Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome is a spinoff of Battlestar Galactica (2003), serving as a prequel to BSG and a sequel to Caprica.
Set ten years into the Cylon War, it focuses on then-Ensign William Adama (Luke Pasqualino), who has been assigned to then-new Galactica fresh out of the academy. The irascible newbie is more than a little irritated to be assigned to be a Raptor "bus driver" rather than a Viper jock. However, things become much more interesting fast when the routine "milk run" he and his more experienced but surly co-pilot Lt. Coker Fasjovik (Ben Cotton) are assigned to turns out to be a cover for a top-secret mission involving the mysterious Dr. Becca Kelly (Lili Bordán).
It was in Development Hell for a long time, but finally made it out the door in online mini-episodes in November 2012 and a longer version aired as a two-hour pilot movie on February 10, 2013. The uncut, unrated DVD and Blu-Ray of the pilot was released on February 19, 2013.
This series provides examples of:
- Anachronism Stew: Like Caprica, it's bound to contain shades of this, with fashions and hair styles so far reminiscent of the Vietnam War.
- Call-Back: "Are you alive?" A Cylon humanoid prototype asks it of Dr. Kelly before killing her, like a Six asks it of the Colonial officer at Armistice Station before the Cylons blow the station up. The echo is inverted, as in this prequel she is literally questioning Dr. Kelly's status. In the pilot miniseries of Battlestar Galactica, which takes place decades later, the question is more philosophical. Even better, Tricia Helfer is the one speaking the line both times.
- Continuity Snarl: The Galactica has a different CIC, sickbay and hangar design and Adama flies a newer Mark III Viper with his name on it at the end (despite flying the older Mark II, which is a major plot device in the Re-Imagined series).
- Cosmetically-Advanced Prequel: An example that only briefly appears. Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome takes place some time before Battlestar Galactica (2003) — something like 30-40 years prior, considering the main character's age. In Blood and Chrome, a pre-mission briefing is conducted using something like virtual reality goggles. By the time the main series rolls around, plastic figurines on a two-dimensional map are used instead.
- Did You Just Have Sex?: Coker almost immediately figures out when Adama has done the deed.
- Establishing Character Moment: In the very first scene, Bill's in a (simulated) dogfight with two Raiders. When he gets his Viper's windscreen damaged destroying one, he jettisons it despite the radiation hazard and uses his handgun to destroy the other. It also foreshadows/Calls Forward to his mature self's tolerance of Starbuck's antics.
- Fatal Family Photo:
- Near the end of the final episode Coker hands Bill a photograph of a loved one. That this was his final mission before his service was up sealed his fate. He lives.
- Similar in concept, but Kirby (supposedly) dies the mission after Coker tells him about his wife and child.
- Fast-Roping: Attempted by Bill, but failed because he ran out of rope. Then later Toth does it with greater effect.
- Feed the Mole: Turns out that's why the humans want Dr. Kelly to succeed.
- Fire-Forged Friends: Adam and Coker by the end of the show.
- Got Volunteered: Coker was not happy that he got roped into a one-way mission with Adama.
- Heroic Sacrifice: The Osiris' suicide attack on a Cylon Basestar.
- Insult of Endearment: Husker, Coker's put down after meeting Bill, becomes his call-sign at the end (and by proxy all the way to the parent series)
- Interquel: Between the Mini-series and the prequel Caprica.
- Orange/Blue Contrast: Especially noticeable in the scenes in the Raptor and the abandoned ski lodge.
- Radio Silence: Once they get out of range of Galactica.
- Reptiles Are Abhorrent: On Djerba, Adama and Coker are attacked by a native snake the Cylons have cybernetically augmented into a Cython.
- Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Dr. Kelly, whose neck is snapped by a prototype humanoid Cylon now that she's no longer useful. The prototype specifically notes that Kelly was foolish to think the Cylons hated her less than any other human.
- Ret Irony: Coker was hoping for a nice, quiet posting for the final few weeks of his service. Then he gets sent on this mission. Then he survives despite being seriously injured and showing the Fatal Family Photo mentioned above.
- Sealed Orders: The main characters only receive their top-secret orders after they have already left for a routine supply run, and Radio Silence is in effect so they can't double-check whether the orders are genuine.
- Sound-Effect Bleep: "Frak" still gets a free pass, but any "normal" oaths get concealed by convenient locker slams, spanner drops, something that is not mandated by Youtube whatsoever. Meanwhile, the Blu-rays are explicitly advertised as unrated.
- Suicide Attack: The Osiris flies directly into a Cylon Basestar and sets off all of its nukes at once to destroy it.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Coker was created because the writers remembered that they established Adama and Tigh had never served together during the First Cylon War.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Hot-headed, rookie, want-a-be The Ace Adama teams up with weary, tired, just wants to make it out of the war alive Coker. Throw in a top-secret mission and you've got a lot of shouting between the two.
- That's an Order!: You will go on the "milk run" Adama.
- Time for Plan B: Used a couple of times, once by the cocky Adama and then a call back near the end from Coker.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Coker's buddy Kirby escorts Adama's team to the ice planet, then abandons them after his Viper is damaged, saying he's going home. We never hear from him again, or find out how he planned to get anywhere in a damaged short-range fighter whose carrier was just destroyed. "Going home" might be a Deadly Euphemism.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Dr. Kelly wants to end the war by forcing the Colonial government to negotiate with the Cylons. Unfortunately, her plan involves giving the Cylons information about a hidden Colonial fleet, which would lead to thousands of human deaths. But then again, she herself is being played by the Colonial leadership.
