BSG Mini-Series Script Commentary
So I managed to get my hands on the mini-series script, what's clearly a draft of what we eventually got, and felt compelled to write commentary. I mean it confirms my opinion that RDM writes some truly crappy dialogue at times there is some serious "Well, as you know, Bob" going on, a few interesting scene changes, some major character differences... and well I'll stop yammering and let you get to... my yammering on Part 1. Part 2 will come later this week.
ACT ONE
Scene 1- It’s the end of the world as we know it
The Cylons were created by Man. They were the product of a desire to make life easier on the planet Kobol. At first, they were simple robots. Toys. Conversation pieces at parties for the rich and trendy. The Cylons became more advanced. Began to work the mines. Do the hard and
dangerous work Man no longer wished to do. And when the people of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol decided to war against each other, the Cylons began to do their fighting and killing for them too. The Cylons were the greatest soldiers the planet had ever seen. Smart. Fast. Deadly.
They made decisions without waiting for orders. And then the day came when the Cylons decided to kill their masters. The Twelve Colonies rallied together for the first time in centuries. Betrayed by their own technology, they fought the Cylons with weapons that didn't rely on computers. After a long and bloody struggle, the war finally ended. An armistice was declared. The Cylons left Kobol for another world to call their own. A remote space station was built where Cylon and Human could meet and maintain diplomatic relations. Every month, the Colonials send an officer. The Cylons send no one. No one has seen or heard from the Cylons in over forty years.
So, that’s the opening monologue. The one thing that I really like about this monologue is it paints this image of the Twelve Colonies as not really existing in harmony with one another which isn’t something you really pick up on in the mini. I think it would have been a good thing to have this pointed out more clearly in the series, that this common threat brought together warring worlds… which sort of comes through in Caprica (the series).
Also interesting! They start off on Kobol! Later in the script it’s mentioned that Laura is in a doctor’s office on Kobol… Which lends to an almost… prequel to the original series going on. Which is strange because it’s clearly after the original series. As we see the old school cylons in the museum later on. Here’s what’s so fascinating and it took me until Act 3 to figure it out.
The planet they are on is Kobol. Caprica, Picon, Geminon, all of the colonies appear to be countries or continents or something along those lines. It’s strange.
This scene in the original script also shows the officer in the meeting over a period of time, starting in his youth and aging. It also very cleverly shows the rank system! He starts as Lieutenant and moves up Captain, Major, Lt. Colonel, Colonel throughout the montage.
Here was, in my opinion, one of the biggest shocks.
The Cylons step aside and a beautiful WOMAN ENTERS. She looks to be
in her twenties, with long flowing raven-black hair, drop-dead looks and a perfect body.
I love that we got platinum-blonde Six out of that. I’m just saying. I can’t really imagine her any other way. She’s so iconic. And (later on) they kind of suggest that the Six actually with Gaius has hair like Trinity's and I think that... latching onto another series's icon just doesn't really bode well. And I'm glad we got the image we got instead of a piggyback on The Matrix.
WOMAN
Are you alive?
COLONEL
Yes...
WOMAN
Prove it.
I’m so glad this never changed. It really is the perfect opening to this series. What constitutes life? What makes a person? I feel like this is the sentiment and the question that is most intriguing about BSG. Way to go show.
Scene 2-ROLL CALL!
CAMERA DROPS OFF on DORAL (30s) --one of those picture-perfect PR types who never seems to have a hair out of place.- Check!
DROP OFF on ADAMA -- a man in his late fifties, with a weathered, lean appearance, iron-grey hair and so tall that he has to continually duck and stoop to avoid the low overhead- Incorrect! EJO is made of short. :)
CAPTAIN KELLY (30s).- Check? Oh Kelly, you are so underappreciated.
DROPPING OFF on three enlisted Deck Hands -- PROSNA (18, male), CALLY (21, female), SOCINUS (18, male) -- rushing somewhere in a hurry, and trying to get their uniforms in order. Prosna has a FLAT WRAPPED PACKAGE- I don’t know why, but looking at the ages is so shocking to me. I mean… I’m older than both Prosna and Socinus, I’m just shy of Cally’s age. I know I’m so not equipped to put up with any of what they do. Anyways, moving on.
They pass by LT. GAETA (20s) and we DROP OFF on him- Heh, once again, so not much by way of description on him.
Now we FOLLOW Gaeta (still one take) as he continues on his way. He looks down an
intersection and sees COLONEL TIGH (40s) leaning against a bulkhead. The Colonel looks like he's about ready to puke.-40s!?!?! I mean I guess they were going off the old series where Tigh was definitely younger. But still… quite an age gap we got there. I imagine that would change the dynamic to have Tigh younger. I also prefer the more blatant Tigh with a drink in his hand. It really makes his alcohol problem RIGHT THERE instead of… you never know… food poisoning.
Scene 3- Nostalgia, hold the Angst
ADAMA
Where... where'd you find her?
TYROL
Rusting away in a salvage yard outside Caprica City.
Again, with the more cities and continents feel instead of "on planets"
The script notes that the viper should look like the one out of the 70s show.
Interestingly enough, Adama does not receive the photograph of himself and his sons in this scene. I feel like that is what made the scene in the first place. Yes, planes, great. But we as the audience are not at all familiar with the significance of this yet. But we all get the significance of a photo given like that.
Also of interest, no real descriptor on Chief.
Scene 4- Doctor, Doctor Give Me The News
Laura is in her late forties, handsome, confident, with an innate intelligence bordering on
the brilliant. But the quality that strikes us most strongly about Laura is that she has class.
Um… I love this description of Laura. BTW.
This scene actually has Laura asking what treatment options there are…
DOCTOR
The conventional approach is intensive radiation
therapy, but there are several promising new drug
therapies that will soon be approved for human testing,
and --
I feel like this answer builds up the “we’re becoming too technologically advanced and that’s bad” that I do not actually like too much about BSG… But also I think it kind of lacks the poetry of the Doctor’s voice being drowned out by the roar of an engine. Because it really gives a sense of how overwhelming the news is. Instead it has her rushing out while he’s explaining treatment, and that just… doesn’t feel very “classy” to me.
Scene 5- Billy K… kei… ka… KE-CAW!
BILLY is young (19), eager to please, very smart and very polite. He's one of those rare people who's usually smarter than the room, but never lets anyone know it. He'll make a great diplomat someday.
This is Billy and Laura on the transport ship meeting for the very first time. Which I find strange. I’m thinking if he’s her new assistant they should’ve met at her office or something like that. It’s a very awkward scene, also it has a case of being excessively talking at the audience. We are smart. We can figure things out.
LAURA
Do you know where we're going?
BILLY
To the Galactica. The ship's being retired and
transferred to the Ministry as a museum ship.
(beat)
I took the liberty of reading the briefing on the way over.
I hope that's okay.
LAURA
That's fine.
(beat)
It's a long flight. Hope you don't mind if I catch some
sleep.
BILLY
Not at all.
Scene 6- Shut up and deal
Kara (30s) is a loner, which makes her an oddity among the tight-knit pilots. She's as
undisciplined and rebellious out of the cockpit as she is calculating and precise in it. Her mouth has definitely held back her career. And she dislikes Tigh.- I think it’s interesting that they cast her younger too, but I love the note about her career.
KARA
(casual)
How's the wife?
The room goes deathly silent. Glances between the other pilots. Tigh freezes for a beat. She's
definitely touched a sensitive and dangerous nerve.
TIGH
(even)
Just fine.
KARA
Talk to her lately?
TIGH
Bet's to you, Lieutenant.
KARA
No rank at the table, Colonel. Tradition and all that.
(lights a cigar)
So. Another thirty to me. Well, I think I'll just have to
bring this lovely evening to a close.
(turns over cards)
Dominion.
Tigh's drops his hand. Kara begins raking in the chips.
TIGH
That's five hands in a row.
KARA
Is it?
TIGH
No one's that lucky, Thrace.
KARA
Luck has nothing to do with it.
TIGH
That's right.
Now it's ugly. Kara meets his eyes.
KARA
You have something to say, say it.
A tense beat, then a sudden erruption of violence as Tigh KNOCKS the table over. Kara's on her
feet, gets in the first shot -- and CONNECTS with Tigh's face. He staggers back, but the other
pilots swoop in and are hauling the dazed Tigh out of here before anything else can happen.
Kara watches him go with a smirk, then bends down to scoop up her winnings.
Know what I disapprove of? There is NO Boomer or Helo in this scene. And well… I LIKE Kara’s friendships with them and I think they’re important. I’m not sure Kara is really the same Kara if she is a complete loner. It makes her way more scarred than she actually is. And I do want to point out that oldStarbuck was not a loner either. In fact he was definitely buddies with oldBoomer.
Scene 7- I bet you think this show is about you
Rather than the interview being live from Baltar’s home, it’s set at a TV studio. And backstage at the studio we see…
She's in her twenties with short, Carrie Moss Matrix hair, wearing a perfectly tailored business suit. And if we looked really closely, we might see that she looks eerily similar to the same woman who destroyed the Armistice Station.
What else is interesting about this? No baby-neck snapping! See, I think that’s a really crucial scene in her development. Why? Because it’s a mercy killing. You see she takes no joy in what she does, but she does it because she’s sparing the baby the pain of being nuked.
