Introduction

“Daybreak” is the three-part series finale of the re-imagined science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica, and are the 74th (labelled “Daybreak, Part 1” on the DVD) and 75th (labelled “Daybreak, Parts 2 & 3” on the DVD) episodes overall.

The episodes aired on the US Sci Fi Channel and SPACE in Canada respectively on 13 and 20 March 2009.

The second part (“Daybreak, Parts 2 & 3”) is double-length.

The Season 4.5 DVD and Blu-ray releases for Region 1 feature an extended version of the finale, which not only combines all three parts as a single episode, but also integrates it with new scenes not seen in the aired versions of either part.

The survivor count shown in the title sequence for Part 1 is 39,516. The survivor count shown in the title sequence for Part 2 is 39,406.

At the end of Part 2, Admiral Adama announces the survivor population at approximately 38,000.

The episodes portray the Galactica launching a rescue mission to retrieve Hera Agathon from the “colony”, a heavily armed and defended Cylon base located near a black hole. They manage to rescue Hera, and in the end, the fleet finds a new planet to settle on, which they come to call Earth (revealed to be our Earth). The final episodes gave Battlestar Galactica the strongest ratings since its second season, though they received mixed reviews.

Outline of Series 04, Episode 23

Cavil calls a cease fire in preparation for the data download and the boarding parties retreat. Roslin and Adama look on as the Final Five begin the download of the technology for resurrection, with Saul and Ellen Tigh (Kate Vernon), Tory Foster (Rekha Sharma) and Galen Tyrol (Aaron Douglas) dipping their hands into Samuel Anders’ (Michael Trucco) tank to transfer the data to the Colony. Ellen warns that during the download they will briefly have full knowledge of each other’s memories and experiences. Tory asks that all bygones be left bygones. The download commences and the Final Five experience flashbacks to each other’s lives on Earth and in the colonies. Tyrol learns then that Tory murdered his wife, Cally, and kills her in revenge before the downloading is complete. Feeling betrayed, the Cylons resume fighting; after the other Cylons in CIC are killed, Cavil commits suicide. At the same instant, a chance rock strike in the debris field causes Racetrack’s dead hand to fall on the launch button for her Raptor’s nuclear weapons, which were primed for launch before the Raptor’s crew was lost. The missiles strike directly into the Colony, knocking it out of orbit. With Galactica still tangled in the Colony and being dragged toward the singularity along with it, Adama orders Starbuck to jump the ship away, anywhere. In a flash of inspiration, Starbuck mutters “there must be some kind of way out of here” and enters coordinates into the computer as if she were playing the mysterious music notes which Hera had written. Galactica jumps away and out of danger, leaving the Colony to fall to its destruction within the black hole. The war is over, and the Humans and their allies have prevailed.

Galactica arrives at Kara’s mysterious coordinates, its final destination as the damage caused in the battle has rendered the ship incapable of surviving any further jumps. Miraculously, the Galactica finds itself in orbit around a moon, close to a habitable world: our own Earth.

Hours later, the rest of the fleet joins Galactica at this new world. Lee makes the unorthodox suggestion that they abandon their technology and start afresh, while Adama and others discover primitive humans already occupying the planet. Since finding Earth had always been the goal of the Colonial Fleet, Adama suggests they call this new planet “Earth”. The survivors – Galactica’s crew, the remaining inhabitants of the fleet, and the Cylon Twos, Sixes and Eights – take basic supplies and spread out across the planet – not to colonise and impose cities like the Twelve Colonies, but to blend in with primitive early humans, adding their own human and humanoid Cylon “genetics” to the early humans. Anders takes control of their abandoned fleet and pilots it into the Sun, so that the new arrivals “can give them the best part of ourselves… not the baggage… not the weapons… our hearts (rather than) our science”. The Rebel Cylons decide that their Centurions have earned their freedom, and give them control of the Basestar, which jumps away to parts unknown. Baltar and Caprica Six are visited by their Inner messengers, who inform them that their destinies – to save Hera – have been fulfilled, and the two decide to live out the rest of their lives together.

While resting under a tree, Roslin suddenly begins to have difficulty breathing. Adama quickly places her aboard a Raptor and says a short, final goodbye to Lee and Starbuck before taking off. While admiring the wildlife below and looking for a place to build a cabin for them, Roslin dies peacefully. While Lee expresses his desire to venture off and explore the planet, Starbuck, her destiny as an Angel fulfilled, literally vanishes without a trace. Lee promises to never forget her. Tyrol decides to settle by himself on a remote northern island (implied to be the Scottish highlands). Helo (Tahmoh Penikett), Athena and Hera are reunited as a family. Tigh and Ellen stay with the rest of the survivors. Adama eventually finds the place where he will build the cabin, and buries Laura on a nearby hillside.

Epilogue

New York City, 150,000 years later: humanity has reached the early 21st century, and the development of robotics and computerisation continues unabated.

Inner Baltar and Inner Six (no longer tied to the long-deceased Gaius Baltar and Caprica Six) comment on the recent discovery of what is believed to be “mitochondrial Eve” in Tanzania… the remains of Hera Agathon, progenitor of modern-day humanity.

Inner Six disagrees with her counterpart about humanity’s next future: when a complex system repeats, something new is bound to happen, and this Earth – descendants of devastated planets Kobol, the Twelve Colonies, and the original Earth – may escape the vicious cycle of technology, surmising it to be a part of God’s plan.

Inner Baltar reminds her “It doesn’t like that name,” as the two stroll away. The episode and series end with a montage showing the progress of robotics in modern society indicating that it all had happened before and still might happen again.

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 Rymer.
• Writer: Ronald D. Moore.
• Release Date: 20 March 2009 (UK).
• Running Time: 141 minutes (aired), 152 minutes (extended), and 200 minutes (uncut).
• Country: US.
• Language: English.

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