Babylon 5: S04E12: Conflicts of Interest
Garibaldi is being pressured by a man who has employed him to find his daughter. He listens for a while then asks the man to look behind him whereupon, as if by magic, his daughter is waiting, arms open. The thug Wade is watching from a corner and indicates to his colleague later, that Garibaldi is ready for his first assignment. When Wades colleague asks if Garibaldi is up to the job, he informs him that Garibaldi is ‘expendable’.
Garibaldi is sharing too much of his beer with ‘the wrong sort’ and Sheridan feels this too. He instructs Zack to retrieve Garibaldis link,. PPG (his gun) and identicard. Apparently they were not handed in when Garibaldi resigned. This is a tough job for poor old Zack, he likes and admires Garibaldi. They confront each other in Garibaldis apartment and he makes it as difficult as possible for Zack to ask nicely for the gear. It doesn’t really belong to him any more so Garibaldi shouldn’t really object. Nevertheless Garibaldi walks away a bit miffed.
Ivanova discusses the problem of low power for the broadcasts of ‘Voice of the Resistance’ with Franklin. He suggests going to Epsillon 3. Ivanova is embarrassed by this, I think she felt that she should have come up with this idea ( not the ships doctor). She departs for Epsillon 3 and meets up with our old friend Zathras from (Series Three). Unfortunately for Ivanova she finds out that this isn’t Zathras but Zathras, brother of Zathras. Apparently there were ten Zathrases and the Zathras she knew is not the Zathras on Zath… I mean on Epsillon 3. Reluctantly, he agrees to help her,. Zathras that is.
Londo and G’Kar are having a tense conversation in Sheridans office. Sheridan explains that the commercial transports and other ships are being raided along the border of the non aligned worlds and that this is causing smaller worlds to consider the opportunity of rising in prominence and causing trouble. He wants Londo and G’Kar to agree to let the Rangers patrol the borders of the non aligned worlds and stop the trouble as it brews up G’Kar and Londo both agree that this could be seen as an act of aggression. Sheridan replies by saying that if the Centauri and the Narns were to agree to this it might help him persuade the League of non-aligned worlds of the importance of the White Star fleet as a protective force. G’Kar and Londo, after some argument, agree mutely.
Garibaldi is ‘employed’ by Wade to do a job. Wade explains that he has a visitor arriving from Mars to do an important job and that it is Garibaldis job to protect her. When he meets up with here he finds that it is his old flame Lise. Apparently she is now married to a new husband, a more powerful husband William Edgars (one of the richest men on Earth).
She is there to collect a vile containing a substance that cures genetic defects in telepaths (something Edgars found out). Negotiations for the formula have to be kept quiet to stop a panic breaking out on Earth. At this point Garibaldi notices that some other people are looking at their table and decides to get the group to leave quickly. A firefight begins and after a lot of pyrotechnics and some quick thinking by Garibaldi, the group escape safely.
Lise and Wade leave Garibaldi to fight it out in Docking Bay 3 with two pursuers. Garibaldi has worked out that they are telepaths. Zack soon turns up with his security team and asks them who they are and what is going on. He receives a muffled reply ‘To the Future’ before both bite a capsule (presumably a deadly poison of some sort) and promptly ‘pop their clogs’.
Later in Sheridans office, Garibaldi is getting the third degree. The two argue and as Garibaldi starts to leave Sheridan points out that Garibaldi is only working there because he chooses to let him do so. If there is any troubles in the future Sheridan will shut him down.
When Garibaldi returns to his quarters there is a message waiting from Lise. He instructs the computer to delete the message without reading it and goes to bed. He looks as though he doesn’t care, but we all know he does really.
Later, Garibaldi receives a message from William Edgars himself. He thanks Garibaldi and tells him that his wife has arrived home safely. He then offers Garibaldi a job on Mars and asks if he is interested. Garibaldi says, “Yeah I’m interested”.
Ivanova makes her first historic transmission to the rest of the Galaxy of the ‘Voice of the Resistance’, “….You can kill us. You can bomb our colonies, destroy our ships, murder innocent civilians. But you cannot kill the truth. And the truth is back in business“.
I still godda rate this an great 31.392 out of 10.
What did you think?
The “Conflicts of Interest” episode review is © 1999 – 2001 Tony Fawl
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