"By Any Means Necessary" discussion [spoilers]

[aris-tgd.livejournal.com]

(Sorry for the delay, folks! Working on a night shift + being in the pacific time zone == delays get stretched out.)

This is the discussion post for the episode 1X12, "By Any Means Necessary". 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 "By Any Means Necessary" at the Lurker's Guide.

Comments

[bonspiel.livejournal.com]

Their arc is arguably the widest and most profound, and it is nice to see aspects emerging this early which will become important later on.

I'd forgotten how wide their arc truly was, having not seen the first season in a long time. I totally agree. On the surface it doesn't seem that there's a lot going on - Londo steals G'Kar's plant! G'Kar gets mad! But it shows more of both of their motivations and why they do the things they do.

I like this episode for a lot of the same reasons that others have mentioned. I thought the union plot was dealt with evenhandedness, and it foreshadowed a lot of the later larger issues with the Earth government. I always liked how B5 does give time to the 'background' characters, like the dockhands. One of my favorite episodes, the name of which I've totally forgotten right now, is the one done completely from the POV of two... I think they're maintenance workers? during the war.