BALTAR (40s) is a literal genius. Elegantly dressed and aesthetically handsome. He listens to the reporter recite his bio with the affected humility of the truly arrogant. -Check
The Woman glances away from the monitor as a STAGEHAND goes to a small craft-service table and makes himself a cup of coffee. She watches him carefully, intently, focusing on every single move as he pours the cup, puts in cream. The Woman watches as another Stagehand waves the first Stagehand over to help with some equipment. The man takes a sip of his coffee, then leaves it on the table before going. Her gaze goes to his abandoned coffee. The Woman goes to the craft-service table, picks up the coffee, inhales the smell deeply... then takes a sip... rolls the liquid around in her mouth... smiles to herself and then puts the coffee cup back before turning around and looking directly at the stage where the interview is taking place.
I really love this. She’s… studying humanity, as though she truly wants to understand it.
Scene 8- Wham Bam Thank You Ma’am
It’s noted that this is taking place in Baltar’s apartment. There is nothing quite like Gaius’s epic house of epic.
BALTAR (cont'd)
God, you had me worried there for...
I’m really intrigued by the fact that they really do not have the “Gods” thing worked out yet.
For all intents and purposes this scene is exactly the same as it was in the mini, leading me to believe this was the stuff they’d nailed all along. Also interesting, we never have that piece of cylon tech in Six’s bag which becomes oh-so-crucial later on.
ACT TWO
There’s a note at the beginning of this act of using a split screen format which THANK GOD THEY DIDN’T FOLLOW THROUGH ON. Split screens are so tricky to do without being TOTALLY ridiculous. Plus not as nice as the documentary style they really ended up with. I think it would’ve jerked you out of the “you’re right there” feeling the show gives off.
Scene 1/2- The Prodigal Son Returns
We have a really interesting little Doral-logue going on here. (Or was this in the mini and I'm just forgetting?)
A logical question to ask is why in this day and age, do
we have men and women in the cockpit at all? Why not
automate the Vipers or rely on unmanned missiles for
defense? The answer, of course, is that an automated Viper would
be susceptible to possible jamming or cyber-attack.
There's a saying in the Colonial fleet that you can jam
every sensor except the human brain.
Anyone else want to see their brains get messed with? I’m just saying. Neurotransmitters.
Anyways, this scene is relatively the same, no major changes. Lee is still a cranky bitch.
The name on the side of the fuselage reads: CAPT. LEE ADAMA "APOLLO" and when the pilot removes his helmet, we get a better look at Lee Adama, who is ruggedly handsome, with a lean frame and rangy looks.
Did we just shrink the entire Adama family from this script to the actual mini? I think so.
Scene 3- How (not) to land a Raptor
KELLY
Raptor Three-one-two/Galactica. Watch your lateral
attitude! You're skidding, you're skidding!
I’m really fond of how they show Sharon’s shit-tastic landing. I mean, maybe I just wasn’t paying attention but I didn’t pick up on the bad landing thing right away.
Tyrol steps up on the wing as the canopy opens to reveal SHARON VALERII and her co-pilot, HELO. Sharon is in her early twenties and not long out of flight school. She's the squadron rookie, and it shows -- she's less sure of herself than the other pilots, more vulnerable. Helo is a couple years older, with a perpetual tan and athletic build.
They also spell her rook status out for everyone.
TYROL
... and I listen very closely to what each and every pilot
has to say about their ship. Even the rooks.
SHARON
Okay, so I'm a rook. You're not the one out there trying
to bring fifty tons of Raptor onto a moving hangar deck
with a bad gymbal...
I like it better when it was brought up in the card game. I like it better when they were both in the card game and gave us the first introduction so we know them a little when we get to this scene.
[Yes, both men and women in Galactica's world are referred to as "sir.]
This note cracks me up. IDEK.
Oh yes, and then there is arguing and outmaking.
Scene 4- And if you didn’t know anything about Frat Regs
CALLY
Not so fast. The groping lamp is on in the tool shed.
SOCINUS
Frak me.
CALLY
Do I have to?
SOCINUS
This is outta control. The chief lost his mind or
something?
CALLY
None of our business.
PROSNA
(sarcastic)
Yeah. He's just sleeping with the division officer. What's
wrong with that?
Scene 5- Unisex. It’s not for everyone.
DUALLA
Never been in a unisex head before?
BILLY
A unisex what...?
PROSNA
Head. Bathroom.
BILLY
Oh. No, not really.
DUALLA
If you've living on a warship, the first rule is there's not
much privacy, so don't get your panties in a bunch at
what you might see. Second rule, is don't stare.
Billy suddenly realizes that's what he's doing, and quickly looks at something else.
BILLY
Sorry.
DUALLA
Don't worry, visitors usually don't have to share facilities
like the rest of us.
I kinda do not love this scene. This really upsets me actually. I really prefer the entire world of BSG being a gender-neutral place, and the idea that only the military is gender-neutral is… not far enough.
Scene 6- Who are you and what did you do with Tigh?
ADAMA
So you gonna press charges against Starbuck? Ask for
a court?
TIGH
Hell, no. I revoked her flight status, that's enough. Just
a friendly game that got outta hand.
… Excuse me!? I like my Tigh being cantankerous and out of hand! Not… you know… sensible! Plus, as I will discuss later, I don’t think any of the Kara/Lee stuff functions as well without her in the brig.
This scene also beats you over the head with Tigh’s marital problems, and really spells out his wife sleeping around… as if you really needed that information. (Hilariously enough I’m listening to the dinner party music from Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down as I write this) Also, interesting note, it talks about Tigh leaving the military.
TIGH
Doesn't matter. I'm getting out anyway.
ADAMA
There a chance you'll change your mind? The Fleet
needs men like you, Paul.
TIGH
Like hell. You're the only sonuvabitch in the whole fleet
dumb enough to want me as XO.
ADAMA
(wry)
Now you see why they're putting me out to pasture.
They also briefly discuss Lee being aboard, Adama knows he’s aboard and is of the “He’ll see me when he’s ready” mindset. ALSO *snicker* Tigh's name is Paul!
Scene 7- Preparing for the Ceremony (Pilots version!)
This is more or less the same blah-de-blah about Kara not flying in the ceremony and Lt. Anders flying instead (They really like that name don’t they?) and Lee getting to fly his old man’s viper and you know… all that stuff… with the added bonus of Kara sitting in, looking irritated.
BUT… check this out…
The pilots begin to take their seats. Kara studiously avoids eye contact as they mill around her. Then she sees him -- Lee Adama ENTERS the room and looks for a seat. Kara sits up, her surly attitude replaced by something else. Just before Lee settles in, he sees Kara. Smiles in recognition. She smiles back. They know each other. They like each other.
That’s… different. And I will talk more about it later.
Scene 8- Technophobia!
Yeah, this is more or less the same discussion we saw Adama and Roslin having about computerized networks on the Galactica.
ADAMA
[…]So I'm
sorry if I'm inconveniencing you and your teachers, but
I'll be damned if I'm going to let you or anyone else put a
computer network on this ship while I'm in command.
Now, is that clear?
Laura wasn't expecting that. She's back on her heels, caught off-guard by the authoritarian tone
of command.
LAURA
Yes... Sir?
Adama gives her a curt nod and then disappears up a gangway. She watches him go with
astonishment that is slowly turning to embarrassment and anger. Billy and Dualla arrive from an
adjacent Passageway.
LAURA (cont'd)
Where the hell have you been?
BILLY
Sorry. I got turned around back --
LAURA
Did you hear any of that?
BILLY
Uh... no...
LAURA
Good.
And just like that, she turns on her heel and heads off. Billy scrambles to catch up. Dualla and
Doral trade looks.
DORAL
(shrugs)
Bureaucrats.
I’m amused by the little Dee, Doral exchange at the end there.
Scene 9- I brought you a present. Is it angst?
“Lee makes his way to Kara. The conversation is that of two people who may or may not have feelings for one another, but haven't seen each other for a long time and aren't about to give it away. It's awkward. “
*sigh* Sorry. Having a moment of OTP over here. After the ending it’s nice to look back at the first draft and go “Yeah… yeah it’s there alright.”
Okay so we FINALLY get to the Zak stuff. And interestingly enough, talking about Zak is… well it is hard for them, talking about Zak definitely brings them pain, but that isn’t the main focus of the fight. The main focus? About Adama.
KARA
Seen the Old Man yet?
LEE
No.
KARA
But you're going to, right?
LEE
Not if I can help it.
Her whole attitude suddenly hardens. This is an old argument.
KARA
Frak...
LEE
Kara, don't even start...
KARA
He's lost one son already, he shouldn't have to lose two.
LEE
Hey -- he's the one responsible for what happened to --
KARA
No he's not. Okay? I was there, you weren't, and what
happened to Zak was an accident. That's it.
LEE
He got to you. I can't believe it. He actually got to you.
KARA
Look, when Zak died, I lost it. Okay? I was done.
Probably would've ended up back in Picon driving a
truck. The Old Man brought me here, said go be a pilot.
Put me back on my feet.
LEE
I'm not looking for a fight with you, Kara.
KARA
You go up against Commander Adama, you've got one
anyway.
Now Lee's temper flares.
LEE
And Zak actually wanted to marry you. Now here you
are siding with the man who basically killed him.
KARA
You should go. I'm getting the urge to hit another
superior asshole.
Well… THAT’S a twist…. And also kind of incongruous. I mean you could have her still be a flight instructor without having her be a fighter pilot. I think IF I had it at all I would’ve phrased it different. I like it, I like how it really does show what Adama did for her. But it also does it in that way where its TALKING at you.
This also functions really differently than if she was behind bars while they were talking. It shows… a significantly stronger amount of self restraint on her part.
