TV Review: Battlestar Galactica - "The Passage"

(Air date: 12/8/06) I must admit that the catalyst for this episode felt a little contrived. How could the fleet suddenly be on the brink of mass starvation, facing a famine that could wipe out humanity?

The opening scenes rang more hollow than what I've come to expect from Galactica, but that's how I felt about the start of last week's episode. By the epidose's end I was moved and captivated and ready to name my first child (or at least a pet) after executive producer Ronald D. Moore. I wasn't as spellbound this week, but I almost got there.

"The Passage," written by former Buffy the Vampire Slayer scribe Jane Espenson, relayed one of Galactica's primary messages: the fight for survival ain’t pretty. We witnessed the fleet marines literally falling apart after guiding civilian ships through dangerous radiation in search of food. The fleet's dire straits were underscored by its savorless holy grail - edible algae.

It was intense watching Sharon wilt and witnessing her radiation meter spore up during her recon mission through the deadly star cluster. I like that she, once again, proved her worth to everyone on Galactica. Sharon's good deeds don't just solidify the character, they display the fascinating complexity and individuality now apparent in the Cylon race.

Back on that suspiciously speckless Cylon ship, Baltar - who awakes after another threesome with Three and Caprica Six - gets wise to Three's suicide game and milks her for information. It seems that in the place between death and resurrection she can almost make out the faces of the five missing Cylons. Is Baltar one of them? I love how Baltar clings to this idea out of a desperate need to absolve himself of his crimes. Like the Cylons, and the humans, he's trying to find his way, a central theme in this episode.

Maybe it's because of James Callis' brilliantly offbeat performance, but Baltar has to be the most compelling TV weasel ever. The guy exemplifies selfishness and immorality, but he's one of my favorite characters. Even when he' s not given much to do, Callis makes every moment count. His discovery in this episode — human and Cylon religions might mix and the missing five exist on some unknown planet — was slightly intriguing at best (confusing at worst). I dig most everything happening on the Cylon ship, especially that slinky piano score, but I really want to see Baltar return to Galactica. Am I alone here?

Back on Galactica, Starbuck figures out that former "stems" addict Kat was a drug dealer on Caprica. She stole someone's identity in order to start a new life after the attempted genocide. I like the way Espenson really fleshed out Kat in this episode. Beefing up peripheral characters seems to be one of Espenson's hallmarks (see the Buffy episode, "Superstar," for the best evidence).

Article Author: Mike Moody

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