You know, I realized I must have always skipped this episode upon my dvd rewatchs before because I don't recall seeing it in English until now, and the dubbed version missed out that it was Ed Wasser's voice talking to Clark, i.e. that it was Morden who notified Clark of Santiago's demise.
I am amused that between the season opening and this episode, JMS seems to have redrafted Marcus' character. Now Mr. "I don't talk unless I've got something to say" the brooding hero has become the lightheartedly prattling Ivanova foil I usually think of when recalling Marcus Cole. (Good redraft, too.)
The Julie Musante plot: agreed that her hitting on Sheridan as a way of political control doesn't age too well, but that the whole "no homeless, no problems" discussion is still effective. Back then I thought Musante was a satire on both fascist and Orwellian types. (Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia...) These days, I'm more reminded of the more recent past.
The Zack-Garibaldi scene is my favourite thing about the episode, though, because of its emotional reality. And I really like that Zack's deepening dilemma of his involvement with Nightwatch versus principles isn't made easier by Garibaldi being nice, understanding and forgiving. (I'm thinking of the "oh, but character X would so have gone light side if only the good guys hadn't been so mean and judgmental" reactions in fandoms of other shows, about Lindsey MacDonald in the first season of Angel, for example.) It makes Zack's eventual choice far more effective.
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I am amused that between the season opening and this episode, JMS seems to have redrafted Marcus' character. Now Mr. "I don't talk unless I've got something to say" the brooding hero has become the lightheartedly prattling Ivanova foil I usually think of when recalling Marcus Cole. (Good redraft, too.)
The Julie Musante plot: agreed that her hitting on Sheridan as a way of political control doesn't age too well, but that the whole "no homeless, no problems" discussion is still effective. Back then I thought Musante was a satire on both fascist and Orwellian types. (Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia...) These days, I'm more reminded of the more recent past.
The Zack-Garibaldi scene is my favourite thing about the episode, though, because of its emotional reality. And I really like that Zack's deepening dilemma of his involvement with Nightwatch versus principles isn't made easier by Garibaldi being nice, understanding and forgiving. (I'm thinking of the "oh, but character X would so have gone light side if only the good guys hadn't been so mean and judgmental" reactions in fandoms of other shows, about Lindsey MacDonald in the first season of Angel, for example.) It makes Zack's eventual choice far more effective.