The Unasked Question in Legacies - SPOILER

[QMCO5]

I've been watching my DVD set of Season One and while watching Legacies was perplexed at an inconsistency I've noted before, though not commented on. Those who have seen Legacies know that when the body of a great Minbari General is placed in a special room for viewing, Neroon insists on only Minbari guards for security. Yet, when the body disappears and Neroon complains, neither Sinclair nor Garibaldi raise the potential culpability of the Minbari guards. I don't understand JMS' rationale in not covering this basic point, but in any police investigation the first people to be interviewed would be those on scene. The question that Garibaldi would insist on asking is, "what do the Minbari guards know?" And, (to Neroon) "since you deemed Minbari security so superior to human security, how do YOU explain the disappearance of the body?" From Sinclair's perspective he would be entirely justified in thinking that Neroon was responsible in order to provoke an incident. This wasn't a situation of someone finding the Minbari guards bound and gagged, so as far as appearances in an investigation, they automatically become the chief suspects.

QMCO5

 

[PillowRock]

The thing is, it isn't only "any police investigation". It is also a major, and quite volatile, diplomatic situation. As much as it must chafe at Garibaldi, what he says and asks (at least directly to the Minbari) must be governed as much by diplomacy as by the needs of the investigation.

(to Neroon) "since you deemed Minbari security so superior to human security, how do YOU explain the disappearance of the body?"

This bit would be guaranteed to make the situation worse diplomatically. It would only serve to make the relationship between the Minbari and Human forces on and around the station even more adversarial.


Garibaldi would certainly *want* to talk to the Minbari guards. However, he may very well have to settle for getting a summary report from Neroon's people. The diplomatic and juristictional turf wars and egos might require it.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

I'd say PillowRock has 98% of the answer. Another 1% is the widely-believed myth that "Minbari don't lie" (something that Sinclair, unlike Sheridan, would have been well aware of from his study of the Minbari and friendship with Delenn.) If Neroon interogates the Minbari guards and they all say they saw and heard nothing that that would be it in his mind - and it would be a deadly insult for the Humans of all people to suggest otherwise. The final 1% is that you have 45 minutes to tell a story. Do you really have room for this particular plot-point, which is a negative one anyway? (Nobody saw nothing.)

TV series are almost never fully-fleshed-out dramas. They rely on a kind of dramatic short-hand to tell their stories in the limited amount of time they have, and rely on the indulgence of the audience when the seams show.

Regards,

Joe

 

[QMCO5]

Thanks for the answers, which were certainly not unanticipated. A couple of counterpoints to consider. Garibaldi is not "subtle" (The Gathering) and is not always governed by the same degree of diplomatic cordiality that the Commander is obligated to show. The Security Chief should ask the obvious questions (though I agree that the question I posed for Neroon is more of a prosecutor's type of question). I understand the constraints of broadcast time, but I think a couple of snips could have been made for the sake of the basic question. Indeed, Minbari veracity is a key issue in the overall B5 story.

QMCO5