Battlestar Galactica

Season 2 Episode 20

Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2

Aired Friday 10:00 PM Mar 10, 2006 on Syfy

Episode Fan Reviews (92)

out of 10
932 votes
  • End of Season 2

    Well it was for the most part excellent Television. Mostly good story lines that kept the viewer coming back and wanting more. There were some slow episodes and the series seemed to get bogged in the third quarter but really picked up in the final few episodes. I found it a little disappointing that the writers seemed to have forgotten about the search for Earth, after the first 7 episodes focused on that solely. There were a few things I found a little hard to fathom out, why Adama seemed to just let everything happen in the final storylines, when he was prepared to fight over every little thing earlier in the series. Also I was wondering what had happened to No.6 from Baltar's subconscious - well until the end at any rate. Overall I was pleased with the final episode and will look forward to seeing Season 3.
  • Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2

    Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2 was Awesome! This was a spectacular episode of Battlestar Galactica and a superb season two finale! I really enjoyed watching this episode because after Admiral Adama and the President decide they can't go along with stealing the election the story jumps a year forward when New Caprica is populated. It was interesting to see how various characters turned out. It was really awesome when the Cylons showed up and occupied New Caprica. President Baltar surrenders and humanities fate is left uncertain! I look forward to watching the next season!!!!!!!!!
  • Admiral Adama was neutered.

    Here is to hoping that this review doesn't delete my previous review on the previous ep (I wrote 200+ words and now it's gone!!!). I am extremely disappointed in s2. Now that the season has concluded with the finale, I can write this review.
    The first seven eps of s2 are intolerable! It became too cheesy. It did what it always promised to never do. That is: be another Sci-fi cheesefest. All the talk about Gods and religion and destinies became unbearable! They filled the first 7 eps of that.
    After that storyarc ended, starting with ep 2x08, the show returned to past glory! The funny thing is that they never mentioned or confirmed any of the events that happened during those first 7 eps. Leading me to believe that Moore and the writers were aware of its suckiness.
    But it's still aggravating to know that Lee got away with treason and Roslin got away with the crap she pulled *fumes*. Anyway... This finale put the lead characters in situations were they were acting out of character. Adama especially. Roslin tells Adama about Baltar being a Cylon collaborator and he does nothing?! Throughout this ep Adama lets Baltar get away with things he never would've previously allowed! In s1, whenever Roslin did something that he knew were for the worse for the people, he rised against here and disobeyed her wishes. Not only does he let Baltar run for precidency without a fight, but he also sits there and lets Baltar use New Caprica as a tool for his political gain. Is this Adama we know? Would Adama really let a politician use manipulation to get his way, something that he is convinced is for the worse for the people? Previously he would've thrown someone in a cell for the mere suspicion of being or working with a cylon. Yes, Baltar was influential now, but that alone would've sufficed to at least ruin Baltar's chances at the polls (just losing a few thousand voters would've been enough). That is not all... A nuke goes off. A nuke that was in Baltar's possession. Adama suggests a internal security check, Baltar overrules him. Adama obeys. WHAT?! With all he knows of Baltar, with all he know military wise (an internal security check was crucial!), he follows his orders without a blink? I think Ronald Moore missed the point about why his own show was so great. It was the sense of urgency and desperation, the struggle day-to-day since that doomsday. Of fear of spoiling it to you, I won't go in to specifics. But I'll tell you this. Moore makes a decision that shapes this show in dramatic ways for the remainder of the show. It's perhaps too early to say how bad, but this ep showed me no hope. PS. The ep concluded with a fantastic grand closing scene!
  • Looks like you're frakked

    ***Obligatory Spoiler Warning***



  • Magnanimous in victory.

    As soon as the copy of Brother Cavil appeared on Caprica(in an eerie moment) I was happy. I had been hoping/suspecting that he was a Cylon because I had been thinking for awhile they needed an older model, sort of a contemporary to Adama and Roslin. Plus I love his existential, "There is no God." way of looking at things, which Dean Stockwell pulls off well with an air of indifference in all his lines, notable even for a Cylon. His scene in the brig delivering the Cylon's message was especially good.

    Anders getting involved in the love triangle between Apollo and Starbuck didn't really make me enjoy it anymore. I will say however, that Starbuck having to make herself hate Apollo so she can love Anders was hard to watch and made me question my feelings on her character, so in that sense it was a compelling scene.

    Even though I knew it was going to be a cluster **** of outrageous proportions if Baltar became president, I couldn't help but love seeing him stick it to Roslin during their private meeting aboard Galactica. Seeing her reduced to begging was just sad and I had to smile at Baltar's final quip.

