"Battlestar Galactica" He That Believeth in Me (2008)

Director:

Michael Rymer

Writers:

Ronald D. Moore (developer)
David Weddle (written by) ...

TV Series:

"Battlestar Galactica" (2004)

Original Air Date:

4 April 2008 (Season 4, Episode 1)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

During a seemingly hopeless battle, Kara Thrace appears in a pristine Viper, claiming that she has been to Earth and can lead the Fleet there...

Plot Keywords:

Pleading With God | Cylon | Refugee | Robot | Guilt

Cast

Edward James Olmos	...	Admiral William Adama
Mary McDonnell	...	President Laura Roslin
Katee Sackhoff	...	Captain Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace
Jamie Bamber	...	Lee Adama
James Callis	...	Dr. Gaius Baltar
Tricia Helfer	...	Number Six / Caprica
Grace Park	...	Lt. Sharon 'Athena' Agathon
Michael Hogan	...	Colonel Saul Tigh
Aaron Douglas	...	Chief Galen Tyrol
Tahmoh Penikett	...	Captain Karl 'Helo' Agathon
Michael Trucco	...	Ensign Samuel Anders
Alessandro Juliani	...	Lt. Felix Gaeta
Kandyse McClure	...	Lt. Anastasia Dualla
Rekha Sharma	...	Tory Foster
Ryan Robbins	...	Charlie Connor

Company:

David Eick Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: When Starbuck's viper appears before Lee at the end of "Crossroads, pt. 2", the name panels on the sides of her ship are missing. At the beginning of this episode, when no time has elapsed between scenes, the panels are seen on her ship.

Quotes:

Captain Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace: When I woke up orbiting Earth, I just figured it was some crazy dream, but... I went in following a Heavy Raider. I mean, maybe the Cylons pulled me out of the soup... and captured me, brainwashed me on Caprica, and they experimented on me. I mean, did they take pieces of me? I mean, is... is it possible that they grew me, another me, in a petri dish? Or they embedded me with the memories, or it with the memories, or... I don't know.
Ensign Samuel Anders: No. Hey, no, no, no. Kara, no. Listen to me. If you were a Cylon, then you've been one from the beginning.
Captain Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace: [hostilely] Like Boomer? Spend my entire life thinking I'm one thing...
Ensign Samuel Anders: Yeah, and then you wake up one day and discover you're another. Still doesn't change who you really are. Still doesn't change the fact that I love you, no matter what.
Captain Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace: You are a better person than I am, Sam, because if I found out that you were a Cylon... I would put a bullet between your eyes.
Lt. Anastasia Dualla: [on the PA] All hands, prepare for jump in four, three, two, jump.
Captain Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace: [holding her head in agony during the jump and gasping afterwards:] Damn it! They're still going in the wrong direction.
[Gasp, gulp]
Captain Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace: One more jump and I'm gonna lose my way altogether.
Ensign Samuel Anders: All right, we gotta find you a rack. Okay, take it easy.
[...]

Fourth Season off to an OK Start

BSG returns for its fourth and final season with a relatively predictable episode. Starbuck is back with the colonial fleet, who are apparently about to be overwhelmed by a massive cylon force, the four newly revealed cylons are still in states of shock and doing what they can to figure out who they are and who they want to be, and Baltar is becoming more of a Christ figure all the time.

The cylons inexplicably break off their attack, and Admiral Adama and his crew must decide whether the presence of an increasingly mystical Starbuck after two equally unexplained months of absence is a coincidence or part of a Cylon plan. Although the first episode of the fourth season follows the paths set forth by Razor and the final episodes of the third season, a great deal remains to be explored through the course of the final season.

What and, more importantly, who, is the final cylon? Is Starbuck really going to lead the fleet away from any hope of a good destiny? Is Baltar going to successfully introduce the cylon religion to the human race, and if so, will there be some unification of cylon and human purposes? And how will Earth be involved?

The fourth season opener sets an ambitious agenda for the show's major story arc, but even after this basically OK episode, the major question remains unanswered:

Will the fourth season entertain us as well as the first three did?

The characterizations in this episode are consistent with the rest of the series, but do not add much to what we already know. Sam develops a little more depth than he previously had, and, as usual, Michael Hogan's Colonel Tigh stands out. All considered, the acting is just as solid as it has ever been. The script, pace and directing are also on par with the series' usual standard as is the cinematography. But this episode's highly transitional nature and relatively simple parallel plots force the episode into a less edgy, less innovative, than usual box.

I still think Season 4 is going to be a wild ride, and I sincerely hope that Baltar's rapidly evolving role does not become the harbinger of earthbound religious cliché that it appears to be heading toward. In short, I hope that some surprises remain in store for us as the season progresses.

Recommended for viewing within the sequence intended by the franchise. Not recommended as an introduction to the show.