Babylon 5/Recap/S01/E16 Eyes

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< Babylon 5‎ | Recap‎ | S01


Season 1 Episode 16

Eyes
Let's face it, we've had to rewrite the book a few times to make B5 work.
—Chief Michael Garibaldi

Garibaldi is in his quarters working on an Earth antique, a 1992 Kawasaki Ninja ZX in mint condition...except it's in pieces. Lennier comes in loking to arrange a security detail for Shaal Mayan, who will be returning to the station shortly. He then asks what the bike is and as Garibaldi explains, Lennier listens in fascination. When he offers to help, Garibaldi lets him have the manual (which is in Japanese).

Elsewhere, two men are looking at files of the station's command staff. One of them protests that Ivanova does not need to be included, that her record is spotless. The other says she will be, and that records do not always tell the entire story.

"That's one of the reasons you're here, Mr. Gray." he tells Gray.

Later, Gray's associate, who introduces himself as Aaron Franks, is talking to Lou Welch, one of the security officers, asking questions about the station and Sinclair in particular. Welch brushes him off, but ashe leaves, Franks stops another station worker and begins asking more questions. Welch calls a suspicious individual in.

Lennier is watching historical videos about motorcycles, learning that they came to represent "sexual prowess and rebellion."

Garibaldi has started keeping tabs on Franks who has been asking more and more people about Sinclair. When he informs the commander, he notes that Franks and Gray are both listed as representing Quartermaster, a military supplier. Fearing they might be looking to conduct arms shipments, Sinclair orders Garibaldi to look into it.

Garibaldi goes to see Mr Gray, who is in his room, seeming to meditate. He tells Garibaldi they are looking to negotiate a supply deal for the station, but Franks arrives at that point. He drops the charade and introduces himself as Colonel Ari Ben Zayn of Internal Investigations. Gray is a soecialist from Psi Corps and they are here to conduct a special investigation.

Some time later, he briefs the command staff. With all the unrest in recent months, Earth needs to be certain about its officers. Sinclair protests both the fact that they are investigating his officers and Ben Zayn's method of asking questions without notifying them, but Ben Zayn says he has the authority under new regulations, including having them submit to a telepathic scan. Ivanova objects strongly to that part, but Sinclair calms her down, saying he'll check the regulations himself. Ben Zayn orders Garibaldi to gather all his files on the staff, including classified ones, and bring them to him.

Gray goes to C&C to try to talk to Ivanova. He tells her how he wanted to be a pilot, but wasn't allowed to after his telepathy was discovered. Psi Corps allowed him to join their military office, which is almost like serving. Ivanova wants nothing to do with him and tells him if he enters her mind in any fashion she will tear his head off.

In Garibaldi's meeting with Ben Zayn, they are reviewing the Deathwalker incident. When Ben Zayn asks, Garibaldi points out that protesting to the Vorlons wouldn't have done any good. He suggests taking it up with the commander, which Ben Zayn intends to do. Later Garibaldi meets up with Sinclair, telling him he's been questioning every major decision the commander's made this year. He worries that Sinclair might have something to hide, just from having to make B5 work. Sinclair isn't too worried and sends Garibaldi to bed.

He finds Lennier in his quarters, chanting over the bike, about to delve into the mysteries of the fuel injection system. Garibaldi, ready to hit the sack, tells him to come back tomorrow. Lennier leaves saying, "Domo arigatou."

Ivanova is having a dream. She sees her mother flanked by two men in Psi Corp uniforms and theatrical masks who inject her with drugs. Ivanova is about to stop them, but Gray appears and tells her not to interfere. Her mother says, there's only one way out, and as she lifts her head, it's Ivanova's face as she says, "Only one way out." She then wakes up. A short time later, she arrives in Sinclair's quarters and offers her resignation to avoid being scanned. Sinclair refuses, telling her he's found a way around the scan. He asks what she's so afraid of, she had a telepathic mother. Ivanova agrees, and tells him a little about her memories of her mother and how she doesn't want anyone to disturb them, especially Psi Corps.

In the morning, Sinclair arrives and tell Ben Zayn that telepathic scans can only be used when specific charges have been filed, not for routine loyalty tests. Gray sides with the commander and Ben Zayn angrily dismisses him.

Gray finds Ivanova in a lounge. He approves of Sinclair standing up to the colonel, which surprises Ivanova, who tells him he doesn't seem like the rest of Psi Corps. He counters that she must not know any people in Psi Corps very well. Ivanova gets annoyed when he mentions Talia Winters, then enraged when he brings up her mother. They are interrupted when she is called to C&C.

