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.

Before diving into Crusade, Laura and Xhafer check in one last time on everyone's favorite Psi Cop turned Parisian literary critic. Does Garibaldi finally get his revenge? Will women 50 years younger stop throwing themselves at Bester? Does Lise finally have her moment to shine? Find out as we read The Psi Corps Trilogy Book 3: Final Reckoning - The Fate of Bester.

Hello and welcome to Who Are You?

2

This is the Babylon 5 Watchcast hosted

by two former strangers but now friends

3

who've gotten to know each other while

re watching and reading Who Are You?

4

Books related to a show, from

their childhood, Babylon 5.

5

I'm Jafar,

6

Laura: And I'm Laura.

7

Xhafer: and we've got book club today.

8

Laura: It's book club, the

final Psycore book club.

9

Xhafer: Yeah.

10

Laura: Not the final book

club book club, theoretically.

11

Xhafer: No, we have the Centauri

Trilogy Legions of Fire planned.

12

Laura: Yeah, exciting.

13

Xhafer: for months from now,

which I should start reading

14

that because it's a trilogy and

we're doing it in one book club.

15

Laura: Oh my gosh.

16

That's, it's a lot.

17

Xhafer: It's like that.

18

It's it's so ambitious.

19

You might compare it to the time we

thought we were gonna recap Stargate

20

SG one in one episode on last time on.

21

Laura: Right.

22

hubris of man.

23

The classic hubris.

24

Xhafer: Yeah.

25

The hubris of me, mostly,

doing the scheduling.

26

Laura: Yeah.

27

Xhafer: But,

28

Laura: If those books are anything

like these books, they are a fast read.

29

Xhafer: yes.

30

We had very different

experiences reading these books.

31

Laura: Yeah, well, I was on

vacation, so I like had time.

32

I was taking time.

33

Aaron did most of, actually, Aaron

did all of the driving to Indiana.

34

And uh, I was sitting, you know,

shotgun and like reading two

35

chapters, writing notes on those two

chapters, reading two more chapters,

36

writing notes on those chapters.

37

Xhafer: Yeah, and this is our

first, I mean, listener, you've

38

had us back for a week already.

39

We're recording these out of order

because of how I read this book.

40

Which was, Laura gets back from vacation,

couple of texties, Hey, what's going on?

41

We should record.

42

We've got legend of

the Rangers, et cetera.

43

And you're like, Oh, I'm

also ready for book club.

44

And I'm all like, I haven't picked up

this book and that was Thursday night.

45

It is Sunday afternoon

and I have read the book.

46

Laura: Yeah, it's a fast one though.

47

These are easy reads.

48

Yeah.

49

Yeah.

50

Xhafer: I thought, it's actually ended

up being very appropriate because the

51

middle chapters of the book, which just,

take time in luxuriating in blooming

52

out a word count for our authors, what

it feels like, because nothing happens.

53

Except we try to make Bester

sympathetic a couple of times, but

54

don't do a particularly good job of it

55

Laura: Yeah.

56

Xhafer: We'll get to that.

57

But I read those in a

hammock in my backyard.

58

So like appropriate

for the Paris chapters.

59

Laura: I think that the other two books,

if I remember correctly, and it has been

60

a minute since we did our other two book

clubs I feel like they were divided into

61

three parts and this one was only two.

62

Xhafer: Hmm.

63

We had that little epilogue at the

end, which I guess is a I would argue

64

that the last two chapters, maybe

the last three, are a part three.

65

But they don't justify, I don't

know if the word count or the

66

page count justify a part three,

67

Laura: To be a part three.

68

Xhafer: I don't know.

69

I don't think there's

any rules on that stuff.

70

I wonder what Bester the literary

critic would say about these books.

71

Because that was a turn I

wasn't expecting, but we should

72

probably get there in due time.

73

Laura: Sure.

74

So, this book opens, we have people

who seem like Psycops are chasing

75

someone who seems like a rogue you

know, from our previous experience.

76

He's hiding in an asteroid, right?

77

And we're, in the POV

of someone named Joseph

78

Xhafer: best Psy Hunter of them all.

79

Laura: Yeah.

80

Yeah, Joseph has a lot of hubris.

81

There's a lot of hubris in this book.

82

Xhafer: Yes.

83

Laura: He's sure he can catch this

blip, if you will, who is also a P 12.

84

His colleagues want him to be careful,

but he traps the target, kills him, brings

85

the body aboard the ship, and surprise!

86

It's actually one of his colleagues.

87

Oops.

88

So the colleague that came on

board with him was actually Bester.

89

And Bester kills everyone

and takes the ship.

90

Xhafer: Mm hmm.

91

Laura: yeah.

92

Nice, nice dramatic cold

open for our book, if you

93

Xhafer: Yeah, we got a cold open

with murder as we have come to

94

anticipate out of Babylon 5.

95

Um, I immediately was all like, well

obviously this is Bester because

96

this is the Bester book, right?

97

Laura: Mm

98

Xhafer: But, but also, he's doing the

same trick from when they were kids.

99

from the previous book,

and he even calls that out.

100

In fact, there's a lot of times where

they call out stuff that happened in

101

the other books in all but saying,

in the other book, this happened.

102

and it's all the same author.

103

yes, it kind of felt self

aggrandizing a couple of times.

104

Like, oh man, remember when

this great thing happened and

105

how well told that story was?

106

Laura: have some thoughts about

the author after this book, but

107

we'll just keep going for now.

108

Xhafer: Okay, save it for the end.

109

Laura: part one of this

book is homecoming.

110

So that is all based on Bester

wants to come home to Earth, right?

111

Xhafer: He's tired of them colonies

and their fake sea smells and

112

their, and their non native shrimps.

113

Yeah,

114

Laura: the shrimps, not gonna lie.

115

Xhafer: they taste a little different.

116

As they should.

117

Laura: Yeah.

118

Right.

119

So he's a fugitive since

the downfall of Psycor.

120

So they put us in time that

the Drok plague has subsided.

121

Xhafer: Yes, there's lots of

Excalibur Crusade references, which

122

is the next thing that we're doing.

123

So maybe we should have

held off, but whatever.

124

Laura: It's fine.

125

It's fine.

126

It's fine.

127

Like.

128

Xhafer: Yeah.

129

Laura: It's all very, like, tangential

and I would not have recognized

130

the Excalibur references the first

time I read this book because I

131

didn't really see any of Crusade.

132

Xhafer: Yeah.

133

Lots of like, oh, all the

best selling books are.

134

The memoirs and autobiographies

of the Excalibur crew and all

135

these other famous explorers and

we're in the age of heroes and

136

Laura: Mm hmm.

137

Yeah.

138

And uh, really, really,

really interesting.

139

Selling a bill of goods

for Crusade, isn't it?

140

Xhafer: sure is one we

know it will not meet Yeah,

141

Laura: now siding with Mundanes.

142

He's on a colony world and meets one of

his allies to arrange passage to Earth.

143

It's not a great idea.

144

He's apparently one of the, like,

top 10 most wanted war criminals.

145

Xhafer: I mean, yeah.

146

I was just gonna say, he

himself, like, puts himself on

147

a list with Hitler and Stalin.

148

Laura: Yeah.

149

Xhafer: I think two or

three times in this book.

150

Laura: Yeah, he doesn't seem to agree

with that, but he knows that he's there, I

151

Xhafer: Yeah.

152

Laura: Cool.

153

Xhafer: Not to, not to sell his

accomplishments short here, but

154

whenever they talk about the Psywar

and all this stuff, it sounds like

155

a handful thousand people died.

156

Laura: Yeah, I was wondering about the

scale of this, really, because we've

157

heard that telepaths are a pretty small

fraction of the whole human race, right?

158

And it's not just telepaths

dying, I guess that's the

159

Xhafer: Yeah, but, but they're like,

oh, you know, the, the thousands

160

that died in the Telmuth War.

161

And I don't mean to, like, belittle

the death of thousands of people.

162

Um, but that's just like, it's more

classic bester self aggrandizing.

