Battlestar Galactica: Razor
Encyclopedia
Battlestar Galactica: Razor is a television film
of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series
. It premiered in the United States on Sci Fi Channel
, in Canada on the Space channel and in the United Kingdom on Sky One
.
, a subsidiary of NBC Universal
. The conglomerate's home video division approached Ronald D. Moore
, the show's developer and executive producer, wanting a stand-alone product that could be sold in DVD format only days after its Sci Fi broadcast. Moore called the proposal "an interesting opportunity" made even more attractive by the division's offer to subsidize part of its production costs. Moore was also happy to meet their other requirement, which was to produce 10–15 minutes worth of scenes that would not be part of the broadcast version; he noted on the DVD audio commentary
track that such a requirement was not a problem, since the rough cut
of most of the show's episodes are always too long. He also noted that the division gave the crew the option of including scenes of violence or sex that would normally not meet Sci Fi's broadcast standards, but in the end Moore chose not to go that route, even cutting a torture scene that was part of the script during principal photography
. Because of how the show's third season had ended, Moore decided "there was no way there could be a home video release that could stand alone and also work in the continuity of the show. It had to be something that took place before the Season 3 cliffhanger
."
According to the DVD commentary, Moore and his editors undertook a significant re-ordering and editing of the rough cut that was based on the script as used during principal photography. The narrative was made more linear, a change that screenwriter Michael Taylor
was disappointed about, though he admitted (later in the commentary) that at least one person close to him but not the show — someone who saw both the scripted version and Moore's final version — found it easier to follow. Both Moore and Taylor noted that the end-result occasionally suffers from what they called the phantom limb
-like effects that are inevitable when a last-minute re-structuring is done, referring to subtle changes in tone and performance that hint at scenes no longer included or included in a different order. In some cases they were able to compensate with ADR
.
Sci Fi Channel confirmed on March 21, 2007, that part of the show's renewal for a fourth season of 22 episodes included a television film to be released sometime in the fall of 2007. The film comprises the first two of 22 episodes.
While Razor is set in the past (in relation to the conclusion of season three), Moore has stated that "the events set up in that story will then pay off in Season 4." He explained his rationale for involving the Pegasus, saying that "one of the story lines everyone had really liked was the Pegasus story and the character of Admiral Cain
, so we decided to go with that."
In the weeks prior to the movie's premiere on the Sci-Fi Channel, a series of mini "webisodes" (each less than five minutes in length) called Razor Flashbacks
were screened online to promote it. These featured a young William Adama (played by Nico Cortez) as a Viper pilot on his first mission at the end of the first Cylon War over 40 years earlier. The inclusion of the first Cylon War was a relevant plot point within the Razor TV movie and viewers got to see Cylon Centurions, Raiders and Basestars similar to those in the original series
. Further references to the original series included a golden Centurion commander, and another Cylon saying "By your command." However, though the Cylon Centurions seen here are similar in design to the original series
Cylons (the original actor who provided their voices in the original series returned as well), they were CGI
rather than actors in suits.
The following are listed in order of their prominence on the DVD front cover:
's Pegasus
command (during the period originally covered in the second half of season 2, after the episode "The Captain's Hand"
but before "Lay Down Your Burdens"
) and uses flashbacks to show Rear Admiral Cain's orders during and shortly after the Cylon attack, as well as events occurring on the final day of the first Cylon War
. Cain's actions in the wake of the holocaust are connected to the present by Kendra Shaw, self-described as Cain's legacy.
Events of the final day of the first Cylon war are centered on then-Lieutenant William Adama
, a Viper pilot, and Helena Cain, a youngster at the time. Flashbacks of Adama discovering a lab housing the early Cylon experiments on humans as well as the first Cylon hybrid and Helena Cain abandoning her little sister during a Cylon invasion of Tauron
both end as the first Cylon war ends immediately after the life-changing events, leaving each character hanging somewhat (Adama is unable to free the surviving prisoners and Cain cannot find her sister). These are shown to be driving forces for the actions of both, as the show continues. Cain goes on to teach Shaw that you have to become a 'razor' to survive during war while referring to her pocket knife, which later becomes Kendra's and then is passed on to Kara Thrace
at the end of the show. Admiral Adama teaches his son Lee a different lesson: that they cannot become butchers.
