The Hand of God (RDM)

"The Hand of God" (credit: Sci-Fi Channel)

Overview[edit]

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

Summary[edit]

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
Boomer and Crashdown discover an asteroid loaded with tylium - the only problem is, the Cylons have got there first in force - and are mining the tylium themselves
Adama opts to take the tylium from the Cylons and puts Lee Adama and Colonel Tigh in charge of planning
Simulatneously, Adama asks Starbuck for some out-of-the-box thinking on the matter
On Colonial One, Roslin reveals to Elosha, that as a result of taking Kamala extract, she has had visions while dreaming and is now seeing things while awake - snakes, to be precise, 12 of them
Elosha informs her of the writings of Pythia, who foretold the exodus of mankind 3,600 years before, telling how the leader of the "caravan of the heavens" would be given a sign of "2 and 10" snakes - but who would also not live to see humanity's new homeland
When presenting their plan to Adama, Tigh and Lee have it rubbished by Starbuck, who comes up with an althernative, which is presented to Roslin, who gives the go-ahead
The only problem is, they need to destroy the Cylon base without destroying the tylium reserves and mine - so Baltar is drafted into the plan to advise on where and how to best strike at the Cylon base to disable it
This puts Baltar in a dilemma: he has to help his fellow humans, but doing so will mean the destruction of Cylons. Would the Cylon God want that?
Six points out God isn't on any side, but only wants Baltar to open his heart to Him
Without help coming from Six, Baltar points at random at images of the Cylon base, telling Starbuck and Tigh that's where to strike
Starbuck exercises her injured leg You Can't Go Home Again so she can participate in the mission. Adama stops her, pointing out her leg isn't up to the demands of Viper flying yet
Starbuck takes her frustration out on Lee, whome she doesn't believe can handle his side of her plan
The mission get underway, using three decoy freighters, which the Cylons go after. Galactica launches a strike force to take out the Cylon base, but they are met by 50 Raiders, forcing Galactica to recall them
As a result of the recall, all the Cylon Raiders come after the Galactica, leaving the freighters free and in the clear - and 12 Vipers, lead by Lee Adama launch from one of them. The truth is revealed: it is Galactica herself that is the decoy
Lee Adama leads his ships on a raid of the Cylon base, but they take losses, forcing Lee into a despite undergound flight to reach the base, identify Baltar's targets and destroy them, taking out the base
With celebrations going on at the destruction of the Cylon based and the "liberation" of the much-needed tylium, Baltar confronts his Six, and she convinces him that through his actions, he really has become an instrument of God - and Baltar accepts this in a most messianic way...

On Caprica:[edit]

Helo and Valerii are hiding-out on a farm on their way to Delphi
When Helo offers to fix 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 warriors - lead by a corporeal Six!
Forcing a stunned Helo into action - he cannot believe the woman he saw Valerii kill is coming after them - Valerii forces him back on the run

Review[edit]

THE CYLONS WERE CREATED BY MAN. THEY REBELLED. THEY EVOLVED. THEY LOOK AND FEEL HUMAN. SOME OF THEM ARE PROGRAMMED TO THINK THEY ARE HUMAN. THERE ARE MANY COPIES.

AND THEY HAVE A PLAN

Re-cap[edit]

Act of Contrition: - Roslin hears her cancer is too advanced to be operable, and asking if Doctor Cottle has ever heard of Kamala extract
33: Starbuck confronting Lee Adama telling him he is not everyone’s friend – he is the CAG
Six Degrees of Separation: Tigh visiting Starbuck as she nurses her broken leg in sickbay & telling her sarcastically that she should take all the rest she needs
Act of Contrition: Adama asking Starbuck to train new pilots
Secrets and Lies: Doral revealing Helo and Valerii have slipped through the Cylon cordon on Caprica, together with a shot of Helo and Valerii running through the sewers of the city and a voice-over of Doral and Valerii discussing the fact that Valerii now loves Helo.

Teaser[edit]

Roslin holding a press briefing, at which she tries to reassure everyone that the fleet’s fuel shortage is “everyone’s number one priority”, and that the Galactica has ships out scouring the nearby star systems for tylium deposits. As the press conference on board Colonial One continues, we learn that the fleet has now been in space for 36 days (putting this episode some 9 days after the events shown in Secrets and Lies), and is down to 5% of its tylium fuel stocks. When asked about exactly how much fuel is left to the fleet, Roslin tries to avoid revealing this latter point when asked, by stating that it depends on how well they conserve able stocks. However, she is immediately challenged on this when a reporter states that there is only enough fuel for the entire fleet to make two more jumps, forcing Roslin to concede the point.

