A catastrophic Cylon attack has wiped out the Twelve Colonies and almost the entire Colonial Fleet, leaving fewer than 50,000 humans alive. The old Battlestar Galactica, which was being decommissioned when the Cylons attacked, becomes humanity’s only remaining warship. Its outdated technology turns out to be a blessing, leaving it unusually resistant to Cylon infiltration.

For a season and a half, this is a fundamental truth of Battlestar Galactica: Galactica is all humanity has left.

It’s difficult to overstate how enormous this moment feels when you first see it in season 2’s tenth episode, called “Pegasus.” The title refers to the newer, larger, more powerful Battlestar that everyone thought was destroyed alongside the rest of the Colonial Fleet. Yet suddenly it’s there, drifting through space near the Galactica. Even better, it’s commanded by Admiral Helena Cain (Michelle Forbes), a decorated officer who outranks even Commander William Adama. It makes for some incredible television.

For a brief period, Battlestar Galactica treats this miracle like the best thing that has happened since the world ended. The crews eagerly swap stories, and Cain appears to be exactly what everyone desperately needs: a capable military leader who somehow shepherded an enormously valuable warship through the apocalypse.

Adama respects her, too. In the episode’s audio commentary, executive producer David Eick points out a subtle element of Olmos’ performance: Adama tends to avoid eye contact with people he doesn’t respect. Yet he looks directly at Cain. For a man as devoted to military tradition as Adama, the hierarchy is clear.

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