In the grueling sabbatical between seasons three and four of “Battlestar Galactica” came a small reprieve in the form of “Razor,” a sweetly sustaining oasis in an otherwise torturous tenure of waiting and hoping and speculating.

And while this film does stand on its own in terms of storytelling, it does not in any way compare to some of the finer episodes of the series – especially “Crossroads Part II,” after which it was supposed to come as craved salve.

But fans become desperate in a long BSG-absence and the withdrawal fills almost any mention of Colonial frocks and Cylons with thoughts of sweet Ambrosia.

Fortunately, this is precisely what “Razor” does.

It explores the explosive potential left behind by Admiral Helena Cain (Michelle Forbes) and the haunting history of the Battlestar Pegasus.

Here, we follow Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Chavez-Jacobsen), a protégée of Cain’s who was subsequently demoted to kitchen duty for insubordinate behavior and then curiously elevated to X.O. by Lee (Jamie Bamber) as a Major to “carry Cain’s torch.”

Naturally, Shaw’s stringent demeanor causes more than a slight scuffle with Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff), but this is not where the heart of this tale lies. Through her interactions with her skeptical superior officer and abrasive C.A.G., Kendra flashes back to the atrocities aboard the Pegasus, many of which she personally committed. We see the alarming scene where Cain shot her X.O. and the notorious massacre aboard the Scylla. Hearing about them from Colonel Fisk (Graham Beckel) was disturbing but actually seeing the events and the cold countenance with which Cain orders the assault, while watching a brutalized Gina Inviere (Tricia Helfer) is downright chilling.

And yet, there is almost nothing new, save for the belated revelation in the last 20 minutes of the nearly two-hour event.

Sure, we learn some interesting tidbits about Cain’s past on Tauron in the extended version and how hybrids were actually made, but any season finale – or even mid-season gems like “Maelstrom” and “Unfinished Business” – holds more spine-tingling, nail-biting appeal.

Ultimately, we see just how Cain and her crew transformed into her definition of a “razor,” for better or worse and – perhaps surprisingly – we see that these horrific choices even haunt the seemingly coldblooded “Pegasus” team.

On the acting front, it is fantastic to have Forbes back as the merciless Rear Admiral. Chavez-Jaconsen, however, could have used some work – especially since she’s the protagonist of this epic tale. While her portrayal of the conflicted officer is commendable, her speech patterns are lacking. She would often swallow entire syllables and consistently spoke in a quiet, monotonous manner. Although subtitles easily solve the problem – and the sharp dialogue more than makes up for it – it deters from the potential perfection that could have been this gem of a Major.

Still, in a period of “Battlestar” withdrawal, almost anything featuring Vipers and Raptors (and of course, Starbuck) is nice.

This is presumably the appeal of “The Plan.” So, until those frakking creators in Vancouver do their jobs and finish “Caprica,” 20 cubits says that this is precisely what the die-hard frakheads will do: re-watch the series as though on rotation, with occasional healthy helpings of “Razor.”

So say we all.

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