Battlestar Galactica (2003)/Precipice (2)

Precipice
Season 3, Episode 2
Airdate	October 6, 2006
Written by	Ronald D. Moore
Directed by	Sergio Mimica-Gezzan
Fleet Survivors	?
← 3x01 Occupation (1)	3x03 → Exodus (1)
Battlestar Galactica (2003) — Season Three

Precipice is the second episode of the third season of Battlestar Galactica, and the thirty-fifth 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 / Lt. Sharon Agathon)

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: Richard Hatch (Tom Zarek)

Guest Star: Rick Worthy (Simon)

Guest Star: Callum Keith Rennie (Leoben Conoy)

Guest Star: Kate Vernon (Ellen Tigh)

Guest Star: Matthew Bennett (Aaron Doral)

and Dean Stockwell (Cavil)

Cast: Luciana Carro (Kat), Brad Dryborough (Hoshi), Madeline Parker (Kacey), Dominic Zamprogna (Jammer), Mylenne Dinh-Robic (Officer #1), Colin Lawrence (Skulls), Larissa Stadnichuk (Suicide Bomber)

Plot Overview

While the Cylons begin a crackdown in an effort to help squash the insurgence, Adama continues with a plan to rescue the people of New Caprica by sending in Sharon as a liaison to the resistance.

Notes

• 33 people were killed in Duck's suicide bombing.

• 23 Cylons were critically wounded in the second suicide bombing.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• The Cylons are revealed to have taken the launch keys from the colonial ships.

• Lee opposes returning to New Caprica, instead assuring the survival of humanity by protecting the fleet. Adama instructs him to make plans to resume the search for Earth with the Pegasus and the fleet.

• The Centurions are unable to distinguish humanoid models from one another as a result of their programming that prevents them from becoming self-aware.

• Following the suicide bombing, the Cylons have New Caprican Police force round up people for arrest and put in detention, including Cally. After a second suicide bombing, the Cylons decide they need to get tougher. They force Baltar at gunpoint to sign an executive order for the summary execution of listed detainees.

• Cavil reveals that they know Tigh is the insurgency leader and let him out for their advantage. He then demands she get specific details pertaining to a very high-level meeting of the resistance's leadership. He promises if she doesn't deliver, they'll pick Tigh up again and do worse than take out his eye.

• Adama decides to send Sharon as a liaison officer to brief the resistance on the rescue operation. Two Raptors arrives with Sharon, accompanied by several marines. They meet at a rendezvous of the resistance's choosing. Ellen offers to burn a map, only to pocket it out of sight. Once Sharon meets with Anders and others from the insurgency, they are ambushed by Centurions.

• The Cylons take several detainees that include Cally, Roslin, and Zarek. They stop and let them out at which point Jammer takes Cally aside, cuts her zap straps, and she escapes. Just then Centurions appear before the others and arm themselves.

Characters

• Leoben shows Kara a small girl named Kacey he alleges is the daughter made from her ovaries. She denies it as her until she gets hurt. Kara sits at her bedside and upon seeing Kacey come to, she reaches out and holds Leoben's hand.

• Baltar refuses to sign the executive order, but Number Six appears to him and convinces him to sign it.

• Sharon is revealed to have taken Helo's last name and are therefore married.

• Sharon Agathon is sworn into the Colonial Fleet as a Lieutenant, Junior Grade. Both Helo and Sharon herself make it clear how much the uniform means to them, with Sharon swearing that she'll never betray it.

Referbacks

• Leoben reminds Kara of the events of "The Farm" in which Kara was taken into the Cylon farm and had removed some of her ovaries.

• D'Anna claims Caprica-Six crushing her head with a rock in "Downloaded" was the first act of Cylon-on-Cylon violence.

Trivia

The Show

• This episode originally aired along with the Season 3 premiere episode "Occupation" as a 2 hour episode with only one introduction and credit sequence.

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

Allusions and References

• Cavil and Ellen's post-sex conversation about "the twist" and "the swirl" is a reference to the Seinfeld episode "The Fusilli Jerry". In said episode, the title character Jerry has a specially developed sex move, the details of which are never stated other than that it ends with the option of a pinch or a swirl in an unspecified way.

Quotes

• Tyrol: You know, they're talking about shutting down the marketplace. It's a security risk.

Tigh: We'll shift targets.

Tyrol: You were gonna hit the marketplace? The market? Full of civilians. This is crazy. You know, we need to figure out whose side we're on.

Tigh: Which side are we on? We're on the side of the demons, Chief. We're evil men in the gardens of paradise, sent by the forces of death to spread devastation and destruction wherever we go. I'm surprised you didn't know that.

• Cavil: You won't have to wear those much longer. Eventually, your people will see you as heroes.

Jammer: Not tonight.

• Adama: Sharon can penetrate the Cylon defences.

Lee: It's not about her.

Adama: The Centurions can't distinguish her from the other humanoid models. Did you know that?

Lee: Admiral!

Adama: They were deliberately programmed that way. The Cylons didn't want them becoming self-aware and suddenly resisting orders. They didn't want their own robotic rebellion on their hands. You can appreciate the irony.

• Roslin: I don't care that it's effective. I don't care that the Cylons can't stop it. It's wrong. No more suicide bombings, Colonel. You understand?

Tigh: What, are you working for the Cylons now?

(Roslin slaps him)

• Tigh: I got one job here, lady, and one job only. To disrupt the Cylons, make them worry about the anthill they've stirred up down here so they're distracted and out of position when the Old Man shows up in orbit. The bombings, they got the Cylons' attention. They really got their attention. And I am not giving that up.

Roslin: We are talking about people blowing themselves up.

Tigh: You know, sometimes I think that you've got ice water in those veins. And other times, I think you're just a naive little school teacher. I've sent men on suicide missions in two wars now, and let me tell you something. It don't make a godsdamn bit of difference whether they're riding in a Viper or walking out onto a parade ground. In the end, they're just as dead. So take your piety, and your moralising, and your high-minded principles, and stick 'em some place safe until you're off this rock and you're sitting in your nice, cushy chair on Colonial One again. I've got a war to fight.

• Boomer: Hi, Cally. It's me, Boomer.

Cally: I wish I had a gun.

• Cally: Can you get me out of here?

Boomer: I don't know. I have nothing to do with internal security --

Cally: Then frak you, Sharon, you stupid frakked-up toaster! How many times do I have to shoot you, anyway? If you can't help me, then just go away, and leave us alone!

• (a Five shoots Caprica-Six)

Baltar: Dear God.

Cavil: She'll be back.

Second Cavil: But if he pulls that trigger now, you won't.

• Number Six: (to Baltar) Sometimes you have to do things you hate so you can survive to fight another day.

• Sharon: Can I ask you a question? How do you know? I mean, how do you really know that you can trust me?

Adama: I don't. That's what trust is.

• Zarek: Tell me something, Laura. Last year, you tried to steal the election, didn't you?

Roslin: Yes, I did, Tom.

Zarek: (chuckles) Ah, I wish you'd gone through with it.

Roslin: Me, too.