Yora reviews Babylon 5

[bguy]

No ones talking about lethal force but arresting them for violating their government contracts.

From the episode's script:

"You know what could happen if I have to order Garibaldi in.
The same thing that happened on Europa and at Matewan.
The same thing that always happens when laborers rise up.
They try to break us, we fight back.
Someone will get hurt, maybe killed."

That certainly sounds like using lethal force. They're comparing the situation to Matewan where 10 people died.

(And even arresting people for violating a contract is still really extreme.)

If military readiness costs come in under budget they can’t ask for a bigger budget next year. The military’s probably greatly pleased Sinclair found a useful way to spend that money.

Even if you are correct and the B5 defense budget has so much money that Sinclair could afford to cut 3 million from it without hurting training and readiness, how does that leave us with a good story? Back in the day there was an episode of Beverly Hills 90210 where the characters spent the whole episode worried that their favorite hang out place was going out of business only at the end of the episode for one of the characters to realize he had enough money in his trust fund to simply buy the place and keep it open. That episode was universally panned because characters buying their way out of trouble doesn't make for good drama, and that's basically what's happening here. Sinclair solves the problem by spending money that he apparently doesn't actually need (either because his budget is so bloated that he has money to burn or because the plot is going to protect him so that his troops will fight just as well even after their training and readiness funding has theoretically been slashed.) There's no sacrifice involved in his decision since he doesn't need the money and won't be hurt by its loss, so what exactly is the point of the story?

I don't want to go too far into this (because real-world politics), but a quick Google search proves this as being entirely wrong. There have been modern, 21st century strikes in democracies that have escalated to the point of worker deaths. If it's happening now, what makes you think it wouldn't be happening a couple centuries from now?

I tried a google search but did not find any references to workers being killed in 21st century strikes. It did return a hit to a wikipedia article on worker deaths in labor disputes in the United States but that article showed the last time workers were killed by government agents to be in 1959.

Especially since the Earth Alliance is shown to be significantly more repressive than many modern nations, even right from the start of the show. The Rush Act first came into being during, guess what, societal collapse. It was used as a way to put down work stoppages during the Earth-Minbari War. They just kept it around after the war was over.

I could see something like the Rush Act as a war measure but not in a time of peace and especially not over such a minor labor dispute. (Maybe the episode would have worked better if the strike had been part of an Earth Alliance wide dockworker strike that was effectively shutting down all interstellar trade, as then there would be at least some reason to see why the government was panicking and so quick to be ready to resort to force.)

[GrayDeath]

Ah yes, or to quote a certain Character: "And so it begins".

[The Glyphstone]

Battlecrab sounds like a one-off villain from an Aquaman comic book. Just saying.

[Droid Tony]

S1E13: Signs and Portents

This is the epsiode that relly gets one hooked on the show. After some OK epsiodes, and some really bad Star Trek like ones....wow.

Spoiler: Morden

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I do wonder about the Time Line though. OK, so Morden here seems like he has been ''out on the Rim" and nowhere near Earth. So when he gets to B5 his identicard is out of date. Except has he not already been to Earth? Morden is all tangled up with Earth.

And Morden does not go see Sinclar as he is already tangled up with Earth right? And, Sinclar is just a lowly Earth Force Captain. So, naturally Morden ignores him.

But why does Morden go for the President/Vice President of Earth....but ignores all the other governments?

[Olinser]

This is the epsiode that relly gets one hooked on the show. After some OK epsiodes, and some really bad Star Trek like ones....wow.

Spoiler: Morden

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I do wonder about the Time Line though. OK, so Morden here seems like he has been ''out on the Rim" and nowhere near Earth. So when he gets to B5 his identicard is out of date. Except has he not already been to Earth? Morden is all tangled up with Earth.

And Morden does not go see Sinclar as he is already tangled up with Earth right? And, Sinclar is just a lowly Earth Force Captain. So, naturally Morden ignores him.

But why does Morden go for the President/Vice President of Earth....but ignores all the other governments?

Huh? Ignores all other governments?

Morden literally approaches every other major government ambassador on Babylon 5 this episode. G'Kar, Mollari and Delenn. He was presumably going to use them as inroads to get in close touch with their government heads.

