nBSG Episode 405: "The Road Less Traveled"

[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.

[Gaidin]

I'm positive Moore and Eick always meant to bring her back. For frak's sake, look at *how* she was "killed."

There's also the fact that she was gone for what...3 episodes before they put her on screen again?

[Thag]

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.

In universe, there's no good reason I can think of. Out of universe, I'm betting on it being used as a vehicle to thin the cast out. They're rapidly approaching the end of the story, and they have a bunch of loose ends to tie up, which include a small swarm of background characters. So, TPTB take a bunch, drop them on Battlestar Portapotty under the command of the queen of the loony bin, and watch the body parts fly. It's already taken care of Mathias for them, it should be good for at least one or two others. Frankly, if I were Gaeta, Seelix, or Hot Dog, I'd be real careful around unsecured hatches, loose wires, or misaligned engine nozzles for the next week or two.

[Burak Gazan]

You know, the more that I think about it, the madder it gets me --- these people fucking VOLUNTEERED to go along with her, on the chance that she could prove that she was right. They didn't have to ship on this steaming pile of crap, nor do they deserve to be treated like unwanted appendages to the almighty Starbuck. And now, she wants to BELIEVE Leoben (even if what he has said about a Cylon civil war is true) This is the fucking model that had her so far round the bend, she wanted to just hurt people.

Would it kill her to just , maybe once, jump back into fucking reality for a moment and act like a colonial officer?
Then again, she is a true fuck-up. Always has been. And now, there is no Lee Adama anywhere in sight to throw the brakes on or smack her in the mouth. This is not going to be a happy ending no matter how it plays out.

[Gil Hamilton]

I doubt they volunteered for this thing. Anders might have, but remember how pissed off Gaeta was at Starbuck even before Adama hatched this thing? There is no way he'd go on Kara's Crazy Bus without Adama directly ordering him to.

[Vympel]

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?

Fucking A. I was watching it with a friend and we both said he looked like Pvt Pile.

[Elessar]

The only thing good about this episode is the feeling of happiness when Helo finally tells Starbuck to shove it. And even that's stretching it, since everyone knows that Starbuck's going to be right in the end.

Fucking Mary-Sue.

[Nephtys]

The only thing good about this episode is the feeling of happiness when Helo finally tells Starbuck to shove it. And even that's stretching it, since everyone knows that Starbuck's going to be right in the end.

Fucking Mary-Sue.

Starbuck isn't a Mary-Sue. Mary Sues are so perfect and loved by everyone. Starbuck is a drunk who has people constantly calling her a crazy frackup behind her back. She's merely 'speshul', because the plot demands it so.

[Elessar]

The only thing good about this episode is the feeling of happiness when Helo finally tells Starbuck to shove it. And even that's stretching it, since everyone knows that Starbuck's going to be right in the end.

Fucking Mary-Sue.

Starbuck isn't a Mary-Sue. Mary Sues are so perfect and loved by everyone. Starbuck is a drunk who has people constantly calling her a crazy frackup behind her back. She's merely 'speshul', because the plot demands it so.

Perhaps she isn't universally loved, but she fits enough of the other annoyances; including how she's always right by author fiat, angsty past including child abuse, responsible for the tragic loss of a loved one, good at everything she does (from best pilot in the fleet to best shot in the fleet) etc etc.

[Vympel]

Frankly, I don't see how this is going to be satisfactorily wrapped up. For example:-

1. Will Earth have the 13th Colony there? If not, where are they? Anyone remember the satellite that infected the Cylon (why don't they use plural?) in Season 3? I bet you forgot.

2. How are they going to explain the destruction of Starfuck's Viper in front of Apollo's very eyes, followed by her return two months later light years away in a brand spanking new Viper Mk II?

3. What is Head-Six? What is Head-Baltar?

4. Why did the Hidden Four hear music when they reached the nebula?!

5. How the hell can Saul Tigh be a Cylon if he fought in the first war?

6. What the fuck are the Basestar-Hybrids talking about? Why should it know anything in particular about the way to Earth?

7. The "freeing" of the Centurions - anything going to happen with that? At all? Where were they freed? Certainly not every ship.

The list goes on. I don't see how they can satisfactorily explain ... well, anything.

And as for this Cylon-Human alliance - just no. They're genocidal maniacs, for fuck's sake.

[Sam Or I]

3. What is Head-Six? What is Head-Baltar?

This one I don't think they ever should completely wrap it up. I think it should be kept a mystery, and Baltar should be left alone on an empty planet as head-six for his only companion. I see it as the most fitting end for this character.

[CaptJodan]

Frankly, I don't see how this is going to be satisfactorily wrapped up.

But....it says "All will be revealed". Every week. You know, like how "And they have a Plan". Surely you cannot suggest that they might be lying to us.

[Haruko]

You know, the more that I think about it, the madder it gets me --- these people fucking VOLUNTEERED to go along with her, on the chance that she could prove that she was right.

Um, really? Can you point out when that was pointed out in the show? All I recall is Anders telling Starbuck that "some of us volunteered for this, you know", to which Starbuck playfully responds along the lines of, "You mean you?" or otherwise to imply that she thinks it's just him or a very small portion of the crew.

[Haruko]

Just my baseless responses. . .

1. Will Earth have the 13th Colony there? If not, where are they? Anyone remember the satellite that infected the Cylon (why don't they use plural?) in Season 3? I bet you forgot.

