Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series Blu-ray

Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series

 (TV) (2003-2009)

Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series Blu-ray delivers great video and superb audio in this exceptional Blu-ray release
The world ended with no warning, and all that was left … was hope. The Cylons were created by the people of the Twelve Colonies. Intelligent robots, they were used as slaves and soldiers to fight humanity's wars. But the Cylons became sentient and they rebelled. Man and machine fought to a bloody stalemate, and then the Cylons withdrew to a remote region of space.

A truce between the Twelve Colonies and the Cylons lasted for 40 tense and silent years. Each year, on the anniversary of the treaty-signing, humanity sent an envoy to the neutral ground of Armistice Station to meet with a Cylon envoy. For 39 years, no Cylon envoy came. Then, on the 40th anniversary, a stunning blonde — a Cylon in human form — met the human envoy … moments before the Cylons vaporized the station and launched a genocidal attack on the Twelve Colonies. In one devastating day, billions of human lives were consumed by nuclear fires. Only those souls fortunate enough to be aboard starships were able to band together and escape and flee into deep space, led by the sole surviving Colonial warship, the battlestar Galactica. The Galactica and its crew seemed to be unlikely saviors for humanity's fewer than 50,000 desperate survivors. The ship was old and had been about to be decommissioned and turned into a museum when the Cylon attack occurred. In the aftermath its commanding officer, William Adama, found himself responsible for safeguarding the last remnants of the human race.

Meanwhile, the annihilation of the Colonial government on Caprica resulted in the succession of Laura Roslin, the Secretary of Education, to the presidency. Driven by prophetic visions and political necessity, she set the fleet upon a quest that will take it into the farthest reaches of unexplored space … in search of the mythical, lost "13th colony" — Earth.

For more about Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series and the Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series Blu-ray release, see the Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review

Starring: Edward James Olmos, James Callis, Tricia Helfer, Katee Sackhoff, Mary McDonnell
Director: Ronald Moore


This Blu-ray release includes the following titles, see individual titles for specs and details:

Battlestar Galactica: Season One Blu-ray Universal Studios | 2004-2005 | 756 min | Rated TV-14 | Region free | Jan 05, 2010 The world ended with no warning, and all that was left … was hope. The Cylons were created by the people of the Twelve Colonies. Intelligent robots, they were used as slaves and soldiers to fight humanity's wars. But the... Action / Adventure / Drama / Sci-Fi

Battlestar Galactica: Season Two Blu-ray    Universal Studios | 2005-2006 | 963 min | Rated TV-14 | Region free | Apr 06, 2010 The world ended with no warning, and all that was left … was hope. The Cylons were created by the people of the Twelve Colonies. Intelligent robots, they were used as slaves and soldiers to fight humanity's wars. But the... Action / Adventure / Drama / Sci-Fi

Battlestar Galactica: Season Three Blu-ray Universal Studios | 2006-2007 | 953 min | Rated TV-14 | Region free | Jul 27, 2010 The world ended with no warning, and all that was left … was hope. The Cylons were created by the people of the Twelve Colonies. Intelligent robots, they were used as slaves and soldiers to fight humanity's wars. But the... Action / Adventure / Drama / Sci-Fi

Battlestar Galactica: Razor Blu-ray Universal Studios | 2007 | 88 min | Region A (B, C untested) | Dec 28, 2010 The world ended with no warning, and all that was left … was hope. The Cylons were created by the people of the Twelve Colonies. Intelligent robots, they were used as slaves and soldiers to fight humanity's wars. But the... Action / Adventure / Drama / Sci-Fi

Battlestar Galactica: Season Four Blu-ray Universal Studios | 2008-2009 | 1391 min | Rated TV-14 | Region free | Jan 04, 2011 The world ended with no warning, and all that was left … was hope. The Cylons were created by the people of the Twelve Colonies. Intelligent robots, they were used as slaves and soldiers to fight humanity's wars. But the... Action / Adventure / Drama / Sci-Fi

Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review

An absolutely thrilling, magnificent, must-own television series. So say we all...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown, July 29, 2009

