Bastille Day (Battlestar Galactica)

"Bastille Day" is the third episode of the first season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series.

Plot

After a source of water is located on a nearby moon, Apollo suggests the use of the 1,000 prisoners aboard the Astral Queen to extract it, but President Roslin does not want to institute slave labor, and instead believes that the prisoners should have the choice to work in exchange for "points" towards early freedom. She assembles a delegation consisting of Apollo, her personal aide Billy Keikeya, Petty Officer Anastasia Dualla, and Specialist Cally.

Commander Adama is opposed to the idea of granting early freedom to prisoners, especially since he is at odds with Apollo's newly appointed role as Roslin's "special advisor", which he sees as a conflict of interest. Regardless, the delegation heads to the Astral Queen and Apollo presents the proposal. The prisoners, acting in solidarity as a union, decline to respond. The prisoners' de facto leader Tom Zarek, a political radical and terrorist from Sagittaron, steps forward to discuss the matter with Apollo.

Meanwhile, on Caprica, Helo and Caprica-Boomer continue their trek through a ruined city as they are observed and analysed from a rooftop by a pair of human Cylon models; Number Six, and Number Five. The two of them comment approvingly on the acting skill of the human-cylon Boomer.

On the Galactica, Commander Adama asks Dr. Baltar for a progress report on the development of the Cylon Detector. In his head, Number Six intimidates Baltar into asking for a nuclear warhead, claiming he needs materials from it to build the detector. While speaking, Baltar realises that this is in fact a valid route to building a detector. Adama reluctantly allows it.

Back on the Astral Queen, Zarek refuses Apollo's offer. Instead, he and his men manage to escape confinement and capture the delegation as hostages. He then demands Roslin's immediate resignation as President, believing that her government does not represent the people. He calls for free elections among the human survivors and limited autonomy for the prisoners.

Refusing to give in to Zarek's demands, Adama sends Starbuck to lead a squad of marines to infiltrate the Astral Queen and kill Zarek if he doesn't release the hostages. Apollo realizes that this is exactly what Zarek wants: a bloodbath that will lead to the collapse of Roslin's government. However, Apollo stops the assault and forces a compromise with Zarek. He proposes to hold elections within a year in return for the prisoners' cooperation in retrieving the water. Roslin and Adama object to the decision until Apollo points out that Roslin is just serving out the last few months of President Adar's term which will be up within a year anyway. Commander Adama expresses discontent with his son's decision, as well as the allegiance it declares, but Roslin takes Apollo into her inner circle by informing him of her cancer.

External links

• "Bastille Day" at the Battlestar Wiki
• "Bastille Day" at Syfy
• "Bastille Day" at TV.com
• "Bastille Day" at the Internet Movie Database