Sunday 7 February 2010

Battlestar Galactica Viewing Order (No spoilers!)

The ultimate viewing order for Battlestar Galactica!

With so many off-shoots, extended episodes, webisodes, one-off movies and weird bits and pieces it's very hard for a new Battlestar Galactica fan to know exactly what order to watch everything in.


That's why, with the help of the kind folks at the Home Theater Forum, I decided to piece together a recommended viewing order for the entire series. But not just that, I've put together information on which versions of episodes you should watch and where you can find them, too. This really is the ultimate guide! (At least, it should be.)

I hope you find it useful, and if you do think I've missed something, please leave a comment and let me know!

Note: I heartily recommend watching the deleted scenes featured on your DVDs/Blurays after watching each episode. Some scenes (especially in Season 4, in my opinion) add a lot to the story and character's motivations. If you're ever confused as to why a character should suddenly do something, you may find your answer on the cutting room floor.

Let's begin:

The Miniseries

Season 1

Season 2

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.

The reason that the placement of Razor is a hotly contested issue among BSG fans is because of a bit of dialogue at the very end (in the last 10 minutes) which sets the tone for Season 4 (barely even a spoiler). Everything else in this TV movie is not a spoiler.

So why place it here, and not where it was originally broadcast, if there's any sort of issue? Because, chronologically, the story is set here, and by the time you reach the end of Season 3, the story on the Pegasus will feel like ancient history. Indeed, that was the complaint echoed around the internet from fans after Razor originally aired -- it had nothing to do with what was going on in the story at that time.

As a result of this, most fans agree it's better to watch Razor here. In doing so, you'll appreciate the story more and it will have greater emotionally resonance. In short: I highly recommend that you follow my advice and watch it here.

There is one small caveat, however: In order to deal with the above dialogue issue, and so not to unintentionally alter the tone of Season 3, I have two, very specific instructions that I recommend that you follow for your absolute optimum enjoyment.

I will try not to spoil anything with these instructions, so pay attention. You need to press MUTE on your TV (and/or turn off any subtitles) in the following moments. These moments occur in the last 10 minutes of the story, so you can relax and enjoy the first 90 mins before you need to worry.

Press MUTE when:

1. The hybrid touches Shaw. (You can unmute as soon as the hybrid lets go.)

and shortly afterwards:

2. When Red One contacts Pegasus. (You will literally hear the dialogue, "This is Red One come in" and see Pegasus respond -- mute before Red One can give their message to Pegasus.) You can unmute when you see Red One on your screen -- actually before that, but there's no other visual clue I can give you.

3. When Starbuck is talking to Lee, mute after Lee says, "Well, ever think you might deserve it?". You can unmute when she turns to leave.

That's it! That's all you have to worry about. A couple of very small moments, and even if you don't unmute it, it's not a huge spoiler, it just unintentionally alters the tone of Season 3 if you don't, so do try your best to follow my instructions.

  • 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.

    They are mentioned here only for the sake of completeness, and because they're often a source of confusion. Don't worry, they are far from necessary. The only "episodes" not reintegrated are 1, 2 and some parts of 7, so they're the only ones to note.

    All 7 of these "episodes" were originally released online before Razor was broadcast, and I'd recommend watching 1 and 2 beforehand, and 7 afterwards. They don't really add much to the story, though.

  • 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.

Season 3

Razor: Yes, this again. (Well this is where Razor was originally broadcast, after all.) Remember the last 10 minutes where I told you to MUTE two small moments? Well, guess what, now is when you get to go back and hear what was said. Watch the last 10 minutes of Razor here.

Season 4

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

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 Blu-ray releases -- except for the Japanese Blu-ray release of Season 4. A real pain.

They are not presently available anywhere else in the world to my knowledge, but I highly recommended you do your best to find them. Not only were they hugely enjoyable, but they explain a few important things that set up the next episode.

Update: You can watch the entire webseries online here. (Thanks to an anonymous reader for the tipoff.)


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.


The Plan : This is where this DVD/Bluray movie was originally released (after the show had finished).
It seems universally agreed that it's preferable to watch this after No Exit, instead of after you've finished the entire series, but there's no harm in waiting until now.

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.)


  • 1.01 Pilot
  • 1.02 Rebirth
  • 1.03 Reins of a Waterfall
  • 1.04 Gravedancing
  • 1.05 There Is Another Sky
  • 1.06 Know Thy Enemy
  • 1.07 The Imperfections of Memory
  • 1.08 Ghosts in the Machine
  • 1.09 End of the Line
  • 1.10 Unvanquished
  • 1.11 Retribution
  • 1.12 Things We Lock Away
  • 1.13 False Labor
  • 1.14 Blowback
  • 1.15 The Dirteaters
  • 1.16 The Heavens Will Rise
  • 1.17 Here Be Dragons
  • 1.18 Apotheosis
Blood and Chrome
This was potentially a whole new show at one stage, but it appears to be now just a stand-alone TV 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.


After disappearing off the radar for a long time (possibly indicating that it wasn't up to the standards set by BSG), the story was finally been release for viewing on Machninima.com in 10 episodes. Then it was released on DVD/Bluray as a movie in a rated and unrated form. 

I've been told there are no BSG spoilers, so you can watch this anytime you want.

And so ends the incredible saga of the reboot of Battlestar Galactica, I hope you've enjoyed the journey.

Further reading
Well not quite "reading", but if you're a fan you may enjoy the following:

Ron Moore's Battlestar Galactica podcast is nothing short of incredible, and highly recommended for fans and wannabe TV writers. As he goes through each episode, I believe you can watch the show and listen to his comments without fear of spoilers.

You can download and read (see, there is some reading) the show's original "Bible" (contains major spoilers, natch).

And for some amusement, I recommend reading the original reaction to the show on the Home Theater Forum (no real spoilers). Next time you see some fans getting bent out of shape over something they haven't watched yet, remember this! :)

Anything else?

367 comments:

«Oldest   ‹Older   201 – 367 of 367
Anonymous said...

Thanks for this guide. I'm re watching and introducing the series to my 13 year old daughter. We'reup to Eye of Jupiter and I was worried about where to slot in The Plan so this helps immensely. Thanks! Also it's awesome that people are still enjoying the show. So say we all!

Rick Franco said...

Hi Johnny,
I found your viewing order more than a year ago and have been planning to watch BSG for quite some time, but haven't done anything more than plan to do it.
Now that I have Netflix (they got to Brazil last year), I started to watch and now am on Season 2. I had to stop because the Netflix version did not have the Pegasus extended, and I would not watch it in any other form (see how seriously I'm taking your advice), so I borrowed from the only friend I know to have the DVD. I plan to watch it tonight.
Maybe it's because the series never aired in Brazil, but the show is mostly unknown around here. Only recently, because The Big Bang Theory mentions it from time to time (even with cameo appearances), some people know about it, but much more as a geek thing than the high quality production and dramatic story that it is. Just yesterday, when they named the Blackbird as Laura, I had tears coming to my eyes... No kidding!
Well, tonight I'll finally watch Pegasus in the ideal format, and will continue to follow your advice (including the mute/unmute anti-spoiler trick).
Thanks a lot for your efforts! The proof that your contribution is so valuable is that even 3 years after your original post, there's still people from all around the world following it and enjoying the series much more because of you!
Thank you!
Rick

Rick Franco said...

