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Act of Contrition: Difference between revisions

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[[Image:bsg-1-04.jpg|thumb|"Act of Contrition" (credit: Sci-Fi Channel)]]
{{Episode Data
| image =bsg-1-04.jpg
| title=Act of Contrition
| series=
| season=1
| episode=4
| guests=
| writer=[[Bradley Thompson]] <br/> [[David Weddle]]
| story=
| director=[[Rod Hardy]]
| production=104
| rating= 2.5
| US airdate=2005-01-28
| CAN airdate=2005-02-05
| UK airdate=2004-11-08
| dvd= {{Season 1 NTSC DVD release date}} '''US'''<br/>{{Season 1 PAL DVD release date}} '''UK'''
| population= 47958
| oldpopulation= 47958
| prev=[[Bastille Day]]
| next=[[You Can't Go Home Again]]
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| amazon=y
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== Overview ==


: <i>When several Viper pilots are killed in a freak accident, Adama turns to Starbuck for help - but her involvement in the aftermath of the accident and in training new pilots causes the truth surrounding Zak Adama's death to finally surface. </i>


:''When several [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] pilots are killed in a freak accident, [[William Adama|Adama]] turns to [[Kara Thrace|Starbuck]] for help - but her involvement in the aftermath of the accident and in training new pilots causes the truth surrounding [[Zak Adama]]'s death to finally surface.''


== Summary ==  
== Summary ==  
* It is [[Saunders, Dwight|Dwight “Flat Top” Saunder’s]] 1,000th deck landing, which brings the Galactica’s pilots down to the hangar deck to celebrate
* As the celebrations continue, a set of communications drones are manoeuvred in the hangar bay and one breaks loose from its restraints, falling to the deck and igniting the motor. The drone flies across the hangar, smashing into the celebrating pilots where it explodes, killing Flat Top and twelve others and putting seven more in sickbay
* As the surviving pilots prepare for a memorial service for their fallen comrades, [[Thrace, Kara|Starbuck]] has flashbacks to her first meeting with [[Adama, William|Adama]], following the death of his son, [[Adama, Zak|Zak]]
* During the memorial service itself, she, [[Lee Adama|Lee]] and Adama all have flashbacks – to Zak Adama’s funeral and (in Starbuck’s case) to her telling Zak he’s qualified as a [[Viper]] pilot
* Following the service, Adama asks Starbuck to oversee the training of any new pilots they can find in the fleet
* She is initially hesitant, and Adama guesses the cause is Zak’s accident. He reassures her that his son’s death was not her fault – which causes Starbuck to remember her admission to Lee Adama:  that she passed Zak through his basic training when he had in fact failed ([[Mini-Series]])
* She reluctantly accepts the duty, but memories of Zak continue to haunt her as she plays cards with [[Baltar, Gaius|Baltar]], oblivious of a conversation that takes place between [[Crashdown]] and [[Gaeta]] concerning Baltar’s [[Cylon detector]] – a conversation that leaves [[Valerii, Sharon#"Boomer" Valerii|Boomer]] very uncomfortable 
* Elsewhere on the ''Galactica'', [[Roslin, Laura|Roslin]] is examined by the ship’s medical officer, Doctor [[Cottle]]. His diagnosis is not good: her cancer is inoperable. Roslin decides that she wants to try alternative therapy using [[Chamalla]] extract – something entirely unproven in its effectiveness
* Later, Starbuck meets her first batch of recruits. They are all pilots – but none have ever flown a Viper. With no simulators aboard the ''Galactica'', the newbies – [[Nugget|nuggets]] – are thrown in at the deep end: straight into the cockpit of the real thing
* Their performance during their first training flight is hardly stellar, and Starbuck is uncompromisingly hard on the first batch of recruits, washing them all out
* Lee confronts her on her decision, and realises it is caused more by guilt about Zak than on the ability of the trainees. When she refuses to reinstate the trainees, he takes the matter with Adama
* Adama initially support’s Starbuck’s decision, but a misunderstanding between him and Lee causes him to meet with Starbuck to discuss Zak’s death
* When Starbuck tries to dodge the issue, Adama pins her down, and she admits the truth: Zak bodged his final training flights, but she passed him because she was in love with him and they were engaged – but Zak really wasn’t the right material for flying Vipers
* Angered and hurt, Adama orders her to reinstate the trainees and to get out of his cabin
* Starbuck leads a handful of the trainees on a training flight, only to have a group of [[Cylon Raider|Cylon Raiders]] show up
* In the ensuing dogfight, Starbuck takes care of the Raiders, but her Viper is damaged, forcing her to eject inside the atmosphere of a weather-wracked moon


