Day of the Dead
Reviewed by Lady Keela Shanri
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This was a...strange...episode. But I liked it. Many people don't, but in general I like the more odd, off-key, experimental kind of episodes. (The only real exception so far being "Intersections in Real Time", which, while definitely experimental, was BORING.) A much-needed "silly break" before the next big arc breaks out, a breathing point between the telepath arc (FORGET BYRON! Sorry...) and the heavy Hey-Wait-A-Minute-the-Centauri-Are-Turning-Against-Us! arc. Yes, I know that this episode was SUPPOSED to have been shown BEFORE "In the Kingdom of the Blind", but I LIKE it in this order; it works, and makes sense. It has only one plotline, really, unless you want to count the Reebo and Zooty thing seperately--the comedians Reebo and Zooty come aboard the station as part of a tour, also, the Brakiri Day of the Dead festival is going on this night--and WEIRD things happen.
Okay, let's just break this down into good and bad again, shall we? In this case, mostly good.
Good:
1. I like the stuff we learned about the Brakiri. What their Ambassador's name is (Culenbrock, or at least that's the spelling I came up with--I still think he's kinda neat-looking, for an alien...), how they're nocturnal, (cool! "Creatures of the night" indeed!), what their home planet is called ("Brakir"), the whole Day of the Dead celebration--copied more or less from the Human Mexican Day of the Dead, which I've always found kind of a neat idea, if a bit weird, myself--how they have to BUY part of the station, etc. And I thought those Brakiri "comet-pins" were GORGEOUS and I want one! Gold and jewels in fancy patterns...gimme gimme gimme! (Whoops, sorry, the Centauri greed part of my personality just took over for a minute there...also, I've been looking all OVER the place in all the costume jewelry stores around here, in real life, for a pretty lapel-pin/brooch type thing that has jewels on it, something Centauri-looking, but I can NEVER find one and I've been looking for months, dangit...)
2. The Reebo and Zooty stuff I THOUGHT was gonna be totally insufferable, but it wasn't that bad, not after they were done with their routine in the Council Chamber. I liked Zooty's always trying to TOUCH people for some odd reason--like when Sheridan takes Delenn's hand in his right hand, Zooty grabs Sheridan's LEFT hand as well and Sheridan gives him this LOOK...also, at the end, Zooty kept trying to touch Londo's HAIR! Truth to tell, I'd be curious about that, too, so I don't blame him...) But mainly, that one line of Reebo's about how "all the REAL comedy goes on in the Senate...they're saying hilariously funny things but they say them in serious ways so people listen...I don't know, I may be quitting comedy to go into clown-college..." that made me go "YES!!" and do a thumbs-up and cheer the screen. I TOTALLY agree. What a wonderfully sarcastic social comment! Hee hee...
3. Londo's encounter--oh, GEEZ, that was sad...sniff. Dear Adira, his one and only true love...GEEZ...Also, the bit earlier where he's talking about how the office of Emperor has gone downhill, and wants wisdom from the first Emperor. That was kinda cool, even if I SWEAR they re-used one of the old paintings of Cartagia that were hanging in the Royal Palace during the fourth season and put enough shadows on it so you couldn't see the features exactly! But I swear I saw his arrogant expression and SHORT hair...which is NOT typical for an Emperor, they're supposed to have extra-LONG hair, so who else could it be? Besides, B5 has the reputation of re-using EVERYTHING heavily 'cos they have such horrible budget limitations at all times, so I'm probably right! But if we say that that WAS a picture of Emperor Kiro the First, then maybe Cartagia's looks are a throwback to an earlier generation of Centauri...? You know, like how you say someone has "an old-fashioned face"? Okay, okay, I'm getting totally sidetracked, I'll shut up now...
4. It was cool to see Morden again and he was still himself, even if he did seem to have curled his hair, in a way that at first made it look like a different actor was playing the part (nope, Ed Wasser all the way) and then later on after I recognised him, it looked as if he was wearing a BAD toupeé... Also, the line, "I like to think that I always tried to make people happy." And what do YOU want? Bwahaha... Oh, and what about that prophecy to Lennier? I don't want Lennier to turn into a bad guy and die, dangit! And also when he said that Delenn would NEVER love him the way Lennier loves her. Sniff...(I put this in the "good" category not because it was "good" that it happened, but "good" because it was intriguing and spooky.)
5. Lennier was back! Yay!
6. I liked the return of Dodger, too. She was the only good part of the terrible episode, "GROPOS", and a great character. She is WAY more Garibaldi's type than the whiny Lise will EVER be, and if she hadn't died so fast, I could Dodger and Garibaldi being happy in the LONG-term...I'm talking marriage, kids, a nice little house in the country, etc, here.
7. The Emily Dickinson poems really DO go to the tune of "The Yellow Rose of Texas"! Who the hells figured THAT out, and why? They must have had a LOT of time on their hands. Still, it is funny.
8. Kosh's message to Sheridan--since I've seen commercials for "Sleeping in Light", I think I know what that meee-eeannnnsss...
9. Lochley's reaction to Reebo and Zooty was the same as mine (they're much better when they're being themselves than when doing their actual routine, more like PEOPLE.) Sheridan: "This is a moment you can tell your children about, Captain!" Lochley: "I'll get on having some right away." Sheridan: (having a hard time hearing because of the crowd noise) "What"? Lochley: "I...have an appointment with the Brakiri Ambassador, I'm on my way." Hee hee...
10. The way the part of the station was teleported to the Brakiri homeworld--LITERALLY--while still also being right there, and the funky force-field thing that violently throws things back at you, was kinda neat.
11. Londo is interstellar-ly FAMOUS because he's going to be Emperor next! Articles in "Universe Today" and everything! That was so cool. Even Reebo and Zooty were honoured to meet him.
The Bad:
1. What the hells DID happen that night? Sure, Lochley said it was a "mystery", and "we all need some mystery in our lives", and I guess we do, but I don't LIKE mystical coming-back-from-the-dead stuff. It bugged me when Sheridan was resurrected, and this bugs me now. Not as MUCH, because there wasn't a Brakiri version of Lorien around, but it still sorta bugged me...
2. I was glad to see Morden again, but why on Centauri Prime did he appear to LENNIER? Those two characters have NOTHING to do with each other! I would say Londo, but since he was...busy...with Adira, then Vir would have been the next best choice, after all, he always WANTED him dead. Now that would be a confrontation to see, my friends! Ah, well... And just WHAT did Ed Wasser do to his HAIR? It looked hideous! And this is coming from someone who likes the Centauri, bear in mind...
3. Lochley's whole "day of the dead" segment--even though it did tell us some interesting new stuff about her background (sounds like she had a NASTY childhood), it was maudlin and depressing, and Tracy Scoggins did a rather poor acting job. Especially when she said, "Are you a ghost?" her face just looked SO phony, it bugged me. I also was bugged that they never told us what relationship Zoe had to her, exactly. Sister, roommate, best friend...what?
4. Londo LIKES Reebo and Zooty now? Oh, dear, whatever is the galaxy coming to...
Aside from those quibbles, it was basically a good episode. And Byron is DEAD, so we'll never have to see him again! Things can only get better from here on in...
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