Colonial Day (Battlestar Galactica)
Encyclopedia
"Colonial Day" is the eleventh episode of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica
television series.
In the episode, Tom Zarek
seeks to become Vice President, but President Laura Roslin
thwarts him by nominating the popular scientist Gaius Baltar
, who ultimately wins. A possible presidential assassin is captured but cannot be linked to Zarek. On Caprica, Helo
discovers that Caprica-Boomer is a Cylon
.
, a representative body within the Colonial
government. One colony names Zarek, a former terrorist who in an earlier episode led a prison riot and called for Roslin's resignation, as their representative to the Quorum. Zarek's first action at the Quorum meeting is to call for the election of a Vice President, and Roslin is dismayed when disgruntled Quorum delegates nominate Zarek.
Apollo
and Starbuck
arrest a man named Valance who has smuggled a handgun aboard Cloud Nine, the ship where the Quorum meeting is being held. They interrogate him but get no information. Apollo suspects that Valance works for Zarek and that Zarek intends to assassinate Roslin if he wins the Vice Presidency. Roslin orders Apollo to spy on Zarek. Apollo taunts Zarek with the knowledge that Valance is in custody. Zarek meets with Ellen Tigh
, flatters her, and tells her he is looking for Valance, whom he describes as a friend. Apollo and Starbuck find Valance dead in his holding cell shortly after.
Roslin's initial choice for Vice President is Wallace Gray, an aide and friend who is a technocrat but who proves uncharismatic. Over the wireless radio, Roslin hears Baltar, also a Quorum delegate, mocking Zarek and charming the press. She has Gray step out of the race and drafts Baltar, who narrowly wins.
During the Colonial Day celebration following the election, Head Six promises Baltar "great things". Apollo is surprised by how good Starbuck looks in her dress and dances with her. Zarek warns Roslin he will be back during the presidential election in six months and claims he did not kill Valance. Roslin and Commander William Adama
compare politics and war and then dance. As Ellen and Saul Tigh dance, Ellen tells him she has secured a luxury suite aboard a civilian ship through means she refuses to specify. She and Zarek share eye contact.
copies he has seen are Cylons. Caprica-Boomer suggests that the humanoid Cylons may have emotions, but Helo rejects this proposition. As the two prepare to hijack a Cylon ship to escape the planet, Helo sees another Number Eight copy. As Boomer shoots her duplicate, Helo realizes she is a Cylon. He flees as she calls to him.
characterized the Quorum of Twelve in the original Battlestar Galactica
as a hybrid political-military body whose unwise decisions Commander Adama
frequently overruled. The creators revived the Quorum in this episode as a political body similar to the United States Senate
and the United Nations Security Council
to exhibit a democratic
, republic
an Colonial government in order to draw parallels with real-world governments, particularly that of the United States. Moore believed that a story about people making difficult political choices in an environment where their survival was threatened would be relevant for questions in contemporary American society about the War on Terror
, perceived creeping authoritarianism
in American government, and the tradeoff between liberty and security. The assassination subplot was added to give the episode, in Moore's words, "a certain tension and jeopardy" beyond what one might see in an episode of The West Wing. Moore was ultimately not fully satisfied with his own writing in this regard because the assassination fizzles, but he thought director Jason Pate made the episode work nonetheless.
Moore wanted to show life in the fleet away from Galactica but was opposed to a "planet of the week" format. Cloud Nine was created as a location within the fleet that could provide a visual environment replicating that of Caprica and the other Twelve Colonies
. The exterior shots on Cloud Nine were filmed at the University of British Columbia
, in the Rose Garden and in front of the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
. The Quorum meeting was also filmed at UBC.
The writers intended with "Colonial Day" to expand upon the character of Roslin. Before the Cylon attack in the miniseries
, she was a quiet person who preferred to avoid attention, but the crisis has brought out her leadership qualities. Moore characterized Roslin as a pragmatist, as shown by her recognition of Baltar's media savvy, her selection of Baltar despite lingering distrust following his actions in the episode "Six Degrees of Separation
", and her willingness to push aside Gray despite his personal hurt. Moore contrasts her with Commander Adama, whom he sees as more of an idealist.
