WRITER: Ronald D. Moore DIRECTOR: Sergio Mimica-Gezzan
CAST: Edward James Olmos (Adama), Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck), Michael Hogan (Tigh), James Callis (Baltar), Aaron Douglas (Tyrol), Tricia Helfer (Number 6), Dean Stockwell (Brother Cavil), Jamie Bamber (Lee), Nicki Clyne (Cally Tyrol), Michael Trucco (Anders), Callum Keith Rennie (Leoben Conoy), Mary McDonnell (Roslin), Grace Park (Sharon), Richard Hatch (Tom Zareck) & Lucy Lawless (Number 3)
Following the insurgency suicide bombing, the Cylons arrest 200 suspects. Meanwhile, Adama debates trying to save the captives on New Caprica, or secure a future for those who escaped...It's often startling just how well Battlestar Galactica works as an allegory of current world politics. The writers have been inspired by the situation in Iraq this season, and the issues handled in this episode are of an expected adult nature.
The Iraq analogy is clearer than usual, and mainly interesting because the Cylons are seemingly modelled on the invading coalition, while the humans are cast as the Iraqi insurgents. Again, it's indicative of BSG's bravery that this reversal of expectation puts a sympathetic light on the terrorist/insurgents trying to defeat the outsiders.
The Cylons are also more recognisable as the "normal" ones through their religious beliefs. The humans in the show believe in the Lords Of Kobol (a multi-God religion similar to our own Greek Gods), whereas the Cylons believe in one true God of love -- as most of our own faiths do. So, in spiritual terms too, the Cylon enemy are actually more relatable to us!
Such deep themes make it easy to forget that BSG is a science-fiction show at heart, particularly when watching these opening episodes. It refuses to rely on futuristic technology and special-effects to elicit easy excitement, instead focusing on people facing tough choices, and every actor treats the material with the respect it deserves.
As Tigh, Michael Hogan's character has been given quite an overhaul for season 3. Tigh was always cantankerous, but to see him condone sending men on suicide missions to defeat the enemy is a ballsy move by the writers. It will be interesting to see if his tough tactics will be accepted by best-friend Adama, or will his controversial decisions cost him his job?
The rest of the cast continue their impressive work, but Dean Stockwell deserves a special mention. He's only been in the show for a handful of episodes as Brother Cavil, but he's made a huge impression. Stockwell's a wonderful veteran actor, best known to genre fans as Quantum Leap's Al, but to see him sink his teeth into this bleak sci-fi universe is a joy.
Freed of last episode's exposition, Precipice rattles along much faster, making full use of its large cast and offering more compelling insights into their personalities, while also tightening emotional skrews (Starbuck makes a startling discovery, Gaius has a life-or-death choice to make, amongst others).
However, while there's no denying the show's quality and ambition, it's suffering from increasingly blurred motivation for its central man-vs-robot confict. I understood the show's premise (man-made machines rebel against their creators), and I found it interesting when that old chestnut developed -- with the robots revealing they crave humans to procreate and feel love -- but now the Cylons seems to be intergalactic bullies for no particular reason.
Brother Cavil (Stockwell) said the Cylons now want to work with humans after their genocide of Caprica and attempt to replace them failed. But if that's true, then why treat everyone so badly? If they consider themselves superior to humans, then fine... but I still think their motivation has become a little strained now. They've effectively become metal Nazi's with their own brand of "Final Solution", which just isn't as original.
Still, this is another fine episode from an ambitious show that revels in its own brand of gritty sci-fi. There's nothing else like it on television, so don't miss it.
