TVSquad

WARNING: Spoiler's Ahead!!

This episode runs the gamut from fantastic whimsy and brilliance (Tigh's drunken whore of a wife, Starbuck literally catching Baltar with his pants down, a Cylon detector that doubles as a paperweight) to really silly red herrings (Adama a Cylon? Give me a break!). It's also nice to see Starbuck handling some responsibilities and someone other than the Chief getting a little piece, but I am having a little trouble believing that Billy is such a stallion in the sack that Dualla would start spilling tales out of school so quickly. "Ooooh, Billy! Adama's been making secret phone calls! Touch me there....Adama's been going on secret flights!" Bollocks.
 
While this is a fantastic update of the original series, an improvement in almost every way, there are a few weak spots and one of those is in character development. Colonel Tigh is one of those weak spots. Troubled warriors with drinking problems is a pretty boring plot device. I'd like them to get past it. Another weak spot, one that's showing its limitations is Mary McDonnell. She's a fine actor, but the character is pretty light. A kindergarten teacher? Please. Besides, McDonnell sounds kinda odd when she trys to sound tough.

The original series, while a fantastic example of kitchy sci-fi, was a slave to the era's limitation on special effects and a rather disturbing Mormon-related overall plot. However, the current incarnation is well acted and directed, gritty, dramatic, morally ambiguous, ethically curious, sexy and mysterious. Many of the things the original series wasn't. The threat from the Cylons was there, but the those stumpy, stupid and one-eyed robots of yore have NOTHING on these humanoid and devious creatures.

I can't wait for more!