“Exodus Part 1″

Another Part 1 and we’re only three episodes into Season 3. And as most Part 1s go, it’s another set up episode. However, there is something dramatically missing from this set up episode. In fact it flat out appears to be a waste of time overall.

First off, after the PREVIOUSLY ON BATTLESTAR GALACTICA segment, we are treated to…a repeat of the end of “Precipice”

Huh? Why? Did they not have enough written for this episode so they figured on throwing the end of the previous one to fill the void?

But then what’s worse is that the sequences don’t match up completely. At the end of Precipice, Cally is seen running while the gunfire starts. In Exodus, Tyrol knocks her down off her feet BEFORE the gunfire starts.

Small? Yeah. Annoyingly lazy? Yeah.

But before we get to that we get a flashback to the hour prior. Now I like the use of flashback here as it’s fitting to the story. It has a point. We saw what happened in Precipice, now we get to see the events leading to it from a different vantage point. The Chief (now beardless suddenly…His grooming suddenly took precedence.), frantically meets with Tigh after learning that Cally is to be executed. Tigh snaps him back to his senses, telling him that in order to save Cally, he’ll have to remain calm.

The Chief and Seelix are able to arrive with a team to stop the execution and kill the human model Cylons there, like a Cavil. Roslin is grateful and excited to hear that they are going home…that Adama was coming back.

Now with the title of the episode and that pronouncement, it was obvious that this small arc was about a rescue attempt from Galactica…and again given the title, an eventually successful one.

Lazy. I lauded the idea of breaking from the norm and revitalizing the series by grounding it for a bit. Give it a new look and feel. Obviously eventually in order to be truly BSG, they’d have to get back to…well BSG. But this arc should have been longer. At least half the season could have been spent on New Caprica, and perhaps the exodus would have to be a slow one or what not…but to have everyone get back to BSG within the first five episodes of the season screams of cheap laziness.

Now perhaps, they were in over their head and felt it wasn’t working on New Caprica, but it makes the viewer less likely to believe in big changes from here on in.

Next we move on to the other cliffhanger. The Centurions were firing on Sharon and the Anders-led resistance. And guess what? We get another repeat of Precipice. Maybe I’m overreacting since I’m not waiting a week before watching the episode but it just screams filler.

A Marine RPG takes out the centurions and everyone is saved until one of the resistance finds a hand drawn map that Anders made for Colonel Tigh. Ellen Tigh had offered to burn it, but now Anders knew she didn’t.

In a long drawn out sequence that better be important down the line, a number 3 dreams of Hera and discovers from an oracle that the baby still lives, but warns that holding the child will undo all that the Cylons have accomplished on New Caprica.

The fleet ready for the attack, with both Pegasus and Galactica crew preparing. The Adamas share another parting, as Apollo remains with the Pegasus to wait eighteen hours before resuming the search for Earth.

The three model subtly interrogates Cottle about it being odd that they would choose to cremate Hera, the first known hybrid. Cottle shrugs and says it was Roslin’s call.

Sharon uses her ability to blend in to get the launch keys but is stopped by the dreaming three model. She tells Sharon her baby is alive, but Sharon doesn’t believe her, claiming that Adama wouldn’t lie to her.

As word gets back to the fleet morale is lifted and Adama gives what is supposed to be his usual rah rah speech. Now I am a sucker for those kind of things, but honestly. Boring. It fell completely flat and I feel it was because the rest of the episode didn’t build up to it at all.

And that can describe this epsiode perfectly. Boring, no build, and falling flat.

D-

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