Lee Adama's first priority as Pegasus commander is to restore trust and integrity to the troubled command he has taken while preserving some continuity in the leadership that had evolved under Rear Admiral Cain. He picks Kendra Shaw as his executive officer
, promoting her to major, despite the stark contrast between Cain's enthusiastic praise and subsequent Pegasus officers' complaints about Kendra's performance. First boarding Pegasus less than an hour before the Cylon attack on the colonies, Shaw follows Rear Admiral Cain's order to make a "blind jump" that saves the ship from destruction at Scorpion Fleet Shipyards.
Kendra Shaw, as did Gaius Baltar on the Galactica, discovers that the Cylons were about to infect the Pegasus with a computer software virus which, if made operational, would have disarmed and thereby destroyed the Pegasus.
After Pegasus receives reconnaissance information that all the colonies have been destroyed, Cain delivers a rallying speech inciting the crew to war for the purpose of revenge. The crew responds by chanting "So say we all!" throughout the ship; the still-unexposed Number Six Cylon agent Gina Inviere awkwardly joins in.
Lee Adama's first mission as commander of Pegasus is a search and rescue mission to retrieve a lost science team. Antiquated Cylon Raider
s (the ships and Cylon pilots who seem strongly reminiscent of those from the original series) from the first war appear and attack Pegasus. Simmering bitterness between Kara and Shaw is exacerbated when Shaw endangers Kara and her wingman in order to defend the battlestar. Both pilots land safely, though Kara has to destroy a Raider that follows her into Pegasus.
Later, during a heated exchange, Shaw reminds Kara that defying authority is a risky proposition aboard Pegasus, recalling how Cain shot her executive officer, Colonel Jurgen Belzen, for refusing an order to attack a Cylon staging area filled with an unexpectedly strong force of Raiders. It is during this mission that Gina Invierre helps Cylon centurions board the Pegasus and Shaw discovers Gina's true identity. It is hinted that the sadistic torture inflicted on Gina by Cain's orders had been influenced by the burgeoning romantic relationship between the Cylon and Cain. When Shaw is promoted to captain by Admiral Cain, she reminds her troubled protegé the Cylon tricked them all.
Viewing the wreckage of the raider, Sharon Valerii notes that Cylon lore tells of a group of original centurions tasked to guard the first hybrid constructed by the Cylons as a result of their human experiments. Admiral Adama then recalls his rookie mission as a Viper pilot, when he encountered that hybrid and saw what the Cylons did to their human captives in the course of their research. Admiral Adama concludes that the Cylons must still be pursuing the experiments, with the captured science team as new test subjects.
Lee Adama approves a plan to use Pegasus to find the basestar and lure the Cylon Raiders away from it, then launch a rescue team — including Kara Thrace and Kendra Shaw — outfitted with a nuclear warhead, in a Raptor. Admiral William Adama transfers his flag to Pegasus to counsel his son on his first command. The diversion succeeds; the rescue team sacrifices its Raptor and boards the basestar.
As the rescue team searches the basestar, the Cylon hybrid can be heard speaking in more coherent phrases than its more-modern counterparts. It repeatedly utters the words "All this has happened before, and will happen again." The hybrid also makes a far more elaborate pronouncement:
The science team is found and partly rescued, but the rescue team comes under fire from Cylon centurions. While the team manages to evacuate the basestar in a second Raptor, the nuclear warhead is damaged and has to be detonated manually. Wounded, Shaw remains behind to detonate the warhead and comes face to face with the Cylon hybrid.
The hybrid offers absolution to Kendra, who is haunted by the fact that it was she who fired the first shot in the massacre aboard the civilian ship called Scylla as part of an operation to conscript civilians for the Pegasus. The hybrid then tells her that "Kara Thrace will lead the human race to its end. She is the herald of the apocalypse, the harbinger of death. They must not follow her." Shaw tries to relay this information to Lee Adama, but is stopped when the Cylons jam communications. Her final act is to detonate the nuclear warhead, destroying the basestar.
