Recap and Discussion – 3 x 3 – A Day in the Strife

The show opens with Sheridan and Ivanova meeting with the transport association and tempers are flaring. Sheridan has a confrontation with an angry man that could have ended badly but it didn’t. They adjourn until tomorrow.

Councilman Na’Far arrives and announced the Centauri have sent him to represent the Narn on Babylon 5 and that citizen G’kar has to go back home. Sheridan declines to intervene.

Franklin and Garibaldi are having dinner and Garibaldi notes that he looks bad and he seems tired. He goes to the restroom and comes back hyper.

Na’Far visits Londo and Vir. Londo says the Narn still have their pride and that, too, must be taken away.

A probe is heading toward B5.

Londo and Delenn talk. He asks Delenn if Vir might come to Minbar as ambassador. She asks why and Londo tells her it would be good if Vir is away from what is coming. She says she’ll see what she can do and Londo tells her he misses that they no longer talk.

Michael gigs Franklin for his stim use and Franklin insists he has it under control. Franklin finally says he’ll cut back.

The Narn accompanying Na’Far is Ta’Lon (the one Sheridan saved when they were captives). He thanks Sheridan for saving him.

They have decoded the probe: it offers great new technology and cures to all their disease if they can answer a list of questions to prove they are worthy of the knowledge and if they don’t answer, it will blow them up. 600 questions and they have 24 hours. Ivanova sends to Earth for help with the questions.

Na’Far tells G;kar how hard it is for the Narn back home and he says it is G’kar’s fault. He says G’kar must surrender and allow him to be the Narn rep on B5. It is not time for resistance – they must nlull the Centauri into false security.

Franklin is stim grumpy when Susan asks about her medical questions.

Vir tells Londo he doesn’t want to go to Minbar but Londo says it is a promotion.

The Narn population on B5 confront Na’Far and they fight. G’kar stops them, saying he will not allow the Centauri to turn Narn against Narn. He says he will go back with them to Narn.

Sheridan has the station weapons charged. He schedules a meeting with the transport association for after the station is supposed to blow up.

Franklin is yelling at someone about the questions and he is clearing becoming unhinged. He takes more stims.

Na’Far says he can help feed clothe and protect the Narn.

In the C&C, it’s 3 minutes until their 24 hours is up and Ivanova is about to send the answers. Sheridan asks what it promised and she tells him: tech and medical cures, etc. Sheridan stops her from sending it, asking what if, instead of giving them new knowledge, it’s a berserker and kills anything advanced enough to be a threat to the people it comes from? They do not send info and it flies away. Once it is a good distance from them, Sheridan has them send the answers and it blows itself up, which is what it would have done to B5 if close enough.

Sheridan says one bad thing to come if this is he still has to meet with the transport association.

G’kar is ready to leave and he is stopped by the other Narn on the station. They say he is valued and needed here on B5 and they do not want him to go. Freedom is more important than safety – “Better to die in the cause of freedom than to live in comfort and be a slave.” G’kar will stay.

Franklin says to Garibaldi he’s sorry about his behavior.

Sheridan and Ivanova go to transport association meeting. Vir leaves for Minbar.

*

Quotes:
Ta’Lon to G’kar: I carry my sword in my hand. You carry yours in your heart and in your mind. As I see it, that gives you a two-to-one advantage in arms. Be fair, Citizen G'Kar.


John Sheridan: I don't know what my superiors would say if I started showing up everywhere with a Narn bodyguard.
Ta'Lon: They will say, "Here is a man who will live to be a hundred and fifty!"

G’kar:If I stay here, your families are in jeopardy. Is anything more important than their safety?
Narn: Yes. Their freedom. It's better to die in the cause of freedom than to live in comfort as a slave.

*

Questions:
1. Do you think Na’Far had any real concern for his people?
2. Did you find the probe part of the plot to be important or just a distraction? What was the purpose, do you think?
3. Is Londo sending Vir away because he truly cares for him? Has Londo given up on his own redemption then?
4. Did your heart harden like mine did when Londo said the Narn must be stripped of their pride as well as everything else?
5. Is this, then, a typical day on Babylon 5?

Sources:
The Lurker’s Guide to Babylon 5: http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/047.html
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Day_in_the_Strife
The Babylon Project: http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/A_Day_in_the_Strife
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0517615/trivia?tab=qt&ref_=tt_trv_qu
Wikiquotes: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Babylon_5#A_Day_in_the_Strife