When Zarek arrives on Cloud Nine the press and Zarek himself are unsure whether she will shake his hand; she does. The tension over this was inspired by questions over whether Yitzhak Rabin
would shake Yasser Arafat
's hand at the signing of the Oslo Accords
in 1993.
Moore conceded that there may have been a larger in-universe media presence in this episode and elsewhere in the series than would have been strictly realistic under the circumstances. He defended the choice as one that shows a setup similar to the White House press corps
and thereby grounds the viewer in a familiar understanding of the influence of the Presidency.
Several weeks after shooting of "Colonial Day" completed, the writers inserted a short scene appearing immediately before the vote count in the Quorum. In this scene, Apollo and Starbuck discuss the possibility of a future assassination attempt as they dress on Galactica. The writers inserted it to augment the assassination subplot when early cuts of the episode ran short. At the end of the scene, Apollo reacts incredulously to Starbuck's claim that she "clean[s] up good sometimes." This sets up Apollo's astonishment at Starbuck's appearance at Colonial Day and further builds the characters' romantic tension. Adama and Roslin's dance is also an expression of mutual attraction, though a smaller one.
During the interrogation scene, Apollo throws Valance's briefcase across the room when Valance gives an unsatisfactory answer. This was actor Jamie Bamber
's idea.
Helo and Caprica-Boomer's second scene in "Colonial Day" marks the debut of the Cylon Heavy Raider
. The shot with the Heavy Raider was filmed in front of UBC's Koerner Library. This location was also used in the Battlestar Galactica spinoff Caprica
.
(Zarek) and Robert Wisden
(Gray) as well as main cast members Bamber (Apollo) and Katee Sackhoff
(Starbuck). Davis also praised the perceived connection between the themes of the episode and contemporary politics. Simon Brew of Den of Geek also reviewed the episode favorably. Susan Tankersley of Television Without Pity gave "Colonial Day" a B-, agreeing with Moore that the main plot and assassination subplots did not fit together well but nonetheless calling it "not a bad episode".
Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
television series.
In the episode, Tom Zarek
Tom Zarek
Thomas "Tom" Zarek is the name of a fictional character on the Syfy series Battlestar Galactica. He is played by Richard Hatch, who had previously portrayed Captain Apollo, a character on the original Battlestar Galactica series of the late 1970s....
seeks to become Vice President, but President Laura Roslin
Laura Roslin
Her first actions include organizing all FTL-capable ships together and convincing Commander William Adama to abandon a retaliatory attack on the Cylons. President Roslin and Billy Keikeya, her aide/press secretary/chief of staff, establish a working office space aboard her transport, renamed...
thwarts him by nominating the popular scientist Gaius Baltar
Gaius Baltar
Gaius Baltar is a fictional character in the TV series Battlestar Galactica played by James Callis, a reimagining of Count Baltar from the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series...
, who ultimately wins. A possible presidential assassin is captured but cannot be linked to Zarek. On Caprica, Helo
Karl Agathon
Karl C. Agathon is a fictional character on the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica TV series, portrayed by Tahmoh Penikett.-Background:...
discovers that Caprica-Boomer is a Cylon
Cylon (reimagining)
Cylons are a race which appear in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series and its prequel Caprica. They have several forms, some of which resemble and even mimic the behavior of humans, while others are mechanical in appearance and function.In the first DVD, one of the show's creators...
.
The human fleet
Colonial Day, the annual celebration of the signing of the Articles of Colonization, is approaching, and Roslin uses the occasion to reconstitute the Quorum of TwelveQuorum of Twelve
The Quorum of Twelve is a fictional governing body of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol on the two Battlestar Galactica television series. In both series, it was composed of one representative from each colony.Series creator Glen A...
, a representative body within the Colonial
Twelve Colonies
The Twelve Colonies of Man are fictional locations that constitute the principal human civilization in the original Battlestar Galactica television series, the "reimagined" series of the same name in 2004, and in the prequel series, Caprica...
government. One colony names Zarek, a former terrorist who in an earlier episode led a prison riot and called for Roslin's resignation, as their representative to the Quorum. Zarek's first action at the Quorum meeting is to call for the election of a Vice President, and Roslin is dismayed when disgruntled Quorum delegates nominate Zarek.
