Mysteries Abound On Two Above-The-Curve Episodes Of Babylon 5!

The Good: Pretty wonderful plots, Good acting, Good character development, Excellent sense of serialization!
The Bad: Decent special effects, Somewhat simplified resolution to "Legacies"
The Basics: When Minbari arrive at the station banging war drums and Epsilon 3 appears not-quite-uninhabited, things change dramatically on Babylon 5!


Part of the fun of dusting off the old video tape collection is remembering how, before the advent of DVD, the production companies would try to really get a buck out of buyers. With Star Trek, the formula was simple: you want it, buy it, sucker! Every episode was a video tape that cost $12.95 (most places). Man, I love Paramount. They knew they had their audience and they weren't afraid to show it. Warner Home Video was a little bit more compassionate with Babylon 5; you got two episodes for about $9.99. But even then they had their ways of trying to get fans to buy more, like putting part one of a two-parter on one tape and part two on another! I guess that's just the way the episodes broke down in production . . . The latest one in my series of dusted off classics is "Legacies" and "A Voice In The Wilderness, Part I." I suppose one of the nice things about Babylon 5 is that it does not try frequently to disguise cliffhangers; when it's a two-parter, they let the viewer know right up front!

"Legacies" finds Babylon 5 playing host to a Minbari warship when one of the great Minbari warriors dies. The Shai Alit was the Minbari warrior who led the Battle of the Line, the battle which nearly wiped out humanity. He is brought to the station as part of a memorial tour to celebrate his life and greatness, raising tensions among the staff. While Sinclair deals with the edgy Minbari, made more so when the body of the Shai Alit goes missing, Talia and Ivanova discover a young orphan on the run, one who has just discovered she is a telepath . . .

"A Voice In The Wilderness, Part I" has the crew of Babylon 5 on edge when the abandoned planet below them, Epsilon 3, suffers groundquakes when it appeared to be stable. When an expedition is sent to investigate the geological mystery, it is fired on by weaponry from deep within the planet. Sinclair and Ivanova prepare to investigate as riots break out on Mars and an uprising there threatens the stability of the Earth Alliance. As Garibaldi tries desperately to contact his lost love on Mars, Sinclair and Ivanova discover that Epsilon 3 may not be what it appeared to be.

Both of these episodes do what much of Babylon 5 did right from the very beginning: they focus on character and they feature serialized plot and character elements. In "Legacies," understanding Ivanova's hatred for telepaths becomes clear when one has seen "Mind War" (reviewed here!), but otherwise is only vaguely discussed in the episode. Similarly, the Narn lack of telepaths is mentioned in the pilot episode "The Gathering," but not since. The Battle of the Line is heavily mentioned in "The Gathering" and is the obsessive pursuit of those who want to know what happened to Sinclair during it in "And The Sky Full Of Stars" (reviewed here!). In that same episode, it was revealed that a rift formed between the Religious and Warrior castes as a result of the abrupt end to the Earth-Minbari War and "Legacies" threatens to expand that rift. Delenn even implies that the disappearance of the body could cause a new war with Earth or start a Minbari Civil War.

Epsilon 3 has been largely neglected for the series thus far and its abrupt appearance as something of note (other than being simply a decent special effect behind the station in every episode) sets up future storylines. Similarly, the Mars Rebellion is the start of a huge series of plot events that resonate through the series. And Garibaldi's desperate search for Lise Hampton is an important character element for him. So, as you can see, these episodes are certainly enhanced by knowing the backstory of the characters and plots.

That is not to say they do not stand well on their own. Indeed, "A Voice In The Wilderness, Part I" is a remarkably well-contained episode, which is ironic as it is the first part of a two-parter. The episode introduces Gral, a mentor of Delenn's and serves as a launching point for future stories, not the least of which is "A Voice In The Wilderness, Part II!" And the nice thing is, by the time these two episodes come up, the special effects team has most of the kinks worked out in the special effects and much of the detail on the CGI work looks better than it has in the past.