ACT THREE
Scene 1- Worst Family Photo Ever
This is still pretty much the same. Awkward publicity photos of the Adama men, same fight about how it’s Adama’s fault Zak is dead. But once again it goes way, way, way too much into the spelling every single detail out for you way. There’s a note here that Lee “loses it” at one point. I think a lot of fandom forgets that Lee actually DOES have a temper or ONLY remembers it when they’re talking about him punching Kara in KLG. Just saying.
Scene 2- God and Technology
And this is the scene where Gaius and Six discuss how she rewrote half his algorithms for the defense mainframe and we know all this stuff. But there’s a line in here I absolutely love and I wish they’d kept it.
WOMAN
You are the very definition of a sinner.
BALTAR
Guilty as charged.
Scene 3- Galactica: Decommissioned
Really, nothing new here. Although, with Kara in the audience we get a few new things.
In the back of crowd, away from prying eyes, Kara Thrace is watching the fly-by of her squadron.
She watches them intently, her heart in her throat as her squadronmates go through the
manuevers without her.
KARA
(low)
That's it... hard-over... then back... watch your interval,
Jolly... c'mon guys... you got it...
And also…
Still looking out the window. The ENTIRE Galactica SQUADRON comes into view in a majestic, slow fly-by. Sharon's single RAPTOR leads all 20 VIPERS past the window trailing EXHAUST flames in a glorious, martial image. Lee's Viper swoops in from somewhere above and takes its position in the coveted lead position.
They blaze away into the stars and the entire crowd bursts into sustained, genuine APPLAUSE.
ON KARA
Applauding along with the rest. Her eyes are a little misty. She wipes them quickly, glances around -- no one saw that did they? She keeps applauding with pride.
Scene 4- Gaius Baltar is a Cheating Bastard
Well this scene starts off the same way as it did before… with Gaius being in bed with another woman and Six being creepily in his room.
WOMAN
Consider for a moment the relationship of a child to its
parent.
BALTAR
Philosophy. At... five in the morning.
She throws him a look and he backpedals fast.
BALTAR (cont'd)
Which is fine. Great. Fine. Absolutely.
WOMAN
Children are born to replace their parents. That is God's
plan. God plans the death of one's parents to be a
critical component of a child's development into
adulthood.
BALTAR
(trying to be light)
Nothing worse than parents that hang around too long.
Mine certainly did.
Another withering look.
BALTAR (cont'd)
Sorry.
WOMAN
God wants children to grow and develop on their own.
He wants them to reach their full potential. And so it is
that parents must die.
(beat)
But parents who stand in the way of God's plan, who
defy his will... they must be struck down.
The hairs on the back of his neck are starting rise. Where the hell is this going...?
BALTAR
What's going on...?
WOMAN
Humanity's children are returning home.
(beat)
Today.
I wish I could have seen this scene.
Scene 5- Escorting Roslin’s Ship
Eh, here’s the same-old same-old of Lee escorting the transport ship back to Caprica… er… Kobol… but there’s a little exchange between Sharon and Lee that I’m just not sure I get the point of.
SHARON (WIRELESS)
Viper 105/Raptor 238. This is Boomer, just wanted to
say it was an honor to fly with you, Apollo.
LEE (WIRELESS)
Copy that, Boomer. The feeling is mutual. You heading
back to Kobol?
SHARON (WIRELESS)
Yes, sir. Back to Kobol and reassignment.
LEE (WIRELESS)
Hope our paths meet up again someday, Boomer.
SHARON (WIRELESS)
Copy that sir. Safe journey.
Scenes 6 + 7 (Well now…)
And here is just some stuff that… got tossed out the window I guess.
INT. GALACTICA - PASSAGEWAY
Adama and Kara, now in regular uniforms, walk down the passageway together. Their
relationship is warm, easy -- like father and daughter.
KARA
Staff duty? Hell with that, Old Man. I want to keep
flying.
ADAMA
You've done a lot of flying. You need a little staff duty on
your resume. Besides...
Adama trails off, something else on his mind. She looks at him curiously.
ADAMA (cont'd)
Kara... about Zak...? Yes or no -- was he cut out to be a
pilot or not?
KARA
(stiffens)
He was good. Okay? I taught basic flight. And I passed
him. So he must've had something on the ball.
Otherwise I wouldn't have passed him. Right?
A hatch OPENS down the passageway and Tigh looks out at them.
TIGH
There you are. We're ready when you are.
INT. GALACTICA - WEAPON CONTROL ROOM
Filled from deck to overhead with consoles and monitors, this is the master control room for the
various weapon systems aboard Galactica. Normally manned by one or two people at most, the
small room is crowded with Galactica officers -- Tigh, Tyrol and various others. Adama and Kara
are standing near one particular console marked "POWER COILS/WEAPONS/MASTER."
ADAMA
My father once told me that warships have lives just like
human beings. They're born when their guns are first
charged, they die when their guns are finally silenced.
(beat)
We're gathered here to silence the guns of Galactica
and so end her life in the Colonial Fleet.
Adama nods to Tigh, who presses a button on a speaker.
TIGH
This is the Executive Officer. All hands stand to
attention. Galactica, leaving the Fleet.
Everyone stands to attention as Adama flips up a protective cover on the console, exposing
several switches. He hesitates for just a beat, then snaps each switch firmly.
And after that we see that all of Galactica’s weapons go… bye-bye.
Scene 8- So long, Mom, we’re off to drop the bomb
This is more or less the exact same scene of Gaius freaking out about “how can she be a cylon?” and “holy shit, what if people find out I’m involved” just a few things I really liked
WOMAN
I'm a person. A woman.
She regards him sympathetically, like an adult regarding the silly theories of a child.
I think this note really changes their dynamic, pretty significantly. Makes it harder to ship them, I think. Because they're not equals.
Also, we see a distant explosion and the windows to Baltar’s apartment rattle… no big kaboom… yet
Scene 9- Should’ve done that breast exam a few years ago, hon
I actually love, love, love the placement of this scene. Laura’s done her duty and now she can have her little freak out in the bathroom. But do you know what I love most? She has her cancer freak out right after we see the start of the bombs. Also, the last scene before this ends with Six saying “It’s begun.” It’s two different ends of the world and pushing them back to back like this is quite brilliant.
Scene 10- I Feel Fine
Adama is in his stateroom and receives the news of the cylon attack, rather than being in CIC, which makes sense when you take into account Act 3 Scene 7.
ACT FOUR
Scene 1- This is Not a Drill
Here’s another piece that got cut… or well cut down. We have a split screen on a couple deckhands mopping the floor, some officers on duty, the launch officer doing some paperwork, Tyrol doing paperwork, and (kept) Tigh smoking a cigar and burning the picture of his wife. Then Gaeta’s voice comes on being all “Action stations, action stations. Set condition one throughout the ship.”
Scene 2- Trouble with a capital T and that rhymes with C and that stands for Cylon
This is more or less verbatim from the show. Tigh comes up to CIC and insists that it has to be a retirement prank, and Adama gets on the wireless and makes that epic speech about how they are at war. And of course, because they got rid of their weapons earlier on, Adama points out that they are in need of another set of weapon coils.
Scene 3- And this is why we don’t automate vipers Pt 1
Not much new here, we’re out with the squadron, and Boomer and Helo, and they detect cylon raiders inbound. There’s a lot of jamming messing with Boomer’s sensors and the CAG just tells her to calm down and take it easy.
Scene 4/5- Useful Things You Can Find in a Museum
These two scenes are almost exactly the same as the mini, with a few minor changes in dialogue. Kara reports to CIC, Adama gives her the sitrep, and then tells her to get the vipers that are in the museum. And then the whole… can’t use the starboard launch because it’s a giftshop now.
Scene 6- Lee vs Daddy’s Viper
Same scene, we see Apollo still escorting Roslin’s transport, however, his navigation system goes out. I’m not really clear on whether it’s cylon tech or because it’s old, though Lee probably thinks it’s because it’s old, even if it is cylon tech and because Lee has major daddy issues. I’m not sure I like this imagery, either way, just because I like the idea of this old, reliable viper that’s kind of a symbol of Adama himself. Plus I have faith in Tyrol and his deck crew to make sure it was practically good as new.
Scene 7- I can’t keep coming up with titles for ALL of them
And here’s Dee getting reports of equipment malfunctions. Nothing new
Scene 8- And this is why we don’t automate vipers Pt 2
Another case of nothing new. Shock and awe at the sight of what these cylon raiders look like, their equipment all goes down, and all the shiny new vipers get taken out. Boomer and Helo retreat.
Scene 9- Last Ship off of Kobol
Baltar is on a transport to leave the planet when all of a sudden the power goes down and the ship is grounded. He heads out of the terminal where he sees Six standing, unsure of what else to do he goes over to her.
BALTAR
I can't leave.
NUMBER SIX
I know.
BALTAR
That your doing?
NUMBER SIX
No. That wasn't my job.
BALTAR
What was your job?
NUMBER SIX
We should discuss this after.
BALTAR
After? After wha--?
There is a flash of light from off camera, we see shots of everyone in Caprica City reacting to this flash, and then back to the terminal and NOW we get our big blowout of debris and windows imploding. Then we get a shot of the entire city being engulfed in a mushroom cloud.