=== On ''Galactica'' ===
* It is [[Dwight Saunders|Dwight “Flat Top” Saunders']] 1,000th deck landing, which brings ''Galactica''’s pilots down to the [[hangar deck]] to celebrate.
* As the celebrations continue, a [[communication drone]] stowed on the hangar deck breaks loose from its restraints, falling to the deck and igniting its motor. The drone flies across the hangar, smashing into the celebrating pilots where it explodes, killing Flat Top and twelve others and putting seven more in [[sickbay]].
* As the surviving pilots prepare for the [[services for the dead]], [[Kara Thrace|Kara "Starbuck" Thrace]] has flashbacks to her first meeting with [[William Adama]], following the death of his son, [[Zak Adama|Zak]].
* During the memorial service itself, she, [[Lee Adama]] and Bill Adama all have flashbacks – to Zak Adama’s funeral and (in Thrace's case) to her telling Zak he has qualified as a [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]] pilot.
* Following the service, Commander Adama asks Thrace to oversee the training of any new pilots they can find in the [[The Fleet (RDM)|Fleet]].
* Thrace is initially hesitant, and the Commander guesses the cause is Zak's accident. He reassures her that his son’s death was not her fault – which causes Thrace to remember her admission to Lee Adama: that she passed Zak Adama through his basic training when he had in fact failed {{TRS|Miniseries}}.
* She reluctantly accepts the duty, but memories of Zak Adama continue to haunt her as she plays cards with [[Gaius Baltar]], oblivious to a conversation that takes place between {{callsign|Crashdown}} and [[Felix Gaeta]] concerning Baltar’s [[Cylon detector]] – a conversation that leaves [[Sharon Valerii|Boomer]] very uncomfortable.
* Elsewhere on ''Galactica'', President [[Laura Roslin]] is examined by the ship’s medical officer, Doctor [[Cottle]]. His diagnosis is not good: her cancer is inoperable. Roslin decides that she wants to try alternative therapy using [[Chamalla]] extract – something with entirely unproven effectiveness.
* Later, Thrace meets her first batch of recruits. They are all pilots – but none have ever flown a [[Viper (RDM)|Viper]]. With [[Computers#Colonial Fleet Computers|no simulators]] aboard ''Galactica'', the newbies – [[nugget]]s – are thrown straight into the cockpit of the real thing.
* Their performance during their first training flight is hardly stellar, and Thrace is uncompromisingly hard on the first batch of recruits, washing them all out.
* Captain Adama confronts her on her decision, and realizes it is caused more by guilt about Zak Adama than on the ability of the trainees. When she refuses to reinstate the trainees, he takes the matter up with Commander Adama.
* Commander Adama initially supports Thrace's decision, but a misunderstanding between him and Lee Adama causes him to meet with Thrace to discuss Zak’s death.
* When Starbuck tries to dodge the issue, Adama pins her down, and she admits the truth: Zak botched his final training flights, but she passed him because she was in love with him and they were engaged – but Zak really wasn’t the right material for flying Vipers.
* Angered and hurt, Adama orders her to reinstate the trainees and to get out of his cabin.
* Starbuck pilots [[Viper 1104]] and leads a handful of the trainees on a training flight, about to begin a [[Thorch weave]] maneuver lesson  when [[DRADIS]] detects a group of [[Raider (RDM)|Cylon Raiders]]. Starbuck orders her nuggets to return to ''Galactica'' and enters the combat zone, initially unaware that Hotdog chose to stay as her wingman.
* In the ensuing dogfight, Starbuck takes care of the Raiders (with [[Brendan Costanza|Hot Dog's]] aid), but her Viper is damaged after dispatching (but not destroying) the last Raider, losing first her transponder and then complete flight control.
*Hotdog's Viper is severely damaged, but he survives and awaits a [[SAR]] pickup.
*[[Viper 1104]] goes into a flat spin as Thrace and the last [[Raider]] (that's apparently dead) from the small squadron fall into the gravity well of a [[Red Moon|nearby moon]]. The moon's atmosphere eventually tears [[Viper 1104]] apart, forcing her to eject.


===On [[The Twelve Colonies#Caprica|Caprica]]===  
===On {{RDM|Caprica}}===  
* [[Agathon, Karl C.|Helo]] and [[Valerii, Sharon#Caprica Valerii|Valerii]] are tracking the source of the signal they previously picked up out in the woods (“Water”)
* [[Karl Agathon]] and [[Sharon Agathon|Sharon Valerii]] are tracking the source of the signal they previously picked up out in the woods {{TRS|Water}}.
* The signal leads them to a restaurant in the city, which has a radiation shelter under it, stocked with everything they need to survive - water, food, blankets - even anti-radiation medication
* The signal leads them to a restaurant in the city, which has a radiation shelter under it, stocked with everything they need to survive — water, food, blankets — even [[anti-radiation medication]].
* Their arrival at the restaurant is observed by [[Number Six|Six]].
* Their arrival at the restaurant is observed by a copy of [[Number Six|Six]].


