Nina's Known Universe

It may only be the 14th day, but we must remember that everything on Galactica is old and worn out. All weaponry had been removed prior to the decommissioning. The drones, missiles and most likely the racks they are stacked on came from the Ragnar Anchorage Munitions Depot. Who knows how long those items had been stored there. Or what sort of things LeOben did or didn't do to certain items before being discovered.

Just prior to the explosion in the hanger, we see Lee and Kara playfully discussing his abilities as CAG stating that he 'sucks' while they paint a red 1000 on a helmet. Cmdr Adama shows up in time to witness their goofiness and the spilling of red paint on the deck.

There is a bit of grey area here for me. We all know from TOS that Apollo and Starbuck were best buds so I think most of us just assumed without evidence that this Apollo and Starbuck had always been close and therefore we weren't shocked when they finally hooked up. But in reality they haven't seen each other in 2 years, not since Zak's funeral.

Additionally, I got the impression when Lee visited Kara in the Brig back during the Miniseries that there was some negative history between them. Perhaps Lee was just a snooty brat that avoided the Old Man which would have bothered Zak who would have discussed the issue with Kara. Most likely the 3 of them hung out together on a regular basis. I hang with a lot of people that are but a hairs breath away from a lecture at any given time. Yet I still love them and want to be around them.

After the events of season 3 surrounding Kara Thrace and Her Special Destiny [coming to a dive bar near you], I took special note of the red paint splashing on the floor just prior to the pilot's accident. Perhaps it was a sign and Kara is simply an Oracle? Perhaps a descendant of Pythia herself?

Perhaps she unwittingly makes predictions without even realizing. Like the Mandala painted on her apartment wall. Then again, there was no blood shown from the hanger accident...but there was a great deal of blood smeared across the face of the Raider 'Spot'. Her 'prophetic skills' may be restricted to her destiny and hers alone.

As we watch Kara and Lee play, we are taken back and forth to Kara in her viper out of control and breaking apart. As the episode evolves we realize that her viper is crashing in the present and the events surrounding the hanger accident are the flashbacks.

A million Cubit Communications Drone - thats value not size. The fact that the price was even mentioned is a testement to the general state of denial being expressed by most of the survivors. Some, like those rioting over water rations, or those partying on the various cruise ships, behave as though the Cylons will give up, a new home will be found anyday and life can get back to normal. Any day now.

And according to the Master at Arms, Sgt. Hadrian, the problem was a simple worn strap. As I mentioned before, Galactica was old and being decommissioned, she was never intended to carry arms again. The entire Viper Squad was from the museum. Chief Tyrol is still disturbed though, he has never had a death on his hanger, accidents sure, but never a death.

Coming up soon is the episode 'Litmus' wherein Sgt Hadrian will head an investigation into the relationship between Tyrol and Boomer after a Cylon suicide bomber nearly kills Adama and Tigh with munitions taken from a locker left unlocked that Tyrol had access too.

As the remaining pilots sit solemnly in the ready room prior to the Services For The Dead, Lee doesn't quite know what to say to them. Like Kara, the days events have set him to thinking about his brother Zak. Cmdr Adama soon comes in and makes a speech about pride and self value. He reminds them that they are the guardians of the fleet and people are watching.

'People are watching'. As this line is delivered the camera pans and we see Sgt Hadrian standing at the wall. She is one the people watching. President Roslin is the other. Along with the Quorum and every whiny ungrateful citizen in the fleet. I appreciate the need for some kind of society type structure but seriously. I will never understand why more control over fleet supplies was not exercised.

Granted, Admiral Cain's tactics were far to the extreme, going beyond control to outright murder by abandonment. However, the idea of the military or at least the Quorum having an inventory and control over all necessities makes much more sense to me and would have curbed the Black Market that pops up later due to a lack of control.

In a survival situation of unknown duration with a population attempting to repopulate, very strict compiling and rationing of staples would have been required to assure the maximum life to the supply line. Very likely this was an intentional oversight to allow for the Black Market Story Line. Although in hind sight, I think they could have skipped it, considering that plot line never went anywhere.

