Tag: SyFy / Sci-Fi Channel

Lt. Boomer goes to CPO Tyrol with an unusual problem – she recently found herself inexplicably drenched with water, and in possession of a case from munitions which carried several explosives and detonators. Galactica conducts a routine water tanking maneuver with one of the smaller Colonial ships during a visit by the President. But the transfer becomes less than routine when a massive explosion rocks Galactica’s water tanks, venting well over half of the fleet’s water supply into space. Adama and President Roslin launch an investigation, and the missing explosives from munitions quickly come to light. Tyrol is careful to avoid mentioning anything he knows that might implicate Boomer, but her own increasingly nervous behavior may give her away before the evidence does. Baltar also betrays his own nervousness while serving on the investigation panel, as the President orders him to look for a way to detect any Cylons disguised as members of the ship’s crew; despite that alarming possibility, Adama and the President opt to keep that information from the rest of the fleet for now. A desperate search for a new source of water begins, though Boomer’s participation in the survey may spell its doom. And on Caprica, now occupied by the Cylons, lone Galactica crewmember Helo – left behind in the evacuation of the planet’s civilians – discovers he’s not alone…because Lt. Boomer is there with him too.

written by Ronald D. Moore
directed by Marita Grabiak
music by Richard Gibbs

Guest Cast: Michael Hogan (Colonel Tigh), Aaron Douglas (CPO Tyrol), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo), Kandyse McClure (Dualla), Paul Campbell (Billy Keikeya), Alessandro Juliani (Lt. Gaeta), Sam Witwer (Lt. Crashdown), Alonso Ozaryun (Socinus), Nicki Clyne (Cally)

Original UK Airdate: October 26, 2004

LogBook entry by Earl Green

With a source of water located in the ice caps of a nearby moon, replenishing Galactica’s water supply will be a more daunting task than expected, requiring a crew of at least a thousand workers. Commander Adama proposes using men from the Colonial fleet’s prison ship as a labor force, but President Roslin balks at the thought of anything that could be construed as using slave labor. She sends Apollo to the prison ship Astral Queen to offer points toward amnesty for any prisoners willing to help, but only one man speaks out – Tom Zarek, a political prisoner with a controversial past. Some, such as Galactica bridge officer Dualla, consider him a terrorist, while others follow Zarek’s insistence that he is a prisoner of conscience. What everyone can agree on is that Zarek is a charismatic leader, and he already has control of the Astral Queen. A quick rebellion turns the visiting Galactica officers and what few prison wardens haven’t been swayed by Zarek into hostages. Zarek, insisting that President Roslin was not democratically elected and therefore has no constitutional claim to the office of President, demands that elections be held immediately. Roslin refuses to negotiate with Zarek, and Adama assigns a team of snipers led by Starbuck to retake the Astral Queen. But Apollo may be able to reach another solution, something that gives everyone – even Zarek – what they want to resolve the crisis.

written by Toni Graphia
directed by Allan Kroeker
music by Richard Gibbs

Guest Cast: Richard Hatch (Tom Zarek), Michael Hogan (Colonel Tigh), Aaron Douglas (CPO Tyrol), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo), Kandyse McClure (Dualla), Paul Campbell (Billy Keikeya), Alessandro Juliani (Lt. Gaeta), Connor Widdows (Boxey), Alonso Oyarzun (Socinus), Nicki Clyne (Cally), Pat Adrien Dorval (Wilkiens), Ron Selmour (Seaborne), Matthew Bennett (Aaron Doral), Brent Stait (Mason), Graham Young (Marine #1), Curtis Hicks (Marine #2), Colby Johansson (Flat Top)

Notes: Richard Hatch starred in the original Battlestar Galactica series as Apollo (and ironically shares most of his scenes in this episode with Jamie Bamber, the new Apollo). Brent Stait was one of the original cast members of Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda, and played the role of Rev Bem for the first two seasons until allergic reactions to his character’s elaborate make-up forced him to leave the series.

Original UK Airdate: November 1, 2004

LogBook entry by Earl Green

An impromptu celebration ensues on the hangar deck when one of the pilots makes his 1,000th successful landing. During the celebration, though, a loose strap on a munitions rack leads to the tragic loss of several of Galactica’s most experienced pilots. After the dead are buried, Adama instructs Starbuck to begin training new pilots immediately. The usually uninhibited Starbuck doesn’t seem to be looking forward to the challenge, however – the very thin field of candidates has absolutely no combat flight experience, if they have any flight experience at all; when she asks if someone else could handle the training, Starbuck learns that the only other qualified flight instructors in the remaining Colonial fleet don’t have combat experience either. Adama makes it clear that despite the death of his son Zak – who died in an accident in a Viper fighter after Starbuck passed him for basic flight training – he trusts Starbuck to shape Galactica’s next group of fighter pilots. But Apollo forces a revelation to the surface that may cost Starbuck the trust she has earned from Adama.

