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Precipice (Battlestar Galactica)
Encyclopedia
"Precipice" is the second part of the third season
premiere and 35th episode of the re-imagined American science fiction
drama
television series
Battlestar Galactica
. The episode was written by re-imagined creator Ronald D. Moore
, and directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan
. It first aired on October 6, 2006 on the Sci-Fi Channel
along with the preceding episode "Occupation
". In "Precipice", the Cylons
respond to the suicide attack
in the previous episode by rounding up several civilians believed to be affiliated with the resistance, and later decide to have them executed. Meanwhile, Galactica
is to send a squadron to meet with the resistance on New Caprica. Unlike most episodes, it does not include a survivor count.
Since "Occupation" revolved around the resistance, "Precipice" focused more on the New Caprica Police and Jammer's
role in it. The producers also decided to release the Sharon model imprisoned on Galactica. During the writing process, Moore included references to Seinfeld
and The Great Escape
. The episode was seen by 2.2 million viewers and received universal acclaim from critics. In addition, Moore's writing of the episode was nominated for an Emmy
and Writers Guild of America
awards.
order a crackdown against the insurgency. Many resistance members start to disagree about the legitimacy of the suicide bombings, but leader Colonel Saul Tigh
(Michael Hogan) continues to orchestrate them. In an attempt to get Kara "Starbuck" Thrace
(Katee Sackhoff
) to love him, Leoben Conoy
(Callum Keith Rennie
) presents her with a toddler named Kacey (Madeline Parker), whom Leoben claims Starbuck is the mother, having been born as a result of her time on Caprica in "The Farm
". Leoben leaves her alone with the toddler, but Starbuck refuses to play with her. When she leaves Kacey unattended however, Kacey injures herself falling down the stairs. As Kacey is recovering, Starbuck has a change of heart and prays to the Lords of Kobol
not to let her die.
In a move against the insurgency, the Cylons decide to have the NCP arrest 200 civilians they believed to be affiliated with the resistance. Headed by James "Jammer" Lyman
(Dominic Zamprogna
), most of the arrests take place during the night. Those being arrested include Laura Roslin
(Mary McDonnell
), Tom Zarek
(Richard Hatch
) and Cally Henderson Tyrol (Nicki Clyne
). After another suicide bombing at a power station, the Cylons decide to have the prisoners executed, but require President Gaius Baltar
's (James Callis
) signature. When he refuses to sign, an Aaron Doral (Matthew Bennett
) copy forces him to at gunpoint. Caprica-Six (Tricia Helfer
) attempts to stop him, but Doral shoots her in the head. Baltar signs the document. Meanwhile, Ellen Tigh
(Kate Vernon
) learns from Cavil (Dean Stockwell
) that he only released her husband Saul
(Michael Hogan) because the Cylons know he is leading the resistance. He informs Ellen that unless she tells the Cylons where the resistance leaders will be meeting next, he will imprison Saul once more. Reluctantly, Ellen gets hold of where the resistance plan to meet with members from the colonial fleet.
On board Galactica
, Admiral William Adama
(Edward James Olmos
) appoints their Cylon prisoner Sharon Agathon (Grace Park
) to a Colonial officer and has her go to the planet to liaison with the resistance. When she arrives to meet with resistance members, Centurions arrive, having learned where they are from the intelligence Ellen provided them, and start attacking them. Simultaneously, the 200 human prisoners are being transported to a location by the Cylons and NCP. A masked Jammer, realizing they are to be executed, saves Cally by releasing her in secret and telling her to run. As she runs away, the sound of gunfire is heard.
Since the previous episode "Occupation
" focused on the resistance, writer Ronald D. Moore
wanted the second part to focus more on Jammer's role within the NCP, as he wanted to personalize somebody working for the police force. He also wanted to make Tigh know he's wrong with launching suicide bombers, but has to do so if he believes doing so will defeat the Cylons. This is also Tigh's principal trait and role in the series. Moore stated "why is Colonel Tigh on Galactica? Why does Adama keep him around? Because when the chips are down, and they are way down, baby, in this situation, when you are in a foxhole, who do you want next to you? You want Colonel Tigh 'cause he is gonna get your ass out of there." The scene where Baltar speaks to an imprisoned Roslin about the suicide bombings was one of Moore's favourite scenes, as he wanted the audience to be unsure who to "root for," since Baltar is the biggest Cylon collaborator among the humans, but Roslin seemingly supports the bombings.
