It’s been said before, but who knew that a cheesy ’80s sci-fi TV show could be turned into one of the best dramatic shows on television?
It’s been a rough ride for the remaining humans and with these ten episodes things don’t get any easier. Characters dies, new alliances are formed, a civil war breaks out amongst the Cylons, Baltar becomes a religious cult leader and the President’s cancer is getting worse. However, this is the season where they finally find Earth, but this is Battlestar and they’re never allowed to have any good news with out some ten fold bad news.
This show works on every level. The acting is solid across the board with some truly amazing, stand-out moments. The effects are really good for TV show, but the best thing about this show is the writing. Each character has a fully realized arc, some of them truly heartbreaking. Who these characters are now is nothing like who they were when the show began which is more than can be said for most TV shows.
Sure it’s a sci-fi show, but it tackles some very interesting subject matters. There are many religious elements to the show with the humans believing in many gods while the Cylons believe in one true god. As the Cylons are evolving as characters the line of who is evil and who is good is beginning to blur and all the relationships between the characters are better than you’ll find on most of your average TV dramas. You really get into the heads of these characters. And all of this is heighten by the excitement of space battles and robots and all the sci-fi elements.
And like all good seasons (or half seasons ) of Battlestar, 4.0 has a gripping cliffhanger to bring you back for the last ten episodes that have, conveniently, just started airing. This is one of the best shows on TV and you’re doing yourself a disservice if you’re not watching this show.
Episodes:
Disc 1:
Razor 11/24/2007
This TV movie is the story of the Battlestar Pegasus before it meets up with the Galactica on the series. If you bought this when it was released on DVD you’re gonna be kinda pissed, cause it’s included here, but if you’re a Battlestar fan, you should have guessed that this would happen. You get both the broadcast version and the unrated extended version.
Disc 2:
He That Believeth In Me 4/4/2008
Starbuck returns from the dead and faces doubt from her former crew members as she tries to convince them she is who she is and she knows the way to Earth. Meanwhile Baltar takes up residence with a faction of his followers who believe he can save a young boy suffering from viral encephalitis.
Six Of One 4/11/2008
Starbuck faces the repercussions of her armed confrontation with President Roslin and loses the confidence of most of the crew. After learning the Final Five models are within the colonial fleet, a Number Six model named Natalie leads a coup within the Cylon hierarchy.
The Ties That Bind 4/18/2008
While Starbuck commands a lone freighter in her desperate search for Earth, political intrigue and marital discord aboard the Galactica are paralleled by deep rifts in the Cylons’ solidarity
Escape Velocity 4/25/2008
Baltar’s monotheistic cult activities expand, sparking political discord at the Quorum of Twelve, and possibly a religious civil war, while Colonel Tigh’s mental state again becomes fragile.
Disc 3:
The Road less Traveled 5/2/2008
Starbuck faces mutiny on board the Demetrius when she expresses her intent in cooperating with the Cylon Leoben, who has boarded the ship to help her find Earth.
Faith 5/9/2008
Starbuck leads a mission to see the Cylon Hybrid who reveals more clues to finding Earth. On Galactica, President Roslin discusses religious faith with a dying woman named Emily.
Guess What’s Coming To Dinner? 5/16/2008
Bitter enemies must set aside their grudges as the Demetrius crew teams up with Cylon rebels to destroy a vital enemy target, the Cylon Resurrection Hub.
Disc 4:
Sine Qua Non 5/30/2008
In the aftermath of President Roslin’s abduction, a bitter power struggle erupts which threatens to tear the once-ordered world of the colonial fleet apart.
The Hub 6/6/2008
In pursuit of the enemy’s Resurrection Hub, a team of Viper pilots and Cylon rebels become uneasy collaborators in formulating a battleplan.
Revelations 6/13/2008
D’Anna reveals that there are only four of the Final Five Cylons in the fleet and holds President Roslin hostage while attempting to lure the four out of hiding. After a dramatic entanglement, the humans and Cylons join together and arrive at Earth.
The show is presented in anamorphic widescreen 1:78.1. Sound is in Dolby Digital 5.1. This is an amazing looking and sounding show and the transfer here is fantastic.
Each disc has deleted scenes and commentary, either podcast commentary or new audio commentary, for each episode as well as the following:
Disc One:
The Look Of Battlestar Galactica: (8 min.) This talks about why the chose to go with a very realistic presentation of the show, shooting it like a documentary and such.
My Favorite Episode So Far: (10 min.) Cast and crew talk about their favorite episodes.
Minisodes: (20 min.) These were aired on line to tie together seasons 3 and 4.
Season 4 Sneak Peak: not really necessary here now is it?
Disc Three:
Video Blogs: (40 min.) All sorts of various behind-the-scenes stuff that has been previously available on-line.
Disc Four:
The Journey: (21 min.) The actors talk about the arc of their characters, crew talk about their favorite characters and everyone reflects on the end of the series.
Cylons: The Twelve: (16 min.) Pretty self explanatory. The actors and creative team talk about the Cylons.
Season 4.5, The Untold Story – Untold: (2 min.) This is a short behind the scenes teaser for season 4.5 that, as the title suggests, reveals nothing.
The Music of Battlestar Galactica: (22 min.) This is actually really hilarious. Cast and Crew are interviews about the music and composer of the show the joke is they are all pretending not to know who he is and don’t have many good things to say.
Caprica Sneak Peak: A trailer for the sci-fi channels new Battlestar related show.
This is an amazing show and is essential TV viewing. If you haven’t seen it yet they go rent the miniseries right now and get caught up. And if you’re are a fan of the show then odds are you’ve already got this set in your collection. I love this show and can’t wait to see what they do with the last ten episodes.
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Universal presents Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.0. Created by Ron Moore. Starring Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia Helfer, Grace Park, Michael Hogan, Aaron Douglas, Dean Stockwell and Lucy Lawless. Running time: 437 minutes on 4 discs. Not Rated. Released on DVD: January 6, 2009. Available at Amazon.com.
