“The Road Less Traveled” is episode five of season four of the new Battlestar Galactica.
Day 58 of the Demetrius’s mission and Helo enters Starbuck’s quarters. She thinks she’s found something. Helo wants to talk about rendezvousing with the fleet. Starbuck has a stellar photo she thinks is possible. Helo says they’ve already done two long range recons with no luck. Starbuck suggests third time is the charm. Her manner is not inspiring confidence. Helo will prep as soon as Anders is back. Starbuck isn’t getting much sleep. She also plans to fly CAP, even though she hasn’t flown since they left the fleet.
On Galactica, Gaius is speaking to a woman who lost her whole family in the Cylon attack. She needs it to make sense and she feels angry at everyone involved. Not just the Cylons, but those who built them, those who provoked them and the gods for not aiding. Gaius says the gods can’t be blamed. Because they don’t exist. He’s also broadcasting this and Tyrol, who crashed and burned in the previous episode, “Escape Velocity”, is listening in his quarters.
Helo talks to Athena; she thinks Starbuck is pushing the deadline to the last second as she’s afraid of what the admiral will say. Starbuck passes them in flight gear. She and Hot Dog lift off and Starbuck is whispering when they get a DRADIS contact. A tumbling Cylon Heavy Raider with blast damage and smoke pluming from it. Starbuck isn’t responding to Hot Dog’s requests for orders. Then Leoben contacts her. He wants to offer a truce between Cylon and human, and a chance to complete her journey.
The Raider is docked and Leoben is the only one aboard. They can’t find tracking and Leoben is brought in. He tells Starbuck she isn’t the same person. Those he left behind need Starbuck’s help. But not as much as she needs theirs. Leoben whispers in Starbuck’s ear that her crew doesn’t trust her. He’s being taken away when he says there’s a blue planet surrounded by clouds. The Hybrid will tell her amazing things. Starbuck orders Leoben be taken to her quarters.
Tory finds Tyrol at the airlock where Cally died in “The Ties That Bind”. She talks about the accident, knowing full well it isn’t. Tyrol wonders how someone can go from being on antidepressants to taking her own life. and she would never have left Nicky. He wants to work out what happened. Tory suggests maybe Cally knew. Tyrol has been different. She’s here for him and knows where he is. She’s been there and Gaius helped her. Tyrol thinks she’s spending too much time with Baltar.
Anders arrives back and is told about Leoben. He’s told Starbuck doesn’t want to be disturbed. Anders decides to talk to her and the others agree. Leoben is helping Starbuck paint. Anders knocks him down. Starbuck says Leoben can help them; the Cylons understand about Earth. She’s reminded about the mind games that Leoben played on New Caprica.
Leoben tells Anders he wants Starbuck to understand her destiny. Anders draws a gun. Leoben says that if he dies, Starbuck’s dream dies with him. He won’t download into another body. They are out of resurrection range and their base ship is damaged. It seems it survived Cavil’s ambush. Anders thinks a war between Cylons is good. Leoben suggests another way. An alliance. Save them and the Hybrid will show Starbuck the path and together they will find Earth.
Anders tells the others. No-one seems to have much confidence in Starbuck. If they meet the base ship and it’s an ambush, the Cylons will have a nav map to the fleet. Starbuck says they’d better stop that from happening then. If there’s a chance to find Earth, she intends to take it.
Gaius seems to be enjoying his new found role as a religious messiah. Though he may also be thinking a little about others for once. Tyrol is still a mess. Tory is playing games. Helo is the only one really sticking up for Starbuck, and even he seems to be doing it more out of duty than anything else. The story continues in the next episode, “Faith”.