"Survivors" discussion [spoilers]

[aris-tgd.livejournal.com]

This is the discussion post for the episode 1X11, "Survivors". Spoilers for the whole of the series, including the spin-offs and tie-ins, are allowed here so newbies beware.

Extra reading:

The article for "Survivors" at Lurker's Guide.

Comments

[selenak.livejournal.com]

My problem with this the first time around was that I thought "oh, please, he's a regular, of course he'll clear his name and won't lose his job". Ahem. Little did I know. *eyes season 4 and 5, and Garibaldi's storyarc in same* But anyway, that made me feel a bit impatient with the episode initially.

Rewatching, I still don't think it's one of the first season's best, but it is a good character episode for Garibaldi, the first one he gets, and very important continuity wise as it introduces us to his alcoholism, which has been hinted at but not spelled out before. I like that the show actually did let him fall of the wagon instead of just having people wrongfully suspecting he did (in addition to all the other wrongful suspicions); it's interesting to compare and contrast this to what happens in s5. Here, Garibaldi is able to pull himself together again (this one fall is not the start of a new alcoholic binge), in the future, he won't be, not without massive intervention and help. I think the key difference aren't friends - he has them in both scenarios - but that in Survivors, he finds something definite to do, something he's good at - clear up the mystery, clear his name. Whereas what triggers his fall in s5 is that he feels helpless, that he can't fight against a prohibition inserted in his mind.

Lianna is a character with a not-stellar actress but whom I wish they had brought back anyway, maybe as part of the Earth civil war storyline, because the "uncle" type of relationship added something to Garibaldi's character.

I loved the scenes with G'Kar and Londo respectively, predictably enough.