Synopsis

Raptors and raiders return as the tentative truce continues. The Final Five combine their knowledge in order to provide the resurrection technology to the Cylons. Tory becomes nervous upon realizing Chief will therefore learn that she killed Callie. As the download begins, Chief goes nuts and snaps Tory’s neck. The cylons call it a trick and open fire. Cavil says “frak this,” and shoots himself in the head.

The colony’s cannons blaze anew. Meanwhile, an asteroid hits Racetrack’s disabled raptor, causing her dead body to hit a fire button, launching several nukes at the colony. Adama yells at Starbuck to jump Galactica. She enters numbers from Hera’s song. Galactica jumps away. Flashback to  Starbuck and Lee doing shots after Zak has fallen asleep.

Galactica arrives in a new location, its hull rippling with battle damage. Tigh says the Galactica will never jump again, as it flies to a planet that is unquestionably our own, based on the shape of its continents.

Twelve hours later the rest of the fleet arrives. A landing party observes a tribe of prehistoric humans. Doc Cottle says their DNA is compatible with theirs. Lee tells his father they should “break the cycle,” saying they could give them best parts of themselves, not the ships, technology, and weapons, saying the science outraces their hearts, leaving their souls behind.

Admiral Adama decides to disperse the remaining humans across the globe. Romo Lampkin voices his surprise that so many agreed to this. Adama says everyone wants a clean slate. The robotic centurions are set free and jump away. The fleet’s ships will be flown into the sun — along with Anders — and destroyed. Starbuck sadly says farewell to Anders and gives him her dog tags. As the fleet flies into the sun, Anders recalls his quest for perfection.

Adama leaves the Galactica in a viper. Flashback to him being questioned by an interviewer for a civilian job. He becomes annoyed at a question about petty theft and decides to return to military service.

On earth, Tigh and Ellen say goodbye to Chief who wants to travel to an island away from everyone. Tigh and Ellen flashback to the strip club where they drink and embrace, planning to be together forever.

Roslin and Adama gaze at a herd of animals from beneath a tent. She has trouble breathing. Adama carries her to a raptor for a better view. They say goodbye to Lee and Starbuck before the raptor lifts off.

Starbuck tells Lee that she is done here. Flashback to Starbuck daring Lee to sleep with her on a kitchen table. They knock over a wine glass and Zak awakes. The moment passes and Lee decides to go home.

Starbuck asks Lee what he’ll do next. He says as little as possible, or explore. When he turns around, Starbuck has vanished. Flashback to Lee, seeing the pigeon in his house. He watches it fly out an open door into the sunshine.

Flashback to Roslin, just after sleeping with her former student. She asks him to leave, and then makes a phone call join Adar’s presidential campaign.

As Adama and Roslin fly over flocks of birds, her hand falls limp as she passes. Adama tearfully puts his ring on her hand.

Bands of humans with camping gear march across the landscape in different directions. Helo, Athena, and Hera smile and laugh about learning how to hunt and grow crops. The head characters tell Baltar and Caprica Six that God’s plan is complete and their lives from here on out will be less eventful. Flashback to Baltar meeting Caprica Six, agreeing to give her the security codes that destroy Caprica.

Adama sits on a hillside, looking out at a grand landscape with Roslin’s grave behind him.

Flash forward to 150,000 later: our present day. A news report announces that archaeological remains have been found of the mother of all humanity. Head Six and Head Baltar walk through Times Square, commenting on the progress of technology in this decadent society, saying all of this has happened before and will happen again — it reminds them of Kobol and Caprica. Head Six says perhaps this time the cycle will be broken and this is God’s plan. Baltar mentions that God doesn’t like that name. They pass a radio playing Jimi Hendrix’s version of All Along the Watchtower. A montage of current robots is followed by Head Baltar and Head Six vanishing into the crowd.

Thoughts

Chief finally learned what really happened to Callie and went totally nuts, bringing to completion what he started in a previous episode, but lacking a proper target for his pain, pretty much gave up on.

Baltar was redeemed by joining Galactica on the suicide mission, and I was eventually touched by his last decision to become a farmer, his family heritage that he had expended much effort to escape.

Roslin’s last moments with Adama were perfect, and quite touching. I’ve been annoyed by their relationship but this conclusion somehow made up for it. I think it had something to do with Adama’s generosity to make Roslin’s last moments the most comfortable possible, and having the courage to start a relationship even when the time together would be short.

The flashbacks reminded me that although it was better than being trapped on a spaceship, many of these characters weren’t all that happy back on Caprica. They were searching for something larger, a cause to dedicate themselves to. After being drunk in an alley, Adama decides to go back to the stars. After a fling with an old pupil, Roslin decides to enter politics. Tigh and Ellen were always in love with each other. More about the source of pleasure a bit later.

God

Baltar’s belief in God became extremely important when he confronts Cavil to negotiate the tentative truce. God was also used as an explanation for Starbuck and the head characters. I do take slight issue at this explanation. At worst it could be seen as lazy writing (deus ex machina). I would have preferred a pseudo-scientific explanation. Many of the show’s religious subjects were balanced in this way: Roslin’s prophetic visions could have been hallucinations from her kamala extract medicine. “Resurrection” was balanced with “downloading” — some technology that could be invented and used by Cylons. So there was a neat mix of parallel explanations, and you could choose between the two.

So I wanted a sci-fi explanation to Starbuck and the head characters. I suppose my personal explanation is some entity — he who doesn’t like to be called God — watches over all of humanity, and lends influence to ensure their survival. Just as the Final Five tried to guide the Cylons to create skin jobs and break the cycle, perhaps it’s some ancient race (aliens? other humans?) that predate generations of the Final Five — they have become so omnipotent to be indistinguishable from gods, and work behind the scenes.

But the religious interpretation is still acceptable to me. It certainly frames the entire series differently. Religion, destiny, and free will permeates the entire series, with skin job Cylons programmed to believe in God, Head Six’s conversations with Baltar about faith, the “Hand of God” in his choice of a bombing location, to the creation of his cult and followers - which now seem less self-serving and probably, divinely inspired. Now that God, angels, or demons are responsible, these events may deserve a second look.

Technology

I loved the 150,000 year leap forward. For starters, it reminded me of the “one year later” jump from the season 2 finale. Second, the entire final “Daybreak” episode is lent an epic time span, from “before the fall” to their far off future and our present day.

It seems like a big leap that all the remaining humans would willingly abandon their ships and send them into the sun — Romo Lampkin voices his disbelief. But it makes more sense considering what they’ve been through. Caprica was destroyed by technology, as was Kobol, and the first earth they discovered. The survivors spent the entire series trapped in spaceships, on the edge of sanity, running from a death they brought upon themselves. Only at the end of the series do we see green savannas filled with wildlife, and while it’s not that big a deal to us, it must be paradise to them.

The ultimate message is a warning that technology is not the entire answer. If humanity puts too much faith in technology, we could easily end up becoming slaves to it, or at worst, it could destroy us. Lee believes that science races ahead of our souls. Visually, the most dire warning is the hybrids — not quite human or machine, permanently wedded to a tank. With Anders and Tory dead, the resurrection knowledge is lost, and the Final Five — the most advanced Cylons — have completed their mission to bring peace between the humans and Cylons — their job in this generation is done.

Our difficulty with this anti-technology message is understandable — we’re immersed in the idea technology solves more problems than it creates. But in the larger scheme of things, it’s less clear cut. Our technology is destroying the planet and stripping it of the splendor on display in this episode. We already have the power to annihilate our planet several times over with nuclear weapons. We have yet to create artificial intelligence or clones or had to deal with the resulting ethical issues. We have not yet seen the future, while these characters have already lived it — they have seen several entire planets destroyed, seen their servants rebel, and know what it’s like to not have a planet to call home. We speak from inexperience.

Then add the pleasure shown by the characters, via the flashbacks and during the episode, that stemmed from love, making choices, having a cause to fight for, or taking a leap of faith in God. None of these require technology — they stem from our humanity.

The line “all of this has happened before and will happen again” presents a cycle that has repeated for ages. Humanity lives in partnership with nature. They develop technology which they become dependent on. The technology threatens to destroy themselves and their civilization. The survivors realize technology is not what makes them happy, abandon it and return to nature. Maybe they pass a few things they’ve learned, to another civilization of humans.

And meanwhile, something watches over everything, ensuring humanity endures at any point in the cycle. Maybe it wants to perpetuate the cycle, and test the human’s ability to develop free will and make the choice to break it, like an end to the cycle of reincarnation. Call it God, whatever — the point is we don’t know what it is, or its purpose, and never will — but it doesn’t matter. Faith is belief without explanation.

I think overall, it’s a pretty cool conclusion to the whole series.

Previous Episode: Daybreak (2)

Synopsis

Flashbacks galore: Tigh and Adama get totally wasted in a strip club. Over drinks, Zak and Starbuck poke fun at Lee’s desire for something larger and bad relationship with his father. Roslin entertains a date, who turns out to be a former pupil. Adama, looking like hell, throws up on himself, and smiles as he looks up at the stars.

Present day: Head Six asks Baltar to trust in God’s plan. Meanwhile, Doc Cottle gives Roslin medicine to get her through the next few hours. Helo briefs raptor crews on the upcoming mission.

The plan: Galactica will jump next to the Cylon colony and attack at point blank range. Anders, still in a hybrid tank, will shut down the Cylon’s firepower by interfacing with the colony hybrids. Anders is moved to the CIC. In case they don’t return, Adama promotes Hoshi to Admiral, and Romo Lampkin becomes president — both will remain with the fleet.

At the last moment, Baltar chooses to remain on Galactica. Roslin is assigned to sick bay. Batlar — looking ridiculous in combat gear, runs into Caprica 6. Adama addresses the crew, saying this may be their last voyage.

The Galactica endures heavy fire as it jumps alongside the colony which is massive in size. Anders reaches a hybrid, shutting the cylon cannons down. Vipers and raptors are launched. Adama orders Galactica to ram into the colony.

Raiders swarm as joint human and centurion assault teams led by Lee and Starbuck enter the Cylon stronghold. Helo and Athena travel aboard a raptor with others to enter from another side. Meanwhile, Boomer attacks the Cylon doctor preparing to operate on Hera.

Caprica Six say she is proud of Baltar, and he kisses her. Head Six and Head Baltar agree that pieces are falling into place. Caprica Six and Baltar realize they can both see these “head character” entities.

Starbuck’s assault team finds Boomer carrying Hera. She hands the child over, saying she is making this choice. Athena shoots her. Flashback to Adama and Tigh chastising Boomer for her failures as a pilot.

The hospital is in chaos as Lee and Starbuck’s teams make their way back to Galactica. Adama shouts random orders as the CIC bursts into flames.

Roslin injects herself with medicine and sees the opera house vision. Helo is shot, and Hera runs away. Athena chases after her. In parallel, Roslin wanders down another hall, as does Cavil and a squad of toasters. Roslin runs into Hera and shields her from centurions, only to lose her immediately after. These events match up with Roslin’s opera house vision.

Hera finds her way to Baltar and Head Six. Both Athena and Roslin gasp as they see Baltar and Head Six pick Hera up and walk through a doorway.

Baltar and Head six walk into the “opera house” to find it is the CIC, covered with dead bodies and bloodletting. Up above stand the Final Five.

As Batlar returns Hera to Adama, Cavil breaks free and grabs Hera, holding her at gunpoint. Guns are drawn. Cavil says the girl is the key to the Cylon’s survival. Baltar preaches destiny and God guiding everyone to this place. Cavil asks if God is really on his side. Baltar says the cycle can only be broken by our choices.

Tigh offers Cavil the Final Five’s resurrection technology in exchange for Hera, and that the war ends here. Cavil agrees and orders all the Cylon forces to stand down.

Thoughts

I’d been jonesing for a good space battle and this episode delivered. The enormity of the colony was a surprise, and the blazing cannons, assault teams, and old-school cylons were excellent.

The opera house prophecy finally came true, with Roslin, Athena, Baltar, Hera, and Caprica Six all falling into place to escort Hera to the bridge. I loved the revelation that the CIC with the Final Five above was literally the opera house. The bridge has literally been the location for so much drama and power plays over the entire show.

Boomer betrays the side she’s currently on yet again, finally making a choice of her own, and demonstrating free will. Perhaps she always wanted to demonstrate an independent decision after being controlled by forces beyond her when she shot Adama.

Next Episode: Daybreak (3)
Previous Episode: Daybreak (1)

Synopsis

Flashback to Caprica City, before the fall. Baltar rides in a limo with Caprica Six, Roslin is visited by her sisters, and Lee pays a visit to Starbuck and his brother Zak’s apartment.

Baltar receives an emergency call from his elderly father’s caretaker, who has just quit. Baltar’s father mocks him, and Baltar asks Caprica Six to leave. Some policemen inform Roslin that her family has died in a car accident. In shock, she bathes herself beneath the spray of a public fountain. Later, Baltar returns to his home with a brunette and finds Caprica Six there. She has placed his father in a pleasant nursing home.

Lee discusses dismantling Galactica with a crew member. Starbuck tries to match the musical notes of Hera’s song with numbers. Chief (who is in the brig) tells Helo that Cylons can’t be trusted.

Aboard the Cylon colony, Hera covers pieces of paper with dots. Cavil tells the others to prepare the child for medical experiments.

Admiral Adama runs into Hot Dog who is pulling photographs down from the memorial wall. Adama sees Hera’s photograph. He decides to ask Anders about the location of the Colony. Anders has a flashback to his time as a pyramid athlete and his quest for the beautiful moment where action meets reaction.

