Babylon 5 | S4E17 - The Face of the Enemy | Reaction
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2025
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The scene with Bester and Michael in the tube and Bester just lays it all out and plays with what to do with Michael is one of my favorite moments in the entire series. Him leaving Michael free of the telepathic programming to contemplate what he did , unwillingly, and then just screaming is so haunting.
I think you can can feel Harlan Ellison's influence there.
Yep. It's a great reveal and so much falls into place when we see that Bester has been very busy behind the scenes. It's a fantastic bit of storytelling.
so unappologetically evil. I love to hate this guy.
Well, not entirely free…
Bester is so sneaky and evil and yet I love it when he shows up. You can tell the actor really enjoyed playing him with all his sneaky, snaky layers
One of the best written - and acted villains in fiction.
Bester is convinced that he is the hero.
A villian with some pragmatism who accepts that they're the baddie is usually a more compelling character than a one dimensional one.
Bester has to be one of the best bad guys in sci fi TV or film ever! And Walter Koenig said he had a ball playing Bester. It was a more than one dimensional character.
Any actor would relish the challenge of playing a dark character like Bester Walter Koenig was Chekhov in the original Star Trek so he would have liked to expand his range.
There's a great anecdote from the audio commentary of this episode. In the script JMS only wrote "they take him down like a pack of dogs taking down a lion".
Then he saw a long list of requisitions by the responsible staff member (director of photography I think) with specialized cameras and lenses and stuff and was wondering what the hell is going on, it was just a single sentence in the script. But the guy just said "trust me" and JMS did and so the bar-scene came about. ^^
Having suffered from clinical depression, there's something horribly familiar about Garibaldi's plight, where the "real you" is beating on the inside of your skull while the outside you is doing and saying all these things to alienate itself from the ones who care about you.
It may not have originally been intended as a metaphor for mental illness, but it works frighteningly well. Especially last episode where Garibaldi claims to no longer be able to feel any kind of emotion.
Let alone in a prior episode that Garibaldi was watching the Daffy Duck cartoon where Bugs Bunny is being a jerk to him. That was Garibaldi's personality trying to hint that there was someone controlling him.
"two-factor authentication on the telepath heads" 😂😂
Now you know why i feel sorry for Garibaldi, being Bester's puppet since he was recovered earlier this season. This is the point where you realise Bester was more darker than you ever realised. Great reaction to a great episode.
Lol, no, Bester was EXACTLY as dark as he seemed. He was just smarter than he looked.
9:09 "The telepath problem _pauze of realisation_ will finally be over."
That line gives me shivers.
I read that the actor who said that line really struggled with it because of his Jewish heritage and how they were treated in pretty much the same way by the nazis.
Edgars was sooooo fucking good
@@deegee6863 It's actually a direct text reference to Nazi 'policy' - "Endlösung der Judenfrage", English "final solution to the Jewish problem" is what they labelled, extremely euphemistically and technical, their plans for full on genocide. German TV network ZDF recently made a film on the 1942 Wannsee conference (where exactly this was discussed), and it's absolutely horrifying to watch precisely because everyone is so calm and bureaucratic about literally murdering millions of people. Echoing that must have been extremely uncomfortable for Efram Zimbalist...
It was genocide he wanted.
This was BY FAR one of the BEST WTF moments in TV history. Walter Koenig's performance was just MASTERFUL. Just incredible!
In viewings of earlier episodes, it was mentioned that Garibaldi's attitude seemed to have been dialed up to 11 after he disappeared. This is precisely the case--rather than drastically change Garibaldi's personality to serve the Psi Corps, they just amplified what was already there and set him loose.
Walter Koenig got his chance to shine in this series, as a villain, but as a GOOD one. Villains get the best lines, lol. And get to have fun.
I got to talk to him about it over a drink at a startrek convention .he really loved the roll of bester.
9:12 you can see the look in his face when he says 'the telepath problem'. He knows every tiny implication of what he's saying, and he's following through with it anyway. Edgars might be one of the most understated villains in this whole show, and that's saying something.
One of the best episodes of the series! Said it before, I'll say it again: JMS has the ability to turn everything on it's head in the most spectacular way, & in the space of a single episode you can go from that hope for a possible victory to the bleak feeling that all is now lost & how can they possibly come back from this?!
While he's always been sinister, I think this is the darkest version of Bester we've yet seen, and although it didn't make the edit here, the fight scene where John was captured & his subsequent beatings as a prisoner were brutal!
I can't wait to see you react to the next, it's a fantastic episode, and (my humble opinion!) a powerhouse performance from Bruce!
Bester cares for three things: himself, his lover Carolyn (and by extension their unborn child), and telepaths, in that order. (And the latter two directly relate to himself.) Everyone and everything else is a means to an end. He is loyal to the Psi Corps over humanity, Carolyn over the Psi Corps, and _himself_ over all. This is as far as you can trust Alfred Bester.
