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Old February 3rd, 2005, 08:01 AM   #2
Eric Paddon
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This is the first episode from a chronological standpoint that I have yet to tackle as an adaptation. And mostly that's because one of my oldest fanfic projects from long ago was a sequel to this episode that involves a Pegasus team returning to the planet of this episode (Equellas) in search of resources they need (this being one yahren or so after the events of "Living Legend") and I came up with the notion that Vella's husband Martin, the Colonial Warrior who had been stranded there had in fact been a Pegasus warrior.

If I were to redo this episode, I would certainly include a scene of Apollo studying the wreckage of the old viper and being able to tell perhaps from the helmet which ship Martin had come from. If he were to learn it was in fact a Pegasus warrior, then at the same time this would be something Apollo would not bring up by the time of Living Legend because I think the other thing that needs to get stressed a bit more in a redo is how this experience leaves an additional scar of sorts on Apollo. He's just coming off the loss of Serina in LPOTG, and potentially finds himself thrust in a situation where he could see an opportunity to have a life safe and secure from the problems of the war with Vella and Puppis, but what ultimately overrides that temptation is that he has an obligation to Boxey to get back to him, as well as to the rest of his family. It can make for a bit of additional emotional angst in Apollo if he's musing about how if he only had no other responsibilities and people he loved and cared for back in the Fleet, it would be easy for him to just remain stranded.

And because Apollo goes through this bit of angst, this is why he never says a word about this experience to anyone after he gets back. We see a sign of this in the episode itself when he ignores Starbuck's question of what happened to him. I think Apollo would in a way look back on this event and feel ashamed that he ever felt tempted by the possibility of staying to begin with and would never want to admit that he pondered the idea, especially once he's back among the people he loves most. At any rate, one would see Apollo develop a determination to never let himself be tempted again and this could also help later on explain his quick and easy brush-off of Sarah's proposition in "Greetings From Earth" (and on another level further explain his general desire to not get involved seriously with a woman, thus giving an additional reason for his reluctance to act on whatever feelings he might have for Sheba prior to "Hand Of God").

Anyway, those are my musings on how this episode can ultimately be redone more in a way to further deepen Apollo's character and set the stage better on a subliminal level for some events in future episodes. As to the rest of the episode itself, one other thing that needs to be made more clear IMO is an explanation of how Apollo is all alone by himself at the outset surrounded by Cylons. Surely he didn't go out on patrol by himself? One would assume that another warrior went with him and was killed perhaps in the ambush by the Cylon patrol (maybe one of the lesser experienced recruits from LPOTG). This would at least help better explain how Apollo ends up in this predicament to begin with, and it should also make for some additional musings of regret over the loss of a patrol wingmate at some point in the story.

General thoughts at least. Hopefully at some point I can finally get this episode done in the overall project. Thoughts from anyone else on what they'd do with this episode to improve it in the overall scheme of things?
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