    Baltar: "You know I saved your life? But I won't save your political career."

    I have absolutely no respect left to lose for Roslin, but Jesus! How far can you sink, lady? I had been expecting her to ask/order Adama to "disappear" Baltar, so I guess rigging an election is actually a step up. Tigh's involvement didn't surprise me either as he strikes me as the kind of guy who could be bought off for a couple bottles of something. Dee disappointed me though, I'll chalk it up to her feeling like she owes Billy something. I think the fact that even Baltar couldn't see Roslin doing something like that speaks to how far she had really fallen. I might look at it differently if it hadn't been Roslin herself that started Baltar's political career, but I can't help but feel that this is all her fault.

    Baltar's swearing in was filled with a sense of dread and made a disturbing impression by being interlaced with scenes of his one night with Six. Which lead into another disturbing scene of Six using the bomb to end her's and many other's lives. Scenes which helped to establish Baltar's mindset and attitude going into the time jump.

    I liked the plot(not my favorite ever but I was enjoying it), but I just think it could have been formed up a little better. I guess they felt the need to end on a big cliffhanger, but I think if done right, Six's bomb going off and Baltar's inauguration could have made for a good ending. It just makes more sense(in my admittedly amateur opinion) to have the year pass in between seasons.

    Seeing Adama walk the empty hallways as Galactica is falling into a state of disrepair was a sad moment. And a little frightening as it became clear how ill prepared they were for any kind of attack. Not that I didn't have faith in Caprica Six and Sharon, but I knew things weren't going down that easy. Him sending Tigh down to New Caprica was also an emotional scene, and really well written I thought. The colonel seemed to take his arrival in stride, but it was pretty disorienting for me. Chief Trotsky-sorry, Tyrol- ranting over workers rights. And did he put that bun in Cally's oven!? Gaeta working for Baltar, Starbuck playing housewife or at least nursemaid to Anders, yeah, it all left me feeling off my axis. Which in retrospect was a good thing, as it gave the Cylon's partially expected arrival even more impact. It turning out to not only be Baltar's fault for having them settle there, but also for them being discovered because of the nuke he gave Six was the kind of bitter piece of irony this show does so well. I didn't enjoy it as much as Kobol's Last Gleaming, but it was good. Seeing the two Battlestars(and the rest of the fleet) jump away was probably one of the more impactful moments of the series. The Cain/Pegasus arc is still my favorite part of this season though.
  • What a great cliff to be hanging from..

    This episode was one of the better ones in my opinion. After many "slow" episodes after the Pegasus triology, this was moving a little faster. Did I say a little? I meant too fast. All of the sudden, during 2 episodes, Baltar has gotten himself elected, they found some planet that's liveable and even almost settled down there, Kara has gotten long hair and Lee is (...what word to use here?..) dating the girl with the headset. And: The Cylons have made it clear that now they're in charge of everything.

    It's a great cliffhanger. I hope that the next season will show us to a certain degree what happend. I can't wait to see how this will go on. I'm holding my breath until October for the next episode of the greatest show on TV ever.
  • Roslin tries to rig the vote. Baltar wins. The colonists move to "New" Caprica. Detente begins....and ends

    No wonder they made an extended ep. But imagine what Ron Moore would've done if he'd had 120m to tell the story in.

    Instead of doing what everyone else has done, I'll just put down my questions.

    Why did RM and DE decide Roslin should rig the election? They didn't take it anywhere and as far as I can see it's only purpose was to explain why Gaeta became Baltars lacky.

    Which brings me to my next question. When is Gaeta going to come clean that he's a Cylon. Cause I been certain for ages now that he is.

    Why was Starbuck such a bitch to Lee Adama when he went to congratulate her on coming home with Anders? It was totally unnecessary, she was ecstatic at returning with her 'true love', and drunk or not, it wasn't in character.

    What have the colonists been doing on New Caprica for the past twelve months? They're still living like their stay there is a temporary thing. Tents??!! Settlers 200 years ago started chopping down forests and building cabins within a month of colonization. And they didn't have the use of any of the equipment that these colonists have available.

    Just because their president is a decadent pig doesn't mean everyone else would suddenly become one. They've all been living in cramped quarters on space ships for months, I would expect that as soon as they got planetside they'd 'nest'.

    What was Tyrol the union leader of? There didn't seem to be any more than a primitive infrastructure in existence so other than growing food, what were the people doing?

