The Souls of Cylons

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There also seem to be elements of Eastern religions in the show with Leoben Conoy, another Cylon, talking about consciousness and reincarnation. Does each of the different models of Cylons represent a different religious point of view?

I think that's true. Part of the idea of Leobon was to separate it from easy stereotypes of Christian beliefs. There wasn't really a hierarchical church, there wasn't an easy notion of heaven and hell. Leoben was starting to talk about things that were more Buddhist--consciousness, enlightenment and reincarnation. I thought it was interesting to marry those notions to the idea of one deity.

The Cylon named Number 6 seems to be suffering from a Madonna/whore complex, talking about sin and redemption while leading Dr. Baltar to bed.

Part of that is who those characters are within the Cylon pantheon. We've said that there are only 12 models of Cylons, because the Cylons look at humanity and say there's only 12 different kinds of human, when you get right down to it.

Part of that is who those characters are within the Cylon pantheon. We've said that there are only 12 models of Cylons, because the Cylons look at humanity and say there's only 12 different kinds of human, when you get right down to it.

Six's belief system and the way she practices it is very specific to her character and her model of Cylon. She is sort of a Madonna/whore made real and has a very strict, if odd, sense of God and what God wants. Leobon is more of a thinker and has a more esoteric idea of how things work in the universe. But they both proceed from the same root, that they both believe there is one God who sets everything in motion and has a real sort of impact and interaction with the universe.

Why focus so heavily on the Cylon religion and not the human beliefs?

Because the Cylons are the engine that drives the entire series. The Cylons come back with a vengeance and have this belief system in place.

Because the Cylons are the engine that drives the entire series. The Cylons come back with a vengeance and have this belief system in place.

The interest in the Cylons is this notion of "why are our enemies doing this? What is it they believe, why would anybody behave like this, what kind of monsters would carry out something like that?" It's not just that they're space Nazis, it's that they have an intricate belief system that leads them to this horrific answer.

The show is paralleling today's political climate and reflecting world events...

Absolutely. The show is really supposed to be about our society and political structure, the conversations we have today in the culture. Hopefully, the show is able to examine those things from a different perspective without making it as simple as the Cylons are Al Qaeda and Laura Roslin (the President) is George Bush. I don't think the show offers you easy answers on why Al Qaeda does what Al Qaeda does, but I think it gives you an easy reference into how an entire culture, or entire group of people can believe something so fervently that seems so unfathomable at the beginning.

Absolutely. The show is really supposed to be about our society and political structure, the conversations we have today in the culture. Hopefully, the show is able to examine those things from a different perspective without making it as simple as the Cylons are Al Qaeda and Laura Roslin (the President) is George Bush. I don't think the show offers you easy answers on why Al Qaeda does what Al Qaeda does, but I think it gives you an easy reference into how an entire culture, or entire group of people can believe something so fervently that seems so unfathomable at the beginning.

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