So I give it a 37.2% chance of ever hitting the screens — it's very unclear from the article how it would, in reality, be funded if Warners gives it a pass.
That said — hell, yeah, I'm excited. I am curious, though, how we'll squeeze a reboot into a standard-length movie. Part of what made B5 special was the slow build-up and layering of characters and setting and plotlines — it's kind of hard to do that in 2-2.5 hours (as Serenity demonstrated), let alone if you're rebooting the universe.
Such a calm, quiet, introspective episode title. Who would think it would become a huge WHAM-stick to the head?
A-Plot: The Shadows are on the move, striking into hapless small star nations (many of them conveniently weakened from fighting with each other (at, conveniently, the Shadows’ behest). The various stray star systems and League of Unaligned Worlds races are panicky, but still fragmented, each wanting to hold onto their own resources, or staying ducked down in the hopes the Shadows won’t notice them. And Sheridan’s frustrated with any attempt at unifying them because, well, he’s got nothing he can promise them. The Shadows are an unstoppable force …
… until he lights on the idea that Kosh and the Vorlons might be able to (finally) help.
SHERIDAN: I know you can’t take the entire Shadow fleet by yourselves, but if you could beat them in just one fight, it could be the break we need to get everyone organized. Then we’d have a real chance. You could do it, couldn’t you?
KOSH: Perhaps. But there are still few of us. It is not our time. It is yours. We are not prepared yet. [Turns and glides away.]
Sheridan forgets it’s never nice to point.
SHERIDAN: Don’t turn your back on me! Don’t you even try to walk away from me! Just who the hell do you think you are, anyway? No, wait, I know what you think you are, what you want us to believe, but I don’t buy it. For three years now you’ve been pulling everyone’s strings, getting us to do all the work, and you haven’t done a damned thing but stand there and look cryptic. Well, it’s about time you started carrying your own weight around here. I hear you’ve got a saying: “Understanding is a three-edged sword.” Well, we’ve got a saying, too: “Put your money where your mouth is.”
KOSH: Impudent.
SHERIDAN: Yeah? Well, maybe that’s the only way to get through to you. You said you wanted to teach me to fight legends. Well, you’re a legend, too. And I’m not going away until you agree.
SHERIDAN: Up yours![Kosh zaps him again, slashing his cheek.] So, the real Kosh shows his colors at last. You angry now? Angry enough to kill me? Because that’s the only way I’m leaving. Unless your people get off their encounter-suited butts and do something, I’ve got nothing to lose. My own government wants to kill me, and if we lose this war I’m just as dead. Our only chance is to get the other races on board for this fight, and right now you’re the key to doing that.
KOSH: It is not yet time.
The Vorlons are the good guys, right? Right?
SHERIDAN: And who decides that time? You? You put me in this position, you asked me to fight this damned war — well, it’s about time you let me fight it my way. [He blocks Kosh’s departure.] How many people have already died fighting this war of yours? How many more will die before you come down off the mountain and get involved. Ships, colonies, whole worlds are being destroyed out there while you do nothing. How many more? How many more, Kosh? How many more dead before you’re satisfied? [Kosh telekinetically lashes out again, holding Sheridan against the wall, half-choking him.] Go ahead. Maybe one more death will balance out the books. Go on. Get it over with. Save us both the trouble later.
KOSH: [After a long, long moment, releases him.] I will do as you ask.
But Kosh warns him that if he does, he won’t be able to help Sheridan when the captain goes to Z’ha’dum, where “you will die.” Sheridan assumes that means Kosh is extracting that as part of the deal. “You do not understand,” intones the Vorlon.
And, sure as shooting, next big Shadow incursion, in pops a Vorlon fleet, which basically beats the snot out of the Shadows. Cheers and huzzahs from the various alien reps on B5, who all eagerly agree to band together (with the Vorlons), hip-hip-hooray.
And here’s a video that hits all of the key points for this plot:
(Slightly better video, but not quite as much footage, here.)Sic transit Kosh
So we have an alliance now, but Kosh … is dead — as is his living ship “familiar,” which glides its way (with Kosh’s encounter suit remains) into the pyre of the local sun. They’ve lost Earth, and they’ve lost (for the moment) their local Vorlon backer. Our Heroes are going to have to figure things out on their own.
Yikes.
B-Plot: As noted above, Morden is back, here to have it out with Londo (and, in passing, Vir). The Shadows aren’t happy with how the Centauri are behaving, and Morden warns him of such. Londo clearly recognizes the threat to himself, but still insists that their dealing days are over; the Centauri are interested in their own destiny. “I think you are using us as, shall we say, agents of chaos?” he asks Morden. He shrugs off the not-so-veiled threats. “There is nothing you can do to me, Mr. Morden, that has not already been done.”
Besides, Londo’s preoccupied with his One True Love, Adira (from “Born to the Purple,” way back in early Season 1) coming to B5 to visit him. He arranges for a fabulous suite, for food and drink and clothing and the whole nine yards, and has a true shit-eating grin of joy that he shares with Vir, telling his attache that he feels, for the first time in so long, genuinely happy.
Which is, of course, the setup for discovering that she died en route from Centauri Prime, poisoned.
Londo — stunned, in tears, emotionally crushed — immediately thinks of Lord Refa, whom he so recently half-poisoned.
That thought is later reinforced by some judiciously sympathetic gossip by Morden (who, we are fairly certain from our viewing perspective, was the one what done her in, to this very end). Londo, blinded by grief, throws himself whole-heartedly back into an alliance with the Shadows, if it will net him his revenge. “Everyone around me dies, Mr. Morden, except the ones that most deserve it. That is about to change. You said that you would go away for as long as I wanted. I no longer want that. All I want now — is revenge. They took from me the one thing that I have … have ever truly loved. And you will help me, Mr. Morden, to strike them down. Give me this, and the safety of my people — give me that, and let the rest of the galaxy burn. I don’t care anymore.”
Yikes.
Just Say No, Stephen!
C-Plot: This plot, alas, feels a bit like filler, even though it’s a culmination of two seasons of foreshadowing and will play a role for another season’s worth of eps. Franklin is acting more and more erratic, clearly due to his stim use. Garibaldi tries to intervene, but gets shut out — he considers breaking into Franklin’s health records for proof, but decides at the last moment not to. But Franklin has, and, faced, with the hard numbers, realizes he’s well and truly (and dangerously) addicted. He resigns his post as chief medical officer, for a future unknown.
Yikes.
Franklin tenders his resignation
Though … honestly … human interest notwithstanding, it’s not that big of a deal, or as bid a deal as it should be. Franklin’s role on the show has almost always been as a B- or C-Plot. Aside from sitting in on meeting and making more-or-less-appropriate commentary, he’s rarely been key to much of anything except for plots where Franklin is the star. That will change a bit down the road, but part of what struck me watching this is how little Franklin’s departure from MedLab will actually have on the main storyline (or on B5 itself).
Overall: Hommina-hommina-wow. From big space battles to new alliances Sheridan going toe-to-toe with Kosh to Kosh’s death to Adira’s death to Franklin’s resignation, this one is a serious series of baseball bats to the head. Calling this an “everything changes” ep is to understate it.
So many of the elements of this episode are played perfectly, under solid direction by Jesus Trevino. The pettiness of the negotiating aliens is heartbreakingly real. Sheridan bracing Kosh (and then Kosh appearing in Sheridan’s dreams) is some of Boxleitner’s best work on the series. Ed Wasser gets a strong workout in a variety of scenes as Morden. Londo veers from self-possessed rationality to giddy joy to emotional devastation to burning vengefulness — a tour de force for Jurasik. Jerry Doyle as Garibaldi hits every note perfectly, a far cry from his first season clumsiness. Richard Biggs’ Franklin nails the addict being dragged to his senses — furious, resentful, self-critical, and finally resolute — as well as he’s done anything on the show.
And Ardwight Chamberlain, the oft-ignored voice of Kosh, manages to get a hell of a lot of different emotions out of his normally quiet delivery.
The supporting main cast — Delenn, Ivanova, Vir — do a reasonable supporting job (Ivanova’s introductory voice-over, describing the situation at the beginning of the episode, is strong and well-played), but the main players steal the show.
All that said, there’s almost too much going on here. The A- and B-Plots meld together beautifully; the C-Plot is solid, but feels like a distraction I’d rather have seen in another episode. That keeps this ep from being perfect, but it’s damned, damned good.
It’s noted in a few of the commentaries below that this episode book-ends the previous “Ship of Tears” in an odd way. Bester turns to to his antagonists, the B5 crew, to ask for help to protect his people and get vengeance on the forces who hurt his lover. In this ep, Londo ends up turning to his recognized antagonists, Morden & Co., to ensure the protection of his people and to get vengeance on the forces who killed his lover. It’s not clear how intentional that parallel is, but it is … interesting.
Londo’s joy turns to ashes.
Most Dramatic Moment: Londo learns of Adira’s death (see the video above). Okay, there are a ton of dramatic moments in this ep — Kosh vs. Sheridan, Kosh talking to Sheridan while being killed, the death of Kosh’s ship, the Vorlons fighting the Shadows — but this one scene of happiness turning to horror turning to wracking sobs is exquisitely moving.
Most Amusing Moment: There’s a serious dearth of amusement in his ep, except for when Sheridan is chatting with Delenn and lays out their limited options and difficulty in getting the other races aboard — and she says they’ll just have to be given a victory. When he asks how, she smiles, says, “I’m sure you’ll think of something,” then sashays out. A true leader of men, that Delenn.
Most Arc-ish Moment: Sheridan forces Kosh to commit Vorlon assistance to the fight against the Shadows (see also above). It leads immediately to the beginning of the great Alliance, proximately to Sheridan’s fate at Z’ha’dum, and ultimately to the later stages (and outcome) of the Shadow War. And, no, I’m not going to be more specific than that …
Overall Rating: 4.9 / 5 — Almost as perfect as the show could get, hampered only by crowding in the C-Plot. (Rating History)
Next episode: “War Without End,” or perhaps we should call it, “Whatever Happened to Babylon 4?” A two-parter that not only manages to neatly deal with all sorts of pre-established time travel occurences in the first season — but does so with some significant changes in the master story from when that first season episode was written.
People are asking favors of the B5 command staff, both Psi-Cop Bester and potential ally G’Kar. Who will get their wish?
Welcome Back, Bester
A-Plot: Bester arrives at the station with information, attitude, and an offer to help Our Heroes in the fight against the Shadows. He’s aware of alien forces infiltrating EarthGov and the Psi Corps, and want to put a stop to it. To that end, he knows where a Shadow convoy carrying weapon components can be intercepted.
After much debate, the B5 command staff decide to follow up on his info, and the White Star, along with Bester, intercepts a transport ship escorted by Shadow fighters. They defeat the Shadows, but then a big Shadow ship shows up — then flees.
The cargo vessel, as it turns out, is full of telepaths, “blips,” folk who refused sleeper drugs but also to join the Corps. They appear to have been taken by the Shadows as potential pilots for their vessels — including (coincidentally) the first one awakened, Bester’s lover and (pregnant) mother to his child.
While this plotline is most driven toward learning more about the Shadows and their plotting, it’s also a marvelous opportunity to flesh out Bester as, not just an obnoxious telepath bigot who would just as soon see B5 go down in flames as piss on the fire (though he clearly, delightfully remains that), but also a person with human feelings and a potential ally against the Shadows and the Clark administration. “It’s the only promise I ever made that means a damn to me,” he says about his commitment to protect Caroline, and you believe it, even if it shows a remarkable compartmentalization of his life.
Superior smugness, thy name is Bester.
Actually, that’s a point I can’t emphasize enough, to both Joe Straczynski and actor Walter Koenig’s credit: this is not some big redemption, or a “hey, when you peel back this outer layer, you can see I’m really not that bad a guy, so maybe we can be friends.” sort of thing. Bester remains an out-and-out teep bigot, with clear (though often just out of provocation) contempt for the rest of humanity.
BESTER: We’re not expendable; mundanes are.
GARIBALDI: That would be us.
BESTER: Got it in one, Garibaldi.
He believes in his people, their (and especially his) superiority and value over all other humans, and will do whatever he can to make sure they are safe and (as the best step in that direction), in charge. In this episode, he doesn’t become more “human” by giving up that sense of superiority, but by letting us see that you can be a smug, savage bigot, but also be a nice (or at least tragic) person in another context. We saw something similar with Vir and Lyndisty (and Londo) last week; this week emphasizes it for Earthers, too. Villains can be humans, and humans can be villains; it sounds simple, but it’s a truth too often ignored on TV, including too many previous episodes of B5, where the various conspirators, thugs, assassins, investigators, and rabble-rousers from Earth have been mostly one-dimensional maniacs and villains. Bester may be a villain and even maniacal in some ways (though never ranting, and always calculatingly polite or impolite), but he’s not simply one-dimensional in it — and, in a pinch like this, “Your war is now my war” is something Our Heroes can make use of.
There are some things even Bester cannot fix on his own.
(That Bester is also a victim of the Psi Corps setup is worth noting as well: a loveless, arranged marriage, with his true lover in a re-education camp and, then, whisked off in secret by the Shadows; one almost feels sorry for him, especially in his ignorance that the system he’s fighting for is so problematic. Almost.)
I always joke about Morden being the most loved villain on B5, but every time I see a Bester episode, Walter Koenig changes my mind. His self-confidence, simmering anger, hidden humanity, pointed disrespect and “trolling” nature, all wrapped up in one, neat, black-garbed package, lend him both menace and sympathy. Morden is, ultimately, a danger because of who backs him (as we eventually see demonstrated); Bester is a danger because of who he is.
B-Plot: The A-plot takes up most of the show, but there’s an important B-plot as well. G’Kar is once again insisting on being let into the Great Conspiracy, having more than done what he told Sheridan he’d do. Sheridan and Delenn are reluctant, but realize it’s necessary. The main problem is explaining to G’Kar how long they’ve known about the Shadows, and how, basically, the Narn homeworld was left out to dry for the Centauri assault.
The scene that ensues between Delenn and G’Kar is emotionally intense. She essentially confesses that “they” knew, quite a while back, that the Shadows were moving, and targeting the Centauri for their influence. She stayed silent when G’Kar started ringing the alarm bell because she was sworn to silence by the Grey Council. As a result, the Centauri devastated Narn — but, she adds, grasping at straws, had the alarm bell been sounded about the Shadows, the Shadows themselves would have obliterated Narn, killing billions, rather than millions.Delenn faces the music — sort of.
When I first watched this, it was an amazingly painful scene, Delenn confessing her sins and asking for G’Kar’s understanding. On rewatch, it’s a much more mixed bag because it’s full of key lies and excuses. She didn’t stay silent when G’Kar reported about the Shadows at Z’ha’dum (in “Revelations“) because of the Grey Council, but because Kosh advised it and they were not yet ready to move. There’s no reason to think that Shadows would have killed everyone on Narn, on their own or at the behest of the Centauri. Delenn is essentially manipulating the truth, again, to make herself marginally guilty but still justified in her actions.
G’Kar, for his part, acknowledges that had he known the truth at the time, he would have killed Delenn, but he’s recently had revelations about saving billions at the cost of millions (“Some must be sacrificed if all are to be saved”). That those “revelations” were, themselves, manipulated by Kosh in “Dust to Dust” should be kept in mind.
Yeah, one wonders if Delenn consulted with Kosh before this particular discussion.
DELENN: You have come a long way, G’Kar — further than I could have guessed. Sheridan’s promise binds me as well as it does him. We will take you into the Council, G’Kar. And some day, when all of this is over, perhaps you will find it in your heart to forgive me.
G’KAR: Perhaps — but not today.
(It struck me, in watching, an interesting contrast to Delenn and G’Kar’s first scene together in her quarters, during the pilot episode. Then he was seeking her support and alliance, now she’s hoping he’ll accept the justice of her cause; then he used his knowledge of her Grey Council membership to manipulate her, now she uses it as an excuse; then she struck him down with fortunately-retconned ring-based tech, now she sheds a tear; then she was in charge, now, for this encounter, he is. Funny world, ennit?)
At least he’s prepped and ready to move on. And move on he does, introduced by Delenn into the Great Conspiracy — which has its own shiny new war room on the station. It’s unclear how the B5 crew has managed to build this, maintaining proper security, when under embargo from Earth (more or less), but there it is. Presumably the Minbari helped (again).Do not thump the book of G’Quon, Mr Garibaldi!
