In my opinion, the first part starts a bit slow, but the second one is so damn good. Dean Stockwell's character jokingly says in the first part to Tirol (something like): "You are no Cylon and I know that, because I am a Cylon and I have never seen you at any of our meetings!" And in the second part we learn that he actually is a Cylon ambassador. Great, not only the surprise, but also his performance. I guess you could give him the telephone book to read for us and he would be entertaining.
Then, when you think, the episode is at an end, the camera slowly moves towards Baltar, who is now President, comes closer, and we dissolve to the next morning. At least we think it is the next morning, because as the camera dollies (or steady-cams) back, we realize it is a year later and the people of the fleet have settled down on the new found planet. (Baltar has a hangover and has a couple of hot girls at his very private disposal. What is so classic about this "one year later scene", it seems so perfect, and so familiar, because it is done so perfectly, yet I am pretty sure I have never seen a TV series jump ahead a year. It is both surprising and shocking to see what has happened to the characters and setting we have come to like for the last two years.
The star ships are orbiting the planet with skeleton crews on board. There is a short but good scene, where Adama (now with a mustache) lonely strolls through the corridors of the ship and finds a lamp malfunctioning. And nobody thinks about repairing it. Everybody is already on the planet or is about to go down. And although life on the planet is not as beautiful as everybody has hoped (Starbuck's husband is ill, there are no antibiotics, everybody except Baltar and his chicks lives in tents) people want to permanently settle there.
But suddenly the Cylons are back. Adama and Lee decide to jump away with the Galactica and the Pegasus and the rest of the fleet, because they are in no shape to fight the Cylon fleet. On the planet, raiders are darkening the sky and Baltar meets the Cylon delegates in form of the original Number 6 and the original Number 8 (Sharon) as well as a male Cylon. They say, that as long as nobody resists, they would do no harm to the humans.
And then comes the perfect ending to the episode, a perfect cliffhanger and in my opinion it could surpass TNG's The Best of Both Worlds. First Baltar asks the Cylons, how they have found the planet (which is hidden in a nebular), and they tell him, they detected the radiation of a nuclear detonation. Tears are coming into Baltars eyes. He knows that for the second time in a row, it is his fault, that the Cylons have defeated mankind. And it is the same as before, he gave the nuclear warhead to a Nummber 6, because he is in love with her and again this triggers the downfall of the human race. With a broken voice he says: "On behalf of the peoples of the colonies, I surrender!" And when he says "surrender" we cut to a close up of his face. He has red eyes, dark features and we know as the audience, that now, Baltar is at his worst. He has done badly as a President. Callis is perfect. We are shocked when we see him like this. He is a broken man.
Next, there are a few shots, where we see the robots marching in and people looking at them with fear. The Cylons have won. ...to be continued! I am really looking forward to the next episode, the next season, the end of the series. When Ron Moore can jump ahead a year, I think he could very well be jumping ahead ten years, twenty years. He can do so much from now on. But lets not jump ahead too far, the next episode is what matters now. In a tiny scene, there is a Cylon searching for Starbuck, the same model or the same resurrected character, whom Starbuck tortured a lot. I guess he is up for revenge, or not. We will see. So far, so good. 10 out of 10.
Then, when you think, the episode is at an end, the camera slowly moves towards Baltar, who is now President, comes closer, and we dissolve to the next morning. At least we think it is the next morning, because as the camera dollies (or steady-cams) back, we realize it is a year later and the people of the fleet have settled down on the new found planet. (Baltar has a hangover and has a couple of hot girls at his very private disposal. What is so classic about this "one year later scene", it seems so perfect, and so familiar, because it is done so perfectly, yet I am pretty sure I have never seen a TV series jump ahead a year. It is both surprising and shocking to see what has happened to the characters and setting we have come to like for the last two years.
The star ships are orbiting the planet with skeleton crews on board. There is a short but good scene, where Adama (now with a mustache) lonely strolls through the corridors of the ship and finds a lamp malfunctioning. And nobody thinks about repairing it. Everybody is already on the planet or is about to go down. And although life on the planet is not as beautiful as everybody has hoped (Starbuck's husband is ill, there are no antibiotics, everybody except Baltar and his chicks lives in tents) people want to permanently settle there.
But suddenly the Cylons are back. Adama and Lee decide to jump away with the Galactica and the Pegasus and the rest of the fleet, because they are in no shape to fight the Cylon fleet. On the planet, raiders are darkening the sky and Baltar meets the Cylon delegates in form of the original Number 6 and the original Number 8 (Sharon) as well as a male Cylon. They say, that as long as nobody resists, they would do no harm to the humans.
And then comes the perfect ending to the episode, a perfect cliffhanger and in my opinion it could surpass TNG's The Best of Both Worlds. First Baltar asks the Cylons, how they have found the planet (which is hidden in a nebular), and they tell him, they detected the radiation of a nuclear detonation. Tears are coming into Baltars eyes. He knows that for the second time in a row, it is his fault, that the Cylons have defeated mankind. And it is the same as before, he gave the nuclear warhead to a Nummber 6, because he is in love with her and again this triggers the downfall of the human race. With a broken voice he says: "On behalf of the peoples of the colonies, I surrender!" And when he says "surrender" we cut to a close up of his face. He has red eyes, dark features and we know as the audience, that now, Baltar is at his worst. He has done badly as a President. Callis is perfect. We are shocked when we see him like this. He is a broken man.
Next, there are a few shots, where we see the robots marching in and people looking at them with fear. The Cylons have won. ...to be continued! I am really looking forward to the next episode, the next season, the end of the series. When Ron Moore can jump ahead a year, I think he could very well be jumping ahead ten years, twenty years. He can do so much from now on. But lets not jump ahead too far, the next episode is what matters now. In a tiny scene, there is a Cylon searching for Starbuck, the same model or the same resurrected character, whom Starbuck tortured a lot. I guess he is up for revenge, or not. We will see. So far, so good. 10 out of 10.