S3E5 - Vitruvian Bong - podcast episode cover

S3E5 - Vitruvian Bong

Dec 14, 202239 minEp. 56
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Episode description

Join Laura and Xhafer, two internet strangers as they get to know each other while making jokes about one of their favorite TV shows from their childhood, Babylon 5.

Laura and Xhafer play some more plot poker, creating an episode focusing on some of B5's side characters. Meanwhile, the roots of fascism grow deeper on Babylon 5 as Earthgov appoints a political liaison to keep Sheridan out of trouble in Season 3 Episode 5, Voices of Authority.

Transcript

Xhafer

Hello, and welcome to who are you? A Babylon five watch cast hosted by two former strangers. Now friends who've gotten to know each other and will continue to get to know each other while we're watching a favorite show from their childhood Babylon five.

Laura

And I'm Laura.

Xhafer

and we're gonna play some plot poker.

Laura

Yeah, we have fresh new cards. Don't

Xhafer

Yup. We've, we're diving into a new set here. All of the shadow cards haven't made it. The cards in the shadow expansion rather have not made it to their destination yet. So we're going to open some great war packs. And we've also taken our previous piles of characters. Problems solutions and twists. From the first box and paired them down to just five or six in a pile. So that way we get a lot of new stuff, kind of keep it fresh.

Laura

Yeah, mixing it up here.

Xhafer

And with that said let's, let's, let's crack some

Laura

I love it. This is my favorite part of plot poker.

Xhafer

Do you always use scissors to crack a pack? I've never noticed this

Laura

I'm not good at it. I haven't been using scissors, but I'd asked her in this time I was like, get me some scissors. I'm so bad at it. Oh, I have a good one.

Xhafer

You got a

Laura

My first. Well, my first character. Is Zafris.

Xhafer

Oh, is it Zathura's. or is it Zafris?

Laura

amorous, but I'm not a hundred percent

Xhafer

what about Zathura's? if you look at the layout, there's four or five different Zathura's cards in this set.

Laura

Oh, really?

Xhafer

they all have the apostrophe in a different place.

Laura

That's cute. This is middle apostrophe, everyone. This is between the T and the H.

Xhafer

Let's see. Well, I just got a labor strike.

Laura

Labor strike. Hmm. Where are we seeing that before? Oh, I have a second character in here.

Xhafer

Nice.

Laura

I have Lieutenant David Corwin.

Xhafer

Oh, Hey, we know that

Laura

know that guy. We love that guy.

Xhafer

I got a prime minister Verano of the Centauri.

Laura

I don't remember that prime minister.

Xhafer

He is the current prime

Laura

Okay. All right.

Xhafer

Oh, this one's great. It's Marcus and it's the title is bluff. And look at this picture. That's a great card.

Laura

That's a good, good card.

Xhafer

I'm going to put that under

Laura

I was going to say, that sounds like a solution to me.

Xhafer

Ooh, that's a really good card, but a total spoily I'm going to set that one aside for. When it's not a giant spoiler.

Laura

we were going to try to pick spoilers out of here right now, and then work them back in to spray the listener.

Xhafer

Now my second pack only had super spoily cards and Marcus. So. Oh, Hey, this is actually the plot of the next episode we're reviewing. So I'll put it in for

Laura

Yeah, do it.

Xhafer

Not, not the one we're about to do, but next week's. Ooh, I got a techno MEJ.

Laura

Whew. That could be like anything that could be your character. That could be your problem. That could be a solution. Just surprise us. Oh, I have a character for this episode. How funny?

Xhafer

Nice. Is it R a minister of peace.

Laura

sure is human character. Julie Musante.

Xhafer

Well, I just opened a big old pile of PACS. I feel. Good. My inner child is satiated. All right. I got my four cards in front

Laura

Okay. You. You selected.

Xhafer

I have selected. All right. So our episode starts Ooh, with a soul hunter coming to the station.

Laura

That's an APL at that sounds familiar.

Xhafer

Is, this is. Isn't the B plot of that episode, the latent telepath, or am I just throw those episodes right across? Cause I just got the latent Taliban. That's the problem on the station? It can't be.

Laura

Surely not that's a lot to go, but as I say, that's a lot to go on and one episode That's how Babylon five B you guys. That's how it do. No.