This prompts a follow-on question: what happens if the fleet can’t find tylium? Before she replies, Roslin looks down at her podium to find a snake coiled about the microphones. The sight discomfits her – but since no-one else is reacting, she is clearly the only one seeing the snake. She answers the question hesitantly, stating that if no tylium is found, the fleet would use the last of its fuel to jump to the nearest star system – and she is interrupted again by the reporter who challenged her over the remaining fuel levels. Looking down at the podium again, Roslin now sees two snakes as more questions are asked. Her answers become disjointed as the number of snakes she is seeing grows – from two to a dozen.

Aware that she is acting oddly in front of the fleet’s media, she curtails the briefing, slowly withdrawing her hand from the mass of snakes “on” the podium, and then returning to her private quarters on the ship, a confused Billy following her, leaving a stunned press corps behind...

Meanwhile, Boomer and Crashdown are surveying an asteroid field in a local star system, looking for tylium. Things are a little tense, Boomer teasing Crashdown about his growing romance with an ensign on the Galactica. Crashdown, bored by the flight and not appreciating the teasing, takes it out on his console, convinced that the scanners will take “a hundred years” to locate tylium. As he hits the console, the display flickers, changes and comes up trumps: tylium! The asteroid directly in front of the Raptor is a mass of tylium deposits. “We’re heroes!” Boomer announces. “We’re heroes?” Crashdown counters, “Never fails. Great, Boomer! The second I score, the bus driver jumps in and takes the credit!”

Boomer starts to challenge him on this, but breaks off…The asteroid is the home of a major Cylon base. Crashdown checks his scanners. “We are well and truly frakked,” he announces, “The only tylium within twelve light years and we’ve got to kiss it goodbye.” He and Boomer then make a run for it before they are discovered, and we cut to the opening titles.

Acts[edit]

After the opening credits, we join Adama, Tigh, Lee Adama and Gaeta clustered around Galactica’s plot table. “It figures the Cylons would be sitting on the only source of fuel within our reach,” Tigh mutters. “Still staking out every water hole in the desert,” Gaeta agrees, in reference to a comment he made when the search for Starbuck was threatened by the possible arrival of Cylon forces (You Can’t Go Home Again).

“Only this time it’s a lake,” Tigh nods. Reviewing the images captured by Crashdown’s sensors, Lee Adama points out that the Cylons are actually mining the tylium themselves. “A refinery this far from their home world?” Gaeta asks. “Why not?” Lee counters, “They need fuel as much as we do.” Gaeta points out that they have indeed got it – and Tigh adds that they have enough firepower to keep it.

Lee suggests that they forgot the asteroid and seek another. Tigh comments that even if they find one, the Cylons will probably be guarding it, so Lee suggests broadening the search. “Send the Raptors out farther – 10, 15 jumps – and find a source they haven’t reached yet…”

“And use up all our fuel doing it?” Tigh argues. “How are we going to get our refinery ship…” he is interrupted by Adama stating they are going to take the tylium from the Cylons. Lee and Gaeta are stunned into silence. “With all respect,” Tigh says, “This is hardly a time to attack a superior force.” Adama disagrees. “This is exactly the time. We know where they are. They don’t know where we are. We can catch them with their pants down.”

“If we fail…” Lee Adama states. “End of game,” Tigh finishes for him. “So we don’t fail,” Adama informs both of them.

In Galactica’s functioning ready room, Starbuck is briefing more of her nuggets on fighter techniques – including Hot Dog, Chuckles and Kat from her first intake. She is interrupted by Adama. When he tells her he has a job for her, she confirms the rumour mill has it he is planning an “op”. He confirms the rumour mill is right “for a change”, and that Lee and Tigh are working on a plan of attack to secure the Tylium, but he needs some serious out-of-the-box thinking. “Out of the box is where I live,” she replies.

On Colonial One, Roslin admits to Elosha that she has been taking Kamala “For a medical condition”. “So what have you seen?” Elosha asks. Roslin reveals she had dreams about Conoy before he was captured and executed (Flesh and Bone). “The images were…” she states. “Prescient?” Elosha finishes for her. “Uncanny,” is all Roslin will admit to. She then explains that she is now hallucinating while awake: “Snakes….there were snakes crawling all over my podium during a press conference.” Elosha appears more intrigued than concerned. “How many?” she asks. “About a dozen,” Roslin replies. Elosha stands and walks a small circle around her chair. “You’re kidding, right?” she asks. “You read Pythia and now you’re having me on.” Roslin remains calm. “Noooo,” she replies. “Who is Pythia?”

