STORY SYNOPSIS

As the Galactica fleet enters the rim of another new galaxy, Apollo leads Sheba, Starbuck, and Casseopia on a strange tour of the noisy propulsion section of the battlestar. On the topside of the hull, Apollo reveals a centurae-old "celestial chamber": a cross between a Crow's Nest of seagoing vessels and a planetarium. The chamber's shell opens to reveal a transparent, enclosed dome where ancient Colonial warriors used to operate sextant-like devices to confirm their bearings. Apollo muses about the romantic past, and the original adventures of the Battlestar Galactica of 500 yahrens ago. Sheba notices that the equipment is picking up the transmission of an ancient lightspeed "Gamma Frequency" video signal of unknown origin. There is a brief image of an unfamiliar spacecraft, apparently flying above some rocky planet's surface. While Sheba can't place it, the image reminds Apollo of old historical scans; he recalls the Colonies flew ships like that "a couple of thousand yahrens ago."

The four enter the pilot's quarters and wake Boomer to analyze the recorded transmission. Dr. Wilker is on the electronics ship, so Boomer tries basic computer enhancement on the recording. The voices sound human, but even the computers can't clear up what is said. All five stare in amazement at the strange recording, as it plays over and over. Boomer speculates that either the poor transmission is due to "harmonic" distortion-- meaning the signal originated close by, or the transmission retained its primary frequency, meaning it could have been travelling in space for a hundred yahren, "or a thousand, or ten thousand." Casseopia finally speaks what they're all thinking: "we could be looking at something from the past."

The four then bring news of this discovery to Adama on the bridge. The commander orders a concentrated long-range scan, revealing a solar system in the line of transmission. But the fleet is too far away for any more detail, so Apollo, Starbuck and Sheba set out on a viper expedition to the system. They discover five planets, none of which are likely to reveal any life. As the three split up to look closer at the inner-most worlds, Starbuck barely avoids blind-siding an emerging Cylon basestar. Once back to the Galactica, the pilots catch up with a fuming Adama. "I thought we lost them for good," the commander exclaims.

Apparently, the Cylons did not spot the vipers. Nothing else has left the system. Tigh and Adama note that the basestar is in an excellent ambush position: it is located on this galaxy's rim, where the fleet would have to steer a long way around to back track and avoid the Cylons at the same time. Adama is certain that Apollo's recording is a lure to entice the Colonists in. The commander determines that the odds are even enough to allow for a surprise attack.

Far away, in orbit around the barren third planet in Quadrant Epsilon, Mark Four, a golden Cylon command centurion tours its baseship, descending through the main core. Armed silver centurions snap to attention, gesturing with their weapons in salute. The command centurion enters the Control Center chamber, demanding to know if they have achieved orbit yet. Another silver centurion notes there was "a momentary blip prior to achieving orbit; our scanners were not fully operational." The golden Cylon cautiously orders a fighter patrol to encircle this planetary system.

As the Cylon pilots board their fighters and launch on a deep space probe, Tigh and Adama debrief the squardon leaders on the pending mission. Adama intends to send all of the Galactica's vipers into the system to divert the Cylons' attention, while the Galactica itself will swoop in from the far side of the star and attack the Cylon baseship itself. "It'll be a toe-to-toe slugging match," he admits, warning the viper pilots "You'll be outgunned, two-to-one". After the session breaks up, Apollo tells Starbuck of a plan he has to use the Cylon fighter Baltar piloted to infiltrate and sabotage the Cylon baseship's tracking systems from within. This would assure the Galactica of a needed first-strike. Adama agrees, and invites Batlar to a private rendezvous in his office. As Adama offers Baltar freedom from the Prison Barge by marooning the traitor on a habitable planet in exchange for information on Cylon basestars, the golden command centurion orders the patrol to continue into deep space "as long as fuel permits".

As Starbuck and Apollo ready Baltar's fighter, Boomer visits them with a little surprise: a small transmitting device that will allow a viper's attack scanner to tell them apart from the other Cylon fighters, "so even though we may think about it, we won't blow you out of the sky." Sheba and Casseopia also stop by, each upset that these men volunteered for such a dangerous mission. Sheba reveals her true feelings to Apollo as she kisses him. Boomer helps Apollo and Starbuck ready their gear before seeing them off: the two saboteurs will carry handheld time-bombs with a one-centon delay. He warns the commandos, "Whatever you do, don't loose that transmitter. It's our only way of telling you from the Cylons." Starbuck wisecracks, "we'll just waggle our wings." In the Galactica's landing bay, Baltar tells Starbuck and Apollo what to expect as they infiltrate the Cylon mothership. As the two warriors board Baltar's fighter, he calls after them: "Good luck". Apollo and Starbuck strap themselves into the Cylon co-pilots' seats. Apollo asks, "Do you know how to fly this thing?" Starbuck replies "I thought you did!" They exchange a chuckle and launch as Adama, Baltar, Sheba, Casseopia and Boomer look on. Tigh and Omega watch the Cylon craft fly off into the endless night...

