Dr. Cottle
Encyclopedia
Dr. Sherman Cottle is a fictional character
in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica series. He is the battlestar Galactica's Chief Medical Officer
. The character is played by Donnelly Rhodes
.
and President Laura Roslin
. He holds the rank of Major
in the Colonial Fleet, but is not a line officer
: he does not form a part of Galactica' s chain of command
. Although his military rank insignia is seen on his occasionally worn service tunic and his fatigue shirt, he is invariably addressed by his academic rank, doctor; unlike Gaius Baltar
, Cottle does not object to the abbreviation "Doc".
Cottle appears to have a strict sense of medical ethics (possibly having sworn the Colonial equivalent of Earth's Hippocratic oath
), and does not discriminate between human and Cylon
patients: he describes the sexual assault of Sharon "Athena" Agathon as "unforgivable"; he delivers her baby, Hera, by Caesarean section
; after the Cylon occupation of New Caprica, Cottle even provides medical care to critically injured Cylons.
President Roslin is a long term patient of Doctor Cottle's: she informs him of her breast cancer
diagnosis two weeks after the destruction of the Twelve Colonies
, and continues to see him at various points until her near death and successful treatment by Doctor Gaius Baltar
. Cottle opposes but does not obstruct Baltar's treatment method, which uses the blood of Sharon Agathon's unborn child, calling it "un-natural".
Cottle is not aboard Galactica when Commander William Adama
is shot by the Cylon agent Sharon "Boomer" Valerii
. An error in distribution of jump coordinates and the subsequent boarding of Galactica by Cylon Centurions delay his arrival at Adama's bedside. Medics Layne Ishay and Howard Kim (although not properly trained) are forced to perform emergency surgery to keep Adama alive until Cottle is brought on board. Cottle is successful in treating Adama's injuries, although the surgery leaves Adama with a large scar on his chest.
After delivering Sharon "Athena" Agathon's baby, Hera, Cottle is told by Roslin and Adama to fake the infant's death to deter any attempts by unknown Cylon spies to kidnap the child. Sharon Agathon, who is not privy to the deception, is enraged and has to be physically restrained from attacking the "murderer" of her child. Cottle is present when the baby is placed in the care of a civilian woman, Maya, and is later reassured by President Roslin his actions were for the best.
Cottle is among those who muster out of the Colonial Fleet after the establishment of the settlement on New Caprica. He continues to provide medical services as a civilian doctor, frustrated by the lack of antibiotic
s and other medical supplies. As noted above, Cottle acts as a neutral party during occupation, providing medical care to all those in need.
Following the rescue of the New Caprica colonists, Cottle resumes his duties as Galactica's chief medical officer.
Cottle's first name is revealed in the penultimate episode "Daybreak
". As Galactica is about to go on its last mission, likely to be a suicide mission, Adama presents the crew with the choice of joining or staying with the civilian fleet. Doc. Cottle volunteers, but is sent back by Adama, who appreciates his choice but gently reminds Cottle the fleet can not afford to lose a doctor and sends him back, referring to him as "Sherman" in the process.
The civilian fleet reunites with Galactica after the battle, at the new habitable planet Starbuck jumped it to. Cottle then settles down on the new planet, named "Earth" after the original one, with the rest of the surviving crew.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica series. He is the battlestar Galactica's Chief Medical Officer
Chief Medical Officer
There are four Chief Medical Officers in the United Kingdom who are appointed to advise their respective governments on health related matters: Her Majesty's Government, the Northern Ireland Executive, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government...
. The character is played by Donnelly Rhodes
Donnelly Rhodes
Donnelly Rhodes is a Canadian actor. He recently starred as Doctor Cottle on the Sci Fi Channel television program Battlestar Galactica. Before Battlestar Galactica he was probably best known to American audiences as the lovestruck, hapless escaped convict "Dutch Leitner" on the 1970s soap-opera...
.
Character biography
Cottle is eccentric, gruff and sarcastic, and portrayed as a heavy smoker. He isn't impressed or easily swayed by those in authority: he has been known to make less than deferential remarks to Colonel Saul TighSaul Tigh
Saul Tigh is a fictional character on Battlestar Galactica played by Michael Hogan. The character was named Paul Tigh in early scripts, and was renamed due to legal issues, according to producer Ronald D. Moore. He is one of the main characters of the show.-Overview and personality:Saul Tigh is a...
and President Laura Roslin
Laura Roslin
Her first actions include organizing all FTL-capable ships together and convincing Commander William Adama to abandon a retaliatory attack on the Cylons. President Roslin and Billy Keikeya, her aide/press secretary/chief of staff, establish a working office space aboard her transport, renamed...
. He holds the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the Colonial Fleet, but is not a line officer
Line officer
In the United States armed forces, the term line officer or officer of the line refers to an officer who is trained for command — that is, to be the commanding officer of a warship, ground combat unit, combat aviation unit, or combat support unit....
: he does not form a part of Galactica
Chain of Command
Chain of Command may refer to:* Chain of command, in a military context, the line of authority and responsibility along which orders are passed* "Chain of Command" , the fifth episode of the first season of Beast Wars...
