"Walkabout" discussion

[ruuger]

This is the discussion post for the episode 3X18 "Walkabout". Spoilers for the whole of the series, including the spin-offs and tie-ins, are allowed here so newbies beware.

Summary:
Kosh' replacement arrives on B5, Sheridan and Lyta test Shadows' weakness, and Franklin tries to find himself on a walkabout in Downbelow.

Extra reading:
The article for "Walkabout" at Lurker's Guide.

Comments

[alexcat.livejournal.com]

Having just watched the episodes that were the best ones, in my opinion, this one was a let down. I'm not sure anyone really cared that Dr. Franklin ran off to find himself just when he was needed the most. I did enjoy the explanation of his 'walkabout' to Garibaldi.

The new Kosh was a jerk though his black suit was rather cool and I noticed that he didn't have angel wings like the old Kosh's. Lyta was not anyone I was glad to see too but having her show up just as Sheridan needed a teep... was it convenience or something more?

I did like the fact that G'kar was able to round up some support for Sheridan among the non-aligned worlds against the shadows.

[rpowell.livejournal.com]

Having just watched the episodes that were the best ones, in my opinion, this one was a let down. I'm not sure anyone really cared that Dr. Franklin ran off to find himself just when he was needed the most.


I keep forgetting how much Stephen Franklin is hated by many of the BABYLON 5 fandom. He is the one character who is constantly criticized more for his flaws than anyone else. Why, I do not know.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

After the big two parter, this one is a quiet story which doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. I haven't rewatched this often, and so there were things I had just plain forgotten, such as the fact Ethan Rayne's, err, Robin Rachs' Narn shows up here, not just in s5, as well as G'Kar's entire subplot. Which was neat to see. (And one reason why I always feel slightly disgruntled about the early s4 implication that only Sheridan could hold the alliance together; imho, it would have made for a better and more democratic story if, like here, the individual members had been able to convince each other it's in everyone's interests to take risks and come through.)

Good old Stephen Franklin is the human cast member who gets laid the most often, but here his love interest of the week is actually there to make a point, and also for an unexpected twist - the first time I saw this episode, I expected there would be A Moral Lesson About Addiction to Franklin, but no, turns out she needs the opiates because of her lethal illness, and is doing the best she can with the short time she has left. I like that.

Kosh II: during first broadcast I thought, oh no, is JMS going to cheapen Kosh's death by introducing a replacement just like him? Should have known better, because we get signals this Vorlon isn't like Kosh early on, and it's not just via the darker colours of the encounter suit. The treatment of Lyta is abusive from the get go. (Which tells you something about not just the Vorlons, but also Lyta; she gave the Vorlons, not just Kosh but all the Vorlons, the same type of unconditional belief she had for the Corps before she got disillusioned, and she's about to be confronted with reality just as badly, if not worse.)

Continuity relevance: I misremembered something - I thought this was the first time we get a hint Lyta is now more than a P5, but actually, no, we don't. She does stop one Shadow vessel, but with difficulties, and it's no more than the Minbari telepaths (of unknown grades) do as well. Otoh, this is the first time we - and Lyta - find out something of original Kosh might have survived within Sheridan.

Not a favourite episode, but an okay one. And hey, next week comes the one JMS, no modest fellow, is ashamed for to this day, so...

[4thofeleven.livejournal.com]

Probably the weakest episode in a very strong run on either side of it. Yeah, ‘Grey 17’ is silly – but it’s a fun sort of silly. This just feels like a waste of time.

I think the main problem is the A plot is focused exclusively on the least interesting regular character, Dr. Franklin. To a degree, the episode is almost commenting on the character as written – who is Franklin, besides his job? I don’t know, but unfortunately this episode doesn’t do much to make me care about him either. Londo might be an interesting enough character to justify an entire episode being written about him meeting an attractive woman and sleeping with her, but nobody else really is, let alone Franklin.

Oh, and can I just mention that the term ‘walkabout’ originated as something of a disparaging description by white landowners of the supposed tendency of Aboriginal workers to disappear for days at a time? In so far as ‘walkabout’ actually exists as an actual spiritual journey, it generally refers to coming-of-age ceremonies in which an adolescent will attempt to retrace the paths of his people’s mythical ancestors. Now it’s entirely possible that it’s intentional that Dr. Franklin has completely mangled the meaning and is cheerfully appropriating bits of a culture he knows nothing about, and that this is part of demonstrating he’s still a self-centred arrogant ass that needs a kick in the head, but it bugs me.

