The pilot - Comparing first draft to the mini

[larocque6689]

The Pilot Episode - First Draft versus Final Version
Created by John Larocque on January 7, 2005
Last revised: January 7, 2005

This document highlights differences between the first draft of the Battlestar Galactica pilot episode script by Ron Moore (written some time in 2002), and the version that aired on the SciFi Channel in December 2003.

PART ONE
ACT ONE

This is the significantly longer text describing the human/Cylon war which begins Part I:

"The Cylons were created by Man. They were the product of a desire to make life easier on the planet Kobol. At first, they were simple robots. Toys. Conversation pieces at parties for the rich and trendy. The Cylons became more advanced. Began to work the mines. Do the hard and dangerous work Man no longer wished to do. And when the people of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol decided to war against each other, the Cylons began to do their fighting and killing for them too. The Cylons were the greatest soldiers the planet had ever seen. Smart. Fast. Deadly. They made decisions without waiting for orders.

"And then the day came when the Cylons decided to kill their masters. The Twelve Colonies rallied together for the first time in centuries. Betrayed by their own technology, they fought the Cylons with weapons that didn't rely on computers. After a long and bloody struggle, the war finally ended. An armistice was declared. The Cylons left Kobol for another world to call their own. A remote space station was built where Cylon and Human could meet and maintain diplomatic relations. Every month, the Colonials send an officer. The Cylons send no one. No one has seen or heard from the Cylons in over forty years."

In the first draft of the script there is only one planet, Kobol, on which there are twelve nations or Colonies. In subsequent drafts the twelve Colonies were restored as separate planets, as a result of a conversation between Ron Moore and a fan of the original series. Thus the film version now substitutes "twelve Colonies" for "planet Kobol", and events taking place on the planet Kobol actually take place on Caprica.

According to the audio commentary on the DVD, a more elaborate version of the opening scene was filmed, featuring the Armistice officer aging over a period of years at his job. They had also planned to show this officer eating an apple for lunch, which was intended to signify that the Colonials lived on a world like our own. This was discarded in place of the current truncated version.

In the script Number Six "looks to be in her twenties, with long flowing raven-black hair, drop-dead looks and a perfect body. Her every move, every gesture is smooth and precise. Her eyes are keenly intelligent." Later on in the script she described on Kobol (Caprica) as having "Carrie Moss Matrix hair." However, in the series Tricia Helfer's character is actually blonde.

In the script, Kara's morning jog includes the lines "Whaddya hear?" "Nothin' but the rain." "Then grab your gun and pull the cat out" This was a nonsense line (pseudo-Marine) that the special effects people later requested be re-used in the Viper battle sequence in Part II. In the filmed version the line reads "Grab your gun, and bring in the cat."

Tyrol is described as "in his late thirties, rugged, with the worn look of a man who's spent a lifetime working in and around big machines." The production team cast Aaron Douglas in the role, resulting in a redefinition of the Tyrol character to reflect a younger age.

In Baltar's interview at the television station, the script notes the presence of Number Six who is watching it in an offstage area. "The Woman glances away from the monitor as a STAGEHAND goes to a small craft-service table and makes himself a cup of coffee. She watches him carefully, intently, focusing on every single move as he pours the cup, puts in cream... The man takes a sip of his coffee, then leaves it on the table before going. Her gaze goes to his abandoned coffee.... [she] picks up the coffee, inhales the smell deeply... then takes a sip... rolls the liquid around in her mouth... smiles to herself and then puts the coffee cup back." This is not in the filmed version.

In the script, there is a longer discussion between Laura Roslin and Doctor Westin on Caprica. In the film version, she's told she has a malignant tumor and the rest of the dialog is drowned out by ship noise, with the scene ending with the Colonial transport taking off. This is followed by excerpts of a scene on the Colonial Transport originally intended for Act 3 where Laura is sobbing in the bathroom for a few moments. The final cut of the bathroom scene takes only a few seconds, though apparently it is prolonged in an earlier "rough cut" of the pilot. Billy's introduction to Laura in Act 1 does not appear in the film version.

