Entertainment
How Battlestar Galactica Turned A Sci-Fi Plothole Into Its Most Depressing Episode
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
The Battlestar Galactica reboot turned a cheesy, fun sci-fi guilty pleasure into a dramatic, dark, and shockingly emotional series that redefined the entire medium. Keeping the focus small turned every update of the colony fleet’s survivors into a dramatic moment, and it let the writers mine the humans’ need for food and water for entire episodes.
While “Water” was a disappointing episode early in the show’s run, the Season 3 episode “The Passage” began with the need for fresh food and then told a tragic story of everyday heroism, guilt, and the ultimate sacrifice.
The Passage Is A Slow Motion Emotional Doom Spiral
There’s nothing sexy or fun about logistics. It’s the act of moving things from point A to point B, and yet “The Passage” is all about the work and planning that goes into keeping a fleet of ships moving through space.
It also put one of Battlestar Galactica’s one-time background characters, intended for only a single appearance, Louanne “Kat” Katraine (Luciana Carro, who later appeared in Caprica and Ronald D. Moore’s Helix), in the spotlight. Kat had butted heads with Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff) a few times previously, which is why the hotshot Viper pilot was so horrified to learn that “Kat” was a smuggler back on Caprica, blaming her for sneaking Cylons onto the planet.
Kat’s smuggling skills turn out to be invaluable when the colonial fleet has to navigate a radioactive star cluster in order to find fresh food. One of many Viper pilots tasked to guide the ships through the cluster, Kat ends up losing one, furthering her downward guilt spiral. She replaces her radiation badge, which has gone pure black from exposure to the deadly rays, with Helo’s fresh one, and on the final jump, stays behind to find a missing civilian ship. Triumphant, but sick from lethal doses of radiation, Kat comes back to Galactica as a hero.
From the moment Starbuck attacks her for being a smuggler, it’s clear that Kat is on a path of self-destruction. Her desperation to prove herself was watched with horror by Battlestar Galactica fans who knew how this story would end even before she swapped her radiation badge. Kat’s story comes to an end with heartbreaking back-to-back scenes showing her promotion to the lead of the flight group, followed by Starbuck hanging her photo on the memorial wall for those they’ve lost.
Battlestar Galactica Rewrote The Rules Of Sci-Fi
On its own, “The Passage” is a fantastic episode of Battlestar Galactica, and it all started with addressing a reality of living in space that most sci-fi ignores: food. Other shows wave away how food gets onboard, from Star Trek’s replicators to Star Wars pretending no one ever eats, and really, most series don’t want fans thinking of the practicalities of the setting. That Galactica would devote multiple episodes to managing resources and the mundane day-to-day running of the colonial fleet is a testament to the writing that, though a little uneven in the back half of the show’s run, is among the top tier of sci-fi shows in history.
“The Passage” also addressed what some fans might have considered a plot hole by bringing up how the Cylons snuck into Caprica in the first place. Kat explained she had no idea at the time that Cylons could look like humans. It’s a simple way to explain that humans like Kat may have accidentally assisted the Cylons to put them in position for the devastating attack on the colonies. It’s so simple that there was never a need for the show to even address the practical logistics of Cylons moving around Caprica, but it happened, and it was handled in a way that makes sense given the way the two pilots had been butting heads.
Battlestar Galactica ended up killing a lot of characters by the time humanity found its way to Earth, and in truth, Kat’s death shouldn’t have been as emotional as it was. “The Passage” didn’t focus on any of the main cast, and the result was a beautiful, contained story that made the world of the colonial fleet feel so much larger. A life on the run is going to be harsh, brutish, and short, but thanks to the slow-motion trainwreck of watching Kat pay the ultimate price to save the colonial fleet, it was also hopeful, beautiful, and a story that few sci-fi franchises would have ever the guts to tell.
Entertainment
How to watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG online for free
TL;DR: Live stream Bayern Munich vs. PSG in the Champions League for free on RTÉ Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
Bayern Munich vs. PSG would have made an amazing Champions League final, but we should be happy that we’re getting two matchups between these electric teams. The first leg finished 5-4 to PSG. We’re not expecting the same again, because that was probably one of the best games of all time. If we get half that level of entertainment in the second leg, we’ll be delighted.
