S04E05 - The Road Less Travelled

Pepe LeFrits

Here we go again...

Sherifu

Not overly impressed this week. I'm growing tired of the religious storyline. The mutiny on the other hand was hardly surprising and it was clear nobody was going to side with Kara. All in all a bit meh, no prez or admiral I'll give it a C.

Pepe LeFrits

Meh.

Steve.Pseudonym

It sucked. I'm very disappointed by this episode, I really liked the last one, even though a lot of people considered it a 'slow burner' (apparently a bad thing). But this was just ridiculous, I found the whole demetrius thing boring apart from the very end, and Tyrol and Baltar's 'moment' together near the end felt completely unnatural, nothing he said in that scene would have made me like him were I in Tyrol's shoes. And aside from that nothing else happened, this is an E episode for me, just felt like pure filler.

Johnny Storm

Much as I love BSG, I hope they get Season 4 out of first gear sometime soon...

Mr E

Worst one this season, very dull.

Slutmonkey57b

They're still doing an awful lot of spadework on this episode. Predictable moments building to an unknown conclusion, and all the focus is on the characters who are going through the biggest changes - tyrol, tigh, starbuck, anders, balthar.... Tyrol's reaction to balthar at the end wasn't expected or in character, but neither was his insane rant to the admiral. He's all over the place.

Gonzo_Reporter

Yeah pretty much agree with the all of you, it wasnt the best. Had they stayed with Starbuck and the rest of them it would have been alright.

The return of Leoban was very interesting though

I dont understand the Cheifs story line at all now, its getting strange.
I do think the show will become really good soon, its increaseing the tension every episode and fuelling more andmore suspision about the outcome. I cant wait

Jim

While I do enjoy these episodes I think I need something to happen. I thought when they jumped to the basestar something interesting would happen, but of course they didn't jump.

I think Baltar's role in the whole thing is to bring the Cylon's, the final five and humans together. 2 of the final five on his side now (presumably with Tyrioll taking his hand). I do agree that it was out of character for Tyrioll but I think Baltar's speech about how he did all those terrible things but has been given one last chance for salvation etc made Tyrioll want the saem forgiveness for being a Cylon, although I still think this wasn't done very well, came off as being very weak.

Goodshape

I really liked this episode. Not quite a Frakin' A, but a B for Baltar at least.

We didn't see Starbuck and co. at all last week, so was good to have have an episode focused on that. Tyrol's stuff wasn't great but I didn't mind it either. Although I think we kind of 'get' that these final four are all shocked and confused by now... moving along on that arc would be nice.

5uspect

Where the feck is this season going?

Jim

5uspect wrote: »

Where the feck is this season going?

They're they're own brothers.
Its all a dream.
Bruce Willis is a ghost.

Steve.Pseudonym

Wow, I cant believe there are people voting A and B, I mean really, have some perspective!

Volvagia

Although i didn't think this epidode was amazing, I still enjoyed it.

I quite liked the chiefs story (especially his short scene arguing with Tigh and when he choked baltar, its all about the Travis Bickle look) however by the end i was a bit annoyed that he bought into all of baltars crap and took his hand.

On the demetrius i liked watching Helo trying to choose between the military and sense, but the to be continued... brought it down a notch, it would have done wonders for the episode if they had of at least jumped to the base star instead of the mutiny cliff hanger.

So although the last couple of episodes have slowed down, I think it's still great to watch, i'm enjoying it and it's only going to get better.

GerardKeating

5uspect wrote: »

Where the feck is this season going?

Earth ???

cuckoo

Volvagia wrote: »

On the demetrius i liked watching Helo trying to choose between the military and sense, but the to be continued... brought it down a notch, it would have done wonders for the episode if they had of at least jumped to the base star instead of the mutiny cliff hanger.

True.

Although, making Starbuck appear to be as mad as a bag of squirrels took away some of the suspense - with their fuel situation the only rational choice was to go back to the fleet and find a quiet padded room for Starbuck to do her finger painting in.

If it was written with her being a lot more sane than his choices would have been more interesting.

Big 'meh' to the rise of Balthar the Prophet.