In deep space near the planetary system, Apollo and Starbuck are still trying to figure out all the controls and readouts. As Starbuck notes "I don't get anything but blips on this scanner," their craft is surrounded by a Cylon patrol. "We must've flown into the middle of a patrol. They'll think we're a stray joining back up," Apollo speculates. They join the formation and proceed into the Cylon landing bay.

On the Galactica, Adama orders the vipers to launch. Once all squadrons are spaceborne, the Galactica changes course to arc around the distant sun. On the Cylon basestar, Apollo and Starbuck wait until all of the Cylon pilots have left their fighters and cleared the carousel-like hangar deck. The warriors open their ship's hatch and drop onto the deck. Nothing but empty fighter ships. Starbuck recalls from his time aboard Baltar's basestar (prior to arriving on Kobol) how to enter the central core of the ship. They open the hatch to descend into the core and, just as Baltar said, there is a single armed Cylon guard at the bottom of a great ladder near the door to the ship's computer system.

Before the warriors can descend very far, the Cylon looks up and a gun battle ensues. The two blast the silver centurion and continue down into the core. The warriors enter the passageway for the Control Center, where the main computer banks are located. Apollo covers Starbuck as the lieutenant starts planting explosive charges all over the control panels in the passageway.

In deep space nearby, Boomer and Sheba confer as they lead the viper squadrons. No Cylon ships have been spotted yet. Boomer insists "We hold this heading. We want to draw those Cylon fighters to us." In the Cylon control center, the silver centurion operating the ship's scanner reports "Vipers bearing Omega Seven." The golden command centurion orders all fighters launched to intercept. As the battlestations alarm sounds in the passageway, the warriors are startled. "They must've spotted our vipers!" Apollo muses. The door at the far end of the passageway opens as the command centurion is about to leave the control center. Apollo, surprised again, takes a potshot that cleanly misses the golden Cylon. The Cylon steps back and the door sighs shut. Starbuck hurriedly plants his last charge and the two escape back into the main core. Two Cylon guards pursue through the passageway. As the warriors scramble up the ladder, the two Cylons step out into the main core. Apollo accidentally drops Boomer's special transmitter, which falls to the bottom of the core. The charges in the passageway explode, taking out the Cylon guards and the computers. Starbuck urges Apollo to forget about the transmitter: "We don't need that electronic felgercarb. We'll think of something!" With the Galactica due to attack any micron, the warriors make their way to the hangar.

In space, the vipers encounter the approaching Cylon fighter squadrons. Boomer orders his pilots to break formation. They begin shooting the Cylons out of the sky, a favor which a few Cylons are quick to return. Boomer and Sheba stay on top of the situation, pulling fast maneuvers and shooting more Cylons down.

On the Galactica, Adama and Tigh are astonished as the battlestar closes in on the Cylon mothership. The Cylons make no threatening moves; they are apparently unaware of the Galactica's approach. Only after the Galactica's lasers score a direct hit does the golden command centurion learn of what's going on. A fierce firefight ensues, with the Galactica strafing and circling the Cylons. More direct hits rock the basestar, but the Galactica's defenses begin to break down as well. Finally Adama orders the ship's forward lasers to lock onto the Cylons. Once fired, a chain reaction of explosions completely obliterates the Cylon mothership. With the main target gone, Adama orders all the viper squadrons recalled. Boomer and Sheba have their squadrons pull away and head for their home ship. Boomer and Sheba can't find any trace of Baltar's fighter, but they decide not to worry. The commandos are probably already "back at the Officer's Club", safe and sound.

Some time later, on the Galactica's bridge, Boomer, Sheba and Cassiopea worry over Adama's scanners as the commander chafes over not yet having recovered Apollo and Starbuck. Several remaining Cylon fighters have made suicide runs, but none emitted the signal from Boomer's transmitter. Finally, another Cylon ship approaches the Galactica. The anti-fighter laser turrets are activated. Adama's attack scanner still does not reveal the special signal. As Adama is about to give the order to fire, Boomer suddenly urges him to stop. "It's them... they're waggling," the lieutenant explains, as they watch the appoaching attack craft joust about in a very un-Cylon-like fashion. "Just keep waggling, buddy!" Starbuck tells Apollo. They waggle their ship into the landing bay and come to a stop. "See? I told you we didn't need any of that electronic felgercarb!"

Much later, Starbuck enters the Celestial Chamber to find Apollo holding vigil, peering at the stars through a sextant and scanning for more Gamma signals. The lieutenant brings news that everyone is asking where the captain is; the victory celebration is on and the brass is ready to give the two commandos a medal. Then Starbuck realizes: "You think that signal came from Earth, don't you?" Apollo admits, they'll probably never know, since Wilker's lab was destroyed in the battle and the Gamma recording with it. Finally, Starbuck talks Apollo down from his observation perch. As they climb down to leave the Chamber, they switch the controls "off" and close the dome's flower-pedal-like armored shell. Starbuck unwittingly bumps a control which reactivates the Gamma scanner. As they open the hatch and let the roar of the battlestar's engines in, Apollo asks loudly "Do you really think they're gonna give us a medal?!" Starbuck replies "Did I say us? I think they're just decorating me!" Apollo chuckles as they climb down out of the chamber and leave the hatch shut. Silence. The Gamma scanner hisses quietly for a beat, then crackles to life.

