What is the viewing order of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica?

Question

I have watched a few random episodes of BSG here and there and really enjoyed it, but now I want to do it right. I want to go back to the start, and watch it all the way through.

I understand there is the main series, but have also heard of a mini-series, and movies etc. It makes me quite confused, and I have no idea of where to start and in what order I should watch. Can someone please clear this up for me, and give me a list of the entire viewing order?

And all of this has happened before, and will happen again. BSG is a closed time loop meta trap, and so you can pick up on any episode and watch it circuarly. But the catch is you can never stop watching the loop because otherwise you’ll miss out on the part of plot of it happening again. — Silly but True, Jan 04 '22 at 12:54

score 81 · Accepted Answer · answered May 20 '11 at 13:36

81

I've pulled this from a few forum posts and wikis

Mini-Series (2 parts)
- ...
Season 1 (13 eps)
- ...
Season 2 (20 eps)
- ...
- 2.17 the Captain's Hand
- Razor (movie)
- Razor Flashbacks (7 part web series)
- 2.18 Downloaded
- ...
The Resistance (10 part web series)
- ...
Season 3 (20 eps)
- ...
Season 4 (19 eps)
- ...
- 4.11 Sometimes a Great Nation
- The Face of the Enemy (10 part web series)
- 4.12 A Disquiet Follows My Soul
- ...
- 4.15 No Exit
- The Plan (movie) *
- 4.16 DeadLock
- ...
- 4.19 Daybreak (end of series)

(*) The Plan is technically a flash back of season 1&2 from the cylon POV (that was released after the end of the series) but many have suggested that due to it also explaining details about the final 5 it's best to watch it before or after "4.15 No Exit" which first exposes the history of the 5. My personal view is it works best after.

answered May 20 '11 at 13:36

Alan Barber

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Alan! That's a great breakdown of where to start. Thanks. – Travis May 20 '11 at 15:50
Great answer! And thanks for putting the web series' in there too, I would not have known about those. – Adam Harte May 20 '11 at 23:34
100% correct. Good job. (As for "The Plan", think of it as most definitely after the series in production and narrative order, but presented in flashback format. As opposed to being "part of" Seasons 1/2.) – Lightness Races in Orbit May 21 '11 at 00:33
I would not watch Razor in that location. I would watch it in air order, so after Season 3. It's not crucial to the plot to do so (except for a little Kara Thrace foreshadowing), but that's how its intended. And it doesn't exactly strain the imagination to watch it as a flashback. Interesting idea to move The Plan, though; I quite like that. – Lightness Races in Orbit Sep 08 '15 at 11:48
Just a warning, The Plan hints pretty blatantly whom the last of the original five Cylons is. At episode 15 of season 4 you will not know who this is. Whether or not that is a spoiler will be at your own discretion but taking this viewing order in advice I probably would not recommend The Plan until much later in season 4 or entirely after it. – Jared Dec 14 '15 at 01:32
Actually, in 4.11 Sometimes a Great Notion it is revealed who the 5th original Cylon is, according to the Wikipedia entry for that character. – CigarDoug Mar 14 '16 at 19:55
@LightnessRacesinOrbit Re:The Plan, it works perfectly following S4E15 because that is the episode where we get a lot of discussion between Cavil and the resurrected Ellen, and lots of discussion and exposition about the past. E15 is very much focused on explaining the past, especially Cavi'sl and Ellen's and the Final Five's past, and it is great to follow that up with The Plan which focuses a lot on Cavil, his plans, and the Final Five. You can't watch The Plan before E15 as it would spoil too much, and watching it after E16 would break the intellectual and emotional flow of the narrative. – Daniel Oct 13 '18 at 00:16
@LightnessRacesinOrbit Re: Razor. It works WONDERFULLY just after S2E17. That's right after Lee gets command of the Pegasus, and the events in Razor on one of his first missions in charge of the Pegasus. Also, Razor focuses a lot on the crew and history of the Pegasus, and it is much better to watch that in S2 while the events of Pegasus are still fresh in the mind. Watching Razor between S3 and S4 feels incredibly disjointed, and the Starbuck parts at the end of Razor feel excessively "on the nose" coming right before S4. Have you actually tried doing a complete viewing with Razor in S2? – Daniel Oct 13 '18 at 00:19
@Jared Very wrong. The end of S4E11 reveals the identity of the last of the Final Five. Additionally, S4E15, which you would watch right before The Plan, is almost entirely devoted to backstory and exposition regarding the last of the Final Five. Nothing is spoiled by watching The Plan after S4E15. It works perfectly there. – Daniel Oct 13 '18 at 00:21
@AlanBarber Your list is great and I agree with every part, but I find the elipses kind of confusing. See my version here: https://scifi.stackexchange.com/a/196540/105977 – Daniel Oct 13 '18 at 00:23
@Daniel Yes, I have, and I stand by my comment! The nostalgia factor can't be underestimated and the episode -- despite its place in the chronology -- was produced to be watched after S3. It's a set up for the themes of S4. Of course if you want to watch it in chronological show order then you can – Lightness Races in Orbit Oct 16 '18 at 09:28
@LightnessRacesinOrbit I disagree that "it was produced to be watched after S3". BSG had a very rough outline of a story, but most of it was "made up as we go". Razor is effectively a giant retcon going into S4 and it definitely feels like one. There is no setup or transition following S3 that sets up an extended flashback to S2, nor is there any transition at the end of Razor that brings us back to S4. Watching it in production order is choppy and jarring, as I already said, and is a rather amateurish giant red flag saying "hey remember Starbuck has a destiny?" – Daniel Oct 16 '18 at 17:04
@LightnessRacesinOrbit Puting Razor in its chronological order feels much more believable and organic. Foreshadowing works best it it comes before, and it's nice to have a series of subtle foreshadowings that come before Starbuck's death and return. At most I could agree that it would be nice to splice in a "reminder" of the events of Razor into one of the pre-episode recaps of S4, but Razor itself should be watched in S2. – Daniel Oct 16 '18 at 17:08
@Daniel We'll have to agree to disagree. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the show in its original order! – Lightness Races in Orbit Oct 16 '18 at 17:48
@LightnessRacesinOrbit I enjoyed it in its original production order. I enjoyed it more in chronological order. I just take issue with your assertion that it's "meant" to be watched in production order. I'd only buy that if they had planned from the beginning to produce Razor between S3 and S4, instead of the far more likely scenario where they said, "hm, we should go back and add some retroactive foreshadowing to strengthen the Starbuck's destiny plot that we just now fleshed out for S4." – Daniel Oct 16 '18 at 18:54
I would actually add on to that list: watch Caprica first (yes I know it was cancelled, but it gives a good perspective for the earlier days and how some of the BSG characters became who they were), then watch Blood and Chrome, then continue with the above-mentioned list. – MissouriSpartan Jan 06 '19 at 03:47
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@Missouri Anyone who watches Caprica and/or Blood and Chrome first might not even make it to BSG because the quality in storytelling for both of those productions is so, so far below the main run of BSG. The BSG miniseries is already a 3-hour slog for many people (the miniseries is good, but not great, and a little bit slow), and now you want to put an entire season and another movie of mediocre-quality story before they get to the real meat? I highly disagree with this. Watch BSG first, and then if you need more, watch Caprica and/or Blood and Chrome - but I really don't recommend either. – Daniel Oct 25 '19 at 05:05

