Battlestar Galactica 2004
Episode One: “33”

Review by Robert Falconer, HNR Senior Editor

Earlier this year, SCI FI Channel's reimagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries aired as an unqualified success, prompting the Network—in concert with Britain's Sky One Channel—to commit to a 13 episode first season. To say that this version of Galactica is a departure from the original 1978 series that inspired it, is like saying that the current war in Iraq is a departure from traditional US foreign policy. The metaphor is apropos. Like the world around us—from which the new series gathers much of its grist—this version of Galactica is profoundly different, a fact that while perhaps inevitable, has also served as a point of contention amongst original series fans.

Now that the first episode has aired this week on Sky One in the UK, reviews are beginning to appear on the web. Here at HNR, we're fortunate to be among the few in North America to get an advance look at the episodes. So how does episode one, “33” stack up against the miniseries? Well, first we want to offer the caveat that if you're at all allergic to spoilers and want to be surprised next January when the series airs in the US and Canada, stop reading right now.

Still reading? Fair enough.

After a genocidal attack upon their worlds by the robotic Cylons, a small band of human survivors (50,000) escape in a rag tag convoy of assorted spacecraft, led by the mighty warship, Galactica. When the miniseries ended, the human survivors had just escaped after a climactic battle in which the Galactica thwarted an attempt by the Cylons to finish off any remaining vestiges of fleeing humanity.

The first episode picks up directly where the miniseries left off. Nervous exhaustion is the operative theme in “33.” As the story opens, our crew is suffering the effects of extreme fatigue. Somehow, the Cylons have been tracking the fleet since they made their escape, forcing all the ships to jump every 33 minutes to avoid destruction. After more than five days of this, the tension is palpable and emotions are running high. This is a literal “ticking clock” story.

Baltar shows perhaps the most visible signs of stress and paradoxically seeks solace in the “arms” of his virtual companion—the ravishing blonde bombshell and Cylon, Number Six, who interacts directly with his mind through a chip that was surreptitiously implanted in his brain. But it's a mixed blessing: for while she offers “physical” comfort, she torments him with philosophical rants about the fleet's inevitable destruction, suggesting that he should save himself by “repenting to God.”

The episode showcases some remarkably sophisticated, albeit brief, emotional moments—as when Apollo and Starbuck angrily lay into one another, then lapse into laughter at the absurdity of it all. Everyone is running on sheer adrenalin—and in the case of several of the Galactica crew, further propelled by stimulants or drugs. This offers a touch of irony, since Colonel Tigh hasn't had a drink since the whole crisis began, prompting him to remark to Adama, “Truth is, all this has me feeling more alive than I have in years,” to which Adama retorts, “It's good to see you without the cup in your hand.” Small moments like this humanize the dangerous predicament of the fleet and offer the promise of some complex character interactions for future episodes.

While it would be nice to see more of these moments, given the nature of the episode and the size of the ensemble, there isn't time for more involved character exploration in this particular story. Instead, the point seems to be to reestablish the perilous situation in which the fleet finds itself. This is a pressure cooker, and the fight for survival, physical and emotional, are front and center.

The rest of the characters turn in painfully honest performances. For his part, Adama is gruff and weathered, but his years of training as a seasoned warrior keeps him focused. President Laura Roslin is quietly composed, but her facial expressions occasionally betray hints of stress. These are not emotive performances, but rather realistic ones. It works, and this series will grow more and more interesting as much on the strength of its truthful character development as its interesting science fiction premise.

A ‘B' story involving pilot Carl (Helo) Agathon's flight from the Cylons on occupied Caprica rounds out the story and deepens the mystery of the Cylon “sleeper” agents. We get a better look at the mechanized Cylon centurions in these scenes, too, as they chase Helo through a rain-soaked Caprican forest on a planet clearly suffering the effects of nuclear winter. It's very effective.

The common thread running through the entire episode, however, is determining how the Cylons are able to track each and every jump the fleet makes. The mystery is finally revealed, at least in part, prompting President Roslin and Commander Adama to face an ethical dilemma. I won't give it away here (other sites have), but suffice to say it involves ultimate sacrifice.

Complaints? Just one. With the wonderfully authentic and photo realistic visual effects that Zoic is providing, it would be nice if the cinema vérité “camera” could hold on exterior space shots for a few seconds longer. In such a dark environment it's sometimes difficult to tell what's going on without repeated viewings of a particular sequence. The documentary style camerawork precludes much in the way of “establishing shots” or “beauty passes,” resulting in a more difficult, and frankly sometimes frustrating, viewing experience for the audience. Again, it's not a question of technique so much as timing.

All in all, a powerful opening episode that recaptures the feel of the miniseries and evolves the storyline for future episodes.