I'm somewhat surprised at all of the negative comments here. I thought it was a great episode. I'm also surprised at the overall negative comments about this season.

Yeah, the Starbuck/Apollo/Dee/Anders arc was dragging and pointless. Also, the algea planet stuff didn't really push things forward. Having said that, a lot of the episodes this season have been terrific. The first four episodes of this season were some of the best ever. Other "self contained" episodes like "Dirty Hands" and "The Passage" have been easily up to the standard of the previous seasons. Even (IMO) "B grade" episodes like "Hero" and "The Woman King" are better than 90% of what's on TV. This show still has a lot of life left in it, IMO.

Well, now, there's a great explanation. I could totally see that being it. I thought Apollo saw the raider at the very end, too, which would be a hint to this.

Just to chime in on the season, while I didn't like this episode (way too confusing), I've really enjoyed this season. I'm not someone who's down on the whole thing. I'm just trying to make sense of what's going on with one of my favorite shows, as I think many here are. :P

I like that story. I am running with that one until I hear otherwise. I need something to keep me going, because BSG with Kara just isn't going to work for me.

My thoughts exactly. I didn't care for this episode, but I'm not down on the show as a whole.

Now that I've had a few hours to think about it, I don't think we've seen the last of Starbuck. We saw her hand on the ejection lever, so that's a major clue that she'll be back in one form or another (mostly likely the season finale cliffhanger). I mean, c'mon--if they really did set up that whole bullseye symbol thing back in the first season and they've had her story arc planned out all this time, then this was not much of a payoff. There's got to be more to it than this.

I'm wondering if it's gonna be like the time travel storyline in Babylon 5. In the first season there was this time travel episode involving Babylon 3 or 4, and it didn't make a lick of sense. Then in the third or fourth season they had the second part of that episode, told from the current point of view, and suddenly everything fell into place and made perfect sense. It was a bold move to set up somthing and not pay it off until so much later. I'm betting we see something similar happen here.

And what were they doing flying around that planet anyway? Did they ever say? Did their sensors register a Cylon ship and they were checking it out or something? Sometimes when I watch this show I feel like I've missed an important episode, even though I watch it every week.

I used to love Starbuck, but since New Caprica the writers have pushed her from being a flawed character to completely unsympathetic.

Not really. Because Michael O'Hare left the series after season 1, JMS had to rejigger the plot, and there were all sorts of hooks set up in Babylon Squared that weren't used in War Without End, or were altered to fit the revised storyline. Like how The One became three people.

I think the only thing that could make this episode worse would be finding out that Starbuck is still alive.

Of course that's the comic book fan in me talking, the one that's sick of a character dying and then coming back a year later to tell us that it was an imposter that died.

I think we will see that Starbuck is still alive in a later episode, and we might even see the same event happen from Leoben's POV. The poetical stuff that was happening while she was "dying" was very real; the light on her face as she was "crossing over" was the light from the Cylon Heavy Raider pulling in front of her to take her. Leoben is just messing with her in her flashbacks; I think he realized after failing to win her attention on New Caprica that her mother was her weakness and the best way to manipulate her.

And then taking an errant shot intended for someone else and dying again!

You missed a line. She says something like "Youre not really Lepold, are you?" and he says "No, Im not.", implying he's a part of the mythic plot, not the Cylon one.

I'm with you. I thought this was a really good episode, in fact the last few episodes, while only "filler", I thought were pretty good. I've enjoyed this season up to this point.

Put me in the category for this episode. But the "mythic" or "this character has a 'special destiny'" storylines have always been my least favorite parts of this show.

According to the previews, next week looks better, but with my luck the majority of the episode will consist of characters moping and coming to terms with Starbuck's death.

If Lee takes up cagefighting as a way to deal with Starbuck's death, I'm done.

Didn't the producers say that this episode would change the direction of the show? I don't see that happening by just killing Starbuck off. If they would have shown her waking up on the Resurrection ship, that would have a different all together. I doubt she is truly dead. I have a feeling they will bring her back but no one will know if that is really her or a Cylon. Perhaps that will be this seasons cliffhanger?

the stupid mother/daughter flashbacks was the worst part.

I am sure that the follwoing episodes will explain a bit more about it.

starbuck always did have strong suicidical vibes. which is probably one reason why many fans did not like her.

I think this Leoben Conoy guy did become a bit more interesting but we have to wait to see if there's any further connection between the two - personally, I don't think there will be. I'd prefer it be left as starbuck just being a victim of him.

I think this season has been pretty good, the rescue mission was one of the best episodes ever of this show and had some amazing visuals (as this show always has). The past few have been so-so. Still I thought lt was a pretty decent episode

Personally, after the last 10 episodes or so, I think it's perfectly safe to say this show has gone seriously off the rails.

The dramatic tension has given way to soap opera antics and ham-handed political commentary. Last night's episode can be summed up in four sentences:

1. Forehadow Starbuck dying.
2. Forehadow Starbuck dying.
3. Forehadow Starbuck dying some more.
4. Starbuck dies.

... or a Cylon (one of the five).

It's her mother

I didn't care for it either, but I'll admit I read some of the buzz and my expectations were probably too high. I kept waiting for her to pop out of the tank as well at the end.

See, for me anyway, that was what was so cool about it. There were just SO many scenes that pointed to Starbuck killing herself that, what with me having seen a TV show before, I was sure that it was gonna turn out to be misdirection and someone else was gonna buy it instead. So, when they went for the expected, it just seemed so surprisingly unexpected.

Is she gonna start appearing to Lee now like Six keeps appearing to Gaius? (or like Gaius keeps appearing to Six?) 'Cause that would either be really cool and exciting or would just be sad and lame. I really haven't decided yet.

The writers better find a way to salvage this turd of an episode.

Nobody should actually believe Starbuck is going to stay dead, especially after all of this "destiny" talk... what is her destiny... to simply commit suicide, ... then end?

Oh, and HOW NICE for Starbuck to off herself in that way... taking her ship with her... considering working Vipers are at such a premium in the fleet. Way to f*ck over your comrades...

bah.

Of course Starbuck isn't really dead. It's pretty obvious that she's off to whereever it is she's supposed to be because of the 'her destiny'-stuff.

We'll be seeing more of her

Maybe she wasn't strong enough to fulfill her destiny? Everytime we see a heroic character with a "destiny", they struggle to achieve it. What if she simply gave up? She was completely fracked up in the head, going through child abuse, Zak's death, confusion about Lee, a tumultious relationship with Sam, and the mind games played on her by the Cylons. She was obviously delusional at the end. Maybe she simply failed?

Yeah, they could just have starbuck be the tragic character for that powerful dramatic effect that carries over for the rest of the series.

Count me in for someone else who used to love the show, but now gets around to watching it whenever I get a chance. The show has really lost its way, IMO.

Article mainly about the lady who plays Roslin (forget her name) in the paper today, she said the last 2 eps of this season are the 2 best they've ever done in the series, in her opinion.