. Although his military rank insignia is seen on his occasionally worn service tunic and his fatigue shirt, he is invariably addressed by his academic rank, doctor; unlike Gaius Baltar
Gaius Baltar
Gaius Baltar is a fictional character in the TV series Battlestar Galactica played by James Callis, a reimagining of Count Baltar from the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series...
, Cottle does not object to the abbreviation "Doc".
Cottle appears to have a strict sense of medical ethics (possibly having sworn the Colonial equivalent of Earth's Hippocratic oath
Hippocratic Oath
The Hippocratic Oath is an oath historically taken by physicians and other healthcare professionals swearing to practice medicine ethically. It is widely believed to have been written by Hippocrates, often regarded as the father of western medicine, or by one of his students. The oath is written in...
), and does not discriminate between human and Cylon
Cylon (Battlestar Galactica)
The Cylons are a cybernetic civilization at war with the Twelve Colonies of humanity in the Battlestar Galactica science fiction franchise, in the original 1978 and 1980 series, the 2004 reimagining, as well as the spin-off prequel series, Caprica...
patients: he describes the sexual assault of Sharon "Athena" Agathon as "unforgivable"; he delivers her baby, Hera, by Caesarean section
Caesarean section
A Caesarean section, is a surgical procedure in which one or more incisions are made through a mother's abdomen and uterus to deliver one or more babies, or, rarely, to remove a dead fetus...
; after the Cylon occupation of New Caprica, Cottle even provides medical care to critically injured Cylons.
President Roslin is a long term patient of Doctor Cottle's: she informs him of her breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
diagnosis two weeks after the destruction of the Twelve Colonies
The Destruction of the Twelve Colonies
The Destruction of the Twelve Colonies is a fictitious interstellar holocaust first depicted in the 1978 motion picture Battlestar Galactica, which set the stage for the subsequent television series...
, and continues to see him at various points until her near death and successful treatment by Doctor Gaius Baltar
Gaius Baltar
Gaius Baltar is a fictional character in the TV series Battlestar Galactica played by James Callis, a reimagining of Count Baltar from the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series...
. Cottle opposes but does not obstruct Baltar's treatment method, which uses the blood of Sharon Agathon's unborn child, calling it "un-natural".
Cottle is not aboard Galactica when Commander William Adama
William Adama
William "Bill" Adama is a fictional character portrayed by Edward James Olmos in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series...
is shot by the Cylon agent Sharon "Boomer" Valerii
Sharon Valerii
Number Eight is a female humanoid Cylon model on the television series Battlestar Galactica, a reimagining of the classic show of the same name. She is portrayed by Grace Park...
. An error in distribution of jump coordinates and the subsequent boarding of Galactica by Cylon Centurions delay his arrival at Adama's bedside. Medics Layne Ishay and Howard Kim (although not properly trained) are forced to perform emergency surgery to keep Adama alive until Cottle is brought on board. Cottle is successful in treating Adama's injuries, although the surgery leaves Adama with a large scar on his chest.
After delivering Sharon "Athena" Agathon's baby, Hera, Cottle is told by Roslin and Adama to fake the infant's death to deter any attempts by unknown Cylon spies to kidnap the child. Sharon Agathon, who is not privy to the deception, is enraged and has to be physically restrained from attacking the "murderer" of her child. Cottle is present when the baby is placed in the care of a civilian woman, Maya, and is later reassured by President Roslin his actions were for the best.
Cottle is among those who muster out of the Colonial Fleet after the establishment of the settlement on New Caprica. He continues to provide medical services as a civilian doctor, frustrated by the lack of antibiotic
Antibiotic
An antibacterial is a compound or substance that kills or slows down the growth of bacteria.The term is often used synonymously with the term antibiotic; today, however, with increased knowledge of the causative agents of various infectious diseases, antibiotic has come to denote a broader range of...
s and other medical supplies. As noted above, Cottle acts as a neutral party during occupation, providing medical care to all those in need.
Following the rescue of the New Caprica colonists, Cottle resumes his duties as Galactica
Cottle's first name is revealed in the penultimate episode "Daybreak
Daybreak (Battlestar Galactica)
"Daybreak" is the two-part series finale of the reimagined science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica, and are the 74th and 75th episodes overall. The episodes aired on the U.S. Sci Fi Channel and SPACE in Canada respectively on March 13 and March 20, 2009. The second part is...
". As Galactica is about to go on its last mission, likely to be a suicide mission, Adama presents the crew with the choice of joining or staying with the civilian fleet. Doc. Cottle volunteers, but is sent back by Adama, who appreciates his choice but gently reminds Cottle the fleet can not afford to lose a doctor and sends him back, referring to him as "Sherman" in the process.
The civilian fleet reunites with Galactica after the battle, at the new habitable planet Starbuck jumped it to. Cottle then settles down on the new planet, named "Earth" after the original one, with the rest of the surviving crew.
External links
- Cottle at Battlestar Wiki