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EpDis: The Parliament Of Dreams

Born To The Purple

  • Total voters
    15
I've wondered if that scene was actually staged, or if it was a moment that Andreas might have been ad-libbing. ?
 
Excellent, excellent episode. At various times throughout, we've introduced friends of ours to Babylon 5--usually starting at Episode 1 (instead of the Pilot). We affectionately referred to this as "passing along the needle". Generally it was after this episode that they were pretty much hooked for life and for good reason.

I think humor is done hear as well as any episode in the entire series. The Centauri Banquet, G'Kar's buffoonish form of anger and mistrust ("...what part of this progression escapes you" had me laughing out loud on first watch), and Na-Toth/G'Kar interplay. I was happy to see Na'Toth replace Attache Ko'Dath and wasn't happy when Mary Kay Adams replaced Caitlin Brown. Also this episode is quite important to the arc as it introduces important characters, establishes an important reference point for certain characters, and foretells changes and relationships (Delenn/Cmmdr of B5) in the future. The line delivered to Sakai by G'Kar "No one here is exactly who he appears" reverberates throughout the series. TPoD is definitely a Top 5 Season 1 Episode and a personal favorite.
 
Skander said:
...The line delivered to Sakai by G'Kar "No one here is exactly who he appears" reverberates throughout the series....
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I'm not sure if you're just including this here or if you think that that line was in this episode. G'Kar says that to Sakai in "Mind War".
 
Oops....my mistake vacantlook, you're right, G'Kar did say that to Sakai at the end of the next episode, "Mind War". The end of this one was Sinclair showing everyone the dominant Earth religion. Got mixed up.
 
Skander said:
Oops....my mistake vacantlook, you're right, G'Kar did say that to Sakai at the end of the next episode, "Mind War". The end of this one was Sinclair showing everyone the dominant Earth religion. Got mixed up.
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They're both great scenes, if you ask me. :beer:
 
Was the "No one here is exactly who he appears" quote not in the middle of Mind War when G'Kar was warning against the survey?

I think in these episodes we see the beginning of the change in G'Kar from being the war mongering,devious little shithead into a more complex character.I did find it amusing how he was a scardey pants in Parliament yet concerned in Mind War.

These early episodes also got me hooked but take your pick from the season and I'll say them all :beer:
 
crazyhorse said:
I think in these episodes we see the beginning of the change in G'Kar from being the war mongering,devious little shithead into a more complex character.I did find it amusing how he was a scardey pants in Parliament yet concerned in Mind War.
QUOTE]

I don't get you here. You can be concerned for someone (especially if you think saving her might gain you political favor with the highest officer on B5) and still be afraid of an assasin who is from a guild that takes its executions very seriously.

He's concerend for his life, knowing his people's best assasins are after him. Saving the Captain's girlfriend (especially since he didn't go himself, he requested other narns to go out and pick her up) doesn't take courage, in particular. It take political savvy, as I see it.

Anyway, yes, I enjoyed the episode but I know like always it isn't everyone's favorites.
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He's concerend for his life, knowing his people's best assasins are after him. Saving the Captain's girlfriend (especially since he didn't go himself, he requested other narns to go out and pick her up) doesn't take courage, in particular. It take political savvy, as I see it.
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I agree, all he had to do to save Sakai was call in an order.

I do not really believe that we are witnessing much of a change in G'Kar in the middle of season 1. If anything, the episodes show a character with some depth(in that G'Kar has better things to do than sitting around and plotting against the EA all day) even if he remains a largely self-interested individual at this point in the series.
 
I didn't see "Mind War" until after I'd seen most of the rest of the series, oddly, and the thing that leaped out at me was that he was always been quite eloquent when he wanted to be. His speech at the end of the episode was brief, powerful, moving... and shows a side of him that we have not seen before. Unless you watch the series out of order.

So on the whole he's not changing, but we're seeing the beginnings of something that later became much more important to him and in him.
 
Lousy_Dodgers said:
G'Kar... he remains a largely self-interested individual at this point in the series.
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I don't agree with that at all. G'Kar's interest is not self interest, but the interest of all his people, obtaining retribution against the Centauri for their long and brutal occupation of Narn, which was destructive of their culture, and doubtless involved the deaths of tens of thousands, perhaps even millions.