On Galactica
, Admiral Adama reflects on Cain's legacy and proposes a posthumous commendation for Kendra Shaw, over his son's protests that she and other members of Admiral Cain's crew "butchered innocent civilians". They close their arguments, however, noting that history's first draft will be written in their logs, and Lee agrees to consider the commendation.
which would work as a stand alone production but also set up events for the forthcoming final season of the series scheduled for Spring 2008.
Razor was released on Region 1 DVD on December 4, 2007, ten days after airing on the Sci-Fi Channel, and the Region 2 DVD was released on December 26, 2007 (three weeks after airing on Sky One). The DVD releases feature an extended cut of the movie and include extras such as the seven "webisodes" that were created to be screened online in the weeks prior to the movie's broadcast. The Region 1 DVD also has a featurette with cast members discussing their favorite episodes. Razor was released on Region 4 DVD on August 20, 2008, before its Ten HD
broadcast premiere on September 4, 2008.
SciFi.com allowed fans to choose the cover art for the DVD release, and the winning cover was announced on September 14, 2007. In the original design of the DVD cover the Battlestar Pegasus is shown to be part of Battlestar Group 75 (BSG-75), which is actually Galacticas group. This was updated online in less than a week to reflect the correct group (BSG-62).
The unrated edition was also included in the "Battlestar Galactica" Season 4.0 DVD set, released on January 16, 2009. A Blu-Ray of the unrated version was released December 28, 2010.
sponsored the screenings in New York City
, Los Angeles
, Philadelphia, Chicago
, Boston
, San Francisco, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Seattle.
One reviewer called it a "well-crafted, scintillating slice (pardon the pun) of the 'Battlestar' universe" but noted that "fans may be disappointed with the significantly reduced screen time — or total absence — of beloved 'BSG' characters"; the reviewer also made it clear that the producers failed to make it a stand alone story:
Brian Lowry of Variety
disagreed, saying it "deftly stands on its own while still weaving in the show's dense 'Who's a Cylon? mythology" though a flashback set 40 years before the present would cause "any casual viewer [to] easily throw up their hands"; Lowry also notes that "the focal point of Shaw's story — nicely played by Jacobsen — has the feel of one of those old-time Star Trek
or even Bonanza
episodes, where a guest star allowed much of the cast to take a bit of a siesta."
Razor was nominated for a 2008 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form, losing to an episode of Doctor Who
. It also received two Creative Arts Primetime Emmy nominations, for its cinematography and its sound mixing.
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series
Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
. It premiered in the United States on Sci Fi Channel
Sci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
, in Canada on the Space channel and in the United Kingdom on Sky One
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
.
Production
Razor was conceived and partially financed by Universal Studios Home EntertainmentUniversal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is the home video division of Universal Pictures...
, a subsidiary of NBC Universal
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
. The conglomerate's home video division approached Ronald D. Moore
Ronald D. Moore
Ronald Dowl Moore is an American screenwriter and television producer best known for his work on Star Trek and the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, for which he won a Peabody Award for creative excellence in 2005 and an Emmy Award in 2008.-Early life and...
, the show's developer and executive producer, wanting a stand-alone product that could be sold in DVD format only days after its Sci Fi broadcast. Moore called the proposal "an interesting opportunity" made even more attractive by the division's offer to subsidize part of its production costs. Moore was also happy to meet their other requirement, which was to produce 10–15 minutes worth of scenes that would not be part of the broadcast version; he noted on the DVD audio commentary
Audio commentary
On disc-based video formats, an audio commentary is an additional audio track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with video...
track that such a requirement was not a problem, since the rough cut
Rough cut
In filmmaking, the rough cut is the second of three stages of offline editing. The rough cut is the first stage in which the film begins to resemble its final product...
of most of the show's episodes are always too long. He also noted that the division gave the crew the option of including scenes of violence or sex that would normally not meet Sci Fi's broadcast standards, but in the end Moore chose not to go that route, even cutting a torture scene that was part of the script during principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
. Because of how the show's third season had ended, Moore decided "there was no way there could be a home video release that could stand alone and also work in the continuity of the show. It had to be something that took place before the Season 3 cliffhanger
Crossroads (Battlestar Galactica)
"Crossroads" are the nineteenth and twentieth episodes of the third season and season finale from the science fiction television series, Battlestar Galactica...
