All Rise...

Frak you, Judge David Johnson. Frak. You.

Editor's Note

Our reviews of Battlestar Galactica: Season One (published November 7th, 2005), Battlestar Galactica: Season 2.0 (published January 9th, 2006), Battlestar Galactica: Season 2.5 (published October 2nd, 2006), Battlestar Galactica: Season One (HD DVD) (published January 28th, 2008), Battlestar Galactica: Season Three (published March 24th, 2008), Battlestar Galactica: Season Three (Blu-Ray) (published July 22nd, 2010), Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.0 (published January 16th, 2009), Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.5 (published July 28th, 2009), Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.5 (Blu-Ray) (published July 28th, 2009), Battlestar Galactica: Season Four (Blu-Ray) (published January 21st, 2011), Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series (published July 28th, 2009), and Battlestar Galactica: The Miniseries (published February 2nd, 2005) are also available.

The Charge

So say we all.

Opening Statement

Universal continues the staggered Blu-ray release of its flagship sci-fi bonanza, and reliving the dog days of the Cylon war in HD is frakking awesome.

Facts of the Case

The Cylons were created by men. They evolved. They rebelled. They have a plan. And it involves chasing the remnants of humanity through space and shooting lasers at them.

Season Two picks up right after the brutal Season One cliffhanger: Commander Adama (Edward James Olmos) is hurting, President Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell) and Lee Adama (Jamie Bamber) are in almost complete rebellion over a goofy prophecy, Dr. Baltar (James Callis) is eyeing the presidency, and the Cylons continue to infiltrate the fleet.

The Evidence

With these sets getting a rebirth on Blu-ray, I've been appreciating the opportunity to check back in with the seasons. I'm a BSG fan for sure. Though, like most people, when the series became too wrapped up in the home-stretch mystical stuff, my excitement wavered. It was still a good show and delivered some of the best stuff in an hour block of television (sci-fi or otherwise), but I was always partial to the more traditional storytelling of the early seasons: the focus on politics, war and kick-ass starship dogfighting.

As such, Season Two is my favorite of the BSG run. It has everything, even for fans who love all the mythology and supernatural-ness (albeit more subdued and unclear) that would become prevalent in later seasons. There are episodes filled with massive space battles ("Resurrection Ship"), thrilling ship-to-ship combat ("Scar"), political intrigue ("The Captain's Hand"), military tomfoolery ("Pegasus"), robust character development ("Black Market"), Cylon-torching jungle warfare ("Home") and even a behind-the-scenes look at how much it sucks to be a synthetic being waking up in a tub of slime ("Downloaded"). There really isn't a jalopy in the bunch, and it all culminates with one of the most memorable season finales of any show ever: the game-changing "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2."

Great stuff…and even greater on Blu-ray. Having previously reviewed Season 4.5 in HD, I knew what to expect for technical quality. As Ronald Moore explains in his introduction, the series was shot with HD in mind, and this set shows it. The 1.78:1, 1080p transfer is fantastic, hugely detailed and sporting that tactile sheen characteristic of the format's heavy-hitters. From the mundane, gun-metal tone of the onboard ship sequences, to the colorful forest sequences and eye-popping space battles (still the best effects to ever a grace a television screen), nothing falters, making the upgrade to Blu worthy of consideration. If you've never gotten into the show, here is the perfect opportunity to watch BSG the way it was meant to be seen. And heard, too, as the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio pipes out the thumping epic score and excellent effects work with gusto for a big-hitting technical double-shot.

Extras are largely recycled from the DVD sets (Ronald Moore's podcast commentaries, David Eick's video blogs, deleted scenes, the extended "Pegasus" episode with commentary, the BSG "Assignment Quiz"), save for "The Oracle," a pop-up ship and character guide, and BD-Live content: a trivia challenge and a battle card game.

Closing Statement

The best season in one of the best series ever looks and sounds brilliant on Blu-ray. The re-enlistment is worth it.

The Verdict

Not Guilty, toaster.

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