Exodus, Part I

"Exodus, Part I" An episode of the Re-imagined Series
Episode No.	Season 3, Episode 3
Writer(s)	Bradley Thompson David Weddle
Story by
Director	Félix Enríquez Alcalá
Assistant Director
Special guest(s)
Production No.	303
Nielsen Rating
US airdate	2006-10-13
CAN airdate	{{{CAN airdate}}}
UK airdate
DVD release
Population	survivors
Additional Info
Episode Chronology
Previous		Next
Precipice	Exodus, Part I	Exodus, Part II
Related Information
Official Summary
R&D Skit – View
Continuity Errors Present – View
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Listing of props for this episode
Related Media
			@ BW Media
Promotional Materials
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Overview

The Cylons have begun the brutal crackdown on New Caprica's Resistance movement. Tyrol receives disturbing news from a secret source within Baltar's administration while Colonial detainees face a Cylon firing squad on New Caprica. With time running out for the colonists, Admiral Adama will launch his rescue attempt with only the battlestar Galactica, while his son, Lee, and the battlestar Pegasus remain to protect what is left of the human fleet and continue the search for Earth if the rescue fails.

Summary

• The episode begins with the final moments of "Precipice", with the captured detainees being taken off the trucks. Cally is freed, as the Centurions march up the hill. Cally continues to run as gunfire is heard. Screen goes black, and we see the words "One Hour Earlier".
• Tyrol is frantically talking with Saul Tigh about a list of detainees he received from his source, Cally being among the listed. Tigh snaps him back into sense, saying they have time, and that they can locate the people because they cracked the Cylons' coordinate system.
• Tyrol immediately gets to work, succesfully calculating the location of the execution, and gathers a team to rescue Cally and the others.
• Tyrol's team, including Seelix, is able to catch up with the Cylons, and get in position as Cally starts running. Tyrol rushes out and saves Cally, as his team takes out the Centurions meant to execute the detainees. Others injured include some members of the NCP and the one Cavil.
• Seelix leaves a wounded Cavil for death. After he downloads into a new body he reports that he ended his own life, but is somewhat traumatized from the transfer process.
• At Breeder's Canyon, similar to the scene at the Pergamus Flats, a flashback shows how Marines move into position to defend the meeting there against a possible attack.

Colonial Marine with an RPG

• Sharon Agathon moves ahead to meet with Anders and the resistance. Sharon links up with Anders, with Centurions ready to ambush them. The Centurions attack, taking out some of the resistance fighters, only to be taken down by a Marine RPG.
• After the attack, a map is recovered from one of the 'skinjobs', showing the hand-drawn map Anders gave to Tigh. Anders immediately suspects Ellen, as she was supposed to burn the map.
• While sleeping, Number Three has a dream where she is standing outside of a tent near some odd rock edifices. The next image is of her holding Hera, but then wakes up suddenly.
• On Colonial One Baltar and Caprica-Six lie together in bed, but Baltar is fighting with impotence. Six is understanding, but Baltar shrugs off her sympathy.
• Kara is showing further affection for Kacey and apologizes for her getting hurt. Leoben watches from the background.
• Distraught from her dream, Three visits Selloi, a human oracle whose tent she saw in her dream, who tells her that Hera is still alive.
• On Galactica a combined crew from both battlestars is getting ready for the rescue mission. Margaret Edmondson conducts a ceremony to bind the people together in light of some probably not returning from the mission.
• William and Lee Adama have a farewell of their own when Lee leaves Galactica with orders to wait 18 hours for Galactica's return and otherwise continue the search for Earth with Pegasus and the rest of the fleet.
• Three inquires with Doctor Cottle - who is treating a Cylon wounded by a human attack - about Hera's alleged death.
• Roslin orders Anders to guard Maya and Hera at all costs. He tasks two of his best men to protect her and see to her safe escape.
• Gunnery Sergeant Matthias - the leader of Sharon's Marine team - meets with Roslin, Zarek and the resistance to discuss the rescue plan. She brought weapons for the upcoming fight and learns that the colonists conducted evacuation exercises under the guise of fire drills.
• A Brother Cavil discusses his death due to the Resistance ambush and voices his despair at the continued bloodshed, Baltar agrees. Number Five suggests further crackdowns, Caprica Six points out that Cylon resources are stretched thin as it is, a Number Three blames Caprica for the loss of consensus amongst the Cylons, Five mentions that if the worse comes to the worse that they can just nuke the city. Baltar is shocked by this idea.
• Saul Tigh learns of his wife's betrayal and is visibly shocked by it.
• Sharon heads into the Cylon Detention Center in order to get the launch keys for all the ships that are still planetside. As she's leaving with the launch keys, she is confronted by Number Three - who immediately recognizes her - saying that her daughter is alive and that the humans lied to her. For her trouble, Sharon shoots the Three in the legs saying, "Adama wouldn't lie to me."
• Galactica is given word that the launch keys have been retrieved, and after a rousing speech by Admiral Adama, begins preparations for the jump to New Caprica.

