: ''This episode is also known under its draft title, "Secrets and Lies". Its official title is "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down".''
{{Episode Data
| image =bsg-1-09.jpg
| title=Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down
| series=
| season=1
| episode=9
| guests=
| writer=[[Jeff Vlaming]]
| story=
| director=[[Edward James Olmos]]
| production=109
| rating= 2.1
| US airdate=2005-03-04
| UK airdate=2004-12-13
| dvd= {{Season 1 NTSC DVD release date}} '''US''' {{Season 1 PAL DVD release date}} '''UK'''
| population= 47905
| oldpopulation= 47954
| prev=[[Flesh and Bone]]
| next=[[The Hand of God (RDM)|The Hand of God]]
| podcast=Y
}}

== Overview ==

: ''[[Saul Tigh|Colonel Tigh's]] world is turned upside down when [[Ellen Tigh|his wife]] arrives on ''[[Galactica]]'' -- but is she all she claims to be?''

== Summary ==
* [[Laura Roslin]] comes aboard ''[[Galactica]]'' as [[William Adama|Adama]] receives a report that [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar’s]] [[Cylon detector]] is operational.
* Unable to shake off [[Leoben Conoy|Conoy’s]] words to her ([[Flesh and Bone]]), she wants Adama to take the test first; he reluctantly agrees.
* When a lone [[Cylon Raider]] shows up, [[Lee Adama]] is ordered to intercept, and [[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] is stunned to learn Adama is off-ship.
* The Raider is crippled, and a [[Raptor]] is dispatched to gather intel on it, particularly how its [[FTL]] drive operates.
* Adama returns to ''Galactica'' on a [[Raptor]] with a further shock for Tigh: his wife, [[Ellen Tigh|Ellen]].
* Roslin calls Baltar to check on the progress of Adama’s Cylon test – only to find Adama has cancelled so that a woman called “Ellen” can be tested. Roslin orders Baltar to restart Adama’s test immediately.
* Roslin summons Tigh to ''[[Colonial One]]'', reveals her suspicions regarding Adama, and challenges a defensive Tigh over Adama’s behavior in leaving ''Galactica'' unannounced.
* Tigh takes the wind out of Roslin’s sails when he states Adama was off-ship so he could collect Tigh’s missing wife.
* After Tigh has left her office, Roslin calls Baltar and orders him to stop Adama’s test and resume Ellen’s.
* Later, at a dinner in Adama’s quarters, Ellen behaves with a mixture of her old self – trying to play footsie with Lee Adama under the table, and trying to flirt with him over the table – and a strange curiosity concerning [[Earth]].
* Adama deflects her probing by asking how it could be that she got aboard a ship, the ''[[Rising Star (RDM)|Rising Star]]'', without anyone having any knowledge of her or of treating her during her alleged 3 weeks of being unconscious.
* Ellen simply shrugs off the questions in her apparently drunken state and breaks up the party with her “drunken” playing.
* As she and her husband return to their quarters, they encounter Baltar, with whom she openly flirts, both annoying Tigh and raising [[Number Six|Six]]’s curiosity.
* After Baltar has departed, Ellen deflects her husband’s anger at her behavior by claiming Adama wants her, then dragging Tigh after Baltar.
* In Baltar’s lab, a row is brewing over the various tests that should have been carried out; things become more complicated when Tigh and his wife arrive, and the disagreements and suspicions become a three-way argument, which is broken up when Adama, Lee and Tigh are summoned to [[CIC]].
* The Cylon Raider has stopped behaving oddly, and is on a collision course for ''Galactica''. [[Alert Fighters]] are dispatched at Tigh’s order, and the Raider is destroyed.
* Later, back in Baltar’s lab, Ellen’s test results come through and are apparently green. Baltar, however simply states to Six that having everything turn up green makes life a lot easier.

=== On Caprica: ===
*[[Karl Agathon|Helo]] and [[Sharon Valerii (Caprica copy)|Valerii]] are trying to avoid the Cylons by running through the storm drains under a city.
*Valerii has a plan -- she claims to have overheard the Cylons discussing a huge base at [[Delphi]], she believes they can steal a ship from there and get off the planet.
*[[Aaron Doral|Doral]] and [[Number Six|Six]] are definitely affected by the fact that even though Valerii has run off, she is experiencing emotions they have never had -- as is Helo.

