TV review
US airdate 30 May 2008 (Sci Fi Channel)

With Roslin abducted by the hybrid's basestar along with half of Galactica's air wing, conflicts erupt in the fleet…

The sluggish pace of the earlier episodes is looking like a temporary blip, as this gripping instalment tears along, pitting the fleet into uncharted territory and once again dividing large groups of characters. Some are propelled into startlingly new situations and roles; old friends come to blows; other characters return while some are jailed or die. Ambition, grief, anger and helpless love all have Battlestar's unflattering light shone upon them here.

With Galactica missing half its pilots and the fleet minus a president, the halls of power aboard Colonial One witness the turbulent political fallout that Lee is caught up in. Tom Zarek is now de facto commander in chief, but Admiral Adama refuses to accept his authority. Lee, whose story is finally taking shape, tries to negotiate an interim successor along with old ally Romo Lampkin, and he is shocked when Lampkin narrows down the list of candidates to…Lee Adama. Both Bamber and Mark Sheppard work their strong dynamic once more, with the Machiavellian Lampkin always seeming to have the angle on the younger Adama, who, Lampkin observes, is once again being handed power while seemingly not desiring it - like Roslin. Or has he secretly yearned for it all along?

The real centre of gravity lies with Adama and Tigh. Actors Edward James Olmos and Michael Hogan have suffused their characters with so much weight and pathos over the seasons, that seeing them come to blows is startling. The scene is made all the more tragic by the fact that Tigh is not only Adama's best friend but is still hiding his Cylon identity. As the two men fight, they come to understand that their fates are both tied to women - Adama to Roslin, Tigh to Six. Adama's decision regarding Tigh and Roslin at the episode's end is guaranteed to surprise.

Adama also dresses down (and once again jails) Sharon for her vision-induced murder of the Natalie Six Cylon in another gritty confrontation that leaves their mutual hard-earned trust in tatters. Owen Van Spall

VERDICT: 8/10