    Why did Admiral Adama have to grow a moustache? It doesn't suit him. It makes him look smarmy. Extensions in the hair (Starbuck) and moustache's are a really pithy way to convince us that a year has passed. Generally putting "one year later" is enough. After all, we're the viewing public, we'll believe anything won't we?
    I mean, gee wiz,
    . Starbuck fell in love in a week (several days of that while captive of the cylons and only a couple of days after crying out "Lee" in the throes of passion with Baltar before she left for Caprica),
    . Apollo went from banging a whore (for heavan knows how long without anyone having a clue about it, and while mooning over Starbuck) to starting up the most chemistry-free relationship I've ever seen presented on TV, with someone who's ex-boyfriend thought he was still in a relationship tight enough to get him to propose the day before he died saving her life.
    . the ever righteous Laura Roslin, upon seeing the writing on the wall, mounted a conspiracy to rig the election so Baltar would lose, then, on a word from the Admiral, 'fesses up.

    And I know there's heaps more I could put here, but I'll finish now.

    Apart from my questions, it was a great ep., but I havn't a clue how Ron Moore's going to get out of it in October. One thing's for certain, if he plays the "Dallas" defense, I'm outta here.

    For those not old enough to know...the Dallas defense is......IT WAS ALL A DREAM!!
  • The Colony finds a habitable planet which is believed to be invisible to the Cylons. Baltar, desperate to win his bid for the presidency over Roslin, plays to the people's desires and promises them the Colony will now stop their wanderings and settle.

    This episode had huge plot dysfunctions that left me scratching my head. When we left Galactica last, the Cylons had actually left the human home planet and decided, under the influence of the newly enlightened Six and Eight cylon war heroes, that their destruction of humanity was a big mistake. They promised, through their "preacher" to leave human beings in peace. But now they suddenly attack the new home world? So the very intriguing "conversion" of Sharon and the blonde cylon was just a lie? The preacher cylon was lying too? This made no sense to me. The dual loyalties of Sharon and the blonde cylon were the most interesting development, but now what are we to think? I didn't understand either why the Chief suddenly went crazy and thought he was a cylon? Out of left field.

    And why would Adama, an authoritarian who had no problem in the past declaring martial law and running a coup d etat, suddenly have qualms about a little ballot box stuffing, when the alternative is to let Baltar, cylon collaborator, become President of the Colonies and lead everyone to destruction? And Roslin goes along smilingly, all her pragmatism and realipolitik cast aside when the very fate of humanity is at stake? Why didn't she just expose Baltar as a traitor too?

    I thought the episode kind of ruined all the suspense, cast aside the most fascinating plot lines, and had the characters acting out of character. Baltar is more interesting as a conflicted villain, as someone else said. Roslin and Adama are so uncharacteristically passive given the stakes. And why don't we learn more of the disagreements developing within the cylons-now, that was exciting material, all deep sixed here, as though the writers forgot their own story and just wanted to skip to the end.
  • Great season finale, with a major twist that will change all.

    Complication Phase - » (18/20) very interesting to follow,

    Climax Phase - » (9/10) where the climax was? Maybe when the votes came down, could be more interesting, but the writers did the best,
    Ending - » (10/10) very strong, if not perfect, a replay of what happened in Caprica,

    Details/Progress (To point A to B) -» (10/10) perfect progress, one year has passed,
    Time and Scene Management - » (10/10) very hard to notice any filler,

    Storyline -» (10/10) the Storyline is perfect, with a sad and interesting ending,

    Drama - » (10/10) maybe one of the best drama, their reaction when the Cylons came to New Caprica, the difficult decision regarding Gaius, Tyrol facing Cally,
    Surprises/Shocks/Twists - » (10/10) and the Cylons came back and now they have the Galactica and fleet population with under their control, this was a major twist that will change all, plus the priest that turn out to be a Cylon with a message of peace,

  • Wow

    I most say - it was stunning. I think in the end, I just could not sit any more and I was just living with it.. watching it with such an intense emotion - and in the end.. you really feel like the start of this episode, Carpica, was like years ago. The whole thing - so many thing happening. It just cannot all be in one episode. Getting out of Carpica, being back, learning that Cylons have step back and gone and then elections and Roslin winning it and then Adama stepping into and putting justice on place and even if Roslin tells him what Gaius did - still.. that is his loyalty.. loved that.

    And then ofcourse the events one year later.. on that icy planet.. Gaius as president.. other doing what they do.. it was stunning - the changes, the feeling.. somehow even sad - I liked what was going on and now.. Oh.. just amazing.. Loved that episode.. Best for me so far.. Just after Kobol's Last Gleaming 2
  • One of the top episodes of season 2

    I knew since this was the last episode of the season that it would be exciting and fun to watch. The director and the writers did an excellent job and made me wanting more. From begging to end you expect the normal twist and turns that the show normally does but the way the story unfolds is so great you enjoy the plot twists. The thought of Roslin cheating to win the election was great but in the end she becomes a school teacher again. The settlement of New Caprica and what happens afterward is so thrilling you would want season three right away.
  • Good episode.