At the end of Act I is the controversial baby-killing scene, which was written to add more menace to the Cylons, and in particular, Number Six's character. It first appeared in the second draft of the script.

ACT TWO

"In what will become a signature stylistic element of our series, we open this Act with a MULTIPLE SPLIT SCREEN format." The production ultimately discarded use of split screens.

The script describes Sharon as "the squadron rookie... she's less sure of herself than the other pilots, more vulnerable." Sharon's "unsteady, herky-jerky" landing of the Raptor was deleted from the film version and shows up as a bonus on the DVD. Additionally, references in the script to Sharon being a "rook" by Tyrol (and later Helo) are also absent. Sharon's landing is followed by Sharon and Tyrol arguing, and then finally embracing in the storage locker.

This is followed by another deleted scene between Cally, Socinus and Prosna (also a bonus on the DVD) describing reactions to Tyrol's fraternising with Sharon. Cally: "The groping lamp is on in the tool shed." Socinus: "This is outta control. The chief lost his mind or something?" Prosna: "Yeah. He's just sleeping with the division officer. What's wrong with that?" Another deleted scene featured on the DVD is the latter half of Billy and Dualla's first meeting in the officer's unisex bathroom.

There are differences between the script and filmed version of Tigh's meeting in Adama's quarters. In the script, Tigh tells Adama that Kara's flight status was revoked ("Just a friendly game that got out of hand"). He also claimed his estranged wife was "sleeping with half the population of Geminon while I'm away." In the filmed version Tigh wanted to press charges, and that Kara was to be put in the brig for striking a superior officer. He also admitted he provoked Kara by first kicking her under the table. In the script, Adama is sipping coffee, but in the flimed version he's not drinking anything. In the filmed version this scene takes place immediately following the card game in Act I.

In the first draft, Kara joins the CAG meeting even though she wasn't supposed to be there. The script notes that "the insolence doesn't go unnoticed by the CAG." Kara sits down next to Lee Adama, which is the first encounter between the two. In the film version, Kara is not present at the CAG meeting.

The lines that are spoken in the brig in the filmed version originally took place between Lee and Kara at the end of this meeting. Kara makes it clear in the first draft that she sides with Lee's father. Kara: "I was there, you weren't, and what happened to Zak was an accident. That's it." Lee: "He got to you. I can't believe it. He actually got to you." Kara: "Look, when Zak died, I lost it. Okay? I was done. Probably would've ended up back in Picon driving a truck. The Old Man brought me here, said go be a pilot. Put me back on my feet." Lee: "I'm not looking for a fight with you." Kara: "You go up against Commander Adama, you've got one anyway." Lee: "And Zak actually wanted to marry you. Now here you are siding with the man who basically killed him."

[larocque6689]

ACT THREE

In the meeeting between Lee and and his father, he refers to Commander Adama pulling strings to get Zak into flight school. "You didn't call your buddy Commander Erdwell on the board?" Yet another coffee reference did not make it in the filmed version. "Can I get you anything? We make a truly awful cup of coffee."

In deleted dialogue with Number Six, Baltar admits that by letting her poke around in the defence mainframe he broke "about twenty statutes in the process." Number Six: "You are the very definition of a sinner." Baltar: "Guilty as charged."

Adama's decommission speech is introduced by Elosha who is described as wizened 80-year old priest. In the series the role is played by Lorena Gale, an older female. In the script Adama states "It was the Cylons that were flawed. But the truth is... we're the flawed creation. We're the ones that tried to manufacture life and make it serve us." A version of this was actually filmed and featured in early advertising trailers but later dropped from the final cut. In the first draft Kara/Starbuck joins Lee/Apollo and Jolly in the flyby.

The last dawn on Caprica ("an average day") is described. "SHOP KEEPERS open up their stores... POLICEMEN take a report at a crime scene... CONSTRUCTION WORKERS setting up their equipment... A MAN jogging down by the river..."

