Battlestar Wiki - User contributions [en]

User:Unreal32

2006-01-25T00:00:18Z

Unreal32:

unreal32 is based out of Toronto, Canada. He enjoys the new Battlestar very much, but has never seen the original series.

[[Category: Wikipedians|unreal32]]

User talk:Unreal32

2006-01-24T23:54:17Z

Unreal32:

Welcome to the Wiki. Be sure to tell us a bit about yourself on your user page, and to read the [[Battlestar Wiki:Standards and Conventions]] project page, which details how we do things in terms of formatting and the like. I will edit your recent (and insightful) addition to the Technical Issues section of the [[Epiphanies]] article to relieve it of its conversational tone. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 18:05, 24 January 2006 (EST)

I appreciate your edits. I have revised the comments slightly to reflect that it is indeed quite probable that the radioactive sensors are intelligent systems that know which sources to ignore. --[[User:unreal32|unreal32]] 18:53, 24 January 2006 (EST)

Epiphanies

2006-01-24T23:51:05Z

Unreal32: /* Serious Technical and Storyline Issues */

{{Episode Data|
Image = [[Image:2BATejC05.jpg|300px]]
| Title= Epiphanies
| Series= [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|The Re-imagined Series]]
| Season= [[Season 2 (2005-06)|2]]
| Episode= 13
| Guests=[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Colm+Feore Colm Feore] ([[Richard Adar|President Adar]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Aaron+Douglas Aaron Douglas] ([[Galen Tyrol]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nicki+Clyne Nicki Clyne] ([[Cally]]) [[Bodie Olmos]] ([[Brendan Constanza|Hot Dog]]) [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm1382781/ Luciana Carro] ([[Louanne Katraine]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Leah+Cairns Leah Cairns] ([[Margaret Edmonson|Racetrack]]) David Richmond-Peck ([[Naylin Stans]]) Holly Dignard ([[Asha Janik]]) Paul Perri (Royan Jahee) Jennifer Kitchen (Marine)
| Writer=[[David Weddle]] & [[Bradley Thompson]]
| Story=
| Director=[[Rod Hardy]]
| Production=2.13
| Rating=
| US Airdate=January 20 2006
| UK Airdate=
| DVD=
| Population=49,598
| Prev= [[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]
| Next= [[Black Market]]
}}




== Overview ==

: ''Admiral [[William Adama]] questions whether or not [[Sharon Valerii]]'s pregnancy should be aborted. Meanwhile Roslin's health declines rapidly as a pro-Cylon peace group attempts to sow civil disobedience within the Fleet.''

== Summary ==

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

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

== Questions ==

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

== Analysis ==

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

===Serious Technical and Storyline Issues===

*Roslin's cancer cure was pure "deus ex machina." While many viewers may find Roslin's cure a necessary one as she has become a pivotal character in the show, the method of her cure leaves too many medical mistakes and is too easy of a cure.
*Cancer is not a viral disease, like AIDS or the common cold, but an invasive destruction of tissue by mutated cells, which usurp the function of healthy cells. For the cure to work the way it did would require it not only to destroy free-floating cells and metastasized tissue, but to ''repair'' any organs with healthy tissue.
*As cancer is not cureable here on Earth, for the show to invent a cure at the last minute may feel contrived by some.

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

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

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

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

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

Other technical issues abound in this episode.

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

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

== Notes ==

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

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

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

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

== Official Statements ==




{{Episode List}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Episode Guide (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Epiphanies

2006-01-24T21:47:14Z

Unreal32: /* Serious Technical and Storyline Issues */

{{Episode Data|
Image = [[Image:2BATejC05.jpg|300px]]
| Title= Epiphanies
| Series= [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|The Re-imagined Series]]
| Season= [[Season 2 (2005-06)|2]]
| Episode= 13
| Guests=[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Colm+Feore Colm Feore] ([[Richard Adar|President Adar]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Aaron+Douglas Aaron Douglas] ([[Galen Tyrol]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nicki+Clyne Nicki Clyne] ([[Cally]]) [[Bodie Olmos]] ([[Brendan Constanza|Hot Dog]]) [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm1382781/ Luciana Carro] ([[Louanne Katraine]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Leah+Cairns Leah Cairns] ([[Margaret Edmonson|Racetrack]]) David Richmond-Peck ([[Naylin Stans]]) Holly Dignard ([[Asha Janik]]) Paul Perri (Royan Jahee) Jennifer Kitchen (Marine)
| Writer=[[David Weddle]] & [[Bradley Thompson]]
| Story=
| Director=[[Rod Hardy]]
| Production=2.13
| Rating=
| US Airdate=January 20 2006
| UK Airdate=
| DVD=
| Population=49,598
| Prev= [[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]
| Next= [[Black Market]]
}}