    After the election, Baltar wins the most votes and becomes president of the colonies. The first mandate of his term, he orders the fleet to establish a permanent human colony at new caprica. Things seem all well, until Baltar's transgressions lead unintented consequences that might just ensure the annihilation of the human race. This is the season finale of BSG season 2, it ends with a cliffhanger, that means more action is on the way next season. This time the stakes a raised when Baltar sinks deeper into madness. This episode shows some stuff and there are surprises in the storyline.
  • The planet in the nebula becomes home

    An absolute classic episode baltar takes the people to the promised land
    and screws things up royally.
    He seems to be a pill popping whore monger
    with a major strike on his hands.
    the "colony" doesnt have any permanent buildings at all and still looks like a refugee camp 1 year on.

    Somehow i didnt see the invasion at the end coming
    i was totally suprised by it.
    I kinda figured gasuis would meet a number 6 wondering around the colony at the end and set up the infiltration next year.

    but they came, they saw and we surrendered

    and adama left.

    But hell be back

    against all those ships?

    good luck
  • Crash-and-burn. The humans have found a habitable and apparently safe planet, and the Cylons have declared non-interference. But wait, those plotlines would require the writers to have new ideas. It's easier to recycle the old ones.

    * Minor spoilers * Since this is a minority report I will, like the lazy writers of this episode, cut to the chase. After opening with some of the most impressive seasons of any show in television history, the revived and reimagined "Battlestar Galactica" completely runs out of imagination here. The escaping humans have found a habitable and apparently safe planet. The untrustworthy Gaius Baltar has won the election. Political changes also have occurred among the Cylons, influenced by two who have had close relationships with humans. Those were brilliant variations in the dynamic of the series to this point, promising a respite from the endless chase. While the space shoot-'em-ups have been thrilling, the continual pounce and escape was threatening to turn into Roadrunner v. Wile E. Coyote. We could still have action, "Deadwood" on a planetary scale as individual colonists rose to the challenge of making a new home, or not. There was the intrigue of how the Cylons, presumably a collective of sorts, respond when some of their number have different experiences and different ideas. How would the factions deal with each other? Would they change their approach to the human resistance on Caprica? Within these contexts, there were individual story lines in the process of developing. Instead of fleshing them out, we get the equivalent of Bobby Ewing in the shower. Until this point, I have been astounded at the degree to which this revival has surpassed its predecessor. The acting remains outstanding. Because of that built-up good well, I'm not yet willing to declare a shark jumping yet. But this episode illustrates why "Jumping the Shark" remains a useful concept.
  • A fantastic finale to a fantastic season

    Better and better and better. Galactica wraps up a brilliant season with an extremely tense and exciting finale episode. I hadn't watched any adverts so had no clue what to expect, so everything from the election through to the sudden 1 year jump-ahead was clever and provoking. You can't help but get a bit tired of Starbuck, but fortunately she didn't distract from the wonderful Balthar (sp.?). Quite possibly the most memorable character we've seen in recent Television history. Absolutely dying to watch the next season, and I simply can't imagine which way the story is going to go now.

    Superb season ender to one of my favourite shows.
  • Wow really didn't see this one coming....

    I've just got to say it again...Baltar is a frakin idiot. But still, I would have to say that this is one of my favourite episodes for a few years. The ending was great and suprising, nice mo too eddie lol. How will they all cope under Cyclon rule and how long till the Battlestars come back? We really saw a new side to Roslin, some may say that she was wrong to try and fix the election, but was it all for the love of her people? Someone finally now knows that Baltar aint as innocent as he seems. I dont know if I can even say that. I cant wait till Occupation...its only one month away now (well in America). Us poor guys in New Zealand wont get it till next year. Overall a great climax to the season with great character and plot development. Some say it may have been a risk to skip forward that much time, but I think it was great as it will give all our characters a new dynamic under the increased pressure of the cylons. Once again...Baltar is a frakin idiot...
  • Starbuck: The same thing we always do...fight 'em until we can't.

    What can i say it was an unbelievable episode. It totally turned everything upside down and left us wandering what to expect next. At first i thought that it must be some sort of dream sequence, but then it started to sink in that it might acually be real, the writers have so many things they could do for next season i can't wait.

    But way on earth do we have to wait so long its pure torture you evil people (lol).

