Battlestar Galactica: Lay Down Your Burdens (2)

May 1st, 2008

Season 2, Episode 20

Synopsis

Callie forgives Chief for attacking her and says she loves him. On Caprica, the humans fight off toasters and mortars, when the attack suddenly stops – and Brother Cavil appears. He says the Cylons have abandoned New Caprica and humanity is spared. But since he’s also on Galactica – he must be a Cylon.

Back on Galactica, Roslin is losing the election, and asks Baltar to table the issue of settlement until after the election. Baltar resists. She asks Baltar if he was with a “six model” Cylon before the attack on Caprica. Baltar dodges the question and leaves.

Starbcuk returns to Galactica with the survivors, and Brother Cavil with them. Chief realizes Brother Cavil is a Cylon. Adama orders Sharon and Cavil to the brig – Sharon probably knew Cavil was a Cylon and said nothing.

In the pilot’s quarters, Anders and Starbuck do shots to celebrate their reunion. Lee comes in, but feels uncomfortable to see them together. Starbuck makes fun of Dualla, so Lee leaves.

The “Caprica” Cavil tells Adama and Roslin that a Six and Eight model (Downloaded) convinced the Cylons to abandon Caprica. Cylon and Man can now go their separate ways. Roslin says that both Cavils should be be thrown out the airlock.

On Election Day, Baltar is ahead. Tory and Tigh set a plan in motion to fix the election so Roslin wins. Dualla removes several ballot boxes. A large amount of votes arrive at the last moment and Roslin has won the presidency. Zarek complains that the vote must have been rigged.

Gatea notices the last batch of ballots are missing a printing mistake he was aware of, and tells Tigh the vote was rigged. Adama questions Roslin, who admits she tried to steal the election. She claims she doesn’t trust Baltar because she saw Baltar back on Caprica with a Six model. Adama says she has no proof of Baltar’s collusion with the Cylons and the vote must take precedence. He doesn’t want Baltar to be president either, but will not commit a crime to prevent it.

Adama tells Baltar of the attempt to fix the election. The fleet jumps to “New Caprica” which will be their home.

Gaius meets with Gina (the Six model from Pegasus). She says she isn’t going to New Caprica, and Baltar is disappointed that they won’t be together. She leads Baltar into the bedroom.

Baltar is sworn in as President of the Colonies. Meanwhile, Gina arms the nuclear bomb he gave her. As Baltar calls for immediate settlement of the planet, the nuclear bomb goes off aboard Cloud Nine, destroying several ships.

Adama tells Baltar the nuclear bomb was stolen from Baltar’s lab and detonated by a Cylon agent, and may be a precursor to a Cylon attack. Baltar stands by the plan of planet settlement.

One Year Later

Baltar lounges about the presidential office, drunk with power and women. There have been no cylon attcks since the colonization of New Caprica. The Galactica and Pegasus orbit the planet, but things have fallen into disarray from disuse. Adama has a mustache and Lee has gained a lot of weight. Adama doesn’t think the Cylons are returning, and tells Tigh to go to the planet below and be with Ellen.

Down on New Caprica, it’s overcast but some semblance of a society has formed. Anders, now Starbuck’s husband, has a cold and plays pyramid. Cottle tells her they have run out of antibiotics. She sees Tigh with Ellen walking in the distance. Inside a tent is Chief who is a union leader. He has married Callie, who is pregnant. Tigh tells Starbuck to ask Apollo for medication.

Meanwhile Roslin has returned to a school teacher. Her assistant is the young woman who secretly adopted Hera, Helo and Sharon’s child.

Starbuck asks Lee for meds. Dualla (now Lee’s XO) sees a Cylon fleet on the radar. Totally unprepared and unable to fight a fleet of that size, the Galactica and Pegasus jump away, abandoning the humans on the planet below.

Gaeta tells Baltar that Cylons have arrived and the fleet jumped away, leaving them defenseless. Head six tells Baltar this is “judgement day.” Hundreds of Cylon craft fly above the human settlement. A Leoben model searches specifically for Starbuck. Anton Doral model, Eight, and Six visit Baltar. The six model is Caprica Six.

It turns out the Cylons were a light year away, and noticed the nuclear detonation from one year ago. Baltar surrenders and toasters march among the humans, beginning a Cylon occupation. Starbuck tells Chief they will fight.

Thoughts

This is probably the best episode of television I saw in the past few years. The turnaround from all that came before and the events in the jump ahead one year was mind-blowing when I first saw it.

The moment where Baltar realizes the nuclear weapon led the Cylons to New Caprica – the very weapon he gave to Gina as a token of his love – is pretty crushing and a powerful moment. He finally achieves his year of glory as president of the human race only to have it undone by his own doing, and will suffer as a Cylon puppet in the first few episodes of season 3.

Several relationships shifted over the course of the year: Starbuck has married Anders, Chief has married Callie, Lee is with Dualla, and Admiral Adama has grown a mustache. In other episodes in season 3, we see other details of what went on during this year on New Caprica, that Adama grew closer to Roslin and Lee almost got together with Starbuck (Unfinished Business).

Next Episode: Occupation
Previous Episode: Lay Down Your Burdens (1)

TV Shows: Battlestar Galactica

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