The headache's gone, I watched "Knives" again just now, and here are my thoughts below.
"Knives" (B5 S2E16)
"Knives" (B5 S2E16)
I'll start with the B-Plot first and then go into the A-Plot.
The B-Plot: Some weird space energy creature travels from a dead alien to inside Sheridan and he starts seeing things. Sounds like an X-Files episode, even though it's not. Sheridan sees where his wife died, even though he wasn't there, he sees his parents... and he also sees some funky creature that looks like it belongs in Gremlins! Nice puppet work there.
Garibaldi has to make sure Sheridan does anything stupid when he heads on out to Sector 14 on his own. Here's my opening to say that looking at the back of his head, you can tell that Garibaldi is really Gari-balding now! It didn't jump out to me before this episode.
One more thing to say about the B-Plot. Sheridan plays baseball! Go figure. Sisko, Sheridan... I guess if you're in command of a space station, you play baseball. I like the makeshift baseball field on the station. They don't have holodecks/holosuites on Babylon 5, so nice to see that, in-universe, an actual mock-up baseball field was built on the station. Although, confession time: I'm not a baseball fan. I'm not a fan of sports in general. Still, though, I can appreciate the passion for the game, and I do like when someone goes out of their way to recreate something.
The A-Plot: Urza, a fellow Centauri and a friend of Londo's from way back has been condemned, he and his family are in danger because he knows the Narn didn't start the Narn/Centauri War and he opposes Emperor Cartagia.
Even though Londo is concerned that Urza is too close to the truth, he still wants to help Urza, and here you can see inner-struggle within Londo: the help those who have been part of his life or to stay true to the course of his future? He tries to have it both ways, by trying to appeal to Lord Refa to help Urza, but Refa doesn't want to do that and Urza is outraged that Londo even approached Refa. Londo is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.
It's something that doesn't make sense to me, but I'll still go along with it, Urza challenges Londo to a sword fight, and by slaying Urza, Londo inherits Urza's family and they now fall under his protection? If I were Urza's family, I wouldn't want protection from the guy who killed Urza, but different culture. I don't have to understand it. All that matters is it works for them.
Vir tries to be Londo's conscience, but to no avail. Londo says there's no way out for him and he must continue on his path. Londo, Londo, Londo.... He seriously strikes me as someone who can't take initiative on his own and needs to have a desnity to guide him. He doesn't stand his ground against what's wrong, if said wrong thing benefits him. He throws up his hands, goes along with it, and maybe he might feel bad, but it doesn't change anything.
I would say that Vir is moral, Refa and Cartagia are immoral, and Londo is amoral.
Overall: The A-Plot is obviously better than the B-Plot, the latter of which is just easily digestible fluff (and why I covered it first). In the main story, we see just how much Londo can compartmentalize his actions and how he'll always go with the path of least resistance. He gives in to all of his temptations. If I have to land on a final rating for the entire episode, I'll go with a 7.
The A-Plot is an 8 and the B-Plot is a 6. It feels like two episodes that have nothing to do with each other were jammed together into one.
The B-Plot: Some weird space energy creature travels from a dead alien to inside Sheridan and he starts seeing things. Sounds like an X-Files episode, even though it's not. Sheridan sees where his wife died, even though he wasn't there, he sees his parents... and he also sees some funky creature that looks like it belongs in Gremlins! Nice puppet work there.
Garibaldi has to make sure Sheridan does anything stupid when he heads on out to Sector 14 on his own. Here's my opening to say that looking at the back of his head, you can tell that Garibaldi is really Gari-balding now! It didn't jump out to me before this episode.
One more thing to say about the B-Plot. Sheridan plays baseball! Go figure. Sisko, Sheridan... I guess if you're in command of a space station, you play baseball. I like the makeshift baseball field on the station. They don't have holodecks/holosuites on Babylon 5, so nice to see that, in-universe, an actual mock-up baseball field was built on the station. Although, confession time: I'm not a baseball fan. I'm not a fan of sports in general. Still, though, I can appreciate the passion for the game, and I do like when someone goes out of their way to recreate something.
The A-Plot: Urza, a fellow Centauri and a friend of Londo's from way back has been condemned, he and his family are in danger because he knows the Narn didn't start the Narn/Centauri War and he opposes Emperor Cartagia.
Even though Londo is concerned that Urza is too close to the truth, he still wants to help Urza, and here you can see inner-struggle within Londo: the help those who have been part of his life or to stay true to the course of his future? He tries to have it both ways, by trying to appeal to Lord Refa to help Urza, but Refa doesn't want to do that and Urza is outraged that Londo even approached Refa. Londo is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.
It's something that doesn't make sense to me, but I'll still go along with it, Urza challenges Londo to a sword fight, and by slaying Urza, Londo inherits Urza's family and they now fall under his protection? If I were Urza's family, I wouldn't want protection from the guy who killed Urza, but different culture. I don't have to understand it. All that matters is it works for them.
Vir tries to be Londo's conscience, but to no avail. Londo says there's no way out for him and he must continue on his path. Londo, Londo, Londo.... He seriously strikes me as someone who can't take initiative on his own and needs to have a desnity to guide him. He doesn't stand his ground against what's wrong, if said wrong thing benefits him. He throws up his hands, goes along with it, and maybe he might feel bad, but it doesn't change anything.
I would say that Vir is moral, Refa and Cartagia are immoral, and Londo is amoral.
Overall: The A-Plot is obviously better than the B-Plot, the latter of which is just easily digestible fluff (and why I covered it first). In the main story, we see just how much Londo can compartmentalize his actions and how he'll always go with the path of least resistance. He gives in to all of his temptations. If I have to land on a final rating for the entire episode, I'll go with a 7.
The A-Plot is an 8 and the B-Plot is a 6. It feels like two episodes that have nothing to do with each other were jammed together into one.
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