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TAnthony/Draft A
Battlestar Galactica franchise element
BSG - Cylon Centurion (2004 series).jpg
Cylon Centurion as depicted in the 2004–2009 series
First appearance
Created byGlen A. Larson
GenreScience fiction
In-universe information
TypeHumanoid robot

The Cylons /ˈsaɪlɒn/ are a race of sentient robots in the Battlestar Galactica science fiction franchise, whose primary goal is the extermination of the human race. Introduced in the original 1978 series, they also appear in the 1980 sequel series, the 2004–2009 reboot series, and the spin-off prequel series Caprica.

In the 1978 series, the Cylons are the creation of a long-extinct reptilian humanoid race, also called Cylons, and view humans as a nuisance and an obstacle to the expansion of the Cylon Empire. The armies of metallic, armored Cylon Centurions are ruled by a unique, yet replaceable, Cylon known as the Imperious Leader.

The 2004 series establishes that the robotic Cylons were created by humans but rose up against them. Decades after the initial conflict ended in a truce, the Cylons reappear and launch a cataclysmic attack on human civilization that kills billions. The metallic Centurions are secretly led by several models of synthetic humanoid Cylons who are virtually indistinguishable from humans and have infiltrated their society.

Original series

[edit]

[[File:BSG - Cylon (1978 TV series).jpg|thumb|right|A Cylon Centurion from the original 1978 series]]

In the original 1978 series Battlestar Galactica, created by Glen A. Larson,[1] the Cylons are a race of sentient robots at war with the Twelve Colonies of humanity.[2] They are led by a Cylon known as the Imperious Leader who, though seemingly unique, can be replaced if needed. The IL-Series are a class of Cylons below the Imperious Leader who serve the Cylon Empire in non-military roles as administrators and diplomats. They have human-shaped, metallic heads and faces with glowing red eyes, and translucent conical craniums with visible crystalline brains. The IL-Series possess humanoid bodies covered in long, sparkling robes, and speak in refined, masculine voices.[2] The Cylon foot soldiers are the Centurions, imposing humanoid robots characterized by their chrome armor and distinctive red eye visors.[3] They speak in electronic, monotonous tones, and do not possess the intellect and autonomy of the IL-Series Cylons.[2] Raiders are fighter craft crewed with three Centurions each, and Basestars are the Cylon capital warships, equivalent to the Battlestars of the human fleet.[4]

The sequel series Galactica 1980 introduces two new-model Cylons who are indistinguishable from humans, Andromus (Roger Davis) and Andromidus (Neil Zevnik), in the episode "The Night the Cylons Landed".[5][6] The concept of humanoid Cylons would become a primary element of the 2000s reboot series.[7][8]

The Centurions were initially depicted in preproduction art by artist Ralph McQuarrie, but the final design was largely the work of Andrew Probert.[9][10] Similarities with the McQuarrie-derived look of the Stormtroopers from Star Wars are sometimes suggested as a factor that prompted 20th Century Fox's lawsuit for copyright infringement against Universal Studios, owners of the Battlestar Galactica copyright. However the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals did not include the Cylons in the list of similarities they issued on an appeal in Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp. v. MCA Inc. The case was remanded and reportedly settled out of court, by which time, Battlestar Galactica had already been canceled.[11][12]

In the series, the Imperious Leader is voiced by Patrick Macnee.[1][13] Lucifer, an IL-Series Cylon installed as the second-in-command of a Cylon Basestar battleship under the command of human traitor Lord Baltar (John Colicos),[2] is voiced by Jonathan Harris in nine episodes.[1][14] An EMS Vocoder 2000 was used to produce the voices of the Centurions.[15]

Reboot series

[edit]

The franchise was rebooted with the 2003 miniseries Battlestar Galactica, based on Larson's series and created by Ronald D. Moore. It was quickly followed by a 2004 series, which ran for four seasons and spawned the television films Razor (2007) and The Plan (2009), multiple web series, and the spin-off prequel television series Caprica (2010).[16]