    Making it a year later means that we have missed alot so theres loads to catch up on and look forward to in season 3 (still can't wait, counting down) like whats the deal between Starbuck and Apollo. And Starbuck has long hair(whick looks very good) and is it me but did Apollo look a bit on the chubby side (which didn't look good)

    And to top it all off the toasters...sorry, the Cyclons show up, and the ships run away, leaving everyone to fend for themselves.

    October can't come soon enough

  • Well, now. Didn't see that comin'. Scary but exciting, with a couple problems in the execution.

    Wow. This season finale is incredibly hard to review, for the simple fact that I'm having a hard time putting a finger on exactly how I feel about it. There's a lot of loved-it, hated-it opinion out there, and I only just decided on which side of the fence I stand--and only barely on that side, I might add.

    I think that the choice to jump a year into the series' future and completely change the paradigm is an *incredibly* brave and daring move by Ron Moore and company. It's also extremely scary, because this shift risks the whole show, and not all risks pan out. We've been watching these characters live and grow for two seasons, now, and suddenly we find--as Admiral Adama points out--that that series has skipped over a greater amount of time than it has observed in its episodes! I admit, at first, I felt such a disconnect that it was almost nausea-inducing. But as I've gotten perspective, I find myself more and more excited by where the series could go.

    Not to say that I don't still have my qualms. The problem with this episode (and the reason I rated it 8.8), is that it's really too much to do even in an extended format. There's so much going on with the election, with Roslin and Baltar, with the rescue op to Caprica, and the discovery of New Caprica, not to mention the 20-30 minutes spent informing us that we have now left Kansas at the end. The effect of this is that certain characters get left in the lurch. Lee and Starbuck are left in a strange place, as well as their respective partners, Dualla and Anders. Once we shift forward in time, we see that their relationship has hit the skids, which just makes us want to learn exactly how they got to that point. Same with Tyrol and Cally, or with Starbuck and Tigh.

    An even bigger dropped ball is the fate of Helo and Sharon. The last we see of Caprica-Sharon, she's retreated into a cocoon of anger and pain over the (supposed) murder of her baby, and has lashed out at the only person to treat her with any degree of decency--Helo. Fast forward a year, and we see Helo as XO of Galactica (which suggests at least that Sharon hasn't been "spaced" by Adama), but so much is left up in the air that it raises concerns for the show's ability to tie them back into the story in a believable and satisfying way.

    All in all, I almost wish that this whole arc had taken more than two episodes (though we would then have had to miss the brilliant "Downloaded," so frak that), so as to give the supporting cast a little more foundation before taking the Leap, but I applaud this episode's fearlessness, and eagerly await the third season in October.
  • A big Risk and the same Plot device of skipping ahead used in Alias. Dr. Gaius Baltar turns into a glutton as settlement backfires

    The Plot device of skipping ahead used in Alias was something that was done to shock but to also open up more flashbacks. I cant think of any other time it was used in a Story Arc style TV series

    I suspect its going to be flashback city for a while on BG. I also suspect the network did not grasp that we were not getting bored with the progression as it was. BG\\\'s strength is its acting. In fact I dont think there any Sci-fi series can even come close to acting on this show. When interaction between characters is so good the plot becomes secondary

    There was no need to panic and jump ahead in this story. And even if the writers thought that at some time years must go by in the story.....this was too early. One of the best plot points BG had developing was Sharon and Six joining forces to change the Cylons agenda.

    The episode itself was below average. The only thing it had was the huge plot twist. Dr. Gaius Baltar was uninteresting as a glutton and was much better played as a conflicted bad guy. It might have worked as a Dream mid season but it was weak.
  • this is an absolute cliff hanger

    this episode is a complete lciff hangar it leaves you with your mouth open wide it was so good. it is very well led up to and they did the epsode superbly. this epsisode is a must see if you are a battlestar fan(well obviously if your reading this). this episode sort of reveals how good the 3rd season will be which is absolutly brilliant. i was nearly falling off my seat watching it. i would say this will lead into a great 3rd season opeining. i would expect there to be a big fight after what kara thrace (starbuck) said. i just cant wait till next season.
  • What exactly happened here?

    You have an election - great - the idiot traitor wins - bad. Then what, you're told that your arch nemisis is just going to leave you along? And you buy that? What happened? Adama has to be an idiot not to just declare military law at that point! And although this episode was an extended 90 minute episode, I got nothing out of it - all of the sudden, we jump to just over a year into the future and what do we still have, a band of rag tag survivors stuck on a planet which is quickly over run. Does anyone on the planet have combat training? Starbuck maybe. Tryol perhaps? You would think that someone would grab a bunch of people and head to the woods to commence guerilla tactics? The only smart thing in this sequence was Adama ordering a retreat. What's going to happen next season? It's not like two undermanned battlestars are going to be able to just pop back and rescue humanity.

