Battlestar Galactica was a show I avoided for a while because it was from SyFy and every show from that network that I have checked out has simply not lived up to the hype. From Alphas to Haven and Eureka to Sanctuary, the programming just has not been that good.
But, Battlestar was one of the shows everyone was right about. It is really good and very addictive and probably the best science-fiction television I have ever watched.
Season three did not disappoint. It is a very well sculpted penultimate season and setup what should be a spectacular final 20 episodes. I don't quite think it was as good as Season 2, but it was close.
The rundown
The season starts where Season 2 left off ... Cylon occupation of New Caprica. The first two episodes were my favorite of the series so far ... and episodes 3 and 4 (Exodus parts I and II) were very well done. It was just too soon.
The story of Cylon occupation, the emotional turmoil of Gaius Baltar trying to lead his people whithout getting them slaughtered (James Callis) and Admiral Adama's (Edward James Olmos) desperation in trying to get his people off of New Caprica was excellent television. The writers should have stretched this storyline out a little further.
The insurgency led by Colonel Tigh (Michael Hogan) was one of the more compelling aspects of the show and could have carried the show for half the season or more, but the writers got them back on BSG and out of there, which led to a handful of throw away episodes before getting back to the more important issues at the end of the season.
By the end of the season, there are plenty of storylines that have started to come together and it was done very nicely.
The assumed death and reappearance of Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff) from episode Maelstrom through the end of the season was really as good as storylines get for individual characters. Her "death" and the toll it takes on the Admiral and his son, Lee (Jamie Bamber), is so integral to everything over the final few episodes, including the trial of Baltar.
The Final Five is a storyline that I could have gone without and I know that much of Season 4 is going to be focused around these newly revealed Cylons (as well as whomever is actually the fifth of The Final Five). I don't think the story arch needed to have more Cylons hidden among the humans to work, but it will likely play out fine. It felt as if this was all for the shock value of revealing some of the most beloved characters as Cylons.
It is definitely intriguing where The Final Five storyline will go from here. It is likely to be very good, but that does not change the fact that it felt somewhat forced just for a gasp moment that so many television shows seem obsessed with ending seasons.
One of the problems with the early seasons of the show was that the acting was not up to snuff. By this season, some of the actors that were bad early in the show's run (Katee Sackhoff as Starbuck, Grace Park as Boomer, Tricia Helfer as Six) have really settled into the roles and are have become solid performers who can finally stand toe-to-toe with veterans like Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell.
While the occupation of Caprica was certainly intriguing and the Earth mythology can carry the show. This season was made what it was by the trial of Gaius Baltar.
The give and take between Admiral Adama and his son and the emotional tolls everyone stuggles with by giving Baltar his day in court provided palpable tension, great character exploration and a perfectly executed ending.
The struggle between right and wrong is constant among these final 40,000+ humans and while the show tried to dive into it many times — including the episode focused on worker conditions and the class system that has taken hold of the fleet — no story grasped it quite like Baltar dealing with his own demons while the rest of the fleet demonizes him. It was a story that needed told, was told perfectly and had the correct ending with his acquittal.
Final Rating
Season three was certainly strong and has me eagerly gearing up for Season four. When I started this show, I told someone there was no chance that it could crack my top 10 shows ever made list. I might have to eat those words.
The Baltar trial storyline is enough to give this season a plus rating. Toss in the intrigue of The Final Five, the battle between father and son and the first Emmy win for the show and you really have a great 20 episodes.
Lets give it a 8.5/10
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