“Epiphanies” is episode thirteen of season two of the new Battlestar Galactica.
The episode opens back when then-secretary Roslin was getting her cancer diagnosis in the first episode of the miniseries. She’s actually on a gurney heading to the sickbay. Roslin remembers meeting with Stans of the Education Alliance after the diagnosis, and seeing Gaius with Number 6.
Starbuck and Kat are heading out in Vipers, late. Kat asks permission to clear her guns. Starbuck gives it, Kat fires and one gun explodes, a fragment cracking Starbuck’s cockpit. Starbuck declares an emergency and both head back.
On Galactica, Starbuck suggests to Chief Tyrol that he shoots them in the locker room to save wear and tear on the ships. The chief says the guns were clean; he checked them himself. Starbuck doesn’t believe in accidents, then Cally calls them over. She hands a bullet from Kat’s gun to Tyrol; it’s too light. The bullet crumbles. Cally says there are more just like it. The chief says the case has been weakened; it would fall apart in the barrel, then when the next hits, it would blow. One is a fluke. More is sabotage. He orders all the rounds be pulled.
Dr Cottle tells Adama that Roslin is dying and she knows it. Roslin is remembering speaking to President Adar about the striking teachers; Adar was planning to send the troops in to deal with them. Roslin says the teachers are underpaid and schools are falling apart. Why aren’t they negotiating? Adar says that the interesting thing about being president is that you don’t have to explain yourself to anyone.
Roslin hears others talking; Adama, Billy and Gaius are there. Roslin called them to discuss Boomer’s child. Dr Cottle has discovered some very peculiar genetic abnormalities. Gaius doesn’t think they are conclusive; Cottle replies he said they were odd, not conclusive. Roslin wants the pregnancy terminated, and repeats Adar’s line about not having to explain yourself.
Outside, Gaius tells Adama he thinks the president’s illness is affecting her. Adama does not. As to terminating the foetus, that’s the president’s call and he’ll back it. Gaius is about to become president; Adama tells him to act like he can handle it.
After Adama has gone, Gaius sees Number 6. She’s been gone a while; he thinks she’s jealous about Gina, the living clone. No; she’s concerned about their child. Once Roslin is gone, Gaius will be president. He will have the authority. Gaius doesn’t believe he will be president of much without the military’s backing. Number 6 suggests he use all his resources. The nuclear warhead he got.
Adama tells Helo about what the president has decided. Helo wants to be the one to tell Boomer. Adama doesn’t expect him to agree; just accept it.
In CIC, Tigh is filled in about the ammunition. Apollo, back to being CAG again after the previous episode, “Resurrection Ship: Part 2”, ordered both Pegasus‘s and Galactica‘s Vipers to stand down. Adama, now admiral after the previous episode, stops them both from squabbling. Apollo explains that both battlestars have been sharing supplies and no-one flies until the ammo checks out. Tigh says that leaves them defenceless; the admiral says they already were, they just didn’t know it.
The admiral wants to know how this happened and Apollo, Starbuck and Marines head to the manufacturing place, looking for an Asha Janik, who starts ranting about the Cylons not being their enemies; it’s the military for refusing to negotiate.
Adama meets with Gaius, Tigh and Apollo in his quarters. They’ve got a manifesto from Janik’s quarters, demanding peace with the Cylons. Gaius knows of Cylon sympathisers; he just didn’t know they were this organised. Adama asks how Janik got on the ship; the hanger deck is short-staffed and they’ve been pulling in civilians for grunt work. Adama has been contacted by a person claiming to speak for Demand Peace, wanting a meeting. He’s agreed, to find out what they’re up against. The representative is a Royan Jahee, who claims he deplores the actions and that this is a movement of ideas not following a leader. He wants peace with the Cylons. They only attacked after humans enslaved them. Conveniently overlooking that President Adar tried to surrender and the Cylons ignored it.
The movement that wants peace is one of those that is perfectly willing to commit acts of violence in the name of peace. And the president is still dying.