Babylon 5 Rwatch: 1.03 and 1.05

[selenak]

Two of my favourite episodes of the show, and I can't pretend otherwise. It stll has been a few years since my last rewatch, so let's see whether anything has changed in my perception of them. For B5 newbies: should I discuss something spoilery, I'll mark it as such ahead of time and will leave spoiler space.



The line I used for the cut is from andraste's fabulous vid Ophelia about (some) of the women of B5, where she matches this line with the clip of Adira with Londo. Now, objectively, I know this episode isn't perfect. The scene where Londo and Sinclair are looking for Adira and Sinclair improvises playing a tough gangster is - well, let's just say this is not one of Michael O'Hare's strengths as an actor. Trakis as a villain seemingly has no motive other than "does not like the Centauri Republic". (For which plenty of people have plenty of good motives, of course, but still, compared with other one off villains, one of them in the next episode of this rewatch, Trakis feels remarkably flat and bland.) There are other possible complaints. And yet. Born to the Purple, how I love you, let me count the ways. For extra hard mode, I shall start with those not involving Londo Mollari, whose first character episode this is.

The B-Plot about Garibaldi and Ivanova does neat character fleshing out work for both of them. And it works if you come at it with the knowledge of their characters through subsequent seasons. It feels right that Susan Ivanova, who intensely dislikes showing vulnerability to all but a very few people she trusts, wouldn't simply ask Sinclair or Garibaldi - neither of whom she knows well yet at this point, it's early days - for the use of the Gold Channel to talk to her dying father. It feels right that Garibaldi, Mr. Paranoia, would not let this particular mystery go, would figure out the reason - and would then deal with it as he does, because Garibaldi has his flaws, but at his core, he's a decent person, and he's good at reading (most) people - he knows that, say, going to Ivanova with "why didn't you tell me?" or "let's talk about your Dad and your childhood!" would really be the wrong thing to do. Also, it struck me this time that he and Ivanova are both prone to verbal flippancy when under pressure, which you can see here.

Since the first two episodes already have the glorious Julie Caitlin Brown as Na'Toth in the credits, I never noticed before that this one does not, instead being the sole episode with Ko'Dath in said credits. Now, it's perhaps a bit unfair to compare the two, but even just based on their respective introduction episodes which I'm talking about in this post, I'm glad Ko'Dath's actress didn't take to the Narn make-up. She's one of the few B5 aliens who feels like a stereotype, in this case "tough woman as comic relief". Granted, JMS' script doesn't give her much else to go with. The difference between female Narns just separated by an episode (or two) is still glaring. This said, the "don't give away the homeworld" double gag does work, but only because it's set up with Londo and Vir before.

Which brings me to the Centauri. Speaking of comic relief characters, Vir at this point still is used only as such, but it's remarkable of how, coming from this with the benefit of hindsight, you can see that this is where his relationship with Londo starts. Because Londo doesn't just yell at him, he also praises him (for the hot cup of coffee jalla), and while off hand compliments like "You're a treasure, Vir" are coming from Londo without a second thought, to Vir, given what we later learn of his background, they're likely the first he ever receives. Also, on the one hand, both Londo and G'Kar handing over negotiations to their aides at a point works as a gag, as does the aides taking this seriously in a way the ambassadors do not, but on the other, it also points out something important: Londo at this point doesn't really believe in what he's doing here on the station, he's just going through the motions. It's a bit different to G'Kar - he does show up at the negotiatoins, and he doesn't leave in a huff until Londo's second no-show -, but then G'Kar is invested in enlarging the influence of the Narn Regime. It's debatable whether he believes in the B5 idea of dilplomacy, but he does believe his job on the station is an important one, he schemed to get it (see next episode), and so he will work at it.

Now when I saw this episode for the first time, I remember thinking "well, this was a girl of the week story, but... an oddly touching one". I didn't expect to see or hear from Adira again. Even on those terms, without any future reference, I still think Born to the Purple is an inventive twist on the one episode romance formula then popular. Londo isn't one of the good looking human males otherwise starring in those stories, he's a middle aged (or as he says, old) paunchy man past his prime. We don't get a meet cute, we start well after he and Adira have already started their relationship. Adira is a stripper in all but name (and original time of broadcast), and technically is the femme fatale of the episode, stealing the files from Londo, blackmailed by the main villain, but that's not how the episode treats her. She's also a slave looking for an escape, her decision not to hand over the files to Trakis doesn't come because some virtous male hero gives her a stern talking to, it's one she makes herself for her own reasons, her feelings for Londo aren't faked, and yet her reasons for not staying around make character sense for a woman who has to discover what it means to be free first instead of starting another commitment.

