"And the Sky Full of Stars" discussion [spoilers]

[ruuger]

This is the discussion post for the episode 1X08, "And the Sky Full of Stars". 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 "And the Sky Full of Stars" at Lurker's Guide.

Comments

[swashbuckler332.livejournal.com]

While this is, of course, one of the big season one story arc episodes, it is also one of the first times that we see that the personnel of Babylon 5 aren't always squeaky clean. Benson is a %&$#-up, Sinclair knows it, Garibaldi knows it, the problems he has are not something that is unheard of in Earth Force.

From a science fiction perspective, it was very practical how Garibaldi sets up the search for Sinclair's body. While morbid, it makes perfect sense that this procedure might be used in this context in the same way that lakes were dredged.

While Knight Two is a bit of the standard mustache-twirling television heavy, it is nevertheless an interesting interrogation sequence. The irony of it all being that, if Sinclair could have been able to use the machine to uncover the events of those 24 hours without Knight Two's paranoia, he may have submitted to the procedure; it is an interesting moment when Sinclair himself gets caught up in the mystery of what has happened.

I love the idea that many on Earth who weren't on the Line really didn't understand just how incredibly hopeless mankind's last stand was. Indeed, it always seemed implied to me that the Minbari surrender was spun to make humans come out looking much better by the local government. I have to say that while effective, the special effects in this episode didn't necessarily have the scope necessary to convey the enormity of the battle, but knowing the whole story ahead of time allows one to take this sequence as being Sinclair's experience first and foremost.

This episode gets special mention from a musical perspective because in it Christopher Franke introduces his "Requiem for the Line" theme that will become a significant musical motif throughout the run of the series, and the third season main title. The cue where it is heard in full for the first time is part of the "Mind War" suite heard on Babylon 5 Volume 1 (http://www.sonicimages.com/action.lasso?-database=Products.fp5&-layout=CGI&-response=/2001/Sub/SIR/b5/index.html&-nothing) album (I excerpted this portion as "Sinclair Remembers" for my Babylon 5 (http://swashbuckler332.livejournal.com/667853.html) compilation). There is just something so helpless and desperate about that theme...

[beccastareyes]

While Knight Two is a bit of the standard mustache-twirling television heavy, it is nevertheless an interesting interrogation sequence. The irony of it all being that, if Sinclair could have been able to use the machine to uncover the events of those 24 hours without Knight Two's paranoia, he may have submitted to the procedure; it is an interesting moment when Sinclair himself gets caught up in the mystery of what has happened.

Just goes to show, that I don't think Knights 1 and 2 were sure if Sinclair was lying or not about the report at first. I mean, they probably planned for 'Minbari memory blocks', but I think they might have been hoping that Sinclair was simply lying and that most of the work was getting out exactly how bad Earth's military was compromised.

If they thought that was something like what Psi Corps did to Talia, where Sinclair's personality wasn't aware of a hidden plant and that he was genuinely loyal, they might have lured him in legitimately, which would save all the hassle of smuggling and kidnapping.

I love the idea that many on Earth who weren't on the Line really didn't understand just how incredibly hopeless mankind's last stand was. Indeed, it always seemed implied to me that the Minbari surrender was spun to make humans come out looking much better by the local government.

::nods:: It's come up before when Sinclair talks about the Line, especially to civilians. I suppose it's scary for the government to admit 'yeah, these folks could wipe us out whenever they feel like it, regardless of how many folks in ships we can get out there to shoot at them, and the only reason they didn't wasn't because of our Heroic Last Stand, but because they are weird aliens who surrendered for no reason they'll tell us'. 'Heroic last stand by our brave men and women and other in uniform' sounds so much better.