The A-Story: It's interesting to see how much the way Londo and G'Kar have been depicted in
Babylon 5 has changed since the beginning and how much the way I view them as characters as also changed. During the first season, I viewed them as nothing but squabbling Ambassadors who brought comic relief to the series. Now they're the central focus of a war between their two peoples and I get the true feeling of how much they're against each other.
Of the seven deadly sins, Londo's greatest is sloth. He's too mentally lazy to do anything to change fate or the put up a serious fight against the tide he finds himself in. When Lord Refa tells Londo to summon Morden, even if not by name, so they can finally win the Centauri/Narn War, Londo initially protests but then ultimately gives in and does it. He says this will be for the last time but, even without seeing anything else, you can tell it won't be unless things outside of his control change that. He can never get out of any rut he's stuck in, and uses "fate" as an excuse to stay in any situation he feels he's stuck in.
W. Morgan Sheppard is in a much better role as G'Kar's uncle, G'Sten, the the role he had as Some Rando who did ridiculous chants last season. Another example of how much
Babylon 5 has improved since the beginning. G'Sten is a driven military leader and values G'Kar but will ultimately disregard anything that doesn't have evidence and doesn't listen to G'Kar when G'Kar is worried about why the Centauri have changed tactics against them. G'Sten wants to press on ahead. G'Sten
only sees the fight against the Centauri. G'Kar sees a fight against the Centauri, except the Centauri somehow have help, which he can't prove yet.
Call me crazy, but I think I prefer '90s CGI to modern CGI. That makes no sense at all, but I think it's a matter of "less is more". The space footage on Babylon 5 looks simplistic but dynamic, and I'd even say artistic. Unlike modern CGI which looks over-detailed, busy to the point of distraction, and looks less artistic and more like it was designed by committee. That's a gross generalization on my part, but the point is: I think the less busy everything looks, the better. I like it when details enhance rather than distract.
Red is a very prominent color during the battle that G'Sten leads against the Minbari. Red nebulas in the background. Red lighting in the Narn ships. And it fits for multiple reasons. Red is the color of blood. Red is the color of heat and rage. Red is the same color as Mars, which was named after the God of War. Red is primal. Nothing is more primal than war. Fighting each other and the winner overpowering the loser through force.
After G'Sten's ship is destroyed and G'Kar can sense it, G'Kar puts out the light on the candle near him. It symbolizes the light being put out on G'Sten's life. Nice direction there by Mike Vejar.
The B-Story: Draal returns. The Minbari in the Great Machine nearby Babylon 5. This time played by John Schuck. Sheridan gains him as a powerful new ally. I like Draal better than the Klingon Ambassador from the TOS Movies, but the latter is who I'll always see John Schuck as first-and-foremost. So, I won't lie, I would've loved if Draal exclaimed,
"James T. Kirk, renegade and terrorist!" Even though it would make no sense at all.

Anyway, this is the second time I've liked a Trek actor better in a B5 role. The other is Walter Koenig, who I prefer as Bester.
Interesting that Draal wants to keep his alliance with Sheridan and Delenn a secret. It makes sense in that Draal doesn't want anyone taking advantage of this, but how many secret things does Sheridan have going on now? Let's see: 1) The fledgling resistance against President Clark. 2) The secret he's kept from Psi Corps about the rogue telepaths. 3) Kosh and Delenn agreeing to have him train to be ready against the Shadow. 4) And now an alliance with Draal! John Sheridan: The Man of Many Secrets. This definitely works better with Sheridan than Sinclair, who I think would've been too straight-forward of a person to keep these many secrets.
And at the end of this part of the story yes, I
did pick up when Draal called for Zathras... who I remember has something to do with Sinclair's future. So, things on
Babylon 5 have not only grown, but they've also started to connect more deeply.
Draal has plans going on in the background that we don't know about. Sheridan has all kinds of things going on in the background that we
do know about. The Centauri have help in the background. Everything's hidden.
In the shadows, which seems fitting. Nothing's surfaced except for the tip of the iceberg.
The C-Story, a.k.a. The A-Story Part II: Ivanova warns Garibaldi that the Narn/Centauri War will soon be reaching the station.
As the Narn and Centauri are Babylon 5 are watching thew news at a bar, I felt tense, looking at them. I expected a bar fight to break out at any moment. And then the bar fight broke out just like I predicted. All the Narn and Centauri fighting each other. The
only issue I have with this -- from a writing standpoint -- is that you'd think some Narn civilians and some Centauri civilians would be against this war or want nothing to do with it. They wouldn't
all be fighting. You could also call this a sign of the times I'm writing in. The United States of America is more like The Divided States of America. All Americans aren't on the same page, so I have a hard time imagining all Centauri being on the same page and all Narn being on the same page. But some people just look for any excuse to riot. And war breaking out gives anyone an easy outlet to channel any pent-up rage or long-simmering animosity. Not the best choreography, but I'm not going to hold it against the episode. The rioters probably aren't
trained fighters and are being very random instead of deliberate. Just like what the situation would be if it really were occurring.
