Battlestar Galactica (2003)/Daybreak (1)

Daybreak (1)
Season 4, Episode 19
Airdate	March 13, 2009
Production Number	4A21
Written by	Ronald D. Moore
Directed by	Michael Rymer
Fleet Survivors	39,516
← 4x18 Islanded in a Stream of Stars	4x20 → Daybreak (2)
Battlestar Galactica (2003) — Season Four

Daybreak (1) is the nineteenth episode of the fourth season of Battlestar Galactica, and the seventy-second episode overall.

Edward James Olmos (Admiral William Adama), Mary McDonnell (Laura Roslin), Katee Sackhoff (Kara "Starbuck" Thrace), Jamie Bamber (Lee Adama), James Callis (Dr. Gaius Baltar), Tricia Helfer (Number Six), Grace Park (Sharon "Boomer" Valerii / Lieutenant Sharon "Athena" Agathon)

Michael Hogan (Colonel Saul Tigh), Aaron Douglas (Chief Galen Tyrol), Tahmoh Penikett (Captain Karl "Helo" Agathon), Michael Trucco (Samuel Anders)

Guest Star: Kate Vernon (Ellen Tigh)

Guest Star: Rick Worthy (Simon)

Guest Stars: Donnelly Rhodes (Dr. Cottle), Matthew Bennett (Doral)

Guest Stars: Rekha Sharma (Tory Foster), Kerry Norton (Medic Layne Ishay)

and Dean Stockwell (John Cavil)

Co-Starring: Bodie Olmos (Lt. Brenden "Hotdog" Costanza)

Cast: Leah Cairns (Lt. Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson), Brad Dryborough (Hoshi), Colin Lawrence (Ensign Hamish "Skulls" McCall), Lara Gilchrist (Paulla), Colin Corrigan (Marine Allan Nowart), Leela Savasta (Tracey Anne), Darcy Laurie (Dealino), Finn R. Devitt (Nicky), Iliana Gomez-Martinez (Hera), Tobias Mehler (Zak), Antony Holland (Julius Baltar), Curtis Caravaggio (Nathanson), Ivan Cermak (Corporal D. Wallace), Simone Bailly (Shona), Elan Ross Gibson (Nurse Barbara), Skylar Tyj (Calvin) (extended version), France Perras (Sandra), Sarah Deakins (Cheryl), Tiffany Burns (Reporter Carolyn), Kevin McNulty (Frank Porthos), Stefanie Samuels (Police Officer), Richard Jollymore (Marine #1), Anthony St. John (Marine #2)

Uncredited: Elizabeth Thai (Crew member), Leo Chiang (Tattooed pilot)

Plot Overview

In the midst of stripping Galactica's parts, Adama rethinks his decision on not retrieving Hera from the Cylon colony and Baltar pleads for his people to be represented in the government.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Baltar's group now hold a majority within the fleet, granting them political power.

• Kara has tried to break down the music to the point of assigning numbers to the notes.

• Adama has packed almost everything in preparation for transferring his flagship to the baseship as the process has begun stripped down Galactica. The memorial hallway is cleaned up, but some photos are still left behind, likely left by people who have since passed themselves. Adama finds a picture of Hera posted and removes it.

• Adama goes to Kara to asks Anders a question that has something to do with finding the Cylon colony.

• Adama marks a line on the hangar deck. Word is spread about a strictly voluntary mission is strictly voluntary for any man or woman over the age of 15, including the ones detained due to the mutiny. As all stand on the deck, Adama has the volunteers to one side. While in the minority, there are enough volunteers to man Galactica for the mission.

• A recon mission confirms the location of the colony. It's bound within the gravity well of the black hole, but maintains a stable orbit. However, due being within the accretion disk the current leaves only one safe spot to jump: less than a click away, point-blank range.

Characters

• Helo visits Tyrol in the brig. He seems sympathetic to Tyrol's situation, but Tyrol argues that he's an idiot because all of the Eights are the same, which Helo disagrees with.

• Baltar pleads with Lee for his people to have representation in the government. However, Lee is sceptical of his altruism, which Baltar concedes and walks away.

• Adama asks Kara about what Baltar said about her, which she confirms, saying she burned her body and doesn't know what she is. Adama reaffirms his feelings for her by insisting she's his daughter.

• When volunteers begin crossing over to the other side of the deck, Baltar appears conflicted, hesitant about joining, but doesn't.

• After announcing the mission to rescue Hera, Helo is hopeful while Athena believes she's likely already dead.

Before the Fall

• Adama is in civilian clothes talking with someone who's trying to convince him to go through with something he doesn't feel he has to.

• Lee is invited over for dinner by Zak and is introduced to Kara. The next morning Lee is drunk, mentioning something about a dare when he notices a pigeon he tries to shoo outside.

• Baltar had a tumultuous relationship with his father, Julius, who points out that his son has attempted to distance himself from his roots. Caprica-Six is turned off by Baltar's treatment of his father and later sets him up in a retirement home that encourages residents to garden and grow their own food, noting Julius will be a farmer again.

• Roslin's younger sisters and their father were killed by a drunk driver. Three months later, Roslin is on the phone with someone who asks her about Adar's presidential campaign, but she refuses to join. She then agrees to a date with a younger man whose name sounds familiar to her.

• We see the beginning of Boomer's relationship with Tyrol. Helo warns her, but as Boomer cannot hold her excitement about their relationship, Helo looks visibly hurt.

• Anders is asked by a reporter about maintaining his career. Anders responds candidly with his true nature unknowingly seeping in a bit as he begins to describe the enjoyment of the science of playing Pyramid.

Trivia

The Show

• The format of this episode is unusual in that it goes from the recap into the title sequence and then into the first act. Without a teaser, the episode has an extra act. There is also no montage of clips to punctuate the title sequence.

• When in the limo, Baltar says that he forgot Caprica-Six's name. This alludes to the fact that the character was not named by the producers during her time with Baltar, the reasoning being that he simply never cared to learn her name.

• "Daybreak" was originally written as a two hour finale before the network provided the money for a third hour because Ron Moore felt that two wouldn't be sufficient. Moore did, however, lose a relatively minor battle in that he wanted "Daybreak" to air together as a single three hour episode.

• The finale was shot literally next door to the shooting of the pilot episode of Caprica.

Behind the Scenes

• Originally, the flashback sequences were not written in any chronological order. However, the network thought this would be too confusing for viewers, so director Michael Rymer restructured the scenes in order and inserted them throughout the two episodes.

Quotes

• Anders: Spins and turns. Angles and curves. The shape of dreams half-remembered. Slip the surly bonds of Earth and touch the face of perfection. A perfect face. Perfect lace. Find the perfect world for the end of Kara Thrace. End of line.

• Number One: (seeing Hera's drawing) Dots. Lots and lots and lots of dots. She's clearly very gifted.

• Adama: What Baltar said the other day, is it the truth?

Kara: Yeah. I found my body and I burned it on Earth. I don't know what I am.

Adama: I have to ask him a question. Do you know how to plug him in?

Kara: Yeah.

Adama: Hey. I know what you are. You're my daughter. Don't forget it.