S5: No Compromises, The Very Long Night, Paragon
I'm pinch-hitting here, and am mostly concentrating on the Londo episode because, well...I can. And it's Londo being so, so Londo. Feel free to comment on any of the three, though.
The Very Long Night
I don't have to point out that I love Londo, flaws and all, because he's just so...Londo. He's the classic guy with good intentions who gets sucked into some nasty stuff and doesn't realize it until he's in up to his neck, and then not only has to watch the consequences of his involvement, but feels trapped by it and thus perpetuates it. Possibly my favorite thing about this series is that his rapid turnaround post-Refa/Cartagia/Shadoes is that we don't just see him about-face without repercussions. And as a result, we get to see what Londo's really made of.
I'm not sure it matters much whether what happens to Londo in this episode is purely the product of his own psyche or if G'Kar somehow helps it along. (I can't deny that the look on G'Kar's face at the end certainly implies involvement, and yet he could merely be pleasantly surprised that Londo's had the guts to apologize after all, despite the fact that he did say he was sorry when that turnaround began.)
I'm also not going to dissect the whole thing bit-by bit because a) I don't have time and b) we've all watched it, so that seems unnecessary. I am just going to focus on the one thing that really whacked me over the head when I was watching last night, and then maybe pose a few questions.
When G'Kar turns up in Londo's dream-state, he really, really rakes Londo over the coals. And I don't think he's at all wrong to do so. Londo has done or enabled some phenomenally shite stuff in recent history and deserves to contemplate it. But watching it made me squirm. I mean, really squirm. I saw too much of myself in it.
My last job was in an environment that had been great until the retiring headmaster, who was wonderful, was replaced with a tyrant. She's still there, ruining lives. She ruled by fear. She was Cartagia, really--metaphorically, certainly, and to a lesser extent in thought/word/deed. She terrorized people. She fired people unfairly. She uses fear like a knife to divide and conquer. For the first two years, I, like everyone else there, did nothing, because we were all afraid that we would lose our jobs, too, or that we would be singled out for bullying, or any number of other painful things would happen. (The third year, it was my turn on the chopping block, for no apparent reason.)
So while older women on the faculty were being pushed out in favor of young guys, while people from all divisions were subject to violent ranting in their general direction...I did nothing. I said nothing, except to colleagues under our breath when we hoped no one was around. I felt incredible sympathy and was distressed at the injustice; I wanted to say something, to speak out to anyone who would listen. I didn't. I stayed silent.
I watched this episode and I wondered what might have been different if I'd spoken out. Likely I'd have lost my job sooner. Perhaps I'd have become one of her favorite tirade targets. But I can't help but think after watching this episode that it might be a little easier to respect myself if I hadn't stuffed down my voice when it was happening. I don't know if I could have stopped it. I might have inspired others to join me (would it have been easier for me if I'd had someone to join?). It might have spiraled into something. Or I might have stood alone and friendless in return for my efforts, because everyone was so, so afraid for their livelihoods.
So I get why Londo didn't stop Cartagia when he whipped G'Kar. I get why he insisted that G'Kar had to tolerate it just a little longer so that a larger plan could take the cancer out for both of them. I get it. I'm tempted to say that I appreciate it and that maybe he even did the right thing. (I don't doubt that it was the most he could do at the time, and that he certainly believed he could do no more in any case.)
But G'Kar has a point, too, and I can't deny that, either. And I can't deny that, in strictly moral terms, he likely has the stronger one.
So where's the trade-off? Are Centauri Prime and Narn both better off for G'Kar's sacrifice and Londo's scheming? Are they individually better off? Is there no merit in Londo's plan at all? Or is this one of those moral grey areas where we'll never really know?
What do you think about the idea of metaphor? Do you really think that Londo had to apologize to save his physical life? Was the heart attack psychological more than physical? Why was Delenn the one veiled and reading tarot cards?
If G'Kar was involved...was he actually, deliberately forcing Londo to account for his actions as an act of mercy, to save his life? If so, what does that tell us about G'Kar's current state of mind?
