Battlestar Galactica: “Lay Down Your Burdens,” Part I

Many plot threads are woven throughout this episode, but one of the more interesting threads takes place between Chief Tyrol and Brother Cavil as they discuss the gods’ roles in Tyrol’s (and humanity’s) life. Chief Tyrol is awakened from a dream by Cally; in the process of waking, he beats her, leaving her a bloody mess. Shocked by his attack on Cally, Tyrol asks for religious counseling, and meets with Brother Cavil, a minister/priest/chaplain in the fleet, who also happens to be Roslin’s religious “advisor,” though we rarely see him in this role, unlike what we saw with Elosha in the first season. Tyrol sits down with Cavil at a table and tells him that he wanted to talk with him, rather than a doctor; he explains that it’s because he doesn’t believe that psychoanalysis works, and he is himself a very religious man. Cavil is somewhat loose and sarcastic in his counseling, leaving Tyrol a little perturbed and confused. Cavil explains to Tyrol the “value” of prayer:

Cavil: Do you know how useless prayer is? Chanting and singing and
mucking about with old, half-remembered lines of bad poetry. And do you
know what it gets you? Exactly nothing.
Tyrol: Are you sure
you’re a priest?
Cavil: I’ve been preaching longer than you’ve been
sucking down oxygen. And in that time, I’ve learned enough to know that
the gods don’t answer prayers.

Cavil tells him that the gods won’t determine anything, but rather Tyrol’s destiny is up to him: “The problem is, you’re screwed up. Heart and mind. You, not the…not the gods or fate or the universe. You”—something Tyrol didn’t expect a minister to say. His statement to Tyrol is two edged. While he proports that the gods will not intervene (a theology that is the opposite of Baltar’s Head Six’s theology), even when someone cries out for intervention, he seems to be saying that a person/Cylon is responsible for their own actions, for their own lives. If that person has a problem, they cannot just sit back and expect someone or some deity to fix it; they need to be proactive.

Cavil and Tyrol discuss what happened between Tyrol and Cally. Cavil wants to know if Tyrol is having reoccurring nightmares or dreams. Tyrol tries to lie, but a finely tuned ministerial Cavil sees right through him and wants Tyrol to tell him about the dreams. Tyrol explains that he slowly climbs some stairs on the hanger deck and then walks along the catwalk when he stops. He climbs up on the railing and jumps. Tyrol tells Cavil that he’s been having the same dream night after night for two weeks. Cavil wants to know if he was having the dream when Cally awakened him. He says that he doesn’t remember. Cavil believes that Tyrol wants to kill himself.

Cavil tells Tyrol that he needs to quit ignoring what is right in front of him. Tyrol is confused. Cavil says that Tyrol thinks that he’s a Cylon. He tells Tyrol that he is worried that he’s just like Sharon, who didn’t know she was a Cylon either. Tyrol says that Sharon knew she was going to do something terrible and tried to stop herself. Tyrol wants to know how Cavil could know that Tyrol is not a Cylon. Cavil makes a joke about being a Cylon himself and never seeing Tyrol at any of the meetings. Cavil says that the gods help those who help each other. Tyrol feels ashamed to go back to the hanger deck crew after the accident, but Cavil assures him that they’re the only family he has left, and they love him, especially Cally.

A sort of throw away line in this episode is one from Dualla when she talks with Gaeta about the new planet they have found. She refers to “rivers of milk and honey,” a common epithet for the promised land in the Torah, appearing in Exodus 3:8, 3:17, 13:5, 33:3, Leviticus 20:24, Numbers 13:27, 14:8, 16:13-14, and Deuteronomy 6:3.

Battlestar Galactica: “Epiphanies”

Laura Roslin is losing ground in her battle with breast cancer. During her in-and-out of consciousness spells, she has flashbacks to the day before the Cylon attacks, the day she left for Galactica. We see her leadership style back in the colonies is one as a negotiator, a different tactic than President Adar’s, who saw any budging on a decision he had already made as a sign of weakness and a possible threat to his administration. The episode ends with her first task out of her deathbed as negotiating with the spokesperson for the Cylon sympathizers in the fleet.

There are just a couple of small scenes that hold theological importance. While Roslin is losing ground, her situation is dire, Dr. Cottle orders an aide to notify the Admiral. Adama then makes a speech over the P.A.: “This is Admiral Adama. As you know, President Roslin has been aboard Galactica for the last few days. She’s a fighter. But as of this moment, her prognosis is grave. I know that many of you believe in the power of prayer. If that is your way, then I urge you to pray for our President. As for the others, I hope you will join me in keeping her in our thoughts.” Adama acknowledges prayer and encourages those who believe in its power to use it. I’m not sure if he would have said this before he knew Roslin, knew her faith.

Earlier, on board Colonial One, Billy gives Baltar a tour and hands him a list of Cylon agent suspects. Baltar looks at the whiteboard and Billy says, “That number means everything to her. Represents hope, that’s our future.” Baltar responds with a slight eye roll. Billy gives him the letter Roslin wrote to be given to him upon her death. Baltar takes it and tells Billy, “Well, let’s just pray that she gets better.” Baltar’s response it interesting given his faith journey on the path to the Cylon God. He, a scientist, suggests prayer. Also, it is interesting to note that in a deleted scene from “Home,” part II, Billy tells Roslin that he is an atheist, yet he agrees with Baltar that they should pray that Roslin gets better. He could be agreeing that they should pray, or he may be hoping that she gets better so that Baltar won’t become President.

Battlestar Galactica: “Scattered”

This episode opens season two of Battlestar Galactica. Rather than having a unified fleet, we see that all of the key characters have been propelled into their own sort of journeys. Adama is on an operating table, being cut open by a medic. Tigh is now the fleet’s leader and Galactica gets separated from the fleet during a jump—he’s not handling his new role well and begs the unconscious Adama to come back and retake his position. The technologically savvy Gaeta networks the computer system to get Galactica back with the fleet, something Adama in all likelihood would not have condoned. Baltar and the rest of the crashed raptor’s team are running for their lives on Kobol; all the while, he has conversations with Head Six about his call to protect a new child. Roslin remains incarcerated, but guides Lee Adama back into the fleet leadership, thus allowing herself to have at least some voice outside of the cell bars.

There is one scene, however, that continues the overt theological tones of the series. The Galactica launches vipers to defend against incoming Cylons, including a heavy raider bearing on Galactica. The unstable power on the ship forces the medical team to make use of battery units. Adama’s heart stops and the medic asks for a knife. Meanwhile, the Cylons have begun hacking into the network and attempt to access its gateway. The tension is high, all of the characters are at the climax of the plot and the audience is on the edge of their seats—it’s time for prayer. In the brig, Corporal Venner asks Roslin to pray with him. “Help us, Lords of Kobol. Help your prophet Laura guide us to the path of righteousness. That we might destroy our enemies. Let us walk the parth of righteousness and lift our faces unto your goodness. Help us turn away from the calls of the wicked and show us the knowledge of your certain salvation. We offer this prayer.”

When the Corporal offers this prayer, he demonstrates that he recognizes Roslin’s role as a prophet. He comes to symbolize those in the fleet who are devout to their faith, that they could and would also be devout to Roslin as their leader. Her leadership is deeper than merely political leadership, but she serves as a spiritual guide, as well.