Battlestar Wiki:Official Communiques/Archive6

Hamish "Skulls" McCall[edit]

Hello Mr. Bradley, is there a rank available for Hamish "Skulls" McCall? Is he Ensign, Lieutenant JG, or Lieutenant? I imagine that he's not anything higher. Also, is he Racetrack's ECO or Co-Pilot? Somebody was calling him a co-pilot and I didn't know if maybe he was a converted Raptor pilot because of ECO shortages or something like that but I figured I'd ask. --Straycat0 23:12, 8 October 2006 (CDT)

Hi, Straycat. I have no official rank on Skulls -- you'll have to look at his pips. Skulls is currently an ECO, but all ECO's are cross-trained with piloting skills. Attrition has forced some (such as Racetrack and Helo) to assume pilot in command duties more than once. - Ngarenn 22:21, 19 October 2006 (CDT)

Apollo's pilot wings[edit]

Is there a particular reason why Apollo is wearing junior wings in Season 3 while he's wearing senior wings in "The Captain's Hand" (I think) and LDYB? Personally I prefer that the wings signify actual piloting experience and aren't just awarded together with becoming Major or Colonel. But aside from it being a possible error, there might be some in-universe reason for the change. --Serenity 11:06, 9 October 2006 (CDT)

Lee's promotion to Major in Captain's Hand brought with it the senior pilot rank badges, as he started out as a pilot and the skill level that got him the Major's rank also warranted the new wings. - Ngarenn 22:24, 19 October 2006 (CDT)

So why did he lose them in Season 3 then? Other senior officers still have theirs despite not being active pilots anymore. Like Cain, Adama or Tigh --Serenity 08:29, 20 October 2006 (CDT)

Good question. You'll have to scare up somebody in costume to track that. - Ngarenn 18:19, 26 October 2006 (CDT)

Colonial Calendar[edit]

In Precipice when Baltar is singning the death varent. There is clearly seen SIGNED THIS SECOND DAY OF 3454-91 over his signature.

Does it mean Tuesday (second day), 91st day of year 3454 after The Exodus from Kobol?

Screencap --Deus 14:17, 9 October 2006 (CDT)

It all depends on when the week starts. A week can start on either Sunday or Monday -- and there has been absolutely no evidence that they use those names to denote days of a week. There are also too many variables to determine whether or not it has been 3454 years since The Exodus from Kobol. -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 15:01, 9 October 2006 (CDT)

Well, that's why am I asking Mr. Thmpson. "91" can also mean 91st week of year... --Deus 15:14, 9 October 2006 (CDT)

91st week of the year? This doesn't compute, given it's been pretty much established repeatedly that the Colonial time or calendar is really no different than the Gregorian calendar or the 24-hour system we use on this spec of dust. :-) For comparison, there are only 52 weeks in a standard Earth year. Also, it has been previously established that the exodus occured 2,000 years ago; so the Exodus is discounted as being "Year 1" in the Colonial calendar. However, any answers that Mr. Thompson can provide in this regard would doubtless be appreciated. -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 15:52, 9 October 2006 (CDT)

Interesting find. Maybe it's some weird Cylon way of timekeeping --Serenity 15:54, 9 October 2006 (CDT)

For that matter, is Mars Day a holiday or a day of the week? The days of the week on Earth are named after gods, Norse gods in English and Roman gods in Italic languages. ex. English: Tuesday, named for the Norse war god Tyr; French: Mardi, named for the Roman war god Mars. English: Friday, named for the Norse love goddess Freya; French: Vendredi, named for the Roman love goddess Venus. Noneofyourbusiness 17:37, 9 October 2006 (CDT)

Scriptural Reference[edit]

Mr. Bradley, was it intended that Colonel Tigh was making a scriptural reference to the colonial scriptures when he said: "Which side are we on? We're on the side of the demons, Chief. We're evil men in the garden of paradise sent by the forces of death to spread devastation and destruction wherever we go. Surprised you didn't know that." This feels and sounds very like he is refering to some 'Colonial Bible' and the expressions on Tyrol's and Anders' faces give me that sense? Was that the intent from the writers room with that saying? Gotta say that I loved some of the dialog in Occuprice and can't wait till it comes out on iTunes.--Straycat0 18:24, 9 October 2006 (CDT)

