The Cylons have a plan. But do they have a whiteboard?
Previously, Apollo learned that his brother's death was Starbuck's fault, and that the Prez had cancer. Then he requisitioned some antidepressants.
We open with Starbuck's Viper falling toward a planet. Starbuck's a little tense about it. I like framing devices. But it should be clear that they are framing devices. I spent half of the show figuring that these bits were flashbacks to the accident that killed Zak or something. So it failed completely as a device to create tension, since I assumed it was something that took place before the events of the episode. And the rest of the episode isn't just Starbuck's flashback, since we see thing she doesn't know about. But there are lots of other flashbacks in it, and it seems like a fair number of viewers were confused at one point or another. To be fair, I think "33" set the bar so high that I keep forgetting they're still feeling their way, to an extent.
The Galactica's locker room. Apollo tosses a helmet onto a table as Starbuck giggles at how unprepared he is. Apollo cheerfully tells her to shut up.
Flight deck. Flat-Top hops out of a Raptor, and some other pilots rush over to congratulate him on his thousandth flight. They drape a sash of some kind around him as a band from a Renaissance Festival plays a cheery little ditty. The pilots haul Flat-Top up and parade around the deck with him on their shoulders.
Apollo hurries into the locker room with a can of red paint. Starbuck inquires about a brush. Apollo blinks, then opens the can and swirls the paint with his finger.
Flight deck. Tyrol sees the celebration and gasps, "It's Flat-Top's thousandth landing and nobody tells me? Now we look like idiots!" He snaps at a deck hand to find a wagon.
Adama enters the locker room as Apollo and Starbuck are painting "1000" on the helmet with their fingers. Adama asks, "You're not ready yet?" Starbuck knocks the paint can onto the floor, where it splashes Apollo. Then she cackles, and I kind of like her. Adama notes that someone will have to clean up the paint. Apollo and Starbuck point at each other. Adama gives up on his giddy officers and says that they have to get going.
Tyrol finds a wagon -- although personally, I'd call it a cart -- and quickly unloads the contents. The wagon is wheeled over, and the pilots put Flat-Top inside and start to whirl him around as they chant.
As Adama, Starbuck, and Apollo hurry to the flight deck, Starbuck asks if Apollo's heard the story of Adama's thousandth landing. Adama drily says that he doesn't remember telling Starbuck about it. Starbuck merrily explains that Adama was having an ongoing fight with his LSO. As she continues, Adama repeats that "this has all been over-exaggerated." So it should have been exaggerated a little bit. I have to say, it's nice to see them all in a good mood and being jolly with each other. I also love that even at his jolliest, Adama is just slightly less taciturn. I don't think I ever want to see him actually laugh out loud at something.
A forklift trundles onto the flight deck. We spend enough time looking at it to start getting the feeling that things aren't going to stay this jolly for long. The pilots chant, "Three little Cylons in the air/ Watch their metal burn and flare." Festive!
Starbuck continues, "So he skids to a stop on the flight deck, and the LSO hears over the flight deck this big, loud, long obnoxious --" and then she blows a raspberry. Huh. That didn't seem worth the build-up. Apollo seems amused., though.
The forklift starts to lower the ammo. The pilots chant, "Two little Cylons jump in a cave/ Come on A-Cars, make their grave."
Starbuck tells Apollo that the LSO was pissed off, but Adama figured he could do anything because it was his thousandth landing. Oh, maybe the funny part of the story is still coming. I hope so.
One of the straps holding the ammo breaks. The pilots keep spinning Flat-Top in circles. "Five little Cylons in the grass/ Watch that raptor light their ass." How'd they get back to five? I think they're doing this out of order. We get a Flat-Top POV shot of the deck whirling around. The second strap on the ammo snaps, and a rocket or some damn thing falls onto the deck, lights up, and takes off.
Rocket POV shot as it zooms across the flight deck toward Flat-Top and the pilots. Flat-Top gets time for an "Oh shit!" reaction. I very nearly do a spit-take.
Adama, Starbuck, and Apollo stop upon hearing the explosion nearby, and then run toward the flight deck as the fire crews are called. Now we're never going to know what happened between Adama and the LSO. Rats.
