Recap and discussion for 2 x 6 – A Spider in the Web

I have to admit that I was not crazy about this episode and I’m not sure how it fits in the coming darkness, but it certainly does implicate Psi Corps.

The show begins with Sheridan delegating some stuff to Ivanova. Talia meets an old friend, Taro Isogi, who is at B5 for a business meeting with a rep from Mars Provisional Government. They will discuss a business deal that will help Mars become more independent without more bloodshed. Talia is to sit in as telepath.

We switch to Earth, the San Diego Wasteland, and see a woman set an op in motion while on B5 a box opens and a hand comes out.

An Earth senator contacts Sheridan and asks him to spy on Carter and Isogi, claiming their deal will cause another civil war since Carter is a known advocate for Martian independence. Sheridan tells her that he can do nothing without proof. She is a bit angry but tells him to keep his eyes open.

Isogi and Carter’s negotiations go well, with Carter saying she will contact her people and meet again. Talia and Isogi set to meet later.

Sheridan meets with Ivanova in the mess hall and they talk about his meeting with the Tikar (or T’kar) and how he was their first contact with humans while on the Agamemnon.

While Talia and Isogi walk through red sector, a man rushes up and grabs Isogi by the throat. He yells “Free Mars” and electrocutes Isogi with a black glove. Talia sees a flash of something in his head which sort of stuns him for a second then he runs away.

Talia tells Sheridan that she felt no emotion when she scanned the man and denies that isogi could be involved with anything violent. Michael walks her back to quarters and makes a joke, finally getting a smile from her.

The assassin contacts ’Control’ and shows them a video of his work. Control says he must eliminate Talia as well before proceeding to phase two.

Sheridan asks Ivanova about Talia and whether she can be trusted. Susan, oddly enough, says yes though she is very loyal to Psi Corps. Garibaldi and Sheridan discuss Isogi’s autopsy. He’d been killed by a large electtical charge from some sort of human hand. They don’t know who could have something like this… it’s too expensive for Free Mars. Sheridan has a suspicion…

The assassin finds Talia, kills her guard and tries to kill her but she scans him and sees him bring fired on by an Omega Class Destroyer. He is stunned and she runs.

They’ve identified the killer as Abel Horn of the Free mars resistance BUT Abel Horn has been dead for several years.

Horn turns up in Carter’s quarters. They were once lovers. He tries to get her to get him back to Mars. He finally asks her to set up a meeting with Talia, who can explain.

Garibaldi and Talia have tea and talk about their lives. Michael’s father was in security too. Talia says she has been ion Psi Corps since she was 5 and mentions her assigned mentor when she first arrived, Abby.

Garibaldi goes to Sheridan’s quarters and Sheridan tells Garibaldi about Project Lazarus an the 2230s - in which dead people were implanted with cybernetics. The project failed but Sheridan believes someone is using it again. He thinks they can use the cybernetics to track Horn.

Carter contacts Talia. Horn knocks her out.

Garibaldi goes to escort Talia to Carter’s quarters (With Zack Allan). Horn grabs her and asks what is in his head. She scans and sees him being operated on and she sees a Psi Cop.

They all go into the room, Horn is killed then he blows up.

They let Carter go and Talia tells Sheridan what she saw in Horn’s head EXCEPT FOR THE PSI COP!

Later Garibaldi asks Sheridan how he knew about the Lazarus Project and Sheridan tells him of his interest in secrets. He thinks Horn was part of a secret EarthGov project that he’d heard rumors about – Bureau 13.

Meanwhile Control tells the Psi Cop that the mission was a partial success.

Talia pulls up the identity of the Psi Cop, who is listed as deceased.

Some commentary:
JMS threw a LOT of info in this episode and much of it was tantalizing and never used again. We learn of Abby, Talia’s ‘friend’ and then we see her find the ID for the Psi Cop in San Diego. BUT JMS says that it not Abby and that she is not, in fact, dead like Abel Horn, just pretending she is dead for the mission.


*

Quotes:
Just one chilling one:
"These are volatile times: practicality is more important than principles."
– Senator Voudreau

Questions:
1. First of all – was Talia control? If Talia WAS control, why was Horn told to kill her?
2. How do think Sheridan comes by his secrets?
3. Does this technology remind you of Shadow tech? Should it?
4. We never hear of Bureau 13 again because it turned out to be a video game title and JMS dropped the name, so which of the nefarious groups on earth is it? Do we know?
5. What do you consider the most important bit of information in this episode?

Sources:
The Lurker’s Guide http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/028.html
The Babylon Project”: http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/A_Spider_in_the_Web
Wikia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_in_the_Web