Battlestar Galactica: Every Starbuck Episode Ranked Worst To Best
Kara Thrace Will Lead The Human Race To Its End. She Is The Herald Of The Apocalypse.
Heartwarming words of review or a terrifying prophecy? Battlestar Galactica remains, as always, open to interpretation. Kara Thrace is and has always been one of, if not the, most intriguing characters in Ronald D. Moore and David Eick's re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series. The initial gender flip conceit is forgotten within moments as this Kara Thrace is so unique and electric that any memory of what came before is washed away.
While not every moment works as well as the others, Katee Sackhoff's portrayal was monumental in helping Battlestar Galactica become the cult success that it has become. Without her compelling performance as Thrace, it is entirely possible that much of the supporting storylines may have fallen slightly flat.
The show asked a lot of its audience, refusing to pander or to hold their hands. It also was completely unafraid to shock and upset, as evidenced several times in Starbuck's own story. With many twists and turns, it is sometimes difficult to keep track of it all.
Whether one is satisfied in how Kara Thrace's fate unravelled, the journey to get there was an addictive path through trauma, pain, joy and celebration. Here, we have ranked all of the main episodes and moments, beginning with -
18. Act Of Contrition
Act of Contrition serves as an introduction to why Starbuck and Adama are so close, and an explanation as to why Starbuck and Apollo aren't - at least, not at this time, delving deeper into the revelation that she made to him in the mini-series. Not only was Kara involved with Zack, the youngest Adama brother, but she was his flight instructor, and she passed him when he failed. This decision indirectly led to his death.
Throughout this episode, Kara is given the task of selecting and training new Viper pilots, a task she doesn't relish as it cuts too close to home. After she fails the latest bunch, Apollo believes that it is over her guilt about Zack, rather than anything else. Unfortunately, he lets something slip to Commander Adama - resulting in his being told what happened to Zack.
Not only does he not take the news well, but he ensures Kara knows that he is angry enough to attack her, only barely holding in his rage to force her back to work.
The episode ends with a dogfight in space in which the new pilots distinguish themselves, but Kara is shot down over a red moon.