A-plot: An Earth intelligence agent, David Endawi (http://goo.gl/Y0bZxG), comes to B5 to find out what the alien races might know about the Shadow vessels caught on the late (but unmourned) Lt Keffer's gun camera. EarthGov is busy spinning and news-managing about the matter, including casual censorship of journalistic coverage of the imagery.
On one level, it's meant to provide background for new viewers (or those who have forgotten since last season, except that PTEN aired the eps for the first time immediately before the new season). The Earth officers can honestly say they're in the dark about those specific vessels (though they have a good guess, unvoiced). Delenn can honestly say she's never seen them (just accounts of them from the war a thousand years ago, which she only mentions to Ivanova and Sheridan, noting that they are Death on Wheels http://goo.gl/1HWp1q). Londo can honestly say he's only seen them in his dreams (flashback on a portion of his visions http://goo.gl/r0Fg5E from "The Coming of Shadows"). G'kar, interviewed informally, gets to whip out his Book of G'Quon and show scratchy pictures of the same (http://goo.gl/pbOLkV, http://goo.gl/DhfdvZ) from, again, a thousand years ago, telling of how the Shadows had built a base on Narn but otherwise left the inhabitants alone.
If there are other ambassadorial interviews, we don't get to see them.
Endawi — who seems a genuinely good egg — heads back to EarthDone (http://goo.gl/davOvI) to report to a Senator that there that there's not much info about the mysterious ships aside from some weird stories. After he leaves, the Senator has a chat over the report — with Mr Morden and a Psi Corps agent. Knowledge of the Shadows is being carefully managed — along with the populace — as some sort of Sinister Agenda, bwah-ha-ha!
It's all largely recapping and status quo establishing, as I said, though the presence of Morden on Earth, and working in conjunction with Psi Corps (http://goo.gl/TCp4ib), nudges things forward a bit further on the Paranoia Meter.
B-Plot: This one has a bit more action. We get a new cast member — a Ranger named Marcus. He's escaped from a Drazi fringe world where the Rangers have a training camp, but which has been besieged by the Centauri (http://goo.gl/961Yeu). He convinces Sheridan to ride to the rescue, which Sheridan does because he's tired of not being able to do anything, and has a loyalty to those in his command (the Rangers, in this case). His decisive alignment with the Rangers/Delenn conspiracy vs. Earth Gov (in terms of cooperating with the A-Plot investigator) goes by without mention. He brings along Ivanova for plot, though not metaplot, reasons that are unclear. Marcus (and Delenn) offers Sheridan a nifty new toy: the White Star (http://goo.gl/lcneiE) a new class of small-yet-powerful war ship, a meld of Minbari and Vorlon tech. Yikes.
They charge off to Zagros 7, to discover the Centauri fleet is gone but a series of automated orbital stations are plinking any ship that tries to escape. As they start taking these out to open a hole for the Rangers to escape, a Shadow ship appears and starts to chase them (http://goo.gl/zKCdaa) (the Shadows, apparently, have decided that the Rangers delenda est). The White Star flees (http://goo.gl/Uq2ttB, http://goo.gl/bHwBFe), but Sheridan and Delenn figure out that they're only being tracked to home, since the ship is of an unfamiliar configuration to the Shadows. Sheridan figures out his own "Picard Maneuver" and traps the Shadow ship in an exploding jump gate, thus scoring a victory and demonstrating that the Shadows can, actually, be out-thought and out-destroyed. Huzzah. Sheridan's cowboy moves pay off — this time.
As a conclusion to the plot, Sheridan establishes a "war council" on B5, where those in the conspiracy (Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi, Franklin, Delenn/Lennier, and whatever Ranger is on board that week (coughMarcuscough)) will meet regularly to, um, do stuff and share information and provide an excuse for new episodes. It's a little goofy, but it also baselines the New Normal for the season, eliminating questions of who knows what and when can they duck into someone's office to discuss it. It means Ivanova is fully up to speed (which, conveniently, she says she already is, since she pays more attention than anyone apparently gives her credit for) and Franklin gets to ask a leading question about the Shadows which gives Delenn a chance to exposit about them for benefit of new/forgetful viewers.
This plot-line introduces Marcus (http://goo.gl/HqAQd5). He's devoted, dutiful, competent, witty, has a charming English accent and long wavy hair and stubbly beard and moustache to give him a rakish look — and is to swoon for, esp. in late 90s terms. He dodges being too obviously a hero by being somewhat cynical, though this clearly is a mask over a tragic origin tale and a heart of gold. And he has a cool Minbari collapsable fighting staff (http://goo.gl/NnqOYl). And, yeah, my daughter is so glad to see him arrive on the show. (Sigh.)