Hi Johnny,
I found your viewing order more than a year ago and have been planning to watch BSG for quite some time, but haven't done anything more than plan to do it.
Now that I have Netflix (they got to Brazil last year), I started to watch and now am on Season 2. I had to stop because the Netflix version did not have the Pegasus extended, and I would not watch it in any other form (see how seriously I'm taking your advice), so I borrowed from the only friend I know to have the DVD. I plan to watch it tonight.
Maybe it's because the series never aired in Brazil, but the show is mostly unknown around here. Only recently, because The Big Bang Theory mentions it from time to time (even with cameo appearances), some people know about it, but much more as a geek thing than the high quality production and dramatic story that it is. Just yesterday, when they named the Blackbird as Laura, I had tears coming to my eyes... No kidding!
Well, tonight I'll finally watch Pegasus in the ideal format, and will continue to follow your advice (including the mute/unmute anti-spoiler trick).
Thanks a lot for your efforts! The proof that your contribution is so valuable is that even 3 years after your original post, there's still people from all around the world following it and enjoying the series much more because of you!
Thank you!
Rick

Rick Franco said...

Hi Johnny,
I found your viewing order more than a year ago and have been planning to watch BSG for quite some time, but haven't done anything more than plan to do it.
Now that I have Netflix (they got to Brazil last year), I started to watch and now am on Season 2. I had to stop because the Netflix version did not have the Pegasus extended, and I would not watch it in any other form (see how seriously I'm taking your advice), so I borrowed from the only friend I know to have the DVD. I plan to watch it tonight.
Maybe it's because the series never aired in Brazil, but the show is mostly unknown around here. Only recently, because The Big Bang Theory mentions it from time to time (even with cameo appearances), some people know about it, but much more as a geek thing than the high quality production and dramatic story that it is. Just yesterday, when they named the Blackbird as Laura, I had tears coming to my eyes... No kidding!
Well, tonight I'll finally watch Pegasus in the ideal format, and will continue to follow your advice (including the mute/unmute anti-spoiler trick).
Thanks a lot for your efforts! The proof that your contribution is so valuable is that even 3 years after your original post, there's still people from all around the world following it and enjoying the series much more because of you!
Thank you!
Rick

Johnny Walker said...

Thank you, Rick. That's very kind indeed! Enjoy the rest of the series!

Victor Delacroix said...

Actually if you have the complete version of Razor available, episode 7 of the flashbacks is not needed AT ALL. The scene that wasn't included in Razor comes from the original 2003 pilot. I recognized it immediately.

Liz said...

This is awesome! Thanks!

Unknown said...

Firstly, thank you very much for this. Thus far (I'm just starting Season 4) this list has been invaluable to have the best BSG experience. Especially the placement of Razor, and going back to hear what was said later on feels like a fantastic revelation.

A question, if I may? Which version of the Caprica pilot should I watch? You've said to watch the extended version of every episode thus far, but I've heard there are actually contradictions in the extended version?

Again, thanks. A great list that compliments a great series.

Bradley Horwith said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Purple said...

Thank you so much for this list--it should be an insert in the blu ray collection! I just watched the whole thing (except Caprica) in about one month, for the first time. I am very glad I watched the movies and the webisodes in the recommended spots (and glad I muted those two scenes in Razor). I can't believe I missed this amazing series when it aired!

shadycecil said...

This was a HUGE help, thank you. I'm many years late to this saga and your timeline helped put it all together in a way that made a lot of sense with the series as a complete whole.

JR said...

Just want to say that this post is just amazing, and to tha k you for taking the time to put it up. I have the blu-ray boxed set, and started following the order you suggest as soon as I started watching it. Mits been great, including the Li is you give to the wiki summaries for each episode, which itself links to the podcast. Halfway through now, following your advice all the way through, and it's really been great. Thank you.

bbcversus said...

I just watched it all and I want to thank you for sharing us the viewing order, it helped me so much!

Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Can someone tell me which boxset is the best one? I keep finding different names on boxsets and some have different number of discs in them.

Anonymous said...

Can you confirm where Blood and Chrome fits in? After all of BSG but before Caprica I take it? Thanks for put this together by the way!

Johnny Walker said...

I'd definitely watch it after the main series just to be safe, but maybe someone else has an opinion?

Ren said...

Hey there guys!
Hope you read this soon after posting this, I need your help.

After 4 years, I finally manage to convince my family to watch the show, and we're soon watching Razor after 2x17 (they're kinda spiritualistic, but I wanted to watch them without telling them a single word without the story and the religious, philosophycal parts of the show; basically just told them it's something special you never seen before).

We're currently at 2x12, and so far, in the show, no Hybrids were introduced... can you tell me which would be the first episode for them to appear on the show (excluding the movies)?
Do they appear before 2x17 anywhere, so people have an idea about them, or they'll encounter them during Razor first, if we are to watch it after 2x17 and not later?

Hope it's understandable, sorry for my english! Thank you for your replies!

Johnny Walker said...

Hi Ren, the Hybrids first appeared in 3x05, but I wouldn't have placed Razor where I recommend it if I thought it was an issue.

It's entirely up to you what you do, but you have my recommendation.

Karol said...

Hey Johnny. I'm just getting stuck into Battlestar Galactica for the first time (I can't believe I've never watched it before) and really love this guide. I'm going to follow it as I watch the episodes. Just on Season one now so looking forward to getting thru it all.

Cheers dude -

Bob Flaminio said...

Re: Blood & Chrome and Caprica: If you are going to watch both, definitely watch Caprica first. There is a fairly significant spoiler in Blood & Chrome for Caprica.

Anonymous said...

Just wanted to hop on here and say thanks so much for this guide. It's the best guide on the net for watching BSG in the best possible order. I have recently been rewatching the series for my gf's first time viewing it, and it's so much better watching it with the movies where you recommended them. Thank you so much!

MXD said...

I watched through the series as it aired, but never watched more than a couple Caprica episodes and haven't seen B&C yet. There are also some extended episodes only on the BluRay that I haven't seen.

If I do a full chronology rewatch, a good order would be Caprica, then B&C, then the full BSG series with the extended ones, right?

Anonymous said...

I'd say that you should watch BSG first, else you won't get much of the reference In Caprica related to the show and its theme. Also, as new to the universe, many things during the last episodes of Caprica will have little meanings to you, unless you watch BSG '04 first. So I'd go with BSG, Caprica, B&C

Bradley said...

just finished with the last episodes tonight (all 3 daybreaks into 1), i even had to go and order blu ray discs for the last few episodes - i wanted all the content i love it that much! amazing series, one of my favourites!

straight razor said...


Interesting post. I have been wondering
about this issue,so thanks for posting.

Unknown said...

Currently watching it in the order you have suggested, about half way through the final season. This show is nothing short of incredible. The story line is epic!

Jw K said...

Thanks alot for this post. This helped my out ALOT.

Anonymous said...

So, Razor again.

