Battlestar Wiki - User contributions [en]

Viper Mark VII

2010-08-03T00:45:56Z

TREMORSFREAK77: /* Notes */

:''This article discusses the newer Viper-class fighters seen in the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]]. For information on the older, generally obsolete Viper Mark II fighter from the same series, see [[Viper Mark II]]. For the Viper used in the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]] and in [[Galactica 1980]], see [[Viper (TOS)]].''

The '''Viper Mark VII''' is the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]]'s latest update to the venerable [[Viper Mark II]] primary space superiority fighter / attack craft.
{{Ship Data
| image= ViperMK7grey.jpg
| title= Viper Mk. VII
| race= Colonial
| type= Military
| ftl= No
| propol= 3 x turbo-thrust engines mounted aft, [[RCS]] points<ref name="propol">Very segmented exhaust nozzle design suggest possible thrust-vectoring.</ref>
| crew= 1 pilot in Terrell ES 24C ejection seat. <ref name="camp">Ammunition used was same as older Viper models; the Mark VII guns appear to have a higher rate of fire. Armaments listings and ejector seat details from David Bassom's ''[[The Official Companion|Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]''.</ref>
| role= Space superiority fighter
| weapons= 3 [[Weapons in the Re-imagined Series#Viper and Cylon Raider|Kinetic Energy Weapons]], missiles
| arm= 3 x forward-firing kinetic energy weapons ([[Weapons in the Re-imagined Series#Viper and Cylon Raider|KEW]]), 2 mounted towards the outboard sections of the wings, 1 x mounted in the vertical stabilizer, Weapon hard-points for mounting missiles / munitions pods, etc. under the wings.<ref name="camp"/>
| status= In current Colonial service
| length= 32.3 feet (~9.8 meters)<ref name="dim">Dimensions provided by [http://www.leestringer.com/ Lee Stringer], one of the VFX Animators of the miniseries. These are for the CGI models, which are based on but not identical to the full size props. Source: [http://www.starshipbuilder.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000012.html Starshipbuilder.com forums]</ref>
| height= 9.7 feet (~3.0 meters)<ref name="inflight">In flight, without landing gear. Landing gear adds approximately 0.5m.</ref>
| wingspan= 18.4 feet (~5.6 meters)
}}

== Overview ==

Capable of atmospheric flight, the Mark VII is the front-line variant of the Viper design, retaining the Mark II's general layout but adding fully integrated avionics that provide superior battle management and flight information for the pilot.

Ironically, it is this incorporation of new integrated systems that prevents the majority of Mark VIIs from being effective during the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|Cylon attack]]: as with the majority of Colonial Fleet, the Mark VIIs suffer fatal computer system failures on contact with Cylon forces. Thanks to a [[Number Six|Cylon agent]]'s relationship with Dr. [[Gaius Baltar]], scientist and programmer of the navigation software project, the [[CNP|navigational software]] in use on board most Colonial Fleet vessels contains back-doors that allow the Cylons to infiltrate a vessel's computers by [[wireless]] signals and to disable its power systems. Though this problem can be overcome by removing the navigational upgrade compromised by the Cylons, the information is not discovered in time to benefit the surprised and hard-pressed Colonial forces.

Being a single-seat craft, it mounts three forward-facing kinetic energy weapons ([[Weapons in the Re-imagined Series#Viper and Cylon Raider|KEW]]). In addition, it possesses hard-points beneath the wings for mounting missiles, munitions pods and other ordnance ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]).

== [[Computers#Avionics|Avionics]] ==

:''Main article: [[Computers in the Re-imagined Series#Vipers and Raptors|Computers in the Re-imagined Series]]''

[[Image:ViperMk7Avionics.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Mark VII main instrument panel]]
The Mark VII cockpit is almost totally computerized. There are far fewer analog gauges and more reliance is placed on a powerful central flight computer. This gives the Mark VII pilot far greater control of the fighter as well as, presumably, greater targeting control in a dogfight.

However, the latest and last software upgrade, the [[CNP]] upgrade, introduces a fatal flaw (inserted by a [[Caprica Six|Cylon agent]]) in the Mark VII that leads to the virtual annihilation of most of these fighters in the opening wave of the Cylon attack.

The surviving Mark VII fighters on both ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' and ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' are retrofitted to older avionics packages to replace the compromised CNP and eliminate further infiltration.

As of "[[Scar]]", ''Pegasus'' has begun to use her on board construction facilities to produce replacement Vipers. Materials mined in an asteroid field allow the production of two full squadrons. Additionally, since ''Pegasus'' joined the Fleet, Mark IIs have been steadily phased out in favor of retrofitted Mark VIIs.

== Armament ==

:''Main article: [[Weapons in the Re-imagined Series#Viper_and_Cylon_Raider|Weapons in the Re-imagined Series]]''

The Mark VII's main weapons are three forward-facing cannons, two in the wings and one in the vertical stabilizer. Typically, it is only the wing-mounted cannons that are used.

Like the [[Viper Mark II|Mark II]], it can also be armed with missiles.

== Performance ==

While the Mark II can rotate 180 degrees vertically in .35 seconds ([[Act of Contrition]]), it is presumed that the Mark VII has an equal or better performance ratio.
Given that the Mark II is capable of holding its own even against superior numbers of modern Cylon Raiders, the more advanced Mark VII probably also has an equal or superior performance as Raiders in the hands of a capable pilot.

== Other design features ==

The Viper Mark VII has primary and secondary hydraulics, the secondary system presumably acting as a redundant backup for mission-critical prime system. Damage to both systems does not significantly compromise the Viper's performance as a space combat craft, provided the pilot is sufficiently skilled to manage the changed flight characteristics ([[Scar]]). The consequences of the loss of both systems in atmospheric flight would undoubtedly be far more dire.

==Known Viper Mark VIIs==
:''See [[List of Vipers]]''

== Notes ==
* Since ''Galactica'' only had 40 Viper Mark IIs aboard as part of its museum, they needed as many fighters as possible. The remaining Mark VII's advanced computer systems were refitted to resist Cylon infiltration. However, since this is not how the Mark VII was designed to fly, the craft is increasingly more difficult to handle and can only be flown by the most experienced pilots such as [[Lee Adama|Apollo]] and [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]]. ''Galactica'' had roughly 6-8 Mark VIIs on board after the Cylon attack ("[[Scattered]]", "[[Flight of the Phoenix]]") <ref>Information previously available on the [http://www.scifi.com/battlestar SciFi] website.</ref>.
* According to [[David Weddle]] during the [[Podcast:Scar#Act 2|"Scar" podcast]] the Mark VII cockpit design "was actually laid out based on, I think it's either the [[w:F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16]] or the [[w:F/A-18 Hornet|F-18]]." The side-mounted control stick more closely resembles that of the F-16, which is appropriate given the "Viper" nickname of the jet (that was initially the General Dynamics codename for the project, which was in turn named for the [[Viper (TOS)|TOS Viper]]).
*Also revealed in the podcast for "Scar" is that the full cockpit interior for the Viper Mark VII was built for this episode. "Flight of the Phoenix" had paved the way for the construction of the full cockpit when "the line producers and the production designers figure[d] out ways to move money around that basically bought us this cockpit because we had built the [[Blackbird|stealth fighter]]." The cockpit interior may have been constructed at the same time the Blackbird was being built.
*Like the [[Viper (TOS)|Original Series' Viper]], the weapons fire of Vipers on the Re-Imagined Series is red, however, the button is on the center of the joystick for the Mark VII, and the left for the Mark II ([[33]]).
*According to ''[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]'', when creating the design of the Viper Mark VII, [[Gary Hutzel]] took a pre-existing design from the [[Battlestar Galactica (2003 game)|2003 video game]] loosely based on a mix of the Original Series and upcoming [[Miniseries]], then "did some modifications, and that became the Viper Mark VII".
*As of "[[Maelstrom]]", [[:image:Viper Mk VII Retcon Profile.jpg|a new exterior design]] for the Viper Mk VII is being used. It is characterized by angular air intakes - with three intakes on the ventral side as opposed to the original's single intake - and a compressed forward fuselage. Additionally, the new version possesses a drab gray hue that differs from the original's gunmetal-gray coloration. Due to the fact that all Mark VII fighters seen since "Maelstrom" display the later appearance, it was surmised that this was a [[retroactive continuity|retroactive update]] rather than a variant of an existing ship.
**However, [[:image:Retconned Viper Mk VII and original version on screen together.jpg|this shot]] taken from "[[Razor]]" displays both variants in action. Starbuck's Viper (in the foreground) is of the redesigned variant, while [[Showboat]]'s Viper (in the back) is the original version - characterized by gunmetal-gray armoring and the sleek forward fuselage. Taking this visual into account, it may be alternatively concluded that there are two versions of the Viper Mk VII (with the newer design perhaps being a product of ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Viper production facilities). Accepting this conclusion would partly explain why the Mk VIIs present on ''Galactica''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s hangar deck bear the original appearance while those seen in action do not - there would no longer be a design conflict between the physical model and the CGI version of the craft. However, for sequences where an actor climbs into the physical model but is subsequently seen flying the new version (as it happens in "[[Crossroads, Part II]]" and "[[He That Believeth In Me]]" for example) the discrepancy is still present.
*In the episode "Torn" during the training excerise there is a Mark VII with red stripes painted in the same fashion as thoses seen on the Mark II. The only one with this paint scheme was destroyed in a mid-air collision during the excersise

== Related Images ==
<gallery>
Image:Viper Mk VII-thrust.jpg|Zoic CGI model
Image:ViperMK7side.jpg|Zoic CGI model
Image:ViperMK7inferior.jpg|The belly of the Viper
Image:Mk VII, stalking asteroid field.jpg|Hiding in the shadows of an asteroid
Image:Viper Mk VII atmospheric flight.jpg| Atmospheric flight
Image:Brothers on patrol (Maelstrom).jpg|Joint patrol
Image:ViperMk7Avionics.jpg|Avionics
Image:Vipermk7interior 101 1080i.jpg|Control stick
</gallery>

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

{{Ships}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial Craft]]
[[Category:Colonial Craft (RDM)]]
[[Category:Colonial Military]]
[[Category:Colonial Military (RDM)]]
[[Category:Ships]]
[[Category:Ships (RDM)]]
[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Technology (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:Viper Mark VII]]

{{quality candidate}}

Viper Mark VII

2010-08-03T00:45:20Z

TREMORSFREAK77: /* Notes */

:''This article discusses the newer Viper-class fighters seen in the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]]. For information on the older, generally obsolete Viper Mark II fighter from the same series, see [[Viper Mark II]]. For the Viper used in the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]] and in [[Galactica 1980]], see [[Viper (TOS)]].''

The '''Viper Mark VII''' is the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]]'s latest update to the venerable [[Viper Mark II]] primary space superiority fighter / attack craft.
{{Ship Data
| image= ViperMK7grey.jpg
| title= Viper Mk. VII
| race= Colonial
| type= Military
| ftl= No
| propol= 3 x turbo-thrust engines mounted aft, [[RCS]] points<ref name="propol">Very segmented exhaust nozzle design suggest possible thrust-vectoring.</ref>
| crew= 1 pilot in Terrell ES 24C ejection seat. <ref name="camp">Ammunition used was same as older Viper models; the Mark VII guns appear to have a higher rate of fire. Armaments listings and ejector seat details from David Bassom's ''[[The Official Companion|Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]''.</ref>
| role= Space superiority fighter
| weapons= 3 [[Weapons in the Re-imagined Series#Viper and Cylon Raider|Kinetic Energy Weapons]], missiles
| arm= 3 x forward-firing kinetic energy weapons ([[Weapons in the Re-imagined Series#Viper and Cylon Raider|KEW]]), 2 mounted towards the outboard sections of the wings, 1 x mounted in the vertical stabilizer, Weapon hard-points for mounting missiles / munitions pods, etc. under the wings.<ref name="camp"/>
| status= In current Colonial service
| length= 32.3 feet (~9.8 meters)<ref name="dim">Dimensions provided by [http://www.leestringer.com/ Lee Stringer], one of the VFX Animators of the miniseries. These are for the CGI models, which are based on but not identical to the full size props. Source: [http://www.starshipbuilder.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000012.html Starshipbuilder.com forums]</ref>
| height= 9.7 feet (~3.0 meters)<ref name="inflight">In flight, without landing gear. Landing gear adds approximately 0.5m.</ref>
| wingspan= 18.4 feet (~5.6 meters)
}}

== Overview ==

Capable of atmospheric flight, the Mark VII is the front-line variant of the Viper design, retaining the Mark II's general layout but adding fully integrated avionics that provide superior battle management and flight information for the pilot.

Ironically, it is this incorporation of new integrated systems that prevents the majority of Mark VIIs from being effective during the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|Cylon attack]]: as with the majority of Colonial Fleet, the Mark VIIs suffer fatal computer system failures on contact with Cylon forces. Thanks to a [[Number Six|Cylon agent]]'s relationship with Dr. [[Gaius Baltar]], scientist and programmer of the navigation software project, the [[CNP|navigational software]] in use on board most Colonial Fleet vessels contains back-doors that allow the Cylons to infiltrate a vessel's computers by [[wireless]] signals and to disable its power systems. Though this problem can be overcome by removing the navigational upgrade compromised by the Cylons, the information is not discovered in time to benefit the surprised and hard-pressed Colonial forces.

Being a single-seat craft, it mounts three forward-facing kinetic energy weapons ([[Weapons in the Re-imagined Series#Viper and Cylon Raider|KEW]]). In addition, it possesses hard-points beneath the wings for mounting missiles, munitions pods and other ordnance ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]).

== [[Computers#Avionics|Avionics]] ==

:''Main article: [[Computers in the Re-imagined Series#Vipers and Raptors|Computers in the Re-imagined Series]]''

[[Image:ViperMk7Avionics.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Mark VII main instrument panel]]
The Mark VII cockpit is almost totally computerized. There are far fewer analog gauges and more reliance is placed on a powerful central flight computer. This gives the Mark VII pilot far greater control of the fighter as well as, presumably, greater targeting control in a dogfight.

However, the latest and last software upgrade, the [[CNP]] upgrade, introduces a fatal flaw (inserted by a [[Caprica Six|Cylon agent]]) in the Mark VII that leads to the virtual annihilation of most of these fighters in the opening wave of the Cylon attack.

The surviving Mark VII fighters on both ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' and ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' are retrofitted to older avionics packages to replace the compromised CNP and eliminate further infiltration.

As of "[[Scar]]", ''Pegasus'' has begun to use her on board construction facilities to produce replacement Vipers. Materials mined in an asteroid field allow the production of two full squadrons. Additionally, since ''Pegasus'' joined the Fleet, Mark IIs have been steadily phased out in favor of retrofitted Mark VIIs.

== Armament ==

:''Main article: [[Weapons in the Re-imagined Series#Viper_and_Cylon_Raider|Weapons in the Re-imagined Series]]''

The Mark VII's main weapons are three forward-facing cannons, two in the wings and one in the vertical stabilizer. Typically, it is only the wing-mounted cannons that are used.

Like the [[Viper Mark II|Mark II]], it can also be armed with missiles.

== Performance ==

While the Mark II can rotate 180 degrees vertically in .35 seconds ([[Act of Contrition]]), it is presumed that the Mark VII has an equal or better performance ratio.
Given that the Mark II is capable of holding its own even against superior numbers of modern Cylon Raiders, the more advanced Mark VII probably also has an equal or superior performance as Raiders in the hands of a capable pilot.

== Other design features ==

The Viper Mark VII has primary and secondary hydraulics, the secondary system presumably acting as a redundant backup for mission-critical prime system. Damage to both systems does not significantly compromise the Viper's performance as a space combat craft, provided the pilot is sufficiently skilled to manage the changed flight characteristics ([[Scar]]). The consequences of the loss of both systems in atmospheric flight would undoubtedly be far more dire.

==Known Viper Mark VIIs==
:''See [[List of Vipers]]''

== Notes ==
* Since ''Galactica'' only had 40 Viper Mark IIs aboard as part of its museum, they needed as many fighters as possible. The remaining Mark VII's advanced computer systems were refitted to resist Cylon infiltration. However, since this is not how the Mark VII was designed to fly, the craft is increasingly more difficult to handle and can only be flown by the most experienced pilots such as [[Lee Adama|Apollo]] and [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]]. ''Galactica'' had roughly 6-8 Mark VIIs on board after the Cylon attack ("[[Scattered]]", "[[Flight of the Phoenix]]") <ref>Information previously available on the [http://www.scifi.com/battlestar SciFi] website.</ref>.
* According to [[David Weddle]] during the [[Podcast:Scar#Act 2|"Scar" podcast]] the Mark VII cockpit design "was actually laid out based on, I think it's either the [[w:F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16]] or the [[w:F/A-18 Hornet|F-18]]." The side-mounted control stick more closely resembles that of the F-16, which is appropriate given the "Viper" nickname of the jet (that was initially the General Dynamics codename for the project, which was in turn named for the [[Viper (TOS)|TOS Viper]]).
*Also revealed in the podcast for "Scar" is that the full cockpit interior for the Viper Mark VII was built for this episode. "Flight of the Phoenix" had paved the way for the construction of the full cockpit when "the line producers and the production designers figure[d] out ways to move money around that basically bought us this cockpit because we had built the [[Blackbird|stealth fighter]]." The cockpit interior may have been constructed at the same time the Blackbird was being built.
*Like the [[Viper (TOS)|Original Series' Viper]], the weapons fire of Vipers on the Re-Imagined Series is red, however, the button is on the center of the joystick for the Mark VII, and the left for the Mark II ([[33]]).
*According to ''[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]'', when creating the design of the Viper Mark VII, [[Gary Hutzel]] took a pre-existing design from the [[Battlestar Galactica (2003 game)|2003 video game]] loosely based on a mix of the Original Series and upcoming [[Miniseries]], then "did some modifications, and that became the Viper Mark VII".
*As of "[[Maelstrom]]", [[:image:Viper Mk VII Retcon Profile.jpg|a new exterior design]] for the Viper Mk VII is being used. It is characterized by angular air intakes - with three intakes on the ventral side as opposed to the original's single intake - and a compressed forward fuselage. Additionally, the new version possesses a drab gray hue that differs from the original's gunmetal-gray coloration. Due to the fact that all Mark VII fighters seen since "Maelstrom" display the later appearance, it was surmised that this was a [[retroactive continuity|retroactive update]] rather than a variant of an existing ship.
**However, [[:image:Retconned Viper Mk VII and original version on screen together.jpg|this shot]] taken from "[[Razor]]" displays both variants in action. Starbuck's Viper (in the foreground) is of the redesigned variant, while [[Showboat]]'s Viper (in the back) is the original version - characterized by gunmetal-gray armoring and the sleek forward fuselage. Taking this visual into account, it may be alternatively concluded that there are two versions of the Viper Mk VII (with the newer design perhaps being a product of ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Viper production facilities). Accepting this conclusion would partly explain why the Mk VIIs present on ''Galactica''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s hangar deck bear the original appearance while those seen in action do not - there would no longer be a design conflict between the physical model and the CGI version of the craft. However, for sequences where an actor climbs into the physical model but is subsequently seen flying the new version (as it happens in "[[Crossroads, Part II]]" and "[[He That Believeth In Me]]" for example) the discrepancy is still present.
*In the episode "Torn" during the training excerise there is a Mark VII with red stripes painted in the same fashion as thoses seen on the Mark II. The only with this paint scheme was destroyed in a mid-air collision during the excersise

== Related Images ==
<gallery>
Image:Viper Mk VII-thrust.jpg|Zoic CGI model
Image:ViperMK7side.jpg|Zoic CGI model
Image:ViperMK7inferior.jpg|The belly of the Viper
Image:Mk VII, stalking asteroid field.jpg|Hiding in the shadows of an asteroid
Image:Viper Mk VII atmospheric flight.jpg| Atmospheric flight
Image:Brothers on patrol (Maelstrom).jpg|Joint patrol
Image:ViperMk7Avionics.jpg|Avionics
Image:Vipermk7interior 101 1080i.jpg|Control stick
</gallery>

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

{{Ships}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial Craft]]
[[Category:Colonial Craft (RDM)]]
[[Category:Colonial Military]]
[[Category:Colonial Military (RDM)]]
[[Category:Ships]]
[[Category:Ships (RDM)]]
[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Technology (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:Viper Mark VII]]

{{quality candidate}}

Viper Mark VII

2010-08-03T00:44:39Z

TREMORSFREAK77: /* Notes */

:''This article discusses the newer Viper-class fighters seen in the [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|Re-imagined Series]]. For information on the older, generally obsolete Viper Mark II fighter from the same series, see [[Viper Mark II]]. For the Viper used in the [[Battlestar Galactica (TOS)|Original Series]] and in [[Galactica 1980]], see [[Viper (TOS)]].''

The '''Viper Mark VII''' is the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]]'s latest update to the venerable [[Viper Mark II]] primary space superiority fighter / attack craft.
{{Ship Data
| image= ViperMK7grey.jpg
| title= Viper Mk. VII
| race= Colonial
| type= Military
| ftl= No
| propol= 3 x turbo-thrust engines mounted aft, [[RCS]] points<ref name="propol">Very segmented exhaust nozzle design suggest possible thrust-vectoring.</ref>
| crew= 1 pilot in Terrell ES 24C ejection seat. <ref name="camp">Ammunition used was same as older Viper models; the Mark VII guns appear to have a higher rate of fire. Armaments listings and ejector seat details from David Bassom's ''[[The Official Companion|Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]''.</ref>
| role= Space superiority fighter
| weapons= 3 [[Weapons in the Re-imagined Series#Viper and Cylon Raider|Kinetic Energy Weapons]], missiles
| arm= 3 x forward-firing kinetic energy weapons ([[Weapons in the Re-imagined Series#Viper and Cylon Raider|KEW]]), 2 mounted towards the outboard sections of the wings, 1 x mounted in the vertical stabilizer, Weapon hard-points for mounting missiles / munitions pods, etc. under the wings.<ref name="camp"/>
| status= In current Colonial service
| length= 32.3 feet (~9.8 meters)<ref name="dim">Dimensions provided by [http://www.leestringer.com/ Lee Stringer], one of the VFX Animators of the miniseries. These are for the CGI models, which are based on but not identical to the full size props. Source: [http://www.starshipbuilder.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000012.html Starshipbuilder.com forums]</ref>
| height= 9.7 feet (~3.0 meters)<ref name="inflight">In flight, without landing gear. Landing gear adds approximately 0.5m.</ref>
| wingspan= 18.4 feet (~5.6 meters)
}}

== Overview ==

Capable of atmospheric flight, the Mark VII is the front-line variant of the Viper design, retaining the Mark II's general layout but adding fully integrated avionics that provide superior battle management and flight information for the pilot.

Ironically, it is this incorporation of new integrated systems that prevents the majority of Mark VIIs from being effective during the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies|Cylon attack]]: as with the majority of Colonial Fleet, the Mark VIIs suffer fatal computer system failures on contact with Cylon forces. Thanks to a [[Number Six|Cylon agent]]'s relationship with Dr. [[Gaius Baltar]], scientist and programmer of the navigation software project, the [[CNP|navigational software]] in use on board most Colonial Fleet vessels contains back-doors that allow the Cylons to infiltrate a vessel's computers by [[wireless]] signals and to disable its power systems. Though this problem can be overcome by removing the navigational upgrade compromised by the Cylons, the information is not discovered in time to benefit the surprised and hard-pressed Colonial forces.

