Characters appearing or mentioned in this episode

Didja Notice?

At 2:37 on the Blu-ray, we see an old Colonial document that promotes Saul Tigh to the post of Junior Executive Officer, signed at Aegoron, Aerion. "Aegoron, Aerion" is an unknown location, though it may be that Aerion is a typo of Aerilon (one of the Twelve Colonies).     Seconds later, an old copy of Commander Adama's military record is seen. The record shows that Adama was born in the small Caprican coastal town of Qualai. In the Caprica episode "Know thy Enemy", Philomon was also shown to have been born there.     Adama's record also shows he served aboard the battlestars Atlantia, Columbia, and Valkyrie before Galactica.

It seems that Bulldog learned to fly a Cylon Raider as Starbuck did in "Scar".

At 9:04 on the Blu-ray, Bulldog's real name shows on the analysis screen as Eugene Novacek rather than the credited Daniel Novacek. "Eugene" was a name used in an earlier draft of the script (as well as was "Seamus").

Admiral Adama remarks that Bulldog disappeared about three years ago (in "Endings and Beginnings").

At 11:00 on the Blu-ray, Adama remarks to Bulldog, "You had me worried there for a moment. I thought maybe the Cylons had beaten the bullshit attitude out of you." In the original airing of the episode on Sci-Fi, the line was cut (for use of the word "bullshit").

Bulldog relates that on the basestar on which he was held, the Cylons started getting really sick, but he seemed to be immune. That's when he was able to overpower one of his captors and escape. By the end of this episode, it seems as if the illness must have been faked by the Cylons, to cash in on the Colonial fleet's knowledge of the plague that struck the basestar found in "Torn" and investigated in "A Measure of Salvation".

In the flashback sequences to Adama's time as commander of the Valkyrie, he is erroneously shown with admiral's insignia on his uniform. He was still just a commander then, only promoted to Admiral in "Resurrection Ship" Part 2. 

The best images of the battlestar Valkyrie in this episode:

The Galactica door Number Three runs into is labeled "End of Line", a hint that we're witnessing her dream, not reality. The phrase has been used in a Cylon context in a number of past episodes, particularly in the Caprica series.

Number Three sees the same opera house in her death vision that Baltar saw in "Kobol's Last Gleaming" Part 2 (really the Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada).

Adama's resignation letter to President Roslin names Apollo to succeed him as commander of the fleet.

The engraved invitation President Roslin hands Adama at 39:21 on the Blu-ray reads on the cover, "William Adama, Our Admiral, Our Leader, Our Friend", and, on the inside, "Join The Presidential Anointing of the Medal of Distinction to William Adama, For His 45 Years of Courageous Service".

When Colonel Tigh enters Adama's quarters at 42:37 on the Blu-ray, notice that he is now wearing a plastic eye patch, not gauze as he did until now since losing his right eye. The more formal eye patch, in addition to him wearing his uniform again, may be his way silently indicating to his friend and commander that he wants to resume his post as XO. Tigh then says, "I could use a drink," and Adama simply says, "Me too," and pours them both shots, despite the fact that Adama has tried to get Tigh to cut down on his drinking; this suggests that Adama is acknowledging they both have their faults and guilts and is silently saying, "I missed you, old friend...welcome back."

At the end of the Moore/Eick closing credits joke of the episode, Moore says, "Back masking" and Eick responds, "Turn Me on, dead man." This is a reference to the alleged back masking (reverse-play) of a portion of the 1968 Beatles composition "Revolution 9", where the lyrics "Number 9", when played in reverse, seem to say "Turn me on, dead man," (a phrase which some Beatles fans at the time took to mean that the "missing" Paul McCartney had died).

Notes from the audio commentary by Ron Moore on the Blu-ray release

Ron Moore jokingly remarks that Bulldog was assigned to live on the same ship that Boxey was sent to. In Sagittarius is Bleeding, Boxey is living on the Peacemaker.

Notes from the audio commentary by David Eick on the Blu-ray release

Eick remarks that the scene of Tigh testing his peripheral vision with a cigarette was inspired by a similar scene in the 1979 film Rocky II, in which the eponymous character was in danger of losing part, or all, of his eyesight if he continued boxing.

Notes from the deleted scenes on the Blu-ray release

Bulldog explains that he found the fleet by jumping to various coordinates stored in the Raider's navigational computer and he eventually wound up at the fleet. (This also implies the Cylons knew where the fleet was already...why didn't they just attack it?) 

Unanswered Questions

How was the Valkyrie able to track the Stealthstar on DRADIS? If they could track it that way, couldn't the Cylons do the same?

When Adama later calls for volunteer pilots and crew for the planned assault against the Cylon Colony in the upcoming "Daybreak" Part 1, does Bulldog volunteer?