Londo watches the ships battle each other from a safe location. The look on his face seems like a cross between horror and acceptance, denial and responsibility, and it's all done with facial expressions and no dialogue. A huge credit to Peter Jurasik's acting.
Four days later, the ISN Reporter gives an update on the devastation the Centauri have caused, and how ineffective protests against it have been. The Reporter reminds me a little of Bernard Shaw from CNN, which I doubt is a coincidence, since I think ISN was modelled after '90s-era CNN. The camera pans across the crew in C'n'C watching as the reporter runs through a bullet list of all horrors that have occurred, emphasizing how grave the situation is better than a space battle ever could. The Narn are reportedly being bombed back into the Stone Age. It'll be hard to even look at the Centauri government the same way again after
this.
The Narn request that G'Kar ask Sheridan for sanctuary on Babylon 5, which he reluctantly does.
Londo, who for the first time in the series I think is a complete and utter piece of total shit, makes a request to Garibaldi to request to Sheridan that they have a meeting of the Advisory Council. Fuck you, Londo. He says he has an announcement to make. Double-fuck you, Londo. Garibaldi looks stone-faced and surprised-not-surprised at Londo's audacity.
The D-Story, a.k.a. The A-Story Part III: Londo informs the Advisory Council that the Narn have surrendered. Yeah. I bet Londo really does think this will Make the Centauri Great Again.
Yes, I went there... Then he reads the Centauri's list of terms. The way he's saying things. Yes, he
is enjoying this. In the first season when he was talking about dreaming of better days,
these were the types of days he had in mind. The Hell with him.
This episode has done a
really good job. I know it has because I hate Londo just that much now.
Everything Londo says sounds pretty outrageous. He denies Earth the chance to make sure there are any fair hearings. He says that for every Centauri killed, 500 Narn will be killed. That makes him worse than Gul "200 lives for 200 lives" Dukat. It makes him like Kor from TOS on Organia. Oh, and the Centauri have annexed the Narn and they can decide what the Narn do and don't. So, Piece of Shit Londo decides that G'Kar can't represent the Narn for anything whatsoever. Hey Londo, I'd tell you what
you can do, but this is a PG-13 review.
Londo wants G'Kar handed over and Sheridan says that G'Kar requested sanctuary on Babylon 5. Sheridan says Earth never signed any agreement that would force them to hand over G'Kar, and Delenn stands up and says the Minbari supports Earth on this position.
Then comes the dramatic showdown where Londo demands that G'Kar be removed from the Council and shouts "NOW!!!" The camera work here, once again, is top notch. The close-up of Sheridan with determination on his face. The shots of everyone else. From Delenn to Kosh... to G'Kar.
Then G'Kar stands up, gives short speech, calls Londo a dictator, and says there's no greater need than the need for freedom. This is G'Kar's best scene in the entire series up to this point. Then he walks out in a perfectly directed shot from a wide overhead angle.
Before, I didn't get it when I was being told about how much lower Season 1's quality was. I was thinking, "What's wrong with this? It's fine!" Now I see. It wasn't that Season 1 was bad, it's not, but where Season 2 has ended up with its story and its characters is so much better.
At the beginning of the series, I thought that G'Kar would end up being the Dukat-like character. Never in a million years did I think it would be
Londo who'd become the Gul Dukat of this series. I thought he'd be the Quark!
Sheridan promises to G'Kar that he'll fight for the Narn in any way that he can.
Epilogue: Garibaldi and Delenn tell Sheridan about the Rangers. These are the people who've been doing the work of Sinclair and have been helping Garibaldi and Delenn prepare for the Shadow War. Delenn extends command of the Rangers over to Sheridan, who finally feels like can start fighting back against all the injustices going on.
I found it inspirational. Maybe it hits differently for me now than it would've before since I believe we must resist the Trump Regime in any way that we can. That we must fight against dictators and those who want to be dictators.
But back to
Babylon 5. Sheridan says they'll fight the darkness and hold the in against the darkness, no matter the cost. They'll fight the darkness. They'll fight the Shadow.
Overall: Obviously, I give this episode
a 10. But this isn't even the Season Finale. I have to wonder what
that's going to be like! It's probably going to be
crazy!