nBSG Episode 405: "The Road Less Traveled"

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Rate the Episode:

Poll ended at 2008-05-10 08:05pm

5
3
7%
4
18
39%
3
12
26%
2
6
13%
1
7
15%
 
Total votes: 46

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Gil Hamilton
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Post by Gil Hamilton »

Imperial Overlord wrote:She's a marine in a space fleet. It's quite likely that she was the most EVA qualified of any of the characters on the Demetrius. Demetrius's crew seems to be rather small, but stocked with some of the best people in the fleet.
Does it strike anyone as StarTrek syndrome that they put so many important people in the fleet on the Garbage Scow Demetrius? I mean, a whole lot of important faces were put under the command of someone that Adama was clearly humoring out of affection in order to cover all possible bases.

You'd think it would be staffed with fairly expendable people given what a whackaloon Starbuck is acting as, but of course, half the speaking cast is on the ship. It's like the the side shuttle mission staffed with Riker, Geordi, Data, Troi, and Ensign Ricky.

And of course they are going to make Starbuck right in the end. At this point, i they didn't, they'd be wasting everyones time, which kind of ticks me off. :x
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Post by Anguirus »

And of course they are going to make Starbuck right in the end. At this point, i they didn't, they'd be wasting everyones time, which kind of ticks me off. Mad
It seems to me that Baltar and Starbuck are being manipulated by different, possibly opposing cosmic forces of some kind. I doubt, the way this show is going, that either of them will wind up being 100% "right."

For instance, what if Starbuck is leading the fleet to Earth AND their own destruction?
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This is the guy they want to use to win over "young people?" Are they completely daft? I'd rather vote for a pile of shit than a Jesus freak social regressive.
Here's hoping that his political career goes down in flames and, hopefully, a hilarious gay sex scandal.
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Post by CaptJodan »

Zuul wrote: No, Baltar has become Jesus, not a mouthpiece for the writer's religious beliefs, have you not been paying attention?
Yes, I have. And I don't disagree that he's being used as a Jesus character, though I point out that Jesus wasn't a fucking atheist turned religious person. This kind of "I was an atheist, but I realize now that there is something more" is very much a Moore meme. I've always had a sneaking suspicion that Baltar was Moore's alter ego long before now.

But yes, no shit he's being used as a Jesus figure. But that's not all he is.

[Does it strike anyone as StarTrek syndrome that they put so many important people in the fleet on the Garbage Scow Demetrius? I mean, a whole lot of important faces were put under the command of someone that Adama was clearly humoring out of affection in order to cover all possible bases.[/quote]

It shows, like you said, that she's likely to be right in some way. Her mission will be vitally important, otherwise they wouldn't bother putting those important characters on there.

In universe, I imagine Adama said he wanted people he could trust on the mission. People who could stop Starbuck clearly Adama overestimated this group, since we see her make it next week. I actually wonder if she just lets the Demetrius go and takes a Raptor herself if she got out of hand. He probably didn't offer Ensign Ricky a spot on the crew even if he volunteered.
For instance, what if Starbuck is leading the fleet to Earth AND their own destruction?
I'm wondering how Roslin will fit in it. Presumably she dies before they reach Earth, but she (in my view more than Starbuck) is very high on the gods and her very status as a prophet hangs in the balance over what Baltar is doing. I almost feel as if there is 3 religions going on. The OTG, the gods, and Starbuck's wackiness, who really isn't attributed at this point to either.

I just remember that I liked the whole god/gods thing better when it was far less literal. When Baltar repented in "33", it could have (and probably was) just coincidence that he repented just as Roslin chose to blow the Olympic Carrier out of the sky. When he guessed the right spot to hit in the Tyllium refinery, again that could be due to dumb luck. Even when Baltar tried to strangle himself with his tie, while harder to justify, still was in the realm of "well, he put his arm up and tried to strangle himself thinking it was Six". But that kind of lurching way in which he got up when Six helped him up last week, the miracle fever break of the child, all have pushed past the boundary of being one or the other. You can't wish it away, something else is going on. It was more interesting when you weren't sure. Now that it's clear something else is going on, we should just get on with what it is, because I'm no longer interested in the "maybe it is, maybe it isn't" question.
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Post by [R_H] »

Anguirus wrote:^ I guess that's a point, but I was still quite surprised to see her face beneath the helmet, considering her presence on the ship was never foreshadowed, nor were her technical qualifications (she wasn't storming the ship, she was trying to get at the computer I thought).
Trying to get at the computer of the Heavy Raider? I thought she was doing an EVA to check the raider for tracking devices etc.
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Post by Battlehymn Republic »

Ah, ye boobs. Gaius is supposed to be Joseph Smith, not Jesus.
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Post by Crown »

1 out of 5

You know, I was so sad when they announced that this would be the last season, now I'm kind of glad.
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Post by Vympel »

I agree with Crown on the rating. These past two episodes are Fucking Boring. Nothing interesting has happened in either.