Friends and I are watching the series in your suggested order. I'm looking at Razor with respect to the possible spoilers. I think what makes most sense is to mute (or omit) Shaw's discussion with the hybrid after Starbuck leaves, or at least the spoilers, but leave in her communication to Lee. It's like this: the communication with Lee is something that we, as "members" of the BSG "crew", would have known. The discussion with the hybrid was only between the hybrid and Shaw, so one can rationalize that we would never really know what happened.

So I plan to show up to about 1:29:50, then skip to about 1:33:10 when the evac raptor leaves, show the whole scene on the BSG bridge, then skip the next scene with Shaw and the hybrid, and then show the rest of the episode. After season 3, show all of the last several minutes, from 1:29:50 on.

Crazy?

Johnny Walker said...

That's definitely one way of doing it, but it seems completely unnecessary to me, and likely to send the wrong message to the viewer (if I understand you correctly).

Anonymous said...

Yeah, losing the two conversations between Shaw and the hybrid after Starbuck leaves could change how the viewer sees Shaw, but then you get that back at the end of season 4, when they see the whole story. It's kind of like having a To Be Continued that spans a while season.

Thanks again for the list. Very useful.

Johnny Walker said...

I think the problem I'm seeing is that your friends will be wondering what was said -- and when they hear a bit will place too much emphasis on it. Which is exactly the problem you're trying to avoid :-/

Still, I like your idea of only hearing what Shaw hears after Season 3, and that way you're up to speed with everything Galactica knows when they are. Great idea!

Maybe you could test it on your friends and see what they think? Come back and tell us how it went if you do!

Anonymous said...

The podcasts are no longer available at the links provided. Any ideas where they might be?

Lee said...

First of all thank you. This viewing order helped me 'plan my attack' on the series. I will disagree that it is the proper viewing order for everyone, however. Had I not watched Caprica first, I would have turned off the miniseries in the first 10 minutes & never watched another minute. I also found the webisodes of The Resistance between seasons 2 & 3 useless. There was a touch of the story there, but between the horrible quality & making a new 'episode' every 3rd line tedious & redundant; it was not worth the time whatsoever. I really wish I skipped over it & went straight to season 3. I would've missed about 13 seconds total of relevant info alltogether. I also found The Razor completely unnecessary as well. I'd agree if you were to watch them, they're listed in the correct order, but they are still completely worth skipping. I would suggest putting an asterisk next to several of them, differentiating between an enjoyable order to watch the series & the parts that only a hardcore fan would want to watch 2 hours of for one single tiny detail that the average viewer couldn't care less about.

Unknown said...

Thank you! I can't believe it took me so long to see the series and I'm glad I stumbled on your blog to know the best way to see it.. :) thanks!

Nil Einne said...

Without any spoilers, can anyon comment on whether the Blood & Chrome Bluray (or DVD) actually has anything more in the main movie/series/whatever than the online web series? I know it has a making of feature and a fair few deleted scenes. The webseries seems to be about 88 minutes (not a precise answer because of the 'next time' and intro' for the episodes), and definitely under 90 minutes. The reports I'm seeing for the BLuray etc are 91-94 minutes which suggests to me it is longer by about 5 minutes.

If I'm correct, does anyone know what was cut again for the benefit of others, without spoilers? Considering the webseries nature and the fact the episode length is fairly random, I'm presuming it's primary for content reasons rather than timing ones, so mostly violence and/or sex?

Anonymous said...

I gladly found this guide just before starting to watch BSG and it was very helpful.

But i got a problem. Here in my country (Argentina) i cant get the extended Razor nowhere. In the 81 min version, your advice is the same, skip or mute the last 10 min?

Anonymous said...

Me again, of the posts from back in late April about how to cut the spoilers.

My friends and I finally watched this tonight. I'm absolutely convinced that the best way to view this would be to re-edit the show to cut the following sections:

1:29:50 to 1:33:09--just after Shaw forces Starbuck into the airlock, to the point where the evac raptor is leaving the Cylon ship;

1:33:24 to 1:34:43-- between when Lee says "Starbuck?" and Shaw begins to speak over the radio, to the exterior shot of the Cylon ship exploding (you can still hear the click of the detonator switch)

How to make these edits is an exercise left to the reader. All viewers agreed that this would minimally disturb the story, while concealing any spoilers. Everyone seemed to get why Shaw did what she did, without actually seeing the footage at 1:31:15 through 1:32:00; there were enough clues from earlier in the episode

Anyway, that's what worked for us.

Johnny Walker said...

Hi! Thanks thanks for putting all this research in. It's an interesting solution, but why cut so deeply, I wonder?

Thanks for sharing the fruits of your experiments, either way!

Unknown said...

How badly would season 4 be messed up for me, if I were to watch Razor without doing the muting business?

Also, this, http://fanedit.org/ifdb/component/content/article/79-fanedit-listings/fanfix/918-battlestar-galactica-that-sought-after-sun, is a fan-made alternate version of the series 4 finale that has been highly recommended in-place of the original.

Unknown said...

*I mean season 3, in reference to Razor.

Johnny Walker said...

I've written as much as I possibly can in order to help you make that decision for yourself. There's nothing more I can say.

If you decide to ignore my advice, come back and tell us how much you feel it affected Season 3.

Good luck.

Rick Franco said...

For those thinking about buying the series, I just saw it in Amazon for $89.99 (complete series in BD).
Stop reading and go buy it now!

Anonymous said...

Not only is this a comprehensive guide/tutorial, but you keep it updated, answering peoples comments years and years after "release".

*mind blown*

Made me want to rewatch it for the third time :)

props bro!

rpm2004 said...

You misspelled Hulu.com in the section regarding "The face of the enemy" mini-series it says "These episodes have not been included on any DVD or Bluray releases, but if you live in the US you can view from for free at Hulo.com* here." *indicates location of error.

rpm2004 said...

WOW you fixed that fast, But I just realized another mistake... "These episodes have not been included on any DVD or Bluray releases, but if you live in the US you can view from* for free on Hulu.com." *indicates location of error.

That should probably be "them".

I'm not trying to nitpick, but this is the best BSG viewing guide I've ever seen and I just want it to be as perfect as possible.

Thank you Johnny for all your hard work.

Obat herbal stroke said...

nice info, thanks for share

Sigrid said...

A million thank yous!!!

Eitate said...

September 2013 and your guide is still helpful. I've just managed to watch Razor with muted fragments, now back to the end of S2...

Anonymous said...

I just started season 4 and I am an intense romantic, I want Adams'son, Lee and Starbuck to end up together. I am seeing now these two are doomed. Am I incorrect or will this have a happy ending that won't make me cry?

rpm2004 said...

I just would like to announce that not only are you a fine creator of such content, you have exceeded any expectation that could be thrust upon such a site. As such your stewardship of this blog has amazed me, raised my spirits and changed my beliefs as to the state of online discourse. Usually when I point out errors I am summarily attacked and have even been banished without a second thought and cast asunder with no hope of recompense.

My heart is filled with glad tidings for you and your kinsmen a hearty thanks is in order, if you are ever weary of the craft of webmastery Morencia's doors are open to you, 'tis a small country to be sure, consisting of one structure surrounded by the realm of Reno, Nevada. But because of Nevada's lenient attitude toward pleasure wenches and invigorating beverages I wouldst make such a visit A most memorable affair for I the am not only a citizen you see, I am HRH Robert, King of Morencia, Guardian of The Duplex And Keeper of Keys, Morency.

