Babylon 5/Recap/S01/E15 Grail

Season 1 Episode 15

Grail
"Garibaldi: You think he's genuine. Sinclair: Aldous? Yes. The question is, genuine what? One man's lunatic is another's true seeker. Garibaldi: You've been hanging around Delenn too much."

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Sinclair and Garibaldi have just sat down for dinner when Delenn and Lennier come up to them, insisting the commander get changed to meet their distinguished visitor. Garibaldi finds the situation amusing until Sinclair drags him along as well.

In Downbelow, a crime boss named Deuce is intimidating another man, Jinxo, for information. As an example of what will happen is he doesn't, Deuce indicates a woman tied to a chair. She had agreed to testify against him in court, but will not get a chance. A tentacle touches her head and her mind is drained. The tentacle then withdraws into Kosh's encounter suit. Deuce tell Jinxo to tell him what he wants to know, or come up with 100,000 credits before the Vorlon becomes hungry again.

In the docking area, Delenn and Lennier warmly greet a man in a cloak carrying a staff. Sinclair and Garibaldi stand awkwardly nearby as the visitor, Aldous Gajic, is introduced. He had not informed the command staff of his arrival because he was not on official business. He is searching for the Holy Grail. Sinclair and Garibaldi both react with skepticism and leave. Delenn follows Sinclair and asks why he reacted that way. He tells her the Grail is just a myth. Delenn tells him that she considers him a holy man, a true seeker, searching for enlightenment and helping others. Sinclair comments that he's probably the only true seeker they have, but Delenn counters that he does not know himself in that case. They are interrupted by a call from Medlab. As Gajic is exchanging currency, Jinxo picks his pocket but is nabbed by Garibaldi moments later, and insists that Gajic testify against him.

Sinclair arrives in Medlab where the woman who was mindwiped earlier is lying. She'll live, but she'll have to start her life all over. This is apparently the latest in a string of such incidents. Garibaldi comes in and reacts angrily when he sees her. Without her, his case against Deuce falls apart.

In court, the ombudsman is sentencing Thomas "Jinxo" Jordan, for petty (and incompetent) theft. He is to be barred from the station for a period of five years. Jinxo suddnely starts yelling that he can't leave or the station will be doomed. Gajic speaks to the ombuds and convinces him to remand Jinxo into his custody. Next up is Deuce, who pleads not guilty, and as there is no compelling evidence or witnesses, the charges are not upheld.

In Gajic's quarters, Jinxo explains why he can't leave. He was a construction worker on the original Babylon station, but when he took a leave, it was sabotaged and destroyed. When the same thing happened to the second and third ones, he was dubbed Jinxo. During the construction of Babylon 4, he stayed through the entire process until it became operational. But as he was on the shuttle, he looked back and saw the station warp and then vanish. He explains that he can't leave Babylon 5 or the same thing will happen. Gajic tells him he should be named Luck, he escaped death four times.

Dr. Franklin has determined that the mindwipes are probably being caused by something called a na'ka'leen feeder. Sinclair goes to Londo to find to more about them. He tells of an entire Centauri colony that was lost to them, and realizes that the reason the commander is asking is because one is on the station. He quickly leaves and locks himself in his quarters.

Gajic and Jinxo are meeting with Delenn in her quarters. She regretfully informs them that the Grail does not seem to be in Minbari space. There is no mention of anything like it in their files, but they will put the word out to Minbari outposts.

In Downbelow Deuce is watching the Vorlon encounter suit as a high pitched voice demands more minds. Deuce sends his men for Jinxo and the ombudsman.

Franklin has used the information Londo sent to confirm that a feeder is causing the wipes. Now they can begins narrowing down where it came from and where it might have gone. Garibaldi saw Deuce talking to Jinxo and goes to find him.

Gajic's meeting with Londo is not as productive as Londo is more concerned with the feeder and getting their native world quarantined again. He then tells Gajic that he can arrange a search of Centauri trade records but it will be very expensive...or rather, it would be if Vir hadn't already done it.

As they leave Londo, Gajic explains what he will do if he finds the Grail. He then explains that he used to work for a large corporation in a world of numbers as an accountant. One day his entire family was killed while on vacation. Wondering why he was spared, he encountered a man searching for the Holy Grail, who told him he was a man of infinite promise and goodness. After the man dies, he left his legacy and task to Gajic.

Meanwhile Deuce's thugs kidnap the ombudsman. Another group comes for Jinxo, but Gajic is able to fight them off. Jinxo is impressed and asks if he can earn to fight like that. Gajic says, "You can learn whatever you like, because you are a man of infinite promise and goodness." Jinxo isn't so sure, but Gajic reminds him that he is willing to stay on the station, even at the risk of his life, to protect the people on it.

They enter the alien sector to visit the next ambassador, but when the door opens to reveal Kosh, Jinxo panics and runs away. Gajic follows and tries to find out what Jinxo knows, but the thugs come back. Gajic holds them off long enough for Jinxo to escape, but is knocked out in the process.

Ivanova hasn't had much luck figuring out which ship the feeder arrived on, but Garibaldi informs them of the ombudsman's kidnapping and Sinclair heads off.

In Deuce's lair, the imbudsman is tied to the chair as the Vorlon encounter suit approaches. Jinxo runs into Sinclair in the corridors and tells him that Deuce is going to feed Gajic to the Vorlon. They follow him to Deuce's hideout. Inside, Gajic stands between the feeder and the ombudsman, telling it to come out. The suit opens and a tall, squid-looking creature steps out. Security forces their way in and in the confusion the feeder vanishes into the shadows. It attacks one security officer then heads for the ombudsman. Jinxo appears and tries to untie him, but Deuce lines up a shot. Gajic notices and jumps in front of it, getting shot himself. Garibaldi's forces then destroy the feeder, but Deuce escapes.

Gajic's wound is mortal, but before he dies, Jinxo promises to continue his search. Gajic bequeaths all his possessions on him, with Sinclair acting as a witness.

Later, Sinclair is talking to Kosh, telling him about the fake encounter suit and the feeder. He explains that the fact that no one knows what a Vorlon looks like makes sme people nervous. "Kosh simply replies, "Good."

In the docing bay, Sinclair and Delenn arrive to see Gajic's body off. Jinxo arrives, wearing the cloak and bearing the staff. Garibaldi says, "Good luck, Jinxo."

"Thomas, my name is Thomas." He replies. He then turns to board his ship.

In C&C they watch as the transport disappears through the jumpgate. Nothing happens, all is normal.

"Garibaldi: No boom? Sinclair: No boom. Ivanova: No boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow. What? Look, someone's got to keep some damned perspective around here. Boom. Sooner or later...BOOM!"

This episode contains examples of:

 * Continuity Nod: Londo's services as Ambassador are very expensive for offworlders.
 * Curse: Jinxo is convinced he is one. Gajic disagrees, and think he's actually Born Lucky.
 * Foreshadowing: Jinxo's description of how Babylon 4 vanished.
 * Also, Garibaldi's throwaway line of "You've been hanging around Delenn too much" takes on greater resonance as Sinclair becomes more involved with the Minbari.
 * Mind Rape
 * Seeker Archetype: Aldous Gajic. Delenn implies that Sinclair is also one. Other tropes for Gajic include:
 * Badass Grandpa
 * Cool Old Guy
 * Good Is Not Dumb
 * Last of His Kind
 * Take Up My Sword: To Jinxo.
 * Wide-Eyed Idealist
 * Shout-Out: Londo going, "Fools to the left of me, feeders to the right!" is a take on lines from "Stuck in the Middle With You" by Stealer's Wheel.
 * Smug Snake: Deuce