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Summary
In the annals of science fiction television, few shows were more popular thanBattlestar Galactica. The series was, in fact, so popular that two different kinds ofBattlestar Galacticashows aired. Once in the 1970s and once starting in 2004. While the first series was a bit more lighthearted and straight forward with the humans fighting robotic villains, the more modern edition featured far more ethical questions and dilemmas due to the Cylons looking like human beings. Those dilemmas even led to the Cylons being the followers of one true god, while human beings prayed to a kind of offshoot of the Greek gods.
The first season ofBattlestar Galacticaexplained how thewar between the Cylonsand the humans really began and one of the brilliant aspects of the modern show was that it was actually a sequel to the original series rather than a reboot. And when Season 1 came to an end, not only was the world laid out quite well, but it ended in a way that made sure viewers would come back for the next installment. The first season technically ended with two episodes that were among the best of the entire series and with some serious cliffhangers.
How does Battlestar Galactica Season 1 end?
After several episodes of some cat and mouse between the Cylons and the humans, as well as battles that seemed to be turning the tide sporadically, the crew ofBattlestar Galacticabelieve they might have stumbled upon a planet that they could call home. After some research, it becomes clear that the earth they have found is Kobol, where they believe humanity began and where they co-existed with their godsuntil colonists eventually left Koboland started on the other planets and ultimately headed to Earth.
Cast
Edward James Olmos (Commander Adama), Mary McDonnell (President Roslin), Jamie Bamber (Lee Adama), James Callis (Doctor Gaius), Tricia Helfer (Number Six), Grace Park (Boomer), Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck)
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Where To Watch
Amazon Prime Video
The season finale, split into “Kobol’s Last Gleaming,” Parts 1 and 2, shows some members of Galactica going off on their missions. President Roslin convinces Starbuck to take a Cylong fighter all the way back to Caprica tocollect the Arrow of Apollo. Roslin believes the arrow, placed in the right area of Kobol, will point the way to Earth and help humanity finally escape the Cylons forever.
Meanwhile, Commander Adama sends Boomer back to Kobol in a ship armed with a nuclear warhead. Her mission is to detonate the nuke on the Cylon base star,destroying the Cylonsorbiting the planet and allowing Galactica to head there themselves and set up a new home. After successfully carrying out her mission, she returns to Galactica and seemingly unconsciously shoots Adama as he is congratulating her on the successful mission.
While all this is going on, the final twist of the ending of Season 1 ofBattlestar Galactica,while Starbuck is busy on her mission to start thesearch for the Tomb of Athena, she runs into a copy of Number Six, and they do battle, with Starbuck almost dying but eventually killing the Cylon. She then runs into Helo and another version of Boomer and when she goes to kill the obvious enemy Boomer, Helo stops her by saying that the Cylon is pregnant.
Battlestar Galactica Season 1’s Biggest Story Arcs
The biggest through-line of the first season of Battlestar Galactica is that the human beings slowly realize that the Cylons look exactly like them. That leads to several plotlines where various characters arethought to be enemy spies. While viewers are told early on that Boomer is a Cylon, several other characters are unveiled throughout the season. The show also makes it clear that Doctor Baltar’s test of who is a Cylon is faulty, so negative tests can never be trusted.
Of course, the other story that runs through the entire season is that the humans are on the run and are looking for Earth. Originally, Adama claims he knows exactly where it is, and it will just take a while to get there. But he doesn’t actually know, so he is indeed searching for it while trying to avoid certain death from his pursuers.
What Do Fans Think Of Battlestar Galactica Season 1’s Ending?
For the most part,Battlestar Galacticafans loved the first season. OnRotten Tomatoes, the critics gave the premier season a 90 percent, but viewers gave it an even better score of 95 percent. Along with the first season, there are more than a few people, especially on social media sites like Reddit that call it the best science fiction show of all time.
Some fans like that the show focused so much on the fact that the maincharacters were fighter pilots. Others love that the show spent so much time being full of action but also being able to focus on the interpersonal relationships that are formed on and off-screen. Among those is the father-daughter relationship between Adama and Starbuck.
While the fans are overwhelmingly happy about the way the first season ofBattlestar Galacticawent, there are at least a few things that have annoyed at least a few viewers here and there. One of the biggest problems some had with the show is just how perfect Starbuck seems to be, while also being the black sheep of the crew.
“I like Starbuck but holy hell do they have a crush on that character,“one fan wrote:
However, despite their problems with Starbuck, even that fan made it clear they loved the series and really enjoyed Season 1.
Battlestar Galactica
The first iteration of Battlestar Galactica first aired all the way back in 1978, but made a return to the small screen in 2003 with Ronald D. Moore’s celebrated reimagining of the series. The show follows the human survivors of a devastating war against the Cylons as they attempt to find a new colony on which to rebuild their society.
