The Oath

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"The Oath" An episode of the Re-imagined Series
Episode No.	Season 4, Episode 13
Writer(s)	Mark Verheiden
Story by
Director	John Dahl
Assistant Director
Special guest(s)
Production No.	415
Nielsen Rating	1,560,000
US airdate	January 30, 2009
CAN airdate	January 30, 2009
UK airdate	February 3, 2009
DVD release
Population	39,643 survivors ( 1)
Additional Info
Full Credits
Episode Chronology
Previous		Next
A Disquiet Follows My Soul	The Oath	Blood on the Scales
Related Information
Official Summary
R&D Skit – View
Podcast Transcript – View
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Listing of props for this episode
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Overview

The opposition to the alliance with the rebel Cylons reaches its zenith, Felix Gaeta leads a mutiny aboard Galactica and frees Tom Zarek from prison.

Summary

Teaser

• In Admiral Adama's quarters, the admiral offers the entering Saul Tigh a cup of algae-ground coffee, which Tigh refuses. Tigh reports that civilian captains are refusing to allow the rebel Cylons to refit their jump drives for longer range.

• As Tigh continues his report, Laura Roslin enters from the bathroom, dressed only in a bathrobe and carrying a book. Her smile seems to indicate her enjoyment of Tigh's mild shock at her candid appearance and its implications.

• Gathering his composure, Tigh continues. The Fleet's attitude toward all Cylons (Tigh included) would make it challenging for Tigh to solve the problem. Adama agrees.

• Felix Gaeta arrives at Tom Zarek's cell in the brig, accompanied by several marines and other crew. A crewman informs Gaeta that Narcho and Private Paley have secured a small arms locker.
• Gaeta and Zarek talk about how to keep the Quorum from reacting badly to their plans, particularly Lee Adama. Gaeta advises Zarek to push Representative Adama's buttons, since he's "good at that."

• In the admiral's quarters, Roslin discusses the Fleet's issues for the first time in days. She and Adama both agree that the alliance with the rebel Cylons, and general amnesty they were given is not working, and that Lee Adama may not be able to convince the quorum otherwise. Roslin has to force herself to stop talking about the Fleet's problems, and the two say goodbye with affectionate small talk about having dinner ready for Adama when he returns from his shift.

• Gaeta's team escorts Zarek to the hangar deck. When Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson sees them, she yells out, pretending that her Raptor has a serious fuel leak. This effectively clears most of the deck's occupants out, but Jeanne lingers unseen in the upper gangway above the deck, and observes everything.

• As Racetrack tells Gaeta that she's disabled the Raptor's transponder, Deck Chief Peter Laird steps in, questioning the authorization for the Raptor's departure. When Laird is not dissuaded from calling CIC to verify the ship's use, Zarek quietly picks up a wrench and strikes Laird on the skull, killing him. Jeanne swiftly runs from the gangway, having witnessed the murder.

• When Gaeta reacts in shock to Zarek's action, the Vice President tells Gaeta not to hold on to some "operatic ideal" of how his "revolution" must be handled; any hesitation could jeopardize their plans.

Act 1

• In CIC, Hoshi notes a ship launch that he can't authenticate in the flight log--and DRADIS does not show any transponder ID. Gaeta, taking his place at his station, stalls Hoshi, advising him to look at other logs from the flight deck.
• When Tigh tells Adama quietly that he has had had Nowart gather marines for further action to compel other civliian ships to comply, Adama warns that doing the same thing as was done with the Hitei Kan a few days prior would likely destroy the likelihood of anyone in the Fleet supporting the fragile Cylon alliance.
• Hoshi continues to try to verify the flying contact as Gaeta tries to stall.

• On Colonial One as Lee Adama tries to placate an agitated Quorum, Zarek returns, to everyone's shock.

• Diana Seelix meets with Samuel Anders in one of the officer's quarters. She slyly talks about her attraction to him as other crew sneak up, blindfold and savagely beat him.

• As Adama hands Private Jaffee a log to file, Hoshi reports of a fire near the ship's wireless antenna array. As Adama gives orders for damage control teams to handle the issue, Gaeta warns that the "fire" might not be an accident. Adama agrees and orders marines to accompany the DC teams.

