"Infection" discussion [spoilers]

[ruuger]

This is the discussion post for the episode 1X04, "Infection". Spoilers for the whole of the series, including the spin-offs and tie-ins, are allowed here so newbies beware.

Extra reading:

The article for "Infection" at Lurker's Guide.

Comments

[wychwood]

This episode is actually quite a lot better than I'd remembered! It tends to get picked as "worst B5 episode EVER" quite often, and people mock the ActionHero!Sinclair thing, but there's a lot of decent content, and they actually deconstruct the heroic cliche - Garibaldi's speech at the end is genuinely quite good, and is really talking back to those criticisms. Really, though, Sinclair either has a deathwish or massive amounts of faith in himself! That was a pretty dodgy risk to take.

General background - I was very intrigued by the IPX thing. Ilya Ducky Hendricks is working for IPX, but Franklin's never heard of them and can't find out about them... and Henricks says they are a "front" for a bioweapons firm. This clearly isn't Anna Sheridan's IPX or Max Eilerson's IPX - it has the same basic strategy and ethics, but... continuity error?

C&C - Sinclair tells the journalist that C&C is "a secured area", which people were talking about when Talia turned up there; clearly it *is* supposed to be controlled, but people can still get there! The journalist herself, she apparently got in without difficulty. And I know G'Kar appears there at least once.

I liked the way the exposition was handled in this episode - it was mostly quite smooth. I particularly noticed something I'd liked in earlier episodes, where the senior staff are all together and sort of brain-storming, each of them feeding in their side of the story to give us all the information we need while still feeling relatively natural.

The biggest thing that annoyed me was actually the monster's "ever-increasing power and decreasing latency" thing. How was that supposed to work? Thermodynamics still applies, even if you *are* using organic technology! *g*

...and nice foreshadowing of the "pro-earth extremism" thing. Not to mention Unexpectedly Optimistic Ivanova! Hah.

[ruuger]

This clearly isn't Anna Sheridan's IPX or Max Eilerson's IPX - it has the same basic strategy and ethics, but... continuity error?

I was wondering about that too. Maybe Anna and Eilerson were part of the "front" organisation. Although the idea that the Icarus really was looking for possible bioweapons (perhaps without the crew knowing about it) would fit with Earth later making a deal with the Shadows to get that same technology. And by the time Eilerson is introduced Earth then already has organic technology, so IPX maybe have also changed with the times.

[wychwood]

But - Anna seems to have been involved, seriously, with IPX for some years, and as an archaeologist. If the "front" was that substantial, Franklin would have found about it. IPX having a sideline in selling bioweapons? Absolutely - that's canon, or near as damnit. But it's more than just a front for that, based on everything we see.

When does Anna actually go off with the Icarus? It's some time before Sheridan goes to B5, right? Canon timeline-wise, I think she has *already* gone on that mission, which means IPX ought to be "real" by now...

[ruuger]

Ah, you're right. I'm now trying to remember what we were told about IPX in Shadow Within .

According to the official chronology, the Icarus was on Z'ha'dum about the same time as the events of "The Gathering" took place.

eta: And apparently Mary Kirkish was working for IPX already in 2248, so it really doesn't fit that Franklin has never heard of it :/

[kathrid.livejournal.com]

I don't think IPX fronts for a bioweapons firm, but for Earth Force's bioweapons research division. Basically, they've found biological technology on Mars, but have had trouble understanding it, and IPX is a useful front for acquiring more examples of the same, or similar, technology for further research. They are mostly doing what they claim, just not for the exact reasons they claim.

As such many of the scientists working for them might not notice the lies, especially if they spend most of their time digging stuff up or 'poking it with sticks' in laboratories. And especially if they don't find any shadow tech or other organic tech themselves. They just do their jobs, and what IPX does with it afterwards isn't their business.

[wychwood]

Yeah, that does make sense - like I said, most of the stuff we see about IPX in this really isn't much of a surprise. What I'm mostly quibbling with is the idea that Franklin can't find out anything about the "front" IPX, because that doesn't make any sense of, basically, every other appearance of the organisation in the rest of the show (and Crusade) *g*.

[kathrid.livejournal.com]

I think it might have been trying to keep a low profile before Clark's days because it was part of his 'conspiracy'. Once he was in charge it starts advertising (as seen in And Now for a Word?) and generally more high-profile.

[kathrid.livejournal.com]

C&C - Sinclair tells the journalist that C&C is "a secured area", which people were talking about when Talia turned up there; clearly it *is* supposed to be controlled, but people can still get there! The journalist herself, she apparently got in without difficulty. And I know G'Kar appears there at least once.

Most of the people you see in C&C are people with the authority to get to secure areas, or with an organisation to help them get in. Talia probably has permission to go into C&C for official reasons (such as presenting herself to the ranking officers, as required), G'Kar was an ambassador, and still has a lot of authority with the Narns and so may be let past if he wishes to speak to Commander Ivanova 'confidentially'.

Journalists are adept at getting into such places - it's part of the job after all - although it usually only works once before a particular security hole is closed.