By Chris Snellgrove
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Whereas the Battlestar Galactica remake is full of nice unhealthy guys, essentially the most compelling villain isn’t some Cylon infiltrator or tin-plated soldier. Arguably, the perfect villain is Tom Zarek, somebody who rises from political prisoner to Vice President earlier than main a mutiny and finally getting killed. Followers have usually imagined him as somebody who hates his frequent onscreen sparring companion Laura Roslin, however when discussing a plot that begins with the Season 2 episode “Fragged,” Zarek actor Richard Hatch verified that “despite the fact that Zarek’s extremely aggressive with Laura Roslin, he has super respect for her.”
How Tom Zarek Is Battlestar Galactica’s Greatest Villain
For a little bit of context, “Fragged” is an episode during which Commander Adama has been shot, leaving the alcoholic Colonel Tigh in charge of the Galactica. Adama had beforehand thrown President Roslin within the brig, and after Tigh declares Martial Regulation, she solely escapes to the security of the civilian fleet because of Tom Zarek, her fiercest critic. Richard Hatch later identified that Zarek helped her out as a result of he respects her and since “it’s civilian vs. army,” and he sarcastically famous that followers can “guess the place he falls in that battle.”
What Richard Hatch is referring to is that Tom Zarek started the present as a prisoner who had beforehand bombed authorities buildings and wrote a best-selling guide about preventing governmental corruption. Moreover, his first huge storyline in Season 1 concerned him taking up a jail ship and demanding {that a} correct election be held as a result of Laura Roslin was by no means correctly elected…she was merely the closest surviving politician within the line of succession when President Adar died.
Due to this, Tom Zarek’s resolution to assist Roslin escape custody on Galactica is stunning as a result of he may have merely left her in there to rot. However she was being held unjustly with none type of trial or listening to whereas the rating army officer declared martial regulation on all of the residents within the fleet. What Richard Hatch later emphasised about his character is that Zarek is a person of ideas who would fairly assist a foe he respects than assist a army drive he despises proceed its oppression of civilians.
No person understood Tom Zarek higher than Richard Hatch, and the actor was excited to play a personality who embodied what he noticed as a real-world, nationwide battle. “The storyline speaks to the massive problem of balancing particular person freedom with survival, one thing these of us in the USA are all aware of proper now.”
This, in fact, refers back to the rising authorities energy through the George W. Bush administration and the way residents needed to grapple with whether or not they had been snug giving up their constitutional freedoms within the title of nationwide safety. The nationwide debate over these points would proceed in later seasons, and these frequent reflections on Bush administration antics successfully made Battlestar Galactica one of the vital political sci-fi reveals in TV historical past.
Tom Zarek would proceed to conflict with Laura Roslin all through Battlestar Galactica, however in Season 2, he saves her from the custody of army overreach. Hatch’s phrases illustrate how a lot followers have historically misunderstood his charismatic character, somebody who finally respects Roslin regardless of how completely different their politics are. And in his willingness to save lots of his strongest foe within the title of his beliefs, this memorable villain reveals himself to be the very last thing audiences would count on: essentially the most ideologically constant character within the present.