IamBeowulf

I just don't buy the whole baltar conversion from scientist to preacher thing. I think that might be why he vices his own amazement at the change---to address the viewers' own disbelief. I mean, yes, he has a seemingly all-knowing robot speaking to him in his head, and there have been surprising turn of events...but what has him so convinced of one god over many? I feel like I missed an episode where he had an epiphany. Was there something I missed?

As for Tyrol---his crisis is more understandable. His very existence disgusts him and the thought that Cally killed herself haunts him. But Michael hogan is such a great actor (I read he improvises alot too) that I really felt for him.

Tigh seems to be relegated to keeping the final Four in line, like a headmaster. Bit boring. Hopefully the Six/Ellen mixup will be explained. Hopefully, we'll se more of his fun=to-watch angry side

Starbuck really ticks me off, she's like a strung-out junkie, changing emotions mercurially and expecting blind evotion from her beleaguered crewmates as if she isn't at all mad. Leoben's arrival only infuriated me more. How did she know where he was?

I really hope the climax of this show doesn't hinge on a big God Found Us moment, like He was guiding them towards earth all along. I would literally punch a hole in my tv in fury

Overall, not bad, but not good. "Meh" seems to describe it perfectly.

Overheal

Scientist to priest: consider what he's been through. In a nutshell he was a focal point for the genocide of the human race; his vision of the hybrid child in the opera house on Kobol; the inexplicable events surrounding 6; Again being turned into a tool of more human suffering on New Caprica; his time spent with the Cylons and the evnts surrounding Deanna Bears and the Eye of Jupiter... Its a natural progression for the character, based on everything that he has undergone. He was already beginning to change during the end of season 3 as the trial was taking place.

Tyrol wasnt hard to understand at all. He was already open to going to hear what Baltar had to say before he lashed out. Baltar really reached out to him, talking about fate and all that; and finding your place in it all. They reached a common ground on that point.

Starbuck - always a mystery. Strange of course how she found Leobhan but so is everything else about her since her re-appearance in the Nebula. No surprises in the mutiny obviously, but oh well. I'm interested in what the visit to the Hybrid will bring and also why there isnt a Raptor on the Demetrius - because surely she and Leobhan could just jump ship on that and let everyone else make the rendezvous with the fleet.

Either way, I enjoyed this episode and never found myself bored. The odd bout of CGI helps too. B.

monkeyfudge

Volvagia wrote: »

I quite liked the chiefs story (especially his short scene arguing with Tigh and when he choked baltar, its all about the Travis Bickle look)

I found it to be more of a Pvt. Pyle look...



Interesting how the baby started crying when he turned off Baltar's pirate radio transmission and went quiet again when it was put back on.

CodeMonkey

Jimeatsmenu wrote: »

They're they're own brothers.

I usually keep quiet about spelling and grammar mistakes but how can someone type them together and not realise it?

Johnny Storm

Iamawolf wrote: »

Starbuck really ticks me off, she's like a strung-out junkie, changing emotions mercurially ....

+1

Yep! In seasons 1 and 2 she was pretty cool but since then the writers seem to have completely lost their way with her. Her character doesn't make any sense and is just annoying. "They have a plan" - in my bollox!

Jim

CodeMonkey wrote: »

I usually keep quiet about spelling and grammar mistakes but how can someone type them together and not realise it?

I'm dyslexic. Please don't insult me, I get very upset about it.

Conor108

I thought it was a pretty boring episode tbh. The whole Baltar religion stuff is abit meh

Pepe LeFrits

Forgot to mention that the blood on Leoben's teeth really irritated me during his conversation with Starbuck. His teeth kept alternating from pearly white to blood soaked red! Bad gaff.

Praetorian

I'm surprised by the general consensus in the posts. I thought it was a very good ep; at least as good if not better than most of the previous eps. Great to get a break from el prez and boring apollo. CG is getting better all the time. I can't wait to see what happens with the mutiny on the Demetrius!

Praetorian

CodeMonkey wrote: »

I usually keep quiet about spelling and grammar mistakes but how can someone type them together and not realise it?

Take it easy please CodeMonkey. The rules say you have to be civil and courteous. People don't post to have their typos or otherwise pointed out.