• In another officer's quarters, Kara Thrace teases Brendan Costanza about his new fatherhood, commenting how her decision of his pilot nickname of "Hotdog" was an apt one. Constanza angrily replies that Thrace has "frakked half the Fleet" and has nothing to show for her similar indiscretions. Thrace throws her bowl of food as Constanza leaves.
• A split second later evacuation alarms ring out. When Thrace steps out to ask Narcho why he, a pilot, is handling damage control, Narcho nastily spurns her senior rank: "Nobody even knows what you are anymore."
• When Thrace sees a mix of marines and other civilians heading in the opposite direction, she follows them on gut reaction.
• Thrace sees the people break into a small arms locker, arming themselves, with Charlie Connor issuing orders to both military and civilian personnel. She runs back to her quarters grabs her sidearm and ammo and calls CIC. Gaeta ignores her warning of the break-in. Thrace quickly deduces what's going on.

• On Colonial One, Lee Adama also tries to call his father regarding Zarek's release, but Gaeta blocks Adama's attempt to reach the admiral by claiming that the admiral is busy. Gaeta also feigns ignorance about Zarek's release.
• Zarek steps in, telling Lee that the admiral released him because Zarek would not be a threat if Adama didn't recognize civilian authority. Lee believes otherwise, and leaves for Galactica.

• Gaeta fakes a shipwide communications failure, including backup systems.
• Lee Adama arrives on the hangar deck from his Raptor and is immediately accosted by Skulls and several others, intent on killing him as Racetrack watches on. "Where are your precious Cylons now?" Connor says as a marine points a gun to Adama's head.
• A shot rings out, but not from the gun Adama stares into. Kara Thrace has shot the marine with the gun and orders Adama's release. When Skulls objects, Thrace doesn't hesitate a second to shoot Skulls in the shoulder. "I can do this all day," she warns, pulling out a second sidearm.
• As Adama runs out, Thrace follows, warning the rest, "Follow me. Please," so she could have a better excuse to shoot them as well.

• As Sharon Agathon feeds her daughter, Karl Agathon gets his uniform on and warns Sharon to get Hera to daycare.
• Just then, the hatchway on their quarters is being jostled. Someone is trying to get in, and soon succeeds: an angry mob, led by Gage, a former Pegasus crewman who remembers Agathon's role in the accidental death of Alistair Thorne.
• Gage gloats that he plans on raping Sharon Agathon later as marines beat Helo into unconsciousness.

Act 2

• Thrace and Lee Adama seal themselves in a dry storage locker, reviewing what's happened. "Semper frakkin' fi," Thrace hisses after checking a phone, discovering it dead. Adama is astonished how people he's trusted have turned mutinous. He realizes the hangar deck was only the beachhead to a ship-wide takeover of the ship.
• Thrace passionately kisses Lee and tells him she hasn't felt this alive in weeks. They leave to work out what to do, gather people who will help. They try to make their way to CIC. As they move through the corridors of the ship, they hear gunfire and screams in the distance.
• They pass by several unidentified bodies as well as groups of huddled civilians trying to stay out of the crossfire. A marine pursues a group of armed civilians and exchanges gunfire with them. The duo encounter an unidentified crewman with a pistol who yields to them, suggesting that he is an ally, then continues on.
• CIC is in confusion as Gaeta continues to throw false report after report, keeping Tigh and the admiral off-base.
• The Agathons are thrown in the Cylon brig along with Caprica-Six and Samuel Anders. Caprica-Six warns that this is a start to eradicating the Cylons, especially their children. Athena reassures her that they'll be kept alive for now as bargaining chips against the rebel baseship.
• As Jaffee returns to report that the array's damage was faked, Gaeta initiates the final phase of the takeover, calling in several marines who are part of the mutiny, who encircle Adama and the startled CIC staff. A handful of marines who are not involved remain in the room as well. When one of Gaeta's marines signals as though he is about to shoot the Admiral, Jaffee takes the bullet for him, receiving a fatal wound in the process.
• A firefight ensues, and several marines are killed, including those who are not involved in the mutiny. Gaeta orders his men to cease fire, then orders Adama and his staff to stand down, which the admiral reluctantly agrees to do, despite Tigh's anger.
• Gaeta tells Adama that he is removing him from command of Galactica on the charge of treason.
• Adama accuses Gaeta of betraying his oath and uniform, while Gaeta retorts that the admiral has done that himself by allying with the Cylons.
• Adama angrily warns that, unlike in times past, there will be no forgiveness or amnesty for this takeover.
• Gaeta orders the marines to arrest Adama, Tigh, and the senior staff and to place them in a holding cell.

