Battlestar Galactica

Final Cut was a perfect episode of Battlestar Galactica because it was the rare day in the life model episode which really showcased the humanity of the characters. It was awesome to see Lucy Lawless who is one of my favorite actresses of all time because she was amazing in her role as D'Anna Biers and in the end as some one or some thing much more! Every thing that happened was interesting and the video shown to the fleet was amazingly well done and very touching. The unseen footage was disturbing and I especially enjoyed the commentary about it from the Cylon viewers in the theater. I look forward to watching the next episode!!!!!!!!!

I suppose, in a round-about manner, it was a smart move to showcase a relatively stand-alone episode after so many arc-driven ones. Here, with ''Final Cut'' Lucy Lawless makes an awesome guest appearance as an eager reporter driven by the idea of dragging Galactica's name through the mud.

There are quite a few memorable scenes here, particularly when it comes to an almost naked Apollo and his soaked, bicep-y body. (I'll be in my bunk.) And it was good to see a side of the fleet that felt raw and completely genuine. We got to see a lot of the crew as people for the first time too. I guess it was because they were addressed as individuals and not simply uniforms. We learn a lot of new names here from our regulars.

It was good to note that what happened on Gideon had some serious consequences, especially for Tigh. And I wonder what's the matter with Sharon's baby? I worry for the cylon. Speaking of which...

The end reveal was a corker. Although how did they get the footage all the way back to caprica so fast? Can they transmit data that easily? Whatever the case, Xena: Warrior Cylon should be sticking around for a while, at the very least. And that can only mean good things!

Ahh, the old documentary style episode, a mainstay of dramatic television. I will say the storylines didn't seem at all out of character for the show and there was some nice additions to the running plot with the reveal of a new Cylon amongst the fleet and the Cylons just becoming aware of Sharon's situation on board Galactica. Also the episode did have a ton of good character development for some of the secondary characters, especially Gaeta and Dee, or as I now feel compelled to call her, Anastasia.



I couldn't help but laugh at that first shot of Gaeta with his collar unbuttoned and smoking like someone who doesn't have much experience smoking, and that tattoo was crazy. It was just so unexpectedly out of character. But beyond the humor what he had to say was really moving. I can sympathize with the fear of your life becoming nothing more than your career and his want to be something more than just Lt. Gaeta. Dee's story about her father and joining up also led to some emotional moments, as did most of the crew's talking heads.



Tigh was in rare form while suffering under public scrutiny for his foul up during Adama's convalescence. Quick tip for you Tigh, when you realize a reporter is setting you up to look bad, don't then give them better footage than they could have even hoped to have gotten. I thought the death threat against him did make for some compelling drama(I was half suspecting Ellen).



I think my favorite part was during the two Raiders kamikaze attack. Getting to experience the action the way the crew in the CIC and hanger experience it was and interesting turn. The fear and frustration of being only able to hear what's happening and not see it was a good choice.



I was nervous about the episode format, but they pulled it off well.

Firstly, I must gush about Lee. Whoever wrote that scene wrote it JUST FOR ME! OMJ, that was fantastic and amazing and I almost died of a heart attack.

Other than that, it was a very interesting story, and more fun than serious. it wasn't as intense as they usually are, but how they covered the Gideon Massacre was fascinating.

Not to meantion Lee in a towel. that scene is forever on my iPod- totally worth the two bucks!

conlduing #3 as a cylon at the end was cleverly done.

This epsionde was not as thought provoking as they usually are, but it was a roller coaster ride of emotions. I really got into the show, as always. :D

Apollo in a towel: priceless

***This review details –» this is a "I" perspective, based in what I like and recognize to be good or interesting, this is not a "god" where the guy thinks what he thinks is the true or the "you" perspective where I know what you will like and what you don´t.***



This plot is a good exploration, but switching the cameras was not a thing that I appreciated. Also, through the conflict phase, it seems more like a reality show instead of a Storyline, but this was one of the intentions. What is good about this episode? There are fillers storylines like Tigh or that woman that was with a strange behavior. The only thing interesting is the end.



