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Arts and Literature of the Twelve Colonies

2007-02-27T00:53:14Z

Stilicho: /* Other */ +Vireem tattoo

:''This article discusses an aspect of the [[Re-imagined Series]] version of the Twelve Colonies. For information on the [[Original Series]] version, see [[The Twelve Colonies (TOS)]].''

The [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]], like most civilizations, have a rich historical record of '''arts and literature''' as well as other works. Their [[Government of the Twelve Colonies|democratic republic]] gives its citizens many freedoms of expression in addition to freedom of the press. Colonials have paintings, abstract designs and a variety of musical traditions.

Additionally, many functional items produced on the Colonies adhere to an aesthetic, even at a cost to efficiency.

{{RDM twelve colonies series}}

__TOC__

==Literature==

===Prose===

====''Dark Day''====
'''Edward Prima''' is the author of the novel ''Dark Day''.

Adama, who had ''Dark Day'' in his personal library on ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'', gives it to [[Laura Roslin]] as a gift ([[Water]]). She says that she considers it to be "one of those classics I've never gotten around to reading." Given the context of their conversation, notably Roslin's reference to ''A Murder on Picon'', it is likely a mystery.

Roslin returns the book, to Adama's consternation, after the prognosis of her illness sharply worsens ([[Flight of the Phoenix]]).

====''A Murder on Picon''====
'''''A Murder on Picon''''' is a mystery novel, apparently taking place on [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Picon|Picon]].

[[Laura Roslin]] brought the book with her on the trip to ''[[Galactica]]'' prior to its decommissioning ceremonies ([[Miniseries]], "[[Water]]").

==== ''Blood Runs at Midnight'' ====
A mystery novel given to William Adama by President Roslin as a gift ([[A Day in the Life]]).

===Poetry===

====Kataris====
'''Kataris''' was a [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Caprica|Caprican]] poet<ref>The name "Kataris" is probably a reference to the Roman poet [[Wikipedia:Catullus|Catullus]].</ref>. Lt. [[Joe Palladino]] owns a bound edition of Kataris' poems and threatens Col. [[Saul Tigh]] with lines from one:

<blockquote>From the darkness you must fall<br />
Failed and weak, to darkness all.</blockquote>

Kataris is quite well-known amongst Colonials. [[Kara Thrace]] recognizes the quotation, recalls from which piece it comes, and knows the poem's quality relative to his other works. [[D'anna Biers]] identifies Palladino's copy of one of Kataris' books on sight in a recording she is editing ([[Final Cut]]).

===Periodicals===
*[[Aerelon Gazette]]
*[[Caprica Times]]
*[[Caprican Life]]
*[[Nymph]]
*[[Picon Star Tribune]]

==Visual Arts==

===Representationalist===

====Monclair====
[[Image:Monclair.jpg|thumb|right|A Monclair original]]
'''Monclair''' was a [[Colonial]] painter. One of his original paintings, a stylized depiction of the [[Cylon War]], adorns [[William Adama]]'s quarters on ''[[Galactica]]''. He is apparently of considerable renown, given [[Gaius Baltar]]'s impressed reaction to the piece ([[Bastille Day]]).

''According to the book, ''[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]'', the painting hanging in Adama's quarters was actually made by additional art director [[Ken Rabehl]].''

<br clear="both">

===Abstract===

====Kara Thrace====
[[Image:Valley_of_Darkness-Starbuck_Helo.jpg||thumb|right|Abstract paintings by Kara Thrace. ]]
Between tours of duty, [[Kara Thrace]] was an enthusiastic painter. [[Karl Agathon]] is surprised to discover this side of her when they visit her apartment in [[Delphi]] ([[Valley of Darkness]]). Curiously, a specific design that Thrace has doodled as a child would be found more than two years later inside an [[Temple of Five|ancient temple]]] of the [[Thirteenth Tribe]], without Thrace or Helo understanding why she would be aware of the design ([[Rapture]]).
<br clear="both">

===Tattoos===

====[[Kara Thrace]]<ref>Actress Katee Sackhoff has a number of personal tattoos on her body. The crew uses various means to cover or block these tattoos from view during filming, but the results are not always perfect. See the article on [[Katee Sackhoff]] for details.</ref> & [[Samuel Anders]]====
[[Image:Tattoo1.jpg|thumb|left|Starbuck and Anders wedding band]]

*Instead of wearing wedding rings, Samuel Anders and Kara Thrace created tattoos on their arms that, when they embrace, form a unified circle with wings. The symbol for the colony of [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Caprica|Caprica]] is also in view<ref>In a TV Guide photoshoot video interview, [[Katee Sackhoff]] comments: "...the tattoos that Anders and Starbuck got when they got married and uh, it kinda looks like the Redwings sign doesn't it? Or logo, but its, um... when he's holding me the rings match up and it becomes one ring with two wings. So it's very cool there's some signs in there like the Caprica symbol and some space things and its all very intricate and very cool and the guys over at Twin Villain Tattoo down in Gastown designed it so we're all very excited about it."</ref>.
**Michael Trucco adds that it is their wedding band, but that this is never fully explained in the show.
**The matching tattoos are not real tattoos, but are applied by the makeup department.

<br clear="all" />

==== Other ====

[[Felix Gaeta]] displays a tattoo of a rather large tiger during his interview with [[D'anna Biers]] ([[Final Cut]]). Gaeta indicated he was quite inebriated with [[ambrosia]] to minimize the pain of the tattoo.

[[Socinus]] has a tattoo of an [[Wikipedia:Aries|Aries]] design on his right arm ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]).<ref>It is not yet known if the tattoo belongs to Alonso Oyarzun or if it is purely for the character of Socinus, as both the actor was born under the sign of Aries and the character is a colonist of [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Aerelon|Aerelon]].</ref>

An unnamed [[Tattooed pilot|pilot]] has many tattoos on both upper arms, depicting a tiger and a dragon, among other things.

[[Vireem]], specialist aboard [[Battlestar Pegasus (RDM)|Battlestar Pegasus]], has a complex tattoo on his shoulder ([[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]<ref>Visible on his left shoulder in the "little robot girl" sequence, apparently a Chinese-style dragon and a Chinese character over a spiral background that could be a galaxy.</ref>)

<gallery>
Image:Gaeta tiger tatoo.jpg|Gaeta's tiger tattoo.
Image:SocinusTatoo KLGp1.JPG|Socinus's tattoo.
Image:Unnamed_pilot_1.jpg|The unnamed [[tattooed pilot]].
</gallery>
<br clear="all" />

==Sculpture==

In addition to the [[Arrow of Apollo]], the [[Delphi Museum of the Colonies]] contains a large collection of ancient pottery. Located in numerous display cases in the exhibit halls spanning the museum's levels, this large collection of vases, jars, pots and stone fragments form a rough outline of the Colonials' artistic history. Many of the artifacts and art pieces are quite elaborate and appear to be in the detailed Corinthian Style.