I'm usually not at a loss for words, but I've been staring at my laptop for twenty minutes now, writing and deleting dozens of sentences in an effort to properly introduce one of the finest television series I've ever encountered. As you can tell, I've settled on brutal honesty, a trait executive producer Ron Moore's Battlestar Galactica exudes in every season, episode, scene, and frame. It's impossible to write anything about Moore's critically acclaimed, award-winning series that countless others before me haven't already expressed over the last six years. Television critics have hailed its prevailing storylines and commanding performances. Bloggers have waxed poetic over its chilling cliffhangers, intricate twists and turns, and complex characters. Fans have spread word of its genre-defying nature and unpredictable season to season evolution. Even its cast and crew have joined the discerning fray, following its plot threads and developments with as much curiosity as the viewers watching it all unfold. Make no mistake, if you haven't taken the plunge, if you haven't put aside your preconceived notions, if you simply can't imagine a science fiction series could be so exceedingly relevant, if you haven't considered the possibility that the hype -- just this once -- is well deserved, there is simply no better time to sink into the desolate worlds and savage arena of Battlestar Galactica.

Edward James Olmos leads an incredibly talented ensemble cast...

Loosely based on the short-lived 1978 television series of the same name, Battlestar Galactica stunned critics and sci-fi fans alike with its powerful, oft-times resonant account of a small, space-faring fleet -- the surviving remnants of a devastated human civilization -- fleeing an armada of relentless machines called Cylons. Boasting a distinctly different vision and tone than its cheesy, flash-bang predecessor, Moore's reimagining was darker, sharper, and more challenging than anyone expected, offering more serious social satire and biting political commentary than most television series dared. More to the point, the show's scathing portrait of mankind at its best and worst tackled post-9/11 issues and events other more traditional dramatic series avoided at all costs. Those who expected endless dogfights and laserfire were met with disquieting character exchanges and meticulous plotting, those searching for lofty action and alien worlds found gritty conflicts and vacant space, those longing for light-hearted humor and digestible drama were handed bleak betrayals and ugly glimpses into our darkest fears. Battlestar Galactica has never been a typical sci-fi series... for that matter, it's never been a typical series.

So what makes BSG stand apart from its genre ilk? What makes it stand atop the vast majority of dramas the major networks offer us year after year? As it turns out, a great many things. The story at the heart of the series is startlingly pertinent to the trials and tribulations of our own perilous times; its at-times callous disregard for genre convention is disarming and unexpected, its challenging themes and prickly political quandaries feel raw and dangerous. From the fleet's earliest struggles with starvation, desperation, exhaustion, and the uncompromising advances of a tireless enemy, to humanity's inevitable cannibalization of its own ethics and moral fortitude, Battlestar Galactica forces its viewers to ask difficult questions, to consider every side of a debate, and to apply their newfound perspective to the world they see on CNN and MSNBC. That's not to say the series is a wholly academic endeavor -- the show's ongoing mythos is as intricate, ambiguous, and absorbing as anything shows like Lost dish out -- but it is to say viewers are required to *gasp* think during and long after an episode has delivered its payload.

It may strike the cynical among you as a stretch -- particularly since I'm referring to a television series that occasionally serves up enough action to rival a Hollywood blockbuster -- but Galactica fans (at least those of us who were barely able to contain our excitement from week to week when it was on the air) understand all too well how piercing and invasive each season tends to be. Perhaps that's why the show is able to weave its magic so effectively. With so many intriguing characters, show-stopping performances, gut-punching reveals, jaw-dropping storylines, and unforgettable exchanges, it's simple to overlook all of the series' subtleties, only to realize days later that you're still thinking about a specific subplot or a single line of dialogue. Perhaps that's why Moore's sci-fi epic is so riveting. While distracting viewers with explosions and dense mythology in one hand, it hurls psychological barbs and philosophical darts with the other. Perhaps that's the exact reason Battlestar Galactica continues to haunt my brain, long after its fourth season brought Adama's fleet to the end of their journey.

The final episodes were bound to upset some. With so much riding on every minute, Moore couldn't possibly please everyone. Some complained about the series' use of the supernatural and the divine to answer several looming questions. Me? I think anyone who watched more than two episodes of the show shouldn't be surprised to see the culmination of such a fundamental theme. Others whined about the fates of their favorite characters, but I thought the writers brought nearly all of them full circle; reuniting each disheveled survivor with the very core of their being. After being adrift in space -- oft-times from their own humanity -- it was refreshing to see the humans and Cylons reconnect with their individual purposes and callings. Still others barked about the last half hour of the finale, accusing it of cheap sleight-of-hand and rampant sentimentality. I seem to recall The Return of the King receiving the same criticism. At the end of four long seasons, and an even longer trip across the universe, I was ecstatic to simply sit with the characters and watch them reevaluate their lives. Regardless of their sins, I realized I loved them all and wanted the best for them. Even the series' most wily weasel won my affection and sympathies with a single, heartbreaking line.