Credits. The Sci-Fi channel would like you to know that Alien vs. Predator is now on DVD, if you can't find enough fanfic on the internet.
Starbuck's Viper plummets.
It's some time after the accident, and someone's explaining that the straps broke due to metal fatigue. She points out that the ship's full of old equipment, and also clarifies that the rocket-thingy was a "million cubit drone." Okay, so "clarifies" was the wrong word for that. She expositions that thirteen pilots are dead, and seven are in sickbay. We see the nasty singed section of the deck as she adds that it would have been much worse if it had been a missile instead of a "com drone." Aha! Thank you, exposition-lady. Tyrol broods over the fact that he's never had someone die on his flight deck before. This episode has guilt for everybody, doesn't it? That's cool. I'm a fan of guilt. Not so much of flashbacks, but so it goes.
Ready room. Apollo tells his remaining pilots (including Starbuck and Boomer) about the memorial service, and stumblingly adds that he wished he knew "words to make this better." Adama enters, taps the photo at the back of the room, and watches as Apollo rambles on morbidly. One of the pilots notices Adama and calls everyone to attention. Adama as-you-weres them and asks if he can say a few words before Apollo has everyone ready to slit their wrists.
Starbuck blipverts into a flashback of Adama, before the war, asking, "Are you Lieutenant Thrace?"
Adama looks at the pilots and says, "Give me your eyes." Adama, I've got to deal with Carnivàle; please don't make me picture people pelting you with eyeballs. Adama uses his reassuring-dad voice to say that they've had a lot of hard days, and they'll have more. He uses a few too many words starting with "self-" and then tells them to be strong: "Because people are watching. You're the guardians of the fleet. They need to know that they can count on you." Damn, he's good.
Starbuck blipverts again. We're back on Caprica (or wherever) before the attack, and she's talking to a crewman. Starbuck turns and notices Adama approaching her. Again, he asks if she's Thrace, and then introduces himself as Zak's father. Starbuck nods and says that she planned to visit him tomorrow, "before the funeral." Adama says, "You don't need to explain anything." Oh, the dramatic irony!
Flag-draped coffins rest on the deck. The funeral services commence without any bagpipes. The High Priestess of Vague Mysticism says that they're "returning the bodies of our own to the universe from which the Lords of Kobol brought them to us." I will defer to Wing Chun on whether or not that merits a [sic], but it definitely sounded awkward. ["I quit parsing sentences in the ninth grade; hell if I know." -- Wing Chun] Her voice gets overdubbed and low at the end, and for a second I think she's possessed by a demon, but actually we're just fading into another flashback.
Zak's funeral. The priest conducting the service identifies Zak as the son of "William and Caroline Adama." Note that for the trivia contests. Apollo stares at the coffin and holds his sobbing mother, who's wearing a veil in case they want to cast a different actress for future flashbacks. Adama and Starbuck are on the other side of the coffin, and my impression was that they're just part of the official military presence, and that it doesn't signify anything special that Adama isn't standing by Caroline. Apollo places flight wings on the coffin as the priest talks about repenting and all that jazz.
Galactica. Apollo puts another set of wings on one of the coffins, as the Priestess gets ready to wind things up. She says that they are "secure in the knowledge that [they] will be reunited with [the dead] in a better world to come."
Zak's funeral. Adama takes Starbuck's hand comfortingly. We linger on a large octagonal photo of Zak, who has a rather inappropriate smirk on his face. Judging solely by appearances, I'm thinking Apollo was the smarter brother.
And then we're in a flashback-within-a-flashback, as Starbuck and Zak cuddle in a bedroom lit by Tony Scott.
Galactica. Confused yet? Adama places the folded flag on a coffin. It's folded into a triangle. I can't believe that they missed out on this opportunity to really commit to the octagons. The Priestess says, "So say we all."
Zak's funeral. They all say so. We continue to cut back and forth between the funerals as everyone salutes and there's a gunfire salute (er, just at Zak's) and the launch bay's doors close (er, not at Zak's).
