Excellent analysis! I have the exact same set as you do (and so what if the Cylon head doesn't fit on the DVD shelf! It's a Cylon!), and rewatching the series is astonishing. Many episodes are so much better than I remember them being, and many are so much WORSE. Honestly, there is no mediocrity on that show. The pilot is one of the best, particularly with the missing scenes.

I'll be on the lookout for more of these reviews.