Battlestar Galactica : Season 4.0 [DVD]

By Clint Morris

The fourth and final series of ‘’Battlestar Galactica’’ finally hits DVD (the second half of the season will hit DVD next year) – which is just as well considering Australians would’ve only had caught it if they’d stolen the tapes from the local network that’s kept a throttlehold on them.

So about that… why doesn’t the show get my love down under? They do air it – but only if Danoz Direct hasn’t booked in a two-hour long infomercial for the graveyard shift on that particular day. And its great that cable airs it – but not if you actually want to watch episodes that aired in the states last month, as opposed to two years ago.

“Galactica” is undoubtedly one of the finest hours on Television. The writing is impeccable, the performances are sometimes gob-smackingly good, and it’s a requirement that everyone that directs an episode of the show (including my pal Rod Hardy) use panache in doing so. They wanted this show to stand-out from the crowd (not to be lot in the ‘Stargate’ worm hole) and it most certainly does. George Lucas could learn a thing or two from Ronald Moore and his crew here, I tell ya.

But I digress… as most are aware, this is the season that the crew of the Galactica – a prehistoric vessel, led by the dependable Captain Adama (Edward James Olmos), exploring the earth for liveable land – find Earth, but it’s not without effort…. And it ain’t all beer-and-skittles when they do find it.

Also this season, the crew are suspicious of Kara Thrace (Katee Sackhoff) when she miraculously reappears in her Viper, after disappearing months before, and President Roslin’s (Mary McDonnell) relationship with Adama evolves (but just how long can that last? Roslin’s essentially on her death-bed!).

If you’ve never seen this terrific show – which, I stress, is not just for science-fiction fans! It’s so much more than a ‘’Star Trek’’-esque caper! – It’s time to tune in. Check out the mini-series, the first three seasons on DVD, as well as the recent telemovie ‘’Razor’’ (which you’ll actually find here on the DVD!), before hiring/buying Season 4, and you’ll be all set!

Extras

Over ten-hours or something of extras on here – there’s commentary tracks, there’s some terrific featurettes – including one on the music, one of the twelve cylons, another on the season itself, there’s the trailer for the forthcoming spin-off series “Caprica”, executive producer David C. Eick’s video blogs, deleted scenes, and more. Universal have outdone themselves on this release – it’s a must-have.