Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I

Overview

The Galactica discovers Kobol, and a chain of events are set in motion that threaten to change everything.

Summary

Life on a battlestar, for better or worse: Adama and his son spar in a gym, frustrations emerging as they box; Starbuck in bed with a lover she wishes was Lee – but is in fact Baltar; Valerii, SharonBoomer facing the fact she cannot deal with what she might be and putting a gun to her mouth, only to find she cannot pull the trigger; Laura Roslin learning she has perhaps six months to live, her cancer is so aggressive
Stricken by Starbuck’s apparent rejection of him in their coupling, Baltar in turn comes close to rejecting Six and find it impossible to concentrate on anything – including his duties as Vice President
When Boomer and Crashdown return with evidence they’ve stumbled upon Kobol, Roslin has a vision of a city teeming with life Elosha confirms to be the City of the Gods on Kobol, and Roslin accepts the scriptures as fact
Boomer, still confused, attempts to take her own life – “encouraged” by Baltar in defiance of Six
When Adama reviews the evidence, he orders an extensive surface survey of the planet, seeing it as a opportunity for them to settle. Warned his should get off the Galactica by Six, Baltar assigns himself to the survey
Roslin tries to convince Adama that Kobol will point the way to Earth, but they must use the captured Raider to return to Caprica and retrieve the Arrow of Apollo
Three Raptors depart the Galactica for Kobol, but on arrival they find themselves in the midst of a Cylon force of [Cylon Raider|Raiders]] – and a basestar
One Raptor is destroyed, and one - carrying Baltar – is forced down on Kobol
Before a rescue mission can be launched, the basestar must be taken out – and Starbuck hatches a plan to do just this using the captured Raider
Hearing this, Roslin meets with Starbuck and subverts her into going to Caprica, and not going to Kobol to destroy the basestar

On Caprica:

Helo is on the run – alone – when he encounters “his” |Valerii, and he shoots and wounds her. Unable to kill her outright, he takes her with him
When Valerii tries to explain things to him, Helo informs her that all she is to him is a way off the planet.

Review

Recap

You Can’t Go Home Again: The Cylon Raider being manhandled in the hanger bay shortly after Starbuck used it to return to the Galactica, as she states in a voice over, “Like my new toy? It’s my very own Cylon Raider.” Cutting to Starbuck being lifted away from the Raider on a stretcher as Lee Adama says, “When you take a souvenir, you don’t screw around!”
Flesh and Bone: Boomer walking around the Raider, stroking it with her hand and humming; Six congratulating Baltar on uncovering his first Cylon with his new detector, cutting to a shot of Boomer as she does so
Six Degrees of Separation: Helo confessing to Valerii that he couldn’t stand to see something happen to her, and her admission she feels the same, cutting to the two of them coupling in the thunderstorm
Colonial Day: Helo backing away from Valerii at Delphi as she calls out to him, with Boomer’s words to Tyrol aboard the Galactica forming a voice over, “I’m a Cylon,” (Flesh and Bone) before he starts to run
Mini-Series: A shot of the Cylon device in CIC with Tigh’s voice-over stating, “A new piece of equipment that just appeared in CIC…” cutting to the Geminon Traveller’s Captain showing Starbuck a similar device (Flesh and Bone); Baltar stating, “It’s a Cylon device” in reference to the device seen in the Mini-Series
Colonial Day: Roslin informing Billy she’ll continue to take the Kamala as it has other benefits, to which he replies, “The hallucinations.”
Flesh and Bone: Leoben Conoy to Starbuck: “You’re going to find Kobol…The birthplace of us all…” cutting to Roslin confronting Starbuck on her interrogation tactics as Starbuck states, “He says we’re going to find Kobol and that it’s going to lead us to Earth.”

Teaser

Adamas Junior and Senior are in a gym – boxing. Not a word is spoken as they circle one another, but a tension that goes beyond the need to concentrate on their sparring fills the room. The first few punches are mere tests, getting the measure of each other, and do little more than strike one another’s gloves. A half challenging / half mocking smile twists Lee Adama’s lips as he feints and then withdraws he right hand, lifting it to his cheek, leaving an opening. Adama moves in, Lee steps back, encouraging his father to in and swing wide, leaving himself opening to a swift and very hard jab to the ribs. He backs off, catching his breath and wincing. Lee continues circling, his guard up. “You all right?” he asks, the words close to a sneer rather than out of concern, an unspoken, “Old Man?” seeming to hang in the air behind them. Adama responds with a wry grin as his arms come up ready to resume the sparring…

...The camera cuts to two naked bodies on a bunk: Starbuck and Lee Adama appear to be making out together…

…Another cut, and on Caprica, Helo runs through daylight in a city, gun drawn and injured leg giving him a little trouble. He runs along the front of a building, gun held at the ready; and on the Galactica, Boomer leans against the bunks in her bunkroom, an automatic pistol in her hand. She sit down slowly, staring at the gun in her hand, stroking the slide as if preparing to cock it…

...In the gym, Adama and Lee continue sparring, again apparently getting the measure of each other with hits to one another’s gloves – then Lee lands a punch on his father’s chin, rocking him back. He comes forward again with a series of punches, easily blocked before Lee hits him again, this time on the cheek, but Adama rolls with the punch and lands two tight, hard jabs into Lee’s midriff, forcing a break. “You all right?” Adama enquiries mildly, as Lee recovers as he continues to circle, anger in his eyes. His fists come up, and his father gets ready to defend himself, his eyes also alight…

…On Caprica, Helo continues around the building – and Valerii steps out from behind a pillar, gun drawn. Helo freezes on seeing her, lining his own gun on her as she holsters hers. He orders her to remain where she is, keeping his gun lined on her. Close to tears, she obeys….and Boomer on the Galactica cocks her pistol and turns it slowly towards herself….while on Caprica Helo continues to stare at Valerii over his gun. “Just do it,” she tells him, and they stare at each other, both frightened and hurting…as Boomer brings the pistol to her mouth…

…And in another cabin Starbuck and her lover reach a climax, and she calls out for Lee Adama – and her partner lifts his head: Gaius Baltar; his lust gone, his expression reflecting his confusion at the name she called…while in the gym, Lee takes a hit to the head that leaves him slack-jawed and glass-eyed before he topples to the floor, where he shakes himself back into awareness and then climbs back to his feet….