Mollari is the only one he has success with, but Morden DID attempt to establish contact with all of them.

As far as out of date Identicard - the implication would be that he just hasn't been on Earth.

Spoiler: Future spoilers

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Remember the HUGE plot point that the evidence that they got against Clark was the transmission between him and Morden. So it may have been that Morden never was physically on Earth, and they either did everything by remote communication, or they met off Earth on a ship or something.

[Yora]

He also isn't acting alone. He has associates.

[factotum]

My one complaint is that the mysterious vessel obviously attacked the raiders to get the jewel back...which it did by lasering the ship in half. Good job the jewel wasn't in the way of that laser...or damaged by the explosion...and didn't have a bulkhead drop on it...or any of a hundred things that could have gone wrong.

The Shadows are extremely advanced, they probably knew exactly where the Eye was and how to avoid it.

It's interesting to note, incidentally, that the Raider battlewagon is probably the smallest vessel we ever see which is capable of forming its own hyperspace jump point.

Spoiler

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It's definitely smaller than a White Star, which at one point is said to be so small that it wouldn't normally have that capability. Also, the vision of B5's destruction at the end would originally have been the ending of Babylon 5 and the beginning of Babylon Prime, when JMS thought he might be able to get *two* five-year arc series done--obviously that changed fairly early on, although I'm not sure when.

[Daimbert]

Even if you are correct and the B5 defense budget has so much money that Sinclair could afford to cut 3 million from it without hurting training and readiness, how does that leave us with a good story? Back in the day there was an episode of Beverly Hills 90210 where the characters spent the whole episode worried that their favorite hang out place was going out of business only at the end of the episode for one of the characters to realize he had enough money in his trust fund to simply buy the place and keep it open. That episode was universally panned because characters buying their way out of trouble doesn't make for good drama, and that's basically what's happening here. Sinclair solves the problem by spending money that he apparently doesn't actually need (either because his budget is so bloated that he has money to burn or because the plot is going to protect him so that his troops will fight just as well even after their training and readiness funding has theoretically been slashed.) There's no sacrifice involved in his decision since he doesn't need the money and won't be hurt by its loss, so what exactly is the point of the story?

This isn't the same situation. First, the military budget was increased while no money was made available for the dockworkers despite it being promised to them last time. That the military budget was increased without any real need is actually a point on what Earth's priorities are. Second, this is also an example of Sinclair's ability to interpret the rules to resolve issues and so is a character note. Third, unlike in your example Sinclair doesn't just pull it out at the end of the episode, but is constantly suggesting it to everyone who will listen as a compromise that will resolve the issue. The drama then would come in from the fact that despite it being the obvious solution, none of the Earth officials agree to it. The episode builds on that by having I think Sinclair tell the union rep that this isn't a normal dispute with the implication that they were looking for an excuse to invoke the Rush Act and use them as an example. That Sinclair then uses that precise act (and Act) to implement the peaceful compromise he wanted blunts that strategy, and makes him some powerful enemies in the Senate, as it's also only implied that the solution was popular and "cool" enough that the Senate couldn't overturn it, but many of them didn't like it and wanted their excuse.

As with so many Babylon 5 episodes, the point of the episode wasn't the union issue, but all of the implications of what was going on behind the scenes that led to that happening.

I could see something like the Rush Act as a war measure but not in a time of peace and especially not over such a minor labor dispute. (Maybe the episode would have worked better if the strike had been part of an Earth Alliance wide dockworker strike that was effectively shutting down all interstellar trade, as then there would be at least some reason to see why the government was panicking and so quick to be ready to resort to force.)

Yes, it is puzzling that they'd basically be looking for an excuse to invoke these measures and use them as an example, isn't it? Which is rather the point: this is a reaction that seems too harsh for what was happening. What does that say, then, about Earth?

[Rodin]

I wouldn't say it's a minor dispute either. Babylon 5 is a major trading hub, and the docks shutting down would be the equivalent of the entire port of New York or Shanghai shutting down. It's a massive event that would have major repercussions to Earth's economy. That's why they send such a hard-assed negotiator - they have to end the strike now or the economy takes a serious hit.

