The Babylon 5 First-Timer's Watch Log.
And so we begin the final season of Babylon 5. I'm coming into this feeling like "they're going to have to make up a story, because they resolved all the ones they had going". But also, I'm thinking they'd have to work at it to make an episode worse than the last one I watched, so hey, it's probably uphill from here? Hopefully? Let's see.
No Compromises
We begin with a new Captain. And she's a she! Yay for that! Except she's looking for trouble and Things To Fix from minute one, and this tends to mean she's going to spend an episode discovering all the million little ways the guy that met her coming off the ship warned her Trouble finds people. *sigh* Oh, show. You are so 90s.
And Sheridan and Delenn begin the season by being Domestic. I really hope this final season doesn't domesticate her.
And...okay, I must've missed a boat of Obvious here, but HOW THE FUCK IS MINBAR THE LOGICAL CHOICE FOR ALLIANCE HQ? It's not neutral territory. It more or less states Minbar is the Power behind the alliance. Babylon 5 is neutral, the planet it's near is neutral. Why did they not want the HQ on the planet? Or an uninhabited world or asteroid? Or, hell, why not build A WHOLE NEW SPACE STATION. I mean any and all of these things would be more immediately logical than "sure let's plant this on Minbar". WHY is Minbar "THE" place for this?
Oh, honey. "If it's a political decision"...well, you're going to find out real soon just how political EVERYTHING on that station is. You may find you're glad it's not your problem, or you may find it guts your authority. Or both.
I gather, by the music and the camera, that I'm supposed to go "ooo, plotters and schemers". But frankly, at this point? I am well aware that plotters and schemers are pretty much more common than any other type of being, and that humans are the biggest assholes left in the galaxy now that the Vorlons and the Shadows have gone. So, no. I'm not going 'ooo'. I'm going "oh joy, here we go again." But then, this was all filmed before the Obama presidency, so. I'm trying to remember what it was like to think 'assholes want to assassinate a president just for existing' was a horrible thing modern people didn't do.
Serious Fabio can turn off then noise of a crowded cafe zone? Niice. Oh, and his name is Byron. And he thinks it's his right to tell the commander of the station what to do without any explanation. Hmmm. If it were me, I'd smile and tell him to explain himself or fuck off. "Be alone at this time and this place" sounds to me like a great way to be kidnapped and/or killed. And THANKFULLY (no really, very thankful here) she brings people along.
Mmm. Telepaths. On the one hand, I'm glad she's being friendly to them. On the other...it stinks of setup.
The Gaim look like precursors to the Ood.
And mr. person leaving sheridan anonymous messages...it's President Clark who was 'on watch', and he DID die. You're threatening Sheridan over a watch that isn't even his yet. I'm actually stunned Sheridan listened to the whole message. I'd have hit "yadayadayada, death to the oppressing tyrant, yeah yeah, *forward message to station security* now where'd I leave my coffee." Because this shit HAPPENS if you're even a remotely controversial figure. Hell, with B5 no longer blockaded, logically Sheridan was wading for DAYS through backlogged death threats and general hate mail.
His argument makes sense. Sadly, a lot of leaders give in to paranoia and fear on several levels. Because, you know, human. Breakable.
And Garibaldi absolutely deserved that put down. I mean, there really isn't a way to look at it that doesn't deserve that put down.
*CRACKS UP LAUGHING*
Okay. As happy as I am that G'Kar was asked (and honored) to write the oath of office, and as clever as I think the whole 'first page of every holy book revered by every race' idea was, I am REALLY TICKLED that in the end, it was "you want to be president? Put your hand on the book and say 'I do'." And then "Fine, you're president, let's go eat." That's just...perfect. (But I still want to know what the whole oath was.)
and see? "I'm putting this decision in the political category." Right there, he's pretty much overridden the new captain. And he's made Garibaldi his own captain of security. Overriding station security.
Yeah, that was really not the smart way to do any of that.
The Very Long Night of Londo Mollari
And we open with the news that Lennier is apparently intending to retire. Mmm. Can't say I blame him. Unrequited love can really chafe after a while.