Django Reinhardt · Answer 2 · 2020-12-18T00:03:49.313

Hmm. It appears that the accepted answer on this page was largely taken from my Battlestar Galactica Viewing Order, which I created nearly four years ago :(

My episode order was the first to take into account all the BSG extras, like the web series, deleted scenes, extended episodes, etc. It was also the first to suggest placement of Razor and The Plan in the positions mentioned in the other answer. There was no other such list on the internet at the time.

My list was (and still is) the first result in Google if you search for "Battlestar Galactica viewing order". And two months prior to the other answer being posted, it was even featured on an episode of TekZilla.

It's surprising that my answer didn't come up in the other answerer's research, because if it did, I'd like to think he would have given credit where it was due... Hmm.

Anyway... here's almost all of my original blogpost. (The original viewing order is even longer -- if you're looking for the most comprehensive and spoiler-free guide on the internet, I'd recommend checking it out: Battlestar Galactica Viewing Order (No spoilers!))

Battlestar Galactica Viewing Order

The Miniseries

Night 1
Night 2

Season 1

1.01 33
1.02 Water
1.03 Bastille Day
1.04 Act of Contrition
1.05 You Can't Go Home Again
1.06 Litmus
1.07 Six Degrees of Separation
1.08 Flesh and Bone
1.09 Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down
1.10 The Hand of God
1.11 Colonial Day
1.12 Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I
1.13 Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part II

Season 2

2.01 Scattered
2.02 Valley of Darkness
2.03 Fragged
2.04 Resistance
2.05 The Farm
2.06 Home, Part I
2.07 Home, Part II
2.08 Final Cut
2.09 Flight of the Phoenix
2.10 Pegasus (56 minute extended version)
2.11 Resurrection Ship, Part I
2.12 Resurrection Ship, Part II
2.13 Epiphanies
2.14 Black Market
2.15 Scar
2.16 Sacrifice
2.17 The Captain's Hand

Razor (101 minute extended version - not the 81 minute broadcast version) TV movie. If you have this on DVD or Bluray, you have the extended version.

