Karl Agathon

BSG Character


caption = Tahmoh Penikett as Karl "Helo" Agathon
bgcolor = #fc0
fgcolor = #000
name = Karl C. Agathon
race = Human
gender = Male
callsign = Helo
rank = Lieutenant (BSG Miniseries - Episode 3.05)
Captain (Episode 3.06 - Current)
colony = Capricacite web | last = | first = Jeff | title = Tahmoh Interview With Kindreds Part 2 | publisher = Kindreds | date = 2007-06-01 | url = http://www.bsgkindreds.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=516 | accessdate = 2007-08-18]
affiliation = Colonial Fleet
portrayed = Tahmoh Penikett

Karl C. Agathon is a fictional character on the re-imagined "Battlestar Galactica" TV series, portrayed by Tahmoh Penikett. His call sign is "Helo."

Appearances

Background

Agathon is an Electronic Countermeasures Officer, part of a two-person Colonial Raptor crew based on the Battlestar "Galactica", and is paired with Sharon "Boomer" Valerii before the Cylon attack on the Twelve Colonies. Unlike other major characters such as Kara "Starbuck" Thrace or Gaius Baltar, the series reveals little about Agathon's life before the events of the series. It is confirmed that Helo is a Caprican, which is partly why he and Starbuck knew each other.

The (unofficial) backstory Tahmoh Penikett and Katee Sackhoff came up with to explain a comment from Thrace in "Scattered" that she and Helo "go way back" is that the two were old friends for a long time who most likely attended the academy together as cadets and as "drinking buddies."cite news | title = Helo Worship | pages = 69 | language = English | publisher = Cult Times | date = 2005-09-08 | accessdate = 2007-08-18] cite web | last = | first = Shirl | title = Chat Transcripts - Tahmoh Penikett Transcript | publisher = Galactica One | date = 2005-10-08 | url = http://forums.delphiforums.com/n/main.asp?webtag=Chatters12&nav=messages&msg=579.1&prettyurl=%2FChatters12%2Fmessages%2F%3Fmsg%3D579%2E1 | accessdate = 2007-08-18] cite news | title = Slipped Helo | pages = 64 | language = English | publisher = Battlestar Galactica Official Magazine | date = 2006-03-28 | accessdate = 2007-08-18] cite web | last = | first = Aeolus | title = Helo Hath No Fury: An Interview with Tahmoh Penikett | publisher = Sci-Fi Brain (IGN.COM) | date = 2006-07-26 | url = http://blogs.ign.com/SCI-FI-BRAIN/2006/07/03/23740/ | accessdate = 2007-08-18] cite web | last = | first = Jeff | title = Tahmoh Interview With Kindreds Part 1 | publisher = Kindreds | date = 2007-06-01 | url = http://www.bsgkindreds.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=513 | accessdate = 2007-08-18]

Miniseries

During the Cylon attack, their Raptor is damaged and forced to land on Caprica. While making repairs, they are mobbed by a group of survivors desperate to get off the planet. A lottery is used to decide who will be allowed to escape due to the Raptor's limited space, but Agathon additionally sacrifices his own seat to allow Dr. Gaius Baltar, discovered in the crowd, to survive.cite episode| episodelink=Battlestar Galactica (TV miniseries)| title=Miniseries| series=Battlestar Galactica (TV miniseries)]

eries

After the Raptor leaves, Agathon flees into the wilderness and tries to elude Cylon forces, surviving by using anti-radiation injections and the other contents of his survival kit. Eventually, he is captured by a Number Six copy, but is rescued by Valerii (unknown to Agathon, his rescuer is another copy of Cylon model Number Eight).cite episode| episodelink=33 (Battlestar Galactica)| title=33| series=Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)] Valerii's true motive in accompanying Agathon is the participation in a Cylon experiment designed to attempt to create a viable Cylon/human hybrid offspring. The Cylons track Agathon's progress toward a military base in Delphi, placing him in situations designed to result in affection and ultimately love towards Valerii. The experiment results in a successful pregnancy after Valerii has sex with Agathon,cite episode| episodelink=Six Degrees of Separation (Battlestar Galactica)| title=Six Degrees of Separation| series=Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)] though as an unintended side effect, she falls in love with him as well.cite episode| episodelink=Flesh and Bone (Battlestar Galactica)| title=Flesh and Bone| series=Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)] Agathon soon discovers the truth about her Cylon nature after spotting another Number Eight copy while trying to infiltrate the Delphi military base. Believing that he is being led into a trap, he runs from the base and Valerii.cite episode| episodelink=Colonial Day (Battlestar Galactica)| title=Colonial Day| series=Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)]

