From The TV IV

Flight of the Phoenix is the ninth episode of the second season of Battlestar Galactica, and is the twenty-second episode overall.

Secondary Stars: Michael Hogan (Col. Tigh), Aaron Douglas (Chief Tyrol), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo), Paul Campbell (Billy Keikeya), Nicki Clyne (Cally), Alessandro Juliani (Lt. Gaeta), Kandyse McClure (PO Dualla)

Guest Stars: Donnelly Rhodes (Dr. Cottle)

Co-Stars: Bodie Olmos (Brendan "Hotdog" Constanza), Leah Cairns (Racetrack), Jennifer Halley (Seelix), Christian Tessier (Tucker "Duck" Clellan), Dominic Zamprogna (Jammer), Don Thompson (Specialist 3rd Class Anthony Figurski)

Contents 1 Plot Summary 1.1 Viper 1.2 Virus 2 Notes 3 Arc Advancement 3.1 Happenings 3.2 Characters 3.3 Referbacks 4 Trivia 4.1 The Show 4.2 Allusions and References 4.3 Memorable Moments 5 Quotes 6 Reviews

[edit] Plot Summary

While Galactica suffers from an invasive Cylon computer virus, Chief Tyrol begins work on a new Viper to replace a damaged one.

[edit] Viper

After being forced to declare one of the Galactica's remaining Vipers unrepairable, Chief Galen Tyrol decides to build a new one from scratch. While most of the Galactica's crew are skeptical at first, most come around eventually and by the time the framework for the new fighter is constructed, people from all over Galactica are helping, including some CIC crew—Petty Officer Dualla chips in, helping them set up the new Viper's communications system, and Colonel Tigh finds Tyrol a set of engines for the new ship. Upon completion, Helo suggests that since they can't find any plating to use on the outside, they should use carbon composite. As a side effect, this renders the new Viper, nicknamed the Blackbird, invisible to DRADIS. Starbuck flies the first successful test run in the newly constructed fighter.

[edit] Virus

Galactica is attacked by an insidious, adaptive Cylon virus. The only way to purge the virus from the systems is to do a complete ship systems wipe and restart. The virus is capable of attacking ship's systems, in its early stages doing things like causing power fluctuations and shutting off life support to various areas of the ship, and in its later stages supposedly capable of taking over Galactica's navigational systems and using it to attack the fleet. Boomer helps the Galactica crew get rid of the virus, not only purging it from Galactica's systems but using some sort of Cylon communications uplink to bounce it back to the incoming Cylon fighter swarms and shut them all down, rendering them vulnerable to complete destruction by the Colonial fighters.

[edit] Notes

• This episode was the first time that the survivor count remained constant between episodes since the count was added to the opening.
• This episode had the highest Nielsen rating of the evening for Sci Fi Friday.

[edit] Arc Advancement

• President Roslin's cancer is increasing in severity, leaving her with mere weeks to live.

[edit] Happenings

[edit] Characters

[edit] Referbacks

• 2x01 Scattered: The Cylon virus from Scattered makes its return appearance.

[edit] Trivia

[edit] The Show

[edit] Allusions and References

• The episode title is a reference to the book/movies "Flight of the Phoenix", in which survivors of an airplane crash build a new airplane out of the wreckage of the old plane.
• The name of the new Stealth Viper, the "Blackbird", is a reference to the United States' SR-71 Blackbird stealth spy-plane.

[edit] Memorable Moments

[edit] Quotes

[Tigh walks in on Tyrol while he's distilling homemade booze from the flight deck still]
Tigh: What's this, Chief?
Tyrol: Uh... Making solvent, sir. Clean engine parts-
Tigh: Solvent my ass, I know a still when I smell it. What the hell are you up to?
Tyrol: I need booze. To trade for parts. I'm scrounging most of what I can from the fleet, but I need engines. I know I need Commander Adama's permission to cannibalize one of the wrecks-
Tigh: Engines or not, we both know that piece of crap out there is never gonna fly.
Tyrol: I gotta try, Colonel.
Tigh: What's the point?
Tyrol: Because that ship, the work, that's all I've got left. I don't have that, I...
[Tigh starts to leave]
Tigh: I almost forgot. I promised the XO of the Baah Pakal I'd help him out.
Tyrol: [confused] Sir?
Tigh: He's got some obsolete DDG-62 engines taking up space in his flight deck. They're probably crap, but I told him I'd have a crew in there to haul 'em out soon as possible.
Tyrol: [momentarily speechless] Glad to be of help, sir?
Tigh: Good.
[Tigh walks over, takes one of the jars of homemade booze, and leaves]

[edit] Reviews