Classics: B5 1:1 - Midnight on the Firing Line

Plot Synopsis:

Ragesh 3: The Centauri agricultural colony at Ragesh 3 is attacked by a fleet of ships; footage from the monitoring station later reveals that the attackers were Narn. Armed with this information, an enraged Londo immediately confronts G'Kar in the Zocolo and has to be subdued by Earth Force Security. G'Kar is unfazed by Londo's assault; he is confident that his people will emerge from the conflict triumphant.

Sinclair visits Londo in his quarters and urges him to seek a diplomatic means of redressing his grievances; Londo's preference is to seek vengeance, especially since his nephew Karn is stationed on Ragesh 3, but he appreciates Sinclair's offer to convene an emergency session of the station's diplomatic council. Unfortunately for Londo, the government back on Centauri Prime decides to do nothing to defend Ragesh 3 for fear of instigating a costly conflict and orders Londo to refrain from pursuing the matter. Aghast, Londo decides to conceal his orders in the hopes that the B5 council will act and thus embarrass the Centauri government into doing something to help its own colonists.

In the meantime, Garibaldi has discovered that a group of local pirates - the Raiders - has gotten a hold of some pretty serious weaponry - and they are poised to attack a ship full of refugees. When he reports his intentions to go after the Raiders, Sinclair has an epiphany and decided to pursue the Raiders himself. This decision allows him to be conveniently absent at the council meeting - and I say conveniently because Sinclair has also received orders from his own government to remain neutral on the Centauri/Narn matter.

At the council meeting, a smug G'Kar shows a video in which Karn Mollari, Londo's nephew, declares that the Ragesh 3 colony invited the Narn government to take over. Londo insists his nephew was forced to read that statement, but his objections are in vain. Believing himself to be out of options, Londo assembles a personal pistol from pieces stashed in his quarters and sets out to assassinate G'Kar. Talia Winters, the new Psi Corps telepath-in-residence, bumps into Londo while he's on his way and inadvertently sees what Londo intends to do. She alerts Garibaldi, who stops Londo from carrying out his plans by reminding him that murdering G'Kar will no doubt endanger the lives of the survivors on Ragesh 3.

When Sinclair returns from his successful mission against the Raiders, he reveals that the Raiders were being supplied by the Narn. He also presents data crystals containing several intercepted communications between the attackers on Ragesh 3 and the Narn government - communications that confirm Londo's contentions that Karn's declaration was coerced. Sinclair blackmails G'Kar into ordering a withdrawal from Ragesh 3.

Other Matters: While the above is transpiring, the Earth Alliance is also in the midst of a presidential election. Ultimately, the incumbent, President Santiago, wins the election. He promises to establish a better relationship with Mars colony and preserve Earth cultures from non-Terran influence, among other things.

We also learn that Ivanova's mother was a telepath who was forced to take sleepers to dull her telepathic abilities. According to Ivanova, this treatment destroyed her mother, ultimately driving her to suicide. This is why Ivanova despises the Psi Corps - and why she avoids Talia Winters for almost the entire episode.

Overall: 7.7 - How can I resist the first Narn/Centauri episode?

Writing: 8

You know you are a Centauriphile when...

... you respond to all claims that viewers should skip the first season with angry mutters such as "But what about Londo?" and "They'd miss all the character development!"

It's very difficult for me to be entirely objective here because this episode focuses on the one plot line that I believe constitutes the heart and soul of the entire series. The Gathering does some establishing work on Londo and G'Kar, but Midnight on the Firing Line is really their first official episode - and what it accomplishes stands as one big reason why no Centauriphile, as noted above, believes the first season should be missed. You simply cannot understand why Londo chooses to do what he does later on in the plot without first witnessing the terrible national and personal embarrassment of Ragesh 3; the Centauri government's failure to protect the colonists on Ragesh 3 is perhaps the iconic symbol of the Republic's decline in prestige and seems to me a very logical rallying point for the Centauri aristocracy's more hawkish members. You also cannot appreciate G'Kar's transformation without first witnessing his early belligerence - not to mention his stated desire for a genocide. Further, you have in this episode Londo's attempt to assassinate G'Kar, which prefigures a later scene of considerable note, Londo expressing doubt that the diplomatic process is likely to be effective, Londo describing his death dream for the first time, etc., etc. This is truly an Arc Episode.