I haven't read all of Colonial scripture, so I can't really speak to that. But it wouldn't surprise me if Saul Tigh did read the scriptures at some point in his life. - Ngarenn 23:16, 19 October 2006 (CDT)

We know what the cast looks like..[edit]

But we have very few pictures of the Crew. Any chance you can round up a digital camera and do a group and individual photos? :-) --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 14:24, 13 October 2006 (CDT)

Nope. I already got a message from TPTB that there will be no unofficial photos coming from this source. - Ngarenn 22:27, 19 October 2006 (CDT)

TPTB? --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 23:15, 19 October 2006 (CDT)

The Powers that Be. I imagine its more or less for privacy and confidentiality reasons. -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 23:22, 19 October 2006 (CDT)

Roger. --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 23:25, 19 October 2006 (CDT)

We have a few crew pictures, but I can't ID them. md:Category:Seeking Official Information

Left Image - In the center is Supervising Producer Harvey Frand, who works miracles in Vancouver by making the impossible happen regularly for miniscule budgets. - Ngarenn 22:38, 19 October 2006 (CDT)

Center Image - The guy on the left is VFX Supervisor Gary Hutzel, Master of Visual FX. Without him, the ships don't fly, the nukes don't explode. Much of what you love about this show comes out of his brain. - Ngarenn 22:38, 19 October 2006 (CDT)

Right Image - is Harvey Frand, whom you met on the left. - Ngarenn 22:40, 19 October 2006 (CDT)

I have no clue. David is one the left, RDM on the right, and Center...well is the Question :)
Dir. of Photography?
I still have no clue.

Erica Cerra back Exodus, Part I?[edit]

Is she back just for these few episodes or was this another actress or a standin? --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 13:09, 14 October 2006 (CDT)

It's her. - Ngarenn 22:54, 19 October 2006 (CDT)

Gunnery Sgt Mathias[edit]

Hi, I was directed to ask these questions here; they were initially posed at the "Exodus, Part I" talk page.

1. First off, is she one of Pegasus' onboard company? She doesn't look familiar to Galactica, and Hadrian's reputedly the seniormost Marine onboard the latter ship. My guess is the former rather than the latter, but it's never stated.

We often don't state things until there's a compelling reason to state them, such as where Mathias came from or what her story is. It may play into future episodes, but until then, we keep you guessing. - Ngarenn 22:45, 19 October 2006 (CDT)

2. This one ties into 1: considering the above, why is she so (relatively) friendly with Sharon? There might be some leeway if she stood Brig duty and got to know Sharon, but then that would prove contrary to the Hadrian issue, not to mention that it's highly unlikely someone as senior as a Gunnery Sgt would be standing brig duty. OTOH, if she's a Marine from Pegasus, she obviously should have a marked level of disgust about taking orders from a "skinjob". Granted, military professionalism and bearing might play a role in overriding that disgust, but Sharon's nature as a Cylon can't be denied, regardless of what side she's on. Additionally, she may have been posted to brig watch while Sharon was in Pegasus' brig, but again, there's the rank vs. watchstanding issue.

See what fun you're having? It's been said in drama that one good question is better than a dozen good answers. But you don't make gunnery sergeant without learning to obey the rank, not the person. - Ngarenn 22:45, 19 October 2006 (CDT)

Just a few thoughts that came to mind. Thanks for your time.--み使い Mitsukai 00:30, 19 October 2006 (CDT)

You're most welcome. - Ngarenn 22:59, 19 October 2006 (CDT)

Episode Numbering[edit]

Mr. Thompson, you are counting "Dirty Hands" as the title of episode 15. This means that Occupation and Precipice are the same episode. But Ron in his podcast calls them episodes 3.01 and 3.02 which would make "Dirty Hands" episode 16. What do you guys consider "Occupation/Precipice", a.k.a. "Occuprice", Episodes 1 and 2, Episodes 1 and 1.5 or just episode 1? And then Exodus, Part I is then episode 2 or episode 3? --Straycat0 15:04, 20 October 2006 (CDT)

