BATTLESTAR GALACTICA – 4×14: Blood on the Scales (February 6, 2009)

The Watcher (Michael Angeli) February 6, 2009

Talking about ‘Battlestar Galactica’s’ ‘Blood on the Scales’ with writer Michael Angeli
By: Maureen Ryan
Date: February 6, 2009
Source: The Watcher

 

Note: This is a snippet of an interview with MICHAEL ANGELI where he mentions AARON DOUGLAS / CHIEF TYROL. To read the full interview, click HERE.

 

Was Tyrol disabling the FTL drive to help Adama or so that he would not be separated from his fellow Cylons — or did he do that for both reasons?

Nah, Tyrol wanted to help Adama and his peeps – especially after Kelly (they were close friends before Kelly was jailed and Tyrol realized he was a Cylon) spares his life.

Do you have any stories from the set from the filming of this episode? Did anything go differently on-set than you imagined it would? Any difficulties in shooting the episodes? Anything cool or unexpected happen?

Well, we had a ton of fun with Aaron [Douglas, who plays Tyrol], who spends most of his time in the episode crawling through these air ducts the crew created. As they were being built, we had the crew make the ducts like, really tight. Then I wrote in a scene where Tyrol passes the latrine and has to hold his nose. In rehearsals, we had one of our grips, Ross Newcomb – who wears kilties to work — sitting on the toilet. Shameless toilet humor.

VIDEO: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA – 4×14: Blood on the Scales (February 6, 2009)

TV SHOW: Battlestar Galactica
EPISODE: 4×14: Blood On The Scales
AIR DATE: February 6, 2009 on Sci Fi Channel (USA)
AARON’S CHARACTER: Specialist Tyrol
WRITTEN BY: Michael Angeli
DIRECTED BY: Wayne Rose
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993915/

NOTE: The video will wait until it is fully buffered before playing

BSG EPISODE REVIEW – 4×14: Blood On The Scales (February 6, 2009)

TRANSCRIPT: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA – 4×14: Blood On The Scales (February 6, 2009)

PREVIOUSLY, ON BATTLESTAR GALACTICA…

Adama: The Colonel and I are gonna make sure that the President’s Raptor gets out of here safely.
* Apollo: No, Dad, you can’t stay here…
* Starbuck: Admiral.
* Adama: I’m depending on you. Make sure these animals don’t dishonor this ship.


(1) INT. REBEL BASESHIP
***** TYROL NOT IN THIS SCENE *****

Tory: Why are we under attack?
SIX: Colonial Vipers are firing on our ship.
Roslin: You’re not under attack, they’re firing at us.
Tory: What did you do?
Leoben: If their President was fired upon, why?
EIGHT: Their government has lost control.
Roslin: Our government has not lost control.
Baltar: Excuse me, how would you describe it, Madam President? Adama is a fugitive. Gaeta has an army, and Zarek has control of Colonial One.
Roslin: Adama is free. Don’t listen to him.
Baltar: The last time we saw Adama, he was cornered in an airlock with Colonel Tigh.
Leoben: If you were forced to escape, Gaeta and Zarek must have substantial support.
Roslin: They don’t! In fact, we’re here because a pilot refused to shoot us down. Tell him.
EIGHT: Yes, but the other pilot had no qualms about shooting down the President of the Colonies. If they’re willing to do that…
Tory: It’s not safe. We have to jump.
Roslin: No.
SIX: I have to agree.
Leoben: Well, what about the Final Four? Tyrol, Anders, Tigh, they’re still over there. What about them?
Roslin: If you jump, you’ll never see them again. If you stay put, you give Adama a chance to save them. Put your ship in the middle of the Fleet. Use the Fleet for cover. Give Adama some time.
Tory: But what if…
Roslin: No, Gaeta won’t jeopardize the Fleet. He doesn’t have the guts! Now, come on, do it!


(2) – INT. GALACTICA – HALLWAY
***** TYROL IS IN THIS SCENE. NO DIALOGUE *****

[Tyrol continues to sneak through the corridors of Galactica unnoticed. On Deck D Corridor 2, he hears the sound of a door opening and runs for cover. Hidden from view, Tyrol observes Kelly and two rebel marines escorting Romo Lampkin at gunpoint.]
Romo: I don’t suppose anyone’s gonna feed my dog.


