"No Compromises" felt like a beginner episode mainly for new viewers, while "The Very Long Night..." felt like a hold-over that should have been done last season (although I still really enjoyed it). However this episode felt to me like the first true 5th season arc episode.
Sheridan and The Alliance already seem to be on shaky ground. While Sheridan's use of force against the Drazi trickery is understable, using it to coerce the Members of the Alliance to sign the Principles seems rather manipulative (although as seen last season, that's what Sheridan has become good at doing). Also after use of telepath's in both the Shadow and Earth Civil War, Sheridan's use them in the Alliance seems to be just asking for trouble. The Alliance needs to be nurtured on more than manipulation and lies or else its probably going to fall apart if something bigger happens. Between Garibaldi's telepath spies and Sheridan's manipulation how different will the Alliance be than the Vorlon Empire?
I will take the time here to make one small nitpick.
I find Gkar's writing position ironic. In the second season nobody would listen to him and his warnings. Now in this season, Gkar is writing the Constitution by which every member of the Alliance (the same people who rarely listened to him in the past) will follow and use as their "rulebook".
Garibaldi is shown again in this episode as being a bit darker than before. So far this season he has not shown much if any of the humor that his character exhibited the first three seasons. While Garibaldi did survive his programming of last season he now seems to be at the very end of his rope this season. I am sure having the resident telepaths pick him apart doesn't help either (although he had it coming since he does treat telepaths as a means and not an end in itself). The question is can he really handle Sheridan's intelligence job knowing that it could plunge him into the same kind of trouble he had season 4. Garibaldi said in "Ceremonies of Light and Dark" that he was afraid of what may happen if let go. So far this season Garibaldi seems to be getting dangerously close to a level where he might not care if he let go. My guess is Lise is probably the only thing that is keeping him from losing touch with reality. Which leaves the question what happens if trouble once again comes looking for Garibaldi?
Interestly Byron views of telepaths and mundanes seem to mix between Lyta and Bester. Like Bester he believes telepaths are the next step of evolution. However, like Lyta he doesn't seem to hate mundanes, but is just annoyed with how most use telepaths as means to an end instead of considering telepaths ends in themselves. This episode included an example of the telepaths problem with mundanes in the way that Garibaldi seemed to expect that Lyta would help him with the recruiting Byron's telepath and was angered when Lyta declined at first.
Lyta is the perfect recruit for Byron. The command staff has always used Lyta only when they need her powers as a telepath and, since Lyta never goes to them with her feelings, never really involve her in the group. For example in this episode Sheridan thanks Lyta, but then goes on and excludes her from the Alliance. Had Lyta expressed this view to Sheridan he probably would have included her though. Lyta has usually been timid which was probably why the Vorlons used her as an aide. Therefore when Byron asks her join him where Sheridan failed, Lyta gets involved with Byron's group and their beliefs (that do fit her well).
All in all, a good episode with a lot of character development. Nothing was really wrong with this episode, although the Drazi plot (besides being a bit of possible foreshadowing) felt a bit like filler and the story itself was a bit slow.
Rating: 8.5
Next Week:A view from the peanut gallery