I suppose it is rather convenient that a Narn assigned to the Raiders would have an interest in following communications from the Narn government regarding an entirely different matter - but here, I am willing to forgive much.

Acting: 7

There's a sizable jump in the quality of the performances here. O'Hare displays a little more emotion, though I'm not sure he's achieved the perfect balance between passion and gravitas just yet. The performance score is also helped immensely by the replacement of Tamlyn Tomita with Claudia Christian, who is a far more interesting actress. And, of course, Peter and Andreas are made of pure awesome. There are still weak links in the minor cast, however, and Stephen Furst overplays Vir's nervousness - though based on what I know of Stephen's skill set, I believe that is more of a direction issue than the fault of the actor. (And I promise I'm not just saying that because Vir is another one of my favorites.)

Message: 8

In this episode, a belligerent power attacks a vulnerable civilian colony, and the response from Sinclair is open disgust; indeed, he even goes so far as to plead with his own government to agree to a military intervention! JMS is a dyed-in-the-wool leftist, but, oddly enough, the military solution is never considered completely off-limits on Babylon 5. This paradox is amusing to no end.

Highlights:

LONDO: All I'm asking is that you trust me!
GARIBALDI: Trust you? Londo - my brain will be five days dead before I ever trust a Centauri. The first time we met you people - the first time we met any other civilization - you told us you practically ran the entire galaxy. What was it you said? Let's see - "A HUGE empire."
LONDO: Come on, public relations!
GARIBALDI: Only that hasn't been true for over a hundred years. Then you give us this line about how Earth is some lost Centauri tribe, making us distant relatives... until we finally got our hands on some Centauri DNA. Turns out, we're not related all. Appearances aside, we're two completely different species.
LONDO: A clerical error!
GARIBALDI: A clerical error?
LONDO: Yes! We thought you were Beta 9. It was actually Beta 12. Okay, we made a mistake. I'm sorry. Here - open my wrists.
GARIBALDI: Centauri don't have major arteries in their wrists.
LONDO: Of course we don't. What, do you think I'm stupid?

G'KAR: Ah, Ambassador Mollari! Please join me. Would you like some spoo? It's quite fresh this week.
LONDO: Fresh, is it?
(Londo spits on G'Kar's plate.)
LONDO: You bastard. You won't get away with this. We'll strike back, and we'll strike back hard!
G'KAR: I assume you're referring to the attack on Ragesh 3 by our forces - just found out about it myself. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation.
LONDO: What "reasonable" explanation is there for the slaughter of unarmed civilians?
G'KAR: Curious. We wondered the same thing when you invaded our world. The wheel turns, does it not, Ambassador?
LONDO: Fah! We should've wiped out your kind when we had the chance.
G'KAR: What happened? Run out of small children to butcher?
LONDO: You pig!
(Londo sweeps G'Kar's plate off the table and goes right for G'Kar's throat. Security jumps in to pull them apart.)
G'KAR: (to the security forces) Let him go! If he wants to die, let him! (to Londo) Listen to me, Ambassador - your time has come and gone! It's our turn now! One night you'll wake up and find our teeth at your throat. Sleep well, Ambassador. Sleep lightly.

LONDO: I apologize for the, uh... the incident with G'Kar, Commander. It was a mistake. I will not repeat it.
(A beat.)
I will kill him though... sooner or later... somewhere...
SINCLAIR: Ambassador...
LONDO: My people... we have a way, you see. We know how - and sometimes even when - we are going to die. It comes in a dream, eh?
(He sits.)
LONDO: In my dream, I am an old man - it's twenty years from now - and I am dying... my hands wrapped around someone's throat, and his around mine. We have squeezed the life out of each other. The first time I saw G'Kar - (he snaps his fingers) - I recognized him as the one from the dream.
(Another pause.)
LONDO: It will happen. Twenty years from now, we will die, our hands wrapped around each other's throats.
SINCLAIR: Twenty years is a long time. Long enough for your people to come to an understanding.
LONDO: Believe as you wish.