Batlar asks Lee for government representation for his many followers. Lee declines, saying Baltar is only interested in regaining power and has never performed a selfless act. He asks Baltar to name one self-sacrificing moment. Baltar doesn’t reply.

In a flashback, Lee returns home, drunk, to find a pigeon trapped in his apartment, which he chases with a broom.

Admiral Adama calls the Galactica crew to the hangar deck, announces a suicide mission to rescue Hera from the Cylon colony, and asks for volunteers. People filter one way or the other, including a weak Roslin who has left her hospital bed. All the major characters (including the Final Five) volunteer, including Caprica Six. Baltar is noticeably absent.

A raptor goes on a recon mission to observe the cylon Colony. It is near a singularity (similar to a black hole) surrounded by debris. Due to the gravitational forces, there is only one location where Galactica can jump. Adama tells the others they have work to do.

Thoughts

Despite the noticeable lack of answers, I liked this episode.

The flashbacks to “before the fall” take us back to the miniseries, and served as reminders that the characters we’ve come to know and love for their heroics and self-sacrifice were originally just ordinary individuals. Under extraordinary and often tragic circumstances, ordinary people can (and sometimes must) rise to the occasion and be better than they thought possible. Tragedy was visually symbolized by the falling rain and fountain on Roslin’s face, and Lee’s aspirations for something better visually symbolized by the pigeon he can’t catch, that moves skyward toward the light. The blinding light spills in from windows, emphasizing the natural sunlight missing from years of being on spacecraft. The light itself could hope, or the world beyond all these characters are headed for.

Most personally notable was Baltar’s flashback, where he demonstrates his typical selfishness, but the six model tries to guide him toward something better, through caring for his father. In the present day, Lee finally calls Baltar on his perpetual self-preservation, asking him to name one time he ever performed a truly heroic act. Unsurprisingly, he can’t name anything. This point is hammered home when Baltar is offered yet another chance for redemption — volunteer for Admiral Adama’s “one way” rescue mission. All the main characters volunteer except Baltar.

But of course we must remember the Opera House prophecy. It ends with a Number 6 model and Baltar with Hera. Will Baltar finally sacrifice himself to shepherd in a future Cylon / Human hybrid future? Or will Galactica go for the painful, cynical ending — all the “good” humans perish (remember, Starbuck as the harbinger of death?), leaving the future in the hands of the most self-centered human (there must be a reason why his followers loaded up on guns, and if the Galactica goes, surely the fleet stays behind) plus his Cylon lover, a monotheistic “better half,” trying to keep him from frakking things up? A machine more empathetic than a human because it was programmed with a belief in God is a very bold statement.

There’s also a comment on what it means to be human, through the illogical suicide mission. Through insurmountable odds, through tragedy, through the impossible — the principal characters still manage to see some semblance of hope and purpose. This might be a one way trip, but it makes sense that many of them would volunteer. It’s stupid, but that is humanity — on some basic level they believe they can pull it off and live to see another day.

Then on the more spectacular side — we’re set up for something we haven’t seen on the show in quite some time — a huge frakking space battle. It’s a fitting way to end things — the destruction of Galactica itself. Just as the show ends, so does the ship it’s named after.

Next Episode: Daybreak Part 2
Previous Episode: Islanded In A Stream Of Stars

Synopsis

As the Galactica repairs continue, Ellen believes Hera has been taken to the Colony. Starbuck explains to Admiral Adama, Lee, and the Final Five that Hera gave her notes to the song that activated the Final Five, and advocates a rescue. Admiral Adama says he has had it with prophecies.

Athena has visions of her and Roslin chasing Hera through the opera house, only to have Baltar and a Six model take her away. Meanwhile, a hull breach on Galactica sucks some crew members out into space, while others hang on desperately.

Roslin, confined to the sick bay, shares visions with Athena. Lee addresses the Quorum (now made up of ship captains) who want to strip Galactica of its parts.

Baltar transmits a religious broadcast centering on angels that walk among humankind, and comforts Caprica Six on the loss of her child.

Aboard a raptor deep in space, Boomer realizes Hera can “project.” They visit the dream house.

Starbuck asks Baltar to run tests on the dog tags recovered from her corpse to answer who or what she is. She visits a Cylon lab built on Galactica, where Anders lies in a tank, hybrid-style. Starbuck pulls out a gun, threatening to shoot Anders. He starts babbling prophecies, reiterating Starbuck’s identity as the “harbinger of death.” Tigh orders the Cylons to take Anders offline when it’s realized he could jump Galactica — due to the Cylon organic resin being used for repairs.

Adama reads a book to Roslin and they smoke medicine together. She philosophies about the meaning of “home” and says her sense of home is being with him.

A tearful Helo begs Adama for a raptor so he can search for Hera himself.

Adama and Caprica six address a joint funeral for the deceased Cylon and human crew. Batlar interrupts, preaching that eternal life comes from embracing death, and some can cross over. His tests prove that Starbuck’s corpse was on Earth, yet she is still alive. Adama threatens to put Baltar in the brig, and Starbuck slaps Baltar. Lee watches from across the hold.

Starbuck puts a photograph of herself on the memorial wall and smiles.

Boomer’s raptor arrives at the “Colony” a new cylon environment — until now, unseen. Once inside, she takes Hera to Cavil. Boomer starts to cry, perhaps only now realizing what she has done.

Admiral Adama flings paint across a wall and bursts into tears, realizing he can’t save his beloved ship.

Starbuck tells Anders she’ll sit by his side until she gets answers, and puts him back online.

Admiral Adama tells Tigh that they will stop all repairs and abandon ship. The two men sit on a well-worn couch and drink a final toast to the old girl.

Thoughts

I feel the show is back on an upward swing. It’s quite fitting that the Galactica itself is on the verge of destruction, just as the show is about to end.

I also liked the Cylon tank with Anders in it, lit in red with Matrix-y symbols moving over the walls. Now that he — one of the final five with memories of their original existence — has control over the ship, all hell could easily break loose.

Pieces are also moving into place to fulfill Roslin’s opera house vision. Roslin is on the verge of death, Athena is gone, and Baltar is reconnecting with Capria Six. I fully expect them to lay hands on Hera before the show is over.

I did have a few annoyances. When Baltar started announcing his test results, I thought he’d explain Starbuck’s existence, but we got no definitive answers, only that the corpse back on Earth was in fact Starbuck’s (we knew that already). He should be thrown in the brig for leading us on. And where was Chief this episode? Maybe in the bar getting loaded, listening to Dylan records. Lastly, I thought Roslin and Adama sharing what seemed to be the Caprican equivalent of medicinal marijuana rather silly.

All in all, a solid episode, which is surely setting the stage for the show finale where we’d better get answers, space battles, and a (hopefully) bittersweet ending.

Next Episode: Daybreak (1)
Previous Episode: Someone To Watch Over Me

TV Shows: Battlestar Galactica

Synopsis

A sad piano tune plays as pilots prepare for their routine daily mission searching for habitable planets. After updating Lee, Roslin, Caprica Six, and Admiral Adama about the continuing repairs to Galactica, Chief is disturbed to learn the Cylons plan to try Boomer for treason.

After visiting Anders, who is still in a coma, Starbuck visits the bar and complains about the piano player.

At work, Chief recalls his entire relationship with Boomer, which ended with her dying in his arms. Starbuck visits Helo to retrieve a box full of her old stuff that the other pilots saved after believing she was dead. Hera gives Starbuck a drawing of colored dots.

Chief visits Boomer in the brig. She says she’s thought about him every day since her death. Chief gets choked up and puts his hand up to hers against the glass. Chief finds himself in a beautiful, sunlit house, married to Boomer. He snaps out of the vision. Boomer aplogizes, saying she though he’d be okay with “Cylon projection.”

Chief can’t convince Ellen and Tigh to save Boomer. Chief and Boomer visit the dream house, where he meets a child he and Boomer never had.

Starbuck tells the piano player how as a child, her father — a musician — once gave her piano lessons. That evening, Starbuck has a disturbing dream of a young girl playing the piano. Starbuck tells the piano player about leading the fleet to earth and finding her dead body.

Chief begs Roslin to keep Boomer from the Cylons. She doesn’t listen, and signs release papers. Chief storms out of the room. The power goes out. Chief picks up a wrench and attacks a Number 8 model. He sets Boomer free and leaves the unconscious Number 8 model in the brig.

Boomer attacks Athena in locker room, ties her up, and stuffs her in a closet. Helo approaches Boomer in the bathroom, thinking she is Athena, and has sex with her.

The piano player plays a song with Starbuck, and scribbles some notes on manuscript paper. Starbuck takes out Hera’s drawing, which the piano player recognizes as music notes. As they play Hera’s song, Boomer kidnaps Hera and boards a raptor with a heavy crate. As the song grows louder and more confident, Tigh recognizes it and stares in disbelief. It’s the same tune that activated the Final Five.

Athena frees herself from the locker room. Helo calls for the paramedics and sounds the alarm that Boomer has escaped.

Boomer tells Admiral Adama over the intercom that she has Hera aboard. She takes off and jumps away alongside Galactica, damaging its hull. Roslin senses Hera is gone, and collapses in her quarters.

Chief overhears Athena and Helo screaming in disbelief over the loss of their daughter. He runs away in shame and into the imagined house, only to find it empty.

Thoughts

My annoyance with last’ week’s episode was largely alleviated with this one. Loved how the beginning of the episode referred back to earlier ones, specifically the flight crew’s repetitive routine and Chief’s relationship with Boomer. Chief’s desire to rekindle their relationship and having those hopes dashed was cruelly appropriate — you just can’t trust the Cylons. I really feel sorry for Chief’s predicament — last episode he wanted to jump away, now his actions put the only hybrid child into Cylon hands. Let the guy jump away so he can’t cause more damage.

I wasn’t as into Starbuck’s conversations with the piano player, but on my second viewing there are interesting hints that the piano player was imagined. Starbuck is first shown sitting at the bar, her face reflected in a mirror, showing that she is literally, talking to herself. Nobody else at the bar interacts with the piano player. When Tigh confronts her for playing the activation song, the piano player vanishes, indicating he was never there at all. We also learned Starbuck’s father was a musician, and a cassette tape with her father’s music on it has the name “Diedre Thrace.” The piano player is a vision like Baltar’s Head Six, and the musician element may point to Daniel, the “artistic” Cylon with corrupted DNA, and the connection between these two and the Final Five has to be going somewhere. Then we learned of “cylon projection” through which Cylons can send visualizations to one another — which again, indicates a mechanism for all these “head” characters. There are dotted lines being laid that should connect very soon — just like Hera’s drawing.

Next Episode: Islanded In A Stream Of Stars
Previous Episode: Deadlock

Disclaimer: Spoilers! The posts covering the last ten episodes will undoubtedly be full of spoilers and are intended for discussion after watching the associated episode. If you’re not up to speed, look away now.

Synopsis

Chief shows Adama the Cylon goo used to repair Galactica. A raptor arrives on Galactica with Boomer and Ellen — the last of the final five — aboard. Adama puts Boomer in the brig. Tigh is very happy to be reunited with his long-lost wife.

Questioned by Adama, Roslin, Lee, and Tigh, Ellen says Cavil wants to rebuild the resurrection hub. She asks for a drink to see the other final four. After the others leave, Ellen and Tigh make love on a table.

Baltar returns to his followers have armed themselves to protect a food stockpile. Later, Baltar sees a hungry child and decides to share their rations.

Tigh tells a displeased Ellen that he’s been sleeping with a Six model, but doesn’t mention the baby.

The Final Five gather around a still-unconscious Anders. The Cylons want to abandon the fleet and strike out on their own, with the unborn Cylon baby as their future. Ellen puts two and two together and realizes Tigh has gotten Caprica Six pregnant. Chief and Tory vote to jump away, with Tigh and Anders (he voiced his desire to stay with the fleet before his surgery) wanting to stay. Ellen, furious at Tigh, abruptly leaves without voting.

Roslin stops Caprica Six in the hall, asks about their shared visions, and wonders if the unborn child is on the same level of “importance” as Hera. Starbuck notices a new piano player in the bar, and asks Chief if he has visited Boomer in the brig.

Ellen angrily confronts Caprica Six in Tigh’s quarters, but eventually takes the high road, saying she can’t make Tigh choose, and will let him be with Caprica Six.

Baltar is handing out food when some heavily armed men (Sons of Aries) arrive to steal everything. Head Six tells Baltar his followers need larger guns.

Adama (drunk again) tells Tigh that the human race’s survival depends on the Cylons.

Tigh tells Ellen that the human race’s future is intertwined with the Cylons. She accuses Tigh of loving Adama more than anything, and votes for leaving the fleet. Tigh says he will stay behind. As Tigh and Ellen argue, Caprica Six keels over.

As Doc Cottle tries to save the Cylon baby, Tigh struggles to express his love for Caprica Six and his unborn child.

Baltar requests weapons from Admiral Adama and Roslin, saying the fleet is falling apart due to the Cylon allegiance. Several crates of large guns are delivered to Baltar’s followers.

Chief visits Boomer in her cell. Anders’ brain monitor shows activity. Tigh hugs Adama and delivers the sad news that his child is dead. Caprica Six places  photographs of dead Cylons on the memorial wall. Roslin and Adama nod in acceptance.

Thoughts

After a few solid, exciting episodes, this one was a serious let down. I sensed an outline, as if the larger plot had to go certain places (return Ellen Tigh, kill the baby, arm Baltar, push the Cylon-Human alliance home) and the characters were unconvincingly going along for the ride.

