Battlestar Galactica

Season 3

Occupation

1. This opening episode of Season Three introduces a new opening sequence with different footage but the same text ("And They Have a Plan").
2. The episode begins on the 134th day of the Cylon occupation of New Caprica.
3. The title segment after the teaser mixes in new scenes with the previously used footage. The text is different, however: The Human Race, Far from Home, Fighting for Survival. The count of survivors is absent.
4. Lucy Lawless and Michael Trucco are credited as "Special Guest Stars" in this episode.
5. In this episode, it is confirmed that Helo is the Galactica XO and Kat is the Galactica CAG. Also, Dualla is serving as the Pegasus XO.
6. This episode aired with "Precipice" on October 6, 2006, as a two-hour season premiere.
7. When Laura Roslin is writing her diary, she mentions for the first time a Roman god name, since she states it's Mars Day (probably Tuesday in the colonial calendar, since that's the day dedicated to the god of war). We can assume they use both Mars and Ares (this name was used in the webisodes 'The Resistance'). They also talk of Jupiter in later episodes instead of Zeus ('The Eye of Jupiter', 'Rapture'). Laura Roslin also says for the first time that one of their gods has got a specific influence area, which is war for Mars. Later, in the episode 'Torn', Hot Dog states Athena is the goddess of war and wisdom.
8. Colonel Tigh, Chief Tyrol, and Samuel Anderson are the leaders of the resistance against the cylons, which is ironic because all three are unknowingly cylons themselves.

Precipice

1. In his podcast, Ronald D. Moore confirmed that the scene in which the New Caprica Police give the prisoners a five-minute break and the Centurions approach is an allusion to a scene in the 1963 movie The Great Escape.
2. This episode marks the first time that all seven of the currently known humanoid Cylon characters have appeared in the same episode.
3. In his podcast, Ronald D. Moore, an avowed Seinfeld fan, confirmed that the "twist" and "swirl" are references to the Seinfeld episode The Fusilli Jerry.
4. The young girl, Kacey, is named after series producer/writer David Weddle's niece, also a young blonde girl.
5. Ronald D. Moore has referred to "Precipice" as Episode 1.5.

Exodus: Part 1

1. Chief Tyrol appears in this episode clean-shaven. He filmed his scenes for this episode weeks after the other scenes were shot. The producers felt a fake beard would not appear realistic so Tyrol appeared without the beard.
2. Oracle Selloi is the first oracle to be shown in the series, although oracles have been mentioned previously. Chief Tyrol's mother was an oracle.
3. The character of Cally was never given a last name through the first two seasons of the show. It was even uncertain whether the name Cally was her first or last name. She is finally identified by the New Caprica Police as Cally Tyrol in this episode. Her maiden name, while not acknowledged on screen, has been established as Cally Henderson by the writers.
4. "Exodus" was originally planned as a single-episode story, but was later expanded into a two-part story.
5. The word "skinjob" or "skin job" was used several times throughout the episode. This same term can be found in the 1982 film Blade Runner. In the film in question, the colloquial phrase has derogatory connotations, as in, an entity that was not created by natural means.
6. Incidentally enough, Edward James Olmos appeared in both "Battlestar Galactica" and "Blade Runner".

Exodus: Part 2

1. Admiral Adama shaves his mustache with a Merkur/Solinger "Vision" double-edged safety razor, made in Germany: a modern design of a shaving technology prevalent from the early 1900s through the early 1970s, when it was replaced by disposable, multi-bladed "cartridge" razors. His shaving technique, however, is much too aggressive for such a razor. If there was a blade present in the razor he was using, mashing it in to his face and dragging it downward, handle-down, Edward James Olmos would have suffered many cuts and horrible razor burn. Double-edged razors, still popular with shaving enthusiasts today, require a very light touch, and a very "shallow" shaving angle, with the handle at an approximately 45º angle to the face, depending on the razor.
2. "Exodus" was originally planned as a single-episode story, but was later expanded into a two-part story.
3. According to science adviser Kevin R. Grazier, if the Galactica were to jump into an atmosphere of a planet and then free-fall to the surface, the gravitational forces would rip it apart long before it hit the ground because of the ship's shape and size.
4. When the camera is showing the last of the Civilian Ships jumping away from New Caprica, the camera pans and zooms in on one ships on the right side and you can make out the logo "Pan Gal." The logo is the same that was used by the Pan America airline.