Apollo
Lee Adama
Leland Joseph "Lee" Adama is a fictional character in the television series Battlestar Galactica. He is portrayed by actor Jamie Bamber. He is one of the main characters in the series.-Early life:...
and Starbuck
Kara Thrace
Kara Thrace is a fictional character in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica franchise. Played by Katee Sackhoff, she is a revised version of Lieutenant Starbuck from the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series...
arrest a man named Valance who has smuggled a handgun aboard Cloud Nine, the ship where the Quorum meeting is being held. They interrogate him but get no information. Apollo suspects that Valance works for Zarek and that Zarek intends to assassinate Roslin if he wins the Vice Presidency. Roslin orders Apollo to spy on Zarek. Apollo taunts Zarek with the knowledge that Valance is in custody. Zarek meets with Ellen Tigh
Ellen Tigh
After she is killed for treason against the resistance on New Caprica, Ellen resurrects aboard a Cylon ship, where John Cavil holds her prisoner. However, by downloading into a new body, she regains the memories that Cavil had blocked decades earlier...
, flatters her, and tells her he is looking for Valance, whom he describes as a friend. Apollo and Starbuck find Valance dead in his holding cell shortly after.
Roslin's initial choice for Vice President is Wallace Gray, an aide and friend who is a technocrat but who proves uncharismatic. Over the wireless radio, Roslin hears Baltar, also a Quorum delegate, mocking Zarek and charming the press. She has Gray step out of the race and drafts Baltar, who narrowly wins.
During the Colonial Day celebration following the election, Head Six promises Baltar "great things". Apollo is surprised by how good Starbuck looks in her dress and dances with her. Zarek warns Roslin he will be back during the presidential election in six months and claims he did not kill Valance. Roslin and Commander William Adama
William Adama
William "Bill" Adama is a fictional character portrayed by Edward James Olmos in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series...
compare politics and war and then dance. As Ellen and Saul Tigh dance, Ellen tells him she has secured a luxury suite aboard a civilian ship through means she refuses to specify. She and Zarek share eye contact.
Caprica
On Caprica, Helo speculates (correctly) that the Number SixNumber Six (Battlestar Galactica)
Number Six is a family of fictional characters from the reimagined science fiction television series, Battlestar Galactica. She is portrayed by Canadian actress and model Tricia Helfer. Of the twelve known Cylon models, she is the sixth of the "Significant Seven"...
copies he has seen are Cylons. Caprica-Boomer suggests that the humanoid Cylons may have emotions, but Helo rejects this proposition. As the two prepare to hijack a Cylon ship to escape the planet, Helo sees another Number Eight copy. As Boomer shoots her duplicate, Helo realizes she is a Cylon. He flees as she calls to him.
Production
"Colonial Day" was originally conceived as the first season's "West Wing episode." Executive producer Ronald D. MooreRonald D. Moore
Ronald Dowl Moore is an American screenwriter and television producer best known for his work on Star Trek and the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, for which he won a Peabody Award for creative excellence in 2005 and an Emmy Award in 2008.-Early life and...
characterized the Quorum of Twelve in the original Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction television series, created by Glen A. Larson. It starred Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict and ran for one season in 1978–79. After cancellation, its story was continued in 1980 as Galactica 1980 with Adama, Lieutenant Boomer and...
as a hybrid political-military body whose unwise decisions Commander Adama
Commander Adama
Commander Adama is a fictional character in the 1978 movie and subsequent ABC television series Battlestar Galactica and its continuation series, Galactica 1980. Adama is the commander of the great military vessel Battlestar Galactica, commander of the refugee fleet and military commander of the...
frequently overruled. The creators revived the Quorum in this episode as a political body similar to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
to exhibit a democratic
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
, republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
an Colonial government in order to draw parallels with real-world governments, particularly that of the United States. Moore believed that a story about people making difficult political choices in an environment where their survival was threatened would be relevant for questions in contemporary American society about the War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
, perceived creeping authoritarianism
Authoritarianism
Authoritarianism is a form of social organization characterized by submission to authority. It is usually opposed to individualism and democracy...
in American government, and the tradeoff between liberty and security. The assassination subplot was added to give the episode, in Moore's words, "a certain tension and jeopardy" beyond what one might see in an episode of The West Wing. Moore was ultimately not fully satisfied with his own writing in this regard because the assassination fizzles, but he thought director Jason Pate made the episode work nonetheless.
