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Felix Gaeta
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Lieutenant Junior Grade Felix Gaeta is a fictional character on Battlestar Galactica played by Alessandro Juliani.
Character overview in his early career
Felix Gaeta is known for his friendly, encouraging, trusting, and feeling nature, although his youthful idealism is somewhat dented by the events of the early part of the show's third season (2006-2007). "You're an idealist. There's no sin in that," says Gaius Baltar.
In college, Gaeta studied genetics, but joined the military to pay for his education.
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Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Junior Grade Felix Gaeta is a fictional character on Battlestar Galactica played by Alessandro Juliani.
Arc
Character overview in his early career
Felix Gaeta is known for his friendly, encouraging, trusting, and feeling nature, although his youthful idealism is somewhat dented by the events of the early part of the show's third season (2006-2007). "You're an idealist. There's no sin in that," says Gaius Baltar.
In college, Gaeta studied genetics, but joined the military to pay for his education. Once in the military, he applied himself to his duties with great dedication, putting his social life and other concerns "on hold." In the mini-series, Gaeta tells Commander Adama that "it has been an honor serving with him for the last three years." Colonel Saul Tigh's comments about having "stood beside Gaeta in the CIC for almost four years", is likely in reference to the approximate eight months from the time of the Destruction of the twelve Colonies that Gaeta served on Galactica until he left to become President Baltar's Chief of Staff.
Gaeta serves as tactical officer on the Battlestar Galactica during the Cylon attack and subsequent escape. Following the rag-tag fleet's flight from the Colonies, he is given tasks suited to his level of intelligence and education, including helping his idol, Doctor Gaius Baltar, design a Cylon detector.
He is generally very capable, however, in the chaos following the shooting of Commander William Adama, Gaeta forgets to check that the fleet has been issued with updated jump coordinates. As a result, Galactica becomes separated from the fleet. However, Gaeta is also instrumental in solving this crisis: suggesting that the ship's computers be networked to allow a quick re-calculation of the fleet's position.
It is indicated that Gaeta is friends with Anastasia Dualla. He also idolizes the scientist, Gaius Baltar, and has a great deal of respect for William Adama.
Chief of Staff to President Baltar
After the discovery of New Caprica, Gaeta uncovers a plot (involving Colonel Tigh and then-Petty Officer Anastasia Dualla, among others) to rig the presidential election in favor of President Laura Roslin over Gaius Baltar. Felix later serves as the latter's Chief of Staff during his presidency, and informs the President of the arrival of the Cylon fleet above New Caprica.
Gaeta continues to serve as President Baltar's Chief of Staff throughout the Cylon occupation. However, he also acts as a spy for the resistance, providing them with information on security, personnel in the New Caprica Police, and radio frequencies. With his identity secret even from the resistance leadership, he is seen as a traitor by those he assists, and then-Chief Galen Tyrol remarks that the day would come when he and other collaborators would receive their deserved justice. Ironically, Tyrol says this to Jammer, who is an actual collaborator. Gaeta, for his part, feels profoundly let down by Baltar's lack of moral fortitude, and very nearly kills him during Galactica's rescue operation before giving Baltar one last chance to set things right.
Outcast
After the rescue of New Caprica's civilian population, Gaeta attempts to return to duty aboard Galactica, but is treated as persona non grata on account of his apparent "collaboration". He is tried by a secret court known as The Circle whose jury members include Saul Tigh, Galen Tyrol and Kara Thrace. Gaeta is convicted in absentia of collaborating with the Cylon occupation and being complicit in the deaths of hundreds. He is sentenced to death and brought to a Viper launch tube to be spaced. Circle member Kara Thrace's angry taunting of Gaeta ultimately provides the means by which his innocence is proved; Tyrol confirms that Gaeta was the anonymous resistance informant without whom the rescue by Galactica would have been impossible. Gaeta returns to duty, although he is still not exactly treated warmly by his shipmates.