Elosha then explains that Pythia was one of the oracles in the sacred scrolls. “3,600 years ago Pythia wrote about the exile and the rebirth of the human race. And the Lords anointed a leader to guide the caravan of the heavens to their new homeland. And unto the leader they gave a vision of serpents, numbering two and ten as a sign of things to come.” Roslin is stunned, “Pythia wrote that?” Elosha adds, “She also wrote that the new leader suffered a wasting disease and would not live to enter the new land. But you’re not dying. Are you?”

In a Situation Room on Galactica, Tigh and Lee reveal their battle plan to Adama and Starbuck. Adama asks her for her opinion. She admits that it is the perfect plan – which is why it won’t work. Tigh is scathing of the view, “Of course. We bow to your vast experience in strategic planning. Refresh my memory; what year was it you graduated from war college?” The comment is aimed to provoke Starbuck, and does so, but Adama intervenes, warning them both to back down. “We’re not going to win this one by the book,” he informs those gathered at the table. “I’ve asked Starbuck in here because she’s not weighed down by conventional thinking. With all due respect, Gentlemen, we’re not as crazy as she is.”

“OK,” Lee acknowledges, looking at Starbuck, “So what would you do differently?”

Starbuck then starts pointing out the weaknesses in the original plan – and the action segues very smoothly into a full mission briefing, clearly some time later, as Roslin is now in attendance on Galactica, as is Gaeta and a number of plotters.

The new plan centres on using three freighters as decoys – ships that will be set-up to look like they have jumped in-system in search of tylium, and have no awareness of the Cylon presence. When the Cylons take that bait, Galactica will jump in and launch an assault on the Cylon base, the intention being to destroy the base and the Raider refuelling facilities, but to capture the tylium mine. The decoy freighter will jump outsystem as soon as the Cylons get close enough to give them trouble.

Roslin wants to know the potential casualty count. Tigh admits it will be high. Roslin then wants to know that even if successful, and the raid defeats the Cylons, what is to stop them coming back with reinforcements. Adama admits there is no guarantee, but that knocking out the base will buy the fleet some time: “If you keep running from the schoolyard bully, he keeps on chasing you. But the moment you stop and you turn around and you punch him really hard in a sensitive spot, he’ll think really hard about coming after you again.”

Roslin then gets to the point, “So it’s either this, or run out of fuel and get annihilated?” She gives the go-ahead for the strike.

As a result of the go-ahead, Baltar is appraised of the Cylon base and the plan to destroy it by Thrace and Tigh. As the resident Cylon expert his advice is being sought as to how they can destroy the Cylon base without destroying the tylium reserves on or within the asteroid. Nukes can’t be used – while they’d take out the Cylons, “the radiation would render the ore inert”. Baltar thinks for a moment, then points out that refined tylium has a huge explosive potential which can be triggered by a conventional warhead. Take out the refined fuel at the base, and the base goes with it. All they need to do is hit the staging tanks for the “refined tylium precursor”. Starbuck asks Baltar where such tanks would be located in the base.

The question prompts Baltar into a “meeting” with his Six in his fantasy home “on” Caprica. As he lays face-up on a massage table, he admits he needs her advice. “Well, I’m flattered, Gaius,” she replies, rubbing his arm, “But I don’t know the first thing about tylium refineries.” Baltar tries to push her: “You must have an inkling of where I should tell them to bomb?” “No,” Six replies, rubbing his chest, “But God does.” “Oh good,” Baltar replies, “Suppose God doesn’t want me to destroy the base because he’s the Cylon God?” Six stops her massage and looks Baltar in the eyes. “God doesn’t take sides. He only wants your love. Open your heart to him and he’ll show you the way.” She moves to start massaging Baltar’s shoulders, standing over his head as he argues that it would be a lot easier if God just came out and told him what he should do. “You must remember to surrender your ego, remain humble,” Six replies. Baltar’s response is not overly co-operative; “Well, if you ask me, God could do with cleaning his ears out! Then he might hear what I have to say.” Still working on his neck, Six instructs him to relax his neck. He asks what she is going to do. “I said relax!” she repeats, her tone edged with anger. “OK but don’t…” is as far as Baltar gets as she twists his neck with enough violence to break it – and there is the sound of bone crunching and snapping….

…And we are back in the situation room, Baltar rubbing his neck. “Where will the staging tanks be, Doctor?” Starbuck presses. A disoriented Baltar continues to check his neck and surroundings, as if surprised to be still alive, prompting Tigh and Starbuck to exchange a look. Realising they are waiting on him, and that he is still none the wiser, Baltar turned back to the wall-projected image of the asteroid base, eyes wandering across it, left right, up, down…he settles on a single part of the image and lifts a hand, pointing to a part of the Cylon base. “There. Right there….hit any one of them and the place will go up like a three kiloton bomb.”