Still, the most engrossing story and engaging characters would be wasted without strong performances to support it. To that end, Moore has assembled a cast anointed by the gods; a Hollywood-caliber ensemble whose deft and effortless embrace of their troubled characters have made the series one of the finest performance-driven dramas in recent memory. Galactica is one of the few television shows that have managed to leave me in an emotional heap by the time the credits roll. The finale alone, I'm unashamed to say, elicited a steady trickle of man-tears that made me feel as weak and vulnerable as Adama's fleet. Whether you credit the gifted men and women in the writers room or simply attribute everything to the cast's collective control over their characters, it's impossible to deny that Edward James Olmos and company sink their all into each and every scene. Bit players rise to the occasion (first season regulars meet grisly ends, leaving secondary character actors to successfully fill any sudden vacuum), the series' stars continually push past their limits (Jamie Barber, Michael Hogan, James Callis, Aaron Douglas, Grace Park, Katee Sackhoff, Tahmoh Penikett, Michael Trucco, and Tricia Helfer, among many others, are utterly fantastic), and venerable industry veterans deliver the performances of their lives (Olmos and McDonnell will forever be Adama and Roslin to me). It may sound like hyperbole, but I challenge anyone to sit through four seasons of Moore's sci-fi stunner and criticize the cast's vitality or commitment to their craft.

I'm afraid I've reached the end of my review with the same feelings I had when I began. It's impossible to convey the impact of such an ingenious series; impossible to describe everything that makes it the timeless classic I consider it to be. If you're nodding your head, you've no doubt invested plenty of time and money into Moore's masterpiece. If you're shaking your head, I can't say anything more to convince you to sample Galactica's wares. But, if your eyebrows are raised and you're considering the possibilities, let me make one last push: give Battlestar Galactica a chance. If you can make it to the end of its first season without feeling the tug of Season Two, you're a stronger man than I. If you can stop after its second season finale, you have the willpower of a god. But if you plow through to the end, if you lap up its every episode as if it were your last, I can assure you that you'll have watched a series you'll never forget. You may not scream its praises like I have, but, chances are, you'll be a fan.

Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series Blu-ray, Video Quality

 

While longtime fans won't bat an eye at the faithful 1080p transfers spread across The Complete Series' twenty BD-50 discs -- the first and third seasons utilize VC-1 encodes, the second and fourth seasons employ comparable AVC encodes -- others may be taken aback by the presentation's grainy picture, soft scenery, and gritty aesthetics. To be clear, Battlestar Galactica will never be (nor was it ever meant to be) a flashy, hyper-polished series ripe for Blu-ray consumption. Executive producer Ron Moore always intended to submerse his version of Galactica in the grimy, grim fringes of space; to achieve a harmony of atmosphere and photography befitting a series as bleak and desolate as his creation. To that end, Universal's high definition presentation is worthy of praise, if for no other reason than it pays tremendous respect to Moore's every intention. Colors are at the mercy of overblown contrast, absorbing shadows, and rampant noise (more on that in a moment), yet skintones remain relatively natural, primaries remain strong and stable, and blacks remain inky throughout. Likewise, detail soars and plummets with each lighting and scenery change, but nevertheless delivers an unexpectedly consistent experience over the course of The Complete Series's seventy-plus episodes.

It can be disconcerting at first, but anyone who spends the smallest amount of time with Galactica will soon realize how immersive the effect actually is. Sure, delineation is poor and shadows are overly aggressive (particularly when it comes to swallowing the backgrounds), but it becomes clear with every passing shot that Moore wouldn't have it any other way (he says just as much in a brief video introduction that accompanies each season). Universal has also gone to great lengths to ensure viewers aren't confused by the series' appearance. As each disc loads, a message states: "The Blu-ray release of Battlestar Galactica accurately preserves the artistic intentions of the creators. The stylized visual elements within certain scenes are intentional and faithful to the broadcast presentation of the television show." Message overkill? Perhaps, but it should help keep disappointment at bay for any newcomers to the series.

Anyone watching the episodes in quick succession will notice some discrepancies between the first four discs and the other sixteen. The original miniseries pales in comparison to the rest of the series' episodes (contrast is duller, fine detail is middling, and blacks aren't as fully resolved), and Season One is a bit rough around the edges compared to the three seasons that follow it. However, any weaknesses associated with these episodes should be attributed to the fledgling production values of Battlestar's humble beginnings. Budgets were tighter and network support wasn't as robust as it became in later years. Moreover, the special effects weren't as refined, the sets weren't as impressive, and the costumes weren't as elaborate. Thankfully, even in the face of more problematic source material, Universal's technical presentations remain resilient and proficient.

