The Hand of God (TOS)

Episode 1.21 of The Original Series

Overview

Commander Adama decides to quit running from the Cylons, and launches an all-out attack on a basestar.

Summary

• Receiving a mysterious radio signal possibly from Earth, Adama and the crew are wary of a Cylon trap, and decide to turn the tables by attacking the Cylons with a stolen Cylon Raider. Apollo and Starbuck, in the series finale's last scene, narrowly miss receiving Apollo-11 moon-landing transmissions from Earth.

Questions

• Boomer speculated that the signal they recorded could have been on a harmonic frequency, doubling or quadrupling the original frequency. If it was a harmonic it came from nearby. The planetary system they scouted had a large Jupiter like gas giant, a Venus like planet with a compressed carbon dioxide atmosphere, and a lifeless red Mars like world. It could have been our solar system but wasn't explored further for fear another Cylon basestar might be coming to investigate.
• Baltar was to have been marooned on a planet capable of sustaining life with rations and a short range transmitter. Were the Cylons to have rescued him so he could resume command of a basestar in season two?

Notes

• Season (and series) finale of the original series.
• The title was reused for the tenth episode of the re-imagined series. Aside from both Adamas launching an offensive strike against Cylon forces, there is little comparison between the two episodes.
• Galactica intercepts a TV transmission of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, but characters leave the room before the voiceover.
• The basestar core set appears to have been filmed in a Skylab mockup.

• Apollo gives the age of The Galactica as being 500 yahrnes (years old).

Statistics

Writing & Direction

• Written by Don Bellisario
• Story by
• Teleplay by
• Directed by Don Bellisario

Production Notes

• Season 1 (1978/1979)
• Production Number: 1.21
• Airdate Order: 21 (of 21)

First Run Air Dates & Releases

• UK Airdate: Date
• US Airdate: April 29, 1979
• DVD Release: December 28, 2004

Re-imagined Series definition: battlestar landing bay mechanism that arrests a landing Viper, Raptor or other small craft (TRS: "Final Cut")