Lost is moving to 9 p.m. central time when it returns in February. This probably a good thing for ABC because it prevents direct competition with American Idol and because Lost’s viewers have consistently abandoned whatever show follows it. I’d really rather watch it at 8, but I can live with this move.

Battlestar Galactica is moving to Sundays at 9 p.m. central beginning January 21. My wife and I at times have set our social lives around Friday nights for watching this outstanding show, so this is probably a good thing. I will not enjoy waiting until the end of the weekend for new episodes, but it will make Sunday nights that much more fun for me. I hope this is the right move for Galactica because I think it deserves a larger audience to match all of the critical acclaim it has received.

Note: Spoilers below if you have not seen this episode.

Battlestar Galactica continues to produce excellent episodes week in and week out. This week’s installment, Hero, led the series in an unexpected direction: backward.

Guess who helped start the Cylon ambush on the 12 colonies? That’s right: Admiral Adama. We’ve been allowed to believe for two-plus years that the Cylons’ return and resulting annihilation of the colonies were completely unexpected. Apparently not, as this episode reveals that the military leadership for the colonies, known as the Admiralty, suspected that the Cylons might be regrouping prior to their attack.

I had two reactions to this discovery. The first was, “Wow, that makes me look at so much of the story differently.” The second was a feeling that this revelation was a little clumsy. I’m willing to forgive a lot on this series because it is so excellent nearly all the time, but I couldn’t completely shake the feeling that this was a recent addition to Adama’s past, not something that the writers have hidden from us all along. Lt. Novacek’s arrival seems a little too perfectly timed to me, even knowing that the Cylons let him escape.

I still generally like this plot development, but I wish it could have been introduced more gradually. Wouldn’t one of Adama’s first responses after the attack have been to feel remorse at not doing more before the Cylons arrived to destroy civilization? Still, this new piece of knowledge makes Adama’s miniseries speech that much more powerful: “The time comes when you can’t run from the things you’ve done.”

What would it be like to spend decades in captivity by a ruthless enemy? We may get a glimpse tonight, as Battlestar Galactica introduces a character from Admiral Adama’s past: Lt. Novacek (above) was apparently presumed dead following a secret mission, but it turns out that he’s been in the Cylons’ clutches since the original war nearly 40 years earlier.

Gaius Baltar was irrational long before arriving aboard a base ship, and his sabbatical has only made him worse. Who knows if Baltar was reasonably sane prior to encountering Number Six on Caprica prior to the holocaust, but we can safely assume that decades of imprisonment and isolation have left their mark on Lt. Novacek.

It appears that tonight’s episode will explore a common theme on the show, one that Adama mentioned during the show’s miniseries: “The time comes when you can’t run from the things you’ve done.” Did Adama miscalculate in sending Novacek to his fate, or did he err in assuming that Novacek was dead?

I think Battlestar Galactica is getting better by the week right now, and last night was no exception. This has been a strong season so far, but this episode may be my favorite so far. It was eerie watching the Colonial crew take their first look inside a Basestar, especially one decimated by a mysterious illness.

I am searching for an explanation about one apparent discrepancy, though: Why are the basestar interiors we’ve seen this season radically different from the ones we saw in Kobol’s Last Gleaming during season one? I think the practical answer is that Galactica’s budget has been increased or adjusted since that season, but discrepancies such as these bug me without an explanation that justifies the storyline. Perhaps there are two classes of basestars that serve different purposes, maybe the first season basestar was an older ship or maybe we’ve just seen different levels of the same ship design in season one and season three, respectively.

I liked the explanation for the virus, but is this really something that the Cylons could not quickly overcome? They may not diagnose human diseases frequently, but they’ve created synthetic people that are visibly indistinguishable from the real thing. That technical expertise makes me think that their civilization would easily be able to deal with this kind of virus. On the other hand, perhaps time (possibly as much as 3,000 years) and something about the beacon where the virus was found allowed the virus to mutate in an especially lethal form.

