No Exit (13 Feb. 2009)

Eighteen months ago: Saul poisons Ellen, who then finds herself downloaded into a new body aboard a Cylon Base Star, with a single Centaurion keeping watch over her. After the initial shock... See full summary »

Director:

Gwyneth Horder-Payton

Writers:

Ronald D. Moore (developer), Ryan Mottesheard,

Stars:

Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Edward James Olmos	...	Admiral William Adama
Mary McDonnell	...	President Laura Roslin
Katee Sackhoff	...	Captain Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace
Jamie Bamber	...	Lee Adama
James Callis	...	Dr. Gaius Baltar (credit only)
Tricia Helfer	...	Number Six / Caprica
Grace Park	...	Lt. Sharon 'Boomer' Valerii
Michael Hogan	...	Colonel Saul Tigh
Aaron Douglas	...	Chief Galen Tyrol
Michael Trucco	...	Ensign Samuel Anders
Kate Vernon	...	Ellen Tigh
Donnelly Rhodes	...	Dr. Cottle
Rekha Sharma	...	Tory Foster
Dean Stockwell	...	John Cavil
John Hodgman	...	Dr. Gerard

Storyline

Eighteen months ago: Saul poisons Ellen, who then finds herself downloaded into a new body aboard a Cylon Base Star, with a single Centaurion keeping watch over her. After the initial shock, she has a revelation as she remembers things she had forgotten. Present Day: Dr. Cottle is operating on Anders, who has a bullet lodged in his brain. Anders starts to remember things he had forgotten. Eighteen months ago: Cavil comes to see Ellen, who calls him John, because that's his "real" name. Cavil says he hates that name. John was the first Cylon model *Ellen* created. She also created seven others. So, there are actually only *eight* Cylon models and the "Final Five" are actually copies of humans who lived 2,000 years earlier and, together, created Resurrection, which allowed them and the Cylons to download. Number Seven, Daniel, was a favorite of Ellen. Jealous, John sabotaged the process of using Resurrection on Daniel, making him unique. John and Ellen start a months-long philosophical ...

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Details

Release Date:

13 February 2009 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

David Eick Productions, R&D TV

Did You Know?

Trivia

This episode's opening - instead of a variation of the previous prologues, shows shots of a decimated Earth, and Cylon Centurions similar to those from the original series. This is because of both the earlier episode; Sometimes a Great Motion, and because of the major plot-point of this episode (the return of Ellen Tigh).

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Goofs

Anders states that the Final Five left Earth in a ship traveling at near-light speed, mentioning the relativistic effect of time slowing down for those aboard. It's stated in earlier episodes that the holocaust on Earth took place two thousand years ago. Given that amount of time, the Final Five's ship could have only traveled less than two thousand light years from Earth before they encountered the cylons. This is inconsistent with other distances mentioned in the series.

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Quotes

President Laura Roslin: You are the right one, Lee. You have always been the right one. My only concern about you is that you're so hellbent on doing the *right* thing that you sometimes don't do the *smart* thing.
Lee Adama: Well, I'll try to be smarter, and wronger.

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Soundtracks

"Main Title Theme"
Written by Richard Gibbs

User Reviews

A welcome return to form

Like many others I have invested a significant amount of time and money on this series, so much so that one becomes a bit proprietary about it, but hey we're all entitled to an opinion (maybe!).

Anyway after the foolishness of the last two episodes what we have here is an enormous improvement, tautly written (dontcha just love clichés?) and focusing on plot exposition and character development. This is what drew me to BSG, not high tech spaceships and robots and guns and battles. A story about people and yes I include the non-mechanical Cylons as people, finding themselves in an epic struggle to survive, to understand their place in the universe and a to find a home in both a physical and spiritual sense.

Sam with a bullet in his head is experiencing total recall of what occurred on Earth and is telling the others what he remembers of the final five and the significant seven and how history repeats itself. Interestingly Sam says that the final five saw people that no one else could see, which could suggest that Baltar has had the same condition? Still unexplained as to who or what Starbuck is if that was indeed her body in the downed Viper. Cavil barking mad, 20 years without sleep! How come no one boxed him? Expect more twists and turns before season end! Good to be back on track!