” that is in fact the decoy, not the freighters. As such, the decoys stand a good chance of “being cut to pieces” – yet her reaction, in facing Adama is accusatory, as if she had no idea this would happen.

Next up is the fact that - despite the loss of their base – the Cylons have a massive numerical superiority over the Colonial Vipers (some 18-20 Vipers (after losses), split into two small groups facing-off against 140-ish Raiders) – yet they failed to ram this advantage home. Part of the Cylon plan? Possibly, but the way it was handled in the episode (the Raiders simply “bugging out”) doesn’t really support this. Nor does the idea of those same 140-odd Raiders simply running away from a force of just 8 Vipers (the remaining ships of Strike Force One) without making some attempt at taking out several more Vipers.

Finally, there is Adama’s apparently reckless response to the news the Cylons are bugging out – ordering his fighters after them when a) the Cylons do have a massive numerical superiority that could quickly put his fighters at risk; b) the Cylons have FTL and so could easily evade the Vipers (after drawing them out) prior to jumping, re-grouping and then jumping back in (to, say, launch an attack directly on ''Galactica'' herself while she is still sans fighters.

But these really are minor glitches in what is otherwise an episode that again operates on several levels and cleverly interweaves a number of different threads.

== Notes ==
*Nine days have passed since the events of [[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]].
*Tylium ore is use to power FTL systems, but probably not through any fissionable reaction.
*Tylium has an energy density of about 5e14 J/kg, comparable to that of nuclear fusion.
*Cylon technology is clearly a Colonial off-shoot, as one would expect: from the use of tylium down to the shape of doorways.
*William Adama’s father was Joseph Adama.
*Sharon Valerii on Caprica may well be pregnant.
*Lt. Gaeta makes mention in passing conversation to Apollo that the Colonials actually know where the [[Cylon homeworld]] is ("they'd build a refinery this far from their homeworld?" "Why not? They need fuel out here just as much as we do").
*There is an ancient text some 3,600 years old foretelling humanity’s flight – and apparently, Roslin’s leadership.
*Mark II Vipers can carry both missiles and munitions pods (bombs).
*The Mark VII Vipers all appear to be out of commission - even Apollo is now regularly flying a Mk II.
*The religious overtones to the human / Cylon struggle are becoming more pronounced, with a now-promised confrontation due at the “home of the Gods”.
*The Colonial fleet has a tylium refinery ship among its number.
*With the capture of the tylium mining facilities on the asteroid, the Colonials should be able to gather enough tylium to keep them going for about 2 years – assuming they can shift that much tylium to their refinery ship before the Cylons return.
*A railway line can be seen below the balcony of Baltar's house on Caprica (at the end of the episode)
*The "R&D TV Animation" skit consists of David Eick slicing Ron Moore's face open with a piece of paper.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

*Lee Adama sits with a battered Viper before the mission. He is joined by his father, who after a short conversation, Adama hands Lee a lighter:
:Commander Adama: It belonged to your grandfather. My mother bought it for him when he was in law school. See the engraving on it?
:Lee Adama: (reading the name "Joseph Adama") Yes I...can barely make it out...
:Commander Adama: He was a better father than I was. Dad used to carry that into court cases. He claimed he never lost unless he left it behind.
:Lee Adama: So you’re worried too.
:Commander Adama: About what?
:Lee Adama: Sometimes it feels like the whole ship thinks...Starbuck...would do better.
:Commander Adama: I don’t.
:Lee Adama: How can you be so sure?
:Commander Adama: Because you’re my son.

*During the briefing with Apollo, Tigh, Starbuck, Adama, and Roslin.
:Commander Adama: Sometimes, you gotta roll the hard six.

== Official Statements ==




== Guest stars ==
[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Michael+Hogan Michael Hogan] (COL [[Saul Tigh]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Tahmoh+Penikett Tahmoh Penikett] ([[Karl Agathon|Helo]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Aaron+Dougl(Aaron Douglas] (CPO [[Galen Tyrol]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Lorena+Gale Lorena Gale] ([[Elosha]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nicki+Clyne Nicki Clyne] (SPC [[Cally]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Cailin+Stadnyk Cailin Stadnyk] (Ensign [[Davis]]) [[Bodie Olmos]] ([[Brendan Constanza|Hot Dog]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Lucianna+Carro Lucianna Carro] ([[Louanne Katraine|Kat]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Terry+Chen Terry Chen] ([[Perry|Chuckles]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Christina+Schild Christina Schild] ([[Playa Kohn]]) [[Biski Gugushe]] ([[Sekou Hamilton]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Paul+Cummings Paul Cummings] ([[Fireball]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Camille+Sullivan Camille Sullivan] ([[Stepchild]])

== Statistics ==


== External Links ==
[http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/episodes/season01/110/ "The Hand of God"] at scifi.com
{{Episode List}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Episode Guide (RDM)|Hand of God, The]]
[[Category:RDM]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Bradley Thompson]]
[[Category:Episodes written by David Weddle]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Jeff Woolnough]]

[[es:La Mano de Dios]]

The Twelve Colonies of Kobol

2006-03-25T00:23:38Z

Pickle UK: /* Caprica */ railway line

''This article discusses the Twelve Colonies of the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]]. See [[The Twelve Colonies (TOS)]] for information on the Colonies of the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]].''

{{Twelve Colonies Series}}
Approximately 2,000 years ago, twelve of the thirteen tribes of [[Kobol]] settled on nearby worlds ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]). Their names and icons originally corresponded to the twelve signs of the western [[Wikipedia:Zodiac|Zodiac]], although these names drifted over time ([[Home, Part II]]).

It is unclear whether all twelve Colonies are orbiting a single star or not, or what the name of this star might be. The semi-canonical 2003 [[Video Game]] names the home system for the Twelve Colonies as [[Cyrannus]]. This has yet to be confirmed in the new television series, however.

[[Ronald D. Moore]] has suggested that the Colonies probably maintained some minor observatories and listening posts in outlying star systems, but it is unlikely that ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' will encounter them in the course of the series. ([http://blog.scifi.com/battlestar/archives/2005/01/index.html#a000016|RDM, January 30, 2005])

''In an early script of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica [[Mini-Series]], the Twelve Colonies were originally located on a single world - [[Kobol]]. However, this was later revised to twelve separate worlds, in keeping with the original concept.''
 

==Aerelon==
[[Image:ColonialColors7.png|thumb|100px|right|Colors and Symbol of Aerelon]]
'''Ancient Name''': [[wikipedia:Aries|Aries]]

"15 people were killed" when President [[Richard Adar]], for reasons unexplained, sent the [[Colonial Marine Corps|Marines]] to Aerelon ([[Water]]).

The mining colony of [[Troy]], destroyed in a cataclysmic explosion ([[Flesh and Bone]]) is located near Aerelon, and may have been operated by natives of that world. [[Troy]] was the alleged home of [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Sharon Valerii]] ([[Flesh and Bone]]).

The pro [[Pyramid (RDM)|Pyramid]] team from Aerelon played against the [[Caprica Buccaneers]] in one of the last games before the Cylon attack. They apparently won ([[Resistance]]).

A photo of a grief-stricken soldier staring out at the ruins of Aerelon's capital hangs behind President Roslin's desk and on the bulkhead of the pilot ready room on ''Galactica'' (titled "[[Lest We Forget]]"). ''Galactica's ''pilots touch the photo for luck as they file past to the hanger.

===Natives===
*[[Saul Tigh]]
*[[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Sharon Valerii]] - ([[Humano-Cylon#Ron Moore elaborates on the twelve models|Falsified]]. Precise home given as the [[Troy]] mining colony)
*[[Sekou Hamilton]] (Presumably - editor of the ''Aerelon Gazette'')
*[[Socinus]]
*The unnamed [[Quorum of Twelve]] delegate from Aerelon voted for [[Tom Zarek]] in the vice-presidential elections ([[Colonial Day]])

===Publications===
*''[[Aerelon Gazette]]''

 

==Aquaria==
[[Image:ColonialColors12.png|thumb|100px|right|Colors and Symbol of Aquaria]]
'''Ancient Name''': (presumably [[wikipedia:Aquarius|Aquarius]])

The unnamed [[Quorum of Twelve]] delegate from Aquaria voted for [[Tom Zarek]] in the vice-presidential elections ([[Colonial Day]]).
 

==Canceron==
[[Image:ColonialColors9.png|thumb|100px|right|Colors and Symbol of Canceron]]
'''Ancient Name''': [[wikipedia:Cancer (constellation)|Cancer]]

*[[Robin Wenutu]] is the Canceron Representative to the [[Quorum of Twelve]].

 

==Caprica==
[[Image:ColonialColors3.png|thumb|100px|right|Colors and Symbol of Caprica]]
'''Ancient Name''': (presumably [[wikipedia:Capricorn|Capricorn]])

Caprica is a large blue-green planet, similar to Earth. Its largest population center is [[Caprica City]], which serves as the seat of all three branches of the Colonial [[Government]]. Caprica City is surrounded by other small towns and hamlets, such as [[Oasis]]. Thus far, Caprica is the only planet of the Twelve Colonies that viewers have seen directly. The episode opening credits show Caprica City, as well as the nuclear bombing of Caprica itself.

