Babylon 5 Rewatch: Acts of Sacrifice/ Hunter, Prey

[selenak]

Acts of Sacrifice
As G'Kar tries and tries and tries to get Earth, the Minbari and other members of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds to help the Narn in the Narn/Centauri war where the other party has started to bomb civilians, and mostly hears "no, because that would make as participants in the war", and when he finally gets something, it's nothing like he's asked but only secret humanitarian aid, it's impossible to miss the present day parallels which of course weren't there the last few times I've watched (years ago). Otoh, there are also enough in-universe differences to focus on the story that is - the Narn until very recently were an up and coming power throwing their weight around, annexing territory themselves, and G'Kar in particular did piss off enough people last season to make it comprehensible why his desperate attempts to now forge alliances for Narn falls (mostly) on deaf ears. (Another reason why you should not start this show with s2.) This is Andreas Katsulas' episode, and he's so very, very good in it as G'Kar keeps reigning in his temper with Sheridan and Delenn, gets insulted and (literally) backstabbed by one of his own people, tries so hard to uphold his dignity and then learns that what he's won isn't anything like what's needed for the Narn to win the war. Though it is something, and that G'Kar does manage to say "thank you" to Sheridan and Delenn and waits with his breakdown until he's out of the room says it all about how desperate he sees the Narn situation as being.

(It's also an episode that makes me wish yet again we still lhad Original Na'Toth in the role as Na'Toth backing up G'Kar was good to see but need that indescribable something more.)

I had forgotten until this rewatch that Delenn mentions in her conversation with G'Kar that she was present at the fateful first Human/Minbari encounter and the events that triggered the war. I don't think there was any earlier mention of this rather important fact, and we'll have to wait till s4 for the on screen flashbacks, but here the audience learns she was there. Being Delenn, she edits somewhat - "I heard the cries for vengeance, the call for war" isn't technically incorrect, but, see s4 flashbacks - but she's sincere that this event and the subsequent war (and its end) taught her about the cycle of hate and violence. Though that's not the only reason why she won't make the case of a Narn/Minbari alliance right now, leaving aside her recently diminished status among the Minbari. Otoh she does feel visibly guilty and awful, and Sheridan coming up with a plan to help the Narn even without his government's backing at least in a humanitarian way is where he starts to impress me as a human being on this particular rewatch.

The Garibaldi and Londo subplot is still excellent, too, as Londo finds out what he gained in status and influence he lost in friends, and that you can't start a war and expect everyone to treat you just the same. The way Garibaldi relates to both Londo and G'Kar is such a neat subplot through the seasons, never something arc changing but a human dimension that always tells you where each of the characters are just now.

The other subplot, otoh, with Ivanova and the Ambassador, is comic relief and, shall we say, very 1990s. "The alien ambassador who is uptight/snobby/horny" and whom one of our regulars has to deal with shows up on DS9 and Voyager as well (and on the B5 spin-off Crusade), and Ivanova's solution is probably a love or hate thing. I must admit I still find the scene funny, not least because Claudia Christian really is excellent at comedy scenes. Also, the part where the ambassador congratulates Ivanova to the way humans deal with their poor still works as a sharp and stinging capitalism critique.





Hunter, Prey

And onwards with the Earth plot. I must say the good Doctor is appallingly bad at discreetly asking for a fake ID, which makes it a miracle that he wasn't caught before. The A-Plot here is a solid spy story, in which our heroes have to help the doctor who can prove Morgan Clark lied about his reason to leave Earth Force 1 and thus had pre knowledge of its impending fate. (I like that the doctor really looks like a every day person, btw.) Mind you, Clark's security forces aren't the brightest if it never occured to them to do what Garibaldi does first thing, check Dr. Franklin's background and discover he personally knows and was mentored by the guy they're looking for and thus is a likely contact person. (Not that Franklin gets contacted, but it would have been an obvious possibility!)

The subplot, interwoven in the main plot, is Sheridan approaching Kosh (as a follow up to Kosh's mental contact with him during his kidnapping) and actually getting somewhere, as Kosh a) helps out with his ship in the fugitive doctor situation and b) agrees to mentor Sheridan. This is when Kosh starts to go from "mysterious comment guy who shows up every third episode or so" to a more involved character. Something I had forgotten was with how much wonder Ivanova and Sheridan regard Kosh's living ship. It's something that they still have this, well, sense of wonder towards the unknown. Since I concluded my Farscape rewatch only a few months go, something else struck me that of course I could not observe on earlier occasions. Farscape started only a short time after B5 ended, but Moya (and later Talyn) still feel far more, hm, undated as examples of living ships in terms of how they look. But maybe that's because Kosh's shp is pure GCI, and the inside of Moya was real and built, only the outside look was GCI.

Lastly: I can't recall - do we see the woman who is Sheridan's contact person to the Anti Clark faction in Earth Force in this episode again?


