SUMMARY: When the Narn brutally attack Ragesh 3, a Centauri agricultural colony, Centauri Ambassador Londo Mollari is furious. However, G'Kar reminds Londo that the Centauri originally invaded the Narn stronghold on Ragesh 3 over a hundred years ago, and the Narns are
simply regaining what they believe is rightfully theirs.
Meanwhile, Sinclair investigates a series of attacks on cargo ships by Raiders. Assisted by Garibaldi, and Lieutenant Commander Susan Ivanova, Sinclair also maintains peace aboard Babylon 5 until the Babylon 5 ruling council, including Minbari Ambassador Delenn and the mysterious Kosh can debate the Centauri problem.
Londo is concerned for the safety of his nephew, Carn Mollari, a scientist stationed on Raghesh 3. Carn sends a message to the Babylon 5 council, stating that his people requested Narn assistance to liberate their colony from Centauri's oppressive rule.
Defending his nephew's loyalty, Londo insists that Carn was forced to make that statement by the Narns to discourage any intervention. But despite Londo's objection, the council votes not to investigate the incident.
Commanding Babylon 5's fighter squadron, Sinclair chases the Raiders away from the neutral sector. However, he captures a Narn advisor from the pirates' command ship and presents him to G'Kar. Sinclair accuses the Narns of selling weapons to the pirates and profiting from the pirates' random violent attacks.
Sinclair also captures evidence of a monitored transmission between the Ragesh 3 invasion fleet and the Narn military command that proves Carn was forced to make his statement and confirms the attack on the space colony was indeed a hostile takeover.
Sinclair tells G'Kar to advise his leaders to withdraw the Narn forces from Ragesh 3 or he will present the
evidence to the council, which will prompt the other races to collectively retaliate against the Narns. G'Kar reluctantly complies, and peace is temporarily restored.
BRASH REFLECTIONS: A hell of a start. Not too different from the pilot, and most of the changes that did come around were good ones.
It's amazing how much effort went into the continuity of this show. When Londo tells Garibaldi that Centauri can see how they will die, we see him and G'Kar strangling each other. (See "War Without End Pt.2"). Though this does create a few nits later on.
What's with the source music during the scene near the end in the bar with Ivanova and Talia? It sounds like banal 80s pop.
Whose photo is on Sinclair’s desk? It’s unlikely to be Carolyn because we later learn that she and he are no longer together.
Why is Vir sitting in one of the seats reserved for the League of Non-Aligned Worlds? If he has to be in the room, shouldn’t he be sitting to one side?
Brian Webber - "When Londo tells Garibaldi that Centauri can see how they will die, we see him and G'Kar strangling each other."
Londo tells Sinclair, not Garibaldi... well at least in this episode. What he tells Garibaldi is that he's still on schedule for his fate in 20 years; but not the details of what that fate is.
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Ruminations
I enjoy the portrayal of the flight dynamics of the star fury. The physics of turning, firing, coasting etc. Better realism than you get with the star trek shuttle craft.
NITS
Vir Coto: Where did I get my information? Oh, I got it from the movie store on Spaceball 1
Vir says that they got through the mindfield, but in the very next scene, it shows the Narn invasion still coming through jump points and still approaching the minefield.
Show Premises
- People in Centuri Republic believe in Hell. (Londo tells Vir to go to hell)
- Delta Wing comes out of the Red Launch Bay based on the colors of the external B5 hull.
- Geribaldi's second favorite thing is Daffy Duck
- When Sinclair goes to see Kosh, the gas mask compartment opens as if it is controlled by Kosh, this trend changes later in the series.
Ruminations
I enjoy the portrayal of the flight dynamics of the star fury. The physics of turning, firing, coasting etc. Better realism than you get with the star trek shuttle craft.
That's because they used real world physics for how the ships and the station would really move - at least for the Earthforce ships in the series.
According to some rumours;
The station rotates at a correct speed on screen to produce near Earth gravity.
NASA were looking for a design of a small spacecraft that could be used to help with repairs and construction on the International Space Station. Of all the designs they saw the best was...B5's Starfury.
They called up JS to ask if they could use the design, his reply was 'As long as you call it a Starfury...'
well, a NASA starfury doesn't appear to have gone anywhere...
I noticed the different uniforms and gas masks in this episode. The latter was a good design choice, since it allows the viewing to see more of the characters' faces when they're speaking and emoting.
- Geribaldi's second favorite thing is Daffy Duck
Not necessarily. Garibaldi's second favorite thing in the universe might just be Duck Dodgers. Or maybe Looney Tunes cartoons.
This is the first non-pilot episode, so it gets a break, but some of the acting, most notably Claudia Christian as Ivanova, is a bit wooden.