External links
- "Flight of the Phoenix" at the Battlestar Wiki
- "Flight of the Phoenix" at Syfy
- "Flight of the Phoenix" at IMDb
| "Flight of the Phoenix" | |
|---|---|
| Battlestar Galactica episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 9 |
| Directed by | Michael Nankin |
| Written by | David Weddle Bradley Thompson |
| Original air date | September 16, 2005 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Flight of the Phoenix" is the ninth episode of the second season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. It aired originally on the Sci Fi Channel on September 16, 2005.
In the episode, the Number Eight copy being held on Galactica (Sharon) helps delete a computer virus created by the Cylons, and Chief Galen Tyrol builds a stealth fighter from spare parts.
Critics reviewed "Flight of the Phoenix" favorably.
In "Valley of Darkness," a computer virus created by the Cylons shut down Galactica's power, but Lieutenant Felix Gaeta seemingly purged it. [1] In "The Farm," Commander William Adama sentenced Specialist Cally to 30 days in Galactica's brig for killing the Number Eight copy (Boomer) who shot Adama. [2]
Gaeta determines that the Cylon virus is still active, is responsible for a series of malfunctions aboard Galactica, and threatens to take full control of the ship. Adama enlists Sharon's help. She confirms Gaeta's diagnosis and warns that a Cylon attack is imminent. Hundreds of Cylon Raiders and Heavy Raiders appear and hold formation, preparing to activate the virus. Forced to trust Sharon, Adama allows her to interface directly with Galactica's systems by inserting a fiber optic cable into her hand. Sharon helps delete the virus and broadcasts a virus of her own to the Cylon ships, rendering them helpless and easy pickings for the Vipers. Sharon is summarily returned to her cell.
Helo is ostracized by his crewmates for his relationship with Sharon. Haunted by memories of Boomer, Tyrol does not join the celebration of Cally's release. Tyrol and Helo argue about their respective relationships with Number Eight; the argument comes to blows. Inspired by Lee "Apollo" Adama's comment that "no one's expecting any miracles," Tyrol begins to build a new starfighter from salvaged parts. Despite initial skepticism, crew members from throughout the ship join the project. At Helo's suggestion, Tyrol uses carbon composites for the exterior, making it stealth capable. The completed fighter, known as the Blackbird, makes a successful maiden flight with Starbuck as test pilot.
At the Blackbird's dedication ceremony, President Laura Roslin, who has just learned she has weeks to live, praises the fighter's construction as "an act of faith." Tyrol reveals that the fighter is named Laura in her honor. Helo reconciles with his crewmates, and Tyrol visits Sharon in her cell.
In his podcast commentary on "Flight of the Phoenix," executive producer Ronald D. Moore discussed his views of what the episode's events reveal about several of the characters.
Jen Segrest of TV Squad speculates that Sharon only helps the humans to protect her unborn child. [4]
In Moore's view, Sharon inserting a cable into her arm and taking control of Galactica illustrates a difference in the Battlestar Galactica universe between humans and Cylons. Though Cylons choose to appear human out of respect for the form they believe to have been created by God, they are essentially mechanical beings. [3]
Jacob Clifton of Television Without Pity expands on the human-machine dichotomy:
You've got this show about man vs. machine, and they're both using machines in the conflict, right, but then you've got a man [Tyrol] in love with a machine [Boomer], mourning that relationship using this fourth machine [the unserviceable Viper], and then attempting to remedy the non-machine void that the romance has left in him by building a fifth machine [the Blackbird]. Which itself becomes a symbol of the future of the fleet, not to mention a tribute to a completely unrelated person. During all of which, the big machine they all live in [Galactica] becomes a traitor, and they can only be saved by the original bad guy machine [Sharon], who's now a POW and having a human-machine baby. [5]
Moore compares the Vipers' destruction of the Cylon ships to the Great Marianas Turkey Shoot in World War II. [3]
The writers considered showing spreading the construction of the Blackbird over several episodes as a running subplot. Moore admitted that, realistically, building a starfighter would likely take weeks. However, they decided to tell the whole story in one episode as part of the theme of the fleet's morale, introduced by a comment from Commander Adama early in "Flight of the Phoenix". They also considered it unrealistic that Tyrol would be able to build a Viper, so they came up with another craft, the Blackbird stealth fighter. [3]
Moore came up with the plot device of Sharon infecting the incoming Cylon ships because he wanted to try something other than an ordinary space battle. The specific mechanic of her inserting a cable into her arm began as a joke in the writers' room. [3]
Early drafts went into detail about the consequences of wiping Galactica's computers, as Gaeta does following Sharon's instruction. This was to be not just navigational software but also all records of Colonial civilization. The idea was abandoned as too geeky to impart an emotional impact on the audience. [6]
During the test flight, Starbuck and the Blackbird disappear briefly. Moore decided to elongate her absence after seeing footage of actor Aaron Douglas playing Tyrol nervously awaiting Starbuck's return. The test flight came after the dedication in the script, but they were switched in editing because the dedication was seen as the episode's "emotional climax". [3]
Tyrol and Sharon were scripted to exchange a few lines of dialogue during Tyrol's visit at the end of the episode, but director Michael Nankin and film editor Jacques Gravett cut them. Moore approved of the change, saying, "it doesn't really matter what they say to each other". [3] One version of the dialogue is included as a deleted scene on the DVD version of the episode. [7]
