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Battlestar Galactica: Water

January 18th, 2008

Season 1, Episode 2

Battlestar Galactica: Water

Synopsis

Boomer finds a plastic explosive and detonator in her bag – and doesn’t remember putting them there. In the small arms locker, she finds that six other detonators are missing. Someone has placed them at various locations on the Galactica and they’re about to explode.

Lee tells his father that he’s still troubled by the destruction of the Olympic Carrier. Bill Adama tells him that a man takes responsibility for his actions, right or wrong, and accepts the consequences.

Boomer nervously calls Chief aside, and tells him about the missing explosives. He vows to help her take care of it.

There are several explosions, and the Galactica’s water tanks are damaged. The fleet’s limited water supply is lost to deep space.

Commander Adama, President Roslin, and others gather to come up with a solution. A team is dispatched to analyze the tanks. Adama orders several ships to begin searching for planetary water sources. Tigh says there isn’t much water out there. Baltar calculates the fleet only has supplies to last a week.

While investigating the empty water tank, Callie finds a scorched piece of metal, suggesting sabotage through an explosive. Chief at first tries to deny this, knowing the missing detonators were likely involved. Once called before his superiors, he admits they were the G4 explosives missing from the small arms locker. One detonator is still unaccounted for.

Rumors spread that the fleet has been infiltrated by Cylon operatives that look like humans. Baltar is ordered to come up with a test that would establish whether an individual is Cylon or human. Gaeta will be his assistant.

Annoyed that Gaeta will now be shadowing his every move, Baltar sneaks off to play cards with Starbuck in the pilot’s quarters. Much to Starbuck’s surprise, Baltar wins. He offers Starbuck a now-rare cigarette as consolation.

Chief reassures Boomer that she isn’t suspected of any wrong-doing. Boomer and Crashdown fly a raptor over a moon, looking for water. Boomer’s display screen shows multiple H2O sources, but she’s unable to tell Crashdown. Her Cylon nature keeps her from recognizing the water. After a while, she overcomes her suppression and informs Galactica that water has been discovered.

Boomer and Crashdown return to Galactica greeted by cheers. She tells Chief to examine the ship. There, he finds the remaining detonator. Chief returns it to the master at arms and makes up a story that he found it during maintenance. He reiterates to Boomer that he won’t let anything happen to her.

Roslin tells Lee that she feels his pain regarding the destruction of the Olympic carrier. He repeats his father’s words about accepting responsibility. Roslin asks Lee to become her military adviser.

Back on Caprica, Helo asks Athena why she came back to Caprica. She answers that she couldn’t just leave him behind. They pick up a radio signal that believe is coming from other human survivors on the planet.

Thoughts

The quest for something so basic as water reiterates that the fleet has limited resources and they are in deep space, without access to a planet.

I also enjoyed how Chief and Boomer, because of their feelings for each other, conspire to hide her guilt. It’s hard to know how we would react in a situation where there were only 45,000 humans left. Would you ignore your personal feelings and do what’s right for society, or turn inward to protect your loved ones?

Or, perhaps the answer is more cynical. Now that we know Chief is a Cylon from the end of Season 3, perhaps he was merely protecting a fellow toaster, and without his “human” persona aware that he was doing so.

In addition to the metal robots and ships that attack them from space, the humans must also fight Cylons that look like humans, hiding among them like “sleeper agents.” And through behavior of Boomer in this episode, we know that these agents have no awareness of their own identities. All of this adds to a feeling of distrust and paranoia that will be explored in future episodes.

Next Episode: Bastille Day
Previous Episode: 33

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  • I was into BSG and probably will still watch the next season when they find earth as well. I have to admit that I was bummed out that all of the main players are machines. The whole show is based on Cylon manipulation. Without the Cylon players like the Chief, the Eye of Jupiter would not have been found right before the star was to explode, as well as everything else would not have taken place.
    Now they are saying there are 5 remaining Cylons but they were all revealed in the last episode. Even the President seems to be one as is Baltar, and Starbuck.
    They really could have revitalized the show by making them find Earth but in the 24th century with a Star trek tie in. The Star Trek people need some help with revitalizing that franchise and I thought that the Galactica running to Earth, chased by Basestars and then met by Starfleet would have been fantastic. They were actually in talks but the talks fell through.
    I will be watching this next season whenever it finally begins but the series lost something now.
  • MOin
    This episode was also very thrilling and fun to watch but there were many consequences at that part of that season
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