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.
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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Hugh Jackman Reveals Summer Start Date for ‘Wolverine 2′ 
Chris Hemsworth Talks ‘Thor 2′; Mads Mikkelsen Circling Villain Role [Updated] 
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One of four by last count…
It’s not that it’s not a likely scenario. He did at one point try to pull off an assination plot on the president. He has wanted political power from the beginning. It would be a full circle thing, colonial in the first series cylon in the second. It’s just too obvious, like Kara or Baltar. Don’t you think that the show has been playing with the heads of the audience? Baltar has been under suspecion as being a cylon since the miniseries. Yet after 3 years the audience is still guessing. Not even “Twin Peaks” mystery, who killed Laura Palmer?; lasted this long. Besides Zarek was where at the beginning of this series, on a prison like ship, a hole! It’s a big stretch that he’s V.P. looking from that episode. I know I’ve had to rewrite my score card but odds are very long, imho,that he’s the final cylon.
Agreed. Zarek is a potential candidate:
-was part of the resistance on Caprica like many of the final 4
-has a past life of terrorist acts for which he may need redemption
-he’s also a tempting character to play out because he’s the Apollo character from the old series
-he’s in a power position, but one-off from a true “human” leader, like many of the other final 4
But, what has he done that remotely hints at anything cylon?
I can’t think of anything.
I agree Baltar and Starbuck have been the “too-obvious” choice since the beginning, but I think that could come back to bite us.
If it was truly too obvious, we’d all be agreeing on who the final cylon is – and we’re not.
True writing savvy.
My short list, in this order is still:
Starbuck
Lee
Bill
Gaeda
The thing that is most interesting about the Bill option is his age.
He is 20 to 30-something as Husker in the cylon lab in the Razor episode, then 40+ years later he is the Bill Adama we see AND he has a long war record with Tigh.
When exactly did these 2 have a long war-campaign relationship exactly?
Yes Pete you have a point and if Tigh can be a cylon then why not Bill Adama. Well, with over 10 episodes left they could make Boxey the final cylon! Where did he go anyway? Why did he disappear? To go off and grow up, hide in the fleet, “until the time is right.” Man, how many shows have used that line! I maybe wrong but a new character is comming, not Boxey, but another twist.
The last cylon is the brand new looking viper that Starbuck came back in. The trailer for the next episode infers this very fact. Additionally, it also makes sense because its been to Earth, and thus knows the way there, as the last cylon supposedly does. Also, in keeping with what Moore has said, the viper is not at the table, and yet has been a “part” of the ensemble since the very beginning of the series.
Look within yourself. You know this to be true.
WOW… With the Deanna scene telling the president you don’t know you’re the last Cylon was a mind blower!
They not only frakked with our heads with the preview ads, which is what we were all thinking, but they carried it through to the episode.
Kudo’s to the show on that blind side indeed!
One thing to throw out there.
In Greek Mythos there are 12 gods. To break it down even further there are 5 First gods and 7 Second gods.
Sound familiar?
To break it down even more, out of the 7 second gods, 4 are male, 3 are female. That matches the 7 in BSG that were revealed.
Out of the 5 first gods, 3 are male, 2 are female. Guess who we have for that out of the final five. Tigh, Anders, Galen and Tory. Who’s missing. A female from that mix.
That leaves a few people on that theory.
1. Dee.
2. Ellen (we never see her die, we assume she dies from the poison. But do we really know that Tigh killed it or just drugged her. She could have escaped on a ship). Also, everyone keeps talking about the missing spot next to Lee. Don’t forget that there are 2 sides to that spot. Who’s on the other and looking at that spot. Tigh. Who does Tigh love. Ellen.
3. Lastly, going on the whole “Adama is a cylon” there is 1 Adama many forgot. Bills Wife and Lees Mother. Carolanne.
Just throwing it out there.
Starbuck’s new viper can’t be the last cylon afterall. You see, we saw the final five, and they were cloaked human-shaped figures. Had you going though, didn’t I?
Therefore, the last cylon must be Dee. There can be no other.
Interesting hypothesis Oracle and I like the premise about the new Viper, since their fighters are sentient, but again, now YOU are frakking with our heads??
Nice one… and again, you are also right about the hooded figures…
Man, what are we gonna do when this show ends?
Watch Caprica
“The avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote”…Kosh Naranek
Here is my guess:
It is clear that one of the themes of BSG is mortality and facing it. It seems to me that the real split amongst the Cylons are those who wish to keep their immortality rather than sacrifice it to have the true experience of being human and those who are willing to truly live(and die) like humans, so they can taste the full meaning and range of what it means to be a mortal creature.
