Memorial hallway

Dualla as she enters the memorial hallway.

Lee Adama and Kara Thrace in the hallway ^{(TRS: "Maelstrom")}.

The memorial hallway was created by the crew of Galactica to aid the survivors of humanity to find any loved ones who may have been rescued from the Cylon destruction of the Colonies and were lucky to find themselves on one of the many ships in the battlestar's care.

Creation and Early Purpose

Five days after the Fleet's escape from Ragnar, Specialist Socinus and other crew are gathering a record of surviving colonists for the new Colonial government, but cannot upload photos to the database (or possibly to other ships) at that moment. When Anastasia Dualla offers her photos to Socinus, he suggests to leave the photo with his group or to place it outside in one of Galactica's hallways. Opting for the latter, Dualla encounters hundreds of photos, newspaper clippings, drawings, and other mementos of loved ones presumed lost or missing in the new Cylon war ^(TRS: "33").

The memorial hallway was conceived as part of the series' exploration of humanity's response to catastrophic loss. Battlestar Galactica's storylines were heavily influenced by the tone of the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York, and the memorial hallway served as a poignant allegory to the makeshift tributes created in the aftermath of that tragedy.

Unbeknownst to Galactica's crew, Brother John Cavil uses the hallway to post calling cards to other Cylon agents via the placement of pamphlets for his religious services, at the suggestion by an unwitting Socinus ^{(TRS: "The Plan")}.

Despite the Fleet registry's completion, the memorial remains and is periodically updated and visited by many as a personal shrine. Crewmembers and civilians pray there, lighting candles and mourning the dead. With no possibility of visiting their dead in cemeteries, the hallway serves as a cenotaph or "Yahrtzeit wall" for Colonials and their newly-mortal Cylon allies alike.

In addition to the memorial hallway, the Viper pilots on Galactica have a special picture in their ready room that they touch as they exit as a memorial to other fallen comrades; a copy of the same photograph hangs on the bulkhead of President Roslin's office aboard Colonial One ^(TRS: "33").

Updates Throughout the Journey

The memorial's scope extends beyond those lost during the Fall of the Twelve Colonies to include those lost during the journey to Earth.

Louanne Katraine adds a picture of Reilly's girlfriend to the hallway in hopes that she will not be forgotten as quickly as the pilot ^{(TRS: "Scar")}. Over a year later, Kara "Starbuck" Thrace adds Katraine's photo to the wall beneath Katraine's addition, after Katraine succumbs to radiation poisoning ^{(TRS: "The Passage")}. Following a promise made by Lee "Apollo" Adama to Kara Thrace prior to her death ^{(TRS: "Maelstrom")}, he places a photo of her on the wall, near Katraine's photo ^{(TRS: "The Son Also Rises")}.

Since joining the fleet, Rebel Cylons have also been witnessed placing images and pictures of fallen comrades on the memorial wall. Most notably on the wall are an image of Natalie Faust, as well as images of two unnamed Eights, a Six and a Two. At least one of the images seems to be a Colonial Identification card. President Roslin and Admiral Adama's discovery of the Cylons' adoption of the practice cements their realization that the two societies' integration is a fait d'accompli irrespective of their own ambivalence ^{(TRS: "Deadlock")}.

Following Gaius Baltar's public revelation regarding the blood on the dog tags recovered from Thrace's dead body on Earth, the seemingly resurrected Thrace replaces her photo back on the wall, as it was briefly removed following her reappearance ^{(TRS: "Islanded in a Stream of Stars")}.

After Adama gives the order to abandon Galactica, most of the pictures in the hallway are removed by survivors, save those that were placed there by people who died during the journey to Earth. Notably, Brendan Costanza retrieves the photographs of dead pilots to ensure they will not be forgotten ^{(TRS: "Daybreak, Part I")}.

Margaret Edmondson lights a candle in the hallway ^{(TRS: "Final Cut")}.

