Recap and discussion of 3 x 7 – Exogenesis

This one is not really an arc ep though it touches it.

It opens with a man and woman waiting for a shuttle to dock.

The crew is partying to celebrate Corwin’s promotion to Lieutenant. Franklin, Ivanova, Garibaldi talking. Susan says she didn’t invite Marcus because he’s not part of the crew. Franklin says may tomorrow be as quiet at today –

Cut away to a man screaming in pain. The people who met the shuttle are telling him to relax… we see a thing that looks like a giant scorpion attach itself to his spine and go into his body, healing the skin above it. He dies and the others leave him, not understanding why.

Sheridan asks Ivanova to feel Corwin out to find out if he’d fit into the Conspiracy of Light.

Marcus wakes an informant in down below. He calls him Duncan and quotes Macbeth. The old man has a nasty cough but says he won’t go to the doctor.

Dr. Franklin has a staff meeting and a Dr. Harrison mentions the man in down below – a DOA with no cause of death that she’d like Franklin to check out. (The woman is Carrie Dobro, Dureena Nafeel from Crusade.)

Marcus meets with a man who tells him Shadow vessels are amassing in Sector 800 on the border of Centauri space. Marcus mentions a package then asks about ‘Samual’, another informant who had something else to do.

Franklin finds the scorpion like thing and decides to open the man up.

They find ‘Samuel’ but he says he’s found another way and won’t work for Marcus anymore. There are lots of people there.

Franklin takes out a thing from the man and it’s alive.

We see Marcus’ friend Duncan and he’s had an implant. He is well.

Franklin says the parasite things could be a problem.

Marcus finds out that Duncan has packed his waters and left Downbelow.

Ivanova sort of asks Corwin to her quarters to talk. Mentions her illegally grown coffee.

Marcus goes to Garibaldi who refuses to do anything. Marcus calls him one of the great minds of the 14th century and quotes Dickens. Marcus talks Franklin into helping him search by making it sound as though Garibaldi okayed it.

Corwin tells the florist he ‘thinks’ he has a date and the florist suggests artificial roses that smekll real.

Marcus and Franklin find the people they’re searching for – a man is having a scorpion put into his back. They capture Franklin and Marcus and lock them up. Marcus knows some of the people there… or who they WERE. Marcus admits to Franklin that no oen knows they’re there.

Corwin goes to Ivanova’s quarters holding the roses. She asks him where they come from and he says he found them outside her door.

Duncan comes to talk to Marcus and Franklin.

Corwin tells Ivanova that he serves Earth and that he’d report anyone who did otherwise.

Marcus asks Franklin about Ivanova and Franklin tells him it takes awhile for her to warm up to people.

They get loose and call Ivanova who sends Garibaldi.

Duncan explains to Marcus and Franklin that they are all volunteers. The vendrizi have been around for half a million years, gathering information and history. They offer hope to the dying to see new worlds and find out new things. The vendrizi comes out of Duncan so the man can confirm the truth – they are keepers of the past, present and future.

Franklin says he’ll go along with them if they let him regulate and see that the transfers are done safely.

Duncan says he will die soon since he cannot take another vendrizi.

Ivanova tells the Captain that Corwin is a no go.

Duncan is leaving the station to see things and feel special, even without the vendrizi.

Susan decides that Marcus sent her the flowers and marches up to him, presents them to him and says. “Keep them!” To which he responds, “I guess there is hope for us after all.” This actually seemed sweet at the time but we know the truth.

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Quotes:
Michael Garibaldi: Don't you ever shut up?
Marcus Cole: Not until I get what I want. Why? Do you think silent meditation would work better?

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Questions:
1. If the Vendrizi collect all this information – past, present, and future – what do they do with it?
2. Wouldn’t you have thought that the Vendrizi might have known something about the Shadows and such? Did you get any indication they did?
3. Why was Ivanova so cold regarding Marcus? Was it her luck at love? Her being an ass?
4. Did you get any inkling that Corwin knew anything about what Sheridan or Ivanova were really up to?

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Sources:
The Lurker’s Guide to Babylon 5: http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/guide/051.html
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exogenesis_(Babylon_5)
The Babylon Project: http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/Exogenesis
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0517649/trivia?tab=qt&ref_=tt_trv_qu