Episode Name: Guess What's Coming To DinnerEpisode Number: 407Written by: Michael AngeliDirected by: Wayne RoseOriginal Air Date: 5/16/08 on SciFi Channel
The Galactica crew teams up with Cylon rebels in a plot to destroy the enemy's vital Resurrection Hub and liberate the Number Three known as D'Anna.
Anyone else happy to see the Space Park repaired?
Other than the Galactica , it's the most distinctive ship in the fleet. A passenger ship, it has not yet been given an "official" name.
Space Park is the first time that large scale repair operations to the outside of a ship within the Fleet can be seen on screen. This episode was very unusual in that it was framed by a song sung a capella by former university opera student, Alessandro Juliani who appears in BSG as Lt. Felix Gaeta. Previously, during a mutiny attempt aboard the Demetrius , a vessel upon which he was a crew member, Gaeta was shot from behind through the knee by Sam Anders as Gaeta attempted to jump the ship back to the Galactica. Due to the extended time that Felix had to wait to get back to the Galactica for medical attention, it became all but certain that he would lose the leg. The song Gaeta sings throughout the episode is called " Gaeta's Lament. " The lyrics were written by the episode's writer Michael Angeli and the music is by the series's composer Bear McCreary . Actor Alessandro Juliani , who studied opera and performed the song live on set, also greatly influenced it. McCreary discusses the song in his blog. The song, though kind of disturbing after awhile whilst viewing the show, sneaks up on you later as the refrain weaves in and out of your memory.And he does in fact, lose it to Doc Cottle's saw blade. Samuel Anders is distraught over his actions on the Demetrius , notably those concerning Gaeta and having shot him in the leg... However, there is no indication yet that Anders will suffer any disciplinary procedures for the shooting. Nor are any indicated for the alleged mutiny on the Demetrius . A cover up by the Demetrius crew with the Cylons' acquiescence could be a possibility. A possible cover story for Anders shooting Gaeta is blaming it on the Six that killed Jean Barolay . (from Battlestar Wiki)
While preparing for the jump to the Galactica, rebel Cylon leader, Natalie remarks to Athena that her Cybrid daughter, Hera is "beautiful." Athena is shocked to find out that Natalie and other Cylons know the child's name. Later: Laura Roslin experiences another vision of the Opera House, in which she is searching for Hera Agathon. Caprica Six and Sharon Agathon also share the same vision. When Sharon wakes up, little Hera is there at her bedside and says a darkly prophetic "Bye-bye," suggesting the child somehow knows that she will be taken.
Galactica , Kara Thrace visits Roslin in sickbay. The President with a somewhat derisive tone,compliments Thrace
on her plan to unite the rebels and the Fleet. When Thrace
asks if Roslin is having visions, the president is quiet. Thrace
repeats what the rebel baseship's Hybird told her some time before: "This shall it come to pass: the dying leader shall know the truth of the Opera House." Shocked at Thrace
's knowledge of the dream's specific content, Roslin asks how the Hybrid would know about her dreams, but Thrace
does not know. Roslin pleads with Thrace
to help her determine the meaning of the dreams. Thrace
accepts without hesitation and Roslin asks her to find Karl Agathon. Tigh, Tory, Tyrol and Anders again meet secretly and talk about the unboxing of the Threes. Tyrol
muses that they'll at least discover the last member of the Five, but Tigh comments with unintentional humour that finding the fifth will only "crowd the airlock a little more." Tory Foster meets with Laura Roslin in a temporary office on the Galactica while the President is recovering from another diloxin treatment, staying close to sickbay for further treatment. Roslin first offhandedly comments on Tory's great mood anytime she is aboard Galactica . Roslin then asks Foster to find out who was sharing the rumors of the president's shared visions with Gaius Baltar, than startles Tory, telling her that she is very aware that Tory is sleeping with Baltar. Before Tory can say a word, Roslin tells her that there are enough reports of her visitations to "make her a charter member of his nymph squad.”* Tory admits to believing in Baltar's spiritual message, but Roslin, unforgiving, turns her back, returning to other work and orders Tory away but before doing so gets in a dig saying, “I don’t care if you have to spend the night on your knees praying or just on your knees, you have a job to do.”
*"Nymph"
When queried by Adama and Roslin, Cylon rebel leader, Natalie explains that the Number 2, Number 8, and Number 6 model Cylons believe that seeking out the Final Five Cylon models is crucial to finding Earth, while the Number 1, Number 4, and Number 5 violently disagreed, so extremely that a civil war broke out among the Cylons.
When Adama asks Natalie of the seventh model, she says that the Number Threes were punitively boxed, explaining the process and why the D'Annas were boxed because they saw then-forbidden faces of the Five. She says that unboxing the Threes could give them information that could lead them all to Earth, since the Final Five are believed to have come from there. Kara Thrace, in uniform and standing with Sharon Agathon, confirms Natalie's comment. Natalie notes that the baseship can heal itself of its damage, but most of their Raiders were destroyed in the ambush by the enemy models.
Roslin pointedly asks why the Fleet should trust these Cylons.