An absolutely _fantastic_ character.
You should read the 3 book series. A lot there to unwind.
From IMDB:
Because of the obvious parallels to the Holocaust during World War II, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. had difficulty saying the phrase "telepath problem", which is why he paused while saying it. Even though he was an Episcopalian, his parents had him baptized in the faith when he was very young, they were in fact of Romanian Jewish ancestry.
Yeah, the overt reference to “the Jewish Problem” is easy to catch if you know your history. Unfortunately, history is being lost or rewritten every day.
The way Edgars says "the telepath problem... will finally be over" is something I've wondered about. Is that relief that the threat will be over, or is he just hearing himself for the first time, and realizing that he's echoing the words of certain ideologues of the 19th and 20th century and that he is in fact the monster of the story.
I took it the same way I saw him hold the hand of the telepath test subject. He doesn't want them to suffer or even die but he see's the Corp as the threat they actually are.
Because of the Law they are effectively interned into a group that has it's own agenda and those in charge will do anything to achieve it. They teach them to have zero respect for mondains and they are willing to kill them with barely a thought. He is human and doesn't want humans to become a second class race. However doing this will effectively make telepaths slaves or they will die (or both) and he doesn't like it but feels he has no other choice.
I found Bester to be the bigger monster in this storyline.
I assumed that he did realize midway through the sentence that he was echoing previous dictators, but - like those very dictators - he doesn't think of himself as a monster, just a decent man doing the right thing for _his_ people no matter how distasteful it is.
I'm pretty sure it's regret.
While Edgar's isn't exactly a good person, he's pretty far from pure evil / sociopathic.
I think he still feels it's the correct decision for the sake of humanity, but he hates that something this awful has to happen. A mournful pragmatist.
This episode and the next were truly shocking when I first saw them. I'm glad WB is letting you post your reactions.
Easily one of the best twists I've ever seen in a TV show!!! Such a great episode! I can't wait for you to see the next one!
The twists and turns in this series are so masterfully written. So glad you are still able to post these reactions. Thank you for all the effort you put into this.
There was a slight hint that Bester was behind Garibaldi's change a while back, the one where he goes to Babylon 5 to meet with Lyta & gives Michael a little telepathic scan (push), as he was leaving he makes an off-hand remark in his log about it as we see Lyta put on her gloves.
Obviously can't say much about the next episode, but it is a favourite of mine & I can't wait to see your reaction to it.
We also forget, the scene when he is in the shower/bathroom and makes the happy/frowny face on the steam on the mirror, after seeing the "screen saver" type message - the similar one that we saw with Able Horne, when Talia was doing her commercial telepath thing. It was such a short scene, but had incredible foreshadowing.
This was a game changing episode at this point in the series, so much was revealed here.... fun times ahead!
Why is JMS one of the best writers on TV. One episode can dash hope, provide reasons why characters have changed, provide possibilities of what's coming...
Incomparable writing. Unbelievable acting.
Wait till you see what's coming next.
"I hate this woman," (news broadcaster) I felt the same way the first time viewing this. Such good casting and directing. She's like an Umbridge-lite of B5. Looking forward to reactions for upcoming episodes.
That’s funny because when I watched Order of the Phoenix I was bored to death because I had already seen it all on B5.
Garibaldi realised what happened as Bester spoke to him, it's what makes the scene even more brutal is that he is frozen until Bester has departed and then you see it all hit him
One thing that no one likes to admit. Bester and Sharidin are exactly alike. Both doing what they think is best for the future. By any means necessary. Yet both have a blind spot.
Agreed
The bar music from Sheridan's capture has been sort of a minor mystery for 25 years. It was an obvious sound-alike for P.J. Harvey's 'Hardly Wait.' The director Mike Vejar brought a tape of the song in and they shot the scene with it playing in the background. The full, longer version of the song appears on Chistopher Franke's 'Episodic Soundtrack CDs' under the episode's title with no additional credits. (With a copy uploaded to youtube these days) Franke has only said that the music was from him. The vocalist is unknown, but occasionally speculated to have possibly been Marjorie Monaghan who played the Mars resistance leader around this time, as she was an accomplished singer and had a similar vocal style.
Very interesting!
ruclips.net/video/KX3CmKvzyw0/видео.html sounds like this version from Strange Days. I think that was the direct inspiration for it
Very powerful episode, loved the change of emotion you had when Sheridan was betrayed. I would have enjoyed seeing your reaction during his capture in the bar and Besters scene with Garibaldi in the tube.