Presentation Phase - » (5/10) didn´t interest me,

Complication Phase - » (6/10) fair exploration,

Climax Phase - » (5/10) nothing,

Ending - » (8/10) didn´t see that coming,



As expected, the plot didn´t move forward was more about delaying things until next episode. This storyline is weak, because of its structure, the only thing good is the payoff in the ending, but that was not big, so essentially, this was pure filler.



Details/Progress (To point A to B) -» (5/10),

Time and Scene Management - » (5/10) thanks to the last scene,

Plot Details/Holes- » (6/10) can´t buy some of the pilots magical sudden bad attitudes,

Storyline -» (6/10) not the best, but the ending it's nice,



The only thing that is surprising is the end.



Drama - » (5/10) didn´t care for the drama,

Surprises/Shocks/Twists - » (9/10) nice twist in the end,



Overall, this episode was just a distraction, pure filler, however the ending was nice.

My first thoughts where when I realized what this episode is about, that so many other shows have done it - having a film crew in their ship or whatever. Babylon 5, Stargate they did.. and oh.. many many others too.. so, what new can they bring into the idea so much used. And most of the time it just looked what you expect - the film crew who has a idea what they want to show soon realize that those people they are thinking bad are heroes - usual development.. But I most say, I liked the last scene, the cut version and the revelation in the end - wow.

I like this episode a lot because of a few things that were pointed out during the episode. We don’t get to see a lot of action but it was a nice touch to see what goes on with the day to day operations on a Battlestar. One thing I like that was revealed during the crewmen interviews was that no one Colonial Personnel resigned since the attack. The revelation of another Cylon Skin Job was also a nice touch. Lucy Lawless plays the Cylon D’anna and as a reporter she does her job very well. I especially like the “film clip” that was shown at the end with the old 80’s Galactica music score.

A story that had been building over a season and a half culminates in a tense, mystical two-parter that brings every plot thread together, and they follow it up with a goofy little one-shot about some reporter? Whose bright idea was that? I wanted to see the fleet finally heading to Earth, and instead I get some over-the-hill Kiwi with a nauseating accent. Okay, I'll admit she's pretty nice looking, but this isn't the Galactica I fell in love with, or the hot blond Cylon I fell in love with, either. Hmm. TV.com should really add "Cylon" to the spell check dictionary. I have a feeling it comes up kind of a lot.



Okay, we get some little story about Kat going nuts, Tigh receives a death threat, and lots of people run around with their clothes off. Is it wrong that I wish I looked more like Jamie Bamber? Damn you and your amazing torso, Apollo - now I have no choice but to hit the gym again. Man, won't you just look at those abs. Oh, great, and the reporter is a Cylon. Most viewers were probably upset at the news because it meant another spy in the fleet. I'm upset because it guarantees that I'll have to hear that accent in more episodes. Anybody have an icepick I can shove in my ear?

Final cut, from the outset, feels like the below par filler episode it is. Used to segue between bigger stories, it’s real purpose to unveil a new Cylon menace. Coming on the back of the excellent Home, parts one and two, and Flight Of The Phoenix. Final Cut is the first episode of the second season that doesn’t grab from the get go. Where it does surprise though, is in showing key events from a point of view we are rarely privy to. The film crew becoming a device used to ramp the tension of the day-to-day procedures aboard Galactica. Initially put to great use in the scenes of Kat’s abortive attempts to land her Viper. We are left helplessly watching the computer displays as crew try to talk her in, the frantic cuts and camera work adding a nerve shredding edge. The killer blow, however, is delivered during the dogfight. Normally we get to chase down Cylon Raiders right along side Apollo and Starbuck, but here we are back in the hanger and on deck in CIC. From here we are made to feel complicit in the dread and fear among all on board. As crackling radio bursts are our only information about the battle outside. It’s a breathtaking sequence in TV series that has continually delivered in the drama stakes, always putting the human element at the heart of events giving a great emotional wallop every time. Not the best episode but big points for trying something new.

