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{{Character Data | {{Character Data | ||
|photo=CrashdownKobolGleaming.jpg | |photo=CrashdownKobolGleaming.jpg | ||
| | |series=TRS | ||
|birthname= Alex Quartararo | |birthname= Alex Quartararo | ||
|callsign= Crashdown | |callsign= Crashdown | ||
|nickname="Crash" | |nickname="Crash" | ||
|seen= 33 | |seen= 33 | ||
|lastseen=Fragged | |||
|death=KIA on {{RDM|Kobol}} {{TRS|Fragged}} | |death=KIA on {{RDM|Kobol}} {{TRS|Fragged}} | ||
|marital status=Possible relationship with Ensign [[Davis]] | |marital status=Possible relationship with Ensign [[Davis]] | ||
|role=[[Raptor]] [[ECO]] | |role=[[Raptor]] [[ECO]] | ||
| Line 16: | Line 13: | ||
|actor=[[Samuel Witwer]] | |actor=[[Samuel Witwer]] | ||
|serial=218540<ref>Serial number comes from [[:File:Alex quartararo dog tag-watermarked.jpg|this prop image]].</ref> | |serial=218540<ref>Serial number comes from [[:File:Alex quartararo dog tag-watermarked.jpg|this prop image]].</ref> | ||
| | |sortkey=Quartararo, Alex | ||
}} | }} | ||
Lieutenant '''Alex "Crashdown" Quartararo''' (a.k.a. "Crash") is the [[Raptor]] [[ECO]] who replaces {{callsign|Karl Agathon}} {{TRS|33}} after [[Sharon Valerii]] reluctantly leaves Agathon behind on [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]]-occupied {{RDM|Caprica}} at his request {{TRS|Miniseries}}. | Lieutenant '''Alex "Crashdown" Quartararo''' (a.k.a. "Crash") is the [[Raptor]] [[ECO]] who replaces {{callsign|Karl Agathon}} {{TRS|33}} after [[Sharon Valerii]] reluctantly leaves Agathon behind on [[Cylons (RDM)|Cylon]]-occupied {{RDM|Caprica}} at his request {{TRS|Miniseries}}. | ||
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Despite Valerii's initial misgivings of him, Quartararo is a loyal officer. His actions include the defense of Valerii to Sergeant [[Hadrian]] prior to Valerii's being taken away for questioning {{TRS|Litmus}}. | Despite Valerii's initial misgivings of him, Quartararo is a loyal officer. His actions include the defense of Valerii to Sergeant [[Hadrian]] prior to Valerii's being taken away for questioning {{TRS|Litmus}}. | ||
Quartararo is also the object of [[Davis|Ensign Davis]]{{'}} affections | Quartararo is also the object of [[Davis|Ensign Davis]]{{'}} affections {{TRS|The Hand of God|Colonial Day}}, and claims to have known a "lady friend" named [[Kimiko]] prior to the [[Fall of the Twelve Colonies]] {{TRS|Water}}. | ||
==Events on Kobol == | ==Events on Kobol == | ||
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After Valerii attempts suicide, Quartararo accompanies a mission to investigate Kobol, which meets with disastrous results. A Cylon [[Basestar (RDM)|basestar]] and [[Raider (RDM)|Cylon Raider]]s had already taken position above the planet, causing the destruction of one Raptor, the retreat of another and damage to Quartararo's Raptor. He pilots [[Raptor 1]] after his pilot is killed, crash-landing on Kobol near the ruins of the [[Opera House]] {{TRS|Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I}}. | After Valerii attempts suicide, Quartararo accompanies a mission to investigate Kobol, which meets with disastrous results. A Cylon [[Basestar (RDM)|basestar]] and [[Raider (RDM)|Cylon Raider]]s had already taken position above the planet, causing the destruction of one Raptor, the retreat of another and damage to Quartararo's Raptor. He pilots [[Raptor 1]] after his pilot is killed, crash-landing on Kobol near the ruins of the [[Opera House]] {{TRS|Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I}}. | ||
[[File:Tritonpatch 33.JPG|thumb|left|Quartararo at work, still wearing a battlestar ''Triton'' patch {{TRS|33}}]]When sonic booms are heard, presumably coming from a Cylon ship, Quartararo leads the team away from a likely approach by [[Cylon Centurion]]s. However, he hurries his team excessively to the point where they abandon most of their critical survival supplies, leaving [[Socinus]], critically injured in the Raptor crash, without needed medicine. Quartararo orders [[Tarn]], [[Galen Tyrol]] and [[Cally Henderson]] to return to the crash site to retrieve the needed medicine. This ill-advised move results in Tarn's death from Centurion gunfire, and later the death of Socinus, as the retrieved medicine could not treat his injuries in time. All that the medic kit could do is | [[File:Tritonpatch 33.JPG|thumb|left|Quartararo at work, still wearing a battlestar ''Triton'' patch {{TRS|33}}]]When sonic booms are heard, presumably coming from a Cylon ship, Quartararo leads the team away from a likely approach by [[Cylon Centurion]]s. However, he hurries his team excessively to the point where they abandon most of their critical survival supplies, leaving [[Socinus]], critically injured in the Raptor crash, without needed medicine. Quartararo orders [[Tarn]], [[Galen Tyrol]] and [[Cally Henderson]] to return to the crash site to retrieve the needed medicine. This ill-advised move results in Tarn's death from Centurion gunfire, and later the death of Socinus, as the retrieved medicine could not treat his injuries in time. All that the medic kit could do is euthanize Socinus with a [[morpha]] overdose in lieu of suffering an agonizing death {{TRS|Valley of Darkness}}. | ||
