Escape Velocity

2008-04-27T02:40:09Z

Viperpilot:

{{Episode Data
| image=4x04 - Escape Velocity - Promo 1.jpg
| title= Escape Velocity
| season= 4
| episode= 4
| forumthread= 954
| guests=
| writer=[[Jane Espenson]]
| story=
| director=[[Edward James Olmos]]
| production=406
| rating=
| US airdate=25 April 2008
| UK airdate=
| dvd=
| population=39675
| oldpopulation=39676
| prev= [[The Ties That Bind]]
| next= [[The Road Less Travelled]]
| hulu=y
| unbox=B0018ENBMQ
}}

== Overview ==
: ''Religious freedom is debated and defended as the messianic [[Gaius Baltar]] promotes his belief in one true God. Meanwhile, [[Galen Tyrol]] tries to cope with the death of his wife and fails.''

== Summary ==


=== Teaser ===

=== Act 1 ===

=== Act 2 ===

=== Act 3 ===

=== Act 4 ===

== Notes ==
* [[Cally Tyrol]]'s full first name is Callandra. The spelling is confirmed in [http://www.bearmccreary.com/blog/?p=246 Bear McCreary's blog post] for this episode. The episode also marks the first onscreen mention of her birth name, Henderson.
* The [[survivor count]] now accounts for Callandra Tyrol's death in "[[The Ties That Bind]]". It is unknown how many people were injured or killed in the crash of [[Margaret Edmonson|Racetrack]]'s [[Raptor]] at the beginning of the episode, particularly during the impact with a [[landram]].
* A costuming error in the teaser shows [[Saul Tigh]] wearing the rank insignia of an [[Military Ranks (RDM)|admiral]]. This is noticeable in the scene where Tigh and [[Tory Foster]] confront [[Galen Tyrol]] in Tyrol's quarters after the ceremony.
* The [[diloxin]] treatment [[Laura Roslin]] receives has forced her to wear a wig, since her hair loss began more than 22 days ago in "[[Six of One]]".
* Another of the [[Lords of Kobol (RDM)|Lords of Kobol]] is revealed: [[Asclepius]]. Asclepius is known to the Colonials as the god of healing.
* Unlike "[[The Ties That Bind]]", [[Tom Zarek]] is not present at the [[Quorum of Twelve (RDM)|Quorum of Twelve]] meetings on ''[[Colonial One]]'' in this episode. The reason for his absence is unexplained.
* [[w:Escape velocity|Escape velocity]] is the minimum initial velocity an unaccelerated object needs to escape a body's gravitational field.
* Tory Foster confirms that the [[Final Five]] are stronger than humans.

== Analysis ==

* [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]] and [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]] have notoriously bad luck with the [[RCS|reaction control systems]] on the [[Raptor]]s that they are assigned to. An error with the RCS thrusters also occurs in "[[Dirty Hands]]", then attributed to impurities in the [[tylium]] fuel.
* [[Galen Tyrol]] continues to have feelings for [[Sharon Valerii]], as he admits to [[William Adama]] and everyone else present in [[Joe's Bar]]. Tyrol notes many of [[Cally Tyrol|Cally]]'s weaknesses, including her nagging, nosy nature (which lead to her demise in "[[The Ties That Bind]]"), and grows annoyed at Adama's willingness to turn Cally into an angel, when he believes that she is unworthy of even that. His feelings for Valerii were likely intensified upon knowing that he was a Cylon, which made a possible association with Valerii much more acceptable to him.
* Foster continues to embrace her Cylon nature and Baltar's teachings. She tells Tigh and Tyrol to turn off the guilt, that they are perfect and different from humans. Tigh, however, can't turn off his feelings and spends much of the episode wondering if [[Caprica-Six]] can.
* Caprica-Six informs Tigh that the Cylons ability to turn off emotion is based on abilities that the Cylons learned when modeling their own brains against those of the humans. This further establishes the fact that the Cylons are more human biologically, which is proven given that Cylons can bear human children, and thus must be of the same genome.
* A part of the book that Adama reads to Roslin, ''[[Searider Falcon]]'', has some deeper significance to both of them, just like ''[[Love and Bullets]]'' in the previous episode: "I wasn't afraid to die. I was afraid of the emptiness that I felt inside. I couldn't feel anything. And that's what scared me. You came into my thoughts. I felt them. It felt good." This is emphasized by the fact that he closes the book and recites the passage, almost as if the words are his. It's also possible that the passage has additional significance for Adama, since by his admission he normally stops reading after it.
* The scene were Baltar violently confronts the Colonials during their prayer service seems based on the biblical narrative of [[Wikipedia:Jesus and the money changers|Jesus and the money changers]].
* Roslin's wig is strikingly reminiscent of [[Helena Cain]]'s hairstyle in "[[Pegasus (episode)|Pegasus]]" and "[[Resurrection Ship, Part I|Resurrection Ship, Parts I]] and [[Resurrection Ship, Part II|II]]". This is a visual counterpoint to her increasing ruthlessness as she confronts her impending death.
* When facing down the Marines, the way in which Baltar is standing up, when the scene shifts to [[virtual Six]] being absent, it still appears as though he is being lifted up, which puzzles the Marines and Baltar's followers. This marks the first time where virtual Six does something to Baltar that isn't clearly presented like Baltar is doing it to himself. While that is still possible, it is implied that virtual Six can actually affect things physically. This, along with the [[virtual Baltar]] appearing to Baltar in "[[Six of One]]" and both virtual beings consistently knowing information that neither Baltar or Caprica-Six could actually know, hints that there is something more to them than simply being illusions. What they are, of course, remains a matter of debate.
** This lends further credence to the theory that virtual Six may be able to interact with the physical world, and possibly hints at the true explanation of [[Shelly Godfrey]]'s strange appearance and disappearance in the episode [[Six Degrees of Separation]].

