The Human Cost Of Life On The Run Author: Alan Stanley Blair Date: 09-23-2005 Source: SyFy Portal
“Flight of the Phoenix” is very much about the emotional and psychological ramifications of constantly being on the run and living in the F.T.L. equivalent of jetlag. In all honesty, the episode couldn’t have been better timed – last week we had but a preview into the hearts and minds of Galactica’s crew as Kat (PUSSY) began taking stimms to keep up the pace. Well, if “Final Cut” was a glimpse, then “Flight of the Phoenix” was nothing less than the main show.
On the surface everything seems so hunky-dory with the characters have a laugh here and there, playing poker, heading to work for a few hours … not unlike that of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” But the truth of the matter is, everyone is tired of running and just plain sick of not having a life anymore. Throw a Cylon designed computer virus into the mix and what you’ve got is a combination for disaster. Or in our case, damn good TV!
At the same time, this would have to be classed as a “stand-alone” episode. But would someone who hasn’t seen the series before be able to sit down and understand what’s going on? Not chance! The term “stand-alone” pretty much defines the overall plot of the episode, however the character dynamics are nothing less than serialized viewing. And with the series being one that depends so heavily on the character relationships it is a very tricky place to be.
Tyrol (Aaron Douglas) and Helo’s (Tahmoh Penikett) little clash was destined to happen, but I must admit, I was caught a little off guard by the sheer impact Boomer’s (Grace Park) death would have on the Chief. And you know what? I really don’t know why. Ronald D. Moore has a knack for putting a very human touch to the series. It is remarkable to think that he learned his craft from working on “The Next Generation” because this series operates in a totally different level. But he was able to do it.
The symmetry between Starbuck’s (Katee Sackhoff) beating the living crap out of Kat and Tyrol and Helo’s scuffle was gracefully done and made for fascinating viewing. It’s amazing that even with all the spaceships and CGI’s on hand, a good old fista-cuff’s is still good enough to entertain. Even the blatant disregard for the chain of command in the Command Deck was a work of brilliance. Can you imagine if Wesley Crusher told Ricker to get stuffed in the middle of a red alert? Of course not! This is just another example of how far ahead of “Trek” this show really is.
Ever since Starbuck returned from Caprica with Helo and Boomer, I’ve been waiting for the show to take a page out of “Alias’” book, with Boomer being held in a cell and Helo acting as a go-between. Until now, this hasn’t happened but in my mind there has always been the question of whether or not Grace Park would be up to the challenge. After all, Lena Olin has essentially set the benchmark for a role of that nature. Thankfully for all concerned, the series adds its own “umph” to the agenda and Park proves she is more than ready for the opportunity.
However, the most involving performance of the episode by far was that of Mary McDonnell (President Roslin). The religious overtures of the last few episodes made it more than clear that she will die before setting foot on Earth with the rest of the fleet and it’s only now that her time grows short that the ramifications of her illness are becoming apparent. The scene in which the name of Tyrol’s Stealth ship is unveiled is a particularly gripping one, and is one of the few television moments that has caused such an emotional response in me. It’s so hard to find small screen entertainment that has this effect, but “Galactica” does it, and it does it with style.
Battlestar Galactica: Flight of the Phoenix
B
I'll get my review of Pegasus up in a bit, kinda tired tonight to finish it up.
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