Number One

Number One
Human Name	Cavil ?
Age
Colony
Birth place	{{{birthplace}}}
Birth Name
Birth Date	{{{birthdate}}}
Callsign
Nickname	{{{nickname}}}
Introduced	Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I
Death
Parents
Siblings
Children
Marital Status
Family Tree	View
Role	Cylon infiltrator, lay clergy
Rank
Serial Number	{{{serial}}}
Portrayed by	Dean Stockwell
Number One is a Cylon
Number One is a Final Five Cylon
Number One is a Human/Cylon Hybrid
Number One is an Original Series Cylon
Related Media
		@ BW Media
Additional Information
[[Image:|200px|Number One]]

Cavil is a humanoid Cylon who, prior to being discovered, posed as a Brother, a member of the Colonial clergy.

While other humanoid Cylons have a number associated with their model, such as Number Six and Number Three, the number designation for the Cavil model is One.

Galactica Copy

On Galactica, the first viewed copy of Brother Cavil provides counsel for Chief Tyrol after Tyrol's maddened attack against Cally Henderson. Cavil identifies the source of Tyrol's anxiety as arising from the fear that he could be a Cylon sleeper agent. This Cavil seems to be personally very familiar with Tyrol and is apparently aware that Henderson harbors romantic feelings for him (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I). (Later analysis of Cavil's nature, from behavior in season 3 episodes, suggests that Cavil's comments were aimed to incite torment in Tyrol.)

A somewhat eccentric figure, Cavil is a surprisingly harsh critic of prayer for a Brother, but claims to have been preaching "longer than you Tyrol have been sucking down oxygen" (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I). This interesting claim, if true, implies that the humanoid Cylons came into existence no later than approximately ten years after the end of the First Cylon War (assuming that Tyrol is approximately 30 years old). Cavil's remark, based on aired information and his true nature, is unlikely.

Despite his cynicism, Cavil prays with Laura Roslin for her re-election to the presidency to be successful. When Tyrol deduces the Caprica copy of him as a Cylon, Cavil is thrown in the brig along with his copy. He is later ejected through an airlock along with his copy (deleted scene). Due to the loss of the Resurrection Ship, his death is presumed to be final (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II).

Caprica Copy

Caprican Cavil

A second copy of this model emerges from the crew of resistance members rescued by the Caprica SAR team, telling them that the Cylons had left the Colonies. What he does not tell them — until Tyrol blew his cover upon his arrival at Galactica — is that he is a Cylon.

Due to this copy's discovery, the Fleet copy is arrested as well and thrown in Galactica's brig. Laura Roslin orders them ejected into space after Caprica-Cavil informs her and Admiral Adama that the Cylons had made two mistakes: the attack on the Colonies and the pursuit of the Fleet (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II). Due to the loss of the Resurrection Ship, his death is presumed to be final. Though their execution is not shown, a later conversation indicates that they were executed (deleted scene).

Like his Fleet counterpart, the Caprica copy also expresses doubt in the active involvement of divine forces in the real world, although he focuses his contempt on the Cylon religion. He says that "There is no God", something that the Cavils have been telling the other Cylons for years, though he acknowledges that God's existence or nonexistence can't actually be proven. Based on his conversation with the Fleet copy, this viewpoint appears to be shared between at least these two copies, and possibly across the entire model.

New Caprica Copies

A Cavil on New Caprica

At least two copies of Cavil are present in the invasion fleet on New Caprica, as seen in "Occupation" and "Precipice." They have some authority over humans in detainment, as Ellen Tigh is able to use sexual favors to bribe another into releasing Saul Tigh. This may have been a self-serving ruse, because after a second sexual encounter, Cavil says to her of Saul, "When's his next meeting with the insurgents?" and "We know he's their leader - why do you think we let him out of detention?" Ellen replies, "I thought it was because of the 'twist'", referring to a sex act, and Cavil says, "Oh, yes, that too."

