The first season (or is it the series?) of Battlestar Galactica comes to a close with an attack on a Cylon Basestar.  Will the Galactica survive?

Ben and Eugene discuss.

Episode Synopsis: 

Apollo, Sheba, Starbuck and Cassiopeia are on a…. let’s call it a double-date.  Apollo takes them all for a surprise.  A celestial chamber, high above the Galactica’s engines.  A room not used in over 100 yahrens that opens up onto the vastness of space so that navigators could fix on stars for navigation… manually.

Apollo has been fixing it up, repairing the disused equipment.  While there, a strange signal comes in on a Gamma frequency – a long obsolete type of communication.  Apollo thinks it might be from Earth.  With Boomer’s help they investigate.  His conclusion: it might be a reflection of a nearby signal, or it could be a primary signal that has travelled 10,000 yahrens or more.

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The Galactica begins searching and finds a solar system in the path, they dispatch a patrol to investigate.  What they find is a Cylon Basestar, guarding the rim of this galaxy and blocking the Galactica’s path.  The Basestar is still unaware of the Colonial Fleet and faced with the alternative of backtracking a long way to go around… some thing or other, Adams decides to attack and hopefully destroy the basestar before they can muster an effective defense or call for backups and reveal the fleet’s position.

While the fighters prepare, Apollo hatches a crazy plan – a plan which Starbuck is all too eager to go along with – that involves flying Baltar’s Cylon raider to the basestar, getting inside and sabotaging the scanners before the attack begins, blinding them to the approaching Galactica.

Adama doesn’t like the plan, but he knows how to make it work.  He offers Baltar his freedom in exchange for intel on the inside layout of the basestar and the normal operating procedures.  Baltar agrees and, if they survive, he will be released – and marooned – on a habitable planet.

The plan doesn’t sit well with others, too.  Cassiopeia and Sheba have words for Starbuck and Apollo, respectively.  Cassiopeia is quite direct:  She loves Starbuck and why does he have to volunteer for all the high-risk, certain death assignments?

Sheba on the other hand is less direct, but the situation is no different, she has come to realize that she is in love with Apollo and does not want to lose him.  Nonetheless, our heroes have a mission to fly and they can’t be concerned about the feelings of hysterical womenfolk, by gosh.

Boomer also wants to go along with them, but he’s responsible and has a job to do – leading Apollo’s squadron.  As a parting gift, he gives them something more practical than a kiss goodbye – he gives them a very, very important piece of high-tech felgercarb that will allow the Vipers to know which Cylon Raider has Apollo and Starbuck onboard, and therefore not destroy them in combat.  I think we all know how well they’re going to look after that critical piece of kit.

Apollo and Starbuck infiltrate the basestar and their mission is a total success with only one casualty:  the electronic gizmo dies a heroic death.  The Galactica’s attack is a complete success, and the basestar destroyed.

…and Apollo and Starbuck survive because Boomer actually paid attention to one of Starbuck’s jokes.

Later, in the celestial chamber, Apollo is still waiting for the return of the signal.  He still thinks it’s from Earth.  Some routine ship-to-ship chatter that has spanned the stars, but since they have no automated monitoring and recording technology on the Galactica, he must sit and wait, hoping for something more.  Starbuck convinces him to leave and attend the victory ceremony.  After they leave a signal comes in, unseen. 

The Eagle has landed.

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