We see the shadow of the odd-looking spacecraft from before. It appears to be descending to the surface of a rocky, lifeless plain. We hear a human voice counting down the descent. The craft in the transmission appears to touch down. We then hear the voice again, this time clearly that of Neil Armstrong of the planet Earth, "Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."

Fleeing from the Cylon tyranny, the last battlestar, Galactica, leads a ragtag fugitive fleet on a lonely quest: a shining planet known as Earth.

A Second Look

There is very little in the plot of this episode which could not have been done in the first five episodes of this series. In fact, the abrupt ending to "Saga of a Star World, Part III" would've been better if "The Hand of God" has been used instead. (Finding a downed Cylon fighter should not have been a problem, nor should finding a traitor, as was done in "Murder on the Rising Star", which also should have been done much earlier in the series.) Incorporating this story into the early episodes in the series would've improved the drama involving the Cylons, plus it would've opened the door to more science fiction content.

If the Battlestar content on the internet is any indication, fans of the series appear to regard this episode very highly. While not the best story of the short-lived series, a fairly simple plot that relies on tried-and-true devices works very well. But it isn't the story that's news in this outing. It's a combination of serialized drama, respect for previous characterization (even when said characterization is far from flattering), motifs in presentation, musical score, and some ongoing improvements in cinematography that really make this presentation stand out.

Serialized drama: many plot threads are addressed in the series' finale. Baltar is offered freedom from the prison barge, and by Adama no less. Both characters have come a ways since their performances earlier in the series. Apollo discovers a budding romance with Sheba is a very 1970's-style quarrel-and-make-kissie-face. And Starbuck has to have another embarrassing confrontation with Cassiopea. Boomer makes his feelings known about only Apollo and Starbuck going on the commando mission. And the Cylon centurions even briefly hold their own is interactive dialogue without the help of Baltar or any IL-series character. Indeed, Battlestar Galactica's final episode ties up some loose ends and manages to grow the series from its half-baked roots while still somehow remaining true to itself.

Apollo's true-believer personality, from his idealistic vigils in the Celestial Chamber to his daring scheme to infiltrate the Cylon mothership, makes for some of the best "buddy show" moments in the series. Los Angeles County firefighters Johnny Gage (Randolph Mantooth) and Roy DeSoto (Kevin Tighe) may have engaged in more cerebral banter on rare occasions in Emergency! (Universal/Jack Webb-NBC, 1972-78) when their hazardous and even conflicted duties tested their mettle, but Richard Hatch's portrayal of the devoted Apollo was often much stronger and deeper than critics give him credit for. He was perfect for the context and tone of this series. In a rare Battlestar twist, Apollo's revelation of his hobby turns out to be good and logical science fiction to shore up what was at times an anything-but-sci-fi chain of installments in the series' later half.

Dirk Benedict's eclectic Starbuck remains part-chuckle, part-puzzle and part-disappointment to the very end. His best line, arguably in the entire series, comes at the very end when he suddenly isn't sure who's getting the medal. That kind of egotistical, shell game humor turned out to be a very good characterization, perhaps derived from the jaded and rebellious trademark of many motorcycle-riding World War II veterans of the U.S. Army Air Corps, still wearing their bomber jackets as they cruised the highways of the early 1950's. But this appealing development, clearly the best and most memorable of the series, is very nearly shattered by repeated quarrels with jealous lover Cassiopea. It's a wonder that actress Laurette Spang is reported to have enjoyed the role so much when she kept falling victim to some of the shabby hoof-in-mouth scenes which managed to bring the series back down a notch or two. "Cass" claims she doesn't want a "possession" in Starbuck, but seems to fret over the pitfalls of his mission. She expects he'll "probably find some beautiful female prisoner to rescue on that basestar." While this remark seems to be her character's way of hiding her real worry about the mission's danger, it doesn't matter how cleverly framed that kind of dialogue is. It still belittles the characters that exchange it. A far better moment comes earlier in the episode when Starbuck stutters upon discovering the Cylon baseship. This Starbuck is very much a concerned and seasoned, eye-on-the-radar veteran.

The exchange between Adama and Baltar in the commander's office is a small but worthwhile credit to the series. The later scene in the hangar bay where Baltar explains his well wish to Apollo and Starbuck looks like fake, Hollywood 1970's television. It makes little sense for Adama to stand so close to a man he despises, and with his hands behind his back to boot. His fists should be planted in the sides of his waist. It also doesn't make sense after Adama had a hard time earlier looking Baltar in the eye before offering the traitor freedom.

Boomer and Sheba get to command the squadrons. This long-overdue chance to see to a black man and a white woman in command in a combat situation is short-lived but still a joy from an era in television when this kind of thing was not to be taken for granted. It still looks great today. Boomer's insistence that "we hold this heading" might seem like a minor line, but it helped to grow his character by leaps and bounds. And he stole the scene at the end when he joyfully announced "they're waggling!"

