The Road Less Traveled

"The Road Less Traveled" An episode of the Re-imagined Series
Episode No.	Season 4, Episode 5
Writer(s)	Mark Verheiden
Story by
Director	Michael Rymer
Assistant Director
Special guest(s)
Production No.	407
Nielsen Rating
US airdate	2 May 2008
CAN airdate	{{{CAN airdate}}}
UK airdate
DVD release
Population	39,676 survivors
Additional Info
Episode Chronology
Previous		Next
Escape Velocity	The Road Less Traveled	Faith
Related Information
Official Summary
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Listing of props for this episode
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			@ BW Media
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Overview

The prospect of a truce between the remnants of humanity and the Cylons encourages Kara Thrace to trust an old enemy.

Summary

On Galactica

• Gaius Baltar listens to the laments of Phoebe, who lost her two children on Picon, as well as her husband, during the Fall of the Twelve Colonies. She is angered by the fact that all this happened and that the Gods did nothing to spite the people who were responsible for the attack, such as the politicians, programmers, and corporations. Baltar, surrounded by his followers, makes a speech (which is recorded and broadcast over the wireless) about how the Gods failed to come to their aid not because they didn't want to, but because the Lords of Kobol don't exist.
• Galen Tyrol is listening to Baltar's broadcast while exercising with a jumping rope, but turns it off eventually. Nicholas begins crying, so Tyrol turns it on again, which apparently soothes the child.
• Later, Tyrol silently stands in the launch tube where his wife died and is joined by Tory Foster. Foster tell him that it might never make sense, no matter how long he obsesses over it. Tyrol can't believe that she would commit suicide, despite taking anti-depressants and that she would leave her son behind. Foster tells him to let it go and brings up the possibility that she might have known that he is a Cylon.
• After having sex with Foster, Baltar wonders if she is telling Roslin about what he does. She affirms, but says that the politicians have bigger things to worry about than him, and that only inconsequential people from the fringe of society are drawn to him.
• Later, Tyrol hears another of Baltar's sermons and heads down to the commune. There he listens, but is pulled aside by Colonel Tigh, who scowls and scoffs Tyrol for not getting over Cally's death quickly. Tyrol is told that he needs to get over Cally's death before they are outed as Cylons. Tyrol retorts that Tigh isn't dealing well with their situation either and that he knows that Tigh has been spending time with Caprica-Six.
• After Tigh leaves, Baltar calls out Tyrol, saying that he's sorry for his loss. Tyrol becomes furious, saying that Baltar is a scumbag and that, for some reason, Cally liked him and his manifesto and his dead. Baltar doesn't raise to the bait and asks Tyrol to shake his hand. However, Tyrol grabs him by the throat. Baltar's followers pull him away and Tyrol leaves.
• Back in his quarters, he becomes furious, takes a pistol from a shelf and briefly contemplates to kill himself. Later, when Tyrol lies awake in bed, Baltar visits him and apologizes for the things he said about Cally. He also tells Tyrol, that he committed many crimes and accepted his religious role as his only remaining chance of redemption. Tyrol listens silently, but eventually takes Baltar's hand when he offers it again.

On the Demetrius

• On day 58 of their mission, Kara Thrace unexpectedly decides to join the Combat Air Patrol, although this usually is beyond her duty as captain. With Brendan "Hot Dog" Costanza as her wingman, Thrace (in Seelix's Viper) encounters a heavily damaged Heavy Raider that just appeared on their DRADIS. Both are unsure of what course of action to take, until Leoben Conoy hails them over the wireless, offering them a truce between Cylons and humans and a chance for Thrace to fulfill her "journey".
• After allowing the Heavy Raider to dock, Conoy tells Thrace that the ones he left behind on the baseship need her help, but also that the Hybrid can help them. Although the crew doesn't find any explosives or tracking devices in the Raider, they are suspicious of Conoy.
• However, Thrace has Conoy escorted to her quarters, where he aims to help her until Samuel Anders sees how close they are physically and assaults Conoy. He fights with him until the Marines drag Conoy away to lock him up in a closet.
• Anders visits Conoy there to ask him what he wants from Thrace. He tells that Anders that he wants to understand her destiny, which Anders doesn't consider good enough. Conoy replies that it is good enough for Thrace and that Anders might have own an destiny, beyond his relatively inconsequential life as a Pyramid player. He also repeats his offer of a truce and that they can find Earth, the "promised land", together.
• On the bridge, Sharon Agathon and others express their concern that Thrace cannot be trusted, and that they have to meet up with the Fleet to refuel. Moreover, Admiral Adama made it clear that if the ship didn't return by then, they would be considered lost.
• Karl Agathon defends Starbuck's authority, but out of concern orders a more thorough for tracking devices and other potential issues. Sergeant Mathias dons a spacesuit and conducts an inspection of the hull, but is blown away and killed after the reactor on the ship goes critical.
• After her death, Thrace makes a speech to the ship's crew in the mess hall, saying that sometimes people die senseless deaths, but that she is responsible for Mathias's death and has to live with it. She it trying to concede that she may have been a bad and difficult to deal with captain, but can't find the words. Felix Gaeta tries to come to her aid, by telling her that the rendezvous coordinates with the Fleet have been laid in, but Thrace against insists to meet with Conoy's basestar.
• At this, Eammon Pike becomes openly hostile and riles everyone up against Thrace's order, believing that her course of action will get them killed too. Captain Agathon offers him a chance to walk away, but when Pike continues, he pistol whips him into unconsciousness.
• Later, on the bridge, she orders the crew to spin up the FTL drives and prepare to jump to the Cylon rebel's basestar. Captain Agathon refuses, which leads her to promote Lieutenant Felix Gaeta to be her new XO, who refuses to carry out the order as well. Agathon then officially relieves Thrace of command, citing the Colonial Military Code.

