Battlestar Wiki - User contributions [en]

Epiphanies

2006-03-28T23:04:52Z

Preuninger: /* Questions */

{{Episode Data|
Image = [[Image:2BATejC05.jpg|300px]]
| Title= Epiphanies
| Series= [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|The Re-imagined Series]]
| Season= [[Season 2 (2005-06)|2]]
| Episode= 13
| Guests=[[Colm Feore]] as President [[Richard Adar|Adar]]
| Writer=[[Joel Anderson Thompson]]
| Story=
| Director=[[Rod Hardy]]
| Production=2.13
| Rating= 1.9
| US Airdate=January 20 2006
| UK Airdate=
| DVD=
| Population=49,598
| Prev= [[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]
| Next= [[Black Market]]
}}

== Overview ==

: ''Admiral [[William Adama]] questions whether or not [[Sharon Valerii (Caprica copy)|Sharon Valerii]]'s pregnancy should be aborted. Meanwhile Roslin's health declines rapidly as a pro-Cylon peace group attempts to sow violence and discontent within the Fleet.''

== Summary ==

* President [[Laura Roslin]] is brought on board ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]''. She has days to live.
* Captain [[Kara Thrace]] and Lieutenant [[Louanne Katraine]] are conducting Viper tests. During a test of the Viper's projectile systems, Kat's port gun is destroyed and a piece of it impacts on Thrace's cockpit.
* [[Cally]] and CPO [[Galen Tyrol|Tyrol]] discover that several rounds of ammunition from the damaged Viper are unusually light and fragile. These rounds break and misfire, leaving the projectile lodged in the barrel. When the next round fires, the overpressure destroys the gun. They determine the ammunition has been sabotaged.
*The sabotage investigation quickly leads [[Lee Adama]] and Kara Thrace to [[Asha Janik]], one of the recent civilian hirees in ''Galactica's'' armory. When they apprehend her, she declares her allegiance to an organization claiming to want peace with the Cylons.
*Vice President [[Gaius Baltar]] is given the presidential tour by [[Billy Keikeya]] in preparation for his assumption of the Presidency. Billy reveals a letter from Roslin, to be opened upon her death.
* The new peace movement, led by [[Royan Jahee]], gains momentum as the civilian population begins to realize that victory against the Cylons is impossible and questions the fleet's 'attack-and-retreat' tactics.
* An infusion of [[Sharon Valerii (Caprica copy)|Sharon's]] fetal blood ostensibly destroys the cancerous masses in Roslin's system. Sharon's pregnancy is allowed to continue for further research.

===On Caprica Prior to the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|Cylon Attack]]===
*Roslin finds out she has cancer.
*Roslin meets with President Adar to discuss a teacher's strike, and his response.
*Roslin meets with the leader of the educational alliance, [[Naylin Stans]], and strikes an agreement.
*Adar disagrees with Roslin's methods and results, and asks for her resignation.
*Roslin refuses to resign and departs for ''Galactica's'' decommissioning ceremony.
*Roslin sees [[Gaius Baltar]] with [[Number Six]] in her dream state. She then seems alarmed to see Dr. Baltar when she wakes up and tries to say something to him.