IamBeowulf

Praetorian wrote: »

I'm surprised by the general consensus in the posts. I thought it was a very good ep; at least as good if not better than most of the previous eps. Great to get a break from el prez and boring apollo. CG is getting better all the time. I can't wait to see what happens with the mutiny on the Demetrius!

That's where my frustration lies: another mutiny, another Starbuck-caused-some-sh!t-episode, another "we're going the wrong way!!!" moment. Meh.

I just wish there wasn't this feeling of stalling---the same feeling that I believe starved S3 of any fun until the very end. Have they really run out of ideas?

Let's see Starbuck calm, focused and ready to take on the universe.

Let's see Anders fight his Cylon pathos (so far, no conflict whatsoever, what the frak?).

Let's see Helo be the legend again (best character in S1 after Baltar---IMO of course!)

And for gods sake let's see Apollo overthrow Roslin as he so clearly intends to.

All this shadowplay is making my teeth hurt.

Overheal

Praetorian wrote: »

I'm surprised by the general consensus in the posts. I thought it was a very good ep; at least as good if not better than most of the previous eps. Great to get a break from el prez and boring apollo. CG is getting better all the time. I can't wait to see what happens with the mutiny on the Demetrius!

thanks a lot thats going to haunt me now - i managed to miss it.

TerrorFirmer

Great episode I thought, it actually had be engrossed unlike the preceding few episodes which I really did feel were filler. At least there's a sense of the plot going somewhere - not quite clear yet, and it is a bit confusing, but it's going somewhere. Baltar never fails to engage. The cliffhanger on the Demetrius had me hooked, and while you couldn't say it wasn't totally predictable, it is at least an improvement on some of the other 'cliffhangers' - Starbuck's breaking into Roselins quarters, etc.

I actually expected that this episode would actually be the one to kill off up to several characters, minor or otherwise, thinking Starbuck's fervor in finding earth would actually see her shoot someone over the inevitable attempted mutiny. Still hoping for next episode!

Good that the Cylon civil war isn't decisively over.

Johnny Storm

IamBeowulf wrote: »

Let's see Anders fight his Cylon pathos (so far, no conflict whatsoever, what the frak?)...

IMHO that's cos he had no actual character to begin with

Kiith

I enjoyed the episode. Was another slow one, but i thought it was good. Tyrol really is fraked in the head right now, and i actually like Baltar's rebirth of sorts.

User45701

I thought that as they were being anti starbuck i thought someone was going to do a Cain.

MisterAnarchy

The worst episode of series 4 by far.
I am fed up of Starbuck's character and the poor acting of Katee Sackhoff.
In all honesty how could she captain a ship ,she is insane.
Rank order seems to be abolished in the fleet these days.
Too much rehashing of old storylines,too much focus on certain characters,to little suspense,too little logic.
Half way through the first half of season 4 and to be honest its no great shakes.

Dr. Baltar

This was a slow, boring episode in my opinion.

Basically:

"Lets head back"
"nah give us a sec - see look there's Leoben"
"but that's a bad thing"
"no it's not"
"look listen we're heading back"
"no"
"we are"

Meanwhile....

"Religion blah blah blah"
"ok"


Frak sake BSG, hurry up!

Khannie

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

The worst episode of series 4 by far.

I thought it was a vast improvement over last weeks episode tbh. VAST. I judged this with: When it was over, I wanted to see what was coming next. Pretty good says I.

monkeyfudge wrote: »

Interesting how the baby started crying when he turned off Baltar's pirate radio transmission and went quiet again when it was put back on.

Didn't notice that actually.

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Forgot to mention that the blood on Leoben's teeth really irritated me during his conversation with Starbuck. His teeth kept alternating from pearly white to blood soaked red! Bad gaff.

I did notice this though. Stupid.

User45701

if you have a bleeding gum and you suck the blood/salavia into one blob then you spit it out your teeth would be clean for a few seconds before the blood is visiable again

Pepe LeFrits

No, they wouldn't.

Stark

monkeyfudge wrote: »

I found it to be more of a Pvt. Pyle look...

Same here. I was waiting for a bathroom and shotgun scene. (Ended up being a handgun instead).