."
According to the DVD commentary, Moore and his editors undertook a significant re-ordering and editing of the rough cut that was based on the script as used during principal photography. The narrative was made more linear, a change that screenwriter Michael Taylor
Michael Taylor (screenwriter)
Michael Taylor is best known for his work as a writer for both Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. His DS9 credits include the celebrated episode "The Visitor", "Things Past", "Resurrection" and "In the Pale Moonlight", which was controversial for challenging some of Star Trek's...
was disappointed about, though he admitted (later in the commentary) that at least one person close to him but not the show — someone who saw both the scripted version and Moore's final version — found it easier to follow. Both Moore and Taylor noted that the end-result occasionally suffers from what they called the phantom limb
Phantom limb
A phantom limb is the sensation that an amputated or missing limb is still attached to the body and is moving appropriately with other body parts. 2 out of 3 combat veterans report this feeling. Approximately 60 to 80% of individuals with an amputation experience phantom sensations in their...
-like effects that are inevitable when a last-minute re-structuring is done, referring to subtle changes in tone and performance that hint at scenes no longer included or included in a different order. In some cases they were able to compensate with ADR
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
.
Sci Fi Channel confirmed on March 21, 2007, that part of the show's renewal for a fourth season of 22 episodes included a television film to be released sometime in the fall of 2007. The film comprises the first two of 22 episodes.
While Razor is set in the past (in relation to the conclusion of season three), Moore has stated that "the events set up in that story will then pay off in Season 4." He explained his rationale for involving the Pegasus, saying that "one of the story lines everyone had really liked was the Pegasus story and the character of Admiral Cain
Helena Cain
Admiral Helena Cain is a fictional character in the reimagined science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica, portrayed by Michelle Forbes.-Youth:...
, so we decided to go with that."
In the weeks prior to the movie's premiere on the Sci-Fi Channel, a series of mini "webisodes" (each less than five minutes in length) called Razor Flashbacks
Battlestar Galactica: Razor Flashbacks
Battlestar Galactica: Razor Flashbacks is a collective title given to a series of seven "webisodes" released in late 2007 in lead up to the television movie Battlestar Galactica: Razor via the world wide web and weekly airing. According to Ronald D...
were screened online to promote it. These featured a young William Adama (played by Nico Cortez) as a Viper pilot on his first mission at the end of the first Cylon War over 40 years earlier. The inclusion of the first Cylon War was a relevant plot point within the Razor TV movie and viewers got to see Cylon Centurions, Raiders and Basestars similar to those in the original series
Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction television series, created by Glen A. Larson. It starred Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict and ran for one season in 1978–79. After cancellation, its story was continued in 1980 as Galactica 1980 with Adama, Lieutenant Boomer and...
. Further references to the original series included a golden Centurion commander, and another Cylon saying "By your command." However, though the Cylon Centurions seen here are similar in design to the original series
Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction television series, created by Glen A. Larson. It starred Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict and ran for one season in 1978–79. After cancellation, its story was continued in 1980 as Galactica 1980 with Adama, Lieutenant Boomer and...
Cylons (the original actor who provided their voices in the original series returned as well), they were CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
rather than actors in suits.
Cast
The following are listed in order of their prominence on the DVD front cover:
- Michelle ForbesMichelle ForbesMichelle Renee Forbes Guajardo , known professionally as Michelle Forbes, is an American actress who has built a career of work in television and independent film and has acted in productions in both the United States and in the United Kingdom...
