Becky's Book Reviews: Sci Fi Experience: And So It Begins

Saturday, January 03, 2015

Sci Fi Experience: And So It Begins

I do love Babylon 5. I am going to enjoy rewatching it for the 42 challenge and Carl's Sci-Fi Experience.

My last post covered, episodes 13 through 20. Previous posts: episodes 9-12, episodes 5-8, episodes 1-4. This post will cover episodes 13 through 20.

Today's post will cover the last two episodes of season one:

The Quality of Mercy
Chrysalis

The Quality of Mercy
Two stories--like always, you might say. I'll start with the 'lighter' story. Londo and Lennier hanging out together?! It seems so unlikely! It is indeed strange but at the same time good fun. I am enjoying these episodes with Londo. And Lennier, well, he's just so lovable!!! The more serious story involves Dr. Franklin, Garibaldi, and Talia. A criminal has been sentenced to death of personality. His mind will be wiped. Talia, unfortunately, will have to enter his mind before and after for comparison. Meanwhile, Dr. Franklin is investigating a rival in down below: a woman healer with an alien device. You could say he is interested in the woman--the former doctor, the machine, and the doctor's daughter. Her story is sad. She was a good doctor, a busy one, who allowed addiction to destroy her own life and career. She's changed and wants to prove it. These two stories come together, and, by the end viewers will learn just what it is the machine does and why it was created.
Pay attention to: Dr. Franklin, Lennier, Londo
Quotes:

Sinclair: "I'm still waiting for an explanation, gentlemen."
Londo: "Yes, and I am prepared to give you one, commander, as soon as the room stops spinning...."
Sinclair: "This station creates gravity by rotation. It never stops spinning."
Londo: "Well. I begin to see my problem. Hmm."

Chrysalis
Instead of two stories, there are many, many stories. All of them oh-so-important. This is the finale for the first season. And it is emotional and intense and significant. Big, big changes are coming.
I'll start with the happiest and lightest of the happenings: Sinclair and Catherine become engaged. The two celebrate with Garibaldi and Susan. The episode is set during New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
Problems between the Narn and Centauri escalate. Sinclair tells G'kar that he is at a crossroads. Londo has his own 'crossroad' decision to make.
Delenn makes a big decision, and, it will prove very controversial with other Minbari. But she is following her destiny. And she's sought out advice from Kosh. But before she follows through, she is super-eager to talk to Sinclair. She longs to tell him truths that could endanger both their lives.
Sinclair, however, never does have that talk with Delenn. For Sinclair has worries of his own. Notably involving Garibaldi.
The show opens with a man dying in Garibaldi's arms. His last words are mysterious. Garibaldi knows that he has to investigate. Where his investigations lead him...well...it's a matter of life and death.
The show closes with three big tragedies. G'Kar has learned that the Narn settlement in Quadrant 37 has been completely destroyed. 10,000 or so Narn dead. The attack was so devastating and absolute. G'Kar fears that they either have a new enemy or a very, very, very, very ancient one. The second tragedy is EarthForce One exploding killing the President. This story connects with the Garibaldi one. The third tragedy is very personal effecting one of their own: Garibaldi.
Pay attention to: every scene, every conversation!
Quotes:

Londo "Now, out of that 50, how many gods do you think I must have offended to have ended up with G'Kar's teeth buried so deeply in my throat that I can barely breathe?"
Vir: "All of them?"
Londo: "Sounds right. And now, I have to go back to the Council and explain to them that in the interest of peace the Centauri government will agree to give quadrant 37 to the Narns. I think I will stick my head in the station's fusion reactor. It would be quicker. And I suspect, after a while, I might even come to enjoy it. But this -- this, this, this is like being nibbled to death by-- what are those Earth creatures called? Feathers... long bill... webbed feet .. go 'quack'...?"
Vir: "Cats."
Londo: "Cats. I'm being nibbled to death by cats."

Londo: There comes a time when you look into the mirror, and you realize that what you see is all that you will ever be. Then you accept it, or you kill yourself. Or you stop looking into mirrors.