EPISODE REVIEWS: Battlestar Galactica: "Daybreak, Part 2" (Season 4, episode 20) Series Finale

…and so it ends. It doesn’t all make sense, and it goes off the rails more than once, but it is definitely over, and it was pretty good. Well, good-ish. At points. And while this is clearly, clearly not the ending anyone foresaw six years ago when the series began, or thirty-one years ago when the original series began, well, at least it is a conclusive ending. At least it’s done.

The Galactica and her crew of volunteers turn the fleet over to Lt. Hoshi, brevetted to Admiral for the occasion. Romo Lampkin is appointed president. Admiral Hoshi moves his flag to the baseship, and takes the fleet to the rendezvous point, while the Galactica loads up to fight bear and attacks The Cylon Colony. Anders’s tub o’ goo is moved to the control room to help coordinate. Baltar abandons his flock, and stays with the ship. Apollo hands him a gun.

Last week they said the only way in or out of the singularity event horizon The Cylon Colony was parked in orbit around was one klick from the thing. Evidently a colonial Klick and an earth klick are the same because the ship appears literally a half a mile from the huge evil Cylon version of the Death Star. (Or rather H.R. Geiger’s interpretation of the Death Star). The Cylons instantly start blasting the hell out of Galactica, but Anders is able to make contact with the Colony hybrids and get them to knock it off. The guns go silent.

Galactica launches her fighters, and she launches raptors from the seldom-used other bay, the one that has a museum and a gift shop on it. They launch from *inside* the bay, ripping it to shreds with the gravitational flux from the jump drives, and appear on the far side of The Colony from the Galactica and her fighters. Meanwhile, the Raiders attack Galactica and the Vipers. Adama gives the order to ram the colony, which is pretty awful for everyone, but not nearly as devastating to the battlestar as you’d admit since it’s only a kilometer from the ship to begin with. Her prow smashes through the hull of the massive cylon ship, and teams of marines and Cylon Centurions led by Apollo board. The team of raptors dock and cut their way in to the far side of the colony, and board there, using the massive impact on the other side as a diversion.

Meanwhile, Simon the Doctor Cylon is planning to dissect Hera, but Boomer changes sides once again and breaks his neck. She takes the girl, and runs. Eventually she finds Starbuck, Athena and Helo, and hands the kid over. “Tell Adama I owed him one,” she says. “It doesn’t change anything you’ve done,” says Athena. “No, but I’ve made a choice, and that’s the important thing. I think it’s my last one.” Athena shoots Boomer and that is finally, mercifully, once and for all, is the end of the serial traitor. Everyone hauls back to the Galactica, with oceans of Cylons - including a surprising number of old school 1978-model Centurions - chasing them. They meet up with Apollo’s team on the way.

On the Battlestar, Caprica and Baltar are huddled in the halls, talking. Suddenly both of them can see each other’s internal counterparts - Baltar can see Caprica’s “Ghost Baltar” and Caprica can see Baltar’s “Ghost six.” The apparitions identify themselves as angels.

The cylons chase the good guys back on to the battlestar, and Helo gets shot. Hera gets frightened and runs away. In sick bay, a vaguely ambulatory Laura Roslin manages begins to relive the Opera House dream, with Hera running free. She chases the little girl down with Athena, back cutting between the present on the galactica, and the dream in the opulent opera house several seasons ago (It’s well done). Caprica and Baltar find the girl, and pick her up, once again back-cut with the scenes of 6 and Baltar taking the girl in the opera house, only where it seemed foreboding in the visions in season 3, here we realize they’re trying their damndest to protect the girl. They go in to the inner chamber of the opera house, which, in reality is the Galactica control room, complete with the Final Five standing on the upper level.

Cylons attack the control room, and a Cavil grabs the girl. A Mexican standoff ensues, with everyone pointing their guns at him, and him pointing his