The Road Less Traveled (2 May 2008)

When a Heavy-Raider manned by Leoben Conoy docks aboard the Demetrius, confrontations form between the crew over the possibility of a truce with Cylon rebels, while Starbuck puts her trust in an old enemy.

Director:

Michael Rymer

Writers:

Ronald D. Moore (developer), Mark Verheiden,

Stars:

Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Edward James Olmos	...	Admiral William Adama (credit only)
Mary McDonnell	...	President Laura Roslin (credit only)
Katee Sackhoff	...	Captain Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace
Jamie Bamber	...	Lee Adama (credit only)
James Callis	...	Dr. Gaius Baltar
Tricia Helfer	...	Number Six (credit only)
Grace Park	...	Lt. Sharon 'Athena' Agathon
Michael Hogan	...	Colonel Saul Tigh
Aaron Douglas	...	Chief Galen Tyrol
Tahmoh Penikett	...	Captain Karl 'Helo' Agathon
Michael Trucco	...	Ensign Samuel Anders
Alessandro Juliani	...	Lt. Felix Gaeta
Callum Keith Rennie	...	Leoben Conoy
Rekha Sharma	...	Tory Foster
Bodie Olmos	...	Lt. Brendan 'Hot Dog' Constanza

Storyline

The Demetrius, with Starbuck in command, has now been searching for Earth for 58 days and the time is fast approaching for them to rendezvous with the fleet. Helo is worried that she's becoming unhinged and the crew is on the brink of a mutiny. On a recon mission, Starbuck and Hot Dog come across a badly damaged Cylon Heavy Raider with Leoben Conoy on board. He tells Starbuck that only he can show her the way to Earth. Leoben also tells Sam Anders about the war that has broken out among the Cylons and that they need the colonial fleet's help. On the Galactica, Tyrol has yet to get over his wife's death and simply doesn't believe she committed suicide. He tells Tory Foster he will figure out what happened to her.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Details

Release Date:

2 May 2008 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

David Eick Productions, R&D TV

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael Trucco reads the "Previously on Battlestar Galactica" line at the beginning of the episode.

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Goofs

When Kara and Leoben are talking after Leoben's heavy raider explodes, the blood makeup on Leoben's face changes dramatically from one shot to another.

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Quotes

[a large meeting of people listening to Baltar speak is being held]
Dr. Gaius Baltar: The past is written, impossible to change. Why are so many of us living in the past, living with the shame of what we have done, when we could live in awe of what we might do? What we might do.
[We see Chief Tyrol coming upon the fringes of the meeting and listening]
Dr. Gaius Baltar: What will we do? Spiral endlessly through the heavens until humanity itself comes to a close?
[We see Tigh appear in the corridor behind Tyrol]
Dr. Gaius Baltar: Or do we look inward ...
[...]

User Reviews

Can Leoben be trusted?

After fifty eight days away from the fleet only two days remain before Starbuck and the crew of the Demetrius must return to the fleet; whether they have found a clue to the way to Earth or not. Starbuck is convinced they will still succeed and for the first time flies one of the missions herself. They don't find what she was hoping to but she does find a heavily damaged Cylon raider; it only has one occupant; a Leoben who tells Starbuck of the division in Cylon society and claims that the hybrid on his ship can help find the way to Earth. He suggests an alliance between the colonials and his group of Cylons; Starbuck is inclined to agree with him but nobody else on the Demetrius trusts him and believes they must return to the fleet. Back on the fleet Tyrol is still having difficulties coming to terms with Cally's death and goes to one of Baltar's meetings to hear what he has to say.

This was an interesting episode; there wasn't a lot of action but there are hints of things to come; will Starbuck's opinion prevail and if it does can Leoben and his group of Cylons be trusted? The feeling that her crew could mutiny is constant throughout the episode and rises after an accident kills one of the crew. Callum Keith Rennie makes a welcome return as Leoben; the Cylon obsessed with Starbuck's destiny. The regular cast all perform well; especially Katee Sackhoff who convincingly plays Starbuck as a woman who may be right or could just want to be right so badly that she will risk everything. The cliffhanger ending had me keen to watch the next episode to discover if they would return to the fleet or head to the Cylon base star as suggested by Leoben.