Pegasus (Battlestar Galactica)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Battlestar Galactica episode | |
|---|---|
| “Pegasus” | |
 |
|
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 10 |
| Guest star(s) | Michelle Forbes as Admiral Cain |
| Writer(s) | Anne Cofell Saunders |
| Director | Michael Rymer |
| Production no. | 210 |
| Original airdate | September 23, 2005 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Flight of the Phoenix" | "Resurrection Ship, Part 1" |
"Pegasus" is an episode of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series.
[edit] Plot
Survivor Count: 49,605
The fleet is stunned to learn that the Battlestar Pegasus also survived the Cylon attack on the Colonies. The ship is commanded by Admiral Helena Cain who pulls rank on Commander Adama and quickly takes charge of the fleet. Her first order of business is to reintegrate fleet personnel, assigning Capt. Apollo and Lt. Starbuck to the Pegasus Viper squadron.
She tells Adama of an unidentified Cylon ship which she intends to attack. The Pegasus CAG arranges a recon mission against the unknown Cylon ship. Apollo and Starbuck don't like the plan and secretly form one of their own. Starbuck takes an unauthorized mission in the Blackbird to photograph the mystery ship.
Meanwhile, Col. Tigh strikes up an alcohol fueled friendship with the Executive Officer of the Pegasus, Colonel Jack Fisk, and so begins to learn of Cain's past ruthlessness. Fisk claims that she shot her own executive officer (his predecessor) in cold blood when the first XO questioned one of her orders. Fisk quickly attempted to cover the statement as a joke.
Dr. Baltar visits the Cylon prisoner aboard Pegasus. She is named Gina, and is another duplicate of Number Six. He is disgusted to find that she has been raped and tortured by the Pegasus interrogators.
Cain orders the same treatment for Boomer on Galactica but she is rescued by Chief Tyrol and Helo, who accidentally kill the Pegagus's interrogating officer in the process. They are arrested and brought to Pegasus, where Cain sentences them to death without giving them the court martial they are entitled to, and does not allow anyone from Galactica to witness.
Adama refuses to accept this outcome and launches his Viper squadron and a Raptor filled with Marines to recover Tyrol and Helo from the Pegasus brig. Admiral Cain launches her own Vipers to counterattack.
[edit] Notes
- This episode echoes events in the original series episode "The Living Legend", Parts 1 & 2 where the fleet encounters the Battlestar Pegasus and the charismatic Commander Cain (originally a male character, played by Lloyd Bridges).
- This episode was nominated for the 2006 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.
- This episode ran long: a normal episode has 4 acts worth of material, while on occasion the SciFi Channel has aired 90 minute specials, which consist of 6 Acts (as was the case with the Battlestar Galactica season 2 finale). However, "Pegasus" had 5 acts worth of material, and the production team felt that they couldn't round it out to 6 acts, to justify a 90 minute special, without resorting to just adding filler material not really relevant to the main plot. As a result, 15-20 minute of material was cut from the episode. The longer cut (59 minutes) was included on the Season 2.5 Region 1 DVD release, whilst the standard cut (44 minutes) was included on the Season 2.0 set. The Region 2 release, which consists of the entire second season, has only the 59-minute version. The extra scenes include:
- A conversation between Cain and Adama which reveals technical information on the Pegasus, including the fact that it is a Mercury-class Battlestar and is approximately twice the size of the Galactica with only half the crew, due to greater automation technology. The conversation between Adama, Cain and Roslin is extended to reveal how Pegasus evaded the Cylon computer virus.
- A discussion between Adama and Roslin which details Cain's biography, namely that she is very young for her rank and achieved it through a combination of skill and good connections. This scene also includes some shots of the Galactica crew's excitement over finding Pegasus.
- Additional material featuring the Pegasus deck chief, including the fact that he is being transferred to Galactica to replace Tyrol.
- Extended scenes with Cain talking to Baltar, including a scene where Cain 'inspects' the captive Boomer.
- Minor extensions to the scene where Tigh and Fisk get drunk for the first time.
- A pre-credits sequence in which Starbuck outlines a plan to return to Caprica and rescue the resistance fighters last seen in the episode "The Farm", which is rejected by Adama and Roslin. This sequence, although cut from the original episode, was used in flashbacks and 'story so far' sequences in later episodes.
- A sequence in which additional spare parts and the Pegasus technical and entertainment database are transferred to Galactica.
- Slight extensions to the scene where Thorne attacks Boomer.