== Overview ==

: ''Admiral [[William Adama]] questions whether or not [[Sharon Valerii]]'s pregnancy should be aborted. Meanwhile Roslin's health declines rapidly as a pro-Cylon peace group attempts to sow civil disobedience within the Fleet.''

== Summary ==

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

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

== Questions ==

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

== Analysis ==

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

===Serious Technical and Storyline Issues===

*Roslin's cancer cure was pure "deus ex machina." While many viewers may find Roslin's cure a necessary one as she has become a pivotal character in the show, the method of her cure leaves too many medical mistakes and is too easy of a cure.
*Cancer is not a viral disease, like AIDS or the common cold, but an invasive destruction of tissue by mutated cells, which usurp the function of healthy cells. For the cure to work the way it did would require it not only to destroy free-floating cells and metastasized tissue, but to ''repair'' any organs with healthy tissue.
*As cancer is not cureable here on Earth, for the show to invent a cure at the last minute may feel contrived by some.

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

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

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

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

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

Other technical issues abound in this episode.

*A nuclear warhead was smuggled from ''Galactica'' to ''Cloud Nine''. How would such a device possibly get past the various [[Radiological Alarm|radiological sensors]] throughout the Fleet? This was a plot complication used in "[[Flesh and Bone]]" as well when a copy of [[Leoben Conoy]] claimed that a nuclear device was hidden in the Fleet. The writing element was difficult to believe in that episode, and it far less believable in this episode. Both the battlestar and the [[Raptor]] on which the freed "freedom movement" member left the ship are military vessels ''designed'' to sniff out hostile devices.
**A significant dissent for Baltar's weapon contribution may be that the weapon he gave to the Demand Peace movement may not have ''any'' radioactive material inside it; Baltar gave them the warhead, but not the fissionable material inside. This reasoning has strong merit and precedence: (1) Baltar serves himself above all others. He wouldn't give away a weapon's plutonium which he is still personally accountable for, nor would he give such material away to people that could turn around and blow up the Fleet (and himself). (2) Baltar still needs the radiological material for his [[Cylon detector]] if a test is asked. (3) If [[Naturalistic science fiction|show creation principles]] hold true for this episode, conventional bomb materials (such [[G-4]] or sidearm ammunition) would NOT be detectable by radiological scanning. Either bomb types used on real-world Earth (fissionable-material bombs such as uranium or [[plutonium]] bombs, or fusion bombs such as hydrogen bombs) use conventional explosives to activate the trigger that creates a nuclear explosion. At best, the device that Baltar gave the Demand Peace movement may only be as dangerous as the makeshift explosive they used on the ''[[Daru Mozu]]''.
**Like any device, [[Radiological Alarm|radiological sensors]] are only effective when they are active. Has it been established that these sensors operate 24 hours a day? Also, this nuclear device has been in Baltar's possession for many months. It didn't suddenly become radioactive - it has been for some time. Perhaps the Gallatica sensors are programmed to ignore the signatures of their own nuclear warheads? Otherwise it would be going off non-stop.

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

== Notes ==

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

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

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

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

== Official Statements ==




{{Episode List}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Episode Guide (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Epiphanies