== Questions ==

*Kara Thrace is flying Mk. II vipers with Galactica's pilots again. Is she still the CAG of ''Pegasus''?
**According to interviews with RDM, Starbuck is still the ''Pegasus'' CAG. There's nothing to say she couldn't just continue flying joint missions with ''Galactica'', etc.
***Indeed, Kat remarks that Starbuck is "late" for flying the CAP, presumably the patrols are now a joint effort between the two Battlestars, possibly as an attempt to boost intraship morale after they nearly destroyed one another.
*Now that Roslin recalls Baltar's involvement with a Cylon agent on Caprica, what will she do about it?
*Will there be any consequences for Helo's near-mutiny?
*Will Roslin's attitude toward the Cylon fetus change following her recovery?
**Ronald D. Moore's podcast implies that her urgency was only prompted by her lack of faith in Baltar's ability to handle the situation. Will she be content to let to Sharon carry to term now that her survival is no longer in question?
*Roslin's recent series of Machiavellian orders (Cain's assassination in "[[Resurrection Ship, Part I]]", and the forced abortion here) appear to have been facilitated by her belief that, given her impending death, she wouldn't have to deal with the ethical ramifications. Will this alter her relationship with Admiral Adama in the long term?
*Is security really so lax that Baltar (whom Adama does not consider especially trustworthy) would be able to smuggle one of ''Galactica's'' very few nuclear warheads off-ship?
**He didn't steal it from the armory, it's the one he used to build the Cylon detector; he's got 24 hours a day unrestricted access to it.
**Raptors are capable of detecting radiological devices. Why wasn't the bomb noticed in transit? If it's possible to effectively shield a nuclear device from detection, why don't the Cylons do this to their own warheads? Is it even necessary for the Cylons to shield their nuclear weapons given that the short time between launch and detonation of the weapon gives so little time to respond.
**Alternately, is the nuclear device actually functional?
**According to Ron Moore's podcast, the nuke storyline will be dealt with in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I" and "...Part II" to end the season.
**How much of the device was used for Baltar's "Cylon Detector"? Has it been dismantled to restore the explosive?
*Why aren't there posters of [[Gina]] scattered all over the fleet to inform everyone of her Cylon identity, making it difficult for her to hide, let alone lead a Cylon-sympathy movement?
**Ronald Moore did admit during his podcast that this was Gina's "Clark Kent" disguise and it was very shaky the way they played it off that nobody would recognize her. Will this loose end be tied-up in some future story line when they get further into the Colonial underground storylines that the next few episodes are supposed to follow?
**On the other hand, Gina does not appear to be leaving her room on ''Cloud 9'' that much, and the humans who do see her are Cylon sympathizers anyway.
*Does Gina "remember" Number Six's memories about having a relationship with Baltar on Caprica, or even after? In "[[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]", she did not seem to know him, as Baltar introduced himself to her and explained that he had a relationship with another Cylon copy of her model. Here, however, it sort of seems like she remembers having a physical relationship with him, but isn't "ready" to go back to that after her torture. Then again, her lines also be interpreted to mean that she really never "knew" about him before she met him on ''Pegasus''. The process of Cylon memory-transfer and systematic updating isn't very well understood at this point.
*Why is it that in the last episode, "[[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]", Sharon is not noticeably pregnant even when wearing a close-fitting tank top, but is now suddenly visibly quite progressed in her pregnancy?
**The same may be said of the physical condition of Gina. She now has no noticeable scars or other markings from her ordeal on Pegasus. Baltar does comment when he sees Number Six in the corridor, however, that it has been several weeks since he saw her last. This could help explain the noticeably pregnant Sharon.

== Analysis ==

* The survivor count this episode is 49,598, a net loss of six since [[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]. [[Helena Cain|Admiral Cain]] and the ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' marine killed by [[Gina]] account for two. Presumably the remaining were pilots or crew lost during the [[Battle of the Resurrection Ship|attack]] on the [[Resurrection Ship]].
** This seems to be extremely good fortune, as the two battlestars engaged in a major fleet action for an extended time.
* Roslin's affair with Adar was suggested by her comment in the [[miniseries]] that "he had a way about him... you just couldn't say 'no' to him."
*Naylin Stans implies that he believes the teacher's strike is a cause worth dying for. This claim is ridiculously hyperbolic.
**The fact that President Adar was willing to use the military to enforce a back-to-work order seems to indicate that the protest must've been more serious than simple wage issues.
*Roslin's medical chart showed her name and other information such as date of birth, but this information was too blurry for viewers to read.
*Roslin's recollections of Baltar on Caprica do not match the same scene in the Miniseries. For example: Baltar and Six did walk together and kiss, and she was carrying the same case in her left hand, but they did not "make out" against a wall. Each character did end the miniseries scene by saying they were meeting someone else, however.
**Logically, it wasn't the same scene. Baltar and Six were on Caprica for a while, and they could easily have been making at a different time on the same day. The episode actually makes no attempt to establish that Roslin is seeing the same scene of Baltar and Number Six (that we the viewers saw in the Miniseries), from a different angle.
*Watching closely during the early scene when Starbuck and Kat are flying the CAP, it seems probable that actress Luciana Carro (Kat) said the real "F word" instead of the ersatz "[[Frak]]", which was then dubbed over (it's a closeup so you can tell her lips don't quite correspond to it). She actually seems to have done this in the past on many occasions.