Quartararo's inexperience reemerges again as he attempts to organize his team through textbook field exercises to destroy a missile battery that several Centurions have constructed from the remains of their [[Heavy Raider]] to destroy any colonial [[SAR]] parties. The parameters of the operation change when the Centurions shift their deployment, providing greater Cylon defense at the missile launcher, and when the [[DRADIS]] guidance dish is left relatively unprotected. Quartararo assigns | Quartararo's inexperience reemerges again as he attempts to organize his team through textbook field exercises to destroy a missile battery that several Centurions have constructed from the remains of their [[Heavy Raider]] to destroy any colonial [[SAR]] parties. The parameters of the operation change when the Centurions shift their deployment, providing greater Cylon defense at the missile launcher, and when the [[DRADIS]] guidance dish is left relatively unprotected. Quartararo assigns Henderson the likely-suicidal task of creating a diversion while the remaining team try to destroy the missile battery. | ||
Although [[Galen Tyrol]] insists that destroying the missiles' DRADIS guidance dish would accomplish their mission and prevent the shooting down of the SAR operation, Quartararo's inexperience and by-the-book insistence on following his original plan blinds him to alternatives that would greatly increase his team's survival chances. | Although [[Galen Tyrol]] insists that destroying the missiles' DRADIS guidance dish would accomplish their mission and prevent the shooting down of the SAR operation, Quartararo's inexperience and by-the-book insistence on following his original plan blinds him to alternatives that would greatly increase his team's survival chances. | ||
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As the SAR Raptor's sonic booms announces their imminent arrival, Quartararo hastily orders Henderson to begin the operation, but she is frozen in fear and refuses to move. Becoming increasingly irritated and irrational, Quartararo aims his sidearm at Henderson's head and threatens to kill her if she does not follow orders. Chief Tyrol aims his sidearm at Quartararo, asking him to stand down while Quartararo counts to three in a final effort to move Henderson along. | As the SAR Raptor's sonic booms announces their imminent arrival, Quartararo hastily orders Henderson to begin the operation, but she is frozen in fear and refuses to move. Becoming increasingly irritated and irrational, Quartararo aims his sidearm at Henderson's head and threatens to kill her if she does not follow orders. Chief Tyrol aims his sidearm at Quartararo, asking him to stand down while Quartararo counts to three in a final effort to move Henderson along. | ||
Before the | Before the countdown ends, [[Gaius Baltar]] shoots Quartararo in the back, likely severing his spinal cord or piercing his heart, killing him instantly. | ||
After their rescue by the SAR team, both Baltar and Tyrol lie to Captain {{callsign|Lee Adama}}, claiming that Quartararo died a hero in battle {{TRS|Fragged}}. | After their rescue by the SAR team, both Baltar and Tyrol lie to Captain {{callsign|Lee Adama}}, claiming that Quartararo died a hero in battle {{TRS|Fragged}}. | ||
Lt. [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]] succeeds Quartararo as Valerii's ECO for her mission to destroy the basestar over Kobol {{TRS|Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II}}. | Lt. [[Margaret Edmondson|Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson]] succeeds Quartararo as Valerii's ECO for her mission to destroy the [[Battle of Kobol (TRS)|basestar over Kobol]] {{TRS|Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II}}. | ||
== Behind the Scenes == | |||
Actor [[Samuel Witwer]] was cast as Crashdown after watching the [[Miniseries]] and knowing he "really wanted to work on the [[Season 1 (2004-05)|first season]]."<ref group="Book">{{Cite book|author=David Bassom|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|year=2005|publisher=Titan Books|isbn=1845760972|page=131}}</ref> | |||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
