Laura Roslin
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| Laura Roslin | ||
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{{{name}}} | |
| Age | ||
| Colony | Caprica (presumed) | |
| Birth place | {{{birthplace}}} | |
| Birth Name | Laura Roslin | |
| Birth Date | {{{birthdate}}} | |
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| Nickname | {{{nickname}}} | |
| Introduced | Miniseries | |
| Death | ||
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| Marital Status | Unmarried, had an extramarital affair with President Adar (deceased) | |
| Family Tree | View | |
| Role | Teacher on New Caprica, former interim President, The Twelve Colonies of Kobol (serving remainder of Richard Adar's term), Former Secretary of Education (Under President Richard Adar Cabinet) | |
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| Serial Number | {{{serial}}} | |
| Portrayed by | Mary McDonnell | |
| Laura Roslin is a Cylon | ||
| Laura Roslin is a Final Five Cylon | ||
| Laura Roslin is a Human/Cylon Hybrid | ||
| Laura Roslin is an Original Series Cylon | ||
| Related Media | ||
| @ BW Media | ||
| Additional Information | ||
| [[Image:|200px|Laura Roslin]] | ||
Laura Roslin is an unmarried[1] woman with some 20 years of political experience. She serves as Secretary of Education for the Colonial Government at the time of the Cylon attack, during which most of humanity is killed. At that time, Roslin is 43rd in line of succession for the Presidency of the Twelve Colonies. She learns that all those in line before her are dead, and is shortly sworn in as President.
Rise to President
At the time of the Cylon attack, Roslin is aboard the Colonial government cruiser Colonial Heavy 798, having just attended the decommissioning ceremonies for the battlestar named Galactica. The Case Orange automated beacon, a special mechanism seeking communication with any surviving Colonial government officials, informs her that, other than herself, all members of President Richard Adar's government are apparently killed or are missing. The Case Orange response assigns Roslin the role of President.
In the immediate aftermath of the attack, Roslin undertakes a rescue mission, using the now-renamed Colonial One to round-up all vessels that escape destruction and gathers as many survivors as possible together, hoping to save the remnants of humanity from total annihilation. She successfully persuades Galactica commander William Adama away from his original intention of mounting a counter-attack against the Cylons, and towards helping the new civilan fleet make its escape from occupied Colonial space.
Since the exodus, Roslin establishes a fledgling civilian government within the Fleet, agrees to abide by civil law regarding her interim term of office, and reestabishes a new Quorum of Twelve.
In leading the Fleet, Roslin has an uneasy understanding with Commander Adama. Where she is responsible for all civil leadership issues among the surviving Colonials, Adama is responsible for all military decisions (Miniseries). However, the dividing line is not always clear between the two leaders.
Despite being thrust into the role of President in highly unusual and stressful circumstances, Laura Roslin initially proves herself both tough and capable within the role. Initially in awe of Adama, and worrying that he didn't hold her in high regard (Water), she quickly overcomes her doubts and fears to be able to make the required decisions at the right time, and also stand up to Adama himself (You Can't Go Home Again). She is always prepared to put the safety and destiny of the Fleet first, no matter what the cost of her actions ("Flesh and Bone," "Home, Part I," "Home, Part II," "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II") while remembering her limitations and fears.
Roslin's Illness
Immediately prior to the Cylon attack on the Colonies, Roslin is diagnosed with terminal breast cancer (Miniseries). She chooses Chamalla extract as an alternative to diloxin, remembering her mother's malaise with that treatment. Her illness remains a secret until her visions of Kobol are related by priestess Elosha as those prophesized by Pythia, where a dying leader will find the path to Earth. Roslin eventually tells the Quorum of Twelve, many of who are Gemenon, of her role in the Sacred Scrolls, which plays a major role in finding the Tomb of Athena.
Months later, her illness in its last stages (Epiphanies), Roslin finds herself recalling the short time from where she received the terrible cancer diagnosis and before she left Caprica for Galactica's decommissioning ceremonies. She remembers her friendship and extramarital [2] romance with President Richard Adar (whose official offices resided in Caprica City), a tense dispute with a teacher's union and Adar's overaggressive (at least in Roslin's view) attitude in arresting the teachers rather than hearing their views and complaints. Despite Adar's objection, Roslin meets with a representative of the teacher's union and successfully negotiates an agreement to cease their violence in order to gain an audience with Adar's administration. On reporting this success to Adar, the president demands Roslin's resignation as Education Secretary, claiming that her actions compromised his policies in criminal negotiation. Roslin tells the president that, after she returned from Galactica's decommissioning ceremony, she would entertain his offer. Of course, Roslin would never return to Caprica or see President Adar alive again.
While she can't prove her memory of Baltar's association with a copy of a Cylon agent, she confronts Baltar on the event (despite his successful effort to save her life using the blood of the hybrid Cylon fetus[3]) and later confesses the memory to William Adama (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II). Her cancer is currently in full remission.