As for Londo: Peter Jurasik has to sell the audience with just a few scenes on the fact that Londo is really, truly, deeply in love, beyond sexual attraction, and Great Maker, he does. (And a good thing, too, given how important this will be.) At the same time, the episode doesn't hold back his flaws. I already pointed out the way he doesn't take his job and what he could do seriously. When he tells Adira "I look at me, and I see only emptiness" and describes himself as "an old man, dreaming of better days", this only rubs it in, because the "better days" he dreams of are a return of the Centauri past (as he imagines it), despite being, as his words also show, quite aware of the emptiness of ceremony and titles. Londo has a love/hate relationship with the trappings of power and power that is so very important to the overall story, and the first time you see the indications is here. He's capable of love - and I don't just mean desire; what really sells me on the depth of feeling for Adira is that he doesn't resent her or blame her at any point, that saving Adira is more important to him than just getting the files back, and he respects her decision to leave. (Plus, like I said earlier, in retrospect this episode starts another of one of the most important relationships Londo will have in his life, though he doesn't know it.) But that Londo along with the cynical veneer has an inner romantic won't just have good results, to put it mildly.

Incidentally: "On that, Mollari, we can agree." Andraste once pointed out G'kar's interesting body language in the club scene before Ko'Dath arrives. Here he is in the company of his least favourite person in the world, and yet he's remarkably relaxed and comfortable. Oh, and this episode also marks the debut of JMS' series of Londo/G'Kar gags through the seasons, in this case Sinclair's reply to Londo's "I'll even seal it with a kiss". ("That should make G'Kar's day.")

Lastly, something that hasn't got anything to do with the Narn and Centauri but is about the B5 telepaths, triggered by watching the scene where Sinclair takes Talia Winters out for dinner. This one, I can't talk about without spoilers, not even cryptically, so I'll leave some spoiler space before and after it. B5 newbies, just skip to the "Parliament of Dreams" section of this entry.

The

Corps

Is

Mother


One of the key differences between the way the non-telepath cast interacts with Talia vs how they interact with Lyta later is that the kind of friendly socializing that's demonstrated by the Sinclair and Talia dinner here - where there are no romantic intentions or subtext - simply does not happen to Lyta. The only B5 staff member who demonstrates wanting to spend time with her without needing her help with something is Zack, and he's unrequitedly in love with her. Now, there are somewhat different circumstances in that Lyta's return to B5 and her connection with Kosh set her apart in people's eyes in the way not true for s1 Talia, who is a regular commercial telepath. But even accounting for that, I would still say the othering for Lyta is stronger. On this rewatch, I could see a Doylist reason for the difference. Firstly, Talia is on an arc where she starts as a loyal Psi Corps member and will develop away from this (until, well, you know), so it makes sense to present the non telepath society as friendly and welcoming. Meanwile, Lyta from s3 onwards has already joined the rebellious side, but will develop away from then once she concludes she's no less a tool for them, returning to a telepath community (just a different one), so it makes sense to present her as isolated and not treated the same. On a Watsonian level, though I wonder whether it might not be a difference between Sinclair and Sheridan, i.e. Sinclair might be more given to brooding, but he's also more considerate of people's feelings?

The

Corps

Is

Father





While I'll allow for objective flaws in Born to the Purple which would prevent me from putting it in a "best of B5" list, much as I love it, Parliament of Dreams, to me, definitely is not just a favorite but one of the "best of" episodes, and I will never trust any list maker who does not include it. It introduces two new regulars - Lennier and Na'Toth - and sets up their relationships with their respective ambassadors -, it introduces a new important recurring character (Catherine Sakai) and her relationship with the lead, it has a darkly funny A-Plot (G'Kar threatened by a hired assassin) while doing massive serious world building in the background ( on the serious side, Delenn reciting the Minbari Rebirth ritual, consisting of Valen's words to the Nine, on the seemingly light hearted but actually also serious side, Londo and Vir relating the backstory of the Centauri ritual which, if you pay attention, involves one sentient species on a plent wiping out the other). It is immensely quotable - though despite tough competition and only having one scene in it, I'd say my guy Londo manages the best with his drunk speech culminating in "but in purple, I am stunning!" - and in terms of character development and continuity, it's just - *chef's kiss*.

