The Magnificent Warriors

"The Magnificent Warriors" An episode of the Re-imagined Series
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Overview

When a Cylon attack destroys the fleet's food supply, Adama and the others must agree to certain compromises with old acquaintances and with the inhabitants of a grain-rich, yet politically turbulent planet.

Summary

• Cylon Raiders slip past the defenses of Blue Squadron, destroying two of the fleet's three agricultural ships. The remaining vessel, Agro Ship Nine, has a breached airlock.
• Personally inspecting the damage, Colonel Tigh learns that the fleet's entire crop supply was destroyed in the attack. More importantly, the fleet's supply of seed has been exhausted and must be somehow replenished, according to Agro Specialist Carmichael.
• The fleet had recently passed by the planet Sectar, home to a small agricultural settlement of humans, in the Zeta quadrant. Commander Adama plans to trade an old energizer (one without Colonial markings) to the settlement, in exchange for new seed.
• The only energizer available for trade is owned by Siress Belloby, an old acquaintance of Adama, who refuses to relinquish its ownership unless the Commander meets with her personally. Belloby hosts a bouquet-wielding Adama, who agrees to romantically court the siress, in exchange for the energizer.
• Belloby and Adama insist on accompanying Apollo, Starbuck, and Boomer on the mission to Serenity, the small agro colony on the planet. Boxey and Muffit tag along as well.
• Before the Colonial's arrival, Dipper sees a full moon and warns the residents of Serenity of an impending attack by the Borays, herd-like humanoid creatures which pillage the town on horseback, killing constable Farnes. Bogan, the settlement's leader, has trouble recruiting a replacement constable.
• Starbuck and Boomer ride into town, posing as farmers looking to trade their energizer for seed. Bogan, seeking a new constable, offers the warriors employment instead, but they decline.
• Returning to their shuttle landing site, Starbuck and Boomer are ambushed by Dipper and accomplice Duggy. Their vehicle (and the energizer) are hijacked; freeing themselves, the warriors realize they've been robbed by Bogan's men. Starbuck returns to town to confront the thieves, while Boomer returns to the shuttle to inform Adama and company of the hijacking.
• Bogan denies involvement in the heist, but offers to sell the seed to Starbuck. Not having enough money, Starbuck joins a pyramid game to increase his funds.
• Producing a three-level pyramid, Starbuck wins the hand, drawing suspicion from Dipper and Duggy. Starbuck expresses his suspicions as to the source of their funds, implying their role in the theft of the energizer.
• Still short on funds, Starbuck is tricked into "winning" the constable's star during a hand of pyramid, becoming the de facto town constable. Entering the saloon, Adama demands to see the local law enforcement official, only to discover that it is none other than Starbuck.
• Bogan insists that Starbuck must face up to his duties as constable, regardless of how he came into possession of the constable's star. Facing the attacking Boray, Siress Belloby is captured and dragged off by the marauding pig-like creatures.
• The townspeople point out the general direction of the Boray camp. Apollo brings Muffit, who tracks Belloby by her scent to the Boray cave.
• Finding the Boray encampment, the Colonials hold off the creatures with a few warning laser blasts. Adama negotiates privately with Nogow, the Boray leader, but to no avail.
• Starbuck hatches a plan, trading his constable's star to Nogow in exchange for Siress Belloby.
• Back in town, Adama buys the required seed from Bogan, while the townspeople reluctantly meet their new constable, the Boray leader Nogow.
• Unimpressed with Adama's negotiating skills at winning her release, Belloby dumps Adama, much to the commander's relief.

Questions

• Why does the sudden appearance of the full moon startle Dipper? Of course, the Boray attack under a full moon, but doesn't the moon appear in regular cycles that can be predicted by the colonists? They are aware of space travel, but somehow can't accurately predict the cycles of their own moon?
• Why does Starbuck risk confronting the thieving townspeople alone, without partner Boomer?
• Other than for dramatic purposes, why do Adama, Belloby and Boxey join the shuttle mission?
  • Belloby has a romantic agenda that seems to involve getting some alone-time with Adama on the planet. As the owner of the energizer, she may have insisted that they accompany the mission.
  • Apollo indicates that this mission isn't very dangerous, which is his excuse for including Boxey - and he turns out to be right; Boxey's involvement is almost non-existent. Apollo was probably as glad as the viewers are to not have to suffer through one more scene of Boxey pleading with Apollo and Apollo having to make excuses for Boxey's exclusion.