This really lacks the intimacy of being set in Baltar’s home, even though I do like the “almost gets out and then he doesn’t” because it’s batshit terrifying. But it also lacks the beauty of the “get down” moment, because I do really ship Caprica/Gaius. It’s so true. :)
ACT FIVE
Scene 1/2- Bearer of bad news and more bad news
Not much new here, deckhands are prepping vipers for launch while Adama announces that a nuke was detonated over Caprica City and urges people to mourn Caprica later and get this ship ready to fight. We cut to Helo and Boomer trying to get away from the raiders, they take on damage as they find the main fight-- it is unclear if Helo takes any physical damage at this point, but there is a very nice little exchange between them that we didn’t see…
HELO
So we coast?
SHARON
Best way to avoid attracting attention. No power
signature, go in a straight line -- unless somebody gets
close enough to actually see us, we'll look like a chunk
of debris on sensors. I think we have enough inertia to
make it to Kobol's ionosphere, then we'll power up and
find a place to land.
HELO
(pained)
Nice... nice thinking there.
(beat)
I think we can officially stop calling you a Rook now,
Lieutenant.
Scene 3- Bad News Continued
Another case of nothing new. Roslin gets word about the attacks aboard the transport ship, makes the announcement to the passengers… there’s the whole Doral going “who put you in charge” thing and Billy freaking out about his family. And whoever Laura was talking with over the wireless in the mini, discussing where the President is, we actually get to see him stumbling around in the rubble a little bit. And then Lee does that thing where he distracts the cylon missile away from the transport ship.
ACT SIX
Scene 1- Fancy Flying
Lee is still being chased by the missile and he sees a moon ahead. He heads towards it, flies into a narrow canyon then straight up and makes a hard turn, expecting the missile to smash into the canyon wall. It doesn’t. It follows his path.
LEE
Clever little bastard aren't you...
And then the most convenient thing to ever convenient happens: From the overhead view ahead, we begin to notice that there are SIGNS and SYMBOLS dotting the sides of the canyon. This is a Viper TRAINING RANGE. There's a TUNNEL OPENING in the floor of the Canyon straight ahead. A sign that flashes by us says: INTERIOR FLIGHT RULES AHEAD -- REDUCE SPEED
And I’m just going to copy-paste the rest of this because there’s no way I can just… describe it. The maneuvering sounds similar to what they end up doing in Hand of God. It’s also described in the split-screen, each number marks a screen in the sequence.
5 -- Looking DOWN on the chase. We see Lee's Viper suddenly ZIP straight down INTO the
Tunnel. The Cylon missile immediately plunges down and FOLLOWS him into the tunnel.
3 -- We're tearing along through the tunnel. It's a long CAVE that's been smoothed out and
turned into a training run. WARNING LIGHTS and SYMBOLS line the walls, along with the
occasional scorch mark.
2 -- Lee grips the throttle and the control yoke, braces himself... then CUTS the throttle and
PULLS back on the yoke. The Viper begins to FLIP END OVER END.
1 -- The Viper FLIPS END OVER END, still traveling through the tunnel on inertia, but without
engine thrust. Lee steadies the Viper upside down (to us) and facing directly BACKWARDS.
3 -- From the overhead cockpit view, it looks like we're travelling BACKWARDS and slowing
down a little. We can see the Cylon missile starting to gain ground.
2 -- Lee watches the missile get closer, and he keeps glancing out the canopy to check his
position.
1 -- FLYING BACKWARDS, the Viper makes slight turns and adjustments to avoid obstacles and
keep away from the walls during turns.
3 -- The Cylon missile is getting BIGGER and CLOSER.
2 -- Lee reaches out quickly, JAMS a PEN on top of his instrument console -- tries to use it as a CRUDE GUNSIGHT -- he squints, tries to line up the missile. He FIRES.
4 -- From the Cylon missile we see FIRE streak out from the Viper guns, but MISSES.
1 -- Lee FIRES again... MISSES AGAIN.
2 -- Lee is determined, grim...
3 -- The Cylon missile is nearly on top of him, this is the last chance...
1 -- Lee FIRES -- HITS THE MISSILE -- it EXPLODES.
3 -- The EXPLOSION roars toward Lee's Viper -- the BLAST HITS the Viper -- blows it
BACKWARD...
1 -- The Viper is BLOWN out the END of the TUNNEL and into SPACE above the moon. The ship tumbles end over end.
2 -- Lee struggles to regain control of the ship. He finally does, IGNITES the ENGINE.
1 -- The Viper tries to head out into space, but then the ENGINE SPUTTERS and DIES.
2 -- The fuel gauge is EMPTY. Lee reacts.
1 -- The ship is caught by the moon's gravity and is pulled down into an ORBIT, where it coasts.
2 -- Lee lets out a long breath. At least he's alive.
He then puts out a message to any colonial ship that he is in need of assistance. By the way… I love awesomeflying!Lee. So much. But I think this would have detracted from the flow of the mini, plus we ended up getting awesomeflying!Lee later on anyways.
Scene 2- The opposite of fancy flying
Back on Galactica, more of the same old, they are completely unable to get Kara’s viper to launch. Outside there is some serious fighting going on and the pilots are apparently not doing so well. They finally get Kara’s viper out, the fire fight is not going well and then the radiological alarm goes off, there’s a nuke! The inbound nuke hits Galactica
ACT SEVEN
Scene 1- We’ve been hit
This is really a lot more of nothing new. Dealing with the damage from the nuke, decompressions, and the need to vent the pod before the fires get to the fuel line and they lose the entire ship. There’s the whole thing with Tigh ordering the venting despite Tyrol’s pleas for a few more seconds and… yeah it goes the same way it does in the mini.
I'm still so amused that tigh's name is Paul
Scene 2- CIVILIAN SWARM Pt 1
Boomer and Helo are on Kobol with Boomer repairing the damaged fuel line. We can see now that Helo has gotten injured in his side, and is bleeding quite badly. When all of a sudden they are descended upon by survivors! D: Including Gaius Baltar.
Scene 3- Colonial Heavy to the Rescue
Roslin and the captain of the transport ship go to pick up Lee and his fuelless Viper, When he’s aboard he asks Laura how they knew where to find him, because it turns out all the military lines were jammed and his message was not getting through to anyone.
LAURA
You had to go somewhere, Kobol was too far, and the
nearest celestial body was the Trevor moon.
Mmm… smart Laura. Anyways this goes on to be the same “Lady’s in charge” scene that I love about Lee. :)
Scene 4- Civilian Swarm Pt 2
(the gun does not emit a energy bolt effect -- it fires an explosive projectile)
I love this note. I just really love the realism of BSG, and it’s nice to not have lasers firing everywhere.
Not much to note, Helo and Boomer agree to take the children and then start the lottery for the remaining seats.
Scene 5- Surprise Presidency!
Nothing new here. Just the automated message that gets sent out if most of the people in the government are dead. Laura telling Lee that there are forty-two people ahead of her in line for the presidency… and then… guess what… all of them are dead. And Roslin is sworn in by Elosha.
ACT EIGHT
Scene 1- Civilian Swarm Pt 3
More nothing new. This is the scene where Helo gives up his seat for Gaius.
Scene 2- Dealing with the Deaths
I don’t know why but this little line of dialogue made me very sad…
KARA (WIRELESS)
Galactica/Starbuck -- good to hear your voice again, D.
DUALLA
(to mic)
Same here, Starbuck. You may rejoin combat patrol at
this time.
Almost makes me think they might have been friends at one point… which makes the QoD stuff just that much harder.
Aboard Galactica they’re dealing with the people who died in the fire and make the decision to go to the Ragnar Anchorage to get munitions. They make some interesting notes about it… that it’s ridiculously hard to dock there, that it should’ve been scrapped a long time ago but the only reason it wasn’t was because budge cuts prevented sending a ship out to take it apart.
TIGH
(are you crazy?)
You want to make a Jump?
ADAMA
Don't want to.
TIGH
Because a sane man wouldn't. It's been what -- twenty
years since this tub made a Jump?
ADAMA
Twenty-five.
TIGH
Twenty-five. Probably rats living in the FTL relays.
ADAMA
Hope not. Hate the smell of burned rat.
(beat, then formally)
Colonel Tigh... you will please plot a Hyperlight Jump
from this position to the orbit of Ragnar.
TIGH
Yes, sir.
(beat)
You know, I'm pretty sure this qualifies as a Combat
Jump.
ADAMA
I'll be sure to put everyone up for their silver wings.
The line about the rats had me laughing out loud, for serious. And I think that’s an interesting note about just how out of the norm jumping is that being involved in a combat jump gets you a medal.
Then a message comes in that the Atlantia, Solaria, Columbia, Triton, etc have all been destroyed and the list goes on and Adama is now the senior officer in the fleet.
Scene 3- Here’s to you Mrs. Robinson?
More of the same old, Colonial Heavy 798 is now Colonial One, they pull up along side the luxury ship that’s been out of power for two hours and well…
LEE
And uh, sir? Apollo's just my callsign. My name is Lee.
Lee Adama.
LAURA
I know who you are. But Captain Apollo has a nice ring
to it, don't you think?
Heh. Love that line. Had to include it even though it’s nothing new.
Scene 4- A Father/Son talk
Wow, there is a lot of jump-prep technobabble which thank the Lords of Kobol they got rid of because I would’ve zoned out and since this is right at the end of part one that is NOT a good way to lead out.
Adama receives the message that Lee is with Laura, collecting survivors and isn’t planning on jumping out to the anchorage with the rest of them.
There are arguments, and much the way of the mini, two raiders are approaching Colonial One, Lee stops responding over the wireless, and…
GAETA
Fifty-kiloton thermo-nuclear detonation.
ADAMA
Lee...
