Escape Velocity

"Escape Velocity" An episode of the Re-imagined Series
Episode No.	Season 4, Episode 4
Writer(s)	Jane Espenson
Story by
Director	Edward James Olmos
Assistant Director
Special guest(s)
Production No.	406
Nielsen Rating
US airdate	25 April 2008
CAN airdate	{{{CAN airdate}}}
UK airdate
DVD release
Population	39,675 survivors ( 1)
Additional Info
Episode Chronology
Previous		Next
The Ties That Bind	Escape Velocity	The Road Less Travelled
Related Information
Official Summary
R&D Skit – View
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Listing of props for this episode
Related Media
			@ BW Media
Promotional Materials
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Overview

Religious freedom is debated and defended as the messianic Gaius Baltar promotes his belief in one true God. Meanwhile, Galen Tyrol tries to cope with the death of his wife and fails.

Summary

Teaser

• In a makeshift temple aboard Galactica, Galen Tyrol performs a ritual commemoration ceremony in the memory of his wife, Callendra Henderson Tyrol. In attendance are Laura Roslin, Admiral Adama, Delegate Lee Adama, Tory Foster, Colonel Saul Tigh and Anthony Figurski.
• After the priestess ends the service, Roslin (wearing a wig) tells Adama that she likes the ceremony, insinuating that she wants Adama to perform the same service for her when she dies.
• Tyrol is given condolences by people as they leave the temple. Foster asks Roslin why they have to do "these things at dawn", to which Roslin replies that they have to.
• After Roslin gives her condolences, Tyrol grabs a hold of both Foster and Tigh, who hastily offer their condolences. As they walk out, they complain that Tyrol almost attracted attention to themselves.
• Delegate Adama offers his condolences as Tyrol stares off after Foster and Tigh; Adama leaves without a response from Tyrol.
• Tigh enters the surveillance room adjoining Caprica-Six's brig. The marines inform him that she continues her same routine. When broaching the topic of how Six doesn't go nuts, the female marine replies that she probably turns off her brain, prompting interest from Tigh.
• Tigh enters the brig, informing Six that her request to see Hera Agathon has been denied. Six notes that Tigh already told her this, and asks what else he wants from her. During the discussion, Tigh sees Ellen Tigh in place of Six. Tigh, unsure of what to make of it, tells Six to stay back from him. Six notes that he visits her every day, but doesn't ask questions any more. Tigh leaves, with her saying that she'll see him tomorrow.
• In his quarters, Tyrol sits while Nicholas Tyrol cries. Foster and Tigh gruffly admonish Tyrol for his behavior at the service.
• Tigh inquires after the baby. Tyrol notes that Nicholas probably needs to be changed; Tigh goes about doing so.
• Foster asks Tyrol if he believes Cally killed herself because of him. Tyrol brings up the alleged affair between them, to which Foster replies that they didn't have one. Tyrol voices his concerns over which of his memories were real, and whether or not there was ever an action in his life that wasn't programmed. Foster espouses what, according to Tigh, is "Baltar's crap" when she tells Tyrol that they, as Cylons, don't need guilt since they are perfect. Tigh, on the other hand, believes that Tyrol is feeling what men feel after the death of a loved one. Tigh continues by telling Tyrol that he'll see Cally every day, while referencing his own burgeoning experiences in seeing his dead wife. Tigh finishes by saying that Tyrol feels what he needs to feel, but not at the expense of being outed as Cylons, while Foster says to think about what they are and embrace their Cylon attributes.

