Faith

"Faith" An episode of the Re-imagined Series
Episode No.	Season 4, Episode 6
Writer(s)	Kevin Fahey
Story by
Director	Michael Nankin
Assistant Director
Special guest(s)
Production No.	408
Nielsen Rating	1.2
US airdate	9 May 2008
CAN airdate	9 May 2008
UK airdate	13 May 2008
DVD release	6 January 2009
Population	39,675 survivors ( 1)
Additional Info
Episode Chronology
Previous		Next
The Road Less Traveled	Faith	Guess What's Coming to Dinner?
Related Information
Official Summary
R&D Skit – View
Podcast Transcript – View
Deleted Scenes
IMDb entry
Listing of props for this episode
Related Media
			@ BW Media
Promotional Materials
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The cancer-stricken President Laura Roslin and hotheaded pilot Kara Thrace both must make difficult leaps of faith in order to accept an uneasy alliance with the Cylons.

Summary

Teaser

• Angry and defiant at Karl Agathon's refusal to obey orders to travel to a basestar, Kara Thrace attempts to jump the ship herself when Athena restrains her.
• Agathon orders Gaeta to jump the ship back to Galactica. Samuel Anders points out that they will be returning as mutineers, but Agathon responds that Admiral Adama will sort things out.
• Anders intervenes with a sidearm, shooting Gaeta in the leg to stop him from following Agathon's order to jump back to the Fleet. Chaos ensues as Marines arrive.
• Everyone stands down as Gaeta is attended to, in severe pain from a leg wound.
• Realizing that taking the Demetrius itself to the baseship would be too great a risk, Thrace rescinds her original order, suggesting to fly their only Raptor to the baseship with Athena and Anders as crew, taking Leoben Conoy with them. Agathon initially objects but realizes it's the best compromise. He tells her that she has only 15 hours to complete her mission before the Demetrius must jump to rendezvous with the Fleet or be left behind.

Act 1

• Tory Foster is packing things up on Colonial One. Laura Roslin is at her desk, bald and not wearing her wig. She tells Foster to keep things going as she finishes the last two Doloxan treatments, where she'll be on Galactica and indisposed during that time. Roslin tries to encourage Foster to watch out for sudden moves by the Quorum.
• On day 58 of their mission, the crew prepares the Raptor. Athena promises to work with Thrace as does Jean Barolay, who appreciates Thrace's strong reputation.
• The Raptor jumps and finds a massive graveyard of dead baseships and Raiders floating dead in space. Thrace is amazed. They are by a large gas giant in a trinary star system, just as her visions suggested.
• On the Demetrius, Gaeta is heavily medicated with morpha for the pain. He asks Agathon not to have Dr. Cottle amputate his leg, as he realizes that the longer he doesn't get advanced care, the more likely gangrene will set in.
• The Raptor carefully searches for the baseship amidst the exploding ordnance. Thrace can hear "music" (Leoben confirms this is a rare trait among some Cylons as well) and takes control to fly the Raptor towards the gas giant. She sees the comet she expected, but not in the form; Leoben's stricken baseship is flying past, trailing gas that gives it a comet-like appearance.
• When approaching the baseship, the Raptor is hit by a piece of debris hurtled at them from an explosion and impacting the cockpit canopy.

Act 2

Natalie attempts to defuse the situation...

• Thrace awakens to find the Raptor safely landed within the baseship interior.