At the service itself, we see all the bodies under Colonial Flags, they are airlocked at the end. Unless they have an Incinerator Ship, airlocking is really all they can do, however it does remind me of a trail of bread crumbs for the cylons to follow. During the service, Lee, the Cmdr and Starbuck all have flashbacks to Zak's funeral and the events just prior.

Kara flashes back to meeting Cmdr Adama for the first time. The day before Zak's funeral. The Cmdr asks her about a letter from Zak in which he indicated they were close and that Zak had something to tell his father. Kara continues to flash back, conversations with Zak about not giving him special treatment, which she denies, only to confess to the fact later on in this episode.

What is perhaps unique about this episode- is that technically Kara is in her Viper flashing back to the events just after the hanger accident. She is also flashing back to moments she spent flashing back to Zak's death. Episodes like this one are why we watch them over and over again. Only to fully understand them after copious quanties of Chamalla and Ambrosia.

After the Services For The Dead Starbuck is sitting in Cmdr Adama's quarters, having a drink while he hints that she is needed to train his new pilots. There are only 2 other flight instructors in the whole fleet and both are civilians. The Cmdr needs someone that can teach combat tactics. Neither can think of anyone better qualified yet Starbuck is adamentally trying to talk him out of giving her the job. Of course he doesn't know about her role in Zak's death yet.

Adama talks her into it without having to order her by stating that Zak's death wasn't her fault and to "...Just give them [the nuggets] the attention and professionalism you gave my son..."

At this point, Kara is completely consumed with her memories of Zak and is unable to concentrate on anything else. During a game of Triad with Baltar, Sharon/Boomer, Crashdown and Gaeta, Kara is busy reminiscing about sex with Zak while Crashdown and Boomer have a side bet going about who is going to win the hand, Baltar or Kara.

Starbuck goes back again to the moment of Zak asking her if she passed him because she loves him...Crashdown grills Gaeta over the cylon detector only to be told its a classified subject. Some on the BSG Wiki site have observed that Sharon/Boomer was disturbed by the mention of the cylon detector. Personally I didn't notice. What I did notice was that Kara had a wicked fantasy and had to excuse herself early.

Down on Caprica Helo and Sharon/Athena track the beacon to a restaurant but can't locate the source, until miraculously Sharon notices a door behind a bookcase. The two pilots discover an unused fallout shelter - fully stocked with meds and provisions to last them both months.

They also discover a disaster beacon attached to a buttload of batteries but no owner. Sharon suggests they call themselves lucky and leave it at that. Just outside a Six peaks in the window but walks on. Implying the cylons arranged the little love nest for Helo and Sharon to 'find'.

Of course we all know it was a setup, we actually knew it back when it aired the first time. What we didn't know was that Sharon would have a change of heart and betray her Cylon bretheren.

Back on Galactica Roslin sits in sickbay with Dr Cottle. He confirms that her cancer is inoperable. He discusses meds, Diloxin [like Chemo no doubt], and a handful of others along with the side effects she should expect. Roslin notes watching her mother die of cancer and suffer through all of the treatments Cottle mentioned.

She asks about alternative treatments, he jokes 'you mean like prayer?' she is not amused, then brings up Chamalla extract. He rolls he's eyes 'oh Gods you are one of those...its effectivness is only anecdotal.' Chamalla extract has a "new agey" feel based on Cottle's tone.

Getting back to Kara as she goes over the roster of nuggets with Lee bitching about the selection. They are all pilots, one even washed out of the Academy [Hotdog], but none have ever flown an actual Viper. She walks in on the class, getting right to the point of being in charge.

A viper mk 2 can flip end for end in .35 seconds. With no simulators the nuggets will have to learn in the real thing. Landing is the hardest part. Kat's first landing is beyond scary. Kat makes up for this later on by outflying Starbuck more than once. Of course that is after she over comes her Stim addiction.

