Babylon 5: S04E19: Between the Darkness and the Light
This was a great episode!
After the rather sedate Intersections in Real Time, this episode was delivered at break-neck speed (at least for Ivanova). It started with a conversation in a bright cheery room 
between Franklin and Sheridan – wait a minute, he’s supposed to be on Mars being heavily interrogated by dickheads. Did we miss an episode.
It turns out that Sheridan is drugged and confused. His dickheads (interrogators) are making him believe that he is talking to Franklin. They are trying to persuade him that his was being manipulated by aliens and that this was the reason for him turning on his own people by leading the resistance. The dickheads want to break Sheridan so that they can break the heart of the resistance. It isn’t working.
Meanwhile Garibaldi is patiently waiting for a contact to help him meet members of the resistance. When his contact arrives he brings a number of resistance people. The contact was to try and persuade the them that Garibaldi was not only innocent, but that he was tricked. The contact failed. Garibaldi is knocked out and a hood is placed over his head.
Still hooded, he appears before Number one, she is about to kill him for turning in Sheridan, Garibaldi protests his innocence and Franklin asks Number one to let Garibaldi explain. He tells about Bester and how he was manipulated but Number one does not believe him. Franklin wants proof if he is to stop Number one from executing him.
Garibaldi asks that Lyta scan him. This she does, noticing that there are some ‘level 12 blocs’ on his mind. At this point I thought that he must be saved, after all, anyone with even a single level 12 bloc must be a goodie. Lyta feels Garibaldi’s pain as she delves deeper into his mind until finally, she says that Garibaldi is speaking the truth. Number one immediately objects, she doesn’t believe a word of it but Lyta, eyes still black, throws Garibaldi’s experiences into Number ones head, metaphorically speaking. once Number one sees the truth she instructs the captors to release Garibaldi.
Ivanova, heading the fleet, encounters the Damocles and the Orion, the ships that were responsible for the destruction of the civilian ships killing 10,000 refugees. She orders them to surrender, and when the refuse she orders the fleet to open fire. A short battle ensues and Earth Force looses. Ivanova’s ships suffer minimal damage and she instructs them to pick up survivors.
One of the survivors tells her that there is a force of elite battleships waiting to ambush Ivanova’s fleet at the next rendezvous point. Ivanova decides that these ships should be tackled by the White Stars only and leaves a reluctant Captain of the Agamemnon in charge while she is away.
On Mars, Number one explains where Sheridan is being kept and agrees to send a guide, but says that that is all she can do, apparently she does not have many people to spare. Releasing Sheridan will be down to Garibaldi, Lyta and Franklin only.
Once the trio arrive at the interrogation centre (via a series of tunnels), the guide takes her leave of them and they change into Earth Force uniforms. Garibaldi is considered a hero by the people of Earth for turning in his buddy Sheridan, so the guards don’t expect him to be working for the resistance. They manage to get to Sheridan’s cell with little trouble but are found out soon after. Garibaldi suffers a knife wound to the back, but they manage to escape relatively unhurt.
Back on the White Star, after Marcus has persuaded Ivanova to get some rest, he wakes her. As she rises, and feeling a little tender to Marcus presumably for thinking of her, she tells him of the time when he muttered a few words in Minbari which he explained to be a simple greeting. She pointed out that she has a photographic memory and that she now understands a little Minbari, she knows what was said (Marcus said that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever known). Ivanova looked him in the eye and simply said ‘thank you’. As she left Marcus said quietly ‘ Your welcome’ in Minbari. Go on.. yer in there dude!
When they reach the rendezvous point a myriad of blue jump gates appear and the elite Earth Force Battleships appear and demand that they surrender. Ivanova refuses. They then ask whom they are speaking to.
Ivanova replies. “Who am I, I am Susan Ivanova, commander, daughter of Andrei and Sophi Ivanov. I am the right hand of vengeance, and the boot that is going to kick your sorry ass all the way back to Earth, sweetheart, I am death incarnate, and the last living thing that you will ever see. God sent me!”
You tell ’em Susan! (gonna have to remember some of that for the next meeting I have at work)
The Earth Force ships are no ordinary battleships, they have been adapted with Shadow technology, they have black hulls and look very mean indeed. The battle was bloody and all but a few of the ranger ships were lost. A fragment of wreckage hit the White Star and Ivanova was knocked out. Marcus manages to carry her off. The White Star heads for a Minbari Warcruiser and Ivanova is looked after by Minbari medical staff.
Delenn is on the ship, and so it seems is Sheridan (how did he get there so fast). They meet for the first time in ….?…. ages. They tenderly embrace and kiss. Ahhh. Actually I know I’m taking the piss a bit, but it was quite a tender embrace really. Delenn touches Sheridan’s chest and face as if to persuade herself that he is really there. She asks if he is alright and that she has instructed her personal physicians to look at him. Sheridan says that he can’t wait, he must see how Ivanova is doing.
When they get to Ivanovas room they are shocked to see that she is very poorly. She is in what seems to be a ‘body brace’ and can hardly speak. Marcus is stood beside her and he looks bloody worried!
Sheridan and Ivanova exchange a little banter and then Ivanova asks, “They won’t tell me the truth. You’re my friend John, tell me the truth. I’m not going to make it am I?“
Sheridan turns to Delenn who’s eyes fill with tears. Good greif! 
Sheridan was probably going to cop-out and say ‘everything’s gonna be fine deary – no problem’, but since everyone could see Delenn about to start sobbing, Sheridan has to reply, “No. They say the damage is……. I’m sorry Susan’.
Ivanova has about a week to live; she takes it well really, more that can be said for everyone else who all start sobbing along with half the audience including me.
Sheridan takes command of the fleet with the words, “A friend asked me to command the last battle from here.”
With that the fleet sets off to give President Clark a good stuffing.
Whew what an episode! – By the way, I was only joking about crying, I just said that for effect, honest!
I’d rate that a large 27,789 out of 10 – What did you think?
This episode review is © 1999 – 2019 Tony Fawl and not for reproduction without the authors express permission
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