"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.