Insurrection
Reacting to her Chamalla-induced visions, Roslin operates behind William Adama's back to subvert a mission aimed at destroying a Cylon basestar guarding Kobol, and instead sending Lt. Thrace back to Caprica in search of the Arrow of Apollo. When she refuses to step down as President, Commander Adama terminates her Presidency and stages a military coup. Despite the intervention of Lee Adama, Roslin is arrested and incarcerated aboard Galactica (Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II). With Vice President Baltar missing on the surface of Kobol, this effectively leaves the Fleet without any form of civil leadership, a situation worsened by an assassination attempt on William Adama himself immediately following Roslin's arrest (Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II).
After gaining underground support of her effort to find Earth, Roslin escapes Galactica and, with the help of rival Tom Zarek, convinces over a third of the fleet to leave with her ship, the Astral Queen, to Kobol in search of the Tomb of Athena and the path to Earth. Roslin's ability to lead and command becomes stronger throughout this time, able to keep Zarek's ambitions at bay and deliver decisions faster than before. With the recovered Arrow, Roslin heads an hazardous expedition on Kobol to find the Tomb, with the aid of a second copy of Sharon Valerii and priestess Elosha.
Commander Adama is initially enraged by Roslin's actions, but gains refreshed insight on the need for family to stay united. Perhaps, he thought, that Roslin had generated hope for Earth as he had in his fabrication of the knowledge of Earth--only Roslin was intent on getting results. With these and other thoughts in mind, Adama researches his ship's survey data on Kobol and leaves to find Roslin's expedition on the surface of Kobol (Home, Part II).
During the Kobol expedition, Elosha, one of Roslin's most valuable advisors and friend, is killed. Roslin took Elosha's blood-spattered book of scripture to guide her.
Roslin is pleasantly surprised to have Commander Adama greet her warmly on his arrival at her camp on Kobol. The two leaders have a heart-to-heart talk about her rebellion, which Adama forgives. Roslin thanks Adama, calling him "Bill" casually, though she notes that she didn't require permission for what she had to do. Roslin worries that, with talk of the Caprica Resistance, that her insistence to Adama to leave the Colonial worlds behind was a mistake. Adama, also calling Roslin by her first name, firmly chastizes her, reminding Roslin that her decision was correct. If he had chosen to stay, Adama, his son, and all of humanity would be dead.
Adama and Roslin's party later find the Tomb. With some teamwork, they discover and activate the Tomb's virtual hologram mechanism. Roslin's gamble on faith pays off big for humanity, and the group gains a map and guide to the true location of Earth.
Back on Galactica, Commander Adama introduces Roslin as President during a speech on the ship, and leads the audience in a rousing ovation, showing his firm support for her insight, leadership and her role in the destiny and safety of humanity.
Roslin and Adama, After Kobol
Adama and Roslin's respect for each other grew stronger and their leadership in managing fleet business became more cooperative. They worked together in getting reporter D'anna Biers corralled from her potentially disruptive tabloid expose' of the Gideon shootings by giving her almost-unlimited access to interview Galactica's crew. Her resulting documentary on the weary-but-determined battlestar crew was welcomed warmly by Roslin and Adama, "warts and all" (Final Cut).
Roslin finds herself being solicited of advice more often from Commander Adama, who begins to fully trust and even confide in her on matters such as trusting their Cylon prisoner, the second Valerii copy.
Roslin is honored to christen a new experimental stealth fighter dubbed the Blackbird in a small ceremony with its builders. The team christens the new fighter by the name, Laura, a gesture that brings tears to the President. Roslin manages to get a few laughs by making a mock strike at the Blackbird with the christening bottle, knowing its skin was too fragile.
Roslin is just as gleeful as the rest of the Fleet when the advanced battlestar Pegasus arrives. Admiral Helena Cain recognizes her and reacts with surprise at Roslin's new office. Roslin becomes concerned about Cain's abrupt command style, and asks Adama how he is managing relinquishing fleet command to Cain. Adama replies, with a smile, that he had been taking orders for a long time, and this was no different. Roslin is unconvinced but is polite enough not to inquire further. Roslin is more concerned that Cain is more interested with supplying Galactica with military parts and staff, rather than aiding the needs of the civiilan Fleet, as well as ignoring Roslin's wireless calls to Cain.
With Adama's rebellious attempt to return the hastily-convicted Helo and Tyrol from Cain's ship, Roslin finds herself watching the two battlestar commanders launch Vipers at each other. Fortunately Cain and Adama reach a level of detente and come to her to mediate a truce. Berating both commanders for being poor leaders, she tells them to cease their antagonism to concentrate on the destruction of the Cylon fleet following them, returning to her after the battle to settle the matter with Helo and Tyrol. After Cain leaves, Roslin tells Adama privately that Cain, whose power can radically affect the remnant of humanity both Roslin and Adama have strived so hard to protect, must be killed if Adama and the Fleet are to survive.