Adama's quarters. Adama offers Starbuck a glass of water. I hadn't noticed before that he still wears his wedding ring. Assuming that's what it is. They drink a toast to "pilots [they've] known." Then Adama says, "I have to start training new pilots." Starbuck chuckles and says that she figured that was coming. Adama smiles at her. Aw. Starbuck isn't sure she's the right person for the job. Adama asks, "You know someone better?' and Starbuck quickly admits, "No." Heh. She says there must be a flight instructor among all of the refugees. Adama admits that there are two, but they're civilians, and he needs someone to teach combat tactics. Starbuck continues to hesitate, but Adama cuts her off: "This is about Zak. It's not your fault."
Flashback to the miniseries. Starbuck tells Apollo that she passed Zak even though he failed basic flight.
Starbuck gulps down her water. Adama says, "Zak passed basic flight. He was trained and ready to sit in that cockpit." But see, we know different. Are we clear on that? Adama insists that the accident could have happened to anyone -- that Starbuck did her job. But that's not what's true! You might want to make a note of that. Adama concludes, "I need new pilots. And I want you to train them." Starbuck finally says, "I can do that," and smiles winningly. She finishes the water and stands up. Adama faces her and squeezes her arms, and it looks a little like he's checking her biceps. I think it's just a bit of awkwardness from someone who doesn't usually hug anyone, though. He says, "Just give them the attention and the professionalism that you gave my son." All right already! Jesus. Adama finally does pull Starbuck into a hug, and as soon as he can't see her face, Starbuck gets an expression that's a lot like the one Flat-Top had when he saw the drone coming at him. Hee.
Commercials. As I write this, the Chubacabra movie is due to start in ten minutes. I'm very excited.
Plummeting Viper.
Clouds of smoke waft up from Starbuck's cigar. She's in the rec room, playing poker with Baltar again. A pilot who will soon be identified as Crashdown bets ten cubits that Starbuck will win this time. Boomer takes the bet. She probably figures that, with a nickname like "Crashdown," that guy doesn't have luck on his side.
Starbuck's busy having a flashback to bedroom shenanigans with Zak. They cuddle, and Zak rubs a finger around her ear.
Starbuck strokes her finger over her ear. I wish this wasn't in close-up. I wouldn't mind being expected to make sense of the flashbacks and everything if they didn't spend so much time emphasizing things that are pretty clear. Baltar sniffs, "Thanks for the vote of confidence" and antes up. Starbuck's still busy reminiscing. She strokes her fingertips over her lips.
With apologies for my thievery to Dan Kwa and Daniel: FlashZak. Starbuck strokes Zak's lips.
Crashdown asks Gaeta how the Cylon detector is coming along. Gaeta plays dumb, and Crashdown casually mentions a rumor that Cylons look like people now.
FlashZak. Starbuck hops out of bed, and Zak says he has a question for her. Starbuck swings from a bottle in her locker and says, "You passed. By the skin of your teeth, but you passed." Zak says, "I don't want any special treatment. Not from my father, certainly not from you."
Gaeta says that if there were a program to detect Cylons, he wouldn't be allowed to talk about it. Baltar nicely distracts everyone by saying, "Something smells horribly in here. Is that you, Crashdown?" Crashdown sniffs and says, "Yeah, that's me." Heh. Baltar tells Starbuck that it's her turn. Starbuck blinks at him.
FlashZak. Starbuck crawls back into bed as she insists that she wouldn't have passed Zak if he wasn't ready.
Baltar asks Starbuck if she's all right.
FlashZak. Starbuck pants as Zak kisses her chest.
Zak's funeral. I wonder what the record is for the number of paragraphs in a recap.
Flashback to earlier in this episode: Adama salutes as the hanger doors close on the coffins.
FlashZak. No, seriously. This is ridiculous. I think we're all clear on Starbuck's issues, thank you! You can stop!
Baltar wonders if Starbuck would like to take a break. Starbuck suddenly puts her hand down and says, "I'm outta here." She exits. Crashdown whines, "Okay, she can't do that." Boomer notes that she did, and collects her winnings.
