After a few episodes that might be considered filler we have one where something very important happens. Starbuck continues to be haunted by the image she drew that matched the picture in the Temple of Jupiter; Helo advises her to consult an oracle and when she does the oracle says things about what happened on New Caprica that only Starbuck could know. While out on patrol she sees a Cylon heavy raider and chases it into a giant storm that also resembles her picture. When she gets back to Galactica there is no evidence of the Cylon ship; no damage to her Viper despite the fact that she was convinced she was hit and no images on her gun camera. She has clearly been affected by what happened as we soon see her telling Lee where she wants her picture to be placed if she should die. On her next patrol she again sees the raider and pursues it into the storm; this time her ship is damaged and she blacks out; while unconscious she has a vision of Leoben taking her to see her mother. We see that Starbuck walked out after her learning her mother was dying but Leoben gives her the opportunity to go back and see her mother as she is about to die. Starbuck then awakens and makes the choice to continue downwards to certain death.
This was a great episode; with fine acting from Katie Sackhoff as Starbuck and a brilliant emotional scene from Edward James Olmos as Admiral Adama at the end. The whole episode had an emotional intensity as the viewer is left wondering whether Starbuck is having a mental breakdown or whether what is happening is the fulfilment of the destiny Leoben spoke of in previous episodes. When I first watched this episode the end came as quite a surprise; while plenty of important secondary characters have died I never believed that Starbuck could die... if she can die is anybody safe?
This was a great episode; with fine acting from Katie Sackhoff as Starbuck and a brilliant emotional scene from Edward James Olmos as Admiral Adama at the end. The whole episode had an emotional intensity as the viewer is left wondering whether Starbuck is having a mental breakdown or whether what is happening is the fulfilment of the destiny Leoben spoke of in previous episodes. When I first watched this episode the end came as quite a surprise; while plenty of important secondary characters have died I never believed that Starbuck could die... if she can die is anybody safe?