The Hand of God (RDM)

This article details an episode of the re-imagined series. For information on the original series episode of the same name, see The Hand of God (TOS).

"The Hand of God (RDM)" An episode of the Re-imagined Series
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Overview

With the Fleet short of fuel, Galactica launches a daring attack on a Cylon base.

Summary

• The Fleet is almost out of fuel, and Galactica has Raptors out scouting nearby star systems to find tylium ore - if they don't, the fleet can make two more Jumps at best
• Aboard one of the Raptors, Boomer and Crashdown find an asteroid filled with years worth of tylium ore — unfortunately, the Cylons found it first and have built a refinery base on it.
• Faced with hoping to locate tylium elsewhere using their remaining supplies of fuel, or taking the asteroid from the Cylons, Adama opts to attack the asteroid to take the tylium from the Cylons.
• On Colonial One, Laura Roslin reveals she is being affected by taking Chamalla extract to Elosha, having precient visions – her dreams about Leoben Conoy which occurred immediately before he was found on the Gemenon Traveler (Flesh and Bone), and her hallucination about snakes
• On hearing about the snakes, Elosha reveals that it matches a prophecy in an ancient text written by Pythia 3,600 years ago concerning the exodus of humankind, which foretells that a dying Leader will lead the remnants of humanity to the promised land of Earth.
• Colonel Tigh and Apollo draw up an initial plan to take the asteroid, but Commander Adama decides to turn to Starbuck to come up with an unconventional idea to accomplish the mission, as she has a penchant for thinking "outside the box", and as machines the Cylons tend to predict more logical plans.
• Plans are drawn up for the attack on the Cylon base on the asteroid, and Gaius Baltar is involved in preparations when Starbuck and Tigh show him recon photos of the refinery. They cannot simply nuke the base, as the radiation would render the tylium inert, so the best plan would be to destroy the containers holding the volatile unrefined tylium precursor. Tigh and Starbuck want Baltar to point out what it is, even though he has no idea what it looks like. In his mind, Baltar asks his virtual Number Six for help, but she tells him it is in God's hands and He will "tell" Baltar where to point. Baltar picks an object in the base, simply as a wild guess (though he doesn't tell the others that). Baltar is terrified, telling Six he didn't hear God's voice, but she reassures him that "God doesn't always speak in words".
• Apollo is concerned that everyone thinks Starbuck is a better pilot than he is and would be better leading the mission. Starbuck cannot fly in the attack, because in the weight room Commander Adama demonstrates that her knee has not yet fully recovered from its injury. On the hangar deck, Commander Adama encourages Apollo, telling him he thinks Apollo really can pull off this mission, because he is his son.
• The attack is launched, and the battle commences: civilian mining ships Jump in on one side of the Cylon base pretending to be on a survey mission, drawing off some Raiders from the base, while Galactica jumps in on the other side and launches a squadron of Vipers against it, which are confronted by the base's reserve Raiders. The Raiders sent against the mining ships peel off and advance with the others on Galactica. Everything seems to be going wrong, but then Adama reveals that this was a feint: doesn’t trust anyone other than his immediate officers with the full details of the action, not even Roslin, because he knows there are Cylon infiltrators in the Fleet.
• A second squadron of Raiders, led by Apollo, are hidden inside of the mining ships: instead of a feint, the mining ships were the thrust of the real attack. All of the Raiders were lured away to advance on Galactica, so they proceed to the base unmolested. However, things are far from easy: the Cylon base has a formidable Anti-Air defense system, and the Vipers' missle attack fails as the Cylons are jamming their missiles' tracking systems.
• In a move of reckless improvisation worthy of Starbuck, Apollo avoids the Cylon defense grid by flying through its tylium mining tunnels to the center of the base, then dropping a pait of explosive charges at the supposed tylium-precursor container.
• Much to Baltar's surprise, his wild guess at which container held the volatile tylium-precursor was correct: as Apollo flies away, the entire base explodes with the force of a 3 kiloton nuclear warhead.
• With their base destroyed, the Cylon Raiders go into a panic and are easy prey for Galactica's Vipers to mop up. All planes return to Galactica in a moment of celebration. Civilian mining ships will be able to get enough tylium fuel from the asteroid to last the Fleet several years.
• In Baltar's dream world, he expresses his astonishment to Number Six: Baltar "realizes" that the only "logical" explanation is that God truly did guide his hand to the right point on the Cylon base. The originally atheist Baltar now accepts the possibility that he might truly be an instrument of God...