• Athena arrives to find herself surrounded by an army of other Number Eights, who recognize her independence from all things Cylon. They ask her to help mutiny against the Sixes, whom they feel have been making a series of mistakes. Athena rejects them, telling them to find their own individuality and help her or get out of her way.
• In sickbay, amidst Gaius Baltar's voice on wireless discussing his God, Roslin encounters a woman in sickbay, Emily Kowalski, who is gravely ill with cancer as well. When Roslin tries to turn off the wireless and Baltar, the woman becomes very upset and yells for Roslin to leave.
• Thrace's meeting with the surviving leaders of the baseship does not go well, but Leoben succeeds in convincing Natalie that they must work together.
• Athena accesses the datastream to determine how to mate the Raptor's jump drive to the baseship. Doing so requires disconnecting the Hybrid. As the group preps, Anders slowly reaches down to touch the data-font but pulls his hand back when Thrace calls his name.
• A Six sees Jean Barolay and recognizes her as the human who killed her on New Caprica. When Barolay doesn't show any remorse and says she would do the same again, the Six attacks her and smashes her head into the Raptor's hull, which kills Barolay. Anders pounces on the Six and is ready to kill the Cylon when Thrace manages to talk him down.
• The Six that killed Barolay speaks to Natalie, obviously dealing with psychological trauma from the death on New Caprica that she had not been able to shake. After kissing the distraught Six, Natalie grabs Anders's hand and pulls the trigger on his gun, killing the Six permanently as there is no Resurrection Ship nearby, carrying out a form of justice for the Colonials, who are shocked.
• Roslin meets again with Emily Kowalski, who gives her a scarf, a present. The two make small talk of what they will do after they get well. She warns Roslin that her sickness will get worse and to be prepared.

Act 3

• Thrace arrives in the Hybrid's chamber, who seems to ignore her, discussing ship functions but repeating one phrase in particular.

  

  Agathon unplugs the Hybrid after it delivers its prophecy to Thrace.

• In sickbay, Emily Kowalski tells Roslin why she listens to Baltar. After speaking to Cottle, she tells of a dream where she saw people standing on the opposite side of a river: dead loved ones. She felt a presence, a warm loving presence that calmed her. Roslin questions the dream but Emily notes that the dream is real.

• Thrace and Natalie continue to listen to the Hybrid's utterances. Leoben instructs Thrace to listen carefully, not to hurry the construct.

• Athena is ready to activate the jump augmentations and disconnect the Hybrid. Irritated at getting nowhere with the Hybrid, Thrace orders the jump.
• When it is unplugged, the Hybrid makes an inhuman scream, which causes a guarding Cylon Centurion (still in sentient mode) to fire in defense, severely wounding an Eight before the group manages to take the Centurion down.

• The Hybrid gives Thrace a coherent message as the Eight's blood mixes with the fluid in her tank: The dying leader will discover the truth about the Opera House, the missing Three will be used to find the Five, who come from the home of the Thirteenth Tribe, and that she, Thrace, is the harbinger of death that will take all to their end. Thrace is horrified at the message. The Hybrid then deactivates.

• Kowalski and Roslin continue to discuss the authenticity of the Lords of Kobol and Baltar's God. Roslin becomes upset when she talks of her mother's death from cancer and the striking lack of anything noble or calming at that moment. As Kowalski tries to comfort her, the woman suddenly has a violent seizure of pain. Cottle arrives with medication, but tells Roslin that there's not much they can do for Kowalski now.

Act 4

• As the group waits, the dying Eight speaks to Athena asking for forgiveness for earlier. Athena reaches out for her, but hesitates when she wants to touch her hand. Anders steps in to tenderly comfort the Cylon as she dies, astonished at how similar she is to a human.

• The group deciphers the Hybrid's message. All come to the conclusion that the final five Cylons came from the Thirteenth Tribe and so must also know the way to Earth. The boxed Number Threes will lead them to the Final Five. Anders is unnerved by the conversation, likely fearing the exposure of his Cylon identity. The group leave to meet the Demetrius, with Anders leaving last, still puzzled that he is drawn to help the Eight.

• Kowalski's vision of a river comes to pass in a dream Roslin experiences. The two stand on a boat, looking at a shore where human figures begin to appear, smiling and waving at Kowalski. Kowalski disappears to meet them, materializing on the shore. Roslin feels joy, then sees her own mother, smiling and waiting for Roslin to join her. She tells her she is not yet ready, stepping away from the boat's side, as the dream ends.

• Awakening from her dream, Roslin goes to see Kowalski but finds her bed empty. She died some time while she slept. Only her wireless receiver remains, still switched on.