Other major cities included [[Delphi]], famous for the [[Delphi Museum of the Colonies]] and also home to a large spaceport. After the [[Cylon attack]], the [[Resistance (movement)|resistance]] cell led by [[Samuel Anders]] operates near Delphi.

Caprica is known for its fine Caprican cloth (which Dr. Gaius Baltar wears), [[fumarella leaf]], and art.

A railway line can be seen below the balcony of Baltar's house on Caprica during [[The Hand of God (RDM)]]. Internal combustion engine powered vehicles (Cars and Trucks) are seen extensively in shots of Caprica (various episodes).

===Natives===
*[[William Adama|William "Husker" Adama]].
*[[Caroline Adama]]
*[[Lee Adama|Lee "Apollo" Adama]].
*Lt. [[Zak Adama]]
*Doctor [[Gaius Baltar]], Vice President
*[[Kara Thrace|Kara "Starbuck" Thrace]] (Had an apartment in Delphi, but Sky One sources state that she was born on Picon).
*[[James McManus]] (Presumably - editor of the ''[[Caprican Times]]'')
*[[Aaron Doral]] (alleged home was in [[Oasis]])
*President [[Richard Adar]] (Presumably - according to background information from SkyOne he started his political career as the mayor of [[Caprica City]])

===Publications===
*''[[Caprican Times]]''
*''[[Caprican Life]]''

 

==Gemenon==
[[Image:ColonialColors5.png|thumb|100px|right|Colors and Symbol of Gemenon]]
'''Ancient Name''': [[wikipedia:Gemini|Gemini]]

Gemenon natives are known for their literal interpretations of the [[Sacred Scrolls]] ([[Fragged]]). Despite federal laws guaranteeing of reproductive freedom, the population of Gemenon was apparently very strongly opposed to abortion. Traditional Gemenese law declares children to be the property of their parents ([[The Captain's Hand]]).

Gemenon is home to the Kobol College School of Public Relations ([[Mini-Series]]). One of the last ever pro [[Pyramid (RDM)|Pyramid]] games was held on Gemenon just prior to the [[Cylon Attack]] on the Colonies ([[Mini-Series]]).

===Natives===
*Representative [[Sarah Porter]], [[Quorum of Twelve]]
*Corporal [[Venner]]
*Chief Petty Officer [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Rya Kibby]]
 

==Leonis==
[[Image:ColonialColors8.png|thumb|100px|right|Colors and Symbol of Leonis]]
'''Ancient Name''': [[wikipedia:Leo|Leo]]

[[Safiya Sanne]] is identified as both Leonis's and [[#Picon|Picon]]'s representative on the [[Quorum of Twelve]]. See his article for details.

 

==Libra==
[[Image:ColonialColors11.png|thumb|100px|right|Colors and Symbol of Libra]]
'''Ancient Name''': [[wikipedia:Libra|Libra]]

''Practically no information has been given yet regarding the colony corresponding to Libra. Its colonial-era name also has yet to be confirmed.''

The ''[[Space Park]]'', a passenger liner in [[The Fleet (RDM)|the Fleet]], is of Libran registry.

 

==Picon==
[[Image:ColonialColors2.png|thumb|100px|right|Colors and Symbol of Picon]]
'''Ancient Name''': (presumably [[wikipedia:Pisces|Pisces]])

Picon was the location for the [[Picon Fleet Headquarters|Colonial Fleet Headquarters]] ([[Mini-Series]]), and as such came under heavy attack during the early stages of the [[Cylon Attack|Cylon attack]]. President [[Richard Adar]] offered a complete and unconditional surrender to the Cylons after Picon was nuked; this overture was ignored ([[Mini-Series]], [[List of Deleted Scenes (RDM)|deleted scene]]).

[[Ellen Tigh]] claimed to be at the airport on Picon, "on her way home" when the attack started, and that some unknown hero ensured she was put on the last ship to get off the planet ([[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]).

===Natives===
*Representative [[Safiya Sanne]], [[Quorum of Twelve]] (Although see his article for some confusion on the matter)
* [[Playa Palacios]], Veteran columnist from the ''Picon Star Tribune'' (presumed a resident)
* [[Asha Janik]], Cylon sympathizer, member of the "[[Demand Peace]]" movement

===Publications===
*''[[Picon Star Tribune]]''

 

==Sagittaron==
[[Image:ColonialColors10.png|thumb|100px|right|Colors and Symbol of Sagittaron]]
'''Ancient Name''': (presumably [[wikipedia:Sagittarius|Sagittarius]])

Sagittaron endured centuries of exploitation at the hands of the other Colonies ([[Bastille Day]]), so much so that even after unified Colonial rule, [[Tom Zarek]] led an organized series of terrorist acts against the established government there. One of these acts include blowing up a government building ([[Bastille Day]]). Under Sagittarian penal law, convicted felons lose their citizenship, but have it automatically reinstated after they finish serving their sentences. This included the right to vote and to stand for election ([[Colonial Day]]).

As of "[[33]]", 5,251 natives of the planet were in [[The Fleet (RDM)|the Fleet]].

===Natives===
*Petty Officer [[Anastasia Dualla]]
*Representative [[Tom Zarek]], [[Quorum of Twelve]]
*[[Valance]] ([[Colonial Day]])

 

==Scorpia==
[[Image:ColonialColors6.png|thumb|100px|right|Colors and Symbol of Scorpia]]
'''Ancient Name''': (presumably [[wikipedia:Scorpio|Scorpio]])

Home to the [[Scorpion Fleet Shipyards]], where the battlestar ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' was docked during the [[Cylon Attack]]. Scorpia native [[Eladio Puasha]] serves as its Quorum delegate.

 

==Tauron==
[[Image:ColonialColors4.png|thumb|100px|right|Colors and Symbol of Tauron]]
'''Ancient Name''': [[wikipedia:Taurus|Taurus]]

The unnamed [[Quorum of Twelve]] delegate from Tauron votes for [[Gaius Baltar]] in the vice-presidential elections ([[Colonial Day]]).

===Natives===
*Admiral [[Helena Cain]]

 

==Virgon==
[[Image:ColonialColors1.png|thumb|100px|right|Colors and Symbol of Virgon]]
'''Ancient Name''': [[wikipedia:Virgo|Virgo]]

[[Marshall Bagot]] is the Virgon Representative to the [[Quorum of Twelve]]. In public ceremony, the Virgon delegate wears a light blue sash.

Soon after the [[Cylon attack]] began, a large battle began "shaping up" over the planet and apparently ended with the destruction of the [[battlestar]] ''[[Atlantia]]'' and the death of [[Admiral Nagala]] hours later.

==Sources==
#"Encyclopedia Galactica." Battlestar Galactica: The Official Magazine. Feb./Mar. 2006: 50-55.
#*Matches colonies with flags.

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:RDM]]
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Twelve Colonies]]

[[es:Las Doce Colonias (RDM)]]

Talk:The Twelve Colonies of Kobol/Archive3

2006-03-17T06:45:13Z

Pickle UK: /* Location */

==Merge proposal==

This article, and the articles for each of the Twelve Colonies, are all very short, and I don't see any of them expanding substantially in the near future. I think it would make for a nice looking, meaty article if we merged in each of the individual colony articles with this one under first-level headings. How say you all? --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 04:50, 31 August 2005 (EDT)

I know this looks weird and kind of dumb. I'm still fiddling. It's easy to revert if the whole thing ends up being too hideous to bear. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 22:17, 13 September 2005 (EDT)

[[image:Banner_unknown1.gif|left|75px]][[image:Banner_unknown2.gif|right|75px]]
: I like the idea and whats up now. If we knew more about each colony, it would look nicer, but until then I think this is fine. Now... What to do with these other two banners? Now, the two colonies without banners are Leo and Aquarius, the lion and the water-bearer. Both of these symbols could be a water-bearer, I guess, but I think the black and white one looks like he has whisters, there and that shape at the top looks more ear-like. That would leave the blue and red one to be the water bearer, which I think makes sense enough. Think we could drop those in with a note as to their speculative nature, or best not to? --[[User:Day|Day]] 01:27, 14 September 2005 (EDT)

::I'm leaving this one up to [[User:QuintusCinna|QuintusCinna]], our resident flag-hunter. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 01:32, 14 September 2005 (EDT)

:The two colonies without banners is Aquarius and whatever the colonial name is for Libra. I saw in the mini-series they mentioned a colony called "ICON" alongside of "PICON" so I'm a little weirded out. As for Leonis, that flag has been found. I did a picture search in google for the zodiac's constellation and found the flag's symbol looked exactly like what I have designated. I can't remember, but I believe the constellation for Libra looked quite similar to the black one. Since we don't yet know as of yet what is the name for the Libra colony, I have left it blank. [[User:QuintusCinna|QuintusCinna]]

:At least we know it isn't Ophiuchi or something. Roslin identifies Libra in the Tomb of Athena map room, although she doesn't give its modern name. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 02:59, 14 September 2005 (EDT)

Realizing that it's still being worked on, it looks awful right now. You can't tell which banner goes to which colony, for one thing. --[[User:Fang Aili|Fang Aili]] 08:30, 14 September 2005 (EDT)

Personally, I don't really like the combination of all 12 colonies together either since there is no set border and down the road we will have pictures relating to each colony. This will make it slower to download. --[[User:QuintusCinna|QuintusCinna]] 12:11, 14 September 2005 (EDT)

:The problem, in my opinion, is that there's little to do at the main article other than simply list the colonies, and the majority of the individual colonies are stub-like in length. As for images, Caprica is the only planet we've seen thus far and probably the only one we're likely to see (unless we get Scorpion in a flashback in Pegasus or something). One thing we can do, if it becomes necessary, is link to full-length articles from just underneath the first-level headings.