And they’re just in time for Garibaldi — who, by God, has been sifting through the Book of G’Quon (don’t thump it!) for clues about the Shadows, and who’s figured out a biggie. We’ve already learned that Narn had telepaths once upon a time, but they were wiped out a thousand years ago, apparently during the Shadow occupation of their world. Nobody, apparently, has put two and two together before, but the Book of G’Quon makes it (painfully) clear the wiping out was done by the Shadows — and that G’Quon and the few remaining telepaths then drove the Shadows out.
The Shadows are vulnerable to telepathy. That’s why they fled the White Star — because Bester was on board. That’s why they’re trying to use teeps to pilot their vessels, as a defense against that.
SHERIDAN: We have a weapon. My God, people, we have a weapon.
IVANOVA: I just hope it’s in time, because we’re gonna need it. We just got a report. The Shadows have just started attacking Brakiri space, openly. They’re not hiding any more. They’re finally on the move.
Yikes!
And now, a message from Fox News …
Meanwhile: ISN is back on the air! Yay! It’s full of raw, sunshine-faced propaganda for the Clark administration! Boo!
Overall: “Ship of Tears” doesn’t get all the credit it should in the B5 realm, possibly because the next few eps are so gob-smackingly big. But it marks the end of the “middle” of this season. The adjustments from the Revolution have been finished, B5 has established treaties and gone on a war footing, allies are lined up — and now war has come upon them all.
Despite having a cool White Star, and having learned about telepaths as a possible weapon, it’s not at all clear that the alliance under the Babylon Treaty is at all capable of fighting off the Shadows. That’s an issue that’s going to be dealt with sooner than expected, and with unanticipated results.
Most Amusing Moment: Garibaldi, out of emphasis, pounds his fist on Narn Scripture. G’Kar winces. “Do not thump the book of G’Quon.” (Runner-up: Bester’s badinage with Ivanova, complete with a slap to the face and a quote from “A Cask of Amontillado.”)
Most Arc-ish Moment: The revelation about the Shadow vulnerability to telepaths. It’s not the most dramatic (and, in context, is immediately superseded by Ivanova’s announcement), but it’s the most noteworthy thing that happens here (beyond G’Kar’s induction and Bester’s alliance, of course).
Overall Rating: 4.0 / 5 — Good characterization, good arciness, good stuff. (Rating History)
NOTE: Is it “G’Quon” or “G’Quan”? The B5 Wiki spells it G’Quan; the Lurker’s Guide generally spells it both ways, but prefering G’Quan. However, the old rastb5 posts there by Joe spell it both ways. Looking it up in the Babylon 5 script book for this episode, Joe spells it G’Quon, so that’s what I’m going to use.
Next episode: “Interludes and Examinations,” or perhaps we should call it, “Whatever Happened to Ambassador Kosh?” And everything starts to change again.
King Arthur has returned from Avalon, in the form of Michael York. Or has he?
The Return of the King
A-Plot: This is really most of the plot of this done-in-one episode. Arthur — in chainmail and bearing Excalibur — comes to B5. Marcus is smitten by the romance of it all. Franklin is skeptical of someone who’s obviously mentally unstable. Garibaldi sees a security threat. And G’Kar is enraptured by a brave fighter for justice against impossible odds.
York does an entrancing job as “Arthur,” enduring mysterious flashbacks while applying standards of medieval honor to the plight of Lurkers down-below. I almost wished Marcus wasn’t there, egging him on, because the Ranger’s support feels heavy-handed and overly-romantic, and York’s Arthur is charismatic enough.
G’Kar gets swept up in mythic battles. Of course.
His relationship with G’Kar is the most interesting, as the Narn assists him against some gang members down-below, and is in turn knighted (during a drinking bout) as Sir G’Kar, the Red Knight. Arthur’s nobility and seeking after justice no matter the odds clearly resonates with G’Kar’s own quixotic fight against the Centauri. Also, G’Kar can’t hold his booze.
Franklin tries to infect “Arthur” with some rationality.
Ultimately, Franklin over-rationally unravels the mystery. “Arthur” was really the gunnery officer on the EAS Prometheus, the ship that first encountered the Minbari, and whose captain mistook open Minbari gun ports as a sign of aggression (as hinted at in earlier B5 episodes). “Arthur” obeyed the orders to fire, leading to the Earth-Minbari War, which he’s turned into a guilt-induced dementia related to the Battle of Camlann and a mistaken move that led to the battle beginning and the death of the Round Table. Franklin (over Marcus’ strenuous objections) confronts “Arthur” with the evidence. The revelation drives “Arthur” catatonic —
The Lady of the Lake
— until Franklin and Marcus determine that Arthur came there seeking to return Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake, to lay down his guilt — a role that Delenn is willing and able to play.
“Arthur” (now going by his true name of David McIntyre) ultimately ships out to join the Narn resistance, and Marcus argues with Franklin over who the other Arthurian characters are on-board.
MARCUS: I used to think it was awful that life was so unfair. Then I thought, “Wouldn’t it be much worse if life were fair, and all the terrible things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them?” So now I take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe.
… and G’Kar’s on the joy of an unambiguous battle against evil.
G’KAR: By G’Quan, I can’t recall the last time I was in a fight like that. No moral ambiguity, no hopeless battle against ancient and overwhelming forces. They were the bad guys, as you say, we were the good guys. And they made a very satisfying thump when they hit the floor.
Sporting a snazzy new robe, Ivanova hands out copies of the Babylon Treaty to a rump session of the League.
B-Plot: Sheridan realizes that B5 can’t survive depending on the kindness of Delenn’s Minbari cruisers (and G’Kar’s Narn security guards). So he crafts a
“Babylon Treaty” for the Unaligned Worlds: B5 will serve as a neutral port of call and trading post, a place for arbitration and peaceful coexistence, if their fleets will join in protecting it. They get enough support to make a go of things.
This plot was actually a lot more fleshed out in the script (cut for time), including a scene where Londo insists his government will never recognize B5’s independence — which frees them to instead offer shelter to (and get protection from) stray Narn vessels.
C-Plot: So, of course, we need a humor-based plot, in this case Garibaldi vs. the Earth Alliance Postal Service, whose local reps have jacked up shipping prices COD, so that he can’t get his final shipment of foodstuffs from Earth without paying an extortionate rate. Hilarity ensues.
Well, no, actually, it’s not all that hilarious, though it does point out some of the logistical issues of breaking away from Earth.
Overall: It’s a done-in-one, and you could in theory skip watching it without losing anything arc-related. That said, it’s generally entertaining, and Michael York lends an air of professionalism and charisma that makes the episode what level of success it is.
Franklin gets another lesson in why he’s a researcher, not a shrink.
Most Dramatic Moment: Franklin forces “Arthur” to face reality, and Arthur bends reality around him (or at least his psyche) before going catatonic. Or, perhaps, “Arthur” giving up his sword to Delenn’s Lady of the Lake.
Most Amusing Moment: G’Kar’s drinking bout with “Arthur.”
Most Arc-ish Moment: Very little if anything, aside from Marcus assigning Arthurian cycle roles to the station personnel.
MARCUS: [Indicating Kosh] Next thing you’ll be saying is he’s not Merlin.
FRANKLIN: I am not hearing this.
MARCUS: They say he aged backward. That was how he was able to foretell the future, by remembering it. Which means he came from the future. Maybe he had Arthur form the round table by remembering us. We’re forming one of our own after all. Which makes you Percival. I’m Galahad, him being sinless and all. Sheridan as Arthur. Ivanova perhaps Gawain. I think we both know who Mordred is. So the question is: Who is Morgana Le Fay?
Hmmmm. A sorcerous woman with ties to the king who helps bring down the realm? Hmmmm …
[That begged the question in our family of who is Lancelot. Obviously Lennier.]
Overall Rating: 3.8 / 5 — For an episode as inconsequential as this one, it’s still highly entertaining. (Rating History)
Some get into trouble themselves. Others have trouble thrust upon them. So things are for everyone’s favorite (or second favorite, if you like Lennier better) diplomatic attache, Vir Kotto.
A-Plot: In the beginning of the episode, we see Vir return to his quarters on Centauri Prime, only to find the room full of Narn. Which is funny, given a racist Narn joke that Minister Virini just told him. But, oddly (to the viewer at the time), we get no more reference to that until he returns to Babylon 5, where, amidst the B-Plot, Ivanova (with Zack’s help) uncovers that Vir is forging documents shipping thousands of Narn back to Centauri Prime work camps. He makes protestations that such camps are actually much nicer than life back on Narn, but folk are beginning to look askance at him …
Vir feels he has to do *something*.
… not helped when, walking along with his B-Plot, he gets attacked by a Narn following a blood oath. Hmmm, what has Vir done to deserve that? Further digging leads Ivanova to discover that all those Narn that Vir absconded with are now reported dead. She and Sheridan are appalled to find Vir complicit in such war crimes, while Londo is appallingly pleased. Both sides are set back on their heels when Vir confesses the Narn aren’t dead — he forged other papers to get them (mostly sick and injured from devastated towns on Narn) off to B5 and other locations where they’d be safe. Perhaps goaded by G’Kar’s “dead, dead, dead” speech in “Comes the Inquisitor“), Vir’s fighting the good fight, behind the scenes, bureaucratically — that, coupled with his hesitant fondlling of the throne in Scene 1, are both reminders of his ultimate fate.
Londo — who’s been blithely chuckling about the only good Narn are dead Narn in a gobsmackingly bald-faced way — is outraged. He manages to cover up the conspiracy, but Vir’s role as liaison to the Minbari is over. Like others who have been sent there, he “went native.” Now he’ll remain on B5, where Londo can watch after him. (Coincident, of course, to Stephen Furst’s short-lived sit-com being canceled, and Vir being fully available for work on “Babylon 5” again.)
Furst does a decent job as the terrified but determined Vir, doing something he knows is wrong to his people but that he feels compelled to do by his own conscience. It’s a big step forward for the young Centauri, who, sadly, gets little credit for it from anyone. Jurasik’s Londo, on the other hand, does one of those “Yeah, you viewers think I’m just a conflicted good guy who’s gotten in too deep, but I’m actually a racist asshole who smiles broadly at genocide (and not just for public consumption)” bits. In some ways, it’s a terrifying performance.
Welcome to Babylon 5!
B-Plot: Oh, in the meantime, Vir’s wife, Lyndisty, arrives. Or, rather, his arranged to-be-wife, awaiting the final formalities. Vir, ever-flustered and in mid-conspiracy, wants nothing to do with her, being instead dedicated to the idea of marriage out of love, true love. She sets out to convince him that she’s lovable, and it’s working pretty well, given that she’s intelligent and poetic and pretty damned cute. Oh, and she kisses well, too, enough to get Vir to turn to Ivanova for sex advice (hilarity ensues). And she’s even more impressed with him when he fends off that attacking Narn.
Lyndisty and Vir
Except, it turns out, that attacking Narn was actually going after Lyndisty, not him. Seems her father was one of the early military/medical officials on Narn after the war was over, and supervised (with Lyndy’s help) “culling the herd” to eliminate individuals or even whole villages that showed too much resistance. Where Londo’s virulent prejudice is to be expected based on the character’s earlier behavior (though, honestly, it’s over the top here), Lyndisty’s come as a serious “fair is foul and foul is fair” moment.
LYNDISTY: Everyone knows that whenever there’s trouble, there’s always a Narn at the center of it somewhere. That’s all they are , you know, trouble. It’s not their fault, they’re simply inferior. It’s genetics. They’re lazy, they foul their own nests, everything they touch falls apart … [They’re not really intelligent, you know. Spiritually, physically, they’re little more than beasts of the field. They’re slow, and once they get out into the general population they become parasites.] The sooner they’re dealt with, the better for everyone.
([Bracketed] text in the original script.)
Don’t worry, my love, you’ll always have that hogtied Narn in your quarters to remember me by.
And then, as a sign of her love, she offers up another Narn assassin she captured, offers the privilege of killing him to her fiance.
Eek.
We don’t see how that scene plays out (frustratingly — though an Ivanova line was inadvertently cut later confirming that the injured Narn that was “found” is in Medlab, recovering). In the end the marriage is on hold, given the (suppressed) scandal of the A-Plot. Both characters are determined to sway the other, but, heck, she may be a brainwashed, genocidal maniac, but she’s a good kisser, and Vir figures beggars can’t be choosers.
It’s … weird. The plot makes some sense (holes aside — how did the Narn track her there, for example, and how did Vir get out of carving up the second one), but Vir’s reaction come across as too mixed. He’s appalled at her bloodthirstiness and dismissal of the humanity (so to speak) of the Narn, but he’s also not kicking her to the curb. It’s supposed to be amusingly pragmatic, or even loyally optimistic on his part that she’ll be reformed by his influence; instead, it makes the viewer question just why Vir is so much into protecting Narn refugees, and how dedicated he is to that cause.
Sigh. This is more awkward and eye-rolling than I remember it being the first time around watching the series.
D-Plot: Ivanova is having problems figuring out her role in the Grand New B5 Status Quo, leading to nightly dreams (one of which — the old “showing up at work naked” — we actually see acted out. It’s amusing, in a pedestrian way).
By the end of the ep (and lots of inadvertent meant-to-be-amusing jokes about nakedness), she’s figured out her new role, as a “sneak” who pursues B5’s ends by other means, such as taking over the fake Centauri identity (Abrahamo Lincolni) that Vir used for his underground railroad and using it for their purposes.
It’s … okay. But it’s a position that feels more like Garibaldi’s line of action, and the Sheridan / Ivanova interaction around all of this feels forced and awkward.
Meanwhile: B5 is already beginning to fall apart, as station inspectors aren’t numerous enough to screen incoming shipments for vermin. Which sounds grim, but it only plays itself out here for humor, as a bug (or bugs) invades Londo’s quarters — for at least a couple of amusing scenes.
Overall: This is meant to be a breath of humor after the grimness and drama of the recent episodes, but too much of it doesn’t work, focused as it on Ivanova being embarrassed about her nakedness dream (for some reason) and Vir being flustered about being courted. Both are okay, but can’t sustain the episode.
Such a lovely girl.
Meanwhile, the rampant anti-Narn prejudice shown by the Prime Minister, Londo, and Lyndisty are over the top — not unbelievably (because that kind of bigotry is hardly unbelievable), but because it goes beyond anything we’ve seen before. Sure, Centauri hate Narn (and vice-versa), but that’s generally come across previously more like English vs. French, or Israeli vs. Palestinian: as hateful and demonizing animosity from long and bloody conflict. Here, abruptly, we get Centauri jokes and attitudes that paint the Narn as sub-sentients, as redskins and wogs and abos and niggers,* stupid and dangerous and inscrutable and deserving whatever gets done to them. That abrupt escalation is jarring, especially coming from Londo, who is suddenly chortlig about the report of thousands of Narn being dead with his protege being in some fashion responsible. That’s certainly out of keeping with his previous caviling at thousands of Narn deaths at his own (or Morden’s) hands, or the orbital bombardment of Narn.
Lyndisty and the Banality of Evil
It’s enough of a disconnect that normally I’d just chalk it up to a new or different writer. But this is all JMS, and it was intentional, to show the “banality of evil” in Lyndisty (hampered by the particularly bloody role she personally took part in, and Vir’s willingness to give her another chance). It comes across as sloppy writing to make a point, which is a sad waste of an opportunity.
In sum, the episode does provide a bit of a pause, but it does so poorly enough that it makes me all the more eager to step back into the action. The problem is (largely) not the actors (unlike early days on the series), just the material.
*Interestingly, the Centauri don’t have a deprecatory nickname for the Narn. Calling them “Narn” seems to be bad enough for them.
Most Dramatic Moment: Vir gets backed into a corner as his conspiracy comes to light in front of Sheridan, Ivanova, and Londo. “They’re not dead!”
Most Amusing Moment: Vir seeks sex advice from Ivanova, which spirals out of control as she learns more about Centauri anatomy than she wanted.
IVANOVA: Well, there must have been other women before this.
VIR: There were other women, but I never got past one.
IVANOVA: You mean first base.
VIR: No, no, I mean one. You see, we have six a– we have six, you see, and each one is a different level of intimacy and pleasure. So, you know, first you have one, and that’s ehh. Then there’s two — and by the time you get to five it’s — [starts gesturing vigorously]
IVANOVA: Vir, I got it, I got it. I got it. I got it. I don’t know what to tell you, Vir. I’ve never really gotten this whole relationship thing down myself so I’m the last person in the world who should be giving advice on — this sort of thing. All I can say is that enthusiasm, sincerity, genuine compassion, and humor** can carry you through any — lack of — prior experience with — high numerical value.
