Battlestar Blogging

This past weekend's episode of Battlestar Galactica has proven once again that writer/director/producer Ron Moore's idea of taking real-world events and applying them to his show is producing interesting results.

In this episode, two major issues were addressed: abortion and treason. In the first case, President Roslin decides that should Sharon and Helo's Human/Cylon hybrid child come to term, it might prove a grave danger to the fleet and orders the pregnancy terminated. A last-minute epiphany by Dr. Baltar saved both the child and the cancer-ridden president.

The second issue, that of treason, was interestingly played out. At the beginning of the episode, it is discovered that someone has sabotaged the ammunition used by the Viper squadrons. After an investigation, it is found that the sabotage was perpetrated by an organization of peace protestors who want Admiral Adama to surrender to the Cylons to stop the fighting and bloodshed. In the meantime, another saboteur almost destroys the tyllium refinery ship, which is responsible for providing fuel to Galactica, Pegasus, and all the other ships in the fleet.

It is eventually revealed that the principle organizer of the peace protestors is a Number Six model Cylon - the same Cylon who killed Admiral Cain after being freed by Baltar.

In many ways, there are vast parallels with real-world situations. Many of the peace organizations today receive funding and aid from enemy organizations and nations. International ANSWER, for example, receives money from the World Workers Party, which in turn, has recived funds from various anti-American nations, such as North Korea and Cuba. The founder of International ANSWER, Ramsey Clark, is currently serving as Saddam Hussein's defense attorney in Iraq.

It will be interesting to see what other real-world events play out in Battlestar Galactica.