Join Laura and Xhafer, two internet strangers as they get to know each other while making jokes about one of their favorite TV shows from their childhood, Babylon 5.

Laura and Xhafer begin their journey into Crusade with a visit from Victor of Dominion Media Television. Laura questions Sheridan's new hairdo. Xhafer reminisces on his industrial-goth phase. Victor pitches a rewrite. Meanwhile, Sheridan and Garibaldi discover a new threat to Earth while testing prototype White Star destroyers in Babylon 5: A Call to Arms.

You can find more of Victor's work at https://www.facebook.com/DominionMediaTV

and welcome to Who Are You?

2

It's the Babylon 5 Watchcast by

a couple of former strangers, now

3

friends, who are still getting to know

each other over one of their favorite

4

shows from their childhood, Babylon 5.

5

I'm Laura,

6

Xhafer: I'm Jaffer.

7

Laura: and today we have a special guest.

8

Victor: Uh,

9

Hey everyone, this is Victor from

Dominion Media Television and also

10

co host of Last Time On, the best

podcast out there on the Wa hop on

11

hair network that uh, non sequentially

watches TV shows, so you don't have to.

12

Laura: But, but you can't even

say that anymore because there's

13

also gonna be cool girls.

14

Xhafer: soon, but not

15

Laura: Soon, but not yet.

16

So, for now, last time

17

Victor: now, yes it is.

18

Laura: The best.

19

But coming soon, Cool Girls Don't

Look at Explosions, another podcast

20

watching TV non sequentially.

21

Victor: format of of last time on.

22

Brilliant idea, Ja'far, this

patent pending technique.

23

Xhafer: Yeah

24

Victor: uh, I'm really looking forward

to hearing, uh, to hearing more of it.

25

Laura: Yeah, it's a slightly different

spin over on Cool Girls, and then we've

26

also had some technical difficulties

in our starting recording, so a little

27

bit delayed, but we'll get there.

28

Victor: Same here, we uh, just last

week we recorded our second bonus

29

episode of Dungeon Bajoran Workers,

the DS9 watchcast that I'm starting.

30

Um, in the vein of Who Are

You, and it's yeah, we had some

31

massive technical difficulties.

32

But, I, I recently read something about

there was a Apple convention, not Apple

33

convention, but one of their, one of

their things Apple does where they get all

34

their fuckin fuckin Rich people together

35

Laura: Yeah.

36

Yeah.

37

Victor: have a big circle jerk of

all their investors and everything.

38

And one of the things, one of the

presenters mentioned was they brought

39

up the statistics of podcasts.

40

And something like an overwhelming

majority of podcasts on iTunes, I want

41

to say like 80 percent of them just end

after like between 12 and 20 episodes.

42

So, the,

43

Laura: it, I think.

44

Victor: yeah.

45

So the thing is, I mean, to just keep

going, man, to just keep, keep crapping

46

out content and just keep going.

47

And that's what, that's what I feel like

we've got a really good crew over there.

48

And honestly I got the benefit of being

adopted into an existing successful

49

podcast network with you guys.

50

So I feel like we got a lot of

51

Xhafer: Successful.

52

Victor: Yeah, no, you're still here.

53

Laura: Yeah.

54

We're still churning.

55

Yeah.

56

Xhafer: it works.

57

Victor: survival equals success

in this cutthroat podcast

58

industry that we live in, so

59

Laura: Yeah.

60

Yeah.

61

It's rough, but you know what?

62

Get the technical difficulties

out of the way early and then

63

it'll be smooth sailing, right?

64

Knock on

65

Victor: speaking of technical

difficulties, today we're

66

reviewing Call to Arms.

67

Laura: Hmm.

68

Xhafer: I I will give a

little spoil y right now.

69

This was much better than

I remembered it being.

70

Laura: You remembered it being

another Legend of the Rangers.

71

Is that what you remembered?

72

Xhafer: I remembered it being

in the same breath as Third

73

Space and Legend of the Rangers.

74

And I think it's definitely

a class above those two.

75

Laura: Yeah, I think that's fair.

76

Victor: but correct.

77

Correct.

78

Xhafer: when we're talking Babylon 5.

79

Uh, but I do think it clears

it without much trepidation.

80

Yeah.

81

Victor: This when it

first aired on television.

82

I watched it on the premiere day.

83

I remember I was on uh,

Christmas break from high school.

84

So this aired in 99, so I would have been

Yeah, I would have been 16 at the time

85

and I was super excited because I loved

Babylon 5, watched it every every single

86

episode as a kid or as many of us as I

could catch And as soon as this ended With

87

that big cliffhanger ending that we get I

remember Rushing over to my phone's back

88

when we had landlines and I called up my

best friend who still lived in Lockhart

89

I'd moved to a different city at that time

and And I called him up because we both

90

love Avalon 5, and I called him up, and

typically I wouldn't be able to do this

91

because it was super late at night and

past my mother's curfew and everything.

92

But I knew he would be awake

because I knew he would be watching

93

this, and I was like, DUDE WHAT

THE FUCK DID YOU SEE THAT SHIT?!

94

And we were so hyped for what

was gonna come next, and then,

95

you know, we got Crusade.

96

Laura: Then it was Crusade, yeah.

97

Xhafer: I wonder how much the

perception of this movie is colored

98

by how poorly received Crusade is.

99

Laura: A lot, right?

100

Yeah.

101

Xhafer: Because, I mean, this movie

wasn't great, but it was, like, better

102

than some of the Star Trek movies.

103

Victor: That's for sure.

104

I would rather watch

this than Star Trek 5.

105

Xhafer: Yeah.

106

Victor: Not the one

with the whales, though.

107

The one with the whales, I would

108

Xhafer: The one with

the whales is real good.

109

I would argue that the one with the

whales is the fourth best Star Trek movie.

110

Laura: I would, I would go

with you on that hill, yeah.

111

Yeah.

112

Xhafer: can derail this

113

Victor: could all give our,

our top 10 lists of Star Trek

114

Xhafer: Look, I've, I've proven, you know,

I did Army of Darkness in 30 minutes.

115

Like, I'm not worried about

runtime on this podcast.

116

If we want to, if we want to talk

our, our top Star Trek films, we can.

117

Victor: Well, Wrath of Khan, for

sure, for me, then, if we're,

118

if we're going here, then yeah.

119

Xhafer: mean, top three,

120

Victor: Wrath of Khan,

Undiscovered Country,

121

Xhafer: for sure.

122

Undiscovered Country is

123

the

124

Victor: liked Nemesis.

125

Screw all the haters.

126

I love

127

Xhafer: Nemesis.

128

is in your top three?

129

Victor: it is!

130

Xhafer: Have you watched, never mind,

131

Victor: You're like, did you

actually watch the movie there?

132

Hahaha.

133

Laura: I had a theory that all of

the even numbered Star Trek movies

134

are the good Star Trek movies, and

then Nemesis was the tenth movie?

135

And I was like, eh, I don't know anymore.

136

Xhafer: And then they switched

137

and beyond, both of which were good.

138

And that would be 11 was Into

Darkness, which was also bad.

139

Laura: Well, you could argue that

that's a different timeline entirely,

140

so it doesn't fall into the thing.

141

But,

142

Victor: I've heard the even

numbered theory before, but also,

143

I mean, dude, the search for

Spock was really good, wasn't it?

144

I mean,

145

Xhafer: Search for Spock

is solid, for sure.

146

Victor: mean, we had Christopher

Lloyd as a Klingon man.

147

That's

148

Xhafer: announced him for STLV

149

Laura: Yay.

150

Victor: what?

151

Xhafer: ago.

152

Yeah, Christopher Lloyd's gonna

be at Star Trek Las Vegas.

153

Victor: Alright, oh god, if he's

gonna be there, then yeah, I gotta go.

154

I gotta go.

155

I'm making it happen.

156

Somehow.

157

I'll sell some meth or something.

158

I don't know.

159

Laura: Go shameless.

160

Go full shameless.

161

All right, do we want

to get in this movie?

162

Xhafer: Yeah, we should

probably talk about the movie.