— Helena CainHelena CainAdmiral Helena Cain is a fictional character in the reimagined science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica, portrayed by Michelle Forbes.-Youth:... - Stephanie JacobsenStephanie Chaves-JacobsenStephanie Jacobsen is an Australian actress.-Personal life:Jacobsen was born in Hong Kong, then a British crown colony...
— Kendra Shaw - Mary McDonnellMary McDonnellMary Eileen McDonnell is an American film, stage, and television actress. She received an Academy Award nomination for her role as Stands With A Fist in Dances with Wolves, and she is also very well known for her performance as President Laura Roslin in Battlestar Galactica, the President's wife...
— Laura RoslinLaura RoslinHer first actions include organizing all FTL-capable ships together and convincing Commander William Adama to abandon a retaliatory attack on the Cylons. President Roslin and Billy Keikeya, her aide/press secretary/chief of staff, establish a working office space aboard her transport, renamed... - Edward James OlmosEdward James OlmosEdward James Olmos is an American actor and director. Among his most memorable roles are William Adama in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, Lt...
— William AdamaWilliam AdamaWilliam "Bill" Adama is a fictional character portrayed by Edward James Olmos in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series... - Katee SackhoffKatee SackhoffKathryn Ann "Katee" Sackhoff is an American actress known mainly for playing Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on the Sci Fi Channel's television program Battlestar Galactica. In 2004 she was nominated for a Saturn Award in the "Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series" category for her work in...
— Kara "Starbuck" ThraceKara ThraceKara Thrace is a fictional character in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica franchise. Played by Katee Sackhoff, she is a revised version of Lieutenant Starbuck from the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series... - Jamie BamberJamie BamberJamie Bamber is the stage name of Jamie St. John Bamber Griffith , a British actor known most widely for his roles as Lee Adama on Battlestar Galactica and Detective Sergeant Matt Devlin on the ITV series Law & Order: UK...
— Lee "Apollo" AdamaLee AdamaLeland Joseph "Lee" Adama is a fictional character in the television series Battlestar Galactica. He is portrayed by actor Jamie Bamber. He is one of the main characters in the series.-Early life:... - James CallisJames CallisJames Callis is a British actor. He is best known for playing Dr. Gaius Baltar in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, and Bridget Jones' best friend in Bridget Jones's Diary and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason...
— Gaius BaltarGaius BaltarGaius Baltar is a fictional character in the TV series Battlestar Galactica played by James Callis, a reimagining of Count Baltar from the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series... - Tricia HelferTricia HelferTricia Janine Helfer is a Canadian actress and former model, best known for her roles as Number Six in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, "Carla" on Burn Notice, and FBI Special Agent Alex Rice on Dark Blue, as well as for hosting the first season of Canada's...
— Number Six / Gina InviereNumber Six (Battlestar Galactica)Number Six is a family of fictional characters from the reimagined science fiction television series, Battlestar Galactica. She is portrayed by Canadian actress and model Tricia Helfer. Of the twelve known Cylon models, she is the sixth of the "Significant Seven"... - Grace ParkGrace Park (actress)Grace Park is an American-born Canadian actress. She gained recognition as Sharon Valerii on Battlestar Galactica, as well as Shannon Ng in the Canadian television series teen soap Edgemont...
— Number Eight / Sharon Valerii - Michael Hogan — Saul TighSaul TighSaul Tigh is a fictional character on Battlestar Galactica played by Michael Hogan. The character was named Paul Tigh in early scripts, and was renamed due to legal issues, according to producer Ronald D. Moore. He is one of the main characters of the show.-Overview and personality:Saul Tigh is a...
- Fulvio CecereFulvio Cecere-Early life:Born to Italian parents, he attended Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles, but after one year he realized that acting, not law, was his true calling. He took acting classes at UCLA and starred in a wide array of television and feature film parts over the next few years...
— Alastair Thorne - Nico Cortez — Young William Adama, callsign "Husker"
- Steve BacicSteve BacicSteve Bacic is a Canadian actor of Croatian origin. He is known for playing the character Telemachus Rhade on the Sci-Fi series Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda. After being a guest star in season 1-3, he joined the cast early in season four...
