Maelstrom

Season 3, Episode 16, Aired
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Episode Summary

Kara continues to have dreams about Leoben Conoy and the mandala she painted at her old apartment on Caprica. While on patrol in her Viper, she encounters a Cylon Heavy Raider.

When Tyrol cannot verify Kara's claim that the Cylon ship struck the Viper, Admiral Adama and Lee become concerned about her mental stability.moreless
8.7
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Fan Episode Reviews (37)

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  • Maelstrom

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By TrueTvWatcher, Jan 21, 2012 Report Abuse
    Maelstrom was a great episode of Battlestar Galactica and I really enjoyed watching it because the story centered around Starbuck and it was intriguing. There wasn't much action, but there were some serious issues that needed dealt with, and they were in surprising ways. It was cool to see Starbuck and the Leoben figure in flashbacks or whatever it was. The suspense of what was going on with Starbuck had me on the edge of my seat. It was sad to see things end in such a manner. I look forward to watching the next episode!!!!!!!moreless

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    0 0

  • WOW!!! que episodio fantastico e impressionante

    9.6
    "Superb"
    By franlimarock, Aug 25, 2011 Report Abuse
    Com certeza esse foi um grande episodio dessa terceira temporada. Esse foi um dos episodios em que eu quando acabei de ver fiquei pensando WOW !!! E tambem pensei que eu com certeza deveria falar desse ep aqui

    Esse foi um ep cheios de efeitos em todos os momentos e os fantasticos voos de starbuck persiguindo um nave Cylon e tentando atravessar a nuvem que tinha o formato do desenho q ela tinha feito...Realmente foi incrivel e tambem temos um final de episodio chocante e impressionante com a fantastica cena da nave de starbuck explondindo

    Ja falei e reafirmo, um dos melhores eps dessa terceira temporada do BSG e que continue assimmoreless

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    0 4

  • Great Episode. Last scene use Matrix line! maybe a hint.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By kobilahav, Aug 25, 2011 Report Abuse
    When Kara tells Lee before the Viper explodes "I'm not afraid anymore" that line is taken from the first Matrix when Trinity tells Neo when he is thought to be dead at the very end...I'm not afraid anymore Neo, before she kises him and he comes back to life. Grat episode. great BSG episode. Great acting and one of the climex in the fate of Kara. Exactly the reson why I see this amazing show. Too bad that the fourth season up to know is not even close to the standards of the 3rd season. Hope they'll improve soon. Waiting for the show to pick up again.moreless

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  • Kara meets God and learns the truth of her destiny.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By invadermidnight, Feb 11, 2011 Report Abuse
    Kara Thrace is a woman of contradictions, born of a pianist (father) and a soldier (mother) Kara is most assuredly the product of such a strange union. She is at the same time the strongest and most vulnerable member of the rag tag fleet. All of her life Kara has been told by her mother that she is special and she's beaten the message into her literally. Thanks to this Kara has spent her life embracing and running from this idea. The moment she gets in a viper the first time she knows she's not just good, she's fraking great, but she's always making mistakes and lacks discipline (as she is constantly reminded). In the miniseries she's the hotshot pilot who misses out on the first battle because she's in the brig for punching a superior officer. A perfect summation of who she is in one aspect.
    Things change for Kara when she is sent to interrogate a Cylon prisoner, a man named Leoben. When she meets him, Leoben knows her, he knows her mother, he knows her destiny (which she is reminded of by the oracle in this episode). And in a strange way he touches her. The moment at the end of the episode (Season One's Flesh and Bone) when she prays for him has always touched me deeply and I've always kept it as a true indicator of who Kara is at her heart.
    In Maelstrom she's finally forced to confront all of the aspects of her history and what it is her destiny means.
    To do this she must meet God and then confront the most painful memory in a life full of them. Kara learns that you have to let go before you can become.
    As for dealing with the larger nature of the show, the story shows the deeper connection between the Cylons and the Humans that has been the main focus of the Third Season (and in many ways the show itself).
    I have to also point out that if this was truly the end of the character's arc I would have been overly disappointed but as a turning point for her and the story in general it's beautiful and it's heartbreaking. And it's absolutely the right move.moreless

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    5 1

  • Adama: "What do you hear, Starbuck?" Starbuck: "Nothing but the rain."