163

Victor: We, we open

164

in,

165

Xhafer: lists, I

166

Victor: we, we open in media,

media, media, media news.

167

Mm

168

Laura: you know, news,

news station opening.

169

We get the timeline from

that, so that's nice.

170

Uh, It's the 5th anniversary

of the Interstellar Alliance,

171

Xhafer: it's just,

172

it's been four years since season five.

173

Victor: And chronologically this, I

mean, I, I listened to on your episode

174

covering Legend of the Rangers.

175

Apparently Cold Arms takes place

before Legend of the Rangers.

176

Xhafer: But Crusade takes place after.

177

Because there's a, there's a, there's a

time skip between this movie and Crusade.

178

Victor: Wow, that is weird.

179

Xhafer: Well, it's to keep

it on the year schedule.

180

Right?

181

So, Call to Arms aired the

year before Crusade, so it takes

182

place in the year before Crusade.

183

Laura: It didn't feel like much

of a time skip between this

184

movie and Crusade, I'll just say.

185

Xhafer: Yeah.

186

Laura: It felt like a week.

187

Yeah.

188

Victor: yeah, exactly.

189

that's

190

Laura: Just watch for that

when you start Crusade.

191

See if you can figure out what time it is.

192

Victor: then again, I guess this is

another just reason Legend of the

193

Rangers felt so out of place, you know,

194

for many reasons.

195

Which, which was already

covered on your episode.

196

So listeners, if you haven't listened

to the episode of where they cover

197

Legend of the Rangers, go listen to it.

198

It's fantastic.

199

Xhafer: yeah, no, Legend of the Ragers

has to take place before this, otherwise

200

Earth would be in quarantine and they

would have said something about that.

201

Victor: Yeah, but, you

202

know.

203

Xhafer: I mean, expecting continuity

from that movie might be a bit much.

204

Laura: Yeah, it'd have to be

several years after, I guess?

205

Because the quarantine lasted a while.

206

I don't know.

207

And it probably told us in

the book, but I don't remember

208

how

209

Xhafer: Well, also, I think the

quarantine that they reference in the

210

Psycore book is also not consistent with

what actually happened with Crusade.

211

Laura: Yeah.

212

Yeah.

213

See, I have enough trouble

keeping up with real history.

214

Keeping up with Babylon 5

history is a little beyond me.

215

Xhafer: hmm.

216

Laura: But we find out many

died in the telepath crisis.

217

Xhafer: Yes.

218

Laura: is, are they referring

to the entire telepath war

219

or is it just there was an

220

Xhafer: this is, this is

supposed to be post Telepath War.

221

Laura: Wow, okay, I thought we were going

to do more telepath warring in Crusade.

222

So, big disappoint for me.

223

Victor: Yeah.

224

Xhafer: Yeah.

225

Laura: Okay, so it's just all off

226

Xhafer: for all this stuff.

227

Yeah.

228

Laura: Because it was off

screen in Bester's books.

229

We didn't do this telepath war.

230

It's off screen in the movies.

231

It's off screen in Crusade.

232

Wow, okay, that

233

makes me sad.

234

Victor: Are you saying the, that

the telepath war takes place

235

off screen in the books as well?

236

Laura: Yes,

237

Victor: What

238

Laura: you're going to find

that out in book club next

239

week.

240

Xhafer: Book

241

Club next, Book Club airs in a

couple of days as we're recording

242

Victor: That, that is some crap, dude.

243

We were promised telepath war.

244

We want some war, and

we want some telepaths.

245

That is what we are owed.

246

Laura: Unless there's some books out

there that we've completely missed, but

247

in the bester books, which is where you

would think that would show up, it is not.

248

Xhafer: Yeah.

249

Victor: What the shit, man.

250

Xhafer: Yeah

251

Laura: Okay, well,

252

Xhafer: uh Yeah, so it's the fifth

anniversary of the Alliance D'Len's

253

been making a bunch of appearances,

but no one's seen Sheridan.

254

And also D'Len's the VP.

255

Did I miss that before?

256

Yeah,

257

Laura: like, they're,

they're just the government.

258

So he's the president, she's the

vice president, they're, then they

259

flip flop places at some point, and

260

Xhafer: I Thought she

was head of the Rangers.

261

I didn't think she was

262

Laura: I think it's

263

Xhafer: Alliance.

264

It's both?

265

Laura: I think it's like you

get to be head of the Rangers

266

and the vice president.

267

Yeah.

268

Xhafer: Like, this is such a bad idea from

a, like, government logistics perspective,

269

Laura: for sure, for sure, for sure.

270

Huh.

271

Uh

272

Xhafer: uh, is probably the

inhabitant of the galaxy most

273

famous for keeping her cool when

a, like, a loved one dies, right?

274

Like, Dukat goes and

she starts genociding.

275

Can you imagine what she's going to

do to whoever kills Sheridan when she

276

becomes president of the Interstellar

Alliance in the same moment?

277

You

278

Victor: You also made a mention

on Legend of the Rangers regarding

279

where's the gray council at right now?

280

Xhafer: Yeah, apparently

leading the Rangers.

281

Yeah.

282

Laura: the VP is too busy being a

VP to lead the Rangers, I guess.

283

Maybe that's what's up.

284

Victor: Yeah,

285

Laura: Okay.

286

Yeah, so we've got Garibaldi

on a white star for some reason

287

rendezvousing with Sheridan, and

presidency has not been kind to him.

288

He has such a bad haircut,

I cannot reiterate enough.

289

Victor: I like his haircut in this one.

290

Laura: Oh, okay.

291

Victor: I, I just think it looks

good comparatively speaking to other.

292

Like other movies and TV shows where

they have to age someone up via makeup.

293

Laura: Oh yeah, the makeup's not bad.

294

Victor: yeah, they did a decent job here.

295

You know, it's on, I think

it's on par with, um, Picard

296

in All Good Things, personally.

297

But, that's my opinion, so.

298

Laura: Oh yeah, it's not the

299

makeup I have

300

Victor: haircut.

301

Xhafer: It's the haircut

I've got beef with.

302

You could put this man in a brown frock

and he would look like elderly Friartuck.

303

Okay,

304

Laura: maybe that's

where he got the inspo.

305

Okay.

306

All right.

307

There we go.

308

I've canned it.

309

Xhafer: but yeah, Garibaldi picks Sheridan

up and they're trying to remain hidden and

310

they're like, Oh, nothing could possibly

follow us as we see them get followed

311

by the machinations of Technomage Galen.

312

Victor: little techno mage probe droid

follows them into hyperspace, which

313

is supposed to be impossible, but He

does it anyway because he's a techno

314

Laura: Yeah.

315

I mean, he's got a little bit of like

magic creds behind him so we can go, you

316

know, shrug and say, okay, seems fine.

317

Xhafer: Yeah.

318

Victor: Space magic,

319

Laura: Yeah.

320

They were talking about there's some

construction job that they've been

321

working on, Garibaldi's people, because of

322

course,

323

Xhafer: Yeah, what's nepotism?

324

Hand Garibaldi's megacorp the contract.

325

Laura: yeah, exactly.

326

They're making some Mimbari and Vorlon

and human technology work together

327

and it's not going super great.

328

It sounds like.

329

Victor: So now, yes, I, I wanted to

bring this up as a question for you guys,

330

because I have a question About this, this

new, the White Star Destroyer project.

331

I have a question, and I

have an answer as well.

332

And I'd like to ask you

guys a question, so.

333

Laura: Leading us.

334

Victor: new, these new ships that they're

creating, the Excalibur and the Victory,

335

which we're about to be introduced to.

336

Yeah, they say that they are based on

Mimbari, Vorlon, and human technology.

337

Now, guys, what are the humans

bringing to the table here?

338

Because,

339

because they've got Mambari

technology, which is badass.

340

They got Valvorlon technology,

which is really badass.

341

And why, why, why bother

with the human stuff?

342

what

343

what

344

Xhafer: So, they actually,

they actually tell us, Vic.

345

That the bridge and all the command

consoles are specifically designed to

346

match hearth technology for a human crew.