Another "Meh" from me by the way. I find the scenes with Baltar as a prophet to be boring and I think they should have ended his story following his term with the cylons tbh. Also, Tyrol seems to have assimilated the spirit of his whiny wife following her death. Cally may be dead but her constant moaning is sure living on. I wonder where that annoying baby gets it from...

The stuff on the Demetrius is somewhat interesting. Just manages to raise the episode from an E to a D.

Khannie

Having had a few bloody mouths in my time, I can say with some certainty.....

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

No, they wouldn't.

No way. No how. Especially not to the shiny white level that his were. It was a cock up. Pure and simple.

ivan087

Khannie wrote: »

Having had a few bloody mouths in my time, I can say with some certainty.....



No way. No how. Especially not to the shiny white level that his were. It was a cock up. Pure and simple.

what the hell?!?! you are talking about peoples teeth in the episode!?!?!

anyway, i hate this whole talk of filler! just how is it filler - its the last season - it is building up for the end of the series. things need to happen and things are happening. some people just havent got a long attention span. they just want to see vipers blowing s*** up or watch peoples teeth.

nhughes100

Not the worst episdode but the whole series so far is very very slow. I'm more a traditional sci fi fan and prefer the fight scenes with battlestars, base ships, vipers and raiders all over the place but there's been more emphasis on character depth so far. There were a few filler episodes in season 3 too. Compare this to season 1 where it was a rollarcoaster ride every time. Can't say I'll be rushing out to buy the box set , still haven't talked myself into buying season 3.

degrassinoel

monkeyfudge wrote: »

I found it to be more of a Pvt. Pyle look...



Interesting how the baby started crying when he turned off Baltar's pirate radio transmission and went quiet again when it was put back on.

i thought the exact same thing about private pyle lol,

the baby crying though, i put that down to white noise from the wireless background or baltar's boring monotone voice being interupted leaving only the skipping.

i miss the old chief, i really hope they dont make his character a devious cylon twat, although he has been fairly dodgy in some parts.. especially on the algae planet, and then the whole Boomer thing..

Khannie

ivan087 wrote: »

what the hell?!?! you are talking about peoples teeth in the episode!?!?!

They made a cock up. it's being talked about. Get over it!

User45701

degrassinoel wrote: »

i thought the exact same thing about private pyle lol,

the baby crying though, i put that down to white noise from the wireless background or baltar's boring monotone voice being interupted leaving only the skipping.

i miss the old chief, i really hope they dont make his character a devious cylon twat, although he has been fairly dodgy in some parts.. especially on the algae planet, and then the whole Boomer thing..

I think the baby crying did mean something i mean it is either 1/2 cylon or it is a cylon.

The thing i dont understand is the 4 cylon models, their memories where programmed into them right?

Tigh wanders into a bar with programed memories of fighting in the 1st war? or did he fight in the first war? Either way he befrends Adama.

Tori really came out of nowhere

Chief has talked about parents and he also served on the Valkyrie with adama?

Anders? This is the one that i wonder about, he was a famous sports person so the captin of any sport team who wins a world cup/competation becomes famous and has his/her life explored by people from the likes of the sun, there person life kinda gets investigated so one would assume that even a reporter from a normel newspaper or whatever would thought it odd that this person has no school record or any parents?

Jim

User45701 wrote: »

I think the baby crying did mean something i mean it is either 1/2 cylon or it is a cylon.

The thing i dont understand is the 4 cylon models, their memories where programmed into them right?

Tigh wanders into a bar with programed memories of fighting in the 1st war? or did he fight in the first war? Either way he befrends Adama.

Tori really came out of nowhere

Chief has talked about parents and he also served on the Valkyrie with adama?

Anders? This is the one that i wonder about, he was a famous sports person so the captin of any sport team who wins a world cup/competation becomes famous and has his/her life explored by people from the likes of the sun, there person life kinda gets investigated so one would assume that even a reporter from a normel newspaper or whatever would thought it odd that this person has no school record or any parents?

They've lived in a normal life, from birth till now. Their parents before them were the "final five" and they take their place as generations progress. The final five have been in the colonies since the start.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

wouldn't their parents be the final ten?

User45701

Jimeatsmenu wrote: »

They've lived in a normal life, from birth till now. Their parents before them were the "final five" and they take their place as generations progress. The final five have been in the colonies since the start.

