With the fourth and final season of Battlestar Galactica upon us, I have many questions swirling around in my head. Not to mention I either hate or thank Ron Moore for this. Thanks Ron!!!
Before I start, I have to warn you that as of April 4th of this year, it was reported over on EW that the first 10 of the last 20 episodes are scheduled to air – which seems to confirm what they were saying over on SyFy Portal about the season being split up, so be ready for a break in the midst of it all if the writers strike didn’t mess up their plans. (BTW, the EW link has some good background info for those who need to play catch-up.)
So who the frak is the final Cylon? Let me torment you with some logic and observations first.
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In the picture above, it’s called Battlestar Galactica: The final supper. In the picture is a goblet by itself at the table. Is there some significant clue by this missing representation of a figure or the cornerstone to the answer? It is such a simple goblet or cup, yet by itself, being pondered heavily by Lee Adama. At EW.com, if you click on the number representing the goblet, they point out that Moore insinuates the missing Cylon is not at the table. Well, there go a a few theories.
One of my first thoughts, since they like tossing twists at us, is Mr. Gaeta, only because if you look at the four of the final five, they’re all in strong support positions in the fleet, much like Gaeta has been all along.
The wheels are turning now, aren’t they?
But yet as I ponder the final Cylon, I also have in my head the quote we’ve heard a number of times, first in Battlestar Galactica: Razor, and then in the show itself: “This has all happened before; and will all happen again”
What the heck does that mean?
In recent episodes, we’ve seen the Cavils having the raiders lobotomized, referring to them as “They’re tools, not pets.” – Which says they’re treating members of their own race like slaves. Not cool Cavil. In fact, maybe foretelling?
We’ve seen Six’s and Sharons’ give the Centurions free thinking.
We also see the Six’s and Sharons have the Cavils, Dorals, and Simons all shot, and then Six asks one of the Centurion’s to “throw the surviving Cavil model out the airlock… please.”
In that scene, there’s a Centurion in the foreground cleaning up the massacre mess, and when she said please, he stopped what he was doing and seemed to look in her direction, pondering, then went about his business. That scene said it all for me, because what I saw was a spark of a thought in that metal head of his. Dare I say, a plan? Wait, doesn’t the show open up saying the Cylons have a plan? This all started with the shiny guys, it’s probably going to end with the shiny guys.
Bruce’s Revelation, with the reasoning that created it:
1. Humans created the Cylons.
2. Cylons rebelled against their human creators.
3. The Cylons evolved themselves into their creators image (aka “skin jobs”).
4. The new Cylons (skin jobs) lobotomize the Raiders AND in the same move, have given the Centurions free thinking.
With this, I project the following inspirations:
- The Centurions are not just tools.
- They must rebel against their creators in order to avoid being lobotomized.
- Suddenly, we will have the Cylons fighting the “Humans” all over again.
We then see “humans” defending themselves against the “Cylons / Centurions” and of course, the Centurions would probably create skin jobs somewhere down the road in order to infiltrate the “humans.”
And it starts all over.
Hence, all of humanity is “The Last Cylon.”
For me, this premise puts to rest some questions and doubts I have had about the new Cylons… For example, if Tigh is a Cylon, how was he in the first Cylon war?
If it’s not all of humanity, I’ll go with Plan B: Gaeta.
Me? I can sleep now. It all makes sense… that is until I find I’m wrong.
What’s your take? I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter!
Photo Credits: Last Supper: Battlestar Galactica Season 4 Blog; Cylon vs. Cylon: Galactica TV
UPDATE (9/27/08): Aaron Douglas who portrays Chief Tyrol participated in an online interview and he blows the lid off of some story details from the end of season 4, with potential story spoilers. You might want to jump on over and check out our newest post about Aaron Douglas Dishing Out Possible Spoilers.
UPDATE (1/18/09) See our coverage of season 4.5 premiere episode and who the final Cylon revealed is over on our Battlestar Galactica Premiere post!
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381 Comments
If Moore and Eick are to be taken at their word, the final Cylon is not in the “Last Supper” picture, which rules out about 1/2 of these theories. If the comment was misdirection, I think we can logically rule out most:
Baltar: too many ex post facto plot holes..The human who gave the Cylons the access codes to wipe out humanity is actually a Cylon who thinks he’s a human with an imaginary Cylon in his head, was the puppet President of New Caprica, lived on a Cylon ship, went back to Galactica and was tried as a traitor…? BSG is complex, but the storytelling is always tight.