Dialog between Baltar and Number Six at his apartment has been deleted after she tells him to "spare me your feigned self-awareness and remorse." This includes such lines as "God wants children to grow and develop on their own. He wants them to reach their full potential. And so it is that parents must die. But parents who stand in the way of God's plan, who defy his will... they must be struck down."

After Laura's transport heads back to Kobol (Caprica), there's a deleted scene between Adama and Kara in the hallway. "Their relationship is warm, easy -- like father and daughter." He asks her if Zak was cut out to be a pilot or not. "He was good. Okay? I taught basic flight. And I passed him. So he must've had something on the ball. Otherwise I wouldn't have passed him. Right?" In the filmed version Kara was still in the brig, so the scene never took place.

The DVD features a deleted scene of a ceremony where Adama "silences the guns of Galactica," ejects weapons coils into space and implodes them. Excising this scene resulted in later references to weapons coils being removed altogether or changed to other references. For example, at Ragnar Anchorage, Adama is looking for "bullets and equipment" instead of replacement weapons coils.

ACT FOUR

In the script, the CIC "is not a Trekkian bridge of neat lines and soft pastels, this is a working facility where men and women sit in chairs for too long, jury-rig broken consoles with tape and wire, and drink way too much coffee."

During the Cylon attack, Adama refers to "an attack on our homes". This was changed to "our homeworlds", again to reflect the change to twelve homeworlds from one. Deleted from the script are Adama's instructions for his XO "to find a new set of weapon coils." Adama's line to Dualla "Pass the word for Lieutenant Thrace" (to restore flight duty) was changed to "get Kara Thrace out of the brig."

One deleted scene involves Baltar boarding a passenger liner at a space terminal, but its engines are shut down just as it is ready for take-off because a "massive power disruption has just hit the traffic control system." Baltar leaves the ship and spots Number Six. "I can't leave." "I know." "That your doing?" "No. That wasn't my job." "What was your job?" "We should discuss this later."

Here are descriptions of Caprica City in the wake of the first mushroom cloud. "The Shopkeeper reacts to the FLASH... The Policemen reacts... The Construction workers react... The jogger reacts..." The spaceport terminal windows are "BLOWN OUT in a shower of GLASS". Caprica City is consumed "by a BLINDING WHITE LIGHT. The flash recedes, forms a BALL of FIRE, then rises into a tower MUSHROOM CLOUD as a fifty-megaton thermonuclear weapon detonates over the city. " In the film version we only see mushroom clouds from space with muffled noise.

ACT FIVE

After Adama says "mourn the dead later" the script describes an "eerie quiet" throughout the ship "as people avoid conversation, try not to think about what just happened. Someone drops a coffee mug and it shatters." The shattered cup is not in the filmed version.

After Boomer tells Helo they have "enough inertia to make it to Kobol's ionosphere" is Helo's deleted line "I think we can officially stop calling you a Rook now."

There's more description of Caprica City's destruction. "We MOVE through the devastated city, finding it littered with rubble, drifting clouds of DUST and debris. And bodies. Hundreds of bodies, including the Shopkeeper, the Policemen, the Construction workers, the jogger..."

Jack is the name given to the person who informs Laura of the Preisdent's unconditional surrender. As he is speaking, he is actually shown on Caprica in the script, "standing in a room with blown-out windows, dust everywhere. The windows look out onto a STREET where there's a continuous RAIN OF DUST and debris. PEOPLE are shellshocked, coughing, trying to find their way to safety."

ACT SIX

This act opens up with a deleted scene that shows up on the DVD release. Lee's Viper is being chased by a Cylon missile as he heads towards the canyons of the Trevor Moon. He notices that it is a Viper training range and takes the Viper into a tunnel opening, turns the Viper around while inside, shoots the missile, and then exits out the other end of a tunnel. The result of this sequence is that the Viper is out of fuel. The main element of this scene (Lee flying into a tunnel) was used in the episode "The Hand of God".

There is an additional deleted scene on the DVD release showing Tyrol's crew preparing Kara's Viper ready for take-off.