And I'm Oh So Tired of Starbuck's bullshit. It's no secret I've never been a fan of this insufferable bitch with no redeeming features whatsoever, but the writers keep making it worse.

She acts fucking mental on the Demetrius, holed up painting pretty pictures and leading the ship around in circles over and over after whining for two episodes about how the fleet was going the wrong way and she can hear ringing or whatever other bullshit is popping into her head this week (funny how it's only the wrong way when she's not in charge, then when she's put in charge all of a sudden she hasn't the fucking foggiest idea where to go - can you imagine if this genius was given the keys to Galactica and the fleet to pursue her ringing ears?), and then when they find Leoben's Raider* - instead of doing the prudent thing and returning to the fleet to send out a properly equipped team to investigate the Basestar - if at all - she insists on going immediately without returning, even when she knows they've got to be back or they're going to miss the scheduled rendezvous. Why?

Because she's a fucking dumbass, that's why. She was a dumbass at the start of the show, and she's a dumbass now.

But that doesn't matter. Becuase the Writers Doth Decree That She Is Right, and We Shall See the Wisdom of Her Ways.

*And I'm sorry, what kind of bullshit is that? Cavill's Basestars had them dead to rights! They expect the viewers to believe that somehow they damaged a Basestar and left without finishing it off? What, do they think we're retards?

All I can say is that this better not continue in the next episode. I'm bored out of my wits.
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Post by Nephtys »

Leoben's basestar could have restored it's FTL during the missile attack and escaped. Then again, you know... Starbuck's antics are supposedly destined to screw everyone over too. If you saw Razor.
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Post by Kane Starkiller »

I always thought that the quality of the show was on a downward path ever since the pilot but now it's really starting to circle the drain.
Not only is the metaphysical bullshit becoming intolerable but the last several episodes were boring as shit and I actually watched them in the background while I did other work on computer tuning in when I thought things might get interesting.

Will they finally fucking explain what the Six appearing to Baltar really is? It's been 3 seasons, how long can they drag this out?
Honestly at this point any of Voyager's anomaly of the week episodes is just as good.
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Post by Stuart Mackey »

This series had better get to the point PDQ, I am getting turned off with the lack of direction and lack of a point to this series, what are the writer thinking, that its ok to piss of veiwers with pointless dribbling? .
The overt religeous bullshit is fucking me off no end as well.
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Post by Lord Woodlouse »

I've always assumed Ron Moore was atheist, personally. I'd be really surprised if the end of all this religious stuff is the conclusion that religion is fantastic. From everything I can gather it's being used as a tool, it's not trying to say God is real.
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Post by tim31 »

What was with all the DS9 religion stuff then??

I liked all the Tyrol stuff right up to the part where he took Baltar's hand.
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Post by Kane Starkiller »

Seeing as how Moore was a writer on DS9 which we all know featured religious crap of the highest order, mixed no less with cool battle scenes in the finale which pissed me off to no end, and has written that godawful "Barge of the Dead" Voyager episode where B'Elanna travels with her mother to Klingon hell I wouldn't be that optimistic.
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Post by Vympel »

I don't want to overstate the problem - the performances are, as always, great, as is the directing. The problem is the plots are meandering about and are fucking dull. Maybe I'm just overreacting, but there's only so much of this religious tossery I can take. Two episodes is enough. No more after this.
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Post by Ohma »

Vympel wrote:I don't want to overstate the problem - the performances are, as always, great, as is the directing. The problem is the plots are meandering about and are fucking dull. Maybe I'm just overreacting, but there's only so much of this religious tossery I can take. Two episodes is enough. No more after this.
The big problem is that RDM really has been playing the plot by ear the whole time. It worked out pretty well for the first season and a half, but he really should have gotten his stuff together and written out where the shit everything was going right after Pegasus appeared.
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Post by Skylon »

Lord Woodlouse wrote:I've always assumed Ron Moore was atheist, personally. I'd be really surprised if the end of all this religious stuff is the conclusion that religion is fantastic. From everything I can gather it's being used as a tool, it's not trying to say God is real.
I'm going to hope RDM is smart enough to never categorically say "the Cylon God is real" or any deity. If he does, I'd call that a big screw-up on his part.

