EpDis: Infection

[vacantlook]

Time for another.

Refresher Links:
Lurker's Guide Main Page for Infection
Lurker's Guide Extended Synopsis for Infection

 

[KoshFan]

Infection suffers from some gaping plot holes, but it's redeemed by the oodles upon oodles of foreshadowing.

(You know a writer's doing a good job when the word "foreshadowing" has ominous, double meanings.)

 

[vacantlook]

The main story of "Infection" I found to be rather bland. It does introduce the concept of organic technology, which is good for the show being that orgtech has such a prominent place in the lives of several of the major alien races in the galaxy. The whole purity theme was hammered a bit too hard, I think, which caused me to not really care all that much about it. So, perhaps the story of the episode is good, just not the execution of that story.

Two things in the episode I considerably enjoy:

- The scene between Sinclair and Garibaldi in Sinclair's quarters at the end. I like the whole theme of having something worth dying for versus having something worth living for, which we get even more strongly later in the show with Sheridan on Z'ha'dum. I love Sinclair's telling Garibaldi that he doesn't have an answer for Garibaldi's question and that he knows he should have one.

- The scene at the end between Franklin and Ivanova when the two security guys show up to tell Franklin that the orgtech has been ordered back to Earth for study by the EarthForce weapons devision. I love Ivanova's response: "I'll be over there getting drunk... with the rest of the aliens."

 

[Markas]

The Ikarran solution to invasion was a bit interesting, but otherwise, I found it to be a pedestrian episode.

 

[phoenixrising]

And you'll notice later in the season (after Sinclair and Garibaldi's talk) Sinclair didn't put his ass on the line quite as much as he used to.

 

[vacantlook]

Yet Sinclair was still looking for a reason, which he gained when he learned/understood that he is/was Valen.

 

[Shaal Mayan]

I will give this one an average grade I liked the story of the organic tech nice setup for later episodes of the series .

 

[aajay]

Not one of the better eipsodes, but I enjoyed seeing David McCallum - a fav of mine since the Man from U.N.C.L.E. days.

 

[GKarsEye]

- The scene between Sinclair and Garibaldi in Sinclair's quarters at the end. I like the whole theme of having something worth dying for versus having something worth living for, which we get even more strongly later in the show with Sheridan on Z'ha'dum. I love Sinclair's telling Garibaldi that he doesn't have an answer for Garibaldi's question and that he knows he should have one.

Like most TV shows, this is your typical "what have we learned today?" moment of the episode. Unlike most TV shows, it actually has repercussions throughout the shows and introduces themes that would be revisited.

By the way, I'm re-watching the series with my sister, and we just got through TKO, so I'm kind of in-step with these polls.

 

[darth_librarian]

I really liked this, it was great. I acknowledge a lot of the problems with it especially as it was first filmed, but the cool premise of organic tech, a man with a big gun on his arm and a real Man from UNCLE were enough to win me over.
Lots of foreshadowing to later plots as well.

 

[RW7427]

Not one of my favorites, but I watch it anyhow.

 

[rangerPHIL]

the foreshadowing in this one won me over.

The fact that the planet of Ikarra had been dead for 1000 years ( the last shadow war ), and the technology was created to stop an invasion ( but does not tell you by whom - they could just have been in league with the shadows - but it is left for the viewer to figure it out ).

 

[nimisha]

I enjoyed the foreshadowing too. Also, from watching the DVD's over and over,(can't help myself) I noticed that the actor who played the Narn T'lon was also the research assistant. I get a kick out of seeing how JMS uses the same actor for multiple characters.

 

[Shaal Mayan]

Anthor piece of foreshadowing is the Icarns were trying to create a pure Icarn .Later in season 4 when Delenn goes home to sanctify her coming marriage to Sheridan Callenn uses the same line of keeping minbar pure.

 

[GKarsEye]

As I'm re-watching the series with my sister, I'm surprised by how many times I reference this episode when reminding her of foreshadowing: organic tech, "1000 yrs ago," IPX, etc.

 

[Cell]

Enjoy my latest review,

http://worldsoforos.com/secondviews/2008/05/25/review-babylon-5-104/#more-325

 

[Truth_Seeker]

Cell aren't you too hard on "Infection".I know that it's not the best that B5 can offer, but an F?

 

[Ferazel]

No I don't think it was tough, it is one of the worst if not THE worst B5 episode in my opinion. Besides the ending that states why space exploration is important, the episode is generic Star Trek fare. I guess I missed this foreshadowing that people are referring to, but I had no inkling that this was foreshadowing the Shadows in any way shape or form.

 

[Truth_Seeker]

In this episode we hear for the first time about IPX, which is a very important organization later in the series(Catherine Sakai; Anna Sheridan;the doctor from "Messages From Earth";"Thirdspace").We also find out that the Vorlons probably have organic technology.

I don't think that it deserves an F.

 

[Cell]

In this episode we hear for the first time about IPX, which is a very important organization later in the series(Catherine Sakai; Anna Sheridan;the doctor from "Messages From Earth";"Thirdspace").We also find out that the Vorlons probably have organic technology.

I don't think that it deserves an F.

Foreshadowing in the form of simply name dropping an organization that will play a role in the series later does not constitute good storytelling. It's cool in the sense that it's a neat little thing that most people probably ignored on first viewing, but it certainly isn't something that will help an episodes grade, especially an episode as bad as Infection.