347

Victor: Okay.

348

But why

349

Xhafer: Oh, I didn't say

it was anything worthwhile.

350

We just know what they're

bringing to the table.

351

It's the operating system.

352

It's got Windows 25 or

whatever they're on.

353

Laura: yeah, I was just going to say

that they're bringing design to the

354

table because we know from Legend of the

Rangers that humans have their famously

355

terrible boxy design that everyone hates.

356

So, yeah, I don't love

the design here either.

357

Victor: so that, okay, so your, your

answer is both of you to kind of tie

358

into my theory and support my, my

theory about why humans would need to

359

get involved with this project at all.

360

I think it's, it's human ingenuity.

361

I, I feel like the White Star, you

know, as we know, is the most powerful

362

ship created at the time in the

galaxy by the younger races anyway.

363

But I feel like, you know, and

that's, the White Star is based

364

partially on Vorlon technology and

the Mimbari were able to integrate it.

365

Um, I feel like, human, humans have a,

a unique way of thinking in the Babylon

366

5 universe compared to the other races.

367

Like, I, I'd say like, the human

engineers, the Mimbari engineers got

368

together and they were like, Okay, so

how do we make a White Star but bigger?

369

And the Mimbari are like, Well,

you can't that we tried it.

370

It's unsafe.

371

And the humans are like,

we're going to do it anyway.

372

And the members would never

think of doing shit like that.

373

The members are like pulling their,

their bald hair out, going, they're

374

pulling their bones out of their head.

375

Be like, what are you guys doing in there?

376

Cause we know from experience that human

engineers can think of some crazy shit.

377

So

378

Xhafer: Okay.

379

Laura: hmm.

380

Victor: that's, my head cannon

backstory about why, why humans

381

needed to get involved here

382

at all.

383

Laura: Yeah.

384

How do we make it

385

Xhafer: that fits.

386

Laura: hit harder?

387

Sure.

388

Yeah.

389

Yeah.

390

Xhafer: been able to unite these

disparate races and bring people together.

391

So if you need to unite their

technologies, maybe they don't really

392

see the difference in skill there.

393

It's all like, okay, well you're

good at making things that shouldn't

394

work together, work together.

395

So, do that!

396

Victor: we're, we're the crazy,

like, little cousin who manages

397

to fix shit with duct tape.

398

So

399

Laura: when we get there,

but let's keep going.

400

So, uh, they jump to normal space and

401

they see this new prototype destroyer.

402

Xhafer: Did you catch

the new hyperspace CGI?

403

Victor: Yep.

404

Yep, moving forward, this is the

new effect, the updated hyperspace

405

vortex effect that we're gonna see.

406

It's

407

Xhafer: I love it.

408

It is such an improvement.

409

Not just because it's like, It's not

as like just the cone of hyperspace,

410

but if you look real closely right

before a rift opens, you can see space

411

kind of ripple and tear itself apart.

412

And it's, it's, it's not, it's not,

they don't like beat you over the head

413

with it, but it's definitely there.

414

And I really dug that effect.

415

Victor: Yeah, that's one of the,

that's one of the great, that's

416

one of the high points of Call

to Arms here, is that, yeah, it

417

introduces some new special effects.

418

Xhafer: Yeah.

419

It's very smooth.

420

Very well done.

421

CGI.

422

A plus.

423

Laura: New CGI, who dis?

424

Yeah.

425

Xhafer: Sheridan and Garibaldi are

seated on the prototype ISA destroyer

426

by Drake the lead designer who famously

lets perfect be the enemy of great.

427

Do you guys, do you ever

work with someone like this?

428

Victor: yes, all the

429

Laura: yeah.

430

Sometimes I am this, I try

not to be, but here we are.

431

Xhafer: I have interns right now at work.

432

Laura: Oh no!

433

Victor: ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

434

Xhafer: and it's, it's been good.

435

It's been, it's been rewarding

for me to, like, teach the

436

technology and teach stuff.

437

And, um, One of them is like very advanced

on a particular type of technology we use.

438

And I legit, like the conversation,

first conversation I had with them is

439

like, this thing that you built is great.

440

It's over engineered to hell.

441

You could do this in a third of

the things that you did it with.

442

Laura: Yeah.

443

Xhafer: Um, you, you, you've

tried too hard for perfection and

444

wasted a ton of time to get this.

445

That said, what you built is.

446

Technically astounding and works

really well and does a bunch of stuff.

447

You just put way too much time into it.

448

Victor: Hmm.

449

Xhafer: That exact sentiment.

450

Laura: Yep.

451

Been

452

there.

453

Victor: life.

454

Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

455

Now, they, they specifically mentioned

that we have our, or Drake mentions we

456

have our first two prototype destroyers.

457

Uh, ready for inspection.

458

And I thought that was very, even 17 year

old me watching this was like, a ho hum.

459

Okay, one of these ships is going

to get blown up by the end of the

460

movie, so it's like, it's very

odd to have two ships ready to go.

461

I thought that was strange.

462

It was kind of like, also, it reminded me

of, um, what was that movie with uh, the

463

asteroid and Bruce Willis and Aerosmith?

464

Laura: Armageddon.

465

Xhafer: impact?

466

Armageddon.

467

Laura: Yeah.

468

Victor: Yeah.

469

they had two space shuttle

launches for that movie.

470

For the movie.

471

I'm like, okay, well, why?

472

Well, because one of them

is going to get blown up.

473

Obviously.

474

Laura: Obviously.

475

Yeah.

476

Yeah.

477

Drake is also, like, very, thankful to

Sheridan for giving a Martian a job.

478

So we get some more of that like lore that

Mars is looked upon as less than Earth.

479

Victor: Free Mars!

480

Xhafer: It is free at this point.

481

But yeah, um,

482

Laura: it is.

483

It is, but still, you know, you

can be free and looked down upon.

484

That's happened before.

485

Xhafer: Mhmm.

486

So they go to take her out

of space dock and fail.

487

Sheridan meanwhile uh, gets a

message coming in from Delenn.

488

So he goes into the other room

to get very casually brainwashed.

489

Victor: Right, Garibaldi gives Drake

the Ivanova rules, a summarized version

490

of the Ivanova rules, saying Drake,

shut up and do what I tell you, you

491

Laura: Yeah.

492

His delivery is not as good.

493

Was anybody else super worried?

494

When the uh, gibberish started

coming through the TV that we

495

had another, like, telepathic

Bester mind wipe situation coming.

496

Victor: I felt like that's exactly what it

497

Xhafer: How does Garibaldi Of

everyone alive in the galaxy,

498

Laura: Uh huh.

499

Xhafer: lose his shit when he hears, Oh,

it was gibberish and I walked in here 20

500

seconds ago and it's all like, No, dude,

you've been standing here for 30 fucking

501

Victor: Mm hmm.

502

Laura: Right.

503

Garibaldi should lose his mind.

504

Xhafer: This is the reddest

of red flags for him.

505

Victor: I'm going to say last time

on Bester, Bester programmed him to

506

specifically not register things like that

as part of his, his mind control ability.

507

That's, that's the only way I

can, you know, make this work.

508

Xhafer: Mm hmm.

509

Victor: he still, I guess he still

wouldn't have had Bester's mind

510

Xhafer: if, he would have,

if the telepath war is over,

511

Victor: And Leta fulfilled her

512

Xhafer: Alita would have

fulfilled her promise and he would

513

Victor: that's, that's

up in the air, yeah.

514

Laura: Yeah.

515

He'd be free.

516

And he hasn't killed Bester yet

because we have the book club

517

coming out that tells us, you know.

518

Xhafer: How that goes down.

519

Laura: How that goes down.

520

Yeah.

521

Victor: Well, meanwhile, on Babylon

5 uh, somebody's D& D character

522

shows up through customs, so

523

Xhafer: I, uh, in my notes

before we got Dina's name, I just

524

left a blank space to fill in.

525

Like it was a Madlibs.

526

Victor: Madlibs.

527

Xhafer: GSA and catches

blank Carrying 20 knives

528

and a garot wire.