As to why they weren't willing to negotiate? I'd say the problems they've had with the Mars colony are to blame. The Earth Alliance is terrified of losing control of its colonies, and Babylon 5 is both the most remote and has the most contact with other races. This was an attempt to emphasize Earth's authority over the station.

[factotum]

I wouldn't say it's a minor dispute either. Babylon 5 is a major trading hub, and the docks shutting down would be the equivalent of the entire port of New York or Shanghai shutting down. It's a massive event that would have major repercussions to Earth's economy.

I doubt it would have significant effects on Earth's economy, any more than a big strike in a US shipyard would directly influence the UK's economy--they're just too far apart, and only the direct trade between the two would be directly affected.

[Yora]

I'm not even sure the station is economically relevant or profitable. It's primary purpose is diplomatic and cultural. Any trade with goods that are not meant to be used on the station is probably to make the station look more busy, get more traffic, and put it on the map. Most business that we see is actually trade negotiations, not the transfer of goods. The goal is to just have people come together peacefully and get more used to each other. The station is probably a huge money sink.

That the dock workers are causing economic losses doesn't seem to be the real issue. What it really is about is showing all humans everywhere in the Earth Alliance that disobedience will be punished most severely. If they let a few workers on a remote station get away with it, word will spread and give workers on Earth ideas. That's why the solution got Sinclair a lot of powerful political enemies. You got a military governor giving in to protesting workers instead of punishing them. That's the opposite of the message many in the senate wanted to send.

Funny how everyone is talking about the filler episode, though.

[GloatingSwine]

I'm not even sure the station is economically relevant or profitable.

Though the episode itself establishes that the docks are working at capacity, because it's the only neutral trading port for all species.

[Cikomyr]

Yes, it is puzzling that they'd basically be looking for an excuse to invoke these measures and use them as an example, isn't it? Which is rather the point: this is a reaction that seems too harsh for what was happening. What does that say, then, about Earth?

Hey, it's almost if

Spoiler

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Clark's ascend in power as a populist and tyrannical leader wasn't happening in a vacuum, but that there already was a political class predisposed to follow and empower him.

That people might obsess on the individual arising leader while they should explore more the political climate that enabled them.

[Rakaydos]

I'm not even sure the station is economically relevant or profitable. It's primary purpose is diplomatic and cultural. Any trade with goods that are not meant to be used on the station is probably to make the station look more busy, get more traffic, and put it on the map. Most business that we see is actually trade negotiations, not the transfer of goods. The goal is to just have people come together peacefully and get more used to each other. The station is probably a huge money sink.

It cant be TOO much of a money sink, because...

Spoiler: End of season 3, all of Season 4

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Sheridan was able to temporarally make the station independent, before getting outside funding from, IIRC, the mimbari.

[Yora]

Alright, now to the infamous stinnker that many people consider worse than Believers.

S1E14: TKO

A boxer and a rabbi walk on a space station...

The boxer saves Garibaldi from getting stabbed by a criminal during an arrest and the two friends agree to meet and talk later. Walker got caught up in some corruption scandal and to restart his career he want to compete in an alien MMA tournament on the station. Garibaldi thinks it's suicide.

The rabbi visits Ivanova for mourning rites for her father, since she couldn't come to the funeral on Earth. She doesn't want to and says she has no time, so he goes to Sinclair to ask giving her a break. She is not happy to hear that.

Garibaldi and Walker go to the dojo and are told to get lost. Walker talks back with the referee who beats him to the ground and throws them out. One of the fighter follows them and makes Walker an offer to get him in.

Siclair talks to Ivannova, but she tells him he can't order her to do it.

Walker apologizes to Garibadi about not wanting to listen to his advice, but invites him to go watch the tournament with him. After the final fight, the referee makes the formal question if there is anyone else who wants to challenge the champion, Walker steps forward. Since he's a human the referee gives him another chance to back out, but Walker insists and the champion accepts the challenge.
Some of the spectators are insulted by it and accuse Walker and Garibaldi of cultural appropriation and gentrification and don't want humans to barge into their cultural events.

The rabbi tries to convince Ivanova to do the rite, but she still bitter about how poorly things went between her and her father after her mother and brother died. Just as the rabbi is boarding his transport back to Earth, Ivanova remembers that her father's last words were to apologize to her, and changes her mind in the last moment.

