Dust to Dust
Before I get to the actual episode, I need to put on my mod hat for a moment and make two quick requests:
1. Please remember to put ALL episode-related comments under a cut. We have no spoiler-free posts anymore, but just to be on the safe side, anything that deals with the content of the episode you're posting about--comments, images, whatever--should be below the cut. General comments can go before the cut.
2. We don't have many rules around here, but I wanted to remind everyone of our general policy for the community, which is also listed on the profile page:
Everyone's welcome to join in our discussions, but please remember that we're watching the show for fun, and, for many of us, out of a deep love for the storyline and the characters. We all have our favorite characters and episodes, and the right to enjoy those episodes is sacred here. We welcome dissenting opinions, and only ask that presentation of those opinions be respectful to those who might disagree. Trolling and pot-stirring are not acceptable, nor is insulting other people's opinions or politics (perceived or otherwise).
In other words, we're all playing in the same sandbox, and throwing sand at fellow members is not allowed.
Thanks. We now return you to your regularly scheduled episode post.
There's so much going on in this episode. It's one of my very favorites. I'm going to tackle the big stuff last.
I love the way the gang handles Bester. I was surprised, though, at Ivanova. I know she hates the Corps, and for very good reason, but I can't see her approving if someone else had seriously attempted to kill him. If she'd been the one who walked in on, say, Corwin, I can picture her reacting exactly the way Sheridan did. So why did she give in to temptation this time--especially when she recognized that Bester was just trying to provoke Garibaldi in their meeting? Revenge? (If communication was the theme of the last episode, I think it's safe to say that revenge is a major theme of this one.) Fear? Something else?
Londo and Vir reunited--the perfect contrast of cynicism and earnest desire to see the best in everything. Londo has the most amazing way of being fatherly to Vir while dissing him (though some folks would undoubtedly say that that's part of being fatherly--maybe more a big brother thing?--and it's certainly part of being Londo). This is, of course, most visible when Vir shows up wearing his Minbari outfit and then when he asks Londo to read his report and Londo immediately tells him he's naive and wants to edit it to make it appropriately cynical. I think my favorite thing about this relationship is the way that Vir refuses to stop believing in the best in everyone--even Londo--and that Londo does eventually see the error of his ways, though by then, it's far, far too late to save himself. (Their scenes also contain one of my favorite Londo quotes: "The universe is already mad; anything else would be redundant.")
I have to admit that Bester amuses the heck out of me in this episode. I love the way you never know just how much to trust him and how much not to at any given time, and this episode is a great example. His comment about trying to "save your butts" and then the way he turns Garibaldi's piñata analogy around are classic. And of course, his revelation at the end that Dust is brought to you by your friendly neighborhood PsiCorps dealer (in the secret hope of turning you into a teep) undoes any trust that we as the audience might have tentatively decided to grant the guy. He's the ultimate keeps-you-guessing character. (And hey, he and Garibaldi have funky Bluetooth headsets! And some serious potential for their own TV show.)
I also was struck this time by the contrast between Bester's comments about the bizarre silence in his head and the way that G'Kar is so obviously overwhelmed by the noise in his head once he takes the Dust. (Actually, this episode seems to me to be, overall, a great example of how each plotline ties very well into every other plotline.) Which brings us to the meat of the episode.
I know we've presumably all seen this by now, but since I'm going to refer to it, and since a lot of what I have to say can't be said much better than it is in the episode itself, I want to include G'Kar's Dust experience here for handy reference:
This scene is, probably not surprisingly, why this episode is one of my favorites. I was blown away by the whole idea and its execution the first time I saw it, and it still gets to me every time I watch it. Again, we have the contentious G'Kar/Londo relationship, but now, G'Kar has gone too far (in, it occurs to me, much the way Susan wanted to with Bester, but didn't because she was stopped first). In G'Kar's case, though, there's a very valid argument that his actions are ultimately for the best.
