“Unfinished Business” is episode nine of season three of the new Battlestar Galactica.
The ‘Previously…’ covers the settlement on New Caprica and the evacuation.
Helo and Apollo are boxing; Apollo is having memories from New Caprica. Starbuck is with Anders in the officers’ quarters. He would like her back, after she left him in “Collaborators”; she asks what if she’s not ready. Then he will leave her be. Because he’s not who she really wants, after all.
Starbuck arrives at the boxing match and greets Helo and Athena. Admiral Adama and Dee arrive. Tigh is the umpire and Dr Cottle checks on Apollo; he stops the fight because Apollo is a bit of a mess. Starbuck makes a comment to Apollo as he takes his dog tags from the box, saying he’s done. Starbuck puts hers in and says she isn’t; he ends up putting his tags back.
New Caprica, 17 months ago, 8 months before the Cylon occupation, and Dee and Apollo are talking; her transfer has been approved. Starbuck and Anders arrive; it’s a breaking ground ceremony today and Starbuck isn’t much interested. Dee tells her it’s an open bar. Roslin finds Adama; she says he’s playing in the sand. Alluvial deposits, he calls them.
In the present, Adama and Roslin arrive at the boxing; Adama says it’s a private tradition. There’s a lot of frustration on warships; arguments become grudges become feuds and this allows crew to blow off steam out in the open. Rank doesn’t matter, as long as you throw your tags in the box, everyone is fair game. The current match ends in a knockout and Tigh calls Hotdog up. Roslin asks if Adama would throw in; he wishes. Hotdog calls for Starbuck; she is working out her frustrations with memories of New Caprica, Apollo and Anders and Hotdog doesn’t last long, or put up much of a fight, before Starbuck knocks him out.
More memories, mostly Tigh’s, of New Caprica, Gaius Baltar and Ellen. Starbuck and Apollo smile at each other in the past; Gaeta excuses himself from Adama and Roslin and Roslin and Adama chat. She’s thinking of building a cabin.
In the present, one of the deck crew is speaking to Chief Tyrol about a bird that’s down. He’s the only one on the deck. Adama has memories of speaking to Tyrol 18 months ago, talking to him about his upcoming baby and Tyrol says he and Cally want their son to be born on New Caprica. He’s requesting a leave of duty to settle. Adama refuses.
Another knockout and Adama steps into the ring. Everyone goes quiet and Adam calls Tyrol to get up. Tyrol tells Cally he will be fine; Adama is an old mine and he isn’t serious anyway. Tigh checks that Adama is sure he wants to do this. He does, and punches the chief the instant the match started. Adama is fighting to make a point, which he does at the end of his match.
This is a very choppy episode, going to and fro between the boxing matches and New Caprica in the past. And Starbuck really, really wants to fight Apollo over something that happened between them on New Caprica.