I did like the return of Boomer, who has been in the shadows for far too long, hanging with Cavil. There’s a possibility of a really interesting conclusion to her relationship with Chief that ties us back to the miniseries. The Baltar stuff was goofy but I liked the return of the manipulative Head Six, as a reminder that an explanation for his visions is much overdue.

But my list of complaints are longer: Ellen Tigh’s return felt awkward, as her behavior didn’t live up to my expectations as the “enlightened” Cylon being from the previous episode, that preached love and forgiveness to Cavil and sought to put an end to the Cylon-human conflict by instilling the skin jobs with human values. Here, she asks for booze (seemed like she kicked the habit aboard the base star), and argued with Tigh for sleeping with Caprica Six, conveniently forgetting how she slept with Cavil (her “son”). She then accused Tigh of loving Caprica Six, then Admiral Adama, and then flipped back to supporting the baby once its life was in danger.

As the only Cylon who got all her memories back, Ellen’s knowledge of the big picture (specifically Cavil’s hampering of the skin jobs’ memories and breaking of the Armistice) should have been interesting to everyone. She could have completed the rush of information coming from Anders.

And Chief, who seemed like he had dedicated himself to fixing Galactica and was rehired by Adama, voted to jump away? Huh?

The death of “Liam,” the pure Cylon child, taken with the earlier discovery that Chief’s son is human, provides more unwanted evidence that the writers never had a clear plan since the end of season 3, and couldn’t handle more than one Cylon child. Hence the decision to get rid of two, leaving only Hera. I can accept that there wasn’t a plan, but the writers really need to make it less evident.

The repercussions of the last few episodes seemed forgotten. Adama should be struggling with a collapsing military, and wouldn’t Roslin be dead by now, having gone off her meds?

Lastly, I must mention my increasing disappointment with the “blended” situation that is presented as an inevitability. I’ve never found the whole Cylon alliance believable. I fear we’re headed for some happy-go-lucky ending where the Cylons and humans agree to merge and colonize some planet together.

Now that Zarek and Gaeta’s rebellion has been quashed and the Cylons seem just as confused as the humans, my only hope to see all hell break loose resides with Baltar and his heavily-armed followers. In the light of all the touch-feely Cylon-loving going on with drunk Adama, silent Lee, and whipped Roslin, I’ll take that.

With only five episodes remaining, Battlestar Galactica is running out of time to wrap up so many things in a satisfying way. This episode didn’t help things.

Next Episode: Someone To Watch Over Me
Previous Episode: No Exit

TV Shows: Battlestar Galactica

Disclaimer: Spoilers! The posts covering the last ten episodes will undoubtedly be full of spoilers and are intended for discussion after watching the associated episode. If you’re not up to speed, look away now.

Synopsis

Flashback to Saul poisoning Ellen back on New Caprica. She awakens in a resurrection tank on a base star, and asks a centurion to help her out.

In the present day, Doc Cottle drills into Anders’ head in preparation to remove a bullet from his brain. Starbuck is by his side. A hematoma cases Anders to recount strange memories of his Cylon past.

Flashback to Cavil meeting Ellen aboard the base star. She calls him “John” and reveals she created him. He brags about vast improvements he’s made to his own programming — rewriting the “sleep” subroutine which he found useless. He thinks the human traits like emotion and belief in God are pointless ideas, and blames Ellen for faulty programming. He wants to destroy the human race out of justice for enslaving the Cylons. Cavil introduces Ellen to Boomer, revealing her as one of the Final Five.

Anders awakes to see Starbuck. He tells the other four (and Starbuck) they all worked at the same research facility on Earth. Tigh and Ellen were married, and Chief and Tory were a couple. They re-discovered resurrection technology that was known on Kobol but forgotten when Earth was colonized. When Earth (the 13th, Cylon colony) was destroyed, they were downloaded to a ship they placed in orbit.

Lee and Roslin discuss re-establishing the Quorum of Twelve. He suggests the fleet should form some new representative government based on the ships they’re on. Roslin hands the responsibility over to Lee.

Chief shows Adama extensive stress fractures to the Galactica hull. The battleship is showing its age, and corners were cut during the ship’s construction. He advises no FTL jumps.

Anders continues, saying the Final Five then set off for the other colonies, intending to warn them about the dangers of creating artificial life. A revolt would be certain if any new AI were treated like slaves. But without FTL drives, the journey took thousands of years. The Final Five arrived at the colonies to find the first Cylon already underway. These Cylons had developed the hybrids. The Final Five convinced the Cylons to stop the war in exchange for resurrection technology, resulting in the armistice. The Cylons then developed the 8 humanoid “skin job” Cylons.

Starbuck says 8 “skin jobs” conflicts with the seven “skin job” Cylons they know of. Anders reveals there is one more Cylon model.

Flashback to ten months ago with the supernova around the Algae Planet. Cavil says the Temple of the Final Five was built for Ellen’s vanity (during the Final Five’s journey from Earth to the colonies), and how Number 3 has seen the faces of the Final Five, resulting in her boxing. He expresses anger at the limitations of his organic body, and reiterates frustration at the Final Five for creating him this way. Ellen tells Boomer that human qualities like “free will” and the capacity to love are to be cherished, not hated.

Tigh contemplates who should shoulder the blame for the end of humanity while a “brain guy” surgeon briefs Anders and Starbuck on the impending brain operation.

Flashback to four months ago. Cavil tells Ellen that the resurrection hub has been destroyed. Cavil demands that Ellen rebuild a resurrection system, mentioning a place called the “Colony” where all her equipment resides. Ellen says she needs the rest of the Final Five to do so. Cavil angrily threatens to cut her brain open and extract the knowledge himself.

Anders tells the others (and Starbuck) that the “skin jobs” were programmed with belief in God and human emotions in hopes they would be more “human” and decide to end to the cycle of destruction. But instead, Cavil rebelled and killed the Final Five. Upon their resurrection, Cavil blocked their memories and placed them on Caprica. Anders is abruptly wheeled off to surgery, yelling out more visions.

Tigh returns to his quarters to feel his unborn Cylon baby kick in the body of the Six model.

Flashback to two days ago. Cavil prepares to operate on Ellen. He admits he sent the Final Five to Caprica just to torture them. Ellen mentions “Daniel,” the 7th Cylon, as a sensitive artist that failed to thrive. Cavil was jealous and altered his DNA, resulting in a flawed model. Ellen tells Cavil that despite his anger and hatred, she loves him, as any mother would love their son. Cavil isn’t hearing any of it and leaves to prepare for surgery.

Chief delivers more bad news to Adama. He has discovered extensive hairline fractures throughout the Galactica walls. He suggests using a Cylon organic resin — that is actually alive — to heal the cracks. Adama resists, distrusting Cylon technology.

Instead of escorting her to surgery, Boomer and Ellen board a raptor, fly away from the base star, and jump. Anders’ operation is complete but he has yet to awake. Lastly, Adama calls Chief and asks him to use the Cylon technology to save Galactica.

Thoughts

Absolutely huge, must-see episode. Many answers: the nature and purpose of the Final Five, why they were on Caprica with no memories, the Temple of the Final Five on the Algae Planet, the development of the “skin jobs,” the hybrids, and the Cylon belief in God.

First off, really loved Anders with a bullet in his brain, adding a semi-believable angle to why such nutty visions would come to Anders. Actor Michael Trucco, whom I previously thought was rather bland, really rose to the occasion.

We also learned that the Final Five gave the “skin job” Cylons human qualities in an effort to end the Cylon / Human conflict. I think we might learn that the capacity to bear children might be explained in a similar fashion — meaning, a species that has a vested interest in future offspring (be they hybrid or just children born of love) would hopefully be more inclined toward peace. I am now recalling all that Cylon consternation over “love,” their inability to bear children back on Caprica, and the close observation of Helo and Boomer. Here’s hoping all of that gets linked up real soon.

Cavil’s betrayal, the first “skin job,”  is the classic story of a creation becoming unhappy with its creator. On further thought, he probably hid knowledge of the Final Five from the other Cylons, and initiated the attack on the Colonies once his creators were out of the way.

We also learned of a mysterious seventh “skin job” Cylon named Daniel, with DNA corrupted by a jealous Cavil, whose whereabouts are unknown. While at first the mention of the 7th missing cylon seems odd, it makes sense to bring the twelve Cylons up to 13 to bring it in line with the 13 colonies. It also seems likely Daniel will eventually be linked to either Starbuck or Baltar, hopefully explaining Starbuck’s resurrection and other past strangeness, including her prophetic artistic leanings. Daniel might explain Baltar’s Head Six. Or perhaps, “Daniel” has been silently manipulating things behind the scenes this entire time on the human side, in opposition to Cavil. More strangeness could be explained that way, perhaps Baltar’s constant, unbelievable escapes from death.

One semi-logical explanation that once seemed out of left field now actually has some plausibility — that the Galactica itself is a Cylon. Maybe Daniel worked his way into ship’s computers (remember that virus?). All sorts of strange happenings on the Galactica itself could be a result of this — the mysterious appearance of a Six model, or Tigh’s hearing of the song from the Galactica itself. Now that Adama has given Chief the green light to pour organic, Cylon material into the Galactica, we might see an “awakening.” Yeah, wacky.

But the side plot of Galactica being repaired by Cylon technology surely foreshadows a fast-coming situation where the humans themselves may need to merge with the Cylons in order to survive as a species — yep, more hybrid babies.

Lastly, a rather disturbing layer of familial sex has been with all this new knowledge of the Cylon family tree: Ellen slept with Cavil, whom we now know is her “son.” Tigh has gotten his “daughter” pregnant. Well, I suppose Greek mythology is full of this kind of stuff.

Next Episode: Deadlock
Previous Episode: Blood On The Scales

Disclaimer: Spoilers! The posts covering the last ten episodes will undoubtedly be full of spoilers and are intended for discussion after watching the associated episode. If you’re not up to speed, look away now.

Synopsis

Admiral Adama and Tigh are pulled from the docking bay and captured. A last-minute hesitation by a viper the pilot allows the raptor with Roslin and Baltar aboard to land on the Cylon basestar.

The Cylons — along with Tory — are confused by the revolt and want to jump away. Roslin decides to move the basestar to the middle of the fleet where they can’t be fired upon, lending Adama time to fix things.

Zarek arrives on Galactica via the Colonial One. Roslin tries to broadcast to the fleet, but her signal is jammed. Gaeta plans a trial for Adama with the charges of treason for collaborating with the enemy. Romo Lampkin is brought in to defend a colorfully defiant Adama. Meanwhile, Chief sneaks into an air duct.

Zarek tells the Quorum that Gaeta is now in charge. They asks Zarek to leave, indicating their disapproval of the coup. As Zarek leaves, he orders two marines to slaughter the Quorum.

Gaeta angrily says things have gone too far. Zarek says the truth is defined by who is left standing.

Chief emerges from an airlock and is captured by Lieutenant Kelly. After some contemplation, Kelly has a change of heart and lets Chief escape.

Starbuck and Lee continue sneaking through the Galactica, picking off marines and stealing their weapons. They free Tigh and the others from the brig. As they escape, Anders is shot.

With Zarek acting as judge, Adama is found guilty and sentenced to death. They hear a broadcast from Roslin break through, telling the fleet to shut down their FTL drives. One of the Leoben models helped Roslin get through the jamming.

As Romo Lampkin is escorted from the trial, he escapes and kills his escort with a pen. Starbuck asks him to help get Anders to Doc Cottle.

Gaeta orders Narcho to execute Adama. Lee, Tigh, and Sharon run into Kelly and learn the location of the execution.

Baltar has a dream where he sees Adama executed in cold blood. He awakens to find himself in the bed of (yet another) six model.

Roslin orders the Galactica to surrender. Gaeta calls Narcho telling him to carry out the execution. A heavily armed Tigh, Sharon, Lee, and Kelly arrive just in time to free Adama. Adama vows to take back his ship.

Zarek tells Roslin that Tigh and Adama are both dead. She goes on a tirade and moves the basestar to attack the Galactica. Meanwhile, Chief has reached the engine room where he disables the FTL drive. Gaeta realizes the revolution is falling apart, and freezes in place. Zarek yells at him to attack the basestar. Adama and a heavily armed group arrive on the bridge, ending the coup.

Meanwhile, Chief looks at the engine room wall to see some odd scarring in the metal.

Baltar shares a cigar with Gaeta, who reminisces about his life and wanting to be noticed. He hopes people will remember him. Baltar says “I know who you are,” with tears in his eyes.

Gaeta and Zarek are executed.

Thoughts

Frakking awesome episode. Good parts: more major characters met their end — Zarek and Gaeta, and the entire Quorum of Twelve. Also awesome: Admiral Adama got pissed and tosses of chuckle-inducing lines. I also enjoyed the return of Romo Lampkin, and Roslin’s freak out.

Through his cold-blooded execution of the Quorum, Zarek leaves the series as essentially a cold-blooded killer, which returns us back to his roots as a terrorist paying for his crimes. The death of the Quorum planted doubt in Gaeta’s mind which may have resulted in Gaeta’s later hesitation on the bridge. I think the bigger reason why the coup failed was Gaeta’s desire to do the “right thing.” The mock trial was a waste of time which gave Lee, Starbuck, and Chief the opportunity to turn the tables. In direct contrast, Adama showed absolutely no hesitation in executing both Zarek and Gaeta.

And the scarring in the metal? Perhaps something Cylony got aboard the ship way back when: Ellen’s initial, mysterious introduction and that strange, jumping raider. Something hiding aboard the ship could explain Tigh hearing music in the hull.