===Serious Technical and Storyline Issues===

*Roslin's cancer cure was pure "deus ex machina." While many viewers may find Roslin's cure a necessary one as she has become a pivotal character in the show, the method of her cure leaves too many medical mistakes and is too easy of a cure.
*Cancer is not a viral disease, like AIDS or the common cold, but an invasive destruction of tissue by mutated cells, which usurp the function of healthy cells. For the cure to work the way it did would require it not only to destroy free-floating cells and metastasized tissue, but to ''repair'' any organs with healthy tissue.
**The human immune system does have some ability to suppress tumors, so a biological cure is not entirely implausible.
*As cancer is not curable here on Earth, for the show to invent a cure at the last minute may feel contrived by some.
**Some cancers are curable, especially at early stages (e.g. childhood leukemia, early cervical and types of skin cancer). Some cancers are caused by or associated with viruses (cervical cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma in AIDS). However, it would have been more plausible to have the cancer held at bay or even remitted but not necessarily cured for good.

Major plot elements that form a resolution in the show's past were generally introduced and left "in the air" for suspense over several episodes while both viewers and characters learned their significance.

*These include:
**The search for the [[Arrow of Apollo]] and the search for the [[Tomb of Athena]]
**The Experiment with Helo on Caprica (Season 1)
**Adama's survival after his shooting

The "epiphany" of Baltar's cancer cure could have been worked over at least two or three episodes while he and Cottle studied Sharon Valerii's child, which is a logical way to work a cancer cure. Baltar is a tinkerer--the miracle working viewers saw in this episode would be best left to other characters in science fiction where such "magical" inventiveness might be expected. In "Battlestar Galactica", this sudden resolution of the second major plot element in the series (we hear of Roslin's terminal cancer diagnosis when we first see Roslin in the Miniseries) that has dire ramifications for the Fleet should not be resolved with the proverbial swipe of a writer's pen in a single episode.

It should be noted that the cure might not be permanent and the cancer may return in the future (as hinted by Ronald D. Moore in the podcast for this episode).

For more analysis on this and other scientific matters of the Re-imagined Series, see the article, [[Science in the Re-imagined Series]].

Other technical issues abound in this episode.

*A nuclear warhead was smuggled from ''Galactica'' to ''Cloud Nine''. How would such a device possibly get past the various [[Radiological Alarm|radiological sensors]] throughout the Fleet? This was a plot complication used in "[[Flesh and Bone]]" as well when a copy of [[Leoben Conoy]] claimed that a nuclear device was hidden in the Fleet. The writing element was difficult to believe in that episode, and it far less believable in this episode. Both the battlestar and the [[Raptor]] on which the freed "freedom movement" member left the ship are military vessels ''designed'' to sniff out hostile devices.
**A significant dissent for Baltar's weapon contribution may be that the weapon he gave to the Demand Peace movement may not have ''any'' radioactive material inside it; Baltar gave them the warhead, but not the fissionable material inside. This reasoning has strong merit and precedence: (1) Baltar serves himself above all others. He wouldn't give away a weapon's plutonium which he is still personally accountable for, nor would he give such material away to people that could turn around and blow up the Fleet (and himself). (2) Baltar still needs the radiological material for his [[Cylon detector]] if a test is asked. (3) If [[Naturalistic science fiction|show creation principles]] hold true for this episode, conventional bomb materials (such [[G-4]] or sidearm ammunition) would NOT be detectable by radiological scanning. Either bomb types used on real-world Earth (fissionable-material bombs such as uranium or [[plutonium]] bombs, or fusion bombs such as hydrogen bombs) use conventional explosives to activate the trigger that creates a nuclear explosion. At best, the device that Baltar gave the Demand Peace movement may only be as dangerous as the makeshift explosive they used on the ''[[Daru Mozu]]''.
**Like any device, [[Radiological Alarm|radiological sensors]] are only effective when they are online. It is possible that these sensors are intelligent enough to ignore known radioactive sources, such as Galatica's existing stores of nuclear warheads.

