Babylon 5 Rewatch: Sic Transit Vir/ A Late Delivery From Avalon

[selenak]

Sic Transit Vir

Aka still the only Centauri centric episode I have problems with. My main problem hasn't changed, but before I get to that, let me say that the rewatch reminded me of something I had forgotten, i.e. that in addition to the Vir and Lyndisty plot, this episode also has the Sheridan/Delenn subplot. (Which contributes to the general "romcom with war crimes" feeling that's my main problem, as crystallized in the punchline.) Watching this and the subsequent episode directly after another also brought home that both are attempts of offering breathers, comic relief mixed with some serious character stuff, after the tense three parter chronicling the break from Earth, only I think A Late Delivery from Avalon does it better.

Which isn't to say Sic Transit Vir hasn't got much to offer. Stephen Furst shines in it, both in serious and comic ways. The second scene with Ivanova where he asks her for (sexual) relationship advice, is hilarious (and could easily have been cringe worthy, but is not). By contrast, his facial acting after he and Virini have the "Narn joke" exchange in the teaser and Vir turns around already says it all, and his tormented "because I had to do something!" outburst in the big climactic scene cuts to the bone. (As I said in the much earlier episode where G'Kar hold his then hardly listened to speech and he and Vir have their elevator "dead...dead....dead" scene later, it's a sublime irony that the one person who truly listened to G'Kar that day, took his words to heart and let action follow was Vir.) Even the very start, with Vir touching the imperial throne, is a neat character touch, given two eps earlier he has heard he will be Emperor one day, and Centauri believe in prophecies. (If anyone wants to quote "prophecy is just a guess that comes true" from s5, that's not actual Vir speaking bot Londo's inner version of him.) As for the Sheridan and Delenn subplot, it's them being cute(sy) again, which I remember used to annoy me upon first watching, but now, upon rewatch, I was more in a "aw, you two" mood and felt they did deserve that break. Also, Delenn does like to tease Sheridan with her occasional pretense at taking an English expression literal, doesn't she.

But. Like I said, my central problem is still there. Lyndisty's little speech revealing her to have actively and enthusiastically participated in hundreds of genocidal war crimes ("pacification") on Narn makes the last scene between Vir and her feel like Oskar Schindler/Amon Göth RPF, to put it drastically. (Incidentally, rewatch also reminded me we never find out what happened with the tied up Narn Lyndisti presented to Vir. Evidently he didn't kill him or let her kill him, but what happened? Did he drag her away and gave an anonymous call to station security? And if so, did the Narn try to fulfill his blood oath again?) You can't go back to RomCom after a reveal like that. Not to mention it's inconsistent with Vir's behaviour in early s4 in a not dissimilar situation, more about this in spoiler space. The last time I beat this particular deceased equine, a friend pointed out to me that Vir believes Londo can redeem himself, so it makes sense he still has hope for Lyndisty as well. Well, Vir has known Londo for two and a half years, and has observed his highs and lows close up, whereas he met Lyndisty only days earlier. Also, "one day, he'll surprise you" (Vir about Londo to Delenn and Lennier earlier this eason) isn't the same as "what relationship doesn't have its ups and downs?" (after Lyndisty kissed him goodbye in the last sccene).

Years ago, when I did my big Angel the series rewatch, it struck me that the end of Disharmony (season 2) does the same thing as athis sentence does: it sacrifices character development for the sake of a cheap gag. (In the case of the AtS episode: Wesley tells Angel he can't expect to buy Cordelia's forgiveness after the months of enstrangement and will have to work for it, then Cordelia rushes in, thanks Angel for the new dresses and makes clear he totally bought her forgiveness.) Vir going from being horrified at Lyndisty's actions to making said comment just because she's a really good kisser is the same thing. Plus, here comes spoiler space so I can point out the inconsistency:

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Early in s4, Vir initially objects to Londo's idea that they'll have to kill Cartagia to save the Republic and asks whether there isn't another solution. Then he actually meets Cartagia and gets exposed to Cartagia's gleeful cruelty towards G'Kar. After listening to Cartagia's boast about his torture of G'Kar, Vir without hesitation tells Londo he was wrong, they need to by all means kill this man. Yes, Vir knows G'Kar personally whereas he doesn't know the Narn Lyndisty captured, or the many she killed before, but Vir of all the people has shown that it didn't matter to him whether he knew the Narn he saved or not, he just needed to save as many as he could. If Vir had known Lyndisty for a longer time and had grown to love her, okay, but in fact, he has known Lyndisty and Cartagia for the exact same length of time before deciding that one needs to die and marriage with the other might work out in the future, possibly, despite them showing the same character qualities. Surely the series doesn't want to say Vir would have had a different opinion of Cartagia if Cartagia had offered sex?

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A late delivery from Avalon

I remember this one as being somewhat unpopular, but I like it a lot. IMO unlike the previous one it does manage to reconcile the comedy elements with the darker text. Also, the "Garibaldi vs the post office" subplot is silly, but in an enjoyable way. I think the main reason why "Arthur" works for me is because Michael York plays him straight, not over the top, and the show doesn't make light of the very serious issue plaguing him. At the same time, G'Kar enjoying the chance for some unambigious righteous team up against villainous bullies and getting knighted as the result is both funny and touching. And now I'm reminded again that someone ought to write post episode fanfic starring "Arthur" among the Narn.

The tie-in to the Earth/Minbari war backstory is necessary, but at the same time I've always suspected that JMS also wanted to write a T.S.White (or the White based musical Camelot)/B5 crossover, since the characterisation of Arthur and the knights, in as much as the episode gives them, seem to be pretty White-ean. (In universe, it makes sense that the unfortunate David would have gotten his Arthurian lore from there.) Speaking of Watsonian explanations, I appreciate Stephen Franklin pointing out the Vorlons conserved Jack the Ripper, so they might as well have done the same to Arthur, before regretfully concluding Arthur's modern English nixes that idea. (Hey, another fanfic idea: five different versions of Arthur from different media put into that story, and how that would change the plot, or not.) Otoh, minus points for Dr Franklin for trying to force Arthur/David to confront his trauma. Good therapy, this was not.

Marcus choosing Galahad as his Arthurian alter ego is pretty telling. With G'Kar as Gawaine, Kosh as Merlin and Franklin as Bedivere, while Sheridan gets cast as Arthur himself, that doesn't leave just the question Marcus poses - "Who's Morgan le Fay?" - which will be answered before the season is over, but also "who's Lancelot"? https://selenak.dreamwidth.org/1494473.htmlThe obvious candidate emerges in s5.

The other episodes