Collaborators

1. Human Survivor Count: 41,435
2. Among the names on the execution list that Baltar signed on New Caprica are Justin Singh (clerk), Denis Moore (driver), Xander Zorost (mechanic), Laura Roslin (teacher), Lester Thoro (food services), Arimin Stahl (supply), Sally Menlo (facilitator), Kalan Pelham (administrator), Alex Lamere (office worker), Fore Ramone (office worker), Jane Seadle (mechanic), Jacob Morose (entertainer), Sue Emmanual (doctor), Ali Mueller (botanist), and Tom Zarek (detainee). Kara held up the list during her session with the Circle as they debated Felix Gaeta's guilt or innocence.
3. Kara Thrace's serial number is 462753 as seen on her dog tag.
4. The Circle was made up of Saul Tigh, Galen Tyrol, Seelix, Charlie Connor, Jean Barolay and Samuel Anders. After Anders resigned his position, Kara Thrace took his place.

Torn

1. In the opening scene on the beach in Baltar's dream, the mouths of Baltar and Number Six were blurred out to allow the insertion of completely different dialog than was originally shot.
2. Some of the proposed (and rejected) call signs for Sharon Agathon were Chrome Dome, Titanium, and Toaster Babe.
3. Sharon Agathon receives the call sign "Athena" in this episode to distinguish her from "Boomer."
4. The concepts of "projection" (some kind of virtual reality the Cylons use to see their environment as they wish) and "hybrid" (a being which pilots the Cylon basestars) appear for the first time.
5. The title "Torn" alludes to the original plot for this episode: the relationship between Kara and her fake daughter, Kacey. However, the producers felt Kara wasn't still able to face the time she spent in New Caprica with Leoben, Kacey's fake father, and this plot was dropped. Instead of that, they focused the episode in the secondary plot, which dealt with an illness which was infecting the Cylons. Anyway, the title "Torn" still references how the human collective felt after New Caprica, with a lot of conflicts between people who stayed under the Cylon occupation and people who ran away aboard the fleet's spaceships.
6. Human Survivor Count: 41,422
7. Katee Sackhoff actually saws her hair off with a real knife on-screen. During the production of season 3, there was an ongoing argument between the producers and Sackhoff about when to cut Starbuck's hair. It was finally decided that she would do so on-screen within the context of the episode.

A Measure of Salvation

1. Tahmoh Penikett wanted to remove the controversial lines from the script in which his character stated that the Cylons tried to live in peace with humans in New Caprica, because he thought Helo couldn't agree with that. However, the lines were kept.
2. Lymphocytic encephalitis is an actual disease caused by the Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus. Encephalitis is the acute inflammation of the brain. Brain damage and death can occur as a result of the inflammation. As Doc Cottle stated in the episode, it is usually carried and transmitted by rodents. Unlike the Colonial survivors, humans on Earth are not immune, although infection does not result in symptoms in most healthy adults. It can, however, be deadly for persons with compromised immune systems.
3. Tahmoh Penikett (Karl "Helo" Agathon) read the "Previously on Battlestar Galactica" line at the beginning of this episode.
4. Admiral Adama states that the 13th Colony left Kobol at least 3000 years ago.
5. Human Survivor Count: 41,420

Hero

1. The Battlestar Valkyrie's emblem is "BSG 41."
2. The Stealth Star from the flashback was designated 7746VA.
3. Battlestar Valkyrie receives, for the first time in the show, a name from Norse mythology. Greek mythology is present in the show in the gods and the names of the colonies (inspired in the Zodiac), and several names for Battlestars (Pegasus) or cities (Delphi, Troy). The Valkyries are warrior maidens from Norse mythology who rode the skies on their horses, so Valkyrie seems a good name for a Battlestar.
4. The text on the front cover of the invitation to Adama's medal award ceremony read "William Adama/Our Admiral, Our Leader, Our Friend." The text inside the card read "Join the Presidential Anointing of the Medal of Distinction to William Adama for his 45 years of Courageous Service." The verb "to anoint" means "to consecrate or to make sacred." Thus, it seems to be misused here.
5. Human Survivor Count: 41,421
6. Edward James Olmos read the "Previously on Battlestar Galactica" line at the beginning of the episode.

