{"id":7074,"date":"2018-11-21T13:00:58","date_gmt":"2018-11-21T21:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/?p=7074"},"modified":"2018-11-07T13:20:06","modified_gmt":"2018-11-07T21:20:06","slug":"mark-watches-babylon-5-s02e21-comes-the-inquisitor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/2018\/11\/mark-watches-babylon-5-s02e21-comes-the-inquisitor\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Watches ‘Babylon 5’: S02E21 – Comes the Inquisitor"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the twenty-first and penultimate episode of the second season of Babylon 5<\/i>, I CONTINUE TO HURT. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to watch Babylon 5<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Trigger Warning: For discussion of imperialism, torture, abuse<\/b>.<\/p>\n

HELP ME, WHAT WAS THIS EPISODE.<\/p>\n

G\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Kar<\/b><\/p>\n

I can already tell that watching this is going to be rough, but I appreciate that the show is openly talking about the difficulties of occupation. We get a real sense of isolation here, that the Narn on Babylon 5<\/i> are so deeply cut-off from their homeworld that even simple communication is impossible. I imagine that when Centauri does allow communication again, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not going to be open and free; it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be highly monitored. So there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a value in what the staff manages to help G\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Kar achieve here, and I was pleased to see what lengths Sheridan and Garibaldi were willing to go to help G\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Kar.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But of every scene in this episode, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s that chilling one in the elevator with Vir that is most memorable. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s striking not just for its emotional intensity, but because of the way it digs into the notion of complicity and penance. At the start of the episode, we see that Vir is watching G\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Kar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s impassioned speech about the Centauri, and we know that he did<\/i> try to voice his distaste with what the Centauri (and specifically, Londo) were doing in the past. So it makes sense that upon being in an elevator with G\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Kar, Vir would feel a compulsion to be kind to G\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Kar. He is perhaps the only living Centauri that we know of that hates what has happened.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But that sentiment is largely useless to G\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Kar. What does being sorry actually do<\/i>? How does it help the countless dead Narn? What exactly did Vir do to stop the slaughter from happening? In the face of what happened, Vir\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s words are a gesture, nothing more. They don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help him at all, not like the Rangers do at least. So I saw that as a powerful chance to demonstrate to Vir that his discontent is meaningless unless he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s actually ready to do something.<\/p>\n

Sebastian<\/b><\/p>\n

You know, I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really think about this until the episode was over, but this all demonstrated to me just how messed up the Vorlons can be. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an undeniable sense of superiority here, and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s present not just because of Sebastian and who he really is. Right from the beginning, the doubt is there: the Vorlons are not sure that Delenn is right for the upcoming battle with the darkness. But there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no doubt in the opposite direction. Granted, they are<\/i> the only species here that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been around since the initial wars with the Shadows, so I understand that on a surface level, but I do think that this episode provides a necessary reminder that the Vorlons may want to fight the Shadows, but they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re kind of fucked up on their own.<\/p>\n

Plus, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hard not to read that into this episode after THAT experience. Sebastian arrives on the station and is immediately rude and condescending to Sheridan, which is just a red flag warning of the NIGHTMARE that is about to unfold. And I expected some difficult interrogation scenes, but I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d devolve into outright torturous abuse. Even if I might understand the Vorlon\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s intent here, I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t say I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m at all<\/i> comfortable with the execution.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Delenn is tortured. Period. Later, Sheridan is, too, and the fact that this is all done at the hands of a penitent serial killer is just\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 immensely fucked up? And I feel like that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s intentional, too; I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get the sense that JMS didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d recoil and grimace and watch in shock as Sebastian tried to break Delenn down. This whole interrogation was meant to make Delenn feel isolated so that she would get to a point where she felt so was truly alone. At that point, the test would be administered: would she still give up her own life to save another, even if no one else was watching, even if she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d never be remembered for it?<\/p>\n

It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s horrifying to watch, but now I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m thinking about what that actually means. Do the Vorlons expect that a major sacrifice will need to be made to win this war? In general, sure; I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going into these remaining episodes fully expecting that pretty much NO ONE in the main cast is safe. But is there some other aspect of this fight that I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know about that would require<\/i> a sacrifice?<\/p>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122M SCARED, Y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ALL. Also: holy shit, this episode was STRESSFUL.<\/p>\n

The video for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Comes the Inquisitor\u00e2\u20ac\u009d can be downloaded here for $0.99<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mark Links Stuff<\/b><\/p>\n

– My YA contemporary debut, ANGER IS A GIFT<\/a>, is now out in the world!\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>If you’d like to stay up-to-date on all announcements regarding my books, sign up for my newsletter<\/a>! DO IT.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"