s2e8: Soul Mates

It's a pleasure to meet you. It's a pleasure to MEET you.

We’re watching the pioneering 90s TV show Babylon 5. If you want to join us, hit subscribe then go to your account and turn on the Let’s Watch notifications.

Babylon 5 descends into farce, but does it on purpose. That’s the hook here: we have a pseudo-Shakespearian comedy setup, with Londo and his three wives, and everything from the staging to the acting is tweaked in a theatrical manner. And I think, for the large part, it works.

Undoubtedly a big factor here is Peter Jurasik, who is never anything but excellent. An episode that focuses on Londo will always be a good time, even if it’s not perfect. We met the three wives and the comedy ensues, culminating in the almost-assassination of Londo and his ultimate decision to stick with Timov (yes, ‘vomit’ backwards).

We’ve heard Londo mention his three wives in season 1, so it’s fun to finally meet them. That he chooses the most obviously disagreeable of the lot is a nice twist, though I can’t help but wonder whether Timov’s counsel might have saved Londo from the path he’s currently on. The wives have made a point of not getting involved and not taking an interest in what Londo is doing, which makes them blissfully unaware of his role in the bubbling Narn-Centauri conflict. Londo ignores those near him who might warn him of what’s to come, but perhaps an honest analysis from Timov might have cut through. Perhaps not.

Can we also take a moment to acknowledge that the show strongly suggests that Londo’s wife Mariel is having an affair with G’Kar? That’s a subplot that isn’t explored in depth here or elsewhere, but is presumably a source of much fanfiction.

There are two subplots in this one. We get another telepath storyline with the arrival of Matthew Stoner, and the mystery around his leaving of Psi Corps makes for an intriguing storyline. I like that we’ve had a few episodes now focusing on Talia and the Psi Corps, and really tightening the screws on that plotline. They are clearly up to no good with their experiments, and the notion of an ‘empath’ and how they function differently to telepaths is one worth exploring further.

It helps that Keith Szarabajka as Stoner is pitch perfect. He’s a slimeball, and delivers his lines with the exact right amount of disdain, especially towards the non-telepaths. For a relatively small supporting role, he pulls a lot from the character and is creepy throughout. I rather wish he could have had more screentime, or even been a recurring character, with the command staff taking longer to become aware of his manipulations.

Wrapping it all up is the Delenn storyline, as she tries to figure out the biological implications of being half-human. I do enjoy Ivanova’s increasing discomfort at being dragged out of her comfort zone: she seems far more worried about navigating her conversations with Delenn than wrangling life-or-death situations in C&C. While played for laughs, it does make the point that Delenn is in uncharted waters, and does not have anyone in her established social or professional circles that she can talk to about what’s happening.

It’s a solid episode, with some cracking dialogue and fun ideas.

Next up is ‘The Coming of Shadows’, which I wasn’t expecting so soon. Yikes.

‼️ SPOILER STUFF ‼️

The main thing, retrospectively, is that this might be the last time we see Londo happy, and enjoying himself. This is the pause before the fall. He’s about to be catapulted into a position of immense power, which is what he’s always wanted, but it will also destroy him. He thinks he has regrets now, and laments the ‘good old days’, not realising that everything is about to get worse.

In fact, isn’t it Adira back in season 1 who says something about “these are my good days?” Londo’s present is full of drunken antics, while his focus is always on the past and trying to run back to it. That’s what ultimately gets him into trouble.

I don’t think we ever see the wives again, even Timov. It would have been interesting to get her reaction to Londo’s actions, or to see her again in season 4 when we spend more time on Centauri Prime.

The telepath storyline with Stoner again sets up the dodgy experiments that will lead to the use of Shadow tech, and the general theme of mind manipulation is also going to feed into the big Talia reveal later in the season.

The main thing that strike me is that next episode is ‘The Coming of Shadows’. The juxtaposition of that with ‘Soul Mates’ is going to be dramatic and tragic in its own way, I reckon.

G’Kar knows what’s going on.