==Music==

===Kara Thrace's Father<ref>Early biographies from the British TV network, Sky One, indicates the character's name as Dreilide Thrace. However, as his name has not been mentioned in series dialogue or other official works, this name is not canonical.</ref>===
Thrace's father was a pianist. His daughter kept recordings of some of his piano arrangements in her Delphi apartment ([[Valley of Darkness]]).<ref>According to ''Battlestar Galactica'' composer [[Bear McCreary]], the piece attributed to Thrace's father is actually ''Metamorphosis Five'', composed by [[Wikipedia:Philip Glass|Philip Glass]], from his 1989 album ''Solo Piano''.</ref>

===Colonial Anthem===
The Colonial anthem is heard as a short fanfare over the Viper flyby during ''Galactica's'' decommissioning ceremony. Its second, and longer, appearance is as background music for the rousing closing speech of [[D'anna Biers]]'s documentary on the Colonial military ([[Final Cut]]).<ref>In reality, this is the [[Original Series]] theme by [[Stu Phillips]]. For "Final Cut", the piece was specially re-arranged by [[Bear McCreary]].</ref>

==Aesthetics==

Colonial [[Wikipedia:Aesthetics|aesthetics]] lead to an avoidance of right angles.

===Octagons===

Colonial printouts, photographs, videos and [[Computers in the Re-imagined Series#Data discs|data discs]] are rarely rectangular; the corners are trimmed at 45 degree angles, creating snub rectangles, i.e octagons. The reasoning for this is likely based on their aversion to right angles, as rectangles are, particularly for paper, more efficient.

===Hexagons===

In the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]], hexagons feature significantly as [[dog tags]], [[Triad (RDM)|playing cards]], glass bottles and many other objects. This likely reflects both the dislike of right angles and the simplicity of polygons over curved shapes.

===Pentagons===

While not a part of Colonial society ''per se'', pentagons play a large part in the architecture of the lone [[Thirteenth Colony]] structure encountered by the Colonials thus far, the [[Temple of Five]]. Much like the Colonials, it appears at least the ancient members of the [[Thirteenth Tribe]] were also wary of right angles.

==Architecture==

===Federal Period===

[[Image:Mini-Caprica City.jpg|thumb|right|Some Federal Period architecture in Caprica City]]
This style was mix of older and newer trends, utilizing traditional stone facades along with glass and steel. This architecture was found throughout [[Caprica City]], [[Delphi]], and other [[unnamed Cities of Caprica]] prior to the Cylon attack.

===Ancient Kobol===

[[Image:City of the Gods.jpg|thumb|right|Bird's eye view of the [[City of the Gods]] and its architecture]]
[[Image:Opera House ruins.jpg|thumb|right|The stone ruins of the Opera House]]
In "[[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I]]", Roslin looks at schematics for the [[City of the Gods]] on [[Kobol]]. Its buildings, such as the [[Temple]], [[Forum]], and the [[Opera House]], were made of stone and range in shape and size, and resemble classical Greco-Roman architecture.

Later, the ruins of the Opera House are seen when [[Gaius Baltar]] and others crash-land nearby. The building was made of stone and utilized decorative columns and pillars. While there, Baltar has a vision which may have represented the original appearance of the Opera House before it fell into disrepair.

===Polygonal Architecture===

Many places and objects within ''Galactica'' reflect early aesthetic choices that eschew right-angular forms. Many corridors, including ship bulkhead doors, are hexagonal. [[CIC]] elements, particularly the Command & Control Center table, the tactical station table, and even the alignment of the displays of the [[DRADIS]] console, form a hexagonal appearance.

This aesthetic appears to have waned during the construction of more advanced battlestars such as ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'', which uses far fewer hexagonal shapes.<ref>The sets for ''Pegasus'' were purchased from a failed series pilot for a ''[[Wikipedia:Lost in Space|Lost in Space]]'' series remake. As such, the sets adhere to "earthly" rectangular design, and budget constraints for ''Battlestar Galactica'' likely limited any large modifications.</ref>

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

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

Act of Contrition

2007-02-26T09:16:52Z

Stilicho: /* Notes */ +link to Wikipedia

{{Episode Data
| image =bsg-1-04.jpg
| title=Act of Contrition
| series=
| season=1
| episode=4
| guests=
| writer=[[Bradley Thompson]] <br/> [[David Weddle]]
| story=
| director=[[Rod Hardy]]
| production=104
| rating= 2.5
| US airdate=2005-01-28
| UK airdate=2004-11-08
| dvd= {{Season 1 NTSC DVD release date}} '''US'''<br/>{{Season 1 PAL DVD release date}} '''UK'''
| population=
| prev=[[Bastille Day]]
| next=[[You Can't Go Home Again]]
}}

== Overview ==

:''When several [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] pilots are killed in a freak accident, [[William Adama|Adama]] turns to [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] for help - but her involvement in the aftermath of the accident and in training new pilots causes the truth surrounding [[Zak Adama]]'s death to finally surface.''

== Summary ==

=== On ''Galactica'' ===
* It is [[Dwight Saunders|Dwight “Flat Top” Saunder’s]] 1,000th deck landing, which brings ''Galactica’s'' pilots down to the [[hangar deck]] to celebrate.
* As the celebrations continue, a [[communication drone]] stowed on the hangar deck breaks loose from its restraints, falling to the deck and igniting its motor. The drone flies across the hangar, smashing into the celebrating pilots where it explodes, killing Flat Top and twelve others and putting seven more in [[sickbay]].
* As the surviving pilots prepare for a memorial service for their fallen comrades, [[Kara Thrace|Kara "Starbuck" Thrace]] has flashbacks to her first meeting with [[William Adama]], following the death of his son, [[Zak Adama|Zak]].
* During the memorial service itself, she, [[Lee Adama]] and Bill Adama all have flashbacks – to Zak Adama’s funeral and (in Thrace's case) to her telling Zak he has qualified as a [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] pilot.
* Following the service, Commander Adama asks Thrace to oversee the training of any new pilots they can find in the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]].
* Thrace is initially hesitant, and the Commander guesses the cause is Zak's accident. He reassures her that his son’s death was not her fault – which causes Thrace to remember her admission to Lee Adama: that she passed Zak Adama through his basic training when he had in fact failed ([[Miniseries]]).
* She reluctantly accepts the duty, but memories of Zak Adama continue to haunt her as she plays cards with [[Gaius Baltar]], oblivious to a conversation that takes place between [[Crashdown]] and [[Felix Gaeta]] concerning Baltar’s [[Cylon detector]] – a conversation that leaves [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Boomer]] very uncomfortable.
* Elsewhere on ''Galactica'', President [[Laura Roslin]] is examined by the ship’s medical officer, Doctor [[Cottle]]. His diagnosis is not good: her cancer is inoperable. Roslin decides that she wants to try alternative therapy using [[Chamalla]] extract – something with entirely unproven effectiveness.
* Later, Thrace meets her first batch of recruits. They are all pilots – but none have ever flown a [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]]. With [[Computers#Colonial Fleet Computers|no simulators]] aboard ''Galactica'', the newbies – [[nugget]]s – are thrown straight into the cockpit of the real thing.
* Their performance during their first training flight is hardly stellar, and Thrace is uncompromisingly hard on the first batch of recruits, washing them all out.
* Captain Adama confronts her on her decision, and realizes it is caused more by guilt about Zak Adama than on the ability of the trainees. When she refuses to reinstate the trainees, he takes the matter up with Commander Adama.
* Commander Adama initially supports Thrace's decision, but a misunderstanding between him and Lee Adama causes him to meet with Thrace to discuss Zak’s death.
* When Starbuck tries to dodge the issue, Adama pins her down, and she admits the truth: Zak botched his final training flights, but she passed him because she was in love with him and they were engaged – but Zak really wasn’t the right material for flying Vipers.
* Angered and hurt, Adama orders her to reinstate the trainees and to get out of his cabin.
* Starbuck leads a handful of the trainees on a training flight, only to have a group of [[Cylon Raider (RDM)|Cylon Raiders]] show up.
* In the ensuing dogfight, Starbuck takes care of the Raiders (with [[Brendan Constanza|Hot Dog's]] aid), but her Viper is damaged after dispatching (but not destroying) the last Raider, losing first her transponder and then complete flight control. Her Viper goes into a flat spin as her Viper and the last dead Raider fall into the gravity well of a [[Red Moon|nearby moon]]. The moon's thin atmosphere tears the uncontrollable Viper apart, forcing her to eject.

