Getting their act together, they pulled together a second half which is respectable and sends some people back off in the right directions. Sure there is more awkward bickering between Starbuck & Adama, Adama & Roslin, Roslin & Starbuck (and seriously did anyone actually think that either of them were going to shoot the other?), really Starbuck & everyone, and then of course between the cylons, the real ones. Then we also have our human-variant cylons who are still hanging out and having meetings (anyone notice that cylons absolutely love meetings).

But the coolest parts of this episode (as is seemingly more and more often the case) take place away from humanity. The internal cylon struggles are just more interesting, debates on cruelty to lesser species, removing and adding sentience, and some sort of crazy voting structure that … I haven’t yet figured out. So the future here looks bright, and maybe just maybe I can start hoping they will un-box Xena.

Intelligent commentary on Battlestar episodes could be a challenge. One that I am ready to fail at. However so that I can actually use things like specific events and proper nouns these posts are going to be absolutely full of spoilers. So if you don’t want to know, just don’t read it.

I have a really hard time with this episode, the first standard ep. of the season (the internet unanimously seems to be calling Razor, episodes 1 & 2 of season four), and most of my dislike for it spans from an … interesting decision at the end of last season, which I will bet had less to do with where they wanted the series to go, and more to do with coming up with something really surprising for a season finale.

Two things I want to talk about from this episode, which I think should quietly disappear as not-so-relevant and one of those episodes where everyone talks a lot and then we all immediately forget it.

1. The new intro: Twelve cylon models, seven are known, four live in secret, one will be revealed. So this seems incredibly short term to me, as I find it hard to believe that only one of them is going to be revealed all season (won’t they all be?), so are they going to change this halfway through the season (yes). And even past that, this used to summarize what the series was about, cylons rising up and fighting back. I do think the whole show has become too focused on who the cylons are, who are the final five, who is the missing one, blah blah blah, and lost sight of the interesting questions about what it means to be cylon or human?
2. And more important, yet related, now that they have revealed these four cylons whom are living in secret, does it not seem like every single character on the show is a cylon? It should – because they all are. Thus ridiculous scenes can be created with cylons looming in the back of every shot, since … well humans are in short supply. We will now joke that Adama & Adama can just walk around saying “Good thing there isn’t a cylon in the room” at which point the camera can zoom to, well basically anyone for … umm tension?

Tomorrow at 10pm is the fourth, and possibly maybe, probably (love?) last season premier for Battlestar Galactica. Considering the first three-episode sequence that made up last season’s premier is likely the best television I have ever watched (yes, well – I don’t watch much – really any, television) I should be looking forward to tomorrow evening.

Yet, I look on warily. The end of season three made me really angry (mostly with the writers/producers) and they have some work to do if they are planning to win me back. I don’t want to get into the specifics of that, as it could include spoilers for people who are not completely with it – and I am still willing to entertain the possibility that over the next twenty episodes they can make me come to agree with the direction of that which has happened.

But since depending on who you believe (and when you believe them) this is the end of the road, I will watch it through to that end – I owe it that much in loyalty points. And even if the end is all bad electronica covers, earth-addicted toasters, and a numbers game … I could always drown myself in fan fiction.

ha.