Many people feel that this episode was a pointless filler that's only purpose was to introduce a new cylon model to the series, everyone's favorite reporter D'Anna Biers. I happen to think this episode was a lot of fun, even if there were no sqeuences with Kara and Lee shooting raider butt from the sky (or space). I mean, we had one pilot have a crazy breakdown because of a stim overdose, our resident cylon defect Sharon nearly lose her baby, everyone's favorite XO and his wife had a lovely little death threat written on a mirror in their quaters, and of course, every female in the world's favortie scene when it comes to Lee Adama when he is meeting with everyone's favorite reporter in nothing but a very small standard-issue towel. Ignore that it's a filler... It's too much fun.

Let me just start by saying I've been a little disappointed with the second season thus far. Sure there's been stuff happening but the intensity and the plot twists that made the first season so entertaining and appealing seem to have gone missing in action....until now!



My faith in this season has been renewed by this episode. Once again the claustrophobic atmosphere is present and prevalent, the character development is more evident and most notably the shock ending makes a very welcome return.



Did I mention I loved the end of this episode! How can you not get chills when the original theme starts playing over the narration and the janitor starts whistling. Great stuff! Not to mention the latest cylon revelation. Love it!



If the rest of the season is as good as this episode or better, I'll be one happy camper.

This episode is perhaps a nod to current events. With embedded reporters in iraq making stories about life in the battlefield, it makes sense to have a similar story in galactica. While Adama deals with a reporter that makes up inflamatory news about the colonial fleet, they realize that this can also be a chance for the fleet to see what goes behind the scenes of a military command. This episode shows something about what takes place inside the galactica, it's not all about fighting the cylons, it's also about surviving life from day to day. This reporter episode is a welcome addition to the vast universe of galactica.

The scene in CIC and the hanger bay where they are just listening to the pilots, was the first time you say how it really felt to sit on Galactica and wait for the results. You were totally trapped by not having any visuals of the fight. I kept waiting for them to cut to the vipers. Since this was documentary style them kept you only where the news cameras were.



In his on-line video blog, Producer David Eick, had the director, Robert Young, do one take of the last scene where Lucy Lawless used her American accent, to speak to the other cylons, instead of her normal one. Adding a new level to the character. They used her American accent in the aired scene. It took me a moment and I had to go back and verify it, but she did not have her normal accent in the last scene. Cool!

Although this episode served mainly to fill out the front half of Season Two, it’s still fun. Col. Tigh does have a moment of glory at then end of the episode, reminding us why Adama values him as his 2nd in command. There are a couple of nice “interviews” with Racetrack and Gaeta, which reveal something about each of the characters that we didn’t know already. Fans may enjoy seeing Jamie Bamber (Apollo) almost nude and Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck) box while wearing no more than tight sweat pants and a bra.

This episode has been talked about mainly because of the guest role played by Lucy Lawless. The main issue with this is who cares. Most viewers didn't even have a clue that the australian blonde reporter was that blade weilding warrior chick from saturday afternoon showcase a few years back. The episod was decent in quality except for it's attempt to use Lawless as a promotional tool by making the episode a little too centric on her specific role. Overall though it was a good episode, as always.

They did this exact same episode on MASH 30 years ago. The reporter is about to file an unfavorable story but then sees the team in action. The reporter realizes these people have a hard job and need to be given some latitude.



Also, I don't like an episode that is so busy telling us how great the show's characters are. Let us decide that, please.

I found this episode tedious and quite frankly disappointing. This episode stood by itself and there was no continuity in the otherwise well and strongly developt story arcs.

Probably ment as an inside in the psyche of the galactica crew, which could have been nice though, were it not that the insights weren't all that interessting to begin with. There was no or very little plot line (except for the introducing of the sixth cylon model and Sharon's baby). Moreover I felt that it was rather a filler episode which unfortunately lacked the usually strong character development and well written stories.



