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Battlestar Galactica

Colonial Day

Season 1, Episode 11, Aired Mar 18, 2005

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Tom Zarek has himself nominated for the role of Vice President as an assassin is located on board the Cloud Nine Luxury liner. As tensions flare the cruel hand of politics leads to murder, and the election of the most unlikely Vice President.moreless

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Cast & Crew

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GUEST STAR
Cailin Stadnyk

Ensign Davis
GUEST STAR
Patricia Idlette

Sarah Parker
GUEST STAR
Robert Wisden

Wallace Gray

Edward James Olmos

William Adama
Grace Park

Sharon "Boomer" Valerii
James Callis

Gaius Baltar
Tricia Helfer

Number Six
Jamie Bamber

Lee "Apollo" Adama
Katee Sackhoff

Kara "Starbuck" Thrace

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Fan Episode Reviews (16)

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Colonial Day

10

"Perfect"

By TrueTvWatcher, Jan 14, 2012

Colonial Day was another excellent episode of Battlestar Galactica and I really enjoyed watching this episode because there was a lot of political intrigue as Tom Zarek was nominated for Vice President and President Roslin was able to get Baltar nominated and it was fun to watch how things played out. The scenes were very character driven and intense. The drama and characters are so enchanting and make the show irresistible to watch. I look forward to seeing what happens in the next episode!!!!!!!!!moreless
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The One Where: They all enjoy a dance! (Politcally and literally.)

6.5

"Fair"

By MovieMark, Oct 06, 2011

It was fun seeing all of the regular cast get all dolled up just before the end credits. A nice change of pace from their overused dreary robots-are-trying-to-kill-us-we-can't-sleep look. Something tells me that the small celebration was very much a glammed up calm before a very big storm. And speaking of changes in scenery, the concept of Cloud Nine is a neat one. Have we heard of it before now? You'd think the pilots (and everyone else) would be hitting up the place for some much needed fake-sun tanning every other day.
Not a lot actually happens here overall. What you need to take away from this episode is that Helo finally knows that Sharon is a cylon, and, during an odd turn of events, Gaius is now the vice-president. Two pretty hefty shifts in the narrative, wouldn't you say? They're clearly being set-up for the finale, so there's very little screen-time allowed for us to process such huge changes.
The pace is glacial even for this show. With a lot of political jargon thrown at us in quick succession. There's one small scrap involving Starbuck and Apollo, but that's about it on the action front. Long, arousing speeches are what's in store with this hour. I did kind of zone out here and there.
No fraks, one guy killed himself, head-Six and two cap six's, suggested murder, and Sharon wins here.
Not the best BSG has to offer, but far from the worst.moreless
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Layers of intrigue make for a compelling episode

9.5

"Superb"

By SebastianHaff, Jun 13, 2011

This episode is for the most part very well executed, and offers lots of things to enjoy.

Zarek is back, and thankfully way better utilized than earlier in the season. Here he gets more compelling dialog, and he makes some valid points. But it's interesting watching the shades of gray in terms of right and wrong in this episode.

Various characters hate Zarek for being a terrorist, and write him off purely on that. But many of their actions are questionable: torture, turning off the radio (to silence a political figure) and starting a fight, and of course Roslin asking for Zarek to be bugged. Roslin's close relationship with the military leader and quite clear statements about who she would or wouldn't have as her vice-president all show the nastier side of these people, and give Zarek's words some weight. Ellen makes her second appearance, and starts to show that her main aim is to protect her and her husband. She's less bound by strong beliefs, and much more adaptable to the situation at hand. People will write her off as a drunken tart, but they could do well with learning from her to drop some of the old ways and preconceptions.

It's great to see Baltar's arc continue. His in-head Six has definitely been building this up over a number of episodes and making him believe in himself. When she made him second the request for a vice president, it paved the way for his rise to power. Another step on the story of Baltar.

Also other noteworthy things: it's interesting to see Cloud Nine for a change of location, and the ending where Helo discovers the truth about Sharon is a gem.