Notes

• Cally Tyrol's full first name is Callandra. The spelling is confirmed in Bear McCreary's blog post for this episode. The episode also marks the first onscreen mention of her birth name, Henderson.
• The survivor count now accounts for Callandra Tyrol's death in "The Ties That Bind".
• A costuming error in the teaser shows Saul Tigh wearing the rank insignia of an admiral. This is noticeable in the scene where Tigh and Tory Foster confront Galen Tyrol in Tyrol's quarters after the memorial service.
• The diloxin treatment Laura Roslin receives has forced her to wear a wig, since her hair loss began more than 22 days ago in "Six of One".
• Another of the Lords of Kobol is revealed: Asclepius. Asclepius is known to the Colonials as the god of healing.
• Unlike "The Ties That Bind", Tom Zarek is not present at the Quorum of Twelve meetings on Colonial One in this episode. The reason for his absence is unexplained.
• Escape velocity is the minimum initial velocity an unaccelerated object needs to escape a body's gravitational field.
• Tory Foster confirms that the Final Five are stronger than humans.
• Redwing previously appeared in "Exodus, Part II" as Hot Dog's wingman.

Analysis

Characters

• Galen Tyrol's insubordination that leads Admiral Adama to demote him may have been a deliberate act, conscious or unconscious, to maintain the safety of the ship. While not stated explicitly, Tyrol has been implied to have fears of working against the interest of the Fleet. This fear is almost certainly magnified when he forgets to swap out a burned out component for a new one on Racetrack's Raptor, which subsequently crashes. While his memory lapse may have been innocently brought on by the continuing stress of discovering himself to be a Cylon, the resulting subterfuge, and his wife's death, the experience of Sharon Valerii with her memory lapses, unconscious acts of sabotage, and the attempted murder of then Commander Adama, are probably on his mind. This is indicated during the tirade against Cally, Adama, and his life in general in Joe's bar. A demotion in disgrace and transfer could ensure the safety of the ship, without raising any unwanted questions as an official resignation probably would.
• Tyrol continues to have feelings for Sharon Valerii, as he admits to William Adama and everyone else present in Joe's Bar. Tyrol notes many of Cally's weaknesses, including her nagging, nosy nature (which lead to her death in "The Ties That Bind"), and grows annoyed at Adama's willingness to turn Cally into an angel, when he believes that she is unworthy of that. His feelings for Valerii were likely renewed upon realizing that he is a Cylon, which makes a possible association with Valerii much more acceptable to him.
• Foster continues to embrace her Cylon nature and Baltar's teachings. She tells Tigh and Tyrol to turn off the guilt, that they are perfect and different from humans. Tigh, however, can't turn off his feelings and spends much of the episode wondering if Caprica-Six can.
• A part of the book that Adama reads to Roslin, Searider Falcon, has some deeper significance to both of them, just like Love and Bullets in the previous episode: "I wasn't afraid to die. I was afraid of the emptiness that I felt inside. I couldn't feel anything. And that's what scared me. You came into my thoughts. I felt them. It felt good." This is emphasized by the fact that he closes the book and recites the passage, almost as if the words are his. It is also possible that the passage has additional significance for Adama, since by his admission he normally stops reading after it.
• Roslin's wig is strikingly reminiscent of Helena Cain's hairstyle in "Pegasus" and "Resurrection Ship, Parts I and II". This is a visual counterpoint to her increasing ruthlessness as she confronts her impending death.