It was interesting to me to see the deliberations about whether the Colonials would use the virus as a weapon. Even in a holocaust situation, I think there would have to be some consideration for the ethical issues genocide would represent, but I think I would have sided with Apollo and Laura Roslin in electing to use the virus against the Cylons. It would be a horrible and difficult choice, but one made in an almost impossible crisis of survival. I disagreed with Helo, but I could also understand his reasoning. I do think Adama let him off too easily by doing nothing in response to his sabotage, an action that likely caused casualties and/or fatalities and put Galactica in major jeopardy. I hope there will be some consequences for him in the future, even though I like his character.

Regarding the torture scenes with Baltar and D’Anna, anticipation was, for me, worse than the reality. James Callis was convincing in his agony, but the Cylon methods were more vague and centered ambiguously more on pain than I imagined. D’Anna operated more out of necessity than wrath, which is a logical assumption given her need for more information, but I had expected (and feared, honestly) the latter leading into the episode. Baltar is in a more precarious position than anyone, except possibly Colonel Tigh, and I am curious to see what his options are as the story continues.

What’s in store on Battlestar Galactica tonight? As usual, I’ve done my best to avoid anything more than the teaser description, but I’m looking forward to tonight’s episode. I’m happy to have the Colonials off of New Caprica and back out in space, and I am enjoying seeing the new storyline gradually unveil.

I hesitated before posting the photo (above) from SciFi.com because it makes me uncomfortable. I consider James Callis (Baltar, seated and wailing in the photo) to be an excellent actor, and his performance in the episode preview following last week’s show really wigged me out. He is very evocative, and my imagination ran wild imagining what the Cylons must be doing to him to make him respond that way when being tortured. I never particularly enjoyed (or watched) Xena: Warrior Princess, but I think Lucy Lawless has made a great addition to the cast. She doesn’t physically or emotionally resemble the character of Xena at all. I think that’s a good thing because I can’t see a Xena-type character working very well on Galactica.

I’m especially curious where the writers are ultimately going with the series and with the search for Earth. Normally, I’d think this search and its eventual conclusion would run the high risk of being cliched and overdone, but not on this show. What surprises do they have in store for us?

Several sources on the internet this week have assumed that the foreign device the Cylons found last week originated from Earth. I may need to watch that episode again because I didn’t really see evidence of that other than it being an unknown object (which wouldn’t necessarily point to Earth). I guess we’ll see.

Season three of Battlestar Galactica is getting better as it continues, if you ask me. The current episode, Torn, is my favorite so far this season. I’ll be honest that I prefer Galactica when it’s out in space, though I appreciate the creativity and audacity of the New Caprica storyline. Here’s what stood out to me in Torn:

• Sometimes timing on Galactica is a bit too perfect. To think that the Cylons and the Colonials came upon the same nebula that points toward Earth near the same time is probably a stretch, but I still like where the episode headed. My larger grief with this kind of coincidence still lies with season two, when Starbuck conveniently returns to Kobol from Caprica during the same time that Colonials happen to be present to pick her up.
• I love the glimpses we’re seeing of the Basestar. They’re not showing it all at once, and they’re teasing us just enough to make us want to see more. Even though the sets have a sci-fi look to them, I still found a freshness in them that didn’t seem too cliched. The bridge, in particular, was intriguing. One question, though: Why does this Basestar seem to look so different from the one in Kobol’s Last Gleaming in season one? Are we seeing a different level aboard the ship?
• Bravo to Adama for calling out Starbuck and Tigh. They’ve been through a lot, but I guess I just don’t understand blaming your liberators for your pain. It was good to see Kara seek out redemption later in the episode. I love Michael Hogan’s portrayal of Tigh, and I hope his spiral continues only because Hogan makes it so ugly (in a good way).
• I’m very curious to see where Baltar is headed, literally and figuratively. He better not be a Cylon. That would spoil a lot of the appeal of his conflicted character for me. It would also make his semi-witting collaboration with Six in the miniseries less dramatic.

Note: Spoilers ahead below for this episode.