Walker goes to the dojo where the old fighter who gave him the tip of challenging the champion offers to coach him. At the fight, Walker is actually doing really well and gets the upper hand against the champion. They both get very beaten up and the referee ends the fight with a draw. The champion is very impressed with Walker. When he later goes to his ship, the referee and some fighters come to wish him well with his career.

--

Well, this obviously is not a good episode. But it's really not that awful. I think it's completely inoffensive, unlike some other episodes that have come so far. It's irrelevant and can be skipped without ever noticing it (though i think the rabbi appears again at some point), but it has some character moments that aren't bad.

[Yora]

S1E15: Grail

An apparently unemployed construction worker gets cornered by a gangster in the crappy Brown Section. The gangster wants him to help opening a new hidden passage to evade security, since he was one of the workers who build the station. He says he doesn't know such things, so the gangster demands to be paid back for all the help he gave him over the years. To proof that he means business he has a tentacle creature in a fake looking Kosh suit drain the mind of captured security informant.

Delenn and Lennier are going to the cargo dock to greet an important visitor and Sinclair gets the impression that he should get his fancy uniform and come with them. The visitor is a human man named Aldus who has come for a meeting with Delenn on business of his order's quest to seek the holy grail. Garibaldi thinks it's silly and Sinclair humours him politely, but the Minbari take him very seriously. To them, spiritual quests are of great importance, no matter how small the chance of success may seem.

The mind wiped informant is taken to the medical station and Franklin says she's not the first such person that was found among the homeless in Brown Sector.

Garibaldi catches the worker Thomas stealing money from Aldus and takes him to the magistrate. The magistrate want to throw him off the station, but he says he can not leave or everyone on the station will die. Aldus asks the magistrate to take custody of thomas instead, and the magistrate agrees. Thomas tells Aldus that he is cursed. He worked for a construction company that was building all five Babylon stations and the first three all blew up while he was away, and when the fourth was completed and his transport left for Earth, it just disappeared into nothingness. If he leaves Babylon 5, he is sure the station will be destroyed as well. Aldus thinks he might not be cursed but instead be blessed by a higher power that always takes him to safety before a disaster.

Franklin finds records of an animal that could cause the brain damage found in the homeless. Sinclair goes to ask Londo if he can get them more data on the creature, since it's from a Centauri world, and Londo is absolutely terrified by one being on the station.

Aldus and Thomas visit Delenn and Lennier, who unfortunately have no information about the location of the grail either but promise to let him know if they hear of anything. Thomas is surprised that the two are so friendly and helpful to them, and they explain that the Minbari have different factions that are very different in character. Aldus asks if the priests and the warriors ever agree on anything, and Delenn confirms that sometimes they do. And when that happens it's usually terrible, admitting that the priests were on board with the war against the humans.

Aldus and Thomas get nothing useful from Londo as well and then go to Kosh. When Thomas sees Kosh he thinks it's he monster and runs away. Aldus follows him and is attacked by the gangsters to feed him to the monster. They also caught the magistrate, whose disappearance is soon discovered by security. Thomas tries to get help and runs into Sinclair, who he leads to the gangsters' hideout.
The gangsters get the monster to eat the magistrates mind, but Aldus steps in the way and stares it down long enough for security to arrive. The monster and some gangsters are killed and Aldus is fatally shot. Thomas promises to continue his quest for him.

Sinclair goes to Kosh to let him know someone used his appearance because people think he's scary. Kosh's reply is "Good."

As Thomas leaves the station to take Aldus' body back for burial, Sinclair, Garibaldi, and Ivanova are holding their breath as his transport goes to hyperspace.
Garibaldi: No boom?
Sinclair: No boom.
Ivanova: No boom today! Boom tomorrow. There's always gonna be boom tomorrow.

--

Weak episode with enough decent parts to not make it too awful. There's actually a pretty good amount of small details to reinforce ideas that are important to have in the back of the head to appreciate the mysteries of the continuity. You don't need to have seen this one, but it's there in case you missed some of the others. Delenn played a role in the war with the humans and regrets it. Kosh creepy and deliberately mysteeerious. I think this is also the first time it was explicitly said that the first three stations all blew up during construction and the fourth simply vanished in an instant while other ships were watching it. Combine that with the fact that the Minbari absolutely insisted that Sinclair has to be the commander and you get a good impression that there is something really big secretly going on in the background and that Babylon 5 is not just a station.