===On [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Caprica|Caprica]]===
* [[Karl Agathon]] and [[Sharon Valerii (Caprica copy)|Sharon Valerii]] are tracking the source of the signal they previously picked up out in the woods ([[Water]]).
* The signal leads them to a restaurant in the city, which has a radiation shelter under it, stocked with everything they need to survive — water, food, blankets — even [[anti-radiation medication]].
* Their arrival at the restaurant is observed by a copy of [[Number Six|Six]].

== Questions ==
*Why does ''Galactica''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s doctor, Major [[Cottle]], ''smoke'', knowing full well the medical implications of cigarette smoking? ([[#Official Statements|Answer]])

== Analysis ==
*This episode emphasizes many of the [[Naturalistic science fiction|goals set at the series' creation]] to make a sci-fi series that is grounded in realism. The logistical limitations on the Fleet are readily apparent: this episode highlights how difficult it is for ''Galactica'' to train new combat-ready pilots, as there are no reserve pilots and civilians with little or no prior flying experience are all that they have to work with.
*Further, this episode shows that sometimes accidents simply happen on a battlestar: this is not a perfect, pristine in-story universe but a worn, run-down real world. The accident on the flight deck occurred not through sabotage or some sort of [[technobabble]] space anomaly, but simply because an old piece of equipment wore out.
*The realism highlighted by this episode is again apparent in the climactic scene between Starbuck and Commander Adama, in which she reveals that she was responsible for his son's death. The dramatic situation it focused on is not centered around some sci-fi concept, but the interactions between people which could have occurred on present-day Earth. If the script for this episode were ported onto another series set on a modern-day Navy aircraft carrier, there would be few if any changes to it; it is a drama script, which happens to be set in space, which was one of the goals of the series.

== Notes ==

*It is 48 hours since the prisoner uprising on the ''Astral Queen''.
*Water replenishment ops are still underway.
*''Galactica'' has a remaining contingent of 40 Vipers on top of her 5 Raptors (revealed in "[[Water]]"), but now only has 21 combat-ready pilots and a further 8 newbie “nuggets.”
*Cylon Raiders have guns of an apparently similar nature to those mounted on Vipers.
*Zak and Starbuck were engaged, and that led to her passing him for flight duty.
*Adama's relationship with Starbuck is not as long-standing as the miniseries appeared to suggest: they have only served together for 2 years.
*Word is leaking out about Baltar's “Cylon detector.”
*Helo and Valerii still appear to be the only “people” left alive on Caprica. Neither seem in any hurry to get off the planet. (More humans are discovered in the second season episode, "[[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]])."
*Small inconsistency in set dressing: The books on the shelf that covers the fallout shelter's entrance are rectangular. The books in Adama's study however all have their [[Arts and Literature of the Twelve Colonies#Octagons|corners cut]].
*The Colonial military use what appear to be [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Mobility_Multipurpose_Wheeled_Vehicle HumVees] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deuce_and_a_half Deuce-and-a-half] trucks.
*While the Viper is burning on entry into the atmosphere, the Viper's [[Wikipedia:Altimeter|altimeter]] is going in reverse, indicating altitude ''gain''.
*[[Ron D. Moore]] states on the DVD commentary that the munition activation that kills several pilots was inspired by a similar event on the [[wikipedia:USS Forrestal (CVA-59)|USS ''Forrestal'']] in 1967.
*Also according to the DVD commentary, the ejection sequence at the beginning of each chapter is an homage to ''[[wikipedia:The Right Stuff|The Right Stuff]]''.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

*''In Adama's Cabin, with Thrace and Adama, discussing comments made earlier by Lee Adama:''
:'''Adama''': He said something else. That you might have been feeling guilty about something you did for Zak. What did you do for him?
:'''Thrace''': I don't know. You'd have to ask Lee.
:'''Adama''': I'm asking you.
:'''Thrace''': Well I don't kn- I, ah...I don't really know what he was talking about, so...
:'''Adama''': Don't fence with me, Kara. I love you like a daughter. I don't deserve that.
:'''Thrace''': Ummm...Zak...failed...basic flight. He wasn't a bad pilot, he just had no feel for flying...and, um, when it came to his final check ride he...busted...three of the test manoeuvres, and I should have flunked him, but I didn't. The bottom line is your...son...didn't have the chops to fly a Viper...and it killed him.
:'''Adama''': (following a flashback) You did it because you were engaged.
:'''Thrace''': (breaking down) Because I made a mistake...because I was just...I was so in love with him...and I let that get in the way of doing my job...and um, and he um, he just wanted it so much, and I...I didn't want to be the one who crushed him...
:'''Adama''': Reinstate the trainees to flight status.
:'''Thrace''': I will...but I just want you to understand...that I...
:'''Adama''': Do your job.
:'''Thrace''': Yes sir...
:'''Adama''': And walk out of this cabin...while you still can...

