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This may be the most spoiler-filled Galactica of all time, so consider this your warning. If you don’t want to know how nearly everything connected with this show started, look away now.

Pictured: (l-r) Edward James Olmos as Admiral William Adama, Aaron Douglas as Tyrol — SCI FI Channel Photo: Carole Segal

We start with a flashback to Ellen Tigh’s resurrection. As it turns out, the Final Five were scientists who learned the secrets of memory transfer from Kobol science. They designed the other eight models and Ellen was effectively the “mother” of all Cylons. That puts an even more twisted dynamic on her relationship with Cavil while she and Saul were captives.

When Earth got nuked to oblivion, the Final Five transferred their minds to a ship and then found the 12 Colonies. There, the Cylons and humans were at war. The Five made a deal with the Centurions, they would build the skinjobs and give them free will.

Cavil came first and well, as you may have noticed his model is bitter, calculating and manipulative.  He helped create eight other models, including one named Daniel we’re just hearing about. Seems Cavil contaminated the amniotic fluid and murdered all the Daniels. Cavil, who wished to be a Centurion, is so resentful of his creators he murdered them and sent them into the Fleet with no memory of who they were. You’ll remember he also “boxed” the D’Annas when one of them learned who The Final Five were. Looks like Cavil is the faulty model around here.

The flashback begins 18 months ago and as we move further along, Cavil explains that the humans have destroyed the resurrection hub. He orders Ellen to rebuild it but she explains she can’t do it without the other Four. Cavil doesn’t believe her and decides he will just have her brain taken apart and get the info out of there.

Boomer begins the ep under Cavil’s sway but at the end, she helps Ellen escape and head for the fleet. Boy, is Cavil not going to be happy.

Onboard Galactica, Sam Anders’ bullet wound has allowed him to remember everything Ellen has explained. He wants Starbuck to gather the Final Five but she has to explain that Ellen is dead. They postpone his surgery long enough to get answers to the Final Four’s questions. But Doc Cottle will only delay for so long. The surgery goes well, but for whatever reason Anders loses brain function. Of course, if the Final Five get together they can resurrect him, right? I think so.

Roslin and Lee talk about the wrath of Zarek and his brutal murder of the quorum. Roslin says she will leave it up to Lee to select the new members of the quorum. He notes that people aren’t from Caprica or colonies anymore, they’re from ships in the fleet. That’s how they’ll be chosen now.

As for the Galactica itself, it is cracking all over the place. Chief Tyrol explains to Admiral Adama that they have put the ship through a lot it wasn’t designed for. And plus, the ship is 50 years old and the original engineers cut corners. D’oh! The cure, of course, is Cylon technology. Adama initially refuses until he sees a ginormous crack in the wall of his own quarters. He makes Galen officially a chief again and orders him to do whatever it takes to fix the ship.

Pictured: (l-r) Rekha Sharma as Tory Foster, Aaron Douglas as Tyrol, Michael Hogan as Colonel Saul Tigh — SCI FI Channel Photo: Carole Segal

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Pictured:(l-r) Richard Hatch as Tom Zarek, Alessandro Juliani as Lt. Felix Gaeta — SCI FI Channel Photo: Carole Segal

The grenade tossed into the chamber with Tigh and Adama was just to knock them out and subdue them. I figured as much. Gaeta has ordered Roslin’s raptor taken out of the sky, which would make Zarek president. Hot Dog is in position but can’t bring himself to take the shot. Then he hears Roslin broadcast from on board and there’s no way he’s about to shoot. Narcho jumps position and he fires, but some smooth moves from Athena save the day and the president.

Roslin makes it safely to the Cylon baseship. Boy, I would have never figured I’d be typing that sentence a few months ago. The Rebel Cylons are freakin’ once they realize Roslin and Bill Adama have lost control of the fleet. She says that’s not true, but Gaius Baltar asks how else she would possibly describe it. I am loving the interaction between Roslin and Baltar.

