Battlestar Galactica (2003)/Occupation (1)

Occupation
Season 3, Episode 1
Airdate	October 6, 2006
Written by	Ronald D. Moore
Directed by	Sergio Mimica-Gezzan
Fleet Survivors	?
← - The Resistance: Webisode 10	3x02 → Precipice (2)
Battlestar Galactica (2003) — Season Three

Occupation is the first episode of the third season of Battlestar Galactica, and the thirty-fourth episode overall.

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

Michael Hogan (Colonel Saul Tigh), Aaron Douglas (Chief Galen Tyrol), Tahmoh Penikett (Karl "Helo" Agathon), Nicki Clyne (Cally), Alessandro Juliani (Lt. Felix Gaeta), Kandyse McClure (Lieutenant Anastasia "Dee" Dualla)

Special Guest Star: Lucy Lawless (D'Anna Biers)

Guest Star: Michael Trucco (Samuel Anders)

Guest Star: Callum Keith Rennie (Leoben Conoy)

Guest Star: Kate Vernon (Ellen Tigh)

Guest Stars: Matthew Bennett (Aaron Doral), Rekha Sharma (Tory Foster)

and Dean Stockwell (Cavil)

Cast: Luciana Carro (Kat), Christian Tessier (Duck), Brad Dryborough (Hoshi), Leah Cairns (Racetrack), Madeline Parker (Kacey) (credit only), Dominic Zamprogna (Jammer), Ryan McDonell (Pilot #3), Byron Lawson (Pilot #4), Colin Lawrence (Skulls)

Plot Overview

With four months under Cylon occupation, a resistance group has gathered support on New Caprica in the hope of Adama executing a rescue mission. However, the most effective method of striking at their occupiers may mean crossing an unspeakable line, not just for the Cylons, but for their own people.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• It's been 134 days (four months) since the fleet jumped away.

• Baltar remains as President under the Cylon occupation, but his function as does the colonial government is in name only.

• An insurgency has been building on New Caprica. The resistance is largely led by Tigh, Tyrol, and Anders. Roslin also has some level of involvement.

• With the insurgency becoming an increasing problem, it's suggested they round up the leaders and random people and execute them publicly. However, Boomer and Caprica-Six shoot the idea down.

• The Cylons have established the New Caprica Police, volunteers from the human population, a secret police force that performs raids and rounds up human prisoners. The objective is to help ease tension by helping to keep the Cylons from using Centurions. However, they are seen as traitors, especially since some taken into custody are killed or disappeared. There are approximately 200 and the insurgency has been trying to identify them.

• Galactica and Pegasus are trying to train new pilots for a rescue plan with limited success.

• Tyrol has someone on the inside to help feed information to the resistance.

• Tigh decides to utilise suicide bombers in the resistance's fight against the Cylons. Hearing that President Baltar will be attending a graduation ceremony, former Viper pilot Tucker "Duck" Clellan, whose wife was killed by the Cylons becomes the first. However, Baltar backs out due to safety concerns and the inside source is unable to relay this to Tyrol in time.

• As part of the contingency plan, Galactica sends a Raptor out in New Caprica's orbit, waiting to receive a wireless transmission. The resistance continually tries to make contact, only to be jammed by the Cylons. They eventually succeed thanks to the inside source and can now coordinate a rescue effort with Galactica.

Characters

• Kara is trapped in a well-furnished cell under the care of a Leoben Conoy Cylon who claims to have seen a vision of her being in his arms and telling him she loves him. She resists, insisting instead to kill him over and over again.

• Tigh has been taken into Cylon custody where he lost his right eye. Ellen has been having sex with a Cavil to get him released.

• It's established that Lee and Dee are married.

• Adama criticises his son for being soft and weak. Dee agrees, telling him that he has gone soft, that he's a soldier without a war and that he's lost his edge as a result.

• Gaeta continues to work with Baltar's administration. Unbeknown to everyone, he is the one secretly feeding information to the resistance.

• Louanne Katraine has been promoted to commander of Galactica's air group.

• It's confirmed that Helo and Dee are XOs of the Galactica and Pegasus, respectively.

• Sharon is still in the brig, although it is now furnished for her comfort. Adama confides in her. She admits that her anger was her own guilt for betraying her people and losing her baby. She decided she could only move forward by forgiving herself, suggesting Adama do the same for having left everyone behind on New Caprica.

Trivia

The Show

• The narrative part of the title sequence that had been used since Season 2 is replaced, including the elimination of the survivor count.

• The initial conjoined airing of this episode with "Precipice" featured different credits than when the episodes aired later as two distinctive episodes, as well as on DVD. Donnelly Rhodes and Erica Cerra were credited (in the opening and closing credits, respectively) despite the fact that they don't appear in either episode; Madeline Parker wasn't credited, though she doesn't appear either. Additionally, Kandyse McClure was originally credited as Candice McClure.

• This episode was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series.

Behind the Scenes

• The room Leoben keeps Kara in is, somewhat ironically, a redress of her apartment on Caprica seen in "Valley of Darkness".

Quotes

• Cavil: Fear is a key article of faith, as I understand it. So perhaps it's time to instil a little more fear into the people's hearts and minds. Let's, uh, let's execute Baltar.

Baltar: What? What?!

• Tyrol: Good to see you, Colonel.

Tigh: It's good to be seen.

• Tigh: I know you're wondering, so I'll save you the trouble. The eye is gone. Ripped it right out onto the floor, picked it up and showed it to me. Looked like a hard-boiled egg.

• Lee: This whole thing is frakking insane. We got two ships at half-strength, we've got two crews that haven't seen action in a year and a half, and you're acting like the only problem is that they're not working hard enough?

Adama: Have you taken a look at yourself in the mirror lately? You're weak. Soft, mentally and physically.

Lee: This isn't about me.

Adama: You've had four months to get your act together, and so far all you've been able to frakking do is whine and complain about how hard it is. Well, guess what. It's going to get a lot harder. Do you understand me? Now, I want you to turn around and get your fat ass out of here. Get your men ready! Or find someone who can. Dismissed!

• Tyrol: Some things you just don't do, Colonel. Not even in war.

• Tyrol: I've got a signal. A Raptor just made contact with us.

Tigh: What's it say?

Tyrol: "Will make contact this frequency every twelve hours. Prepare sitrep for command authority. Have hope. We're coming for you."

(on Galactica)

Racetrack: (over wireless) We made contact! I say again, we made contact with the ground. Colonel Tigh heads an insurgent group against the Cylons and now they're ready and waiting for instructions on how to coordinate the rescue effort.

Adama: It's gonna be okay. It's really gonna be okay.