During October, you SCI FI Channel viewers may have seen some Battlestar Galactica “mini-sodes” that aired during episodes of Flash Gordon (although, given Flash‘s lukewarm reception with audiences, maybe you didn’t catch them. But they are still available on scifi.com). Whatever the case, these shorts looked at the original Cylon War, when a young William Adama (Nico Cortez) discovered a dangerous Cylon weapon that would come back to haunt him and his crew 40 years later. These shorts lead up to a two-hour special TV movie called Battlestar Galactica: Razor, which makes its eagerly awaited debut Nov. 24.
Honing the overall backstory of the popular series, as well as serving as a backdrop to events that will take place in the fourth and final season of Battlestar (which begins early next year), Razor is a BG fan’s dream come true. It tells the story of Lee Adama’s (Jamie Bamber) first mission as commander of the Battlestar Pegasus, and also reveals how Admiral Cain (Michelle Forbes) served that ship during the original Cylon attack on the Colonies. Cain also takes on a young protégé, ambitious officer Kendra Shaw (newcomer Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen, who adds to Battlestar‘s tradition of having hot women in the cast. And don’t worry — Tricia Helfer is also in this one.).
Under Cain’s tutelage, Shaw is given the title of “Razor,” an honor bestowed upon those who prove themselves in the heat of battle, when they must cut away any fear and hesitation. At one point, Shaw must prove her sharpness when she and Kara (Katee Sackhoff) end up stuck on a Cylon ship when a mission to destroy it goes awry.
Cutting across time and space, Razor offers the story, strong character development and action that Battlestar fans have come to expect (and demand). And it will probably make them wish they could cut right to Season 4.