After a Number Eight (Sharon) Cylon model was imprisoned onboard Galactica for the majority of the second season, the producers decided they needed to have her released, as they believed the storyline ran its course, and make her worthy for Adama's trust. "The swirl", a sex position Ellen Tigh uses, was a reference to Seinfeld
, a comedy series Moore was a fan of. The sequence leading up to the Cylon Centurions lining up to execute the prisoners was an homage to The Great Escape
, particularly the scene featuring the death of Richard Attenborough
's character from the Nazis after stopping the truck he was in, and telling him to take a break, at which point he was executed.
Madeline Parker was cast as Kacey Brynn. Parker's performance impressed the producers, as they believed she was "one of the better child actors" they ever worked with, since casting them, especially at a younger age, was not easy. The one problem they had with Parker however, was filming her lying injured on the stairs. In the scene where the NCP arrest civilians at night, the idea of using night vision
, which did not come from the original script, came from director Sergio Mimica-Gezzan
. Real night scopes were used to ensure the authenticity of the effect. One of the main visual effects of the episode was another suicide bombing which was caught on camera. Moore stated to have "tortured the visual effects guys about [it] quite a bit," because the camera footage was in black and white and the visual quality of the explosion had to be degraded to match the footage.
Much like "Occupation", "Precipice" also features scenes filmed on the Colonial One set featuring several copies of the same Cylon models. Furthermore Mimica Gezzan decided to shoot a 360 degree angle around the set, requiring additional digital duplication. The actors had to change their clothes between every take, which normally took as long as 30 minutes, after including time for touch ups on hair and makeup. The countryside of New Caprica was featured more towards the end of the episode. The producers found it a challenge to differentiate New Caprica from Caprica, the name of the planet New Caprica was named after following the holocaust from the miniseries
, and featured extensively again during the first season
, and both planets were filmed on location in temperate British Columbia
forests.
", which became too long and split to a two part episode, and the producers did not wish to stretch the New Caprica storyline to several weeks. The two-hour season three premiere was first broadcast on the Sci Fi Channel
in the United States
on Friday, October 6, 2006 between 9 pm and 11 pm. After its original broadcast, the two hour episode attracted a household rating of 1.8, equaling a total of 2.2 million viewers. Ratings were an increase of two per cent in total viewing from the average of the second half of the second season.
"Precipice" received positive reviews from critics. Keith McDuffee of TV Squad felt that Sharon Agathon coming to the fleet was a "surprising development" and the cliffhanger was "unbelievable," adding "are the writers actually crazy enough to mass kill so many main characters to the series? Is it possible at all that they can actually get out of this?" Eric Goldman of IGN
rated the episode a "masterful" 10 out of 10, stating "watching the season premiere of Battlestar Galactica is a great reminder that this is truly still the best show on television." Ian Berriman of SFX reacted positvely towards the episode, stating "Although there are a couple of great surprises in this episode – Casey, the Great Escape-homaging finale – the highlights are a fistful of fabulous face-offs: Baltar discussing the bombing with Roslin; Roslin questioning Tigh's methods; Apollo telling Adama that his plan is madness. James Callis's performance as the haggard, tortured Baltar is outstanding." Berriman rated the episode five stars out of five. Patrick Sauriol of UGO felt that although it was set a year since "Lay Down Your Burdens", it "hasn't lost a thing by jumping ahead," and that the episode, along with "Occupation", "confirm that it's still the best show on television." Sauriol graded both episodes an A-. Television Without Pity gave the episode an A+, a higher grade than the previous episode.
In 2007, the episode was nominated for a 59th Primetime Emmy Awards
for "Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series", but lost to HBO's The Sopranos
series finale "Made in America
". "Precipice" was also nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award
for best Episodic Drama. However, the episode lost out to the pilot episode of Big Love
.
