Review: Battlestar Galactica Season Three

Once again, I am here with an update on my sort of 'summer reading project' that consists of me making it through Battlestar Galactica and reporting my findings as I go. Up to this point it has been an absolute pleasure following the human fleet escape from the Cylons by the skin of their teeth time and time again, but I knew going into this season that things were going to be different. Both the creators of the show and I seemed to know that the original cat and mouse formula needed a new twist to maintain interest. And, while it's good that there were changes made to the Battlestar plotline to change things up, it's unfortunate (as the fact that Nickelback is playing in the background of this trailer may subliminally suggest) that these changes in Season Three make for some of the weakest parts of the show thus far.

First of all, the first handful of episodes seem to drag themselves way to far out for their own good. The story arc that starts the season, while somewhat intriguing as it is new, also seems like it could only end in one way, and it does. It's this combination of slow pacing and predictability that initially put me off on this season. I even thought that if they don't wrap it up soon enough, I may either try to skip ahead or quit watching altogether depending on how much catching up I had to do. Thankfully though, most of it is resolved in the first five episodes, and the later developments in the season (especially in comparison) really pick up steam towards the end providing a lot of momentum heading into the final season.

Other than those first few episodes--and a bizarre use of Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower" towards the end of the season--Battlestar Galactica still shows that it has chops and is worthy of being considered among the greatest of television shows. Even at its low points, the show remains miles above most everything else.