Leaving the briefing room, Baltar heads down a corridor, pausing at a set of stacked storage bins, leaning against them and catching himself. As he does so, Six appears and starts rubbing his shoulders, then turns him to face her. “Well done,” she says with a good deal of warmth, “So forceful. So decisive, delivered with such élan,” her tone is decidedly predatory as she rubs against him. Baltar doesn’t respond – in fact, he seems almost despondent. “He didn’t speak to me. God didn’t speak to me. So I was totally lying. I just picked that spot at random.” Six continues to hold his eyes with her own, her look that of a mother watching a sick child. “He doesn’t always speak in words, Gaius.” This does little to comfort Baltar – in fact it does almost the opposite, deepening his despondency, to Six’s apparent delight, as Baltar realises, “The fate of the entire human race depends upon my wild guess?” Her predatory smile returns, and then we see Baltar standing alone in the ship’s corridor, apparently lost in thought.

Elsewhere, Adama visits Starbuck as she exercises her injured leg. She claims she will be able to fly. Adama uses the weight training system to prove her leg isn’t ready for the strain of flying a Viper in combat. Proving he is right, he gets her to brief Lee – whom she obviously doesn’t believe can pull things off.

Away on CYLON-OCCUPIED CAPRICA – it is day 37 of Karl C. Agathon’s (call sign “Helo”) sojourn behind enemy lines. He and Valerii have found a farm in which to shelter, leading Helo to start musing on things: “Nice thing about being on the run after a nuclear war. Nobody left to complain if we hide-out in their barn or raid their pantry, while you’re on your way to steal a ship and get off the planet. It’s odd, isn’t it…that we haven’t seen a single living human being since the one you shot rescuing me. I mean, we’re still alive; why nobody else?”

Valerii ties to convince them others are probably hiding out in their fallout shelters. Helo climbs up into a hayloft of a barn, Valerii following him. Once there, Valerii suddenly appears ill as she stands behind Helo as he unpacks one of their bags. “Hungry?” he asks. “I dunno. What have we got?” she enquiries in reply, trying to mask her condition. She kneels down beside him as he starts working through the “liberated” foodstuffs – peanut butter, beans, corn – as he offers her the option of “some chilli” she rushes forward and throws up. He asks if she has been taking her anti-radiation medicine. She claims it was the cold beans that they had for breakfast that are making her ill. Giving her a drink of water, he asks if she is OK. She states she is, and they discuss the rest of the journey to Delphi – Valerii estimating they are eight or ten days’ fast travel to the base. “If we start early, we can be there in no time.” Nodding, Helo kisses her forehead and hugs her to his side, but his eyes remain wary; something is bothering him – and it may not be Valerii’s vomiting.

On Galactica Lee Adama is sitting in a bay with a beat-up Mark II Viper when his father joins him, admitting he could never sleep either before a big operation. They share a moment, Adama giving his son a lighter that belonged to his own father. “My mother bought it for him when he was in law school,” he explains, “He was a better father than I was. Dad used to carry that into court cases; claimed he never lost unless he left it behind.”

The comment causes Lee to tap the lighter against his thigh nervously. “So you’re worried too,” he states, irony in the words. “About what?” Adama counters. “Sometimes it feels like the whole ship thinks….Starbuck….would do better,” Lee replies. “I don’t,” Adama states. “How can you be so sure?” Lee asks. “Because you’re my son.” Adama replies, his tone matter-of-fact. The comment drives Lee’s brooding mood from him. They exchange a look before Adama instructs his son to get some rest and then turns to leave. Lee stops him. “Dad. I’ll bring it back,” he states, turning the lighter in his hand. “You’d better,” Adama replies, “Or I’ll kick your ass. It’s a good lighter.” The comment brings an unbidden grin to Apollo’s face.

It’s still raining on Caprica. Helo and Valerii are dozing together, but Valerii wakes Helo as she turns in her sleep, a hand slapping against his face. He is about to put his head down again when we hear the metallic thud of feet. Waking Valerii, he crawls to an open door in the hayloft and looks out using binoculars. What he sees confuses him: Six, in her white rain coat, leading a troop of Cylon warriors down the road towards the farm. “How? You killed her!” he states as Valerii takes the binoculars. She determines they must go – now! Helo remains confused, repeating that he saw Valerii kill “her”. “Let’s go Mister!” Valerii orders, prompting Helo to jump from the loft. She throws down their gear and jumps down after him. They head off at the run, “What the hell is going on?” Helo demands. Valerii claims not to know, but that they’ll “figure it out later” as they run from the farm.

Out in the asteroid field that contains the Cylon base. the Galactica arrives with another precision jump. As anticipated, the Cylons didn’t see a thing, but the Galactica is within strike range of the base. As Gaeta reports this in the situation room, a transmission comes in– the decoy freighters are jumping in-system, and apparently reporting their arrival “back” to the fleet as models are moved on the plot table. “You can bet they heard that,” Adama informs Roslin. “Now they’ll try to locate the decoys….if they take the bait, all hell breaks loose.” Roslin nods. “Until then?” she asks. “We wait,” Adama replies.