    This episode is very depressing because the show is very thoughtful and then an episode likes this pops up. The only interesting thing is to see where everyone is in the future - everyone but Caprica Boomer. Now where is she?
  • The controversial season finale posits a new and interesting direction for the series...


    When Gaius Baltar set his head down on the presidential desk, only to raise it up a year in the future, we all thought it was a dream -- admit it.

    Fortunately (or, perhaps, unfortunately), it wasn't. The producers and writers of the series are now embarking on a huge and hopefully successful experiment, created to shake up the show, and unsettle what we thought we knew.

    The Cylons now occupy New Caprica, thanks to the influence of the "Downloaded" Six on the population. They now see themselves as they were created to be seen: as protectors of humanity. This "...paved with good intentions" path will either be one of the best new directions for the series, or one of its worst mistakes.

    Which will it be? Only time -- and the season three premiere episode, "Occupation" -- will tell.
  • This one will bring me back to season three.

    I was looking for a reason to wander back this way for season three and they gave it to me in spades. The cylon are back bigger and badder than ever, looking like the winners for now. Perhaps they had it planned all along or maybe New Caprica was the hook they had been looking for to pull Gayus down into the muck. He did simply hand the colonies over without really putting up much of a fight, but than he never was a fighter. Now they need a rebellion, a revolt started from the ground up; it will be entertaining to see how it plays itself out. And I for one am seriously looking forward to it.
  • as it looks as if baltar has won the elections, roslyn orders the vote to be fixed, as she beleives that baltar is working with the cylons.

    a great cliffhanger ending where the cylons, for some unknown reason, have decided to occupy mankind on new caprica. the episode was tense, and well plotted. a very good series finale and im looking forward to series 3. i would like to see a little more action in series 3, whilst keeping the great effect the scriptwriters use in action sequences. a good example this season was when the pegasus jumped to somewhere else and started fighting with the cylon. it was good action, but also good tension, drama at the same time. another example is the episode named "scar". overall this is a great season and i can see it getting better amd better.
  • The second season ends with a new direction for the show. It\'s a good idea but poorly executed.

    This show is widely regarded as one of the best around right now. It wouldn\'t have got that reputation if all episodes were as weak as this one.

    My main niggle is the plotting, they could have had the election end in the episode prior to this 2 parter and have the finale concentrate on Starbucks rescue mission and the colonisation.
    The whole thing just seemed rushed and contrived. it didn\'t feel like a natural and organic advancement of the series as a whole. The last 3 or 4 episodes should have been used to convey this new direction rather than a rushed half hour ending.
    Hopefully the new direction for season 3 will be so great that we will forget or forgive how shoddily it was set up to start with.

  • Start bailing...the series is taking on water....badly...

    OK. Where do I start?

    Season 1 of nuBSG was - as I have repeatedly told friends and family - the finest television science fiction aired. For sheer thought-provoking, gut-churning action / adventure with a moral theme, it matches (nay, eclipses) the best of Babylon 5, my previous benchmark.

    So what the frak happened with season 2? I\'m prepared to accept that after having to pen 13 very tight episodes in order to get their story arc established, the writers may have found stringing together 20 episodes with the same taut storytelling to be a task somewhat less that easy. Any season of any series has its share of fillers for one reason or another; but the poor overall performance of season 2 of BSG can\'t simply be put down to the need to fill out 7 extra segments.

    The problem has been evident from the start: witness the first 5 episodes, all of which could have been rolled into a single segment - producing far higher levels of drama and wonder among the audience - than they achieved in some 280 minutes. Then the fundamental thrust of the storytelling started shifting, with significant actions - as I\'ve stated in reviews elsewhere - taking place off-screen, and reported about in dialogue after the fact (a cardinal error in television story writing). Worse, we started getting characters behaving totally out of their established parameters, and then started getting traits from one character (Galactica/Boomer season 1) transferred onto others (Tyrol season 2)....

    Now we get the Big Finale...and what is supposed to be a sudden plot twist.

    Well, the twist is there alright, and it could have been a jaw-breaker. Pity it was framed in a kackhanded story badly sewn together from various threads that it appears that - again as I\'ve said before - while the Cylons may well Have A Plan, it\'s pretty clear they ain\'t talking about it to the writers any more.

    Item: The election - the subject of a major portion of the first segment of this two-parter - is suddenly over an done with. We\'re suddenly at the stage of votes cast, counting underway. At the end of the last segment, we were still DAYS away from the election...where\'d the time go? Are we seriously meant to believe that the expeditionary force was under Cylon fire on Caprica for days??