163

Like, Oh, well, if I'm going to go down in

a mass as a mass murderer and genocider,

164

surely I'll be in the top three.

165

Laura: Mm

166

Xhafer: And it's all like

pole pots on the line.

167

Just all like, dude, like there are a

ton of way worse people than Bester.

168

If all he managed to do is kill tens

of thousands of people, but he places

169

himself right up at the top of the list

as always, and it's just, it's such Like,

170

I know I'm not a bad person, but if I was

a bad person, I'd be the best bad person.

171

It's such a fucking asshole take,

172

and just, and it's not even correct.

173

Ugh, it's just, I don't know.

174

This whole, I hated this book.

175

Laura: It does seem like they are

also considering War crimes, like

176

the actions of Psycorps just in

general before the war, right?

177

Like the re education camps and stuff,

and anything involved with that.

178

Because we know that was going on, like,

before the actual breakaway and stuff.

179

So, yeah.

180

I, I'm wondering what, where the

definition of these war crimes actually

181

begins, because I don't think it's

completely defined by the book.

182

Xhafer: I mean, that's Bester's defense.

183

At the trial at the end of the book

is that it's just all like, well, my

184

actions were legal when I made them.

185

Laura: Yeah.

186

Xhafer: And I'm like, okay, well,

cool, I guess uh, fuck off now, please.

187

Laura: we find out that Earthforce

is now accepting telepaths

188

Xhafer: Yes.

189

Laura: because he meets an Earthforce

telepath and he's offended by it.

190

He, like, befriends this dude and

then plants a false memory in him that

191

shows where he's going somewhere else.

192

So his intention is for this

guy eventually to remember.

193

That he did meet Bester and he

was going somewhere so that they

194

will take him on the wrong, you

know, go on the wrong trail.

195

Xhafer: Yeah, go check out this

distant ass colony right by the rim

196

while I fuck off to Earth, please.

197

Laura: Fuck off to Paris, specifically.

198

So, he winds up in Paris.

199

And was this where he did his

first, like, telepath hunt?

200

Was he went to Paris when he

wasn't supposed to and blah blah

201

Xhafer: Yeah, he was like, on that hiking

trip where he got assaulted, or this is on

202

his way to that hiking trip or something.

203

And he notices a rogue telepath

who's like in the top ten most wanted

204

because he follows all that stuff.

205

Because of course he does.

206

Oh god, it's just like

207

Bester, it's just a giant

cop circle jerk, these books.

208

I really hate it.

209

Laura: So, yeah, there's a nice little

symmetry the author's going for there,

210

where like, he went and followed one

of the most wanted to Paris, and now

211

he's one of the most wanted in Paris.

212

Yeah.

213

Uh,

214

Xhafer: Techniques abused to the

point of losing all meaning by J.

215

Gregory Keys.

216

Laura: so he, as you do, finds a,

like, kind of shoddy hotel and decides

217

to camp out there after he watches

the mundane hotel owner fending

218

herself off of a local Paris gang.

219

And then we also find out that Garibaldi

is still on his shit He's one of

220

the major players that's looking for

Bester, using, of course, his corporate

221

resources, which is, I'm sure, something

the shareholders totally approve of.

222

Xhafer: Heh heh heh.

223

Laura: apparently it was his team

that was looking for Bester in the

224

asteroid, and that all got killed.

225

So, whoopsie.

226

Xhafer: Yep.

227

Like, you've got Bester in an asteroid.

228

You suspect Bester is in an asteroid.

229

Why do you send people in?

230

You can bomb the shit out of it.

231

You know nobody else is there.

232

It's a fucking asteroid

in the middle of nowhere.

233

Just fucking bomb the shit out of it.

234

Book ends.

235

Chapter 1.

236

Done.

237

They find a body.

238

They ID it.

239

It was Bester.

240

Cool.

241

You know uh, it's not like the

military has a uh, great track record.

242

Maybe it's improved.

243

Maybe that's why.

244

Maybe I'm just desensitized to this

because we have such a terrible

245

track record of this person's there.

246

Let's blow it up.

247

but it seems like that would

be the first card you play.

248

Laura: the problem is

it's Garibaldi, right?

249

And Garibaldi really wants to, at

some point, waggle his fingers in

250

front of Bester, like Veer, you know?

251

Xhafer: Mm hmm.

252

Laura: He's gotta have it.

253

He's gotta have that, or

it won't mean anything,

254

Xhafer: Yeah.

255

Laura: With that Earth Force telepath

who is given a name now, Thompson.

256

And he's rude to him, as is

his custom, with all telepaths.

257

He's just on his bullshit this whole book.

258

Like, it's full of Garibaldi sex bullshit.

259

Xhafer: Yep.

260

It's remarkable that Bester is

the worst character in this book

261

still, because Garibaldi goes out

of his way to be a terrible fucking

262

person for most of this book.

263

Laura: Yeah.

264

Xhafer: There's one bit in

particular where he's like,

265

small talking someone in Paris.

266

Or like, the cop.

267

And he makes some like, reference

to like, oh I banged some

268

hot blonde back in the day.

269

And it's all like, what?

270

What the fuck are you doing?

271

Why does this fucking matter?

272

This isn't even pertinent to the

conversation you're having in any regard.

273

You bring it up because you're Garibaldi.

274

Laura: Yeah.

275

Definitely felt this way.

276

Garibaldi's onto this shit.

277

He's, you know, the, the false trail

has surfaced and he thinks Thompson

278

is either a time bomb, you know, he's

one of those completely defragged

279

personalities and he's going to explode

at some point or it's a false lead.

280

So those are his two options.

281

He decides that he's going to keep

Thompson close because if he's either of

282

those things, he needs him close, right?

283

Xhafer: Yeah.

284

Laura: he gives him a job

at Revenge Industries.

285

Bester is having hallucinations of Byron.

286

Did we know this?

287

Did we know that apparently in the

tragedy of telepaths, was that the

288

Xhafer: Yeah.

289

Yeah.

290

Laura: apparently Bester reached out

to Byron telepathically in the moment

291

before he explodes to death and got

stuck with a little piece of Byron.

292

I don't think that's

hinted in the show, right?

293

Xhafer: I don't think so, either.

294

Um, it's the first I remember hearing of

it, and I thought that was a really cool

295

plot point, until Bester just turns it

off a third of the way through the book

296

for no reason other than he's bored of it.

297

Laura: Uh Huh.

298

Yeah, it seems like it should be something

that's harder to get rid of, right?

299

Like, when you just turn it

300

Xhafer: Why, like, even like, At the

end of the book, when like, Bester

301

is defeated, he's all like, Oh,

Byron, you're not gonna come mock me?

302

Because I just turned you off so good

20 years ago in my mind or something?

303

And it's just like, why the fuck didn't

you do this forever ago, if it's so easy?

304

And it's just, it's so fucking pointless.

305

Like everything else, and I

really did not like this book.

306

Heh heh heh.

307

Heh heh

308

Laura: I just feel like he should have

to get that scraped out or something.

309

I guess the implication was like, okay,

like, he's hanging on to him because he

310

can't let go and then he lets go at some

point, but it's like, eh, I don't know.

311

It seems like it should be harder than

312

Xhafer: a whole thing.

313

It should be difficult to remove.

314

You know, it should be

a tumor on his mind.

315

Laura: So as he and Byron are like,

arguing with each other in their mind

316

we find out that the telepaths imploded

thanks to Leta and Garibaldi's money.

317

Xhafer: Yep.

318

Laura: Bester believes that the

telepath planet would have just

319

made them an easier target.

320

Like they would have put themselves all

in one place and then somebody would

321

have come along with a big nuke and

322

Xhafer: like an asteroid

one could hide out on.

323

Laura: yeah, yeah.

324

Xhafer: a bad place to hide because

you're an obvious, easily bombable target.

325

Laura: Yeah.

326

And there was some kind of altercation

where 200 of Bester's finest,

327

like, psych ops were all killed.

328

He got some kind of advanced

warning and was escaped, but

329

he didn't save anybody else.

330

Xhafer: This feels like something

that happened in a different book.

