Written by Ronald D. Moore
Directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan
“Which side are we on? We’re on the side of the demons, Chief. We’re evil men in the gardens of paradise…sent by the forces of death to spread devastation and destruction wherever we go. I’m surprised you didn’t know that.”
This could very well be two hours of the most nihilistic, depressing, shocking, horrifying television in years. Battlestar Galactica opens its third season with a visit to the depths of hell…and it is compelling in its brutality.
In Galactica terms, hell is New Caprica — a planet that’s too cold, too wet, and too painful for its own good. It’s a city of tents and scaffolding…as haphazard and rambling as the destiny of the humans who stupidly decided to settle on this god-forsaken rock. It’s shot in icy blue, solarized over-exposure, and freezing, electric tones that aren’t natural — the perfect environment, it seems, for a Cylon…but anathema to humans.
And let’s not even touch the Nazi-brown shirt parallels…which are creepy enough without all the accompanying baggage.
Ronald D. Moore sets the stage with a pair of scripts that rips apart everything we’ve grown accustomed to in the Galactica universe…and then he dumps his characters into a quagmire that makes Iraq look like a Sunday school picnic. Whether it be the brutal, broken, death-warmed over leftover that masquerades as Colonel Tigh, the traumatized President Baltar, the calm-as-an-olympian Roslin, or Cally…who speaks for the entire human race as she screams at Cylon-Sharon to leave them alone…this is a cauldron of human suffering, but it’s also an amazing arena for character development. The actors seize this challenge, and run with it.
It was a wise move to show the first two episodes as a two-parter…because there’s so much going on, so much to follow…so much that is, by turns, fascinating and terrifying. My friend James wonders whether this might alienate casual fans — even die hard Galactica fans — as things are not only turned upside down, but fleshed out into so many subplots that it can make one’s head spin. But he also concludes…and I agree…that it’s an investment in something deep and complex…and it’s more than worth it.
Speaking of deep and complex…WHAT THE HELL is going on with Leoben’s game of happy families with Starbuck? Introduced with a sharp, savage stab of violence that will leave you gaping at the TV screen, this is a plot thread that is, simultaneously, the most fascinating AND the most repulsive situation Galactica has ever conceived. It compels you to watch…even if it’s the last thing you want to do, and it’s carried off with an intensity by Callum Keith Rennie and Katee Sackhoff that will make the hairs on the back of your neck not only stand on end, but flee for their lives!
But, even in the depths of the darkest corners of the Galactica universe, there is light. Adama’s rapprochement with Sharon, which leaves so much unspoken yet says so much about their relationship. Adama and Lee, bickering, arguing…but coming together when it counts…because they’re family, and they’re both right. Jammer freeing Cally in a last grasp at his own humanity. Roslin and Zarek, about to be shot…and still managing to joke with each other, as they find common ground and understanding. The human race is ugly and messy…but capable of rising above the excrement that life piles up high.
Well, they’ll rise up if they survive the cliffhanger ending…which features LOTS of guns…
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