Xhafer

Okay.

Laura

Yeah.

Xhafer

So, so hunter arrives at our station in our cold open. And we have a latent telepath running around, causing all kinds of problems. The Layton telepath. Is Eventually encountered by Marcus.

Laura

Okay.

Xhafer

Who Bluffs them? Into calming down. They were having one of those side tremor things.

Laura

Mm.

Xhafer

That used to be a problem. Before the Sycor regulated everything. So Marcus comes in. And kind of Bluffs,

Laura

That sounds very Marcus.

Xhafer

Yeah, I kind of, and again, I just like get them to calm down and then uh, You know, Franklin can get that tell path on the underground railroad or what have

Laura

It's the soul hunter looking for the latent telepath.

Xhafer

The soul hunter. We don't know. Who they're there for?

Laura

Okay, they're doing that thing again.

Xhafer

They're doing that thing again. And towards the end of the episode, they encounter. Marcus who asks. Who are you? To the soul hunter. To which the soul hunter stops and is very puzzled. And then just, just like the time isn't right. And leaves.

Laura

Oh, that's very foreboding for Mr. Marcus.

Xhafer

It is. Sure. I hope nothing bad happens to that guy.

Laura

I a. Can see Marcus in this role, I can I look forward to this Margus heavy episode? Oh, well, I got to ditch my card cause I tried to draw Leighton telepath for the B plot, but we've. We're already Okay. And the B Zach Allen. We're getting some good faces from our season three intro.

Xhafer

Yeah.

Laura

Because Zach Allen gets his own face in season three, intro. And Marcus gets his own face. Yeah. This is a real season three shining episode. And Zach Allen is dealing with some changing opinions around the

Xhafer

that sounds like the episode. We're about to review a little bit, actually.

Laura

Yeah. Yeah, maybe it's a little bit Nightwatch related. Maybe, maybe it's a little psych world related to the C okay. The. Earth government. Has made an Alliance. With that race. Remember the race that we saw in the episode where a. Ivanova makes that Alliance. What was her name?

Xhafer

I don't remember.

Laura

Yeah, but we had.

Xhafer

the creep

Laura

The Creepys.

Xhafer

Yeah.

Laura

The creeper race. So um,

Xhafer

The Jared lottos. Yeah,

Laura

Yeah. We've made the Alliance. With those guys, because we're trying to you know, shore up some things back home, we're trying to protect. Earth. Because of these, these shifting. Opinions that we have about aliens and these aliens, you know, they were pretty on the ball. They really liked how we do things. So we've made. And Alliance with them. And. As Zach is like dealing People on the station. You know, some of our ambassadors. R no, this other race. And he's trying to keep the peace.

We have uh, a bit of a loss of face. With all these other ambassadors and he has some quippy conversations with like Dzhokhar. And. You know, maybe Dylan is a little disappointed. And. We just kind of have a bummer B plot where earth keeps. Doing questionable things.

Xhafer

Fucking earth stopped doing that questionable

Laura

Yeah, so we could really just slot this one in like anywhere. And season three,

Xhafer

Yeah. I mean, clearly evidenced by the episode,

Laura

Hm.

Xhafer

that's not what we're going to route a rate right now. We got to rate the episode. We just created.

Laura

Yeah. What do you think.

Xhafer

Well, it's very seasoned three feeling to me. More so than the episode, we're about to review to be perfectly honest.

Laura

Yeah, I think it's very season three. It's one of those where we showcase some people we don't get a lot, which is always a fun thing.

Xhafer

Yeah, no, I think this would be a fun episode. I'd watch this episode. I think this is a solid three out of the five middle of the road, early season three episode.

Laura

Yeah, it's really set in a stage. We get some creepy earth stuff and some creepy general stuff. So. All right. We did it.

Xhafer

We did it. Plot poker. And it will be back again in a couple of weeks. But before all of that, we've got to talk about season three, episode five. Voices. Of authority.

Laura

You put a real spin on that nice radio

Xhafer

I'm probably, I'm just, I'm practicing my radio voice in actuality, because I was thinking about starting a fiver to doing voiceover work.

Laura

Ah, man, that'd be fun. Let me know how that

Xhafer

Yeah, well, I mean, we've got all this nice editing and all this nice sound recording equipment. So I figure I may as

Laura

Do something with it? Yeah.

