By Kenn Gold
This story contains major spoiler elements from the final season of Battlestar Galactica.
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Richard Houdolin, Production Designer, explains the secrets of the Cylon control room to press tour members. |
Production on the final 22 hours of season 4 of Battlestar Galactica is currently underway in Vancouver. An extended two-hour episode, “Razor,” will premiere in November 2007, setting the stage for the rest of the season to commence in 2008. The SCI FI Channel invited members of the online press to the set of the show last week, and gave them unprecedented access to the cast and soundstages where the show is filmed. Several spoilers were revealed during the panel discussion, and in the tour of the Cylon basestar and hanger deck sets.
Actor Aaron Douglas, who plays Chief Tyrol, dominated the panel discussion with his funny stories and animated way of telling them. Part of what he said though is sure to raise the spoiler flag for the SCI FI Channel’s flag ship show. Douglas revealed that the final 5 Cylons are in fact a different breed of Cylon than the human form versions that attacked the colonies. These 5 in fact are the original Cylon’s, are immortal, and are the Cylon Gods. Apparently, the repeating theme within the show, that all of this has happened before, and will happen again is going to be explored in the final season. But it was clear that the implications are that the Cylon’s rose before in the distant past of the colonies, and will rise again.
Another secret let out of the bag, perhaps unintentionally, was revealed during the press tour of the sound stages led by Richard Hudolin, Production Designer, and Doug Maclean, Art Director for the series. During the visit to the Cylon control room, it was said that filming had just finished on a battle sequence on another Cylon set for episode 4 of Season 4. Press tour members were led through a Cylon conference room where an explosion had occurred, and where the walls were filled with bullet holes. The scene was also spattered in blood.
Apparently the sequence involves a sort of mini-rebellion with some Cylon centurions rebelling against their skinjob Cylon masters, and the battle damaged set is the result From the debris scattered about, the numerous bullet holes in the walls, and the shattered glass of the conference room, it would appear that the Centurions are not very happy about being enslaved, much as their ancestors were enslaved by the humans, which led to the first Cylon war.
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SyFyPortal.com’s Michael Hinman and MediaBlvd Magazine Editor, Kenn Gold, pose in front of the pristine viper. |
Also of note from the set was the existence of a brand new viper model, briefly seen at the end of the Season 3 finale, and flown by Starbuck upon her return from the dead. This new viper has apparently been totally rebuilt, much to the dismay of the fleet, which leads to speculation from the other characters that Starbuck is in fact a Cylon. The viper was the backdrop for press tour members to have their pictures taken on the set.
Battlestar Galactica is the gripping drama of human survival against unimaginable odds. When the Cylon robots rose against their human creators, they launched a devastating nuclear attack that left less than 50,000 survivors. On the run and in search of a new home, the last remnants of humanity struggle against waning supplies, weapons and hope. In addition to winning a prestigious Peabody Award, the series has been honored as one of the 10 Outstanding Television Programs of the Year by the American Film Institute (AFI) for two years running.
The series is from NBC Universal Television Studio and is executive produced by Ronald D. Moore and David Eick. Its stellar cast is led by Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia Helfer and Grace Park.