One of the things that really hits me in this scene is the way that G'Kar is going after Londo in exactly the way he explains to the dealer--he's not just looking for information; he's out for revenge. He wants to make Londo squirm, or better, pay. And he has Londo in the one place where Londo can't do a damn thing about it--inside his own head. His realization that Londo is directly responsible for what's happened to the Narn is exactly what he's looking for--probably far more than he expected--and Londo knows G'kar will use it against him. I want to think, probably because I can't help liking Londo, that he's sincere in severing his relationship with Morden and that there's some remorse shown there (not a huge amount, but some), but there's no chance that would ever matter to G'Kar in that moment.
It's not 100% clear who the old man he speaks to is (even the Lurker's Guide can't confirm, and in the JMS quotes, he lists G'Kar's father and G'Lan in his angelic form, but that doesn't tell us anything for sure about the old man) [ETA: it appears I missed a vital quote here--see the first two comments for corrective info], but my money is on G'Quon, especially since he tells Garibaldi that he's considerably closer to the source of the book now. We know that G'Kar is a devoted follower of G'Quon, and yet he seems to be at that place, before the Dust experience, where he is a devoted follower and spends time reading the book and takes it very seriously, but never manages to really put what he learns there into practice in his own life. (We've seen this back as far as S1, when Sinclair has to point out a way in which G'Kar can still adhere to the spirit of his sacred ritual even though he can't follow it to the letter, because G'Kar just can't see out of the proverbial box.)
So by the time G'Quon shows up in his hallucination, G'Kar has demonstrated repeatedly that he's determined to beat the Centauri at their own game, that he's in favor of revenge on Londo to the point where he will sacrifice himself to get it if necessary, and generally, that there's very little he won't do in the name of getting his own back with the Centauri. The fact that he's kept his people calm in spite of his own beliefs is fairly remarkable. But when G'Kar decides to be the guinea pig for Dust, he knows that, if it works, it's his ultimate form of revenge. He doesn't hesitate to go after Londo and beat the crap out of him physically and mentally.
There's really nowhere left for G'Kar to go, and if we didn't know it when he took the Dust, we do when he looks at G'Quon and he can't come up with any better argument for his actions than, "The Centauri started it." He might as well be standing on an elementary school playground, crying to the teacher that another kid stole his kickball. It's so lame that it's pathetic, and reaching that point has to feel pretty stupid, especially if you're trying to defend yourself to someone you admire as much as G'Quon. There's no indication that G'Kar sees how pathetic that response is until G'Quon sets him straight (in so many pertinent and quotable ways that I will not include here), but clearly this conversation hits exactly where it needs to.
We know that it's really Kosh, of course, but that changes none of the effectiveness of the illusion. G'Kar needed to hear what Kosh had to say, and wouldn't have listened in any other guise, or at any other point before he took the Dust. Honestly, one of the most powerful moments of this series, for me at least, is when G'Kar comes out of the hallucination, sees what he's done to Londo, and sobs.
(I am left to wonder why Kosh never bothered to try anything similar on Londo. Was there no good opportunity? Was Londo too far gone before he even got to B5? Is Londo the one that Kosh has to sacrifice to save everyone else? Or is it just that it would sorta wreck the overall plot and make G'Kar's experience so much less powerful for us to watch? 'Cause, well...it would. But I can't help but wonder anyway, from a character perspective, why Kosh would nudge one in the right direction but not the other when the two are similar in so many ways.)
I'm somewhat surprised that Sheridan even tried to make the, "He was under the influence and therefore not responsible for his actions" argument--I mean, DUH, that's what happens when you take drugs. I love, though, that G'Kar is perfectly happy to admit his guilt and take his punishment like a grown-up (and that the ombuds is not having anything less), which is a far cry from, "But they started it!" All the seeds are planted now for the amazing transformation G'Kar makes throughout the rest of the series, and the contrast between his growth and Londo's continued descent/grappling with the consequences of his actions. For me, this is where things start to get really interesting.
