"Experiment in Terra" is the nineteenth episode of Battlestar Galactica. It premiered on March 18, 1979.
In syndication and on streaming, "Experiment in Terra" is sometimes listed as the twenty-second episode of the season. This happens when the episode, "Greetings from Earth", is split into two episodes.
Plot[]
- "It is now seven sectars since the escape of our captives, numbering amongst them, a group of Nomen and the dangerous soldiers from the Eastern Alliance, whose ominous destroyers apparently cruise these skies in search of any opposition to their political will. I have a recon patrol launched to track the escaping destroyer to its base on Lunar Seven. Once located, we can assess the strength of the Alliance on the outpost and determine our next step."
- —Adama
Act 1[]
In his report, Commander Adama exposits the current situation of Eastern Alliance escapees and their other destroyers which search the area for opposing forces. Blue Squadron goes out at full strength to shadow the destroyer that escaped Galactica. They split up to cover a wider sensor range should other destroyers rendezvous with Commandant Leiter's. On his own, Cpt. Apollo is approached by a Ship of Lights and is incapacitated by a loud noise. Lieutenant Boomer, who was closest to him at the time, reports in to Lieutenant Starbuck that their squadron leader simply vanished. Starbuck orders Lieutenant Jolly to cover his position while he and Boomer searches for him.
Apollo wakes up on the ship, wearing a white version of his uniform. He is surrounded by the Seraphs, though does not recall the familiarity of the situation. The only being not covered is a Seraph with the appearance of a middle-age human male, calling himself "John". John warns him of an impending disaster on Terra that he, as a human, must help stop. Apollo is confused by this offer, not seeing how a being who considers his race vastly evolved beyond humanity to need his help. John explains that he has no physical form, his human body being illusory in origin and only projecting in the confines of the ship. Fearing the upcoming disaster will have an effect on the Seraphs, John is not only conscripting Apollo for the job, but to speed-up the process Apollo will be seen by everyone on Terra as a fellow Terran of some political sway who could guide the people. The Warrior is missing in action, though John knows for a fact he is being held captive by the Eastern Alliance on Lunar One. Apollo now finds the entire situation beyond believably, and jokes that this must be a dream. John likes his idea, though interprets this as a request.
Apollo wakes up in the cockpit of his Viper, but realises it is not a dream when his uniform appears white. Looking up, he sees Terra right in front of him. Back in Blue Squadron, Boomer and Starbuck pick up a beacon apparently Colonial in origin. They are unable to explain how Apollo would have gotten so far away from the group in such short notice, or why he would veer in the wrong direction away from Leiter's course. Starbuck places Boomer in charge of the Squadron and goes out alone to investigate the beacon.
Apollo lands his Viper on Terra's dark side. Flagging down a car, he finds himself recognised as Charlie Watts, the lost Warrior. The woman, Brenda Maxwell, was contacted by the Seraphs - posing as Charlie - ahead of time and knew to pick him up there. In the drive back, Brenda shows concern for 'Charlie'. He has been gone for some time, and his story of crashing in the desert suggests he has been stranded the entire duration. Where he got the phone to call her, she can't say, but she insists he go to a hospital for a check-up. When he asks her her name, she concludes he must be suffering from amnesia - which he mistakes for her name. Against her better judgment, she takes him back to her apartment instead, where she alludes to a prior relationship between the two, having broken up six weeks ago. While Brenda goes up stairs to report his return to Brace, a security official, John appears once more to explain the situation further to Apollo. Seraph technology is being used to make all Terrans see Apollo as Charlie, who he looks nothing like in reality, and any attempt to explain his true origins will not be believed. He hopes that by knowing this Apollo will adapt to his alter ego and go on with the mission. Brenda returns, but cannot see or hear John, who quietly feeds Apollo necessary information such as her name, and that he is being protected by a "white aura". When his uniform returns to its natural colour, the Seraphs' protection has expired and he will be exposed to new dangers. To Brenda, 'Charlie' is ranting at thin air, an equally bad sign along with his amnesia. Changing the subject, Apollo asks about a man in a nearby photograph, who Brenda explains is her father, who went missing four weeks ago. The authorities arrive - Brace and another guard - to arrest 'Charlie', who they address by the rank of Colonel.