Paragon
Just one question here (feel free to add more): Are the telepaths really treated that badly by everyone else? Or is Byron just a used car salesman? I had moments when I really wasn't sure...
The Very Long Night
I don't have to point out that I love Londo, flaws and all, because he's just so...Londo. He's the classic guy with good intentions who gets sucked into some nasty stuff and doesn't realize it until he's in up to his neck, and then not only has to watch the consequences of his involvement, but feels trapped by it and thus perpetuates it. Possibly my favorite thing about this series is that his rapid turnaround post-Refa/Cartagia/Shadoes is that we don't just see him about-face without repercussions. And as a result, we get to see what Londo's really made of.
I'm not sure it matters much whether what happens to Londo in this episode is purely the product of his own psyche or if G'Kar somehow helps it along. (I can't deny that the look on G'Kar's face at the end certainly implies involvement, and yet he could merely be pleasantly surprised that Londo's had the guts to apologize after all, despite the fact that he did say he was sorry when that turnaround began.)
I'm also not going to dissect the whole thing bit-by bit because a) I don't have time and b) we've all watched it, so that seems unnecessary. I am just going to focus on the one thing that really whacked me over the head when I was watching last night, and then maybe pose a few questions.
When G'Kar turns up in Londo's dream-state, he really, really rakes Londo over the coals. And I don't think he's at all wrong to do so. Londo has done or enabled some phenomenally shite stuff in recent history and deserves to contemplate it. But watching it made me squirm. I mean, really squirm. I saw too much of myself in it.
My last job was in an environment that had been great until the retiring headmaster, who was wonderful, was replaced with a tyrant. She's still there, ruining lives. She ruled by fear. She was Cartagia, really--metaphorically, certainly, and to a lesser extent in thought/word/deed. She terrorized people. She fired people unfairly. She uses fear like a knife to divide and conquer. For the first two years, I, like everyone else there, did nothing, because we were all afraid that we would lose our jobs, too, or that we would be singled out for bullying, or any number of other painful things would happen. (The third year, it was my turn on the chopping block, for no apparent reason.)
So while older women on the faculty were being pushed out in favor of young guys, while people from all divisions were subject to violent ranting in their general direction...I did nothing. I said nothing, except to colleagues under our breath when we hoped no one was around. I felt incredible sympathy and was distressed at the injustice; I wanted to say something, to speak out to anyone who would listen. I didn't. I stayed silent.
I watched this episode and I wondered what might have been different if I'd spoken out. Likely I'd have lost my job sooner. Perhaps I'd have become one of her favorite tirade targets. But I can't help but think after watching this episode that it might be a little easier to respect myself if I hadn't stuffed down my voice when it was happening. I don't know if I could have stopped it. I might have inspired others to join me (would it have been easier for me if I'd had someone to join?). It might have spiraled into something. Or I might have stood alone and friendless in return for my efforts, because everyone was so, so afraid for their livelihoods.
So I get why Londo didn't stop Cartagia when he whipped G'Kar. I get why he insisted that G'Kar had to tolerate it just a little longer so that a larger plan could take the cancer out for both of them. I get it. I'm tempted to say that I appreciate it and that maybe he even did the right thing. (I don't doubt that it was the most he could do at the time, and that he certainly believed he could do no more in any case.)
But G'Kar has a point, too, and I can't deny that, either. And I can't deny that, in strictly moral terms, he likely has the stronger one.
So where's the trade-off? Are Centauri Prime and Narn both better off for G'Kar's sacrifice and Londo's scheming? Are they individually better off? Is there no merit in Londo's plan at all? Or is this one of those moral grey areas where we'll never really know?
What do you think about the idea of metaphor? Do you really think that Londo had to apologize to save his physical life? Was the heart attack psychological more than physical? Why was Delenn the one veiled and reading tarot cards?
If G'Kar was involved...was he actually, deliberately forcing Londo to account for his actions as an act of mercy, to save his life? If so, what does that tell us about G'Kar's current state of mind?
Paragon
Just one question here (feel free to add more): Are the telepaths really treated that badly by everyone else? Or is Byron just a used car salesman? I had moments when I really wasn't sure...