==Summary from scifi.com ==
After a flight deck accident kills 13 pilots and wounds many others, Kara is thrust into service as a flight instructor and ordered to turn a group of civilian pilots and academy washouts into full-fledged Viper pilots.
The assignment brings back painful memories for Kara. She can't forget how she let Zak — Commander Adama's son and her lover — pass Basic Flight when he wasn't ready, and how it ultimately cost him his life. Determined never to repeat the mistake, she flunks out the would-be pilots on their first day.
She is immediately confronted, first by Lee, then by Adama, and forced to admit to the Commander her role in Zak's death. Adama orders her to continue training the "nuggets." Meanwhile, Sgt. Hadrian continues her investigation into the detonators found in Sharon's spacecraft, and President Roslin consults the ship's doctor about her cancer.
Far away on Cylon-occupied Caprica, Sharon and Helo find a secret cache of food.
--This section ©2005, [http://www.scifi.com SCI FI]. All rights reserved.


== Notes ==


== Questions ==
*It is 48 hours since the prisoner uprising on ''Astral Queen''.
 
*Water replenishment ops are still underway.
<!-- Use bulleted lists. Try to list questions in number of importance. If the question was answered in a future episode, make a link to the episode. -->
*''Galactica'' has a remaining contingent of 40 Vipers on top of at least 5 Raptors (revealed in "[[Water]]"), but now only has 21 combat-ready pilots and a further 8 newbie "[[nugget]]s".
* Did the scene with the viper burning and Starbuck's ejection at the end actually happen then? The problem is that it was also shown earlier in the episode, in two parts, apparently as flashbacks for Starbuck. (This is the case in the Australian version, at least.)
*Cylon Raiders have guns of an apparently similar nature to those mounted on Vipers.
*Zak Adama and Kara Thrace were engaged, and that led to her passing him for flight duty.
*Adama's relationship with Thrace is not as long-standing as the Miniseries appears to suggest: they have only served together for two years.
*Word is leaking out about Baltar's Cylon detector.
*Karl "Helo" Agathon and "Caprica" Valerii still appear to be the only "people" left alive on Caprica. Neither seem in any hurry to get off the planet. (More humans are discovered in the second season episode, "[[Resistance (episode)|Resistance]]")."
*Small inconsistency in set dressing: The books on the shelf that covers the fallout shelter's entrance are rectangular.  
*Also of note in the bookshelf scene is that the books are all from modern-day Earth; several titles and covers can be read as the bookshelf falls over, including "The Final Diagnosis" by Arthur Hailey, and another book prominently displaying the [[w:Nazi flag|Nazi swastika]], and what appears to be a photo of [[w:Adolf Hitler|Adolf Hitler]], on its cover.
*The Colonial military use what appear to be [[w:High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle|HumVees]] and [[w:Deuce and a half|Deuce-and-a-half]] trucks.
*While the Viper is burning on entry into the atmosphere, the Viper's [[w:Altimeter|altimeter]] is going in reverse, indicating altitude ''gain''.
*[[Ron D. Moore]] states on the DVD commentary that the munition activation that kills several pilots was inspired by a similar event on the [[wikipedia:1967 USS Forrestal fire|USS ''Forrestal'']] in 1967.
*Also according to the DVD commentary, the ejection sequence at the beginning of each chapter is an homage to ''[[w:The Right Stuff|The Right Stuff]]''.


== Analysis ==
== Analysis ==
An interesting episode that reveals a lot of the back story around the late Zak Adama, hampered by a weak start.
*This episode emphasizes many of the [[Naturalistic science fiction|goals set at the series' creation]] to make a sci-fi series that is grounded in realism.  The logistical limitations on the Fleet are readily apparent:  this episode highlights how difficult it is for ''Galactica'' to train new combat-ready pilots, as there are no reserve pilots and civilians with little or no prior flying experience are all that they have to work with. 
*Further, this episode shows that sometimes accidents simply happen on a battlestar:  this is not a perfect, pristine in-story universe but a worn, run-down real world.  The accident on the flight deck occurred not through sabotage or some sort of [[technobabble]] space anomaly, but simply because an old piece of equipment wore out. 
*The realism highlighted by this episode is again apparent in the climactic scene between Starbuck and Commander Adama, in which she reveals that she was responsible for his son's death. The dramatic situation it focused on is not centered around some sci-fi concept, but the interactions between people which could have occurred on present-day Earth. If the script for this episode were ported onto another series set on a modern-day Navy aircraft carrier, there would be few if any changes to it. It is a drama script, which happens to be set in space, which was one of the goals of the series.


The bonhomie between Starbuck, Lee and Adama as seen in the teaser doesn’t entirely work. Coming on top of the clear division between Adama and Lee following the latter’s activities on the ''Astral Queen'' just 48 hours before, it is hard to accept the cameraderie that they share here. 
== Questions ==


Also, while hi-jinx are to be expected, even in the most dire situations – the crew are going to have to let off steam at times – the whole “1,000th” landing idea smacked too much of a contrivance to get ''Galactica’s'' pilots together so that a bunch of them can be knocked off.
=== Answered Questions ===


Moving on, there is Adama's cosy tête-à-tête with Starbuck regarding the role of instructor, the cosy little cuddle at the end just doesn't sit right. Until now, Adama has been portrayed as approachable but aloof. Personnel of all ranks have been comfortable in talking to him openly, and have clearly regarded him with respect. However, there has always been a degree of separation
{{answered questions|season=1|series=RDM|episode=Act of Contrition}}
between him and those around him. So it's a little hard to accept Adama as a man given to heartfelt hugs with junior officers - no matter what their past.


