The worst episodes of Battlestar Galactica
Ranked by viewer rating, lows first. Lit marks on the season rail place this list across the run. Vote on a placement to back it or contest it.
- 01
Apollo investigates the murder of one of the crew and falls for a young prostitute, whom he vows to save from the rogue ship dealing with the Black Market. As well as confronting the bad guys, Apollo has to confront some past mistakes.
- 02
A look at the events that took place during the year-long gap from the storyline in the Season Two finale. The story reveals the reasons for the rift between Kara ("Starbuck") and Lee ("Apollo").
- 03
When a group of refugees board Galactica with a curable illness, it becomes very mysterious when they begin to die after taking the injection they do not believe in.
- 04
Gaius Baltar causes intense unrest within the fleet when he begins to openly promote belief in the Cylon god. Colonel Tigh, Galen Tyrol, and Tory Foster argue over how far they should go to ensure their secret is not revealed.
- 05
President Roslin arrives on Galactica as Boomer's Cylon side asserts itself, forcing her to sabotage Galactica's water supply against her will. A series of explosions leads to the loss of 60% of the water reserves and Commander Adama is compelled to introduce rationing and begin a search of nearby planetary systems for any H20 deposits.
- 06
A figure from Adama's past returns to haunt him. His return raises questions about why the Cylons launched their initial attack against the Twelve Colonies.
- 07
The Chief and his wife get trapped in an airlock on a routine maintenance job, while the Admiral copes with his wedding anniversary and the memories of his ex-wife.
- 08
Deciding to use the thousand prisoners on a prison transport ship to mine the ice on the planet they've found, Galactica's plans are upset when a political prisoner onboard leads an uprising, taking hostages. He questions the legitimacy of Roslin's government and demands free elections to be held in the fleet.
- 09
When a group of ill Cylons from the infected Basestar is brought to Galactica, Lee discovers a way to solve the Cylon problem forever - by destroying the whole Cylon race. Meanwhile, D'Anna Biers (Number Three) believes Baltar knows who created the virus that infected and disabled the Cylon baseship. She is willing to take extreme measures to learn the truth.
- 10
The Colonial fleet faces starvation when the food-processing machines are contaminated. Kat plays a vital role in the success or failure of the "Passage" through space.
- 11
Besides having to deal with the loss of Kara Thrace, the crew of the Galactica is also charged with the security surrounding the trial of Dr. Baltar and his defense attorney, who is replacing one lawyer that has already been killed.
- 12
There's a party on Galactica's flight deck as Flat-Top just had his thousandth landing. Something goes terribly wrong however when a drone accidentally goes off and explodes in a group of pilots. 13 are dead. During the ceremony Kara Thrace starts thinking about her dead fiancée Zak Adama. And those memories even get clearer when Adama orders her to start training new pilots. She seems very uncomfortable in doing so. The favor she did for Zak by letting him pass basic flight seems to bother her more and more. Angrily she stops training pilots after just one day.
- 13
After the interrogated Cylon gave Roslin the idea that Adama might be a Cylon, Roslin becomes suspicious of him. Unexpectedly, Colonel Tigh's estranged wife Ellen turns up alive in the fleet, apparently miraculously, raising the possibility that she might be a Cylon.
- 14
President Roslin has rebuilt a new Quorum of Twelve, the legislative branch of the government, but terrorist leader/political dissident Tom Zarek is elected as a member, and immediately motions that the Quorum vote to appoint a new Vice President, and runs for the office.
- 15
Taking a Break from All Your Worries
Baltar plays a game of cat and mouse with Adama and the President, thinking they will kill him once they've gotten out of him what they want to know. Lee deals with his feelings for Kara, while struggling to hang on to his marriage.
- 16
A humanoid Cylon is captured in the fleet, a copy of the Leoben model, who claims that he has planted a nuclear bomb in the Fleet before he was captured. Starbuck is tasked with interrogating him, which soon becomes a battle of wills as Starbuck has her marines to torture the Cylon to try to break him.
