"A Late Delivery from Avalon" discussion

[ruuger]

This is the discussion post for the episode 3X13, "A Late Delivery from Avalon". Spoilers for the whole of the series, including the spin-offs and tie-ins, are allowed here so newbies beware.

Summary:
A man claiming to be King Arthur arrives on Babylon 5.

Extra reading:
The article for "A Late Delivery from Avalon" at Lurker's Guide.

Comments

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Not one of the great episodes, but I always had a soft spot for it, and that didn't change upon rewatching. (Franklin's clumsy tv-type of psychotherapy not withstanding.) As opposed to "Grail", this strikes me as a successful use of Arthurian tropes on the show; the open gunpoint/ adder parallel works. Also Arthur/David MacIntyre is a likeable character, and much as G'Kar enjoys befriending him, I enjoy watching that. Not that I don't love moral ambiguities, but I can see why G'Kar finds this particular situation relaxing, and God knows, after the non-stop angst ever since "Coming of Shadows", he deserves a break. Especially if it comes in the guise of beating up thugs and saving people with an almost-legend, getting knighted, getting drunk and getting compared to Gawain.

Why anyone was surprised Marcus didn't survive the show I don't know, because by comparing himself to Galahad - who dies upon finally finding the Grail - he practically spells it out. Speaking of foreshadowing: "who is Morgana Le Fay?" is a big hint towards the fact in a few episodes, we're going to meet the late Anna Sheridan. Kosh as Merlin is obvious, Sheridan as Arthur in as much as he has the position; which makes Delenn not the Lady of the Lake (she might be for MacIntyre's Arthur, but not Sheridan's), but Guinevere, and Lennier, obviously, is Lancelot.

It's a pity we never hear from David/Arthur again; I wonder how he fared among the Narn...

[4thofeleven.livejournal.com]

To be fair, Franklin's psychotherapy is portrayed as being completely ineffective, and it is in-character for him to try and handle it himself rather than bringing in an actual psychologist.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

True.

[imhilien.livejournal.com]

This was one of those hit-and-miss episodes for me. I did sympathise though with the trauma that David had gone through, and hope he had a happier life with the Narn.

Of course, comparing the cast to the Round Table people meant that JMS could hint that Kosh wouldn't be *sniffles* around much longer, (sadly, the Wise Mentor character usually snuffs it anyway) and that Sheridan/Arthur might be required to lay down his life to save the land/galaxy. Oh, and that his wife Might Not Be Dead...

I did like G'kar in that fight enjoying himself for once. Always love his line "...and they made a satisfying 'thump' when they hit the ground!"

[4thofeleven.livejournal.com]

It’s funny that this episode and “Sic Transit Vir” were swapped because JMS felt there needed to be a lighter episode after the Severed Dreams sequence, when I feel this episode actually works a lot better as a bit of a break from the major event episodes. Now, admittedly, that’s partially because of the major problems I had with “Sic Transit Vir” as a comedy, but also because this episode despite having some very serious moments is much more fun to watch. It’s got Sir G’Kar, King Arthur returning to Babylon 5 is a fun idea for a stand-alone episode, and the post office plot is one of the few times I think the show’s done that sort of broad comedy in a way that makes me laugh out loud rather than cringe. Plus, “Sic Transit” ends on a bit of a downer, while “Avalon” ends with David largely cured and going off to help the Narn resistance – what’s not to enjoy about that?

On Marcus’s comparisons – I suppose there’s no reason to assume Marcus would be an Arthurian scholar, but it annoys me that ‘Merlin ages backwards’ is treated as a proper part of the Arthurian mythos when it’s purely a creation of T. H. White in the twentieth century. Of course, if we are accepting that trope, then Sinclair becomes a better choice for Merlin than Kosh.

If you like strained comparisons, then if Kosh is Merlin, Sheridan can be the Lady of the Lake/Nimue, in that he’s a student of Kosh who learns his secrets and who becomes the cause of Kosh’s death. Both Kosh and Merlin know their students will cause their destruction, but continue their instruction nonetheless.

