TV Review: Battlestar Galactica

Deleted Scenes and a Theory

I have been working on a theory about Battlestar Galactica from the Sci Fi channel, that I hope you will indulge me on and give me your comments. Follow me for a second while I walk through the evidence and then give my analysis.

In the episode “No Exit,” Galen Tyrol (Aaron Douglas) shows the damage in Galactica’s hull that he discovered in “Blood on the Scales” to Admiral William Adama (Edward James Olmos). He warns him that they shouldn’t even attempt a jump until it is repaired because the ship may not survive it. Tyrol believes that corners were cut when building Galactica, things that now are compromising its structural integrity.

When Adama reinstates Tyrol as Chief, he gives him specific instructions that the repairs be carried out by an all human repair crew. Later though, we find out that the damage includes extensive micro fractures. Tyrol believes that the only solution is to use a Cylon compound, an ORGANIC, as in living, compound, to repair all of the “fracturing.” Adama, of course refuses this. And why wouldn’t he? He has massive mistrust of Cylons, forged from many years of fighting them. However, when he discovers fractures in his own quarters, he relents and instructs Tyrol to use the compound on Galactica.

Also in "No Exit,” we realize that the Cylons are also deeply split. Brother Cavil (Dean Stockwell), as we now know is considered to be one of the 1st “children” of Ellen Tigh (Kate Vernon) and the rest of the Final Five. But, he is resentful of his body and even of his maker. He is a man/machine bent on revenge.

The Five are also split. Since Ellen has returned to them, in “Deadlock”, they take a vote on whether or not to leave the humans or to stay with them (BTW, does anyone know how Boomer (Grace Park) knew where to find the fleet? And if she can find them, why hasn’t Cavil attacked?). Tory Foster (Rekha Sharma) and Tyrol vote to leave (interesting, since we have come to believe that Tyrol is once again invested in saving Galactica), while Samuel Anders (Michael Trucco), based upon his pre-operation comments, and Colonel Tigh vote to stay. Ellen is the swing vote.

After the whole love triangle with Ellen, Caprica Six (Tricia Helfer), and Saul, Ellen decides that the Cylons should leave. Her decision was based on emotion and spite rather than rational thought and she later recants. You will also remember that it is believed that Cylons can only conceive if love, twoo wuv, is what bwings them toogethuh (oops, sorry, wrong show). Jane Espenson, who wrote "Deadlock," was asked why Caprica Six’s baby died. She answered with another question: “Did the baby die because Tigh, witnessing Ellen's gesture of sacrifice, fell in love with her all over again and deprived Six of his love in that moment?”

I think the Cylons are just as emotional and irrational at this point as the humans are. Ellen even accuses Tigh of not wanting to leave Galactica because he loves the ship and Bill more than he loves her or Caprica Six.

Now for some things you may not have known. There were some deleted scenes from "Deadlock" that I think are pretty critical. You remember the scenes with Gaius Baltar (James Callus) in Dogsville. They were a little confusing. In the deleted scenes however, it is explained that many marines were lost during the mutiny and there are just not enough of them to maintain order. The marines were forced to retreat from Dogsville. Adama is finding it difficult to maintain order aboard Galactica.

In the absence of the marines, the Sons of Ares seize most of the food supply, with the exception of the small stash controlled by the cult formerly led by Baltar. Adama needs a force to help keep the civilian population under control. Adama and Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell) debate the possibility of bringing Centurions on board to provide security. Adama is firmly opposed to this, even though the ship is slowly being infused with Cylon material, because he fears, among other things, a civilian uprising.

Enter Baltar with “the last human solution;” to arm the cultists. The decision facing Adama is to either allow criminals to control the food supply, or allow Baltar and the crazy cultists (good name for a band?) to act as a civilian security force. Adama obviously believed that the human solution was better or at least the lesser of two evils and arms Baltar’s followers to the teeth.

What is a fracture? A split, a rift, a parting of two entities that were once a whole. Cylons and humans once lived together. Bringing in the mythology of the tribes, Cylons, or at least the skin jobs, are referred to as the 13th tribe since they are "children" of the Final Five.

Galactica is a representation of the human-Cylon relationship. I believe the writers are trying to tell us that Humans cannot survive without bringing their lost children back into the fold. Just as Galactica was deteriorating and would have eventually been lost without an infusion of Cylon, so too will the human race be lost without a reuniting of Cylons and humans.


Cylons too are lost without the humans. Resurrection technology is lost. Perhaps it could be rebuilt, but it is lost for now. Cylons once had the ability to procreate but have lost that ability. They are missing something that can only be obtained from the humans. Whether that be technology or a Cylon/human baby, who knows, but it seems to me that Galactica, once again is showing the way for human and Cylon alike to survive.

To me, this indicates that Cylons and humans will unite and become one race with a shared destiny. After all, Anders did reiterate a theme during his bullet-induced visions that has been common throughout the series: “This has all happened before, and it will all happen again.” The Five were all once human, perhaps a thousand years ago, but they were all once human. (BTW, where is Hera?) And if you needed any more convincing, we have the words of Adama himself. At the end of “Deadlock,” he and Laura see a Cylon putting up pictures of Cylon dead. In classic deadpan Adama delivery, he states that the integration has already happened.

Only time can ultimately prove me right or wrong, but I think that the separatist Cylons will not leave the fleet and we will see a further blending of Cylon and human technology and ideology. Cavil and his group will have to come around to the point of view of the separatists and rejoin the Final Five “makers.” If he doesn’t, he and his followers will be lost, spiritually and physically.

Does this mean that together they will find another planet to live on? Personally, I don’t think they will find one before the end of the series. But in my opinion, they don’t need to in order to bring closure to the series. Now that Earth is gone, all they really need is to eliminate the threat of Cavil (either by conversion or destruction) and then find a New New Caprica.