Exodus (Battlestar Galactica)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Battlestar Galactica episode | |
|---|---|
| “Exodus” | |
 Reunited. |
|
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 3 and 4 |
| Guest star(s) | Lucy Lawless |
| Writer(s) | Bradley Thompson David Weddle |
| Director | Felix Enriquez Alcala |
| Production no. | 303 and 304 |
| Original airdate | October 13, 2006 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Precipice" | "Collaborators" |
"Exodus" (Parts one and two) are the third and fourth episodes of the third season from the science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
[edit] Part One
The episode begins with a replaying of the final minutes of the previous episode: Jammer has let Cally Tyrol escape in anticipation of the imminent Cylon Centurion slaughter. The episode then jumps back one hour and cuts to Colonel Tigh.
Chief Tyrol shows Tigh a list of people the Cylons are going to execute. Tyrol has received the list from his source inside Baltar's administration (presumably, Felix Gaeta again). Cally's name is on the execution list. Tigh realises that they still have time to prevent the executions, and dispatches Tyrol and some other armed resistance members to the execution map coordinates.
Meanwhile, Sharon Agathon and her marines land on New Caprica and initiate their rendezvous with the Resistance. Sharon posts two marines to cover her as she makes contact with Samuel Anders. As they begin discussing the plans, namely that Sharon is to retrieve the launch keys for the remaining colonial ships so that an evacuation can be executed, Centurions ambush them and manage to kill some of the Resistance members. Sharon's colonial marines destroy the attacking Centurions, and snipers kill two Humanoid-Cylons that have been spotted fleeing from the scene. The Resistance finds the rendezvous map on one of the corpses and Anders realises that Ellen Tigh has betrayed them.
At the execution site, Tyrol and the resistance manage to destroy the Centurion firing squad and wound Brother Cavil. Tyrol saves Cally and gives his regards to Laura Roslin and Tom Zarek who were also part of Cally's convoy. Tyrol tells Roslin that Admiral Adama is coming back to rescue them all.
Number Three has an intense nightmare and wakes up from her dream with the urge to go into New Caprica and talk to an oracle at the temple. Upon doing so, the priestess convinces her that she knows of her dreams and has a message for her from the gods: "the fruit born of two peoples, Hera (Sharon's hybrid-baby, Isis/Hera), lives". Number Three refuses to believe the oracles, who then adds that Number Three will hold the child in her arms and finally understand true love.
Gaius Baltar and Caprica Six struggle with their roles in the betrayal of humanity. Baltar has sunk deeper into self-pity during the Cylon occupation. Caprica Six is selfishly focused on what she needs from him for their relationship, to the detriment of her position within the Cylon hierarchy.
Starbuck watches her "daughter", Kacey, as she recovers from her accident. Leoben Conoy is shocked at how she is transforming with the prospect of being a mother. Starbuck apologizes for leaving Kacey, who seems to understand what her mother is saying, alone. Kacey forgives her and the two appear to begin to bond.
Number Three is walking back to the Cylon facilities through Caprica City when she comes upon a dog and begins to pet it. She looks across the way and sees Dr. Cottle operating on a wounded Cylon, Brother Cavil. When he comes out for a smoke, she asks him how he could put Sharon's baby in the incinerator. He tells her that it was the President's order. Number Three sees this as proof that the baby is still alive.
Meanwhile back on Galactica, Admiral Adama and Commander Lee Adama finalize the mission plans: Lee and the Pegasus are to wait at the specified coordinates for 18 hours for Admiral Adama to arrive on successful mission completion. Should Adama fail, Lee is to take the remaining fleet and continue the search for Earth. Helo assures Dee that they will see each other again.
Back on New Caprica, Sharon successfully infiltrates the Cylon facilities, taps into the Cylon datastream and recovers the colonial ships' ignition keys. Her escape is interrupted by Number 3, who tells her that Hera is still alive. Sharon refuses to believe that Adama has lied to her. She incapacitates Number Three by knee-capping her (shooting her knees), and escapes to give the launch keys to Tyrol. She asks Tyrol about Hera's ashes to confirm that her death actually occurred.
The Resistance meets to plan the details of their evacuation strategies. Anders confronts Tigh about Ellen's betrayal. She confesses to having done it, but pleads for Saul to understand the motive behind her actions.
Back on Galactica, Helo presents Admiral Adama with the news that the keys have been retrieved. Adama makes a speech his crew to prepare them for the impending action, and with that the civilian evacuation is set in motion.
