Warning: This post is a group effort by a few Multichannel News editors who watch Sci Fi Channel’s Battlestar Galactica. The opinions expressed are solely those of the editors; standard spoiler warnings and disclaimers apply.
Midway through the final season of Battlestar, the ever-present tease to reveal the final Cylon was kicked into overdrive during the preview to this week’s episode.
In the teaser, we see the unboxed model No. 3, D’Anna (Lucy Lawless), say to someone, “You know about the final five, but you don’t know you are one of them.” It sounds a lot like tonight’s episode will reveal that missing Cylon. Here’s the promo. (Note to legal department: Sci Fi emailed us the actual file but it’s so huge we decided to use this YouTube posting instead.)
The story so far: We’ve been told since the beginning that there are 12 Cylon models. We’ve known seven models for quite some time. Last season’s stunning finale unveiled that four of the final five were members of the Galactica crew: Saul Tigh, Galen Tyrol, Samuel T. Anders and Tory Foster.
That left fans of the show guessing at who the final Cylon could be – including our own Maria Hernandez, Eric Smith and Tom Umstead, plus me.
Here are some of our theories:
Tom thinks it has to be someone really big. Like Lee “Apollo” Adama. Actually Admiral William Adama, played by Edward J. Olmos, would be even cooler. But Eric and Maria point out a flaw in that theory. The “Last Supper” photo Sci Fi has used to promote the show this season includes both Adamas, and executive producer Ron Moore said in an interview the final Cylon is not depicted in that image.
The empty cup is supposed to represent the last Cylon. You can see the photo (and watch a 10-minute promo of tonight’s episode) here.
Eric has a new theory. The four revealed at the end of season three — Tigh, Tyrol, Tory and Samuel T. Anders — all had a "T" in their names. That could set up Kara Thrace or Tom Zarek as the final Cylon. But Eric thinks that’s actually a weak theory.
Eric and Maria were kicking around some ideas in an earlier email thread. I will set this up by saying the promo video implies D’Anna is telling Laura Roslin, the ailing colonial president played by Mary McDonnell, that she (Roslin) is a Cylon.
Eric: Roslin doesn’t look like she’s reacting to D’Anna. She reacts to something, but I think she would look much more horrified if she was just told she was a Cylon.
Maria: I thought it was (Felix) Gaeta too, but after seeing how manipulative (Romo) Lampkin was, he’s got another vote. Can I get two votes?
Eric: It’s not Romo. Besides, he’s not on the base ship.
Maria: Neither is Tyrol or Tigh.
Eric: Well, if we believe D’Anna is going to out the final Cylon tonight, that person would have to be on the base ship.
Anyway, that’s about where we’ve left it until we actually see what happens tonight, which is the second-to-last episode before the series takes a break. What’s your theory? Please add it to Talkback
UPDATE: As she was unable to add her views to Talkback, due to technical difficulties, herewith are Betsy Smith’s views:
My personal feeling is that it’s Gaeta but I’m intrigued by the idea it’s Cottle. We know that it’s a skin job. Hypothetically, it could be several different characters who have already been killed before the story even began. Hence, the empty place at the "table" of the story of BSG characters.
However, if we take them at their word that the final cylon is not in the picture, only consider "live" characters, believe it is someone of significance, and somewhat known, the choices are narrowed to Felix Gaeta, Dee Dualla, Doc Cottle and Romo Lampkin. I believe it should be someone who has been there since the beginning, which excludes Lampkin. Dee is just too boring. Gaeta and Cottle have both been flying somewhat under the cylon-suspicion radar. Someone I know also pointed out that Cottle is missing from the cast on scifi.com… just like he might be missing from the picture.
UPDATE (includes spoiler): Well, no new Cylon was named. The preview tease remark from D’Anna to Roslin was … a joke! Funny Cylon!
Here’s Eric’s response to the episode:
Wow. What a monumental mind-frak, if I may. I’m glad I threw the remote at the couch instead of the TV. Once again the BSG team has taken us to the brink and left us hanging.
My money is still on Gaeta. Over the past four seasons, he has quietly become a pretty important cast member. The four of the final five that we already know were big players in the resistance on New Caprica, and Gaeta also played a very big role in the anti-Cylon efforts.
Of course, I don’t know why he didn’t hear the funky version of "All Along the Watchtower" in the season three finale…which leads into a crackpot theory I had after that episode: Maybe the final Cylon is already on Earth. Maybe it’s Bob Dylan.