    Then there is the throw-away that Zarek objected to Galactica playing a major role in the vote-counting, claiming it could be an abuse of position. In season 1, such political game-play would have been a central part of the story, not reduced to a throwaway line - and it would have presented an opportunity both rich in dialogue and character interplay. Instread, it is sidelined to make way for other \"action\". Thus, when the truth of the election rigging is revealed and - shock horror for Adama, Roslin admits culpability - what should have been a new defining moment in their relationship becomes little more than a light tap on her wrist and almost casual acceptance of the situation by Adama. \"But\", you may cry, \"that is because their relationship is stronger than in season 1! So he didn\'t feel the need to be angry!\" Possibly, but we known Adama to be a man of incredible loyalty and honour. HAD he truly worked to ensure that Galactica could be trusted with the vote counting (as suggested by the throwaway about Zarek\'s posturing), then you\'d damned well better believe he\'d be a little more pissed at having his words - his trust - betrayed by both his EX and the incumbent President.

    Item: The decision to move to New Caprica. Herein lies the silliest element of this entire arc. Humans attacked and nearly wiped out. Humans forced to go on the run for 6 months, facing constant harrassment from Cylons and the risk of death at Cylon hands at every turn. Humans find planet and everyone suddenly says, \"Wow! A planet. Let\'s quit running and settle down...maybe the Cylons won\'t find us in this lil\' old nebula.\" - and not once does anyone really try to prevent the move by pointing out just how implaccable the Cylones have been; how they\'ve always found a way to locate the fleet and launch another attack. Nope, everyone is perfectly happy to drop anchor and start all over.

    Then there is the settlement itself. OK - it is clear that not all the ships of the fleet are atmosphere-capable, so not everyone can maintain quarters planetside on a ship: but surely, more that Baltar and his elite (assumed, but based on the general disgruntlement mentioned by Gaeta and shown by Tyrol) can live in the relative comfort of the surface ships? And waht about those still in orbit? Couldn\'t they be used as homes, with those responsible for building New Caprica City shuttling back and forth, rather than subjecting 39,000+ people to unwarranted hardships?

    No, for the sake of the \"plot twist\" at the end, some 80% of the human survivors opt to slum it out on the planet day-in, day-out.

    Item - albeit it on the same subject: it is clearly indicated that Baltar sits at something of a corrupt government (hardly surprising given his inate weakness and Tom Zarek sitting as at least his Chief of Staff, if not his Veep by this time). It is also intimated that the New Caprican society comprises the "haves" and the "have nots": witness the juxtaposition of Baltar lording it aboard Colonial One and Roslin et al shivering in tents. Are we REALLY supposed to accept that in the space of just 12 months, Roslin, Adama, the rest of the Quorum and just about everyone else calmly stood by and let this happen? It simply goes against everything that these characters have stood for. And citing that it could happen because Adama is "up there" in orbit, while Baltar is "down there" on the surface won't wash. Word WOULD filter back, and if Roslin et al were placed in a position where they could not take action, rest assured Adama would. At least the William Adama of Season 1 would. Or did all his crew simply jump ship as soon as the order was given to go down to the planet?

    Item: The Cylon change of heart. OK - maybe they could have a sudden change of heart thanks to the reborn Six and Galactica/Boomer - but, given the aforementioned 6 months of hardship, running, attacks, threats and the overall wholehearted HATRED of Cylons repeatedly demonstrated in earlier segments of this season, its kind of hard to swallow that everyone would take the Cylons at their word oh-so readily - especialliy in military circles, yet Adama rolls over and accedes to Baltar's demand. What's more, within a year, he's effectively disbanded his military force.

    "What changed with the Cylons to start them hunting hunmans again?" people are asking in some of these reviews. The answer is NOTHING. If anyone watching really thought that the "Oops, sorry for the bombing, the slaughtering and the general trying-to-wipe-you-out, it was all a bit of a mistake" bit was genuine, is as gulliable as the majority of the characters in BSG appear to have become. Yes, it was a plot point - and a darned flimsy one at that - just like the other flimsy plot points that were mis-handled.

    Had we seen more concern, more debate, more to-ing and fro-ing, that this episode could have been so much stronger: Adama has no reason to trust Cylons. He's learnt that through his encounter with Leoben Conoy (twice - both directly in the mini series, and indirectly through Flesh and Bone(; it's been reinforced through the "Shelly Godfrey" incident. He has little enough reason to like or trust Baltar - yet here he is merely rolling over an allowing his belly to be tickled like an obedient lapdog.