*Before ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' arrives [[Pegasus (episode)|later in season 2]], Quartararo is the only confirmed survivor from another battlestar in the Re-imagined Series. | *Before ''[[Pegasus (RDM)|Pegasus]]'' arrives [[Pegasus (episode)|later in season 2]], Quartararo is the only confirmed survivor from another battlestar in the Re-imagined Series. | ||
*Crashdown is possibly named for the "Crashdown Café" from Ron Moore's previous series, ''[[Wikipedia:Roswell (TV series)|Roswell]]'', which dealt with supposed alien survivors of the [[Wikipedia:Roswell UFO incident|crash]]. | *Crashdown is possibly named for the "Crashdown Café" from Ron Moore's previous series, ''[[Wikipedia:Roswell (TV series)|Roswell]]'', which dealt with supposed alien survivors of the [[Wikipedia:Roswell UFO incident|crash]]. | ||
*According to actor Samuel Witwer | *According to actor Samuel Witwer, executive producer [[David Eick]] described Crashdown to him as "a cross between [[W:Han Solo|Han Solo]] and [[W:Bill Paxton|Bill Paxton]]’s character, Hudson, in ''[[W:Aliens (film)|Aliens]]'' — the “Game over, man” guy! And that’s sort of what I endeavored to bring to the role."<ref group="Book">{{Cite book|author=David Bassom|title=[[Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion]]|year=2005|publisher=Titan Books|isbn=1845760972|page=131}}</ref> | ||
*His real name was never stated on screen, but confirmed to be Alex Quartararo by [[Bradley Thompson]]. The name also appears on a playing card in the ''[[Battlestar Galactica Collectable Card Game]]'', and is derived from the character's [[dog tags]]. | *His real name was never stated on screen, but confirmed to be Alex Quartararo by [[Bradley Thompson]]. The name also appears on a playing card in the ''[[Battlestar Galactica Collectable Card Game]]'', and is derived from the character's [[dog tags]]. | ||
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Years later, when scoring ''[[Blood and Chrome]]'', McCreary employed the same electric sitar technique to represent the unstable soldier [[Toth]], creating a subtle subconscious connection between the two characters who both suffered psychological breakdowns in stressful combat situations.<ref name="McCreary2013">{{cite web |last=McCreary |first=Bear |title=Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome |url=https://bearmccreary.com/battlestar-galactica-blood-chrome/ |website=Bear McCreary |access-date=27 July 2025}}</ref> | Years later, when scoring ''[[Blood and Chrome]]'', McCreary employed the same electric sitar technique to represent the unstable soldier [[Toth]], creating a subtle subconscious connection between the two characters who both suffered psychological breakdowns in stressful combat situations.<ref name="McCreary2013">{{cite web |last=McCreary |first=Bear |title=Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome |url=https://bearmccreary.com/battlestar-galactica-blood-chrome/ |website=Bear McCreary |access-date=27 July 2025}}</ref> | ||
== References == | == References == | ||
{{reflist|group="Book"}} | |||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
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{{Characters}} | {{Characters}} | ||
{{Dead Characters}} | {{Dead Characters}} | ||
[[Category:A to Z]] | [[Category:A to Z]] | ||
Latest revision as of 02:47, 22 August 2025
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Name |
{{{name}}} | ||||
| Birth Name | Alex Quartararo | ||||
| Birth Date | {{{birthdate}}} | ||||
| Callsign | Crashdown | ||||
| Nickname | "Crash" | ||||
| Introduced | 33 | ||||
| Parents | {{{parents}}} | ||||
| Siblings | {{{siblings}}} | ||||
| Family Tree | View | ||||
| Serial Number | 218540[1] | ||||
| Portrayed by | Samuel Witwer | ||||
| Alex Quartararo is a Human/Cylon Hybrid | |||||
| Alex Quartararo is an Original Series Cylon | |||||
| Related Media | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Additional Information | |||||
| [[File:|300px|Alex Quartararo]] | |||||
Lieutenant Alex "Crashdown" Quartararo (a.k.a. "Crash") is the Raptor ECO who replaces Karl "Helo" Agathon (TRS: "33") after Sharon Valerii reluctantly leaves Agathon behind on Cylon-occupied Caprica at his request (TRS: "Miniseries").
A survivor of the crew of the battlestar Triton, Quartararo aids in the discovery of a fresh water source for the Fleet (TRS: "Water"), a Cylon-held tylium mine (TRS: "The Hand of God"), and the planet Kobol (TRS: "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I").
Despite Valerii's initial misgivings of him, Quartararo is a loyal officer. His actions include the defense of Valerii to Sergeant Hadrian prior to Valerii's being taken away for questioning (TRS: "Litmus").
Quartararo is also the object of Ensign Davis' affections (TRS: "The Hand of God" and "Colonial Day"), and claims to have known a "lady friend" named Kimiko prior to the Fall of the Twelve Colonies (TRS: "Water").