She eventually catches up to him and reveals that she is pregnant. Despite shooting her in the shoulder, Agathon realizes he can't bring himself to kill her and instead, at her urging, takes her with him to the Delphi museum. It is there that he is reunited with fellow "Galactica" pilot Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, who is on a special mission from President Laura Roslin to recover the Arrow of Apollo.cite episode| episodelink=Kobol's Last Gleaming| title=Kobol's Last Gleaming| series=Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)] After nearly being killed by Thrace, Valerii steals the Cylon Raider and flies off.cite episode| episodelink=Scattered (Battlestar Galactica)| title=Scattered| series=Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)] Agathon and Thrace make their way first to Thrace's old apartment to retrieve a new mode of transportation (an old army truck she owned),cite episode| episodelink=Valley of Darkness (Battlestar Galactica)| title=Valley of Darkness| series=Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)] and then into the woods in search of another military base. While stopping to get their bearings, they run into a group of Pyramid players-turned resistance fighters.cite episode| episodelink=Resistance (Battlestar Galactica)| title=Resistance| series=Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)] After Thrace is wounded and captured by the Cylons, Agathon and the others track her down and attempt to rescue her from the hospital where she is being held. They are, surprisingly, aided by Valerii, who returns in a stolen Heavy Raider. With the Arrow of Apollo in hand, Agathon, Thrace and Valerii leave Caprica and make their way to Kobol to rejoin Roslin.cite episode| episodelink=The Farm (Battlestar Galactica)| title=The Farm| series=Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)]

Upon rejoining the Colonial survivors aboard the "Astral Queen", Agathon pulls his gun on Lee Adama in order to stop him from shooting Valerii, whom Adama blames for the attempt another Valerii copy makes on his father's life. Later, while searching for the Tomb of Athena on the surface of Kobol, Agathon admits to Valerii that he still loves and trusts her.cite episode| episodelink=Home (Battlestar Galactica)| title=Home| series=Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)]

After finding the Tomb of Athena, Agathon returns with the group to "Galactica", almost three months after being MIA and presumed dead. His homecoming is bittersweet; Helo's former friends turn their backs on him due to his love for a Cylon — let alone one whose doppelgänger attempted to murder the beloved Commader William Adama. However, Helo finds support from Starbuck and Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol, who was in love with the original Galactica crew member version of Sharon before her ultimate betrayal of the fleet and death.cite episode| episodelink=Flight of the Phoenix (Battlestar Galactica)| title=Flight of the Phoenix| series=Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)] Helo eventually is accepted by the crew when he recommends that the Blackbird should be encased in carbon-composite skin to make it a stealth ship.

After the appearance of the Battlestar "Pegasus", Agathon witnesses Sharon's torture and rape by Lieutenant Alastair Thorne, a "Pegasus" crew member and Cylon interrogator. Along with Tyrol, Helo stops Thorne from raping Sharon but in the process, they accidentally kill him. (This incident is subject to subtly different editing. In the DVD version of the episode, they interrupt Thorne while he is raping Sharon; in the broadcast version, they arrive just in time to prevent it.) Admiral Cain's summary trial and death sentence of Agathon and Tyrol bring "Galactica" to confrontation with "Pegasus".cite episode| episodelink=Pegasus (Battlestar Galactica)| title=Pegasus| series=Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)] Although the death sentence is not carried out, Agathon and Tyrol remain in the brig, where Tyrol ultimately gives Helo his blessing for a relationship with Sharon. The two are eventually released by Colonel Jack Fisk, with all charges being dropped.cite episode| episodelink=Resurrection Ship (Battlestar Galactica)| title=Resurrection Ship| series=Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)]

