After many light-years, thousands of lost compatriots and more jumps than a stoned kangaroo in a Tasmanian poppy field, the long journey home of Battlestar Galactica is complete with the release of the concluding 10 episodes—known as Season 4.5—on DVD. Ending a story arc so complex and fraught with analogies is not an easy task, and BS experiences some bumps and distractions along the way to a cosmos-embracing finale that stitches up human and Cylon time. After the bitter disappointment of arriving at Earth only to discover that it is a ruined cinder, the crew of Galactica must figure out what to do next. The season's tensest moments, full of nerve-wracking, explosive action, come after Admiral Adama decides to lean heavily on his Cylon allies for jump technology. A large segment of humans rebel at the notion of intertwining the fates of the two races, and a mutiny with deadly consequences follows. The last lap loses steam after the shocks of the insurrection. Sam ends up shaven headed in an electrical hot tub; Starbuck can't decide if she's dead or undead; Gaius Baltar's female cult starts to fracture; Ellen returns; Hera gets snatched; President Roslin grows increasingly annoying. And at this point, the show finds itself with more plot holes to fill than even a supercomputer could track. Luckily, Dean Stockwell's Cavil shows up to focus our attention on the final conundrum of how two races bent on destroying each other can ultimately survive. The last, two-hour episode manages to make a plea for galactic peace and understanding while also tossing out a caveat for the audience about giving up our souls to robots. I think that the drawn-out finish (complete with Gaius in wrap-around shades and an orgy-guy ruffled shirt) is evidence that the show's creators—Glen A. Larson, Ronald D. Moore and David Eick— just didn't know how to let go (the same was true of the last installment of The Wire). Who can blame them? It's hard to step away from what is surely their finest creative moment. This four-pack comes with deleted scenes, extended episodes, commentaries and featurettes.

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