Daniel Novacek

Daniel Novacek
[show/hide spoilers] Spoilers hidden in infobox by default only.
Name	{{{name}}}
Age
Colony
Birth place	{{{birthplace}}}
Birth Name	Daniel Novacek
Birth Date	{{{birthdate}}}
Callsign	Bulldog
Nickname	Dan, Danny
Introduced	Hero
Last Known Appearance	[[{{{lastseen}}}]]
Death	{{{death}}}
Parents	{{{parents}}}
Siblings	{{{siblings}}}
Children	{{{children}}}
Marital Status	{{{marital status}}}
Family Tree	View
Role	{{{role}}}
Rank	Senior Lieutenant
Serial Number	{{{serial}}}
Portrayed by	Carl Lumbly
Daniel Novacek is a Cylon
Daniel Novacek is a Final Five Cylon
Daniel Novacek is a Human/Cylon Hybrid
Daniel Novacek is an Original Series Cylon
Related Media
Additional Information
Daniel Novacek in the separate continuity
[[File:|300px|Daniel Novacek]]

Lieutenant Daniel "Bulldog" Novacek is a pilot who served under then-Commander William Adama aboard the battlestar Valkyrie, approximately 6 BCH (94YR). Novacek had family on Scorpia, including his mother who had recently moved to Aerilon to a retirement community.

Novacek was part of a covert mission from the admiralty of the Colonial Fleet as the sole pilot of a special fighter known as a Stealthstar. The mission was to fly over the Armistice Line for reconnaissance of Cylon activity.

Upon crossing the Line, Novacek was quickly interdicted by an unknown contact. Under fire, his fighter is severely damaged and was spinning out of control.

With two more unknown craft bearing down on him, Commander Adama ordered Novacek's fighter destroyed so as to eliminate any evidence of their incursion into Cylon space. Novacek ejected a split second before the incoming missile struck, and is subsequently captured and imprisoned by the Cylons ^{(TRS: "Hero")}.

The Escape

Novacek as a prisoner of war.

Around 3 ACH (2002BYR), Novacek is permitted to escape his imprisonment as part of an elaborate ruse by the Cylons. Two Raiders in pursuit of Novacek's escape Raider were apparently unable to shoot Novacek down. As Kara "Starbuck" Thrace later discovered, the Cylons deliberately missed an obvious kill shot, allowing him to escape and bring a measure of terror to the admiral.

Shortly after telling Novacek of Adama's actions, Saul Tigh finds Novacek in the process of killing Adama. After stopping him, Tigh berates Novacek for almost giving the Cylons the assassination they wanted.

Later, Novacek boards a Raptor to start a new life on a civilian ship. Admiral Adama presents Novacek with a Colonial uniform and assures him he will always have a place as an officer on Galactica ^{(TRS: "Hero")}.

His fate thereafter remains unclear.

Notes

Production History

David Eick's video blog "Introducing Bulldog" revealed that after agreeing to the role, Carl Lumbly stated that he wanted to keep his dreadlocks, much to the bemusement of director Michael Rymer.

In early drafts Novacek's first name was Seamus and then Eugene. When Cottle checks if Novacek is a Cylon, the computer screen shows Novacek's first name to be Eugene, an on-screen remnant of the prior name before its change to Daniel.

Michael Rymer considered Dennis Haysbert for the role of Novacek.

From Script to Screen

A remnant for the Novacek's earlier first name before its change to Daniel by production ^{(TRS: "Hero")}

Comparing the "Hero" script to the final aired episode reveals several significant differences:

• An extensive scene between Admiral Peter Corman and Adama establishing the mission's political context and reconnaissance objectives appears in the screenplay but was omitted from the aired episode, which conveys the mission background through dialogue and flashbacks instead.

• Detailed descriptions of Novacek's imprisonment include extended sequences about the Doral deception where Novacek believed Doral was a fellow prisoner for over a year, only to discover he was a Cylon when another identical copy walked in. The script describes Novacek being forced to play psychological "games," including being handed an empty gun and told to kill Doral or be killed himself. These sequences were significantly condensed in the aired version, likely for pacing and broadcast standards.

• The screenplay consistently uses "Daniel" for Novacek's first name throughout, indicating the name change from earlier drafts (Seamus, then Eugene) had been finalized by the October 2006 version, despite the on-screen computer display error showing "Eugene" in the final episode.

• More extensive dialogue during Tigh's confrontation with Novacek includes detailed explanations of Cylon manipulation tactics and Tigh's analysis of how Novacek was "played" by the Cylons. The aired episode streamlines this confrontation while maintaining the core dramatic beats.

• An extended conversation between Tigh and Novacek about their shared military past was removed from the final version, including Novacek's reference to a woman called "Eileen the Machine" whom he describes as having "no front teeth" and being a "gift" to Tigh during their earlier service together. This dialogue provided insight into the military culture and personal relationships between the characters during their Valkyrie service.

• Novacek's family background receives more detailed treatment in the script, including specific mention of his mother's recent move from Scorpia to Aerilon and his emotional reaction to learning of the Colonies' destruction.

References