But the essential elements are always the character elements and these episodes are rich with them. In "Legacies," the a-plot seems to focus on Sinclair, who is forced to play host to some of the very Minbari who were shooting at him a decade prior. He is on edge, but committed to peace. At one point, in speaking with Garibaldi, he admits that he has to keep reminding himself that the war is over. This is a wonderful touch and an essentially human and very true moment. Overcoming history, hatred and fear is not about repressing the thoughts that lead one to feel something about a supposed enemy, but rather about tempering those feelings with reason. In short, writer D.C. Fontana wisely recognizes that a decade after humanity was almost exterminated, the fear and hatred against the enemy still exists, but the actions taken are much more important and Sinclair is a man who is very much in control of his actions.

"Legacies" appears to be about Sinclair, but it takes an abrupt left turn near the end of the episode to focus on Delenn. I shall not ruin the plot/character surprises that come from that twist of attention, but I will say that while the resolution is satisfying on one level, it is a bit oversimplified on another and that might be why I find myself not rewatching this one as much. This episode also introduces Neroon, who is one of the leaders of the warrior caste and who will resurface throughout the series.

On the b-plot front, character may be even more important. Talia and Ivanova are characterized almost completely as opposites and this episode serves to push them together in an adversarial way yet again. While Talia tries to enlist the orphaned girl into the Psi Corps, as is law among humans, Ivanova tries to give the girl other options. Ivanova seeks to thwart Talia and prevent the Corps from gaining a useful asset. Over the course of the episode, the two manage to not pussyfoot around their hostility toward one another and they act like adults in how they attempt to resolve their differences. This is refreshing, even if their issues are not completely resolved.

"A Voice In The Wilderness, Part I" is a little more plot-focused simply because it is an ambitious first part that sets up a number of elements for the second episode. The main character elements focused on involve Gral's planned departure and Delenn's reaction to the "retirement" of her mentor and Garibaldi searching for the woman he loves from a distance among the complete chaos of political revolution. Garibaldi's story is one that is very vital and may be appreciated by anyone who has a friend in harm's way and is worried about them. But it also sets up Garibaldi as someone who has a heart, which has not been evident in his character before now. We know of his troubled past, the viewer had no real notion that he had not gone through all of it alone.

What works consistently in the course of these two episodes is that the acting is pretty solid. Outside the young woman who plays the orphaned telepath, the acting is all-around impressive. The performer who plays Gral only appears in this episode and the second part (the part is recast for subsequent appearances), but John Vickery, who plays Neroon, makes an auspicious debut and becomes one of the actors who shines as a guest star such that one looks forward to his next appearance.

The main cast is much more honed as well. Andrea Thompson plays Talia with much more consistency in these two episodes than she had in prior episodes. It seems like she has become more comfortable with performing in a science fiction environment, which did not always appear to be the case in earlier episodes. Michael O'Hare is able to explore more of his abilities as Sinclair. We finally see him excited and elated in "A Voice In The Wilderness, Part I." His performance (nothing in the script) infuses a sense of exploratory desire and adventure into the Commander that had not been present before now. It's a nice touch and it works quite well for him.

But the real winner in the two episodes seems to be Mira Furlan. Furlan, who impresses viewers with her recurring role of Rousseau on Lost (reviewed here!), gives two performances that establish her as a true master. Burdened by prosthetics that almost completely obscure her ability to make more expressive facial expressions (she cannot, for example, furrow her brow in frustration), she is forced to act through her voice and her eyes. She has the ability to bring steely resolve to her eyes that perfectly expresses her character's mood of guarded resolve. And in the second episode, we see her smiling for one of the few times in the first season and her performance alongside her mentor is delightful and strikingly different from many of her others, yet she still makes the performance feel like it is in character.

These episodes work best for fans of science fiction and especially those who like Babylon 5 already or are interested in committing to the five-year story arc. "Legacies" is an interesting episode for those interested in dramas involving the difficulties with being at peace with an old enemy. "A Voice In The Wilderness, Part I" is very much for fans of science fiction. But they are both worthwhile.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Babylon 5 - The Complete First Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the debut season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

“Legacies” – 6.5/10
“A Voice In The Wilderness, Part 1” – 8/10
VHS – 7/10

For other television reviews, please visit my specialized index page on the subject by clicking here!

© 2012, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Dr. Franklin's Medical Mysteries With "Deathwalker" And "Believers" On Babylon 5!