Most Arc-ish Moment: Not much, except for the growing Sheridan/Delenn romance, as they almost — but are interrupted by the intercom — smooch for the first time.
Overall Rating: 3.1 / 5 — Lightweight and uneven. The good stuff is good, and there are some moderately interesting character bits, but it’s not a great effort. (Rating History)
(Rather than writing this post in G+ and having it flow to my blog, I’m going to try it the other way around — I’m finding, for long-format posts, G+ is annoyingly limited.)
It’s time for a new status quo, with Babylon 5 newly declared independent. Some are celebrating this time of “rebirth” — others are looking to turn back the clock.
The 23rd Century has User-Friendly Sniper Rifles
A-Plot: Garibaldi has booted all the known Night Watch types, but he’s pretty sure there are more lurking around. And, of course, he’s right. One of them nearly snipes Sheridan, before being stopped by his leader, who has bigger fish to fry. His scheme is to kidnap Delenn, and leave it to Sheridan to get rid of the Minbari cruisers. That will free the way for the EA warships to come back and settle things.
The plot proceeds apace, with Delenn, one of the Minbari captains, and an aide being captured — the aide making a convenient redshirt for the NW thugs to kill to demonstrate their ruthlessness. Ultimately, Marcus beats the information out of some other criminal types on the ship (“Bugger! Now I have to wait for someone to wake up.”) as to where the NW thugs are hiding out. A reasonably done ploy flushes them from their hidey-hole, followed by the inevitable firefight, Delenn saving Sheridan’s life while being seriously wounded, and Sheridan then beating the snot out of the would-be killer.
Threatening Night Watch guys are threatening
All in all, it’s a logical development, handled in a workmanlike fashion, but the Night Watch remnants are so much the semi- or totally-crazed killers that there’s no nuance; it’s all about the danger, just like a ticking bomb or an approaching meteor. It would have been nice for some motivation other than bloodlust or xenophobia (though those are what would be most likely to see among active Night Watch conspirators). There will be time later in the series to address differing opinions about the secession, but that opportunity is skilled here.
B-Plot: The above plot is against the backdrop of Delenn wanting to get everyone involved in a “rebirth” ceremony, very Minbari, where people meditate on how things are changing, how they are aligned to that change, and how it is changing them. And, just to give it some plotty goodness, everyone is to bring something of value to give away, and to share one secret nobody else knows.
Woo-hoo! Manipulated (but still fascinating) character development!
Problem is, nobody wants to play along. G’Kar, for all he’s gotten all contemplative of late, simply claims to be too busy running the Narn security on board to spare the time, and basically has his spiritual growth under control. “I have already been born once, and quite sufficiently.”
Londo considers the joys of meditation.
Londo effectively tells her and Lennier to pound sand — he’s already painfully aware of the changes that have taken place in him and his life, and has no intention of dwelling on them publicly.
DELENN: It is time for us to come together, to restore that which has been torn apart, and to heal the wounds we have suffered.
LONDO: With everything that has been going on, I’m surprised you invited me.
DELENN: In the matter of confessions, meditation and the closing of past wounds, Ambassador, you were at the top of my list.
LONDO: I’m already attending to my past, my present and what remains of my future. I do not require your assistance. Or your approval. Enjoy your ceremony, Delenn. I intend to have other plans.
Marcus, apparently, never went through a similar ceremony as part of his Ranger training — quite intentionally. He and Delenn chat, and it becomes (even more painfully) obvious that he’s carrying a huge load of survivor guilt from ignoring his brother and getting him, his family, and his settlement all killed (well, he didn’t get them killed, of course, but he wasn’t there, so it was all his fault for surviving). Marcus is motivated by trying to make up for all of that, and if that means his death, so be it. Yeah, we’ll see that theme continuing in Marcus’ character arc.
That leaves the command crew, who end up bringing the ceremony to Delenn while she recovers in MedLab. That turns it into a confessional, as each of them give up their EA uniform, and share their secret directly with Delenn (GIFfy).
Wuv … TWUE wuv …
For Sheridan, it’s obvious — he’s fallen in love with her.
SHERIDAN: I’ve never told anyone before now. When you were hurt, when you were in my arms, I was ready to kill that guy with my bare hands. I realized I have never told you how much I cared about you, how much you mean to me. I think it’s time you knew that. I can no longer imagine my world … without you in it. I don’t know exactly when or how it happened, but I’m glad it did.
In this rewatch, I’ve found that development unconvincingly uneven, but, hey, whatever, I’ll go along with it. B5 is Myth, and one can accept things that happen in myth at face value without their necessarily making sense. Anyway, he love her, yeah, yeah, yeah. That will certainly make the coming crises more convenient, but also more (politically) complicated.
For Ivanova, it’s a different romantic confession. “I think I was in love with Talia.” Ivanova’s bisexuality was strongly indicated but never stated in “Divided Loyalties“; here it’s finally confirmed, for those viewers who were on the fence. The question is, can Susan get past yet another disastrous relationship?
For Garibaldi, the secret is that he’s terrified of losing control. “No one knows, but I’m afraid all the time. What I might do if I ever let go.” Presumably the focus is on his sobriety, but by extension it’s his temper, and even (fitting for a security man) the people and events around him. That Garibaldi is a control freak with alcohol issues is not a terribly new revelation, but it’s a reminder, and a portent of things to come.
Franklin’s confession is no great surprise — “I think I have a problem” (with stims) — but his self-awareness of it is, and that’s a welcome thing. I don’t recall with fondness how that arc gets settled, but it’s a good development nevertheless.
New uniforms! (Also, new logo!)
In exchange for what they’ve given up, Delenn has a gift back to them — new spiffy space-uniforms for the command crew. I honestly was never a huge fan of the changed uniforms; granted, they were (presumably) designed by a Minbari, but it would have made more sense to me (or for the characters) to wear something more — human, more an evolution than a revolution. It is a revolution, of course, but it’s not clear the characters themselves would recognize that yet, let alone what it would all mean to the folk around them. But, hey, it’s another mythic element, so I won’t be too picky.
The face of noble, unrequited love
Oh, that leaves one other character who’s been running around in the show to tell his secret. That’s Lennier, who confesses to Marcus that he, too, is in love with Delenn — “a pure, perfect love, as it were” — though he realizes that prophecy means that love can never be requited. “I know that Delenn is fated for another, and I have accepted that, in my heart. But I have vowed to stay at her side through all things for as long as I live.” Oh, Lennier — it’s going to be a hard, hard road ahead of you. Bill Mumy does another stand-up job here, showing the passions — including simmering anger — that run below that calm, not-quite-so-naive surface. (See the Marcus video below for this bit.)
Delenn? She never does share a secret. That’s very Delenn. Unless this serves as her confession, earlier on:
DELENN: Among Minbari, one individual leads, but we move as one. We are at our best when we move together, and we are at our worst when we move together. When our leader was killed by your people, we went mad together. We stayed mad for a very long time, a madness that almost consumed your world, until finally, before it was too late, we woke up together. But you, you are alone, you have no one to awaken you from your madness. For this, and nothing else, I feel pity for you.
This plotline, as a whole, runs pretty smoothly. As I said, it’s a bit contrived of a trope, but it still works as the characters move on to the next stage of their development, here at the half-way point of the series.
Londo practices some old-time politics with Refa
C-Plot: Londo invites Lord Refa to B5. He’s concerned that Refa is still entangled with Morden and his “associates,” and that the Emperor is spreading Centauri forces too thin. “Is there anyone along our border with whom we are not currently at war? Only an idiot fights a war on two fronts. Only the heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Idiots would fight a war on twelve fronts.” He demands Refa sever ties with Morden and cut back on some of the random fighting.
REFA: Oh Londo, you are a fool. You walked away from the greatest power I have ever seen. Now you expect me to do the same? They are the key to my eventual rise to the throne! Why would I abandon them?
LONDO: Because I have asked you. Because your loyalty to our people should be greater than your ambition. And because I have poisoned your drink.
With a binary poison, the actual lethal dose to be supplied sometime in the future if Londo is not convinced that Refa is doing his bidding.
It’s a nice scene, with Londo finally beginning to take control of matters into his own hands, and with the ruthlessness of the “old days.” His concerns are solidly for Centauri security — and, secondarily, to make sure (his own recent prophecy from Lady Morella notwithstanding) that Refa doesn’t take the throne. It’s a neat little package, laying the groundwork for Londo’s own development, which will, one can count on it, include some opposition from his new enemy, Lord Refa himself.
D-Plot: Garibaldi resets all the main computer passwords, so Earth can’t lock them out. When he reboots the computer, it comes back up with an experimental but obnoxious artificial personality that Garibaldi spends the rest of his free time in the ep hunting down and removing.
Meh. Obnoxious computer AI were almost old-hat in Star Trek: TOS. Here, even with Harlan Ellison as the voice of “Sparky,” it feels like forced humor.
Meanwhile: The B5 dead are shot into the sun (GIFfy). It’s a moving ceremony, though it raised the issue (among us at home) as to what sorts of ceremonies were held for the non-B5 dead of last episode’s battle, both rebel and loyalists in Starfuries or in the ships that were destroyed.
They lost no time redecorating after the revolution.
In addition to new uniforms (indeed, even prior to them), the internal B5 logo changes from having an olive branch to being backed by a sword, as seen both on the wall in C&C and on one of the conference tables. Weird — nobody notices, it just happens, which makes it a production decision — maybe nobody thought of obsessive Internet fans and people rewatching the episodes on tape and (woo, future!) disc.
Overall: After the big epicness of the past three episodes, this one, even with its action, is a chance to step back and breathe, to understand the new status quo and where things might head from here. Most of those confessions (all but Ivanova’s, oddly enough) signal pretty clearly where their characters are going, and the actions of the Night Watch baddies make it clear that the Earth government Our Heroes now oppose is truly made of of baddies who will stop at nothing to destroy B5 and Our Heroes.
Puppy-Eyed Sheridan is Puppy-Eyed
The acting involved (aside from some scene-chewing from Night Watch) is all solid — the ensemble is working well, and even the weakest of the actors early on is now firing on all cylinders. Jason Carter as Marcus, Bill Mumy as Lennier, Peter Jurasik as Londo, and Bruce Boxleitner as Sheridan (when he’s not being puppy-eyed toward Delenn) are all stand-outs for their work.
Here’s some nice Marcus (and Lennier) action:
The episode is marred a bit by convenience — the uniform changes, the Sheridan/Delenn romance — and the A-Plot is pedestrian and the D-Plot is just dumb — but overall it’s a decent outing, especially if considered as an extension of the previous three. It ends with Sheridan declaring “Babylon 5 is open for business,” just as Laurel Takeshima did at the end of the pilot episode. It’s a brand new day to start the second half of the series.Not surprisingly, Sheridan shortly loses his temper.
Most Dramatic Moment: Sheridan pummels the snot out of the Night Watch goon who almost killed Delenn. “No more! No more of you! No more Night Watch! No more hostages! No more LIES! Not on my station! Not on my watch! NO MORE!”
Most Amusing Moment: Not a lot of notable humor here (particularly in the ostensibly humorous D-Plot) — probably Marcus working out his frustrations in the bar brawl (see the video above or this GIFfy).
MARCUS: Well they said I was carrying around a lot of repressed anger?
LENNIER: And?
MARCUS: I’m not repressed anymore.
Most Arc-ish Moment: I’ll spread it to a scene — the walk-in confessions of the command staff to Delenn (GIFfy). For the most part, you can see here what’s going to be happening with them for at least the rest of the season.
Overall Rating: 3.6 / 5 — Solid entertainment, with some reasonably big revelations, ultimately something of a filler while we catch our breath. (Rating History)
So we've now watched just about half of the regular broadcast episodes of "Babylon 5" in our household, and I've been doing reviews of each episode — 55 of them to date — it's time for some re-evalation and housecleaning.
My format for the reviews has matured over time in terms of how its laid out, what sites I link to, images and videos and animated GIFs I link to, and just the nature of the commentary. One of these days, when I've plenty of time, I may go through and update the blog versions of the reviews to make them a bit smoother and more attractive.
That said, it occurred to me some weeks back that I may not have been as consistent as I would want on the review scores (X out of 5) for individual episodes. Both the basic rubric (what does 3 out of 5 mean?) and a comparison (is episode X really better than episode Y?) needed to be run through.
Kind of glad I did, since I think it came out a lot more cleanly, and gives me a baseline to compare for future eps. Of course, now I have to go back and update the blog posts …
The scoring (what I originally did, and what I've changed it to) can be found, along with links to all the reviews to date, here: http://goo.gl/FW6PAq . I'll be keeping that spreadsheet up as I go along.
"The Babylon Project was a dream given form." — Jeffrey Sinclair, Season 1 intro "It failed." — Susan Ivanova, Season 3 intro
This episode is touted by some as the best of the series, combining various plot lines colliding and realigning, as well as some great (especially for the time, but even pretty decent today) CG work. I'm not prepared to say that yet, but it's a hell of an episode, a climactic game-changer not just for the three-episode arc it concludes, but for the series as a whole.
As such, the plotting is fairly linear.
A-Plot: The action essentially starts with the EAS Alexander, General Hague's fleeing rebel ship, finally firing on its loyalist pursuer (http://goo.gl/NzZ1yX), destroying it, with the side note that the Alexander's captain, Major Ryan (http://goo.gl/hHLRiV), knew the pursuing captain, and his family. This is civil war, and it's going to hurt. The wounded ship sets course for B5. (http://youtu.be/RDzvp2dD-YA?t=1m22s)
Sheridan begins to deal with a series of cascading catastrophes, each attempt at damage control succeeding for the moment, then being overwhelmed by the next wave of the rising tide crashing further up the sand. Knowing that the Alexander is on its way, which will make B5 even more of a target, he arranges to cut off B5's comms back to Earth, then announces to the C&C staff when the ship arrives that they will render humanitarian aid to a crew that loves Earth and its Constitution as much as anyone else.
Meanwhile, ISN reports that Mars is refusing to imposed martial law. And, later, that Earth forces have begun to bomb Mars (complete with a Gulf War-style missile attack on a pressure dome). And, to ratchet up the pressure, ISN then announces that the Proxima 3 and Orion 7 colonies have declared independence, just before government security forces cut the news station off. (Babylon 5 – S3E10 Severed Dreams We Fight or We Surrender; http://goo.gl/r2hLu7, http://goo.gl/uqT4pW)
Another rebel ship, the Churchill, arrives, and its commander, Hiroshi, tells Sheridan and Ryan that EAS warships are on the way to B5 to secure it and arrest its command crew (http://goo.gl/az8Xrm). Sheridan, back to the wall, puts the question to Ivanova, Garibaldi, and Franklin whether they should fight or surrender. They all agree that they need draw that line against the darkness. (http://youtu.be/XuEqzIW9kNU?t=1m13s; GIFfy http://goo.gl/Ri5oDi)
Our side wins (http://goo.gl/MCfZmF, http://goo.gl/qv2bcy), at tremendous cost, barely still functional — only to have still more Earth warships come through the jumpgate, demanding their surrender, with additional jump point activating right in proximity of the station. All seems lost, until …
B-Plot: A Minbari Ranger arrives at the station, with word that the Shadows are provoking various non-aligned worlds to sign mutual defense pacts with them, which then turn to attacks on their neighbors. Delenn is told that the Grey Council is aware of this, but have washed their hands of the matter.
DELENN: "I served the Council for sixteen cycles. I was the chosen of Dukhat to replace him. I held him when he died; his blood is on my hands, his spirit in my eyes, his word on my lips. You will step aside in his name and mine, or in Valen's name I will tear this ship apart with my bare hands until I find them! Move aside!"
Having entered the Council chamber, she confronts them (http://goo.gl/mbZ0sr), calling them (second incredible speech) cowards who have abandoned belief in Valen and in prophecy in pursuit of their own petty interests (http://goo.gl/mMAV2N; http://goo.gl/Hb8Ac3). She breaks the Triluminary staff of the head of the Council, then leads the Religious and Worker Caste representatives away, leaving the Warrior plurality on their own. (Babylon 5 – S3E10 Severed Dreams The Council Must Be Broken)
Which means that she's able to return to B5 just in time (see where the A-Plot cut off above) with a trio of Minbari cruisers and the White Star (http://goo.gl/lekIkD), using her third incredible speech …
HUMAN CAPTAIN: "We have authority here. Do not force us to engage your ships." DELENN: "Why not? Only one human captain has ever survived battle with a Minbari fleet. He is behind me. You are in front of me. If you value your lives … Be. Somewhere. Else."