Act 2[]
Taken to a detention station, Apollo gets a medical check up and passes with good results, though Dr. Horning informs him he will be kept there for further observation. His description of being kept in observation as "felgercarb" doesn't convince Horning his mental condition is any better, and he is escorted to a cell protected by an energy field.
Elsewhere, the President of the Western Nationalists meets with one of his chiefs, Moore, who briefs him as to Charlie's apparent escape from Lunar One. He suggests that the recent Eastern Alliance attacks caused enough disorder to allow his escape, and the flow of information was equally disrupted. The President sees it with more suspicion, as Lunar One's settlement was annihilated by a flotilla of Eastern Alliance destroyers - no one should have been alive to escape. The President suggests Brenda be dealt with to prevent word of Charlie's escape spreading. Shifting the subject, the chief warns the President about recent UFO reports. Though it could simply be due to pilot fatigue, he wants more looked at it. Finally, he asks the President to inform the Praesidium about the recent attack on Lunar One, but he refuses, seeing the Praesidium as full of war-mongers who would drag the Western Nationalists into a costly war.
Commander Adama reaches Galactica's bridge, where he is informed by Colonel Tigh of Vipers 2 and 4 transmitting their emergency beacons. Adama launches two Squadrons of Vipers to protect the fleet, while Galactica travels at light-speed to reach Terra as fast as possible. Starbuck meanwhile has landed on Terra and found Apollo's Viper. He finds a message left by Apollo, saying he has gone into the nearby city. Two craft fly out to investigate the UFO reports and locate the Viper. Landing nearby, their CO tells his eight men the occupant is not Terran in origin, and hopes the Eastern Alliance has not made an alliance with alien races. He is found and called to surrender for breaching airspace of the People's Nationalist Force. Starbuck bluffs having the upper had, but as there are only two single-seat craft in sight, the CO is unfazed by Starbuck. Starbuck fires at the men with his weapon at a low setting to only knock them out, then switches to a higher setting to destroy their craft. Starbuck tries to communicate with Apollo, but gets the attention of Dr. Horning instead.
Act 3[]
At Brenda's apartment, her father arrives. General Maxwell tells her he was on a secret mission for the Praesidium. They believe the President to have lost his way due to the wariness of the long conflict with the Eastern Alliance. The military suspects him to be engaging in secret talks with the Eastern Alliance to hand over the planets they control to them in exchange for peace. He cannot confirm this however, as the Eastern Alliance's destroyers have made it impossible for any Nationalist craft to approach them. Brenda brings up the sudden arrival of Charlie from Lunar One. As someone who would have been there to verify an attack took place, he is now crucial for the Praesidium. However, he is now in custody, so the President would know to keep him out of the picture. Brenda gets a knock on the door, finding it is Brace and the guard once more. They are here to arrest Brenda, and take her and Maxwell to the same security complex. Maxwell is thrown in with Stone, another senior officer in the military, who has been incarcerated for also expressing objection to the President. Brenda meanwhile is put in a cell with Apollo, who tries to explain he is not Charlie.
Starbuck arrives at Brenda's apartment, and is approached by John, who unlocks his memory of the Ship of Lights. John explains Apollo is trapped in a nearby security complex, but insists he not use violence. Nonetheless, Starbuck walks into the facility and finds Horning. Describing the man he is looking for as wearing similar clothes to him, he is taken to the holding cells and releases Apollo. Brenda and the others start to consider that "Charlie"'s story is true, and they are let out as well to work in stopping the President.
On Galactica, Colonel Tigh notifies Commander Adama that they are closing in on Terra, but Adama wants them to continue at light speed until they are there.
The prisoners make their way to the Presidium. During the transit Maxwell has learnt that Apollo and Starbuck were on the planet Paradeen and know about the Eastern Alliance's attack on Nationalist citizens. The only proof they can conjure up right now is their Vipers, which are in the city outskirts near Brenda's house. Their only other source of John, who cannot be seen. Apollo suggests they get in touch with Galactica, which would be so alien in design it could only support their claim of being off-worlders. Unaware Galactica is on its way, the two Warriors are worried about the upcoming events. They suspect the Eastern Alliance strike will take place later that night, though also have no proof.