Off Adama's face as he realizes that his eldest son is dead...
SUPER: To be continued...
AND End Part one. Part two, later this week. Or... tonight... if I have time.
Here is a link to the PDF file of the miniseries script part 1.
ACT ONE
Scene 1- It’s the end of the world as we know it
The Cylons were created by Man. They were the product of a desire to make life easier on the planet Kobol. At first, they were simple robots. Toys. Conversation pieces at parties for the rich and trendy. The Cylons became more advanced. Began to work the mines. Do the hard and
dangerous work Man no longer wished to do. And when the people of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol decided to war against each other, the Cylons began to do their fighting and killing for them too. The Cylons were the greatest soldiers the planet had ever seen. Smart. Fast. Deadly.
They made decisions without waiting for orders. And then the day came when the Cylons decided to kill their masters. The Twelve Colonies rallied together for the first time in centuries. Betrayed by their own technology, they fought the Cylons with weapons that didn't rely on computers. After a long and bloody struggle, the war finally ended. An armistice was declared. The Cylons left Kobol for another world to call their own. A remote space station was built where Cylon and Human could meet and maintain diplomatic relations. Every month, the Colonials send an officer. The Cylons send no one. No one has seen or heard from the Cylons in over forty years.
So, that’s the opening monologue. The one thing that I really like about this monologue is it paints this image of the Twelve Colonies as not really existing in harmony with one another which isn’t something you really pick up on in the mini. I think it would have been a good thing to have this pointed out more clearly in the series, that this common threat brought together warring worlds… which sort of comes through in Caprica (the series).
Also interesting! They start off on Kobol! Later in the script it’s mentioned that Laura is in a doctor’s office on Kobol… Which lends to an almost… prequel to the original series going on. Which is strange because it’s clearly after the original series. As we see the old school cylons in the museum later on. Here’s what’s so fascinating and it took me until Act 3 to figure it out.
The planet they are on is Kobol. Caprica, Picon, Geminon, all of the colonies appear to be countries or continents or something along those lines. It’s strange.
This scene in the original script also shows the officer in the meeting over a period of time, starting in his youth and aging. It also very cleverly shows the rank system! He starts as Lieutenant and moves up Captain, Major, Lt. Colonel, Colonel throughout the montage.
Here was, in my opinion, one of the biggest shocks.
The Cylons step aside and a beautiful WOMAN ENTERS. She looks to be
in her twenties, with long flowing raven-black hair, drop-dead looks and a perfect body.
I love that we got platinum-blonde Six out of that. I’m just saying. I can’t really imagine her any other way. She’s so iconic. And (later on) they kind of suggest that the Six actually with Gaius has hair like Trinity's and I think that... latching onto another series's icon just doesn't really bode well. And I'm glad we got the image we got instead of a piggyback on The Matrix.
WOMAN
Are you alive?
COLONEL
Yes...
WOMAN
Prove it.
I’m so glad this never changed. It really is the perfect opening to this series. What constitutes life? What makes a person? I feel like this is the sentiment and the question that is most intriguing about BSG. Way to go show.
Scene 2-ROLL CALL!
CAMERA DROPS OFF on DORAL (30s) --one of those picture-perfect PR types who never seems to have a hair out of place.- Check!
DROP OFF on ADAMA -- a man in his late fifties, with a weathered, lean appearance, iron-grey hair and so tall that he has to continually duck and stoop to avoid the low overhead- Incorrect! EJO is made of short. :)
CAPTAIN KELLY (30s).- Check? Oh Kelly, you are so underappreciated.
DROPPING OFF on three enlisted Deck Hands -- PROSNA (18, male), CALLY (21, female), SOCINUS (18, male) -- rushing somewhere in a hurry, and trying to get their uniforms in order. Prosna has a FLAT WRAPPED PACKAGE- I don’t know why, but looking at the ages is so shocking to me. I mean… I’m older than both Prosna and Socinus, I’m just shy of Cally’s age. I know I’m so not equipped to put up with any of what they do. Anyways, moving on.
They pass by LT. GAETA (20s) and we DROP OFF on him- Heh, once again, so not much by way of description on him.
Now we FOLLOW Gaeta (still one take) as he continues on his way. He looks down an
intersection and sees COLONEL TIGH (40s) leaning against a bulkhead. The Colonel looks like he's about ready to puke.-40s!?!?! I mean I guess they were going off the old series where Tigh was definitely younger. But still… quite an age gap we got there. I imagine that would change the dynamic to have Tigh younger. I also prefer the more blatant Tigh with a drink in his hand. It really makes his alcohol problem RIGHT THERE instead of… you never know… food poisoning.
Scene 3- Nostalgia, hold the Angst
ADAMA
Where... where'd you find her?
TYROL
Rusting away in a salvage yard outside Caprica City.
Again, with the more cities and continents feel instead of "on planets"
The script notes that the viper should look like the one out of the 70s show.
Interestingly enough, Adama does not receive the photograph of himself and his sons in this scene. I feel like that is what made the scene in the first place. Yes, planes, great. But we as the audience are not at all familiar with the significance of this yet. But we all get the significance of a photo given like that.
Also of interest, no real descriptor on Chief.
Scene 4- Doctor, Doctor Give Me The News
Laura is in her late forties, handsome, confident, with an innate intelligence bordering on
the brilliant. But the quality that strikes us most strongly about Laura is that she has class.
Um… I love this description of Laura. BTW.
This scene actually has Laura asking what treatment options there are…
DOCTOR
The conventional approach is intensive radiation
therapy, but there are several promising new drug
therapies that will soon be approved for human testing,
and --
I feel like this answer builds up the “we’re becoming too technologically advanced and that’s bad” that I do not actually like too much about BSG… But also I think it kind of lacks the poetry of the Doctor’s voice being drowned out by the roar of an engine. Because it really gives a sense of how overwhelming the news is. Instead it has her rushing out while he’s explaining treatment, and that just… doesn’t feel very “classy” to me.
Scene 5- Billy K… kei… ka… KE-CAW!
BILLY is young (19), eager to please, very smart and very polite. He's one of those rare people who's usually smarter than the room, but never lets anyone know it. He'll make a great diplomat someday.
This is Billy and Laura on the transport ship meeting for the very first time. Which I find strange. I’m thinking if he’s her new assistant they should’ve met at her office or something like that. It’s a very awkward scene, also it has a case of being excessively talking at the audience. We are smart. We can figure things out.
LAURA
Do you know where we're going?
BILLY
To the Galactica. The ship's being retired and
transferred to the Ministry as a museum ship.
(beat)
I took the liberty of reading the briefing on the way over.
I hope that's okay.
LAURA
That's fine.
(beat)
It's a long flight. Hope you don't mind if I catch some
sleep.
BILLY
Not at all.
Scene 6- Shut up and deal
Kara (30s) is a loner, which makes her an oddity among the tight-knit pilots. She's as
undisciplined and rebellious out of the cockpit as she is calculating and precise in it. Her mouth has definitely held back her career. And she dislikes Tigh.- I think it’s interesting that they cast her younger too, but I love the note about her career.
KARA
(casual)
How's the wife?
The room goes deathly silent. Glances between the other pilots. Tigh freezes for a beat. She's
definitely touched a sensitive and dangerous nerve.
TIGH
(even)
Just fine.
KARA
Talk to her lately?
TIGH
Bet's to you, Lieutenant.
KARA
No rank at the table, Colonel. Tradition and all that.
(lights a cigar)
So. Another thirty to me. Well, I think I'll just have to
bring this lovely evening to a close.
(turns over cards)
Dominion.
Tigh's drops his hand. Kara begins raking in the chips.
TIGH
That's five hands in a row.
KARA
Is it?
TIGH
No one's that lucky, Thrace.
KARA
Luck has nothing to do with it.
TIGH
That's right.
Now it's ugly. Kara meets his eyes.
KARA
You have something to say, say it.
A tense beat, then a sudden erruption of violence as Tigh KNOCKS the table over. Kara's on her
feet, gets in the first shot -- and CONNECTS with Tigh's face. He staggers back, but the other
pilots swoop in and are hauling the dazed Tigh out of here before anything else can happen.
Kara watches him go with a smirk, then bends down to scoop up her winnings.
Know what I disapprove of? There is NO Boomer or Helo in this scene. And well… I LIKE Kara’s friendships with them and I think they’re important. I’m not sure Kara is really the same Kara if she is a complete loner. It makes her way more scarred than she actually is. And I do want to point out that oldStarbuck was not a loner either. In fact he was definitely buddies with oldBoomer.
Scene 7- I bet you think this show is about you
Rather than the interview being live from Baltar’s home, it’s set at a TV studio. And backstage at the studio we see…
She's in her twenties with short, Carrie Moss Matrix hair, wearing a perfectly tailored business suit. And if we looked really closely, we might see that she looks eerily similar to the same woman who destroyed the Armistice Station.
What else is interesting about this? No baby-neck snapping! See, I think that’s a really crucial scene in her development. Why? Because it’s a mercy killing. You see she takes no joy in what she does, but she does it because she’s sparing the baby the pain of being nuked.
BALTAR (40s) is a literal genius. Elegantly dressed and aesthetically handsome. He listens to the reporter recite his bio with the affected humility of the truly arrogant. -Check
The Woman glances away from the monitor as a STAGEHAND goes to a small craft-service table and makes himself a cup of coffee. She watches him carefully, intently, focusing on every single move as he pours the cup, puts in cream. The Woman watches as another Stagehand waves the first Stagehand over to help with some equipment. The man takes a sip of his coffee, then leaves it on the table before going. Her gaze goes to his abandoned coffee. The Woman goes to the craft-service table, picks up the coffee, inhales the smell deeply... then takes a sip... rolls the liquid around in her mouth... smiles to herself and then puts the coffee cup back before turning around and looking directly at the stage where the interview is taking place.