The Good: Excellent moral dilemmas, Decent character development, Mostly good acting
The Bad: Simple plots, Some shaky acting
The Basics: When medical ethics issues are brought to Babylon 5 in the form of war crimes experiments and religious zealotry, Babylon 5 does not shrink away from exploring the consequences!


Babylon 5 is not Star Trek. Never was, wasn't trying to be, didn't even enter into the equation. Yet, as a die-hard Star Trek fan, I find that Babylon 5 has a lot to offer and because it isn't bound by the conventions of the Star Trek universe, the cultures are distinct and the menace posed by threats is often quite real and binding with a permanence that Star Trek often lacks. Indeed, the great cited death in the Star Trek universe would have to be that of Tasha Yar from Star Trek: The Next Generation in "Skin Of Evil" (reviewed here!). As a result of death being a somewhat permanent condition in the Babylon 5 universe, the situations have an ability to take a turn toward the fatal and unexpected. Nowhere is this more true in the first season than with "Deathwalker" and "Believers."

Na'Toth is waiting for a transport to arrive when suddenly she assaults a woman who is boarding the station, yelling "Deathwalker!" The last of the Dilgar, the biogeneticist Jha'dur is nearly killed by Na'Toth before the Narn is dragged away. Jha'dur is Deathwalker, a corrupt scientist whose experiments on living beings has led to the development of an elixir that offers nothing less than immortality. While Na'Toth schemes for a way to kill Jha'dur, the races aboard Babylon 5 vie to obtain her research. Meanwhile, the Vorlon Ambassador, Kosh, has a scheme of his own in the works, a series of senseless negotiations requiring the presence of Talia Winters.

"Believers" finds Dr. Franklin caught in an ethical bind when the religious beliefs of a child's parents prevent the doctor from performing a simple lifesaving surgery on their son. When the child takes a turn for the worse, Dr. Franklin is forced to make an official request for Commander Sinclair to intervene. While the parents approach the various ambassadors aboard the station to prevent Sinclair's intervention, Ivanova is sent to escort in a passenger ship full of civilians that has been left adrift in Raider territory. But of course, the time comes when Sinclair has to rule . . .

As I said, this isn't the Star Trek universe, so medical dilemmas are not always handled with happy results. While Star Trek: The Next Generation explored end of life issues with shows like "Half A Life" (reviewed here!), only Star Trek: Deep Space Nine truly agonized the death of a character on screen with "Life Support" (reviewed here!). "Believers" pits religion versus science and Dr. Franklin's arrogance is in the assumption that his way is the right way. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the dilemma is that Dr. Franklin is one of the more spiritual characters on Babylon 5 and his belief in the power of medicine makes for an interesting dilemma that is hardly as black and white as a simple faith versus science argument. And the result is an episode that does not have any simple answers.

But it does have consequences. In fact, both "Believers" and "Deathwalker" are big on consequences. And those consequences are illustrated in painful detail right on screen; Babylon 5 does not tiptoe around them. Instead, Jha'dur gets beaten while we watch, Commander Sinclair's gambit to simply follow orders and extradite her to Earth is thwarted by an alien ambassador, and Deathwalker's revelation of the consequences of creating her serum are all unapologetically explored on screen. It makes for a poignant pair of episodes that resonate with anyone who wishes to explore medical and scientific ethics. Both episodes focus on the strengths and limitations of science and the exploration of medical science. With "Deathwalker," the viewer is treated to an argument exploring uninhibited research. Jha'dur's methods are easily considered barbaric and cruel. In "Believers," the episode explores the nature of intense restrictions on medical practices and many will find the prohibitions and mannerisms of the parents to be almost as barbaric or cruel.

Babylon 5 does not get excessively preachy about the issues, though, either. Instead, the consequences of the moral dilemmas are kept couched in character terms. Dr. Franklin's decision does not become a broad statement on medical ethics, nor does the willingness of every "civilized" planet in the galaxy to use Jha'dur to continue her research. And the character studies are compelling.

One of the very cool aspects of "Deathwalker," for example, is the use of character limitations for Commander Sinclair. He is not all-powerful and in "Deathwalker," he finds himself out maneuvered by one of the ambassadors from the League of Nonaligned Worlds. When the ambassador rounds up a posse on her own to blockade the passageways Sinclair finds himself unable to execute his orders and forced to grant the League a hearing for extradition of Deathwalker.

