Precipice (Battlestar Galactica)
"Precipice" | |
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Battlestar Galactica episode | |
Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 2 |
Directed by | Sergio Mimica-Gezzan |
Written by | Ronald D. Moore |
Original air date | October 6, 2006 |
Guest appearances | |
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"Precipice" is the second part of the
Since "Occupation" revolved around the resistance, "Precipice" focused more on the New Caprica Police and the role of
Plot
In response to the suicide bombing of a New Caprica Police (NCP) ceremony, the
In a move against the insurgency, the Cylons decide to have the NCP arrest 200 civilians they believe to be affiliated with the resistance. Headed by James "Jammer" Lyman, a former Galactica deckhand and resistance fighter, most of the arrests take place during the night. Those being arrested include
On board
Production
Since the previous episode "Occupation" focused on the resistance, writer Ronald D. Moore wanted the second part to focus more on Jammer's role within the NCP, as he wanted to personalize somebody working for the police force. He also wanted to make Tigh know he's wrong with launching suicide bombers, but has to do so if he believes doing so will defeat the Cylons. This is also Tigh's principal trait and role in the series. Moore stated "why is Colonel Tigh on Galactica? Why does Adama keep him around? Because when the chips are down, and they are way down, baby, in this situation, when you are in a foxhole, who do you want next to you? You want Colonel Tigh 'cause he is gonna get your ass out of there." The scene where Baltar speaks to an imprisoned Roslin about the suicide bombings was one of Moore's favourite scenes, as he wanted the audience to be unsure who to "root for," since Baltar is the biggest Cylon collaborator among the humans, but Roslin seemingly supports the bombings.[1]
After a Number Eight (Sharon) Cylon model was imprisoned onboard Galactica for the majority of the second season, the producers decided they needed to have her released, as they believed the storyline ran its course, and make her worthy for Adama's trust. "The swirl", a sex position Ellen Tigh uses, was a reference to
Madeline Parker was cast as Kacey Brynn. Parker's performance impressed the producers, as they believed she was "one of the better child actors" they ever worked with, since casting them, especially at a younger age, was not easy. The one problem they had with Parker however, was filming her lying injured on the stairs. In the scene where the NCP arrest civilians at night, the idea of using
Much like "Occupation", "Precipice" also features scenes filmed on the Colonial One set featuring several copies of the same Cylon models. Furthermore, Mimica Gezzan decided to shoot a 360 degree angle around the set, requiring additional digital duplication. The actors had to change their clothes between every take, which normally took as long as 30 minutes, after including time for touch ups on hair and makeup. The countryside of New Caprica was featured more towards the end of the episode. The producers found it a challenge to differentiate New Caprica from Caprica, the name of the planet New Caprica was named after following the holocaust from the
Reception
"Occupation" and "Precipice" were originally meant to be released as two separate episodes; however, the producers decided to merge them to be released as a two-hour broadcast. The reasoning was partly due to the third episode "Exodus", which became too long and split to a two-part episode, and the producers did not wish to stretch the New Caprica storyline to several weeks.[1] The two-hour season-three premiere was first broadcast on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States on Friday, October 6, 2006 between 9 pm and 11 pm. After its original broadcast, the two-hour episode attracted a household rating of 1.8, equaling a total of 2.2 million viewers. Ratings were an increase of two per cent in total viewing from the average of the second half of the second season.[2]
"Precipice" received positive reviews from critics. Keith McDuffee of
In 2007, the episode was nominated for a
References
- ^ a b c d e Ronald D. Moore, Terry Dresbach. "Podcast for "Occupation" and "Precipice"". scifi.com (Podcast). Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
- ^ "'Battlestar' Season 3 Premiere Leads Sci Fi to Triple-Digit Ratings Gains". The Futon Critic. October 9, 2006. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
- TV Squad. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
- ^ Goldman, Eric (October 5, 2006). "Battlestar Galactica: "Occupation/Precipice" Advance Review". IGN. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
- ^ a b Berriman, Ian (November 22, 2006). "Battlestar Galactica 3.02: Precipice". SFX. Future plc. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
- ^ Sauriol, Patrick. "Battlestar Galactica: "Occupation/Precipice" Review". UGO Networks. Retrieved April 20, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Battlestar Galactica TV Show - Precipice". Television Without Pity. NBCUniversal. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
- ^ "Battlestar Galactica TV Show - Occupation". Television Without Pity. NBCUniversal. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
- ^ "The 59th Primetime Emmy(R) Awards and Creative Arts Emmy(R) Awards Nominees Are..." The Futon Critic. July 19, 2007. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
- ^ "Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, 59th Primetime Emmy Award Winners" (PDF). emmys.tv. September 16, 2006. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
- ^ "2007 Writers Guild Awards Television Nominees". The TV Adict. December 13, 2006. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
- ^ McNary, Dave (February 11, 2007). "'Departed' shines at WGA kudos". Variety. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
External links
- "Precipice" at the Battlestar Wiki
- "Precipice" at Syfy.com
- "Precipice" at IMDb