Now that the war with Earth has kicked off in earnest it is time for a business-like episode that covers things back on the station and follows Mr.Garibaldi’s adventures on Mars.  After an action heavy episode there is value in taking a breath and checking in with characters. The title gives us a hint that we are in for some philosophical discussions. It felt like the show had been spinning it’s wheels for a few episodes and this episode seems like a return to that. 

The episode starts off with Ivanova doing a Voice of the Resistance broadcast.  She gives a quick update about atrocities and about further liberations that have occurred off screen.  We then switch to a hard-boiled style narration from Garibaldi who decries Sheridan’s campaign, blaming it on his resurrection.  He also laments returning to Mars, and is irritated at some cloak and dagger on the part of his new employer.  

Back at the station, Dr.Franklin is trying his best to revive one of the telepaths that had been meant for Shadow ships.  He also vents to Zack that he does not understand Sheridan’s rush to stabilize the patients.  As he wanders off Lyta comes in and Zack asks her to help a victim identify a mugger.  Lyta becomes drawn to the patient on the bed, who wakes up and stands in front of her.  Franklin is shocked but when he talks to Lyta her connection with the man is broken and he collapses. 

On Mars Garibaldi finally gets to meet William Edgars in person. Garibaldi lays out why he wanted a meeting, and one of his reasons is that he wants help in stopping Sheridan’s war. He hopes that someone as powerful as Edgars can stop Sheridan without turning him over to President Clark.  Edgars is coy about what Garibaldi has told him, insisting that before any action he needs to know that he can trust him.  

Edgars has direct means to accomplish this and has Garibaldi dragged from his room in the middle of the night for a telepathically chaperoned interrogation.  He starts by asking about Garibaldi’s opinion of telepaths and he goes on a rant about how much he does not trust them and how much he fears that there is a coming war between telepaths and the rest of humanity.  Edgars also confirms that Garibaldi can pull off Sheridan’s kidnapping and that Garibaldi does not remember what happened when he was kidnapped from Babylon 5 by the Shadows.  Garibaldi aces all the questions, except for the last one about whether he is still in love with Lise Edgars.  Once the session is concluded, Wade steps in and murders the telepath.

Franklin eventually runs after Lyta, excitedly telling her that this has been the first progress he has had with these patients.  Lyta promises to come back later and assist him in working with the implanted telepaths.  Franklin and Lyta revive the man again, this time with heavy monitoring, and the doctor thinks that he might be able to mechanically replicate the effect.  His planning is interrupted by the man springing awake and attacking him before attempting to kill himself.  Lyta calmly stops him and puts him to sleep.  

Edgars sits Garibaldi down for a philosophical discussion about happiness and freedom.  He insists that if telepaths take charge of human society privacy and independence will be things of the past.  He points out that telepaths can pass as normal humans quite easily, and then they can quickly blackmail people.  He then muses that true believers of dictatorships in the past were always a small number, but that there will always be people happy to oppress others and even more people happy to do nothing about it. He also makes a cynical point about these dictatorships being handed power by people that wanted someone to give form to their own horrible impulses, and that those same people will childishly blame the people they gave power to.  Overall it is a chilling speech, coming from a billionaire and Garibaldi looks plenty discomforted by it.  Edgars also insists that the billionaires have been quietly working on a way to remove Clark, and they blame Sheridan for upsetting their timetable.  

Sheridan meanwhile is communicating with Babylon 5, receiving status updates from Ivanova, and then speaking with Franklin about the telepaths.  The doctor finally explodes and demands to know what his plan is for the telepaths.  The information devastates the doctor, and he confesses to Lyta that this is the first time he believes that maybe Sheridan did come back from the dead a little more hard-edged.  He also lets Lyta know that the both of them will be heading to Mars.

Garibaldi and Lise have a small confrontation about their past relationship, an emotional scene that is not really helped by involving the two weakest cast members.  Mostly it is Garibaldi being surly about their past and the fact that she moved on, and her crying about how she never thought Garibaldi was capable of putting her first and his job second.

We get treated to a creepy sequence where Edgars and Wade look in on some sick humans.  Edgars embraces one and insists that whatever they have is not transmissible when Wade objects.  Eventually after speaking kindly to one of the patients Edgars pulls Wade aside and orders all of them to be “put down”.  Wade begins to argue about upcoming tests, and Edgars dismisses the concern, pointing out they already know “it” works and that there is no reason to prolong their suffering. 

Later Garibaldi finds Edgars sitting on his couch and reading.  Garibaldi then lets him know that he is in all the way.  Edgars wants a demonstration of loyalty and that turning over Sheridan will be the proof.  He claims that he and his cabal can ensure that Clark is taken care of before any real harm is done to the Captain.  Garibaldi has the grace to look incredibly uncomfortable with the prospect, before he finally lets Edgars know that he can find Sheridan’s father through a specialized medicine, and that once they have the father they can set up and capture Sheridan.  

Where do I know them from?

• Efrem Zimbalist Jr, as Mr.Edgars, is best known to me as the voice of Alfred from Batman: The Animated Series and other animated Batman shows though he has had a long career in film and television.

The Good

• Once again we are getting our plot laid out for the next push.  I do like that as much as Garibaldi seems unhinged the show likes to throw in that other characters are also uncomfortable with his actions. 

The Bad

• Jerry Doyle is not really a strong enough actor to hang an episode off of, and Denise Gentile as a scene partner only makes it worse. 

Arc Points (Spoilers Ahead)

• The Earth Civil War proceeds apace in the background, with Sheridan leading the charge, and Ivanova holding down the fort.  
• The summary execution of the telepath and Mr.Edgars lecture about telepaths starts to tip the shows hand a little for the big reveal in the next episode about what exactly Edgars Industries is up to. 
• I have always liked that Sheridan does not really single handedly win battles so much as he kind of just becomes a flag for disgruntled EarthForce officers to rally around. 
• Before learning more about our own current billionaires I would have probably mentioned the silly philosophizing that Edgars does, but it seems pretty on brand for a wealthy person to spout gibberish while acting like they are super smart.