20 Episodes
Short on time? Here's the essentials:
The human fleet, led by Commander Adama and President Roslin, desperately searches for Earth, their last hope for survival after a devastating Cylon attack. Kara Thrace, a skilled pilot, claims to have found Earth, but her credibility is questioned. Meanwhile, Gaius Baltar, a former scientist, becomes the reluctant leader of a religious cult. The Cylons, a race of sentient machines, are fractured by internal conflict, leading to a brutal civil war among their own kind.
The central conflict escalates as the fleet faces internal mutiny and external threats. Key turning points include the destruction of the Cylon Resurrection Hub, making Cylons mortal, and the discovery that Earth is a nuclear wasteland. Kara Thrace dies, only to reappear later, her purpose still a mystery. Colonel Tigh is revealed to be a Cylon, a shocking betrayal to Adama. The fleet eventually finds a new habitable planet, but not before President Roslin succumbs to her illness upon seeing the new Earth.
In the end, the surviving humans, weary of war and technology, choose to abandon their advanced civilization and integrate with the primitive inhabitants of the new world, seeking peace and a fresh start.
Season 4 of Battlestar Galactica covers episodes 1-20. Here's everything that happened:
Season 4, Episode 1: He That Believeth in Me - Kara Thrace returns in a pristine Viper, claiming she's found Earth, but Roslin is skeptical. During a Cylon attack, the Final Five Cylons grapple with their identities. Baltar finds himself the object of worship by a group of adoring women. Kara, desperate to prove her claims, holds Roslin at gunpoint. The episode concludes with Roslin still unconvinced and Kara's credibility in tatters.
Season 4, Episode 2: Six of One - Starbuck faces consequences for her actions, leading Adama to send her on a solo mission to find Earth. Meanwhile, the Cylons experience a schism as they debate the Raiders' fate, resulting in a violent coup led by the Centurions. The episode concludes with Starbuck receiving the Demetrius and a hand-picked crew to continue her search.
Season 4, Episode 3: The Ties That Bind - Cally discovers Tyrol is a Cylon, leading to a breakdown fueled by post-natal depression. Cavil orchestrates a Cylon civil war, destroying rebel baseships. Tory manipulates Cally, then vents her into space. Adama informs Tyrol of Cally's death.
Season 4, Episode 4: Escape Velocity - Tyrol struggles with Cally's death and his Cylon identity, leading to an outburst and Adama relieving him of duty. Baltar's followers are attacked, prompting Roslin to restrict religious gatherings. Tigh visits Caprica Six, haunted by visions of Ellen. Baltar delivers a speech about self-love. The episode concludes with Head Six looking intently at Tory.
Season 4, Episode 5: The Road Less Traveled - Starbuck's mental state deteriorates aboard the Demetrius, leading to mutinous sentiment among the crew. She encounters a stranded Leoben, who proposes a truce and offers insight into her destiny. On Galactica, Baltar's cult gains traction, and he extends an olive branch to Tyrol, who is struggling with Cally's death. Ultimately, Starbuck decides to trust Leoben and sets a course for the Cylon basestar.
Season 4, Episode 6: Faith - Anders shoots Gaeta to prevent a jump, and Starbuck takes a Raptor to a basestar graveyard. There, Jean Barolay is murdered by a Six. Roslin bonds with a fellow cancer patient, Emily, as Starbuck meets the Hybrid, who proclaims she is the "harbinger of death". The episode ends with Adama believing they will find Earth.
Season 4, Episode 7: Guess What's Coming to Dinner? - The rebel Cylon basestar arrives, seeking an alliance, but Lee Adama and the Quorum are suspicious of Roslin's secrecy. Gaeta loses his leg after being shot. Athena, haunted by visions, kills Natalie. The Hybrid is reactivated, and the basestar jumps away with Roslin, Baltar, and others aboard.
Season 4, Episode 8: Sine Qua Non - Following Roslin's abduction, a power struggle ensues. Natalie dies after Athena shoots her. Lee enlists Romo Lampkin to find a presidential candidate. Adama confronts Tigh about Caprica-Six. Lee is sworn in as acting president. Adama relinquishes command to Tigh and abandons the fleet in a Raptor to find Roslin.