The most recent episode of Battlestar Galactica, Collaborators, is my favorite so far this season. I enjoyed seeing the Colonials begin to move forward from the horrible ordeal they faced on New Caprica. Even though I admired the writers’ guts for taking the story in such an unexpected direction at the end of the second season, I really didn’t care much for the storyline. It was still engaging and interesting, but I prefer the fleet when it’s traveling in space, not trapped on a dreary planet.

Executing Jammer was a bold move by the writers, and I am glad they included this in the episode. In this kind of situation, I think this sort of reprisal absolutely would happen. I also like that Galactica makes efforts to avoid the predictable “Ensign Jones” scenario where a character we really don’t know gets killed instead of our heroes. Yes, Gaeta later survives, but the writers have taken the time over several Webisodes to introduce us to Jammer, and he has very likeable qualities despite his decision to sign up with the Cylons on New Caprica. Jammer was a living, breathing character on the show, not a cardboard cutout. That attention to storytelling is a common recurrence in this great series. I’m also glad Gaeta survived and that it happened by chance when Starbuck revealed his heroism. I was seriously questioning whether he would live.

Involving Starbuck in the Circle was a good choice. Clearly we are set to see her continue to spiral downward this season, and taking on a questionable vigilante role to deal with her demons made sense to me, especially because of the torture she endured (and inflicted) at Leoben’s hands.

I’m very curious to see where this new Roslin-Zarek partnership leads, if it continues. It makes perfect sense that Zarek authorized the Circle, and now Roslin knows and will have to decide how to respond. The presidential transition from Zarek back to Roslin seemed a little clumsy, yet still clever. I hope Zarek will have more opportunities to contribute this season.

Seeing Baltar aboard a Basestar was mysterious and entertaining. I love that his fate was also in doubt, and I hope that it will continue to be from time to time. Introducing uncertainty into his relationship with Number Six also promises to invigorate their pairing, if it lasts. I still hope we are headed for a glimpse of the Cylon homeworld at some point, too.

Tonight’s episode, Collaborators, looks to be intense based on this brief description and on the preview scenes. I am really curious to see where Galactica heads from here. The writers have finished the New Caprica storyline, as far as we can tell, and they’ve sent the Colonials back into space (where they belong, if you ask me). Tonight’s episode looks like it will focus on the aftermath of the settlement and the Cylon occupation as humanity begins picking up the pieces of a catastrophic 16-month existence.

I am hoping to see more of the painful consequences of everything that has been taking place. No, I’m not a sadist, but I do appreciate the realism that the writers incorporate in the stories they tell. (Yes, I just argued for realism on a show where robots are chasing people around outer space, but if you watch the show, I think you probably understand what I mean.) The current scenario on the series would rank as one of, if not the, greatest tragedy to befall humanity if it were true, and there needs to be fallout from that kind of turmoil. I feel confident that no one on the series will be the same after all of this, and that there won’t be a sense that this segment of the storyline never happened. We’ll see for sure in a few hours.

I’m also curious to see where the Cylons go from here, whether Baltar stays with them and, most importantly, if we get to see any of it.

I have to admit that this Cylon pumpkin is very creative, but wow, have these guys seen daylight anytime recently? Thanks to Galactica Station for the link.

I’m also pleased to see that Adama shaved his mustache at the end of last night’s episode. I thought it was a great scene to include because it was symbolic of Adama and humanity shedding the agony and the apathy of the New Caprica storyline. The mustache also reminded me way too much of Edward James Olmos‘ character Martin Castillo (above) from Miami Vice.

I thought last night’s episode of Battlestar Galactica (official Web site) was another solid installment. As I mentioned yesterday, I have been a little concerned about the resolution to the entire “New Caprica” storyline. On the whole, I was not disappointed last night.

One reason, as morbid as it sounds, is that there was collateral damage as a result of the Colonials’ escape. It just stands to reason, in my opinion, that there would be losses during such a large-scale attempt. The scene where Tigh poisons Ellen was moving and powerful, and I am glad the writers chose to include it. I also love that the Cylons now have Sharon’s child. I thought it was a great resolution to the impending nuclear detonation that D’Anna chose not to deploy the bomb because she found Hera. That made sense.