As far as his religious views, I can't categorically say is he is an atheist. JMS has been on record as saying he's an atheist, yet B5 had religious overtones.
Honestly at this point any of Voyager's anomaly of the week episodes is just as good.
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Post by Stuart Mackey »

Vympel wrote:I don't want to overstate the problem - the performances are, as always, great, as is the directing. The problem is the plots are meandering about and are fucking dull. Maybe I'm just overreacting, but there's only so much of this religious tossery I can take. Two episodes is enough. No more after this.
'Faith' looks to have some semblance of direction..at least the spoiler trailer looks ok.
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Post by Anguirus »

Trying to get at the computer of the Heavy Raider? I thought she was doing an EVA to check the raider for tracking devices etc.
You are probably right. Folks were talking over the dialogue in the room. :P
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This is the guy they want to use to win over "young people?" Are they completely daft? I'd rather vote for a pile of shit than a Jesus freak social regressive.
Here's hoping that his political career goes down in flames and, hopefully, a hilarious gay sex scandal.
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Post by CaptJodan »

Skylon wrote:
Lord Woodlouse wrote: As far as his religious views, I can't categorically say is he is an atheist. JMS has been on record as saying he's an atheist, yet B5 had religious overtones.
I actually thought of this as well. Barring for the moment the wretched Lost Tales, JMS treated religion as it was. He used it as an element of humanity, neither proven nor disproven, and certainly not overly vital to the survival of B5. I don't remember any real heavy handed religious based episodes where a religion was a key component of figuring out something. Again, minus Lost Tales fiasco (and most sane people would call that utter crap).

That's not the case in nBSG. There has always been a really heavy handed "religion is important in this universe" type of vibe, though I feel very strongly that Moore has ratcheted that up. Before, they might find clues that might nudge them this way or that. Now, it's pretty much a plot point that there is no way they can find Earth without divine intervention.
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Post by Skylon »

On a note about things that I liked in this episode, the Leoben-Anders scene was well played. With Anders' immediate reaction to be to kick the shit out of the toaster who had his wife locked away on New Caprica, and ultimately Leoben starting to mind-fuck Anders.
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Post by FSTargetDrone »

It's late, I just watched this on On Demand a few hours ago and there's stuff I want to talk about, but for the moment, briefly, am I the only one who saw the chief's new haircut and immediately thought of this guy?

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Post by weemadando »

I'm bored.

Starbuck is a shitty character who is only back because she was a fan favourite who's other show got axed.

Baltar is being so painfully, obviously, set up us a Christ figure just waiting for martyrdom.

And what is with the plot-holes? I'm fucking happy that this is the last season. We're on the downhill ramp running into the shark-jump.
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Post by Chris OFarrell »

Yeah, bored now.

You know what I was hoping would happen? Starbuck, INSTEAD of walking in and demanding that they jump out to the Base Ship, has Athena come to her quarters and talks, like how Athena and Adama did just before the Resurrection Ship battle.

In that, Starbuck whines about how no-one trusts her just like she hadn't been, at which point Athena bluntly reminds her of all the shit SHE had to be dragged through to earn the trust of Adama and the fleet, yet Starbuck has come back, done everything possible to be uncooperative...and yet Adama gives her a ship and lets her pick a crew of very valuable people to go try to find Earth. That despite all the shit she has tried to pull, her crew has stood with her until this point, so fuck off, saying that she doesn't DESERVE the trust they have given her until now.

At which point Starbuck might actually grow up and jump back to the fleet with an apology.

But no, we have to have the standoff between Thrace and her crew which will probably end with Starbuck being proved right so nah nah nah.
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Post by Anguirus »

Starbuck is a shitty character who is only back because she was a fan favourite who's other show got axed.
I'm positive Moore and Eick always meant to bring her back. For frak's sake, look at *how* she was "killed."
At which point Starbuck might actually grow up and jump back to the fleet with an apology.
That would be the sensible thing to do, but it's arguable that that's not remotely in Starbuck's character. (Let lone post-death/"new" Starbuck, who seems even more extreme.)
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"I pity the woman you marry." -Liberty

This is the guy they want to use to win over "young people?" Are they completely daft? I'd rather vote for a pile of shit than a Jesus freak social regressive.
Here's hoping that his political career goes down in flames and, hopefully, a hilarious gay sex scandal.
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Post by Old Plympto »

I dunno. It seems like the only way that BSG can redeem itself by the end of the series is that Starbuck's destiny is some sort of a double-edged sword wherein her antics indirectly cases the fleet to find earth but she gets people killed (Apollo?) in some sort of catastrophe because of her insanity, becomes disabled unable to fly indefinitely and ends up living isolated from the rest of everyone else with painful guilt eating away at her until the day she dies.

Note to producers: When you hint for a couple of episodes that a ship's crew has the potential to mutiny then in this episode have the them on the verge of actual mutiny early on, when they actually mutiny... "to be continued" isn't as a potent cliffhanger as you might think.
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