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b5_revisitedRecap and discussion for 4 x 8 – The Illusion of Truth
This was an awful episode to watch. We know the real truth of Babylon 5 and we know what Randall and ISN are going to do to it. But we have no idea how bad it actually is until we watch, along with Sheridan, Ivanova and Delenn.
The episode opens with Sheridan and Susan discussing the station since the embargo. They also mention that Zack is doing well as head of security, even mentioning that there have been no incidents.
At this precise time, Zack’s men are trying to confiscate some cargo that the owner will not identify. Zack shoots and opens one of the crates, maybe on purpose, maybe not. A camera rises from it. The reporter tells Zack, “You just made the evening news.”
Franklin is telling Sheridan about a problem they are having with the cryo units that the telepaths are in and how they’re have to move them in order to save the teeps.
Sheridan gets a message: He’s here. He says there is something worse than shadows: reporters.
The reporter is Dan Randall of ISN and he tells Sheridan that Ivanova threatened to throw him out an airlock. Sheridan jokingly tells her she should always take their clothes first. The reporter claims that he is there to give them a fair chance at saying at least some of what they want to. “Work with us and we’ll get some of your points across.”
We see someone hiring Garibaldi to find a Drazi religious statue they’ve hidden treasures in. Then Lennier comes to him, telling him that he finds it hard to believe that Garibaldi quit. Garibaldi said he needed to do it for himself and when Lennier tried to say the Captain, Garibaldi said “speak of the devil and he appears” just as Sheridan came in with the reporter, looking for Lennier.
Sheridan asks Lennier to show the reporter around the station, knowing that Lennier will be honest. As Sheridan walks away, he gives Garibaldi a hard look.
Garibaldi looks at the photo of the statue and flashes to someone saying: “You work for no one but us.”
The reporter mentions seeing a ship being repaired outside the station. Lennier says the ships pay for their parts but the station donates the labor. We see Lennier head butt a camera then he takes Randall to Down Below, telling him that many people who come here, especially now, cannot find work and end up living in Down Below, but that the Captain tries to find jobs for them to help them. They run into Franklin, who is donating his time at a clinic in Down Below. He speaks to someone on his comm about the cryo units.
They run into Londo complaining about his quarters being cold. He points a finger at Sheridan.
Randall interviews Sheridan and Delenn, though they say little, dodging questions about their relationship. Sheridan says Clark forced their hand when he declared Marshall Law. About their relationship. Delenn says, “The heart does what the heart does,” When pressed about whether people will accept them or not, John says they will have to.
Randall goes to Garibaldi. Garibaldi says he has nothing to say. Randall says he understands that Garibaldi is the only one who has been here since the station came online.
We jump to Susan and John getting ready to watch the show. Delenn joins them. John mentions that they were careful about what they said so it can’t be that bad.
ISN comes on and one of the stories is about hearings and people confessing to giving aid to the enemy (aliens) and we see a forced confession on the air. It reminds me of the McCarthy communist hunts.
Then we get to the story. Randall says B5 is full of humans living in filth while aliens have the good accommodations. A Minbari oversees them all and calls the shots, referring to his tour guide, Lennier.
He calls upon some psychiatrist expert who says that Sheridan has Helsinki Syndrome, a reference to Stockholm syndrome, in which he identifies with his enemies. He goes on to babble rather incoherently about Minbari War syndrome as well.
Randall mentions the cryo units then focuses on the ships being repaired outside B5, claiming that Earth taxes are paying to build a fleet of ships for our enemy.
He moves on to the interview with John and Delenn, in which we can see that he as obviously changed the questions, making it look as if they plan on attacking Earth.
Then we see what Garibaldi said, that Sheridan thinks he’s a god and can decide what is right for everyone and everything. It is then that anyone should be realizing there is something very wrong with Michael.
Back to the cryo units – obviously they are keeping a force of slaves here that they can thaw as needed. We even see Franklin deny there are cryo units there.
Randall says it is obvious that Sheridan is using humans to build a fleet to be used to invade earth. Sheridan is sick and thinks all humans should be become part alien, obviously influenced by Delenn.
He then mentions that Sheridan’s family farm has just burned and no one knows where his father is. (John mentioned earlier that he has not heard from his father in quite a while.)
Through the camera’s eye, we see Susan leave, Delenn leave then John turns the screen off.
*
In a departure, I will say that this episode hits very close to home. In my own country, we have reps of the president using terms such as ‘alternate facts’ to propagate lies and propaganda. We have a new slogan – America First and I’m waiting for the Ministry of Peace but perhaps we already have that in the Department of Homeland Security. We are not allowing people from ‘certain countries’ to come into our land while our allies are being insulted by our leadership and our secrets are being given by our own president to those who might harm us.
I am saddened by this episode simply because I fear it as a harbinger of things to come in my country and perhaps others.
