Battlestar Galactica: "The Captain's Hand"

“The Captain’s Hand” faces religious fundamentalism head-on as a pregnant teen seeks asylum, as well as an abortion, aboard the Galactica. Admiral Adama meets with Roslin on Colonial One to discuss the matter of the pregnant girl. Roslin stands by her pro-choice beliefs, saying that she has fought her whole life for a woman’s right to choose, but Adama tells her that the number of survivors in the fleet doesn’t go up very often and he reminds her of her earlier statement that the fleet “needs to start making babies” in order for the human race to survive. Roslin goes to Baltar’s lab to ask him about the fleet’s population and he tells her that at the current rate humanity will be come extinct in 18 years. This analysis later forces her to act against her previous beliefs on the rights of women. Later, Roslin allows the girl’s abortion and grants her asylum, but subsequently issues an executive decree making abortion a capital crime, citing “current circumstances” that make reproduction vital to humanity’s survival.

The Gemenon delegate sees abortion as a theological issue and approaches Roslin as soon as she finds out about the girl on board Galactica and as soon as she learns that the girl has not been returned to her parents, in spite of Roslin’s decision to criminalize abortion. The Gemenon delegate seems to want to make this government into a theocracy and is a staunch supporter of Roslin when she embodies their scriptural ideals, but is her enemy (not willing to negotiate) when Roslin goes against her fundamentalist beliefs. Their last conversation ends with an infuriated delegate, enraged that the girl had her abortion because the procedure was begun just before Roslin announced her decision. Roslin steely tells her “you have your pound of flesh,” so let it be. Roslin’s reply is a reference to the debt owed Shylock by Antonio in one of my favorite Shakespearean plays The Merchant of Venice. The phrase is used a lot and has come to mean a debt that a creditor insists on collecting regardless of how much suffering it might cause the debtor.

I find it interesting that now that Roslin no longer seems to be dying of a “wasting disease,” a key characteristic of the leader according to scriptures, there has not been very much mention of theology in the last few episodes—not much mention by neither Roslin nor Baltar and Head Six. Is Roslin no longer a scriptural figure? Regardless of if she thinks of herself as a scriptural figure, she does not seem to regard scripture as holding infallibility, that not all of its commands should be followed, that there are certain scriptural commands that may have been contextual to scriptural times; perhaps those passages were answers to certain problems confronted by those ancient peoples—perhaps those ancient peoples were confronted with dwindling populations much like Roslin’s dwindling people and were desperate to grow their population numbers for survival.

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: “Flight of the Phoenix”

While there are not any overt theological statements about the Cylon God or the humans’ pantheistic god system, this entire episode is simply about faith and the hope it brings, which is really what the series is about—the difficulties of keeping faith and finding hope in the grittiness of survival. The building of the Blackbird raises Tigh’s eire as he doesn’t seem to get that the project gives some of the crew a diversion from their everyday monotonous tasks and eventually gives the crew the esteem that they can survive. The project starts with Chief and spreads throughout the crew as it seems about everyone wants to be a part of building this monument of hope, and the Blackbird comes to symbolize the hope the crew has of survival.

The project climaxes at the christening ceremony at the end of the episode. Roslin and Chief each recognize that it has been an honor to complete the project. After Roslin compliments Chief on the Blackbird, he tells her that it’s “just a ship.” She explains to him and the rest of the crew, “Oh, you’re much too modest. After what we’ve been through, it would be very easy to give up, to lose hope. But not here. Not today. This is more than a ship, Chief. This is an act of faith. It is proof that despite all we’ve lost, we keep trying. And we will get through this, all of us, together. I promise.” By building the ship, the crew recognizes and plans on being around to fly it eventually—they are preparing for the future.

Chief unveils the name of the ship: “Laura.” This, of course, brings Roslin to the brink of tears. After all, earlier in the episode, she received her death sentence from Cottle; she will die in a few weeks. But she now knows that her name will live on through this symbol of hope and faith. She has been a symbol of hope for the fleet, as she has led them on the path to Earth, to the Promised Land.