The aforementioned noise on each transfer is trickier to evaluate. At times, it's an unobtrusive and welcome filmic addition, lingering atop the image without interfering with the integrity of Stephen McNutt's cinematography. At other times, it's brash and unsettling, flooding the picture with detail-sapping grain (scenes on the Cylon basestars tend to be the most distracting). That being said, Moore's use of noise doesn't bother me per se, but it does make digital anomalies more difficult to identify. Look closely and you'll notice that the studio's technical presentation isn't perfect -- faint artifacting, minor banding, and crush leave their mark on several scenes, and edge enhancement makes its fair share of appearances. Mind you, none of these issues are nearly as annoying as they were in the HD DVD release of Season One (which suffered from more frequent macroblocking, more noticeable banding, and other technical mishaps), but they still pop up (again, to a lesser extent) on several occasions.

All things considered, I'm quite pleased with the results. Even a quick comparison to the standard DVDs reveal a variety of obvious improvements, making the Blu-ray edition of each season well worth the upgrade. I'm confident anyone approaching Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series with appropriate expectations will be just as satisfied with the overall presentation.

Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 

The Complete Series' bold and bombastic DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround tracks are even more impressive, packing enough nuclear blasts and ship-to-ship combat to thoroughly demolish your home theater. The thundering rumble of colliding basestars, the heavy kick-kack of gunfire, and the recurrent bah-dah-dah-dah of composer Bear McCreary's infectious version of "All Along the Watchtower" (among many other memorable musical cues) erupt as powerfully and precisely as any uber-fan like myself could hope for. LFE output is vigorous and convincing, dipping deep to come up with some sternum-rattling bass. I grinned every time an explosion jarred the crew on the Galactica bridge, and marveled at the immediate rush of sound that accompanied the Battlestar's sudden, low-atmosphere appearance. By the time the crew prepared for their last stand and final assault, I was enthralled by every clanking hunk of metal, every tick-tack-tock of Raptor fire, and every upbeat and beatdown of McCreary's phenomenal score.

Better still, the shrill sheen of every FTL jump is crisp and clean, the desperate cries of fallen heroes are crystal clear, and the shunk-shunk-shunk of approaching toasters is unnerving enough to make an audiophile mutter, "fraaak." Rear speaker activity is just as potent, filling panicked hallways and shuddering officers' quarters with the same rich ambient atmosphere that graces planetary surfaces and Cylon complexes. Simon the Cylon's baby factory is filled with eerie echoes, the inside of a hijacked Raider pulses with the strange biomechanic rhythm of the machine's integrated guts, the advanced operating systems of the Pegasus hum and quiver with life, angry winds meander across the desolate surface of an enslaved New Caprica, and the stony confines of an ancient temple sound just as vast as they should. I couldn't get over how easily effects panned across the soundfield or how accurate their placement was (especially for a television show). Dynamics hit me just as hard, leaving little to the imagination and even less to grumble about.

If I have any complaint it's that dialogue, while exceedingly sharp and intelligible for the most part, sometimes (once or twice an episode, tops) sounds a bit hollow. Lines occasionally sit above the soundscape instead of dwelling within it, leading to a few instances of pinched voices and shallow conversations. It's more apparent on the original miniseries and several first season episodes -- more often than not, something I'd attribute to production values -- but the issue also rears its head, strangely enough, in the series finale. Even so, the attributes of the Complete Series audio presentation far outweighs such minor (and infrequent) oddities, leaving little for astute listeners to whine about. Fans will be enraptured by the experience, newcomers will nod their heads in approval, and ardent audiophiles will give this lossless powerhouse their blessing.

Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras

 

Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series boasts a daunting collection of special features spread across twenty -- that's right, twenty -- BD-50 discs. You'll find 22 full-length commentaries, 57 full-length podcast commentaries, five extended episodes (six if you count the Unrated Extended version of Razor), five hours of behind-the-scenes featurettes and documentaries, nearly seven hours of deleted scenes, more than two hours of executive producer David Eick's behind-the-scenes Video Blogs, and a variety of U-Control options spread across the box set's discs. As it stands, the veritable cornucopia of supplemental material on hand easily justifies the box set's price and should keep any Galactica enthusiast busy for weeks.