• Demetrius is prepping to leave as seconds count down but Agathon lets the clock run over in hesitation and to the crew's apprehension. Seconds before he is about to order the jump, the baseship arrives and broadcasts Colonial ID. Wireless contact is established with Athena, who reports that the baseship has been secured, much to Agathon's relief, and both ships prepare to join Galactica and the fleet.

• On Galactica, Roslin meets with William Adama in his quarters. She tells him that something may be truthful in Baltar's words, but Adama is reluctant. A sorrowful Adama talks of Thrace's death and return, his son's resignation from the military, and laments all the crew he sent with Thrace, wondering if he will see them again. But Roslin comforts him. The two smile as Adama tells her that Roslin helped him to believe that they really will find Earth.

Behind the scenes

Hybrid performance

Tiffany Lyndall-Knight faced significant challenges in bringing the Hybrid to life, requiring extensive preparation for the complex dialogue. In her preparation for the role, she approached the Hybrid's technical and literary dialogue similarly to her background in Shakespeare, breaking down the seemingly nonsensical text like poetry to find personal connections that would help her memorize and deliver the lines coherently.

The actress conducted extensive research to understand the scientific and literary references embedded in the Hybrid's utterances. She familiarized herself with technical terminology related to pumps, valves, and flanges, while also studying the various literary quotations from poetry, folk songs, political speeches, and classical works including Homer's Iliad.

Hybrid's scream sequence

The powerful scream sequence delivered by the Hybrid when disconnected proved to be particularly memorable for the production team. Executive producer Ronald D. Moore noted on his podcast commentary that the performance was quite disturbing and startling to those present during filming, causing the video village crew to jump each time Knight delivered the inhuman wail. The timing of the scream coincided with Mary McDonnell's arrival on set, creating an unintentionally dramatic first impression as the actress entered the studio just as the sound was echoing through the space.

Knight drew upon her theatrical training in Shakespeare to achieve the breath control necessary for the extended vocalization, explaining that breath work is fundamental to communicating large emotional arcs in classical theater and was pleased to find an opportunity to apply these techniques in television production.

Notes

Roslin's mother.

• Baltar's wireless broadcast contains a number of phrases from the "To be or not to be" soliloquy of Hamlet, including "shuffle off this mortal coil," and "the undiscover'd country, from whose bourn no traveler returns." These phrases refer to death and the afterlife, respectively. The full text of the soliloquy can be found here.
• Meanwhile, the Hybrid's repeated speech borrows text from the Biblical book of Jeremiah, chapter 31, verses 13 to 17.
• The comet/drifting baseship bears a visual resemblance to the Ship of Lights from the Original Series, both in the painting and reality.
• This episode marks the third time Laura Roslin discusses her family in any detail, and the first time viewers see an image of Roslin's mother. (The first mention, also involving her mother's fight with cancer, was in "Act of Contrition" in Season 1.)

Analysis

General

• Some of the writers' misdirection from "He That Believeth in Me" becomes clear. The "giant gas planet with rings," assumed to be Jupiter or Saturn, is revealed to be at the site of the Cylon battle. Moreover, the comet is a damaged and drifting basestar. This also explains how Leoben was able to help Thrace paint the scene in the previous episode, since he had already witnessed it himself.
• A close-up of Kara Thrace in the Hybrid's chamber evokes the Eye of Jupiter, with Thrace's blue eye at the center, ringed by her bloodied eyebrow and blonde hair.
• The light pattern as the raptor jumps to the basestar also resembles the mandala.
• With its inhibitor removed, the Centurion in the Hybrid's chamber seems visibly more aware of its environment. It turns its head to gaze at each member of the group as they enter, and again at Thrace as she questions the Hybrid. This contrasts with what was seen previously, when Centurions on guard duty simply stand immobile unless they perceive a threat, or are given a direct order.
• Barolay's sudden death after the Six attacks her indicates that the Six's blows and delivered concussions caused internal bleeding into Barolay's brain.
• The importance of physical touching in Cylon culture is exhibited in this episode, especially how Cylons interact among their own specific models. For example, before Natalie executes the Six who murdered Barolay, they kiss each other. When the Eight who was shot by the Centurion is dying, she asks for Athena's forgiveness in her attempt to lead a mutiny, and stretches out her hand to touch Athena's. However, Athena refuses, and Anders steps in to provide that sense of touch before she dies. This interaction amongst the models within their own model number may be a reflection of being "with each other," especially in times of certain death. Something like this was seen earlier in "A Measure of Salvation," where the dying Cylons aboard the stricken basestar link hands in prayer.