Sheridan (who has pointedly decided to stop wearing his EA uniform jacket for the time being) greets Delenn upon her return onto B5 (http://goo.gl/65NFr0), as various Earthers are evacuating (or being deported), and basically gushes gratitude on her (http://goo.gl/d2bd8Q). It's another big jump forward for their relationship, distracted from for the moment by the assembled folks in the Zocalo giving Sheridan (and Delenn) a big round of applause (http://goo.gl/HWE6SC) … as we slide to the side to a defaced Night Watch poster reading "TRAITORS CAN'T HIDE."
Overall: Yeah, it's all that and a bag of chips. The battles are huge, the stakes not only high but escalating within the episode. Every time Sheridan thinks he's made the biggest decision yet, circumstances trump him to force another. The despair on his face when the second wave of Earth attackers arrive is stunning — that Delenn pulls all their asses out of the fire makes her a true partner (as she says) in the new thing that has been born that day, an independent Babylon 5.
Though pretty much everyone gets involved in some fashion or another, this is truly the Sheridan and Delenn episodes — run separately until the very end. He's doing his damnedest to keep things up and avoid the final confrontation and protect everyone on B5 — and even then, he gets overwhelmed more than once, when he hears about the Earth ships headed their way (dolly/zoom shot!), another when the second wave of Earth ships arrive. Those moments feel more real than his couple of moments of speechifying, as does a quiet, wordless farewell he exchanges with Ivanova as she heads out to the battle (http://goo.gl/j9YW86).
(In the middle, there's also a lovely, quiet interlude, where he pulls rank and uses the Gold Channel to talk to his father (http://goo.gl/hqedTg) for possibly the last time. It's nice seeing the guy who Sheridan references so much, and one can see why (http://goo.gl/Oy7kV3). We'll see Dad again in the future, as things change and get more dire.)
Delenn gets, as noted, three absofraginlutely killer speeches — to the door warden of the Grey Council, to the Council itself, and to the attacking Earth ships. All three cover up how much this episode costs her. Even as a believer in prophecy, her personally breaking the Council and dividing her people, and, as she ultimately acknowledges, losing her home — these are painful, expensive things. But, if nothing else, she's gotten over the depression and tentative fear she was feeling after her transformation — the session with Sebastian certainly played a role there — and she is once again showing the steel that Dukhat apparently saw in her.
Good stuff.
For all the tension and conflict and razzle-dazzle, the episode is not without flaws. Despite the spectacle of the space battle, the tactics and maneuvers are nearly non-existent (we see events and results, but no sense of anything except a lot of ships flying around, and a largely static defense). The final scene of the ep is overcrowded — refugees and expelled Night Watch are queued in the departure lounge, right where Delenn saunters in and has her final discussion with Sheridan, in front of a whole bunch of presumably hostile folk who pay them nary a glance.
But those are mostly quibbles. This is a hell of an episode, a huge payoff for what has gone on previously (long-term and recently). The acting of the principles is all solid, and the guest stars are reasonably good. The writing has moments exciting (the battle), inspiring (Sheridan announcing the secession), heart-rending (the aftermath of the boarding battle), chilling (ISN going off the air), and get-up-and-cheering (basically whenever Delenn is giving one of her speeches).
And, by the end, everything has changed. Which means we'll have some episodes exploring the new status quo, and how Earth, and the other worlds, will react to an independent B5 (and one being guarded by Minbari cruisers).
Martial Law spreads to B5, as Londo seeks an escape from his fate.
A-Plot: This is the biggie. With martial law declared back on Earth, and a message passed on from General Hague to Sheridan that they are on their own (http://goo.gl/kJXCsB), orders come through (http://goo.gl/zh4p8M) from the Political Office that station security is to be turned over to Night Watch. Sheridan's outraged, but Garibaldi is livid at how his security "family" is being broken up, and who's willing to turn on whom. Some quit, but others are more than willing to sign up to get the snazzy black arm band, especially once the martial law order is extended to the station (http://goo.gl/SfAMJK) and rioting breaks out. The conflict gets personalized in both the Obviously Evil Night Watch (as with last ep, named simply "Security Guard #1) and Zack (http://goo.gl/fkWcMJ, http://goo.gl/2DZpgA, http://goo.gl/U9b7Qj), especially when Garibaldi is relieved (GIFfy http://goo.gl/iV3Uw6) and Zack is named security chief.
It's taut, tense, and personal, but deflated a bit by an ending that seems something of a cheat. Just as Sinclair did more than once during Season 1, Sheridan figures out how to rules lawyer his way out of the mess, so that he can trick the Night Watch into locked area (http://goo.gl/j4Jbze), legally claim they are mutineers (having gone outside the formal military chain of command), and arresting them. It's too quick and easy a solution, even if it's just a temporary one until the orders can be passed along properly from Earth.
The most noteworthy element of this plot is Zack finally throwing in with the Good Guys — though not before an "intervention" by Sheridan, Garibaldi, Ivanova, and G'Kar (http://goo.gl/WWkaDb). It's unfortunate that we don't see how that meeting pans out, since it's a key event for one of the featured players, but in the end, Everyman Zack is on the side of the angels (http://goo.gl/eeSUj8).
B-Plot: G'Kar is out of jail, to discover that Ta'Lon has been waiting for him (http://goo.gl/LPjp4p), which gives target to whom to exposit, mystically, about his enlightenment and what it will mean. It's also a springboard for another change: G'Kar offers Garibaldi the local Narn population (http://goo.gl/7iSyoV) to supplement station Security once the Night Watch folk are disarmed and shipped out (http://goo.gl/2f1b2A). Which then lets G'Kar brace Sheridan and insist that he wants "in" on the Conspiracy of Light …
My recollection of B5 was that post-epiphany G'Kar was mostly saintly in a Gandhi-esque fashion, but there's still plenty of the sneak and snark in him here.
C-Plot: After critiquing Vir's reports back to the homeworld (http://goo.gl/2Ibvs2), Londo greets his invited guest to B5, Lady Morella (http://goo.gl/HtfZXr, http://goo.gl/sBDstt, http://goo.gl/527JqO), the consort widow of the former Emperor. She's a prophetess, and while Londo once hit up the Technomages for their support and maybe a bit of prophecy in his favor, now he's after her to prophecy for him to see if he's headed for as dark an end as he fears.
In the end, Londo gets a one of those annoying prophecies that mean next to nothing, with what decision points he'll have to recognize in order to redeem himself (thus prompting endless fanboy debate): "You must save the eye that does not see. You must not kill the one who is already dead. And at the last, you must surrender yourself to your greatest fear, knowing that it will destroy you." And then the players thrown popcorn at the DM and go off to grab some beers from the fridge.
Morella then reveals (off the record) that Londo will, in fact, be Emperor. And so will Vir (at which he laughs, until it's clear she's deadly serious). One will ascend the throne after the other dies. Which, after her departure, leaves the two of them sitting on either end of the couch, laughing nervously and feeling extremely awkward …
Morella was played by Majel Barrett, who liked the show and thought her appearance might calm down some of the B5/Star Trek sniping among fans. Sadly, no, though she makes a pleasant turn as the character (GIFfy http://goo.gl/gjcEbN).
Meanwhile: Oh, the Rebellion's not going well; Senators and Chiefs of Staff are being rounded up, and General Hague is trying to rally some EA ships to his side against Clark, resulting in bloody battles (http://goo.gl/FbPtoV) — and by the end of the ep, only his ship remains, fleeing. And Sheridan and Ivanova know that B5 is Clark's next target … (http://goo.gl/BVujMu)
SHERIDAN: “They’ll be coming for us next you know." IVANOVA: “I know. Never thought it would end like this." SHERIDAN: “Me either.”
Overall: The second of a three-episode arc that turns everything around, the ep has some big, portentious moments, but suffers from solving the main problem with a trick, and failing to show us a key scene, while trying to fit too many other events into play. It's a major event, but not one of B5's very best.
Most Dramatic Moment: Garibaldi faces down his security team, only to discover it's not his any more. (http://goo.gl/MWNOUv, http://goo.gl/eM8Gcz) "If anything I've ever said or done has ever meant a damn to you, then stop this. Stop this now." Most Amusing Moment: Vir and Londo contemplate their impending fates. (http://goo.gl/4AiwUT) Most Arc-ish Moment: G'Kar explains to Ta'lon the sacrifices to come, and how important it is that they support the humans. (http://goo.gl/2f1b2A)
Overall Rating: 4.0 / 5 — Again, good, big, wham-ful stuff, but with some organizational problems and a few cheats.
So far, the B5 team have just been quiet conspirators regarding the problems back on Earth. Now they find themselves having to take action …
A-Plot: Our Heroes learn (http://goo.gl/jOqLHz) that an abandoned Shadow vessel was found on Mars (http://goo.gl/urQGxN) several years back, and that Earth Gov and Psi Corps (http://goo.gl/5TlR4r) have some sort of undefined relationship, which led to that vessel being “rescued” by the Shadows (http://goo.gl/1m6mS2, http://goo.gl/3GzCZn, http://goo.gl/G0n7nR). Now Earth has found another one, buried on Ganymede, and the Clark government plans on taking it home, to use its technology both for defense and, potentially, against all humanity.
Sheridan decides to cowboy off to the Solar System in the White Star (http://goo.gl/ZoXLNf), with Delenn and Lennier (http://goo.gl/CHLoVg), to destroy the Shadow vessel. One nice bit of character work is how the other command staff try to talk him out of it. Ivanova is all gloom-and-doom: they’ll be detected on the system’s long-range scanners and outgunned by the EA fleet. Franklin urges caution, suggesting maybe later will be better, when they are more ready. Garibaldi cuts to the worst case scenario, asking if Sheridan is willing to fight with EA ships.
They get there after the Earth folk have activated the Shadow vessel, where we learn that all such craft have a living creature at their center as a merged being (Delenn reveals that the Minbari apparently know a lot more about the Shadows than she’s mentioned before. cough). But the human pilot wasn’t properly prepped, and the vessel goes mad, destroying the Ganymede base (http://goo.gl/UQB49b, http://goo.gl/tD7cft). After some futile shooting at it, enough to get its attention, Sheridan takes the White Star down into Jupiter’s atmosphere, just deep enough into the gravity well that they’re able to barely get back out again, but the not-fully-with-it Shadow vessel is not.
The next challenge is when Sheridan’s former command, the Agamemnon, arrives in high orbit and demands their surrender. For whatever reason, the White Star isn’t fast enough to escape, and Sheridan refuses to fire on his old ship. Delenn hits on the idea of opening a jump gate in the high atmosphere, despite the explosion risk. They do so, and get away, huzzah.
A-Plot (flip side): The show starts with ISN broadcasts — these are playing in the background around the station, but also being watched, worriedly, by both Sheridan and Ivanova. The talk is about how pressure is building on the Clark government, which has been further damaged by testimony from his personal physician about his abrupt departure from Space Force 1 (“Hunter, Prey”). Various senate hearings are going on, and the Clark administration, which claims it’s all a bunch of poppycock, is trying to distract folks by mentioning those mysterious Shadow vessel pictures (“The Fall of Night”) and how they are determined to get to the bottom of that possible threat to Earth (a dubious assertion, blown up by information in the A-Plot about how EarthGov already knows about the Shadows).
After the A-Plot mission is all over, we see more on ISN about how an alien vessel attacked and destroyed the Ganymede base, but was in turn hunted down and destroyed by the Agamemnon. The Clark administration promises that these increasing threats will be met by a new plan — which, at the very end of the episode, turns out to be an announcement on ISN of martial law being declared on Earth.
The use of ISN for these meta-plot tracking “messages from Earth” is very nicely done, and will continue to be a tool used to give the characters, and viewers, further insight into what’s happening outside the station.
B-Plot: Speaking of dire Earth stuff, Night Watch is ramping up the pressure on the station, with new Head Thug holding meetings and reporting that Earth has determined the government and even the military are riddled with conspirators and alien stooges, arrests to follow soon. The local Night Watchers are advised to keep an eye out for sinister goings on at B5, which raises the question of Sheridan disappearing from the station for four days (the A-Plot; the activities taken to make it seem like he was still around apparently not standing up to close scrutiny).
Zack, of course, remains increasingly uncomfortably in the middle, under increasing pressure from Head Thug to try to get in good with Garibaldi and learn what sort of shenanigans Sheridan is up to (http://goo.gl/oCFUSQ, http://goo.gl/xfmZkn). This will have to come to a head soon …
The biggest problem with this plotline is that the face of the Night Watch keeps changing, both in big representatives from Earth and in station personnel leaders. Each one does a more or less decent job as a McCarthyite Thought Police drone, but the changing faces make it more difficult to empathize with Zack’s conflict, and how he might resolve it.
On the flip side, Ivanova and Marcus (GIFfy http://goo.gl/gjcEbN; http://goo.gl/6tXGWK) are … well, he’s a bit over-the-top smitten, clearly, sending her special breakfasts and all (http://youtu.be/yVEJDwaTMfk;http://goo.gl/qcBQU0) … but as someone who hates a lack of control and certainty, this is not the time when she wants to open up to a relationship (esp. given how the last couple here on B5 have gone) (http://goo.gl/bntT4x). There’s actually a really nice scene here where Ivanova (as only Ivanova can) explains why Marcus and his presence bug her so much.
IVANOVA: I don’t know how to relate to you! How you fit in to anything here. I mean, where are you in the ranks? Above? Below?
MARCUS: Left? Right? In a box by the door…?
IVANOVA: Ever since you’ve come here we had nothing but trouble! You’re a loose canon!
MARCUS: He went of his own free will. He didn’t have to go.
IVANOVA: Yes, he did! And you knew he would the second he found out what was going on!
MARCUS: I’d rather assumed he would send me. Funny that. But if you’re right, and it was inevitable, why blame me?
IVANOVA: Because he shouldn’t have to be doing this. Because he’s got no business taking out that ship without me there to help him! Because we’re going against our own government! I don’t know where the hell I fit in any more, let alone you! And, dammit, because I don’t have anyone else to blame!
Great stuff, shifting some amusing rom-com byplay into actual characterization.
Marcus reciprocates with the world’s most amusing org chart (http://goo.gl/rwUKPV).
MARCUS: Now then, here’s you, right here, at the heart of everything. And why not? And here’s me. This is the captain, here’s Franklin, here’s my mom and dad — they don’t actually have anything to do with this, but it’s a very good picture of them, don’t you think? I think I’ve actually come up with a way to explain the organizational structure of Babylon 5 using the Ottoman Empire as a model. It gets a little confusing around this bit here, but one has to start somewhere.
And he makes her laugh, which is his devilish goal.
D-Plot: G’Kar isn’t languishing in prison, but seriously mellowing out, writing his memoirs (http://goo.gl/zpiOKE), chatting with Garibaldi (http://goo.gl/bsr6ix), and preparing to step out of the cell as something as yet uncertain.
Overall: A solid episode, with good character bits, some action and effects, nice direction by Michael Vejar, and a steady ramping-up of the tension. Sheridan & Co. are beginning to realize they can’t simply lurk in the background any longer — how that issue will be forced, and what that means, will be the topic of the next two episodes. The growing stress for Sheridan — acting against Earth’s defense forces, even for a higher cause — is playing out well and, when not still being a puppy dog in his normal eagerness and demeanor, you can see it weighing on him.
Shout-out to Bill Mumy’s Lennier, who gets to play all of the non-Kirk-and-Spock roles on the bridge of the White Star, and still manages to get some good lines. (SHERIDAN: “Full power! Give me everything you’ve got!” LENNIER: “If I were holding anything back I would tell you.” GIFfy: http://goo.gl/sGbe76)
There are also a few flaws. The A-Plot has some great moments, but the actual battle against the Shadow vessel and the escape from the Agamemnon feel poorly blocked and too reliant (twice!) on “I have a brilliant and unorthodox idea that will work even though the odds are against it” type of scenarios to be considered really good writing. This episode is better when it’s about personal conflict, not action.
This ep also gives a loud shout-out to little bits and bobs of continuity. You can take it simply on the surface, but someone paying attention will spot lots of textural goodies. They’ll remember Interplanetary Expeditions (both their commercials and the last time they played an active role, back in “Infection”). They’ll recall when Garibaldi was able to get olive oil and anchovies shipped to the station (“A Distant Star”). They’ll note how events of a thousand years ago keep popping up. They’ll remember that Clark’s physician, and his testimony, were the A-Plot of a previous episode (“Hunter, Prey”). Heck, if they read the B5 comic books, they’d see a Garibaldi tie-in to the Mars story. There’s a fine balance here between added details making things more cool for the devotee, and the storyline being accessible to the more casual viewer, something that modern TV producers and writers could take a lesson from.