Battlestar Galactica: "Home," Part I

Finally, away from Commander Adama, the prophet Laura Roslin finds herself confronted by the political structure of the civilian fleet, as the Quorum of Twelve and she, along with Zarek, discuss the issue of returning to Kobol, whether this was the right choice or a suicidal decision. Roslin weighs in: “At this point, it’s my firm belief that Commander Adama has let us go. Lieutenant Thrace will return. She will have the Arrow of Apollo. And it will help us find our way to Earth.” Roslin speaks the words of faith—faith in Starbuck’s ability to retrieve the Arrow, faith in the scriptures’ leading them to the Tomb of Athena, faith in the existence of Earth. As Quorum members become anxious to get started looking for the Tomb, Elosha reminds them that the scriptures “tell us that any return to Kobol carries with it a cost in blood.” Roslin continues speaking the words of faith as she acknowledges that there are a lot of unanswered questions, but she “refuse[s] to lose sight of what this has always been about—our mission to save humanity….But it is our foretold destiny.” She offers an out for those who do not “have the stomach for this mission,” who do not believe what the scriptures have said, by suggesting that they rejoin Adama’s fleet, rejoin the world of reason, rejoin the world that seems safe and more predictable. However, we don’t see anyone run for the door when she makes this offer.

Another interesting discussion takes place when Meier conspires with Zarek against Lee and Roslin. Zarek dismisses him because the people who are with them believe Roslin will lead them to Earth. Meier reminds Zarek that Roslin is a fraud and asks him if he believes her. Zarek responds, “No, but I believe in the power of myth. I’m not interested in risking our lives any more than you are, but she’s clearly not gonna be talked out of this. And in the end, President or not, it doesn’t really matter. She still needs a commander, a man in charge of the fleet. The man with the guns makes the rules.” It seems that Zarek hasn’t had a change of heart and that Roslin is rightly reluctant to trust him. He is somewhat similar to Roslin, in that he understands that there is a “religious card” (to use her earlier phrase) to be played, that this card has certain power over people with it. However, Roslin is much further on the path of a spiritual journey, while Meier and Zarek are still starring at the signpost. When Meier reminds him that Lee is Roslin’s right hand and would be the more likely candidate for Commander and they recall the scriptures saying that some will die on Kobol—“one man in particular.” They seem to be sarcastic in citing scripture to support their own ambitions for power.

The small landing group arrives on Kobol in the Galleon Meadow Forest, where Elosha quotes scripture: “And the blaze pursued them. And the people of Kobol had a choice, to board the great ship or to take the high road through the rocky ridge, and the body of each tribe’s leader…” Sharon continues reciting the passage: “…was offered to the gods in the Tomb of Athena.” She explains that the ship took the founders of the Thirteen Colonies to their destiny and those who didn’t board the ship took the rocky ridge of a high road leading to the Tomb. Elosha points out that this path is supposed to be marked by gravestones. When she finds a stone, she inadvertently steps on a landmine, is thrown into the air, and is killed, along with a few others who are killed by Cylon centurions. It turns out that the blood that is spilled on Kobol is the priestess, herself. This leaves Roslin in an interesting position. Elosha had been her font for spiritual leadership, her resource of how to be a religious leader; now that Elosha is gone, Roslin picks up Elosha’s book of scriptures herself, taking on the true mantle of spiritual leadership, and she is now the primary religious leader without the aid or lens of an interpreter of the spiritual texts.