Act 3

• Kara Thrace and Lee Adama make it to the admiral's quarters, finding Laura Roslin there, telling her of the uprising, the communications blackout and that Zarek is in control on Colonial One.
• Roslin has had enough; she puts on her coat and leads them all out, knowing of one way to get a message out over wireless.

• Gaeta, now commanding CIC, orders Redwing and his marine team to secure the engine room. Specialist Gage now sits in Gaeta's old station.

• Surrounded by his followers, Gaius Baltar wishes his group well as he prepares to leave, believing that the uprising will come to get him as well. Galen Tyrol confirms Jeanne's fears to Baltar.
• As Roslin, Thrace and Lee Adama arrive, Tyrol briefs them. Using secured wireless handhelds, Tyrol has learned that the admiral is in custody. He tells him that he's in control of an airlock that could be used to get Adama off the ship. When Lee asks why Tyrol is doing this, Tyrol tells him that the "old man" deserves a better fate.

• Tigh and Adama begin speaking to their two marine escorts, Nowart and Maldonaldo. Adama challenges Nowart to shoot him and questions whether Nowart has "got a pair." The distraction works. Tigh and Adama manage to turn the tables, Adama shooting Maldonado and taking Nowart hostage.

• Roslin and Baltar talk. She knows that Baltar's pirate wireless transmitter that he's used to communicate to his followers throughout the Fleet could be used to warn others in the Fleet as well.

• Adama and Tigh watch Connor give orders to other mutineers. Nowart tells them that he was ordered to take them all to the brig. They head there.

• CIC communications are being besieged by confused voices from other Fleet captains as Laura Roslin's voice begins to talk to the Fleet, telling them all, including the Quorum, of the uprising, pleading all to follow the rightful authorities. Gage is unable to stop the pirate signal until Gaeta gets to the station to jam it. But now the Fleet's comm chatter worsens, asking for more information from Roslin and what is happening on the battlestar.

• Lee and Thrace meet up with Adama and Tigh in the brig. Thrace angrily reacts to Nowart's presence as Adama tells him to leave. Thrace shoots at Nowart's way, warning the admiral that they are not his men anymore.

Act 4

• In the secondary storage airlock, Roslin and Baltar talk about Gaeta and his duplicitous nature.
• As Adama and team make their way there, Baltar takes a moment to try to get Gaeta to stop his takeover. He reminds him of their failings on New Caprica, suggesting that Gaeta was complicit with the Cylon occupation. Gaeta closes the channel.
• A Raptor is heading towards Galactica from the Cylon baseship, but Gaeta realizes the craft isn't heading for the hangar deck.

• The Raptor docks in the bay, piloted by an Eight. Roslin and Adama greet each other and kiss, causing Lee and Thrace to look at each other in surprise. Tyrol's men get word of marines heading their way.
• Baltar and Roslin board the Raptor, but the admiral orders Tyrol to get Lee and Thrace out and back to his secured area. He and Tigh choose to stay behind to ensure that the Raptor gets away.

• Gaeta orders the CAP to intercept and destroy the escaping Raptor as the episode ends.

• The marines, led by Aaron Kelly, use welding torches to cut through the airlock locks and open the door slightly. Adama returns fire. "It's been an honor to serve with you, my friend," Adama tells Tigh, as marines throw a flash grenade through the doors.