529

Laura: it's

530

the, classic scene that we got

from when we were recording Post

531

Apocalypse Now, Mad Max Beyond

Thunderdome, when we're just pulling

532

knives and weapons out of everywhere.

533

It's great.

534

I

535

Victor: yes, that is awesome.

536

I wrote that down in my notes.

537

She pulls a Mad Max and yeah,

does the extended unloading

538

Laura: Yes, I love this trope.

539

Give it to me whenever.

540

It's fine.

541

Xhafer: a

542

Victor: trope.

543

Xhafer: After this uh, we see Sheridan has

a dream, no, not a dream, a nightmare of

544

a planet in flames completely destroyed.

545

Galen comes to him in the dream to let

Sheridan know that this was a test,

546

and he finds out where this test was

as Galen introduces himself, and then

547

peaces as the ship begins moving.

548

Victor: there's a, street sign covered

in rubble that just happens to have the

549

name of the planet on the street sign.

550

Xhafer: Can you imagine just,

like, Earth being on a street sign?

551

Just for you, like, just

552

Victor: don't want to do that, I

want to go around my neighborhood,

553

it's just supposed to be earth,

554

Laura: I'm gonna put a big rock in my

yard that just says I'm gonna chisel

555

Earth into it so that someday It can

have dust blown over it and someone could

556

go, Oh, this, this planet must be Earth.

557

Xhafer: Alternatively, can you imagine

if it was like an actual street sign?

558

Like if it was exit 69 Big

Beaver Road, which is a famous

559

exit that we have over here.

560

Victor: is that, is that, that's a

561

Xhafer: that?

562

Oh that, Google it.

563

Google exit 69 Big Beaver Road.

564

Make sure road is in there,

otherwise you're probably

565

going to get something else.

566

Victor: Yeah.

567

Nice.

568

Xhafer: Heh heh heh heh heh.

569

Nice.

570

Laura: Yes.

571

Xhafer: Um, anyways Drake is

in a spacesuit on the bridge.

572

Clearly the threats of Garibaldi were

not were, were taken seriously, rather.

573

To make him get out and push.

574

Victor: That was a very Garibaldi moment.

575

He's like, I was not kidding.

576

Xhafer: We cut over to

down below on the station.

577

Darina is looking around and gets Scott,

only to have the same vision as Sheridan.

578

Victor: Darina gets kicked in the head

and falls into a pile of mattresses.

579

So

580

Laura: Yeah.

581

Victor: Mm

582

Laura: She sees Sheridan but he

turns into a drach in her dream.

583

And

584

then Galen.

585

Yeah.

586

Yeah.

587

Xhafer: He tells her to choose carefully.

588

She wakes up surrounded by the

Thieves Guild on Babylon 5.

589

But,

590

ha ha!

591

That was her plan.

592

I

593

Victor: I, I I don't know

why this was included.

594

Like, this, this

595

enigmatic leader of the thieves guild

with the Stevie Wonder sunglasses.

596

Xhafer: Yeah.

597

Victor: and it's just, ugh, why?

598

He, he had such a grand

entrance, and it was pointless.

599

He, this contributes nothing to the

plot, and he's never seen again.

600

I, I don't, I don't think

he ever shows up in Crusade.

601

I mean, I guess you guys will

find out on your watch through.

602

But yeah, it's like, why?

603

Why did they bother with this?

604

That's

605

Xhafer: They have to establish that

Darina is both smart and also a thief.

606

So that way she can have her trustability

questioned by Sheridan later.

607

Victor: Ugh,

608

Xhafer: So he has to make a decision.

609

Ooh.

610

That's the only reason for this scene.

611

Um, that and to introduce us

to Babylon 5's worst polycule.

612

Laura: Ah!

613

Oh, yeah.

614

Xhafer: It's

615

Victor: a thieves guild, a thieves

guild, it's lazy DMing, because

616

a thieves guild would not call

themselves the thieves guild.

617

It's just, you know, it's

618

Laura: Yeah.

619

Xhafer: true.

620

Victor: no thief, goes around

saying, Hi, I'm a thief.

621

You know?

622

What the fuck, dude?

623

Xhafer: Yeah.

624

It's just like, oh, and we

all have the same tattoo, but

625

it's still somehow a secret.

626

Victor: Right?

627

Mm hmm.

628

Mm

629

Laura: Yeah, they did show her like

looking at certain symbols around

630

the station, like looking for them.

631

And they all have that

tattoo, too, I think, I don't

632

know.

633

Xhafer: It's a very D& D thing.

634

This is Thieves Camp, so,

635

Laura: Yeah.

636

so, somehow she gets in their good

graces, I guess, even though they don't,

637

they definitely tell us that they don't

recognize her species, her race, so.

638

Victor: Because she, she kicks the ass

of one of the goons right in front of

639

him, and I meant to look this up before

recording, but the, the goon that she

640

beats up that actor looks very familiar.

641

I know I've seen him in other things,

and I think he's just like a One of

642

those guys who always plays a goon, you

know, one of the henchmen his resume is

643

like henchmen for hire for movies Yeah,

I'll have to look it up later, but I

644

swear I've seen him I've seen him play

the same role in another movie somewhere

645

Laura: So, we cut over to the

weapons demo on the Destroyer.

646

They blow up an asteroid, which

was kind of disappointing.

647

Xhafer: It was barely more

power than the White Star!

648

What the hell!

649

Laura: Yeah, this is

650

Xhafer: use two White Stars!

651

Victor: Exactly.

652

Why didn't they just build

more White Stars, honestly?

653

I

654

Laura: if we shoot it at the highest

power, we're going to have this massive

655

power drain where we can't move or

do anything for, is it two minutes?

656

Maybe it's one.

657

But still, whatever it is, it's way

too long in a space battle, right?

658

Like, this is not

659

good.

660

Victor: I just so badly want to see

someone going down to the breaker

661

room to flip the breaker back on

every time they fire their weapons.

662

Laura: Like, this seems

like a massive design flaw.

663

Like,

664

Xhafer: I think the biggest design

flaw is not having a battery backup

665

timer that counts the minute down until

they get power back in big red numbers

666

right on the bridge so that all the

characters could be staring at it.

667

Laura: Like, freaking out.

668

Xhafer: Yeah,

669

it's just like, uh

670

Victor: Huh.

671

Well, maybe they do that in Crusade.

672

Oh, we'll find out.

673

Heh heh.

674

Laura: Speaking of freaking out, I

forgot to mention that Sheridan has

675

a little, like, mini freak out here.

676

He sees Earth instead of asteroids through

the windshield right as they're about to

677

fire

678

Victor: No!

679

No!

680

He has a big no.

681

He's like, No!

682

Xhafer: Speaking of which, the Excalibur

does go full Death Star here, with the

683

little lasers forming the big laser.

684

Victor: Fuck yeah!

685

Heh heh

686

Xhafer: coolest thing.

687

It makes absolutely no sense.

688

Laura: Right.

689

Victor: Yeah.

690

But, but it, it is similar to,

to what the way the Lon weapons

691

worked, um, on their ships.

692

So that, that's kind of cool.

693

I like, I like that.

694

Laura: Yeah.

695

So there's a piece that we kept for sure.

696

Cause we sure didn't

keep the whole, you know,

697

this thing doesn't have the,

698

Victor: It has a very human look to

it, to its design, but still I love it.

699

I, this is the, the Excalibur is, is

one of my favorite ships in sci-fi ever.

700

It just looks fucking cool.

701

and, and one thing they do is a big

misstep in this movie here is they don't.

702

Really have any shots that really truly

capture the scale of this ship Because

703

it's this the Excalibur is supposed to

be one third the length of Babylon 5.

704

It's fucking huge.

705

So

706

Xhafer: shit.

707

That's too big to make a ship.

708

Victor: Yeah, well, well now the

drach ships are around the same size

709

most of the big carrier drach ships

I got a you know, I'll drop that

710

in the discord too after the show.

711

Xhafer: The

712

Victor: I've got a Yeah.

713

Yeah.

714

cuz I love stuff like that.