Battlestar Galactica (season 3)
The third season of the reimagined science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica premiered on the Sci-Fi Channel in the United States on October 6, 2006, and concluded on March 25, 2007. Unlike the previous season, it was not split into two parts and did not have an extended hiatus during...
premiere and 35th episode of the re-imagined American science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Battlestar Galactica
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...
. The episode was written by re-imagined creator Ronald D. Moore
Ronald 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...
, and directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan
Sergio Mimica-Gezzan
Sergio Mimica-Gezzan is an American film and television director and son of famous Croatian film director Vatroslav Mimica. He has received three Directors Guild of America awards for his work as an assistant director and is now a regular lead director in episodic television. He has often worked...
. It first aired on October 6, 2006 on the Sci-Fi Channel
Syfy
Syfy , 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...
along with the preceding episode "Occupation
Occupation (Battlestar Galactica)
"Occupation" is the third season premiere and 34th episode of the re-imagined American science fiction drama television series Battlestar Galactica. The episode was written by re-imagined creator Ronald D. Moore, and directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan. It first aired on October 6, 2006 on the Sci-Fi...
". In "Precipice", the Cylons
Cylon (Battlestar Galactica)
The Cylons are a cybernetic civilization at war with the Twelve Colonies of humanity in the Battlestar Galactica science fiction franchise, in the original 1978 and 1980 series, the 2004 reimagining, as well as the spin-off prequel series, Caprica...
respond to the suicide attack
Suicide attack
A suicide attack is a type of attack in which the attacker expects or intends to die in the process.- Historical :...
in the previous episode by rounding up several civilians believed to be affiliated with the resistance, and later decide to have them executed. Meanwhile, Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (ship)
The Battlestar Galactica is a space battleship in the original and re-imagined science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica.The Twelve Colonies of Man in the original television series built a number of Battlestars during their thousand-year war with the Cylons, whose battleships are...
is to send a squadron to meet with the resistance on New Caprica. Unlike most episodes, it does not include a survivor count.
Since "Occupation" revolved around the resistance, "Precipice" focused more on the New Caprica Police and Jammer's
James Lyman
James "Jammer" Lyman is a fictional character from the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica. His character was centrally featured in the webisodic Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance. In television series he appeared in 10 episodes, including a post-death flashback...
role in it. The producers also decided to release the Sharon model imprisoned on Galactica. During the writing process, Moore included references to Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
and The Great Escape
The Great Escape (film)
The Great Escape is a 1963 American film about an escape by Allied prisoners of war from a German POW camp during World War II, starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Richard Attenborough...
. The episode was seen by 2.2 million viewers and received universal acclaim from critics. In addition, Moore's writing of the episode was nominated for an Emmy
59th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on September 16, 2007 and were televised live on Fox at 8:00 p.m. EDT for the first time in high definition...
and Writers Guild of America
Writers Guild of America Awards 2006
The 59th Writers Guild of America Awards honored the best film and television writers of 2006.-Best Adapted Screenplay:The Departed - William Monahan...
awards.
Plot
In response to the suicide bombing of a New Caprica Police (NCP) ceremony, the CylonsCylon (Battlestar Galactica)
The Cylons are a cybernetic civilization at war with the Twelve Colonies of humanity in the Battlestar Galactica science fiction franchise, in the original 1978 and 1980 series, the 2004 reimagining, as well as the spin-off prequel series, Caprica...
order a crackdown against the insurgency. Many resistance members start to disagree about the legitimacy of the suicide bombings, but leader Colonel Saul Tigh
Saul Tigh
Saul Tigh is a fictional character on Battlestar Galactica played by Michael Hogan. The character was named Paul Tigh in early scripts, and was renamed due to legal issues, according to producer Ronald D. Moore. He is one of the main characters of the show.-Overview and personality:Saul Tigh is a...
(Michael Hogan) continues to orchestrate them. In an attempt to get Kara "Starbuck" Thrace
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...
(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...
) to love him, Leoben Conoy
Leoben Conoy
Leoben Conoy is a fictional character portrayed by Callum Keith Rennie appearing in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica series....
(Callum Keith Rennie
Callum Keith Rennie
Callum Keith Rennie is a British-born Canadian television and film actor. He started his career in Canadian film and television projects, where his portrayal of Stanley Raymond Kowalski in the TV series Due South was his first international success...