1. Please remember to put ALL episode-related comments under a cut. We have no spoiler-free posts anymore, but just to be on the safe side, anything that deals with the content of the episode you're posting about--comments, images, whatever--should be below the cut. General comments can go before the cut.
2. We don't have many rules around here, but I wanted to remind everyone of our general policy for the community, which is also listed on the profile page:
Everyone's welcome to join in our discussions, but please remember that we're watching the show for fun, and, for many of us, out of a deep love for the storyline and the characters. We all have our favorite characters and episodes, and the right to enjoy those episodes is sacred here. We welcome dissenting opinions, and only ask that presentation of those opinions be respectful to those who might disagree. Trolling and pot-stirring are not acceptable, nor is insulting other people's opinions or politics (perceived or otherwise).
In other words, we're all playing in the same sandbox, and throwing sand at fellow members is not allowed.
Thanks. We now return you to your regularly scheduled episode post.
There's so much going on in this episode. It's one of my very favorites. I'm going to tackle the big stuff last.
I love the way the gang handles Bester. I was surprised, though, at Ivanova. I know she hates the Corps, and for very good reason, but I can't see her approving if someone else had seriously attempted to kill him. If she'd been the one who walked in on, say, Corwin, I can picture her reacting exactly the way Sheridan did. So why did she give in to temptation this time--especially when she recognized that Bester was just trying to provoke Garibaldi in their meeting? Revenge? (If communication was the theme of the last episode, I think it's safe to say that revenge is a major theme of this one.) Fear? Something else?
Londo and Vir reunited--the perfect contrast of cynicism and earnest desire to see the best in everything. Londo has the most amazing way of being fatherly to Vir while dissing him (though some folks would undoubtedly say that that's part of being fatherly--maybe more a big brother thing?--and it's certainly part of being Londo). This is, of course, most visible when Vir shows up wearing his Minbari outfit and then when he asks Londo to read his report and Londo immediately tells him he's naive and wants to edit it to make it appropriately cynical. I think my favorite thing about this relationship is the way that Vir refuses to stop believing in the best in everyone--even Londo--and that Londo does eventually see the error of his ways, though by then, it's far, far too late to save himself. (Their scenes also contain one of my favorite Londo quotes: "The universe is already mad; anything else would be redundant.")
I have to admit that Bester amuses the heck out of me in this episode. I love the way you never know just how much to trust him and how much not to at any given time, and this episode is a great example. His comment about trying to "save your butts" and then the way he turns Garibaldi's piñata analogy around are classic. And of course, his revelation at the end that Dust is brought to you by your friendly neighborhood PsiCorps dealer (in the secret hope of turning you into a teep) undoes any trust that we as the audience might have tentatively decided to grant the guy. He's the ultimate keeps-you-guessing character. (And hey, he and Garibaldi have funky Bluetooth headsets! And some serious potential for their own TV show.)
I also was struck this time by the contrast between Bester's comments about the bizarre silence in his head and the way that G'Kar is so obviously overwhelmed by the noise in his head once he takes the Dust. (Actually, this episode seems to me to be, overall, a great example of how each plotline ties very well into every other plotline.) Which brings us to the meat of the episode.
I know we've presumably all seen this by now, but since I'm going to refer to it, and since a lot of what I have to say can't be said much better than it is in the episode itself, I want to include G'Kar's Dust experience here for handy reference:
Click to viewThis scene is, probably not surprisingly, why this episode is one of my favorites. I was blown away by the whole idea and its execution the first time I saw it, and it still gets to me every time I watch it. Again, we have the contentious G'Kar/Londo relationship, but now, G'Kar has gone too far (in, it occurs to me, much the way Susan wanted to with Bester, but didn't because she was stopped first). In G'Kar's case, though, there's a very valid argument that his actions are ultimately for the best.