Given this original list that Mr. Thompson provided, he's counting "Occupation" and "Precipice" as episode 1.0 and 1.5 respetively. -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 15:15, 20 October 2006 (CDT)

Just to add further clarity, like Joe said the production staff is using the 1.0 and 1.5, and everyone else is not (I think). It was easier for the wiki to go with Precipice as 2.0, because it matches the info at scifi.com and the podcasts. --FrankieG 18:19, 20 October 2006 (CDT)

Why weren't more Colonial factions visible on New Caprica?[edit]

Over 2 seasons, you've shown us that Colonials aren't the same. They have different cultures, and internal conflicts.

Going into season 3, I expected to see sharp differences within New-Caprican society: Different strategies, power-plays, and sophisticated reactions to the Cylon presence. Instead, we only saw things through the prism of the Tigh-Vs-Baltar conflict.

The popularily-elected Quorum members were nowhere to be seen. Zarek was completely sidelined. The religous establishment was hardly seen. The 'peace movement', who believed in Six's 'unity' platform were unseen/unheard of. ETC.

What prevented the writers from playing up inter-Colonial differences?

--Ashoka 03:30, 22 October 2006 (CDT)

I'm going to guess lack of screen time. It can probably be assumed that the extremist colonial groups fell into the respective resist/collaborate camps, with a lot of messiness in the intervening months. The relative quiet of the Cylons' "crap, this isn't working" camp and the ascendency of the "see, told you it wouldn't" camp has many RL examples. --PrePressChris 18:47, 23 October 2006 (CDT)

I agree that there wasn't time, unless you wanted to run four more eps on New Caprica. As for Gina's "Demand Peace" movement, it seems that the bulk, if not all, went up in the radioactive boom along with Cloud 9.--み使い Mitsukai 21:58, 23 October 2006 (CDT)

If what you guys say is correct, then doesn't this kill the tapestry of the Colonials? Before this 'occupation' storyline, Roslin faced convincing challenges from the above elements. But now, she's a war hero who won the day. While the others were MIA, or talentless. Who can convincingly mount dissent in Colonial society now? Perhaps if they had implied that the quorum was in hiding; that the Geminese held protests; or that the prisoners rioted (ala Bastille Day);..it would maintain that Roslin wasn't the only Colonial leader fighting. So I'm wondering if the writers actively wanted to end the internal Colonial conflicts. Unify the fleet, in order to go after Cylons? --Ashoka 00:09, 24 October 2006 (CDT)

Shaver[edit]

A few of us at my college, where I go to the BSG parties, are wondering if we can get real working replica of Adama's shaver. Any one we should contact? ;-) --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 03:26, 22 October 2006 (CDT)

Thats the most odd request for a replica prop i've ever heard :D --Mercifull ^{(Talk/Contribs)} 04:11, 24 October 2006 (CDT)

We avoid passing on that information as it may be construed as a plug for a product. You used to be able to get them from the big discount houses on Picon. - Ngarenn 18:49, 26 October 2006 (CDT)

Pegasus starboard flight pod[edit]

In Exodus part 2, when Pegasus comes to Galactica's rescue and flies past the camera firing, a main battery turret can be seen firing from the foreward dorsal surface of the starboard flight-pod. However, there is no corresponding battery on the port flight pod, nor are there any signs of this weapon later, when the starboard pod is seen drifting after Pegasus' death ride into the base-ship. I've also been unable to locate it on any of the other images of the starboard flight-pod I've been able to find. Is the turret an FX goof, or are the flight pods' armaments asymetrical?--Grin Reaper 03:56, 23 October 2006 (CDT)

There are turrets on the Pegasus flight pods. They can be seen in "The Captain's Hand"... I can grab a few screenshots, which I'll add to the Pegasus article later. -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 11:56, 23 October 2006 (CDT)

Here's an image from "Captain's Hand": Image:Pegasus flight pod turret.jpg. Is this what you're referring to, Grin Reaper? -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 17:43, 23 October 2006 (CDT)

Negative. I know about those turrets. The one I'm talking about it on the top of the hangar, not underneath it, and on the leading edge of the flight-pod. here is a good shot. You can see it firing there, and it looks like it's just about in line with the first spar, but in the shot of the drifting pod, it isn't there, and there's definately no corresponding weapon on the port pod. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Grin Reaper (talk • contribs).