The Cylons in this episode have no names, and are barely distinguishable from one another. Still, their brief appearance, mostly as a plot device, is effective. Much of this is due to the exploration of never-before seen sets which allow us to see the ship more thoroughly than in the past. Note that the first few scenes follow the golden command centurion on a tour of the heart of the mothership, and not a word is spoken. Later, there is another exciting moment when we see silver pilots scurrying to climb aboard their fighter-ships in the hangar bay. Again, not a word is spoken. These music video-like vignettes do little to develop any Cylon characters, but they do effectively exhibit the alien Cylon threat.

Of course, this is Galactica, and we can't have a story with Cylons and not resort to some cliches and other plot holes. True to itself, the tired space-battle-meets-commando-raid plot assures that this series creative deficit holds true to the bitter end. Did the writers ever think that if the commandos took out one set of computers, the Cylons might switch to a backup system? One a ship of that size, divided into two saucer-like tiers, it's hard to believe there's only one control center. What if that section of the ship had to be shut down for maintenance or repairs? Is the whole ship disabled as a result?

And where, oh where, is the Cylon "fire boss" for the hangar deck? One would think that the Cylons would not leave such a vital portion of the huge baseship totally deserted for any length of time. What if there was a malfunction, or an accident? On aircraft carriers of today's navies, there is typically a small office, situated like a guard tower above the hangar area, where the "fire boss" can keep watch over the stored aircraft. This person can alert security crews or firemen if something goes wrong. Of course, fans could contrive the excuse that Starbuck had already seen the inside of a baseship in "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part II", and knew the layout well enough to guide Apollo to avoid any centurions there, but it still should not have been that easy to infiltrate an enemy ship. How serious a threat can a single Cylon basestar be if a plan to attack it is that simple?

And isn't Apollo's plan also vulnerable in the event that the Cylons count the number of ships returning from space and realize that there's one too many? Maybe they're too stupid to account for their own ships...

Another interesting note, and definitely more than just a nit-pick: Isn't it so very kind of the Cylons to provide ships with breathable atmosphere, lighting, heat and gravity that is reasonably comfortable for humans? If we assume that the Cylons are a purely robotic race and that their ships are manned by only robotic Cylons, then this revelation makes little sense. In earlier episodes of the series, we saw Baltar's flagship offer these accommodations but it was understood that the ship's environment was provided for the benefit of its commander. The only way to rationally explain this would be to assume that: (1: either some or all of the Cylons retain some organic or pseudo-organic component, not unlike the Daleks and Cybermen of Doctor Who (British, 1963-89) or the Borg of Star Trek; or, there could be an even more interesting possibility: (2: most, if not all, Cylon ships are built to accommodate other lifeforms (such as the Ovions, as seen in "Saga of a Star World, Part III") which are part of their alliance. The second possibility is not so farfetched given the content and implications of the series as a whole. In The Sand Pebbles (Fox, 1966), a Steven MacQueen vehicle about a petty officer aboard a U.S. Navy steamship in chaotic 1920's China, the crew of the U.S.S. San Pablo often employed native Chinese labor to tend to their engine room. One could imagine the delight Apollo and Starbuck would take in knowing the destruction of this baseship might take out a few more Ovions or other treacherous creatures like them after what happened at Carillon.

Motifs in presentation: this episode is a showcase for the kind of techniques used in Glen Larson's action-adventure franchises of the day, in this case championed by Larson protege Donald Bellisario. Those who watched Larson's other series' of the time, like The Six Million Dollar Man (Universal/ABC, 1973-8) and The Bionic Woman (Universal/ABC, 1976-8) who came before Galactica, as well as Buck Rogers in the Twenty-Fifth Century (Universal/NBC, 1978-81) after, can recognize the evolution of a style of how action scenes are shot, right down to the use of explosion footage and slow motion photography. Viewers of these shows from their original primetime network TV airings will no doubt recognize the trademark slow-mo scene where Apollo and Starbuck get caught in a firefight while still climbing down the ladder. The mysterious scene where we see the garbled footage of the Lunar Module in flight is also trademark Larson. It was reminiscent of episodes of The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman when characters would struggle with half-remembered images or other hallucinations.

Also true-to-form in this series is the conspicuous absence of any concern from civilians. Here is Adama, putting the Galactica in jeopardy when it is not at all clear that an attack is necessary. (It is a big Universe. Surely the fleet can find another way.) The commander is never shown clearing his plan with the Council of Twelve. Wouldn't it be wise to let them in on what's happening? It is also important to consider that it is never clarified why the Cylons are orbiting that planet. It is ludicrous to assume the Cylons would spread their basestars throughout the Universe, or even across many key points in a single galaxy, when the Galactica's fighting force has already shown they can effectively repel the firepower of a single Cylon basestar on numerous prior occasions. The Cylons and their allies could be conducting experiments in isolation, testing out new technologies in a distant setting where the home planets would be safe, or even exploring. The humans really have no idea what the Cylons are doing, and it does not even occur to Adama to ask Baltar. It can be argued that the destruction of the basestar could lead to the Cylons sending even more reinforcements to investigate. This would be like sending a slow-travelling message back to the empire, telling them "Colonial viper remains from a battle indicate the Galactica was here a while ago."