*The explosion of the bomb on the refinery ship is powerful enough to create a sizable hole on the ship. While space is a vacuum and so shock waves do not carry as they would in an atmosphere, the Raptor that flew close to the ship and was not very far from the explosion should probably be damaged from flying debris.
**Raptors, being warships, presumably have some shielding against shrapnel.

== Notes ==

* This episode begins 189 days after the Cylon attack on the colonies. There is a 48 hour gap between Roslin's deathbed treatment and her conversation with [[Royan Jahee]]. The number 189 given in this episode, as well as "six months" in the previous one, contradict the [[Timeline (RDM)|timeline]] which ''BattlestarWiki'' has developed to track dates. See the [[Talk:Timeline (RDM)#6 months?|''Talk'' page on the Timeline]] for a full breakdown.
* [[Lee Adama]] is once again a Captain, and has been reinstated as ''Galactica's'' CAG. His authority apparently extends to the ''Pegasus'' squadrons as well. This is consistent with [[Cole Taylor]]'s authority over ''Galactica's'' air wing, when ''Pegasus'' was the flagship.
* [[Gina]] has joined the Cylon sympathizers. The other members of the resistance are apparently unaware she is a [[Cylon agent]].
* Roslin was in an intimate relationship with President Adar.
*Roslin now recalls witnessing [[Gaius Baltar]]'s affair with a copy of [[Number Six]] on Caprica, prior to the attack.
* The [[Media:Radiation Symbol.jpg|radiation symbol]] used by the colonials is different from the one used in reality, but is still easily recognizable.
*''Galactica'' has been recruiting civilians to handle "grunt work" on the hangar deck.
*Baltar was aware of the [[Demand Peace]] movement prior to this episode.
*At least three bodies can be seen being vented into space after the explosion onboard ''[[Daru Mozu]]''.
*The file photograph of Number Six is of [[Shelly Godfrey]], seen in the episode "[[Six Degrees of Separation]]".
* The nuclear device Dr. Baltar gives the resistance is the same one he was given to create his [[Cylon detector]] in "[[Bastille Day]]".
* ''Pegasus'' is barely featured in this episode, and none of her crew or interior locations are seen, except in the pre-episode recap.
*Admiral Adama continues to wear his commander's [[uniform]] with new admiral's rank insignia at his collar.
**Adama is a pragmatist who tends to eschew ceremony.
*This episode, which contained the issue of abortion, was aired on January 20th, 2 days before the anniversary of the United States Supreme Court [[Wikipedia:Roe v. Wade|Roe v. Wade]] decision of 1973.
**The issue of abortion was not, however, directly addressed—very few, if any, real-life abortions happen because of the national security implications of giving birth to a human-robot chimera.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

'''President Richard Adar:''' "One of the most interesting things about being President is that you don't have to explain yourself. To anyone."
*Roslin earlier attributed this saying to Adar in the episode "[[Flesh and Bone]]".

'''Secretary Roslin:''' "I am on my way to the ''Galactica'' to represent this administration. When I return, if you still want my job, be prepared to fight."

== Official Statements ==



* USA [[Wikipedia:Nielsen Ratings|Nielsen Ratings]]: 1.9 household rating

== Guest stars ==
[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Colm+Feore Colm Feore] ([[Richard Adar|President Adar]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Aaron+Douglas Aaron Douglas] ([[Galen Tyrol]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nicki+Clyne Nicki Clyne] ([[Cally]]) [[Bodie Olmos]] ([[Brendan Constanza|Hot Dog]]) [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm1382781/ Luciana Carro] ([[Louanne Katraine]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Leah+Cairns Leah Cairns] ([[Margaret Edmonson|Racetrack]]) David Richmond-Peck ([[Naylin Stans]]) Holly Dignard ([[Asha Janik]]) Paul Perri (Royan Jahee) Jennifer Kitchen (Marine)