I really love this. She’s… studying humanity, as though she truly wants to understand it.
Scene 8- Wham Bam Thank You Ma’am
It’s noted that this is taking place in Baltar’s apartment. There is nothing quite like Gaius’s epic house of epic.
BALTAR (cont'd)
God, you had me worried there for...
I’m really intrigued by the fact that they really do not have the “Gods” thing worked out yet.
For all intents and purposes this scene is exactly the same as it was in the mini, leading me to believe this was the stuff they’d nailed all along. Also interesting, we never have that piece of cylon tech in Six’s bag which becomes oh-so-crucial later on.
ACT TWO
There’s a note at the beginning of this act of using a split screen format which THANK GOD THEY DIDN’T FOLLOW THROUGH ON. Split screens are so tricky to do without being TOTALLY ridiculous. Plus not as nice as the documentary style they really ended up with. I think it would’ve jerked you out of the “you’re right there” feeling the show gives off.
Scene 1/2- The Prodigal Son Returns
We have a really interesting little Doral-logue going on here. (Or was this in the mini and I'm just forgetting?)
A logical question to ask is why in this day and age, do
we have men and women in the cockpit at all? Why not
automate the Vipers or rely on unmanned missiles for
defense? The answer, of course, is that an automated Viper would
be susceptible to possible jamming or cyber-attack.
There's a saying in the Colonial fleet that you can jam
every sensor except the human brain.
Anyone else want to see their brains get messed with? I’m just saying. Neurotransmitters.
Anyways, this scene is relatively the same, no major changes. Lee is still a cranky bitch.
The name on the side of the fuselage reads: CAPT. LEE ADAMA "APOLLO" and when the pilot removes his helmet, we get a better look at Lee Adama, who is ruggedly handsome, with a lean frame and rangy looks.
Did we just shrink the entire Adama family from this script to the actual mini? I think so.
Scene 3- How (not) to land a Raptor
KELLY
Raptor Three-one-two/Galactica. Watch your lateral
attitude! You're skidding, you're skidding!
I’m really fond of how they show Sharon’s shit-tastic landing. I mean, maybe I just wasn’t paying attention but I didn’t pick up on the bad landing thing right away.
Tyrol steps up on the wing as the canopy opens to reveal SHARON VALERII and her co-pilot, HELO. Sharon is in her early twenties and not long out of flight school. She's the squadron rookie, and it shows -- she's less sure of herself than the other pilots, more vulnerable. Helo is a couple years older, with a perpetual tan and athletic build.
They also spell her rook status out for everyone.
TYROL
... and I listen very closely to what each and every pilot
has to say about their ship. Even the rooks.
SHARON
Okay, so I'm a rook. You're not the one out there trying
to bring fifty tons of Raptor onto a moving hangar deck
with a bad gymbal...
I like it better when it was brought up in the card game. I like it better when they were both in the card game and gave us the first introduction so we know them a little when we get to this scene.
[Yes, both men and women in Galactica's world are referred to as "sir.]
This note cracks me up. IDEK.
Oh yes, and then there is arguing and outmaking.
Scene 4- And if you didn’t know anything about Frat Regs
CALLY
Not so fast. The groping lamp is on in the tool shed.
SOCINUS
Frak me.
CALLY
Do I have to?
SOCINUS
This is outta control. The chief lost his mind or
something?
CALLY
None of our business.
PROSNA
(sarcastic)
Yeah. He's just sleeping with the division officer. What's
wrong with that?
Scene 5- Unisex. It’s not for everyone.
DUALLA
Never been in a unisex head before?
BILLY
A unisex what...?
PROSNA
Head. Bathroom.
BILLY
Oh. No, not really.
DUALLA
If you've living on a warship, the first rule is there's not
much privacy, so don't get your panties in a bunch at
what you might see. Second rule, is don't stare.
Billy suddenly realizes that's what he's doing, and quickly looks at something else.
BILLY
Sorry.
DUALLA
Don't worry, visitors usually don't have to share facilities
like the rest of us.
I kinda do not love this scene. This really upsets me actually. I really prefer the entire world of BSG being a gender-neutral place, and the idea that only the military is gender-neutral is… not far enough.
Scene 6- Who are you and what did you do with Tigh?
ADAMA
So you gonna press charges against Starbuck? Ask for
a court?
TIGH
Hell, no. I revoked her flight status, that's enough. Just
a friendly game that got outta hand.
… Excuse me!? I like my Tigh being cantankerous and out of hand! Not… you know… sensible! Plus, as I will discuss later, I don’t think any of the Kara/Lee stuff functions as well without her in the brig.
This scene also beats you over the head with Tigh’s marital problems, and really spells out his wife sleeping around… as if you really needed that information. (Hilariously enough I’m listening to the dinner party music from Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down as I write this) Also, interesting note, it talks about Tigh leaving the military.
TIGH
Doesn't matter. I'm getting out anyway.
ADAMA
There a chance you'll change your mind? The Fleet
needs men like you, Paul.
TIGH
Like hell. You're the only sonuvabitch in the whole fleet
dumb enough to want me as XO.
ADAMA
(wry)
Now you see why they're putting me out to pasture.
They also briefly discuss Lee being aboard, Adama knows he’s aboard and is of the “He’ll see me when he’s ready” mindset. ALSO *snicker* Tigh's name is Paul!
Scene 7- Preparing for the Ceremony (Pilots version!)
This is more or less the same blah-de-blah about Kara not flying in the ceremony and Lt. Anders flying instead (They really like that name don’t they?) and Lee getting to fly his old man’s viper and you know… all that stuff… with the added bonus of Kara sitting in, looking irritated.
BUT… check this out…
The pilots begin to take their seats. Kara studiously avoids eye contact as they mill around her. Then she sees him -- Lee Adama ENTERS the room and looks for a seat. Kara sits up, her surly attitude replaced by something else. Just before Lee settles in, he sees Kara. Smiles in recognition. She smiles back. They know each other. They like each other.
That’s… different. And I will talk more about it later.
Scene 8- Technophobia!
Yeah, this is more or less the same discussion we saw Adama and Roslin having about computerized networks on the Galactica.
ADAMA
[…]So I'm
sorry if I'm inconveniencing you and your teachers, but
I'll be damned if I'm going to let you or anyone else put a
computer network on this ship while I'm in command.
Now, is that clear?
Laura wasn't expecting that. She's back on her heels, caught off-guard by the authoritarian tone
of command.
LAURA
Yes... Sir?
Adama gives her a curt nod and then disappears up a gangway. She watches him go with
astonishment that is slowly turning to embarrassment and anger. Billy and Dualla arrive from an
adjacent Passageway.
LAURA (cont'd)
Where the hell have you been?
BILLY
Sorry. I got turned around back --
LAURA
Did you hear any of that?
BILLY
Uh... no...
LAURA
Good.
And just like that, she turns on her heel and heads off. Billy scrambles to catch up. Dualla and
Doral trade looks.
DORAL
(shrugs)
Bureaucrats.
I’m amused by the little Dee, Doral exchange at the end there.
Scene 9- I brought you a present. Is it angst?
“Lee makes his way to Kara. The conversation is that of two people who may or may not have feelings for one another, but haven't seen each other for a long time and aren't about to give it away. It's awkward. “
*sigh* Sorry. Having a moment of OTP over here. After the ending it’s nice to look back at the first draft and go “Yeah… yeah it’s there alright.”
Okay so we FINALLY get to the Zak stuff. And interestingly enough, talking about Zak is… well it is hard for them, talking about Zak definitely brings them pain, but that isn’t the main focus of the fight. The main focus? About Adama.
KARA
Seen the Old Man yet?
LEE
No.
KARA
But you're going to, right?
LEE
Not if I can help it.
Her whole attitude suddenly hardens. This is an old argument.
KARA
Frak...
LEE
Kara, don't even start...
KARA
He's lost one son already, he shouldn't have to lose two.
LEE
Hey -- he's the one responsible for what happened to --
KARA
No he's not. Okay? I was there, you weren't, and what
happened to Zak was an accident. That's it.
LEE
He got to you. I can't believe it. He actually got to you.
KARA
Look, when Zak died, I lost it. Okay? I was done.
Probably would've ended up back in Picon driving a
truck. The Old Man brought me here, said go be a pilot.
Put me back on my feet.
LEE
I'm not looking for a fight with you, Kara.
KARA
You go up against Commander Adama, you've got one
anyway.
Now Lee's temper flares.
LEE
And Zak actually wanted to marry you. Now here you
are siding with the man who basically killed him.
KARA
You should go. I'm getting the urge to hit another
superior asshole.
Well… THAT’S a twist…. And also kind of incongruous. I mean you could have her still be a flight instructor without having her be a fighter pilot. I think IF I had it at all I would’ve phrased it different. I like it, I like how it really does show what Adama did for her. But it also does it in that way where its TALKING at you.
This also functions really differently than if she was behind bars while they were talking. It shows… a significantly stronger amount of self restraint on her part.
