B5 Rewatch: "Racing Mars," "Lines of Communication," "Conflicts of Interest"

[icepixie]

Racing Mars
In which Susan is an unorthodox, yet still terrifically effective, diplomat; Marcus and Franklin pretend to be married (and I ship them, because I ship everyone with everyone at some point); Sheridan actually makes Garibaldi's critique look fairly reasonable; and I *headdesk* into eternity at that stupid, stupid shan'fal thing.

One thing I'm really loving about this season is Sheridan and Ivanova's brother/sister relationship. They're just so cute, especially at the beginning of this one, where she relieves him of duty, tells him he's the one who taught her to negotiate like that, and then they exchange those little waves as she shoos him out of the office. They so obviously care about each other in a completely platonic, but still incredibly thorough, way; it's so sad that they apparently don't talk for twenty years after this season. :(

But back to the funny that is Ivanova setting up some black market connections. Bwahaha: "Oh, is the arm feeling better now?" / "Yeah, except when it rains it hurts where you--" / "Since it never rains on Babylon 5, that should encourage you to spend more time here!" And if they don't, she'll make sure they have accidents. Have I mentioned lately how much I love her? (Yeah, I know, do I ever stop talking about how much I love her?)

I also love Marcus and Franklin together, playing I Spy and threatening murder. Awww. And then they get married! You know, for fake. And Marcus has a field day with it, because of course he would.

I get why Sheridan would be pissed at what Michael says on the ISN broadcast. I'd be a mite teed off myself, and I'd definitely confront him, but the way Sheridan keeps coming back to it reminds me of his treatment of Morden during "In the Shadow of Z'ha'dum," and that's really never a good thing. He's making Garibaldi's Bester-induced paranoia look pretty damn reasonable. Time to either kick him off the station or leave him alone, friend. (I guess we're meant to assume Garibaldi has something of a point here, although S5 does make me wonder a bit.) (Also, I cannot help but note that Sheridan totally plays on Garibaldi's friendship with Ivanova during one of his "stop hurting the cause" speeches. *g*)

That said, Garibaldi's decision to pal around with Wade, who appears to be a cheap imitation of a rebel biker punk and needs only the motorcycle to complete the image, is not a good one.

Completely randomly, in that scene where Delenn and John are in the garden, is that the Brakiri ambassador with his girlfriend? Awesome. :)

Aaaaand finally, the Stupid Ritual of Stupid. Ack. Can we tie Lennier's actions in "Objects at Rest" directly to this episode? I think we can. His "'Woo-hoo'?" to Sheridan the next morning sounded pretty accusatory. "Do you think having sex with the woman I put on a pedestal is some kind of joke? You are not worthy!"

Lines of Communication
In which we have perhaps the crowning moment of awesome for season four, when Sheridan tries to make Delenn stay home, and she responds, "It pleases me that you care for what I have become. But never forget who I was, what I am, and what I can do." And there is very much an, "I will cut you if you ever try anything like that again," buried in there under all the diplomatic language. And Sheridan's kind of like, "Uh...I think I just said something really stupid, so I'm going to nod and smile and hope my fiancee doesn't kill me."

(This was apparently the episode where Sheridan Is Confused By Women, 'cause you can tell he was just completely without a clue when Ivanova gave him her, "What am I, chopped flarn? You could at least acknowledge that I'm in my nightgown here even if we aren't interested in each other that way," speech. I think Sheridan's pretty much forgotten that Ivanova's a girl by this point, and is surprised to have said fact pointed out to him.)

So anyway, Delenn goes off and kills other people instead of her fiancee! I had forgotten we get the Drakh so early. I was thinking they were more of an S5 thing. (I think possibly I placed pretty much everything after the Shadow War into my mental "S5" category. Not sure why.) And...Delenn, didn't you just have occasion to ruminate on the perils of reacting in anger when you have a big ship with highly lethal weapons at your disposal?

She also totally turns into Dukhat The Scary Grad Adviser here with Lennier: "Be faster." "End this." "Break the laws of physics." *snerk*

And bad, bad things are happening on Minbar, 'cause Delenn kinda broke up their government and then didn't stick around to clean up the mess. Man, what Forell says about what the warriors did the religious is cold (sorry, sorry), perhaps even worse than an outright riot would be. Really, I wonder if at this point it wouldn't be better idea to get rid of the castes all together. They seem to cause more trouble than they're worth. And people can choose which one they want to belong to anyway, so...why bother, you know?

Finally, I headdesk a bit more at JMS's inner twelve-year-old, because this is the second episode in a row with a voyeuristic situation, and NO.

Conflicts of Interest
In which I yell, "GO AWAY FOREVER!!" a lot at Lise, but she never does. :( Lady, he even tells you he can forget you without drinking! TIME TO GO. AND NOT COME BACK. Also, that line, had I noticed it the first time, would pretty much cued an "Oh, shiiiiit" moment. *sigh* My least-favorite part of S5, let me show you it.

