Battlestar Gallactica Season 3: A series that's far better than you'd think

A little more than half-way through Season 3 of "Battlestar Gallactica," and worth checking in on this very enticing series - far better than you'd (or I'd) expect it to be: the season began with the humans held in captivity on Cylon-occupied Caprica, and we follow the resistance forces as they contact the Battlestar, stir up rebellion, and get rescued - obvious echoes here of native resistance forces in Iraq and the mideast, but here the terrorists are the humans, the heroes - one of the many clever ways in which BSG plays with our minds and our conceptions. Now that all (almost all) are reunited on Gallactica, the series heads again toward the planet they are seeking, Earth, with the Cylon forces in pursuit. Season 3 takes a sharp turn toward the mystical as we learn more about the Cylon mysteries - how they are reincarnated, their prophecies, their own power struggles - with an increasing focus on the 5 cylon faces we have never seen: who are they? Balthar, the traitorous human president, aligns himself with the Cylons, of course, while they are in power, but later captured by the humans and imprisoned on BSG (along with # 6 cylon, Caprica) - and of course he tries again to make a deal: he will obviously survive through the whole series. Aside from strong character development and genuinely captivating plot, the strength of this series involves the way it raises questions about race, xenophobia, genocide, and even about the nature of free will, without ever being didactic, preachy, or (for the most part) heavy-handed. Has a great balance of personal drama (the love affairs get rather complex in season 3), excitement, and occasional real comedy - especially the goofy scenes in which Baltar envisions Caprica speaking to him, as she leans over him in some slinky red dress - the cast must have had a great time filming those scenes!