Analysis

The Magnificent Warriors is the second of the two Western episodes of Battlestar Galactica. Where "The Lost Warrior" was a blatant rip off of Shane, Magnificent Warriors is a blatant rip off of The Magnificent Seven right down to the title.

That having been said, this episode is a light hearted adventure which plays counter to the more somber tone that underlies the series. It has of course been argued that such radical variations in tone prevented the series from truly exploring the dramatic underpinnings of it's premise, but this was a television program that was conceived of as light family fare in any case, and this episode certainly fits that bill.

This episode contains a few delightful comedic sequences, chief of which is Adama's visit to Siress Belloby's chambers to try and court her, and in so doing obtain access to her old power generator or 'energizer.' Embarrassed and nervous, Adama's ploy is only partially successful as the wily Siress manuevers him into letting her come down to the planet, and to a longer term relationship. Belloby is ably portrayed by Brett Somers, who at the time was famous as one of the wittier regulars on the successful game show "The Match Game." It seems the role of the Siress was perhaps created with Brett in mind.

We do get to meet another alien race in this episode, the Borays, but they get no lines and are largely an undefined culture. Nogow is a bit of a pig, which makes sense given his apperance. This is not an episode that is heavy on subtlety.

Starbuck's attempt at gambling in the casinop also provides another great comedic scene, when Adama goes looking for the lawman of the town and is introduced to the young Lieutenant who was unknowingly tricked into winning the constable's star and assuming the post.

Filmed for the most part in the backlot of Universal Studios, the townsite looks remarkably similar to the towns we visited in "The Lost Warrior" and "The Lost Patrol" because, well, they are the same. It would have been nice if some additional set dressing could have been applied besides the addition of some strings of lights, to help differentiate the various 'lost colony' planets from one another.

Interestingly, the planet in this episode is called Serenity. It always seemed to me that this episode could slide quite nicely into the "Firely" universe of Joss Wheadon.

One final, minor complaint. The title of this episode is not particularly imaginative, and does not differentiate it from other episodes. I am constantly confusing the episodes "The Lost Warrior," "The Magnificent Warriors", "The Long Patrol" and "The Young Lords." I am not the only fan I am sure that refers to this one as the Siress Belloby episode.

Notes

• The town bears an uncanny resemblance to the agricultural town on Equellus, from the The Lost Warrior episode. Also, just as on Equellus, the town is only seen at night.

• The footage of the Agro Ships as well as the interior of the Agro Dome was re-used footage from the film Silent Running

• The episode (The Magnificent Warriors) bears a resemblance to The Magnificent Seven, a movie where 7 gunslingers are hired to protect a town from an invading bandit. A further connection can be made in that there are seven Galaticans who come to the town (Apollo, Starbuck, Boomer, Adama, Siress Belloby, Boxey, and Muffit).

Guest Stars

• Dennis Fimple as Duggy
• Ben Frommer as Nogow
• Rance Howard as Farnes
• Barry Nelson as Bogan
• Eric Server as Dipper
• Brett Somers as Siress Belloby
• Olan Soulé as Carmichael

Original Series definition: agriculture ^{(TOS: "The Magnificent Warriors")}

Original Series definition: region of space, see also Sector. Usually named after a Greek letter, or (less frequently) a star system or planet.

Galactica 1980 definition: a power source (see: energizer); Dillon voices his concern that the energizer feeding power to the invisibility field hiding their Vipers needs to be recharged before the ships are rendered visible ^{(1980: "Galactica Discovers Earth, Part I")}

Original Series definition: agriculture ^{(TOS: "The Magnificent Warriors")}

Galactica 1980 definition: Troy and Dillon look up this word after the desk clerk explains the reasons for the metal detectors. Unsurprisingly, a hijacking by Cuban nationals subsequently occurs on their flight ^{(1980: "The Night the Cylons Landed, Part I")}.

Re-imagined Series definition: popular Colonial ball game, see: pyramid

Original Series definition: a card game, similar to poker (see: pyramid)

Original Series definition: a title of nobility, typically ascribed to a civilian of the female gender (e.g. Siress Tinia, Siress Blassie)

Original Series definition: an all-purpose term for Colonial soldier and Viper pilot (see: Warrior)

Re-imagined Series definition: confirmed hostile contact, typically either or both a fighter and shuttle sized craft ^{(TRS: "Final Cut", "Razor")}