Xhafer

Squeeze a couple of bucks out of it. If I can. Get that Christmas money.

Laura

good luck. My friend.

Xhafer

All right. Well, we open on Zach Allen man of the people complaining about the fit on his uniform jacket.

Laura

Very relatable.

Xhafer

Yeah. This comes up. Late, I think in early season four, this comes up

Laura

Oh, does it? Yeah.

Xhafer

There is a scene. I want to say it's in season four, where Zack is getting fitted for a new uniform. And all of the people who are actually fitting him for the uniform in the scene. Are at the tailoring staff of Babylon five.

Laura

Oh,

Xhafer

All done up as aliens. And so when he's like complaining about the fit, he's complaining about the fit on camera to the people who actually made the uniform in the first

Laura

That's very funny.

Xhafer

It's clutch.

Laura

Uh, If it was me, one of the tailoring staff, I would have to be an alien makeup, so I wouldn't be cracking up about it. Wonderful. So yeah, he's complaining about his uniform to Garibaldi, right? And Garibaldi gets this call on the link that Ivanova has a code seven R and he has to ditch SAC, but you can see, Zach is a little bit suspicious about. Code seminar.

Xhafer

What's what's that seminar? I don't know that one. Well, it's a war council meeting is what it is.

Laura

Yeah, Erin pointed this out. He said, have we seen the set before? And I said, I don't think so. I think this is the new work council set,

Xhafer

Yeah.

Laura

It's just, it's going to get

Xhafer

saw. Yeah, we've seen it at the end of a couple episodes. We haven't really seen a lot of it yet.

Laura

Yeah, we get more interesting war council stuff later. I'm I'm fairly certain.

Xhafer

Yeah.

Laura

So. At this war council meeting, Dylan is looking for the first one. She's you thinking that, you know, shadows are waking up, it's all happening faster than we wanted. It is time for us to consider reaching out to some of these other older races. That are a little bit. Mysterious hard to contact, possibly dangerous.

Xhafer

Hopefully not as big as assholes as the four lines.

Laura

Hopefully, but I'm not holding a lot of hope. Are you.

Xhafer

Nope.

Laura

especially not after this episode.

Xhafer

Yeah. But at the lens, all like draw like draw, Hey, Hey, draw. Like all the first ones out there. Like if there are the first ones. You'd tell us, right? Like if you knew there were other first ones, like you do the thing, like, you know, And the green machine. You're doing the green machine stuff. You're viewing all the time and space simultaneously. You don't think you got nowhere. The other first ones are That's just the way it works. I think it's in the grand machine and what it does.

So you got to know, so you tell us, right? You tell us, yeah. You tell us, you totally tell us the tours you tell us who you'd have to tell us otherwise. That's the whole point in the green machine. So you tell us Rachel, right? And then draw shows

Laura

Uh,

Xhafer

And it's all like, oh yes, this is a great idea. I just need you to come down to the planet and do my job for me.

Laura

Yeah, drill is Just like, why are you here? What are you doing? My friend it's because we built that set. We built the set. For the great machine we got to use it.

Xhafer

Yeah, he just wants to hit the hit, hit a J. With cautious, number one, smoke and buddy. And ha take a trip. That's all he's

Laura

Bring them on down. Yeah. Yeah.

Xhafer

So Sheridan agrees.

Laura

Sheridan agrees. Marcus is a little. Nervous about this. It seems like.

Xhafer

Yeah. Marcus is all like, Kinda like pitching a little bit of a bitch about this. And it's just like, this is a bad idea. In ranger training, they told us this was a bad idea. And then Dylan puts a hand on his shoulder and it's like, sweet summer child I'm ranger one. I told them to tell you this was a bad idea. We're doing it anyway.

Laura

It's only a bad idea. If it's not mine.

Xhafer

Right. I don't want you doing it, but me telling you That's okay.

Laura

Yeah. So they've got to go down to the planet. Oh, remember how that plant it had all the. missiles and Drell was promised not to. Fire anything off.

Xhafer

Yeah, just come on down and like four hours. Give me some time to, you know, clean up. Get some snacks run to

Laura

Make some dip.