While humans may have created Cylons to do their grunt work, perhaps humans themselves were created by the Lords of Kobol to avoid death; when the Lords “died” they somehow downloaded their consciousness into humans, who were genetically altered/modified/cultivated to be proper vessels.
A split took place between those Lords who felt this practice was wrong, and those who wished it continued. Perhaps even a war. The “freedom for humans” Lords split with their human stock to form the 12 colonies.
The other Lords took their “download humans” off to other pastures or were wiped out in the war. (Remember at one point, the Cavel says that the Cylons have gone elsewhere, but doesn’t say where?)
the Lords who favored freedom either eventually died, or found another way to preserve their consciousness after phyical death.
Now the cycle repeats: the humans, themselves creations of the Lords, turn around to create a race to serve their needs, only to find that race rebelling and evolving, in turn seeking to experience either immortality, or genuine “human” experience.
Who is a human and who is a Cylon isn’t important. What matters is what it means to BE “human”. I think the creators of BSG are saying that without the possibility of death-an end-even if we start out human we wind up being something psychologically different.
Not necessarily better or worse, but certainly “different”. And if you know you are going to go right on surviving in another body after your current one dies, would you be driven to procreate anyway?
It is possible that the “final” one of the five may well be one of the children-the ultimate “download” would be creating a hybrid that permits a Lord to download into a body that could then breed and introduce a more nearly “human” experience by providing a fresh, BLANK mind into which to download.
Or maybe we are all wrong.
“The truth points to itself”…Kosh Naranek
That was well thought out Kosh.
Sparta: Most tersely accurate indeed.
the 5th Cylon is the ship that Starbuck came back on.
the Radar just showed the direction of earth but only when the other 4 revealed themselves.
2 of them even said something was going on with the ship,, and starbuck found that tuning the radar shoed the “wormhole”
NOTHING else explains why the ship returned in 100% showroom floor condition..
and HOW it knows where earth is..
the 5th and final Cylon is the ship.
by the way I LOVE YOUR THEORY OF THE HUMAN RACE IS THE LAST CYLON
that is just fracking awesome and would end the Galactica Saga on a note that no other movie or minni series has ever ended on
well as it seems i might well have been wrong.
It seems as if Earth is in the same shape Caprica was left in after the Cylon nuclear attack… a baren waste land…
so,,
This has all happened before and it will happen again.
but does this mean the earthlings are in search of caprica and when they get there they will see the same thing.
and decide the settle there as the galactica people will do on earth?
and in the future it will all happen again ?
as you heard in the sneak peak of the next episode someone says “you’re the 5th!?”
so the 5th still is one person it seems.
and the visions of baltar and the 6 taking athena’s baby still remain as they are.
many things are yet to unfold and only the coming episodes will reveal the truth.
thank god for Tivo!!!
Didn’t the chief and his late wife have a child together? Wouldn’t the child be the last cylon or human-cylon hybrid. Or, now there are 2 human-cylon hybrids. Therefore, half + half = one final cylon…
In the HUB episode, when they show the bodies ready to be reborn, they show a face of a cylon skin job that doesn’t match the known models. Could that be the final cylon?
New theory -
If we go on the info thats been leaked so far
(1) The final cylon isn’t in the last supper picture
(2) The last cylon isn’t with the fleet
(3) Info states that the series has already given clues to who the final cylon is
Combining the above it has to be someone whose already died and has now been resurrected or who is on the cylon ship. Whoever it is I think sent Starbuck back to the fleet with the strange viper which helped find Earth. Now add in the clues from razor -
“Soon there will be four, glorious in awakening, struggling with the knowledge of their true selves.”
This is the awakening of the four at the nebula.
“The pain of revelation bringing new clarity and in the midst of confusion, he will find her.”
This is Leoben finding Kara.
“Enemies brought together by impossible longing.”
Cylon and human both wanting the final five.
“Enemies now joined as one.”
Cyclon’s and humans working together against the resurrection hub.
“The way forward at once unthinkable, yet inevitable.”
Cylon and human going to earth together.
“And the fifth, still in shadow, will claw toward the light, hungering for redemption that will only come in the howl of terrible suffering.”