331

But as far as I can tell,

that is not the case.

332

Laura: A lot of things that were talked

about in the past seemed like they

333

were plot points that JMS really wanted

to do a movie or a show or something.

334

Mm hmm.

335

So we were like trying to set up allusions

to that, but not tell too much about it,

336

Xhafer: Yeah.

337

Laura: I, I, and I get that.

338

I don't remember when this

was written compared to, like,

339

what was happening with show.

340

So,

341

Xhafer: I

342

have, this was published

343

Laura: Yeah, okay.

344

Xhafer: So the show would have been done.

345

I think Crusade would not have aired.

346

When did Crusade drop?

347

Oh, that summer was the first season.

348

It was June 1999.

349

Laura: Hmm.

350

Okay.

351

Okay.

352

It makes sense.

353

It makes sense.

354

Xhafer: Yeah.

355

Mm

356

Laura: from his Byron nonsense and has

a sort of a meet cute with the hotel

357

owner where he thinks that she's trying

to kill him and then oops, she's not.

358

Ha ha ha.

359

But he can tell she feels bad for this

sad, weird old man in her hotel and she

360

invites him to run errands with her.

361

Uh, But uh, he can tell she feels bad for

this sad, weird old man in her hotel and

362

she invites him to run errands with her.

363

Xhafer: Yeah.

364

Laura: They walk around Paris.

365

He picks up a memoir of a supposed

telepathic mystic, which, I really

366

wanted to know more about this

book and who this telepathic mystic

367

was, but it is not mentioned.

368

Ever.

369

Uh, You know, he thinks about

how he used to read, and we saw

370

that back in the other book.

371

And he hasn't read in a long time.

372

After he hates on the book loudly

in the coffee shop, he gets

373

invited to be a literary critic.

374

Xhafer: Just gets a job as a literary

critic, literally placed in front of him.

375

Laura: Yeah.

376

Xhafer: And if you had asked, if you

had given me like a thousand guesses on

377

things that would happen in this novel.

378

Never in my mind would it have occurred

to me to make Bester a literary critic.

379

But how perfect is it?

380

Laura: I mean, he's always, you

know, putting those beautiful

381

turns of phrase together.

382

So, okay, sure.

383

Xhafer: He speaks poetically

and he hates everything.

384

He is the perfect literary

385

Laura: Yeah, yeah.

386

And uh, because Garibaldi is famously

barely literate he will never find

387

him in the Literary Criticism column.

388

Heh heh heh heh heh heh.

389

Xhafer: He's never going to review

any Daffy Duck cartoons, so Garibaldi

390

will remain blissfully ignorant.

391

Laura: Yeah.

392

Yeah.

393

Uh, The local gang gets back

at Louise, and Bester decides

394

to retaliate right back.

395

So, he confronts the gang leader,

completely kills his personality,

396

so he's still doing that.

397

He's still replacing people.

398

Rebuilds a new person in the place.

399

He goes back to the hotel and convinces

Louise that she should keep fighting

400

this fight and she should rebuild.

401

It was a firebomb, I think.

402

Xhafer: Yeah, something.

403

Laura: Yeah.

404

And she reluctantly agrees after enlisting

his help in exchange for free rent.

405

He feels weird about feeling sympathetic

to a mundane, which yeah, that is

406

a bit out of the norm for Bester.

407

Xhafer: Yeah.

408

Laura: It is mentioned here that

she is less than half his age.

409

At some point earlier, it was

mentioned that he was in his 80s.

410

Xhafer: He is in his 80s.

411

He is 82.

412

She, on a stroll, casually mentions

that if the relationship had

413

happened 20 years previous, he

would be tried for pedophilia.

414

Now, I did not look this up.

415

I assume the age of consent

in Paris is 16, in France.

416

Laura: Sure, why not.

417

Yeah.

418

Xhafer: seems very France to me to,

to be 16 and not 18 uh, which would

419

imply that she is at the oldest 36.

420

Now what's the, there's

like cougar, right?

421

Like, for an older woman

dating a younger man.

422

When it's an older man dating

a younger woman, do we still

423

just call that predator?

424

Or is there another

term I should be using?

425

Laura: Yeah, I'm not aware.

426

Yeah,

427

Xhafer: ground about this.

428

Like, if you're over 25, your

brain is, like, fully developed.

429

I might not understand your relationship,

but I'm not gonna outwardly disapprove

430

of it based on the basis of age.

431

You're cognizant of what you're

doing at that point in your life,

432

especially if you're in your mid 30s.

433

Like, she is aware of what she's doing.

434

I fucking hope.

435

Uh, It's hard to give Bester any

credit because he famously fucks

436

with people's minds, including

hers, as he admits to in this book.

437

Laura: Yeah.

438

Xhafer: Manipulating

her to be uh, pleasured.

439

Uh, So that he does, you know,

I was great, you loved it.

440

Um, but man.

441

Bester fucking.

442

Laura: The

443

Xhafer: I didn't need that.

444

Laura: that he mentions is, you know,

I've had young women who needed a

445

father figure throw themselves at me.

446

And he admits to that,

but he's, I don't know.

447

I don't

448

know.

449

And

450

Xhafer: This is different

because they don't report to

451

me in the chain of command.

452

Laura: yeah,

453

Xhafer: his, is his excuse for

feeling okay about this one.

454

Laura: Yeah.

455

And she had like a traumatic

divorce that's not explored

456

at all, like the husband, Ran

457

Xhafer: it's, it's almost like she

solely exists to be enamored with Bester.

458

Laura: Mm hmm.

459

Yeah.

460

She's a prop.

461

Yeah.

462

Xhafer: She's a prop.

463

She is not a character.

464

In fact, all of the characters

in this book are props, except

465

for Bester and Garibaldi.

466

And they are both

caricatures of themselves.

467

Laura: Yeah.

468

I

469

Xhafer: Although the author does do a

good job of nailing the Garibaldi voice.

470

Laura: Oh yes.

471

Both of their voices, I think

Bester and Garibaldi are very

472

true to their characters.

473

I would argue there's one character

maybe who's not as much of a prop,

474

but I'll tell you about that when

we get to him, because it's a while.

475

Ha ha ha.

476

Ha ha ha.

477

so, he thinks about Carolyn a bit.

478

I think Carolyn was a bit

younger than him too, if,

479

Xhafer: sure she was.

480

Laura: You know, apparently she was killed

in an attack on the Psi Core base on Mars.

481

Like, he was still holding on to her,

hoping that they could figure out how to

482

get the shadow stuff out of her brain.

483

But the telepaths, the rogues,

attacked at some point, destroyed

484

the base and destroyed her, so.

485

And he knows that, that Garibaldi

and Leta were behind that

486

attack, so, pretty presentable.

487

Garibaldi's still working on his hunt.

488

He found the home of one of

Bester's deceased contacts.

489

A former Psycorps intern and I was

like, man, I should look up and see if

490

this name is the same as that one in

that episode where we had the interns.

491

But

492

Xhafer: I didn't even think about that.

493

Laura: I thought about

it that I didn't do it.

494

Xhafer: Did you write

down the character's name?

495

Laura: I got the book right here.

496

Let's see real quick.

497

Xhafer: Lauren

498

Laura: Yeah.

499

Okay.

500

Not her.

501

Xhafer: Is that character.

502

Laura: Unless they changed names

and it wasn't really mentioned.

503

Xhafer: Yeah.

504

Laura: Let's see.

505

She had a secret identity.

506

Oh, okay.

507

Well, maybe it was her.

508

They fished her out of a body of water.

509

Garibaldi and Thompson find

a mysterious medication

510

that they have examined by Edgar's

Industries, and the medication is to

511

combat a telepathic specific disease.

512

Uh, seems to have sprung from the

attempts to advance telepathic abilities.

513

It's unclear how he got it,

514

Xhafer: Yeah.

515

He curses the Corps at

one point about this.

516

Mm hmm.

517

Laura: yeah, I don't remember if it's

that, because they, they theorize

518

that it could have been like, well,

maybe people volunteered to take

519

it, or maybe it was put into a

virus and then it got out of hand.

