Reviews of Battlestar Galactica were written from 2005-2009 during the original run of the series. Note: All reviews contain spoilers.
Content Listing
Season 1 (2005)
12/8/2003. The Miniseries — The Cylons launch a devastating sneak attack on humanity, forcing the survivors of the 12 Colonies of Kobol to flee their star system in a convoy protected by the Battlestar Galactica.
1/14/2005. 33 — With no sign of relief in sight, the human convoy must remain a step ahead of a pursuing Cylon fleet that stages an assault every 33 minutes.
1/14/2005. Water — When the fleet's water supply facility is sabotaged, a mission to find a new water source becomes a top priority, and the need to seek out undercover Cylon agents becomes more clearly urgent.
1/21/2005. Bastille Day — Adama and Roslin attempt to enlist the inmates of a prison transport vessel for a difficult water reclamation mission, but Tom Zarek, a convicted terrorist, seizes control of the prison ship and takes several military officers hostage.
1/28/2005. Act of Contrition — After a tragic accident on the Galactica kills more than a dozen pilots, Kara is assigned as the flight instructor for new recruits, which opens old wounds from a tragedy in the past.
2/4/2005. You Can't Go Home Again — When Kara goes missing on a desolate planet, Adama orders a massive search operation with a scope that threatens to compromise the fleet's defensive position.
2/11/2005. Litmus — A suicide bombing by a Cylon agent forces Roslin and Adama to publicly acknowledge that Cylons look like humans, and to open a tribunal to investigate the breakdown that allowed the agent to gain access to a secured area of the Galactica.
2/18/2005. Six Degrees of Separation — Claiming she has conclusive evidence, a copy of Number Six appears on the Galactica and accuses Baltar of being a traitor who helped the Cylons in their sneak attack on the Colonies.
2/25/2005. Flesh and Bone — When a Cylon is discovered hiding in the fleet, Roslin insists he be questioned, so Adama puts Kara in charge of an interrogation to get answers.
3/4/2005. Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down — Roslin suspects Adama might be a Cylon and insists that he take Baltar's Cylon-detection test. Meanwhile, Tigh's estranged wife turns up alive and shows signs of introducing a troubling influence.
3/11/2005. The Hand of God — With fuel supplies dwindling, Adama decides the Galactica must launch a surprise attack on a Cylon base and take control of their fuel source.
3/18/2005. Colonial Day — Following his release from prison, former terrorist Tom Zarek is selected as a delegate in the interim government, where he becomes an instant rival of President Roslin.
3/25/2005. Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part 1 — Roslin believes prophecies are coming true when a recon mission finds the location of Kobol, the planet of origin of the 12 Colonies.
4/1/2005. Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part 2 — In the midst of a Cylon threat and the discovery of Kobol, Roslin's interference in a military decision creates a rift between her and Adama, which threatens to escalate to the point of no return.
Season 2 (2005-2006)
7/15/2005. Scattered — A tactical mishap separates Galactica from the rest of the fleet, and in order to locate it, Colonel Tigh must reluctantly fill Adama's role as commander.
7/22/2005. Valley of Darkness — The Galactica crew must stop a boarding party of Cylon Centurions, which intend to take over the ship and destroy the fleet.
7/29/2005. Fragged — Tensions build among the stranded soldiers on Kobol when Crashdown orders a questionable attack on a Cylon missile battery. On Galactica, Tigh faces tough questions from the civilian government.
8/5/2005. Resistance — In response to Tigh's declaration of martial law, civilian ships in the fleet begin to openly defy Galactica. Tyrol is imprisoned for having consorted with Cylon Sharon. On Caprica, Kara and Helo join a band of human resistance fighters.
8/12/2005. The Farm — Kara is shot and wakes up in a mysterious hospital. Adama returns to duty where a search is ongoing for Roslin, who is trying to organize support in the fleet for a return trip to Kobol.
