The Young Lords

"The Young Lords" An episode of the Original Series
Episode No.	Season 1, Episode 9
Writer(s)	Donald Bellisario Frank Lupo Paul Playdon
Story by
Director	Donald Bellisario
Assistant Director
Special guest(s)
Production No.	50905
Nielsen Rating
US airdate	1978-11-19
CAN airdate	{{{CAN airdate}}}
UK airdate
DVD release	2004-12-28
Population	survivors
Additional Info
Full Credits
Episode Chronology
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The Magnificent Warriors	The Young Lords	The Living Legend, Part I
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After crash-landing on a Cylon-occupied planet, Starbuck joins forces with a group of young human renegades.

Summary

• While on patrol in the Omega sector, Boomer and Starbuck are suddenly attacked by four Cylon Raiders of Canus patrol. When the remaining two Raiders attempt to flee, Starbuck pursues and destroys one; the other enters Starbuck's blind spot and causes severe damage to the undercarriage of Starbuck's Viper before Boomer causes the lone Raider to retreat.
• Boomer visually inspects the damage to Starbuck's undercarriage, claiming that "everything back of your anti-burn baffles is gone"
• On his scanner, Boomer locates Attila, a habitable Delta-class planet for Starbuck to land his crippled fighter on. Running low on fuel, Boomer returns to Galactica to bring back help.
• In a Cylon-controlled garrison on the planet Attila, the two Vipers are tracked on scanner. When one Viper is seen crash landing on the planet's surface, garrison commander Specter, an IL-series Cylon, orders a squad of Centurions to capture the downed pilot.
• Starbuck pulls himself from the wreckage of his viper, but his leg is badly injured. Meanwhile, the Cylon patrol looms closer and closer, approaching the Colonial Warrior through tall marsh reeds. Starbuck tries to evade the Cylons, but he collapses on the riverbank in exhaustion, only to be captured by the pursuing Centurions.
• Specter informs Baltar (aboard his basestar) of the warrior's capture. Baltar, of course, seeks information about the location of the last remaining battlestar.

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• Returning to the garrison with Starbuck, the Cylon patrol is ambushed by a group of young fighters (children, really) who destroy the Cylons and rescue Starbuck, who passes out cold.
• Aboard Galactica, an ill Adama is told the bad news about Starbuck. They decide that Apollo and Boomer will pilot a shuttle, so as not to attract attention to themselves, back to Attila to fetch Starbuck. They have 24 centares before the fleet is out of range.
• On Attila, Starbuck is helped back to the children's campsite, inside a cave. The children turn out to all be siblings of the true owners of the garrison currently occupied by the Cylons. The children have been waging war against the "tin cans" ever since.
• The eldest son, Kyle, is their de facto leader. Eldest daughter Miri is their moral leader and acting mother. The other children include Ariadne and brothers Nilz and Robus.
• With his father away on the mission to rescue Starbuck, Boxey crawls into bed with his grandfather, with Boxey telling Adama a story about Mushieland as they drift off to sleep.
• Kyle, who had previously lied to Starbuck that his father (Megan) was dead, has secretly conspired with Specter and the Cylons to trade Starbuck for his imprisoned father. Specter gives the good news to Megan, who reluctantly agrees to cooperate.
• Lucifer expresses his distrust of Specter, who is an earlier IL-series model, to Baltar. Lucifer notes that Specter's garrison has ordered the most laser pumps and petro in the system, Baltar dismisses it as merely stockpiling. Specter lies while reporting to Baltar, concealing the fact that Starbuck has escaped.
• Starbuck, pleading to Miri's and Kyle's better judgment, finally convinces them to not proceed with the trade. Instead, they put a dummy (wearing Starbuck's flight jacket) on a raft, and push it across the moat to the Cylons.
• Specter and the Cylons, who had the same plan, push a likewise-fake dummy of Megan in a raft across the moat to the children. When Specter realizes that he has been deceived, the Cylons open fire on the children's position.
• Kyle finally agrees to allow Starbuck to lead their forces, although Kyle will remain as the second-in-command. Together with their whole clan they compose a battle plan, and a rhyming poem to match, to attack the Cylons occupying their castle:

Through the tunnel, under the land/Starbuck and Miri creep hand on hand.

We swim the moat to the petro dump/And blow it up with a great big whump!

At the bridge, the youngest daughter/Drops tin cans into the water.

And around the castle, the son firstborn/Rides at a gallop and blows his horn.

We go up the steps to the castle floor/And sneak a peek through the secret door.

Although the dump is double-guarded/We'll sneak across when the guards are parted.

Robus sets one bomb and then the other/Leaving the rest to his older brother.

When all is ready across the moat/Kyle will sound the signal note.

At the bridge, the youngest daughter/Drops tin cans into the water.

Through all the confusion, noise, and bother/Starbuck and Miri rescue father.

• As the plan comes to fruition, Specter files one final (bogus) report with Baltar. Immediately thereafter, the entire Cylon force departs Attila, as it is "too rusty for their circuits".
• With the Cylon presence gone from their castle, Megan is reunited with his children.
• Apollo and Boomer land the shuttle to bring Starbuck home to Galactica, arriving just in time to see Starbuck get a passionate farewell kiss from Miri.

