I consider this episode another in the “its the 90’s” category. We get a look into the case being built against President Clark, and we get some scenes that are very X-Files-ish. Also there are echoes of the present day that are a tad uncomfortable. Overall the guest cast in this one is serviceable, with no real standouts, and that could also describe the episode itself.
The episode starts off with a bit of a lore dump about Ambassador Kosh. Ivanova and Sheridan are looking at Kosh’s ship, and describing how amazing it is. The CGI is pretty weak in this one and the compositing is so-so, but most of the scene is just a dump of information, the characters having a conversation about how crazily advanced the technology must be. Sheridan strays close and the ship’s defenses threaten him. Garibaldi interrupts to introduce the A plot of the episode, and we get a bit where Kosh shows up and has a quick conversation with his ship.
The human characters convene to discuss the fact that the president’s personal physician, Dr. Jacobs, is on the run, with the government claiming that he has run off with government secrets. After the credits a government agent named Cranston, played by Bernie Casey, shows up and indicates that Dr. Jacobs has managed to collect classified material and he is on Babylon 5 to meet a buyer or escape into alien controlled space. The command staff are dubious, but they agree to fully cooperate.
Garibaldi decides to start the search by talking with Dr. Franklin, under the impression I guess that all Earth doctors know one another. He is right in this case, Franklin had him as a teacher at Harvard. Franklin fully does not buy the idea that Jacobs is a traitor. We finally get our first look at the doctor played by Tony Steedman. He is wandering Down Below and eventually runs into a vendor that can produce illegal documents (played by the same actor that found The Eye back in “Signs and Portents”). I have always liked how the doctor’s desperation immediately ends the transaction, as the vendor points out that since he didnt try to haggle he is either with security or he is on the run for scary people. It turns out an uninvolved scary person, played by Richard Moll, overheard the whole thing.
The B plot of the episode mostly concerns Sheridan and Kosh. Sheridan is determined to get to know Kosh, and Kosh is dedicated to the mysterious Vorlon bit. Sheridan also decides to confront Kosh about contacting him while he was on the alien ship. Kosh is predictably cryptic under questioning.
The A plot meanwhile begins heating up, when Sheridan notices a signal at a dead drop( something that was never mentioned before and is never mentioned again). He meets up with one of General Hague’s people played by Wanda De Jesus. They tell him that Jacobs is innocent, and he is on the run because he can prove that President Clark was not sick despite that being why he was not on the ship that exploded and killed President Santiago. Sheridan is ordered to find Jacobs first and get him off the station.
Sheridan lets the others know the bad news, and Garibaldi snags Franklin to go into Down Below to search for him. The highlight of this sequence being the conversation they have about how different the future feels from what the imagined when they were young. I think this conversation slipped by me the first time I watched this, but lately I have been feeling much the same and hit hit a little harder this time. I also like this conversation as showing how easily Earth could be swayed into fascism, mostly based on disappointment with the present.
Sheridan has a moment where he confronts Kosh about what he wants. This makes Kosh angry enough to be somewhat less cryptic and they agree to learn more about each other, so that Kosh can teach Sheridan to “fight legends”.
Things get complicated for the searches when Max manages to kidnap the doctor, and alert Crantson. Thankfully Franklin and Garibaldi get there first, and manage a rescue. The bad news is that while this is going on, Cranston figures out that the Babylon 5 sensors can be attuned to the radiation signature on the doctor and he can be found instantly. Sheridan decides to see how serious Kosh is about opening up to him, and they sneak the doctor onto Kosh’s ship to elude the sensors. Cranston leaves empty handed and our heroes get more insight into the Vorlons, including the fact that they using organic technology in their ships.
The whole episode is pretty run of the mill, but I do like that it shows a nuanced picture of Clark’s takeover of Earth. The characters make the point that he is using the people he is using, as they are one of the few organizations that are fully answerable only to him. Also the fact that they are worried about the Jacob’s testimony shows that they are not confident in their full control of Earth. Thirty years after its airing, and the episode now has more meaning thanks to shitty current events.
Next week we get a a concept episode as we follow an ISN reporter spending 36 hours on Babylon 5 in the episode “And Now for a Word”.
As always, a reminder that you can watch the episodes on Tubi with ads.
The Good
- We get some continuity with the conspiracy against the president story line which is nice.
- I also like how realistic the characters are about the evidence. No one claims this is the key.
- It was also nice to get some more time with Kosh even if most of what he says is gibberish.
The Bad
- The plot itself is pretty bland, and though none of the guest actors really stumble, no one really stands out either.
Arc Points (Spoilers Ahead)
- Kosh starts talking to Sheridan, a relationship that will grow as this season and the next one continue
- Sheridan is going to be taught to “fight legends”, and so far Londo’s allies have been only mentioned as legends.
- This is the first direct evidence that President Clark was in on the assassination, not just trying to cover up some aspect of it.
- Another episode with a brief appearance from Zack Allan. Having him be a minor character that they are slowly bringing in, dovetailed nicely with the show feeling out Jeff Conaway’s sobriety.