Another scene in this episode struck me, not because its particular theological assertions (there aren’t any), but as an excellent sermon illustration. Adama meets with Dualla in his quarters:

Adama: It’s interesting. Betrayal has such a powerful grip on the
mind. It’s almost like a python. It can squeeze out all other
thought. Suffocate all other emotion until everything is dead except for
rage. I’m not talking about anger. I can feel it. Right here.
[He points to his heart.] Like it’s gonna burst. Feel like I wanna
scream. Right now, matter of fact.
Dualla: If I may say
something?
Adama: Speak your mind, Dee.
Dualla: I don’t think
the problem is that you’ve been betrayed. I think it’s that you feel
helpless. You were shot, you were injured. You couldn’t do
anything.
Adama: Don’t make excuses for me.
Dualla: And when
you finally had a chance to do something…you let us down. You made a
promise to all of us, to find Earth, to find us a home. Together. It
doesn’t matter what the President did or even what Lee did, because every day we
remain a part is a day that you’ve broken your promise. The people aboard
those ships made their own decisions.
Adama: It was their decision, not
mine. Thank you, petty officer. You may leave now.
Dualla:
You asked to talk to me, sir. Maybe, because you think that I don’t have
anything to say. But I do. It’s time to heal the wounds,
Commander.

With this conversation still stinging, Adama heads to the CIC and announces that they are going to Kobol to put the family back together. This is an excellent scene as it shows Adama in a rage, feeling betrayed, but he is able to get past these feelings, get past his stubbornness, and sees what is truly important, that is pulling the fleet/family back together.

Battlestar Galactica: “The Farm”

This episode is loaded with a ton of political and social themes, a ton, that I could write pages and pages, especially the theme regarding women’s rights and fertility, the Cylons’ preoccupation with reproduction, and the realization that the only time procreation has happened involving a Cylon has also involved love. But, I’m going to try to stay true to the over-arching theme of this blog and consider the theological implications of this episode, specifically regarding Roslin’s continued journey as a spiritual leader.

We find Lee, Roslin, and Elosha freezing in a meat locker with Tom Zarek, who tells Roslin, “I have communicated your latest message to the Quorum of Twelve. They have decided the question of openly supporting you needs more…deliberation.” Also, Zarek tells them that “Zeus has returned to Olympus. Adama is back in command.” Everyone seems relieved, the god-figure of the fleet has returned. Unfortunately, Zarek chooses this time to suggest that Lee’s denouncing his father, denouncing Zeus/God, would help galvanize the fleet. Lee’s still caught up in the emotions of knowing that his father has survived and, naturally, he cannot speak out against his father. Roslin steps up and says that she’s going to “play the religious card.”

So, now we’re back to dueling positions about Kobol and it seems that Adama, or Zeus, is laying out his thoughts about Roslin’s religious positions more publicly. Adama reads a transcription of Roslin’s broadcast in CIC. “It’s religious crap!” Roslin stated, “It seems I have been chosen to help lead you to the promised land of Earth. I will not question that choice. I’ll simply try to play my part of the plan. Therefore, at the appointed hour, I will give the signal to the fleet. All those wishing to honor the gods and walk the paths of destiny will follow me back to Kobol. It is there we will meet the gods’ servant with the Arrow of Apollo.” Adama slams the clipboard with her message against a console, breaking it in half, just as it appears (from his point of view) that Roslin attempts to break the fleet in half. He believes that no one will follow her, that “no one’s gonna believe this crap. No one’s this stupid.”

On the Astral Queen, Elosha encourages Roslin to give the passengers her blessing. The passengers kneel before her, as though they were kneeling before God or, at the very least, a prophet. Roslin hesitates, saying simply that she cannot do this—it isn’t right. Elosha whispers, “Laura, this is your path. The one that the gods picked for you! The one you picked for yourself.” Roslin had decided as a political tactic to play the religious card, to embrace the path of being a prophet, and she has realized that the scriptures do actually hold some literal truths in them, and now she publicly embraces that role, calling people to follow her banner in the name of their faith. This results in the people looking at her very differently from being merely their political leader, that is their President; this results in the people asking Roslin for her blessing, as they look at her as a prophet, a spokeswoman for the gods. It’s very interesting for me, as an ordained minister, to see how she navigates through various issues in later episodes as a political leader and a spiritual leader, trying to maintain what she truly believes in, trying to lead others according to her beliefs, while not alienating them.

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.

