Battlestar Galactica: The Hand Of God

March 14th, 2008

Season 1, Episode 10

Battlestar Galactica: The Hand Of God

Synopsis

Roslin announces at a press conference that the fleet is running out of Tylium fuel. She experiences a vision of snakes writhing on her podium. Meanwhile, Boomer locates an asteroid filled with Tylum - but the Cylons have set up a mining operation, completely surrounding it.

Adama and Lee analyze surveillance photographs and decide to steal the Tylium from the Cylons, taking advantage of the element of surprise.

Roslin consults a religious leader about kamala and her disturbing visions. The leader says Pithia wrote of a leader who would lead the human race to a new home. The sacred texts line up with Roslin’s current state.

With Starbuck’s help, the miltary decides to use decoys to lead the Cylons away from the base, and the Galactica will move in to destroy it. Baltar analyzes the photograph and takes a wild guess at a weak spot to target.

The mission goes under way. The Cylons send a patrol to intercept the decoy ships. Galactica launches a strike force toward the Cylon base. But the Cylons spot the strike force and send out a second patrol - the plan is falling apart. The Galactica strike force outnumbered. Soon, all the Cylons are headed toward to the Galactica.

The decoy ship detaches a cargo container, revealing several Vipers hiding within the decoy craft. It turns out there was a secret “plan within a plan,” withheld from Roslin and Balter.

The strike force approaches the base under heavy fire. Lee makes a gutsy move and finds an alternate route to the target via a mining tunnel. He bombs the target, destroying the base. Baltar’s guess was correct.

Baltar talks with Head Six about the Pythian prophecy, and how everything in the past will happen again. She says God wanted the base to be destroyed so the humans could move forward for some unclear purpose. Baltar’s lucky guess may have been divinely inspired - perhaps he’s an instrument of God.

On Caprica, Helo and Sharon wonder why they haven’t seen any other human survivors. They stop for a meal and Sharon gets sick. In the morning, they see a Number 6 Cylon approaching their hideout with a bunch of toasters. They run off into the woods.

Thoughts

Baltar continues to be the ultimate tool of the Cylons. But on my second viewing, the title The Hand Of God could apply to Roslin as well as she learns of the Pithian prophecy and that she may be a religious leader written about in the sacred texts.

This episode - with its critical mission and big final explosion - reminded me a bit of the original Star Wars.

Next Episode: Colonial Day
Previous Episode: Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down

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