Next Episode: No Exit
Previous Episode: The Oath

Disclaimer: Spoilers! The posts covering the last ten episodes will undoubtedly be full of spoilers and are intended for discussion after watching the associated episode. If you’re not up to speed, look away now.

Synopsis

As Tigh tells Adama about various ships still resisting to the Cylon alliance, Gaeta escorts Zarek from prison.

Gatea has enlisted the help of a lot of soldiers. They cause a distraction to put Zarek aboard a raptor. Back on the bridge, Gaeta covers for the launch by saying it’s a problem with the radar. Zarek arrives on Colonial One to join the Quorum which is in the depths of argument.

Seelix confronts Anders wondering if there was something between them. Some soldiers come from behind and capture him.

Gaeta says there is a fire on one of the decks and it may not be an accident. Adama dispatches some marines to investigate. Starbuck realizes something is amiss when she sees troops grab weapons from the arms lockers. Starbuck makes a call to the bridge only to have Gaeta hang up on her.

Zarek warns Lee about the unwarranted power Admiral Adama has gathered. Lee flies to Galactica and is captured by soldiers. Starbuck comes from behind and shoots some of them, freeing Lee. They escape into the ship. Meanwhile, soldiers burst into Helo and Athena’s quarters and capture them.

Starbuck kisses Lee as they try to figure out their next move. Confusion reigns on the bridge as the fire takes out communications. Athena, Anders, Helo, and Hera, are thrown into the same cell as Caprica Six.

Marines burst onto the bridge and fire on Adama and Tigh. It becomes clear Gaeta is calling the shots, and he arrests Adama for treason, saying he is not the leader he once was and has unwisely allied with the Cylons. An irate Adama and Tigh are escorted off the bridge.

Lee and Starbuck find Roslin, who she says she will help. Chief is holed up with Baltar and his followers, who expect soldiers to arrive shortly. Baltar’s followers have made arrangements for his escape. Roslin, Lee, and Starbuck make their way to Baltar’s area. Chief tells them to get Admiral Adama to a certain compartment so he can escape.

As Adama and Tigh are being led to the brig, Adama trash-talks the military escort. allowing them to commandeer their weapons and escape.

Roslin uses Baltar’s religious communications to address the fleet, saying that trust in the Cylons is the only way to end the years of conflict between them. Gaeta jams her broadcast.

Starbuck and Lee meet up with the heavily-armed Adama and Tigh. Baltar calls Gaeta and pleads with his sense of honor, mentioning “our little secret”. The escape raptor docks with the Galactica. Roslin leaves aboard the raptor as Tigh and Adama decide to stay behind and fight off the approaching soldiers. Gaeta gives the order to destroy the fleeing raptor. A grenade is tossed into the bay door and it explodes.

Thoughts

I’m very glad to see a revolution take place amid the fleet. I’ve felt the whole Cylon alliance thing that took up most of season 4 would be a really hard thing for the fleet at large to swallow, especially considering the humans were fighting against them for the first three seasons. So it’s great to see the fallout of that ill-advised alliance finally come to pass. It was awesome to see it play out, especially Gaeta handling all the small details to make it work. Also interesting was how some of the revolting soldiers were on the Pegasus, showing long running annoyance ever since they were integrated into the fleet.

This is not to say I agree with the side of the revolutionaries, but acknowledging the serious dissent among the fleet is a reality that the show ignored for far too long. Most individuals would be unable to see the big picture.

I also got a kick out of seeing a heavily-armed Adama and Tigh taking pot-shots at various targets. The old man can still handle a weapon.

The continuing romance between Adama and Roslin still annoys me… isn’t she supposed to be dead by now?

Next Episode: Blood On The Scales
Previous Episode: A Disquiet Follows My Soul

Disclaimer: Spoilers! The posts covering the last ten episodes will undoubtedly be full of spoilers and are intended for discussion after watching the associated episode. If you’re not up to speed, look away now.

Synopsis

Admiral Adama wakes up and gets to work. Meanwhile, Tigh and Caprica Six look in amazement at an ultrasound of their unborn child. Gaeta harbors some distaste at the prospect of this child being the future of the Cylon race.

At an angry press conference, Lee lets it slip that the fifth Cylon was a woman that “died some time ago.” Roslin is notably absent. Vice President Zarek is annoyed by the continuing alliance with the Cylons.

Adama wants to implement Cylon technology throughout the fleet, which will help them on the journey to find a new, inhabitable planet. Chief suggests the Cylons get a seat at the Quorum in exchange.

Chief is reluctantly told by Doc Cottle that his son is not actually his — Callie was already pregnant by someone else when Chief married her.

Roslin throws all her drugs away, determined to let her illness take its course. Adama asks her to make a public announcement that the Cylon alliance is critical to the survival of the human race.

Gaeta confronts Starbuck about how she once tried to kill him and is now married to a Cylon. Starbuck leaves and Gaeta asks the door be closed.

Zarek tells the Quorum that Roslin and Adama led them to a dead end and they can’t forget the Cylons are their enemies. Lee listens uncomfortably. A decision is passed to keep Cylons from boarding any ship without the approval of that ship’s crew.

Adama awakes and takes some pills before brushing his teeth. He catches Roslin jogging through the ship halls and scolds her for skipping her doctor’s appointment. Meanwhile, Baltar addresses his followers about the disappointment of a broken promise. He starts to blame God for this unjust punishment. Chief, who is listening, realizes Hot Dog is the real father of his son, and attacks him in the crowd. He later enlists Hot Dog watch over his sick son.

Tigh informs Adama that several ships are refusing to let Cylons aboard. Gaeta disagrees with Adama’s decisions. A Tyllium ship mutinies, and Adama releases an assault team. They overhear Zarek talking to the rebel ship. After the ship jumps away, Adama orders the assault team to arrest Zarek.

Adama confronts Zarek in the brig with documents regarding smuggling of goods, exposing him as a corrupt politician. Zarek reluctantly tells him the coordinates of the Tyllium ship.

As several ships confront and recapture the Tyllium ship, Zarek talks to Gaeta about a revolution. Meanwhile, Adama and Roslin lie in bed together.

Thoughts

So Chief’s son is not a hybrid. Well, that clears up that plot point. The only hybrid child is Hera (Sharon and Helo’s child). Although this development is rather soap-opera convenient, what with Tigh and Number 6’s child, there were  too many Cylon-y kids running around, so I am glad one was eliminated.

It seems Gaeta is moving into position as a revolutionary in direct opposition to Admiral Adama and Tigh. He’ll make an interesting partner to Zarek. His change of heart is certainly made more understandable because of his experince in the webisodes where he was nearly killed by an 8 model Cylon. I’m excited to see mutiny among the fleet since I’ve always felt an alliance between the Cylons and humans was an idea most of the fleet would have a very hard time swallowing. This brewing mutiny shows that the writers haven’t forgotten that.

The prospect of the Cylons getting a seat on the Quorum could lead to a situation where history repeats itself. Perhaps the 12 colonies currently in the fleet will tentatively accept the Cylons as a 13th tribe. Eventually, infighting leads the Cylons to eventually break off on their own and travel off to find their own planet, which ends up being Earth. All these reproduction-capable Cylons would come in handy to colonize a new planet.

I’m suspicious about those pills Adama took and his brief aside to Tigh that he doesn’t feel so good. Poisoning, perhaps? Lastly, we finally saw Adama in bed with Roslin. That sucked — I so did not want to see that.

All in all, this episode was certainly less exciting than the one previous, and a bit of a letdown. But the show always has this habit of using a few somber episodes to set up plot threads for a big season / show finale. This being the final season, let’s hope we don’t have to wait too long for some serious, epic stuff to go down.

Next Episode: The Oath
Previous Episode: Sometimes A Great Notion

Disclaimer: Spoilers! The posts covering the last ten episodes will undoubtedly be full of spoilers and are intended for discussion after watching the associated episode. If you’re not up to speed, look away now.

Synopsis

Earth is revealed to be a destroyed, uninhabitable world. Disappointment is evident on the faces of everyone in the landing party. Upon returning to Galactica, Roslin is unable to address the large group of people waiting on the flight deck.

Excavation reveals a mix of Cylon and human corpses. Tigh says they are all Cylons — the thirteenth tribe was made up of Cylons that looked human.

On the planet, Chief touches a shadow on a brick wall and has a flashback to Earth at the time of its destruction. He is dressed in ordinary clothes on a busy city street, looking at fresh fruit, when a nuclear explosion goes off. Later, Anders picks up the neck of a guitar and recalls playing All Along The Watchtower.

Starbuck and Leoben find a crashed Viper with a corpse still in the cockpit. The dog tags are Starbuck’s — she has found her own body. Disturbed, Starbuck recalls the hybrid calling her the “harbinger of death.” Leoben backs away, frightened, as Starbuck asks him, “what am I?” She later burns the dead body in a funeral pyre.

Adama finds Roslin burning her copy of the Book of Pythia. She wants to cease her cancer treatments, saying she was wrong about Earth and feels guilty for leading humanity on this pointless quest.

Lee asks Dee out for a drink. They reminisce of better times and kiss. She returns to her locker, a bit tipsy, and briefly chats with Gaeta. She takes off her wedding ring, pulls out a gun, and shoots herself. Later, aboard Colonial One, Lee tells Starbuck about Dee’s suicide.

Saddened by the discovery of Earth and Dee’s suicide, a drunk Admiral Adama feels he has let everyone down. He enters Tigh’s quarters with a pistol and a bottle of liquor, calling Tigh a machine with no guts, and mockingly recounts Ellen’s promiscuous behavior. Guns are pointed at heads. At the last moment, Tigh relents.

Adama recalls a childhood memory of trapping foxes against a river. When cornered, they would jump in the water and keep swimming even as they drifted out to sea to certain death. Tigh calls this stupid and prods Adama back into leading the disillusioned remnants of humanity.

Admiral Adama and Tigh return to the bridge. Hoshi is told to take over Dee’s post. Adama addresses the fleet, acknowledging the pain of discovering a destroyed Earth, but presenting a new mission to find a new home, just as their ancestors must have thousands of years ago.

On Earth, Tigh tells everyone to return to their ships. Number 3 contemplates staying behind, wanting end this circle of destruction.

Tigh wanders to the shore and walks into the water. He has a flashback to being in a bank during the moment of destruction, and sees Ellen buried beneath some wreckage. She says “Everything’s in place. We’ll be reborn again, together.” The memory is broken as a wave crashes over Tigh, and he says “Ellen, you’re the fifth.”

Thoughts

Big thumbs up to Dee’s suicide — totally unexpected. But it’s past time major characters started dying. I was sad but also glad to see Callie go, and this revives my secret hope to have the show end with just Admiral Adama in a rowboat amid the shambles of space wreckage. Her death underlines the disappointment felt by the entire fleet upon finding the destroyed Earth.

Starbuck’s discovery implies that she is a clone. Perhaps this will point back to her stay in the Cylon hospital on Caprica.

My favorite scene was Adama and Tigh’s intense face off amid guns and alcohol. Dee’s suicide moments before added to the tension. The fox story and Tigh’s prodding inspires Adama to get his act together and return to leading the fleet.

The fifth Cylon: Ellen was definitely not whom I expected, but on further pondering, it makes almost too much sense. It’s worth recalling the episode Tigh Me Up Tigh Me Down which introduced Ellen. Her discovery is mysterious — alongside a jumping raider — and the episode ends with Adama demanding Baltar test her to see if she’s a Cylon — Baltar coyly kept the results private, just as he did Sharon’s. Ellen was also part of the resistance on New Caprica along with the rest of the Final Five.

For extra sauce, one can refer to that Entertainment Weekly “Last Supper” photograph and see how everyone is paired in couples. Lee and Chief are alone because Dee and Callie are dead. So the missing spot (who is supposed to be the last Cylon) can clearly be filled by Ellen, as a partner to Tigh.

Still, the reveal personally felt off because Ellen is not a major character, and resurrecting a dead character seems a bit of a cheat.

That bit with the final Cylon aside, I really liked this episode. Battlestar Galactica shows all too human reactions to situations beyond their control. Here, we dealt with disappointment on a grand scale upon the discovery of a destroyed Earth — when everything one hopes for turns out to be unfulfilled. It’s shown most bluntly by Dee’s suicide, but we also see Roslin’s guilt, and depression washing over the entire crew. At moments of crisis such as this, a leader must take charge and re-instill the masses with purpose. Adama’s speech acknowledges the disappointment and presented the fleet with a new purpose to strive for.

Next Episode: A Disquiet Follows My Soul
Previous Episode: Revelations

Synopsis

Starbuck and Lee are in Adama’s quarters where they read about a Temple Of Aurora, on Earth. Starbuck says something about children coming into their own when their parents die.

On the rebel Cylon base star, Number Three orders centurions to hold the humans aboard hostage until the Final Four, hidden within the fleet, hand themselves over. She adds that the fifth is not among the fleet.

The basestar jumps to the fleet, and Number Three and Adama fly over to the Galactica. Adama tells the greeting party that she wants the Final Four to come join her with the other Cylons. Tigh, Chief, and Anders do nothing, but Tory, most comfortable with her Cylon nature, goes to the Cylon basestar to be with “her people” under the guise of needing to give Roslin her medicine. Roslin and Baltar are surprised but Tory dismisses both of them, making her allegiance to the Cylon side quite clear.

Admiral Adama and Lee have decided they need to hold onto the Final Five since they know the way to Earth. They prepare a rescue mission.