The (presumably intended) comparison of Anna Sheridan to Morgan le Fay strikes me as a little insulting to the latter – Anna as seen on screen is a barely autonomous plot device, hardly in the same league as the Arthurian sorceress. Of course, Morgan wasn’t originally a purely villainous character, and despite her later characterisation as the arch-villainess, she still managed to maintain a benevolent role in later sources as one of the sisters who carry the mortally wounded Arthur off to Avalon… which I suppose would make her B5 counterpart Lorien. Which is also a little insulting to Morgan, but I guess it’s a step up from Anna.

So, where did Arthur/MacIntyre get the sword and armor from?

[selenak.livejournal.com]

the post office plot is one of the few times I think the show’s done that sort of broad comedy in a way that makes me laugh out loud rather than cringe

Same here, I forgot to mention this.

On Marcus’s comparisons – I suppose there’s no reason to assume Marcus would be an Arthurian scholar, but it annoys me that ‘Merlin ages backwards’ is treated as a proper part of the Arthurian mythos when it’s purely a creation of T. H. White in the twentieth century.

:) *g* Yes. Mind you, Marcus isn't the only one. After I marathoned Merlin the BBC show I read some meta and it amused me how often the objection "but isn't he supposed to age backwards?" was raised. Now Merlin takes about a thousand gazillion liberties with the traditional myth presentations, but this isn't one of them. Kudos to Mr. White for imprinting so much on people.

Oh, I like Sheridan as Nimue! It even works with Sheridan keeping a bit of Kosh inside him for a while.

Poor Anna isn't in the same league as Morgan Le Fay, yes. Lorien - well, we could stretch again and say the ambiguity of the character is kept by letting him be played by the same actor as Sebastian, so the one who hurts and the one who heals are the same, which is Morgan-esque. Of sorts.

So, where did Arthur/MacIntyre get the sword and armor from?

When in doubt, blame the Vorlons. Maybe they picked him up after the Battle of the Line and equipped him with some leftovers from earlier recruitments?

[widsidh.livejournal.com]

I think the idea is good, but the storytelling suffers from needing too much exposition. Which makes it feel quite heavy-handed (and is a pity).

I liked it first time round, hated it second, and am now back to thinking of it more positively...

I suppose there’s no reason to assume Marcus would be an Arthurian scholar

Tue, he is essentially an (ex-pat) Brit with a sense of history, and as such more likely to have raed TH White (etc.) than Malory (let alone the earlier stuff).

I am surprised that the others seem to know so little about the myth, though; after all, both its history and its modern (at least 20th/21st cent) appeal far transcend this sceptred isle...:-)

So, where did Arthur/MacIntyre get the sword and armor from?

...and how did he get them on the transport in the first place, if security picked him up getting off?!

I also like the post-office plot - another suggestion (after meals, newspapers etc.) that staff have normal human lives!

[ladylavinia.livejournal.com]

This has never been a big favorite of mine. But I must admit that I found it interesting that what seemed like a stand alone episode would prove to be a major part in the Babylon 5 Universe history - especially the Earth-Minbari War.

[kitoky.livejournal.com]

This episode was tough for me to watch the first time because I had no real inkling about the general idea of the episode, since I wasn't particularly interested in alternative-interpretation of Arthurian legend, but it always interested me how Delenn's counterpart sort of "shifts".

[alexcat.livejournal.com]

I actually liked this one. Michael York was a lovely Arthur/David. I've always love Arthurian legend in any carnation and so I was a sucker for this episode.

I think the last few episodes give us some foreshadowing of what is to become of Marcus. He is already a bit of a character from another age... perhaps the age of chivalry. Marcus was probably my favorite character in this show but that could have been because I thought he was so pretty!

I loved the funny bits. Sir G'kar... Bashing heads and drinking himself into a stupor. He was truly a noble knight though, wasn't he? Garibaldi's bit with the Post Office cracked me up. "But sir, it's the POST OFFICE!" I agree that this episode had more comedy to me than the last one. I found the Butcher of whatever she was very off-putting and totally without humor. Marcus was funny too... he and Stephen make a very funny team at times and I'm told the two of them were hilarious at cons when Richard was alive.