Wouldn't the assumption be that it was blown/shorn off sometime before/during the destruction of the Pegasus? --PrePressChris 08:03, 24 October 2006 (CDT)

I considered that. However, I couldn't see any wreckage or broken plating around where the battery would be on the starboard pod and there is literally no sign whatsoever of a battery in the same place on the port pod, either in this episode, or any others. Hence the reason I'm asking for clarification here.--Grin Reaper 18:07, 24 October 2006 (CDT)

Charlie Connor / Another name clarification[edit]

The IMDB currently lists Ryan Robbins as the character Charlie Connor. Now we know that his last name is Connor but I was wondering if his first name was fanon (anyone can edit the imdb) or if its actually taken from an official source? --Mercifull ^{(Talk/Contribs)} 18:30, 25 October 2006 (CDT)

Connor is listed in the Cast section of the script of Collaborators with his given name, Charlie. - Ngarenn 18:47, 26 October 2006 (CDT)

Cheers much :D --Mercifull ^{(Talk/Contribs)} 13:10, 27 October 2006 (CDT)

Who's the Mop Guy?[edit]

Hi there. We have a humorous article dedicated to our administrators: Mop Boy. We have a screencap of a Galactica crewman who is mopping the floor in the documentary of "Final Cut" (which, metaphorically, is what admins do). Did that character have a name? If not, can you give him an unofficial one? "The Unknown Mopper" is the administrator's patron saint. :) --Spencerian 18:40, 8 October 2006 (CDT)

I'll ask Mark to give him a name when I get back to LA - Ngarenn 22:56, 19 October 2006 (CDT)

Quote from Mark Verheiden's email to me: "I always thought the Mop Boy was named Stan Gibson." - Ngarenn 14:38, 28 November 2006 (CST)

Awesome. Much appreciated! Stan Gibson it is. I was just admiring Scifipedia's new exclusive content today, and was wishing that we had the "mop guy" article. Wish granted. Of course, our content is a bit less "exclusive" (creative commons share and share alike not withstanding). --Steelviper 14:59, 28 November 2006 (CST)

Woohoo! St. Stan Gibson he is! Thanks for the addition! --Spencerian 16:43, 28 November 2006 (CST)

Lol thats excellent, I never really thought he'd get a real name :D --Mercifull ^{(Talk/Contribs)} 03:48, 29 November 2006 (CST)

New episode names[edit]

Hello Mr. Thompson, we have a couple more "working titles" if you'd care to confirm them as such: Episode 15/16 - Dirty Hands, Episode 16/17 - Maelstrom. --Straycat0 22:41, 19 October 2006 (CDT)

So far, "Dirty Hands" is the title of Episode 15. - Ngarenn 22:46, 19 October 2006 (CDT)

BTW, "Download City" is Seelix's slang for wherever Cylons go to get resurrected. - Ngarenn 22:51, 19 October 2006 (CDT)

Darn. Oh well.. i liked the idea of a city. lol. --Shane ^{(T - C - E)} 23:14, 19 October 2006 (CDT)

And one "working title" more: Episode 17/18 - The Son Also Rises. Is that correct, Mr. Thompson? -- Spike 16:10, 3 November 2006 (EST)

Confirmed. At least as far as script stage. - Ngarenn 16:22, 21 November 2006 (CST)

Guest stars in Exodus, Part 2[edit]

I was curious about the names of some actors in the episode that weren't credited:

--The Viper pilot with the call sign of Red Wing. Hot Dog talks to him over the wireless as they launch off Galactica over New Caprica.

--The baby who portrayed Hera/Isis.