Tigh, Tyrol, and Anders meet. Chief is preoccupied with the viper Starbuck return from death in, saying something has changed. Tigh, worrying about the hostages’ lives, walks to Adama’s quarters to tell him face to face that he’s a Cylon. Adama doesn’t believe it, and personally damaged by the thought that his old friend is a skin job. Tigh is arrested and taken to an airlock. Adama hits the bottle, punches a mirror, and Lee has to calm his father down and decide what to do next.

Tigh waits in an airlock for his execution. Lee punches him in the jaw and demands to know the identities of the other three Cylons.

Chief, Anders, and Starbuck scour the viper for clues, but soldiers arrive to arrest Chief and Anders. Starbuck continues analyzing the viper alone, and finds that it is receiving a signal from Earth, pointing the way just as Number Three aims nukes at the fleet.

Chief, Tigh, and Anders are about to be killed when Starbuck tells everyone they have found the way to Earth. Lee gives the Final Four amnesty, and tells Number Three they have a chance to break the pattern destruction and change, and go to Earth together. Both sides stand down.

The entire fleet jumps along with the rebel Cylons to Earth. Gaeta confirms it is their long hoped for destination based on the constellations found on Kobol. Adama happily addresses the fleet that they have finally reached the destination long dreamed of since leaving Caprica so long ago.

A landing party is dispatched and lands on Earth. Adama grabs a fistful of dark soil which sets what is presumably a radiation monitor aflutter. The camera pans along disappointed faces of human and Cylon alike, as they take stock of their surroundings — and come to the realization that this isn’t what they expected — Earth is a radioactive planet, devastated by nuclear apocalypse, with a shattered skyline of a once great city.

Thoughts

Notes: The last of the final five is “not with the fleet” meaning it was one of the hostages already on board the Cylon base star, a dead character, or something else entirely. Second, it seems the viper picked up the radio signal heard by the Final Four implying the signal from the end of Season Three was emanating from Earth.

Next, let me get some general, season-wide gripes out of the way. I still chafe at the Cylons teaming up with the humans, and the way it played out here, was pretty disappointing. I would have preferred much more disagreements, with battles and double-crossing, to where the fleet was torn apart by conflicting loyalties.

Second gripe: the Final Four haven’t done much of anything this entire season, other than stand around, look confused, and lose their minds. Even Starbuck had to help find the last clue to Earth. I had hoped for behind-the-scenes manipulation on all their parts — Tigh and Tory in particular — wheedling Adama and Roslin into bad choices, or Tigh and the others seizing command of ships and breaking off on their own.

Last gripe: I excepted Starbuck to go more ballistic when she learned Anders was a Cylon.

But what did I really love? First, the crushing confrontation between Tigh and Adama, to where Lee had to step in to help his emotionally wounded father. Lee also held out the beacon of optimism to Number Three, stopping the conflict between Cylon and human long enough to reach Earth.

Then the perfect ending, which has re-framed the entire series.

What happened on Earth? Was the thirteenth colony destroyed by Cylons, and a rag-tag fleet of parallel humans wanders deep space, searching for Caprica? Is it the Earth of our distant past? No, I feel it’s meant represent our Earth in the near future, and we obliterated ourselves.

Whatever the reason, this wasn’t expected, and is a crushing commentary on hope and despair. The fleet has searched for Earth since the miniseries, assuming it to be a fertile, new home, perhaps with humans of the 13th colony there, more enlightened than the confused colonists we’ve come to love, who could provide salvation, answers, and peace.

But the thirteenth colonists were humans too, with the same propensity to make mistakes and resort to conflict as a solution. Upon this revelation, I felt a shiveringly obvious inevitability — of course the Earthlings destroyed themselves — just as the Colonies did, by creating robots that obliterated their masters. Why would anyone expect different?

In a wordless moment, the quest for Earth has proved a folly. Instead of salvation, the fleet has found a destruction similar to what they’ve been running from. The rag-tag fleet of survivors has traveled millions of miles only to find a bombed-out planet just like Caprica. They could have saved a lot of effort and simply stayed home.

And so, Battlestar Galactica is reduced to a simple fable — we run from our past, believing the future holds something better for our species, while praying we can rise above our dark “human nature” before we do ourselves in. This episode was a mirror, showing how despite hope for a bright technological future, we’re simultaneously on the knife’s edge of destruction.

In one episode, Battlestar Galactica moved beyond the addictive, nit-picky details like “who is the last Cylon?” and “how did Tigh get Six pregnant?” and reminded me of the big picture — our irrepressibly hopeful yet frustratingly misguided humanity.

It’ll be a long wait until 2009.

Next Episode: Sometimes A Great Notion
Previous Episode: The Hub

Synopsis

The basestar with Roslin, Batlar, and a crew of viper pilots jumps away in search of the Cylon resurrection Hub. During jumps, Roslin imagines herself aboard an abandoned Galactica seeing herself on her death bed, accompanied by Elosha the religious leader who died on Kobol (Home (1)).

Cavil and Boomer unbox a Number 3, in hopes of stopping the Cylon civil war. Roslin asks Helo to bring this Number 3 to her, before the hub is destroyed.

To destroy the hub, several heavy raiders will tow vipers with their engines off to avoid detection. The viper pilots don’t completely trust the Cylons, and Sharon tries to defuse their concerns. Meanwhile, Baltar talks to a toaster Cylon about the unfairness of the Cylon hierarchy and the gospel of the Cylon religion.

As the rebel basestar jumps to the location of the resurrection hub, Number 3 kills Cavil, and Boomer runs away. The vipers are launched and the hub’s FTL drive is taken out. A missile hits the rebel basestar and Baltar is severely wounded.

Roslin bandages up Baltar, who near death and drugged with painkiller, confesses that he gave the Cylons the access codes which allowed the initial attack on Caprica. Shocked, Roslin tears off Batlar’s wrappings, intending him to bleed to death.

The hub is destroyed and Helo and Athena return to the rebel base star with Number Three. As the rebel basestar jumps away, Roslin has another vision of her own death and Adama’s sorrow. Roslin then feels sorry for Baltar and rebandages him, saving his life.

Helo delivers Number Three to Roslin. Three confirms that she knows the identity of the final five are, and jokes that Roslin is one of them. She then says she won’t divulge their identities until they return to the fleet.

The rebel basestar appears at the rendezvous point where Adama waits, alone in a raptor. He’s happy to see Roslin and she confesses her love for him.

Thoughts

The Good

• Roslin’s vision of herself in the hospital bed, is reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
• The importance of the hub’s destruction is vast, as the Cylons are now mortal, which will surely change their entire approach to life and possibly their conflict with the humans. It also places much importance on the surviving Cylons within the fleet (Number Three, Athena, pregnant Caprica Six, and the final five) as if any of them die, that’s it. This may be the final five’s best defense toward death at the hands of the humans — with their knowledge of earth, they are more valuable alive than dead.
• Number Three’s announcement to Roslin that she’s one of the final five was timed just right — I thought, she’s joking, then she’s serious, then not. Great moment, and I guess my favorite candidate for the last Cylon has been eliminated.

The Bad

• I was fairly disappointed that the hybrid didn’t divulge any useful information as to the nature of Roslin, Athena, and Baltar’s shared visions.
• Also disappointed that Baltar didn’t die. It did serve to “humanize” Roslin but truth be told, I’m ready for major characters to start biting the bullet. But what will Roslin do with the information? Will her sympathy extend to preventing justice served for his crimes?
• Lastly, I’m displeased with the “hooking up” of Roslin and Adama. It’s yet another thing I didn’t want to see this season and it looks like it too shall come to pass.

Conclusion

All in all, this episode was more exciting than the one previous, but several plot developments (or lack thereof) were lightly annoying. Still, I’m really amped up for the next episode (Revelations), the last of this first half of season 4. I read elsewhere that this episode could have served as the show finale in the even the writer’s strike wasn’t resolved, so it should be twelve kinds of awesome. Fingers crossed.

Next Episode: Revelations
Previous Episode: Sine Qua Non

Synopsis

With Roslin and Baltar abducted by the Cylons, Zarek becomes interim president. Meanwhile, Natalie dies, having been shot by Sharon. Adama isn’t happy about either situation.

Worried that Adama will never recognize Zarek as president, Lee advises him to step aside, and Lee enlists Romo Lampkin (the smarmy lawyer) to help search for a candidate.

The Galactica finds a damaged raptor with the survivors dead. Inside, Adama finds the book he had given to Roslin. Adama jumps the Galactica away to the last jump coordinates of the raptor. At the new location, they see battle wreckage and multiple nuke detonations. Zarek and the Quorum annoyed that the Galactica jumped away without their knowledge or approval, leaving the fleet defenseless.

Doc Cottle informs Adama that Roslin won’t last long without her cancer treatments, and the Six prisoner (Caprica Six) — that Tigh has been interrogating — is pregnant. Adama confronts Tigh since must be the father. They come to blows and Tigh crushes Adama’s model ship.

Adama admits to Lee that he has lost objectivity and will relinquish command of the Galactica to Tigh. Meanwhile, Romo concludes Lee is the best candidate for president. He then pulls a gun on Lee, saying he has lost all faith in the human race, because someone killed his cat, Lance. Lee says everyone has had to deal with tragedy, and all they can do is choose to move forward. Romo makes Lee swear to make a difference once he takes office.

Lee is sworn in as President, Adama hands the Galactica to Tigh, and Sharon is released from the brig. As the rest of the fleet jumps away, Adama waits in a raptor, alone, for Roslin’s return.

Thoughts

Several game changing developments:

Tigh got Caprica Six pregnant: Tigh is a Cylon, but truly a special one, that can impregnate skin jobs. Since Chief had a child with Callie, obviously the final five have reproductive abilities with humans. Will all of the final five become involved in parenthood? Are we headed for pregnant Starbuck (Anders) and Baltar-daddy (Tory)?

Lee is president of the colonies: With his rebellious history and contrary opinions to Admiral Adama, this may soon become a situation everyone regrets.

Adama hands the Galactica command to Tigh and goes off on a search for Roslin: Adama’s emotional side finally wins out, and his act confirms feelings for Roslin. But he has put Galactica in the hands of a Cylon. Plus, last time Tigh commanded the Galactica, things turned bad pretty quickly.

So I think this is all leading up to some bad situations, and hence while the episode didn’t have many “wow” moments, pieces are being moved around on the chess board for what will hopefully be a great mid-season finale.

I expect the next episode (The Hub) will be told from the rebel / Baltar / Roslin point of view to show how the battle wreckage found in this episode came about.

Other highlights:

• The confrontation between Adama and Tigh was intense, both making bad decisions because of women, and ultimately angry at themselves as much as each other.
• Loved the return of Romo Lampkin and Lance the cat.
• Wouldn’t it be great if Lee Adama were the last of the final five? Think about the “oh crap” feeling that reveal would evoke — both Tigh and Lee are Cylons in command of the fleet.

Next Episode: The Hub
Previous Episode: Guess What’s Coming To Dinner

Synopsis

Lee confronts Roslin with a broadcast from Baltar saying that she and the Cylons share prophetic visions. Roslin admits the rumors are true.

The rebel Cylons and the crew of the Demetrius jump back to the Galactica fleet. After some initial confusion where Tigh contradicts Adama’s order to attack, the Demetrius lets the humans know they have control over the damaged base star.

Aboard Galactica, the rebel Six (Natalie) explains to a panel that Number Three was boxed, and that model knows the identities of the final five Cylons who are hidden among the human fleet. The final five know the location of earth. As a “peace offering” she claims to know the location of a resurrection hub, which if destroyed would take away the Cylons’ ability to download, turning them mortal. In return for this information, she wants the final five. Adama, Tigh, Tory, and Roslin listen skeptically (Tigh and Tory in particular). Meanwhile, Doc Cottle is forced to amputate Gaeta’s leg.

The Quorum of Twelve are duly skeptical of this plan to ally with these rebel Cylons. Meanwhile, the final four Cylons meet in secret, worried about the reaction if their identities are revealed.

Roslin tells Tory that she knows of Tori’s relationship with Baltar, and she’s unhappy about the rumors. Tory tells Baltar this, and Baltar predictably defends himself, saying he only reveals the truth.

Lee tells Roslin the Quorum will vote “no confidence” in her leadership (kind of like impeachment). Roslin addresses the Quorum in person, saying the audacious plan is for the good of the fleet. Natalie gives a speech claiming once the Cylons become mortal through destruction of the resurrection ship, they will be more “human” and open to future reconciliation. The Quorum looks doubtful.

The rebel Cylons plan to secretly take human hostages to ensure they’ll get the final five. Six tells the other rebel Cylons about the Quorum’s mistrust, leaving them unconvinced the humans will ever ally with the Cylons.

That evening, Roslin dreams of the opera house, and Athena chasing Hera. A Six model picks up Hera takes her to Baltar. Athena has the same dream, but awakes to see Hera standing next to her bed, saying “bye bye”. Athena opens a book of Hera’s drawings and is horrified to see nothing but pictures of Six. Suddenly, Hera runs off. Athena chases her through the Galactica halls. Hera walks up to Natalie, escorted by soldiers and Tigh. Athena pulls a gun and kills Natalie.

Starbuck, remembering the hybrid’s prophecy about a “dying leader” asks Roslin about the “opera house”. Roslin is shocked that the hybrid knows about her dreams. Later, she and Baltar decide to fly to the base star to talk to the hybrid themselves. Roslin orders the hybrid plugged in, saying “it’s time to get some answers”. As soon as it becomes active, the basestar jumps away, with Baltar and Roslin aboard.

