Battlestar Galactica is an Emmy Award winning science fiction television program created by Ronald D. Moore that first aired on October 18, 2004 in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Sky One, and January 14, 2005 in the United States on SCI FI. Repeats of episodes have been shown in the United States on SCI FI, NBC, Bravo, and in high definition on Universal HD.
Battlestar Galactica continues from the 2003 mini-series to chronicle the journey of the last surviving humans from the Twelve Colonies of Kobol after their nuclear annihilation by the Cylons. The survivors are led by President Laura Roslin and Commander William Adama in a ragtag fleet of ships with the Battlestar Galactica, a powerful but old warship, as its command ship. Pursued by Cylons intent on wiping out the remnants of the human race, the survivors travel across the galaxy looking for the fabled and long-lost thirteenth colony: Earth.
From the Wikipedia entry for Battlestar Galactica.
It’s been over a year since we had fresh episodes of Battlestar Galactica. It hasn’t helped that because of the WGA strike, we will only be seeing a 8 or 10 episode season this year. The other episodes will air in 2009.
That being said, the end of the last season was spectacular. It was revealed that Colonel Tigh, Sam Anders, the Chief and Tory Foster were four of the five final Cylon models. On top of that, Kara Thrace returned to the fleet with a message from Earth.
I used to think that Thrace was the final Cylon model. I’m no longer sure of this, although her disappearance and reappearance is hard to swallow without thinking about Cylons, I believe that Thrace is the key to Earth. She believes that too. No one else believes this, except Apollo naturally and maybe the Admiral. He’s known her for too long to think that she’s just gone bonkers.
Most of this show focuses on Starbuck’s strange command of the Demetrius and their search for Earth. They find a Two floating on a wrecked Cylon Heavy Raider and it’s influence is pervasive on Starbuck. At least, that’s how it appears to the members of the crew.
Baltar continues to preach to his followers and finally gets an important follower; Chief Tyrol. The crew of the Demetrius is now aware that there is some form of civil war going on in the Cylon fleet. We still do not know what exactly happened to Caprica Six and her allies.
Starbuck plans on helping out Two in order to speak to the Hybrid. Two is convinced that the Hybrid can help her find Earth. The Demetrius is going to miss their rendez-vous point with the Galactica. The crew isn’t happy and promptly stages a mutiny before they jump to the Cylon baseship. Things aren’t looking good for Kara.
I thought that this was another good episode. It’s taking a while to find out what has happened to Caprica Six. It’s almost annoying. Hopefully this will be dealt with in the next episodes. Two does reveal that he is out of resurrection ship range, meaning that if he dies, he dies a true death, whatever that means for a Cylon who’s got multiple copies of himself running around.
Tory is still sleeping with Baltar, and she is directing him on how to expand his following. Baltar uses this to get someone important to follow his cause. Chief Tyrol, who’s still despondent over Cally’s apparent suicide. He suspects that she was murdered, but hasn’t really found any evidence. Tory is walking a fine line. She almost blurts it out to him that she killed Cally, by implying too many things. The Chief isn’t stupid. He’ll figure it out soon.
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
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The show starts off on the Demetrius, whose crew has been looking for Earth for 58 days. She wants to send a recon to a system they have passed. Things aren’t as clear as before for Kara. She decides to go with Helo on the recon mission.
Baltar has become more than a prophet to his flock. He’s a witness. His sermon is broadcasted to the fleet. Chief Tyrol is working out. He shaved his head.
Athena isn’t as supportive of Starbuck as Helo is. They question her sanity and competence. That doesn’t stop Starbuck from jumping into a Viper.
Starbuck finds a drifting heavy Cylon raider. It’s been battered. A Leoben (a model two) is on board. He wants to talk with Kara. She brings him on board. He notices the changes that she’s gone through. He wants her to help him. He tells her that she needs to go see the hybrid. It will tell her things and show her the way. Starbuck orders Leoben to her quarters.
The Chief is in the airlock where Cally supposedly committed suicide. Tory comes up to talk to him. He doesn’t believe what happened. Tory tells him that maybe Cally knew or sensed that he was a Cylon. She goes on to preach about how Baltar changed her. Tyrol tells her that she’s been hanging around Baltra too much.
In Starbuck’s quarters, Leoben is helping Starbuck paint. Anders comes back from his scouting mission and isn’t pleased. He assaults Leoben and has him put into storage. Helo restrains Kara. Anders starts to interrogate Two. Anders pulls a gun on him. He says that he is out of resurrection range. If he dies, he dies a true death. He admits that there is a Cylon civil war going on. He wants an alliance with the human fleet. He wants their help to defeat their brothers. Together they will be led to the promise land.
Helo, Athena, Gaita and Anders talk about what Starbuck wants to do. She wants to jump to the Two’s baseship and help the Cylons out. Athena is against it because if they get captured, they endanger the human fleet.
Baltar and Foster are in bed again. The President is aware of Baltar’s pirate broadcasts. She isn’t doing anything about it. Tory tells Baltar that no one of consequence is really joining his movement. Only the dreds of society.
Colonel Tigh wants to talk with Tyrol. He wants the Chief to suck it up. Tyrol is aware that Tigh has been spending time with the Six in lockup. He mocks the Colonel for thinking that they haven’t changed since they all realized that they are Cylons.
Mathias is inspecting the raider. There is some kind of leak and she dies. There is an explosion.
Tyrol walks away from Baltar’s lair as he arrives to start his speech. Baltar calls him out and wants him to stay. The Chief is about to leave. Tyrol says that he has never forgiven Baltar for what happened in New Caprica. Baltar asks him to take his hand. Tyrol starts to strangle him. He leaves and yells that Baltar didn’t know her. Tyrol goes back to his quarters and takes his gun. He wants to commit suicide.
Starbuck goes to interrogate Two for blowing up his ship. He taunts her but she relents. She killed him over and over again on New Caprica.
She asks him what he is doing to her. He says that there is a void in her that can only be filled by continuing her quest, by taking the next step on her journey. He doesn’t know what happened to her when she was missing. He tells her that she has to make peace with her past because of that part of her is gone. He told her that when he stepped onto the ship, she had changed. He no longer sees Kara Thrace, he sees an angel blazing with the light of God, an angel waiting to lead her people to salvation.
Starbuck talks to her crew. She tells them that they are jumping to the Cylon baseship. Pike doesn’t want to follow Starbuck’s orders. Helo knocks him out.
On Galactica, against the warnings of his followers, Baltar pays Tyrol a visit. He asks for his forgiveness. He had no right to talk about Cally that way since he barely knew her. Baltar sits down. Baltar says that he has committed unconscionable crimes and he has been offered one last chance at redemption, because he chose to accept his fate not fight it anymore. He’s sorry for the Chief’s loss. Baltar would have wanted to know Cally better, but she’s gone.
The Chief extends his hand to Baltar. Baltar grasps it.
On the Demetrius, Starbuck gives the order to activate the jump engines. Helo tries to reason with her. Starbuck won’t listen. He doesn’t allow her to go ahead. He refuses to follow her orders. The crew stand behind him united. Starbuck relieves him of his duties. Gaita doesn’t follow her orders either. Helo enacts article 10 of the Colonial Military Code, he relieves her of her command.
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