The main character in Razor is someone brand new to us; Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Jacobsen). Razor begins in Galactica continuity shortly after Lee Adama (Jamie Bamber) has been made Commander of the Battlestar Pegasus, and he we learn that it is Kendra whom he names as his XO (executive officer). Lee has read her files and has his reasons for picking her, and flashbacks begin to show the events that forged Kendra, as we alternate between the time in which she has been given her new position under Lee, and ten months earlier, when she was first assigned to Pegasus.
That time ten months before turned out to be a fateful one, as it was right before the Cylons attacked the colonies. Kendra is just learning her way around Pegasus and just getting to know Admiral Cain (Michelle Forbes, reprising her role from Battlestar Season 2) when the horrific attack occurs. What follows is a situation in which Kendra is tested and pushed to her limits, as are her new crewmates, including Jack Fisk (Graham Beckel), XO Jurgen Belzen (Steve Bacic) and Gina (Tricia Helfer). Cain does what she feels is right or perhaps compelled to do in order to unite the crew in the face of such unfathomable events and it's a stark counterpoint to what William Adama (Edward James Olmos) did in the miniseries while facing the same situation.
We also follow what occurs when the Pegasus under Lee's command is sent by Adama (Edward James Olmos) on a rescue mission, after a recon crew goes missing. In the midst of this mission, Kendra attempts to prove herself in her new position, while trying to keep her own secrets, and butting heads with a familiar face; Kara Thrace (Katee Sackhoff). And as the story progresses, the rescue mission results in a rather surprising discovery, which has its roots in something Adama witnessed decades before.
There's no denying that in most ways, Razor is a stand alone story. We have no prior investment in Kendra, and the story doesn't pick up Season 3's cliffhangers, so it's partially just seeing another piece of the Battlestar universe through this woman's eyes. But that being said, Razor is great. Kendra is a stern and hard to gauge character at first, but as time goes on, we learn more about her and Jacobsen is very good in the role, believably portraying the mixture of strength and sadness the character carries with her.
A lot of the scenes with Admiral Cain are showing us things we'd already been told, since the list of Cain's rather shocking actions were all explained by her crew during her first appearance on the show. But hearing them and seeing them are two different things, and most importantly, knowing what's to come is used in an effective manner here. When we first meet Cain, before the Cylon attack, she is a far more accessible and open person than we saw on the series, who seems to have genuine friendships with those in her crew. Knowing her later actions only makes it all the more tragic that things happen in the way they do. Michelle Forbes is again excellent as Cain, as we see her transform into the weapon she feels she needs to be, and in the process, gives the movie its name - as she explains to Kendra, you have to be a razor to survive an experience like the one they're going through.
Battlestar Galactica is a very sad show much of the time and Razor is a prime example of that. Much of the story told here is a tragedy through and through, as we see the awful events the Pegasus crew endures or causes. Viewers of the show (and if you're not, why are you reading this? Stop, and go rent the DVDs and don't spoil yourself!) of course know that Gina is a Cylon from the moment she appears, along with the horrific treatment she will endure after her secret is discovered. But that makes her early friendly and warm interaction with the crew during this story all the more tense, and new details about her dynamic on the ship add to the weight of what her betrayal meant.
Fans should note that a lot of the regulars from Galactica are either absent or barely appear in Razor - Sharon has one expository scene, Baltar and Tigh are basically extras, and folks like Tyrol, Helo, Gaeta and Dualla are completely absent. Roslin and especially Adama have their notable moments, with Adama getting a flashback to an adventure he had as a young man (played by Nico Cortez) that is awkward in that it's a bit unintentionally amusing to suddenly go to this third timeframe, as we've been constantly shifting back and forth between two others during the story. Tricia Helfer of course appears much more than many others because of her role as Gina, though we got much more of a perspective of what happened to her on the earlier Battlestar episodes featuring the character (and I still think they could have done a lot more with her than they did in the long term).
Among the regulars characters -- and Gina herself really isn't one, though Helfer is a regular cast member -- only Lee and Kara truly have sizeable roles in this Pegasus-centric story. There's some good material for both, as little pieces are filled in as to what occurred for them during this timeframe. And while there are certainly echoes of Kara and Kat's issues with each other in the Kara/Kendra dynamic, it's ultimately much more successfully done here, as Kendra is a more accessible character than Kat was.
This is Kendra's story, and by the end, it definitely feels like one worth being told. Using Kendra as the entry point to the Pegasus and how Cain dealt with the Cylon attack is well done and really hits home how the Pegasus and Galactica dealt with the horror of what happened in very different ways, yet both believable ones given the extreme circumstances.
And that's not all Razor has to offer. For the first time ever on the modern show, we get a look at classic model Cylons (as they appeared in the original series) in action here, and it's hard to deny the geeky thrill that evokes. Plus, the conclusion of the story delivers a very intriguing piece of information that no doubt will have repercussions in the show in the fourth and final season next year. Battlestar Galactica: Razor is essentially here to tide us over until Galactica really returns with new episodes, but in that regard, it doesn't just play as filler and is an especially impressive piece of work.