Tyrol and Cally wait anxiously down on the hanger deck, Tyrol checking the time. In the situation room, time has passed and people are growing tense – Adama checking the time – when Boomer calls in from her Raptor as she shadows the decoy freighters – 90+ Raiders are going for the bait. Adama orders “Strike Force One” launched from Galactica.

On the hanger deck, Vipers are readied and pilots – including Hot Dog – climb aboard. The Vipers are launched and head in towards the Cylon base. As they head in, Starbuck mutters to Adama that she hopes “Lee can….” Adama looks at her. “Lee isn’t the problem,” he tells her. “You should take a good look at yourself…when you’re in the cockpit, you’re in control. It’s hard to give it up,” The comment raises Starbuck’s hackles, “I never wanted this kind of responsibility.” Adama remains uncompromising, “The Cylons never asked us what we wanted. Welcome to the big leagues.”

Seconds pass – then Crashdown reports that 50+ Raiders are inbound. “What does that mean?” A highly-strung Baltar asks. Starbuck informs him it means the Galactica’s strike force has been seen and the Cylons are moving to intercept with more Raiders. “Fifty Raiders,” Baltar repeats, “That means we’re outnumbered now, five to one?” Roslin ignores him, asking Adama calmly, “Weren’t the decoys supposed to take care of that?” Adama replies that the Cylons were too smart.

In CIC Dualla reports to Tigh that the intercept time is two minutes. Out in space, the strike leader reports his squadron has multiple bandits inbound. Seconds later the two sides engage in a dogfight, and the Colonials start taking hits as Vipers are blown apart. “That sounds frakking awful!” a horrified Baltar states as those in Galactica’s situation room listen to the radio broadcasts from the fighters. “They’re getting cut to pieces out there,” Starbuck hisses, glaring at Adama, who crosses to Gaeta. “Abort strike one,” he orders.

In CIC Dualla relays the order over the com channel to the Vipers – instantly giving away Galactica’s position to the Cylons. Immediately, the Raiders give chase – and the 90 Raiders going after the decoy Freighters reverse course and head towards Galactica. Hearing this, Baltar is none too happy. “So when are we going to launch the reserve fighters to defend Galactica?” he asks as the big ship faces two big wings of Raiders coming at her. “There are no reserve Vipers,” Adama replies, “Everything is on the board already. Now we play for all the marbles.” He looks across the table. “Starbuck, it’s your plan.”

Dramatically walking around the table, Starbuck speaks sotto voice to Gaeta, asking him to get Dualla to use the scrambler to inform Apollo that the “back door” is now open. The message is relayed, and out at the Freighters, an external freight cover is blown clear from one of the ships, revealing 12 Vipers, which power-up and detach from the ship and start towards the Cylon base. At the same time, model Vipers go onto the plot table in Galactica’s situation room. Roslin’s response is a calm question laced with anger. “Lieutenant Thrace, why didn’t you tell me there was another strike force on the freighters?”

“It was my decision,” Adama cuts in. “I routinely restrict tactical details to those who need to know.” He looks across the table at Roslin. “Old habits die hard.” As she returns his look, her anger is evident – but so is grudging respect, “So you still might pull this off.” Adama agrees – if Baltar’s assessment of the Cylon base is right. “And whether we get blown to pieces by those Cylon raiders heading towards us right now,” Starbuck adds. “Speaking of which,” Adama agrees, “I’m needed in CIC.” He leaves the situation room without asking Roslin’s permission – if only for protocol reasons – leaving her nodding to herself in understanding as he goes.

Out at the asteroid, Lee Adama is leading his strike force in a low-level run towards the Cylon base. Kat and Chuckles are in his formation. As they pass their IP, Cylon surface guns open up from behind them, launching missiles towards the Vipers, a number of which drop their munitions pods. Approaching the base, the Vipers loose-off missiles of their own, only to see them veer off, a Cylon jamming system intercepting them before they reach the target.

Lee orders the remaining Vipers to hold fire and close the range so they can manually-lock missiles and not have to rely on the guidance systems. Seconds later, Chuckles is hit and goes down, and another nugget takes a direct hit. With the Cylon defence systems zeroed on their attack axis, the Vipers are sitting targets, and Apollo orders them to break off the attack. As he orders his Vipers onto the deck, he spot the underground conveyor used to deliver raw tylium from the mining canyon to the refinery.

