Battlestar Galactica's Infamous "Worst" Episode Wasted A Great Premise That Deserved Much Better

Battlestar Galacticais renowned for its dark, complex narratives and morally grey characters. However, Season 2’s “Black Market” often finds itself at the bottom of many viewers' rankings. This one-off episode, while exploring the grim economic reality after the fall of the Twelve Colonies, suffers from a rushed narrative and ultimately feels like an outlier in the show’s typically strong storytelling.Battlestar Galactica’sshowrunner criticized the episode before it even aired.

However, “Black Market” is not universally hated –there are some brilliant aspects of the episode, such as Gaius’ newfound confidence – which helps makeGaius Baltar one of sci-fi’s greatest characters– and Lee’s flashbacks, character development, and trauma-informed outlook in his relationships. It has value in the wider story, but this is exactly why it deserved more than one part. This being said, “Black Market” does not stopseason 2 ofBattlestar Galactica frombeing ranked among the best.

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Why Battlestar Galactica’s “Black Market” Is Considered The Worst Episode

It Was Such An Anomaly Among The Preceding Episodes It Threw Viewers Off

This season 2 episode ofBattlestar Galacticaopens with a tense standoff, setting the stage for a story of corruption and moral ambiguity within the Colonial Fleet. Captain Lee “Apollo” Adama investigates the murder of Commander Fisk, a high-ranking officer involved in a burgeoning black market. As the investigation unfolds,Apollo grapples with his moral compromises and the harsh realities of life in the bleak economic setting. Key themes explored include the struggle for survival, the exploitation of the vulnerable, and the blurring lines between right and wrong in a desperate situation.

“Black Market” is considered the worstBattlestarGalacticaepisode because it is arguably the first episode that is considered bad in theBattlestar Galacticawatching order. Another potential reason it stands out as bad to viewers is that it is only a one-episode narrative arc. This is unusual inBattlestar Galacticaand leads some to view the episode as“filler”, despite it having residual plotlines from previous episodes. Having only one episode dedicated to the concept also reduces some very dark themes to a bizarre monster of the week.

The Idea Of A Galactic Fleet Black Market Is Actually Pretty Good

BSG’s Economic Human Realities Are A Great Theme To Explore

The idea behind “Black Market” is actually very compelling and,had the writers dedicated at least two episodes to it, the showrunners could have avoided it being remembered infamously. The major strength of the episode is that it reminds the audience that there is a whole society outside of Galactica and that the fleet is run very differently on one of thecoolest spaceships onBattlestar Galactica,Pegasus. It also focuses more on fleet and human issues, a reprieve from the Cylon focus of previous episodes. It enhancesBSG’s gritty realism.

In the episode, a shortage of essential goods makes a black market inevitable.

Another positive of “Black Market” is that it considers the consequences of a dire economic situation that could actually happen. In the episode, a shortage of essential goods makes a black market inevitable. This is a good gateway for exploring the moral boundaries of this unavoidable situation, which is also a good vehicle to explore Lee Adama’s character more deeply. The vulnerability of Shevon’s daughter is also a good callback to the last episode. It is a thought-provoking reminder of Helo’s protectiveness toward his hybrid daughter Hera in the face of Laura Roslin’s ruthlessness.

Battlestar Galactica Made Things Worse By Pretending “Black Market” Never Happened

Brushing “Black Market” Under The Carpet Only Wasted The Episode’s Potential

Tricia Helfer has discussed the episode “Black Market” on theBattlestar Galacticastpodcast (perSyFy). According to this podcast episode, NBC required some“one-off”story elements in the series to give audiences a break from the perceived“doom and gloom”of the series.“Black Market” was one of these one-offs that was pushed to make the show seem more approachable. However, they were surprised by audiences’ positive response to the linear storyline. Because of this, the one-episode arcs seem out of place. The show could have improved the episode by at least alluding to the black market in later episodes.

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Instead, the show abandoned the “Black Market” plotline to address the multiple other plotlines. Although this is understandable, the concept behind the one-off bears further exploration, especially given the seriousness of the trades happening. However, the existence of “Black Market” is reflective of a network television environment in which most long-term series contained“filler”episodes. This is not always executed badly – in other shows, such asBuffy the Vampire Slayer,filler episodes are ranked among the best episodes overall. Despite its interesting premise,Battlestar Galactica’s “Black Market” did not hit the mark.