Adama ... Has Razor, Will Shave

Has anyone else noticed the frequency with which we see Admiral Bill Adama shave on Battlestar Galactica? I’ve been re-watching past episodes when I get the chance and have noticed that we see him fairly often taking razor in hand, and sometimes at the oddest times.

There’s one scene in particular in the episode “Eye of Jupiter” that stands out — well, it’s a deleted scene, which you can see on the Season Three DVD set. In it, President Laura Roslin is standing in the doorway of the admiral’s lavatory watching him shave as she explains her reasons for hiding the Cylon-Human hybrid child Hera from her parents, Helo and Sharon. Adama is angry as hell because, 1) Roslin did it, and 2) she didn’t tell him about it. Seriously, the man is positively seething and the first thing he does is go to the bathroom and pick up a sharp instrument and proceed to mow the crap out of his face. Never mind that he didn’t seem to need a shave. He does it anyway. As I watched this scene, a thought came to mind: Stands With A Fist meets Shaves With A Vengeance.

I know. I know. It’s a really corn-ball thought, but that’s how my brain works sometimes, and I’ve certainly never claimed to have a mainstream sense of humor.

Now, if you didn’t groan or laugh at that observation, you’re probably scratching your head thinking, “What the frak is she talking about?” If so, let me explain. The lovely and talented Mary McDonnell, who plays Roslin, was Stands With A Fist in the Kevin-Costner-ego-trip known as “Dances with Wolves.” Personally, I thought McDonnell was one of the best parts of the film, but I digress, sort of, but it’s excusable because she IS a phenomenal actress.

So why this post about Adama shaving? Well I guess I’m as fascinated with watching Adama shave as the writers seem to be, even as series co-creator Ron Moore has reportedly (in a podcast) said he is, even though he also reportedly said he’s unsure why. For me, it’s probably more a fascination with Edward James Olmos. Okay, that and it just seems … different … for them to so frequently show him shaving.

Why do I say “different?” Well, shaving is something of a private activity, a personal grooming ritual that usually doesn’t have an audience, nor is it something shared with others. It’s not like, say, Star Trek’s Captain Picard having a cup of tea, which is a social activity or at least one with socializing potential. Shaving, on the other hand, isn’t like that. It’s viewed not as a luxury or indulgence or even as a source of comfort, but as a utilitarian task that millions of men do every day without fanfare.

Now, all that said, I think the shaving scenes with Adama are strangely poignant, whether the writers intend them that way or not. They give us a better look at the man behind the stern, studious mask of command. In fact, I have begun to think his frequent shaving is somehow therapeutic for him, that it’s not always rooted in a desire to appear well-groomed, and likely stems from a need to put things in their proper place, to tidy his thoughts and feelings, and the act of shaving helps him do that. It’s a coping mechanism, I suppose, sort of like stepping back and taking a deep breath to clear your head. Of course, it’s entirely likely I’m reading too much into it, but I can’t help but find it an intriguing thing to seen depicted again and again.

Other known Adama shave-isodes:

• 33
• Exodus 2
• A Day in the Life
• Crossroads 2

***The promotional image used in this post is a copyrighted work and used here for informational and entertainment purposes ONLY.***