Battlestar Galactica, Season Three (2006)

Our rating: 2 out of 5

Rated: TVMA

Reviewer: Charity Bishop

Coming in for a landing after two wildly successful seasons, the third year of the top-rated sci-fi series undertook a different pace from those previous and introduced some surprising plot lines...

How many times can you kill the same Cylon and still get a rush out of it? Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff) is determined to find out. Forced into a domestic relationship by one of their captors on New Caprica, her days are filled with cooking, cleaning, and figuring out how to kill her flat-mate one more time. It has been four months since anyone has seen her, and her husband Anders (Michael Trucco) has no idea where she is or even if she is a live. He consoles his doubts and concerns by mounting a resistance against the Occupation, putting his life at risk in order to send a message to the Cylons and to their stooge, President Gaius Baltar (James Callis), that the civilians are not about to live under a brutal regime without fighting back. He hopes to distract them long enough for a rescue plan to go into operation, led by Admiral Adama (Edward James Olmos) and his son Apollo (Jamie Bamber), who has allowed four months in the skies to put on a few extra pounds and fears their rescue operations will prove futile.

On the ground, former President Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell) is convinced Galactica will return for them... but will it be soon enough to prevent her execution as a suspected insurgent? It is up to the resistance to save her life, figure out a means of contacting the fleet, and launch a mission against the enemy without being caught... before the Cylons pull the plug. Having the first five episodes revolve around escaping from New Caprica sets an entirely different tone for the third season. It still has plenty of action and touching moments, but the pace is altered and characters wind up in different situations than we might expect. Most of my friends are into this series and many of them were somewhat disappointed in the characters as the season unfolded, but I did not notice a dramatic alteration in personalities. One of the most engaging aspects about the series is its continued focus on right and wrong, in relativism and what defines heroism. The show is not afraid to explore social and moral issues but for the most part, the truly "good" guys remain good, while the villains continue in a self-destructive, downward spiral.

There are some first-class episodes and I have to say that the finale this time around is phenomenal, revolving around a trial as well as revealing further things about our favorite figures and even including two shocking twists at the end. I have liked the romantic tension between Laura Roslin and the admiral from the start and they have some delightful scenes and exchanges of dialogue all throughout this season, ranging from unintentional flirtations to deep, heart-to-heart talks. It's a really wonderful contrast with the younger cast members, who are experiencing marital problems on all fronts, since the ground-breaking on New Caprica inspired a series of weddings. Their angst and occasional spats is nicely countered by the mature, trusting, and equal grounds that Adama and Roslin stand on, a pair inevitably at conflict now and again but ultimately respectful of one another's opinions. We also spend a lot more time with the Cylons, granting us a glimpse into their world and state of mind that alters our views on them forever.

Alas, this series' biggest flaw is its gratuitous and unneeded sexual content and partial nudity, and this season is no exception. There are three graphic sex scenes (all with movement and heavy breathing) -- four if you watch the extended version of one mid-season episode. (One of them appears in the first five minutes of the season premiere.) Another episode features passionate kissing and heavy breathing in the form of a dream (Starbuck wakes up overheated). References are made to quickies between a husband and wife; another couple is intimate later on (not shown). The montage at the beginning of each episode shows Six waking up naked in one of the rejuvenation pods; the camera avoids nudity, but we do see her silhouette. On other occasions, the camera barely avoids showing us too much skin (we see Cylons nude from the waist up in behind shots a couple of times, and once a partial from the side). Gaius routinely wakes up in bed with Six (Tricia Helfer) and Three (Lucy Lawless), implying they have an ongoing threesome. Whenever Cylons are killed, they wake up naked in a tank (the colored water prevents us seeing too much, but we see enough). Starbuck and Apollo seriously consider engaging in adultery and share some passionate kisses, but we are uncertain if it goes further; he then makes the decision to stay with his wife.

Moral issues revolve around divorce (Starbuck believes it is an unforgivable sin, but that adultery is just "bending the rules) and other religious issues. The Mormon theology continues in the form of characters debating the One God vs. Many Gods theory, as well as mentions of angels, prophets, and "chosen ones." Difficult social and moral issues are presented, like whether or not genocide is ever appropriate. Suicide bombers are dispatched within the resistance, choosing to blow themselves and other humans in league with the Cylons up. (There is a mild but disturbing resemblance to Islamic Extremism in their conversations.) A team of individuals take justice into their own hands and execute "traitors" by looking over the evidence, unanimously voting them innocent or guilty, sentencing them to death, and firing them out the airlock. Cylons are shot in the head; men are sucked out the airlock or suffer from radiation poisoning; we see a person throw up; one episode features an ongoing boxing match, which various crew members use as an opportunity to work out their anger issues. It's hard to watch Apollo and Starbuck beat the blood out of one another, with increasingly brutal blows -- equally so, to see Adama beaten to a bloody pulp. Bad language is infrequent apart from the term "frak" (once paired with mother) and repeated uses of "gods d**n."

From the negative reactions from friends, I was expecting this season not to be as engaging as the first two, but I was surprised at how good it was. It's true, some of the early episodes do struggle a bit with pacing but once the fleet is back in the air it remains solid and challenges its audience on multiple levels. I am continually frustrated by the infrequent graphic sexual content, but overall it has me hooked. I will be anxiously awaiting the next season's arrival at the library.