"The Long Dark" discussion

[ruuger]

This is the discussion post for the episodes 2X05, "The Long Dark". Spoilers for the whole of the series, including the spin-offs and tie-ins, are allowed here so newbies beware.

Summary:
A ship with a cryogenically frozen crew, sent out to search for extraterrestrial life over a hundred years ago, arrives on B5.

Extra reading:

The article for "The Long Dark" at Lurker's Guide.

Comments

[nolivingman.livejournal.com]

Like selenak, I never remember a lot about this episode. Much of my problem with this one is that the Franklin romance plot just really pissed me off to a degree that makes me not like the rest of the episode. It's just so very inappropriate, and him saying so doesn't make me excuse him. And in my mind it's unrealistic as well, because to her mind her husband hasn't been gone for years; it's been one long sleep. I just don't see falling for some other dude that fast.

I do like the ending a lot; the feeling that something bad is happening and that it ties back to the ancient evil.

Also, the Markab break my heart every time I see them now, knowing what is to come.

I enjoyed the Amis and Garibaldi parts of the episode a lot; sometimes I am surprised we don't see more PTSD from the Minbari war, but frankly there probably weren't enough combat survivors to have PTSD.

[vjs2259.livejournal.com]

"sometimes I am surprised we don't see more PTSD from the Minbari war"

I always thought we did see quite a bit of it, just not to the debilitating extent you see it in Amis. Garibaldi's nightmares about the war (he mentions them in this episode); and possibly it exacerbated his paranoia, suspicion, inability to trust, etc.
Sinclair (even with part of his problems being from the memory-wipe), shows some signs; nightmares, his self-destructive tendencies. I would argue that Delenn shows some evidence as well. Not to mention crazy kidnapper guy in Ceremonies of Light and Dark. And Arthur. Lots and lots of effects from that war.

[kathrid.livejournal.com]

I'd also argue that the entire Clark movement was a kind of mass PTSD from the war.

[nolivingman.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't know why I said that; I wasn't really thinking it through, obviously. Oh, well.