(Just one of many points: G'Kar's refusal to scream when tortured by Tupari. Watched the first time, says something about G'Kar's endurance level and tells you he's not just all bluster. (Which a new watcher, not knowing G'Kar yet in a situation where he's not one of the strongest people in the room, could assume,.) Watched after knowing the rest of the show, OMG.)

Now let me sing the praises of Julie Caitlin Brown as Na'Toth again. I know she wasn't wild about the Narn make-up herself, but from the start, she conveys that Na'Toth feels entirely comfortable in her own skin, and being who she is. She doesn't have to bluster or to shout to come across as a woman you wouldn't want to cross, and the playfulness and ironic edge in her voice when dealing with her new superior (and later with Tupari) also contributes to making her a unique individual. In terms of how the aides relate to their envoys, I find it fascinating of how JMS manages to make each relationship different and going through its own development. Na'Toth starts being somewhat sceptical of G'Kar, while he distrusts her for plot reasons, but that doesn't stop her from being efficient, and by the end, they've established team work. By contrast, Lennier starts out in complete awe of Delenn, and comes across as very young, younger than Vir, even. Delenn, for her part, strikes me here as her most Galadriel-like, inspiring terror and love alike. You can see the steeliness that the first few episodes since the pilot didn't show, and once she's established that Lennier will obey, she's gracious again, but it's still settling into a very hierarchical relationship; the gracious lady and her loyal knight. At the end of this review I'll say some more about Delenn in this episode, but that bit is too spoilery for a vague allusion. UnspoileryL: I do remember the first time I watched I certainly thought the Minbari ceremony set up Delenn/Sinclair (despite Catherine Sakai's arrival in this episode), whereas what she actually is reciting just passed me by.

Above all, though, this is Andreas Katsulas' first great outing as G'Kar in a story where he's not the antagonist, and he shines in it. Something I keep meaning to ask other B5 fans: I seem to recall he improvised the little song G'Kar sings while cooking himself dinner, but I have no idea whether it's based on an actuallly existing song or not. The episode gives us a rare bit of G'Kar backstory that's not related to the Narn/Centauri struggle but to the inner Narn power struggles instead, and G'Kar going from smug satisfaction when hearing his old enemy is dying to being shocked by the reveal of the comissioned hit, then increasingly nervous and freaking out by all the waiting, then, once he actually faces the assassin, stubborn and enduring, and then at his conniving best in conjunction with Na'Toth as they deal with Tupari is just marvellous to watch all around. The one character trait that's still missing from basic G'Kar won't be highlighted until "By Any Means Necessary", but for the most post, this is the episode that establishes him in his own (Narn) context.

Sinclair and Catherine Sakai: oddly enough, this works far better for me now than it did back in the day. As a much younger fan, I wasn't much interested in them. These days, I find their on/off relationship that's now switched to "on" very human and also falling into a rare welcome category of adult romance that doesn't have to be either Greatest Passion Of All Time or The Obviously Inferior Not Real One. And I appreciate that Catherine's job - she's a planet surveyor paid by various companies depending on the natural resources of the unclaimed planets she finds for them - contributes to making this universe feeling real. (It also sets her up for a plot which she won't get due to rl cast circumstances. Lucky Catherine.)

Lastly before the spoilery Delenn comments: back in the day, I thought the final scene, where Sinclair's solution to his orders to demonstrate "Earth's dominant belief system" is instead getting a represenative each for all the many religions practiced on earth, plus an atheist, was great and amazingly different from how I'd seen religion treated especially in US shows at this point. Since then, I've also come across some complaints, to wit, that assuming all the other people/cultures/planets have only one belief system they demonstrate, and only the humans have many, is illogical and/or bad world building. Or: why only one atheist? "Atheism" not being a creed, and one can be an atheist and follow very different philosophical and/or ethical ideas otherwise. To which I say: well, I can see your points, but firstly, and this rewatch reminded me again, the challenge had been "to demonstrate the dominant belief system" of your home planet, and how this was interpreted was up to the individual ambassador (and Sinclair). It doesn't negate the existence of different faiths within the various alien cultures. (And indeed we'll find out about Narn religion(s) in a future episode, for example.) Also, to me the last scene doesn't come across as a triumphant "Aren't we humans grand for being so diverse?" but as Sinclair - who hasn't treated the command from Earth Central as a PR exercise but actually given thought to it - truly wanting to share that Earth has a great many different religions and philosophical creeds, and he does not want to privilege one of them as superior or dominant, which is a very ic Sinclair thing to do. (Also, in a meta level, a very JMS thing to do.)