2006-01-24T21:38:20Z

Unreal32: /* Serious Technical and Storyline Issues */ fix typo

{{Episode Data|
Image = [[Image:2BATejC05.jpg|300px]]
| Title= Epiphanies
| Series= [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|The Re-imagined Series]]
| Season= [[Season 2 (2005-06)|2]]
| Episode= 13
| Guests=[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Colm+Feore Colm Feore] ([[Richard Adar|President Adar]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Aaron+Douglas Aaron Douglas] ([[Galen Tyrol]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nicki+Clyne Nicki Clyne] ([[Cally]]) [[Bodie Olmos]] ([[Brendan Constanza|Hot Dog]]) [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm1382781/ Luciana Carro] ([[Louanne Katraine]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Leah+Cairns Leah Cairns] ([[Margaret Edmonson|Racetrack]]) David Richmond-Peck ([[Naylin Stans]]) Holly Dignard ([[Asha Janik]]) Paul Perri (Royan Jahee) Jennifer Kitchen (Marine)
| Writer=[[David Weddle]] & [[Bradley Thompson]]
| Story=
| Director=[[Rod Hardy]]
| Production=2.13
| Rating=
| US Airdate=January 20 2006
| UK Airdate=
| DVD=
| Population=49,598
| Prev= [[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]
| Next= [[Black Market]]
}}




== Overview ==

: ''Admiral [[William Adama]] questions whether or not [[Sharon Valerii]]'s pregnancy should be aborted. Meanwhile Roslin's health declines rapidly as a pro-Cylon peace group attempts to sow civil disobedience within the Fleet.''

== Summary ==

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

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

== Questions ==

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

== Analysis ==

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

===Serious Technical and Storyline Issues===

*Roslin's cancer cure was pure "deus ex machina." While many viewers may find Roslin's cure a necessary one as she has become a pivotal character in the show, the method of her cure leaves too many medical mistakes and is too easy of a cure.
*Cancer is not a viral disease, like AIDS or the common cold, but an invasive destruction of tissue by mutated cells, which usurp the function of healthy cells. For the cure to work the way it did would require it not only to destroy free-floating cells and metastasized tissue, but to ''repair'' any organs with healthy tissue.
*As cancer is not cureable here on Earth, for the show to invent a cure at the last minute may feel contrived by some.

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

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

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

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

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

Other technical issues abound in this episode.

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

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

== Notes ==

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

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

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

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

== Official Statements ==




{{Episode List}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Episode Guide (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Epiphanies

2006-01-24T21:33:35Z

Unreal32:

{{Episode Data|
Image = [[Image:2BATejC05.jpg|300px]]
| Title= Epiphanies
| Series= [[Battlestar Galactica (RDM)|The Re-imagined Series]]
| Season= [[Season 2 (2005-06)|2]]
| Episode= 13
| Guests=[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Colm+Feore Colm Feore] ([[Richard Adar|President Adar]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Aaron+Douglas Aaron Douglas] ([[Galen Tyrol]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Nicki+Clyne Nicki Clyne] ([[Cally]]) [[Bodie Olmos]] ([[Brendan Constanza|Hot Dog]]) [http://us.imdb.com/name/nm1382781/ Luciana Carro] ([[Louanne Katraine]]) [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Leah+Cairns Leah Cairns] ([[Margaret Edmonson|Racetrack]]) David Richmond-Peck ([[Naylin Stans]]) Holly Dignard ([[Asha Janik]]) Paul Perri (Royan Jahee) Jennifer Kitchen (Marine)
| Writer=[[David Weddle]] & [[Bradley Thompson]]
| Story=
| Director=[[Rod Hardy]]
| Production=2.13
| Rating=
| US Airdate=January 20 2006
| UK Airdate=
| DVD=
| Population=49,598
| Prev= [[Resurrection Ship, Part II]]
| Next= [[Black Market]]
}}




== Overview ==

: ''Admiral [[William Adama]] questions whether or not [[Sharon Valerii]]'s pregnancy should be aborted. Meanwhile Roslin's health declines rapidly as a pro-Cylon peace group attempts to sow civil disobedience within the Fleet.''

== Summary ==

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

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

== Questions ==

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

== Analysis ==

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

===Serious Technical and Storyline Issues===

*Roslin's cancer cure was pure "deus ex machina." While many viewers may find Roslin's cure a necessary one as she has become a pivotal character in the show, the method of her cure leaves too many medical mistakes and is too easy of a cure.
*Cancer is not a viral disease, like AIDS or the common cold, but an invasive destruction of tissue by mutated cells, which usurp the function of healthy cells. For the cure to work the way it did would require it not only to destroy free-floating cells and metastasized tissue, but to ''repair'' any organs with healthy tissue.
*As cancer is not cureable here on Earth, for the show to invest a cure at the last minute may feel contrived by some.

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

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

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

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

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

Other technical issues abound in this episode.