Thoughts

All right. Galactica is back on track. Although I’m not a fan of the rebel Cylons teaming up with the humans, it’s playing out in a very realistic manner, most notably the decision of the rebel Cylons to kidnap Roslin to get at the Final Five. Roslin’s decision to ally with the rebel Cylons may also cost her the presidency, as the Quorum thinks it’s a stupid idea — you can see the distrust and hate in their when Six comes in the room — again, totally realistic. It would have been silly to believe the whole fleet would merrily go along with this idea. The reaction to ludicrous plot events certainly makes them more palatable.

Adding to the drama: the Final Five may have a vested interest in seeing the plan fail, as if successful they’ll be outed as the Final Five and turned over to the Cylons.

Next, we return to Roslin’s prophetic dreams. One probable explanation is the infusion of Hera’s blood linked her with Sharon and Hera and also the other Cylons. Still, the events in this episode don’t entirely eliminate her as the fifth of the final five in my mind.

We also got an intense situation with Sharon protecting Hera, and also deeply ironic as both Tigh and Chief help Sharon, who is unaware both are Cylons. When Chief takes Hera away to safety, Sharon’s statement that the Cylons will “never have Hera” ring rather false. For all we know, Chief may kidnap Hera to form the first hybrid daddy day care with his son.

Several plot threads are finally starting to link up — the identity of the final five, the opera house, the hybrid baby, Baltar and Six, and Roslin’s relationship to the Cylons. We’re also returning to the central theme of the Cylons being completely unmanageable by the humans — there’s a hint of a larger Cylon plan that the humans are completely duped by. For example, it would be awesome to learn that the whole rebel Cylon thing was a complex trap.

This episode also had an awesome ending. Roslin voices a desire many of us have had ever since season 4 began — we want answers. Unfortunately, that opportunity is whisked away at episode’s end, but we’re on the tantalizing cusp of getting some answers, at last.

Next Episode: Sine Qua Non
Previous Episode: Faith

Synopsis

The crew of the Demetrius revolts against Starbuck and decides to jump back to the Galactica. In the scuffle, Anders shoots Gaeta in the leg. Starbuck asks to take Leoben, Sharon, Barolay, and Anders via a raptor to Leoben’s damaged basestar. The Demetrius gives them fifteen hours.

The raptor jumps to find destroyed Cylon wreckage. Starbuck sees the gas planet and basestar from her painting.

The raptor is brought aboard a damaged cylon basestar. Sharon is greeted by other eight models. They decide to use the raptor’s jump drive to control the damaged basestar. A six model kills Barolay much to the anger of Anders. Another six model shoots the offending six, adding that in the absence of a resurrection ship, these Cylons are as mortal as humans.

Starbuck and Anders begin to unplug the hybrid, since the raptor will be used to navigate the basestar. Alarmed, a toaster Cylon shoots an eight model, whose blood leaks into the hybrid’s pool. The hybrid then tells Starbuck about the final five and that Starbuck is the harbinger of death that will lead the humans to their doom (repeating what another hybrid said in Razor). Starbuck interprets the hybrid’s final words to be: the Final Five Cylons will show them the way to earth, and the missing “Three” is the boxed model three (Diana Biers), who will reveal the Final Five.

Meanwhile, the Demetirus’ clock has run out and they prepare to jump back to the fleet. Just then the base ship jumps to their location.

In the hospital, Roslin, near death and bald (just like Chief!) meets another similarly ill patient, Emily, who finds comfort in Baltar’s preachings. Roslin dreams of Emily getting off a riverboat to be welcomed by dead relatives on the shore.

Thoughts

Gaeta being wounded adds some pressure to the Demetrius’ planned return to the Galactica.

I’m doubtful that the humans would be so willing to help the Cylons, knowing all that came before. The humans seemed way too nonchalant about being aboard a Cylon base star, some of them for the first time. The writers want us to believe that the hope of finding earth and the Cylon’s helpless situation would necessitate them working together, but I’m not totally buying it.

It was amusing to see how far Sharon (Athena) has gone to the human side, in the way she coldly rebuffs the dying eight model. In contrast, Anders had some glimmers of confusion, as he’s unsure where he fits in among anybody, anymore. He obviously has strong loyalties to the humans (note his reaction to Barolay’s death) yet is simultaneously curious about his Cylon purpose (he almost touches the basestar controls).

Jean Barolay was actually around since Season 2 — she was the red head who helped Anders place a bomb back in Downloaded, was involved in the New Caprica resistance, and was one of the covert executioners in Collaborators.

The hybrid’s revelation to Starbuck was actually not to us, as that information came forth in Razor. Still, the hybrid voices the necessity of unboxing Number Three, and implies that the final five “came from” the home of the thirteenth, meaning Earth. That may explain the origin of the Final Five, as some covert Cylons planted for some undetermined purpose a long, long time ago.

Meanwhile, Roslin looks like she’ll finally fulfill her prophetic role as the dying leader who will lead them to earth (I hope no dramatic cop-outs like hybrid Cylon baby blood arise to save her this time). Also a little annoyed that after all of Roslin’s annoyance against Baltar, again he may gain her sympathy because Roslin is near death and more receptive to his religious babblings.

All in all, a decent episode, but I’m still not totally on board with this Cylons helping humans find earth thing. Looking forward to seeing Adama’s reaction to all this. I don’t think he’ll like it, either.

Next Episode: Guess What’s Coming To Dinner
Previous Episode: The Road Less Traveled

Synopsis

Baltar continues to gain power and influence over a group of cult followers, while preaching a belief in one god. Chief — now sporting a shaved head — listens to Baltar’s sermon with distrust. Meanwhile, on the Demetrius, Starbuck finds Leoben aboard a damaged heavy raider and brings him aboard. The crew is not happy about this development and doubt grows about Starbuck’s leadership ability.

Thoughts

This episode felt odd to me, and I’m already losing some interest in this season. I did really enjoy Chief’s bald head — looking like Private Pyle from Full Metal Jacket, turning batty and contemplating suicide. I loved the one scene where Baltar asks him to take his hand and instead, Chief goes for the throat.

Not so good: When four of the final five Cylons were revealed at the end of season three, I was hoping we’d get some covert activities aboard the Galactica as their Cylon nature took over — like Chief sabotaging planes or Tory and Tigh advising their respective leaders to make mistakes. All we’ve seen so far is Tory killing Chief’s wife and a lot of clandestine meetings where they look freaked out and confused. It’s time for some purpose.

Also not good: Leoben shacking up with Starbuck. Just finding Leoben and inviting him aboard the Demetrius was too convenient. Plot-wise, I don’t like where this is headed — the rebel Cylon faction may ally with the humans and work together on the quest for earth. This is a big change from what I liked about the previous — the total mystery of the Cylons as an insurmountable and uncaring enemy.

At least the rest of the crew is as pissed about this development as I was and decide to mutiny. Perhaps that’s what BSG is about — even when the plot developments are ridiculous, the character’s reactions are believable and realistic.

I suppose some of my hemming and hawing is because I’m ready for some answers and conclusions. I don’t know if they really need another fifteen episodes to do this. Perhaps only ten would have been enough. Or at least, ten really tight episodes without any “filler” ones which have plagued the season since its inception. Unfortunately, I think we’re in the midst of this “filler” once again.

Next Episode: Faith
Previous Episode: Escape Velocity

Synopsis

Callie forgives Chief for attacking her and says she loves him. On Caprica, the humans fight off toasters and mortars, when the attack suddenly stops — and Brother Cavil appears. He says the Cylons have abandoned New Caprica and humanity is spared. But since he’s also on Galactica — he must be a Cylon.

Back on Galactica, Roslin is losing the election, and asks Baltar to table the issue of settlement until after the election. Baltar resists. She asks Baltar if he was with a “six model” Cylon before the attack on Caprica. Baltar dodges the question and leaves.

Starbcuk returns to Galactica with the survivors, and Brother Cavil with them. Chief realizes Brother Cavil is a Cylon. Adama orders Sharon and Cavil to the brig — Sharon probably knew Cavil was a Cylon and said nothing.

In the pilot’s quarters, Anders and Starbuck do shots to celebrate their reunion. Lee comes in, but feels uncomfortable to see them together. Starbuck makes fun of Dualla, so Lee leaves.

The “Caprica” Cavil tells Adama and Roslin that a Six and Eight model (Downloaded) convinced the Cylons to abandon Caprica. Cylon and Man can now go their separate ways. Roslin says that both Cavils should be be thrown out the airlock.

On Election Day, Baltar is ahead. Tory and Tigh set a plan in motion to fix the election so Roslin wins. Dualla removes several ballot boxes. A large amount of votes arrive at the last moment and Roslin has won the presidency. Zarek complains that the vote must have been rigged.

Gatea notices the last batch of ballots are missing a printing mistake he was aware of, and tells Tigh the vote was rigged. Adama questions Roslin, who admits she tried to steal the election. She claims she doesn’t trust Baltar because she saw Baltar back on Caprica with a Six model. Adama says she has no proof of Baltar’s collusion with the Cylons and the vote must take precedence. He doesn’t want Baltar to be president either, but will not commit a crime to prevent it.

Adama tells Baltar of the attempt to fix the election. The fleet jumps to “New Caprica” which will be their home.

Gaius meets with Gina (the Six model from Pegasus). She says she isn’t going to New Caprica, and Baltar is disappointed that they won’t be together. She leads Baltar into the bedroom.

Baltar is sworn in as President of the Colonies. Meanwhile, Gina arms the nuclear bomb he gave her. As Baltar calls for immediate settlement of the planet, the nuclear bomb goes off aboard Cloud Nine, destroying several ships.

Adama tells Baltar the nuclear bomb was stolen from Baltar’s lab and detonated by a Cylon agent, and may be a precursor to a Cylon attack. Baltar stands by the plan of planet settlement.

One Year Later

Baltar lounges about the presidential office, drunk with power and women. There have been no cylon attcks since the colonization of New Caprica. The Galactica and Pegasus orbit the planet, but things have fallen into disarray from disuse. Adama has a mustache and Lee has gained a lot of weight. Adama doesn’t think the Cylons are returning, and tells Tigh to go to the planet below and be with Ellen.

Down on New Caprica, it’s overcast but some semblance of a society has formed. Anders, now Starbuck’s husband, has a cold and plays pyramid. Cottle tells her they have run out of antibiotics. She sees Tigh with Ellen walking in the distance. Inside a tent is Chief who is a union leader. He has married Callie, who is pregnant. Tigh tells Starbuck to ask Apollo for medication.

Meanwhile Roslin has returned to a school teacher. Her assistant is the young woman who secretly adopted Hera, Helo and Sharon’s child.

Starbuck asks Lee for meds. Dualla (now Lee’s XO) sees a Cylon fleet on the radar. Totally unprepared and unable to fight a fleet of that size, the Galactica and Pegasus jump away, abandoning the humans on the planet below.

Gaeta tells Baltar that Cylons have arrived and the fleet jumped away, leaving them defenseless. Head six tells Baltar this is “judgement day.” Hundreds of Cylon craft fly above the human settlement. A Leoben model searches specifically for Starbuck. Anton Doral model, Eight, and Six visit Baltar. The six model is Caprica Six.

It turns out the Cylons were a light year away, and noticed the nuclear detonation from one year ago. Baltar surrenders and toasters march among the humans, beginning a Cylon occupation. Starbuck tells Chief they will fight.

Thoughts

This is probably the best episode of television I saw in the past few years. The turnaround from all that came before and the events in the jump ahead one year was mind-blowing when I first saw it.

The moment where Baltar realizes the nuclear weapon led the Cylons to New Caprica — the very weapon he gave to Gina as a token of his love — is pretty crushing and a powerful moment. He finally achieves his year of glory as president of the human race only to have it undone by his own doing, and will suffer as a Cylon puppet in the first few episodes of season 3.

Several relationships shifted over the course of the year: Starbuck has married Anders, Chief has married Callie, Lee is with Dualla, and Admiral Adama has grown a mustache. In other episodes in season 3, we see other details of what went on during this year on New Caprica, that Adama grew closer to Roslin and Lee almost got together with Starbuck (Unfinished Business).

Next Episode: Occupation
Previous Episode: Lay Down Your Burdens (1)

Synopsis

With the presidential campaign underway, Roslin and Adama confer on one of her speeches in preparation for a debate with her opponent, Baltar. Meanwhile, Starbuck heads a return mission to Caprica to rescue the survivors she left behind.

Callie wakes Chief from a bad dream, and he goes nuts, beating her up and knocking her unconscious. He talks with Brother Cavil, a priest, as therapy. Chief dreams of suicide. Brother Cavil says Chief is afraid of being a Cylon just like Boomer, and tells him to look to his friends and family for comfort.

Athena and Helo help the rest of the raptors navigate the large number of jumps back to Caprica. After an accidental jump to the wrong location, one raptor discovers a habitable planet, obscured by a nebula which may make it a safe haven from the Cylons.

Zarek advises Baltar to make the planet an election issue, providing an alternative to Roslin’s obsessive quest for Earth. Tory tells Roslin that Baltar’s idea of “laying down your burdens” resonates well in the polls. During the debate, Baltar makes a campaign promise to stop the quest for Earth and instead colonize the newly discovered planet.

Starbuck and the raptors make a final jump and zoom down through the atmosphere to Caprica. Starbuck and a landing party find Anders and the resistance moving through the woods. But the reunion is brief, as they soon come under heavy fire from Cylons.

Thoughts

So, I guess Chief was right, and not going nuts — he really was a Cylon. I guess he started going Cylon batty around now. Brother Cavil (also a Cylon) makes his first appearance.