— Jurgen Belzen - Graham BeckelGraham BeckelGraham S. Beckel is an American character actor. He is known for his prolific guest appearances on television but has had prominent roles in several major films as well. Most recently he played Jack Fisk on Battlestar Galactica and Hal Sanders on Heroes...
— Jack FiskJack Fisk (Battlestar Galactica)Jack Fisk is a fictional character from the 2004 TV series Battlestar Galactica, portrayed by Graham Beckel.Jack Fisk, service number 245A-34DC, was originally a Lieutenant Colonel aboard the Battlestar Pegasus and was the Executive Officer of the vessel, serving under the command of Admiral... - Campbell LaneCampbell LaneCampbell Lane is a Canadian actor who primarily does work in Vancouver. He has appeared in many television shows produced there, and has done some voice acting for anime as well.- Television Roles :...
— Hybrid
Plot synopsis (extended version)
Razor takes place during the first days of Lee AdamaLee Adama
Leland Joseph "Lee" Adama is a fictional character in the television series Battlestar Galactica. He is portrayed by actor Jamie Bamber. He is one of the main characters in the series.-Early life:...
's Pegasus
Battlestar Pegasus
Battlestar Pegasus is a fictional spacecraft that appears in the both the original and the reimagined television series Battlestar Galactica.- Battlestar Galactica :...
command (during the period originally covered in the second half of season 2, after the episode "The Captain's Hand"
The Captain's Hand (Battlestar Galactica)
"The Captain's Hand" is the seventeenth episode of the second season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. It aired originally on the Sci Fi Channel on February 17, 2006.-Plot:...
but before "Lay Down Your Burdens"
Downloaded (Battlestar Galactica)
"Downloaded" is the eighteenth episode of the second season of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica television series. It aired originally on the Sci Fi Channel on February 24, 2006....
) and uses flashbacks to show Rear Admiral Cain's orders during and shortly after the Cylon attack, as well as events occurring on the final day of the first Cylon War
Cylon War
The Cylon War is a fictional interstellar war that occurred in the Battlestar Galactica universe. Both the original 1978 Battlestar Galactica movie and the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries are set shortly after that conflict....
. Cain's actions in the wake of the holocaust are connected to the present by Kendra Shaw, self-described as Cain's legacy.
Events of the final day of the first Cylon war are centered on then-Lieutenant William Adama
William Adama
William "Bill" Adama is a fictional character portrayed by Edward James Olmos in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica television series...
, a Viper pilot, and Helena Cain, a youngster at the time. Flashbacks of Adama discovering a lab housing the early Cylon experiments on humans as well as the first Cylon hybrid and Helena Cain abandoning her little sister during a Cylon invasion of Tauron
Twelve Colonies
The Twelve Colonies of Man are fictional locations that constitute the principal human civilization in the original Battlestar Galactica television series, the "reimagined" series of the same name in 2004, and in the prequel series, Caprica...
both end as the first Cylon war ends immediately after the life-changing events, leaving each character hanging somewhat (Adama is unable to free the surviving prisoners and Cain cannot find her sister). These are shown to be driving forces for the actions of both, as the show continues. Cain goes on to teach Shaw that you have to become a 'razor' to survive during war while referring to her pocket knife, which later becomes Kendra's and then is passed on to Kara Thrace
Kara Thrace
Kara Thrace is a fictional character in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica franchise. Played by Katee Sackhoff, she is a revised version of Lieutenant Starbuck from the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series...
at the end of the show. Admiral Adama teaches his son Lee a different lesson: that they cannot become butchers.
Lee Adama's first priority as Pegasus commander is to restore trust and integrity to the troubled command he has taken while preserving some continuity in the leadership that had evolved under Rear Admiral Cain. He picks Kendra Shaw as his executive officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
, promoting her to major, despite the stark contrast between Cain's enthusiastic praise and subsequent Pegasus officers' complaints about Kendra's performance. First boarding Pegasus less than an hour before the Cylon attack on the colonies, Shaw follows Rear Admiral Cain's order to make a "blind jump" that saves the ship from destruction at Scorpion Fleet Shipyards.
