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Throughout most TV series, there’s bound to be at least one character death, and Battlestar Galactica was no exception. Throughout the TV show, several characters were killed off, with billions dying at the very beginning during the Fall of the Twelve Colonies. Throughout the series, among the characters who died, one of the most heartbreaking deaths was that of Lt. Anastasia Dualla in season 4.
Lt. Dualla, sometimes called Dee, was a major character in Battlestar Galactica from the very beginning. At the start of the series, Dee enlists in the Colonial Fleet Reserve as something to believe in, which her father saw as a joke. Unfortunately for the two, their broken relationship never healed, because shortly after their last heated conversation, the Cylons attacked the twelve colonies.
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However, the Fall of the Twelve Colonies by the Cylons helps to set up Dee’s storyline throughout the series. It even leads to her heartbreaking death later on in the show.
What Led To Lt. Dualla's Death In Battlestar Galactica?
Before jumping into exactly why Dee died during season 4 of Battlestar Galactica, it’s important to have some background information on what led up to it. During the beginning of the series, the Cylons bombed the colonies, killing billions of humans and ultimately making the colonies uninhabitable. After this happened, dozens of ships, including Galactica, came together to help the human race survive. One of its biggest missions was to find a habitable place for the remaining humans to live.
The Mythical Planet Of Earth
The Galactica had its sights set on Earth, which, according to their scripture, was just a mythical planet. But that didn’t mean they would give up hope. Commander Adama even fed into that hope by telling them that he knew how to make it to Earth, which at the time wasn’t true.
It was even said that the Thirteenth colony, which was a colony of Cylons, had settled on Earth after fleeing Kobol. What the crew of Galactica didn’t know, however, is that the Thirteenth colony didn’t remain on Earth, because it was uninhabitable. The survivors eventually find their way to Earth, but find themselves in an uninhabitable wasteland.
The Suicide of Lt. Dualla
While most survivors of the Cylon attack were traumatized and grieving, they came to the realization that the search for their new home wasn’t over. Others, though, couldn’t take it any longer, including Dee. As a result of discovering the truth of Earth, she felt that all hope was lost, devastated that there was no home for the survivors. This resulted in Dee taking her own life.
What is most shocking about Dee’s suicide is that, right up until her death, she seemed to be at peace. Perhaps the knowledge that she wouldn't be continuing in a hopeless pursuit gave her peace of mind. Dee goes on a date with Lee Adama just prior to her suicide, who she had been working with to mend their relationship. She even watches over Hera for a while before her heartbreaking death.
Kandyse McClure, the actress who portrays Dee in Battlestar Galactica, even weighed in on Dee’s death. She explains that her character just wanted peace after everything the survivors had gone through:
It's such a personal and violent and shocking way to go, not only for her, but for the implications for the people around her...But I think for Dee it was just the ultimate act of surrender and the final act of control over her own life. She really wanted to find some kind of peace.
How Did Lt. Dualla’s Death Impact The Story?
Like most on-screen deaths, Dee’s suicide greatly impacted the show’s narrative. For starters, it affected almost all characters on the show. Not only were the survivors already dealing with the huge blow of learning Earth was a wasteland instead of their saving grace, but now they had to grieve the death of Dee.
Many characters appear angry or hopeless, and some even find difficult ways to cope with their grief. Adama starts picking fights as a way to handle the pain, going so far as trying to get Tigh to kill him, but Tigh refuses. Others result to different actions, such as President Roslin no longer taking her medication.
After calming down, Adama decides the search for their home is not over. While Dee may no longer be with them, Adama steps back into his duties to start searching for a new habitable planet, enlisting the help of the fleet’s new Cylon allies.
Ultimately, Dee’s death showed that there are consequences in the show's universe, specifically consequences for searching for Earth. While her suicide had a huge impact on the individual characters, Battlestar Galactica creator Ronald D. Moore also used Dee’s death to emphasize certain themes of the series. Dee showed that not everyone can accept that Earth is uninhabitable. Someone had to pay a price for the discovery of Earth, and unfortunately that person was Dee.
Battlestar Galactica
- Release Date
- October 18, 2004
- Creator
- Glen A. Larson, Ronald D. Moore
- Network
- SyFy