715

It's a

716

Laura: I think they do mention in the

intro to Crusade that it's like a mile

717

long or a mile and a half or something.

718

Victor: that's something you do see

in Crusade, is along the main body

719

of the Excalibur, there's a big, um,

subway that takes you from one of

720

the ship to the other, like a maglev.

721

So, that's you'll see that a few times.

722

Anyway, Sheridan has another vision,

this time he's in Alien Stonehenge.

723

Xhafer: Yeah, he's at the gathering

of the Technomages, which is the The

724

worst concert I've ever attended.

725

Um, Right.

726

Real.

727

Look, I have done my time in

the goth industrial club scene.

728

I was enough of a regular at a

industrial club in Detroit where I

729

was recognized by most of the staff

730

Victor: Oh my god, I, I want to,

Ja'far, please tell me you have

731

some pics of you back in your,

your goth industrial phase, I'll,

732

I, want to, I

733

want to see you

734

Xhafer: suit goth.

735

No, no, none of that stuff.

736

Not, I mean, not that I've

never worn eye makeup.

737

You should see me in mascara.

738

But no, I was just like

a shirt and tie goth.

739

Like, yeah, it was like black shirt,

black tie, black pants most of the time.

740

Victor: Oh, okay, I can see, yeah, I

can see you pulling, yeah, that's a good

741

Xhafer: Yeah.

742

Thank you.

743

Yeah.

744

Less gray up top back then too,

this is still all black up here.

745

Mostly because I was

dying it at that point,

746

but.

747

Laura: Yeah.

748

No, it could still work with the Grey.

749

Absolutely.

750

Xhafer: thank you.

751

Maybe, maybe gray tie.

752

Laura: the Technomages are not

happy with Sheridan being there.

753

Or with Galen just, like, fucking

around with any of this at all.

754

Xhafer: Mm hmm.

755

Laura: I guess they're in

their, their hiding place.

756

Victor: Yeah.

757

when last we saw the Technomages,

did they Didn't they say they

758

were going beyond the Rim?

759

Laura: Yeah, they did.

760

Xhafer: Yeah.

761

Victor: Okay, yeah, so they're

Presumably, they could be out

762

there hanging out with the Vorlons.

763

Xhafer: Yeah, well the whole

point was to fuck off so that no

764

one could take their technology.

765

Yeah.

766

Like, they were worried about the shadows

of the Vorlons getting their technology.

767

Victor: Mm hmm.

768

Ha Ha ha

769

ha ha

770

Laura: It was like, like, the

Shadows and Borlauns don't

771

already have this kind of shit.

772

Or were they really worried about,

like, the smaller races squabbling

773

over their technology to try

and fight whatever conflicts?

774

Yeah.

775

Xhafer: Yeah, I imagine, like, the Drak

would see these dudes and be all like,

776

So, we're just gonna capture them all.

777

Laura: Yeah.

778

Yeah.

779

Xhafer: And they can make this

780

Laura: Yeah.

781

Yeah.

782

Xhafer: Galen uh, set Sheridan out upon

his quest to find out more about the

783

Drakk as they prepare to strike Earth.

784

Uh, but he must keep it secret, because

the Drakk have spies everywhere.

785

Victor: Yeah, we'll get, we'll

get, we'll get back to that.

786

Um,

787

also he shows him some, bad CGI

stone faces of the, of the other

788

which they, they, I'm sorry, but

these, these faces that Galen

789

shows him, they don't look anything

790

Laura: Unrecognizable.

791

Xhafer: Completely.

792

Victor: Yeah,

793

it, it, yeah.

794

Laura: same song.

795

Second verse, doesn't it?

796

Xhafer: Right?

797

Laura: Like the shadows

had spies everywhere.

798

Victor: right.

799

Well, I guess the Drak

were the spies, maybe?

800

And, they, because I'm guessing it's,

they have a bunch of those little keeper

801

things on, attached to the shoulders

of, of people everywhere, and again, we

802

wouldn't know because they're invisible.

803

Laura: Yeah.

804

That's part of how the

shadows had spies everywhere.

805

Sure.

806

Victor: Mm hmm.

807

Xhafer: Anyways, Sheridan wakes up from

this vision in the captain's chair.

808

Man, wouldn't you feel really bad

about having a leader just falling

809

asleep on the job all the time?

810

Laura: Hmm.

811

Xhafer: Wouldn't that bother you?

812

Victor: Oh, stop.

813

God.

814

So Sheridan is drawing.

815

He's sitting in the captain's

chair, sketching pictures

816

of the faces that he saw.

817

Laura: After he's been sleeping, yeah,

818

Victor: yeah.

819

And, once again, I'm pretty sure I've said

this on both of the other episodes I guess

820

hosted on WhoRU and I'm gonna fuckin say

it again, Where do you get paper in space?

821

He's sitting there drawing fuckin

paper and he has a whole sketchpad

822

with a, with a, with like a

crayon uh, uh, charcoal pencil.

823

Xhafer: Yeah.

824

And you know that's leaving, like,

charcoal dust everywhere, and you're in

825

a super sealed environment, like, you

can't use that stuff in space, guys!

826

Laura: Maybe it's all reclaimed

uh, USA, no, not USA Today.

827

What is it?

828

Earth Today?

829

Victor: Yeah, the recycled Newspapers?

830

yeah.

831

Laura: Maybe it's all reclaimed

and we make new paper.

832

Yeah.

833

Victor: on, man.

834

They couldn't've given him a

little fake iPad to draw this on?

835

I got Ahhh!

836

Ahhh!

837

Paper in space makes no sense.

838

Ok.

839

Xhafer: We cut over to

captain Anderson here

840

played by the legendary Tony fucking Todd.

841

Victor: He was a candy man.

842

He was Kern.

843

It's Candy Kern!

844

Ah!

845

Laura: we start assembling the crew,

you know, that's got to do this

846

thing and it becomes clear, oh, some

of them are going on to crusade.

847

We don't get Tony Todd in crusade.

848

Like

849

Victor: part of my, that's

part of my notes later.

850

Like in, in a perfect world where,

where Victor in an alternate universe.

851

Was the producer, executive

producer of Babylon 5.

852

I would've made Tony Todd the

fucking captain of Crusade.

853

Laura: How

854

Victor: been so cool.

855

Ah,

856

Xhafer: Yeah.

857

He abruptly sets course for Babylon 5.

858

The White Star arrives

and Lockley greets them.

859

And we get some, some notes from

Sheridan on tracking down the others.

860

Darina sees security looking for

her and runs for it, but is caught.

861

And then we get a little bit

of Darina's background here.

862

We learn she is from Xander Prime,

a world the Shadows destroyed

863

during the end of the war.

864

Anderson arrives and

uh, FaceTimes Sheridan.

865

Adrena comes in and attacks Sheridan

866

Victor: Yeah.

867

That was a very nice overacting.

868

Where Doreena just charges

Sheridan and tackles him.

869

Like AHHHHH!

870

Laura: You got to pick

the right target, Doreena.

871

This is the wrong target.

872

Xhafer: Yeah.

873

Victor: And as Lockley and Sheridan are

discussing this uh, they get a picture

874

of her, they talk about her, and Sheridan

has such a weird line where they mention

875

that security picks her up and she has

the belongings and wallets and credits

876

or whatever of like 20 different people.

877

Sheridan has a very weird line where

he says oh, she's a good thief.

878

Like, that just seems so

out of character for him.

879

But I mean, I understand

it's meant to establish that.

880

Darina is a good thief, but I

really feel like Zack should

881

have been here in this scene

882

giving a security debriefing.

883

Yeah, he's the one who should have

said She's obviously a professional or

884

something that matter but this this The

the dialogue here is absolutely terrible

885

Laura: The other piece of dialogue

that I caught here that I did not

886

like was Sheridan playing absolutely

dumb about why she would be pissed

887

at him for the destruction of her

888

Victor: Right

889

Xhafer: Riiiight.

890

I've forgiven myself for this thing,

so you must have forgiven me for it.

891

A plus, that's how that works.

892

Men would literally rather become

president of the Interstellar

893

Alliance than go to therapy.

