Why does Anders stay with Starbuck, when she treats him like crap? How will Col. Tigh deal with learning he's a totally different person than he thought he was? What's up with Tory's sexuality? Michael Trucco (Anders), Rekha Sharma (Tory), and Michael Hogan (Tigh) answered these, and several other questions yesterday at New York Comic-Con. Plus we saw a new trailer that included some important scenes from upcoming episodes. Spoilers after the jump.
Before the questioning even began, Sci Fi screened a quickie trailer spliced together with scenes from episodes to come. It's hard to say what's fact and what is fiction with all the character dream sequences that have happened so far in BSG, but this is what I put together from mere half seconds of footage.
Adama Knows — Or Does He?
Adama figures out who the four cylons are aboard his ship. I based this on a quickie moment where you see Adama drinking next to Chief Tyrol and Adama leans over and sneers, "I guess they can't take being married to a cylon." Plus there seems to be a huge Tigh and Adama fist fight in the works from a quickly cut scene where the two were throwing down.
Chief Loses Faith And Some Hair
Granted, the Chief never had that much religion to begin with, besides stating that he was son of a prophet and figuring out the Eye of Jupiter. But a bald chief takes a run at a cylon screaming something about their one true god.
Starbuck Loses The Little Sanity She Has Left
Starbuck opens a notebook and looks on in shock as the number '6' has been written over and over again.
Bump In The Road To Earth
Starbuck's command is being challenged and it's down to the wire problems take over her Mission: Find Earth trip. I based this on a lot Starbucks crew members yelling at her and then eventually Helo (on the communicator) that they only had a little time left. Yeah this one's a little predictable it's not like they were just going to find Earth in the next episode, or do they?
Important Questions Answered, Or No Commented
Q: What was your initial reaction when you heard you were going to be a cylon?
Michael Hogan: For me it was disbelief. As Hogan it was disbelief. I thought that's kitschy that's cheap. Of everybody who's ever been on Battlestar Galactica, Col. Tigh was second to last of who should be a cylon. And so I thought of course it's obvious that will be the surprise. So I didn't believe it, I didn't like it. I had actually said numerous times once we were shooting Battlestar Galactica, am I ever glad that I'm not playing a cylon. But over the four years that we've been doing this. The powers that be have never steered me wrong, I may have disagreed with them, and sometimes they go along with me. But when they've stuck to their guns, I mean wow look what they put Tigh through so I got to stick with them
Rekha Sharma: I was so excited. I started squealing in my room. I came out and told my friends what I just read. And then I proceed to behave really calmly because it was an early draft, things could change, don't get too excited you could get knock off early... [fake yells] But I'm going to be a cylon. I'm still here so we'll see how that goes.
Michael Trucco: My first reaction was, so I guess I'm coming back. I was only supposed to be around for two episodes. Somehow I hood winked them into keeping me around for about 20 more. It was great it, it was obviously a bit of a surprise for all of us. I got teased and you largely think that they are bullshitting you because there are so many rumors and lies. I kept thinking there is no way in hell that they would pick me as a cylon. When I found out I read ahead, the first thing I did was call Ron and David and tried to figure out what were the implications for our character. How does this reconcile the last two and a half years, suddenly we have this new found identity. So we worked it out and I think it worked out pretty good.
How did you work with "All Along The Watchtower?"
Michael Hogan: I had Bob Dylan's version and Hendrix's version in my trailer. I of course was alive when that first came out. These fools weren't, it was just too much to have them in my trailer it cranked it to the max and Hendrix is just wailing away. And Rekha, 'going oh my god.' So I thought, "Welcome aboard."
Do the actors treat you differently now that you're cylons?
Michael Hogan: That's all backstage. They treat us with great respect.
Michael Trucco: They were jealous.
Did you get any backstory for Tory? Does she always cry during sex?
Rekha Sharma: They did not create a backstory for Tory besides her job. I spoke to Ron Moore at a party. He said he would love to know what my thoughts were. I got to be part of a collaborative experience of creating my characters backstory so that's really fun and really exciting.
Michael Trucco: Who did the crying during sex part?
Rekha Sharma: Michael Angeli is responsible for that. Apparently there is some person he knew through someone, this is a true story apparently. So he wanted me to carry that torch.
Michael Trucco: You didn't cry when you were with Anders?
Rekha Sharma: Hell no... my personal choice was to make that a lie because I wasn't happy to be in bed with the guy who ruined my life on New Caprica.
Does being a cylon change how you feel about the show?
Michael Hogan: Hearing that Col. Tigh is a cylon. Its like all of a sudden you develop schizophrenia... All of a sudden a switch doesn't go off in your head and you go, 'oh I'm a cylon.' Tigh had been through so much in his life. With substance abuse [and] dealing with being incarcerated. He will often lose his balance. So now this thing of hearing this music in his head it isn't oh I'm a cylon and now I see things in a different way. It's trying to deal with what is this. And if I'm a cylon, if it's true I'm an awful danger. I have to deal with this because I'm the oldest man probably alive. I've had more battle combat than anyone alive. So if I'm a cylon and something is going to snap I've got to watch out. So it's not a comfortable thing to deal with. If I am a cylon, then I'm a dangerous person — then I've got to watch out.
Is Ellen coming back?
Michael Hogan: I'm not sure because I didn't see the promo for that. But an interesting thing for BSG, if you read a script where you're shot you don't have to worry about it because there are flashbacks and dreams. It was this season opener where I take the gun up and shoot Adama. And I imagined that. But that actually was a good scene because that shows you how Tigh is reacting to being a cylon. If there was an indication that Ellen is coming back... I haven't stopped thinking about Ellen since I had to take her life. So who knows what will happen?
What is it about Starbuck that keeps you coming back?
Michael Trucco: Yeah I have a thing for angry sex. I mean Anders. It's a survival instinct, isn't it? Think about this: I probably hooked up with one of the most powerful women left. There are only like 40,000 of us left so I'm kind of hedging my bets. If I'm going to hook up with somebody there's not a lot of options out there. She treats me like shit but my survival instinct it matters more than me. To be living is probably best secured being in the company of Starbuck and Galactica. There is a survival aspect to that. Yes there's a love and a loyalty, but the relationship has been tumultuous to say the least. Now we've added this new-found layer. I think the beginning of this season I think we saw Anders need to relate. He's looking for a kindred spirit. Anders has this secret that he desperately wants to tell her and hopes that she already knows it. I think there's a certain attraction to the volatility.
Are you going to keep the eye patch (as a souvenir)?
[Michael Hogan rolls his eyes and mouths, "No."]
Are there rules to pyramid ball?
Michael Trucco: We did establish some rules. It's a really, really difficult game. It's harder and a lot less sensible than cricket because I don't understand cricket at all.
What did you think about the final cylon I know you can't say who it is but what did you think when you heard who the final cylon was?
Michael Hogan: We can't comment on that.