Battlestar Galactica, Season 2.5 (2005)

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Rated: TVMA

Reviewer: Charity Bishop

Although split into two DVD releases, the second half of the second season of Battlestar Galactica continues where the last episode left off, with the fate of mankind in distress as its two commanding officers battle for the upper hand...

The fleet is now under the control of the Battlestar Pegasus, whose Admiral Cain is known for brutal wartime tactics. From shooting an officer in the head for disobeying her orders to stripping parts off other vessels and even opening fire on civilians, her ruthlessness has Commander Adama (Edward James Olmos) concerned. The terminally-ill President Roslin (Mary McDonnell) is convinced the admiral is a threat to their survival and encourages Adama to remove her from power before Cain has him killed for insurrection. This "coo" is staged in the aftermath of a combined forces assault against a massive Cylon vessel believed to be of vital importance to the robotic race's continued existence. Their source of information comes from the imprisoned and tortured Six (Tricia Helfer), who pleads with Gaius (James Callis) to end her life in a mercy killing. Rather than agree to her terms, Gaius schemes how to liberate her from the brig without alerting suspicion, not realizing that she will become part of a militant peace activist group intent on sabotaging Galactica. Their other captive Cylon, Boomer (Grace Park), is fighting for the life of her unborn child against a swelling tide of unease at the potential consequences of allowing it to live. Meanwhile, Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff) and Apollo (Jamie Bamber) have been re-assigned to the Pegasus, and are commissioned to carry out the assassination against Admiral Cain once the Cylons have been defeated. But what none of them realize is that Admiral Cain has a similar plot in mind for Adama...

One thing this series does well is tug on our heartstrings. The characters sometimes make mistakes, often fatal or terrible ones, but we understand because we might have made the same bad choice under such dire circumstances. It is their faults that make them profoundly human: Roslin's mistakes as president, Adama's over-protectiveness toward his crew, Starbuck's continually self-destructive behavior as she seeks to "punish" herself for errors in judgment. We even warm up somewhat to Six this time around, although her chosen pursuits are ultimately frustrating. Having Gaius's role diminished to less screen time to make room for other character development pleased me, since I find him the most unlikable member of the crew -- completely self-centered and annoying. But his interaction with the imprisoned Six is quite touching. The ethics and issues of morality involved are also very thought-provoking, such as... is it ever appropriate to order an assassination? To rig an election? The ultimate conclusions may surprise you, but also reveals a touching amount of humanity. Amada is usually the voice of reason in those particular situations, and his influence is impressive, particularly with Roslin. Many relationships flourish in small ways but it is their friendship that is the most poignant. The end of one episode features a scene between them that actually choked me up a bit.

Controversial themes include the hot button topic of abortion -- Roslin orders the termination of Boomer's pregnancy, but it is not carried out. In another episode, a young woman takes refuge on Galactica in order to have an abortion, since she comes from a very "religious" ship where it is forbidden. Knowing their numbers are diminishing, Roslin orders a fleet-wide ban on abortion (even though she is adamantly pro-choice); the child is aborted anyway. Discussions range around whether or not a Cylon baby should be killed. References are made to religious beliefs and also to the theme of reincarnation. Bullets slam into humans and blood spurts; many people are shot and killed, or go up in explosions; a Cylon plane implodes and breaks apart in bloody chunks (they are piloted by creatures, not "human" pilots). Fistfights occasionally break out among crew members. A man is startled out of a dream and beats a female crewmember black and blue (by accident). One main character is killed in a shoot-out; another is badly wounded. Language is moderate, but the term "frak" is used quite often, a few times with "mother" attached to it. Characters take the names of the deities (yes, there is more than one in this world) in vain ("oh, gods," "oh my gods!"), at times coupled with a profanity -- sometimes it's so frenzied that it sounds like GD.

Six continues to wear revealing outfits; we see her changing clothes at one point, and part of her breast is visible from behind. In the finale, she and Gaius sleep together -- scenes of them passionately kissing and lying back on a bed are interspersed with a political rally. We see part of her bare breast, all of her bare back, and a portion of her backside several times in that episode. Apollo wakes up twice beside different young women -- one of them we discover is a prostitute, since he later pays her for the night; the other is a girl he is involved in a relationship with. He and Starbuck become drunk one night and intend to sleep together (they go so far as undressing to their underwear, fondling, and passionate kissing) before they get upset with one another and have an argument. We see characters only in underwear a couple of times. The series debates religion vs. science when the presidential election arrives and the people are invited to choose between the "believer" (Roslin) and the "scientist" (Gaius). Adama implies he is an atheist.

The downside of this series is the constant use of "frak" (and believe me, it's really easy to pick up) and the occasional sensuality, but overall I have found it continually enjoyable. It is very original in its approach and has a tremendous cast of actors in a wide variety of ages. This is not a series that just young people will enjoy, but that older adults might find engaging as well. It's not your typical fare, and cares about its characters. It also contains a very positive and for the most part authentic perspective on the military.