== Questions ==

* Will Lee Adama grow more sympathetic towards Baltar's group?
* Will Roslin learn that Foster is associating with Baltar?
* Will Tyrol seriously consider Foster's words?
* Will Foster clash with Tigh and Tyrol, as their different attitudes towards their Cylon nature develop?
* Are Tyrol and Tigh's hallucinations merely the result of grief and guilt, or are they using [[projection]]?
* Do Tigh and Six have sex?
* What of [[Nicholas Tyrol]]? Will his father take care of the child?
* Are Tyrol's statements about Cally's negative attributes heartfelt, or merely a result of rage and anger?
* Now that it is clear that Foster lied to Tyrol about the death of Cally, how will Tyrol react when (and if) he discovers the truth?
* What will Tyrol's new duties be, since his demotion to specialist?
* Did Lee Adama notice Tory Foster during Baltar's service?

== Official Statements ==





== Noteworthy Dialogue ==



== Guest Stars ==

* [[Michael Hogan]] as Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]
* [[Rekha Sharma]] as [[Tory Foster]]
* [[Aaron Douglas]] as Chief [[Galen Tyrol]]
* [[Michael Trucco]] as Ensign [[Samuel Anders]]
* [[Kate Vernon]] as "[[Virtual Ellen]]"
* [[Don Thompson]] as [[Anthony Figurski]]
* [[Leah Cairns]] as Lieutenant [[Margaret Edmonson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmonson]]
* [[Colin Lawrence]] as Lieutenant [[Hamish McCall|Hamish "Skulls" McCall]]
* [[Keegan Connor Tracy]] as [[Jeanne]]
* [[Donna Soares]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Gemenon Delegate|Speaking Delegate #1]] (Gemenon Delegate)
* [[Andrew McIlroy]] as [[Jacob Cantrell]]
* [[Judith Maxie]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Picon Delegate|Picon Delegate]]
* [[Iris Paluly]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Speaking Delegate #2|Speaking Delegate #2]]
* [[Marilyn Norry]] as [[Reza Chronides]]
* [[Lara Gilchrist]] as [[Paulla Schaffer]]
* [[Leela Savasta]] as [[Tracey Anne]]
* [[Finn R. Devitt]] as [[Nicholas Tyrol]] (credited as "Baby Nicky")
* [[Heather Doerksen]] as [[Unnamed Galactica and Pegasus crew (RDM)#Blonde female Marine|Surveillance Marine]]
* [[Laara Sadiq]] as [[Unnamed civilians in the Fleet (RDM)#Priestess|Priestess]]
* [[Karen Austin]] as [[Lilly]]
* [[Steve Lawlor]] as [[Unnamed Galactica and Pegasus crew (RDM)#Marine guard|Marine at Baltar's]]
* [[Hector Johnson]] as [[Unnamed Galactica and Pegasus crew (RDM)#Marine Lieutenant|Marine Lieutenant]]
* [[Lee Jefferies]] as [[Redwing|"Redwing" McKay]]

== External Links ==
*Composer [[Bear McCreary]] on the episode's score: http://www.bearmccreary.com/blog/?p=246

== References ==
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{{Episode list (RDM season 4)}}

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

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Battlestar Wiki - User contributions [en]

Escape Velocity