Xhafer

Get. Get the munchies

Laura

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We cut back to Zack. Who is a greeting, a new officer from the ministry of peace. It's Julie.

Xhafer

Yep.

Laura

She is a very forceful lady and it seems to be something that Zach is into.

Xhafer

Yeah. Uh, He totally checks out

Laura

Yeah. he he, gets told what to

Xhafer

He is not

Laura

And he's into it and he's got a vibe he's he's all over it. I looked at it just as like, yep. This is a certain kind of. Dude. We see Dzhokhar get a scene with your car.

Xhafer

So we see Dzhokhar run into DLN at the SoCal lo and he's all like Dylan, buddy, you got. I can't help, but notice you're having all of these secret meetings without me. That's crazy. You wouldn't possibly be like forming some kind of secret military Alliance. That would have the strength to fight off the centaurian free. My oppressed people would, you that'd be crazy that can't be what's happening because you'd invite me to those meetings. Right? Dylan.

Those secret meetings you're having without me. Right. You're going to write. And Dylan is just completely poker face. Like, I don't know what you're talking about. Rangers. Ooh, let me dramatically turn around to immediately say nothing. Why would I know about that? D and D class? That's weird. Checar I don't play Dungeons dragons. You big old nerd. Why don't you get on something

Laura

She keeps it very cool. Even when he names her organization by name.

Xhafer

I will say the fact that he used Rangers and not like Angela shock or something.

Laura

A true and true.

Xhafer

It was kind of a bummer for

Laura

Oh, yeah. He uses like the

Xhafer

I think it would have been a

Laura

name instead of, I mean, if he gave them in Bari name, I mean, That's a little harder to Dodge, right?

Xhafer

Yeah.

Laura

us, the Rangers are very general.

Xhafer

Or if both, that's all I keep hearing AnnaLeigh shock and Rangers. It's crazy. It's like, they're the same organization. But one is human and one is men Bari. Weird.

Laura

That would be a very hard, very hard to dip. So we cut from them. To Julie Masante meeting with Sheridan. And she's going through stuff. She's like in his office, touching his things.

Xhafer

She is really about that reverse Marie condo life. Like his uniform needs more flare. He needs Globes of earth everywhere. You know, he should have a flag of every representative, nation of the earth. Federation in here, every single one from earth you know, just like really make it feel like it's Earth's

Laura

Right. This station that we specifically built to be a home for many different kinds of aliens. Should should be very earth centric.

Xhafer

Yeah, Julie explains what she's there for. She's been appointed by the Senate committee on Babylon five. To be his new political officer. To help him navigate the minefields that is the emerging government and thought and policy on earth. Without accidentally embarrassing earth. Again again, again.

Laura

I was going to say at this point in the episode, She has a point.

Xhafer

Yeah.

Laura

Sheridan has not got a great track record here.

Xhafer

No, he does not, He's about as happy as this as Eli Lilly is with

Laura

Yeah.

Xhafer

She has a dinner Rezo for 6:00 PM for them at fresh which he has to cancel his plan to do edibles withdrawal and forget how to walk to the kitchen. And that's a real

Laura

That is a real bummer.

Xhafer

He delegates that to Ivanova. Well, Julie kind of forcefully tells Zach it's time to spill the beans on stuff.

Laura

She invites

Xhafer

She is. The least subtle person. I have never met. We get some real Tucker Carlson logic over dinner.

Laura

Yeah, she's. She is Very dolled up for this conversation. Uh, If you, if you're awkward now, looking at these two, having dinner at a fancy restaurant, just wait a few minutes.

Xhafer

Yeah.

Laura

She does some mental gymnastics.

Xhafer

A bit looking at anyone who wanted a job could have a job. That's the earth gov promise. So anyone who doesn't have a job it's because they're insane or criminals or a lazy, there is no homelessness problem. There is no economic problem. Everyone who would have, they just don't want jobs. That's not our problem. You know, and it's just like, when did all these problems go away? And she's just like, when they rewrote the dictionary,

Laura

So she's.

Xhafer

To

Laura

She is so aware of her own hypocrisy and does not care. Does not mind. It is all okay. In her eyes.

Xhafer

Yeah, Anyone who disagrees is a anarchist troublemaker, or simply unpatriotic.

