Resurrection Ship, Part I

"Resurrection Ship, Part I" An episode of the Re-imagined Series
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Overview

A military power struggle threatens to escalate into all-out war as the battlestars Galactica and Pegasus attempt to join forces to destroy a critical Cylon target: a “Resurrection” ship.

Summary

• Kara Thrace flies in behind the Cylon fleet following Galactica. The stealth features of the Blackbird allow her to fly to and within the superstructure of the Unknown Cylon Ship, taking pictures along the way. Just before leaving the superstructure, she Jumps away to safety and The Fleet.
• Thrace returns from her unsanctioned reconnaissance of the Cylon fleet in the middle of Adama and Cain's standoff, with recon images of the Unknown Cylon Ship. Her return appears on DRADIS as a Raider and causes Viper squadrons from both Galactica and Pegasus to stop a deadly game of "chicken", with neither side firing unless fired upon.
• Thrace uploads her incredibly detailed pictures of the Unknown Cylon Ship. A closeup shows Cylon bodies, including several inactive copies of the blonde Cylon agent known to the Colonials as "Shelly Godfrey" and "Gina".
• After being grilled for their near-disasterous action on Colonial One by President Laura Roslin, Adama and Cain agree to a truce while they prepare a joint attack on the Cylon fleet.
• Roslin warns Adama that Cain is a loose cannon, who must be killed in order to save the Fleet from annihilation. Adama is surprised at Roslin's candor, and is reluctant to consider the idea.
• Adama learns that Pegasus was also shepherding a civilian fleet, which it abandoned months ago, but not before stripping it of anything useful, including FTL drives, spare parts, and people. Cain ordered the execution of the families of individuals she selected who would not leave with Pegasus.
• Gaius Baltar speaks more with Gina, who wants Baltar to kill her so she can free herself from her torturous existance. He tells her that she cannot die as her consciousness would only download into another Cylon body. Seeing the copies of reconnaissance photos Baltar is carrying, Gina says she would die if his Fleet destroys the Unknown ship.
• Baltar briefs Adama and Cain: The ship is known as the Resurrection Ship. Its function is to allow Cylon agents a place where their consciousness can download, as an agent in the Fleet would be too far from the Cylon homeworld for their consciousness to return. Cain quickly surmises that, without the Resurrection Ship, the few agents remaining would be permanently gone, perhaps more reluctant to complete their respective missions.
• Laura Roslin's illness is now more visibly apparent. William Adama visits her, and the two have a most unusual, even sentimental talk, with humor about getting a fresh, young Cylon body replacement for Roslin. Adama smiles and says that he couldn't think of her as a blonde, but Roslin smiles and says he'd be surprised.
• Cain finds Thrace's initiative laudable, and promotes her to Captain and CAG Pegasus over Cole Taylor. She initially pulls Lee Adama's flight status, but restores it at Thrace's behest and assigns him to her team. Thrace begins plans on an attack on the Resurrection Ship.
• Helo and Galen Tyrol are pleasantly surprised not to be dead. Lee Adama visits the two and catches them up on events, noting that his father pulled out the stops to ensure Helo's and Tyrol's survival.
• Starbuck and Apollo brief the battlestar commanders and XO's regarding the plan to disable and destroy the Resurrection Ship. The plan will involve both battlestars and all available fighters. Both Admiral Cain and Commander Adama approve of the plan, Adama being the more hesitant of the two.
• Colonel Tigh asks if the Blackbird could be used to sneak up behind the Resurrection Ship with a nuclear missile to destroy the Resurrection Ship outright. Thrace indicates that computer simulations show that the Cylons would pick up the radiological signature of the bomb (which cannot be hidden by the Blackbird's stealth ability). Such detection would destroy their element of surprise and likely warn the Resurrection Ship to Jump away.
• After the briefing, Adama consults with Thrace privately, asking her to shoot Cain in the head after the attack. Likewise, Cain transfers Jack Fisk and a squad of Marines loyal to her to Galactica and instructs Fisk to kill Adama and his command staff after the attack.