Religion

• Even though Baltar is preaching for the "one true God," the symbolism of a boat crossing a river to the land of the dead is very similar to the Greek legends involving the River Styx. It can be expected that Baltar borrows some of his teachings from an established religion that people are familiar with. This in part parallels the rise of Christianity, which expressed some of its ideas through the existing cultural forms of the established Roman polytheistic religions.
• Emily Kowalski's description of the Lords of Kobol and their behavior is quite consistent with that of Greek mythology.
• When speaking of her mother's death, Laura Roslin mentions the Fields of Elysium, a portion of the Greek underworld where heroic or virtuous souls end up after death that bears a resemblance to heaven in Christianity. It appears that the Colonials view of the afterlife is almost identical to that of the ancient Greeks.
• Roslin believes that the Lords of Kobol are not to be taken seriously but are metaphors. Roslin's mother took them more literally.
• The hybrid utterance "All these things at once and many more, not because it wishes harm, because it likes violent vibrations to change constantly" paraphrases a line from the theosophical text "At the Feet of the Master."

Characters

• The Eights' attempt to recruit Athena to lead a mutiny against the Sixes and presumably the Twos reveal an apparent character flaw that is prevalent amongst this particular model. Their allegiances and loyalty to a cause are not as strong as their fellow Cylon models, should those ties and beliefs cause suffering or death.
  • This is also a somewhat ironic twist, as Athena and others aboard the Demetrius were encouraging Karl Agathon to initiate their own mutiny against Thrace just hours earlier. However, Athena is likely referring to her allegiance to the Colonials as a whole, which has not diminished.
• While the Sixes and the Twos are willing to initiate the search for the Final Five because of their specific strong religious beliefs, the Eights apparently join them not because of a desire in unraveling the mystery, so much as because it grants them the opportunity to say "no" to their programming.
• Though the word "faith" is never explicitly spoken throughout the episode, multiple allusions to the idea of trust are provided through the characters' interactions with each other. This is especially evident in the multiple times the phrase "...with you" appears in the dialog. When the Eight that is shot by the Centurion is dying, Anders holds her arm and tells her that he is with her. When Roslin and Adama speak with each other, Roslin tells Adama, after he pours out his feelings of uncertainty and doubt, that she is with him.
• Athena also shows deep conflict within herself in this episode in regards to her nature as a Cylon as seen in multiple scenes. Leoben's words to her about how their trip is a "homecoming" for Athena causes an immediate response. Later, when the Eights touch her and attempt to recruit her, she expresses disgust with them, but possibly including herself. Her declaration of choosing a side and sticking to it may be something she needs to hear more than they do. When Anders takes out his gun to execute the Six, it is Athena who also takes out her gun to defend the "human" and refers to herself as a human. Finally, her refusal to hold the dying Eight's hand shows a reluctance of being seen as a Cylon and that she is not with them.

Questions

Answered Questions

• What does the Hybrid's statement that the five come from the home of the thirteenth mean? (Answer)
  • Were they made on Earth, the home of the thirteenth tribe? Or did they voyage to Earth from Cylon/Colonial space and then return? (Answer)
• Will Thrace tell anyone about the Hybrid calling her "the harbinger of death"? (Answer)
• How will Gaeta's injury affect his duties? Will his leg be amputated? (Answer)
• What would have happened if Anders had put his hand in the data-font? (Answer)
• How will the Fleet respond when Demetrius returns with the shipwrecked basestar in tow? (Answer)
• Does the revelation that the Final Five are from Earth, and can lead the fleet to it, encourage the hidden Four to reveal themselves? (Possible Answer)
• How will the Cylon rebels unbox the Threes? (Answer)
• Is Natalie's baseship the last place where there are Sixs, Twos, and Eights? (Likely Answer)
• Why did the Cavils' forces leave one baseship largely intact? (Possible Answer)
• Is Conoy the only Two left amongst the Cylon rebels? (Answer)