== Questions ==
*Is [[Ellen Tigh]] a [[Humanoid Cylon|Cylon]]? ([[Exodus, Part II|Probable Answer]])
*What is [[Gaius Baltar|Baltar]] hoping to gain from keeping the test results secret?
**Answer: The official season 1 companion book explains this more fully. Basically, Baltar does not know if the Cylons in the Fleet are capable of communicating with each other. That's why in "[[Flesh and Bone]]" he didn't call in the Marines to grab Sharon as soon as she left his lab; if he reveals one or two of the Cylons, while more are still at large, he is afraid that the others will then target him for assassination. More or less, Baltar's plan is to screen out as many people as he can to find all of the Cylons, and then reveal them in one fell swoop. Even if they don't possess a communications net they might just realize his Cylon detector works if one of their number like Boomer is revealed by the test; he wants them to think it doesn't really work. Alternatively, as it might take years to test the entire Fleet, Baltar would do what he will do later on in "[[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]]"; find one Cylon, then interrogate it to find out who the other Cylons are, etc. For the moment, he is biding his time.
** This does not, however, account for Six's apparent ignorance of whether or not Ellen is a Cylon. If her question on this to Baltar was not purely rhetorical, and if she does not know, what does this say about her nature? At the very least, it would indicate that she is not privy to all that Baltar does and knows. This has implications for her precise nature, what activates her appearances, and what happens when she is dormant.

== Analysis ==
*Could Ellen Tigh be a Cylon? ''See [[Humanoid Cylon speculation#Ellen Tigh?|Humanoid Cylon speculation]]''.
**In light of events in [[Exodus, Part II]], her likelihood of being a Cylon is all but ruled out unless she is a copy of one of the "Final Five" unseen models. The likely explanation is that she is just a very blatant red herring.
*Continuing from the previous episode, Caprica-Sharon now seems to be honestly trying to lead Helo away from the Cylons and truly escape.
*This is the first mention of the city of [[Delphi]] and Helo's hostile reaction to the news of its being used as a Cylon hub. Plausibly the emotional reaction is due to Delphi being a spiritual center for the Twelve Colonies.
*The test apparently takes 11 hours to generate results (although Boomer’s result in “Flesh and Bone” was obtained in far less time than this – "a couple of minutes", according to Baltar, and about 60 seconds of screen-time.)
**Baltar claims in [[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]] that he allowed Boomer to believe she was human "for [his] own purposes". Does he have the ability to determine other Cylon infiltrators in a much shorter timeframe than he chooses to admit in this episode? Perhaps he was just going through the math in his head - but then why the half-serious jokes about suicide as he contemplates the task?
*Perhaps a "positive" result with a real Cylon takes much less time, but it takes 11 hours to be definitely sure someone isn't a Cylon.
*Is it possible that the Cylon Raider is there to transmit instructions to other Cylons within the fleet? In [[Final Cut]], we see that they can receive messages from their agents.
**In a deleted scene, they mention that they noticed a high-frequency burst which could have been a Cylon within the fleet sending out a signal, but they couldn't track which ship it came from.

== Notes ==
*The script was originally called "Secrets and Lies". However, "'''Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down'''" is the official title for the episode, according to [[Ronald D. Moore]].
*It is 3 days since the events of "[[Flesh and Bone]]".
*There are now 47,905 survivors in the fleet, a loss of 49 since "Flesh and Bone". Compared to other casualty figures in the first season, this is unusually high for a three-day period.
**Are Boomer (tested last episode) and Baltar himself included in this figure?
*Colonel Tigh's drinking problem became drastically worse because of his wife's infidelity and their divorce.
*Billy’s relationship with Dualla is picking up, despite his attempts to pump her for information
*Baltar apparently has no intention of being honest about the results of his Cylon tests.
*''Galactica'' has a forward [[observation deck|observation lounge]] that has become a much sought-after trysting-place, with individuals and couples rotated through it at regular intervals.
*The Cylons have established a major base at [[Delphi]], another major city on Caprica.
*Helo curses the Cylons for choosing Delphi as their base.
*The opera music that Baltar is listening to in his lab while talking to and getting intimate with Number Six is titled "Battlestar Operatica", and was written and composed by [[Bear McCreary]]. It is sung in Italian, and directly relates to Baltar's situation. The lyrics translate: "Woe upon your Cylon heart / There's a toaster in your head/ And it wears high heels / Number Six calls to you / The Cylon Detector beckons / Your girlfriend is a toaster / Woe upon your Cylon heart / Alas, disgrace! Alas, sadness and misery! / The toaster has a pretty dress / Red like its glowing spine / Number Six whispers / By your command" (translation given in the liner notes for the Season 1 soundtrack, reposted [[Soundtrack (Season 1)#Lyrics and Translations|on this page]], with permission).
*[[Edward James Olmos]], who portrays [[William Adama]], also directed this episode. He was originally to direct "[[Flesh and Bone]]" but could not do so due to scheduling conflicts.