In the series, the 40-year armistice between the Twelve Colonies of humanity and a race of warlike, sentient robots called Cylons is suddenly broken by the Cylons. They launch a cataclysmic attack on human civilization that kills billions, and subsequently pursue the fleeing 50,000 survivors to exterminate them completely.[17][18][19] Fully mechanical Centurions remain the avatars of Cylon aggression,[20] but biological models of Cylons, indistinguishable from humans, have infiltrated what remains of the human population, and their identities are revealed over the course of the series.[21] Updated versions of Raiders and Basestars are also depicted,[22] as well as Hybrids, a type of Cylon which is a bridge between the mechanical and biological forms.

Centurions

[edit]

Cylon Centurions are mechanical, sentient infantry robots with massive, silver armored bodies and chevron-shaped red eye visors.[3][23] They are strong and agile, with bladed fingertips and retractable guns built into their lower arms.[24][25] The Centurions are terrifying, deadly automatons who show no mercy,[20] and are difficult to destroy without explosive ammunition.[26] Some humans use the slur "toasters" to refer to the Centurions.[3][24]

Cylons are monotheists who believe in a single God, and the Centurions are among the most devout.[27]

The 2005 Battlestar Galactica episodes "Valley of Darkness" and "Fragged" received nominations for a Visual Effects Society Award for the Centurions, in the category "Outstanding Performance by an Animated Character in a Live Action Broadcast Program, Commercial, or Music Video". The series won the award for "Fragged".[28] The following year, the 2006 episode "Downloaded" was nominated for a WES award in the same category.[29]

The sentience of the Centurions, though more complex than in the original series, is not as nuanced as that of the humanoid Cylons in the reboot series.

The Centurions eventually emerge as an independent faction of Cylons.

  • However, some Centurions later become self-aware and form an uneasy alliance with the surviving humans. While the possibility of a future conflict remains, the cooperation between the Cylon rebels and the human race demonstrates that peaceful coexistence might not be impossible.[20]

"Valley of Darkness"[26]

There is a party of Cylon Centurions, they are on-board Galactica, and they do indeed wreak havoc ... Back on Galactica, then and the Centurions are on the warpath. And these are tougher beasts than we’ve seen before. They require explosive ammo to beat, and naturally, there’s a major scarcity of that. Thus, the Centurions begin a rampage through the ship, intent on taking it over and then turning it on the rest of the fleet. It’s yet another total life or death moment ... Furthermore, did Tigh say in the midst of all of this that he has seen the tactics that the Cylons employ – splitting into two groups, moving in completely different directions – before? In the midst of this, Apollo liberates President Roslin from the brig, and then gets the order off Tigh to ambush the Cylons before they can get to their finally target, Aft Damage. If the Cylons get there, then they can decompress the ship, but after a bloody and effects-intensive gun battle, the Centurions are defeated.

Created by humans as robotic servants and soldiers, they evolve into "sentient beings with their own desires, emotions, and motivations", and ultimately rebel against human oppression.[3] This leads to the brutal First Cylon War, which last 12 years and ends in a sudden armistice.[30]

  • Unlike their one-dimensional counterparts in the original series, the Centurions in the 2004 show exhibited a range of personalities and beliefs. Some Centurions sought peaceful coexistence with humans, while others remained dedicated to the destruction of humanity. This diversity of perspectives added depth to their characters and introduced internal conflicts within Cylon society.[3]
  • The reimagined series blurred the lines between Centurions and humans, emphasizing their shared experiences and suffering. This theme explored the potential for reconciliation between the two species, challenging preconceived notions of good and evil. The parallels between Centurions and humans encouraged viewers to reflect on the consequences of their actions and the implications of creating sentient beings.[3]
  • While the original series predominantly portrayed Centurions as faceless enemies, the reimagined series embraced moral complexity. It forced viewers to confront the ethical dilemmas surrounding the treatment of sentient beings, making the audience question who the true antagonists were. This moral ambiguity added layers of depth to the show and elevated it beyond a straightforward battle between good and evil.[3]
  • The evolution of the Centurions represents a remarkable journey from mechanical adversaries to sentient beings. TThe reimagined, more complex Centurions became pivotal characters in the series. They helped drive the narrative, exploring themes related to artificial intelligence, sentience, and the consequences of human actions. Their struggle for identity and their complex relationships with humans introduced moral and philosophical depth, elevating the storytelling to new heights.[3]
Cylon War [30]


