Glory, how I love this episode.
The A-Plot: The technomages (folks who use "sufficiently advanced technology" (http://wist.info/clarke-arthur-c/546/)) are rendezvousing on B5. EarthGov wants to know more. Londo wants to be seen as having their blessing, for his own political advantage. After an unsuccessful (but hilarious) envoy by Vir, Londo manages to get on the bad side of Elric, the main technomage, with amusing results.
And, yeah, it's all hilarity until Elric tells Londo: "You are touched by darkness, Ambassador. I see it as a blemish that will grow with time. I could warn you, of course, but you would not listen. I could kill you, but someone would take your place. So I do the only thing I can do. I go."
Yeah, couple that with Michael Ansara as the lead technomage, and that's worth the price of admission. It still gives me chills.
The B-Plot: Ivanova is promoted to Commander, and, as her first assignment, Sheridan fobs off the problem of dueling Drazi factions (Green! Purple! http://goo.gl/YmzdKu !) onto her ("Green. Purple." – Susan Ivanova and Drazi). It's a fun Ivanova assignment (complete with a real-life broken foot that had Claudia Christian on a crutches), and a nice bit of SF commentary on factions and flag worship. Plus, of course, now we'll always appreciate the Drazi as an actually interesting foreground B5 race. Albeit one that's willing to murder thousands as part of a cultural "capture the flag" game every five years.
The B-Plot was not quite as Ivanovantertaining as I remembered, but it's still quite chuckleworthy.
The C-Plot: Garibaldi is moping about, deciding if he's worthy to take back his job as security chief. Ho-hum, he gets involved in the B-Plot, and decides to carry on and not shoot himself. Though he does get a nice speech, early on, wondering if Sheridan is on the up and up (given how many people wanted Sinclair put out of the way).
Overall, it's a fun episode, somewhat self-contained. Elric the Technomage does a marvelous job as the soothsayer of Londo's future. Ivanova continues being the harried, stern, proper comic relief. Garibaldi gets to be down and out, contemplating suicide, and eventually finding a certain paranoid value in living. Sheridan is big, boisterous, manipulative, and quite the senior manager.
Londo, most importantly, throws himself headfirst into conspiracy against the current order, egged on by the recurring Lord Refa (http://goo.gl/8HHBsB). Yeah, that'll haunt him. Vir demonstrates he's a personal force to be reckoned with — funny, but difficult to cow when he is determined to deliver ("I work for Ambassador Mollari. After a while, nothing bothers you.") (http://goo.gl/QkI9Q3).
Mostly non-arc, it's a great early episode for the second season.
Most Dramatic Moment: Putting aside the arcish bits — Garibaldi plugs the PPG cartridge in … then pulls it out … then pushes it in … (http://goo.gl/TCBK76)
Most Amusing Moment: Vir desperately stands up to the conjured monsters of the technomages to deliver Londo's message. Or Ivanova desperately tries to comprehend the basis for the random factional division between the Drazi.
Most Arc-ish Moment: Elric's final words to Londo:
ELRIC: As I look at you, Ambassador Mollari, I see a great hand, reaching out of the stars. The hand is your hand. And I hear sounds, the sound of billions of people calling your name.
LONDO: My followers?
ELRIC: Your victims.
Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5
Lurker’s Guide: http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/025.html
Babylon Project: http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/The_Geometry_of_Shadows
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0517704/
AV Club: hhttp://www.avclub.com/review/babylon-5-the-geometry-of-shadowsa-distant-star-93440 (includes the next episode)
Noise2Signal: http://noise2sig.nl/2011/07/30/babylon-5-the-geometry-of-shadows/
I have to say, for as much as the lesser eps we rewatch make me cringe, the bigger, WHAMier eps that we watch make me shudder with joy.