Farewell, and know that if you are ever in my kingdom a knightship awaits thee.

Johnny Walker said...

Ha. Thanks, Robert. If I'm ever in Reno, I'll try and look up your tiny nation.

vortex said...

Best guide out there, thank you very much. Was great to watch this great show again, its the kind of special show you don't want to over-watch.

Sigrid said...

I watched Blood & Chrome last night, and have thereby finished my BSG journey. This guide is gold - again, thank you so much!

Jedi Master said...

So say we all!

Anonymous said...

I own the DVD set, and for the life of me I can't reconcile your guide with the DVD that has Daybreak on it. On the first screen, it shows:

11. Daybreak, Part 1
12. Daybreak, parts 2 & 3

If I click on "More >", I see:

13. Daybreak - unaired extended episode

Is the extended episode an extension of all 3 parts taken together, or is it just of parts 2 and 3? It has been a long time since I watched it. I've tried skimming through the episodes, and I still can't tell - I just end up confusing myself even more. I'm in the process of converting all of the ISOs of my DVDs to M4Vs with handbrake. (Also incorporating deleted scenes into the picture so that next time I watch this show - which I definitely will, probably with my kids when they're old enough - alphabetical order will take care of our entire viewing experience.)

My apologies if this question has been answered, but the quantity of comments here is overwhelming.

Johnny Walker said...

Option 13 is the entire extended episode.

Unknown said...

Do I need to watch the original series before I watch the reboot, or is it like Star Trek and Doctor Who where it doesn't matter too much if I skip the original series?

Thanks :)

Johnny Walker said...

The original series takes place in an entirely different universe. Not related to the new series in any way.

Anonymous said...

01 The Miniseries 2003
02 S01 E01-E13
03 S02 E01-E17
- E10 (56 min extended version)
04 Razor (101 min extended version) PRESS MUTE AT LAST 10 MINUTES:
- When the hybrid touches Shaw
- unmute when the hybrid lets go
- When Red One contacts Pegasus hearing "This is Red One come in"
- unmute when Red One comes on to screen
05 Razor Flashbacks (07 webisodes)
06 S02 E18-20
07 The Resistance (10 webisodes)
08 S03 E01-E20
- E09 (70 min extended version)
09 Razor (last 10 min unmuted)
10 Revealed
11 The Phenomenon
12 S04 E01-E10orE11
13 The Face of the Enemy (10 webisodes)
14 Top 10 Things You Need to Know
15 S04 E12-E15
- E12 (53 min extended version)
16 The Plan
17 S04 E16-E18
- E18 (62 min extended version)
18 The Last Frakkin Special
19 S04 E19-E20 (150 min extended version)
20 Caprica E01-E18
21 Blood and Chrome

Lauren said...

Hi, there are many comments so I won't read them all. In case no one else suggested it, you have a lot of lovely concerns for people out of the U.S. not being able to use sites like HULU.com and others for episode access. Just suggest using a proxy server. I'm in Ukraine and use HOLA, a free service that allows me to use Netflix (which might have BSG on now, it did last week, but this week is a mystery). You can set it so your computer thinks you're anywhere in the world you want to be. It's easy, free, and you can use it in the U.S. too, to get access to sites from other countries, etc. Hope this helps anyone who needs it. <3

Anonymous said...

I had a question about the extended version of Razor. I'm watching through Netflix, so I don't get any extended versions, unfortunately. Are there scenes in the extended version of Razor that aren't in the Razor flashback series, or would watching that series and the broadcast version equate to watching the extended version.

Anonymous said...

It looks like "Face of the Enemy" has been removed from both Hulu and Syfy. The Hulu link has a "This episode has been removed" notice; the original Syfy link (http://video.syfy.com/shows/battlestar/the_resistance/face-of-the-enemy--webisode-1/v1133102) is 404, and the BSG webisode area at Syfy.com (http://www.syfy.com/videos/Battlestar%20Galactica/Webisodes) only has one clip from "The Resistance" and none from "Face".

Anonymous said...

Just finished watching the series, truly incredible. Thanks for making this guide.

Sonia said...

Thanks so much Johnny!

I've just finished watching the last episode of season 4 and I loved it! But I still haven't seen "The Face of the Enemy" or "The Plan", so I guess this is not the end of BSG for me yet...

Cheers! :-)

Johnny Walker said...

Huh, you kind of skipped a bit by missing Face of the Enemy! Oh well, I'm glad you loved it anyway! It's a great show :)

Anonymous said...

If you want to venture a bit to the dark side, fan-editor bsg4you has created fan-edits of the three webisode series. He's expertly edited the episodes together, removing redundant scenes, and creating three coherent, and essential, mini-episodes. Since Face of the Enemy is no longer on Hulu, this may be one of the few places to get it.

Face of the Enemy: https://thepiratebay.se/torrent/8103589/

The Resistance: https://thepiratebay.se/torrent/8136276

Razor Flashbacks:
https://thepiratebay.se/torrent/8144836

In particular, the Razor Flashbacks makes for an excellent "prequel" to the series -- I'd recommend watching that first, before the miniseries.

Note also in the comments bsg4you gives a shoutout back to this epic blog post.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this!!! I'm glad I found this in the middle of season 2 so I could watch Razor where you recommend.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the effort.It is appreciated.

I watch with your order and it is just fine. I recommend it anyone who has any doubt.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Bro Johnny :) !

I'm starting my second round in that order You recommended and for Caprica & Blood And Chrome it will be my first turn.

Way to go Johnny, nice work!

Unknown said...

Just re-watched BSG in your order. Pretty well spot on dude. Enjoyed it. Cheers for taking the time :)

Julie-Anne Michael said...

Thanks for this info. I've watched BSG some time ago and am now trying to fill in the pieces. I just finished watching Caprica and was looking through your list to see how to fill in the rest of the blanks. There seems to be something missing from your list through. Because I couldn't make sense of BSG ep 1 I went back to the store I purchased it from and they suggested BSG the movie that fills in some of the blanks. It seems to fit in after Blood and Chrome (which I haven't seen yet) and os set 40 years after the first Cylon War and ends with the attack on the 12 worlds and setting the scene for BSG.

Julie-Anne Michael said...

Scrap that comment - I just realised I am referring to the miniseries.

Anonymous said...

The pilot to Caprica has an extended version on the DVDs. I just thought you should add that to your list.

Anonymous said...

for anyone NOT new to the BG universe, wanting to watch everything in chronological order of events, they ABSOLUTELY need to start with Caprica!!
I can understand not recommending this to newbies, since it has an overload of the religious bs, which is the only point of criticism I have on the renewed series (I won't go into the rush job that was the final season and the mistakes made trying to tie together all the storylines, cause you have to take it how you get it, and that's how he wrote it ...)

The Big Unit said...

I got both seasons of Caprica as a gift from my wife. I was just finished with season 1 when they canceled. It made me sick. I was really getting into it. The whole virtual world was really getting interesting. And Zoey was HOT. I heard about (more or less) how season 2 ended so abruptly that I couldn't even watch it.
What a shame...
Let's hope Ascension will give us old BSG lover's something to keep us going.

