Battlestar Galactica (2003)/Sine Qua Non

Sine Qua Non
Season 4, Episode 8
Airdate	May 30, 2008 (May 27, 2008 on Sky One)
Written by	Michael Taylor
Directed by	Rod Hardy
Fleet Survivors	39,674
← 4x07 Guess What's Coming to Dinner	4x09 → The Hub
Battlestar Galactica (2003) — Season Four

Sine Qua Non is the eighth episode of the fourth season of Battlestar Galactica, and the sixty-first episode overall.

Edward James Olmos (Admiral William Adama), Mary McDonnell (Laura Roslin) (credit only), Katee Sackhoff (Kara "Starbuck" Thrace), Jamie Bamber (Lee Adama), James Callis (Dr. Gaius Baltar) (credit only), Tricia Helfer (Number Six), Grace Park (Lieutenant Sharon "Athena" Agathon)

Michael Hogan (Colonel Saul Tigh), Kandyse McClure (Lieutenant Anastasia "Dee" Dualla)

Guest Star: Kate Vernon (Ellen Tigh)

Guest Star: Richard Hatch (Tom Zarek)

Guest Star: Mark Sheppard (Romo Lampkin)

Guest Stars: Donnelly Rhodes (Dr. Cottle), Rekha Sharma (Tory Foster)

Cast: Leah Cairns (Racetrack), Colin Lawrence (Skulls), Alexandra Thomas (Hera), Donna Soares (Gemenon Delegate), Andrew McIlroy (Jacob Cantrell), Judith Maxie (Picon Delegate), Iris Paluly (Speaking Delegate #2), Ryan McDonell (Lt. Eammon "Gonzo" Pike), Laara Sadiq (Priestess), Veena Sood (Quorum Delegate)

Plot Overview

With the President and a number of the fleet's pilots taken when the rebel basestar jumped away, Adama begins desperate but reckless search efforts. At the same time, when it's obvious that the Admiral will not accept Zarek's assumed presidency in Roslin's absence, Lee seeks help from fallen lawyer Romo Lampkin to select someone else for the position.

Notes

• Romo tells Lee he had him cross 47 names off as candidate for interim president.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Natalie's gunshot wounds turn out to be fatal and dies in the infirmary as Cottle attempts to operate.

• A damaged Raptor jumps in with a dead Lt. Pike inside. Adama finds a charred copy of Searider Falcon which he lent Roslin. They trace back to where Pike jumped from and find destroyed basestars along with debris indicative of resurrection technology along with traces of radiation signatures from multiple nukes. It's assumed the rebel basestar was destroyed, but Adama doesn't believe it.

• Zarek believes he is the rightful successor to the presidency with Roslin missing. However, Adama makes it clear he won't recognise him authority. Lee goes to Romo Lampkin to find a candidate as interim President. Ultimately, Romo concludes the only fit is Lee himself and Lee is sworn in.

Characters

• Adama lashes out at Athena for shooting Natalie, feeling she betrayed him. He has her put in the brig, but later allows her to be with her daughter.

• Adama learns that Caprica-Six is pregnant and assumes Tigh is the father due to his time and private meetings with her. When he confronts Tigh, he fires back about the danger he's putting the fleet in trying to find Roslin. When Adama brings up Ellen, Tigh attacks him and the two fight before calming down.

• Adama desperately tries to find Roslin before he admits to losing his objectivity. He assigns Tigh as Commander while the fleet jumps away and he stays behind in a Raptor to await the return of the basestar.

• Romo has fallen on hard times following the Baltar trial. He's kept himself holed up in his room before revealing someone, in retaliation it's presumed, killed his cat.

Referbacks

• Tigh reminds Adama of the mess he made when he assumed command in early Season 2.

• Lee refers to Jake, the dog he gives to Romo as a "genuine hero of the resistance" as it was his dog bowl that Gaeta used to signal to the resistance of his drop-offs on New Caprica.

Trivia

The Show

• This marks the only time the executive producer credits are displayed over the episode's closing shot, as opposed to over a black screen that immediately follows.

• Lee's full name is revealed to be Leland Joseph Adama.

Quotes

• Adama: Why?

Athena: Sir.

Adama: Do you hate your people so much that you look for any excuse to kill one? Or did you deliberately try to sabotage this truce?

Athena: No, sir. Of course not.

Adama: Then you tell me why. You make me understand why you did this.

Athena: They were gonna take her. The Six. She was gonna take my child.

Adama: There were too many witnesses. They all said the same thing. Your daughter was lost. The Cylon merely kneeled down, was talking to her.

Athena: Maybe that's what it looked like to the others, sir, but I know.

Adama: Oh, you knew better.

Athena: I had a vision, a vision where the Six and Baltar were taking Hera away from me.

Adama: A vision.

Athena: It was more than just a vision, sir. When I saw them together, I knew that they would take her, that they would take away my child!

Adama: You murdered an unarmed woman, and by doing so you put the lives of every single person in this fleet at risk and quite possibly cost the lives of the president and your husband. You disobeyed the direct orders of a superior officer, but more importantly, you betrayed a promise to me. I trusted you.

• Lee: Captain Franks?

Lampkin: I was impressed by her gravitas during her turn as judge in the Baltar trial. That and her vote, naturally.

Lee: Yeah. She's already been approached to run for office. No interest in politics.

Lampkin: Sadly, now she really impresses me.

• Lampkin: Writs of forfeiture for the ships you're borrowing. The captains want to be absolved of any blame should anything untoward happen. One of the less ennobling consequences of a legal culture - no one wants responsibility.