Battlestar Galactica - Cylon Discussion #12: Because we each have our favourite toasters

**crazy_diamond** · 03-19-2010, 05:21 AM

by Fade to Black

Although a Cavil once posed as a member of the Colonial clergy, this Cylon model actually tends to show little respect for religion. Instead, the Cavils are ruthlessly pragmatic, cynical and even sadistic. They also have a dark sense of humor. Copies of Cavil played critical roles in the detention and torture of humans on New Caprica and later oversaw the boxing of the Number Three model.

This Cylon model has a particularly torturous history with Kara Thrace. Kara interrogated him after he was captured within the Colonial fleet; later he (or another of his copies) held her prisoner in turn on New Caprica. Leoben speaks the language of fate, destiny and prophecy — sometimes with eerie accuracy — but he has also been established to be an expert liar and manipulator. He remains a cipher. Adding to the confusion surrounding him is a mysterious Leoben look-alike who appeared to Kara in visions just before her death; Kara intuited that this man was not her Cylon nemesis, and thus she accepted his help and guidance.

A beautiful Cylon leader, Number Three seems to be confident that whatever she's doing is right — whether her fellow Cylons agree or not. This was fine as long as she believed in maintaining the status quo, but when religious visions inspired her to rock the boat, her position among her people grew precarious. Heedlessly, she pursued a quest to learn Cylon spiritual secrets, including the identities of the Final Five. She died following an overpowering vision of these mysterious beings. Her fellow Cylons then "boxed" her entire model in response to her deviant behavior, shutting down every Number Three copy and placing their knowledge and memories in cold storage — perhaps forever.

After a copy of Doral posing as a slick public-relations executive was exposed aboard the Galactica, copies of this versatile Cylon model have shown up in a variety of roles. The Dorals tend to show little sympathy for humans.

This Cylon model tends to adopt the role of a doctor or other logical, scientific figure. One of his incarnations has conducted fertility experiments on Kara Thrace.

This Cylon model may wield her drop-dead looks as a weapon, but she also shows true affection for others and is powerfully devoted to the Cylons' singular deity. Beyond that, her numerous physical bodies each possess varying personalities and roles. One, Caprica Six — whose seduction of Baltar enabled the Cylon destruction of the 12 Colonies — defected to the human fleet with the half-Cylon infant Hera and now languishes in a prison cell aboard the Galactica. Another version, Natalie, is a rising star in the Cylon leadership. Meanwhile, the mysterious manifestation of Six in Baltar's mind claims that God talks to her — and she, in turn, reveals the Word of God to Baltar.

Sharon believed she was a well-liked Raptor pilot (callsign "Boomer") until her true identity as a Cylon infiltrator was revealed. That copy of Sharon was killed on the Galactica (and resurrected on Caprica), but a different avatar of Sharon fell in love with Karl "Helo" Agathon and aided the humans against the Cylons on New Caprica, earning Admiral Adama's trust and winning a commission as an officer and pilot in the Colonial Fleet; she flies under the callsign "Athena." Athena and Helo are married and have a daughter, Hera, the first human-Cylon hybrid. Despite her loyalty to the humans, Sharon Agathon's origins still sometimes provoke tension among her colleagues and within her own mind. Meanwhile, other copies of Sharon — including the resurrected Boomer — continue to live among the Cylons.

She was first introduced to us as the gregarious wife of Saul Tigh. Then the startling revelation of her true identity was made. Now a known member of the Final Five, Ellen's role in Cylon-human interaction is crucial. With her cunning wit and diehard spirit, she never ceases to amaze us. And now, as the series prepares for its end, we are at Ellen's mercy, anxiously waiting to find out what the future will hold for her, the Final Five and humanity.

The Galactica's executive officer is profoundly loyal to Adama — but also tightly wound, embittered and an alcoholic. He has endured unspeakable hardships during a lifetime of battling Cylons, including losing an eye to Cylon torture on New Caprica and being forced to execute his wife, Ellen, for enemy collaboration. Since humanity's escape from that world, Tigh has struggled to overcome the furious hatred and guilt he feels, and to live up to his commander and crew's trust in him. Recently, however, he felt that he was losing his grip on sanity. Then, to his horror, he discovered that he wasn't crazy — instead, a dormant program in his brain had been activated, revealing his true nature. Tigh is a Cylon, one of the mysterious Final Five.

Anders unites the easygoing charisma of the professional athlete he once was with the grim determination of the resistance fighter he became after the Cylon attack. His troubled marriage to Kara Thrace barely survived a strange blend of affectionate dedication (each has risked death to rescue the other) and intense disagreement and betrayal (culminating in Kara's affair with Lee Adama). When Kara was believed to be dead after her Viper exploded in the maelstrom, Anders was devastated. Perhaps to honor her memory, he became a pilot trainee aboard the Galactica. Now, his shock at learning he is one of the Final Five Cylons is matched only by his shock at his wife's miraculous return from the dead.

The Galactica's unpretentious deck chief always stands up for the little guy, whether that means safeguarding the welfare of his enlisted crew, fighting for the human resistance on New Caprica or leading a labor action on behalf of exploited workers. With his many commitments, Tyrol has had to struggle to spend quality time with his wife, Cally, and their infant son, Nicholas (the second human-Cylon hybrid). Recently, he has experienced peculiar intuitions and heard enigmatic music in his head. The explanation for these eerie events is simple but shocking: He is one of the Final Five Cylons.

President Roslin's chief of staff worked in Colonial politics before the apocalyptic Cylon attack. She is an expert at polling, media-spin and behind-the-scenes maneuvering and manipulation. Recently, however, Roslin has noticed that Tory seems off her game, snapping at the press and beginning a spontaneous affair with Sam Anders. Tory's mind is elsewhere for a very good reason: her Cylon programming has activated, revealing her identity as one of the Final Five — a secret that she shares with Anders, Tigh and Tyrol.

Previous Threads
#1: Who Are The Final 5?
#2: Place your bets now on The Final 5!
#3: Who will be revealed as the last cylon!
#4: Place your bets on who the last cylon will be here!
#5: The Revelation Will Surprise Us All
#6:
#7:
#8:
#9:
#10:
#11: We're hoping that The Plan isn't the last we see of them