Battlestar Galactica 4.17 "Someone To Watch Over Me" review

SPOILER Starbuck's starting to find some answers

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Written by: Bradley Thompson, David Weddle

Directed by: Michael Nankin

THE ONE WHERE
Tyrol helps Boomer to escape from trial and execution by the rebel Cylons, and Starbuck has a private music lesson with a mysterious piano player.

VERDICT
After a week of treading water, Galactica gets down to business and starts to set things up for the grand finale. There’s something rather sweet about the way Chief Tyrol and Boomer rekindle their first season romance through bars – particularly in the alternative married life she creates for them as a fictional construct – and you can’t help but feel for him when it turns out she’s used him as part of her grand plan to get Hera back to Cavil.

Otherwise this is Starbuck’s episode (finally). Her opening briefing reveals just how burned out and aimless the Fleet is after the loss of Earth – there’s only one tube of toothpaste left! – and then her (imaginary) piano duet with a man who turns out to be her father is a fantastic slow-build to a revelation. The moment when you realise Starbuck can play the Final Five’s tune is one of Galactica’s finest scales falling from the eyes moments. The endgame is afoot.

SURVIVOR COUNT
39, 556

DID YOU SPOT?
One of the tunes Starbuck’s dad plays is part of the original BSG theme.

SPECULATION
What's happened to the mutineers? Starbuck says pilot numbers were reduced after the uprising, but are they locked up or have they been thrown out of an airlock?

CHARACTER
His wife dies, he finds out he’s a Cylon, it turns out his son belongs to someone else and now he’s been conned by Boomer. When are the writers going to give the Chief a break?

BEST LINE
Starbuck: “Is part of the process also stealing from other composers?”

Richard Edwards

Previous episode .

SFX Magazine is the world's number one sci-fi, fantasy, and horror magazine published by Future PLC. Established in 1995, SFX Magazine prides itself on writing for its fans, welcoming geeks, collectors, and aficionados into its readership for over 25 years. Covering films, TV shows, books, comics, games, merch, and more, SFX Magazine is published every month. If you love it, chances are we do too and you'll find it in SFX.