Battlestar Galactica: The Plan

Battlestar Galactica: The Plan
Directed by	Edward James Olmos
Written by	Jane Espenson
Produced by	David Eick Jane Espenson Ronald D. Moore Harvey Frand Ron E. French
Starring	Edward James Olmos Dean Stockwell Michael Trucco Grace Park Michael Hogan Aaron Douglas Callum Keith Rennie Kate Vernon Rick Worthy Lymari Nadal Matthew Bennett Rekha Sharma Tricia Helfer
Cinematography	Stephen McNutt
Edited by	Andrew Seklir
Music by	Bear McCreary
Production company	David Eick Productions
Distributed by	Universal Studios Home Entertainment Syfy
Release date	October 27, 2009
Running time	Television Cut: 90 minutes Extended DVD Cut: 112 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Battlestar Galactica: The Plan is a made for television movie set in the reimagined version of the fictional Battlestar Galactica universe. It consists of newly filmed material as well as a compilation of footage from the TV series and miniseries.

The film premiered exclusively on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download on October 27, 2009. It is tentatively scheduled to air in 2010 on Syfy.

Plot

The opening scenes of The Plan occur just prior to the destruction of the Twelve Colonies in the televised miniseries, Battlestar Galactica. Humanoid Cylon John Cavil (played by Dean Stockwell) is shown leading the planning for the genocidal attack on the human race. All of the seven "known" humanoid Cylons (Cavil, Leoben Conoy, D'Anna Biers, Simon, Aaron Doral, Six, and Sharon Valerii) are present in the control room of the main Cylon base. Two versions of Cavil are shown in a Resurrection Ship, with the "Final Five" Cylons in stasis in resurrection chambers. The two versions of Cavil briefly discuss their plans for "teaching a lesson" to the Final Five (who were their creators), and one version of Cavil announces his intention to witness the destruction of humanity on the ground. This version of Cavil travels to the planet Picon, where he encounters Ellen Tigh (one of the Final Five, played by Kate Vernon) in a strip club. Other characters from the series are also depicted: Gaius Baltar (James Callis) has a final, fatal meeting with a Six; Samuel Anders (Michael Trucco) is shown training with his Pyramid ball teammates (one of whom is a Number Four); and Tory Foster (Rekha Sharma) is shown driving to an airport in an SUV-type vehicle.

The destruction of the Twelve Colonies is depicted in a series of new special effects shots, with the Cylon Hybrid seemingly narrating the destruction in a typically convoluted but poetic way. Almost all of the planets of the Twelve Colonies are depicted in short scenes. Ellen Tigh is severely wounded in the nuclear attack on Picon, and Cavil helps her leave the planet aboard a Colonial Fleet rescue ship. Aboard a civilian transport (simultaneous to the events of the first season episode "33"), Cavil torments the half-conscious woman with descriptions of his intent to destroy humanity. Tory Foster survives the nuclear attack as well, and is wounded when her car flips over in the blast. Anders helps console his teammates in the mountainous region where they were training. Several scenes from the television miniseries are edited into The Plan, notably shots of: Colonial One in space; Lee Adama (Jamie Bamber) helping survivors board Colonial One; Commander William Adama (Edward James Olmos) and Colonel Saul Tigh (Michael Hogan) responding to the attack on the Twelve Colonies. The Cylon known as Number Four/Simon (Rick Worthy) is shown to hold a job as Colonial Fleet medic, and has a wife named Giana and a stepdaughter named Jemmy.

Cavil later boards the Galactica itself, where he is mistaken for a priest. Now calling himself "Brother Cavil," he takes over the Galactica's chapel. The creation of Galactica's "wall of remembrance" (where survivors posted pictures and mementos of their dead or missing loved ones) is depicted. Using religious fliers which talk about a "plan," Six/Shelley Godfrey (Tricia Helfer), a Number Five (Matthew Bennett) and a Number Two (Callum Keith Rennie) gather in the chapel. Cavil tells them that he intends to continue his plan to utterly destroy the human race. He also tells them that there is a sleeper agent aboard the Galactica, a Number Eight (Grace Park), whom he also plans to use.

Back on Cylon-occupied Caprica, Sam Anders and his teammates have fled their training center for more safe quarters. They spot Cylon Centurions collecting the parts of their fallen comrades. Later, Sam and his companions (having taken up refuge in an old military compound in the mountains, as depicted in the second season episode "Resistance") launch their first attack on the Cylons, losing several people in the successful attack. Sam and a companion later observe several Number Fives burying numerous dead human bodies, realize that Cylons have taken humanoid form, and resolve to attack them. They do so later, while a Cavil version supervises the Fives' work. Cavil survives the attack unharmed, and Sam and his friends (mistakenly believing Cavil to be a human being) take the "priest" with them back to their camp.