Questions

• Why doesn't Cain and her crew grasp the concept that survival of the human race supersedes the military way of life?
  • Adama had similar ideas in the Miniseries until Roslin talked him out of it.
• If Dr. Cottle were to perform a psychological examination on Cain, could Adama strip her of command for medical reasons?
  • Adama could have just had Roslin strip her of her rank because she's Commander-in-Chief; it doesn't matter: Cain's hold over Pegasus is so tight it would be fluffed off. Also, Cain is not clinically insane. It's not just "insane" humans who do evil things in wartime. Cain does bad things, and she doesn't have the excuse of not being in command of her mental faculties.
• Has Roslin's illness has brought her to terminally important attitudes on life and death? Unlike the option to kill the prisoners on the Astral Queen (Miniseries), Roslin does not hesitate to suggest to Adama to kill Cain.
  • These two issues are not morally equivalent. The prisoners on Astral Queen were not posing an immediate threat to the safety of the Fleet, as Cain and Pegasus were.
• Why does Commander Adama rely on gossip from Cally and Tigh, rather than debriefing Laird personally?
  • Maybe Laird was so scared/broken in by Cain that he would be unwilling to say anything against Cain out of fear; thus Tigh had to ask Fisk.
  • Were Laird's wife and possibly children executed on the Scylla because he was one of the two who resisted the Pegasus marine team?
• When did the Resurrection Ship begin following the Fleet? Was it able to rescue Aaron Doral (Suicide Bomber Copy) (killed day 17), Shelly Godfrey (disappeared day 24), Leoben Conoy (Gemenon Traveler Copy) (killed day 25), or Sharon Valerii (Galactica copy) (killed c. day 54)?
  • An answer to the Valerii consciousness viewers knew as "Boomer" may be answered in the episode, "Downloaded."
• Starbuck got some pretty close shots of the Resurrection Ship, so much so that Admiral Cain was able to ID the Cylon agent she knew as Gina. Could any of the other Humano-Cylon models be identified, including the ones that the Fleet aren't aware of yet?
  • Although logically possible, from a storywriting standpoint they were probably not lucky enough for that.
• Since Lee Adama was ultimately to be included in the mission to assassinate Cain anyway, why didn't his father deign to brief him at the same time as Kara Thrace? Having Thrace fill him in later doubles the chance of their plans being overheard.
  • Since Starbuck is the Pegasus CAG, Adama has an excuse to ask her to stay. If he'd asked for her and Lee, it likely would have raised suspicions.
• Baltar said that he's tired of the fantasy-world in his head that he retreats into; not of Number Six herself, but of his bachelor pad on Caprica. Is this a further sign that Baltar is shifting closer into the Cylon camp? It could mean that he no longer misses his old life on Caprica and has stopped clinging to it.
• To what extent is the chain of command still in effect? Adama fully intends to have Cain killed, but still stops short of demanding Agathon and Tyrol's return, and Cain believes he will still accept Fisk's transfer to Galactica as a spy.
• Will Fisk carry out his order to have Pegasus marines execute Galactica's entire command staff? He seems to have found a friend in Col. Tigh, someone who he is more than willing to share otherwise privileged information with. He does seem to be Cain's voice of reason.
• Is Admiral Cain telling the truth when she says to Starbuck that their "ultimate goal" is to return to the Twelve Colonies and liberate them from the Cylons?
  • On the one hand, she may be playing on Starbuck's desire to rescue the Caprican Resistance led by Samuel Anders in order to lure Starbuck over to her allegiance (Cain was impressed by Starbuck's brazen recon mision, and now views her as a valuable asset).
  • On the other hand, this is consistent with Admiral Cain's behavior so far: while Galactica's crew realizes they had no hope of taking back the Colonies and left to try to find Earth, Pegasus has actually been engaging Cylon forces on the outskirts of the occupied Twelve Colonies for months. Cain does truly seem to want to "take the fight to the Cylons", as it were, and fight to reclaim the Twelve Colonies.
    • Even if she is being honest about that, her comment to Starbuck that Anders' resistance "deserves to be saved" seems almost definitely just to be Cain manipulating Starbuck: As evidenced by Cain's treatment of her own small civilian fleet, she has completely prioritized the military assets of Pegasus over the well-being of any other small group of people.
    • Even if Admiral Cain were able to lead the Fleet in successfully forcing the Cylons out of the Twelve Colonies, doesn't she realize that they've already been nuked and are currently inhospitably irradiated? The few people left on the Colonies need anti-radiation medication to survive there, there's only a finite supply of these and it's doubtful that they have any production facilities they could use.

Analysis

This episode fails to skip a beat from the mid-season closer. With Galactica's and Pegasus' Vipers in a scary game of chicken, the level of tension borders on the "fish in a blender" scenario.

Admiral Cain is clearly showing signs of stress indicative of some kind of sociopathic disorder; her orders and desire to follow the military way overshadow any compassion or understanding of the reality of her situation. She fails to understand that killing Helo and Tyrol worsens the Fleet, as she cannot simply find a suitable replacement.