Anyway, the best part of this episode--aside from Susan and Zathras, which was hilarious--was the oh-so-meta Daffy Duck cartoon. Garibaldi is Daffy, and Bester is Bugs, pulling his strings and otherwise manipulating him. :(

Finally, I can't let the awful, awful science in this episode go by without acknowledgment: No, genes cannot turn into viruses. You cannot catch a genetic disease. They do not work that way. Plz to be doing some research.

Comments

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

Ugh, the Shan'fal. I love the idea of the Shan'fal so, so much, and I hate the execution of it so, so much. The hell is JMS's deal with making every romantic encounter between John and Delenn have a freaking audience? The crew of the White Star, Lennier and her clan, G'Kar's goddamned eye...

I don't even know.

"Racing Mars" is so problematic to me, mostly because of the pacing. It's just a horribly paced episode from start to finish. Some beats go on too long, some are way too short. One of the reasons that the Garibaldi/Sheridan conflict in this episode doesn't play is that there are, like, three separate scenes where they argue. It's so repetitive. By the last fight between the two of them I just want to make them sit in a corner already.

I like how JMS wrote that "Don't forget what I am" scene to show everyone that he hadn't forgotten that Delenn was awesome and not just John's girlfriend...by starting it off with John acting like a dick and treating her just like his girlfriend and nothing more. Um, I think you're missing the point, JMS...

[icepixie]

The hell is JMS's deal with making every romantic encounter between John and Delenn have a freaking audience? The crew of the White Star, Lennier and her clan, G'Kar's goddamned eye...

Wow. Until you put them all together there, I hadn't noticed the public nature of pretty much every romantic moment between them. Urk.

I agree about the pacing of "Racing Mars." They really needed to at least consolidate the Sheridan/Garibaldi arguments.

[nhpw.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's JMS's inner 12-year-old at all.

I think it's just JMS.

I mean, it's a writer's nature to put some of him/herself into the things we dream up, right? And JMS does this every. Friggin'. Time.

The Shan'Fal. Franklin and #1. The Wedding night, with G'Kar's eye. "Deconstruction of Falling Stars" and Sheridan and Delenn clearly just want to go to bed, but there's all people following them and being in the hall. (WTF were those people doing in the hall??) Lyta and Byron, with all the telepaths joining in on one giant telepathic orgy.

Seriously.

I think the guy was a closet voyeur and writing veiled sexual encounters into B5 was his outlet for it. You know, like all those people who think there are hidden sexual references in Disney movies.

[icepixie]

I think the guy was a closet voyeur and writing veiled sexual encounters into B5 was his outlet for it. You know, like all those people who think there are hidden sexual references in Disney movies.

Hmmm. I'm not sure I'd go that far, although I agree that his id is definitely on display a lot in this show, and particularly with Sheridan and Delenn. (I had forgotten about G'Kar's eye. Ack.) He really just needed someone who could sit him down and say, "Here's how you write a getting-people-into-bed scene that is cute/hot/amusing/alien or whatever it is you're going for while not being actively offensive."

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

AHAHAHAHA, the Shan'Fal. *Headdesk* When we got to it in my rewatching, I said "oh god." The Boy: "What?" Me: "....Nothing...." and the squished into my chair for the rest of the episode, flinching more and more every time we got closer to... "Woohoo?"

You're right. It's a very accusatory line. Honestly, if Lennier had tried to kill Sheridan right after that episode, I would have been like "well, I can't say that surprises me..." :P And I like your interpretation of the subtext of that line, because, seriously, yes. Honestly, as much as I love Sheridan, I'm still on Lennier's side on that one, occasionally, just by virtue of how very much I adore Delenn.

"It pleases me that you care for what I have become. But never forget who I was, what I am, and what I can do." And there is very much an, "I will cut you if you ever try anything like that again," buried in there under all the diplomatic language.

...See above remarks about a) how much I passionately and eternally love Delenn, b) how much Sheridan really needs to get his ass in gear in order to deserver. Also, c) (unmentioned today, but always waiting in the wings) how much JMS really kind of fails sometimes, even when he's trying really hard not to fail. It's just this... fabulous subconscious FAIL that's always waiting to ambush him out of the darkness, without him ever being aware of it. And yeah, Sheridan is totally like "I have no idea what just happened, so I'm going to pretend to agree so that I don't end up with my skin inside out and my head being used as a hood ornament for one of the White Stars." Because Delenn would. And if she didn't, Lennier would.

he also totally turns into Dukhat The Scary Grad Adviser here with Lennier: "Be faster." "End this." "Break the laws of physics." *snerk*

I like to call this "Delenn takes out her frustrations with her fiancee on Lennier, and he does a remarkably good job of living up to it." ♥ But yes, Scary Grad Advisor indeed.

No, genes cannot turn into viruses. You cannot catch a genetic disease.

Oh, god, they did, didn't they? I must have, like, repressed that or something. ...And I think I'm going to go right back to repressing it again, because there's just no other way to deal with such horrible science writing.

[icepixie]

The Shan'fal has definitely been stricken from my personal canon for the show. It never happened. Never.

how much Sheridan really needs to get his ass in gear in order to deserver.