ACT THREE
Scene 1- Worst Family Photo Ever
This is still pretty much the same. Awkward publicity photos of the Adama men, same fight about how it’s Adama’s fault Zak is dead. But once again it goes way, way, way too much into the spelling every single detail out for you way. There’s a note here that Lee “loses it” at one point. I think a lot of fandom forgets that Lee actually DOES have a temper or ONLY remembers it when they’re talking about him punching Kara in KLG. Just saying.
Scene 2- God and Technology
And this is the scene where Gaius and Six discuss how she rewrote half his algorithms for the defense mainframe and we know all this stuff. But there’s a line in here I absolutely love and I wish they’d kept it.
WOMAN
You are the very definition of a sinner.
BALTAR
Guilty as charged.
Scene 3- Galactica: Decommissioned
Really, nothing new here. Although, with Kara in the audience we get a few new things.
In the back of crowd, away from prying eyes, Kara Thrace is watching the fly-by of her squadron.
She watches them intently, her heart in her throat as her squadronmates go through the
manuevers without her.
KARA
(low)
That's it... hard-over... then back... watch your interval,
Jolly... c'mon guys... you got it...
And also…
Still looking out the window. The ENTIRE Galactica SQUADRON comes into view in a majestic, slow fly-by. Sharon's single RAPTOR leads all 20 VIPERS past the window trailing EXHAUST flames in a glorious, martial image. Lee's Viper swoops in from somewhere above and takes its position in the coveted lead position.
They blaze away into the stars and the entire crowd bursts into sustained, genuine APPLAUSE.
ON KARA
Applauding along with the rest. Her eyes are a little misty. She wipes them quickly, glances around -- no one saw that did they? She keeps applauding with pride.
Scene 4- Gaius Baltar is a Cheating Bastard
Well this scene starts off the same way as it did before… with Gaius being in bed with another woman and Six being creepily in his room.
WOMAN
Consider for a moment the relationship of a child to its
parent.
BALTAR
Philosophy. At... five in the morning.
She throws him a look and he backpedals fast.
BALTAR (cont'd)
Which is fine. Great. Fine. Absolutely.
WOMAN
Children are born to replace their parents. That is God's
plan. God plans the death of one's parents to be a
critical component of a child's development into
adulthood.
BALTAR
(trying to be light)
Nothing worse than parents that hang around too long.
Mine certainly did.
Another withering look.
BALTAR (cont'd)
Sorry.
WOMAN
God wants children to grow and develop on their own.
He wants them to reach their full potential. And so it is
that parents must die.
(beat)
But parents who stand in the way of God's plan, who
defy his will... they must be struck down.
The hairs on the back of his neck are starting rise. Where the hell is this going...?
BALTAR
What's going on...?
WOMAN
Humanity's children are returning home.
(beat)
Today.
I wish I could have seen this scene.
Scene 5- Escorting Roslin’s Ship
Eh, here’s the same-old same-old of Lee escorting the transport ship back to Caprica… er… Kobol… but there’s a little exchange between Sharon and Lee that I’m just not sure I get the point of.
SHARON (WIRELESS)
Viper 105/Raptor 238. This is Boomer, just wanted to
say it was an honor to fly with you, Apollo.
LEE (WIRELESS)
Copy that, Boomer. The feeling is mutual. You heading
back to Kobol?
SHARON (WIRELESS)
Yes, sir. Back to Kobol and reassignment.
LEE (WIRELESS)
Hope our paths meet up again someday, Boomer.
SHARON (WIRELESS)
Copy that sir. Safe journey.
Scenes 6 + 7 (Well now…)
And here is just some stuff that… got tossed out the window I guess.
INT. GALACTICA - PASSAGEWAY
Adama and Kara, now in regular uniforms, walk down the passageway together. Their
relationship is warm, easy -- like father and daughter.
KARA
Staff duty? Hell with that, Old Man. I want to keep
flying.
ADAMA
You've done a lot of flying. You need a little staff duty on
your resume. Besides...
Adama trails off, something else on his mind. She looks at him curiously.
ADAMA (cont'd)
Kara... about Zak...? Yes or no -- was he cut out to be a
pilot or not?
KARA
(stiffens)
He was good. Okay? I taught basic flight. And I passed
him. So he must've had something on the ball.
Otherwise I wouldn't have passed him. Right?
A hatch OPENS down the passageway and Tigh looks out at them.
TIGH
There you are. We're ready when you are.
INT. GALACTICA - WEAPON CONTROL ROOM
Filled from deck to overhead with consoles and monitors, this is the master control room for the
various weapon systems aboard Galactica. Normally manned by one or two people at most, the
small room is crowded with Galactica officers -- Tigh, Tyrol and various others. Adama and Kara
are standing near one particular console marked "POWER COILS/WEAPONS/MASTER."
ADAMA
My father once told me that warships have lives just like
human beings. They're born when their guns are first
charged, they die when their guns are finally silenced.
(beat)
We're gathered here to silence the guns of Galactica
and so end her life in the Colonial Fleet.
Adama nods to Tigh, who presses a button on a speaker.
TIGH
This is the Executive Officer. All hands stand to
attention. Galactica, leaving the Fleet.
Everyone stands to attention as Adama flips up a protective cover on the console, exposing
several switches. He hesitates for just a beat, then snaps each switch firmly.
And after that we see that all of Galactica’s weapons go… bye-bye.
Scene 8- So long, Mom, we’re off to drop the bomb
This is more or less the exact same scene of Gaius freaking out about “how can she be a cylon?” and “holy shit, what if people find out I’m involved” just a few things I really liked
WOMAN
I'm a person. A woman.
She regards him sympathetically, like an adult regarding the silly theories of a child.
I think this note really changes their dynamic, pretty significantly. Makes it harder to ship them, I think. Because they're not equals.
Also, we see a distant explosion and the windows to Baltar’s apartment rattle… no big kaboom… yet
Scene 9- Should’ve done that breast exam a few years ago, hon
I actually love, love, love the placement of this scene. Laura’s done her duty and now she can have her little freak out in the bathroom. But do you know what I love most? She has her cancer freak out right after we see the start of the bombs. Also, the last scene before this ends with Six saying “It’s begun.” It’s two different ends of the world and pushing them back to back like this is quite brilliant.
Scene 10- I Feel Fine
Adama is in his stateroom and receives the news of the cylon attack, rather than being in CIC, which makes sense when you take into account Act 3 Scene 7.
ACT FOUR
Scene 1- This is Not a Drill
Here’s another piece that got cut… or well cut down. We have a split screen on a couple deckhands mopping the floor, some officers on duty, the launch officer doing some paperwork, Tyrol doing paperwork, and (kept) Tigh smoking a cigar and burning the picture of his wife. Then Gaeta’s voice comes on being all “Action stations, action stations. Set condition one throughout the ship.”
Scene 2- Trouble with a capital T and that rhymes with C and that stands for Cylon
This is more or less verbatim from the show. Tigh comes up to CIC and insists that it has to be a retirement prank, and Adama gets on the wireless and makes that epic speech about how they are at war. And of course, because they got rid of their weapons earlier on, Adama points out that they are in need of another set of weapon coils.
Scene 3- And this is why we don’t automate vipers Pt 1
Not much new here, we’re out with the squadron, and Boomer and Helo, and they detect cylon raiders inbound. There’s a lot of jamming messing with Boomer’s sensors and the CAG just tells her to calm down and take it easy.
Scene 4/5- Useful Things You Can Find in a Museum
These two scenes are almost exactly the same as the mini, with a few minor changes in dialogue. Kara reports to CIC, Adama gives her the sitrep, and then tells her to get the vipers that are in the museum. And then the whole… can’t use the starboard launch because it’s a giftshop now.
Scene 6- Lee vs Daddy’s Viper
Same scene, we see Apollo still escorting Roslin’s transport, however, his navigation system goes out. I’m not really clear on whether it’s cylon tech or because it’s old, though Lee probably thinks it’s because it’s old, even if it is cylon tech and because Lee has major daddy issues. I’m not sure I like this imagery, either way, just because I like the idea of this old, reliable viper that’s kind of a symbol of Adama himself. Plus I have faith in Tyrol and his deck crew to make sure it was practically good as new.
Scene 7- I can’t keep coming up with titles for ALL of them
And here’s Dee getting reports of equipment malfunctions. Nothing new
Scene 8- And this is why we don’t automate vipers Pt 2
Another case of nothing new. Shock and awe at the sight of what these cylon raiders look like, their equipment all goes down, and all the shiny new vipers get taken out. Boomer and Helo retreat.
Scene 9- Last Ship off of Kobol
Baltar is on a transport to leave the planet when all of a sudden the power goes down and the ship is grounded. He heads out of the terminal where he sees Six standing, unsure of what else to do he goes over to her.
BALTAR
I can't leave.
NUMBER SIX
I know.
BALTAR
That your doing?
NUMBER SIX
No. That wasn't my job.
BALTAR
What was your job?
NUMBER SIX
We should discuss this after.
BALTAR
After? After wha--?
There is a flash of light from off camera, we see shots of everyone in Caprica City reacting to this flash, and then back to the terminal and NOW we get our big blowout of debris and windows imploding. Then we get a shot of the entire city being engulfed in a mushroom cloud.
This really lacks the intimacy of being set in Baltar’s home, even though I do like the “almost gets out and then he doesn’t” because it’s batshit terrifying. But it also lacks the beauty of the “get down” moment, because I do really ship Caprica/Gaius. It’s so true. :)
ACT FIVE
Scene 1/2- Bearer of bad news and more bad news
Not much new here, deckhands are prepping vipers for launch while Adama announces that a nuke was detonated over Caprica City and urges people to mourn Caprica later and get this ship ready to fight. We cut to Helo and Boomer trying to get away from the raiders, they take on damage as they find the main fight-- it is unclear if Helo takes any physical damage at this point, but there is a very nice little exchange between them that we didn’t see…
HELO
So we coast?