And here we go… Next episode happens to be my favorite of the series. It’s a tough watch, but it’s an amazing episode. Can’t wait to see your reaction :)
I still have the CD soundtrack to this episode for the music in the background in the bar scene . Christopher Frankes music was very good. throughout all seasons.This was a chilling episode and there more to come so just pace yourself.👍
Out of interest, who is credited? Because this was originally a PJ Harvey song (Hardly Wait), but it's neither her version nor the version by Juliette Lewis used in the film Strange Days. Plus it turns into something more like Mark E Smith/The Fall part way through.
I love it, it's a great tonal shift from the regular B5 soundtrack.
@@simongiles9749 It wasn't credited on the CD as it's on a long track which needs searching for to start it.Medusa hasn't commented on the mucic unless I missed that but it was integral to the series .I got the CD to this episode and Messages From Earth from Forbidden Planet when Mira Furlan and Jerry Doyle did a signing session and there was long queue to get in.
Fun fact: the song playing at the bar scene is Juliette Lewis cover version of PJ Harvey's Hardly Wait
awesome reaction to an awesome episode. Imagine being Garibaldi. Jeez.
First time I saw this one I was pissed at Bester, but I kinda sympathised with him too when he said "I'm not capricious, or cruel. I used you because I had no other choice". Made me think that maybe he does have a softer side buried deep down and that he would have left Garibaldi alone if he could have.
Bester doesn't do inefficiency. I thought, as you said, he wouldn't have used Garibaldi if there was another way, but also I am 100% sure that Bester lost no sleep over using Garibaldi either. Just a tool for him to use. Does bester have a softer side, yes. But not for Garibaldi. He respects Garibaldi to a degree, which is why he left him alive but if I say anything else.. spoilers...
@@TheMsLourdes And Bester thinks of normal humans as inferior.
No. Bester does not have a softer side. But one of the great things about B5 (and JMS' writing) is that it's not just good vs. evil. Evil can take many shapes and work at cross-purposes. Bester may very well have thwarted an even "bigger" evil here, but it does not make him one iota "softer" or less evil :)
Remember those weird scenes where Michael was just staring at a psychedelic animation on a monitor? Yeah... that's the Psi Corps reprogramming their sleeper agent... I think there was another character who watched a screen like that earlier in the series, but I can't remember whom.
Loving the posters in the background :)
Bester was part of this from the beginning. There is hints throughout previous seasons. The big hint goes back to the personality replacement that happened to Talia way back in season 2. The"Martian Dust" episode hints at this as well. It gets better.
You will love the next episode. One of Babylon 5 best. Also there was hints with the computer messages to Garibaldi that he was mind controlled.
"Every time I say No" :)
Glad you were able to get this uploaded.
Bester's play is jaw-dropping. As the old PTEN next episode preview promised "Walter Koenig is back with a vengeance....."
Good to see you again MD.
And these episodes were like plots behind, fights, behind smoke, behind power and treachery. Very deep and well written.
love this episode and so pleased you did too ! hope you enjoyed the re-watch - so much to process
the bar scene is one of the best filmed scenes of all tv
My favourite episode! It wraps everything up and still ends on amazing cliffhanger! A work of genius.
In hindsight the episode "Moments of Transition" makes it pretty clear, in Bester's personal journal, that he's exerting some control over Garibaldi. It's easy to let it slip by since it seems the reason he's on the station is to make a deal with Lyta. And it's a little quiet scene that takes place after the really big scene where Neroon renounces the warrior caste and sacrifices himself to end the Minbari civil war.
Garabaldi had various hints that he'd been messed with by the Psi Corp.
He was getting odd colour static messages similar to other Psi Corp "agents" in earlier seasons.
He'd shown a loss of proper emotion for a while (the "smiley face" drawn on the mirror, some of the things he was saying about being dead inside).
Plus acting very differently to Sheridan as soon as he came back.
And you'd already picked up on the Psi Corp badge in the clips from when he had been captured.
But a lot of the pieces only fully fit together once Bester lays out his plan.
So excited for the next episode in particular. My favourite episode of the show.
Poor Garabalidi! (sometimes being exceptional at your job as a detective has it's drawbacks)
Such a great episode.
I remember this episode being overwhelming. It's like they were setting up another episode then decided to cut that episode and just info dump everything that was going to happen.
THIS is the reveal I liked in season 4! I hated the Garibaldi arc up until this moment. Bester tied that whole season into a neat little bow, and I loved it.
I love seeing your reactions to a show I've loved for decades so much. It's like I get to watch it again for the first time through your eyes. I only wish I was in a better financial situation so I could join your Pareon and watch the full reactions. Thank you for doing this.
Looking back they did a great job making sure tha even though the viewer knows Michael has been under the influence of programming the whole time, you kind of forget it and thus you can see Michael's actions the way the other characters would see them.
The reason why it works is because they didn’t reprogram Michael, they just made him more Michaely.