Adama insists that Natalie reveal the coordinates of the Hub, but the rebel leader says she will only take them to the Hub, not give the coordinates. Adama response is to order the marines to escort her away. Natalie changes her mind, promising to give the coordinates if Adama gives his word that D'Anna will be unboxed and the Cylons will be allowed to leave with the Five once the Threes identify them. Adama gives his word.
Adama, Tigh, Roslin and Karl Agathon discuss an attack strategy. With no Raiders and too few resources for Galactica to fight alone, Agathon suggests using the baseship as a "trojan horse", entering the Hub's vicinity with half of Galactica's Vipers to destroy the FTL drive on the Hub. Roslin ponders the idea that the Cylons will become mortal enemies.
Racetrack and Skulls arrive in an asteroid-filled area, and find the massive Hub , which appears to be twice the relative size of a guarding baseship. "It's beautiful," Skulls comments. They take pictures and jump back quickly to the Fleet. Sharon Agathon returns to her quarters at the end of her shift to find daughter Hera colouring.
Sharon
picks up the drawings and sees the number “6” scrawled again and again as well as crude drawings of a blond figure and finally, the last, a rendering of the blond figure and a smiling Hera holding hands.
This sends
Sharon
over the top only to realize that somehow Hera has opened the door and gone from her quarters. She frantically chases after her, remembering visions of the Opera House as she runs, calling out Hera’s name repeatedly.
Natalie arrives by Raptor on Galactica, obviously very uneasy.
Sharon Agathon chases Hera through the Battlestar, but the child stays just out of her sight line. When she stops to tell Tyrol, working within a corridor, he stares at her blankly, but eventually follows her.
Hera finds herself at a stop in front of Natalie, being escorted by Tigh and a squad of Marines. But Agathon is there immediately and draws her sidearm, Marines at bay, standing them down.
Agathon asks Tyrol to take Hera away, which he does. However, Agathon's visions of the Opera House and a Six's kidnapping of Hera are too strong in her mind. "You are never going to take my child," she says as she shoots Natalie.
At the deactivated Hybrid's pool, Roslin orders the Hybrid reactivated. When Baltar says, "Let God's will be done," Roslin tells him to "Shut up. It's time to get some answers." At the moment that the Hybrid awakes, she cries out "Jump!" The baseship disappears from the Fleet with the president and her entourage all aboard. This episode left me wondering: -Does Natalie survive her gun-shot wounds? -What will Adama do about Sharon "Athena" Agathon's shooting of the rebel leader? -Will anyone be held accountable for the mutiny on the Demetrius ? -Will Anders be held accountable for shooting Felix, resulting in Gaeta losing his leg? -How will the rebel Cylons react when they discover that their leader has been shot by a Colonial? -Where does the rebel baseship end up after it's sudden jump? It seemed like a blind jump. -Do Hera's drawings accurately depict a future event? -How will Adama react to the rebel basestar's unexplained jump? Will he assume it was a trap for Roslin, who just went aboard the basestar with Baltar, Karl "Helo" Agathon, and others? -The Hybrid's prophecy that Kara Thrace is the "harbinger of death" takes on a new significance during Natalie's speech to the Quorum...in that it may be referring to the potential loss of immortality among the Cylons--or will the "dying leader" turn out to be someone other than President Roslin--Natalie perhaps?
Survivors: 39,673
Main Characters That Appear: Admiral Adama, Colonel Tigh, President Roslin, Lee Adama, Kara Thrace, Gaius Baltar, Athena Recurring Characters That Appear: Tyrol, Tory, Anders, Helo, Racetrack, Skulls, Natalie, Leoben, Seelix, Gaeta, Cottle, Dee, Hera, Caprica Six Cylons That Appear: Anders, Tigh, Tory, Tyrol, Athena, Natalie, Leoben, Eight, Caprica Six, Hybrid, Centurions
Kandyse McClure as Anastasia Dualla Richard Hatch as Tom Zarek Callum Keith Rennie as Number Two / Leoben Conoy Donnelly Rhodes as Doctor Cottle Rekha Sharma as Tory Foster Bodie Olmos as Lieutenant Brendan "Hotdog" Costanza Tiffany Lyndall-Knight as Hybrid Brad Dryborough as Lieutenant Hoshi Leah Cairns as Lieutenant Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson Colin Lawrence as Lieutenant Hamish "Skulls" McCall Jennifer Halley as Ensign Diana "Hardball" Seelix Colin Corrigan as Marine Nowart Alexandra Thomas as Hera Agathon Donna Soares as Gemenon Delegate Andrew McIlroy as Jacob Cantrell Judith Maxie as Picon Delegate Iris Paluly as Speaking Delegate #2 Marilyn Norry as Reza Chronides
Alessandro Juliani summed up the experience (of being the first singer on BSG), saying
“It was a challenge to make this bold idea truly believable. To go to that place of mourning and solitude that the song evoked and to convey that the song was a manifestation of a real sea change in Gaeta? – well, let’s just say that as an actor it was a welcome change from dradis contacts and star charts. Being the first character to ’sing’ on the show is exciting but a bit nervy. But, BSG has never played it safe. Why should they start now? from Bear's Battlestar Blog
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