Season 3, Episode 8

Battlestar Galactica: Hero

I actually watched this self-contained episode twice to let its gravity sink in. Basically a character study of Adama, my second viewing proved to be more revealing than I initially predicted.

A Cylon ship, chased by two other Cylon raiders heads towards the Galactica. A crackly message is received; Adama seems to know the pilot, “Bulldog.” It turns out he was under Adama’s command and presumed lost a year before the Cylons destroyed Caprica. Once brought aboard Galactica, it is learned he had been held captive by the Cylons for the past three years until he escaped.

The story is fishy, but so is the nature of his initial disappearance. It turns out the original mission was a “black ops” secret mission with Adama exploring the border between human and Cylon territory. Adama was told that recon was needed to see if the Cylons were building up their forces for an attack on Caprica. Unfortunately, Adama’s ship (the Valkyrie) was abruptly discovered, so he shot down Bulldog’s recon craft to escape detection.

Unfortunately, it’s clear that Bulldog’s existence means the Cylons did detect them all those years ago, and this breach into their territory was likely seen as an act of war. So ironically, the recon mission (intended to see if a Cylon attack was imminent), may have provoked an attack. Adama even goes so far as to think that maybe he himself started the war.

This is a brutal and shocking revalation, and does much to explain Adama’s steely, quiet demeanor through the past episodes. All of this time, he has been saddled with guilt, and with nobody to confide in as the misson was top secret. It also explains why he might be so determined to succeed in shepherding the human race: as redemption for his silent mistakes of the past. It creates a paradox: Adama likely is more driven to succeed because of these mistakes that form part of his character.

Meanwhile, there is some character development on the part of Tigh. At the start of the episode, he is still boozing, brooding, and babbling nuttily in his room, alone, scarred by his traumatic experiences on New Caprica. It is actually Tigh - in a final act of insubordination - who tells Bulldog about Adama’s actions all those years ago.

Once Bulldog learns that he was shot down, he corners and attacks Adama. But at the last moment, Tigh comes to Adama’s rescue. He has deduced that the Cylons in fact let Bulldog escape, knowing that he would find his way to Galactica and seek revenge. Realizing that he was merely a pawn, Bulldog relents, and Tigh is redeemed in Adama’s eyes.

Adama is awarded a medal at episode’s end, presented as a hero to the entire fleet. But we know the truth, that he’s tragic and human: a “flawed” hero. I’m really happy that a series isn’t afraid to show characters that are this multi-dimensional and imperfect.

So Hero was a complex episode, and I had a strange sense of foreboding: It’s possible that the humans brought this entire war upon themselves. The military, falling into disrepair after decades of detente with the Cylons, possibly sent Adama on the mission to provoke a conflict and bring the military back into favor. If this conspiracy theory is true, the Cylons may have been correct in concluding that the humans were inherently warlike and deserved extinction. This is not justification for the rashly disproportionate attack that nearly wiped out the entire human race, but it adds a new spin on the situation that up until now, seemed pretty one-sided.

All fodder to think about as we head into a probable mid-season cliffhanger, that’s for sure.

Next Episode: Unfinished Business
Previous Episode: A Measure of Salvation

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