Kendra Shaw, as did Gaius Baltar on the Galactica, discovers that the Cylons were about to infect the Pegasus with a computer software virus which, if made operational, would have disarmed and thereby destroyed the Pegasus.
After Pegasus receives reconnaissance information that all the colonies have been destroyed, Cain delivers a rallying speech inciting the crew to war for the purpose of revenge. The crew responds by chanting "So say we all!" throughout the ship; the still-unexposed Number Six Cylon agent Gina Inviere awkwardly joins in.
Lee Adama's first mission as commander of Pegasus is a search and rescue mission to retrieve a lost science team. Antiquated Cylon Raider
Cylon Raider
The Cylon Raider is the standard starfighter used by the Cylons, in the various Battlestar Galactica movies and television series. Cylon raiders are used as the main line of defense for Cylon Basestars.- Original series :...
s (the ships and Cylon pilots who seem strongly reminiscent of those from the original series) from the first war appear and attack Pegasus. Simmering bitterness between Kara and Shaw is exacerbated when Shaw endangers Kara and her wingman in order to defend the battlestar. Both pilots land safely, though Kara has to destroy a Raider that follows her into Pegasus.
Later, during a heated exchange, Shaw reminds Kara that defying authority is a risky proposition aboard Pegasus, recalling how Cain shot her executive officer, Colonel Jurgen Belzen, for refusing an order to attack a Cylon staging area filled with an unexpectedly strong force of Raiders. It is during this mission that Gina Invierre helps Cylon centurions board the Pegasus and Shaw discovers Gina's true identity. It is hinted that the sadistic torture inflicted on Gina by Cain's orders had been influenced by the burgeoning romantic relationship between the Cylon and Cain. When Shaw is promoted to captain by Admiral Cain, she reminds her troubled protegé the Cylon tricked them all.
Viewing the wreckage of the raider, Sharon Valerii notes that Cylon lore tells of a group of original centurions tasked to guard the first hybrid constructed by the Cylons as a result of their human experiments. Admiral Adama then recalls his rookie mission as a Viper pilot, when he encountered that hybrid and saw what the Cylons did to their human captives in the course of their research. Admiral Adama concludes that the Cylons must still be pursuing the experiments, with the captured science team as new test subjects.
Lee Adama approves a plan to use Pegasus to find the basestar and lure the Cylon Raiders away from it, then launch a rescue team — including Kara Thrace and Kendra Shaw — outfitted with a nuclear warhead, in a Raptor. Admiral William Adama transfers his flag to Pegasus to counsel his son on his first command. The diversion succeeds; the rescue team sacrifices its Raptor and boards the basestar.
As the rescue team searches the basestar, the Cylon hybrid can be heard speaking in more coherent phrases than its more-modern counterparts. It repeatedly utters the words "All this has happened before, and will happen again." The hybrid also makes a far more elaborate pronouncement:
The science team is found and partly rescued, but the rescue team comes under fire from Cylon centurions. While the team manages to evacuate the basestar in a second Raptor, the nuclear warhead is damaged and has to be detonated manually. Wounded, Shaw remains behind to detonate the warhead and comes face to face with the Cylon hybrid.
The hybrid offers absolution to Kendra, who is haunted by the fact that it was she who fired the first shot in the massacre aboard the civilian ship called Scylla as part of an operation to conscript civilians for the Pegasus. The hybrid then tells her that "Kara Thrace will lead the human race to its end. She is the herald of the apocalypse, the harbinger of death. They must not follow her." Shaw tries to relay this information to Lee Adama, but is stopped when the Cylons jam communications. Her final act is to detonate the nuclear warhead, destroying the basestar.
On Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (ship)
The Battlestar Galactica is a space battleship in the original and re-imagined science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica.The Twelve Colonies of Man in the original television series built a number of Battlestars during their thousand-year war with the Cylons, whose battleships are...