Moore wanted to show life in the fleet away from Galactica but was opposed to a "planet of the week" format. Cloud Nine was created as a location within the fleet that could provide a visual environment replicating that of Caprica and the other Twelve Colonies
Twelve Colonies
The Twelve Colonies of Man are fictional locations that constitute the principal human civilization in the original Battlestar Galactica television series, the "reimagined" series of the same name in 2004, and in the prequel series, Caprica...
. The exterior shots on Cloud Nine were filmed at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, in the Rose Garden and in front of the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts is located on the campus of the University of British Columbia near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is situated within the natural landscape of the campus and is surrounded by evergreens and rhododendrons...
. The Quorum meeting was also filmed at UBC.
The writers intended with "Colonial Day" to expand upon the character of Roslin. Before the Cylon attack in the miniseries
Battlestar Galactica (TV miniseries)
Battlestar Galactica is a three-hour miniseries written and produced by Ronald D. Moore and directed by Michael Rymer. It was the first part of the Battlestar Galactica reimagining based on the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series, and served as a backdoor pilot for the 2004 television series...
, she was a quiet person who preferred to avoid attention, but the crisis has brought out her leadership qualities. Moore characterized Roslin as a pragmatist, as shown by her recognition of Baltar's media savvy, her selection of Baltar despite lingering distrust following his actions in the episode "Six Degrees of Separation
Six Degrees of Separation (Battlestar Galactica)
"Six Degrees of Separation" is the seventh episode of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series.-Plot:Dr. Baltar and his vision of Number Six have a heated argument about religion. After he mocks Number Six's concept of a single God, she promptly vanishes from his head...
", and her willingness to push aside Gray despite his personal hurt. Moore contrasts her with Commander Adama, whom he sees as more of an idealist.
When Zarek arrives on Cloud Nine the press and Zarek himself are unsure whether she will shake his hand; she does. The tension over this was inspired by questions over whether Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin
' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995....
would shake Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat
Mohammed Yasser Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini , popularly known as Yasser Arafat or by his kunya Abu Ammar , was a Palestinian leader and a Laureate of the Nobel Prize. He was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization , President of the Palestinian National Authority...
's hand at the signing of the Oslo Accords
Oslo Accords
The Oslo Accords, officially called the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements or Declaration of Principles , was an attempt to resolve the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict...
in 1993.
Moore conceded that there may have been a larger in-universe media presence in this episode and elsewhere in the series than would have been strictly realistic under the circumstances. He defended the choice as one that shows a setup similar to the White House press corps
White House Press Corps
The White House Press Corps is the group of journalists or correspondents usually stationed at the White House in Washington, D.C. to cover the president of the United States, White House events and news briefings. Their offices are located in the West Wing....
and thereby grounds the viewer in a familiar understanding of the influence of the Presidency.
Several weeks after shooting of "Colonial Day" completed, the writers inserted a short scene appearing immediately before the vote count in the Quorum. In this scene, Apollo and Starbuck discuss the possibility of a future assassination attempt as they dress on Galactica. The writers inserted it to augment the assassination subplot when early cuts of the episode ran short. At the end of the scene, Apollo reacts incredulously to Starbuck's claim that she "clean[s] up good sometimes." This sets up Apollo's astonishment at Starbuck's appearance at Colonial Day and further builds the characters' romantic tension. Adama and Roslin's dance is also an expression of mutual attraction, though a smaller one.
During the interrogation scene, Apollo throws Valance's briefcase across the room when Valance gives an unsatisfactory answer. This was actor Jamie Bamber
Jamie Bamber
Jamie Bamber is the stage name of Jamie St. John Bamber Griffith , a British actor known most widely for his roles as Lee Adama on Battlestar Galactica and Detective Sergeant Matt Devlin on the ITV series Law & Order: UK...
's idea.