Oh. It looks like someone poisoned Londo's favorite drink. Well, he did say that to his people, the declaration of a new emperor was the same as telling the assassins there's a new target on the firing range.
Lennier is having some Issues, and I'm sure he thinks what he's saying is true, but personally I'm at "the woman you love is marrying someone else, and happy with them, and you're trying to move on" as the most bottom-line explanation. With, probably, some added moping in there.
Londo is, frankly, shit at seeing his effect on other people.
I do love watching Lennier and Vir talk. They don't say much, but - a real RARITY for this show - they actually don't need to, to understand each other perfectly.
Most of this is "internal Londo stuff" and so not really for commenting on. But I will say that I was intensely interested in seeing how G'Kar would take Londo apologizing. And ...very happy that he took it the way he did. I'm with Vir on that one. Jaw, floor.
The Paragon of Animals
Okay, so. Right now, where I'm at is, "Garibaldi has lost his mind". Because Garibaldi - and Garibaldi in particular - supporting the use of telepathic abilities to invate privacy and circumvent due process is...really kind of creepy when you get down to it. I mean the Psi Corps rules are there for a reason. Just because someone's born bigger and stronger than you, doesn't mean they have the right to beat you up for your lunch money. Just because someone's born telepathic doesn't give them the right to your every hidden thought. Of all people, Garibaldi should understand this.
And...seriously guys, you think these telepaths are SO GRATEFUL for your food and shelter that they're going to do anything you want? These guys do not look terribly grateful. These guys look downright pissed that you think they OUGHT to be grateful for the bare necessities of survival. You're going to be ground zero when hostilities break out. And that isn't me condemning them for doing so either, because everything the man says about how mundanes on this show view telepaths is absolutely spot on, including the 'saints' Sinclair and Sheridan. Telepaths owe you squat, guys.
...She's just told you she saw a soul leaving. She just told you she feels like part of her soul left with it. And you're treating it like she's complaining of cramps. THIS IS WHY THE TELEPATHS WANT OUT YOU DINGUS.
*sigh* And no, Byron. You're not 'better' than human. You're a different flavor of human. You're like...Mensa. Or Olympic gold medallists. They're human too. But in your case, the other humans were so scared and so envious that you got bunched up together and isolated...okay so a bit more like a somewhat more vicious Silicon Valley or something. Point is, you're still human. All the human flaws, all the human strengths, and one thing you can do that few other people can do. But you've been told so often that it makes you Other, and you've been treated as Other for so long, you've internalized it and then reinterpreted it. Other-above instead of other-below or other-alien.
Oh gods. How stunned she looks that Sheridan says 'thank you'. It's only after she's done everything he wanted, it's no more than a 'good dog'...but how stunned she looks.
G'kar the writer gets more awesome by the minute, he really does.
Sheridan, it's a slippery slope for humans. Does it really never occur to you to see how other societies work with their telepaths, see what might work for humans too? Oh, why do I even ask that...
A View From The Gallery
Something's attacking just to see if you roll over? Okay...
Oh. This is the "View from the common people" episode. Oh dear...yeah, we're having cases of the main cast sharing intimate stories and details with these two hitherto unknown maintenance guys.
I do, however, like the commentary about the colors of the exploding ships; how it relates to what the pilot species breathes, and how that gas burns.
And of course...they meet the telepaths. And even these two gravediggers - I mean maintenance workers - can't avoid sticking their feet in their mouths.
Hee. Byron is reeeally starting to remind me of Taran - specifically his Chia incarnation, because he WAS telepathic then, and he did a lot of similar stunts. For similar reasons, even. Which makes me think Byron is going to be one scary mofo if he's crossed, and I don't mean 'massive bodycount'. If that guy gets Mad, it's going to be a very PRECISE body count.
"So. How long d'you figure they've been married?" I WAS THINKING EXACTLY THE SAME THING, I REALLY WAS.
Seriously? Delenn's going to let herself be damseled and let Sheridan (who has no real role in defending the station) stay behind? Oh good.
Hm. Weirdly done as it was, this is the best 'war' episode I've seen on this show yet, and it's a pity they used a one-shot random alien to do it with. This one would've had so much more an impact if it'd been set during, say, the Shadow War.