*
What do YOU think?
This was an awful episode to watch. We know the real truth of Babylon 5 and we know what Randall and ISN are going to do to it. But we have no idea how bad it actually is until we watch, along with Sheridan, Ivanova and Delenn.
The episode opens with Sheridan and Susan discussing the station since the embargo. They also mention that Zack is doing well as head of security, even mentioning that there have been no incidents.
At this precise time, Zack’s men are trying to confiscate some cargo that the owner will not identify. Zack shoots and opens one of the crates, maybe on purpose, maybe not. A camera rises from it. The reporter tells Zack, “You just made the evening news.”
Franklin is telling Sheridan about a problem they are having with the cryo units that the telepaths are in and how they’re have to move them in order to save the teeps.
Sheridan gets a message: He’s here. He says there is something worse than shadows: reporters.
The reporter is Dan Randall of ISN and he tells Sheridan that Ivanova threatened to throw him out an airlock. Sheridan jokingly tells her she should always take their clothes first. The reporter claims that he is there to give them a fair chance at saying at least some of what they want to. “Work with us and we’ll get some of your points across.”
We see someone hiring Garibaldi to find a Drazi religious statue they’ve hidden treasures in. Then Lennier comes to him, telling him that he finds it hard to believe that Garibaldi quit. Garibaldi said he needed to do it for himself and when Lennier tried to say the Captain, Garibaldi said “speak of the devil and he appears” just as Sheridan came in with the reporter, looking for Lennier.
Sheridan asks Lennier to show the reporter around the station, knowing that Lennier will be honest. As Sheridan walks away, he gives Garibaldi a hard look.
Garibaldi looks at the photo of the statue and flashes to someone saying: “You work for no one but us.”
The reporter mentions seeing a ship being repaired outside the station. Lennier says the ships pay for their parts but the station donates the labor. We see Lennier head butt a camera then he takes Randall to Down Below, telling him that many people who come here, especially now, cannot find work and end up living in Down Below, but that the Captain tries to find jobs for them to help them. They run into Franklin, who is donating his time at a clinic in Down Below. He speaks to someone on his comm about the cryo units.
They run into Londo complaining about his quarters being cold. He points a finger at Sheridan.
Randall interviews Sheridan and Delenn, though they say little, dodging questions about their relationship. Sheridan says Clark forced their hand when he declared Marshall Law. About their relationship. Delenn says, “The heart does what the heart does,” When pressed about whether people will accept them or not, John says they will have to.
Randall goes to Garibaldi. Garibaldi says he has nothing to say. Randall says he understands that Garibaldi is the only one who has been here since the station came online.
We jump to Susan and John getting ready to watch the show. Delenn joins them. John mentions that they were careful about what they said so it can’t be that bad.
ISN comes on and one of the stories is about hearings and people confessing to giving aid to the enemy (aliens) and we see a forced confession on the air. It reminds me of the McCarthy communist hunts.
Then we get to the story. Randall says B5 is full of humans living in filth while aliens have the good accommodations. A Minbari oversees them all and calls the shots, referring to his tour guide, Lennier.
He calls upon some psychiatrist expert who says that Sheridan has Helsinki Syndrome, a reference to Stockholm syndrome, in which he identifies with his enemies. He goes on to babble rather incoherently about Minbari War syndrome as well.
Randall mentions the cryo units then focuses on the ships being repaired outside B5, claiming that Earth taxes are paying to build a fleet of ships for our enemy.
He moves on to the interview with John and Delenn, in which we can see that he as obviously changed the questions, making it look as if they plan on attacking Earth.
Then we see what Garibaldi said, that Sheridan thinks he’s a god and can decide what is right for everyone and everything. It is then that anyone should be realizing there is something very wrong with Michael.
Back to the cryo units – obviously they are keeping a force of slaves here that they can thaw as needed. We even see Franklin deny there are cryo units there.
Randall says it is obvious that Sheridan is using humans to build a fleet to be used to invade earth. Sheridan is sick and thinks all humans should be become part alien, obviously influenced by Delenn.
He then mentions that Sheridan’s family farm has just burned and no one knows where his father is. (John mentioned earlier that he has not heard from his father in quite a while.)
Through the camera’s eye, we see Susan leave, Delenn leave then John turns the screen off.
*
In a departure, I will say that this episode hits very close to home. In my own country, we have reps of the president using terms such as ‘alternate facts’ to propagate lies and propaganda. We have a new slogan – America First and I’m waiting for the Ministry of Peace but perhaps we already have that in the Department of Homeland Security. We are not allowing people from ‘certain countries’ to come into our land while our allies are being insulted by our leadership and our secrets are being given by our own president to those who might harm us.
I am saddened by this episode simply because I fear it as a harbinger of things to come in my country and perhaps others.
*
What do YOU think?