Location

A section of the hallway happened upon by Anastasia Dualla led to a head during its initial genesis ^(TRS: "33"), while another section adjoined lead to an infirmary ^{(TRS: "Final Cut")}. The breadth and depth of the hallway is otherwise not fully quantifiable.

Musical Significance

The memorial hallway gained additional significance through composer Bear McCreary's musical treatment of scenes involving the location. The track "Adama in the Memorial Hallway" from the Season 4 soundtrack accompanies a pivotal scene in "Daybreak, Part I" where Admiral Adama visits the hallway during the evacuation of Galactica.

In this emotionally charged piece, Eric Rigler introduces "Wander My Friends" on the Irish Whistle before somber, yet hopeful strings state the Military Theme. McCreary noted the musical significance of the moment when "Adama stops in the hallway and turns around, the score pauses and then builds intensity as he returns to Hera's picture, determined now to save her." This musical cue underscores Adama's emotional journey and his ultimate decision to mount a rescue mission for Hera Agathon, making the memorial hallway not just a place of remembrance, but a catalyst for the series' final act of heroism.

Production Notes

Real-World Inspiration

The memorial hallway drew inspiration from real-world tragedies and the human response to catastrophic loss. In the early days following the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York, fences and sign posts in the area around the site of the attacks were covered by pictures of missing people by citizens asking for help in finding their loved ones. As rescue attempts at "Ground Zero" turned into recovery efforts, these many signs became makeshift memorials. The Galactica memorial hallway was apparently intended as a poignant allegory to these tributes. Similar memorials are created after many large catastrophes in the world, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Set Design and Photography

Many of the photographs and notes posted in the memorial hallway on Galactica do not have their edges clipped as with all other Colonial paper. Further, many of the persons on the wall were relatives or friends of the cast and crew of the show, and sections were often replicated with the same photos to maintain the illusion of depth and breadth of the converted hallway set.

Series Development Impact

The terrorist attacks that inspired the memorial hallway not only influenced the series' storylines, but created delays that led to the premature demise of an earlier planned Battlestar Galactica continuation in pre-production that same year.

Notes

• The Re-imagined Series' story lines were heavily influenced by the tone of the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York.
  • In the early days of this event, fences and sign posts in the area around the site of the attacks were covered by pictures of missing people by the citizens to ask help in finding their loved ones. As the rescue attempts at "Ground Zero" turned into recovery efforts, these many signs became makeshift memorials. The Galactica memorial hallway was apparently intended as an poignant allegory to these tributes.
  • The terrorist attacks not only influenced the series, but created delays that led to the premature demise of an earlier planned Battlestar Galactica continuation in pre-production that same year.
• Similar memorials are created after many large catastrophes in the world, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
• Many of the photographs and notes posted in the memorial hallway on Galactica do not have their edges clipped as with all other Colonial paper. Further, many of the persons on the wall were relatives or friends of the cast and crew of the show, and sections were often replicated with the same photos to maintain the illusion of depth and breadth of the converted hallway set.

Additional pictures

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  Closeup ^(TRS: "33").
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  Closeup (TRS: "33").
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  Kara Thrace and a mourning crewman at the memorial ^{(TRS: "The Passage")}.
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  Kat with mourning crewmember in the background (TRS: "Scar").
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  Louanne "Kat" Katraine's placement of Reilly's picture of his girlfriend following his death ^{(TRS: "Scar")}.
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  Kat's picture is added after her death (TRS: "The Passage").
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  Closeup (TRS: "The Passage").
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  Baltar holding a picture of his former assistant ^{(TRS: "Taking a Break From All Your Worries")}.
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  The memorial hallway is stripped nearly bare during the evacuation ^{(TRS: "Daybreak, Part I")}.
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  William Adama goes over the once-brimming walls of the memorial hallway during the scuttling of Galactica, coming across a photo of the abducted Hera Agathon with her mother, Sharon "Athena" Agathon ^{(TRS: "Daybreak, Part I")}.