8/19/2005. Home, Part 1 — Kara, Helo, and Sharon rendezvous with Roslin's fugitive fleet in orbit of Kobol, where they prepare for a dangerous mission to find the Tomb of Athena. Meanwhile, Adama begins to feel the pressures of a fleet divided.
8/26/2005. Home, Part 2 — Determined to reunite the fleet, Adama travels to Kobol to meet with Roslin's landing party, which is making its way across wet forest terrain to open the Tomb of Athena.
9/9/2005. Final Cut — In an effort to put a human face on an embattled military operation, Adama grants complete access of the Galactica to a video broadcast news reporter.
9/16/2005. Flight of the Phoenix — A Cylon computer virus begins taking control of the Galactica's systems as Cylon forces close in on their position. Meanwhile, Tyrol decides to build a new fighter from scratch as a project to distract the crew from its troubles.
9/23/2005. Pegasus — The Galactica crew rejoices when they discover another battlestar, the Pegasus, survived the Cylon attack. But friction arises when its commanding officer, Admiral Cain, announces her plan to take control of the fleet.
1/6/2006. Resurrection Ship, Part 1 — Adama and Cain face off over the fates of Helo and Tyrol, whom Cain has sentenced to death for the killing of one of her officers.
1/13/2006. Resurrection Ship, Part 2 — Even while on the brink of two opposing coups, Adama and Cain and the fleets under their command set out on a daring military operation to destroy a critical Cylon target.
1/20/2006. Epiphanies — President Roslin, very near death, orders the termination of Sharon's pregnancy amid violent protests by a group advocating a peaceful resolution to the conflict with the Cylons.
1/27/2006. Black Market — When the heads of a black market in the fleet are suspected of killing a ranking military officer, Lee is assigned to investigate their operation.
2/3/2006. Scar — Tensions mount, and Starbuck's and Kat's egos collide, when Galactica's Viper pilots must take on a particularly skilled and lethal Cylon Raider.
2/10/2006. Sacrifice — Civilians-turned-terrorists take hostages at a bar on the Cloud Nine and demand that Sharon be turned over to them for execution.
2/17/2006. The Captain's Hand — Lee and Kara are assigned to the Pegasus, where they butt heads with its new commanding officer and his questionable tactics.
2/24/2006. Downloaded — On Cylon-occupied Caprica, reincarnated copies of Six and Sharon struggle to reintegrate into Cylon society, and must cope with the roles they played in humanity's destruction.
3/3/2006. Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 1 — As Kara leads a risky mission to rescue survivors from Caprica, a Raptor crew discovers a habitable planet that Baltar uses as the lynchpin in his presidential campaign.
3/10/2006. Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2 — Taking opposite sides on the issue whether to colonize the habitable world dubbed New Caprica, Roslin and Baltar square off for election day.
Season 3 (2006-2007)
Webisodes. The Resistance — In a series of 10 brief online episodes from SciFi.com, Tigh and Tyrol form the beginnings of a resistance movement against the Cylon occupation of New Caprica.
10/6/2006. Occupation — In its fifth month under harsh Cylon occupation, New Caprica faces increased turmoil with a new human police force generally considered to be traitors, a resistance movement stepping up its violent attacks, and hope that a rescue from Galactica might still be possible.
10/6/2006. Precipice — Following a deadly suicide bombing, the Cylons crack down on Tigh's insurgency, while Kara endures a harrowing war of wills against Leoben.
10/13/2006. Exodus, Part 1 — As Tigh and the resistance coordinate Sharon's infiltration of a Cylon base on New Caprica, Adama and the Galactica prepare for their most important rescue mission yet.
10/20/2006. Exodus, Part 2 — Facing superior Cylon forces, the Galactica undertakes a daring mission to evacuate the occupied population of New Caprica.
10/27/2006. Collaborators — An autonomous group holds secret tribunals aboard the Galactica, carrying out death sentences for those they deem guilty of having collaborated with the Cylons on New Caprica.
11/3/2006. Torn — When Baltar agrees to help the Cylons in their search for Earth, the clues lead them to an unexpected encounter with a deadly virus. Aboard the Galactica, Tigh and Kara's bitterness creates divisiveness within the crew.
