STUDIO: Universal
RELEASE DATE: March 18, 2008
STARRING: Jamie Bamber, Tricia Helfer, Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen, Michelle Forbes, Mary McDonnell, Edward James Olmos, Katee Sackhoff, and Grace Park
CREATED BY: Ronald D. Moore

Do we really need to tell you that the Battlestar Galactica seasons on DVD are some of the best (if not the best) TV to DVD sets on the market? If you’re a fan of Ronald Moore’s socially relevant sci-fi series and you already own the previous seasons on DVD, you’ll be happy to know Universal gives BSG geeks more of the same Colonial goodness for Season 3. The BSG seasons have been filled with more special features and fan-friendly extras than almost any other science fiction (or dramatic) series on DVD. As I’ve mentioned numerous times before, the quality of BSG on DVD is an incredible testament to Moore’s commitment to the show’s fan base. If you’re planning to watch all three seasons in consecutive order now that Season 3 has hit the market, there’s no doubt that you’ll need to take an entire week off of work just to get the job done.

A look back to the early days:

Each time I write a review for one of the BSG seasons on DVD, I can’t help but think back to the reaction the initial concept received back in 2001. It brings a smile to my face to think that so many people thought a reimagined Battlestar Glactica wouldn’t work. Seriously, a lot of people laughed at Moore when story details slowly hit the internet. Who remembers the fan reaction when we first heard Starbuck was going to be a chick? How about the announcement that the Cylons would be seen in human form? The reaction and beating Moore took wasn’t pretty. Now that BSG has almost had its day in the sun, I can’t think of too many times when so many critics and fans have had to wipe that much egg off of their faces.

Despite the initial backlash in the early days before the series went to air, we all know that Ronald Moore and crew created one of the best dramatic shows in the history of television. To say that now seems almost too cliché since you read it in every single review. If you were a true fan of the original Battlestar Galactica, it’s clear to see just how cleverly faithful the new series remained to its forefather underneath the surface. What Moore and crew did with the Baltar character not only makes complete sense given his original standing with the Cylons, but it also adds a new layer of personal complexity to an otherwise two-dimension character. It’s that fill-in-the-gaps approach applied to all of the characters across the board to make them real people that really makes the new BSG such a great series.

The specs of Season 3:

One of the best aspects of the series has been the off-balance approach the writers applied to the characters and the overarching plot throughout each season. Much like previous seasons, the guessing game continues as the series focuses more on the enemy than humans. Who’s a Cylon? Who’s collaborating with the enemy? How will certain characters have an impact on the fate of humanity? What happened during the missing year on New Caprica? As for the specifics of the third season after the gripping second season finale, the story picks up on New Caprica over a year later as the colonists deal with life under Cylon rule. With Baltar in the prexy position of President and as hope for survival fades for the 40,000 colonists, Lee and Adama return and make a last ditch resistant effort to save the colonists and the inhabitants of New Caprica before it’s too late.

The episodes and highlights:

Although fans have had to endure a number of delays with the series on the airwaves and fractured releases on DVD (Seasons 2.0 and 2.5), Season 3 includes all 20 episodes of the entire third season spread across six discs. Since BSG didn’t really come into its own as a mature series until the second season, it’s easy to say that Season 3 is arguably the best and most well-rounded season of the entire run (excluding Season 4). Highlights include the powerful and riveting rescue attempt in the two-part Exodus, the answers to the missing year on New Caprica in Unfinshed Business, the revealing hints to Earth in Eye of Jupiter and Rapture, the two-part Crossroads and the seeds of secrets that finally get answered with a shocking revelation in the season finale.

The DVD and Special Features:

Video and Audio: All of episodes are served up in anamorphic widescreen with accompanying Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. Both are fantastic and huge selling points of the set. If you own the previous seasons then you already know the vibrancy and intensity of the color saturations and the precise attention to detail takes the series to a whole new level on DVD.

Podcasts: Like the previous seasons, Ronald Moore takes time to give fans deep commentary on each episode via podcasts that originally aired on the official SCI FI website. The tradition continues on Season 3, which also includes a second podcast from producer David Eick for Hero and another track from actor Mark Sheppard for the season finale. The podcast inclusions really set the BSG seasons apart from all other TV to DVD releases and they’ve all been consistently great extras throughout each season that give fans more bang for the BSG buck.

Unfinished Business: Aside from the originally aired version of Unfinished Business, the set also includes an extended version from Ron Moore that clocks in 25 minutes longer than the original. Although much of what fans will find in the extended version couldn’t possibly fit into the series template, namely details surrounding the conflict and emotion between Kara, Dee and Lee, it’s a great addition since most TV to DVD sets almost never include extended sequences in the same fashion as feature film releases.

Video Blogs and Webisodes: Fans receive 22 of producer David Eick’s video blogs from the SCI FI website, seven of which were never released. Although some hardcore fans might find the video blogs redundant, the set earns more points for giving its fan base something new and previously unreleased. Also included are 10 webisodes for the Resistance episode that also appeared online at SCI FI and serve as great filler to round out the extras.

Deleted Scenes: The amazing thing about the BSG seasons on DVD has always been the amount of deleted scenes. What other DVD sets include hours of cutting room floor material? Although casual DVD fans might find deleted scenes boring and dry, the difference with the BSG seasons is that more often than not the cuts give fans insight into alternate storylines and character details. In Season 3, expect to find an hour’s worth of deleted scenes that include a ton of fantastic moments that rival the original broadcasts, including a suicide attempt by Kara and Baltar’s emotional explanation of how a Cylon’s heart works. These are truly awesome cuts that won’t disappoint true fans of the show.

I’ve written reviews for all of the BSG seasons on DVD and Season 3 offers just as much entertainment value as the others. In the end, that’s the great thing about these season sets. Unlike most TV to DVD seasons that get lighter with each release (if they include extras at all), Battlestar Galactica continues to get better. When the series finally winds down and Season 4 hits DVD, fans will have absolutely nothing to complain about when it comes to BSG on DVD. Simply put, the Battlestar Galactica seasons are the best TV to DVD releases to date.