:As for the banners, I agree that they could be confusing but I rather like them right now. Do either of you think it coudl be re-arranged in a better manner (maybe if they didn't alternate sides? But then there'd be a lot more wasted space)? Or is it a lost cause in your opinions? --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 12:20, 14 September 2005 (EDT)

::Yeah, you could try putting all the banners on the right. See how it looks. --[[User:Fang Aili|Fang Aili]] 14:11, 14 September 2005 (EDT)

:::There, that's what they look like right-aligned. Frankly, I think they look better alternating. I don't find it confusing, and the wasted space bugs me. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 14:36, 14 September 2005 (EDT)

::::Hate to say it, but I don't like it at all. The banners overlap with the previous colony's "box", there are no clear markers indicating where one section begins and another ends, it just looks bad. (Part of the problem is that we don't have much information about many of the colonies at this point.) --[[User:Fang Aili|Fang Aili]] 15:07, 14 September 2005 (EDT)

::::It'd be better if we could insert a line across the entire page, and have the colony name under that line, along with the banner on the right. Then each colony would have a neat, easily readable section. I don't know if Wiki markup is capable of that though. --[[User:Fang Aili|Fang Aili]] 15:10, 14 September 2005 (EDT)

:::::I still think it's a better option than thirteen articles that are completely insubstantial on their own. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 15:11, 14 September 2005 (EDT)

I added captions to some of the banners, and in the process deleted some of the <nowiki><div></nowiki> markup. Wikipedia recommends against using HTML ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Image_markup_with_HTML]), and I've been trying to learn from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Extended_image_syntax Extended image syntax] page. I can't figure out why a new section like <nowiki>==Caprica==</nowiki> doesn't appear on the same level as its banner. --[[User:Fang Aili|Fang Aili]] 16:09, 14 September 2005 (EDT)

:Ah ha! The wonders of '''<nowiki> </nowiki>'''! What do you guys think of the formatting now? --[[User:Fang Aili|Fang Aili]] 16:28, 14 September 2005 (EDT)

::My HTML/CSS was not used lightly. That's really the one way to get the banners at the section heading level as I did. Frankly this seems like a more cumbersome version of my right-aligned attempt. I really dislike the caption boxes, too.
::I have a new idea: Rather than use the (rather long) banners, we can grab the icons from each, along with the background colors, and use them. I've created nine high-resolution versions from QuintusCinna's originals, which you can link to below:
::[http://home.comcast.net/~suluger/aerelon.png Aerelon], [http://home.comcast.net/~suluger/canceron.png Canceron], [http://home.comcast.net/~suluger/caprica.png Caprica], [http://home.comcast.net/~suluger/gemenon.png Gemenon], [http://home.comcast.net/~suluger/picon.png Picon], [http://home.comcast.net/~suluger/sagittaron.png Sagittaron], [http://home.comcast.net/~suluger/scorpion.png Scorpion], [http://home.comcast.net/~suluger/tauron.png Tauron], [http://home.comcast.net/~suluger/virgon.png Virgon]
::These could be scaled down to almost any size and still look nice. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 16:35, 14 September 2005 (EDT)
:::Without caption boxes, it's not clear what the banners are. I know it seems self-explanatory to us, but for someone who's never seen them before, it's not. I'll take a look at the icons in a bit. --[[User:Fang Aili|Fang Aili]] 17:03, 14 September 2005 (EDT)
::::I find repeating "This is the Banner of X" to be tedious, and the red background to be jarring. Couldn't we simply note that the banner/icon/flag/colors of the colony is provided to the right? --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 17:06, 14 September 2005 (EDT)
:::Peter. You've saved us all. As I said earlier, I liked it when the banner appeared to be hanging from the red line under its colony's name. I share Peter's dislike for tons of white space and alternating the sides seemed to create the least of that. However, if we just had the emblem and colors from each flag, we could do it below the red line as Fang seems to like, and not have this huge, long graphic. Maybe we can then link the full banner pics and, if we get enough information that a given colony's article wouldn't be a stub, we can display it there. Does all that make sense? --[[User:Day|Day]] 17:11, 14 September 2005 (EDT)
:::::I like it with banners to right, with titling, albeit a little redundant. Not sure how to deal with the "white space" of many areas, but we're really not going to get them filled until we get more data, so that is that. I feel it's informative enough as it stands, but I'll leave the formatting arguments alone. [[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 19:52, 14 September 2005 (EDT)

==Which flag is which?==
A close viewing of [[Colonial Day]] indicates that the flag currently labeled as [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Tauron|Tauron]] belongs to Safiya Sanne's seat - either Picon or Leonis; and that the black flag belongs to Robin Wenutu's seat (Canceron), and that VIrgon's flag is a white field with a green inner stripe and yellow outer stripe. I'm curious as to how QuintusCinna came to his conclusion that the delegates aren't seated at their apprporiate flags, since I don't know any other evidence linking particular flags to colonies. I guess Scorpion is pretty obvious, though. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 17:34, 14 September 2005 (EDT)

Don't trust the banners lining up with those they represent in [[Colonial Day]]. The reason I say this is that [[Tom Zarek]] is in one area of the room and his very obvious banner for Sagitarron is completely in another area. This is the same for Virgon's banner and their representative. There are 3 different questions I carry thanks to the shows I have watched. In the mini-series we see the banners are in this order from left to right: [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Virgon|Virgon]], [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Picon|Picon]], [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Caprica|Caprica]], [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Aerelon|Aerelon]], [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Gemenon|Gemenon]], Scorpion, Aquaria(?), [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Tauron|Tauron]], Libra (?), [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Sagittaron|Sagittaron]], [[Canceron]] (?), [[Leonis]]. Is this in the order that the colonies signed the unification treaty or is the order for the flags random or is it in the order they were nuked? Though I am sure the producers, directors, and such just put them up in random order, it is now a sense of fact for the show. If we were to believe they were placed up there, the banners must be up there in some order that is according to military protocol for flag bearing. In Colonial Day I add 2 more questions. We see that the banners are behind the delegates in a different order than in the mini-series. This means they were either a) put up randomly or b) have a separate purpose than those shown at the end of the mini-series (nuked, treaty order, or other). Then we see that the delegates are put in a different order than the banners behind them. The Gemenon delegate is clearly seen toward the middle and the Gemenon flag is clearly in a different area. The same questions come up for the delegates: are they randomly placed or is there reason. It's not alphabetical, and placements of delegates and banners in every society is always in some sort of traditional order. I hope that the Battlestar Galactica producers, writers, and such will be able to answer this though I suspect they won't because they have REAL lives.

As for the Picon flag, the constellation looks quite similar to the picon banner and the same goes for Tauron's with Taurus. I have no doubt with those. The Libra's icon can be seen in this picture http://www.gaitedhorses.net/Articles/HorseAstrology/AstrologySymbol.gif 2 clockwise from Sagittarius.
--[[User:QuintusCinna|QuintusCinna]] 1:12, 15 September 2005 (EDT)

==New Icons==
What do you think? We might consider making them smaller and removing the image frame and caption, but I'd also be happy leaving them as they are. It's nice to have a place to note that some of the symbols are only tentatively identified with the colonies in question. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 03:42, 15 September 2005 (EDT)

:It looks fine. --[[User:Fang Aili|Fang Aili]] 09:11, 15 September 2005 (EDT)

:: I like 'em. I'd say smaller, though. Of course... I have my thumb settings to 300px so that screen shots are large enough to be intelligible, so smaller to me would be about 150px or 100px. I also like alternating for balance, but that's just me. I alternate right a left in other articles, too. --[[User:Day|Day]] 17:21, 15 September 2005 (EDT)

==Residence vs. Tribe==

I think there's a difference between "where a character currently makes their residence" and "what colony they are from". I think "what colony they are from" means "what ''tribe''" they are. For example, Dualla could have been away from Sagittaron for years and lived on another Colony, but she's still from the Sagittaron tribe. In "Bastille Day", she describes herself as "a Sagittaron", not "someone ''from'' Sagittaron".