Most Dramatic Moment: Ivanova watches ISN as martial law is declared. “And to confirm earlier reports, President Clark has signed a decree today declaring martial law throughout Earth Central citing threats to planetary security. He’s expected to provide information to support this action at a closed meeting of the full Earth Senate tomorrow. We repeat, Earth is now under martial law.” Most Amusing Moment: Marcus shows Ivanova where he and she fit into the B5 org chart, as inspired by the Ottoman Empire (http://goo.gl/rrZXZ0). Most Arc-ish Moment: Dr. Kirkish (http://goo.gl/xDxzlJ) and her (long) tale of the Shadow vessel on Mars.
Overall Rating: 4.0 / 5 — Good stuff, building on the past and ratcheting up tension for following episodes, marred mostly by some awkward action sequences.
A "monster of the week" worthy of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," but useful for B5 mostly as a character-building exercise.
A-Plot: There's something weird going on at B5, as portrayed in the pre-credits sequence where a guy squealing in pain has some sort of weird insect-ish thing on his back (http://goo.gl/XbC82O) which gets absorbed into his skin, as others look on. Ick!
It gets worse. People are disappearing or wandering off from their normal haunts — including one, then two of Marcus' Lurker friends / contacts. Garibaldi is unusually uninterested in weird stuff going on, so Marcus ropes Franklin into checking things out. At which point they get captured by a whole tribe of low-affect pod-people.
Ultimately Franklin (who had already gotten a clue that something was going on during an autopsy of a botched absorption) and Marcus break free(ish) and confront the pod-people, including Marcus' dear Lurker friend, Duncan (http://goo.gl/0lHQG4, http://goo.gl/v5HG3o). The insectish critters are the Vindrizi, who are Long Game historians, recording goings-on over hundreds of thousands of years against the time when the galaxy as a whole falls into a Dark Age and the knowledge needs to be revived. They survive in alien hosts, drawn from the most destitute and hopeless who have nothing else to live for (the Vindrizi offer both purpose and healing from aches and pains).
After being convinced when Duncan rejects his Vindrizi symbiote (a one-way trip for him) and vouches for the whole gang, Franklin takes them under his wing. Duncan heads off, somehow independently wealthy, to travel and see the sorts of things he only perceived a whilst hag-ridden, and Marcus feels deeply, deeply guilty.
Overall, it's pretty conventional fare, and one could imagine Picard and Riker and Data all somehow involved in lieu of the B5 chars. The only noteworthy bits going on are (a) the first Franklin/Marcus team-up (http://goo.gl/dsxqNG) (we'll see lots of them in the future), and (b) Marcus pinging Franklin about Ivanova, whom he's clearly fallen for hard (we'll see lots of that in the future, too).
B-Plot: Regular C&C extra, then named C&C officer, and now promoted, full-fledged Lieutenant David Corwin is a possible fly in the ointment, since in his new position he might get in the way of all the anti-EarthGov stuff going on amongst the command staff. So Sheridan tells the ever-subtle Ivanova to feel Corwin out and find out if he could be brought into (or at least would be sympathetic to) the big Conspiracy of Light.
Thus this episode enters British Farce territory, with Ivanova setting up a tete-a-tete in her quarters to chat, and Corwin clearly interpreting this as her hitting on him (http://goo.gl/st5WYY, http://goo.gl/9fgHtk). He buys roses, brings them to her door, and then claims he just found them (which she both supports as "jeez, ain't that lame?" and cuts down as "wow, I love roses, isn't that romantic?" http://goo.gl/ki3CQy).
The interview with Corwin goes as one might expect — the squeaky-clean now-full-lieutenant is reflexively loyal to the chain of command and can't (ostensibly) comprehend a conflict between "orders" and "the best interests of Earth". Ivanova shoos him away, unaware of his misapprehensions, and lets Sheridan know that he can't be trusted with the Big Secret.
Later on, Franklin indirectly mentions to Ivanova that Marcus is interested in her, and she decides that he must have left the roses. She then returns them to him in a way that makes Marcus think that she's giving them to him, thus encouraging further romantic misapprehensions (http://goo.gl/I0q5tg). Shakespeare would be proud.
All in All: It's a remarkably light-weight episode, though well-executed. The A-Plot is paint-by-numbers "There's an alien threat, but only because we don't understand it" kind of story (though the basis of it is kind of cool). The B-Plot somewhat advances some characters but is so maneuvered into place that the viewer is having more fun chuckling over mistaken intentions than considering how poor Corwin might feel or the actual threat he might pose.
The acting is all competent — Franklin/Marcus make a great bickering old couple routine, one the voice of reason, the other the voice of passion. The guest star pod people are by turns low-affect creepy and high-affect sympathetic.
Joshua Cox as Corwin is sort of a deer in the headlights the full time, first over his promotion, then over his being hit on by his superior. He gleefully retreats into being a squeaky-clean Lawful Good Lieutenant. Joe Straczynski excels as fitting Everymen into these big epic plots — Zack, Corwin, Vir — as a contrast to the Big Damn Heroes around them. As (to memory) the high point of Lt. David Corwin, this is a great episode for the character, unwittingly sucked into the rarified atmosphere of the Conspiracy of Light and, through no fault of his own, falling short of greatness.
Ivanova is another highlight. She's as subtle as a brick, both oblivious to Corwin's misinterpretation, and jumping to conclusions about Marcus (early and late in the ep.). Clearly she's uncomfortable with another person trying to become emotionally close to her, the last few having not ended well.
Joe's notes on the episode: "My personal evaluation of the episode is that it's okay. The second half, I think, isn't as strong as the first half. Halfway through writing the episode, we had a problem come up in production that unexpectedly took me away from the script for about a week. (Nothing major, but it had to be dealt with and it took time.) Usually, I write copious notes on a script before I begin writing it. In this case, the story was so crystalline clear in my head that I just dived in, and was blasting away terrific when the hit came midway through. By the time I got back, I'd lost some of the fingerprints of the story, and had to kind of re-find them again. Mainly, I think the expository sequence at the end could've been done better. Needless to say, that's the last time I trusted myself without notes, no matter how well I "see" the episode in my head." Overall, he considered it the weak point of this season. I think that's overly harsh, but it's certainly one of the most conventional eps in S.3.
Most Dramatic Moment: Duncan rejects the Vindrizi in order to convince Marcus that they are telling the truth.
Most Amusing Moment: Ivanova arranges to meet with Corwin in her quarters to "talk," her intent being to have him alone to find out if he'd be amenable to be brought into the Conspiracy — and his facial expressions making it clear that he thinks she's asking him for a date.
Most Arc-ish Moment: Not a lot arc-ish here, aside from Marcus asking Franklin about Ivanova. Oh, Marcus and Ivanova …. Alternately, Marcus meetings with contacts on B5 give a bit of intel about goings-on in the 'Verse, including a build-up of Shadow forces along their border with Centauri space.
Overall Rating: 3.5 / 5 — A reasonable stand-alone, but a bit cliche, redeemed only by character bits.
A favorite villain returns, and G'Kar grasps at bloody vengeance. What could possibly go wrong?
A-Plot: There's an epic of the dangerous drug "Dust" on board. It functions by latching onto any latent telepathy gene in a human (or, potentially other races) and bringing it out, leading to a euphoric telepathic experience that can quickly go bad if it turns into a mind-rape of others or the toking individual can't handle all that information.
On the other hand, such a drug could be used as a weapon, for espionage or just to shut off the minds of a potential opponent. As big a problem is that, when used by (or on telepaths), the results can be deadly. Thus everyone's favorite Psi Cop, Bester, comes a-calling. But the B5 Conspiracy of Light doesn't want him wandering around, "accidentally" discovering what they are up to. So first they put him up against a brace of Minbari teeps to block him for a while (http://goo.gl/RtOCnQ), then they administer "sleepers" to him, the drug that knocks out the powers of non-Psi Corps teeps. That means Bester will be on board, "helping" with tracking down the conspiracy, without an of his powers.
All of the scenes with Walter Koenig as Bester shine. Even without his powers, he remains in rhetorical control of every conversation, cool and pleasant and with a biting sense of humor (http://goo.gl/Yurqn7, http://goo.gl/TQQ8OA). Most of his activities on the ship are accompanied by Garibaldi (http://goo.gl/RpXJ9X), who he plays like a violin, getting some of the best laugh lines of the ep (vid Babylon 5 Scene from Dust To Dust). Over the course of his scenes, you get the idea that, yes, he really is sincere in his desire to help his people, the telepaths — and that it is at the expense or domination of the rest of humanity is sad but unfortunately necessary (though, he asserts, the Corps is responsible for saving humanity as a whole from all sorts of threats that even Mr Garibaldi cannot dream of) (GIFfy http://goo.gl/4KQ8WY). He becomes a villain that you almost find yourself wanting to admire for his bon mots and his sense of duty, before you snap back to what sorts of shenanigans we already know he's been up to.
In the end, of course, the Dust seller (http://goo.gl/wOrC69) is apprehended, and Bester is hustled off the ship — at which time we learn from Bester (to his superior — and, as it turns out, Walter Koenig's wife) that Dust was actually an experiment by the Psi Corps itself, to develop more telepathic humans, an experiment that has clearly failed, ah well …
B-Plot: It turns out that one of the big buyers of Dust on the station is G'Kar, who sees it as a potential weapon — deadly, brutal, and easy to smuggle — against the occupying Centauri. We learn (again) that the Narn once had telepaths, but they were all killed long ago (possibly when the Shadows occupied the planet), and the recessive genes have never come back up again. So there's no telling how the Dust will work on a Narn.
Cue, of course, G'Kar trying it, and going somewhat bonkers (http://goo.gl/UG1iSn). Pre-meditatively or not, he staggers off to the Londo's quarters (though it seems unlikely he still has clearance for that area, and there are no guards but nobody notices the clearly hallucinogenic G'Kar), beats up Vir (who was having a nice visit back to B5), and then physically and psychically assaults Londo (http://goo.gl/grukqY). In so doing, he strips Mollari of a lot of his secrets, from his shame to having been given such a joke assignment as B5, to his visions of the future, to his collaboration with Mr Morden et al. in the destruction of the Narn. At which point he gets really angry …
… but is stopped by a strange vision, of his father (who was executed by the Narn http://goo.gl/P2L5x2), preaching forgiveness and rapprochement (http://goo.gl/QCe1lv) — or, at the very least, seeking a less violent and mutually destructive path (http://goo.gl/xqWDaE). "We are a dying people," his father tells him, along with "I have always been here" — two lines that should prick the ears of any B5 wonk. The vision then ups the intensity with a figure of the holy figure, G'Lan, wings like an angel, appearing before him (http://goo.gl/6yyQbo, http://goo.gl/a0C6eO). In the end, G'Kar looks at the bloodied body of Londo at his feet, and bursts into tears (http://goo.gl/3RrrzB): tears over what he's done, tears over what he is now unable to do, and tears over what faces him in the future. And, in the background, Ambassador Kosh slowly turns away … (key scene vid Babylon 5 – My favorite scenes – G'Kar's Epiphany, extended vid of this plot Babylon 5 – G'Kar Enters Londo Mollari's Mind)
G'Kar's immediate future, it turns out, is a 60 day stint in the B5 pokey, per the local ombuds. Londo (who recovers, though he and Vir have some great injury makeup http://goo.gl/aKsVgi) doesn't press any greater charges, perhaps his own atonement for the secrets now shared between himself and G'Kar, perhaps not wanting those secrets spread any further.
G'Kar himself accepts the punishment willingly. He has some thinking to do …
C-Plot: Not much of a plot, to be honest. Vir is back, visiting Londo to discuss a new agreement of some sort with the Minbari. He has seriously gone native, wearing the equivalent of a Minbari Hawaiian shirt (http://goo.gl/5SoTp2) and waxing lyrical about what nice people the Minbari are (except maybe their warriors), and how maybe it would do Londo a world of good to go visit. He has some nice scenes with Londo (who tries to re-instill in him the stubborness, jingoism, and contempt that the Centauri should feel for anyone else) and with Delenn and Lennier (where he confides in how unhappy he is with how Londo is doing, but defends him in almost the same breath as being far from the dark villain the others think him). Then he gets beat up, but then once again shows his compassion and loyalty by sticking next to Londo during his recovery.
All in All: It's an episode much more about character than plot. Everyone gets some good lines, everyone gets to contribute. The command staff, in general, are clearly becoming more and more aware of how far off the farm they've wandered, and fear of detection is beginning to drive their actions; Sheridan, though, is becoming more reckless, willing to confront Bester (or the Night Watch) directly and let the chips fall as they may when word gets back to Earth, assuming that either side is willing to have their own secrets exposed. Beyond that, as noted, the Bester / Garibaldi show is a hoot, but there's crunchy realism under the exchanged quips. And Vir is just plain old delightful as the voice of everyman sanity.
Londo spends the first half of the episode being arrogant and unlikeable on behalf of the Centauri, but then gets to be terrified the rest of the time, and pulls off both beautifully, getting the viewer to both despise and sympathize with him. It's one of Peter Jurasik's best performances, but, alas, it's against an incredibly powerful performance by Andreas Katsulas as G'Kar, filled with overpowering grief and righteous fury and sadistic joy in what he does to Londo, and what he learns in the process. The G'Kar / Londo confrontation is not the bloody catharsis it should be, but strangely only ramps up the tension between the two characters, leaving G'Kar transformed on his internal Road to Damascus, but in what way remains to be seen.
The one character who comes out problematically in all of this is Susan Ivanova. When Bester is on his transport, approaching B5 (http://goo.gl/NBVNz5), she decides to blow him out of the sky. It seems an uncharacteristic moment for her — not that she would do it, but that she'd be so hesitant and panicky about it. This isn't the iron-willed Ivanova we've come to know. (Sheridan stops her and lets her know about the ways he's come up to neutralize Bester http://goo.gl/JE9DZa, but it's a weird moment that they never talk about again.) The other problematic scene is the one we never see. Here's Bester, hopped up on sleepers, just like they used to pump Ivanova's mother with, and she doesn't have single thing to say to him except a few comments in the safety of the conference room with everyone else? She doesn't run into him and Garibaldi in some corridor, and ask for a few moments alone with their "guest"? Here's where fear, and anger, and doing something outrageous (and stupid) would have made sense, but any such scene was a missed opportunity.
From a plot standpoint, it's pretty lightweight: bad guy with drugs gets tracked down and arrested; good guy with drugs has a weird but enlightening trip and has to do some jail time; the end. It's the thinnest of frameworks to hand an amazing amoung of good on.
Still, with all of that, it's an enjoyable ep that advances and evolves the characters involved, always a good thing to see.
Most Dramatic Moment: G'Kar furiously drags the mental truth out of Londo, in a series of flashbacks, and realizes who was behind (in his own way) the bombing of the Narn homeworld. (vid http://youtu.be/39nvDbbrsmI)
Most Amusing Moment: Bester's "piñata" line (vid Garibaldi/Bester: Piñata; GIFfy http://goo.gl/mtwjQw). BESTER: "If I had my talent working, I could have warned you when he was coming." GARIBALDI: "Yeah, and if I had a baseball bat, we could hang you from the ceiling and play piñata." BESTER: "… A piñata, huh? So you think of me as something bright and cheerful, full of toys and candy for young children? Thank you. That makes me feel much better about our relationship."
Most Arc-ish Moment: G'Kar's vision of his father and G'Lan has turned him to a new path, even as we realize that it was Kosh who was responsible.
Overall Rating: 4.1 / 5 — Strong character stuff, great lines, flimsy plot.
After a run of "new status quo" episodes, both the epicness and the conspiracies get bigger.
A-Plot: B5 has a new "political officer," a seductive blonde (http://goo.gl/M9MWs9) named Julie Musante (http://goo.gl/kObQNv) — who (honestly) sucks at her job, give how she clumsily juggles both carrots and sticks, tries to get Sheridan on her side through flattery and threats and stripping naked while his back is turned (Babylon 5 Voices of Authority), and manages to alienate the one person on the station who might give her the time of day, puppy-dog-eyed Zack Allen, the Number 2 in B5 Security.