Back on the Galactica, the events of the first season episodes "Water," "Litmus," "Six Degrees of Separation," and "Flesh and Bone" are depicted, in part. Using an elephant figurine, Brother Cavil triggers the original Cylon programming of the Number Eight known as Sharon "Boomer" Valerii. Cavil meets with Boomer to discuss ways in which she might cripple the Galactica, and Boomer comes up with a plan to bomb the ship's water storage facilities. As she tries to implement her plan, Boomer becomes increasingly distraught because she has fallen in love with Chief Galen Tyrol (Aaron Douglas). Some of the previously unknown backstory of "Water" is depicted. Cavil becomes angry when the Number Five known as Aaron Doral is exposed as a Cylon. He demands that the Number Five he has been meeting with attempt to kill Admiral Adama. He does so (as depicted in the events in the episode "Litmus"). The Number Two, meanwhile, works to listen in on Colonial Fleet communications, and becomes convinced that Kara "Starbuck" Thrace (Katee Sackhoff) holds some special purpose for the humanoid Cylons. He begins to paint the nebula depicted in Season Three episodes (such as "The Eye of Jupiter"). Cavil, realizing that the Number Two known as Leoben Conoy has had his identity comprised (as depicted in the events of the miniseries during the Galactica's re-arming trip to Ragnarok Station), demands that the Number Two turn himself over to the humans and attempt to deceive or kill them. He does so (as depicted in scenes from the episode "Flesh and Bone"). When Boomer's plan to deprive the Fleet of water fails (and Boomer actually helps the Galactica locate more water), Cavil demands that Boomer kill Commander Adama. She first attempts suicide, and later purposefully botches the assassination attempt (as depicted in scenes from "Kobol's Last Gleaming"). Cavil, worried about Dr. Baltar's attempt to develop a Cylon detection machine, orders the Number Six known as Shelley Godfrey to frame Baltar for treason. She does so, but her attempt fails when she purposefully turns an amateurishly manipulated series of security tapes over to Admiral Adama (as depicted in scene from the episode "Six Degrees of Separation"). Her identity compromised, Cavil orders the Six into an airlock and kills her (telling her to report back to the Cylons the Fleet's location). In desperation, Cavil orders the Number Four known as Simon to destroy the ship on which he lives with his family. Distraught at killing the people he loves, Simon attempts to turn his wife against him. Overcome by guilt, he reunites with her and then commits suicide by rigging an airlock to jettison him into space.

In the aftermath of Simon's suicide, there is concern that he might have been a Cylon. But his wife, Giana, reveals that he committed suicide. Nonetheless, when Simon is revealed to be a Cylon (after the events of the second season episode "The Farm", some scenes of which are shown here), Giana seeks solace from Chief Tyrol—who is beginning to suspect that he himself might be a Cylon (as depicted in the second season episode "Lay Down Your Burdens").

Meanwhile, back on Cylon-occupied Caprica, the other version of Cavil has ingratiated himself with Sam Anders. Cavil has ordered the Number Four to attempt to kill members of Sam's team, but none have died and Cavil criticizes the Four's actions. Cavil himself tries to undermine Sam's fragile psychological well-being, but Sam rejects Cavil's counsel. As depicted in scenes from "Kobol's Last Gleaming," "Resistance," and "The Farm," Starbuck returns to Caprica and meets the stranded Colonial pilot Karl "Helo" Agathon (played by actor Tahmoh Penikett, shown in existing footage). The two run into Anders' team, and attack a local Cylon base. Starbuck is wounded, taken captive by the Cylons, and subjected to various breeding experiments (as depicted in the episode "The Farm"). When Starbuck, Anders, Helo and the others are rescued by Galactica troops, Cavil tries to assassinate Starbuck and Anders but finds that he cannot pull the trigger of his rifle. When the Cylon Centurions attack, Cavil is forced to hide with the rest of the humans. The Centurions break off their attack. That night, Cavil sneaks from the human camp to meet with a Number Six who informs him that the Cylons have agreed to end their attacks on the human race. Cavil returns to the human camp, and the humans leave the next day for the Galactica.

Meanwhile, Brother Cavil is bedeviled by the repeated appearance of a young boy named John (Alex Ferris) in his chapel. Initially, Cavil just kicks him out. But over time, Cavil appears to warm to the boy. He begins talking to him, learning the boy's name and that the boy's parents no longer want him. Cavil soon begins to feed the boy, and allows him to sleep in the chapel. But one day, when the boy brings Cavil the gift of an apple, Cavil stabs him with a knife and murders the child.