Out in space, Adama arrives in CIC and gives the order for the remaining Vipers of Strike Force One to turn around and take-on the Cylons hounding them. On the asteroid, Apollo confirms the conveyor tunnel appears clear and, against his better judgement, heads down it, Skywalker-style.

Taking the tunnel at speed, Apollo finds himself confronted by blank end – no direct refinery access, just a very steep “upward” angle leading to the surface. Hitting the main reverse motors on his Viper, he slows his vehicle, and then rides the throttle up to the surface, using his smaller manoeuvring thrusters and landing thrusters to bring his Viper to a standstill in the middle of the Cylon plant. He reports back to Galactica that he is through the tunnel and the Cylons can’t get a firing solution on him. Edging his ship about, he locates the targets picked out by Baltar. Punching power to his main engines, he brings his Viper up from its hiding place, over the Cylon base and neatly deposits his munitions pods right to the target before he goes ballistic.

The pods are clearly set with a delay fuse as seconds pass as he climbs clear of the base, and we get reaction shots from the principal players back on Galactica. Then the pods blow, and the tanks go with them, sparking a chain-reaction throughout the base. “Ah, Galactica, Apollo…” he reports-in, “Mission...accomplished!” His words are greeted with cheering in the situation room and in CIC. Apollo additionally reports that Baltar was right on the money with his selection of target. Gaeta is the one to congratulate a stunned Baltar with a hug. Even Starbuck and Roslin exchange a hug. In CIC Dualla reports that the remaining Cylons are bugging out, and Adama gives the order for the Vipers to go after them.

Tag[edit]

Lee returns to Galactica in the middle of huge celebrations. Starbuck is on had with champagne and admission that she couldn’t have done it better herself. She gives Lee a cigar which he lights with his grandfather’s lighter, before tossing the lighter to his father.

Baltar, meanwhile, meets with “his” Six, this time on the veranda of his home. She asks him if he has read the Pythian prophesy. “No since the sixth grade,” he admits. “I can’t say ancient history is my favourite subject.” Six admonishes him that he should play closer attention. ‘“All of this has happened before. All of this will happen again’.” She quotes – echoing Conoy’s sentiment from “Flesh and Bone” in the process. Baltar isn’t convinced. “Everyone knows that verse. What are you getting at?” he asks.

Moving to sit beside him, Six stares at him. “Remember this one? ‘Lead by serpents, two and ten’.” Baltar nods, “The Vipers….they’re the serpents?” Six moves on, “There’s a later verse, Giaus. You should read it. How the outcome favoured the few and lead to a confrontation….at the home of the Gods.” Baltar looks at her, “Are you telling me God guided my finger to that target for some arcane scriptural purpose?” Six doesn’t move, stating simply that, “You are a part of God’s plan, Gaius.” This keep’s Baltar’s cog whirring: “So God wanted me to destroy the Cylon base.” Six is pleased, “You did well. You gave yourself over to him.” Baltar doesn’t know how to take this, but as he considers her words, so the concept takes hold and appeals to him, “There’s really no other logical explanation for it. I was…” he makes to stand up, “Am,” Six corrects, her expression hardening for a moment, as a berobed Baltar rises from his chair and leans on the railings of his veranda, his arms spread Christ-like as if being crucified. “I am an instrument of God,” he states, his tone certain, and he looks upward as the camera angles down on him from above.

--Colonial Archivist 20:41, 6 Jan 2005 (EST)

Analysis[edit]

Another powerful episode – if unfortunately contrived in some areas - that did much to further several plot lines and again draw together so of what has gone before in previous episodes.

The performances throughout were powerful, and it was in some ways good to see one or two of the characters falling back into their old ways – notably Starbuck sliding back towards her conceited, overly-confident “frak off, only I can do this” annoying in-yer-faceness, and Apollo with his “oh woe is me” routine. That both of these two – who have progressed so far in so many different ways in so short a time (36 days, to be exact) can be seen to still have the baggage of their formal lives kicking around their feet, ready to be tripped over, is again a point in BSG’s favour in portraying the reality of the human condition. No-one becomes an ideal role-model overnight – or over the course of a month.

It’s also interesting to see how Roslin’s doubts concerning Adama’s humanity (Flesh and Bone, Secrets and Lies) have now reaped their harvest: Adama doesn’t trust her sufficiently enough to reveal all the details of tactical and strategic operations to her. In many respects, this side of their relationship is back to how it was back in 33.

With the Helo / Valerii situation on Caprica, the procreation element appears to have come to the fore. Despite the time of day, Vallerii's vomiting smacked strongly of "morning sickness". If this is the case, the meaning behind her statement to Helo that she is the one the Cylons are after (Secrets and Lies is doubly clear: not only do they want her back – they want what they suspect she may be carrying inside her. And now he’s seen Six again, Helo can’t go on much longer before he starts stringing at least some of it together.