Adama and staff plan the attack.

On Caprica:

• Helo and Valerii are hiding-out on a farm on their way to Delphi.
• When Helo offers to prepare a meal, Valerii is uncharacteristically sick, leading them to try and settle down for some sleep.
• They are interrupted by the arrival of a troop of Cylon Centurions - lead by another copy of Number Six.
• Forcing a stunned Helo into action - he cannot believe the woman he saw Sharon kill is coming after them - Sharon forces him back on the run.

Questions

• Why did Commander Adama order the fighters to pursue the fleeing Cylon Raiders, instead of securing the area? One possibility for attacking the remaining fighters to prevent them from getting reinforcements from a distant basestar. (Although Adama will not have discovered this until later episodes, Raiders have the ability to make a jump much farther than any Colonial vessel.)
• How many Vipers does Galactica actually have? Do they have a contingency plan should the majority (or all) of the Vipers be destroyed? Or are they simply fraked? (See this article for a running tally by episode to-date)
• Are the Colonials able to build ships, such as Vipers, from scratch? Or can they take destroyed hulks and rebuild off them? (Answer: Vipers are frequently salvaged, but only to a point. Yes, they can build from scratch, although the result may not be a Viper. However, Pegasus is able to build Vipers from scratch, when she has the raw materials (metal ore, etc) to do so. (Scar))
• How exactly can a 3,600 year old text foretell the exodus of humanity, and the leadership of President Roslin? (Answer.)
• Does someone have time on their hands to build miniatures of the new Cylon Raiders for the Situation Room!?
• If Gaius Baltar read the Sacred Scrolls in "... the 6th grade", why, in spite of being the former Secretary of Education, doesn't President Roslin know who Pythia is?
  • Answer: According to RDM, the Sacred Scrolls are much like modern Earth religions, i.e. the vast majority of the general populace often knows many often-quoted phrases and the general philosophy of a religion, but that doesn't mean every person is a theology scholar. Also, like Earth different sections of the Twelve Colonies are more religious than others. Caprica, for example, is quite secular in regards to religion, while Gemenon is religiously fundamentalist, believing in the literal truth of the Sacred Scrolls.
• Is Baltar truly an instrument of "God"?

Analysis

• The introduction of the prophesy of Pythia further link the series' mythology to the ancient Greece of our own planet. In Greek mythology, the Pythia was the priestess at Apollo's oracle in Delphi. The name itself comes from Python, the dragon slain by Apollo. The Pythia operated as a vehicle for Apollo's will to be known to those on earth. A believer would make a sacrifice and present a question to a priest. The priest would then present the question to the Pythia. The Pythia sat on a bronze tripod in the adytum, or inner chamber of Apollo's temple. In this sacred chamber the spirit of Apollo overcame the Pythia and inspired the prophecy.
  • Pythia in ancient Greece was the Oracle of Delphi – and on Caprica, Helo and Sharon are making for the religious center of Delphi.
• Following his seeking God’s forgiveness (33) and his repentance of his sins (Six Degrees of Separation), Baltar finally becomes God’s "instrument". He literally becomes the hand of God referenced in the episode title: he is the one that points out the target that will destroy the Cylon base.
• Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen Baltar move through the five emotional states that tend to guide our reactions to a new "truth" we’d rather not face:
  • Denial (dismissing the "disappearance" of the Olympic Carrier after the call from Dr. Amorak as anything more than a serendipitous event - 33)
  • Anger (his outright hostility towards Six as she continues to "bore" him with talk of God - Six Degrees of Separation)
  • Bargaining (praying to God for his safety in return for his obedience - Six Degrees of Separation)
  • Depression (leaving the Situation Room without having "heard" God’s voice & facing up to the fact that he had to – again - lie)
  • Acceptance his messianic response to Six’s coaxing at the end of this episode.
• Did the Cylons allow the Colonials to find an asteroid filled with fuel?
  • Executive producer Ron Moore has stated numerous times that the Cylons are not letting the Fleet escape, but are actively trying to destroy it.

