Introduction

“Sometimes a Great Notion” is the thirteenth episode in the fourth season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica.

It aired on television on Sci Fi and Space in the United States and Canada respectively on 16 January 2009 and on Sky One in the United Kingdom on 20 January 2009.

This episode is the first after the mid-season finale of the fourth season (“Revelations”), which aired in June 2008.

The episode title is a reference to the novel of the same name, written by Ken Kesey.

The episode was also the last to be written before the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike.

The episode continues from “Revelations“, where both the colonial fleet and the rebel Cylons finally found Earth, only to find it devastated by a nuclear holocaust at least 2,000 years before, and the discovery leads to despair all across the fleet.

The episode was not given an opening title sequence, but the survivor count for the episode was 39,651.

Outline of Series 04, Episode 13

Both the Human fleet and the rebel Cylons are disillusioned after finding Earth devastated by a nuclear holocaust, which occurred at least 2,000 years prior to the events of the episode.

After research on the bodies found in the soil, the Cylons and Doctor Baltar (James Callis) conclude the remains are not human, but Cylon in origin. The rebel Cylons further state the mechanical Cylon remains resemble older Centurions of theirs, but are of a kind unknown to them. Following this, they postulate that the thirteenth tribe consisted of a different kind of Cylon which existed over 2,000 years ago and moved out from Kobol to populate Earth.

When addressing the fleet, Admiral Adama (Edward James Olmos) never states this fact, leaving the fleet in the belief that the thirteenth tribe was human.

Meanwhile, Samuel Anders (Michael Trucco), Galen Tyrol (Aaron Douglas) and Tory Foster (Rekha Sharma) receive memories showing they had lived and died on Earth 2,000 years ago.

Kara Thrace (Katee Sackhoff) has Leoben (Callum Keith Rennie) help track the origins of the beacon. However, what they find is a crashed Colonial Viper, containing a corpse with Starbuck’s dog tags. After Kara recites what the Hybrid has told her, a shaken Leoben retreats, with Thrace wondering what she is. In shock, Thrace takes the body and burns it on a pyre, and decides to not tell anyone about what she found, making people believe she lost the signal.

In the fleet, President Roslin (Mary McDonnell) burns her book of Pythia, and is unable to address the fleet because of feeling she led the fleet nowhere, believing the prophecy a lost cause. Lee Adama (Jamie Bamber) and Anastasia Dualla (Kandyse McClure) revisit their relationship, and after their evening together, Dualla returns to her quarters, and commits suicide.

Devastated by this, Admiral Adama acquires a handgun from a marine and attempts to goad Tigh (Michael Hogan) into killing him. Despite his anger, Tigh realises what Adama is attempting and refuses to kill his friend. Admiral Adama breaks down relieved and converses with Tigh about past memories, and Tigh reminding Adama of his duties as commander of the fleet.

Adama eventually steps back into the CIC, and makes an announcement that he will find a home for the fleet, gives instructions to search for any nearby habitable star systems, and invites their new Cylon allies to join them. As the fleet prepares to leave Earth, which is determined to be uninhabitable, D’Anna (Lucy Lawless), devastated by the knowledge that history repeats itself, decides to remain on Earth to die, rather than being hunted by Cavil.

Recalling his talk with Adama, Tigh walks into the sea and receives a flashback of his life on Earth. In the vision, Tigh sees his wife Ellen (Kate Vernon) during the destruction of the planet. Ellen reassures him that “everything is in place” and they will be “reborn, again, together.” Shocked, Tigh realises that Ellen is the final member of the Final Five.

Battlestar Galactica TV Series, Films & Webisodes

You can find a full index of Battlestar Galactica TV series, films, and webisodes here.

Trivia

You can read interesting trivia and background details about the BSG franchise here.

Production & Filming Details

• Director: Michael Nankin.
• Writers: Bradley Thompson and David Weddle.
• Release Date: 16 January 2009 (UK).
• Running Time: 45 minutes.
• Country: US.
• Language: English.

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