I never saw G'Kar as bad, or evil, but only as someone who was demanding what he considered to be justice for his people. Most humans would certainly feel as he did, under such circumstances. It always puzzled me that he did not get more sympathy from Earth people, prior to the second Centauri invasion. Of course G'Kar did transcend such thoughts eventually, but how many humans would?
 
Jade Jaguar said:
I never saw G'Kar as bad, or evil, but only as someone who was demanding what he considered to be justice for his people.
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I kinda disagree, while we dont know it yet, i feel it is revenge for his father rather than his people. G'Kars motives are entirely selfish at this point in the series. The major changes the character goes through are certainly welcome ones. Especially with the continuing banter between G'kar and Mollari
 
Crusader said:
...while we dont know it yet, i feel it is revenge for his father rather than his people. G'Kars motives are entirely selfish at this point in the series.
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Anyone in his situation would have many reasons, and some are bound to be personal. But, that doesn't mean he doesn't have larger reasons that go beyond the personal. His anger at the Centauri is understandable, even justifiable, at many levels.

I think most people are just unable to put themselves in his shoes, especially early on. G'Kar is angry, and Londo is a buffoon. Most people find a buffoon more agreeable, and therefore tend to have less sympathy for the angry one, not having been through what he has been through. How many viewers saw the Centauri as a bloody, brutal, genocidal, despotic bunch from the start? That is what G'Kar knew them to be. And, even if viewers did realize that on some level, they certainly didn't live with it as an open wound, as G'Kar did. So, simply put, Londo was more likeable, even though G'Kar's anger was righteous, so G'Kar was viewed as a bad guy by most people, from the start.
 
I viewed both G'Kar and Londo as quite conflicted from the start. I certainly didn't prefer Londo. Of course, further developments in the show bear that out. I liked this episode a lot, especially the end. I like the different aliens, but it's very difficult to make a culture heterogenous enough within itself. Later we find that there are several Narn prophets (G'Quan, later G'Kar too is viewed as such) and obviously there are quite important differences between the Minbari castes. However, I don't think humans are really unique in the diversity, it's just a plot device to avoid complicating things too much.

Why is the poll for Born to the Purple?
 
Jade Jaguar said:
I never saw G'Kar as bad, or evil, but only as someone who was demanding what he considered to be justice for his people. Most humans would certainly feel as he did, under such circumstances. It always puzzled me that he did not get more sympathy from Earth people, prior to the second Centauri invasion. Of course G'Kar did transcend such thoughts eventually, but how many humans would?
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It's very easy to take a calm, cool approach and say, "You shouldn't pursue justice in this fashion, yadda yadda yadda," when they aren't involved.
 
I liked a number of aspects of this episode (and agree with a lot of what's been said in other replies to this thread). The different religions help the B5 Universe to feel fully fleshed out which is important (although the line up of people from different Earth religions at the end wasn't my cup of tea). I also found myself warming to G'Kar. I think it is the way that he is singing as he makes his dinner at the start.

I was interested to see the use of torture in the episode. While it has been used in quite a lot of sci-fi since (the really quite unpleasant scene from Firefly springs to mind), I'm not sure that space was the kind of place where bad stuff like that was meant to happen anymore.

Liked the introduction of a love interest for Sinclair, much more believable that the red-head from the pilot (and much better acting).

Finally nice to see that all of the ambassador (except Kosh) now have a sidekick. For some reason I always enjoy the use of an unknowledgeable sidekick as a tool to give the viewer necessary background...

OK that's all from me for now. I will try to pop over later with my thoughts on a few more episodes.
 
Man I could barely get through the Sinclair/Sakai scenes while watching this a few days ago. That dialogue... like something from Grey's Anatomy or one of those chick shows, but slightly more self-consciously clever. Who talks like that? No wonder their relationship didn't work- both people are unbearable in personal situations. I couldn't imagine actually having fun with either of those people.

Just thought I'd add a little nitpick to what is otherwise a favorite episode.
 
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