) presents her with a toddler named Kacey (Madeline Parker), whom Leoben claims Starbuck is the mother, having been born as a result of her time on Caprica in "The Farm
The Farm (Battlestar Galactica)
"The Farm" is the fifth episode of the second season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. It aired originally on the Sci Fi Channel on August 12, 2005...
". Leoben leaves her alone with the toddler, but Starbuck refuses to play with her. When she leaves Kacey unattended however, Kacey injures herself falling down the stairs. As Kacey is recovering, Starbuck has a change of heart and prays to the Lords of Kobol
Lords of Kobol
The Lords of Kobol are deities featured in the fictional universe of Battlestar Galactica. The Lords of Kobol are worshiped by the humans of the Twelve Colonies...
not to let her die.
In a move against the insurgency, the Cylons decide to have the NCP arrest 200 civilians they believed to be affiliated with the resistance. Headed by James "Jammer" Lyman
James Lyman
James "Jammer" Lyman is a fictional character from the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica. His character was centrally featured in the webisodic Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance. In television series he appeared in 10 episodes, including a post-death flashback...
(Dominic Zamprogna
Dominic Zamprogna
Dominic Zamprogna is a Canadian actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles on television series Edgemont and General Hospital.-Early life:...
), most of the arrests take place during the night. Those being arrested include 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...
(Mary McDonnell
Mary McDonnell
Mary Eileen McDonnell is an American film, stage, and television actress. She received an Academy Award nomination for her role as Stands With A Fist in Dances with Wolves, and she is also very well known for her performance as President Laura Roslin in Battlestar Galactica, the President's wife...
), 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....
(Richard Hatch
Richard 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....
) and Cally Henderson Tyrol (Nicki Clyne
Nicki Clyne
Nicki Clyne is a Canadian actress best known for her role as Cally Henderson Tyrol on the Sci-Fi Channel television program Battlestar Galactica.-Early life:...
). After another suicide bombing at a power station, the Cylons decide to have the prisoners executed, but require President 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...
's (James Callis
James Callis
James Callis is a British actor. He is best known for playing Dr. Gaius Baltar in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, and Bridget Jones' best friend in Bridget Jones's Diary and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason...
) signature. When he refuses to sign, an Aaron Doral (Matthew Bennett
Matthew Bennett
Matthew Ray Bennett is a Canadian actor, writer and director. At the age of 20 he moved from his hometown of Toronto, Ontario to Vancouver, British Columbia to pursue an acting career...
) copy forces him to at gunpoint. Caprica-Six (Tricia Helfer
Tricia Helfer
Tricia Janine Helfer is a Canadian actress and former model, best known for her roles as Number Six in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, "Carla" on Burn Notice, and FBI Special Agent Alex Rice on Dark Blue, as well as for hosting the first season of Canada's...
) attempts to stop him, but Doral shoots her in the head. Baltar signs the document. Meanwhile, 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...
(Kate Vernon
Kate Vernon
Kate Vernon is a Canadian-born film and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Lorraine Prescott on the CBS soap opera Falcon Crest from , the stuck-up and popular Benny Hanson in the comedy film Pretty in Pink , Mary-John Lovejoy in The Lost Colony Feature of Lovejoy and...
) learns from Cavil (Dean Stockwell
Dean Stockwell
Dean Stockwell is an American actor of film and television, with a career spanning over 65 years. As a child actor under contract to MGM he first came to the public's attention in films such as Anchors Aweigh and The Green Years; as a young adult he played a lead role in the 1957 Broadway and...
) that he only released her husband Saul
Saul Tigh
Saul Tigh is a fictional character on Battlestar Galactica played by Michael Hogan. The character was named Paul Tigh in early scripts, and was renamed due to legal issues, according to producer Ronald D. Moore. He is one of the main characters of the show.-Overview and personality:Saul Tigh is a...
(Michael Hogan) because the Cylons know he is leading the resistance. He informs Ellen that unless she tells the Cylons where the resistance leaders will be meeting next, he will imprison Saul once more. Reluctantly, Ellen gets hold of where the resistance plan to meet with members from the colonial fleet.
