Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part Ⅱ

Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II is the ultimate episode of Season 1 of the 2004 TV series Battlestar Galactica.
==Plot==
=== Teaser ===
The teaser reminds the viewer of Karl "Helo" Agathon's identification of Sharon "Boomer" Valerii on Caprica as a Cylon and that he has shot and wounded her. We also flashback to the discovery of a planet with oceans and continents which is hoped to be Kobol, and then see the Cylon attack on the Raptors of the team which is sent to survey Kobol. Against her Commander's wishes, President Roslin asks Lieutenant Kara "Starbuck" Thrace to go to Caprica to retrieve an ancient icon. 
On Kobol, the crashed Raptor team escapes from the blazing wreck of the ship. Dr Gaius Baltar is nearly engulfed by the flames but is led out by a vision of his Number Six and is rescued by Crashdown. He falls to the ground in a crucifix-like pose. 
=== Act 1===
On Caprica, the Type Eight Caprica-Sharon directs Helo to the Delphi Museum of the Colonies, emphasising that it is where the Arrow of Apollo is kept. This is an important icon, Caprica-Sharon says, because it may help to find the location of Earth. Caprica-Sharon convinces Helo that he needs her if he has any chance of getting back to Galactica. 
Back on Galactica, Colonel Tigh and Commander Adama are discussing Starbuck's taking the captured Cylon Raider to Caprica using an unauthorised jump. President Roslin confirms that she encouraged this act of insubordination and the pursuit of the Arrow of Apollo. Commander Adama asks for President Roslin's resignation for encouraging this act, then, when she refuses, threatens a military coup with the intent of removing her from office. The press corps overhear this exchange. The Commander prepares a strike team to board Colonial One and take the President into custody. 
Commander Adama also needs to eliminate a Cylon basestar. He convinces Galctica-Sharon to undertake the mission using a Cylon transponder to avoid detection. Meanwhile, the strike team is readied to assault Colonial One. 
On the captured Cylon Raider, Starbuck congratulates herself that she has successfully jumped to near Caprica, - her home planet. The transponder conceals her from other Cylon Raiders. Down on Caprica, Caprica-Sharon explains to Helo that their relationship is important, and she genuinely has feelings for him, because it brings them closer to God. Helo is scepitical. Much to his shock, Caprica-Sharon tells Helo that she is pregnant. 
Galactica-Sharon and Racetrack in the Raider jump to near Kobol to assault the Cylon basestar. The transponder enables them to get close without detection or intervention. Meanwhile, the strike team prepares to board Colonial One and begins to cut through the hull. Simultaneously, on Caprica, Starbuck has landed the Raider near the Delphi Museum of the Colonies in preparation to retrieve the Arrow of Apollo. She goes inside the ruined building, pausing to take some anti-radiation drugs.
On Kobol, Crashdown covers the body of Cartman who was killed earlier in the mission. Chief Galen Tyrol and Crewman Specialist Cally Henderson are tending to a badly injured crewman. 
=== Act 2===
Racetrack, flying with Galactica-Sharon says that the bomb bay is malfunctioning and she can't fire the nuke at the Cylon basestar. Galactica-Sharon says she will dock the ship inside the basestar, manually drop the nuke, and jump the ship back to Galactica. After landing, Galactica-Sharon leaves the ship to investigate the problem with the bomb bay, and to manually release the nuke. As she does so, she is surrounded by multiple versions of herself as Number Eights. She is confused by this as she is clearly programmed to think of herself as human. Having deployed the nuke, she rushes back into the ship. She has left her helmet. She tells Racetrack to not look back, knowing she will see the multitude of Sharon-Number Eights. As the captured Raider speeds off and jumps back to Caprica, the basestar explodes spectacularly. Sharon reports the success to Galactica. 
On Cobol, flitting in and out of consciousness, Dr Gaius Baltar is visited by his Head Six. Number Six explains why Baltar was specially chosen by her from all humans. Head Six leads Baltar in a dream state towards a ruined temple. 
The Galactica marines strike team enters Colonial One. There is a standoff between the President's security and the strike team. Colonel Tigh and Captain Leland "Apollo" Adama enter the Presidential chamber. Colonel Tigh says he is putting President Roslin under arrest. But Apollo removes his firearm, aims it at Tigh, and tells the strike force to put down their weapons. Colonel Tigh tells Apollo that what he is doing is mutiny. Eventually, Roslin tells her men to lower their arms. The marines of the strike team arrest Apollo and remove him from the ship. Roslin allows herself to be taken into custody. Tigh tells Commander Adama of Apollo's so-called act of mutiny. 
