History Awesome / BattlestarGalactica2003

--->'''Saul''': We just picked up six heavy raiders heading away from the Cylon fleet, definitely heading down towards the planet.\\
'''Roslin''': I don't get it, they'd have to know we'd see them.\\
'''Saul''': They're testing us, want to know if we're bluffing about nuking the planet.\\
'''Roslin''': Well, unfortunately we are bluffing.\\
'''Adama''' Are we?\\

'''Adama''': Mr. Hoshi, order nuclear ground-strike missiles into launch tubes 4 through 10.\\
'''Hoshi''': Aye, sir. (On the intercom) This is a nuclear mission order...

** "Exodus, Part 2", when the ''Galactica'' [[spoiler: makes a rescue run of all of the humans on New Caprica]]. Various awesomery occurs on the ground, and then a small dot in the sky is revealed to be [[spoiler: the ''Galactica'' in freefall, which scrambles all of its Vipers and then jumps back into space just before impact]], aka The Adama Maneuver.

--->'''Adama''': This is a witch hunt. I will not have it aboard my ship. Now these proceedings are closed, and you are dismissed with our thanks.\\
'''Sergeant Hadrian''': Corporal of the guard, return the Commander to the witness' chair!\\
'''Adama''': Your orders are to escort Sergeant Hadrian to her quarters. Make your choice, son. (the corporal escorts Hadrian)

** Lee Adama's would definitely be the PatrickStewartSpeech in the third season finale. Notable in that it was an extremely effective TakeThat against not only the Fleet, but to [[TakeThatAudience to the]] ''[[TakeThatAudience viewers]]'' as well for their willingness to [[EasilyForgiven forgive anyone for anything...]] unless their name is [[spoiler:Gaius Baltar]].
** With prompting from [[spoiler:Starbuck]], Lee [[spoiler:makes possibly the biggest diplomatic breakthrough of the series with the Cylons by offering the way to Earth for both of them]]...
--->'''[[spoiler:D'Anna]]''' All this has happened before.\\

** Shortly after [[spoiler:realizing that he's a [[TomatoInTheMirror Cylon]]]], ''Galactica'' comes under Cylon attack, and Saul makes his stand:
--->'''Saul''': My name is Saul Tigh. I'm an officer in the Colonial Fleet. Whatever else I am, whatever else it means, that's the man I want to be. And if I die today, that's the man I'll be.
** In the midseason break for Season 4, [[spoiler:D'Anna is back and being just as much of a bitch as ever.]] In order to stop the Cylons killing the hostages, Colonel Tigh [[spoiler:confesses to Bill that he's a Cylon--and offers ''himself'' as a counter-hostage]], knowing that [[spoiler:even if the Final Five could resurrect normally, the Resurrection Hub is gone and D'Anna wouldn't dare doing it if there was a risk.]]
--->'''Saul''': [[spoiler:''(as Lee hesitates to eject him from an airlock)'']] What are you waiting for, Apollo? ''Do it.''

--->'''Tigh''': The chief wanted me to kick your ass out of bed so you could help figure out that Raider of yours but, clearly, you still need the rest. So take your time, no rush.\\
'''Starbuck''': Do you actually think that reverse psychology crap is gonna work on me?\\
'''Tigh''': I really don't care what you think, Lieutenant. All I know is that every day you spend in that bed is another day that I have my opinion of you confirmed. As you were.

** In season one, Starbuck crashes on an barren wasteland planet and, with a busted knee and only a few hours of oxygen with her, [[spoiler:fixes and pilots a Cylon raider she had just shot down, and manages to convince everyone to not shoot her with with her name taped on the wings.]]

--->'''Leoben''': I'll never forget this moment.\\
'''Starbuck''': Neither will I. *stab*

'''Starbuck''': [[BadassBoast Nothing but the rain, Sir!]]\\

** Gina, [[spoiler: killing Cain]].
---> '''Cain''': Frak you.\\
'''Gina''': You're not my type.
*** This is even more awesome if you've seen ''Razor'' and know that [[spoiler:Cain and Gina had been lovers]].

** Helo, one of the series' quieter characters, has had a few in this troper's eyes, but the one that comes to mind most readily is when he's confronted by President Roslin after [[spoiler:"killing" his Cylon wife so that she could rescue their infant daughter Hera from the Cylon fleet]]. He looks her straight in the eyes and, with restrained but overt rage in his voice, says that he wouldn't have had to do it if ''she'' hadn't deceived him about [[spoiler: Hera ''not'' dying shortly after her birth.]] The normally stoic Roslin is actually shaken by this.

