Battlestar Galactica Episode 2:19 Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 1
Guest Star: Dean Stockwell as Brother Cavell
Quote:
Chief Tyrol: “Well, how do you know that I’m a human?”
Brother Cavell: “Maybe because I’m a Cylon and I’ve never seen you at any of the meetings.”
Previously on Battlestar Galactica
Sharon helps Galactica beat the Cylon virus. Adama promotes Lee to Commander of Pegasus. Starbuck promises Anders she would return to rescue the refugees on Caprica and struggles to convince Roslin and Adama of the need to do it. Baltar announces his candidacy for President.
The Start of the Episode
Chief Tyrol is laying on the floor, twitching and groaning.
Baltar is in his lab with his campaign paraphernalia. He thinks he is going to lose.
Roslin is reading some cards, ripping them up and throwing them in the air. Tory comes in and tells her she has one minute.
Starbuck address the pilots. Tells them that the mission they are about to go on will probably result in 20% casualties. She says that the mission is volunteer only.
Six tells Baltar that if he has faith, everything will turn out as it should. Baltar thinks he will be humiliated.
Roslin explains to Adama her pre-speech ritual with the card. Adama tells her about his dad’s pre-trial rituals. She gets the giggles.
Gaeta says that the Cylon computer will help them jump further. He says that the problem was installing the Cylon computer with their computer. He says that obstacle has been overcome. They bring Helo’s Sharon into the flight prep room. There are some murmurings. Starbuck says Sharon is going to help them.
Six tells Baltar he is chosen to lead these people. Zareck tells Baltar that it’s time.
Cally is looking for Chief Tyrol.
Starbuck says that it is their duty to save those left behind on Caprica and if they need to use a Cylon they will. Lee gives a pep talk to the pilots.
The debate between Baltar and Roslin is set to begin. Both candidates enter, and they take the opportunity to trash talk each other.
Helo tries to talk to Sharon, but she’s still despondent. She tells him that something dark is coming.
Cally finds Tyrol, wakes him up, and he freaks out and starts beating her in the face. Then he realizes it’s Cally and screams for help, swooping up her bloody body.
Opening Theme
Population Count: 49,579
Tyrol is meeting with a priest named Brother Cavell (Dean Stockwell) for counseling. Tyrol says he prays to the gods every night but they don’t listen to him. Cavell says that prayer is useless. He says the gods don’t answer prayers. That people have to find their own way. He says that Tyrol’s problem is that he is screwed up.
Starbuck and Lee meet before the mission. He tells her he hopes she finds Anders. A bit of an awkward moment.
Tory reads the press reports saying that Roslin creamed Baltar in the debate. The only issue that people responded to was the radical religious issue. Zareck tells Baltar he needs to keep hitting her on the religious front. Baltar scoffs, and rants at Tom and Six, saying he is basically screwed.
The Raptors take off for the Caprica mission. The are preparing for the first jump. Starbuck contacts Adama over the com. She thanks him. Helo and Sharon share a moment. They hook Sharon up to the Raptor and they jump. Racetrack’s Raptor jumps to the wrong jump coordinates. Starbuck is pissed. She decided to continue without them.
Tyrol tells Cavell he doesn’t understand how he could do that to Cally. Cavell asks Tyrol if he has been having any recurring dreams. He says no, but Cavell calls him out, saying it a lie. He wants to know what his dreams are.
Commercial Break
Tyrol tells Cavell about his dream. In it he climbs to the top of some structure then jumps off. He says he has the same dream every night, for the past couple weeks. Cavell says that the reason he flipped on Cally was that she stopped him from carrying out his secret desire to kill himself. Tyrol scoffs unconvincingly.
Racetrack try to figure out how they screwed up. She is pissed. They scan the area and find a large planet close to them. It seems the planet has water, and breathable air. She says that it’s a habitable planet.
Gaeta, Adama and Tigh meet with the Raptor crew to discuss the planet. Lee organizes a survey mission of the planet. They find wildlife, and fruit trees. Gaeta says that most of the planet it barren but with the Dradus interference from the Nebula, the Cylons will never find them.
Baltar doesn’t give a crap about the planet, he says less than 20% of the place supports human life. Six tells him that he is missing the picture. Zareck gets an idea. He says that they can use the planet as a political issue. He says they should push for permanent settlement on the planet. That Roslin will push to keep looking for Earth, and that will make her look out of touch. That despite how dreary the planet is, people who have been cooped in ships would like to get some real ground under their feet. Baltar now does give a crap about the planet.
Commercial Break
Roslin meets with her advisors to discuss the planet. She calls it a rest stop. Tory tells her that people are requesting some time on the planet. Tory explains that Baltar is gaining ground with his permanent settlement plea, especially that this planet is a refuge from the Cylons. She says the idea of stopping, laying down their burdens is resonating with the voters.
Cavell asks Tyrol why he keep running away from the issue. Tyrol acts all confused. Cavell tells him that Tyrol thinks he’s a Cylon. He says that Tyrol is afraid he is like Boomer, that he is a Cylon without knowing it and that he deserves to die. Tyrol says that Sharon didn’t know what she was but she believed that she was going to do some horrible thing. Cavell tells him that he may do some horrible thing, but not because he is a Cylon, but because humans do horrible things all the time. Cavell says he needs to return to work. Tyrol says he can’t return and face the crew, especially Cally. Cavell tells him he will find his humanity through his friends.
The Raptor’s a preparing for their final jump to Caprica. They jump. One Raptor jumps inside a mountain, but the rest make it fine. The land on Caprica.
Commercial Break
The second debate is in progress. Basic political back and forth. Baltar says she is allowing the scriptures to dictate policy. Roslin says she finds that the scriptures hold real world relevance. Baltar says they have a chance to end the constant chase by the Cylons. Roslin says there is no assurance that this planet won’t be discovered by the Cylons. Baltar says she is using fear to drive her campaign. He wants people to stop running from their lives, and to start living them. The debate is over. Roslin is pissed.
Cylon-Occupied Caprica
The Raptor Crews are now on ground, in battle gear looking for survivors. They see movement ahead, and take defensive positions. It’s Anders and his fighters. Anders and Starbuck exchange hellos and a bit more. He tells he that his camp has just been attacked and he lost half his people. They have toasters on their ass. They are attacked. Their path back to the Raptors is cut off by shell fire.
To Be Continued
