Legacies
Reviewed by Lady Keela Shanri
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WARNING: SPOILERS FOR UP TO THE FOURTH SEASON!!!
This, another episode written by classic, long-time Star Trek author D.C. Fontana, seems very quiet on the surface, but actually contains the seeds for some BIG revelations for the end of this season and beyond.
It is, like I said, basically a quiet episode, but then again, it is about the Minbari, and, well, they are a quiet PEOPLE, what can I say? (As I mentioned in my review for "Eyes" yesterday, they strongly remind me of the Japanese in many ways. This episode, especially the funeral procession scene, reinforced that impression.). It consists of, as is normal for B5, two plots, which wove together at the end.
The A-plot concerns the funeral procession of a great Minbari war-hero, the Shai Alyt. His body is being paraded around to Minbari all over the place so that they may all have the honour of viewing "the vessel of his soul" before he goes "beyond" to his final rest.
Only one problem:
When the procession of Warrior Caste Minbari that are guiding his casket reach Babylon 5--
--the body turns up MISSING!
Needless to say, this causes a good portion of Hell to break loose. The leader of the Warrior Caste Minbari visiting the station is Alyt Neroon in his first appearance, and he is of the Star Riders' Clan, same as the deceased Shai Alyt. He is OUTRAGED, and suspects EVERYBODY--not least Commander Sinclair, because the Shai Alyt was the Minbari general at the infamous "Battle of the Line" so Sinclair would have a special reason to hate him. He even goes so far in his suspicions against the good commander as to JUMP him in his quarters! (Or attempt to; my brother was on the floor laughing at how quickly Sinclair turned the tables on his attacker.) Neroon, besides acting like just a bit of a twerp, was a strong and interesting character. He is the representative of the darker, more agressive side of the Minbari psyche, and will play an important role in episodes, and even seasons, to come. This is not the side that strums triangular lutes and chants; this is the side that almost obliterated our entire species from the face of reality only ten years ago! John Vickery was WONDERFULLY sinister and in a barely-controlled-ferocity kind of way, and represented it well. A good choice.
The security teams look EVERYWHERE all over the station for the Shai Alyt's body, including having poor Dr. Franklin pump the stomachs of all the Pak'ma'ra (eeeeewwwww....) and that infamous quote about what Narn TASTES like (chicken), but do not turn up anything. Until Sinclair gets a hint as to where the great general's body may be--from an unusual source.
Enter the B-Plot. Little Alisa Beldon, or however you spell that. A pickpocket found in Down Below who is also a latent telepath just barely now discovering her powers--and a P10 at that. She wanders around the station talking to everybody after she suffers a painful mindburst and is taken to Medlab.
This subplot is also advances the relationship between Ivanova and Talia Winters. At the beginning of this episode, Talia and Ivanova are arguing angrily over whether Alisa should join Psi Corps or not. Talia offers Alisa some nice new clothes as only a preview of the nice things the Corps could give her, and how it could take care of her ("The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father"...shudder!), while Ivanova tells her the story of her mother. Both older women are MAD enough to spit nails at the beginning of the episode, and yet by the end, when Alisa refuses BOTH of their suggestions, they apologise to each other and Talia even invites Ivanova to have a drink with her in the Zocalo! Hmmnn...
Alisa then talks to both the Narn and the Minbari, and eventually decides to move to Minbar to train with their telepaths (why not the Centauri, they have telepaths too after all!). Na'Toth tells her that if she chooses to come to Narn and donate small tissue samples to the Narn scientists so that they can figure out how to synthesise the telepathy gene for their own race (they are the ONLY major race that does NOT have telepaths, interesting tidbit there) that they will pay her very well. But a look into Na'Toth's mind, which freaks her out because of its alienness, and then a talk about with Ivanova later about how the Narns tend to treat other species, convince Alisa to rethink the formerly tempting offer. But it is when she talks to Delenn that things get REALLY interesting.
First of all, from Delenn's mind, she learns that SHE was the one who stole the body! Or at least organised it, anyway. Thus tying back in with the main plotline. Seems that Delenn was only trying to follow the instructions that the Shai Alyt left for his remains--that he was to be cremated and his ashes scattered in space near Minbar. This whole hero's parade thing was COMPLETELY against his wishes and what seems to be a great honour to him was actually a desecration of his memory. He was Warrior Caste by his father, yes, but RELIGIOUS caste by his mother, and in a great confrontation scene between Delenn and Neroon we learn that in Minbari society, the MOTHER'S caste takes precedence. The Shai Alyt was a man of peace at heart and only became a warrior because he was forced into it. Delenn was not a thief; she was simply trying to do things the way he wanted it. Of course, Neroon did not agree, but being a member of the Grey Council, Satai Delenn outranks his butt and he stands down. RELUCTANTLY.
Here, we are already seeing the seeds of the future Minbari Civil War being planted...
Another chilling foreshadow comes when Neroon makes the seemingly cheerful, offhand remark "You talk like a Minbari" to Sinclair.
WEeeeelllll.....er......um.....
And, Alisa Beldon uncovers a BIG arc-hint when she reads Delenn's mind--one word, which she was trying VERY hard to conceal.
Chrysalis.
And that mysterious crystal structure in Delenn's quarters, last seen in "Signs and Portents", continues to gradually grow taller....
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