11/10/2006. A Measure of Salvation — The Cylons torture Baltar for his knowledge about a deadly virus responsible for disabling a basestar. Meanwhile, the Galactica develops a plan to potentially use the virus as a biological weapon.
11/17/2006. Hero — An imprisoned Colonial pilot escapes from a Cylon basestar after three years in captivity, and his connection to Adama's past reveals a dark secret.
12/1/2006. Unfinished Business — Galactica's crew members work out their frustrations in boxing matches, where rank is rendered irrelevant and unresolved personal issues from New Caprica are settled in the ring.
12/8/2006. The Passage — When the fleet's entire food supply becomes contaminated and a new food source must be harvested, the Galactica's Raptor pilots risk their lives to guide the civilian fleet through a star cluster that exposes the pilots to dangerous levels of radiation.
12/15/2006. The Eye of Jupiter — While on a planet-based resupply mission, Tyrol discovers an ancient temple that is said to contain the Eye of Jupiter — an artifact that supposedly points to Earth's location. A standoff ensues when the Cylons jump into orbit and demand Adama turn the Eye over to them.
1/21/2007. Rapture — Sharon and Helo take extreme measures to rescue their daughter from the Cylons. Meanwhile, the fates of all on the planet hang in the balance when the Cylons engage Galactica's ground forces to obtain the secrets of the Eye of Jupiter.
1/28/2007. Taking a Break from All Your Worries — Roslin and Adama embark on a prolonged interrogation of Baltar to establish his guilt as a traitor to humanity. Lee and Kara face turning points in their marriages.
2/11/2007. The Woman King — Helo finds himself estranged from much of the Galactica crew when he embarks on a questionable investigation of a civilian doctor he believes is killing patients.
2/18/2007. A Day in the Life — On the day of his wedding anniversary, Adama finds his thoughts occupied by the lost past. The lives of Tyrol and Cally, meanwhile, are jeopardized when they become trapped in an airlock.
2/25/2007. Dirty Hands — Tyrol investigates a work stoppage on the fleet's fuel refinery ship and subsequently finds himself pulled into a struggle that hints at an emerging societal divide.
3/4/2007. Maelstrom — Kara's disturbing dreams and hallucinations prompt her to confront her troubled past and explore the possibilities of a mysterious destiny foretold to her since childhood.
3/11/2007. The Son Also Rises — When Baltar's legal representative is murdered with his trial rapidly approaching, Lee is assigned to provide security for the dead lawyer's enigmatic replacement.
3/18/2007. Crossroads, Part 1 — As Baltar's treason trial begins, Lee finds his shipmates questioning his loyalty for serving on Baltar's legal defense team.
3/25/2007. Crossroads, Part 2 — Baltar's trial goes to verdict after stunning testimony on the witness stand. Meanwhile, a mysterious tune — which only a select few people aboard Galactica can hear — leads to an unexpected discovery.
Season 4 (2008-2009)
11/24/2007. Razor — Lee Adama, the new commander of the Pegasus, selects Admiral Cain's protege to serve as his XO in an effort to maintain an identity for the ship's crew. This choice comes with baggage, however, as the traumas from Pegasus' brutal past resurface during a dangerous rescue mission.
4/4/2008. He That Believeth in Me — The crew of Galactica is stunned to learn that Kara is still alive, and quickly becomes suspicious when she claims to have been to Earth. Meanwhile, four members of the crew who have learned they are Cylons must grapple with their new realities.
4/11/2008. Six of One — The crew must contend with Kara, who takes drastic measures to convince Roslin that she knows the way to Earth and is not an instrument in a Cylon trap.
4/18/2008. The Ties That Bind — Tyrol's marriage faces a meltdown amid a series of suspicions by Cally. Meanwhile, deep ideological divisions threaten the Cylons with civil war.
4/25/2008. Escape Velocity — Baltar's religious movement leads to violent conflicts on the ship. Tyrol deals with the aftermath of a personal tragedy. Tigh opens a dialog with the imprisoned Caprica Six.