Caprica. I like the Caprica bits for several reasons, but one is that the captions are so helpful. It's Helo's fourteenth day on the planet. And it's raining. That isn't in the captions; I figured it out all by myself when I noticed all the water falling from the sky. Boomer peers through the dark windows of an abandoned restaurant and announces, "This is it." They enter, and we learn that they're following the signal they detected two episodes ago. They poke around in the restaurant, their guns drawn. Boomer starts looking through cupboards, which...okay, I guess they're looking for the transmitter, not a person, but it still seems a bit odd. Boomer grumps that, according to her receiver, "We're right on top of it." The beeps get more urgent, and she sweeps some books off a shelf to reveal a doorknob behind them. She tips over the bookcase, and she and Helo open the door and discover a stairwell.
Helo and Boomer head downstairs and find the door to a fallout shelter. Inside are shelves lined with food, water, and other supplies. They immediately start scrambling for food, then Helo asks, "What about the signal?" They poke around briefly and find the transmitter on a shelf, hooked up to several shelves of batteries. Boomer says, "Disaster beacon. It was set to go off if there was an attack." Helo wonders what happened to whoever set the place up. Boomer says, "Let's just call ourselves lucky and leave it at that." They tuck in to the rations. So, did Helo ever ask Boomer where her ship is? The one that she supposedly flew back in to rescue him? I know they've been busy, but I'd have inquired about that by now.
Upstairs, Six walks past the restaurant, trailing her hand over the window. It's still pouring outside. If they still need a Cylon detector, I think maybe they should try dumping buckets of water over people; if their hair looks impeccable afterward, they're Cylons.
The Prez is sitting on an exam bed in a hospital gown. Dr. Donnelly Rhodes sweeps in, and the Prez asks him to close the curtain. The doctor says, "You are obviously an intelligent, well-educated young woman. Would you mind explaining to me why you waited five years between breast exams?" Oh good, more guilt for everyone! The Prez sniffs that she would mind, actually, and then adds that she was busy. The doctor lights up a cigarette, which shocks me more than Starbuck's cigar did, for some reason. I guess cigars have always been pretty rare on TV, whereas cigarettes used to be common and now only the evil get to smoke. The Prez gasps, "Would you mind?" about the cigarette, and the doctor mimics her and says, "I do, actually." He's kind of a jerk. I like him. The doctor says that it's too late for surgery, and outlines a program of "gamma treatments" and medication. He asks if she knows about the side effects, and the Prez quickly says, "Hair loss, nausea, muscle degeneration. I watched my mother endure two years of Doloxan before she died." The Prez adds that she wants to try alternative treatment. The doctor asks, "Prayer?" The Prez drily says, "Witty," then asks if the doctor has heard of Chamalla extract. The doctor sighs, "Oh, Gods. You're one of those." I really like him a lot. I want him to hang out with Tigh. He says there's only anecdotal evidence that Chamalla extract does anything. The Prez stares at him, and he finally agrees to see if there's "some other wide-eyed dreamer out there with a secret horde of Chamalla extract in their luggage." He tells her to get dressed, and as he exits he stops to add, "For what it's worth, I would seriously consider prayer." Yeah, if it was me, I'd smack him, but he's keeping me entertained here.
Starbuck looks over the paperwork on the new recruits and complains to Apollo: "Boonie jumpers, shuttle jockeys, and a fleet academy washout." Apollo says that they're the most qualified civilians in the fleet. Starbuck sighs.
