From The TV IV

Lay Down Your Burdens (2) is the twentieth and final episode of the second season of Battlestar Galactica, and is the thirty-third episode overall.

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

Guest Stars: Richard Hatch (Tom Zarek), Michael Trucco (Samuel Anders), Callum Keith Rennie (Leoben Conoy), Kate Vernon (Ellen Tigh), Donnelly Rhodes (Dr. Cottle), Matthew Bennett (Aaron Doral), Rekha Sharma (Tory Foster)
And: Dean Stockwell (Cavil)

Co-Stars: Alisen Down (Jean Barolay), Erica Cerra (Maya), Winston Rekert (Priest), David Kaye (James McManus)

Contents 1 Plot Summary 2 Notes 3 Arc Advancement 3.1 Happenings 3.1.1 Rescue Mission 3.1.2 Presidential Elections 3.1.3 Nuclear Threat 3.1.4 One Year Later 3.2 Characters 3.2.1 William Adama 3.2.2 Apollo 3.2.3 Caprica-Boomer 3.2.4 Helo 3.2.5 Dualla 3.2.6 Tigh 3.2.7 Starbuck 3.2.8 Tyrol and Cally 3.3 Referbacks 4 Trivia 4.1 The Show 4.2 Behind the Scenes 4.3 Allusions and References 4.4 Memorable Moments 5 Quotes

[edit] Plot Summary

The rescue mission to Caprica is successful, and the mission team returns bearing a new Cylon agent. Gaius Baltar wins the Presidential election and orders the fleet to settle on a newly-discovered habitable planet, dubbed New Caprica.

[edit] Notes

[edit] Arc Advancement

[edit] Happenings

[edit] Rescue Mission

• The Cylon artillery attack continues, then stops abruptly with no explanation. Starbuck and the others assume that the Cylons are planning to find a way to take them alive to put them in the farms, and continue to be watchful.
• After reconnaissance, it becomes evident that the Cylons have completely disappeared from the area, and in fact the entire planet.

[edit] Presidential Elections

• The election between Laura Roslin and Gaius Baltar takes place, with paper ballots being brought in individually in sealed lockboxes from each ship in the Fleet and hand-counted by Galactica crew.
• When it becomes clear that Roslin isn't going to win the election, Tory Foster calls Colonel Tigh and tells him to go ahead with the plan: Tigh, Dualla and Foster are planning to rig the election in Roslin's favor to prevent Baltar from winning at any cost.
• Gaeta figures out that the election is being rigged because of a disparity in the ballots contained in the loaded ballot box and the ballots used on the ship that the loaded ballot box came from, the Zephyr. Tigh rather shiftily claims that he'll handle the problem, but Gaeta doesn't trust him and goes straight to Admiral Adama.
• Adama visits President Roslin and has a long talk with her, during which she reveals that she did in fact authorize the ballot tampering because she doesn't believe that Baltar should under any circumstances be allowed to lead the fleet. The two talk the situation out, and decide to let democracy take its course: Gaius Baltar is now the president of the Fleet.
• Baltar's first order as president is to set course for the world Racetrack accidentally discovered, and upon his swearing in as President his first executive order is to name the world New Caprica.

[edit] Nuclear Threat

• Baltar meets with Gina before his swearing in, and the two have sex at Gina's suggestion. Upon Gaius' departure for his swearing-in ceremony, Gina retrieves the nuclear bomb that Gaius gave to her earlier and detonates it, destroying Cloud Nine and several other ships of the fleet.

[edit] One Year Later

• There are 39,192 Colonials living in New Caprica City.
• The colony is in what passes for full swing, with labor unions and a marketplace.
• Pegasus and Galactica are orbiting the planet for defense, although neither ship has much more than a skeleton crew aboard, and Galactica shows signs of systems beginning to degrade. Both William and Lee Adama remain aboard their respective ships.
• Baltar has remodeled Colonial One, which is landed on a ridge overlooking the colony, in his own image. This involves a lot of flags, hookers, and pictures of himself hanging on the wall.
• Anders has become extremely sick with pneumonia but won't settle down and rest as Dr. Cottle suggests, which is making it worse. There is very little medicine available.
• Tigh and Starbuck are apparently on good terms now and are actually happy to see each other when they meet at a labor union gathering. Tigh suggests that she contact Apollo on the Pegasus, since the Pegasus is where the colony is storing its emergency medical supplies.
• Starbuck contacts the Pegasus and gets a cold response from Lee.
• Pegasus picks up a faint DRADIS contact through the gas cloud surrounding the planet, which resolves itself into an incoming Cylon fleet. Pegasus, Galactica, and whoever is remaining on the various ships of the Fleet jump away to regroup, with Admiral Adama vowing to return.
• Down on the colony, Cylon Raiders and Heavy Raiders swoop overhead, and Baltar meets with three representatives of the Cylons: an Aaron Doral, Caprica-Six, and Galactica-Boomer. They offer a peace proposal: if the humans won't fight them, they won't hurt anyone when they occupy the colony. Baltar surrenders the colony to the Cylons.
• A copy of the Cylon Leoben Conoy comes to Anders' tent, looking for Kara Thrace.
• Chief Tyrol asks Starbuck what the plan is. Starbuck responds that they'll keep fighting until they can't.
• TO BE CONTINUED

[edit] Characters

[edit] William Adama

• After colonization, Adama stays aboard Galactica. He grows a mustache.

[edit] Apollo

• After colonization, Apollo stays aboard Pegasus with Dualla. He grows disco hair and puts on some weight.

[edit] Caprica-Boomer

• Caprica-Boomer still believes that the Colonials had her baby killed. She breaks off her relationship with Helo.

[edit] Helo

• Helo remains on Galactica with Admiral Adama after colonization of New Caprica, and is on duty on the skeleton CIC crew when the Cylons appear.

[edit] Dualla

• Dee is transferred to Pegasus and is serving on Apollo's CIC crew. She has apparently received a commission, as she is wearing officer's rank and uniform.

[edit] Tigh

• Colonel Tigh stayed aboard Galactica with Admiral Adama for a time, until Adama released him to go live on the planet with his wife. He settled down there, and apparently at some point settled his differences with Starbuck.

[edit] Starbuck

• Starbuck has apparently left the service and settled down with Samuel Anders. The two are married.

[edit] Tyrol and Cally

• Tyrol has also left the service, and become the president of the colony's labor union. He is apparently in a relationship with former Crewman Specialist Cally.
• Cally is pregnant.

[edit] Referbacks

[edit] Trivia

[edit] The Show

• This was a special 90-minute episode.

[edit] Behind the Scenes

• Awards: This episode was nominated for an IVy Award for the 2005-06 season for Best Individual Episode of a Drama Series.

• Awards: Glenne Campbell, Glenna Owen and Cali Newcomen were nominated for an Emmy for the 2005-06 season for Outstanding Costumes for a Series for this episode.

[edit] Allusions and References

• Blood, Sweat, and Tears: Tyrol's union speech is taken from Mario Savio's famous address on December 2, 1964, during the Free Speech Movement at Berkeley.

[edit] Memorable Moments

[edit] Quotes

• [Dr. Cottle talking to Cally in Galactica's medical bay]

Cottle: You're done here. I'm kicking you out of here and sending you back to work.
Cally: [slurring] Work!? Like this?
Cottle: You gotta love a woman who can complain even with her jaw wired shut.

• [Brother Cavil being led into Galactica's brig]

Cavil: [shouting] Would you mind telling me what's going on? I'm not a frakking Cylon! I'm not... [sees Caprica-Cavil sitting in a cell] Oh, well, okay then.