== Official Statements ==

* ''[[Ron D. Moore]] discusses [[Cottle]]'s smoking:''
*: '''Moore:''' Because smoking is cool. Don't let anyone tell you different, kid. [...] Seriously, we're showing people doing what people really do and not all of their choices are smart ones. We smoke, we drink, we have sex with the wrong partners -- we make lots of bad choices and some of them we do knowingly and in full cognizance of the risks and consequences. Dr. Cottle obviously knows the risks associated with smoking and he elects to do it anyway — that's his choice.<ref>{{cite_web|url=http://blog.scifi.com/battlestar/archives/2005/02/|title=Ron D. Moore blog entry|date=19 February 2005|accessdate=18 February 2007|last=Moore|first=Ron D.|format=|language=}}</ref>

* ''[[Bodie Olmos]] talks about his most challenging day on-set:''
*: '''Olmos:''' Interesting[ly] enough, probably the first episode I was in, "Act of Contrition". I was so excited, nervous and amazed that I was on the show. That for me was a rough day, let me tell you! I could hardly sit still and the day seemed so long. I just wanted to be good, and make sure I knew what this character was all about, which is very difficult. I think it evolves. One minute you may think he is like this but then you see that he actually believes something else. So I was definitely glad to make it through that one.<ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.thescifiworld.net/interviews/bodie_olmos_01.htm|title=The SciFi World: Bodie Olmos interview|date=20 January 2007|accessdate=18 February 2007|last=Craddock|first=Lisa|format=|language=}}</ref>

== Guest stars ==
*[[Michael Hogan]] as Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]
*[[Tahmoh Penikett]] as Lt. [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
*[[Aaron Douglas]] as Chief Petty Officer [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Jill Teed]] as Sergeant [[Hadrian]]
*[[Donnelly Rhodes]] as Dr. [[Cottle]]
*[[Lorena Gale]] as [[Elosha]]
*[[Tobias Mehler]] as [[Zak Adama]]
*[[Colby Johannson]] as Lt. [[Dwight Saunders|Dwight "Flat Top" Saunders]]
*[[Bodie Olmos]] as [[Brendan Constanza|Brendan "Hot Dog" Constanza]]
*[[Lucianna Carro]] as [[Louanne Katraine|Louanne "Kat" Katraine]]
*[[Terry Chen]] as [[Perry|"Chuckles" Perry]]
*[[Bill Meilen]] as Caprica Cleric

==References==

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

==External Links ==
{{ext-wikipedia-name|article = Contrition|name = Contrition }}

{{episode list (RDM season 1)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Bradley Thompson]]
[[Category:Episodes written by David Weddle]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Rod Hardy]]
[[Category:RDM]]

{{quality candidate}}
{{featured article candidate previous}}

[[de:Zeichen der Reue]]
[[es:Acto de Contricción]]

Talk:Water/Archive 1

2007-02-24T23:25:58Z

Stilicho: /* Questions question */ shrug

==The Lost Water==

I realize from the blog entries that this episode was rather hacked up, but I was wondering; why is there never an attempt to recover the water ''Galactica'' blew overboard? The external shot of the tank rupturing beautifully shows the water blasting out of the tanking and freezing almost instantly as it hits the void, but there's never any discussion of going out there with a cargo net and recovering the ice, which certainly couldn't have made it very far in the timeframe the episode takes place in. Was there ever a stated reason this tactic wasn't employeed, or is there some fundamental scientific issue I'm not seeing with trying to recover the escaped water?

:The fundamental scientific issue is the lack of pressure in space. I actually doubt that the water would freeze, given the warmth it carries along with it. It will take some time to cool off, since the heat can only be lost through radiation. The pressure loss, however, is immediate, and much closer to absolute zero pressure than to absolute zero temperature. This means that rather than freeze, the water would vaporize -and even if it freezes, the crystals would either vaporize later, or would crystallize as microscopically tiny ice dust. It would be virtually impossible to capture this water with standard procedures, and what's worse, it would continue to expand during the time preparations are made. What you would essentially need is a bag of humongous proportions to capture all the water. Incidentally, it would maybe have been useful to store the water as some form of slush ice. This would make it practically impossible for someone to go a-swimming in the tanks and would make holes in the tanks less problematic. On the other hand, ice having a lower density than water, that would mean less actual water per tank volume. --[[User:OliverH.|OliverH.]] 08:27, 17 February 2006 (EST)

==Different Screen Capture Needed?==
The current pic is portrait, which stretches out the Episode Data template pretty far down (which is why the template suggests the use of landscape oriented shots). Does anybody have (or have the means to take) a good landscape oriented shot for this episode? --[[User:Steelviper|Steelviper]] 16:49, 9 January 2006 (EST)

:I agree. If anyone has a Season 1 DVD available, step up to the plate with a good 4:3 or 16:9 proportion screencap for this and any other S1 episode page with odd screen caps like the one that appears here. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 16:52, 9 January 2006 (EST)

== Questions ==

I was just reading over the S&C page and saw that Water was referenced as a good exampe of how Questions sections should display answers... but it wasn't. I fixed one link and am about to move another question to Analysis. I just wanted to make a note here in case someone has a better idea. The food question is never actually answered, but the answer listed is pretty straight forward, I think. Feel free to disagree below and we can sort out a different arrangement. --[[User:Day|Day]] <sup>([[User talk:Day|Talk]] - [[Battlestar Wiki:Administrators' noticeboard|Admin]])</sup> 00:11, 25 June 2006 (CDT)

:I know I've been inconsistent in this and might even be to blame for the item you changed. This might be something (like my episode quoting thing) to review on SAC Talk on how to answer things. I revised that not long ago but this is a good point. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 10:43, 25 June 2006 (CDT)

== Questions question ==

So, my first two edits were a) moved and b) reverted. As a longtime Wikipedian I'm copacetic, but I'm not clear particularly on the second what the problem was. (I asked why the Cylons would want to blow up a sleeper agent without good reason.) Is this because the Questions section is for questions that appear to be intentionally raised by the writers, and is my question viewed as nitpicking the episode logic? Seems to me (I'm as far as ''Pegasus'') that it's still an open question, and one that's potentially interesting in-universe, but is this seen as just a TV-convention-we're-gonna-ignore ("main character in temporary jeopardy") or what? --[[User:Stilicho|Stilicho]] 00:24, 24 February 2007 (CST)
:Check [[BW:SAC]]. At the end there is a part about the purpose of the episode sections. Questions are really only meant for questions. Answers should only be references to future episode. As such I moved your answer to analysis. It was valid, and I came to the same conclusion myself, but in the wrong place. The second one was probably removed because there shouldn't be nested questions. Personally I have nothing against them now and then, as it can make sense to ask a related question. I think it's rule, but it's not mentioned on SAC. Mhh... --[[User:Serenity|Serenity]] 06:00, 24 February 2007 (CST)
::Well, that helps a bit, but the policy is clear as mud, if you ask me. Looking around there seems to have been some discussion on "solid" questions and there seems to have been a massive purge of "fanwankery" at some point as well, but the policy doesn't really go into either of these points (and don't get me started on "plausible speculation"). Maybe the line is questions that can be answered by later stories belong, but questions that can only be answered by fanwankery do not? Too bad you have such a discouraging, confusing policy. --[[User:Stilicho|Stilicho]] 17:25, 24 February 2007 (CST)

Talk:Water/Archive 1

2007-02-24T06:24:02Z

Stilicho: Questions question

User:Stilicho

2007-02-23T07:37:05Z

Stilicho: moi

My name is Dan Hartung. I edit Wikipedia as Dhartung.

