Review

Many insults are thrown at this episode, but I tend to disagree. Yes, Fire in Space is shamelessly derivative. Yes, there are a few issues with the science in the episode. And yes, the military tactics are questionable once again. But really, these are problems fairly common to every episode of BSG 1978. So with that in mind I'd like to point out that the drama and tension level in this episode is unusually high quality. And the use of the characters was absolutely excellent.

First, let's talk about the plot. It's not stated directly, but why do you think the Cylons are going on this suicide mission? Maybe it's because the Pegasus blew up their Basestars and have no place to land? Now that's what I call excellent continuity. Next, let's talk characters. A lot of neglected characters get important roles in this story, such as Tigh, Athena, Boomer, and Sheba. This breathes a lot of life into the plot, as you don't have to watch the same two or three characters for the entire hour.

There wasn't much spectacle in the episode, no really great moments and no really memorable scenes. But overall the episode is far more watchable than most BSG 1978 episodes, and it'd be on my list of recommended episodes for people wanting to sample the best. The episode may be average at best, but it flows much better than the most of the others. I liked it.