But of the entire episode, it is the opening of the Roslin and Baltar arcs that are the compelling.

Roslin is interesting on a number of levels. First off, there is the fact that she herself has some limited precognition, presumably as a result of the Kamala treatment she is taking. But if it has happened once (Flesh and Bone), will it happen again? What will happen as her cancer grows, and she comes to reply on Kamala and other medications to a greater degree. Oracles are not uncommon, it would appear from Colonial legend (Pythia) – could we see Roslin travel the road from purely political leader to a more pseudo-religious leader / Sybil; a possible counter-point to Baltar himself?

Then there is the reference to Pythia herself, and a further link 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.

Note the odd resonances here:

In our mythology, Pythia was the servant of Apollo; in BSG, we see a woman foretold by the Colonial’s “Pythia” seeking the counsel of “Apollo” (Lee Adama), and using the knowledge he imparts to her to better understand the likes of Adama
In our mythology, it is often inferred that Pythia’s trances were induced from chewing laurel leaves (hence depictions of her holding a sprig of laurel) – on BSG, Roslin’s “vision” are induced by her taking an herbal remedy known as Kamala extract.

A further interesting – possibly coincidental – resonance is that the Pythia in ancient Greece were the oracle of Delphi – and on Caprica, Helo and Valerii are making for the religious centre of Delphi.

On Baltar’s part, things are equally interesting – both in their religious context, and with the evolving situation with “his” Six.

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.

This in itself is interesting. 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.

Another interesting aspect of Baltar’s acceptance that he is indeed an “instrument of God” is in the fact that – as with many fundamentalist Christian] teachings here on Earth (which state that to truly become a Christian, one must undergo “death” and rebirth - hence the baptism) - Baltar experiences his own “death” as Six apparently breaks his neck while in his fantasy world, and he is “reborn” in the present, facing Tigh and Starbuck, and points out the tylium precursor tanks on the asteroid.

Given all this, is it any wonder we have a somewhat messianic Baltar at the end of the episode?

But what is the driving force behind Baltar’s “conversion”? The concept of a pseudo-Christian God is very much a Cylon concept, being repeatedly expressed by both Baltar’s Six and Leoben Conoy. It is also a concept alien to Colonial thinking. Taking it as read that Baltar is a human – one who prides himself on being a rational genius and “above” the need for religious “flim-flam” - why should he fixate on a Cylon religious concept?

Could it simply be a part of his mind playing on something Six said to him before Caprica was attacked? Or could it be the fact that “his” Six really is something more than a simple manifestation of his own psychosis? That she is an ideology / personality “downloaded” into him?

Again, this episode points towards Six being an ideology / personality downloaded into Baltar. To dismiss all that has happened around Baltar as a simple string of coincidences he has been able to knit together into his own personal version of reality is, on the basis of the events in this episode, becoming increasingly hard to accept.

And it is Six who brings the story circle – returning to the writings of Pythia and the two and ten serpents – only in this case, an alternative meaning is deduced (by Baltar): the 12 serpents are in fact the 12 Vipers lead by Apollo on the raid on the Cylon base. And again, notice the careful counterpoint: when Roslin reveals her hallucination to Elosha, the priestess reveals the writings of Pythia to her, essentially anointing Roslin as the leader Pythia once foretold. In the closing scene we have Six using the same writings to finally convince Baltar that he is also “anointed” – an instrument of God.

Is it mere coincidence that Six picks on the same passages as those identified by Elosha?

Away from these two threads, Adama further reconciles himself with his son – the scene played out in the Viper bay with the lighter is exceptionally well-handled, and fully in keeping with all that we’ve seen between Adama and Lee since the events of You Can’t Go Home Again. Indeed, in this, it is far more in keeping with the nature of both characters than the somewhat clumsy scene between Adama and Thrace that took place in Adama’s cabin during “Act of Contrition”.

Similarly, and as mentioned, the re-bubbling of animosity between Lee Adama and Kara Thrace is handled by the writers and the actors with the right level of intensity that makes the situation so believable: Lee Adama’s resurfacing self-doubt; Thrace’s returning arrogance (born no doubt of her inability to fly herself): a careful mix that fully reminds us that there is still a lot of history to these characters – to all our cast – and past attitudes and doubts are not easily put aside.

