Act of Contrition (Battlestar Galactica)
Encyclopedia
"Act of Contrition" is the fourth episode of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica
television series.
is assigned to quickly train replacements (who are referred to as "nuggets"). The senseless losses are a blow to the morale of the remaining Galactica pilots.
Elsewhere, President Laura Roslin
has a checkup with the ship's medical officer, Dr. Cottle
. Cottle tells Roslin her cancer is inoperable and gives her a few months to live. He recommends a powerful medication that can help her, but having watched her mother suffer from using it, she knows it is not without its side effects. Roslin wishes to explore alternate treatment with an unproven plant extract, a request that Cottle receives skeptically. In a rare moment of emotional openness, he suggests she try prayer as an alternative.
Meanwhile, Starbuck's training assignment brings back painful memories of the unfortunate death of her fiancé, Zak Adama
. Starbuck feels responsible for Zak's death since she had passed him for Basic Flight despite knowing he wasn't good enough to be a Viper pilot. She temporarily escapes the feelings with a card game between Lt. Crashdown
, Lt. Felix Gaeta
and Dr. Baltar
, during which Galactica-Boomer
catches word about Baltar's "Cylon Detector".
Starbuck takes control of her class of nuggets, which includes Louanne "Kat" Katraine
and Brendan "Hot Dog" Constanza. Because of the lack of flight simulators, these nuggets are thrown into the cockpit of actual Vipers on their first day. Though all of them manage to survive, Starbuck flunks them all. After a misunderstanding,Starbuck confesses what she did for Zak. As a result, Adama and Starbuck's relationship is seriously strained. Hurt and angered by her actions, he orders her to return ("while you still can..."-Adama) the nuggets to flight status and complete their training.
During a training exercise, a Cylon Raider
patrol shows up and attacks. Starbuck orders the trainees back to Galactica, at best speed while she holds off the entire patrol. However, Hot Dog disobeys and stays to help her. The last surviving raider is damaged by Starbuck at the last moment, leaving her with a heavily damaged Viper. Both craft hurtle out of control towards a nearby planet and enter the atmosphere. Starbuck goes into a flat spin
and she punches out, free-falling along with the Viper.
Meanwhile, on Caprica, Helo
and Sharon Valerii track the signal they picked up to its source; a restaurant with a bomb shelter
filled with food, water and anti-radiation medication.
Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
television series.
Plot
After a fatal accident on the hangar deck in which thirteen pilots are killed by an accidentally launched recon drone, StarbuckKara Thrace
Kara Thrace is a fictional character in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica franchise. Played by Katee Sackhoff, she is a revised version of Lieutenant Starbuck from the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series...
is assigned to quickly train replacements (who are referred to as "nuggets"). The senseless losses are a blow to the morale of the remaining Galactica pilots.
Elsewhere, President Laura Roslin
Laura Roslin
Her first actions include organizing all FTL-capable ships together and convincing Commander William Adama to abandon a retaliatory attack on the Cylons. President Roslin and Billy Keikeya, her aide/press secretary/chief of staff, establish a working office space aboard her transport, renamed...
has a checkup with the ship's medical officer, Dr. Cottle
Dr. Cottle
Dr. Sherman Cottle is a fictional character in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica series. He is the battlestar Galacticas Chief Medical Officer. The character is played by Donnelly Rhodes.-Character biography:...
. Cottle tells Roslin her cancer is inoperable and gives her a few months to live. He recommends a powerful medication that can help her, but having watched her mother suffer from using it, she knows it is not without its side effects. Roslin wishes to explore alternate treatment with an unproven plant extract, a request that Cottle receives skeptically. In a rare moment of emotional openness, he suggests she try prayer as an alternative.
Meanwhile, Starbuck's training assignment brings back painful memories of the unfortunate death of her fiancé, Zak Adama
Zak Adama
Zak Adama is a fictional character on the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica science fiction series.-Biography:As the younger son of the celebrated Commander William Adama and Caroline, Zak felt pressured to join the Colonial Fleet and prove himself to his father...
. Starbuck feels responsible for Zak's death since she had passed him for Basic Flight despite knowing he wasn't good enough to be a Viper pilot. She temporarily escapes the feelings with a card game between Lt. Crashdown
Lt. Crashdown
Alex Quartararo is a fictional character in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica series, portrayed by Samuel Witwer...
, Lt. Felix Gaeta
Felix Gaeta
Lieutenant Junior Grade Felix Gaeta is a fictional character on Battlestar Galactica played by Alessandro Juliani.- Character overview in his early career :...
and Dr. Baltar
Gaius Baltar
Gaius Baltar is a fictional character in the TV series Battlestar Galactica played by James Callis, a reimagining of Count Baltar from the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series...
, during which Galactica-Boomer
Sharon Valerii
Number Eight is a female humanoid Cylon model on the television series Battlestar Galactica, a reimagining of the classic show of the same name. She is portrayed by Grace Park...
catches word about Baltar's "Cylon Detector".
Starbuck takes control of her class of nuggets, which includes Louanne "Kat" Katraine
Louanne Katraine
Louanne Katraine is a fictional character from the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series, portrayed by Luciana Carro.- Character biography :...
and Brendan "Hot Dog" Constanza. Because of the lack of flight simulators, these nuggets are thrown into the cockpit of actual Vipers on their first day. Though all of them manage to survive, Starbuck flunks them all. After a misunderstanding,Starbuck confesses what she did for Zak. As a result, Adama and Starbuck's relationship is seriously strained. Hurt and angered by her actions, he orders her to return ("while you still can..."-Adama) the nuggets to flight status and complete their training.
During a training exercise, a Cylon Raider
Cylon Raider
The Cylon Raider is the standard starfighter used by the Cylons, in the various Battlestar Galactica movies and television series. Cylon raiders are used as the main line of defense for Cylon Basestars.- Original series :...
patrol shows up and attacks. Starbuck orders the trainees back to Galactica, at best speed while she holds off the entire patrol. However, Hot Dog disobeys and stays to help her. The last surviving raider is damaged by Starbuck at the last moment, leaving her with a heavily damaged Viper. Both craft hurtle out of control towards a nearby planet and enter the atmosphere. Starbuck goes into a flat spin
Spin (flight)
In aviation, a spin is an aggravated stall resulting in autorotation about the spin axis wherein the aircraft follows a corkscrew downward path. Spins can be entered intentionally or unintentionally, from any flight attitude and from practically any airspeed—all that is required is sufficient yaw...
and she punches out, free-falling along with the Viper.
Meanwhile, on Caprica, Helo
Karl Agathon
Karl C. Agathon is a fictional character on the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica TV series, portrayed by Tahmoh Penikett.-Background:...
and Sharon Valerii track the signal they picked up to its source; a restaurant with a bomb shelter
Air-raid shelter
Air-raid shelters, also known as bomb shelters, are structures for the protection of the civil population as well as military personnel against enemy attacks from the air...
filled with food, water and anti-radiation medication.
External links
- "Act of Contrition" at the Battlestar Wiki
- "Act of Contrition" at SyfySyfySyfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...