Among the many (many, many, many) huge revelations during the latest episode of Battlestar Galactica was the fact that there was another Cylon, model Number 7. It might seem odd to suddenly introduce a new Cylon after we thought we learned the identity of the final Cylon, but it makes perfect sense.
First, Boomer was model Number 8, so the seventh model was always missing. And second, though there was a Biblical connection with the number 12, the fact that there was a 13th tribe should naturally mean there are 13 Cylons. The bigger question is: who is this Daniel?
From what we learned, Number 7, aka Daniel, was destroyed, likely never to return. Brother Cavil killed him out of rage, so learning more about Daniel will be difficult. We know he was artistic and that he was killed by Cavil before the second Cylon War. This means we probably haven’t seen him before.
However, in his podcast for “No Exit,” Ronald D. Moore shed some light on this mysterious Cylon, saying that he is connected to the upcoming prequel series Caprica. Indeed, that show has a main character named Daniel. Played by Eric Stoltz, he is the original creator of the Cylons, so at the very least, Ellen Tigh and the others probably named Number 7 after the creator of the Caprica Cylons.
It’s fascinating to watch this unfold because what “No Exit” did, aside from explain nearly all of our unanswered questions, was set the stage for Caprica. That series will be set several years before the first Cylon War, so all the backstory about the Centurion uprising and desire to create skinjobs of their own is feeding right into what will become the mythology of the new series.
Other than that, it’s unlikely Daniel will make a major impact on Battlestar Galactica. Part of me still hopes that Daniel is actually Zak Adama, Lee’s brother who wasn’t cut out to be a Viper pilot. I’ve always suspected Zak of being a Cylon, and even though he wasn’t the much discussed “final Cylon,” perhaps he still was just a machine.
Whether we’ll get more answers about Daniel is unclear, but what is certain is that Ellen Tigh will be coming aboard the Galactica in this week’s episode, which should provide even more answers and tense situations for the crew. Battlestar Galactica airs Fridays at 10pm on the Sci Fi Channel.
-John Kubicek, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image courtesy of the Sci Fi Channel)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