As yet this hasn’t happened but it indicates the last cylon did something terrible, I go with the final cylon destroyed Earth and is trying to bring the humans and cylons together in order to earn redemption. The only one I can pick out for this is Billy after all he was Tory’s predecessor. No other character I can think of fits the clues. Now though we have to wait til next year for a conclusion.
wow. I like the logic about the last cylon. I’m not totally sold that it’s Billy, but anything is possible.
no we dont have to wait til next year.
this was only the mid season season fanale.
it is coming back in JULY not next year.
and no its not billy. that makes no sense at all. but great thought in putting all that together.
claw his way to the light –
indicates to me that this is a literal sense. so he could be underground.
in the wake of terrible suffering –
this to me is another literal wording meaning something is going to happen.
i think the cylons and humans are going to start fighting again…. and amist that,, the 5th will not be able to take it anymore, seeing them fighting AGAIN. and do something or say something to redeem himself or the human or cylon race.
all of this i believe is leading up to what has been said, the humans and cylons have been here before, meaning the same thing happened on earth, and they fled for Caprica or where ever and thus we are where we are today..
i even like the idea that everyone is a cylon…
but the 5th.. billy,,, no i highly doubt it,,, what clues have been lain out to indicate it is billy..? nothing that i can see.
the death of Roslin is also going to be some sort of an event i think…
Uh, sorry dude, but the show is NOT coming back in July. It’s returning in 2009. Perhaps you confused the Stargate Atlantis commercial with BSG.
Vic
Hera isn’t the first hybrid, she’s the second.
Apollo is the first. His mother is the final Cylon model.
Write that down. You’ll see. She’s been directing this whole thing.
Apollo? Remember the first episode, Apollo had a brother that was killed in flight training. Another Cylon?
Okay, so here’s something that has me a little confused. We know that Six is a Cylon. We know now that Saul is also a Cylon. But in a recent episode we found out that Saul made Six pregnant, though Cylon’s supposedly can’t procreate on their own. Now I was a little hazy about whether Six was actually pregnant or not, but one of the web only excerpts verified it explicitly.
Anyway, back to my overall point: if Cylon’s can indeed procreate on their own, I think that changes the landscape considerably.
yeah i think your right about the atlantis commercial.
thanks for pointing that out.
but i havent seen anything where it says 2009.
but then again i dont live and breath BG or sci-crap channel. i just watch a few shows here and there.
and your right Baltar’s eyebrow,,, have we forgotten about the pregnant 6?
what happened to her i dont recall. Athena killed the 6 from the base ship onboard galacica, so we know that wasnt her. but what happened to the jailed 6?
so if it is TRUE and the 6 was pregnant instead of a bluff by Adama, then that pushes more evidence towards the theory that everyone is a cylon but only the early models cant procreate…
interesting thought,,,,
Apollo’s mom,,, hhmm,,,
i ask though what clues have been given to insinuate that his mother is the 5th?
not much has been said about her thruought the series, we know she isnt with the fleet,,, hmm i dont know much else about her other than she died.
For me it’s not about the 5th right now i am more interested in the heartfelt parts of the story.
What will become of Adama when Roslin dies?
He said he cant live without her…
will Apollo and Starbuck bump uglies again? or will he pull rank and say he can’t because he is president and it wouldnt be right for the government and military to cross swords like that.
what about Mr. Gaida or Kada or Kaida how ever you spell his name.
he still looks like death warmed over, will they kill him off ? his injury was just too much and his body gave up?
what about star buck,,,, is she going to take over as #2 if adama stays on as Admiral? or will she become fleet admiral if Adama steps down, which, if Roslin dies i bet he is going to step down and that really only leaves Kira as the next inline, in my eyes anyways.
but here is a thought also,,
why was the ship sent back with Starbuck in show room floor condition… why did that happen.. what roll does that play into the plot?
and for god’s sake HOW did it happen,,,, i am not sure i understand the signifigance of that…
the ship comes back thru the worm hole in showroom floor condition….. why…
Yeah, when Six turned up pregnant my first thought was “WTF?” How does one Cylon impregnate another?
Vic
I don’t know who the final Cylon is, though my gut feeling and long- time suspicion is that it’s Baltar.
Like an earlier poster, I’ve noticed that in the opening credits, Baltar is shown getting blown up while grasping the blonde (cylone) woman, so it’s possible that his psyche/ memories/ personality became affixed to hers, so that when she was ‘resurrected,’ he remained connected to her in some way, and /or a mix up occurred where a physical copy of his body was made, at least as a one time mistake.
Good points have been raised in favor of the final Cylon being Star Buck / Kara.