SHARON
Best way to avoid attracting attention. No power
signature, go in a straight line -- unless somebody gets
close enough to actually see us, we'll look like a chunk
of debris on sensors. I think we have enough inertia to
make it to Kobol's ionosphere, then we'll power up and
find a place to land.
HELO
(pained)
Nice... nice thinking there.
(beat)
I think we can officially stop calling you a Rook now,
Lieutenant.
Scene 3- Bad News Continued
Another case of nothing new. Roslin gets word about the attacks aboard the transport ship, makes the announcement to the passengers… there’s the whole Doral going “who put you in charge” thing and Billy freaking out about his family. And whoever Laura was talking with over the wireless in the mini, discussing where the President is, we actually get to see him stumbling around in the rubble a little bit. And then Lee does that thing where he distracts the cylon missile away from the transport ship.
ACT SIX
Scene 1- Fancy Flying
Lee is still being chased by the missile and he sees a moon ahead. He heads towards it, flies into a narrow canyon then straight up and makes a hard turn, expecting the missile to smash into the canyon wall. It doesn’t. It follows his path.
LEE
Clever little bastard aren't you...
And then the most convenient thing to ever convenient happens: From the overhead view ahead, we begin to notice that there are SIGNS and SYMBOLS dotting the sides of the canyon. This is a Viper TRAINING RANGE. There's a TUNNEL OPENING in the floor of the Canyon straight ahead. A sign that flashes by us says: INTERIOR FLIGHT RULES AHEAD -- REDUCE SPEED
And I’m just going to copy-paste the rest of this because there’s no way I can just… describe it. The maneuvering sounds similar to what they end up doing in Hand of God. It’s also described in the split-screen, each number marks a screen in the sequence.
5 -- Looking DOWN on the chase. We see Lee's Viper suddenly ZIP straight down INTO the
Tunnel. The Cylon missile immediately plunges down and FOLLOWS him into the tunnel.
3 -- We're tearing along through the tunnel. It's a long CAVE that's been smoothed out and
turned into a training run. WARNING LIGHTS and SYMBOLS line the walls, along with the
occasional scorch mark.
2 -- Lee grips the throttle and the control yoke, braces himself... then CUTS the throttle and
PULLS back on the yoke. The Viper begins to FLIP END OVER END.
1 -- The Viper FLIPS END OVER END, still traveling through the tunnel on inertia, but without
engine thrust. Lee steadies the Viper upside down (to us) and facing directly BACKWARDS.
3 -- From the overhead cockpit view, it looks like we're travelling BACKWARDS and slowing
down a little. We can see the Cylon missile starting to gain ground.
2 -- Lee watches the missile get closer, and he keeps glancing out the canopy to check his
position.
1 -- FLYING BACKWARDS, the Viper makes slight turns and adjustments to avoid obstacles and
keep away from the walls during turns.
3 -- The Cylon missile is getting BIGGER and CLOSER.
2 -- Lee reaches out quickly, JAMS a PEN on top of his instrument console -- tries to use it as a CRUDE GUNSIGHT -- he squints, tries to line up the missile. He FIRES.
4 -- From the Cylon missile we see FIRE streak out from the Viper guns, but MISSES.
1 -- Lee FIRES again... MISSES AGAIN.
2 -- Lee is determined, grim...
3 -- The Cylon missile is nearly on top of him, this is the last chance...
1 -- Lee FIRES -- HITS THE MISSILE -- it EXPLODES.
3 -- The EXPLOSION roars toward Lee's Viper -- the BLAST HITS the Viper -- blows it
BACKWARD...
1 -- The Viper is BLOWN out the END of the TUNNEL and into SPACE above the moon. The ship tumbles end over end.
2 -- Lee struggles to regain control of the ship. He finally does, IGNITES the ENGINE.
1 -- The Viper tries to head out into space, but then the ENGINE SPUTTERS and DIES.
2 -- The fuel gauge is EMPTY. Lee reacts.
1 -- The ship is caught by the moon's gravity and is pulled down into an ORBIT, where it coasts.
2 -- Lee lets out a long breath. At least he's alive.
He then puts out a message to any colonial ship that he is in need of assistance. By the way… I love awesomeflying!Lee. So much. But I think this would have detracted from the flow of the mini, plus we ended up getting awesomeflying!Lee later on anyways.
Scene 2- The opposite of fancy flying
Back on Galactica, more of the same old, they are completely unable to get Kara’s viper to launch. Outside there is some serious fighting going on and the pilots are apparently not doing so well. They finally get Kara’s viper out, the fire fight is not going well and then the radiological alarm goes off, there’s a nuke! The inbound nuke hits Galactica
ACT SEVEN
Scene 1- We’ve been hit
This is really a lot more of nothing new. Dealing with the damage from the nuke, decompressions, and the need to vent the pod before the fires get to the fuel line and they lose the entire ship. There’s the whole thing with Tigh ordering the venting despite Tyrol’s pleas for a few more seconds and… yeah it goes the same way it does in the mini.
I'm still so amused that tigh's name is Paul
Scene 2- CIVILIAN SWARM Pt 1
Boomer and Helo are on Kobol with Boomer repairing the damaged fuel line. We can see now that Helo has gotten injured in his side, and is bleeding quite badly. When all of a sudden they are descended upon by survivors! D: Including Gaius Baltar.
Scene 3- Colonial Heavy to the Rescue
Roslin and the captain of the transport ship go to pick up Lee and his fuelless Viper, When he’s aboard he asks Laura how they knew where to find him, because it turns out all the military lines were jammed and his message was not getting through to anyone.
LAURA
You had to go somewhere, Kobol was too far, and the
nearest celestial body was the Trevor moon.
Mmm… smart Laura. Anyways this goes on to be the same “Lady’s in charge” scene that I love about Lee. :)
Scene 4- Civilian Swarm Pt 2
(the gun does not emit a energy bolt effect -- it fires an explosive projectile)
I love this note. I just really love the realism of BSG, and it’s nice to not have lasers firing everywhere.
Not much to note, Helo and Boomer agree to take the children and then start the lottery for the remaining seats.
Scene 5- Surprise Presidency!
Nothing new here. Just the automated message that gets sent out if most of the people in the government are dead. Laura telling Lee that there are forty-two people ahead of her in line for the presidency… and then… guess what… all of them are dead. And Roslin is sworn in by Elosha.
ACT EIGHT
Scene 1- Civilian Swarm Pt 3
More nothing new. This is the scene where Helo gives up his seat for Gaius.
Scene 2- Dealing with the Deaths
I don’t know why but this little line of dialogue made me very sad…
KARA (WIRELESS)
Galactica/Starbuck -- good to hear your voice again, D.
DUALLA
(to mic)
Same here, Starbuck. You may rejoin combat patrol at
this time.
Almost makes me think they might have been friends at one point… which makes the QoD stuff just that much harder.
Aboard Galactica they’re dealing with the people who died in the fire and make the decision to go to the Ragnar Anchorage to get munitions. They make some interesting notes about it… that it’s ridiculously hard to dock there, that it should’ve been scrapped a long time ago but the only reason it wasn’t was because budge cuts prevented sending a ship out to take it apart.
TIGH
(are you crazy?)
You want to make a Jump?
ADAMA
Don't want to.
TIGH
Because a sane man wouldn't. It's been what -- twenty
years since this tub made a Jump?
ADAMA
Twenty-five.
TIGH
Twenty-five. Probably rats living in the FTL relays.
ADAMA
Hope not. Hate the smell of burned rat.
(beat, then formally)
Colonel Tigh... you will please plot a Hyperlight Jump
from this position to the orbit of Ragnar.
TIGH
Yes, sir.
(beat)
You know, I'm pretty sure this qualifies as a Combat
Jump.
ADAMA
I'll be sure to put everyone up for their silver wings.
The line about the rats had me laughing out loud, for serious. And I think that’s an interesting note about just how out of the norm jumping is that being involved in a combat jump gets you a medal.
Then a message comes in that the Atlantia, Solaria, Columbia, Triton, etc have all been destroyed and the list goes on and Adama is now the senior officer in the fleet.
Scene 3- Here’s to you Mrs. Robinson?
More of the same old, Colonial Heavy 798 is now Colonial One, they pull up along side the luxury ship that’s been out of power for two hours and well…
LEE
And uh, sir? Apollo's just my callsign. My name is Lee.
Lee Adama.
LAURA
I know who you are. But Captain Apollo has a nice ring
to it, don't you think?
Heh. Love that line. Had to include it even though it’s nothing new.
Scene 4- A Father/Son talk
Wow, there is a lot of jump-prep technobabble which thank the Lords of Kobol they got rid of because I would’ve zoned out and since this is right at the end of part one that is NOT a good way to lead out.
Adama receives the message that Lee is with Laura, collecting survivors and isn’t planning on jumping out to the anchorage with the rest of them.
There are arguments, and much the way of the mini, two raiders are approaching Colonial One, Lee stops responding over the wireless, and…
GAETA
Fifty-kiloton thermo-nuclear detonation.
ADAMA
Lee...
Off Adama's face as he realizes that his eldest son is dead...
SUPER: To be continued...
AND End Part one. Part two, later this week. Or... tonight... if I have time.
Here is a link to the PDF file of the miniseries script part 1.