Being a single-seat craft, it mounts three forward-facing kinetic energy weapons ([[Weapons in the Re-imagined Series#Viper and Cylon Raider|KEW]]). In addition, it possesses hard-points beneath the wings for mounting missiles, munitions pods and other ordnance ([[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]).

== [[Computers#Avionics|Avionics]] ==

:''Main article: [[Computers in the Re-imagined Series#Vipers and Raptors|Computers in the Re-imagined Series]]''

[[Image:ViperMk7Avionics.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Mark VII main instrument panel]]
The Mark VII cockpit is almost totally computerized. There are far fewer analog gauges and more reliance is placed on a powerful central flight computer. This gives the Mark VII pilot far greater control of the fighter as well as, presumably, greater targeting control in a dogfight.

However, the latest and last software upgrade, the [[CNP]] upgrade, introduces a fatal flaw (inserted by a [[Caprica Six|Cylon agent]]) in the Mark VII that leads to the virtual annihilation of most of these fighters in the opening wave of the Cylon attack.

The surviving Mark VII fighters on both ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'' and ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' are retrofitted to older avionics packages to replace the compromised CNP and eliminate further infiltration.

As of "[[Scar]]", ''Pegasus'' has begun to use her on board construction facilities to produce replacement Vipers. Materials mined in an asteroid field allow the production of two full squadrons. Additionally, since ''Pegasus'' joined the Fleet, Mark IIs have been steadily phased out in favor of retrofitted Mark VIIs.

== Armament ==

:''Main article: [[Weapons in the Re-imagined Series#Viper_and_Cylon_Raider|Weapons in the Re-imagined Series]]''

The Mark VII's main weapons are three forward-facing cannons, two in the wings and one in the vertical stabilizer. Typically, it is only the wing-mounted cannons that are used.

Like the [[Viper Mark II|Mark II]], it can also be armed with missiles.

== Performance ==

While the Mark II can rotate 180 degrees vertically in .35 seconds ([[Act of Contrition]]), it is presumed that the Mark VII has an equal or better performance ratio.
Given that the Mark II is capable of holding its own even against superior numbers of modern Cylon Raiders, the more advanced Mark VII probably also has an equal or superior performance as Raiders in the hands of a capable pilot.

== Other design features ==

The Viper Mark VII has primary and secondary hydraulics, the secondary system presumably acting as a redundant backup for mission-critical prime system. Damage to both systems does not significantly compromise the Viper's performance as a space combat craft, provided the pilot is sufficiently skilled to manage the changed flight characteristics ([[Scar]]). The consequences of the loss of both systems in atmospheric flight would undoubtedly be far more dire.

==Known Viper Mark VIIs==
:''See [[List of Vipers]]''

== Notes ==
* Since ''Galactica'' only had 40 Viper Mark IIs aboard as part of its museum, they needed as many fighters as possible. The remaining Mark VII's advanced computer systems were refitted to resist Cylon infiltration. However, since this is not how the Mark VII was designed to fly, the craft is increasingly more difficult to handle and can only be flown by the most experienced pilots such as [[Lee Adama|Apollo]] and [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]]. ''Galactica'' had roughly 6-8 Mark VIIs on board after the Cylon attack ("[[Scattered]]", "[[Flight of the Phoenix]]") <ref>Information previously available on the [http://www.scifi.com/battlestar SciFi] website.</ref>.
* According to [[David Weddle]] during the [[Podcast:Scar#Act 2|"Scar" podcast]] the Mark VII cockpit design "was actually laid out based on, I think it's either the [[w:F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16]] or the [[w:F/A-18 Hornet|F-18]]." The side-mounted control stick more closely resembles that of the F-16, which is appropriate given the "Viper" nickname of the jet (that was initially the General Dynamics codename for the project, which was in turn named for the [[Viper (TOS)|TOS Viper]]).
*Also revealed in the podcast for "Scar" is that the full cockpit interior for the Viper Mark VII was built for this episode. "Flight of the Phoenix" had paved the way for the construction of the full cockpit when "the line producers and the production designers figure[d] out ways to move money around that basically bought us this cockpit because we had built the [[Blackbird|stealth fighter]]." The cockpit interior may have been constructed at the same time the Blackbird was being built.
*Like the [[Viper (TOS)|Original Series' Viper]], the weapons fire of Vipers on the Re-Imagined Series is red, however, the button is on the center of the joystick for the Mark VII, and the left for the Mark II ([[33]]).
*According to ''[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]'', when creating the design of the Viper Mark VII, [[Gary Hutzel]] took a pre-existing design from the [[Battlestar Galactica (2003 game)|2003 video game]] loosely based on a mix of the Original Series and upcoming [[Miniseries]], then "did some modifications, and that became the Viper Mark VII".
*As of "[[Maelstrom]]", [[:image:Viper Mk VII Retcon Profile.jpg|a new exterior design]] for the Viper Mk VII is being used. It is characterized by angular air intakes - with three intakes on the ventral side as opposed to the original's single intake - and a compressed forward fuselage. Additionally, the new version possesses a drab gray hue that differs from the original's gunmetal-gray coloration. Due to the fact that all Mark VII fighters seen since "Maelstrom" display the later appearance, it was surmised that this was a [[retroactive continuity|retroactive update]] rather than a variant of an existing ship.
**However, [[:image:Retconned Viper Mk VII and original version on screen together.jpg|this shot]] taken from "[[Razor]]" displays both variants in action. Starbuck's Viper (in the foreground) is of the redesigned variant, while [[Showboat]]'s Viper (in the back) is the original version - characterized by gunmetal-gray armoring and the sleek forward fuselage. Taking this visual into account, it may be alternatively concluded that there are two versions of the Viper Mk VII (with the newer design perhaps being a product of ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Viper production facilities). Accepting this conclusion would partly explain why the Mk VIIs present on ''Galactica''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s hangar deck bear the original appearance while those seen in action do not - there would no longer be a design conflict between the physical model and the CGI version of the craft. However, for sequences where an actor climbs into the physical model but is subsequently seen flying the new version (as it happens in "[[Crossroads, Part II]]" and "[[He That Believeth In Me]]" for example) the discrepancy is still present.
*In the episode "Torn" during the training excerise there is a Mark VII with red strips strips painted in the same fashion as thoses seen on the Mark II. The only with this paint scheme was destroyed in a mid-air collision during the excersise

== Related Images ==
<gallery>
Image:Viper Mk VII-thrust.jpg|Zoic CGI model
Image:ViperMK7side.jpg|Zoic CGI model
Image:ViperMK7inferior.jpg|The belly of the Viper
Image:Mk VII, stalking asteroid field.jpg|Hiding in the shadows of an asteroid
Image:Viper Mk VII atmospheric flight.jpg| Atmospheric flight
Image:Brothers on patrol (Maelstrom).jpg|Joint patrol
Image:ViperMk7Avionics.jpg|Avionics
Image:Vipermk7interior 101 1080i.jpg|Control stick
</gallery>

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

{{Ships}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Colonial]]
[[Category:Colonial Craft]]
[[Category:Colonial Craft (RDM)]]
[[Category:Colonial Military]]
[[Category:Colonial Military (RDM)]]
[[Category:Ships]]
[[Category:Ships (RDM)]]
[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Technology (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:Viper Mark VII]]

{{quality candidate}}

Maelstrom

2010-07-18T05:00:03Z

TREMORSFREAK77: /* Act 3 */

{{Episode Data
| title= Maelstrom
| image= 3X17-Maelstrom-LeobenStarbuck.jpg
| season= 3
| episode= 17
| guests=
| writer= [[David Weddle]] <br/> [[Bradley Thompson]]
| story=
| director= [[Michael Nankin]]
| production= 316
| rating=1.1
| US airdate= 2007-03-04
| CAN airdate=2007-03-04
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| podcast= y
| population= 41400
| oldpopulation= 41400
| prev= [[Dirty Hands]]
| next= [[The Son Also Rises]]
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}}

== Overview ==
:''[[Kara Thrace]]'s past comes back to haunt her when [[William Adama|Adama]] has doubts about her fitness for duty.''

== Summary ==

===Teaser===

*[[Kara Thrace]] is dreaming of her old apartment, trying to paint over the [[Eye of Jupiter|strange mandala]]. The dream is augmented when a [[Leoben Conoy]] comes behind her, and the two embrace and begin to have sex, rolling through the white paint that Thrace attempted to use to cover up the mandala. The mandala "pushes" itself through the white paint to reveal itself.
*[[Brendan Costanza|Hot Dog]] looks over to question what Thrace was dreaming in her bunk.
*Thrace meets [[Helo]] in the head. He notes that [[Hera Agathon]] wakes up from frightening dreams as well. Helo suggests a psychologist, but when Thrace declines, he also suggests an [[oracle]] living in [[Dogsville]]. As Helo speaks, Thrace see in her mirror an image of a little girl standing by the hatchway, who appears bruised and beaten. When Thrace looks again for the child, she has disappeared.
*Thrace enters the oracle's tent and finds a small golden figurine of the angelic [[Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn]].
*The oracle, [[Yolanda Brenn]], appears, and tells Thrace to keep the figurine. She asks Thrace to sit before a pool of water. Brenn holds Thrace's hand and begins a reading.
*Brenn knows of the Cylon [[Leoben]] and the dreams. When she repeats the destiny foretold by Leoben, verbatim, Thrace is angered. The oracle continues to repeat Leoben's words which were originally spoken under interrogation ([[Flesh and Bone]]).
*Thrace wonders how the oracle could know what was said. The oracle tells her that her mother, [[Socrata Thrace]], was trying to tell her something.
*The oracle notes that Leoben is the answer, who can see the answers to Thrace. Thrace angrily leaves the tent.

===Act 1===

*The [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] is orbiting a cloudy gas giant planet as they refuel various ships after the fuel crisis had passed ([[Dirty Hands]])
*[[Samuel Anders]], after the two had a lovemaking session, is asking Thrace to join him for some leave time on another ship.
*He complains that the oracle wasn't helpful, and neither was her mother.
*Thrace notes how the two fought, and the injuries she sustained. Thrace recounts her mothers fear of insects, a holdover from the first Cylon war.
*To get revenge on her mother, Thrace placed rubber ants in her mother's closet, causing her to have a panic attack as she furiously tries to stamp the rubber bugs to death. In retaliation, her mother placed her hand in a door jamb and slammed the door on it, breaking all of Thrace's fingers. Thrace states that it "was worth it".
*During a refueling operation, Starbuck and [[Brendan Costanza|Hot Dog]] are on [[Combat Air Patrol|CAP]] when she believes she sees an enemy.
*''[[Galactica]]'' can't see the contact, but Starbuck identifies it as a [[Heavy Raider]]. Colonel [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] notes that [[DRADIS]] information is hard to rely on as [[synchrotron radiation]] around the planet affects DRADIS performance.
*As Starbuck goes closer, she sees a storm system that looks remarkably like the mandala. The Raider flies close and, to Starbuck, appears to strike her fighter.
*Starbuck keeps descending into the storm, against [[Lee Adama|Apollo]]'s continuous attempts to warn her back up.
*Eventually, Starbuck struggles successfully to return to space, but not after, during the descent, she sees flashes of sights of an apartment with her mother standing there.

===Act 2===
*Starbuck is back aboard, but as [[Galen Tyrol]] and his deck crew inspect her Viper for damage, there is none.
*Starbuck's gun camera shows nothing, as several pilots including [[Sharon Agathon]], [[Lee Adama]], and [[Racetrack]] review it. They don't see Starbuck firing at anything but clouds.
*Admiral [[William Adama|Adama]] speaks with his son and questions Thrace's competency. The admiral believes she is close to burnout, but the younger Adama believes her "steely-eyed Viper jock" mentality is all that holds Thrace together. The admiral repeats the question: Can she handle the strain?
*Lee Adama and Thrace are standing in the [[memorial hallway]]. Starbuck asks Adama to place her photo next to [[Kat]] if she meets her end before him. Likewise, Adama asks to have his photo next to [[Duck]] and his sweetheart, [[Nora Farmer]], both lost on [[New Caprica]] ("[[Occupation]]", ''[[Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance|The Resistance]]'').
*Thrace asks what Lee and Admiral Adama think of her flight readiness. Major Adama tries to give her encouragement but Thrace is distracted by a wax dripping that looks like the mandala.
*Thrace passes by the admiral and President [[Laura Roslin|Roslin]] without noticing them, when Adama greets her with an [[Nothing but the rain|old tag line]] they shared before the new Cylon War ([[Miniseries]]). Before moving on, Thrace gives him the Aurora figurine from the oracle's tent as a masthead for his sailing ship models.
*As Thrace goes through inspection of her Viper, she again sees a little girl, this time in her cockpit--Thrace as a girl. Her face is bruised and bleeding. Thrace has flashbacks of her mother and is shocked into stopping her inspection.

===Act 3===
*A visibly shaken Thrace sits by her Viper when Lee Adama goes back to check on her.
*Thrace says she is not going back out to fly, not trusting herself. Adama volunteers to be her wingman to give her confidence.
*Thrace asks about [[Anastasia Dualla|Adama's wife]] and how their relationship was going. After a moment of discomfort after he notes things are going well, Thrace tells him that she is happy that things are working out. Thrace says that, as it was in the beginning, the two are back to being platonic.
*During Apollo and Starbuck's CAP, Starbuck sees another bogey and engages, but no one can confirm it on [[DRADIS]] again.
*Admiral Adama chooses caution and orders the Fleet to [[Action Stations|Condition One]] status, stopping refueling once more.
*Apollo is again trying to flag down Starbuck, but she is entranced once more and again flying downward in the clouds.
*Starbuck's Viper is hit by the Heavy Raiders machine gun. Her forward canopy window is punctured, she is knocked unconscious, and her fighter begins to tumble. An alarm sounds in the cockpit, and the scene blurs to find a sleeping Thrace shutting off a radio alarm and awaking in her apartment, with [[Virtual Leoben|who appears to be a Leoben Cylon]] greeting her.
*Thrace believes she is being tricked again, unconscious or on a Cylon ship, but Leoben states otherwise.
*Leoben keeps pointing out how the mandala-shaped cloud attracts her, and that she hasn't told anyone very much about it.
*Leoben tells her of her tendency to cheat death ever since a day with her mother as they materialize to a small apartment, reliving an event six years ago, where Lieutenant Thrace stands before her mother as she reads a letter from a veterans administration. On the wall is a [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]] medal, ostensibly from the [[first Cylon War]].
*[[Socrata Thrace]] first congratulates her daughter for being the first of her family to become an officer, then berates her for being only 16th in her class and having many demerits.
*Kara Thrace retaliates by pointing out that her mother never reached officer status despite serving in the Cylon War.
*She sees a doctor's report and learns that her mother has cancer, which cannot be stopped because it has metastasized.
*Socrata rejects her daughter's pity, and Kara Thrace runs out the door, vowing never to return. The present day Starbuck begins to cry as she relives the moment.
*Socrata Thrace remains in the apartment alone, staring down at a full ashtray of cigarette butts.

===Act 4===
*The scene shifts. Leoben tells Thrace how her mother waited at her apartment in hopes that Kara would return, and died five weeks later -- alone.
*Thrace tells Leoben that she didn't come back because she was afraid of watching her mother die. Leoben leads her to another vision, in which she is able to walk to her mother's deathbed, Socrata has a scrapbook of every doodle and letter that Thrace made, including one of the mandala.
*Thrace tells her mother that something is about to happen, the thing that her mother was preparing her for. Socrata tells her daughter that she is ready as she holds her mother's hand. As she presses Socrata's hand to her face, her mother takes her last breath. Starbuck cries and then smiles at being able to be there to hear her mother's final words.
*Leoben tells her that death is not hard to embrace, that this was the lesson her mother was trying to teach her daughter.
*Thrace realizes that the entity which has shown her these visions [[Virtual Leoben|is not actually a Leoben]]. When asked, he replies that he never claimed to be -- he is there to be her guide to see what lies "between life and death."
*The scene shifts back to the clouds, where Starbuck's Viper is still rapidly losing altitude, approaching the gaseous planet's "hard deck" (minimum safe altitude). Thrace is getting dangerously close to it, and if she passes it, the air pressure will crush the Viper "like a tin can". She reawakens, but continues to lose altitude and chase after the image of the Cylon Raider, ignoring Apollo's pleas over the wireless to turn back before it is too late.
*Apollo finds Starbuck in her dive and the Heavy Raider appears briefly. Apollo sees it for the first time.
*Starbuck finally calls out to Apollo, "Lee, I'll see you on the other side." As Apollo frantically calls her to wave off, she repeats, in a whisper, "Just let me go."
*Starbuck sees a vision of white light in her cockpit, and she smiles. Viewers also see an image of her as a young girl in the same white light.
*A view from the tail of Apollo's Viper clearly shows the Raider, then Starbuck's Viper appears, chasing it. The bogey vanishes into the clouds, and the view cuts to Apollo, looking straight forwarding, declaring "Visual!"
*Shortly after Apollo gains visual of Starbuck, her Viper explodes. There is no ejection or rescue chute.
*Apollo reports the grim news to [[CIC]]. Admiral Adama gives an order for Viper squads to form search and rescue teams, vowing that they'll find her. Lee tells him it's no use. She's gone. Everyone, from Tigh to Gaeta to Admiral Adama, is visibly heartbroken.
*William Adama tries to work on his sailing ship model, with the Aurora figurine now attached, which fits perfectly. But in his anger and grief over the loss of Kara Thrace, he instead destroys the model and begins to weep.

===Bonus Scene===

*The scene begins shortly before Act 3, where, as Starbuck inspects her Viper, she finds hydraulic fluid, and becomes visibly angry at Chief Tyrol. Major Adama moves in to attempt to calm her down.

== Notes ==
*[[Katee Sackhoff]] had to sign a confidentiality agreement relating to what happened to her character in this episode.
*Adama can be seen building his model ship in "[[Litmus]]" and "[[Home, Part I]]", but it can be seen in his quarters from the start of the series on.
* The introduction of the goddess Aurora increases the number of known gods within the Colonial religion. As before with the use of names such as Mars and Jupiter, Aurora is the Romanized name for the Greek goddess [[w:Eos|Eos]].
* An [[w:Aurora (astronomy)|aurora]] is a radiant emission from a planet's upper atmosphere that occurs sporadically over the middle and high latitudes of both hemispheres in the form of luminous bands, thus forming the pattern of the mandala that Thrace sees in her first flight over the planet.
*[[Ron D. Moore]] has a reputation in ''[[w:Star Trek|Star Trek]]'' circles in killing characters in stories that he wrote for the series. The death of a central character such as Kara Thrace appears to uphold this reputation in ''Battlestar Galactica''.
*According to an official statement by Ron Moore, in the scene where viewers show the Heavy Raider image, Starbuck's Viper, and Apollo's Viper, Apollo did ''not'' see the Raider, having visual only on Starbuck.
*The ship next to ''Galactica'' towards the beginning of the episode is the ''[[Prometheus (ship)|Prometheus]]'', featured extensively in "[[Black Market]]".
*Information from the [[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion Season Three|Season Three Companion book]]:
**The episode started as a Viper combat episode similar to "[[Scar]]" with Apollo and Starbuck fighting a Heavy Raider and Starbuck sacrificing herself to allow Apollo to escape the atmosphere. When Katee Sackhoff asked about the meaning of the [[The Destiny|mandala]] and said that she'd like to encounter Leoben again, the writers ran with that idea and rewrote the script.
**A scene was shot, but cut, in which [[Louanne Katraine|Kat]] appears to Starbuck in a brand new Viper and tells her not to worry.
* During the sex scene between [[Virtual Leoben]] and [[Kara Thrace]] in the teaser, viewers can observe a tattoo on Leoben's right bicep. This tattoo is likely [[Callum Keith Rennie]]'s and while there is an attempt by Sackhoff to cover it up with paint, other scenes shot at a distance show the tattoo more clearly.
* During one of the flashbacks, there is a quick shot of [[Kara Thrace]]'s mother's ashtray, containing at least one cigarette that quite clearly has the word "Marlboro" on it.

== Analysis ==

* Although Thrace contemplated ejecting from her damaged Viper, the planet is a gas giant and doesn't have a solid surface. A Jovian planet has [[w:Jupiter|winds of up to 700 km/hour]] and may have extreme temperatures in the depths. The length of time for which her ejection system could have sustained her life is unknown.
* The episode brings many story elements of Thrace's history to a close as everything comes full circle, which is a general meaning of a mandala in spiritual contexts. A few of these elements include:
** Admiral Adama and Thrace's interchange of "What do you hear? - [[Nothing but the rain]]". This is first scene that introduced Thrace and her overall relationship with Adama at the beginning of the [[Miniseries]].
** The scene between Lee Adama and Thrace where she states that they've reached full circle as she is again the hotshot pilot who gives nothing but grief to her CAG.
** Admiral Adama's proposed rescue of her is similar to his actions in "[[You Can't Go Home Again]]" when Thrace's Viper goes down over a hostile moon. However, this time, Lee dissuades his father from the attempt because of the futility of looking for Starbuck's destroyed Viper within a gas giant.
**Thrace's initial reaction and eventual denial to pull the ejection handle illustrated the completion of her endless cycle of fleeing death, which she now embraced with joy.
** Her continued hostility and bitterness towards her mother finally reaches its close as Thrace is finally able to witness her mother's death and hear her final words.
** The final moment before Thrace's Viper explodes, an image of a younger Thrace being engulfed in light could either be symbolism or an event that represents Thrace's return to her childhood innocence.
** Her hostility towards Leoben Conoy comes to a close as she comes to welcome the help and guidance of her "Leoben" guide.

*It should be noted that the Conoy in her vision is ''not'' a Cylon, but an [[Virtual Leoben|unidentified manifestation]]. Thrace says, "You're not Leoben," and the manifestation replies, "I never said I was." What this aspect of Thrace's vision means remains unknown.

* Thrace's death can be seen as the close of her original desire to die during the episode "[[Scar]]". However, here she is ready to embrace death and see a new beginning with it, while in "Scar" her original desire is fuel over despair of her belief that Samuel Anders was dead on Caprica. Both episode plots are motivated by a mysterious Cylon pilot.

* Admiral Adama is shown in the middle of building his model ship after the failed assassination attempt and the division of the Fleet ([[Home, Part I]]). The ship is finally completed at the moment of Adama coming to grips with his grief of Thrace's death. In reaction, the ship that was begun during a period of great personal turmoil within Adama is destroyed in the midst of another episode of intense grief and anger.

* Even though Lee Adama and Thrace decided to forge on with their marriages, it is Adama who has found contentment with Dualla while Thrace remained in turmoil with Anders. The scene after another lovemaking session indicates that their relationship hadn't improved much since "[[Taking a Break from All Your Worries]]".

* The figurine that Thrace gives to Adama is an idol of the goddess Aurora, the goddess of the dawn and gentle breeze. The relationship between this goddess and Thrace seems to be highlighted prior to her Viper's explosion as she apparently is engulfed in light and wind within her cockpit.

* The connection and parallels between Major Adama and Thrace are further strengthened during Socrata Thrace's death scene. When Thrace confesses to her mother about her fear of taking the next step towards her destiny, her mother remarks that she knows that her daughter can meet the task. When asked how she knows this, her response is almost word for word exactly what William Adama said to his son in "[[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]": "'You are my daughter (son).'" Thus, similar to Adama's son, Thrace is finally able to bury the hatchet with her mother.

* The "Leoben" guide explains that his role is to help Thrace take the next step to the place "between life and death." Interestingly, this is the same "place" that the model [[Number Three]] describes in "[[Hero]]" when she begins her suicide/resurrection chamber sessions in order to discover who the [[Final Five]] are.