Unanswered Questions

• Are the Centurions capable of getting an IFF signal from a humanoid Cylon, like a Raider does? Could one have exposed Anders if he had made direct eye contact?
• Does "the thirteenth" refer to "The One Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken" mentioned in "The Eye of Jupiter," to whom the Temple of Five was dedicated?
• Does anyone else hear the Hybrid's words to Thrace?
• Will Helo and the others have to answer for their mutiny?
• Why should the Cylons have any trouble figuring out the Raptor's FTL system? They have previously used Raptors (Torn).
• Why are the Raiders' FTL systems unsuitable?
• Without Natalie's help, would Anders have been able to pull the trigger to execute the Six?
• Will Barolay's death, despite the execution of the Six, affect the truce amongst the Colonials once they discover that two from Demetrius' mission are dead?
• Why is Athena chosen to speak to Demetrius, given that another Eight could easily impersonate her?
• Are the baseship's crew all that remain of the Cylon rebels, or are there other survivors elsewhere?

Official Statements

• Nana Visitor discusses her experiences while filming this episode:

It was real acting, like I hadn't done for a while, and [it had] real writing. I loved it. I was very impressed all the way around. I thought it was a great show. [...] I was on the set for maybe four or five days, or something like that, and it was a real rough set. You felt the world of Battlestar Galactica being very rough, and every set was dark, and it was tough. It was a whole different atmosphere.

Noteworthy Dialogue

• An Eight discussing mutiny with Sharon Agathon:

Sharon Agathon: You guys make me sick.

Eight: Why?

Agathon: Because you pick your side and you stick. You don't cut and run when things get ugly. Otherwise you'll never have anything. No love. No family. No life to call your own.

• Emily Kowalski and Laura Roslin discuss the Lords of Kobol:

Emily Kowalski: Oh, Laura. And the Lords of Kobol are real? Reigning from a metaphysical mountaintop in those silly outfits? Zeus? Handing out fates out of an urn like they were lottery tickets? "You're gonna work on a tylium ship. You're gonna be an admiral. Your family's gonna be evaporated in an attack on the Colonies but you'll survive for three more years on a moldy compartment on a freighter 'til your body starts to eat itself up alive." Those are the gods that you worship? Capricious, vindictive...

Laura Roslin: But they're not meant to be taken literally. They're metaphors, Emily.

Kowalski: I don't need metaphors. I need answers.

• Laura Roslin on her mother's death:

"You're like my mother. She wasn't satisfied with metaphors either. She was convinced that Aphrodite herself was gonna swoop her away when she died. And she believed it even when the Doloxan and the radiation failed to stop her cancer. She was a teacher! She was... oh, she was something to behold. And the head of a classroom. And her students [starts crying] Her students loved her. They'd walk through fire for her and then they see this woman who seemed so eternal. She withered away and I find myself having to change her diaper because she couldn't even— At the moment she died there was no gleaming fields of Elysium stretched out before her. There was this dark, black abyss. And she was terrified. She was so scared."

• Kowalski's response:

"Laura. Laura, you were terrified. You saw only darkness. You can't possibly know what your mother experienced. You're still searching."

Guest Stars

• Rekha Sharma as Tory Foster
• Callum Keith Rennie as Number Two / Leoben Conoy
• Donnelly Rhodes as Doctor Cottle
• Bodie Olmos as Lieutenant Brendan "Hotdog" Costanza
• Alisen Down as Jean Barolay
• Tiffany Lyndall-Knight as Hybrid
• Jennifer Halley as Ensign Diana "Hardball" Seelix
• Nana Visitor as Emily Kowalski
• Alana Husband as Nurse Sashon
• Leo Li Chiang as the tattooed pilot (uncredited)
• Uncredited as Roslin's mother

References

External Links

• Composer Bear McCreary on the episode's score: [1]