{"id":40312,"date":"2014-01-06T22:21:39","date_gmt":"2014-01-07T05:21:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/01\/06\/b5-rewatch-s1e18-19-a-voice-in-the-wilderness-part-1-2.html"},"modified":"2014-05-30T08:45:59","modified_gmt":"2014-05-30T14:45:59","slug":"b5-rewatch-s1e18-19-a-voice-in-the-wilderness-part-1-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/01\/06\/b5-rewatch-s1e18-19-a-voice-in-the-wilderness-part-1-2.html","title":{"rendered":"B5 Rewatch: 1×18 1×19 "A Voice in the Wilderness" (Part 1 & 2)"},"content":{"rendered":"
B5 Rewatch: S1E18-19 "A Voice in the Wilderness" (Part 1 & 2)<\/b><\/p>\n

Babylon 5<\/i> gets its first two-part episode. \u00a0It's appropriately epic, even if occasional pacing problems keep it from being too<\/i> fantastic.<\/p>\n

In the A Plot, we learn the planet below is not a barren rock as everyone (including the viewership) assumed, but actually has a Krell (well, not really, but it looks like it) installation from ages past, ready to defend itself, self-destruct, and\/or slice-and-dice anything in the sector if it puts its (someone has to provide a) mind to it. This is tightly wrapped with Delenn's old mentor Draal coming by on his final tour of the galaxy before he dies, murmuring about sentience and self-sacrifice.<\/p>\n

There's some very<\/i> broad foreshadowing of how things are going to wrap up, and the first half suffers from pacing difficulties that make you realize you're seeing a two-parter that could afford to be padded (padded well, but padded nonetheless).<\/p>\n

Much CGI budget was spent on this episode (both halves), and pretty well, too.<\/p>\n

A side note to this is the arrival of the Earth heavy cruiser Hyperion,<\/i> which allows for some turf-fighting and command conflict with Sinclair. \u00a0This, in turn, leads to some nice-looking (but tactically dubious) space war sequences (part of that CGI burn). \u00a0And, of course, more political stresses (and transgressions) for Sinclair.<\/p>\n

(For all that B5 sometimes come across as early Military SF, its military commanders, more often than not, are doofuses. Except the ones on the sides of the angels, so to speak, of course.)<\/p>\n

Sinclair once again plays the irritatable but still all-wise voice of reason, except<\/i> when the prospect of a First Contact occurs, in which case he become positively giddy. (JMS has claimed foreshadowing that Earth First Contact Protocol requires multiple command-level staff be involved, but it still strikes me as gooftastic that he and Ivanova go flying down into a missile firing gallery on their own, leaving Garibaldi (?!) in charge.) \u00a0There's some nice bits around<\/i> Sinclair, as to why Delenn didn't involve him in the follow-up trip to the planet, since he was one of the ones who received a vision — but that's watered down by his low-affect non-response to same.<\/p>\n

Londo has some great scenes in here — in many ways, even though Delenn has a\u00a0mentor as the guest star, the spotlight is on him, not her. Whether it's musing on the Centauri\/Narn conflict, cheering up Garibaldi, delving in to the Mysteries of the Hokey-Pokey, or finding his adventuresome, agentful, even possibly self-sacrificial side again, it's a great episode for him — one of the last unabashedly cheerful ones he will have. \u00a0<\/p>\n

The B Plot has to do with a revolt on Mars against EarthGov authority, and how that affects Our Heroes — especially Garibaldi, late of that planet (and, we learn, still carrying a flame for a woman back there). \u00a0It creates some really nice character bits for him, for Londo, for Talia, and even for Sinclair and Ivanova. It also lays some groundwork for stories way down the line — in many ways, more than the A Plot does …<\/p>\n

Garibaldi's a mixed bag in this ep, which spends a lot of time on him in the B Plot. \u00a0He remains something of a loose cannon, whether it's stalking Talia in the elevators, pulling strings to get a channel back to Mars, or beating up a bar fly who bad-mouths Martians. \u00a0He's self-analytical to a fault, but seems to have no self-control to do anyting but bull his way straight through things. \u00a0The Lise storyline will come back to haunt him, in many ways, but he's going to be off his game for a while now.<\/p>\n

Though there are arc-touching bits here, the episode functions pretty well stand-alone (as designed, as it stemmed from a request for a two-parter that could be put on video cassette), and would make a solid intro to the series for new viewers. It's a JMS episode — thus the leavening of many humorous lines and monologuing with some serious issues and portents. \u00a0It's definitely toward the top of the Season 1 list, and I'm glad we've worked our way through to it.<\/p>\n

Most Dramatic Moment:<\/b> Draal tells Delenn that he is "going down to the sea".
Most Amusing Moment:<\/b> Too many, but I have to go with Ivanova's recitation of the Babylon 5 Mantra (see below). Followed, possibly, by Londo cheering Garibaldi up at the bar (Whatever it is, it can't be that bad!<\/a>), or Ivanova passing on to Londo her "Boom" news. Or maybe the Mystery of the Hokey-Pokey (Babylon 5 Hocky Pocky Funny Scene<\/a>). (Garibaldi's elevator stalking of Talia is mean to be humorous, but comes across more as creepy even in the mid-90s.)
Most Arc-ish Moment:<\/b> Delenn's "Because if I had, I know in my heart that Commander Sinclair would be the one down there right now. He\u2019s looking for a purpose. But his destiny lies elsewhere." Oh, yeah.
Overall Rating:<\/b> \u00a04.5 \/ 5 \u2014 Big and boomful. Not as arc-ridden as one might imagine, but powerfully done.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lurker's Guide: http:\/\/www.midwinter.com\/lurk\/countries\/us\/guide\/018.html<\/a> and http:\/\/www.midwinter.com\/lurk\/countries\/us\/guide\/019.html<\/a>
Babylon Project: http:\/\/babylon5.wikia.com\/wiki\/A_Voice_in_the_Wilderness,_Part_I<\/a> and \u00a0http:\/\/babylon5.wikia.com\/wiki\/A_Voice_in_the_Wilderness,_Part_II<\/a>
IMDB: http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0517622\/<\/a> and http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0517623\/<\/a>
AV Club: http:\/\/www.avclub.com\/review\/babylon-5-a-voice-in-the-wilderness-83314<\/a>
Making Light: http:\/\/nielsenhayden.com\/makinglight\/archives\/012924.html<\/a><\/p>\n

#babylon5<\/a> #b5<\/a>\u00a0\ufeff<\/div>\n