FOR REAL. Dude has not earned someone so awesome. In fact, I'm not sure anyone has. (Well. Except for Ivanova, who deserves her by dint of being just as awesome. [Hmmm, I should get back to my Susan's POV fic of their AU...] And we can't forget Lennier!)

how much JMS really kind of fails sometimes, even when he's trying really hard not to fail. It's just this... fabulous subconscious FAIL that's always waiting to ambush him out of the darkness, without him ever being aware of it

I can't quite believe I'm saying this, but...I'm gonna give JMS this one, if only because I tend to interpret this as The Season of Sheridan Failing (see: all my comments on how Garibaldi is actually right), and this lines up with that. So it's not so much JMS Fail as it is Sheridan Fail, For Which JMS Then Has Delenn School Him, although there is definitely JMS Fail in relation to this topic all over the series.

(Although depending on how much of said schooling we believe Sheridan actually understood, this might be interpreted as Sheridan Acts Like Any Man Would, Delenn Gets Uppity, And We All Titter At It, but I prefer my interpretation for sanity-keeping reasons.)

I like to call this "Delenn takes out her frustrations with her fiancee on Lennier, and he does a remarkably good job of living up to it."

Hee. Or that.

Oh, god, they did, didn't they?

They did. I can decide if this or the "drug that can temporarily activate your recessive telepathy gene--even if you don't have one!--within an hour of taking it" quality of Dust is the worst bit of biology they've done on this show. Gaaaaaah.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

In fact, I'm not sure anyone has. (Well. Except for Ivanova, who deserves her by dint of being just as awesome. [Hmmm, I should get back to my Susan's POV fic of their AU...] And we can't forget Lennier!)

It's petty, but I think my primary fuss about Sheridan is still that he thinks he knows her a hell of a lot better than he does, and that he always seems so "Oh no, you're still on that stuff!" whenever Delenn has something particularly Minbari that she wants/needs to do. He gives off the impression of just not getting why she can't get over it all and act like a Human, and that makes me growl a lot. I love the two of them together sometimes, but other times his reactions to her make me flail a lot. As screwed up as Lennier is (particularly where Delenn is concerned), he accepts and loves her in whole, not just in part. /shipper-rant. (And her and Susan would just be Awesome Squared, and that's all there is to it. ♥)

So it's not so much JMS Fail as it is Sheridan Fail, For Which JMS Then Has Delenn School Him, although there is definitely JMS Fail in relation to this topic all over the series.

True, true. And Character Fail is so much more forgivable (and worthy of forgiveness) than Author Fail.

I can decide if this or the "drug that can temporarily activate your recessive telepathy gene--even if you don't have one!--within an hour of taking it" quality of Dust is the worst bit of biology they've done on this show.

Gah, yeah. I... just sort of handwave that and pretend the drug somehow mimics the telepathy gene in some... strange... unknown way. Because otherwise it just makes my head hurt. Especially since it works for Narn, who supposedly don't have enough of the telepathy gene to even start a recessive pool of it.

[icepixie]

He gives off the impression of just not getting why she can't get over it all and act like a Human, and that makes me growl a lot.

Yes, this!! I hate this! I mean, hell, he could at least make an effort to learn her frigging language, you know? And apparently he hasn't done any research on Minbari culture at all, because each and every one of her culture's quirks comes as a surprise to him. I get that they're secretive, but surely there's something in the databases by season four.

As screwed up as Lennier is (particularly where Delenn is concerned), he accepts and loves her in whole, not just in part.

He does, and I think it's why I ship them.

And her and Susan would just be Awesome Squared, and that's all there is to it. ♥

Indeed. Plus I think Susan would, you know, actually do some damn research about her girlfriend instead of expecting her to do all the work in the relationship.

Huh. I didn't realize I had so much simmering rage about this issue.

Dust could've been so awesome if it had been, like, a machine that enhances...telepathic waves, or whatever it is they're using as an explanation for how telepathy works. Actually, since telepathy is basically magic anyway, they could've just left it as "Dust gives a user telepathic ability" and not been so egregious in the bad science department.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Huh. I didn't realize I had so much simmering rage about this issue.

Yeah, that's pretty much how I feel, too. I mean... I kind of always feel this way about John and Delenn, but the second time around it managed to get covered up in "aww, but he's cute!" somehow (augh), and I'd kind of got used to the idea, plus I was spending every scene Lennier had looking for the threads that would eventually lead to the Bad Thing in "Objects at Rest," and for evidence for my fanwanky third gender theory, but... holy hell, you would think the son of a freaking diplomat would have a little more cultural awareness! I mean, god. No research, not even so much as looking up a thing! Susan learned Minbari for the freaking White Stars, and John can't be assed to so much as look up a few things about their culture?

He does, and I think it's why I ship them.

Me too.

Actually, since telepathy is basically magic anyway, they could've just left it as "Dust gives a user telepathic ability" and not been so egregious in the bad science department.

That would have been easier, yeah.

[icepixie]

you would think the son of a freaking diplomat would have a little more cultural awareness!

Exactly! Arrrrrrrgh. And yet somehow I don't think we were supposed to question it...