I also loved that Apollo had to sacrifice the Pegasus in order to save the Galactica. It was great (and expected) to see Lee come to the rescue, but it was much more meaningful that his heroics had a huge cost for the fleet: the loss of its strongest means of self-defense. I say that Lee’s decision was expected because the previous episode and the early segments of this one foreshadowed it, but I still had to wonder as the Cylons bombarded Galactica. The visual display as the show’s namesake vessel took blow after blow had me wondering, if only for a moment, if the writers were going to destroy the ship and Admiral Adama. The unfounded rumors months ago that Edward James Olmos (above) might be leaving the series crossed my mind immediately during this scene, but I was glad to see them proved false.

I didn’t realize until last night how many Colonial vessels were on the ground, so understanding that situation made the escape seem more plausible. It was more a question of giving those ships room to escape than it was having to bring ships to the surface to retrieve people. I do wish there had been more scenes of the Cylons preventing people from leaving (violently or otherwise) and more emphasis on the anguish of having to flee without bringing everyone along. The scenes from the miniseries where Colonial One and other ships abandon ships that are unable to follow them is incredible, and I think it remains one of the best segments of the series even now.

Watching Baltar wrestle with his very limited options was also a pleasure. I am glad to see him take the (marginally) more appealing choice and stay with the Cylons, and I’m curious to see where this decision ultimately leads him. He is resembling the original series Baltar more and more at this point, although James Callis‘ performance exhibits angst and indecisiveness that John Colicos‘ character never had room to explore.

I can honestly say that I loathe Leoben, and that means that Callum Keith Rennie is doing his job. The scenes this season between him and Starbuck have been powerful and have been a great juxtaposition of their previous interactions in the first season (Flesh and Bone). I love that Kara exacted a measure of revenge by once again killing Leoben in order to escape but that Leoben had an even better answer when Kara discovered that Kacey was not really her child. Knowing that Leoben cannot die because he is a Cylon, who really caused more pain?

I thought this episode was excellent, and I’m excited that the series is headed back into space and away from New Caprica. I love that the writers have me and my wife asking, “Where will they go from here?” That’s a big part of the wonder of this series: I honestly don’t know. I hope at least that Galactica will have major repairs to struggle with and that the aftermath of humanity’s despondent sabbatical on New Caprica will have many side effects. I am also very curious to see what the Cylons do to respond. Is there a shred left of their “plan” at this point?

Battlestar Galactica is the first television series I’ve consistently followed in more than a decade. Several critics have called this series the “best show on television,” and I definitely agree with them. The storytelling is fantastic, and it has renewed my own interest in imagining engaging tales to tell. What I enjoy most is its realism in terms of character and plot development and its tendency to turn television cliches and conventions on their ears (for example, leaping forward in time an entire year in the second season finale and abandoning the working premise for the show, at least temporarily). Because I enjoy this show so much, I’m going to devote time each Friday before the latest episode airs to discussing the series. (For those looking to check it out, it airs at 8 p.m. central time on Fridays on the SciFi channel.)

I’m very curious to see tonight’s episode, Exodus: Part Two. The Galactica is preparing to stage a rescue operation that is huge in its scope (involving the rescue of tens of thousands of people controlled under Cylon occupation on the planet of New Caprica). My primary concern about this season’s opening scenario (most of humanity ruled by the enemy) has been how it will be resolved. I wonder how effective a rescue of this size can be in such a short period of time. Will this seem contrived and hokey? Will the whole scenario seem like a four-and-a-half episode pointless diversion if humanity escapes back to space again so quickly? (Granted, it’s only quickly in episode length: The Colonials have been on the planet for one year and a half, and they’ve been under Cylon control for more than four months.) My gut says yes to these questions, but previous experience with the show’s writers and producers leads me to think the answer is no. We’ll see.

What does all of this mean for Baltar, the much-maligned president, in name only, of the colonies? Will he be better off staying with the Cylons or begging for mercy and siding with humanity? I love this character and am eager to see how this unfolds.