And if we get to see Apollo and Starbuck quarrel with their sweethearts, why do we not get to see Athena's reaction to their plan?

What would an episode of Battlestar be without a few good bloopers? There are some silly ones sprinkled throughout this episode. When Adama is walking up to the rotating command post on the Galactica's bridge with Apollo, Sheba and Starbuck after the Cylons are discovered, we hear Tigh give the order "Stay on it, Omega!" Presumably, this command is meant to keep vigil in watching for Cylon pursuit or attack. Strangely, Omega rises from his seat and walks away shortly thereafter. What good did Tigh's command do if Omega had to leave?

There is also the equally silly scene where Tigh is lecturing to the pilots in their quarters. He gestures broadly with a pointer across the miniature of the Cylon mothership while saying "... two mega-pulsars, here... and here..." What is he pointing at? It looks silly. He doesn't need to tell the pilots about that anyway. If they don't know their enemy's arms and configuration by now, they're in real trouble!

And while Apollo and Starbuck are revving up the Cylon fighter's engines prior to leaving the Galactica, we see brief shots of Boomer, standing in the pilot's quarters with his helmet, pouting. There is also an image of Sheba and Cassiopea standing in the Celestial Chamber, looking out into space with very worried looks on their faces, Sheba with her protective ear muffs hanging around her neck. Why are we seeing these images? For that matter, why would these women be so concerned about Apollo and Starbuck going out on a commando raid? Both accompanied the men on a more dangerous raid on Gamoray in "The Living Legend, Part II." And the alternative in this case is for both men to accompany their fellow warriors (Sheba included) in dealing with the Cylon fighters. How is this preferable? What are these men supposed to do, stay on the Galactica until they retire?

"Do you know how to fly this thing?"

"I thought you did!"

Another silly blooper takes place when Apollo and Starbuck are first descending into the Cylon basestar's central core and they get into a firefight with the centurion. As the dead Cylon falls to the deck, we can see Boomer's special transmitter laying nearby. (Apollo isn't scripted to loose it until later, as they make their escape.)

You have to love those scenes where to camera tilts to make it look like Apollo and Starbuck are banking their Cylon fighter. The men don't lean or strain or anything. If the fighter is a zero-g environment, shouldn't we see them exhibiting signs of weightlessness?

One great part of this episode is the musical score. It is as good or better than any episode in the series. Only limited parts are derived from previous episodes. This outing has is own special action music, which can be heard when the first viper patrol enters the system and again when the commando mission sets off to find the basestar. Another, dreamy music vignette can be found at the beginning and the ending of the show, when we visit the celestial chamber. Both of these selections are dead giveaways as to when the show was made, but instead of simply dating the show, they are good enough to proudly celebrate the late 1970's.

Another improvement over Cylon episodes from earlier in the series is lighting. Too many Cylon scenes were poorly lit, or cast in a blue tint to make them look alien. In this episode, true to the later half of the series, (post-"Fire in Space") the lighting aboard Baltar's fighter and the Cylon mothership is exactly the opposite. Instead of relying on odd lighting, the Cylon interior shots make use of the odd camera angles and the musical score (exceptionally good when we are introduced to the golden command centurion). With the exception of viper footage, every scene seems much brighter. A welcome improvement.

Spectacle Value

The scenes aboard the Cylon basestar in this episode certainly add to the series. Unfortunately, they are too little, too late.

The scene where the golden command centurion first appears in the ship's command core on the ladder, through its the scene with other Cylons in the control center, is effective. There is a slight comic book quality to these scenes, especially when the golden Cylon turns to demand what is meant by "Definite?" The glare from the cores lights and the reflections from the Cylons' armor adds to this fantastic atmosphere. Still, anyone who followed the series from the early episodes will find these scenes fascinating. The Cylons seem to take us on a tour of their ship.

We finally get to see the Cylons in their hangar bay, boarding their fighters before takeoff. This little touch should've been exhibited much earlier in the series. The advent of this scene also begs the question: if we get to see the rank-and-file Cylons boarding their fighters, why do we not get to see them tending to their baseship in other ways? We could see them containing the damage after a fire or explosion. There's also a much bigger opportunity here: we could see them working with other creepy aliens (like the Ovions) in the normal or combat operations of their ship. This would've presented yet another opportunity to the makers of Battlestar to exhibit the mentality and motivations behind the tyrannical alien "alliance" which the Cylons represented in the Colonists' home galaxy. "The Hand of God" should send a clear signal that just showing a bunch of look-alike cyber-centurions on a set, talking to each other using the same voice, is a very, very bad idea. This kind of villainous empire deserves a little more variety in the kinds of characters which represent it.