, Admiral Adama reflects on Cain's legacy and proposes a posthumous commendation for Kendra Shaw, over his son's protests that she and other members of Admiral Cain's crew "butchered innocent civilians". They close their arguments, however, noting that history's first draft will be written in their logs, and Lee agrees to consider the commendation.
DVD release
Universal Studios requested that the producers of the Battlestar Galactica TV series make a one-off stand alone TV movie that could be released on DVD almost immediately after its initial broadcast on television. Staff writer Michael Taylor pitched Moore an idea about the backstory of the Battlestar PegasusBattlestar Pegasus
Battlestar Pegasus is a fictional spacecraft that appears in the both the original and the reimagined television series Battlestar Galactica.- Battlestar Galactica :...
which would work as a stand alone production but also set up events for the forthcoming final season of the series scheduled for Spring 2008.
Razor was released on Region 1 DVD on December 4, 2007, ten days after airing on the Sci-Fi Channel, and the Region 2 DVD was released on December 26, 2007 (three weeks after airing on Sky One). The DVD releases feature an extended cut of the movie and include extras such as the seven "webisodes" that were created to be screened online in the weeks prior to the movie's broadcast. The Region 1 DVD also has a featurette with cast members discussing their favorite episodes. Razor was released on Region 4 DVD on August 20, 2008, before its Ten HD
Ten HD
Ten HD was an Australian free-to-air television channel that launched on 16 December 2007. The channel was available to high definition digital television viewers through owned-and-operated stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth...
broadcast premiere on September 4, 2008.
SciFi.com allowed fans to choose the cover art for the DVD release, and the winning cover was announced on September 14, 2007. In the original design of the DVD cover the Battlestar Pegasus is shown to be part of Battlestar Group 75 (BSG-75), which is actually Galacticas group. This was updated online in less than a week to reflect the correct group (BSG-62).
The unrated edition was also included in the "Battlestar Galactica" Season 4.0 DVD set, released on January 16, 2009. A Blu-Ray of the unrated version was released December 28, 2010.
Reception
According to David Howe, executive vice president and general manager of the Sci Fi Channel, special screenings of Razor, held in eight U.S. cities, "led to lines 'around the block' at participating theaters"; MicrosoftMicrosoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
sponsored the screenings in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Philadelphia, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, San Francisco, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Seattle.
One reviewer called it a "well-crafted, scintillating slice (pardon the pun) of the 'Battlestar' universe" but noted that "fans may be disappointed with the significantly reduced screen time — or total absence — of beloved 'BSG' characters"; the reviewer also made it clear that the producers failed to make it a stand alone story:
- Those not primed in BSG lore and vernacular will be lost in the murky waters of specific references and flashbacks, not to mention the continuous switch from one time period to another. Razor is not for someone just getting into BSG. It's a reward for fans of the show who've been waiting patiently for new episodes.
Brian Lowry of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
disagreed, saying it "deftly stands on its own while still weaving in the show's dense 'Who's a Cylon? mythology" though a flashback set 40 years before the present would cause "any casual viewer [to] easily throw up their hands"; Lowry also notes that "the focal point of Shaw's story — nicely played by Jacobsen — has the feel of one of those old-time Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
or even Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
episodes, where a guest star allowed much of the cast to take a bit of a siesta."
Razor was nominated for a 2008 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form, losing to an episode of Doctor Who
Blink (Doctor Who)
"Blink" is the 10th episode of the third series of the new production of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 9 June 2007, and is the only episode in the 2007 series written by Steven Moffat; the episode is based on a previous short story written by...
. It also received two Creative Arts Primetime Emmy nominations, for its cinematography and its sound mixing.
Wins
- VES Awards, Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Miniseries, Movie or Special
Nominations
- Emmy Awards, Outstanding Cinematography for a One Hour Series
- Emmy Awards, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (one-hour)
- Emmy Awards, Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (half-hour) and Animation
- Hugo Awards, Best Dramatic Presentation - Short Form
- Saturn Awards, Best Television Presentation
External links
- Razor at the Battlestar Wiki
- Razor at SyfySyfySyfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
.com