Cylon Number Six as Savior of the Twelve Colonies
[spoilers ahead]
Number Six, portrayed by Tricia Helfer, begins the reboot of Battlestar Galactica as endearingly dedicated to fall of humankind. However, her intimate relationship with Gaius Baltar (of all people) initiates a empathic seeding that starts what we see as a continuously spreading love for humanity. When the Number Eight we come to know as Athena is testing Helo, Karl Agathon, to see if he will love her, she quickly departs from the localized Cylon plan and escapes with him back to Galactica (“You Can’t Go Home Again,” “Litmus,” “Six Degrees of Separation,” “The Hand of God” – “Home, Part I,” 2005). When Number Six determines that Number Eight has abandoned the Cylons for Helo’s love, she tried to hide her emotional turmoil. She, too, wants to be loved. As the Number Six who is only visible to Gaius repeatedly states, “God is love.”
It is easy to assume that it is Athena, the specific Number Eight model who has a child with Helo and begins a new species, that represents the savior of the Twelve Colonies. After all, it is this new land that we learn will not be revisited by the Cylons. Here, it is determined in the end, events will not repeat. Who says this? Is the always present, never visible, long-lived Number Six. Like an angel from her own God, she determines that the repetition is over. It was Number Six who began the invasion, prepared the way for the destruction of the Twelve Colonies, but it was also Number Six and her collectively recovered memories that enabled her to have the empathy to share with Laura Roslin a vision of a resolution. It is Number Six, in her celestial state, that declares, enough.
What is obvious is that Number Six is an anti-hero. What is speculative is that the non-Cylon version we see of her (who is still “of” the Cylons) with Gaius is a celestial being. In is interesting that Ronald D. Moore lets the viewer decide to what degree the show is proposing God’s hand, or the existence of God, towards a migration and resting promised land. What is more captivating is the historical element. That is, at least for me. I am quite certain any proclamations and determinations of the “Holy” are, indeed, speculative and I will not give that discussion space here.
Throughout the symphony of the reboot series, Number Six evolves, throughout her many forms, and continues evolving. She is unjustly tortured and put through trial by fire on Pegasus, which only proves the determination that the Cylons made about humanity. That Number Six is the one captured, assaulted, abused, and then freed by Gaius to acquire “justice” in the killing of Admiral Cain is worth noting as if this is a story about God’s visionary migration of humanity, and genetic evolution, as we see at the end, then this is an age old story of suffering as a method of getting to the point of arrival. Personally, I determined a long time ago that this concept is a myth.
There is no wisdom in suffering. There are no lessons that one can learn through suffering that one cannot also learn through a critical education. The idea that suffering is mandatory for character building is dangerous and we should move beyond it. Not only in the stories we tell, but in our lives and our relations with others as well. This should really be obvious, but clearly needs to be said and I have been saying it for a long time. There is no wisdom in suffering. I am confident my own experiences with suffering were significant enough that the fact I overcame it meant nothing. Having gone on to get a good education, I am 100% certain there nothing to learn from suffering.
Clearly, Ronald D. Moore, and most of civilization, think differently. That being said, we see in Number Six’s suffering is another phase to come and that is the expected mother and significant other of the XO of Galactica. The point to be made is the Number Six goes from terrorist, to adviser, to mastermind, to victim, to miracle mother, to finally coming home, back around and full circle with Gaius. It is through this cautionary tale that we really see the lesson unfolding. It is only through completion of this ritual that we see both her and Gaius as other versions on themselves, unlost to time, celestial and everlasting.
There is no hope in perfection. There is no reason to strain ourselves to be something we are not. We must simply be open to learn and grow. When that time comes we must then make the changes in our lives accordingly. Just as there was a human/Cylon evolution, there was an evolution in spirit for Number Six. She is the beginning and the end. And she was present as a second self through the entire time. That is why she exists through the entirety of time.