The First Cylon War lasted for twelve years. The conflict began when the Twelve Colonies began crafting robotic slaves which they named Cylon Centurions. When the creator's daughter unexpectedly dies and is downloaded into a Centurion, her consciousness spreads throughout all the Centurions, leading the Cylons to become sentient. This leads to a Centurion uprising that ultimately begins the First Cylon War. The war is a harsh conflict that lasts for twelve years, and includes the Centurions experimenting on humans to try and create humanoid Cylons called "skinjobs."

The First Cylon War ends in a hurried armistice after the Final Five makes a deal with the Centurions without the Twelve Colonies knowing. The Final Five promise to help the Centurions build "skinjobs" if they stop their war on the humans. Ultimately, the Centurions agree and the war comes to an end. For several decades after, there is peace between the Cylons and the humans with the help of the Final Five. However, forty years later, at the start of the events of Battlestar Galactica, the Centurions rise again.

The Second Cylon War, or rather, the continued conflict between the humans and the Cylons lasts until the end of Battlestar Galactica, which is roughly four years. Forty years after the end of the First Cylon War, the Centurions attack the Twelve Colonies, killing almost the entire human population. The reason for the renewed conflict is that the Final Five's Model Number One, John Cavil, becomes jealous of the new Cylon models and resentful of humans, so he convinces the Centurions to start another war. The Fall of the Twelve Colonies sets into motion the events of Battlestar Galactica.

In the end, despite conflicts, crimes, and betrayals, Battlestar Galactica's humans and Cylons end the series at peace. While the Fall of the Twelve Colonies devastated the remaining humans, they learned to ally with the sentient Cylons and fight against a common enemy. Therefore, the end of Battlestar Galactica sees humans and Cylons living side-by-side in a very familiar version of Earth. In this way, the twelve years of the First Cylon War and the remaining four years after the Fall of the Twelve Colonies ends in a satisfying form of peace.

  • Martin, Catherine Armecin (December 18, 2023). "Battlestar Galactica: The Creation of the Cylons, Explained". Game Rant. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2023.

Raiders

[edit]
  • The imposing Cylon Raider is a type of starfighter that harasses the refugee convoy throughout Battlestar Galactica. Launched from the massive Cylon Basestars, these vessels pose a significant threat to both Galactica and the ships it protects. Individual Raiders even become infamous among the fleet, with one, nicknamed Scar, earning the ire of Galactica's pilots. Talented pilot Starbuck is able to modify a crashed Raider into a craft suitable for human navigation and discovers that the metallic exterior conceals an organic operating system. Writer Ronald D. Moore compared the Raiders to horses, saying that they are alive, but not intelligent. However, they remain a difficult enemy to beat.[20]

Humanoid Cylons

[edit]

Humanoid Cylons are indistinguishable from humans due to their creation via synthetic biology, employing real bones, flesh and blood rather than metal, but still possess a "digital molecular structure".

