First use of a lower pitch for Cylon Commanders, given to First Centurion Vulpa without on-screen explanation, making his voice as distinct as his armor color. Before, his voice was indistinguishable from the other Centurions. This change persists for the remaining run of the franchise.
During the scenes in Dr. Ravashol's quarters, the 'Planners' are mentioned thrice. In the novelization by Robert Thurstion, titled "The Cylon Death Machine", and based on an earlier version of the screenplay, there are a couple of scenes involving these Planners. They were described as being the opposite of the Worker clones, gaunt and fragile looking clones with high-bridged noses and wearing large hooded robes. Worker Ser 5-9 first takes Apollo to the Planner Council, but when they offer little advice, he decides to introduce Apollo to Ravashol instead. One of the Planners betrays the presence of the Colonials to First Centurion Vulpa, explaining the Cylon raid on the clones' sanctuary.
The novelization, "The Cylon Death Machine", features an action sequence not in the broadcast version: Boxey and the clone children escape outside when the Cylons attack the sanctuary. The reach the Cylon airfield in hide in Cylon Raiders. After the destruction of the Pulsar, Athena flies a shuttle from the Galactica to pick up the Colonial strike team. Vulpa launches a final attack against them by flying one of the Raiders himself, while using several other unmanned Raiders as 'ghost ships'. Boxey is still aboard one of these ships. Realizing this, Athena orders the Colonial Vipers not to fire at any of the attacking Raiders. Apollo and Croft steal another Cylon Raider and fly close to the one with Boxey in it. Croft uses a rope to enter the 'ghost ship' and pulls Boxey out, then Athena allows the other Colonials to shoot the final ghost ship out of the sky.
The breathing masks contain parts of an off-the-shelf plastic model kit: The engine bells of Revell's Saturn V in 1:96 scale.