Events on Kobol
edit sourceAfter Valerii attempts suicide, Quartararo accompanies a mission to investigate Kobol, which meets with disastrous results. A Cylon basestar and Cylon Raiders had already taken position above the planet, causing the destruction of one Raptor, the retreat of another and damage to Quartararo's Raptor. He pilots Raptor 1 after his pilot is killed, crash-landing on Kobol near the ruins of the Opera House (TRS: "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I").
When sonic booms are heard, presumably coming from a Cylon ship, Quartararo leads the team away from a likely approach by Cylon Centurions. However, he hurries his team excessively to the point where they abandon most of their critical survival supplies, leaving Socinus, critically injured in the Raptor crash, without needed medicine. Quartararo orders Tarn, Galen Tyrol and Cally Henderson to return to the crash site to retrieve the needed medicine. This ill-advised move results in Tarn's death from Centurion gunfire, and later the death of Socinus, as the retrieved medicine could not treat his injuries in time. All that the medic kit could do is euthanize Socinus with a morpha overdose in lieu of suffering an agonizing death (TRS: "Valley of Darkness").
Quartararo's inexperience reemerges again as he attempts to organize his team through textbook field exercises to destroy a missile battery that several Centurions have constructed from the remains of their Heavy Raider to destroy any colonial SAR parties. The parameters of the operation change when the Centurions shift their deployment, providing greater Cylon defense at the missile launcher, and when the DRADIS guidance dish is left relatively unprotected. Quartararo assigns Henderson the likely-suicidal task of creating a diversion while the remaining team try to destroy the missile battery.
Although Galen Tyrol insists that destroying the missiles' DRADIS guidance dish would accomplish their mission and prevent the shooting down of the SAR operation, Quartararo's inexperience and by-the-book insistence on following his original plan blinds him to alternatives that would greatly increase his team's survival chances.
As the SAR Raptor's sonic booms announces their imminent arrival, Quartararo hastily orders Henderson to begin the operation, but she is frozen in fear and refuses to move. Becoming increasingly irritated and irrational, Quartararo aims his sidearm at Henderson's head and threatens to kill her if she does not follow orders. Chief Tyrol aims his sidearm at Quartararo, asking him to stand down while Quartararo counts to three in a final effort to move Henderson along.
Before the countdown ends, Gaius Baltar shoots Quartararo in the back, likely severing his spinal cord or piercing his heart, killing him instantly.
After their rescue by the SAR team, both Baltar and Tyrol lie to Captain Lee "Apollo" Adama, claiming that Quartararo died a hero in battle (TRS: "Fragged").
Lt. Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson succeeds Quartararo as Valerii's ECO for her mission to destroy the basestar over Kobol (TRS: "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II").
Behind the Scenes
edit sourceActor Samuel Witwer was cast as Crashdown after watching the Miniseries and knowing he "really wanted to work on the first season."[Book 1]
Notes
edit source- Before Pegasus arrives later in season 2, Quartararo is the only confirmed survivor from another battlestar in the Re-imagined Series.
- Crashdown is possibly named for the "Crashdown Café" from Ron Moore's previous series, Roswell, which dealt with supposed alien survivors of the crash.
- According to actor Samuel Witwer, executive producer David Eick described Crashdown to him as "a cross between Han Solo and Bill Paxton’s character, Hudson, in Aliens — the “Game over, man” guy! And that’s sort of what I endeavored to bring to the role."[Book 2]
- His real name was never stated on screen, but confirmed to be Alex Quartararo by Bradley Thompson. The name also appears on a playing card in the Battlestar Galactica Collectable Card Game, and is derived from the character's dog tags.
Musical Representation
edit sourceBear McCreary used the electric sitar, performed by Steve Bartek, to represent Crashdown's descent into madness during the Kobol episodes. The electric sitar had been featured most prominently in Battlestar Galactica during McCreary's arrangement of "All Along the Watchtower," but the instrument was first used extensively in the first half of season two specifically to represent Quartararo's mental deterioration as he went "full Colonel Kurtz" on Kobol.
Years later, when scoring Blood and Chrome, McCreary employed the same electric sitar technique to represent the unstable soldier Toth, creating a subtle subconscious connection between the two characters who both suffered psychological breakdowns in stressful combat situations.[2]
References
edit source- ↑ David Bassom (2005). Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion. Titan Books, p. 131.
- ↑ David Bassom (2005). Battlestar Galactica: The Official Companion. Titan Books, p. 131.
- ↑ Serial number comes from this prop image.
- ↑ McCreary, Bear. Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome (backup available on Archive.org) (in English).
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