Laura

Yeah. That's where it seemed familiar. I'm uncomfortable.

Xhafer

Yeah. Me

Laura

Oh man.

Xhafer

Back on Epsilon three draw gives the van over the red pill. then just fuck you Anon for ruining

Laura

Yeah.

Xhafer

It's just getting

Laura

It's still a good matrix reference. I'm still, I'm still there.

Xhafer

This predates the matrix.

Laura

It does. Doesn't it.

Xhafer

Yeah. well, and that's, he doesn't say red pill, but he's all like stepping inside the matrix and stuff. And this whole thing, it's like, There was multiple references very quickly that were, it couldn't have been a mistake though. Kowalski's well, they worked with JMS on sensate, so they were probably fans actually.

Laura

I want to, I want to believe that anyway. Uh, Especially, you know, this is this big machine. I a. Did laugh a little bit at, you know, cause I feel like our quality of the graphics and the visuals keeps going up in And when you look at the great machine again, it's like, It's a bunch of tubes. It's just tubes. And we just stick our arms in the tubes and all of a sudden we're in the space tubes.

Xhafer

Yeah, Ivanova hits that Vitruvian, And goes on a trip to Sigma 9, 5, 7. Where she finds evidence of the first ones before being noticed by those shadow eyes. Super cool effect in space.

Laura

Do you remember Sigma 9, 5, 7.

Xhafer

Is that where Catherine Sockeye.

Laura

It sure is. Yeah. That she went near Sigma 9, 5 7. And this aliens that we. Are looking for these aliens they're referred to as the walkers because they walk near Sigma 9, 5, 7, as Jakarta said so I thought that was a nice little callback to somewhere we've already been, it's been a while. That was season one. But yeah, those shadow wise not

Xhafer

Yeah, she gets away. But on her way away from the shadow's eyes, she sees Clark confirm his culpability in the SAS nation. Of president Santiago.

Laura

it's not clear to me why we see this. Like what did she just take the wrong space tube?

Xhafer

We see it. So that episode

Laura

Uh, But yeah, she sees a transmission he's discussing. The how it's, how it's going to go down. Right. It hasn't happened yet. But he's.

Xhafer

It's it seems like it's about to.

Laura

There's a familiar voice.

Xhafer

Aye. I did not recognize this voice and it was not in my seasoned guide. Who would this voice

Laura

Really.

Xhafer

I should, I should have checked on line. I didn't do my normal Usenet

Laura

Man it's Mr. Morton.

Xhafer

Is it Morton?

Laura

It's gotta be. Go back and listen

Xhafer

Okay.

Laura

the close captions, just say mail number one. But that was.

Xhafer

Uh, It's it's,

Laura

It's definitely more than.

Xhafer

Now it's confirmed. It's more than.

Laura

You found it, the notes.

Xhafer

Yeah.

Laura

I don't think Ivanova attracts it as Morden though. She, I don't know. Has she been introduced to Mr. Morton We as the audience know that. We can hear But I don't think Ivanova has met Morton. And so she can't put it together.

Xhafer

A question directly asked to JMS was why didn't they recognize Morden's voice? And his answer was who's to say they didn't.

Laura

Hm. Okay.

Xhafer

So.

Laura

I could be wrong, but I'm sitting here thinking I don't. And think Ivanova. Had met Morton.

Xhafer

I don't think she has no. But he was in a holding cell for like two days at this point. So

Laura

That's right. Cause Sheridan had him for a long time.

Xhafer

Yeah, Sheridan and Garibaldi would 100%. Recognize that voice.

Laura

Yeah. Okay. Hm. So after Ivanova sees this footage of president Clark and earth force one. She comes unplugged from the great machine.

Xhafer

And she's all like drawl, you got to give me some of the shit to take home and he's like, I can give you a recording of your trip.

Laura

Right. He's always recording, not creepy at all. He's always listening and he's always recording.

Xhafer

But he's not going to tell us where the first ones are.

Laura

Right,

Xhafer

Back on the station, Julie follows Sheridan to his quarters after she's been

Laura

Oh, my God.

Xhafer

Air quotes of hers. She totally naked,

Laura

Yeah, he offers to make her a drink. She accepts the offer. He turns away for one second and she Completely naked.