Roslin has to talk the Cylons out of jumping away, suggesting the only way to get Galactica back is to move the baseship into the fleet. She figures even Gaeta isn’t crazy enough to fire into the fleet, endangering the other ships.

On Galactica, Gaeta wants Bill to talk Roslin into surrender. Bill takes off his admiral’s pins and tells Gaeta since he’s admiral now, it’s his job to call Roslin and negotiate her surrender.

Gaeta is suddenly realizing he really doesn’t want this job. They set up a kangaroo court of a trial with Zarek as the judge and our favorite crazy lawyer Romo Lampkin as the defender for Bill. The quorum is supposed to be a part of this, but they aren’t listening to Zarek. One of them even asks him to leave the room and refers to him as Vice President. Unfortunately for them, that signed their death warrants as Zarek orders his men to murder the quorum in cold blood.

Gaeta realizes how completely wrong this has all gotten, but Zarek’s doomed both of them with this move. Aboard the Cylon baseship, the Rebel Cylons have voted to bail out. But Roslin talks them out of it by explaining Bill will get control of Galactica back and when he does, he’ll remember who stood by him and who cut and run. You don’t want to be in the second category, she explains. Good reasoning, really.

Chief Tyrol has been crawling through the ship’s ducts to get to the weapons lockup and when he finally does, Aaron is there and holds him at gunpoint. Aaron asks him to get up and Tyrol explains he’s too tired. Aaron tells Tyrol he’s a machine and he should get up. Then they both have some laughs at Tyrol still being fat and tired.

Aaron teases Tyrol about his kid not being a Cylon after all. Aaron can’t shoot Tyrol and tells him to get the frak out of there. Starbuck and Apollo get to the Cylon prisoners but Apollo flips when his dad isn’t with them. They go to find him and in the melee, one of the guards shoots Anders in the head. Starbuck won’t leave him and the rest go on.

Pictured:(l-r) Jamie Bamber as Lee “Apollo” Adama, Katee Sackhoff as Kara “Starbuck” Thrace — SCI FI Channel Photo: Carole Segal

Lampkin tries to get Bill to sign a statement to the fleet, at least giving those still loyal to him time to take the ship back. Bill won’t do it, of course. Zarek gets a phone call about the Cylon escape and I’ll give him this, he thinks quickly. Rather than relay the truth, he tells Bill that Tigh got killed trying to escape. Zarek declares him guilty, but then Roslin’s voice comes over the ship’s PA. Seems Leoben had some technical mojo that bypasses Gaeta’s safeguards.

As Romo is getting escorted out he runs into Starbuck and Anders, Starbuck’s out of ammo though. So Romo goes Jason Bourne and stabs the guard in the neck with his pen. Starbuck asks for help getting Anders to Doc Cottle. Romo wants to leave, but he can’t and helps her out.

Apollo finds Aaron and wants to know where Bill is. Aaron doesn’t know but joins the right side, finally. Then we see Bill get gunned down by a firing squad… it’s just Baltar’s dream. OK, that was kind of cheap, guys. And why is that Baltar’s nightmare and not Roslin’s? Of course Baltar is in bed with a Number Six, who immediately wants to “comfort” him. Baltar says no and decides he should go back to defend his followers, however misguided they may be.Wait, Gaius, couldn’t you be comforted for just a little while? Never mind. Gaius is a better man than me, at least for today.

Gaeta wants to jump the fleet, but it’s split down the middle and several ships have taken their FTL drives off line. Gaeta orders that the ships loyal to him receive the new jump coordinates and leave everybody else. Tyrol has finally gotten to the engine room and enters his access code – his access has been removed. He’ll have to shut the FTL down manually and he does. But he notices a really big crack in the ship, what’s that about?

Roslin demands control of the ship be returned to Bill. Gaeta orders the execution of Adama but when Narcho hangs up the phone, Tigh has a gun to his head. The good guys are in control again.

Zarek tries to convince Roslin it’s over and tells her Bill is dead. Roslin refuses and says she will use every last weapon at her disposal down to her eyeteeth to end Zarek. Preach on, girl!

