Cast and Crew
Cast:
- Edward James Olmos ... Admiral William Adama
- Mary McDonnell ... President Laura Roslin
- Jamie Bamber ... Lee 'Apollo' Adama
- Tricia Helfer ... Number Six
- James Callis ... Dr. Gaius Baltar
- Grace Park ... Lt. Sharon 'Boomer' Valerii
- Katee Sackhoff ... Captain Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace
- Michael Hogan ... Colonel Saul Tigh
- Aaron Douglas ... Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol
- Tahmoh Penikett ... Lt. Karl C. 'Helo' Agathon
- Alessandro Juliani ... Lt. Felix Gaeta
- Kandyse McClure ... Petty Officer Anastasia Dualla
- Leah Cairns ... Lt. Margaret 'Racetrack' Edmonson
- Michael Trucco ... Samuel Anders
- Rekha Sharma ... Tory Foster
- Keegan Connor Tracy ... Young Mother
Directed by Michael Rymer. Written by David Weddle & Bradley Thompson.
Personal Crises
When last we were aboard the Galactica -- over a year ago! (Crossroads, Part 2 was broadcast March 25, 2007) -- three astonishing developments had just arisen, of which the least shocking was a massive ambush that the Cylons, somehow knowing the route the human fleet was following, had just sprung at the mandela-shaped nebula that seemed a signpost to Earth.
Even more upsetting was the revelation that four of the series regulars -- Chief Tyrol, Col. Tigh, Sam Anders, and Tory Foster (the president's aide) -- had discovered that they were Cylons, and always had been. Most startling of all -- especially to Lee, who had seen her ship explode -- was the sudden reappearance of Kara in a pristine Viper, right in the middle of the firefight, claiming that she had found Earth and would guide them back.
This episode picks up at the same moment, with the Galactica and the fleet in desperate situation and the four hidden Cylons trying frantically to sort out how to deal with their unwanted secret and new fears about their own ability to control their own actions, while the Admiral, President Roslin, and Lee all struggle with Kara's sudden appearance and the possibility that she might be a Cylon trick, a perfect means of playing on Adama's emotions. Baltar, reviled by all despite his acquittal, is spirited away by a group who see him as a prophet.
The unexpected resolution of the Cylon battle at the nebula leads to escalating tension over Kara, who is demanding that Adama trust her gut feeling about the way to Earth while resenting the suspicion she senses all around her.
Better than Ever
The season 4 premiere, "He That Believeth in Me," is tight, fraught, and gripping, an hour of adrenaline driven not by dogfights and explosions but by the deep anguish of complex and troubled characters we care about and the ominous threat of Cylon plans opaque even to the Cylons themselves. The three main threads following Kara, Sam and Saul, and Gaius are riveting advancements of already striking characters: Kara and Gaius have already been driven to depths deeper and darker than any ten characters on TV today, and watching Kara get progressively angrier at her friends' rejection not only of her but of a true path to Earth that only she can show them is like the darkest, bitterest chocolate ice cream imaginable: a cold and bitter treat for those of us who love her and take her manipulation personally.
Meanwhile Gaius's perplexity and snide disdain for the devotees who save him gives way to something deeper and stranger. Gaius, of all the characters, seems infinitely evolvable, and he plumbs new pathways here for the coming season. And the crisis for Sam -- a rather pallidly drawn character last season after his splashy introduction on occupied Caprica -- is a most welcome opportunity to flesh him out and elevate him once again above a mere love interest for Kara, while providing a good counterpoint for Saul's gruffness and the Chief's nervous anxiety. (Foster, Roslin's aide, is so far a nonentity, but even if that doesn't change there's plenty to deal with among the other three.)
The Journey
The writing, direction, and effects are sharp and crackling with the excitement of a long story arc leading to the final revelations. As the opening teaser reminds us, there are 12 Cylon models: seven were revealed to all over the first three seasons, four discovered each other at the end of season 3, leaving one remaining Cylon model. The revelation of who it will be and the arrival at Earth are cornerstones of season 4, but much more engrossing than these destinations will be the journey these characters take to Earth, and what they're willing to do to get there. If "He that Believeth in Me" is any indication, season 4 will be the season to remember.