ACT SEVEN

Several lines of Dualla dialog were deleted -- she has a head wound as a result of the missile impact against the ship. Tyrol's "40 seconds" speech to Adama aboard the bridge is a later insertion, and not in the first draft. There are subsequent references questioning the correctness of Tigh's decision to vent the departments, however none of them appear up in the filmed version.

There's more deleted dialog referring to Lee's moon sequence. Lee asks Laura how she knew where to look for him. "You had to go somewhere, Kobol was too far, and the nearest celestial body was the Trevor moon."

In the script, Helo and Sharon land the Raptor on an "abandoned emergency airstrip somewhere outside of Caprica City." As the mob approaches, an explosion "sends up a MOUND of DIRT and ROCK into the air. The MOB of people STOPS as the DEBRIS rains down on them." In the filmed version they land in an open field and there is no explosion.

ACT EIGHT

Ther first draft of the script does not indicate the presence of Number Six in the crowd during the lottery sequence on Kobol (Caprica).

There are several lines of deleted dialog between Tigh and Adama prior to the decision to plot a hyperlight jump. Tigh: "Thought the Ragnar Anchorage was scrapped." Adama: "Should've been. Budget cuts kept the Ministry from getting out there and taking it apart." "Nice to see budget cuts helping for a change. It's supposed to be a royal bitch to anchor a ship there." "One of the reasons they decided to scrap it." The filmed version refers to "50 pallets of Class B warheads and all the missiles and small arms we need" where the script originally refers to "three Class B weapons coils in cryo-storage."

Tigh comments that there are "probably rats living in the FTL relays." Adama replies "Hope not. Hate the smell of burned rat."

[larocque6689]

PART TWO
ACT ONE

In the first two acts of Part Two there's an entire battle sequence that does not show up in the filmed version, where Mark II Vipers are engaged in a battle with three Cylon fighters. Here's part of Kara's radio chatter:

"All right, listen up. I think I figured something out here. That beam thing they tried to hit us with last time? I think that's what they've been using to knock out Colonial defenses. But for some reason, it's not working against these old Vipers. I don't know why and I don't care. All that matters is we've got a level playing field out here now."

ACT TWO

One of the Cylon fighters makes it through and is heading straight for the Galactica. "The bomb bay doors OPEN as before, and FIVE nuclear-tipped MISSILES drop down. We see A CLOUD OF FUEL pour out of Galactica's stern VENTS. The nuclear missiles are just heading out of the bomb bay when a SINGLE BURST of ENERGY shoots out from the right stern thruster of Galactica and IGNITES the entire CLOUD of FUEL. There's no time for the Cylon fighter to react and it's IMMOLATED along with the missiles."

There's additional deleted dialog after Sharon's Raptor lands on Colonial One. Laura asks Sharon and Baltar what the situation is on Kobol. Sharon: "From what I could see, the Cylons appear to be systematically targeting every population center surface for nuclear attack. I doubt there's a city over a hundred thousand people left at this point." Laura: "Doctor, am I correct in assuming that an attack of this magnitude will trigger a world-wide nuclear winter?" Baltar: "Yes. Fallout clouds are drifting across the major continents and altering weather patterns around the globe even as we speak."

There's deleted dialog between Aaron Doral and Boxey, asking him his name and offering him something to eat.

ACT THREE

There's deleted dialog between Tyrol, Leoben and Adama. Tyrol is looking for new weapons coils to replace the ones they detonated earlier. Leoben tells them there may be a problem because "coils like that would fetch quite a price on the open market... that's why I'm here, you know? To scavenge equipment, sell it, make a nice profit... They're in one of loading bays, I was getting ready to bring them aboard my ship."

There's a scene in the script but not in the filmed version with Sharon and Boxey in the Raptor. Boxey asks if she has kids and she replies "no". "Do you want kids?" "I've thought about it, but... I can't have children." "Why not?" "I... don't know, actually. I mean, I've never been told by a doctor or anything, but... somehow I've always just known... in my heart... that I can't have children." She promises Boxey she will come back from her mission.