** Laura Roslin gets one with her resolute promise to Zarek after he tries to demoralize her into surrendering with a lie. [[spoiler: Namely, that Tigh and Adama had been executed.]]
--->'''Roslin''': No. Not now, not ever. Do you hear me? I will use every cannon, every bomb, every bullet, every weapon I have down to my own eye teeth to end you! I swear it! '''I'M COMING FOR ALL OF YOU!'''

** Roslin telling Adama quite calmly that [[spoiler: he has to kill Admiral Cain]] in the 'Pegasus' arc. When the chips are down, she's the only one determined enough to state out loud what has to be done; the other characters are shocked and hesitant at the suggestion.

** Starbuck spends nearly the entirety of "Flesh and Bone" trying to interrogate a copy of Leoben as to the whereabouts of a bomb planted somewhere in the fleet, and not only does she obtain no information whatsoever she lets Leoben the get under her skin big-time. At the end Roslin gets him to cough up the location of the bomb ([[spoiler:or rather the fact that there was never a bomb to begin with]]) in less than ''two minutes'' by simply threatening to have him thrown out of the airlock. Which, for good measure, she then does anyway with these immortal words:

** His noblest action was in the season 4 mid season finale, [[spoiler: talking D'Anna down from nuking the civilian fleet, convincing her to at least try and work with the humans]]. It saved the fleet and was something no other person could have achieved thanks to his personal history with [[spoiler: D'Anna]] and his extraordinary charisma, as well as highlighting his path towards redemption (though whether his crimes can ever really be balanced out is another matter).

--->'''Adama''': What happened to you tonight...\\

** Tyrol gets in on the awesome action. Zarek and Gaeta are about to jump away, which would mean even if Adama does succeed in getting his ship back he'll be [[spoiler:surrounded by ships disloyal to him and isolated from Roslin and the basestar]] Chief singlehandedly [[spoiler: sabotages the FTL drive, and what makes this all the more awesome is that he hadn't had any communication with Adama. He simply figured out what he needed to do on his own]].

** Sure, it's a bit of a WhatTheHellHero given what follows, but when [[spoiler: the Final Five link up and share memories to give the Cylons resurrection technology, Tyrol learns that Tory killed Cally, his wife. He breaks out and strangles her, complete with a look of [[UnstoppableRage completely unrestrained]] '''[[UnstoppableRage RAGE]]''' [[UnstoppableRage on his face]].]]

** It's already been mentioned in Adama's section, but that image of the Adama manoeuvre is something amazing to behold. An 'over shoulder' shot of the side of Galactica, ON FIRE, as dozens of vipers comes streaming out reading to attack.

'''Saul''': They're testing us, want to know if we're bluffing about nuking the planet.

''Starbuck:'' Stopped for coffee.

*** Which doubles as a CMOA for JamesCallis, since according to WordOfGod that was an ad lib.

** The Great Cylon Turkey Shoot in "Flight of the Phoenix". A massive squadron of Cylon Raiders appears in formation facing the Colonial Fleet. Meanwhile in CIC, Sharon Agathon locates the virus infecting ''Galactica'''s systems and turns it against the Raiders, shutting them down completely and turning them into sitting ducks for the Viper squadrons.

-->'''Saul''': We just picked up six heavy raiders heading away from the Cylon fleet, definitely heading down towards the planet.
-->'''Roslin''': I don't get it, they'd have to know we'd see them.\\

-->'''Roslin''': Well, unfortunately we are bluffing.
-->'''Adama''' Are we?
-->(DramaticPause)
-->'''Adama''': Mr. Hoshi, order nuclear ground-strike missiles into launch tubes 4 through 10.
-->'''Hoshi''': Aye, sir. (On the intercom) This is a nuclear mission order...

--> '''Adama:''' [[PreAssKickingOneLiner Prepare for turbulence.]]

--> '''Adama:''' I WANT YOU ALL to understand this! If you do this - there will be no forgiveness; no amnesty. [To Gaeta] This boy ... died honouring his uniform. You ... You'll die with nothing.

--> '''Adama''': This is a witch hunt. I will not have it aboard my ship. Now these proceedings are closed, and you are dismissed with our thanks.
--> '''Sergeant Hadrian''': Corporal of the guard, return the Commander to the witness' chair!
--> '''Adama''': Your orders are to escort Sergeant Hadrian to her quarters. Make your choice, son. (the corporal escorts Hadrian)

-->'''Adama''': I'm getting my men.

-->'''[[spoiler:D'Anna]]''' All this has happened before.
-->'''Lee:''' But it ''doesn't'' have to happen again.

