Wednesday, March 19, 2008

B5 S1 Ep 22: Chrysalis

The worm turns for Delenn.

The final episode of Babylon 5, Season One, Episode 22, Chrysalis, plays out like the harbinger it is. There are changes to come symbolized by the chrysalis or cocoon Delenn is encased within. The mysterious figure that is the herald for this formative crisis reappears and creates havoc by meddling between the Narn and Centauri Prime. The entire episode is a jumping off point for Season 2.

Key plot points that set the wheels of change in motion for next season:

  • Morden [agent of The Shadows] ensures the Narn outpost in Quadrant 37 is destroyed granting Londo's wish to 'handle the problem'. It isn't quite what Londo bargained for and he is visibly stunned and shaken by the exercise initially.

  • Ambassador Kosh feeds Delenn information that accelerates her need to cocoon.

  • The Earth President is assassinated.

  • Garibaldi is shot and left for dead by the conspirators involved in the President's assassination.
  • Upon learning of the attack on the Narn, Sinclair's fateful words, "nothing's the same anymore" reverberate into the next season. I wonder if he knew he was being replaced at this point. I suspect he did and it must have been difficult delivering those lines.

Au revoir for now Sinclair, we hardly knew ya.


Classic dialogue in the form of the ultimate man proposal from Sinclair to Catherine: "Look! Do ya wanna get married or don't you?" Romantic? Probably not, but it was completely in character.

Classic dialogue from Londo: "There comes a time when you look into the mirror and you realize that what you see is all that you will ever be. Then you accept it or you kill yourself... or you stop looking into mirrors." Straczynski's wisdom shines in the writing and the actors continue to have better material to immerse their talents.

*

Chrysalis: B

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