One plotline comes to an end (sort of), while another ramps up, and everything alternates between black comedy and moving tragedy.
A-Plot: Londo is pressing the conspiracy against Cartagia forward as fast as he dares. He meets with other disaffected officials who are more reluctant to act than he is. He meets with G’Kar, telling the Narn his chains will be weakened so that, when presented before Cartagia, he can break free and distract the guards (but not harm the emperor, as Centauri retribution would be horrible). And he gets a delivery from Vir — a hypo of fast-acting nerve toxin that will kill without a trace.
All is in readiness.
And not a moment too soon, as Cartagia’s behavior becomes still more erratic. He invites Londo along to be his post-apotheosis High Priest. He engages in tomfoolery with the court jester before gacking him off-screen for lèse-majesté. (“Humor is such a subjective thing, don’t you think, Mollari?”)
Oh, and the day of the trial, he has G’Kar’s chains replaced.
G’Kar enters, in chains, Christ-like, then breaks free and starts (un-Christ-like) punching out Narn. Londo flees with the emperor, fumbles his Wield Hypodermic roll, then fumbles his Diplomacy roll. Fortunately, Vir is there to pick up the hypo, then stand there as Cartagia impales himself on it. Sic semper tyrannis.
As epilogue, Londo convinces the assembled nobility (in on the plot or not) that it was Cartagia’s hearts that failed. As two emperors now have died after dealing with the Narn, Londo orders that the Centauri leave and let the Narn rot on their own. They’re willing to do so — and, not part of the plan, they name him as the new Prime Minister.
Vir goes on a bender, having just killed a man with his own hands (more or less).
VIR: Tell me, Londo — how much more until I can look in the mirror and not see myself? Because I keep looking, and I’m always there. And I don’t want to see me right now.
LONDO: You’re behaving like a fool. You did what was necessary. You saved the lives of millions of our people. He had to be stopped. He —
VIR: Don’t you understand I’ve never done anything like that before?! […] Did you know, all I ever wanted was a good job, maybe a small title, nothing fancy. A wife I could love, maybe even one that could actually love someone like me . I never wantd to be here, never wanted to know things I know, or do — or do the things I’ve done. Ah, Londo, look what you’ve made of me.
LONDO: I know. I know, Vir. I never wanted you in that hall. I never wanted you to — […] I cannot tell you that the pain will go away. I cannot tell you that you will ever forget his face. I can only tell you that it was neccessary. That you may have helped to save our people. You did a hard thing, but your heart is still your own, and it is a good heart. You would not be in such great pain otherwise. It means there is still hope for you, and for that — I find I still envy you.
G’Kar makes his way into the throne room after the Centauri have left, to see the pillaging of the decor. The Narn want to appoint him as their new dictator, to carry bloody reprisals back to the Centauri, but G’Kar demurs, not wanting to replace one tyrant with another. One of the Narn tries to argue with him, sounding a whole heck of a lot like a Season 1 G’Kar.
“But what have you done for us lately?”
G’LON: But the Centauri —
G’KAR: Are a lost people! They are to be pitied. They are already on a course for self-destruction. They do not need help from us. We must redress our wounds, help our people, rebuild our cities —
G’LON: We must strike back!
G’KAR: No. [Turns away.]
G’LON: I never thought you a coward, G’Kar. We suffered and died during their occupation. Where were you? What have you endured?
G’KAR: What have I endured?
And G’Kar, late of the dungeons of Centauri, the scars of the lash on his back, with but one eye left, can only burst into laughter at the absurdity, and wander away.
“I was going to be a god, you understand … a god …”
The three regulars here (as well as the late Emperor, Wortham Krimmer) all do a fine job, and the suspense is nicely ratcheted up again and again. The resolution — Cartagia dead, Londo in power, G’Kar rejecting power, and Vir distraught — are all played letter perfect (though Vir’s “What was it all for?” speech is written too clunkily for anyone to say well).
JMS had originally planned for Londo to do the killing, but “Vir” stepped forward in his mind at the last minute of the writing process and demanded to d do it. And it’s perfect. If Londo killed Cartagia — well, what’s more blood on his hands? But for Vir to do it instills him both with honor and admiration (from the audience) and with disgust and horror. His hands would have been bloody, regardless — now it’s literal blood (well, more direct bloodiness), and it gives the character a painful, shameful secret that he can be flogged with for many, many episodes.
A special note has to go out here to Jurasik and Furst for their interplay — pre- and post-assassination. The two of them have never been closer, thrown together by circumstance and the need to trust against implacable odds. It’s beautifully done.
B-Plot: Meanwhile the Great War is heating up. The Vorlons are still blowing up Shadow-tainted planets with their planet-killer. The Shadows have started striking back at Vorlon-tainted planets with their own planet-killing swarms. Ivanova notes they’re like “giants in a sandbox,” stomping on things willy-nilly, without even noticing the harm being done. The ends have outweighed the means.
The Alliance of Light is back together — but even with the many, many ships circling B5, they’re not strong enough to take on either side, let alone both.