It should be mentioned that the "complete" in The Complete Series is a slight misnomer. MIA are a handful of minor features that appeared on the DVD sets (most notably two "Lowdown" mini-docs from Season One), a Razor documentary (exclusive to the Best Buy release of the film), and some SciFi Network specials and SciFi.com content that didn't appear on any previously released DVDs, but would have been nice to have nonetheless. The most obvious and disappointing omission though is "The Face of the Enemy," a 10-episode, Gaeta-centric online miniseries that, simply put, reveals aspects of our favorite mutineer that weren't explored in the series proper. That being said, I wouldn't be surprised if the webisodes appear on the upcoming Blu-ray release of The Plan, a feature-length BSG movie (in the vein of Razor) due this October.

The set itself comes bundled in an oversized, multi-tiered box (7.5 inches wide, 7.5 inches in length, and 8.5 inches high) that extends vertically to reveal four smaller packages inside. Each of the inner-packages house a full season, and their discs sit inside glossy paper sleeves. Season One is spread across four discs, Season Two across five, Season Three across another five (one is reserved specifically for Razor), and Season Four across five more (the finale is comfortably housed on a single disc). Last but not least, a bonus Cylon Centurion action figure is included, housed in the top of the box inside a transparent plastic... erm, coffin of sorts. For more detailed pictures of this release, simply click on the Amazon link above and view the many photos that accompany the product listing.

It's a decent set, but I do have a few complaints. First and foremost, the oversized box is great for collectors with plenty of room on their shelves, but it would have been better had the individual season releases been packaged in standardized Blu-ray cases. Fans with limited shelf space could have simply removed the cases and discarded the box. Instead, consumers are forced to choose between displaying a giant block o' Battlestar or sliding four narrow cardboard cases (that look odd and malnourished next to other Blu-ray releases) alongside the rest of their collection. Second, the discs aren't held in place by plastic hubs of any sort... they simply sit inside removable, accordion-esque cardboard sleeves. While the glossy surface of the sleeves helps prevent scratches, the open sides and slippery nature of the sleeves means you still need to be extremely careful when removing discs from their cases. Finally, there isn't any room for the Blu-ray release of The Plan. I tried sliding a standard Blu-ray case (and later an extra Blu-ray disc) into the box set, but the only solution I could come up with was to insert a disc in a paper DVD sleeve and tuck it in with one of the seasons. It isn't ideal (to say the least).

Ultimately, I'm pretty happy with the box set. Granted, I'm not entirely sold on the packaging -- in the future, Universal should seek the help of actual Blu-ray consumers to help the studio build more secure, practical, and functional box sets -- but you definitely get ample bang for your high definition buck. Had the box been safer and "The Face of the Enemy" miniseries been included, this set would have earned a perfect supplemental score. Sadly, despite an endless deluge of commentaries and special features, I have to shave a half-point off this one for its shortcomings.

Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series includes:

