Even if the conclusion seemed rushed and unusually pat for this series, Sunday's "Battlestar Galactica" was a pretty good episode compared to the two previous ones. Those were the typical midseason, "Oh-my-gosh-we-have-to-fill-a-20-episode-order!" filler installments that annually fail to rise to the heights of most "Galactica" episodes.

But the writers get serious about their story in the last four episodes, which kick off Sunday (10 p.m., Sci Fi Channel) and conclude with the March 25 third-season finale. The fourth season is due to premiere early next year.

Sunday's episode is a Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff) spectacular as she confronts her recent dances with destiny while dreaming of her former Cylon captor, Leoben (Callum Keith Rennie). Starbuck and Apollo (Jamie Bamber) also mend their rift and exchange what, for them, counts as sweet nothings.

"You're demented," Apollo says.

"You're a bastard," she responds.

The only thing that would have made the episode more enjoyable is if one plot twist hadn't been ruined a few months ago by an inconsiderate reader who e-mailed me a spoiler without marking it as such.

I'm not one to leak spoilers, so I'll merely drop some hints about subsequent episodes that lead up to the finale:

Baltar (James Callis) goes on trial for selling out the human race and the courtroom proceedings prove that even in space, you need a good bailiff. His lawyer, Lampkin (Mark Sheppard), is an intriguing character who makes the lawyers on "The Practice" look amateurish.

There are some trial-related interpersonal dynamics that I didn't quite buy at first, but by the end of the court case, I was less disbelieving.

Lots of talk of an Adama ancestor, presumably setting the stage for the "Caprica" prequel, if it ever gets a go-ahead for production.

There's a big Perry Mason-ish moment when a pivotal character makes a surprise revelation.

Wisdom gleaned from "Galactica": It's never a good idea to make a command decision while drinking. Also, if you opt to spike your beverage of choice, don't leave it unattended for others to sniff.

The climax of the trial references back to the start of the season and attempts to make amends for some questionable reactions throughout the entire series.

The final moments really do set the series on yet another new course for season four. Let's just say that if Sci Fi Channel had not renewed the show, it would be a most frustrating ending. It's probably not quite as shocking a cliffhanger as the first two seasons ended on, but it definitely sets up an intriguing premise for future plots.