I was a teenaged fan of the original BSG, even though it was difficult to watch. My hometown is between two TV markets and Galactica was on the one network that is most difficult to get from either of them, so there was a lot of messing with the antenna, and one emotionally scarring night was spent watching Count Iblis through what appeared to be a massive snowstorm.

I tried to get a haircut that was half Apollo's, half Starbuck's (don't ask me now, but I suspect it resembled a mullet). Had equal parts love and recoil for the show at times. The cheesiness of the storylines and occasionally acting, the robot daggit, the word "felgercarb" ... but there were sublime moments as well. One of my favorites was the murder where the ship's door kept trying to close on the dead man's hand.

I was forced to watch the miniseries during a post-dinner-party, and as a result it made little impression on me. I liked bits of it, but had a hard time hearing Olmos and following the plot arc. I'm no purist, and had no objection to a female Starbuck (or Boomer!) and was pleased nothing was embarrassing, but I decided it was an interesting experiment and wrote it off. To my surprise, it got picked up, and I tuned in to one of the later episodes, forgot which one. I admit it wasn't until "33" won the Hugo that I decided I had to pay attention.

So off to ... er, the place you get them from. "33" was hands-down fantastic, one of the best sf TV episodes I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot of them). I was really drawn into Baltar's character, conflicted in so many ways and seemingly near mad, yet oddly sympathetic. I decided I like this Starbuck a lot and figured out what Olmos was doing with his taut underacting. So I caught up with the Miniseries and I've been trying to get caught up completely ever since!

Water

2007-02-23T07:20:36Z

Stilicho: /* Questions */ water is an excellent radiation shield

{{Episode Data
| image =Water3.jpg
| title=Water
| series=
| season=1
| episode=2
| guests=
| writer=[[Ronald D. Moore]]
| story=
| director=[[Marita Grabiak]]
| production=102
| rating= 2.6
| US airdate=2005-01-14
| UK airdate=2004-10-25
| dvd= {{Season 1 NTSC DVD release date}} '''US'''<br/>{{Season 1 PAL DVD release date}} '''UK'''
| population= 47,958
| prev=[[33]]
| next=[[Bastille Day]]
}}

== Overview ==

: '' ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' loses over 60% of her water reserves due to sabotage, forcing the [[Fleet]] into a crisis and Commander [[William Adama|Adama]] to seek a new supply.''

== Summary ==
* [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Boomer]] finds herself dripping wet in her [[flight suit]], sitting in an equipment room on the flight deck. She is disoriented, and upon opening a duffel bag containing her uniform, she discovers [[G-4|explosives]], complete with detonators.
* After drying and dressing herself, Boomer goes to a small-arms locker and finds that a further six detonators are missing, throwing her into a panic and seeking [[Galen Tyrol|Tyrol’s]] help.
* [[Laura Roslin|Roslin]] visits ''[[Galactica]]'' to thank the crew for their hard work in defending the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] following the recent events ([[33]]).
* Protocol is observed during her visit, with officers in dress uniform, etc. Roslin believes this is because [[William Adama|Adama]] is trying to make her look an idiot; [[Lee Adama]] informs her that his father ordered the reception out of respect for her position as President.
* The ''[[Virgon Express]]'' arrives alongside, ready to take on new water supplies. Adama explains to Roslin of ''Galactica's'' near-perfect water reclamation, and tanking ability for those ships that don’t have recycling facilities themselves.
* In the equipment locker, Tyrol and Boomer, on the verge of a breakdown, discuss the missing explosives. Tyrol promises he’ll see her through the situation, convinced someone is trying to frame her.
* As the water transfer operation commences, a series of explosions rip through ''Galactica'', rupturing her water tanks and spewing most of her massive reserves of potable water into space.
* An investigation of the explosion begins. Over 60% of ''Galactica’s'' reserves of water have been lost, leaving the Fleet with a critical shortage. Because of its recycling/storage capabilities, 16,000 people are dependent on ''Galactica'' for drinkable water.
* Pushed to give a reason for the loss of the water, Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]] presumes that the detonation of a nuclear warhead close to the water tanks ([[Miniseries]]) may have weakened the tanks, causing them to rupture.
* During his presentation to investigators, Tyrol admits sabotage was the cause of the explosions, revealing the fact that explosives had been taken from a small-arms locker, but covering for Valerii by saying it is unlikely they will discover who took the explosives as security throughout the ship has been lax, and recordkeeping patchy, at best.
* Adama orders [[Raptor]] flights to the nearest star systems in an attempt to find an alternative source of water.
* Reducing the number of people in the inquiry to senior command staff, Roslin and Baltar, Adama reveals the truth about the [[Humanoid Cylon|Humanoid Cylon]] threat, stating his belief that there is a Cylon infiltrator aboard ''Galactica''.
* [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]] is quizzed about his progress on constructing a working [[Cylon detector]]. He makes various excuses for his lack of progress, all of which Adama discerns as Baltar's need for assistance on the project. Adama assigns Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]] to aid him.
* Following the meeting, Gaeta leaves with Baltar, unhappy about having someone “watching” him. He escapes Gaeta by joining one of [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck’s]] card games and ends up flirting with her.
* Boomer locates water, but has problems trying to report the find while her Cylon sleeper personality tries to detonate explosives she has strapped to her chair.
* Boomer finally makes the report, and she and [[Crashdown]] return to ''Galactica'' to be greeted as heroes.
* Boomer gets Tyrol to check her seat, where he finds the explosives. He later reveals to Boomer he has handed the explosives to the [[Master-at-Arms]], assuring her that this is good, as it puts the Master onto the same lines of investigation they are now pursuing.
* On ''[[Colonial One]]'', impressed at the way Lee Adama helped her through the pomp of her reception on ''Galactica'' at the start of the episode, Roslin asks Captain Adama to become a special advisor to her, to help her understand military jargon and protocol. She also tries to help him come to terms with the destruction of the ''[[Olympic Carrier]]'' ([[33]]), which has been plaguing his conscience.

===On Caprica===

* [[Sharon Valerii (Caprica copy)|Valerii]] and [[Karl Agathon|Helo]] have returned to Valerii's [[Raptor]], to find it crawling with Cylon warriors.
* Deciding they cannot use it to escape [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Caprica|Caprica]], they head off to "find another ship".
* Later that night, over a meal and [[Anti-radiation medication|anti-radiation shots]], they receive a coded transmission, Valerii prompting Helo into the idea that someone else - probably military - is still alive on the planet.