    8.0
    "Great"
    By Tim_Bronx, Jan 03, 2011 Report Abuse
    Did this episode really happen? Did the writers really kill off my favorite character? Let me count the ways this episode pissed me off:

    1. They killed Starbuck. 2. They killed Starbuck in such a pointless way. She didn't go out in a blaze of glory. She didn't die in a struggle for redemption or trying to save the human race. 3. All the talk of Starbuck's "destiny", and this is all we get? Her special destiny was to accept death? I'm just not buying it. 4. The episode left me with too many questions and zero answers. If that wasn't Leoben, who was it? What does "all this has happened before, and will happen again" mean? When will be getting answers to these questions? BSG has gotten big on the mythology lately; I just wish I understood it.

    In reality, Starbuck's death shouldn't have shocked me as much as it did. The Hollywood rumor mill has been hinting at Starbuck's demise for months now. All the references to the pilot episode; Starbuck finally acknowledging that her and Lee's relationship is going nowhere; Starbuck telling Lee where she wanted her photo to be if she died; throughout the episode I could feel her death coming, but I don't think I was ready for how it all played out. I just wish she had died for something. Her death felt so meaningless and sudden, that I didn't even feel any emotions until that final scene with Adama.

    Is this the last we'll see of the character, though? Will Starbuck come back as a Cylon? I don't know if I'd like that. Actually...frak it. I don't care how she comes back, I just want her back. Final Notes and Quotes - Survivor Count: Same as last weeks. 41, 400.

    - We finally met Starbuck's mother, Corporal Socrata Thrace. No wonder Starbuck is so screwed up. I liked the flashbacks. More insight into Starbuck is always fine by me.

    - That sex scene with Leoben in the beginning was a scorcher. I'm sure I could apply symbolism to it if I wanted to.

    - Leoben: "You're free now to become who you really are. I'm here to prepare you to pass through the next door, to discover what hovers in the space between life and death." What the frak does that mean? Sounds a lot like what D'Anna believed she was destined for.

    - Starbuck: "After all we've been through, we are right back where we started. You're the CAG, and I'm your hot shot problem pilot. I guess that's all we'll ever be now, huh?"

    - If Katee Sackhoff's name is out of the credits next week, I might just cry.

    Final Rating: This was a powerful and emotional episode. But it's not what I wanted. Let's just leave it at that.

    - Tim Bronx Find this and many more reviews at: www.motionpicturereviews.commoreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • When Starbuck looks into the cockpit of her viper and begins to have a series of flashbacks, one of the images was of her mother smoking a cigarette. As seen in a closeup of the ashtray, the cigarette butt in the center of the pile is a Marlboro Ultra Light. Edit
    • Kara's mother Socrata lived in an apartment in Caprica City during her retirement. Kara's apartment was located in Delphi, a different city located on Caprica. Delphi was the location of the Museum of the Colonies, home of the Arrow of Apollo, which Kara recovered in "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part 2," the Season One finale. The ancient Greek city on Earth was the home of the oracle of Apollo. The name of the Greek city is usually pronounced in the United States as [del-fahy]. However, in this episode Delphi is pronounced as [del-phee], the pronunciation commonly used in most European countries. Edit

  • Notes

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    • The Visual Effects Society nominated this episode for a 2008 VES Award in the category of Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series. Mike Gibson, Gary Hutzel, Michael J. Davidson and Kyle Toucher were cited as members of the visual effects team. Edit
    • The city of Delphi was used as the Cylon base of operations on Caprica. Helo discovered this in the Season One episode "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down." Edit
    • The model ship that Adama destroys was not a prop, but rather a very expensive model the production team was renting. The scene was not scripted. Adama's actions were improvised by Edward James Olmos, who was not aware of the value of the model. Fortunately, the model was covered by insurance, according to Ronald Moore's podcast. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Kara: (to Lee) It's funny though, after all we've been through, we are right back where we started. You're CAG, and I am your hotshot problem pilot. I guess that's all we'll ever be now, huh? Edit
    • (speaking about her mother) Kara: She was dealing with a lot, Sam. She told me that I was different from other kids. That I needed to be a warrior like her. Taught me that fear gets you killed. And anger keeps you alive. Anders: Well, she gave you plenty to be angry about, didn't she? Edit
    • The Leoben figure: You're free now... to become who you really are. Kara: (smiling) You're not Leoben. The Leoben figure: Never said I was. I'm here to prepare you to pass through the next door. To discover what hovers in the space between life and death. Edit

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