• U-Control Features: Each disc offers at least one interactive fact track -- "The Oracle" (on Discs 1-20), "Battlestar Blips" (Discs 10-14), and "Battlestar Actual" (Discs 15-20). In cases where "The Oracle" is available with another U-Control experience, both can be viewed separately or in tandem. Once any of the tracks are engaged, simply press "enter" when the U-Control icon flashes to gain access to text-based factoids, glossary definitions, character bios, and photos. The original Battlestar miniseries and the finale episode are unique in that they also offer their own bonuses. The miniseries features a Picture-in-Picture overview of the production and the finale includes a feature called "What the Frak Happened to You," a Maximum-Movie-Mode-esque track that provides PiP bios, origin details, and glimpses at the ultimate fate of each character in the series. The U-Control experiences don't amount to much, but they're welcome exclusives nonetheless.
• Unaired Extended Episodes: Alongside their broadcast counterparts, you'll find extended versions of five episodes -- "Pegasus," "Unfinished Business," "A Disquiet Follows My Soul," "Islanded in a Stream of Stars," and "Daybreak." The extended finale will be of particular interest to many as it fleshes out the climaxes, backstories, and fates of various characters, giving each one more room to breathe. As an added bonus, an Unrated Extended version of Razor is also included on Disc 15.
• Audio Commentaries: Take a deep breath and brace yourself for the long haul. The Complete Series hits with twenty-two audio commentaries (not including Ron Moore's podcast commentaries... I'll get to those in a bit). You'll find tracks for the "Miniseries Parts 1 & 2" (executive producers Ron Moore and David Eick, and director Michael Rymer), "33" (Moore, Eick, and Rymer), "Bastille Day" (Moore and Eick), "Act of Contrition" (Moore and Eick), "You Can't Go Home Again" (Moore and Eick), "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down" (Moore), "The Hand of God" (Moore), "Colonial Day" (Moore), "Kobol's Last Gleaming Parts 1 & 2" (Moore), "Pegasus Extended" (Moore and Eick), "Hero" (Eick), the unaired extended cut of "Unfinished Business" (Moore), Razor (Moore and writer Michael Taylor), "Faith" (Moore and Supervising Producers Bradley Thompson and David Weddle), "Guess What's Coming to Dinner" (Moore and writer Michael Angeli), "Sine Qua Non" (Moore and Taylor), "A Disquiet Follows My Soul" (Moore), "Islanded in a Stream of Stars" (series star/episode director Edward James Olmos), and "Daybreak" (Moore, Eick, and Rymer).
• Podcast Commentaries: If you've never had the pleasure of listening to a commentary track with executive producer and series creator Ron Moore, you're in for a real treat. Candid, amiable, and quick to criticize his own work, Moore uses his commentaries to pull back the proverbial curtain on every aspect of his critically acclaimed show. From casting to storytelling, visual to practical effects, behind-the-scenes anecdotes to boardroom revelations, he leaves no stone unturned, offering honest, insightful glimpses into how the series came to be, decisions that were made along the way and, inevitably, the series' emotional fourth season. His discussions are informative, entertaining and, above all else, exactly what a fan would want from a commentary.
  
  The Complete Series offers a whopping fifty-seven podcast commentaries. Tracks are available on "Scattered," "Valley of Darkness," "Resistance," "The Farm," Home Parts 1 & 2" (with David Eick), "Final Cut" "Resurrection Ship Parts 1 & 2," "Epiphanies," "Black Market," "Scar," "Sacrifice," "The Captain's Hand," "Downloaded," "Lay Down Your Burdens Parts 1 & 2," "Occupation," "Precipice," "Exodus Parts 1 & 2," "Collaborators," "Torn," "A Measure of Salvation," "Hero," "Unfinished Business" (with actors Grace Park and Tahmoh Penikett), "The Passage," "The Eye of Jupiter," "Rapture," "Taking a Break from All Your Worries," "The Woman King," "A Day in the Life," "Dirty Hands," "Maelstrom," "The Son Also Rises," a second "The Son Also Rises" track (with actor Mark Sheppard and writer Michael Angeli), "Crossroads Part 1," an additional "Crossroads Part 1" track (with Sheppard), "Crossroads Part 2," and yet another "Crossroads Part 2" track (with Sheppard).
  
  But wait, there's more! Podcast commentaries are also included for "He That Believeth in Me," "Six of One," "The Ties That Bind," "Escape Velocity," "The Road Less Traveled," "The Hub" (with co-executive producer Jane Espenson, editor Michael O'Halloran, and supervising editor Andrew Seklir), "Revelations" (with writers David Weddle and Bradley Thompson, and editor Julius Ramsay), "Sometimes a Great Notion," the broadcast version of "A Disquiet Follows My Soul," "The Oath," "Blood on the Scales," "No Exit," "Deadlock," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Islanded in a Stream of Stars," "Daybreak Part 1," and "Daybreak Parts 2 & 3." Whew.
• Deleted Scenes (All Discs, SD, 353 minutes): Some are little more than redundant connecting shots, others offer juicy character beats, but each one is worth watching. Just be forewarned, fugly standard definition video and unfinished FX shots abound. Deleted scenes are available for the "Miniseries Parts 1 & 2," "33," "Water," "Act of Contrition," "You Can't Go Home Again," "Litmus," "Six Degrees of Separation," "Flesh and Bone," "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down," "The Hand of God," "Colonial Day," "Kobol's Last Gleaming Parts 1 & 2," "Scattered," "Valley of Darkness," "Fragged," "Resistance," "The Farm," "Home Parts 1 & 2," "Final Cut," "Flight of the Phoenix," "Resurrection Ship Part 1," "Black Market," "Scar," "Sacrifice," "The Captain's Hand," "Downloaded," and "Lay Down Your Burdens Parts 1 & 2."
  