Xhafer

Have you seen how I met your mother?

Laura

I've seen, I've seen most of it. Yeah.

Xhafer

This, this is they've an entire episode dedicated to people doing this.

Laura

I'm going to have to go back and rewatch that just for old times.

Xhafer

Yeah. I was just like, oh God, it's the naked man. Ivanova interrupts. Get some slut-shaming in.

Laura

I felt. I was like, this is a very nineties thing to say. We say this in the nineties and we all had a Ha ha. I don't like it now. Ivanova, don't say

Xhafer

Yeah. I don't care if it's a way for you to get a star Trek,

Laura

Yeah. Right.

Xhafer

Where everyone is gone before. Rude.

Laura

very rude. And. She pops in with completely no context. I guess she knew probably we, I don't think we see her meet Julie Masante, but she knows Julie Missandei's around and she probably knows who she Um,

Xhafer

Oh, yeah. So it's happening on the station? So a

Laura

Yeah, but you just pop it on your bus and there's a naked lady there and a. Get in some snide remarks about You got no idea. What's going on, lady. Maybe keep your mouth.

Xhafer

Yeah.

Laura

Very funny though. We get a good expression out of her. She's got a very expressive face. But yeah, Julie is a. Trying to trying to put the moves on Sharon and make him more. Malleable.

Xhafer

Yeah.

Laura

He does the old like kiss and dip too. Distract her from Yvanova's presence.

Xhafer

Yeah. From hologram Ivanova and then it's all like, oh, is it cold in here? I'm going to go, oh, I've got to go to the bathroom. Just dodging every which way.

Laura

Got to go turn up that thermostat. Oh, I think I left the tea kettle on.

Xhafer

We're in your kitchen. This is a studio.

Laura

Oh, yeah, she did get a thing in about how his quarters are larger than normal. And Everyone should do their part and pay their rent. Nice. Nice callback to season two.

Xhafer

After this we cut over to Dzhokhar who gives Garibaldi shit about the secret meetings. And he's just like, look. There's nothing you can do to help us. And your car is all like bullshit.

Laura

he's pretty resourceful. RJ car, even though he doesn't have a lot at his disposal, he's got what the, the non population on the station. He's got any contacts he can scramble up. But we've seen him. Be very resourceful with very little.

Xhafer

Well, I think once he knows what these meetings are actually about. You know, that's why he gives, that's why the ending happens with,

Laura

Oh, yes. And he has historical knowledge from Narcan. About this particular problem that they're working

Xhafer

Yeah, so. That's how he can contribute. Anyways, our political advisor is very grumpy for someone who got naked without explicit consent.

Laura

Yeah, she's.

Xhafer

Not a

Laura

Yeah, she doesn't really have a leg to stand on here, but She's complaining to Zach about Sheridan's impressive negotiation abilities.

Xhafer

Yeah. All the no-no knows since axle, like I prefer. Yes. Yes. Yes. Creepy. Not okay.

Laura

I mean. He does want to be told what to do so bad.

Xhafer

Yeah.

Laura

she collapsed back at him with a little dig at his attire. Which we already know is a sensitive spot for poor Zack.

Xhafer

Yeah.

Laura

So, Yeah.

Xhafer

He's a total, a cab tread on me harder, daddy. Fuck.

Laura

He's if Julie Masante was more than a one episode character, I could see this being a running gag with him. Right. Yeah.

Xhafer

Ivana. Ivanova and Marcus take the white star out to Sigma 9, 5 7.

Laura

Yeah, they're going to go in person. And try to deliver a message.

Xhafer

The ministry of peace lays down. It's no bad talking to president. Policy. Encouraging those who are upset at president Clark to instead cheer him with an enthusiastic let's go, Gary.

Laura

Oh boy. I saw one of those today. This is off pod.

Xhafer

I actually had to Google. I assumed. Let's go. Brandon was Brandon was Biden's middle name?

Laura

Nope.

Xhafer

is not.

Laura

Nope.

Xhafer

Nope. It's a NASCAR driver. I read all about where it came from to try and pick another name that would it be appropriate for William Morgan Clark and.

