The following review contains MAJOR SPOILERS of the "Battlestar Galactica" episode "Kobol's Last Gleaming." Please note that this episode is not expected to air in Canada and the United States for several weeks.

Finales always are a major part of a series. Not just because it signifies the end, but because every show likes to go out with a bang or a major twist. And why not? More often than not, season finales feature stories which are so massive and so significant to the greater arc that they cannot not go out on a high.

But what is more important than the finish is perhaps the viewer reaction to that finish. Very few shows have the ability to make the view jump out of their seat and shout at the television. Alias succeeded in Phase One, when a beloved character was found unexpectedly dead. Farscape done it when Crichton and Aeryn were crystallized in Bad Timing, and now Battlestar Galactica has done it.

Final surprises aside however, the second part of Kobols Last Gleaming was disappointingly predictable ... well, almost. Many of the character plots which have been developed throughout the season were resolved or inter-linked like never before, but in many occasions it was the obvious route that was taken. Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff) lands on Caprica, and just happens to encounter the forgotten Helo (Tahmoh Penikett) and a now pregnant Cylon-Boomer (Grace Park). Both the reunion and pregnancy were seen in advance. Airlock Alpha owner Michael Hinman predicted that Boomer would become pregnant many weeks ago. (Editor's Note: That was done without being spoiled, and was simply inferred by the direction of the story, not from any previous knowledge ... and I wasn't the only one who saw that direction). Last week it was made obvious that Starbuck would meet up with Helo. In a series with such creative potential you cant help but wonder why these obvious routes were taken.

Luckily there was a sense or ironic humor to the episode, with Cmdr. Adama (Edward James Olmos) choosing Boomer for a deadly mission to enter a Cylon basestar - the one Raptor pilot capable of carrying out the mission is in fact a Cylon agent. A suicidal Cylon who feels she doesnt know where her life is going.

The very choice of Boomer was made apparently clear -- Boomer will discover that she is a Cylon agent. Again the predictability was disappointing, but the idea of having Boomer learn of her mechanical roots by venturing into a Cylon vessel was intriguing. What is even more intriguing would be the response of the character, especially after learning that she "evaded" Dr. Baltars (James Callis) detection.

So if the episode was so predictable, whats the point in watching? The developing story with President Roslin (Mary McDonnell) was more than entertaining - - it was essential viewing. There is something about hostage situations and the like that are always such fun to watch. Although the siege of Colonial One was short lived, the standoff was captivating, especially the performances of McDonnell and Jamie Bamber (Apollo).

Number Six (Tricia Helfer) proved that she should remain within the confines of Baltar's mind. Her character was among the strongest of the series, so why did the writers feel the need to give her an action-oriented role? While the fight with Starbuck was fascinating in itself, and you couldnt help but wonder who Baltar would be cheering for, Helfer is so entertaining in her usual meta-physical role that any hands on appearance by the actress are bound to be a huge letdown. Her interactions with Callis on the surface of Kobol however done more justice than the lackluster fight scene on Caprica.

Despite all the revelations, you cant help but notice what hasnt been revealed - Baltar's role for the new generation of "humanity," what happened to Starbuck, Helo and Cylon-Boomer. Even the fate of the downed Raptor crew is left without a solid resolution in typical season finale cliffhanger style.

But in the final moments of the episode, the predictability which was so dominant throughout vacated, as Boomer shockingly shoots Cmdr. Adama upon being congratulated for the destruction of the Cylon Battlestar. It might have been the predictability of the previous elements, it might have been that another more obvious direction for the show was available. Whatever it was, it was an excellent twist for an already excellent series and has to be classed as one of those "jump out of your seat" moments which are so rarely on television.

Alan Stanley Blair is a writer for Airlock Alpha, contributing from his home country of Scotland. He can be reached at ablair@airlockalpha.com.

EDITOR'S NOTE: "Battlestar Galactica" currently is airing in the United Kingdom on Sky One, as part of that satellite company's agreement with Sci-Fi Channel to produce the series. It recently premiered in the United States on the Sci-Fi Channel, and in Canada on Space, however, those airings are about two months behind the British broadcast.

Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part 2
Battlestar Galactica

Grade: B

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