{"id":41267,"date":"2014-03-02T23:07:43","date_gmt":"2014-03-03T06:07:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/03\/02\/b5-rewatch-s2e08-a-race-through-dark-places.html"},"modified":"2014-05-30T08:43:53","modified_gmt":"2014-05-30T14:43:53","slug":"b5-rewatch-s2e08-a-race-through-dark-places","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/03\/02\/b5-rewatch-s2e08-a-race-through-dark-places.html","title":{"rendered":"B5 Rewatch: 2×08 "A Race Through Dark Places""},"content":{"rendered":"
This episode was actually intended to run before "Soul Mates," but post-production problems forced the swap. It's not a critical problem, but knowing what Talia has gone through (and heard) in this ep informs some of her plotline with her (forced) husband in the other ep. It also ties a little into the Delenn subplots in each episode.<\/p>\n

That said …<\/p>\n

A-Plot: There's an Underground Railroad of unregistered or fugitive telepaths being operated aboard B5, and the Psi Corp, personified in PsiCop Bester, arrives on the station to stop it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bester showed up very early in Season 1 of B5, and hasn't been seen since then, except in reference, with various activities, plots, and so forth attributed to him. \u00a0He comes across this episode as arrogant and creepy, but despite the apparent sins of the Psi Corp, there's an admitted sympathy to them by the B5 command staff — we ghettoized psi talents, so if they've turned into a secretive threat, we're at least in part to blame.<\/i> Bester get a bit of all of this — he trivializes the death of the prisoner at the beginning (http:\/\/goo.gl\/Oq8438<\/a>), and the threat to Talia mid-episode (http:\/\/goo.gl\/I6K0iY<\/a>). At the same time, he comes across less as self-absorbed than as cause<\/i> absorbed. He cares deeply for telepaths, but as a class, a movement, not as individuals. He's willing to break eggs to make an omelette, though he sees an ideal value in not having to break eggs at all. He'd be a great guy to have on your side, but if he's not (or if it turns out your idea of "side" is different from his), he's a threat, menace, and jerk.<\/p>\n

Kudos to Walter Koenig, whom most people still<\/i> think of as the scream-prone Chekhov.<\/p>\n

Talia's gifts from Ironheart crop up again, as does the conflict for Sheridan between being a good soldier who obeys orders and regulations vs. being a compassionate human being who seeks true justice. \u00a0In Talia's case, Andrea Thompson does a moderately believable job, though her generally passive nature (http:\/\/goo.gl\/asT3Rm<\/a>) jars vs. Walter Koenig's Bester and Gianin Loffler's uncredited telepath (http:\/\/goo.gl\/XGKyi7<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Another key character element in this plotline is the revelation of Dr. Franklin as the ("normal") head of the Underground Railroad (http:\/\/goo.gl\/GMZfTr<\/a>), an extension of a network of other medical doctors back on Earth. It's in keeping with his previously-established willingness to face whatever he must to do what's right (in refraining from contributing to potential bio-warfare plans during the Earth-Minbari War), even if much of his role to date on the show has been as the annoyingly correct and\/or simple set-piece medico. \u00a0But it adds to a personal rebelliousness, even arrogance, that will also inform problems the character will have down the road.<\/p>\n

In the end, the A-Plot is resolved in a fairly interesting (even satisfying) fashion, Bester leaves (http:\/\/goo.gl\/Fv5ohv<\/a>), and the Underground Railroad is abandoned at B5 as too hot. It's a foreshadowing, though, of Season 5 — and Bester will be back several times before then …<\/p>\n

Oh, and at the end, Talia reaches out to Ivanova as someone to talk to (over a bottle of wine http:\/\/goo.gl\/cN7P0m<\/a>). And, as long as she takes off the Psi Corp badge, Ivanova's willing to do so (http:\/\/goo.gl\/Ti9zaW<\/a>). Hmmmmm ….<\/p>\n

B-Plot: The station is over-budget and so EarthGov has decided that Sheridan and Ivanova need to either move into smaller quarters (so that theirs can be rented\/leased), or pay the delta in rent. \u00a0Sheridan's flat-out refusal, his rabid standing on principle, his willingness to flout what the bureaucrats back home dictate rings true to an extent (it feels<\/i> like classic military griping about the brass and the bureaucrats), but it exists in an odd conflict with his professed devotion to the law in the A-Plot. The solution he comes up with — redirecting some of the budget to cover the difference — is amusing (if possible grounds for dismissal), but a retread of how Sinclair resolved a much bigger-stakes plotline in Season 1. \u00a0Sheridan's conflict between what he sees as his oath of service and what he feels is "right" will come into increasingly play over the course of the season and beyond that.<\/p>\n

That said, it's a silly enough plotline (and played exactly that way) that it takes away from the seriousness of the A-Plot.<\/p>\n

