Battlestar: Galactica 3.20: "Crossroads: Part II"

Written by Mark Verheiden
Directed by Michael Rymer

Each and every season, “Battlestar: Galactica” has ended its run with a plot twist that changes almost everything. This finale is no different, even if the roads taken are a bit unusual and the revelations seem less impressive. It’s certainly a lot more confusing than previous season finales, and there’s a lot to talk about before the fourth (and probably final) season comes along in 2008. (As SFC, once again, shoots itself in the foot.)

The most reasonable plot element of the finale was the trial of Gaius Baltar, and even that took an odd turn into left field. At first, it felt like the writers had worked themselves into a corner and had no idea how to get out. The rules of the trial fell apart completely, and I was left thinking that it was a complete mess. That is, until Lee gave his monologue on the stand and touched on nearly everything that had been bothering me about the trial in the first place.

I loved his extended tirade about the hypocrisy of the entire affair. It’s about time someone pointed out to the “emerging aristocracy” that the fleet was not, in fact, civilized. It’s barely controlled chaos and desperation, and it plays fast and loose with the rules every single day. Lee simply gave the fleet a whopping reminder. More than that, he managed to tie the season into a neat package by connecting the trial, and its implications, to the downfall of New Caprica. That gives the entire season a more cohesive feel, something it truly needed.

Not everything about the trial worked, of course. There’s still much to be resolved. Why did Gaeta lie on the stand, and what was the secret that Gaius knew about him that led to the earlier assassination attempt? The subsequent shift in strategy felt forced, especially when it was clear that the shift would place Lee and his father in direct conflict. Whatever the case, the fallout from the trial should be interesting, to say the least, as it puts a wedge between Adama and Roslin.

Turning to one of the more confusing elements of the finale, Roslin’s cancer treatments put her into some kind of Cylon conference call with Sharon, Caprica-Six, and Hera. Because of Caprica-Six, Baltar is connected to the same scenario, which appears to put them in opposition with the Final Five Cylons. It’s interesting to note that this connection is only relevant to the “known” Cylons; they are not connected in any way to the Final Five. This suggests a fundamental difference between the Cylons and the Final Five (these groups really need distinct names now!).

After all, the hostile Cylons had a Plan, part of which involved the creation of a new generation of Cylon through hybridization. This is where Hera came into the picture, a child that was important because of her unique heritage. Now there’s another Cylon hybrid, and one that seems completely normal: Tyrol’s son Nicholas. Each kind of Cylon now has a hybrid child; what does that mean in terms of the overall implication for the Galactica universe?

During D’Anna’s search for the Final Five, I speculated that the Final Five might be Cylons who disagreed with the war against Humans and dissented with the Cylon Plan. It may be more complicated than that, considering the fact that the Final Five were happily fighting the Cylons as apparent human beings. They weren’t acting as sleeper agents per se, like Boomer in the first season. Much of the information about the Final Five suggests a connection to the previous “cycle”, which has some interesting implications.

After all, the records of the previous “cycle” were human records. The humans survived, while the Cylons were created by humans in relatively recent times. What if the surviving “Cylons” from the previous “cycle”, older than the modern Cylons, incarnated in some fashion in the Final Five? And what if the Cylons themselves had sleeper agents (the Final Five) within their own society, unseen yet influential? It might be that the Final Five are working to ensure Humanity’s survival on their own terms, knowing that if the cycle repeats as it always has, the Cylons must be defeated or subsumed into the restored Human race. Perhaps the Final Five are related, in some fashion, to the Lords of Kobol themselves!

This brings into question the very nature of the Cylons, and perhaps explains why the 13th Tribe knew what to leave behind as markers. The song (“All Along the Watchtower”) feels so out of place that it must be intentional. One simple guess is that some artifact of the 13th Tribe (or the nature of the nebula itself) is relaying a signal from Earth, adding something else to the mix that “activates” the Final Five. This would make the emergence of the Final Five the “signpost” expected in that region of space.

All of this is dependent on assumption, because the writers keep everything vague. Tyrol, Anders, Tori, and Col. Tigh all assume that they are Cylons, but there is nothing objective to prove that it’s true. They may be wrong, and this might still be the signpost to Earth at work, targeting specific genetic traits. Similarly, one could assume (as many have) that Starbuck’s reaction to the Maelstrom was her own response to the signal. Her return in this episode could be seen as evidence that she is the last of the Final Five. If so, then her journey to Earth supports the idea that the Final Five are connected to Humanity’s previous survival.

The arrival of the hostile Cylons is a bad sign for the fleet, especially if it means that the trillium ship has been destroyed. That was the only source of refined fuel for the fleet, and as mentioned in the review for “Dirty Hands”, it should have been one of the primary targets for the Cylons. Of more long-term importance is the rise of Baltar’s little cult, which seems to consist mostly of women. There’s no telling where that will go.

Whatever the case, the writers are also going to have to explain the use of a “modern” song in the context of the Galactica universe, and that could be a tough sell. I’m sure many fans are trotting out that ridiculous and overworn phase “jumped the shark”, despite the fact that there’s no commercial or ratings advantage to be had with such a move. Similarly, by bringing back Starbuck and revealing most of the Final Five, the writers make it necessarily to explain the differences between the two Cylon factions. No doubt, these will be two major plot elements for the fourth season. Let’s just hope that the long wait will be worth it!

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4

Final Rating: 9/10

(Season 3 Final Average: 7.6)