Babylon 5: A Race Through Dark Places
May 27, 2018 9:02 AM - Season 2, Episode 8 - Subscribe
Bester is chasing telepaths who are leaving Earth space, and the trail leads to Babylon 5... "Would it interest you to know that I'm married, Mr. Garibaldi? That I have a five-year-old daughter? That on Sundays when I'm back home, we pack a picnic lunch and go out under the dome on Syria Planum and watch the stars come out? Hardly the description of a monster."
-The PsiCorps refrain is... creepy. You were raised by the Corps, Clothed by the Corps. We are your father, And your mother.
-Bester kills a rogue telepath during a telepathic interrogation on Mars. Turns out the "Underground Telepath Railroad" is funneling telepaths, fleeing PsiCorps, out through Babylon 5.
-The command staff are all very unhappy to see Bester, but they do have to help him. Orders are orders.
-Garibaldi investigates. He suspects Ivanova of participating in the railroad (not unreasonably, given Ivanova-saving-the-telepath-kid and Ivanova's hatred of PsiCorps), but it's not her.
-Turns out the reason Franklin was so aggressive about the unlicensed clinic in Downbelow in "The Quality of Mercy" was that his unlicensed clinic in Downbelow provided cover for his role in the underground railroad.
-After recent events (a psi-modified terrorist trying to kill her under PsiCorps authority; her ex-husband trying to get her to agree to secret illegal experimentation under the guise of 'freedom'; PsiCorps driving her mentor and lover, Ironheart, insane in an attempt to try to create a 'stable' TK), Talia is distinctly less happy with PsiCorps than she was a year ago. So when there is an assassination attempt on Bester ("They must be getting desperate to try something like this. They know we're onto them. Why else would they try to kill me?" "Is this a multiple-choice question?") also leads to Talia's capture, she is unsurprisingly sympathetic to the psi-refugees' stories of rape, abuse, and murder at the hands of PsiCorps.
-Nevertheless, when Bester catches up to them, Talia turns on the refugees and helps Bester kill them all. Psych! She used her Ironheart-boosted powers, alongside a chain of refugees, to make Bester see an illusion. He leaves happy, the psi-refugees leave happy, everyone is happy. Except Talia. Always.
-Franklin gets out of the underground railroad business as it is now too dangerous.
-Two minor subplots this week: Delenn goes to dinner with Sheridan in a Little Black Dress, drawing some negative attention. Sheridan and Ivanova fight to keep their deluxe apartments.
-Talia and Ivanova are finally really getting along well together, after the very frosty beginning in the first episode.
-Ivanova mentions offhand that Babylon 5 is losing money on commercial docking fees as the docks have been filled with Earth military ships. But... Earth isn't at war.
-Garibaldi muses on PsiCorps: "The Corps got started because we were afraid of telepaths, now they're victims of our own fears. We took away every right they had and shoved them into a big black box called Psi Corps. Now look at them. Black uniforms, jackboots, giving orders. Some days they scare the hell out of me."
-The PsiCorps refrain is... creepy. You were raised by the Corps, Clothed by the Corps. We are your father, And your mother.
-Bester kills a rogue telepath during a telepathic interrogation on Mars. Turns out the "Underground Telepath Railroad" is funneling telepaths, fleeing PsiCorps, out through Babylon 5.
-The command staff are all very unhappy to see Bester, but they do have to help him. Orders are orders.
-Garibaldi investigates. He suspects Ivanova of participating in the railroad (not unreasonably, given Ivanova-saving-the-telepath-kid and Ivanova's hatred of PsiCorps), but it's not her.
-Turns out the reason Franklin was so aggressive about the unlicensed clinic in Downbelow in "The Quality of Mercy" was that his unlicensed clinic in Downbelow provided cover for his role in the underground railroad.
-After recent events (a psi-modified terrorist trying to kill her under PsiCorps authority; her ex-husband trying to get her to agree to secret illegal experimentation under the guise of 'freedom'; PsiCorps driving her mentor and lover, Ironheart, insane in an attempt to try to create a 'stable' TK), Talia is distinctly less happy with PsiCorps than she was a year ago. So when there is an assassination attempt on Bester ("They must be getting desperate to try something like this. They know we're onto them. Why else would they try to kill me?" "Is this a multiple-choice question?") also leads to Talia's capture, she is unsurprisingly sympathetic to the psi-refugees' stories of rape, abuse, and murder at the hands of PsiCorps.
-Nevertheless, when Bester catches up to them, Talia turns on the refugees and helps Bester kill them all. Psych! She used her Ironheart-boosted powers, alongside a chain of refugees, to make Bester see an illusion. He leaves happy, the psi-refugees leave happy, everyone is happy. Except Talia. Always.
-Franklin gets out of the underground railroad business as it is now too dangerous.
-Two minor subplots this week: Delenn goes to dinner with Sheridan in a Little Black Dress, drawing some negative attention. Sheridan and Ivanova fight to keep their deluxe apartments.
-Talia and Ivanova are finally really getting along well together, after the very frosty beginning in the first episode.
-Ivanova mentions offhand that Babylon 5 is losing money on commercial docking fees as the docks have been filled with Earth military ships. But... Earth isn't at war.
-Garibaldi muses on PsiCorps: "The Corps got started because we were afraid of telepaths, now they're victims of our own fears. We took away every right they had and shoved them into a big black box called Psi Corps. Now look at them. Black uniforms, jackboots, giving orders. Some days they scare the hell out of me."
Interesting contrast between what Bester says about his family life now vs. later in the series.
Monster is as monster does, brah.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:39 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Monster is as monster does, brah.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:39 PM on May 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by flibbertigibbet at 9:08 AM on May 27, 2018