The Return of Starbuck
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| "The Return of Starbuck" An episode of the Galactica 1980 series | |||
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| Episode No. | Season 1, Episode 10 | ||
| Writer(s) | Glen A. Larson | ||
| Story by | |||
| Director | Ron Satlof | ||
| Assistant Director | |||
| Special guest(s) | Dirk Benedict as Starbuck | ||
| Production No. | 1.10 | ||
| Nielsen Rating | |||
| US airdate |  1980-05-04
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| CAN airdate |  {{{CAN airdate}}}
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| UK airdate | 
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| DVD release | |||
| Population | survivors | ||
| Additional Info | Series Finale | ||
| Full Credits | |||
| Episode Chronology | |||
| Previous | Next | ||
| Space Croppers | The Return of Starbuck | (Series Cancellation) | |
| [[IMDB:tt{{{imdb}}}|IMDb entry]] | |||
| Listing of props for this episode | |||
| Related Media | |||
| @ BW Media | |||
| Promotional Materials | |||
| Online Purchasing | |||
| Amazon: Standard Definition | High Definition | |||
| iTunes: [{{{itunes}}} USA] | |||
Overview
- Doctor Zee relates a dream he had about a pilot called Starbuck to Commander Adama; thus revealing Starbuck's fate.
Summary
Act 1
- Doctor Zee is in Adama's quarters, asking him if he believes that dreams are relevant. Adama replies that some of them are.
- Zee tells Adama that he had a dream that he was neither born aboard Galactica or any of the other ships in the The Fleet. Adama confirms this.
- Zee asks who he is and of his origin; Adama instead asks about his dream.
- Zee relates to Adama that his dream is not about him, but of "a great Warrior" whose name was Starbuck. A shocked Adama stands up and tells Zee to please tell him of the dream.
- Years back, Starbuck and Boomer are on patrol, but are ambushed by Cylon Raiders as part of a "great battle".
- A Raider manages to damage Starbuck's Viper, but is able to execute a reverse thrust and thus the Cylons overshoot him. He then fires on a Raider, destroying one.
- In another, apparently damaged Raider, a Centurion comments that the move is unexpected and that the Warrior is very good; a small consolation, given that they will crash.
- In the battle, Starbuck's Viper is damaged severely, and he realizes he will not be able to make it back to the Fleet, much to Boomer's dismay.
- Boomer offers to stay with Starbuck for as long as he can. Starbuck balks at the offer, noting that the Fleet cannot afford to lose two pilots and their ships. Despite Boomer's insistence that he will get help, Starbuck tells Boomer that his first duty is to warn the Fleet.
- An emotionally distracted Boomer then asks if Starbuck will drift or try to find land; Starbuck affirms the latter. Boomer tells Starbuck to take care of himself, to which Starbuck replies in the affirmative.
- Starbuck tells Boomer to send Cassiopeia and Athena his love; but makes note that "tell them to not sit around waiting, I might like it where I'm going." The conversation is cut short when Starbuck tells Boomer that his support vapors are running low.
- Starbuck tells Boomer that he will be seeing him; Boomer gives his pal a thumb's up, Starbuck returns this gesture.
- Boomer veers off, telling his "dear, dear friend" that "if I could switch places with you, I would".
- Starbuck heads toward a system with three visible planetary bodies.
- Back at Galactica, the battlestar and her Vipers fight of Cylon Raiders.
- In a smoke-filled core command, Boomer tells a clean-shaven Adama that Starbuck is out there and needs their help. An emotional Adama replies that they can't go back for him, and that they would be lucky if they were able to save the Fleet from the Cylon attack.
- In reply to a question to Adama about never coming back, Adama informs Boomer in a raised voice that they can never do so, as there is "no going back, our enemy pushes us on and on and on, and until we're strong enough, or can find Earth and get help, we can never stop, or turn away, or look back!"
- Boomer begins to walk away without a word, but turns around and thanks Adama for his honesty.
- Out beyond the Fleet, Starbuck begins landing procedures on a planet and then crash lands near a sand dune.
Act 2
- In the crash site, Starbuck's Viper cockpit has become an escape pod and jettisoned from the rest of the fuselage; Starbuck is alive, but is whimpering and has a headache. He then thinks the headache is wonderful. "Pain, I love you," he says, thankful to be alive.
- Climbing out of the wreck he discovers nothing but sand and barren rock on this desert planet. He activates his automatic beacon for help he knew would never come, takes a knapsack and begins his trek on the planet, thinking that he may find an oasis, or thousands of primitive people who would worship him like some sort of "winged god from the heavens".
- During his trek, he decides to call the planet "Starbuck", after himself for he discovered it.
- Exploring the terrain for a while, and experiencing some hopelessness, since he only has three days of food rations, Starbuck suddenly happens upon the wreckage of a Cylon fighter from the battle.
- Starbuck surveys the wreckage, asking what he had done to anger the Gods so as to bring Cylons upon the planet Starbuck as well. With his pistol drawn, he surveys the wreckage.
- Later, during a wind storm and cold enough to require a parka, Starbuck begins pulling the Cylon ship apart to construct a shelter.
- After a time, Starbuck decides to cannibalize the robot Cylons and try to rebuild one of them into a functioning Centurion.
- When the task is complete, the Cylon activates and immediately threatens to kill Starbuck. Starbuck manages to win over the huge robot soldier with a combination of persuasion and threats to turn off his power.
- After the Cylon has managed to convince Starbuck not to switch him off for good, he asks why Starbuck reconstructed him.
- Starbuck explains, rather wanly, that after three days alone, he decided he needed a friend. 'We are enemies,' the Cylon states. 'We're cultural dissidents,' Starbuck rationalizes, since there are only the two of them on this planet.
