Battlestar Galactica - Season 4.0

Watched more episodes from the 2nd half of the seriesFound the series becoming more thoughtful Enjoyed its view of religion - technology human nature & survival as being apart of the human experience that can be understood rather than reviledLords of cobol seems thrown in as a homage to the original

From start to finish, Season 4 continues the tradition of the previous seasons and the mini-series of keeping the viewer on the edge of their seats. There really is no way for me to describe the series without spoilers, so I won't. Suffice to say, this is not your typical science fiction series, where the universe is saved in an episode or two, and where you can pick up at any point, know what is going on, and then leave it at any point. You really need to watch it from the start of the miniseries to the very last episode. There were also web-isodes that, if missed, could leave you guessing what is going on at the start of Season 4, though you can pick up clues along the way as to why the characters are behaving the way they do.The series is not strictly sci-fi, either. There is the usual action-adventure flavor, along with a great deal of drama and suspense. There are a lot of twists and turns in the story line, all preplanned by the creators of the series. It really is one of those shows you have to pay close attention to. As the story progresses, you begin to get attached to certain characters, love some, hate others, etc. The story line is actually several stories at once as well, and are brilliantly interwoven together.About the biggest complaint I have is the fact that Amazon Unboxed does not work with my Linux laptop. I'm happy that I can still stream the videos I purchased, since Amazon has yet to fall into the trap of Microsoft Silverlight like Netflix and others did (I canceled Netflix and Hulu over this), which means I am able to watch BSG still, though I would prefer to be able to do so offline. Streaming quality is great with my standard definition videos (HD versions came after I purchased this show) over a shared secure 10 Mbps WiFi home network, with my Linux computer the furthest from the router (75% signal strength).Still, the show itself is what I rated here, not the technical issues. Whether or not you like the sci-fi genre, this show is a hit. But, once again, I do recommend watching it from the start, so you have a better understanding of what is going on. Or, you can do what my roommates did, make sure there is someone around who has seen previous episodes, so they can explain along the way what is going on until you are caught up, lol. Everyone I know who has watched this series has become hooked, including two friends who claimed to hate sci-fi. After all, this isn't your typical sci-fi, and I seriously hope the genre itself shifts towards this kind of excellence.

After the dark and occasionally wandering season 3, season 4 is the most unpredictable and breathless season yet!MINOR SPOILERS:It kicks off with the return of a beloved character thought dead - and the many questions surrounding her appearance. There a lot of questions like this in season 4 that never really get satisfactory answers - how did the Final 5 survive thousands of years after apparently dying in the cylon apocalyse? Why does Baltar have a cult, and is he actually more sane than we thought? Why were the cylons motivated to completely wipe out humans? Is Starbuck an angel? what's the deal with that song everyone keeps hearing and how did it get into Galactica? And what the heck is up with Romo Lampkins (possibly imaginary) cat?? Don't bother pondering these questions - they won't get answered.In some ways, this season is the most imaginative and gripping yet. The search for Earth will make you question if Starbuck's lost her mind. The episode where they find Earth is the most emotionally wrenching moment of the series- truly a nihilistic and dark turn of events. The new villian, Cavill, is surprisingly believable in his contempt for humanity based on his desire to become a flawless machine. The final episodes, in which the dying Galatica takes on the entire Cylon civilization just to rescue one child, seem like the ship and her a crew are on a suicide mission. Then there's the amped-up mysticism surrounding Baltar's cult, juxtaposed strikingly with Roslin's crisis of faith.The theme of this season is things coming to an end and being reborn. Roslin is dying for real this time. Galactica is well past her prime, and the ship is obsolete and broken, and will soon be uninhabitable. Adama is no longer the stoic, unshakable commander of the previous 3 seasons - he's worn down too, and seeing both Roslin and his beloved Galatica dying is more than he can handle. Pretty much every other episode includes a tantrum, drunken binge, crying fit, or some combination of the 3. At the same time, it makes him so much more relatable and real. Adama continues to lead, barely hanging on by his fingernails, because he's surrounded by people who keep propping him up just one more day. Meanwhile, Lee gets a new job and is finally coming into his own - and is no longer trying to follow in his father footsteps, but making his own path. The Cylons are no longer one monolithic enemy, but are fragmented into factions - some friendly - and individual Cylons develop unique personalities.All of this adds up to some of the best TV ever - still character-driven and human (or Cylon) in scale but epic in proportion. The conclusion will blow you away!

Outstanding picture

Double wow.

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Season 4 contains 4.1 and 4.5 + Razor...in other words everything including the extended versions. The individual episodes are fairly intense and definitely keep you involved with the sometimes unexplainable story developments. I found this Season 4 to be the most engaging of all the episodes in the entire series. The ending of this show is a bit of a surprise regarding the time scale of our earth's history. No criticism of the story ending...it's rather charming. It could have been developed a little more in my opinion, but what was presented was fine. Don't want to give away any spoilers here. Perhaps there's a spin off series potential now.

The plot gets far too lovey dovey but the action keeps you going. Blu-Ray addition has a number of additional features but nothing out of the ordinary.