Anyway, I also think that non-canonical information from SkyOne website should not be used in assuming Stabuck may be from Picon, not Caprica. We should wait until this is said on either the Scifi.com official site, or on screen.
--Ricimer, 16 Sept, 2005

==Outposts==

Ricimer wrote: ''The Colonials actually expanded their sphere of influence over time beyond the original Twelve Colonies to include several outposts, bases, and mining colonies (such as [[Troy]]) in other systems ([http://blog.scifi.com/battlestar/archives/2005/01/index.html| RDM, January 30, 2005]), though they were apparently minor extensions of the original Twelve Colonies rather than independently functioning worlds in their own right, and when the Cylons overwhelmed the Twelve Colonies themselves no mention is even explicity made about these minor worlds, seeming to take it as a given that the destruction of the Twelve Colonies would equal the destruction of humanity, and that these outposts were not significant enough to pose any challenge to the Cylon fleet.''

RDM's actual comments are:

:Q: "Did the colonies have outposts, bases, or trade partners outside of the 12 colonies. Did they even explore other systems. The colonies could have had observatories, listening posts, or even scientific research teams exploring other planets beyond the colonial system(s). They could encounter any of these which could lead to supplies, raw materials, food, fuel etc. "

:RDM: I think that's probably true, but part of our premise is that the fleet has Jumped far out into unexplored space in an effort to elude the Cylons, so we won't be encountered any other outposts or colonies.

I think that's a very weak confirmation, and if we're going to include it here, it should reflect the vagueness of RDM's actual comment. I have replaced it with the following:

:Ronald D. Moore has suggested that the Colonies probably maintained some minor observatories and listening posts in outlying star systems, but it is unlikely that ''Galactica'' will encounter them in the course of the series. ([http://blog.scifi.com/battlestar/archives/2005/01/index.html#a000016|RDM, January 30, 2005])

--[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 20:35, 15 December 2005 (EST)

==Scorpion vs. Scorpia==

At present, we have a name card from "[[Colonial Day]]" and the name of the [[Scorpia Traveler]] in favor of "Scorpia", and the [[Scorpion Fleet Shipyards]] in favor of "Scorpion". Ricimer, if you want to make a case for "Scorpion" over "Scorpia", you ''must'' cite an episode quote, and I will not produce it for you. Your uncited revisions are anathema to our goal of accuracy. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 13:34, 25 December 2005 (EST)
:I am sorry, I was in a hurry to get out and didn't have time to wip out my copy of the series companion. On p.86 of "Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion", by David Bassom, there is an "''early'' concept sketch of the flags of the Twele Colonies"; On this, it lists the names "Scorpia", but also "Libran", and "Aquarion". "[[Colonial Day]]" established that these two Colonies are in fact named "Libra" and "Aquaria", in dialog, etc. This evidence has led me to believe that "Scorpia" was amongst some early ideas for Colony names that were thrown around in the early stages of production, but which were later changed; however, the art and props department wasn't notified of the switch, or made a mistake, etc. I'm also inclined to this line of thinking because the props in this scene feature several now-infamous goofs, such as the switcheroo between Canceron, Picon, Leonis, etc., etc. As for the evidence from "Scorpia Traveler", there's also a "Gemini" ship, as well as mispelling etc. which have led me to the belief that certain ship names are just meant for asthetic value and do not necessarily reflect the actual name of their home Colony. In "Home, Part II" it was established that the Colonies used to have "ancient names" which align more closely to the signs of the Zodiac, but which over the millenia have drifted away into their present form. Perhaps some ship captains just felt like naming their vessels after the more ancient names. I don't know. But the main points remain: A) Ship names aren't very reliable as an information source, B) this scene had many goofs in it, C) the official companion shows that this was an early name thrown around, but later abandoned, and several of these early names have been disproven by this point. Therefore, I think "Scorpion Fleet Shipyards", the first ''prominent'' mention of Scorpion/Scorpia, taken with the above evidence, proves that the true name of the Colony is "Scorpion". What's everyone else's consensus? --[[User:Ricimer|Ricimer]] 14:24, 25 December 2005 (EST)
::I'm with Ricimer on this one.--Zareck Rocks 15:04, 25 December 2005 (EST)
::I agree with Ricimer, as Cain's mention of the "scorpion fleet shipyards" is the only canonical reference to place when it comes to the scorpio-related colony. It has also been shown, as Ricimer mentions above, that the ship names seem to be variations of the colony names i.e. [[Gemenon Taveller]] and the [[Gemini]]. So we can't necessarily glean the name of the scorpio-related colony from the [[Scorpia Traveller]], for there may also be a Scorpion Traveller.
::However, unless someone can verify this with subtitles, Cain could be saying Scorpi''an'' fleet shipyards, rather than Scorpi''on'', thereby inferring that the colony name is Scorpia (I dare to speculate that the Caprica would have it's own Caprican fleet shipyards(if it did indeed have shipyards)). I don't have the DVDs, as they're not yet available in Canada, but someone should really check this, it could answer this question --[[User:MASON|Mason]] 16:20, 25 December 2005 (EST)
:::I've grepped the TwizTV logs, and the Scorpia/Scorpion colony has never been referred to apart from the instances we've already listed. So, here's what that means:
:::#We have a mention of the "Scorpia Traveler", which matches the "Gemenon Traveler". "Freighter Gemini" is a TOS reference.
:::#We have a comment that might be the "Scorpion" shipyards, or the "Scorpian" shipyards.
:::#We have a clear and readable screenshot of the name of the colony.
:::We should not "correct" the name of the colony to what we think it "should" be, when we have unequivocal evidence staring us in the face. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 19:09, 25 December 2005 (EST)
::::I'm sorry, but it doesn't really seem like the above evidence is "unequivocal". Thankfully, I think "Resurrection Ship" will make further mention of ''Pegasus' '' flight from the shipyards, and we will probably hear the name again. Best to wait until then. --[[User:Ricimer|Ricimer]] 21:05, 25 December 2005 (EST)
:::::Let me clarify. We have at least seen "Scorpia" spelled out. We have never even ''heard'' "Scorpion", except in a context that might easily have been "Scorpian". In my opinion, the two options here are "Scorpia" or "We don't know". --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 22:45, 25 December 2005 (EST)
::::::Wait a minute, someone out there has got to have the DVD set of the second season, we should be able to determine the definitive name of the scorpio colony from that. Although, I suppose, Peter, that you're suggesting we leave it at Scorpia until someone can check the subtitles. That sounds fine with me. --[[User:MASON|Mason]] 22:56, 25 December 2005 (EST)
:::::::How will that tell us definitively? It was only mentioned in "Pegasus", in the ambiguous dialogue mentioned above. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 23:00, 25 December 2005 (EST)
::::::::Like I said, we stand a good chance of hearing it again in the very next two episodes, so I suggest we leave things as they are, and reach a final decision after "Resurrection Ship, Part II". Although we could get subtitles from the DVD, subtitles can be notoriously innaccurate when it comes to the finer points of spelling, i.e. Scorpion vs. Scorpian. Perhaps we could rewatch Pegasus, and check the inflection that Michelle Forbes uses; I ''think'' she clearly said "-ion" (as opposed to "-ian"). I'll check again; however, even hearing the dialog personally, I doubt this will give a DEFINATIVE answer in ANY form as the actress could have been just slurring it. I don't know. Well, I'll check for the sake of checking. Again, I think we should "wait and see" on this one. --[[User:Ricimer|Ricimer]] 23:11, 25 December 2005 (EST)
:::::::::I just watched the episode and the subtitles (however inaccurate) do say "Scorpion." It does sound like Forbes says more of an -ion than -ian. Just my two cents. --[[User:Talos|Talos]] 23:30, 25 December 2005 (EST)
::::::::::Thank you Talos. --[[User:Ricimer|Ricimer]] 15:04, 26 December 2005 (EST)
::::::::::Scorpion would be pronounced with the full vowel "{{IPA|piɑn}}, while "Scorpian" would use a reduced vowel, {{IPA|piən}} or {{IPA|piɨn}}. The latter is what I hear, although Ricimer is right that it could just be "slurring". --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 20:09, 26 December 2005 (EST)
:::::::::::I've isolated Michelle Forbes's pronunciation of "Scorpi_n" and uploaded it [http://home.comcast.net/~suluger/scorpian.wav here]. Unfortunately, the last syllable is basically whispered and cannot be analyzed for vowel formants. It does sound very reduced to me, however. This is not usually the case for Picon, Gemenon, etc. which are almost always realized with full vowels.
:::::::::::Note, by the way, that the ''animal'' spelled "Scorpion" would be pronounced the same as the adjective "Scorpian", while a colony called Scorpion would be pronounced "Skor-pee-on". --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 17:05, 28 December 2005 (EST)