One of the things that really hits me in this scene is the way that G'Kar is going after Londo in exactly the way he explains to the dealer--he's not just looking for information; he's out for revenge. He wants to make Londo squirm, or better, pay. And he has Londo in the one place where Londo can't do a damn thing about it--inside his own head. His realization that Londo is directly responsible for what's happened to the Narn is exactly what he's looking for--probably far more than he expected--and Londo knows G'kar will use it against him. I want to think, probably because I can't help liking Londo, that he's sincere in severing his relationship with Morden and that there's some remorse shown there (not a huge amount, but some), but there's no chance that would ever matter to G'Kar in that moment.
It's not 100% clear who the old man he speaks to is (even the Lurker's Guide can't confirm, and in the JMS quotes, he lists G'Kar's father and G'Lan in his angelic form, but that doesn't tell us anything for sure about the old man) [ETA: it appears I missed a vital quote here--see the first two comments for corrective info], but my money is on G'Quon, especially since he tells Garibaldi that he's considerably closer to the source of the book now. We know that G'Kar is a devoted follower of G'Quon, and yet he seems to be at that place, before the Dust experience, where he is a devoted follower and spends time reading the book and takes it very seriously, but never manages to really put what he learns there into practice in his own life. (We've seen this back as far as S1, when Sinclair has to point out a way in which G'Kar can still adhere to the spirit of his sacred ritual even though he can't follow it to the letter, because G'Kar just can't see out of the proverbial box.)
So by the time G'Quon shows up in his hallucination, G'Kar has demonstrated repeatedly that he's determined to beat the Centauri at their own game, that he's in favor of revenge on Londo to the point where he will sacrifice himself to get it if necessary, and generally, that there's very little he won't do in the name of getting his own back with the Centauri. The fact that he's kept his people calm in spite of his own beliefs is fairly remarkable. But when G'Kar decides to be the guinea pig for Dust, he knows that, if it works, it's his ultimate form of revenge. He doesn't hesitate to go after Londo and beat the crap out of him physically and mentally.
There's really nowhere left for G'Kar to go, and if we didn't know it when he took the Dust, we do when he looks at G'Quon and he can't come up with any better argument for his actions than, "The Centauri started it." He might as well be standing on an elementary school playground, crying to the teacher that another kid stole his kickball. It's so lame that it's pathetic, and reaching that point has to feel pretty stupid, especially if you're trying to defend yourself to someone you admire as much as G'Quon. There's no indication that G'Kar sees how pathetic that response is until G'Quon sets him straight (in so many pertinent and quotable ways that I will not include here), but clearly this conversation hits exactly where it needs to.
We know that it's really Kosh, of course, but that changes none of the effectiveness of the illusion. G'Kar needed to hear what Kosh had to say, and wouldn't have listened in any other guise, or at any other point before he took the Dust. Honestly, one of the most powerful moments of this series, for me at least, is when G'Kar comes out of the hallucination, sees what he's done to Londo, and sobs.
(I am left to wonder why Kosh never bothered to try anything similar on Londo. Was there no good opportunity? Was Londo too far gone before he even got to B5? Is Londo the one that Kosh has to sacrifice to save everyone else? Or is it just that it would sorta wreck the overall plot and make G'Kar's experience so much less powerful for us to watch? 'Cause, well...it would. But I can't help but wonder anyway, from a character perspective, why Kosh would nudge one in the right direction but not the other when the two are similar in so many ways.)
I'm somewhat surprised that Sheridan even tried to make the, "He was under the influence and therefore not responsible for his actions" argument--I mean, DUH, that's what happens when you take drugs. I love, though, that G'Kar is perfectly happy to admit his guilt and take his punishment like a grown-up (and that the ombuds is not having anything less), which is a far cry from, "But they started it!" All the seeds are planted now for the amazing transformation G'Kar makes throughout the rest of the series, and the contrast between his growth and Londo's continued descent/grappling with the consequences of his actions. For me, this is where things start to get really interesting.