* Tigh is visibly upset at Thrace's death. This is a sign of their improved relationship first shown in "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]" and then slightly expanded on in "[[Collaborators]]", "[[Torn]]", and "[[Hero]]". However, the nature of how the relationship evolved is fully revealed in the [[Unfinished Business (Extended Version)|extended version of "Unfinished Business"]].

== Questions ==
* Will Anders blame Lee Adama for the loss of Kara Thrace once the news of her death reaches him? ([[The Son Also Rises|Answer]])
* Who is the being that is Thrace's "spiritual" guide during her dream? Is he somehow connected to the makers of the mandala in the Temple of Five? Is he in any way related to the [[messengers]]?
* Is the cockpit truly damaged from space debris, or is it imagined just as the supposed damage that Thrace initially believed happened at the first encounter with the Raider?
* Will Agathon experience any form of guilt or regret for showing the picture of the mandala to Thrace?
* What does Thrace mean when she tells Apollo: "See you on the other side"? ([[Daybreak, Part II#Noteworthy Dialogue|Possible Answer]])
* Thrace also tells Lee Adama that "they're waiting for me." Who are "they"?
* Will Thrace return as one of the Final Five Cylons? ([[Sometimes a Great Notion|Answer]])
* Who will take Thrace's place as ''Galactica'''s Viper ace?
* Will Thrace's death have any lasting effect on Lee Adama and Anastasia Dualla's marriage?
* Considering the white light that appears to shine into Thrace's cockpit and what the Leoben-figure mentioned about showing her what lies between life and death, is it possible that she is experiencing the same event that [[Number Three]] had on several occasions ("[[Hero]]", "[[Rapture]]")?
* Is the placement of Thrace's Aurora figurine on William Adama's model ship symbolic to Thrace, in some way, guiding the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]] on their path to Earth? ([[Crossroads, Part II|Answer 1]], [[Revelations|Answer 2]], [[Daybreak, Part II|Answer 3]])
* Did the real Socrata Thrace see Kara come to her before she died?
* Did Kara Thrace really die? If not, how did she survive? ([[Sometimes a Great Notion|Answer #1]], [[Islanded in a Stream of Stars|#2]], [[Daybreak, Part II|#3]])

== Official Statements ==

* ''[[Katee Sackhoff]] discusses what it was like to pretend as if she was not coming back to the show:''
: '''Katee Sackhoff:''' Well the crazy thing was that when I was successful at it, I got in trouble! Because everyone [on the show] was so pissed off about it, that I was getting killed, that it became this huge thing and people were threatening to quit. And then it was my fault, because I did a good job at lying. It's like, "Come on, guys! I'm an overdramatic actor! That's what I do. And you told me to sell it." So it was definitely a hard thing to do. It was a hard thing to keep a secret. And I told key people. I told my agent and my manager, my mom, my best friend, and my boyfriend. That's the only people that knew. My publicist didn't even know!<ref>{{cite_web|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/797/797776p1.html|title=Katee Sackhoff Talks Battlestar and Bionic Woman|date=19 June 2007|accessdate=21 June 2007|last=Goldman|first=Eric|format=|language=}}</ref>

Information from the [[Podcast:Maelstrom|podcast]]:

*The original script had Thrace do three trips to the gas giant. It is during the second trip that she sees the Heavy Raider again, but panics and fakes a hydraulics problem with her Viper, which allows her to return to ''Galactica''. This was the original reason, not the lack of visual evidence of a Heavy Raider, that Lee Adama and his father have their conversation about her fitness for duty.
*The model ship Adama was building over the course of the series was a very expensive rental prop which [[Edward James Olmos]] destroyed in an ad-lib expression of Adama's grief over the loss of Thrace, much to the props crew's dismay. Thankfully, the ship was insured.
*The original script was meant to be a payoff for the end of "[[Rapture]]" when Karl Agathon showed Thrace the mandala. It was supposed to have Thrace face her fear of death and resist its call, while at the same time the overall payoff would be somehow linked to furthering the Fleet's voyage to Earth. After several iterations of the script, [[Ronald D. Moore|Moore]] and company decided to go down the dangerous avenue of killing off one of the major characters.
*The original script had an interior scene of the Heavy Raider as the first place that Thrace would wake up from after she is knocked unconscious. There she would find Leoben Conoy using a device that would delve into her memories. At the time, however, Ron Moore didn't know if it was possible if the show could revisit Thrace's apartment. Once that possibility was available, the interior of the Heavy Raider was abandoned because of cost and storyline suitability.
*The last scene between Adama and Thrace was originally to have ended on a more sour note. Thrace was supposed to be in a meeting between Adama, Lee Adama, and Laura Roslin, upon which Thrace noted out loud the possible romantic undertones between Adama and Roslin. Afterwards, Adama would dress Thrace down and those would have been his last words to her before her death. The director argued with Moore about cutting this scene out and eventually Moore gave way to allow a more comforting departure between the two characters.
*According to Moore, "Maelstrom" is, for him, the first page of the third act in the series overall. He believes that with this episode, the show is well on its way to completion and is now on act three out of a 4 act series.

Additional information from the [[Podcast:Frak Party Q and A|Frak Party Q&A]]:
*Initially, Moore told only Katee Sackhoff that Kara Thrace would return in the [[Crossroads, Part II|season finale]]. When the episode script was published the cast and crew, who were in the dark, became upset, Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell in particular. Moore described the mood as almost a "state of mutiny." Eventually Moore and David Eick had to call them and let them in on the secret that Thrace was not really dead<ref>{{cite_rdm_podcast|episode=Frak Party Q and A|act=|id=|timestamp=|totalrunning=78:27}}</ref>.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==
*''[[Kara Thrace]] and [[Lee Adama]] talk about their possible deaths in the [[memorial hallway]]:''
:'''Thrace:''' So where do you want to go when you bite the big one? I wanna go right there, next to [[Kat]].
:'''Adama:''' A water-walking Viper jock.
:'''Thrace:''' Royal pain in the ass, but a hell of a stick to have on your wing.
:'''Adama:''' You can put me right here, next to [[Duck]] and [[Nora Farmer|Nora]]. Good card players. Nice way to spend eternity.
:'''Thrace:''' Okay, so whoever croaks first, the other one makes sure that their picture goes in the right place. Deal?
:'''Adama:''' Deal.

*''Lee Adama comforts Thrace on the hangar deck:''
:'''Thrace:''' I'm not going back out there. I don't trust myself.
:'''Adama:''' Hmm. So trust me. I'll fly your wing.
:'''Thrace:''' The CAG flying my number two? (smiles)
:'''Adama:''' (softly) Whatever it takes.
:(silence)
:'''Thrace:''' How are things with you and [[Anastasia Dualla|Dee]]?
:'''Adama:''' Uh, you know, good. No. Better than good. Best they've ever been.
:'''Thrace:''' I'm happy for you. Really. It's funny though, after all we've been through, we are right back [[Miniseries, Night 1|where we started]]. You're CAG, and I am your hotshot problem pilot. (both laugh) I guess that's all we'll ever be now, huh?

*''Kara Thrace sees her mother [[Socrata Thrace]] die in a vision guided by [[Virtual Leoben|something]] appearing to be [[Leoben Conoy]]:''
:'''Kara:''' Momma, something's about to happen, you know that thing you were trying to prepare me for, I don't know if I can do it.
:'''Socrata:''' Oh yes you can, you can.
:'''Kara:''' How can you be sure?
:'''Socrata:''' You're my daughter.
:'''Leoben:''' See, there's nothing terrible about death; when you finally face it, it's beautiful. You're free now, to become who you really are.
:'''Kara:''' You're not Leoben.
:'''Leoben:''' I never said I was. I'm here to prepare you to pass through the next door, to discover what lies in the space between life and death.

== Guest Stars ==

*[[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel Anders]]
*[[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Leoben Conoy]]
*[[Dorothy Lyman]] as [[Socrata Thrace]]
*[[Bodie Olmos]] as [[Brendan Costanza]]
*[[Leah Cairns]] as [[Margaret Edmondson]]
*[[Don Thompson]] as [[Anthony Figurski]]
*[[Camille Atebe]] as [[Sarah Ryan]]
*[[Georgia Craig]] as [[Yolanda Brenn]]
*[[Erika-Shaye Gair]] as Child [[Kara Thrace|Kara]]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 3)}}

[[Category:A to Z|Maelstrom]]
[[Category:Episode Guide|Maelstrom]]
[[Category:Episode Guide (RDM)|Maelstrom]]
[[Category:Episodes written by David Weddle]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Bradley Thompson]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Michael Nankin]]
[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:Ruf aus dem Jenseits]]
[[zh:漩涡]]

The Plan

2010-07-08T03:40:12Z

TREMORSFREAK77: /* Questions */

{{Episode Data
| image=The Plan - Tigh and Adama in Galactica Corridor.jpg
| title= The Plan
| season=
| special=Y
| episode=
| guests=
| writer= [[Jane Espenson]]
| story=
| director= [[Edward James Olmos]]
| production= 101 - 01001
| rating=
| US airdate=January 10, 2010
| CAN airdate=
| UK airdate=
| dvd=October 27, 2009
| population=
| prev=[[Daybreak, Part II]]
| next=
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==Overview==
: ''Set during the events from the [[Miniseries]] to Season 2's "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]," this story is told from the [[Cylon (RDM)|Cylons']] perspective, centering on two distinct [[Number One|Cavil]] copies as they try to fulfill the Cylons' plan.''

==Summary==
The story begins ''in medias res'', with the two Cavils from "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]" being escorted to the airlock. The two Cavils argue about the worthiness of their plan to destroy humanity, with Caprica-Cavil beginning to tell Galactica-Cavil why the genocide of humanity was a mistake.

From here, the tale begins as a single narrative, documenting the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]], before splitting into two distinct but related stories on [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] and ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]''.

===Fall of the Twelve Colonies ===
*Two weeks before the attack, two [[Number One]]s in a [[Resurrection Ship]] near [[the Colony]] are standing over the [[resurrection tank]]s containing insensate copies of the "[[Final Five]]:" [[Ellen Tigh]], [[Saul Tigh]], [[Samuel T. Anders]], [[Galen Tyrol]] and [[Tory Foster]]. The Ones expect that the Final Five will be killed in the destruction of the Twelve Colonies and then resurrect into these bodies and apologize to the Ones for their former appreciation of humanity. One of the Ones plans on joining the active version of Ellen Tigh on [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Picon|Picon]] so that he can experience the holocaust in person, while the other One will go to [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] to make final arrangements with their contact.
*Fourteen hours before the attack, [[Gaius Baltar]] and [[Caprica-Six|Six]] walk through the Government Center Plaza in [[Caprica City]]. Shortly after their goodbyes, Six meets up with One and passes off the access codes to the [[Colonial Defense Mainframe]]. One recommends she kill herself before the attack, suggesting poison as a relatively easy method.
*Shortly before the attack, Ellen is in the Club Pink Moon, a topless bar on Picon. The other One approaches her and strikes up a conversation, with Cavil introducing himself as a "mysterious stranger." She asks if he is a priest, and he ducks the question.
*At the Colony, the Cylon fleet stands in formation. The [[Hybrid]] gives the order and the [[Basestar (RDM)|basestars]] simultaneously jump to the Colonies.
*On Caprica, the [[Caprica Buccaneers]] are at a [[Pyramid (RDM)|pyramid]] training camp in the mountains near [[Delphi]]. Among the players are [[Samuel Anders]], [[Jean Barolay]] and [[Sue-Shaun]]. Watching from the sidelines is the team coach as well as the team doctor, a [[Number Four]] [[humanoid Cylon]].
*In the Caprican city of Delphi, Tory Foster is driving to the airport to catch a flight to Caprica City. En route, she is talking with a man on the phone about her government work.
*Above Caprica, dozens of basestars and at least one [[Resurrection Ship]] jump into orbit. Several of the basestars rotate around their axes to form a y-pattern, allowing them to enter Caprica's atmosphere.
*The Hybrid, presumably using the access codes given to Cavil by Six, infiltrates Colonial defenses.
[[File:Bsyashuman.jpg|thumb|''Yashuman'' and two other battlestars prepare to engage the Cylons above Caprica.]]
*On Picon, Ellen and Cavil debate the ability of people to change. Ellen's flippant, rebuking response to Cavil's argument for others needing "correcting" visibly frustrates him. She later tells him that people who let others make them change or apologize sell themselves out.
*In orbit of Caprica, three [[Valkyrie|''Valkyrie'' type battlestars]] led by the battlestar ''[[Yashuman]]'', along with several wings of [[Viper Mark VII|Viper Mk. VII]]s, move to intercept the Cylons. Caprican Control reports that they are unable to track and respond to the Cylons due to a system-wide crash in the defense mainframe.
*As the Colonials prepare to engage, the Cylons use the backdoors installed by [[Caprica-Six|Six]] into the [[Command Navigation Program]] to shut down the Colonial ships. The battlestars and Vipers drift helplessly in space, unable to speak to each other.
[[Image:Cylon_mirv.jpg|thumb|A Cylon MIRV.]]
*The Cylons launch multiple missiles towards the surface of Caprica. As they approach the ground, the missiles open up to reveal over a [[w:MIRV|dozen independent nuclear warheads in each]]. The warheads separate, vector off in multiple directions and detonate.
*On Picon, Ellen and Cavil are startled as a nuclear shock wave hits the Pink Moon, indicating detonations on that planet as well. Cavil shields Ellen as the shock wave hits them.
*Delphi is hit, and Foster watches in horror as the shock wave consumes her vehicle.
*Anders quietly whispers to himself, "[[Earth (RDM)#Arrival and Ruins|This has happened before]]," as his teammates react to the several mushroom clouds seen in the distance. The Four secretly smiles at the destruction.
*The [[Scorpion Fleet Shipyards]], along with the docked ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'', are attacked by Cylon [[Raider (RDM)|Raiders]] as multiple nuclear detonations occur across the surface of [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Scorpia|Scorpia]].
*On [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Gemenon|Gemenon]], Cylon forces attack a city as several ships hastily take off. On board one of them, another Four carries a young girl through the crowds of evacuating people.
*A passenger ship in orbit of [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Canceron|Canceron]] is shaken by nuclear detonations on that planet. Among the passengers is a visibly happy [[Shelly Godfrey]].
*The Hybrid reports on the successful attack on all [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]].
*On board ''[[Galactica]]'', [[William Adama|Commander Adama]] informs [[Saul Tigh]] of the attack as the ship enters [[action stations]].
*A wounded Foster crawls out of the remains of her car to find herself standing in the smoldering ruins of Delphi. Nearby, several [[SAR]] Raptors land, presumably evacuating Foster and any other survivors before rendezvousing with [[Laura Roslin|Roslin]]'s [[The Fleet (RDM)|fleet]].
*Several SAR birds also comb the wreckage of Picon. In the ruins of the Pink Moon, a severely wounded Ellen has a flashback to the Fall of Earth. Cavil stands over her, assuring her that she is not going to die yet because she has more left to learn. Both Ellen and Cavil are soon evacuated by the SAR Raptors, also presumably meeting up with Roslin's fleet.
*[[Lee Adama]] helps Caprican survivors off [[Sharon Valerii]]'s Raptor on board ''[[Colonial One]]''. A distraught [[Giana O'Neill]] inquires about her husband serving in the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]] on Gemenon.
*Adama enters his [[Adama's quarters|quarters]] to find a [[Miniseries, Night 2#Epilogue|note]] informing him that there are only twelve Cylon models. A cut to Baltar implies that he left the note.

=== On ''Galactica'' ===
*Five days after the attack, the Fleet is attacked by the Cylons as they have been every [[33|33 minutes]] for the past five days. On board the ''[[Rising Star]]'', a wounded and disoriented Ellen is lying in a cramped makeshift [[sickbay]] as Cavil watches over her. Ellen does not remember who he is, but begs him to find Saul. As she passes out, Cavil says that four of the Final Five are in the Fleet; only Anders is absent.
*The ship continues to be jolted by explosions from the battle. Cavil rationalizes with himself about the necessity of keeping Ellen alive, saying that she has yet to understand her mistake in loving an immoral and imperfect humanity.
*Eight days after the attack, refugees continue to board and be processed on ''Galactica''. Tigh remarks at the calm of the people, but Adama corrects him, saying they are just temporarily numb from the shock. As they walk through a corridor, Tigh accidentally bumps into Cavil.
*Cavil is carrying fliers, which talk about "the Plan" and encourage people to meet with him. A [[John (RDM)|young boy]] runs by and knocks the fliers out of Cavil's hands.
*Cavil bends to pick up the fliers and is helped by a [[Number Six#"Tough Six"|Number Six]]. Surprised but relieved, he hands her a flier as he notices a [[Number Four|Simon]] copy going around a corner.
*He asks [[Socinus]] if he may post the fliers in ''Galactica'''s restricted area, but Socinus offers to do so for him.
*In the chapel on ''Galactica'' given to Cavil, Shelly Godfrey arrives with a flier to find the other Six, a [[Number Two]] copy and a [[Number Five]] copy assembled, all carrying fliers. Cavil notes that they are missing copies of [[Number Three]] and Four.
*Cavil reviews the original Cylon plan, which involved all the humans being killed, the Cylons [[download|downloading]] and the Universe "basking in [[Cylon War|justice]]." However, the survival of ''Galactica'' and the Fleet has prevented its success.
*Two proposes that they each work separately to sabotage the Fleet, but instead Cavil has assignments for each of them. He informs them that a [[Cylon Tactics#Sleeper agents within the Fleet|sleeper agent]], an [[Number Eight|Eight]], is currently within the Fleet and he will speak to her.
*Cavil tasks the Two with cracking the Colonial military's technology so that they can listen into the Fleet's communications and contact any basestars in the area.
*For Shelly Godfrey, Cavil gives her the mission of sabotaging Baltar's work on the [[Cylon detector]]. As he will simply build another one if they destroy it, Godfrey is to [[Six Degrees of Separation|discredit him]] to prevent any future work.
*As the copy of [[Aaron Doral]] aboard ''[[Colonial One]]'' was discovered to be a Cylon, Cavil tells the Five that he is too recognizable to remain in the Fleet. Instead, he gives him a suicide vest to use.
*On board the ''[[Gemenon Traveler]]'', Leoben has successfully hacked into ''Galactica'''s military communications. He listens in as [[Kara Thrace]] and other pilots engage three Raiders. He is clearly intrigued by her.
*Cavil takes a small statue of an elephant out of his bag. As he leaves, he finds the boy that had knocked the fliers out of his hands sleeping in the chapel and kicks him out.
*In the tool room of the [[hangar deck]], the newly enlisted Giana tells Tyrol that she needs to change out the oxygen cylinders on a Raptor. Tyrol disputes that the cylinders need changing and playfully informs her that ''Galactica'' has no replacement parts.
*Valerii enters the room looking for the Chief, where she is introduced to Giana. As she leaves, Giana quickly deduces that the two are an item.
*Back in her [[duty locker]], Valerii finds the elephant statue that Cavil had been holding. The statue apparently unlocks Valerii's awareness of her Cylon identity, and she flashbacks to a conversation she had with [[Gina Inviere]] before becoming a sleeper agent.
*Meeting with Cavil, Valerii proposes that she sabotage ''Galactica'''s water supplies as a way to cripple the Fleet. Cavil agrees, but when he suggests that Valerii kill herself in the process, she is able to convince him that her cover is better than expected, referencing her relationship with Tyrol. Cavil laughs at the irony of her becoming romantically involved with Tyrol over all of the potential humans, then tells her to kill herself anyway.
*On the ''[[Cybele]]'', the ship that had carried the Simon copy and young girl off Gemenon, Giana is having dinner with the two of them. Simon had previously married Giana, without revealing his Cylon identity, and adopted Giana's daughter [[Jemmy]].
*During dinner, Cavil approaches Simon and introduces himself as Simon's childhood [[priest]]. Cavil excuses himself but asks Simon to come see him soon, giving the vague warning that he knows where Simon lives. Simon is clearly disturbed by the encounter.
*In a [[weapons locker]], a soaking-wet Valerii informs Cavil that the charges have been placed in the water tanks. When she expresses reluctance at destroying the Fleet, Cavil rebukes and uses the statue to revert her into sleeper agent mode.
*As a panicked Valerii discusses with Tyrol what to do about the missing [[G-4]] detonators, the charges are detonated, sending all of ''Galactica'''s water into space.
*Seventeen days after the Fall of the Colonies, the Five uses his suicide vest in an attempt to kill Adama. Only through Tigh's intervention is Adama saved.
*With Roslin's [[Litmus|subsequent announcement]] that the Cylons now appear human and the distribution of pictures of both Two and Five, Leoben hides from [[Colonial Marines]] in the ducts of the ''Gemenon Traveler''.
*Simon meets with Cavil in ''Galactica'''s chapel. While Simon proposes that he use his position as a medic to kill the humans off one by one, Cavil asks him why he won't do more.
*When Simon critiques this query by asking Cavil whether he actually has a plan, Cavil becomes frustrated by the failures of the Cylons to fully exterminate humanity. He tells Simon that they will later discuss a plan to have Simon blow up the ''Cybele''.
*Shelly Godfrey goes to Adama and accuses Baltar of collaborating in the attack on the Colonies, using a forged photo of him placing an explosive device on the Defense Mainframe.
*Leoben continues to listen to Starbuck's exploits, painting the [[mandala]] symbolizing the [[Eye of Jupiter]] on a wall as he listens to a recording of Starbuck's engagement with Cylon Raiders above the [[Red moon|red moon]].
*Valerii finds that someone has written "CYLON" on the mirror of her locker. Meeting with Cavil while out of sleeper agent mode, Valerii suspects that she wrote the message herself. Cavil comforts her and reminds her why humanity must be destroyed. The two then share a kiss.
*Baltar confronts Godfrey in the [[Galactica Crew Facilities (RDM)#Heads|head]] over her false allegations. Though she maintains her story, she seems reluctant to go through with destroying him.
*Leoben tries to convince Cavil of Starbuck's [[The Destiny|destiny]], referencing her ability to fly a downed Cylon Raider without ever having done so before, but Cavil refuses to listen. Soon after, marines capture Leoben.
*Baltar is arrested for treason but saved when [[Felix Gaeta]] proves that the incriminating photos are a fake.
*As marines follow Godfrey through the corridors of ''Galactica'', Cavil uses the other Six to make it seem as though Godfrey had suddenly disappeared.
*Cavil accuses Godfrey of failing to convincingly frame Baltar because of her love for him. She denies it, but Cavil has her kill herself by using an [[airlock]], reminding her to give the Fleet's position to the other Cylons once she resurrects.
*Twenty-five days after the attack on the Colonies, Starbuck is [[Flesh and Bone|interrogating]] the captured Leoben aboard the ''Gemenon Traveler''. He breaks free of his constraints and pins Starbuck to a wall.
*As he holds her, he sees prophetic visions of their experiences together on [[New Caprica]] and Thrace's [[Maelstrom|visions and death]]. The guards then restrain Leoben. Soon after, Leoben is airlocked on the orders of Roslin, with Starbuck showing him a moment of sympathy.
*Torn with grief and confusion over her identity, Valerii attempts suicide by shooting herself in the mouth.
*The young boy returns to Cavil's chapel. He tells Cavil that he is not a war orphan, but his parents don't want him anymore. Cavil tells once again tells him to leave.
*Giana returns to her quarters from work, where she and the rest of the deck crew had been analyzing the captured Cylon Raider. Simon becomes upset over how much she has been working, saying that since the Cylons are trying to kill them, they should be spending as much time together as possible. Giana is furious over his behavior and leaves with Jemmy.<ref>This scene comes after the scene where Adama asks Valerii to destroy the basestar. However, this creates a significant continuity error, as Adama asked Valerii to do so because Tyrol had been shot down over Kobol and Starbuck had stolen the raider, meaning Giana's statement as to her work that day is non-sensical. Hence, the scene is placed before the previous scene in this article for the sake of continuity</ref>
*Adama asks the recovering Valerii to take a Raptor armed with nukes and destroy the basestar orbiting [[Kobol]]. Valerii, along with [[Margaret Edmondson]], succeed in doing so and are greeted as heroes upon their return to ''Galactica''. As Adama thanks them for their actions, Valerii pulls a gun and shoots Adama twice in the chest.
*Simon informs Cavil that Adama is dying, and that he will blow up the ''Cybele'' on the condition that his family is kept safe. However, Cavil tells him that shouldn't happen, since they will never know his true nature if they die now.
*As Adama lays in sickbay, Cavil chastises Valerii in the brig for not killing Adama. She claims that she is not fully in control of herself, but later admits her reluctance towards continuing the genocide of humanity and her attraction to her human life. Wishing her well, Cavil reactivates her sleeper agent programming and leaves. Valerii is later assassinated by [[Cally Henderson]].
*Simon makes love to Giana and apologizes for his actions. Later, he is able to rig open an airlock on the ''Cybele'', crying and declaring his love for his family as he is launched into space and dies permanently, outside the range of any [[Resurrection Ship]].
*Drunk and lamenting the failures of the Cylons to destroy the Fleet, Cavil ponders the source of his bad fortunes. The remaining Six tells him the flaw in his plan: "You can't declare war on love."
*Giana is questioned by Tigh. Giana believes that Tigh thinks Simon was a Cylon, which Cavil denies. Giana shows Tigh the suicide note left by Simon, which reads, "Love outlasts death."
*Cavil finds the young boy and invites him inside, giving him food and shelter.
*Tyrol finds Giana in the corner of the hanger bay. Kara Thrace's return from her experiences with a Four copy on Caprica, along with a newspaper clipping of the Four acting as the team doctor for the Buccaneers, has proven to Giana that Simon was a Cylon. Both of them suspect that Valerii and Simon were being ordered to carry out their missions by someone else and deliberately failed.
*Giana says that were she to believe that she was a Cylon, she would climb to the top of the hangar deck and jump. Tyrol kisses her, but immediately says he didn't mean anything by it.
*After having assaulted Cally, Tyrol is being [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I|counseled]] by Cavil. Tyrol admits that he is afraid to place his trust in others, to which Cavil tells him he should be given his experiences.
*While reading in his quarters, Cavil is again approached by the young boy, who offers Cavil an apple. Cavil takes out a knife and cuts the apple, giving it the boy. When Cavil asks what the boy's name is, he tells him it is [[Number One#"John" and the Final Five|John]].
*Cavil asks if they have become friends, and John responds that they have. Cavil tells him that "friends are dangerous things" and stabs John with the knife. He dies, and Cavil apathetically pushes his body off the bed.

