Summary
The episode opens with some heavy breathing, and a close
up on a pair of eyes and cuts to the President cleaning
her office. She plans to put a portrait of Baltar in the
bathroom when she runs across a file that Billy put together
for her on her first day on Galactica. The file has a picture
of Adama on Battlestar Valkyrie, and she
realizes that Adama will have been in the service exactly
45 years
in a few days, so she plans a party.
Galactica goes to high alert when three Cylon raiders
are detected on the scopes, but it appears that one is
being pursued by the other two. The raiders don't fire
on any of the human ships, and everyone wonders what is
going on. The two pursuing ships are destroyed and the
third heads towards Galactica. A transmission is heard,
requiring aid and saying that the pilot is injured. The
fighter identifies itself as "Bulldog" and Adama
orders the Vipers to escort it to the hanger deck.
The raider is brought onto the flight deck with a contingent
of soldiers standing by. The bottom of the ship opens up
and a man drops out. He stands slowly and salutes Adama,
asking if it is really him. Adama says yes, and welcomes
Bulldog home.
Doc Cottle confirms the identity of Bulldog as not being
a Cylon. Adama tells Roslin that he is one of his men,
and the President asks to meet him. Cottle says that he
appears ok… physically.
Adama asks his old friend, Danny, how he managed to escape
a Cylon base ship. After a sarcastic response about feeling
that the ship had no opportunities for him, Adama asks
again. Danny says that the same virus from "Torn" was
affecting the Cylons and that he realized he wasn't catching
the disease. A quick flashback shows Danny being tormented
by a Three, and after a few moments he jumps up and punches
her in the nose, apparently killing her.
While with Roslin Danny starts to tell the story of how
he was captured, while on a Black Ops mission with Adama.
They tell a story about how he was sent to recon some colonists
that had a mining operation too close to Cylon territory.
Adama says that Danny was shot down, with no distress cal
or radar lock, but a flashback shows the viewers otherwise.
Roslin dismisses her aid and Bulldog and asks Adama what
really happened, and he just says that she should trust
him.
After a nightmare where she is being chased and ultimately
killed by humans, Three awakens in bed with both Baltar
and Caprica Six, obviously distraught.
In his quarters Tigh is testing his one-eyed vision when
Adama comes to tell him that Bulldog is still alive. Tigh
suddenly shifts gears, asking Adama if he will tell Bulldog
what he did. After Adama leaves Tigh is still in his quarters,
lamenting over his lost wife. A knock at the door reveals
Danny, there to see his former XO. As Tigh and Bulldog
share a drink the newly found pilot wants to know what
happened between the two. Tigh says that Adama is too busy
covering people's asses to be a real commander. Then he
starts to tell Bulldog what he had asked Adama about earlier.
Adama had asked Apollo to his ready room and he reveals
that he is the one who shot Bulldog down. Apollo says there
must have been a good reason. Adama shot Bulldog down in
order to prevent detection by the Cylons, because the Valkyrie
had been ordered to try and determine the likelihood of
a Cylon strike. While no one had heard from the Cylons
for 40 years, the fleet commanders were growing restless
fearing that the dormancy was a prelude to an attack. So
they sent out a recon team. They ship was attacked, and
Adama shot it down to avoid further detection.
Bulldog doesn't believe Tigh at first, but Tigh also says
that surviving can be its own death sentence, and he knows
that too.
Adama has blamed himself for the attack on the colonies
since that day. He thinks that them detecting Bulldog is
what set the Cylons on their course. Apollo tries to tell
his father that it wasn't just him.
On the base star Caprica Six asks Three about her dreams.
She believes that God is trying to tell her something.
A few moments later Three orders a Centurion to execute
her and we are treated to a series of visions that she
is experiencing during her download.
On Galactica Starbuck is reviewing Bulldog's escape and
wonders why the raiders could not shoot him down. As she
tells Tigh that she thinks the Cylons let Bulldog go on
purpose Adama is called down to talk with Danny. Bulldog
attacks Adama as Starbuck finishing telling Tigh her theory.
Tigh rushes in and attacks Bulldog as he is swearing at
Adama. Tigh tells Bulldog that he was being used by the
Cylons, that they hoped exactly this would happen. Tigh
knows exactly how he feels, but begins to talk him down.
Adama tries to resign, but Roslin won't hear it. She tells
him that the mission may not have been the catalyst. She
said that humans did thousands of things every day that
paved the way. Roslin says that her ceremony will go on
as planned as Adama's penance for what he did will to be
a hero to the fleet.
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