LONDO: Karn is my nephew. He wanted to enter the Centauri military. I told him it was a waste of his skills. The truth is, I was afraid for him. I wanted him... some place safe... away from all of this. So I personally arranged for him to have a higher position... as head researcher on Ragesh 3. Tonight, I don't know if he is alive or dead.
SINCLAIR: I'm sorry... Ambassador, I know this is hard for you, but if this escalates to war, you'll give the Narns exactly what they want: a chance to divide us so they can move in. There are other ways. Babylon 5 is here to help keep the peace.
LONDO: Commander, please. On the issue of galactic peace, I am long past innocence and fast approaching apathy. It's all a game - a paper fantasy of names and borders. Only one thing matters, Commander: blood calls out for blood.

VIR: Ambassador?
LONDO: What do you want?
VIR: The-the-the council meeting, the emergency session...
LONDO: The council can go to hell! The "emergency session" can go to hell! And you?
(Londo grabs Vir's hand and nearly wrenches Vir's arm out of its socket.)
LONDO: You can go to hell, too! I wouldn't want you to feel left out!
VIR: Londo... Londo, why are you doing this?
LONDO: (laughing) Because... we are a race of lunatics and cowards! I finally received word from our "glorious" leaders. Do you know what that convention of genetic defectives has decided to do about the attack on Ragesh 3, hm?
VIR: Probably they're going to...
LONDO: After full consideration of the situation, the great Centauri Republic - the lion of the galaxy - will do... nothing.
VIR: But why?
LONDO: Because Ragesh 3 is too far... too small... too unimportant to risk a confrontation. And besides, by the time our ships got there... (Londo almost breaks down.) Besides, by the time our ships got there, everyone would be dead anyways. And so... (He picks up a bottle and begins to laugh again, sounding more than a little maniacal.)
VIR: (cringing) No-no-no, Londo, please...
(Londo throws the bottle. It hits the wall and shatters.)
LONDO: DAMN ALL OF THEM!

G'KAR: I will confess that I look forward to the day when we have cleansed the universe of the Centauri and carved their bones into little flutes for Narn children. 'Tis a dream I have.

GARIBALDI: Ambassador!
LONDO: Mr. Garibaldi.
GARIBALDI: I have to talk to you.
LONDO: If you'll excuse me - another time.
GARIBALDI: What's wrong with now? You have some place special to go?
LONDO: Mr. Garibaldi... get out of my way.
GARIBALDI: No, I can't do that. Go back to your quarters, Londo.
LONDO: No.
GARIBALDI: Don't force me to make this official.
LONDO: NO!
(Londo starts to reach for his pistol, but Garibaldi stops his hand.)
GARIBALDI: I don't want to do it - but you lay one hand on a weapon and I'll kill you where you stand.
LONDO: You don't understand.
GARIBALDI: Yes, I do. I understand more than you will ever know. I know it burns, Londo. I know the things it makes you want to do, but this is not the way. Not here, and not now.
LONDO: He's my blood! My nephew!
GARIBALDI: But if you kill G'Kar, none of those colonists will get out alive. You have to know that!

IVANOVA: My mother was like you. A telepath. None of us ever knew. It was her secret since she was a girl. She wasn't trained. She was never able to use it well.
TALIA: Well, that's why we have the Psi Corps: to help telepaths bring out their talents to the fullest.
IVANOVA: Yes, I imagine that's what they told you. Were you raised by the Corps? (Talia makes a noise in the affirmative.) Then you never had to make the choice. When they discover what you are, they give you three choices: you can join the Psi Corps, or you can go to prison, or you can agree to take certain drugs for the rest of your life - drugs that take away your telepathic abilities.
TALIA: That's the law. Unregistered telepaths have to be controlled in order to protect the privacy of others.
IVANOVA: Have you ever seen the results?
(Talia sighs.)
IVANOVA: They caught up with my mother on her 35th birthday. She didn't want to join the Corps... didn't want to go to prison... so they gave her the treatment. For ten years, a man in a gray suit came to the door once a week, and he gave her the injections. They were strong... terribly strong. Every day, we just watched her... drift further and further away from us. The light in her eyes just went out bit by bit... and when we thought she could go no further, she took her own life.