Zarek orders Gaeta to defend the ship but Gaeta knows it’s over and tells his men to stand down.Team Bill Adama hits the deck and retakes the ship, mutiny over.

We see Gaeta and Baltar talking about the dreams Gaeta had as a kid and how far he’s fallen from them. He asks Baltar not to pity him and not to try any religious mumbo-jumbo. Of course, Gaeta and Zarek get executed. There’s a great moment right before when Gaeta looks down at his leg and realizes it’s stopped itching. Wow.

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Pictured: (l-r) Aaron Douglas as Tyrol, Jamie Bamber as Lee “Apollo” Adama — SCI FI Channel Photo: Carole Segal

Gaeta was a true puppeteer as the Colonial fleet mutiny spun completely out of control. With him in charge of communications, he could put out the fires he needed to in places and start fires in others.

Bill Adama threatens to place quorum members in the brig with Zarek if they can’t get their ships in line. That is absolutely the wrong thing to do in this situation. But it’s absolutely the Bill Adama thing to do in this situation. President Roslin is starting to get really involved for someone who doesn’t want to be involved in any of this. She counsels Bill on the proper care and feeding of the quorum, noting that Lee’s vote on this is about meaningless. The quorum sees it as an extension of Bill’s wishes and they’re not wrong.

The “hang out with rebel Cylons” idea just isn’t popular in the fleet, but Roslin and the Adamas don’t yet realize how unpopular. Gaeta busts Zarek out of his cell and smuggles him off the ship so he can get to the quorum. When talking to a mechanic doesn’t work, Gaeta busts him upside the head with a wrench.

In the command center Garek’s ship is spotted but Gaeta explains that away as a malfunction. Dance, puppets, dance. Hard to believe this is the same guy that was singing arias in the infirmary a while back. Zarek gets to the quorum and reassumes his spot as VP, allowing everyone to think Bill let him out. Lee, understandably ticked off, tries to reach his dad. But remember who’s working communications.

Sam Anders and Diana have a chat about why Sam wasn’t attracted to her. She’s assumed it must be because he’s a Cylon. I don’t know whether she’s actually that arrogant or she’s just trying to get a reaction from Sam. Seriously, the “toasters” are some of the most notorious sex fiends in space.  Ellen Tigh? The Number Sixes? Brother Cavil? At the rate these Cylons are going, humanity would be safer to reboot the resurrection ships. They’ll outnumber us 2-to-1 soon enough.

But I digress as Sam gets jumped by thugs. They capture Helo and Athena as well, with one of the losers threatening to rape Athena. The airlock is too good for this guy. It’s just like the way riots happen in real life. For every one person that’s doing it for a cause, there are three people who just wanted an excuse to act like the jerks they really are.

The mutineers lock Helo, Hera and the kidnapped Cylons (now with Col.Tigh’s baby mama) up together. Six suspects they’re going to get used as bargaining chips.

Starbuck is teasing Hot Dog about becoming a baby daddy but a fire alarm interrupts them. Starbuck knows something is up and one of the guys tells her no one knows what she is anymore. Gaeta now has folks chasing a phantom fire on the ship. Lee wants answers and heads back to get them, walking right into the newest mutineers, Skulls and Racetrack. They’re about to snuff Lee when Starbuck comes in for the save, guns blazing. Lee notes that they served with these Marines, to which Starbuck responds, “Semper Frakkin’ Fi.” I must apologize again for my initial worries about a female Starbuck. I could never go back to any other Starbuck, sorry Dirk Benedict.

Bill finally sends someone to check on the fire and he reports back that there isn’t one. Gaeta has to play all his cards and calls for Marines to seize control of the bridge. The poor nameless crewman that checked on the fire gets killed in the crossfire before Gaeta stops the shooting. Bill warns that there will be no amnesty and no forgiveness for anyone that goes along with this. He tells Gaeta that the young dead private died honoring his uniform, while Gaeta is disgracing his.

Words really can’t describe this scene. Gaeta calls Bill a soft old man who let his feelings for Cylons get in the way. I know that Bill will be proven to be in the right, but I can absolutely see Gaeta’s point of view. I love this show.