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

* ''As Commamder Adama and Laura Roslin talk in the CIC:''

:Commander Adama: Madame President, we are the proud owners of the universe's first bona fide Cylon detector.
:Laura Roslin: Well, that is great news. So... when do we begin?
:Commander Adama: Doctor Baltar would like to start widespread testing as soon as possible, but there are some serious limitations, because he can only do one person at a time and verification takes hours.
:Laura Roslin: So, who's going to go first?
:Commander Adama: (thinking for a second) The test... right. I think people in sensitive positions should go first.
:Laura Roslin: I completely agree. How about you?
:Commander Adama: Excuse me?
:Laura Roslin: If you're a Cylon, I'd like to know.
:Commander Adama: If I'm a Cylon, you're really screwed.
:(Adama and Roslin both start laughing)
:Laura Roslin: Seriously, I do think you should go first. Show everyone in the fleet that they can trust the people at the top.
:Commander Adama: Well then, maybe YOU should go first. (silence) All right... I'll go first.

* ''As Commander Adama, Colonel Tigh, Ellen Tigh, Apollo, and Laura Roslin are eating dinner:''
:Ellen Tigh: So Bill, now the question on everyone's mind -- and, I do mean everyone -- is "Where's Earth?" and "When are we going to get there?"
:Commander Adama: Yeah... that's classified information.
:Ellen Tigh: Oh, there's that word again!
:Colonel Tigh: Ellen, leave the man alone.
:Ellen Tigh: Come on! If there aren't privileges to being an XO's wife, then what's the point? I mean, Bill, we're all family here, so come on!
:Laura Roslin: The need for secrecy is paramount, Ellen. Oh, I'm sorry. Perhaps you don't know that the Cylons look like us now.
:Ellen Tigh: Oh... that. Yes. Yes, I knew that.
:Laura Roslin: It's recent news. Most people just found out a few days ago.
:Ellen Tigh: (thinking) A thing like that would travel fast.
:Commander Adama: Any one of us could be a Cylon.
:(the entire table goes silent)
:Ellen Tigh: BOO!
:(everyone jumps in their seat, but Ellen and Saul start laughing)

== Official Statements ==

*"'Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down' was originally called 'Secrets and Lies', or 'Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down' by Jeff Vlaming. And when I saw those titles on the script, I knew we had to go with 'Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down'. It was too good. Too good a title to let lie on the cutting room floor." -- Ronald D. Moore [[podcast]]
*"'Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down' began life as a very different episode than it ultimately came out to be. It was originally going to be a riff on 'Crimson Tide'." -- Ronald D. Moore [[podcast]]
*"It did feel right that, perhaps, there was one place; that perhaps there was one area of the ship, which accepted a window or a port to look out and that it would be a fairly confined space for the crew on these very long, deep space missions that probably lasted months, if not years. And that there might be a place where they can go to and just stargaze. And in this situation, it seemed like there would be a lot of people lining up to try and look out at the stars, you know, a break from the monotony of staring at metal walls." -- Ronald D. Moore [[podcast]], talking about the observation area of the ''[[Galactica]]''
*"The long and the short of it was that we had just come out of a very heavy, very dark, very [[Flesh and Bone|disturbing episode]]. And the very next episode was supposed to be 'Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down' which was all about a very disturbing, very dark, very (sort of) unhappy episode where our two -- two of our lead characters started pointing guns at one another. So there came a point when I just decided, well, let's just punt. Let's not do the dark and brooding episode. Let's try a different tone. Let's see if the show can withstand something lighter. Let's try something that's closer to a comedy, or as close to a comedy as ''Galactica'' can withstand." -- Ronald D. Moore [[podcast]]