At the Eastern Alliance's war room, its chiefs of staff complete the necessary plans for the war. They are planning a massive strike on the general population, favouring total extermination over military victory. Expecting an equally destructive response by its military, the Eastern Alliance will issue directives for all valued citizens to go into bunkers. There is neither the time or the resources to see their entire population survive the cataclysm, and their chief believes the loss of many of their own people will solve their over-population problem as well as guarantee only loyalists survive.
Act 4[]
The President announces his plans at the Praesidium with a speech. Initially attacking General Maxwell for political showmanship, he confirms "some truth" to the allegations the Eastern Alliance has begun a major campaign against the Nationalists' colonies to deprive them of fuel and food. However, he goes on to say that rather than respond with a counterstrike, he has arranged for a secret treaty with the Eastern Alliance. The treaty, to be ratified by the Praesidium, calls for the immediate disarming of both nations' militaries publicly followed by the creation of a supergovernmental entity that will administrate the planet while keeping both nations separate while ensuring an equal distribution of resources from the colonies. The President, noticing Maxwell and Stone are in attendance, asks for Maxwell to take the chair. Maxwell realises he is being boxed in. If he supports the President's policy, the Praesidium will vote for it and the Nationalists will be wiped out, and if he criticises it, he will be accused of being pro-war and ignored. With Starbuck still absent, he is forced to ad lib the entire speech. He accuses the President of betraying the Nationalists through his obsession with appeasement, and talks of a far-away planet who's people suffered a similar cataclysm when naively giving in to its oppressor's call for peace. Apollo takes the stand, and talks about the loss of the Twelve Colonies of Man, and that freedom is usually won through a great sacrifice and can never be negotiated. He talks of how the opposite of war is not peace, but in fact slavery, as Peace through Strength is sometimes what protects people.
Apollo's speech is cut-short by the realisation the Eastern Alliance has ordered the firing of its entire missile complement and launched its planes for the attack. The President is too late to convince, and by this point it is too late, as the Nationalists' defence system is partially computerised - if the launch of missiles is detected, the Nationalists' will also fire. Starbuck realises the same thing about takes off on his Viper to warn Galactica. John tells him over his computron that they have mere minutes, and the missiles will destroy four fifths of the planet. Finding Galactica nearby, Starbuck warns Adama of the missiles and that it is imperative they be destroyed with their lasers. The missiles are all in the air and returning from the ionosphere, and at this point Galactica generates a powerful energy barrier over the planet, which destroys missiles that pass it. The Eastern Alliance's war room is baffled. Ten seconds after impact should have occurred, nothing has destroyed the Nationalists' territory and instead they are picking up reports of destruction in the ionosphere. Now believing the Nationalists to have been hiding a highly advanced anti-missile shield, they believe the missiles the Nationalists recently fired back will destroy them, and consider calling for a ceasefire. The President gets word of the Eastern Alliance's Supreme Commandant suing for peace on the Nationalists' terms, which gets the approval of the military. Apollo, at John's insistence, cannot divulge how they stopped the war from happening, and warns them that Galactica must be kept a secret for Terra's own good. He hopes one day they will be able to establish relations with Terra, and leaves with John. He finally demands to know about Earth, and John agrees with the Seraphs he know Terra is not Earth, but they will find it some day.
Production[]
Cast[]
- Richard Hatch - Captain Apollo
- Dirk Benedict - Lieutenant Starbuck
- Lorne Greene - Commander Adama
- Herb Jefferson, Jr. - Lieutenant Boomer
- Laurette Spang - Cassiopeia
- Noah Hathaway - Boxey
- Maren Jensen - Lieutenant Athena
- John Colicos - Count Baltar
- Tony Swartz - Sergeant Jolly
- Anne Lockhart - Lieutenant Sheba
- Terry Carter - Colonel Tigh