Wow. This is definitely one of the big episodes, isn't it! And, interestingly, an episode with, essentially, no B-plot. Everything in the 42 minutes feeds into the attempt to break into Sinclair's memories.
Major air-time for the Requiem for the Line, still one of my very favourite B5 themes.
The biggest thing I noticed here was how well-adjusted Sinclair is! His speech about the line was so powerful, and I really believed that he wanted to kill the Minbari he saw afterwards - "I saw the death of the whole human race", indeed. But we know from the show that he actually has an excellent relationship with Delenn, that he's clearly able to deal with Minbari, despite his past. That takes some doing. And again - they try to guilt him with Mitchell, and though he clearly remembers and mourns that death, he isn't willing to take responsibility for things that aren't actually his fault. Mitchell died disobeying orders, not because of them, and Sinclair knows that, even under stress and drugs and torture.
Other minor Sinclair notes: he's a Marsie! I hadn't remembered that. Although we're also told that he was an Earthforce brat, which might translate to higher status. Also, he apparently sleeps wearing a belt, which I find a little disturbing!
Delenn is the other important character here... I love her little conversation with Franklin about the war; it's set up as her being all grateful for his ethical stance, etc etc, poor little alien protected by the brave human *g*, and then Franklin's question turns it around on her, pointing up the comparison with her own rather bloody history! Which I guess we-the-viewer don't know at this point, any more than Franklin does, but in retrospect it's quite a striking moment.
And at the end, watching her walking out like that when he's armed and crazy: that takes serious guts, and a real solid belief in the relationship that she has with Sinclair, that she'll be able to reach him when even Garibaldi can't. And she's right; Sinclair, even maddened and hallucinating and taken right back to his lowest, remembering the fear and the hatred of the Minbari that he had back on the line, remembering Delenn there as one of his torturers - he still doesn't shoot her. I'm not sure, on a plausibility level, that I find it that convincing, but it's a powerful enough moment that I don't care!
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branchandroot
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Date: 2009-03-15 08:32 pm (UTC)Major air-time for the Requiem for the Line, still one of my very favourite B5 themes.
The biggest thing I noticed here was how well-adjusted Sinclair is! His speech about the line was so powerful, and I really believed that he wanted to kill the Minbari he saw afterwards - "I saw the death of the whole human race", indeed. But we know from the show that he actually has an excellent relationship with Delenn, that he's clearly able to deal with Minbari, despite his past. That takes some doing. And again - they try to guilt him with Mitchell, and though he clearly remembers and mourns that death, he isn't willing to take responsibility for things that aren't actually his fault. Mitchell died disobeying orders, not because of them, and Sinclair knows that, even under stress and drugs and torture.
Other minor Sinclair notes: he's a Marsie! I hadn't remembered that. Although we're also told that he was an Earthforce brat, which might translate to higher status. Also, he apparently sleeps wearing a belt, which I find a little disturbing!
Delenn is the other important character here... I love her little conversation with Franklin about the war; it's set up as her being all grateful for his ethical stance, etc etc, poor little alien protected by the brave human *g*, and then Franklin's question turns it around on her, pointing up the comparison with her own rather bloody history! Which I guess we-the-viewer don't know at this point, any more than Franklin does, but in retrospect it's quite a striking moment.
And at the end, watching her walking out like that when he's armed and crazy: that takes serious guts, and a real solid belief in the relationship that she has with Sinclair, that she'll be able to reach him when even Garibaldi can't. And she's right; Sinclair, even maddened and hallucinating and taken right back to his lowest, remembering the fear and the hatred of the Minbari that he had back on the line, remembering Delenn there as one of his torturers - he still doesn't shoot her. I'm not sure, on a plausibility level, that I find it that convincing, but it's a powerful enough moment that I don't care!