"Battlestar Galactica: Razor" is up to the series standards, but as its own two-hour special, ultimately feels pointless. It's very clear that Ronald D. Moore and writer Michael Taylor had some interesting extra material with regards to Admiral Cain and Battlestar Pegasus' past that they really liked but couldn't justify shoving into Season 2 or 2.5.
"Razor" feels like what it is -- a long episode of the show. More specifically, it's a long version of one of those filler flashback episodes. "Razor" does nothing to enhance the movement of the series' story line. It's simply there for the die-hard fans to expand their knowledge of the universe including some interesting flashbacks to the first Cylon war. It's one of those things that as a fan you feel obligated to take in and enjoy ingesting, but in the end realize it didn't really do all that much for you.
The story gets its hook from when former Pegasus XO Col. Fisk tells Col. Tigh that Admiral Cain shot her old XO in the head in front of everyone in the CIC when he refused to obey her orders. The writers explore Cain's past and come up with a new character, Lt. Kendra Shaw to help tell that story. The movie takes place in present day (when Lee Adama is appointed to command of Pegasus) with several flashbacks to what happened on Pegasus between the Cylon attack and meeting up with Galactica.
Shaw is not unlike Starbuck only she's dealing with a much darker past courtesy some of the orders we learn that Cain gave her. Cain is incredibly out of her mind and we learn a bit about why but nothing every entirely satisfactory. In the present storyline, we learn of a mission Pegasus and Galactica carried out in attempt to eliminate a ship hiding a one of the Cylon hybrids.
It's a good story that does nothing to tarnish the series reputation and it might have made for a fine couple of episodes, but "Razor" doesn't feel special enough to warrant its own distinction from the rest of the Battlestar series. There are some interesting tidbits to add to our "Encyclopedia Galactica," some throwbacks to the original series with some '70s style Centurions and some more graphic violence if you catch the unrated version, but that's about it.
"Razor" feels like what it is -- a long episode of the show. More specifically, it's a long version of one of those filler flashback episodes. "Razor" does nothing to enhance the movement of the series' story line. It's simply there for the die-hard fans to expand their knowledge of the universe including some interesting flashbacks to the first Cylon war. It's one of those things that as a fan you feel obligated to take in and enjoy ingesting, but in the end realize it didn't really do all that much for you.
The story gets its hook from when former Pegasus XO Col. Fisk tells Col. Tigh that Admiral Cain shot her old XO in the head in front of everyone in the CIC when he refused to obey her orders. The writers explore Cain's past and come up with a new character, Lt. Kendra Shaw to help tell that story. The movie takes place in present day (when Lee Adama is appointed to command of Pegasus) with several flashbacks to what happened on Pegasus between the Cylon attack and meeting up with Galactica.
Shaw is not unlike Starbuck only she's dealing with a much darker past courtesy some of the orders we learn that Cain gave her. Cain is incredibly out of her mind and we learn a bit about why but nothing every entirely satisfactory. In the present storyline, we learn of a mission Pegasus and Galactica carried out in attempt to eliminate a ship hiding a one of the Cylon hybrids.
It's a good story that does nothing to tarnish the series reputation and it might have made for a fine couple of episodes, but "Razor" doesn't feel special enough to warrant its own distinction from the rest of the Battlestar series. There are some interesting tidbits to add to our "Encyclopedia Galactica," some throwbacks to the original series with some '70s style Centurions and some more graphic violence if you catch the unrated version, but that's about it.