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.
A lot happens in this episode. Apollo leaves the military to become quorum. Adama tasks Starbuck in finding her way back to Earth. It’s the beginning of a Cylon revolution on the main basestar. One and Six are at odds over what to do with the raiders. The raiders will not fire on the human fleet since they might hit other Cylons. One wants to lobotomize them and remove their higher brain functions so that they obey orders. Six is against this. This is a polarizing issue for the Cylons. In the end, if they do as One suggests they will be no better than their human enemies. They are using the raiders and the Centurions as slaves. It is my understanding that the raiders and the Centurions vastly outnumber the humanoid models.
With the support of the Fours and the Fives, the Ones are able to commence the lobotomy. This doesn’t sit well with Six. She uses her support to liberate the Centurions. From the end of the episode, I gather that she will do the same with all of the converted raiders. The end of this episode was excellent. The Cylons still do not have absolute confirmation that the other five final models of Cylons are on the human fleet.
It looks to me like One has been drinking. At least, that’s the way he acts. There was another Cylon first in this episode. Boomer voted against her models. She voted to lobotomize the raiders. The other Eights voted with the Sixes. The only model who knew who was the last and final model is Three, but her line was boxed by One.
This was a most excellent episode. I enjoy seeing the way that the Cylons resolve their disputes and how they function as a society or a group. I wonder if this council is really the absolute leader of the Cylons since there are thousands of these models.
In the fleet, Baltar gets a visit from the Inner-Baltar. It’s been a while since he’s shown up. Inner-Six hasn’t been seen since the last episode.
I just wonder what will happen next. Caprica-Six has effectively taken control of the Cylon leadership, with the overwhelming support of the Centurions and most probably the raiders once their brain functions are restored. But the Ones, Fours and Fives won’t take this lying down. They will just wake up in the resurrection ship and try and move against Caprica-Six. That is, unless she’s already got a plan in motion. Caprica-Six and her allies believe that the Hybrids have information on what is going on. The Ones dismiss this, but Caprica-Six sees them as oracles, which they most probably are.
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
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At the end of the last episode, Starbuck had a gun to the President’s head.
Starbuck is pissed that the President won’t believe her vision when she went to the Temple because of Roslin’s vision. She wants the President to shoot her if she thinks that she’s a Cylon. Roslin says that she doesn’t believe her. Roslin takes the gun and shoots next to Starbuck’s head. Kara is losing her mind. She is totally freaking out.
The soldiers bust in and restrain her. She continues to say that she is losing the way to Earth. She sounds totally mad. I’ve actually thought about this for a little while. I think that Starbuck isn’t a Cylon. She’s the key to finding Earth.
On a baseship, One is watching an Eight dancing ballet. The hybrid is trying to tell them something. Five thinks that the final five are on the human fleet. One doesn’t want to hear about it. It’s against the law. The original programmers implanted this into them. The raiders won’t fire on the fleet since they sense the final five there. One wants to dumb down the raiders. Two is appalled that he is trying to lobotomize them. Six says that he doesn’t have the authority. There will have to be a vote. One isn’t worried. The Fours and Fives will vote with him.
She’s as crazy as a latrine rat.
Tigh on Starbuck.
The Chief thinks that Baltar might know something. While they were in the temple, Baltar was talking with D’Anna, a Three model. He thinks that Baltar might know who the fifth model is. Tigh knows that Baltar will bed a skinjob.
The Admiral wants to know what Starbuck was thinking. She just screwed over her only ally. She punches his buttons and the Admiral decks her. She’s gone a bit mad. Prophecy and revelation isn’t for all minds.
The Fours and Fives have voted with the Ones. The Twos, Sixes and Eights have voted against them. They are deciding if they should lobotomize the raiders. An Eight votes against her model. She votes for the reconfiguration of the raiders. It’s Boomer. This has never happened before.
Something has changed. Six isn’t happy. She thinks it’s wrong.
It’s Major Adama’s going away party. Everybody looks happy. The Admiral is thinking about Kara.
In the cafeteria, Foster is spying on Baltar. She glances at him multiple times. He notices and comes over. While he talks with her, Baltar sees the other Baltar in his mind. Inner-Baltar tells him to hear out Foster. She is obviously hitting on him.
Baltar says something like: God has chosen him to sing his song. He continues to speak about music and notes. Foster is surprised and leaves. She is spooked. Baltar continues to speak with Inner-Baltar. Baltar suspects that Inner-Baltar is Six. Inner-Baltar tells him that Foster is very special. She’s fragile.
The President wants to know what’s going on in Adama’s mind. They talk about Starbuck. Adama thinks that there may be a miracle here. Roslin shot at her at close range and missed. Roslin can’t trust Starbuck with the fleet. Roslin says that Adama would rather face his own demise than lose Kara once again. Adama says that Roslin is afraid that her death will be as meaningless as everyone else’s. When he leaves, Roslin notices that her hair is falling out.
Lee goes to talk to Starbuck. He’s the new quorum. They kiss tenderly in her cell. Lee tells her that he believes her. In the CAG, Lee reminisces about all of the flying missions that he commanded or has flown. On his departure from the Galacica, he’s met by a full dress goodbye, including the President. Lee has trouble holding back the tears. Dee hands him his old insignia that’s been framed.
On the basestar, the Sixes want the Ones to stop the lobotomy of the raiders. He won’t stop. Six calls in the Centurions. The Centurions draw out their weapons.
Foster is having sex with Baltar. During their lovemaking, she cries. She says that it’s something she always does during sex. Baltar says that Cylons can feel as well.
The Centurions don’t obey One. Six had the behavioural inhibitors removed. The inhibitors restricted higher brain functions. The Twos, Sixes and Eights did this while the Ones, the Fours and the Fives were dumbing down the raiders. The Centurions weren’t happy when they learned what they were doing with the raiders. The Centurions open fire. They kill the One, the Four and the Five.
The Fleet jumps ahead. Kara is going mad. She’s losing her way.
Adama is sending Kara and Helo to return to Earth on the Demetrius.
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