Ready room. Starbuck enters as the recruits chatter, and says, "Attention, on deck." The recruits ignore her. She clarifies: "That means get on your feet, nuggets!" The cowed recruits (hereafter "nuggets") stand. Starbuck explains that this is the Colonial Fleet, "not some after-school club." She grumpily tells them to sit, and strolls to the podium. She opens her remarks by saying, "Pilots call me Starbuck; you may refer to me as God." And so on. She explains that they don't have flight simulators, so they'll be flying real Vipers starting that day. She points to some lovely display boards of Viper specs and explains that today they'll go over launch and landing procedures. Starbuck says that anyone who doesn't pay attention "is liable to end up as a puddle of something to get hosed out of the cockpit by the chief of the deck." One of the nuggets is apparently doing some Top Gun bit with his pen that I didn't get because I only managed to sit through that movie when it was on Monstervision by not paying much attention to it. When Starbuck turns to remove the helpful charts describing the Viper, the guy tells his neighbor that Starbuck is "laying it on a little thick." And poof, Starbuck is in his face, dubbing him "Hotdog" and saying, "When God speaks, you listen. Maybe if you'd learned that at the academy, you wouldn't have washed out." She winks at him, then snatches the cap off of his neighbor's head, tells another recruit to sit up, and returns to the podium. Teachers don't get paid enough.
The nuggets are flying their Vipers for the first time. One is approaching the Galactica for a landing. And also weaving back and forth in a slightly sickening way. Starbuck advises the pilot, Kat, as she heads for the landing bay. Kat sounds terrified as she comes in for a landing. Her Viper bounces, and sparks fly as the landing gear skids against the deck. I'm not convinced this is the best way to train them. Couldn't they start in a Raptor, since there they could watch how someone else does takeoffs and landings? Even if the controls are different it seems like that might work better. Anyway, Starbuck orders Kat to "punch it," and Kat zooms back into space.
Starbuck tells the nuggets that they were "wretched beyond belief." After a moment Kat sniffs, "With due respect, captain, that's unfair." Another nugget notes that this was their first day. Starbuck sniffs, "No, it's your last. It'd be criminal to let any of you near a Viper again." She tells them to pack their gear and buzz off.
Starbuck enters the rec room and sniffs a coffee urn disapprovingly. Apollo enters, all agog at the papers he's reading, and tells Starbuck, "You can't wash them out in their first day." Starbuck says that she did. Apollo argues that he's got forty ships and twenty-one pilots, and points out that they're all sitting ducks until they've finished replenishing their water supply. Starbuck doesn't care, and suggests bringing in the group of candidates. Apollo says that the group hasn't ever flown before. Starbuck still doesn't care. Apollo says, "Lieutenant Thrace, this is not a request." Starbuck snides, "Well, Captain Adama, I am the flight instructor, sir. My word is scripture, sir. I will not, repeat, not, pass another student who isn't ready." Apollo picks up on the "another" and smirkingly notes that this is about Zak. Please note that I do not blame him for smirking. But he totally is. Starbuck and Apollo clench their jaws at each other briefly, and Starbuck grunts, "Careful..." Apollo tells her, "Step back." Good for him. Starbuck marches out.
Commercials. So far on Chubacabra, someone broke their leg by, like, walking. And Deputy Doug is in it! Poor thing. I guess I should feel sorry for Jonathan Rhys-Davies, too, but somehow I just don't.
Plummeting Starbuck. She pulls the eject doohickey and pops out of the cockpit. Whee!
Cut to an octagonally framed photo of Adama and his kids. Adama is talking to Apollo about the nuggets, and basically says that he trusts Starbuck's judgment. Apollo says, "I think she's letting her personal feelings cloud her judgment." Adama invites his son to sit down, calling him, "Captain." Dude. It sucks to be Apollo. But I still don't think he's very bright. Apollo sits, and looks like an uncomfortable schoolboy as Adama perches on the edge of his desk. I do love the contrast between the way Adama was so casual with Starbuck earlier, and is so formal with his son here. Adama asks what feelings Apollo's talking about. Apollo says, "About Zak." Adama says he already discussed that with Starbuck. Apollo's dumbfounded. The other thing I love is that Adama figures that, if Starbuck says something isn't affecting her, then it isn't affecting her. It totally hasn't occurred to him that people might repress, or lie about, their emotions. It's frustrating as hell to actually deal with someone like that, so I don't mean that I like it in real life, but as a piece of characterization it's cool. Anyway, Adama says that he's known Starbuck for two years, and he figured that teaching the nuggets would "bring back a lot of loose baggage" for Starbuck. And perhaps mix up any metaphors in the area. Apollo continues to look dumbfounded, and finally asks Adama to talk to Starbuck, noting, "She almost decked me in the rec room." Adama makes a face that's probably meant to be "Oh, that darn Starbuck," but I'm gonna pretend it's "Yeah, well, we've all wanted to deck you sometimes." Adama agrees to talk to her, and Apollo starts to leave, but then stops and says, "I think she's trying to work out her guilt over what she did for Zak." Adama hisses, "Guilt? Over what? What did she do for Zak?" If Apollo looked bewildered before, now he looks like he's been hit on the head with a skillet. He stammers, "I've already said more than I should have. You'll have to ask her; I'm sorry." Adama tries to press him, saying, "Captain," and Apollo whines, "Da-ad, you'll have to ask her." Exit Apollo.