Spoiler: Mystery continuity

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Two episode since Morden and the shadow ship, and no mention of any kind about either of them again. I looked it up any they only appear again in the last episode of this season. With weekly episodes, that would be 9 weeks in which you can totally forget that they were ever a thing or in any way connnected to anything.

[factotum]

Well, the fourth station disappearing is plenty mysterious, that I'll acknowledge (wonder if we'll learn any more about that in upcoming episodes? ), but the first three blowing up could simply have come down to "Humans haven't built anything on this scale before and they messed up". We know that Omega class destroyers with their big rotating sections are a pretty recent development (after the end of the Earth-Minbari War 10 years ago), so it's not like we've had decades of experience with generating gravity this way.

[Droid Tony]

Spoiler: Mystery continuity

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As I said, this is one of B5's problems. You get a good, intresting Arc episode......and then an epsiode about boxing or a monster or worse, nothing. And often you would have to wait weeks for an arc anything.

[Lord Vukodlak]

I actually liked this episode mainly for the little stuff around Londo. Sinclair comes to him asks for information about the Feeder and at first Londo reaction is with disgust at the thought of the creature but completely flips out at the thought one could be on the station and gives Sinclair what Garibaldi later calls "Top Security" information as fast as he can. Then later Londo's screaming at a guy to put the quarantine back in place, The Na'ka'leen Feeder isn't an interstellar race yet it terrified the Centauri enough to put a warship in orbit to make sure no body tries to smuggle one off world. I'd like to see the horror movies the Centauri must have made about those creatures that so scared the **** out of them.

Well, the fourth station disappearing is plenty mysterious, that I'll acknowledge (wonder if we'll learn any more about that in upcoming episodes? ), but the first three blowing up could simply have come down to "Humans haven't built anything on this scale before and they messed up". We know that Omega class destroyers with their big rotating sections are a pretty recent development (after the end of the Earth-Minbari War 10 years ago), so it's not like we've had decades of experience with generating gravity this way.

Its actually stated way back in the Gathering the first three stations were destroyed by sabotage, which is such a lovely image. Imagine that automated greeting as you get off the transport

"Welcome to Babylon 5, the first three stations were destroyed by sabotage while the fourth station mysteriously disappeared without a trace please enjoy your stay with us."

[Rodin]

Well, this obviously is not a good episode. But it's really not that awful. I think it's completely inoffensive, unlike some other episodes that have come so far. It's irrelevant and can be skipped without ever noticing it (though i think the rabbi appears again at some point), but it has some character moments that aren't bad.

Spot on.

I really don't understand why people have such a problem with TKO. Sure, the A plot adds nothing to the show...but it doesn't detract anything, either. People in the episode don't act stupid. They don't act out of character. The episode isn't trying to hammer a political point home with the subtlety of a sledgehammer like some other filler episodes from the Sci-Fi canon. The episode isn't based around an offensive joke. It's just a simple boxing story.

Meanwhile, the B plot is decent stuff. It's the closest look we've gotten at Ivanova so far, and it gives a lot of insight into how Ivanova tries to bottle up everything inside and bury herself in work.

The episode remains poor by Babylon 5 standards, but that's because there's a pretty high bar set by the rest of the show. I don't rank it the worst of this season, or even second worst. If we let season 5 play, I doubt it even cracks the bottom 5.

I too thought the rabbi appears again, but apparently this is his only appearance. I think there is another rabbi who shows up as part of a religious delegation in season 3 or 4, but it must be someone else.

[Dragonus45]

One thing I think Garail does add to the story is continuing to make it clear that this series is much more willing to tackle themes of spirituality and religion in ways Trek just doesn't, and while that doesn't exactly move the plot forward directly it helps establish the larger identity of Babylon 5.

[GloatingSwine]

Sooner or later, Boom!

And y'know. Be ready for that, because it's coming.

[factotum]

I really don't understand why people have such a problem with TKO.

