By Ryan Riley, Contributor
*Note: This article discusses plot events that take place throughout the run of "Battlestar Galactica". Stop reading now if you are not caught up and don't want to read any spoilers.
The final episode of the SciFi Network's "Battlestar Galactica" is just about here. I'm fairly disheartened to see it end, because I think they could have easily kept this exceptional series going for at least one more season. The show, which was a reimagining of the original series produced by Glen A. Larson in the late 1970's/early 1980's, could not have been more different in tone than its predecessor. Sure, the basic premise was the same. Humankind has their planets ravaged by mechanical antagonists called Cylons, and the survivors of the assault form a "ragtag, fugitive fleet" with the purpose of finding a planet known as Earth. But the revamp of the concept took on a life of its own.
Much like "Lost" & "Heroes", the producers of "Battlestar Galactica" set out to make a well-written dramatic action series that happened to have a sci-fi/fantasy setting. They succeeded beyond anyone's wildest expectations, often employing plot threads that were both topical and thought provoking. For example, when the Cylons occupied New Caprica, the humans (ostensibly the protagonists of the series) employed morally reprehensible tactics like suicide bombings that targeted both Cylons and human sympathizers. Sure, the Cylons rained nuclear devastation on the humans, but the way the situation was written made one think twice about who the heroes of the series were supposed to be. And that's the type of thing that most television shows wouldn't have the courage to do.
But the aspect of the show that really puts it over the top with its fans are the multiple plot twists that you just don't see coming, or as I like to call them, the "Holy Frak!" moments. Over the four seasons "Battlestar Galactica" has been on the air, it has managed to keep its viewers guessing as to what will happen next. I've compiled a list of what I thought were the most memorable "Holy Frak!" moments of the show's excellent run.
Dualla's suicide
Out of the entire Galactica crew, you would be hard-pressed to find someone with worse luck in the romance department that Anastasia Dualla (or Dee for short). Her romance with presidential aid Billy Keikeya was done in by her infatuation with Lee Adama (Apollo) and his being killed. And her marriage to Apollo was on shaky ground given the fact that he's in love with Kara Thrace (Starbuck). But she seemed unflappable until the crew finds Earth only to discover that it was destroyed in a nuclear holocaust almost 2000 years ago. That was just too much for the poor girl, and after enjoying a final night out on the town with Apollo she takes a pistol and shoots herself in the head.
Cally gets spaced
Cally Henderson was one of the most sympathetic characters in the series, so her death seemed to come out of left field. She married Chief Galen Tyrol while on New Caprica and they had a son named Nicky. But when Tyrol later found out that he was actually one of the final five Cylons, their marriage went into a downward spiral. Cally witnessed a dinner Tyrol had with another secret Cylon, presidential aide Tory Foster, and assumed he was having an affair. But she later followed her husband to where he was meeting Tory and the other two secret Cylons in the fleet and found out the brutal truth. On the verge of a nervous breakdown, Cally took her son into one of the Viper launch tubes in Galactica. Tory managed to talk her down and convinced her to hand over little Nicky, only to cold-cock her, lock her in the launch tube and eject her into space.
Gaeta commits perjury
Lieutenant Felix Gaeta served as the communications officer on Galactica before agreeing to serve as an advisor to President Gaius Baltar on New Caprica. Shortly after his appointment, the Cylons took over the neophyte colony, and Baltar became their figurehead leader. Gaeta managed to provide invaluable intelligence to the human resistance before their escape from New Caprica, but he could not forgive the morally questionable actions that Baltar committed when he served under his presidency. So when Baltar was placed on trial, Gaeta testified against him. He lied about Baltar signing a death order for suspected rebels, knowing that he was forced at gunpoint to sign the document by the Cylons but said that he required no coercion. The Machiavellian attitude displayed by Gaeta on the witness stand was just a precursor of things to come with him, as evidenced by his involvement in the recent mutiny aboard Galactica.
Boomer revealed
Sharon Valerii (Boomer) proved to be an able pilot and a hero of the first order after the initial Cylon attack on the colonies, rescuing a group of survivors on Caprica which included Gaius Baltar. But at the end of the "Battlestar Galactica" miniseries, we are introduced to the initial group of Cylons, and the last line of dialogue was delivered by none other than a duplicate of Boomer. I don't know about you guys, but that plot twist was what made me desperately want to watch the regular series in the first place. I wanted to know what was going to happen next.
Boomer shoots Adama
A lot of the initial shock that came from the humans in the fleet discovering that the Cylons could look human happened as a result of what happened with Boomer. Baltar had invented a test that could genetically determine whether an individual was human or Cylon, and one of the first test subjects in the crew was Boomer. The test came up positive, but out of a sense of self-preservation he told her that there was a glitch in the machinery and kept her existence a secret. This would have dire consequences for Commander William Adama later on. After successfully completing a mission, Boomer's Cylon programming kicks in and compels her to shoot Adama in the gut with her service pistol. Her shock at the result of her actions was palpable, and it took the tension of the series to a whole other level.
What do you think?
I know that I probably left quite a few moments out, but these were the ones that came to mind for me. Give us some feedback and let us know what you think.
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