520

They don't really flesh that out.

521

Maybe that's another thing that was

supposed to be fleshed out in a series.

522

I don't know.

523

Xhafer: Yeah.

524

Laura: Anyway, it, it is noted that

this is similar to the Drak Plague.

525

So that makes me think

shadow technology, right?

526

Xhafer: Yes, that would be, that

would be the line I would draw.

527

Laura: Yeah.

528

So.

529

They've got this disease, the

medication has to be taken monthly

530

or else the affected telepathic

individual will, like, lose control

531

of themselves and their abilities.

532

And, uh, They believe Bester

must be one of the infected.

533

Xhafer: Yep, so Garibaldi is just

like, Okay, well I'll just buy

534

the companies that make this,

so that we're the only ones.

535

I'm just gonna go ahead

and make a monopoly, guys.

536

Like is totally normal in pharmaceuticals.

537

Laura: Totally normal.

538

And

539

Xhafer: Yeah, Yeah,

totally normal and fine.

540

Believable, unfortunately.

541

Laura: Yeah.

542

Bester and Louise go clothes shopping.

543

She wants to pick out a new outfit for

him because, surprise, his style sucks.

544

He keeps missing his gloves, and that's

one of the ways, you know, his style

545

Xhafer: He keeps talking about

how he needs his gloves on.

546

They're his teddy bear.

547

They're

548

Laura: So he's like, well,

you can pick out an outfit for

549

me if I can buy one for you.

550

So,

551

she picks out a little writerly

outfit, I guess, and he, she also picks

552

herself out a blue dress, but Bester

feels her, like, really liking this

553

evening gown, but it's very expensive.

554

Xhafer: The finest

Centauri silks or whatever.

555

Laura: Yeah, it, like, reacts to each

individual body heat or chemistry or

556

something and becomes a different color.

557

I like that idea.

558

It sounds cool.

559

And it's a chance for us to throw in

there that the Centauri Republic is

560

on hard times, and so they're selling

their fancy fabrics to other races.

561

Xhafer: Yeah.

562

Laura: Yeah, so they return

to the hotel for dinner.

563

Xhafer: uh,

564

he just, he needlessly

critiques her cooking.

565

Laura: yeah.

566

He hates her étouffée.

567

Is étouffée a French thing?

568

I know it isn't like a

Cajun thing, but yeah.

569

I didn't know it actually

happened in France.

570

In France, I thought it was

just like a thing that developed

571

over here in the French areas,

572

Xhafer: have, I mean, it's not

like cuisine is incapable of

573

traveling borders like that.

574

Laura: yeah, yeah.

575

Xhafer: Um,

576

Laura: don't know, someday maybe

I'll go to France and find out.

577

Xhafer: Just start asking around.

578

I need a toufee.

579

Laura: Yeah, where is it?

580

So he gives her that gown that she really

wanted so she can wear it to the opera.

581

Eight chapters in, Lise shows up.

582

And Lise is here.

583

Xhafer: four lines,

584

we love lease.

585

Why wasn't there more lease in this book?

586

Yes,

587

Laura: you know, her lot in life.

588

Xhafer: yes, as a woman, all she can do

is give Garibaldi shit for irresponsibly

589

purchasing a company to track down

a dude that he's got a beef with.

590

That's your, that's your purpose, Lise.

591

Laura: this company with her.

592

And then she's coming in and scolding him

saying, this drug doesn't make any money.

593

It's a loss.

594

We do this as like, you know, it is

produced as like a public service.

595

Why did you buy this company?

596

And it's like, girlfriend,

you didn't need him.

597

Xhafer: Right?

598

Kick his ass out!

599

Laura: Good grief.

600

Xhafer: He spends his days playing

tennis with their daughter.

601

Like, it's very apparent that like, the

Garibaldi of Season 5, well, of like

602

the end of Season 5 where he's all like

assumed control of the board and is

603

going to be running the company for Lise.

604

is like, a fad, and Lise clearly just

uses that to buy time to get her shit

605

together, run this fucking company, and

then he spends all day playing tennis

606

with their daughter, hanging out with

Franklin, and going on random missions.

607

Laura: Uh Huh.

608

Xhafer: Can you imagine the CEO of

any other company just vanishing for

609

weeks at a well, I'm sure it happens,

but just like, No notice, no vacation.

610

They're just gone for weeks.

611

And it's just, the company's just fine.

612

Cause, cause we don't need them

because they make things worse.

613

Most of the time

614

record profits is Michael

Garibaldi goes on missing.

615

He's on vacation somewhere.

616

Probably might get shot.

617

We can only hope.

618

Laura: Didn't waste a ton of resources

on unrelated telepath conflicts.

619

Yeah, yeah.

620

So he's making decisions

without consulting her.

621

He's obsessed with Bester.

622

She warns him that he shouldn't

be keeping secrets from her.

623

And Garibaldi agrees and

all is forgiven, I guess.

624

It's fine.

625

Xhafer: It's fine.

626

Laura: Bester practices fencing,

almost runs into a telepath

627

that could have known him.

628

Xhafer: Yeah.

629

A real scumbag, we find out.

630

A real, a real fuckin Nazi.

631

Laura: Yeah.

632

Xhafer: Like, there's no question

in the parallels being drawn.

633

This dude is a Nazi in

Brazil after the war.

634

Laura: They're pretty, yeah, like,

like, explicit about that, yeah, mm

635

Xhafer: of the stuff this dude is so

bad that they literally can't have

636

a conversation while reviewing it.

637

Laura: He dodges this guy, this time, and

agrees to sit for a portrait by Louise.

638

Xhafer: Not a naked one, though.

639

Laura: no, I hope not, it's

not explicitly stated, I

640

Xhafer: he specifies that

he would not be posing

641

Laura: that's right.

642

That's right.

643

That's right.

644

Yeah.

645

So,

646

Xhafer: imagining, like, current

day Walter Koenig through all of

647

Laura: Oh, no, please.

648

Xhafer: Cause the age is about the same.

649

How old is Walter Koenig right now?

650

Actually,

651

that's worth

652

a Google.

653

Laura: Right?

654

Xhafer: He is a fragile old man.

655

Laura: Mm hmm.

656

Xhafer: He is.

657

He is.

658

I like having witnessed him around.

659

He is eighty seven.

660

Laura: Oh, no.

661

Oh, boy.

662

No, clearly, like, Bester is in

better shape and we've had some of

663

that lip service played to like,

lifespans are longer and whatever.

664

So,

665

Xhafer: He talks about having like

30, 40 years left in him and stuff.

666

And I mean, even in the show, like,

Bester was like in his 70s when we

667

saw him, despite Walter being, you

know, in his late 50s, early 60s

668

Laura: Mm hmm.

669

Xhafer: at that time.

670

But Bester, like, does some shit,

like, he runs, he does flips,

671

he fist fights people, and the

672

entire

673

time, it is just current age Walter

Koenig in my mind doing these things.

674

Current age Walter Koenig

seducing a 35 year old woman.

675

Laura: No.

676

Xhafer: man, this is,

this is, this is rough.

677

That's me though, that, that, that's,

that's me reading the book, admittedly.

678

Laura: Yeah.

679

So we find out that his current

dose of medication is running out.

680

He calls his contacts to find out

why the next dose has not arrived.

681

And, oh no!

682

On the other end of the

line, it's Karabaldi.

683

Whoops.

684

Yeah.

685

Xhafer: like, Hey Bester, coming for you.

686

The fact that this is like, he

doesn't leave immediately after this.

687

Laura: Bizarre, right?

688

Xhafer: Right?

689

Yeah.

690

Laura: help him rip off a pharmacy

in order to get some of this.

691

Then he'll leave after that.

692

But, I mean, it's, I think they're

putting a clock on it at this point and

693

he's missed like two days of his dose

or something or it's up in two days.

694

Like,

695

Xhafer: It's starting

to already affect him.

696

Yeah.

697

He needs to get this medicine quick.

698

Laura: Right.

699

So they find out the pharmacy is going

to be super difficult to knock over.

700

There's AI and physical security.

