Darkness becomes them

Best of all, "Battlestar" examines these themes without compromising the depth and integrity of each character. Each individual's reaction to the dire circumstances on New Caprica, while at times startling, follows directly from what we know of them so far, but also tests the limits of their fundamental beliefs and strengths as human beings: Chief Tyrol (Aaron Douglas) and his wife Cally (Nicki Clyne) are looking after their firstborn son, yet Chief remains as fiercely committed to the colonial cause as ever, leading the insurgency against the Cylon forces. Col. Saul Tigh's wife, Ellen (Kate Vernon), in her usual unnerving mix of perversity and loyalty, seduces Brother Cavil (Dean Stockwell), a Cylon, in order to win Tigh's (Michael Hogan) release from captivity, where he's been tortured and has lost an eye. Starbuck has been captured by Leoben Conoy (Callum Keith Rennie), a Cylon she knows from a previous interrogation on Galactica, and is being tirelessly manipulated into forming an attachment to him. She's resisting him, of course, to a gory extent, but no woman, not even one most men refer to as "Sir," is an island.

Meanwhile, Adm. William Adama (Edward James Olmos) hasn't given up on efforts to contact the colonists on New Caprica, but his son Lee's belief in the cause -- and in himself -- have diminished in direct proportion to the growth of his father's conviction. Indeed, we meet up with an almost unfamiliar Lee (Jamie Bamber): squishy, fat-faced, and unsure of himself in the face of his new role as commander. He's married to Dee (Kandyse McClure), but she already seems disillusioned with him in his new, pudgy state.

Unlike the original "Battlestar" series, which aired in 1978, this is not a show aimed at providing fun for the whole family, least of all this season, which features an examination of brutal wartime tactics that's about as far removed from the Ewok Village giddiness of children and robotic dogs as ever. Just as the show has used visual references to President Johnson's Air Force One swearing-in and to billboards of lost family members during 9/11, so too are we treated this season to images straight from Iraq: hooded prisoners being led into dismal cells like detainees at Abu Ghraib; men with black masks recruited by the Cylons to police other humans. The Cylons also have their own versions of communist propaganda posters ("Become part of the solution" they read), used to recruit these human police, and they instill Holocaust-era fear in the populace, hauling crowds of people away to face robotic firing squads.

Overpowered and oppressed, how will the colonists possibly survive in the face of such brutal tactics? By committing terrorist acts, of course. The insurgents, from Starbuck's husband Samuel Anders to Col. Tigh to Chief Tyrol, are in agreement: Only by sending men on suicide missions and planting bombs will the colonists stand a chance against their Cylon persecutors. That's right -- Cylons put their faith in one, all-powerful God and hope to "save" humankind by spreading God's word through their ranks, while the humans place their faith not in God, but in terrorism. You really have to hand it to the writers of "Battlestar" for turning the current political climate on its head.

Of course, the real drama here still rests in the human relationships: flawed characters, struggling to make it through chilling times without sacrificing too much of themselves in the process. Gaius Baltar (James Callis), who won the presidency with slick promises of a glorious future on New Caprica, fails to make it through with his dignity or honor intact, which is vaguely satisfying to see after all of his misdeeds. His endless seduction by Number Six (Tricia Helfer) seems to be drawing to a close as well -- a relief, after more than a season of the same breathy, imagined encounters with the Amazonian blonde that have been the only repetitive, predictable element in the series. Col. Tigh is also forced to make some huge sacrifices for the sake of his ideals, a nice twist for such a tough, uncompromising hawk of a character. As for the rest of the group, the future looks as uncertain as ever. Even after some major battles are won, the ambivalence and inner conflict we witness in these imperfect humans make us wonder if they'll ever find happiness, even if they do finally find the planet Earth.

But then, isn't that we love about "Battlestar Galactica" in the first place? Like those lonely spaceships in the opening credits, floating off into the abyss of space, the souls onboard remain indefinitely lost and uncertain of their true calling. There are temporary victories, epiphanies, discoveries and moments of grace, but the colonists, for the most part, muddle through the darkness just like the rest of us, unsure of where it all leads, yet determined to find out at any cost.

Story finder (3 ways to search Salon)

Search terms:

Salon the Web

Salon Directory (browse by topic)