There's deleted Adama/Leoben dialog where Leoben claims "I almost joined the military... Failed the entrance exam though. Didn't get much sleep the night before and my girlfriend had just dumped me." Shortly thereafter a crane collapses along with a heavy suspended pallet. In the filmed version, it was a loose explosive device that fell off a platform and detonated.

ACT FOUR

In the script the trapped Adama asks if the coils were damaged. In the filmed version he instructs Tyrol's team to fetch bullets and equipment.

There's additional deleted Leoben dialog, where he tells Adama "we'll have to take the ring around to the next spoke, go down to the central axis, then go back up the spoke to the cargo bay."

There's a deleted scene where a Tauranian refinery vessel (filled with Tylium) is directed to Colonial One by Sharon's Raptor. The script notes the presence of Mark VII Vipers "cruising through the area, guarding the fugitive fleet." Laura refers to them in deleted dialog on the Agroship. "If you've looked out the dome, you've probably seen the Vipers which have joined us. They'll help protect us against further attack."

In deleted dialog aboard Colonial One, Lee advises bringing the Mark VII Vipers on board Colonial One and "conserve them until we know how to protect them," because "the Cylons have a way of just... shutting them down." He tells Laura that according to Sharon, "the Cylons are starting to send sensor drones throughout the solar system, looking for survivor ships." Laura hypothesizes that they are "mopping up" because they've already finished military operations on Kobol (Caprica). According to Laura, the Education ministry's census listed the human population at 12,254,197,512.

More dialog was deleted after Laura admits she has cancer. Billy: "I know... Earlier, you know when you were in the bathroom... you got a message from a Doctor Westin asking when you wanted to set an appointment. He's one of the leading oncologists in the world. So I figured..." There's another deleted coffee reference, when Billy asks Laura, "Can I get you anything?" "Coffee. As sweet as you can make it."

[larocque6689]

ACT FIVE

There's a deleted scene where weapons coils are being loaded onto the Galactica outside the station. Tyrol said "we're looking at three hours minimum before we have all four coils in place and ready to charge." Also, "I talked to Cally and Socinus. They had the fire contained. It wasn't going to reach the hangar deck or the fuel lines. You didn't have to vent the compartment."

There's more deleted Adama/Leoben dialog after Adama tells Leoben that Cylons weren't programmed to have souls. Leoben: "But what if they do now? What if they've changed in the last four decades?" Adama: "Changed into what?" Leoben: "People. What if they've developed a culture, a society, an entire way of life?" Adama: "Let me tell you something. After today... I don't give a damn who the Cylons are now or what the truth is about their souls. All I know is that they're murderers and killers and they're trying to destroy us." In the original script Adama beats Leoben with a rod, however the production was unhappy with the way the scene turned out and reshot it with Adama using a flashlight.

There is another deleted coffee reference, where Billy brings Baltar a cup of coffee. Billy: "Extra sweet." Baltar: "Thanks." Here is what follows: "Billy then takes a cup over to Dualla. Baltar sips the coffee, tries to get control of his racing heart. Number Six slides into view next to him as they both watch Billy hand Dualla the cup."

ACT SIX

In a deleted scene featured on the DVD, Tyrol introduces Boxey to his bunk in the Junior Officer's quarters. The Galactica is described as a lady that "happens to be made of steel and wire instead of flesh and bone, but she's still a living, breathing woman." In the first Cylon War, the Galactica "single-handedly fought off five Cylon baseships and made it back to Kobol without a scratch. She always fights a good fight, and she always brought her people home."

There's another deleted scene between Billy and Laura that shows up in a slightly variant form as a DVD bonus. In the script, Tigh had her placed under temporary arrest in the Wardroom after her arrival on the Galactica. Billy tells Laura "you overplayed your hand... when you tried to give Colonel Tigh a direct order. He's just second in command on this ship and suddenly you forced him to make a choice between you and his commanding officer." Also, "These are military people. Tradition, duty, honor -- they're more than just words to them. They're a way of life. If you want these people to accept your authority as president, you're going to have to make them see the situation in those terms."