The hug serves a single purpose: a (transparent) means to give Adama's relationship with Starbuck a little extra depth ready for his fall when her revelation concerning Zak is finally made. 
* Why does Major [[Sherman Cottle]] smoke, knowing full well the medical implications of cigarette smoking?


However, once the story gets past these little wobbles, it turns into a finely-crafted piece, weaving the past, present and  - in Starbuck's case - the future into a picture of love, guilt, betrayal, need, and hurt. The acting throughout is outstanding, and the framing superb throughout. The interweaving of Starbuck's and Adama's recollections of Zak's funeral with the Service for the Dead on ''Galatica'' is particularly potent, while Starbuck's flashbacks in particular serve to reveal her angst far more effectively than any amount of dialogue. To quote an old cliché: a picture is worth a thousand words. 
=== Unanswered Questions ===


Alongside the main story arc, other elements are moved forward, either directly, or through dialogue. It is through the latter that we learn that the water situation in the fleet is still not resolved, and that operations are continuing on the ice moon discovered by Boomer and Crashdown in [[Water]]; we also learn – via the card game – that secrets on ''Galactica'' are proving hard to keep: rumours are already spreading that Gaeta is assisting Baltar in the development of his Cylon detector.
: ''None yet.''


Given a more direct reference is Roslin's illness. In a nice follow-on from [[Bastille Day]] she meets the ''Galactica's'' medical officer. Something of a cliché himself - a healer killing himself through smoking - but even so, he is a useful foil for opening a new mini-arc to Roslin's character: her determination to fight the cancer through orthodox and possibly unorthodox means.
== Official Statements ==
 
Finally, on Caprica, it is now clear that the Cylons want Helo to remain with Valerii. The receipt of the "military signal" and the discovery of the cosy little "radiation shelter" are together too much of a coincidence. The shelter is a honey-trap, and Valerii is the bait.
 
An essential element to any story is the performance of the actors, and "Acts" presents some of the strongest performances just seen in BSG. In this, [[Edward James Olmos]] clearly silences any critics of his acting abilities. With barely a turn of the lips, an opening or narrowing of the eyes, he conveys everything we need to know about Adama's reaction to Thrace's admission in his cabin: confusion, hurt, betrayal, loss, anger and finally – fury. It's been a while since such a range of emotional reactions have been so powerfully portrayed, and full kudos to Mr. Olmos and to the episode's director and director of photography for the manner in which the scene is crafted.
 
Equally deserving of praise is [[Katee Sackhoff]] for her handling of Thrace's memories and dilemma. Here, for the first time, we get to see what goes on behind the “Starbuck” mask; and the flashback scenes to her time with Zak are handled with extraordinary poise, and add the required depth needed to reinforce her guilt at his loss, and her fear of what might happen should she ever be put in a similar position again – or that Adama should ever discover the truth.
 
Overall, a vastly different episode from all that has gone before and one that is, as stated before, saved from mediocrity only in the interweaving of the various story elements – future, present and past – and the outstanding performances from both Sackhoff and Olmos, well-supported by [[Jamie Bamber]] and [[James Callas]].


== Notes ==  
* ''[[Ron D. Moore]] discusses [[Cottle]]'s smoking:''
*: '''Moore:''' Because smoking is cool. Don't let anyone tell you different, kid. [...] Seriously, we're showing people doing what people really do and not all of their choices are smart ones. We smoke, we drink, we have sex with the wrong partners&mdash;we make lots of bad choices and some of them we do knowingly and in full cognizance of the risks and consequences. Dr. Cottle obviously knows the risks associated with smoking and he elects to do it anyway — that's his choice.<ref>{{cite_web|url=http://blog.scifi.com/battlestar/archives/2005/02/|title=Ron D. Moore blog entry|date=19 February 2005|accessdate=18 February 2007|last=Moore|first=Ron D.|format=|language=}}</ref>