Notes

• In the previous episode, it was said that two marines were killed by the rebellious crew of the tylium ship. Yet in this episode, the survivor count is down by just one - accounting for Laird's death prior to the opening sequence. This can be explained by births in the fleet.

Analysis

• Quite a few people have sided with Zarek and Gaeta. These include pilots Narcho, Racetrack, Skulls, Redwing and Diana Seelix, marines Maldonaldo and Nowart, specialists Vireem and Gage, Captain Aaron Kelly, and civilian Charlie Connor. In this episode, Maldonaldo is killed by Adama, Skulls is shot and wounded by Kara Thrace, and Nowart is captured and later released by Adama.
• The Adama/Roslin loyalists include Saul Tigh, Lee Adama, Kara Thrace, Galen Tyrol, Helo, Athena, and Hoshi. Gaius Baltar has also sided with Roslin out of self-preservation. By the end of the episode, the only known characters on Galactica capable of retaking the ship are Lee Adama, Kara Thrace, and Galen Tyrol. Roslin and Baltar have fled Galactica, Admiral Adama and Saul Tigh are cornered, and Helo, Athena and Hoshi were captured before they even knew what was happening.
• Among those whose status is unclear is Hot Dog, who is flying a patrol as the mutiny erupts, and Doctor Cottle, who is not seen. Also not seen is Tory Foster.
• In the previous episode, A Disquiet Follows My Soul, Gaeta begrudgingly berates Kara Thrace for her role in his would-have-been execution at the hands of the circle, along with two other Circle members who have since been revealed to be Cylons. However, this is clearly an act, as both of the remaining living Circle members, Diana Seelix and Charlie Connor (Jean Barolay was killed some time ago), are part of his mutiny, not to mention Tom Zarek was the man who instituted the Circle in the first place (though Gaeta may not know that detail).
• The mutiny seems to have revitalized Kara Thrace and Laura Roslin. Thrace is the first one to organize any form of resistance against the mutineers. Roslin has openly addressed the Fleet for the first time since the discovery of Earth.
• The mutiny has given Kara Thrace a new purpose in life as well as something to distract her from her inner demons. She throws herself into battle without hesitation or regard for her own safety. She has also assumed a cold and single-minded attitude as evidenced by her attempts to gun down an unarmed Nowart.
• Despite forming a partnership to overthrow Adama, Zarek and Gaeta clearly have differing ideas of how to go about dealing with their opponents. The brutal killing of Laird is but one example of how Zarek is willing to go to much more extreme lengths than Gaeta, who seems to want the coup to succeed without excessive bloodshed. Zarek also lets slip that he disapproves of Gaeta arresting the senior staff of Galactica rather than just executing them. It remains to be seen how far this rift will widen.
• Gaeta appears to want the removal of Adama without recourse to too much violence, as shown by his attempt to stop the gunfire in CIC and his refusal to execute Adama and the senior staff on the spot. Nevertheless Gaeta has clearly mentally and morally committed himself to the mutiny to the point where he eventually orders the shooting down of the Raptor carrying Roslin to the Basestar (although he does not know who is aboard).
• It does not seem essential in the end for Tigh and Adama to stay in the storage bay while the marines break down the door, as the Raptor is clear before the marines make it through. It is possible that Adama would have remained anyway, refusing to abandon his ship.
• Adama's final words to his XO show how he still holds Saul Tigh in high regard as his friend, regardless of his revealed Cylon nature. He also expresses pleasure in seeing Galen Tyrol in the Storagebay when Adama first arrives.
• Lee Adama's sharp comments to Tigh shows the hard line toward the Cylons still held by the younger Adama, which has been displayed in earlier episodes such as "A Measure of Salvation" when he proposed a genocidal biological attack on the Cylons. Despite this Lee tempers his feelings with his pragmatic attitude to the Cylon alliance alongside his loyalty to Roslin and his father, noting that it is all they have left to survive. However, despite this, he expresses gratitude and no hostility to Galen Tyrol when he gives Lee and Roslin the news of the Admiral being transported to the brig and offers to get the Admiral off the ship.
