In the DVD era, fans of series and movies have come to expect commentary tracks, with directors, stars or writers talking over scenes about what was going on in their heads or offstage at crucial moments. Today, the makers of Battlestar Galactica—who are already keeping the franchise alive with next year’s Caprica prequel—are releasing The Plan, a DVD-only movie retelling its story of war between human and Cylon, from the robots’ point of view. And it may work best if you think of it, rather than as a movie—a sustained narrative with revelatory character arcs—as the Cylon DVD-commentary track on the series.
In a nutshell, The Plan (written by BSG and Caprica producer Jane Espenson) compresses much of the action of BSG, from the initial Cylon attack to the height of the war, retelling familiar stories from the standpoint of the Cylons who conceived and argued over the failed eradication of humanity. The various Cylon models each get their moments in the story, but above all, The Plan is the story of the Ones, Brother Cavil and his replicas (all played by Dean Stockwell). After the nuclear attack on the human colonies fails to completely wipe out humanity, the Cylons are left to figure out how to mop up the rest, and argue about how, why—and ultimately whether—to do it, with the gung-ho Ones arguing with themselves and others.
Hardcore BSG fans may find tidbits here that answer their questions or cast events in new light for them. (We see many familiar scenes again—like the shooting of Adama—from the Cylon vantage point, and see Cylons discuss the events of the show while often literally steps away from the action of episodes we’ve seen before.)
To me—a devoted but not obsessive BSG fan—the movie seemed curious but inessential. BSG was always about its ideas before its technology, but most of the big questions the Cylons hash over here (why humanity should be destroyed, and later, why they might consider a truce) we’ve seen discussed over the years of the series. Some aspects of the movie just seem like unneeded hole-plugging—the attempt to convince stubborn viewers, point by point and plot by failed plot, why a robot race with superior technology and vastly greater numbers couldn’t manage to squash the remnants of their enemies when they had every chance. (There’s an overarching reason, which I won’t spoil, but also won’t especially surprise any longtime viewer.)
As far as I’m concerned, I was always willing to accept these details because of the power of the overarching story. That said, I was glad for the chance to see these actors reprise their roles, but especially Stockwell, who manages to make the Ones fascinating and understandable, even at their most reprehensible. (To prove his dedication, he commits one act in The Plan that may be his hardest yet to watch.) And the movie is at time moving, as it shows how the Cylons have grown more like humanity than they care to believe.
Still, to me BSG, fittingly for a show that was largely about belief, didn’t need these holes filled in. I’m glad enough to recommend The Plan to BSG fans who miss the series. But in the end, if you loved the series, it wasn’t because of the details of the plan; it was because you embraced the big picture with faith.