(I do like Marcus, don't get me wrong, and the contrast between him and Keffer in terms of introduction and usefulness and simply choosing the right actor and right story to insert him into should be a white paper that's required reading for all studio execs who want to dabble in TV shows over the will of the producer/writers of same. But he does sometimes come across as fangirl-bait. Here's a montage of some of his introductory scenes this ep. http://youtu.be/RkeOAh7hAjY)
C-Plot: Londo decides to sever ties with Morden and his "associates" (http://goo.gl/PbIWhR, http://goo.gl/JUBOS0, http://goo.gl/Bt5SAv). Silly Londo. It does give Morden a chance to divide the galaxy up (http://goo.gl/N6bRtY) between the Centauri and the Shadows (though, as is noted, that's no guarantee of anything). Morden also makes it clear that he's been chatting with Lord Refa, and, as we see at the end of the A-Plot, he's also been busy back on Earth. All Londo's doing is cutting himself off from knowing what's going on and calling some of the terrible shots. That'll come back to haunt him …
D-Plot: Well, more of a vignette (http://youtu.be/_jPmIM1gFak) — Sheridan chats with Kosh to say thanks for saving his life and looking like an angel (recap recap recap). Kosh makes it clear that the process was very draining (don't expect to see it any time soon) and also that he's not stopped being a cryptic bastard (again, for the sake of new audience members). Good times.
In sum, the characters here are all on decent display, without much new depth and drama, to establish them for new viewers. Sheridan seems a bit too eager to take decisive action in a space cowboy fashion — he's now fully tied into the Conspiracy of Light rather than Earth, but is still thinking tactically (do this, maneuver that, make something crazy work) rather than strategically, something that will characterize him this season until he ends up in a world of hurt. Ivanova continues to settle into quiet competence, much more the Number One to Sheridan than ever before (http://youtu.be/y6g9-xqzrwY, GIFfy http://goo.gl/ZwAvMM). Garibaldi doesn't get a lot, but (mostly) manages Endawi well. Delenn (aside from a first-ever action sequence) remains the voice of reason; G'Kar the voice of warning; Londo the voice of desperate desire to paint over the problems he's been a contributor to. Lennier gets more lines than usual, but mostly because the White Star is crewed by Minbari and they need a translator (which seems, technically, a bit odd).
Marcus (Jason Carter) is starting off in the role, which leads him to be played and written a bit unevenly. Better is coming.
The guest stars are a mixed bag. Ed Wasser's Morden is, as always, delightfully smirking and evil (http://goo.gl/9mi7Jg). Tucker Smallwood's Endawi is competent (mostly) and proper. Jonathan Chapman plays another alien (the Drazi pilot) with his usual quiet competence (http://goo.gl/jbbGvk). Everyone else is straight off of B5's Central Casting B-list, in that they say their couple of lines without tripping over the furniture, but that's about it.
As noted, this episode is really a chance to stop, take a deep breath, and remember / be informed what's going on: Centauri aggression, Shadows, Earth conspiracies, B5 alliance of light. It introduces the fangirl-sigh-target of Marcus, the game-changing tech leverage of the White Star, and a new set of main titles (http://youtu.be/d9EbGd1AlMg – voiced by Ivanova, and turning the tone from a quest for peace to a quest for victory in a war that is only just starting and isn't even acknowledged by most of the participants). A solid, fun, exciting first ep for the season, if suffering on occasion for the need to bring people up to speed.
Most Dramatic Moment: After being told that the Shadows are unstoppable, evil juggernauts, and to see one is to die — the entire crew of the White Star looks on as a Shadow ship bears down on them, an "Oh, shit" unspoken but visible on all their faces.
Most Amusing Moment: The Sheridan / Kosh discussion is a hoot, as Sheridan rubs Kosh's face in how maddengly oblique and cryptic the Vorlon is being, and the only reason Kosh doesn't smirk openly is because he's in an Encounter suit (http://youtu.be/_jPmIM1gFak; GIFfies http://goo.gl/2JsE2Y, http://goo.gl/aWdgvg). There's also some amusing Garibaldi dialog double-talking Endawi (http://goo.gl/7ZTCAL, http://goo.gl/CqRlUn), though it's hard to take it seriously.
Most Arc-ish Moment: On a story level, the revelation that the Shadows and Earth Gov and the Psi Corps are, at some level, intertwined. On a metastory level, though, the introduction of the White Star not only increases the Human/Minbari ties to come (though pointing out fissures between the Warrior and Religious castes of the Minbari), and provides a plausible avenue for action beyond the station, but suddenly turns Sheridan & Co. into owners of a ship that can stand up to most of what the galaxy can throw at them. All that will make a huge difference over the coming season.
Overall Rating: 3.8 / 5 — A good, enjoyable, if occasionally awkward plot, with enough exciting twists and turns to keep it from being just exposition, blending both action (fisticuffs and in space) and talking pretty darned well.
– Lurker’s Guide: http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/045.html (the "Analysis" section is particularly jam-packed with some great speculation-of-the-time).
– Babylon Project: http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/Matters_of_Honor
– IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0517666/
– AV Club: http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/babylon-5-matters-of-honorconvictions-98330 (includes next epside)
– Kay Shapero: http://www.kayshapero.net/b5review/Matters.htm
– TV Tropes: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/BabylonFiveS03E01MattersOfHonor
Next episode: "Convictions" sees a bombing on the station, a new semi-regular, and not much else that I can remember. Hmmm.