Thoughts on the episode

Lenier arrives on Babylon 5 to serve as a diplomatic attaché to Delenn, introducing another of the main characters of the series. The scene where he and Delenn talk for the first time is used to emphasize once more Delenn’s connection to the Grey Council and her desire to keep it secret (for the time being).

Besides the introduction of Lenier, the relevance of the episode to the bigger plot is very limited (though a big cause for that is the switch away from Sinclair). It is mostly used to build up the background of some of the characters and to give some of the alien races more “character”. G’kar is shown to be willing to put the standing of his race before his own well-being. Commander Sinclair’s past rears its head in the form of Catherine Sakai, who he starts to get (back) together with during the episode. The showcased ceremonies of the Centauri and the Minbari establish a nice contrast between the two races, during the Centauri ceremony a small piece of their history is strewn into the dialogue: At some point there were 2 races on their home planet that fought for survival and some of their celebrations are based on that time.

What could have been (had Sinclair not been switched out)

As Catherine Sakai was essentially a planet surveyor, I imagine she could have likely been used for the Z’ha’dum part of the storyline at the end of Season 3. Possibly after going on an expedition to the planet in Season 2 and not returning. Given the relationship with Sinclair that was set up in this episode, I see that as rather likely.

Up next: 1×06 – Mind War