HINTS AND CLUES IN GUN ON ICE PLANET ZERO
The second episode of Battlestar Galactica, in order of filming, was Gun on Ice Planet Zero, written by Leslie Stevens, Don Bellisario, and Michael Sloan, although it is fifth in order aired. Excepting the premiere, Gun had the longest period of gestation of any of the BG scripts actually shot, being based on a very early script by John Ireland originally entitled The Nari of Sentinel 27 and later Crossfire, and dated 11/30/77 and 12/8/77. Crossfire is in itself fairly uninteresting; a one-hour teleplay that featured some of the central elements of Gun in an episode that was, if anything, even more stereotyped than fans sometimes accuse Gun itself of being. In spite of this, the producers evidently felt that the core of the script, an adventure mingling clones, a lost outpost, and a Cylon superweapon, was sufficient material to develop a two-hour BG movie around (it is worth repeating, because a lot of newer BG fans do not realize this, that in its original form BG was to consist of the three-hour premiere and two two-hour movies, with possibly more to follow; one of the two-hour movies was obviously Gun and we cannot be certain what the other movie would have been).CYLON
We found two dead humanoids in the wreckage.
VULPA
Only two?
CYLON
The rest escaped in a Snow Ram. We found it abandoned on the plateau.
Now we all know that ABC wanted to
make BG safe for the family hour. Presumably two warriors were
originally killed in the crash of the shuttleperhaps the mysterious Mira
and Stafford from the cast list, or perhaps Vickers and Voight, but ABC
objected and the deaths were expunged, to survive only by mistake in a piece of Cylon
dialogue.
Fans who have read Thurstons
novelization of the episode are familiar with the scene in which Tenna offers to
warm Starbuck up (as if he needs help!); an interesting bit of description
accompanies these lines: (Note*: to be shot so the following two lines can be cut
from the TV release.). Presumably Larson et al were considering the
likelihood of releasing Gun as a feature film overseas.
A very small edit removes a nice bit of
warmth from the episode:
TENNA
We were thought to be sterile. It was a Cylon prerequisite to maintain the purity of the
Theta life form.
SER 5-9
(smiles)
But we have been bearing children.
BOOMER
And hiding them.
TENNA
Yes. We love them.
Youve got to wonder who makes
these decisions.
Following almost immediately upon this
is a scene in which Thane tries to rape Leda; no surprise that she practically chokes him
to death. Immediately after this scene Thane splits from the group to go it on his own,
leading to his capture and suicide.
When we first encounter Ravashol there
is another interesting piece of description that I think again is probably the work of
Leslie Stevens: The scientist looks like Lenin with graying hair and with a quality
of abstract thought. Ravashol is subtly deformed as though his spine were twisted by the
forces which flow through his being. The deformity makes him isolate, lonely, vulnerable,
the way Lautrec was cut off by his dwarfism or Liebnitz by his hunchback. His clothing is
simple, dark, almost Maoist in its plainness. Appearance means absolutely nothing to this
man.
Another indication that this script was
retyped in rather a hurry, or at least not edited very well, is scene 187-188 and scene
188-A. The first features Imperious Leader ordering Vulpa to initiate random firing down
the corridor along which the Galactica and fleet must pass, while the second
features Baltar, using the exact same dialogue, giving Vulpa his orders. Following on
188-A is 188-B, a slightly different and somewhat more amusing version of Vulpa ordering
Cree dumped into the cold cell:
VULPA
Anything?
CENTURION
Occasionally. But it is always cluttered with these female images.
VULPA
Strange. Take him to a cold cell. I will examine his cortex later.
Of course the unfortunate Cadet Cree is hardly the only Colonial warrior with women on his mind; heres a brief Starbuck-Tenna scene didnt make the final cut:
STARBUCK
Listen
if we ever get out of here
Id like to try an experiment of my own
in human engineering. But Ill need some help.
TENNA III
The Clone Female Series was designed for pleasure.
STARBUCK
Id noticed
Id sure like to check out the design. Dont let me
forget.
TENNA III
I dont think youll need reminding.
Likely not!
CROFT
I guess its back to the grid barge.
ADAMA
No. Youre needed on the Galactica
Commander.
One regret I have and that I believe
a number of fans share is that Croft, like Dietra in Lost Planet of the Gods,
never turned up in a later episode; indeed there seems to have been no thought of doing so
in spite of the fact that the character was a memorable one and well-played by Roy
Thinnes.
Fans have complained that Gun on Ice
Planet Zero is stereotyped and an obvious take-off on Alistair McLeans Guns
of Navarone. It may be that, but its also an adventurous episode that introduced
several enduring characters to the BG canon. Given the pressure that it and the
rest of the series was produced under, it remains a notable achievement and in my view one
of the more interesting episodes of the series.
�1999, Susan J. Paxton