"Mind War" discussion [spoilers]

[ruuger]

This is the discussion post for the episode 1X06, "Mind War". 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 "Mind War" at Lurker's Guide.

Comments

[vjs2259.livejournal.com]

I was braced for Ironheart this time and found the acting not as bad as I remembered, although selenak hits the money on the lack of chemistry between him and Talia. Garibaldi had more chemistry with her in the elevator scene.

Things that stuck with me: Susan giving Talia the water, and putting her hand on Sinclair's shoulder to keep him from throttling Bester. Does she see Talia as fellow victim now, and so begin to empathize with her?
Also, altho I like the teep love-making speech, it still seems like TMI for Talia to discuss it with Sinclair. When I first watched, between that and the dinner date, I thought they had a thing going.
Why does Ironheart not twig to Evil!Talia at this point, if he is able to see everything in everyone down to the atomic level? I have theories, but would like to know what others think.
G'Kar telling Catherine that Sinclair is not what he appears to be. G'Kar's telling Catherine we can't communicate with the older races, only stay out of their way. Knowing that we will have to, and that we will--the audacity of humanity.
Who watches the watchmen, and how that will come back to haunt them on various levels.

Lastly, I think telepaths in RL would be feared and despised, much as the show indicates; and then controlled and used if possible, exterminated if not. I'm a bit of a cynic when it comes to human nature.

[alicamel.livejournal.com]

I agree that Talia's speech was a bit TMI, and it does seem like there was a bit of subtext going on there.

I hadn't thouight about Evil!Talia till you mentioned it. My flip answer was that she didn't exist yet, :P, but then perhaps that's true. Maybe it's after this episode that Bester realises he needs to keep an eye on things on B5. I can't really think if there are any suitable gaps in Season 1 where that would happen. I suppose she might return to Psi Corps HQ to find out more about what Jason went through, maybe even volunteer for a less extreme experiment than Jason's to find some answers and end up with Evil!Talia in her head. Hmm, fic possibilities...

[vjs2259.livejournal.com]

Ha! That is my theory, that Evil!Talia was implanted after this happened. Scads of time we don't see her; she's not in every episode, and Bester now has reason to not trust the leadership of the station. My husband maintains Good!Talia was the overlay, and Evil!Tania was the base, so she was there already and Ironheart just missed it, being in extremis and all.

I have something in mind for Talia in an upcoming fic, but it's one of my bizarro AUs so it'll be different ;) It's always different...

[kitoky.livejournal.com]

Re: Evil!Talia

I figure that was just the exit for Andrea Thompson's character and not something that was initiated so early on like now. It's clear that they still intended to expand with Talia's character so it's quite possible that the Evil!Talia personality or even idea didn't even exist (at the writing level---Idk about plot level). To try to theorize around the Powers That Be thing, I suppose alicamel's got something going about visiting back at HQ to maybe give some closure to herself, bury her past of what she had with Jason Ironheart. I can't see her trying to give herself up for an experiment though, after what Ironheart told her. But that isn't to say that the Psi Cops didn't knock her out, implant the thing and wiping her memory.

The exit is this way, please...

[vjs2259.livejournal.com]

I'm sure that was the exit, and a good one it turned out to be for the High Angst of betrayed Susan. But gnawing at the possibilities is such fun, isn't it?
Who came first, Good!Talia or Evil!Talia?

[vjs2259.livejournal.com]

Oh excellent point! I used the vickers in a story once: they seemed so interesting and were just left to hang. That's a great use for them!

[alicamel.livejournal.com]

Oh, I had completely forgotten about that! That makes much more sense with the whole Abbott/Kosh story.

[kathrid.livejournal.com]

My guess is that Ironheart did notice, but was too busy holding himself together to do anything. Possibly his gift, although starting with telekinesis, was actually more the strength for her good personality to survive the return of the evil one and thus be able to hide and return itself.

[widsidh.livejournal.com]

Does she see Talia as fellow victim now, and so begin to empathize with her?

I think she saw her as a victim from the start, or at least, from that first discussion at the bar. In that, she seems frustrated that Thalia does not realize it herself.
Empathy probably came later, and witnessing the scan might have helped...