Helo and Caprica-Boomer's second scene in "Colonial Day" marks the debut of the Cylon Heavy Raider
Cylon Heavy Raider
The Cylon Heavy Raider is a heavy fighter used by the Cylons, in the television series Battlestar Galactica.- History :The first Heavy Raider encountered by the Fleet crash landed into Galacticas non-operational starboard hangar bay, and a boarding party of Cylon Centurions exited the wreck to...
. The shot with the Heavy Raider was filmed in front of UBC's Koerner Library. This location was also used in the Battlestar Galactica spinoff Caprica
Caprica (TV series)
Caprica is a science fiction drama television series. It is a spin-off prequel of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, taking place about 58 years prior to the events of Battlestar Galactica. Caprica shows how humanity first created the robotic Cylons who would later plot to destroy humans in...
.
Reception
Jason Davis of Mania gave "Colonial Day" an A, commending the performances of guest stars Richard HatchRichard Hatch
Richard Hatch is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Captain Apollo in the original Battlestar Galactica television series, and also as Tom Zarek in the remake of Battlestar Galactica....
(Zarek) and Robert Wisden
Robert Wisden
Robert Charles Wisden is a British actor who has an extensive career in Canadian and American television. In 2000 he won a Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series for The Sheldon Kennedy Story .-Career:Wisden moved with his...
(Gray) as well as main cast members Bamber (Apollo) and Katee Sackhoff
Katee Sackhoff
Kathryn Ann "Katee" Sackhoff is an American actress known mainly for playing Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on the Sci Fi Channel's television program Battlestar Galactica. In 2004 she was nominated for a Saturn Award in the "Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series" category for her work in...
(Starbuck). Davis also praised the perceived connection between the themes of the episode and contemporary politics. Simon Brew of Den of Geek also reviewed the episode favorably. Susan Tankersley of Television Without Pity gave "Colonial Day" a B-, agreeing with Moore that the main plot and assassination subplots did not fit together well but nonetheless calling it "not a bad episode".
Connections to other series elements
- In a podcastPodcastA podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
accompanying the episode, Moore compared the process of appointing the Vice President of the Colonies portrayed in "Colonial Day" to the process by which Gerald FordGerald FordGerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
became Vice President of the United StatesVice President of the United StatesThe Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
in 1973 following the resignation of Spiro AgnewSpiro AgnewSpiro Theodore Agnew was the 39th Vice President of the United States , serving under President Richard Nixon, and the 55th Governor of Maryland...
. Moore said that under normal circumstances the Vice President would "presumably" be elected together with the President. The question of how the Vice President of the Colonies is normally chosen in-universe is resolved in the second-season double episode "Lay Down Your Burdens", when Zarek is elected Vice President as Baltar's running mateRunning mateA running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
.
- Starbuck and Baltar dance together at the Colonial Day celebration. In the first scene of the following episode, "Kobol's Last Gleaming", they have a one-night standOne-night standOriginally, a one-night stand was a single theatre performance, usually by a guest performer on tour, as opposed to an ongoing engagement. Today, however, the term is more commonly defined as a single sexual encounter, in which neither participant has any intention or expectation of a relationship...
that ends abruptly when Kara calls out Lee's name. The writers intended the sexual tension evident between Lee and Kara in this episode to contrast with this.
- During the first Quorum meeting, Head Six tells Baltar she doesn't mind if he has sex with other women. Baltar has trysts with journalist Playa Palacios later in "Colonial Day" and then with Kara Thrace in the following episode, "Kobol's Last Gleaming". Head Six reacts negatively to the latter encounter.
- Adama and Roslin's closeness in this episode contrasts with the events of "Kobol's Last Gleaming", in which Adama mounts a coup and throws Roslin in the brig. Their mutual attraction becomes a sexual relationship by the fourth-season episode "A Disquiet Follows My SoulA Disquiet Follows My Soul"A Disquiet Follows My Soul" is the fourteenth episode in the fourth season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica. It aired on television in the United States and Canada on January 23, 2009, in Australia on January 31, 2009 and on Sky One in the UK on January 27, 2009. According to the director,...
".
External links
- "Colonial Day" at the Battlestar Wiki
- "Colonial Day" at SyfySyfySyfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...