894

Laura: yup,

895

uh,

896

Xhafer: Uh,

897

We get a scene right after this with

Lockley and Garibaldi talking about

898

how batshit Sheridan's being right now.

899

I love this scene.

900

This is like one of the best

scenes in this movie to me.

901

Because it really sees that the

bridge that they built in Season

902

5 between the two of them is still

there, and that they will bond over

903

John Sheridan's whack ass bullshit

904

the

905

Laura: Uh huh.

906

Victor: ha!

907

Nice.

908

Laura: I love how Lockley

is always incredulous with

909

like, Oh god, this shit again?

910

Whenever people show up it's like,

Yes, Lockley, I get you, girl.

911

Xhafer: heh

912

heh heh.

913

Laura: Yeah, they try to call

Sheridan and get his voicemail,

914

which is also pretty funny.

915

That's a good scene.

916

Xhafer: Before that, Sheridan

convinces Doreena To aim her

917

revenge at the Drak and help them.

918

And then they hastily leave.

919

They haven't, there's a

Drazi they haven't met yet.

920

Victor: Mm

921

hmm.

922

They're like, yeah,

923

We

924

Xhafer: head out.

925

Victor: for him to get here.

926

Xhafer: Yeah.

927

Victor: And they leave on

board the How's it, the Hermes?

928

Was the name of Anderson's ship?

929

Xhafer: I just wrote

Earth Force Destroyer.

930

I didn't

931

write the name of

932

the

933

Victor: of it.

934

Damn it.

935

Uh, but I thought it was, I took note

that I thought it was funny that uh,

936

Sheridan takes Tony Todd's chair.

937

Laura: Yes!

938

Victor: He grabs his fucking

captain's chair, man.

939

I'm like, dude, what the hell?

940

Laura: Uh Huh.

941

I was like, you are not in

his chain of command, sir.

942

Like, do you deserve the captain's chair?

943

fuck?

944

Victor: Yeah,

945

Xhafer: you you very notably resigned

from Earthforce and gave up your

946

ability to sit in those chairs, sir.

947

Laura: You made a whole

new government, sir.

948

Like, for real.

949

Tony Todd is being very

gracious is all I'm saying.

950

Xhafer: Yeah.

951

Laura: Uh, They call up Drake on the

comms and super bully him so they

952

can steal the ship and that's pretty

953

fun.

954

Xhafer: Yeah, Sheridan

takes both destroyers.

955

Tony Todd is gonna captain the Victory.

956

He's gonna captain the Excalibur,

and they head to Deltron 7, leaving

957

the Earth Force destroyer behind.

958

Victor: Yeah.

959

Laura: I get, I

960

hope they left

961

Victor: At least .Did they?

962

Xhafer: mean, maybe there's

not enough crew to man

963

three

964

ships.

965

On the, on the Charon, so.

966

Laura: yeah,

967

Xhafer: They arrive at

Deltron 7 in short order.

968

They were expecting a paradise.

969

They describe it like it's Ryza.

970

But find evidence of a shadow planet

killer cloud having been used.

971

Victor: The planet is dead.

972

Xhafer: All they find is a drowsy distress

call coming from the dream soundstage.

973

Victor: Yeah, They send down an

away team in a couple of shuttles.

974

And they're all wearing parkas.

975

Laura: But it looks

976

Xhafer: Love those Away Team

977

Victor: ha ha!

978

Laura: original series, like it's very

foam rocks covered in dust kind of thing.

979

Victor: ha ha!

980

Xhafer: Mm hmm.

981

Even the parkas.

982

Laura: Yeah.

983

Xhafer: They're very Star Trek movies.

984

Victor: One bit of continuity here

I appreciate is that the Drazi, the

985

dead Drazi that they find, Darina

slices him open and finds his hidden

986

sack for smuggling that he has and

finds the uh, his voicemail USB stick.

987

One piece of continuity I appreciate

is that Drazi blood is white.

988

I remember you guys mentioning this

on a previous episode of Who Are You?

989

Where there was a fight with some Drazi

and there was Drazi blood and you were

990

like, Is Drazi blood supposed to be

just, you know, milk white like that?

991

So yeah, I remember that specifically.

992

I don't remember which

episode it was, but yeah.

993

I appreciate this consistency.

994

Laura: I also like the reference

that not everyone keeps their

995

genitals in the same place

996

because his are like in his armpit,

997

right?

998

Xhafer: just

999

Victor: up all kinds of

questions that I'm sure there's

00:42:51,417 --> 00:42:52,597

fanfiction about somewhere.

00:42:52,657 --> 00:42:57,947

It

00:42:58,092 --> 00:42:59,792

Xhafer: don't say, don't say.

00:43:00,162 --> 00:43:02,032

Let them use their imaginations.

00:43:03,727 --> 00:43:06,707

Laura: Okay, just imagine what

Ja'far is doing with his armpit.

00:43:07,257 --> 00:43:09,987

Victor: so when you see a Drazi

putting on deodorant and taking

00:43:09,987 --> 00:43:11,157

a little bit of extra time.

00:43:14,527 --> 00:43:15,107

Laura: plans.

00:43:15,137 --> 00:43:15,907

You got plans for

00:43:15,907 --> 00:43:16,287

later.

00:43:17,032 --> 00:43:20,662

Xhafer: Tony Todd confirms the Planet

Killer was used only a week ago,

00:43:21,322 --> 00:43:22,852

as well, which is an important bit.

00:43:23,382 --> 00:43:26,922

Garibaldi talks to Drake and confirms

that Sheridan took the Destroyers.

00:43:27,902 --> 00:43:31,982

Well, Captain Anderson calls home

to check on his wife and kids.

00:43:33,107 --> 00:43:36,377

Victor: This is another classic

Babylon 5 trope, which I really like.

00:43:36,877 --> 00:43:41,067

You know, Sheridan has done this a few

times, or at least once, I want to say.

00:43:41,272 --> 00:43:43,002

Xhafer: Yeah, call home before you might

00:43:43,017 --> 00:43:43,307

Victor: Yeah.

00:43:43,897 --> 00:43:44,237

Laura: Yeah.

00:43:44,247 --> 00:43:45,027

Something bad's

00:43:45,173 --> 00:43:47,236

Victor: ha ha ha ha!

00:43:47,236 --> 00:43:47,752

ha!

00:43:53,087 --> 00:44:00,282

Xhafer: Yeah.

00:44:01,792 --> 00:44:05,912

Victor: I'm sorry, dude, I can't

You can't be Badass Captain

00:44:05,932 --> 00:44:07,062

and your name is Leonard, man.

00:44:07,092 --> 00:44:07,472

Come on!

00:44:07,472 --> 00:44:09,045

Ha ha ha ha!

00:44:09,045 --> 00:44:09,438

ha!

00:44:09,438 --> 00:44:09,832

ha!

00:44:09,832 --> 00:44:11,080

Yeah, he should have been ha ha!

00:44:11,147 --> 00:44:11,887

Laura: Captain Leo.

00:44:11,932 --> 00:44:12,322

Victor: Leo.

00:44:12,322 --> 00:44:12,682

ha ha

00:44:12,682 --> 00:44:13,042

ha ha

00:44:13,042 --> 00:44:13,202

ha!

00:44:13,472 --> 00:44:13,642

That

00:44:13,642 --> 00:44:14,222

would have been better.

00:44:14,652 --> 00:44:15,092

Xhafer: Mm hmm.

00:44:15,622 --> 00:44:20,570

The Drak arrive in the system, and Doreena

goes to attempt subterfuge but the Drak

00:44:20,570 --> 00:44:22,520

attack before they can communicate.

00:44:23,240 --> 00:44:27,220

Two of the Drak ships

fly into a null field.

00:44:27,680 --> 00:44:29,850

Victor: Yeah, the null

field never gets explained.

00:44:29,850 --> 00:44:29,985

The End.

00:44:30,140 --> 00:44:30,580

Xhafer: Yeah.

