{"id":42443,"date":"2014-06-08T14:00:17","date_gmt":"2014-06-08T20:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/06\/08\/b5-rewatch-2x21-comes-the-inquisitor.html"},"modified":"2014-06-09T10:11:50","modified_gmt":"2014-06-09T16:11:50","slug":"b5-rewatch-2x21-comes-the-inquisitor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2014\/06\/08\/b5-rewatch-2x21-comes-the-inquisitor.html","title":{"rendered":"B5 Rewatch: 2×21 "Comes the Inquisitor""},"content":{"rendered":"
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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

A-Plot: Kosh informs Delenn (http:\/\/goo.gl\/cb6F7o<\/a>) 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. \u00a0So Kosh orders her to be interviewed by an Inquisitor (Babylon 5: Come the Inquisitor Part 2<\/a>, Babylon 5: Come the Inquisitor Part 3<\/a>), in this case a 19th Century human (http:\/\/goo.gl\/vhK0ji<\/a>, http:\/\/goo.gl\/EzWrLx<\/a>, http:\/\/goo.gl\/Osxv4j<\/a>) taken into the Vorlon service, who is more than happy to try to tear Delenn\u00a0down and help her look up "hubris" in the Minbari\/Human Dictionary.<\/p>\n

"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?"<\/a>, Babylon 5: Come the Inquisitor Part 1<\/a>), making her painfully (oh, so painfully http:\/\/goo.gl\/ij91G5<\/a>, http:\/\/goo.gl\/bVKNJP<\/a>) aware of what really matters in her quest.<\/p>\n

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…<\/a>, http:\/\/goo.gl\/Qh7A2w<\/a>, http:\/\/goo.gl\/SXjaa6<\/a>) 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<\/a>). Which is problematic, perhaps, for a war leader, but she'll get over it .<\/p>\n

It's worth noting a parallel here. The Shadows have sent an emissary to B5 asking folk "What do you want?"<\/i> The Vorlons now have an emissary who's key question is "Who are you?"<\/i> How you answer those questions, and in what order, is meaningful in the B5 universe.<\/p>\n

The wrap-up to all of this is Sheridan uncovering Sebastian the Inquisitor's more famous identity (Babylon 5: Sebastian \/ Jack<\/a>, http:\/\/goo.gl\/3przKX<\/a>), 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.<\/p>\n

This plotline signifies a discrete and justifiable step forward in Sheridan and Delenn's relationship (http:\/\/goo.gl\/hgs2Dg<\/a>, http:\/\/goo.gl\/atSmvw<\/a>), 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\u00a0on 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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>), drawing on his new relationship with Sheridan, who in turn draws on his new command over the Rangers to do G'kar a solid.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>, http:\/\/goo.gl\/7ySS7i<\/a>); and Garibaldi bracing G'kar about arms deals he's making (http:\/\/goo.gl\/Fp9TwP<\/a>), drawing clear lines around both his role as the station's security chief and his personal sympathy for the Narn situation.<\/p>\n

Andreas Katsulas does an amazing job as G'kar (http:\/\/goo.gl\/i8S0KB<\/a>), melding both his sympathetic Cassandra personality with the sort of jingoistic clever-nastiness (http:\/\/goo.gl\/IVQlDZ<\/a>) 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Most Dramatic Moment:<\/b> 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<\/a>)
Most Amusing Moment:<\/b> Um … no, not real humor here.
Most Arc-ish Moment:<\/b> 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.<\/p>\n

Overall Rating:<\/b> \u00a04.8 \/ 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.<\/p>\n

– Lurker\u2019s Guide: http:\/\/www.midwinter.com\/lurk\/countries\/us\/guide\/043.html<\/a>
– Babylon Project: http:\/\/babylon5.wikia.com\/wiki\/Comes_the_Inquisitor<\/a>
– IMDb: http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0517638\/<\/a>
– AV Club: http:\/\/www.avclub.com\/tvclub\/babylon-5-comes-the-inquisitorthe-fall-of-night-98076<\/a> (includes next epside)
– Kay Shapero: http:\/\/www.kayshapero.net\/b5review\/Inquisitor.htm<\/a>
– TV Tropes: http:\/\/tvtropes.org\/pmwiki\/pmwiki.php\/Recap\/BabylonFiveS02E21ComesTheInquisitor<\/a><\/p>\n

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 …<\/p>\n

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