Following his captivity on "Pegasus", Helo is reunited with his version of Sharon as her pregnancy continues. When President Laura Roslin proclaims her intention to force Sharon to undergo an abortion in order to eliminate the perceived threat that Helo and Sharon's child represents to the fleet, Helo begs Admiral Adama to overrule Roslin and allow himself and the pregnant Sharon to leave the fleet and find a world where they could live in peace without being persecuted. Adama refuses and Roslin rescinds her demand for a forced abortion when Gaius Baltar extracts blood from the unborn child for use as a cure for Roslin's terminal cancer.cite episode| episodelink=Epiphanies (Battlestar Galactica)| title=Epiphanies| series=Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)] This leads to Roslin betraying Helo again by ordering Helo and Sharon's newborn daughter to be taken from the hospital after she is born. The infant's death is faked and Helo is given what are ostensibly her ashes, which he and Tyrol release into space.cite episode| episodelink=Downloaded (Battlestar Galactica)| title=Downloaded| series=Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)]

Following the discovery and settlement of New Caprica, Agathon remains on "Galactica" as part of her skeleton crew. He is promoted to Captain and serves as "Galactica"'s executive officer (XO), replacing Colonel Saul Tigh. Karl Agathon marries his version of Sharon Valerii, who is commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Colonial Fleetcite episode| episodelink=Occupation (Battlestar Galactica)| title=Occupation| series=Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)] cite episode| episodelink=Precipice (Battlestar Galactica)| title=Precipice| series=Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)] and takes the call sign "Athena".cite episode| episodelink=Torn (Battlestar Galactica)| title=Torn| series=Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)]

During an attempt by "Galactica" to spread a virus in order to wipe out the Cylon race, Agathon disobeys orders and sabotages a key part of the plan in order to prevent the elimination of the Cylon race because he considers such an action to be genocidal, and therefore profoundly immoral.cite episode| episodelink=A Measure of Salvation (Battlestar Galactica)| title=A Measure of Salvation| series=Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)]

When Colonel Tigh finally returns to the position of "Galactica"'s XO after a long depression brought on by his experiences on New Caprica (in particular his execution of his wife, Ellen, for collaboration), Agathon returns to the flight line. He pilots one of the Raptors used to guide the fleet through a nearly un-navigable and highly radioactive stellar cluster. He becomes one of the second highest pilots left after the deaths of Kara "Starbuck" Thrace and Louanne "Kat" Katraine. He is next in line with Ricky "Two Times" Richardson and Marcia "Showboat" Case, respectively.cite episode| episodelink=The Passage (Battlestar Galactica)| title=The Passage| series=Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)]

Two weeks after the death of Kara, Helo takes over as C.A.G from the still visibly shaken Lee Adama, who is subsequently removed by Admiral Adama. Mere days later, he once again temporarily replaces Col. Tigh as XO, when it becomes apparent the latter has returned to the bottle.

Concept and creation

Character arc

Helo was originally conceived as a "red-shirt" character. After stranding him on the post-nuclear attack Caprica, the writers had no further plans for the character and intended his fate to be that he died (off-screen) in the radiation that followed the nuking of the planet. However, many fans took a liking to the character and wanted to know what happened to him after he was left on Caprica. This factor caused the producers, who were also impressed by Penikett's performance when watching the premiere of the miniseries on the big screen, to revise their original plans for the series to include the character and his activities on Caprica after the mini-series.cite podcast | url =http://media.scifi.com/battlestar/downloads/podcast/mp3/109/bsg_ep109_FULL.mp3 | title = Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down | website = SCIFI.COM | host = Ronald D. Moore | date = 2005-03-04 | accessdate = 08-17 | accessyear = 2007] cite news | last = Eramo | first = Steven | title = Tahmoh Penikett: Honour Above All | pages = | language = English | publisher = Starburst | date = 2005-12-21 | accessdate = 2007-08-18]

Name

Like many of the characters on the series, his name has its origins in ancient Greece, Agathon being the name of an Athenian tragic poet. The Greek proverbial phrase "kalon k'agathon" ("the beautiful and the good") — also written as "kalos k'agathos" — was used to describe the ideal man, the epitome of both aesthetics and ethics. Helo's full name, Karl C. Agathon, wasn't revealed until the release of "33" — after the writers revised their original plans and expanded the character's storyline. His call sign Helo could possibly originate from the Greek titan, Helios, though it is also military slang for a helicopter.

References

External links

* on Battlestar Wiki