Laura

Well,

Xhafer

Gary's the actor's name? That's that's what I

Laura

there you go. That's a good Yeah, they're, going real 1984, George Orwell. Levels. Yeah. On. Any sort of speech. Seditious thoughts. Any, anything that can be happening on the station Nightwatch is ready to know about it. So she says that there's a purge coming. We are going to start getting rid of people in the government who disagree with other people. And Nightwatch is going to be on the front lines.

Xhafer

Yeah, it's this fascist bullshit. They were betrayed. They're gaslighting their own citizens. And I really wished that this was a fresh take and that the last 30 years were different, but they aren't. This doesn't even like, get the appeal of feeling like satire anymore. Unfortunately.

Laura

Nope. And it's another reason I really want a reboot right now, you know? Like I really want. To have to grapple with this in a fresh new way.

Xhafer

I would hope that it's not like this. I would hope that it's very because in the eye of the nineties, This was not possible. Right. This was extreme. This was satire. And now you look at it and you're like, this is two steps away from. Well, diff depending on the date, if it's January 6th, that's one step away from reality.

Laura

This is what we thought happened in other places in the nineties. That's that's happened to other people and you look at it from the view of like, oh, this was that government then, or this is, you know, And uh, I think reboot has to tackle it a little bit differently.

Xhafer

Yeah.

Laura

If this was a But I don't see how you could avoid it right now. Anyway.

Xhafer

Marcus has giving a vinyl for shit for not handling boredom. Well, I did not ask to be personally attacked.

Laura

No right. He criticizes her pacing, like get out. I, when I'm on the phone with somebody. And like I'm occupied with talking to them. But not physically occupied. This is me. Like I am pacing. I am doing that thing. It's lucky that, you know, there's a microphone and headphones holding me here right now.

Xhafer

Yeah. Well, if I raise, I'm doing things with my hands down here to keep occupied. Or solving Rubik's cubes. I do that a lot on work

Laura

Oh, yeah, that's a good one.

Xhafer

I'll sit there and solve a Rubik's cube like 10, 12 times

Laura

You know what I got for my work desk. I got that kinetic sand stuff. Have you seen this stuff? My son played with it a lot when he was smaller. And so I have a thing of kinetic sand for me to fiddle with. It's very satisfying. Highly recommend.

Xhafer

Anyways. Omeka appears on the bridge. To her account, the tale of Marcus's last joke about the

Laura

Yeah.

Xhafer

Avant of explains the burgeoning Alliance and ask them to join. We cut away for Garibaldi showing Sheridan the recording. Who says he's going to get it to general Haig who can get it to the media

Laura

Hey general Haig. Woo.

Xhafer

And then Ivanova talks. Mad shit.

Laura

Yeah. I heard her talking to the Tiki head. Isn't going to that great. Like he just says Zog and they aren't really listening to her. And She decides to try a little reverse psychology, right? That's kind of what this is.

Xhafer

A hundred percent and it works real good. She's all like it's cool. The four Alon said you guys were a joke. Anyways, carried you during the last Carry you during this one. Don't worry. We'll let you know when the fight is over so you can come back and just be safe since that's all. You're good for. A little baby, and then there's a, like, we're not babies. Hey. You bring them here. And tell us, and then we'll show up and Then all right.

Laura

Yeah. gamble. But a lot of us, she, she takes those big swings and she nails it every time.

Xhafer

We cut over to security who was watching the ISN report, leaking the recording. Their official stance is to wait for the truth because eventually it always comes

Laura

Yeah. Eh,

Xhafer

touch Garibaldi. After this, everyone leaves, but Zach who Garibaldi gives him a little hell for Nightwatch. It's like, what'd you tell her, like, what's going on? Can I trust you anymore? And Zach's like, I don't know. Do you trust me in the first place?

Laura

What is code seven hour.

Xhafer

back at them. Yeah. He's out of the circle and it bothers him. Julie heads back to earth to help clean up the mess at the president. And then checar shows up

Laura

Yeah.

Xhafer

To throw the book of Shaquana at Michael Garibaldi.

Laura

The best time to throw the book of At anyone right.

Xhafer

Yup.

Laura

3:00 AM.

Xhafer

Wake me up to throw a book at me.

Laura

Hm. Hm.

Xhafer

What's that like, I was finally getting sleep for the first time in a week. As we see so often.

Laura

Yeah.

Xhafer

All right. Well, what'd you think of this one?