Questions

• Roslin and Zarek seem to have reconciled their differences and become friends. Given Saul Tigh's feeling that Roslin will resume the Presidency once humanity has left New Caprica, and that Zarek used to be Baltar's Vice, will he assume the mantle of Vice-President under Laura Roslin?
  • Or will he claim the presidency in legal succession after Baltar has been removed from it?
• A Cavil mentions that he has different sensations after each download. A slight headache after the first and after the third a white hot poker in his skull. Is there damage to the consciousness during each downloading and is there a point where after so many downloads the consciousness is destroyed?
  • Most likely there is some sort of mental trauma from dying and rebirth.
  • Although not fully sentient, Sharon talks of a similar traumatizing due to repeated deaths in regard to Scar.
    • In the podcast, Ronald D. Moore revealed that the intent was to show that there is a "cost" associated with downloading.
      • Additionally, Leoben Conoy has been downloaded at least five times, possibly six if the Season 1 death is counted seperately. Given that Conoy has not voiced the same problems, does the downloading process affect the various cylon models differently?
        • Conoy may merely be voicing it off-camera or not at all.
        • Also, Number Three had commented in "Downloaded" on feeling refreshed like starting a new life when describing her download experience. Caprica-Six expressed adjustment issues but this may have been more due to her Baltar effect.
• Are the Gods real? Why are they sending accurate dreams to the Cylons? Why is the oracle helping the Cylons interpret the dreams?
  • The Gods are "real" as historical entities that did live on Kobol - their status as actual "gods" has not been determined. The Colonials are capable of prescient dreams and visions (usually with the aid of Chamalla), and the humanoid Cylons are based on human DNA.
• Why does Doctor Cottle work to heal critically injured cylons instead of just letting them die and be ressurected?
  • The Cylons might want to minimize the trauma of downloading into a new body.
  • Cottle is also a physician, and has taken an oath to do no harm. Allowing a Cylon to die, regardless of the download capability, is breaching this oath through omission of action.
• Where is "Download City"?
  • It is possible that Seelix's use of the phrase "Download City" is merely a euphemism for the download process the humanoid Cylon models go through.
  • It may also be a reference to a possible downloading facility present on New Caprica.
• Is there any possibility at all that Adama wasn't aware of Roslin's plans for Hera?
  • There are no direct indications that Adama is aware of Roslin's conspiracy regarding the baby. Given the positive changes in his relationship with Sharon, that seems to now be based on complete mutual trust, it is unlikely that he would keep such a profound secret from her, if he was aware of it.
  • Dr. Cottle is a military officer and his actions would have to have been cleared through Adama. There may well be other reasons that Sharon wasn't told, including keeping the information from the Cylons in the event she was captured or downloaded.
    • In military parlance, the president's authority supersedes that of an Admiral, and a military officer does not need to report back to his commanding officer orders that originated from the president.
  • The expression on Adama's face during his conversation with Sharon in "Occupation" suggests that he is aware of the conspiracy regarding Hera.
    • Said expression may also be a reference to his guilt over the whole situation with Sharon/Boomer/Number Eight in general, and not a specific reference to Hera.
• What other operations are the Cylons busy with elsewhere in the universe, that are straining their resources for their experiment on New Caprica (also referenced to by Ron Moore in his podcast)?
• Will some humans refuse to leave once the escape begins?
• Will the escapees block proven or suspected collaborators from boarding the escaping ships?

Analysis

• The Number Three that has been having dreams about Hera saw Sharon Agathon and was able to tell that she was the copy that had been left with Helo on Caprica.
• Roslin's line about Hera, "She may well be the shape of things to come", echoes similar lines by Six in "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II" and by Adama in "Valley of Darkness". "The Shape of Things to Come" is also the title of the orchestral music piece at the end of "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II".
• Anders seems to know, or at least suspect, what is so special about Maya's child.

Notes

• There is also a comic called Exodus!, which covers the events of the Original Series' episode, "Saga of a Star World" (Part 2).
• This is the first episode where viewers have seen an oracle. Oracles such as Pythia and Galen Tyrol's mother have been mentioned but not seen.
• Tyrol inexplicably lost his beard before this episode. This was necessary because Aaron Douglas's scenes were shot weeks after the main part of the episode, when he had already shaved and it was felt that a fake beard would not be convincing.
• Chamalla is a bitter herb, and oracles sometimes use candy to sweeten it up.
• According to Ronald Moore's podcast, in earlier drafts Jammer was going to die during the shootout at the execution site. However, he decided that the character would be used in later episodes of the season.

Noteworthy Dialogue

• Before Lee Adama departs Galactica:

Admiral William Adama: I'll see you at the rendezvous point

Commander Lee Adama: Eighteen hours. Try not to be late.

William Adama: I'm getting old; I'm a little slow, but I'll be there.

Lee Adama: Gods, I wish I could talk you out of this...

William Adama: You can't. You tried.

Lee Adama: You know, Dad, um...

William Adama: Don't. Don't make me cry on my own hangar deck.

• During the Salt Line Ceremony on the hangar deck:

Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson: Their enemies will divide them, their colonies broken in the fiery chasm of space. The shining days renounced by a multitude of dark sacrifices. Yet still they will remain. Always together.

• As Galactica prepares to return to New Caprica:

Admiral Adama: This is the Admiral. You've heard the news. You know the mission. You should also know that there is only one way that this mission ends, and that's with the successful rescue of our people off of New Caprica. Look around you. Take a good look at the men and women that stand next to you. Remember their faces, for one day you will tell your children and your grandchildren that you served with such men and women as the universe has never seen. And together you accomplished a feat that will be told and retold down through the ages, and find immortality as only the Gods once knew. I'm proud to serve with you. Good hunting.

Re-imagined Series definition: the process of using the FTL engines to make an near-instantaneous apparent faster-than-light transport of a ship from one point in space to another

nickname used by Diana Seelix to describe the unknown or figurative place where humanoid Cylons are resurrected on New Caprica ^{(TRS: "Exodus, Part I")}