Baltar's trial
In the episode "Taking a Break from All Your Worries", Gaeta offers to interrogate Baltar for Adama after Baltar's return to Galactica. Baltar discovers a camera in his cell and starts to provoke Gaeta, revealing that he knows a secret about Gaeta. After Baltar whispers the "secret" inaudibly in Gaeta's ear, Gaeta stabs Baltar in the neck with a pen and attempts to strangle him before being restrained by Adama. (It is later revealed in the 2009 "The Face of the Enemy" webisodes that Baltar was aware of Gaeta's secret relationship with a duplicitous copy of Eight on New Caprica, which led to the death of numerous civilians. Baltar's whisper was revealed to be, "I know what your Eight did!")
During Baltar's trial (in the episode "Crossroads"), Gaeta is put on the witness stand. He lies outright to the court, claiming that he was there when Baltar signed the death lists and that Baltar offered no resistance in approving them. Since Baltar and the humanoid Cylons were in fact the only ones present, there was no way to prove that Gaeta was perjuring himself. This leads to Baltar's defense team calling for a mistrial based on comments made by William Adama in a private conversation with Lee Adama.
Losing his leg
Gaeta continued to serve in a limited capacity in Galactica's CIC as a specialized tactical officer, as well as Astrometrics, but in the episode "The Ties That Bind" he is revealed to be one of the crew aboard the Demetrius, a ship commanded by Kara Thrace and tasked with finding the way to Earth. In "Faith", the crew attempts to imprison Thrace, but Samuel Anders, in an attempt to prevent this, shoots Gaeta in the leg. Thrace leaves in a Raptor, and Karl Agathon agrees to wait until the last possible moment for her to return. Gaeta pleads with Agathon to leave early, as delay in reaching medical care will likely result in the amputation of his leg. Agathon refuses, and in the next episode, Dr. Cottle removes Gaeta's leg. Gaeta refuses general anesthesia during the procedure, saying "I don't want to wake up with it missing", and after the leg's removal, he sings to take his mind off the resulting phantom limb symptoms.
Growing hatred of the Cylons
In Revelations it becomes public knowledge that Saul Tigh, Galen Tyrol (both Circle members) and Samuel Anders (responsible for Gaeta losing his leg) are all Cylons.
In the webisodes "The Face of the Enemy" (set between episodes 13 and 14 of Season 4), Gaeta participates in a Raptor mission which goes awry, with the crew unable to find their way back to Galactica. It is revealed that back on New Caprica, Gaeta was involved in a relationship with an Eight, and that he had made lists of important resistance members in Cylon detention, whom she promised to try to save. With oxygen dwindling, the Eight secretly begins killing the other crew members while Gaeta is asleep and convincing him that she is not responsible when he awakes. Gaeta ultimately realizes that he has been played both here and on New Caprica. It is revealed that on New Caprica she had been executing most of the key resistance members that he had identified, occasionally releasing a few to allow Gaeta to continue his self-deception that he was actually making a difference. The Eight berates him for his willful blindness and his unwillingness to see the bigger picture.
Gaeta snaps and kills her. He considers suicide, but Hoshi and Racetrack finally find him. Back aboard Galactica, Gaeta expresses distrust of the alliance with the Cylons and implies that a major plan is in the works.
In Sometimes a Great Notion he notes his friend Anastasia Dualla seems to have her smile back, but shortly after he leaves the room, she puts a gun to her head and shoots herself. He rushes back and desperately tries to save her, to no avail.
Alliance with Tom Zarek and mutiny
In A Disquiet Follows My Soul, Gaeta argues against giving the Cylons access to the fleet's jump drives but despite his opposition, Adama decides to continue with the plan. Gaeta provokes Kara Thrace about her Cylon husband, Samuel Anders, and points out that the jury which tried to convict him of treason included two Cylons and a woman married to a Cylon. When she leaves, he orders the door closed as he and the crew members "need to talk". Later, Gaeta visits Tom Zarek in his cell to inform him that he has rallied enough support (including the marine guarding Zarek), and expresses his belief that more people will join. He declares that the world is upside down and someone has to turn it right side up, and asks Zarek if he is that person. Zarek accepts and tells Gaeta that he will need him as his partner.
