Battlestar Galactica (2003)/Daybreak (2)

Daybreak (2)
Season 4, Episode 20
Airdate	March 20, 2009
Production Number	4A22 & 4A23
Written by	Ronald D. Moore
Directed by	Michael Rymer
Fleet Survivors	39,516
← 4x19 Daybreak (1)	TV Movie 2 → The Plan
Battlestar Galactica (2003) — Season Four

Daybreak (2) is the twentieth episode of the fourth season of Battlestar Galactica, the seventy-third episode overall and the series finale.

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), Nicki Clyne (Cally) (extended version)

Guest Star: Callum Keith Rennie (Leoben)

Guest Star: Kate Vernon (Ellen Tigh)

Guest Star: Rick Worthy (Simon)

Guest Star: Mark Sheppard (Romo Lampkin)

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), Iliana Gomez-Martinez (Hera), Tobias Mehler (Zak), Simone Bailly (Shona), Kevin McNulty (Frank Porthos), Richard Jollymore (Marine #1), Dan Payne (Sean), Holly Eglinton (Stripper), Anthony St. John (Marine #2)

Uncredited: Leo Chiang (Tattooed pilot), Ronald D. Moore (Man at newsstand), Tiffany Lyndall-Knight (Hybrid)

Plot Overview

Destinies that have long been in the making are finally decided when Galactica mounts its final mission in an effort to rescue Hera from the Cylon colony.

Notes

Music

• Jimi Hendrix - "All Along the Watchtower"

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• To disrupt the colony's fire control systems, the Cylons figure that plugging Anders into Galactica's DRADIS FTL and C3 systems, allowing his mind to directly communicate with the colony's hybrid once they jump in. To expedite the process, they need to move him to the CIC. Adama is initially deadset against it before Kara convinces him.

• Galactica jumps in and a team finds and recovers Hera, but not before being boarded by Cavil and his forces. He manages to get her back before tries to stop him. However, Tigh offers them resurrection on the condition they leave humanity and end their pursuit. Cavil agrees, but when the transfer of data is interrupted, a fight ensues and Cavil kills himself, believing the cause is lost.

• Racetrack and Skulls are killed just after arming their nuclear missiles. Their Raptor is hit, causing Racetrack's dead hand to hit the launch button, with the missiles hitting the colony, knocking it out of its safe orbit and into the black hole.

• Needing to escape, Kara desperately punches in jump coordinates, using the numbers she extracted with the musical notes.

• The jump cripples Galactica, making it incapable of jumping again.

• Kara's jump coordinates take them to a bright blue planet with a grey moon. The planet has abundance of vegetation and wildlife. It also has early humans who have evolved independently. Their DNA is found to be compatible with the colonials, suggesting they can interbreed. Adama decides to call this planet Earth as it fulfils the hope they had long sought with it.

• Before they can begin rebuilding, Lee suggests they instead abandon their technology and start anew. The colonials agree to the promise of a clean slate. Adama has their ships navigated into the sun with Anders piloting it.

• The Cylons agree to stay and help however they can. They give the basestar over to the Centurions to carve their own destiny. It's feared they might come back, but there's hope that being granted their freedom maybe enough to break the cycle.

• 150,000 years later and Earth has reached evolved into a technologically advanced society, albeit still lagging those of the Twelve Colonies. The apparitions of Number Six and Baltar read an article about the discovery of the bones of what scientists believe are the remains of the mitochondrial Eve, the most recent common ancestor of modern humans, which was actually Hera. They note the parallels to the previous civilians on Kobol, the Twelve Colonies, and the other Earth, but are left wondering if humanity will repeat its past mistakes as it verges on creating artificial life once again.

Characters

• Adama turns command of the fleet over to Hoshi in his absence with Romo made president.

• As the last Raptor takes the remains of Baltar's group, Baltar decides to remain, claiming he never belonged to them.

• Boomer helps save Hera and gives her back to Athena. Boomer then has her tell Adama that she owed him one before Athena guns her down.

• The visions of the opera house comes to fruition when Athena and Roslin chase Hera throughout Galactica before Baltar and Caprica-Six finds her and brings her into the CIC where they see on the second level the Final Five.