The plot with the singer might be also meant to illustrate that Franklin’s still being a judgemental ass – but it lacks any real bite since, well, Franklin is pretty justified in assuming the singer’s an addict after she’s, you know, asked him to buy her narcotics then stolen his wallet to buy some all without explaining that she has a legitimate need. It just feels pointless filler. Oh, and her looking through prisms thing? I guess it’s meant to be cute, but it seems like it’d really get on your nerves if you actually had to spend time with her.

Um. B-plot. I’m going to interpret it as symptomatic of Vorlon arrogance that Kosh2’s impersonation of Kosh consists entirely of saying “KOSH!”, rather than, you know, trying to get an encounter suit or ship that looks like Kosh’s. You will not question the Vorlon ambassador!

Man, Lyta gets no respect – I mean, I remembered nobody was really friends with her, but I’d forgotten that nobody even directly informed her Kosh was dead!

Oh, and what exactly is a Narn warship bringing to the fight that couldn’t be provided by, say, another Minbari cruiser?

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

I have never actually managed to get through this episode, because I always watch as far as the explanation of what a walkabout is, and have to switch off.

Because while it's true that going walkabout was an essential part of some Indigenous Australian cultures, it is also part of a very old racist cliche, that Aboriginals are not to be relied upon, as they will go walkabout when there's hard work needing to be done. Those damn black people are just so lazy. Etc. I remember vividly reading dialogue along those lines in several Australian kids books from as late as the 1960s.

In short, aside from the fact that it hits me as being extra dodgy that it's The Only Black Regular who is going off on his own right before a really devastating and predictable war is about to begin, he's also saying, "BRB, have to achieve enlightenment through cultural appropriation". And that just makes me uncomfortable.

[ruuger]

This has been bothering me all morning, and both Lurker's Guide and JMSNews fail me, but hasn't JMS said that Franklin's walkabout was based on his own experiences? Or am I just thinking about the mugging in "The Face of the Enemy"?

[vjs2259.livejournal.com]

I almost skipped this commentary cause I suspected it would go a bit aft agley. As it has, but here goes anyway.

Stephen's journey fascinates me, although I don't think it was particularly well done, it's a neat concept. I wonder at JMS's decision to place it here, and whether it was just done in order to culminate at Shadow Dancing. Also to give us some moral ambiguity (Is he deserting his post at a crucial juncture? Or taking himself out of the picture since he can no longer trust his own judgment?) Arrogance and a cultivated air of infallibility are pretty integral to the medical profession; constant second-guessing can be crippling,, although lack of self-reflection and humility is also disastrous. It's a narrow path to walk, and it's not surprising many fall to one side or the other.

I like Lyta's return, and her pathetic attempts to find out what happened to her boss?friend?patron?mentor? She really does have a basis for grievance. No wonder she hangs with Vorlons, they may only use her, but at least they see her. I really like Dr. Hobbes. And doesn't anyone in this crew watch fashion trends? First Londo's uniform changes, now Vorlons who like leather...not a good sign.

I always assumed Sheridan's later change in attitude towards Lyta came from his sense of betrayal?disgust? at the Vorlons and inability to trust her afterwards, but my husband made an interesting suggestion...that his sympathy towards Lyta here is Kosh reaching out to her. I really, really love that idea.

It's always interesting to see more of Downbelow and the citizenry therein. Cailyn's attitude towards staying where she is actually needed is a slap at Stephen although he doesn't get it yet. She's been pared down to her essence already; he's in the process. And give Stephen credit; he and Marcus are the only two who bother with lurkers (plus Garibaldi but except for oh, war veteran guy, name escapes me, it's in a policing way rather than helping or understanding way.)

I do know one other person who likes Byron, over at the B5 Podcast. Their commentary on S5 was rather interesting in that regard. Not quite enough to convince me, but interesting.

And frankly, any episode that gets Richard Biggs out of his shirt? Can't really call that a waste...