It's nice to see even the leaders of the galaxy limited by obstacles that equally smart and driven individuals scheme up. But moreover, Sinclair's determination not to use force in the situation to resolve it makes for a compelling character stroke as well. He becomes a man of principle who sticks to the principles, even when it is not easy.

Both b-plots have their merits as well. Talia's trial at the (proverbial) hand of Kosh is easily one of the most memorable b-plots in the entire series. The peculiar negotiations she is sent to monitor make for a series of intriguing scenes that are initially confusing but end up making perfect sense. In "Believers," the plot that has Ivanova confronting Raider ships keeps the nebulous enemy alive in the mind of regular viewers despite its somewhat inconsequential nature within the episode. It gives Ivanova something to do and that's always nice.

"Deathwalkers" highlights just how wonderful first season Babylon 5 can be on the acting front. Jha'dur is played with icy menace by Sarah Douglas. Douglas is probably best known in mainstream culture as one of the villains in Superman 2, though I fondly remember her as the Visitor commander Pamela from V: The Final Battle (reviewed here!). Douglas has two strengths she brings to bear in the role of Jha'dur. First, she proves that she can act around the extensive prosthetics and make-up she is given as a Dilgar. Even though she is covered in latex, she is able to emote and create a memorable character. Second, as someone who is accustomed to playing villains, Douglas is charged with making Jha'dur distinct and different. She does this by using a sense of understatement that she does not usually bring to her roles. Instead of playing Jha'dur as an outright villain, she plays her as a quiet scientist who simply did what she was trained to do. It's a nice twist and it works to create another memorable villain notch in her belt.

"Deathwalkers" also features Robin Curtis as an alien ambassador. Curtis, perhaps best known to genre fans for her role as Saavik in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (reviewed here!), has to match wits and stature with Michael O'Hare to convincingly lead the plot to a standoff and she does it beautifully. Curtis has very emotive eyes and she is able to stare down O'Hare in a way that freezes him . . . and the viewer.

Michael O'Hare, for his part, does well being jerked around in "Deathwalker" and playing complete discomfort in "Believers." While Franklin has a pretty sound ethical dilemma - made more complicated by Sinclair's actions in the pilot episode - Sinclair is in murky legal waters. O'Hare plays Sinclair smartly; not as a man who cannot make up his mind, but a man who does not want the burden of a decision that sets such dangerous precedent.

Richard Biggs (Dr. Franklin) gives a solid performance that establishes his character as a determined and self-actualized healer.

Sadly, the performers playing the alien parents and the alien child are just plain terrible in the roles. Sure, they are supposed to be stiff and conservative, but half the time they look like they've forgotten their lines and are simply lost. And the child actor is, well, a child actor. This does not serve the episode well. Virtually every scene they are in is a weird combination of Biggs delivering flawless, emotional, poetic lines abruptly meeting with their stiff delivery of their parts. It just does not sit right.

The special effects in both episodes are among the better effects in season one with the CGI ships looking more real and less animated.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Babylon 5 - The Complete First Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the debut season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

“Deathwalker” – 6.5/10
“Believers” – 5/10
VHS – 5/10

For other television reviews, please be sure to check out my index page on the subject by clicking here!

© 2012, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Two Good Ideas, Suffering From Early-Series Issues, On One Babylon 5 VHS!

The Good: Great character development, Interesting stories, Conceptual issues
The Bad: Stiff acting, Special effects issues
The Basics: When an old flame returns and a rogue telepath arrives on Babylon 5, Sinclair finds his hands full with two good episodes of the series!


Part of the true magic of the series Babylon 5 was that because so much of the series was written by the same person - writer/creator/executive producer J. Michael Straczynski - the series generally does not suffer from the problem of finding its "voice" as much as many other television shows do. As a result, early episodes at least tend to sound like later episodes. This, of course, does not mean that the series did not suffer the usual early-series issues, growing pains and difficulties with actors trying to find their voice. There is nowhere that that is more clear, perhaps, than with the episodes "The Parliament Of Dreams" and "Mind War," which share a VHS tape.