5/2/2008. The Road Less Traveled — The chain of command on the Demetrius is threatened when Kara considers an alliance with the Cylons brought to her by Leoben. Tyrol, facing a personal crisis, confronts Baltar over his attempts to expand his religious movement.
5/9/2008. Faith — Roslin finds her religious views challenged by a fellow terminal cancer patient who has found solace in Baltar's words. Kara attempts to forge an alliance with a group of renegade Cylons and learn details about her destiny from their Hybrid.
5/16/2008. Guess What's Coming to Dinner? — The rebel Cylons and Demetrius rendezvous with the fleet, where a fragile alliance and an audacious plan are arranged. But can this alliance survive so much inherent distrust?
5/30/2008. Sine Qua Non — The fleet faces turmoil and uncertainty when President Roslin goes missing and is presumed dead and Adama refuses to acknowledge the legitimacy of Vice President Zarek as her successor.
6/6/2008. The Hub — Despite some uncertainty, a joint Colonial/Cylon mission is undertaken to destroy the Cylon resurrection hub and make the entire Cylon race mortal.
6/13/2008. Revelations — A deadly standoff ensues when D'Anna holds Roslin and others hostage and demands Adama turn over the secret Cylons aboard Galactica, who supposedly know the way to Earth.
Webisodes. The Face of the Enemy — Gaeta's Raptor becomes stranded during an emergency jump of the fleet. While awaiting rescue, members of the Raptor's crew begin dying mysteriously.
1/16/2009. Sometimes a Great Notion — The crew of Galactica investigates its biggest discoveries yet concerning Earth, which deal a crushing blow to the morale of the fleet and its leaders.
1/23/2009. A Disquiet Follows My Soul — Tensions rise between the Quorum and Adama when he orders the installation of Cylon technology aboard all ships in the fleet and the rebel Cylons request Colonial citizenship.
1/30/2009. The Oath — Unwilling to tolerate the alliance with the Cylons, Gaeta and Zarek stage a mutiny against the existing leadership of the fleet under Adama.
2/6/2009. Blood on the Scales — Gaeta and Zarek take control of the fleet and intend to put Adama on trial for treason, but must contend with pockets of resistance still trying to quell their mutiny.
2/13/2009. No Exit — Ellen resurrects in the Cylon fleet and engages in an extended war of words with Cavil. Anders suffers a serious brain injury, causing a flood of memories from Earth to return to him.
2/20/2009. Deadlock — Ellen returns to Galactica, upon which the Final Five must make a pivotal decision about whether to remain with the fleet.
2/27/2009. Someone to Watch Over Me — Tyrol is dismayed when the fleet's Cylon allies request that Boomer be tried for treason. Kara confesses her struggles of identity and purpose to a mysterious piano player in the ship's bar.
3/6/2009. Islanded in a Stream of Stars — The battlestar Galactica faces an uncertain future as Adama comes to the slow realization that the ship may be beyond repair and no longer capable of defending the fleet.
3/13/2009. Daybreak, Part 1 — As the residents and crew of the battlestar Galactica pack up to abandon the ship and strip it for parts, Adama realizes he must use the ship for one final mission.
3/20/2009. Daybreak, Part 2 (and Part 3) — Adama prepares to take the Galactica and its remaining crew of volunteers on a risky mission to rescue Hera, who may be the salvation of the human and Cylon races.
10/27/2009. The Plan — After the attack on the Colonies, Cavil attempts to finish the job the Cylons started by setting a series of small coordinated attacks in motion from within his secret isolated position on Galactica.
— The Cylons launch a devastating sneak attack on humanity, forcing the survivors of the 12 Colonies of Kobol to flee their star system in a convoy protected by the Battlestar Galactica.
— Adama and Roslin attempt to enlist the inmates of a prison transport vessel for a difficult water reclamation mission, but Tom Zarek, a convicted terrorist, seizes control of the prison ship and takes several military officers hostage.