Unfinished Business

1. Human Survivor Count: 41,422

The Passage

1. According to Katee Sackhoff, Edward James Olmos suggested that the cast abstain from eating for a period of time in order to prepare for the scenes of starvation in this episode. Not every actor agreed with the idea.
2. The story, written by series newcomer Jane Espenson, was inspired by a talk given by Kevin R. Grazier, a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The producers brought Dr. Grazier in to address members of the production team. He explored the problems and solutions of navigating through space, and reaching a particular location in the universe, such as Earth. Dr. Grazier serves as science advisor for the series as well as for another Sci Fi Channel series, Eureka (2006).
3. Gaeta was one of the few in the CIC not to applaud Tigh's return to duty. Gaeta probably harbors resentment over his treatment by Tigh and the Circle in "Collaborators."
4. When Baltar and D'Anna/Number Three talk about Jupiter, the closed-captioning subtitles refer to Zeus instead.
5. Human Survivor Count: 41,420
6. The character, Enzo, was named after co-executive producer Michael Angeli's English Setter.
7. In this episode, two civilian ships, the Adriatic and Carina, are lost in the passage through the star cluster.
8. When Bill Adama is in sickbay talking to Kat, he tells her that his wife had thought both their sons were girls before giving birth and Kat asks him if he wanted a girl, which he says that three is a nice round number. In the classic series Adama had a daughter Athena.

The Eye of Jupiter

1. The scenes on the algae planet were filmed in Kamloops, British Columbia, off East Shuswap Road. The location was chosen for its distinctive geological features like the hoodoos (tall, thin spires of rock of varying thickness said to resemble a totem pole). Kamloops (in south central British Columbia) is relatively close to Vancouver, where most scenes of the series are filmed.
2. According to writer Jane Espenson, the original title of this episode was "Eye of Zeus".
3. Grace Park read the "Previously on Battlestar Galactica" line at the beginning of the episode
4. TV Guide screened this episode in Landmark movie theaters in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York and St. Louis, on the night before its initial Sci Fi Channel airing.
5. The December 14th screening at the Landmark Theatre in Atlanta attracted such an overwhelming response from fans that the theater hastily added a second showing. Despite this, a large number of people still had to be turned away. The viewing theater had a seating capacity of 158. A representative from TV Guide said they were expecting a total attendance of 100 to 125, not 400.
6. The version of the episode that was shown at the Landmark Theatre in Atlanta was unfinished. Two visual effects were missing. In one scene, two surface-to-air missiles were fired at Kara's Raptor by the Cylons. Instead of seeing the finished version, the Atlanta audience saw a green screen with descriptive text. (This is similar to the deleted scenes from the DVD sets.)
7. Human Survivor Count: 41,402

Rapture

1. As in "The Eye of Jupiter (1)," the scenes on the planet Algae in this episode were filmed in Kamloops, British Columbia, off East Shuswap Road. The location was chosen for its distinctive geological features like the hoodoos (tall, thin spires of rock of varying thickness said to resemble a totem pole). Kamloops (in south-central British Columbia) is relatively close to Vancouver, where most scenes of the series are filmed.
2. Human Survivor Count: 41,401.

Taking a Break from All Your Worries

1. The episode title comes from the lyrics to the theme from Cheers (1982).
2. Human Survivor Count: 41,403.

The Woman King

1. The "Previously on Battlestar Galactica" scene in which the characters talk about Sagittaron refugees in Galactica didn't actually appear previously in the show, but was useful in introducing the plot.
2. Human Survival Count: 41,401.
3. 'The Woman King' is Tahmoh Penikett's favorite episode from 'Battlestar Galactica' season 3.
4. The title references an important female Sagittaron character called Mrs. King.
5. Midway through the episode when the fleet is shown you can see the shuttle craft from the original 1978 show fly past.

A Day in the Life

1. Human Survivor Count: 41,398
2. The title of this episode is probably an homage to The Beatles' song "A Day in the Life" from the album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band".
3. Edward James Olmos read the "Previously on Battlestar Galactica" line at the beginning of the episode.

Dirty Hands

1. Scenes aboard the tyllium refinery ship were actually filmed at a sugar mill. The tillium shown in the episode - including what's in the vast blimp-hangar-like room that's nearly empty, and the stuff dumped onto the conveyor belt - is actually raw, coarse, unrefined sugar.
2. Aaron Douglas reads the "Previously on Battlestar Galactica" line at the beginning of the episode.
3. Human Survival Count: 41,400.

