B5 Rewatch: "A Race Through Dark Places"

[icepixie]

In addition to the scene in my icon (which I have to admit is one of my favorites DON'T JUDGE ME), I really like the rest of this episode. Mostly it's because of the promise of Talia's arc; she could have been AMAZING with a better actress, and if she hadn't been switched out for Lyta. (Actually, what would've been best would be to have Lyta be there all the way through, because I like her much better than Talia.) But Talia is in a very interesting position: she's basically having her entire worldview shattered, she's got this gift she hasn't even discovered the whole extent of yet--so she could be the Corps' next victim--and despite all of this, some part of her still wants to keep her childish faith in the Corps. She is, as she proves with the telepathic projection, holding a lot of cards at the moment.

But, of course, not forgetting the alternate personality. Never forgetting that. (I wonder if that was in the plans for her character before Andrea Thompson decided to leave. Maybe they would've tried to rehabilitate her if she were going to stay on? The rogue telepath leader calling her "more than you think you are" and "the future" definitely points to her playing a Lyta-like role in the later seasons.) She's again featured with a mirror this time, and it's her mirror image who says "Why hasn't [Bester] seen this?" I started to think that perhaps Bester actually does know, and doesn't want to tip his hand about the alternate personality, so he lets them get away with the telepathic projection, but I'm not sure he'd do that. I think he'd be more interested in dissecting her than in leaving her there to work whatever they're trying to work, but maybe not. Anyway, my point was, if he DOES know and IS leaving her there while he knows she's got this new ability, maybe the alternate personality has figured that out, and they were using the mirror to show that it's only the "original" Talia who's been left in the dark--and the original Talia is no longer the "real" one.

Or maybe they just thought it looked cool.

Anyway, the fakeout actually surprised me AGAIN this time. I was like, "Yaaaaay, Talia!" and then she started shooting, and I was all D: D: D: and then they cut to all the telepaths standing together, still alive, and I headdesked a bit. I am a little embarrassed about this, yes. Let's just put it down to the show being awesome--I totally bought a "good" character committing mass murder even when I knew better.

But she didn't kill people, and we get her final scene with Susan, where she's all, "I want to have sex re-evaluate our relationship." I guess she wanted someone to talk her out of the last little bit of loyalty she felt toward the Corps. I think it's interesting that before Susan even tells her she can stay, Talia starts taking off her gloves. I wonder if it's just that they all do that in private, or if it was meant to indicate considerable prior familiarity. (I'm guessing not, since Susan addresses her as "Miss Winters," but hey.) Then, of course, there's the GIANT FLAMING FORESHADOWING of the Psi Corps badge between them at the end. Oh, Susan. My poor baby. I still wonder if Talia ever found out her secret.

Finally, before I move on from Talia, one last question: exactly how well does Bester want to get to know her? 'Cause I have to admit, after talk of the breeding program, I'm getting some horrifying mental images.

Speaking of Bester...oh, he is so creepy throughout this episode. Perhaps especially at the beginning. He tells the captive that he's been used and abandoned by outsiders, and the Corps would never do that, but then of course when the captive dies, he tells the assistant, "Doesn't matter. I got what I needed." Ah, hypocrisy. He also seems to take an almost orgasmic joy in stealing from someone's mind, and I think also in feeling that person die. And, uh, also in some ridiculous hand motions. Surely he doesn't actually need to use them, right?

Meanwhile, Franklin is Bester's polar opposite, in that he is FANTASTIC and AWESOME and I just really love him, you know? He sees injustice and he combats it. And he's sneaky about it. While being awesome. I'm not entirely sure his medical oath provides any kind of justification for his actions, though. I completely understood the defense in "Believers," but here the situation lacks the...immediacy, I guess, that would propel it into Hippocratic territory. I see why Franklin would fall back on it, but I don't think we're supposed to believe it's really valid.

As far as the other big plotline goes, I kept thinking, "Delenn is SO MANIPULATIVE!" throughout it. I mean, wow. She finagles a dinner date with Sheridan (through flirtation!) and pretends to be way more naive than she could possibly be--I mean, really, as an ambassador, would she not have studied at least something about Earth food? And you can't tell me she didn't know exactly what that dress was going to do to the humans around her. (By the way, when did she get her new ears pierced?) But I think she does slip over into being genuine right around the time she's telling Sheridan about how they spend a year in the temple studying humor. The bit about cats and "gogs" right before feels fake, but then something changes when she states that those animals are the universe's way of making sure people don't take themselves too seriously. And Sheridan has no clue what's going on; he just thinks she's pretty and smart and funny and is damn smitten all ready.