My main issue with it is that it's tonally almost entirely unlike any other B5 episode. It's not part of the arc plot, and it's not even particularly good world building, because the fighting competition that forms the A plot never comes up again and might as well have never existed. Other episodes which are famously terrible (e.g. Grey 17 is Missing) at least had some good moments in the B-plot, but the B-plot in TKO just isn't very interesting (IMHO, of course).

If you look at the IMDB ratings for individual B5 episodes, which are voted for by the site's users and I generally find to be a reasonable meter of how well regarded the episodes are, TKO's 5.7 is not only the worst of season 1, it's the worst of any season. The aforementioned Grey 17 Is Missing gets 6.6, and the worst-rated episode of season 5 (Secrets of the Soul) also gets 6.6.

[The New Bruceski]

One thing I think Garail does add to the story is continuing to make it clear that this series is much more willing to tackle themes of spirituality and religion in ways Trek just doesn't, and while that doesn't exactly move the plot forward directly it helps establish the larger identity of Babylon 5.

Also it's nice to have a Jewish character where it's neither their defining characteristic nor "just as default as anyone else until they put on a token yarmulke for the Christmas episode."

[Saph]

If you look at the IMDB ratings for individual B5 episodes, which are voted for by the site's users and I generally find to be a reasonable meter of how well regarded the episodes are, TKO's 5.7 is not only the worst of season 1, it's the worst of any season. The aforementioned Grey 17 Is Missing gets 6.6, and the worst-rated episode of season 5 (Secrets of the Soul) also gets 6.6.

I find that a bit weird, personally. I thought TKO was an okay filler episode with a decent B-plot. Season 5 had much worse stuff – I can't remember the vast majority of the episodes because the season as a whole was just kind of boring (whereas I do remember what happened in TKO).

[GloatingSwine]

One of the things that people dislike TKO for is that the primary stakes of the episode hang on a guest character that we know straight away we'll never see again and the only involvement the main characters have in the A plot is one of them pals around with him, but doesn't change or grow in any way because of it.

If you compare it to, say, GROPOS from season 2 there are also stakes in what is happening for recurring characters we care about because we see them form relationships with the guest characters.

[Yora]

I find that a bit weird, personally. I thought TKO was an okay filler episode with a decent B-plot. Season 5 had much worse stuff – I can't remember the vast majority of the episodes because the season as a whole was just kind of boring (whereas I do remember what happened in TKO).

TKO is inoffensive. That alone puts it above some other episodes.

[Yora]

S1E16: Eyes

Garibaldi is building a motorcycle in his quarters from spare parts he collected over the years. Lennier is fascinated by it when Garibaldi describes it as an important historical object of Earth culture and invited to help building it.

Sinclair informs Ivanova and Garibaldi that their has been a terrorist attack in a colony, and with the increasing frequency of attacks be radical independence movements in the the human colonies, Earth Force is concerned that there might be sympathizers on the station who could be involved in weapons smuggling. Transporting weapons through the station is forbidden, but making trades for later deliveries in other places is completely legal, so Sinclair wants them to keep an eye out for any weapon trades that are destined for Mars.

A shifty looking human tries to milk Garibaldi's assistant for information about the station, and he tells him to get lost. The man then tries to start a conversation with the next security officer he spots and the assistant calls Garibaldi to let him now about it. Garibaldi goes following the man to find out who he is and what he's doing, and then informs Sinclair that he's working for a weapons manufacturer and tries to get an impression about the people in charge of the station. He then goes to the man's quarters but only his helper is there, so Garibaldi talks with him. The man quickly puts on black gloves before opening the door. (Which in hindsight implies a PsiCorps telepath?) Also, I know that voice! It's Jeffry Combs.
His boss comes back and reveals to Garibaldi that he's from the Earth Force military intelligence and part of an investigation in the loyalty of all officers in command in the colonies. They go to Sinclair's office to explain the situation to everyone. There's also been a recent change in the regulations that now allows the telepathic scanning of officers by PsiCorps agents. He also conscripts Garibaldi into his team, because he likes his inquisitiveness. But this doesn't make sense since Garibaldi is one of the people being investigated?

Is this one of the typical witch hunt episodes?

Lennier is quite excited about building the motorcycle but Garibaldi is now very busy with work and allows him to start without him. Garibaldi tells the computer to compile all the files about the command stuff, which will take a couple of hours. (What? ) While he waits, he tells the computer to show him the files of the investigators.