00:44:31,160 --> 00:44:35,750

The Excalibur fires main guns into the

cloud, and then they pass through on

00:44:35,750 --> 00:44:37,870

the other side, and it's the Drak fleet.

00:44:37,935 --> 00:44:40,999

Uh, They jump away and

set course for Earth.

00:44:41,326 --> 00:44:45,676

Victor: I think Captain Anderson's

number one asks, Are those the Druk?

00:44:45,676 --> 00:44:48,166

And we get another

amazing piece of dialogue.

00:44:48,246 --> 00:44:51,846

Writer's, God, how did they not

get a fucking award for this thing?

00:44:52,296 --> 00:44:55,696

Where Captain Anderson said, Those

are either the Druk, Or the weirdest

00:44:55,706 --> 00:44:57,446

pizza delivery trucks I've ever seen.

00:44:58,006 --> 00:45:00,486

Who the, who the fuck wrote that line?

00:45:00,846 --> 00:45:00,866

Xhafer: heh

00:45:03,706 --> 00:45:04,116

Laura: Well,

00:45:04,116 --> 00:45:08,426

Xhafer: wanna know what pizza

00:45:08,506 --> 00:45:08,836

Or

00:45:08,866 --> 00:45:11,336

00:45:11,376 --> 00:45:11,866

Whatever.

00:45:12,756 --> 00:45:13,946

Whatever year it fuckin is.

00:45:13,961 --> 00:45:14,421

Victor: Mm hmm.

00:45:15,046 --> 00:45:17,796

Xhafer: Sheridan FaceTimes

Lockley to catch her up, and she

00:45:17,796 --> 00:45:19,766

calls the president of EarthGov.

00:45:20,231 --> 00:45:23,641

Laura: Reluctantly, she's

like, what the fuck now?

00:45:23,741 --> 00:45:26,131

Like, why are you making me do this?

00:45:26,181 --> 00:45:27,791

No one's going to believe me.

00:45:28,691 --> 00:45:31,841

Victor: another piece of callback

continuity that I appreciated is that she

00:45:31,841 --> 00:45:36,751

says she has to call President Luchenko,

who we saw on, I believe, the last

00:45:36,751 --> 00:45:39,251

episode, I guess, hosted on WhoRU, where

00:45:39,881 --> 00:45:41,551

Sheridan went back to Earth to trial.

00:45:41,551 --> 00:45:44,771

It was the only time we actually

saw President Luchenko on screen,

00:45:44,771 --> 00:45:46,466

so I'm glad that she uh, she

00:45:46,466 --> 00:45:47,766

got, she kept her

00:45:47,796 --> 00:45:48,906

Laura: She's hanging around.

00:45:49,276 --> 00:45:50,256

We got four year terms.

00:45:50,256 --> 00:45:51,156

She got re upped.

00:45:51,686 --> 00:45:52,006

Victor: Mm hmm.

00:45:52,671 --> 00:45:57,581

Xhafer: Sheridan FaceTimes Garibaldi

and Drake reveals that he was the leak.

00:45:57,846 --> 00:46:01,301

Laura: Dun, dun,

00:46:01,551 --> 00:46:05,211

Xhafer: captures Drake and confirms

Sheridan's story, and when the

00:46:05,211 --> 00:46:08,671

Excalibur and Victory jump to Earth,

they find the fleet assembled.

00:46:09,021 --> 00:46:15,121

Victor: Now this, this scene where

Garibaldi and Drake, I have to say,

00:46:15,131 --> 00:46:19,441

this is probably, in my opinion, the

best thing about this movie is we get,

00:46:19,531 --> 00:46:23,382

this is the last appearance, of Jerry

Doyle as Garibaldi that we ever see.

00:46:23,927 --> 00:46:28,187

And this scene right here is

the most Garibaldi scene ever.

00:46:28,277 --> 00:46:32,137

Where Drake has got him at

gunpoint, and Garibaldi just

00:46:32,257 --> 00:46:35,037

shit talks his way out of it.

00:46:35,037 --> 00:46:37,007

And subdues him.

00:46:37,707 --> 00:46:40,497

This is peak Garibaldi, I have to say.

00:46:40,527 --> 00:46:43,197

And to me, that's the

best part of the movie.

00:46:48,620 --> 00:46:52,190

Xhafer: Russian general, who has

to start eating his words mere

00:46:52,190 --> 00:46:53,810

moments after they leave his mouth.

00:46:53,825 --> 00:46:55,375

Laura: I loved his attitude though.

00:46:55,385 --> 00:46:58,225

He was so unimpressed answering the phone.

00:46:58,525 --> 00:47:00,805

He was like, what the fuck do you want?

00:47:02,110 --> 00:47:02,130

Xhafer: heh.

00:47:03,030 --> 00:47:06,010

I'm having a shit day and it's your fault.

00:47:06,010 --> 00:47:08,390

Heh heh

00:47:08,580 --> 00:47:11,670

Laura: He does change his tune and

he's gonna follow Sheridan, but I

00:47:11,680 --> 00:47:13,780

loved the take on bringing it in.

00:47:14,505 --> 00:47:14,895

Xhafer: Yep.

00:47:16,410 --> 00:47:20,110

Victor: me up, doing this, he thinks

it's a training exercise or some shit.

00:47:20,810 --> 00:47:24,150

And then, and then the drach

show up with their planet killer.

00:47:24,590 --> 00:47:29,640

And, I really appreciated this,

but did you guys notice that the

00:47:29,640 --> 00:47:33,252

shadow planet killer, it just

kind of fades in a little bit.

00:47:33,550 --> 00:47:35,650

In the same manner that

the Shadow Vessels did.

00:47:35,680 --> 00:47:41,050

But, the Drok ships arrived with the

blue vortex jump, hyperspace jump points.

00:47:41,490 --> 00:47:42,650

So that's really cool.

00:47:42,670 --> 00:47:46,300

Again, it's little bits of continuity

that I really love about this movie.

00:47:46,730 --> 00:47:51,050

You know, it's showing that the,

the Shadow technology is, is way

00:47:51,050 --> 00:47:53,530

ahead of the Drok technology.

00:47:53,750 --> 00:47:57,020

They, they got a hold of something

that's way more advanced than they have.

00:47:57,220 --> 00:47:58,830

Laura: Yeah, they're

just playing with toys.

00:47:59,195 --> 00:48:02,175

Xhafer: Yeah, it really shows

that Joe Straczynski was paying

00:48:02,175 --> 00:48:03,985

attention when he did this one.

00:48:04,265 --> 00:48:07,885

Compared to Legend of the Rangers, where

he was definitely Sleepy Joe at the wheel.

00:48:08,220 --> 00:48:09,590

Laura: Checked out, yeah.

00:48:09,950 --> 00:48:12,970

The battle for Earth is interesting,

too, in that, you know, we bring in

00:48:12,970 --> 00:48:15,830

all the Alliance ships, like, all

the Alliance worlds are doing what

00:48:15,830 --> 00:48:16,840

they're supposed to do.

00:48:16,875 --> 00:48:21,595

Victor: yeah, we, we, we see Minbari ships

there, Brachiri, White Stars, every kind

00:48:21,595 --> 00:48:26,145

of Earth force vessel, and we even get a

Vree flying saucer in the background there

00:48:26,200 --> 00:48:27,310

Laura: Oh, that's fun,

00:48:27,675 --> 00:48:28,095

Victor: yeah.

00:48:28,755 --> 00:48:31,895

Xhafer: They have to be

closer to Earth, right?

00:48:32,145 --> 00:48:34,395

Like, I always think of the

League of Non Aligned Worlds

00:48:34,395 --> 00:48:35,350

as, like, being closer to Earth.

00:48:35,830 --> 00:48:39,910

On the other side of the galaxy from

Earth, because we know that the Centauri

00:48:39,910 --> 00:48:41,820

are close and that the Mimbari are close.

00:48:42,275 --> 00:48:42,635

Victor: mhm.

00:48:43,270 --> 00:48:46,650

Xhafer: But the Vrii have to be somewhere

right around there, because they've been

00:48:46,650 --> 00:48:49,670

abducting humans for hundreds of years.

