"Babylon 5" The Corps Is Mother, the Corps Is Father (1998)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Stephen Furst

Writers:

J. Michael Straczynski (creator)
J. Michael Straczynski (written by)

TV Series:

"Babylon 5" (1994)

Original Air Date:

15 April 1998 (Season 5, Episode 13)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

A day in the life of Alfred Bester, who starts his day in Psi Corps HQ, where he is well liked and respected...

Plot Keywords:

Lesbianism | Space Opera | Bizarre | Rangers | Telekinesis

Cast

Bruce Boxleitner	...	President John Sheridan (credit only)
Jerry Doyle	...	Michael Garibaldi (credit only)
Mira Furlan	...	Delenn (credit only)
Richard Biggs	...	Dr. Stephen Franklin
Bill Mumy	...	Lennier (credit only)
Tracy Scoggins	...	Captain Elizabeth Lochley (credit only)
Stephen Furst	...	Vir Cotto (credit only)
Jeff Conaway	...	Zack Allan
Patricia Tallman	...	Lyta Alexander (credit only)
Peter Jurasik	...	Londo Mollari (credit only)
Andreas Katsulas	...	G'Kar (credit only)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dana Barron	...	Lauren Ashley
Michael Max Charles Ciano	...	Roommate
Brendan Ford	...	Gordon
Mike Genovese	...	Drake
Walter Koenig	...	Alfred Bester
Reggie Lee	...	Chen Hikaru
Haley McLane	...	Computer (voice)
Don McMillan	...	Bartender
Vincent Riotta	...	Bryce (as Vince Ricotta)
Dex Elliot Sanders	...	Jonathan Harris
Michael Stanton	...	Dealer (as Michael Jeffrie Stanton)
Jeremy Thomas	...	Man
Drew Wood	...	Student TEEP

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Trivia:

The "motivational" signs throughout the Psi Corps building are typeset in Albertus, a slightly modified version of which was used around The Village in "The Prisoner" (1967).

Goofs:

Continuity: The fifth series of Babylon 5 is set in the year 2262 yet the diary/journal page from the suspect's quarters that Bester examines is clearly dated 2264.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Drake: Al, there you are.
Alfred Bester: Sorry. We had a runaway problem in New Orleans. Local office couldn't deal with it. I had to step in. It's fixed now.

One of the best episodes of season 5

This was a very good episode and a welcome relief from the last disappointing Bester episode. This time, the episode is shown from Bester's perspective and it is set initially at the Psi Corps training facility as Bester welcomes two new assistants. It's a little weird seeing Bester let down his hair and tell jokes and act avuncular (that's a big word that means "like an uncle") to these newbies. In a way, it helps you understand his perspective and appreciate his own difficult childhood.

The episode changes quickly from a meandering look at Psi Corps training, as a P-10 (a higher level telepath) goes crazy and kills his roommate--then he disappears from the training center. Bester and his new aids are forced to drop everything and head to the logical destination of this madman--Babylon 5.

While there's quite a bit more to it than this, the show is a very good showcase for Walter Koenig ("Bester") and the show has a wonderfully creepy conclusion. If you're going to see any episodes from this less than stellar final season, this is one worth seeing!