Important note: This was originally broadcast just before Season 4, but chronologically it fits here, telling more of the Pegasus's story. Some people argue it's better to watch after Season 3, as originally broadcast, but it makes most sense to watch it here.

Optional: Razor Flashbacks

Note: This was billed as a "seven episode web series", but really they are just deleted scenes from the shorter broadcast version of Razor. In fact, most of these scenes are now reintegrated into the extended version of Razor (the one on DVD and Bluray), making what's left even more unessential.

2.18 Downloaded
2.19 Lay Down Your Burdens, Part I
2.20 Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II

The Resistance A 10 episode web-based series bridging seasons 2 and 3. (25 mins.) This should be included on your DVDs/Blurays, but if it's not, and you're in the US, you can watch it here.

Season 3

3.01 Occupation
3.02 Precipice
3.03 Exodus, Part I
3.04 Exodus, Part II
3.05 Collaborators
3.06 Torn
3.07 A Measure of Salvation
3.08 Hero
3.09 Unfinished Business (70 minute extended version)
3.10 The Passage
3.11 The Eye of Jupiter
3.12 Rapture
3.13 Taking a Break From All Your Worries
3.14 The Woman King
3.15 A Day in the Life
3.16 Dirty Hands
3.17 Maelstrom
3.18 The Son Also Rises
3.19 Crossroads, Part I
3.20 Crossroads, Part II

Season 4

4.01 He That Believeth In Me
4.02 Six of One
4.03 The Ties That Bind
4.04 Escape Velocity
4.05 The Road Less Traveled
4.06 Faith
4.07 Guess What's Coming to Dinner?
4.08 Sine Qua Non
4.09 The Hub
4.10 Revelations

Season 4 Continued (aka "Season 4.5" or "The Final Season")

4.11 Sometimes a Great Notion

The Face of the Enemy A 10 episode web-based series (although it plays together like an intense mini-episode). (36 mins.) These episodes have not been included on any DVD or Bluray releases :( I highly recommend you try and track them down as they add some important details to the continuing story.

4.12 A Disquiet Follows My Soul (53 minute extended version)
4.13 The Oath
4.14 Blood on the Scales
4.15 No Exit

The Plan (DVD/Bluray movie) A stand-alone movie that shows (approximately) the first two seasons from the Cylons' perspective. (You finally get to see "The Plan", mentioned all those times in the opening sequence!) Although The Plan was originally released after the show had finished, it is generally agreed that it should be watched here, so that everything is all tied up when you do reach the end.

4.16 Deadlock
4.17 Someone to Watch Over Me
4.18 Islanded In a Stream of Stars (62 minute extended version - only on BluRay releases)
4.19 Daybreak (150 minute extended version - only on BluRay releases)

Post BSG:

Caprica An entire TV series set 58 years before the events of Battlestar Galactica, and revealing the events surrounding the creation of the Cylons. (Although it's worth noting that you don't have to have seen BSG to watch Caprica... and some people have decided to watch this series first, even though it was produced after BSG had finished.)

Blood and Chrome This was potentially a whole new show at one stage, but it appears to be now just a stand-alone TV/web movie. The story follows the exploits of a young William Adama during the First Cylon War, and is considered a sequel to Caprica and a prequel to Battlestar Galactica.

As stated before, you can view this reading order in much more detail (and without spoilers) on my blog. Thanks.

@MichaelHampton "Catch the Frak Up" is a clip show to help people who have forgotten details from the main storyline "catch up" with that's going on. It's not part of the series chronology. It is designed to be watched after "Revelations", i.e. before Season 4.5. It's only a recap, though. It doesn't add anything you haven't already seen, but it is amusing. — Django Reinhardt, Jun 03 '15 at 14:43
I like the skeleton of your recommendations, but the details are uneccessary and overly complex. — Daniel, Oct 12 '18 at 23:43

score 8 · Answer 3 · answered May 20 '11 at 12:09

8

The easiest way to do it is to just get the DVDs or watch it through Netflix. If you get all the DVDs, they're in order.

The mini-series came first, then the series.

Aside from that, there are two movies, "Razor" and "The Plan." "Razor" comes after season 3 and before season 4. I suppose one could make justifications for it coming at other times, but that's also the time when it was originally aired.

