(I decided to spare my daughter this one — I gave her a synopsis, but I thought she'd actually be upset by reality of it.)
The A-plot is about a plague that is spreading through the Markab race — slowly, but picking up speed, until a death ship near B5 breaks the news. The plague had hit the Markab once before, in circumstances that cause them to associate it with immorality; thus, when it starts to resurge, people refuse to face it (or admit it) because to do so would be to tarnish themselves with the same taboo.
So, yes, this is an AIDS metaphor, though at least the historical example Dr Franklin uses is to the Black Death in medieval Europe. Regardless, Franklin tries to figure the disease out, dragging his fearful lab assistants with him, alongside a Markab doctor and friend of his who feels guilty over his own role in the conspiracy of silence. Five hundred of the Markab on the station sequester themselves in order to withdraw from the alien wickedness that must be responsible for this curse from the gods. The others are attacked by other aliens on the station (humans, as filmed), terrified that the plague might cross species (for which reason B5 is under quarantine).
In the end, Franklin finds a treatment — but not before all the Markab on the station — from obnoxious spokesman who yells at Sheridan, to kind doctor who's Franklin's colleague, to the innocent little girl Delenn has befriended — are all dead, along with all the Markab on their homeworld.
(Which, given that the Markab have been around and a named race in the B5 universe and have been speakers in the League of Unaligned Worlds for the past two seasons, is even ballsier a writing decision than one might think. These guys were not one-off guest aliens by any means.)
Gut. Kicked. Even with heavy-handedness around the plot (did it seem that heavy-handed in the decade after AIDS hit the headlines?), it's still a huge impact. The good guys fail here, standing there, helplessly, with their treatment kids in hand, looking at the corpses lying there like cordwood. It's a horrifying moment, especially because of …
… the B-plot, which is Delenn trying to improve relations with Sheridan, relearning her diplomatic chops. This starts off with a hilarious meal between the two of them and Lennier (http://goo.gl/yGYlo5), who cooks and prepares it. The whole prep process — and the meal — are laden with ceremony, prayer, customs, and periods of deep meditation (Passover! Gone! Wild!), which Sheridan gamely tries to master, only to fall asleep — er, meditate (GIFfiness http://goo.gl/CUXbL4).
It's a crazy-ass funny scene (complete with Lennier quietly complaining, in Minbari, after Sheridan has left, about how the Captain didn't properly appreciate the flarn he'd slaved over) (Not a literal translation: http://goo.gl/Zwvpw8).
That humor makes the plot twist all the more a shock, as Delenn and Lennier volunteer to go into where the sequestered Markab are staying, to offer them comfort and company and support. Sheridan is incredulous, given that it may also mean they will catch the disease, but he's moved by Delenn's words and gives his permission — and his request that when she returns, she call him by his first name. (http://goo.gl/NRSu6P)
When Franklin, Sheridan, and Ivanova break into the chamber with the treatment and find all the Markab dead, they also find Delenn in a deep state of tragic shock, and Lennier barely able to keep it together himself. She reaches out to Sheridan, calls him John, then silently wails her grief in his embrace against him, in a spotlit scene that will figure on future credit sequences. (GIFfiness)
The jumpstarting of the Sheridan/Delenn relationship, with all that will come of it in the future, feels a little forced in places. The individual elements work but as a whole it feels too much, too fast. At the same time, it adds poignancy to the mass death — not just the horror of that, but of Delenn so overcome by its horror. We feel the tragedy through her and her actions (stunning job by Mira Furlan), making that aspect of it all work.
The only fragments of a C-plot are Sheridan learning that Keffer has been spending his spare time cruising around hyperspace to find what he saw back in "A Distant Star." Sheridan, after "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum," has a pretty good idea, and puts a stop to the process. It's just a little passing thing, but it will churn back up again in just a few eps.
We get a passing reminder that Franklin takes stims too often, how he hitchhiked around the galaxy for a while, and see him have to eat his own medicine from his advice to Sheridan in recently about how you can't solve every problem. We also get a Delennism ("Faith manages"), and hear a bit of her backstory (http://goo.gl/qh6s8W) to explain why she is so compassionate about those in fear (involving getting lost, a temple, and a glowing figure who comforted her, though we never hear the end of the tale). The acting of the principals is all good (Franklin gets a lot of time on-screen, obviously, and turns in one of his best performances in the series, certainly of the season), the acting of the guest stars and minor actors is mixed (good Markab doctor, cute Markab kid, lousy casting call for the various prejudiced humans we encounter), and the overall preachiness (http://goo.gl/VpWrLq) is tempered by enough heartfelt tragedy to give it something of a pass.
Most Dramatic Moment: Delenn and Lennier slowly pick themselves up and step over to the command crew who've come to save the day. (GIFfy: http://goo.gl/QwvIie)
Most Amusing Moment: Lennier getting quietly torqued that the Captain didn't appreciate his cooking.
Most Arc-ish Moment: Not a lot of heavy arc stuff here — probably Sheridan putting the kibosh on Keffer's exploration.
Overall Rating: 3.2 / 5
– Lurker’s Guide: http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/040.html
– Babylon Project: http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/Confessions_and_Lamentations
– IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0517639/
– AV Club: http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/babylon-5-confessions-and-lamentationsdivided-loya-97420 [includes next episode]
– Kay Shapero: http://www.kayshapero.net/b5review/Confessions.htm
Next ep is "Divided Loyalties," as an old cast member returns, and a traitor is revealed (Hail Hydra!)
That episode was… difficult.