#TBT. Screen caps of the Chief in the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA episode 2×20: LAY DOWN YOUR BURDENS (PART 2). This episode aired 10 years ago on March 10, 2006. #BSG10YEARS.

Episode Synopsis: As the sun rises on Caprica, Starbuck and Anders discover that the Cylons have vanished. Brother Cavil declares it to be a miracle. But when the rescue team and civilian survivors return to the Galactica, the real reason for their survival becomes clear: Brother Cavil is a Cylon – his duplicate counseled Tyrol – and he has come here to deliver a message: The “Heroes of the Cylon” – Number Six and Sharon Valerii – have persuaded the Cylon leadership that trying to destroy the humans was an error. From now on the two civilizations will live apart, in peace.

At the same time, voting continues in the Colonial presidential election. President Roslin approaches Baltar and proposes that, whoever wins, colonization of the newly discovered planet should be postponed until further study is done. Baltar spurns her offer, so she confronts him about Number Six, but he remains unfazed by her accusation.

Panicked at the thought of Baltar taking control of humanity’s fate, Roslin instructs her aide to take all necessary steps to steal the election. The plot, however, is discovered by Lt. Gaeta, and Laura and Adama must choose between denying the will of the people and letting a man they suspect to be a Cylon collaborator take power. For Laura, the question is difficult, but the answer is never in doubt: she and Adama allow their plot to unravel. Baltar wins.

As President Baltar is sworn in, his Cylon lover, Gina, enacts a final vengeance against the fleet, detonating a nuclear warhead that destroys the Cloud Nine luxury liner. Despite the tragic loss of several ships, colonization of the planet, dubbed “New Caprica”, goes ahead over Adama’s objections.

Time passes; more and more of the fleet’s population relocates to the surface, leaving only skeleton crews aboard the Galactica and the Pegasus. Through it all, Adama remains uneasy; he anticipates the return of the Cylons. And a year later, his fears are borne out, as a Cylon invasion force jumps into the system and lands on New Caprica. Outflanked and overpowered, Adama and his son Lee order their battlestars out of the system, leaving the civilian colony defenseless as a Cylon occupying force arrives to announce the dawn of a new era….

written by: ANNE COFELL-SAUNDERS & MARK VERHEIDEN
directed by: MICHAEL RYMER
special guest star: RICHARD HATCH as Tom Zarek
special guest star: DEAN STOCKWELL as Brother Cavil
special guest star: MICHAEL TRUCCO as Sam Anders

#TBT. Screen caps of the Chief in the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA episode 2×19: LAY DOWN YOUR BURDENS (PART 1). This episode aired 10 years ago on March 3, 2006. #BSG10YEARS.

Episode Synopsis: Aboard the Pegasus, Capt. Kara Thrace briefs a room full of Raptor crews and marines for a dangerous, volunteer-only mission to Caprica, to rescue the civilian survivors on the planet’s surface. Using information obtained from the captive Cylon Sharon, they’ve linked their Raptors’ navigation systems to the superior navigational capabilities of their captured Cylon heavy raider.

Meanwhile, in separate private quarters on the Galactica, President Roslin and Vice President Baltar each prepare notes for their first presidential debate, to be televised to the fleet. As Roslin memorizes her talking points, Baltar is hectored by Six’s religious exhortations to have faith that the election will unfold as “God intends.”

As the rest of the fleet watches the start of the presidential debate, Specialist Cally finds Chief Tyrol asleep under a Viper. She reaches out and wakes him, and he explodes to consciousness, reflexively lashes out and pummels her with a raging, brutal assault. Then he regains control, is horrified by what he’s done, and calls desperately for medical assistance.

After the first debate, President Roslin enjoys a commanding lead over Baltar in the polls. Then, as if in response to Baltar’s sarcastic plea for a miracle, one of the Raptors from the Caprica rescue mission returns early with stunning news: Because of a miscalculated hyperspace Jump, they’ve accidentally discovered a habitable planet, in a region of space that will hide them from the Cylons’ sensors.

On the advice of Tom Zarek, Baltar uses the planet’s discovery as a political wedge issue. He fans the civilian population’s desire for a new home, a safe home, an end to the constant running. Popular opinion swings sharply against Roslin, who is unprepared to give up the search for Earth.

Tyrol seeks counseling from a priest named Brother Cavil, who gets the chief to talk about the nightmares that have plagued him for weeks. Finally, Cavil helps Tyrol confront what’s really bothering him: Somewhere deep down inside, Tyrol is afraid that he might, like Sharon, really be a Cylon.

Light-years away on Caprica, the Colonial rescue mission reaches Sam Anders and his surviving resistance fighters. No sooner are Kara and Sam reunited, however, than they find themselves caught in the midst of a Cylon ambush.

written by: RONALD D. MOORE
directed by: MICHAEL RYMER
special guest star: RICHARD HATCH as Tom Zarek
special guest star: DEAN STOCKWELL as Brother Cavil
special guest star: MICHAEL TRUCCO as Sam Anders