Review: A Day in the Life
Written by Mark Verheiden

Why must they torture us so? Holding Gaius Baltar's trial over our heads for at least another week, we were again presented with a character driven one-off story. But when that main character is played by Edward James Olmos, I guess I can take it.

In episode 3.15, season 3.5 reaches its half-way mark with A Day in the Life. Following Admiral Adama (Edward Olmos) as he suffers through his wedding anniversary, we get a look into what goes through the old man's head. Meanwhile, Tyrol and Cally find themselves in a sticky situation--trapped in an airlock with a hole venting their precious oxygen into deep space.

So it turns out the tough-as-nails Adama isn't as strong on the inside as he appears on the outside. The patriarchal leader of the Rag-Tag Fleet, the Adama character has seen surprisingly little backstory so far. So I reckon this episode was a long time coming.

The whole wife-in-the-head bit was OK, but it seemed an odd choice. In a show in which having people in your head could mean you're a robot, I'm curious as to why this plot device was chosen. Perhaps it could mean more than they're letting on. I recall a certain Cylon saying Adama was a Cylon a few seasons back. But at the very least, I think I can understand why Lee was so pissed at his father.

The secondary plot, Tyrol and Cally getting blown out into space, was unfortunately less interesting for me. There was a time I enjoyed what little Cally screen-time we were given, but now that she's more of a main character, her underground allure has certainly diminished. The climax EVA scene was sufficiently suspenseful, however, so it wasn't a total loss.

An Adama backstory episode saved by the fact that Edward James Olmos was in the lead role, A Day in the Life felt far too much like the filler episode it was. Enough is enough, already...let's get this trial going.

Rating: 7 / 10 "I hope she was worth it, man."