"The Parliament Of Dreams" finds Babylon 5 serving as a hub for religious freedom when the Earth Government encourages a week-long celebration of religions from all of the major races, with each government performing religious ceremonies from the dominant religion of the planet. While Jeffrey Sinclair works on presenting Earth's dominant religion, he finds himself distracted by the return of an old flame, one who he has a difficult time resisting. And while Sinclair and Catherine Sakai work through their relationship issues, G'Kar finds himself menaced by an assassin, one who may be his new aide.

"Mind War" places Babylon 5 at the center of a struggle among telepaths when Jason Ironheart sneaks onto the station. An old friend of Talia Winters, Ironheart is a telepath whose abilities have begun to increase exponentially - a condition not supposed to occur among telepaths. While Sinclair is forced to deal with the arrival of Psi cops, led by Bester, Catherine Sakai is forced to deal with the Narn ambassador G'Kar, who seems unwilling to share information with her about a sector of space she has been commissioned to investigate, an investigation which may prove fatal.

There are a number of good things about both "The Parliament Of Dreams" and "Mind War," but the acting is not one of them. In both episodes, the acting is stiff, awkward and is a clear challenge for the bulk of the performers. "The Parliament Of Dreams" marks the arrival of both Na'Toth (G'Kar's aide) and Lennier (Delenn's aide) and while Caitlin Brown (Na'Toth) seems instantly comfortable in her role, Bill Mumy (Lennier) seems even stiffer than his character. Similarly, Mira Furlan seems unusually stiff in a number of scenes as Delenn (most notably in the awkward scene with Londo expressing his affection for everyone while getting absolutely drunk.

But the acting difficulties are best encapsulated by Michael O'Hare (Sinclair) and Julia Nickson (Sakai), who are portraying characters with a long history. The two have an awkward chemistry that is not evident in this first episode they are together and instead, they clumsily feel their way through the dialogue for scenes that ought to have some genuine familiarity for them. They are stiff and their performances seem more like two people just meeting one another for the first time. And the evidence that this is an acting difficulty is that in "Mind War," their scenes together - and, indeed, Nickson's performances opposite Andreas Katsulas (G'Kar) - are much more refined, fluid and natural.

In "Mind War," though, there are acting problems from other performers, most notably Andrea Thompson as Talia Winters and the actor playing Ironheart. Thompson has the ability to jump into a role and make it seem natural from her first day out; when she began playing Jill Kirkendall in the fourth season of NYPD Blue, she leapt in with a natural quality that worked perfectly. "Mind War" is the first episode that genuinely focuses on Talia and she seems uncomfortable performing in it. Indeed, Walter Koenig - best known to genre fans as Chekov from Star Trek - overshadows her in virtually every scene they share as the villainous Psi Cop Bester. Bester becomes one of the more interesting roles Koenig performs in and he makes for a convincing villain.

The only other genuine problem with either of these two episodes is the special effects. In "The Parliament Of Dreams," G'Kar ends up in paingivers, a device that has the special effects flair of articles from the original Star Trek. It's a pretty campy special effect. And while the CGI effects in "Mind War" are not quite as bad, they look very much like computer generated effects, as opposed to any genuine recreation of reality. Moreover, the make-up effects in both episodes are still a bit rough compared with how wonderful they become as the series progresses.

That said, the episodes do showcase some of what is best about the Babylon 5 series. The first is that the stories are interesting and ambitious. "The Parliament of Dreams" has both a typical plot - the assassination attempt - and a wonderfully unconventional one - the story of religious expression. Outside Babylon 5, there is not another science fiction series that works so hard to integrate religious beliefs constantly into its characters and its alien cultures. For sure, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (series reviewed here!) comes close, but so many of the characters and cultures there live in denial of their stated faiths, where Babylon 5 is populated by characters and cultures motivated by it. Regardless of my personal views on organized religion, this "reads" as very true and real and makes the universe of Babylon 5 seem that much more realistic.

With "Mind War," the viewer is treated to the beginning of one of the subplots for the entire series. Tensions exist between the telepaths and the mundanes and "Mind War" sets up that beautifully with establishing the tenants of who and what the telepaths are and exploring the issues with them. Similarly, the plot involving Sakai and the Narn and the force out in the strange sector of space works perfectly to set up future plotlines about the First Ones. G'kar's closing monologue in the episode is one of the best of the series.