The sets themselves become a very special effect. Apollo's celestial chamber is the best of all. Like everything else in this episode, it is simple but very effective. There is a very nicely done optical effect which incorporates an image of the "hand of God" rotating inside the matte-painting-view of the exterior of the Galactica's hull. This shot is only a few seconds long, but it is arguably the most beautifully done effect in the series. The combination of musical score and the shots are better than any other in the entire series.

This was also true of the Cylon sets shown. The round central core of the baseship, in combination with the vast hangar deck, eliminated the expected question "How come those baseships look so big on the outside, but not on the inside" which haunted all previous Cylon episodes. Gone is the Imperious Leader's dark echo chamber. In its place is a procession of images that makes the Cylon ship look like a starship, not just a collection of small fake Hollywood lot sets. Another scene is too easily overlooked: the hatch to the central core. This chamber, lined with storage compartments and other mysterious items, further adds to the sense that this is a space vessel. In fact, the use of Apollo's Celestial Chamber and the Cylon sets makes some of the Galactica's sets (Dr. Wilker's lab) look lame by comparison.

Perhaps the final insult to a doomed action-adventure TV franchise would have to be the recycling of action footage from the series' pilot episode right through to the very end. Thankfully, we don't spend more than a few minutes watching vipers exchange laser volleys with Cylons in footage that dates back to "Saga of a Star World, Part I". Still, it is a few minutes too many. We see enough of it on the Galactica's long-range scanners while the battlestar is approaching the Cylon mothership. We also get to see the Cylon baseship footage from Carillon in "Saga of a Star World, Part III". The recycling of footage gets so bad that we get to see the same scene with Carillon in the background three times in this episode. They play it forward, then backward. Maybe this is explains why the baseships are round and seem to spin endlessly like a carousel: they must be motivated by Yo-Yo Power!

And the tradition of recycling footage continues: when Apollo and Starbuck "waggle" their way back aboard the Galactica, we see Starbuck wrestle with the Cylon controls. We also see a different view, from behind the pilots as they look out the cockpit's canopy into the landing bay before touchdown. Where did that set of headphones on Starbuck come from, and why does the front end of Baltar's cockpit look curiously like a Colonial shuttlecraft landing in the darkened hangar bay of the electronics ship, as seen in "Take the Celestra"?

Adding insult to injury comes as no surprise in the series' finale: the battle footage between the Galactica and the Cylon baseship in lifted directly from a similar engagement between the Pegasus and the Cylons in "The Living Legend, Part II". This borders on tragic, as the images of the Pegasus' missiles are shown as great red streaks arcing across the basestar. By no character on either ship ever mentions any missiles or damage from same. It is as if the entire battle was fought only using one type of weapon: lasers. So why bother using the missile footage?

One nice "old" piece of footage from "Saga of a Star World, Part III" and "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part II" would've looked great here: the portside view of a huge number of vipers in flight. Since it is a foregone conclusion that the Galactica retains the entire combined squadrons of both itself and the Battlestar Pegasus from "The Living Legend, Part II", this image would've made more sense in "The Hand of God" than ever before.

Assuming that both Colonial and Cylon fighter craft eschew artificial gravity in favor of greater efficiency, it would've been nice to show Apollo and Starbuck in a state of weightlessness while in flight. This could've been accomplished very easily and inexpensively; look at what was done on a greater scale in Apollo 13 (Universal, 1995). With or without gravity, the scenes where the commandos' fighter seems to bank while the pilots continue to sit upright looks sloppy.

If Battlestar Galactica were new today...

The Hogan's Heroes cliche would've worn out its welcome a long time ago. Still, if this kind of story had either taken place in the first few episodes of the show, or if it had been used in place of "The Gun on Ice Planet Zero" (one can see the possibilities of the plots of the two being combined into one, with Dr. Ravashol and his clones having been deployed to work as part of a Cylon basestar's crew on wargames to try out a new weapon) it could've bolstered the series by paving the way for improved characterization and better science fiction.

The paint-by-numbers romance between Apollo and Sheba looks like something the Jane Seymour saw coming and decided to leave the series to avoid. Starbuck made the point for everyone. Why get upset over what might go wrong, when you're entire Wagon Train to the Stars is getting ambushed by Indians all the time? Clearly, Apollo and Starbuck would've been in just as much danger if they had flown in their vipers during the attack.

Innovative ideas like the Celestial Chamber would have to be more plentiful in the series. It isn't so much the notion that viewers need to see new sets or other gimmicks week after week, as much as there is a very definite need to explore new ideas, frontiers and science fiction concepts. If you lift the Cylon threat from this episode entirely and simply show the Galactica exploring whatever phenomenon originated the mysterious gamma signals, the only thing keeping it from being interesting is how well written the script (read: the story) will be. We don't have to really get closer to Earth at all. If video signals in the Battlestar Galactica universe, like the starships, are capable of hopping galaxies in centurae or millennia, then some hyperspace phenomenon must be at work. This would lead to all sorts of possibilities for adventures. What if a viper squadron, or small scout-starship from the Galactica Fleet, was sent out to investigate some incident like this and wound up being trapped in hyperspace, or even in a distant unknown galaxy?