== Location ==

I didn't want to get into a revert war, so... How, exactly, are the colonies' positions indicated in the Tomb of Athena? I just watched that ep last night and I don't remember any arrows or name tags... If the theory is that the colonies are inside the constellation that shares their name, then I think I'll have to disagree. Not possible. The zodiac constellations are spread about in our sky in a circle, meaning they're not very near each other at all (so if "the Colonies" can be considered some single area of space that's small enough to go from one end to another inside months they need to be closer than a large ring of space encircling Earth) and all the stars in a constellation aren't even necessarily near each other. --[[User:Day|Day]] 10:42, 4 January 2006 (EST)

:I don't think the positions of the Twelve Colonies are indicated at all by the tomb of Athena. It's just a map to Earth (Earth being the only spot where those constellations would appear in that configuration). It is interesting that would mean that there isn't a direct correlation between the constellations and the colonies that they are named after... (other than as a rememberance of where they came from, kind of). --[[User:Steelviper|Steelviper]] 10:50, 4 January 2006 (EST)

:The fact of the matter is that the Tomb of Athena holographic map to Earth shows constellations made of the symbols of the Twelve Tribees/Colonies; these constellations are '''entirely arbitrary'''; that is, they were designated purely because they resemble the symbols of the Colonies; each planet of the 12 is in ''no way'' in each constellation. Besides, that would mean they'd often end up in separate galaxies. --[[User:Ricimer|Ricimer]] 20:23, 4 January 2006 (EST)

::Well, no, not separate galaxies, but further apart from each other than each is from earth. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 20:34, 4 January 2006 (EST)

::: My point exactly, Peter. Well said. --[[User:Day|Day]] 01:05, 5 January 2006 (EST)

Can we take the part about all the colonies orbiting the same star out of the article? I think it's pretty clear that they're all separate systems, unless someone has different information. --[[User:Bahamut|Bahamut]] 02:42, 12 March 2006 (EST)

:Why do you think that's clear? --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 01:59, 12 March 2006 (CST)

::Mostly because of the use of FTL technology, but also because of the improbability of a star having twelve planets that can support human life. It's discussed elsewhere in the Wiki that it's likely they're all separate systems. Maybe instead of taking it out altogether we should add a caveat about how it's disputed or at least link to the other discussion? --[[User:Bahamut|Bahamut]] 18:36, 12 March 2006 (CST)

Upon re-watching the Miniseries (IMHO anyway) all references are given as hours from caprica, but when the war alert first goes off and Cmdr Adama asks to "scan the system" (circa 48mins in) the report is given that "Now, looks like the main fight is shaping up over here near Virgon's orbit" and a few lines latter "If we can keep Virgon between us and the battle". Which to me means that Virgon, Caprica and Ragnar (a gas giant) are all in the same solar system. thoughts anyone? [[User:Pickle UK|Pickle UK]] 00:45, 17 March 2006 (CST)

== More on flags ==

I found this a while ago. A user on Sci-Fi.com's messageboard going by "bescincimevsim" has made some incredible renderings of all twelve colonial flags that, in my oppinion look very good and accurate to what has been seen on the show. It might be worth checking out the [http://mboard.scifi.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=BattlestarGalactica&Number=1310569&Searchpage=2&Main=1310569&Words=bescincimevsim&topic=&Search=true#Post1310569 topic here]. I ''think'' they might be avalible for free use, but then again the guy doesn't seem to be available for contact anymore a he posted only one topic, the one about the flags, then stopped posting altogether in mid October. Either way, I think it should be worth checking out. -- [[User:Kahran|Kahran]] 18:05, 25 January 2006 (EST)

:We should not use these. I think they're just fanart. There is a page in the official companion of *early* flag designs (the names are wrong in some cases, etc. so this page of the book is an early draft and shouldn't be used as fact). However, this guy also confuses the symbols of Tauron and Leonis. I mean it's just a guy posting on a messageboard. The Citation Crusade wouldn't stand for it. --[[User:Ricimer|Ricimer]] 18:22, 25 January 2006 (EST)

::The assignment of colony and flag is obviously non-canon, but the graphics themselves are far superior to the ones we're using. We should ask him to license them to us under the CCL. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 18:56, 25 January 2006 (EST)

::Alternately, if he can be contacted, ask him to create corrected ones based on a CCL.--'''[[User:Mitsukai|み使い]]''' '''''[[User_talk:Mitsukai|Mitsukai]]''''' 14:40, 2 February 2006 (EST)
::Well, I've done some tweaking to our icons making them look a little crisper and sort-of rationalised the originals by QuintusCinna and the ones seen on the Sci-Fi BBS by bescincimevsim. I'll upload them soon and if you don't like them then I guess you can just revert them later. Just thought I'd help out, is all. -- [[User:Kahran|Kahran]] 00:12, 17 March 2006 (CST)

==Colonial Flags==
The Colonial Flags, as listed on this page, have been matched to their colonies based solely on on-screen evidence. Given their dubious veracity on other matters, I am not prepared to take the Official Magazine's word for it over what we've actually seen — at least not without a discussion. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 22:26, 5 February 2006 (EST)

:Okay, then you should know that the flags also match what is written in the Battlestar Galactica The Official Companion. It has a page for Colonial Day that lists the flasg for each colony and it's the smae as the Magazine flag listings, so that's two sources that support my listings as opposed the shoddy on-screen evidence from the episodes. --Ltcrashdown 22:30, 5 February 2006 (EST)

::I've examined the footage of Colonial Day and QuintusCinna's arguments, and concluded that they aren't very strong. I'm going to revert this back to your version. Do you have a cite for the Official Companion as well? --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 22:35, 5 February 2006 (EST)

:::Here's the info: Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion by David Bassom, page 86, Published by Titan Books, London, August 2005
:::By the way, what was QuintusCinna's source?--Ltcrashdown 22:39, 5 February 2006 (EST)

::::For the colonies at issue here, it was mostly conjecture on his part. I remembered his argument having more basis than it actually did. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 17:26, 8 February 2006 (EST)

== We are Gemenese of you Please! ==

I think the way this works (and once we nail it down, we should put it on S&C, probably) is that someone ''from'' Gemenon is a Gemenon, but the adjective for describing them is Gemenese. So, like, a nice Gemenese Rug or something. This is a throwback to the language of Gemenese in TOS, I think. Now... Is someone from Caprica Caprican and "a Craprica" or does that one match the adjective (like I'm from Texas, thus I am Texan and "a Texan" if that helps)? Whatcha think? --[[User:Day|Day]] 21:07, 19 February 2006 (EST)

User talk:Pickle UK

2006-03-03T11:37:31Z

Pickle UK: /* Welcome, and some info on Baltar */

== Welcome to Battlestar Wiki! ==

Welcome to the Wiki, Pickle UK. Feel free to tell us about yourself on [[User:Pickle UK|your user page]]. Before you get started on other edits, please read the [[Battlestar Wiki:Standards and Conventions]], which details the policies we use in editing pages (this differs from many other wikis in consistent use of phrasing, abbreviations, format, and the like).

Also, if you have any questions or suggestions you wish to offer, please feel free to do so either on your user talk page, the [[Battlestar Wiki:Wikipedian Quorum|Wikipedian Quorum]] or [[Battlestar Wiki:Administrators' noticeboard|Administrators' noticeboard]]. Remember to sign your posts on any talk pages using four tildes (~~~~)! We look forward to your contributions to the community! -- [[User:Joe Beaudoin Jr.|Joe Beaudoin]] 17:28, 26 February 2006 (EST)

== Welcome, and some info on Baltar ==

Hello. Re; your additions to "Downloaded", frankly they deserve keeping, but you're new so I'll explain what's going on. Some people keep insisting--in defiance of all logic, in my personal opinion--that "Baltar must be a Cylon" because "he couldn't have survived a nuclear blast"...but really just his house was destroyed; and we have so many real-world examples of like, people at the outer radies of Hiroshima having their house destroyed but surviving. Long story short; I agree with you. However, several people are so insistent on the "Baltar is a Cylon" theory that it pops up in a lot of episode discussions: thus, further discussion on "is Baltar a Cylon or not?" has been moved to a new page, [[Cylon agent speculation]], to keep it all condensed and in one place. Frankly, I personally think Downloaded proved that Baltar is not a Cylon, because Cylons, amongst themselves, referred to him as a human. But I digress. --[[User:The Merovingian|The Merovingian]] 12:29, 2 March 2006 (CST)

:Ahh right, i wasn't aware that such a debate was taking place and that i was causing controversy by stating what it did - thanks ;) [[User:Pickle UK|Pickle UK]] 05:37, 3 March 2006 (CST)

Downloaded

2006-02-26T22:00:06Z

Pickle UK: /* Questions */

{{Episode Data|
Image = [[Image:Cylon_resurrection.jpg|300px]]
| Title= Downloaded
| Series= [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|The Re-imagined Series]]
| Season= [[Season 2 (2005-06)|2]]
| Episode= 18
| Guests= [[Lucy Lawless]] ([[D'anna Biers]])
| Writer= [[Bradley Thompson]] and [[David Weddle]]
| Story=
| Director=[[IMDB:nm0941276|Jeff Woolnough]]
| Production=
| Rating=
| US Airdate= 24 February 2006
| UK Airdate=
| DVD=
| Population=
| Prev= [[The Captain's Hand]]
| Next= [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I]]
}}

== Overview ==
: ''[[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]] society is revealed when a [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Cylon's consciousness]] is downloaded into a new body following her death. The conquerors of occupied [[Caprica]] hail two "heroes of the Cylon," who both resist their new celebrity status.''