Story

• Delegate Reza Chronides mentions Mithraism, thus further establishing the existence of other religions in the Twelve Colonies. The Sons of Ares are another religious group, described as fundamenalist.
  • This is particularly notable in the context of Baltar's cult, because Mithraism had many things in common with Christianity. Yet Christians were prosecuted far more by the (polytheistic) Romans, while Mithraism spread throughout the empire and particularly the army, before Christianity became the official religion and paganism illegal. This furthers the connection of the Lords of Kobol to the Roman/Greek gods and of Baltar to Christ.
    • However, Baltar's monotheistic theology, while similar on the surface with Judeo-Christian-Islamic beliefs differers in at least one key aspect. There is no sin. God loves things that are perfect. Perfect things have no faults, but God loves you including your faults so there is nothing wrong with you despite what you do in life. This is different than in Christian tradition in that while God/Jesus may love you anyway you still must renounce sin in order to be in His grace. If not you will not be rewarded in the after life. In other words serious faults would cause you to be rejected by Him in some way. This is unlike Baltar's theology in which God would never reject you under any circumstance because you are perfect regardless of your faults/sin. Under this world view God would regard Tory Foster as perfect and guiltless despite her murder of Cally Tyrol, which she has convinced herself that she is.
• Hamish "Skulls" McCall and Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson have notoriously bad luck with the reaction control systems on the Raptors that they are assigned to. An error with the RCS thrusters also occurs in "Dirty Hands", then attributed to impurities in the tylium fuel. This is the third Raptor mishap to befall the pair, the first being their FTL malfunction causing their mis-jump to the New Caprica system in "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I".
• Caprica-Six informs Tigh that the Cylons ability to turn off emotion is based on abilities that the Cylons learned when modeling their own brains against those of the humans. This further establishes the fact that the Cylons are more human biologically, which is proven given that Cylons can bear human children, and thus must be of the same genome.
• When facing down the Marines, the way in which Baltar is standing up, when the scene shifts to virtual Six being absent, it still appears as though he is being lifted up, which puzzles the Marines and Baltar's followers. This marks the first time where virtual Six does something to Baltar that isn't clearly presented like Baltar is doing it to himself. While that is still possible, it is implied that virtual Six can actually affect things physically. This, along with the virtual Baltar appearing to Baltar in "Six of One" and both virtual beings consistently knowing information that neither Baltar or Caprica-Six could actually know, hints that there is something more to them than simply being illusions. What they are, of course, remains a matter of debate.
  • This lends further credence to the theory that virtual Six may be able to interact with the physical world, and possibly hints at the true explanation of Shelly Godfrey's strange appearance and disappearance in the episode "Six Degrees of Separation".
• The scene were Baltar violently confronts the Colonials during their prayer service seems based on the biblical narrative of Jesus and the money changers.

Questions

• Will Lee Adama grow more sympathetic towards Baltar's group?
• Will Roslin learn that Foster is associating with Baltar?
• Will Tyrol seriously consider Foster's words?
• Will Foster clash with Tigh and Tyrol, as their different attitudes towards their Cylon nature develop?
• Are Tyrol and Tigh's hallucinations merely the result of grief and guilt, or are they using projection?
• Do Tigh and Six have sex?
• What of Nicholas Tyrol? Will his father take care of the child?
• Are Tyrol's statements about Cally's negative attributes heartfelt, or merely a result of rage and anger?
• Now that it is clear that Foster lied to Tyrol about the death of Cally, how will Tyrol react should he discover the truth?
• What will Tyrol's new duties be after his demotion to specialist?
• Does Lee Adama notice Tory Foster during Baltar's service?

Guest Stars

• Michael Hogan as Colonel Saul Tigh
• Rekha Sharma as Tory Foster
• Aaron Douglas as Chief Galen Tyrol
• Michael Trucco as Ensign Samuel Anders
• Kate Vernon as "Virtual Ellen"
• Don Thompson as Anthony Figurski
• Leah Cairns as Lieutenant Margaret "Racetrack" Edmonson
• Colin Lawrence as Lieutenant Hamish "Skulls" McCall
• Keegan Connor Tracy as Jeanne
• Donna Soares as Speaking Delegate #1 (Gemenon Delegate)
• Andrew McIlroy as Jacob Cantrell
• Judith Maxie as Picon Delegate
• Iris Paluly as Speaking Delegate #2
• Marilyn Norry as Reza Chronides
• Lara Gilchrist as Paulla Schaffer
• Leela Savasta as Tracey Anne
• Finn R. Devitt as Nicholas Tyrol (credited as "Baby Nicky")
• Heather Doerksen as Surveillance Marine
• Laara Sadiq as Priestess
• Karen Austin as Lilly
• Steve Lawlor as Marine at Baltar's
• Hector Johnson as Marine Lieutenant
• Lee Jefferies as "Redwing" McKay
• Unknown as "Mr. Officious"
• Unknown as Sons of Ares leader

External Links

• Composer Bear McCreary on the episode's score: http://www.bearmccreary.com/blog/?p=246