Sheppard doesn't agree with our assessment that he always tends to play "shifty" characters (like Badger in Firefly, or Manservant Neville in The Middleman.) Look at Romo Lampkin, he says — he's completely altruistic and trying to do the right thing. Sure, he manipulates Lee Adama like a pro, but that's just for the good of the Colonies. But Sheppard freely admits the business with Romo Lampkin's dead cat was a terrible mistake. Lampkin was carrying his dead cat around for two whole weeks, according to Sheppard — and they almost cut that whole business out of the episode, except that then they wouldn't have had an excuse to give Romo a pet dog, something they'd promised to do.

And yes, that dog is the forebear of every dog living today — in fact, says Sheppard, he's the "mitochondrial dog." Which should be the name of an indie-punk thrash band, if it isn't already.