701

He's got a little shadow device

that helps him get around the AI.

702

But he neglects to consider that

the security guard is a telepath

703

because apparently that's a job

you can have now as a telepath.

704

So Oh no!

705

He gets blocked and it has

an actual, like, fight.

706

It's a P 10 guard that he's up against.

707

Xhafer: Yeah, like, he's,

like, giving himself shit the

708

entire time with, like, a P 10.

709

Got the jump on me?

710

A P 10?

711

Come on.

712

Laura: He's in bad shape, though.

713

Like, he's starting to lose it by this

point, because it takes him a few days

714

to, like, knock over this pharmacy.

715

Xhafer: Yeah.

716

Laura: The gang leader gets killed.

717

I think that was always the plan.

718

Um, he had explosives in this

backpack that Bester sets off.

719

And then as the police are trying

to arrest Bester, they would get

720

incinerated by the explosion.

721

But Bester gets away with four vials.

722

So he's got four months

worth to figure his shit out.

723

Xhafer: Mm hmm.

724

Mm

725

Laura: He feels much better

after taking his dose.

726

Louise confronts him.

727

Hmm.

728

about their flirtatious behavior, I guess.

729

I don't like to think about this.

730

Uh, They have fallen in love, I guess.

731

They have sex.

732

Why?

733

But the actual fuck is

what I wrote in my notes.

734

Xhafer: totally didn't need.

735

I mean, the sex scene is in the book.

736

It is very short.

737

Laura: Yeah, yeah.

738

Blessedly.

739

Xhafer: like, I don't want to read this.

740

I skip ahead a paragraph

and it's already done.

741

And I'm all like, okay, I guess

I can stomach a paragraph of

742

this just to not have to read it.

743

I don't know, just, just to know,

I guess, morbid curiosity, perhaps

744

it was not particularly detailed.

745

Laura: No, but he

746

does use his telepathic abilities to like,

enhance his performance, which is gross.

747

So gross.

748

Xhafer: her perception of his performance.

749

Laura: Ugh.

750

Xhafer: a distinction.

751

Uh,

752

Laura: Ugh.

753

Ugh.

754

Ugh.

755

Ugh.

756

Ugh.

757

Xhafer: making sure that, you

know, he presses the button

758

at the right time and stuff.

759

That's all he's concerned about.

760

Uh, uh,

761

Yes.

762

Laura: just decides to let Byron go and

763

Xhafer: Yep, by, despite him mentioning

Byron being around a number of times

764

in the rest of this book Byron is gone.

765

Anytime he breaks up, he's

like, Oh, Byron, are you going

766

to come mock me for this one?

767

And he doesn't.

768

And it's just like, is it so persistent?

769

Has this been like a fixture in

Bester's life for like 20 years?

770

Is Byron literally over his

shoulder, mocking him at every turn?

771

Because it feels like reflex.

772

He goes to give Byron shit back,

but he's not there to mock him.

773

So it has to be like

something that happens.

774

Often.

775

Laura: yeah.

776

And do they say that he's

been on the run for 10 years?

777

I think that they say

something like that, yeah.

778

So it has been, like, 20 years

since Byron died, perhaps.

779

I don't, I don't know exactly.

780

So Garibaldi can't sleep.

781

He hasn't been able to find Bester.

782

He gets up and goes over more evidence.

783

He sees the robbery in Paris, but

finally says, like, look, pharmacies get

784

knocked over every day, all the time.

785

I gotta let this go.

786

And I don't need another

obsessive addiction.

787

And he decides to turn things

off and get some sleep.

788

And that's the end of part one.

789

Xhafer: This is absurd to me.

790

Because, one, Garibaldi is obsessed.

791

But, two, okay, so there's four people

in Paris that have this disease, right?

792

Laura: Yeah.

793

Xhafer: So, like, extrapolate that out.

794

Like, Telepaths are already a very

small number of people, and a very small

795

number of telepaths have this disease.

796

There's, even Bester at one

point says there's like, maybe

797

150 people who have this.

798

Right?

799

One of the pharmacies that

stocks this, this isn't at every

800

CVS on your fucking corner,

801

Laura: right?

802

Right.

803

They mentioned that.

804

There's like one pharmacy

in Paris that's got it.

805

Right.

806

Xhafer: Yeah.

807

That's noteworthy.

808

Laura: Yeah.

809

Xhafer: It's, it's the only, probably

the only pharmacy that carries it that

810

got knocked, you know, that got robbed.

811

Laura: Uh Huh.

812

Xhafer: In the time frame where

Bester would be looking for it.

813

It's just like, this is

clearly a great lead.

814

And Garibaldi's homeschool is

just all like, Nah, I think now

815

it's time to put down the pencil.

816

What a fuck.

817

Laura: Yeah, yeah.

818

So we start part two, reckoning.

819

So we know it's time.

820

It's time for that final reckoning.

821

Xhafer: There will be a reckoning and

what proceeds is like five chapters

822

of Bester just being a dick in Paris.

823

Laura: just especially being

a dick and dicking around.

824

Xhafer: Yeah, like, I feel

like, nothing happens.

825

Like, he has some incidental

contacts with a couple of people.

826

He mind wipes that one dude, goes

back to check on him to make sure the

827

mind wipe worked, and then kills him.

828

Uh,

829

Laura: an odd choice

after, like, the mind wipe.

830

I don't know.

831

Yeah.

832

And he, like, encourages Louise to, like,

reconnect with her family a little bit.

833

So she leaves for a while so he can

fuck around and do other things.

834

They do go to the Eiffel Tower

and pretend to be tourists.

835

And that's where he gets

made, by the other telepath.

836

So, Ackerman is his name.

837

And, oh yeah, he was found

to have executed prisoners of

838

war during the telepath war.

839

So.

840

Xhafer: Yeah.

841

They're describing stuff that

sounds like it's Auschwitz.

842

Laura: Yes, definitely, especially the re

education camp, like when the policeman

843

and his deputy get to the pictures.

844

The way the pictures are described

is like, yes, this is like Auschwitz,

845

Xhafer: Yeah.

846

Laura: And this guy got two years

in prison because he like sold off

847

his superiors, like he named names.

848

So he got two years in prison

and he's out on parole, I guess.

849

Xhafer: So this was two

years ago, but 10 years ago.

850

Like, did they just catch him?

851

Like, did they not catch him

until way after the war Maybe

852

he was on the run for a while?

853

Laura: Like, maybe he was held for trial

for a long time because I imagine these

854

trials were a while to churn through.

855

I don't know.

856

It could be.

857

I don't think he got time served.

858

Xhafer: Right?

859

Or maybe he did, maybe that's

why it was only two years.

860

Um, it's just

861

Laura: Okay.

862

Xhafer: I mean I gave up very

early on, I'd say probably halfway

863

through the second book, on

thinking these were well written.

864

Laura: There's a lot of like,

don't look too closely at this.

865

Don't think

866

Xhafer: I, uh, I did a little bit

of research on the author because

867

I've been talking so much shit.

868

Um, I mean this with as

much disrespect as possible.

869

This looks like a dude that I've beat

the shit out of in a sword fight.

870

Like in, like in historical fencing.

871

He, he looks like one of those.

872

He looks like a guy who was, he

was involved, but no good, but

873

thought he was really good at stuff.

874

And I think, I don't know.

875

I don't know.

876

I know nothing about this person

personally, but I do know that he has a a

877

trilogy, a tetralogy of books called the

Age of Unreason, which is all steam punky.

878

And it features Benjamin Franklin

and Isaac Newton, apparently.

879

A bunch of other other famous people.

880

Those people did live a hundred

years apart, so I'm hoping that

881

there's some time stuff going on.

882

Laura: Oh, Shirley, it's gotta be all

883

Xhafer: it's, it's, it's,

steampunk, so who gives a fuck

884

what people lived, I guess.

885

Um, and like, I look at,

like, his list of books.

886

And there's a whole lot of stuff that's

just like, he did the movie novelization

887

of the war for the planet of the apes.

888

He did the movie novelization of inner

or the novelization of interstellar.