- Starbuck offers to teach the Cylon everything he knows about humans, in the process names the hulking machine "Cy." He also instructs the Cylon on how to play the Colonial card game pyramid.
- Starbuck grows bored with the card games over time, and Cy realizes that Starbuck is cheating.
- Cy deduces that Starbuck is bored with him, and would prefer the company of a human female. Promising to locate a woman for Starbuck, the Centurion heads out into the bitter cold.
- Feeling guilty, Starbuck searches for the runaway Centurion all night, but is unable to find him.
- Starbuck is shocked when Cy arrives the next morning, carrying an unconscious, pregnant woman in his arms.
- Starbuck attempts to talk to the mysterious woman but she does not respond, just stares without speaking.
- This goes on for a few days, then, out of nowhere the woman asks Starbuck a short question: "Would you die for me?" The woman, named Angela, remains enigmatic and refuses to elaborate on how she came to be on the planet.
- She starts strangely referring to her unborn baby as "our child," referring to her and Starbuck, and indicates a vehicle must be built to transport the baby.
- In part to appease Angela, Starbuck enlists Cy's help in building an escape vessel from the combined wreckage of the Viper and the Cylon Raiders.
- The morning after the baby's birth, Starbuck is shocked to see another Cylon fighter landed close to the crash site. The Cylons apparently picked up the distress beacon, and are coming to investigate.
- Starbuck hustles Angela to the completed hybrid ship and gets her and the baby inside.
- There is no room for both Starbuck and Angela in the ship. Starbuck decides to stay behind, launching the ship manually and letting Angela and the baby go.
- As the ship disappears into the sky, Starbuck is suddenly pinned down by the Cylon laser fire, but is surprised to see Cy appear, carrying his own laser.
- Cy guns down two of the approaching Cylons, but the third gets off a crippling shot before Starbuck drops him, and Cy sinks to the ground, mortally damaged.
- In his dying minutes, Cy describes his relationship with Starbuck as that of friends.
- Dr Zee's voice grows more disturbed as he recounts the progress of the pod towards Galactica, containing the 'incredible gift' of a child from the stars.
- He realizes that the dream was referring to him, and that he is the gift.
- Starbuck's ultimate fate remains unknown.
Notes
- "The Return of Starbuck" is viewed as -- and was -- the last best hope to save Galactica 1980. It failed.
- A majority of the scenes concerning Starbuck and Boomer's battle with Cylons in the first act of this episode are taken from "The Young Lords", spliced with new scenes. A telltale sign that differentiates these scenes is the use of the two-seater Viper canopy in the scenes specifically shot for this episode.
- Had the series been permitted to live, an episode called "The Wheel of Fire" would have seen Starbuck rescued by the Beings of Light to become one of their rank.
- The events leading up to Starbuck's landing on "Planet Starbuck" nearly mirror the events of the teaser for "The Young Lords".
- Much of "The Return of Starbuck" was filmed in Red Rock Canyon State Park, 25 miles northeast of Mojave, California on Highway 14, near Cantil.
Analysis
- While not explicitly stated, this episode takes place between "The Hand of God" and "Galactica Discovers Earth, Part I". Assuming Doctor Zee is ten years of age in Galactica 1980, this episode is set around 1970.
- Both Athena and Cassiopeia are still alive during the events of this episode, though unseen. The whereabouts of other Original Series regulars, such as Sheba, Jolly, Salik and even Muffit remain unstated.
- Despite the Battle at Galaxy's Edge depicted in "The Hand of God", the Cylons still pursue the Fleet ruthlessly and seem to have only extended their sphere of influence.
Questions
Noteworthy Dialogue
- Starbuck's comment after reversing thrust, thus allowing the Cylons to shoot past him:
- Starbuck: Goodbye. Thought I was going to give up and die, huh?
- The Cylons react to Starbuck's sudden maneuver:
- Centurion #1: That was an unexpected move. He is a very good Warrior.
- Centurion Commander: That is a small consolation. We are going to crash.
- Starbuck interacts with his new "friend":
- Starbuck: I've been in charge of this planet for three days and already I've doubled the population. I hereby declare myself president-elect, if that's all right with you.
- Cy: Die, human.
- Starbuck: Don't be ridiculous.
- Starbuck takes gun from Cy:
- Starbuck: You'd think I'd save you and then let you shoot me? Besides, it doesn't work. Here, try it.
- (Starbuck hands weapon back, Cy pulls trigger)
- Starbuck: You really did!
- Adama is forced to leave Starbuck behind:
- Boomer: But sir, we can't just leave him there!
- Adama: Boomer, don't you think I want to go back for him? You think I want to leave someone I love like a son, knowing we'll never see him again? Take a look out there!
- Adama gestures at screen:
- Adama: We'll be lucky if we can save our Fleet!
- Boomer: You mean we can never go back?
- Adama: That is correct! There is no going back! Our enemy pushes us on and on and on! And until we're strong enough or can find Earth and get help, we can never stop or turn away or look back!
- Boomer: Thank you, sir. I appreciate your honesty.
- Adama and the Fleet flee:
- Scan Officer: First enemy wave has been taken back. They're running with our fighters in pursuit.
- Adama: Order our fighters to break off and let them run! Fleet is to proceed ahead at flank speed!
- Adama's goodbye to Starbuck:
- Adama: Goodbye, Starbuck. I love you. We all love you.
Official Statements
Guest stars
- Patrick Stuart as Doctor Zee
- Herbert Jefferson Jr. as Boomer
- Judith Chapman as Angela
- Rex Cutter as "Cy"
- Gary Owens as "Cy" (voice)
- Ellen Gurkin as Girl on Bridge