She calls down to Sinclair about something that needs his attention, but Ben Zayn tells her to deal with it herself. Sinclair has had enough with Ben Zayn interference and gets up to leave, but Ben Zayn blocks him and accuses him of working against the best interests of Earth, which now gives him the right to use a telepathic scan. He assumes command of the station and goes to C&C to inform Ivanova. He also orders her and Garibaldi to submit to a scan. After he leaves, Ivanova tells Garibaldi she'll refuse, which will result in her being kicked out of Earthforce, an ending she says she should have expected.

Sinclair is on a call with a general who, while he could order Ben Zayn to stand down, will not. There are powerful influences behind this, people Sinclair's been pissing off all year. And the President immigration laws will soon be in the Senate, so he won't intervene either.

In the casino, a drunk comes up to Ivanova and says, "Hey, look at the cute commander." She simply looks at him. "Cute?"

Garibaldi has found something interesting. Ben Zayn was in the top ten considered for command of Babylon 5. He is also an associate of the Psi Cop Bester, who assigned Mr Gray to Ben Zayn. He is then informed of a disturbance.

The disturbance turns out to be Ivanova in the center of a huge brawl. Garibaldi manages to get to her and lead her out.

Sinclair arrives early for the interview, and finds Gray already there. He asks about Bester's association with Ben Zayn, which Gray confirms. Sinclair then suggests that Gray is scanning the wrong people. Ben Zayn, Ivanova and Garibaldi soon arrive and begin the interview. Sinclair asks if Gray will be scanning Ben Zayn as well, then asks why he turned an investigation into a head hunt. He goads the colonel on further until Gray senses deep hatred in Ben Zayn's mind. Ben Zayn knocks Gray to the floor and pulls a gun out, pointing it at "a trio of mutineers." Gray gets up and uses his telepathy to project pain directly into Ben Zayn's mind. Sinclair is able to grab the gun and knock the colonel out. The investigation is over.

Later, Garibaldi returns to his quarter to unwind, and finds Lennier standing proudly beside the completed motorcycle. Garibaldi is a bit dismayed, fixing it had been something to do, and now it's...done. And thanks to the installation of a Minbari power source, quite ride-able as well. Garibaldi immediately perks up and wants to take it for a spin.

Sinclair and Ivanova are walking along. She is grateful to Mr. Gray, something she finds ironic. Sinclair feels circumstances will vindicate him, but Bester might feel some repercussions.

Ivanova muses, "It's good to have things back to..."

Garibaldi suddenly rides by, Lennier on his backseat.

"...normal."

This episode contains examples of:

  • Bar Brawl: Ivanova starts one in the casino.
  • Berserk Button: Do not bring up Ivanova's mother if you're in Psi Corps.
  • Call Back:
    • Among the incidents Sinclair has to defend are his handling of Ragesh III, the events of Deathwalker's visit, and the docker's strike.
    • The general tells Sinclair that a lot of the people he's upset are using this to try and remove him.
    • Bester is found to have had a hand in this.
  • Colonel Badass: He's a brash, unsympathetic figure here, but it's implied that he has definitely earned his rank.
  • Continuity Nod:
  • The Cynic: When Ivanova says she'll refuse the scan, Garibaldi tells her she'll be charged with insubordination, then replaced and dishonoraby discharged. She says it's a very Russian ending, and she should have expected it.
  • Dogged Nice Guy: A non-romantic (maybe) example; Harriman Gray keeps trying to get Ivanova to at least tolerate him, even though the fact that he's in Psi Corps immediately causes her to want nothing to do with him.
  • Drowning My Sorrows: When faced with the possibility of being kicked out of Earthforce, Ivanova goes for a drink, eventually starting the brawl mentioned above.
  • Foreshadowing:
    • Ivanova has a very good reason not to want telepaths in her head. we find out in season 2 that she's a latent telepath herself.
    • Mars separatist groups are getting more active.
  • Intrigued by Humanity: Lennier becomes fascinated by the Ninja ZX and motorcycles in general, to the point that he seemingly becomes more of an expert on them than Garibaldi.
  • Jerkass: Col. Ari Ben Zayn.
  • The Mutiny: Toward the end, Ben Zayn accuses the command staff of this.
  • Read the Freaking Manual: Garibaldi has the manual for the Kawasaki Ninja, but it's in Japanese.
  • Undying Loyalty: Ivanova is as loyal to Earth as anyone could hope to be, but refuses to prove it with a telepathic scan.
  • Villainous Breakdown: When it becomes clear that Ben Zayn is looking to ruin that man he thinks stole command of Babylon 5 from him, he loses it, drawing a gun on the command staff and accusing them of mutiny. Gray stops him by projecting pain directly into his mind.
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