I rewatched this ten days ago as I knew I would be on the road by the time it came along, so, out of recent memory:
After the dry spell of the last three eps, this one really is top notch B5 again. Both the Minbari main plot and the telepath sub plot are compelling, though I agree the actress who plays Alisa could be better.
This is the debut of Neroon on the show and the first episode to really showcase (after the pilot) the warrior/ religious caste divide. Upon rewatching, it strikes me, as it does likeadeuce, that the ambigous way this episode presents Delenn really wouldn't be done during the Sheridan days (where she's automatically assumed to be good), at least not during seasons 2 and 3; season 4 will bring back Delenn's ambiguity and that of Neroon (who spends most of his guest appearances during s2 and 3 being presented in a negative light), and lets Neroon end up a hero. I'm also somewhat influenced by deborah_judge's and eyeofcat's fanfiction in that Delenn's certainty that she knows what Bramner would have wanted, and that her way is the right way is really incredibly arrogant; Bramner did, after all, make the choice to switch castes from religous to warrior. No wonder Neroon behaves just as arrogant and hostile towards her in s2 once she's out of the Grey Council, whose authority she here throws in his face.
With hindsight: which makes the Delenn/Neroon reconciliation in s4, their shared plan to end the Minbari civil war and Neroon's sacrifice, which includes another caste switch, all the more poignant and a great end to wrap up that particular storyline, because it could be said many of the seeds for the Minbari civil war are sown here.
Shallow comment: why isn't there more Delenn/Neroon or in fact any Delenn/Neroon? They have terrific chemistry, and he challenges her the way neither of the other men in her life do.
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Date: 2009-05-18 03:12 pm (UTC)After the dry spell of the last three eps, this one really is top notch B5 again. Both the Minbari main plot and the telepath sub plot are compelling, though I agree the actress who plays Alisa could be better.
This is the debut of Neroon on the show and the first episode to really showcase (after the pilot) the warrior/ religious caste divide. Upon rewatching, it strikes me, as it does
With hindsight: which makes the Delenn/Neroon reconciliation in s4, their shared plan to end the Minbari civil war and Neroon's sacrifice, which includes another caste switch, all the more poignant and a great end to wrap up that particular storyline, because it could be said many of the seeds for the Minbari civil war are sown here.
Shallow comment: why isn't there more Delenn/Neroon or in fact any Delenn/Neroon? They have terrific chemistry, and he challenges her the way neither of the other men in her life do.