Rapture (Battlestar Galactica)

"Rapture" is the twelfth episode of the third season from the science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica. Aired on January 21, 2007, this episode marks the return of regular broadcasting after the Christmas mid-season hiatus.

Plot

Survivor Count: 41,401

The episode begins with the Galactica orbiting the algae planet and arming its nuclear missile tubes. Admiral Adama is ready to launch his nuclear arsenal upon the planet as the Cylons are sending down six Heavy Raiders.

On a Cylon Basestar, the humanoid Cylons clearly see that Adama wasn't bluffing when he warned them he'd destroy the Eye of Jupiter if they invade. They decide to recall their ships; however, a copy of Number Three, betting that Adama won't fire nukes for one ship, openly defies the other models and recalls only five of the Raiders. The sixth, which has Gaius Baltar, D'anna Biers, and Brother Cavil on board, stays on course to the planet. When Adama sees five ships turn back, he stands down his attack. On the basestar, Three's defiance forces the other models to discuss the future of her line.

Down on the planet, Starbuck has survived her crash, but her hands are severely burned. At the base camp, Major Apollo holds Samuel Anders at gunpoint when he demands that Apollo do something to rescue Starbuck. Anders threatens to kill Apollo if Starbuck dies, and Apollo responds that if that happens he'll let him. Apollo then radios his wife Dee, who is out in the field. She says she sees the smoke from Starbuck's crash site and Apollo orders her to intercept it and rescue Starbuck, which puts Anders at ease for the moment.

Back aboard Galactica, Captain "Helo" Agathon and his wife Athena discuss rescuing their child Hera from the Cylons. Athena has a dangerous plan to resurrect her way onto the Cylon ship, but Helo is hesitant to go through with killing her. The two embrace and Helo shoots Athena with his gun. He cries out in despair as Athena dies in his arms.

Down on the planet, Apollo and Anders prepare to defend the camp from approaching Cylon Centurions. They plan an ambush to destroy the robots in a narrow pass and take defensive positions amongst the rocks of a hillside. Meanwhile, Dee makes her way to Starbuck's Raptor. In the process, she is attacked by other Centurions and her partner is killed. She eventually loses her pursuers and arrives at the Raptor surprising Starbuck. With disdain, Dee tells Starbuck she was ordered by Apollo to risk her life to save her. Dee tends to Starbuck's wounds, saying the Raptor looks intact enough to fly despite the crash. With injuries to her hands, however, Starbuck can't pilot it.

Back in space, Athena awakens in a resurrection tank with Caprica Six standing near her. Knowing why Athena has returned, Six takes her to see her child.

Aboard Galactica, Helo stands before Admiral Adama and President Roslin to explain what he has done. Roslin is shocked by the incredible risk he has taken. Adama reminds Helo that Athena knows sensitive information that the Cylons could use against them, but Helo insists that Athena will not betray them. Roslin thinks otherwise, stating that Helo may have put the whole fleet in jeopardy. Helo turns the situation around on her, stating that if she hadn't staged and lied about Hera's death in the first place, the situation would have been different.

Aboard a Basestar, Athena and Six arrive in the nursery where Boomer (the copy of Number Eight who shot Admiral Adama), is caring for Hera. Athena becomes alarmed that the child's stomach is hard as a rock, the sign of possible intestinal blockage. She tells Boomer to fetch a doctor but Boomer says they have already done all they can. Athena decides Hera needs a human doctor and pleads to Six and Boomer to let her take Hera back to Galactica; if not, the first of a "new generation" will die. Six shows sympathy, but Boomer protests the idea.

Athena urges Boomer to come with them saying Tyrol and Adama still have love for her, but Boomer says that part of her life is over. She then threatens to put Hera out of her misery by snapping her neck. As Athena begs for the life of her child, Six sneaks up behind Boomer and knocks her to the floor. When Boomer tries to get up, Six breaks her neck. Athena takes Hera, and she and Six head out to escape the ship.

Back on the planet, Dee has administered painkillers to Starbuck and bandaged her hands. With Starbuck's guidance, Dee begins to repair the avionics systems to get the Raptor back in the air. Elsewhere, the Centurions engage Apollo and Ander's teams and a firefight ensues. They manage to disable a few of the Centurions and force the rest to retreat. Unable to hold the enemy off indefinitely, Apollo calls Tyrol, who is with the Eye of Jupiter, and tells him to get ready to blow up the temple. Tyrol and his people set the last of the charges and leave the temple as Tyrol uncoils the detonator wire out the passage.

In space, the blue giant star of the system begins its supernova stage, blasting off a wave of energy which causes the atmosphere of the algae planet to violently stir. On Galactica, Felix Gaeta alerts Admiral Adama that the stellar event is beginning and estimates an explosion within the hour. Adama orders preparation of the rescue ships.