{{Episode List}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Episode Guide (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Joel Anderson Thompson]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Rod Hardy]]

Saul Tigh

2006-03-26T19:24:10Z

Preuninger: Spelling and Grammar

{{Character Data|
|photo= [[Image:Bsg-tigh-1.jpg|200px]]
|age= 63-69
|colony= Aerelon
|birthname= Saul Tigh
|callsign=
|death=
|parents=
|siblings=
|children= None
|marital status=Married to [[Ellen Tigh]]
|role= Executive Officer, ''[[Battlestar]] [[Galactica]]''
|rank= Colonel
|actor= [[Michael Hogan]]
|cylon=
|name=
}}

== Biography ==

=== Background ===

Saul Tigh was born on the colony of [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Aerelon|Aerelon]].{{ref|magazine1}} A veteran of the Cylon War, Saul Tigh is sometimes estranged from his wife and has been somewhat disillusioned with his career, seeking refuge in alcoholism - a move which has lead many in the crew to view him with contempt ([[Miniseries]]; "[[33]]").

He is a third generation Colonial soldier. [[Saul Tigh (father of)|His father]] was a decorated fighter pilot killed in combat and [[Saul Tigh (grandfather of)|his grandfather]] served under President [[Mueller (president)|Mueller]]. According to [[Billy Keikeya]], Tigh was a published military historian until personal problems became apparent ([[Mini-Series]], [[List of Deleted Scenes (RDM)|deleted scene]]).

Tigh began his career as a deckhand{{ref|magazine2}}. By the second year of the first [[Cylon War]], he was serving as a gunner's made onboard the ''[[Brenik]]''. His ship was boarded by the Cylons where he and others fought in hand to hand combat, during the bloodiest time of that war. ([http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/episodes/season02/202/deleted1.html deleted scene], [[Valley of Darkness]]). His ship was subsequently destroyed and he survived. He was transferred to another unnamed ship, which succumbed to a similar fate as his original ship. Having born witness to many a bloody combat, he became emotionally scarred, which had, among other impetuses, lead him to alcoholism.
[[Image:Tighadama.jpg|Tigh and Adama's first meeting.|left|thumb]]

Tigh eventually achieved the rank of Chief Petty Officer ([[Galen Tyrol]]'s position on ''Galactica''). When Viper pilot numbers began running low in the war, Tigh was drafted into Colonial Officer Candidate School and was reassigned as a Viper pilot ([[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down (podcast)|podcast]], [[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]). As a pilot, he demonstrated considerable skill, earning several medals while posted aboard the battlestar [[Athena (Battlestar)|Athena]].{{ref|magazine3}}

After the cessation of hostilities, he was dismissed from service and eked out an existence as a deckhand aboard a commercial freighter. While onboard, he drowned himself in alcohol and, after a time, encountered [[William Adama]], who had not seen as much combat experience as Tigh himself. They became fast friends, and remained in touch after Adama reenlisted with the service. Two years later{{ref|magazine4}}, he was able to pull strings to reenlist Tigh as well ([[Scattered]]).

Following his reenlistment Saul met his future wife Ellen, whom he courted and married after two months, about 7 years before the [[Miniseries]]. Unfortunately, Ellen did not take well to military life and her repeated infidelities drove Saul back into the bottle. The two seperated shortly before the Cylon attack.{{ref_label|magazine4|4|a}}

Following the Cylon attack, Tigh recovers some of his old verve and attempts to give up alcohol. However, this, combined with the initial stress of flight from the Cylons causes him to over-compensate as a martinet, frequently driving the personnel overly-hard, and berating where encouragement would prove the better option ([[33]]). He excuses this by using the truism that the XO is supposed to be the "hard face" of command.
[[image:33-Tigh_Adama.jpg|thumb|right|"If the crew doesn't hate the XO, then he's not doing his job."]]
With his drinking problem relatively under control, Tigh settled back into his role as the ''Galactica's'' Executive Officer and proved himself both honest and level-headed - if still hard on himself and others - in a number of circumstances, and he provided the kind of support [[William Adama|Adama]] needed.

