After soaring for two weeks in a row, Babylon 5 gets brought back down to Earth so to speak by “TKO”.  This is probably one of the most hated episodes of Babylon 5, and easily one of the worst in the first season, mostly for the god awful A plot about an alien MMA contest called the Mutai.  The A plot is paint by numbers with some weak guest stars, weak main cast members, and it contributes nothing to the arcs.  The episode is only salvaged by the B plot that explores more of Ivanova’s background and lets Claudia Christian do more with the character than we have really seen so far. 

Instead of having our plots meet up, the episode starts off with our two guest actors parting ways after sharing a transport.  Gregory McKinney’s Walker Smith, and Theodore Bikel’s Rabbi Koslov apparently chatted while enroute and part ways on friendly terms as they set out to disrupt our main character’s lives. One detail I like is that Koslov’s character is wearing a neck tie, something we have seen has gone out of fashion.  

Smith quickly finds Garibaldi saving him from a drug bust that got out of control.  Garibaldi is delighted to see him again, and they quickly catch up on old times.  Smith, it turns out, is a boxer that Garibaldi used to know.  They make some plans to meet up and talk more and we pop over to the credits.

We come back to Garibaldi explaining a bunch of different alien food to Walker, who looks dubious.  It is a mundane background detail, but I do enjoy that since Babylon 5 is a trade hub, and since Earth is so far away, the characters often swap in alien cuisine for things that they cant get from Earth. 

Ivanova meanwhile is interrupted in reading about Harlan Ellison, (friend of JMS and consultant on the show) by the arrival of Rabbi Koslov. The rabbi lets slip that this is his first time traveling away from Earth, before explaining that he has come with Ivanova’s inheritance.  While they discuss it he finds out that Susan has not sat shiva for her father.  He offers to arrange it for her even on Babylon 5, but she demurs citing her duties, and the length of time that has passed since the death. They make plans to meet for dinner.

Walker explains that he was framed and frozen out of boxing by the boxing authorities because he was looking to challenge the reigning champion and they felt that it wasnt his time yet.  Smith reveals that he is at Babylon 5 to participate as the first human in an alien fighting contest called the Mutai.  Garibaldi lets him know that aliens get killed and crippled in the contest, but Smith is unimpressed and plans to go forward. 

Rabbi Koslov begins meddling with Ivanova’s life by arranging a meeting with Commander Sinclair to discuss Susan and her father.  Sinclair reveals that Ivanova did not tell anyone on the station that her father had died. Koslov airs some of the family’s history to Sinclair and then asks as a rabbi for Sinclair to grant Susan leave.  

At dinner they discuss her father, and his insistence that humanity shouldnt be at the stars.  Koslov springs the news that he spoke to Sinclair, and Ivanova reacts angrily, storming out of their dinner. 

Smith manages to enrage the leader of Mutai almost immediately.  After getting beaten by the old man he is promptly kicked out.  Smith gripes about it at a bar afterward, indulging in some casual racism, and leaves Garibaldi.  Another alien, played by Don Stroud, however approaches Smith and offers him a way into the Mutai.

Sinclair gently tries to speak to Ivanova about her father. I like how he gently and kindly uses military protocol to force her to have a seat and talk about her feelings.  Susan rebuffs him, but she seems less sure then when she stormed off from Koslov.  

Smith manages to convince Garibaldi to go see the champion fight that evening.  Garibaldi is suspicious, but goes along with it.  We get to see some aliens beat on each other and bleed white blood, and then we get treated to a super cheesy fight scene.  At the end of it, they ask if anyone wants to challenge, and Smith volunteers, exploiting a loophole that anyone can challenge the champion.  It goes according to plan, but they get confronted by an alien that is offended by the idea of humans intruding on their tournament. 

Koslov comes by Susan’s quarters to apologize, and to give her her inheritance.  She seems genuinely happy to see her father’s samovar.  They talk about her father again, and Ivanova reveals that she is apprehensive about mourning her father, not because she does not value her Jewish heritage, but because of how strained their relationship had become. 

Ivanova sees off the rabbi at customs, before having a change of heart and asking him to stay and help her sit shiva for her father.  He arranges things for her, and Sinclair stops by to pay his respects as well.  Ivanova gets to tell stories about her father and then shares a mourning prayer. 

Smith and the champion do their fight, and it is as cliched as these things get.  The racist alien from before attempts to interfere and Garibaldi stops it, Smith fights to a draw, but wins over the aliens etc.  Smith gets a nice little send off from the Mutai folks, and heads back to Earth with his reputation restored. 

Next week we get to to jump back into a nice mashup of the fantasy and scifi, with episode 15, The Grail, which I think is the first episode to hint at JMS’s fascination with Arthurian legend. 

As always, a reminder that you can watch the episodes on Tubi with ads.  It looks like Amazon has already pulled the show.

The Good

• In case you couldn’t tell I am a fan of the Ivanova stuff, whereas the fighting plot bores me to tears.  
• Having Bikel show up was great, and his scenes with Claudia Christian work pretty well.  Christian certainly seems to be able to sell the emotion better than Doyle did a few episodes back.  

The Bad

• Everything about the martial arts plot was pretty terrible, from the costumes and sets, to McKinney’s character and performance.  
• The concept of an alien contest that is open to everyone except humans seems a bit silly in a universe where humanity is far from dominant.  Feels like it is a story idea that was grafted on from some other setting. 

Arc Points (Spoilers Ahead)

• Ivanova’s Jewish heritage does not get much of a mention after this, but it makes sense as she is never presented as all that observant. As a character her career comes first.
• Walker’s warning to Garibaldi to “watch your back” becomes a theme for the character.  Garibaldi will be shot and stabbed in the back before the series is out, as well as betrayed.  
• Harlan Ellison would go on to guest star twice in future episodes, once as the voice of the computer, and another time as a Psi Cop in a flashback.