Downloaded is an episode of the 2004 TV series, Battlestar Galactica, and aired during the show's second season.
Plot[]
[]
It is the day of the Cylon attack on the colonies. After being killed by the shockwave of a nuclear blast, Caprica Six wakes up in a tank on a Basestar, surrounded by four nurses - a Three, a Five, a Six and an Eight - who's jobs are to calm down the recently resurrected. While recovering, Caprica Six is visited by a Messenger in the form of Gaius Baltar, who wants to keep his existence a secret as well has her true feelings for Baltar, who she is told died in the bombing.
Ten weeks later, Lt. Sharon "Boomer" Valerii and Chief Galen Tyrol are being moved to a high-security brig intended for Cylon prisoners following the failed attempt on Cmdr. William Adama's life. During transportation, Boomer is shot and killed by Spc. Cally Henderson and dies in Tyrol's arms. She too wakes up in a tank surrounded by Cylon nurses. As a former Sleeper Agent, Boomer is disturbed by the experience and begins screaming when she sees the Eight staring back at her.
Act 1[]
It is now nine months since the nuclear holocaust. Cylon colonisation efforts are advancing rapidly with the aid of the Centurions. The cities spared nuclear bombing now house Cylon colonists who live and work, with Caprica Six herself lionised as a hero for her invaluable contribution. While sitting on a park bench, Caprica Six talks with Messenger Baltar who expresses disgust in the massive human death toll being swept under the rug. While there, the Three who oversaw Six's resurrection comes for a check-up, urging her to ignore the experiences of her previous life and begin anew.
On Galactica, Caprica Sharon's pregnancy is in trouble due to a placental abruption and internal haemorrhaging, and she is forced to undergo emergency labour overseen by Dr. Cottle.
Back on Caprica, Three and Six continue their conversation down a street, followed by Messenger Baltar who mocks Three's praises. Finally, the Three cuts to the reason for her visit - Boomer is having trouble integrating after her download, and is at risk of boxing. From a distance, the two are watched by Caprican resistance fighters Samuel T. Anders, Jean Barolay and Hillard, who are assessing the city block for weaknesses, with Anders determining their best action is to bomb an underground car park directly beneath a café.
Caprica-Sharon's labour is complete, but the child is having trouble breathing due to underdeveloped lungs. Lt. Karl "Helo" Agathon, who has been watching the birthing, is ordered out of sickbay to make room while Sharon's haemorrhaging is attended to.
Six pays Boomer a visit at the apartment she had while a sleeper agent. Boomer suspects she is another nurse trying to talk her into moving out and is hostile to her. Feigning an injury caused by Boomer, Six is able to play to her sympathies. Meanwhile the three resistance fighters finish rigging up the explosives. This change in tactics is still new to the resistance, who formerly picked-off patrols in the mountains; Anders explains that because Cylons retain memories during the downloading process, they will remember the pain of being caught-up in an explosion and will hopefully abandon their efforts.
Act 2[]
Six continues her story told to Boomer, now moving on to lies as part of her assignment, claiming to have returned to the site of her death and burnt what remained of the house. When she reveals her partner was Baltar, Boomer likewise reveals he is still alive and living on board Galactica; as something inherently known to the Eights, Six should have heard about it months ago.
On Galactica, President Laura Roslin holds a meeting with Adama, Col. Saul Tigh and Baltar to determine the fate of Sharon and Helo's baby. Roslin and Adama are concerned over the Cylon interests in capturing the baby, while Tigh believes it to be merely a Cylon and should be killed. Baltar alone pleads for the baby's rights as a human being, and is pressed by Messenger Six to take matters into his own hands to ensure the baby is safe. Meanwhile, Helo and Sharon watch over their baby in her oxygen tank.
Back on Caprica, the resistance has made its way into the car park with the bomb, which has a short timer. Above are at least forty Cylons having coffee. Six and Boomer talk about Three's plans with them, realising she has ulterior motives. When Three turns up, the two lie about Boomer's plans to move out of her apartment, and they leave the café together to pack. While heading out, Messenger Baltar however warns Six that Three already made-up her mind to box Boomer. Meanwhile, a Centurion passes through the car park on its patrol root and identifies the bomb - it is only thanks to Anderson's trigger that the Centurion is prevented from putting out the flame.
Act 3[]
On Caprica One, Roslin has an emergency meeting with Cottle. She has agreed the child should be allowed to live, but cannot allow even the smallest risk of Cylon abduction. The child is to be rehomed in secret, and a stillborn baby assume her place.
The bomb has exploded, destroying the café and killing all patrons. Three, Six and Boomer are injured but alive, having already departed the café; with the loss of several storeys, the three are left trapped in the car park. They soon discover Anders trapped under the debris, and argue over what to do with him, ultimately agreeing on Six's idea of keeping him alive for interrogation.
On Galactica, Cottle informs Sharon and Helo that their baby died as a result of developmental irregularities. While discussing her cremation, Sharon lashes out at him, accusing him of committing murder as part of a plot against her and is detained by Marines and taken out of sickbay.
Act 4[]
A Raptor departs carrying Helo and Tyrol in flight suits, having mutually agreed to scatter the baby's ashes into space. Baltar returns to his lab, holding back tears as he takes the blame for the child's death; an equally shocked Messenger Six attacks him and vows humanity will face God's wrath.