Any information would be much appreciated. Thanks. -- 123home123 01:41, 27 October 2006 (CDT)

Sorry, but I'm the wrong guy to ask about this. All that stuff's handled in Canada. - Ngarenn 16:38, 21 November 2006 (CST)

Chadwick in "Collaborators"[edit]

We only saw the character Chadwick in a photo as the Circle debated her fate near the halfway point of the "Collaborators" episode. I was wondering who the actor is. Is the person an actor or is it a friend or relative of one of the production staff? I find these little tidbits interesting. Thanks for any answers on this. -- 123home123 23:31, 30 October 2006 (CST)

As in the question above, I work in LA, so I'm not very clued in to the production office in Canada. I do know that often the art department uses crew/relatives/friends as subjects for some of the photos that appear in the show. - Ngarenn 16:40, 21 November 2006 (CST)

Final episode titles[edit]

Mr. Thompson could you please confirm these episode titles:

3.16 - Maelstrom
3.17 - The Son Also Rises
3.18 - Crossroads, Part I
3.19 - Crossroads, Part II

And I suppose that episode 19 is season finale, right?

All the above statements are correct as of this date. - Ngarenn 16:25, 21 November 2006 (CST)

Thank you for your time. -- Deus 18:04, 8 November 2006 (CST)

You're most welcome - Ngarenn 16:25, 21 November 2006 (CST)

New Baseship Design[edit]

Hello, I was wondering (and I'm sure many more too) about why the external design of the Baseship was changed to what we started seeing in Collaborators and have seen since?

Don't get me wrong, I like it a lot more, it's sharper, more menacing, and a lot more mechanical, but I was wondering if there was a reason for which the design was changed, and whether it meant that this was a new class of Baseship (since it also appears to be a bit smaller than the older ones). --Sauron18 23:36, 12 November 2006 (CST)

We're always upgrading the imagery (compare the Centurions from Season 1 to those of Season 3, for example). Gary Hutzel, Mike Gibson and the VFX crew decided to echo the internal design elements of the base ship on the exterior. - Ngarenn 16:29, 21 November 2006 (CST)

Awesome, thank you. --Sauron18 14:49, 16 December 2006 (CST)

Battlestar Valkyrie[edit]

Dear Mr. Thompson,

There is a slight confusion over the design of the Battlestar Valkyrie, which is clearly different from the Galactica and the Pegasus. Is it is different style of Battlestar, or just a refitted type? --Volostheguardian 10:04, 18 November 2006 (CST)

I don't really why some people are confused. The ship is clearly smaller than Galactica or Pegasus, which indicates some form of support role for larger carriers. Inside though, it as advanced as the Mercury class, which indicates a newer design. Obviously the Colonials could and would have more than 2 battlestar designs --Serenity 10:23, 18 November 2006 (CST)

Dear Serentity,

While I find your findings supportable, you took it upon yourself to answer a question that I posed to Mr. Thompson. I asked Mr. Thompson the question, and while I can except the fact that circumstantional evidence is present, it is not fact. The manner that you wrote in suggests some sort of sniding holier then thou attitude, which I may add instead of adding to the question, seemed to quell it and had the placement your own answer. --Volostheguardian 16:36, 19 November 2006 (CST)

Volstheguardian, Serenity - I don't have a security clearance that allows me access to the Colonial military vessel design bureau. Considering that Galactica was built long before Valkyrie, I confidently assume that decades of modifications were incorporated in her design, as they were in Pegasus. That doesn't necessarily make them carbon copies of one another. - Ngarenn 16:47, 21 November 2006 (CST)

Adama v. Networks[edit]

I was wondering if Adama's stand against networks, which he maintained on the Galactica, was also maintained on the Valkyrie? I realize that this question quite possibly has no answer, so i'd be interested to hear anyone's opinion on the matter. --Thetruthseeker 11:30, 1 December 2006 (CST)

See the answer from Ngarenn on Valkyrie's design to aid in this. Valkyrie was probably more advanced. We know that Galactica was never networked in its lifetime based on its lifetime; it is very impractical to network an entire ship, only to de-network it just because it was the "old-school" thing to do. This includes not only the computers, but the entire electronic infrastructure, including its phones. Galactica is a comparative relic like the USS Constitution in Boston, but it is cherished (to the point of still keeping it running, if only as a museum because of that distinction. Adama, knowing the ship's history, having served on it in the past during the Cylon War, likely kept to the commander's (and probably the Colonial Fleet's) tradition of the ship's non-network edict. --Spencerian 12:51, 1 December 2006 (CST)

