Battlestar Galactica (2003)/The Captain's Hand

The Captain's Hand
Season 2, Episode 17
Airdate	February 17, 2006
Written by	Jeff Vlaming
Directed by	Sergio Mimica-Gezzan
Nielsen Rating	1.7
Fleet Survivors	49,584
← 2x16 Sacrifice	2x18 → Downloaded
Battlestar Galactica (2003) — Season Two

The Captain's Hand is the seventeenth episode of the second season of Battlestar Galactica, and is the thirtieth episode overall.

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

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

Guest Star: Richard Hatch (Tom Zarek)

Guest Star: Donnelly Rhodes (Dr. Cottle)

and John Heard (Commander Barry Garner)

Cast: Christian Tessier (Tucker "Duck" Clellan), Stefanie von Pfetten (Cpt. Marcia "Showboat" Case), Kavan Smith (Lt. Richard "Buster" Baier), Amber Rothwell (Rya Kibby), Patricia Idlette (Sarah Porter), Rekha Sharma (Tory Foster), Brad Dryborough (Hoshi), Aaron Pearl (Ensign Abel Thornton), Christina Schild (Playa), Tammy Hui (ECO Lyla "Shark" Ellway), James Bell (Lt. Steve "Red Devil" Fleer), Kimani Ray Smith (Pegasus Sergeant), Kurt Max Runte (Ensign Charles Bellamy)

Plot Summary

A heated political struggle breaks out between the President and a faction in the Fleet, paving a path for Baltar to announce his candidacy for President. Meanwhile, the newly-minted Major Apollo visits Pegasus as the ship undergoes a crisis: two Raptors have gone missing while on a training mission.

Notes

• The survivor count is reduced by 5 to 49,579 visible on Roslin's whiteboard by the end of the episode after the Cylons nuke Pegasus, which only counts the deaths of the two Raptor crews and Commander Garner.

• It has been nearly a month since the previous episode.

• This episode was the lowest-rated episode of the season for Battlestar Galactica. It was still the highest Nielsen rating of the evening for Sci Fi Friday.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Chief of engineering Barry Garner succeeded Jack Fisk as Commander of Pegasus. However, he dies after returning to the engine room to restore the ship's FTL.

• Pegasus has been nicknamed "the Beast" whereas Galactica, on the other hand, has been nicknamed "the Bucket".

• The Cylons lure Colonials in by using a distress signal and the DRADIS interference from a nearby binary star for ambush.

• It's revealed that Zarek has been Roslin's opponent in the presidential race. However, he understands his likelihood of winning and approaches Baltar to run.

• A young girl seeking abortion causes Gemenon leaders to put pressure on Roslin to return her under their colony's laws. Due to the circumstance of the survival of the human race, this causes Roslin to make the difficult decision to sign an executive order criminalising abortion, although the girl has her before it's put into effect and has signed off on her petition for asylum aboard Galactica. No doubt both actions will have some detrimental effect on her favourability in the election.

• President Roslin has a new aide, Tory Foster who was involved in politics back in the Twelve Colonies and was a precinct captain in Delphi on Caprica for five years.

Characters

• Dee and Lee have now progressed in their relationship and have now begun to sleep together.

• Kara is still feeling some guilt for shooting Lee who, in turn, lashes out at her. He later admits that he was pissed off seeing her buck authority and getting away with it as usual. However, they reconcile.

• Lee has been promoted to Captain before Adama makes him Commander of Pegasus following Garner's death.

• Kara takes over as Galactica's CAG after Lee's promotion.

• Baltar takes advantage of Roslin's abortion moratorium to make a speech about personal freedom and what makes humanity different than the Cylons, and thus launches his presidential campaign on the claim that under his Presidency he will not stand for violations of freedom. Six applauds him with a slow clap and looks on approvingly.

Referbacks

• The scene of Lee giving a marine an order, putting him in the position to make a decision is a parallel to "Litmus" when Adama put a marine in a similar situation. However, it does not go as well for Lee as is did for his father.

• 1x13 Kobol's Last Gleaming (2): Apollo stood by Roslin at the standoff on Colonial One when Adama ordered her presidency to be terminated.

Apollo: I bucked authority once, and I almost lost everything.

Trivia

The Show

• The recap scenes include pieces of dialogue that were dubbed in, as they were not in aired versions of the episodes from which they were taken. One is Adama's and Tigh's discussion about Commander Garner from "Black Market" and another from "Epiphanies" in which Gina tells Baltar that he must betray Roslin and run for president.

Behind the Scenes

• According to early spoilers, Commander Garner's name was originally intended to be Barry Trammell, but had to be changed for legal reasons.

• Rekha Sharma originally auditioned for the part of Showboat before getting the part of Tory Foster.

Quotes

• Baltar: Why the sudden interest in the fleet's demographic projections?

Roslin: An issue has emerged that may prove divisive to our administration. I would like all the facts in hand before making my decision.

Number Six: So now it's "our" administration. She must be desperate.

• Barry Garner: My pilots are dying down there, Major. I'm going in. I'm not waiting on recon.

Lee: Commander, this in direct violation of the Admiral's orders...

Barry Garner: Major, leave combat.

Lee: Making this an illegal action on your part, sir.

Barry Garner: You are relieved, Major. Sergeant of the Guard.

Lee: I am forced to take command of this vessel...

Barry Garner: This man is in direct disobedience of an order.

Lee: Under federal regulations and place you under arrest!

(the Pegasus crew stands in shock)

Barry Garner: Sergeant, take him below.

Lee: Sergeant, the Commander has been properly relieved. Escort him to his quarters.

Barry Garner: This man is not a member of this crew, and you will obey a direct order that you have been given by me, and you will do it now.

(a tense moment passes)

Pegasus Sergeant: Major, if you'll come with me.

• Adama: In your opinion, off the record, what was Garner's flaw?

Lee: He was used to working with machines. Command is about people.

Adama: Remember that, as you take command of "The Beast". Garner was my decision. His failures, my responsibility. Don't let me fail a second time. Congratulations, Commander.

• Sarah Porter: Madam President, word has it that you do not intend to prosecute the Gemenese girl on Galactica.

Roslin: She has a name, Sarah.

• Baltar: It is true, in the light of recent events, the President may have lost support in some quarters. I would ask the people to understand that if this is an extreme decision, we live in extreme times. The decision has been made with good faith. I, however, cannot, with good conscience, support it. I am so sorry, Madame President, but the Cylon have no understanding the meaning of the word "freedom". How could they? They're programmed. Machines. Every time you take away one of our freedoms, every time we restrict or curtail one of our rights, we become one step closer to being like them. As the Vice President, I am bound to follow the administration's lead; as President, I should have no such strictures. Given the current situation, I'm afraid that I have no alternative but to announce that I am, as of now, a candidate for the Presidency.