Babylon Five: The Paragon of Animals

[Nobody700]

I TOTALLY forgot about this episode. WOW, Byron really is... the worst. Like... the only reason I don't wanna deck him is cause I really like his actor. In fact, Manchester Black is just Byron but honest... and also more into weird tattoo ideas.

[McAvoy]

For me this is the episode that I remember about Baron and for me at least where I instantly disliked him.

Chuck is right. Giribaldi probably went in there probably full knowing that telepaths could read his mind. He just didn't know how much they would without the rules of the Psi Cops.

Baron went in full force from the start showing exactly why normal humans should fear anyone with telepathic abilities. Baron didn't scan him of any kind and just blurted out exactly what he was able to passively read from Girabaldi's mind.

In that any telepath of some reasonable power can do that, any random thought that comes to our heads in the forefront they can read. Talking to ourselves etc. Like Girabaldi probably did.

Baron didn't just motorboat. He took off that top and motorboated and then mocked the girl she asked for it because she was there.

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

I agree with Chuck on this one. Byron is a total prick, all the more obnoxious because of his self-righteousness and sense of moral superiority to go with the sense of genetic superiority.

I gotta say tho, sending Garibaldi to negotiate was not the smartest move on Sheridan's part. Given that Garibaldi has personally been mind-fucked by telepaths, it's not sensible to expect him to be diplomatic. Doesn't he have anyone else at his disposal?

[Madner Kami]

I'd argue that sending Garibaldi, someone who was mind-raped by Telepaths, is actually the smart move because it shows the actual danger that norms are subject to when surrounded by Telepaths. Byron and his entire pose needed some serious grounding and reading what someone went through via unchecked telepath power should be grounding, if they had a shred of self-awareness, empathy* and critical thinking. Which they ended up not having in the first place, but that's another thing.

*I still can't help but be completely puzzled by how someone who can read minds is so entirely lacking any sort of understanding for other people. That's something many telepaths in many franchises display and it's baffling. I mean you kinda have to be a psychopath to not fundamentally understand what someone else is dealing with mentally, if you can read their mind... It's like someone asking: "What is green looking like?" You point at something that is green and that someone is still like: "But I do not understand. What does green look like?" and after several rounds of showing green things, even explaining what green light is and how colour-perception works and that person still asks the same question, you get angry and that person's all like: "Why are you angry at me? You're a terrible, hateful person! All I asked for is, what green looks like!"

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

Yeah. I am a little surprised. I think at least I'd be a lot more empathetic if I could read minds. I guess your explanation makes sense.