Back on the planet, Baltar, D'anna and Cavil arrive at the temple and head inside. D'anna and Cavil quickly disable the explosives around the Eye of Jupiter's column as Baltar takes note of the spiral symbol on the floor. He believes the floor pattern must be the Eye, but has no idea how to activate it.

Outside, Apollo's team meets up with Tyrol's people and Apollo orders him to detonate the bombs. Tyrol hesitates, finally stating he can't do it. Apollo grabs the detonator and presses the button himself. Nothing happens. He angrily questions Tyrol, but a thunderous roar from the sky captures everyone's attention. As if symbolically, the mountain spires of the temple frame the expanding glow of the system's star as it shines a brilliant blue. Tyrol believes the view is a sign, saying the nova is the Eye of Jupiter.

Inside the temple, a set of crystal structures at the top of the column begins to glow, casting a beam of light to the spiral symbol on the floor. Baltar believes this is what D'anna has come to see. Cavil notices D'anna becoming enthralled with the artifact. Realizing that she is here only to get a clear vision of the five unknown Cylons, and not the path to Earth, he forbids her to proceed any further and points a gun at her. Cavil is suddenly shot from behind by Baltar.

Standing upon the symbol, D'anna finds herself in a glowing room surrounded by five hooded beings in gleaming white robes. She moves closer to see their faces and instantly recognizes one of them saying, "You! Forgive me, I had no idea." The being, whose identity remains hidden from the viewer, reaches out to take D'anna's hand, but the scene quickly fades with Baltar taking the figure's place. D'anna is stunned. Her eyes seem to glaze over and blood runs from her nose. Baltar demands to know what she has seen and asks if she saw him as one of the Cylons. She only tells him, "You were right," and slumps lifelessly to the floor.

Baltar stands in the fading light and begs God to tell him if he is a Cylon before he dies, but he quickly finds a gun to his head. Its holder is Tyrol, who says "Welcome home, Mr. President." Tyrol then pistol-whips Baltar, knocking him out.

In space, the Cylon Basestars jump away and Adama orders the rescue ships down to the planet.

In Starbuck's Raptor, Dee has repaired the flight systems and takes the controls to make a shaky lift off. Moments later, they join the other rescue ships and fly through a fire-storm as the planet begins to break apart. Once the Raptors land safely, Galactica makes a harrowing FTL jump, barely avoiding the final fatal shockwave from the star that obliterates the algae planet, and safely joins the awaiting civilian fleet. In the hangar, Anders is ecstatic to know Starbuck has made it home and quickly embraces her. Dee and Apollo embrace as well, but Starbuck and Apollo look at each other over their spouses' shoulders.

Emerging from another Raptor is Athena and her baby Hera. From behind Athena emerges Caprica Six, at whom the guards quickly level weapons. Athena briefly stands in front of Six, telling the crowd that Six helped her escape, but then moves aside to join Helo. Six is then taken into custody. Helo is finally reunited with Athena and their child. Tyrol and Cally bring a body bag from their Raptor. Colonel Tigh is shown the bag's occupant: Baltar, alive but unconscious.

Gaeta begins to study the data from the supernova remnant, comparing the burst and color pattern to the Eye of Jupiter symbol. Tyrol believes they are very similar and Roslin wonders if the Thirteenth Colony had a premonition of this event. Colonel Tigh speculates that maybe the tribe saw another nova and drew a picture of it stating, "You seen one nova, you seen them all." Gaeta thinks the Colonel may be on to something and compares the nova burst to another nova explosion recorded 4000 years ago known as the Ionian Nebula which is 13,000 light years away from their present position. Admiral Adama wonders if the Eye of Jupiter was a "road sign" showing the direction the colony headed to next.

Elsewhere, Helo arrives at Starbuck's bunk where she is recovering from her injuries. He asks her if she has pictures of her apartment back on Caprica. She has him fetch a box from her locker containing the photos, one of which is a picture of a painting Starbuck made when she was a child. The painting is the same swirling pattern of colors as the Eye of Jupiter symbol. Helo remembered seeing the painting in her apartment and asks why she made it, but Starbuck is uncertain, saying she simply liked the pattern. She is shocked by the similarities. Remembering Leoben's claim that she has a destiny, she wonders now if the painting has some prophetic relation to that destiny.

Back aboard the Resurrection Ship, D'anna awakes from her resurrection, finding Cavil next to her. D'anna smiles, having finally seen the five remaining Cylon models, but before she can elaborate, Cavil tells her that her model series has been determined to be fundamentally flawed. The decision has been made to terminate her line and box up her persona indefinitely. Cavil pulls a cartridge from the side of the resurrection tank and the unit powers down as D'anna takes her final breath.

Emmy Award consideration

Grace Park submitted this episode for consideration in the category of "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" on her behalf for the 2007 Emmy Awards.^[1]

References

External links

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