*It is 48 hours since the prisoner uprising on the ''Astral Queen''
* ''[[Bodie Olmos]] talks about his most challenging day on-set:''
*Water replenishment ops are still underway
*: '''Olmos:''' Interesting[ly] enough, probably the first episode I was in, "Act of Contrition". I was so excited, nervous and amazed that I was on the show. That for me was a rough day, let me tell you! I could hardly sit still and the day seemed so long. I just wanted to be good, and make sure I knew what this character was all about, which is very difficult. I think it evolves. One minute you may think he is like this but then you see that he actually believes something else. So I was definitely glad to make it through that one.<ref>{{cite_web|url=http://www.thescifiworld.net/interviews/bodie_olmos_01.htm|title=The SciFi World: Bodie Olmos interview|date=20 January 2007|accessdate=18 February 2007|last=Craddock|first=Lisa|format=|language=}}</ref>
*The ''Galactica'' has a remaining contingent of 40 Vipers on top of her 5 Raptors (revealed in [[Water]]), but now only has 21 combat-ready pilots and a further 8 newbie “nuggets”
*Cylon Raiders have guns of an apparently similar nature to those mounted on Vipers
*Zak and Starbuck were engaged, and that led to her passing him for flight duty
*Adama's relationship with Starbuck is not as long-standing as the mini appeared to suggest: they have only served together for 2 years
*Word is leaking out about Baltar's “Cylon detector”
*Helo and Valerii still appear to be the only “people” left alive on Caprica. Neither seem in any hurry to get off the planet.
*The Colonial military use HumVees and Deuce-and-a-half trucks!
*While the viper is burning on entry into the atmosphere, the viper's [[Altimeter|altimeter]] is going in reverse, indicating altitude gain.


== Noteworthy Dialogue ==
== Noteworthy Dialogue ==


<i>In Adama's Cabin, with Thrace and Adama, discussing comments made earlier by Lee Adama:</i>
*''In Adama's Cabin, with Thrace and Adama, discussing comments made earlier by Lee Adama:''
 
:'''Adama''': He said something else. That you might have been feeling guilty about something you did for Zak. What did you do for him?
<b>Adama:</b> He said something else. That you might have been feeling guilty about something you did for Zak. What did you do for him?<br>
:'''Thrace''': I don't know. You'd have to ask Lee.
<b>Thrace:</b> I don't know. You'd have to ask Lee.<br>
:'''Adama''': I'm asking you.  
<b>Adama:</b> I'm asking you. <br>
:'''Thrace''': Well I don't kn- I, ah...I don't really know what he was talking about, so...
<b>Thrace:</b> Well I don't kn- I, ah...I don't really know what he was talking about, so...<br>
:'''Adama''': Don't fence with me, Kara. I love you like a daughter. I don't deserve that.
<b>Adama:</b> Don't fence with me, Kara. I love you like a daughter. I don't deserve that.<br>
:'''Thrace''': Ummm...Zak...failed...basic flight. He wasn't a bad pilot, he just had no feel for flying...and, um, when it came to his final check ride he...busted...three of the test manoeuvres, and I should have flunked him, but I didn't. The bottom line is your...son...didn't have the chops to fly a Viper...and I killed him.
<b>Thrace:</b> Ummm...Zak...failed...basic flight. He wasn't a bad pilot, he just had no feel for flying...and, um, when it came to his final check ride he...busted...three of the test manoeuvres, and I should have flunked him, but I didn't. The bottom line is your...son...didn't have the chops to fly a Viper...and it killed him.<br>
:'''Adama''': (following a flashback) You did it because you were engaged.
<b>Adama:</b> (following a flashback): You did it because you were engaged.<br>
:'''Thrace''': (breaking down) Because I made a mistake...because I was just...I was so in love with him...and I let that get in the way of doing my job...and um, and he um, he just wanted it so much, and I...I didn't want to be the one who crushed him...
<b>Thrace (breaking down):</b> Because I made a mistake...because I was just...I was so in love with him...and I let that get in the way of doing my job...and um, and he um, he just wanted it so much, and I...I didn't want to be the one who crushed him...<br>
:'''Adama''': Reinstate the trainees to flight status.
<b>Adama:</b> Reinstate the trainees to flight status.<br>
:'''Thrace''': I will...but I just want you to understand...that I...
<b>Thrace:</b> I will...but I just want you to understand...that I...<br>
:'''Adama''': Do your job.
<b>Adama:</b> Do your job.<br>
:'''Thrace''': Yes sir...
<b>Thrace:</b> Yes sir...<br>
:'''Adama''': And walk out of this cabin...while you still can...
<b>Adama:</b> And walk out of this cabin...while you still can...


== Official Statements ==  
== Guest stars ==
*[[Michael Hogan]] as Colonel [[Saul Tigh]]
*[[Aaron Douglas]] as Chief [[Galen Tyrol]]
*[[Tahmoh Penikett]] as Lt. [[Karl Agathon|Karl "Helo" Agathon]]
*[[Kandyse McClure]] as Petty Officer [[Anastasia Dualla]]
*[[Paul Campbell]] as [[Billy Keikeya]]
*[[Alessandro Juliani]] as Lt. [[Felix Gaeta]]
*[[Samuel Witwer]] as [[Alex Quartararo|Alex "Crashdown" Quartararo]]
*[[Lorena Gale]] as [[Elosha]]
*[[Donnelly Rhodes]] as Dr. [[Sherman Cottle]]
*[[Jill Teed]] as Sergeant [[Hadrian]]
*[[Tobias Mehler]] as [[Zak Adama]]
*[[Colby Johannson]] as Lt. [[Dwight Saunders|Dwight "Flat Top" Saunders]]
*[[Bill Meilen]] as Caprica Cleric
*[[Bodie Olmos]] as [[Brendan Costanza|Brendan "Hot Dog" Costanza]]
*[[Lucianna Carro]] as [[Louanne Katraine|Louanne "Kat" Katraine]]
*[[Terry Chen]] as [[Donald Perry|Donald "Chuckles" Perry]]


