Colonial Day

"Colonial Day"; An episode of the Re-imagined Series
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This article refers to the episode "Colonial Day". For the holiday itself, see Colonial Day (holiday).

Overview[edit]

Colonial Day is due, and Laura Roslin is using the occasion to institute an interim Quorum of Twelve; then Tom Zarek, duly selected as the representative of Sagittaron, stands for the post of Vice President, a position Roslin is determined he will not hold.

Summary[edit]

Colonial Day is the anniversary of the signing of the Articles of Colonization.
Roslin has chosen it to unveil a new Quorum of Twelve.
However, a crisis erupts when terrorist/criminal Tom Zarek accepts a nomination to represent Sagittaron.
As the Quorum is convened, Zarek exacerbates the crisis by insisting that the vacant post of Vice President be filled, in case anything should happen to Roslin – a move that is surprisingly seconded by Gaius Baltar – Tom Zarek is thereupon nominated as a vice presidential candidate.
Roslin responds by pushing Wallace Gray, a presidential aide, into standing as an alternative candidate.
Manipulating the media, Zarek makes headway in his desire to secure the position as Vice President, with Roslin hampered by what may be the makings of an attempt on her life – possibly orchestrated by Zarek.
Surprisingly, it is Gaius Baltar who comes to her aid, giving an eloquent speech to the media that reminds the people of Roslin’s qualities and Zarek’s questionable background. As a result, Roslin has Gray relinquish his position as her nominee in favor of Baltar.
Baltar wins the nomination – through Roslin’s final intervention in an official capacity – but Zarek makes it clear matters are far from over: there is still the presidential elections due in 6 months.

On Caprica:[edit]

Helo and Valerii have reached Delphi
Helo considers the Cylons agents to be human "replicants", created by the Cylons using human DNA.
Valerii uses this idea as a means of testing his possible feelings towards her, should she reveal her true identity.
Later, as they try to enter the Cylon base at Delphi, Helo sees another Valerii, and realises the truth – which sets him on the run from Valerii and the base

Summary from scifi.com[edit]

When President Roslin calls an Interim Quorum of the Twelve Colonies, she discovers that democracy brings its ugly stepsisters — politics and deadly intrigue — to the party. Tom Zarek, the charismatic convicted terrorist, is elected as the delegate from Sagittaron and immediately proposes elections for the vice-presidency.

Roslin encourages her trusted adviser, Wallace Gray, to run against Zarek, but when he proves less than popular, she turns to the suddenly popular Baltar as her candidate.

Meanwhile, two shady and heavily armed characters, Grimes and Vallance, have infiltrated the Quorum site. Lee and Kara foil the assassins' plot, but then Vallance mysteriously dies in custody.

Light-years away, on Cylon-occupied Caprica, Sharon must make an impossible choice — if she is to save Helo's life, she must finally reveal to him that she is a Cylon. --This section ©2005, SCI FI. All rights reserved.

Questions[edit]

Just how much freedom of movement within the fleet have Zarek’s people gained since the events of Bastille Day? (Answer: While Zarek seems to be allowed unrestricted access to any vessel in the fleet his fellow inmates still appear to be confined to the Astral Queen.)
Will Zarek be able to use this apparent freedom to rally support for the forthcoming elections?
Was Zarek really behind the suspected attempt on Roslin’s life?
- If she had been assassinated before he secured the position of Vice President, he would have a prime suspect. Similarly, had she been assassinated after secured the vice presidency, he would still have been a prime suspect.
- As the Vice President, he would have every opportunity to build a track record as an effective politician, and thus stand as a highly competent alternative to Roslin in the elections.
How does the Quorum of Twelve relate to the Office of the President? Does it function in a similar manner to the US Congress?
Who killed Valance?
- The cut immediately away from Zarek asking Ellen Tigh for his whereabouts to Valence's slit wrists might be read to implicate her. See her article for further speculation.
When exactly is Colonial Day, the day? Reporter James McManus states that it will coincide with the first meeting of the interim Quorum of Twelve, but Commander Adama also gives the day as "Colonial Day" at Baltar's victory gala, two days later.

Analysis[edit]

This is the most poorly-conceived and executed episode in BSG's first season. While it does make valid points about the nature and structure of Colonial society within the fleet (or at least Tom Zarek makes them very briefly), outside of the Helo/Valerii situation on Caprica, the storyline here is ultimately transparent and weak.