== Questions ==

*Is Boomer completely unaware of her "Cylon" personality, which apparently planted the explosives? ([[Resistance (episode)|Answer]])
*Why did a part of Boomer attempt to blow-up her Raptor when the water-bearing moon was found? Surely she must have been aware that had the Raptor been destroyed, a Search and Rescue mission would have been initiated, with a good probability that the water would have been discovered anyway?
**Or was the explosion simply meant to destroy the "evidence", Boomer? Either way, why would the Cylons waste a sleeper agent without good cause?
*Is the radio message picked-up by Helo on Caprica genuine, or a Cylon fake, designed to keep him on the planet? ([[Act of Contrition|Answer]])
*Do the Colonials have food recycling capabilities to match their water recycling capabilities? ([[The Passage|possible answer]])
*Why do the Cylons want to keep Helo on Caprica? ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II|Answer 1]], [[The Farm|Answer 2]])
*Why would the battlestar designers place the water tanks so close to the exterior? ([http://www.adl.gatech.edu/research/tff/radiation_shield.html possible answer])

== Analysis ==
*It has already been established that some Cylons may not even know they are Cylons until they are "activated" (as stated by Six in the Miniseries). "Water" sees a new wrinkle added: that the Cylon "personality" within a Humanoid Cylon can be active without the apparent knowledge of the "human" personality. Boomer's "waking up" scene and subsequent reactions demonstrate that her human persona has no idea of what is going on. Her confusion is genuine and complete, right down to the fact that she has lost track of time (wishing Cally a "good evening", only for Cally to tell her it is early morning).
*This leads to another question: why did Boomer “wake up” while still sopping wet and hiding in the equipment locker? If her Cylon personality wished to remain hidden, why did it not stay in control until she had dried herself off, stowed the duffel bag and the explosives and returned to her bunk? That she finds herself in such a state would tend to suggest that her Cylon personality is not in full control when conscious. Could it be that Valerii’s “programming” as a human is a little too strong, and that there is some kind of internal struggle going on inside her?
**Given the events in "[[Home, Part II]]" and other second season episodes, it may well be that the Valerii model is really "flawed" (as Number Six will later in season one say she feels) and can change its programming, or may not have full defenses against its human personality plant).
***If this is the case, then might the same conflict overcome her "sister" on Caprica? If so, there is potential for whatever the Cylons have in mind for Helo to go awry. ([[Flesh and Bone|Answer 1]], and [[The Farm|Answer 2]])
*As promised at the shows outset, basic logistics and supply issues are a major concern on the series that the characters have to address.
**Some viewers may think that 600-odd tons of food a week is a lot of consumables to have available and wonder where it all comes from. However, [[The Fleet (RDM)|The Fleet]] comprises many ships, apparently including many supply ships with such supplies like the ''[[Gideon]]''.
**At the start of the episode, Adama mentions that with their water recycling capability, ''Galactica'' can go "at least a few years" without needing a fresh supply. However, when they lose "only" 60% of their water, this time period decreases dramatically to just "2 days." This decrease does not add up mathematically.
***While ''Galactica'' herself may be able to go almost indefinitely without replenishing her water supplies, the episode clearly stated that many of the other ships in the fleet rely on ''Galactica'' for resupply.
*The violent water ejection from ''Galactica'' is mostly accurate. Presuming that the water tanks on ''Galactica'' were under some pressure (Baltar's comment that a human could not withstand the pressures within the tank collaborate this), the water would leave the ship in the manner shown. Water in a vacuum and in the absolute cold of space will both freeze ''and'' boil. The resulting ice crystals will then quickly sublimate (attain a vapor state directly from a solid state). In the episode, the water appears to sublimate instantly ([http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/may98/894512887.As.r.html See source from NASA]).

== Notes ==

*When Season 1 premiered in the United States, "[[33]]" and "Water" aired back-to-back as a two hour TV event. This was also the case when [[Season 3 (2006-07)|Season 3]] first aired in the United States with the episodes "[[Occupation]]" and "[[Precipice]]".
*When the first few episodes of the series began airing on SciFi Channel, title cards were shown at the beginning of each episode, i.e. "33" or "Water" flashing in white letters on a black screen, and then the episode would begin. This stopped by mid-Season 1.
*This is the only episode to date to feature the deck crew's white EVA suits.
*''Galactica'' has at least 5 Raptors on board.
*Colonials have an equivalent plastic explosive to C-4 (called [[G-4]]).
*The Cylons have stood down from their attacks in "[[33]]."
*[[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] states that only three Marines know that the Cylons look human. [[Crashdown]]'s comment to [[Sharon]] in "33" indicates that at least one of them is responsible for leaking this information to others.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==
*''Sharon outlines her "plan" with Helo:''
:'''Helo:''' I don't suppose we have a plan B?
:'''Sharon:''' Plans B, C, D and E are the same as plan A; get off the planet and get back to [[Galactica (RDM)|the ship]].

== Official Statements ==

{{from_RDM_blog}}
:One of the strange things about writing and producing television is the delay between action and reaction. Tomorrow night's episode was written almost a year ago. The battles, thoughts, emotions, disappointments, and victories happened in what seems like the distant past, so when I sit down to watch the show along with the rest of you (and I do watch them on the air) it's like seeing a page out of an old year book. I can remember bits and pieces of the production process, the early drafts of the script, the days spent in the editing bay playing with the footage and waiting for the visual effects to be completed, but none of it is current, all of it belongs to a season now firmly planted in the past.

:However, I do find that the same distance from the rigors of production also afford a better vantage point for watching the show with something approaching objectivity. You get so used to an episode during all the aspects of production that the simple pleasure of watching it as a piece of entertainment is slowly vacuumed away over time. Only now, months after the fact, can I watch these shows from a little remove and my impressions of the episodes are often not the same as when we produced them.

:For instance, during the shoot of "Water" and shortly afterward, I was acutely aware of just how long the script was and how much material was going to have to be lost along the way. I was fairly upset with myself for writing something so bloated and large that it was killing us on the stage and would later require major surgery in the editing room to make our mandated runtime. The first cut of "Water" ran 10-12 minutes long -- essentially an entire act that had to go -- and for a long time when I watched the final locked picture I was always uncomfortably aware of the "cheats" involved. That is, the dropped scenes, the internal cuts made to scenes that made a hash of some of the logic I'd tried to lay out, the half-expressed thoughts, the missing emotional beats, etc.

:However, when I saw the final aired episode, I was hard-pressed to even remember most of the cuts or why they had bothered me in the first place. (Although I still [[List of Deleted Scenes (RDM)|missed a nice bit]] with [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]] in the [[Wardroom]], where he tossed off a theory of how six small charges could've blown open the water tank, as it was both helpful to the plot and an entertaining bit of grandstanding by the character.) Frankly, I used to think of "Water" as one of the weaker shows in the first season, but now it seems like a fairly coherent piece.

:Of course, this kind of shift in perspective after shedding the baggage of production works both ways, and I've found that sometimes revisited shows much later that I'd always considered to be "classics" turned out to lose their charm along with the experience of making it. So as we go forward, I'm both excited and vaguely terrified at how I'll view the rest of the season.

:Speaking of excited and terrified, I must admit to being overwhelmed by the response you've generated regarding this blog. There's a remarkable backlog of questions on the board and I'll try to both post here more often and answer more of your questions. I don't know what to tell you in terms of what will catch my eye, but I'll try to look for both the straight-ahead fan questions and the more off the wall questions -- don't be afraid to venture far off-topic, some of the more interesting discussions I had at ''Trek'' had nothing to do with the show itself.