You know, I like the idea of Sheridan/Delenn so much better now that I know all of Delenn's history with the war, etc., and how obviously Not Sincere she's being. This probably says bad things about me.

The paying rent plotline was amusing. I love how Susan is obviously thinking how much she hates her new roommate when Sheridan keeps telling her jokes.

And of course I can't end this without further reference to my favorite scene. In my head--where I appear to have constructed an ongoing narrative of Susan and Michael sleeping together and not-entirely-successfully hiding it from the rest of the characters; I am extremely tempted to fic it--that scene continues for a bit, with Michael saying she could spend the night in his quarters, and her telling him Sheridan would get suspicious, so she can't.

Sigh. They would've been so cute together. *shakes fist at canon*

Comments

[mylittleredgirl.livejournal.com]

*SPAZ*

I forgot that all of these awesome things were in the same episode! Your "The Scene" is fabulous (my sister and I would declare definitive shippy things definitively: "The Scene" "The Moment" "The Episode", etc. I suppose "Soul Mates" is "The Episode" for me!). Go ahead and fic it!! :)

I honestly NEVER thought about John/Delenn this way before. I mean, I wondered a little bit, but I think I accepted this in my still-relative-youth when I first saw it that Delenn just turned into kind of a kewpie child around John because she has such an adorable crush on him, right? Are you proposing that she never really loves him? Oh, Sheridan. Now I want a moment between Sinclair and Delenn in "War Without End" where they kind of acknowledge a little bit their Roles In History and what they're giving up (you know, their species identity, for one thing).

[icepixie]

I forgot that all of these awesome things were in the same episode!

I know! It's really quite full, for all that it's not a "major" episode like "Coming of Shadows."

Your "The Scene" is fabulous (my sister and I would declare definitive shippy things definitively: "The Scene" "The Moment" "The Episode", etc. I suppose "Soul Mates" is "The Episode" for me!).

I did this with my friends as well! We did it mostly with the Treks; I'm pretty sure "Resolutions" was a "The Episode," and, hmmm, probably that moment in "Starship Down" where Julian and Jadzia were trapped in the turbolift was a "The Scene."

Go ahead and fic it!! :)

OMG, I think I may have to! Once I finish these other two CI 'verse fics that are bugging me, anyway. Ahhhh.

I honestly NEVER thought about John/Delenn this way before.

I didn't think of it before I saw Delenn come into her full flowering of manipulative AWESOME in S3/S4. Then I started to wonder. And then rivendellrose recently made some excellent points about how everything Delenn does serves an agenda, including her relationship with Sheridan (because she's going to fulfill this prophecy OR DIE TRYING), and I was like, "OH."

Are you proposing that she never really loves him?

Not exactly. See, I think it all comes down to the prophecy of her being that bridge between the Minbari and the Humans. She first attaches herself to Sinclair, then he buggers off to Minbar, and she's like, "Oh, it must be Sheridan I'm supposed to be with!" and, with Kosh's prodding, does the change and starts hardcore flirting. At first she's really just seeing being with him as a duty, but I think she does eventually come to love him. I'm not sure where that is; I'm hoping to figure it out this time through. (Maybe the "I maded you a fleet" moment? It's definitely by the time they get married.)

Now I want a moment between Sinclair and Delenn in "War Without End" where they kind of acknowledge a little bit their Roles In History and what they're giving up (you know, their species identity, for one thing).

That would be nice, yes.

[mylittleredgirl.livejournal.com]

I did this with my friends as well! We did it mostly with the Treks; I'm pretty sure "Resolutions" was a "The Episode," and, hmmm, probably that moment in "Starship Down" where Julian and Jadzia were trapped in the turbolift was a "The Scene."

LOL! Yeah, ours was definitely Star Trek. Resolutions might have been The Episode, actually? I don't know. For me, The Episode was probably "Attached," though. I still flail over that one. AND THE LAST SCENE. The Scene was definitely when B'Elanna hallucinates jumping Chakotay in "Persistance of Vision." We squealed for months. And awwwwww! Julian and Jadzia in a jeffries tube!

And yes, Delenn is definitely living A Destiny. And Sheridan... he's such a golden retriever. He'll follow her everywhere. I think she definitely falls for him before Z'ha'dum, because her contrition seems pretty genuine in that one, where she kind of actually confesses to manipulating him a lot. AND EEEEEEE. Delenn is ridiculous in the episode where she makes him a fleet. So hilarious how she just kind of twirls in and out of scenes. AND THEN THEY KISS AND I SQUEAK A LOT.

