Babylon 5 - S1E12 - By Any Means Necessary

[meteordust]

Yay for unions in space!

* Favourite quote of the episode:

Sinclair: "You know what could happen if I have to order Garibaldi in."

Connally: "The same thing that happened on Europa and in New California and at Matewan. The same thing that happens every time labourers stood up for themselves and said 'no more'. They try to break us, we'll fight back. Someone will get hurt, maybe killed. For what it's worth, I'm sorry this has to happen here."

Shades of CJ Cherryh's Company Wars, and Meg talking about how Earth Company enforcers shot down the protesters at the doors. I'm definitely suspicious that the techbro oligarchs who want to colonise Mars just want "Sixteen Tons" in space.

* Failed negotiator and smarmy jerk Zento, getting the Senate to invoke the Rush Act, to arrest the workers and bring in scabs. And then Sinclair coming in with his solution, telling the workers that he's been authorised to end the strike by any means necessary - so he's decided to reallocate 1.3 million credits from the military budget, to upgrade dockside equipment and hire additional workers. Even though I could see it coming, that still made it very satisfying.

* I also liked the subplot of G'Kar desperately trying to obtain a G'Quan Eth flower in time for the holy days of G'Quan, and G'Kar and Na'Toth discussing their beliefs, and Sinclair telling G'Kar about the time that sunlight takes to travel from his home planet to Babylon 5.

Comments

[senmut]

That was a good episode. I really did a jubilant cheer at Sinclair's solution. It's the one that is OBVIOUS, always, but the one never done, where money could be shifted from a non-needed thing to one that is.

[meteordust]

I loved this episode a lot - such a compelling conflict, and Sinclair's solution was just beautiful.