<!-- Use bullets or standard paragraph form.  Please use links to sources!!! -->
==References==
<!-- If you wish to create the source within the Battlestar Wiki, then do so! -->
{{reflist}}


== Statistics ==
==External Links ==
 
{{ext-wikipedia-name|article = Contrition|name = Contrition  }}
<!-- All the odds and ends items go here. -->
 
=== Guest Stars ===
<!-- Please use this format when listing actor/characters. -->
<!-- Also don't forget to link characters through the Wiki by using the brackets: [[ ]] -->
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Jill+Teed Jill Teed] as [[Hadrian|Sergeant Hadrian]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Donnelly+Rhodes Donnelly Rhodes] as [[Doctor Cottle]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Lorena+Gale Lorena Gale] as [[Elosha]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Tobias+Mehler Tobias Mehler] as [[Adama, Zak|Zak Adama]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Colby+Johannson Colby Johannson] as [[Saunders, Dwight|Flat Top]]
*[[Olmos, Bodie|Bodie Olmos]] as [[Constanza|Constanza / Hot Dog]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Lucianna+Carro Lucianna Carro] as [[Katraine|Katraine / Kat]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Terry+Chen Terry Chen] as [[Perry|Perry / Chuckles]]
*[http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Bill+Melien Bill Meilen] as Caprica Cleric
 
<!-- Please link people to the Internet Movie DataBase (IMDB). -->
<!-- Example of Link [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Edward+James+Olomos Edward James Olmos] -->
 
=== Writing & Direction ===
 
*Written by [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Bradley+Thompson Bradley Thompson] and [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+David+Weddle David Weddle]
*Directed by [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Rod+Hardy Rod Hardy]
 
<!-- Please link people to the Internet Movie DataBase (IMDB). -->
<!-- Example of Link [http://us.imdb.com/M/person-exact?+Edward+James+Olmos Edward James Olomos] -->
 
=== Production Details ===
 
*Series: 1 (2004 / 2005)
*Production Number: 1.04
*Airdate Order: 4 (of 13)


=== First Run Air Dates & Releases ===
{{episode list (RDM season 1)}}


*UK Airdate: 8 November 2004 (Sky One)
[[Category:Episodes written by Bradley Thompson]]
*US Airdate: 28 January 2005 (Sci-Fi Channel)
[[Category:Episodes written by David Weddle]]
*DVD Release: 28 March 2005 (UK)
[[Category:Episodes directed by Rod Hardy]]
 
==External Links ==
[http://www.scifi.com/battlestar/episodes/season01/104/ "Act of Contrition"] at scifi.com.


[[Wikipedia:Contrition|Contrition]] defined on Wikipedia.
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{{Episode List}}
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[[Category: A to Z]]
[[de:Zeichen der Reue]]
[[Category: Episode Guide (RDM)]]
[[fr:Épisode:Confession]]
[[Category:RDM]]

Latest revision as of 16:29, 17 February 2024

Act of Contrition
"Act of Contrition"
An episode of the Re-imagined Series
Episode No. Season 1, Episode 4
Writer(s) Bradley Thompson
David Weddle
Story by
Director Rod Hardy
Assistant Director
Special guest(s)
Production No. 104
Nielsen Rating 2.5
US airdate USA 2005-01-28
CAN airdate CAN 2005-02-05
UK airdate UK 2004-11-08
DVD release 20 September 2005 US
28 March 2005 UK
Population 47,958 survivors (No population change.)
Additional Info
Full Credits
Episode Chronology
Previous Next
Bastille Day Act of Contrition You Can't Go Home Again
Related Information
Official Summary
R&D Skit – View
[[IMDB:tt{{{imdb}}}|IMDb entry]]
Listing of props for this episode
Related Media
Photo Gallery @ BW Media
Promotional Materials
Online Purchasing
Amazon: Standard Definition | High Definition
iTunes: USA | Canada | UK



When several Viper pilots are killed in a freak accident, Adama turns to Starbuck for help - but her involvement in the aftermath of the accident and in training new pilots causes the truth surrounding Zak Adama's death to finally surface.