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

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

== Notes ==

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

== Noteworthy Dialogue ==

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

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

== Official Statements ==




{{Episode List}}

[[Category:A to Z]]
[[Category:Episode Guide (RDM)]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Battlestar Wiki talk:Characters

2006-01-24T21:22:37Z

Unreal32: fix typo

Because of their length, individual discussions which we believe have reached consensus have been archived.
As further discussions are concluded, please move them to the archive as well, in order to keep this page topical and readable. If the first archive threatens to exceed 32 kilobytes, please create a new one. See [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:How to archive a talk page|Wikipedia:How to archive a talk page]] for details.

'''Previous discussions:'''

*[[Battlestar Wiki talk:Characters/Archive01|Archive 1 (August 31st, 2005 to Present)]]:

:[[Battlestar Wiki talk:Characters/Archive01#Naming|Naming]], [[Battlestar Wiki talk:Characters/Archive01#Verb_Tense|Verb Tense]], [[Battlestar Wiki talk:Characters/Archive01#Intro_Paragraph.3F|Intro Paragraph?]], [[Battlestar Wiki talk:Characters/Archive01#Non-Canon_Names|Non-Canon Names]], [[Battlestar Wiki talk:Characters/Archive01#Layout_in_Humano-Cylon_Articles|Layout in Humano-Cylon Articles]]

----
== Layout in Human Articles ==

=== Biography vs. Biographical Notes ===
So... Do we make the first section '''Biography''' or '''Biographical Notes'''? The project page says "Biographical Notes" right now, but I just picked on arbitrarily when I typed that out. So if someone actually has an opinion, change the project page, maybe make it bold for noticibility, then we'll have to go through and police the articles for that while we're out doing all this formatting and picture-adding and template-fixing. --[[User:Day|Day]] 17:10, 2 September 2005 (EDT)

:Since many articles already have a "Notes" section, I think "Biography" reads best. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 19:53, 2 September 2005 (EDT)

=== Might Be a Cylon ===
This topic came up in another thread entirely, so here's a place where talking about it is on-topic. I think we should shy away from having too many <soandso>-is-a-Cylon theories on character pages. If some character has been cast in a questionable light intentionally by the show or has some discussion that has merit (i.e. the "theory" is not simply that it remains unprooven that so-and-so is actually human), then by all means, we should have a few paragraphs at the end, citing evidence with show links and quotes, etc. I also think it would be worth creating a Category for people who've been proven to be Human and who've been shown to be Humano-Cylons. Thoughts? --[[User:Day|Day]] 22:15, 12 September 2005 (EDT)

:Sounds good. I'm just curious... RDM has carefully (and brilliantly) set up a situation that allows for the exposure of Humano-Cylons but somewhat precludes the possibility of confirming whether a character is genuinely human. It would indeed be gratifying to check off favorite characters from a list of possible Toasters, but I'm not sure how we could establish with certainty (without an explicit reveal by RDM) that Adama or Roslin or Dualla or whoever is flesh and blood. --[[User:Watcher|Watcher]] 22:10, 10 October 2005 (EDT)

:: I generally agree, although some ideas, such as the Baltar-as-Cylon subarticle on his character page, merits an exclusion because of the magnitude of discussion and arguments. There's plenty of room for brief synopses of all Cylon theories on the [[Humano-Cylon]] page. To answer Day's question, the only way for us to know Cylon from human, aside from the detector, is in procreation history, and even with the Adama theory, it may not hold water if he is a replacement of the original. [[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 14:54, 11 October 2005 (EDT)

::: I don't buy into the idea that the Cylons can make new humano-cylon models by copying a normal human. It's not been disproven, but that's so huge that to not hint at it until some late revelation would feel like a lie, more than a surprise, if you take my meaning. As for checking of characters... I was talking to, I think, Peter and he posited three lists. You have your Black List of humano-cylons, your White List of humans and your Grey List of probable humans. People like Bill Adama would be greylisted because they've got children, but that's not solid enough (for the afore mentioned reasons) to rule him completely out as a cylon. So, I think, anyway, the whitelist would only Helo. The greylist would include both Adamas (one has kids, the other has parents, both of which we can vouch for) and Col. Tigh (his whereabouts can be accounted for before the invention of Humano-cylons). The black-list is obvious. And everyone else isn't on a list. I don't know that we need to write these lists out, but that's how I think about the whole "Who's a Cylon" problem. --[[User:Day|Day]] 18:20, 11 October 2005 (EDT)