=== On Caprica ===
*The Buccaneers panic as they listen to wireless broadcasts on the attack. Anders quickly takes charge, telling them that they have to stick together and learn more about what has happened.
*[[Centurion (RDM)|Centurions]] are placing their damaged and destroyed comrades in a large container. The Buccaneers sneak across a large bridge, hiding behind the railing and observing the centurions. After a Raider takes off and nearly spots them, they retreat.
*The newly-founded [[Caprica Resistance|Resistance]], made up of the Buccaneers and various hikers and survivalists, use [[Delphi Union High School]] as their headquarters.
*For their first mission, Anders uses inspiration from an old war movie, ''[[Arts and Literature of the Twelve Colonies#Visual Arts|The Tauron Line]].'' The Resistance will plant explosives on a severed Centurion thigh, wait for the Centurions to place the thigh in a recovery container and then detonate the charges.
*The Resistance quietly approaches their target and places the thigh near the container, watching from the tree line as Centurion picks up the piece. Before it goes into the container, one of the fighters slips on gravel, and the Centurion kills him immediately. Sam detonates the charge, crippling the Centurion and partially opening the container.
*Despite Anders' insistence to retreat, Kai and the coach charge towards the door with an explosives-packed pyramid ball. The damaged Centurion aims at them, and Kai passes the ball to the coach before jumping on the Centurion, which shoots and kills Kai. The coach throws the ball into the container, and the explosion knocks him off his feet, presumably wounding or killing him. As one of the teammates runs to get the coach, a Raider appears and kills him; the rest of the group retreats.
*Anders walks away from the group, arguing that he has no idea what he is doing. Barolay begs him to stay.
*Some time later, Barolay and Anders view a group of Dorals burning human bodies in a mass grave. Barolay breaks down when she notices that all of the Dorals look alike, realizing that the Cylons now look like humans.
*Anders and Barolay return with armed reinforcements as a Cavil inspects the grave. The resistance fighters kill the Dorals, and as they approach the bodies they find Cavil, pretending to be a human, calling out for help on the ground. The fighters fall for the trick, and Cavil is stunned when he sees that Anders is the leader of the Resistance.
*As they arrive back at camp, Anders asks if Cavil hears confessions. Cavil says he does, and Anders tell him they will speak later. They exit the truck, and Cavil is "introduced" to Simon, who feigns ignorance.
*One week later, Simon and Cavil speak privately. Simon asks why Cavil has yet to follow through on his plan to inform the Cylon forces of their location. Cavil sarcastically responds that Anders had asked him to hear his confession and that, as a man of the Gods, he must keep his promise to do so.
*Several weeks later, Cavil is on patrol with Anders and the Resistance when he sees Starbuck and [[Karl Agathon]]. He tells Anders that he believes he has seen them before and, thus, they must be Cylons. As the two sides engage each other, Simon calls out Cavil on his lack of effort in bringing down the Resistance.
*The next morning, Anders and Starbuck awaken together. Starbuck promises to send a rescue party for the Resistance once she returns to ''Galactica''.
*Cavil and Simon are in the next room, where they can hear Starbuck and Anders speaking and having sex. Cavil asks why they are doing so, to which Simon responds that Anders loves her. Cavil considers Thrace to be beneath Anders and conspires with Simon to send her to the Fours' "[[farm]]" for experimentation.
*During a recon patrol, Starbuck is shot and taken to the farm. Anders returns to base with his wounded and tells Cavil the situation. Though Cavil attempts to convince Anders that Starbuck is likely dead, Anders insists on trying to find her, obviously irritating Cavil.
*The next day, Cavil joins Anders outside. Anders finally gives his confession to Cavil, where he admits his cowardice and vanity following the failed raid on the Cylon container. Cavil absolves him, then asks if Anders could forgive the Cylons considering the strength Anders have gained following the attack. Anders angrily rejects Cavil's argument and walks off.
*Simon approaches Cavil, who is upset over the fact that Anders continues to love humanity.
*At the Farm, Starbuck stabs a Four copy in the neck and escapes outside. The Resistance rescues her, and Anders orders Barolay to return to camp and kill Simon.
*Several months later, the Resistance has been heavily reduced by Cylon attacks. Anders, Cavil and the remaining survivors walk through the woods. Anders tells Cavil of his love for the people who have died under his command. Cavil angrily asks Anders why he continues to love the dead, to which Anders replies that death doesn't change love.
*Barolay tells Anders that a group of unknowns is moving towards them, and the survivors take cover. It is quickly determined that the unknowns are Starbuck, Helo and the marines ''Galactica'' has sent to rescue the Resistance.
*As Starbuck and Anders embrace, Cavil takes aim with a rifle from the distance. His gaze lingers over the backs of both their heads, but he remembers Anders' insistence that death doesn't change love and puts down the rifle.
*The Cylons begin to mortar their position, and the humans take cover. The Cylons stop firing, and both Cavil and the humans wonder why. As the humans sleep later that night, Cavil ventures out into the woods, where he finds a Six. The Six tells Cavil that the Cylons have voted for a cease-fire with the humans, and Cavil elects to deliver the message to the humans himself.

===Epilogue===
*The Resistance survivors and Thrace's team return to ''Galactica'', where Caprica-Cavil reveals himself. The Chief identifies him as a Cylon, and Caprica-Cavil is taken into custody.
*In the [[brig]], Galactica-Cavil enters while denying that he is a Cylon. However, his protests cease when he sees Caprica-Cavil in the cell. Caprica-Cavil delivers the cease-fire to Adama and Tigh, who decide to airlock both of them.
*As they are escorted to the airlock, the Cavils see all of the Final Five Cylons watching them. They admit that this wasn't the reunion they had expected.
*Entering the airlock, and returning to where the story began, Caprica-Cavil asks if there is a resurrection ship in range. Galactica-Cavil says that there is one but adds that he is not looking forward to dying in a vacuum first.
*Galactica-Cavil asks Caprica-Cavil whether he truly thinks that attacking the humans was a mistake. Caprica-Cavil tells him he does. Their error was that they wanted to be loved by the Final Five more than the humans, but the destruction of humanity would only strengthen the love of the Five for humanity.
*Galactica-Cavil assures Caprica-Cavil that he will have him [[boxed]] upon downloading, then resume the task of destroying the Fleet.
*As they wait in silence, Caprica-Cavil offers his hand, which Galactica-Cavil takes. They are launched into space, and as they float towards a nebula, Cavil's speech to Ellen from "[[No Exit]]" about his potential as a machine is heard.

== Notes ==
[[Image:Universal_intro.jpg|thumb|The Universal Studios Intro for 'The Plan']]
*The planet behind the Universal Studios logo at the beginning of the movie is [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] instead of [[Earth]].
*The Caprican landmasses shown in an orbital shot during the attack are clearly identifiable as those of Earth, specifically an inverted and stretched image of [[w:Europe|Europe]], as well as [[w:Iran|Iran]], the [[w:Arabian Peninsula|Arabian Peninsula]] and [[w:Turkey|Turkey]]. This most likely represents an instance of CGI corner-cutting rather than any deeper meaning.
*In what is either an Easter egg (given the large amount of ''Battlestar Galactica'' filming which took place in and around Vancouver) or another CGI cost-cutting move, the MIRV is seen detonating over a large city [http://www.niciasus.com/wp-content/gallery/bsg-the-plan/bsgplan_059.JPG] which is a Google Maps satellite image of downtown Vancouver, rotated approximately 180 degrees counterclockwise. [http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&q=vancouver+bc&fb=1&gl=us&ei=jfueS-vzCqG2zASz77TPBg&ved=0CBgQpQY&hl=en&view=map&geocode=FeSz7wId-w2p-A&split=0&iwloc=A&sa=X] The domed sports arenas [[w:General Motors Place|General Motors Place]] and [[w:BC Place|BC Place Stadium]] are clearly visible when the nuclear missiles are falling.
*The CGI landscape which appears during the Hybrid's statement that the "courthouses of [[Libran]] are burning" is the same landscape which is shown on screen as [[Tauron City]] in the ''[[Caprica (series)|Caprica]]'' episode "[[Know Thy Enemy]]". The ''Caprica'' version is widened and more buildings added. It is unclear whether the landscape in "The Plan" was intended to represent Tauron, or if this is simply another example of CGI corner-cutting by incorporating footage created for "The Plan" into ''Caprica''.
*Unknown to the Colonials there apparently ''was'' a second Resurrection Ship nearby by the time the Cavils were executed, allowing them to download into new bodies when killed, although the Caprica copy was presumably boxed.
* ''Galactica'' Cavil was Ellen's mysterious hero that saved her from the attack on Picon. It was known to be a Number One, but it wasn't clear before this exactly ''which'' One it was.
*Whereas [[Scorpion Fleet Shipyards]] was designated as such in "Razor", the setting is identified in "The Plan" simply as ''Scorpia'' because it is meant to denote the planet as well.
* During the attack on the Colonies, after the Raiders scan the Vipers and Battestars, one of the pilots can be heard saying "I have no RADIO contact". This should be "WIRELESS" as there are no "radios" in the ''BSG'' universe.
* An outfit is listed on Propworx<ref>http://archive.battlestarprops.com/1003/192 Gina's Outfit in Scene with Boomer</ref> as being worn in the extended version of "Daybreak" by Gina Inviere, in a scene where she speaks to Sharon Valerii on a plane just before the latter becomes a sleeper agent. This is a flashback to before Valerii entered the Colonial fleet academy. This scene does not appear in the extended "Daybreak", but, as stated in Ronald Moore's commentary on that episode, it was moved to "The Plan". Thus, the Six seen speaking to Boomer in this flashback is Gina Inviere.
*The named locations on Leonis, Scorpia, Tauron, Picon, Aquaria and Libran evoke the zodiac symbols each is named for. Aerilon's association with agriculture and Caprica's association with sophisticated, urban life were established in "[[Dirty Hands]]" and "[[The Woman King]]".
*The jungles of Scorpia were also mentioned in the fourth issue of ''[[Battlestar Galactica: The Final Five 4|Battlestar Galactica: The Final Five]].
*Reveal: When Sam and his teammates are trying to listen to a radio broadcast after the attack, and before they decide what to do, the device they are listening to is marked 'Centrios' which is an electronics brand carried by the Canadian 'Source' electronics chain before it was bought out after its parent company 'Circuit City' went bankrupt.
*Cavil puts Shelly Godfrey through an airlock weeks before Roslin "invents" airlocking as the preferred method of disposing of Cylons.
**Cavil also seems to be able to activate the airlock very quickly and without anyone noticing, whereas later in the film it took Simon a long time to rewire the airlock in order to activate it.
***Simon may have been wiring the airlock to be able to operate it from the inside, rather than requiring an external operator.
*Several scenes from the first two seasons of the series are shown again in this movie, but in most cases are conveniently edited to fit the story.
**Baltar's role in Boomer's suicide attempt is omitted.
**When Tyrol visits Cavil in "The Plan," Cavil asks "What's on your mind chief?" which was never asked in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I", and Tyrol's response in "The Plan" about how to know he is human comes much later in the actual conversation.
**Scenes on Caprica create extra moments for new dialogue to be inserted where it wasn't before. In "The Plan", a voiceover during Starbuck's rescue from the [[Farm]] has Anders ordering a resistance fighter to return to their basecamp and kill their doctor, whom they learn is a Cylon upon seeing the Simons at the farm.
**When Starbuck/Helo re-encounter the resistance on Caprica, the scene from "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I" has the question "Is Kara Thrace there?" with Anders shouting "If she is she took her sweet time." In "The Plan", the dialogue is interrupted by Helo asking "Who wants to know?" after the question about Thrace. This scene also contains a continuity error during the switch from new footage to archive footage. As Anders and the resistance fighters are crouched behind a log, there is no one behind them in the new footage, but when it cuts to the old footage there is suddenly a soldier behind them.
**When the Cylon attack on Caprica stops, Anders asks why. In "The Plan", he is answered by Cavil with "That's a good question," a line that obviously is not in the original sequence.
**The scene of the two Cavils in the brig from "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II" cuts most of the dialogue and rearranges it, leaving out most of Galactica Cavil's supportive statements of the new peace, and the implication he knew about the truce. Also, in the original episode, Roslin suggested throwing the pair out the airlock. Roslin does not appear at all in "The Plan" (other than a few strands of hair in archive footage of the Cavil interrogation scene), and re-dubbed dialogue has Tigh suggesting the airlock solution, with Adama agreeing.
* "The Plan" shows the end of the Cavil/Tyrol conversation from "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I". Picking up after Cavil tells Tyrol that his deck hands are his family and taps his hands on the table, "The Plan" shows Cavil asking Tyrol if he finds it difficult to trust others. Tyrol says yes, and Cavil sympathizes with him, saying that he trusted people and they all let him down (referring to his Cylon cohorts). Cavil says it will be tough, wishes the Chief luck, and leaves.
* The iconic Cylon catchphrase "[[By your command]]" is never used in this film.
* Despite still being members of the fleet, [[battlestar (RDM)|battlestar]] ''Pegasus'' and ''Cloud Nine'' were not seen in any fleet shots at all, ''Pegasus'' makes an appearance briefly during the attack on Scorpia but not in the end where logically it should appear.
* The Plan also identified ''[[Rising Star (RDM)|Rising Star]]'' as being based off the original series counterpart, confirmed Shelly Godfrey was not onboard ''[[Olympic Carrier]]'' despite claims in "[[Six Degrees of Separation]]" and saw the reappearance of ''Gemenon Traveller'', which had only been seen in "[[Flesh and Bone]]" and on the tally boards aboard ''Galactica'' and ''Colonial One'' in "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]".
*''Cybele'' is first shown since making brief mentions in "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]" and "[[The Passage]]". While the ship does bare some similarity to ''[[Scylla]]'', seen in "[[Razor]]", it is actually a new design.

== Analysis ==
*Given the ''Galactica'' copy of Cavil's comments in the airlock, his resurrected self is the copy that led the anti-human Cylon faction during the [[Cylon Civil War]] and later killed himself permanently in CIC during the [[Battle of The Colony]] (unless he is the One that [[D'Anna Biers]] strangles in "[[The Hub]]", which may very well be the case).

*It is likely that the device Leoben constructs to intercept Colonial military transmissions is a forerunner of the device he gave [[Laura Roslin]] to overcome the [[Gaeta's Mutiny|mutineers']] communications jamming in "[[Blood on the Scales]]".

*Number One's plan to make his creators repentant is inherently flawed due to basic differences in his thinking as compared to theirs. He believes that human life is terrible and just living among humans will make them see that - a belief they simply do not share - and he does not realize the fact that inflicting suffering on the humans will make the sympathy of the five original Cylons towards humanity grow, not diminish. This holocaust mirrors that which occurred on their own homeworld and is exactly what they were trying to prevent when they made a deal with the Colonial Centurions. Number One is therefore just as naive in his expectations at the outset of the movie as are his sibling models. At the end of the movie, the One that was on Caprica with Anders has realized these errors, and the One that was on ''Galactica'' has not.

*The main focus of this movie, which is the triumph of love, shows perhaps why the Cylons eventually split into two factions. Being that it is far easier to kill people you don't know, once they start getting to know humans they are obviously having a harder time killing them. This is evident in the split during the Cylon Civil War, the three models that take the most interest in, and have the most interaction with humans are the ones advocating peace and from their interaction with humans become curious about discovering their own natures while the three models that have the least to do with humans are far more machine like and less interested in self-discovery as a result.

*The movie makes a visual point of the different evolutions of the two Cavils in one of the last scenes through intercutting, showing the murder of John by ''Galactica''-Cavil while Caprica-Cavil considers shooting first Starbuck - which would result in her death - and then Anders - which would result in him downloading and regaining his memories but then being held prisoner while his compatriots believed him dead - before deciding to spare them.

*The characteristics of several of the Cylon models are further fleshed out.
**Number One/Cavil is clearly the leader as shown by his taking charge of the Cylons within the fleet and just like in the series this is often shown to be because his superior knowledge
**The Number Two/Leoben model is shown (as he is later in Blood on the Scales) as being very good at signal/communications cracking, this fits in well with his own obsession, and skills, with information and revelations. Two also seems to be fairly knowledgeable and Cavil seems to be slightly less derogatory towards this model, possibly because as the second model created he has known Leoben the longest.
**All the Number Four/Simon models seem to have very detailed medical expertise (enough to successfully be hired as doctors for both a pro-sports team and the military)
**Number Five/Doral is portrayed as being, as they are in other instances, very bureaucratic and obsessed with minute and unimportant details (like most bureaucrats) as well as being extremely zealous, although not particularly bright, and they seemed to be looked down upon by the other models.
**Number Six is once more portrayed as being the most varied, adaptable, and strong willed (regardless of which personality) of the Cylon models.
**Number Eight is shown being very skilled in military thinking and engineering as shown by her plan to blow the water tank but at the same time she is the most susceptible to emotions and outside influence.

*The Plan shows how Leoben knew Starbuck's name and that his belief that she had a destiny was based solely on his discovering that she learned how to fly a raider without being taught how, showing to him that she had some kind of special connection to the universe. The flashes he sees the first time he touches her, of their history together, also shows why he is so sure she will tell him she loves him and kiss him (although the flashes don't show him getting stabbed by her, hence his surprise) which also show her meeting her destiny(falling into the Maelstrom and encountering a version of him (possibly an angel) but it doesn't show anything after that, hence his surprise on seeing her dead body.

*A major plot point of "Six Degrees of Separation" was the baffling disappearance of Shelly Godfrey, seemingly into thin air. It is unclear whether or not the Colonials eventually deduced that she airlocked herself (the scene in which she is airlocked comes after the scene in which Adama is questioning her evasion of the guards).

* Tyrol's intense dreams of suicide by diving off the deck as related in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I," are inspired by his conversation with Giana, as depicted in "The Plan." She said that's what she would do if she suspected she were a Cylon. The chief clearly had such suspicions, and his subconscious must have latched onto her suggestion.

*The Plan does not show whether or not Boomer left the hatch combing open for Doral as Tyrol suspected in "[[Litmus]]".

*The movie exposes Ellen Tigh's explanation in "Tigh Me Up Tigh Me Down" for what she was doing during the attack on Picon as a lie. In the episode, she says she was at an airport buying a ticket to return home, presumably to be with Tigh. The Plan shows she was at a strip club getting drunk and hitting on men. It is entirely possible, however, that she was awaiting her flight.

== Questions ==
* Did Giana take her husband's surname? In other words, is the full alias of Number Four actually "Simon O'Neill"?
* Is ''Galactica'' Cavil really the same Cavil that leads one side of the Cylon Civil War?
* Is the Club Pink Moon on Picon a Hat Tip to the late [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Drake Nick Drake]?
* Why isn't the arrival of the ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' mentioned? Surely that would have an effect on Cavil's plans.
* Did Galactica Cavil have anything to do with the ''[[Olympic Carrier]]''?
* What happened to the rest of the Cylon fleet, there look to be at least two dozen Basestars attacking Caprica alone, possibly more, but that many are never seen in the series and it looks like there are no more than 5 chasing the fleet after they flee from New Caprica? Are most of them still occupying the colonies? If so, then why? Are they spread out and searching other places? Where they abandoned due to lack of resources? Was the Cylon Civil war more widespread than believed?
* Did Shelly Godfrey give ''Galactica'''s coordinates to the Cylon fleet?
* Was Cavil ever linked to the murder of young John?
**Was young John a physical being or another one of the [[virtual beings|"angels"]] like Six, Baltar, and Leoben? Could this younger John be, for lack of a better word, the ghost of the original John, for whom Cavil was named?
* If figuring out how to fly a Raider is sufficient to think a human can tap into the Cylon stream, is [[Daniel Novacek]] as similarly gifted as Starbuck?
** Doubtful, the Cylons let him escape in an attempt to assinate Admiral Adama so the Raider was most likely "hollowed out" before hand, which also explains why nothing is said about the Raider ever again
* Was Cavil aware Gina Inviere had joined the fleet and formed a resistance group? If so, did he order the destruction of ''Cloud Nine''?
* Is Cavil responsible for Ellen's memory loss during her recovery on the ''Rising Star''?
* Why does Giana not realize that Cavil must be a Cylon because a person who has never had a childhood (Simon) cannot have had a childhood priest? Did Cavil simply slip her mind?
* Why didn't the Cylons shoot down the search and rescue Raptors?