Two copies are also involved in the Cylon leaders' discussions such as whether to kill Gaius Baltar.

Another copy also acts as a type of liaison between the NCP and their Cylon masters. He gives Jammer the list of Colonials to detain, and later accompanies the NCP to the site of a mass execution of Colonial Detainees (Occupation).

The NCP liaison version is critically wounded during an attack by the Resistance movement. Cavil is left with a bullet wound to the stomach and is left to die after the detainees are liberated. Cavil resorts to suicide by severing his carotid artery with a spent casing. He downloads into a new body for the third time; an experience that, as he explains, is similar to having a white hot poker slammed through his skull (Exodus, Part I).

Shortly before her death, Ellen Tigh descibes the Cavil copy she seduced as the one "in charge" of the Detention Facility (Exodus, Part II).

Basestar Command Copies

Cylon Diplomat

After the Cylon fleet arrives at the algae planet, a Cylon negotiation team negotiates a meeting on Galactica, which consists of Gaius Baltar, Boomer, a Number Three, and a Cavil copy. Cavil ad-libs during the discussion, personally suggesting that the Cylons will hand over Baltar to the Colonials as part of the negotiation ("to sweeten the pot").

Later, a Cavil (likely the same one) argues that they should destroy Galactica now and be rid of them for good. He thinks it does not matter if the Cylons find Earth in five days or five thousand years, saying that they can last forever, whereas the Colonials can't. He then determines Admiral Adama's claim that he will nuke the temple is a bluff even as Galactica preps its missile launchers (The Eye of Jupiter).

Another copy greets Number Three when she resurrects on a Resurrection Ship and informs her of the decision to box her model. She replies that someday he will know the truth of the Final Five like she does just before he removes the device storing her consciousness. Other Cavils are shown boxing other Number Three's all over the room in the Resurrection Ship (Rapture).

Analysis

The Cavils appear to be very radical thinkers, and demonstrate a unity among the model not seen in any other. Copies appear to have a well-developed sense of sardonic humor and are given to making jokes in even the most awkward, dangerous, and heightened circumstances ("Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II", "Occupation", "Precipice"). They seem to have discovered many revelations that Caprica-Six realized through her "virtual" Baltar (Downloaded). Judging by this, the Cavil copies were probably among the first to flock to Caprica-Six's banner.

In "Occupation" and "Precipice", the Cavils are the most outwardly ruthless and cruel to humans. The Cavils are sadistic, appearing to take pleasure (or at least a noticeable level of amusement) in their own acts of psychological and physical cruelty. The Cavils like toying with the idea of liquidating the human population on New Caprica as a solution to the Resistance, to "Perhaps a more manageable number. Say, less than a thousand."

Viewers can infer (correctly or not) from the New Caprica detention scene between a Cavil and Saul Tigh that a Cavil is significantly involved in the brutal, months-long interrogation (in response to Tigh's attacks against the Cylons). In conversation with the other Cylons, Cavils are vocal and callous proponents of harsh measures against the New Caprica Resistance and are strong advocates of mass executions.

It is ironic that the first two known copies of this apparently atheistic or agnostic model pose as lay clergy. This may be an intentional mockery of religion on their part, or a mockery of the Cavils by whomever assigned them their roles as infiltrators.

With the Cylons apparently occupying New Caprica at the end of the episode, it appears that the Cavils on Galactica are either lying about the Cylon change of heart or the Cylon plans changed after the second Cavil was captured on Galactica.

In "Exodus, Part I", it is learned that at least one Cavil unit, the leader of the execution squad intercepted by the Resistance and who died there (his third death), experienced increasing head pain with each resurrection.

Notes

• Despite waging constant attacks against the Cylons for nine months, the Caprica Resistance seemingly had never before encountered a Cavil model prior to their rescue.

• The word cavil is a noun and verb involving an irrelevant or trivial point made during an argument or discussion; synonyms include quibble and carp. (Dictionary Reference)