It is strange that Star Buck apparently “died” at one point and has had instincts and visions.
There is some funny business going on with the Gaeta character, but he is, IMO, such a second-tier character that I can’t imagine him being the final guy.
Maybe having ’2nd-rate’ characters was okay for the final 4 characters, but I’d assume for THE final one, the show would select more of a central character.
Someone above gave the link to another site that reproduced the lyrics to Gaeta’s song.
I might post this idea there too-
but I wouldn’t necessarily read into that song as being a clue that Gaeta is the final cylon. If you will recall, the people in the fleet have written Scriptures.
There have been episodes where the lady President has been shown holding a book, that is, a copy of their sacred writings.
It’s possible that Gaeta’s song comes from that ‘Bible,’ and that their Bible contains those lines/ prophecies.
(In our Old Testament, the Pslams are made up of song lyrics by King David, and this series does like to play off religions, from Judiasm to Greek / Roman mythology.)
I’ve tried not to read too much into the “Last Supper” BSG image.
TV show writers, producers,and directors have been known to intentionally mis-lead show fans before.
And sometimes they do so, as has been mentioned before, by being only technically correct (e.g., the suggestion that you’re seeing a “human” Kara in the photo,but that the Kara we know is a Cylon or something of that nature.)
That way, they can be deceitful with fans of the show, but they can justify their position by saying their comments were technically true.
I do think that the clue about the final cylon wanting redemption is a strong one, and I see only a few show characters who fit that, most notably Baltar and Kara.
I’d also include Eye Patch fella too (since he killed his wife in a previous episode), but since he’s been “outed” as a cylon already, I guess he’s out of the picture.
I don’t care for the “Battlestar itself is the final cylon” idea. All along, it’s been presented as though the final Cylon is an individual.
Also, it brings to mind “Moya” or whatever the ship was called on Far Scape.
P.S. I also don’t care for the idea that the final Cylon is all of humanity, and/or
that all the colonials are really cylons
and/or they’re all Cylons and this whole ordeal is a simulation put-on to see if (and how) they can destroy actual humans.
Those are all clever ideas, so I don’t mean to put it down, but I guess I don’t like it for this particular show because it’s been done before.
I recall an episode of the cartoon “Family Guy” where baby Stewie has a huge gun fight with his mom, but at the end, we discover it was all a computer simulation he came up with.
That idea in turn came from some other show or movie that came out some time ago, but for for the life of me, I can’t think of what it was.
Well… BSG was released in Europe before it was here, I don’t know when, so maybe it’s possible Family Guy was actually ripping off BSG.
Another reason why I don’t think the final Cylon will be all of humanity or a simulation…
The BSG show seems to be patterned after Homer’s epic poem, the ‘Odyssey.’
(I realize that the original show creator was a Mormon, and that plays into it as well).
It seems to me to be a straight forward sci-fi version of a classic theme (from the Odyssey):
Hero on a journey trying to make his way back home, gets into lots of adventures along the way.
What was that movie Arnold Schwarzenegger was in where his character was cloned?
At some point in the film, the “Arnold” you assume was the original Arnold was actually the clone all along, then the clone and the original decide to buddy-up to defeat the bad guys.
I just did a google of it. The movie was called ‘The Sixth Day.’
Gary Sinise was in a similar sci-fi movie (“Imposter”), where he discovers he’s a clone.
After I post this, I’ll no doubt come up with a million other movies or shows that are the same (clones who think they’re originals but are the copies).
The one about the entire show/movie story revealed as a simulation at the end still eludes me, but I know I’ve seen it before somewhere.
Someone above wrote,
:We know that Six is a Cylon. We know now that Saul is also a Cylon. But in a recent episode we found out that Saul made Six pregnant, though Cylon’s supposedly can’t procreate on their own.”
Even if Eye Patch Guy had sex with the Cylon Gal (and I guess he did, the doctor found some sort of medical evidence), it may not follow that he is the baby’s daddy.
I don’t know the time line of how long Blonde Gal was in the prison cell, or how long Cylon gals stay pregnant (is it 9 months as it is for humans?), but is it possible that she was *already* pregnant before having sex with Mr. Eye Patch?
If so, someone else could be the father of the baby.
P.P.S. I read some good reasons for Lee Adama’s brother (is Zack his name?) being the last cylon at another blog. So maybe it’s him.
Goodness, there are several excellent choices here; it’s hard for me to make up my mind.
Everyone at these blogs comes up with great reasons and supporting details from the series to make good cases for their candidates.