-->'''Saul''': My name is Saul Tigh. I'm an officer in the Colonial Fleet. Whatever else I am, whatever else it means, that's the man I want to be. And if I die today, that's the man I'll be.

-->'''Saul''': [[spoiler:''(as Lee hesitates to eject him from an airlock)'']] What are you waiting for, Apollo? ''Do it.''

-->'''Tigh''': The chief wanted me to kick your ass out of bed so you could help figure out that Raider of yours but, clearly, you still need the rest. So take your time, no rush.
-->'''Starbuck''': Do you actually think that reverse psychology crap is gonna work o­n me?
-->'''Tigh''': I really don't care what you think, Lieutenant. All I know is that every day you spend in that bed is another day that I have my opinion of you confirmed. As you were.

-->"Gideon was an accident. ''This'' (nods to the pistol) is a ''choice.''"

-->'''Leoben''': I'll never forget this moment.
-->'''Starbuck''': Neither will I. *stab*

-->"Follow me. Please."

-->'''Adama:''' What do you hear?\\

-->Apollo (meeting Kara's squad inside the Cylon colony after a delay): "Where were you?"
-->Starbuck: "Stopped for coffee."

--> '''Cain''': Frak you.
--> '''Gina''': You're not my type.

-->'''D'Anna:''' "God loves me."
-->'''Caprica Six:''' "He'll see you again soon."

-->'''Apollo:''' You gotta be frakking kidding me.
-->'''Starbuck:''' Not bad.

-->'''Laura Roslin:''' Tom, you go that way. Head to the shipyard.
-->'''Tom Zarek:''' You're coming, right?
-->'''Laura Roslin:''' [points to Colonial One] My ship's up there.

-->'''Roslin''': No. Not now, not ever. Do you hear me? I will use every cannon, every bomb, every bullet, every weapon I have down to my own eye teeth to end you! I swear it! '''I'M COMING FOR ALL OF YOU!'''

-->'''Gaius Baltar:''' "We all know that this man tried to stab me. And you missed! BUTTERFINGERS!"

-->'''Adama''': What happened to you tonight...
-->'''Cottle''' (quietly furious):...was ''unforgivable''.

*** EXCEPT THAT ONE TIME HE HELPED KIDNAP A BABY!!

-->"You swore the same allegiance! What happened to ''your'' oath? For seven years I have done my frakking job and for what? To take orders from a Cylon? To let machines network our ship? No, you...you are not the leader you were when we started. You're just a sad old man who has let his heart and his affection for a Cylon cloud his judgment!"

** The Great Cylon Turkey Shoot. That is all.

** The movie ''BSG: Razor'' the flashbacks show a young Adama beating the crap out of a Cylon in ''free fall''. Awesome

** There's the moment in "Resurrection Ship Part I" where Roslin is attempting to cool tensions between Adama and [[GeneralRipper Admiral Cain]] and points out that the ''Pegasus'' would have the advantage in a fight. Adama's response? A disdainful snort and a muttered "wouldn't count on it.".

** Beating the crap out of a Cylon with a flashlight from back in the miniseries. Cylons are otherwise shown to have beyond human tolerances, and although this one was sick from radiation poisoning, an older man

-->''-shattered debris of destroyed Cylon raiders clattering on the canopy of Starbuck's viper-''
-->'''Starbuck''': [[BadassBoast Nothing but the rain, Sir!]]

** The Galactica itself. It went through everything in the series, despite the fact that corners were cut during its construction. That's right. Everything it did was done while it was hobbled by poor construction. In a meta example makes sense, because if it was built to specs, it would gone a whole lot farther.

*** Why is this a big deal? Battlestars are ''not'' rated for atmosphere at all, ''Galactica'' weighs easily upwards of several million tons, meaning an object of its mass smashing into the ground at terminal velocity would have leveled the whole colony. Not to mention that Galactica had just jumped, and has to calculate a jump while hurtling towards the ground, which is no small feat [[note: FTL jump calculations require mathematical plotting of star coordinates and the ship's current position, among other factors. Easier in space when the ship is more or less stable, less so plummeting to the ground from 100,000 feet. If the calculations or incorrect, or the ship's FTL drives malfunction, Galactica pancakes into the ground or jumps into the sun. [[/note]]

** Why is this a big deal? Battlestars are ''not'' rated for atmosphere at all, ''Galactica'' weighs easily upwards of several million tons, meaning an object of its mass smashing into the ground would have leveled the whole colony. Not to mention that Galactica had just jumped, and had to calculate a jump while hurtling towards the ground, which is no small feat.