Nevertheless, her arrival is a bit of horrible timing, given the B-Plot activities, leading to Sheridan having to deal with her a lot more than he'd like (Babylon 5 – Voices Of Authority (Restaurant Conversation)). But between seduction and bandinage, she's also riling up the Night Watch folks on the station by channeling her inner Ann Coulter, hinting at coming purges and traitors amongst us and that whole song and dance. Zack's really uncomfortable with all of this, but he's also getting cheesed at Garibaldi; clearly there's something going on that the Chief isn't including Zack in (for obvious-to-us reasons), but Zack's mightily irked about it.
Things are somewhat set back to the status quo when Musante has to leave abruptly because of a scandalous vid that's been released anonymously back home about President Clark (see B-Plot as well). Zack comes to the brink of blowing everything, but dials it back … for now.
B-Plot: Delenn and Draal (the Guy in the Great Machine down on the planet http://goo.gl/gsqYc2) want Our Conspiracy of Light to go out recruiting — in particular, to try and get some allies among the "First Ones," the remaining few elder races (and past opponents of the Shadows) who are still lurking out there, with giant Do Not Disturb signs on them. Quoth Draal, "Delenn tells me that you are going to try contacting the First Ones. It is a magnificent idea. A daring, and splendid idea. In doing so you will see things no human has seen before. It will be fun. Assuming you are not vaporised, dissected, or otherwise killed in an assortment of supremely horrible and painful ways. Exciting, isn't it?".
The first time is worked out between Draal and Ivanova (GIFfy http://goo.gl/VEEavw), via psychic projection, with Ivanova using the sensory array of the Great Machine to visit the planet (http://goo.gl/9zjMIJ, http://goo.gl/AF2dRr, http://goo.gl/rjC6yx) — where she's almost ensnared by the Shadows. On her mind's way back, her law-level telepathy lets her somehow tap into the destruction of Earth Force One, when President Santiago was assassinated. But more than that, she sees (and so the Great Machine is able to record) (or else she reads it in the Great Machine's own mass surveillance records) a broadcast between then-VP Clark and some faceless (but familiarly voiced) character in which Clark fiendishly cackles about the assassination that the other has arranged for (http://goo.gl/fX2tw1).
The release of that video, via General Hague's conspirators back on Earth, leaves President Clark in a world of political hurt, and our conspirators on the A-Plot hoping that it might all be over soon, HA!
Having established that there may be First Ones there, Ivanova takes the White Star (with Marcus the Ranger along to translate Minbari — http://goo.gl/O9szTh, http://goo.gl/Na0kXQ) out to Sigma 957 herself, and, yup, the CE3K Mothership of the Walkers appears (http://goo.gl/lVzR2L, http://goo.gl/aLydE8). Ivanova tries diplomatic contact, but this particular race (http://goo.gl/nPqJNL) seems irked that the Earthers have already allied with the Vorlons. When they make to leave, Ivanova does what she does best: make people angry, in a truly lovely scene where she plays the Walkers like a piano, and extracts their promise that they will be there when called. Woot! (Babylon 5 scene : The Walkers of Sigma 957)
C-Plot: This one runs parallel to the A-Plot. G'Kar didn't just fall out of the turnip pouch, and he's been noticing that Delenn and Sheridan and Garibaldi and others have been doing a lot of private meetings. He's also heard rumors of Humans and Minbari collaborating as "Rangers." He gets nowhere with Delenn (http://goo.gl/1ODzyI), but has a fine scene with Garibaldi where their new semi-relationship gets defined, and G'Kar suggests that if Garibaldi can't help him yet, maybe he can help Garibaldi.
Which help turns out to be a midnight delivery of the Book of G'Quan. "Read it! Then we'll talk." "I don't read Narn." "Learn!" (http://goo.gl/DWutvn) Good advice.
All in all, a solid episode. The regular cast (including Zack) do a strong job; Ivanova makes a few too many funny faces for my taste, but she also gets one of the best dialogs (especially playing off of Marcus). G'Kar shows both the sparks of his old jeez-I-hate-that-guy character and the more thoughtful, embittered, but inspired one he is becoming. The plot criss-crosses a bit much, some of the more overt humor feels forced, and the overall feel is that things are a bit too crowded here, but it's still a good ep.
Most Dramatic Moment: G'Kar braces Garibaldi about the conspiracy he can smell is going on and is maddeningly being shut out of. "The Centauri took my world, my government, my title. They did not take me self-respect, and I did not think they had take the respect I had earned from others. Was I wrong? … I know we have never exactly been friends — but until now we have never been strangers." Most Amusing Moment: Ivanova either in "negotiations" with the Walkers (http://youtu.be/Op2jLtbzWJI?t=3m20s), or else projecting herself up from the planet while Sheridan and Musante are in an … interesting position (Babylon 5 – 3.05 'Voices of Authority': Ivanova and Sheridan). Most Arc-ish Moment: Clark and an "unknown" figure discuss Santiago's assassination. Or else perhaps the commitment of the First Ones to participate in the coming war. They'll be back … Most Disturbing Moment: My daughter listening to Musante's tactics and rhetoric and saying, "Jeez, does she think this is 21st Century United States?" Disturbingly prescient, Mr Straczynski.
Overall Rating: 4.0 / 5 — Well done, well acted, loads of fun, occasionally too disjointed for its own good, but a lot of nice character pieces being moved around the board.
Next episode: "Dust to Dust," with the return of everyone's favorite (or second-favorite) villain, and a chance for G'kar to wreak some bloody revenge.
This one's a thought-provoker, mostly, akin to "Comes the Inquisitor," with some nice arc-ish bits to keep things interesting.
A-Plot: Brother Theo and his monks are back, with a focus on one monk, Brother Edward (Brad Dourif http://goo.gl/mj7Ap3). He's a model monk, kind and service-oriented and artistic and all-around nice. But he starts to have visions of weird things — dire serial-murderer-catchphrases painted on the walls in blood, black roses, dead women with black roses stuffed in their mouth, freaky stuff like that (http://goo.gl/w1SCfb, http://goo.gl/fDwSQu). This couldn't have anything to do with the beginning-of-episode mention of how capital punishment has been abolished and instead heinous criminals undergo "death of personality," wiping their minds and turning them into drones who want to serve the community (http://youtu.be/eVQyzHJwThY), could it?
Of course it (more than a bit heavy-handedly) could. And Brother Edward, as a member of an order that gets seriously into research projects, starts researching to put the pieces together, coming to realize that, yup, he's a mindwiped serial murderer, the Black Rose Killer (http://goo.gl/OpcDIc). In a somewhat contrived but nicely shot scene, he tells Theo all of this (http://goo.gl/5hMYYw). "How could they do it? They say it’s humane, merciful. Do you know what it’s like to wake up one day and discover you’re a monster, a murderer? What if I had died Theo, never knowing what I had been? How can I confess my sins to God if I don’t even know what they are? The mind forgets but the stain remains with the soul." Theo tries to convince him of the all-forgiving grace of God, but Edward flees.
But not really. Seems that the clues and mental/emotional tweaking that have led to Edward remembering his past (including a passing Centauri telepath-for-hire) were orchestrated by the husbands and brothers and families of the women he murdered, who are out for the revenge that the namby-pamby justice system denied them. Edward figures out they are coming, and waits for them in prayer (http://goo.gl/T2NWfW). All the others back down at the last moment, but one of them (http://goo.gl/ckexQ1) decides to execute their vigilante justice, which Edward doesn't resist. This couldn't have anything to do with his earlier mentioning that he's never been sure if he'd be able to stand up for his moral beliefs like Christ did in the Garden of Gethsemane, could it?
Of course it (also a bit heavy-handedly) could, but that's okay because when Sheridan and Garibaldi and Theo find a crucified / beaten / dying Edward, he's found his true moral center and has atoned for his sins (helped by some deathbed shriving by Brother Theo http://goo.gl/yzTyGj). It's actually a very emotional scene, to be honest, even if it feels manipulative, well-performed by all.
The guy who did the deed gets caught, of course. And, a few weeks later, Sheridan and Theo are having a discussion about the whole matter, where Sheridan still has a mad-on for what happened to Edward, and realizes he's caught up in confusion over vengeance vs. justice vs. forgiveness. Which is a cue for the newest member of Theo' order to pop his head into Sheridan's office — the now-mindwiped guy who committed Edward's murder, intentionally recruited by Theo, and ready to be sent back to Earth for training (http://goo.gl/VdSxDU). Sheridan has to (kinda-sorta) let go of his anger and vengeance-seeking (http://goo.gl/Re12cR), and accept the new monk as the new person he has been made into ("You must excuse the Captain, Malcolm. You interrupted his train of thought. I believe you were saying that forgiveness is a hard thing but something ever to strive for. Were you not, Captain?").
It's a plotline full of (as noted) beating of foreshadowing and moral points with a bat, but there are still some powerful moments, many of them spiritual in nature. Though Joe Straczynski is an atheist, he treats believers (at least nice ones) with respect, and that plays out here. There's nothing very arc-ish about the plot, but, occasional clumsiness aside, it's a pretty good one, helped by a strong acting job by Brad Dourif and direction by Adam Nimoy.
(As a part of this plot, we get to see Brother Edward interviewing Delenn and Lennier about their faith (http://goo.gl/lNrXrE), in which we learn (a) the Minbari have no gods, but that "We believe that the universe itself is conscious in a way that we can never truly understand. It is engaged in a search for meaning. So it breaks itself apart, investing its own consciousness in every form of life. We are the universe trying to understand itself" (though how that fits into the whole "Minbari souls into human bodies" thing isn't quite clear), and (b) Valen, the great Minbari religious leader and founder of the Gray Council, appeared out of nowhere only a thousand years ago, "a Minbari not born of Minbari," to lead them in a great war. Yeah, pay attention to that stuff – http://youtu.be/bJfbSPZ9wu4)
JMS refers to this as a "Twilight Zone" sort of plotline, which it is in spades. It's also emblematic of the dangers that Joe faced as one of the first TV series creators to have a high-profile, engaged presence in social media (well, what passed for them in 1995). After the concept of mindwipes was introduced a year or so earlier, a fan speculated on the boards about someone on the station realizing that he was a former murderer whose memories had been suppressed. That forced JMS to shelf that very (this very) storyline, until the fan actually actually got a notarized release to let Joe use the idea. There's a fine line between "plot speculation" and "story ideas," and it's a line that makes it difficult for series writers to be too involved with fans.
B-Plot: Lyta Alexander returns to B5. And she does so in style, aboard Kosh's ship (http://goo.gl/mYfSju), having finally found a way to get to the Vorlons and now in their employ as Kosh's attache. As the first human who has ever ventured to Vorlon space and returned to tell the tale, everyone from the command staff to Londo want to know more. To the former, she's friendly, but non-committal (http://youtu.be/CzkPZMH1kSA). To the latter (http://goo.gl/x3jlH0), she makes it clear she's no longer bound by Psi Corps rules, and that means bugging, let alone threatening, her is not a good idea. _"I'm not with the Corps any more. That means I'm not bound by their rules. So if someone were to tun me in, I'd find him. And before they took me, I'd plant a nightmare deep in his mind where no one else could find or remove it. And that person would spend every night for the rest of his life, screaming."_
Indeed, Lyta's independence Corps is made clear when she is used by Sheridan and Garibaldi to get the truth from the Centauri telepath in the A-Plot. Lyta was always a more interesting telepath than Talia Winters, and, now unleashed, she'll play an important role in the coming episodes.
She's also got a new role, we only find out at the end. Yeah, she's working for Kosh now (and under his protection), and goes off on errands from the station for him. Except, from what we see at the close of the ep, she's actually leaving the station with Kosh inside of her (giving a whole new meaning to "attaché"). Also, she's also now equipped with Vorlon atmosphere gills. Yikes! (And one of the more enjoyable things in my life this week was having my daughter be totally creeped out by that whole final scene — http://goo.gl/bfHWUphttp://goo.gl/LsIopk .)
Lyta is a strong, confident teep in this episode — maybe a bit scary-strong, a bit too brash. Part of that confidence comes from a near-religious fervor over having gotten in touch with the Vorlons (literally) and becoming their protected agent. It reminds me a bit of Sebastian the Inquisitor — when you think you are (literally) on the side of the angels, the feeling of righteousness in your (their) cause is unshakable. That gives Lyta … a very interesting road to travel.
In addition to Brad Dourif, already mentioned, the acting in this ep is solid. Delenn is intense in both answering and asking religious questions, and Lennier comes across as a history-theology wonk, as he should. Garibaldi gets to be the bloody-minded cop (GIFfy http://goo.gl/WNZDHK), and Sheridan — gets thrown for a number of loops that he has to deal with mostly through body language and facial expression, which Boxleitner does splendidly. Part-timer Brother Theo gets to be the avuncular and tragic voice of wisdom. Ivanova is the weakest link here, mostly because she's just around for a few laugh lines and because she's given not much chance to react emotionally to the return of Lyta Alexander, a telepath and the person who blew the personality implantation on Talia Winters, her lover.
Overall, a decent episode, with the arc-related bits in the B-Plot, well-acted, but still mostly low-key, letting everyone get a continued feel for How Things Are Now, so that they can be totally up-ended in relatively short order …
Most Dramatic Moment: Sheridan is confronted, by Theo, with the new monk. After shrinking away from him in horror, he's forced, rhetorically, by Theo, to accept the justice of the situation and the innocence of the man Sheridan instinctively loathes. Most Amusing Moment: Londo tries to schmooze Lyta for some insight into the Vorlons, or else he might have to turn her in. Lyta in turn threatens to implant nightmares that will haunt him the rest of his life. Londo muses, after she's gone, "Nightmares. Hmph! The way my life has been going lately, who'd notice?" Most Arc-ish Moment: Wait a second, Kosh is RIDING AROUND INSIDE OF LYTA'S HEAD some of the time? Crikey!
Overall Rating: 3.7 / 5 — Thought-provoking in areas, but clumsy in others, boosted by Brad Dourif's acting and overall helped by any scene that Lyta is in.
This is another relative low-key episode, feeling out the rules of the new status quo, even while throwing us another "Star Trek"-like monster of the week.
A-Plot: A space probe arrives in B5 space (http://goo.gl/Q9M4Oe), offering the humans all sorts of cool tech advances if they are worthy … said worthiness to be demonstrated by showing that they are already advanced in various scientific areas. The humans have a deadline to radio the probe with the answers to hundreds of questions, or else it will detonate and destroy B5.
It's something that would fit right into "Star Trek" TNG (or even TOS), but it's an oddly subdued "ticking time bomb" plot, without spilling over into panic on the station (again), or a diplomatic crisis, or anything else. There's lots of "how are we doing getting those answers?" but not a lot else, until the very end, when Sheridan concludes (a touch dubiously) that the aliens aren't out to help, but to identify possible future threats; if the questions are answered, the probe will explode. When they fail to transmit their answers, the probe leaves, instead (at which point they trick it into blowing itself up).
End of story, but kind of lame, frankly, mostly because the suspense about it is dragged over the length of the episode and without any interaction with other plotlines.
The only somewhat saving grace is that the episode is framed with some loud, shouty debates with cargo shippers and the unions and the like over the new delays in shipping because of having to search for weapons transfers. Sheridan opines a couple of times that being blown up would have the advantage of not having to resume those meetings (http://goo.gl/rl17tv) …
B-Plot: The "Provisional Narn Government" (i.e., Centauri appointees — think Vichy) send out a new representative to B5 to represent their interests (http://goo.gl/P4UzUs). He is also there to tell G'Kar he needs to go home, lest the Narn he's informally leading there on the station and elsewhere start discovering their families are being harrassed back home, or worse (http://goo.gl/j23h8F and see note [1] below).
It's a remarkably clever idea, and the sort of "aftermath" concept that is both very mundane and often overlooked in these sorts of situations. The way it's handled is pretty good, too. The Narn rep — Na'Far, played by Stephan Macht (http://goo.gl/Fz8vsu)– is no cardboard cut-out Quisling, but an honest patriot. He hates the Centauri, too, and with equally good reason (his report to Londo is truly chilling [1]) — but Na'Far is willing to work within the system to eventually see their oppressors overthrown … just not … quite … yet. Wait, build strength, hold on until the Centauri grow careless again. It's just the sort of debate one would expect amongst a conquered people, but the power imbalance (in different ways) between Na'Far and G'Kar makes it effective.