Freedom of speech and i.c. the press is a fundamental right, but as used in this show it felt more as a publicity add, a join-us-now-campaign, a public confession for the gideon incident -we're human and thus not flawless. In light of recent worldcrisises it's a statement that is too frequently made. Battlestar galactica is an excellent but also an adult show that "lives out the box". It's not an excuse for propaganda purposes. That's why, in my oppinion, 'Final Cut' felt somewhat awkward and out of place.

When a film crew is allowed to show the goings on aboard Galactica, we learn about the characters as well. Baltar remains as smarmy as always, so that is no surprise. Though Tigh is incompetant in many ways, he actually manages to step up to the plate and be almost command material.

Another Cylon model is revealled

First of all, Jamie Bamber is ripped! That is one hot bod he's got there, almost makes me wonder what a pilot needs those pecs for!



:)

Now, the obvious point of an episode like this is character developement. We, like D'anna, want to get to know the characters. To find out the truth! But can we handle the truth?

(Yeah, I get tired of that damn quote myself)

Galactica personnel are real people, with real problems. They get mad, stupid, drunk, they have addictions (all kinds of addictions), they make idle threats and they have bitch fits. We've seen them in comabt countless times, and yet we've never seen them in this light before. i was most impressed with Gaeta's developement. Wait a minute... he smokes? He drinks!? He's got a tattoo? Great acting by Juliani. We always see him so... uptight and anal, but now he was laid back. Excellent.

Other then that we see the follow-up to several plots, like Tigh's commanding screw-ups and Boomer's pregnancy. Tigh handled the gun point situation very well. He admited he was responsible and at the same time he knew it was an accident, the exception.

Xena the reporter is as crazy a concept, as Xena the blonde. And yet Lawless looked good in both circumstances. I liked her, Cylon and all. But it really doesn't matter in this show, does it? If the character's a cylon or not. We still wuv them. I particularly liked how she captured the reactions of people on board the ship during a cylon raid. We never got to see that opurselves, and even though nobody said or did anything, we could feel the tension, the anxiety.

Quote of the show:

D'anna: Captain Adama, didn't recognise you with your clothes on.

An oldie but a goldie!



What's this? The cylons didn't know Sharon is alive? Then she really is on her own. Good to know.

I never thought Battlestar would sink to this level. In the life of any show, the producers eventually run out of money and need to have a "bottle show." These shows involve no new sets and very few special effects. Often they delve into "alternative" camera styles, aka: less expensive film stock.



This episode was precisely that. It cloaked itself in the traditional guise of a news crew, so scenes could be shot handheld, or whole sections could be head-shots of interviewees. Of course, the hope for this show is that we will get a closer glimpse into the character's lives and learn what makes the crew of Gallactica tick. However, it all seems very force-fed when the character is talking directly into the camera and spelling out their motivations and history.



I wouldn't have minded so much if the plot had been a bit thicker. The main plot centered around a very Star Treky assassination plot of Colonol Tigh, culminating in a hurried confrontation in the Colonol's quarters. I must say it was very weak. Plus, no new revelations were made regarding the main plot. Sure, we learned who another Cylon is and what is going on with the baby, but that is honestly it. And having never met the new Cylon before, the shock value wasn't very great.



The rest of the episode was a commercial for the military. It appears the producers wanted to broadcast an argument in support of our troops much more than they wanted to make an interesting episode of Battlestar Gallactica.



I hope that these filler episodes don't become the norm now that the seasons are longer. I'd rather cut the season short and progress the story every week than take time out every five episodes to learn about the guy who mops the floors or some other innocuous detour.



I still trust the show will go forward, I just hope it does every week.

Never liked Lucy when she was Zena. The few parts she has gotten since then have really been brighter, as far as I am concerend, then her Zena career.



That is untill now. She has great stage presence, commands the hold of a scene and seems to be fitting in quite well.



Bringing in a new character is always a tough choice. Especially if its a big name to the cast. I think and hope this will play out for the better. I was happy with the results so far.



My other choice to add a name would have been Ben Bowder (of Farscape). That would have rocked this show out. So you directors and producers make it happen.

Another great episode!



