Review: Battlestar Galactica - Crossroads pt 1 & 2
Written by Michael Taylor

In the years to come, if Battlestar Galactica is to be remembered for only one thing, let it be that it was the master of cliffhanger finales. First there was Boomer shooting Adama...I'm still not over that shocker. Then there was of course the Pegasus stand-off in the middle of season 2. That was pretty intense. Finally, last season saw the outrageously risky 'one year later' twist and the occupation of New Caprica.

As is clearly evident, creators David Eick and Ronald D. Moore are not at all afraid of taking chances when it comes to telling their story. So then, "how does the finale to season 3 compare to the rest?" you might ask. Well, it was certainly...different.

In episodes 319 and 320, Crossroads part 1 and 2, the trial of Gaius Baltar (James Callis) finally comes to fruition. As Romo Lampkin (Guest star Mark Sheppard) and Mr. Lee Adama (Jamie Bamber) defend the highly-hated ex-president in court, the Colonial Fleet approaches ever closer to the Ionian Nebula--the next stop on the way to Earth. However, after they begin hearing a Bob Dylan song in their head (yes, you read that right), four prominent characters discover that they may in fact be Cylons.

Before I get to the final sequences leading up to the cliffhanger, I'm going to first cover the events of Gaius' trial. Ever since humanity left the hell-hole that was New Caprica, the show has been gradually building up to this event. For a while, it seemed it would never come, but now that it's all over, I must say that it certainly did not disappoint. Apollo as a lawyer was a great change of pace for the character, and Bamber performed in the role exceptionally. His finale monologue when questioned on the stand put all of those other Law and Order type shows to shame. It was an impressive feat for a science fiction show with a name like Battlestar Galactica to deliver such a powerful piece of court-room drama, to be sure. I laughed, I cried, and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

A great deal of this success must also be credited to Mark Sheppard as the larger than life Romo Lampkin. Everything about this character--from his demeanor all the way down to his name--just doesn't seem like it should work even half as well as it does. He's just so unusual that you can't help but be entertained. It's a real shame that he just walked off into obscurity after the trial. I reckon there wouldn't be much for him to do on the show, but I hate to say goodbye to such an interesting character.

Alright then, now that Gaius is off the hook (and apparently well on his way into becoming some kind of a Jesus figure), let's move on to the finale. In the hours following the conclusion, I started to think how many episodes of Star Trek had the guts to end with a surreal montage set to Bob Dylan's All Along the Watchtower. The answer is, of course, none.

This was as perfect an example of a love-it, hate-it type finale as I have ever seen. Following up the dramatic realism of the trial, the finale was a complete turnaround. The strangeness of using the Dylan song aside, the other big development is the revelation of possibly four of the final five Cylon models. And wow, what an odd bunch of characters to be robots. Most shocking among them, I would never have suspected that the hard as nails Colonel Tigh was a toaster.

It's a rare treat whenever a television show has the courage to take a chance and really change the dynamic of the show. Battlestar's creators proved they were willing to do so with the season 2 close, but I'd say the risk bar has been raised up another notch with Crossroads. I wouldn't be surprised if the strangeness (that bordered on silliness) of the finale will alienate some fans, but for the rest, this only strengthens the belief that Battlestar Galactica is the pinnacle of a new age of science fiction television.

And the return of Starbuck?!? Can't wait to see what Moore and crew have in store for us in season 4.

Rating: 10/10