On board Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (ship)
The Battlestar Galactica is a space battleship in the original and re-imagined science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica.The Twelve Colonies of Man in the original television series built a number of Battlestars during their thousand-year war with the Cylons, whose battleships are...
, Admiral William Adama
William Adama
William "Bill" Adama is a fictional character portrayed by Edward James Olmos in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series...
(Edward James Olmos
Edward James Olmos
Edward James Olmos is an American actor and director. Among his most memorable roles are William Adama in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, Lt...
) appoints their Cylon prisoner Sharon Agathon (Grace Park
Grace Park (actress)
Grace Park is an American-born Canadian actress. She gained recognition as Sharon Valerii on Battlestar Galactica, as well as Shannon Ng in the Canadian television series teen soap Edgemont...
) to a Colonial officer and has her go to the planet to liaison with the resistance. When she arrives to meet with resistance members, Centurions arrive, having learned where they are from the intelligence Ellen provided them, and start attacking them. Simultaneously, the 200 human prisoners are being transported to a location by the Cylons and NCP. A masked Jammer, realizing they are to be executed, saves Cally by releasing her in secret and telling her to run. As she runs away, the sound of gunfire is heard.
Production
Occupation (Battlestar Galactica)
"Occupation" is the third season premiere and 34th episode of the re-imagined American science fiction drama television series Battlestar Galactica. The episode was written by re-imagined creator Ronald D. Moore, and directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan. It first aired on October 6, 2006 on the Sci-Fi...
" focused on the resistance, writer Ronald D. Moore
Ronald 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...
wanted the second part to focus more on Jammer's role within the NCP, as he wanted to personalize somebody working for the police force. He also wanted to make Tigh know he's wrong with launching suicide bombers, but has to do so if he believes doing so will defeat the Cylons. This is also Tigh's principal trait and role in the series. Moore stated "why is Colonel Tigh on Galactica? Why does Adama keep him around? Because when the chips are down, and they are way down, baby, in this situation, when you are in a foxhole, who do you want next to you? You want Colonel Tigh 'cause he is gonna get your ass out of there." The scene where Baltar speaks to an imprisoned Roslin about the suicide bombings was one of Moore's favourite scenes, as he wanted the audience to be unsure who to "root for," since Baltar is the biggest Cylon collaborator among the humans, but Roslin seemingly supports the bombings.
After a Number Eight (Sharon) Cylon model was imprisoned onboard Galactica for the majority of the second season, the producers decided they needed to have her released, as they believed the storyline ran its course, and make her worthy for Adama's trust. "The swirl", a sex position Ellen Tigh uses, was a reference to Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
, a comedy series Moore was a fan of. The sequence leading up to the Cylon Centurions lining up to execute the prisoners was an homage to The Great Escape
The Great Escape (film)
The Great Escape is a 1963 American film about an escape by Allied prisoners of war from a German POW camp during World War II, starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Richard Attenborough...
, particularly the scene featuring the death of Richard Attenborough
Richard Attenborough
Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough , CBE is a British actor, director, producer and entrepreneur. As director and producer he won two Academy Awards for the 1982 film Gandhi...
's character from the Nazis after stopping the truck he was in, and telling him to take a break, at which point he was executed.
Madeline Parker was cast as Kacey Brynn. Parker's performance impressed the producers, as they believed she was "one of the better child actors" they ever worked with, since casting them, especially at a younger age, was not easy. The one problem they had with Parker however, was filming her lying injured on the stairs. In the scene where the NCP arrest civilians at night, the idea of using night vision
Night vision
Night vision is the ability to see in low light conditions. Whether by biological or technological means, night vision is made possible by a combination of two approaches: sufficient spectral range, and sufficient intensity range...
, which did not come from the original script, came from director Sergio Mimica-Gezzan
Sergio Mimica-Gezzan
Sergio Mimica-Gezzan is an American film and television director and son of famous Croatian film director Vatroslav Mimica. He has received three Directors Guild of America awards for his work as an assistant director and is now a regular lead director in episodic television. He has often worked...