The telepath tries to convince Ivanova that he has no hostile intentions and only means to protect the Earth Alliance, to convince her to accept a scan. But she absolutely is not having any of it.

With all the recent internal conflicts in the Earth Alliance, Garibaldi is sensing a purge of inconvenient officers coming and tells Sinclair about it.

Ivanova has weird dreams about the PsiCorp and decides to quit her job rather than letting the telepath scan her. Sinclair tells her to wait, because he thinks they can avoid it. Even the new regulations require the agreement of five command officers to order the scanning Earth Force personnel.

Sinclair gets a call about a minor emergency, but the inquisitor does not let him leave while he still is asking him question. Sinclair doesn't care and wants to leave, so the inquisitor decides that he has to investigate him for working against the interests of Earth, which means he can remove him from duty and also order a scan to check if his specific suspicion is correct.

Sinclair is taken to his quarters where he calls his superior. The General informs him that there's some fierce political fighting about new laws going on at the top of the government and the investigations are probably about baiting the military to do something that will hurt the president's side.

Garibaldi gives Sinclair the information he has about the two investigator, and after reading it Sinclair goes to talk with the telepath. He tells him that his boss is a friend of Bester, and that apparently Bester personally arranged for him to be on this investigation. Sinclair accuses the colonel of trying to get steal his job because he always wanted it and had much better qualifications. He starts angrily rant back, saying Sinclair is a pawn of the Minbari. The telepath can't help to hear his real thoughts and accuses him of being part of a plot. So the colonel slaps him to the ground and pulls his gun on Sinclair, Ivanova, and Garibaldi. (Is this for real?) The telepath then stuns him with his telepathic powers and Sinclair uses the opening to punch him in the face and knock him out.

Garibaldi finally goes back to his quarters and discovers that Lennier has already completed the motorcycle. Which greatly disappoints him, but he also thinks it's great that Lennier got so much into it. Lennier also installed some kind of fuel cell as the power source and they go riding it through the station's main corridors.

--

TKO was completely inoffensive. This episode is not.

It started decently but the Supreme Lord Grand Inquisitor was just ridiculously terrible. He's totally overacting, but I can't even blame the actor. What else was he supposed to do with the material he was given? Which is a shame, because Jeffrey Combs as the telepath was really quite good and actually interesting.
The ending was just terrible. A big conspiracy to undermine Earth Force and damage the president's influence got solved by Sinclair punching someone in the face? This did not solve anything!

The only relevant information we get this episode is more evidence that the Earth Alliance is politically highly unstable with plotting and corruption at the highest level. And Bester is also having a horse in the race, working on the side that tries to undermine the president. The problem is that Bester only appeared once so far and first time watchers might not even remember who that was. And even if they do, they don't really have any context to see how this is relevant. Which in turn means that this detail won't stick with them and they won't remember his involvement here when he becomes more important later.

I put this episode tied for the #2 spot for worst episodes with Infection.

The writer for this episode also wrote S1E14: TKO and S1E3: Born to the Purple. However, he also wrote S1E9: Deathwalker and S2E10: Gropos. Really weird.

[ImperiousLeader]

Babylon 5's shoestring budget manifests in a few ways. One is that I don't think they got the best guest cast, as we end up with a few scenery-chewing, but not in a good way, villains. Add that the writing makes them seem a little cartoonish, we end up with scenes feeling too over the top to be real. {scrubbed}

[factotum]

Babylon 5's shoestring budget manifests in a few ways. One is that I don't think they got the best guest cast, as we end up with a few scenery-chewing, but not in a good way, villains.

TBH, I looked up the career of "Colonel Ari Ben Zayn" because I couldn't remember what else he'd been in, and the answer is, pretty much nothing of note. His entire TV and movie acting career covers 15 entries on IMDB, 10 of which are during the period 1988-1996. I mean, that's not necessarily a bad sign, he could be mainly a theatre actor, but you still have to wonder why such a relatively young guy had so few TV roles.

Anyway, Eyes is another of those forgettable episodes to me--I distinctly remember the bit about the motorcycle, because at the end is the only time I think we ever saw one of B5's circular corridors end-on, so you could actually see it curving upward, but everything else is just a blank.