889

He did the novelization of

the independence day sequel.

890

He did the novelization of

like the last three Godzilla

891

movies, but not the good ones.

892

Yeah.

893

Laura: when he wrote this relationship

as Bester, 80 year old Bester, and 30

894

year old Louise, you know, just rounding.

895

Because you could have added a decade

or two, and it wouldn't have changed

896

anything to the Louise character.

897

But you didn't.

898

And it just, I don't know, colored

for me how this man feels about women.

899

So,

900

I don't know.

901

don't love it.

902

He could be a perfectly

lovely dude, I have no idea.

903

But this kind of made a

very sour taste in my mouth.

904

Xhafer: Yep.

905

Laura: Bester's been writing columns.

906

He gets picked up by a larger paper.

907

I think it's cute that papers still exist.

908

Xhafer: I Mean they do in Babylon 5

909

generally speaking.

910

Laura: That's very universe coherent.

911

Xhafer: Mm hmm.

912

Laura: he's worried a little bit

about being in a larger paper, because

913

that's more exposure, but he's also

decided that, But, you know, he's safe.

914

He's safe.

915

Even though he's talked

to Garibaldi on the phone.

916

Xhafer: Yeah.

917

Laura: He goes back after mind

wiping Ackerman in a previous

918

scene and he's pleased with himself

that Ackerman doesn't remember.

919

He asks Ackerman if there's

like any place he can hide.

920

The gentleman is like, no, I mean, you're

the most wanted dude on the planet.

921

Like,

922

Xhafer: like I why would I I

don't know a good place for you.

923

Sorry, dude.

924

You should not be here.

925

This is the stupid idea.

926

He's just like, oh blam.

927

Laura: It's, it doesn't make sense to me.

928

Like, why would you do that mind wipe

and then go back and talk to him and then

929

decide, Welp, now I gotta just kill him.

930

Xhafer: Cause, I get, he's a

hypothetical loose end that could

931

threaten his life with Louise.

932

He's all like, oh, I'm a changed man now.

933

You'll be the last person

Alfred Bester ever kills.

934

Because I am no longer Alfred Bester.

935

I've killed Al.

936

He's dead.

937

It's, I'm a totally

different person now, guys.

938

I'm a really, really great guy now.

939

Oh.

940

No more killing.

941

Laura: Yeah, I don't know.

942

I was just like, alright, okay.

943

Didn't seem necessary

anyway, but here we are.

944

Especially if your mind wipe was

that damn good the first time, like,

945

can't you just do it again, like?

946

Xhafer: Right, well and he doesn't need

to he seeks this dude out he like he

947

doesn't get made He's all like he has

another incidental contact and it's

948

just like well, this is gonna keep

happening So I guess I gotta give this

949

dude the axe Why not like do the super

good mind wipe and then make him leave?

950

Laura: Mm hmm.

951

Xhafer: just

952

make him

953

Laura: suggestion,

954

Xhafer: Yeah, I'm going to go to London.

955

They're close.

956

It's reasonable.

957

Laura: to visit when she comes

back from seeing her mom.

958

Xhafer: Clark supporter.

959

Laura: Yeah, which, yeah,

a bit dangerous, right?

960

Because Bester may have encountered her

before, but she does not recognize him.

961

And she She really just is super

accepting of her sister's relationship

962

with a man 50 years her senior and

just gets over it pretty quick.

963

Xhafer: Super quick, way quicker

than my sister would for sure for

964

a couple of reasons, but that's

965

Laura: Sure.

966

Xhafer: there.

967

Laura: Yeah, yeah.

968

Uh,

969

Then we meet police inspector Gerard.

970

Xhafer: Yes.

971

Laura: Am I saying that right?

972

Xhafer: Gerard?

973

I know that Garibaldi says it wrong, and

974

Laura: Yeah.

975

I was like, did I Garibaldi it?

976

I hope I didn't.

977

I'm, I don't know.

978

He calls him Gerard, I think,

and I'm saying Gerard, so I don't

979

Xhafer: Gerard.

980

Yeah.

981

Uh, he was involved very

briefly in an earlier chapter.

982

When Garibaldi first meets Louise,

he is the beat cop inspector.

983

it?

984

Laura: yeah, Lucien is the

one that's when he first

985

Xhafer: Oh, Oh, man.

986

Okay.

987

Laura: Yeah, there's two cops.

988

We got, we got Inspector Gerard,

989

Xhafer: so different that.

990

Laura: and then we have Beat Cop Lucien.

991

So

992

Beat Cop Lucien is the one that

was there before, I believe.

993

I don't think Gerard had showed up yet.

994

I would argue that Gerard is not a

total prop, because he does, like,

995

make fun of Garibaldi a bit, and

I like that in a, in a guy, so.

996

Xhafer: Yes.

997

Yeah.

998

No, no.

999

He's, if anyone is a developed

character in any type of any

00:48:43,665 --> 00:48:46,915

amount besides our two cover boys.

00:48:47,460 --> 00:48:51,140

Laura: like, He's like the

author poking fun at this whole

00:48:51,150 --> 00:48:52,520

thing a little bit, I think.

00:48:52,570 --> 00:48:53,040

I don't know.

00:48:53,540 --> 00:48:58,610

Gerard has a thing where he has this

problem that he knocked up his mistress.

00:48:58,730 --> 00:48:59,260

Oops.

00:48:59,970 --> 00:49:03,700

And is, like, looking for something

to distract him from that.

00:49:03,950 --> 00:49:08,840

So, they find Ackerman fish him

out of a body of water, I think.

00:49:09,110 --> 00:49:09,740

And

00:49:09,805 --> 00:49:10,035

Xhafer: hmm.

00:49:10,680 --> 00:49:15,450

Laura: He decides to delay telling the

Metasensory Division of Earth Force

00:49:15,490 --> 00:49:20,260

about this telepath's death so he

can, like, ruminate on it for a bit.

00:49:20,930 --> 00:49:25,260

He and his lieutenant look at motives

for the murder and that's when they pull

00:49:25,260 --> 00:49:30,590

up, like, Ackerman's secret file where

it's like, Oh, he was, you know, a Nazi.

00:49:31,095 --> 00:49:31,255

Xhafer: Mm

00:49:31,310 --> 00:49:32,030

Laura: And,

00:49:32,210 --> 00:49:37,265

The lieutenant is like, well

Obviously, one of the victims or

00:49:37,265 --> 00:49:39,405

their families did this, right?

00:49:39,965 --> 00:49:45,895

They went and got revenge, and Gerard is

like, No, you need to turn those pictures

00:49:45,895 --> 00:49:48,205

off and think about some alternatives.

00:49:49,025 --> 00:49:54,295

And they settle that he could have run

into somebody that he shouldn't have,

00:49:54,585 --> 00:49:57,809

and he's got to be taken off the board.

00:49:57,989 --> 00:50:02,249

So they, they start looking and they

realize that one of his superiors,

00:50:02,279 --> 00:50:04,009

Bester, is still on the run.

00:50:04,509 --> 00:50:08,679

But as they're looking at Bester's

file, it shuts off very quickly

00:50:08,689 --> 00:50:09,939

and they get a call from Mr.

00:50:09,939 --> 00:50:10,609

Garibaldi.

00:50:10,988 --> 00:50:14,048

Xhafer: Like, hey, I wasn't doing

anything and I noticed you were

00:50:14,048 --> 00:50:15,508

looking up Bester's file there.

00:50:16,238 --> 00:50:18,278

Uh, Just wanted to say hi.

00:50:18,628 --> 00:50:21,328

I'm also a fan of people hunting Bester.

00:50:21,628 --> 00:50:23,378

Just wanted to talk that over.

00:50:23,378 --> 00:50:23,438

Mm hmm.

00:50:25,078 --> 00:50:25,418

Laura: Yeah.

00:50:25,508 --> 00:50:25,818

Yeah.

00:50:26,208 --> 00:50:31,598

Nevermind that these seem to be government

files and I'm a corporate dude just

00:50:31,658 --> 00:50:33,588

Xhafer: How the fuck is he doing this?

