The Return of Starbuck

"The Return of Starbuck" An episode of the Galactica 1980 series
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
CAN airdate	{{{CAN airdate}}}
UK airdate
DVD release
Population	survivors
Additional Info	Series Finale
Full Credits
Episode Chronology
Previous		Next
Space Croppers	The Return of Starbuck	(Series Cancellation)
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Listing of props for this episode
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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. An officer notifies Adama that the Vipers want permission to pursue the retreating Cylons, but he orders that they land immediately and the Fleet increase to flank speed.

• He says his tearful farewell to Starbuck, telling him both that he loves him and that they all love him.

• Out beyond the Fleet, Starbuck begins landing procedures as he approaches a planet and then crash lands on a sand dune.

• 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. None of the Centurions appear to be functional.

• Later, during a wind storm and cold enough to require a parka, Starbuck begins pulling the Cylon ship apart to construct a shelter. He starts a fire with his laser pistol and wonders if his being marooned on the planet is repayment for every selfish act he's ever done.

Act 2

• In the morning, Starbuck talks to the "dead" Cylons to give them his orders of the day. He wants the area whitewashed, boundaries manicured and the uniform of the day will be "polished metallic". They'll dine at dusk in dress silvers, and he'll expect some form of entertainment.

• One of the Cylons falls out of its chair. Starbuck whips around with his pistol drawn, telling the Cylon never to do that again. He adds that they speak only when spoken to and they speak directly to him and never amongst themselves.

• He asks if they have any questions. The Cylons do not reply and Starbuck says he's heading to headquarters. They may continue with their duties.

• Of the Cylons, Starbuck says they are a loose group and it would take some time to whip them into shape.

• On the third day, Starbuck decides to cannibalize the Centurions and try to rebuild one into a functioning unit to deal with his boredom. Starbuck runs a line of wire from the Cylon to the Raider wreck.

• 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.

Starbuck in The Return of Starbuck

Cy in The Return of Starbuck

• 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 asks the Cylon if he's ever heard of a Colonial card game called pyramid. Cy replies in the negative and Starbuck comments that Cy has all the makings of a perfect companion.

• As Cy and Starbuck create a table outside the encampment, Cy and Starbuck discuss the Cylon Empire and its quest for perfection. Starbuck asks how the Cylons can have an empire without love and the two different sexes. Cy notes that in the Cylons' studies of humans, they noted that women were weaker then men. Starbuck replies that they have other strengths and tend to live longer than men.

• Starbuck gets uncomfortable and asks to change the subject. After Cy asks if he's irritated Starbuck, he replies that he just doesn't want to talk about women anymore and proceeds to teach Cy the Pyramid card game. After making sure the Cylon hasn't played the game before, Starbuck asks Cy to cut the deck, which results in a slightly sloppy mess of cards.

• That night, Cy and Starbuck play Pyramid. Starbuck claims to win, however Cy contests this as he had four pyramids while Starbuck only had three. Starbuck tries to weasel his way out of the discussion, with his grammar being corrected in the process, but Cy notes that Starbuck has grown bored with the card games over time and is thus cheating to keep himself interested.

• Cy adds that he is disappointed and leaves. Starbuck asks himself how does one hurt a Cylon's feelings. Starbuck goes outside into the windy dusk and apologizes to Cy, noting that two weeks on the planet have begun to get to him. Cy realizes that Starbuck would prefer the company of a "woo-man". 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. He notes to himself that had anyone asked him if he were capable of feeling sorry for a Cylon, he would have answered in the negative.

• Starbuck awakens in the morning, but doesn't have the courage to face the day. He tries to go back to sleep, but is shocked when Cy arrives the next morning, carrying an unconscious, pregnant woman in his arms as his "surprise". Cy sets her down on a makeshift rock-ledge bed.

• Starbuck notes that she's alive. Cy comically replies that he believed that Starbuck would have preferred her that way. Starbuck adds that she's a living breathing human being, believing Cy abducted her. Cy replies that since he feels he's betrayed his beliefs already, what is helping another human to that end.

• Starbuck notes that the woman is different, with Cy replying that there "wasn't much of a selection", and tells the Cylon that she's pregnant. After explaining that she's about to birth a child, Cy notes that he is "rapidly being surrounded" by humans.

• Starbuck asks Cy to fetch some water where Starbuck's laser opened an underground stream. Cy replies "by your command", but notes that Starbuck has no authority over him. Cy goes off to get water.

• Starbuck tends to Angela, who is still unconscious.

• Later, Angela is awake, but has not said anything. Starbuck believes she is in some kind of shock, perhaps the last survivor of an entire race. She stands outside with Cy and Starbuck, the latter of whom splits logs with his pistol.

• Despite her apparent inability to talk, Starbuck relates his life story to her. He speaks of his relationship with women, saying that he found it difficult to commit to any one woman and was afraid of getting hurt.

• After piling up logs, Starbuck notes that she's walked away. Cy comments that while he doesn't find Starbuck's stories fascinating, he doesn't walk away at least.

• Starbuck asks if he said something. Cy replies in the negative, "What could I possibly have to say to you, I'm nothing but a machine." Cy walks off as well.

• At night, Cy is turning a hand-crank generator as Starbuck doles out rations, which he notes are rapidly being depleted as they now have two mouths to feed.

• As Starbuck begins eating, the woman asks Starbuck a short question from out of nowhere: "Would you die for me?" Starbuck finds that question odd, particularly for a first question. Starbuck chastises her for not speaking earlier, which she apologizes for. Starbuck notes he's been babbling for seven days; he says he's not only embarrassed but angry. The woman, named Angela, tells him not to be angry.

