"A Tragedy of Telepaths" discussion

[ruuger]

This is the discussion post for the episode 5x10, "A Tragedy of Telepaths" . Spoilers for the whole of the series, including the spin-offs and tie-ins, are allowed here so newbies beware.

Summary:
The Drakh continue attacking Alliance ships, and on B5 some of Byron's followers are also resorting to violence. Meanwhile on Centauri prime, Londo and G'kar run into an old friend.

Na'Toth's back and Byron and his telepaths are just one episode away from being out. Thoughs? ;)

Extra reading:
The article for "A Tragedy of Telepaths" at The Lurker's Guide.

Comments

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Hooray for original!Na'Toth being back and getting a proper send-off! I love all the Centauri Prime scenes in this episode, naturally. Both the comedy ("animal magnetism, what can I say?") and the very real horror about Na'Toth's time in prison. Especially and including the fact that she was there now because nobody ever countermanded Cartagia's original order, which is the type of bureaucratic horror that somehow is even worse than intentional sadism.

(BTW, it also makes the whole thing with the Drakh believable that Centauri society, or rather the Royal Court, is trained to look away and not to question.)

Na'Toth is also the rare time we see Londo, post-season 3 and thus post-moral nadir, with a Narn other than G'Kar. It's one of my "what if?" speculations to wonder how he'd have responded if Cartagia had produced Na'Toth, rather than G'Kar, as a "present" in early s4. I think he'd still have tried a secret alliance if only because getting rid of Cartagia was so important, but of course no other Narn but G'Kar, and certainly not Na'Toth, would have believed him.

Telepaths: it must have occured to Byron & Co. that sooner or later, someone would call Psi Corps, but then they never big on the logic and planning anyway. This, btw, is where the change of command comes in handy, because Lochley calling Bester makes sense - she does not have personal negative experience with him, and Sheridan continues to be no help at all in the situation he himself created and dumped on her - while I don't think Ivanova would have ever done it, but then Ivanova was earmarked to have an affair with Byron, so... lucky Susan.

Finally: in my personal canon, Na'Toth gets a seat in the Ka'Ri after her recovery.