The Big Unit said...

Don't forget the webisodes. They really fill in a lot of missing info.

Julie-Anne Michael said...

@ Big Unit - do you mean that the brand new series Ascension just starting tonight is a continuation of Caprica? I know it has Tricia Helfer in it but it doesn't seem related to me - help me out by explaining how it is season 2 of Caprica??

Johnny Walker said...

I'm not sure what he meant about "season 2" either (or the webisodes, for that matter -- everything is listed). I think he just meant that hopefully Ascension will fill in the BSG shaped hole in many fan's lives.

maunderingcabal said...

Very helpful. Thank you for typing this up.

Anonymous said...

A new complete, single file fanedit of The Face Of The Enemy webisodes has been completed using the Japanese Blu-Ray source. The new version looks better and has much better color than the previous versions based on a low-bitrate, 720p streaming source.
The Face Of The Enemy Complete Fanedit v5 BluRay 1080p 2ch
p2p - FOTE v5 KAT
usenet - FOTE v5 nzbclub

Go to KAT user bsg4you to browse all the Battlestar Galactica fanedits, Rifftrax, documentaries and other items. Note, most of the BSG edits are further back in time before the Rifftrax.

Thanks, bsg4you

Unknown said...

thanks a lot for the viewing order, it's much easyer to understadit now!
cheers!

Farley Flavors said...

Many thanks for producing this, Johnny. I just finished watching BSG for the first time and in this order. I know I'm a bit late to the party, but memories of the sheer awfulness of the original kept me away from the remake for a long time.

It's mostly a hugely enjoyable series, although I could have done with a bit less of the new-age/religious bollocks. It's very American in that respect.

One thing I would query is your placement of Blood and Chrome after the final episode. When someone asked about this you replied, "I'd definitely watch it after the main series just to be safe".

Unless I missed something, I couldn't spot a single spoiler for BSG in Blood and Chrome. I'd have preferred to have watched it first, especially as it's a bit of an anti-climax to watch it after the superb final episode of BSG.

Johnny Walker said...

Thanks for the tip. That said, if I told people to watch it first, they might never give the main series a go proper :)

I'll update the guide.

Unknown said...

Thank you for the writeup and order to watch everything. I'm an avid fan of BSG and am ready to watch it all again. But it's no longer on Netflix! So I discovered this writeup and am excited to go thru it all in the order you mentioned. But am I missing something with the links? They take me to a wiki, but do not see where to watch them. Any help is appreciated!

Thank you again for the writeup!

Johnny Walker said...

Hi John, you can buy BATTLESTAR GALACTICA on Bluray or DVD from Amazon.com. If you keep yours eyes peeled, it will occasionally drop in price to something ludicrously low.

Good luck!

Unknown said...

Oh, gotcha! Been trying all night to find a UK proxy that will let me connect to Netflix from the USA, because Netflix there still has BSG. But no luck with the proxy. I'm wanting the full collection on Blue Ray, but having proposed recently to my fiancé... she wouldn't have liked forfeiting the ring for the BSG collection. LoL!

Still much appreciate your information and this entire article!

PS: love the name, Black Label for the win!

Cheers!

Johnny Walker said...

Hi John, congratulations. A less bank-busting way to watch the show would be to buy a DNS/VPN service like the one available at Blockless.com. Only £3 a month! You can't say fairer than that.

Unknown said...

Awesome! You rock and thank you very much!

Farley Flavors said...

The complete series Blu Ray is available instore at HMV for £35 at the moment, including Razor but not The Plan nor Blood and Chrome.

katherine said...

Thanks for this! When I originally sought out the order, I skimmed your advice and thought it was kinda lame you suggested watching Razor a season before it came out, muting some dialogue in the last 10 minutes sounded like too much work. Then, after finishing season 3, i watched Razor and COMPLETELY understand what you were talking about! Should have really read it the first time! Razor is light years behind where 3 ends and I WAS super annoyed, just like you said.

Johnny Walker said...

Ha! Sorry to hear that, Katherine, but also kinda pleased that you took the time to write. Hopefully your experience might be useful to others. (I actually did the same as you and regretted it as well!)

Coolguy_d said...

THANK YOU VERY MUCH JOHNNY!! YOU ARE THE MAIN MANNN FOR DOING THIS GUIDE!!
Just finshed watching the main series a second ago on Pick TV UK. Thanks so much for this Guide...helped alot. An absolute stunning series. i was a great fan of the original, when this new BSG came about and came on TV to be watched my first thought was ahh, its kinda boring no action, no space fights like the old BSG, i soon got engrossed into the plot lines and story. it was truly amazing. This made my Monday nights, as i stayed up to watch this every week. Looks like ill have to go back and rewatch some things i missed...atleast the journey is not over yet as i can still watch Caprica,Razor, and a few other mini series i missed,and what ever else i can get my hands on to watch, just one thin i was puzzled about is Balter and the six in the last episode. But i will try and look this up somewhere.
My cap comes off to you sir.
Many Thanks.

Joe said...

I had purchased "The Razor" DVD when it was released prior to the S4 series box being released, not knowing that "The Razor" was released there as well. They both state Extended Unrated editions, 1 hr 41ms. Is there really any difference?

Also where can I watch the two eps Night1 and Night2?

Joe said...

FYI I recently found out that The Face of the Enemy" was included on the Japanese Battlestar Galactica Season 4 Blu-ray Box Set.

Johnny Walker said...

Hi Joe, I'm really not sure what to tell you. There is no version of Razor that runs for 1 hr 41 ms. It may be a typo on your box.

Episodes "Night 1" and "Night 2" are at the top of the viewing order. Maybe you need to scroll up?

Thanks for the tip about "Face of the Enemy" Japanese release.

Unknown said...

Johnny, i was so happy to stumble upon your page and revisit BG in the "right" order... i haven't been able to stop but i don't want it to end!!

Have you compiled anything like this for other series?
And out of interest what are your top 5 TV series?

For me i think it would be;
1. Battlestar Galactica
2. Breaking Bad
3. The Wire
4. 24
5. Mad Men

Thanks again
Debs (UK)

ps.I managed to find all the episodes in exactly this order on a perfectly above board sharing website ;-) So say we all!

The Big Unit said...

The worst thing I ever did was watch the final episode.

I had watched and re-watched the series maybe 5 times, but always stopped short of watching the last 2-2hour episodes. I stretched that show out for about 6 years before I finally watched the last two episodes. I listened to all the podcasts: Ronald D. Moore, Galactica Watercooler, Draedus Report, etc. I listened to them all many times trying to figure out how it would end.

Then - I watched the last two shows. As good as they were, I now knew how it ends and can't go back and do a re-watch. The show's over for me.

DON'T WATCH THE ENDING UNTIL YOU'RE READY TO GIVE UP THE SHOW. ONCE YOU SEE IT, YOU CAN'T GO BACK AND START OVER!!!

Johnny Walker said...

Hi Debbie, thanks for your comment! Sorry for taking so long to reply.

The closest I got to compiling a list like this for another series was Buffy and Angel, because of how they sometimes crossed-over each other. It's sitting in my draft's folder at this very moment waiting for me to finish it :)

I don't know what my top 5 TV series would be, but THE WIRE would probably be on top. Others would probably include TWIN PEAKS, BREAKING BAD, BUFFY, FIREFLY, THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW and CHEERS :)

Thanks again!