The Plan ends with "Caprica Cavil" arriving aboard the Galactica and unwittingly exposing himself and Brother Cavil as humanoid Cylons (as depicted in scenes from the second season episode "Home"). Lt. Cally Henderson's assassination of Boomer is depicted as well. The two Cavils argue while in prison. Brother Cavil is in disbelief that the Cylons have agreed to leave the humans alone, and continually argues for their destruction. But Caprica Cavil asserts that Brother Cavil does not understand the nature of love. He says that not only the Cylon's monotheistic God but that the Final Five loved humanity, and that Brother Cavil is jealous of this love. Brother Cavil, he claims, does not understand that God and the Final Five will love humanity even more if the human race is extinguished.

The two Cavils are taken to an airlock and ejected into space. Caprica Cavil quietly tells his other self that he knows how terrifying death can be, and offers his hand, which Brother Cavil takes. The two are ejected, and float out past the fleet. The film ends with this scene overlaid with John Cavil's fourth-season tirade lamenting his human-like body and desiring to be more like a machine so that he could "see gamma rays, hear x-rays, smell dark matter...and feel the solar wind of a super-nova" flowing over him.

Production

The Plan was announced August 7, 2008 by Syfy as a two-hour Battlestar Galactica "special event" directed and written by series veterans Edward James Olmos and Jane Espenson. Production began September 8, 2008.

Edward James Olmos states: "When Battlestar fans see The Plan, they’re all going to have to go back and watch the entire series again."

Tricia Helfer states that the disappearance of Shelly Godfrey in "Six Degrees of Separation" will be explained, and that the main viewpoint characters are John Cavil and Sam Anders.

IGN reports scenes including Aaron Doral preparing for the suicide bombing seen in "Litmus", Anders in a Cylon resurrection chamber, and Cavil berating Boomer for failing to kill William Adama in "Kobol's Last Gleaming". In addition to Shelly Godfrey, there is a dark-haired Six, called "Tough Six" in the script.

A sneak peek was made available by Syfy on June 12, 2009, showing Cavil and Ellen Tigh during the events of "33".

On October 10, 2009, the Battlestar Galactica DVD website was updated with a photo gallery and three clips from the movie, as well as information on the DVD features, showing that the uncut runtime is 112 minutes. The first clip shows Cavil, Leoben Conoy, Doral, Godfrey, and "Tough Six" meeting in the refugee fleet under the pretense of a group prayer session, to discuss their plan for eliminating the survivors. The second clip shows the nuclear attack on the Twelve Colonies and the Hybrid reporting on it to the Cylons in their Baseship. The third clip shows Cavil and Boomer discussing the botched assassination attempt on Adama.

On October 16, 2009, the Latino Review published an online review of the DVD and Blu-Ray of The Plan, with several pictures from the movie included. They report that the movie begins during Part II of "Lay Down Your Burdens", with Caprica Cavil and Galactica Cavil due to be airlocked, then flashes back to tell their stories up to this point, starting two days before the Cylon Attack. The attack itself is shown in detail. While the Cavil on Galactica is committed to the destruction of humanity, there is a sympathetic Simon on Galactica with a human wife and adopted daughter. On Caprica, Anders' resistance group is infiltrated by a Cavil and a Simon, but the Cavil has second thoughts about the genocide (in reverse of the situation on Galactica). The review also states that "Tough Six" sleeps with Galactica Cavil, that Boomer's elephant figurines were used as a trigger to switch her into sleeper agent mode, and that Leoben paints the same image as the mandala in the Temple of Five and the paintings in Starbuck's apartment

Music

Bear McCreary returned to score "The Plan". The score will feature a more primitive sound with ethnic instruments, similar to the score from the earlier seasons of the show, fitting with the time period the film is set in. It will also feature an original song "Apocalypse", which debuted at the Battlestar Galactica Orchestra's concerts at ComicCon 2009.

Cast

• Edward James Olmos as William Adama
• Dean Stockwell as Number One
• Michael Trucco as Samuel Anders
• Grace Park as Number Eight
• Michael Hogan as Saul Tigh
• Aaron Douglas as Galen Tyrol
• Callum Keith Rennie as Number Two
• Kate Vernon as Ellen Tigh
• Rick Worthy as Number Four
• Lymari Nadal as Giana O'Neill
• Matthew Bennett as Number Five
• Rekha Sharma as Tory Foster
• Tricia Helfer as Number Six
• Alisen Down as Jean Barolay
• Tiffany Lyndall-Knight as Hybrid

External links

• Battlestar Galactica: The Plan at IMDb
• The Plan at the Battlestar Wiki