Starbuck opens her locker and looks at the picture of her, Zak, and Apollo. Zak voice-overs about how he doesn't want special treatment from her. Oh my lord, we get it!
FlashZak. With the same photo on the locker behind her, Starbuck again tells Zak that he passed. Okay, wait. Are they having sex on a bed in the locker room? Because that's odd.
Starbuck stares at the photo as she's called to Adama's quarters over the PA.
Adama is gazing at a different octagonally-framed photo of a kid I'll assume is young Zak. Starbuck knocks and enters. Apollo steps behind his desk and says that Apollo suspects that the nuggets didn't get a fair chance because Starbuck's still dealing with her feelings about Zak's death. Starbuck stiffly insists, "That isn't the case." Adama waits a second and says, "Okay." Adama moves around the desk to stand in front of Starbuck and says that Apollo mentioned something else that he wants to ask about. Starbuck totally knows what's coming, and doesn't want to. Adama says, "He said that you might have been feeling guilty about something you did for Zak. What did you do for him?" Starbuck insists that she doesn't know what Apollo meant. Adama cuts her off with a gruff "Don't fence with me, Kara. I love you like a daughter. I don't deserve that." Starbuck finally says, "Um, Zak failed basic flight. He wasn't a bad pilot, he just had no feel for flying." Adama's face gets more and more menacing as she continues, "I should have flunked him but I didn't. The bottom line is that your son didn't have the chops to fly a Viper, and it killed him." She looks up to meet Adama's gaze, and I have to give her credit for courage on that one.
Flashback. Adama tells Starbuck that Zak told him all about her. He says that Zak was hinting about something in his last letter, and asks what it was. Starbuck says, "We were going to, um... You know what, it's not important." Adama guesses that Zak and Starbuck were engaged.
Adama tells Starbuck, "You did it because you were engaged." Starbuck starts crying as she says that she was so in love with Zak that it got in the way of her doing her job. "He just wanted it so much, and I didn't want to be the one who crushed him." I think this serves as a nice illustration of why Tigh was so down on crewmen dating each other. Adama tells Starbuck to reinstate the nuggets. Starbuck says that she will, and quaveringly adds, "I just want you to understand that I --" "Do your job!" Adama says in his most Satanic rasp. That brings Starbuck up short. Adama adds, "And walk out of this cabin while you still can." Adama rocks. Starbuck turns gaspingly and exits, and through the hatch we see her clutching her head like it's exploding as she walks away. Which also makes me like her. I think Starbuck just bugs me when she's spunky. When she's either giggly or tormented, I'm okay with her.
Commercials. The chupacabra ate a dog. I can't believe the people who made this didn't learn that you should never kill the dog. And the chupacabra seems to kill a lot of people, but doesn't eat them. No wonder he's still hungry. On the other hand, they actually had a guy on fire! For no reason at all! That was great!
Plummet. Starbuck falls. Her ship falls. Her seat falls.
The nuggets are in the locker room, packing up their gear. Wow, Starbuck tossed them out, changed clothes, argued with Apollo, confessed to Adama, and then changed back into her flight suit, and they still aren't done packing up? Sheesh. The nuggets quickly stand at attention. Starbuck clears her throat and announces that they've all been returned to flight status. She tells Kat, Chuckles (the guy with the hat), and Hotdog that they'll be the first up, and says, "Pre-flight briefing in twenty minutes." Starbuck leaves, and Kat starts jumping up and down as everyone participates in a general "woohoo!"