The star of this show, albeit briefly appearing, is Mary McDonnell's Roslin. Like her namesake Blackbird itself, Roslin shows her toughness in staring down Cain and Adama, who actually looks ashamed in his actions while Roslin reads both "the riot act." Were not for the situation, Roslin's second talk with Adama, maybe the first time that Roslin does not appear with Adama in regular clothing, very casual, and obviously ill, seemed more like two old friends. Adama does something viewers have rarely seen with Roslin--his face relaxes and shows humor, sympathy, perhaps even sadness at Roslin's illness and her strength in looking her illness in the face and denying it anyway. He offers his hand and she accepts with a squeeze before she leaves. It seems in this moment that Roslin and Adama exchanged more romantic chemistry than the writer's attempts to do the same with Adama's son and Kara Thrace.

Baltar was generally neutral in this episode, playing both sides, Adama and Cain, Colonial and Cylon, to the advantage of all. His motives in saving Gina are still in doubt, and viewers are likely to see more development here.

Viewers are likely more interested not in the upcoming battle, now a more evenly matched fight between Colonial and Cylon (all things considered--basestars generate Raiders like rabbits generate offspring), but in the battle for control of the Fleet, with both Adama and Cain performing similar strategies to kill the other.

• Cain wonders if debating morality is what Roslin and Adama have been doing "for the past six months"; however, as explained in the article Timeline (RDM), this episode only takes place a little over three months after the Fall of the Twelve Colonies. Specifically, the beginning of "Flight of the Phoenix" took place 30 days after "Resistance", when the crashed Raptor team returned from Kobol, which took place less than a week after "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II", which explicitly stated to take place 51 days after Helo was stranded on Caprica in the Miniseries. In "Flight of the Phoenix", Roslin was told that her cancer had advanced aggressively, and she had a month to live "at the outside". The idea that the episode "Pegasus" (the previous episode) took place three months after "Flight of the Phoenix" thus seems entirely impossible. This line should probably be regarded as exaggeration, or just a goof.

• Pilot Louanne Katraine has apparently got her groove back from "Final Cut", and has become the lead pilot on Galactica following the transfer of Lee Adama and Kara Thrace to Pegasus. Given that the ungifted George Birch was apparently the best to be found within Galactica's regular chain of command (Home, Part I), it's unsurprising that a talented nugget has risen to the top.
  • In hindsight, her abuse of stims is actually in line with the single-minded zeal she approaches her job with. She has apparently learned to channel her perfectionism into a more constructive outlet.

• Both Adama and Cain's assassination plans (taking advantage of a victory celebration in CIC) are exactly the same as the one used by Galactica-Boomer in Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II.

Notes

• Fleet population is down to 49,604 to account for the death of Alistair Thorne, Cylon Interrogator.
• Admiral Cain promotes Kara Thrace to the rank of captain. She replaces Stinger as Pegasus's CAG.
• The Cylon fleet containing the Resurrection Ship has been following The Fleet. It was speculated that the Resurrection Ship was a safety net for any Cylons who died in the Fleet.
• During the closing R&D production company animation, in which David Eick is sliced in two by a bolt of lightning, House Resolution 2995 of the 109th Congress is mentioned in a news ticker. The resolution, introduced June 27, 2005, involves the creation of a "Weather Modification Operations and Research Board." Source: GovTrack
• In case there was any doubt, by this point the Galactica crew definitely knows that the blonde woman they first met as "Shelley Godfrey" is a humanoid Cylon, to the point that Roslin cracks a joke that she wouldn't mind waking up inside a gorgeous blonde-haired body.
• Number Six likes pyramid. She went to live games often while she was on Caprica. She said it was because she loved the rush of raw emotions that would sweep over the crowd.
• Thrace still intends to recover Anders' Resistance fighters from Caprica. Timeline wise, they have a little over a month of anti-radiation meds left.
• Tigh and Fisk have continued their status as drinking buddies.
• Roslin has developed a bad cough, perhaps evidence that her cancer has spread to her lungs, or that she has begun to suffer from opportunistic infections.
• Although Commander Adama does a good job of trying to "hide" it, when Adama leaves the sick Roslin he quickly wipes away a tear.

Noteworthy Dialogue

• Starbuck: Starbuck to all vipers-- do not fire... repeat, do not fire! I am a friendly, okay? We're all friendlies. So, let's just...be friendly.