I didn't know the reporter was Lucy Lawless until after I show it (but now it seems obvious). I can honestly say that the former Warrior Princess did a great job and I much prefer her 'kiwi' accent (and her being blonde). Hopefully we will see more of her, which should be a safe bet since she is a Cylon-Human Clone.



I thought Tigh's handling of the hostage situation at the end was a little out of character. He normally hates pressure situations, but since this was more miltary than politics, perhaps it fits.



Looking forward to what comes next now that Sharon's baby is on it's way/here.



The whole alien computer virus thing is getting a little old though. They did it a few years ago on Stargate SG-1, and this season of Stargate Atlantis. Guess they are going for the trinity.

I believe this is the best sci-fi show around to date. I mean each epiosde I watch it keeps getting better and better going from strength to strength. Episode 2-8 'Final Cut' surprised me in so many ways, starting from the plot to not using so much SFX to tell the majority of the story, whereas, most sci-fi shows & movies are vice-versa. As a film-student I like the first-person perspective of the reporter, which gives it that documentary touch and the twist towards the end when you see the four cylon copies discussing their next plot. I'm luvin' it!





9.1 from me and that's the bottom line!

Using the perspective of a civilian reporter as a gimmick for storytelling has been a tradition for genre series for quite some time. The modern use of the gimmick actually goes back to “MASH”, which had a much-acclaimed episode devoted to a film crew visiting the 4077. (Yes, there are older examples, but that’s the one everyone seems to mention these days.) Series like “Babylon 5” used the gimmick to explore subtle aspects of political and social issues within the series’ mythos, while other shows like “Stargate SG-1” used it less effectively.



Ron Moore (in a remarkably dirty and possibly drunken podcast for this episode) mentions a number of reservations about the episode, and I agree with most of them. I suppose what disappointed me in the end was the abrupt lack of serialization. Yes, I knew it was coming, but that didn’t really prepare me for such a stand-alone episode.



I really couldn’t get into the whole “Tigh in jeopardy” plot element, because I don’t find his character to be sympathetic. And D’anna didn’t seem to have much of a hidden agenda, at least in terms of what she put on film and how she cut it. Until the very end of the episode, there was really no reason to question her motivations. It was good to get some fresh perspective on minor characters, and Moore got the opportunity to present “new viewers” with the mission statement of the series.



Two things, however, factored against my enjoyment of the episode. First, that final moment was spoiled by some jerk on a Live Journal community, so I spent a lot of time during the episode trying to find clues that Moore mentioned were intentionally not there. So I was a little disappointed that it was, in fact, inserted out of left field. And then there’s the fact that episodes designed as “jumping on points” typically bug me.



Here’s what I don’t get…it’s eight episodes into the season, and the series will be off until January in two weeks. Who really expects a “new viewer” to be tuning in now? It’s like promoting issue #589 of a comic book as a “jumping on point”. The only people likely to discover this are the established fans, who are not looking for the writers to dump something like that into the monthly schedule.



That’s not to say that I didn’t like aspects of the episode. There have been moments, since the series began, where I wondered if this would have been better as an HBO series. This series likes to take things right to the limit, and there are some moments in this episode where I got a glimpse of what it could be without restraints. A lot of those moments were in the documentary footage, so in that respect, the gimmick worked.



I also really liked Lucy Lawless in this role. I always thought she looked better as a blonde, and this episode confirms my opinion. I also have a thing for that accent, which doesn’t hurt. I rarely saw her as anyone other than D’anna, which I think speaks volumes of her ability. Hopefully, she’ll show up again, because that twist at the end needs to be explored.



Speaking of the twist…I’m still trying to figure it out. So what was the point of it all? One would assume that it was all about the spying, and getting past barriers that would normally be impenetrable. The Cylons wanted to confirm that Boomer and the baby were alive, but they also seemed fascinated by the humans and their ability to transcend their flaws. I suspect that this will become an important clue in the future. Perhaps then I will be less annoying by this episode’s stand-alone qualities.

As soon as I saw the preview for this episode, my first thought was that it was a filler episode. My second thought was that, knowing the writers style, something major would happen.