Notes

• This is a "Starbuck episode."
• In the opening sequence just before Starbuck's viper is damaged, three incoming Raiders are seen on Boomer's scanner. However, there are four Raiders in the actual dogfight.
• The report to Baltar from Specter was used in the direct-to-video release, Conquest of the Earth.
• In the separate continuity tie-in comic book, Battlestar Galactica: Starbuck 1, the instructor Starbuck refers to is named Wyler.

Analysis

• Kyle says of his siblings, "They watched the Tin Cans slaughter our people" and later, "Our fortress held out longer than any of the others when the Tin Cans attacked." Therefore, we may infer that Megan and his family were not the sole inhabitants of the planet, originally. However, since it seems all the other humans on Attila were exterminated, the family may well be the last inhabitants of their planet—since six blood relatives do not constitute a genetically viable population. The family uses the typical Star Trek line about "This planet is our home now" and refuses to leave when offered passage on Galactica. And no one from Galactica opts to stay on Attila; thus ensuring that the human presence on Attila will eventually die out.

• At the end of the episode, Megan explains that "Our ancestors originally migrated here from the Colonies." Thus the Colonials do not look to Megan and his family for clues about Earth.

• More generally, in Experiment in Terra, Adama theorizes that the humans they have encountered during their flight are probably offshoots of the Thirteenth Tribe, who split off from the Tribe during that ancient journey. Since the humans they have encountered are no more technologically advanced than the Colonials (often less), that may be a reason why Adama basically ignores them and keeps looking for Earth—since he hopes and believes that Earth would be a strong ally against the Cylons. Realistically, it seems silly and/or callous that Adama doesn't:

1. try to work with these offshoot colonies for mutual aid or even resupply
2. allow the Colonials the choice of settling on one of the human-populated worlds
3. spend any time whatsoever researching the legends or history of these offshoot humans for clues about Earth
4. in the case of Terra, for example, at least warn his fellow human beings that they may encounter a war fleet of fantastically advanced hostile robots bent on the destruction of the life form known as man.

• One possible motive why the Colonials never show much interest in the human worlds they encounter along their journey: the humans aren't advanced enough.

Questions

• Why do the Cylons so ruthlessly pursue Galactica as the "last remnants of humanity" when, in reality, humans clearly exist in abundance everywhere they go? Nearly every episode has them encountering some forgotten "fringe colony" teeming with humanity, yet the Cylons turn a blind eye toward them and myopically follow Galactica.
• When Colonials encounter a planet such as Attila (specifically, a planet populated with humans), why don't they become inquisitive about the human inhabitants? In other words, why don't they assume that they're getting closer to Earth? After all, they left their devastated home worlds (Saga of a Star World), then went through a vast, unknown magnetic void (Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I), and have since emerged into what is effectively "uncharted space". So when they find humans, shouldn't they be a little more inquisitive (or, at least, excited?) rather than dismiss them as an unimportant fringe colony? (Analysis)
• How old are Specter and Lucifer?
• Wouldn't the Centurions under his command file reports as well, thus contradicting everything Specter reported?

Noteworthy Dialogue

• Starbuck recalls the words of an old flight instructor:

Starbuck: A Viper pilot only flies three fighters–the one he trains in, the one he escapes from, and the one he dies in.

• Boomer consoles his friend, Starbuck, whose Viper is damaged:

Boomer: I'll be back with a clean uniform before you know it.

• Starbuck is captured and carried by Centurions:

Centurion: These humanoids are not well constructed. They damage easily.

Starbuck: At least we don't rust.

Centurion: Silence.

• Lucifer mutters a familiar expletive when Specter's blatant flattery appears to work on Baltar:

Lucifer: Oh, felgercarb...

• Specter expresses his disbelief as Megan's children attack the Cylon held castle:

Specter: Oh, no! Not again.

Centurion: The petro dump is exploding.

Specter: I know the petro dump is exploding!

• Baltar responds favorably to Specter's felgercarb, much to Lucifer's chagrin:

Baltar: Excellent idea. Scorched planet policy. You're a wonder, Specter.

• Boomer is reminded of his promise of a clean uniform:

Starbuck: About time you showed up. Got the clean uniform?

Boomer: Wh--? The clean--?

• Starbuck talks to Miri before leaving:

Starbuck: Ah, yes, Miri, you could have broken half the hearts on the Galactica, including mine. (kisses Miri)

Boomer: I, um... I don't know how he does it.

Apollo: Neither do I. Starbuck, we have to go... Starbuck!

Deleted Scenes

See: The deleted scenes from this episode.

Guest Stars

• Charles Bloom as Kyle
• Bruce Glover as Megan
• Audrey Landers as Miri
• Brigitte Muller as Ariadne
• Jonathan B. Woodward as Robus
• Adam Mann as Nilz
• Murray Matheson as Specter (voice, uncredited)