By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Battlestar Galactica is still, to this day, considered one of the best sci-fi series of all time, even if it went through some ups and downs between the final season twists, triumphant moments of humanity in the face of extinction, and of course, boxing. “Unfinished Business” was unfairly maligned as “the boxing episode” when it first aired and was dinged by fans for being unrealistic. Today, the episode is among the best of the series, and instead of being considered unrealistic, it’s known for representing a real Naval tradition of letting the crew blow off steam with semi-organized fights rather than let old issues undercut morale.
The Battlestar Galactica Boxing Episode
After the events on New Caprica, Admiral Adama knows the Battlestar Galactica crew is dealing with anger, resentment, and simmering hatred not towards the Cylons, but each other, so he brings back the tradition of boxing matches with no regard for rank or station, only two people with an issue to settle. It isn’t just a tradition among the colonies, but also one here on Earth, with sailors taking to social media to share their experiences with the tradition. Though it sounds like a strange way to settle disputes, when that many people are stuck inside vessels in the middle of nowhere, even the smallest slights can fester and with no way to stay away from each other, something has to be done to resolve the issue.
Though Battlestar Galactica didn’t show any boxing prior to the episode, in the United States Navy, the sport gained popularity among servicemen during World War 2 and today, the Naval Academy Boxing Club competes against other colleges and universities, and it’s not uncommon for a ring to be present in gyms, either on bases or out at sea. From a way to blow off steam to a way for sailors to stay in shape, there’s been a long tradition of the Sweet Science in the Navy, but it’s also only half the reason why “Unfinished Business” became a fan favorite.
The Power Of The Punch
“Unfinished Business” stands out among other Battlestar Galactica episodes because, though the conflict inside the boxing ring can be taken literally, it’s all about a group of comrades that endured trauma and hardship together, trying to move on together. Admiral Adama goads Galen Tyrol into the ring and quickly drops the younger officer while taunting him about his actions on New Caprica. Enraged, Tyrol beats Adama into a bloody pulp, which the Admiral allows, knowing that Tyrol needs to work out these emotions, before rising and giving another of his usual inspired speeches about from now on, things will be different, but it isn’t the last match.
As the crowd dwindles, Starbuck and Apollo get into the ring, though they start off tentatively it soon devolves into a very personal fight intercut with scenes on New Caprica. The literal fight is taking place alongside a figurative one, as the friends work out their emotions about each other’s relationships, Starbuck with Anders, Apollo with Dee, their long, fireside talks, and in the end they are spent and only standing because they are leaning on each other. It’s an apt metaphor for their relationship, an early highlight of Battlestar Galactica, as the “boxing match” brought them together again.
A Colony Tradition
Whether it’s Adama and his soldiers, Starbuck and Apollo, or even the crowd getting out their raw, unbridled emotions, Battlestar Galactica demonstrated the importance of the Naval tradition, and at the same time, how by the time Season 3 rolled around, the characters are so fleshed out and complex, they don’t need any Cylons, Vipers, or mystical visions of the future to make a classic episode. Written by Michael Taylor, the same man behind Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s “In the Pale Moonlight” and the Star Trek: Voyager episodes “Body and Soul” and “Collective,” among many others, “Unfinished Business” carries on his tradition of character-driven episodes that go deep into what makes the heroes tick and what truly motivates them.
Though it was snubbed as the Battlestar Galactica boxing episode at the time it aired, “Unfinished Business” is a fascinating character study and a perfect example of the type of episode, late in a series run, that can revitalize the audience. It wasn’t just the crew on the run from the cylons that needed a moment to blow off steam, but the fans as well after the rollercoaster ride of the first few episodes of Season 3. The role of tradition in modern life is part of what Galactica explores during its run, but as the show proves, sometimes the old ways are the best way to move forward.