Summary[edit]

On Galactica[edit]

  • It is Dwight “Flat Top” Saunders' 1,000th deck landing, which brings Galactica’s pilots down to the hangar deck to celebrate.
  • As the celebrations continue, a communication drone stowed on the hangar deck breaks loose from its restraints, falling to the deck and igniting its motor. The drone flies across the hangar, smashing into the celebrating pilots where it explodes, killing Flat Top and twelve others and putting seven more in sickbay.
  • As the surviving pilots prepare for the services for the dead, Kara "Starbuck" Thrace has flashbacks to her first meeting with William Adama, following the death of his son, Zak.
  • During the memorial service itself, she, Lee Adama and Bill Adama all have flashbacks – to Zak Adama’s funeral and (in Thrace's case) to her telling Zak he has qualified as a Viper pilot.
  • Following the service, Commander Adama asks Thrace to oversee the training of any new pilots they can find in the Fleet.
  • Thrace is initially hesitant, and the Commander guesses the cause is Zak's accident. He reassures her that his son’s death was not her fault – which causes Thrace to remember her admission to Lee Adama: that she passed Zak Adama through his basic training when he had in fact failed (TRS: "Miniseries").
  • She reluctantly accepts the duty, but memories of Zak Adama continue to haunt her as she plays cards with Gaius Baltar, oblivious to a conversation that takes place between Alex "Crashdown" Quartararo and Felix Gaeta concerning Baltar’s Cylon detector – a conversation that leaves Boomer very uncomfortable.
  • Elsewhere on Galactica, President Laura Roslin is examined by the ship’s medical officer, Doctor Cottle. His diagnosis is not good: her cancer is inoperable. Roslin decides that she wants to try alternative therapy using Chamalla extract – something with entirely unproven effectiveness.
  • Later, Thrace meets her first batch of recruits. They are all pilots – but none have ever flown a Viper. With no simulators aboard Galactica, the newbies – nuggets – are thrown straight into the cockpit of the real thing.
  • Their performance during their first training flight is hardly stellar, and Thrace is uncompromisingly hard on the first batch of recruits, washing them all out.
  • Captain Adama confronts her on her decision, and realizes it is caused more by guilt about Zak Adama than on the ability of the trainees. When she refuses to reinstate the trainees, he takes the matter up with Commander Adama.
  • Commander Adama initially supports Thrace's decision, but a misunderstanding between him and Lee Adama causes him to meet with Thrace to discuss Zak’s death.
  • When Starbuck tries to dodge the issue, Adama pins her down, and she admits the truth: Zak botched his final training flights, but she passed him because she was in love with him and they were engaged – but Zak really wasn’t the right material for flying Vipers.
  • Angered and hurt, Adama orders her to reinstate the trainees and to get out of his cabin.
  • Starbuck pilots Viper 1104 and leads a handful of the trainees on a training flight, about to begin a Thorch weave maneuver lesson when DRADIS detects a group of Cylon Raiders. Starbuck orders her nuggets to return to Galactica and enters the combat zone, initially unaware that Hotdog chose to stay as her wingman.
  • In the ensuing dogfight, Starbuck takes care of the Raiders (with Hot Dog's aid), but her Viper is damaged after dispatching (but not destroying) the last Raider, losing first her transponder and then complete flight control.
  • Hotdog's Viper is severely damaged, but he survives and awaits a SAR pickup.
  • Viper 1104 goes into a flat spin as Thrace and the last Raider (that's apparently dead) from the small squadron fall into the gravity well of a nearby moon. The moon's atmosphere eventually tears Viper 1104 apart, forcing her to eject.

On Caprica[edit]

  • Karl Agathon and Sharon Valerii are tracking the source of the signal they previously picked up out in the woods (TRS: "Water").
  • The signal leads them to a restaurant in the city, which has a radiation shelter under it, stocked with everything they need to survive — water, food, blankets — even anti-radiation medication.
  • Their arrival at the restaurant is observed by a copy of Six.


Notes[edit]

  • It is 48 hours since the prisoner uprising on Astral Queen.
  • Water replenishment ops are still underway.
  • Galactica has a remaining contingent of 40 Vipers on top of at least 5 Raptors (revealed in "Water"), but now only has 21 combat-ready pilots and a further 8 newbie "nuggets".
  • Cylon Raiders have guns of an apparently similar nature to those mounted on Vipers.
  • Zak Adama and Kara Thrace were engaged, and that led to her passing him for flight duty.
  • Adama's relationship with Thrace is not as long-standing as the Miniseries appears to suggest: they have only served together for two years.
  • Word is leaking out about Baltar's Cylon detector.
  • Karl "Helo" Agathon and "Caprica" Valerii still appear to be the only "people" left alive on Caprica. Neither seem in any hurry to get off the planet. (More humans are discovered in the second season episode, "Resistance")."
  • Small inconsistency in set dressing: The books on the shelf that covers the fallout shelter's entrance are rectangular.
  • Also of note in the bookshelf scene is that the books are all from modern-day Earth; several titles and covers can be read as the bookshelf falls over, including "The Final Diagnosis" by Arthur Hailey, and another book prominently displaying the Nazi swastika, and what appears to be a photo of Adolf Hitler, on its cover.
  • The Colonial military use what appear to be HumVees and Deuce-and-a-half trucks.
  • While the Viper is burning on entry into the atmosphere, the Viper's altimeter is going in reverse, indicating altitude gain.
  • Ron D. Moore states on the DVD commentary that the munition activation that kills several pilots was inspired by a similar event on the USS Forrestal in 1967.
  • Also according to the DVD commentary, the ejection sequence at the beginning of each chapter is an homage to The Right Stuff.