It certainly was nice to get an episode that was more about the day-to-day lives of the Galactica crew, which would be more about character development for the secondary cast. Of course, with the excellent secondary cast of this show, it has to be good. More character development for Dualla and Gaeta, who are possibly my two favorite characters on the show.



Two great scenes stood out in my mind: The battle shown from inside the ship, instead of the standard space battle. We get to see what it's like for the people in CIC, and there's a good shot of the deck crew gathering for a prayer. The second scene was Baltar's interview. I cracked up when it ended with him saying the line, "that's show business."



The reveal at the end was interesting. I was fairly sure from the moment Six mentioned to Baltar that Deanna could help, but I didn't think the producers would show another model so recently after revealing Simon the Doctor. Hopefully we'll see a few more appearances from Xenalon.

I have to admit when the show first made an appearance I HATED it. I loved the original to the point of naming my dogs Apollo and Starbuck. Now I cant wait to see the new episodes. This one was one of the best. The show just keeps getting better and better. It sneaks up on you and before long you\'re completely hooked! Its darker than the original - but its twists and turn make it more interesting. You never know what this show is going to reveal next. Lucy Lawless is outstanding as the reporter.

Not to be missed!

BUT... That was the way it was meant to be.



If you look at it as a behind the scenes episode, you will see it shows us a look behind the drama, the intrigue and they mystery. You will see aspects of a powerful show there, it just didn’t highlight it as it normally would. You instead look at things from a different perspective. This show was about the reporter, and what she saw. Lucy did an outstanding job by the way. Even though the show focused on the reporting angle, the core of BSG continued around the reporting. It looks some people don\'t like this style and instead wanted it to cut from a reporting angle, to the normal angle and back. Watch the episode again; watch it as a behind the scene reporting angle instead of the normal type of show. You may be surprised how GREAT you find it.

Tieing up the end of the previous episodes and starting a fresh look for the second season it would seem. A very refreshing episode which gives some closure to what has passed and looks forward. One refreshing thing also was to hear the original theme embedded with in the episode which brings a smile to the face.

This was a good episode. My girl "D" got some shine, Gaius became more and more unhinged, and a "twist" ending. Let's get to that twist. Going into this episode, I wasn't sure if she were going to be a cylon or not. I was leaning towards no for the simple fact that considering there are only 12 models of Cylons out there, I figured the producers would introduce new ones sparingly. Because the future availability of the actors may have be limited and they would have painted themselves into a corner with only Six and Boomer the Cylons they show. But alas, they proved me wrong. So they've shown 6 Cylons so far. I wonder if Lucy Lawless will show up in future episodes. The addition of another undercover Cylon within the fleet is interesting. At least they showed that other guy again. It had been a while since they showed him.



Also, the fact that the raiders showed up explicitly to get the tape out shows the Cylons know exactly where the fleet is at all times. They're just toying with them now trying to see how this baby thing works out. Interesting.



I too was smiling when they played the old theme. It was going all slow at first. "Is it? Could it be? They're playing the old theme. That's hot! (c) Paris Hilton".



The best part of the episode though was when the vipers scrambled to intercept the raiders. The entire battle was oberved from the perspective of those in CIC. It served two purposes: 1) It really gave the viewer the chance to see how it was being there while a battle is going on only hearing the communication. No viewscreens a la Star Trek. 2) This was clearly a bottle episode for the producers. After the special effects and location shot heavy previous two episodes. It allowed them to keep the production cost down and save money by limiting the special effects here. But they masked it with great story telling.



Grade: B for the first 47 minutes. A+ for the final minute.

How does the media make Adama and his people look?

How does the President want her army to be represented?

Will Tigh get what he desrves for the frack-ups he's made

just how waxed are the men on the show - and why does Galactica have the smallest (but not small enough) towels in the Universe

Will Starbuck ever come out as the butchest woman in tv history

Will Lucy Lawless be back - please please please - she looks great - love her real voice - and thank heaven's for no tacky Xena references to be found

And finally - the baby....'nough said!



Best episode this season next to "THE FARM"