And that's a pretty positive reflection on the characters, which are another key selling point for viewers of Babylon 5. Despite the acting problems that might limit the presentation of these episodes some, the characters are interesting. The only real problem with "The Parliament Of Dreams" on a character front comes in the form of Catherine Sakai. I like Sakai and I think she's a great choice for an old flame for Sinclair. The problem is, she's not the same old flame (who has essentially the same characterization) from the pilot episode "The Gathering." As a result, it makes Sinclair seem like something of a womanizer keeping a bunch of rogue surveyors on deck for year; something his character seems far too bland for.

But to Sinclair's credit, in "The Parliament Of Dreams," the bond between Sinclair and Garibaldi is wonderfully reflected. While awkward relationships are being begun with Lennier and Delenn, G'Kar and Na'Toth and rekindled between Sinclair and Sakai, the viewer is treated to the evidence that these characters do not exist in a vacuum with Garibaldi's very compassionate looking out for Sinclair.

And it is that and the whole concept of religious expression that makes "The Parliament Of Dreams" a remarkably accessible episode for fans of general drama and not just Babylon 5. It is a strong character-driven story that combines many of the best dramatic elements, even if one truly does not believe that G'Kar will be successfully assassinated. "Mind War" is a bit tougher to sell to a general audience, but it is a solid sell and an enthusiastic recommendation for fans of science fiction. Anyone who likes science fiction - and even those who might not like Babylon 5 are bound to find "Mind War" enjoyable.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Babylon 5 - The Complete First Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the debut season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

“The Parliament Of Dreams” – 6/10
“Mind War” – 6.5/10
VHS – 6/10

For other television reviews, please check out my Television Review Index Page by clicking here!

© 2012, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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One Good (“Born To The Purple”), One Abysmal (“Infection”) - The Pointless Two-Episode VHS Babylon 5 Reviews!

The Good: "Born To The Purple" is real good
The Bad: "Infection" is unspeakably bad
The Basics: One good episode of Babylon 5 and one true lemon - one of the few for the series - combine to make an unsatisfying video release.


One of my favorite television series's is Babylon 5 and for a while before the advent of DVD, Warner released episodes on VHS with two episodes per tape. They are collector's items now! Given the expense of the series on DVD (though it is worth it!), finding the old videos for a song may be a great, inexpensive way to get into the show before committing to the whole set (the entire series set is reviewed here!). The problem, of course, with reviewing the two-episode tapes is made perfectly evident with the video for "Born To The Purple" and "Infection;" the former is a good, solid episode, the latter is easily one of the worst five episodes of the series.

For those unfamiliar with Babylon 5, the first season takes place in the mid 23rd century on space station Babylon 5. It is essentially a U.N. Building in space in neutral territory, charged with helping bring peace to the troubled galaxy by inspiring communication between the five major races (and a host of lesser ones).

"Born To The Purple" is a solid story about Londo Mollari. When he falls in love with an exotic dancer, Adira Tyree, the Centauri Ambassador becomes vulnerable. As a slave, Adira is beholden to her owner, who wants Londo's secret blackmail files on the Centauri royalty. In the wrong hands, the information Londo possesses could embarrass or crush the government and when Adira is forced to steal them, Commander Sinclair sees an opportunity to un-stall some negotiations between the Centauri and the Narn.

"Infection" is a pretty pathetic episode wherein an old friend of Dr. Franklin's arrives at the station from an Interplanetary Expeditions mission. He comes bearing an ancient organic technology that is newly unearthed from a distant world and that technology soon releases itself upon an archaeological assistant who is turned into pretty much the ultimate killing machine. Sinclair and Garibaldi track the supersoldier through the station as its weaponry becomes more powerful and threatens to destroy everything.

There are a number of comparisons made between Star Trek (especially Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and Babylon 5. Usually, those comparisons are a stretch and are based on weak logic, threads that do not hold up under careful scrutiny. In the case of "Infection," though, the episode bears a striking resemblance - especially in its resolution - to the terrible Star Trek episode "The Changeling" (reviewed here!). Indeed, the final gambit devised by Dr. Franklin and Sinclair is almost identical to the one developed by Kirk and Spock in the classic Star Trek episode. And in getting there, there is a sudden influx of information that seems to be derived from a real stretch of scientific logic.

