The Antisocial Socialist

Season 2 wraps up. And this post is even less coherent than usual owing to pain meds. It's fitting, though, as watching 90s sci-fi is one of the few things that can make me feel better right now.





Comes the Inquisitor: Sebastian, the Inquisitor in question, is sent by the Vorlons to determine if Delenn is worthy of leading Dumbledore’s Army or whatever it is. Sebastian is a human, not a Vorlon, and an unfortunate combination of things that I probably shouldn’t find attractive but do. Essentially he is a sadistic bastard that the Vorlons yanked from Victorian London and have kept alive for 400 years. He tortures Delenn for most of the episode trying to get her to admit that the whole destiny thing is bullshit. Then he tortures Sheridan.

Which means that I end up really liking this guy. How unfortunate that he turns out to be Jack the Ripper.



Meanwhile in less surreal plotlines, G’Kar is trying to smuggle weapons back to the Narn home world. Um, that thing about 500 dead Narn for every one dead Centauri? You don’t think they were exaggerating about that, did you? The B5 Narn population is not altogether convinced of G’Kar’s leadership ability despite the fact that he’s proven it repeatedly, so he has to prove it again by getting a message from his main rival’s family. It’s a nice contrast to the last time someone challenged his leadership ability and he just flat-out killed the guy in a duel. I think he’s growing as a person.

Garibaldi wins points with me by helping with the weapons smuggling, though I imagine that will come back to haunt him. Sheridan wins some points by helping with the message thing, through the Rangers. So what exactly happened there? Did a Ranger actually sneak onto Narn, past the Centauri occupiers, with the 22nd century version of a webcam? Inquiring minds want to know.

Some other cool things:
- Great touch that Sebastian’s interrogation chamber looks more or less like the Grey Council meetings. I imagine that’s pretty distressing from Delenn’s point of view.
- Sebastian’s line about finding someone willing to die for all the wrong reasons made me happy in my “hey, great line!” place.
- Vir and G’Kar in the lift made me sad. Vir is basically the one Centauri left who is a decent person but he gets no love from anyone for it.
- Kosh is kind of a dick. This makes me love him more. Morally grey Space Jesus is better than morally pure Space Jesus.
- Dear Vorlons: Please to not be letting Sebastian die now that his mission is over. He and his hat are way too entertaining to die.

The Fall of Night:

SPACE NAZIS AND SPACE CHAMBERLAIN AND SPACE JESUS OH MY! ALSO SHERIDAN IS A SPACE BADASS.

Okay, now that this is out of the way, here are some things that make me like the finale a whole bunch:

- Vir and Lennier are drinking buddies now. Though they both have no alcohol tolerance so they have very short pub sessions. Anyway, I was joking about shipping it in a previous post but I kind of ship it. At the very least I’m glad they’re friends.
- “Hurrah, the Ministry of Peace is here!” “OH SHIT THE MINISTRY OF PEACE IS HERE.” (I’m paraphrasing.)
- You stay away from the Drazi, Centauri! They’re like my favourite race after the Vorlons.
- Garibaldi actually showing some of the intuition and people skills he’s supposed to possess and noticing that Londo is as freaked out as everyone else.
- Nightwatch is wonderfully creepy. Ivanova should have joined them, though. I’d be like, “Sure, I’m in,” and then record everything they said and give it to Sheridan. Still not as awesome as the other Nightwatch, though:




If I don't get to sleep, you don't get to sleep.

- Sometimes it’s hard to remember when it’s Christmas on Earth. Especially if you’re Jewish, Lantz.
- Sheridan is awesome, all defending the Narn warship and blowing up a Centauri warship and then “apologizing.”
- Earth-Centauri non-aggression treaty? Where have I heard that one before?
- Keffer, as it turns out, has had an interesting storyline this whole season; we just didn’t see it. Now he’s dead of Shadow. R.I.P. Keffer.
- Silly Centauri assassins, Sheridan is too badass to die by terrible CGI.
- We finally got to see Space Jesus come out of the encounter suit! Um, and he looked predictably terrible. Kosh, stay in the encounter suit from now on, plz thnx? This is one of those cases where careful cutaways would have got the point across without making me giggle.
- The silliness of the above is balanced somewhat by a) the Vorlons visiting every world to manipulate people into viewing them as gods/angels, rather than actually being gods/angels, and b) LONDO NOT SEEING ANYTHING.
- THE CLOSING SHOTS. WAY TO MAKE ME SQUEAL IN EXCITEMENT LIKE A WEE GIRL, SHOW!

Yeah, this episode made me go a little capslock-crazy. I love Orwellian dystopias more than cake. You wanna make something of it?



!!!

Er, so, predictions for Season 3:

• President No-Chin is about to become President No-Chin For Life if he isn't already, with Nightwatch as his enforcers on B5.
• Kosh will die for all our sins (and then get better).
• Londo will turn against the Shadows and the result will make me sad.
• There will be a lot less cheesy humour and more ANGST.
• B5 will have to break off from Earth Alliance in some way, maybe in an alliance with the Narns and Minbari.
• They won't tease me with a promise of all-out war for yet another season; it will happen early.
• The wrong people got a hold of Keffer's recording, as implied by the ending of the last episode. This will mostly lead to ISN coming under direct government control.
• The main Nightwatch guy is also a PsyCorps guy. He just struck me as the type.
• Ivanova will somehow get more telepathic.
• Garibaldi will finally get that haircut you guys keep hinting about.

GO ON SIT ON YOUR HANDS AND IMPLY HOW WRONG I AM.