And then they're flying. Hotdog zips up and plays laser-tag with Starbuck's ship, scoring a direct hit. Starbuck says that's swell, except he left his leader (Chuckles) behind. Kat's ship slips down behind Hotdog to demonstrate that he's toast. Starbuck asks what the moral is, and Hotdog dutifully says, "Never leave your leader."
CIC. Tigh listens to Starbuck putting the nuggets through their paces and marvels, "She actually sounds like a real instructor for a change." He looks at Adama, whose whole being conveys "Humph." Poor Tigh. You just know that he's like, "I finally said something nice about this girl he's always defending, and suddenly he hates her." Apollo looks at his father. Over the wireless, Starbuck says, "Holy frack, we've got incoming." Everyone hops to their posts and Gaeta spots the Cylons approaching. Apollo calls for Dualla to launch fighters.
Starbuck tells the nuggets to head home. The Cylon ships are in hot pursuit.
Adama asks where the Cylon base ship is. Gaeta says there are just eight raiders; nothing else.
Starbuck asks where the alert fighters are. Well, they're launching, is where they are. Voom. One pilot says they'll be there in two minutes. Starbuck tells her trainees to "stay together, and keep your throttles firewalled until you hit that deck. Now go." As the nuggets race to the Galactica, Starbuck brings her Viper to a stop, does a 3D three-point turn, and zips back toward the Cylons. It is very cool indeed.
Tigh announces, "Starbuck's gonna take on all eight. And get herself killed." Adama, Apollo, and Tigh all stare at the radar. Or "dradis," if you like, but come on.
Hotdog suddenly swings his ship around and heads back.
The Cylons open fire on Starbuck, who lifts up out of the line of fire and then aims down at the approaching Cylons. Hotdog zips past her, without doing the thing where you try to avoid getting hit. He opens fire, and a Cylon explodes as Starbuck asks what he's doing. As they both fire, Hotdog explains, "You said never to leave your leader." We know; that was five minutes ago. Starbuck snaps, "And I also said never disobey an order." A raider swings in behind Hotdog and fires, hitting the side of his ship. Starbuck says she'll take care of him, and orders him to break right.
Adama and Apollo look kind of tense, for some reason.
Hotdog breaks off and flies toward a very pretty ringed planet. Starbuck fires at the Cylons.
Adama mutters, "She'll make it." Tigh thinks, "If I'd said that, he'd probably glare at me."
Starbuck takes out a Cylon as Hotdog announces, "I've just lost all three mains." Starbuck reassures him, "You did good. You're gonna be okay, I promise you." Less reassuringly, she adds, "At least one of us will." She turns tail before the remaining Cylon and leads it away. Her ship spins to avoid the Cylon's fire, and her readouts get staticky for a second.
On the wireless, Starbuck says, "He's right on my tail, but I got it covered." And then she's cut off, and her ship vanishes from the radar. Apollo winces and turns away. Dualla announces that Starbuck's wireless and transponder have cut out. The alert fighter leader reports that he sees Hotdog, but not Starbuck. I can't tell you how grateful I am that nobody bellows "Noooooo!" at this point.
But Starbuck's still there, dodging the Cylon. She suddenly wheels her ship around, slows, and opens fire. She hits the Cylon, and it starts to flip as it zooms toward her. As it passes Starbuck, a whirling end of the Cylon scrapes across the side of her Viper, scaring the crap out of me. Neat.
The Viper goes dead as Starbuck groans, "Oh, frack me." The Cylon ship tumbles down toward the planet below, and Starbuck's Viper isn't far behind.
And now we finally know what the plummeting scenes were all about. Pretty flames start forming around the Viper as it falls through the planet's atmosphere. A wing snaps off. Starbuck pulls the eject, and pops out of the ship. The Viper, Starbuck, and her chair plunge toward the ground. If there is any. Well, okay, I'm pretty confident that there is. Fade out. "To be continued."
time: Adama orders Apollo to "find our girl," and Tigh points out that they're risking other people's lives to find Starbuck.