One of the system malfunctions shown on Galactica in "Flight of the Phoenix" is the ship's firing range losing oxygen as Apollo, Starbuck, and Hot Dog practice shooting. According to Moore, the scene was scripted to give the audience a slowly building sense of discomfort. The three characters' differing reactions are based on observations of pilots under induced hypoxia. They save themselves by shooting out the range's window. Actors Jamie Bamber (Apollo) and Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck) came up with the idea that their characters should aim the weapon together. [3]
Critics reviewed "Flight of the Phoenix" favorably. Clifton gave it an A− and was particularly moved by the dedication scene. [5] Simon Brew of Den of Geek called this scene "touching". [8] Segrest reviewed the episode favorably, reacting emotionally to Tyrol's struggle to build the Blackbird. [4] Amanda Keith of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group acknowledged several flaws in the plotting but said, nonetheless, "I love this episode." [9]
Kelly Woo of TV Squad ranked "Flight of the Phoenix" as the 10th best episode of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica. [10] John Kubicek of BuddyTV ranked it 21st best and called the episode "inspirational". [11] Alan Sepinwall listed it among his favorite episodes of the series. [12]
William "Bill" Adama is a fictional character in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series produced and aired by the SyFy cable network. He is one of the main characters in the series, and is portrayed by Edward James Olmos. The character is a reimagining of Commander Adama from the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series, originally played by Lorne Greene.
Kara Thrace is a fictional character in the reimagined 2004 Battlestar Galactica series. Played by Katee Sackhoff, she is a revised version of Lieutenant Starbuck from the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series. She is one of the main characters on the show.
Karl C. Agathon is a fictional character on the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica TV series, portrayed by Tahmoh Penikett.
"Litmus" is the sixth episode of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. In the episode, an investigation into a Cylon infiltration comes to focus on the relationship between Chief Galen Tyrol and the Galactica copy of Boomer in order to weed out other sleeper agents.
"Six Degrees of Separation" is the seventh episode of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series.
"The Hand of God" is the tenth episode of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. It shares its title with the last episode of the original series.
"Scattered" is the first episode of the second season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. It aired originally on the Sci Fi Channel on July 15, 2005.
"Valley of Darkness" is the second episode of the second season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. It aired originally on the Sci Fi Channel on July 22, 2005.
"Resistance" is the fourth episode of the second season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. It aired originally on the Sci Fi Channel on August 5, 2005.
"The Farm" is the fifth episode of the second season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. It aired originally on the Sci Fi Channel on August 12, 2005. It is the first episode of the series in which the plot is set on Caprica.
"Home" is a two-part episode of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. Part 1 aired originally on the Sci Fi Channel on August 19, 2005, and Part 2 aired on August 26, 2005.
"Final Cut" is the eighth episode of the second season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. It aired originally on the Sci Fi Channel on September 9, 2005.
"Pegasus" is the tenth episode of the second season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. It aired originally on the Sci Fi Channel on September 23, 2005. Following "Pegasus", the series went on hiatus until January 2006.
"Resurrection Ship" is a two-part episode of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. Part 1 aired originally on the Sci Fi Channel on January 6, 2006, and Part 2 aired on January 13, 2006. It was the first episode broadcast after a hiatus following the broadcast of the previous episode, "Pegasus", on September 23, 2005.
"Lay Down Your Burdens" is the two-part second-season finale of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. Part 1 aired originally on the Sci Fi Channel on March 3, 2006; Part 2 aired on March 10, 2006, as a 90-minute special.
"Rapture" is the twelfth episode of the third season from the science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica. Aired on January 21, 2007, this episode marked the return of regular broadcasting after the Christmas mid-season hiatus.
"Maelstrom" is the seventeenth episode of the third season from the science fiction television series, Battlestar Galactica.
"Crossroads" are the nineteenth and twentieth episodes of the third season and season finale from the science fiction television series, Battlestar Galactica. Neither episode begins with a survivor count.
"He That Believeth in Me" is the first episode in the fourth season of the reimagined science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica. The episode aired on SCI FI and Space in the United States and Canada respectively on April 4, 2008, and aired on Sky1 in the United Kingdom on April 15, along with the following episode "Six of One". The episode's title is a reference to the Book of John, chapter 11:25-26 in the New Testament of the Bible, which quotes; "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live..." The episode was generally well received and also won an Emmy Award.
