Recap and Discussion for 5 x 12 – The Ragged Edge

We are done with Byron!!! Oh and this will be the last one until after the New Year, so Happy Holidays!


John is heading to a meeting of the council but no one is there. They are boycotting because of the attacks on the shipping lines. As Alliance members they are not allowed to attack anything outside their own space but the attacks are happening outside their borders.

We see an attack and an escape pod leaving.

Londo and G’kar arrive on B5 to a crowd staring at G’kar. They begin to bow to him.

Zack calls Michael, who is still in bed with an empty liquor bottle beside him. He tells he missed one meeting and is expected to attend one soon with Sheridan.

At the meeting Delenn says there is a transport with a missing escape pod. They believe they were human smugglers in Drazi space. Michael says the attacks and embargoes on certain goods have driven people to buy them from smugglers. He says he knows someone on the Drazi homeworld and he will go there and find the pilot of the escape pod. Franklin volunteers to go but Garibaldi insists on going alone.

G’kar still has people bowing and he goes into his rooms. Ta’lon says that people believed he was taken prisoner and someone took his book back to Narn, where it became an immediate bestseller. “You are now a religious icon,” Ta’lon tells G’kar.


Michael is briefing Zack when Franklin asks him if they are okay. Garibaldi assures him that they are fine.

Narn are following G’kar and Londo about with copies of the book.

Garibaldi lands on the Drazi homeworld and goes to his hotel. His friend, Tafiq Azir, comes in and tells him that the pilot will meet him in the park. He will shine a light up to the room when it is time. And he and Michael start drinking. A bit later we see Michael passed out as Tafiq is finishing the bottle. He leaves and is shot in the hall by a Drazi.


Back on B5, Franklin gets a priority message from earth.

Michael wakes and sees the light from the park. He finds his friend dying outside his room. A drazi attack him and he ends up throwing the Drazi over the balcony. He rushes to the park and a group of hooded men chase him and shoot at him. He finds the pilot dead. He also picks up something and puts it in his pocket. Garibaldi runs, calls John and gets Delenn. He asks her to send a White Star to extract him and she does.

Ta’lon calls on G’kar. He tells him that the Narn would like him to speak to them. He says he is not a leader. Ta’lpon remoinds him of the conversation where he referred to G’kar’s sword in his heart. He tells him he obligated to teach the Narn now to unlearn fear and hatred. When G’kar asks, “what if I show them wrong,” Ta’lon assures him he will kill him if he does. G’kar goes out to talk to the followers.

Garibaldi tells John and Delenn what happened, claiming he had jetlag. He says the men who beat him are also the ones who are responsible for the attacks on the shipping lanes. He shows them the button. About that time, Londo comes in and identifies the button as belonging to the Imperial Palace Guard on Centauri Prime. Garibaldi lies to him when he asks where he got it. Delenn says she doesn’t think Londo knows of the attacks and G’kar says they mustn’t tell him or he will try to find out the truth and get himself killed. He tells them about the attack on Centuari Prime from those who do not want Londo to become Emperor. He says they will return to Centauri Prime in 4-6 weeks.

Franklin tells his personal log that he is going to miss B5.

G’kar is speaking to followers, talking about learning from those who are different. One Narnargues that the book does not say this at the front… and G’kar cannot argue with a divinely inspired text. He slams the book on the face of the man.

Franklin comes to tell Sheridan that he has been asked to be the head of Zenobiology on Earth, taking the place of Dr. Kyle, who is retiring as of January 1. He says even though it means leaving B5 and his friends, he has accepted the offer. He can continue to work for the Alliance as well. John is not happy he’s leaving but congratulates him.

Franklin says Garibaldi will take it the hardest since they are the only two left from the original crew and he has a call in to him.

We see Garibaldi passed out with an empty liquor bottle again.


*

Quotes:
Londo Mollari: [referring to the book of G'Kar] And am I in here?
G'Kar: Not by name. By description: Na'Tak Burella. It's a colloquialism.
Londo Mollari: Which means?
G'Kar: Prideful wind catcher.
Londo Mollari: Well, as Mr. Garibaldi says, "I think I'll wait for the movie."

G'Kar: I worry, Ta'Lon, that my shadow may become greater than the message.
Ta'Lon: If that happens, I give you my word that I will personally kill you.
G'Kar: And this is supposed to put my mind at ease?*

*
Questions:
1. Who do you think the Drazi was who tried to kill Garibaldi?
2. Did Garibaldi start drinking because he cannot kill Bester? Or is because he also cannot tell anyone what Bester did to him?
3. Would the trip to the Drazi homeworld have gone better if Garibaldi were sober?
4. Did you enjoy the interplay between G’kar and Ta’lon? They are quite funny together.

*
Sources:
The Lurker’s Guide to Babylon 5: http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/100.html
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0517713/quotes/?tab=qt&ref_=tt_trv_qu
The Babylon Project: http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/The_Ragged_Edge
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ragged_Edge