== Summary ==

===On Caprica===
*Episode begins with a flashback to "Nine months ago - Caprica" showing Baltar's house being destroyed in the [[Miniseries]]. The copy of Number Six who had a relationship dies... and then we follow from her point of view as her consciousness is downloaded and reborn into another body in a Cylon rebirthing vat. She fell so deeply in love with Gaius Baltar that ''she'' starts having hallucinations of ''Baltar'', because the emotional impact of falling in love affected her so much. We then cut to "Ten weeks ago" on ''Galactica'' when [[Cally]] shoots [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Galactica-Sharon]]... and follow from her point of view as she is downloaded (no doubt aided by the [[Resurrection Ship]] at the time) and wakes up totally disoriented in a new body in another rebirthing vat. A copy of the same model of Cylon known to humans as [[D'anna Biers]] tells her she'll be fine, but upon seeing another Sharon-model, Galactica-Sharon starts screaming uncontrollably.
*On Caprica in the present day, the Cylons are rebuilding [[Delphi]] for their own use, even making gardens. A D'anna-copy sits down to talk with the Number Six copy that seduced Baltar. She has never told anyone that she fell truly in love with Baltar, and to this day hallucinates him as a result, because she thinks the others would destroy her for being defective. The D'anna-copy asks if she will go and see another Cylon who was recently downloaded into a new body, and is still having trouble adapting: ''Galactica''-Sharon, who is also something of a celebrity and war hero for her acts of sabotage and attempted assasintation on Adama. She points out that she even still calls herself "Sharon". She warns that if she cannot be fixed, there is talk of "[[boxing]]" her: putting her consciousness in cold storage and never loading it into a new body again.
*This copy of Number Six is considered a war-hero; she was personally responsible for gaining the information that allowed the near-total sabotage of the Colonial Fleet, and has actually become something of a celebrity to the Cylons. They even refer to her specifically as "'''Caprica-Six'''".
*In a short conversation while walking to ''Galactica''-Sharon's old appartment (which she moved back into), the D'anna-copy quickly lists off the Numbers of several Cylon models: "D'anna Biers" is '''Number Three''', "Aaron Doral" is '''Number Five''', and "Sharon Valerii" is '''Number Eight'''.
*Caprica-Six goes to ''Galactica''-Sharon's appartment, where she proclaims that she doesn't believe in the Cylon God or his "love" and that the only real love she had was with the ''Galactica'' crew. She expresses intense guilt at betraying them. Caprica-Six starts to manipulate her by trying to empathize with her, saying that she loved a man too — Gaius Baltar. Startled, ''Galactica''-Sharon says that Baltar is not dead, but is the new Vice President of the Colonies, on board ''Galactica''.
*Moving their conversation to a cafe on the ground floor of Sharon's appartment, Caprica-Six and Sharon wonder why Number Three never told Caprica-Six that Baltar was alive. Caprica-Six (through conversation with her hallucinated Baltar) realizes that Number Three manipulated her. Sending her to Sharon, and letting her find out that the man she loved was alive, might make her go crazy. Number Three could then use this as an excuse to have them ''both'' boxed.
*Meanwhile, [[Samuel Anders]] and two other members of the human [[Resistance (movement)|resistance]] are planning to plant a bomb in the garage underneath the cafe, and blow it up. They know the Cylons will all just download into other bodies, but Anders points out that from Caprica-Sharon, they know that Cylons remember dying, and it must be horrifically painful — they're going to show them that nowhere is safe, and they should leave Caprica if they want to stop painfully dying and being reborn over and over again.
*Number Three shows up at the cafe, and asks how things are doing. Having realized her plan, Caprica-Six lies and says emphatically that Galactica-Sharon will move out of her appartment and start adapting back to Cylon life. Galactica-Sharon takes the hint and goes along with the lie. Disappointed, Number Three offers to help her move out right now, and they leave the cafe and start going up the stairs to Sharon's appartment.
*The resistance members set up the bomb and all but Anders leave, but just before he can get out a Cylon Centurion starts snooping around, and he can't get back to the exit. It sees the bomb and Anders shoots it then ducks behind a car as the bomb goes off.
*All three Cylons survived the blast, because the stairwell protected them on the higher floor. Caprica-Six is buried under some rubble, and Number Three insists that she is dead and they should leave her (subtly trying to kill her so Three can have her boxed). However, Caprica-Six then moves and asks for help and they uncover her. Her knee is dislocated, and Three again suggests that it would be easier, if Six wants, to just kill her so she'll be reborn. Realizing Three is trying to have her boxed, she insists on not doing that.
*They see someone else moving around under some rubble, and Number Three clears it off only to find that it is Anders. She takes his gun away and prepares to kill him, but Galactica-Sharon protests. Caprica-Six agrees, but to avoid suspicion from Number Three, claims pragmatically that they shouldn't kill him to he can be interrogated. Sharon sees that he has Starbuck's dogtags, and Number Three explains that she was on the planet a few weeks ago. Sharon realizes he's someone important to her.
*Number Three cruelly toys with Anders, putting his gun on the ground and daring him to take it. Sharon tells her to stop, and Number Three retorts that Sharon is a broken machine that thinks she's human, but she's not. Sharon says that at least she has a conscience, and Number Three says she's a murderer. Caprica-Six realizes that's exactly what the Cylons have been doing: murder and the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|genocide of the human race]] cannot be the [[Cylon Religion|path of their loving God]].
*Caprica-Six realizes why Number Three wanted her and ''Galactica''-Sharon boxed: they are celebrities in a culture based on unity. Three realized that based on their love of two human beings, they have different perspective on the War, and due to their celebrity status as Cylon heros they could actually cause a change in the way many other Cylons think about their conflict with the humans, upsetting the ''status quo'' which Number Three upholds.
*Number Three says they've been corrupted by their experiences, and are a waste. Caprica-Six explains to Sharon that that is why Three wanted to get rid of them: because both of them now know the murder, vengeance, and genocide are sins in the eyes of God, and Sharon realizes that letting them tell the other Cylons this would make them all consider that the slaughter of mankind was a mistake.
*The rubble of the building shifts as Cylons outside are trying to clear their way to the survivors inside, and Anders makes a run for it and grabs his gun, shooting at Number Three before Galactica-Sharon knocks the gun out of his hands... which then lands near Number Three, who takes the gun. She stands up and just as Number Three is about to execute Anders, Caprica-Six hits her over the head with a large rock of stone from the rubble, then bashes it into her head again, killing her.
*Caprica-Six tells Anders to leave, and gives him back Starbuck's dogtags. Galactica-Sharon gives him back his gun as he leaves. Six realizes that with all of the Cylons dead in the cafe, it should be at least 36 hours before Number Three gets resurrected and tells the others what happened.
*Caprica-Six tells Galactica-Sharon that this is enough time to start changing things, start a new beginning for the Cylons: A way to live in God's love, without hate or lies. Together, these two Heroes of the Cylons can show them the way. Sharon says that she is with her, and they are dug out of the ruins of the building.

===On ''Galactica''===
*[[Sharon Valerii (Caprica copy)|Caprica-Sharon]] has gone into labor; she passed out and her placenta detatched, and Dr. [[Cottle]] delivers the baby by C-section. It is premature and its lungs aren't fully developed as a result, so it has to be put in an oxygen-incubator. As Caprica-Sharon predicted, it is a girl. Helo and Caprica-Sharon adore it together, and name her "[[Hera]]".
*Meanwhile, President [[Roslin]], [[Baltar]], [[William Adama|Admiral Adama]], and Col. [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] debate what to do with it. Baltar points out that it is half-human. Adama realizes the Cylons want it, and that the Cylons still hiding in the Fleet will try to make a move for it if they know about it.
*President Roslin has decided to hide Hera to protect her, so she has Cottle convice Helo and Caprica-Sharon that their baby has died (using a fake). Caprica-Sharon goes into hysterics and nearly chokes Cottle before breaking down, sobbing.
*In fact, Roslin has given her to a woman named [[Maya]], who lost her baby in the Cylon attack. Maya adopts Hera, thinking she is a normal human child from a Pegasus officer.
*Helo, helped by Chief Tyrol, spreads the "ashes" of Hera (actually faked) out the back of a Raptor into open space.
*Number Six is devastated that Baltar "let" this happen and could not protect "their baby", though he says he did all he could. Number Six says that God's will was that Hera survive, that God's will was that "she would lead the next generation of God's children". In a rage, she says that Gaius has commited a sin, and his entire race will suffer God's vengeance.

