Recap and discussion for 5 x 6 – Strange Relations

Byron and telepaths and Bester – oh yuck!

I do not love telepaths. They are my least favorite people in the B5 universe – I even like Shadows more (well, not much more). Just thought I’d throw that out in the front of the recap.

The episode opens with Delenn and Lochley talking. Delenn is telling Lochley that John explained why he chose her for the job as captain. Lochley tells her she’d appreciate her not sharing that info. Delenn agrees. Garibaldi is hiding, listening to them but finds out no more than he already knew.

Londo is watching outside and waiting. Zack tells him his ship has arrived. Londo looks rather sad and tells Zack that this is the beginning of the end, that the regent is unwell and he’ll now have to divide his time between B5 and Centauri Prime and then when the regent is gone, he’ll be emperor and will have to say goodbye to B5 forever. Zack says he’ll be Emperor Mollari I but Londo tells him he will be II, that the first Mollari did not come to a good end.

The Centauri liner has an accident as it comes in. We see Capt. Lochley outside inspecting the damage and she tells Corwin she want it done in 11 hours. In the same shot, we see a Psi Corps ship coming in.

Lyta is in Medlab getting supplies for Byron’s people. Delenn calls Franklin and wants to speak with him.

Lyta takes the things to Byron’s people. She brings him some vitamins and he babbles some vapid parable about something I already forgot. Suddenly he comes alert as do the rest of his people. They know that Psi Corps has come aboard – Best has brought Bloodhound units to hunt them.

One of the Station security men tells Garibaldi that Bester is there and Garibaldi runs to find him, meaning to kill him when he catches him. He just happens to be talking to Capt. Lochley when Michael comes crashing in after him. She punches Garibaldi and has him arrested.

Delenn and G’kar ask Franklin to come on board with the Alliance to study alien biology and cross-species diseases and such. Franklin likes the idea. G’kar tells Delenn that he doesn’t feel like he does enough – Delenn tells him they will find him something to do.

John asks Lochley why she arrested Garibaldi and she tells him why Bester has come – the Telepaths that he granted sanctuary were NOT granted immunity from prosecution and that they are wanted by Psi Corps and she has no choice but go by the rules since they are still a part of the government. He agrees and says he’s caught in the web of his own good intentions.

The Centauri liner is heading home but cannot get navigational control of the ship. Londo is not on board. It blows up. Zack later tells the captain that they found a bomb and detonator and Londo was the target.

Zack asks her when she will let Garibaldi go and while she looks at his reports, she notices that someone has accessed her personnel file and that someone was Garibaldi. Furious, she heads to the brig.

Bester and his gang are hunting the telepatshs. Lyta tells him they aren’t there. Bester doesn’t pick up anything at all and tells him men to check the hall – Lyta pushes him with her mind. Bester taunts her and she tells him she might accidentally kill one of them with her mind. He tells her he will be back with station security. After he’s gone, Byron comes out and she tells him that they must hide.

Lochley confronts Garibaldi and he tells her that he does not know her and therefore he does not trust her. She tells to get over it and he asks why she was chummy with Bester. She says that he once saved two of her crew from a rogue telepath. Garibaldi says he is obligated to put Bester’s head through a bulkhead. She tells him to do it where she can’t see it.

Garibaldi asks why Sheridan picked her. She asks him if that’s why he went through her file. She says Sheridan needed someone from the other side in order to make nice with Earth and he needed someone he could trust and he knew he could trust her. She and Sheridan were married when they were young and even though it didn’t work out, they are friends and know that they can trust one another.

She tells Garibaldi that she will not release him as long as Bester si on the station.

Speaking of which, security calls and tells her that Bester wants their help in rounding up the rogues and that he has Earthdome authorization. She tells them to go ahead. We see them arresting the telepaths. Lyta is nearby and Byron calls to her. He tells her he was wrong to trust others and says he must go to his people.

Corwin tells Lochley that the cargo lifts are working again. Zack tells her that they should have all the telepaths by the end of the day. Franklin tells her of Delenn and G’kar’s request. She tells him this should not be a problem. She asks him about cross species diseases and tells him she needs a repoirt about it in half an hour. She has an idea and is about to ruin someone’s day.

They catch Byron

Delenn tells G’kar they must talk. She says they have to protect Mollari and finally asks him if he will be Londo’s bodyguard. G’kar actually agrees and says he can’t wait to see the faces of the Centauri court when a Narn comes to guard Mollari.

B4ester tells Lochley he has them all and she tells him they must be quarantined on Babylon 5 for 60 days and then he can have them. They could have been exposed to dangerous diseases in the places they’ve been. He has no choice but agree.

She tells Byron she’s gotten him a 60 day reprieve but he can’t leave the station. Zack says he’s dangerous, he’s a martyr.

Delenn tells Londo who his new bodyguard is and Londo and G’kar argue.

Corwin congratulates the captain and she remembers she hasn’t let Garibaldi out yet.

Lyta removes her Psi Corps badge and joins the singing telepaths.

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Quotes:

Sheridan: I'm caught in a web of my own good intentions.
Lochley: Well, the road to hell is paved with them, sir.
Sheridan: I know. But why does it have to go through this office?

Bester: Not bad. Tell me, is that really telekinesis, or are you just pushing the nerve endings, making them feel as if they've been slapped? Either way, it's taken a lot out of you, Lyta. You're sweating, flushed. How many times can you do that, Lyta? Can you do just one at a time? Maybe two? How about three? How about a half dozen of us?
Lyta: I don't know. Like you said, I'm new at this. I could even make a mistake. Maybe even pop a blood vessel in someone's head by accident by pushing too hard. Feel like playing the odds, Mr. Bester?

*

Questions:

1. Was Lochley’s revelation to Garibaldi what you expected?
2. Since G’kar could not have protected Mollari from the bomb onboard the ship, is his selection as bodyguard more symbolic than real?
3. Did anyone find the telepath song as smarmy as I did? JMS wrote it, by the way and made it that way on purpose - I think it’s the B5 version of Kumbaya.
4. Not a question but the new Londo and G’kar situation reminds me of the video with Paul Simon and Chevy Chase - You Can Cal Me Al. You can see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq-gYOrU8bA

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Sources:

Lurker’s Guide to Babylon 5: http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/094.html
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0517694/?ref_=ttep_ep6
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strange_Relations_(Babylon_5)
Wikiquote: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Babylon_5#Strange_Relations
The Babylon Project: http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/Strange_Relations
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq-gYOrU8bA