written by Bradley Thompson and David Weddle
directed by Rod Hardy
music by Bear McCreary

Guest Cast: Michael Hogan (Colonel Tigh), Aaron Douglas (CPO Tyrol), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo), Kandyse McClure (Dualla), Paul Campbell (Billy Keikeya), Alessandro Juliani (Lt. Gaeta), Sam Witwer (Lt. Crashdown), Lorena Gale (Priest Elosha), Donnelly Rhodes (Dr. Cottle), Jill Teed (Sgt. Hadrian), Tobias Mehler (Zak Adama), Colby Johannson (Flat Top), Beill Meiler (Caprica Cleric), Bodie Olmos (Costanza / Hot Dog), Luciana Carro (Katraine / Kat), Terry Chen (Perry / Chuckles)

Notes: Actor Bodie Olmos is the son of series star Edward James Olmos. The writing team of Bradley Thompson and David Weddle worked with executive producer Ronald D. Moore on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Original UK Airdate: November 8, 2004

LogBook entry by Earl Green

After narrowly surviving a chaotic confrontation defending her pilot trainees from a Cylon surprise attack, Starbuck crash-lands on a moon with a poisonous atmosphere and gale-force winds. Adama launches an all-out search for Starbuck, who has been injured and has less than two days of oxygen. When civilian ships are called out of formation into the search, and even the combat patrol that protects the fleet’s defenseless vessels are called away to take part, President Roslin begins to wonder if Commander Adama’s judgement isn’t clouded by his personal feelings. A call to Apollo, who she relies on as her military liaison, doesn’t reassure her, and when the search continues even after the countdown runs out for Starbuck’s oxygen supply, the President makes her feelings known more forcefully. Meanwhile, on the moon, Starbuck finds a ship that’s in far better shape than her Viper – but it happens to be the Cylon ship that collided with her in the first place, and if its hull is intact, its occupant may be as well. And on Caprica, Helo finds that a shelter where he and Boomer have been hiding isn’t as secure as he thought.

written by Carla Robinson
directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan
music by Bear McCreary

Guest Cast: Michael Hogan (Colonel Tigh), Aaron Douglas (CPO Tyrol), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo), Kandyse McClure (Dualla), Paul Campbell (Billy Keikeya), Alessandro Juliani (Lt. Gaeta), Sam Witwer (Lt. Crashdown), Donnelly Rhodes (Dr. Cottle), Alonso Oyarzun (Socinus), Bodie Olmos (Costanza/Hot Dog)

Notes: Starbuck’s unusual maneuvering may be an homage to the original series; Starbuck and Apollo had to fly a stolen Cylon raider back to Galactica in the original series episode The Hand Of God, and only by “waggling” the ship’s wings were they able to signal their fellow Viper pilots to let them land.

Original UK Airdate: November 15, 2004

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Among the latest group of visitors to board Galactica is a face all too familiar to Tigh and Adama – Galactica’s former public relations officer, a man who turned out to be a Cylon. When Adama catches up with him, the man turns around and reveals that he’s a walking bomb, hitting the detonator switch. Tigh is barely able to hustle Adama to safety, but others around them aren’t so lucky. Adama decides the time has come to go public with the news that the Cylons can take human form, against the advice of both Tigh and President Roslin. He assigns the ship’s Master at Arms to begin an inquiry, and she insists on having a free hand in the investigation. But she goes beyond that, accusing Tyrol, Boomer and a member of Tyrol’s deck crew of Cylon collaboration and even accusing Commander Adama of creating the conditions that made the attack possible.

written by Jeff Vlaming
directed by Rod Hardy
music by Bear McCreary

Guest Cast: Michael Logan (Colonel Tigh), Aaron Douglas (CPO Tyrol), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo), Paul Campbell (Billy Keikeya), Sam Witwer (Lt. Crashdown), Donnelly Rhodes (Dr. Cottle), Jill Teed (Sgt. Hadrian), Dominic Zamprogna (Reporter #3), Alonso Oyarzun (Socinus), Nicki Clyne (Cally), Bodie Olmos (Costanza / Hot Dog), Matthew Bennett (Doral), Christina Schild (Playa Kohn), Raahul Singh (Kimmit), Shaw Madson (Marine Corporal), Nimet Kanji (Candace Myson-Tribunal), Biski Gugushe (Reporter #1), Morris Chapdelaine (Reporter #2)

Original UK Airdate: November 22, 2004

LogBook entry by Earl Green