As Babylon 5 was just starting out, the terrible special effects are almost forgivable in "Infection." But the special effects are pretty bad, making them often look like they were created in the '60's as opposed to the '90's. Worse than that, the lighting in many of the scenes is awful, giving the series a darker and grainier look than it ought to have had. "Infection" is an all-around bad episode and in large part it is because it is so plot driven.

"Infection" involves almost no character development. Dr. Franklin is supposedly tempted by his former mentor's offer to join him in exploring the galaxy, but it never clicks, it never seems genuine. Add to that, the giant killing machine running around the station simply takes over the complete attention of the entire crew. The episode degenerates into a series of attacks that are not smart, nor impressive, nor even particularly consequential. The plot becomes a big, noisy distraction for an hour.

Babylon 5 usually succeeds because it is heavily serialized; it is telling one long story over the course of its five year arc. "Infection" is one of the rare bottle episodes that does not advance any of the plot, nor the characters. All it does is set up the thread that Interplanetary Expeditions is somewhat corrupt and willing to bend the rules of scientific ethics and station import procedures to turn a profit.

The only redeeming factor of "Infection" (it would be one star in my ten point system) is that its actors are decent. David McCallum guest stars as Franklin's associate and while he is not stretched as an actor in the role, he performs the part adequately. Similarly, Richard Biggs is given a lot of technobabble which he works his way around with competence and grace throughout the episode, even if he does not significantly grow his character. And Michael O'Hare is given the chance to play action hero - a role he is not given often on his brief tenure on the series.

But O'Hare does perform magnificently in "Born To The Purple." Sinclair's role is primarily to be an administrator and in "Born To The Purple," he finds himself at an inevitable and unfortunate impasse in negotiating between the Narn and the Centauri. This gives O'Hare the opportunity to infuse some genuine leadership and negotiation qualities into his character. He does it quite successfully, while also infusing a wry wit that will please a lot of the viewers; he has a great ability to emote with his eyes. In "Born To The Purple," he does that admirably.

It is, primarily, Londo's episode, though and actor Peter Jurasik does a pretty magnificent job. Until now in the series, Londo has been full of bluster or overcome by feelings of worthlessness as his assignment is largely treated as a joke to those back home. In this episode, Londo experiences love and Jurasik transforms the character with a wonderful portrayal of pure joy. Jurasik infuses energy and zest into his performance to enhance the character while still playing the reticence needed to not make the character suddenly seem like a parody of himself.

But "Born To The Purple" has several of the elements of what Babylon 5 does best. Namely, the story is character-driven and it illustrates well the actions the characters take having consequences. The chain of consequences for Londo and Adira resonate because it is largely their prior decisions that put them into the predicament they find themselves in. For fans of the series, the resolution to the episode has consequences that reverberate into the fourth season. It's a small episode, but thematically, it embodies much of the best of what Babylon 5 tries to present over its run.

As important, "Born To The Purple" establishes Londo as a vital character. Adira is an interesting character and for a guest character to be given a huge role and the main decision of the episode is very generous for the writers and producers (it's one of the few episodes not written by J. Michael Straczynski!). But Adira's choice between love and the life she is enslaved in makes for a compelling character conflict that works well for her. The viewer empathizes with her struggle as she is forced by her owner to betray a man she loves.

And because the episode is character-driven, it feels much more like it is resolved by the wits and skills of the show's protagonists rather than by random chance. That makes for great television. Fans of political drama - in addition to those who like science fiction - are liable to enjoy "Born To The Purple" quite a bit. Sadly, I'm not entirely sure who would enjoy "Infection" as it represents hard science fiction and seriously overdone science fiction at that.

[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Babylon 5 - The Complete First Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the debut season by clicking here!
Thanks!]

"Born To The Purple" – 7/10
"Infection" – 1/10
VHS – 3.5/10

For other television reviews, please be sure to visit my Television Review Index Page for an organized listing of all the t.v. episodes, DVD sets and series’ that I have reviewed!

© 2012, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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