00:48:49,740 --> 00:48:50,380

Laura: exactly.

00:48:50,670 --> 00:48:51,500

Xhafer: Canonically.

00:48:51,500 --> 00:48:53,970

Mm

00:48:54,070 --> 00:48:56,930

Victor: on, this was a Vree ship

that was fucking around trying

00:48:56,930 --> 00:48:58,380

to abduct some cows or something.

00:48:58,420 --> 00:49:02,440

And was like, oh, and it got caught, like,

when this massive distress call came out.

00:49:02,440 --> 00:49:04,050

And they were like, what, what,

we weren't doing nothing, you

00:49:04,050 --> 00:49:04,220

know.

00:49:04,380 --> 00:49:04,800

Laura: no.

00:49:06,330 --> 00:49:07,130

Victor: Put the cow back.

00:49:07,560 --> 00:49:07,900

Xhafer: Yep.

00:49:08,231 --> 00:49:09,861

Victor: So then the fleet battle begins.

00:49:09,911 --> 00:49:10,401

Xhafer: Yeah,

00:49:11,171 --> 00:49:15,391

Victor: I noticed on board, on board

the Excalibur and the Victory, something

00:49:15,391 --> 00:49:19,801

that I'd never seen before, on the

bridge of those ships, we, we get the

00:49:19,811 --> 00:49:23,431

extras, the Earth Force guys are just

kind of poking their heads up over

00:49:23,431 --> 00:49:26,561

the bridge to look at the, the screen

and be like, whoa, what's going on?

00:49:26,791 --> 00:49:30,951

So, we've never, we've never seen that

before, but they're all like poking around

00:49:30,971 --> 00:49:32,461

going, whoa, whoa, what's happening?

00:49:32,561 --> 00:49:36,011

And I like that because that's, that's

kind of, that's kind of realistic.

00:49:36,011 --> 00:49:36,971

And it kind of also.

00:49:37,431 --> 00:49:40,471

Speaks to the fact that these

ships are way more advanced.

00:49:40,491 --> 00:49:43,471

They mentioned that they have a lot

more automation, so You know, I'm

00:49:43,471 --> 00:49:46,311

guessing these guys don't necessarily

have to be at their stations

00:49:46,861 --> 00:49:47,871

a hundred percent of the time.

00:49:48,261 --> 00:49:51,591

They can just get up and poke their

heads around to see what's going on.

00:49:52,151 --> 00:49:56,691

Xhafer: So, in this space battle Sharon

starts kinda throwing some lob shots

00:49:56,691 --> 00:49:59,751

into the Planet Killer to determine

its structure, if it's actually a

00:49:59,751 --> 00:50:01,321

cloud, if there's a superstructure.

00:50:01,971 --> 00:50:07,451

And then he starts scanning every

available frequency to learn

00:50:07,561 --> 00:50:09,151

anything he can about this thing.

00:50:09,521 --> 00:50:11,451

And they find this control point.

00:50:11,781 --> 00:50:14,911

And then they find this weird

thing kind of near the control

00:50:14,911 --> 00:50:16,091

point, what they think is.

00:50:16,111 --> 00:50:17,031

And it's hard to tell.

00:50:17,471 --> 00:50:21,231

And Drina determines the

weak point because of the

00:50:21,241 --> 00:50:23,671

subterfuge, her thief's mind,

00:50:24,041 --> 00:50:25,341

Victor: Hmm, she thinks like a thief.

00:50:25,341 --> 00:50:26,661

Some more terrible dialogue.

00:50:27,263 --> 00:50:30,223

Xhafer: And, uh, Sheridan

decides to go for it.

00:50:30,703 --> 00:50:34,363

And it's at this point, Captain

Anderson gets Sheridan to clear a

00:50:34,363 --> 00:50:37,483

path so that he can go full Klingon.

00:50:40,308 --> 00:50:43,338

Victor: another thing about this battle

scene is they use a technique that I

00:50:43,358 --> 00:50:48,978

think we see it a few times in Crusade as

well, where They have some muted scenes

00:50:49,068 --> 00:50:54,318

of Sheridan and Captain Anderson giving

the order to fire and it just cuts back

00:50:54,318 --> 00:50:58,398

and forth between exterior shots of the

ship and back to the captain's chair where

00:50:58,398 --> 00:51:00,098

they're ordering fire, but it's muted.

00:51:00,678 --> 00:51:01,808

I don't like this technique.

00:51:01,818 --> 00:51:03,178

It's used a few times.

00:51:03,188 --> 00:51:03,988

I think it's dumb.

00:51:04,088 --> 00:51:08,538

You know, I think to me it's very

obviously that they were working

00:51:08,538 --> 00:51:11,898

within the confines of their CGI

budget because we should have got

00:51:11,898 --> 00:51:15,418

a really epic space battle here,

but we only got bits and pieces.

00:51:15,418 --> 00:51:15,498

I

00:51:16,408 --> 00:51:16,898

Laura: Yeah.

00:51:17,155 --> 00:51:19,925

There was some weird edit and

weird music in this one, right?

00:51:19,955 --> 00:51:20,055

Or

00:51:20,180 --> 00:51:21,070

Victor: Oh, the music.

00:51:21,070 --> 00:51:22,240

Yeah, we haven't even talked about the

00:51:22,240 --> 00:51:22,980

music yet.

00:51:23,025 --> 00:51:24,485

Xhafer: this is miserable.

00:51:24,550 --> 00:51:26,070

Victor: it's, what's

the name of the new guy?

00:51:27,070 --> 00:51:27,500

Chen.

00:51:28,065 --> 00:51:28,515

Laura: I don't know.

00:51:28,515 --> 00:51:29,975

Is he also the Crusade guy?

00:51:30,015 --> 00:51:32,165

Because Crusade also feels pretty weird.

00:51:32,375 --> 00:51:34,755

And I'm sure it was just

like transitioning to the

00:51:34,755 --> 00:51:36,275

new thing for Crusade.

00:51:36,785 --> 00:51:37,745

But man, what a

00:51:37,795 --> 00:51:40,315

Victor: Yeah, they lost their

original music guy and brought in

00:51:40,315 --> 00:51:44,395

this new, new wave, weird techno,

00:51:45,255 --> 00:51:47,065

Laura: It doesn't feel like Babylon

00:51:47,075 --> 00:51:52,145

Victor: Yeah, I've described

it as a Casio keyboard that he

00:51:52,145 --> 00:51:53,675

just let his cat walk across.

00:51:54,245 --> 00:51:54,605

That's what

00:51:54,605 --> 00:51:55,485

it sounds like to me.

00:51:56,195 --> 00:51:57,865

Um, yeah, I don't like the

00:51:57,955 --> 00:52:00,775

Laura: I remember the edits you're

talking about and then also music

00:52:00,785 --> 00:52:01,665

with it that I was like, Hmm.

00:52:01,665 --> 00:52:03,520

Yeah.

00:52:04,475 --> 00:52:07,125

Xhafer: They destroy that

secondary bridge, which causes

00:52:07,135 --> 00:52:09,035

all the missiles to go off.

00:52:09,385 --> 00:52:13,295

I'm guessing this was a, like,

stop other people from getting

00:52:13,295 --> 00:52:15,055

the technology kind of thing.

00:52:15,085 --> 00:52:18,395

That's the only thing that really made

sense to me, is why you would blow up the

00:52:18,395 --> 00:52:20,025

bridge and it would just self destruct.

00:52:20,065 --> 00:52:20,205

That

00:52:20,345 --> 00:52:24,125

Victor: well, well, the way, the way

it, it's described, the way, the way I

00:52:24,665 --> 00:52:29,225

interpreted it is that it's a big, the

shadow planet killer is a massive net

00:52:29,675 --> 00:52:33,965

that folds itself around a planet and

then has all kinds of hard points to where

00:52:33,965 --> 00:52:36,065

it fires nuclear missiles at the center.

00:52:36,065 --> 00:52:40,865

So when they activate it prematurely

and there's no planet in between,

00:52:40,865 --> 00:52:42,575

it just fires on itself, destroying