Contents: Overview - Backplot - Questions - Analysis - Notes - JMS

Overview

As some longtime residents prepare to leave the station, the crew races to stop an assassin. Denise Gentile as Lise. Marjorie Monaghan as Number One.

P5 Rating: 8.62
Production number: 521
Original air date: November 11, 1998 (US)

Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Story by J. Michael Straczynski and Harlan Ellison
Directed by Jesus Treviño

Watch For

• A cheering Minbari.

Plot Points

• Number One ("Racing Mars"), whose real name is Tessa Holloran, joined the Mars government after Mars gained independence from Earth. She is now the head of security for the Interstellar Alliance, replacing Garibaldi.
• After Mars' independence day, corporations which had been exploiting Mars rushed to cover their tracks. The Martian government has been going to great lengths to track down the dirty secrets of Earth-based corporations. Earth, meanwhile, has been making it very difficult for the new Martian government to conduct its business, throwing up bureaucratic roadblocks at every opportunity.
• Sheridan has offered to set up a fund for Mars that's independent of any Earth influence.
• Garibaldi replaced the entire board of Edgars Industries after they sent an assassin to kill him and Lise, and has set up an account that will pay a 500,000-credit reward for the board's death should anything happen to him or to Lise.
• Garibaldi and Lise are now married and have left for Mars.
• Lyta and G'Kar have left the station to travel among the stars in an explorer ship G'Kar purchased.

Unanswered Questions

• What was the delayed-delivery message G'Kar left?
• Was Delenn's visit to Minbar successful in securing an agreement to construct more White Star-class warships? ("Movements of Fire and Shadow")

Analysis

• Sheridan noted that wars of independence are frequently followed by civil wars. One example would be the Shadow War, which ended up being about independence from the manipulation of the First Ones; it was followed by civil wars on both Earth and Minbar.

• When Sheridan told him about the plan to catch the assassin, Garibaldi seemed skeptical that Zack had come up with the idea on his own. That suggests that Garibaldi still considers Zack somewhat green and inexperienced.

• There was no mention of Lyta's departure or her contributions to Sheridan's cause in his going-away speech. An intentional omission to keep her out of the limelight, or is it another example of the problem she's complained about in the past, that nobody thinks of her or appreciates her unless they need to make use of her?

  Her belief that that's always the case is evident in her reaction to G'Kar's offer to take her with him; she assumes he's doing it because he wants her DNA, not because he genuinely wants her as a traveling companion.

Notes

• Normals can train themselves to defend against telepathic scans by singing songs or doing math calculations in their heads. This is likely a reference to Alfred Bester's "The Demolished Man," in which the main character uses a song to avoid being scanned.

  Telepaths in the underground railroad ("A Race Through Dark Places") also used songs and rhymes to shield themselves from telepathic scans.

• Links stick to the hand using a molecular bonding mechanism that doesn't adhere to metal.
• Links are DNA-coded to respond to a particular user, but that can be overridden with the right modifications.
• A Minbari can be seen cheering G'Kar in the crowd at the departure ceremony.
• Partial list of the previous Edgars Industries board members: Mr. Paretti, Mr. Everson, and Mr. Amastoy.
• Garibaldi's parents both died a long time ago.

jms speaks

• The opening credits say "Story by Harlan Ellison and JMS" and "Teleplay by JMS." What's a teleplay?
  There are two parts of writing an episode: the basic storyline, sometimes presented as an outline, and then the actual script which is a more specific elaboration on that story. Story is, "King John and Queen Mary live in the castle and they have a hard night between them."

  Script is:

  EXT. CASTLE - NIGHT
  We see the banners unfurling in the breeze, and go to
  
  INT. CASTLE - NIGHT
  KING JOHN and QUEEN MARY are in bed.  He's awake, she's sleeping.  He looks up
  at the ceiling. 
  
                                    KING JOHN
  		 Why me?  Of all the gin joints and
  		 castles in England, why did she have
  		 to step into mine?
  

• Who wrote the scenes concerning G'Kar's admirer? JMS or Harlan?
  The general notion of the thread came up between us. The actual scenes were written by me.

• Before Lyta left, she looked behind her. Did she know Zach was there, or was she just hoping someone would be there?
  She was hoping somebody would be there.

Last update: March 17, 1999