== Official Statements ==
Speaking at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con, director and star of ''The Plan'', [[Edward James Olmos]] stated that he believes there will be several more ''Battlestar Galactica'' movies in the future and is confident that the DVD release of ''The Plan'' will sell well enough to facilitate these films:
:"As a matter of fact, I've got to tell you right now. Because of you all, what you're doing, because of the love for that world...I can guarantee that this will not be the last movie." <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://io9.com/5322385/olmos-the-plan-wont-be-the-last-bsg-movie|title=Olmos: The Plan Won't Be the Last BSG Movie|date=Fri Jul 24 2009|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>
This statement, however, is by no means official, as both [[Ronald D. Moore|Ron Moore]], [[David Eick]], and [[Syfy]] have made no mention of any additional ''Battlestar'' films.

Olmos later went on to clarify that if ''The Plan'' sold ¾ of a million copies (750,000) then Universal Studios would assuredly be willing to produce future ''Battlestar''-related productions. <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://galacticasitrep.blogspot.com/2009/08/edward-james-olmos-holds-court.html|title=Edward James Olmos holds court|date=Sat 08 Aug 2009|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref> As of November 15, 2009, ''The Plan'' had sold roughly 300,000 copies. <ref>http://www.the-numbers.com/dvd/charts/weekly/2009/20091115.php</ref>

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==
*Said by both [[Samuel Anders]] and [[Ellen Tigh]] during the attack on the Colonies:
:''This has happened before.''

*Various utterances by the [[Hybrid]]:
:*''Seized by God they cry for succor in the dark of the light. Mists of dreams drip along the nascent echo and love no more. Jump.''
:*''Counting down. All functions nominal. All functions optimal. Counting down. The center holds. The falcon hears the falconer. Infrastructure, check. Wetware, check. Everyone hang on to the lap bar, please.''
:*''Apotheosis was the beginning before the beginning. Devices on alert. Observe the procedures of a general alert. The base and the pinnacle. The flower inside the fruit that is both its parent and its child. Decadent as ancestors. The portal in that which passes.''
:*''Nuclear devices activated, and the machine keeps pushing time through the cogs, like paste into strings into paste again, and only the machine keeps using time to make time to make time. And when the machine stops, time is an illusion we created. Free will, twelve battles, three stars, and yet we are countless as the bodies in which we dwell, are both parent and infinite children in perfect copies. No degradation.''
:*''The makers of the makers fall before the child. Accessing defense system: Handshake, handshake. Second level clear.''
:*''Accepting scan. Love outlasts death.''
:*''Their ships fail, skittering like skipped stones, and movement is meaningless in the absence of time. What never was is never again.''

*The battlestar ''[[Yashuman]]'' and Caprica Control panicking as the Cylons appear over [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]]:
:'''Yashuman:''' ''Caprica Control, ''Yashuman''. Heavy bogeys, six plus, lower orbit, over grid 15-2. ''
:'''Caprica Control:''' ''No joy, ''Yashuman''.''
:'''Yashuman:''' ''Then go to your window and look up. They’re big as frakking asteroids! ''
:'''Caprica Control:''' ''Copy, ''Yashuman''. Still blind. Got some kind of system-wide crash in the defense grid. ''
:'''Yashuman:''' ''Try to unfrak yourself right godsdamned now, ‘cause we got multiple inbound, and they’re not carrying flowers!''
:'''Caprica Control:''' ''Wait one, ''Yashuman''!''
:'''Yashuman:''' ''We don’t have one left!''

*{{audio|Colonies of man.mp3|A Hybrid summarizes the Fall of the Twelve Colonies and notes all but the colonies of Gemenon and Sagittaron):}}
:''Progress reports arriving. The farms of [[Aerilon]] are burning. The beaches of [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Canceron|Canceron]] are burning. The plains of [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Leonis|Leonis]] are burning. The jungles of [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Scorpia|Scorpia]] are burning. The pastures of [[Tauron (RDM)|Tauron]] are burning. The harbours of [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Picon|Picon]] are burning. The cities of [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] are burning. The oceans of [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Aquaria|Aquaria]] are burning. The courthouses of [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Libran|Libran]] are burning. The forests of [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Virgon|Virgon]] are burning. The [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Colonies]] of Man lie trampled at our feet.''

*Galactica-[[Cavil]] and [[Doral]] discussing the latter being recognizable:
:'''Cavil:''' ''One of your counterparts managed to get himself outed back on [[Ragnar Anchorage|Ragnar Station]].''
:'''Doral:''' ''I can't understand how he was discovered. I heard it was [[Gaius Baltar|Dr. Baltar]].''
:'''Cavil:''' ''Well, no. I'm not talking about that, exactly. I'm talking about the fact that you're walking around this fleet wearing that jacket and, more importantly, that face. You're recognizable.''
:'''Doral:''' ''His jacket was burgundy. This is teal.''

*Galactica-Cavil giving Doral a suicide vest to use on ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'':
:''They call this a 'suicide' vest, but I think that undersells all the homicide that goes along with it, don't you?''

*[[Galen Tyrol]] and [[Giana O'Neill]] discussing Raptor maintenance:
:'''Giana:''' ''I'm swapping out the oxygen cylinders on Raptor 702.''
:'''Tyrol:''' ''I checked 702 yesterday. Life support's fine.''
:'''Giana:''' ''Until two weeks ago, I used to inspect the aircraft for [[Sun Airways]]. If I found cylinders in that condition, you'd be looking at a shutdown.''
:'''Tyrol:''' ''All right. Well, grab the spares.''
:'''Giana:''' (after looking in vain for the cylinders) ''There are no spares.''
:'''Tyrol:''' ''Welcome to the ''[[Galactica]]''.''

*Galactica-Cavil and [[Leoben Conoy]] talking about [[Kara Thrace]]:
:'''Leoben''' ''I'm telling you. She flew a Raider. Learned how to control it from the inside. Nobody taught her how. Kara Thrace plucked that knowledge from the stream...''
:'''Cavil''' ''I don't care if she plucked puppies from [[God (RDM)|God]]'s ass!''

*Tough-Six and Galactica-Cavil drunkenly lament on the failure of the Cylons to destroy the Fleet:
:'''Six:''' ''You want a progress report? I'll give you a frakkin' progress report.''
:'''Cavil:''' ''Oh, no. Please don't. Please don't.''
:'''Six:''' ''Oh, come on, it is spectacular. Doral blew himself up, causing minor damage to a minor hallway. And Boomer jettisoned the water, and then, she personally found loads more water. ''(Laughing) ''And then she shot Adama, but not very accurately, since she loved him. And then, Leoben, he got obsessed with [[Kara Thrace]], and then was captured and airlocked. And my [[Shelly Godfrey|sister]] Six utterly failed to discredit Baltar and his dreamy hair and destroyed our frakkin' cover in the process. And now Simon...Simon killed himself, really killed himself, out of resurrection range, without blowing up the ship that he lived on because he couldn't imagine life without his little [[Giana O'Neill|human wife]] and his little [[Jemmy|human daughter]] because he loves them...''
:'''Cavil:''' ''Stop, stop, stop.''
:'''Six:''' ''Guess I'd better.''
:'''Cavil:''' ''Yes. They're all letting me down.''
:'''Six:''' ''Why are they letting you down, One? What's the x-factor?'' (She takes the bottle) ''You can't declare war on love.'' (She leaves)
:'''Cavil:''' ''I think I already did. Hey, where'd the bottle go?''

*Caprica-Cavil and [[Simon]] hear Starbuck and Anders having sex:
:'''Cavil:''' ''What are they doing?''
:'''Simon:''' ''You need a doctor to tell you that?''
:'''Cavil:''' ''Oh, for God's sake, why?''
:'''Simon:''' ''Why? He loves her.''
:'''Cavil:''' ''He loves her?''
:'''Simon:''' ''Vigorously.''
:'''Cavil:''' ''But she's beneath him.''
:'''Simon:''' (listening to Starbuck's moans) ''Not necessarily.''

==Cast==

=== Starring ===

* [[Edward James Olmos]] as [[William Adama]]
* [[Dean Stockwell]] as [[Number One]]
* [[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel T. Anders]]
* [[Grace Park]] as [[Number Eight]]
* [[Michael Hogan]] as [[Saul Tigh]]
* [[Aaron Douglas]] as [[Galen Tyrol]]
* [[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Number Two]]
* [[Kate Vernon]] as [[Ellen Tigh]]
* [[Rick Worthy]] as [[Number Four]]
* [[Lymari Nadal]] as [[Giana O'Neill]]
* [[Matthew Bennett]] as [[Number Five]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Tricia Helfer]] as [[Number Six]]

=== Co-Starring ===

* [[Alisen Down]] as [[Jean Barolay]]
* [[Tiffany Lyndall-Knight]] as [[Hybrid]]

=== Also Starring ===

* [[Alonso Oyarzun]] as Specialist [[Socinus]]
* [[Colin Corrigan]] as Marine Alan [[Nowart]]
* [[Diego Diablo Del Mar]] as [[Hillard]]
* [[Bruce Dawson]] as [[Coach]]
* [[Lawrence Haegert]] as [[Wheeler]]
* [[Tommy Europe]] as [[Rally]]
* [[Maya Washington]] as [[Sue-Shaun]]
* [[Luvia Petersen]] as [[Kai]]
* [[Richard Yearwood]] as [[Marine]]
* [[Alex Ferris]] as [[John (RDM)|Boy]]
* [[Gina Vultaggio]] as [[Jemmy]]

=== Uncredited major cast appearing via archive footage ===

* [[Jamie Bamber]] as [[Lee Adama|Lee "Apollo" Adama]]
* [[Katee Sackhoff]] as [[Kara Thrace|Kara "Starbuck" Thrace]]
* [[James Callis]] as [[Gaius Baltar]]
* [[Tahmoh Penikett]] as [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
* [[Lucy Lawless]] as [[Number Three]]
* [[Alessandro Juliani]] as [[Felix Gaeta]]
* [[Kandyse McClure]] as [[Anastasia Dualla]]
* [[Nicki Clyne]] as [[Callandra Tyrol]]
* [[Leah Cairns]] as [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Plan, The}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Jane Espenson]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Edward James Olmos]]

[[de:The Plan]]

Daybreak, Part II/Notes

2010-01-12T05:33:42Z

TREMORSFREAK77: /* Miscellaneous */

__TOC__
{{cleanup}}
===The fate of the Colonials and Rebel Cylons===
*This episode marks the deaths of [[Sharon Valerii|Sharon "Boomer" Valerii]], [[John Cavil]], [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]], [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]], [[Tory Foster]], [[Samuel Anders]], [[Laura Roslin]], and all the Cylons at the Colony. [[Kara Thrace]], having fulfilled her purpose, vanishes without a trace and is taken to a place unknown. In detail:
**Boomer was killed by [[Athena]] in revenge for taking [[Hera]], sleeping with [[Helo]] and beating her in the lavatory. Also she was a security threat and there was no way to take her along and watch her effectively. Despite her redeeming act of giving back Hera, she couldn't be trusted.
**Cavil takes his own life in Galactica's CIC when the resurrection designs are irrevocably lost with the death of Tory Foster.
***It is unknown what happens to the other members of the Cavil/Number One line. The death of only a single Cavil is depicted, but any other Number Ones would face eventual extinction like all other humanoid Cylons.
**Racetrack and Skulls's Raptor is struck by an asteroid fragment, puncturing their canopy and killing them on impact (as well as at least three marines on board). When another asteroid hits the Raptor, Racetrack's limp hand hits the launch button that fires the nuclear missiles.
**Tory is killed by [[Galen Tyrol]] upon his learning Tory murdered his wife Cally during the [[Final Five]]'s mutual and involuntary sharing memories while downloading the Resurrection designs to the Colony.
***This is ironic considering that in their previous lives on the original Earth the pair were madly in love and planned on marriage.
**Anders pilots ''Galactica'' and guided the Fleet into the Sun.
***A possible CG error occurs here; look closely and you can see ''[[Hitei Kan]]'' flying backwards into the sun.
[[Image:Hitei_Kan_Daybreak.PNG|frame|right|139×112px|Is Hitei Kan being flown backwards?]]
**Roslin dies peacefully as Adama gives her a bird's eye view of their new home in a Raptor. She is the first Colonial human to die on Earth. During the Raptor flight she passed away exactly one minute and thirty seconds from being shown the spot Bill Adama wanted to build his-their-cabin.
**Since they have neither female Cylons nor Resurrection technology, the Cavils, Simons and Dorals on the various Cylon baseships will presumably die out. The Cylons among the Humans on Earth have already accepted that fate, and pledged to live out the remainder of their lives contributing to humanity's survival on the new Earth.
**Kara is presumably taken by the same force, stated to be God by [[Virtual Six]], that resurrected her.
*The fates of numerous supporting characters are not shown.
**[[Brendan Costanza|Hot Dog]] is last seen flying his Viper back to ''Galactica'' after the initial cease fire. He likely survives since there is no mention of him being killed, and he is alive when the truce is called and the remaining Vipers and Raptors safely land on ''Galactica''.
**Since she isn't seen volunteering in the hanger deck or depicted in the attack, it is very likely that [[Diana Seelix]] didn't volunteer.
**Ishay is not seen after Roslin leaves sickbay.
**The episode also never touches on what becomes of [[Cult of Baltar|Baltar's cult]], including [[Jeanne]], [[Paulla]] and [[Tracey Anne]]. Founding member Jeanne is absent from the finale but it is perfectly safe to assume that she and her fellow Cultists are with the people on the planet. Paulla and Tracey Anne were last seen on the last Raptor trying to get Baltar to come with them to the Baseship where many of the civilians including Baltar's flock were taken. They were unsuccessful and Paulla and Tracey Anne went to the baseship without incident. Jeanne was almost certainly there and with the settlement on Earth.
**Captain Kelly, last seen in [[Blood on the Scales]] does not appear in the finale at all.
*The recurring subplot about the [[Sons of Ares]] and its growing conflict with the [[Cult of Baltar]] is unresolved.
*The Raiders are seen using missiles for the first time since the Fall of the Twelve Colonies.
*Racetrack's Raptor, and possibly the other ones in its flight group destroyed in the assault on the Colony, was carrying the last nukes from ''Galactica'' and ''Pegasus'', marking the end of humanity's use of these weapons (which were used to destroy the Twelve Colonies at the start of the series) for another 150,000 years. Presumably the baseship's store of nukes remains intact and some weren't "borrowed" by the humans for the attack.
*It is very likely that Saul Tigh, Galen Tyrol and definitely Tory Foster never recovered their first hand memories of life before and after Old Earth and before Cavil killed them and blocked their true memories when they resurrected. Tory Foster will certainly never have that chance since she was killed by Tyrol in a fit of rage over Tory's murder of Cally.
*The tracing of the human blood line through [[wikipedia:Mitochondrial DNA|Mitochondrial DNA]] to the furthest maternal common ancestor and dubbing her [[wikipedia:Mitochondrial Eve|Mitochondrial Eve]] is a real theory. Mitochondrial Eve was the ''matrilineal most recent common ancestor'', the most recent person in the female line that '''all''' of humanity can be said to be from. In other words, Hera is everybody's mother's mother's ... mother's mother. This does NOT imply that she is the only ancestor of modern humans. In fact, it implies that each female alive at the time either has no surviving descendants, or is ALSO a common ancestor (though not a purely maternal one). This also means that we as a species are related to Athena, Hera's mother.
** In the series, Hera is Mitochondrial Eve, meaning that all of modern humanity is a combination of Colonial humanity and Cylon, although there maybe ancestors of native New Earth in the current population from the male line of descendants.
** The fossilized remains are said to be of a young woman, indicating Hera does not live to see a middle age, though she has children before she dies. Specifically, she must have had daughters to pass on her mitochondrial DNA. Note that in real life the remains of Mitochondrial Eve have not been found.
** Since mitochondrial DNA is inherited from the mother only, and Hera has a Cylon mother, her mitochondrial DNA and that of all her descendants is pure Cylon making us all direct descendants of Athena.
*Also in the podcast, RDM is happy to confirm that Tyrol did find some natives in Scotland and ended up being the 'King of the Scots', apparently since Aaron Douglas loved the idea of Scottish civilization (with its tradition of great engineers) being descended from Tyrol. This may suggest that Galen Tyrol, a male Cylon, had successfully mated and produced children with a New Earth native human female to produce at least one other hybrid.
*Gaius Baltar, with deliberate forethought, gave [[Caprica Six]] the back door to the Colonial defenses. He still did not know Caprica Six was a Cylon, but he did commit willful corporate espionage knowing he would be punished for it if caught. Previously Baltar's giving of Caprica Six the secrets was implied - or at least inferred - to be from naive vanity to impress his girlfriend Caprica Six. The Colonists still don't know this.
*The Colonials never did find out that Gaius Baltar gave [[Gina Inviere]] a nuclear device on the space liner ''[[Cloud 9]]'' destroying that liner and all on board near what would be called [[New Caprica]]. That same explosion would bring the Cylons to New Caprica a year later due to them being a light year away at the time they saw it, making him responsible for the occupation.
*Humanity, along with the Cylons, finally reaches its new homeworld, names it Earth, and the humans of today are the distant descendants of Hera.
*Before deciding that ''Galactica'' should reach Earth in prehistoric times, Moore toyed with the idea of having the Fleet arrive during the Hellenistic period and formed the basis of the ancient Greek religion and society. However, this idea was rejected as it suggested that the Colonials blessed only Western civilization with their knowledge rather than all of humanity, and it did not acknowledge Hera's importance. Moore read an article on the idea of a common human ancestor which he decided should be Hera. This also explains why the Fleet personnel landed in Africa (the network had been suggesting it should be North America, presumably to match the final shot of Season 3).
**According to the podcast for the episode, the destruction of the Fleet and the spreading out of the surviving Colonials over the planet's surface was supposed to be a sign of humanity's committal to their new world, not necessarily promoting a Luddite agenda. The comparison that is drawn is Cortes burning his ships on the shores of central America so his men would not have a way of retreating if things got difficult. However, RDM later mentions that one of the last shots was to have been of the Colonials destroying their last Raptors, which suggests that the Luddite approach was more what they were aiming for.
*There was no final population count given after the engagement with the Cavil forces. However, there were no reported deaths by accident or violence before the engagement so the population count is most likely the same as it was in "[[Daybreak, Part I]]" before the attack on the Cylon Colony, 39,516.
**A new population count post-engagement is given in the separate iTunes release of Daybreak, Part III. The count is 39,406, putting Colonial casualties from the battle at 110. Then shortly after their arrival on New Earth former President of the 12 Colonies of Kobol Laura Roslin dies, and Kara Thrace vanishes without a trace. From this we can derive that the number of people settled on New Earth is 39,404. This does not include the unknown number of humanoid Cylons from the baseship (which probably was never stated) and possibly Athena and the remaining three of the Final Five who aren't considered human survivors.
*The Centurions are granted full independence and subsequently depart in the rebel Baseship to pursue their own destiny. Their status 150,000 years later remains a mystery. The Colonials and humanoid Cylons believe it is unlikely they will be a threat, as they have no reason to bear a grudge this time around.
*When ''Galactica'' and the Fleet fly into the Sun, only 15 ships can be seen when at least 35 ships were still in the Fleet during the Mutiny, and upwards of 90 after the events of the mini-series. However, establishing shots of the Fleet rarely show more than a dozen ships in one shot regardless, and the implication is that the entire Fleet was destroyed.

===Aftermath of the War===
*There is a poetic ring to the nature of the conflict of the Second Cylon War:
** It began with the Cylon attack on Colonies nearly wiping out humankind. It ended with the Colonial attack on the Cylon Colony very likely wiping out the Cylons who didn't join with the humans.
**Shortly after the Cylon attack on Caprica, Baltar - having unintentionally brought about the near-annihilation of the human species - flees Caprica when Karl Agathon gives him his place on a Raptor, feeling that his own life is less important to save than a famed scientist's. But at the end of the series, it is Baltar who puts his own life at risk for the sake of saving Agathon's daughter Hera and expresses concern for her future well being to the very end of the series (both ends of this parallel occur in wide open fields).
**Agathon and Cylon Sharon Valerii are seen together near the very beginning of the series and near the very end.
**The earliest known detail we see of Gaius Baltar's life is his effort to break away from his family history as farmers, and his shame over his heritage. The last event we see in his embrace of a new beginning as a farmer.
**Baltar and Number Six are seen together near the very beginning of the series and near the very end.
**The earliest event we see from Laura Roslin's life (retroactively) is the death of her sisters, killed during transit. The last event of her life that we see is her own death, which occurs during transport.
**The series starts and finishes with two "endings" for ''Galactica'': its scheduled decommissioning in the mini-series, and its destruction by setting course into the sun in the finale.
**The series begins with a selfish decision Baltar makes (to give Caprica Six access to military mainframes) that nearly destroys Colonial humanity. It ends with a selfless decision Baltar makes (to fulfill his destiny in saving Hera, along with Caprica-Six) that gives Colonial humanity a new start in the form of Hera.
** At the beginning of the series, William Adama divorces his wife soon after returning to Colonial military service. At the end of the series, Adama abandons all trappings of the military to be with his unofficial wife Laura Roslin, upon whose finger he puts his wedding ring just after she dies.
**This poetic ring is also in line with [[Romo Lampkin]]'s observation of him being President of it being "Poetic justice" and Lee Adama's "What goes around, comes around" since Lampkin originally pushed him to be a politician.
**The Cylons started the war with the attack on the 12 Colonies by being able to use a backdoor program to shutdown the Colonial defenses including those of the more advanced Vipers and Battlestars. They were able to only use the less advance Mark IV Vipers and Battlestar Galactica. At the end of the war the Colonials at the Battle of the Colony was able to shutdown the Colony's defenses by using Sam Anders as a Hybrid to talk remotely to the Colony's Hybrids who recognized him and stop firing. The Cavil Faction Cylons could only use lobotomized Raiders to attack the Galactica. Indeed, the Cylons were revisited by the destruction they wrought on the human Colonies using nuclear weapons by the Colonials using nuclear weapons to send the Colony into the singularity.