Notes

• Nine days have passed since the events of "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down".
• The celtic victory music played at the end of the episode after the Cylon base is destroyed is titled "Wander My Friends", written and composed by Bear McCreary. The lyrics and translation for the song given in the liner notes for the Season 1 soundtrack are reposted on this page, with permission.
• Tylium ore is use to power FTL systems, but probably not through any fissionable reaction.
• Tylium has an energy density of about 5e14 J/kg, comparable to that of nuclear fusion.
• Cylon technology is clearly a Colonial off-shoot, as one would expect: from the use of tylium down to the shape of doorways.
• William Adama’s father was Joseph Adama.
• Sharon Valerii on Caprica may well be pregnant.
• Lt. Gaeta makes mention in passing conversation to Apollo that the Colonials actually know where the Cylon homeworld is ("they'd build a refinery this far from their homeworld?" "Why not? They need fuel out here just as much as we do").
• There is an ancient text some 3,600 years old foretelling humanity’s flight – and apparently, Roslin’s leadership.
• Mark II Vipers can carry both missiles and munitions pods (bombs).
• The Mark VII Vipers all appear to be out of commission - even Apollo is now regularly flying a Mk II.
• Based on the conversation between Commander Adama and Starbuck in the gym, it appears that Mark II Viper thruster pedals use a mechanical flight control system rather than a "fly-by-wire" linkage. This fits the concept of minimizing the use of computers mentioned in the miniseries.
• The religious overtones to the human / Cylon struggle are becoming more pronounced, with a now-promised confrontation due at the "home of the Gods".
• The Colonial fleet has a tylium refinery ship among its number.
• With the capture of the tylium mining facilities on the asteroid, the Colonials should be able to gather enough tylium to keep them going for about 2 years – assuming they can shift that much tylium to their refinery ship before the Cylons return.
• A railway line can be seen below the balcony of Baltar's Caprica house at the end of the episode. Single track, mounted on apparently wooden (as oppsoed to conrete sleepers), on a bed of gravel, without any form of electrifcation (3rd rail or overhead wires).
• The "R&D TV Animation" skit consists of David Eick slicing Ron Moore's face open with a piece of paper.

Noteworthy Dialogue

• Lee Adama sits with a battered Viper before the mission. He is joined by his father, who after a short conversation, Adama hands Lee a lighter:

Commander Adama: It belonged to your grandfather. My mother bought it for him when he was in law school. See the engraving on it?

Lee Adama: (reading the name "Joseph Adama") Yes I...can barely make it out...

Commander Adama: He was a better father than I was. Dad used to carry that into court cases. He claimed he never lost unless he left it behind.

Lee Adama: So you’re worried too.

Commander Adama: About what?

Lee Adama: Sometimes it feels like the whole ship thinks...Starbuck...would do better.

Commander Adama: I don’t.

Lee Adama: How can you be so sure?

Commander Adama: Because you’re my son.

• Commander Adama asks Starbuck to assist with developing a plan to attack the refinery:

Commander Adama: Captain Adama and Colonel Tigh are working on the plan now and I need some serious "out-of -the-box" thinking.

Starbuck: "Out-of-the-box" is where I live.

• During the briefing with Apollo, Tigh, Starbuck, Adama, and Roslin.

Commander Adama: Sometimes, you gotta roll the hard six.

Guest stars

• Michael Hogan as Colonel Saul Tigh
• Tahmoh Penikett as Lt. Karl "Helo" Agathon
• Aaron Douglas as Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol
• Nicki Clyne as Specialist Cally
• Lorena Gale as Elosha
• Cailin Stadnyk as Ensign Davis
• Bodie Olmos as Lt. Brendan "Hot Dog" Constanza
• Lucianna Carro as Lt. Louanne "Kat" Katraine
• Terry Chen as "Chuckles" Perry
• Christina Schild as Playa Palacios
• Biski Gugushe as Sekou Hamilton
• Paul Cummings as Fireball
• Camille Sullivan as Stepchild

External Links

"The Hand of God" at scifi.com

Re-imagined Series definition: mineral that can be refined to a powerful fuel, see: tylium

Original Series definition: a highly combustible fuel (see: tylium) ^{(TOS: "Fire in Space")}

Re-imagined Series definition: the process of using the FTL engines to make an near-instantaneous apparent faster-than-light transport of a ship from one point in space to another

Re-imagined Series definition: technology enabling travel across distances faster than the speed of light would permit, see: FTL

Original Series definition: a Cylon outpost ^{(TOS: "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part I")}

Re-imagined Series definition: taking large risks; literally, rolling 2 threes with a pair of dice