Battlestar Galactica S1 E5: You Can't Go Home Again

"Kara was family. You do whatever you have to do. Sometimes you break the rules." -Commander William Adama-

One of this writer and science fiction fan's most vivid memories of Battlestar Galactica's first season was the survival story of Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on a nearby moon separated from the surviving human fleet.

The Red Planet visual aesthetic and vibe of Battlestar Galactica, Season One, Episode 5, You Can't Go Home Again following Starbuck's narrow escape from a Cylon battle in Act Of Contrition (E4) left an impression. Visually the creators of the episode nail it. With her Viper destroyed Starbuck is forced to abort to a nearby moon parachuting in along with a sole Cylon Raider also damaged in the attack. The creators take us into the world of the enemy and Kara's own determination.

With her Viper out of flight commission and her oxygen running out (once again dramatically racing against the clock as the fleet did in 33), Starbuck works desperately to get the Cylon Raider back in service to escape the moon and return to the Galactica before leaving the sector.

One of the most intriguing sequences visually comes in the form of the realization by Starbuck that the Cylon Raiders themselves in the new series are completely filled with bio-mechanical guts rather than actual centurion pilots. In a nice bit of mythology building for the new series versus the old is discovering that the spacecrafts for the Cylons are essentially alive. They are bio-engineered to operate without Centurions as it was in the original show as we so vividly recall the trio of centurion pilots in the original craft. It's a clever evolution and avenue for the new series.

The Cylon Raiders themselves are a slick, crescent moon-shaped craft in the new series, though nothing quite matches the design of those classic Cylon Raider originals. Still, the face of the new Raider pays homage to the old Cylons in appearance. They are of a simple design and effective and easily as sleek as the classic vessel, just not quite as a appealing in their lack of detail.

One of the most interesting sequences is Commander Adama snapping at Colonel Tigh out of desperation and seeming guilt over the loss of Starbuck particularly following his unresolved exchange with her in Act Of Contrition. It's a powerful moment and one that reflects his love for Starbuck and his love for the pilots and crew of his ship.

One thread in this first season that continues to underwhelm is Karl Agathon or Helo with Sharon running about Caprica in a survival mode of their own as they try to determine a way off the planet. It's simply not especially gripping and those roving Cylons look just unimpressive with over a decade and half of aging computer animation. A revisit of the series wouldn't hurt in time.

You Can't Go Home Again displays a battle of wills between the military arm (Adama) of the fleet (though there are some intense and compelling moments between Tigh and Adama internally) and the civilian leadership (Roslin). Both are at odds and continue to set up the ongoing human conflict within the fleet of hawks and doves. Adama sees the needs of the one in Starbuck, personal as it may be, outweigh the needs of the many. This is clearly the grittier flipside of that selfless Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan outlook when Spock declares "The needs of the many outweigh" the needs of the few "or the one" which is the antithesis of the events in question here.

Upon introspection Adama and the crew prepare for jump to the next system, but not before Starbuck, operating inside of Cylon gore, makes it back to the Galactica.

The final scene between Starbuck and Commander Adama brings us full circle to those initial heart-wrenching moments in Act Of Contrition between the two. The paternalistic Adama ameliorates the falling out and repairs their bond by underscoring Kara as family with a kiss on her forehead relieved she is alive and back on board. With Zak gone this family may not be able to go back home the way it was ever again, but the bonds they form aboard the Galactica will continue to bring them home to each other. Family will endure in yet another form.

You Can't Go Home Again turns out another solid entry in the series first season and delivering closure on a high note, relatively speaking, one of the more optimistic of the series. It was also a highlight for the character played memorably by actress Katee Sackhoff.

Writer: Carla Robinson.

Director: Sergio Mimica-Gezzan (Raised By Wolves, The Terror, Invasion, Falling Skies and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles).

Battlestar Galactica S1 E4: Act Of Contrition

"I'll be damned. What's got into Starbuck? She actually sounds like a real instructor for a change."
-Colonel Saul Tigh-




Pop rock icon Rick Springfield (remember, he's done everything for you and created some great music too) once played the cameo role of Apollo's brother Zak Adama in the classic Battlestar Galactica.

Maybe it's because he became a pop star but Springfield was instantly memorable in his brief cameo in Saga Of A Star World once upon a time. Here, the character is replaced by an unmemorable actor to serve the story in Battlestar Galactica, Season One, Episode 4, Act Of Contrition. Though the Zak character is given more depth here given he had a relationship with Starbuck in the Ronald D. Moore rendering as well as being son to Commander Adama and brother to Apollo.



In Larson's series he was just the young hot shot side kick brother of Apollo. A boy among young men.

Zak was the brother of Lee "Apollo" Adama, son of William Adama, lover of Lt. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace. Kara was Zak's girl (not Jesse's girl).



The story centers on Starbuck's guilt who once passed an inadequate Zak Adama in his basic flight training simply because they were lovers. As a result he was ill-prepared and was killed in action. Starbuck reveals this fact to Lee/Apollo in the Mini-Series. Her action indirectly resulted in his death.



Following an incident in the hanger bay and the death of seven pilots, Commander Adama needs his best pilot to train new recruits echoing a moment in the original series whereby Starbuck and Apollo had to train all new female recruits in  Lost Planet Of The Gods due to an on board illness striking its male crew of pilots. How about that a gender specific illness. #Metoo might revel in such a possibility.

In Moore's Battlestar Galactica, the funeral of those pilots is juxtaposed throughout the entry with the funeral of Zak Adama.



As an act of contrition Starbuck yields to the request in an emotional episode and one that really cemented the work of Katee Sackhoff for this writer in here role for the series. This episode along with her performance in the next entry, You Can't Go Home Again (the initial setup of which begins here in Act Of Contrition), made this science fiction fan a fan of her work for years to come including her supporting role on Longmire (2012-2017) and her new science fiction series Another Life (2019-present).



To that end and point, the penultimate scene in the entry between William Adama and Starbuck is emotionally raw as she unveils her guilt, emotion and unabashed contrition to the father of the late Zak Adama. What the viewer experiences here is something that will be different for everyone. William Adama's response to her contrition is powerful and brutal to watch. Each and every human being watching will have a different reaction to this moving exchange and it is the true highlight in Act Of Contrition.



With the pilot numbers depleted, the Galactica is desperate for new blood. Starbuck is unmerciful as the instructor as she punishes the recruits as well as herself for allowing Zak to pass ultimately leading to his untimely death.



In the final minutes of Act Of Contrition a group of Cylon Raiders returns damaging Starbuck's Viper II and sending her spinning toward the planet below setting the series up for one of the series most intense, focused stories of personal survival. Starbuck's story and thread of contrition To Be Continued in You Can't Go Home Again.

Writer: Bradley Thompson/ David Weddle. Director: Rod Hardy.