'Battlestar Galactica' Retro Recap: 'Crossroads (Part 1)'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

​If there is one thing I’ve always appreciated about Battlestar Galactica, it’s the sheer fact that the series always took the time to bring just about every single storyline and idea that it posed to an epic and satisfying conclusion every single season it was on the air. From the double agent storyline in season one, to the discovery of the Battlestar Pegasus, the series found new ways to drop our jaws in surprise and season three was definitely no exception to that rule. Because the first half of the season three finale, ‘Crossroads (Part 1)’ started to resolve something that’s been hanging over this season for some time now, the trial of Gaius Baltar.
 
Yes, after weeks of discussions and buildup, the moment finally arrived where the former president would face the music for everything awful that happened on New Caprica and in classic BSG fashion, nothing went by the book in the slightest. Because a trial that should have felt satisfying through and through, turned out to be a morality tale, one that dragged the audience into the muck as well as Romo Lampkin posed some important questions about his client. Specifically, what choice did Baltar have with mankind’s greatest enemy pointing a gun at his head and more importantly, how on earth will he receive a fair trial with the fleet hating this man to no end.
 
It’s a point that the defense was able to hammer home by way of Colonel Tigh’s disastrous testimony since Tigh was drunk and confrontational and everything he said about his time and actions on New Caprica related to Baltar being his target and to top it off, he flat out admitted to the fact that he would say and do anything to see Baltar burn. And to make matters worse, Lee jumped in to help the cause after his father dressed him down once again and his keen eye helped to discredit President Roslin’s testimony when he forced her to admit that she was using Chamalla once again since her cancer had returned and well, any way you slice it, the trial has been a disaster for the prosecution thus far and I hate it to say it, Lampkin is right. Baltar may not be the nicest guy in the galaxy, but what choice did he have?
 
However, this episode wasn’t content to just focus upon courtroom drama, since this tale also brought the Cylons back into the fold since we found out they are indeed following the fleet at a great distance and it resurrected the whole plot thread involving the Final Five Cylons. Because the president is dreaming of the mysterious Opera House and Boomer is present in those dreams as well, and it’s an odd coincidence that as these dreams present themselves to Laura, that Anders, Tigh and Tory are the only people that are starting to hear strange music playing and while I know what all of this means, this strange little twist still manages to build some incredible anticipation years after I watched this episode the first time around. 
 
But that’s simply due to the fact that this is a magnificent setup for the second part of the season three finale. Because this episode was gripping, and every single moment in the courtroom was thrilling, and this strange music and the plan to lure the Cylons away from the Ionian Nebula only builds the tension further and the fact that this one ended on one hell of a cliffhanger, well it just motivates me further to go ahead and hit play on my remote, so I can enjoy the wild and stunning ride that is ‘Crossroads (Part 2)’…until next time. 

---