There were a couple of things I didn't like about the episode though. The whole assassination subplot felt bolted on to the episode, and didn't really go anywhere. My other problem is a bigger one, and is a problem with BSG in general but I started to really first notice it in this episode. That is the fact that the writers don't stop to think more often that these people are not from Earth. Too often the show does things that are very American. The news reporters' style for example was played as very American -- there doesn't seem to be an effort to make them at all different. Also very Earth-like dialog comes into play, like Roslin mentions a "goon squad". All in all, with the exception of the assassination plot, this was a well crafted and interesting episode. Definitely one of the gems of season one.moreless
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"I'm glad that we got to see the return of Tom Zarek." SPOILERS

8.0

"Great"

By tiewashere, Jun 13, 2011

I'm glad that we got to see the return of Tom Zarek. I wonder if we'll see him again after this. I enjoyed seeing a luxury liner and what it is like in the show. It was kind of interesting how they created faux weather and stuff. The most interesting part about the episode is that Six practically forces Baltar to second the idea of a Vice President. Why? I wonder how this will play into the cylon's plan. Who killed Valence? I guess that's the most pronounced question of the episode. I hope it's answered. Baltar is the new Vice President. Was this part of Six's plan? Something that kind of struck me was when Helo ran away. He doesn't seem like the type, especially in this situation, to run away from something...anything. Boomer 2 obviously shot the other Boomer and never tried to hurt him. So why, even as she is calling after him, run away? I guess he thinks she could trick him but it's slim if he put the recent events together. I'm interested to see how this plays out. 8/10moreless
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Winds of change.

6.5

"Fair"

By kickdoor, Nov 11, 2010

Most of the episode wasn't bad, but there was one scene that stood out in a very negative way. The interrogation of Valence by Apollo and Starbuck was just awful in my opinion. The writing and Apollo's acting were way, way over the top. Intimidation is one thing, but even with the gun in his hand I probably couldn't have helped but laugh in Apollo's face if I was in Valence's shoes.

The rest of the main plot was okay, but it didn't really enthrall me. Maybe because Roslin was at the center of it and I just haven't developed any love for her character.

I did enjoy the final scene on Caprica however when Helo finally puts all the pieces together after seeing another copy of Sharon. The copy bleeding out after Sharon shoots her made for a great shot, especially with that eerie blue tinged lighting.

One good scene, one really bad scene, and the rest was okay but it just didn't grab me.moreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (7)
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- Baltar: Politics is the only thing more boring than blood samples.
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- Adama: Politics. As exciting as war. Definitely as dangerous. Roslin: Though in war, you can only get killed once. In politics it can happen over and over. Adama: You're still standing. Roslin: So are you.
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- Roslin: Mr. Zarek. Oh, don't worry. I won't be kissing you today. Tom Zarek: That's a shame. I shaved very closely in anticipation of being smacked by you.
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- (Boomer and Helo on Caprica, scouting a spaceport) Helo: Now all we have to do is wait until dark, infiltrate the most heavily fortified military hub on this planet, hope the Cylons have not completely wasted the spaceport, steal a ship, meet Galactica, and fly to her without getting shot to hell. Sharon: Is that all?
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- (talking to reporters about the state of the fleet) Zarek: Look, there's no economy, there's no market, no industry, no capital. Money is worthless. And yet we're all held hostage by the idea of the way things used to be. Look where we are. This man (pointing at a gardener) wakes up every morning, tugs on his boots, and goes to work in this garden. Why? Because it's his job? What job? He labors but he gets no benefit from his labor. And he's not the only one. Many of us are just still going through the motions of our old lives. The lawyers still act like lawyers but they have no clients. Businessmen still act like businessmen, but have no business! President Roslin and her policies are all about holding on to a fantasy. If we want to survive, we need to completely restructure our lives. We need to think about the community of citizens, the group, not the individual. We need to completely free ourselves of the past and operate as a collective.
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- (in the locker room) Starbuck: You have a problem with my hygiene? Apollo: You have hygiene?
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- (at Baltar's victory celebration) Roslin: I thought you hated these things. Adama: It's Colonial Day. Where else would I be? I'm a patriot. Roslin: You really are, aren't you?
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NOTES (3)
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- The building used for the Cloud Nine Ballroom is the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, located at the University of British Columbia, near Vancouver. The building is also used as the 4400 Center for the USA Network series The 4400.
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- This episode first aired in the United Kingdom on January 10, 2005, on Sky One. Sky One co-financed the first season of the show.
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- Alessandro Juliani (Lt. Gaeta) and Robert Wisden (Wallace Gray) also appeared in the "Stargate SG-1" episode "Moebius Part I" together. Both that episode and this one originally aired on the Sci-fi Channel on 18 March 2005. They played Katep and Major Samuels respectively. (alt.)
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Zarek: It's too bad. I shaved particularly close in anticipation of being smacked by you. A direct quote from General Patton to Field Marshal Montgomery after Montgomery said "Don't worry Patton. I shan't kiss you" when the two men's armies entered into the city of Messina at the same time. Patton was NOT supposed to steal Montgomery's thunder, but couldn't resist showing him up.
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