As Bill and Tigh are getting escorted to the lockup, Bill tries to reason with his captors. He taunts one of them, saying he was never much of a soldier. It works as Bill and Tigh break loose and kick butt. Bill lets one of the guys go. I’m not sure yet whether that was a good or bad move.

Lee and Starbuck reach Roslin and let her know what’s going on. Finally, at long last, the Roslin pity party comes to a much needed end. She goes to talk to Gaius Baltar in his love cult. This ep really piled great scene on top of great scene. Roslin trusts that Baltar has a wireless communication device because he always has a backup plan. There are some great moments as Roslin chides Baltar for what Gaeta has become. He reminds her that Tory was no prize either as a presidential aide. Have I mentioned how good this ep was?

Gaeta and Zarek are ready to start pouring Gatorade when Roslin’s voice comes over the speakers, pleading with humanity not to let fear motivate them. This would be more inspiring if her last stirring speech hadn’t been about finding Earth. Baltar calls Gaeta and says he’s an honorable man. Gaeta reminds Baltar he’s not qualified to judge anybody. Baltar talks about a secret coming out. Gaius, if this is about him being gay, we already know. Seriously though, does anybody know what the secret might be?

Adama and Roslin have to split up as she’s leaving the ship with Bill and Tigh staying to make sure they get away. Bill tells Tigh it’s been an honor serving with him as a grenade enters the room. Roslin’s ship gets away, but Gaeta orders it destroyed. Where can we even begin to go from here?

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Let’s see, the Colonial fleet’s in mutiny, planet Earth is toast and the president has stopped her cancer treatments. Oh, and at some point Cavil and the rest of the Cylon fleet are going to show up and try to wipe out humankind. Those are just the highlights, really.

There’s still the matter of Starbuck. If her Viper and her corpse are on what’s left on Earth, then what is she exactly?

Do they make a “Just Found Out My Best Friend Is A Cylon” Card? Something for a savvy merchandising guy in the fleet to work on, for sure. Stay away from the hooch, guys, things got ugly last week.

SCI FI Channel Photos: Carole Segal

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Topless Robot reports on the tremendous chaos that ensued at the fast food chain when it began a sweepstakes that will award a “Frak Pak” of BSG goodies. But somebody hipped KFC to the knowledge that frak is BSG’s fill-in for another four-letter word. This prompted a change from the “Frak Pak” sweepstakes to the “Can’t Say That Word on Television” Sweepstakes.

Oh, KFC, you tried to be cool and you frakkin’ blew it. If Starbuck were here, she’d punch you in the face and take your drumsticks. I’m betting this was the same marketing genius who thought it would be so much cooler if Kentucky Fried Chicken permanently got shortened to KFC.

Pictured: (l-r) Tricia Helfer as Number Six, Michael Hogan as Col Saul Tigh — SCI FI Channel Photo: Carole Segal

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 Pictured: Katee Sackhoff as Kara “Starbuck” Thrace — SCI FI Channel Photo: Carole Segal

Suffice it to say much of the remaining human race thinks that’s a horrible idea and a mutiny begins. Vice President Tom Zarek is more than happy to make a power play here, and something tells me he won’t be doing it by using an image consultant.

Pictured: Alessandro Juliani as Lt. Felix Gaeta — SCI FI Channel Photo: Carole Segal

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Air Date: Jan. 16, 2009

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With there being no signs of life on Earth people are seriously bummed out.  Roslin can’t even address the people and has Bill get her out of there. In addition to that, she stops going to her medical appointments and begins burning the prophecies.

Research from numerous dig sites indicates the 13th Tribe were Cylons.  What the? Galen Tyrol touches wall and has a flashback that knocks him on his butt. He and all the other Cylons lived on Earth before the nuclear war. Or the people they’re modeled after did. Oh, my head hurts already.

Starbuck is searching the ruins of Earth with Leoben and they find her Viper with her corpse in it. So what does that make Starbuck exactly? We know she’s the Harbinger of Death.  Leoben has no answers for her.