"The Plan" is best to wait until afterwards. It's essentially a re-telling of many of the events from the Cylon point of view. Personally, I don't feel it added much to the series, but that's just my opinion.

answered May 20 '11 at 12:09

Tango

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I kept waiting for some revelation or interesting thing to come out of "The Plan" but it was just a clip show, really. – geoffc May 20 '11 at 14:28
1

The Plan was a huge let-down IMO, it's really hap-hazard and kind of low-quality. – Mark Rogers May 20 '11 at 14:29
1

I think the only thing "The Plan" added to the whole story came out in the conversation between the two characters that were about to be executed. – Tango May 20 '11 at 15:09
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"The Plan" made the cylons look like total idiots and screw ups. – Tangurena May 20 '11 at 16:16
2

@Tangurena: Well... they were. Anyway, IMO, the best part of The Plan was the invasion sequence. Whoo! – Lightness Races in Orbit May 21 '11 at 00:35
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The Plan was a great opportunity to enjoy Cylon No. 1, who is given among the best performances in the entire series, and is a very interesting character. I am thankful for the movie. – tshepang Dec 29 '11 at 08:18
The Plan should be viewed in Season 4, between Episodes 15 and 16 – Daniel Oct 12 '18 at 23:59
And Razor should be viewed in Season 2, between Episodes 17 and 18 – Daniel Oct 13 '18 at 03:18
That's where they both make the most sense chronologically.
Razor is a retcon that was broadcast between Season 3 and 4, but actually takes places in Season 2, and that's where it should be viewed.

The Plan is not that great, as you said, and so it is anticlimactic to watch it after the climactic ending of the show. It's better to get it out of the way where it makes sense chronologically, and then finish the show with the big bang of the Series Finale.
– Daniel Nov 22 '18 at 00:00

Daniel · Answer 4 · 2023-10-10T02:59:52.490

Battlestar Galactica Viewing Order

Complete & Simplified

_{^{Note: The following viewing order is fundamentally the same as both answers above, just with cleaner formatting, and without any superfluous notes and explanations. It is intended for a first-time viewer who cannot and does not need to know or debate the finer points of why a certain viewing order is preferred. If you are interested in that nitty-gritty detail and discussion, then feel free to consult the more detailed answer above, and the many, many comments throughout, but BEWARE: SPOILERS ABOUND.

There are no spoilers in this viewing order.}}

BSG Series Viewing Order Begins

Miniseries _{^{(parts 1 and 2)}}
Season 1, Episodes 1 - 13 _{^{(33 through Kobol's Last Gleaming, parts 1 and 2)}}
Season 2, Episodes 1 - 9 _{^{(Scattered through Flight of the Phoenix)}}
Season 2, Episode 10 _{^{(Pegasus, extended version)}}
Season 2, Episodes 11 - 17 _{^{(Resurrection Ship, parts 1 and 2 through The Captain's Hand)}}
Razor _{^{(extended version)}}
Season 2, Episodes 18 - 20 _{^{(Downloaded through Lay Down Your Burdens)}}
The Resistance _{^{(ten webisodes, 30-minute total runtime)}}
Season 3, Episodes 1 - 8 _{^{(Occupation through Hero)}}
Season 3, Episode 9 _{^{(Unfinished Business, extended version)}}
Season 3, Episodes 10 - 20 _{^{(The Passage through Crossroads, parts 1 and 2)}}
Season 4, Episodes 1 - 11 _{^{(He That Believeth in Me through Sometimes a Great Notion)}}
The Face of the Enemy _{^{(ten webisodes, 30-minute total runtime)}}
Season 4, Episode 12 _{^{(A Disquiet Follows My Soul, extended version)}}
Season 4, Episodes 13 - 15 _{^{(The Oath through No Exit)}}
The Plan
Season 4, Episodes 16 - 17 _{^{(Deadlock through Someone to Watch over Me)}}
Season 4, Episode 18 (_{^{(Islanded in a Stream of Stars, extended version)}}
Season 4, Series Finale, Episode 19 - 21 _{^{(Daybreak, parts 1 through 3, extended versions)}}

