Season 3, Episode 18 - 24 April 2007 - Sky One, 10.00 pm
WRITER: Michael Angeli DIRECTOR: Robert Young
CAST: Edward James Olmos (Adama), Jamie Bamber (Apollo), Aaron Douglas (Chief Tyrol), Grace Park (Athena), Kandyse McClure (Dee), Mary McDonnell (Roslin), Leah Cairns (Racetrack), Alessandro Juliani (Gaeta), Bodie Olmos (Hotdog), Michael Trucco (Anders), Michael Hogan (Tigh), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo), James Callis (Baltar), Sebastian Spence (Narcho), Colin Lawrence (Skulls), Tyler McClendon (Alan Hughes), Rekha Sharma (Tory Foster), Ty Olsen (Capt Kelly), Don Thompson (Anthony Figurski), Nicki Clyne (Cally) & Mark A. Shepherd (Romo Lampkin)
As the crew come to terms with Starbuck's death, Lee is assigned to protect Baltar's enigmatic defence lawyer...
Following the huge change in dynamic with Maelstrom, it's no surprise to see an episode that deals with Starbuck's death, but also nudges towards the season finale of Baltar's trial. The balance is handled well, with enough character moments for Lee, Adama and Anders, but the emphasis is certainly on Baltar's impending fate.
Mark A. Shepherd makes a remarkable impression as Romo Lampkin, Baltar's defence lawyer who's almost a Columbo-esque creation, in that his appearance (a short "Irishman" who rarely takes off his shades) is at odds with his keen mind and insights. It's a great performance and a textured character from writer Michael Angeli whom I hope will remain in the mix post-trial.
The performances are great across the board, most notably from Edward James Olmos as Adama, battling to contain his grief over Starbuck's passing. Jamie Bamber is also very good as Lee, particularly in some uneasy scenes with Michael Trucco's Anders.
The Son Also Rises is unbalanced in places, satisfied with indulging the Lampkin character and taking its eye off the asassination attempts that follow Lampkin around. The eventual uncovering of the assassin seems rushed, particularly because the episode fails to build up tension over who the culprit could be. The fact it's unlikely to be a main character also narrows the suspects to... well, one!
Still, it's always nice to see James Callis flex his muscles as Baltar and Tricia Helfer has a decent scene with Lampkin as Caprica Six. Incidentally, BSG has disappointed me regarding Caprica Six's capture. She has apparently just sat around in a cell for ages now, without any clear direction to her storyline. Maybe things are being stored up for the trial next week, but it's still aggravating that such interesting avenues are ignored for so long.
Overall, this is hardly a return to top form, but it's an interesting enough story that benefits massively from Mark A. Shepherd's layered performance and some realistic scenes of characters grieving over Starbuck's loss. Hopefully things will hit top gear as we reach season 3's climactic two-parter.
Let the trial commence...
WRITER: Michael Angeli DIRECTOR: Robert Young
CAST: Edward James Olmos (Adama), Jamie Bamber (Apollo), Aaron Douglas (Chief Tyrol), Grace Park (Athena), Kandyse McClure (Dee), Mary McDonnell (Roslin), Leah Cairns (Racetrack), Alessandro Juliani (Gaeta), Bodie Olmos (Hotdog), Michael Trucco (Anders), Michael Hogan (Tigh), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo), James Callis (Baltar), Sebastian Spence (Narcho), Colin Lawrence (Skulls), Tyler McClendon (Alan Hughes), Rekha Sharma (Tory Foster), Ty Olsen (Capt Kelly), Don Thompson (Anthony Figurski), Nicki Clyne (Cally) & Mark A. Shepherd (Romo Lampkin)
As the crew come to terms with Starbuck's death, Lee is assigned to protect Baltar's enigmatic defence lawyer...Following the huge change in dynamic with Maelstrom, it's no surprise to see an episode that deals with Starbuck's death, but also nudges towards the season finale of Baltar's trial. The balance is handled well, with enough character moments for Lee, Adama and Anders, but the emphasis is certainly on Baltar's impending fate.
Mark A. Shepherd makes a remarkable impression as Romo Lampkin, Baltar's defence lawyer who's almost a Columbo-esque creation, in that his appearance (a short "Irishman" who rarely takes off his shades) is at odds with his keen mind and insights. It's a great performance and a textured character from writer Michael Angeli whom I hope will remain in the mix post-trial.
The performances are great across the board, most notably from Edward James Olmos as Adama, battling to contain his grief over Starbuck's passing. Jamie Bamber is also very good as Lee, particularly in some uneasy scenes with Michael Trucco's Anders.
The Son Also Rises is unbalanced in places, satisfied with indulging the Lampkin character and taking its eye off the asassination attempts that follow Lampkin around. The eventual uncovering of the assassin seems rushed, particularly because the episode fails to build up tension over who the culprit could be. The fact it's unlikely to be a main character also narrows the suspects to... well, one!
Still, it's always nice to see James Callis flex his muscles as Baltar and Tricia Helfer has a decent scene with Lampkin as Caprica Six. Incidentally, BSG has disappointed me regarding Caprica Six's capture. She has apparently just sat around in a cell for ages now, without any clear direction to her storyline. Maybe things are being stored up for the trial next week, but it's still aggravating that such interesting avenues are ignored for so long.
Overall, this is hardly a return to top form, but it's an interesting enough story that benefits massively from Mark A. Shepherd's layered performance and some realistic scenes of characters grieving over Starbuck's loss. Hopefully things will hit top gear as we reach season 3's climactic two-parter.
Let the trial commence...