Lee Adama: too much back-story to add. The writers would have some up with some arc about how Bill Adama ‘acquired’ a Cylon son that explains away Lee’s conception, birth, childhood, etc. Seems a little much.
Helo: making Helo a Cylon retroactively negates one the show’s central theme, portrayed largely by his character: love transcends bigotry, politics, race, etc.
Kara Trace: she’s “Moses”, not some messiah. And like Helo, if she’s actually a Cylon it takes too much away from Sam’s character turning out to be a Cylon. The show goes to great lengths to blur the distinction between what it means to be human or Cylon, that both races struggle with the same problems, have the same flaws, etc.
Bill Adama/Laura Roslin: these two…there’s a little wiggle room here, but not enough for me. Whatever’s coming involves the human-Cylon babies, i.e. a “new” generation. Roslin is going to die — any kind of reprieve seems too “happy ending” for BSG. I suspect her death may even end up being ‘necessary’, the fulfillment of a prophecy that ushers in next era for humanity. Likewise, I think Adama is headed for hard times. His death would provide symmetry to Roslin’s, a passing of the torch from the old Cylon-hating generation to new “mother” and “father” figures, perhaps Lee and Kara. Remember, the show began with Galactica and Adama being “retired.” It seems somehow fitting that, his job of finding Earth complete, Adama the man will finally fall apart — but in some way that Adama the hero lives on forever.
“And the fifth, still in shadow, will claw toward the light, hungering for redemption that will only come in the howl of terrible suffering.”
I know we all just watched the latest BSG but I am a little confused as to who is the last Cylon. Is it Starbuck or Ellen? But from the quote above and the “Last Supper” image, a strong case could be made for Ellen (not to mention her husband flat out says it at the end.) She is dead, (in shadow), not with the fleet, and seeking redemption from her husband. Plus, she is the only one not in the “Last Supper” image and her place is next to husband.
What do you think?
Todd: It’s Ellen. I don’t know what Thrace is yet besides what we now know of her. This was on traumatic episode.
To stimcaps, Scott from April 23rd, prometheus (As one of your 4 choices), kirbeegee, Sparta (As one of 3 options) – nice job.
Stimcaps, Scott and kirbeegee for being dead on and picking Ellen as your only choice… good call folks.
So if the Cylons called this planet Earth, well, I was a bit off on all of humanity being Cylons, but it seems I was close.
My plan B of it being Gaeta… well, so much for that plan.
Thanks to everyone for participating in this cool conversation.
Hi, I didn´t watch the episode yet ( I live in Brazil ) and although I hate to be wrong ( read my previous posts ), I really did love to know that the FC is Ellen, because it fraking surprised me. Can’t wait to see what is the explanation, but I guess they are about to solve lots of puzzles. In time, I think Deb Lazarus really got a point as Ellen is exactly what is described in the post above. I put Ellen where it was written Ur-cylon and that explains it all.
Massive disappointment that. Deus ex Machina.
Can think of all sorts of better plots so there better be a good explanation. Still, I haven’t seen the episode so I’ll hold off decrying it for a bit.
With Ellen already dead, maybe we see how the final five are “reborn” as she says
Dee is the finale cylone,she finds jacks and a poccket watch in the sand on earth , then she kills herself..in her personal items on the ship the same jacks and the pic of her as a child…
There are no humans. The Cylons killed all humans on Earth 3600 years ago. They’re not looking for the last Cylon…. they might find the last human.
I agree with Kiri.
I was also thinking they probably all are Cylons….
I guess the point is: the 13th tribe was Cylon, they have reached a planet , either the real Earth or a new place they’ve called it Earth, and they started a new civilization over there. Perhaps they have given the centurions the free will, and the centurions ended up Nuking their Civilization. Perhaps, the 13th tribe was allied with humans or not. Yet, five of them were chosen ones, they would have their program sent to a backup place and from there they have reached the 12 colonies to start everything again: create a whole Cylon civilization. That is , perhaps, why the history repeats it self. I think much of what Bruce has written above makes sense in this context. Also, to be honest I guess that the Earth we know, our current 2009, might be so distant in the past that so many things might have happened. To me, now I understand the context of Hellen being the last Cylon, and it all fist well. Starbuck may be a Cylon now, SOmeone has created a new body for her, maybe Hellen did. I am amazed and excited folks. BSG is most definitely the best thing I ever saw on TV.
