Battlestar Galactica: Razor

I'm re-watching the entire series on BBC Iplayer and really enjoying the series. Razor part one and two are listed as the first two episodes of season 4 by the BBC and it is exactly right. They sit perfectly in the series and I do not understand why these two episodes are not listed within the main BattleStar Galactica pages on here. For me it was a fantastic start to series 4, which I didn't see first time round, and then series 4 got even better when I saw episode 3, 'He That Believeth In Me'. A great two part story as part of series 4, and we get to see how the Pegasus stories that horrified us when only talked about during dialogue in the the proper series.

The film presents an episode of the battle against the Cylons seen through the eyes of the first aide of loony admiral Cain. It has all the good things which got me hooked to Galactica in the first place: edgy characters, dark plot, lots of space action and military strategy, twists of fate. A few more women characters that I would have liked, none of Gaius Baltar, which in my personal opinion is at least a third of the show, but still a heck of a movie, closer to the high powered first season of Battlestar Galactica than to the new philosophical/religious last season.

Bottom line: It was hard to delay watching it until the start of the fourth season of the show, but it was all worth it.

I liked this the first time around, but a repeat viewing reduced its interest considerably.

BSG has had to remain in a constant state of flux due to the high standards of innovation and intrigue that the show established for itself. This has, unfortunately, alienated some of its fans - as can be seen from the reactions to this two hour episode broadcast between seasons 3 and 4. What Razor does effectively is to give a lot of dense, somewhat heady back-story, told from the perspective of the troubled Pegasus XO Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Jacobsen).

What it does not do very well is to integrate and expand on the characters and themes of the regular series.

Favorite characters are threatened by insane turns of events occurring near the end of season 3, and some fans are wondering whether the writing team has lost touch with their characters or there is something brilliant afoot that has yet to be revealed. Razor and Crossroads II are either harbingers of a wild ride in season 4 or of a disappointing but typically Sci-Fi channel finish to what was once a great show.

The Pegasus saga under three COs - Cain, Fisk and Lee Adama - is told in a series of flashbacks from the destruction of the colonies to a mission which took place after Lee Adama became the ship's commander. Cain's presence looms large as Kendra Shaw traces back most of what she considers to be important in her recent experience to Admiral Cain. Michelle Forbes and Steph Jacobsen are both great in this film. Jamie Bamber and Tricia Helfer also add considerably.

The script is a little less lucid than most episodes of BSG, and military clichés occasionally take the place of the show's normally brilliant dialog and excellent characterization. The cinematography is excellent - and it was especially fun to see the old Cylon ships and raiders making an appearance (though the real reasons they show up here are not fully explained - yet). Finally, the last few minutes of Razor alone makes it worth watching. But don't bother if you haven't already seen seasons 1-3.

The trick with these sorts of reviews is perspective.

Even today (2014) the rebooted BSG series is considered one of the best produced and written series of all time, addictive, as much a game changer for TV as Buffy or Breaking Bad.

Once you understand that, the question you need to ask yourself is, what purpose do these feature length "fillers" serve? Many of the other reviewers here were expecting greatness, something new, something important, and, having failed to find it, got a little peckish.

I believe that these features are simply a chance for the producers to unwind, to show off, to experiment. Almost like having a fast car that you can't drive fast because you're in the city. Take her out on the hiway and see what she can do...

In that context, this is a solid little entertainer. Great use of flashbacks (compared for example to the over-use in series like ARROW).

Great acting. I believe BSG showed us many actors who were capable of greatness if given a chance, yet, post-BSG, we never really saw much of them again.

The scenes between Michelle Forbes and Stephanie Jacobsen are electric. Both deliver far more on-screen wattage than their resumes would suggest. And Jacobsen's exotic looks (she was born in China) once again showcases the ability of the casting director to pick the right actor for the correct role.

This also gives us a good look at a younger Bill Adama.

In 2012 or so, I rented something called Blood and Chrome, from Blockbuster (Remember those?) - I actually loved it, to the point that I bought it. But I had not been too familiar with Ron D Moore's BSG reinvention beyond the Miniseries. I thought that was it, I didn't even know they had made a show out of it. Not until years later. In Blood and Chrome, Luke Pasqualino plays the fledgling Bill Adama. Now, I thought I really enjoyed that story. But after watching the entirety of BSG and several of the earlier made-for SyFy BSG "movies", I have to admit, it falls way short. Maybe it is just that I don't like giving any film or show negative reviews. Blood and Chrome had its merits, but RAZOR...

Razor really shows us what the young Adama should have looked like, and should have acted. And here, Nico Cortez plays Young Adama in such a way that you can actually see Ed Olmos' face in his face.

Regarding Helena Cain, I love Michelle Forbes, a big fan of Ensign Ro here. I feel she blew it by not being in Deep Space 9. But for her to be in BSG and also in this film, makes up for that loss, in a big way.

I was slightly disappointed with this, I was expecting much more of the Cain story. But after watching this twice in the last 3 days, I say it's the perfect combination of the Pegasus story, the more Current BSG timeline, and events 40 years prior. And the best part of this, is the Homage to the original 1978 BSG: Keep an eye out for "The Original Look" of a few things. You'll see.

There is also an untold story from the Pegasus era, involving a whole new character, someone we never saw. Stephany Jacobsen is Kendra Shaw. You may recognize her as a nurse from Farscape. One of Scorpius' Nurses, or you may not, she looked a lot different there. I think Ms. Jacoby was given a remarkable opportunity to play a major role in this film, and she did it well. In fact, there are three major Pegasus incidents, we learned about when Colonel Tigh would be drinking with Colonel Fisk. She is directly involved with all of them. And therefore answering our curiosity about how in hell exactly these things happened.

And told from this perspective, we can understand why Cain did these things. Not forgive of excuse, just understand.

And the missing Pegasus story fits right into what we missed from the Series. I was wondering who wrote this, but since it was made during the original run of BSG, it had to be the writing team from the show. The other BSG "Films", like "The Plan" are the same as this, made during production or right after, so there are less inconsistencies, like there were with Blood and Chrome.

But if you decide to rent this, pay attention to the ending. There is one Homage to BSG (1978) that stands high above any other homage or reference to the original show, it's like a piece of 1978 was carved out of 1978, and given to us to see here. Enjoy it, when you see it, you'll know what it is.