Analysis[edit]

  • This episode emphasizes many of the goals set at the series' creation to make a sci-fi series that is grounded in realism. The logistical limitations on the Fleet are readily apparent: this episode highlights how difficult it is for Galactica to train new combat-ready pilots, as there are no reserve pilots and civilians with little or no prior flying experience are all that they have to work with.
  • Further, this episode shows that sometimes accidents simply happen on a battlestar: this is not a perfect, pristine in-story universe but a worn, run-down real world. The accident on the flight deck occurred not through sabotage or some sort of technobabble space anomaly, but simply because an old piece of equipment wore out.
  • The realism highlighted by this episode is again apparent in the climactic scene between Starbuck and Commander Adama, in which she reveals that she was responsible for his son's death. The dramatic situation it focused on is not centered around some sci-fi concept, but the interactions between people which could have occurred on present-day Earth. If the script for this episode were ported onto another series set on a modern-day Navy aircraft carrier, there would be few if any changes to it. It is a drama script, which happens to be set in space, which was one of the goals of the series.

Questions[edit]

Answered Questions[edit]

For answers to the questions in this section, click here.
  • Why does Major Sherman Cottle smoke, knowing full well the medical implications of cigarette smoking?

Unanswered Questions[edit]

None yet.

Official Statements[edit]

  • Ron D. Moore discusses Cottle's smoking:
    Moore: Because smoking is cool. Don't let anyone tell you different, kid. [...] Seriously, we're showing people doing what people really do and not all of their choices are smart ones. We smoke, we drink, we have sex with the wrong partners—we make lots of bad choices and some of them we do knowingly and in full cognizance of the risks and consequences. Dr. Cottle obviously knows the risks associated with smoking and he elects to do it anyway — that's his choice.[1]
  • Bodie Olmos talks about his most challenging day on-set:
    Olmos: Interesting[ly] enough, probably the first episode I was in, "Act of Contrition". I was so excited, nervous and amazed that I was on the show. That for me was a rough day, let me tell you! I could hardly sit still and the day seemed so long. I just wanted to be good, and make sure I knew what this character was all about, which is very difficult. I think it evolves. One minute you may think he is like this but then you see that he actually believes something else. So I was definitely glad to make it through that one.[2]

Noteworthy Dialogue[edit]

  • In Adama's Cabin, with Thrace and Adama, discussing comments made earlier by Lee Adama:
Adama: He said something else. That you might have been feeling guilty about something you did for Zak. What did you do for him?
Thrace: I don't know. You'd have to ask Lee.
Adama: I'm asking you.
Thrace: Well I don't kn- I, ah...I don't really know what he was talking about, so...
Adama: Don't fence with me, Kara. I love you like a daughter. I don't deserve that.
Thrace: Ummm...Zak...failed...basic flight. He wasn't a bad pilot, he just had no feel for flying...and, um, when it came to his final check ride he...busted...three of the test manoeuvres, and I should have flunked him, but I didn't. The bottom line is your...son...didn't have the chops to fly a Viper...and I killed him.
Adama: (following a flashback) You did it because you were engaged.
Thrace: (breaking down) Because I made a mistake...because I was just...I was so in love with him...and I let that get in the way of doing my job...and um, and he um, he just wanted it so much, and I...I didn't want to be the one who crushed him...
Adama: Reinstate the trainees to flight status.
Thrace: I will...but I just want you to understand...that I...
Adama: Do your job.
Thrace: Yes sir...
Adama: And walk out of this cabin...while you still can...

Guest stars[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Moore, Ron D. (19 February 2005). Ron D. Moore blog entry (backup available on Archive.org) (in ). Retrieved on 18 February 2007.
  2. ↑ Craddock, Lisa (20 January 2007). The SciFi World: Bodie Olmos interview (backup available on Archive.org) (in ). Retrieved on 18 February 2007.

External Links[edit]

Re-imagined Series Episode List — Miniseries and Season 1


Battlestar Galactica (Re-Imagined) Miniseries (2003): Miniseries, Night 1 | Miniseries, Night 2

Battlestar Galactica (Re-Imagined) Season 1 (2004-2005) Episode List

33 | Water | Bastille Day | Act of Contrition | You Can't Go Home Again | Litmus | Six Degrees of Separation | Flesh and Bone | Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down | The Hand of God | Colonial Day | Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I | Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II | Next Season Episode >


Original Series definition: a term for a robot, such as Muffit II (TOS: "Saga of a Star World")

Re-imagined Series definition: initial skills training; can refer to basic military indoctrination, and arms and ground training (TRS: "Fragged"); and basic flight training (TRS: "Miniseries")

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