Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome is a web series that wanted to be a bridge between Caprica and Battlestar Galactica. It mostly succeeds as a competent prequel, but it stumbles on story and pacing. The 2012 YouTube series follows young Ensign William Adama through the tenth year of the First Cylon War, and it delivers on the promise of seeing the future commander of the Galactica before he became famous. The problem is that the story itself is slight, and the web-series format shows its seams.
The show is a prequel to the reimagined Battlestar Galactica series and is the latest installment in the franchise. It stars Luke Pasqualino as Ensign/Lieutenant William “Husker” Adama, Ben Cotton as Lieutenant “Coker” Fasjovik, and Lili Bordán as Dr. Becca Kelly. Michael Taylor wrote the teleplay from a story by Taylor, David Eick, Bradley Thompson and David Weddle, with Jonas Pate directing. Distribution began as a 10-episode online series in conjunction with Machinima.com on November 9, 2012, and it later aired as a television film on February 10, 2013, on Syfy.
Trailer, via Universal Pictures At Home.
The Setup
The series opens with Adama fresh out of the Academy, disappointed to be assigned to a freighter rather than a fighter. His co-pilot, Lt. Coker Fasjovic, is gruff and unimpressed with the rookie, particularly since Fasjovic has only a short time before he again becomes a civilian. Their cargo is a civilian scientist, Dr. Becca Kelly, who is less than forthcoming about her secret mission. Adama is keen on the assignment, especially when it involves entering Cylon-controlled space.
The setup is simple, and it works in the first episode. Adama’s disappointment at not getting a fighter slot is a classic coming-of-age moment, and the tension between him and Fasjovic sets up a believable mentor-student dynamic. Kelly’s mystery is intriguing, and the promise of Cylon-controlled space gives the show a sense of danger. But the simplicity of the premise means there is little room to move once the initial hook is set.
The Cast
Pasqualino plays Adama with a youthful enthusiasm that makes him easy to root for. He is earnest, eager, and slightly naive, which fits the character’s position as a young officer still learning the ropes. Cotton’s Fasjovic is gruff and impatient, a veteran who is tired of the war and frustrated by having to teach a rookie. The chemistry between the two leads is the show’s strongest asset.
Bordán’s Dr. Kelly is the wild card. She is secretive, mysterious, and clearly hiding something, which makes her a compelling presence. The show spends a lot of time establishing her as a threat, but it never fully pays off that investment. The supporting cast includes familiar faces from the franchise, including John Pyper-Ferguson as Tech Sergeant Xander Toth, Zak Santiago as Captain Armin “High Top” Diaz, and Mike Dopud as Captain Deke “Minute Man” Tornvald.
The recurring actors bring a sense of continuity to the show, but their roles are often limited to brief appearances. The show tries to establish a larger world beyond Adama and Fasjovic, but the episodic nature of the web series means each episode focuses narrowly on a single mission or encounter. That focus can feel claustrophobic over ten episodes, and it leaves little room for character development outside the central duo.
The Web-Series Format
As a web series, Blood & Chrome suffers from the limitations of its format. The 10-episode structure means each episode is short, and the show rarely has time to breathe. The pacing is fast, sometimes to a fault, and the story feels rushed. There is no room for quiet moments, no time for subplots to develop, and no chance for the audience to get to know the characters in a deep way.
The television film version, which aired on Syfy, did not solve these problems. It simply combined the episodes into a longer running time, which made the pacing even faster. The result is a show that feels more like a series of action sequences strung together than a cohesive narrative.
The show’s reliance on visual effects is also noticeable. The Cylons are rendered in a style that looks dated next to the sleek designs of Battlestar Galactica. The battles are competent, but they lack the polish of the later series. The human characters are better rendered, but even they look stiff in some scenes.
The Weak Story
The central problem with Blood & Chrome is its story. The mystery of Dr. Kelly’s secret mission is never fully explained, and the show ends without resolving it. The Cylon-controlled space is entered, but nothing happens there. The show promises a deeper dive into the early days of the war, but it delivers only a surface-level exploration.
The show also fails to connect meaningfully with the events of Caprica and Battlestar Galactica. It references the war, but it does not provide enough context to make those references land. The audience is left wondering why this particular war matters, and why Adama’s early experiences are relevant to the later series.
The show’s attempt to build tension around Kelly’s secret mission falls flat because the show never commits to what that mission actually is. The audience is told she is hiding something, but the show never reveals what. This creates a frustrating viewing experience, where the payoff is never delivered.
The Good Parts
Despite its flaws, Blood & Chrome has some strong elements. The action sequences are well-choreographed, and the dogfights are exciting. The show knows how to stage a fight, and it does not waste the opportunity. The show also benefits from its source material, drawing on established lore from the franchise. References to the Academy, the battlestars, and the Cylons feel authentic, even if the story itself is thin.
The show also captures a sense of the war’s toll. The characters are exhausted, cynical, and tired of fighting. Fasjovic’s desire to become a civilian again is a constant reminder that the war has taken its toll on everyone involved. The show does not shy away from the grimness of its setting, and that honesty gives the show a weight that some of its contemporaries lack.
The show’s best moments come when it slows down and lets its characters talk. The conversations between Adama and Fasjovic about the war, about duty, and about what it means to be a soldier are the show’s most effective scenes. These moments are rare, but they are memorable.
The Verdict
Blood & Chrome is a decent prequel, but it is not a great one. It is competent, well-acted, and occasionally exciting, but it is also thin, rushed, and ultimately unsatisfying. The show fails to deliver on its promise of exploring the early days of the war, and it fails to connect meaningfully with the rest of the franchise. It is a curiosity for fans of Battlestar Galactica, but it is not essential viewing.
The show’s legacy is modest. It was a pilot for a possible series, but the series was not picked up. That decision makes sense given the show’s weaknesses. The show is a footnote in the franchise’s history, a brief experiment that did not pay off.
The show’s strengths are real, but they are outweighed by its weaknesses. The pacing, the visual effects, and the weak story all drag the show down. It is a show that is worth watching once, but it is not a masterpiece.
- Cast: Pasqualino and Cotton carry the show with strong performances
- Pacing: Too fast for its own good, with little room to breathe
- Story: Promises a mystery it never resolves
- Visual Effects: Look dated compared to the later series
- Tension: Built up but never paid off
Blood & Chrome is a solid, if flawed, entry in the Battlestar Galactica universe. It is worth a watch for fans of the franchise, but it is not a masterpiece. It is a show that shows potential, but it never quite reaches it.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