== Guest stars ==
*[[Michael Hogan]] as Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]
*[[Aaron Douglas]] as Chief [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Tahmoh Penikett]] as Lt. [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
*[[Kandyse McClure]] as Petty Officer [[Anastasia Dualla]]
*[[Paul Campbell]] as [[Billy Keikeya]]
*[[Alessandro Juliani]] as Lt. [[Felix Gaeta]]
*[[Kate Vernon]] as [[Ellen Tigh]]
*[[Matthew Bennett]] as [[Aaron Doral]]
*[[Alex Green]] as Deckhand

{{episode list (RDM season 1)}}

[[Category:Episodes written by Jeff Vlaming]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Edward James Olmos]]
[[Category:RDM]]

[[de:Ellen]]
[[es:Una Sorpresa para Tigh]]
[[fr:Le Retour d'Hélène]]

Water

2007-04-11T12:47:22Z

Telek: /* Summary */

{{Episode Data
| image =Water3.jpg
| title=Water
| series=
| season=1
| episode=2
| guests=
| writer=[[Ronald D. Moore]]
| story=
| director=[[Marita Grabiak]]
| production=102
| rating= 2.6
| US airdate=2005-01-14
| UK airdate=2004-10-25
| dvd= {{Season 1 NTSC DVD release date}} '''US''' {{Season 1 PAL DVD release date}} '''UK'''
| population= 47958
| oldpopulation= 50298
| prev=[[33]]
| next=[[Bastille Day]]
}}

== Overview ==

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

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

===On Caprica===

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

== Questions ==

*Is Boomer completely unaware of her "Cylon" personality, which apparently planted the explosives? ([[Resistance (episode)|Answer]])
*Is the radio message picked-up by Helo on Caprica genuine, or a Cylon fake, designed to keep him on the planet? ([[Act of Contrition|Answer]])
*Do the Colonials have food recycling capabilities to match their water recycling capabilities? ([[The Passage|Possible answer]])
*Why do the Cylons want to keep Helo on Caprica? ([[Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II|Answer 1]], [[The Farm|Answer 2]])

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

== Notes ==

=== Episode Notes ===

*This is the only episode to date to feature the deck crew's white EVA suits.
*''Galactica'' has at least 5 Raptors on board.
*Colonials have an equivalent plastic explosive to C-4 (called [[G-4]]).
*The Cylons have stood down from their attacks in "[[33]]".
*[[Saul Tigh|Tigh]] states that only three Marines know that the Cylons look human. [[Crashdown]]'s comment to [[Sharon]] in "33" indicates that at least one of them is responsible for leaking this information to others.

=== Production Notes ===

*When Season 1 premiered in the United States, "[[33]]" and "Water" aired back-to-back as a two hour TV event. This was also the case when [[Season 3 (2006-07)|Season 3]] first aired in the United States with the episodes "[[Occupation]]" and "[[Precipice]]".
*When the first few episodes of the series began airing on SciFi Channel, title cards were shown at the beginning of each episode, i.e. "33" or "Water" flashing in white letters on a black screen, and then the episode would begin. This stopped by mid-Season 1.
*Initially, the episode was to focus on a paper shortage in the Fleet.<ref>{{cite_book|last=Bassom|first=David|authorlink=|authorlinkurl=|coauthors=|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|pages=48|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|location=|id=ISBN 1-84576-0972}}</ref>
*According to [[Gary Hutzel]], the water tank was virtual set consisting of one wall and a ramp leading away from it.<ref>{{cite_book|last=Bassom|first=David|authorlink=|authorlinkurl=|coauthors=|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|pages=51|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|location=|id=ISBN 1-84576-0972}}</ref>

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

== Official Statements ==

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

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

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

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

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

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

* ''Moore discusses putting [[Sharon Valerii]]'s and [[Galen Tyrol|Chief Tyrol]]'s relationship in jeopardy:''
: At the start of the season, I intended to reveal things very slowly – Sharon was going to realize something was wrong over a longer period of time, and her relationship with Tyrol was going to be very solid. But when I got into "Water" I decided to speed things up by putting Sharon and her relationship with Tyrol in a crisis immediately.<ref>{{cite_book|last=Bassom|first=David|authorlink=|authorlinkurl=|coauthors=|year=2005|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|pages=50|editor=ed. Adam "Adama" Newell|publisher=Titan Books|location=|id=ISBN 1-84576-0972}}</ref>

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

== References ==

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

{{episode list (RDM season 1)}}

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

[[de:Wassermangel]]
[[es:Agua]]
[[fr:L'Eau]]

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