Think of the awesome possibilities of CGI and other modern special effects could present in the event of a revival or a remake. Exploring the Battlestar Galactica or a Cylon basestar, like this episode started to do, would be only the beginning.

A significant implication made by the use of the Apollo 11 footage in this episode sets one major aspect into stone that affects the ultimate destiny of Battlestar Galactica, while effectively repudiating the ill-fated Galactica: 1980 that would follow. Since the Apollo 11 footage originated from Earth's solar system in the Earth year of 1969, and since there seems to be a presumption that a weak gamma signal like that would have to be in space for many generations, it is therefore logical to conclude that if the Galactica were to ever encounter the humans of Earth, or their progeny, it will occur in the far future: many generations after Apollo 11. This shapes the direction of the series if the Colonists ever do discover their celestial cousins. The only way to override this presumption is for one of two things to happen: either Earth is never found and the search for it is abandoned, or the series is significantly changed to ignore the content of the original, as we have seen from various remakes/reincarnations of Batman, The Fugitive, Mission Impossible, and Superman. To do the later opens the door to the whole Battlestar Galactica concept being re-invented accordingly.

Tidbits and Nit-Picks

The content of this episode ascribes some interesting aspects to the nature of the Colonial culture and the Battlestar Galactica Universe as a whole. To wit:

Apollo recognizes the Eagle, the Apollo 11 Lunar Excursion Module ("LEM") as something like the kind of ships "the Colonies flew a couple thousand yahrens ago." This is confusing. If the original Colonists migrated across a vast interstellar medium from Kobol, the journey must've required some kind of faster-than-light starships in order for their destination to be any isolated distance away. (The "Lost Planet of the Gods" saga seems to suggest that Kobol is isolated by an unknown abyss, far removed from the Colonial homelands) The only way to explain why the Apollo's ancestors would have to re-invent early spaceflight would be to assume the Colonists entered some kind of dark age, when space technology was forgotten. This seems at odds with the early episodes of the series, which seem to indicate that the Colonies begot an era of further exploration and colonization which formed so many distant human settlements that the twelve motherworlds forgot about many of them.

The notion that lightspeed "gamma frequency" radiotelescopy is no longer in use constitutes a significant revelation about Colonial and Cylon technology. Apparently, these cultures must primarily employ fast-than-light, longer-range communication not unlike the subspace radio notion used in Star Trek. This would have to include communication between ships of the refugee fleet (such as Inter-Fleet Broadcasting, aka Colonial TV) as well as in-flight communication between fighter-craft.

When Apollo, Starbuck and Sheba probe the planetary system in Quadrant Epsilon Mark 4 each pilot seems to read an analysis from their ship's scanner about the makeup of the planet each is probing. Apollo scans a Jupiter-like "giant, comprised of eighty-percent compressed hydrogen, twelve percent helium, no life forms" Sheba reports a reading of "carbon dioxide" from the second planet. This establishes for the first time that the characters' dialogue shares a common frame of reference with 1970's Earth culture in the form of chemical terminology. This is in stark contrast to references from the earliest episodes in the series, when exotic, alien terms such as "tylium", "solium leaks", "pluton poisoning", and so on were used to describe various items found in either war or space travel. This makes it hard to explain what these items can be by assuming that these funky "Galatispeak" terms could simply be their non-English Caprican equivalents for whatever words might make sense in our language.

Tigh seems to establish a sizable amount of intelligence about the nature of Cylon basestars and their armament: "She carries three hundred fighters, has two long-range mega pulsars: here... and here... and over a hundred defensive laser turrets. She's an orbiting killer capable of destroying ever ship we have including the Galactica. " Of course, Tigh forgets about the missiles which Apollo was so concerned about when the Pegasus pursued and destroyed the two basestars in "The Living Legend, Part II". But Tigh does establish a typical number of fighters that would be carried by a typical baseship. We know from what Lucifer told Baltar in "The Living Legend, Part II", that "four complete squadrons" of Cylon fighters comprise "the equivalent of a baseship." That would directly imply that it takes 75 fighters to make a Cylon squadron. In "Saga of a Star World, Part I", the Galactica recovers 69 fighters after the Cylon attack, 25 remaining of their own original contingent. There is the implication from succeeding episodes that the Galactica's losses were a challenge to make up for, as subsequent battles inflicted additional losses. When the entire contingent from the Battlestar Pegasus sought refuge aboard the Galactica in "The Living Legend, Part II", this must've at least doubled the number of fighters aboard the Galactica, leading to Adama's assertion in "The Hand of God" that, "You'll be outgunned-- two to one --but you're used to that." This would make sense after the Cylon suicide attacks in "Fire in Space". Another neat little tie-in was when the Cylon centurion confirms the sighting of "vipers bearing omega seven" to be "two squadrons". In Cylon terms, that would constitute 150 vipers.

