Ship of Tears

[FaxModem1]

Bester doesn't care about the higher politics. He only cares about telepaths. He plotted with the Clark cabal to ensure the safety of "his" telepaths and worked to uncover the conspiracy led by Edgars. I don't see how it would be in his interest to participate in the shadow war, and lending "his" telepaths to the fight when his primary aim is to ensure the telepaths remain in power.

As CmdrKing notes, Bester has a pragmatic reasoning to deal with the Shadows, they're using his people as tools, and influencing the power players of Earthgov to treat his people as tools.

Also, narratively, the big shake up of this episode, that telepaths under Bester are now part of the war front against the Shadows, never pays up dividends. We don't have any scenes of Bester at the War Council meetings, or a psi cop or any Psi Corps representative there with their perspective. We don't hear about Bester doing anything from any exposition from Ivanova, Garibaldi, Sheridan, etc. For all we know, Bester said that he was going to help, that it was now, "his war", and then went home to Earth and just drank vodka for months on end because of how emotionally crushed he was to find that his lover was mutilated into a weapon by the Clark Administration, and then he screwed them over by converting Garibaldi.

Instead, it's due to Dr. Franklin's Underground Railroad that the Army of Light has telepaths to help fight the Shadows, leading us to believe that Bester didn't do anything, and he just said empty words.

[Scififan]

This episode contains a top ten funny B5 quote (for me). "Don't thump the Book of G'Quan"


The title is rather apropos for a review at this time. RIP Mira Furlan.

Damn, sorry to hear this. Really loved Delenn and Mira was a great actress.

[Nevix]

This episode contains a top ten funny B5 quote (for me). "Don't thump the Book of G'Quan"

That's one of the underrated most hilarious lines of the series.

Bester doesn't care about the higher politics. He only cares about telepaths. He plotted with the Clark cabal to ensure the safety of "his" telepaths and worked to uncover the conspiracy led by Edgars. I don't see how it would be in his interest to participate in the shadow war, and lending "his" telepaths to the fight when his primary aim is to ensure the telepaths remain in power.

As CmdrKing notes, Bester has a pragmatic reasoning to deal with the Shadows, they're using his people as tools, and influencing the power players of Earthgov to treat his people as tools.

Also, narratively, the big shake up of this episode, that telepaths under Bester are now part of the war front against the Shadows, never pays up dividends. We don't have any scenes of Bester at the War Council meetings, or a psi cop or any Psi Corps representative there with their perspective. We don't hear about Bester doing anything from any exposition from Ivanova, Garibaldi, Sheridan, etc. For all we know, Bester said that he was going to help, that it was now, "his war", and then went home to Earth and just drank vodka for months on end because of how emotionally crushed he was to find that his lover was mutilated into a weapon by the Clark Administration, and then he screwed them over by converting Garibaldi.

Instead, it's due to Dr. Franklin's Underground Railroad that the Army of Light has telepaths to help fight the Shadows, leading us to believe that Bester didn't do anything, and he just said empty words.

Bester might not have had much choice or opportunity to help. Bester also does come back during the fight to retake Earth, and this episode's events come back up.

But... yeah. Bester is a bastard, and unrepentant about it. While he does help in some roundabout ways, his actions cause a lot more harm than good in the end.




Also, I agree with the sentiment that Walter Koenig did fantastically in the role of Bester. Bester to Koenig is like Demona to Marina Sirtis.

They're both roles that let the actor show just how great their acting skills really are.

Although, admittedly, I believe Chekhov did get some time to shine in Star Trek.

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

I think they should have at least shot him in the balls. The "we must tolerate Bester" reasoning has been justified by earthgov, but this time? The reasoning seems weak.

[Thebestoftherest]

I do wonder what would happen if his air lock had a little accident.

[Ixthos]

The image of a person embedded within a shadow ship ... that is one of the creepiest things.

Also, that poor woman! Carolyn was hunted, captured, impregnated by her captor, taken by aliens to have her brain altered ... that poor woman. Especially foreshadowing what happened later with Z'ha'dum to the crew of the Icarus.

[CrypticMirror]

I do wonder what would happen if his air lock had a little accident.

Get rid of one ratbastard and the system fills the gap with a fresh ratbastard, that is how institutional malfeasance works. That is why you have to change the system, you can't just take out the individuals.

[Thebestoftherest]

I know, but still make us feel better