And weaknesses? Well, there are a few. Once again, the main thrust of the episode – the need of tylium and the attack on the Cylon base is a useful tool. In setting it up, the producers are making it clear that, as with the fall-out from the events of Water, they are not going to forget logistical matters. We’ve have a water shortage, now we’ve had a fuel shortage. However, they’ve also very cleverly made it clear that such problems are not going to become an easy fall-back for writers stuck for ideas to use: in Water it was made abundantly clear that, saving sabotage or serious damage, the Galactica can keep the majority of the fleet supplied with clean water (and it was intimated that other vessels in the fleet can take care of their own water needs). Here, it is fuel that is currently the issue of the day – providing the Cylon base is taken; we’re informed that fuel supplies needn’t be a problem for the fleet for another couple of years – again barring mishaps.

However, the execution of the attack itself is not without its bumps.

For a start, how do a seasoned tactical officer like Tigh and a senior Viper pilot like Lee Adama come up with a plan of attack on the Cylon base that is so fundamentally flawed in its concept from the outset: jumping the Galactica in “behind” the enemy, without considering the nature and extent of the enemy’s likely fighter patrols? One might forgive Lee Adama such a mistake – he’s hardly a veteran war planner. But Tigh? He of all people should know that this far outside of a friendly sphere of influence, when the enemy (the Colonials) have a warship capable of jumping in on them from any point in space, the Cylons are bound to have the most obvious hiding-places staked out with fighter patrols or automated scanning systems.

No, the flawed planning is designed to open the door to Starbuck’s “out –of-the-box” thinking & the planting of the decoy mission. Sadly, while it does this, the way the opening is played diminishes both Apollo and Tigh for their lack of foresight. Indeed, given his ability to think like the enemy, as already demonstrated, it is surprising Adama didn’t point out this initial flaw in their thinking as Tigh and Apollo walk him and Starbuck through their plan.

Then there is the question of why is Starbuck so upset that the first part of the plan - the attack by Viper Strike Force One is going “wrong”? It is her plan – as Adama states – and so she should be aware that it is the “Strike Force” that is in fact the decoy, not the freighters. As such, the decoys stand a good chance of “being cut to pieces” – yet her reaction, in facing Adama is accusatory, as if she had no idea this would happen.

Next up is the fact that - despite the loss of their base – the Cylons have a massive numerical superiority over the Colonial Vipers (some 18-20 Vipers (after losses), split into two small groups facing-off against 140-ish Raiders) – yet they failed to ram this advantage home. Part of the Cylon plan? Possibly, but the way it was handled in the episode (the Raiders simply “bugging out”) doesn’t really support this. Nor does the idea of those same 140-odd Raiders simply running away from a force of just 8 Vipers (the remaining ships of Strike Force One) without making some attempt at taking out several more Vipers.

Finally, there is Adama’s apparently reckless response to the news the Cylons are bugging out – ordering his fighters after them when a) the Cylons do have a massive numerical superiority that could quickly put his fighters at risk; b) the Cylons have FTL and so could easily evade the Vipers (after drawing them out) prior to jumping, re-grouping and then jumping back in (to, say, launch an attack directly on Galactica herself while she is still sans fighters.

While these are not major glitches in the story as a whole, they nevertheless prevent this episode from running as smoother as it otherwise should. The critique of the Tigh/Apollo is at best a heavy-handed means of bringing Kara Thrace more directly into the story, and, as stated does a certain amount of credibility damage to Lee Adama, Tigh and Adama in the process, while the hurried end to the battle, (“Yay! We’ve blown up their base, Oh, look – the Cylons are running away!”) suggests that having raised some major character development points (vis Baltar, Roslin and Valerii on Caprica), and got the core of their “message” for the week across the to audience, the producers opted for the “Star Trek solution formula”: wrap everything ASAP and get it out of the way, in order for them to roll out their big finish: Baltar’s messianic conversion.

Notes[edit]

Nine days have passed since the events of Secrets and Lies
Tylium ore is use to power FTL systems, but probably not through any fissionable reaction
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 Capica may well be pregnant
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
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

Noteworthy Dialogue[edit]

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

Adama: It belonged to you grandfather. My mom bought it for him when he was in law school. See the engraving on it? Lee: (reading the name "Joseph Adama") Yes I, um, can barely make it out... Adama: He was a better father than I was. Dad used to carry that into court cases; claimed he never lost unless he left it behind. Lee So you’re worried too. Adama: About what? Lee: Sometimes it feels like the whole ship thinks...Starbuck...would do better. Adama: I don’t. Lee: How can you be so sure? Adama: Because you’re my son.

Official Statements[edit]

Statistics[edit]

Guest Stars[edit]

Writing & Direction[edit]

Written by David Wheddle and Bradley Thompson
Directed by Jeff Woolnough

Production Notes[edit]

Series 1 (2004 / 2005)
Production Number: 1.10
Airdate Order: 10 (of 13)

First Run Air Dates & Releases[edit]

UK Airdate: 3 January 2005 (Sky One)
US Airdate: (Sci-Fi Channel)
DVD Release: N/A