Babylon 5 Episode 5 Season 4
Falling Towards Apotheosis was a pretty hard act to follow, but I think they did it with The Long Night.
The story that has interested me most in Season 4 so far is the one that is taking place on Centauri Prime, so that's what I'll focus on here. The Emperor's court ( his name is Cartagia) has moved to Narn. This has happened in order to G'Kar to be publicly executed in front of his own people. The idea is that it will further drive home to the Narn that their chances of regaining independence from the Centauri Empire are next to nil. Of course Cartagia also thinks long, drawn out executions are a lot of fun.
G'Kar is in a pretty bad way, having had one of his eyes torn out and not really trusting that Londo can find a way out for him. He does agree to trust his former enemy, though.
Londo has a plan to kill the Emperor by means of a poisoned needle. Strangely enough one of the funniest scenes in this episode concern Vir and Londo talking about the needle and the assassination. It's a testimony to Stephen Furst's acting talents that he can actually make this subject seem genuinely amusing.
The execution doesn't take place, because Londo has arranged for G'Kar's bonds to be breakable. Seeing G'Kar fight his guards once he gets loose, and keep in mind he's been mistreated and probably not fed well as well as sleep deprived, is rather impressive. It makes me wonder how they managed to capture him in the first place. The other Narn are no slouches when it comes to fighting. Obviously only Centauri's better weaponry and large population were how they defeated the Narn.
The assassination is botched, because the Emperor manages to resist Londo and may have possibly killed him if not for Vir. It is in fact Vir who stabs the Emperor with the poisoned needle and kills him. Taking another life, even one as twisted as Cartagia's affects a gentle soul like Vir very badly. It is sad when he tells Londo all he ever wanted was a decent job, a small title and holdings and someone he loved who loved him back. Vir shouldn't be in this situation and it hurts to see him thrown into it.
The remaining court elect Londo as Prime Minister, and with the Emperor having no heir, the scheming former ambassador is closer to realising his dream of becoming Emperor.
The Narn offer to make G'Kar their ruler, but he wants no part of that and he also wants nothing to do with any plan of revenge the Narn plan against Centauri.
While this is going on the crew of Babylon 5 are wrestling with the Shadow Vorlon conflict and Sheridan comes up with a plan to force the two mighty forces to face each other without continuing to rack up innocents in their war of mutually assured destruction. It's a good plan, but someone has to die to carry it out and they do, but this weighs further on Sheridan's conscience.
For some reason Bruce Boxleitner looks both younger and healthier in this season. I'm wondering if he went on some sort of weight loss fitness program between seasons, or if this is a subtle way of emphasising that his near death experience did change him somehow.
I'm going to start a Marcus watch. I like Marcus and he's been absent for a couple of episodes now. So no Marcus in The Long Night. I am hoping that he will accompany Ivanova on her mission to find the First Ones. Despite her own competence Susan does need someone to watch her back and who better than the suave Ranger Marcus?
The story that has interested me most in Season 4 so far is the one that is taking place on Centauri Prime, so that's what I'll focus on here. The Emperor's court ( his name is Cartagia) has moved to Narn. This has happened in order to G'Kar to be publicly executed in front of his own people. The idea is that it will further drive home to the Narn that their chances of regaining independence from the Centauri Empire are next to nil. Of course Cartagia also thinks long, drawn out executions are a lot of fun.
G'Kar is in a pretty bad way, having had one of his eyes torn out and not really trusting that Londo can find a way out for him. He does agree to trust his former enemy, though.
Londo has a plan to kill the Emperor by means of a poisoned needle. Strangely enough one of the funniest scenes in this episode concern Vir and Londo talking about the needle and the assassination. It's a testimony to Stephen Furst's acting talents that he can actually make this subject seem genuinely amusing.
The execution doesn't take place, because Londo has arranged for G'Kar's bonds to be breakable. Seeing G'Kar fight his guards once he gets loose, and keep in mind he's been mistreated and probably not fed well as well as sleep deprived, is rather impressive. It makes me wonder how they managed to capture him in the first place. The other Narn are no slouches when it comes to fighting. Obviously only Centauri's better weaponry and large population were how they defeated the Narn.
The assassination is botched, because the Emperor manages to resist Londo and may have possibly killed him if not for Vir. It is in fact Vir who stabs the Emperor with the poisoned needle and kills him. Taking another life, even one as twisted as Cartagia's affects a gentle soul like Vir very badly. It is sad when he tells Londo all he ever wanted was a decent job, a small title and holdings and someone he loved who loved him back. Vir shouldn't be in this situation and it hurts to see him thrown into it.
The remaining court elect Londo as Prime Minister, and with the Emperor having no heir, the scheming former ambassador is closer to realising his dream of becoming Emperor.
The Narn offer to make G'Kar their ruler, but he wants no part of that and he also wants nothing to do with any plan of revenge the Narn plan against Centauri.
While this is going on the crew of Babylon 5 are wrestling with the Shadow Vorlon conflict and Sheridan comes up with a plan to force the two mighty forces to face each other without continuing to rack up innocents in their war of mutually assured destruction. It's a good plan, but someone has to die to carry it out and they do, but this weighs further on Sheridan's conscience.
For some reason Bruce Boxleitner looks both younger and healthier in this season. I'm wondering if he went on some sort of weight loss fitness program between seasons, or if this is a subtle way of emphasising that his near death experience did change him somehow.
I'm going to start a Marcus watch. I like Marcus and he's been absent for a couple of episodes now. So no Marcus in The Long Night. I am hoping that he will accompany Ivanova on her mission to find the First Ones. Despite her own competence Susan does need someone to watch her back and who better than the suave Ranger Marcus?