. Real night scopes were used to ensure the authenticity of the effect. One of the main visual effects of the episode was another suicide bombing which was caught on camera. Moore stated to have "tortured the visual effects guys about [it] quite a bit," because the camera footage was in black and white and the visual quality of the explosion had to be degraded to match the footage.
Much like "Occupation", "Precipice" also features scenes filmed on the Colonial One set featuring several copies of the same Cylon models. Furthermore Mimica Gezzan decided to shoot a 360 degree angle around the set, requiring additional digital duplication. The actors had to change their clothes between every take, which normally took as long as 30 minutes, after including time for touch ups on hair and makeup. The countryside of New Caprica was featured more towards the end of the episode. The producers found it a challenge to differentiate New Caprica from Caprica, the name of the planet New Caprica was named after following the holocaust from 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...
, and featured extensively again during the first season
Battlestar Galactica (season 1)
The first season of the reimagined science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica, commissioned by the Sci-Fi Channel in February 2004, began airing eight months later in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It premiered on Sci-Fi in the United States with a two-hour debut on January 14, 2005...
, and both planets were filmed on location in temperate British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
forests.
Reception
"Occupation" and "Precipice" were originally meant to be released as two separate episodes, however the producers decided to merge them together to be released as a two-hour broadcast. The reasoning was partly due to the third episode "ExodusExodus (Battlestar Galactica)
"Exodus" are the third and fourth episodes of the third season from the science fiction television series, Battlestar Galactica. The episodes originally aired on the Sci Fi Channel on October 16 and 23, 2006....
", which became too long and split to a two part episode, and the producers did not wish to stretch the New Caprica storyline to several weeks. The two-hour season three premiere was first broadcast on the Sci Fi Channel
Syfy
Syfy , 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...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on Friday, October 6, 2006 between 9 pm and 11 pm. After its original broadcast, the two hour episode attracted a household rating of 1.8, equaling a total of 2.2 million viewers. Ratings were an increase of two per cent in total viewing from the average of the second half of the second season.
"Precipice" received positive reviews from critics. Keith McDuffee of TV Squad felt that Sharon Agathon coming to the fleet was a "surprising development" and the cliffhanger was "unbelievable," adding "are the writers actually crazy enough to mass kill so many main characters to the series? Is it possible at all that they can actually get out of this?" Eric Goldman of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
rated the episode a "masterful" 10 out of 10, stating "watching the season premiere of Battlestar Galactica is a great reminder that this is truly still the best show on television." Ian Berriman of SFX reacted positvely towards the episode, stating "Although there are a couple of great surprises in this episode – Casey, the Great Escape-homaging finale – the highlights are a fistful of fabulous face-offs: Baltar discussing the bombing with Roslin; Roslin questioning Tigh's methods; Apollo telling Adama that his plan is madness. James Callis's performance as the haggard, tortured Baltar is outstanding." Berriman rated the episode five stars out of five. Patrick Sauriol of UGO felt that although it was set a year since "Lay Down Your Burdens", it "hasn't lost a thing by jumping ahead," and that the episode, along with "Occupation", "confirm that it's still the best show on television." Sauriol graded both episodes an A-. Television Without Pity gave the episode an A+, a higher grade than the previous episode.
In 2007, the episode was nominated for a 59th Primetime Emmy Awards
59th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on September 16, 2007 and were televised live on Fox at 8:00 p.m. EDT for the first time in high definition...
for "Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series", but lost to HBO's The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
series finale "Made in America
Made in America (The Sopranos)
"Made in America" is the twenty-first episode of the sixth season of the HBO television drama series The Sopranos and the series finale. It is the eighty-sixth overall episode of the series and the ninth episode of the second part of the sixth season, which was broadcast in two batches with a break...
". "Precipice" was also nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award
Writers Guild of America Awards 2006
The 59th Writers Guild of America Awards honored the best film and television writers of 2006.-Best Adapted Screenplay:The Departed - William Monahan...
for best Episodic Drama. However, the episode lost out to the pilot episode of Big Love
Big Love
Big Love is an American television drama that aired on HBO between March 2006 and March 2011. The show is about a fictional fundamentalist Mormon family in Utah that practices polygamy...
.
External links
- "Precipice" at the Battlestar Wiki
- "Precipice" at Syfy.comSyfySyfy , 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...