TV Review: Battlestar Galactica - "He That Believeth In Me" Gets the Fourth and Final Season Off To A Flying Start
Published April 07, 2008
Having been acquitted at his trial, Gaius Baltar (played by James Callis, who gets to chew more scenery on this show than anyone else) has become a pariah. He's rescued from dire straits by a group of acolytes who look upon him as a savior of sorts (I was hugely relieved when he shaved the beard off and cut his hair — the Christ imagery was a bit much given his decidedly un-Christlike behavior). They hide him in what they describe as an unused and unknown space aboard Galactica (in which they've already set up a shrine to him), which stretches credibility a tad (could there be such thing as an unknown section of a military vessel?). Baltar seems conflicted by the role in which these followers wish to cast him, but ultimately acts in his own self-interest, which is always true to form for him. We'd be disappointed if he did anything else, wouldn't we?
Meanwhile, the Adamas, father and son, continue to explore their seemingly bottomless pit of generational angst. Lee seems to have come to terms with a decision to quit the military, and Bill seems prepared to resign himself to that notion. The scene played out as the two sat at opposite ends of a row of seats, the spatial distance between them serving as a visual reminder of the emotional distance that seems to be developing between them. And the Admiral grows closer still to Laura Roslin, whose cancer has returned (as we learned at the very end of season three).
All of this sets the stage for what's sure to be a very exciting last season for Battlestar Galactica. We're now set up to explore, among other things, the purpose and intentions of the Final Five (and of course to discover the identity of the fifth, and final, Cylon), the meaning of Kara's re-appearance, and the metaphysical implications of the search for Earth. There's lots more stuff to think about too, and I suspect that at the end of it all BSG will go out not with a whimper but with a bang.
If you missed the first episode, you can see it in its entirety at Sci Fi Rewind.
- TV Review: Battlestar Galactica - "He That Believeth In Me" Gets the Fourth and Final Season Off To A Flying Start
- Published: April 07, 2008
- Type: Review
- Section: Video
- Filed Under: Video: Cult, Video: Drama, Video: SF, Video: Television
- Part of a feature: One Frak Mind: The Search for Earth
- Writer: Lisa McKay
- Lisa McKay's BC Writer page
- Lisa McKay's personal site
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Thanks, El B. I agree that the long relationship between Tigh and Adama is problematic, unless it turns out that the Cylons have existed longer than everyone thinks they have.
As it happens, this is the first season of BSG we're watching on television. We got hooked on the series via DVD and watched all three seasons that way (the last one in a marathon effort to be done by Friday's premiere -- they sure held those back till the last minute).
Agreed about the DVDs, we mowed through the 20 episodes over the two weeks and then watched Razor on Friday before the show, which we tivo'd to lose the commercials.
Did you notice that in the opening credits, they no longer state that the Cylons have a plan. Sounds more like the writers and between the start of production on the third and the fourth they changed what they were doing from the start.
Well, as Tory said "Maybe something's changed." I wonder if the four were triggered too soon?
Also, regarding Tigh being a Cylon, couldn't he have been replaced during the occupation on New Caprica when he was having his eye removed?
I don't know, just a thought.
"couldn't he have been replaced during the occupation on New Caprica when he was having his eye removed?"
Yes, but then he couldn't be one of the twelve.
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Good write up. I didn't watch BSG until last January when I reviewed the HD set. Then slowly watched the DVDs with the Mrs. One a week for the next nine episodes is tough. I have been spoiled.
The writers certainly have a lot of explaining to do. I buy Tory, Anders, and Chief as Cyclons, but not so much with Tigh. Sure it would help explaining his hatred for Cylons and his alcoholism, but considering how long he has known Bill Adama, that one is going to be tough to sell. They would had to have had skin jobs back during the first war.
I hope we don't get too many single story episodes that run outside the grand scheme. That one with Helo and the bad doctor was terrible and appears to be forgotten.