During Cylon attacks, he proves himself an excellent battle manager and tactician. His quick actions sometimes save the ship and [[The Fleet (RDM)|the Fleet]] from damage or destruction ("[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]", "[[Scattered]]", "[[Valley of Darkness]]").

Tigh is uneasy around President [[Laura Roslin]] ([[Water]]), and resents what he sees as her interfering with Adama's command ([[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]) - something born out of his deep respect for Adama which even the most heated of disagreements between them ([[You Can't Go Home Again]]) cannot disrupt.

Tigh personally dislikes [[Kara Thrace]], one of ''Galactica's'' pilots and, while grudgingly conceding she is a fine pilot, he does not understand what Adama sees in her ([[Mini-Series]]). Tigh sees Thrace as an egotistical, insubordinate youngster. While they have tried to bury the hatchet between them ([[Mini-Series]], [[Water]]), there is potentially too much water under the bridge now for them to get completely past their differences.

Outside of Adama, Tigh has few others he regards as confidants aboard ship; and since the initial Cylon attack, he withdraws from interacting with the crew during off-duty hours, making him perhaps more isolated than even Adama - who is at least held in awe and respect by the crew.

=== Wife's Return ===
[[image:Tigh_Me_Up_Tigh_Me_Down-Saul_Ellen.jpg|thumb|left|'''Saul''' and his newly returned wife, [[Ellen Tigh|Ellen]], making a toast: "To starting over" ([[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]).]]
Some three weeks after the Cylon attack on the [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]], Tigh is stunned to discover his wife, [[Ellen Tigh|Ellen]], has not been killed as he had thought, but was rescued from [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Picon|Picon]], and carried aboard the ''[[Rising Star (RDM)|Rising Star]]'' as an unconscious "Jane Doe". Whether this reunion will be for his betterment or not remains to be seen.

However, despite the emotional implications from the destruction of the Colonies and life aboard the ship, Tigh is thrust further into politics as his wife plays her schemes. Much to his disdain, his wife attempts to procure photo opportunities with the likes of [[Tom Zarek]] -- a person Tigh views with the utmost disdain ([[Colonial Day]]). Additionally, Ellen seems to re-establish Saul Tigh's alcoholism with gratuitious drinking.

Despite this, Adama sends Tigh with a squadron of [[Colonial Marine Corps|marines]] to arrest [[Laura Roslin]] after Adama discovers that she convinced [[Kara Thrace]] to [[FTL|Jump]] back to [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Caprica|Caprica]] to retrieve a historical artifact called the [[Arrow of Apollo]] from the Delphi Museum. This action deprives the Fleet of a singular military resource -- a captured [[Cylon Raider]], which would have been used to plant a nuclear warhead aboard a basestar in orbit around the planet believed to be [[Kobol]] -- and convinces Adama that Roslin is misusing her authority.

Onboard ''[[Colonial One]]'', Tigh's men and Roslin's [[Presidential Security Service|personal security agents]] are at a standoff when [[Lee Adama]] [[mutiny|aims a weapon at Tigh's head]] and attempts to thwart the arrest. In order to defuse the sitation, Roslin agrees to be arrested and Lee Adama is arrested on charges of treason ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]).

=== Tigh in Command ===
[[Image:Scattered-Tigh.jpg|thumb|right|Tigh realizing he's in a bit over his head ([[Scattered]]).]]
Tigh is present in [[CIC]] at the [[assassination]] attempt on Adama by [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Sharon Valerii]]. As guards restrain Valerii, Tigh attempts to stop the bleeding from the torso gunshot wounds Adama sustains in the attempt ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II]]). Needing reliable officers, Tigh grants Lee Adama a furlough from his arrest. After his daily duties as [[CAG]] are done, Lee promises to return to the brig when off-shift.

With Adama incapacitated and with Roslin dethroned, Tigh tries to maintain order. However, his irrational and gruff command style displeases many crew. Morale and ship efficiency begins to suffer. Ellen Tigh becomes a private advisor to her husband, frequently questioning his power to command while also suggesting ways of usurping more power and quashing his opponents. Ellen Tigh's advice worsens an already bad situation.

