This I remembered alternately as the 'why is this here?' episode between the last three terrific ones and the upcoming Chrysalis, and as the guilty pleasure of seeing June Lockhart back in space.
On re-viewing I liked it better. It's the calm before the storm, and has lots to offer on its own. Stephen and Susan's scene at the Downbelow clinic is priceless, and reveals their similarities as well as their differences. Both will be called on to bend the rules again, and here they see they can trust one another. Londo reaches out a hand in friendship, but can't resist taking advantage. Lennier shows us more of the Minbari concept of honor and their twisty way of using and abusing the truth.
The concept of mind-wipe as a punishment I thought was presented thoughtfully with various viewpoints represented. It makes us uncomfortable and it's supposed to; there are no real good choices here. Sinclair's lack of empathy intrigued me. Would anyone be surprised that a telepath wouldn't want to walk through a killer's mind? Or is this part of the 'telepaths aren't quite human' mindset?
Laura Rosen is clearly doing what she's doing for her own purposes, but the character only intermittently shows her self-interest and obsession, which weakens the whole thing overall. I loved when she got snippy and sarcastic with Stephen. I liked the foreshadowing of obsession on career leading to drug abuse (her use of stims leading to her mistake) and Stephen self-righteousness about all this will come back to bite him. I was also slightly appalled at her judgement of the killer, and her condemning him to a painful death. Was it really necessary? Or could she have drained him to unconsciousness and stopped? Did she really want to just get rid of her own terminal disease at the end? What a temptation that would be.
Rosen says a line at the trial, which I can't remember exactly, but to the effect of 'what I did was reasonable, but it wasn't right.' That concept of taking responsibility for your actions echoes down through the arc. Londo takes no responsibility. Lennier takes responsibility for his own actions, and for Londo's, but he doesn't tell the whole truth. Not even to Delenn, and I'm still thinking about the comment he made about that. Rosen stands in the dock and is acquitted, but knows her actions weren't right, and that she must make amends.
Lots to think about, and that's the best thing about this re-watching!
Confessions of a Lost in Space fan
On re-viewing I liked it better. It's the calm before the storm, and has lots to offer on its own. Stephen and Susan's scene at the Downbelow clinic is priceless, and reveals their similarities as well as their differences. Both will be called on to bend the rules again, and here they see they can trust one another. Londo reaches out a hand in friendship, but can't resist taking advantage. Lennier shows us more of the Minbari concept of honor and their twisty way of using and abusing the truth.
The concept of mind-wipe as a punishment I thought was presented thoughtfully with various viewpoints represented. It makes us uncomfortable and it's supposed to; there are no real good choices here. Sinclair's lack of empathy intrigued me. Would anyone be surprised that a telepath wouldn't want to walk through a killer's mind? Or is this part of the 'telepaths aren't quite human' mindset?
Laura Rosen is clearly doing what she's doing for her own purposes, but the character only intermittently shows her self-interest and obsession, which weakens the whole thing overall. I loved when she got snippy and sarcastic with Stephen. I liked the foreshadowing of obsession on career leading to drug abuse (her use of stims leading to her mistake) and Stephen self-righteousness about all this will come back to bite him. I was also slightly appalled at her judgement of the killer, and her condemning him to a painful death. Was it really necessary? Or could she have drained him to unconsciousness and stopped? Did she really want to just get rid of her own terminal disease at the end? What a temptation that would be.
Rosen says a line at the trial, which I can't remember exactly, but to the effect of 'what I did was reasonable, but it wasn't right.' That concept of taking responsibility for your actions echoes down through the arc. Londo takes no responsibility. Lennier takes responsibility for his own actions, and for Londo's, but he doesn't tell the whole truth. Not even to Delenn, and I'm still thinking about the comment he made about that. Rosen stands in the dock and is acquitted, but knows her actions weren't right, and that she must make amends.
Lots to think about, and that's the best thing about this re-watching!