  The cuts keep on coming with "Occupation," "Precipice," "Exodus Part 2," "Collaborators," "Torn," "A Measure of Salvation," "Hero," "The Passage," "The Eye of Jupiter," "Rapture," "Taking a Break from All Your Worries," "The Woman King," "A Day in the Life," "Dirty Hands," "Maelstrom," "The Son Also Rises," "Crossroads Parts 1 & 2," Razor, "He That Believeth in Me," "Six of One," "The Ties That Bind," "Escape Velocity," "The Road Less Traveled," "Faith," "Guess What's Coming to Dinner," "Sine Qua Non," "The Hub, "Revelations," "Sometimes a Great Notion," "The Oath," "Blood on the Scales," "No Exit," "Deadlock," "Someone to Watch Over Me," and "Daybreak."
• Exclusive Deleted Scenes (Disc 16-17, SD, 23 minutes): Several fourth season episodes -- "Six of One," "Guess What's Coming to Dinner," "The Hub," and "Revelations" -- also include deleted scenes exclusive to the Season Four Blu-ray release.
• David Eick's Video Blogs (Disc 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, and 19, SD, 149 minutes) -- Executive producer David Eick tackles his cast and crew with a camcorder, nabbing a variety of entertaining tidbits, details about the production, and memorable anecdotes. Above all, he captures the sense of community and family thriving on set. Chapters include "Episode 205," "Episode 207," "On the Set of the New Pegasus," "The Magic of BSG," "Never Let the Inmates Run the Asylum," "Scenes from the Video Blog Floor," "Sex Lies and a Video Blog," "Testimonials," "Who Dies," "Prosthetics," "Lucy and David," "Introducing Bulldog," "Characters," "Adama on Adama," "Episode 6 Readthrough," "On the Road," "Steve McNutt Gets a Video Blog," and "The Soldier's Code."
  
