{"id":7121,"date":"2018-12-19T13:00:52","date_gmt":"2018-12-19T21:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/?p=7121"},"modified":"2018-12-11T20:23:41","modified_gmt":"2018-12-12T04:23:41","slug":"mark-watches-babylon-5-s03e18-walkabout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/2018\/12\/mark-watches-babylon-5-s03e18-walkabout\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Watches ‘Babylon 5’: S03E18 – Walkabout"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the eighteenth episode of the third season of Babylon 5<\/i>, Dr. Franklin journeys while Sheridan gambles. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to watch Babylon 5<\/i>.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Trigger Warning: For discussion of addiction, overdoses<\/b>.<\/p>\n

This was a weird one? I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m trying to get a grasp on Dr. Franklin\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s story here, and I feel like maybe I missed the point? Actually, let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s start there since I had<\/i> asked where Dr. Franklin was during recent events. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Walkabout\u00e2\u20ac\u009d confirms that the was on the station the entire time, that he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d just taken a leave of absence after resigning his position. Since then, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s… walked? I understand the notion of a walkabout, but I still can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t ignore how certain this episode\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s script is that the Aboriginal people just… gave up this custom? Well, it sounds like the Foundationalists just \u00e2\u20ac\u0153adopted\u00e2\u20ac\u009d it, which sounds suspiciously like appropriation. On top of that, what Dr. Franklin participates in here doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel like a ceremony at all. He just wanders through the station until he finds a woman he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s attracted to, and then… I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really know? (I will say that I figured out where I know the actress playing Cailyn from. She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Wallace\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mom on Veronica Mars<\/i>!!!)\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

See, I thought this was leading to the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153conversation,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d the one Dr. Franklin explained in his conversation with Garibaldi. He was going to talk to someone until he no longer had words, and then he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d discover how he became \u00e2\u20ac\u0153separated\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from himself. Instead, this becomes a story about Dr. Franklin\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s compulsion to save someone from their own predicament while completely not understanding their predicament at all. So… was this supposed to be about mortality? Terminal illnesses? Dr. Franklin being aimless? I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really know! Did anyone grow or change here? I can fully admit to not really getting this at all. Maybe the point was that Dr. Franklin\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s road to recovery can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t involve other people?\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Anyway, the main plot is pretty damn great, and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s also a much-needed dose of hope. Definitively, we are shown how the Shadows\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 ships can be destroyed. And while it still requires a fairly intense effort, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s possible! THEY DESTROYED TWO SHIPS. But wrapped up in Sheridan\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s experiment is one hell of a weird plot thread concerning Ambassador Kosh\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s death and their replacement by… someone. I admit to being mystified by this notion of Kosh leaving a piece behind, as I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not sure how that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s possible? It would explain why Kosh had a telepathic connection to Sheridan, but why leave a piece behind? Why is this such a big deal to the Vorlons? What exactly happened between Lyta and the Vorlons, and why is she so secretive about it?\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, while I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t expect an answer to this any time soon (I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122M ADJUSTING TO THIS SHOW, OKAY. This is what it keeps doing to me!), it added a neat texture to the story. The Vorlons remain mysterious, but at least we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re getting a better sense of who they are. As Lyta puts it, their grief and confusion is more palpable than it otherwise would be, in part because of Kosh\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s death. But their continued role in the Shadow War is distant and judgmental, even if Kosh\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s decision to get the Vorlons more involved was a step in the right direction. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an interesting parallel here, then, in the choice that G\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Kar initially makes\u00e2\u20ac\u201dto agree with the captain of the G\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Tok<\/i> and not support Sheridan\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsince it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s about inaction and pragmatism. I understood why Na\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Kal didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to get involved! The Narn have few warships left after the Centauri destroyed most of their forces. This could have been too risky for them. But that risk is essential now! Not only that, but Sheridan risked the safety of his own people to save the G\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Tok<\/i>, too, so why not return the favor? Why not commit to a risk because it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the right thing to do?\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I suppose I might also be a bit harsher on this episode because the last two episodes were So Much. Still, there are important elements established here, so even if this won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t make a list of favorites for me, I can appreciate much of what it was trying to do.<\/p>\n

The video for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Walkabout\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":"