Since episode eight we have been primarily dealing with Earth and it’s civil war. The human characters have been taking center stage, though there have been some great sub plots involving Delenn and Londo. “Sic Transit Vir” then comes along and reminds us that there are other governments and characters involved in this story. I like this one, mostly because instead of being a complete step down in terms of importance it feels like a lateral move, given it’s subject matter. From a nuts and bolts perspective it also will explain why Vir is back, and it does it with a very character story that does not feel like a cheat. It also manages some humor too.
We get to start off with Ivanova having the classic “showing up to work naked” dream. She then complains to Sheridan about having bad dreams in general, and he diagnoses her as having trouble adjusting to their new independent role following their revolution.
While that is happening Vir is getting kudos for his good work from our recurring Centauri royal courtier last seen giving Londo bad news in Season 1. He encourages Vir to show some independence from Londo, and then tells a bad joke about Narns that Vir has the good sense to dislike. This is followed by Vir encountering a room full of glaring Narns. They usher him in, and then close the door behind them. It is a jarring scene, and before we can tell if it is a dream or real we fade into credits.
When we catch up with Londo he is going to war with some pests in his quarters utilizing a sword after station maintenance let him know that it will be a while before they can come out to help. His fight to the death is interrupted by the arrival of a comely young Centauri woman arrives at his quarters. When Vir arrives later he is thunderstruck to discover that the young Lyndisty is his new wife. When they are alone Vir is uncomfortable, letting her know he had intended to avoid arranged marriage and marry for love. Lyndisty is undeterred and assures Vir that they will eventually fall in love. While out walking they get attacked by an angry Narn who claims he has been looking for one of them.
Elsewhere Sheridan comments to Delenn that things are quieting down for the most part, and that he would like to take advantage of the lull to invite her to his quarters for dinner. He sweetly decides to cook Minbari cuisine for her, admitting that he quite enjoyed it when he ate it before at her quarters, and she is polite enough to eat some of what is clearly terrible tasting cooking. They get interrupted by the security alert concerning Vir and he rushes off, arriving in time to save Vir, and just before Zack arrives and is forced to shoot the Narn.
Zack makes an appearance to let Ivanova know that he has found a discrepancy in a bunch of Narn travel paperwork, their visas having been approved by a “Abrahamo Lincolni”. They quickly figure out that Vir is behind it and he quickly confesses when confronted that he is getting Narns out of bad situations by making up a Centauri that has the authority to do so.
In the aftermath of the fight Sheridan and Vir are nursing their wounds and Ivanova is digging deeper into Vir and the Narns trying to figure out why the Narn had declared a blood oath of revenge against perhaps the most inoffensive character in the show. Vir professes his innocence and then derails everything by asking Ivanova for advice about women, and they have a comical misunderstanding about the human baseball metaphor for sex, compared to how the Centauri measure the successfulness of a sexual encounter.
Delenn comes by to check on Sheridan and they share a tender moment where she helps him fasten his uniform. The intimacy is broken up by a message from Ivanova. She lets him know she has uncovered a serious problem with Vir and they agree to meet in Londo’s quarters.
The big confrontation happens, and Ivanova lets Londo know about the visas for work camps. He is at first irritated, but then Ivanova drops the bomb: all of the Narns that have the visas end up dead. Londo is disgustingly unfazed by the news, even seeming to be happy about it, before Vir ends up spilling the beans that the Narns are all still alive, and that by declaring them dead he is able to smuggle them out. Ivanova and Sheridan are relieved and impressed, and it is Londo’s turn to be furious.
Later Vir meets with Lyndisty and he is upset, but he is unable to tell her why except that it has to do with Narns. Like true racists everywhere this small comment is enough for her to launch into a truly gross diatribe about how disgusting and inferior the Narns are. She decides that he needs cheering up, so she brings him back to her quarters where she has the brother of the Narn from earlier trussed up. She casually offers to let Vir kill him, while mentioning how many she has personally killed why accompanying her father on tours of the Narn homeworld. Vir is horrified, and the show cuts to a new scene and the situation must have been resolved offscreen.
Londo calls Vir into his quarters and lets him know that he has managed to bury the situation by calling in some favors, but that Vir has been reduced in rank and will become his attache again. Londo is angry and disappointed, and insists that he will train Vir to be a real Centauri yet. Vir appears sad at upsetting Londo, but does not seem to care much about the idea of being trained. Londo also lets him know that his marriage is now off, but that his wife and her family were only told that his position is not as important as it was.
Ivanova and Sheridan get one little scene where Ivanova reveals that she is going to keep Vir’s scam going, since Londo did not know all the details well enough to shut the whole thing down. She hopes that this new venture will help her with her dreams, and Sheridan officially signs off on the whole thing.
Vir gets one last scene with Lyndisty where she is confused but still willing to try the marriage. The poor dumb bastard literally thinks that he can change her, and says as much. She says the same about him and they share another kiss. I guess even a nice and moral guy like Vir is not above getting led around by his tentacle penises.
Overall I like this one. Nice to be reminded that quiet people can try and do some good without it being a major battle or anything. Next week we get another lightish episode, and one of my favorite silly ones to watch, with “A Late Delivery From Avalon”.
As always the series is available to stream on Tubi for free, with ads.
Where do I know them from?
- The minister is played by Damian London who we saw back in Season 1. I dont think I have ever seen him in anything else, though IMDB says he was in an episode of Seinfeld.
- Lyndisty is played by Carmen Thomas. She apparently was also in Blade but in a small role.
The Good
- We get a lighter episode of the show after back to back high stakes episodes. I also like the continual development of Vir as a good and moral person doing what he can against his own government.
- We also get another baby step on Delenn and Sheridan’s romance.
The Bad
- Londo comes off way grosser than he has in the past concerning Narns.
- Vir is moral, but he is also prepared to make excuses for his war criminal fiancee.
- I find it kind of dumb that Sheridan and Ivanova would just blurt out the whole plot to Londo of all people.
Arc Points (Spoilers Ahead)
- The sitcom that Furst was starring in got cancelled necessitating this change. The good news being that we get more Vir!
- For me it feels like Delenn confronting Sheridan about his recklessness may have been lifted from a similar scene between her and Sinclair, since that has not been something he has been accused of before.
- Londo will eventually use this whole thing to blackmail Vir in a very cruel way later on, but for a good purpose I guess.