Text 8628, 125 rader
Skriven 2006-09-18 20:23:00 av Robert E Starr JR (9125.babylon5)
Ärende: Atonement: my review
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Before moving forward with its arc, the series turns its gaze to the
past in this low-key but effective installment.


THE PLOT

Delenn is called back to Minbar by members of her own clan. Her clan is
concerned about her plans to marry Sheridan. The Minbari culture values
its racial purity; according to Callenn, the clan leader, no Minbari
has ever taken an outsider as mate or lover since first encountering
other races. "It is strictly forbidden."

Before they will allow Delenn to marry John, her clan insists that she
undergo "The Dreaming" - a mystical (and apparently, at least partially
drug induced) experience that will show her moments from her own past.
If the clan is not satisfied that she should marry Sheridan, then she
will never be allowed to return to him...


THE GOOD

A wonderful thing about "Babylon 5" is that it's a show that
doesn't often forget things about it's own past. Even now, nearing
the halfway point of the fourth season, moments from the first season
are still being mined and enriched.

Atonement is an episode all about looking into the past - both
Delenn's past and the past of the Minbari in general. It is here that
we get to see the evolution of Delenn's relationship with her mentor,
Dukhat (wonderfully played by Reiner Schone). The scenes between Dukhat
and Delenn are all terrific, with Schone and Mira Furlan playing
superbly off each other. A particular moment that stood out for me,
however, was the scene in which Dukhat makes Delenn his aide.

Dukhat's handling of the young, naive, apprehensive acolyte Delenn is
perfect, and we can see how much influence he had on Delenn simply by
how much her manner of speaking and acting seems to reflect his own.
But this scene almost becomes word-for-word with Lennier's
introductory scene back in "The Parliament of Dreams," as Dukhat
insists that Delenn look him in the eye. "I cannot have an aide who
will not look up," he tells her. "You will be forever bumping into
things." The exact words Delenn says to Lennier, many years later, on
their first meeting.

The past is further mined in the final revelation of Delenn's
heritage. It's a perfect use of the series' own continuity,
actually utilizing some of the tangles that were caused by the writing
out of Sinclair and writing in of Sheridan, as it is revealed that
Delenn is actually a descendant of Sinclair. As such, her DNA is not
pure, and never has been. For all the Minbari cries of maintaining
"racial purity," the same fact applies to them that could be applied to
racial supremacy groups everywhere: Your ancestry is already mixed,
somewhere back in its family tree, rendering any desire for "purity"
meaningless. It also reflects the theme of the first-shot episode,
"Infection."  Like the Ikarrans, the Minbari wish to be absolutely
racially pure. Like the Ikarrans, they are not as pure as they would
like to believe themselves.

That Delenn's own accuser, Callenn, is already aware of this only
reinforces the hypocrisy that has become inbred into Minbari culture.
He begs her to let it remain a secret "for the good of everyone." He
fears that the truth will result in chaos on the Minbari homeworld. But
it's not the truth that will ultimately cause chaos on Minbar. It's
the carefully maintained deceptions by those who "do not lie," but have
found a way to hide the truth without lying. The refusal of the ruling
Minbari to look into themselves will be their own undoing.

Which brings us right back to the episode's beginning, the scene
between Dr. Franklin and G'Kar. It is G'Kar's only scene of the
episode, but it's thematically important because he has looked into
his own soul and found strength there. He even jokes about it to Dr.
Franklin as Stephen fits him with his artificial eye. "As long as
it's not backwards," he tells Stephen. "I have looked into my own
soul quite enough." For all their ceremonies, all their pomp, and even
"The Dreaming," the Minbari culture that we see here unfortunately
cannot say the same.

A few other, random observations. I loved G'Kar's glee when he
discovers that his new eye will still be able to see even when it is
outside his head. I expect that might come into play later - if not in
the series itself, then perhaps in the post-series Centauri Prime
trilogy to come. I also enjoyed a glimpse at G'Kar's vanity, as he
is momentarily appalled to discover that the artificial eye is "not
(his) natural color!" Nice to know he still has some of his vices
intact.

Of course, I couldn't complete this review without a mention of the
final scene, between Marcus and Stephen. It's a wonderful, "Odd
Couple" moment, as Marcus drives Stephen crazy. The scene is funny
enough on its own, but it's even funnier in light of Jason Carter's
on-line interview, in which he grouses about the (IMHO, unlikely)
revelation of Marcus' virginity: "the virgin, sitting there, playing
with his pike." Add to that his line of dialogue in response to Stephen
asking him to stop that - "It relaxes me" - and I was laughing far
harder at the scene on this viewing than I did the first time around.

(And Stephen's cry of anguish as Marcus sings over the ending credits
is comedy gold.)


THE BAD

I confess to laughing a little bit at the show instead of with it
during some of the scenes with Callenn solemnly talking about "The
Dreaming." And I rolled my eyes just a touch when Dukhat told Delenn
that there was nothing to fear inside The Dreaming save "what you take
with you" (Thanks for that, Yoda). I found myself reflecting that
Delenn and Lennier should ship some of the corn from those moments to
the station, to help make up for the embargo.

Still, the glimpses at the Earth/Minbari War and the foreshadowing of
the hypocritical rot that has now permeated Minbari society more than
makes up for a few cheesy moments. And it was certainly a big step up
from "The Illusion of Truth" and "Thirdspace."


My Final Rating: 7/10.
                          
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