"Babylon 5" There All the Honor Lies (1995)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Michael Vejar

Writers:

J. Michael Straczynski (creator) and
Peter David (writer)

TV Series:

"Babylon 5" (1994)

Original Air Date:

26 April 1995 (Season 2, Episode 14)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Sheridan kills a Minbari warrior in self-defense. |

Plot Keywords:

Space | Space Station | Saga | Mass Destruction | Fascism

Cast

Bruce Boxleitner	...	Capt. John Sheridan
Claudia Christian	...	Cmdr. Susan Ivanova
Jerry Doyle	...	Michael Garibaldi
Mira Furlan	...	Delenn
Richard Biggs	...	Dr. Stephen Franklin
Andrea Thompson	...	Talia Winters
Stephen Furst	...	Vir Cotto
Bill Mumy	...	Lennier
Robert Rusler	...	Lt. Warren Keffer
Mary Kay Adams	...	Na'Toth
Andreas Katsulas	...	G'Kar
Peter Jurasik	...	Londo Mollari
Julie Caitlin Brown	...	Guinevere Corey
Jeff Conaway	...	Zack Allan
Sean Gregory Sullivan	...	Ashan

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Trivia:

The teddy bear that Radu finds in "Space Cases: Who Goes Where (#1.2)" (????) is the very same one that Sheridan tosses out of an airlock into space in this episode, which was written by Space Cases creator Peter David. It's a running gag between David and Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski. David's wife gave the bear to JMS, who hates "cute" things, and thus had Sheridan dispose of it in a rather unkind manner. Peter David took revenge in defense of his wife's honor. When Radu brings in the bear, Rosie says, "What kind of dope would toss a perfectly good Earth bear into space?" Later, we find out that the bear was left by an evil race called the "Straczyn." JMS has reportedly sworn vengeance.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Susan Ivanova: Merchandising? We're being merchandised? You can't be serious, sir.
Captain John Sheridan: I heard this was in the works a few weeks ago. I fought against it and lost. The B5 Senate Oversight Committee was asked to study ways to help us become more self-sufficient. Their studies indicate that the sale of merchandise relating to Babylon 5, system-wide, could generate a projected 2 million credits over the next year, earmarked for our operating budget.
[... ]
Susan Ivanova: Welcome to Babylon 5, the last, best hope for a quick buck!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Space Cases: Who Goes Where (#1.2)" (????)

This one really makes the viewer HATE the Minbari!

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

The Minbari are an interesting creation by the series creator, J. Michael Straczynski. On one hand, they are rather annoying spiritual beings who seem pretty smug and superior. On the other, the Warrior Caste within them are also smug and superior but also pretty blood-thirsty and head-strong. So, there is a fracture within the species--some want B-5 to succeed and peace to reign and everyone sing "Kumbaya", whereas the others just want to kill things and look down on everyone--especially humans.

This episode is a great example of this unreasoning hatred and xenophobia. Apparently, while the Minbari excuse their actions during the Earth-Minbari War a decade earlier, they DEFINITELY hold grudges and this episode concerns a plot to get revenge on Sheriday--someone who was VERY successful in this war. So, a convoluted plot is created to discredit Sheridan--even if it means lying, cheating and killing! The "holier-than-though" Minbari, apparently, aren't so good and blessed after all!!! This is a decent episode but also one that doesn't particularly stand out one way or the other. If the writer's intent is to make you hate the Minbari or distrust them, then the episode is a resounding success! I actually like how this is the case with most species in the show--there are both good and bad within each and makes the characters fuller and more "human".