Unknown said...

So no comments in nearly 3 years hey. Well i just discovered BSG for the first time. I never thought of watching it before and was really looking for shows to binge watch during a long medical leave. I have to admit that this has been one of my most favourite shows of all time and thanks to your viewing order, i feel that the viewing experience was really augmented.

And also I'm a toaster lover

Johnny Walker said...

I get a few comments every month... even after all these years. You just didn't get the end :)

Glad you felt the viewing order helped, though :)

P&E said...

Have to offer a huge THANKS for your efforts on this project of yours. Although done many years ago it's still greatly appreciated by newbies like the wonderful wife and I just finding BSG after all these years. We've studied your work and decided to go all in even watching the original series (hokey caused us to pass on some episodes) then Caprica, Blood and Chrome then doing as told to do!! Well into season three and loving it. Even using our 3D DVD rental outfit to get the season 4 Blu Rays!! Only problem we have is that the highly value BSG wiki pages started coming up as "Forbidden You don't have permission to access /wiki/Six_Degrees_of_Separation on this server." starting Sunday. We miss those valued pages/descriptions to follow up on episodes just watched. Can you help...clue us in?
P for Paul & Elaine

Johnny Walker said...

@Bradley, sadly it seems that Battlestar Wiki -- along with all of its content -- is no more :(

https://www.facebook.com/battlestarwiki/posts/10153710325544925

There is a Twitter account, too: https://twitter.com/battlestarwiki

Very sad :(

P&E said...

Well I made the offer on the face book page to host the pages. I'll come up with a domain and load the pages if someone that has them all makes them available. I won't do anymore than that but at least they would be available as they were when the site vanished. I know it's a lot but we appreciated them and know others will through the years. So long as the links are there and the pages just need a host site...why not?

Joe said...

get them from here

https://web.archive.org/web/20150905054810/http://en.battlestarwiki.org/wiki/Main_Page

Johnny Walker said...

Great thinking, Joe! Thanks!

P&E said...

This is GREATLY APPRECIATED. We are about to watch the plan (and then finish the series but first I think a bit of reading is in order. Thanks to all for making all of this possible and our BSG adventure as enjoyable as it has been.

Anonymous said...

Caprica should NOT be watched. It does not bring anything to the story, it pull of many questionable parts of BSG which are the essence of the serie. It's a teenager serie with terrible actors, it's full of silliness and very bad in terme of film-making. While BSG is great, Caprika is a marketing product with teenagers as targets, nothing more.

Thanks for the order tho i enjoyed it

P&E said...

What Anonymous wrote has merit although we are glad we watched everything (including most of the original series before we started the real deal. We did take a pass on some episodes of the original series. Watching Caprica and Blood & Chrome before starting the whole BSG in proper order offered us a few 'Ah Ha' moments that otherwise wouldn't have been available. To each his own and life is full of choices. We wanted the full experience and if we were to do it again the only change we'd make is the original series viewing. It offered little, if any, in the way of Ah Ha.

Johnny Walker said...

I did question whether or not to post Anonymous's comment, but I'm glad someone got something from it. I think watching the original series (which is a completely different universe) is above and beyond!

Interesting that you decided to watch Caprica and Blood & Chrome first, too.

P&E said...

We both got good giggles from your comment Johhny Walker! When we decided BSG was our next binge we wanted to do it right so we researched. We were in college when the original aired and many liked it so why not? Chronology of Caprica, Blood & Chrome, then following your 'instructions' for us just made sense. Nothing was optional if it were to be done 'correctly' (just our humble opinions). Using two different subscription services allowed us to watch almost everything in BluRay and we got in all of the deleted scenes. We even watched the webisodes on the BIG screen!! Truly great viewing experience from start to finish...THANK YOU!!

Now we're doing Farscape start to finish. Had to buy the "Peacekeeper Wars" BluRay and will donate to 3D BluRay rental when done so they have the whole series with all deleted scenes.

Thanks again for all your work and the wiki pages that were linked (and brought back from oblivion) that helped us old folks understand.

Carlos Campani said...

Blog sobre brinquedos - Galactica 1978
http://meumundodebrinquedos.blogspot.com.br/2015/07/battlestar-galactica-1978.html

Jess Gillis said...

OMG. Thank youuuu! I'm re-watching the series with a friend (who hasn't seen it), and we want to do it right!

P&E said...

If something we offered in viewing makes sense for you and you friend we are thrilled.

Greg said...

First of all, thank you for compiling this list. It has been a great resource for new BSG fans. It's always at the top of the list when you google: 'bsg viewing order.'

I'm now concluding my fourth run through of the series with a friend(as a new viewer).

I have to lobby for one change in the list. I believe 'The Plan' fits better before 'No Exit.'

If one argues that the 'The Plan' spoils anything from the main series, it is a single line at the end of the movie. This line, though, is a character thought/feeling. It doesn't reveal anything major from the main series. The line affirms feelings we've already seen from the character. There is nothing spoiled for the viewer when they view 'No Exit.'

The final episodes from Season 4 aka Season 4.5 tell two stories. The first story ends with 'Blood on the Scales' and the final story begins in 'No Exit.' This is why I believe 'The Plan' should be viewed before 'No Exit.'

Let 'The Plan' be a true prologue to the final story. Do not break the flow from 'No Exit' to 'Deadlock.'

Any further argument I would make would be spoiler heavy. So, I will have to stop there.

Max Biddlecombe said...

Just finished watching the series and i am glad that using this guide, i got the most satisfying experience watching the saga. May be 5 years late but thanks man.

Band Manager said...

Thank very much for your comprehensive list of what to watch and when to watch it. I'm on my 2nd viewing, so I started with Caprica. In the director's commentary on the last episode, he talks about explanations of several plot gaps that would appear in Season 2. Such as, how did the Cylons come to have skin and look perfectly human? Apparently, it was yet another creation by the incredible Zoe. All would have been revealed in Season 2. Alas, it was not to be.

Unknown said...

Looks like a lot of knowledgeable folks here!

I want to buy "all things BSG" so I can watch it, but I am overwhelmed with the choices at amazon. Any recommendations in regards to what to buy so I can have the ultimate viewing experience? I am a blu ray fan.

Thanks!
Elliott

P&E said...

Hello Elliot! Buy whatever you want however we bought the one and only thing that was needed to watch the entire story from Caprica and Blood and Chrome through the entire BSG series using Johnny Walkers list. The one thing we had to buy, and we gifted it to a company called 3D bluray rentals when done with it. Wonderful outfit and they have EVERYTHING that Netflix doesn't offer in BluRay (which is the best way to go this as you've probably read)through either DVD rental or streaming. We can't remember if it was 'Razor' or 'Blood and Chrome' that we gifted to what we call team 3D BluRay (we love our Sharp 3D TV!) but it completed all that was needed for anyone like you to see the entire story without buying a thing using the internet, NetFlix and Team 3d-blurayrental.com for what was a great experience for us.

Do you need to watch the original series? Life is full of choices! We did and passed on some episodes but glad we watched what we did.