• Baltar attempts to blackmail Gaeta into abandoning the mutiny by reminding him of his knowledge of Gaeta's complicity in the deaths of Resistance members on New Caprica. Ironically in a broad manner, they were victims of similar circumstances. Both were victims of duplicitous Cylon females who using sexual affection were able to get them to pass them sensitive secret information and use it against humanity. In the case of Baltar, he gave Caprica Six the back door codes to the Colonial defense systems allowing the Cylons to shut it down, resulting in the deaths of billions of people. In the case of Gaeta, he gave the names of Resistance members to an Eight he was having an affair with and who he believed was aiding the humans. In reality, she was responsible for the deaths of many of those on the list he gave her to help. The two main differences between the two situations are that Baltar didn't know Caprica Six was a Cylon while Gaeta did and Baltar's mistake resulted in billions dying instead of the relative few in Gaeta's case.
• No one referenced Felix Gaeta's being complicit in the Karl Agathon-led mutiny on the Demetrius, the ship Admiral Adama gave Kara Thrace to command to find an alternative route to Earth. Everyone seemed surprised that Gaeta would mutiny and lead a rebellion against the Admiral. President Roslin said to Baltar "who would have thought" that it would be Gaeta? This would seem to indicate that certainly Roslin and Baltar, and very likely Adama, Tigh and others who weren't aboard the Demetrius, do not know of the incident. It would also indicate that the crew of the Demetrius - including those who opposed Agathon and Gaeta, like Kara Thrace and Samuel Anders - thought it was in their self-interest to keep the incident to themselves.
• It has been argued that Gaeta had also committed mutiny before when aiding Roslin's escape from Galactica when it was commanded by Colonel Tigh during "Resistance". However, since the Colonial government seems to be much like the real world US government and other democracies it is highly likely that the actions of then Commander Adama in seizing control of the civilian government was the mutinous act and Gaeta and Lee Adama acted in defiance of a mutiny, which is actually the lawful thing to do.
• "Semper Fidelis" is the motto of the United States Marine Corps. It is a Latin phrase meaning "always faithful." Kara Thrace's disgusted paraphrase of it after she had witnessed marines breaking faith with Adama suggests that the Colonial Marine Corps may have adopted the same motto.
• This mutiny seems to highlight Admiral Adama's incomplete assimilation of the Pegasus crew with his own as a majority of the mutineers are from the Pegasus camp. Adama has been long credited to create a loyalty amongst his crew, but it appears to have taken little hold amongst those from Admiral Cain's camp, despite being together for over 2 years. Old resentments and bitter feuds are finally revealed again during this mutiny, such as Gage's revenge on the Agathons.
• Ironically, Baltar, who had asked the question of whether the leaders of the Fleet will ever be anyone without the name Adama or Roslin, has sided with the Adamas and Roslin out of his need for self-preservation.
• Gaeta does not seem to have a large number of Galactica's senior staff on his side during the mutiny, lines of dialogue in the episode indicate the senior staff are in fact being taken into custody, suggesting the mutiny is more of an uprising of the "lower classes" . Notably Gaeta also relies heavily on civilian support to achieve his goals. Certainly none of the major characters in the show who are senior officers support Gaeta.
• Racetrack is perhaps the most surprising member of Gaeta's mutiny. Although she did previously participate in Lee Adama and Roslin's escape from Galactica in "Resistance", she has always displayed an unwavering loyalty to Adama (technically speaking, Tigh was commanding Galactica in "Resistance"). While her general participation in the mutiny can be explained by her natural hatred for the Cylons, her willingness to lead Lee Adama into a possibly fatal trap was highly uncharacteristic. It is possible she thought Lee Adama would only be taken prisoner upon arrival.
• Given Gaeta's comment to Zarek that he should control Lee Adama's dissenting voice in the Quorum by "pushing his buttons" it seems unlikely that Gaeta would have then ordered Lee Adama executed upon returning to the ship. The actions of Connor and Skulls and the marine guard were possibly a spontaneous reaction to Lee's role in defending Baltar and supporting his father. It is unknown if Zarek gave the order to have the younger Adama killed.
• Gaeta's opposition to allowing the Cylons to network the Fleet's ships is somewhat ironic given that he was the one who suggested networking Galactica's computer systems in "Scattered".

