Battlestar Galactica: Razor Flashback Part 1—Day 4571

The Upshot from Sci-Fi Channel: Written by Michael Taylor and directed by Wayne Rose and Felix Alcala, these intense, roughly two-minute segments tell the story of young William "Husker" Adama's (Nico Cortez) rookie Viper mission during the first Cylon war. In addition to fighting for his very survival against relentless Cylon centurions, Adama makes a terrifying discovery that will come back 40 years later to threaten him, the crew of the Pegasus and the survival of the human race. This isn't footage you'll see in the premiere of Razor, so make sure to watch every Friday for a new flashback adventure, then see it again on SCIFI.COM!

After a more than half-year drought of BSG episodes, those clever fellows at Sci-Fi Channel have yet again come up with a neat way of providing thirsty fans with some drops that do just enough to momentarily slacken our thirst but then immediately makes us want another taste.

Just like last year’s “webisodes”—Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance—these 7-part, 2 minute “minisodes” are flashbacks designed to give viewers some back story about Admiral Adama’s (Edward James Olmos’) character as a young man and to show us a glimpse of the first Cylon war.

Part 1 was this past weekend. It first airs during Sci-Fi’s Gods awful Flash Gordon on Friday nights then released over the Internet on www.scifi.com/battlestar/razor the next day.

Part 1 opens on board the Battlestar Galactica on Day 4,571 or some dozen years into the first Cylon War, where we see a young Billy Adama in the pilot’ “racks” making with the love to fellow pilot Lt. Jaycie McGavin (Allison Warniyca).

Beyond the not inconsiderable physical resemblance to Edward James Almos if you subtract some four decades, Nico Cortez’s portrayal of rookie pilot Husker is amazing. In the brief 2 minute scene, the viewer gets a glimpse of the experienced, hardened, world-weary man this young pup will eventually become.

This is most definitely NOT William’s/Husker’s son Lee/Apollo (Jamie Bamber) by another name, Cortez shows us a young, confident if untested pilot whose trepidation about his upcoming first time in combat is balanced out by a reserve of inner-iron.

Whereas Apollo from the moment we met him has been unsure and in the shadow of his father, Husker is his own man—even if he is green.

Other than introducing us to Husker, Part 1 does little more than set up the premise of these “minisodes” but it’s already been an interesting glimpse. While last year’s The Resistance seemed to be shot on a shoestring, this year’s Razor Flashbacks we can already tell has superior production values.

Speaking of physical resemblances, this may be us and it may or may not lead to anything but we just happen to notice that Husker’s “bunkmate” Jaycie bears a striking likeness to the Cylon Number Six (Tricia Helfer) minus the platinum blond hair job. Could this mean something in upcoming Flashback chapters? Hmmmm.

Look for the remaining six Flashbacks to air Friday nights during Flash Gordon through November 16 (the on Sci-Fi Channel’s website) with FanBoyWonder commentary throughout before the premier of the new BSG movie Battlestar Galactica: Razor on Saturday, November 24. Stay tuned