[icepixie]

Obviously I need to speed up my rewatch so I can get to Z'ha'dum, because I appear to remember very little about it. But yes, I think it's before then that she decides she loves him, in addition to using him.

So hilarious how she just kind of twirls in and out of scenes.

She is ADORABLE, yes.

[mylittleredgirl.livejournal.com]

You're totes keeping me sane on this endless work day, by the way. Also, grooveshark, which is awesome.

I think Delenn's extra adorability in that episode might be a good indication that you're right and that's when she totally crushes on him a lot. :) Because her flirtation with him there seems a little less calculated, because she's kind of irritating him for fun. ;)

[icepixie]

You're totes keeping me sane on this endless work day, by the way.

Yay! Although I guess I kind of fell down on that in the last few hours, huh? Oops.

Also, grooveshark, which is awesome.

Grooveshark is the best thing ever.

Because her flirtation with him there seems a little less calculated, because she's kind of irritating him for fun. ;)

Yes, I love that part. She's figured out what buttons to push! :D

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Maybe the "I maded you a fleet" moment?

I was over here with all sorts of serious thinky thoughts about Delenn and her manipulation and how, with her, deciding that she's going to be with someone because of her Ultimate Interstellar Destiny (tm) doesn't at all preclude her genuinely loving the guy in the slightest, and in fact probably adds to it because she's just that determined and bull-headed about things... and then I read this, and all I can think of is that whole thing as a macro. Did she eated it, too? ♥

[...] their Roles in History and what they're giving up (you know, their species identity, for one thing).

This, yes. *Wanders off grumbling about the unfortunate loss of beautiful full-Minbari!Delenn to the whole Destiny plot, and how it isn't fair that she doesn't get to really be Minbari anymore because the other Minbari cast her out and all.* Much as I'm sure it pleased Mira not to have to get in and oh-god-thirty for makeup call every morning, I will never get over missing Minbari!Delenn. ♥

Sorry for jumping on the conversation a bit. I couldn't resist.

[icepixie]

and then I read this, and all I can think of is that whole thing as a macro



I live to serve. :D

Did she eated it, too?

I now want to see Delenn with a cake in the shape of a White Star.

how it isn't fair that she doesn't get to really be Minbari anymore because the other Minbari cast her out and all

I...think this might be kind of a plus for her? I get the feeling she sort of likes being righteous, and the Minbari kicking her out just gives her something else to be righteous about.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I admit - I lol'd. Very glad I'm at home rather than sneaking onto LJ while I'm meant to be working. ♥♥♥

I get the feeling she sort of likes being righteous, and the Minbari kicking her out just gives her something else to be righteous about.

You're probably very much correct about that. More than unfair to her, I suppose I should more honestly be whining that it's unfair to me and my obsession with alien cultures and aliens in general. I, personally, resent the loss of Delenn-as-Minbari... probably more than she does. A bit pathetic when you think of it that way. That said, I think she genuinely does regret giving up her culture/people to the extent that she does - I get the impression that the strength of their vehemence against what she did really caught her off-guard, particularly at first.

[icepixie]

:D

That said, I think she genuinely does regret giving up her culture/people to the extent that she does - I get the impression that the strength of their vehemence against what she did really caught her off-guard, particularly at first.

Yeah, I think there's that as well. And she definitely seemed taken aback by the human reaction in that episode done like a newscast, where the reporter made her cry.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

And she definitely seemed taken aback by the human reaction in that episode done like a newscast, where the reporter made her cry.

It certainly seemed not to have occurred to her before that, yes. Sometimes I think Delenn forgets that, yes, she knows the Minbari and the Humans have the same souls and have a monumental destiny and all that, but, um, nobody else (outside the Grey Council) does. Or, really, cares.

Her attitude about the whole transformation sometimes reminds me a bit of the older meaning of the word "condescension." She sees it as such a noble, grand gesture on her part that it's a bit tricky not to interpret it from her perspective as an enlightened lowering of herself to our level - one that we should be awed by and grateful for. The idea that Humans would regard it as an insult or a taunt just seems never to have entered her head.

[icepixie]

Sometimes I think Delenn forgets that, yes, she knows the Minbari and the Humans have the same souls and have a monumental destiny and all that, but, um, nobody else (outside the Grey Council) does. Or, really, cares.

Indeed.

She sees it as such a noble, grand gesture on her part that it's a bit tricky not to interpret it from her perspective as an enlightened lowering of herself to our level - one that we should be awed by and grateful for. The idea that Humans would regard it as an insult or a taunt just seems never to have entered her head.

This as well.