Battlestar Galactica: Every Starbuck Episode Ranked Worst To Best

4. Sometimes A Great Notion

Battlestar Galatica Starbuck Body
Universal

This was the episode that changed the game for the show. The discovery of Earth, so long believed to be a joyous moment, ended up as one of the most crushing defeats that the fleet (and Cylons) ever experienced. It is an horrific episode, one of the bleakest hours of television made in recent memory - and yet that is still nothing compared to the mystery that Starbuck finds herself a part of.

It was Starbuck's signal that led them to Earth and she explores the wasteland with Leoben. She finds the burnt remnants of a Viper, with a decayed body inside. Everything about it suggests that the Viper is her own, and the body is that of Kara Thrace.

Two things happen in this moment: Kara herself grows, though in spite of her fear, and she burns the body on her own funeral pyre. Then Leoben, who had been the staunchest believer in Starbuck's destiny, loses his faith, turning away and leaving her.

It is both an ending and a beginning for Starbuck, as she faces her own mortality head on, but is opened up to the wider ramifications of what her death means.

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"