(3) – INT. GALACTICA – HALLWAY
***** TYROL IS IN THIS SCENE. NO DIALOGUE *****

[Tyrol uses a crowbar to pry the cover off of a service tunnel, and crawls inside.]


(4) – INT. GALACTICA – VENTS
***** TYROL IS IN THIS SCENE. NO DIALOGUE *****

[Tyrol continues to crawl through a cramped and dirty service tunnel]


(5) INT. REBEL BASESHIP
***** TYROL NOT IN THIS SCENE *****

Tory: Sorry. It was a difficult choice but we made our decision. We’re jumping away. We have a chance to survive.
Roslin: I’m sorry, I would’ve thought as one of the Final Five, you’d have a broader vision than that.
SIX: If he hasn’t done it already, Gaeta will airlock Tigh, Tyrol, Anders, then he’ll start with the rest. Kara, Helo, Adama…
Roslin: Don’t. Stop.
Tory: His fate has been all but decided, count on it.
Roslin: Please, don’t.
Tory: Ours isn’t yet.
Roslin: No. No one believed that we would survive the Cylon nuclear holocaust, or the hell on New Caprica, or the 50,000 other crises we’ve lived through. But we did, we’re here. We’ve made this veritable habit out of defying the odds, particularly William Adama. And he is alive. He is alive. And he will take command of this fleet again. And when that day comes, he’s gonna know who stuck with him and who ran. Now who do you want to be? Who do you want to be?


(6) – MUNITIONS LOCKER

[Tyrol crawls out of the duct into an empty munitions locker, where he is met at gunpoint by Captain Aaron Kelly]
Kelly: Hey, Chief.
Tyrol: (groans. sighs)
Kelly: Looking for a gun?
Tyrol: Hey, Aaron. Sprung you, did they? Long live the revolution.
Kelly: Out.
Tyrol: Just shoot me now. I’m too frakking tired to get out.
Kelly: You’re a frakking machine. Get out.
Tyrol: That’s right, I’m a machine. But what does that make you? Dumbass?
[Both men laugh]
Kelly: This was a hell of a ship once.
Tyrol: Yeah, it really was.
Kelly: Heard your kid’s not a Cylon. Could have told you she was trouble.
Tyrol: (laughs) Thanks. It wouldn’t have mattered.
Kelly: Go on, keep going. Go! Go on, skin job, go! Frak!
[Tyrol crawls back into the duct and leaves]


(7) – INT. GALACTICA – VENTS
***** TYROL IS IN THIS SCENE. NO DIALOGUE *****

[Tyrol continues to crawl through service tubes, this time crawling behind a latrine. He coughs and gags at the smell]


(8) – INT. GALACTICA – VENTS
***** TYROL IS IN THIS SCENE. NO DIALOGUE *****

[Deep in the bowels of Galactica, Tyrol finally has enough room to crouch rather than crawl, allowing him to move faster]


(9) – INT. GALACTICA – STAIRS
***** TYROL IS IN THIS SCENE. NO DIALOGUE *****

[Tyrol rushes down a set of stairs in Galactica’s FTL engine room]


(10) – INT. GALACTICA – FTL ENGINE ROOM
***** TYROL IS IN THIS SCENE. NO DIALOGUE *****

[In the FTL engine room, Tyrol breaks open the door to the auxiliary control station, and attempts to shut down the FTL drive with his command code]

[In the FTL engine room, Tyrol’s command code is denied (as he is not currently in active duty). Instead he looks to some nearby machinery and, with some effort, removes a vital component and shuts down the FTL drive]


(11) – INT. GALACTICA – FTL ENGINE ROOM
***** TYROL IS IN THIS SCENE. NO DIALOGUE *****

[In the FTL engine room, an exhausted Tyrol drops the component as the massive FTL drive slowly come to a halt. As he turns to the bulkhead, he notices some significant structural damage which concerns him greatly]


Transcript: Subs like Script and Battlestar Wiki