Babylon 5: S05E06: Strange Relations

An unsuspecting Lockley is walking down the corridor when a slightly tense Delenn joins her. They exchange pleasantries before Delenn tells her that she is fully aware of the reason Sheridan chose her for the job and that she supports his decision. Lockley smiles, she is glad to hear it, though she feels that it would be unwise to tell everyone else. This is a follow-on from the cliffhanger in the last episode. What is the reason we all ask? Apparently so does Garibaldi who was earwigging the conversation from behind a partition close by.

Londo is looking through a window on the observation deck. He looks a little sad as Zack Allen joins him. Zack bursts jovially onto the scene. Don’t you just hate it when some happy twit bounds over to make conversation when all you want, is to be left alone? Londo was looking at the arrival to Babylon 5 of a Centauri Cruiser. Londo tells Zack that the Regent on Centauri Prime is ill and that once he passes away, it would be Londo who would be the Regent. Basically, Londo feels that this is the beginning of the end, not only for him but also for everyone. This is Londo in a very dark mood indeed, sad but also a little frightened.

Not quite as frightened as the captain of a ship in the docking bay however.  The ship develops a malfunction and crashes against the walls destroying the ship and killing most of the crew.

Next we see lovely Lyta in the Med Lab. She is stealing medicines and drugs for that git Byron, I’m sure she fancies him, (poor deluded sole). Franklin catches her but lets her off telling Lyta that if she needs drugs for Brown sector, all she needs to do is ask. She gratefully takes what she needs and gives them to Byron who thanks her.

Byron and Lyta sense the arrival of a Psi Corps Bloodhound Unit to the station.  Bester’s bloodhounds disembark, and a right bunch of ugly looking sods they are too. Then suddenly, the guy we all love to hate, our best baddie, Alfred Bester slides into view with all the charisma of an exploding atom bomb. I just love this geezer; he’s such a bastard!

Garibaldi is visiting Zack when a security guard comes to inform Zack that Bester has arrived. Garibaldi rushes out – he desperately wants to ‘bop’ the bloke for giving him such a hard time in the last season. He charges into Lockleys office to find the two of them having a cosy chat. Garibaldi sees red, he is just about to plant Bester when Lockley punches him right across the chops. She then orders two rather reluctant security guards to arrest him.

Delenn and G’Kar meet with Franklin in Med Lab to ask him if he would like to undertake a special project on cross-cultural medicine. Franklin is enthralled by the prospect and though worried that his duties may be compromised on the station, happily agrees.

Meanwhile Lockley is having her ear bent in Sheridan’s office. He is not too impressed by her eagerness to throw his Chief of Intelligence in the ‘brig’. She rather deftly points out that Garibaldi was behaving like a pratt. She explains that Bester is after the teeps in Brown Sector and that it was Sheridan who gave them the authority to live in Brown Sector without giving them immunity from prosecution from Earth Gov. Bester therefore, is well within his rights to arrest them. Sheridan simply tells Lockley that Bester should not be allowed to take them away. He does not tell Lockley how she is to achieve this.

The Centauri Cruiser that was waiting for Londo communicates with Lt. Corwin that it cannot wait any longer and that it has a schedule to keep. Lt. Corwin allows the ship to leave. As it engages its engines the Centauri Cruiser blows up! This was an attempt to kill Londo by blowing up his transport ship while he was supposed to be on it. Zack discusses the explosion with Lockley and she inadvertently finds that Garibaldi accessed her personal records – she charges off to give Garibaldi an earful of abuse (she’s already hit him once, looks like his ego is going to take another battering. Either that or she just wants another chance to see him. As you know, I think these two are going to get it together soon, there’s simply too much passion and not enough hate.

Bester is busy looking for the ‘blips’. He runs into the lovely Lyta and challenges her ‘tell me your not on their side’, he asks. Lyta replies that all telepaths are on the same side. The bloodhounds are not able to sense the renegade teeps in the are and Bester concludes that Lyta is blocking their attempts. He orders her aside and one of the bloodhounds attempts to push past her. Lyta, using telekinesis, slaps the bloodhound violently across his face. When another attempts to move past she repeats the process. Bester, looking excited, is very impressed with Lyta’s abilities. He is always impressed by demonstrations of psychic power. He tells Lyta that he will be back with more bloodhounds later.

Lockley enters the brig and confronts Garibaldi. It was clear that she was not impressed with Garibaldi’s sneakiness. She asks Garibaldi why it is that he continually antagonises her. In fact she said ‘you’ve been riding me ever since I got here’ (Now there is a Freudian slip if ever I heard one). He tries to mitigate his actions by telling her that he ‘doesn’t know her’ so therefore he ‘doesn’t trust her’. Garibaldi is particularly interested in why she seems so friendly with Bester. Lockley tells him that Bester had once helped her to find a rogue telepath, though she neither likes nor trusts him.

Garibaldi then asked the big question. ‘Why did Sheridan pick you to run Babylon 5?’ She explains that Sheridan wanted someone that he could trust and then, catching us all off guard, she tells Garibaldi that she and Sheridan were once married (!!!!!). Garibaldi replies stunned, ‘Get outta town, how many wives has he got?’ (Just three). They were married in training school and it only lasted about three months. Apparently, the bottom line is that each knows they can trust each other. Garibaldi laughs saying that ‘if I had a hundred years I couldn’t have come up with that one.’ You and me both pal!

Bester gradually manages to run down the renegade telepaths – poor Bester; it must be like herding cats!  Lyta meets with Byron before the bloodhounds catch him. This is a bad scene; the lovely Lyta almost flings herself at him, saying that she would protect him. The lucky git Byron thanks her but says that his place is with his people. Lt. Corwin informs Lockley that he will probably have rounded them all up by the end of the day. Lockley is desperately trying to find a way of legally keeping the teeps on board. She finds a way after a discussion with Franklin. The chief medical officer mentions something about quarantine and Lockley comes up with the idea  (a possible cross-species infection?).

G’Kar is talking with Delenn in her quarters. She is worried that Londo is in danger, she suggests that G’Kar go with Londo as his bodyguard. She suggests that this would be a powerful symbol to the Alliance. Delenns charm and logic gradually persuade him.

Lockley enters Bester’s quarters where Byron is sat bruised and bound by his wrists. Lockley points to a medical rule that means the teeps have to stay on Babylon 5 for a sixty-day quarantine period. Bester is upset but trusts Lockley in her word that she will not let them leave Babylon 5 during that period.

Londo is informed of G’Kar’s new job as he leaves for Centauri Prime. He is not very pleased but accepts. The two leave arguing about who will have the isle seat and who will sit by the window.

Lt. Corwin congratulates Lockley on her besting Bester (bit of a creep this guy). Lockley accepts his praise modestly but can’t help feeling that she has forgotten something. With that she communicates with the brig and tells a harassed guard to let Garibaldi out. She gives a very mischievous smile. Right that’s it!! A Sad Geezer prediction. “I bet that Garibaldi and Lockley will be seen in bed together within the next five episodes!”

This episode ends with a pathetically corny scene. Lyta enters a dimly lit room where the smiling happy telepaths are huddled together singing a very badly written song about togetherness. They may be able to read minds but they sing like donkeys. Lyta, their latest convert, takes off her Psi Corps shield and moves to the centre of the happy throng. I felt like being sick but soon relieved the feeling of nausea by throwing an empty beer can at the TV. A crappy ending to what was a pretty good episode. Wadda you think?

I’d rate this a disappointing 27,182 out of 10.  What did you think?

The “Strange Relations” episode review is © 1999 – 2001 Tony Fawl
and not for reproduction without the authors express permission

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