Battlestar Galactica 2.12: "Resurrection Ship: Part II"

Written by Ron Moore and Michael Rymer
Directed by Michael Rymer

In which the strike on the Cylon fleet leaves Apollo in a lethal situation and Adama and Cain must decide what to do with each other, while Baltar makes a stunning decision about Gina…


I’m often asked: what kind of episode would be able to achieve a rating of 10/10? So many strong episodes top out at 8 or 9, and yes, that’s intentional. It leaves the very top rating for the episodes that transcend what most productions manage. Not through perfection, necessarily, but through the power of the story and its telling, through taking chances or raising the bar. Episodes like “Severed Dreams” for “Babylon 5” or “Once More, With Feeling” for “Buffy”,

This episode now joins the elite.

Nearly every scene brings with it an emotional resonance that is lacking from most televised storytelling. From the poetic decision by Apollo to let the black overtake him, to Starbuck’s anguish at having to eliminate a flawed but dedicated leader, to Baltar’s latest step towards apparent betrayal, to Adama’s realization of what he must do in the name of humanity…it all strikes a chord. And more importantly, it brought several plot threads to fruition while sparking off several others.

Ron Moore made a point in his podcast to remind the audience that the series tries not to give easy answers to the questions posed by the story. Flawed humans are allowed to remain flawed and take a long journey towards some new way of thinking, which may in fact be equally flawed. Yet if there is a theme or a message, it’s what Adama says after his pivotal discussion with Sharon, harkening back to the mini-series: it’s not enough just to survive. Humanity must demonstrate why it is worthy of survival.

This was the fundamental difference between Adama and Cain. Adama has been focused, from the very beginning, on keeping humanity safe but doing so while preserving some sense of human morality and decency. It was about preservation of humanity on philosophical terms, and it took him some time to understand that Roslin was equally committed to the same goal, simply on a more spiritual level. It’s not great for military discipline, but in a very real sense, the familiar structures of command and government are already little more than an artifice.

Cain, on the other hand, had allowed her hatred of the Cylons to overcome some aspects of her humanity, leading to a brand of survival that dismissed the finer aspects of human morality. It was survival of humanity in literal terms. Yet that focus and drive was something vital, especially now that Roslin is dying and Adama has broader responsibilities. Never mind that there’s an entire crew on “Pegasus” with Cain’s harsher philosophy. Cain was coming around, after all, and she was not completely lost. Starbuck will likely remind Adama in future episodes how important that focus was.

Interestingly enough, Sharon’s conversation with Adama reveals why Baltar’s decision might be more in service of humanity than in betrayal of it. Baltar shows Gina that there is something within humanity that deserves to survive. Six may not be willing to see it that way, based on their strange relationship, but Baltar’s actions could be interpreted as mitigating the harsher human responses. I wouldn’t be shocked to discover that Baltar, however accidentally, turns out to be as instrumental in humanity’s survival as Adama or Roslin.

I connect Lee’s decision to die in space with the realization that Roslin was the one who suggested that Cain be assassinated. He could have believed that from his father, given Adama’s decision to jail the President, but he never would have expected that from Roslin. I think he chose death over survival out of despair for humanity itself. I may be wrong about the why, but Lee is going to take a long time to find something worth living for. Will Starbuck or Dee give him that something?

I believe that this episode had the most elaborate and extensive special effects sequences since the mini-series, and those scenes are simply stunning. What’s even better is the fact that those amazing effects and the battle itself are almost tangential to the meat of the story, but they represent a massive shift in the status quo for the fleet. The Cylons are now rocked back on their heels and the fleet has two Battlestars. I wouldn’t be shocked if the bulk of the season, at least until the season finale, took advantage of the lack of Cylon presence by returning focus on the issues within the fleet itself.

After all, this episode, likely in concert with the next episode, brings the “complication” phase of the season arc to an effective end. It’s all about setting up the resolution. After hitting such a high point, it’s going to take time to work through the consequences and set the stage for the next stunning achievement. Some might question whether the series can accomplish something like this again, but who saw this coming, even after the excellent “Pegasus”?

There’s one more thing that must be noted, beyond the tight and nuanced writing, the near-perfect performances, and the inspired direction. What takes all of that to the next level is the incredible score. The score for this episode was more powerful than I can express in this review. I can’t wait for the second season soundtrack, just for this episode’s score alone. I could rewatch this episode several times over and still find new things to discuss, and for that reason, this episode deserves the highest praise.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 4/4

Final Rating: 10/10