Tory Foster
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| Tory Foster | |
|---|---|
 Tory Foster in the episode "Hero". |
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| Race | Humanoid Cylon |
| Gender | Female |
| Portrayed by | Rekha Sharma |
| First appearance | "The Captain's Hand" |
| Affiliation | Colonial Government, Final Five Cylon |
Tory Foster is a recurring fictional character from the 2004 TV series Battlestar Galactica, portrayed by Rekha Sharma.
[edit] Character biography
Before the Destruction of the Twelve Colonies, she was a precinct captain for the Federalist Party in Delphi on Caprica for five years. In this capacity, she became an expert on polling.[1]
Following the death of Billy Keikeya, Tory Foster becomes one of President Laura Roslin's chief aides and advisors. She takes a particular responsibility for managing Roslin's election campaign. One of her first moves is to take an opinion poll, the results of which clearly show Roslin leading her presumptive opponent, Tom Zarek.[1] She plays a part in finding a human foster mother for the half-Cylon child Hera Agathon and is one of the few people who know the child is alive.[2] She counsels Roslin during the Rya Kibby case, as she weighs up the consequences of appeasing the pro-life beliefs of the Gemenese and the need to repopulate the human race versus the individual rights and freedoms guaranteed under Colonial law before the attack.[1]
After Roslin's executive order criminalizes abortion throughout the fleet, Vice-President Gaius Baltar announces his candidacy in the forthcoming election, and garners Zarek's support as campaign manager (and eventual Vice-President[3]). The discovery of New Caprica and the Baltar-Zarek campaign's pro-settlement position swings much popular support away from Roslin. With Roslin's at first tacit, and later explicit, approval, Foster conspires with Colonel Saul Tigh and others to rig the election in Roslin's favour. The deception is discovered by Lieutenant Felix Gaeta on account of a typographical mistake on one set of ballot papers, and Baltar is sworn in as Roslin's successor.[4]
During the occupation of New Caprica by the Cylons, Foster joins the human resistance movement, again serving as Laura Roslin's aide. She works to compile a list of known Cylon collaborators among the human population.[5][3] She helps to organize the swift and orderly evacuation of the civilian population to their assigned vessels, and is one of the last people to see Maya and her adopted daughter Hera/Isis as the evacuation takes place. Despite having two bodyguards, Maya does not make it off New Caprica, Hera is captured by Number Three, and Foster personally apologizes to Roslin for what she sees as her failure.[6]
Following Roslin's second inauguration as President of the Twelve Colonies, Foster resumes her former duties as a presidential aide.[7]
In the last few episodes of season 3, her mental condition starts deteriorating, and she starts hearing music. In the cliffhanger Season 3 finale, "Crossroads, Part II", she, along with Samuel Anders, Saul Tigh, and Galen Tyrol become aware of the fact that they are Cylons [8], based on hallucinatory music (which turns out to be "All Along The Watchtower," as performed by Bear McCreary's brother [9]) that only they can hear, and a "switch" that goes off within them (as Chief Tyrol mentions). Foster and Anders have experienced at least the beginnings of a physical relationship. As the Cylon fleet attacked, Tigh defiantly declared "Whatever else I am, I'm an officer in the Colonial Fleet and if I die today, that's the man I'll be." Following this speech, Foster reported to the CIC to aid President Roslin.
Season 4 opens with Tory Foster continuing her participation in clandestine final-four Cylon meetings (Anders, Foster, Tigh, Tyrol). Tigh suggests Gaius Baltar as a potential source of information, citing Baltar's previous time spent among the Cylons; Foster attempts to gain Gaius' confidence via professed admiration and seduction. Despite her initial objection to actual sexual relations, she has sex with Baltar during which she weeps.[10] When Baltar asks why she is crying, she says that it's just something that she does, and that things could be worse: she could be a Cylon. Baltar tells her that he believes Cylons can feel, and, touched, she stops crying and kisses him in earnest. Subsequently, she seems to be spending more and more time with Baltar, not necessarily just to gain information. In "Escape Velocity," she attends one of Baltar's monotheism rallies, and appears to be approving.
When she discovers that Cally Tyrol has overheard one of the clandestine meetings, she follows her and kills her by ejecting her from a Viper launch tube.[11] Foster shows no guilt. She appears to have embraced both being a Cylon and her own version of Baltar's teachings, allowing her to by-pass such feelings and adopt an almost hedonistic approach to life. She declares herself to be "perfect", something that uneases fellow Cylons Tigh and Tyrol, and is in marked contrast to Tigh's and Caprica Six's guilty consciences (Escape Velocity).
Later, Foster meets with President Roslin, who first pleasantly comments about Foster's positive change in mood any time she is aboard Galactica. Roslin asks Foster to find out who was sharing the rumors of the president's shared visions to Baltar, then sticks the dagger in, telling Foster she is very aware that she is sleeping with Gaius Baltar. Before Foster can say a word, Roslin tells her that there are enough reports of her visitations to "make her a charter member of his nymph squad[12]." Foster confesses to believing in Baltar's spiritual message, but Roslin is feeling quite betrayed and turns her back on her to do other work, ordering her away (Guess What's Coming to Dinner?).
Tory seems to be embracing her cylon-self more than the other three of the final five. The other three are attempting to maintain their human selves (the same way that Boomer did). This is resulting in a personality change in her.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "The Captain's Hand". Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series).
- ^ "Downloaded". Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series).
- ^ a b "Precipice". Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series).
- ^ "Lay Down Your Burdens". Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series).
- ^ "Occupation". Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series).
- ^ "Exodus". Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series).
- ^ "Collaborators". Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series).
- ^ Ronald Moore confirms that they are Cylons in this interview: [1]
- ^ Bear McCreary (2007-03-25). Bear's Battlestar Galactica Blog. Retrieved on 2007-12-11.
- ^ "Six of One". Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series).
- ^ "The Ties That Bind". Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series).
- ^ "The Captain's Hand". Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series).
| Preceded by Billy Keikeya |
Chief of Staff to the President of the Twelve Colonies (seasons 2.0-2.5) |
Succeeded by Felix Gaeta |
| Preceded by Felix Gaeta |
Chief of Staff to the President of the Twelve Colonies (seasons 3.0+) |
Succeeded by current |
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