There's a deleted argument between Cally and Tyrol over Sharon. "You can bust me down to recruit, but you're out of your frakking mind! She's our division officer -- she signs off on our fitness reports, our POD assignments, our promotions and you're banging her!"

In deleted dialogue in the squadron ready room, Lee wants the new Mark VII Vipers in Repair Bay five. "We need to strip out the CNP programs from their navigation systems... No, no don't do that. We can strip out ox lines from the starboard relays."

ACT SEVEN

There's a deleted scene in the hallway between Baltar and Number Six. Baltar: "I'm going to do just what they asked me to do -- build them a Cylon-detector." Number Six: "You know that's impossible, of course." Baltar: "They don't know that." Number Six: "One might almost believe you had an angel watching over you, Baltar."

There's a deleted scene betweeen Adama and Tigh in his quarters. Tigh asks Adama what he wants to do about Laura Roslin. Adama replies "Leave her [in the Wardroom] for now. Figure out what to do with her later." Tigh was "just thinking about... the fire..." Adama replied "You made the call. I don't question it. You shouldn't either." They talk about old squadron mates including Getty, Bushman, Kicker, Jackman, Billyboy, Arnold, Slavy, Redbone. Tigh: "Remember Getty and that one-eyed Colonel from Port Taurian?" Adama: "How he got out of that I'll never know." Tigh: "How many times did we swear we'd stay in touch that night at Morrigan's?" Adama: "Twice with each round of drinks as I recall." Tigh: "Probably all dead now." Adama: "Odds are." Tigh: "The food at Morrigan's was really something." Adama: "Worst in the world." And they lapse back into a silence that speaks volumes.

The scene between Adama and Laura is truncated compared to the script. Here's some samples of deleted dialog. Laura: "Correct me if I'm wrong, Commander, but as far as we know, isn't Galactica the last surviving battlestar?" Adama: "We don't know how many battlestars or how many other elements of the fleet may have survived." "Do you have any reason to think there are other survivors?" "We don't know." After telling him the war is over, Laura says: "Commander, your own pilot was there -- ask Sharon Valerii what's happening on Kobol (Caprica)," a reference to an earlier piece of deleted dialog between Laura and Sharon.

ACT EIGHT

The filmed version truncates dialog between Adama, Lee, Tigh, Billy and Dualla, on the CIC deck. Some of the it involves speculation on how Aaron Doral, the CNP device or even Leoben could have led the Cylon base stars to Ragnar Anchorage.

Adama's impromptu series of "So say we all" was expanded from what was in the original script, where he doesn't even utter the phrase. In the script, part of the speech involves a prop Adama claimed was a photo of Earth's solar system. This was not used in the filmed version.

There is deleted dialog between Kara and Tigh where Kara defends Tigh's actions from earlier. "How the hell do Cally and Socinus know the fire wouldn't have reached the hangar deck? They don't know. How could anybody? The point is, the safety of the entire ship was stake and you couldn't take that chance. End of argument. You're still an asshole, Colonel. But you made the right call. So don't feel guilty and don't punish yourself for it." In the filmed version, there's entirely new dialog where Tigh apologises over the fight and Kara calls him an "asshole", weak and an alcoholic.

Several lines of dialog were deleted from the last conversation between Adama and Laura Roslin. Laura said that "Adar was many things, but he wasn't a very good liar. In fact, it was something of a problem in his political career." Adama admitted the photo was something he found from the library. An entire section of Laura's dialog referring to the ragtag fleet also was deleted. In the script Adama agrees to accept Laura's civilian authority but in the filmed version he offers the more ambiguous "I'll think about it"

A line referring to Zak was deleted from Lee's last meeting with his father. Lee: "About Zak... I don't know. I talked to Kara... but I still can't help... I don't... I mean..." Adama: "What do you say we leave that for another time. I think we've pulled off enough miracles today, don't you?"

In the second draft of the script, a Cylon responded to the Ragnar Sharon #2: "By your command." This was inserted after Moore read a comment made by a writer who reviewed the original draft and wondered how you could have a Battlestar Galactica without the phrase.

