This is a story called ‘Razor’. So naturally, it starts with a somewhat cheesy (though well-delivered) monologue set to footage of an actual Razor being dragged along someone’s arms and hands (pictured).

This is not a good start.¹ However, things improve from here. For ‘Razor’ harks back to a simpler time, or rather, to at least three simpler times. In fact, it harks back so much that summarising it may prove difficult without a diagram.

Long ago, before humanity made its brief sojourn on New Caprica, the snooze capital of the universe, Lee Adama was given command of the Pegasus. As he finds his place on the ship, he runs up against the legacy of Admiral Cain, and one of her favourite officers, Kendra Shaw. Cue flashbacks to the time of the Miniseries, and the Cylon attack on the colonies, when Shaw meets Cain for the first time, and when we get shown all the truth behind those nasty rumours we were told about in Season two. Cue even further flashbacks to Young Bill Adama in an exciting adventure with a Cylon Hybrid. I’m sure you followed all that. It should go without saying that if you’re trying to introduce a friend to Battlestar Galactica, this is not the story to use.

I found the multiple time periods a bit disorienting at first, in part because none of them are the actual ‘present day’ which we left the Galactica in at the end of Season Three. Seeing Baltar stand idly in the background, not being punched, tried or having threesomes with hot Cylons was a bit peculiar. But it’s a nice idea, as it gives us peeks at interesting moments in Battlestar Galactica history that we never quite got to see previously.

It also introduces Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen), who seems a worthwhile character. While I do love the slightly touchy-feely way Adama runs his ship, with suspected mutineers and murderers in high ranking positions, it’s nice to have someone with a bit more steel running about the place. Less successful is Nico Cortez in the Adventures of Young Bill Adama. I don’t know if he actually talks in the way he did here, but regardless, it sounded like a man doing a bad impression of Edward James Olmos, which I suspect it was. In fairness though, it made the whole scene unintentionally hilarious, which I did appreciate.

My favourite development in the story, however, was the revelation that the Number Six on Pegasus had actually been Admiral Cain’s lover. I’ve spoken in the past of a dislike of retcons, but this was one that actually made the their interactions in season two even more involving, and added meaning rather than subverting it. Tricia Helfer’s work on the show has always been excellent, but it was particularly good to see her playing a version of six who genuinely felt like a different character.

As someone who has never watched the original Battlestar Galactica TV series, the old-fashioned centurions were somewhat lost on me, as were, to be embarassingly honest, some of the nuances of the hybrid plot in general. Oh dear! The Cylons are working on a human/cylon hybrid! What if they made human cylons who could pass unnoticed amongst us and have our babies? Oh no, they have already! They must have some other terrifying consequence which has yet to be revealed.²

Given that it used to trade so cleverly on the intrigue and mystery of the Cylon threat, Battlestar Galactica was very brave (or possibly, silly) to give us such an insight into the Cylon society as they did at the start of season three. It seems clear that they’ve realised they need to re-infuse the mystery into the show; hence last year’s finale³ and now, ‘Razor’. More prophecies are established, different cylons are introduced, and it must be said, I’m almost at a point where I really do believe that the Cylons “have a plan” again.

1. And it’s made a little worse by having to remind us of the improbably high number of COs the Pegasus went through in season two, before Lee was given command. ↩
2. Or I’m stupid. If so, please tell me. ↩
3. Yikes. I didn’t review it. I should really do that some time. A summary: it was good. ↩

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This entry was posted by the illustrious Tom Charman on Sunday, January 27th, 2008. It concerns such pressing issues as Battlestar Galactica, tv. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.