On Colonial One, the adopted mother has been chosen and brought aboard to pick up the baby. Maya is given the cover story - that the baby is the daughter of a Pegasus officer who gave her up for political and religious reasons. Maya departs after agreeing to an offer by the president to check up on the baby now and then.
On Caprica, Anders wakes up to the interrogation while a Cylon rescue party begins digging through the wreckage. Knowing his fate is sealed, she chooses instead to toy with him to irritate Boomer and finally succeeds in getting a response out of her in showing sympathy for Anders. At this moment, Messenger Baltar finally reveals a clue to Six - that she and Boomer were deliberately paired up to guarantee their boxing. Thinking more into it, Six realises that as two celebrated war heroes, their anti-war views represent a threat to Cylon society being forced to come to terms with genocide. Boomer herself is swayed when she spots Lt. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace's dogtags on Anders' neck, Starbuck's arrival on Caprica being commonly available information kept from her. In the resulting argument between the three Cylons, Anders is able to grab his gun back but is stopped by Boomer. Though this gives Three a chance to strike, Six bashes her head in with a piece of concrete. Six gives directions for Anders to escape, and he reluctantly accepts. Estimating 36 hours until Three's resurrection is completed, Six recruits Boomer into her social revolution.
Cast[]
- Edward James Olmos as Rear Admiral William Adama
- Mary McDonnell as President of the Twelve Colonies Laura Roslin
- Katee Sackhoff as Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace
- Jamie Bamber as Commander Lee "Apollo" Adama
- James Callis as
- Doctor Gaius Baltar
- Messenger Baltar
- Tricia Helfer as
- Caprica Six
- Messenger Six
- Several Number Sixes
- Grace Park as
- Michael Hogan as Colonel Saul Tigh
- Aaron Douglas as Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol
- Tahmoh Penikett as Lieutenant Karl "Helo" Agathon
- Lucy Lawless as D'Anna Biers
- Michael Trucco as Samuel T. Anders
- Donnelly Rhodes as Major Sherman Cottle
- Matthew Bennett as Several Number Fives
- Rekha Sharma as Tory Foster
- Kerry Norton as Paramedic Layne Ishay
- Alisen Down as Jean Barolay
- Erica Cerra as Maya
- Diego Diablo Del Mar as Hillard
Appearances[]
Characters[]
- Lee "Apollo" Adama
- William Adama
- Karl "Helo" Agathon
- Gaius Baltar
- Anastasia Dualla
- Felix Gaeta
- Calandra Henderson
- Number Eight
- Number Six
- Laura Roslin
- Saul Tigh
- Kara "Starbuck" Thrace
- Galen Tyrol
Locations[]
Species[]
Technology[]
- FTL
- Wireless
Vehicles and vessels[]
Organizations[]
Production[]
The idea of an episode predominantly from the Cylon point-of-view was taken from an abandoned episode called "The Raid", but this episode was abandoned after it became clear the Cylon plotline was only retreading what was already known.[1] Still wanting such an episode, "Downloaded" took its place, with the non-Cylon story elements being Samuel T. Anders' resistance instead. The first draft was published in October 2005.[2]
Writing[]
The story's setting on Caprica following the attacks allowed the episode to serve as the convergence point between different plot lines. Caprica-Six herself had not been seen since the Miniseries, with Downloaded both re-introducing her to the show and introducing the idea she is herself being haunted by Messenger Baltar, which itself would tie-in to earlier threads in Season 2 which indicated Messenger Six was tied to a third party separate from the Cylons. The episode also saw the re-introduction of Boomer, who was killed off at the end of The Farm after her failed assassination attempt on Adama; this thread dealt heavily with her coming to terms with having been a Sleeper Agent. A third plot line being followed-up on is that of the Caprican resistance, which appeared in Resistance and The Farm; there was initially no concrete plan to return to Caprica for Season 2, or for Michael Trucco to return as Samuel T. Anders, though this was changed during preparations for Season 2.5 following positive reception of that storyline.
Deleted scenes[]
- Roslin meets the baby and thanks her for saving her life.
- Baltar meets with Gina Inviere to plan the baby's abduction. Inviere is unwilling to contact her fellow Cylons as she believes a "half-breed" daughter of a deserter is irrelevant to their goals. Baltar tries to convince her that the child is part of God's plan, but she has no idea what he is talking about and would rather talk about the election. Baltar offers a compromise: leaking the existence of the child and having her abducted in order to disgrace Roslin's competence as a wartime leader.
- D'Anna Biers is brought in before the President after the government has been made aware of the leak. Biers proposes "exclusive access" to the baby to improve Roslin's ratings by preventing a racist mob targetting it.
- D'Anna shows Gina a modified container for her filming equipment which houses a secret compartment for the baby.
- D'Anna tries to gain entry to sickbay, but Paramedic Ishay refuses to let her in. Helo leaves the room and informs her of the child's death.
Gallery[]
Sources[]
- ↑ bsg_ep218_FULL.mp3. Archived from the original on 2006-07-22. Retrieved on 2019-03-27.
- ↑ Ron D. Moore (October 14, 2005). RON MOORE BLOG. Sci-fi. Archived from the original on 2007-06-09. Retrieved on 2019-09-11.