Season 4, Episode 80, 81, 82: Moments of Transition, No Surrender, No Retreat, Exercise of Vital Powers

It’s getting more and more difficult to watch just ONE episode at a time.

How sad to see the destruction on Minbar after scenes in earlier episodes.

Lyta Alexander is having trouble finding work, now that she’s no longer with Psi Corps. I feel for her, and can’t blame for finally accepting Bester’s offer. Though I still think she’s making a mistake; I predict that Bester’s going to find a loophole in that contract designed to get analyze her body at Psi Corps! What if he makes Lyta’s death seem like a natural death somehow?

I can’t help but feel that B5 -should- reward Lyta somehow. It seems unfair that she gets kicked out of her quarters, and that they don’t help her find work. I’m especially confused that they wouldn’t want to be keeping a closer eye on her, considering Sheridan’s focus on telepaths.

I hate seeing the friendship between Zack and Garibaldi disintegrate, and seeing Garibaldi act more like a criminal than his former role. Zack obviously still cares about Garibaldi, tho, judging from his conversation with Lyta where he asks that she mindscan him — he knows that something’s not quite right with his old boss.

I WANT TO KNOW, TOO!!! We still have no idea what happened during that missing time in his memory, do we? Don’t tell me.

Garibaldi is outraged when Lyta tells him that Bester has scanned him. My questions: If Bester did scan Garibaldi, did he scan deeply enough to pick up anything interesting? Don’t tell me.

Bester’s mission on B5 was to get Lyta to sign the contract, and he succeeded.

Delenn lays down the gauntlet in front of Shakiri - is he willing to lay his life down for his people?

Delenn: You had forgotten the worker caste, hadn’t you? When our two sides fight, they’re the ones caught in the middle, forgotten that it’s their time to serve, to build, and to die. They built the temples we pray in, the ships you fight in. They look to us to guide their hands. But prayers are fleeting and wars forgotten. What is built endures. They do not wish to conquer or convert, only to build the future. And now, they will have that chance. The religious caste and the warrior caste will advise and counsel. We will serve, as is proper. Religion and war must act in the service of the people, not the other way around. This place.. this place is reserved in memory of Neroon, until the day it is taken by the One who is to come. You are the heart, the hands, and the voice of our people. Judge wisely and well.

And then YAAAAAAAAAAAAYYY!!!! Neroon backs up Delenn.

But Neroon sacrifices himself.

Neroon: I was born … warrior caste, but I see now … the calling of my heart … is religious. War is over. Listen to her. Listen!

So Neroon wasn’t a traitor after all! Now I feel like re-watching recent episodes to see if there were any clues. No more Neroon; a shame…he was one of my favourite characters.

Delenn revamps the Grey Council, with the Worker Caste having a great power; the Religious and Warrior Castes will advise. Will this system work? Sounds great in theory, but I suspect not everyone’s going to be happy about this.

Don’t tell me.

Earth Alliance’s destruction of a ship full of 10,000 innocent civilians provokes Sheridan into taking action.

Franklin works on removing the Shadows’ influence from the unconscious telepaths. He discovers that Lyta is able to revive Shadow-influenced telepaths. Why is Sheridan pressure Franklin so much about reviving those telepaths after he removes the Shadow influence?

Creepy how Lyta hears the sound of a Shadow vessel going by coming from the mind of that unconscious telepath.

Is it my imagination, or are they using slightly different camera techniques in recent episodes?

WHAT DID SHERIDAN TELL FRANKLIN that made Franklin so depressed out in the hallway when Lyta showed up? Don’t tell me.

Vir is having nightmares about murdering the Emperor. Hmm…which makes me wonder: what’s going on with the alien-possessed Centauri Regent? Don’t tell me.

His conversation with Garibaldi is sobering. Ironic that Vir is trying to convince Garibaldi to support B5’s efforts; their roles were once reversed in an earlier season.

I glimpse a seed of rationality in Garibaldi’s hesitation about Sheridan’s plan, but Garibaldi’s resentment seems to run far deeper. What happened to him in those missing two weeks to make him like this?!? Don’t tell me.

GREAT scene between Londo and G’Kar. I don’t blame G’Kar for not wanting to have a drink with Londo but holy cow, Londo’s speech was fantastic: revealing, insightful, introspective to the point of painful honesty.

Londo: Before war broke out between our governments, you bought me a drink. I wish to return the favor. For the first time in a hundred years, we have something in common beyond hatred. I find that most extraordinary, and so a drink to the humans, and to the bridge that they created between us in the hope for a better future for both our worlds.

But I’m really, really glad that G’Kar ended up joining Londo in the bar for one drink. Loved Londo’s reaction - surprise but then, at the very end of the scene, a small smile.

Cool shot above, of Proxima.

I cheered when this guy got yanked from his command by his female second. I also cheered with Capt MacDougan’s traitorous second got taken down by the rest of the crew.

Some great battle action sequences!

I was glad to see Sheridan upset by the deaths of the destroyed ship crew members, even though they had attacked his force first…it helps prove that Sheridan isn’t as power-crazy as Garibaldi fears.

I don’t trust Edgars. He’s clearly using Garibaldi to get rid of Sheridan (don’t tell me if I’m wrong). Scary how reasonable his argument about getting rid of all telepaths may seem on the surface. He makes Garibaldi fire Lyta, but I theorize it’s not just because he hates telepaths, but because he doesn’t want Lyta finding out the truth between Edgars and his plan.

I like how Garibaldi insists on touching everything in his small room on Mars after Wade tells him not to.

Interesting to find out how much Garibaldi hates telepaths. What happened since he pursued Talia Winters? Maybe a telepath was involved in those two missing weeks. Don’t tell me.

The actress who plays the (doomed) telepath in this scene is striking looking. Great how she follows Garibaldi around so intently with her eyes, like a snake. Or a cat watching a mouse.

Also interesting to find out that Garibaldi truly -doesn’t- remember anything about his missing two weeks.

So now Edgars knows that Garibaldi loves his wife. That’s certainly going to make things interesting.

During the scene above, I couldn’t help but feel like yelling, “You fools! The room is probably bugged!”

In that room of sick telepaths, Edgars asked Wade, “How long has he be off the drug?”

Yikes! So does this mean that Edgars is planning to drug all the telepaths and then remove the drug, thus killing them? OR ARE THE TELEPATHS ALREADY BEING DRUGGED? How is he planning to get the drug into their systems? There are so many telepaths on so many planets. Or is he just targeting human telepaths?

Don’t tell me.

I was horrified when Garibaldi told Edgars how he can find Sheridan’s father. And then agrees to “bring down” Sheridan.

AUGH! DON’T DO IT, GARIBALDI!!!!!!!!!!

I can’t believe this! If Garibaldi goes through with this, how is he ever going to live with himself? Though I suspect Edgars is planning to find some way of getting rid of Garibaldi as soon as he does his job.

Argh….

Next episode: The Face Of The Enemy

[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]