The Illusion of Truth

Reviewed by Anchorbeing Na'Pryn

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Broadcasting live from its headquarters on space station Babylon 5, it's an Alliance News Network special report, with your host, Na'Pryn.
Well...well, well, well, well. This wasn't a GREAT episode, but it wasn't horrible like many fans seem to think it is, either. I thought Stephen Furst (Vir Cotto--duh) did a pretty good job of directing. And the way that the words of the B5 cast were TWISTED around was positively EVIL. The episode had a point to make, a good one, but unfortunately it hit us over the head with it a bit.
Basically, what happens is that this obnoxious reporter from our enemy network, ISN, comes to Babylon 5 and interviews various people, then, in a VERY clever bit of re-editing, makes it appear as if B5 is a holding-pen for poor, downtrodden, diseased Humans being run by evil alien overlords, that Sheridan is insane, and that Delenn is this sinister Queen of Darkness who is trying to make ALL Humans blended with Minbari blood, "winning the war another way." And it all uses footage that he really DID get earlier in the episode, heck, we SEE him getting it! Evil stuff. Also we learn that now Earth KNOWS about the frozen telepaths--although it doesn't know who is in those cryo-units or what B5 is actually doing with them--and that poor Sheridan's father is evidently missing and his farm has been burned down by government troops. As we always knew, Clark would indeed use Sheridan's family to get to him, but only as a FIRST resort.
Now for the episode's good points:
1. Jeff Griggs did a great acting job as the wonderfully slimey "Mr. Sincere" reporter Dan Randall--and he really, TOTALLY sounded like a real reporter, too.
2. The way the news broadcast part was set up was VERY clever--futuristic but also still mirroring the format and style newscasts have today, right down to the overwhelmingly DRAMATIC opening music and logo swooping in from overhead--great stuff.
3. According to the "Today in History" bit, Straczynski evidently thought that despite everything that's being thrown against him, Clinton would STILL be safely in office and working hard at his job in 1999. Yeah! You go, boy!
4. This bit:
Sheridan: "Is this true? Did you really threaten to grab ahold of this man by his collar and toss him out an airlock?"
Ivanova: (looking down, all ashamed) "Uh, yes, I did."
Sheridan: "Commander, I am shocked. Shocked and dismayed. We have a major equipment shortage here, we can't afford to throw perfectly good clothing out into space! I've told you before: always take the jacket off FIRST." (turns to Randall) "I'm sorry, sir, my First Officer was out of line. She meant to say, 'stripped NAKED and tossed out an airlock'. We apologise for any confusion this may have caused." LOVE it.
5. And this bit:
Londo: "No, I do not think you understand the situation, Captain. When I say it is cold in my quarters, I do not mean, 'Oh, it is a little chilly, I think I'll throw a blanket on the bed." No, I mean it is COLD, as in, 'Oh, look, my left arm has just snapped off like an icicle and shattered on the floor!' This is highly inappropriate!"
Sheridan: "I agree--there are several OTHER parts of your body I'D like to see break off."
6. Lennier bumping the camera with his head. Gods those reporters were being a bunch of annoying snot-noses, hitting him with that thing over and over!
7. Garibaldi very, VERY smart-mouthedly outwitting that trader dude. "Ask me if I believe in God." Client: "Uh...um...okay...do you believe in God, Mr. Garibaldi?" Garibaldi: "No, and I'll tell you why. Because if there WAS a God, then maybe just ONCE, someone would sit down across from me at this table and NOT assume I'm an idiot!"
8. I especially liked the way that ISN took the footage of Sheridan and Delenn expressing their deep love for each other, swearing that NOTHING could get in their way--and made it sound TOTALLY sinister. Like "nothing would get in their way" of their evil campaign against Earth. Whoah boy.
9. Zack shooting at and then grinning lopsidely into the floating camera.
Bad points:
1. The broadcast went on too long--the entire last two-thirds of the show or so. It was like, okay, we get the point, they're twisting his words and making him sound evil through propaganda. Now get back to the station! Minor plus: Having the newscast go to a commercial at the same time as the REAL commercials would be shown was rather clever, but if I remember correctly, "And Now For a Word" did the same thing.
2. There were no B5-universe commercials! I was disappointed. That Psi Corps one was so deliciously ominous/funny, I was wondering what they'd come up with this time. Answer: nothing.
3. Lennier should NOT have shown them Down Below. He already KNOWS that these people are hear to slam B5 and make them sound as bad as possible; why even GO to the very very WORST part of the station? That just gave them SO much fodder.
4. The psychiatrist guy irritated me a bit, though I can't say exactly why. Maybe because I kept expecting him to say, "Well, Sheridan's just dis guy, ya know?" ("Hitchhikers" fans will get that one..)
5. I thought that Randall's last monologue was a bit too long.
6. And the BIG problem--WHY IN THE GALAXY did they even LET this guy onto the station in the first place? Sure, having them go back and say that "B5 must be doing something REALLY evil, because they wouldn't even let us see the place or talk to anybody at ALL!" would have been bad, yes, but nowhere NEAR as bad as the cockamamie fish story that Randall and crew were able to cook up with the footage they DID get! If you ask me, Sheridan, despite his reasonings that "it's gonna happen sooner or later, might as well get it over with", was acting like a bit of a git.
The overall diagnosis? While this was a decent episode, "And Now For a Word" did the same thing, and did it better. But it does indeed set the stage for the MAJOR, heavy, creepy things that happen with EarthGov later on in the season, and for that it is indispensible. Plus, it did have a cute format and some funny lines. So while it wasn't GREAT, it wasn't bad either.

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