Trivia: Sinclair makes another Londo/G'Kar joke. (Yep, they got married in this episode, Jeff. It'll just take a while to sink in.)

Th femalee statue of Li, goddess of passion, whom Londo kisses while half standing, half lying on the table, has tentacles. Since the explanation for this won't be given until much later this season, allow me to love this tiny proof of JMS crafted world building. Valtoo!

Now, some spoilery musings about Delenn in this episode.

Will

you

follow

me

Like I said, I find her at her most Galadriel-esque here, and not just for the mixture of steel and charm she employs with Lennier. (Which as we'll much later find out via flashback has a direct echo of how her own mentor, Dukhat, treated her.) But also in the way she picks this ceremony to demonstrate, and deliberately looks at Sinclair while eating the red fruit. Delenn's attitude to prophecies at this point: I'll make them come true, starring me. I don't mean that she's a narcissist, don't get me wrong. I mean that she has this self understanding that she can serve her people and the galaxy at large best this way, and so she has to do it, and it doesn't even occur to her that she could be wrong. No wonder this part of her drives Neroon crazy.

Into

Darkness

and

Fire



Self advertisment: back when we had a B5 drabble/short fic ommunity, I wrote some episode-related bits for the first few episodes which aren't spoilery for the rest, so:


Born to the Purple:

Options: G'Kar and Adira have a chat about freedom, betrayal and certain ambassadors.

Parliament of Dreams:

Man of Good Fortune: Vir starts to believe in his.

(also, for last week's Midnight at the Firing Line: First Encounters: Vir arrives on Babylon 5.)

The other episodes

Comments

[ase]

"Born to the Purple" - Peter Jurasik really sold the the love story for me. There's an expressiveness in his acting that makes the viewer believe Londo is in love. Fabiana Udenio, who played Adira, contributes too.

It's interesting that, during the drama associated with Londo's plotline, Sinclair never loses sight of his diplomatic goal. So the ambassadors delegate to their aides, as a gesture of (in Londo's case) indifference or (in G'Kar's case) contempt? He can work with that. So Londo needs a favor? And G'Kar thinks he's gotten an advantage over the Centauri, with Londo's help? Sinclair can use that, too. He is going make those negotiations succeed, so help him.

It's also amusing to see that, in the 23rd century, Vir playing with his electronic game at the negotiations is one of the few hand-held electronic devices that are used on-station. No smartphones in this '90s show. :-)

Once the rewatch gets into S5, it would be interesting to do a look-back on Talia's interactions with the non-telepaths versus Lyta's, and how that reflects their different storylines.

I have a lot of feelings about the B-plot with Gold Channel, especially given the father-child relationships on the show. If you're going to go out begging your child's forgiveness, noting you respected but didn't love them is a better look than some of the other ways to ask for forgiveness. It also informs Ivanova's character to know that was the parental environment she was raised in.

"The Parliament of Dreams" - as a Young Thing it was easy to fall into the assumption that Delenn's confidence meant she was correct in assuming she had a great and important destiny to fulfill. It looks a little different now, especially reading your comments here. Delenn's attitude to prophecies at this point: I'll make them come true, starring me.

I wonder if part of Sinclair's choice in how do demonstrate the "dominant" religion of Earth was a wish to avoid diplomatic blow-back from groups that felt that, even if they didn't represent the largest religion, they represented the largest active religion, or the largest "real" religion, or... which is probably not the "display of diversity" feeling JMS was going for in that scene.

It's also interesting to note the differences in Sinclair's relationship with Catherine to Londo and Adira, since these episodes are back to back in the rewatch. Both are middle-aged romances, but Sinclair and Sakai have a lot of baggage. As cahn said, "let's try again though nothing's really changed" is, er, not a great way to restart a relationship. Arguably some external stuff has changed, or will change, by the end of S1, but if Sakai's Quantium-40 payday or Sinclair getting his head rattled about the Line are the things that make this relationship work... sounds like another breakup in the works to me. Also, the actors didn't sell the chemistry as well, though Julia Nickson got little help from the writing. The relationship monologue she had to deliver was very in line with the monologues JMS writes, that seem to be a struggle for actors to bring alive. Sheridan's monologue in "The Geometry of Shadows" is another example... which can be covered in S2.