== Guest stars ==
*[[Michael Hogan]] as Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]
*[[Tahmoh Penikett]] as Lt. [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
*[[Aaron Douglas]] as Chief Petty Officer [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Nicki Clyne]] as Crewman Specialist [[Cally]]
*[[Paul Campbell]] as [[Billy Keikeya]]
*[[Alessandro Juliani]] as Lt. [[Felix Gaeta]]
*[[Samuel Witwer]] as [[Crashdown]]

{{episode list (RDM season 1)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Ronald D. Moore]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Marita Grabiak]]
[[Category:RDM]]

[[es:Agua]]
[[de:Wassermangel]]

{{audio playback
| diff= 87942
| filename= Water_episodeguide.mp3
}}

Water

2007-02-23T07:17:30Z

Stilicho: /* Questions */ obvious follow-up

{{Episode Data
| image =Water3.jpg
| title=Water
| series=
| season=1
| episode=2
| guests=
| writer=[[Ronald D. Moore]]
| story=
| director=[[Marita Grabiak]]
| production=102
| rating= 2.6
| US airdate=2005-01-14
| UK airdate=2004-10-25
| dvd= {{Season 1 NTSC DVD release date}} '''US'''<br/>{{Season 1 PAL DVD release date}} '''UK'''
| population= 47,958
| prev=[[33]]
| next=[[Bastille Day]]
}}

== Overview ==

: '' ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' loses over 60% of her water reserves due to sabotage, forcing the [[Fleet]] into a crisis and Commander [[William Adama|Adama]] to seek a new supply.''

== Summary ==
* [[Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy)|Boomer]] finds herself dripping wet in her [[flight suit]], sitting in an equipment room on the flight deck. She is disoriented, and upon opening a duffel bag containing her uniform, she discovers [[G-4|explosives]], complete with detonators.
* After drying and dressing herself, Boomer goes to a small-arms locker and finds that a further six detonators are missing, throwing her into a panic and seeking [[Galen Tyrol|Tyrol’s]] help.
* [[Laura Roslin|Roslin]] visits ''[[Galactica]]'' to thank the crew for their hard work in defending the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] following the recent events ([[33]]).
* Protocol is observed during her visit, with officers in dress uniform, etc. Roslin believes this is because [[William Adama|Adama]] is trying to make her look an idiot; [[Lee Adama]] informs her that his father ordered the reception out of respect for her position as President.
* The ''[[Virgon Express]]'' arrives alongside, ready to take on new water supplies. Adama explains to Roslin of ''Galactica's'' near-perfect water reclamation, and tanking ability for those ships that don’t have recycling facilities themselves.
* In the equipment locker, Tyrol and Boomer, on the verge of a breakdown, discuss the missing explosives. Tyrol promises he’ll see her through the situation, convinced someone is trying to frame her.
* As the water transfer operation commences, a series of explosions rip through ''Galactica'', rupturing her water tanks and spewing most of her massive reserves of potable water into space.
* An investigation of the explosion begins. Over 60% of ''Galactica’s'' reserves of water have been lost, leaving the Fleet with a critical shortage. Because of its recycling/storage capabilities, 16,000 people are dependent on ''Galactica'' for drinkable water.
* Pushed to give a reason for the loss of the water, Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]] presumes that the detonation of a nuclear warhead close to the water tanks ([[Miniseries]]) may have weakened the tanks, causing them to rupture.
* During his presentation to investigators, Tyrol admits sabotage was the cause of the explosions, revealing the fact that explosives had been taken from a small-arms locker, but covering for Valerii by saying it is unlikely they will discover who took the explosives as security throughout the ship has been lax, and recordkeeping patchy, at best.
* Adama orders [[Raptor]] flights to the nearest star systems in an attempt to find an alternative source of water.
* Reducing the number of people in the inquiry to senior command staff, Roslin and Baltar, Adama reveals the truth about the [[Humanoid Cylon|Humanoid Cylon]] threat, stating his belief that there is a Cylon infiltrator aboard ''Galactica''.
* [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]] is quizzed about his progress on constructing a working [[Cylon detector]]. He makes various excuses for his lack of progress, all of which Adama discerns as Baltar's need for assistance on the project. Adama assigns Lieutenant [[Felix Gaeta|Gaeta]] to aid him.
* Following the meeting, Gaeta leaves with Baltar, unhappy about having someone “watching” him. He escapes Gaeta by joining one of [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck’s]] card games and ends up flirting with her.
* Boomer locates water, but has problems trying to report the find while her Cylon sleeper personality tries to detonate explosives she has strapped to her chair.
* Boomer finally makes the report, and she and [[Crashdown]] return to ''Galactica'' to be greeted as heroes.
* Boomer gets Tyrol to check her seat, where he finds the explosives. He later reveals to Boomer he has handed the explosives to the [[Master-at-Arms]], assuring her that this is good, as it puts the Master onto the same lines of investigation they are now pursuing.
* On ''[[Colonial One]]'', impressed at the way Lee Adama helped her through the pomp of her reception on ''Galactica'' at the start of the episode, Roslin asks Captain Adama to become a special advisor to her, to help her understand military jargon and protocol. She also tries to help him come to terms with the destruction of the ''[[Olympic Carrier]]'' ([[33]]), which has been plaguing his conscience.

===On Caprica===

* [[Sharon Valerii (Caprica copy)|Valerii]] and [[Karl Agathon|Helo]] have returned to Valerii's [[Raptor]], to find it crawling with Cylon warriors.
* Deciding they cannot use it to escape [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Caprica|Caprica]], they head off to "find another ship".
* Later that night, over a meal and [[Anti-radiation medication|anti-radiation shots]], they receive a coded transmission, Valerii prompting Helo into the idea that someone else - probably military - is still alive on the planet.

== Questions ==

*Is Boomer completely unaware of her "Cylon" personality, which apparently planted the explosives? ([[Resistance (episode)|Answer]])
*Why did a part of Boomer attempt to blow-up her Raptor when the water-bearing moon was found? Surely she must have been aware that had the Raptor been destroyed, a Search and Rescue mission would have been initiated, with a good probability that the water would have been discovered anyway?
**Or was the explosion simply meant to destroy the "evidence", Boomer? Either way, why would the Cylons waste a sleeper agent without good cause?
*Is the radio message picked-up by Helo on Caprica genuine, or a Cylon fake, designed to keep him on the planet? ([[Act of Contrition|Answer]])
*Do the Colonials have food recycling capabilities to match their water recycling capabilities? ([[The Passage|possible answer]])
*Why do the Cylons want to keep Helo on Caprica? ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II|Answer 1]], [[The Farm|Answer 2]])
*Why would the battlestar designers place the water tanks so close to the exterior?