Maelstrom

1. According to the podcast, the model ship that Adama destroyed in an expression of grief was actually a very expensive model that had been rented for the production. Fortunately, it was insured.
2. When Apollo asks Starbuck how she's doing it sounds more like she says Copacetic than a Hebrew phrase.
3. Human Survival Count: 41,400.
4. When Apollo asks Starbuck how she is doing, she replies with "Kol B'seder" - Hebrew for "Everything is okay".

The Son Also Rises

1. Human Survival Count: 41,399.
2. The character, Romo Lampkin, got his first name from the writer, Michael Angeli, who combined the first two letters of creator Ronald D. Moore's first and last names. The name also pleased co-creator David Eick, who is a die-hard fan of The Dallas Cowboys and their star quarterback, Tony Romo.

Crossroads: Part 1

1. Susan Hogan, who played the tribunal judge Captain Franks, is the real-life wife of regular Michael Hogan (Saul Tigh).
2. Mark Shepard who plays Romo Lampkin is also known for his role as Crowley the King of Hell on the CW series Supernatural. Coincidently, Crowley started off as a crossroads demon, crossroads being the title of this episode.
3. This episode contained no traditional symphonic music at all, partly in order to emphasize the mysterious song fragments that Colonel Tigh heard throughout the episode.
4. This is the first episode 3rd season not to include the usual opening sequence.
5. The usual opening title sequence was removed from this episode and the names of the main cast members appeared on screen during the teaser. The number of survivors in the fleet was also absent.
6. This episode (Ronald D. Moore, executive producer) features a song that is stuck in the heads of some of the characters and they try to figure out what it means. Ronald D. Moore was the supervising producer of the Star Trek Deep Space Nine episode "Equilibrium" which also featured a song stuck in a characters head and they try to figure out what it means.
7. Michael Hogan read the "Previously on Battlestar Galactica" line at the beginning of this episode.
8. For the second time in a row, Katee Sackhoff did not appear (although her picture was seen in part one). She was not listed in the opening credits either.

Crossroads: Part 2

1. This is the first episode of the series to feature background music in which English-language lyrics ("All Along the Watchtower") are used.
2. The famous Bob Dylan song 'All Along the Watchtower' was the source for the lines of some of the main characters near the end of the episode: "There must be some way out of here, said the joker to the thief / There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief." Also "No reason to get excited," as spoken by Anders.
3. Bear McCreary's newly composed theme underlying the lyrics of "All Along the Watchtower" is repeated throughout using electric sitar, harmoniums, duduk, yialli tanbur and electric violin. At the end, Steve Bartek plays the theme on an electric guitar, tuned down to C# minor. (The lowest string on a guitar -- in terms of pitch -- is normally tuned to an E note.)
4. The singer featured in the final scene is Brendan McCreary, whose professional name is Bt4. He is the brother of series composer Bear McCreary.
5. The total broadcast time is approximately 1 hour and 5 minutes, slightly longer than the usual run-time of 1 hour.
6. For the second time in a row, the usual opening title sequence was removed and the names of the main cast members appeared on screen during the teaser. The number of survivors in the fleet was also absent.
7. Jamie Bamber read the "Previously on Battlestar Galactica" line at the beginning of this episode.
8. In this episode, the song "All along the watchtower" and the character Starbuck were prominent. In S1E13 of X-Files, Mulder says he asked Boggs to channel Jimi Hendrix to play "All along the watchtower" and Scully's father had a nickname for her, which was "Starbuck".
9. Katee Sackhoff is credited only in the final credits. She had been removed from the previous two episodes' credits (although "credit only" mentions are usual in Battlestar Galactica) in order to make people think she wasn't going to come back to the show after Starbuck's apparent death in "Maelstrom". Katee Sackhoff was told not to confess she wasn't leaving, and she was even given a goodbye party by her mates.
10. The original ending of the episode had Lee finding Kara inside Galactica. However, it felt too 'supernatural' so it was replaced by the final one, where Lee and Kara meets in their Vipers.
11. Ronald D. Moore had wished to use the song "All Along The Watchtower" by Bob Dylan in the show since the miniseries "'Battlestar Galactica' (2003) (TV)", but he didn't find an appropriate situation until the end of Season 3, in which the song is used as a call for the last infiltrated Cylons. The Battlestar Galactica composer, Bear McCreary, was told to make a completely different version, so he added the sitar and his brother sang the lyrics.