Tigh's interrogation of suspected Cylon collaborators or infiltrators is brutal. After beating, then nearly shooting the ''Galactica'' copy of Valerii, other issues in the Fleet divert him from further interrogation. He orders a special cage made for her for later interrogation. Tigh also savagely interrogates Valerii's former lover, Chief [[Galen Tyrol]] as a possible [[Humano-Cylon|Cylon infiltrator]] himself. Tigh would have left him with Valerii in the newly built Cylon cage if [[Gaius Baltar]] did not intervene to prove medically that Tyrol is not a Cylon himself.

With Roslin in prison, uprisings begin with ships that refuse to give ''Galactica'' supplies until Roslin is released. Worse, the [[Quorum of Twelve]] demand to see Roslin. Knowing of Roslin's hallucinations in the brig, he intentionally invites the Quorum to see Roslin in her poor state. However, Roslin recovers sufficiently from her [[Chamalla]] withdrawal after getting a supply smuggled to her by Corporal [[Venner]], her guard. Unlike many Gemenon colonists, Tigh is very secular and believes that the accounts within the [[Sacred Scrolls]] weren't to be believed, and teases Roslin in front of the Quorum on her visions. Roslin not only is able to speak to the Quorum, but decisively reinforces her decisions as well as her role in the search for the location of Earth as told in the Pythian prophesies. This act greatly impresses the dominantly religiously-oriented Quorum, and greatly angers Tigh, who fears a larger civilan government uprising led by the Quorum. Tigh institutes [[Wikipedia:martial law|martial law]] throughout the Fleet in an attempt to maintain order in a rapidly chaotic shuffle of power between the civilian and military governments ([[Fragged]]).

The supply situation leads Tigh to a poor decision of using Viper pilots to retrieve the supplies. On [[Gideon|one ship]], an incident leads to four deaths and many injuries due to the pilot's inexperience in managing such a situation. Unlike Adama might have done when realizing he made a bad decision, Tigh blames the pilot and not himself for the incident.

=== Fleet Factioning and Adama's Return ===

The shootings, Tigh's decision for martial law, and his unwillingness to discuss anything with anyone except Ellen Tigh (and the unconscious Adama) becomes the dividing point of those wanting to press on to finding Earth, and those wanting to settle on Kobol ([[Season 2 (2005-06)|Season 2]]). Tigh's drinking becomes more out of control, and leads to very irrational and edgy behavior that leave many very concerned of his command ability, particularly the [[CIC]] staff. The situation comes to a head when Roslin, tacitly aided by other officers and crew on ''Galactica'', escapes the brig in an attempt to hide amongst the many ships in the Fleet with the aid of [[Tom Zarek]]. Tigh chases down the escaping Raptor using the [[CAP]] patrol, having the Viper fire across the bow of the Raptor to warn it to return. Luckily, Tigh does not worsen the issue and lets the Raptor escape, rather than shooting it down, which would have killed Adama's son, the President, and could have placed himself in a grave situation.
[[image:Flight_of_the_Phoenix-Tigh_Adama.jpg|thumb|left|Tigh and Adama share a knowing smirk at the commissioning of the [[Blackbird]], ''Laura'' ([[Flight of the Phoenix]]).]]

Fortunately, Commander Adama regains consciousness soon after the escape and inquires with his friend what had transpired. Despite the serious problems that Tigh created, Adama does not blame his friend and XO, indicating that they would repair the situation together ([[Resistance]]).

Both Adama (also a rather secular man) and Tigh are astounded at the number of ships that secede from the main fleet to join the [[Laura Roslin faction|faction]] that sought the [[Tomb of Athena]] with President Roslin ([[The Farm]]). Tigh backs up Adama while he maintains a similar official position on Roslin and the separated ships as Tigh has. However, after Adama realizes that survival of the entire Fleet would only come if everyone held together, Adama begins to prepare a journey to Kobol to retrieve the remainder of the Fleet and reach out to Roslin ([[Home, Part I]]). At first Tigh seems to believe that Adama is retrieving the faction by more military means, and scoffs at Roslin's religious views on the quest until he realizes that Adama is beginning to follow Roslin's information, taking her reports and visions seriously. Tigh is left in command while Adama successfully reunites the Fleet and reconciles with Roslin ([[Home, Part II]]).