  • but the cyclons to take note of are the models who have somehow evolved to look exactly like humans.[25]
  • One can easily imagine the skin-jobs, who are flesh and blood on the inside[24]
  • An artificially-intelligent race of machines, the Cylons evolved from mechanical devices into sentient beings, with later models incorporating biological components to near-perfectly replicate human biology.[31]

There are a finite number of distinct models, but each model can have multiple copies, which share biology and general personality throughout their model but develop into distinct individuals. The biological Cylons can be harmed and killed in the same manner as humans, but each copy can be resurrected by downloading their digital consciousness into a new body.[21][24] The ability of these Cylons to evolve emotionally and intellectually creates the danger of "corruption" in the form of ideations considered dangerous to the Cylon cause. Individuals or entire models may be "boxed". or deactivated, with their consciousnesses and bodies put in storage or destroyed.[21][32] Multiple copies of seven distinct Cylon models are depicted in the first three seasons, followed by the revelation that a "fundamentally different" group, dubbed the "Final Five" Cylons, are also embedded in the human fleet.[21][33] Some humans use the slur "skinjobs" to refer to the humanoid Cylons.[24]

Numbered models

[edit]

The miniseries introduces humanoid Cylon Number Six, portrayed by Tricia Helfer,[34] as a seductress who exploits her sexual relationship with celebrity scientist Dr. Gaius Baltar (James Callis) to gain access to the military defense mainframe of the Twelve Colonies.[21] She introduces malware into the network which allows the Cylons to launch simultaneous, unchallenged nuclear attacks that wipe out virtually all of the populations of all twelve planets.[35][36] She sacrifices herself to save Baltar in the attack on the planet Caprica,[37] but her consciousness is subsequently downloaded into a new body on a Cylon Resurrection Ship.[38] This copy, dubbed "Caprica Six" by the Cylons, is considered a hero, but has developed sympathy for humans, and regrets her part in the attacks.[38] Caprica Six ultimately turns against the anti-human Cylon models and seeks peace between Cylons and humans.[21] Other prominent Six copies include Shelly Godfrey, Gina Inviere and Natalie Faust.[21]

In the miniseries, the warship Battlestar Galactica is in the final stages of being decommissioned and converted to a museum, and is thus unaffected by the Cylon sabotage. Its commander, William Adama (Edward James Olmos), assumes command of the few remaining elements of the human fleet and heads for the Ragnar Anchorage munitions depot to resupply. There he realizes that arms dealer Leoben Conoy (Callum Keith Rennie) is negatively affected by the electromagnetic radiation flooding the station, which is known to be harmless to humans but disrupts the silica pathways of Cylons. Leoben confirms he is a Cylon, and reveals the concept of their resurrection technology to Adama before attacking the commander. Adama bludgeons Leoben to death, and his body is taken aboard the Galactica for examination. The Leobens are later identified as Number Two models, who are very religious and hope for Cylons and humans to live together in peace.[21]

On the Galactica, public relations specialist Aaron Doral (Matthew Bennett) is also determined to be a Cylon, and despite his protests is left at Ragnar Anchorage. He is a Number Five model, useful for their "everyman" appearance that helps them blend in with humans, but known to be "emotionally unstable and manipulative, switching from amiable and friendly to angry and violent."[21] A Cylon team of Twos, Fives and Sixes arrive to collect him, accompanied by a Number Eight copy, revealing that Galactica fighter pilot Sharon "Boomer" Valerii (Grace Park) is a Cylon.[36][39]

Boomer is a sleeper agent programmed to believe she is human, and also to commit acts of sabotage without remembering doing so. She is eventually activated to assassinate Adama, who is a father figure to her. He survives, and though he shows mercy by not executing her, Boomer is murdered by a vengeful crewmate. She resurrects among the Cylons, but has difficulty accepting that she is one of them. Boomer and Caprica Six, realizing that the Cylons' destruction of the human race is wrong, defect to the human side. However, Boomer later finds herself incapable of assimilating into human society, and does not join the rest of the Eights in their alliance with humans.[21] Meanwhile, in the series premiere episode "33", Boomer's co-pilot Karl "Helo" Agathon (Tahmoh Penikett), stranded on Caprica, meets another Number Eight copy whom he mistakes for his Sharon, apparently there to rescue him.[19][40] This Number Eight, later known as Sharon "Athena" Agathon, falls in love with Helo and gives birth to the first human-Cylon hybrid baby.[21]