[mjm800]

I like the idea of having the office age overtime by fading to the words and then back to the station, but I understand that they needed to cut that and they did not lose the sense that no one had seen or heard from a Cylon in over forty years, the look of complete astonishment on the officers face told us that.

[Xenu]

Fascinating, laroque..thanks for posting this!!

[ViperPilotMomma]

My thoughts exactly!

VPM

[Apollo]

Tigh comments that there are "probably rats living in the FTL relays." Adama replies "Hope not. Hate the smell of burned rat."

Sadly that line wasn't in the final version of the MINI

[ah-chie]

Thanks for posting this interesting comparison.

I would have liked to seen those scenes between Roslin and Billy in Act Seven and the scene between Adama and Tigh where they are talking about the one-eyed officer and the food at Morrigan's - that would have carried a lot of emotional impact with those two actors delivering those lines.

But on the other hand what was added was great too - the whole scene with Adama finding Lee in his quarters, crying over the picture of his mother and brother, was a pivital moment in their relationship and spoke of the beginning of more of an understanding between the two of them that was important to get across in the mini (and yet it also showed there was a large gap still to traverse). I thought it was interesting in the commentary it was revealed that both the actors really didn't want to include a hug in that scene - and yet that hug was so well delivered by both of them and really conveyed the emotional bond that still tied them together despite their total lack of recent communications.

Again thanks for the summation! ;D

[waerth]

ah-chie said:

But on the other hand what was added was great too - the whole scene with Adama finding Lee in his quarters, crying over the picture of his mother and brother, was a pivital moment in their relationship and spoke of the beginning of more of an understanding between the two of them that was important to get across in the mini (and yet it also showed there was a large gap still to traverse).

Huh I never saw that scene and I watched the whole movie copy from Sky One. Did they also cut pieces out for that version?? Anyway, thx Larocque for posting this.

W

[ah-chie]

waerth said:

Huh I never saw that scene and I watched the whole movie copy from Sky One. Did they also cut pieces out for that version?? Anyway, thx Larocque for posting this.

W

It was in Part 2 right after Tigh tells Adama that Lee isn't dead (after Adama came back from Ragnar where he beat the Cylon to death with the flashlight).

The Commander goes off to his quarters and finds Lee in there looking at a picture of his mother (and he and his brother when they were young). Lee has gone to tell his father that he is alive (Kara prodded him to do this when he was talking to her earlier by the Viper).

Lee looks up from the picture (there are some tears tracking down his cheeks) he sniffles a bit and clears his throat (he is obviously embarassed that he has been caught showing such vulnerability) and says "Gotta go".

Adama catches him before he slips away and gives him a bear hug. Lee is confused by this effusive display of emotions from the Commander and stands there stiffly at first, but as the hug continues, he finally responds back (the camera swings around and we see Lee slowly giving in to the unconditional love that Adama has offered) embracing his father with an almost painful look of relief on his face.

Then they break apart awkwardly and Lee leaves without a word. Adama looks relieved as the camera focuses on his battered face.

It was a very touching moment.

[waerth]

Gotcha, you just gave me an excuse to watch it for the xxxxxxth time. The people on the Dutch wikipedia will hate this as BSG TNS has cut significantly in my hours of writing.

I really haven't watched that much tv in the last six years since thai tv is all dubbed in thai. Only occasionally do I watch star movies from HK or go to the theatre. Most of my free time was spend on the internet (wikidia) or reading books and the occasional trip upcountry.

Now especially for BSG TNS I installed some file (censored) software. And I have watched a lot more tv ever since .....

W

[ah-chie]

Whew! I'm glad that scene wasn't cut! It was a very emotional moment and an important one to show the strength of the bond between father and son (despite their difficulties).

[MHall]

They discarded the original ending, where, speaking to Tyrol, Commander Adama said: "It's too bad she won't live. But then again, who does?"

(Just kidding.)

[mattw65]

I just want to know why they seem to have it in for Coffee.

Why did they cut all those scenes containing that lovely dark brown life giving liquid.