== Questions ==
*What will D'anna do when she is re-embodied?
*Who is Number One?
*Based on reports of Lucy Lawless being asked if she wanted to "be God" and her current command behavior, could Number Three be based on a Count Iblis type character?
**No. Number Three is a just a physical Cylon which will ''claim'' to be a God, Count Iblis was actually a God (God-like being).
**Ron D. Moore has also stated in [[Iblis#In the Re-Imagined Series|interviews]] that he does not intend to bring a Count Iblis character onto the Re-Imagined Series at this time.
* What model numbers are "[[Simon]]" and "[[Leoben Conoy]]" ?
**Based on the assumption that model number corresponds with age, Leoben Conoy — whose age is close to that of D'anna Biers — is probably Number Two or Number Four, while Simon is likely either Number Four or Number Seven.
* Based on information mentioned in the Analysis, could the Cylons be patterning a [[Wikipedia: gerontocracy|gerontocratic]] form of leadship structure?
*Given that Baltar's home was destroyed and Caprica-Six "died" in a nuclear explosion, how did Baltar survive?
**In the [[Miniseries]] novelization, this is expanded upon; his house wasn't entirely destroyed (that is, not reduced to pebbles) and when Caprica-Six blocked the blast with her body it shielded him enough; he was thrown through the house against a wall and slightly hurt but did not die. (Note that novelizations are not typically considered [[canon]]ical.)
***You only see shock wave (ie a force) destroying the house, rather than nuclear fall out of any sort. Given the gap between the flash and shock wave (and Baltar's survival), the distance from detonation probable was far enough that he was not engulfed by the fireball (one would presume a remote house over a lake is not considered a target). Similarly or in contrast the survival of Delphi may be attributed to a Neutron bomb, designed to kill via radiation while leaving most infrastructure intact.
* This episode raises new questions about the nature of Baltar-Six. Is she (merely) a projection from Baltar's subconscious mind or has she somehow been implanted into his psyche by the Cylons? It has already been established by the brainscan performed by Dr. Cottle that there is no cybernetic implant in Baltar's brain, at least none that is detectable by human technology. Also, in Ron Moore's podcast he seems to indicate that she is no more than a hallucination, produced by Baltar's subconsciousness. Her actions, however, do seem to be aimed at advancing a Cylon agenda.
**Is it possible that in shielding Baltar from that blast, parts of each other's consciousness got imprinted on one another? That would not show in a scan, and would help explain why she has an imaginary Baltar.
**It is perhaps interesting to note that Baltar's Six is subtly different in personality from the actual Six that he knew, while Six's Baltar is different in personality than the actual Baltar. This suggests that Six's Baltar is based upon her own perception of Baltar more than the man himself, and vice versa.
* Does death hold any meaning to the Cylons? If they can just be reborn then perhaps they don't truely understand murder and genocide?
**When they can't be resurrected their behavior changes ([[Scar]], [[The Captain's Hand]]), indicating that ''permanent'' death is something they avoid. On board the Pegasus, Gina's desire for death so that she can escape her memories indicates that, for some of them at least, they have some concept of death that coincides with the human understanding of it.

== Analysis ==
*Apparently the documentary broadcast from [[the Fleet]] in "[[Final Cut]]" was not made widely available, since if Caprica-Six had seen it, she would have already known about Baltar's survival.
*In the scene where ''Galactica''-Sharon is downloaded into her new body, when another Sharon smiles and says "we love you Sharon", this mirrors how another Sharon said the same thing to her on the basestar in "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]", at which point she also freaked out.
*There does not appear to be any pattern to the numbering scheme of the 12 Cylon models: Three (D'anna), Five (Doral), Six (Shelley Godfrey/Gina), Eight (Sharon), i.e. not all females are an even number, males an odd number.
**However, these models do seem to get progressively younger the higher (perhaps, "most recent") their Number is: Three is eldest and has the number closest to one, while Eight is youngest and has the highest number out of these four. The older models also tend to have more authority.
**Following that pattern, would Numbers Nine through Twelve be modeled after teenagers or children?
*Cylon society on Caprica appears to consist of mostly mimicking human behavior — clothing, apartments, cafe's, parks for relaxation, etc. In essence, the Cylons are merely trying to be what they have just exterminated — humans.
**They have established previously that they consider humans to be more "real" and closer to God than they are ("this form brings us closer to God..."); they think that humans are more "real" and that if they wish to be real, they should adopt ''some'' aspects of what humanity is, but this doesn't necessarily stop them from being quite different from humanity.
*Cylons appear to lead asexual lives — no Cylon "couples" were observed, or even any obvious signs of friendship between Cylons. While frequently talking about, and concerned with, love, Cylons are celibate except when interacting with humans.
*As Caprica-Six and ''Galactica''-Sharon pointed out, the Cylons' claim that they are superior to humans because humans still kill because of greed and jealousy, etc. is hypocritical. They point out the logical disconect of conducting genocide and murder in the name of an all-loving God. Further, Number Three's plan to "box" Caprica-Six and ''Galactica''-Sharon, which would ''in effect'' be murdering them, also makes her a murderer like the humans she claims to be better than.
*At various points in the series, Baltar's internal Number Six has been seen manipulating physical objects: a test-tube in "[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]", a chair in "[[Home, Part II]]", etc., which has led to the question of whether this is a continuity error, or if she is more real than she claims to be. In this episode, we seem to get an answer to this: Caprica-Six's hallucinatory Baltar makes a drink while in ''Galactica''-Boomer's appartment and hands it to her...only for the camera to shift angles, the hallucination-Baltar to be gone, and to show that Caprica-Six is actually grasping at air. Thus it can be inferred that this is just a stylistic choice by the production team: whenever Number Six ''appears'' to be manipulating a physical object on ''Galactica'', Baltar is hallucinating that she is doing this, and the camera is showing things that aren't "really" happening, from Baltar's perspective.
*The Cylons did not expect their initial attack to be anywhere near as successful as it was. This would explain the apparently large number of Cylon military vessels showing up everywhere as the Cylons expected to fight a more protracted war against a larger surviving human military force.
**That the Cylons felt it so necessary to sabotage the Colonial Fleet through Caprica-Six implies that they felt attacking without that advantage would have at best cost them many ships, and at worst resulted in defeat. The placing of the backdoor in the [[CNP]] was high risk; if the Colonials had discovered it before the Cylons attacked, they would have been forewarned of the coming assault, and could even have surprised the Cylons by acting as if they were unaware of the problem while secretly disabling the backdoor on all military spacecraft.
*Hera's being hidden away soon after her birth in order to protect her fits her messiah-status, as other messiah figures have often also been hidden after their birth in similar fashion, such as [[Wikipedia:Jesus|Jesus]], [[Wikipedia:Moses|Moses]], [[Wikipedia:Harry Potter|Harry Potter]], [[Wikipedia:Superman|Superman]], [[Wikipedia:Aragorn|Aragorn]], [[Wikipedia:Luke Skywalker|Luke Skywalker]], etc.
**This is also a common theme with tragic characters such as [[Wikipedia:Oedipus|Oedipus Rex]].
*It's strange that Roslin included Colonel Saul Tigh in the conversation about Hera's fate, but not Commander Lee Adama, who now outranks him.
**It is likely that Commander Lee Adama was busy adjusting to his duties as the new CO of ''Pegasus'' and was briefed seperately.
*"At least forty" humano-Cylons were killed in the cafe bombing. When Three was killed by Caprica-Six, she said it would take "at least 36 hours" for Three's consciousness to be downloaded to a new body. This implies perhaps a sequential (as opposed to parallel) processing of the download process. Why can't they handle more at the same time? Is it a technical limitation, or perhaps a religious one (i.e. they always try to treat the process with reverence)? That seems kind of inefficient though. In any case, it appears to take a little less than an hour per download assuming sequential downloading.
**It is likely that additional forty downloads exceeds the short term capability of the hardware that was emplaced on Caprica. Resources are not infinite, and the current hardware is most likely what is deemed sufficient for routine work based on normal usage.
**There has to be some kind of buffer system in place to hold the Cylons' conciousnesses in their layover been their physical death and rebirth if a large number of them die all at once.