• In transferring their knowledge of resurrection, the Final Five have to interact with the data flow. In doing so, they begin sharing memories. Tyrol then gets flashes of Tory killing Cally. After pulling his hand away in anger, he begins strangling Tory before snapping her neck.

• The apparitions Baltar and Caprica-Six see of each other appear to them together. After arriving on Earth, they tell them that they've accomplished their goal of getting Hera to Earth. While they claim God's will is never done, there lives will be less eventful. After they disappear, Baltar tells Caprica-Six about some terrain he saw he could cultivate, then begins weeping as he remembers his father.

• Tired of people, Tyrol tells the Tighs that he's going to be alone on an island in the northern continent.

• Kara gives a tearful goodbye to Anders, placing her dog tags in his hand. After she leaves, he says aloud "I'll see you on the other side."

• Seeing Roslin is getting worse, Adama says his goodbyes to Lee and Kara, with Lee noting he's not coming back. As they fly over the wildlife, Roslin passes away. Adama then finds the place he plans to build their cabin. After burying her, he talks to her, telling her how much the sight of the sun coming from behind the mountains reminds him of her.

• Kara tells Lee that she's completed her journey and that it feels good. As Lee wonders to her about what he's going to do, he turns to find that she's gone, and making clear that she will not be forgotten.

Before the Fall

• It's revealed that Adama had to sit down for a polygraph test for a civilian desk job. However, he gets fed up with questions of his integrity and walks out, opting instead to continue in the military as a commander.

• When Tigh tells Ellen his retirement hinges on Adama, she gets chides him for following him around like a lovesick kid. He snaps back, asserting that Adama has more integrity than anyone he's ever met. The two later reconcile with Ellen claiming that all she's ever wanted was to be with him.

• It's revealed there was tension between Adama and Lee existed before Zak's death. Despite his father's discipline, he joined the Colonial Fleet as it helped him pay for his college education.

• Cally catches Boomer and Tyrol and chides him for getting sloppy and that the XO knows about them. She then lets him know there are people he can count on and those he can't and that it's good to know the difference.

• Adama talks to Boomer about her wash outs on the deck, giving her advice. She tells him she owes him one and will repay it when it really matters. He's sceptical since many have, but never followed through.

• Roslin meets her blind date and soon realises he was a student of hers. After sleeping with him, she assures him it won't be happening again. She then calls about joining Adar's presidential campaign, promising "No matter what. All the way to the end."

• After Zak passes out, Kara encourages Lee to drink some shots. The two get drunk and Kara dares him to have sex. However, as they get started, they make noise that briefly wakes Zak up, sobering the two up enough to stop. The next morning, Lee tries to shoo the pigeon before it flies out and away.

• In gratitude for helping with his father, Baltar allows Caprica-Six access to the defence mainframe.

Referbacks

• After she passes, Adama places his ring on her finger, just as he did in her vision in "The Hub".

Trivia

The Show

• In addition to the Raiders seen in "Islanded in a Stream of Stars", the colony also has Centurions left over from the first Cylon War. Their absence until this point is most likely due to being an obsolete model and would have been inadequate in combat.

• In a sort of fitting bookend, the museum that had been set up in Galactica is seen for the first (and last) time since the miniseries. However, the Centurion in the display case has been retconned to fit in line with the design of the original Centurions as seen in "Razor".

• When the fleet ships sail into the sun, the score can be heard playing the theme from the original series.

Behind the Scenes

• Cavil's death was originally scripted differently. In the script, it was intended that Tigh throws Cavil off the second level in CIC. Dean Stockwell, who plays Cavil, suggested to Ron Moore that Cavil should shoot himself after all seems to be lost.

• When Galactica made her final jump and Roslin ask Kara, "Where have you taken us?", originally in the script she was to respond with "Somewhere along the watchtower." However, director Michael Rymer thought the line was milking it too much and eventually dropped it.

Quotes

• Roslin: Thank you, Doctor.

Cottle:I'm just doing my job.

Roslin: No. You've done much more than that. You've taken, uh, a patient that should have died years ago, and you've given her a chance, despite cancer and the Cylons and her own obstinate nature. And you've... you've given me the little time I have left, and for that, you... you have my... my heartfelt... gratitude and my thanks.

Cottle: Well, I - I - I don't know what to say.