== Analysis ==
*It has already been established that some Cylons may not even know they are Cylons until they are "activated" (as stated by Six in the Miniseries). "Water" sees a new wrinkle added: that the Cylon "personality" within a Humanoid Cylon can be active without the apparent knowledge of the "human" personality. Boomer's "waking up" scene and subsequent reactions demonstrate that her human persona has no idea of what is going on. Her confusion is genuine and complete, right down to the fact that she has lost track of time (wishing Cally a "good evening", only for Cally to tell her it is early morning).
*This leads to another question: why did Boomer “wake up” while still sopping wet and hiding in the equipment locker? If her Cylon personality wished to remain hidden, why did it not stay in control until she had dried herself off, stowed the duffel bag and the explosives and returned to her bunk? That she finds herself in such a state would tend to suggest that her Cylon personality is not in full control when conscious. Could it be that Valerii’s “programming” as a human is a little too strong, and that there is some kind of internal struggle going on inside her?
**Given the events in "[[Home, Part II]]" and other second season episodes, it may well be that the Valerii model is really "flawed" (as Number Six will later in season one say she feels) and can change its programming, or may not have full defenses against its human personality plant).
***If this is the case, then might the same conflict overcome her "sister" on Caprica? If so, there is potential for whatever the Cylons have in mind for Helo to go awry. ([[Flesh and Bone|Answer 1]], and [[The Farm|Answer 2]])
*As promised at the shows outset, basic logistics and supply issues are a major concern on the series that the characters have to address.
**Some viewers may think that 600-odd tons of food a week is a lot of consumables to have available and wonder where it all comes from. However, [[The Fleet (RDM)|The Fleet]] comprises many ships, apparently including many supply ships with such supplies like the ''[[Gideon]]''.
**At the start of the episode, Adama mentions that with their water recycling capability, ''Galactica'' can go "at least a few years" without needing a fresh supply. However, when they lose "only" 60% of their water, this time period decreases dramatically to just "2 days." This decrease does not add up mathematically.
***While ''Galactica'' herself may be able to go almost indefinitely without replenishing her water supplies, the episode clearly stated that many of the other ships in the fleet rely on ''Galactica'' for resupply.
*The violent water ejection from ''Galactica'' is mostly accurate. Presuming that the water tanks on ''Galactica'' were under some pressure (Baltar's comment that a human could not withstand the pressures within the tank collaborate this), the water would leave the ship in the manner shown. Water in a vacuum and in the absolute cold of space will both freeze ''and'' boil. The resulting ice crystals will then quickly sublimate (attain a vapor state directly from a solid state). In the episode, the water appears to sublimate instantly ([http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/may98/894512887.As.r.html See source from NASA]).

== Notes ==

*When Season 1 premiered in the United States, "[[33]]" and "Water" aired back-to-back as a two hour TV event. This was also the case when [[Season 3 (2006-07)|Season 3]] first aired in the United States with the episodes "[[Occupation]]" and "[[Precipice]]".
*When the first few episodes of the series began airing on SciFi Channel, title cards were shown at the beginning of each episode, i.e. "33" or "Water" flashing in white letters on a black screen, and then the episode would begin. This stopped by mid-Season 1.
*This is the only episode to date to feature the deck crew's white EVA suits.
*''Galactica'' has at least 5 Raptors on board.
*Colonials have an equivalent plastic explosive to C-4 (called [[G-4]]).
*The Cylons have stood down from their attacks in "[[33]]."
*[[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] states that only three Marines know that the Cylons look human. [[Crashdown]]'s comment to [[Sharon]] in "33" indicates that at least one of them is responsible for leaking this information to others.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==
*''Sharon outlines her "plan" with Helo:''
:'''Helo:''' I don't suppose we have a plan B?
:'''Sharon:''' Plans B, C, D and E are the same as plan A; get off the planet and get back to [[Galactica (RDM)|the ship]].

== Official Statements ==

{{from_RDM_blog}}
:One of the strange things about writing and producing television is the delay between action and reaction. Tomorrow night's episode was written almost a year ago. The battles, thoughts, emotions, disappointments, and victories happened in what seems like the distant past, so when I sit down to watch the show along with the rest of you (and I do watch them on the air) it's like seeing a page out of an old year book. I can remember bits and pieces of the production process, the early drafts of the script, the days spent in the editing bay playing with the footage and waiting for the visual effects to be completed, but none of it is current, all of it belongs to a season now firmly planted in the past.

:However, I do find that the same distance from the rigors of production also afford a better vantage point for watching the show with something approaching objectivity. You get so used to an episode during all the aspects of production that the simple pleasure of watching it as a piece of entertainment is slowly vacuumed away over time. Only now, months after the fact, can I watch these shows from a little remove and my impressions of the episodes are often not the same as when we produced them.

:For instance, during the shoot of "Water" and shortly afterward, I was acutely aware of just how long the script was and how much material was going to have to be lost along the way. I was fairly upset with myself for writing something so bloated and large that it was killing us on the stage and would later require major surgery in the editing room to make our mandated runtime. The first cut of "Water" ran 10-12 minutes long -- essentially an entire act that had to go -- and for a long time when I watched the final locked picture I was always uncomfortably aware of the "cheats" involved. That is, the dropped scenes, the internal cuts made to scenes that made a hash of some of the logic I'd tried to lay out, the half-expressed thoughts, the missing emotional beats, etc.

:However, when I saw the final aired episode, I was hard-pressed to even remember most of the cuts or why they had bothered me in the first place. (Although I still [[List of Deleted Scenes (RDM)|missed a nice bit]] with [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]] in the [[Wardroom]], where he tossed off a theory of how six small charges could've blown open the water tank, as it was both helpful to the plot and an entertaining bit of grandstanding by the character.) Frankly, I used to think of "Water" as one of the weaker shows in the first season, but now it seems like a fairly coherent piece.

:Of course, this kind of shift in perspective after shedding the baggage of production works both ways, and I've found that sometimes revisited shows much later that I'd always considered to be "classics" turned out to lose their charm along with the experience of making it. So as we go forward, I'm both excited and vaguely terrified at how I'll view the rest of the season.

:Speaking of excited and terrified, I must admit to being overwhelmed by the response you've generated regarding this blog. There's a remarkable backlog of questions on the board and I'll try to both post here more often and answer more of your questions. I don't know what to tell you in terms of what will catch my eye, but I'll try to look for both the straight-ahead fan questions and the more off the wall questions -- don't be afraid to venture far off-topic, some of the more interesting discussions I had at ''Trek'' had nothing to do with the show itself.

== Guest stars ==
*[[Michael Hogan]] as Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]
*[[Tahmoh Penikett]] as Lt. [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
*[[Aaron Douglas]] as Chief Petty Officer [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Nicki Clyne]] as Crewman Specialist [[Cally]]
*[[Paul Campbell]] as [[Billy Keikeya]]
*[[Alessandro Juliani]] as Lt. [[Felix Gaeta]]
*[[Samuel Witwer]] as [[Crashdown]]

{{episode list (RDM season 1)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Ronald D. Moore]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Marita Grabiak]]
[[Category:RDM]]

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