Specifically:

There has been no real sight nor sound of the Cloud Nine (admittedly a wonderfully-ironic name) in the fleet until now - and this is being passed off as being because she has been "under repair".
"Wallace Gray" is allegedly the power behind Roslin's throne, setting her agenda and policies, overseeing the distribution of food and medical supplies - essentially performing the role of her Chief of Staff / right-hand-man yet never once has he been previously mentioned or seen! Wallace Gray is so clearly a plot tool - and a badly-handled one at that: first he doesn't want the VP nomination, but accepts because Roslin needs him; then when asked to step down, he leaves in an embittered huff (presumably never to be seen again).
Zarek's challenge for the position of Vice President is an obvious construction to lay the path for Gaius Baltar to become the Vice President.
- It is surprising that, after her somewhat vicious words to him in Six Degrees of Separation, Roslin can face off with Baltar without so much as an apology for past actions - it has already been established (Secrets and Lies) that since that event she has barely spoken to him - and it hardly seems likely she'd use their time together in the Galactica's Situation Room to make her apologies / overtures of friendship (The Hand of God).
- It is equally surprising that Baltar's ego doesn't offer greater resistance to her request. True, she is to a degree pandering to his desire to be back in the limelight - but given his nature, such an open "forgive and forget" doesn't entirely sit with his nature.
Baltar's ascendancy to the position of Vice President is badly telegraphed - given the synopsis, it is apparent as soon as Kara Thrace informs Baltar he has been selected as Caprica's representative in the Quorum.
The intrigue around Valance and his gun, etc., is heavy-handed and comes across either as illogical or as padding for a storyline otherwise short on action.
Security is meant to be heavy aboard the Cloud Nine - yet there is no intervention from any security personnel in what amounts to a brawl in the bar.
Why, when Lee Adama has expressed concern over just about every aspect of security on the Cloud Nine, is Valance held on the ship in an obviously insecure area (air vent access) - rather than being shipped back to the Galactica, with her brig, for proper interrogation?

Indeed, it is the Valance sub-plot which is most poorly explained / illogical. Assuming Valance was working for Zarek, and was on the Cloud Nine to kill Roslin - then his presence undermines Zarek as a clever manipulator. Positioning himself for the roll of Vice President, getting the vote and then having Roslin killed - all at the same event - would inevitably point the finger at Zarek and place him at the centre of a major investigation, under the control of William Adama, which is unlikely to relent until his complicity has been proven. In short, he would be paralysing his ability to act as the President.

As Lee Adama himself states to Starbuck - once Zarek has secured the position of Vice President, he can have Roslin taken care of at any time. Indeed, given the resources now clearly at his disposal (witness the Virgon representative's comment about Zarek's people coming to his aid ahead of Roslin's), there is no reason not to suppose Zarek could arrange for Roslin to meet with an "accident" - perhaps a failure with her shuttle as she moves around the fleet - which would make his complicity very much hard to prove.

That said, there is still some excellent acting in the episode - especially where Baltar is concerned. His interview with the press and particularly his "exclusive" to Playa Palacios in the toilets and both particularly noteworthy examples of James Callis’ marvelous handling of the character but this still doesn't compensate for the rest of the time spent on Cloud Nine.

But other than this, the major story arc is a missed opportunity. Presented with a chance to explore the state of Colonial society within the fleet, and address key issues, the producers frittered the opportunity away with shallow intrigue and hollow political maneuvering. The West Wing this was most certainly not.

The only time the episode truly comes alive is during the all-too-brief scenes on Caprica. These scenes beautifully-encapsulates all we need to know and feel:

Valerii's attempt to probe Helo about his feelings, using his "replicant" theory
Valerii is showing more symptoms of being pregnant
They reach Delphi and the chance of a ship off the planet
Helo is suddenly - and quite unexpectedly - confronted with Valerii's true nature.

This is excellent stuff, but amounts to less than 10 minutes of screen time, and it unfortunately, isn't enough to lift this episode.

Still, every show tends to misfire once or twice through the course of a season - some managing to do so a lot more frequently. We're fortunate that this is the first - and hopefully only - hiccup in what has otherwise been a highly-successful first season.

Notes[edit]

10 days have passed since the events of The Hand of God.
The office of the President operates in conjunction with the Quorum of Twelve, a council of representatives of the Twelve Colonies.
The Articles of Colonisation were signed 52 years ago.
- Given the Twelve Colonies have been inhabited for millennia, the Articles therefore don't directly relate to the settlement of these worlds.
- However, given the timeframe (52 years) and its proximity to the first Cylon War, perhaps the original articles were the document that united the Twelve Colonies to fight the threat of the Cylons, and became the basis for their peaceful co-operation after the war.
Issues surrounding the distribution of food and medical supplies are beginning to cause concern within the fleet.
Despite being "isolated" aboard the Astral Queen (Bastille Day), Zarek has managed to use his time to build up contacts within the fleet and offer assistance to other vessels - so much so that the representative from Virgon is only too willing to throw his support behind Zarek.
Apparently convicted felons lose their citizenship under Sagittarian penal law but have it automatically reinstated after they finish serving their sentences. This included the right to vote and to stand for election.
This episode contains the first glimpse of the Cylon Heavy Raider, which is seen landing on Cylon-occupied Caprica.
After Valance's assassination, the whiteboard on Colonial One shows 47,898 survivors in the fleet, a net loss of 7 since Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down.
Blooper - continuity: During the bar fight scene, Valance's gun is shown with a silencer attached as it falls out of his briefcase, but the silencer is not present for the rest of the scene.
The "R&D TV Animation" skit during the credits consists of Ron Moore winning a game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors" by dropping a boulder on David Eick.

