No Surrender, No Retreat

Reviewed by Lt. Sonya McCormick,
EarthForce Research Center, Proxima III

Click HERE, HERE, or HERE to see further pictures from the episode.

(no, that picture has nothing to do with any major events in the episode, but I thought it was kinda symbolic and poingant-looking)
While, in the end analysis, "No Surrender, No Retreat" was not as good as the other "season-name episodes" that we've seen so far (the great "Signs and Portents for Season One, the wonderful "Point of No Return" for Season Three, and the INCREDIBLE "The Coming of Shadows" for Season Two), it nevertheless is quite a good episode in its own right. However, it is a symbol of just how great Season Four is that I think this episode pales compared to some of the others!
The main plotline deals with Sheridan taking the war to Clark, the other two have to do with Londo and G'Kar, and Garibaldi. Let's tackle the main plot first.
This was, unfortunately, more of just a standard shoot-em-up. The shock and tragedy of having to shoot at your own friends was still there, yes, but "Severed Dreams" already did that and did it better. The main good points about this plotline were the fact that it advanced the growing (and as of yet, unnamed) "interstellar alliance" another notch by having the League ships promise to send destroyer-class ships to protect the station, and a few character bits on the Earthforce ships during the battle. Normally, the people playing other Earthforce characters besides our own heroes CANNOT act. At all. I don't know what's up with that, but they always seem generic, boring, and phony, or extremely overdone and hokey to me. Not this time. This time, the casting director used a bit of brains and we got some actually halfway decent characters in those uniforms. I especially liked the first officer of the Vespa, the one that took out Captain Nutball (that guy could sure bug his eyes out, lemme tell ya). She was COOL. I really liked her. I'm not sure exactly why I liked her that much when we barely got to meet her, but I did. She was willing to take drastic actions such as basically mutiny in order to save the ship and crew, but on the other hand was still pretty much loyal to Earth; fast-moving but also politically practical. Then there was "Mackie", Sheridan's old friend. He was a cool guy but like I said, the thing of having to shoot at your friends was already done, and done better, in "Severed Dreams." I also liked the way that the snotty little first officer's takeover didn't exactly work--the crew beat him up! Hee hee...and the fact that Sheridan's group is actually gaining more ships as they go along and attack different places. Clever, that.
Oh, and one more thing I liked from this plotline--good ol' Lt. Corwin is back, after a lengthy abscence. You know what, I MISSED him! And I didn't even know I did until I saw him standing, all tiny and alone and insignificant, at that big round window as the ships were leaving. (That's why I used that shot for my episode illustration picture--it's just so...sad-looking, somehow.)
On to the other stuff--the Londo and G'Kar plotline was, for me, the highlight of the episode (LIKE you're surprised.) The scene between the two of them in G'Kar's quarters was very long, yes, and very talky--but when it's Londo doing the talking, I listen. (And even though he regretted it afterwards, I DO agree with the statement about how G'Kar's quarters looks like Narn itself--"dry, red, and depressing". Exactly. Give me gold filigree and filmy white curtains any day! Erm...where was I?) I do think that G'Kar was being a bit of a butthead in this scene, Londo was REALLY pouring his hearts out to him, being all impassioned, practically begging him to put aside their differences for just a short time for a very worthy cause, and G'Kar just ignores him, says nothing, and pours out his drink. This was a dry, quiet scene, but it was VERY powerful and emotionally-charged, while no-one actually ever raised their voices. And Peter Jurasik, as always, gave a bravura performance.
But afterwards, G'Kar meets with Londo in the bar and he DOES accept the drink that Londo offers him. And Londo gets half of what he wanted--he does get the joint statement, but NOT the beginnings of a friendship that he was so obviously trying for. Geez...
And then there is Mr. Garibaldi. He stops off to talk to Vir just before he leaves Babylon 5, to tell him why he's leaving and how he DOES care about his homeworld but the way Sheridan is going about protecting it is wrong. (Why he feels he has to talk to Vir of all people I'm not quite sure, but hey...) This was a welcome scene as we have not seen Vir for quite some time, and the beginning of it, where he falls asleep while writing, LEAPS up from a nightmare yelling, in total horror, "I DIDN'T DO IT! I DIDN'T DO IT!" and then staggers blearily across the room to answer the door with his hair MESSED UP was both sad and funny at the same time. Was he having nightmares about killing Cartagia, or was this perhaps one of those future visions? (As my mom said, "UH-oh--I worry about these guys' dreams..." On a side-note--I believe that's the first time we've ever really seen a Centauri "let his hair down"! Hee hee...)
And at the very tail end of the episode, Mr. Garibaldi leaves Babylon 5. When the guard asks him when he'll be coming back, Garibaldi answers, "I'm not."
Does he really mean that, or not? Time will tell...

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