Battlestar Galactica: “Kobol’s Last Gleaming,” Part II

In the first part of this season finale, we see six people, six leaders, converge around a table in Commander Adama’s quarters to discuss how the fleet should approach Kobol, the birthplace of the gods and humanity, the fallen Paradise; in the second part, these six people are propelled and scattered into their own respective faith journeys. After they gathered around the table, they divided, each going their separate ways.

Baltar crashes into the surface after his raptor is struck by the Cylons, leaving him and the rest of the raptor’s crew to survive against the foreign terrain and Cylon occupants, facing that fear and having an epiphany with Head Six. She awakens Baltar and tells him, "You wondered why you were chosen? Why God chose you, above all other humans, to survive and serve his purpose.” She leads him into the Opera House and further explains “life has a melody, Gaius. A rhythm of notes that become your existence once played in harmony with God's plan. It's time to do your part and realize your destiny….You are the guardian and protector of the new generation of God's children. The first member of our family will be with us soon, Gaius. It's time to make your choice." When she shows him the baby in the crib, she tells him that this is the “face of the shape of things to come.” Being the carnal person he is, Gaius seems to accept this role with his kissing Head Six.

Roslin is incarcerated for her beliefs, which resulted in Starbuck’s disobeying Adama’s orders and going back to Caprica for the Arrow of Apollo. She believes that the Temple of Athena, a sign post to Earth, is on Kobol and the Arrow is its key. When Adama finds out that Roslin is behind coercing and turning one of his crew against him, he throws her in the brig.

Elosha does her ministerial duties of praying with Roslin, as the marines cut through Colonial One’s hull to arrest Roslin.

Gaeta, like Elosha, continues to do his regular job; however, it seems he whispers something into Sharon’s ear, just before she shoots Adama. This could be a sort of plot ferret, leading the audience along the wrong tracks believing Gaeta is a Cylon, as it seems that he may have whispered a trigger word that activates Sharon.

Adama is shot by Sharon and his situation looks grave, as the season leaves him splayed on the command table in CIC, the place where he ironically orchestrates attacks. His spiritual journey will be that of one who has tasted their own mortality.

With Adama incapacitated, Tigh will be in charge, the first time we’ve seen him command a ship, much less the fleet.

Season One ends with all these and more balls up in the air and it looks like they will all land in very different places. What they all have in common is that they are in some way connected to Kobol. Now, the story will be about their journeys and how they can/will end up together, again.

Battlestar Galactica: "The Hand of God"

The episode “The Hand of God” really helps to illustrate some of the various feelings a person can feel when they are thrust into a leadership position they were not seeking or had no intention of accepting. The three main characters we’ve seen thrust into leadership positions during this episode are Laura Roslin, Starbuck, and Baltar (whose storyline is really an extension of previous episodes).

We saw Roslin nervously accept the role of President of the Twelve Colonies at the beginning of the Battlestar Galactica series and now we see her having to be educated about another role she has been thrust into—that of a religious leader. This new calling came to a head during a press conference when she hallucinated some twelve snakes wrapped around the podium and her hands. Following the press conference, she met with the Priestess Elosha. “I’ve been taking chamalla for a medical condition,” she tells her and she explains that she had dreams of Leoben, before they captured him:

Roslin: The images were…
Elosha: Prescient?
Roslin: Uncanny. And now I’m seeing things while I’m awake….There were snakes crawling all over my podium during the press conference.
Elosha: How many?
Roslin: About a dozen.
Elosha: You’re kidding me, right? You read Pythia and now you’re having me on?
Roslin: No. Who is Pythia?
Elosha: One of the oracles in the sacred scrolls 3600 years ago, Pythia wrote about the exile and rebirth of the human race: ‘and the Lords anointed a leader to guide the caravan of the heavens to their new homeland, and unto the leader they have a vision of serpents numbering two and ten as a sign of things to come.’ She also wrote the new leader suffered a wasting disease and would not live to enter the new land. But you’re not dying, are you?

