A Dream Given Form by Ensley F. Guffey & K. Dale Koontz

Author:Ensley F. Guffey & K. Dale Koontz
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ECW Press
Published: 2017-08-31T02:08:37+00:00

4.09 Atonement

Written by J. Michael Straczynski

Directed by Tony Dow

Original air date February 24, 1997

* * *

“The problem with the Big Lie is that if you repeat it long enough, people start to believe it, and we can’t have that happen.” — Sheridan

Delenn is recalled to Minbar to deal with family issues.

If history teaches anything, it is that the past never really goes anywhere. It endures, and despite technological, cultural, and political revolutions, it reaches into the present to shape the future. As Delenn once noted, the Minbari have a saying: “the past is also sometimes present.” This is particularly true for the Minbari, who place a high value on continuity and the preservation of the past, from the careful maintenance of their ancient cities to their devotion to family, clan, and caste. Layers of the past are now demanding Delenn’s attention because of her choices in the present, particularly her growing relationship with Sheridan. Perhaps the most staggering revelation in the episode is Delenn’s role in the Earth-Minbari War, which she deliberately avoided talking about in “And the Sky Full of Stars.”

Ironically, Callenn’s concern for the supposed “purity” of the Minbari genome, already a moot issue, actually demonstrates that Minbari and humans are more similar than he would want to know. His illogical bigotry towards “race mixing” is all too familiar to human ears, as is his willingness to subvert the ritual of the dreaming in order to keep the “tainted” genetic lines a secret. At first, it seems out of character for Delenn to agree to a deal by which the truth of the entwining of human and Minbari genetic codes is kept a secret, but Delenn was trained as a politician, not just as a member of the Religious caste. She knows the art of compromise, and she is also very, very good at keeping secrets, and deciding what truths to set free. Consider her secrecy about the Shadows to both Sheridan and G’Kar, her role in the Earth-Minbari War, her real position in the Minbari government during seasons one and two, and even the possibilities surrounding Anna Sheridan and the crew of the Icarus. This is a woman who is used to guarding large and dangerous secrets, and while she does it for “the greater good,” the question has to be raised — what gives her the right to determine that good? This applies not just to Delenn, but to Sheridan, and to the rest of the main characters as well, each of whom regularly makes that call. JMS & Co. never make things simple, and even the best of the good guys are grey, standing between the candle and the star.

STATION DIAGNOSTICS

Highlight

Dukhat: “When others do a foolish thing, you should tell them that it is a foolish thing. They can continue to do it, but at least the truth is where it needs to be.”

Did You Notice

Zack’s discomfort with the fit of his new uniform jacket recalls a similar problem with his Earthforce tunic in “Voices of Authority.

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