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BattleStar Galatica: Razor Review
Nov. 24th, 2007 11:37 pm"Sometimes you have to be willing to do the untenable in order to survive. You have to be willing to become a RAZOR."
Just finished watching the two hour BattleStar Galatica prequel Razor - which takes place during Lee Adama's first mission commanding the BattleStar Pegasus. It also concerns two flashbacks - the more lengthy one takes place ten months prior on the Pegasus after the big Cylon Attack, with Admiral Helena Cain in charge, the shorter one concerns Bill Adama's mission during the first Cylon War. We only get a bit of the Bill Adama mission - the rest of it can be seen online at Sci-Fi.com in 2 minute websodes. The bit concerning Helena Cain is shown via the pov of one of her Lieutants, Kendra, who becomes in the present storyline Lee's X/O or second in command.
The story is not an easy one to watch subject matter wise, if you did not cringe during it - there's something wrong with you (or methinks you may be playing one too many violent video games) - but I remained riveted to the screen throughout, often rewinding bits and pieces of it. My attention like with most BSG episodes never wandered. I tried to knit during it, but gave up. That's how well done it was - BSG continues to raise the bar when it comes to television acting, production, sound, direction, and writing. Also, Michelle Forbes, Tricia Helfer, and Katee Sackoff are amazing in this episode. The guys are good too, but this one is the women's show. Another thing I adore about BSG - it allows women to be as violently brutal as men. These roles could be played by either gender with similar results. One of the few tv shows that makes that clear and pushes past traditional gender stereotypes.
BSG unlike most tv shows that deal with violence, makes it real. The consequences bruise the viewer. There's no neat wrap-up. The heroes and villians are not clearly delineated. And we often wonder who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. It is not a "feel-good" show so much as one that makes you ponder things long after the screen has gone dark.
It's hard to talk about or analyze the film without going into details which means spoilers. So...here's the prequisite spoiler cut tag - ( Major Spoilers for RaZor and vague ones for S3 and S2 BSG )
The episode was in my opinion amongst the best the series has had to offer. Driving home some of it's themes regarding the effects of warfare and violence on the human soul for good or ill. Like all BSG episodes it does not provide easy answers, just worrying questions - leaving it up to the viewer to come up with his or her own conclusions.
Just finished watching the two hour BattleStar Galatica prequel Razor - which takes place during Lee Adama's first mission commanding the BattleStar Pegasus. It also concerns two flashbacks - the more lengthy one takes place ten months prior on the Pegasus after the big Cylon Attack, with Admiral Helena Cain in charge, the shorter one concerns Bill Adama's mission during the first Cylon War. We only get a bit of the Bill Adama mission - the rest of it can be seen online at Sci-Fi.com in 2 minute websodes. The bit concerning Helena Cain is shown via the pov of one of her Lieutants, Kendra, who becomes in the present storyline Lee's X/O or second in command.
The story is not an easy one to watch subject matter wise, if you did not cringe during it - there's something wrong with you (or methinks you may be playing one too many violent video games) - but I remained riveted to the screen throughout, often rewinding bits and pieces of it. My attention like with most BSG episodes never wandered. I tried to knit during it, but gave up. That's how well done it was - BSG continues to raise the bar when it comes to television acting, production, sound, direction, and writing. Also, Michelle Forbes, Tricia Helfer, and Katee Sackoff are amazing in this episode. The guys are good too, but this one is the women's show. Another thing I adore about BSG - it allows women to be as violently brutal as men. These roles could be played by either gender with similar results. One of the few tv shows that makes that clear and pushes past traditional gender stereotypes.
BSG unlike most tv shows that deal with violence, makes it real. The consequences bruise the viewer. There's no neat wrap-up. The heroes and villians are not clearly delineated. And we often wonder who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. It is not a "feel-good" show so much as one that makes you ponder things long after the screen has gone dark.
It's hard to talk about or analyze the film without going into details which means spoilers. So...here's the prequisite spoiler cut tag - ( Major Spoilers for RaZor and vague ones for S3 and S2 BSG )
The episode was in my opinion amongst the best the series has had to offer. Driving home some of it's themes regarding the effects of warfare and violence on the human soul for good or ill. Like all BSG episodes it does not provide easy answers, just worrying questions - leaving it up to the viewer to come up with his or her own conclusions.