Simon O'Neill, portrayed by Rick Worthy,[41] is introduced in the season two episode "The Farm" as a physician who treats Galactica fighter pilot Kara Thrace (Katee Sackhoff) for a gunshot wound in what is supposedly a Resistance hospital on devastated Caprica. She soon realizes he is Cylon performing fertility experiments on human women, and kills him and escapes. Simon is a Number Four model, who are medical specialists and the most machine-like of the Cylons, employing logic and reason paired with a lack of emotional response. At least one Number Four, however, is shown to sacrifice himself rather than let his human family die in The Plan.[21]

Fleet News Service reporter D'Anna Biers, portrayed by Lucy Lawless,[41] comes aboard the Galactica in the season two episode "Final Cut" to investigate her suspicions of a military cover-up surrounding recent civilian deaths aboard the Gideon. She is revealed to be a Cylon when another copy of her is shown viewing her report among the Cylons.[21][42] D'Anna is a Number Three model, who are depicted as "calculating and duplicitous", and known to manipulate both humans and other Cylons as necessary.[21] In "Downloaded", D'Anna realizes that the newly resurrected Caprica Six and Boomer's experiences have made them more sympathetic to humans, and their celebrity creates the dangerous possibility that they could influence other Cylons. She schemes to have them boxed, but they escape.[43][44] In season three, D'Anna becomes obsessed with learning the identities of the so-called Final Five Cylons, which is forbidden knowledge.[45][46] She finally succeeds in "Rapture", dying in the attempt. D'Anna resurrects, but she and all Number Threes are promptly boxed as punishment.[21][32]

John Cavil, portrayed by Dean Stockwell,[41][47] is a religious counselor on the Galactica in the season two finale "Lay Down Your Burdens". He is revealed to be a Cylon when a duplicate Cavil is spotted among a newly-arrived group of refugees from Caprica.[21] Cavil and his fellow Number One models possess an exceptional disgust for humans, advocating that they be culled down to near extinction. Cavil also has little respect for other Cylon models, including the Final Five who created him, and freely manipulates, reprograms and even decommissions them as needed to further his goals.[48]

Subsequently in season four, a schism erupts among the Cylon models which pits the Ones, Fours and Fives against the Twos, Sixes and Eights. Cavil unboxes D'Anna in "The Hub", hoping she can negotiate a truce with the opposing faction, who have made an alliance with the humans and intend to destroy the Cylon Resurrection Hub. Ever defiant, D'Anna kills Cavil, and allows Karl Agathon to "rescue" her from the Hub, after which the humans and rebel Cylons destroy it with a nuclear strike. D'Anna reluctantly joins the human-Cylon joint venture to find the Final Five, who they believe know the way to Earth. However, as the last of the Threes, she refuses to tell Roslin what she knows until she feels safe.[21] D'Anna remains wary in "Revelations", concerned for the Five's safety if she reveals them. Leoben recommends cooperation, but she reminds him that cooperation with the humans did not end well on New Caprica. D'Anna subsquently threatens to execute Roslin and her entourage on the Cylon Basestar unless Adama hands over the four newly identified final Cylons on the Galactica. Tory Foster reveals herself as one of them and joins D'Anna, and Adama, in turn, threatens to vent the remaining three Cylons into space. With moments to spare, Kara reveals that she knows the way to Earth. The humans and Cylons go there together, but find the planet devastated and radioactive. In "Sometimes a Great Notion", the humans and Cylons to leave find a new habitable planet, but D'Anna decides to stay on Earth and die with her ancestors, ending the cycle of death and rebirth.[21]

Meanwhile, the Cylons realize that the Raiders' retreat was due to them discovering the Final Five among the Colonial Fleet. The Cylon models prepare to lobotomise the Raiders to forget about the Final Five as their identities are forbidden by their programming, but, after objections to this are raised by several Cylon models, a vote is agreed to mediate the issue. But, the vote ends in a draw (Numbers One, Four and Five votes for, and Numbers Two, Six and Eight voting against). Boomer is the only Eight model to vote for the lobotomising. To prevent this from happening, one of the Six models (known as Natalie) removes the higher brain inhibitors from the Centurions which gives them free will. They proceed to kill all of the One, Four and Five models in the room.

