"War of the Gods, Part Ⅱ" is the fourteenth episode of Battlestar Galactica. It premiered on January 21, 1979.
In syndication and on streaming, "War of the Gods, Part Ⅱ" is sometimes listed as the sixteenth episode of the season. This happens when the series premiere episode, "Saga of a Star World", is split into three episodes.
Plot[]
- The following is taken from Wikipedia, and can be found here.
Baltar appears before the Council of the Twelve and is sentenced to life in confinement. He argues and resists, but is powerless against the psychic control exhibited by Count Iblis. Iblis addresses the council and discusses his intention to join the celebrations of Baltar's capture across the fleet. It is proposed that the Quorum elect Count Iblis president, but Adama voices his concerns in order to delay the vote.
Iblis visits Baltar in his cell, addressing him as "old friend", and Baltar recognizes his voice - the voice of the Cylon Imperious Leader. Baltar however is confused by Iblis' observation that he must be a thousand yahrens old if that were so.
Iblis offers Boomer help in beating Apollo's team in Triad, apparently taking Boomer under his influence. Boomer's Blue team wins. Apollo and Starbuck lament their loss and join the celebration in the nightclub setting. Iblis encourages drinking and partying throughout the ship.
Meanwhile, the light orbs swarm around the ship, and Adama is unable to get anyone to react at their stations on the bridge. Tigh informs him that crew members across the ship are stricken with an "overdose of pleasure". None of the pilots respond to the red alert, and Iblis scolds them in their quarters for their disgraceful behavior. Apollo then lunges toward Iblis, and when Adama intervenes, Iblis threatens to take away Adama's command as soon as the Count ascends to the presidency. Adama questions Iblis' fear of the lights, while Iblis counters that he is not afraid of any human nor creature, and that the gods' laws do not apply to him.
Apollo, Starbuck, and Boomer chase the lights in their Vipers, but the deafening ship catches them and takes Boomer. So far the Galactica has lost nine pilots. Adama and Apollo are concerned about Iblis' certain ascendancy to the presidency. Then, Adama proves to Apollo that humans can have similar mind over matter abilities that Iblis has. Adama believes Iblis and the other beings are so advanced that they may have been termed angels by earlier humans.
Apollo and Starbuck return to the planet to examine the wreckage of the ship. Iblis, relaxing with Sheba, senses Adama's thoughts about Apollo's mission and threatens another crew member to Adama. Sheba heads out after Apollo and Starbuck by herself, and arrives just as Apollo and Starbuck stumble upon a frightening secret left in the wreckage. Iblis appears on the planet and commands his power over Sheba. When Apollo fires his pistol at Iblis, the laser passes right through him, and then Iblis strikes Apollo dead with a bolt of energy fired from his hand. Starbuck, in a fit of rage over the death of his friend, draws his laser and fires twice at Iblis, though having no effect. At this point, the strange lights zoom overhead. Iblis looks up, his face clouded in worry and dread. Starbuck asks him why he looks so worried and whether he has broken some divine law by killing Apollo because Apollo would not willingly follow him. Iblis simply tells him that they will meet again. He then transforms again into the devil incarnation and then dematerializes. Starbuck and Sheba, grief-stricken, take Apollo's body and head back to the Galactica in their shuttle.
While returning in the shuttle, Starbuck and Sheba are overtaken by the same ship of lights, appearing inside the ship dressed all in white. Angelic beings lead them to Apollo's body. The angels, as Starbuck calls them, indicate that Apollo was not meant to die and is of great importance. They tell the pair that Iblis had broken their laws by killing someone who would not willingly follow him. They then ask Sheba if she is willing to sacrifice herself for Apollo's sake as he did for hers. She nods yes, crying. They raise him from the dead and tell Starbuck that they are on the same side of a struggle - as humans are, the angels once were. The pilots are all returned to the fleet. Adama has a celebratory dinner where Apollo, Starbuck, and Sheba seem to have little recollection of what happened, except for a sense of light and goodness. A post-hypnotic suggestion causes the three pilots to spontaneously recite the navigational coordinates for "Earth Quadrant Alpha" - an apparent gift from the mysterious beings.
Production[]