Ep 3. Bastille Day

In the third episode of Battlestar Galactica season 1, titled "Bastille Day," tensions rise on the Galactica as the crew faces an unexpected threat.

The episode begins with the Galactica receiving a distress signal from a prison transport ship, the Astral Queen. The ship's prisoners have overtaken the crew and taken control of it. The Galactica sends a team to investigate, led by Commander Adama and his son, Lieutenant Apollo.

As they arrive on the Astral Queen, they find a group of prisoners led by Tom Zarek, a former political activist who was imprisoned for inciting riots. Zarek sees the current situation as an opportunity to gain control of the ship and demands that Adama release the prisoners in exchange for the Astral Queen's crew.

Adama refuses and decides to negotiate with Zarek, hoping to find a peaceful solution. Meanwhile, tensions rise on the Galactica as the crew becomes agitated by the situation. Some, like Chief Tyrol, sympathize with the prisoners' cause and begin to question the authority of the military leaders.

As negotiations continue, it becomes clear that Zarek has no intention of reaching a peaceful resolution. He begins to rally the prisoners and plans to use the Astral Queen as a weapon against the Galactica. In response, Adama decides to take matters into his own hands and leads a daring rescue mission to retake the ship.

The episode is filled with intense action and drama as the Galactica crew is forced to confront the limits of their power and authority. The conflict between Adama and Zarek encapsulates the show's central themes of leadership, morality, and survival.

Overall, "Bastille Day" is a captivating episode of Battlestar Galactica that sets the stage for the series' larger narrative arc. It showcases the show's incredible writing, acting, and production values and leaves viewers eager to see what comes next.