I think the only other hint we saw of Bester's involvement was Garibaldi drawing fragments of the Psi Corp emblem in the steam on his shower mirror a few episodes back now? Interesting question is, was the telepath Edgars used to scan Garibaldi in on Bester's plan or was his programming so well done that she couldn't see it at her rating?
I thought it was strongly implied that the telepath that scanned Garibaldi was killed immediately after.
Oh Bester. After Ironheart, I genuinely believe he had no intention of ever thinking about Babylon 5 ever again. But he kept being forced back. And B5 kept stymieing him, but Alfred Bester doesn't lose. At least, not in the long-term he doesn't. Here, we finally see the truth of what Bester has been telling us from day one: He will do anything to defend and preserve and advance telepaths. To do that while getting some revenge on Babylon 5? That's just the cherry on top.
You might want to read book 3 if you like Garibaldi.
The scene in the bar to capture Sheridan was described by J. Michael Stracynski for what he wanted to see as "Taking down the Lion."
I was waiting for you to get to this episode. I liked how the "good guys" of this series didn't always see eye to eye. They fought. They butted heads. This whole thing with Garibaldi was cool to see, but then how far he took it, was "disappointing" as you said. Then you find out he was being manipulated the whole time. Bester also "allowing" Garibaldi to live with what he had done, great writing.
thank you for sharing your watch through
Well, first let me tell you that since I found your channel, I have been actively watching your B5 reaction videos right from the beginning, hoping I would catch up with your current videos before you got to the end of Season 4, and I have. So (almost) real time greetings to you. B5 truly is my all time favourite show and It's a real joy to see you react to the whole story as it unfolds. As for this episode, it's really tragic what Garibaldi went through. Now you can see that he had been manipulated at a deep level. Sure, maybe Bester played on his naturally suspicious nature as a good base for mental reprogramming, but ultimately, he got turned into a pawn to the point of thinking that the feelings he had and actions he took were of his own volition when, really, they were not. As for where this leaves Garibaldi, now, only the future will tell...
And the Rollercoaster ride isn't even finished....... yet. I am so envious that this is your 1st time through.
Happy to see you! mc and B5. Thanks for all the effort. Here we go!
Written in the manner of an old detective story, wrapped in a spy thriller, dropped into a sci-fi epic, in one episode........ nothing but net!
Oh my goodness what an intense and incredible episode. I remember really well being blown away and just so overwhelmed by it in 1997.
The remasters are pretty good too. Decades overdue.
I remember watching this when it originally came out. At that point in time season 5 was still in doubt and I was running all sorts of scenarios o out what was going to happen next.
I was really looking forward to your reaction as Bester told the story. I guess that's Patreon-only?
It makes you wonder if Bester ever meant to help Sheridan's cause like he said he would.
I loved this show, and love watching you enjoy it as much as I did so many years back, and now you got me watching it all again. thank you
You're right. Challenging ep.
Another one of my fav episodes. Where jms turn the world upside down. I think you probably cut out out in some of the reveals when everyone yelled at their televisions back in the 90’s
You Are Correct; "They" Always Treat Lyta Like Crap....Though She Is An Integral Component...Of The Resistance!
Can't wait for your reaction to the next few episodes
Great episode, great reaction.
this series keeps getting better.
One of my favourite episodes
Great review as always. Love it
No idea how much in advance you record these, but in case you haven't watched the next one yet when you read this - don't watch it when you've had a bad day or are in a "down" mood. It is a tough one to watch. But _absolutely_ worth it!
I've been waiting for this one.
One of my favourite episodes! Next ep is so good, too!
Next episode is hard to watch, but the most interesting, thought provoking ep in the season.
If only this was not happening now as we speak in the world around us
Love your reactions!!
At the risk of starting you on ANOTHER epic scifi series, have you seen the Expanse? If you like B5 I think it's very much worth a look....
If they ever do a remake of Babylon 5 you should be in it .
I knew this one was coming....
I am so thankful that this only a bit of fiction with no actual precedent in the real world.
What they did to Talia, they kind of did to Garibaldi. Put a new personality in him that was loyal to them.
Great reaction
Devastating, wasn't it?
The whole Telepath plot thing echoes a few early (wrong) beliefs on HIV/AIDS: that it could only affect gay people, and it being artificially created to control and/or wipe them out. HIV drugs only became cheaper and more easily available over time, in the 80s and early 90s they were expensive, had to be taken every few hours and had bad side effects. It's not the first time that telepathy mirrors being LGBTQ+ in a way - Susan after all had a coming out scene with John! It's quite an interesting parallel to look out for.
This is CNN....
This is CNN and everybody else. They’re all lying to us, but with slightly different lies.
It's all news today. They all do this garbage.
Fox News-we report what WE decide
This greatly shows how propaganda works.