Laura

This certainly isn't my favorite one, because we have so many bangers coming. In season three. If I'm looking at it in the light next to those. Awesome things that are coming up and, you know, we even had a really good one. With passing through guests enemy just recently. This one just doesn't hold up as well. For me, I'd say I'd probably put this one in the twos, like below average.

Xhafer

Yep. I put it as a two out of five, mostly because I feel like this episode doesn't know what it

Laura

Yeah, there's a lot of disjointed. Plots from here to

Xhafer

Yeah. Yeah. Is this a building to the shadow ward episode? Is this a issues back home episode? Is this a comic relief? Episode, this is just place setting. Are we introducing characters to do more with them later? Like, What ha What goes

Laura

Yeah, we're doing a lot of callbacks too. Like where, where are we going?

Xhafer

Yeah. This felt to me like a very late season, one episode.

Laura

for me, the, the. The big thing that takes me out of it. Especially is that. All of a sudden, we just see this conversation with. It's very de your sex Maki and that kind of thing. Like we got in the great machine. Woo. We got this thing. And. It is there nobody earned Really. It just got handed to us by the great machine, this big thing that's going to. Move that plot forward. With earth. And president Clark's, you trying to get justice for what happened to president Santiago.

The. President Clark's betrayal. But. Just didn't feel very earned. The first ones are, are this first one in particular is kind of. Like it didn't seem like as much effort was put into these aliens is, is, could have been there just. You know, we saw them in season one at Sigma 9, 5 7. We called back to it. And this is the last time we're going to see them, I think until a certain point.

Xhafer

Until we go back to Sigma 9, 5, 7. And it's just like, they're weird Tiki torch aliens. And. It's just, it's weird. And like, they're supposed to be weird because they're the first ones. They're all weird. That's the point. So, but it's just, yeah, this whole episode just feels very out of place. To me. I think you could have taken. The, to the, a plot and the B plot here and made them both be plots. Have a separate episode. Of tough to separate episodes. And it would be stronger

Laura

Yeah, the. The link that ties them all together at the end is the recording. And the recording to me didn't feel very earned and real. So. When you tie them together by that weak link, it just didn't do much for me. So I think this is probably one of the weaker spots in season three. If I'm remembering, I haven't looked ahead too much, but I know there are bangers coming and the St

Xhafer

I think once we hit episode. Eight or nine off the top of my head. The season just runs until it's done. It's done. Like it's just nonstop after that.

Laura

I think that the, the next one we have coming up to is a pretty good one. If I remember correctly, what is it? What are we got

Xhafer

Yeah. We got season three, episode six dust to dust. Uh, Cycop investigates a powerful, illegal drug on Babylon five, but Sheridan distrust, his motives. Checar makes a startling discovery about Londo.

Laura

Both of those things sound very dramatic and anytime OSI cop shows up, we know who it's going to

Xhafer

We got some, we got some guesses. This isn't a, it's a boy

Laura

Yeah.

Xhafer

Best are coming around

Laura

I look forward to any time that Walter Canuck is on this show. And.

Xhafer

For sure. He's

Laura

Uh, Dzhokhar Londo plot is always intriguing. So I have good feelings. Yeah. Well acted for

Xhafer

Yeah.

Laura

I have good feelings about this next episode. So, well, this one didn't do it for Kinda just. You know, an episode. Next one I'm really looking forward

Xhafer

Me too. All right. Well, before we get there, we gotta say, thank you. To a handful of people. Thank you. Jeremy Siegel for our lovely theme music, you can find more of his work at Jeremy Siegel. 40 two.bandcamp.com.

Laura

And thank you to angry duck time machine on Instagram for our podcast

Xhafer

And thank you to our producer and editor. Aaron, who's been doing the job for months at this point, and I don't think we've officially thanked. At the end of an episode, which is a

Laura

Yeah, totally, totally uncredited. But. He's so humble. He doesn't mind.

Xhafer

Add podcast editor. To your resume.

Laura

Yes, absolutely. And thank you to you. The listener for being here with us, we love sharing Babylon five with you too.

Xhafer

We do. Go ahead and join our discord. Shoot us an email. Who are you? gmail.com. And uh, we'll see you next week,

Laura

All right. Bye.

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