Season 4, Episode 9: The Hub - Roslin experiences visions during jumps, guided by Elosha, confronting her mortality. The rebel Cylons and humans form an uneasy alliance to destroy the Resurrection Hub. D'Anna kills Cavil, and the Hub is destroyed by nuclear missiles, rendering Cylons mortal. Roslin decides to save a wounded Baltar.
Season 4, Episode 10: Revelations - D'Anna Biers holds Roslin and Colonial pilots hostage, demanding the Final Four Cylons. Tigh reveals himself as a Cylon to Adama, causing Adama to order his arrest. Starbuck discovers a signal from Earth, leading the fleet to it. Upon arrival, they discover Earth is a nuclear wasteland.
Season 4, Episode 11: Sometimes a Great Notion - The fleet discovers a devastated Earth, triggering despair. Dualla, overwhelmed, commits suicide. Starbuck finds a Viper and a body with dog tags bearing her name. Tigh has a vision revealing Ellen is the final Cylon. The fleet departs Earth for a new star system.
Season 4, Episode 12: A Disquiet Follows My Soul - Discontent spreads as the fleet struggles with the Cylon alliance. Gaeta and Zarek plot against Adama and Roslin, who faces her mortality and embraces a deeper relationship with Adama. Tyrol learns Hot Dog is the father of his son. The Hitei Kan tylium ship defects, but is eventually recovered. The episode ends with Gaeta and Zarek joining forces.
Season 4, Episode 13: The Oath - Gaeta and Zarek initiate a mutiny, arming civilians and taking control of Galactica. Adama and Tigh are arrested, while Roslin escapes with Tyrol's help. Gaeta orders Roslin's Raptor destroyed. Adama and Tigh hold off rebel marines to ensure the Raptor's departure, their fates uncertain as the episode concludes.
Season 4, Episode 14: Blood on the Scales - Gaeta and Zarek consolidate their mutiny while Roslin seeks refuge with the Cylons. Adama, sentenced to death, is rescued by loyalists. He retakes Galactica, quashing the revolt. Gaeta and Zarek are executed for treason, ending the episode.
Season 4, Episode 15: No Exit - The episode reveals Ellen Tigh's resurrection and her interactions with Cavil, detailing the history of the Final Five. On Galactica, Tyrol discovers critical structural damage. Anders recovers memories of the Final Five's origins. Despite surgery, Anders' brain function ceases. Adama reluctantly approves using Cylon technology to repair Galactica.
Season 4, Episode 16: Deadlock - Ellen Tigh and Boomer return, causing Cylon/Human tensions. Ellen manipulates Caprica Six, revealing her affair with Saul, leading to Caprica Six's miscarriage. The Final Five debate leaving the fleet. Baltar gains weapons from Adama. The episode concludes with Adama and Roslin observing the growing integration of Cylons and humans.
Season 4, Episode 17: Someone to Watch Over Me - Kara befriends a piano player, realizing Hera's drawing is a musical sequence. Boomer, awaiting trial for treason, manipulates Tyrol, claiming a shared future. Boomer then seduces Helo while Athena is captive and steals Hera. The episode concludes with Tyrol devastated by Boomer's betrayal and Hera's abduction.
Season 4, Episode 18: Islanded in a Stream of Stars - Galactica suffers a major hull breach, killing 61 people. Boomer delivers Hera to Cavil at the Cylon Colony. Starbuck asks Baltar to analyze dog tags found with her dead body on Earth, leading Baltar to publicly declare her an angel. Adama decides to abandon the Galactica, ordering its stripping. The episode concludes with Adama and Tigh toasting the Galactica.
Season 4, Episode 19: Daybreak, Part 1 - As Galactica is being stripped for parts, Adama plans a final mission to rescue Hera. Flashbacks reveal the characters' lives before the Cylon attack, highlighting Roslin's devastating family loss and Baltar's complex relationship with his father. Adama draws a red line, asking for volunteers for the likely suicide mission. The episode concludes with the fleet preparing to jump to the Cylon colony.
Season 4, Episode 20: Daybreak, Part 2 - Galactica undertakes a final, desperate mission to rescue Hera from the Cylons. During the rescue, Boomer dies after redeeming herself. Starbuck jumps Galactica to Earth, but Laura Roslin dies upon seeing it. The survivors choose to abandon technology and integrate with early humans.
