Battlestar Galactica 2004 Season 4
Battlestar Galactica 2004 Season 3
SPOILERS TOTAL. You've been warned.
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40X: Razor 2007 November 24
(First watched 2007-11-24) Unfortunately, I have to say that was pretty disappointing. It tried to straddle a few lines, and I don't think came out the best for it.
First, the movie/episode line. I was expecting it to be somewhat more standalone. However, it was presented just like a regular episode of the series. No special intro sequence or credits or anything like that, just a small bit of fancy RAZOR text. So it's not like something I'd want to pull out and watch as its own thing. Movies also tend to be structured somewhat differently than TV series, but here not so much the case.
Then, the past/present line. I hadn't been paying much attention to the details of this project, but I knew it was about the Pegasus. My assumption was that it would essentially be a movie dealing with the Pegasus's doings from Cylon attack until they met up with Galactica. Not the case. Instead, only half of it dealt with that, and most of the major events weren't a surprise, as we'd already learned them through the grapevine in creepier fashion back in season 2. It feels like there's a lot more they could've done in this regard, showing us things we hadn't even imagined.
The "present" was problematic, too. Having to slip into established continuity, it couldn't get into the continuing storyline which is such an important part of Galactica. Only about half of the core cast was present: some were major characters (Adama, Adama, Thrace, Six), a few were barely there (Roslin, Athena-to-be), and the rest weren't around. No Baltar, no Tyrol, no Helo, no Tigh. Other than the Kendra Shaw character, the present goings-on didn't have a great connection to the Pegasus flashbacks. It's not like Pegasus had learned something about this odd Cylon presence and they were following up on it, it was just... something they ran into. So they had to learn of, deal with, and come to resolution about this in half the screen time, or about the space of one regular episode. The different Cylon designs were neat, and I'm sure bigger fun to fans of the old series, but they didn't amount to much for the continuing story; obviously, since it doesn't matter that they go without mentioning them throughout the rest of season 2 and 3. Only very near the end, when cut off from contact from everyone else, do we find out some interesting stuff that matters in the long run.
I'm also not sure I get the motivation of Kendra. For most of the "present" time, it seems she's been hardened by her time under Cain and not repentant of the hard actions they took. However, at the end when someone has to die she forcibly takes Starbuck's place with a "You know why" as explanation. Are we then supposed to take it that she's SO repentant she wishes to die? Though in the meantime she's been acting hard and giving her new commanding officers trouble for not living up to Cain?
On a lesser note, I'm also not sure why they made the connection to Admiral Adama's days at the end of the first Cylon war. Athena-to-be said the Cylons had multiple attempts at hybridizing and turning biological going on, so why was Adama so sure this one had something to do with the particular lab he'd seen so long ago. "I saw what they were doing, we can't let them do that again!" How are you so sure about that, Bill?
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401: He That Believeth in Me 2008 April 4
(First watched 2008-04-05) This was definitely a comedown episode. Not that it was bad, but the previous (non-Razor) episode had everything coming to a head in the last few minutes, and this episode dealt with returning things back to something that could continue on.
Probably the biggest thing I wasn't expecting was that after Starbuck's wise-sounding words to Lee in the last episode... she's really as much in the dark as anyone else as to what happened to her! A new Viper, but identical in style and markings to the old one... is this Starbuck a copy? But if she was and the Viper is supposed to be an analog, shouldn't her health and body be "like new" too? Her short conversation with Anders about Cylonhood was a bit chilling, considering the situation.
Gaius is in a really weird position, too. On the one hand, he kinda thinks the people who have latched onto him are nuts. On the other hand, they want to have sex with him and/or at least not kill him like so many other people do. Then there's that kid who didn't die. Pure coincidence, or someone/something trying to make Gaius think as much of himself what his "followers" do?
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(First watched 2008-04-12) Gee, Gaius, two for two this season.
His reaction upon seeing not-him was classic.
So... Cylon coup of sorts. I wonder what this will all mean? The shot-up folks' models becoming lower-class? Further independent actions by the unleashed raiders and centurions? And Boomer's on the wrong side of this fight.
This "secret Cylon club" thing is interesting, but I'm not quite sure what they're really doing. But, neither do they.
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403: The Ties That Bind 2008 April 18
(First watched 2008-04-19) So Starbuck's voyage is a bit troubled. At least we narrowly avoided another paintfrakking.
I liked the Star Trek reference with weapons locker 1701D.
So long, Cally! She was an interesting minor character in the beginning, but she's been on my bad side ever since she shot Boomer and ended up primarily with the role of Nagging Wife. That she went out by way of Super Tory is really the first nasty thing we've seen these secret Cylons do, though.
So Lee's making ripples in the Quorum, and the Cylons are shooting at each other... but neither got the episode's full concentration this time. Baltar didn't make an appearance this episode. Probably safe to assume he was too busy having off-screen sex.
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404: Escape Velocity 2008 April 25
(First watched 2008-04-26) So the Chief has flipped his lid. Well, I guess he's not the Chief anymore.
Roslin's going a bit crazy with the power grabbing and making threats due to her impending demise. I like that Lee is sort of playing the role of "Fleet Civil Liberties Union" going against it.
Gaius too seems to be going crazier, in that more and more he seems to be buying into the monotheism thing and acting provocatively in favor of it when pushed by Head Six. Though her lifting him from the floor made for a weird sight.
Tigh's gone crazier, too, seeing Ellen instead of Caprica Six.
Is anyone sane anymore?
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405: The Road Less Traveled 2008 May 2
(First watched 2008-05-03) Tyrol is definitely taking this Cylon thing harder than the others... but that was also clear last week. So he gets pissed off by/at Baltar... then accepts his apology. I wonder how far that will go.
Speaking of Gaius, he's much less fun to watch now that he's open and gaining confidence in his new role. His crazy loneness (other than Head Six) and self-protection was his big thing the first few years.
So Leoben proposes an alliance, and of course everyone on the Demetrius but Starbuck is dead-set against taking any chances.
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(First watched 2008-05-010) Now shit is starting to hit fans. The mutiny is short-lived since a middle ground is reached, but poor Felix is likely to lose a leg. A subset of the Demetrius crew gets to the basestar, resulting in both cooperation and murder due to old New Caprica grudges. Kira Nerys is the President's new dying friend, and doesn't even last as long as Ro Laren did. Laura's now paying some attention to Baltar's words, and now not in an entirely disbelieving way?
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