On Caprica, Starbuck retrieves the Arrow of Apollo but is confronted by a Number Six. They fight. The Number Six is significantly stronger than Starbuck. But eventually Starbuck kills the Number Six by launching her down a level and using her to cushion her fall whilst driving a knife into her. Helo and Caprica-Sharon see this. Helo goes to Starbuck to make sure she is okay. They are pleased to see each other. When Starbuck sees Caprica-Sharon she realises she must be a Cylon, and tried to shoot her. Helo stops her and tells her she mustn't hurt Caprica-Sharon as she is pregnant with his child. 
=== Act 3 ===
On Kobol, the Head Six takes Dr Gaius Baltar into the ruined temple which becomes reconstructed in his imagination as he enters into an ornate opera hall. He walks hand-in-hand with the Number Six to the altar/stage. The Head Six tells Baltar he is the protector of the next generation of God's children and leads him onto the stage to a lighted crib in which is, she says, their daughter. 
Back on Galactica, President Roslin is imprisoned in the brig. Apollo, handcuffed, is guarded by a squad of marines. Galactica-Sharon and Racetrack return after their successful bombing mission and are congratulated by members of the crew, and then by Commander Adama. Adama reaches out to shake Sharon's hand and she reaches out likewise, but instead draws a gun and shoots the Commander twice. She is tackled by security. Sharon is somewhat mystified by her own act and her conscious mind is clearly somewhat divorced from her unconscious. Captain Leland "Apollo" Adama tries to preserve his father's life. Commander Adama is splayed out like a crucifix reflecting the earlier pose of Baltar, and the scene is intercut with shots of the ruined temple on Kobol.
==Cast==
*Edward James Olmos as Commander William Adama
*Mary McDonnell as President of the Twelve Colonies Laura Roslin
*Katee Sackhoff as Lieutenant Kara "Starbuck" Thrace
*Jamie Bamber as Captain Lee "Apollo" Adama
*James Callis as Doctor Gaius Baltar
*Tricia Helfer as 
**Messenger Six
**Number Six
*Grace Park as 
**Lieutenant Sharon "Boomer" Valerii
**Sharon Agathon
**Number Eights
*Michael Hogan as Colonel Saul Tigh
*Aaron Douglas as Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol
*Tahmoh Penikett as Lieutenant Karl "Helo" Agathon
*Kandyse McClure as Petty Officer Anastasia Dualla
*Paul Campbell as Billy Keikeya
*Alessandro Juliani as Lieutenant Felix Gaeta
*Sam Witwer as Lieutenant Alex "Crashdown" Quartararo
*Lorena Gale as Elosha
*Alonso Oyarzun as Specialist D. Socinus
*Nicki Clyne as Specialist Calandra Henderson
*Jim Shield as Lieutenant Cohen "Karma" Baker
*Warren Christie as Tarn
*Jen Halley as Specialist Diana Seelix
*Leah Cairns as Lieutenant Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson
==Appearances==
===Characters===
*Lee "Apollo" Adama
*William Adama
*Karl "Helo" Agathon
*Gaius Baltar
*Anastasia Dualla
*Felix Gaeta
*Calandra Henderson
*Billy Keikeya
*Number Eight
**Sharon "Boomer" Valerii
**Sharon Agathon
*Number Six
**Messenger Six
*Laura Roslin
*Saul Tigh
*Kara "Starbuck" Thrace
*Galen Tyrol
===Locations===
*Cyrannus Star System
**Caprica
***Delphi
****Delphi Museum of the Colonies
*The Fleet
===Species===
*Cylon
**Centurion
**Humanoid Cylon
**Raider
*Human
===Technology===
*FTL
*Wireless
===Vehicles and vessels===
*Basestar
*Colonial One
*Galactica
*Raider
*Raptor
*Viper
===Organizations===
*Colonial Fleet
*Colonial Government
*Colonial Marine Corps
==Notes==
*The title is a reference to the line in "The Star-Spangled Banner" - "What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,".
*Ronald D. Moore recorded a podcast, which can be found here.
== Gallery ==
== Further notes ==
==Sources ==
== External links ==
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