A Brother Cavil model resurrects from the dead after one of the Sixes (Natalie) starts a rebellion to unbox the Three models to learn the identity of the final five. Surprisingly, Cavil agrees to this. They decide to send a fleet of basestars and a resurrection ship to the location where the Threes were boxed. However, when they get there, the resurrection ship does not follow. Instead, Cavil's baseships circle the rebels and proceed to destroy them.

Performer Character Seasons
1 2 3 4
Numbered models
Tricia Helfer Number Six Main
Grace Park Number Eight / Sharon "Boomer" Valerii / Sharon "Athena" Agathon Main
Callum Keith Rennie Number Two / Leoben Conoy Guest Recurring
Matthew Bennett Number Five / Aaron Doral Recurring Guest Recurring
Rick Worthy Number Four / Simon O'Neill Does not appear Guest Recurring
Lucy Lawless Number Three / D'Anna Biers Does not appear Guest Recurring Guest
Dean Stockwell Number One / John Cavil Does not appear Guest Recurring
Final Five
Michael Hogan Saul Tigh Main
Aaron Douglas Galen Tyrol Main
Kate Vernon Ellen Tigh Guest Recurring
Michael Trucco Samuel Anders Does not appear Recurring Main
Rekha Sharma Tory Foster Does not appear Recurring

Final Five

[edit]

Four of the Final Five are revealed in the season three finale, "Crossroads", including Tigh himself.[33] Ellen is revealed as the last one in the season four episode "Sometimes a Great Notion",[21] and her resurrection and self-realization are depicted in the episode "No Exit".[21]

Backstory

[edit]

BSGr Cylon society consists of several classes differentiated by function and form. Cylon "Centurions" are the fully mechanical core of Cylon culture, developed and evolved from the first laborers and proxy soldiers designed during the events of Caprica. During the armistice, the Centurions met the "Final Five" Cylons, a group of evolved, biological descendants of the Thirteenth tribe of Kobol (hitherto thought of as a myth), who offered to help them develop their own biological models and resurrection technology.[18] In turn, during the forty year armistice they developed eight additional Cylon biological models, as well as partly biological/partly mechanical Cylon Raiders, improved Basestars, and lastly, the complex Cylon Hybrids which exist in symbiosis with the Basestar.


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  43. ^ Moore, Ronald D. (February 24, 2006). "Battlestar Galactica: 'Downloaded'". Syfy (Podcast). Archived from the original on February 6, 2007. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
  44. ^ Brew, Simon (October 1, 2009). "Battlestar Galactica Season 2, Episode 18 review: 'Downloaded'". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  45. ^ Goldman, Eric (December 11, 2006). "Battlestar Galactica: 'The Passage' Review". IGN. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  46. ^ St. James, Emily (December 9, 2006). "Battlestar Galactica Recap: Season 3, Episode 10, 'The Passage'". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.}
  47. ^ Franich, Darren (March 20, 2019). "The Battlestar Galactica Finale Is 10 Years Old, and This One Part Is Unforgettable". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 1, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  48. ^ a b Sepinwall, Alan (February 14, 2009). "Battlestar Galactica, 'No Exit': The Areas of My Cylon Expertise". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved March 10, 2009.
  49. ^ Bernardin, Marc (April 12, 2008). "Battlestar: A Cylon Smackdown". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  50. ^ Goldman, Eric (April 14, 2008). "Battlestar Galactica: 'Six of One' Review". IGN. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
  51. ^ Vary, Adam B. (April 21, 2008). "Battlestar Galactica Recap: Civil Wars". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 19, 2024.

