The Ultimate Battlestar Galactica Watch Order

I love Battlestar Galactica. The story and characters inspire me. The reimagined TV series and movies bring them to life. And I recently decided to watch the show again – even better the second time!

But I ran into a problem when I was getting started. None of the viewing order and source guides that I could find on the Internet were good enough. For example, most don’t include Caprica, a prequel series that I consider highly under-rated. And most were written at a time when physical media sources (DVDs and such) were more popular than streaming sources.

So I’m fixing that problem. This is the ultimate guide to watching the reimagined Battlestar Galactica. It provides the best order to watch all of the TV movies and series, as well as all of the episode web series. And it includes streaming source recommendations and links to help you access them all.

Battlestar Galactica originally aired in 1978. It was created by Glen Larson (a Mormon, who used many elements of Mormon mythology in the story). The reimagined version was created by Ronald Moore in 2003. This guide is about the reimagined version.

How to Watch Battlestar Galactica

The viewing order in this guide is almost entirely chronological. It begins with Caprica. Then it includes Blood and Chrome, which is a sequel to Caprica and a prequel to Battlestar Galactica. And finally, it proceeds through the 4 seasons of Battlestar Galactica and other content associated with the main story.

The Plan, one of the TV movies, is a notable exception to chronological order. It covers the same period of time that the first two seasons cover. But it does so from the Cylon perspective. To avoid spoilers, it’s best to watch The Plan after Season 4 Episode 15.

Razor, another TV movie, includes a scene toward the end that some people consider to be a spoiler. I think it’s actually more intriguing than spoiling. But if you want to avoid any risk then watch the last 10 minutes of Razor, from the moment that the hybrid touches Shaw, after Season 3. That would be a small change to the order that I indicate below.

Where to Watch Battlestar Galactica

There are DVD and Bluray sources that purport to provide the “complete series” and some deleted scenes. However, none of them contain everything in my list. So even if you decide to buy physical media, you’ll have to resort to streaming for missing parts.

Presently, you can stream almost all of the TV movies and series from Amazon Prime. An exception is Razor, which you can stream from Vudu. The Resistance and The Face of the Enemy are compilations of webisodes that you can stream on YouTube. I link each item in the list to its best streaming source.

Battlestar Galactica Watch Order

Now, find your comfortable place. It’s time to visit the twelve colonies, meet the young William Adama, and join in the Cylon war. Sit back, relax, and enjoy one of the best science fiction stories of all time. Battlestar Galactica fans, let’s get started!

Caprica (Amazon Prime)

• Episode 1, Pilot, Part 1
• Episode 2, Pilot, Part 2
• Episode 3, Rebirth
• Episode 4, Reins of a Waterfall
• Episode 5, Gravedancing
• Episode 6, There Is Another Sky
• Episode 7, Know Thy Enemy
• Episode 8, The Imperfections of Memory
• Episode 9, Ghosts in the Machine
• Episode 10, End of the Line
• Episode 11, Unvanquished
• Episode 12, Retribution
• Episode 13, Things We Lock Away
• Episode 14, False Labor
• Episode 15, Blowback
• Episode 16, The Dirteaters
• Episode 17, The Heavens Will Rise
• Episode 18, Here Be Dragons
• Episode 19, Apotheosis

Blood and Chrome (all parts combined, Amazon Prime)

The Mini-Series (Amazon Prime)

Season 1 (Amazon Prime)

• Episode 1, 33
• Episode 2, Water
• Episode 3, Bastille Day
• Episode 4, Act of Contrition
• Episode 5, You Can’t Go Home Again
• Episode 6, Litmus
• Episode 7, Six Degrees of Separation
• Episode 8, Flesh and Bone
• Episode 9, Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down
• Episode 10, The Hand of God
• Episode 11, Colonial Day
• Episode 12, Kobol’s Last Gleaming, Part 1
• Episode 13, Kobol’s Last Gleaming, Part 2

Season 2 (Amazon Prime)

• Episode 1, Scattered
• Episode 2, Valley of Darkness
• Episode 3, Fragged
• Episode 4, Resistance
• Episode 5, The Farm
• Episode 6, Home, Part 1
• Episode 7, Home, Part 2
• Episode 8, Final Cut
• Episode 9, Flight of the Phoenix
• Episode 10, Pegasus
• Episode 11, Resurrection Ship, Part 1
• Episode 12, Resurrection Ship, Part 2
• Episode 13, Epiphanies
• Episode 14, Black Market
• Episode 15, Scar
• Episode 16, Sacrifice
• Episode 17, The Captain’s Hand

Razor (extended version, including Razor flashbacks, Vudu)

Season 2 (continued)

• Episode 18, Downloaded
• Episode 19, Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 1
• Episode 20, Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2

The Resistance (all parts combined, YouTube)

Season 3 (Amazon Prime)

• Episode 1, Occupation
• Episode 2, Precipice
• Episode 3, Exodus, Part 1
• Episode 4, Exodus, Part 2
• Episode 5, Collaborators
• Episode 6, Torn
• Episode 7, A Measure of Salvation
• Episode 8, Hero
• Episode 9, Unfinished Business
• Episode 10, The Passage
• Episode 11, The Eye of Jupiter
• Episode 12, Rapture
• Episode 13, Taking a Break From All Your Worries
• Episode 14, The Woman King
• Episode 15, A Day in the Life
• Episode 16, Dirty Hands
• Episode 17, Maelstrom
• Episode 18, The Son Also Rises
• Episode 19, Crossroads, Part 1
• Episode 20, Crossroads, Part 2

Season 4 (Amazon Prime)

• Episode 1, He That Believeth In Me
• Episode 2, Six of One
• Episode 3, The Ties That Bind
• Episode 4, Escape Velocity
• Episode 5, The Road Less Traveled
• Episode 6, Faith
• Episode 7, Guess What’s Coming to Dinner?
• Episode 8, Sine Qua Non
• Episode 9, The Hub
• Episode 10, Revelations
• Episode 11, Sometimes a Great Notion

The Face of the Enemy (all parts in playlist, YouTube)

Season 4 (continued)

• Episode 12, A Disquiet Follows My Soul
• Episode 13, The Oath
• Episode 14, Blood on the Scales
• Episode 15, No Exit

The Plan (Amazon Prime)

Season 4 (continued)

• Episode 16, Deadlock
• Episode 17, Someone to Watch Over Me
• Episode 18, Islanded In a Stream of Stars
• Episode 19, Daybreak, Part 1
• Episode 20, Daybreak, Part 2
• Episode 21, Daybreak, Part 3