- 17
Now safely back in the fleet, those who managed to escape from New Caprica are seeking revenge against those they believe collaborated with the Cylons. Six of them, including Chief Tyrol and Col. Tigh, have formed the Circle and are acting as judge, jury and executioner. Those found guilty are blown out of an airlock. Lee Adama has noted that in the three days since everyone was reunited, 13 people have simply disappeared without a trace. The morale aboard the Galactica is not good with perceived collaborators being shunned by the others. Baltar faces a similar jury among the Cylons, who must decide whether he is allowed to stay with them.
- 18
Baltar learns from Caprica Six of their ability to project themselves and imagine different surroundings which leads him to wonder if he too is a Cylon. He has told the Cylons what he knows about the location of Earth and they dispatch a Basestar to investigate. In the end, the survey ship is infected with a virus killing everyone aboard. Aboard the Galactica, Lt. Gaeta has been reviewing Baltar's work in deciphering the map they recovered on Kobol.
- 19
The aftermath of a coup among the Cylons leads to further violence, Lee finds himself facing off against Roslin during his first meeting with the Quorum of Twelve as the new representative of Caprica, and Cally discovers the horrible truth about her husband Galen Tyrol. Meanwhile, Starbuck aimlessly searches for Earth with Anders and other Galactica officers.
- 20
When a Heavy-Raider manned by Leoben Conoy docks aboard the Demetrius, confrontations form between the crew over the possibility of a truce with Cylon rebels, while Starbuck puts her trust in an old enemy.
- 21
President Roslin's abduction by the Cylon Hybrid triggers a bitter power struggle within the Colonial Fleet.
- 22
With Hera now likely in the hands of John Cavil, Admiral Adama sends out search teams to locate The Colony, the Cylon home world if you will, that Ellen Tigh says is the only place she imagines she could be. Adama reluctantly comes to the conclusion that the Galactica has reached the end of its days. He orders all repair activities halted and decides to strip the ship and share everything that is salvageable with the rest of the fleet. Starbuck meanwhile shares with Gaius Baltar what she found on the uninhabitable Earth.
- 23
After Baltar has an argument with the vision of Number Six he sees in his head, a physical copy of Cylon model Number Six shows up in Galactica's CIC claiming to be a woman named Shelley Godfrey who has evidence that proves that Baltar has betrayed humanity...except that she's trying to frame him for an act of pre-attack sabotage.
- 24
The Cylons have now been in control of New Caprica for over four months. Gaius Baltar is under their collective thumbs and essentially follows their orders. Tigh, Tyrol and Anders lead the Resistance on New Caprica to increasingly deadly attacks against the Cylons. Kara finds herself trapped in a new life with Leoben Conoy, and Duck makes a fateful decision. Meanwhile on Galactica, Adama struggles with the question of whether to return to New Caprica to mount a rescue attempt.
- 25
As a result of the most recent suicide bombings, some of the Cylons are now arguing that they need to retaliate. Laura Roslin, among others, is in custody and Gaius Baltar tries to get her to cooperate. Tigh however absolutely refuses to stop the suicide bombings. Nighttime raids also leads to Cally's arrest but they leave her baby alone. Sharon Valerii sees what she can do about it. John Cavil meanwhile tells Ellen Tigh she is to provide the date and location of the next meeting of the resistance commanders.
Shows like Battlestar Galactica
The closest matches on shared genres, ranked by match strength and popularity.
- 01Drama·Science-Fiction·WarThe worst episodes of Space: Above and Beyond1995–1996·FOXIn this cult fan favorite, it's the year 2063.
- 02Drama·Science-Fiction·ActionThe worst episodes of Arrow2012–2020·The CWAfter a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific.
- 03Drama·Science-Fiction·ActionThe worst episodes of The Flash2014–2023·The CW
After a particle accelerator causes a freak storm, CSI Investigator Barry Allen is struck by lightning and falls into a coma. - 04Drama·Science-Fiction·ActionThe worst episodes of Fringe2008–2013·FOX
When an international flight lands at Boston's Logan Airport and the passengers and crew have all died grisly deaths, FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham is called in to investigate. - 05Drama·Science-Fiction·AdventureThe worst episodes of Doctor Who2005–2022·BBC One
Adventures across time and space with the time travelling alien and companions. - 06Drama·Science-Fiction·ThrillerThe worst episodes of Black Mirror2011–presentOver the last ten years, technology has transformed almost every aspect of our lives before we've had time to stop and question it.