I don’t think the rest of the crew knew Athena was alive, so her initial appearance is momentarily disturbing. She again inserts a fiber optic cable into her body as in Flight Of The Phoenix.

Meanwhile, Zarek is certainly guiding Baltar into position to win the election. Roslin has no decent response to Baltar’s plan which is a problem of any incumbent — they have defined themselves by actions while in office. Roslin makes some controversial decisions to keep Baltar from winning in the next, and final episode, of season 2.

Next Episode: Lay Down Your Burdens (2)
Previous Episode: Downloaded

Synopsis

This episode is told from the point of view of two Cylons back on Caprica, the Six model that fell in love with Baltar and died in initial nuclear attack (Caprica Six) and Boomer who died at the hands of Callie on the Galactica. We see what it’s like for a Cylon to be resurrected, their consciousness “downloaded” into a new body soaking a vat, observed by other Cylons.

On Caprica, Caprica Six has visions of “Head Baltar.” Number Three tells her that Boomer is having trouble re-integrating after her resurrection and needs their help.

Caprica Six finds Boomer dressed like a Galactica crew member and living in her old apartment. She says she really loved the Galactica crew and hates her Cylon nature. Head Baltar tells Caprica Six to say she can relate. Six says she met a man (Baltar) while undercover and fell in love. Boomer tells Caprica Six that Baltar has become the colonial vice president.

Meanwhile, Anders and the resistance set up a bomb in a parking garage beneath a Cylon cafe.

In the cafe, Caprica Six wonders why Number Three didn’t tell her Baltar was still alive. They decide that Boomer should move out of her apartment. They get up to leave just as the bomb explodes. Three and Boomer lift rubble off of Caprica Six, who is badly wounded.

Amongst the debris, they find Anders. Three wants to kill him. Boomer sees Starbuck’s dog tags on Anders. Three tells her that Starbuck was on Caprica a few weeks ago.

Boomer and Six decide to kill Three and set Anders free. Six crushes Three’s head with a rock and tell Anders to run, just as other Cylons dig through the rubble to free them. Anders is disturbed, and grabs Starbuck’s dog tags as he runs away.

On Galactica, Athena and Helo’s baby is born. Roslin and Adama decide to take the hybrid baby and hide it among the fleet. Doc Cottle tells Athena and Helo that the baby has died. Sharon believes her baby was murdered and tries to choke Doc Cottle. Meanwhile, the baby is secretly given to a young mother whom Roslin tells this adoption must remain completely anonymous.

Thoughts

This was a very neat flip-around to tell a story from the Cylon point of view, and particular, amusing details like Caprica 6 guided by an imagined version of Baltar. The Cylons can be “damaged” from their contact with humans, becoming conflicted about what it means to be a Cylon. The confusion seen in this episode eventually leads to the Cylon civil war that is fast developing in season four.

Next Episode: Lay Down Your Burdens (1)
Previous Episode: The Captain’s Hand

Synopsis

Captain Garner is in command of the Pegasus and Lee has been promoted to major. A cargo container containing a young woman is found aboard Galactica. Meanwhile, a raptor is lost in a nebula.

Still assigned to the Pegasus, Starbuck is angry that the flight crew hasn’t told her about the lost raptor — there are integration issues between the Galactica and Pegasus crews. Garner tells Lee that he’s a technical engineer and values order and steady operations.

Zarek feels he can’t win against Roslin in the upcoming presidential election, and pushes Baltar to run instead.

The woman who came aboard Galactica in the shipping container requests an abortion — it turns out Dr. Cottle has been performing them in secret. Roslin is told of the situation and fears the sticky issue of abortion will influence the upcoming election.

Starbuck believes the lost raptor was responding to a distress call. She tells Garner but is met with hostility. Lee confronts her but things aren’t comfortable between them since he was accidentally shot by her. Starbuck tells Lee her theory.

Adama floats the possibility that the call is a Cylon trap. Garner disagrees and wants to save his men. Lee thinks it may be a distress call as well. Commander Adama tells Garner to send five raptors. Garner is angry that Lee disagreed with him.

Roslin asks Baltar for a population projection. He says at the current rate, the human race will be extinct in 18 years. Roslin decides to ban abortion — that the survival of humanity takes precedence over individual rights.

Garner defies Adama’s orders and jumps to the raptor’s location. Three basestars appear and attack the Pegasus with nukes. With the ship severely damaged and the FTL drive offline, Garner runs down to engineering, leaving Lee in command.

On the lower deck, Garner uses a wrench to tighten a key valve while the oxygen vents into space. With one hand pulling the wrench he dies and his dead body weight turns the FTL drive back on. Lee jumps the Pegasus back to the fleet.

Adama asks Lee if Garner had a flaw. Lee says Garner preferred working with machines, while command is about people. Adama tells Lee to remember this, promotes Lee to commander, and gives him command of the Pegasus. Starbuck will return to Galactica and be its CAG.

Meanwhile, Roslin’s ban on abortion has cost her dearly in the polls. Baltar declares his candidacy, much to the annoyance of Roslin who considers this a betrayal. Head Six claps in the background.

Thoughts

This is one of my favorite episodes of Season 2. Captain Garner, who accuses Starbuck of being paranoid and disloyal, does that exact thing when he defies Adama’s orders and jumps right into a Cylon trap. Then we get an awesome space battle where three basestars attack the Pegasus and disable it. Garner then makes a decision to sacrifice himself to save the Pegasus. Lee rises to the occasion, and is promoted to commander.

This episode recalled the best episodes of Star Trek, more specifically the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan. I loved the contrast between the high tech bridge and the heavy wrenches and steaming valves of engineering. It’s awesome to see the fate of a huge military spaceship comes down to one guy with a hammer.

Abortion rights are given a new angle as the humans in BSG are in danger of extinction. Does a woman’s right to choice supersede the extinction of the human race?

Tori makes her debut as Billy’s replacement — she becomes a more prominent character near the end of season three. We also have Baltar betraying Roslin during a moment of weakness, in an ultimate jockeying for political power, and true to his opportunistic, self-serving nature.

Next Episode: Downloaded
Previous Episode: Sacrifice

Synopsis

Chief struggles emotionally with the death of his wife, Callie. Tigh tries to learn more about the Cylons from the captured “Caprica” Six, and has conflicting memories of his dead wife, Ellen. Meanwhile, Baltar’s religious cult is attacked by other religious groups, to where Roslin and Lee must attempt a political solution.

Thoughts

In a chilling bar scene, Chief admits to Adama that he settled for Callie when he gave up on Boomer. It’s unclear if his anger stems from his Cylon nature coming to the surface, or psychological trauma from Callie’s death. Add that Adama doesn’t know Chief is a Cylon made for an incredible scene.

There’s a great parallel between Chief mourning Callie and Tigh still thinking about Ellen — two skin job Cylons stunned by the deaths of their human spouses.

Another parallel emerged that was quite thrilling — Caprica Six telling Tigh she loved Baltar, with Tigh imagining she’s Ellen, talking about him. I loved the disturbed, confused look on Tigh’s face as he listens to Six and the ensuing compassion and violence.

Otherwise, I wasn’t as taken in by Baltar’s transformation into a religious leader and the conflict between sects. Also, Baltar’s sermon at episode’s end came off as religious hokum. While his followers find it very inspiring, Lee turns away in disgust. I think we as the audience were meant to feel the same, highlighting the potential danger of Baltar as a leader of religious fanatics.

Next Episode: The Road Less Traveled
Previous Episode: The Ties That Bind

Synopsis

Adama confers with Roslin and Billy about the potential threat of Sesha Abinell, a woman angry at the Cylons for the death of her husband. Later, Billy sees Dualla in a hall and gives her a ring. She says she can’t marry him.

Later that night, in a restaurant, Dualla tells Lee that there may be something between them. Ellen Tigh and Billy arrive (separately), and some awkward situations develop between the four of them. Suddenly, Sasha and three armed men take the restaurant patrons hostage. Lee tries an escape plan using dry ice and an oxygen sensor. Adama sends in strike teams to save them. Sasha calls up Adama and asks Athena to be given to them in exchange for the hostages. Starbuck comes in undercover as a technician to fix the oxygen sensor but accidentally shoots Lee.

Adama talks with Athena whom he still doesn’t trust. Adama asks her to reveal Cylon operatives hidden within the fleet. She says no.

Adama gives the prisoners Boomer’s corpse instead of Sharon. They move to kill Dualla. Billy runs up with a gun and is shot. Just then Starbuck and marines come in to free the hostages. Billy is dead. Lee is badly wounded but will live.

Thoughts

This episode’s terrorist character, Sesha, is quite forgettable. The episode exists merely get the actor (Bill Campbell) off the show in an economical way. I don’t have any problems with killing characters, but I don’t care for building them up in one episode only to remove them. I believe this happened again with the death of Kat in The Passage.

Second, Lee has sure been getting crap kicked out of him recently. He nearly died in space and now this, shot by Starbuck, no less. But through the painful situation depicted here, he’s brought closer to Dualla.

Next Episode: The Captain’s Hand
Previous Episode: Scar

Synopsis

A particular raider nicknamed “Scar” has killed several pilots. Starbuck and Kat, having developed a rivalry, bet on who will shoot down Scar first. Meanwhile, Starbuck’s drinking has increased and she sorely misses Anders.

Sharon tells Starbuck that raiders reincarnate, but with the resurrection ship destroyed, it has changed the Cylon’s tactics.

Helo tells Starbuck to ignore Kat. He asks her about Anders, which Starbuck ignores. The newer pilots are scared of Scar, and Kat blames Starbuck for a new pilot’s death.

Starbuck and Lee reminisce over drinks. Starbuck comes onto Lee but he is taken aback by her aggressive behavior.

The next day, Kat again criticizes Starbuck during a briefing. Starbuck pulls her aside. Kat calls her a drunk, and Starbuck mentions Kat’s “stim” addiction. Kat punches her. Unaware that the two are fighting, Lee puts them out on the next patrol together.

Starbuck and Scar fly toward each other. Starbuck recalls Anders as she hurtles toward a likely death. But at the last moment she breaks off, leading Scar toward Kat, who zooms in and destroys Scar.

Kat gets all the credit for killing Scar. Starbuck later tells Helo that she could have killed the raider, but would have died in the process. Helo says it’s better that she lived and maybe she should start living for Anders instead of wanting to die because they aren’t together.

Thoughts

I liked seeing the start of Starbuck’s self-destructive slide. As Lee dealt with his near-death experience in the previous episode Black Market, here Starbuck experiences similar loss and aimlessness.

Unfortunately, the character Kat has always bugged me — I think because of her know-it-all, completely un-humble attitude, brashly on display. I didn’t like Season 3’s The Passage much, either, for exactly the same reason.

Next Episode: Sacrifice
Previous Episode: Black Market

Synopsis

Lee is sleeping with Shevon, who has a young daughter, Paya. Roslin, Baltar, and Admiral Adama meet with Commander Fisk regarding a troubling black market for material items, with criminals taking excessive profits. Roslin in particular wants the market shut down.

Lee is still distraught by his recent near-death experience and a past lover on Caprica, even wondering if he deserved to survive the cataclysmic attack.

On Pegasus, Fisk is murdered by some criminals. Adama sends Lee to investigate. He searches Fisk’s quarters, uncovering a stash of expensive black market goods, including a bracelet saying “ET” (Ellen Tigh) and Baltar’s brand of cigar. Baltar says he gave Fisk the cigars as a negotiation gesture, while admits he traded Ellen’s bracelet for a few “necessities” — most likely alcohol.

Lee tells Adama and Tigh of Fisk’s involvement in the black market and he may have been bumped off for being greedy.

Dualla confronts Lee in the gym, asking if their earlier flirtation meant anything. Lee dodges the question.

While visiting Shevon, Lee is attacked by two thugs. A well-dressed man tells Lee to stop the investigation. When Lee comes to, Fisk’s kiler lies dead just outside Shevon’s room.

Roslin thanks Baltar for saving her life, but then asks him to resign the vice presidency. He declines.

Zarek comes by Shevon’s room and tells Lee that the black market is a necessary evil. He offers the name and location of the well-dressed man — Phelan, on the Prometheus. Zarek says the dead man offers a way out for Lee, as Fisk’s murderer.

Lee visits the Prometheus and finds trading of various contraband goods, including Paya and other children locked in a storeroom. Lee finds various men and escorts in a dimly lit bar. Phelan is there, along with several henchmen and Shevon, who is working as an escort for extra money. Phelan says the trade of these illicit goods is necessary. Lee says she wants Shevon and the girl freed, and the operation shut down. Phelan declines.

Lee grabs a guard’s gun and shoots Phelan. He then tells the henchmen that the black market will continue, but they must to draw the line at trading children. Emotionally distraught, Shevon breaks off her relationship with Lee.

Lee tells Roslin and Adama that Fisk’s killer was found and he will keep an eye on the black market trading. Roslin is unhappy that the market still exists. Lee says it cannot be eliminated and is a necessary evil — echoing Zarek and Phelan’s words.

Later in his quarters, Adama tells Lee that since his near death he’s been distant. He asks Lee about the lady he left behind on Caprica.

Thoughts

This is basically a murder-mystery, more appropriate for a crime show. While an amusing genre-crossing concept, I feel it doesn’t quite work, as Lee is put into the role of detective. It’s also a self-contained episode, and I tend to not like these in the context of the show.

There are also some odd continuity issues. We learn Lee has a lover named Shevon and a former love on Caprica. Neither have been mentioned in any previous episode. Shevon also eliminates herself as a love interest, adding to that self-contained episode feel.