C-Plot: Delenn has decided to learn more about being human, so she asks Sheridan out for a dinner date. He's initially uncomfortable about the whole thing, still relating to the Minbari primarily as the enemies he fought during the war, but both of them seem to have a good time (http:\/\/goo.gl\/63J6XO<\/a>) …<\/p>\n

It's a bit of growth for Sheridan, though in keeping with other changes he's gone through in his relationships with the Minbari since he's arrived (and it's still not enough that he isn't willing to tell Minbari jokes http:\/\/goo.gl\/MSQShJ<\/a>). For Delenn, though, it's more than a bit odd — she appears utterly unfamiliar with a variety of human social customs, not just through personal experience, but even not seeming to have read anything about them (though, presumably, such literature is available to her). Is she actually so naive, or is she being disingenuous so as to strengthen relationships with the station's commander (http:\/\/goo.gl\/ve7slN<\/a>)? Given Delenn's already-demonstrated ability to lie convincingly, I would tend to think the latter.<\/p>\n

Overall, it's a pretty strong episode, doing some decent world-building (more about the Psi Corp — "The Corps is Mother — the Corps is Father") and character establishment (mostly about Sheridan and Franklin). It's not earth-shattering, but definitely worth including in a B5 rewatch.<\/p>\n

Most Dramatic Moment:<\/b> Talia turns on the road telepaths; slaughter ensues. (http:\/\/goo.gl\/4zx8PI<\/a>)
Most Amusing Moment:<\/b> Sheridan demonstrates when he's a bit lit, he's a horrible person to try go to sleep with. (http:\/\/goo.gl\/PJmxFN<\/a>)
Most Arc-ish Moment:<\/b> Nothing overtly so per se<\/i> … perhaps Sheridan realizing that he and Delenn have more in common than he thought. Or maybe Sheridan's acknowledged cognitive dissonance over the A-Plot.<\/p>\n

FRANKLIN: So you don't think what I did was right?
SHERIDAN: I didn't say that.
FRANKLIN: Well, what are you saying?
SHERIDAN: I'm not saying what I'm saying. I'm not saying what I'm thinking. As a matter of fact I'm not thinking<\/i> what I'm thinking. There's only one thing on my mind right now.
FRANKLIN: What's that?
SHERIDAN: I need a drink.<\/p>\n

Yeah, that rebellious nature is going to get him into trouble one of these days …<\/p>\n

Overall Rating:<\/b> \u00a04.1 \/ 5\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lurker\u2019s Guide: http:\/\/www.midwinter.com\/lurk\/countries\/us\/guide\/030.html<\/a>
Babylon Project: http:\/\/babylon5.wikia.com\/wiki\/A_Race_Through_Dark_Places<\/a>
IMDB: http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0517618\/<\/a>
AV Club: http:\/\/goo.gl\/Uyj3dg<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Noise2Signal: http:\/\/noise2sig.nl\/2012\/07\/22\/babylon-5-a-race-through-dark-places\/<\/a><\/p>\n

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

<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

View this post on Google+<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This episode was actually intended to run before "Soul Mates," but post-production problems forced the swap. It's not a critical problem, but knowing what Talia has gone through (and heard) in this ep informs some of her plotline with her (forced) husband in the other ep. It also ties a little into the Delenn subplots … Continue reading “B5 Rewatch: 2×08 "A Race Through Dark Places"”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":41268,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[106,362],"tags":[503,429],"class_list":["post-41267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-plusposts","category-media-tv-babylon-5","tag-b5","tag-babylon5"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/208_cap420[1].jpg.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":43368,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/07\/06\/b5-rewatch-3x06-dust-to-dust.html","url_meta":{"origin":41267,"position":0},"title":"B5 Rewatch: 3×06 "Dust to Dust"","author":"***Dave","date":"Sun 6-Jul-14 11:16am","format":false,"excerpt":"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. 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Well ... there's been a new TV season and ... um ... stuff.) The Minbari Civil War comes to a head! Mr. Bester pays a call on Lyta Alexander! And the stand-off between EarthGov and B5 blows up!\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Babylon 5"","block_context":{"text":"Babylon 5","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/media\/franchises\/media-tv-babylon-5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Babylon-5-4x14-Moments-of-Transition-Lyta-and-Bester.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Babylon-5-4x14-Moments-of-Transition-Lyta-and-Bester.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Babylon-5-4x14-Moments-of-Transition-Lyta-and-Bester.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Babylon-5-4x14-Moments-of-Transition-Lyta-and-Bester.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44070,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/08\/03\/b5-rewatch-3x14-ship-of-tears.html","url_meta":{"origin":41267,"position":5},"title":"B5 Rewatch: 3×14 “Ship of Tears”","author":"***Dave","date":"Sun 3-Aug-14 12:29pm","format":false,"excerpt":"People are asking favors of the B5 command staff, both Psi-Cop Bester and potential ally G'Kar. Who will get their wish? A-Plot: \u00a0Bester arrives at the station with information, attitude, and an offer to help Our Heroes in the fight against the Shadows. 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