Poor Starbuck. Serves her right for trusting Gaius Baltar.

Oh, did I mention that spoilers abound? Read at your own risk.

For a moment of night we have a glimpse of ourselves and of our world islanded in a stream of stars – pilgrims of mortality, voyaging between horizons across the eternal seas of space and time.

That quote is from Henri Beston, from his book, “The Outermost House.”

It has such resonance for last night’s episode.

The Galactica is, itself, an island in the sea of stars, and also is islanded – stranded – in the sea of stars, as it has nowhere to go and is about to fall apart.

And they are “pilgrims of mortality,” with Starbuck the harbinger of death and, herself, dead. Or not.

OK, I have to tackle this episode character by character, as I usually do, or else my pea brain might just explode.

Boomer

I knew it. Boomer does actually love the Chief. Her pretend projected world on Picon was not just a ruse to mislead Tyrol. She loved him, dreamed up a whole place where she could be with him.

With no chance of ever being accepted back in the Fleet and no desire to truly be a part of the Cylon world, she created her own world. Eventually, seeing she had no chance to ever be with Tyrol (New Caprica pretty much solidified that for her), she decided if she was going to be a Cylon, she was going to be CYLON. She aligned herself with Cavil.

Still, she loves Tyrol. If she could be accepted as human again, she’d do it in a heartbeat. But she knows it’ll never happen.

And so she sees in Hera the child she never got to have with Tyrol. She didn’t want to, and that’s why she treated her like so much cargo. But in the end, she saw this child, this frightened child. And Hera knows that – so she calls to Boomer.

Cavil

I’m not exactly sure what he wants from Hera. Is he looking for a way to use Hera to unlock resurrection? To unlock procreation? As a tool? As a guinea pig to dissect?

By the way, wtf is that ship/facility that Cavil is in? Was that the ship the Final Five traveled in to find the 12 Colonies? Whatever it was, it was very cool.

Baltar & Caprica Six

Caprica Six has, indeed, changed. When she brought Athena and Hera back to the fleet those many episodes ago, she knew she’d be thrown in the brig. But she accepted it.

She no longer harbored any feelings for Baltar, seeing him as she did on New Caprica and with his “harem,” and feeling what she did for Tigh – though, I can’t say I’m sure exactly what’s up between them anymore. Are they even still together now that Ellen’s back and Caprica Six miscarried?

By the way, I honestly believe that Baltar still has these intense feelings for Caprica Six and that wasn’t an act.

Ellen & Saul Tigh

What’s up with that?

OK, I totally think Kate Vernon needs to win an Emmy.

I liked Ellen Tigh again this week.

She does so love Saul. And she loves her “children.” She really sees this as the future of her race that she tried so hard to save.

Ellen isn’t merely a Cylon. She’s truly something more. She’s not the One True God, or anything, but she is definitely what that god is working through.

Anders

He has become a hybrid in some weird way. I mean, he’s still a Cylon, but he’s echoing everything the hybrids have said. What is going on in his head? Was his reaction to Starbuck the goo pool talking or was that just the only words he could get out to tell her not to kill him?

And, note, he did say Starbuck was the “harbinger of death,” not of the apocalypse. She is death. And, apparently, she’s also dead.

Starbuck

OK, I had to do her last, because if I had started with her, I’d never have gotten off her.

First off, love her sitting on the can while talking to Baltar (who’s seeing Head Six). And nice, Baltar, pretending you don’t remember the name of the woman who called out another man’s name while you were having sex with her. Right.

Anyhow, I actually thought it was kind of nice to see him being a scientist again in studying Starbuck’s dog tags. And I understand why she went to him. She couldn’t go to Doc Cottle. He had his hands full with lots of dying and injured Colonials and Cylons, and she couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t tell anyone.

Of course, Baltar went and told EVERYone. Loved it when she slapped him.

But I’m glad he blurted it all out. Honestly, I grew tired of no one knowing what was up with Starbuck. At least it’s out in the open now. She died on Earth. She is still among the Colonials, but how? We will know the truth, they promise.

So where do we stand now?

Starbuck’s photo is finally up on the memorial wall – for good – between Kat & Dee. And she’s OK with it.

Lee’s still all in love with her, but she’s all in on Anders.

Galactica’s falling apart, Roslin’s dying and Adama’s finally going to move it all over to the Base Star, the only ship in the fleet that can defend it. (I was a bit disappointed that Adama just did the whole “scream and freak out and trash my quarters” thing again this episode.)

We’re hurtling toward some sort of ending that’s not going to satisfy anyone.

And you know what? I’m pretty good with that. At this point, I think I don’t want a satisfactory ending. I want an ending that’s uncomfortable and sad and wholly unsatisfactory – but completely satisfactory in an unsatisfactory way.