Before the Battle of the Resurrection Ship, Commander Adama visits Roslin, in bed and her "game face" off for the moment. The two joke; Adama asks if she needed anything, and Roslin asks for nice, blonde Cylon body replacement. Adama smiles and says he couldn't see her as a blonde, but Roslin tells him that he'd be surprised. Roslin takes Adama's hand to receive a squeeze of encouragement as he leaves. She reminds him, as he turns back to her while wiping a tear from his eye, not to let Cain get her chance at Adama.
With the Fleet's successful destruction of the Resurrection Ship and the Cylon fleet, as well as Admiral Cain's death, Roslin awards Commander Adama a pleasant surprise--the rank of Admiral, as he now is commander of two battlestars and is senior officer. Roslin notes that one should never give up hope, alluding to recent events and the stress that Cain caused throughout their fleet. Roslin decides to retire for the evening, and has trouble standing as Adama stands to aid in steadying her. After he does so, the new admiral takes Roslin's face gently in hand and kisses her, a pleasant gesture that she returns. Roslin does not see Adama's smile fade to sadness over her illness as she leaves her office area (Resurrection Ship, Part II).
Administration Strains
Roslin's miraculous recovery gives her a harsh perspective on Fleet business, apparently placing aside any romantic interests with Admiral Adama (although their mutual respect and delagation of duties remained intact). She dives into work with a dispassionate manner not unlike her predecessor, Richard Adar, including an attempt to stop the black market problems that hamper effective supply routing in the Fleet (Black Market), dealing with realization that Gaius Baltar had something to do with the destruction of the Twelve Colonies, handling the terrible loss of Billy Keikeya, who dies in a hostage situation on Cloud 9 (Sacrifice), and the upcoming presidential election. Roslin's new aide, Tory Foster, is a proactive young woman with a great deal of political drive.
Complicating what may have been an easy re-election include Roslin's decision to enforce a no-abortion law to aid in repopulation while allowing a Gemenese girl Rya Kibby to have an abortion, angering Gemenon representative Sarah Porter and losing most support from Roslin's religious base. Expecting Tom Zarek to run for president, Roslin is shocked when her own vice president, Dr. Baltar, challenges Roslin for the presidency.
Convinced that that the only way to keep the newborn Cylon-hybrid, Hera alive but out of the eye of Cylon agents, Roslin has the infant's death faked and hands the child over to a foster mother named Maya (Downloaded).
At first, Roslin is head and shoulders above Baltar in the election polls, but, with the discovery of a habitable planet dubbed "New Caprica", Baltar finds the perfect wedge issue to use against Roslin. Although settlement on the planet would be extremely difficult and with no guarantee that the Cylons wouldn't find them, the people of the Fleet vote their extreme hopes over their rational fears and Roslin's voice of reason. Baltar begins to lead in all the polls (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I).
Roslin gives Tory tacit approval to rig the election in order to save the Fleet from electing someone that she knows (in her heart) is a Cylon conspirator. However, Lt. Gaeta discovers the conspiracy and notifies Admiral Adama, who confers with Roslin and convinces her that rigging a democratic election was a line that they simply cannot cross; it was against everything they stood for. He indicates that the people have made the wrong decision to elect Baltar president, probably even a disastrous choice, but it was their choice. Roslin agrees to back down, and Adama announces a mistake in the vote count. A perturbed Baltar doesn't press further, content with having won the election, and orders colonization of New Caprica.
A year passes on New Caprica, and Baltar's administration becomes the unmitigated, incompetent disaster that Roslin had feared. Meanwhile, Roslin returns to her old love of teaching, running the new settlement's school. Assisted by Maya, who brings her infant daughter Isis (the secreted Cylon hybrid), Roslin is more comfortable watching over the pair personally.
Three-hundred-eighty days after settling on the planet, the Cylons discover the colony, as Roslin had warned, and occupy the settlement (Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II).
Notes
- The character of Laura Roslin is unique to the Re-imagined Series. It shares no counterpart to the Original Series, where its version of President Adar is killed, but a presidential replacement is never made.
- Roslin's apparent cure in "Epiphanies" contradicts the "dying leader" clause of the Pythian Prophecy, despite the fulfillment of her role in the Tomb of Athena story arc. Indications from the creators of the show suggest that Roslin's health trials may not yet be over.
- Actress Mary McDonnell is perhaps best known for her role in the epic film, Dances with Wolves, with Kevin Costner.
References
- ↑ According to the February issue of Sci Fi Magazine, actress Mary McDonnell indicates that, according to the series bible, Roslin has dated, but has never married. (Scans available on Ramblings of a dorkish nature)
- ↑ According to a December 2005 interview with Mary McDonnell in TV Guide, President Adar, a married man, was having an affair with Roslin in the twilight of his term.
- ↑ In the commentary track for "Epiphanies," Ron Moore states that a longer explanation of Roslin's cure was filmed that explained that the blood's stem cells cure Roslin. However, the scene was cut because he was afraid it would be too complicated and thought of as technobabble. The character's updated biography on the official Scifi.com site does confirm that stem cells from the hybrid were the actual cure. As such, Battlestar Wiki treats this data canonically as with information found in most deleted scenes.