G'Kar decides, after he sees how divisive Na'Far's presence is (including foiling one attack on the newcomer), to give in and go back to Narn (and certain death). He and Garibaldi have quite a nice scene in the process [1]. But when G'Kar announces his departure, the local Centauri rebel against him, refusing to let him leave, and acknowledging that they and their families would rather be harassed than give in to the conquerors [1]. G'Kar acquiesces, gladly (http://goo.gl/9Ak0Q8), Na'Far (presumably) departs, and life goes on.
Nicely done and well played. And it serves as a re-introduction to Ta'lon (http://goo.gl/me4Gy2), the Narn that Sheridan resucued from the Streib back in "All Alone in the Night". Now he's working as a katana-toting bodyguard, initially for Na'Far, but eventually staying on the station (http://goo.gl/SQR7Vu), where he (not quite jokingly) offers to watch Sheridan's back.
SHERIDAN: I don't know what my superiors would say if I starting showing up everywhere with a Narn bodyguard. TA'LON: They would say "Here is a man who will live to be a hundred and fifty."
C-Plot: Things continue to get more and more tense between Londo and Vir, especially after Londo kicks Na'Far around a bit, verbally, and makes it clear to Vir that the only way to deal with the Narn this time around is to completely break their spirit, such that they never can become a serious enemy again [1].
At the same time as he's getting darker and more — well, "evil" is such an easy word — Londo realizes that Vir is becoming increasingly at risk. So he calls in a favor to Delenn (lovely scene http://goo.gl/Vv5gyL and [1]) to reopen the Centauri consulate on Minbar, with Vir as the consul. It will be good for Vir and his career — but will leave Londo without his attache's advice in the future (http://goo.gl/tVx0nn). Both realize that's probably not good, but that's something Londo cannot admit, even to himself.
(The departure was prompted by Stephen Furst getting a gig on a new sitcom, "Misery Loves Company" — which only lasted 8 episodes. He'll be back …)
D-Plot: Franklin's hitting the stims harder and harder, enough so that Garibaldi, who's had his own substance abuse issues in the past, recognizes it (http://goo.gl/5KSIAE). They have some hard words (http://goo.gl/dQIFZJ and [1]), and Franklin commits to show that he's not hooked — and then promptly lies to Garibaldi as to whether he needed any stims to make it through the most recent crisis (http://goo.gl/z2Qiuh).
This will not end well.
Overall, this is an epsiode that, plotwise, one could probably skip (Vir being shipped off and Franklin having stim problems are the only arcish elements). But there's enough decent here that it's worth a viewing. The acting is reasonably good for the regulars, and Stephen Macht does a very nice job with Na'Far, playing a "bad guy" (in terms of audience sympathies) who clearly has his own arguably virtuous agenda.
Most Dramatic Moment: G'Kar tries to leave the station — and encounters a series of Narn, asking him, quite sincerely, to stay [1]. G'KAR: If I stay here, your families are in jeopardy. Is anything more important than their safety? NARN: Yes. Their freedom. It's better to die in the cause of freedom than to live in comfort as a slave.
Most Amusing Moment: Ivanova (and Corwin) have a few amusing dialog moments in C&C. E.g. (http://goo.gl/cIwpkL), SHERIDAN: If that thing blows at least it'll save me from one more annoying conversation. IVANOVA: Always find the good in any situation, eh Captain? SHERIDAN: Absolutely. If I didn't I might end up like you. [walks away] IVANOVA: [beat] Hey what's that supposed to mean? [to people in C&C] Did anybody else hear that? [to Corwin] Did you hear that? CORWIN: [deadpan[ No, Commander. IVANOVA: Good. I swear, if we live through this somebody's going to find their automatic shower preferences reprogrammed for ice water.
Most Arc-ish Moment: Londo calls in the favor with Delenn, attempts to make small talk with her, and realizes how very much he's alienated someone he respects.
Overall Rating: 2.9 / 5 — Another plebeian plot, which drags down even the nice character moments we get.
Next episode: "Passing Through Gesthemene" is one of those episodes, full of thought-provoking thoughts and ethical challenges. (Rubs hands together fiendishly.)
A middling episode with a monster-of-the-week story structure, redeemed only by some very nice character sketches.
A-Plot: Someone is setting off bombs / explosives around the station. Eek! The populace is in a panic. The command staff is demanding answers. Eventually — after various speculation / accusations of it being the Centauri, the Narn, or other dire and conspiratorial forces … they figure out it's just some random wacko, albeit one who claims to have planted a bomb which can blow up the station.
That leads to Sheridan going in as a (demanded) hostage, adding both to the tension and to the humor (as he stuffs his link down into his crotch, which, despite my wife noting it as a variant on "butt dialing," eventually leads to problems). After lots of tense dialog in the context of a pistol held to the face and a dead man's switch in the other hand (http://goo.gl/Qg9u2S), the bomb is discovered by a crew of CG workers around the fusion plant, and Sheridan engages in some nifty fisticuffs with the Mad Bomber What Bombs At Midnight, eventually KOing the bad guy (then staggering off, leaving the man's PPG sitting on the floor next to him, d'oh).
B-Plot: Londo is saved from one of the bombings by Lennier, which leads the Centauri ambassador — who realizes that nobody (even in those wartimes tales?) has ever risked his live to save him. He has an extended, and very touching, scene where he talks to the comatose Lennier (http://goo.gl/dB4VtQ), re-establishing himself (for viewers old and new) as an amiable and even sympathetic sort of fellow.
Which lasts up until he's about to get on an elevator later, realizes G'Kar is on it, begs off, but dives in when another bomb fills the corridor with fire. Eek! That leads to an extended closed elevator scene (http://goo.gl/BHzea2), flames all about the car, where it seems likely that both will die unless they cooperate. Except that G'Kar is more than happy (in a giddy, giggling fashion) to just sit around and watch Londo perish, even at the cost of his own life. He can't actually kill the man, lest the Centauri promise to execute 500 Narn for each Centauri killed by one of them be enacted — but he's reached a semi-rational acceptance that he can just stand by, even on peril of personal death, and watch Londo go down. (see the video below)
Alas (for G'Kar), they are found before they die, leading to a simultaneously amusing and disturbing exchange of insults from both prone, half-dead combatants. The two of them are dead-set on the other's destruction, regardless of their personal virtues (and vices). Can they ever rise above such madness?
C-Plot: A group of Christian monks comes to B5 to set up permanent residency (http://goo.gl/QE9l6I). Their goal is to understand (through the various races on the station) the totality of the definition of God, as understood across the beings of the galaxy. But they are a working order, and have a variety of skills to offer to the visitors to B5 — in this particular plot-driven case, analyzing videos of the various bombing scenes to see if there's a person present in the aftermath, which leads to the resolution of the A-Plot.
It's a vaguely interesting bit, and the leader of the monks, Brother Theo (http://goo.gl/Kc6p1i), will return in future episodes in more (and less) interesting ways. (The actor, Louis Turenne, was the orignal Draal in "A Voice in the Wilderness" back in S.1.)
D-Plot: Lennier is facing some ethical dilemmas, perhaps not all that well for our once-naif. First he lies to a guy who just won't leave him alone in the passenger waiting area (http://goo.gl/dO8EqS) Then, in the B-Plot, he makes the split-section decision to throw Delenn and Londo out of the path of the explosion, nearly dying in the process (http://goo.gl/p19q1g). But later, after he regains consciousness, he actually speculates that saving Londo may not have been the best thing to do, given how much evil the Centauri ambassador is responsible for. Yikes.
Net-net, it's not a very engaging episode, except for everything having to do with Londo, both his dutiful, even desperate engagement with the comatose Lennier, trying to prove (to himself) that he's a good person — and the elevator scenes with G'Kar (http://goo.gl/dFek05), where he realizes the mad nihilism he's backed his nemesis into, even as he descends into a name-calling match with him as they both lie prone and exhausted in the bottom of the elevator car awaiting the rescue team breaking in.
In many ways, the episode is really about Londo — how a person can be both a decent being and rightfully hated as a monster. That echoes the various other plots: the crazy man lashing out at the world; Lennier feeling compromised by the reflexive good deed he performed; even G'Kar, scrupulously, draconianly ethical in not killing Londo but all-too-gleefully waiting for him to die. The crazy guy is already crazy; the others will all deal with the madness of their convictions over the course of the series.
The other players are — well, competent, but not all that interesting this week, mostly in play to go through the appropriate motions. Ivanova is completely without interest (aside from why it took her hours to tell Security about a threat that was promising to strike within hours); Garibaldi is the Worried Security Guy, competent but generic (with a similarly competent but even more generic bomb squad guy on call). Sheridan gets a bit of fun time with the bomber, but not in any way that adds to what we know about his character.
No, in its own odd way, this is a Londo episode, doing what is right, and still being confronted by the fanaticism his own actions have engendered. As such, it's not a bad episode, but it's not really a great one, either.
Most Dramatic Moment: Londo tells G'Kar they have to cooperate, or else they both will die — and G'Kar tells Londo that's a perfectly acceptable outcome to him. Most Amusing Moment: The various iterations of a Centauri knock-knock joke. Which is only mildly funny, but ties together a surprising number of characters. (And, apparently, was based on various fan posts to the B5 boards.) Most Arc-ish Moment: After being discovered, but before they are recovered from the elevator car, the supine, near-dead Londo and G'Kar exchange insults until we fade to black. It's amusing — but also pathetic, and indicative of both how things haven't changed since the first episode and how far apart these increasingly sympathetic characters are.
Londo: There, you see? I'm going to live! G'Kar: So it would seem. Well, it is an imperfect universe. Londo: Bastard! G’Kar: Monster! Londo: Fanatic! G’Kar: Murderer! Londo: You are insane! G’Kar: That’s why we’ll win. Londo: 'Go be the ambassador to Babylon 5,' they said. 'It will be an easy position. I hate my life.' G’Kar: So do I. Londo: Shut up!
Overall Rating: 3.0 / 5 — A plebeian plot, but some nice character moments to move it along.
After the repeated excellent eps that wrapped Season 2, S.3 opens up on a solid but less spectacular note, recapping the recent past while teeing things up for the season. That exposition occasionally drives the plot rather than the other way around, but overall it does the job.
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.
Holy crap. This is a twenty year old TV episode … and my heart was still pounding after watching it.
The second season finale is a steadily rising bundle of tension, escalating horror, and plain all-out action and excitement. For those who were excited by the space battles of "The Long, Twilight Struggle" and the arc-y, intense, personal drama of "Comes the Inquisitor" … this ep tries to match both, and largely succeeds. While the "The Long Twilight Struggle" could have served as the season finale, this episode gives notice that the Narn-Centauri War was just a sidelight — that there are more important things going on in the universe to bedevil Our Heroes and their station.
The plotlines here are so intertangled I can't call out lettered plots, so I'll run through things in a bit more tangled fashion.
The Centauri, having whomped the Narn, are now beginning to expand into other surrounding star nations — ostensibly to create buffer zones to reduce tensions, ha ha ha. Londo is blustery and belligerent when braced by Sheridan about all of this, but Garibaldi rightly notes later how scared Londo is of how fast everything is moving ("Half the time I want to strangle the guy, the other half I kind of feel sorry for him.")
Fortunately, Sheridan's missives back to the Earth Alliance have produced a result — Roy Dotrice (http://goo.gl/Xwx42W) (well, "Frederick Lantze") from the Ministry of Peace arrives on the station to examine the Centauri problem. Everyone's all smiles about this until he decides (after interviewing Londo, the League ambassadors, but refusing to see G'kar (http://goo.gl/WtcNNr)) that it's a great idea for Earth to enter into a non-belligerency pact with the Centauri, thus ensuring for Earth (insert heavy-handed historical precedent here) "peace in our time."
Which leads Sheridan to be disgusted about the whole affair and even about his career ("I remember the first time I put on this uniform. I felt 10 feet tall, like I could take on the whole galaxy before breakfast. Now I look at it — it's just cloth."). Hold onto that thought for now.
Meanwhile, another MiniPax rep is also on-board, a high muckity-muck for the Night Watch, everyone's favorite McCarthyist informant organization. After attempting to bribe Ivanova onto his side by promising an early opportunity for starship command if she funnels intel to him (she puts him in his place in a remarkably diplomatic fashion), he meets with the other NW members on the station, including security guy Zack Allan — who has the decency to feel really uncomfortable when asked to narc on folks who have said innocuious but negative things about EA policy or leadership … but he still does. (http://youtu.be/qXjCb3vb830)
Meanwhile, a lone surviving Narn cruiser has snuck into the B5 system, seeking sanctuary, which Sheridan provides, as well as help getting the thing repaired. Alas, one of the bridge crew is a member of the Night Watch, and lets the MiniPax visitors know. Roy Dotrice is apalled that Sheridan is blowing his great treaty deal with the Centauri. Worse, Londo's let in on it, and calls in a Centauri cruiser to take custody of the Narn. Sheridan plays chicken, and the Centauri cruiser decides to attack (http://goo.gl/M1bFWa, http://goo.gl/24ZSrd) both the station and the Narn — and gets blown out the sky for its trouble by both Starfuries and B5's upgraded defense grid (http://goo.gl/RrXU29, http://goo.gl/24ZSrd). The Narn ship escapes (http://goo.gl/BRbsHt), escorted by said Starfuries. (http://youtu.be/fDhF9sxDm7E)
Now Roy Dotrice is really furious, but Sheridan plays rules lawyer and notes that (a) the Centauri shot first, and (b) general orders require him to help any non-hostile ship that asks for it. That gets him off the hook a bit — but the Night Watch MiniPax goon informs Sheridan that he's been ordered by the Joint Chiefs and the President to apologize to the Centauri.
Sheridan is rescued (http://goo.gl/WZqPqM), but, as Delenn notes later, the danger level has just been ramped up, as the Shadows will learn of Kosh's "outing" and assume that the Vorlons are ready to confront them — which they are not. As long as the Shadows themselves are not revealed, though, they will probably not escalate the conflict. From what we see in other conversations, the other races know something mystically spiffy happened, but don't actually associate it with Kosh. Sheridan's grateful for the rescue, but, having heard of how the Vorlons have visited worlds across the galaxy for a million years, wonders if the angelic form ("Who will recognize him?" "Everyone.") is something intrinsic to the Vorlons, or a convenient reaction they've programmed into all the races.
Speaking of the Shadows, Keffer (who has been absent most of the season, but still wants to find out more about those mysterious hyperspace-dwellers he saw, the Shadows) gets some further information on them from some other Starfury pilots who have spotted them. Ignoring the warnings to steer clear, and while escorting the Narn ship into hyperspace, he uses that intel to track down a Shadow spider ship (http://goo.gl/TRPD4l). He records pictures of it, jettisons the record in a capsule, and dies a grisly high-energy death (http://goo.gl/fdPO2J) for his presumption (and for the presumption of the network suits who insisted that Joe cast a "young, handsome, Han Solo type" on the show).
Which brings us to the end of the episode, and the end of the year 2259 — as Ivanova gives a voice-over monologue (that will get modified into to the S.3 main titles) while lighting her Hannukah candles (http://goo.gl/6tPrlY).
"It was the end of the Earth year 2259 and the war was upon us. As anticipated a few days after the Earth-Centauri treaty was announced, the Centauri widened their war to include many of the non-aligned worlds [http://goo.gl/bQZVy1]. And there was another war brewing closer to home, a personal one whose cost would be higher than any of us could imagine [http://goo.gl/nxfRAD]. We came to this place because Babylon 5 was our last best hope for peace by the end of 2259 we knew that it had failed. But in so doing it became something greater as the war expanded, it became our last best hope for victory. Because sometimes 'peace' is another word for 'surrender,' and because secrets have a way of getting out." (Partial video: http://youtu.be/I1q77pF6Eok)
And we close with an ISN broadcast about a recording that was picked up from a capsule in hyperspace, showing a strange, heretofore unknown spider-like ship (http://goo.gl/zSnUMi, http://goo.gl/2Bms0K) …
GAH!
The episode is rushed in places, given all that happens, which weakens a lot of the individual events even as it lets more baseball bats to the head take place. The cast is firing on all cylinders (except for Franklin, who doesn't appear), the guest stars are all solid enough, and every time the viewer figures things have reached their climax … they escalate into something more awful.