But Sheridan notes that it’s all taking place around the edges — attacking allies of the other side, but not tackling each other directly. So he’s formed a cunning plan — get the two sides to confront each other, rather than dancing around each other, gacking civilians while taking no serious losses of their own.
Walter White’s descendent is a lot more straight-laced.
The problem is, time is running out. The Vorlon fleet is headed toward Coriana 6, a world with billions of inhabitants. The Vorlons they can track pretty well, but the Shadows are the random element. So Sheridan has to lure them in. He sends part of the fleet to slow the Vorlons, and plans to leak info to the Shadows that the Alliance is putting together a base at Coriana 6. To get the Shadows to play, though, it’s got to be a convincing leak. So Sheridan orders Capt. Ericsson of a White Star (who looks a lot like a Very Serious Tom Hanks, but is actually Bryan Cranston, Walter White of “Breaking Bad”) to let his ship be destroyed so that the intel can be found in the debris.
It’s meant to be a grim and serious moment, and it is, but it’s diluted by being played for effect (Sheridan gives the order in front of other Alliance representatives, so that they know that the Rangers / B5 are willing to give up their own in this struggle). And it also comes across as something of a cliche — strong upper lip and manly oblique speech and the heavy burden of command and dulce et decorum and …
The weight of command
Well, it does work, dramatically, but not as well as one might hope. Very Serious Tom Hanks is very serious, but he’s also a random Ranger, never before seen, so his heroic self-sacrifice doesn’t engage the viewer. Sheridan/Boxleitner (whose agonizing decision-making scene was also edited out) emotes a bit too openly, even while clearly knowing the Right Thing to Do and ruthlessly pursuing same.
And JMS can’t resist going back to back to his Tennyson’s “Ulysses” one more time, voiced over by Sheridan (from a note left on the desk by his predecessor, Sinclair) as he and Delenn head for their ship.
Though we are not now of that strength, Which in old days moved earth and heaven, That which we are, we are. One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, But strong in will, To strive, to seek, To find and not to yield.
Ivanova/Christian gets a bit more meat to chew on in this ep, both horror at the Shadow weapons, awe at the fleet being assembled, and determination and fear about being involved in the final showdown. Sheridan tells her she won’t be coming with the fleet, that he needs her to gather more First Ones. She reminisces about her mother’s suicide. Then,
IVANOVA: Whenever someone’s said they’d wait for me, or come for me, it’s never come true. I can’t do that any more, John. Not unless I’m sure.
SHERIDAN: What do you want me to do?
IVANOVA: Make me a promise. Not as a friend. Not as my commanding officer. As one soldier to another. Don’t protect me. Don’t hold me back. Promise me that whatever happens, I’ll be there with the fleet at the end. I have just enough trust left in me to believe you.
It’s a great scene, and some of her best work so far in the season. (A later scene between her and Lorien, discussing his past, gets shifted to next episode.)
Sic semper tyrannis
Overall: I’ve commented before on the breathless pace of B5 this season, and this episode demonstrates that whole-heartedly. From the perspective of twenty years on, my recollection had been that Cartagia was around for most of an entire season, rather than being wrapped up in five quick episodes (though, of course, the knock-on effects of death will linger for the rest of the series). It’s worth noting that while I’d have love to have seen this dragged out for longer (other plots, other madnesses, abortive attempts), JMS still makes the quick rise and fall of The Madness of Emperor Cartagia work.
The Great War parts aren’t quite as satisfying, since they are mostly build-up — raising the stakes, making some minor sacrifices, revealing the Big Plan, and let the chips fall where they may … next episode.
As noted at the top, one of the more remarkable things about the episode is the way it veers between black comedy and pathos. One scene, Vir is joking with Londo about how many words Cartagia might get out when he dies. Another, Vir is devastated by having actually administered the blow. It’s remarkably effective.
Unhappy Vir is unhappy
Most Dramatic Moment: Vir, distraught at what he has become — conspirator and regicide.
Most Amusing Moment: Cartagia is chatting with Londo, and the court jester starts to imitate him. When the Emperor turns and sees him — the whole Court holds its breath … only to let it out in relieved and nervous laughter as Cartagia plays along, riffing humorously with the jester. Whom he later kills with his own hands because, well, it’s good to be the Mad Emperor.
Most Arc-ish Moment: Londo has been acting as selflessly as Londo knows how. He wants to get Cartagia out of the way to save his people. So when he gets rewarded by being acclaimed Prime Minister by the Court — he’s honestly taken aback for a minute … before realizing that’s the best way to leverage further power to get the Shadows off of Centauri Prime …
So long, Emperor Cartagia. We hardly knew ye.
Overall Rating: 4.4 / 5 — A glorious rush forward, with a fitting end for Cartagia, but only a build-up for the Great War’s conclusion. (Rating History)
Next episode: “Into the Fire,” in which the series ends, in a blaze of glory. Except that it doesn’t. And a favorite character dies. And another favorite character gets his wish. Be there. Aloha.
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