(216) Sacrifices

Summary:
Billy returns this episode and proposes to Dualla, who turns him down. We later join her and Lee on Cloud Nine having drinks and discussing Billy as well as their own semi-relationship. While there, the bar is taken by terrorists who threaten to kill the hostages unless Adama turns over Sharron to them. They are led by a woman who believes the fleet is compromised by the cylons and wants revenge for the recent death of her husband during a cylon attack.

Both Adama and Roslin are firm in their decision not to negotiate with terrorists. Starbuck attempts a rescue but it is botched. During the ensuing firefight, Lee is shot by Starbuck and severely injured. When the terrorists threaten to kill Ellen Tigh, Adama agrees to exchange Boomer for the hostages. They bring the body of the original Boomer out from the morgue and deliver it to the bar. After the terrorist leader fires several shots into the body satisfying her anger, they realize that they had been duped and turn to kill the hostages. Colonial marines storm the bar and a firefight ensues. Billy is hit by several rounds and dies. The episode ends with Roslin lamenting his death, Dualla sitting by Lees bedside urging him to fight with Kara watching from the shadows, and Sharon lying on her bunk in her cell.

Review:
This episode will bother some fans due to the death of Billy. Overall, I liked it, though I thought a few parts could have been done a little better. We hadn’t seen much of Billy lately, and it had been hinted that he would be killed off sometime this season. It was nice to see him go out a hero, but I think his death scene was a little short. The interaction between Sharon and Adama show that he is being slowly forced to face the fact that she is more than a machine. It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the rest of the season. The tension level was solid throughout the episode and a number of subplots are set in motion with this episode.

Unresolved Questions:
- How much time occurred since the last episode? Both Lee and Kara seemed much more “up” than in the last 2 episodes, where both seemed ready to drop.
- Lee and Dualla are obviously starting to become an item. Where is this heading?
- Did Kara really shoot Lee by accident? She’s obviously got feelings for him but is confused by them.
 - How much damage has been done to the fledgling relationship between Roslin and Adm. Adama from his gambit?