00:50:33,688 --> 00:50:34,278

Laura: Right?

00:50:35,078 --> 00:50:39,018

Xhafer: Like, we've got him kind of

established as like a, like, Kind

00:50:39,018 --> 00:50:43,708

of like a mildly proficient hacker

a couple of times in the show.

00:50:44,398 --> 00:50:47,348

But like, I feel like this is the

kind of thing that if he was running

00:50:47,358 --> 00:50:50,238

around doing, he would be so arrested.

00:50:50,528 --> 00:50:50,938

Laura: Mm hmm.

00:50:51,553 --> 00:50:54,853

Yeah, it, there's a lot of things

that it's just like, well, he's

00:50:54,853 --> 00:50:57,173

Sheridan's friend, so he can do it.

00:50:57,743 --> 00:51:01,593

And I'm like, this is not how

government should work, everyone.

00:51:01,613 --> 00:51:04,773

And we should feel horrified by

this, not like, oh, well, he's

00:51:04,773 --> 00:51:06,273

our good guy, so it's fine.

00:51:06,323 --> 00:51:06,773

Like,

00:51:06,963 --> 00:51:08,643

Xhafer: Yeah, Sheridan vouches for him.

00:51:08,653 --> 00:51:12,333

So even though he's the not even

the president of our government.

00:51:12,923 --> 00:51:13,203

Laura: Right.

00:51:14,273 --> 00:51:15,153

This is just

00:51:15,483 --> 00:51:18,493

Xhafer: Actively was

killing people in our skies.

00:51:18,823 --> 00:51:21,943

Um, yeah, it's it's insane.

00:51:21,993 --> 00:51:26,778

Laura: Oh, and he, you know, he's

going to, Keep metasensory out of it.

00:51:26,808 --> 00:51:30,948

Garibaldi promises Gerard, like, I

will, I'm going to send in my own feds.

00:51:30,978 --> 00:51:33,838

Like, how do you have your own feds, sir?

00:51:34,623 --> 00:51:34,943

Xhafer: right.

00:51:38,224 --> 00:51:39,284

it's terrible.

00:51:39,769 --> 00:51:40,939

Laura: Super capitalism.

00:51:40,964 --> 00:51:47,014

Xhafer: This is, this is, this is late,

late, late stage super capitalism at its

00:51:47,189 --> 00:51:48,279

Laura: Yeah.

00:51:48,459 --> 00:51:52,079

He's going to be there in four

days himself to help lead the hunt.

00:51:52,209 --> 00:51:56,669

And then after their conversation,

Garibaldi privately frets about whether

00:51:56,669 --> 00:51:58,849

he's going to tell Lys where he's going.

00:51:59,055 --> 00:52:00,165

Xhafer: What a great husband.

00:52:01,400 --> 00:52:02,100

Laura: Super great.

00:52:02,140 --> 00:52:03,480

Their relationship is fine.

00:52:04,105 --> 00:52:05,575

Xhafer: Yep, no problems there.

00:52:06,912 --> 00:52:10,112

Laura: Bester is wondering what to

do for his latest column because

00:52:10,112 --> 00:52:14,072

he's had the unfortunate experience

of enjoying the book that he read.

00:52:14,787 --> 00:52:17,077

Xhafer: Something no one

who's read this book knows.

00:52:19,067 --> 00:52:21,447

God, do you think that like Greg?

00:52:21,927 --> 00:52:25,858

Greg Keyes here, my buddy Greg uh,

Do you think he got like a series

00:52:25,858 --> 00:52:27,958

of like super negative reviews?

00:52:28,728 --> 00:52:30,678

And this is just his way of like

00:52:31,227 --> 00:52:36,577

Dealing with that Like men would

literally rather write a trilogy of

00:52:36,597 --> 00:52:42,719

novels about future psychic space

hitler than go to therapy Is that

00:52:42,719 --> 00:52:43,766

where

00:52:43,867 --> 00:52:44,357

Laura: Yeah.

00:52:44,812 --> 00:52:45,858

Xhafer: at.

00:52:45,858 --> 00:52:46,904

Okay,

00:52:47,057 --> 00:52:50,837

Laura: the beat cop, Lucien,

who is sweet on Louise.

00:52:50,837 --> 00:52:54,607

We got that kind of, like,

idea in their first meet.

00:52:55,197 --> 00:52:58,487

Goes to talk to Bester about

the death of that gang leader.

00:52:58,497 --> 00:53:00,417

He's got some suspicions.

00:53:00,957 --> 00:53:05,197

And he warns that If Louise

is, like, brought in on any

00:53:05,197 --> 00:53:08,476

of this, he's gonna be upset.

00:53:08,536 --> 00:53:11,456

Like, he doesn't really care

what Bester's whole deal is.

00:53:12,056 --> 00:53:13,476

Don't fuck with Louise.

00:53:14,086 --> 00:53:14,366

Xhafer: Yeah.

00:53:14,366 --> 00:53:15,266

super important.

00:53:15,816 --> 00:53:18,036

Laura: Bester gives him this

whole thing, because he's kind

00:53:18,036 --> 00:53:21,996

of read his mind a little about

what his fears and worries are.

00:53:22,576 --> 00:53:25,896

And convinces him he's just

an innocent man who wasted his

00:53:25,896 --> 00:53:27,826

life doing meaningless things.

00:53:27,866 --> 00:53:33,156

And now he's fallen in love with

this beautiful, young hotel owner.

00:53:33,576 --> 00:53:38,142

And he's just like, trying

to live the last of his life.

00:53:38,292 --> 00:53:38,702

Like.

00:53:39,117 --> 00:53:40,967

In love, in Paris, you know.

00:53:42,014 --> 00:53:42,594

Xhafer: Awww!

00:53:44,554 --> 00:53:47,024

I don't know what I'm

supposed to feel here.

00:53:47,224 --> 00:53:52,104

Um, besides, grateful that there's

not another sex scene in this book.

00:53:52,324 --> 00:53:52,754

Laura: Yeah.

00:53:53,414 --> 00:53:58,874

And like, he's sort of buying into his own

bullshit, because he can't leave Louise.

00:53:59,114 --> 00:53:59,624

Yeah.

00:54:00,274 --> 00:54:04,264

He convinces himself it's all okay,

even though like, that should be

00:54:04,264 --> 00:54:06,034

pretty fucking concerning, right?

00:54:06,909 --> 00:54:07,359

Xhafer: yeah,

00:54:07,484 --> 00:54:07,844

Laura: That whole

00:54:07,844 --> 00:54:08,694

conversation?

00:54:09,309 --> 00:54:10,079

Xhafer: it should be.

00:54:10,129 --> 00:54:17,259

Bester is, out of any person I can think

of living, dead, fictional, probably the

00:54:17,259 --> 00:54:21,259

second most bought into his own bullshit

out of any name I could possibly come

00:54:21,284 --> 00:54:21,784

Laura: Mhm.

00:54:22,154 --> 00:54:23,284

Yeah, definitely.

00:54:23,756 --> 00:54:28,506

Garibaldi arrives in Paris, tells Thompson

about how much he hates rain, which

00:54:28,506 --> 00:54:31,756

I was like, okay, this is some world

building that I hadn't thought about,

00:54:31,796 --> 00:54:34,096

like, I guess Garibaldi was born on Mars.

00:54:34,391 --> 00:54:35,351

Xhafer: Yeah, they don't get rain.

00:54:35,486 --> 00:54:35,834

Laura: Yeah.

00:54:35,834 --> 00:54:38,954

And so like water falling from

the sky makes him like freak out.

00:54:38,964 --> 00:54:40,534

Doesn't like large bodies of water.

00:54:40,534 --> 00:54:41,244

I'm like, oh yeah.

00:54:41,434 --> 00:54:41,984

Okay.

00:54:42,824 --> 00:54:43,124

That makes

00:54:43,234 --> 00:54:44,394

Xhafer: Yeah, I get, I get that.

00:54:44,544 --> 00:54:44,914

Yeah.

00:54:45,504 --> 00:54:46,874

That's not terrible.

