BSG UNIVERSE VIEWING ORDER:
Watching the Battlestar Galactica universe unfold can be really amazing; it can also be very confusing. Watching BSG on DVD there are special extended cuts; webisodes placed out of order; a tv movie released after Season 3 which should be watched during Season 2 (Razor); another tv movie set in Season 2 which should only be viewed after much of Season 4 (The Plan); one prequel series that was cancelled after one season (Caprica) with another prequel series still in the works (Blood & Chrome) - and all of it fits together, but how? This viewing order will guide you through such confusions and prevent you from being spoiled for the major plot twists that make BSG one of the most rewarding television shows to watch for the first time, or to rewatch and re-explore.
BEFORE BATTLESTAR GALACTICA:
Caprica:
Caprica is set 18 years before the Razor flashbacks that mark the end of the First Cylon / Colonial War; 58 years Before The Fall depicted in the Battlestar Galactica Miniseries. For those fans worried that viewing Caprica before BSG will spoil BSG, in my opinion, that's not something you need to worry about. The series is about as different from BSG as it's possible to be, yet set in the same universe - while being set far enough in the past that it can't ruin much of anything of BSG that wasn't revealed in the very first episode. However, if you want to view BSG first, that's a completely valid choice.
If you do decide to watch Caprica, and you're watching the Caprica pilot on DVD...when inserting the disc, skip all previews as they do contain SPOILERS for future Battlestar Galactica episodes. There is also a television version of the pilot that features slightly less violence, no nudity, inserts 1 new scene, plus several new effects shots establishing different locals on Caprica. I'd go with the DVD version, though both are worth seeing I think.
Caprica - Season 1.0:
01
1x01
Caprica: The Movie [Extended DVD Cut - 93 Minutes]
02 1x02 Rebirth [January 29, 2010]
03 1x03 The Reins of a Waterfall [February 5, 2010]
04 1x04 Grave Dancing [February 19, 2010]
05 1x05 There is Another Sky [February 26, 2010]
06 1x06 Know Thy Enemy [March 5, 2010]
07 1x07 The Imperfections of Memory [March 12, 2010]
08 1x08 Ghosts in the Machine [March 19, 2010]
09 1x09 End of Line [March 26, 2010] (mid-season finale)
Caprica -
Season 1.5:
10 1x10 Unvanquished [October 5, 2010]
11 1x11 Retribution [October 12, 2010]
12 1x12 Things We Lock Away [October 19, 2010]
13 1x13 False Labor [October 26, 2010]
14 1x14 Blowback [December 21, 2010]
15 1x15 The Dirteaters [December 21, 2010]
16 1x16 The Heavens Will Rise [December 21, 2010]
17 1x17 Here Be Dragons [December 21, 2010]
18 1x18 Apotheosis [December 21, 2010] (Series Finale)
Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome (Coming Soon!)
Battlestar Galactica
- The Complete Series:
Season 01, Disc 1:
01 Battlestar Galactica: The Miniseries [183 Minutes]
The Battlestar Galactica miniseries is available as both a single disc release and/or as disc 1 of the Season 1 set. It aired over 2 nights in 2003 - though both installments play as an extended movie on the disc.
Season 01, Disc 2:
02 1x01 33
03 1x02 Water
04 1x03 Bastille Day
05 1x04 Act of Contrition
Season 01, Disc 3:
06 1x05 You Can't Go Home Again
07 1x06 Litmus
08 1x07 Six Degrees of Separation
09 1x08 Flesh and Bone
Season 01, Disc 4:
10 1x09 Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down
11 1x10 The Hand of God
12 1x11 Colonial Day
13 1x12 Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part 1
Season 01, Disc 5:
14 1x13 Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part 2
Season 2.0, Disc 1:
15 2x01
Scattered
16 2x02 Valley of Darkness
17 2x03 Fragged
18 2x04 Resistance
Season 2.0, Disc 2:
19 2x05 The Farm
20 2x06 Home, Part 1
21 2x07 Home, Part 2
22 2x08 Final Cut
Season 2.0, Disc 3: *********************************
23 2x09 Flight of the Phoenix
Disc 3 also contains the televised version of 2x10 "Pegasus"; I'd recommend that you skip this version, and just dive into the superior extended DVD cut available in the Season 2.5 set. That's what I do when I watch the series.
Season 2.5, Disc 1:
24 2x10 Pegasus: Extended Episode [Extended Cut - 59 Minutes]
25 2x11 Resurrection Ship, Part 1
26 2x12 Resurrection Ship, Part 2
27 2x13 Epiphanies
Season 2.5, Disc 2:
28 2x14 Black Market
29 2x15 Scar
30 2x16 Sacrifice
31 2x17 The Captain's Hand
Season 2.5, Disc 3: ***************************************
32 2x18 Downloaded
Disc 3 also contains the 2 part finale, "Lay Down Your Burdens", but the 4th Season television movie "Razor" takes place between "Downloaded" & "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 1" To read an explanation for this change in viewing order -----> click here <-----.
Battlestar Galactica: Razor
Season 4.0, Disc 1:
33 Battlestar Galactica: Razor [Unrated Extended Edition - 101 Minutes]
Razor is available as both a single disc release
and as disc 1 of Season 4.0.
