There should be no objectionable spoilers ahead, so read without fear!
Some lucky folks managed to see an early showing of BSG: Razor in a local theater. The event was sponsored by Microsoft, so you had to sit through Zune and Mass Effect commercials in the beginning and at the half-way point.
If you are interested in BSG but do not know about Razor, a combination of traits I cannot understand, know this: Razor is the story of the Battlestar Pegasus. You see how she survived the Cylon sneak attack, and you learn more about the things that happened before Pegasus met Galactica.
In short, Razor was fantastic. By not belaboring the “ooh, who’s a Cylon?” silliness that dragged down most of the 3rd season, Razor really returned the best of what BSG has to offer. Deep characters? Yes. Spectacular combat? Check. Atomic ship-to-ship missiles? Repeatedly! Uncomfortable moral dilemmas? Presented at gunpoint. Genocide? Of course. Throw in some old-school Cylon Centurions, and a Young Adama flashback from the first war, and you have one hell of a show.
During Razor you learn a great deal more about Admiral Cain and the other officers of the Pegasus, particularly Cain’s young protégé Kendra Shaw, who’s really the main character. Razor is Shaw’s story as much as anyone’s, but fans of Starbuck, Apollo, Number Six, and the elder Adama need not fear. Your favorites get plenty of screen time and turn in great performances too.
Razor’s sole weakness was a bit of somewhat sketchy Cylon lore. We’re introduced to another Cylon hybrid and subjected to some of its fortune-cookie cybernetic wisdom. But this is a small part of the show, and easily forgiven.
Don’t miss Battlestar Galactica: Razor when it airs on Saturday, November 24. Well, there is one reason you might want to miss it. They’ll be releasing Razor on DVD in an unrated, extended version that looks like it will feature more Young Bad Ass Adama, among other things. It might be more fun to watch that version first--if you can wait that long!