Roslin: No, no, don't, don't. Don't spoil your image. Just light a cigarette and go and grumble.

• Adama: We'll be in too close for nukes. Same thing goes for missiles. No, this is going to be strictly a gun battle. Like two old ships on the line, slugging it out at point-blank range. I want the gun captains to do their job and start firing immediately and to continue to fire until they run out of ammo. Then, I want them to start throwing rocks.

• Adama: Just so there'll be no misunderstandings later, Galactica's seen a lot of history, gone through a lot of battles, this will be her last. She will not fail us if we do not fail her. If we succeed in our mission, Galactica will bring us home. If we don't, it doesn't matter anyway.

• Number One: This thing is the key to my people's survival, and I'm not leaving without it.

Baltar: Hera's not a thing. She is a child, and she holds the key to humanity's survival, as well.

Number One: And how do you know that?

Baltar: I see angel, angels in this very room. Now, I may be mad, but that doesn't mean that I'm not right. Because there's another force at work here. There always has been. It's undeniable. We've all experienced it. Everyone in this room has witnessed events that they can't fathom, let alone explain away by rational means. Puzzles deciphered in prophesy. Dreams given to a chosen few. Our loved ones, dead, risen. Whether we want to call that God or Gods or some sublime inspiration or a divine force that we can't know or understand, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. It's here. It exists, and our two destines are entwined in its force.

Number One: If that were true - and that's a big "if" - how do I know this force has our best interests in mind? How do you know that God is on your side, Doctor?

Baltar: I don't. God's not on any one side. God's a force of nature, beyond good and evil. Good and evil, we created those. You wanna break the cycle? Break the cycle of birth? Death? Rebirth? Destruction? Escape? Death? Well, that's in our hands, in our hands only. It requires a leap of faith. It requires that we live in hope, not fear.

Number One: If I leave you this little girl, that means the destruction of my people. How does our extinction fit into this picture that you want us to believe in?

Tigh: We'll give you resurrection.

Ellen: Saul.

Tigh: You give us Hera and we will give you resurrection. But the war ends here. You leave humanity in peace and give up the pursuit now and for all time.

Number One: Agreed.

Adama: How do we know we can take your word for it?

Number One: You don't. You have to make a leap of faith.

• Cottle: Their DNA is compatible with ours.

Baltar: Meaning we can breed with them.

Adama: You got a one-track mind, Doc.

Baltar: What? Listen, I'm talking about the survival of the human race, actually, not some get-together with the natives.

Adama: You also have no sense of humour.

• Roslin: It's a very beautiful world. Does it have a name?

Adama: Earth.

Roslin: It's not Earth.

Adama: Earth is a dream, one we've been chasing for a long time. We've earned it. This is Earth.

• Lee: You know, my very earliest memory of my father was him flying away on a big plane and wondering when he was coming back. He's not coming back this time.

Kara: No, he's not. Neither am I.

Lee: Where are you going?

Kara: I don't know. I just know that I am done here. I've completed my journey and it feels good.

• Kara: So what about you? What are you gonna do? Today is the first day of the rest of your life, Lee.

Lee: Well, I always thought when this was all done I would, uh, kick back, relax, spend the rest of my days doing the absolute minimum humanly possible.

Kara: And now that you're here?

Lee: I want to explore! I wanna climb the mountains. I wanna cross the oceans. I wanna... Gods, I can't believe I'm saying this. It sounds so exhausting. I must be crazy.

(Lee turns around to see that Kara has completely vanished)

Lee: Goodbye, Kara. You won't be forgotten.

• Roslin: (last words) So much... life.

• (last lines)

Number Six: Commercialism, decadence, technology run amok. Remind you of anything?

Gaius Baltar: Take your pick. Kobol, Earth - the real Earth before this one - Caprica before the fall.

Number Six: All of this has happened before --

Gaius Baltar: But the question remains, does all of this have to happen again?

Number Six: This time, I bet no.

Gaius Baltar: You know, I've never known you to play the optimist. Why the change of heart?

Number Six: Mathematics. Law of averages. Let a complex system repeat itself long enough, eventually something surprising might occur. That, too, is in God's plan.

Gaius Baltar: You know it doesn't like that name. (pause) Silly me. Silly, silly me.