Sheridan steps beyond school boyish charm and platitudes to the sudden realization that he's faced with a long-term crisis of a moral nature — what Earth is doing, and what he needs to do about it. Ivanova (with her hair back most of the ep, as I prefer it) is now fitting smoothly into her role as his second, dealing with crises both diplomatic and military and offering him unforced advice; she also shuts down Mr Welles' attempt to suborn her in a way that's less over the top but just as intense as any of her earlier Ivanovisms. Keffer finally gets a partial focus, and Robert Rusler still can't make him a compelling character, even though he serves a critical plot point (and gets a few good lines http://goo.gl/6f1WOZ). Garibaldi has only a brief appearance, but as the guy closest to Londo, he's got the best insight into the Centauri ambassador, and may be their only emotional leverage over him. Zack — who becomes a regular next season — does a solid job on the everyman who's less interested in cosmic events and more in the worries of his day-to-day job.
Londo himself is on an escalating level of bluster and anger — and, as Garibaldi points out, fear and apprehension, which he plows right back into those other emotions — getting all shouty at Sheridan, up to the level of threat ("Do not start getting delusions of grandeur. You will not survive them."), and eventually (in the montage at the end under Ivanova's season-wrapping narration) going all Hitler-giving-a-speech to the League); he seems completely lost to the "Good Guys" side, which will make next season all the more interesting.
With all that, there's not a lot of room for the other major players. Vir and Lennier have a brief, highly staged, but very funny scene (http://goo.gl/vfmmbs). G'kar is around only briefly as well, peripheral to the Narn ship arriving (http://goo.gl/5x0uZX), in a futile attempt to engage with Roy Dotrice, and then to try and defend Sheridan's actions; how he feels about everything else going on remains to be seen. Even Delenn's presence is limited — she intervenes with Kosh to save Sheridan, and offers dire portents to the Captain later about what that will mean, but doesn't get much beyond exposition.
Kosh … just looks uncomfortable dealing with everyone outside of his suit.
The guest stars are an interesting mixed bag. Roy Dotrice, so proud of his negotation of a peace with the Centauri, appears to be utterly and passionately sincere, doing wrong things for the right reason (http://goo.gl/PXdGHj). His compatriot, Welles (http://goo.gl/6PUmxk, played by John Vickery, who also plays the Minbari warrior caste leader, Neroon — B5's heavy make-up allowed a lot of reuse of fine supporting actors), is the smarmiest bad guy to hit the station since Morden — oh-so-reasonable in invoking Earth's security and defense against dissent and sedition, and placing Zack in an untenable position as a member of the Night Watch. It feels a bit heavy-handed, but Welles, though the kind of guy you'd cross the street to avoid, also speaks in such a seductively reasonable way that you can understand when Zack kinda shrugs and gives in to him (http://goo.gl/eQNUi1).
It's a huge game-changing plot-cliff-hanging season finale, and should have given all the fanboys months to speculate about what it all meant. It did … over in the UK. In the US, PTEN decided to up the tension (?) by having the final four S.2 episodes air in October (after a break since May), immediately followed by S.3. It was crazy-frustrating, and served no particularly useful purpose except to delay some great episodes and blow some momentum. Dolts.
Still, everyone in the US had at least a full week to argue like mad over all that had been revealed — the new Earth-Centauri alliance, Sheridan's increased disaffection, Centauri expansionism, Earth's authoritariansm, Kosh and the Vorlons, the Shadows …
With everything that gets thrown at the wall, it's one hell of a season closer (nominated for a Hugo, but rejected so that the vote wasn't split with "The Coming of Shadows"), and wild Drazi couldn't have kept me away from the next episode. My daughter, for her part, was on the edge of her seat as Thing After Thing happened, though she found some of the "stupid" actions some of the characters took (Keffer, the faceless Centauri commander) infuriating, but, as I noted back to her, most of the folks taking actions, for good or ill, were doing so thinking it was the right thing to do in pursuit of "what do they want" — and how that can lead to disaster is a big part of the B5 saga.
Most Dramatic Moment: After learning of the new Centauri-Earth alliance, Sheridan tells Ivanova that he can remember how amazing it was to first put on an EA uniform — and how tawdry it seems now. Most Amusing Moment: Vir and Lennier have their (apparently) regular afternoon meeting, to muse about how abused they are as sidekicks / attaches. Comedy gold. (GIFfy http://goo.gl/rKzfDh; http://goo.gl/2oC1QD) Most Arc-ish Moment: Kosh is revealed, and the different forms he takes for each race. (http://youtu.be/HVSlKqOXf2k)
Overall Rating: 4.8 / 5 — An insanely high-tension episode, with big plot twists coming from all directions — hampered only by the number of them squeezing out some more quiet character nuance.
It's funny how the amount of imagery and uploaded video varies so much by episode of B5. For some reason — maybe the long swathes of rich dialog — "Comes the Inquisitor" has a lot posted online, though the video I'm showcasing most is from the B-Plot.
After the huge, broad, galaxy-spanning scope of the previous episode ("The Long, Twilight Struggle"), we narrow the the focus back down to B5 and individual characters for the penultimate episode of the season.
A-Plot: Kosh informs Delenn (http://goo.gl/cb6F7o) that she needs to be more closely examined because she's … well, yeah, aside from getting all teary-eyed about the whole nobody-loves-me Human/Minbari thing, she's got an ego a mile wide, convinced she has a Big Destiny to save the world. Which might not be the kind of person the Vorlons actually want in that job. So Kosh orders her to be interviewed by an Inquisitor (Babylon 5: Come the Inquisitor Part 2, Babylon 5: Come the Inquisitor Part 3), in this case a 19th Century human (http://goo.gl/vhK0ji, http://goo.gl/EzWrLx, http://goo.gl/Osxv4j) taken into the Vorlon service, who is more than happy to try to tear Delenn down and help her look up "hubris" in the Minbari/Human Dictionary.
"Torture" gets a rightfully bad name in a lot of cases, but, honestly, Delenn is cruisin' for a bruisin'. Yeah, she's had some weepy moments over the last half of the season, but she's still been, for the most part, the calm, cool, considerate Minbari, self-righteous and self-contained and manipulating everyone around her. Sebastian, the Inquisitor, strips that facade away from her (Babylon 5 – "Who are you?", Babylon 5: Come the Inquisitor Part 1), making her painfully (oh, so painfully http://goo.gl/ij91G5, http://goo.gl/bVKNJP) aware of what really matters in her quest.
Which ties directly into Sheridan, who spends the episode being blustery and protective, but whose entanglement in Sebastian's web (Babylon 5 – Are you willing…, http://goo.gl/Qh7A2w, http://goo.gl/SXjaa6) gives Delenn the opportunity to show she's not leading the cause in a search for glory or fame or personal power, but because she's all about individual life and love and peace and so forth (Babylon 5: Right People). Which is problematic, perhaps, for a war leader, but she'll get over it .
It's worth noting a parallel here. The Shadows have sent an emissary to B5 asking folk "What do you want?" The Vorlons now have an emissary who's key question is "Who are you?" How you answer those questions, and in what order, is meaningful in the B5 universe.
The wrap-up to all of this is Sheridan uncovering Sebastian the Inquisitor's more famous identity (Babylon 5: Sebastian / Jack, http://goo.gl/3przKX), which when it aired I thought of as the Coolest Thing Ever (and, yeah, kind of still do), but which also raises some very interesting questions about the Vorlons and their motivations / ethos.
This plotline signifies a discrete and justifiable step forward in Sheridan and Delenn's relationship (http://goo.gl/hgs2Dg, http://goo.gl/atSmvw), feeling much less artificial and awkward than some of the previous others. It also helps strip Delenn down the basics. All the criticisms and attacks that Sebastian made on her were spot-on. His inquisition serves as a crucible to purify her, and make her worthy (and understanding of her worthiness) to proceed in this war against the darkness.
The B-Plot is all about G'kar (it's fitting that after a lot of eps that are just about the human command staff on B5, we get an ep that focuses on two of the non-humans). He's trying to establish a Narn resistance movement, through haranguing crowds on B5 and buying arms. The local Narn doubt him again (G'kar=Moses), so he has to establish his chops with them as well (http://goo.gl/q0ZYJv), drawing on his new relationship with Sheridan, who in turn draws on his new command over the Rangers to do G'kar a solid.
It all makes for an intricate play of characters and their ties, and begins to establish a new status quo after the previous episode upset the board. There are some other key (and delightful) scenes here as well — Vir finding himself trapped in an elevator car with G'kar, apologizing, and having that apology rejected (drip, drip, drip … Babylon 5 – My favorite scenes – Dead…dead….dead, http://goo.gl/7ySS7i); and Garibaldi bracing G'kar about arms deals he's making (http://goo.gl/Fp9TwP), drawing clear lines around both his role as the station's security chief and his personal sympathy for the Narn situation.
Andreas Katsulas does an amazing job as G'kar (http://goo.gl/i8S0KB), melding both his sympathetic Cassandra personality with the sort of jingoistic clever-nastiness (http://goo.gl/IVQlDZ) of his early days in the role (but in a cause the audience is now sympathetic toward). He's a character we want to root for, but he's also a character that is clearly still dominated by the passions and pain of what has been done to himself and his people. This episode represents a test of G'kar and his future course as much as it is for Delenn.
The A-Plot gets all the bright lights (and the title), but the B-Plot has moments arguably as memorable. It's all highly personal, as a bridge between "The Long, Twilight Struggle" and the season finale — in sum, it's a truly wonderful episode. All the acting — from the regulars to the guest stars (esp. Wayne Alexander as Sebastian) is solid-to-inspired (hat tip in particular to Furlan, Katsulas, and Furst). The direction from Mike Vejar is well done, and John Flinn got a cinematography Emmy nomination for the episode. It's lacking in big space battle FX parties, but the tight "one act play" minimalist setting of the A-Plot is actually just what the show needs at this point.
Most Dramatic Moment: G'kar and Vir on the elevator. Both characters are exquisite in their personal pain and inability to rise beyond it. (Babylon 5 – My favorite scenes – Dead…dead….dead) Most Amusing Moment: Um … no, not real humor here. Most Arc-ish Moment: Sheridan flexes his Ranger muscles to support G'kar's need to remain leader of his people on the station. Virtue and Realpolitik meld together in a way that will be emblematic of B5's role for the next three years.
Overall Rating: 4.8 / 5 — Not a massive space epic, but a deeply personal set of tales, just what's needed to cleanse and focus the palate before the season finale.
Next episode: "The Fall of Night," as the plotlines about Earth and about the Centauri come to a head, and both the Shadows and Vorlons are further revealed …
In any sane television universe, this would be the season finale. And yet, we have two further eps to go, both of them doozies. But first …
The title is taken from John F Kennedy's Inaugural Address: "Now the trumpet summons us again: not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need; not as a call to battle, though in battle we are; but as a call to bear the burdens of a long, twilight struggle — year in and year out, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation — a struggle against the common enemies of man–tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself." (http://youtu.be/3s6U8GActdQ?t=2m3s)
The A-Plot is about the end of the Narn-Centauri War, and being thus focused on both G'kar and Londo, it draws on the two best B5 actors to make it truly amazing. Londo starts off back on Centauri Prime, where he is dragged kicking and not-quite-screaming into a stratagem to end the war. The Narn are putting everything they have into a sneak attack against the major supply depot at Gorash 7. So Refa pressures an increasingly reluctant Londo (http://goo.gl/6oVZFZ) to get his "associates" to ambush them there — while the main Centauri fleet assaults the Narn homeworld.
That leads to some remarkable scenes of Narn ships fighting a brave but quickly doomed fight against the Shadows (http://youtu.be/f-uhi_qIgSU). And just when you thought that was the downer image for the episode, we shift to Narn, where the unopposed Centauri fleet is using mass drivers (http://goo.gl/WM7Aj6) to propel huge rocks down from orbit — where they hit the Narn cities like nukes (http://goo.gl/FaFK5h). In an oft-to-be-repeated image, Londo is there on the lead ship, watching, sickened by what is being done (and his role in it) (http://goo.gl/NdnxUK, and the video at the bottom of this post).
This brutal attack is against all treaties, but the rest of the galaxy (as personified on B5) can only watch aghast while it happens. In the end, Narn falls. Londo returns to B5 as the proud and dutiful rep of Centauri, spelling out what the terms of the surrender treaty were — which include G'kar, as a member of the ruling council, being sent to Narn for trial.
It turns out though that G'kar, under orders, has requested sanctuary (Babylon 5 – G'Kar requests sanctuary / Londo surrenders his soul), which Sheridan is more than happy to give, the Centauri suddenly being seen as the bad guys by pretty much everyone. Nevertheless, no longer the ambassador for his people, G'kar is forced to quit the B5 Advisory Council chamber — but not before giving a soft, bitter, stirring speech (http://youtu.be/pJmuHNDcXLQ).
The acting (and direction) in all of this plotline is exemplary. G'kar is forced to be an observer in the fall of Narn, doing what he can but most often limited to prayer (http://goo.gl/3ID3Xz) and feeling crushed by defeat, as Andreas Katsulas begins an exquisite multi-year run as Citizen G'kar. For his part, Peter Jurasik's Londo Molari is nearly as sympathetic as a character, a man whose dreams of glory for his people (and, possibly, himself) are already turning into a mouthful of ashes even as they are succeeding beyond his wildest dreams. If ever a man was swept up events that he himself triggered, it would be Londo, with (at least in this episode), Lord Refa (http://goo.gl/dIlYYR) as his ally and unwitting torturer.
The station crew are in rare form as well. Sheridan has some poignant scenes with G'kar (http://youtu.be/pJmuHNDcXLQ?t=2m38s), beginning a relationship that will span future seasons. Ivanova is busy managing problems aboard the station; Garibaldi, likewise, but for him Londo's turn to the Dark Side clearly comes across as a personal betrayal (http://youtu.be/Ja0LfiRfHws?t=40s). Franklin, for his part, has already decided where his friendship lies — he passes on war info to G'kar that, though too late, is clearly not a "neutral" thing to do.
It's all huge and game-changing and massive and epic and wild, and drove the fans crazy when it happened (and, cough, still does.)
The B-Plot, alas, cannot stand up to it. The theme here is Sheridan and B5 becoming the coalescing center of a Conspiracy of Light. There's fuss and bother involving Draal (http://goo.gl/Nqfhsl) and Espilon 3, the planet below B5, throwing themselves in secretly as allies of Sheridan. And, at the end, Delenn (and Garibaldi) inform Sheridan about the Rangers, and the cross-species, loose-knit alliance of people out to stand against the Shadows (http://goo.gl/QLij7D), their leadership now co-owned by Delenn and Sheridan (with Kosh standing prominently in the background).
It's all interesting, but feels too pointedly like a cheering counter-balance to the disasters of the A-Plot. Sheridan is reluctant at first to engage with these offers of help (which, essentially drag him closer to, if not outright over, the line of treason and violating his oath), but he quickly shifts to gratitude for the gestures and always willing to launch into a speech. Delenn is back to her semi-cryptic, assured self, which is nice after recent, more emotive eps.
But it feels all a bit rushed — why is Delenn now willing to turn over co-ownership of the Rangers to Sheridan? Why is Draal now offering Sheridan his support in far-seeing and other powers (especially since, cough, we never really see much more of that in the future, cough)? There's a certain level of plot contrivance that rings false, especially as a final note on the episode after all the awful stuff that has happened.
Still, this is a huge episode, in terms of impact on the series, and that sweeps aside most objections. It was also the biggest episode to date the FX area, with lengthy battles that took a month to render but were still a distinct improvement from the show only a year earlier. Christopher Franke's music is top-notch, the acting is rock solid, the direction (surprisingly by John C. Flinn III) is well done in most cases … and this is easily one of the Top 5 episodes of the series, even with its weak points.
Like I said, this could easily have been the season ender. That it wasn't give some idea of what epicness is still to come …
Most Dramatic Moment: I'll go for the obvious and make it Londo witnessing the orbital bombardment of Narn. The look of sickness and despair on his face as he watches (http://goo.gl/hTfwW6http://goo.gl/lscTg4), and then turns away, is hugely moving, and done solely through expression. (Babylon 5: Centuari attack on Narn) Failing that, there are a half-dozen moments for G'kar that also work, or perhaps the whole final confrontation in the Council Chamber (http://youtu.be/pJmuHNDcXLQ) would best fit. Most Amusing Moment: Not an amusing episode. At all. The only humor comes in banter between Sheridan and Delenn, and most of it falls flat. Most Arc-ish Moment: Again, there are a dozen different bits here that will come into heavy play down the line, but I'll call it for Sheridan taking (co-)command of the Rangers. This, along with Draal, are the beginning of Sheridan's rise to power.
Overall Rating: 4.8 / 5 — brought down only by the artificial joviality of the B-Plot — but still mightily awesome.