Noteworthy Dialogue[edit]

Helo and Valerii have arrived in the vicinity of the Cylon base at Delphi, and the talk turns to the two women "helping" the Cylons

Helo: (Standing as Valerii crouches with her back to him, getting some food) I'm trying to make sense out of two women who would sell [out] to the Cylons.

Sharon Valeri: (keeping her back to him) And?

Helo: I can't fathom why anybody would want to help the toasters...and they just happen to be twins? It's too weird.

Sharon Valeri: You got a better explanation?

Helo: Do you think the Cylons could be messing with human DNA? (Valerii reacts, mouth opening as she looks away). Cloning people or something?

Sharon Valeri: (gathering herself and looking over her shoulder at Helo) Could be.

Helo: (nodding and crouching) That would explain how they took us by surprise. They had these...replicated humans infiltrating the colonies, laying the groundwork for the surprise attack.

Sharon Valeri: (pausing, as if considering this) You know, if they were human clones, that means they're capable of...complex emotions - maybe even love. Maybe they were misguided in the way they were indoctrinated...

Helo: (interrupting) Wait a minute! They're not human! No human could do the things they've done - killed billions of innocent people (Valerii looks away, hurt)

Helo: They've got to be frakking Cylons, just like the rest of them...

Gaius Baltar is interviewed by The Colonial Gang

James McManus: We're here with Dr. Gaius Baltar, representative of Caprica. Dr. Baltar, I have one question: is President Roslin's political career terminal, or is there hope of resuscitating it?

Gaius Baltar: Laura Roslin's political career is very much alive, and to underestimate her would be a very serious mistake.

Number Six: You miss the loud mic, don't you Gaius?

Gaius Baltar: Yes, I have.

James McManus: You have what, Dr. Baltar?

Gaius Baltar: Nothing. You were saying?

James McManus: Yes. So you seriously believe that this schoolteacher is able to handle the job of presidency?

Gaius Baltar: Well I'm glad to hear it, because I think all of us have had teachers who have made a profound impact on our lives. History is full of examples of leaders who have come from the most humble beginnings, and have risen to meet the challenge posed by cataclysmic events. It's very easy to be sitting there in your armchairs ... criticize Laura Roslin for the tough decisions that she has to make every day - especially if you're someone like Tom Zarek, who's never shouldered any real responsibility in your life. To be fair to Tom, how could he? He's been in prison for the last twenty years. Now that he's had a drastic personality makeover, he's posing like he's the savior to all your ills! I think you all have a short memory, really. ... What I have to say is, we must survive, and we will survive. And we will do so through the values that have made our colonies great: courage, truth, justice, liberty, with a firm and deep resolve to make tomorrow better, not just for ourselves, but for our children.

Baltar and Six discuss jealousy and women, prompted by Playa Palacios's behavior:

Gaius Baltar: She's only human. (notes Six's reaction) You're not jealous?

Number Six: Love isn't about sex, Gaius.

Gaius Baltar: Now there's an enlightened point of view.

Number Six: I've been thinking... and as far as I'm concerned, you can have any woman you want. But always remember, I have your heart.

Gaius Baltar: Yes, of course you do.

Number Six: (deadly serious) I can always rip it out of your chest if I need to.

Gaius Baltar: (coughs, as if in reaction to a pain in his chest)

Official Statements[edit]

"I'm part of the nitpick brigade, but since the Colonies are obviously modeled after the US system of government, right down to the line of succession, are legislative and judicial branches? If so what are they called and will we see any manifestation of either branch take shape as series progresses?"

In Episode 11, "Colonial Day" we'll see the reinstatement of the Quorum of Twelve, a political body established in the original series, which seems to be a cross between a US style Senate and the UN Security Council, where each Colony has a single vote. Presumably there was also a larger representative legislative body and some kind of separate judiciary. There is also a religious body, (unnamed thus far) that acts in some advisory capacity to the government, along the lines of the British House of Lords. Although we haven't dealt with it yet, Elosha was probably a member of this body. --

From RDM's Sci-Fi Channel Blog

Statistics[edit]

External Links[edit]

"Colonial Day" at scifi.com

"Colonial Day" An episode of the Re-imagined Series

Episode No.	Season , Movie {{{movie}}}
Writer(s)
Story by
Director
Assistant Director
Special guest(s)	{{{guests}}}
Production No.	{{{production}}}
Nielsen Rating	{{{rating}}}
US airdate	{{{US airdate}}}
CAN airdate	{{{CAN airdate}}}
UK airdate	{{{UK airdate}}}
DVD release	{{{dvd}}}
Population	{{{population}}} survivors
Additional Info
Episode Chronology

	{{{title}}}
Related Information
Official Summary
R&D Skit – [[R_and_D_TV (Season {{{season}}})#Colonial Day\|View]]
[[IMDB:tt{{{imdb}}}\|IMDb entry]]
Listing of props for this episode
Related Media
		@ BW Media
Promotional Materials

Online Purchasing
Amazon: *Standard Definition* \| *High Definition*
iTunes: [{{{itunes}}} USA]