This series of posts will not be recaps. There are enough of those on the Net already. This will be my commentary on the episodes, talking about the good and the bad. And there is both.
This opens with some pretty clunky exposition between Garibaldi and Londo. It’s something that might have been dropped in at any point. This early though … the way it came out it was just … clunky.
The makeup is much better, as are the updated costumes. Though they are still recognizably the alien races from the pilot, they are much improved all around.
Garibaldi is picking through his food quickly – but only picking. Then he takes the tiniest nibble possible. It makes Susan’s line “You eat like a starving man” hilarious. He doesn’t eat like a starving man. He eats like a three year old who doesn’t like any food that’s green.
Londo’s cushions are SO “Madonna in the 80s” … and if I remember right, they stick around for a long time.
For anyone who talks about Sinclair acting wooden, I would point them to scene between Sinclair and G’Kar in the Zen Garden. Barely controlled fury right there, and it can’t possibly be described as “wooden.” He’s actually scary there.
I love how much Sinclair and G’Kar hate each other. This is not Star Trek, where everyone gets along and is happy all the time. These two seriously want to kill each other, and given the right circumstances (as in, no witnesses), they absolutely would take each other out.
Right up there with Susan’s line about starving eating, we have another “off” moment. Delenn is in Garibaldi’s quarters, and they are watching Duck Dodgers. She, being someone who has grown up as a sort of monk, doesn’t have experience with television. So she asks him to “Explain this part to me again.” What does he do? He laughs and points to the television. That’s not explaining, that’s pointing. No wonder the Minbari tried to wipe them out!
Can I just say I adore the bickering between Londo and G’Kar? They may not be an old married couple (yet) but they are on their way!
4/5 for me.