“Lay Down Your Burdens: Part 1” is episode nineteen of season two of the new Battlestar Galactica.
Chief Tyrol is lying on the hangar floor, twitching in a nightmare. Gaius is looking at his election material in his lab. He tells Number Six he’s going to lose. The president is in Adama’s quarters, reading cards, tearing them up and throwing the pieces. Tory knocks on the door and tells her there’s one minute. Starbuck is briefing the pilots on a rescue mission to Caprica. Up to 20% losses are predicted so it’s volunteer only. If they want out, now’s the time.
Number Six is telling Gaius to have faith. Adama comes in and the president apologises for the mess. It’s a ritual and she explains it. Adama’s father used to break pencils before going into court. Roslin likes that, takes a pencil, snaps and tosses it. But what if the moderator doesn’t have a pencil? Adama says she’s screwed. The president laughs; she often gets the giggles before speaking. Tory tells her it’s time.
Gaeta is talking about the Cylon Heavy Raider; if a Raptor had the same equipment, a strike team would reach Caprica in less than 10 jumps. The problem was in getting Cylon computers to work with their own. That problem has been solved. And Boomer is brought in under guard. Starbuck tells the pilots Boomer is there to help them. Number Six tells Gaius he was chosen by Almighty God to lead. It will happen. Gaius makes a sarcastic remark about how he was chosen to protect the baby; in the previous episode, “Downloaded”, it was said to have died. Number Six calls him a blasphemer, slams his head into the desk and tells him to get his act together. Zarek enters.
Cally is looking for the chief. Starbuck is telling the pilots it’s their duty to the people they left behind, and if they have to use a Cylon to get as many off Caprica as they can, so be it. They can still leave. Apollo enters.
Adama is trying to help the president stop laughing. Apollo speaks to the pilots and ask if there are any questions. One asks if Earth is found whilst they’re gone, will they be saved a seat. If they find any rock with food or water, Apollo will build them a bar. They then turn on the wireless to hear the presidential debate as Boomer is escorted out and Helo follows.
Cally finds the chief, twitching on the floor. The debate is about to start. Helo is trying to talk to Boomer. She says something dark is coming; she can feel it out there, lurking. Cally wakes the chief up and he attacks her, hitting her repeatedly in her face until he realises what he’s doing.
Later, the chief is seeing a Brother Cavil (Dean Stockwell), a priest. Tyrol never believed in psychological therapy and his father was a priest. He prays to the gods every night, but they don’t listen. Cavil tells him prayer is useless. The chief asks Cavil if he’s sure he’s a priest. He is. And he’s learned the gods don’t answer prayers. They are here on their own; that’s how things were set up. They have to find their own way, without a path. The chief is trying. Cavil says the problem is that Tyrol is screwed up, heart and mind. The problem is him.
Apollo is in the commander’s quarters on Pegasus, having been made commander in “The Captain’s Hand”. Starbuck enters and he wishes her good hunting. He hopes Starbuck finds him. So does she.
The first debate went in the president’s favour; only the radical religious thing gained him any traction. But that’s not a big enough issue. Gaius is reading the reports on Galactica. Zarek tells him to keep hitting the religious issues. Things will turn around. Number Six agrees with Zarek. Gaius suggests he wait for the hand of god to reach down and change his political fortunes.
The Raptors are heading out and Starbuck asks to speak to Galactica Actual. She asks Adama if she ever said thank you No. And if she did, that would be a first. Starbuck thanks him. Coming back in one piece would be thank you enough.
The Raptors head for Caprica, and Racetrack discovers something unexpected. Boomer is missing her baby, not knowing she’s still alive. Cavil gives Tyrol advice; Cavil isn’t a comforting, everything will be alright priest. The story continues in the next episode, “Lay Down Your Burdens: Part 2”.