  Eick's Video Blogs continue with "Taking a Break from All Your Worries," "On the Road Part 2," "Some Guy Named Colin," "Building a Better Show," "Katee's Scrapbook," "Shooting," "Mr. Eddie If You Please," "Oceans in the Desert," "David Who," "Out of Control," "Last Episode Blues," "Love in Space," "Why Hath David Forsaken Us," "So This Is It," "What Next, What Now," "Digital Pressure," "Space Cowboys," "Lucy's Breakdown," "Are You Frakkin' Kidding Me," "I'm a Frakkin' Cylon," "Last Call," "No Retreat, No Surrender," "The Hatch," "The Fifth is Among Us," "Action Please," "Hanging in the Background," "Some Guy Named Colin, Part II," "A Cylon 'Til the End," "Inserts, Action & FX" "Documenting Battlestar Galactica," "Life on a Cylon Battleship," and "Favorite Battlestar Galactica Moments."
• Season One Behind the Scenes (Disc 1, SD, 63 minutes): An impressive bundle of Season One featurettes that discuss the genesis, development, and production of the new Battlestar Galactica series. Segments include "From Miniseries to Series," "Change is Good - Now They're Babes," "The Cylon Centurion," "Future/Past Technology," "The Doctor Is Out (of His Mind)," "Production," "Visual Effects," and "Epilogue."
• Sketches and Art (Disc 1, SD, 4 minutes): A montage of production artwork, design concepts, sketches, and behind-the-scenes photographs set to a selection from Bear McCreary's score.
• Are You a Cylon? (Disc 4, HD): A brief, mildly amusing interactive personality test that determines whether you're a human or a skinjob. Me? Apparently, there's a chance I'm a Cylon sleeper agent.
• Sizzle Reel (Disc 6, SD, 4 minutes): A sneak peak at Season Two's eleventh episode. It's nothing special -- essentially just an extended promo that aired on the SciFi Network -- but completists will appreciate its inclusion.
• Career Assignment (Disc 9, HD): Yet another interactive quiz, this one determines what position you would hold on the Battlestar. Me? It looks like I'd be hanging out with Tigh in the XO's quarters.
• RND Logos (Disc 9, SD, 3 minutes): A series of strange but amusing, Gilliam-esque animated shorts with two-dimensional renderings of executive producers Ron Moore and David Eick... dying and killing each other in a variety of ways.
• The Resistance Webisodes (Disc 11, SD, 27 minutes): This ten-part online short offers fans a secondary story that takes place amidst the chaos of Season Three. Several regulars show up for brief appearances, but the tale itself mainly focuses on a trio of survivors who weren't prominently featured in the show.
• Colonial Military Assessment (Disc 14, HD): A third interactive quiz, this time to determine your rank in the fleet. I'm a Colonel.
• The Look of Battlestar Galactica (Disc 15, SD, 8 minutes): Ron Moore helms a solid overview of the series' production design, sets, ships, environments, and costumes, as well as the reasoning behind his decisions.
• My Favorite Episode So Far (Disc 15, SD, 11 minutes): Key members of the cast and crew weigh in on their favorite episodes of the series.
• Season 4 Sneak Peek and Trailer (Disc 15, SD, 3 minutes): Two television promos for the series' fourth season.
• Minisodes (Disc 15, SD, 20 minutes): An multi-part, online miniseries that expands a major plot thread in Razor. I won't spoil the goods (or the identity of the main character), but I will say I would love to see a spin-off series with its characters, themes, and storylines. Good stuff.
• The Journey (Disc 17, SD, 21 minutes): This hefty, Season Four documentary traces the course of the characters, the stories, the performances, and the many arcs that develop as the series barrels toward its conclusion. Dozens of cast and crew interviews provide insights into the nuances and subtleties of the actors' efforts and their choices.
• The Cylons: The Twelve (Disc 17, SD, 16 minutes): An intriguing analysis of the Cylons, their motivations, and their evolving beliefs. The actors and writers are on hand to dissect the skinjobs and chat about the conflicts that arise in Season Four.
• The Music of Battlestar Galactica (Disc 17, SD, 23 minutes): Composer Bear McCreary hosts a tour of the production of the series' score. Unfortunately, it's a tongue-in-cheek gag that runs on for far too long. There are nuggets of truth here and there, but the forced humor overshadows a lot of it. My advice? Check out to the fantastic music documentaries on Discs 18 and 20 and skip this lame stunt.
• Caprica Sneak Peek (Disc 17, SD, 2 minutes): An all-too-short preview of the upcoming Caprica prequel series.
• Season 4.5: The Untold Story Untold (Disc 17, SD, 2 minutes): A television promo for the second half of Season Four.
• The Journey Ends: The Arrival (Disc 18, HD, 13 minutes): A thorough, rather somber reflection on the series coming to a close. Fans of the show will be engrossed by the chance to see key members of the cast and crew struggle to hold back tears, discuss its impact on their careers and personal lives, and explain how the finale came together and the mythos came to a close.
• Evolution of a Cue (Disc 18, SD, 23 minutes): Composer Bear McCreary takes you behind the scenes to learn about the creation of a single musical cue, from its inception in McCreary's mind to its orchestral recording and post-production mixing. Incredibly extensive, informative, and revealing, this is one of the finest musical score documentaries I've had the pleasure to review.
• What the Frak is Going on with Battlestar Galactica? (Disc 18, SD, 8 minutes): An absolutely hilarious recap of the entire series with a dry, critically precise narrator who's more than willing to poke fun at the beloved show. Even if you're not planning on digging through any of the set's special features, be sure to sit down with a bag of popcorn and enjoy this brilliant short.
• A Look Back (Disc 20, HD, 37 minutes): An oft-times amusing overview of the series and its development, as well as its casting, storylines, creators and producers, production design, characters, plot twists, cliffhangers, and basically every other aspect of the show anyone with an inkling of adoration will soak up from beginning to end. The documentary is divided into six segments, available individually or in one massive chunk. Chapters include "So Say We All," "Manifesto Destiny," "Battle-Style Galactica," "Martyr to a Cause," "The Sins of the Forgiven," and "Battlestar Revelations."
• The Musicians of Daybreak (Disc 20, SD, 31 minutes): Bear McCreary is on hand again to lead this sprawling documentary about the music, instruments, themes and, most importantly, the individual musicians and percussionists who brought each episode of Battlestar Galactica to life.
• And They Have a Plan (Disc 20, HD, 5 minutes): A look at the upcoming feature-length direct-to-video Battlestar Galactica movie, The Plan.
• My Scenes Bookmarking
• BD-Live Functionality

Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation

 

I'm sure I could pound out another sixteen paragraphs, but I'll save you the trouble of reading more unabashed praise. To cut to the chase, Battlestar Galactica is, without a doubt, one of the finest television series I've ever encountered and one that I'll revisit again and again for years to come. Universal's Complete Series box set may be missing a few relatively minor supplements (and have a few problems with its packaging), but its faithful video transfers, powerful DTS-HD Master Audio tracks, and neverending parade of special features and audio commentaries make it a must-own release. As one forum member so astutely put it, it's "the best $209 dollars plus tax I've spent." I couldn't agree more.

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