(From memory as I'm on holiday and won't re-watch this episode for at least another week)
"It's not as bad as Mike's been banging on about since day one," is hardly praise.
"Better than 'The Gathering,'" (not covered in this newsletter) is hardly praise.
While "War Prayer," and "Infection," are also among the worst episodes, those do introduce concepts and threads which come back throughout the rest of the series, which is why I rank them higher. TKO has some character stuff between Garibaldi and guy-who-will-never-be-heard-of-again, and "Ivanova finally gets over it," but reducing a guest star turn by the legendary Theodore Bikel to "there's also a plot with a rabbi...it kinda works." crosses into damning with faint praise.
I don't remember character bits for Sinclair realizing he's neglected Ivanova, so I'll look out for it on the re-watch.
Much of my distaste for the episode has always come from how disposable it is. The A-plot has some sort of commentary about outsiders, I suppose. The B-plot - which should be major character growth for a lead - to quote Simon again, "kinda works."
"Watch your back" is such a vague line that I'm not even counting this paragraph as a spoiler.
So, when the A-plot never comes up again, the B-plot only "kinda works" and there's not even anything related to the core arcs or world building to make the episode something one should see. "The Gathering," while a less-than-stellar production DOES have several threads which are built upon and returned to as late as season 5, including one VERY MASSIVE spoiler in the 1997 re-edit - the only available version - which, on re-view after completing the series generates a "You cheeky bastard" directed at JMS. "Infection" is the first set up of three core concepts of the series, "War Prayer" has background world building setting up later events such as the Mars Colony rebellion, and *SPOILER REDACTED*. "TKO" could be removed entirely from the run and nothing would be lost.
When I do my re-watch, at most, I can hope for an inoffensive, mildly entertaining 45 minutes where the production saved up some money for *SPOILER REDACTED*
Maybe Mark Hendrickson will be a not-Narn in this episode, so I get a point in my B5 drinking game*.
Don Stroud (Caliban) and Theodore Bikkel (Rabbi) will return in future episodes as more significant characters. Soon-Tek Oh IS his normal excellent self in the episode, so I'll enjoy him, even if he is channeling a little Mako. Hey, if your performance is gonna get compared to another actor and that actor is MAKO, you did well.
SPOILER STUFF:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...maybe I'll catch something else when I actually re-watch the episode? "Watch your back" resonates in a couple more episodes, but, given Garibaldi's other issues this season it barely counts?
Non Spoiler Stuff (1)
(From memory as I'm on holiday and won't re-watch this episode for at least another week)
"It's not as bad as Mike's been banging on about since day one," is hardly praise.
"Better than 'The Gathering,'" (not covered in this newsletter) is hardly praise.
While "War Prayer," and "Infection," are also among the worst episodes, those do introduce concepts and threads which come back throughout the rest of the series, which is why I rank them higher. TKO has some character stuff between Garibaldi and guy-who-will-never-be-heard-of-again, and "Ivanova finally gets over it," but reducing a guest star turn by the legendary Theodore Bikel to "there's also a plot with a rabbi...it kinda works." crosses into damning with faint praise.
I don't remember character bits for Sinclair realizing he's neglected Ivanova, so I'll look out for it on the re-watch.
Much of my distaste for the episode has always come from how disposable it is. The A-plot has some sort of commentary about outsiders, I suppose. The B-plot - which should be major character growth for a lead - to quote Simon again, "kinda works."
"Watch your back" is such a vague line that I'm not even counting this paragraph as a spoiler.
So, when the A-plot never comes up again, the B-plot only "kinda works" and there's not even anything related to the core arcs or world building to make the episode something one should see. "The Gathering," while a less-than-stellar production DOES have several threads which are built upon and returned to as late as season 5, including one VERY MASSIVE spoiler in the 1997 re-edit - the only available version - which, on re-view after completing the series generates a "You cheeky bastard" directed at JMS. "Infection" is the first set up of three core concepts of the series, "War Prayer" has background world building setting up later events such as the Mars Colony rebellion, and *SPOILER REDACTED*. "TKO" could be removed entirely from the run and nothing would be lost.
When I do my re-watch, at most, I can hope for an inoffensive, mildly entertaining 45 minutes where the production saved up some money for *SPOILER REDACTED*
Maybe Mark Hendrickson will be a not-Narn in this episode, so I get a point in my B5 drinking game*.
Don Stroud (Caliban) and Theodore Bikkel (Rabbi) will return in future episodes as more significant characters. Soon-Tek Oh IS his normal excellent self in the episode, so I'll enjoy him, even if he is channeling a little Mako. Hey, if your performance is gonna get compared to another actor and that actor is MAKO, you did well.
SPOILER STUFF:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...maybe I'll catch something else when I actually re-watch the episode? "Watch your back" resonates in a couple more episodes, but, given Garibaldi's other issues this season it barely counts?