== Notes ==
*Anders refers to humanoid Cylons as "Skin Jobs" in this episode, another referrence to [[Wikipedia:Blade_Runner|Blade Runner]] by the Re-Imagined Series. The Cylon Centurions are being referred to as "Bullet Heads".
*The vision of [[Number Six]] that Baltar sees all the time is ''not'' the same person as the woman he was sleeping with on Caprica who used him to lower Colonial defenses: [[Caprica-Six]]'s consciousness was downloaded into a new body. Chip-Six might be a duplicate, or something else.
*[[Lee Adama]] is visible in a photograph in [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)]]'s apartment in [[Delphi]]. However, Adama and Valerii had never served together prior to the events of the [[miniseries]]. This is probably a continuity error.
*Apollo and Starbuck do not appear in this episode. This is the first episode that Apollo has never appeared in, and the third episode of the season in which Starbuck has not appeared (after "[[Fragged]]" and "[[Black Market]]").
**As of this episode, the only characters that have appeared in every episode of the Re-Imagined Series are President [[Laura Roslin]], Admiral [[William Adama]], and Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]. Michael Hogan (Col. Tigh) is actually not one of the seven "regular" cast members, but he has still been in every episode to date.
*Ricky Worthy (Cylon "[[Simon]]") and Callum Keith Rennie (Cylon "[[Leoben Conoy]]") do not actually appear in this episode. In several brief shots, body doubles dressed as their characters are seen from behind or in the distance, but these actors did not return for the episode.
*We learn a lot of Cylon names in this episode: out of the 12 [[Cylon agent|humanoid models]] of Cylon, besides the already-known "[[Number Six]]", the one who posed as human reporter "[[D'anna Biers]]" is model '''Number Three''', the one who posed as PR representative "[[Aaron Doral]]" is model '''Number Five''', and the one who infiltrated ''Galactica'' posing as the pilot "Sharon 'Boomer' Valerii" is model '''Number Eight'''.
*A longstanding question has been answered: What do the Cylons call each other amongst themselves? They actually don't use the names of any human personas they might have infiltrated the Colonies with. "Number Six" is actually called "Number Six" in dialog for the first time in this episode (in the [[Miniseries]], we were left with the cryptic "There are twelve models, I am number six"). It is revealed that Cylons just call and think of themselves as "Number Three" or "Three", etc. It was speculated that individual copies might be distinguished by using a serial number or other ID, but apparently Cylon society is based so much on the idea of unity and lack of individuality that they simply ''do not have'' designations for individual units. When Number Three refers to ''Galactica''-Sharon, she just refers to her as "an Eight", etc. "Caprica-Six" is a makeshift nickname that was made up for the individual "celebrity" Number Six (probably because the Cylons had never developed a formal convention for naming individual units). Caprica-Six is sometimes called "Caprica" for short.
*This gets a little confusing, because even though all of the Number Six copies on Caprica look and dress identically, copies that Caprica-Six walks by still recognize who she is.
*"Caprica-Six" appears to be a take on the ''ad hoc'' naming convention developed by fans for telling the different Cylon copies appart: review sites and messageboards over time started distinguishing the copy of Boomer on ''Galactica'' and the copy of Boomer on Caprica as "''Galactica''-Sharon" and "Caprica-Sharon" for convenience. This loosley developed system then spread to other Cylons as they appeared ("[[Gina|''Pegasus''-Six]]", "Caprica-Doral", "Caprica-D'anna", etc.), though it isn't based on any official material (''BattlestarWiki'' eventually adopted these terms of convenience as well). When Number Three remarks to "Caprica-Six" that her nickname is a little funny, because she's only one of hundreds of copies of "Number Six" on Caprica, this might be a small joke by the writers at the expense of fans.
*Sharon showed difficulty in performing chin ups, but later showed no problem in moving pieces of concrete weighing at least 100 pounds.
**She could have just been angry, and not actually appearing strained because it was physically hard.
**One of the consistent features of both ''Galactica''-Sharon and Caprica-Sharon has been the conflict between her "natural" Cylon Number Eight personality and her human Sharon personality. While probably intended that the two personalities should remain separate, with the Number Eight personality primary, it never worked out that way. In "[[Water]]", for example, Sharon reasserts herself before Number Eight can finish planting the charges. At this point, both ''Galactica''-Sharon/Eight and Caprica-Sharon/Eight have their personalities all jumbled up, with the Sharon personality exerting the stronger influence but retaining knowledge of being a Cylon and being Number Eight. Anyway: the Sharon "code" would have to include imposed limitations on what she believes her own strength and physical abilities to be, or she'd be found out much, much more easily. Inconsistencies in her apparent physical abilities can therefore be explained along with inconsistencies of her mixed but not really integrated personalities.
*Number Three appears to have some command functions based on her actions and behavior. These apparently include determining final disposition of other Cylon personalities.
*Lucy Lawless once again uses her native New Zealand accent for [[D'anna Biers]], even though at the end of "[[Final Cut#notes|Final Cut]]" it was implied that her character normally doesn't.
*Galactica-Sharon's old apartment number on Caprica was "502"
*Much of the dialog in the episode recap is entirely new, and dubbed in to better summarize the segment.
*According to RDM's podcast, there was an entire subplot in this episode in which Lucy Lawless's character "D'anna Biers" would interview President Roslin about rumors that the pregnant Cylon prisoner's baby had been born. Then "''Galactica''-Three" would try to kidnap the baby off of ''Galactica'' in collusion with [[Gina]] (''Pegasus''-Six). The subplot was cut for time (they wanted to spend more time focusing on events on Caprica), and also because they felt it made the episode very confusing; cutting between many different Cylon copies both on Caprica and ''Galactica''. These scenes apparently ''were'' filmed, then cut, because promotional photos for this episode show pictures of D'anna Biers on Galactica (with her new hairstyle), so it will probably appear in deleted scenes released in the next DVD set.
*Sharon has a pair of hand carved, wood or stone, decorative elephants in her apartment. Caprica-Six asks her if they are from "[[Ithaca]]", which on Earth is an island off the coast of Greece and is the home of Odysseus in Homer's [[Wikipedia:Odyssey|Odyssey]]. She states that they were a gift from her mother for her graduation.
**''Galactica''-Sharon said that her mother gave her the carved elephant statues when she left for fleet academy: this directly contradicts her statement in the [[Miniseries]] that her parents died (in the [[Troy]] mining colony accident) when she was little. Of course, either way none of it really happened.
*[[Caprica-Six]] assumed residence on Caprica two years prior to the cylon attack, which matches both the beginning of her relationship with Baltar ([[Miniseries]]) and the date that [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)]] was assigned to ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' ([[The Farm]]).
*There are three cars in the underground garage. One clearly visible is a Citroën DS. When the Cylon enters the garage, the car on the right appears to be a Rover P6. The car on the left with a central headlamp appears to be a 1950s Citroën prototype.
** The license plate on the front of the car crushed in Anders' bomb attack reads '''SEXYMOM'''.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

*''Caprica-Sharon has gone into premature labor with her Hybrid baby:''
:'''Cottle:''' I find it absolutely amazing you people went to all the trouble to appear human, and didn't upgrade the plumbing.

*''"Caprica-Six" and a [[Number Three]]-copy walk past a crowd of other Cylons of various models, and they all keep turning their heads to look at Caprica-Six:''
:'''Caprica-Six:''' I still can't get used to this.
:'''Three:''' Well you're a Hero of the Cylon now. You're our first celebrity!
:'''Caprica-Six:''' Oh, I'm just another Six.
:'''Three:''' You're too modest. I'm just another Three... and they're Fives (''motions at a Doral-model'')... and Eights (''motions at a Sharon-model''). But you, everyone calls you "Caprica-Six"... like you're the only Six on the planet!

*''President Roslin, Baltar, Admiral Adama and Col. Tigh discuss what to do with the Hybrid baby:''
:'''Roslin:''' If [[Hera|the baby]] does survive, the question is — what do we do with it?
:'''Baltar:''' Do? What are you suggesting? That we throw it out of an airlock?
:'''Roslin:''' I don't make suggestions Mr. Baltar, if I want to toss a baby out of an airlock, I'd say so.

*''[[Number Three]] prepares to execute [[Samuel Anders]]:''
:'''Three:''' Humans don't respect life the way we do. ''[loads pistol]''

*''Anders' gun is knocked out of his hands, and it miraculously lands near Number Three, who picks it up, stands over Anders and gets ready to execute him:''
:'''Number Three''': God loves me. (''Caprica-Six pops up behind Number Three and bashes her over the head with a big rock of debris'')
:'''Caprica-Six''': See you again soon! (''Caprica-Six bashes her head with the rock a second time, killing her current body, while her consciousness will soon download into another'')

== Official Statements ==
*David Eick's video blog shows the crew preparation for filming a Cylon rebirthing scene, most likely for this episode.

== Statistics ==

=== Guest Stars ===
*[[Lucy Lawless]] as [[D'anna Biers]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0722413/ Donnelly Rhodes] as Dr. [[Cottle]]
*Kerry Norton as Paramedic [[Layne Ishay]]
*[[Matthew Bennett]] as [[Aaron Doral]]
*[[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]]
*Rekha Sharma as [[Tory Foster]]
*Alisen Down as Jean Barclay
*Erica Cerra as [[Maya]]
*Diego Diablo Del Mar as Hillard

{{Episode List}}

[[Category: A to Z]]
[[Category: RDM]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Bradley Thompson]]
[[Category:Episodes written by David Weddle]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Jeff Woolnough]]