My personal belief is that, based on his experience during the First Cylon war and during the black op with Novacek (revealed in "Hero,") Commander Adama still regarded the Cylons as a clear and present threat. His memory of casualties caused by networked computers in the First War would have burned that precaution into any ship he commanded. - Ngarenn 20:40, 5 December 2006 (CST)

Stealth Star spelling[edit]

There is a slight issue, both here and on Wikipedia, with the spelling of the Stealth Star ship piloted by Bulldog. Is "Stealth Star" spelled with or without a space? -- Joe Beaudoin ^{So say we all - Donate} 13:19, 1 December 2006 (CST)

In Mr. Eick's script, the spelling used is "Stealthstar." - Ngarenn 20:41, 5 December 2006 (CST)

New Cylon?[edit]

I'm a little behind in the series having just watched Download. At one point you see the courtyard and cylons going about their business. For just a moment you can see a known model, a # 3 I think, talking with a big, bald, buff looking white guy in a black suit. They can only be seen for a few seconds and even then I had to pause it. Can anyone shed any light on who this is? Venemon 00:59, 3 December 2006 (CST) venemon

That is actually a Simon walking with a Six, the overexposed lighting used for scenes in Caprica may make him appear to be white, but he´s not. --Sauron18 16:59, 3 December 2006 (CST)

That makes sense...of course I was kinda hoping I had discovered some new character just no one else noticed...lol. Thanks.

Rather it's *supposed* to be a Simon, so within the context of the show Sauron is 100% correct. They didn't actually want to bring Rick Worthy in for an episode where he didn't have any meaningful lines so they had to be a little creative. That might explain why they might have given some extra VFX attention to the face (and why Venemon detected something amiss). I believe RDM discusses that in the podcast. --Steelviper 07:46, 4 December 2006 (CST)

Mark Sheppard's character[edit]

Hello Mr. Thompson. Thanks to you and everyone in the production staff for the wonderful work of "real-world relevance" (I'm trying to quote Roslin from Lay Your Burdens Down during her debate with Baltar, but if I have it wrong, please somebody go ahead and edit this post to the correct quote) that is BSG. During The Battlestar Roundtable podcast put together by Ron and his wife, Mrs Ron (sometimes I forget that her real name is Terry), Mark Sheppard was asked to describe his character that he portrays during the last 3 episodes of the season. He mentioned his name so I placed that information on our webpage here. However, I am only about 90% positive that I heard it correctly. I heard "Rommel Lamphkin" but that may be part in due to Sheppard's Irish leaning accent. Is this name correct or have I heard it a little off? --Straycat0 15:21, 8 December 2006 (CST)

Mr. Angeli introduced him as Romo Lampkin. - Ngarenn 18:36, 15 December 2006 (CST)

Battlestar or battlestar? (Basestar or basestar, et cetera)[edit]

It would be nice if you could clarify if it is a capital B or lower-case, I'm generally one to capitalise but it would be nice to find out the correct case. Cheers. MatthewFenton 08:31, 9 December 2006 (CST)

In scripts, David and I capitalize Battlestar and Base Ship. During the first season, we asked Mr. Eick for a decree on the subject: Are the Cylon vessels Base Ships or Base Stars? One word or two? He quite definitively stated that Base Ships was what they use. Of course, not everybody got the word and you'll hear both throughout the series. You'll also see the words capitalized, non-capitalized, one word and two, sometimes all within the same script. But never from us. Yet. - Ngarenn 18:50, 15 December 2006 (CST)

Personally, I prefer the lowercase version as it's just a shiptype like "destroyer" or "frigate" --Serenity 19:13, 15 December 2006 (CST)

I agree. This is generally our current practice. --April Arcus 19:27, 15 December 2006 (CST)

Okay, so both are correct? and there is no definitive correct or incorrect? If so that's cool. Cheers :) MatthewFenton 09:04, 18 December 2006 (CST)

Battlestars are just a ship type, but Base Ships are lifeforms. I think they should be capitalized. They're capitalized on the ship registry page of the official site. -- Noneofyourbusiness 15:16, 21 December 2006 (CST)