Things are sure heating up as we near the end of the episode. At first, Jeff and I both thought it was going to turn into a “Yesterday’s Enterprise” (from STTNG) plot, but I loved the time travel twist in this episode’s plot. Plus WOW, a ton of intriguing plot developments.
Loved the practical joke that Sinclair and Garibaldi played on Ivanova, when they pretended that they had finished their breakfasts while she dozed at the table.
Sinclair: I’ll notify your next of kin.
Garibaldi: 4 … 3… 2 … 1 …
Ivanova: OH! GARIBALDI! YOU’RE A DEAD MAN!
Heh. Especially good to see Sinclair’s character loosen up for this scene. He still strikes me as way serious. Though after watching this episode (plus with the mind hole thing), I guess he has good reason to be. 
But still, I’ve been really enjoying watching the chemistry develop between these three main characters.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Delenn is meeting with the Grey Council and finding out that they’ve chosen her to be their next leader. I loved her opening speech:
“In Valen’s name, I take the place that has been prepared for me. I am Grey. I stand between the candle and the star. We are Grey. We stand between the darkness and the light.”
And then she turns the leadership town, arguing with the Council. So now I’m wondering whether the Council knows that she performed that Minbari marriage ceremony (don’t tell me) or some of the other things she’s done on B5; up to now, I had been assuming that they had officially sanctioned everything (don’t tell me).
VERY cool about Babylon 4 appearing. I had wondered in a previous post about what happened to the other Babylon stations. I also love the Flying Dutchman comparison.
Though I did find the commander of B4 a tad irritating:
Does he have to YELL everything? Though maybe all that shifting from the past to the future to the past again would push almost anyone over the brink, like the guy that attacked Sinclair and Garibaldi in the empty docking bay on B4.
And then Sinclair finds himself somewhere else, and Garibaldi is yelling something about someone burning through levels 8 and 9, that “they” can’t be stopped and that they’re everywhere. But was that from the past or the future?!? Don’t answer that.
Zathras was an interesting character:
Also much more savvy than he seems at first, since he recognizes Sinclair as The One but an earlier Sinclair, and that Sinclair has a destiny. And his speech about the “great war” is pretty scary:
“Great war. Terrible war. Much killings. Everyone fighting. A great darkness. It is the end of everything. Zathras warn, but no, no one listen to poor Zathras, no. Great war. But, great hope of peace. Need place. Place to gather, to fight to organize…to help save galaxy on the side of light. So they tell me. Must have. Or it is the end of all. The One leads us. The One tells us to go, we go. We live for The One. We would die for The One. We pull this place through time to save us all.”
And this isn’t the only inkling we’ve gotten that hints about a coming war.
The older Sinclair looks so battle-weary, too:
But back to Delenn. I found her speech in defense of humanity fascinating.
“…They do not seek conformity. They do not surrender. Out of their differences comes symmetry. Their unique capacity to fight against impossible odds. Hurt them, they only come back stronger. The passions we deplore have taken them to their place in the stars, and will propel them to a great destiny. Their only weakness is that they do not recognize their own greatness. They forget they have come to this place through two million years of evolution, struggle, and blood. They are better than they think and nobler than they know. They carry within them the capacity to walk among the stars as giants. They are the future. We have much to learn from them.”
The object that one council member hands Delenn near the end of the episode looks interesting:
He calls it the “Triluminary,” and Delenn obviously is shocked that he is giving it to her. Of course I’m intensely curious about what it’s for (don’t tell me!).
I continue to be impressed by the great writing in this series. Like the following:
Grey Council member, to Delenn: “These are curious times. I feel a great change in my bones. A new beginning, an end, I cannot say. We are surrounded by signs and portents, and I feel a darkness pressing. If ever you have need of me, I am here.”
Next episode: The Quality Of Mercy.
[For those who comment below: As the title of my blog indicates, I'm watching B5 for the very first time so PLEASE refrain from posting plot/character spoilers/hints about upcoming episodes, or including links to pages with spoilers (unless you warn readers that they contain spoilers). More info about spoilers here. Thanks so much! - Debbie]
11 comments ↓
I find it interesting to compare Delenn’s speech about the humans being “better than they think, and nobler than they know” with Deathwalkers speech earlier, who said that:
“… you and the rest of your kind take blind comfort in the belief that we are monsters — that you could never do what we did! … You will fall upon one another like wolves! It will make what we did pale by comparison! … Not like us? You will become us!”
So humans are capable of being both much better and much worse than they think.
Trivia: Susan inherited a few character traits from her creator … being a notorious morning grouch is one of them
Sadly, Tim Choate (the actor who played Zathras) was killed in a motorcycle accident a couple of years ago.
Babylon Squared was aired in the US initially on 08/10/94. As a fan favorite, talking like Zathras became a fun thing to do at conventions soon afterward.
nt, nt, nt, nt, nt. Zathras important to Major until Zathras pinned under support beam. Only two needed to help poor Zathrus. Major want all but Zathrus to leave now. nt, nt, nt, nt.
from JMS speaks (about this episode) on the lurkers guide:
—–
The One’s suit was very similar to the suits in “2001.”
Re: the suit…that wasn’t an intentional 2001 nod…we went to Modern Props to get a space suit for Babylon Squared, and the only one they had on hand that would work for us was one left-over from 2010, which I asked the folks in costume to change as much as possible…though it was pretty much what it was regardless. So that one wasn’t intentional.
—–
“Zathras not of this time. You take, Zathras die. You leave, Zathras die. Either way, it is bad for Zathras.”
“Zathras gets best lines, but nobody listen to Zathras.”
(to “Code Monkey”)
Poor Zathras get up this morning
Though his back very sore
Poor Zathras get sent on mission
To capture Babylon 4
Poor Zathras try to warn the others but
They all say he stink
Nobody ever listen to what Zathras say
Don’t care what he think
Poor Zathras know you think he is stupid
But that just way of universe
Poor Zathras just live for the One
Poor Zathras will die for the One
Poor Zathras have secrets
Not many secrets, only have a few
Poor Zathras seem like simple man
But poor Zathras let you in on one
He smarter than you…
… a lot
For a brief time our answerphone had a Zathras-style message on it. Nobody liked it except me. Well, I didn’t have to listen to it.
Since it’s an election year again, time to trot out an old bumper sticker:
“Zathras for President — he not good with numbers either.”
Interesting, according to the Lurker’s Guide listing of the intial US/Canada PTEN airdates; Babylon Squared, The Quality of Mercy and Chrysalis were never repeated. However, a good number of Season 2 and laters seasons had plenty of three-peats of episodes.
Caution, episode titles can themselves be spoilers if you read too far down from where you are viewing.
I was out shopping yesterday, and Zathras-speak again came over me. Looking for my white mini-van, I came across another and on closer view had to wave the arm and say “Not The One”. Then on finding mine, “Ah, The One:.