Episode 1 x 10 - Believers

[alexcat]

Believers – 1 x10

Here is a recap at TV Tropes: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/BabylonFiveS01E10Believers

There is also a discussion post here: https://b5-revisited.dreamwidth.org/88433.html

The alien mother M'Ola:



And young Shon:



I personally hate this episode. I have lost a child and simply cannot fathom any religion that would be this stupid. Period. I understand the politics and the sticky situation, but at the end of the day, I’d have done what Franklin did. Franklin had an oath to uphold as well. He is a bit on the arrogant side, but we come to know this is his character.

Kosh got the best line with “The avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote.”

It would appear that no one is willing to stick their neck out either way in this one except Stephen. Is he arrogant? Yes, he is always that. Is he wrong? Hell no. Is Sinclair right? As captain, I suppose so but I’m still with Franklin on this one.

There are real ethical problems here, I suppose, but I simply don’t see them. It’s all pretty black and white to me.

The raiders subplot never interested me much even though it led to more eventually. We did get to see Ivanova show off a bit.

Comments

[conuly]

Franklin's real problem was doing this operation without a plan. He should've either arranged some sort of foster care for the child - and most assuredly there are people of that species who are not so fundamentalist on this point - or found a plausible lie to tell the parents.

I have lost a child and simply cannot fathom any religion that would be this stupid. Period.

Christian Scientists? JWs? There's lots of faiths in the real world which strictly limit the sort of medical treatment their worshippers can get.

[alexcat]

Oh, I know they're out there. I still cannot imagine making that decision.

[jesuswasbatman]

This is the episode that I had much more negative views on during my rewatch than when I first saw it, as when it was first broadcast it was such a shocking subversion of a Star Trek: The Next Generation "issue of the week" episode, but now... it's basically just a Star Trek: The Next Generation "issue of the week" episode.

[alexcat]

I didn't actually watch ST: NG so that wasn't true for me. As much as I disliked the episode, it was typical of JMS and his penchant for looking into the dark sides of faith and patriotism as well (in other episodes)

[shipperslist]

As a nurse who has treated patients who have...stupid beliefs, yeah. In Finland, JW kids are taken into temporary CPS custody during their hospital stay if their medical condition requires blood transfusions. I don't treat kids which I'm just happy about. And there was this documentary a while ago about a kid with terminal cancer whose parents taught them that them dying was predestined and god's will and all that shit. It was infuriating to watch and absolutely heartbreaking to listen to that brainwashed little kid talk how they're meant to die young and the pain is for the glory of god.

(However, stomping over the patient's will isn't right either. I'm not saying that's what happens here or what usually happens with kids, but that's also something I've seen at my line of work: doctors deciding what the patients want even thought the patient clearly states their mind. Treating by force is a terrible, terrible thing. Which is a completely different thing that happens here.)

I enjoyed Ivanova getting some badass action for a change.

[alexcat]

There have been court cases here but I don't think there is a certain ruling that applies to all. It is a dilemma and I'm sure it comes up more and more as people's beliefs spiral into an unending insane level.