Text 16533, 115 rader
Skriven 2007-08-01 22:15:30 av jphalt@aol.com (3009.babylon5)
     Kommentar till en text av rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
Ärende: Meditations on the Abyss: my review
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Not the most momentous individual episode of the series' run, but
important in that it puts pieces in place for the really big episodes
to follow.


THE PLOT

The attacks on Alliance shipping lines continue, and the other races -
notably, the Drazi - are getting frustrated. Sheridan and his people
know that the attacks are being carried out by the Centauri, but they
cannot move without proof, or without knowing exactly which part of
the Centauri government is involved. But if they cannot obtain that
proof, then Sheridan knows that it is only a matter of time - and not
very much time - before the other races will move without them,
meaning the end of the Alliance.

All this is in Delenn's mind as she summons Lennier to a private
meeting, one that not even Sheridan knows about. Delenn has arranged a
training mission for Lennier's ship along the border of Centauri
space. However, Lennier has an additional mission of his own - to keep
an eye out for some evidence of the attacks.

First, however, Lennier will have to deal with a fellow trainee, a
young Minbari who may have joined the Anla'shok for the wrong reasons...


THE GOOD

Hey, it's Lennier! And Vir! This episode presents a veritable
cornucopia of characters who have been savagely underused by Season 5.

The good news is, once the episode moves into the training mission
itself, Lennier behaves much more like his old self. As he deals with
the doubts of his young fellow trainee, Lennier takes on the role of a
wise protector and mentor. It's a role he's well-suited to. Lennier
also displays quick thinking when abandoned during a training mission,
and during the "Easter Egg Hunt" of the climax. All in all, it's like
the old Lennier has returned for most of this episode, and he's been
sorely missed.

As is frequently the case, the episode's most purely entertaining
scenes belong to Londo. I particularly enjoyed his baiting of the
Drazi ambassador via the listening device. These brief scenes provide
a mostly moody episode some moments of sparkling comedy. At the same
time, we see Londo preparing for his unwanted, yet inevitable,
ascension to Centauri Emperor by naming Vir as his successor on
Babylon 5. This is a shrewd move, since it accomplishes several
things. First, Londo insures that the next Centauri Ambassador is
someone he can trust, and is someone honest; Vir will serve the
interests of the Centauri (and of his own conscience), even if Londo
is put into a position of putting out dictates that will not do the
same. It also keeps Vir, a friend, away from Centauri Prime; after his
last visit, Londo knows all too well that the Centauri Homeworld is no
longer a safe place. Given that Season 5 has seen Londo return to
sometimes playing the buffoon, a move as shrewd as this is a reminder
of how formidable the Centauri Ambassador really is.

"Meditations on the Abyss" sees Season 5 starting to gather together
the disparate bits of continuity parceled out during the season's
first half in preparation for the season climax (which is not at all
far off, at this point). References are made to the attacks on
Alliance shipping lines, to Londo's forthcoming ascension to Emperor,
to Garibaldi's discoveries on the Drazi Homeworld, and to Morden's
grim prophecy for Lennier. That may be the most important individual
aspect of this episode. It is not, on its own, one of the most
riveting or momentous installments. It is, however, the episode where
you can really see the final dominoes being placed before JMS decides
to get the action cranking.


THE BAD

The precredit sequence presents a bar brawl that only narrowly skirts
the cliché in that, after Lennier and Delenn have finished demolishing
Mr. Sleazy, the fight somehow avoids spreading to the other patrons.
Otherwise, I cannot help but reflect how nice it would be if Lennier,
Delenn, Garibaldi, or Marcus (RIP) could ever manage to meet in a bar
without it turning into a free-for-all. Lennier's subsequent, highly
melodramatic declaration that whatever Delenn wants, he will "make it
happen, regardless of the cost" had me momentarily reflecting on how
silly he would feel if all Delenn wanted was for him to walk to the
dog or do a spot of shopping.

With regard to Lennier's unrequited love for her, Delenn continues to
display extraordinarily bad judgment. In the scene in which she meets
Lennier (slipping away from her husband's bed, and making a lame-
sounding excuse about paperwork), she isn't even sending out mixed
signals; if you're a guy on a date with a woman who misses no
opportunity to lightly touch your cheek or chin, and who - as the date
winds down - tries to urge you stay to talk awhile... Well, I know that
I'd start drawing a few conclusions about where the evening might go.
Delenn couldn't do more to confuse Lennier here, to stoke his hopes,
and to help lead him to that horrible moment he's moving toward, if
she had deliberately set out to do so.

Lastly, and the major element that keeps this episode from getting a
better score on its own (though I doubt much could have been done
differently), is the inescapable sense that not much actually happens
during this episode. Lennier is assigned a covert mission... but he
doesn't even begin to execute it. Garibaldi is still sinking further
into his personal abyss... but that isn't going to come into play until
later. Londo is going to be Emperor... but not yet. The Drazi want to
act unilaterally... but they'll be patient for a while longer. Sheridan
needs proof of the Centauri's guilt... but he doesn't have it yet. The
episode is valuable in that it gathers together and synthesizes those
things that we already know, but it doesn't actually add very much
that's new to the mix. It's a transitional episode; and while there's
nothing wrong with that, very rarely do transitional episodes get top
marks.


My Final Rating: 6/10 A key episode but, taken individually, hardly
the most compelling of the season.
--- SBBSecho 2.12-Win32
 * Origin: Time Warp of the Future BBS - Home of League 10 (1:14/400)