The third season of the reimagined science fiction television series Battlestar Galactica premiered on Sci Fi in the United States on October 6, 2006, and concluded on March 25, 2007. Unlike the previous season, it was not split into two parts and did not have an extended hiatus during the middle of the season. The third season contained 20 episodes.
Cast and characters
Main cast
These actors were credited during the opening sequence:[1]
Four months into the Cylon occupation of New Caprica, the resistance continues to attack both Cylons and collaborators. Meanwhile, Adama and Apollo argue over the plan to rescue the colonists.
The morality of suicide bombings is debated among the resistance leaders as the Cylons enact harsh measures on the civilian population in an effort to quell the growing insurgency.
Both the resistance fighters on New Caprica and those within the fleet make final preparations for the evacuation of the planet, while Number Three has strange dreams which lead her to a human oracle.
With the discovery of a dying Cylon Basestar, Adama and Roslin debate the morality of deploying a biological weapon against the Cylons with the intention of eradicating them.
Adama confronts one of the darkest moments of his career when "Bulldog" Novacek, a pilot who was thought to have died years ago during a secret mission, escapes the Cylons and arrives on Galactica.
In order to ease tensions among the crew, Galactica holds boxing matches between various crew members, while flashbacks detail Apollo and Starbuck's falling out on New Caprica.
When the fleet's food supply is contaminated, Galactica's pilots must lead the ships through a hazardous star cluster. Meanwhile, Kat must suddenly confront a dark secret from her past.
While collecting algae on a barren planet to use as food, Tyrol discovers the Temple of Five, built by the thirteenth tribe. However, a tense standoff ensues when the Cylons arrive looking for the temple.
The human-Cylon standoff over the mysterious Eye of Jupiter has reached a breaking point. On the algae planet, D'Anna, Baltar, Brother Cavil, and a team of Centurions prepare to assault the Temple of Five, where the Eye supposedly lies hidden. Meanwhile Athena takes action to retrieve her daughter Hera.
Baltar is interrogated aboard Galactica, while a makeshift bar called "Joe's" in the hangar deck becomes popular and the relationship problems of Apollo, Dualla, Starbuck and Anders unfold.
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Michael Angeli
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Helo investigates a doctor tending to civilian refugees that may be harming Sagittaron patients.
After an accident nearly kills President Roslin, Tyrol defies Adama to demand safer working conditions throughout the fleet - and makes himself the rallying point for a strike.
Gaius Baltar's trial concludes. The fleet jumps into the Ionian nebula, and four of the final five Cylons discover their own true identities.
Production
The Sci-Fi Channel ordered a 20-episode third season on November 16, 2005,[4] with production beginning in April 2006 in Vancouver, British Columbia.[5] The season premiered in the United States on October 6, 2006, in Canada the following day, and in the UK on January 9, 2007; with the first two episodes being shown together. The broadcast schedule for season three did not include a long hiatus in the middle of the season, as with season two. The Sci-Fi Channel moved the series to Sundays on January 21, 2007, the first time the show had changed nights since it began airing.[6]
Reception
Critical response
The season received universal acclaim from critics, scoring 94 out of 100 based on 14 reviews from Metacritic.[7] On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has an approval rating of 100% with an average score of 9 out of 10 based on 20 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Dark, charming and unusually thoughtful, Battlestar Galactica's third season continues to improve on the show's most addictive elements."[8]
The third season received four Emmy Award nominations:[11] Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Ronald D. Moore for "Occupation / Precipice"), Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Félix Enríquez Alcalá for "Exodus, Part 2"), Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series ("Exodus, Part 2"), and won for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series for "Exodus, Part 2", the series' first Emmy win.[12] Ronald D. Moore was also nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Episodic Drama for "Occupation / Precipice".[13]
Home video releases
The third season was released on DVD in region 1 on March 18, 2008,[14] in region 2 on September 3, 2007[15] and in region 4 on November 20, 2007.[16] It was also released on Blu-ray Disc in region 1 on July 27, 2010.[17]
The sets include all 20 episodes from the third season, plus an extended 25-minute longer version of "Unfinished Business". Special features include creator Ronald D. Moore's podcast commentaries for all 20 episodes. Actors Grace Park and Tahmoh Penikett join Moore for his podcast commentary on "Unfinished Business", and Moore's wife Terry Dresbach appears frequently throughout the podcasts as well. Moore also provides a new commentary track for the extended version of "Unfinished Business". Executive producer and writer David Eick provides commentary for "Hero". Bonus podcasts for the final three episodes are also included—writer Michael Angeli and actor Mark Sheppard on "The Son Also Rises" and Sheppard himself on both parts of "Crossroads". Also included is the ten-part webisode series Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance, deleted scenes for various episodes, and 22 of David Eick's videoblogs.[18]
References
^ abexcept for the last two-parter episode "Crossroads", where there were no opening credits and all of main cast actors were credited together
^Luciana Carro was credited as a guest star for her final appearance in "The Passage"; before that she was credited multiple times in the end credits
^Ryan Robbins was credited as a co-star in one of the episodes right after the guest stars