Of course, we all know the answer to that question and we now know that not only was Roslin thrown into the political role of President leading her people to safety, she has been thrown into the theological role of leading her people to the Promised Land. It seems just as she has become fairly comfortable with the political role, a role she at least has observed President Adar filling in Caprica, she has a completely new role thrown onto her shoulders, one that she does not seem to be at all familiar with, as she was unfamiliar with the Pythian prophecies, literature we find out later that was apparently common enough that Baltar read while in the sixth grade.

Similarly, Starbuck is thrown into a new role as a military strategist, coming up with a new, fresh, “out-of-the-box” perspective on battlefield tactics as they decide to do a surprise attack on the Cylon controlled tylium enriched asteroid, a resource that would give them fuel and ammunition for the next couple of years. The Galactica launches their strike force heading towards the base. Starbuck all along has struggled with wanting to be in the cockpit, rather than working behind the scenes with the Commander. However, her knee injury prevents her from flying a viper. During the strike, she still wishes she were with the other viper pilots in the field. Adama tells her, “I had to go through the same transition. When you’re in the cockpit, you’re in control. It’s hard to give it up.” She replied, “I never wanted this kind of responsibility.” “The Cylons never asked what we wanted. Welcome to the big leagues,” is Adama’s consolation. Starbuck’s struggle is with releasing control. While she admits that she “lives outside of the box,” she also wants to be the one fulfilling the orders. She stands with one foot in leadership and one foot in being a follower—it’s up to her to decide where to put her weight and right now it seems that she is trying to shift it to being a follower, being in the cockpit, instead of calling the shots for the fleet.

Baltar, on the other hand, seems to seek leadership; rather, he seems to seek the fame and prosperity that can come with leadership. In his seeking, he has been thrown into a religious position, a new recruit in the Church of the Cylon God, a position that holds certain responsibilities to the Cylon God. Once again, Baltar has interesting conversations throughout the episode with Six about God. He questions why the Cylon God would help him destroy the Cylon base. Six explains that “God doesn’t take sides. He only wants your love. Open your heart to him and he will show you the way….You must remember to surrender your ego. Remain humble.” As discussed in previous episodes, these divine attributes of the Cylon God sound very similar to those described about the Christian God in the Gospels. It seems that Six understands Baltar’s hubris and warns him that it can/will get in the way of a relationship with God, a trap that some hypocritical religious leaders in the Second Testament got in trouble for.

At the end of the episode, Baltar imagines he’s back on Caprica and the Pythian prophecy is further discussed:

Six: Have you read the Pythian prophecy, Gaius?
Baltar: Not since the sixth grad. I can’t say ancient history was my favorite subject.
Six: Six: You should have paid closer attention....”All of this has happened before. All of this will happen again.’
Baltar: Everyone knows that verse. What are you getting at?
Six: Remember this one? “Led by serpents numbering two and ten.”
Baltar: The Vipers! They’re the serpents.
Six: There’s a later verse, Gaius. You should read it. “Though the outcome favored the few, it led to a confrontation at the home of the gods.”
Baltar: Are you telling me that God guided my finger to that target for some arcane scriptural purpose?
Six: You did well. You gave yourself over to him.
Baltar: Yes, I suppose I did. Yes, there’s really no other logical explanation for I was…
Six: Am…
Baltar: …I am an instrument of God.

Baltar and Six discuss the same passage Roslin and Elosha discussed toward the beginning of the episode. However, each couple comes to a different interpretation of the same passage, each thinking s/he is the leader described in the passage. Sometimes Scripture can be interpreted in various ways to suit the situation or interpretation the reader wants. This is why Scripture should be read in context of itself—try to let Scripture interpret itself. How do certain images play out throughout Scripture and how can those other instances inform the passage in question. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the series. The part of the passage that Six does not mention that we did hear earlier in the episode is that this “instrument of God” is supposedly dying of a wasting disease. Roslin is dying of terminal breast cancer; we do not know of anything Baltar is afflicted with (other than hallucinations).