[edit] Part Two
Lee wrestles with his order to protect the civilian fleet as Adama launches his rescue mission.
On New Caprica, Col. Tigh confronts Ellen over her betrayal of the insurgency. Ellen confesses, telling Tigh that she did it in order to save his life. Tigh consoles her with a drink. She collapses, dropping the cup. Col. Tigh lays her down, and breaks down sobbing over poisoning his wife.
With the Galactica in far orbit within the nebula, the Vipers and Raptors execute their planned attack. The Raptors successfully launch multiple drones in two groups. The Galactica and the Colonial One DRADIS immediately registers the two groups of drones as two Battlestars.
While Baltar and the humanoid Cylons discuss their current situation, a series of explosions rock the New Caprica settlement. It is the beginning of a coordinated uprising, meant to distract the Cylons until the human population can meet at predesignated coordinates for evacuation. Number Eight announces that their sensors have detected the approach of two Battlestars in orbit. The humanoid Cylons realise that they have lost control of the situation and prepare to withdraw. Number Five says that they should detonate a nuclear device that they have hidden inside the settlement. When Baltar, Caprica Six, and Gaeta are alone in the office, Gaeta threatens to kill Baltar. Baltar asks him to do so, but Gaeta relents, saying that Baltar has one chance to redeem himself: by disarming the nuclear weapon.
Tigh, Tyrol, and the rest of the fugitives race for the landing field but are pinned down by guarding Centurions. Suddenly, Galactica jumps into the upper atmosphere and launches Vipers during freefall. Wreathed in fire, and about to crash to the ground, Galactica jumps away with a loud thunderclap, while the Vipers bombard the guard tower and landing field gate, allowing the population access to the ships.
The Galactica, now back in orbit over New Caprica, is suddenly outflanked when two Cylon Basestars jump in to defend, doubling the enemy's firepower. Already damaged by its atmopsheric excursion and lacking air support, Galactica is soon overwhelmed. Just when Admiral Adama is about to issue final orders, however, Lee returns in the Pegasus, destroying one Basestar on arrival and attracting the ire of the remainder. In the ensuing firefight, Pegasus—also without Vipers as they were left behind to guard the civilian fleet—is critically damaged, but Lee has bought Galactica time to repair her FTL and escape. Lee then places the Pegasus on a collision course with the nearest basestar and orders his crew to abandon ship. The Pegasus not only destroys its Cylon target, but takes out another basestar when one of its hangar bays is expelled from the explosion.
Back on New Caprica, Baltar and Caprica Six come across the baby Hera, her foster mother, Maya, having been killed. Number Three appears and asks to hold Hera in her arms. Caprica Six persuades Baltar to allow this, realising that Biers won't detonate the nuclear device while Hera is still in the vicinity.
The New Caprica escapees return to Galactica and the fleet. Starbuck has brought Kacey with her, but before she can explain to anybody who Kacey is, another woman recognises Kacey as her own daughter, who was taken from her by the Cylons. Laura Roslin re-installs herself upon Colonial One, even though she is no longer President. Tory Foster informs Roslin that Hera and Maya did not make it off New Caprica.
On Galactica, Adama shaves off his moustache and returns to work.
[edit] Trivia
- The scene of Tory telling Roslin that Maya and Hera did not make it off New Caprica was originally written and shot for the next episode, Collaborators (which explains why Roslin has changed her clothes). According to Ronald D. Moore's podcast commentary, a fleet-wide search for the two was going to be a subplot of Collaborators.
- As the Colonial ships are evacuating from New Caprica, a logo for the airline Pan Am can be seen on the underside of the stern of one of the ships. The words PAN AM in the logo have been replaced with PAN GAL. The Pan Galactic is an homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey, which featured an Earth-to-orbit passenger shuttle operated by Pan Am.
- The Galactica's starboard launch bay is referred to for the first time since the start of Season 2. This bay had been converted for use as a museum and gift shop in the Miniseries and season one, and was used as an easy way to board the Galatica by Centurions in season 2. It is now serving as a refugee shelter for civilians from New Caprica.
- These episodes set consecutive records for the lowest Nielsen rating for Battlestar Galactica episodes. Part I earned a 1.6 rating, the lowest yet, while Part II earned an even lower 1.5 rating.
- In the scene in which Baltar is talking with the Cylons as the uprising starts, the greenscreen can be briefly seen outside the Colonial One set.