Thanks again for Johnny Walker and ALL that made this viewing experience what it is!!

P&E said...

Hello Elliot! Buy whatever you want however we bought the one and only thing that was needed to watch the entire story from Caprica and Blood and Chrome through the entire BSG series using Johnny Walkers list. The one thing we had to buy, and we gifted it to a company called 3D bluray rentals when done with it. Wonderful outfit and they have EVERYTHING that Netflix doesn't offer in BluRay (which is the best way to go this as you've probably read) through either DVD rental or streaming. We can't remember if it was 'Razor' or 'Blood and Chrome' that we gifted to what we call team 3D BluRay (we love our Sharp 3D TV!) but it completed all that was needed for anyone like you to see the entire story without buying a thing using the internet, NetFlix and Team 3d-blurayrental.com for what was a great experience for us.

Do you need to watch the original series? Life is full of choices! We did and passed on some episodes but glad we watched what we did.

Thanks again for Johnny Walker and ALL that made this viewing experience what it is!!

Johnny Walker said...

@Elliot Just buy the "Complete Series" bluray boxset from Amazon. It has everything you need (apart from FACE OF THE ENEMY, which is here anyway) and THE PLAN (which you can pick up separately).

You can pick up Caprica and/or Blood and Chrome at a later date if you like, too.

Unknown said...

Thanks everyone!

aasad said...

Sweet, thanks was sure someone had dug into what is the best order =)

If you would had a flattr button I would have flattred you

OP said...

Why didn't I start with Caprica? I'm so stupid...

Johnny Walker said...

OP, not at all! Starting with BSG makes most sense.

Anonymous said...

Just watched the whole series following your guidance. You're like the Master Yoda of BSG for creating this list.
I watched the whole series before, but this time around it was way fraking better.
This page will forever be bookmarked.
Keep up the good work my friend.

So Say We All!

JP

chrissy said...

Can anyone give me the original battlestar galactica storyline order.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for this. I have already seen the series and I just wanted to catch up with the rest but now I'm watching the whole thing from the beginning.

Joe said...

So I did watch Caprica, but I could not stick with it. I Was really getting drawn out of the show; like some have said prior, it seems it was targeted for teens. However there has to be gold in there somewhere (the Pilot for example). Has anyone done an "absolute must watch" list for the Caprica series?

Ralph Kruhm said...

Hi there; I'm a longtime BSG fan and have seen the whole thing a couple of times now. I just stumbled upon your list, which is pretty great and basically exactly what I did each time, but I always found it was better to watch "The Plan" before "No Exit", mostly because of the chronology of it all. It's as if you get to see all the events from the Cylon perspective with "The Plan", and "No Exit" more or less continues that from there, especially the conflict/discussion between Cavil and Ellen they had on Caprica right before the attack. I realise there's some tiny details spoiled that way, but I think this order of viewing is still more rewarding, because if you imagine it as one thing instead of one movie and one episode, it kind of flows naturally.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the guide dude you rock !

Unknown said...

Thanks for the viewing order, it was very helpful and gave me a wonderful experience with BSG.

I watched The Resistance after second season as you suggested. Personally I'd prefer to learn that Saul Tigh lost an eye during the beginning of the third season because it would be more emotional, not on the web series by the eye patch. What do you guys think about that?

Becca said...

So say we all.

Anonymous said...

Really appreciate your work! Thank you.

Unknown said...

This is the order I've watched BSG on my first viewing some time ago and it was great. I still want to do an edit that makes Razor spoiler free to watch after S02E17 (without having to manually mute or skip). I really think it is a great choice to watch it right there because of the momentum, the theme of the series at that point, instead of watching it after S03.

And I guess watching The Plan after S04E15 also makes sense - if anything it doesn't distract you from the closure of the series, but I must say it is a very dispensable movie, redundant and slow.

By now I've finally watched Caprica and even though it's an entirely different beast it was mostly entertaining - specially the second half of it. I've read someone said they were getting drawn out of the series and I can relate to that, but it's worth to stick with it if (it's not too long a series anyway).

For completion sake I'll watch Blood and Chrome now (although I don't expect much) and then rewatch the BSG series because it's really good!

Unknown said...

There is a problem with your recommendation for Razor. I muted the two scenes when re-watching with a first-time watcher, but after those two scenes there is a scene where Kara Thrace (Starbuck) speaks to Lee Adama (Apollo) and makes a comment like "I guess I'm important because I got my fortune read by a Cylon." Needless to say, it spoils a lot for the show.

Johnny Walker said...

Hi Charles, the exact line is: "Oh! Speak for yourself, Lee, I have a destiny. Had my palm read by a Cylon, remember?" which doesn't spoil anything at all. Not a single thing.

Unknown said...

Right after the line was spoken, my friend was like "Woah! Something during that muted scene was about the hybrid telling Shaw that Starbuck was some kinda chosen one, huh?" To me this changes how the season will be watched, which is the whole point of muting the dialogues. Doesn't that make it more spoilery than the second mute scene?

Johnny Walker said...

Hmm. I guess the fact that it was preceded by a muted scene probably makes what Starbuck says seem more loaded than she actually intends. I don't know if it changes the perception of her character as much as the unmuted scene does, but maybe you're right

Unknown said...

Oh man... I've heard a lot of discussions regarding this show on how complicated the episodes are, since then i was afraid to start this show. Once is read your comments (mute here... un-mute here...) i knew you mean business. it was because of you and this list i started watching the show, i enjoyed it fully. I can never thank you enough, it's because of you and other selfless people that i was able to watch old sci-fi shows and enjoy them in the right order (BSG, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, etc..).
thanks man... just THANKS!

Unknown said...

Oh man... I've heard a lot of discussions regarding this show on how complicated the episodes are, since then i was afraid to start this show. Once is read your comments (mute here... un-mute here...) i knew you mean business. it was because of you and this list i started watching the show, i enjoyed it fully. I can never thank you enough, it's because of you and other selfless people that i was able to watch old sci-fi shows and enjoy them in the right order (BSG, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, etc..).
thanks man... just THANKS!

Brandonshire said...

Just wanted to add to the chorus of thanks! I've ripped everything from my blu rays and I've put it all together into a playlist in Plex that I'm slowly working my way through. Thanks so much! This re-watch has been fun and had included a few things I never watched before like the various webisodes and such. Since I've already seen the series once I didn't have to worry about muting Razor or anything, but definitely agree with your placement for it (though my first time through as it was being broadcast I actually did kind of like getting to go back to the Pegasus and such after all that time, but I think it does work better where you put it).

Lisa said...

so, this is ridiculous. I'm rewatching BSG in 2018 because it's my favourite show, and your viewing order was perfect thank you for putting it together, I appreciate it! -Lisa

Anonymous said...