Looks like the RDM information on what the Cylons are have ended this discussion in part. I recommend that the parent Humano-Cylon article remain the repository for speculation of minor characters. For major characters whose identity is all but proven (the Adamas), stays on the page. Baltar's speculation is very large, and should remain on his page, as should any other characters with large speculations. --[[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 16:05, 24 January 2006 (EST)

== Fixing Name Links ==

If you want to make sure that a given no-longer-used name article is not linked, I've discovered a neat trick to hunt out the old links. Go to this URL:

http://battlestarwiki.org/index.php?title=Special:Whatlinkshere/Adama,_Lee

Except replace "Adama,_Lee" with whatever it is ''you'' want to check up on. Then you go down that page's list of articles and fix 'em. This way, you don't have to much about with trying to get a redirect-page to not redirect so you can click on the "What links here" link. Should we keep a list of all this? It would be '''quite''' spammy. --[[User:Day|Day]] 17:30, 15 September 2005 (EDT)

: On further thought, let me be a bit more explicit. Each name on the list would have to have the following in formation: 
:*<nowiki>[[Kara Thrace]]: [[Thrace, Kara]], [[Kara]], [[Thrace]], [[Starbuck]]</nowiki> 
: So the list couldn't be done horizontally. It would have to be a vertical list of every character we have, and a horizontal list of any possible aliases they have which might be used as links in articles. Boo. --[[User:Day|Day]] 17:56, 15 September 2005 (EDT)

::No. This is easy to see by clicking on the "What links here" link on the left-hand side of the monobook skin. If you get that information on a page with redirects, those are also listed. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 20:56, 15 September 2005 (EDT)

::: Er... Yes. That's how I got the URL in the first place. But we don't want anything to link to, say, <nowiki>[[Thrace, Kara]]</nowiki>. At least, Jow asked that we not do that. Maybe I'm misunderstanding you, but I think you missed my point. --[[User:Day|Day]] 01:52, 16 September 2005 (EDT)

== Image Discussion ==

===Flyboy===
I don't think [[Valley of Darkness]] will help get a better picture, actually. It's so dark the whole time and most of his good screen time (right before he dies) all of the characters are pointing their lights away from themselves (and at the camera sometimes). I'll leave his entry the way it is, though, in case someone else thinks they can sneak a good frame. --[[User:Day|Day]] 16:16, 23 September 2005 (EDT)

: I tried getting an image as well, and I agree that the lighting conditions are too poor to get an adequate screenshot. Perhaps when the DVDs come out, we may get a better quality image... -- [[User:Joe.Beaudoin|Joe Beaudoin]] 16:23, 23 September 2005 (EDT)

===When to add a Picture===
So there are, as of this writing, two characters in the "wanting pictures" list that I'm unsure of: [[Socinus]] and [[Sue-Shaun]]. Neither article is very long and I don't want to over-burden them with images. Especially considering that our usage of images is under "fair use", which, as I understand it, means we are supposed to take small samplings, I feel we could potentially put ourselves on thin ice by putting two pictures (close-up and action-shot), into very short articles. Anyone else have a thought? --[[User:Day|Day]] 01:01, 2 January 2006 (EST)

:I agree with your hesitancy. Each probably deserves a close-up only. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 01:39, 2 January 2006 (EST)

== Nelena/Helena Cain ==

Okay. So, according to [http://scifi.com/battlestar/episodes/season02/210/ this], Cain's name is Helena, not Nelena. The former seems like a much more, well, reasonable first name, but it could be a typo or whatever. Anyone know where we got Nelena from? --[[User:Day|Day]] 16:43, 24 September 2005 (EDT)

:Copying to [[Talk:Nelena Cain]] --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 16:45, 24 September 2005 (EDT)

==More on Non-Canon Names==
Someone needs to figure out who Layne, Ishay, and Kim are, and which is which. The current state of affairs is very confusing.

