He That Believeth in Me

BSG returns for its fourth and final season with a relatively predictable episode. Starbuck is back with the colonial fleet, who are apparently about to be overwhelmed by a massive cylon force, the four newly revealed cylons are still in states of shock and doing what they can to figure out who they are and who they want to be, and Baltar is becoming more of a Christ figure all the time.

The cylons inexplicably break off their attack, and Admiral Adama and his crew must decide whether the presence of an increasingly mystical Starbuck after two equally unexplained months of absence is a coincidence or part of a Cylon plan. Although the first episode of the fourth season follows the paths set forth by Razor and the final episodes of the third season, a great deal remains to be explored through the course of the final season.

What and, more importantly, who, is the final cylon? Is Starbuck really going to lead the fleet away from any hope of a good destiny? Is Baltar going to successfully introduce the cylon religion to the human race, and if so, will there be some unification of cylon and human purposes? And how will Earth be involved?

The fourth season opener sets an ambitious agenda for the show's major story arc, but even after this basically OK episode, the major question remains unanswered:

Will the fourth season entertain us as well as the first three did?

The characterizations in this episode are consistent with the rest of the series, but do not add much to what we already know. Sam develops a little more depth than he previously had, and, as usual, Michael Hogan's Colonel Tigh stands out. All considered, the acting is just as solid as it has ever been. The script, pace and directing are also on par with the series' usual standard as is the cinematography. But this episode's highly transitional nature and relatively simple parallel plots force the episode into a less edgy, less innovative, than usual box.

I still think Season 4 is going to be a wild ride, and I sincerely hope that Baltar's rapidly evolving role does not become the harbinger of earthbound religious cliché that it appears to be heading toward. In short, I hope that some surprises remain in store for us as the season progresses.

Recommended for viewing within the sequence intended by the franchise. Not recommended as an introduction to the show.

To the above, so say we all.

One of the ingenuities of Battlestar is the ability to splinter an audience on a particular issue. Evidence is presented and then the choice is up to us as far as who to side with.

But also, a stellar fight sequence, one that perfectly captured the overwhelming nature of space combat to a nugget, lent flash to this episode while Sackhoff, in one of her more emotionally wrenching performances, lent it significant gravitas. They seem to have paved a way for dissension within the Cylon ranks. Will we be witnessing a Cylon war that pits skinjob against toaster. One small guess how that would turn out.

What a way to start a frakkin season.

What a fantastic premiere. As an audience,our freedom of choice is reaffirmed. Do we side with Kara, and ignore some very important empirical evidence? Or do we side with Rosalind, a more secular oracle? Whichever way we choose, the chance of error is equivalent. Realization of human potential could be matter of hard work, or a matter of providence. I can't wait to see which way this show takes it. I can only guess it won't be in one way or the other, but in the emptiness of space in-between. Will Gauis turn out to be a prophet, bound by obligation, or a slave, bound by vanity or greed. The more disjunctions, the better, in my opinion, since I think this is the best frakkin' show on TV at the moment!