Season 2.5, Disc 3:
34 2x19 Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 1
35 2x20 Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2 [Extended Episode - 70 Minutes]
"Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2" is a longer than average episode, running 90 minutes when it aired with commercials.
*It's important to note that the present day scenes in "Battlestar Galactica: The Plan" are set during "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II", but that the story contains HUGE SPOILERS for upcoming episodes and should only be viewed after 4x15 No Exit at the very earliest.
Season 3, Disc 2:
***************************************
36 The Resistance (Webisodes 1-10)
Between Seasons 2 & 3, a series of 10 webisodes were released, collectively titled "The Resistance", telling a story set during the occupation of New Caprica, but set before the start of the new season. All 10 webisodes are available on Season 3, Disc 2 - in the Bonus Features menu. Combined they serve as a nice bridge between Seasons 2 & 3.
Season 3, Disc 1:
37 3x01 Occupation
38 3x02 Precipice
39 3x03 Exodus, Part 1
40 3x04 Exodus, Part 2
Season 3, Disc 2:
41 3x05 Collaborators
42 3x06 Torn
43 3x07 A Measure of Salvation
Season 3, Disc 3:
44 3x08 Hero
45 3x09 Unfinished Business [Extended Cut - 70 Minutes]
Disc 3 contains 2 cuts of "Unfinished Business"; the televised version, and "The Ron Moore Version" which runs 25 minutes longer; I always go with the extended cuts.
Season 3, Disc 4:
46 3x10 The Passage
47 3x11 The Eye of Jupiter
48 3x12 Rapture
49 3x13 Taking a Break from All Your Worries
Season 3, Disc 5:
50 3x14 The Woman King
51 3x15 A Day in the Life
52 3x16 Dirty Hands
53 3x17 Maelstrom
Season 3, Disc 6:
54 3x18 The Son Also Rises
55 3x19 Crossroads, Part 1
56 3x20 Crossroads, Part 2
Season 4.0, Disc 2:
57 4x01 He That Believeth In Me
58 4x02 Six of One
59 4x03 The Ties That Bind
60 4x04 Escape Velocity
Season 4.0, Disc 3:
61 4x05 The Road Less Traveled
62 4x06 Faith
63 4x07 Guess What's Coming to Dinner
Season 4.0, Disc 4:
64 4x08 Sine Qua Non
65 4x09 The Hub
66 4x10 Revelations
Season 4.5, Disc 1:
67 4x11 Sometimes a Great Notion
68 4x12 A Disquiet Follows My Soul [Extended Cut - 53 Minutes]
Always go with the extended cuts!
Season 4.5, NO DISC:
69 Battlestar Galactica: The Face of the Enemy (Webisodes 1-10)
This 2nd set of Battlestar Galactica webisodes is not currently available on DVD, though the studio is aware that people want them and are hoping to release them at a later date. It's been said that they've not been released at this time because of legal wrangling and because of this they may never be released which would be a horrible disservice to the characters involved; hopefully they find a home on DVD at some point. For now the best way to see them is on HULU. When you follow that link, scroll down until you see a list under the webisodes heading. Those 10 webisodes are what you want to watch, in order. You'll be glad you did. It will solve a mystery from Season 3, while giving more back-story to the New Caprica arc & telling a story set mostly between 4x11 "Sometimes a Great Notion" & 4x12 "A Disquiet Follows My Soul". The reason it seems best to watch it after the latter episode, is that some of the final scenes in Webisode 10 take place during the latter episode - and so watching the webisodes before the episode is confusing. They're better served as an entire series of flashbacks that give vital character info for Gaeta, Hoshi & Racetrack. Saul Tigh is also featured. For friends of mine who are watching and can't find these episodes, I have them as avi files. ;-0)
Season 4.5, Disc 2:
70 4x13 The Oath
71 4x14 Blood on the Scales
72 4x15 No Exit
Disc 2 also contains #74 4x16 "Deadlock". It's best to wait on that episode until after viewing "The Plan".
73 Battlestar Galactica: The Plan [Unrated Extended Cut - 111 Minutes]
Tele-Movie set during the series - meant to be viewed AFTER the revelations of "No Exit" & previous episodes.
Season 4.5, Disc 2:
74 4x16 Deadlock
Season 4.5, Disc 3:
75 4x17 Someone to Watch Over Me
76 4x18 Islanded In a Stream of Stars [Extended Cut - 63 Minutes]
Disc 3 of Season 4.5 contains both the televised and extended cuts of "Islanded
in a Stream of Stars". Go with the extended cut.
Season 4.5, Disc 4:
77 4x19 Daybreak [Extended Cut - 153 Minutes]
Disc 4 of Season 4.5 contains Daybreak as it originally aired, spit into two segments. I wouldn't recommend viewing the finale in this way; even watching them back to back, it's jarring to have the finale split into pieces. These are not separate episodes, but 1 final installment split into pieces that don't really work without the others. Thankfully the disc also includes a special cut of the episodes combined which makes this final story flow as it was meant to, and also incorporates 30 minutes of new footage not seen on television! Always go with the longer cuts! ;-0)