| "Experiment in Terra" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Battlestar Galactica (1978) episode | |||
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 22 |
||
| Directed by | Rod Holcomb | ||
| Written by | Glen A. Larson | ||
| Original air date | March 18, 1979 | ||
| Guest stars | |||
|
Melody Anderson as Brenda |
|||
| Episode chronology | |||
|
|||
| List of Episodes | |||
"Experiment in Terra" is an episode of the original Battlestar Galactica television series.
In his report, Commander Adama exposits the current situation of Eastern Alliance escapees and their other destroyer ships which search the area for opposing forces. A patrol led by Captain Apollo and Lieutenant Starbuck follow the escaping Eastern Alliance craft to determine the exact location of their outpost on Lunar 7. Apollo however is overtaken by the Ship of Lights and awakens once again inside dressed in white, though he has no memory of his last visit. A being calling himself John inform Apollo that he must go to Terra to stop a war. Apollo is given a "protective aura" - the identity of a lost Terran warrior - so that he may fit in.
He emerges from the ship in his Viper sensing that what he experienced was not just a dream. On Terra, he meets a woman named Brenda who calls him Charlie Watts, the name of the lost warrior. Charlie and Brenda had previously been in a relationship, and she believes he has amnesia. John appears to straighten out a few questions from Apollo, but he's not permitted to level with him. Unfortunately, Apollo/Charlie's conversation with a nonexistent (to her) person cause Brenda to secretly inform the authorities of the Western Nationalists (a democratic government and the chief enemy to the Eastern Alliance), who then arrest him.
The Nationalist president is worried that Charlie Watts has reappeared and also wants to maintain a peace treaty with the Eastern Alliance. An authoritative body called the Presidium disagrees with him. On board the Galactica, Adama informs the fleet that his Battlestar must leave the fleet for Terra, traveling at light speed. Starbuck, meanwhile, also arrives on Terra and finds Apollo's Viper. He hides from a search crew but is soon found, but then he manages to single handedly take on the nine Terrans, hitting them with his stun lasers, and destroying their craft. In Brenda's apartment, her father, a general and supporter of the Presidium, informs her that the president has already turned over all the satellite planets to the Eastern Alliance. He is surprised that Charlie is back. They are taken to Apollo's detention facility, while Starbuck shows up outside. John appears as well, touching Starbuck to so that he may communicate with him. Starbuck's uniform turns white and he remembers his experience on the Ship of Lights. Against John's warnings, Starbuck blasts his way through the facility and is able to free Apollo and the other prisoners.
The general plans to challenge the president with proof of an Eastern Alliance-caused holocaust, using Apollo as a witness. John appears again and warns them of an impending strike by the Alliance. Meanwhile, the sinister Eastern Alliance meets in a war room, eerily echoing the policies of Nazi Germany. The president of Terra reveals his plans for appeasement, and the general counters him by introducing Apollo, who relates the story of the Twelve Colonies. Simultaneously, the Eastern Alliance launches their first missile strikes.
The general informs a disbelieving president of the strike and tells him everything is automatic now: their missiles will launch and mutual assured destruction is inevitable. Starbuck is able to launch his Viper, and with a suggestion from John, he informs the nearby Galactica of the situation. Adama calls a red alert, and the Galactica destroys all the missiles with a powerful laser shield over the planet. With its nuclear arsenal empty, the Eastern Alliance comes around and wants to sue for peace on Terra's terms. The general asks Apollo how he was able to save the planet, but John warns him: "For heaven's sake don't tell him! Put the fear of God in them." Apollo smiles and tells the general that "even our society has its military secrets."
The pair slip away and Apollo prepares to return to the fleet. In appreciation for his services, John tells Apollo that Terra is not in fact Earth, but his people should keep their faith - they're headed in the right direction.