• Col. Tigh: Ahh, another of [Starbuck's] crazy ass stunts... thank the Gods!

Commander Adama: You can say that again!

• President Roslin: The spirit of the law requires something more here than summary executions.

Admiral Cain: Is this what the two of you have been doing for the past six months? Debating the finer points of Colonial law? Well, guess what, we're at war! And we don't have the luxury of academic debate over these issues.

• President Roslin: You have Pegasus, he has Galactica. Two heavily armed, very powerful warships. Now, I am sure that Pegasus would prevail in any fight--

Commander Adama: --I wouldn't count on that--

President Roslin: --But certainly, there'd be heavy damage and you'd take significant casualties. So you can go out there and fight it out with Galactica or you can compromise. And those are the only two options on the table, period.

Admiral Cain: ...How the two of you have survived this long, I will never know.

• Discussing Admiral Cain:

President Roslin: I afraid this can only end one way. You've got to kill her.

Commander Adama: What the hell are you talking about?

President Roslin: Like she said, let's cut through it. The two of you were willing to go to war today. Do you think she's going to step down from that? She's going to bide her time and hit you the first chance she gets. That's a given. I hate to lay this on you Bill, but she is dangerous and the only thing that you can do is to hit her before she hits you.

Commander Adama: I'm not an assassin.

• First thing Gina speaks:

Gina: I want to die. Will you help me do that? Will you kill me, please?

• Baltar: Were you aware of your true nature as a Cylon when you boarded the ship? Or would you describe you as a sleeper agent?

Gina: I knew what I was. I was a soldier. I-I had a mission, I carried it out. I thought that when it was done I was going to die. That you would kill me. Then I-- then I would download into a new body...be reborn. But you didn't kill me. The things you did to me.

Baltar: What they did to you was evil. But I'm not one of them. You have to believe me. Things are going to get better for you. From this moment on. I promise.

Gina: I don't want things to get better. I want to die.

• President Roslin is bedridden, dying of cancer, and coughing profusely:

Commander Adama: What can I get you?

President Roslin: A new body. Perhaps, one of those young Cylon models from the Resurrection Ship.

Commander Adama: I can't see you as a blonde.

President Roslin: You'd be surprised. (Laughs)

• Scene intercuts between Commander Adama telling Starbuck to assasinate Admiral Cain, while at the same time Cain is ordering Col. Jack Fisk to assasinate Adama:

Admiral Cain: Jack, I want to transfer a detachment of marines to Galactica. And I want you to handpick them. Completely reliable. Completely loyal. Razors.

Commander Adama: I have a mission for you, Kara.

Starbuck: Anything for you, you know that.

Commander Adama: Don't accept too quickly. You won't like this one. I don't like it. But I've decided that it has to be done.

Admiral Cain: I'm transferring you to Galactica, as well. I'll tell Adama that you're there to be my eyes and ears. He'll hate it. He'll think you're my spy and try to freeze you out of decision-making. But he'll accept it. Now I want you to stay in throughout the attack. Stay with Adama.

Commander Adama: After the attack is completed and you've accounted for your pilots I want you to land your bird on the Pegasus to report directly to CIC. You'll take Lee with you. He'll watch your back.

Admiral Cain: Position marines in key positions throughout the ship and keep a squad posted just outside CIC--

Commander Adama: --There'll the normal chaos emotional high after the attack--

Admiral Cain: --They'll be slapping each other on the back, celebrating the victory--

Commander Adama: --They'll keep their guard down--

Admiral Cain: --Security will be lax--

Commander Adama: --I will ask for you over the wireless--

Admiral Cain: --I will call you directly, and when I have you on the line and you hear me give the command, "execute Case Orange"--

Commander Adama: --When you hear me say "Downfall"--

Admiral Cain: --You are to signal the marines to terminate Adama's command...starting with Adama--

Commander Adama: --I want you to pull out your weapon...and shoot Admiral Cain in the head. (Starbuck is shocked)

Official Statements

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Re-imagined Series definition: technology enabling travel across distances faster than the speed of light would permit, see: FTL

Re-imagined Series definition: Executive Officer, e.g. Saul Tigh

Re-imagined Series definition: the senior pilot on a battlestar

Re-imagined Series definition: student pilot (TRS: "Act of Contrition", "Scar")

Re-imagined Series definition: stimulants or a type of stimulant (TRS: "33", "Final Cut")

Re-imagined Series definition: nerve center or "bridge" of a battlestar, see: Combat Information Center

Re-imagined Series definition: Colonial equivalent of radio