==Notes==
* Tigh's first name has been given as "Paul" on a number of websites. This is based on an early [http://www.twiztv.com/scripts/battlestar/season1/galactica-ms1.pdf version of the script] '''(PDF file)''', which has Adama speaking to "Paul" in their discussion of his fight with Kara Thrace. Since this version of the script has significant differences to the final script, its canonical value is low.
* [[Ronald D. Moore]] has indicated via the [[podcast]] commentary on the episode "[[Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down]]" that the character's name initially was Paul Tigh. The name, however, had to be changed due to legal issues that Moore was unable to recall in that podcast.
* Tigh is based off the character of Paul Eddington in the movie "[[Wikipedia:In Harm's Way|In Harm's Way]]" portrayed by Kirk Douglas (with John Wayne).
* Tigh's age is one of the only ones which can be accurately deduced. In a [http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/episodes/season02/202/deleted1.html deleted scene] from [[Valley of Darkness]], we learn that he was serving on the [[Brenik]] when it was boarded during the second year of the Cylon War. Tigh tells us that he was "just a kid. Virgin. Teenager." We know that [[Colonial Day (holiday)|Colonial Day]] is the anniversary of both the unification of the Colonies, and (roughly) the outbreak of the Cylon War (Source: [http://blog.scifi.com/battlestar/archives/2005/04/index.html#a000025 RDM, April 11, 2005]), and was 52 years ago ([[Colonial Day]]). Thus, Saul Tigh is between 63 and 69 years old during the series.
* In the DVD commentary of "[[Act of Contrition]]", Ron Moore notes that actor [[Michael Hogan]] won the role of Tigh over [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0722413/ Donnelly Rhodes], who was one of two other actors vying for the part. Rhodes however went on to play the role of [[Cottle|Dr. Cottle]], ''Galactica'''s CMO.
* We have two conflicting claims on Saul Tigh's rank during the early days of the Cylon War:
**A [http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/episodes/season02/202/deleted1.html deleted scene] from the episode "[[Valley of Darkness]]" states that Tigh was still a gunner's mate by midway through the Cylon War's second year.
**Issue 3 of "Battlestar Galactica: The Official Magazine" states that he had acheived the rank of Chief Petty Officer by the time the Cylon War broke out.{{ref_label|magazine2|2|a}}
*Since neither of these sources are strictly canonical, it is not clear which is meant to stand.

{{start box}}
{{succession box|before=''(unknown)''|title=Executive Officer of the [[Galactica type battlestar|battlestar]] ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]''|after=[[Karl Agathon]] (presumed)}}
{{end box}}

==Sources==
#{{note|magazine1}}"Cylon Intelligence Report: Personnel File: Saul Tigh." Battlestar Galactica: The Official Magazine. Feb./Mar. 2006: 62.
#{{note|magazine2}}{{note_label|magazine2|2|a}}''Ibid''. "Saul Tigh entered the fleet as a deckhand but rose through the ranks and was a CPO (Chief Petty Officer) by the time the First Cylon War broke out."
#{{note|magazine3}}''Ibid''. "Tigh joined the Colonial Officer Candidate School and was reassigned as a Viper pilot, something he excelled in, earning a string of medals in his post aboard the Battlestar Athena."
#{{note|magazine4}}{{note_label|magazine4|4|a}}''Ibid''. "Adama reenlisted with the service and Tigh spent two years drinking before Adama pulled strings to get him back into service. Saul Tigh was straightening his life out when he met his wife Ellen, who he courted and married within two months. Ellen did not take well to military life, and her repeated infidelities drove him back to drink. Ellen and Saul separated shortly before the Cylon attack."

{{Characters}}

[[Category:A to Z|Tigh, Saul]]
[[Category:Characters|Tigh, Saul]]
[[Category:RDM|Tigh, Saul]]