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Bastille Day (battlestar Galactica)




  Season 1
  Episode 3
  Airdate UK = November 1 2004
  Production 103
  Writer Toni Graphia
  Director Alan Kroeker
  Guests Richard Hatch as Zarek
  Episode List Episode Chronology
  Prev Water
  Next Act Of Contrition


Bastille Day is an episode of the reimagined '' Battlestar Galactica '' televison series.


PLOT


Survivor Count: 47,958

After a source of water is located on a nearby moon, Capt. Apollo suggests the use of the 1,500 prisoners aboard the '' Astral Queen '' to extract it, but President Roslin does not want to institute slave labor, and instead believes that the prisoners should have the choice to work in exchange for "points" towards early freedom. She assembles a delegation consisting of Apollo, her personal aide Billy Keikeya , Petty Officer Anastasia Dualla , and deckhand Specialist Cally .

Commander Adama is opposed to the idea, especially since he is at odds with Apollo's newly appointed role as Roslin's "special advisor". Regardless, the team heads to the ''Astral Queen'' and meets with the prisoners' de facto leader, the political radical and terrorist from Sagittaron named Tom Zarek .

Zarek refuses the offer. Instead, he and his men manage to escape confinement and capture the delegation as hostages. He then demands Roslin's immediate resignation as President, believing that her government does not represent the people. He calls for free elections among the human survivors and limited autonomy for the prisoners.

Refusing to give in to Zarek's demands, Adama sends Lt. Starbuck to lead a squad of infiltrators to the ''Astral Queen'' and kill Zarek if he doesn't release the hostages. Apollo realizes that this is exactly what Zarek wants; a bloodbath that will lead to the collapse of Roslin's government. Eventually, Apollo stops the assault and reaches a compromise with Zarek. He agrees to hold elections within a year in return for the prisoners' cooperation in retrieving the water. Roslin and Adama object to the decision until Apollo points out that Roslin is just serving out the last few months of President Adar's term which will be up within a year anyway.

Later, Adama asks Dr. Baltar for a progress report on the development of the Cylon Detector. In his head, Number Six intimidates Baltar into asking for a Nuclear Warhead , stating he needs materials from it to build the detector. Adama reluctantly allows it.

Meanwhile, on Caprica , Karl "Helo" Agathon and Caprica-Boomer continue their trek through a ruined city as they are curiously observed from a rooftop by a pair of copies of the human Cylon models; Number Six, and Number Five .


TRIVIA


  • Zarek is played by the original ''Battlestar Galactica'' star Richard Hatch .

  • In the miniseries, the President's advisor states that the ''Astral Queen'' only holds "nearly 500" prisoners - and not the 1500 mentioned in this episode.