Questions

• What will happen to Adama and Tigh? (Answer)
• Where are Kara Thrace, Lee Adama, and Galen Tyrol heading off to? (Answer)
• How much impact has Roslin's speech had on the Fleet?
• Will Zarek get the rest of the Fleet to fall in line? (Answer)
• Just how far is Gaeta willing to go to rid the Fleet of the Cylons?
• How will the rebel Cylons react to the uprising? (Answer)
• Will Roslin enlist the aid of the rebel Cylons to bring down Zarek? (Answer)
• Where do other crew members such as Hot Dog and Doc Cottle stand? (Partial Answer)
• Were Gaeta's men actually planning to execute Lee Adama?
• What are Racetrack and Skulls' personal motivations for joining Gaeta?
• Where did Nowart flee to?
• Will any of the mutineers switch sides? What about the loyalists? (Answer)
• What other loyalists besides Lee Adama and Kara Thrace remain at large on Galactica?
• Will Skulls survive his injuries? (Answer)
• What was Thrace reading before the alarm was sounded?
• Will Gaeta take advantage of the mutiny to seek personal vengeance against Tigh, Anders, Thrace and Baltar?
• Will Hotdog realize what has happened on Galactica and attempt to prevent Narcho from shooting down Roslin's Raptor? (Answer)
• Will Specialist Gage follow through with his promise to sexually assault Sharon Agathon? (Answer)
• Will massive military executions proceed following the final result of Gaeta's mutiny?
• Does the fact that Jeanne was working on the hangar deck indicate that her press pass seen in Crossroads, Part I was counterfeit?

Noteworthy Dialogue

• Admiral Adama after the death of Jaffee and having been relieved of command:

"I want you all to understand this! If you do this, there will be no forgiveness. No amnesty. This boy died honoring his uniform. You, you'll die with nothing."

• President Roslin addressing the fleet:

"Women and men of the fleet. This is your president. We have come to a crossroads in our long and painful journey. Of all the decisions that I have had to make since assuming the presidency, none was more frightening or more difficult than agreeing to this alliance with the Cylons. But we have come to a crossroads in our long and painful journey. Cylons and humans have been at war for generations; we know nothing else. And we have been locked in a struggle that has seen both sides suffer unspeakable loss. But with our supplies running low and our options limited, our former enemies may represent our last, perhaps our only hope. To those in the fleet and in Galactica who would reject this alliance, I am asking you. No, I am begging you to reconsider and place your trust back in those who have brought you this far, and to reject those traitors who would use your fear of the Cylons to destroy Colonial civilization a..."

• Kara Thrace:

"Semper frakkin' fi!"

Guest Stars

• Richard Hatch as Tom Zarek
• Brad Dryborough as Lieutenant Louis Hoshi
• Sebastian Spence as Lieutenant Noel "Narcho" Allison
• Bodie Olmos as Lieutenant Brendan "Hot Dog" Costanza
• Leah Cairns as Lieutenant Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson
• Colin Lawrence as Lieutenant Hamish "Skulls" McCall
• Jennifer Halley as Ensign Diana "Hardball" Seelix
• Ty Olsson as Captain Aaron Kelly
• Vincent Gale as Chief Peter Laird
• Colin Corrigan as Sergeant Allan Nowart
• Craig Veroni as Sergeant Maldonaldo
• Michael Leisen as Private Stewart Jaffee
• Derek Delost as Specialist Vireem
• Mike Dopud as Specialist Gage
• Ryan Robbins as Charlie Connor
• Alexandra Thomas as Hera Agathon
• Keegan Connor Tracy as Jeanne
• Lara Gilchrist as Paulla Schaffer
• Andrew McIlroy as Jacob Cantrell
• Marilyn Norry as Reza Chronides
• Judith Maxie as Picon Delegate
• Iris Paluly as Speaking Delegate Dahlia
• Veena Sood as Quorum Delegate
• Alain Chanoine as Marine Reb