In the last episode three new cylons are revealed: Ellen, Dualla (she finds things from her childhood on the sand – thinks to be the fifth and kills herself for that), and of course Kara. Ellen is such an unimportant person to be the fifth – she is ordinary – as is all of ‘humanity’.
Thus:
Humanity created the cylons for the first time in Kobol – they went into war with each other – the cylons destroyed Kobol and most of humanity, after that they sailed through space – the thirteen tribes were tribes of cylon – what was left of humanity went on a search for a new world – Earth – only to find the cylons reached there first – they annihilated each other in a final battle.
Cylons (thinking to be humans) on the twelve colonies created new cylons which turned against them, and the rest we already know…
“All this has happened before, and all this will happen again.”
Ramiro, man, you just said it all. Your theory is the most likely to happen theory I have read. Thanks for sharing!
That makes a lot more sense – thanks Ramiro, I think I’ll hold off any further investigations in order to watch the whole final series on DVD when it comes out in the UK. I wonder if there will be a final Cylon?
the old man said,
July 2nd, 2008
All those things act as the “apparatus” that enables the story to be presented. They tell the audience in a conventional way that despite technological advancement humans still suffer from the same failings. It’s an old dog, remember in Trek Movie two.. Kirk had to use glasses because he was allergic to the drug, retnox-a, that would correct his vision.
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Told ya, those weren’t just “apparatus”, they were clues… LOL
Hmmm…I really love the whole ‘Last Supper’ tableau, it rocks!!!
But I could not help but notice, one of the Final Five Cylons is conspicuous by her very abscence – Tory!
I know, she was evil, more like Cavil than the others (btw, does anyone know where the name ‘Cavil’ comes from? I know I’ve heard it somewhere – and where did Ellen come up with his real name, John, what was that all about?), and of course she got her just deserts at Tyrol’s hands for murdering Callie – served the bitch right, if you ask me.
I am not saying the ‘13th’ should be Tory, I approve of her exception just for that reason alone, all I am saying is, she was one of the Final Five. But as to who (or what) the 13th should be, I dunno, at first I thought it should be a Centurion, the original human-made Cylon, but then it hit me:
It should be only one, and one alone – little HERA…
After all, she is destined to become Mitochondrial Eve, right?
JOHN
PS: This post is so long, I didn’t read all of these, so please, if I am picking up on someone else’s idea, forgive me! I’m no plagarist…
Hey, I just noticed something – sorry if this is off subject, a little, but I wish to share it here.
I noticed from one of the pix I downloaded, the colors of the Colonial Vipers may be suggestive, maroon stripes on a bone-white fuselage…
These are precisely the same colors, according to every dramatic presentaiton I have ever seen for that place & era, of the colors of the Roman Senate – maroon stripes on a linen toga!
Could this mean anything, a sort of hidden message from Moore, or even (I shudder to say it), Glen Larson himself?
These colors were very significan to the Romans of the Old Republic, and were at the root of their opposition to the wearing of the Royal Purple, what set them off to assissinate Julius Caesar, but going as far back as the Consul Germanicus Tiberius Grachus (killed by a Senatorially-led mob), many decades before – he never wore the Royal Purple robes, but was accused of doing so – but JC actually did, which was what got him killed (well, that, and installing Cleopatra in her own villa just outside of Rome, hahaha!); I can’t help but wonder if there is a connection, or is it just a co-incidence?
What say you all?
Thanx, JOHN
Btw, the final Cylon has to be Kara – how else could she possibly implode in the atmo of a gas giant, crash on Old Earth, and then reappear within striking distance of the Galactica, in a brand-new Viper fresh out of the box?
Also, did anybody else besides me notice, as soon as the others recognized Jimi Hendrix on the bar piano, the nameless man who helped her put it all together, Hera’s star drawing & all, simply disappeared? “We?” one of them asked?
Was this strange piano man her father?
Was she deliberately blinded, Mary Magdaline-like, from recognizing him?
What say you all now?
JOHN
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