Battlestar Galactica: 10 Most Disturbing Episodes
All of this has happened before and we hope will never happen to us again.
Space is the endless void, completely uninhabitable and possessed of boundless horror. There are planets whose atmosphere will burn and corrode the lungs, there are asteroid storms that can shred the hull of the most resilient Battlestar. More than that, there is a race of sentient machines out there that are hell-bent on the complete destruction of humanity.
When the Cylons rained nuclear fire on the twelve colonies of Mankind, a rag-tag exodus of ships fled into the cold darkness of space, desperate to find a way to survive. Led by Commander Adama and President Roslin, the tight-knit remnants of humanity were guided by astronomical calculations and blind faith in mystical history.
While some episodes of this fantastic show were heart-warming and victorious, others were downright chilling as the lengths that humanity would go to in order to survive became clear.
So here are ten of the most disturbing episodes of Battlestar Galactica, presented in almost chronological order. You may notice the recurring theme of punishing Starbuck, whose trials by pain are greater than any other character in the show.
Her pain is their salvation, you see.
10. 33
The first proper episode of the series after the 2003 miniseries was called 33. That's because the Cylon fleet was hot on the heels of the fleeing Colonials and was able to determine their new location every 33 minutes. The Colonial Fleet was then forced to perform an FTL Jump every 33 minutes to stay out of harm's way.
From the outset of the episode, we can see the effect that this is having on the crew. Bloodshot eyes, ragged nerves, unshaven faces. Commander Adama and Colonel Tigh are taking it in turns to man the bridge of the Galactica, but both are so tired that they can't even remember whose turn it is half of the time.
You see, this has been going on for days on end. While the destruction of the compromised Olympic Carrier seems to provide relief from this endless pursuit, the lines of stress and trembling hands speak for themselves. No supernatural fear, no mystical dread. Just fatigue.
No sleep, no rest, can't let your guard down for a moment, because they'll be here in thirty-three minutes.