The other episodes

Comments

[cahn]

I only watched the first of these because of Darth Real Life -- stuff this week and next week, so I'll probably be behind in watching next week as well, but after that I should be able to catch up and be current again. But anyway in the meantime, wooooow this episode, it's really... something to watch it for the first time with current events going on, and marvel at how on point JMS was with the politics and reactions. (Same with Gropos, really, from sort of an opposite standpoint (troops being lied to about where they were going, omg) although I did watch that one before the invasion happened and so those weren't my primary feelings at the time.)
(It does make me wonder how JMS can possibly do the reboot now... I mean, not that he won't, but it's going to be interesting.)

(It's also an episode that makes me wish yet again we still lhad Original Na'Toth in the role as Na'Toth backing up G'Kar was good to see but need that indescribable something more.)

YES. I think it's partially her voice, which just isn't quite resonant enough to make me believe that she's really as hardcore as Original Na'Toth.

The Garibaldi and Londo subplot is still excellent, too

Yes!

Nothing to say about Ivanova's subplot? It wasn't my favorite -- tweaked my over-sensitive embarrassment squick in a weird way. Though the last bit where the translator was like "yeah, that was great" almost made up for it :)

(Will say something about Hunter, Prey once I get a chance to watch it!)

[selenak]

Ivanova subplot: argh, I see I put my remarks on it in the wrong section. Have now rectified this, so you can read them.

it's really... something to watch it for the first time with current events going on, and marvel at how on point JMS was with the politics and reactions

I can imagine. It was a powerful episode to watch for the first time in the relatively (with the big glaring exception of the Kosovo war) peaceful 1990s, too, but now it's really something else. Re: reboot, it's anyone's guess!

I think it's partially her voice, which just isn't quite resonant enough to make me believe that she's really as hardcore as Original Na'Toth.

As I said in an earlier review, the weird thing is when the same actress played Grilka the Klingon on DS9, I had no trouble believing in her toughness. But as Second Na'Toth, she just fell short.

[cahn]

Ha! I agree that subplot is very 90's :P

Anyway, I have now watched "Hunter, Prey"! Gosh, I was really worried the doctor wasn't going to make it alive, which would have made me annoyed and unhappy. And then I realized this is a 90's show, he would probably make it alive with the help of Our Heroes. (The 90s may have been an idealistic time, but sometimes that's really okay.)

Kosh!! I am so excited that it looks like this is the gateway to finding more about him. I was really intrigued when Sheridan said, "What do you want??" (which, REASONABLE QUESTION) and Kosh was like "DO NOT SAY THAT." I am so interested to know what is going on with Morden and his weird question!

Huh, I was assuming we'd see Mysterious Contact Person again. That seemed like a very low-tech way of getting hold of him, with the ribbon. What if he'd missed it?

Also: Sheridan was clearly having the time of his life misleading Humorless Earth Person, it was rather sweet to watch :D (Also also: I really love that B5 has not just One BIPOC but a bunch of them in a bunch of different roles, so they can be both good guys and bad guys. Wasn't aware people were actually doing this in the 90s!)

[selenak]

! Gosh, I was really worried the doctor wasn't going to make it alive, which would have made me annoyed and unhappy. And then I realized this is a 90's show, he would probably make it alive with the help of Our Heroes. (The 90s may have been an idealistic time, but sometimes that's really okay.

Absolutely. During the time of the Orange Menace's reign, I repeatedly watched some of my favourite TNG episodes for just that reason.

I was really intrigued when Sheridan said, "What do you want??" (which, REASONABLE QUESTION) and Kosh was like "DO NOT SAY THAT." I am so interested to know what is going on with Morden and his weird question!

Hehe. Let me tell you, no B5 fan will ever hear "What do you want?" the same way again. The Vorlons have a catch phrase question, too, you'll find out what it is.

That seemed like a very low-tech way of getting hold of him, with the ribbon. What if he'd missed it?

True, but otoh, as Garibaldi's murderous aide has demonstrated, they can't be sure the witting or unwitting Minions of Evil aren't among the station personnel, so if Sheridan received a message via high tech communication, it might end up being monitored.

Also also: I really love that B5 has not just One BIPOC but a bunch of them in a bunch of different roles, so they can be both good guys and bad guys. Wasn't aware people were actually doing this in the 90s!

Based on my limited recollection of 1990s shows: while B5 was better at this than most, Sisko wasn't the only poc on DS9, even not counting Jake and actors who played Klingons (like Worf) who were covered under so much make-up that you couldn't tell. But still - you're right, the norm I recall was pretty much white cast plus one poc.

[redfiona99]

In re: Andreas Katsulas "Though it is something, and that G'Kar does manage to say "thank you" to Sheridan and Delenn and waits with his breakdown until he's out of the room says it all about how desperate he sees the Narn situation as being." *That* noise that he makes when he does get out of there.

I am with Nolan and the fuddy-duddies, and the Jurassic Park the new one trailer has further convinced me of this, we have gone ~30 years since the first Jurassic Park and it's mostly proving the pure CGI still isn't as good as practical effects plus CGI.

[watervole]

Thanks for the detailed write up of Acts of Sacrifice.

My poor DVDs are getting old and that episode simply refused to play. I missed the end of GROPOS too.