(Warning! Contains Spoilers)
For those who don't know about the show, it is a story of the surviving human race running from the Cylon army, machines that revolted against humans and are attempting to wipe out humans from existence. Giaus Baltar was the elected President of the humans when the Cylons invade the planet, New Caprica, enslaving the humans.
This scene is the President on trail for treason against humans after they escaped from New Caprica.
Romo Lampkin
Do you believe that the defendant
deserves a fair trial?
deserves a fair trial?
Captain Lee Adama
As a matter of fact, I do.
Romo Lampkin
Why?
Captain Lee Adama
Well, aside from the fact that everyone
deserves a fair trail, I also happen to
believe that he is not guilty of the
charges...
deserves a fair trail, I also happen to
believe that he is not guilty of the
charges...
Prosecution Attorney
Your Honor, I must insist on an exception
here. He cannot testify in this manner,
it's completely improper.
here. He cannot testify in this manner,
it's completely improper.
Captain Lee Adama
I agree.
Prosecution Attorney
He state his arguments in the closing
statement, not on the stand.
statement, not on the stand.
Judge
I'm inclined to agree with the prosecution.
Prosecution Attorney
Thank you.
Admiral William Adama
You can appeal to the president if you
feel this influence is a verdict, but,
I for one, would like to hear this
witness testify.
feel this influence is a verdict, but,
I for one, would like to hear this
witness testify.
Judge 2
I would second that.
Judge
Continue.
Romo Lampkin
Thank you, your honors.
(to Lee Adama)
Mister Adama.
Lee stares at his father.
Romo Lampkin
Mister Adama.
Captain Lee Adama
Yes.
Romo Lampkin
Why do you believe that the defendant,
Giaus Baltar, deserves to be acquitted?
Giaus Baltar, deserves to be acquitted?
Captain Lee Adama
Well, because the evidence does not
support the charges.
support the charges.
Romo Lampkin
Come on.
Captain Lee Adama
Did the defendant make mistakes? Sure,
he did, serious mistakes, but did he
actually commit any crimes, did he
commit treason? No. I mean, it was an
impossible situation. When the Cylons
arrived what could he possibly do, what
could one have done?
he did, serious mistakes, but did he
actually commit any crimes, did he
commit treason? No. I mean, it was an
impossible situation. When the Cylons
arrived what could he possibly do, what
could one have done?
(beat)
I mean ask yourself, what would you
have done? What would you have done?
If he had refused to surrender the Cylons
would have probably nuked the planet right
then and there. So did he appear to cooperate
with the Cylons? Sure. So did hundreds of
others. What's the difference between him
and them.
have done? What would you have done?
If he had refused to surrender the Cylons
would have probably nuked the planet right
then and there. So did he appear to cooperate
with the Cylons? Sure. So did hundreds of
others. What's the difference between him
and them.
(beat)
The President issued a blanket pardon.
They were all forgiven, no questions asked.
Colonel Tigh. Colonel Tigh used suicide
bombers to kill dozens of people. Forgiven.
Leutenant Agathon and Chief Tyrol murdered
an officer on the Pegasus. Forgiven. The
Admiral. The Admiral instituted military
coup d'état against the President. Forgiven.
And me. Well, where do I begin? I shot down
a civilian passenger ship, the Olympic carrier,
over 1,000 people on board -- forgiven. I
raised my weapon to a superior officer,
committed an act of mutiney -- forgiven. And
then on the very day Baltar surrendered to
those Cylons, I, as commander of Pegasus,
jumped away, I left everybody on that planet
alone, undefended for months. I even tried to
persuade the Admiral never to return, to
abandon you all there for good. If I had had
my way, nobody would have made it off that planet.
I'm a coward, I'm the traitor, I'm forgiven. I'd
say we're very forgiving of mistakes, we make our
own laws now, our own justice and we've been pretty
creative in finding ways of letting people off the
hook for everything, from theft to murder -- and
we've had to be, because--because we're not a
civilization anymore. We are a gang, and we're
on the run and we have to fight to survive. We
have to break rules, we have to bend laws, we have
to improvise.
They were all forgiven, no questions asked.
Colonel Tigh. Colonel Tigh used suicide
bombers to kill dozens of people. Forgiven.
Leutenant Agathon and Chief Tyrol murdered
an officer on the Pegasus. Forgiven. The
Admiral. The Admiral instituted military
coup d'état against the President. Forgiven.
And me. Well, where do I begin? I shot down
a civilian passenger ship, the Olympic carrier,
over 1,000 people on board -- forgiven. I
raised my weapon to a superior officer,
committed an act of mutiney -- forgiven. And
then on the very day Baltar surrendered to
those Cylons, I, as commander of Pegasus,
jumped away, I left everybody on that planet
alone, undefended for months. I even tried to
persuade the Admiral never to return, to
abandon you all there for good. If I had had
my way, nobody would have made it off that planet.
I'm a coward, I'm the traitor, I'm forgiven. I'd
say we're very forgiving of mistakes, we make our
own laws now, our own justice and we've been pretty
creative in finding ways of letting people off the
hook for everything, from theft to murder -- and
we've had to be, because--because we're not a
civilization anymore. We are a gang, and we're
on the run and we have to fight to survive. We
have to break rules, we have to bend laws, we have
to improvise.
(beat)
But not this time, no. Not this time, not for Giaus
Baltar.
Baltar.
(to Giaus)
No, you. You have to die. You have to die, because,
well because we don't like you very much. Because
you're arrogant, because you're weak, because you're
a coward, and we, the mob, want to throw you out the
airlock because you didn't stand up to the Cylons and
get yourself killed in the process. That's justice
now. You should've been killed back on New Caprica,
but because you had the temerity to live we're gonna
execute you now. That's justice.
well because we don't like you very much. Because
you're arrogant, because you're weak, because you're
a coward, and we, the mob, want to throw you out the
airlock because you didn't stand up to the Cylons and
get yourself killed in the process. That's justice
now. You should've been killed back on New Caprica,
but because you had the temerity to live we're gonna
execute you now. That's justice.
The court attendance murmurs, shakes their head no.
The judge pounds her gavel.
Judge
Order, order.
Captain Lee Adama
This case...This case is built on emotion, on anger,
bitterness, vengeance, but most of all it is built
on shame. It's about the shame of what we did to
ourselves back on that planet. It's about the guilt
of those of us who ran away...who ran away. And we're
trying to dump all that guilt and all that shame onto
one man, and flush that man out an airlock and hope that
that just gets rid of it all, so that we can live with
ourselves. Well that wont work. That wont work.
That's not justice, not to me. Not to me.
bitterness, vengeance, but most of all it is built
on shame. It's about the shame of what we did to
ourselves back on that planet. It's about the guilt
of those of us who ran away...who ran away. And we're
trying to dump all that guilt and all that shame onto
one man, and flush that man out an airlock and hope that
that just gets rid of it all, so that we can live with
ourselves. Well that wont work. That wont work.
That's not justice, not to me. Not to me.
Romo Lampkin
No further questions.
Really, not much more needs to be said. And me, where do I start? Slander, speaking poorly of others, given into temptation of lust, gossiper, thief -- forgiven. Forgiven by the blood of the cross. -- Forgiven.