Notes

• The title is derived from the poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

The common interpretation is that one may be rewarded greatly by choosing a more difficult path than the one used by the crowd. The phrase may also have had a religious meaning for Frost, alluding to Matthew 7,12-14, which mentions a broad gate leading to destruction and a narrow gate leading to salvation.

• The survivor count increases by one, meaning that at least one child has been born in the Fleet.
• It has been 58 days since the end of "Six of One", when Kara Thrace is given the command of the Demetrius.
• Gunnery Sergeant Mathias's first name, Erin, is spoken for the first time on screen.
• Neither William Adama nor Laura Roslin appear in this episode. In both cases, this is unprecendented.

Analysis

• Instead of using his demotion as a wakeup call, Chief Tyrol has slipped further into despair and even contemplates to kill himself. That he has completely shaven his head might also be an indicator of his state of mind.
• Earlier resenting Baltar's presumption of believing what Tyrol's dead wife Cally would want, Tyrol strangles Baltar after ignoring his hand to shake. After Tyrol's suicide effort Baltar visits him in his quarters to apologize and Tyrol accepts Baltar's handshake. In light of Tyrol's resentment, and even hatred, towards Baltar displayed in other episodes, it seems more likely that Tyrol forgives Baltar for offending him in this one instance, but not for all his sins as Baltar may intend.
• Tyrol contemplating to kill himself is visually and thematically similar to Sharon Valerii's suicide thoughts in "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I". Both either suspect or know that they are a Cylon and fear to hurt those around them. However, Valerii was more serious and calm about killing herself and made a real attempt to do so, while Tyrol acts in a fit of rage and eventually calms down.
• Although Karl Agathon initially defends Thrace against her crew's discontent and tries to quell any insubordination, he eventually leads the mutiny against her. The difference is that Eammon Pike, and to a lesser extent Sharon Agathon, complain about Thrace behind her back and in an informal way, thus potentially impeding everyone in their work. When push comes to shove, Agathon shares their opinion, but uses official means by citing Colonial military regulations. As executive officer he is also in a better and more credible position to do so than the rest of the crew.

Questions

• Does Conoy sense that Anders is a fellow Cylon?
• How will the situation on the Demetrius be resolved?
• Will Galen Tyrol begin to associate with Baltar?
• If yes, will Baltar have a positive influence on Tyrol and help him to overcome his grief or uncertainty about being a Cylon?
• What have Tigh and Caprica-Six been doing recently?
• Why does Baltar's broadcast appear to soothe Nicholas Tyrol?

Noteworthy Dialogue

• Gaius Baltar to Galen Tyrol about his conversion to a believer:

"I know it's hard to...make sense of things sometimes. In my own life, I...in my own life I've joined the fleet as a scientist, as a skeptic, as a...supposedly a man of reason. Only to have fate turn that all on its head. But I understand now that there is a purpose to it. We change. We evolve. Maybe we even learn something along the way. (pauses) I have committed...unconscionable crimes. And I have been offered one last chance at redemption, because I chose to accept my fate and not fight it anymore."

Guest Stars

• Aaron Douglas as Specialist Galen Tyrol
• Michael Hogan as Colonel Saul Tigh
• Rekha Sharma as Tory Foster
• Michael Trucco as Ensign Samuel Anders
• Alessandro Juliani as Lieutenant Felix Gaeta
• Bodie Olmos as Lieutenant Brendan "Hotdog" Costanza
• Tahmoh Penikett as Captain Karl "Helo" Agathon
• Callum Keith Rennie as Number Two
• Eileen Pedde as Gunnery Sergeant Erin Mathias
• Jennifer Halley as Ensign Diana "Hardball" Seelix
• Keegan Connor Tracy as Jeanne
• Lara Gilchrist as Paulla Schaffer
• Leela Savasta as Tracey Anne
• Finn R. Devitt as Nicholas Tyrol (credited as "Baby Nicky")
• Ryan McDonell as Lieutenant Eammon "Gonzo" Pike
• Alisen Down as Jean Barolay
• Lori Triolo as Phoebe

External Links

• Composer Bear McCreary on the episode's score: http://www.bearmccreary.com/blog/?p=306