Starbuck cuts the lot fearing another incident like what happened with Zak. Lee gives her grief about it and she nearly decks him. They have 40 vipers and only 21 pilots. The fleet is still on water opps and its all he can do to form a CAP. The next group of nuggets havent ever seen the inside of any cockpit and so they have to work with what they have.

Throughout these scenes with Starbuck we keep flashing to her in the viper as it breaks up over the moon. At this point she ejects.

Lee naturally runs to his daddy and tells on Kara. Lee mentions that he thinks Kara is feeling guilty over Zak, then misunderstands when the Cmdr says he and Kara have already discussed that subject. Consequently Captain Apollo turns around and blabs what the dish is. The look of 'oh crap...I thought you already knew' was just priceless. This guy they have playing Zak for this episode is a hottie btw.

Cmdr Adama immediately summons Kara to his quarters. He tells her that Lee felt she washed out the nuggets over her personal feelings for Zak, Kara denies this. Next he inquires about Lees comments that Kara may have some guilt over something she may have done for Zak. She tries to dodge but the Cmdr presses, stating that Kara was like a daughter to him and that he deserved more than her sparring with him.

She then confesses [Act of Contrition] that she passed him despite Zak busting 3 of the required maneuvers because they were engaged. The Cmdr is clearly pissed - not because they were engaged but because she let her feelings cloud her judgment and it killed his son. He orders her to reinstate the trainees, to do her job and to walk out of his cabin while she still can.

Flashing foreward now to Kara falling through the atmosphere of some planetoid. Simultaneously informing the nuggets that they are getting another chance. As we near the end of this episode, Starbuck has Kat, Hotdog, and Chuckles out on a training run. She makes a statement to Hotdog about never leaving your leader, while XO Col Tigh comments on how professional she sounds. As if by cue, an 8 Raider Cylon Patrol pops into Starbucks Dradis. The alert Viper squad is 2 mins away.

She orders nuggets to bail and head for home at full throttle. She flips her bird to take on the inbounds. Hotdog decides to go back, fixating on the 'never leave your leader' statement. Starbuck orders to him to retreat reminding him that she also said to never disobey her orders, but he is having an adrenaline rush after splashing one Raider. Until he gets winged that is...Starbuck skillfully talks him through his retreat, pats him on the back and assures him that he is going to make it home.

As the CIC monitors the fire fight, Dee announces that Starbucks signal has been lost. Cmdr Adama mutters to himself that she is gonna make it. Hotdog gets picked up by Boomer and Crashdown, throwing up as soon as he is safe on board their Raptor. Cmdr Adama waits for him in the Hanger for intel on Starbucks status when he last saw her.

After Starbuck blasts the last Raider, it spirals out of control and wings her viper causing them to both plummet toward the planet below. It is worth noting that an Act of Contrition usual includes some sort of pennance for ones sins just confessed. Starbuck takes on all 8 Raiders to save her nuggets, to protect her fleet and also to offer up her life to the fates in exchange for causings Zak's death, albeit indirectly. So it ends where it began, much as I suspect the series itself will end, leaving us hanging for the next chapter.

Thank you for reading,
~99

• Small inconsistency in set dressing: The books on the shelf that covers the fallout shelter's entrance are rectangular. The books in Adama's study however all have their corners cut.


• The Colonial military use what appear to be HumVees and Deuce-and-a-half trucks.


• While the Viper is burning on entry into the atmosphere, the Viper's altimeter is going in reverse, indicating altitude gain.


• Ron D. Moore states on the DVD commentary that the munition activation that kills several pilots was inspired by a similar event on the USS Forrestal in 1967.


• Also according to the DVD commentary, the ejection sequence at the beginning of each chapter is an homage to The Right Stuff.

In the next episode, 'You Can't Go Home Again', we will pick up where this episode left off. We will learn the lengths that both Cmdr Adama and his son Lee will go to for the sake of Kara. We will also see that Roslin's backbone just gets stiffer and stiffer as she faces off with the two Adamas over their lack of clear headed thinking in the matter of Starbucks rescue efforts...and Head Six is back...pushing Baltars buttons and stroking his Ego.