I did like the economic implications of a civilian fleet with limited supplies. It’s logical that a black market would form, and also with the more seedy sides of human desire intertwined. It’s also to the show’s credit that they recognize the “necessary evil” of keeping this unsavory system alive, if only to keep the fleet from falling apart. People want what they want if only to stave off the feeling they have lost so much. That’s a great theme to explore; I just wish it were done in a different manner.

Next Episode: Scar
Previous Episode: Epiphanies

Synopsis

Near death, Roslin is rushed to the hospital. She has a flashback to her tenure as education secretary on Caprica. She sees Baltar and a Six model (“Caprica Six”) outside a government building, and talks with a teacher’s alliance spokesman looking for favors from the Adar administration.

Meanwhile, Kat has a weapons malfunction during a training mission. Several rounds have been intentionally weakened.

Dr. Cottle informs Adama that Roslin doesn’t have much longer, and Athena’s Cylon-hybrid fetus has “abnormalities.” Roslin tells them she wants the baby terminated. Head Six angrily tells Batlar that he must protect the baby, using both his his political power and the nuclear device to do so.

Adama tells Helo that the baby must be terminated. Helo is understandably pissed. Athena angrily smashes her head into the glass windows of her cell, saying nobody will touch their child.

Adama tells Lee and Starbuck to investigate the ammo sabotage. They find a lady named Asha on the flight deck who screams epithets against the military and demands peace with the Cylons. They find protest paraphernalia in her possession. Tigh thinks it’s ridiculous.

Adama arrests Royan, the leader of the peace movement. Lee and Starbuck discover a plot to explode a bomb on a mining ship. They try to stop it but are too late. Adama angrily tells Royan to stop the bombings.

Billy gives vice president Baltar a letter from Roslin that is only to be opened upon her death, upon his succession to the Presidency.

Baltar visits Gina who is hiding aboard Cloud Nine and joined the very peace movement led by Royan. Gina says the fleet is crumbling, but when Baltar is president, Adama can be removed.

Through another flashback, we learn Roslin was having an affair with President Adar. She tells him that she brokered an end to the teachers’ strike. Adar is unhappy because he didn’t want to negotiate. He asks for Roslin’s resignation.

A team of marines escorts Sharon to the sick bay. Helo tries to stop Adama when Baltar says he has new information about the baby’s blood. It has a heightened resistance to disease, and kills cancer cells on contact, and may cure Roslin’s cancer. Baltar takes some blood from Sharon’s baby and injects it directly into Roslin. Just as the cure is administered, Roslin has a flashback to Baltar and Six making out by a government building — and realizes that woman is a Cylon.

Dr. Cottle reports that Roslin’s cancer is gone. She visits Royan in jail and asks him to call off the attacks as a precursor to negotiations. He is released from prison.

Baltar talks with Head Six in his lab. Six doesn’t understand why he saved Roslin and denied himself the presidential office. Baltar opens the letter from Roslin. It’s congratulatory but moves to a criticism of Baltar’s selfishness. Baltar angrily tears it up.

On Cloud Nine, Royan gives Gina has a suitcase from Baltar. Inside is the nuclear warhead.

Thoughts

That Adar asked Roslin to resign before the destruction of Caprica makes her presidency seem serious accidental. We also learn that she disagreed with his dislike of negotiations, and note that Adama is unwilling to negotiate with Royan.

Baltar gains some stature for denying himself the presidency but takes a more subversive and stealthy path — giving a nuclear warhead to the peace protestors. He grants Roslin life with the cancer cure but only to protect the hybrid baby. And the nuclear warhead eventually leads to the Cylon takeover on New Caprica in the season finale.

Personally, I think hybrid baby blood curing Roslin’s cancer was a bit goofy. Supposedly the producers originally had a more plausible fetal stem cell explanation, but the explanation scene ran too long.

Next Episode: Black Market
Previous Episode: Resurrection Ship (2)

Synopsis

Lee floats on his back in a pool of water, when actually, he’s floating in deep space. The time jumps to 48 hours earlier. Starbuck tells Lee about her orders to kill Cain, and asks for his help. Meanwhile, several Pegasus soldiers beat the crap out of Chief and Helo in the brig. Fisk stops them.

Before the attack on the Cylons, Cain tells Starbuck that she should never flinch from her duty. Cain is unaware of Adama’s order to assassinate her.

Having no-one else to confide in, Adama asks Sharon why the Cylons hate the human race. She says humans are a flawed creation and perhaps they don’t deserve to survive.

The Galactica and Pegasus open fire on the base stars. Flying the stealth ship, Lee destroys the resurrection ship, but is then hit by a raider and forced to eject into deep space. Adama dispatches a raptor to rescue him.

Jack comes aboard the Galactica bridge with some armed marines, to carry out his mission of killing Commander Adama. Meanwhile, Starbuck heads toward the Pegasus bridge, to carry out her mission of killing Admiral Cain.

Cain tells Starbuck that she is proud of her, when he ship to ship comes on. Adama does not give Starbuck the order to kill Cain. Cain tells Adama that she wants to talk to Jack. Cain does not give the order to kill Adama either.

As Baltar leaves the brig, Gina attacks a guard and grabs a gun. She asks Baltar to shoot her. Baltar can’t do it, telling her that he loves her and would give her a place to stay. She runs off with the gun and shoots Cain, killing her.

After Cain’s funeral, Roslin promotes Adama to Admiral. He kisses her, which is a little — odd.

Thoughts

I really love the scene where Cain tells Starbuck to not flinch from her duty. It’s like a person unaware that they are asking someone to kill them.

It’s also amusing that just when Cain finds some redemption and chooses not to kill Adama, she is killed by Gina. But this is also a case where the character is so despicable that they must die — it’s just a matter of by whom. Having Gina do the deed is economical and a good way out. But one must see Razor to see how much of a tragic betrayal this act really is — Gina was her lover.

The three episodes, Pegasus, Resurrection Ship (1), and this one are one of my favorite “runs” of Battlestar Galactica. Awesome stuff.

Meanwhile, I really don’t like the Adama Roslin potential romance thing. Yikes.

Next Episode: Epiphanies
Previous Episode: Resurrection Ship (1)

Synopsis

Starbuck is given command of the ship Demetrius sent on a secret mission to find Earth. Among her crew are Anders, Gaeta, Helo, and Seelix. The mood on the ship is tense as the crew isn’t completely confident Starbuck knows where they’re going.

Having left the military, is appointed to the Quorum of Twelve. Zarek gives him a confidential document that paints Roslin as jockeying for executive power.

The Cylons move to quash a potential rebellion: 6 and 8 have been given permission to unbox 3, so Cavil decides to destroy their basestar using several of his own. Essentially, civil war between the Cylons.

Lastly, the final four continue their clandestine meetings. Callie suspects Chief is cheating on her, but learns instead that Chief is a Cylon. Her tries to calm her down but she clocks him several times in the head with a wrench, and runs off with their child. Tory tracks Callie down in an airlock. Callie is blasted into deep space and Tory is in possession of Callie and Chief’s child. The last chilling scene has Adama informing Chief of the sudden death of his wife.

Thoughts

I am actually pleased that significant characters are starting to die. I hope that the road to Earth gets progressively more tragic and painful, until all that remains of the fleet is one ship, say a steaming, damaged hulk that is Galactica, with nobody but Admiral Adama, Roslin, and Baltar aboard (oh, and perhaps the fifth mystery Cylon, whomever that may be). But one thing bugged me about Callie’s death — why didn’t she tell someone about what she discovered? Just give Adama a phone call? Doc Cottle at least?

Second, the manner in which it played out was certainly sudden and a bit cruel — a mother crying as her child is taken from her.

As for all else, I’m dragging a bit with these new episodes. While I found the first two decent, they aren’t anything as exciting as the first four episodes of season three (Occupation, Precipice, Exodus, and Exodus, Part 2). The revelation of the four Cylons has been rather inconsequential so far. I’d like to see them begin sabotaging the fleet from inside, if that’s their purpose. In any case, I’d like them to take action beyond these clandestine meetings.

And the Cylon rebellion? It’s a bit unsurprising, since it was hinted at way back in Season 2 with Caprica 6 and Boomer (Downloaded) and even Cavil mentioned it as a reason for the Cylons giving up in Lay Down Your Burdens (2). But I hold back because I don’t want to see the Cylons and humans teaming up on the quest to earth. I like it when they’re enemies and trying to blast each other into smithereens in deep space.

Let’s hope this is all building up to something cool, soon.

Next Episode: Escape Velocity
Previous Episode: Six Of One

Synopsis

As the Pegasus and Galactica vipers head toward each other, Starbuck takes surveillance pictures of a “mystery ship” in the Cylon fleet, using the stealth ship built by Chief. She returns to find vipers in disarray. Starbuck uploads the recon photographs to Pegasus, which distract Cain into calling off the attack. Adama and Cain agree to meet on the Colonial one.

Cain is insistent that Chief and Helo be executed. Roslin convinces her to delay the execution until after they attack the Cylons. Cain wants that more, so she relents.

Cain promotes Starbuck to Pegasus CAG. Starbuck asks to have Lee reinstated on her team.

Roslin tells Adama that they need to kill Admiral Cain. Roslin considers her dangerous and tells Adama that protection of the civilian fleet should be his priority, not following military orders.

Cain visits the Gina (the six model on Pegasus) and kicks her. After she leaves, Gina tries to choke Baltar. She relents, saying she wants to die.

On Galactica, Chief has been replaced by a civilian from Pegasus. Fisk (Pegasus XO) tells Tigh that the Pegasus stripped a civilian craft of parts, saying the military had priority. They took aboard the people deemed valuable and stranded the rest. There was resistance and the Pegasus military shot the families of those who refused to come. Roslin soon learns this, too.

Baltar tells Cain that the mystery ship may be a “resurrection ship,” where Cylon souls are downloaded and put into new models, needed because the Cylons are so far from the home-world.

Starbuck and Lee show the plan to Adama and Cain. Distracted by decoys, Galactica and Pegasus will attack the basestars, while Lee destroys the resurrection ship with the stealth craft. After the presentation, Adama asks to talk to Starbuck Alone.

Adama asks Starbuck to land aboard Pegasus following the attack and assassinate Cain.

Cain tells Fisk to go aboard Galactica and shadow Adama, and after the attack, assassinate Adama.

Thoughts

During a time of war what is justified? In this episode, both commanders decide the other is a threat to the human race. The last scene where both Battlestar commanders set plans in operation to kill one another is one of my favorite scenes of the entire series.

The Battlestar Galactica movie Razor brings to life several of the events described by Fisk in both this episode and the one previous.

Next Episode: Resurrection Ship (2)
Previous Episode: Pegasus

Synopsis

The Galactica encounters the Battlestar Pegasus, led by Admiral Cain. It’s a larger and more modern Battlestar than Galactica, plus Admiral Cain outranks Commander Adama. It has been on its own since the attack on Caprica.

Cain visits Galactica and meets Adama and Roslin. Adama makes it clear to Roslin that Cain will take command of the military fleet. Cain informs them that she has a captured Cylon (Gina Inviere, a Six model) aboard Pegasus.

Jack, the Pegasus XO, shares a drink with Tigh. He tells Tigh that Cain shot the previous XO for disobeying orders, but then brushes it off as a joke. Tigh is confused but now wary of Cain.

Baltar visits the Pegasus to interrogate Gina, the Cylon prisoner (and a Number 6 model). It’s clear she has been tortured at the hands of the Pegasus crew. Baltar offers her some food, and tells Cain that perhaps a carrot would be better than a stick in getting her to talk.

Cain tells Adama that they have been tracking several basestars and an unknown ship for quite some time. She wants to attack now that there are two Battlestars. She also integrates the crews, transferring Lee and Starbuck to the Pegasus.

The Pegasus CAG prepares a recon mission, but Starbuck doesn’t like the plan. The Pegasus CAG removes her from the mission and tells Lee to fly a raptor. As they head off to their ships, Lee tells Starbuck to get the “blackbird” (Chief’s stealth ship) and run her own recon mission.

Meanwhile, a Pegasus officer visits Athena in the brig, for the sole purpose of violating her. Helo and Chief burst in to stop him. The Pegasus officer hits his head against a bolt and is killed.

Both Helo and chief are arrested and flown to the Pegasus, found guilty, and set to be executed, all without Adama’s approval. Adama decides things have gone too far and orders a strike team to attack Pegasus. After a tense conversation with Cain, the Pegasus launches fighters to intercept Galactica’s.

Thoughts

Alright — now we’re talking.

The brutality of the Pegasus approach to rule during a time of war lies in stark contrast to the Galactica. As a military battleship alone in space with no citizenry as a balance, Pegasus has become a near-dictatorship where strict rules and brutality were justified. They have lost their humanity.

The discovery that things aren’t quite right on Pegasus comes about in an economic way, through the drunken war stories of the XO. There’s also something disarming at first with Cain being a woman, but soon we learn she is a force to contend with. The harsh treatment of the Cylon prisoner Gina, beyond anything the Galactica inflicted on Boomer or Sharon, is yet another sign. When Adama realizes his mistake of following orders, it’s nearly too late.

The “Extended Episode” adds an opening scene where Starbuck tries to sell a Caprica rescue mission to Adama and Roslin tosave the human survivors she found there — in particular, Anders. Later, Cain offers Starbuck some hope that she would approve such a mission, while Adama and Roslin would not.

Next Episode: Resurrection Ship (1)
Previous Episode: Flight Of The Phoenix