In "The Oath", Gaeta, Tom Zarek, and numerous compatriots rebel against the authority of William Adama, Saul Tigh and Laura Roslin. Gaeta uses his position in charge of communications, as well as his knowledge of the ship to single-handedly orchestrate a mutiny aboard Galactica. In the ensuing chaos, Gaeta has Adama and Tigh arrested and takes command of the ship. Gaeta tells Adama that he is removing him from command on the charge of treason. He tells Adama that he won't take orders from a Cylon and that Adama is not the man he was when they started their journey. He believes that the Admiral has let his friendship with Saul Tigh cloud his judgment. Adama warns him that there will be no forgiveness if they continue, and that Gaeta will die with nothing.
Gaius Baltar phones Gaeta to try to dissuade him from continuing with the mutiny. Baltar states his belief that Gaeta is an honorable man who is trying to do the right thing and forgives him for the attack in Taking a Break from All Your Worries. Gaeta rejects Baltar's attempt to change his mind.
In the following episode, "Blood on the Scales", Gaeta demands that Adama call Roslin and request that she surrender. Adama gives Gaeta his Admiral pins and tells Gaeta that he is the Admiral now and should call Roslin himself. After Zarek has the Quorum gunned down, Gaeta is shocked and insists that he never agreed to this, that he wanted the "truth" on their side. Zarek responds that this is what happens during a coup and there's no turning back.
Despite Tom Zarek's reluctance, Gaeta insists on a trial for Adama. He accuses Adama of giving aid and comfort to the enemy. He expresses disgust with Adama's alliance with the Cylons, and allowing Saul Tigh to remain in his position as XO even after he discovered that his friend was a Cylon. Later, in his quarters, Gaeta holds Adama's Admiral's pins, but throws them down on the desk, still not having worn them. With tears in his eyes, he calls Narcho to carry out the execution of William Adama, not knowing that Lee Adama has already rescued his father. The pain in Gaeta's amputated leg increases with the stress of the decision.
Roslin, having acquired the Cylons' support, swears that she will do everything in her power to destroy the mutineers. With the Cylon Basestar bearing down, Gaeta orders Galactica to jump away but Tyrol shuts down the ship's jump drives. Zarek desperately implores Gaeta to launch the Vipers in order to defend Galactica, however, Gaeta, realizing that they would lose and the likelihood of massive bloodshed, decides to stand down.
Shortly after, Adama storms into the CIC and arrests them. Baltar meets with Gaeta before his execution. Gaeta tells him that he's all right with the fact that he lost, but hopes that someday everyone will understand who he was -- something Baltar understands. Zarek and Gaeta are both executed by firing squad. Gaeta's last words are, "It stopped," a reference to the constant pain in his amputated leg.
Sexuality
During an interview in Portland, Oregon, Katee Sackhoff was asked about gay politics in the Galactica universe and who on the crew did she think was gay. Sackhoff responded, “We think it’s Gaeta." The blooper reel from every single season has Gaeta always hitting on someone [who is] a man.”
Additionally, writer Paul Florez from The Advocate wrote an article in which he listed the reasons why he suspected that Gaeta might be gay.
In the webisodes The Face of the Enemy (which aired December 12, filling the gap between the break in season 4), Gaeta is shown to be in a romantic relationship with a man, Lieutenant Hoshi, one of the officers from the Battlestar Pegasus, and is also seen sharing a kiss with a female Number Eight Cylon during a flashback of the Cylons' occupation of New Caprica.
External links
Felix Gaeta at Battlestar Wiki
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