Expect more of the same from the likes of Michael Olise and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as these teams battle it out for a spot in the showpiece event. The winner will meet Arsenal at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest.
If you want to watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Bayern Munich vs. PSG?
Bayern Munich vs. PSG in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on May 6. This fixture takes place at the Allianz Arena.
How to watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG for free
Bayern Munich vs. PSG is available to live stream for free on RTÉ Player.
Mashable Top Stories
RTÉ Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock RTÉ Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Bayern Munich vs. PSG for free by following these simple steps:
-
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
-
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
-
Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland
-
Visit RTÉ Player
-
Watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG for free from anywhere in the world
$12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn’t a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Bayern Munich vs. PSG (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you’ll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPn for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for RTÉ Player?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTÉ Player, for a number of reasons:
-
Servers in 105 countries including Ireland
-
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
-
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
-
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
-
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
-
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Live stream Bayern Munich vs. PSG in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.
Entertainment
AI stocks are cooling — this ChatGPT trading tool keeps delivering
TL;DR: A ChatGPT-powered investing platform that helps you find and manage stocks with clearer signals—lifetime access for a one-time $54.97.
Credit: Sterling Stock Picker
The AI trade has seemingly had its moment — big runs, big headlines, big expectations. The AI fun is not over by any means. But now that things are settling, the real question is what comes next?
Instead of chasing whatever’s trending, Sterling Stock Picker leans into a more grounded approach: using a ChatGPT-powered assistant (Finley) to help you understand what’s actually happening inside a stock. You can ask questions about companies, sectors, or your own portfolio and get explanations that are tied to real data — not just surface-level summaries.
Mashable Deals
It also handles the heavy lifting most people avoid. The platform analyzes financials, growth metrics, and risk, then surfaces signals like whether a stock is worth buying, holding, or avoiding. There’s even a “North Star” system that simplifies that call into something actionable.
Mashable Trend Report
If you’re building from scratch, there’s a done-for-you portfolio builder that aligns with your risk tolerance. If you already have positions, it can suggest adjustments based on your portfolio’s performance.
One thing that stands out is how it balances guidance with transparency. You’re not just handed picks — you can see the reasoning behind them, which matters if you’re trying to build a repeatable process.
Have a lifetime way to pressure-test your judgment — especially in a market that’s moving past hype and into something more selective.
Get lifetime access to the ChatGPT-driven Sterling Stock Picker while it’s on sale for a one-time $54.97 payment (reg. $486) through May 10.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
Get 2TB encrypted cloud storage and collaboration tools for just $112.49
TL;DR: Lifetime access to 2TB of secure Drime cloud storage is on sale for a one-time $112.49 (reg. $299.99) through May 10.
$112.49
$299
Save $186.51
Cloud storage is one of those things that quickly turns into a monthly bill you forget about. That’s what makes a lifetime option like Drime worth a closer look.
You can currently get 2TB of storage for a one-time $112.49 (reg. $299.99), which means no ongoing fees just to keep your files accessible.
Mashable Deals
But this isn’t just a place to dump files and forget about them. Drime leans more toward being a full workspace. You can upload, sync, and access files across devices, but also edit documents, leave comments, and collaborate with others without switching tools. It’s useful if you’re juggling projects, clients, or even just shared folders with family.
Security is a big part of the pitch. Files stored in the encrypted Vault are protected by end-to-end encryption, and everything is hosted in Europe in compliance with GDPR standards. This means your data isn’t floating around unsecured, and you have more control over who sees what.
There are also a lot of small quality-of-life features that make a difference over time — like version history for restoring older files, advanced link sharing with passwords and expiration dates, and even built-in e-signature tools.
It’s a simple way to get more control over your files without adding another monthly expense.
Mashable Deals
Get lifetime access to 2TB of Drime Cloud Storage for a one-time $112.49 (reg. $299.99) through May 10.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
How to watch Bayern Munich vs. PSG online for free
Manchester City look to extend win streak, take on Everton
