'Battlestar Galactica' Retro Recap: 'Precipice'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Perhaps the best part about going back and watching your favorite television shows all over again, is that sometimes you discover something wonderful and new that you might have missed the first time around, and that's something that's starting to happen with increasing frequency, the more I dig back into Battlestar Galactica. 

Because as each episode plays out before my eyes all over again, there are subtle nuances in the storytelling that I have never noticed before. For example, I completely missed the fact that season two worked hard to build in underlying themes and concepts for the characters to examine in just about every episode, and I'm quickly starting to notice that season three is working harder to draw the audience in and truly give them an outright experience, and that was never more evident than in the second episode of season three, 'Precipice'. Because this particular tale continued the bleak and dreary atmosphere that the season premiere established in fine fashion, but it found a way to shatter that experience by peppering in a sense of hope.

Much of that, was accomplished by way of the story that took place aboard the Galactica. Because now that they were in contact with the people of New Caprica, the ship and its rag-tag crew seemingly come back to life. Everyone is suddenly vested in Adama's plan to rescue those they left behind...well...except for Lee. The younger Adama seems to recognize the risk involved and the possibility that Pegasus and Galactica may never escape such a risky gambit and that's when the Admiral surprises his son and the audience for that matter. Because in the midst of a tender moment with his son, he points out the fact that he cannot live with himself if he leaves anyone behind again and he orders Lee to take the Pegasus and the rest of the fleet to resume the search for Earth and well...holy cow, what an inspiring plot line to watch. You more or less feel Adama's dedication and devotion to the people of New Caprica and his resolve to save them all, regardless of the cost, leaves your spirits soaring.

But what's incredible about all of that, is that the fleet's plot line, is what's used to break up the utter darkness on New Caprica and thank heavens for that because things back on this desolate rock are downright devastating. Because in the wake of the suicide bombing from the last episode, Saul Tigh continues to conduct such attacks, despite Laura Roslin's pleas to put an end to that kind of violence. The Colonel is determined to defeat his enemy and the pressure he applies to the Cylons forces their hand to apply more 'stringent' discipline upon the populace, going so far as to round up people deemed troublesome in the middle of the night and forcing Baltar at gunpoint...to sign off on an execution order for every last one of them, and faced with his own death, the President of the Colonies does the only logical thing to save his hide...and signs on the dotted line...

Yet despite the fact that the show lined up every last one of these innocent people, and trained guns upon them...it still found a way to deliver some hope. As it turns out, the Admiral allows Sharon to join the Colonial Fleet and sends her off to New Caprica, mostly due to the fact that the Centurions stationed there will see her as a standard Cylon model, all in the hopes of using her to help advance the forthcoming plan to rescue the last of humanity and hopefully her arrival means that the gunshots we hear at the end of the episode are the kind that save lives instead of take them. In the end however, what an experience this story turned out to be. There was no deeper meaning to be found here, no commentary on mankind, just a wild rollercoaster of emotions...and I'm fairly certain there's more of this wild ride waiting for us around the corner. Until next time.

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