I dont undersstand how that would work.

If both parents where cylons that would make too many so thats ruled out. Perhaps once cylon parent? Then why arnt they 1/2 human? and if its been going on for generations then the cylon cide would be "bread out" Also if thats explaine dby cylon genes being more dominant then there would be more than the final 5 because many man/women have more than 1 chid and if cylon blood takes priority the cylon final 5 population would increase.

When you think about it none of the 4 have any solid history that we know of, just like boomer.

The thing that does not make sense is why/how

Heres another one thats been rattleing in my brain.

Tell me where i go wrong...

The 13 tribes lived in pease with the gods on kobol,
there was a skism and the 12 tribes went one way while the other went to earth. Makes sense so far.

This is where i get confused, how can the scrools of pithia or any colonial document have ANY info on the journey of the 13th tribe? how did they know about the lions head with the blinking eye or anything else that happened to the 13th tribe?

Jim

User45701 wrote: »

I dont undersstand how that would work.

If both parents where cylons that would make too many so thats ruled out. Perhaps once cylon parent? Then why arnt they 1/2 human? and if its been going on for generations then the cylon cide would be "bread out" Also if thats explaine dby cylon genes being more dominant then there would be more than the final 5 because many man/women have more than 1 chid and if cylon blood takes priority the cylon final 5 population would increase.

When you think about it none of the 4 have any solid history that we know of, just like boomer.

The thing that does not make sense is why/how

Heres another one thats been rattleing in my brain.

Tell me where i go wrong...

The 13 tribes lived in pease with the gods on kobol,
there was a skism and the 12 tribes went one way while the other went to earth. Makes sense so far.

This is where i get confused, how can the scrools of pithia or any colonial document have ANY info on the journey of the 13th tribe? how did they know about the lions head with the blinking eye or anything else that happened to the 13th tribe?

The way I think of it is...

The final five are the only Cylons left over from the old civilsation which was wiped out in a war similar to the one we're seeing (the name Final Five could also mean they are the final five remaining Cylon's from the last civilsation). The final five helped the last civilisation of humans found the colonies, and then they passed their programming down through generations to their children. The only resonable explanation I can think of is that they were programmed to only have 1 child, hence why there's only 5 left now. About the Cylon gene being breed out, I can't really comment, perhaps its just more dominant, or progammed to survive.

What supports this in my mind is that the final five are hybrids. Half human half cylon. This is why the current baby hybrids are so important. They're going to help found the new civilsation and they are going to be the "final" cylons of the current show. I believe this theory is supported by the current cylon war. They'll wipe each other and the only remants of them will the the hybrid children.

All this has happened before, all will happen again etc...

User45701

i do see where your coming from, the only way it could possibly make sense is if your right and they are programed to only have one child.

Talisman

nhughes100 wrote: »

I'm more a traditional sci fi fan and prefer the fight scenes with battlestars, base ships, vipers and raiders all over the place

Sci-fi isn't all about space battles and blowing **** up.

ivan087

5uspect wrote: »

Where the feck is this season going?

i really dont get people who are unhappy with the way the season is going. and i dont get people who call it 'filler'. yeah, so you're entitled to your opinion and all that. but 'filler', 'nothing happening', 'where is the season going?'....

ok so in the past few episodes we have had this:

various characters struggling with themselves and their identities, one character killing herself, toasters becoming more aware, cylon civil war, starbuck getting her own ship to search for earth, a possible alliance, the relationship between adama and roslin, baltar becoming a religous figurehead, amazing cgi, action and acting...

how are these episodes filler? how can you not see the build up to something big? for me this series is getting very interesting. it evolves so much each season. just look back at what each character has been through!!!

there are only so much space battles a show can do. how can you write a show where one battleship is fighting cylons every week. it would be silly (how could it survive?!) and it would be boring. we've had some amazing battles with first class cgi, but it is not over used. this show is and always was about searching for earth and it's characters.

it wasn't the best episode, not by a long shot. there are flaws, but tv can not be perfect. this is 20 hours of tv in a season and it is very hard to get it right. but this episode kept things moving a long nicely. i rest my case