US Air Date: 25/03/2007

Writer: Mark Verhelden

Director: Michael Rymer

The season finale is an episode that has left fans with as many questions as answers. The episode begins by showing that it’s no longer just Tigh that can hear music that leaves the listener feeling they’re losing their minds. Anders, Tyrol and President Roslin’s assistant, Tory Foster, are all now hearing – or hallucinating – a strange song aboard Galactica. Elsewhere, Roslin has received her first treatment for cancer and is struggling with obvious pain in the ship’s infirmary. As she tries to sleep she drifts off and again has a vision of the Kobol Opera House, in which she sees herself running after the toddler Hera as doors to a brightly lit room slam shut. Athena, Caprica Six and Baltar are all in the dream.
When she suddenly awakes Roslin screams and then she hears Athena and Hera also cry out. They go to meet Six and realise that they have all independently had the exact same vision. Like those who are hearing music that no one else can, they are all unable to explain what is happening to them.
Baltar’s trial has reached crisis point with the defense concerned that they are
teetering on the brink of defeat. However, there is a crucial moment when Lee Adama hears his father, who is sitting on the judges’ panel, make derogatory statements against Baltar outside of the court. Defence lawyer Romo Lampkin seizes on this information and moves for a mis-trial based on this evidence of the court’s partiality. When Adama asks Lampkin which judge was responsible for this comment Lampkin says it was Adama himself and then calls Lee to take the witness chair to testify against his father. He does this reluctantly and when questioned refuses to go into his father’s prejudice. Instead he launches into an eloquent speech on behalf of Baltar, arguing that Roslin has shown lenience towards numerous crimes since the fleet began their journey. He says that Baltar was put in a no-win position – if Baltar had not surrendered, then the Cylons probably would have “nuked the planet.” He points out that hundreds others co-operated as well and Roslin issued a blanket pardon for everyone except Baltar. He then points out that Tigh killed innocents in suicide bombings, Tyrol and Helo killed a Pegasus offi cer and Adama instituted a coup against Roslin. Lampkin rests the defence after this compelling statement and the judges retire. They emerge and reveal that they have decided, by a split vote of three to two, that Baltar is… not guilty. The courtroom descends into chaos and Lee and Lampkin hurriedly shepherd Baltar away from the chambers and the mob that is baying for his blood. Baltar may be a free man but he is now on his own in a hostile fleet.
Roslin is disgusted with the verdict and she is shocked when she discovers that Adama had voted to release Baltar. He says that the defense made its case, while the prosecution did not. However, they are forced to end their argument because the fleet must make the jump to the Ionian Nebula, a way-station on the route to Earth. As the Galactica scans it the fleet suddenly experiences a total loss of power. The ship is left in darkness but in the confusion Tigh, Tyrol, Tory and Anders all begin to be overwhelmed by the sound of the song. Its lyrics become clear as they mutter the lines “there must be some way out of here, said the joker to the thief”. The song is Bob Dylan’s All Along The Watchtower. They follow the noise and eventually are led to an obscure exercise room. There they all look at each other and realise there is only one explanation for what is happening to them. They have been summoned, they have obeyed and the reason is as obvious as it is undeniable – they must all be Cylons. As the truth dawns on them the power returns to the fl eet and Dradis immediately realises that an enormous Cylon armada is closing in.
Adama wants to make an emergency jump but there’s no time to prepare the jump engines and Adama has no choice but to order Action Stations. Lee joins his Viper crew and All Along The Watchtower plays on the soundtrack as the crews launch in defense of Galactica. Lee picks up a contact away from the Cylon fleet and pursues the bogey. The ship pulls up alongside him as a mysterious nebula appears, the image that was last seen when Kara plunged to
her death.
To Lee’s shock he then sees Starbuck appear in a Viper next to him. She turns and speaks to him. “Hi Lee. Don’t freak out. It really is me. I’ve been to Earth. I know where it is. And I’m going to take us there.” Lee is stunned as Kara smiles back at him. The final shot pulls back from the two Vipers, out of the nebula, past the fleet and the four Cylon basestars, out of the galaxy and back into another one where the shot ends by moving in on Earth. So then, clearly there are a long nine months to wait until season four appears to begin to resolve some of the unresolved mysteries. Some message boards contain speculation that the finale gave vital clues to the identities of the Final Five, some bloggers going with the foursome of Tory, Tyrol , Tigh and Anders along with Kara – as they the first four heard the music from Earth and Kara claimed to have been there.
Other unresolved issues? Well, fans are also having to wait until January 2008 to fi nd out the following. How will the fleet survive the Cylon  attack? What is in the Ionian? Can Baltar recover from the stigma of trial? What are Roslin and the others dreaming about? Will Lee and Adama make up? Will Adama and Roslin make up? And that’s just the headlines…