Frakkin’ Cylons: Galactica Face of the Enemy Review
The Geek-o-meter levels are rising for Battlestar Galactica fans as we approach the beginning of the end for one of the best shows on television for the last four years. Unlike the cheap and sleazy webisode series of some shows like Heroes, the 10-part Galactica appetizer Face of the Enemy has concluded and displayed all the quality and thoughtfulness of a full regular season episode.
In spite of my reverence for the program, my expectations for any web series are usually tempered, but Face of the Enemy was a beautiful set up to start bringing the series home this winter and spring.
If you haven’t seen the web series yet, I would consider it a must view prior to Friday’s return of the full series. It follows a simple shuttle flight gone awry when an errant FTL jump lands the shuttle with Gaeta, a Sharon model Cylon and a crew of other colonial officers seemingly stranded.
Over the course of the web series, the human crew of the shuttle are murdered one at a time in their sleep and with little surprise it turns out to be the Sharon model Cylon taking them out.
There are several factors that make this web series work. From a drama standpoint, this was an intense character study of Felix Gaeta calling back to his feelings and motivations during the New Caprica occupation in season 3. These are definitely some of the most insightful, thoughtful and best moments Gaeta has had in the run of the show.
More importantly, this web series really plants the seeds of doubt in the viewer that the Human/Cylon alliance can work as we see through the actions and words of the Sharon model. The cultural, moral and ethical differences between the two races add up to a divide that ultimately is going to be too great to cross. We saw earlier this year that some of the most serious concerns for the alliance should probably be rooted in the Sharons. They simultaneously seem to be the most emotionally connected to human behavior yet the most phenomenally distant from human standards of right and wrong of the Cylon models in the alliance.
Face of the Enemy also serves to not let the viewer forget that the entire Cylon culture’s view of the value of life is still completely alien. Even with their ability to resurrect themselves taken away there just seems to be a disconnect in this moral judgment that is going to continue to make them extremely difficult to trust.
The most exciting part this web series in my eyes is the last couple of minutes of episode 10. As Gaeta is returned to Galactica with a new found opposition to the alliance we see the seeds of discontent take root. As it ends, we have a classic Battlestar “Oh Shit” moment that makes us realize that Friday’s premier can’t come soon enough.
While left stunned and conflicted at the end of the mid-season finale, there’s no question that anticipation is back for Battlestar Galactica. Can’t wait to see what happens next.
For those that haven’t watched Face of the Enemy, carve out 45 minutes of your time before Friday and hit it over at the Sci-Fi Channel’s website.
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5 Responses to “Frakkin’ Cylons: Galactica Face of the Enemy Review”
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January 15th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Going to see if this costs anything to watch on Xbox Live here in a minute cause I’d rather watch it on the TV. I started watching Season 2.0 the other night and remembering all the goodness that is Battlestar. Really great stuff here and I was just thinking as I was watching 2.0 that Gaeta was just so underused.
January 15th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
they may have to change the spelling of his name after this web series. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
January 16th, 2009 at 7:27 am
Well, he is “gay”ta. The whole webisode was crazy to me. Pretty anxious to watch tonight show.
January 19th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Ad Placement from Hell!?
http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2009/01/19/the-ad-placement-from-hell/
January 19th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
That is just too damned awesome. I think the shot of the office cubicles is the best. When you see those splashes coming up from inside the cubicles it really brings to mind a wonderful image of what’s happening in the cubes themselves helped along by the show’s contents.