When Baltar debriefs the commandos prior to the mission beginning, Apollo asks "What will happen when we land without clearance?" Baltar tells him "Probably nothing. They'll assume you've had a communications breakdown. But if they don't have any ships in the air, they'll send a centurion to check who you are." Given the slow and clumsy nature of the Cylons, and this revelation of potentially unreliable hardware, it's no wonder they rely and vastly superior numbers in battle. If we assume that the basestar was sent to pursue the Galactica, it doesn't make sense to send only one per lookout station.

The shots fired from Cylon basestar turrets seem to consistently originate from the outer-most rim of the vessel's saucer-like tiers.

The Cylons do not seem to behave like mindless robotic bees in a hive, each devoted to a specific task. If they did, why would centurions keep boarding and dismounting their fighters? Wouldn't they just stay put in there, for their entire useful existence, or at least for very long durations? Pure machines wouldn't need a "change of venue" for any reason. They would just recharge their batteries and download the latest software updates while they sit in their cockpits, unmoving. For that matter, why would the golden command centurion bother to move about the ship unless it assumed command responsibilities to inspect the vessel like any human skipper? Indeed, the Cylons' dialogue seems to indicate they are very individualistic like human warriors, instead of automatons.

Other than the obvious need to make a Cylon command centurion visually different than the subordinate centurions, how is a gold Cylon different from a silver one? If Battlestar keeps bringing these genocidal robo-Nazis back for more action, shouldn't we learn more about what makes their society run? They are, after all, characters in this saga.

During "The Hand of God", we see the golden command centurion tour its ship and speak with its bridge crew. During their exchange after Starbuck discovers the basestar, we are treated to the following conversation:

GOLDEN CENTURION (Skipper?)
Enters what must be the Bridge of the Basestar. "Have we achieved orbit?"

SILVER CENTURION (Helm?)
"Insertion ten centons ago."

GOLD/SKIPPER
"Long Range Scan?"

SILVER II ("Sonarman"?)
"Fully operational. Nothing definite to report."

GOLD/SKIPPER
Pivots sharply. "Definite?"

SILVER II
"A momentary blip when achieving orbit. Our scanners were not fully operational."

What was meant by "insertion," and why did the Cylons not have their tracking systems online until they "achieved orbit"? Could it be they popped out of a hyperspace jump/wormhole and had to recover their equilibrium before settling into orbit and activating their tracking systems? Sounds like a technology vaguely similar to chia'paii in Stargate SG-1 (MGM/Showtime, 1996-present), although it must be derived/harnessed from some natural, deep space phenomenon. Maybe the Basestar used the same conveyance to enter this galaxy as the Fleet did, a short time after the Galactica emerged at a different point nearby. It would also make sense that lightspeed "gamma" signals such as the video transmission of the Apollo 11 mission would take only hundreds or thousands of years/yahrens (as opposed to millions or billions) to travel across or between galaxies if those signals "fell" into hyperspace to emerge elsewhere. Perhaps the arrival of the Cylon mothership opened a wormhole passage that introduced the Apollo 11 signal to Quadrant Epsilon. So, in essence, the signal was a Cylon lure albeit an unintended one.

Tigh's assertion that the Cylons laid a trap in a key location could only be valid if the location of the basestar guarded a galactic neighborhood of sorts where passages into hyperspace were easy to find. If other regions of space do not offer intergalactic routes of escape, perhaps the Galactica would be trapped in this galaxy.

Even those who insist that Battlestar's references to intergalactic travel are not to be heeded would have to admit that the Galactica seems to be leaving the Cylons in the dust, receding a greater and greater distance from their homelands. Even if the Cylons are bent on total conquest, it has to be a big galaxy.

Why are the co-pilots' chairs in Baltar's fighter upholstered? Do the centurions need them that way, or are these ships typically built to accommodate non-Cylon passengers as well?

And why would Adama assume the Council of Twelve would automatically grant amnesty to Baltar so he could be set free? If Baltar were eventually marooned on some planet, and by some wild coincidence rescued by the Cylons, wouldn't he have a lot of explaining to do?

Unlike previous Battlestar adventures, we see Adama giving his bridge crew specific orders to make course changes, as well as weapons fire ("Bring us around to Mark Delta Five, and fire port lasers as she comes to bear.") and in an even more Star Trek-esque scene after the viper squadrons are launched, Adama gives a navigational order followed by a slanting of the camera to illustrate the ship making a sudden banking in space. What this series couldn't do if it adopted a more Trek-like naval flavor with its military scenes.

Why does Sheba throw Serina's death up into Apollo's face? She would've been out in deep space on the Battlestar Pegasus when the Cylon attack of the Colonies occurred, much less when Apollo and Serina were "sealed". Serina died shortly after that, in "Lost Planet of the Gods, Part II".

The implication that the Celestial Chamber's scanning equipment has to make a mechanical recording on removable media so it can be taken to a laboratory for analysis seems very rotary dial. Very vacuum tube. Very leaded. And somewhat amusing. It is downright silly that this recording was subsequently destroyed during the battle with the basestar. Nobody thought of loading a copy into the Galactica's computers. Or maybe they've been destroyed as well (hey, it happened to the Cylons, and they could still get in a few good blows) and Apollo was using that sextant to plot the ship's course.

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