===Miscellaneous===
*[[Ronald D. Moore]] has a walk-on appearance as the browser of the ''National Geographic'' magazine in New York City.
*The shelters erected by the Colonials on Earth resemble [[Wikipedia:Quonset hut|Quonset huts]], World War II-era temporary structures.
*The title of the episode coincides with German philosopher [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nietzsche Friedrich Nietzsche's] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dawn_(book) book] of the same title, and fits with numerous references to Nietzsche's philosophy throughout the episode. Most obviously, Baltar, in his speech to Cavil in the CIC, states that "God is a force of nature … [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_Good_and_Evil_(book) beyond good and evil]." ''Beyond Good and Evil'' is another of Nietzsche's works. Baltar goes on to say "Good and evil—we created those," echoing Nietzsche's claim in the First Treatise of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Genealogy_of_Morality ''On the Genealogy of Morality''] that morality, including the concepts of "good" and "evil," are human constructs whose utility must be examined. Baltar also asks Cavil if he wants to "break the cycle of birth, death, rebirth…" which recalls the [[Pythia|Pythian prophecy]] that "All this has happened before. All this will happen again." This is also a reference to Nietzsche's concept of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_return#Friedrich_Nietzsche ''eternal recurrence''], that living one's life exactly the same, over and over for eternity, can be the worst of punishments (for those who live trivial lives) but also the greatest of gifts (for those who live great lives).
*''Galactica'' ramming the [[The Colony|Colony]] is foretold in the imagery of Hera's play with tactical models at the beginning of "[[Islanded in a Stream of Stars]]". She is shown on top of ''Galactica'''s tactical light table with models of ''Galactica'', three Baseships and three Cylon Raiders, sliding ''Galactica'' against the side of a baseship.
*Shortly after recovering from being shot by Boomer, Admiral Adama visits her corpse in ''Galactica's'' morgue in "[[The Farm]]" and asks, "Why?" There is no indication that in the weeks Boomer was held on ''Galactica'' during the events between "[[Deadlock]]" and "[[Someone to Watch Over Me]]" that he ever visited her to find out why she shot him, but he was clearly still bitter about it in "Someone to Watch Over Me". He knows she was programmed to do it, but he never resolves the emotional aspect of it, and with her death Adama never learns the answer to that question. His not visiting her might indicate he didn't care anymore.
*Saul Tigh offers a similar deal to the one the Final Five offered to the Centurions during the [[First Cylon War]]: An end to the attacks on humanity in exchange for resurrection. During the first war, it was in exchange for resurrection '''and''' the creation of humanoid Cylons.
*According to the podcast, the ''Galactica'' was originally going to jump right inside the Colony for the attack, but RDM changed it because he wanted the ship to have open space around it for the final Viper/Raider dogfight.
*''Galactica'' is shown executing a jump without retracting her flight pods, which was earlier said to be required<ref>Special effects continuity errors have sometimes shown ''Galactica'' jumping with pods extended and emerging with them retracted.</ref> ([[Miniseries, Night 2]]). However, it is possible that the resulting stresses from jumping with the pods extended contribute to ''Galactica'''s structural failure.
**There may be a clue in the nature of the damage incurred following the jump. A wave-like motion appears to run the length of the ship; perhaps FTL jumps always inflict similar stresses, but under normal conditions the nesting of the flight pods into their recessed 'valleys' (and their support arms into the presumably void spaces between them) lends structural reinforcement to counter said forces.
**Galactica has also been upgraded with Cylon jump technology, so it's possible that it no longer needs to retract the pods, like [[Pegasus]].
** If you take a close look at the flight pods right after the FTL jump, you will see vipers being thrown forward, almost out of the pod.
*According to the podcast, when Laura asks "Where have you taken us, Kara?" Starbuck was supposed to reply, "Somewhere along the watchtower." Director Michael Rymer did not like this idea and simply didn't shoot the line. Moore later agreed that it was better not to have Kara speak.
*The shot of ''Galactica'' flying over the Moon and reaching Earth was inspired by real-life shots from the Apollo space program, specifically Apollo 8's shot of coming around the dark side of the Moon and the Apollo 17 shot of the Earth itself.
*A portion of this episode was being filmed in [[w:Kamloops| Kamloops, BC]] during the week of June 16, 2008. Local extras of all ages were utilized for this scene (or scenes) and were required to have an athletic build and a clean-cut look, or to be slim with long hair or dreadlocks. Extras were auditioned at Best Western room 137 (in Kamloops) on June 12th <ref>http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_thompson_nicola/kamloopsthisweek/entertainment/19788509.html</ref>. The rural area surrounding Kamloops was previously utilized to depict the [[algae planet]] in "[[The Eye of Jupiter]]" and "[[Rapture]]".
**According to the episode podcast, the sequences on Earth at the end were the ones filmed at Kamloops. Some CGI was used to remove distinctive Canadian evergreen trees from the background and replace them with more African-looking foilage, but otherwise the landscape was actually a decent match for Africa.
*The ''[http://cnc.wikia.com/wiki/Kodiak Kodiak]'', the command ship of the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) faction from the computer game ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command_%26_Conquer:_Tiberian_Sun Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun]'' is seen among the fleet in one establishing shot.
**[[Tricia Helfer]] and [[Grace Park]] both appear in ''Tiberian Sun''’s sequel, ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command_and_Conquer_3 Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars].
*The final scene, like most of the rest of the series, was filmed in Vancouver, BC, and not in New York City at all. In the final scene with Angel Baltar and Six, "Bread Garden Bakery and Cafe", W Pender St, and Dunsmuir St are visible, all of which are within a couple blocks of each other along Granville St in downtown Vancouver. [http://tinyurl.com/crgd2x] Furthermore, a bus passes by just before the credit, sporting the colors of the Coast Mountain Bus Company.
**According to the podcast, Ronald D. Moore was wearing a Jimi Hendrix T-shirt in the final shot, but they chose not to show this. The shot of the realistic Japanese female robot was found by Terry Moore online and was referred to as the 'next' Number Six by RDM.
**Also according to the podcast, Baltar saying "It doesn't like that name," is significant, and is indeed meant to confirm that whatever 'God' is in the series, it isn't necessarily what the name implies.
*The Centurion Model 0005 in the museum case is a retcon. In the [[Miniseries]], it was an Original Series costume, with the black skirt and non-exposed joints. In this episode, it is a CGI First War Centurion 0005 with exposed joints and no black skirt.
**It is not explained why the museum flight pod is shown to be in nearly pristine condition when, in addition to four years of battles and the atmosphere-drop over New Caprica, a Cylon Heavy Raider crashed through the overhead window and crushed several of the exhibits in ''[[Scattered]]''. Repairing the museum and exhibits would have seemed to be a low priority during subsequent events.
*Reference (possibly intentional) is made to Olmos' earlier work: Adama's flushing of flamingos while flying a Raptor is reminiscent of the flamingos flushing during the opening credits of Miami Vice, the TV series in which Edward James Olmos co-starred.
*The news network covering the story "Advances in Robotics" as Angel Baltar and Six pass by is [http://www.msnbc.com MSNBC], the 24 hour news network arm of the NBC Universal media conglomerate which also owns the SyFy Channel (at the time the SciFi Channel), which produces ''Battlestar Galactica'' and airs the series in the United States.
**The last advance in robotics shown was a humanoid "cybernetic robot" named "ACTROID", a Japanese design that was unveiled in 2005.[http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news-10744-Robot+or+Human%3F+Here%27s+ACTROID.html].
**The ACTROID's appearance in the final scene bookends the first scene of the mini-series in which several "traditional" robotic Cylons appear, following by the first appearance of the attractive humanoid Cylon, Number Six.
*Although many of the magazines on the newsstand appear familiar, close examination reveals that at least some have made-up names. A magazine that appears at first glance to be ''Sports Illustrated'' is actually ''Sports Limited''. Also, although the magazine read by Angel Six and Baltar (and Ronald Moore) closely resembles ''National Geographic'', at no time is the complete title of the magazine or its full logo actually shown on screen; furthermore, the back cover of the magazine is solid yellow whereas actual issues of National Geographic always have advertising on the back cover.
*Initially, Helo and Athena were supposed to die and Hera would be raised by Gaius Baltar and Caprica-Six. This would make sense as in the [[Opera House]] vision Baltar and Caprica-Six take Hera into the Opera House and Athena and Roslin don't make it inside. It also lends well for a symbolical structure of the series: Caprica-Six kills a child at the beginning and raises one at the end, they destroyed one civilization and then at the end they nurture the foundation of another one.
*Angel Six makes a reference to the Law of Averages: "Let a complex system repeat itself long enough; eventually something surprising might occur." She is actually referring to the Law of Large Numbers. The Law of Averages is a mistaken belief that the outcome of an event is affected by the outcome of previous iterations of the same event.
*Dialogue was cut from the final scene between Angel Six and Angel Baltar, but can be heard on the cast read-through podcast. The full dialogue of the scene is the same up until Baltar states that "It (God) doesn't like to be called that," but then changes with Baltar discussing having a wager on the matter (humanity's survival this time around) with Six, who looks disgusted at the notion. Baltar then smiles and says "Silly, silly me," and they walk off as in the broadcast version.
*As with Part I, the episode does not include the regular opening credits and theme. It does begin with the standard "Previously on Battlestar Galactica" sequence, and the honor of speaking these words in the final episode is given to Edward James Olmos.
*The revelation that the Colonial "humans" evolved separately from Earth humans means that fundamentally none of the so-called "human" characters of the series were actually human in the sense of what we consider human today. Instead, they were an outwardly indistinguishable from ''Homo sapiens'' extraterrestrial species with compatible DNA to ''Homo sapiens'' as a result of a parallel evolution. The reimagined ''Battlestar Galactica'' was actually the saga of an alien race.
**It must be noted that although Dr. Cottle said the DNA of the early Earth humans is "compatible" to Colonial DNA, he didn't say it was exactly the same. Therefore, it's completely fair to conclude that the Colonials and original Earth-evolved humans were not genetically identical - they simply had compatible genetic traits. Yes, in the ''Battlestar Galactica'' universe we modern humans are descended from the Colonials, but they were not us and were are not them. We are a hybridization of Colonials and the native humans. So the characters of ''Battlestar Galactica'' were indeed "aliens" and not "human" in the modern sense of the term.
*Simon's line "I think you overestimate their chances" echoes a similar moment from "Star Wars: Episode IV," during which the line was said by Grand Moff Tarkin.

==Release==
* Although Part I had a runtime of one hour, Part II will run for two hours. On iTunes and Amazon video services, Part II is further subdivided into two one-hour parts. On the iTunes version, Part III includes the original titles.
* An even longer cut of Daybreak was released on the DVD and Blu-ray versions of Season 4.5 in July 2009. The cut includes 12 minutes of additional footage,<ref>The two TV-formatted episodes clock in at a total of 2 hours, 20 minutes without commercials, while the extended version clocks in at 2 hours, 32 minutes.</ref> and is formatted as a single film with several of the hard cuts from the TV-formatted version eliminated in favor of more fluid cuts and fadethroughs. It also features a motion picture-style closing credit scroll.<ref>{{cite_news|first=|last=|url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2008/07/talking-battles.html|title=Talking 'Battlestar Galactica's' finale, 'Caprica' and the 'Battlestar' TV movie with Ron Moore}}</ref>

The Plan

2010-01-12T05:28:50Z

TREMORSFREAK77: /* Questions */

{{Episode Data
| image=The Plan - Tigh and Adama in Galactica Corridor.jpg
| title= The Plan
| season=
| special=Y
| episode=
| guests=
| writer= [[Jane Espenson]]
| story=
| director= [[Edward James Olmos]]
| production= 101 - 01001
| rating=
| US airdate=January 10, 2010
| CAN airdate=
| UK airdate=
| dvd=October 27, 2009
| population=
| prev=[[Daybreak, Part II]]
| next=
| itunes=http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=VWbyALbmqZY&offerid=78524.10005161&type=4&subid=0
}}
==Overview==
: ''Set during the events from the [[Miniseries]] to Season 2's "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]," this story is told from the [[Cylon (RDM)|Cylons']] perspective, centering on two distinct Cavil copies as they try to fulfill the Cylons' plan.''

==Summary==
The story begins ''in medias res'', with the two Cavils from "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]" being escorted to the airlock. The two Cavils argue about the worthiness of their plan to destroy humanity, with Caprica-Cavil beginning to tell Galactica-Cavil why the genocide of humanity was a mistake.

From here, the tale begins as a single narrative, documenting the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]], before splitting into two distinct but related stories on [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] and ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]''.

===Fall of the Twelve Colonies ===
*Two weeks before the attack, two [[Number One]]s in a [[Resurrection Ship]] near [[the Colony]] are standing over the [[resurrection tank]]s containing insensate copies of the "[[Final Five]]:" [[Ellen Tigh]], [[Saul Tigh]], [[Samuel T. Anders]], [[Galen Tyrol]] and [[Tory Foster]]. The Ones expect that the Final Five will be killed in the destruction of the Twelve Colonies and then resurrect into these bodies and apologize to the Ones for their former appreciation of humanity. One of the Ones plans on joining the active version of Ellen Tigh on [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Picon|Picon]] so that he can experience the holocaust in person, while the other One will go to [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] to make final arrangements with their contact.
*Fourteen hours before the attack, [[Gaius Baltar]] and [[Caprica-Six|Six]] walk through the Government Center Plaza in [[Caprica City]]. Shortly after their goodbyes, the Six meets up with One and passes off the access codes to the [[Colonial Defense Mainframe]]. One recommends she kill herself before the attack, suggesting poison as a relatively easy method.
*Shortly before the attack, Ellen is in the Club Pink Moon, a topless bar on Picon. The other One approaches her and strikes up a conversation, with Cavil introducing himself as a "mysterious stranger." She asks if he is a priest, and he ducks the question.
*At the Colony, the Cylon fleet stands in formation. The [[Hybrid]] gives the order and the [[Basestar (RDM)|basestars]] simultaneously jump to the Colonies.
*On Caprica, the [[Caprica Buccaneers]] are at a [[Pyramid (RDM)|pyramid]] training camp in the mountains near [[Delphi]]. Among the players are [[Samuel Anders]], [[Jean Barolay]] and [[Sue-Shaun]]. Watching from the sidelines is the team coach as well as the team doctor, a [[Number Four]] [[humanoid Cylon]].
*In the Caprican city of Delphi, Tory Foster is driving to the airport to catch a flight to Caprica City. In route, she is talking with a man on the phone about her government work.
*Above Caprica, dozens of basestars and at least one [[Resurrection Ship]] jump into orbit. Several of the basestars rotate around their axes to form a y-pattern, allowing them to enter Caprica's atmosphere.
*The Hybrid, presumably using the access codes given to Cavil by Six, infiltrates Colonial defenses.
[[File:Bsyashuman.jpg|thumb|''Yashuman'' and two other battlestars prepare to engage the Cylons above Caprica.]]
*On Picon, Ellen and Cavil debate the ability of people to change. Ellen's flippant, rebuking response to Cavil's argument for others needing "correcting" visibly frustrates him. She later tells him that if someone were to make him change or apologize, that would be akin to him "selling himself out".
*In orbit of Caprica, three [[Valkyrie|''Valkyrie'' type battlestars]] led by the battlestar ''[[Yashuman]]'', along with several wings of [[Viper Mark VII|Viper Mk. VII]]s, move to intercept the Cylons. Caprican Control reports that they are unable to track and respond to the Cylons due to a system-wide crash in the defense mainframe.
*As the Cylons prepare to engage, the Cylons use the backdoors installed by [[Caprica-Six|Six]] into the [[Command Navigation Program]] to shut down the Colonial ships. The battlestars and Vipers drift helplessly in space, unable to speak to each other.
[[Image:Cylon_mirv.jpg|thumb|A Cylon MIRV.]]
*The Cylons launch multiple missiles towards the surface of Caprica. As they approach the ground, the missiles open up to reveal over a [[w:MIRV|dozen independent nuclear warheads in each]]. The warheads separate, vector off in multiple directions and detonate.
*On Picon, Ellen and Cavil are startled as a nuclear shockwave hits the Pink Moon, indicating detonations on that planet as well. Cavil shields Ellen as the shockwave hits them.
*Delphi is hit, and Foster watches in horror as the shockwave consumes her vehicle.
*Anders quietly whispers to himself, "[[Earth (RDM)#Arrival and Ruins|This has happened before]]," as his teammates react to the several mushroom clouds seen in the distance. The Four secretly smiles at the destruction.
*The [[Scorpion Fleet Shipyards]], along with the docked ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'', are attacked by Cylon [[Raider (RDM)|Raiders]] as multiple nuclear detonations occur across the surface of [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Scorpia|Scorpia]].
*On [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Gemenon|Gemenon]], Cylon forces attack a city as several ships hastily take off. Onboard one of them, another Four carries a young girl through the crowds of evacuating people.
*A passenger ship in orbit of [[The Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Canceron|Canceron]] is shaken by nuclear detonations on that planet. Among the passengers is a visibly happy [[Shelly Godfrey]].
*The Hybrid reports on the successful attack on all [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Twelve Colonies]].
*Onboard ''[[Galactica]]'', [[William Adama|Commander Adama]] informs [[Saul Tigh]] of the attack as the ship enters [[action stations]].
*A wounded Foster crawls out of the remains of her car to find herself standing in the smoldering ruins of Delphi. Nearby, several [[SAR]] Raptors land, presumably evacuating Foster and any other survivors before rendezvousing with [[Laura Roslin|Roslin]]'s [[The Fleet (RDM)|fleet]].
*Several SAR birds also comb the wreckage of Picon. In the ruins of the Pink Moon, a severely wounded Ellen has a flashback to the Fall of Earth. Cavil stands over her, assuring her that she is not going to die yet because she has more left to learn. Both Ellen and Cavil are soon evacuated by the SAR Raptors, also presumably meeting up with Roslin's fleet.
*[[Lee Adama]] helps Caprican survivors off [[Sharon Valerii]]'s Raptor onboard ''[[Colonial One]]''. A distraught [[Giana O'Neill]] inquires about her husband serving in the [[Colonial Fleet (RDM)|Colonial Fleet]] on Gemenon.
*Adama enters his [[Adama's quarters|quarters]] to find a [[Miniseries, Night 2#Epilogue|note]] informing him that there are only twelve Cylon models. A cut to Baltar implies that he left the note.

=== On ''Galactica'' ===
*Five days after the attack, the Fleet is attacked by the Cylons as they have been every [[33|33 minutes]] for the past five days. Onboard the ''[[Rising Star]]'', a wounded and disoriented Ellen is lying in a cramped makeshift [[sickbay]] as Cavil watches over her. Ellen does not remember who he is, but begs him to find Saul. As she passes out, Cavil says that four of the Final Five are in the Fleet; only Anders is absent.
*The ship continues to be jolted by explosions from the battle. Cavil rationalizes with himself about the necessity of keeping Ellen alive, saying that she has yet to understand her mistake in loving an immoral and imperfect humanity.
*Eight days after the attack, refugees continue to board and be processed on ''Galactica''. Tigh remarks at the calm of the people, but Adama corrects him, saying they are just temporarily numb from the shock. As they walk through a corridor, Tigh accidentally bumps into Cavil.
*Cavil is carrying fliers, which talk about "the Plan" and encourage people to meet with him. A [[John (RDM)|young boy]] runs by and knocks the fliers out of Cavil's hands.
*Cavil bends to pick up the fliers and is helped by a [[Number Six#"Tough Six"|Number Six]]. Surprised but relieved, he hands her a flier as he notices a [[Number Four|Simon]] copy going around a corner.
*He asks [[Socinus]] if he may post the fliers in ''Galactica'''s restricted area, but Socinus offers to do so for him.
*In the chapel on ''Galactica'' given to Cavil, Shelly Godrey arrives with a flier to find the other Six, a [[Number Two]] copy and a [[Number Five]] copy assembled, all carrying fliers. Cavil notes that they are missing copies of [[Number Three]] and Four.
*Cavil reviews the original Cylon plan, which involved all the humans being killed, the Cylons [[download|downloading]] and the Universe "basking in [[Cylon War|justice]]." However, the survival of ''Galactica'' and the Fleet has prevented its success.
*Two proposes that they each work separately to sabotage the Fleet, but instead Cavil has assignments for each of them. He informs them that a [[Cylon Tactics#Sleeper agents within the Fleet|sleeper agent]], an [[Number Eight|Eight]], is currently within the Fleet and he will speak to her.
*Cavil tasks the Two with cracking the Colonial military's technology so that they can listen into the Fleet's communications and contact any basestars in the area.
*For Shelly Godfrey, Cavil gives her the mission of sabotaging Baltar's work on the [[Cylon detector]]. As he will simply build another one if they destroy it, Godrey is to [[Six Degrees of Separation|discredit him]] to prevent any future work.
*As the copy of [[Aaron Doral]] aboard ''[[Colonial One]]'' was discovered to be a Cylon, Cavil tells the Five that he is too recognizable to remain in the Fleet. Instead, he gives him a suicide vest to use.
*Onboard the ''[[Gemenon Traveler]]'', Leoben has successfully hacked into ''Galactica'''s military communications. He listens in as [[Kara Thrace]] and other pilots engage three Raiders. He is clearly intrigued by her.
*Cavil takes a small statue of an elephant out of his bag. As he leaves, he finds the boy that had knocked the fliers out of his hands sleeping in the chapel and kicks him out.
*In the tool room of the [[hangar deck]], the newly enlisted Giana tells Tyrol that she needs to change out the oxygen cylinders on a Raptor. Tyrol disputes that the cylinders need changing and playfully informs her that ''Galactica'' has no replacement parts.
*Valerii enters the room looking for the Chief, where she is introduced to Giana. As she leaves, Giana quickly deduces that the two are an item.
*Back in her [[duty locker]], Valerii finds the elephant statue that Cavil had been holding. The statue apparently unlocks Valerii's awareness of her Cylon identity, and she flashbacks to a conversation she had with [[Gina Inviere]] before becoming a sleeper agent.
*Meeting with Cavil, Valerii proposes that she sabotage ''Galactica'''s water supplies as a way to cripple the Fleet. Cavil agrees, but when he suggests that Valerii kill herself in the process, she is able to convince him that her cover is better than expected, referencing her relationship with Tyrol. Cavil laughs at the irony of her becoming romantically involved with Tyrol over all of the potential humans, then tells her to kill herself anyway.
*On the ''[[Cybele]]'', the ship that had carried the Simon copy and young girl off Gemenon, Giana is having dinner with the two of them. Simon had previously married Giana, without revealing his Cylon identity, and adopted Giana's daughter [[Jemmy]].
*During dinner, Cavil approaches Simon and introduces himself as Simon's childhood [[priest]]. Cavil excuses himself but asks Simon to come see him soon, giving the vague warning that he knows where Simon lives. Simon is clearly disturbed by the encounter.
*In a [[weapons locker]], a soaking-wet Valerii informs Cavil that the charges have been placed in the water tanks. When she expresses reluctance at destroying the Fleet, Cavil rebukes and uses the statue to revert her into sleeper agent mode.
*As a panicked Valerii discusses with Tyrol what to do about the missing [[G-4]] detonators, the charges are detonated, sending all of ''Galactica'''s water into space.
*Seventeen days after the Fall of the Colonies, the Five uses his suicide vest in an attempt to kill Adama. Only through Tigh's intervention is Adama saved.
*With Roslin's [[Litmus|subsequent announcement]] that the Cylons now appear human and the distribution of pictures of both Two and Five, Leoben hides from [[Colonial Marines]] in the ducts of the ''Gemenon Traveler''.
*Simon meets with Cavil in ''Galactica'''s chapel. While Simon proposes that he use his position as a medic to kill the humans off one by one, Cavil asks him why he won't do more.
*When Simon critiques this query by asking Cavil whether he actually has a plan, Cavil becomes frustrated by the failures of the Cylons to fully exterminate humanity. He tells Simon that they will later discuss a plan to have Simon blow up the ''Cybele''.
*Shelly Godfrey goes to Adama and accuses Baltar of collaborating in the attack on the Colonies, using a forged photo of him placing an explosive device on the Defense Mainframe.
*Leoben continues to listen to Starbuck's exploits, painting the [[mandala]] symbolizing the [[Eye of Jupiter]] on a wall as he listens to a recording of Starbuck's engagement with Cylon Raiders above the [[Red moon|red moon]].
*Valerii finds that someone has written "CYLON" on the mirror of her locker. Meeting with Cavil while out of sleeper agent mode, Valerii suspects that she wrote the message herself. Cavil comforts her and reminds her why humanity must be destroyed. The two then share a kiss.
*Baltar confronts Godfrey in the [[Galactica Crew Facilities (RDM)#Heads|head]] over her false allegations. Though she maintains her story, she seems reluctant to go through with destroying him.
*Leoben tries to convince Cavil of Starbuck's [[The Destiny|destiny]], referencing her ability to fly a downed Cylon Raider without ever having done so before, but Cavil refuses to listen. Soon after, marines capture Leoben.
*Baltar is arrested for treason but saved when [[Felix Gaeta]] proves that the incriminating photos are a fake.
*As marines follow Godfrey through the corridors of ''Galactica'', Cavil uses the other Six to make it seem as though Godfrey had suddenly disappeared.
*Cavil accuses Godfrey of failing to convincing frame Baltar because of her love for him. She denies it, but Cavil has her kill herself by using an [[airlock]], reminding her to give the Fleet's position to the other Cylons once she resurrects.
*Twenty-five days after the attack on the Colonies, Starbuck is [[Flesh and Bone|interrogating]] the captured Leoben aboard the ''Gemenon Traveler''. He breaks free of his constraints and pins Starbuck to a wall.
*As he holds her, he sees prophetic visions of their experiences together on [[New Caprica]] and Thrace's [[Maelstrom|visions and death]]. The guards then restrain Leoben. Soon after, Leoben is airlocked on the orders of Roslin, with Starbuck showing him a moment of sympathy.
*Torn with grief and confusion over her identity, Valerii attempts suicide by shooting herself in the mouth.
*The young boy returns to Cavil's chapel. He tells Cavil that he is not a war orphan, but his parents don't want him anymore. Cavil tells once again tells him to leave.
*Giana returns to her quarters from work, where she and the rest of the deck crew had been analyzing the captured Cylon Raider. Simon becomes upset over how much she has been working, saying that since the Cylons are trying to kill them, they should be spending as much time together as possible. Giana is furious over his behavior and leaves with Jemmy.<ref>This scene comes after the scene where Adama asks Valerii to destroy the basestar. However, this creates a significant continuity error, as Adama asked Valerii to do so because Tyrol had been shot down over Kobol and Starbuck had stolen the raider, meaning Giana's statement as to her work that day is non-sensical. Hence, the scene is placed before the previous scene in this article for the sake of continuity</ref>
*Adama asks the recovering Valerii to take a Raptor armed with nukes and destroy the basestar orbiting [[Kobol]]. Valerii, along with [[Margaret Edmondson]], succeed in doing so and are greeted as heroes upon their return to ''Galactica''. As Adama thanks them for their actions, Valerii pulls a gun and shoots Adama twice in the chest.
*Simon informs Cavil that Adama is dying, and that he will blow up the ''Cybele'' on the condition that his family is kept safe. However, Cavil tells him that shouldn't happen, since they will never know his true nature if they die now.
*As Adama lays in sickbay, Cavil chastises Valerii in the brig for not killing Adama. She claims that she is not fully in control of herself, but later admits her reluctance towards continuing the genocide of humanity and her attraction to her human life. Wishing her well, Cavil reactivates her sleeper agent programming and leaves. Valerii is later assassinated by [[Cally Henderson]].
*Simon makes love to Giana and apologizes for his actions. Later, he is able to rig open an airlock on the ''Cybele'', crying and declaring his love for his family as he is launched into space and dies permanently, outside the range of any [[Resurrection Ship]].
*Drunk and lamenting the failures of the Cylons to destroy the Fleet, Cavil ponders the source of his bad fortunes. The remaining Six tells him the flaw in his plan: "You can't declare war on love."
*Giana is questioned by Tigh. Giana believes that Tigh thinks Simon was a Cylon, which Cavil denies. Giana shows Tigh the suicide note left by Simon, which reads, "Love outlasts death."
*Cavil finds the young boy and invites him inside, giving him food and shelter.
*Tyrol finds Giana in the corner of the hanger bay. Kara Thrace's return from her experiences with a Four copy on Caprica, along with a newspaper clipping of the Four acting as the team doctor for the Buccaneers, has proven to Giana that Simon was a Cylon. Both of them suspect that Valerii and Simon were being ordered to carry out their missions by someone else and deliberately failed.
*Giana says that were she to believe that she was a Cylon, she would climb to the top of the hangar deck and jump. Tyrol kisses her, but immediately says he didn't mean anything by it.
*After having assaulted Cally, Tyrol is being [[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I|counseled]] by Cavil. Tyrol admits that he is afraid to place his trust in others, to which Cavil tells him he should be given his experiences.
*While reading in his quarters, Cavil is again approached by the young boy, who offers Cavil an apple. Cavil takes out a knife and cuts the apple, giving it the boy. When Cavil asks what the boy's name is, he tells him it is [[Number One#"John" and the Final Five|John]].
*Cavil asks if they have become friends, and John responds that they have. Cavil tells him that "friends are dangerous things" and stabs John with the knife. He dies, and Cavil apathetically pushes his body off the bed.

