Battlestar Galactica Plot Hole Ruins Entire Series 

We need to discuss a bit more about the Battlestar Galactica before we can dive into the nature and significance of the plot hole. Galactica is introduced to us as a very old vessel, one that is scheduled to be decommissioned and turned into a museum.

It is especially old compared to other Battlestars, as evidenced by characters still communicating with each other by using corded phones.

It is revealed in the miniseries that Galactica is deliberately low-tech for a very simple reason: the previous war with the Cylons. In fighting a race of highly advanced robots, the Colonies quickly discovered they were at risk of being hacked, which could instantly get everyone on a ship killed.

As a response, Galactica and other war vessels of the time were made with non-networked technology that, while filled with disadvantages, was impossible for the Cylons to hack into.

Now, that brings up to speed on the Battlestar Galactica herself, but where does the plot hole come in?

When the Cylons simultaneously attacked all 12 colonies, they were able to hack into or otherwise destroy 118 of the Battlestars still in service. Galactica managed to escape thanks to its low-tech design, and Pegasus managed to escape destruction by making a blind jump.

The military in Battlestar Galactica had already learned the dangers of high-tech battleships, and the plot hole is that everyone in charge seemingly forgot about such danger after the first Cylon War.

The show tries to give an explanation–specifically, that charismatic computer scientist Gaius Baltar helps convince both the government and the military that nobody has anything to fear from advanced technology. This leads to the military decommissioning the older, low-tech ships in favor of the high-tech ships that are completely vulnerable to the Cylons.

Because Battlestar Galactica does provide an in-universe explanation, some fans would say this doesn’t count as a plot hole, and we have a simple question for those fans: are you freaking kidding?

Sure, Baltar can be convincing, and it’s believable that a few corrupt Commanders and government officials would jump at the chance to make money by building a brand-new fleet.

But this was an enemy where Cylon hacking nearly drove humanity to the brink of extinction the first time around, and the only thing that saved everyone was the development of Galactica and other low-tech Battlestars.

Now, by the time the Battlestar Galactica miniseries begins, it has been 40 years since anyone has even seen a Cylon, and these rapacious robots have never responded to any attempts at diplomacy after signing an armistice agreement.

To understand why Battlestar Galactica being the only low-tech ship still around is a plot hole, just ask yourself: how realistic is it that the colonies would willingly throw away the one advantage they had over their greatest foe? A foe that the military has no intelligence on and no reason to believe won’t ever attack again?

Obviously, this plot development was necessary so that the Battlestar Galactica could be one of the only surviving ships, but that knowledge doesn’t make the plot hole any less annoying. It really does look like humanity was nearly wiped out because the Colonial military willingly threw out the only defense against the greatest threat they have ever known.

With strategic planning that bad, the Cylons didn’t exactly need a detailed plan to begin eradicating colonists who sadly chose shiny high-tech toys over their very lives.