Review: Rapture
Written by David Weddle and Bradley Thompson

It seems like forever since the last episode of Battlestar Galactica. Amazing how a couple months without your favorite show can seem to drag on. But anywho, the wait is now over. No more fooling around, because now it's time to get down to 10 straight weeks of non-stop, Sunday-night Battlestar action.

In episode 3.12, Rapture, the story picks up right where The Eye of Jupiter left off. With a squadron of Cylon raiders approaching the Algae planet, Adama (Edward Olmos) has his finger on the nuclear missile launch button--prepared to deny the Cylons the Temple of Five. Meanwhile, Anders and Lee fight side by side as their wives, Dee and Starbuck, fight to survive.

In a lot of ways, this was a pivotal episode to the entire Battlestar series. More show-changing events went down in 42 minutes of this episode than in other show's entire seasons. I'd say the most drastic--and for me saddening--change was the elimination of Lucy Lawless' character. What a shame that is, too...as I was just starting to really dig Xena's increased role in the show. Though I'm still holding out hope that a few D'annas make it to the Galactica.

Then, of course, let us not forget the big changes ahead in Gaius Baltar's life. That poor guy. First he has to live with humanity and face the guilt of brining about a nuclear holocaust, then he gets elected president only to have to face Cylon occupation, then he is forced into escaping with the Cylons and live amongst them in mental isolation...now he's thrust back into an unwelcoming humanity that will most certainly inflict on him bodily injury. All this, mere seconds after he was denied knowledge that he may in fact be a Cylon. Suffice it to say, Gaius is going to be in bad shape next episode. I wouldn't be surprised if Head Six made her way back into his life.

Finally, this episode also dragged on the love triangle (square?) between Anders/Starbuck and Lee/Dee. This made for interesting television the first 4 episodes focused on it, but for me its starting to get a bit old. Seems like things are about to hit their climax, though, so thank the Gods for that. Maybe the Galactica's best pilots can get their minds off each other and start flying their Vipers again...Maybe bring back the good ol' days of season 1 and 2 when this was a space dog-fighting show.

All in all, this was the perfect episode to draw viewers back into the intensity of the Battlestar universe. With the revelation of the Eye of Jupiter and a brief glimpse at the final 5 Cylons, it seems with this episode that Battlestar is really starting to pick up momentum to the season 3 finale.

Rating: 8 / 10 "Poor President Baltar..."

~Khyron