=== On Caprica ===
*The Buccaneers panic as they listen to wireless broadcasts on the attack. Anders quickly takes charge, telling them that they have to stick together and learn more about what has happened.
*[[Centurion (RDM)|Centurions]] are placing their damaged and destroyed comrades in a large container. The Buccaneers sneak across a large bridge, hiding behind the railing and observing the centurions. After a Raider takes off and nearly spots them, they retreat.
*The newly-founded [[Caprica Resistance|Resistance]], made up of the Buccaneers and various hikers and survivalists, use [[Delphi Union High School]] as their headquarters.
*For their first mission, Anders uses inspiration from an old war movie, ''[[Arts and Literature of the Twelve Colonies#Visual Arts|The Tauron Line]].'' The Resistance will plant explosives on a severed Centurion thigh, wait for the Centurions to place the thigh in a recovery container and then detonate the charges.
*The Resistance quietly approaches their target and places the thigh near the container, watching from the tree line as Centurion picks up the piece. Before it goes into the container, one of the fighter slips on grave, and the Centurion kills him immediately. Sam detonates the charge, crippling the Centurion and partially opening the container.
*Despite Anders' insistence to retreat, Kai and the coach charge towards the door with an explosives-packed pyramid ball. The damaged Centurion aims at them, and Kai passes the ball to the coach before jumping on the Centurion, which shoots and kills Kai. The coach throws the ball into the container, and the explosion knocks him off his feet, presumably wounding or killing him. As one of the teammates runs to get the coach, a Raider appears and kills him; the rest of the group retreats.
*Anders walks away from the group, arguing that he has no idea what he is doing. Barolay begs him to stay.
*Some time later, Barolay and Anders view a group of Dorals burning human bodies in a mass grave. Barolay breaks down when she notices that all of the Dorals look alike, realizing that the Cylons now look like humans.
*Anders and Barolay return with armed reinforcements as a Cavil inspects the grave. The resistance fighters kill the Dorals, and as they approach the bodies they find Cavil, pretending to be a human, calling out for help on the ground. The fighters fall for the trick, and Cavil is stunned when he sees that Anders is the leader of the Resistance.
*As they arrive back at camp, Anders asks if Cavil hears confessions. Cavil says he does, and Anders tell him they will speak later. They exit the truck, and Cavil is "introduced" to Simon, who feigns ignorance.
*One week later, Simon and Cavil speak privately. Simon asks why Cavil has yet to follow through on his plan to inform the Cylon forces of their location. Cavil sarcastically responds that Anders had asked him to hear his confession and that, as a man of the Gods, he must keep his promise to do so.
*Several weeks later, Cavil is on patrol with Anders and the Resistance when he sees Starbuck and [[Karl Agathon]]. He tells Anders that he believes he has seen them before and, thus, they must be Cylons. As the two sides engage each other, Simon calls out Cavil on his lack of effort in bringing down the Resistance.
*The next morning, Anders and Starbuck awaken together. Starbuck promises to send a rescue party for the Resistance once she returns to ''Galactica''.
*Cavil and Simon are in the next room, where they can hear Starbuck and Anders speaking and having sex. Cavil asks why they are doing so, to which Simon responds that Anders love her. Cavil considers Thrace to be beneath Anders and conspires with Simon to the Fours' "[[farm]]" for experimentation.
*During a recon patrol, Starbuck is shot and taken to the farm. Anders returns to base with his wounded and tells Cavil the situation. Though Cavil attempts to convince Anders that Starbuck is likely dead, Anders insists on trying to find her, obviously irritating Cavil.
*The next day, Cavil joins Anders outside. Anders finally gives his confession to Cavil, where he admits his cowardice and vanity following the failed raid on the Cylon container. Cavil absolves him, then asks if Anders could forgive the Cylons considering the strength Anders have gained following the attack. Anders angrily rejects Cavil's argument and walks off.
*Simon approaches Cavil, who is upset over the fact that Anders continues to love humanity.
*At the Farm, Starbuck stabs a Four copy in the neck and escapes outside. The Resistance rescues her, and Anders orders Barolay to return to camp and kill Simon.
*Several months later, the Resistance has been heavily reduced by Cylon attacks. Anders, Cavil and the remaining survivors walk through the woods. Anders tells Cavil of his love for the people who have died under his command. Cavil angrily asks Anders why he continues to love the dead, to which Anders replies that death doesn't change love.
*Barolay tells Anders that a group of unknowns is moving towards them, and the survivors take cover. It is quickly determined that the unknowns are Starbuck, Helo and the marines ''Galactica'' has sent to rescue the Resistance.
*As Starbuck and Anders embrace, Cavil takes aim at Starbuck with a rifle from the distance. He prepares to fire, but then remembers Anders' insistence that death doesn't change love and puts down the rifle.
*The Cylons begin the mortar their position, and the humans take cover. The Cylons stop firing, and both Cavil and the humans wonder why. As the humans sleep later that night, Cavil ventures out into the woods, where he finds a Six. The Six tells Cavil that the Cylons have voted for a cease-fire with the humans, and Cavil elects to deliver the message to the humans himself.

===Epilogue===
*The Resistance survivors and Thrace's team return to ''Galactica'', where Caprica-Cavil reveals himself. The Chief identifies him as a Cylon, and Caprica-Cavil is taken into custody.
*In the [[brig]], Galactica-Cavil enters while denying that he is a Cylon. However, his protests cease when he sees Caprica-Cavil in the cell. Caprica-Cavil delivers the cease-fire to Adama and Tigh, who decide to airlock both of them.
*As they are escorted to the airlock, the Cavils see all of the Final Five Cylons watching them. They admit that this wasn't the reunion they had expected.
*Entering the airlock, and returning to where the story began, Caprica-Cavil asks if there is a resurrection ship in range. Galactica-Cavil says that there is one but adds that he is not looking forward to dying in a vacuum first.
*Galactica-Cavil asks Caprica-Cavil whether he truly thinks that attacking the humans was a mistake. Caprica-Cavil tells him he does. Their error was that they wanted to be loved by the Final Five more than the humans, but the destruction of humanity would only strengthen the love of the Five for humanity.
*Galactica-Cavil assures Caprica-Cavil that he will have him [[boxed]] upon downloading, then resume the task of destroying the Fleet.
*As they wait in silence, Caprica-Cavil offers his hand, which Galactica-Cavil takes. They are launched into space, and as they float towards a nebula, Cavil's speech to Ellen from "[[No Exit]]" about his potential as a machine is heard.

== Notes ==
[[Image:Universal_intro.jpg|thumb|The Universal Studios Intro for 'The Plan']]
*The planet behind the Universal Studios logo at the beginning of the movie is [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] instead of [[Earth]].
*The Caprican landmasses shown in an orbital shot during the attack are clearly identifiable as those of Earth, specifically [[w:Iran|Iran]], the [[w:Arabian Penisula|Arabian Penisula]] and [[w:Turkey|Turkey]]. This most likely represents an instance of CGI corner-cutting rather than any deeper meaning.
*Unknown to the Colonials there apparently ''was'' a second Resurrection Ship nearby by the time the Cavils were executed, allowing them to download into new bodies when killed, although the Caprica copy was presumably boxed.
* ''Galactica'' Cavil was Ellen's mysterious hero that saved her from the attack on Picon. It was known to be a Number One, but it wasn't clear before this exactly ''which'' One it was.
*Whereas [[Scorpion Fleet Shipyards]] was designated as such in "Razor," the setting is identified in "The Plan" simply as ''Scorpia'' because it is meant to denote the planet as well.
* During the attack on the Colonies, after the Raiders scan the Vipers and Battestars, one of the pilots can be heard saying "I have no RADIO contact". This should be "WIRELESS" as there are no "radios" in the ''BSG'' universe.
* An outfit is listed on propworx<ref>http://archive.battlestarprops.com/1003/192 Gina's Outfit in Scene with Boomer</ref> as being worn in the extended version of "Daybreak" by Gina Inviere, in a scene where she speaks to Sharon Valerii on a plane just before the latter becomes a sleeper agent. This is a flashback to before Valerii entered the Colonial fleet academy. This scene does not appear in the extended "Daybreak", but, as stated in Ronald Moore's commentary on that episode, it was moved to "The Plan". Thus, the Six seen speaking to Boomer in this flashback is Gina Inviere.
*The named locations on Leonis, Scorpia, Tauron, Picon, Aquaria and Libran evoke the zodiac symbols each is named for. Aerilon's association with agriculture and Caprica's association with sophisticated, urban life were established in "[[Dirty Hands]]" and "[[The Woman King]]".
*The jungles of Scorpia were also mentioned in the fourth issue of ''[[Battlestar Galactica: The Final Five 4|Battlestar Galactica: The Final Five]].
*Reveal: When Sam and his teammates are trying to listen to a radio broadcast after the attack, and before they decide what to do, the device they are listening to is marked 'Centrios' which is an electronics brand carried by the Canadian 'Source' electronics chain before it was bought out after its parent company 'Circuit City' went bankrupt.
*Cavil puts Shelly Godfrey through an airlock weeks before Roslin "invents" airlocking as the preferred method of disposing of Cylons.
**Cavil also seems to be able to activate the airlock very quickly and without anyone noticing, whereas later in the film it took Simon a long time to rewire the airlock in order to activate it.
***Simon may have been wiring the airlock to be able to operate it from the inside, rather than requiring an external operator.
*Several scenes from the first two seasons of the series are shown again in this movie, but in most cases are conveniently edited to fit the story.
**Baltar's role in Boomer's suicide attempt is omitted.
**When Tyrol visits Cavil in "The Plan," Cavil asks "What's on your mind chief?" which was never asked in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I", and Tyrol's response in "The Plan" about how to know he is human comes much later in the actual conversation.
**Scenes on Caprica create extra moments for new dialogue to be inserted where it wasn't before. In "The Plan", a voiceover during Starbuck's rescue from The Farm has Anders ordering a resistance fighter to return to their basecamp and kill their doctor, whom they learn is a Cylon upon seeing the Simons at the farm.
**When Starbuck/Helo re-encounter the resistance on Caprica, the scene from "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I" has the question "Is Kara Thrace there" with Anders shouting "If she is she took her sweet time." In "The Plan", the dialogue is interrupted by Helo asking "Who wants to know?" after the question about Thrace. This scene also contains a continuity error during the switch from new footage to archive footage. As Anders and the resistance fighters are crouched behind a log, there is no one behind them in the new footage, but when it cuts to the old footage there is suddently a soldier behind them.
**When the Cylon attack on Caprica stops, Anders asks why. In "The Plan", he is answered by Cavil with "That's a good question," a line that obviously is not in the original sequence.
**The scene of the two Cavils in the brig from "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II" cuts most of the dialogue and rearranges it, leaving out most of Galactica Cavil's supportive statements of the new peace, and the implication he knew about the truce. Also, in the original episode, Roslin suggested throwing the pair out the airlock. Roslin does not appear at all in "The Plan" (other than a few strands of hair in archive footage of the Cavil interrogation scene), and re-dubbed dialogue has Tigh suggesting the airlock solution, with Adama agreeing.
* "The Plan" shows the end of the Cavil/Tyrol conversation from "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I". Picking up after Cavil tells Tyrol that his deck hands are his family and taps his hands on the table, "The Plan" shows Cavil asking Tyrol if he finds it difficult to trust others. Tyrol says yes, and Cavil sympathizes with him, saying that he trusted people and they all let him down (referring to his Cylon cohorts). Cavil says it will be tough, wishes the Chief luck, and leaves.
* The iconic Cylon catchphrase "[[By your command]]" is never used in this film.

== Analysis ==
*Given the ''Galactica'' copy of Cavil's comments in the airlock, his resurrected self is the copy that led the anti-human Cylon faction during the [[Cylon Civil War]] and later killed himself permanently in CIC during the [[Battle of The Colony]] (unless he is the One that [[D'Anna Biers]] strangles in "[[The Hub]]", which may very well be the case).

*It is likely that the device Leoben constructs to intercept Colonial military transmissions is a forerunner of the device he gave [[Laura Roslin]] to overcome the [[Gaeta's Mutiny|mutineers']] communications jamming in "[[Blood on the Scales]]".

*Number One's plan to make his creators repentant is inherently flawed due to basic differences in his thinking as compared to theirs. He believes that human life is terrible and just living among humans will make them see that - a belief they simply do not share - and he does not realize the fact that inflicting suffering on the humans will make the sympathy of the five original Cylons towards humanity grow, not diminish. This holocaust mirrors that which occurred on their own homeworld and is exactly what they were trying to prevent when they made a deal with the Colonial Centurions. Number One is therefore just as naive in his expectations at the outset of the movie as are his sibling models. At the end of the movie, the One that was on Caprica with Anders has realized these errors, and the One that was on ''Galactica'' has not.

*The main focus of this movie, which is the triumph of love, shows perhaps why the Cylons eventually split into two factions. Being that it is far easier to kill people you don't know, once they start getting to know humans they are obviously having a harder time killing them. This is evident in the split during the Cylon Civil War, the three models that take the most interest in, and have the most interaction with humans are the ones advocating peace and from their interaction with humans become curious about discovering their own natures while the three models that have the least to do with humans are far more machine like and less interested in self-discovery as a result.

*The characteristics of several of the Cylon models are further fleshed out.
**Number One/Cavil is clearly the leader as shown by his taking charge of the Cylons within the fleet and just like in the series this is often shown to be because his superior knowledge
**The Number Two/Leoben model is shown (as he is later in Blood on the Scales) as being very good at signal/communications cracking, this fits in well with his own obsession, and skills, with information and revelations. Two also seems to be fairly knowledgeable and Cavil seems to be slightly less derogatory towards this model, possibly because as the second model created he has known Leoben the longest.
**All the Number Four/Simon models seem to have very detailed medical expertise (enough to successfully be hired as doctors for both a pro-sports team and the military)
**Number Five/Doral is portrayed as being, as they are in other instances, very bureaucratic and obsessed with minute and unimportant details (like most bureaucrats) as well as being extremely zealous, although not particularly bright, and they seemed to be looked down upon by the other models.
**Number Six is once more portrayed as being the most varied, adaptable, and strong willed (regardless of which personality) of the Cylon models.
**Number Eight is shown being very skilled in military thinking and engineering as shown by her plan to blow the water tank but at the same time she is the most susceptible to emotions and outside influence.

*The Plan shows how Leoben knew Starbuck's name and that his belief that she had a destiny was based solely on his discovering that she learned how to fly a raider without being taught how, showing to him that she had some kind of special connection to the universe. The flashes he sees the first time he touches her, of their history together, also shows why he is so sure she will tell him she loves him and kiss him (although the flashes don't show him getting stabbed by her, hence his surprise) which also show her meeting her destiny(falling into the Maelstrom and encountering a version of him (possibly an angel) but it doesn't show anything after that, hence his surprise on seeing her dead body.

*A major plot point of "Six Degrees of Separation" was the baffling disappearance of Shelly Godfrey, seemingly into thin air. It is unclear whether or not the Colonials eventually deduced that she airlocked herself (the scene in which she is airlocked comes after the scene in which Adama is questioning her evasion of the guards).

* Tyrol's intense dreams of suicide by diving off the deck as related in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I," are inspired by his conversation with Giana, as depicted in "The Plan." She said that's what she would do if she suspected she were a Cylon. The chief clearly had such suspicions, and his subconscious must have latched onto her suggestion.

*The Plan does not show whether or not Boomer left the hatch combing open for Doral as Tyrol suspected in "[[Litmus]]".

*The movie exposes Ellen Tigh's explanation in "Tigh Me Up Tigh Me Down" for what she was doing during the attack on Picon as a lie. In the episode, she says she was at an airport buying a ticket to return home, presumably to be with Tigh. The Plan shows she was at a strip club getting drunk and hitting on men. It is entirely possible, however, that she was awaiting her flight.

== Questions ==
* Did Giana take her husband's surname? In other words, is the full alias of Number Four actually "Simon O'Neill"?
* Is ''Galactica'' Cavil really the same Cavil that leads one side of the Cylon Civil War?
* Is the Club Pink Moon on Picon a Hat Tip to the late Nick Drake?
* Why isn't the arrival of the ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' mentioned? Surely that would have an effect on Cavil's plans.
* Did Galactica Cavil have anything to do with the ''[[Olympic Carrier]]''?
* What happened to the rest of the Cylon fleet, there look to be at least two dozen Basestars attacking Caprica alone, possibly more, but that many are never seen in the series and it looks like there are no more than 5 chasing the fleet after they flee from New Caprica? Are most of them still occupying the colonies? If so, then why? Are they spread out and searching other places? Where they abandoned due to lack of resources? Was the Cylon Civil war more widespread than believed?
* Did Shelly Godfrey give ''Galactica'''s coordinates to the Cylon fleet?
* Was Cavil ever linked to the murder of young John?
**Was young John a physical being or another one of the [[virtual beings|"angels"]] like Six, Baltar, and Leoben? Could this younger John be, for lack of a better word, the ghost of Cavil's namesake?
* If figuring out how to fly a Raider is sufficient to think a human can tap into the Cylon stream, is [[Daniel Novacek]] as similarly gifted as Starbuck?
* Was Cavil aware Gina Inviere had joined the fleet and formed a resistance group? If so, did he order the destruction of ''Cloud Nine''?
* Is Cavil responsible for Ellen's memory loss during her recovery on the ''Rising Star''?
* Why does Giana not realize that Cavil must be a Cylon because a person (Simon) who has never had a childhood cannot have had a childhood priest? Did Cavil simply slip her mind?
* Why didnt the Cylons shoot down the search and rescue Raptors?

== Official Statements ==
Speaking at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con, director and star of ''The Plan'', [[Edward James Olmos]] stated that he believes there will be several more ''Battlestar Galactica'' movies in the future and is confident that the DVD release of ''The Plan'' will sell well enough to facilitate these films:
:"As a matter of fact, I've got to tell you right now. Because of you all, what you're doing, because of the love for that world...I can guarantee that this will not be the last movie." <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://io9.com/5322385/olmos-the-plan-wont-be-the-last-bsg-movie|title=Olmos: The Plan Won't Be the Last BSG Movie|date=Fri Jul 24 2009|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>
This statement, however, is by no means official, as both [[Ronald D. Moore|Ron Moore]], [[David Eick]], and [[Syfy]] have made no mention of any additional ''Battlestar'' films.

Olmos later went on to clarify that if ''The Plan'' sold ¾ of a million copies (750,000) then Universal Studios would assuredly be willing to produce future ''Battlestar''-related productions. <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://galacticasitrep.blogspot.com/2009/08/edward-james-olmos-holds-court.html|title=Edward James Olmos holds court|date=Sat 08 Aug 2009|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==
*Said by both [[Samuel Anders]] and [[Ellen Tigh]] during the attack on the Colonies:
:''This has happened before.''