BSG Series Viewing Order Ends

_{^{Notes for streaming services and other versions:}}
_{^{* Updated for 2023: BSG is no longer available for streaming anywhere that I know of, but is still available as a downloadable purchase in a few places. The following notes may be applicable and helpful for downloadable versions or if the show ever pops up on streaming again.}}
_{^{* Some download/streaming services might combine the miniseries into one part - which is fine.}}
_{^{* Some download/streaming services might combine S03E01 and S03E02 into one part - which is fine, but then it does shift all the episode numbers down by one.}}
_{^{* Some download/streaming services might combine S04E19, S04E20, and S03E21 into one part, or recombine them into two parts - which is fine.}}
_{^{* Some download/streaming services list Razor as Episodes 1 and 2 of Season 4, and then the real Episode 1 (in terms of story) and the direct continuation to the cliffhanger ending of S03E20 becomes Episode 3 of Season 4. This is because Razor was produced as the first part of Season 4's production budget, however, it chronologically belongs in Season 2 and storywise it fits perfectly there.}}
_{^{* Some download/streaming services have alternatively listed Razor at the end of Season 3 instead of at the beginning of Season 4, or as a separate movie.}}
_{^{* Some download/streaming services list The Plan at the end of Season 4 instead of as a separate movie.}}
_{^{* Most download/streaming services don't have The Resistance and The Face of the Enemy webisodes at all, nor the extended versions of Razor, nor the extended versions of episodes S02E10, S03E09, S04E12, S04E18, and S04E19-E21. You will have to search some or all of these out if you want the complete story. I've heard that the SyFy streaming service does have the extended versions, but then you also have to deal with the joy of commercials. The best way to get all the available media is by buying the Blu-ray boxsets, but beware that some versions of the boxsets don't have The Plan and unfortunately no versions (except an obscure Japanese release) have The Face of the Enemy. You may have to turn to less savory or more "grey" areas to find some versions. The webisodes, for example, are commonly available on video-sharing websites like youtube.com or dailymotion.com.}}
_{^{* You may find extended versions alternately listed as "Director's Cut", "Unrated" version, or "Uncut" version.}}
_{^{* You may find The Resistance and The Face of the Enemy webisodes in the original release format of ten 3-minute webisodes, or as one 30-minute presentation.}}

Hi there! Could you maybe edit in why this is the order you'd choose? — Jenayah, Oct 13 '18 at 00:15
@Jenayah This is effectively the same order the first two answers suggest. I've only made it shorter, more streamlined, and a little less confusing. I've removed the elipses from the first answer and removed the options and explanations from the second answer. For more insight into my thought processes you can read the comments that I made below the first and second answers. There's basically only two accepted orders in which to watch the show: 1. the broadcast order (meh), 2. the order I've posted above (which is what the other two answers also posted plus some inconsequential details) — Daniel, Oct 13 '18 at 00:29
-1; this is in no way superior to any of the already posted answers. Stripping out the reasoning is not an improvement. — T.J.L., Nov 26 '18 at 20:26
My perspective on this is that the list is for a brand new viewer that has no idea where to start or what to watch or in what order. My list's improvement in comparison to the other two answers is a mixture of improving formatting and streamlining content to make it easier and more clear for a newcomer to understand and follow. My answer in terms of content is actually very similar to the highest rated answer, but I find the excessive use of ellipses to be a little confusing and busy on the eyes, not to mention lacking in clarity. — Daniel, Nov 27 '18 at 04:29
Why do you even need ellipses after the Mini-series or Season 1 for instance? It's just clutter and wasted space. Also, there is a lack of clear starting and ending points. For example, for season 2 my directions are to watch episodes 1 through 9, watch an extended version of episode 10, watch episodes 11 through 17, watch Razor, then watch episodes 18 through 20. There's no way anyone would misunderstand those clear, well-defined steps. — Daniel, Nov 27 '18 at 04:31
In comparison, the top rated answer could possibly be misunderstood to mean that in season 2 you should only watch episode 17, Razor, Razor Flashbacks, and then episode 18. I doubt anyone would actually be that dumb, but the point is you have to infer, or figure out, exactly what all those ellipses mean, and that might result in errors for someone completely new to the show. My only real criticism of that first answer then is the formatting, which I have improved by making the list physically shorter, straight to the point, and with clear beginnings and endings for each step. — Daniel, Nov 27 '18 at 04:31
I think the footnote about The Plan is unnecessary, because a brand new viewer would have no context with which to understand the explanation or the options, but since it is left after the end of the list, it's not a big deal either way. Note that there is a slight difference in content with my list: I expressly alert the reader to the extended versions of episodes, which the new viewer is not made aware of in the first list. Conversely, I don't include the Razor flashbacks because I don't think they add much, and there is no smooth way to include them in a chronological viewing. — Daniel, Nov 27 '18 at 04:34
As for the second answer, I think the main problem is information overload. There's simply too much detail, too many optional viewing choices, too much explanation about why you should watch something in a certain order, and frankly I disagree with some of the suggestions. My specific complaints are: 1. There's no need to list every individual episode, especially when there are no alternate versions. — Daniel, Nov 27 '18 at 04:41

What is the viewing order of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica?

4 Answers4

Battlestar Galactica Viewing Order

Post BSG:

Battlestar Galactica Viewing Order

Complete & Simplified

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