New guy here:

"My friends and I finally watched this tonight. I'm absolutely convinced that the best way to view this would be to re-edit the show to cut the following sections:

1:29:50 to 1:33:09--just after Shaw forces Starbuck into the airlock, to the point where the evac raptor is leaving the Cylon ship;

1:33:24 to 1:34:43-- between when Lee says "Starbuck?" and Shaw begins to speak over the radio, to the exterior shot of the Cylon ship exploding (you can still hear the click of the detonator switch)

How to make these edits is an exercise left to the reader. All viewers agreed that this would minimally disturb the story, while concealing any spoilers. Everyone seemed to get why Shaw did what she did, without actually seeing the footage at 1:31:15 through 1:32:00; there were enough clues from earlier in the episode"

I'm looking at the Razor movie and it has 20 chapters. Chapter 18 starts at 1:29:50 and ends at 1:35:14. It seems like it would be easier to just skip chapter 18 than to cut 95% of it. In fact, I wonder if it would harm the story to stop watching after chapter 17 and then watch the final chapters before starting season 4.

Bob Martin said...

Can't thank you enough for this watch order - it smooths together virtually all of the after-the-fact patchwork done as the series was being filmed and aired in order to fill plot holes, etc, and takes the series from great to greater. ONE NOTE: You understate the importance of watching the FACE OF THE ENEMY webisodes, especially as it only seems to exist at the DailyMotion link. Finding & watching that 33 minutes of content changes the entire final season for the deeper / better, I cannot believe it isn't included on any home video release or streaming site. More important to watch this than fuss over the Razor ending, IMO. Again, thank you, well done!

Anonymous said...

Sorry if already linked to, but the Wiki is partly back here: https://en.battlestarwikiclone.org/wiki/Main_Page

Some links don't work, but you can often change the url to get the one you need.

And thank you for this post, just finished watching the whole series for the 5th time tonight!

Anonymous said...

Sorry if already linked to, but the Wiki is partly back here: https://en.battlestarwikiclone.org/wiki/Main_Page

Some links don't work, but you can often change the url to get the one you need.

And thank you for this post, just finished watching the whole series for the 5th time tonight!

Annara Walding said...

Hi there,

Thanks so much for putting together this viewing order! It is FANTASTIC! My family and I are all watching the series following your advice on the best order. :D

Thank you,
Annara

In-tent-city said...

I know it's years old now but I still find this post useful so thank you OP.

Anonymous said...

Question: Can you tell me where this movie fits into the series? "Conquest of the Earth (1981)". IMDb Info Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080559/ . Plot Summary: The Battlestar Galactica and its ragtag fleet of ships finally locate the planet Earth, only to discover that the Cylons have followed them there. Captain Troy and Lieutenant Dillon are dispatched to speak with nuclear physicist Donald Mortinson and obtain his help by gathering scientists to defend Earth against the Cylon invasion. Arrested as anti-nuclear demonstrators, Troy and Dillon befriend feisty television reporter Jamie Hamilton who helps them understand Earth culture. Troy are Dillon are then dispatched to find a crashed Cylon Raider, only to find that the Cylons have stumbled into a Halloween party.

C-Zero said...

Hello, 2019 here! (This is a corrected comment after the first one.)
You don't imagine how useful this article is for all new watchers of BSG.
Finally have come to an end of all BSG seasons viewing all webisodes and movies following the chronological order, and that helped me a lot to understand some issues not very clear at the time. In my opinion is very important to watch The Plan movie after "No Exit" and not at the end, in order to clear a lot of doubts before the final episode. I would even say it's better to watch it before that particular episode, simply because it has a lot of new information to be digested. Watching The Plan before, makes this episode much more accessible to be understood.
Best regards.

Unknown said...

but....but...... ??? from another site, it states that the viewing order is:


*********************************************************
Movie Blood and Chrome

Mini-series 1 and 2

Season 1

BSG: The Plan takes place betwen the mini-series and Season 2, Episode 20.

Season Two through Ep 17 and then watch

Movie Razor extended cut

Finish Season 2

Season's 3 and 4

*********************************************************

So is "Movie Blood and Chrome" first, or as you surgest first later on in the timeline ?

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this guide! You don't imagine how much I appreciated it!

Guille said...

Thanks man. I'm watching in 2020. I'm following your recommendation.

Anonymous said...

I know I'm 10 years late. But thanks for this. I just started it and your list has HELPED a lot.

No said...

I was doing fine with the list until I got to Razor. Since I'm like 20 years behind on watching BSG (I never got to finish it so I restarted it) I'm either going to have to stop watching, buy the dvd, and then continue watching or just skip Razor all together and keep going. I don't really want to buy the DVD since its not something I'm going to rewatch and even though NBC and YouTube both say they have it they actually take you to episodes of the original BSG series (so don't fall for that. Amazon also says they have it but it's never available) At least I tried I guess :/

Don... said...

I recently purchased BSG Season 4.0 and 4.5 DVDs from Amazon but I can't find the final "Battlestar Galactica: Daybreak" episodes. I read the descriptions on the covers and no mention of anything past "Island in a Stream of Stars." Where can I find the three "Daybreak" episodes???
TIA...

Unknown said...

I guess my 1st stop will be 1978 before viewing anything newer... I do hope the next generation does tie into the original BSG... I was only in 5th & 6th grade back then but never missed an episode! :)

Anonymous said...

I'm a bit late to this blog comment section, but THANK YOU for making this! I re watch this every 5yrs or so and this guide makes it the best experience possible.

ChrisR66 said...

I totally disagree with your viewing order (okay, not TOTALLY) because I am real anal when it comes to chronology. The way I have the show listed is as follows:

"Caprica" - "Blood and Chrome" - "Razor Flashbacks" - Season 1 & 2 intermixed with extra/alternate footage from "The Plan".

Other than that, I agree with your list.

DWhit said...

Question. I just finished S2E17 and about to start Razor, probably this weekend. Why mute with 10 mins left and not just pause and then pick back up later?

Teddy_Rivers said...

For those looking for a working, full version of:

The Face of the Enemy

You can find it:

https://www.dailymotion.com/playlist/x2f0nx

The quality is crappy, but you'll get used to it quickly.

Rod Tough said...

This has been REALLY useful for me. I only first watched the series this year (2021) thanks to the BBC showing it and streaming it on BBC iplayer. I loved it so much I bought the whole saga on bluray and used your guide.
However, as a continuity buff (thanks to decades of Marvel comics reading) I have two ammendments to your suggested viewing order.
Firstly, the webisodes "Razor Flashbacks" while having mostly been integrated into the "Razor" extended episode can also be considered as a stand alone piece occurring between "Blood and Chrome" and the "Battlestar" pilot, as it ends just before that episode begins.
Secondly, "The Plan" would be better placed after "Sometimes a Great Notion" as that contains the last revelation which "The Plan" might spoil for new viewers ("Ellen! You're the fifth!"). Although you say it is "generally agreed" that it should be watched where you have placed it, it interrupts the flow of the story of Ellen's departure from the Cylon baseship and arrival on Galactica.
But apart from those, a thoroughly useful guide.
Thank you.

Anonymous said...

So say we all. Also a long, overdue newcomer to this series and plan to watch it in this thoroughly detailed order. Loved your tagline, Agouri!

Anonymous said...

New watcher in 2022. Using this guide currently. The internet is awesome! More than 10 years later...

Thanks for the tips!

Nail said...

This guide is excellent, thank you! I should say I haven't watched Caprica and Blood and Chrome, but the most of the guide worked very well for me.

Unknown said...

FACEOF THE ENEMY is on YouTube.

Anonymous said...

Hi, 2023 called and wondering what is a dvd?

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