Has the Cylon Plan Changed?
Below are some thoughts about the oft-mentioned Cylon plan, and a theory about some of the things that happened in the first episode of Battlestar Galactica’s fourth season.
The opening credits for the first episode of Season Four did not contain the familiar words about the infamous Cylon plan. Instead the wording was sparse, focusing on the human survivors and their quest towards Earth. Asking why the plan was not mentioned seems like a good idea, especially given the sudden Cylon retreat in the battle that was the centerpiece of the episode.
Has the Cylon plan changed? Not just the Cylon plan for the battle, but the Cylon plan itself, the infamous overarching plan for the end of the human raced?
There have certainly been shifts, hints, and overt indications that the Cylons are prone to manipulation from internal and external forces. The more we get to know the Cylons, the less they have become robotic overlords bent on human domination and the more we see them as beings just as prone to vulnerabilities, emotions, and dissent as their human enemies.
It’s an interesting thought, especially given the prophesy given by the Cylon hybrid in Razor. Various versions of prophesy transcripts exist around the net and the wording of each one is slightly different, but the general themes of dissent and redemption are the same. The best version I have found is up on Battlestar Wiki, but feel free to link your favorite.
The prophesy indicates that the Cylons and humans will work together at some point to find Earth, and while that makes sense in the context of the show it was probably not part of the original Cylon plan. There is also talk of the painful redemption of the Final Cylon, indicating that the model is far from the perfect and pure being that the Cylons envisioned themselves to be in Season One.
If the Cylons had a plan when they destroyed Caprica, it is natural to think that plan has been modified by this point - or perhaps jettisoned all together.
April 9th, 2008 at 8:11 am
The more I think about redemption, the more I think that Gaius is to become Jesus.
As he’s said, he’s sinned horribly and wants forgiveness. As he’s said, he thinks himself the instrument of the one true God. As he’s said, he’s willing to die to save another… which means he’s got healing powers.
Finally, as the bsgcast.com people pointed out, that line in the prophesy, “And the fifth, still in shadow, will claw toward the light, hungering for redemption that will only come in the howl of terrible suffering.” could easily point to Baltar’s torture at the hands of the colonials and the Cylons.
Indeed, it’s easy to see how ‘Gaius’ can be mistaken for ‘Jesus’ by the people of earth.
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Yes, I do think the Cylons have a plan, but I don’t think that plan was decided upon by the countless skinjobs who seem to be in charge. Remember, someone created them–someone we haven’t seen yet… Like in Assimov’s Foundation series, one man with some formulas to predict the future created a plan to save the galaxy, and layed the groundwork for what was to come. There existed two Foundations–the one governed by people which would eventually create a utopia in the galaxy… and the secret one, that no one knew existed, that polished the clockwork of the former to ensure success.
I believe we’ll see a similar situation here…
So the fragmentation of the Cylons, the confusion between the two races, the failure at New Caprica, the joining together at earth… All of these things are still part of the Plan.
They took the Plan out of the credits to fool us, to make us doubt, so that when the final revelation does come, we will more truly believe than ever.
April 10th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
I’m not sure Gaius has healing powers in the magical sense, but i am seeing the link to Jesus. Keep in mind, Six has a large part in his changed belief in god.
April 18th, 2008 at 8:04 am
[...] that this site is bedded in and ticking over, and since now, like the Cylons (only follow that link if you’ve watched season 3), I Have A Plan, I’m going to start [...]