"Battlestar Galactica" Colonial Day (2005)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Jonas Pate

Writers:

Ronald D. Moore (developer)
Carla Robinson (written by)

TV Series:

"Battlestar Galactica" (2004)

Original Air Date:

10 January 2005 (Season 1, Episode 11)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

President Roslin has rebuilt a new Quorum of Twelve, the legislative branch of the government, but terrorist leader/political dissident Tom Zarek is elected as a member, and immediately motions that the Quorum vote to appoint a new Vice President, and runs for the office.

Plot Keywords:

Vice President | Representative | Spacecraft | Terminal Illness | Would Be Assassin

Cast

Edward James Olmos	...	Commander William Adama
Mary McDonnell	...	President Laura Roslin
Katee Sackhoff	...	Lt. Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace
Jamie Bamber	...	Captain Lee 'Apollo' Adama
James Callis	...	Dr. Gaius Baltar
Tricia Helfer	...	Number Six
Grace Park	...	Lt. Sharon 'Boomer' Valerii
Michael Hogan	...	Colonel Saul Tigh
Aaron Douglas	...	Chief Galen Tyrol
Tahmoh Penikett	...	Lt. Karl 'Helo' Agathon
Kandyse McClure	...	Officer Anastasia Dualla
Paul Campbell	...	Billy Keikeya
Alessandro Juliani	...	Lt. Felix Gaeta
Richard Hatch	...	Tom Zarek
Kate Vernon	...	Ellen Tigh

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB)

Trivia:

Roslin tells Zarek, "Don't worry, I won't kiss you," to which Zarek responds, "That's too bad, I shaved extra close this morning just so you could smack me." This exchange is an almost word-for-word quote of a famous exchange between George C. Scott and 'Michael Bates' in Patton (1970).

Goofs:

Continuity: When we first see the members of the Quorum, one shot pans across a few of them. The sign reading Leonis is next to the sign for Canceron. Later, we see a close-up of the representative from Canceron and the sign next to hers reads Picon.

Quotes:

Commander William Adama: Politics. As exciting as war. Definitely as dangerous.
President Laura Roslin: Though in war, you only get killed once. In politics it can happen over and over.
Commander William Adama: You're still standing.
President Laura Roslin: So are you.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Basic Instinct (1992)

Democracy in the Eyes of the Unbearable President Roslin

The twelve representatives of the survivors of their colonies gather in the luxury liner Cloud 9 for a meeting to discuss political issues. Sagittarion selects Tom Zerek to represent their interests and the former terrorist raises the need of a Vice-President in case Roslin has any problem. His proposal is accepted and he becomes the only candidate. President Roslin gives her best effort trying to find an opponent and promising that Tom Zarek would never be her Vice-President. Meanwhile the abusive Captain Apollo, who is in charge of security with Starbuck, turns off the speech of Zarek, creating confusion with his followers, and accidentally they find a man with a weapon. In occupied Caprica, Helo discovers the truth about the evolution of the Cylons to the human form.

The discovery of Helo in the end of this episode saves this show. The rest is the Machiavellian fight for power of the despicable President Roslin, using the force and all the political dirty tricks against the coherent speech of Tom Zarek. I am not sure whether I will watch the Second Season of "Battlestar Galactica" since I hate this unbearable and arrogant character, who seems to be the owner of the truth, reflecting the behavior of many politicians. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "O Dia Colonial" ("The Colonial Day")