In which episode was Galen Tyrol's first name mentioned on screen? --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 17:22, 27 September 2005 (EDT)

: Sorted and ''[[Resistance]]'' while he's being interrogated. I can't be credited with figuring either of those out, but I thought I'd mention that it has been done. --[[User:Day|Day]] 00:56, 2 January 2006 (EST)

== Number Six Notes Ambiguity ==

Hey, there. I condensed the Notes in the Number Six article since (1) there was only one item in each note, (2) the information there was trivial and not plot-related, and (3) there were three distinctive Notes...which wrecks sub-article referencing, such as [[Number Six#Notes]] as it cannot distinguish the last Notes subhead from the first two. I understand the advantage of separation there, but either each Note subarticle must have a unique name (such as "Notes about Gina") or they should be condensed into a single Notes item, unless there is a wiki way of doing it that I can grasp. [[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 12:11, 10 October 2005 (EDT)

:It is possible to make section links disambiguate between two sections with the same name - see [[Wikipedia: Wikipedia:Section#Section_linking|Wikipedia:Section#Section_linking]]. (Examples: [[Number Six#Notes|Notes on Shelly Godfrey]], [[Number Six#Notes 2|Notes on Gina]], [[Number Six#Notes 3|Notes on Model Six]]) --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 18:32, 10 October 2005 (EDT)

::With a sip of coffee, I think I understood that...so the numerical count is the diambiguator where the article finds the next item named "Notes"? OK. That works for me. It still leaves the article a bit ugly in my mind, but if the collective says OK, then I'll stick with it. [[User:Spencerian|Spencerian]] 19:58, 10 October 2005 (EDT)

:::I agree that it leaves something to be desired. If you think of something better, let us know. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 21:35, 10 October 2005 (EDT)

== When to use the Template ==

I think, in light of [http://battlestarwiki.org/index.php?title=Simon&curid=2645&diff=17218&oldid=15570 this edit], that we need to be more explicit. It's not a bad edit, per se. I'd have left the template out (in fact, I did when I added the pic). The fact that someone else thought to put it in syas to me that more percision is needed, whether it finds my jugement or Rocky's to be the better--Or, anyway, the one we decide to go with on this Wiki, for the time being. ;) I don't really think a surmised age, a first name with no last, a role and an actor are enough to justify the template. If it were four solid things, I'd see it differently, but since two of the four are sort of shakey... I disagree. I could be wrong. Thus, I poll for others' thoughts. Have at it. --[[User:Day|Day]] 01:56, 25 October 2005 (EDT)

:I see what he means. I think for Hammerhead Palladino I did sort of the same thing. I just kind of like using the template b/c I think it provides an opportunity to put down isolated things aren't enumerated in the paragraph. And it that case if was positive because it led to the article getting well fleshed out from what we know. I think [[Simon]] could benefit from expansion at the hands of somebody who was paying particularly good attention during the episode, I don't feel like he was a really obscure character or anything.

:I also think his article could use some help. I'm not sure how we should distinguish the individual copy from the "model" and I'm not sure it's very uniform between the Cylon models how to distinguish this. We see this in Boomer too. I think there ought to be separate pages for the different "incarnations" or whatever of the models. All I know is that right now we don't have it down perfectly and I don't know if it's been discussed in depth... [[User:Rocky8311|Rocky8311]] 02:15, October 25, 2005 (EDT)

:: When in doubt, at least scan the topics of a talk page's archive at the top. Viola (or cello, if you like): [[Battlestar Wiki talk:Characters/Archive01#Layout in Humano-Cylon Articles]]. --[[User:Day|Day]] 15:13, 25 October 2005 (EDT)

:I agree with Day. --[[User:Peter Farago|Peter Farago]] 15:38, 25 October 2005 (EDT)

==Character Picture Standards==
I think it might be helpful if there were some policies (or at least guidelines) regarding character pictures (especially ones used in the character template). There has been some disagreement in the past over which picture ought to be in the template, and it might help if there were some standardized criteria that could help determine this. For example, some people have been uploading higher resolution images for use in the character template. While higher resolution is often better, in the case of the character template (when the images are going to max out at 200 px wide) a wide scene shot is going to look pretty tiny. A cropped shot of the head and shoulders will look pretty good at 200 px, and still look good at native resolution (if somebody wants to click through to the original). Personally, I try to use an 8x10 ratio when creating headshots, but others might have some ideas on that. --[[User:Steelviper|Steelviper]] 14:09, 24 January 2006 (EST)