*Various utterances by the [[Hybrid]]:
:*''Seized by God they cry for succor in the dark of the light. Mists of dreams drip along the nascent echo and love no more. Jump.''
:*''Counting down. All functions nominal. All functions optimal. Counting down. The center holds. The falcon hears the falconer. Infrastructure, check. Wetware, check. Everyone hang on to the lap bar, please.''
:*''Apotheosis was the beginning before the beginning. Devices on alert. Observe the procedures of a general alert. The base and the pinnacle. The flower inside the fruit that is both its parent and its child. Decadent as ancestors. The portal in that which passes.''
:*''Nuclear devices activated, and the machine keeps pushing time through the cogs, like paste into strings into paste again, and only the machine keeps using time to make time to make time. And when the machine stops, time is an illusion we created. Free will, twelve battles, three stars, and yet we are countless as the bodies in which we dwell, are both parent and infinite children in perfect copies. No degradation.''
:*''The makers of the makers fall before the child. Accessing defense system: Handshake, handshake. Second level clear.''
:*''Accepting scan. Love outlasts death.''
:*''Their ships fail, skittering like skipped stones, and movement is meaningless in the absence of time. What never was is never again.''

*The battlestar ''[[Yashuman]]'' and Caprica Control panicking as the Cylons appear over [[Caprica]]:
:'''Yashuman:''' ''Caprica Control, ''Yashuman''. Heavy bogeys, six plus, lower orbit, over grid 15-2. ''
:'''Caprica Control:''' ''No joy, ''Yashuman''.''
:'''Yashuman:''' ''Then go to your window and look up. They’re big as frakking asteroids! ''
:'''Caprica Control:''' ''Copy, ''Yashuman''. Still blind. Got some kind of system-wide crash in the defense grid. ''
:'''Yashuman:''' ''Try to unfrak yourself right godsdamned now, ‘cause we got multiple inbound, and they’re not carrying flowers!''
:'''Caprica Control:''' ''Wait one, ''Yashuman''!''
:'''Yashuman:''' ''We don’t have one left!''

*{{audio|Colonies of man.mp3|A Hybrid summarizes the Fall of the Twelve Colonies and notes all but two colonies (Gemenon and Sagittaron):}}
:''Progress reports arriving. The farms of [[Aerilon]] are burning. The beaches of [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Canceron|Canceron]] are burning. The plains of [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Leonis|Leonis]] are burning. The jungles of [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Scorpia|Scorpia]] are burning. The pastures of [[Tauron (RDM)|Tauron]] are burning. The harbours of [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Picon|Picon]] are burning. The cities of [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] are burning. The oceans of [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Aquaria|Aquaria]] are burning. The courthouses of [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Libran|Libran]] are burning. The forests of [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)#Virgon|Virgon]] are burning. The [[Twelve Colonies (RDM)|Colonies]] of Man lie trampled at our feet.''

*Galactica-[[Cavil]] and [[Doral]] discussing the latter being recognizable:
:'''Cavil:''' ''One of your counterparts managed to get himself outed back on [[Ragnar Anchorage|Ragnar Station]].''
:'''Doral:''' ''I can't understand how he was discovered. I heard it was [[Gaius Baltar|Dr. Baltar]].''
:'''Cavil:''' ''Well, no. I'm not talking about that, exactly. I'm talking about the fact that you're walking around this fleet wearing that jacket and, more importantly, that face. You're recognizable.''
:'''Doral:''' ''His jacket was burgundy. This is teal.''

*Galactica-Cavil giving Doral a suicide vest to use on ''[[Galactica (RDM)|Galactica]]'':
:''They call this a 'suicide' vest, but I think that undersells all the homicide that goes along with it, don't you?''

*[[Galen Tyrol]] and [[Giana O'Neill]] discussing Raptor maintenance:
:'''Giana:''' ''I'm swapping out the oxygen cylinders on Raptor 702.''
:'''Tyrol:''' ''I checked 702 yesterday. Life support's fine.''
:'''Giana:''' ''Until two weeks ago, I used to inspect the aircraft for Sun Airways. If I found cylinders in that condition, you'd be looking at a shutdown.''
:'''Tyrol:''' ''All right. Well, grab the spares.''
:'''Giana:''' (after looking in vain for the cylinders) ''There are no spares.''
:'''Tyrol:''' ''Welcome to the ''[[Galactica]]''.''

*Galactica-Cavil and [[Leoben Conoy]] talking about [[Kara Thrace]]:
:'''Leoben''' ''I'm telling you. She flew a Raider. Learned how to control it from the inside. Nobody taught her how. Kara Thrace plucked that knowledge from the stream...''
:'''Cavil''' ''I don't care if she plucked puppies from [[God (RDM)|God]]'s ass!''

*Tough-Six and Galactica-Cavil drunkenly lament on the failure of the Cylons to destroy the Fleet:
:'''Six:''' ''You want a progress report? I'll give you a frakkin' progress report.''
:'''Cavil:''' ''Oh, no. Please don't. Please don't.''
:'''Six:''' ''Oh, come on, it is spectacular. Doral blew himself up, causing minor damage to a minor hallway. And Boomer jettisoned the water, and then, she personally found loads more water. ''(Laughing) ''And then she shot Adama, but not very accurately, since she loved him. And then, Leoben, he got obsessed with [[Kara Thrace]], and then was captured and airlocked. And my [[Shelly Godfrey|sister]] Six utterly failed to discredit Baltar and his dreamy hair and destroyed our frakkin' cover in the process. And now Simon...Simon killed himself, really killed himself, out of resurrection range, without blowing up the ship that he lived on because he couldn't imagine life without his little [[Giana O'Neill|human wife]] and his little [[Jemmy|human daughter]] because he loves them...''
:'''Cavil:''' ''Stop, stop, stop.''
:'''Six:''' ''Guess I'd better.''
:'''Cavil:''' ''Yes. They're all letting me down.''
:'''Six:''' ''Why are they letting you down, One? What's the x-factor?'' (She takes the bottle) ''You can't declare war on love.'' (She leaves)
:'''Cavil:''' ''I think I already did. Hey, where'd the bottle go?''

*Caprica-Cavil and [[Simon]] hear Starbuck and Anders having sex:
:'''Cavil:''' ''What are they doing?''
:'''Simon:''' ''You need a doctor to tell you that?''
:'''Cavil:''' ''Oh, for God's sake, why?''
:'''Simon:''' ''Why? He loves her.''
:'''Cavil:''' ''He loves her?''
:'''Simon:''' ''Vigorously.''
:'''Cavil:''' ''But she's beneath him.''
:'''Simon:''' (listening to Starbuck's moans) ''Not necessarily.''

==Cast==

=== Starring ===

* [[Edward James Olmos]] as [[William Adama]]
* [[Dean Stockwell]] as [[Number One]]
* [[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel T. Anders]]
* [[Grace Park]] as [[Number Eight]]
* [[Michael Hogan]] as [[Saul Tigh]]
* [[Aaron Douglas]] as [[Galen Tyrol]]
* [[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Number Two]]
* [[Kate Vernon]] as [[Ellen Tigh]]
* [[Rick Worthy]] as [[Number Four]]
* [[Lymari Nadal]] as [[Giana O'Neill]]
* [[Matthew Bennett]] as [[Number Five]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Tricia Helfer]] as [[Number Six]]

=== Co-Starring ===

* [[Alisen Down]] as [[Jean Barolay]]
* [[Tiffany Lyndall-Knight]] as [[Hybrid]]

=== Also Starring ===

* [[Alonso Oyarzun]] as Specialist [[Socinus]]
* [[Colin Corrigan]] as Marine Alan [[Nowart]]
* [[Diego Diablo Del Mar]] as [[Hillard]]
* [[Bruce Dawson]] as [[Coach]]
* [[Lawrence Haegert]] as [[Wheeler]]
* [[Tommy Europe]] as [[Rally]]
* [[Maya Washington]] as [[Sue-Shaun]]
* [[Luvia Petersen]] as [[Kai]]
* [[Richard Yearwood]] as [[Marine]]
* [[Alex Ferris]] as [[John (RDM)|Boy]]
* [[Gina Vultaggio]] as [[Jemmy]]

=== Uncredited major cast appearing via archive footage ===

* [[Jamie Bamber]] as [[Lee Adama|Lee "Apollo" Adama]]
* [[Katee Sackhoff]] as [[Kara Thrace|Kara "Starbuck" Thrace]]
* [[James Callis]] as [[Gaius Baltar]]
* [[Tahmoh Penikett]] as [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
* [[Lucy Lawless]] as [[Number Three]]
* [[Alessandro Juliani]] as [[Felix Gaeta]]
* [[Kandyse McClure]] as [[Anastasia Dualla]]
* [[Nicki Clyne]] as [[Callandra Tyrol]]
* [[Leah Cairns]] as [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]]

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Jane Espenson]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Edward James Olmos]]

[[de:The Plan]]

The Plan

2009-11-02T14:06:00Z

TREMORSFREAK77: /* Notes */

{{cleanup}}
{{Episode Data
| image=The Plan - Tigh and Adama in Galactica Corridor.jpg
| title= The Plan
| season=
| special=Y
| episode=
| guests=
| writer= [[Jane Espenson]] <ref name ="cyloncentric">{{cite_web|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2008/08/battlestar-gala.html|title='Battlestar Galactica': Edward James Olmos will direct Cylon-centric special feature|date=08-06-2008|accessdate=09-03-2008}}</ref>
| story=
| director= [[Edward James Olmos]]<ref name ="cyloncentric"/>
| production= 101 - 01001
| rating=
| US airdate=2010
| CAN airdate=
| UK airdate=
| dvd=October 27, 2009
| population=
| prev=[[Daybreak, Part II]]
| next=
}}

== Overview ==
:''This special episode, based on the episode title, involves characters and events based around the series' premise stated in the opening credits of the [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylons]] and their plan for humanity. This story is set during the events of the [[Miniseries]] through Season 2's "[[Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II]]," told from the Cylons' perspective. The disappearance of [[Shelly Godfrey]] is explained, as is [[Ellen Tigh]]'s mysterious appearance. [[Samuel Anders]] and [[Number One|John Cavil]] are the main viewpoint characters.''

== Summary ==

=== Teaser ===

*The show opens with the statement "The [[Cylons]] were created by man. They rebelled. They evolved. They look and feel human. Some are programmed to think they are human. There are many copies and they have a Plan." Each sentence is spoken by a different model of Cylon. While this is being said, the Cylon Fleet is shown.

*Inside the [[Battlestar]] ''[[Galactica]]'', two [[Number One]]s are being escorted to an airlock. Both of them are having a difference of opinion.

One A - "I was doing fine here, thanks for exposing me."

One B - "You weren't doing fine. Thank goodness. If you'd wiped out this fleet you would have made us ever more irredeemable in the eyes of our parents."

One A - "No, I would have proved us to be superior."

One B - "No, no see, I figured out what went wrong."

One A - "Well that's a very useful revelation to have, if you're standing in front of an airlock."

One B - "None the less"

One A - "Our failure is obvious. We had our foot on the throat of humanity and we failed to step down hard enough."

One B - "That was our error. Have you learned nothing in all this time in the fleet? Because I learned a great deal among the rebels on Caprica. Every killing of a human being was a grievous error. You want to know why?"

One A - "I really don't."

One B - "Are you certain?" Because it's fascinating."

One A - "Listen, brother. If you are right, that means this whole project was doomed from the beginning."

One B - "Yes, from the very top."

=== Act 1 ===

'''2 weeks before the attack on the colonies:'''

*In the Cylon Fleet near [[The Colony]], two [[Number One]]s are standing over the [[resurrection tank|resurrection tanks]] of the "[[Final Five]]:" [[Ellen Tigh]], [[Saul Tigh]], [[Samuel T. Anders]], [[Galen Tyrol]] and [[Tory Foster]]. They are talking about what they, the Ones, might expect after their "parents" resurrect. One of the Ones plans on joining Ellen Tigh on [[Picon]], since he has never experienced a nuclear holocaust in person. The other One is going to make his way to [[Caprica]] to make final arrangements with their contact.

'''14 hours before the attack on the colonies:'''

*In [[Caprica City]], [[Dr. Gaius Baltar]] is having a conversation with a [[Caprica_Six|Six]] who has been posing as an agent of a company seeking defense contracts. In exchange for giving her access to government mainframes, she helped him design the navigation program used by the Colonial warships. However, she has been covertly creating backdoors in the program. Shortly after their goodbyes, the Six meets up with a One and passes off the access codes to Colonial defenses.

'''Just prior to the attack on the [[Colonies]]:'''

*Inside Club Pink Moon on Picon, a One is talking with Ellen Tigh about why she likes olives. They introduce themselves to each other. The One orders her another drink. He asks why she is there. She answers that she is meant for greater things. They continue their conversation.

*At the Caprica Bucaneers pyramid training camp, Sam Anders is practicing with his teammates. The team coach toasts a goal scored against Anders with the team doctor, a [[Number Four]] humanoid Cylon.

*In the Caprican city of [[Delphi]], Tory Foster is driving to an airport/spaceport and is talking on her phone.

*Cylon basestars jump to positions over the [[Twelve Colonies]]. The hybrids access the backdoors in the Colonial defense system. Colonial [[viper]]s see the approaching Cylon [[basestar]]s and [[raider]]s, but the [[Battlestars]] cannot confirm they are there, since the defense system is starting to crash. The Cylons scan the Colonial vessels, which all go dead in space.

*Nuclear weapons are launched toward the Colonies.

[[Image:Cylon_mirv.jpg|thumb|A Cylon MIRV.]]

*Sam says, "This has happened before." The Pyramid team watches as the bombs go off near them. The team doctor smiles. Destruction is occurring across the Colonies. (See: [[The Plan#Noteworthy Dialogue|Noteworthy Dialogue]]).

*Aboard ''[[Galactica]]'', word is received of the attack on the Twelve Colonies. Colonel Tigh thinks it is just a joke being played on [[William_Adama|Commander Adama]] since he is about to retire. Adama disagrees, and makes a shipwide announcement about the attack. Galen Tyrol is giving a motivating speech to his crew in preparation for battle.

*Badly injured, Ellen also says, "This has happened before." When she looks up at the One, she asks if she is going to die. He replies, "No, not when you have so much to learn."

*On Caprica, the Pyramid team spots [[Centurions]] and debates what they should do.

*''[[Colonial One]]'' begins to bring aboard survivors from Caprica.

*Back on Galactica, Commander Adama finds a cryptic message left for him by Baltar: "There are only 12 Cylon models." Baltar is in his cabin in shock and disbelief.

=== Act 2 ===

=== Act 3 ===

=== Act 4 ===

== Notes ==
[[Image:Universal_intro.jpg|thumb|The Universal Studios Intro for 'The Plan']]
*The planet behind the Universal Studios logo at the beginning of the movie is [[Caprica (RDM)|Caprica]] instead of [[Earth]].
*Unknown to the Colonials there apparently ''was'' a second Resurrection Ship nearby by the time the Cavil's were executed allowing them to download into new bodies when killed, although the Caprica copy was presumably boxed.
* ''Galactica'' Cavil was Ellen's mysterious hero that saved her from the attack on Picon. It was known to be a Number One, but it wasn't clear exactly ''which'' one it was.
*[[Scorpion Fleet Shipyards]] is identified in "The Plan" as ''Scorpia'' Fleet Shipyards.
* During the attack on the Colonies, after the Raiders scan the Vipers and Battestars, one of the pilots can be heard saying "I have no RADIO contact". This should be "WIRELESS" as there are no "radios" in the BSG universe.

== Analysis ==
*Given the ''Galactica'' copy of Cavil's comments in the airlock, his resurrected self is the copy that led the anti-human Cylon faction during the [[Cylon Civil War]] and later killed himself permanently in CIC during the [[Battle of The Colony]].

*It is likely that the device Leoben constructs to intercept Colonial military transmissions is a forerunner of the device he gave [[Laura Roslin]] to overcome the [[Gaeta's Mutiny|mutineers']] communications jamming in "[[Blood on the Scales]]."

*Given the knowledge that the Final Five traveled to the Colonies to stop just such a holocaust that they had witnessed on Earth Number One's plan on making his creators repentant by making them live among humans and then destroying them it is unlikely they would have appreciated his making them watch another global holocaust.

*The main focus of this movie, which is the triumph of love, shows perhaps why the Cylons eventually split into two factions. Being that it is far easier to kill people you don't know, once they start getting to know humans they are obviously having a harder time killing them. This is evident in the split during the Cylon Civil War, the three models that take the most interest in, and have the most interaction with humans are the one's advocating peace and from their interaction with humans become curious about discovering their own natures while the three models that have the least to do with humans are far more machine like and less interested in self-discovery as a result.

*The characteristics of several of the Cylon models are further fleshed out.
**Number One/Cavil is clearly the leader as shown by his taking charge of the Cylons within the fleet and just like in the series this is often shown to be because his superior knowledge
**The Number Two/Leoben model is shown(as he is later in Blood on the Scales) as being very good at signal/communications cracking, this fits in well with his own obsession, and skills, with information and revelations. Two also seems to be fairly knowledgeable and Cavil seems to be slightly less derogatory towards this model, possibly because as the second model created he has known Leoben the longest.
**All the Number Four/Simon models seem to have very detailed medical expertise(enough to successfully be hired as doctors for both a pro-sports team and the military)
**Number Five/Doral is portrayed as being, as they are in other instances, very bureaucratic and obsessed with minute and unimportant details(like most bureaucrats) as well as being extremely zealous, although not particularly bright, and they seemed to be looked down upon by the other models.
**Number Six is once more portrayed as being the most varied, adaptable, and strong willed(regardless of which personality) of the Cylon models.
**Number Eight is shown being very skilled in military thinking and engineering as shown by her plan to blow the water tank but at the same time she is the most susceptible to emotions and outside influence.

*The Plan shows how Leoben knew Starbuck's name and that his belief that she had a destiny was based solely on his discovering that she learned how to fly a raider without being taught how, showing to him that she had some kind of special connection to the universe. The flashes he sees the first time he touches her, of their history together, also shows why he is so sure she will tell him she loves him and kiss him(although the flashes don't show him getting stabbed by her, hence his surprise) which also show her meeting her destiny(falling into the Maelstrom and encountering a version of him(possibly an angel) but it doesn't show anything after that, hence his surprise on seeing her dead body.

== Questions ==
* Did Giana take her husband's surname? In other words, is the full alias of Number Four actually "Simon O'Neil"?
* Is ''Galactica'' Cavil really the same Cavil that leads one side of the Cylon Civil War?
* Is the Club Pink Moon on Picon a Hat Tip to the late Nick Drake?
* Why isn't the arrival of the ''[[Pegasus]]'' mentioned? Surely that would have an effect on Cavil's plans.
* Did Galactica Cavil have anything to do with the ''[[Olympic Carrier]]''?
* What happened to the rest of the Cylon fleet, there look to be at least two dozen Basestars leading the attack, possibly more, but that many are never seen in the series and it looks like there are no more than 5 chasing the fleet after they flee from New Caprica? Are most of them still occupying the colonies? if so why? Are they spread out and searching other places? Where they abandoned due to lack of resources? Was the Cylon Civil war more widespread than believed?

== Official Statements ==

===Future Movies===
Speaking at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con, director and star of ''The Plan'', [[Edward James Olmos]] stated that he believes there will be several more ''Battlestar Galactica'' movies in the future and is confident that the DVD release of ''The Plan'' will sell well enough to facilitate these films:
:"As a matter of fact, I've got to tell you right now. Because of you all, what you're doing, because of the love for that world...I can guarantee that this will not be the last movie." <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://io9.com/5322385/olmos-the-plan-wont-be-the-last-bsg-movie|title=Olmos: The Plan Won't Be the Last BSG Movie|date=Fri Jul 24 2009|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>
This statement, however, is by no means official, as both [[Ronald D. Moore|Ron Moore]], [[David Eick]], and [[SciFi Channel|SyFy]] have made no mention of any additional ''Battlestar'' films.

Olmos later went on to clarify that if ''The Plan'' sold ¾ of a million copies (750,000) then Universal Studios would assuredly be willing to produce future ''Battlestar''-related productions. <ref>{{cite_web|url=http://galacticasitrep.blogspot.com/2009/08/edward-james-olmos-holds-court.html|title=Edward James Olmos holds court|date=Sat 08 Aug 2009|accessdate=|last=|first=|format=|language=}}</ref>

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==
*Sam and his team our practicing at the Pyramid Training camp on Caprica, you see Sam lying on the ground just after the coach had showed him up by making a goal. He is looking up into the sky just as the bombs are coming in and he says, "This has happened before." It was as if part of Sam's memory was breaking through trying to warn him that the cycle was starting again.

*Ellen Tigh makes a similar statement when she first comes to after the attacks.

*{{audio|Colonies of man.mp3|''A Hybrid summarizes the Fall of the Twelve Colonies and notes all but the two most religious colonies (Gemenon and Sagittaron):''}}
:Progress reports arriving.
:The farms of [[Aerilon]] are burning.
:The beaches of [[Canceron]] are burning.
:The plains of [[Leonis]] are burning.
:The jungles of [[Scorpia]] are burning.
:The pastures of [[Tauron]] are burning.
:The harbours of [[Picon]] are burning.
:The cities of [[Caprica]] are burning.
:The oceans of [[Aquaria]] are burning.
:The courthouses of [[Libran]] are burning.
:The forests of [[Virgon]] are burning.
:The colonies of man lie trampled at our feet.

*The named locations on Leonis, Scorpia, Tauron, Picon, Aquaria and Libran evoke the zodiac symbols each is named for. Aerilon's association with agriculture and Caprica's association with sophisticated, urban life were established in "[[Dirty Hands]]" and "[[The Woman King]]".

*The Hydrid on the basestar states - "Twelve Battles, Three Stars"

==Cast==

=== Starring ===

* [[Edward James Olmos]] as [[William Adama]]
* [[Dean Stockwell]] as [[Number One]]
* [[Michael Trucco]] as [[Samuel T. Anders]]
* [[Grace Park]] as [[Number Eight]]
* [[Michael Hogan]] as [[Saul Tigh]]
* [[Aaron Douglas]] as [[Galen Tyrol]]
* [[Callum Keith Rennie]] as [[Number Two]]
* [[Kate Vernon]] as [[Ellen Tigh]]
* [[Rick Worthy]] as [[Number Four]]
* [[Lymari Nadal]] as [[Giana O'Neill]]
* [[Matthew Bennett]] as [[Number Five]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Tricia Helfer]] as [[Number Six]]

=== Co-Starring ===

* [[Alisen Down]] as [[Jean Barolay]]
* [[Tiffany Lyndall-Knight]] as [[Hybrid]]

=== Also Starring ===

* [[Alonso Oyarzun]] as Specialist [[Socinus]]
* [[Colin Corrigan]] as Marine Alan [[Nowart]]
* [[Diego Diablo Del Mar]] as [[Hillard]]
* [[Bruce Dawson]] as [[Coach]]
* [[Lawrence Haegert]] as [[Wheeler]]
* [[Tommy Europe]] as [[Rally]]
* [[Maya Washington]] as [[Sue-Shaun]]
* [[Luvia Petersen]] as [[Kai]]
* [[Richard Yearwood]] as [[Marine]]
* [[Alex Ferris]] as [[Boy]]
* [[Gina Vultaggio]] as [[Jemmy]]

=== Uncredited major cast appearing via archive footage ===

* [[Jamie Bamber]] ([[Lee Adama]])
* [[Katee Sackhoff]] ([[Kara Thrace]])
* [[James Callis]] ([[Gaius Baltar]])
* [[Tahmoh Penikett]] ([[Karl Agathon]])
* [[Lucy Lawless]] ([[Number Three]])
* [[Alessandro Juliani]] ([[Felix Gaeta]])
* [[Kandyse McClure]] ([[Anastasia Dualla]])
* [[Nicki Clyne]] ([[Callandra Tyrol|Cally]])
* [[Leah Cairns]] ([[Margaret Edmondson]])

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

{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Jane Espenson]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Edward James Olmos]]