    And what the hell was Adama thinking in letting the nuclear explosion be brushed off so cheaply by Baltar. No Inquiry? NO INQUIRY?? Leaving aside the probable high loss of life that resulted from the explosion (not only did the Cloud Nine go, several other ships went as well), there is the not insignificant matter of how the hell a nuke (one entrusted to the Prez himself) got off a military vessel and aboard a civvie ship. Sure, Baltar can demand no inquiry, but when has that stopped Adama? In seaosn 1, his response would have been clear, "I'm sorry, Madam President, this is a military matter, and we will investigate..." - yet with Baltar, his response is, "Okay. No inquiry".

    Above this there is also the fact that NO-ONE in the military raised the subject of the potential long-term result of the explosion: that of a beacon lighting up the nebula like a lighthouse lights a fog bank. The hard radiation punching out from that explosion would have been visible - and Adama et al should have realised this. Certainly, sitting at home the explosion was enough for me to realise where the episode was going, and I start through the rest of the segment waiting for the other shoe to drop. Yet the military did nothing...other than let their capability to mount a defence be rapidly depleted...

    HAD the various plot points been better-framed, HAD we been treated to the kind of complex character interplay that has marked the finer episodes of this season, and indeed was the highlight of season 1, then LDYB 1 and 2 COULD have been intense, powerful and entincing segments that lead up to a stunning jaw-breaker climax. Instead, what we have is a mish-mash of mishandled threads, characters acting out of established context (barring Baltar - as ever portrayed brilliantly by James Callis), poorly-conceived plot points and mishandled dialogue.

    I only hope that season 3 really does bring some fresh direction to the show - or, more particularly, sees a return to a tight, dramatic writing that made season 1 so brilliant. Frankly, I'd rather see the production staff forced to handle another 13-episode season in the hope that it'll get them to buck up their ideas, rather than see BSG wallow further into mediocrity.

  • What is going on here????

    This is was a crazy episode. I mean I would never had thought this would had happen. I mean all those fools started life in that horrible planet. I was shocked that they got caught. I wonder how they are going to save them. Can't wait for the next season to start.
  • I have to say I'm disappointed - on so many levels. The finale itself was ok, while nothing phenomenal, but the single episode is pretty secondary eventually; it's repercussions for every episode to come is what it'll be remembered for.

    I smell Alias all over again - and believe me, once a big Alias fan myself, that is not a compliment. This one year leap forward will define the show for the rest of its run – the podcast eliminates any hopes for some kind of reset button possibility (dream, etc.) – thus everything we know (the setting, the plotlines) is disrupted and the entire momentum of the overall story arc is destroyed. Why?

    I'm not saying change is something bad, but I just can't see why it was necessary to turn the whole series upside down. Did the story move into a dead-end I’m not aware of? After Downloaded I was hoping for a big continuing storyline to start again, since season 2.5 was mostly filler episodes that didn't involve the main conflict. But instead we not only get the biggest caesura of the show, but the producers also kill all the dynamics I originally hoped Downloaded brought back.

    It is difficult to rate the episode right now; to come up with a final judgement on this, we probably have to wait for the first couple of episodes of season three. The missing year, and therefore a lot of flashbacks, will surely be a repeating plot device next season. I can’t say I’m too enthusiastic about the future of the show, especially since we’re facing a seven month hiatus, but I won’t give up hope just yet. Maybe the writers manage the impossible – although I can’t see how – and turn this jump in time into something good.
  • This is not the end of the season but it is the start of a more exciting begining for the next season.

    Normally sci-fi drama will jump conclusion in the end and tell the point of the episode, mostly, hence Battlestar Galactica not only provide sciences fiction, it provide up and down of a modern drama feature. Especially this season last episode, by the middle of the episode I thought they will reverse it and make them as a "dream" of Gaius, but no, it’s the start of a very exciting, more actions next season. At the end it show me some clue of the next season, I personally think the producer has done a great job for not killing this drama by showing what we normally aspect, they keen to make more spark for the drama. I hope the producer can bring more famous actors to this drama, some powerful actor which can bring this drama to the top of “tv drama trophy”.
  • I thought this was a great end to a great series.

    I thought that this was a great episode, the year later thing was brilliant, opened up lots of possible plot lines and created some very big big questions (the lee and Kara tension don't even get me started), the writers now have so much to work with for the next series. I can't wait for the new series i hope that it will live up to my expectation (it should, shouldn't it?)In my opinion it was the best idea, to move into the furture, it was so unexpected and so much more interesting, no time seemed to go past really in the other episodes. And Karas long hair was very stange, it looked quite good though, and Adamas tash, im guessing an atempt to show the passage of time, was interesting (to say the least).

    P.S was it just my or did Lee look a little chubby, i love him but he did look better in the other episodes.

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