Other sources

[edit]

[4] [5]

[6]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference sl no exit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Ryan, Maureen (February 14, 2009). "Talking about Battlestar Galactica's 'No Exit': Back to the Future". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 24, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2009.
  3. ^ Ryan, Maureen (February 15, 2009). "You Asked, They Answered: Battlestar Galactica Writers Take on Your 'No Exit' Questions". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on February 17, 2009. Retrieved February 15, 2009.
  4. ^ Vine, Richard (January 21, 2009). "Battlestar Galactica: season four, episode 13" – via The Guardian.
  5. ^ Vine, Richard (February 18, 2009). "Battlestar Galactica: season four, episode 17" – via The Guardian.
  6. ^ Britt, Ryan (March 20, 2013). "Why the 1978 Battlestar Galactica Doesn't Suck". Reactor.

[1] This series’s central premise — war between humans and rebel robots — is founded on moral ambiguity. The enemy Cylons are a mechanical race created by humans to serve as slaves and soldiers; the Cylons evolved into sentient beings and rebelled, developing their own civilization and a monotheistic theology — one that commands them to destroy the sinful pagan human race, which was once spread across the “12 colonies of man.” A Cylon nuclear attack wiped out billions of people. The fewer than 50,000 survivors roam space in a fleet led by the Galactica’s commanding officer, William Adama (Edward James Olmos), and the civilian president, Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell). The two occasionally clash — shifting debates that make the case for and against military dictatorship, for and against democracy. But they are close and their shared quest is to evade the Cylons hunting them and find the “13th colony,” which according to ancient scriptures is Earth.

Sci Fi plans a prequel called “Caprica,” which will describe the halcyon time before robots could think for themselves. This version, which began as a 2003 mini-series, is a “reimagined” adaptation of the original 1978 series starring Lorne Greene.

It takes the religious undertones to the forefront, adding more shades of ambiguity to the mix. The humans are polytheists (an odd mixture of classical mythology and scriptural fundamentalism). The robots are monotheists leading a crusade, or jihad, against the infidel humans — even though they know that the humans gave them life. Some Cylons think they are human, and some of the humans fear they may be Cylons. And almost everybody has a guilty conscience.

The third-season finale ended with the shocking revelation that four of the most prominent and dedicated crew members were actually Cylons, members of a special breed of sleeper robots who were “awakened” to their true nature by faint strains of music (a version of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”). They believe they are humans first and foremost, but worry that they may be programmed to betray their friends and lovers by remote control. And a fifth Cylon lurks somewhere among them, still unidentified, but possibly even more dangerous than all the rest.

  • Why are the Cylons so bent on destroying humanity? There have been various discussions about that on the show, and one of the ideas offered is that humans don’t deserve to exist. Is that what motivates the Cylons?
  • “That’s part of it for them. There are a variety of issues. On a philosophical basis, they see themselves as the children of humanity, and their worldview says they’ll never really achieve their full potential while their `parents’ are still alive, as it were. It’s the idea of children coming into their own when their parents are dead. And it’s also practical. Knowing humans as intimately as they do, they know if they allow this ragtag fleet to escape and establish colonies, they’ll eventually come back and seek vengeance. So the Cylons are driven by a strong need to foreclose that possibility.”[2]
Themes and allusions ==