What about, Earth is there, but the 13th Colony isn't. The history of Kobol is false. Earth is the actual home world of the humans. I noticed that as Galactica gets closer to Earth, and finds these artifacts like the Temple of Athena, the 13th colony artifact floating in space that infected and scared the fuck out of the Cylons, and the Temple of Five--as they find these things, the carbon dating shows that there's a progression of age.

3. What is Head-Six? What is Head-Baltar?

Incarnations of the jealous god of Kobol who tried to rise above the rest, trying to turn the people away from the gods using an influential figure.

[Burak Gazan]

You know, the more that I think about it, the madder it gets me --- these people fucking VOLUNTEERED to go along with her, on the chance that she could prove that she was right.

Um, really? Can you point out when that was pointed out in the show? All I recall is Anders telling Starbuck that "some of us volunteered for this, you know", to which Starbuck playfully responds along the lines of, "You mean you?" or otherwise to imply that she thinks it's just him or a very small portion of the crew.

It's been a couple weeks, but when they hauled her out of lockup onto the hangar deck I seem to recall in the course of the scene with Admiral Adama , Helo saying something to the effect " we've got a crew of volunteers for you" Perhaps someone has the scene recorded, I might have just misheard it but it sure sounded like that.

And volunteer or assigned, no one needs to put up with her psychotic bullshit

[Uraniun235]

Frankly, I don't see how this is going to be satisfactorily wrapped up. For example:-

1. Will Earth have the 13th Colony there? If not, where are they? Anyone remember the satellite that infected the Cylon (why don't they use plural?) in Season 3? I bet you forgot.

2. How are they going to explain the destruction of Starfuck's Viper in front of Apollo's very eyes, followed by her return two months later light years away in a brand spanking new Viper Mk II?

3. What is Head-Six? What is Head-Baltar?

4. Why did the Hidden Four hear music when they reached the nebula?!

5. How the hell can Saul Tigh be a Cylon if he fought in the first war?

6. What the fuck are the Basestar-Hybrids talking about? Why should it know anything in particular about the way to Earth?

7. The "freeing" of the Centurions - anything going to happen with that? At all? Where were they freed? Certainly not every ship.

The list goes on. I don't see how they can satisfactorily explain ... well, anything.

And as for this Cylon-Human alliance - just no. They're genocidal maniacs, for fuck's sake.

You forgot one: "We know more about your gods than you do." Come on, there needs to be something to that, or at least something beyond "yeah they're all false lol" to justify her smug assertion.

There's also the whole "uh just how the fuck did the Cylons get this way" issue, because honestly it doesn't seem to add up, at least not yet. Who programmed the human-Cylons, and why?

[Haruko]

You forgot one: "We know more about your gods than you do." Come on, there needs to be something to that, or at least something beyond "yeah they're all false lol" to justify her smug assertion.

You mean that comment by Sharon during the episode involving the Temple of Athena? When she said that all I took from that was that they've better inform themselves generally about the humans' religion, not that there's something more in there that has to do with all these mysteries that haven't been explained yet.

[Haruko]

Not saying I disagree that there's something more to it, though.

[weemadando]

For those still riding the nBSG writers love-train.

Pray tell, WHAT THE FUCK WAS THE CYLON PLAN AGAIN?

Anyone? Anyone at all?

[Spanky The Dolphin]

For those still riding the nBSG writers love-train.

Pray tell, WHAT THE FUCK WAS THE CYLON PLAN AGAIN?

Anyone? Anyone at all?

Kill all humans?

[weemadando]

For those still riding the nBSG writers love-train.

Pray tell, WHAT THE FUCK WAS THE CYLON PLAN AGAIN?

Anyone? Anyone at all?

Kill all humans?

Ya-huh.

[Ohma]

For those still riding the nBSG writers love-train.

Pray tell, WHAT THE FUCK WAS THE CYLON PLAN AGAIN?

Anyone? Anyone at all?

1.KILL ALL HUMANS!
2.Hunt down and kill survivors.
3.Imprison and experiment on select survivors.
4.Create human-cylon hybrid.
5.Uhh...crazy inconsistent and vague religious bullshit...
6.Huh?
7.Leave humans alone!
8.No wait! Seek out and live WITH humans!
9.I mean KILL ALL HUMANS! AND HUNT DOWN THE SURVIVORS!
10.No scratch that, CRAZY RELIGIOUS BULLSHIT!
11.???
12.????
13.?????
14.??????
15.???????
16.END OF LINE

[Spanky The Dolphin]

For those still riding the nBSG writers love-train.

Pray tell, WHAT THE FUCK WAS THE CYLON PLAN AGAIN?

Anyone? Anyone at all?

Kill all humans?

Ya-huh.

Alternatively: make babies!

[weemadando]

For those still riding the nBSG writers love-train.

Pray tell, WHAT THE FUCK WAS THE CYLON PLAN AGAIN?

Anyone? Anyone at all?

1.KILL ALL HUMANS!
2.Hunt down and kill survivors.
3.Imprison and experiment on select survivors.
4.Create human-cylon hybrid.
5.Uhh...crazy inconsistent and vague religious bullshit...
6.Huh?
7.Leave humans alone!
8.No wait! Seek out and live WITH humans!
9.I mean KILL ALL HUMANS! AND HUNT DOWN THE SURVIVORS!
10.No scratch that, CRAZY RELIGIOUS BULLSHIT!
11.???
12.????
13.?????
14.??????
15.???????
16.END OF LINE

And the above shows exactly why I can't wait for this abortion of a show to end now.

[Anguirus]

Well, it's a good thing they're ending it this season then.