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The inevitable descent of Londo Mollari finally becomes apparent to the man himself in ‘Knives’, as the consequences of his decisions impact unexpectedly on an old friendship. It’s a tragedy that picks effectively at the living corpse of the Centauri Republic.
On previous viewings of Babylon 5 I’d rather discounted this episode, thinking that Carmen Argenziano’s performance as Urza Jaddo was far too arch and pantomime. My opinion has shifted on this rewatch, perhaps because I’m older and now more familiar with the regrets of decisions made long past.
Argenziano’s portrayal is still over-the-top, but it’s in keeping with Centauri nobility generally. And Urza is playing a game throughout the episode, at all times working the political angle, manipulating the Centauri courtly process, attempting to protect first the Republic, and then his family. His is a performative life.
What was most noticeable was the sense of a history between Urza and Londo; that they were old friends, and that their relationship is founded in the years that Londo would define as ‘the good old days’. Urza in that regard represents everything that Londo admires about Centauri society and history: Londo’s entire motivation for working with Morden and Refa and triggering the war with the Narn is to encourage a return to those glory days.
And yet in ‘Knives’ Londo is forced to reconcile that he has in fact killed those ‘good old days’ with his actions, figuratively and now literally. The conflict with his old friend is the final destruction of his past, of the real past, and is the first moment where Londo has an inkling that his actions are now leading him and his people towards a return to those better days, but towards something new and darker.
Urza offers Londo an opportunity to help prevent the usurpers and traitors, unaware that Londo is one of them. That it doesn’t even occur to Urza that Londo could be in league with Refa and those responsible for the Prime Minister’s assassination indicates how far Londo has strayed from what used to motivate him: Londo is trying to get back to a younger version of himself, but perhaps has forgotten what that actually means.
The episode works because it’s building on two and a half seasons of character development for Londo, calling back to earlier events and hinting at what is to come.
It’s telling that one of Londo’s final lines to Urza is “Why did you make me do this?” He’s still not taking responsibility for what has happened.
Urza’s last words are “I will miss you.” It’s a brilliant final line, one that you might expect someone to say to the dying. There’s also the implication that perhaps Londo is already gone, already lost, and that his friend is already mourning that loss, even as he dies.
Meanwhile, Sheridan plays baseball and goes a bit weird. It’s a fun b-plot, but it’s there primarily as a reminder of specific plot details: Sheridan’s wife Anna, the explosion of the Icarus, the time rift in sector 14. it’s a ‘previously on…’ disguised as a b-plot. It’s fun, and the shots of the centrifuge from the baseball court are stunning, but this episode is all about Londo and Urza.
Next up is ‘In the Shadow of Z’ha’dum’.
‼️ SPOILER STUFF ‼️
Londo recognises again that he has a destiny, and a path he has to follow. How true this is, and how much is simply his own stubbornness, is unclear. We see Refa for the first time working to undermine Londo: this is the moment when they shift from allies to enemies, though it won’t fully manifest for a while.
We get the Icarus exploding, and that reminder of Anna, just in time for next week’s episode. Curiously, the original airing order was reversed, which seems a bit weird. I’d say it makes more sense in this order, with ‘Knives’ coming first.
There’s the reminder of the time rift, and Babylon 4’s fate, which will of course become relevant again in season 3. Probably a good idea of JMS to insert that reminder for viewers at this point.
We also get lots of mentions of the Markab, including a doctor friend of Franklin’s. All of which is a setup for ‘Confessions and Lamentations’, an episode I am not looking forward to, because it always destroys me. Not long to go now until we never see the Markab on the show again.
See you next week.
SPOILERS
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"In the Beginning," the B5 Earth-Minbari War prequel film, has Londo telling the tale to two children. Peter David's novelization states these children are Urza's grand-or-great-grandchildren (again, still in storage, can't check, to my annoyance, and the fan Wiki entries eliminate this fact). Londo does fulfill his promise to protect Urza's family.
Besides everything else hinted at here, let's not overlook how Londo talks about Adira. Simon noted this episode is when Londo are Refa move from allies to enemies. I disagree. This episode is where they move from friendly allies to allies of convenience. It's the death of Adira - for which Morden frames Refa - that turns their relationship to one of enemies... And Refa won't find out they are foes until it's too late...
This episode was obviously one of the two chances to avoid his fate Lady Ladiera will bring up next season.
Sheridan's flash of the Icarus does work better before watching "Shadow of Zha'ha'dum."
Given other episodes make such a big deal of how exposure to a tachyon field without a stabilizer can do things like, say, kill you immediately, and, in "War Without End," Sinclair will leave Garibaldi out to avoid exposing him to another blast of tachyons, and, as we see Sheridan's Starfury penetrate the tachyon field, AND Garibaldi has to go retrieve Sheridan, Garibaldi is DAMN lucky he survuves. It's enough to justify Christopher Franke's utterly ridiculous scoring for the sequence, where he busts into the full-on Babylon 5 theme as Garibaldi pulls Sheridan away from the rift.
No one looks forward to "Confessions and Lamentations." That's possibly the biggest, most horrifying gut punch episodes of the series - and Babylon 5 already had parents kill their own child over their religious beliefs on surgery.
Non-Spoiler:
First, petty nits. Yes, this episode was supposed to air before "Shadow of Zha'ha'dum," but was held back because of difficulty of animation (and roto) around the CG Grylor (an impressive CG beastie for 1990's TV).
But, in this episode, Franklin also says to Sheridan "7 months ago you were commanding a Starship..." Sheridan takes command in the first week of January. Seven months would make this August. Yet this airs after "And Now for a Word," which is set in September. OK, the BROADCAST was September, so we can say the report was filmed in July or August, but, still, I'm calling out the date anomaly.
Technically a spoiler, but I leave it here - for obvious reasons the actor portraying Sheridan's Dad in a five second visual cameo isn't the same actor who will be play Sheridan's dad when Dad gets lines.
I said I was being petty...
This is the last non-JMS script until season 5.
I think Carmen Argenziano's performance is near perfect. Centauri (nobility) is often over the top - operatic, even. Argenziano isn't using his normal speaking voice - like William Forward (Refa) it's obvious he's put real thought into the role, perhaps viewing other episodes of the show and/or talking with Peter Jurassik to make sure his Centauri feels utterly Centauri. I appreciate the effort.
As far as the story goes, it's a little odd Urza himself fails to put two-and-two together, utterly failing to reconcile Londo's rising reputation with the rising new order. I suppose it's their long friendship blinding Urza. Maybe it's general Centauri self-centeredness. After all Londo hasn't heard anything about House Jaddo being accused of treason.
Otherwise, there's so much foreshadowing and setup going on here, it's right on to the Spoiler post.
Except to note how the Londo/Vir relationship continues to develop. They are close enough now to sing opera at each other in the corridors, and for Vir to call out to Londo during the duel with true fear, but left out of the toast at Urza's banquet, and unseen behind Londo holding his dying friend.