-->'''Hoshi''': Aye, sir. bb(On the intercom) This is a nuclear mission order...
** Beating the crap out of a Cylon with a flashlight from back in the miniseries.

-->'''Roslin''': I don't get it, they'd have to know we'd see them.
-->'''Saul''': They're testing us, want to know if we're bluffing about nuking the planet.

** "Exodus Part 2" is crammed with [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome Crowning Moments of Awesome]]. Another:

-->'''Hoshi''': (On the intercom) Aye, sir. This is a nuclear mission order...

** Lee Adama has just flown from ''Colonial One'' to the ''Galactica'' to confirm his father's "release" of Tom Zarek. Upon landing, he is captured by mutinous crewmen and marines intent on killing him. One of them (Connor) asks him "Where are your precious Cylons now?" The next sound he hears is Kara Thrace shooting his would-be executioner. She doesn't hesitate to wound another mutineer who objects, saying "I can do this all day."

** From the pilot miniseries, the civilian ships have escaped, and ''Galactica'' is [[HyperseedEscape about to jump]], but Apollo's Viper is crippled and Starbuck is stubbornly defending Apollo from the Cylon raiders, leaving both of them at risk for being left behind. Adama gets her attention over the radio by [[CallBack asking her what she hears]].
-->''shattered debris of destroyed Cylon raiders clattering on the canopy of Starbuck's viper''

** In the miniseries, [[PardoPush pushing Lee's Viper]] back into the hanger after it's disabled.

** In the miniseries, pushing Lee's Viper back into the hanger after it's disabled.

** In ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'', William Adama had always been pretty BadAss, but he will be remembered for an exchange in the third season:

** After Zarek's uprising he goes to the corum of 12 for their support. After giving his big speech able hope and endurance and asks them for their support, one of the corum members, a man who has been argumentative and difficult all season, stands up and says "I think you should leave now Mr '''Vice''' President".

* In the miniseries, the Colonial fleet is ambushed by the Cylons. ''Galactica'' is an undermanned, antiquated ship two days from being turned into a museum. Adama is outnumbered, outgunned, he has no ammunition, no backup, no information, and one of his flight decks has been turned into a frakking gift shop. What's his response? Stand and fight! Get me some bullets!

* The Great Cylon Turkey Shoot. That is all.
* The last scene of ''Pegasus'' is a CMOA for both Cain and Adama.
* Helo and the Chief overcoming their mutual animosity and throwing away their careers, and possibly lives, to rescue the pregnant Athena from a rape in progress. Intense, heavy and somehow totally awesome all the same time.
* During the mutiny, Commander Adama and Colonel Tigh beat the crap out of their ''armed guard''. Standard action fare until you remember that these are ''supposed'' to be two pudgy old guys.
** Supposed to but actually not, if you do not discount the scenes of old guy Adama beating the shit out of young Adama in the boxing ring.

** Adama and Tigh running around the ship, dual-wielding guns (an assault rifle and pistol), shooting down anyone who gets in their way as they take back ''Galactica''.
* Apollo, having just ejected from the destroyed Blackbird stealthfighter, discovers a rip in his suit. After seeing this, the camera pans back to reveal ''Galactica'' and ''Pegasus'' beating the absolute crap out of two Basestars, whilst the Vipers blow the Resurrection Ship to hell. Totally. Freaking. Awesome.
* Under the command of Apollo, the ''Pegasus'' jumps into New Caprica, guns-a-blazin', destroys two Basestars and damages a third, before going nuclear WITH ALL HANDS STILL ALIVE.
** To elaborate, Lee Adama sets it on a collision course with all the automated systems running as he and the crew make a run for it. As they escape, we're treated to a shot of the ''Pegasus'' plowing through space, everything on it firing at the Cylons attempting to stop it. Then it rams into a Basestar, ''explodes'', then a flying landing pod takes out a second Basestar.
** The entirety of the rescue mission on New Caprica could be listed here.
* In the GrandFinale, as Baltar and Caprica Six bring Hera to CIC, amid the human-centurion fighting going on, we see Adama kicking a centurion to the ground and shooting him.
* A meta example. The fact that they were able to take a series that EVERYONE, fans and haters of the original series, thought was going to suck and turned it into one of the most critically acclaimed series in television history is quite an accomplishment.
* The Galactica itself. It went through everything in the series, despite the fact that corners were cut during its construction. That's right. Everything it did was done while it was hobbled by poor construction. In a meta example makes sense, because if it was built to specs, it would gone a whole lot farther.
* '''General'''
** The first shot of our earth in the season 3 finale.

* The first shot of our earth in the season 3 finale.