“The Road Less Traveled”

Sometimes an episode is needed to propel a show to a next big arc. I couldn’t shake the feeling that “Road Less Traveled” was exactly that epsiode. Unfortunately, episodes like these are not very good at standing alone.

There are two overall arcs to this episode. First off is we get a main storyline from the Demetrius crew which had been relegated to quick shots so that we didn’t forget about them in the past few episodes. The second details an unlikely relationship that develops between Tyrol and Baltar.

Overacting permeates this episode from pretty much all angles. In fact, only Helo’s character is one I could totally believe wasn’t a caricature of himself as he defends his friend.

On Galactica, Chief is a changed man. He’s shaved his head and is still investigating what happened to Cally, even as Tory tries to get him to move on. It’s obvious we are working towards a Cylon vs. Cylon battle.

He listens to one of Baltar’s increasingly popular monotheistic sermons on the radio as Baltar decries the gods as fake and that only the one god can answer prayers.

He decides to visit the next session (as he is without his son, I’m guessing Galactica must have good day care for former Chiefs.

At the sermon, Tigh pulls him aside to tell him to get over it. Tyrol is not happy to hear it and lashes back out at Tigh pointing out how often he’s been with Six recently, before walking away.

After more introspection into Cally’s death, Tyrol returns to Baltar’s next sermon, almost aimlessly. He tries to leave when Baltar notices him and reaches out, telling him to let go of his emotions and take his hand in friendship as it’s what Cally would have wanted.

At this Tyrol snaps and violently chokes Baltar before letting him go, storming back to his empty room (great day care again!), and trashing it, pulling a gun and nearly killling himself.

There is certainly some overacting on Tyrol’s part here, but I must admit — being a machine, it may be a depiction of the machines imperfection at matching true emotion.

Not too long afterwards, Baltar comes to visit Tyrol. Nervously looking at Tyrol who has a gun on his hip while laying down, Baltar apologizes for making assumptions about Cally. Furthermore he admits to having made many heinous mistakes, but that he is trying to find himself and his purpose. He asks for Tyrol’s forgiveness and at the end Tyrol offers his hand in friendship. It is an interesting moment, I’ll give you that and Tyrol’s acting is actually much better, as he hides his emotions perfectly behind a mask, but you can see his wheel turning.

The only problem I have is that if they are truly going to try to legitimize Baltar, it seems such a lazy way out for the character. I wonder if they have simply run out of ideas for him but are trying to keep him around somehow.

Back on the Demetrius, we are shown another character who is not quite what we remember. While I certainly understand the point of making Starbuck not be herself, after five episodes — it’s growing annoying very quickly. While she isn’t shrieking for the most part, she still just isn’t fun to watch.

Together, the crew of the Demetrius has ever reason to have grown a little disenfranchised with her, especially as the deadline looms where they were supposed to jump back to the fleet, and furthermore as Starbuck takes in a Leoben model-Cylon they find during a recon mission.

Not only does she not airlock him, but she doesn’t even imprison him, putting him in her quarters as he professes to be able to help guide her where she wants to go.

As fanatical as Starbuck has gotten, it seems even a stretch for her that she would risk everything to trust a Cylon — specifically THIS Cylon.

Anders intervenes as Leoben is helping Starbuck paint, throwing him in the brig. On his own initiative he demands to know what Leoben wants with her. Leoben steadfastly claims that he only wants her to find her destiny. It is at this moment he mentions the internal conflict between the Cylons, which is taking too long to go back to, in my opinion. Leoben goes so far as to suggest a truce and alliance between the humans and the type of Cylon who “wishes to seek the truth”. It is an intriguing suggestion, but I fear it’ll play out in a contrived manner, because it is difficult to see any scenario that would be believable for such an occurrence.

Whatever possibility of trust dissolves quickly when Sgt. Erin Mathias goes out in space to check Leoben’s damaged Heavy Cylon Raider. The Raider self-destructs, killing Mathias. Of course this is the catalyst needed for a major shake up. Even Helo is having a hard time defending her actions and without him to quell the rising shout of mutiny, it’s clear that Starbuck’s days are numbered.

Starbuck herself goes in to lace into Leoben who tells her that this is the Starbuck that he remembered — and the viewers do to. I can’t help wonder if they are showing a glimpse of the old Starbuck to placate viewers. After he tells her to kill him, that he won’t resurrect out here, she relents wanting to know what he has to say. He tells her that she needs to speak with the Hybrid on his Basestar.

That contrivance is already beginning to show.

The climax of the episode happens at the end as Starbuck has decided to jump to the basestar, but Helo finally stands up to Starbuck and refuses to follow Starbuck’s jump order after pleading with her to return to the fleet at least to refuel, and check in as ordered.

Starbuck relieves Helo of command and gives it to Gaeta. But Gaeta refuses the order as well. Helo relieves Starbuck of her command.

It could have been a dramatic ending, but it was so predictable that it lost a lot of it’s zest.

I’m wary of this upcoming arc and how believable it will be, although at least it will be doing something rather than setting up.

Overall the episode was entertaining in small sections, and it certainly is committing to what it’s doing, but there’s simply too many flaws to label this as anything more than an average set-up episode.

C

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