…While Boomer opens her mouth, inserting the muzzle of the pistol into it…and Valerii takes a step towards Helo, causing him to shoot her, and she knocked backwards, rolling and tumbling down a flight of steps. Lowering his gun, Helo catches his breath…and Boomer pulls the gun from her mouth, breaking down in tears…

…And Starbuck looks at the cabin ceiling, a flash of puzzlement passing across her face as Baltar stares at her, then moves slowly to extricate himself from her, rolling to one side of the bunk as she sits up. The ship’s intercom sounds, and Boomer hears she is being called to the ready room for a pre-flight briefing, as Starbuck, now wrapped in a towel, picks up her clothes from the floor and departs Baltar’s cabin, as he remains on the cot, staring at the ceiling, closing his eyes as the cabin door closes.

In the gym, Adama and his son catch their breath, pent-up frustrations given release. “You don’t lose control,” Adama informs Lee. “Thanks,” Lee replies, taking it as a back-handed compliment. Adama shakes his head, “No. You gotta lose control - let your instincts take over.” Lee gathers his things, “I thought we were just sparring,” he replies. “That’s why you don’t win,” Adama tells him, before heading for the locker room.

In his cabin, Baltar rises from his bed, wrapping a sheet around him. Six is seated in an armchair, not looking at him, but instead staring at the wall, her rapid blinking the only indication of emotion. Crossing to the table in front of her, Baltar sits on it, but she still does not look at him. He pours himself a glass of Ambrosia, frightened of meeting her eyes, but as he picks it up, he looks at her and realises she is ignoring him, something that gives him pause before he moves the glass to his lips.

On Caprica, Valerii raises herself using her right arm and slowly turns onto her back as Helo covers her with his gun. Her left shoulder is a bloody mess. He takes aim….but finds he can’t kill her. He lowers his gun as she stares first at the sky in shock, then at her bloody shoulder, then up at him.

Acts

Tag

Questions

Why did the people leave Kobol?
What happened to the gods who lived on Kobol “with man?”
Did the gods remain on Kobol after humanity left?
Given the similarities with the Greek Pantheon, did the gods decide to follow the 13th tribe to Earth, thus establishing the myths of the Olympian gods?
Do the Cylons consider Kobol as their spiritual home as well (“The birthplace of us all” – Leoben Conoy, Flesh and Bone)?

Analysis

Notes

It is 3 days since the events of Colonial Day
There are now 47,897 survivors in the fleet
The fleet is beginning to run short of supplies
Humans departed Kobol some 2,000 years prior to the setting of the series
Kobol is a place where the “gods and man lived together in paradise”
Some of the "gods" appear to be buried on Kobol (Athena's tomb)
Socinus has been released from the brig and returned to duty.

Noteworthy Dialogue

In the bunk room, as Baltar interrupts Boomer’s second attempt on her life.

Boomer (as she pretends to be cleaning her hand gun): What’s going on?
Baltar (cautiously): Well, I was going to ask you the same question….Actually, I was looking for Lieutenant Thrace but, ah…(sitting alongside her on the bunk)…sometimes it’s good to, ah, talk these things over.
Six (feigning pity): Deep down she knows she’s a Cylon, but her conscious mind just won’t accept it.
Boomer: Sometimes I have these dark thoughts…
Baltar: What kind of dark thoughts?
Six: Her model is weak (she allows herself a knowing smile), always has been. But in the end she’ll carry out her mission.
Boomer: I don’t know, but I’m afraid I’m going to hurt someone. I feel like I ought to be stopped.
Six (moving to the other side of Boomer): She can’t be stopped. She’s a Cylon. (Pity entering her voice again) You can’t help her, Gaius…(tone turning to a sneer) but you could probably sleep with her.

(Baltar reacts with a look of disgust at Six.)

Six: That’s what you want, right?
Baltar (to Boomer): I’m not sure why….sometimes…we must embrace that which opens up for us.
Boomer: Embrace?
Baltar: Life can be a curse as well as a blessing.

(Six reacts in confusion; this is not what she expected to hear from Baltar.)

Baltar (becoming more intense): You will believe me when I tell you: there are far worse things than death in this world…
Boomer: So you’re saying…?
Baltar: No. No, no, no. Ah…What I say…is meaningless. Listen to your heart. Embrace that which you know to be the right decision.

(They look at each other as Six regards Baltar with a look of complete incomprehension, then Baltar stands and kisses Boomer on the forehead before walking out of the bunkroom. Seconds later there is the sound of a single gunshot from inside.)

Official Statements

Statistics

Guest Stars

Stephen Spender as Pilot James Bell as ECO

Writing & Direction

Story by David Eick
Teleplay by Ronald D. Moore
Directed by Michael Rymer

Production Notes

Series: 1 (2004 / 2005)
Production Number: 1.12
Airdate Order: 12 (of 13)

First Run Air Dates & Releases

UK Airdate: 17 January 2005 (Sky One)
US Airdate: (Sci-Fi Channel)
DVD Release: N/A