Time described Battlestar Galactica as "a gripping sci-fi allegory of the war on terror, complete with monotheistic religious fundamentalists (here genocidal cyborgs called Cylons), sleeper cells, civil-liberties crackdowns and even a prisoner-torture scandal".[3] The show attempted to maintain its realism by referring to familiar elements of contemporary history – Laura Roslin's swearing in on Colonial One directly "cited the swearing in of Lyndon B. Johnson after the Kennedy assassination"[4] – and the developing political situation since the September 11, 2001 attacks. Many people have drawn parallels between the Cylons and Al Qaeda"[5] and according to The Guardian "Battlestar Galactica is the only award-winning drama that dares tackle the war on terror".[6] The show has also tackled issues regarding terrorist sleeper cells with stories involving the reality and fear of Cylon suicide attacks, Cylon Number 5 (Aaron Doral) in the episode called "Litmus," sneaks aboard Galactica and blows himself up in the middle of the corridor and sleeper agent Lt. Sharon "Boomer" Valerii activates after destroying a Cylon basestar and shooting Commander Adama at the end of season 1. (Note that Sharon, as with some of the other human-form Cylons, had no idea that she was a Cylon.) Similar themes are revisited in season 3 (Episode 3.1, "Occupation") with a far different perspective: the humans, rather than the Cylons, are the suicide bombers. It has been suggested that these plotlines extensively "hinted at war-on-terrorism overtones."[7] After 9/11, the original series' "broad premise – the human military's struggles in the wake of a massive terrorist attack – suddenly gained resonance"[6] and let the show tackle issues like suicide bombings, torture ("evoking the darker side of the war on terror"[7]) and "civil liberties crackdowns".[6]

Executive producer Ronald D. Moore points out that the Cylons and Al Qaeda are not necessarily intended to be allegorical: "They have aspects of Al Qaeda and they have aspects of the Catholic Church and they have aspects of America."[5] On the other hand, abortion is illegal throughout the fleet, because the survival of what remains of humanity is at stake. In contrast, with the New Caprica storyline the show's humans have been discussed as an allegory not for an America under attack but for an occupied people mounting an insurgency and turning to suicide bombings as a tactic. There is a consensus that with "its third season, the show has morphed into a stinging allegorical critique of America's three-year occupation of Iraq"[8] as the "cameras record Cylon occupation raids on unsuspecting human civilians with the night-vision green familiar to any TV news viewer. The reasoning of the Cylons is horrifically familiar, they would prefer not to be brutal but they won't accept the failure of a glorious mission."[7] According to Slate "If this sounds like Iraq, it should",[7] and "In unmistakable terms, Battlestar Galactica is telling viewers that insurgency (like, say, the one in Iraq) might have some moral flaws, such as the whole suicide bombing thing, but is ultimately virtuous and worthy of support."[7] The "really audacious stroke of this season was showing us a story about a suicide bomber from the point of view of the bomber and his comrades... because the cause of this terrorist was unquestioningly our own. We sympathize with the insurgents wholeheartedly."[4] If the Cylon occupying force is an allegory of the Coalition Forces in Iraq, then some of the other references are equally controversial; the "scene of the shiny, terrifying Cylon centurions (a servant class of robots that actually look like robots) marching down the main road of New Caprica while the devastated colonists looked on was the Nazis marching into Paris."[4]

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  1. ^ "Battlestar Galactica - Fourth Season - TV - Review - NYTimes.com". web.archive.org. December 27, 2011.
  2. ^ Moore, Ronald D. (4 Jan 2006). "Archived copy". Chicago Tribune (Interview). Interviewed by Maureen Ryan. Archived from the original on 20 September 2011. Retrieved 24 Aug 2011.{{cite interview}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ Poniewozik, James (December 16, 2005). "Best of 2005: Television". Time. Archived from the original on May 27, 2008. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Miller, Laura (November 10, 2006). "Space Balls". Salon. Archived from the original on February 15, 2011.
  5. ^ a b Gavin Edwards (January 27, 2006). "Intergalactic Terror". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 8, 2009. In its second season, this remake of the 1978 camp classic has become -- no joke -- TV's most vivid depiction of the post-9/11 world and what happens to a society at war.
  6. ^ a b c Martin, Dan (January 13, 2007). "The final frontier". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  7. ^ a b c d e Ackerman, Spencer (October 13, 2006). "Battlestar: Iraqtica. Does the hit television show support the Iraqi insurgency". Slate. Archived from the original on July 14, 2009. Retrieved May 6, 2009.
  8. ^ Reed, Brad (October 27, 2006). "Battlestar Galacticons". The American Prospect. Archived from the original on October 1, 2011.
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