Anders picks up a guitar and plays the infamous Cylon song”All Along the Watchtower,” which apparently he used to play for Tory when they lived on Earth. They remember they used to live here on Earth.

Apollo and Dee hang out and have drinks. Apollo gives a rousing speech that even he doesn’t believe and kisses Dee good night. Gaeta wants to know why Dee is so happy and she asks him to leave her alone and let her enjoy the feeling. Then, in one of the most heart wrenching moments in this show’s run, Dee shoots herself. Please God, let her be The Final Cylon. I love Dee. I nearly cried when Apollo had to cross her off the list of humanity’s population.

This show is always dark, but they really amped it up here. Bill Adama picks a fight with Col. Tigh but Tigh figures what Bill’s up to and he won’t shoot his friend. No, Tigh tells Bill he’s got to lead this group and be a symbol for the others that are contemplating suicide.

Starbuck gets back and wants to tell Apollo what she found, but he has to break the news about Dee to her. Tigh and D’Anna talk, and D’Anna wants to stay on what’s left of Earth. She seems to have talked Tigh into it as well. He begins walking into the ocean, cueing flashbacks of his time on Earth and visions of The Final Cylon – Ellen Tigh. Great, as if their relationship could get anymore dysfunctional.

Pictured: (l-r) Michael Hogan as Col. Saul Tigh — SCI FI Channel Photo: Carole Segal

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Most are assuming that scene reveals the long awaited Final Cylon. Seriously, SCI FI Channel, we critics can keep a secret. You can trust us. It hurts a little that you don’t, but I love BSG so much I am going to let you slide just this once.

There are 10 episodes left, folks. How do you expect things to end? Who do you think the Final Cylon is and why?

Pictured: Katee Sackhoff as Kara “Starbuck” Thrace — SCI FI Channel Photo: Carole Segal

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Sci Fi Channel explains the webisodes are about the passengers on a stranded Raptor who start dying one by one, revealing that there’s a killer in their midst. But much of the talk right now is about a same-sex relationship revealed in the first webisode. Stop reading right now if you don’t want to hear anymore…

Friday’s webisode features a kiss between Lt. Felix Gaeta and Lt. Hoshi. This isn’t the first same sex relationship in Galactica lore as Admiral Helena Cain and one of the Number Six model Cylons had a relationship. What do you think, readers? Is this even a big deal? I’ll be curious to see if this revelation does anything for the SCI FI Channel’s web traffic.

SCI FI Channel Photo: Carole Segal

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NBC Universal (SCI FI Channel’s parent company) and Propworx are joining for an auction that will benefit the United Way. Items up for bid include Saul Tigh’s eye patch and liquor bottle, and Caprica Six’s sexy red dress. Uh-huh, yeah.

Pictured: One of the “Viper” aircraft that will be available during the “Battlestar Galactica” auction taking place in early 2009 — SCI FI Channel Photo: Carole Segal

The auctions kick off with a preview day on January 16th at 10 a.m. The preview day also features a series of live panel discussions with the creative team that developed all the fantastic props, costumes and set pieces for BSG. The two day live auction event is January 17 – 18 and will feature hundreds of items from the first three seasons of the show.

The live auction will also be available to view online. On January 20, 200 items will go on eBay for those that were unable to participate in the live auctions over the weekend.

Then additional items will go up each week on eBay, counting down to  – sigh- the end of BSG. Those auctions will feature items that appeared in that particular episode. The first of these auctions will be January 23 starting at 9 a.m. (ET), and will conclude January 30 at 9 p.m. (ET).

In addition to the items I previously mentioned, there are some pretty sweet items on the list here:

A life-size Viper
Admiral Adama’s duty blue uniform
Apollo’s Viper flight suit
Consoles from the CIC
The Arrow of Apollo
Admiral Adama’s painting of the first Cylon war
President Laura Roslin’s desk
Original production sketches
Set plans and drawings
Props, costumes and set pieces for every budget

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