• Starbuck tells her that he has questions. She happily replies that he can ask her anything he'd like. Asked where she come, Angela answers that she is from a "dimension beyond" and she came in "the usual way". He then inquires about her ship, but she replies that she was dropped off. Starbuck sarcastically posits that she was dumped on the planet because she couldn't pay for her fair, which she finds amusing.

• She leaves. Starbuck vainly tells her not to go out, saying its minus 50 outside. She exits anyway. Starbuck tells Cy that she can't go out there, but Cy notes that she already did.

• After grabbing his parka, Starbuck caustically praises Cy that the Cylon knows how to pick them, saying that she's as "loony as they come". Cy answers that he doesn't know what this means, adding that it's her turn at the generator.

• Starbuck leaves, giving Angela his parka. She then begins 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. She notes that it will not be safe on planet Starbuck for long, noting that the automatic beacon from the Cylon ship will soon bring the Cylons to the planet.

• Starbuck backtracks and asks her about her use of the term "our child". He notes that it would look bad in the Commander's Court, given that they're the only two humans on the planet. She corrects him and mentions that the child is his spiritual child. She asks him if he's ready for progress, asking him if he's spent enough energy and resources on himself.

• Starbuck admits that he was honest in discussing his appetites and bad habits. Angela tells him to put those aside and notes that they must begin making plans at dawn for the ship. If he chooses.

• Angela kisses him on the cheek and heads back toward the shelter.

• 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.

Starbuck cradles Cy

• 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.
• For all his vaunted knowledge, Zee did not know of his origins, at least until these were confirmed by Adama.
• Starbuck's use of the word frack during the battle scene is the first and only instance that the word is used in a Galactica 1980 episode.
• 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.
• The episode is deliberately patterned after "Hell in the Pacific", a story Glen Larson very much admired according to story editor Allan Cole.

Analysis

Continuity

• 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.
  • This also slightly contradicts Dillon's comment in "The Super Scouts, Part I", where he says that the Cylons haven't attacked in a generation. However, Galacticans may consider a generation to be as little as 10 years, not the 20 or 30, which is an average timespan for a generation.
• 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.

The Cylons

• 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.
• As Starbuck discovers in his talks with Cy, Centurions have major flaws:
  • They are incapable of acting independently. According to Cy, the Cylons were reviewing a manual and voting to determine the next steps in avoiding a dangerous crash before the crash finally occurred.
  • Centurions work as a team, each one equal to the other.
    • This is a slight contradiction of information provided in "The Hand of God", where Apollo explains that one Cylon acts as a gunner, another as a pilot, and another as the Raider's commander. However it should be noted that the Cylons voted on what to do, thus the third Cylon would be needed to avoid a 50/50 split in voting.
  • The Cylons have very limited knowledge of humanity, aside from their study of human women, who they found to be "weaker than man, less durable".
• In addition to their flaws, the Cylon Centurions are much more developed in this episode than previous episodes. From dialogue between Starbuck and Cy, the viewer discovers that:
  • Cylons view humanity as, in their words, "evil".
  • Despite their analytical thinking, the Cylons can either exhibit or merely emulate actionable emotions. Cy's emotion of being "disappointed" at Starbuck's cheating at pyramid and previous conversations with Starbuck pertaining to "woo-man" lead Cy to recover Angela, who appears to be a human woman.
  • Cy claims that "internal perfection and order is the goal of the Cylon Empire". However, once this objective is achieved, Cy indicates that they haven't thought much (or at all) beyond that.
  • Cylons are capable of loyalty to those outside of their own race, as exemplified by Cy's defending Starbuck from a Cylon rescue party at the end.

Questions

• Now that the Cylons know about the first crash on planet Starbuck, will they follow up the first rescue mission with a second?
• What happened to Starbuck?
• Where is Apollo during this time?
• What is the status of the Fleet?
• What would have happened next had the series continued?

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.

• 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.

• Starbuck interacts with his new "friend":

Starbuck: Well, this is a grand day! Only been in charge of this planet for three days and already I've doubled the population! I do 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. See. (pulls trigger, seizing sound) Here, try it.

(Starbuck hands weapon back, Cy pulls trigger)

Starbuck: You really did!

• Starbuck chides Cy over the Raider's landing:

Starbuck: So, what happened during the landing?

Cy: The situation did not compute.

Starbuck: So you didn't know what to do. What happened next? (jokingly) Someone whip out the manual.

Cy: Yes. The Manual did not help.

Starbuck: (gives Cy an odd look) What'd you do when it came time for a little personal initiative?

Cy: We were taking a vote when the ground came up and hit us.

• Starbuck introduces himself to Cy:

Starbuck: Starbuck. Just call me Starbuck. Just like this planet your on. This planet is called Starbuck.

Cy: What an interesting coincidence.

Official Statements

• Allan Cole discusses how this episode came to be:

Allan Cole: Basically, GL [Glen Larson] was tired and pissed off. [Galactica 1980] was never the show he wanted to do. And he and Dirk Benedict were always pretty tight. He talked Dirk into coming back to do one last episode. Which was basically a two-man radio play. Personally, I think it was the only decent episode in the series and showed what GL could have done if they had let him alone.

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 Gerken (as "Ellen Gurkin") as Girl on Bridge

External Links

• Return of Starbuck entry on Sheba's Galaxy site

• Planet Starbuck filming location webpage

• Return of Starbuck review on TV Obscurities site