00:54:46,914 --> 00:54:48,044

That's, that's interesting.

00:54:48,598 --> 00:54:49,237

Laura: Uh Huh.

00:54:49,318 --> 00:54:49,588

Yeah.

00:54:49,803 --> 00:54:50,243

Xhafer: something.

00:54:51,438 --> 00:54:51,878

Laura: Right.

00:54:51,958 --> 00:54:52,338

Right.

00:54:52,959 --> 00:54:53,459

Xhafer: Read this

00:54:53,479 --> 00:54:57,959

book to understand why Garibaldi

hates rain and nothing else of value.

00:54:58,139 --> 00:54:58,519

Laura: Right.

00:54:59,281 --> 00:55:03,971

They discuss why Bester could be in

Paris, why he's broken his pattern,

00:55:04,001 --> 00:55:06,281

he's not moving, he's not on the run.

00:55:06,801 --> 00:55:11,521

Garibaldi shows his whole ass discussing

telepath and mundane marriage.

00:55:12,441 --> 00:55:12,861

Xhafer: Yep.

00:55:13,741 --> 00:55:14,911

Just pull some down.

00:55:14,921 --> 00:55:17,041

And it's all like, you want to see a moon?

00:55:17,041 --> 00:55:23,711

Yeah.

00:55:23,781 --> 00:55:24,691

Laura: to help her.

00:55:25,326 --> 00:55:30,106

Telepath resistance that Garibaldi

might have grown in some ways.

00:55:30,156 --> 00:55:34,186

This is quick to, like, disabuse

you of that, no, that idea.

00:55:34,776 --> 00:55:40,186

So he, he's not against telepath

and mundane marriage, or I guess

00:55:40,186 --> 00:55:43,836

I'll call it mixed marriage for

lack of a better, like, word.

00:55:43,836 --> 00:55:47,106

But he would never do it, and he

can't see why anyone would do it.

00:55:47,641 --> 00:55:48,191

Xhafer: Yeah.

00:55:48,411 --> 00:55:49,591

You can never trust someone.

00:55:50,316 --> 00:55:50,716

Laura: right.

00:55:50,996 --> 00:55:51,316

right.

00:55:51,391 --> 00:55:53,061

Xhafer: trust them if they're telepaths.

00:55:53,151 --> 00:55:55,341

So why would you marry

someone you can't trust?

00:55:55,571 --> 00:55:59,751

I need someone who trusts me blindly

without ever questioning my ideas.

00:56:00,266 --> 00:56:03,716

Laura: And because I'm going to run off

in the middle of the night and not tell

00:56:03,716 --> 00:56:07,906

them where I'm going and lie about it, so

I don't want them to know that I did that.

00:56:08,971 --> 00:56:10,011

Xhafer: Right.

00:56:10,716 --> 00:56:11,216

Laura: Yeah.

00:56:11,606 --> 00:56:11,906

Yeah.

00:56:12,836 --> 00:56:14,046

Garibaldi's the worst.

00:56:14,751 --> 00:56:15,171

Xhafer: Yep.

00:56:15,720 --> 00:56:18,760

Laura: Gerard tells them more

about the pharmacy break in.

00:56:19,115 --> 00:56:23,585

And that they've kind of got this theory

that Bester is somewhere in that Paris

00:56:23,775 --> 00:56:25,535

Xhafer: Yeah, they start

to put it together.

00:56:25,765 --> 00:56:31,695

His various mistakes and mishaps

and murders all start to point

00:56:32,385 --> 00:56:34,335

The lens at a single direction.

00:56:35,285 --> 00:56:37,455

Bester is in Paris.

00:56:37,795 --> 00:56:43,075

Laura: Gerard offhandedly quotes something

from the literary critic Kaufman.

00:56:43,525 --> 00:56:45,495

Claude Kaufman has been his alias.

00:56:46,105 --> 00:56:49,355

And it triggers something

in Garibaldi, but he doesn't

00:56:50,115 --> 00:56:50,325

it.

00:56:51,405 --> 00:56:53,455

That's, that's a nice detail.

00:56:53,475 --> 00:56:53,735

That's

00:56:53,825 --> 00:56:55,995

Xhafer: I did enjoy that.

00:56:56,555 --> 00:56:56,985

Yeah.

00:56:57,715 --> 00:57:03,444

It'd be like, I imagine if this were

like, A show, somehow, animated or live

00:57:03,444 --> 00:57:04,674

action, whatever, it doesn't matter.

00:57:05,154 --> 00:57:09,124

Um, he would have like, had the like,

little flash of like, interference

00:57:09,124 --> 00:57:11,194

from before Bester would fuck with him.

00:57:11,639 --> 00:57:12,039

Laura: hmm.

00:57:12,294 --> 00:57:14,154

Xhafer: But not know what that was.

00:57:14,629 --> 00:57:14,959

Laura: Yeah.

00:57:16,154 --> 00:57:18,564

He gets a little, like,

migraine all of a sudden.

00:57:18,634 --> 00:57:18,874

Xhafer: yeah.

00:57:20,524 --> 00:57:24,127

Laura: Uh, Bester and Louise

take her sister to the airport.

00:57:24,137 --> 00:57:27,947

He tries to get her to leave

spontaneously with him.

00:57:27,947 --> 00:57:29,947

She's like, I have a hotel to run.

00:57:29,977 --> 00:57:31,347

I can't just leave.

00:57:31,507 --> 00:57:32,917

Xhafer: bitch, I'm a business owner.

00:57:33,137 --> 00:57:33,957

Laura: Yeah, yeah.

00:57:34,317 --> 00:57:37,300

And he gives up and goes back with her.

00:57:37,683 --> 00:57:41,053

they try to close the net

on their neighborhood.

00:57:41,663 --> 00:57:47,308

But The visual and chemical observation

identifies the wrong guy as bester.

00:57:48,763 --> 00:57:49,483

Xhafer: Yeah!

00:57:50,058 --> 00:57:52,978

Okay, I'm guessing this is the

Shadow thing fucking with stuff,

00:57:53,178 --> 00:57:55,748

and that the author forgot that

he had just written the thing.

00:57:56,378 --> 00:57:59,218

Because there's another couple of

allusions to like, well, there's this

00:57:59,218 --> 00:58:01,658

mystery device that fucks with things.

00:58:02,288 --> 00:58:05,058

And even though Bester told

us earlier in the book exactly

00:58:05,058 --> 00:58:06,328

what it was and how it worked.

00:58:07,018 --> 00:58:08,358

Uh, so.

00:58:09,063 --> 00:58:09,433

I'll just

00:58:09,884 --> 00:58:11,768

give Greg the grace of that.

00:58:11,957 --> 00:58:16,237

Laura: Garibaldi shows his whole ass

again by pulling a PPG on the wrong

00:58:16,247 --> 00:58:18,727

dude in front of her reporter this time.

00:58:18,777 --> 00:58:22,217

And she's got the little

camera bot floating around.

00:58:22,722 --> 00:58:23,352

Xhafer: Mm

00:58:23,357 --> 00:58:24,587

Laura: she was doing it live.

00:58:25,222 --> 00:58:25,302

Xhafer: It's

00:58:25,302 --> 00:58:27,722

like, oh hey, you're Michael Carabaldi!

00:58:29,612 --> 00:58:31,902

You're the Lex Luthor

00:58:31,902 --> 00:58:33,932

lookin stooge.

00:58:34,012 --> 00:58:35,852

With your giant penis rocket.

00:58:36,532 --> 00:58:36,932

Laura: Right.

00:58:39,122 --> 00:58:42,922

Uh, If she requests an

interview, he refuses.

00:58:42,942 --> 00:58:47,372

But he, he's heard one of

Kauffman's reviews and realized

00:58:47,402 --> 00:58:49,012

that Kauffman must be Bester.

00:58:49,542 --> 00:58:55,072

And he decides to interview

with this lady just to flesh

00:58:55,112 --> 00:58:57,212

Bester out, I guess is the idea.

00:58:57,762 --> 00:59:02,808

The, the interview reaches Bester in